At this time, the men of Ghent issued out of their town, in numbers and dress conformable to the terms of the treaty, led by the abbot of St Bavon and the prior of the Carthusians, and followed by the twenty-five sheriffs, counsellors, and hoguemans, naked to their shirts and under garments, and bareheaded. Then came two thousand of the burghers dressed, but barefooted, without girdles, and without hoods, and thus passed through the line of archers. When they came within sight of the duke, they all fell on their knees, and cried with a loud voice, 'Have mercy on the town of Ghent!'
The chancellor of Burgundy now advanced toward them, and remonstrated sharply on their rebellious and wicked conduct, in opposing their legal lord, and taking up arms against him; adding, that their wickedness had been so enormous that he was doubtful whether their prince would pardon them. On hearing this, they again fell on their knees, and repeated their cries of 'Mercy on the town of Ghent!' They then rose, and proceeded until they came in front of the duke, who was on his war-horse, magnificently dressed, when, falling on their knees, most humbly, and with many tears, they besought him to have compassion on them, and forgive them their evil deeds.
The town-council now approached the duke, and, in the name of the whole town, supplicated his pity and benign grace that he would pardon his subjects of Ghent, now prostrate before him, although they had wickedly rebelled against him, elected hoguemans, and done numberless wicked acts, of which they now repented, and promised that if he would, in his mercy, receive them into favour, the like should never again happen, and that henceforward they would remain the most loyal and faithful of his subjects.
At the conclusion of this speech, the duke, and his son the count de Charolois, there present, pardoned them their evil deeds. The men of Ghent returned to their town more happy and rejoiced than can be expressed; and the duke departed for Lille, having disbanded his army that every one might return to their several homes.
CHAP. L.
WHILE THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY IS CARRYING ON HIS WARFARE AGAINST THE GHENT MEN, THE LORD DE CROY IS VERY ACTIVE IN OPPOSING THE GERMANS IN THE DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG, WHERE THEY HAD DONE MUCH MISCHIEF.
I have before mentioned, that while the duke of Burgundy was engaged in his war on Ghent, he had sent the lord de Croy to the duchy of Luxembourg to oppose the Germans, who were making frequent inroads on that duchy, and had gained possession of places that appertained to the duke.
The Germans, whenever they intended any inroad, amounted from eight to nine hundred men; and their main garrison was in Thionville, a small but very strong town. The lord de Croy, with the aid of those under the obedience of the duke, conducted himself with such prudence and courage that he regained all the places the Germans had conquered. He had frequent encounters with them, in which several were killed on both sides. In short, he pressed them so hard that they demanded a truce for ten months, offering to leave the country unmolested during that term, and also to surrender Thionville to the duke, unless in the interim they should conquer him or his troops in open battle. This was agreed to by the duke, and the truce signed to continue until Ascension-day, in the year 1454. War therefore ceased in that country, and the army under the lord de Croy was disbanded.
CHAP. LI.
KING CHARLES OF FRANCE CONQUERS BORDEAUX AND THE BORDELOIS A SECOND TIME.