The three knights who had been sent by the earl to reconnoitre found them in this situation. They approached the entrances of these ribaudeaus; but the Ghent men never moved, and rather seemed rejoiced to see them. They returned to Bruges, where they found the earl in his palace, surrounded by many knights, waiting for them, to hear what intelligence they had brought back. They pushed through the crowd, and came near the earl, when they spoke aloud, for the earl wished all present to hear, and said they had advanced so close to the Ghent army, that they might have shot at them if they had so chosen, but they left them in peace; and that they had seen their banners, and the army enclosed within their ribaudeaus. “And what are their numbers, think ye?” said the earl. They answered, that, as near as they could guess, they might be from five to six thousand. “Well,” said the earl, “now let every one instantly get ready; for I will give them battle, and this day shall not pass without a combat.” At these words the trumpet sounded in Bruges, when every one armed himself, and made for the market-place. As they came, they drew up under their proper banners, as they had usually done, in bands and constable-wicks. Many barons, knights, and men at arms drew up before the palace of the earl. When all was ready, and the earl armed, he came to the market-place, and was much pleased to see such numbers in battle-array. They then marched off (for none dared disobey his commands), and in order of battle made for the plain. The men at arms afterwards issued forth from Bruges. It was a handsome sight, for there were upward of forty thousand armed heads; and thus horse and foot advanced in proper order, near to the place where the Ghent men were, and then halted. It was late in the afternoon when the earl and his army arrived, and the sun going down. One of the knights said to the earl, “My lord, you now see your enemies: they are but a handful of men in comparison with your army, and as they cannot escape, do not engage them this day, but wait for to-morrow, when you will have the day before you: you will, besides, have more light to see what you are about; and they will be weaker, for they have not any thing to eat.” The earl approved much this advice, and would willingly have followed it; but the men of Bruges, impatient to begin the fight, would not wait, saying they would soon defeat them and return back to their town. Notwithstanding the orders of the men at arms (for the earl had not less than eight hundred lances, knights, and squires), the Bruges men began to shoot and to fire cannons.