ust as he was departing he put one more query: "'If perchance my
brother now in Brittany should be dissatisfied with the share I accord
him out of love to you, what do you want me to do?' The duke answered
abruptly and without thought: 'If he does not wish to take it, but
if you content him otherwise, I will trust to you two.' From this
question and answer arose great things as you shall hear later. So
the king departed at his pleasure, and Mons. de Cordes and d'Emeries,
Grand Bailiff of Hainaut escorted him out of ducal territory."[7]

"O wonderful and memorable crime of this king of the French
[declares a contemporaneous Liege sympathiser.][8] Scarcely
anything so bad can be found in ancient annals or in modern
history. What could be more stupid or more perfidious, or a better
instance of infamy than for a king who had incited a people to
arms against the Burgundians to act thus for the sake of his own
safety? Not once but many times had he pledged them his faith,
offering them defence and assistance against the same Burgundians.
And now when they are overwhelmed and confounded by this
Burgundian duke, this king actually co-operates with their foe, to
their damage, wears that foe's insignia and dares to hide himself
behind those emblems, and assist to destroy those to whom he
himself had furnished aid and subsidies with pledges of good
faith! I am ashamed to commit this to writing, and to hand it down
to posterity, knowing that it will seem incredible to many. But
it is so notorious throughout France and is confirmed by so many
adequate witnesses who have seen and heard these things that no
room is left for doubt of their veracity except to one desiring to
ignore the truth."[9]

November 2d is the date of Louis's departure. It needs no stretch
of the imagination to believe the words of his little Swiss page,
Diesbach, when he says that on reaching French soil Louis dismounted
and kissed the ground in a paroxysm of joy that he was his own man
again.[10] Devoutly, too, he gave thanks to God for helping him in his
need. Still this joy was concealed under euphemistic phrases in his
correspondence. On November 5th, he wrote again to the Duke of Milan
from Beaumont:

"We went in person with the duke against the Liegeois, on account
of their rebellion and offence, and the city being reduced by
force to the power of the duke, we have le