Hardly had the repast commenced, when a ball came flying over the table,
taking off the head of a, young Walloon officer who was sitting near
Parma, and, who was earnestly requesting a foremost place in the.
morrow's assault. A portion of his skull struck out the eye of another
gentleman present. A second ball from the town fortifications, equally
well directed, destroyed two more of the guests as they sat at the
banquet--one a German captain, the other the Judge-Advocate-General.
The blood and brains of these unfortunate individuals were strewn over
the festive board, and the others all started to their feet, having
little appetite left for their dinner. Alexander alone remained in his
seat, manifesting no discomposure. Quietly ordering the attendants to
remove the dead bodies, and to bring a clean tablecloth, he insisted
that his guests should resume their places at the banquet which had been
interrupted in such ghastly fashion. He stated with very determined
aspect that he could not allow the heretic burghers of Oudenarde the
triumph of frightening him from his dinner, or from the post of danger.
The other gentlemen could, of course, do no less than imitate the
impassibility of their chief, and the repast was accordingly concluded
without further interruption. Not long afterwards, the city, close
pressed by so determined a commander, accepted terms, which were more
favorable by reason of the respect which Alexander chose to render to his
mother's birthplace. The pillage was commuted for thirty thousand,
crowns, and on the 5th of July the place was surrendered to Parma almost
under the very eyes of Anjou, who was making a demonstration of relieving
the siege.

Ninove, a citadel then belonging to the Egmont family, was next reduced.
Here, too, the defence was more obstinate than could have been expected
from the importance of the place, and as the autumn advanced, Parma's
troops were nearly starved in their trenches, from the insufficient