ve their debts paid. The latter were, indeed,
oppressive, but there was fear lest "protection" might be more so, and
conference after conference failed to produce the acquiescence desired
by Hagenbach.

In 1473, that zealous servant of Burgundy declared that if the
burghers persisted in their refusal he would resort to force. Their
reply was that Mulhouse could not take such an important step without
consulting her friends, the Swiss. "Are the cantons going to help you
pay your debts?" was the sneering comment of Hagenbach. "Mulhouse is
a bad weed in a rose garden, a plant that must be extirpated. Its
submission would make a charming pleasure ground out of the Sundgau,
Alsace, and Breisgau. The duke knew no city which he would prefer to
Mulhouse for a sojourn," were his further statements.[10]

Two days were given to the town council for an answer. Hagenbach
remarked that it was useless to think that time could be gained until
the mortgaged territories should return to Austria. "Far from planning
redemption, Duke Sigismund is now preparing to cede to _Charles le
temeraire_ as much again of his domain and vassals." Still Mulhouse
was not convinced that the only course open to her was to let Charles
pay her debts and receive her homage. No answer was forthcoming in the
two days, but ready scribes had prepared many copies of Hagenbach's
letter, which were sent to all who might be interested in checking
these proposals of Burgundy.

On February 24, 1473, a Swiss diet met at Lausanne and there the
matter was weighed. Hagenbach's letter was shown to those who had
not seen it, and methods of rescuing Mulhouse from her dilemma were
carefully considered. Years ago a union had existed between the forest
cantons and the Alsatian cities. There were propositions to renew
this alliance so as to present a strong front to their Burgundian
neighbour. The cantons had enough to do with their own affairs, but
the result of the discussion was that, on March 14th, a ten-year
Alsatian confederation was formed in imitation of the Swiss.

The chief members were Basel, Colmar, Mulhouse, Schlestadt, and two
dioceses, and it is referred to as the _Basse-Union_ or the Lower
Union, the purposes being to guarantee mutually the rights of the
contracting parties, to meet for discussion on various questions, and,
specifically, to help Mulhouse pay her debts. A few days later, March
19th, there was a fresh proposition to make an alliance between
thi