DUKE PHILIP OF BURGUNDY DANGEROUSLY ILL, BUT RECOVERS.—OTHER MATTERS WHICH HAPPENED AT THIS PERIOD.
About Candlemas, in this year 1461, the duke of Burgundy was taken so dangerously ill, in the city of Brussels, that the physicians despaired of his life; and the duke, in consequence, sent in haste to his son, then at Quesnoy, who instantly came to him. The count de Charolois, seeing the duke in so great danger, issued orders throughout his father's dominions for the priests and monks of all churches and abbeys to offer up ardent and devout prayers to God, that he would be pleased to restore his father to health. Processions were, therefore, made, and prayers offered up with so much affection that God, full of pity and mercy, restored the duke to health,—for he was beloved by his subjects as much as prince ever was.
His son the count de Charolois, who had no legitimate children, showed his affection in another manner; for he never quitted his bedside, and was always at hand to administer to him whatever was prescribed in his illness. He was three or four nights and days without taking any rest, which rather displeased his father,—and he ordered him frequently to take some repose, because it was better to lose one than both. In short, the prayers for the good duke were so effectual, and his physicians so attentive, that he recovered his health, excepting a debility that always remained, which inclines to a belief that, had it not been for the prayers of some religious and good persons, he had never recovered.
At this time, died the lady of Ravenstein, niece to the duchess of Burgundy,—a very good lady, devout and charitable, and much regretted by all who knew her.
About the beginning of March, the lady of Bar, wife to the count of St Pol, deceased. She left her husband four sons and several daughters. Her eldest son, Louis de Luxembourg, succeeded to the earldom of Marle, the second to that of Brienne, and the third to the lordship of Roussy.—She was a very noble lady, and of high birth.
At this time also died, in Abbeville, a very renowned knight in arms, called sir Gauvain Quieret, the most adventurous of all his fraternity in war, and much beloved by his men.
In this year, the duchess of Orleans, niece to the duke of Burgundy, was brought to bed of a fine boy, to whom the king of France stood godfather, and gave him his name of Louis. The queen of England, wife to king Henry, was the godmother, who had come to require aid from her cousin-german, the king, against king Edward, who had deprived her husband of his crown.
At this time, and three or four years prior to it, all sorts of crimes were committed in the country of Artois with impunity,—such as robberies, thefts, violating of women, even in the great towns, and often under the eyes of officers of justice, who took no notice of the criminals, except, indeed, of some poor persons unacknowledged by any great lord! These crimes were committed in a greater degree within the city of Arras, the capital of Artois, than elsewhere, which was a shocking and infamous example to all the other parts of that country.