The city of Liege had submitted perforce to the behests of her imperious neighbour, but the citizens had never ceased to hope that his unwelcome “protection” might be dispensed with; that, by the aid of French troops, they might eventually wrest themselves free from the Burgundian incubus.  In spite of all promises to Charles, secret negotiations between the anti-Burgundian party and Louis XI. had never ceased.  The latter never refused to admit the importunate embassies to his presence.  He was glad to keep in touch with the city even in its ruined condition.  He sent envoys as well as received them, and Commines states definitely that, in making his plan to visit Peronne, the fact of a confidential commission recently despatched to Liege had wholly slipped the king’s mind.

In that town the duke’s lieutenant, Humbercourt, had been left to supervise the humiliating changes ordered.  And the work of demolition was the only industry.  Other ordinary business was at a standstill.  For a period there was a sullen silence in the streets and the church bells were at rest.  In April, a special legate from the pope arrived to see whether ecclesiastical affairs could not be put on a better footing.

It was about the same time that the States-General were meeting at Tours that, under the direction of this legate, Onofrio de Santa-Croce, the cathedral was purified with holy water, and Louis of Bourbon celebrated his very first mass, though he had been seated on the episcopal throne for twelve years.  Then Onofrio tried to mediate between the city and the Duke of Burgundy.  To Bruges he went to see Charles, and obtained permission to draft a project for the re-establishment of the civic government, to be submitted to the duke for approval.

If Onofrio thought he had reformed the bishop by forcing him into performing his priestly rites he soon learned his mistake.  That ecclesiastic speedily disgusted his flock by his ill-timed festivities, and then forsook the city and sailed away to Maestricht in a gaily painted barge, with gay companions to pass the summer in frivolous amusements suited to his dissolute tastes.  Such was the state of affairs when the report of Louis’s extensive military preparations encouraged the Liegeois to hope that he was to take the field openly against the duke.

About the beginning of September, troops of forlorn and desperate exiles began to return to the city.  They came, to be sure, with shouts of Vive le Roi! but, as a matter of fact, they seemed willing to make any accommodation for the sake of being permitted to remain.  “Better any fate at home than to live like wild beasts with the recollection that we had once been men.”

To make a long story short, Onofrio again endeavoured to rouse the bishop to a sense of his duty.  Again he tried to make terms for the exiles and to re-establish a tenable condition.  It was useless.  Louis of Bourbon refused to approach nearer to Liege than Tongres, and declined to meet the advances of his despairing subjects.  It was just at this moment that fresh emissaries arrived from Louis, despatched, as already stated, before Charles had consented to prolong the truce.