Читать книгу The boy's Froissart - Froissart Jean - Страница 31

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THE King of France was much rejoiced at the arrival of Sir Robert de Bailleul, and his defeat of the Hainaulters. Shortly afterwards, the Earl of Hainault, Sir John his uncle the seneschal of Hainault, with full six hundred lances, Hainaulters and Germans, set out from the siege before Tournay. The earl had sent orders for those of Valenciennes to take another route, and place themselves between the Scarpe and the Scheld, to attack the town of Mortagne. They came there in a large body, and brought with them many engines, to throw things into the place. I have before told how the Lord of Beaujeu had been sent thither as governor. He had expected an attack, from the situation of Mortagne upon the Scheld, and bordering upon Hainault, and had driven upward of twelve hundred piles in the bed of the river to prevent its navigation. It was not long before the earl and his Hainaulters arrived on one side of the town, and the Valenciennois on the other. They made preparations for an immediate attack. The Valenciennois ordered their crossbow-men to shoot, and to advance to the barriers; but they were unable to do so, on account of the wide and deep trenches which had been made before them. They then bethought themselves to cross the Scarpe at any rate below Château l’Abbaie, and, passing near St. Amand, to make an assault upon the gate which opens toward Mande. This they executed, and full four hundred troops crossed the river, and Mortagne’s three gates were besieged. The weakest was certainly that leading to Mande: however, that was tolerably strong.

At that post the Lord of Beaujeu placed himself; for he knew that all the rest were safe. He had armed himself with a very stout lance, having the head of tempered steel, and on the under side a sharp hook, so that, when he made his stroke, he could fix the hook into the jackets or armor of those who attacked, draw them to him, and make them fall into the river. By this means, in the course of the day, he caught and destroyed more than twelve of the assailants. At this gate the conflict was much more severe than anywhere else, and the Earl of Hainault was ignorant of it: he was hard by toward Brisnal, drawn out in order of battle, upon the bank of the Scheld. The lords took counsel how they might draw out the piles, either by force or ingenuity, from the bed of the river, so that they might advance upon it up to the walls of the town. They ordered an engine to be made in a large vessel, for the purpose of drawing them out one after another, and all the carpenters were directly set upon this business. This same day the Valenciennois, on their part, erected a handsome engine, which cast stones into the town and castle, and much annoyed the inhabitants of Mortagne. In this manner passed the first day and the following night. On the morrow they returned to the attack on all sides. The third day the vessel and engine were ready to draw out the piles, and those ordered to that duty were set to work; but they had so much trouble and labor in drawing out one, that the lords thought they should never accomplish it, and therefore made them desist. There was at that time a very able engineer at Mortagne, who, having considered the machine of the Valenciennois, and how much it annoyed the town,—for it was perpetually in action,—made another in the castle, which was not very large, but well made and tempered, and so well pointed that it was used only three times. The first stone fell within twelve paces of the engine of the Valenciennois; the second was nearer to the box; and the third was so well aimed that it struck the machine upon the shaft, and split it in two. The soldiers of Mortagne made a great shouting at this event. The Hainaulters were thus two days and two nights before Mortagne without conquering any part of it. The earl and his uncle thought it advisable to return toward Tournay, which they did; and the Valenciennois went back to their town whence they had come.