Horn departed, and the Reformers took instant possession of the hall.  It was found in a very dirty and disorderly condition, encumbered with benches, scaffoldings, stakes, gibbets, and all the machinery used for public executions upon the market-place.  A vast body of men went to work with a will; scrubbing, cleaning, whitewashing, and removing all the foul lumber of the hall; singing in chorus, as they did so, the hymns of Clement Marot.  By dinner-time the place was ready.  The pulpit and benches for the congregation had taken the place of the gibbet timber.  It is difficult to comprehend that such work as this was a deadly crime.  Nevertheless, Horn, who was himself a sincere Catholic, had committed the most mortal of all his offences against Philip and against God, by having countenanced so flagitious a transaction.

The Admiral went to Brussels.  Secretary de la Torre, a very second-rate personage, was despatched to Tournay to convey the orders of the Regent.  Governor Moulbais, now in charge of affairs both civil and military, was to prepare all things for the garrison, which was soon to be despatched under Noircarmes.  The Duchess had now arms in her hands, and her language was bold.  La Torre advised the Reformers to be wise “while the rod was yet green and growing, lest it should be gathered for their backs; for it was unbecoming is subjects to make bargains with their King.”  There was hardly any decent pretext used in violating the Accord of the 24th August, so soon as the government was strong enough to break it.  It was always said that the preachings suppressed, had not been established previously to that arrangement; but the preachings had in reality obtained almost every where, and were now universally abolished.  The ridiculous quibble was also used that, in the preachings other religious exercises were not included, whereas it was notorious that they had never been separated.  It is, however, a gratuitous task, to unravel the deceptions of tyranny when it hardly deigns to disguise itself.  The dissimulations which have resisted the influence of centuries are more worthy of serious investigation, and of these the epoch offers us a sufficient supply.

At the close of the year, the city of Tournay was completely subjugated and the reformed religion suppressed.  Upon the 2nd day of January, 1567, the Seignior de Noircarmes arrived before the gates at the head of eleven companies, with orders from Duchess Margaret to strengthen the garrison and disarm the citizens.  He gave the magistrates exactly one hour and a half to decide whether they would submit without a murmur.  He expressed an intention of maintaining the Accord of 24th August; a ridiculous affectation under the circumstances, as the event proved.  The notables were summoned, submission agreed upon, and within the prescribed time the magistrates came before Noircarmes, with an unconditional acceptance of his terms.  That truculent personage told them, in reply, that they had done wisely, for if they had delayed receiving the garrison a minute longer, he would have instantly burned the city to ashes and put every one of the inhabitants to the sword.  He had been fully authorized to do so, and subsequent events were to show, upon more than one dreadful occasion, how capable Noircarmes would have been of fulfilling this menace.