John de Voz and his companions, on their arrival in Ghent, remonstrated sharply with the leaders in the town, how greatly they had deceived those in Gaveren, and how weakly they had acted; for they never would again have so favourable an opportunity of combating the duke, since he had not now with him more than four thousand fighting men, the rest having disbanded from want of pay; and he concluded by exhorting them strongly to sally forth and offer the duke battle.

In the meantime, sir John de Hout*, an Englishman, who had surrendered himself to sir Anthony the bastard, as I have mentioned, had a secret communication with the duke on the means of enticing the Ghent men out of their town, for he was extremely anxious to meet their whole force in the field. Soon afterward, John de Hout returned to Ghent, under pretence of repenting of his having left them, and told them that the duke's army was daily wasting away from default of payment. The men of Ghent, however, doubting his fidelity, ordered him to prison, lest he should betray them: he was there confined until John de Voz had pressed them so earnestly to attack the duke, with their whole force, when they released him and made him one of their captains. They commanded all the gates to be kept closed, that no one might carry to the duke information of their intentions, and gave orders that every person capable of bearing arms should provide himself, and appear properly armed and accoutred, under pain of death. It was necessary for all to obey this order, or suffer the consequences; but many did obey very much against their will. They mustered upward of four-and-twenty thousand men under arms, and appointed as leaders the said English and their companions, who amounted to full two hundred on horseback. When they saw their numbers, and that all was ready, they issued out of Ghent to combat their lord. Three days before this event, the good duke expecting daily an attack from Ghent, and desirous that his son the count de Charolois might not be present at the battle, on account of the dangers that are incident to such affairs, gave him to understand that the duchess was dangerously ill at Lille, and that he would do well to go thither and see how she was. The count, like a good son, hastened to Lille, but found the duchess recovered, and in good health. He then knew that the reason why the duke had sent him on this errand was to prevent him from being present at the battle. He told his attendants that it was absolutely necessary he should be present to aid his father, for that he was fighting to preserve his inheritance; and, said he, "I vow to God that I will be there, if possible." When the duchess heard of this vow, she tried all she could to detain him, but in vain, for he instantly set off and joined the duke before Gaveren.

CHAPTER LVII.-THE BATTLE OF GAVEREN, WHERE THE GHENT MEN ARE COMPLETELY DEFEATED, WITH THE LOSS OF UPWARD OF TWENTY THOUSAND MEN SLAIN AND DROWNED.

On the same day the castle of Gaveren was yielded up, and when all the garrison were not yet hanged, news was brought to the duke, while sitting at dinner, that the Ghent men were in full march to offer him battle. The duke ordered the trumpets to sound to horse, and the army was drawn up in three battalions as before. When it was done, the duke rode from one battalion to another to show himself, and to encourage his men, telling them, that if it pleased God, they should all that day be made rich. The army now moved, the three battalions near to each other, when sir James de St. Pol, and many others from Burgundy, Picardy, and other territories of the duke, were knighted, and several that day displayed their banners for the first time. This mortal battle took place on the 22nd day of July, in the year 1453.

The duke had scarcely advanced before the van perceived the Ghent men drawn up in battle-array, with their culverins and other artillery placed in their front. This manœuvre alarmed the marshal of Burgundy, who commanded the van, lest too many of his men should suffer at the onset; and he ordered his division to retire a little, which the Ghent men mistaking for an intention to fly, hastened forward, leaving their artillery in the rear. John de Voz and John de Hout, with their English companions, led them on, but soon, sticking

* Q. Sir John Holt?

spurs into their horses, galloped to surrender themselves to the duke, saying, "My lord, here are the Ghent men, whom we have brought to you, and we leave them to your mercy.' The archers now shot fiercely on the Ghent men, who defended themselves for a time very valiantly; but no sooner did the three battalions of the duke make a uniform charge than their ranks were broken, and they instantly fled for Ghent.

The duke's army pursued them closely, and it was marvellous the numbers they slew. It chanced that a division of the Ghent men, to the number of fourteen or fifteen hundred, had retreated into a meadow under cover of a coppice, where they regained courage and put themselves on their defence. This meadow was surrounded with ditches, so that neither the duke nor his men-at-arms could enter it by reason of their depth. Among those with the duke was a man-at-arms from Bruges, who thrice leaped the ditch to skirmish with those in the field; but at the third leap, his horse fell dead under him, from the severe blows received from the enemy's pikes. The duke had not any archers with him, for they had all dismounted, and could not easily overtake the runaways on horseback, to put them to death; for the duke hated them mortally, and was more vexed than can be imagined to see those who had leaped the ditches forced back again by the resistance they met with. Then this valiant prince, seizing his lance from the page who bore it by his side, raging like a lion, made his horse leap the ditch, and charged the thickest of the Ghent men. He was followed by many men-at-arms, and in the number was Bertrandon de la Brocquiere, who bore his pennon. The duke's horse was so badly wounded in several places that he was obliged to leap back again over the ditch, and wait the return of the archers. On their arrival, he again crossed the ditch, followed by his son the count of Charolois, and numbers of others, who charged the Ghent men so courageously that they were defeated, and all found in the meadow were slain. It was difficult for them to escape, as it was surrounded by ditches on three sides, and by the Scheldt on the other: many leaped into the river, and were drowned, but a few of the most active and lighter armed made such good use of their legs that they saved themselves in Ghent. It is certain that, had the duke marched thither instantly, he must have entered without opposition, so much were those in the town frightened and cast down, but his guides were unacquainted with the roads.

When the battle was over, some few escaped into Ghent; and the duke, having recalled his men, lay that night on the field of battle in his tent,-where, casting himself on his knees, he offered his thanksgivings to God for the great and decisive victory he had that day given him over his bitterest enemies.

Upward of twenty thousand of the Ghent men lost their lives this day, by the sword or by drowning. The bastard de Blanc-Estain, however, saved himself by swimming across the Scheldt. On the side of the duke, not more than sixteen men were killed from the commencement of the battle!

CHAPTER LVIII.-THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY, MOVED BY PITY, SENDS HIS HERALD ΤΟ GHENT TO KNOW IF THE TOWNSMEN WOULD SUBMIT TO HIS WILL, AND HE WOULD HAVE COMPASSION ON THEM. THE MEN OF GHENT SEND HIM A DEPUTATION TO BEG HIS MERCY.

On the morrow after the defeat of the Ghent men, the noble duke, moved by compassion, and his own virtuous nature, for his poor subjects, who, through pride and insolence had rebelled against him, sent his herald, clad in his coat of arms, with letters to Ghent, signifying, that notwithstanding the victory which God had given him the preceding day, he would show them mercy if they would submit to his will, and had transmitted them passports for a deputation to come to him, should they be so inclined, to arrange articles for a general peace. The Ghent men were very sensible of the duke's kindness in thus graciously recalling them to his affection, and of the mildness of the expressions in his letter. They handsomely feasted the herald; and, on the letter being publicly read, the whole town were unanimous for begging pardon of their lord, and, without further delay, sent a deputation back with the herald.

On their appearing before the duke, they, with the utmost humility, requested pardon for their offences, and besought him that he would have the goodness to restore them to his favour; offering, at the same time, to submit themselves and their town to his will. They also requested that he would retire to Gaveren, and dismiss his men-at-arms, and they would there wait on him to hear and do his will. The good duke granted their requests; but, on returning to Gaveren, over the field of the late battle, he was so shocked at the multitudes of dead bodies that he wept bitterly, as it was said. As he saw several women searching for the bodies of their friends, to bury them, he caused proclamation to be made, that no one should molest them, whatever might be his rank, under pain of death.

On the 25th day of July, the abbot of St. Bavon, in Ghent, the prior of the Carthusians, and many persons of note, waited on the duke at Gaveren, and, falling on their knees, begged mercy for the inhabitants of Ghent, who offered to surrender everything up to him, saving their lives. The duke replied, that, from love to God, he pardoned all their misdeeds, provided they would agree to the preliminaries proposed at Seclin, and concluded at Lille by the three estates of Flanders and the burghers of Bruges. They promised, in the name of their townsmen, to abide wholly by this treaty, and most humbly thanked the duke for his great benignity and kindness.

CHAPTER LIX. HERE FOLLOW THE ARTICLES OF THE TREATY BETWEEN PHILIP THE GOOD, AND THE TOWN OF GHENT.

THE treaty of Ghent consisted of the following articles. In the first place, the inhabitants of Ghent, to the number of two thousand men, shall come out, to the distance of one league from that town, to wherever their prince may appoint, barefooted and bareheaded, to beg his mercy. They were to be headed by all the counsellors, sheriffs and hoguemans of the town, naked, excepting their shirts and small clothes. They were to fall on their knees before the duke, his son, or any other person whom the duke should please to send thither as his representative, saying,-that they had wickedly and traitorously rebelled against him in arms, that they had insolently contemned him, and begged his pardon for all their evil deeds. Item, on every Thursday throughout the year, the gate leading to Oudenarde shall be closed, because it was through that gate they marched to besiege Oudenarde, and that it may remind them thereof.—Item, the gate leading towards Rupelmonde shall be closed for ever, in remembrance of their having issued out of it to offer battle to their lord at Rupelmonde.-Item, they shall pay to the duke, for the losses he may have sustained by this war, two hundred thousand riddes of gold, seventy to the marc.-Item, they shall pay for the restoration of the countries which have been burned, whatever sums the three estates of Flanders shall determine on; but if the three estates shall decline this arbitration the sum shall be fixed at one hundred thousand riddes. —Item, for the reparation of churches destroyed, they shall pay fifty thousand riddes.—Item, in recompense for the revenue of the prince's domain in Flanders, which has been unpaid by reason of the war, such an imposition shall be laid as the three estates of Flanders shall determine.

Item, there shall be a complete reformation of the laws of Ghent, in the form and manner that has been lately proposed by the ambassadors from king Charles of France, namely, that the commonalty shall elect four magistrates, and the duke, or his officers, four others,and these shall elect twenty-six sheriffs before they quit the chamber in which they have been assembled for this purpose.-Item, in regard to the burghers, they will act toward them according to their privileges, without paying attention to the customs or usages of former times.Item, no one in future shall be banished Ghent without an appeal first had to the bailiff, nor without the cause of his banishment being declared.—Item, they shall no longer issue ordinances or edicts without the knowledge and consent of their lord,—and such as may have been thus issued shall be declared null and void.-Item, the officers of the prince shall no longer acknowledge any obedience to the magistrates in respect to their official capacities.-Item, they shall no longer, in their writings or proclamations, sign themselves lords of Ghent, but give them such title as the magistrates of other towns use.-Item, they

shall not in future take any cognizance of the crimes of foreign merchants,—but they shall be decided on by the judges of the places wherein such merchants shall reside.

Item, they shall deliver up all their banners to their lord, for him to do with them as he may please,—and they shall not hereafter make any others in their stead.-Item, white hoods shall no more be worn, and whoever wears them shall be punished according to the will of their lord.-Item, they shall have no cognizance of any law-causes that may arise in the country of Waes, or in the respective towns of Biervlict*, Dendermonde, Oudenarde, Courtray or Alost,—but these shall be tried in those places where they have had their origin. Item, they shall be bounden to keep all the articles of a former treaty concluded by them in the presence of the bishop of Tournay, and others of the great council of the duke. All these articles, having been declared in the presence of the duke, his son, and great numbers of the nobility, were sworn to, and promised to be observed by the magistrates and commonalty of Ghent, and some notaries called in to witness the act. The deputation then returned to Ghent with the treaty, which, when read to the public, was so joyfully accepted that it astonished every one: they lighted bonfires in all the streets, and gave permission for such of the duke's men as pleased to enter the town, and entertained those who accepted of it most handsomely.

CHAPTER LX.-THE MANNER IN WHICH THE GHENT MEN HUMBLE THEMSELVES TO THEIR LORD, THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY.

On the last day of July, the noble duke of Burgundy departed from Gaveren, with his whole army, in handsome array, as if marching to battle, and thus advanced until within a league of Ghent. He then drew up his archers in ranks, as two wings, with bended bows, and they extended full half a league: the men-at-arms were on the rear of the archers, in close order, so that it was a handsome sight to view. In the centre was the duke, mounted on the same horse he had rode on the day of battle, which was apparent from the many wounds plaistered over, that he had received in the meadow, when he himself, his son, and other knights, attacked the body of Ghent men.

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.

• Biervlict-a town on the west side of the Scheldt, 20 miles from Ghent.

CHAPTER LXI.-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.

CHAPTER LXII.-KING CHARLES OF FRANCE CONQUERS BORDEAUX AND THE BORDELOIS A SECOND TIME.

DURING the time of the war in Flanders, the king of France was with a large army in the Bordelois, which the English had lately reconquered. The commander of the English was a most valiant knight and long renowned in arms, called sir John Talbot, earl of Shrewsbury, who had made war on France upwards of twenty-four years. He had been the king's prisoner when he regained Rouen; and out of his generosity, and respect for such valour, the king had remitted his ransom. The king also made him very rich presents in gold, silver, and horses, when he learnt that Talbot intended visiting Rome in the jubilee year, namely, 1450.

Nevertheless, on his return from Rome to England, he again engaged in war, and found means to recover from the king of France, the city of Bordeaux, which had shown him such honour, and the country round. It was indeed commonly reported at the time, that the inhabitants of the Bordelois most willingly surrendered to the English from their disgust at king Charles, who, since his conquest, had imposed upon them heavier taxes, and that his officers had treated them with more harshness than they had been accustomed to when under the government of the English.

CHAPTER LXIII. POPE NICHOLAS NOTIFIES TO THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY A CRUSADE AGAINST THE TURKS. THE DUKE VOWS TO UNDERTAKE AN EXPEDITION TO TURKEY, ON CERTAIN CONDITIONS.

On the eve of Martinmas-day in this year, a knight sent by pope Nicholas arrived at Lille, with letters addressed to the duke, containing intelligence that the Grand Turk, with a numerous army of Saracens, had invaded Christendom; that he had already conquered the noble city of Constantinople, and almost all Greece; that he had captured the emperor of Greece, had caused him to be inhumanly beheaded, had violated the empress, and had dragged through the streets of Constantinople the precious body of our Lord, had burnt the magnificent church of St. Sophia, and murdered men, women, and children of the Christians without number, and was daily adding to his conquests in Christendom. For these causes the holy father required of the duke, whom he knew to be a pious and catholic prince, as well as the most puissant in Christendom, that he would make dispositions to afford succour to his