winter was now coming on. The Duke of Burgundy, who had married the earl's daughter, interposed, and by his means a peace was concluded. The earl promised to forgive every thing, and to return in a friendly manner to Ghent, there to reside, and, let what would happen, never to remember the past; and the Ghent men and their allies, promised to acknowledge their lord with respect, and to attempt no more against him, and within a year to rebuild the earl's house which they had burned. It was also agreed that the walls of Oudenarde should be thrown down; but this was not just then insisted on by the Flemings. "The earl long delayed coming to Ghent, but at last, being much entreated by several of the chief men of the city, he left Bruges, where he had resided since the peace had been made, and visited the city. His coming was not very agreeable to the white-hoods and their leaders, but the better sort of citizens much desired his protection from these turbulent men. The day after his arrival the earl made a long speech to the people, in which he set forth all the evil they had done, but said he had forgiven every thing; but he desired, that now all strife was at an end, they would lay aside those white hoods, which were only productive of mischief, and would make some satisfaction for the death of his bailiff, Roger d'Autuerme. John Pruniaux and the other leaders of the white-hoods, had ordered all their men to appear on this occasion, and as soon as the earl began to speak of putting off the white hoods, there were marks of great dissatisfaction; and when the earl returned to his lodgings, none of them would salute him as he passed. He staid but a few days at Ghent, and then went to Lille in a very ill humour. "The relations of the murdered bailiff being unable to get any satisfaction from the men of Ghent, determined to revenge themselves, and having seized fifty boats on the river, laden with corn destined for Ghent, they put out the eyes of the mariners, and sent them in that shocking condition to Ghent. This action caused the war to be renewed more fiercely than ever. The men of Ghent destroyed the walls of Oudenarde, and John Pruniaux was taken and broken upon the wheel by the earl." "What do you mean by being broken upon the wheel, uncle ?" said Henry. "It was a dreadful punishment, long in use as a mode of executing great criminals. A large cart-wheel was raised on a strong post, and the sufferer was bound upon it, his legs and arms being stretched out along the spokes. Then the executioner standing over him with an iron bar, broke the bone of each limb, and sometimes broke each bone in two places. "When this was done the poor wretch was sometimes left to die a death of lingering agony, which lasted many hours; but usually his life was put an end to by a blow on the breast, which was called the coupde-grace, or blow of mercy." |