rritories lying far from his capital, Innsbruck. Certain portions
of Upper Alsace, lands on both sides of the Rhine, Thurgau, Argau in
Switzerland, Breisgau, and some other seigniories in the Black Forest
were under his sway.

These particular domains were so remote from Innsbruck that the
authority of the hereditary overlord had long been eluded. The nobles
pillaged the land near their castles very much at their own sweet
will. The harassed burghers appealed to the Alsatian Decapole,[5] and
again to the free Swiss cantons for protection, and sometimes obtained
more than they wanted.

Mulhouse was seriously affected by these lawless depredations. To her,
Berne promised aid in a twenty-five years' alliance signed in 1466,
and at Berne's insistance the cowardly nobles restrained their
license. But when the city attempted to extend its authority Sigismund
interfered. Having no army, however, he could not recover Waldshut,
which the Swiss claimed a right to annex, except by offering ten
thousand florins for the town's ransom. Poor in cash as he was in men,
he had, however, no means to pay this ransom and begged aid in every
direction. Moreover, he feared further aggressions from the cantons,
which were growing more daring. What man in Europe was better able to
teach them a lesson than Charles, the destroyer of Liege, the stern
curber of undue liberty in Flanders? Was he not the very person to
tame insolent Swiss cowherds?

In the course of the year 1468, Sigismund made known to Charles his
desire for a bargain, intimating that in case of the duke's refusal,
he would carry his wares to Louis XI. At that moment, Charles was
busied with Liege and showed no interest in Sigismund's proposition.
The latter tried to see Louis XI. personally in accordance with his
imperial cousin's advice that an interview might be more effective
than a letter.

It did not prove a propitious time, however; Louis was deeply engaged
with Burgundy and he was not disposed to take any steps that might
estrange the Swiss--and any espousal of Sigismund's interests might
alienate them. He did not even permit an opening to be made, but
stopped Sigismund's approach to him by a message that he would not for
a moment entertain a suggestion inimical to those dear friends of his
in the cantons--a sentiment that quickly found its way to Switzerland.

Thus stayed in his effort to win Louis's ear, Sigismund decided that
he would make another essay towards a B