t, on the
17th, at Nimes; and thus ended this friendly meeting, which left, if not
the principal actors, at any rate the people all around, brimful of
satisfaction, and feeling sure that the truce concluded in the previous
month would really at last be peace. The people are easily deceived; and
whenever they are pleased with appearances they readily take them for
realities.

An unexpected event occurred to give this friendly meeting at
Aigues-Mortes a value which otherwise it would probably never have
attained. A year afterwards, in August, 1539, a violent insurrection
burst out at Ghent. The fair deputy of the Low Countries had obtained
from the estates of Flanders a gratuitous grant of twelve hundred
thousand florins for the assistance of her brother the emperor, whom his
unfortunate expedition in Provence had reduced to great straits for want
of money; and the city of Ghent had been taxed, for its share, to the
extent of four hundred thousand florins. The Ghentese pleaded their
privilege of not being liable to be taxed without their own consent. To
their plea Charles V. responded by citing the vote of the estates of
Flanders and giving orders to have it obeyed. The Ghentese drove out the
officers of the emperor, entered upon open rebellion, incited the other
cities of Flanders, Ypres and Bruges amongst the rest, to join them, and,
taking even more decisive action, sent a deputation to Francis I., as
their own lord's suzerain, demanding his support, and offering to make
him master of the Low Countries if he would be pleased to give them
effectual assistance. The temptation was great; but whether it were from
prudence or from feudal loyalty, or in consequence of the meeting at
Aigues-Mortes, and of the prospects set before him by Charles of an
arrangement touching Milaness, Francis rejected the offer of the
Ghentese, and informed Charles V. of it. The emperor determined
resolutely upon the course of going in person and putting down the
Ghentese; but how to get to Ghent? The sea was not safe; the rebels had
made themselves masters of all the ports on their coasts; the passage by
way of Germany was very slow work, and might be difficult by reason of
ill-will on the part of the Protestant states which would have to be
traversed. France was the only direct and quick route. Charles V. sent
to ask Francis I. for a passage, whilst thanking him for the loyalty
with which he had rejected the offers of the Ghentese,