Philip, however, had the policy to divide most effectually these rival towns.

After having fallen into the hands of the people of Bruges, whom he made a vain attempt to surprise, and who massacred numbers of his followers before his eyes, he forced them to submission by the assistance of the citizens of Ghent, who sanctioned the banishment of the chief men of the vanquished town.

But some years later Ghent was in its turn oppressed and punished for having resisted the payment of some new tax.

It found no support from the rest of Flanders.
Nevertheless this powerful city singly maintained the war for the space of two years; but the intrepid burghers finally yielded to the veterans of the duke, formed to victory in the French wars.

The principal privileges of Ghent were on this occasion revoked and annulled.
During these transactions the province of Holland, which enjoyed a degree of liberty almost equal to Flanders, had declared war against the Hanseatic towns on its own proper authority.