The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1875-01-10


de Barlas to hold his peace.
Daring these preparations time had passed q
away /; 1t was now seven o'clock in the morn |
ing the French host were within two slings | 9
cast Of the Flemings. Between the French {
archers and the singers lay the Mossoher
brook, so they could not come to close quarters
and very few fell on either side Then Robert
d,Artois gave Rodolf do Nesle, general of the
arst division, the signal to begin the attack.
The horsemen sprang eagerly onwards, and
soon came to the Mosscher brook but here
they sank saddle-deep in the morass. One
stumbled over another the foremost were
thrown from their horses, and either slain by
the singers stified in the swamp. The few
who contrived to extricate themselves retreat
ed at full speed and dared not venture to ex-
pose themselves second time 30 recklessiy.
Tho Flemings meanwhile stood motionless
behind the second brook, looking on at the
| discontinue of the enemy in silent composure.
When the Constable de Nesle saw that the
| passage was impracticable for cavalry, he
came to Messire fArtois, aud said
"Of truth tell you, count, that we are ex-
posing our men to great danger, by trying to
force them over the brook there is not horse
| that either will or can ford it. Let us rather
try to entice the enemy from their position.
Believe me, you are stalking all against fearful
odds in this game"
But the general was too far carried away by
vexation and anger to pay any attention to
this wise counsel. CONSTABLE" exclaimed he
furiously, "that is advice beftting Lombards
Are you frightened at this pack of wolves, or
, are you of the same breed with them 7"
, Rodolf, stung by this reproof, and by the
, insinuation it conveyed, burst forth in nnre-
7 strained wrath. He came up close to the gem
eral, and answered with an expression of bit
8 ter disdain:
9 "You throw doubt on my coursgel you dare
Y to taunt and insult me But, ask you, have
q you courage to 60 with me on foot and alone
9 into the thick of the foe 1 would lead you
d so far that you would return no more"
y Here some of the knights threw themselves
10 between the angry generals, and endeavored
D by every argument to convince the senesha
that the brook was not fordable by cavalry
10 brt he persisted in his refusal to listen to them
l. and ordered Rodolf de Nesle to renew the
ID charge.
10 The Constable, beside himself with vexation
id rode furiously with his troop towards th
70 Flemish position. But at the brook all tn
,n horsemen of the front rank were thrown from
i'll their saddles each thrust the other deepe
CO into the morass, and more than fve hundre
We perished in the confusion, either stihed in tn
he mud or slain by the stones of the Flemis
ID slinRsrs Messire d'Artois now saw himse
ur obliged to recall Rodolf; but it was scarcel
on possible to restore order amongst the survivor
on 30 utterly were they broken and dispirited.
So Meanwhile Messre John de Barlas had foun
IN o place at which the fret brook could be forde
'gs and had CROSSED it with two thousand eros
BE bovmen. Having gained the open meadow, |
oo- drew up his men in q compact mass, and pou
ui1 cd such q shower of arrows upon the Flemi
len elingers, that the sky was almost darkened
IKE them, and large number of Flemings #
Is dead or wounded to the ground. while t
by French archers continued to make q stea
e' advance.
ana Messire Solomon van Sevecote himself b
ook seized the sling of one of the fallen guldsm
3 it in order to animate the survivors by his o,
: example; but an iron bolt from crossb'
pear pierced the vizor of his helmet, and flung h
1her dead to the ground Then the Flemings, 8
ing their general struck down, with SO larg
ped, number of their comrades, aud finding th
the supply of stones fall short, closed their tai
ved, and fell back on the camp in good order o
,alm one singer from Furness remained standing
ting the middle of the field, as though he scor
muir the arrows of the Frenchmen. He stood c'
o re- and unmoved, while the arrows few hiss
the over him and around him. Slowly and "
same deliberation he placed q heavy stone in
ngst sling, and measured carefully the distauc
ords, the spot at which he wished to take a
After few preparatory whirls. he let go
was end of the sling, and the stone few whist
a in through the air. cry of anguish burst
tho French Captain, and in a moment he
ID by lifeless on the ground,-the stone had pie
,se to his helmet and crushed his skull, and Mes
arch- John de Barlas lay weltering in his bl
ed to Thus, in tho frat attack, persisted the Lea
Zed . of the two fret divisions of the French ar
shing The archers were 30 infuriated by this d
y had trous sight that they threw away their cl
> own bows, grasped their swords, and impetuo
III de nursued the slineers as far as the second br