While these things were going on, the men of Bruges, perceiving that a longer resistance to their lord would be the ruin of themselves and their town, sought every means of concluding a treaty with him. At length they succeeded, and submitted themselves to the duke and his council, on terms concluded at Arras the 4th day of March, in the presence of their lord and his council, and numbers of other people, the principal articles of which were as follows.

It was, in the first place, ordered, that when the duke of Burgundy should first visit Bruges, twenty of the chief burghers and magistracy should come out of the town one league to meet him, bare-headed, bare-legged, and bare-footed. On their approach to him, they were to fall on their knees and beg his pardon, and entreat that he would be pleased to enter their town.

Item, that the gate of the Bouverie[16] should be converted into a chapel, wherein the seven masses should be daily celebrated.

Item, that henceforward, whenever the said lord and his successors, earls and countesses of Flanders, should come to Bruges, the burghers should meet them without the gates with the keys of the town, in perpetual remembrance of their obedience.

Item, every year, on the day of their misconduct toward their prince, there shall be celebrated a solemn mass in the church of St Donast by the dean and sub-dean, attended by twenty-four of the principal burghers, each holding in his hand a burning wax taper of the weight of one pound, and of the value of four groats.

Item, all property of bastards shall no longer be free, but confiscated to the duke on their deaths.

Item, a handsome cross shall be erected to commemorate their rebellion.

Item, the burghers shall buy up and discharge all fee-farm rents from their said lord, due from the said demesnes.

Item, the burghers of Bruges shall have no further communication with those of Sluys; that is to say, those of Bruges, shall not make Sluys their principal quarters, nor join them in their disputes, nor in arms, nor have any connexions with Sluys but in respect to their commerce.

Item, in regard to the trades carried on at Sluys, which has been a matter of long quarrel between the towns of Ghent and Sluys, Bruges must no longer interfere.

Item the inhabitants of Bruges shall not be permitted to raise an army, on pain of forfeiting their lives and fortunes.

Item, whoever shall stop the workmen from continuing their trades, when a riot may happen, shall incur similar penalties as in the foregoing article.

Item, the persons of some of the burghers are to be reserved for the will of the duke of Burgundy, as well as those who may have become burghers during these dissentions.

Item, the town of Bruges shall pay to their said lord two hundred thousand golden riddes[17].

Item, the magistracy of Bruges, and others hereafter to be named, shall, within eight days, go out of the town to meet some deputies sent thither by the said duke of Burgundy, and shall receive them with due obedience.

Item, no foreigner shall be admitted henceforth a burgher of Bruges, unless he shall have remained therein the space of one hundred and twenty days.

Item, it was ordered, that the son of the lord de l'Isle-Adam should receive for the death of his father ten thousand crowns, with other honourable recompenses. In like manner shall the wife and children of the blacksmith, who had given the hammers to open the gate, receive a fine for his death, he having been put to death for so doing.

There were many other fines and reparations contained in this treaty, but, for the sake of brevity, I pass them over.

This treaty was read at the hÔtel of their prince at Arras, in the presence of the four-and-twenty deputies from Bruges, on their knees, who suffered much from the length of it, so that the duke, taking pity on them, caused them to be seated to be more at their ease. When all had been completed, the deputies returned to their town carrying a copy of the treaty, which they read to the inhabitants assembled; and, from their anxiety to have peace with their lord, the terms were agreeable to the greater part of them.

Some persons of low estate, who had ruled the town during these dissensions, were displeased and would willingly, by seditious speeches, and other means have made the commonalty rise against those of the upper ranks,—but their attempts were vain. They were afraid, should peace be effected, that they would be punished for their demerits, and their fears were realized; for, within a few days after, ten or twelve of the principal ringleaders of the rebellion were arrested and beheaded: several were banished, and some fled of their own accord.

These acts of justice were done on the arrival of the heir of Cleves, nephew to the duke of Burgundy, who had been sent thither by the duke, accompanied by some of his council, to receive the fines, and see that all the articles of the treaty at Arras were fulfilled. A little before this, the town of Bruges had sent back to the duke at Arras sixty-three of his men, who had been made prisoners when he was driven out of that town, each of them clothed in a green robe at the expense of the town of Bruges.