large/11381/thestoryofoldfrance_1704_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldfrance_39_guerber_64kb_9
large/11381/thestoryofoldfrance_1704_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldfrance_39_guerber_64kb
English
11381
There the famous encounter known as the "Battle of the Spurs" was fought. The French knights, seeing nothing but common soldiers before them, spurred on in such eager haste to attack and destroy them, that they failed to notice a deep ditch lying between them and the foe. THERE THE FAMOUS ENCOUNTER KNOWN AS THE BATTLE OF THE SPURS WAS FOUGHT THE FRENCH KNIGHTS SEEING NOTHING BUT COMMON SOLDIERS BEFORE THEM SPURRED ON IN SUCH EAGER HASTE TO ATTACK AND DESTROY THEM THAT THEY FAILED TO NOTICE A DEEP DITCH LYING BETWEEN THEM AND THE FOE
 now ; we are told, for instance, that even at court parties it was customary for each gentle- uigiTizea Dy vjiOOQlC I40 OLD FRANCE man to eat off the plate of the lady beside him. Ladies then wore very high headdresses richly bejeweled, while the gentlemen were noticeable mainly on account of their shoes, with pointed toes which curved upward and were fastened to their knees by little gilt chains. Philip left a French governor in charge of his newly won estates, but this man was so grasping and tyrannical that he soon provoked a revolt, which broke out in the town of Bruges (broo'jez) one day just as matins were being rung. Before the bells had fairly ceased their chimes, three thousand Frenchmen lost their lives, so the " Matins of Bruges '* (1302) are considered as fatal as the " Sicilian Vespers." When the news of this massacre reached court, the French promptly armed to punish Flanders, and Philip set out at the head of large forces to meet the enemy at Courtrai (koor-tre', 1302). OMS AND FASHIONS OF THOSE DAYS WERE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT THEY ARE NOW WE ARE TOLD FOR INSTANCE THAT EVEN AT COURT PARTIES IT WAS CUSTOMARY FOR EACH GENTLEMAN TO EAT OFF THE PLATE OF THE LADY BESIDE HIM LADIES THEN WORE VERY HIGH HEAD DRESSES RICHLY BE JEWELLED WHILE THE GENTLEMEN WERE NOTICEABLE MAINLY ON ACCOUNT OF THEIR SHOES WITH POINTED TOES WHICH CURVED UPWARD AND WERE FASTENED TO THEIR KNEES BY LITTLE GILT CHAINS PHILIPPE LEFT A FRENCH GOVERNOR IN CHARGE OF HIS NEWLY WON ESTATES BUT THIS MAN WAS SO GRASPING AND TYRANNICAL THAT HE SOON PROVOKED A REVOLT WHICH BROKE OUT IN THE TOWN OF BRUGES ONE DAY JUST AS MOTAN'S WAS BEING RUNG BEFORE THE BELLS HAD FAIRLY CEASED THEIR CHIMES THREE THOUSAND FRENCHMEN LOST THEIR LIVES SO THE MATON OF BRUGES THIRTEEN O TWO ARE CONSIDERED AS FATAL AS THE SICILIAN VESPERS WHEN THE NEWS OF THIS MASSACRE REACHED COURT THE FRENCH PROMPTLY ARMED TO PUNISH FLANDERS AND PHILIPPE SET OUT AT THE HEAD OF LARGE FORCES TO MEET THE ENEMY AT COURTRAY THIRTEEN O TWO
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