The Chronicles of Enguerrand de Monstrelet

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: a. D. 1437.] CHAP. III. THE TOWN OF BRUGES REBELS AGAINST ITS LORD AND HIS OFFICERS.?A GREAT CON- FLICT AND SLAUGHTER IS THE CONSE- QUENCE. At the beginning of this year, the populace of Bruges revolted against the officers of their lord the duke of Burgundy, and suddenly put to death Maurice de...
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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: a. D. 1437.] CHAP. III. THE TOWN OF BRUGES REBELS AGAINST ITS LORD AND HIS OFFICERS.?A GREAT CON- FLICT AND SLAUGHTER IS THE CONSE- QUENCE. At the beginning of this year, the populace of Bruges revolted against the officers of their lord the duke of Burgundy, and suddenly put to death Maurice de Versenaire, and his brother, James de Versenaire, sheriffs and magistrates of the town, because they had gone to wait on the duke at Arras. They were sought for in the houses in which they had hidden themselves, on hearing that the mob intended to murder them; and this event greatly alarmed the principal inhabitants. The duke of Burgundy was much vexed on hearing what had passed at Bruges, and held many councils to consider how he could most effectually punish this outrage against his authority. He was advised to send ecretly some trusty persons to Bruges, to learn from those supposed to be attached to his party how he could punish the offenders. Those of the highest rank wrote letters, in consequence to the duke, to excuse themselves from having been any way concerned in the late business, and to offer their services to assist him in punishing those who had done these murders. The duke now made known his intention of going to Holland on his private affairs, and that he would pass through Bruges in his way, when he should see how he could best accomplish his object. He therefore assembled a large body of men at arms, with their captains, from Picardy, to the amount of fourteen hundred combatants, and, attended by many noble lords, departed from Lille, and lay at the town of Rousselaire. On the morrow, he sent his harbingers to Bruges to prepare his lodgings, escorted, as usual, by a detachment from the above-mentioned men at arms. They entered the town, and took up their qu...