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Charles the Seventh,[3] the father of King Louis the Eleventh,[4]

having by good fortune and valour liberated France from the

English, recognized the necessity of being armed with forces of

his own, and he established in his kingdom ordinances concerning

men-at-arms and infantry. Afterwards his son, King Louis,

abolished the infantry and began to enlist the Switzers, which

mistake, followed by others, is, as is now seen, a source of

peril to that kingdom; because, having raised the reputation of

the Switzers, he has entirely diminished the value of his own

arms, for he has destroyed the infantry altogether; and his

men-at-arms he has subordinated to others, for, being as they are

so accustomed to fight along with Switzers, it does not appear

that they can now conquer without them. Hence it arises that the

French cannot stand against the Switzers, and without the

Switzers they do not come off well against others.