“The poor, humble and obedient servants and subjects of the most reverend father in God, Louis of Bourbon, Bishop of Liege; and your petty neighbours and borderers, the burgomaster’s council and folk of Dinant, humbly declare that it has come to their knowledge that the wrath of your grace has been aroused against the town on account of certain ill words spoken by some of the inhabitants thereof, in contempt of your honourable person.  The city is as displeased about these words as it is possible to be, and far from wishing to excuse the culprits has arrested as many as could be found and now holds them in durance awaiting any punishment your grace may decree.  As heartily and as lovingly as possible do your petitioners beseech your grace to permit your anger to be appeased, holding the people of Dinant exonerated, and resting satisfied with the punishment of the guilty, inasmuch as the people are bitterly grieved on account of the insults and have, as before stated, arrested the culprits.”

With further apologies for any failure of duty towards the Duke of Burgundy, the petitioners humbly begged to be granted the same terms that Liege and the other towns had received.  March 31st is the date of this humble document.  Months of doubt followed before the terrible experience of August proved the futility of their pleas, to which the ducal family refused to listen, so deep was their sense of personal aggrievement.  Long as it was since the duchess had taken part in public affairs, she, too, had a word to say here.  And she, too, was implacable against the town where any citizen had dared accuse her of infidelity to her husband and to the Church whose interests were more to her than anything in the world except her son.[17]

The petition was as unheeded as were all the representations of the would-be mediators.  Again Dinant turned in desperation to Louis XI. and with assurances that after God his royal majesty was their only hope, besought him from mere charity and pity to persuade his cousin of Burgundy to forgive them.  Apparently Louis took no notice of this appeal.  Dinant’s last hope was that her fellow-communes of Liege would refuse to ratify the treaty unless she, too, were included.  The sole concession, obtained by their envoys to Charles in the winter, had been a short truce afterwards extended to May, 1466.

During that summer the critical position of the little town was well known.  Some sympathisers offered aid but it was aid that there was possible danger in accepting.  Many of the outlaws from Liege, who had been expressly excluded from the terms of the peace, had joined the ranks of a certain free lance company called “The Companions of the Green Tent,” as their only shelter was the interlaced branches of the forest.  To Dinant came this band to aid in her defence.[18] At one time it seemed as though a peaceful accommodation might be reached but it fell through.  Not yet were the citizens ready to surrender their charters—­“Franchises,—­to the rescue,” was a frequent cry and no treaty was made.