And by these words he implied either that the said nobles had been ruined in the service of the King, or else that they were eager to emulate the luxury of the great Lords of Spain. And thus it was that later on these same nobles endeavoured to bring ridicule upon the words of Berlaymont by saying that "they held it indeed an honour to be esteemed and spoken of as beggars--beggars for the good service of the King and the advantage of these lands." And from that time they began to wear round their necks a golden medal carved with an effigy of the King. And on the obverse side of the medal were two hands clasped upon a beggar's wallet, with these words writ thereunder: "To the King, faithful even unto beggary." On their hats and bonnets they carried also little golden ornaments made in the form of beggars' hats and platters. And all this time Lamme went carrying his portly form about the town, seeking the wife that he never found. VIII One morning Ulenspiegel said to Lamme: "Come with me. Let us go and present our compliments to a certain high noble I wot of, a most renowned and powerful personage!" "Will he tell us where my wife is?" asked Lamme. "Certainly," answered Ulenspiegel, "if he knows." And away they went to Brederode, surnamed Hercule the Toper. And they found him in the courtyard of his house. "What do you want with me?" he demanded of Ulenspiegel. "To speak with you, my Lord." "Speak then," said Brederode. "You are a handsome, brave, and powerful nobleman," said Ulenspiegel. "Time was when you were able to flatten out a Frenchman in full armour as though he were no better than a mussel in its shell. But if you are brave and powerful you are also well-informed. Can you tell us, therefore, why you wear this medal inscribed with these words: 'To the King, faithful even unto beggary'?" "Yes," Lamme put in, "pray tell us why, my Lord!" But Brederode made no answer, and only looked very hard at Ulenspiegel, who thereupon continued his discourse in this wise. "And why, pray, do you, you other noble Lords, seek to be faithful to the King even unto beggary? Is it for the great good that he wishes you? Or for the fair friendship that he bears you? How is it that instead of being faithful to the King even unto beggary you do not so act rather that the brute himself may be despoiled of his country, and thus be made faithful for ever to beggary himself?" And Lamme nodded his head to show his agreement with what his friend had said: Brederode looked at Ulenspiegel with his keen glance, and smiled with pleasure at his handsome appearance. "Either you are a spy of King Philip," he said, "or else a good man of Flanders; and for whichever you are I will pay you your due." So saying he led Ulenspiegel to his pantry, and Lamme followed close behind. When they were come there, Brederode pulled Ulenspiegel's ear till the blood flowed. "This for the spy," he said. But Ulenspiegel remained quite quiet and said nothing.