For through the recognition of his good name and the affection borne for his
father he sat better with them than any other. For these reasons they entreated him affectionately to be willing to undertake the government of the town and the management of both internal and external affairs, and wholeheartedly they would swear their devotion and loyalty to him as their lord, and cause all people in the town to come under his authority, no matter how illustrious they might be.
Philip listened to their petitions, and then gave a very insightful reply, saying, "Sirs, you ask a great deal of me and perhaps you have not fully considered the matter in wishing me to govern the town of
Ghent. You claim that the affection your predecessors bore for my
father is what draws you to this, yet, when he had done his duty to the best of his ability, they murdered him. If I undertook the government as you suggest and were killed in the end, it would be a poor reward."
"
Philip," said
Pieter van den Bossche, who interjected here, and who was the most feared, "what is past cannot be undone. You will act on counsel and you will be so well advised at all times that one and all will be satisfied with you."
Philip replied, "I would never wish to do otherwise."
They elected him then and there and steered him to the market place where he was sworn in, and the mayors, échevins and all the deans of
Ghent swore an oath to him, and vice versa.
Thus
Philip van Artevelde became commander and overlord of
Ghent, and he was held in high esteem at the beginning for he spoke with kindness and understanding to every person who had any business with him, such that he was loved by all. He granted a portion of the revenues from the town of
Ghent, which are due to the
count of Flanders through his inheritance, to the
lord of Herzeele out of benevolence and to maintain the knight according to his rank, for he had lost everything he had in
Flanders outside the town of
Ghent. We shall leave the affairs and business of
Flanders for a short while and speak of those of
England and
Portugal.
SHF 2-209 syncYou have heard it related previously that, when
king Enrique of Castile departed this world and his eldest son
Juan was crowned king and his
wife queen, she who was the daughter of
king Pedro of Aragon, war broke out once again between
king Fernando of Portugal and the
king of Castile over various differences they had between them, and principally on account of two ladies, the daughters of
king Pedro,
Constanza and
Isabel, who were married in
England, the former to the
duke of Lancaster and the latter to the
earl of Cambridge. The
king of Portugal proclaimed that it had been wrong and unreasonable of him
23 to disinherit his two cousins of
Castile, and that it was inconceivable that two such noble and high-born ladies should be disinherited of their birthright, or that this matter could all too easily become old news and be forgotten, so that these ladies would never regain their rights.
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