Editing Philippe de Commines (section)

===Burgundy===
In 1468, he became a knight in the household of [[Charles the Bold of Burgundy|Charles the Bold]], Philip's son who succeeded to the dukedom in 1467, and thereafter he moved in the most exalted circles, being party to many important decisions and present at history-making events. A key event in Commines's life seems to have been the meeting between Charles and [[Louis XI of France]] at [[Péronne, Somme|Péronne]] in October 1468. Although Commines's own account skates over the details, it is apparent from other contemporary sources that Louis believed Commines had saved his life. This may explain Louis's later enthusiasm in wooing him away from the Burgundians.

In 1470 Commines was sent on an embassy to [[Calais]], then an English possession. It is unlikely that he ever visited England itself, what he knew of its politics and personalities coming mostly from meetings with exiles, both Yorkist and Lancastrian; these included [[Henry VII of England|Henry Tudor]] and [[Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick|Warwick the Kingmaker]]. He also met King [[Edward IV of England]] during the latter's continental exile and later wrote a description of his appearance and character. Like other Burgundians, [[Georges Chastellain]], [[Olivier de la Marche]], he mentions that King Edward was most beautiful, that he was very popular with his people and his subjects, but that he does not doubt at all (before the exile, Edward never heard any of Duke Charles' and his people's warnings<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|date=1489–1498|title=Mémoires de Philippe de Commynes. T. 1|url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k112041q/f4.item|access-date=4 November 2021|location=Paris|pages=193–221|language=fr|publication-date=1901}}</ref>).  Commines praises Edward's best friend [[William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings|William Hastings]] as "le plus grand chevalier", "un sage chevalier", while overly attacks [[Richard III of England|Richard III]] as [[Princes in the Tower|murderer of princes]] and "cruel". (In addition, according to Commines and rumours in Burgundy, Richard killed [[Henry VI of England|King Henry VI]].) But unlike [[Olivier de la Marche]], Commines mentions that Edward was a bastard and his real father was Blayborne (in French, Blayborgne), and that [[Henry VII of England|Henry Tudor]] was not eligible to claim the throne.<ref>{{Cite book|date=1489–1498|title=Mémoires de Philippe de Commynes. T. 2|url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k1120423?rk=42918;4|access-date=4 November 2021|language=fr}}</ref>
Commines was a great favorite with Duke Charles for seven years (going back to when he had still been Count of [[Charolais (county)|Charolais]]). The 19th-century scholar [[Isaac D'Israeli]], recounts that one day, when they came home from hunting and were joking around as was their wont within the "family", Commines "ordered" the prince to remove Commines's boots as if he were a servant; laughing, the prince did so but then tossed the boot at Commines, and it bloodied his nose. Everyone in the Burgundian court started calling Commines "booted head". D'Israeli, in his 1824 ''Curiosities of Literature'', suggests that Commines's hatred for the duke of Burgundy poisoned everything he wrote about him, but comments:<blockquote>
"When we are versed in the history of the times, we often discover that memoir-writers have some secret poison in their hearts. Many, like Comines, have had the boot dashed on their nose. Personal rancour wonderfully enlivens the style... Memoirs are often dictated by its fiercest spirit; and then histories are composed from memoirs. Where is TRUTH? Not always in histories and memoirs!"</blockquote>