One might bring one's self to announce aldermen and burgomasters, but a hosier was too much.

The cardinal was on thorns.
All the people were staring and listening.

For two days his eminence had been exerting his utmost efforts to lick these Flemish bears into shape, and to render them a little more presentable to the public, and this freak was startling.

But Guillaume Rym, with his polished smile, approached the usher.
"Announce Master Jacques Coppenole, clerk of the aldermen of the city of Ghent," he whispered, very low.
"Usher," interposed the cardinal, aloud, "announce Master Jacques Coppenole, clerk of the aldermen of the illustrious city of Ghent." This was a mistake.

Guillaume Rym alone might have conjured away the difficulty, but Coppenole had heard the cardinal.
"No, cross of God ?" he exclaimed, in his voice of thunder, "Jacques Coppenole, hosier.