The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1874-12-13

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streams, De Chatillon, Jan van Gistel, and
the few others who bad escaped death, were
received within the walls of Courtrai. In the
city they found numerous garrison, trusting |
in peaceful security to the strength of the cas-
tie; for on this place the French counted most
confidently, as its Notifications were really IN
assailable. De Chatillon, o prey to hopeless |
despair on account of his defeat, was burning |
with the desire of vengeance. He hastily drew
some small companies of mercenaries from the
other cities to Courtrsi, in order still further
to protect it in the event of an attack, and he
intrusted the command of these troops to the
oastellan Van Lens q bastard Fleming. Using
the utmost dispatch, he visited the other from
| tier cities, placed within them the troops that
yet remained to him in Picardy, gave the COM
| mand of Lisle to the chancellor, Peter Flotte
and hastened to France, to the court of Philip
at Paris, where the tidings of the defeat of the
army had already preceded him.
Philip the Fair received the govern or general
of Flanders with marked displeasure, and re-
| preached him angrily with the tyrannical con
| duct which had been the cause of the disaster.
De Cbatilon would have undoubtedly fallen
into disgrace, had not Queen Joanna, who, as
we know, hated the Flemings and exulted in
their oppression, found means to exculpate
her uncle dexterously, that Philip at length
began to believe that he deserved thanks rather
than reproofs. And thus the whole wrath of
the king again turned back the Flem-
pgs, and he swore that he would exact from
them a dire revenge.
An army of twenty thousand men had been
already assembled at Paris in order to deliver
the kingdom of Majorca from the hand of the
infdel; and these were the troops of whose
gathering Robert de Bethune had spoken to
the lords of Flanders. They might easily have
, marched this host upon Flanders; but Philip
would risk of defeat, and resolved
! therefore to postpone his vengeance a short
! the in order to collect moro soldiers.
i A proclamation borne throughout
i France by swift messengers; the great vassals
s of the kingdom were informed how the Flem-
). ings had put to death seven Thousand French
: men that the king summoned them to Paris
. with all the troops at their command, and with
0 the utmost speed, in order to avenge the insult
Q In those times warfare and feats Of arms were
T the sole occupation of the mobiles, and they ex-
ulted at the very mention Of battle we must
e not wonder that this appeal met an immediate
II and hearty response. From every quarter,
9 from every castle of mighty France, poured
l. the great feudatories of the crown with theil
i vassals and in q very short time the French
army counted more than fifty thousand men.
r After the Lion of Flanders and Charles d.
o Valois, Robert d'Artois was the ablest warrior
u that Europe boasted at that time; and indeed
}. his great and varied experience, gained in nu
j. merous expeditions, gave him, in some respects
% an advantage over these two commanders
q For eight whole years he had never laid aside
It his armor: his hair had literally grown grey
beneath the helmet. The unrelenting hatred
e with which he regarded the Flemngs, who
u had slain his only at Furnes, determined
ID the queen to give him the chief command o
N the whole army and ir truth was bet
a. ter qualified for this honorable post than Rober
d'Artos.
?, Want of money, AND the daily arrival of th
OF more distant vassals of the crown, retarded fo
IN some time the departure of the host. The ex
d. cessive ardor and precipitation with which tn
40 French mobiles usually entered on their expedi
ie tions had so often proved prejudicial to them
and they had learnt at such heavy cost tha
lr prudence AMI foresight are important element
90 OF strength, that they resolved on this occa
10 sion to take every precaution, and prooee
with the greatest deliberation.
n, The fiery queen of Navarro cent for Rober
I'd dArtois and urged him to ohastise the Elem
is on him, for instance, ito rip up all the Flemis
g, swine, and to spit their whelps on the point c
ep the sword, and to strike every Flemish do
8 dead" The swine and the whelps were tn
20 women and children of Flanders, and the dog
were those heroes who, sword in hand, wer
al defending their fatherlaRd. The faithfc
IL chronicles have preserved for us these shame
TO less words of a queen and woman, as a toke
of of Joanna's ferocious spirit.
tn In the meantime the Flemings had greatl
I'd increased their army. The illustrious Msste
I'd John Borluut had excited the citizens of Chen
I'd to rise and drive ont of their city the Frenc
g. garrison and seven hundred were slain in thi
i'd insurrection. Oudenarde and several othe
ts cities effected their freedom in like manner, g
le that the enemy retained possession only of
in few fortified places, in which the fyin
1r Frenchnen found refuge. William van Guliel
4