side with such a gentleman as our seigneur, and
to proffer words inimical to his authority--words the poorest noble in
the world would hardly have endured! And yet it was necessary for this
noble prince to endure and to tolerate it for the moment, and needful
that he should let pass as a pleasantry what was enough to kill him
with grief."

Groothuse's answer to the man was mild. Evidently he did not think it
was a safe moment to exasperate the mob: "'My friend, there was no
necessity of your intruding up here, a place reserved for the prince
and his nobles. From below, you could have been heard and Monseigneur
could have answered you as well there as here. He requires no advocate
to make him content his people. You are a strange master. Get down. Go
down below and keep to your mates. Monseigneur will do right by every
one.'

"Off went the rascal and I do not know what became of him. The duke
and his nobles were simply struck dumb by the scamp's outrage and his
impudent daring."

The sober report[7] is less detailed and elaborate, but the thread is
the same. Monseigneur, having returned to his hotel, sent Monseigneur
de la Groothuse, Jean Petitpas, and Richard Utenhove back to the
market to invite the people to put their grievances in writing. A
draft was made and carried to the duke. After he had examined it and
discussed it with his council, he sent Monseigneur de la Groothuse
back to the market-place to tell the people that he wanted to sleep
on the proposition and would give his answer at an early hour on the
morrow. All through the night the people remained in arms on the
market-place. At about eight o'clock on June 30th Groothuse returned,
thanked the people in the count's name for having kept such good
watch, and was answered by cries of "_A bas la cueillotte_."

Then he assured them that all was pardoned and that they should obtain
what they had asked in the draft. Only he requested them to appoint a
committee of six to present their demands to Monseigneur and then to
go home. This they did. St. Lievin was restored to the church and his
followers betook themselves to the gates specified in the treaty of
Gaveren. These they broke down, and also destroyed another house where
was a tax collector's office.

"The report of these events carried to Monseigneur did not have a good
effect upon his spirit. On the morrow Monseigneur quitted the city."
The members of the corporation with the two deans and the popular