Page:The history of medieval Europe.djvu/673

 RISE OF ABSOLUTISM 617 monarchy and Germany with a territory extending from the North Sea to the Alps. The chief strength and value of the Burgundian posses- sions lay not in the Burgundies proper, which were thinly populated and poor economically, but in the rich Th , and populous cities of the Low Countries. Before of the the cities developed the peasants of the Low Netherlands Countries had been freer than in most places in the early Middle Ages, because the land was so difficult to reclaim from swamp and sea that great estates of lords were not established there, but the land was cultivated largely by hardy and thrifty individual freemen. Many of them be- came sailors, however, and in time trade developed. As the land thus grew more prosperous, feudal jurisdictions and lordships also grew up. But the feudal states and lords, except for the great County of Flanders, were petty before the Burgundian period. And as towns came into existence they bought communal privileges from their lords and then fought to keep them. But now the Dukes of Burgundy endeavored to build up a strong centralized monarchy with unified financial and judicial systems. This led them to disregard and The Burgun- ride roughshod over the particular privileges and anTgovern- the diversities of custom cherished by each town ment and locality. They also demanded large grants of money from the cities in order to carry out their dynastic and for- eign ambitions. Although Charles the Bold was more eco- nomical and less given to pleasure and festivities than his father, his court was the most splendid in Europe and rich both in treasure and culture. He presided at council in per- son; he always dined in state in the presence of the entire court; sixteen equerries were in constant attendance upon him during the day and saw him safe to bed at night. Pre- cious jewels and costly plate were abundant, and the Order of the Golden Fleece was an appropriate name for the elite of the Burgundian knighthood. But all this show had the purpose behind it of impressing the world with the wealth and power of the Burgundian House.