implements of their trade. A bold baker, standing by his oven-stark
naked, according to the custom of bakers at that day--rushed to the
street as the sound of the tumult reached his ear. With his heavy bread
shovel, which he still held in his hand, he dealt a French cavalry,
officer, just riding and screaming by, such a hearty blow that he fell
dead from his horse. The baker seized the officer's sword, sprang all
unattired as he was, upon his steed, and careered furiously through the
streets, encouraging his countrymen everywhere to the attack, and dealing
dismay through the ranks of the enemy. His services in that eventful
hour were so signal that he was publicly thanked afterwards by the
magistrates for his services, and rewarded with a pension of three
hundred florins for life.

The invaders had been forced from the Bourse, while another portion of
them had penetrated as far as the Market-place. The resistance which
they encountered became every instant more formidable, and Fervacques,
a leading French officer, who was captured on the occasion, acknowledged
that no regular troops could have fought more bravely than did these
stalwart burghers. Women and children mounted to roof and window, whence
they hurled, not only tiles and chimney pots, but tables, ponderous
chairs, and other bulky articles, upon the heads of the assailants, while
such citizens as had used all their bullets, loaded their pieces with the
silver buttons from their doublets, or twisted gold and silver coins with
their teeth into ammunition. With a population so resolute, the four
thousand invaders, however audacious, soon found themselves swallowed up.
The city had closed over them like water, and within an hour nearly a
third of their whole number had been slain. Very few of the burghers had
perished, and fresh numbers were constantly advancing to the attack. The
Frenchmen, blinded, staggering, beaten, attempted to retreat. Many threw
themselves from the fortifications into the moat. The rest of the