"Does your general grant to our spokesman his safe conduct to come and to return?"
"He gives full and free safe conduct, upon his faith and honor, according to the custom of war," was the reply.
Upon this assurance the portcullis was raised, the drawbridge lowered, and two of the citizens issued from the gate. One of them was Deconinck; the other the herald of the Guilds. On reaching the French lines, they were immediately introduced into the tent of De Chatillon, when the Dean of the Clothworkers advanced toward the general, and with a firm countenance thus addressed him:
"Messire de Chatillon, the citizens of Bruges give you to know, by me their delegate and spokesman, that, in order to avoid useless bloodshed, they have resolved to surrender to you the city. Nevertheless, since it is a noble and honorable feeling that leads them to proffer their submission, they can make it only on the following conditions: first, that the costs of his majesty's late entry be not levied by a new impost upon the commons; secondly, that the present magistrates be displaced from their offices; and, lastly, that no one be prosecuted or disturbed on account of any part he may have taken in these present troubles, by what name soever the same may be called. Be pleased to inform me whether you assent to these terms."
"What!" exclaimed the governor, his countenance overcast with displeasure; "what manner of talk is this? How dare you speak to me of conditions, when I have only to bring up my engines to your walls and batter them down, without hindrance or delay?"
"That is very possible," replied Deconinck firmly; "but I tell you, nevertheless—and do you give heed to my words—that our city ditch shall be filled with the dead bodies of your people, before a single Frenchman shall plant his foot upon our walls. We, too, are not unprovided with implements of war; and they that have read our chronicles have not now to learn that the men of Bruges know how to die for their country."
"Yes, yes, I know well that stiff-necked obstinacy which is the characteristic of all your race; but what care I for that? The courage of my men knows no obstacles; your city must surrender at discretion."
To say the truth, the sight of that warlike multitude in armed array upon the walls had filled De Chatillon with serious apprehensions as to the issue of the coming fight. Knowing as he did the indomitable spirit of the men of Bruges, and the probability of a desperate resistance, prudence strongly dictated to him the desirableness of gaining possession of the city, if possible, without a struggle. He was not a little rejoiced, therefore, when the arrival of Deconinck gave him hopes of the peaceful accomplishment of his wishes. On the other hand, the conditions proposed were by no means to his taste. He might, to be sure, at once accept them under a mental reservation, and afterward invent some pretext for evading them; but he had a supreme mistrust of the Dean of the Clothworkers, Deconinck, and greatly doubted whether he could safely rely upon what he had said. He resolved, therefore, to put his words to the test, and see whether it really was true, as he asserted, that the men of Bruges were determined to resist to the death rather than surrender at discretion; accordingly, in a loud voice he gave the signal for advancing the engines to the assault.
But Deconinck, like a skilful player, had closely watched the countenance of his adversary. It had not escaped his penetration that the resolute air of the French general was merely assumed, and that in reality he would gladly avoid the necessity of putting his threats into execution. Once convinced of this, he adhered firmly to the conditions he had proposed; while he regarded with apparent indifference the hostile preparations which were being made around him.
The cool self-possession of the Fleming was too much for De Chatillon. He was now convinced that the men of Bruges stood in no fear of him, and that they would defend their city to the very last extremity. Unwilling, therefore, to stake all upon this isolated point of the game, he at last condescended to enter into a negotiation; and, after some discussion, it was finally agreed that the magistrates should remain in office, while the other two points were conceded to the Flemings. The governor, on his part, expressly stipulated for the right of occupying the city with his troops, in whatever numbers he might think fit.
And now, the terms of capitulation having been regularly engrossed, and the instrument mutually executed with all formality, the envoys returned to the town. The conditions agreed upon were made known to the citizens by proclamations from street to street, and half an hour afterward the French force made their triumphant entry with banners and trumpets; while the Guildsmen, with their hearts full at once of sorrow and of wrath, departed each to his home, and the magistrates and Lilyards issued forth from the castle. A few hours more, and to a superficial observer peace reigned through the whole city.
CHAPTER II
Bruges being now entirely at the mercy of the French party, De Chatillon began to think seriously of executing the several commissions with which he had been charged; and the first that occurred to him was the securing, according to the queen's desire, of the person of the young Matilda de Bethune. It might seem, indeed, as though nothing need stand in the way of his immediately carrying out this design, seeing that the city was occupied by his troops in overpowering force; nevertheless, a motive of policy restrained him for a time. He was anxious, in the first
