Beside the bed, and bowed with grief, knelt Anton, a half-brother of Charles. Though reviled by the Duke as a bad and ungrateful kinsman, he now refused to be parted from the dead. His sobs, the outpouring of the grief of a brave soldier, penetrated the hearts of all who entered the room. Last came Duke René clad in deepest mourning, but wearing, in accordance with the old knightly custom, a long beard of spun gold, in token of victory over a princely foe who had fallen in battle. With deep emotion he grasped the hand of the dead, saying in a low voice: “God rest your soul, fair cousin! Much sorrow and trouble have you caused us, yet ’twas by no will of ours that you were brought to this.”
After sprinkling the corpse with holy water he knelt before the altar, where he remained in prayer while the knights and courtiers of Burgundy and Lorraine paid the last honors to Charles the Bold.
On the twelfth of January, 1477, the last Duke of Burgundy was laid to rest in St. George’s Church at Nancy, whence he was removed in 1550 by his mighty great-grandson the Emperor Charles the Fifth, who wished that the remains of his ancestor might be buried in his native town of Bruges.
Freed at last from their bitterest enemy, and crowned with victory, the Swiss returned to their homes and exchanged the implements of war for those of peace. With his youth and strength, Walter Irmy was soon restored to health and to the arms of his father, whose large business he conducted to the entire satisfaction of the worthy Councillor. Honored by his fellow-citizens and beloved by his people, he lived long and happily with his good wife, surrounded by a group of children who were the joy and delight of their grandfather.
Who knows? Perchance his spirit lingers yet about the good city of Basle, ready to prove to the enemies of his country that the victors of Granson and Murten have not perished, but still live on in the courage and valor of their descendants.
Appendix
The following is a chronological statement of the principal events in the life of Charles the Bold during the period described in this volume:
| 1444 | The French troops defeated at Saint Jacob. |
| 1469 | Charles the Bold secures Sigismund’s possessions. |
| 1469 | Charles appoints Hagenbach governor. |
| 1473 | Sigismund becomes an ally of Louis of France. |
| 1473 | Flight of Emperor Frederick from Treves. |
| 1474 | The “Everlasting Compact” signed. |
| 1474 | Hagenbach captured and put to death. |
| 1474 | Swiss Confederates declare war against Charles. |
| 1476 | Massacre of garrison at Granson. |
| March 2, 1476 | Charles defeated at Granson. |
| June 9, 1476 | Charles defeated at Murten. |
| January 5, 1477 | Charles defeated and killed under the walls of Nancy. |
Footnotes
[1]Basle, or Basel, is the largest city in Switzerland. It has a university, and is the commercial and financial centre of the country. It is also noted for its art and literary culture.