The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-01-24
HISTORICAL CONTINUATION,

OF the sixty thousand men whom Philip tho
Fair had sent to lay waste Flanders, only seven
thousand sncceeded in returning to France
Guy do St. Pol had gathered Eve thousand men
At Lille. sand hoped to march them safely to
France but . division of the Flemish army
fell on them. and after an obstinate confliot
| nearly all who had fed from Courtrai were
overcome and slain. The "excellente Chronike"
tells u.s.
"And the number of those who fed and es
capped may have been in all about three thou
| sand men, sole remains of the enormous host
| which had gone forth 10 plunder and lay waite
Flanders: and these b ad a tale to tell at home
which was far FROM being edifying or ioyous ~
All the most illustrious mobiles and brayest
knights were slain at Courtrai. There was
| scarcely a castle of France where there was
not wailing and lamentation for the death of
| Husband, a father or a brother. The Flemish
generals took care that the fallen kings and
knights should receive honora BILE buria. in the
abbey of Groeningeu, appears from an
ancient painting still TO be in st. Michael's
Church at Courtrai There is also in the Mu-
seum of Messire Goetha 's-Vercruyssen, at Cour-
trai, q stone which once lay on the grave of
King Sigis: it bears his arms, and the follow
ing inscription:
Benedct's day, was fought the battle of Cour-
trai. Under this stone likes buried King Sipis.
Pray for his soul Amen"
Besides the vessels of gold, costly stuffs and
rich armor, there were found on the battle
field more than seven hundred golden spurs.
which knights alone had the privilege of wear
ing; these were suspended with the captured
banners from the vault of our Lady's Church
at Courtrai. and thence this battle acquired
the name of THE Battle of the Golden Spursn
Several Thousand horses also fell into the hands
OF the Flemings, who used them with great
effect in subsequent battles. In front Of the
gate of Courtrai which opens towards Ghsnt
in the centre of the battlefield, there was in the
year 1881 chapel of our Lady of Groeningen;
on its altar were to be deciphered the names
of the French knights who had fallen in the
fight and one of the genuine old spurs of gold
was still suspended from the vault. In Cour-
trai the anniversary of the battle was kept as
q day of public rejoicing, and its memory still
fingers in q Kermes, which is called the VerRa-
derdagen, or day of gathering. Every year, in
the month of July, the poor people of Cour-
trai go from house to house begging for OLD
clothes, which they sell in COMMUNICATION of
the sale of the rich booty of 1902 Then, &C
companied by player on the violin, they be-
of the French, and drink and dance until even.
ing; .,,;.n 81 Ait. 40r,;h,0 aof... oo.,..
France, the whole court was filled with con.
sternation and grief. Philip burst into q
furious passion with Joanna of Navarro, whose
evil counsels were the cause of all these disss.
ters, and of all their consequences; aud his
reproaches may be read in some quaint con.
temporary verses by Lodwyk van Vilthem
The historians of France, indeed, have de-
scribed Joanna in much brighter colors but
| it is an amiabie popularity of their national
| character to handle very indulgently the vices
| of their monarchs-at least of their dead mon
aTchs and it is an undoubted truth, that the
Flemish chronicles give q far more Trustworthy
description of the odiOus disposition of Queen
Joanna.
The magistrates of Client, who we're all Lii.
yards, and thought that King Philip would
| send fresh expedition into Flanders with all
haste, closed their gates, intending to hold
| their city as long as possible for France. But
| they met beir punishment at the hands of the
| men of Client themselves. The people rushed
| to arms, the magistrates and every other Lii
yard were put to death, and Guy received the
keys of the city, aud with them pledge OF
everlasting fidelity, from the hands of the
principal oitiaens.
Meanwhile Count John of NRmur, brother of
Robert de Bethune, returned to Flanders and
assumed the government; he collected in haste
q new and far larger army, to resist any fur
Their attempt on the part of the French, and