The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-10-11

several of them right and left ms he passed
In the doorway he turned roundsupon the Lii
yards, and again exclaimed:
You shall pay for it, insolent scoundrels
What bind q butcher of Bruges! Woe to you
accursed tyrants! Hear me! the drum of the
Butchers Guild shall beat your death march p
More he would have said; but being nc
longer able to hold his ground against the
multitude that was pressing upon him, he de-
scended the stairs, uttering threats of ven
geance as he went.
An indistinct sound, like the roar of distant
thunder, now fell upon the car from the other
side of the city. The Lilyards turned pale,
and trembled at the coming storm neverthe.
less, being determined not to release their
prisoner. they strengthened the guard about
the building, SO as to secure it against assault,
and retired to their homes, protected by an
armed escort.
An hour afterwards the whole city was in
instruction; the tocsin sounded, and the
drums of all the guilds beat to arms. The
distant groau of the coming storm had given
place to the formidable howl of a present TOM
pest. Window shutters were closed; doors
were fastened, and only opened again for the
grown mon of the family to pass out in arms
The dogs barked fiereely, as though they had
understood what was going on, and joined their
hoarse veices to the angry shouts Of their mas
tiers Here the people were grouped in Masses;
there they ran hither and thither with hasty
steps; some armed with maces or clubs, others
with "good-days" or halberds. Among the
streaming multitude the butchers were easily
to be recognised by their flashing pole-axes;
The smiths. too, with their heavy sledge-ham-
mers on their shoulders, were conspicuous
among the rest at the place of meeting, which
was near to the Clothworkers' hall, and where
already formidable body of the guilds stood
drawn up in array. The multitude kept con.
stantiy increasing, as each newcomer ranged
himself under his proper standard.
At last, the assembly being now sufficiently
numerous, Jan Breydel mounted the top of q
wagon, which by chance was standing in the
street, and fourishing his heavy pole-axe
about his head, in a stentorian voice thus ad-
dressed the tbrong:
Men of Bruges! the day has arrived when
you must strike for life and liberty! Now we
must sho the traitors what we really are, and
whether there is a pound of slaves flesh to be
found among US, whatever they may think
They have Master Deconinck in their dungeons:
let us release him, if it cost US our blood This
is work for all the guilds, aud right good
treat for the batchers. Now, comrades, M
with Y our sleevesw
And while his fellows were obeying the word
of command, he himself stripped his sinewy
arms to the shoulders, and sprang from the
wagon, crying:
" Forward! Deconiuck for ever!"
"Deconinck for ever" was the universal
cry. Forward! Forwardw
And, like the surging waves of stormy
ocean, the angry multitude rolled onward to-
wards the Princes Court. The streets resound-
I'D with the cry of :" Death to the tyrants r'
while the terrible clash of arms might be
heard, mingled with the baying of the dogs,
the heavy toll of the bells, and the roll of the
drums the citizens seemed possessed one and
all with sudden fury.
At the first approach of their frantic assail-
ants the guards of the Princes Court fled in
every direction, and left the building wholly
1ndefended. But buried as their flight was.
t was not rapid enough to save them all in
IN instant more than ten corpses lay on the
ground in front of the palace.
Impatient of each moments delay, and
'urious as an enraged lion, Bredel mounted the
tairs by three steps at time, aud meeting a
french servant in one of the passages, hurled
linn headlong among the people below, where
The unhappy victim was received on the points
IF the "good days." and instantly despatched
With clubs and maces. Soon the whole build
pg was filled with people. Breydel had
brought with him several of the smiths, and |
'he doors of the dungeons were speedily broken
open; but, to the dismay of the liberators, all |
we're empty; Deconinek was no where to be
onnd. Then they swore in their fury fearfully |
o avenge his death.
Ito be continued)