their people,'as fbon as it was known what they were doing, one might have excufed them ; bjUt ' they did no ftich thing : on the contrary, they winked at it, and fuffered them to proceed, until news was carried to the carl, who refided at Lille, how John Pruniaux had ftolen into Oudenarde, and was deftroying two of the gates and walls of it, as well as the towers* The earl was in great choler on hearing this ; indeed, he had good caufe for it ; and faid, c Ha, thefe accurfed people ! the devil poffefles them : I (hall never have peace fo long as thefe Ghent men have fuch power.* He then fent fome of his coun-cil to the magiftrates of Ghent, to remonftrate with them on the violent outage they had committed, and to declare they were people with whom no terms could be kept, fince the peace which the duke of Burgundy had with great difficulty pro-cured for them had been already broken and in-fringed. The mayor and jurats of the town of Ghent excufed themfelves by faying, f that they never thought of breaking the peace, nor had they any fuch wifh or inclination ; and that, if John Pru-niaux had of himfelf committed any outrage, the town would not avow it/ They excufed them-felves loyally and fully * but they added, c that the earl had permitted great exceffes to be committed againft them, by thofc of his houfehold, who had wounded and flain fome of their fellow-citizens ; and this was much felt by die whole town. What fay you, my lords, to this ?* M 2 The ' 163 .