One day in June, a fine warm day it was, a scaffold was set up in the
market square at Brussels, in front of the Town Hall. The scaffold
was draped in black, and close to it were two tall posts tipped with
steel. On the scaffold were a couple of black cushions and a little
table with a silver cross thereon.
And on this scaffold were beheaded the noble Counts d'Egmont and de
Hoorn. And the King entered into their inheritance. And it was of
the Count d'Egmont that the ambassador of Francis spake, saying:
"This day have I seen a man beheaded who twice made the Kingdom of
France to tremble."
And the heads of the two Counts were placed upon the posts with the
iron tips. And Ulenspiegel said to Lamme:
"With a black cloth have they covered both their flesh and their
blood. Verily, blessed now are they who keep heart high and sword
drawn in the dark days that are coming!"