HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 263 



time the affairs of Maximilian for the quieting of 

 Flanders, and restoring him to his authority amongst 

 his subjects. For at that time the lord of Raven- 

 stein, being not only a subject rebelled, but a servant 

 revolted, and so much the more malicious and vio 

 lent, by the aid of Bruges and Gaunt, had taken the 

 town and both the castles of Sluice, as we said be 

 fore : and having, by the commodity of the haven, 

 gotten together certain ships and barks, fell to a 

 kind of piratical trade ; robbing and spoiling, and 

 taking prisoners the ships and vessels of all nations 

 that passed along that coast towards the mart of 

 Antwerp, or into any part of Brabant, Zealand, or 

 Friezeland ; being ever well victualled from Picardy, 

 besides the commodity of victuals from Sluice, and 

 the country adjacent, and the avails of his own 

 prizes. The French assisted him still underhand ; 

 and he likewise, as all men do that have been of both 

 sides, thought himself not safe, except he depended 

 upon a third person. 



There was a small town some two miles from 

 Bruges towards the sea, called Dam ; which was a 

 fort and approach to Bruges, and had a relation also 

 to Sluice. 



This town the king of the Romans had attempted 

 often, not for any worth of the town in itself, but 

 because it might choke Bruges, and cut it off from 

 the sea, and ever failed. But therewith the Duke 

 of Saxony came down into Flanders, taking upon 

 him the person of an umpire, to compose things 

 between Maximilian and his subjects ; but being, 



