WHILE the affairs you have heard were passing in England, there was no intermission in the wars which the Earl of Flanders was carrying on against Ghent, and which those citizens waged against him. You know that Philip von Artaveld was chosen commander in Ghent, through the recommendation of Peter du Bois, who advised him, when in office, to become cruel and wicked to be the more feared. Philip did not forget this doctrine, for he had not long been governor of Ghent before he had twelve persons beheaded in his presence: some said they were those who had been principally concerned in the murder of his father, and thus he revenged himself on them.
Philip von Artaveld began his reign with great power, and made himself beloved and feared by many, more especially by those who followed the profession of arms: for, to gain their favor, he refused them nothing; every thing was abandoned to them. I may be asked how the Ghent men were able to carry on this war; and I will answer to the best of my ability, according to the information I received. They were firmly united among themselves, and maintained the poor, each according to his means: thus, by being so firmly united, they were of great force. Besides, Ghent, taken all together, is one of the strongest towns in the world, provided Brabant, Zealand, and Holland be not against it; but, in case these countries were leagued with Flanders, they would be shut up, surrounded, and starved.
This whole winter of 1382, the Earl and country of Flanders had so much constrained Ghent, that nothing could enter the place by land or water: he had persuaded the Duke Brabant and Duke Albert to shut up their countries so effectually, that no provisions could be exported thence but secretly and with a great risk to those who attempted it. It was thought by the most intelligent, that it could not be long before they perished through famine, for all the storehouses of corn were empty, and the people could not obtain bread for money: when the bakers had baked any, it was necessary to guard their shops, for the populace who were starving would have broken them open. It was melancholy to hear these poor people (for men, women, and children of good substance were in this miserable plight) make their daily complaints and cries to Philip von Artaveld, their commander-in-chief. He took great compassion on them, and made several very good regulations, for which he was much praised. He ordered the granaries of the monasteries and rich men to be opened, and divided the corn among the poor at a fixed price. By such means he gave comfort to the town of Ghent, and governed it well. Sometimes there came to them in casks flour and baked bread from Holland and Zealand, which were of great assistance; for, had they not been thus succored by those countries, they would have been much sooner defeated.
The Earl of Flanders determined to lay siege to Ghent once more, but with a much superior army to what he had hitherto brought against it; for he declared he would invade the Quatre Metiers, and burn and destroy them, as they had been too active in assisting Ghent. The earl therefore signified his intentions to all the principal towns in Flanders, that they might be ready in time. Immediately after the procession at Bruges, he was to march from hence, to lay siege to Ghent and destroy it. He wrote also to those knights and squires who were dependent on him in Hainault, to meet him at Bruges at the appointed day, or even eight days before.
CHAPTER VII.
The Earl of Flanders sends a Harsh Answer to those who wished to mediate a Peace between him and Ghent.
NOTWITHSTANDING all these summons, levies, and orders, which the Earl of Flanders was issuing, the Duchess of Brabant, Duke Albert, and the Bishop of Liege exerted themselves so much, that a meeting of their councils, to consider of the means of establishing a peace, was ordered to be held in the city of Tournay. The Earl of Flanders, at the request of these lords and the Duchess of Brabant, although he intended to act contrary, gave his terms of accommodation; and these conferences were fixed for the end of Easter, at Tournay, in the year 1382.
Twelve deputies came from the bishopric of Liege and the chief towns, with Sir Lambert de Perney, a very discreet knight. The Duchess of Brabant sent her council thither, and some of the principal inhabitants from the great towns. Duke Albert met likewise his council from Hainault, his bailiff, Sir Simon de Lalain, with others. All these came to Tournay in Easter-week; and Ghent sent also twelve deputies, of whom Philip von Artaveld was the head. The inhabitants of Ghent had resolved to accede to whatever terms their deputies should agree on, with the exception that no one was to be put to death; but that, if it pleased the earl their lord, he might banish from Ghent, and the country of Flanders, all those who were disagreeable to him, and whom he might wish to punish, without any possibility of their return. This resolution they had determined to abide by; and Philip von Artaveld was willing, if he should have angered the earl ever so little during the time he was governor of Ghent, to be one of the banished men for life, out of the regard he had for the lower ranks of people. Certain it is, that, when he set out from Ghent for Tournay, men, women, and children cast themselves before him on their knees, and with uplifted hands besought him, that, at whatever cost it might be, he would bring them back peace; and, from the pity he felt for them, he had agreed to act as I have just related.
CHAPTER VIII.
The Citizens of Ghent, after having heard from Philip von Artaveld the Terms of Peace which he had brought from the Conferences at Tournay, march out, to the Number of Five Thousand, to attack the Earl of Flanders in Bruges.
When Philip von Artaveld and his companions returned to Ghent, great crowds of the common people, who only wished for peace, were much rejoiced on his arrival, and hoped to hear from him good news. They went out to meet him, saying, “Ah, dear Philip von Artaveld, make us happy: tell us what you have done, and how you have succeeded.” Philip made no answer to these questions, but rode on, holding down his head: the more silent he was, the more they followed him, and were the more clamorous. Once or twice, as he was advancing to his house, he said, “Get you to your homes, and may God preserve you from harm! To-morrow morning be in the market-place by nine o’clock, and there you shall hear every thing.” As they could not obtain any other answer, the people were exceedingly alarmed.