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Philip the Good, by Rogier van der Weyden (c.1400 64). Under Philip’s reign Burgundy reached the zenith of its glory; although the extent of its territorial possessions was greater under his son, Charles the Bold, the decline had already set in by the time of Charles’s accession in 1467. A wise and able ruler, Philip took great care to surround himsclf with the astutest statesmen of the time. He founded the Order of the Golden Fleece, whose emblem he wears here: a chivalric ‘club’ loosely based upon the English Order of the Garter. (Musee des Beaux-Arts de Dijon)

sessions. There is occasional evidence of serious delays in paying the troops, or of soldiers being substantially underpaid. Although badly paid troops were apt to pillage and desert, it is possible that this was an intentional measure to discouragc desertion, although rumours circulated at one time to the efTect that the Marshal had appropriated the funds. Booty was considered to be a part of men’s pay, which accounts for the total destruction of besieged towns once they had been taken: during the pillage ofDinant in 1466 even the lead from the roofs of houses was taken.

Recruitment

Right up to the middle of Charles the Bold’s reign, when the first permanent armies were appearing, the dukes of Burgundy, like all European poten-tates, relied on feudal levies for their military force. Early medieval feudalism, based on gratuitous military service from vassals, had gradually been abandoned in France during the 14th century: it was unreliable, providing troops for inadequate and irregular periods of service. Instead, monarchs summoned their .vassals when needed, and paid tliem for their service, a sort ofsemi-feudalism lying between true feudalism and the creation ofstanding armies.

The nucleus of the army was the man-at-arms. Apart from major aristocracy such as dukes, counts and barons, the men-at-arms consisted of:

(1)    Cheialiers bannerets: powerful and rich nobles who had the right to raise a banner—a sejuare or rectangular flag bearing their arms.

(2)    Cheialiers bacheliers or bas cheialiers : members of the lesser aristocracy, who borc ;i lbrked'pennon.

(3)    Ecuyers (squires): minor aristocrats or bourgeois who were affluent enough to provide themselves with the necessary accoutrements: armour, horses, archers and valets. Throughout the whole period of the Valois dukes the majority of men-at-arms came from the two Burgundies, and to a lesser extent the province of Artois. Men-at-arms were paid accord-ing to their rank. A cheialier bachelier could be promoted to a cheialier banneret by applying to the captain of the army; he would have to have between 25 and 50 men-at-arms under his command to be upgraded, and if his application were successful the points of his pennon would be cercmonially cut ofT, leaving him with a square or rectangular banneret.

Cities and towns in Burgundian territory were also subject to certain feudal obligations in spite of their jealously-guarded rights. Much of the man-power and infantry were drawn from Flanders, Holland and Zeeland, and the Flemish towns in particular were renowned for their pikemen. They are described in an account of 1471 as ‘each having a sallet, brigandine, sworcl and pikę, or a long lance with a slender shaft and a long-sharp spear-head, cutting on three sidesb In spite of their reputation they contributed little but trouble to the dukes, demonstrating a remarkable obstinacy to muster, endlessly arguing over pay and length of service, and on at least two occasions running igno-miniously away in the face of the enemy. The northern towns gradually sent fewer and fewer troops, and fulfilled their feudal obligations by

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