Meanwhile, Commines and the Bastard of Bourbon proceeded towards Abbeville, whither they had taken the precaution of sending an emissary before them, to pave the way for an accommodation. But notwithstanding all their diligence, they had been anticipated, and when they reached the town, the people had already delivered up the gates to the Seigneur de Torcy. The two plenipotentiaries next went to Doullens, whence they sent to summon Arras to submit to the authority of the king. Commines set out alone to conduct this negotiation; but all his address failed to corrupt the loyalty of the people of Arras, who formally refused to acknowledge any other sovereign than their young duchess. He therefore contented himself with labouring secretly to gain the greatest possible number of partizans for his master; and this was, after all, the principal object of his mission. He had acted, moreover, on the mere announcement of the defeat of Charles the Bold; but the certain news of the death of that prince had, as we have already stated, totally changed the king’s intentions. It was no longer his object to preserve Burgundy from the invasion of the Germans; he wished to take possession of the country, and distribute its lordships among his servants. This failure at Arras was all the more displeasing to him because other negotiators had met with better success: Guillaume de Bische, for instance, had secured Peronne. His valet de chambre, Oliver, boasted that he would reduce to his allegiance the city of Ghent; and Robinet d’Odenfort answered for the submission of St. Omer. The king, flattered by these promises, and believing himself already in possession of these places, compared the meagre result of the mission entrusted to Commines with the happy issue promised him by the zeal of his faithful servants. The Lord du Lude and others, on being questioned by the king, concurred in his opinion; and all that Commines could do was to suggest doubts as to the facility with which such strong towns would be induced to surrender.