Had not Louis befriended the contumelious neighbour of Charles, only
to learn that his Burgundian cousin could and would deal summarily
with all protests against his authority among the lesser folk on
Netherland territory?

The Croys made an attempt to gain the new duke's friendship, as
appears from this letter to Duke Charles:

"Our very excellent lord, we have heard that it has pleased Our
Lord to take to Himself and to withdraw from the world the good
Duke Philip, our beloved lord and father, prince of glorious
memory, august duke, most Christian champion of the faith, patron
and pattern of the virtues and honours of Christianity, and the
dread of infidel lands. By his valorous deeds, he has won an
immortal name among living men, and deserves to our mind to find
grace before the merciful bounty of God whom we implore to pardon
his faults.

"Alas! our most doughty seigneur, thus dolorous death shows what
is to be expected by all mortals. How many lands, how many nobles,
how many peoples, how many treasures, and how many powers would
have been ready to prevent what has come to pass, and how many
prayers would have risen to God could He have prevented this
death!...

"Death is inevitable, and the death of the good is the end of all
evils and the beginning of all benefits, but still your loss
and ours cannot pass without affliction. Nevertheless, our most
puissant lord, when we consider that we are not left orphans, and