His eloquence carried away the people with him, and both these cities agreed to accept the Prince of Wales as their lord; but the hardest task yet remained.

Ghent was the largest and most powerful of the Flemish towns, and here his enemies were in the ascendant.

Gerard Denis and the weavers had been stirring up the people against him.

All kinds of accusations had been spread, and he was accused of robbing and selling his country.

The news of the hostile feeling of the population reached Van Artevelde, and he despatched Walter with the request to the king for a force of five hundred English soldiers as a guard against his enemies.
Had Artevelde asked for a large force, Edward would have disembarked his army and marched at their head into Ghent.