Welshmen appointed to Iaques Arteueld for a gard against Gerard Denise.
Herevpon the councell brake vp, and Iaques Arteueld tarieng with the king a certeine space, after the other were departed, promised him to persuade the countrie well inough to his purpose, and suerlie, he had a great gift of eloquence, and had thereby induced the countrie wonderfullie, to consent to manie things, as well in fauour of king Edward, as to his owne aduancement: but this suit which he went now about to bring to passe, was so odious vnto all the Flemings, that in no wise they thought it reason to consent vnto the disheriting of the earle. At length, when Iaques Arteueld should returne vnto Gant, king Edward appointed fiue hundred Welshmen to attend him as a gard, for the preseruation of his person, bicause he said, that one Gerard Denise deane of the weauers, an vnquiet man, maliciouslie purposed his destruction.
Iacob Arteuelds house beset.
Capteins of these Welshmen were Iohn Matreuers, and William Sturine or Sturrie, and so with this crue of souldiers Arteueld returned vnto Gant, and earnestlie went in hand with his suit in king Edwards behalfe, that either the earle should doo his homage to the king of England to whome it was due; or else to forfeit his earledome. Then the foresaid Gerard, as well of his owne mind, as procured thereto by the authoritie of earle Lewes, stirred the whole citie against the said Arteueld, and gathering a great power vnto him, came and beset Arteuelds house round about vpon each side, the furie of the people being wonderfullie bent against him, crieng; "Kill him, Kill him that hath robbed the tresurie of the countrie, and now goeth about to disherit our noble earle."
Froissard.
I. Meir.
Iacob van Arteueld slaine.
Iaques van Arteueld perceiuing in what danger he was, came vnto a window, and spake to that inraged multitude, in hope with faire and courteous words to appease them, but it could not be: whervpon he sought to haue fled out of his house, but the same was broken vp, and so manie entred vpon him, that he was found out, and slaine by one Thomas Denise (as some write.) But other affirme, that on a sundaie in the after noone, being the 17 of Iulie, a cobler, whose father this Iaques van Arteueld had sometime slaine, followed him, as he was fléeing into a stable where his horsses stood, & there with an ax cloue his head asunder, so that he fell downe starke dead on the ground. And this was the end of the foresaid Iaques van Arteueld, who by his wisdome and policie had obteined the whole gouernment of all Flanders. This wofull end was allotted vnto him by destinie, whose decrée nothing is able by any shift to auoid, as is notablie said of the poet in this distichon;
M. Pal. in scor.
Nil extra fatum est, metitúrque omnia summi
Mens regis, cuius sine numine fit nihil vsquam.