CH. II.—How the Town of Nuz was relieved by the Germans and the Emperor; and of other Enemies whom the King of France stirred up against the Duke of Burgundy.—1474. As I said before, the Duke of Burgundy had invested Nuz, and met with greater difficulties in that siege than he expected. The city of Cologne (which lies four leagues higher upon the Rhine) was forced to be at the expense of 100,000 florins of gold a month, to secure themselves against the Duke of Burgundy, and had, in conjunction with some of the neighbouring towns above it, upon the Rhine, put into the field a body of 15,000 or 16,000 foot, and posted them with a large train of artillery upon the bank of the river opposite to the duke’s camp, with a design to intercept all his convoys of provision, which came by water out of the country of Guelders up the river, and to sink his boats with their cannon. The emperor and the electoral princes of the empire had a meeting about this affair; and it was unanimously resolved to raise an army. The king having sent several ambassadors to them, to solicit them to that purpose, they sent to him a Canon of Cologne (of the house of Bavaria), and another ambassador with him, with a roll or list of the army which the emperor designed to raise, provided the king would make a diversion on his side. They were sure of a favourable answer from his majesty, and whatever they demanded was granted. Besides, the king promised in writing, both to the emperor and to several princes and cities, that as soon as the emperor should take the field, and advance to Cologne, he would send 20,000 men to join them under the command of the Lords of Craon and Sallezard. Hereupon the German army was raised, and got ready, amounting to an almost incredible number of men; for all the princes of Germany, both spiritual and temporal, and all the bishops and free-towns, sent in their respective forces in great numbers. I was informed that the Bishop of Munster[406] (who is none of the greatest) led into that army 6000 foot and 1400 horse, all clothed in green uniforms, besides 1200 waggons; but his bishopric was hard by. It was seven months’ time before this army was raised and fit to march; and it then posted itself within half a league of the Duke of Burgundy’s camp[407]; and (as I have been informed by several of the duke’s people) it was three times the number of the Duke of Burgundy’s army and the English army together, both in men, tents, and pavilions; and besides this army of the emperor’s, there was the army on the other side of the river, which continually annoyed the enemy, both by cannonading their camp, and intercepting their convoys.