port tôt twelve of the principal inhabitants to wdit on his tfiajefty and fay their cafe before hint; « . The monks camef to Cburtrày and fpoke with the king ahd his council, and the earl of Flan-ders, who fcftetted thé bufinefs as much as he could. The king granted the paffport for the twelve citizens to come and return, and faid he would willingly hear them. On the return of the monks to Bruges, twelve deputies fet out, under the paffport they had brought, and came to the king at Courtray, where they found him accompanied by his un-cleSi They cat themfelves on their knees* and entreated him to accept them for his fubjpete ; that they were his men, and the town was at his mercy; but begged him, for the love of God, to have pity on them, and not fufler the town to be deftroyed or pillaged; for, if it were, too many perfons would be ruined. • With re-gard to having oppofed their lord* they had been forced to it by Philip von Artaveld and the Ghent men ; for they had always loyally acquit* ted themfelves to the earl. . The king heard this fpeech through the inter* pretation of the earl of Flanders* who was prefent, and who on his knees entreated for them. • It was explained to the citizens of Bruges, that it would be neceflhry to fatisfy the Breton* and men at 'arms who were eftCasniped between Tourout and Bruges,* and that there was no other means of doing fo but with-money, Upon this, negotiations we*e entered'upon * • as