and having collected themselves there, a hard battle ensued, and great slaughter was made of them. John de Launoy, like one distracted, rushed into the church, and posted himself, and as many men as he could, in the large tower of the steeple. Rasse de Harzelle remained behind, and, with his men, performed many valorous deeds at the door of the church; but at last he was overpowered, and pierced with a spear, which instantly killed him.

"When the Earl of Flanders arrived at the square before the church, and saw that the Ghent men had retreated into it, he ordered it to be set on fire; his order was obeyed, and a fire was kindled with great quantities of straw and fagots, which they placed all round the church. The flames soon ascended to the roof, when the Ghent men perished miserably; for they were sure of being burned if they staid in the church, and if they sallied out they were slain and cast back into the fire. John de Launoy, who was in the steeple, perceiving himself

at the point of death, and that he must soon be burned, for the steeple was beginning to take fire, cried out to those below, 'Ransom! Ransom!' and offered his coat, which was very valuable, for the whole was lined with florins, which he had sewed into it for safety; but they laughed and mocked him, saying, 'John, come and speak to us through these windows, and we will receive you. Take a good leap, John, such as you have forced our friends to take this year;—you had better take the leap.' John de Launoy finding his situation desperate, and the fire so fast approaching that he must be burned, grew furious, and preferred being slain to being burned. Both happened to him; for he leaped out of the windows in the midst. of his enemies, who received him on their spears, and after hacking him to pieces, flung him into the flames. Such was the shocking end of John de Launoy.

"Now I have talked long enough for one evening; but to-morrow, with mamma's permission, I will tell you of the fortunes of Philip Van Artavelde."

THIRD EVENING.

PHILIP VAN ARTAVELDE.

Philip Van Artavelde made Governor of Ghent-Second Siege of Ghent-Propositions for a Peace-Philip Van Artavelde and Peter du Bois Assassinate the Deputies who bring the Earl's Answer-Great Distress in Ghent-Conferences in Tournay-The Ghent Men march against Bruges--Wat Tyler--The Jacquerie.

THE next evening the little party again assembled, when uncle Rupert, being settled in his arm chair, thus continued :

"Peter du Bois had come in sight of Harzelle's and Launoy's men, and had the mortification of beholding their defeat without the possibility of helping them; for a large tract of marshy land, which he could not cross, lay between them. He was, therefore, obliged to return very disconsolately to Ghent.

"And now Peter du Bois began to feel very uneasy when he thought of his own situation. He was the last of the four cap

tains chosen as the leaders of the Ghent men, and he felt himself far better fitted for leading an army than for governing a city. The richer citizens were becoming heartily tired of the war, for it cruelly oppressed them. The white-hoods had become masters of the town, and although in the beginning many of them were but poor men, scarcely worth a groat, they had now plenty of gold and silver; for when they were in want, they complained to their leaders, who would send word to some of the rich citizens that they wished to speak to them. These dared not refuse the summons; and on their arrival they were told that the good town of Ghent was in want of money to pay their soldiers, who were aiding to guard and preserve their rights and franchises. They raised instantly among themselves the sum demanded; for had for had they refused, they would have been put to death on pretence of being traitors to the good town of Ghent, and indifferent to its honour and profit.

"Their late ill success, and the loss of so many of their captains and soldiers, had quite dispirited the more sober part of the citizens, and they began to talk of begging a peace from the earl, saying that it was better that a few should suffer than a whole city.

"Peter du Bois, who knew that if they submitted to the earl he should certainly lose his life, began to consider what means he should take to prevent the citizens from making peace. He clearly saw that there was the greatest need of appointing an able leader, who would be willingly obeyed; and he felt that he himself possessed neither talents nor influence with the people sufficient to enable him to fill such a station. He had heard John Lyon and the old people of Ghent say, that the whole country was never so well governed, feared, loved, and honoured, as during the time of Jacob Van Artavelde's rule; and the people often said, that if Jacob were alive affairs would not be in such