The duke of Burgundy was, at this time, at a large village called Hoiguemustre[140], in the country of Waes. The french ambassadors found him there on their return from Ghent, and told him all they had seen and heard in that town: on which the duke swore, that he would never make peace with them until they should submit unconditionally; and that if they would not do so by fair means, he would force them to it, or die in the attempt. Without longer delay, he departed for Axel, which he conquered, and the whole of the country of Waes,--and thence he approached Ghent, and fixed his quarters at a place called Longpont, not far from the town. When those in Ghent saw this, they sent to the French ambassadors to request them to obtain passports from the duke, for a deputation to wait on him, to propose articles for a peace. The good duke at the request of the ambassadors, and in compliment to the king of France, granted passports, but told the messengers from Ghent, that he would never conclude any treaty with them until they had submitted themselves and their town to his will. While this was passing, the duke's army made daily excursions to the gates of Ghent, burning and destroying houses, mills, and farms around, without mercy. In addition to these miseries, there raged in Ghent an epidemical disorder, which carried off such numbers that it was terrible to hear of it; insomuch, that those who remained, fearful of worse happening to them, sent to solicit the ambassadors to return to their town, which they did,--and, having assembled in the market-place, displayed the passports from their lord, and desired that all who wished for peace would stand apart, and the others on the contrary side. This was done, and the party for peace amounted to only seven thousand, while those on the opposite side were upwards of twelve thousand. The ambassadors, observing so great a difference, desired them to assemble again on the morrow, when they would endeavour to bring about an agreement between them; but on the morrow, only those who wished for peace appeared. They desired that the ambassadors would return to the duke, with a deputation from them, to endeavour to mediate a peace by any possible means. The ambassadors so far prevailed that the duke consented to a truce of six weeks, on condition that the men of Ghent would deliver to him good and sufficient hostages (if during this term peace could not be effected), to indemnify him for the loss he should incur by disbanding his army and the expense of raising another, and, for the due payment of the garrisons he should leave round Ghent, and in Courtray, Oudenarde, Alost, and Dendermonde during these six weeks. It was also stipulated, that no provision should enter Ghent in the mean time, but that what was already therein must supply their wants; nor was any thing to enter the principal towns of Flanders, without leave first had at the gates.