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

y
times was he thrown to the ground, and four o
several times did he rise again, still grasping o
his banner, though covered with wounds. b
william van Guliok had already laid dead at d
his feet large number of the French, and 9
every fresh blow of his huge broadsword struck
down . foe. At length, wearied, covered with d
wounds, and exhausted by loss Of blood, he d
grew pale, and felt his strength failing him. q
Filled with anger and vexation, he retired to q
the rear to refresh himself and rest awhile.
John do vlamynek, his squire, looeed the plates
of his armor and stripped him of his heavy {
mail, that he might breathe more freely. In I
the absence of William, the French had re-
gained some of the ground they had lost, and
the Flemings manifested disposition to re-
treat. This threw van Gulick in an agony OF
despair, and induced John de Vlamynck to
adopt singular device, which bore witness In
its results to the fame of his masters bravery.
| He hastily put on the armor OF Messlre Wll-
| liam, and threw himself into the thick OF the
enemy with the cry: Give ay,-back,-men
| of France! William van Gulick is here again"
He accompanied these words with a shower of
we'll directed blows, and stretched a consider
able number of the bewildered foe on the
ground until at length the French gave way, |
and thus afforded the disordered troops time to |
close their ranks again.
Rodolf de Nesle had thrown himself with the
utmost impetuosity on the five thousand
citizens of Client under John van Borluut; but
all the efforts of the courageous Frenchmen to
break their line were vain. Thrice had the
men of Ghent driven him back with prodigious
slaughter and without his obtaining the
slightest advantage. John Borluut thought it
f too rash to abandon his position in order to
pursue the soldiers of Rodolf and 80 bethought
3 himself of another plan. He hastily formed
> his three hindmost corps into new battalions,
/ and posted them behind the line of battle, one
close in the rear, and the other further back in
Q the meadow; he then ordered the central
T division to give way before the next attack
a of the French. When Rodolf de Nesle had col
Iected his scattered troops, and restored order
Q among them, he made another vigorous attack
IS upon the men of Ghent the center fell back i'm
3. msdiately, and the French, thinking that they
h had at length broken their line, pushed on
N with shouts of 10y. "Noel! Noel! Victory I!
Victory"
l. Tbev pressed forward into the opening made
q in the line, and thought they had now turned
10 the rear of the army but everywhere they
ID found walls of spears and halberds. John
g. Borluut now quickly closed the wings OF his
'e division; and thus his five thousand men
" formed q compact circle, and the thousand
cd Frenchmen were caught ss in net. Ihen
I'M began q fearful slaughter; for quarter OF an
on hour they were hacking, slashing piercing, and
trampling down one another; horses and mer
he Law in helpless confusion on the ground, howl
lin ing, neighing yet they heard nothing, spok'
he nothing; but proceeded in silence with tbei
'ut work of death.
to Rodolf de Nesle continued q long time fight
his ING over the dead bodies of his soldiers, thoug
ht covered with wounds and besprinkled with tn
BILE blood of his gallant followers; his death, b
eed saw, was inevitable. John Borluut beheld tn
val heroic knight with profound sympathy an
the compassion, and cried to him:
leir "surrender, Mossire Rodolf; would fai
Ior- not you die"
rds But Rodolf was beside himself with rage ar
his despair he heard, indeed, the words of Borlu
rer clearly and an emotion oftbankfulness touch'
ion his heart; but the reproach of the senesch
, to had filed him with such bitter vexaton, tn
k of he no longer desired to live. He raised
etu- hand and made q sign to John Borluut, as
cart | to take last farewell of him, and then, Il
> in same moment struck dead two of the men
as Client. At length, blow from club stetch
emily him ifeess on the corpses OF his brethren
ught arms. Many other knights. whose horses h
his been slain under them, would fain have 81
the rendered but no one listened to them,-no'
for solitary Frencbman escaped alive from the
light Meanwhile the battle ragged with equal II
both all along the line. Here was heard shout
.. "Noel! Noel! Montjoy st. Denis" and t
nded was an intimaton that at that point
liam French had gained some advantage; and tn
'ydel the cry" Flanders the Lion! all that
ne of French is falsel Strike home! to the dealt
hing rose in mighty peals heavenward,-a sign t
lges /; there some body of French troops was brol
with and routed.
rning The Groeniugen brook ran with blood,
ewed was checked with the bodies of the slain.
Ills of mournful wall of the dying was scare
'ir ar drowned by the clash of arms; it was he'
Ircely low and continuous, like the roll of dist