Late as it was in November, the weather was still very mild, and as the emperor and duke travelled in opposite directions, neither the former as he went down to Cologne, nor the latter as he passed up the valley of the Moselle to that of the Ell, was hindered by autumn storms.  The summer of 1473 had been marked by unprecedented heat and a prolonged drouth.[1] Forest fires raged unchecked on account of the dearth of water and, for the same reason, the mills stood still.  The grape crops, indeed, were prodigious, but the vintage was not profitable because the wine had a tendency to sour.  Gentle rains in September prepared the ground for an untimely fertility.  Trees blossomed and, though some fruits withered prematurely, cherries actually ripened.  Thus the Rhinelands presented a pleasant appearance as Charles rode to Lorraine.

His first pause was at Thionville in Luxemburg, where he stayed about a fortnight and received ambassadors from Hungary, Poland, Venice, England, Denmark, Brittany, Ferrara, the Palatinate, and Cologne.[2] The result of his conference with the last named was a declaration on the duke’s part which seriously affected his later career.  The condition of Cologne must be touched on as an essential part of this narrative.

The late Duke of Burgundy had attempted to pursue a line of policy in regard to the ecclesiastical elections in the diocese of Cologne that had succeeded in Liege and in Utrecht.  In 1463, he had tried to force the chapter to elect his candidate.  They had refused to follow his leading, but their own choice, Robert, brother of the elector-palatine, did not prove a congenial chief, and the new prelate turned to Philip for aid when he found his chapter disposed to restrict both his revenues and his temporal authority.  Later, in 1467, as the audacity of his opponents increased, the archbishop appealed to his brother, the elector, and to Charles of Burgundy.  The latter was busy in France, but he wrote a sententious letter to Cologne, exhorting both chapter and city to be obedient to their chosen spiritual and lay lord.  This intervention was resented.  The breach widened between Robert and his people, culminating in actual hostilities.  The chapter took possession of the town of Neuss, accepted Hermann of Hesse as their protector, and sent an embassy to Rome to state their grievances.  The elector aided his brother and the belligerent parties grew in strength.

The city of Cologne wavered for a space, undecided which cause to espouse, and finally chose the chapter’s side, signing a five years’ alliance with that body, which had officially renounced allegiance to Robert, pending the judgment of pope and emperor on the dissension.  Such was the state of affairs when Charles entered into possession of Guelders and manifested a disposition to interest himself in Cologne.  He informed the chapter that he was greatly displeased with their contumely.  To Cologne he said, “Be neutral,” but the burghers showed so little inclination to heed his neighbourly advice that he tried harsher measures and permitted Cologne merchants to be molested in his domains.