alamis had beaten the armies of Darius and
Xerxes that he had heard of the victory of the Flemish burghers and
workmen attacked in 1302, at Courtrai, by the splendid army of Philip the
Handsome. James Van Artevelde, on returning to his country, had been
busy with his manufactures, his fields, the education of his children,
and Flemish affairs up to the day when, at his invitation, the burghers
of Ghent thronged to the meeting on the 28th of December, 1337, in the
grounds of the monastery of Biloke. There he delivered an eloquent
speech, pointing out, unhesitatingly but temperately, the policy which he
considered good for the country. "Forget not," he said, "the might and
the glory of Flanders. Who, pray, shall forbid that we defend our
interests by using our rights? Can the King of France prevent us from
treating with the King of England? And may we not be certain that if we
were to treat with the King of England, the King of France would not be
the less urgent in seeking our alliance? Besides, have we not with us
all the communes of Brabant, of Hainault, of Holland, and of Zealand?"
The audience cheered these words; the commune of Ghent forthwith
assembled, and on the 3d of January, 1337 [according to the old style,
which made the year begin at the 25th of March], re-established the
offices of captains of parishes according to olden usage, when the city
was exposed to any pressing danger. It was carried that one of these
captains should have the chief government of the city; and James Van
Artevelde was at once invested with it. From that moment the conduct of
Van Artevelde was ruled by one predominant idea: to secure free and fair
commercial intercourse for Flanders with England, whilst observing a
general neutrality in the war between the Kings of England and France,
and to combine so far all the communes of Flanders in one and the same
policy. And he succeeded in this twofold purpose. "On the 29th of
April, 1338, the representatives of all the communes of Flanders (the
city of Bruges numbering amongst them a hundred and eight deputies)
repaired to the castle of Male, a residence of Count Louis, and then
James Van Artevelde set before the count what had been resolved upon
amongst them. The count submitted, and swore that he would thenceforth
maintain the liberties of Flanders in the state in which they had existed
since the treaty of Athies. In the month of May following a deputation,
consisting of James Va