What the people were anxiously forecasting, Louis foresaw with certainty, and took his measures accordingly. A few days after the death of Philip the Good, several of the principal Flemish cities, Ghent first and then Liege, rose against the new Duke of Burgundy in defence of their liberties, already ignored or threatened. The intrigues of Louis were not unconnected with these solicitations. He would undoubtedly have been very glad to have seen his most formidable enemy beset, at the very commencement of his ducal reign, by serious embarrassments, and obliged to let the king of France settle without trouble his differences with his brother Duke Charles of Berry, and with the Duke of Brittany. But the new Duke of Burgundy was speedily triumphant over the Flemish insurrections; and after these successes, at the close of the year 1467, he was so powerful and so unfettered in his movements, that Louis might, with good reason, fear the formation of a fresh league amongst his great neighbors in coalition against him, and perhaps even in communication with the English, who were ever ready to seek in France allies for the furtherance of their attempts to regain there the fortunes wrested from them by Joan of Arc and Charles VII. In view of such a position Louis formed a resolution, unpalatable, no doubt, to one so jealous of his own power, but indicative of intelligence and boldness; he confronted the difficulties of home government in order to prevent perils from without. The remembrance had not yet faded of the energy displayed and the services rendered in the first part of Charles VII.’s reign by the states-general; a wish was manifested for their resuscitation; and they were spoken of, even in the popular doggerel, as the most effectual remedy for the evils of the period. “But what says Paris?”--“She is deaf and dumb.” “Dares she not speak?”--“Nor she, nor parliament.” “The clergy?”--“O! the clergy are kept mum.” “Upon your oath?”--“Yes, on the sacrament.” “The nobles, then?”--“The nobles are still worse.” “And justice?”--“Hath nor balances nor weights.” “Who, then, may hope to mitigate this curse?” “Who? prithee, who?”--“Why, France’s three estates.” “Be pleased, O prince, to grant alleviation . . .” “To whom?”--“To the good citizen who waits . . .” “For what?”--“The right of governing the nation . . .” “Through whom? pray, whom?”--“Why, France’s three estates.”