that his plans were his own
secret, _versus_ Louis, fully advised of those plans and alert to all
incidents of the past, present, and future in a fashion impossible to
the duke in his absorbed contemplation of his own prospects, blocking
the scope of his view.

With the emperor's congratulations at the duke's accession to
Guelders, and his offers to invest him with the title, were coupled
intimations that it was an opportune moment to resume consideration of
an alliance between the Archduke Maximilian and Mary of Burgundy. The
duke accepted the new overtures, and Rudolf de Soulz and Peter
von Hagenbach proceeded to the Burgundian and Austrian courts
respectively, as confidential envoys to discuss the marriage.[10]

Charles was far more gracious to De Soulz than he had been to the
last imperial messenger, the Abbe de Casanova, who had restricted his
proposals to Mary's fortunes and ignored her father's. The duke had no
intention of permitting any conference to proceed on that line. He was
explicit as to his requisitions. De Soulz was surprised by a gift of
ten thousand florins, explained by the phrase, "because Monseigneur
recognised the love and affection borne him by the said count." That
was a simple retainer. Other benefits, offices, and estates were
conferred, to take effect on the day when Monseigneur was named King
of the Romans.

The instructions to Hagenbach were definite, covering the ground
of those previously mentioned, issued in 1470. He was, however,
especially enjoined to assure Frederic that the duke did not require
his abdication. He would be content to step into the shoes naturally
vacated by his death.

The final suggestion resulting from these parleyings was that an
interview between the two principals would be far more satisfactory
than any further interchange of messages. It was not only a propitious
time for a conference, but it was necessary. The ceremony of
investiture of the duke into his latest acquired fief made it
evidently imperative that he should visit the emperor. And to
preparations for that event, Charles turned his attention, now
absolutely confident that the outcome must be to his satisfaction. He
had as little comprehension of the character of the man with whom he
was to deal as he had of Louis XI. The choice of a place caused some
difficulty, each prince preferring a locality near his own frontier.
Metz was selected and abandoned on account of an epidemic. Finally
Treves was a