large/11381/thestoryofoldfrance_1704_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldfrance_39_guerber_64kb_22
large/11381/thestoryofoldfrance_1704_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldfrance_39_guerber_64kb
English
11381
" The Flemings were so proud of the victory won at Courtrai, that they hung up in the cathedral of that city seven thousand spurs taken from their dead foemen. uigitizea oy vjiOOQlC PHILIP IV. (1285 1314) 141 There these trophies remained until the French came back, some time later, and avenged the death of their countrymen. THE FLEMINGS WERE SO PROUD OF THE VICTORY WON AT COURTRAY THAT THEY HUNG UP IN THE CATHEDRAL OF THAT CITY SEVEN THOUSAND SPURS TAKEN FROM THEIR DEAD FOEMEN THERE THESE TROPHIES REMAINED UNTIL THE FRENCH CAME BACK SOME TIME LATER AND AVENGED THE DEATH OF THEIR COUNTRYMEN
. 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. 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. Such was the number of Flemings who suddenly appeared on all sides to take part in this fight, that Philip exclaimed in dismay : " Does it then rain Flemings ? T 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 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 SUCH WAS THE NUMBER OF FLEMINGS WHO SUDDENLY APPEARED ON ALL SIDES TO TAKE PART IN THIS FIGHT THAT PHILIPPE EXCLAIMED IN DISMAY DOES IT THEN RAIN FLEMINGS
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