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Table B: Company Organisation, 1473

	Number in	16 chambres	4 sąuadrons
	a lance	consisting of	consisting of		Company
Men-at-arms	1	6	25	100'
Swordsmen	1	6	25	100	■ mounted
Valets	1	. 6	25	100
Archers	3	^18 j*	75	3°°.
Crossbowmen	1	6	25	100'
Pikemen	1	6	25	100	► on foot
Handgunners	1	6	25	100
Total	9	54	225	9°°

Istated) was almost certainly based on the original 1471 ordinance, and a company would have been I organised as in Table B.

® In practice, the company rarely achieved the necessary effectives, and the missing numbers were I sometimes provided from the feudal levies or mercenaries not connected with the ordinances.

IAfter the preamble, the ordinance describes how the conducłeurs are to apply for their positions in writing, and their subsequent election by the duke,

Iwhich is to remain in force for no morę than a year. Conducłeurs are responsible for selecting their chefs d’escadre and hearing their oath of loyalty to the duke.

The chefs de chambre must furnish their superior ofhcer with a list of the names and addresses of each ■ man under their orders. The chef d’escadre must * similarly provide a list to his conducteur, who is to give

I one copy to the duke, if present on campaign, and keep the other in a safe place: the ordinance suggests he keep it in his hat!

IBilleting procedures are set down in detail: the army must wait outside the town while a billeting ofhcer from each company, together with a

Iman-at-arms from each sąuadron accompanied by three archers, make the necessary arrangements. Soldiers are not to leave their ranks during this time I and may not take lodgings other than those allotted * to them. Any complaints are to be referred to the

I conducteur.

For prolonged stays, however, men may choose between lodging in a hostel or in private houses,

with the cohscnt of the householder in the latter case. Much space is devoted to discipline,'and the conducłeurs and chefs d’escadre must assure the good conduct of their men towards the population. A commissary is to be appointed to record any complaints from the civilians and make good any damage, the cost being deducted from the culprit’s next pay¹. The common practice of lorcing one’s host to go out and buy winę at his own expense must cease forthwith, and victuals are to be paid for at market prices. However, the town is to provide cooking utcnsils and bedding.

The morning of departure is to be heralded by three trumpet calls. On the first, everyone must pack his baggage; on the second the lances, chambres and squadrons must form up; and on the last cali, they must assemble in their respective companies. The conducteur of each company must carry an ensign of distinctive design and colour. Each chef d’escadre must carry a cornet matching his conducłeurs ensign, but marked in golden lettering respectively ‘c’, ‘cc’, ‘ccc’, ‘cccc’ for each squadron. Each chef de chambre is to wear a bannerole on his sallet, again matching his company’s ensign, bear-ing the number of c’s corresponding to his squad-ron, and designating the number of his chambre. Thus indicates the third chambre of the fourth

'It is iilustrative to notę that in earlier French orders concerning billeting, heavy punishments were provided for billeting officers who accepted bribes from townspeople not to billet men in their property, and also substantial fines for townspeople who purposely madę their lodgings uninhabitable, by brcaking furniture etc. It seemed to be common opinion that any civil possessions used by the armies, from beds to'Utcnsils, were as good as lost.