In the course of the year 1468, Sigismund made known to Charles his desire for a bargain, intimating that in case of the duke’s refusal, he would carry his wares to Louis XI.  At that moment, Charles was busied with Liege and showed no interest in Sigismund’s proposition.  The latter tried to see Louis XI. personally in accordance with his imperial cousin’s advice that an interview might be more effective than a letter.

It did not prove a propitious time, however; Louis was deeply engaged with Burgundy and he was not disposed to take any steps that might estrange the Swiss—­and any espousal of Sigismund’s interests might alienate them.  He did not even permit an opening to be made, but stopped Sigismund’s approach to him by a message that he would not for a moment entertain a suggestion inimical to those dear friends of his in the cantons—­a sentiment that quickly found its way to Switzerland.

Thus stayed in his effort to win Louis’s ear, Sigismund decided that he would make another essay towards a Burgundian alliance, this time face to face with the duke.  On to Flanders he journeyed and found Charles in the midst of the ostentatious magnificence already described.  Ordinary affairs of life were conducted with a splendour hardly attained by the emperor in the most pompous functions of his court.  Sigismund was absolutely dazzled by the evidence of easy prosperity.  The fact that a maiden was the duke’s sole heiress led the Austrian to conceive the not unnatural idea that this attractive Burgundian wealth might be turned into the impoverished imperial coffers by a marriage between Mary of Burgundy and Maximilian, the emperor’s son.

[Illustration:  MARY OF BURGUNDY FROM CONTEMPORANEOUS MINIATURE REPRODUCED IN BARANTE, “LES DUCS DE BOURGOGNE”]

The visitor not only thought of this possibility, but he immediately broached it to Charles.  The bait was swallowed.  As to the main proposition which Sigismund had come expressly to make, that, too, was not rejected.  The duke perceived that the transfer of the Rhenish lands to his jurisdiction might militate to his advantage.  A passage would be opened towards the south for his troops without the need of demanding permission from any reluctant neighbour.  The risk of trouble with the Swiss did not affect him when weighing the advantages of Sigismund’s proffer, a proffer which he finally decided to accept.  Probably he found his guest a pleasant party to a bargain, for not only did he broach the tempting alliance between Mary and Maximilian, but he, too, seems to have hinted that the title of “King of the Romans” might be added to the long list of appellations already signed by Charles.[6] As Sigismund was richer in kin, if not in coin, than the feeble Podiebrad, Charles gave serious heed to the suggestion which fell incidentally from his guest’s lips, in the course of the long conversations held at Bruges.

Certain precautions were taken to protect Charles from being dragged into Swiss complications against his will, and then in May, 1469, the treaty of St. Omer was signed,[7] wherein the Duke of Burgundy accorded his protection to Sigismund of Austria and received from him all his seigniorial rights within certain specified territories.