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

| for ever.n
BE Silent, rebel !" cried Van GisteI /" wha,
have such as you to do with freedom you
| were never made for it,"
"Our freedom" answered Deconinck, we
have bought and paid for with the sweat OF
our brows and the blood of our veins and
shall we, then, permit such as you to wrest it
from Us 7"
Van Gistel replied with scornful smile:
Idle words Master Dean your threats are
mere smoke. We have now the French forces
at our disposal, and shall soon show you that
we can clip the wings of the many headed
monster. The insolence of the commons has
long passed all bounds, and they must now be
ruled by other laws Our plans, be assured,
are SO we'll laid, that Bruges shall humbly bow
the neck; and as for yourself, you shall not
behold to-morrow's dawn"
| "Tyrant" cried the Dean shame of Elan
ders! Are not the graves of your fathers dug
! in her soil Do not their sacred ashes rest
! within the earth that you, unnatural that you
are, would basely sell for the gold of the for
eiguerf Posterity shall judge you for your
| cowardice; and your own children, when they
chronicle the deeds of these days, shall curse
I and renounce youw
at is time to make end of these foolish
and insolent declarations" exclaimed Van
Gistel. " Hero, sergeants, to the dungeon with
him until the gallows is preparedW
Upon this Deconinck was led away, down
several flights of stairs, into an underground
vault He was heavily ironed a chain round
his waist made him fast to the wall, while by
another his right hand was linked to his left
foot. An allowance of bread and water was
set before BIN, the massive door was closed
and locked, and the captive was left alone in
his solitary dungeon. He now saw clearly
from the words of Van Gistel how seriously
the freedom of his native town VI as threatened
In his absence. the Lilyards might overpower
the citizens with the aid of the foreign merce-
naries, and annihilate the labors of his
whole life. This was frightful thought for
him. Ever and anon as he moved under his
chains, and their clanking struck his ear, he
seemed to see his brethren lying thus bound
before him, with shame and slavery for their
portion; and tear of regret would trickle
down his cheeks.
The Lilyards, in truth, had long been busy
with plot of surprise and treachery. Hith-
erto they had never been able to lay any firm
foundation for their ascendency in Bruges.
The people were all armed, and could not be
coerced. No sooner was any recourse to vio-
lence attempted, than the terrible 'good-days'
appeared, and all their endeavors were in vain:
the guilds were too strong for them. At length,
in order to remove, once for all, this hindrance
ost of their way, they had concerted a plan
with De Chatillop, now governor-general of
Flanders, for surprising and disarmng the cit
liens on the morrow of this very day. An
early hour of the morning had been fixed upon
for the execution of their design, when De
Chatillon was to be ready to support them with
five hundred French men -at-arms !; but however
well their secret might be kept from ordinary
observers, they greatly feared the activity and
penetration of Deconinck, who, moreover, was
evidently possessed of secret sources of inform
alton which they had in vain endeavored to
trace out The Dean of the Clothworkers was
craftier than them all, as they we'll knew
they had therefore seized the first opportunity
of arresting him, in order to deprive the popu.
lar party of their ablest leader, and SO fatally
to weaken their ranks Brakels' denuuciation
and the intended resistance of the Clothwori-
ers, had merely served them as a pretext.
Having thus begun, by the commital of De-
coninck, the execution of their base plans for
betraying their native city to the stranger,
they were about to break up the assembly.
when suddenly tumuit was heard without,
the door was burst open, and man forced his
way through the doorkeepers, who, striding
proudly up to the assembled magistrates, cried
in loud voice:
The Trades of Bruges call upon you to say
whether you will release Deconinck, the Dean
of the Clothworkers,-yes OF NOT 1 advise YOU
not to be long in making up your mind"
You have no concern, Master BreydeI, in |
this chamber" answered Van Gistel and
command you to quit it forthwith"
Il ask you once more" repeated Jan Breydel,
" will you set at large the Dean of the Cloth
workers, or will you mott"
Van Gistel, after whispering to one of the
cried in a loud voice.
" We reply to tho threats of a rebellious sub |
ject with the punishment he deserves. Ser
geants, seize hiru !"
Ha! ha! Seize him !" repeated Breydel |
with q laugh who will aaiza ma 7 .bou,xl