hing further to do with their propositions without this
writing from the Duke. Whereupon, it was agreed that M. de Viry, who was
to dine with Madame (the Duchess Yolande) to-day at Lausanne, would send
me news by this Tuesday or Wednesday."

[Illustration: THE CITY ON THE HILL]

Repeating in this communication the report that Duke Charles had
recovered from his illness and would be within a mile of Fribourg in a
few days, Count Louis added that a trusted agent of his own had been
sent to the duke's camp and had reported that he was still ill, that his
artillery was in poor condition and that some of his supporters had
deserted him. Ill as he was, Duke Charles, hastily collecting a new army
to avenge his defeat and too proud to confide to paper his real desire
for peace, refused the condition of Count Louis, sending a haughty reply
that "he was not accustomed to make advances to his foes, that he was,
nevertheless, disposed particularly to make terms with Fribourg but not
with its confederates." Thus the pride which was the origin of all his
woes caused Duke Charles to reject the mediator who would have worked
with "soul and body" for his welfare, and thus vanished the fair
prospect of peace between Burgundy and the Confederates. Although the
latter had been victorious at Grandson, the country captured in their
three-weeks' campaign had in a still shorter time been recaptured by the
Savoyards, and a strong party in Romand Switzerland was opposed to them.
At this juncture, the German emperor, twice foresworn, deserted their
ally the Archduke Sigismond, and the Bernois, alarmed for the safety of
their city, hastily invoked the promised aid of Louis XI. No answer came
from their perfidious ally and the Swiss Confederates, alone at last,
were left to defend their own country and their freedom. Emperor and
king alike were absent, all their machinations finished, and although on
the memorable day of Morat, Savoy was pitted against its own cities, and
the Confederates against their Burgundian cousins in as unnatural and
unnecessary a conflict as ever divided ancient friends, the Swiss
soldiers then immortally testified to their patriotism and their valor.

Three months had passed since Grandson and Duke Charles had succeeded in
assembling a new army--less in numbers than that which had there been
annihilated--a motley force of Savoyards and discontented Italian
mercenaries ready to desert his cause, but containing three thousa