han in his own,
and his agreeable host found means of persuading him to resign all the
cares of his see. Then the enterprising duke proceeded to place his
own nephew, Louis of Bourbon, upon the vacant episcopal throne.

This nephew was an eighteen-year-old student at the University of
Louvain, destitute of a single qualification for the office proposed.
Nevertheless, all difficulties, technical and general were ignored,
and a papal dispensation enabled the candidate even to dispense with
the formality of taking orders. Attired in scarlet with a feathered
Burgundian cap on his head, Louis made his entry into his future
capital and was duly enthroned as bishop-prince in spite of his
manifest unfitness for the place.

Nor did he prove a pleasant surprise to his people, better than the
promise of his youth, as some reckless princes have done. On the
contrary, ignorant, sensuous, extortionate, he was soon at drawn
swords with his subjects. After a time he withdrew to Huy where he
indulged in gross pleasures while he attempted to check the rebellious
citizens of his capital by trying some of the measures of coercion
used by his predecessors as a last resort.

Liege was lashed into a state of fury. Matters dragged on for a long
time. The people appealed to Cologne, to the papal legate, to the
pope, and to the "pope better informed," but no redress was given.
Philip continued to protect the bishop, and none dared put themselves
in opposition to him. Finally, the people turned to Louis XI. for aid.
Their appeal was heard and the king's agent arrived in the city
just as one of the bishop's interdicts was about to be enforced,
an interdict, too, endorsed by a papal bull, threatening the usual
anathema if the provisions were not obeyed.

It was the moment for a demagogue and one appeared in the person of
Raes de la Riviere, lord of Heers. On July 5, 1465, there was to be
unbroken silence in all sacred edifices. Heers and his followers
proclaimed that every priest who refused to chant should be thrown
into the river. Mass was said under those unpeaceful and unspiritual
conditions, and the presence of the French envoys gave new heart to
the bishop's opponents. A treaty was signed between the Liegeois
and Louis; wherein mutual pledges were made that no peace should be
concluded with Burgundy in which both parties were not included. It
was a solemn pledge but it did not hamper Louis when he signed the
treaty of Conflans whose arti