Arrogant as ever, he
boasted of his power and the satisfaction that he would exact; the time was
coming, he said, when his black slave should pull the noses of the most
respected citizens, and the fellows would not dare to grunt. He was soon
undeceived. The mob of Laon stormed the palace and massacred the defenders;
they found the bishop in the cellars, disguised as a peasant and hiding in an
empty cask; they dragged him forth by the hair of his head, and hacked him to
pieces in the street (1112).
When a calmer mood returned, the citizens were appalled
at the prospect of the King's indignation. Those who were conscious of guilt
fled from the city, which was left half-deserted. The barons and the serfs of
the surrounding country swooped like vultures upon Laon, pillaged the empty
houses and fought with one another for the spoil. For the next sixteen years
the remnant of the citizens lived a miserable existence as the mere serfs of
Waldric's successors. In 1128 the King permitted them to associate under a
Mayor, for the better maintenance of the public peace; but they were denied the
title of a commune, and continued to be subject to the jurisdiction of the
bishop.
