[Footnote 4:  Plancher, Preuves, iv., cccxxxiii.  The document describing this ceremony gives February 28th as the date, but that is evidently an error and not accepted.]

[Footnote 5:  Toutey, p. 117.]

[Footnote 6:  There are many records in the_Bibl. nat._. of the sums paid out to the Swiss at this time.]

[Footnote 7:  Chmel, i., 92 et seq.]

[Footnote 8:  Kirk, ii., 488.]

[Footnote 9:  Toutey, p. 141.]

[Footnote 10:  Text given by Toutey, Pieces justificatives, p. 442.]

[Footnote 11:  The details are very brutal and untranslatable.]

[Footnote 12:  Toutey, p. 182.]

[Footnote 13:  Paston Letters, iii., 122.]

[Footnote 14:  Toutey, p. 244.]

[Footnote 15:  Bulletin de l’acad. royale de Belgique, 1887.]

CHAPTER XX

THE CAMPAIGNS OF 1475

“Monseigneur the chancellor, I do not know what to write to you of the English, for thus far they have done nothing but dance at St. Omer and we are not sure whether the King of England has landed.  If he has, it must be with so small a force that it makes no noise, nor do the prisoners captured at Abbeville know anything, nor do they believe that there will be any English here in XL days.  Tell the news to Monsg. de Comminge, and recommend my interests to him as I have confidence in him, and in Mons. de Thierry and Mons. the vice-admiral."[1]

Thus wrote Louis XI in June.  Two days later and he has heard of the truce.  He seizes the occasion to express to the Privy Council of Berne his real opinion of the emperor:  “So Frederic has deserted us all!"[2] Well, it was not the first time!  Thirty years previous, when Louis was dauphin, the emperor had tried to turn the Swiss against him.  Had not God, knowing the hearts of men, inspired the brave mountaineers, Louis would have been a victim of execrable treachery.  The outcome had been wonderful, for an eternal friendship had sprung up between him and the Swiss which must be preserved.

Meantime, Charles has made his own definite plan of the campaign which was to introduce Edward into Rheims for the coronation.  The following letter from him to Edward IV. bears no date, but it was evidently written at about the time of the truce[3]: 

“Honoured seigneur and brother, I recommend myself to you.  I have listened carefully to your declaration through the pronotary, and understand that you do not wish to land without my advice, for which I thank you.  I understand that some of your counsellors think you had better land in Guienne, others in Normandy, others again at Calais.  If you choose Guienne you will be far from my assistance but my brother of Brittany could help you.  Still it would be a long time before we could meet before Paris.  As to Calais, you could not get enough provisions for