THE POPULACE OF GHENT AGAIN TAKE UP ARMS, EXCITED THERETO BY THE ARTISANS.
At this time, the ghent men, in great numbers rose in arms, through the instigation of the artisans. The reason they gave for this was, that the garrison of Sluys had plundered the flat country round,—the inhabitants of which had made their complaints to them, at the same time requesting them to punish the pillagers.
They had also taken up arms against Bruges, to know whether they would peaceably separate from those of the Franc[15], and allow them to become one of the four departments of Ghent. They wanted likewise to march against Sluys, and carry away the posts that had been placed in the bed of the river Lieve, to prevent merchandise from passing up or down. They had further designs of visiting all Flanders, to see who were their friends and willing to support them in the maintenance of peace in the country, that the poor might have work in all the towns. Should the sheriffs and inhabitants of Ghent refuse to co-operate with them, they had resolved to undertake the matter themselves, with the aid of their allies. They declared, they would not lay down their arms until they should have accomplished their undertaking. The deacon of these artisans, at this time, was one Pierre Hemubloc. The sheriffs explained the whole of this business to the townsmen, to the deacon of the weavers, and to those of the other trades, at the usual place, before the town-house, that they might fully consider it, each with their brother-tradesmen, and lay the whole of their deliberations, on the morrow, before the magistracy. Each trade, in consequence, had a meeting at their different halls; and the deacons waited on the magistrates on the 9th day of October.
After many debates, the demands of the artisans were acceded to, owing to their own importunities, and those of their supporters, but not without great murmurings on the part of the principal inhabitants, because Bruges was at that time treating for peace with the duke of Burgundy at Lille, whither Ghent had sent ambassadors, and because they thought that this was only a pretext to seize the properties of the rich.
The artisans, having carried their point, immediately hastened to the corn-market, with displayed banners, and were instantly joined by the tailors, old clothes-sellers, and all the inferior tradesmen. They were followed by the twenty-seven banners of weavers, the bailiff with the magistracy, preceded by the banner of Flanders, and crowds of common people, so that, in the whole there were eighty-two banners.
The magistrates soon departed, and the other banners after them in the usual procession; but the artisans and their friends withdrew to the friday market-place, in front of the hall of appeals where they remained all night, in the resolution of taking the field on the morrow.
The better part of the weavers, however, and the more substantial inhabitants were of a contrary opinion, and left the artisans, being averse to go to war. Upon this, a quarrel arose between them, which nearly caused a battle, the artisans retired to one side of the market-place from the others, telling those to follow them who were of the same opinion.
Several joined them,—and they then all marched away in handsome array for Marienkirk, on the road to Bruges, were they encamped under tents and pavilions. At this time also, there were great riots in several places, on account of the debasements of the new coinage of 1433 as well as the old coinage, and for the heavy taxes which had been imposed for the expedition to Calais.
No english wool was now exported to Flanders, which threw very many out of work and bread: more especially the town of Ypres suffered from this, as their principal manufacture was working up these wools into cloth. On the other hand, corn and every necessary of life were extravagantly dear; and provision became more scarce in Flanders from the war carrying on by those of Bruges: moreover, the townsmen of Sluys had fixed stakes in the bed of the Lieve, so that a stop was put to the transport of merchandise on that river.