uke risked his own person in advance of his
company in the very worst of the slaughter, which lasted from the
said place up to Ghent, a distance of about two leagues. The slain
number three or four thousand, more or less, and those drowned in
the river of Quaux about two hundred.... This Tuesday, the date of
writing, the army departs from their quarters to advance on Ghent
to demand the conditions lately offered them, and the bearer of
this letter will tell you what is the result. M. the duke and
his army marched up to Ghent and I have seen the bearing of the
citizens. They are very bitter and despondent. M. the marshall has
been parleying. I hear that matters have been settled. I hear that
the Ghenters' loss is thirteen to fourteen thousand men. I
cannot write more for I have no time owing to the haste of the
messenger."

This was written July 23d. There is another despatch of July 31st,
giving the last news, which was "very joyous." The public apology had
just been enacted--

"and afterwards, in token of being conquered and as a confession
that my said seigneur was victorious, those of Ghent have
delivered up all their banners to the number of eighty. And on
this day my said lord has created seven or eight knights and
heralds in honour of his triumph, which is inestimable."[20]

The duke's victory was certainly "inestimable" in its value to him,
yet, in spite of the rigour enforced on this defeated people, they
were not as crushed as they might have been had they submitted in
1445. Philip was clever enough to be more lenient than appeared at
first. Ancient privileges were confirmed in a special compact, and the
duke swore to maintain all former concessions in their entirety except
in the points above specified. Liberty of person was guaranteed, and
it was expressly stipulated that if the bailiff refused to sustain the
sheriffs in their exercise of justice, or tried to arrogate to himself
more than his due authority, he should forfeit his office. Lastly, and
more important than all, the duke made no attempt to revive the demand
for the _gabelle_--salt was left free and untaxed. As a matter of
fact, too, the duke was not exigeant in the fulfilment of every item
of the treaty and, two years later, he increased certain privileges.
He had cut the lion's claws but he had no desire to pit his strength
again with Flemish communes. He had taught the aud