workmen. The city of Liege is accredited with one hundred thousand
inhabitants at this epoch, and the numbers reported slain in
the various battles in which the town was involved run into the
thousands.[7]

In 1456, Philip of Burgundy, encouraged by his success in the diocese
of Utrecht, obtained a certain ascendency over the affairs of Liege by
interfering in the election of a bishop. There was no natural vacancy
at the moment. John of Heinsberg was the incumbent, a very pleasant
prelate with conciliatory ways. He loved amusement and gay society,
pleasures more easily obtainable in Philip's court than 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