And it did hold out whilst Rend was visiting Strasbourg, Berne, Zurich, and Lucerne, presenting himself before the councils of these petty republics with, in order to please them, a tame bear behind him, which he left at the doors, and promising, thanks to Louis XI.'s agents in Switzerland, extraordinary pay.

He thus obtained auxiliaries to the number of eight thousand fighting men.

He had, moreover, in the very camp of the Duke of Burgundy, a secret ally, an Italian condottiere, the Count of Campo-Basso, who, either from personal hatred or on grounds of interest, was betraying the master to whom he had bound himself.

The year before, he had made an offer to Louis XI.

to go over to him with his troops during a battle, or to hand over to him the Duke of Burgundy, dead or alive.