Hesse, and many of his relations and friends, with a body of 1800 horse, as I was informed, all choice troops (as they proved afterwards), and as many foot as they thought needful for the defence of the place. This landgrave, as I said before, was brother to the bishop, who was chosen in opposition to that person whom the Duke of Burgundy would have advanced. Upon which, being highly disgusted, he laid siege to Nuz in the year 1474. His army was at that time more numerous and in better order than it ever had been formerly; especially his cavalry; for, upon pretence of some designs upon Italy, he had got together about 1000 Italian men-at-arms, under the command of the Count of Campobasso, a Neapolitan, a partisan of the house of Anjou, a most perfidious and dangerous man. There was likewise James Galeot, a Neapolitan gentleman (a very brave officer), and several others, whose names, for brevity sake, I omit. Besides, he had with him 3000 English, all stout soldiers, and a vast number of his own subjects well armed, mounted, and disciplined in his wars; and a fine train of artillery. All these were prepared and in readiness to join the English (that were raising in England with all expedition) upon their first landing. But things of such importance are managed very tediously there; for the king not being able to undertake such an affair without calling together his parliament, which is in the nature of our Three Estates, and, as it consists for the most part of sober and pious men, is very serviceable and strengthening to the king. At the meeting of this parliament the king declares his intention, and desires aid of his subjects (for no money is raised in England but upon some expedition into France or Scotland, or some such extraordinary occasion); and then they supply him very liberally, especially against France; yet the Kings of England have this artifice when they want money, and have a desire to have any supplies granted, to raise men, and pretend quarrels with Scotland or France; and having encamped with their army for about three months, disband it, return home, and keep the remainder of the money for their own private use; and this trick King Edward understood very well, and often practised it. It was a whole year before this English army could be L. raised and set in order. When it was ready, towards the beginning of the summer, notice was given to the Duke of Burgundy, who lay then before Nuz, and was of opinion that in a few days he should put his bishop into possession, and have Nuz and other towns assigned him for the purposes above mentioned. I am of opinion this was God's own doing, in mercy to the kingdom of France, or else the Duke of Burgundy might have done great mischief to that nation with an army of old troops accustomed for several years together to invade it, without any resistance but what was made by the fortified towns; and yet something may be attributed to the king's wisdom and management, who would not put anything to a venture; not so much for fear of the Duke of Burgundy, as of tumults at home upon the loss of a battle; for he did not believe himself safe with his servants or subjects, especially the great lords; and, if I may speak freely, he often told me that he knew the inclination of his subjects very well, and should find them inclinable to rebellion upon the loss of a battle, or any such misfortune. Wherefore, when ever the Duke of Burgundy invaded any part of his dominions, his majesty's way was to put strong garrisons into all the towns by which he was likely to march; so that (without the expense and hazard of an army in the field) the duke's forces in a little time wasted and baffled themselves without endangering the nation; which (in my judgment) was very good policy. However, the duke being so strong as I have represented him, if the English army had appeared at the beginning of the summer (which it doubtless would have done, if the duke had not committed the error of besieging Nuz), certainly the kingdom of France would have been in imminent danger; for the King of England had never invaded France with so numerous and well-disciplined an army; all the great lords of England attended him without any exception; and they amounted to about 1500 men-atarms (a great number for the English), all well accoutred and with a great retinue; besides 14,000 archers on horseback, with their bows and arrows, and a numerous body of camp-servants on foot, but not one page in the whole army. Besides, the King of England was to have landed 3000 men in Bretagne to join the Duke of Bretagne's army. I saw likewise two letters under the hand of the Lord of Urfé, Master of the Horse of France, but who was then in the Duke of Bretagne's service; one directed to the King of England, and the other to the Lord Hastings, High Chamberlain of England, which had this among other expressions: That the Duke of Bretagne would do more by his intrigues in a month, than the King of England and the Duke of Burgundy both could do in six, with all the force they could bring. Nor do I question the truth of what he said, if things had been managed as they might have been. But God, who is ever careful of the preservation of this kingdom, disposed of them otherwise, as you shall understand hereafter. These letters above mentioned were purchased of one of the English secretaries for threescore marks of silver by our king, whom God pardon! CH. II.-How the Town of Nuz was relieved by the Germans and the Emperor; and of other Enemies whom the King of France stirred up against the Duke of Burgundy.-1474. As I said before, the Duke of Burgundy had invested Nuz, and met with greater difficulties in that siege than he expected. The city of Cologne (which lies four leagues higher upon the Rhine) was forced to be at the expense of 100,000 florins of gold a month, to secure themselves against the Duke of Burgundy, and had, in conjunction with some of the neighbouring towns above it, upon the Rhine, put into the field a body of 15,000 or 16,000 foot, and posted them with a large train of artillery upon the bank of the river opposite to the duke's camp, with a design to intercept all his convoys of provision, which came by water out of the country of Guelders up the river, and to sink his boats with their cannon. The emperor and the electoral princes of the By letters dated June 12. 1475, King Edward entrusted to John Audley and Galhard de Duras, Lord of Durfort, the command of the fleet destined to succour the Duke of Bretagne. Rymer, v. 3. 64. [1474 empire had a meeting about this affair; and it was una nimously resolved to raise an army. The king having sent several ambassadors to them, to solicit them to that purpose, they sent to him a Canon of Cologne (of the house of Bavaria), and another ambassador with him, with a roll or list of the army which the emperor designed to raise, provided the king would make a diversion on his side. They were sure of a favourable answer from his majesty, and whatever they demanded was granted. Besides, the king promised in writing, both to the emperor and to several princes and cities, that as soon as the emperor should take the field, and advance to Cologne, he would send 20,000 men to join them under the command of the Lords of Craon and Sallezard. Hereupon the German army was raised, and got ready, amounting to an almost incredible number of men; for all the princes of Germany, both spiritual and temporal, and all the bishops and free-towns, sent in their respective forces in great numbers. I was informed that the Bishop of Munster * (who is none of the greatest) led into that army 6000 foot and 1400 horse, all clothed in green uniforms, besides 1200 waggons; but his bishopric was hard by. It was seven months' time before this army was raised and fit to march ; and it then posted itself within half a league of the Duke of Burgundy's camp†; and (as I have been informed by several of the duke's people) it was three times the number of the Duke of Burgundy's army and the English army together, both in men tents, and pavilions; and besides this army of the emperor's, there was the army on the other side *Henry, Count of Schwartzburg, was first Bishop of Bremen, and afterwards, in 1467, Bishop of Munster. He died on the 24th of December, 1497. The valorous conduct of this prelate at the siege of Neuss is commemorated in the following passage from his epitaph: Cæsareas aquilas infestaque signa, viator, Suspensa ad tumulum præsulis, oro, vide. (Witt, 564, 597.) + "He came so near as to lodge at Zons, and, on the following day, established his artillery at about a league from the siege. He had in front of him a high mountain, the river Rhine on one side, and large and deep trenches on the other, from the mountain-slope to the river." Molinet i 117. of the river, which continually annoyed the enemy, both by cannonading their camp, and intercepting their convoys. As soon as the emperor and the princes of the empire were arrived before Nuz, they despatched a certain doctor (of great reputation among them), called Hesevare * (who was afterwards made a cardinal), to the king. His business was to solicit his majesty to perform his promise, and to send his 20,000 men; otherwise the Germans would accommodate matters with the Duke of Burgundy. The king promised him fair, made him a present of 400 crowns, despatched him immediately, and sent along with him to the emperor one John Tiercelint, Lord of Brosse; but this did not satisfy the doctor, so that there were great intrigues carried on by all sides during this siege. The king endeavoured to make peace with the Duke of Burgundy, or at least to prolong the truce, to prevent the English from landing the King of England, on the other hand, tried to persuade the duke to raise the siege before Nuz, and (according to his engagement) to make war upon France, for the winter began to approach; on which errand the Lord Scales (nephew to the constable, and a very good knight) was sent twice, with several other ambassadors, to the duke; but the duke was perverse, as if God Almighty had infatuated his senses and understanding; for all his life long he had been labouring to get the English over to invade France, and now, when they were ready, and all things prepared to receive them, both in Bretagne and elsewhere, he obstinately persisted in an enterprise in which it was im possible for him to succeed. There was at that time with the emperor an apostolic legate, * George Hesler, Apostolical and Imperial Prothonotary, Canon and Archdeacon of Cologne, was a native of Wurtzburg in Bavaria. At the solicitation of the Emperor Frederick III., Sixtus IV. created him a cardinal, on the 10th of December, 1477; and he was drowned while attempting to cross the Danube in a boat, in the month of September, 1482. † Jean Tiercelin, Lord of Brosse, chamberlain of Louis XI.. and governor of the Duke of Orleans, afterwards Louis XII., was the son of Macé Tiercelin, Lord of Brosse; and married Louise de Longchamp. His mission to the emperor was "to maintain and continue the ancient alliances between the two powers." Lenglet, iii. 371. Alexander Nanni, appointed Bishop of Forli in 1470, Vice-Legate R |