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KERGUELEN’S VOYAGE TO THE NORTH. 797
of banditti, They addicted themfelves to trade and fifhing, and embellifhed and added
to the convenience of the port. Philip of Alface built feveral veffels of war there, to
go with to the Holy Land. In 1170 the Norman pirates, for the moft part gentlemen,
interrupted their commerce, by ftopping their veilels in the channel; they detained and
even plundered the Princefs of Portugal, who was on her voyage to marry Count Phi-
lippes in Flanders. Philippes fitted out a ftrong fleet at Dunkirk, which he fent after
them, and was fortunate enough to take them all and carry them into Dunkirk, where
they were condemned to death, as I have before obferved in fpeaking of Oltend. This
defeat endeared the Dunkirkers to their fovereign, who granted them many privileges
and exemptions. In 1232 Dunkirk being fold to Godfrey de Conde, bifhop of Cam-
bray, on condition of reverting after his death to the count of Flanders, he very much
enlarged and deepened the port, and conftructed two jetties, proceeding a good diftance
out to fea.
Dunkirk was feparated from the county of Flanders, and erected into a private lord-
fhip by Robert of Bethune, in favour of Robert of Caffel his fon, who built a caftle, and
eftablifhed a magiftracy. He founded three brotherhoods of crofs-bow-men, bow-men,
and gunners, to exercife the citizens, and perfect them in the ufe of arms: dying with-
outa fon, his only daughter Jolanda married a duke of Bar. This alliance gave its firft
arms to Dunkirk.
In 1382, the people of Ghent revolting from their fovereign, called the Englifh to
their afliftance, and feized upon the town of Dunkirk ;, but Charles VI., King of France,
retook it the fame year, and reftored it to its lord.
In 1403, the walls and fortifications, damaged by the fieges it had fuftained, were re-
paired, and the ditches greatly deepened.
In 1436, the Englifh took Dunkirk.
In 1440, achurch was built at the foot of the tower built a fhort time before, to ferve
as a pharos and belfry for the parith.
Among many great men which this town has produced is Nicholas Vanderhelle, a
great theologian, four times recfeur magnifique of the univerfity of Louvain; Cornelius
Schepper, a great philofopher and politician, who under Francis I. was profeflor of phi«
jofophy and mathematics at Paris. He was chofen by Charles V. to watch over his ine
tereits with the major part of the princes of Europe, and was twice appointed ambaflador
to Sultan Solyman: he was greatly beloved by the learned.
The fifhery being from earlieft time the principal trade of the town,. in 1532 five
hundred buffes or veffels, from fifty to fixty tons, defigned for fifhing in-the north, be-
longed to this port: every one of thefe veffels had among the lines with which they
fifhed, one called the holy line; all the fifh caught by it. were fold for the benefit of the
church: out of thefe gifts the church, which was burnt in 1558, was rebuilt in 1 560.
In the war between France, Spain, and I’ngland, in.1558, marfhal ‘Termes with feven-
teen thoufand men fet down before Dunkirk :. there were in. garrifon in. the place at the
time no more than four hundred men; it was taken. by aflault and pillaged, and many
of the citizens were maflacred. Bergues fuffered the fame fate. ‘he pillage in thefe-
towns and in the neighbourhood was fo great, that a cow was fold in the French camp
for two or three fous, and thirty-eight horned bea{ls for a gold crown: the bells were-
even broken, in order to take away the pieces, the enemies of France having collected
an army in the neighbourhood of St. Omer’s, for the purpofe of attacking the French.
Marfhal Termes was difpofed to: retreat, and fet fire’to feveral parts of the town, in
order to complete the deftruction of what had efcaped the rage of the foldiery ; the
church, the convents, and almoft the whole town, were confumed by the flames, as well
as
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