Debate betwixt ye kings men and the Gantners.
The king laie the most part of this winter at Gant, in the which meane time there chanced sedition betwéene th' Englishmen & the Gantners, insomuch that the Welshmen had set fire on the towne, if the king had not staied the matter. But the Flemish writers saie, the Englishmen set fire in foure parts of the towne indéed, that they might the more fréelie haue robbed in other parts thereof, whilest the townesmen had gone about to quench the fire. But the townesmen bent on reuenge, assembled togither in great numbers, and falling on the Englishmen slue thirtie of their horssemen and of their footmen to the number of seuen hundred, or thereabouts. They had also slaine the king, if a knight of Flanders had not made shift to saue him. ¶ In déed (as should appeare by the same writers) the English footmen had doone much hurt in the countrie, and namelie one day they spoiled the towne of Dam, and slue two hundred worthie personages, who had yéelded themselues to the king at his first comming into the countrie.
And although the king caused certeine of those that had doone this outrage to be hanged: yet the Flemings bare this & other iniuries in their minds, & meant to be reuenged thereof, before the Englishmen departed out of their countrie, and therefore there drew out of sundrie parts into the citie of Gant by small companies, to the number of foure thousand men of armes, besides a great multitude of footmen, and when they perceiued themselues strong inough (as they tooke the matter) at the day amongst them appointed, and considered in their minds, that
---- vnita potentior est vis
Quælibet, at partes in plures secta peribit,
The Flemings set vpon the Englishmen in their lodgings.
they clustered togither, and vnder the leading of the earles sonnes, William and Robert, they did first set vpon the Englishmen that were in their lodgings, of whom they slue diuerse, and after comming foorth into the stréets, they ment to haue made slaughter of all the residue: but by the noise that was raised, the king had warning in what state the matter stood, and therewith getting him to armour, came foorth of his lodging, and streightwaies his people flocked about him. And furthermore, the footmen which were lodged in the suburbes, hearing of this tumult, got them to armour, & approching the gates, found them shut: but with fire which they kindled with straw, wood, butter and tallow, and other such things, they burnt vp the same gates and so got in, losing not past six persons that were slaine at the first entring.
The earle of Flanders pacifieth his people.
Herewith the earle of Flanders came to the king, and besought him to staie his people from committing further outrage: but the king as he had reason so to doo, blamed him for the outragious attempt of his people, and bad him go to appease them, or he would take paine with them himself to his owne suertie, though not greatlie to their ease. The earle went, and preuailed so much, that at length he quieted them, and then was order giuen for restitution of such things as had béen taken from any man wrongfullie, according to the order and direction prescribed by certeine discréet persons appointed as commissioners in that behalfe. The king perceiuing himselfe in some danger, and that without the fauour of the Flemings he might hardlie escape out of their countrie, bare manie things, and spake courteouslie, making partlie amends for the harms doone by his people, as well abroad in the countries as in the towns. And finallie about Midlent he returned into England, as after ye shall heare.
Nic. Triuet.
An armie assembled at Yorke.