large/11381/thestoryofoldfrance_1704_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldfrance_39_guerber_64kb_3
large/11381/thestoryofoldfrance_1704_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldfrance_39_guerber_64kb
English
11381
Their horses, plunging madly into this gap, threw disorder in the ranks, and the enemy, standing on the opposite bank, easily slew them while they were trying to scramble out of this awkward place. THEIR HORSES PLUNGING MADLY INTO THIS GAP THREW DISORDER IN THE RANKS AND THE ENEMY STANDING ON THE OPPOSITE BANK EASILY SLEW THEM WHILE THEY WERE TRYING TO SCRAMBLE OUT OF THIS AWKWARD PLACE
 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). 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. 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 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
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