ARTEVELDE, JAMES VAN, a brewer of Ghent, in the fourteenth century, who, by means of his enormous wealth and popular talents, acquired such an ascendancy over his countrymen that he was enabled to expel the Count of Flanders, and assume absolute power. He formed a commercial alliance with Edward III. of England, and persuaded the English to lend him assistance in his war with France. The French, however, prevailed; and Artevelde, who now began to dread the vengeance of the Count of Flanders, en-
1 The first artesian well in London was sunk in 1794. Examples of the same may be seen at the Bishop's palace at Fulham, and several in the town of Brentford.
Arthritic
||
Arthur.
deavoured to secure the interest of the English in his favour by transferring the sovereignty of Flanders to the Prince of Wales. This he attempted to effect by force; but the people beset his house and assassinated him. After this event, which took place in 1345, the Prince of Wales returned to England.
Philip Van Artevelde, son of the preceding, was raised to the sovereignty during a revolt of the people in 1382. He defeated the Count of Flanders, and obtained possession of Bruges; but, in November of the same year, he was defeated and slain by the count, assisted by the French, in a battle fought near Rosbecq, and his body was ignominiously hung on a tree.