The filling, and re-filling of a seemingly bottomless pit

I learn stuff and then have to relearn stuff all the time. I hear people spout off about things and so have to try and determine if they are right or not. For instance I was listening to a guy talk about how the English had the first professionally recruited European army. Something didn't quite fit here. I had to do some cobb-web sweeping in my head.
Actually the prize for the creation of the first professionally recruited, thus modern, army goes to Philip, Duke of Burgundy, in mid 15th century. The burgundians werre tired of having to rely on the wims of vassesls, and mercinaries to fight their wars. So the opted to recruite their army from the general population. The burgundian army was comprised of a true crossection of society, from lords to burgers to free peasents.
The army of Burgundy was another nail in the coffin of the purely feudal army. It was also an army under strict orders not to harm non-combatents. For instance if the army came to a town and had to camp there, a civil affairs unit was sent in to negotiate lodging and food that had to be paid for at market prices. Raping and piliaging non-combatents was punishable by fines, jail, torture, and even death. Swearing and verbal abuse was also not to be tolerated.
Of course it was an army in an age when Europe was a battlefield. Bad things happened to good people all the time. But the army of the Dukes of Burgundy was the model looked to by the kings of France, England, and the Empire.