A. C. 1474 bishopric of Cologne happening between Robert of Bavaria and the brother of the landgrave of Heffe, he efpoufed the caufe of the former, and undertook the fiege of Nuys, a strong town in the archbishopric, which he hoped to reduce before the expiration of his truce with Lewis; but that prince, by his intrigues, raised such obftacles to his fuccefs, as he could by no means furmount. At his At his inftigation the emperor Frederic raifed a numerous army, to compel him to raise the fiege; and a confederacy was formed against him by the Swifs, the dukes of Auftria and Lorraine. Thus circumftanced, he faw no other way to free himself from the perfecu tion of Lewis, but that of prevailing upon Edward king of England, to make a powerful diverfion in France; and for this purpose he fent ambaffadors to London while he continued at Nuys, which he befieged for ten months without fuccefs. In order to engage Edward in his views, he promised to join him with all his forces, as foon as he should make a decent in Picardy; he flattered him with the hope of St. Quintin's being delivered to him by the conftable of St. Pol, and of the duke of Bretagne's entering into their affociation. He at the fame time amused the English monarch with an account of a correfpondence which he maintained with the French princes, and perfuaded him that the conqueft of France, would be much easier at this juncture, than it had been during the reign of the fixth Charles.

Mezerai

Comines.

Edward concludes five

feparate

Edward longed with impatience for fuch an opportunity of being revenged upon Lewis, and every treaties with thing feemed to confpire to the ruin of that turbuthat prince. lent prince, who would; not have been able to cope

with three fuch formidable enemies, had they acted against him with unanimity: but the fole aim of Charles was to procure fuch a diverfion in France, as would prevent Lewis from interrupting his own

progress

progrefs in Germany. Nevertheless, he pretended A. C. 1474• to be hearty in his refolution to affift Edward in making a conqueft of France, and invested his ambaffadors with full powers to treat on this fubject. The conferences were immediately begun by the plenipotentiaries of both fides; and in July, they figned divers treaties relating to that important enterprize. The firft was a league of friendship, alliance, and confederacy, between Edward and the duke of Burgundy, who engaged to affift each other with all their power. The fecond comprehended certain particular conventions, relating to the war against France. These imported, That Edward fhould invade France before a certain fpecified time, at the head of ten thousand men at least, in order to recover his dutchies of Guienne and Normandy, together with the whole kingdom: That the duke of Burgundy fhould perfonally affift him with all his forces, in the execution of this defign: That the king fhould liften to no propofal of peace or truce, without the duke's confent; and that the duke fhould act in the fame manner with refpect to Edward: That both princes fhould proclaim war against Lewis as their common enemy: That, if either of them should be befieged, or find it necessary to give battle, the other fhould join him with all his forces, and at his own expence, that they might fhare the fame fate; and that their lieutenants fhould act on the fame principle: That immediately after the declaration of war, the two allies fhould attack their common enemy in the moft convenient places, and in fuch a manner as that they fhould be at hand to affift each other: That the war being once begun, one party fhould not defift while the other fhould proceed with his operations; and, that in cafe of one's being abfent, his lieutenant fhould obey the other in every thing relating to the common advantage of the allies. The third treaty regulated the

number

A.C.1474 number of troops that each obliged himself to furnifh for the expedition: and the fourth contained a donation to the duke of Burgundy, of feveral provinces in France, with which Edward promised to recompence his friendship and affistance. The fifth convention related to the payment of the troops furnished by the duke of Burgundy; and the last was expedited in form of letters patent, by which the duke impowered and allowed Edward and his fucceffors, kings of France, to enter Rheims, and be confecrated with the holy oil, without moleftation. This article was neceffary, because all Champagne was ceded to Charles as part of the donation,

Rymer.

He prepares

for an expe

France.

We are not to fuppofe that either party imagined dition into France could be conquered by the forces they intended to affemble for this expedition. They endeavoured to deceive one another; for as we have already observed, the duke had no other view than that of making a diverfion, and Edward's ambition was limited to the recovery of Normandy and Guienne. Thofe treaties being ratified, and approved by the parliament in its fifth feffion, which granted the neceffary fupplies, the king began to iffue commiffions for levying troops; and in the mean time, fent ambaffadors to different courts of Europe, to form new alliances, or at leaft prevent the union of the feveral powers with his enemy. The peace with Scotland was cemented by a contract of marriage between Edward's fecond daughter Cecilia, and James the fon and heir of James III. king of that country; and the parties being infants, were affianced by proxy. In the mean time, Edward engaged to pay twenty thoufand marks as her portion, at different terms, on condition of retouching the fum, in cafe the marriage should not take effect. The truce was prolonged for fix and forty years; and the two kings engaged mutually

1

to affift each other in fuppreffing all rebellions, Ed. A. C. 1474ward having taken these prudent precautions to Act. Pub. fcreen his dominions from hoftile invafion, carried on his preparations with redoubled vigour; and as the fubfidies granted by parliament would not anfwer the expence of the expedition, he folicited a benevolence or free-gift from his fubjects, according to their abilities. This expedient fucceeded to 4. C. 1475 his wifh. Some contributed with a good grace; others were gained over by the eloquence and infinu-ation of Edward: the female fex exerted themfelves in favour of a prince whom they admired. Many individuals chofe rather to part with their money, than run the rifque of incurring his indignation; and a war with France was a very popular pretence at this juncture. The king did not fcruple to vifit particular perfons, and receive their affiftance in perfon. Among others, he addreffed himfelf to a rich widow, who told him fhe could not help contributing twenty pounds to a handsome young prince who begged with fuch a good grace: Edward, in return for this compliment, approached, and kiffed her with great cordiality; and fhe was fo well pleased with the unexpected honour, that fhe doubled her benevolence. Of the new levies three thousand men were deftined for the fervice of the duke of Brittany, who, though he had changed his truce with Lewis into a perpetual peace, no fooner understood that a league was formed by the king of England and the duke of Burgundy, than he privately defired to be comprehended in the treaty; and his request being granted, this body of troops, commanded by the lords Audley and De Duras, Rymer. was deftined for his defence.

with his

army at

Edward having affembled an army of fifteen hun- He lands dred men at arms, fifteen thousand archers on horseback, and a great number of infantry, appointed his fon Edward prince of Wales, though an

infant,

Cala.

A.C. 1475. infant, guardian of the kingdom, and embarked at Sandwith for Calais, on the twentieth day of June; though he was fo ill provided with tranfports, that he spent three weeks in conveying his troops to the continent. On his arrival at Calais, he fent an herald to fummon Lewis to deliver up the crown and kingdom of France, which he ufurped; and, in cafe of a refufal, to denounce war and vengeance. The French king having heard the herald's meffage without emotion, replied, he was well informed, that Edward had not taken this violent step of his own accord, but at the inftigation of the duke of Burgundy, and the conftable de St. Pol; and, defired him to tell his mafter, that he would be deceived by both thefe allies. He afked feveral questions; and by the herald's anfwers, understood that the propereft perfons to whom he could addrefs himself, in cafe he fhould have occafion to make propofals of peace, were the lords Howard and Stanley: then he prefented the meffenger with three hundred crowns, and thirty yards of velvet for a robe, and difmiffed him with great cour.. tefy.

Is difap

pointed by

Mean while Edward advanced into Picardy, the duke of where he expected to be joined by the duke of BurBurgundy. gundy: but that prince, inftead of fulfilling his en

gagement with his ally, was ftill employed in the fiege of Nuys. He obftinately perfifted in that enterprize, although the emperor had approached the place with an army four times as numerous as that which he commanded, and harraffed him in fuch a manner, that he could not proceed with his operations; at the fame time Sigifmund duke of Auftria made himself master of Feretti, the duke of Lorrain ravaged Luxemburg, and his truce with France was no fooner expired, than Lewis reduced Roye, Corbie, and Montdidier. Notwithstanding all this oppofition, he would not raife the fiege until Ed

ward