As a result the
Brugeois sent a message to the
count, who was at
Lille, begging him for the love of God to come to them, for they acknowledged him as their lord and he was the protector of the lowly. The
count of Flanders received this news cheerfully and departed
Lille with
Sir Guillaume de Namur and a large number of knights and squires of
Flanders in his company. He reached
Bruges where he was welcomed with great rejoicing in light of the positive council he had at that time. On the arrival of the
count, all of the leaders with Ghentish sympathies, and even those under the slightest suspicion of such, were taken to
Bruges, and over five hundred were put in prison in the Pierre and beheaded one by one. When those of the
Franc heard that the
count of Flanders was residing peaceably in
Bruges they were fearful and immediately threw themselves on the mercy of the
count, who accepted them, taking great pleasure in their submission, for his strength was growing by the day and the people of the
Franc have always been more inclined towards the
count than the rest of
Flanders. When the
count realised that he had the upper hand of the
Brugeois and the people of the
Franc, and that he had at his command knights and squires of the country of
Hainault and
Artois, he thought to himself that little by little he would reconquer his land and punish the rebels. First of all he determined and declared that he wished to pay a visit to the people of
Ypres. He harboured a deep loathing for them since they had opened their gates so readily to the
Ghenters, and said that those who had made such a treaty to admit his enemies and kill his knights would pay dearly for it if he could gain the advantage over them.
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