st before
engaging in battle, the whole Swiss army fell upon their knees in
prayer that the issue might be successful. This action deceived
Charles into thinking that they were cowardly and his opinion was
shared by his men. A contemptuous laugh broke out from the Burgundian
ranks.[15]

Olivier de la Marche ends a meagre account of Granson with the
following rather barren words[16]:

"In short the Duke of Burgundy lost the day and was pushed back as
far as Jougne, where he stopped, and it is meet that I tell how
the duke's bodyguard saved themselves ... and reached Salins where
I saw them arrive for I was not present at the battle on account
of a malady I suffered. From Jougne the duke went to Noseret, and
you can understand that he was very sad and melancholy at having
lost the battle, where his rich baggage was stolen and his army
shattered."

On March 21, 1476, Sir John Paston writes to Margaret Paston from
Calais:

"As ffor tydyngs heer we her ffrom alle the worlde. ... Item, the
Duke of Burgoyne hath conqueryd Lorreyn and Queen Margreet shall
nott nowe be lykelyhod have it; wherffer the Frenshe kynge
cheryssheth hyr butt easelye; but afftr thys conquest off Loreyn
the Duke toke grete corage to goo upon the londe off the Swechys
[Swiss] to conquer them butt the berded hym att an onsett place
and hathe dystrussyd hym and hathe slayne the most part of his
vanwarde and wonne all hys ordynnaunce and artylrye and mor ovyr
all stuffe thatt he hade in hys ost with hym; exceppte men and
horse ffledde nott but they roode that nyght xx myle; and so the
ryche saletts, heulmetts garters, nowchys[17] gelt and all is
goone with tente pavylons and all and soo men deme hys pryde is
abatyd. Men tolde hym that they were ffrowarde karlys butte he
wolde nott beleve it and yitt men seye that he woll to them ageyn.
Gode spede them bothe."

Many of the rumours that were current represented Charles as
completely prostrated by his disaster. This was only half true.
His efforts to retrieve himself were immediate but, physically, he
certainly showed the effects of this campaign. He was attacked by a
low fever, his stomach rejected food, insomnia afflicted his nights,
and dropsical swellings appeared on his legs. This condition was
attributed to his fatigues and exposure in a hard climate, and to his
habit of drinking warm barley-water in the mo