Charles the Bold,

Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy (1467-77), son of Philip the Good of Burgundy and of Isabella of Portugal, was born at Dijon on 10th November 1433, and bore, during his father's life, the title of Count of Charolais. From his youth he was a declared enemy of Louis XI. of France, the nominal feudal superior of Burgundy, and he early formed an alliance with the Duke of Brittany and some of the great nobles of France for the maintenance of feudal rights against the crown. Their united forces ravaged Picardy and Isle-de-France, threatened Paris, defeated the king at Montlhéry, and extorted from him favourable terms. In 1467 Charles succeeded his father as Duke of Burgundy. Richer and more powerful than any prince of his time, he conceived the design of restoring the old kingdom of Burgundy, and for this purpose of conquering Lorraine, Provence, Dauphiné, and Switzerland. Whilst he was making preparations for war, Louis invited him to a conference, and while his rival hesitated, by his agents stirred up the citizens of Liège to revolt. Charles next consented to the conference, and the news coming of what had taken place at Liège, he seized the king, and had not he been withheld by his councillor Comines, would have put him to death. He compelled Louis, however, to accompany him to Liège, and sanction by his presence the cruelties which he inflicted on the citizens. War raged between them afterwards with little intermission till 1475. In September of that year Charles turned anew to his favourite scheme of conquest, and soon made himself master of Lorraine. Next year he invaded Switzerland, stormed Granson, and hanged and drowned the garrison; but was soon after terribly defeated by the Swiss near that place, and lost his baggage and much treasure. Three months later he appeared again in Switzerland with a new army, and laid siege to Morat, where he sustained another and more terrible defeat (June 22, 1476). The news that the young Duke René of Lorraine was attempting to recover his territories roused him from despair. He laid siege to Nancy; but his army was small, and his Italian mercenaries went over to the enemy. Charles fought in vain with all his wonted recklessness and courage, and perished in the battle, January 5, 1477. His daughter and heiress, Mary, married the Emperor Maximilian I. Charles's great size and strength, his immense ambition, and reckless audacity, combined to make him the most striking figure of his time. With his life ended the long successful resistance of the great French vassals to the central power of the monarchy. See Comines, Mémoires; De Barante's Histoire des Ducs de Bourgogne; and special books by Kirk (3 vols. Lond. 1863) and Hoch (Basel, 1876).