Who craves to see you instantly: another
Says the Lord Occo waits your leisure.

ARTEVELDE (after a pause).

Ha!

Lord Occo, saidst thou? tell me, what of him!

CAPTAIN.

He waits your leisure, sir.

ARTEVELDE.

And when comes that?

He shall not wait my leisure. And what more?

CAPTAIN.

Sir, Van den Bosch would see you.

ARTEVELDE.

It is well:

I will attend the Lord of Occo first,

And Van den Bosch shall find me at my house Some half hour hence. How look we, sir, abroad?

CAPTAIN.

The citizens are trooping to the Stadt-House. 'Tis said Sir Simon and Sir Guisebert pass From door to door incessantly.

ARTEVELDE.

To beg?

CAPTAIN.

To gain a strong attendance.

ARTEVELDE.

Wo the while!

A bear, a fiddle, and a pair of monkeys,

Had sped the service better.

CAPTAIN.

Both mean and notable, and rich and poor,

Have they solicited, assuring all

That when it shall be heard what terms of peace
Are offer'd, they will hug the messengers

That after painful travail for their love

Have brought them such good news.

ARTEVELDE.

I'll swear they will.

But what? Thou look'st not over cheerily ;

Think'st thou the knights have made some way then, ha?

CAPTAIN.

The deacons of eight crafts have sided with them,
And many of the aldermen.

ARTEVELDE.

Ay, truly?

CAPTAIN.

And all the men of lineage.

ARTEVELDE.

That's as thou hearest.

CAPTAIN.

The citizens pass'd by me in the street

By scores and hundreds, and of them I saw
The greater part, 'twas plain, would stand against us.

ARTEVELDE.

Build up, and then pull down, and then build up,—
And always in the ruins some are— -Well?

CAPTAIN.

And I'm afeard, though loth I am to think it,

Jacob Van Ryk; and if my eyes see true,

Master

AESWYN.

Van Muck.

OCCO.

Tush, tush, sir! tell not me.

Have I forgotten my old friend Van Muck,

Or any of my friends?-though time is short,
And we must scant our greetings. Worthy sirs,
We're in a perilous predicament,

And I should take no step without advice.
Rash were it, and a tempting Providence,
Should I proceed without consulting you.
We see, sirs, we must see-we can't but own,
That we have no choice left us but of peace
Or else destruction. It is come to that.
Then if we must be subject to the Earl,

I will confess I'm not so subtle-witted

To see much difference 'twixt this hour and that,
The going over to him now at once

With flesh upon our bones, or holding back

Till famine wastes it or steel hacks it off:

I see no difference.

VAN MUCK.

Truly, sir, nor I.

OCCO.

Aye, but there is a difference, my friends,
Which I forgot. For, hark you in your ear!
Those who go over but when all go over,
If they escape from pains and penalties,
Can scarcely claim much merit with the Earl;
But they who find a guidance for themselves,

SCENE IV.]

PHILIP VAN ARTEVELDE.

Who take a step or two before the herd,

Whilst the will's free, who lead and do not follow-
These men have claims; they have a right to say,
Reward us for our voluntary service;

Nor will they be unanswer'd, that I know:
'First serve the first,' is what they say at Bruges.

VAN RYK.

"Tis a good proverb, sir, for early men,

And we have ne'er been slack in things of credit;
But we have scruples here. We see it thus :
If we should but shout peace with half the town,
The Earl would scarce distinguish us from others;
If, on the other hand, we use our weapons
Against our friends, they'd call us renegades,
And blacken us for false and treacherous knaves.

OCCO.

Why look ye now; too surely, should ye shout,
And fail in action, 'twere no singular service;
There's no great guerdon were deserved by that;
The clerkships of the wards (which after peace
Must be new filled) would not be won by shouts :
But where's the treachery? My worthy friends,
Look at the matter simply as it is:
Here is a town beleaguer'd in such wise
That it must needs surrender upon terms:
Then come a knot of desperate-minded men,
Who, deeming the rendition gives them up
To punishment, make head against the rest :
These think no shame to say that all must die
To save their one-two-three-half-dozen heads
From certain hazards. Why, if fall they must

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