The French, excited to the utmost by the exhortations of theircommanders, and by their desire to wipe out the disgrace of the easycapture of Vannes by the English, advanced with ardour to the assault,and officers and men vied with each other in the valour which theydisplayed. In vain did the garrison shower arrows and cross-bow boltsamong them, and pour down burning oil and quicklime upon them as theythronged at the foot of the wall. In vain were the ladders, time aftertime, hurled back loaded with men upon the mass below. The efforts ofthe men-at-arms to scale the defences were seconded by their archers andcrossbow-men, who shot such a storm of bolts that great numbers of thedefenders were killed. The assault was made at a score of differentpoints, and the garrison was too weak to defend all with success. SirJohn Powis and his party repulsed over and over again the efforts of theassailants against that part of the wall entrusted to them, but at otherpoints the French gained a footing, and swarming up rushed along thewalls, slaying all whom they encountered.
"All is lost," Sir John exclaimed; "let us fall back to the castle anddie fighting there."
Descending from the wall the party made their way through the streets.The French were already in the town; every house was closed and barred,and from the upper windows the burghers hurled down stones and bricksupon the fugitives, while parties of the French soldiers fell upon themfiercely. Many threw down their arms and cried for quarter, but wereinstantly slain.