United States or Algeria ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Suddenly a cry was raised and echoed from rank to rank of St. Lievin's escort, "Down with the cueillotte." Then with the ingenious humour of a Celtic crowd, quick to take a fantastic advantage of a situation, a second cry was heard: "St. Lievin must go through the house. Lievin is a saint who never turns aside from his route." Delightful thought, followed by speedy action.
"Yes, yes," was the quick answer of the fickle crowd. "You desire the suppression of the cueillotte, do you not?" "Yes, yes." "You want all your gates opened again, your banners restored, and your privileges reinforced as of yore?" "Yes, yes." The self-appointed envoy turned calmly to Charles and said: "Monseigneur, this is what the citizens have come together to ask you. This is your task.
At about eight o'clock on June 30th Groothuse returned, thanked the people in the count's name for having kept such good watch, and was answered by cries of "À bas la cueillotte." Then he assured them that all was pardoned and that they should obtain what they had asked in the draft. Only he requested them to appoint a committee of six to present their demands to Monseigneur and then to go home.
There was, however, too much method in the next proceedings for it to be attributed wholly to emotional inebriety. The procession passed through the city gate and entered a narrow street near the corn market, where stood a little house used as headquarters for the collection of the cueillotte, a tax on every article brought into the city for sale, and one particularly obnoxious to the people.
Word Of The Day