rtevelde had calculated upon his eloquence and influence
carrying them away, but his power had diminished, and many of his
hearers had already been gained to the cause of France. The burgher
councils had for a long time had absolute power in their own towns, and
the prospect of a powerful prince at their head foredoomed a curtailment
of those powers. When Artevelde ceased, therefore, instead of the
enthusiastic shouts with which he hoped his oration would be greeted,
a confused murmur arose. At last several got up and said that, greatly
attached as they were to the king, much as they admired the noble young
prince proposed for their acceptance, they felt themselves unable to
give an answer upon an affair of such moment without consulting their
fellow countrymen and learning their opinions. They therefore promised
that they would return on a certain day and give a decided answer.

The Flemish burghers then took their leave. Van Artevelde, after a
consultation with the king, started at once to use his influence among
the various towns.

After leaving the king he bade adieu to the Prince of Wales. "Would you
like," the young prince said, "that one of my esquires should ride with
you? His presence might show the people how entirely I am with you; and
should you have tidings to send me he could ride hither with them. I
have one with me who is prudent and wise, and who possesses all the
confidence of that wise and valiant knight, Sir Walter de Manny."

"I will gladly take him, your royal highness," Van Artevelde said, "and
hope to despatch him to you very shortly with the news that the great
towns of Flanders all gladly receive you as their lord."

In a few minutes Walter had mounted his horse, accompanied by Ralph,
and, joining Van Artevelde, rode to Bruges. Here and at Ypres Van
Artevelde's efforts were crowned with success. His eloquence carried
away the people with him, and both these cities agreed to accept the
Prince of Wales as their lord; but the hardest task yet remained. Ghent
was the largest and most powerful of the Flemish towns, and here his
enemies were in the ascendant. Gerard Denis and the weavers had been
stirring up the people against him. All kinds of accusations had been
spread, and he was accused of robbing and selling his country. The news
of the hostile feeling of the population reached Van Artevelde, and
he despatched Walter with the request to the king for a force of five
hundred English soldiers a