PHILIPPE LE HARDI (Philippe the bold), the founder of the second and last ducal house of Burgundy, was the third son of Jean, king of France, and his wife, Bonne of Luxemburg. and was born Jan. 15, 1342. He was present at the battle of Poitiers, 1356, and displayed such heroic courage, venturing his own life to save that of his father, as gained for him the sobriquet of ,le hardi, or " the bold." He shared his father's captivity in England, and, on returning to France in 131:0, received in reward of his bravery the duchy of Towable, and subsequently (1363) also that of Burgundy, being created at the same time the first peer of France. On the accession of his brother, Charles V., to the throne of France, Philippe had to resign Touraine, but, as a compensation. obtained in marriage Margaret, the heiress of Flanders. In 1372 he commanded the French army opposed to the English, and took from them many of their possessions. In 1380 he exerted himself to suppress the sedition of the Flemish towns against their count, and succeeded with some of the malcontents; but the citizens of some of the populous places, especially Ghent, were possessed with such a fever of independence, that after many fruitless attempts to induce them to return to their allegiance, Philippe raised an army, and inflicted upon them the bloody defeat of Hosbeck, Nov. 27, 1382, leaving 26,600 of
them on the field. Flanders, the county of Burgundy, Artois, Bethel, and Ncvers fell to him by the death of the count in 1384, and the influence of his power, combined with prudence and good management on his part, soon won the affection and esteem of his new subjects. Energy and wisdom characterized his government;_ arts, manufactures, and commerce were much and judiciously encouraged, and his territory (a kingdom in extent) was one of the best governed in Europe. During the minority and subsequent imbecility- of his nephew, Charles VI. of France, he was obliged to take the helm of affairs, and preserve the state from insurrection and sedition within, and the attacks of the English without. He was on his way to repel an attack of the ratter on Flanders when he died at the chateau of Hall in Brabant, a little to the s.w. of Brussels, Apr. 27, 1404.