appointed day, in company with fifty persons from the guilds, and fifty
others, to be arbitrarily named, in their shirts, with halters upon their
necks. This large number of deputies, as representatives of the city,
were then to fall upon their knees before the Emperor, say in a loud and
intelligible voice, by the mouth of one of their clerks, that they were
extremely sorry for the disloyalty, disobedience, infraction of laws,
commotions, rebellion, and high treason, of which they had been guilty,
promise that they would never do the like again, and humbly implore him,
for the sake of the Passion of Jesus Christ, to grant them mercy and
forgiveness.

The third day of May was appointed for the execution of the sentence.
Charles, who was fond of imposing exhibitions and prided himself upon
arranging them with skill, was determined that this occasion should be
long remembered by all burghers throughout his dominions who might be
disposed to insist strongly upon their municipal rights. The streets
were alive with troops: cavalry and infantry in great numbers keeping
strict guard at every point throughout the whole extent of the city; for
it was known that the hatred produced by the sentence was most deadly,
and that nothing but an array of invincible force could keep those
hostile sentiments in check. The senators in their black mourning robes,
the other deputies in linen shirts, bareheaded, with halters on their
necks, proceeded, at the appointed hour, from the senate house to the
imperial residence. High on his throne, with the Queen Regent at his
side, surrounded by princes, prelates and nobles, guarded by his archers
and halberdiers, his crown on his head and his sceptre in his hand, the
Emperor, exalted, sat. The senators and burghers, in their robes cf
humiliation, knelt in the dust at his feet. The prescribed words of
contrition and of supplication for mercy were then read by the
pensionary, all the deputies remaining upon their knees, and many of them