On the 17th of March, the spell was broken by the execution of nineteen persons, who were beheaded as ringleaders.

On the 29th of April, he pronounced sentence upon the city.

The hall where it was rendered was open to all comers, and graced by the presence of the Emperor, the Queen Regent, and the great functionaries of Court, Church, and State.

The decree, now matured, was read at length.

It annulled all the charters, privileges, and laws of Ghent.