IV
On a June day, bright and sweet, there was erected at Brussels, on the marketplace in front of the City Hall, a scaffold covered with black draperies, and hard by two tall stakes with iron spiked ends. Upon the scaffold were two black cushions and a little table on which there was a silver crucifix.
And on this scaffold were put to death by the sword the noble counts of Egmont and of Hoorn. And the king inherited.
And the ambassador of François, the first of that name, said, speaking of Egmont:
“I have just seen the head cut from off the man that twice caused France to tremble.”
And the heads of the counts were set on the iron spikes.
And Ulenspiegel said to Lamme:
“The bodies and the blood are covered with black cloth. Blessed be they that shall hold their heart high and the sword straight in the black days that are at hand!”