The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1874-12-20

orders for the construction of battering. rams |
and movable towers, and for the collection OF
@, aterial in the city that could be avail [
able for the assault. It was clear that this |
could not take place for iye days at least; but
the delay was disadvantage to the citizens |
of Courtrai, for since the arrival of the Flem-
| ish troops, the French garrison had ceased to |
shoot burning arrows into the city the SOL |
diers were, indeed, seen standing with their |
bows at the loop holes of the battlements, but |
yet they did not discharge them. The Flem-
ings could not conceive the reason of this ces-
| sation they thought that some =artifce lay
concealed therein, and remained carefully on
| their guard Guy had forbidden every aggres-
sion be would attempt nothing until he had
all his machines ready for storming the citadel,
and could securely reckon on the victory.
The castellan Van Lens was at his wits end
| his arcbers had but very slender supply OF
| arrows left, and prudence compelled him to
reserve them for the assault His provisions,
| too, were 80 far exhausted, that he could sup
ply only half-rations to his soldiers. Still he
hoped to elude the vigilance of the FlemingB
and to find some opportunity to send nes-
senger to Lille, where the French army lay
encamped.
Arnold of Oudenarde, who had few days
before brought the citizens of Courtrai REIN
forcement of three hundred men, had bivou-
acked with his soldiers on the Groningen
Place, close to the abbey and the walls of the
} city. This place was especially fitted for q
: general encampment, and has been chosen for
that purpose by Guy and his council of war.
While the carpenters guild was laboring at
the storming- engines, the other Flemings were
} set to work the next morning to dig trenches.
ul H. ha hnf
each a pickaxe and spade, and set to work
4 with great ardour; the entrenchments and
: seige-works arose by enchantment the whole
: army toiled with emulous zeal, and eact
8 sought to surpass his neghbor in e1ertion. The
9 spades and pokaxes rose and descended lik'
d CLEANS of lightning, that the eye could no
l. follow them and the thick clods of earth fel
b on the entrenchments like showers of stone
E thrown down on the assailants from besieget
70 city.
10 AS soon as a part of the earth works wa
le completed, the soldiers fastened to pitch tn
d tents. Ever and anon the workmeu woul
q leave the poles sticking in the earth and scram
* BILE away to work at the entrcnchments an
ID then would arise a loud shout of welcom
le greeting, and the cry, "Flanders and tn
10 Lion ~ doomed in the distance an answer
IN ing echo. Aud this happened, too, wheneve
er rein forcements arrived from the other cities
ad The Flemish people had unjustly accused the
ht uobles of disloyalty and cowardice true
large number had declared for the alien, br
ch the loyal were far moro numerous than tt
traitors. Fifty. and. two of the noblest kngh
as of Flanders pined in the prisons of France
and to these prisons their love for their fat
ls- erland and for their native princes had CO
Tn signed them. The rest of the true heated n
oft bles who remained in Flanders deemed it
ate degradation to take part with the insurge
'nt townsPeople to them the tournament and t
an battlefield were the only places fit for dee
lis of arms. The manners of The time had Civ
ett them this notion; for then the distance l
10; tween knight and q citizen was as great
nat that between q master and servant no
nr- So long as the struggle was carried on with
rev the walls of the cities, aud under the comma
'eo of popular leaders, they remained shut up
ate their castles, sighing over their country's
bnls preston but now that Guy had placed hi
nee self at the head of his people, as the gener
nth in chief appointed by their Count they poul
the In from all sides with their retsiners.
AS On the first day, early in the morning, tn
entered Courtrai Messires Baldwin of Pap
rode, Henry of Raveschoot, Ivo of Belleght
Solomon of Sevecotes and the lord OF Nal
he'd hem. Towards midday a cloud of dust ar
nen. over the distant trees in the direction of NJ
by seele, aud amidst the loud shouts of the n
on of Bruges, fifteen hundred men of Furnes
yht- tered the city, with the renowned wari
ons, Eustachius Sporkyn at their head. They W
AS accompanied by multitude of knights '
and Lad joined them on their march. Anon
uar these the most distinguished were Mess
orth John van Ayshoven, William van Daeken
they and his brother Peter Messires van Land
fla hem, Hugo der Moere, and Simon
sted Caestere. John Willebaert of Thorout
hole also placed himself, with o small contng
an of troops, under the command of Van sporI
r af Each moment moreover, some stray kni
'ten- would enter the camp: not few of these "
ren, from surrounding countries, and gladly c
ried. to lend their aid to the Flemings in t
faat 10 l;l.rty In thia Hapry