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The count of Flanders was delighted by the death of Jan Yoens, as were Gilbert Mayhuus and his brothers, and the deans of the minor trades of Ghent, and all of those of the count's party. And so the count of Flanders reinforced his towns and castles to make them stronger than they had been before; to Ypres he sent a great many knights and squires from the castlery of Lille and Douai, declaring that he would soon have his revenge on the Ghenters. Immediately after the death of Jan Yoens, the Ghenters realised that they could not be long without a captain. The deans of the minor trades and the cinquanteniers of the gates chose four who, according to their judgment, were the boldest, bravest and most enterprising of them all, namely, Jan Parneele, Jan Boele, Rasse van Herzeele and Pieter van den Bossche. All of the other people swore allegiance to these captains, without exception and on pain of death, and the captains swore to protect the honour and privileges of the town. These four captains roused the Ghenters to go to Ypres and the Franc of Bruges to gain their obedience or slay them all. Thus the captains and their men departed Ghent in fine array and there were a good twelve thousand of them in gleaming armour. They travelled until they reached Kortijk.
The citizens of Kortrijk allowed them into their town without constraint, for the town lies within the castlery of Ghent, and they remained there at their ease for two days and refreshed themselves. On the third day they left and set off towards Ypres, leading twelve hundred clean-armoured men, with the crossbowmen of Kortrijk among them, and took the road to Thourout.
When they had reached Thourout they came to a halt and the captains of Ghent took counsel and decided to send three or four thousand of their men forward with the captain of the White Hoods to treat with the people of Ypres, and the main battalion would cover their rear to back them up, if need arose. It was done as commanded and so they came to Ypres.
When the commons of Ypres and the men of the minor trades learned of the arrival of the Ghenters, they armed themselves and gathered in the market place; there were at least five thousand of them, and the wealthy and distinguished men of the town had no power there. The knights, who formed the garrison for the count in the town of Ypres, advanced in good order to the Thourout gate where the Ghenters had stopped before the barriers, requesting to be allowed to enter. These knights and their men were drawn up in front of the gate, presenting such a strong defence that the Ghenters could not have entered without an attack and grave losses. But the town's minor trades were keen for them to enter, whether the rest liked it or not. Most of them left the market place and came to the gate the knights were protecting and said,
"Open up, open up to our good friends and neighbours of Ghent. We want them to come into our town." pb 20 v