life, simply because his hour had not yet struck, and because
he was God's chosen instrument to punish the sinning city," is the
verdict of one chronicler who does not spare his fellow-Liegeois for
their follies while he profoundly pities their fate.[13]

Out of the many contemporaneous accounts a portion of a private letter
from the duke's cup-bearer to his sister is added:[14]

"Very dear sister, with a very good heart I recommend myself to
you and to all my good friends, men and women in our parts, not
forgetting my _beaux-peres,_ Martin Stephen and Dan Gauthier. Pray
know that, thanks to God, I and all my people are safe and sound.
As to my horses, one was wounded and another is sick in the hands
of the marshals at Namur, and the others are thin enough and have
no grain to eat except hay. The weather, has, indeed, been enough
to strike a chill to the hearts of men and horses. Since we left
Burgundy there have not been three fine days in succession and we
are in a worse state than wolves.

"You already know how we passed through Lorraine and Ratellois
without troubling about Salesart or other French captains, nor the
other Lorrainers either, although they were under orders to
attack us, and were no more afraid of us than we of them. As we
approached the territory of Hainaut, M. the duke sent Messire
Pierre de Harquantbault[15] to us to show us what road to take.
He told us that the duke had made a treaty with the king, who had
visited him, news that filled us with astonishment....

After skirmishing for several days we reached the faubourgs of
Liege and remained there three of four days under arms, with no
sleep and little food, and our horses standing in the rain with no
shelter but the trees. While we were thus lodged, the king and
the duke with a fair escort arrived and took up their quarters in
certain houses near the faubourg. [... Constant firing was
interchanged for several days. Sallies were essayed and men were
slain.]

"Finally a direct attack was made on the king and Monseigneur
and there were more of their people than ours and that night
Monseigneur was in great danger. The following Sunday at 9 A.M. we
began the assault in three separate quarters. It was a fine thing
to see the men-at-arms march on the walls of the said city, some
climbing and others scaling them with ladd