CHAPTER XLII
Letters of fire on the church wall had just inquired, with an appearanceof genuine curiosity, why there was no mass for the duke in this time oftrouble. The supernatural expostulation had been seen by many, and hadgradually faded, leaving the spectators glued there gaping. The upshotwas, that the corporation, not choosing to be behind the angelic powersin loyalty to a temporal sovereign, invested freely in masses. By thisan old friend of ours, the cure, profited in hard cash; for which he hada very pretty taste. But for this I would not of course have detainedyou over so trite an occurrence as a miracle.
Denys begged for his arms. "Why disgrace him as well as break hisheart?"
"Then swear on the cross of thy sword not to leave the bastard's serviceuntil the sedition shall be put down." He yielded to necessity, anddelivered three volleys of oaths, and recovered his arms and liberty.
The troops halted at "The Three Fish," and Marion at sight of him criedout, "I'm out of luck; who would have thought to see you again?" Thenseeing he was sad, and rather hurt than amused at this blunt jest, sheasked him what was amiss? He told her. She took a bright view of thecase. Gerard was too handsome and well-behaved to come to harm. Thewomen too would always be on his side. Moreover, it was clear thatthings must either go well or ill with him. In the former case he wouldstrike in with some good company going to Rome; in the latter he wouldreturn home, perhaps be there before his friend; "for you have a trifleof fighting to do in Flanders by all accounts." She then brought himhis gold pieces, and steadily refused to accept one, though he urged heragain and again. Denys was somewhat convinced by her argument, becauseshe concurred with his own wishes, and was also cheered a little byfinding her so honest. It made him think a little better of that worldin which his poor little friend was walking alone.
Foot soldiers in small bodies down to twos and threes were already onthe road, making lazily towards Flanders, many of them penniless, butpassed from town to town by the bailiffs, with orders for food andlodging on the innkeepers.
Anthony of Burgundy overtook numbers of these, and gathered them underhis standard, so that he entered Flanders at the head of six hundredmen. On crossing the frontier he was met by his brother Baldwyn, withmen, arms, and provisions; he organized his whole force and marched onin battle array through several towns, not only without impediment,but with great acclamations. This loyalty called forth comments notaltogether gracious.
"This rebellion of ours is a bite," growled a soldier called Simon, whohad elected himself Denys's comrade.
Denys said nothing, but made a little vow to St. Mars to shoot thisAnthony of Burgundy dead, should the rebellion, that had cost himGerard, prove no rebellion.
That afternoon they came in sight of a strongly fortified town; and awhisper went through the little army that this was a disaffected place.
But when they came in sight, the great gate stood open, and the towersthat flanked it on each side were manned with a single sentinelapiece. So the advancing force somewhat broke their array and marchedcarelessly.
When they were within a furlong, the drawbridge across the moat roseslowly and creaking till it stood vertical against the fort and thevery moment it settled into this warlike attitude, down rattled theportcullis at the gate, and the towers and curtains bristled with lancesand crossbows.
A stern hum ran through the bastard's front rank and spread to the rear.
"Halt!" cried he. The word went down the line, and they halted. "Heraldto the gate!" A pursuivant spurred out of the ranks, and halting twentyyards from the gate, raised his bugle with his herald's flag hangingdown round it, and blew a summons. A tall figure in brazen armourappeared over the gate. A few fiery words passed between him and theherald, which were not audible, but their import clear, for the heraldblew a single keen and threatening note at the walls, and came gallopingback with war in his face. The bastard moved out of the line to meethim, and their heads had not been together two seconds ere he turned inhis saddle and shouted, "Pioneers, to the van!" and in a moment hedgeswere levelled, and the force took the field and encamped just out ofshot from the walls; and away went mounted officers flying south, east,and west, to the friendly towns, for catapults, palisades, mantelets,raw hides, tar-barrels, carpenters, provisions, and all the materialsfor a siege.
The bright perspective mightily cheered one drooping soldier. Atthe first clang of the portcullis his eyes brightened and his templeflushed; and when the herald came back with battle in his eye he saw itin a moment, and for the first time this many days cried, "Courage, toutle monde, le diable est mort."
If that great warrior heard, how he must have grinned!
The besiegers encamped a furlong from the walls, and made roads; kepttheir pikemen in camp ready for an assault when practicable; and sentforward their sappers, pioneers, catapultiers, and crossbowmen. Theseopened a siege by filling the moat, and mining, or breaching the wall,etc. And as much of their work had to be done under close fire ofarrows, quarels, bolts, stones, and little rocks, the above artists "hadneed of a hundred eyes," and acted in concert with a vigilance, and anamount of individual intelligence, daring, and skill, that made a siegevery interesting, and even amusing: to lookers on.
The first thing they did was to advance their carpenters behind rollingmantelets, to erect a stockade high and strong on the very edge of themoat. Some lives were lost at this, but not many; for a strong force ofcrossbowmen, including Denys, rolled their mantelets up and shot overthe workmen's heads at every besieged who showed his nose, and at everyloophole, arrow-slit, or other aperture, which commanded the particularspot the carpenters happened to be upon. Covered by their condensedfire, these soon raised a high palisade between them and the ordinarymissiles from the pierced masonry.
But the besieged expected this, and ran out at night their boards orwooden penthouses on the top of the curtains. The curtains were builtwith square holes near the top to receive the beams that supported thesestructures, the true defence of mediaeval forts, from which the besiegeddelivered their missiles with far more freedom and variety of rangethan they could shoot through the oblique but immovable loopholes of thecurtain, or even through the sloping crenelets of the higher towers.On this the besiegers brought up mangonels, and set them hurlinghuge stones at these woodworks and battering them to pieces.Contemporaneously they built a triangular wooden tower as high as thecurtain, and kept it ready for use, and just out of shot.
This was a terrible sight to the besieged. These wooden towers had takenmany a town. They began to mine underneath that part of the moat thetower stood frowning at; and made other preparations to give it a warmreception. The besiegers also mined, but at another part, their objectbeing to get under the square barbican and throw it down. All this timeDenys was behind his mantelet with another arbalestrier, protecting theworkmen and making some excellent shots. These ended by earning himthe esteem of an unseen archer, who every now and then sent a wingedcompliment quivering into his mantelet. One came and struck within aninch of the narrow slit through which Denys was squinting at the moment."Peste," cried he, "you shoot well, my friend. Come forth and receive mycongratulations! Shall merit such as thine hide its head? Comrade, itis one of those cursed Englishmen, with his half ell shaft. I'll not dietill I've had a shot at London wall."
On the side of the besieged was a figure that soon attracted greatnotice by promenading under fire. It was a tall knight, clad in completebrass, and carrying a light but prodigiously long lance, with which hedirected the movements of the besieged. And when any disaster befell thebesiegers, this tall knight and his long lance were pretty sure to beconcerned in it.
My young reader will say, "Why did not Denys shoot him?" Denys did shoothim; every day of his life; other arbalestriers shot him; archers shothim. Everybody shot him. He was there to be shot, apparently. But theabomination was, he did not mind being shot. Nay, worse, he got at lastso demoralised as not to seem to know when he was shot. He walked hisbattlements under fire, as some stout skipper paces his
deck in asuit of Flushing, calmly oblivious of the April drops that fall on hiswoollen armour. At last the besiegers got spiteful, and would not wasteany more good steel on him; but cursed him and his impervious coat ofmail.
He took those missiles like the rest.
Gunpowder has spoiled war. War was always detrimental to the solidinterests of mankind. But in old times it was good for something: itpainted well, sang divinely, furnished Iliads. But invisible butchery,under a pall of smoke a furlong thick, who is any the better for that?Poet with his note-book may repeat, "Suave etiam belli certamina magnatueri;" but the sentiment is hollow and savours of cuckoo. You can'ttueri anything but a horrid row. He didn't say, "Suave etiam ingentemcaliginem tueri per campos instructam."
They managed better in the Middle Ages.
This siege was a small affair; but, such as it was, a writer or minstrelcould see it, and turn an honest penny by singing it; so far then thesport was reasonable, and served an end.
It was a bright day, clear, but not quite frosty. The efforts of thebesieging force were concentrated against a space of about two hundredand fifty yards, containing two curtains and two towers, one of whichwas the square barbican, the other had a pointed roof that was builtto overlap, resting on a stone machicolade, and by this means a row ofdangerous crenelets between the roof and the masonry grinned down at thenearer assailants, and looked not very unlike the grinders of a modernfrigate with each port nearly closed. The curtains were overlapped withpenthouses somewhat shattered by the mangonels, trebuchets, and otherslinging engines of the besiegers. On the besiegers' edge of the moatwas what seemed at first sight a gigantic arsenal, longer than it wasbroad, peopled by human ants, and full of busy, honest industry,and displaying all the various mechanical science of the age in fulloperation. Here the lever at work, there the winch and pulley, here thebalance, there the capstan. Everywhere heaps of stones, and piles offascines, mantelets, and rows of fire-barrels. Mantelets rolling, thehammer tapping all day, horses and carts in endless succession rattlingup with materials. Only, on looking closer into the hive of industry,you might observe that arrows were constantly flying to and fro, thatthe cranes did not tenderly deposit their masses of stone, but flungthem with an indifference to property, though on scientific principles,and that among the tubs full of arrows, and the tar-barrels and thebeams, the fagots, and other utensils, here and there a workman or asoldier lay flatter than is usual in limited naps, and something moreor less feathered stuck in them, and blood, and other essentials, oozedout.
At the edge of the moat opposite the wooden tower, a strong penthouse,which they called "a cat," might be seen stealing towards the curtain,and gradually filling up the moat with fascines and rubbish, which theworkmen flung out at its mouth. It was advanced by two sets of ropespassing round pulleys, and each worked by a windlass at some distancefrom the cat. The knight burnt the first cat by flinging blazingtar-barrels on it. So the besiegers made the roof of this one verysteep, and covered it with raw hides, and the tar-barrels could not harmit. Then the knight made signs with his spear, and a little trebuchetbehind the walls began dropping stones just clear of the wall into themoat, and at last they got the range, and a stone went clean through theroof of the cat, and made an ugly hole.
Baldwyn of Burgundy saw this, and losing his temper, ordered the greatcatapult that was battering the wood-work of the curtain opposite it tobe turned and levelled slantwise at this invulnerable knight. Denys andhis Englishman went to dinner. These two worthies being eternally onthe watch for one another had made a sort of distant acquaintance, andconversed by signs, especially on a topic that in peace or war maintainsthe same importance. Sometimes Denys would put a piece of bread on thetop of his mantelet, and then the archer would hang something of thekind out by a string; or the order of invitation would be reversed.Anyway, they always managed to dine together.
And now the engineers proceeded to the unusual step of slingingfifty-pound stones at an individual.
This catapult was a scientific, simple, and beautiful engine, and veryeffective in vertical fire at the short ranges of the period.
Imagine a fir-tree cut down, and set to turn round a horizontal axis onlofty uprights, but not in equilibrio; three-fourths of the tree beingon the hither side. At the shorter and thicker end of the tree wasfastened a weight of half a ton. This butt end just before the dischargepointed towards the enemy. By means of a powerful winch the longtapering portion of the tree was forced down to the very ground, andfastened by a bolt; and the stone placed in a sling attached to thetree's nose. But this process of course raised the butt end with itshuge weight high in the air, and kept it there struggling in vainto come down. The bolt was now drawn; Gravity, an institution whichflourished even then, resumed its sway, the short end swung furiouslydown, the long end went as furiously round up, and at its highestelevation flung the huge stone out of the sling with a tremendous jerk.In this case the huge mass so flung missed the knight; but came downnear him on the penthouse, and went through it like paper, making anawful gap in roof and floor. Through the latter fell out two inanimateobjects, the stone itself and the mangled body of a besieger it hadstruck. They fell down the high curtain side, down, down, and struckalmost together the sullen waters of the moat, which closed bubblingon them, and kept both the stone and the bone two hundred years, tillcannon mocked those oft perturbed waters, and civilization dried them.
"Aha! a good shot," cried Baldwyn of Burgundy.
The tall knight retired. The besiegers hooted him.
He reappeared on the platform of the barbican, his helmet being justvisible above the parapet. He seemed very busy, and soon an enormousTurkish catapult made its appearance on the platform and aided by theelevation at which it was planted, flung a twentypound stone some twohundred and forty yards in the air; it bounded after that, and knockedsome dirt into the Lord Anthony's eye, and made him swear. The nextstone struck a horse that was bringing up a sheaf of arrows in a cart,bowled the horse over dead like a rabbit, and spilt the cart. It wasthen turned at the besiegers' wooden tower, supposed to be out of shot.Sir Turk slung stones cut with sharp edges on purpose, and struck itrepeatedly, and broke it in several places. The besiegers turned twoof their slinging engines on this monster, and kept constantly slingingsmaller stones on to the platform of the barbican, and killed two ofthe engineers. But the Turk disdained to retort. He flung a forty-poundstone on to the besiegers' great catapult, and hitting it in theneighbourhood of the axis, knocked the whole structure to pieces, andsent the engineers skipping and yelling.
In the afternoon, as Simon was running back to his mantelet from apalisade where he had been shooting at the besieged, Denys, peepingthrough his slit, saw the poor fellow suddenly stare and hold out hisarms, then roll on his face, and a feathered arrow protruded from hisback. The archer showed himself a moment to enjoy his skill. It was theEnglishman. Denys, already prepared, shot his bolt, and the murderousarcher staggered away wounded. But poor Simon never moved. His wars wereover.
"I am unlucky in my comrades," said Denys.
The next morning an unwelcome sight greeted the besieged. The cat wascovered with mattresses and raw hides, and fast filling up the moat. Theknight stoned it, but in vain; flung burning tar-barrels on it, but invain. Then with his own hands he let down by a rope a bag of burningsulphur and pitch, and stunk them out. But Baldwyn, armed like alobster, ran, and bounding on the roof, cut the string, and the workwent on. Then the knight sent fresh engineers into the mine, andundermined the place and underpinned it with beams, and covered thebeams thickly with grease and tar.
At break of day the moat was filled, and the wooden tower began to moveon its wheels towards a part of the curtain on which two catapultswere already playing to breach the hoards, and clear the way. There wassomething awful and magical in its approach without visible agency, forit was driven by internal rollers worked by leverage. On the top was aplatform, where stood the first assailing party protected in front bythe drawbridge of the turret, which
stood vertical till lowered on tothe wall; but better protected by full suits of armour. The beseigedslung at the tower, and struck it often, but in vain. It was welldefended with mattresses and hides, and presently was at the edge of themoat. The knight bade fire the mine underneath it.
Then the Turkish engine flung a stone of half a hundredweight rightamongst the knights, and carried two away with it off the tower on tothe plain. One lay and writhed: the other neither moved nor spake.
And now the besieging catapults flung blazing tar-barrels, and fired thehoards on both sides, and the assailants ran up the ladders behind thetower, and lowered the drawbridge on to the battered curtain, while thecatapults in concert flung tar-barrels and fired the adjoining worksto dislodge the defenders. The armed men on the platform sprang on thebridge, led by Baldwyn. The invulnerable knight and his men-at-arms metthem, and a fearful combat ensued, in which many a figure was seento fall headlong down off the narrow bridge. But fresh besiegers keptswarming up behind the tower, and the besieged were driven off thebridge.
Another minute, and the town was taken; but so well had the firing ofthe mine been timed, that just at this instant the underpinners gaveway, and the tower suddenly sank away from the walls, tearing thedrawbridge clear and pouring the soldiers off it against the masonry,and on to the dry moat. The besieged uttered a fierce shout, and in amoment surrounded Baldwyn and his fellows; but strange to say, offeredthem quarter. While a party disarmed and disposed of these, others firedthe turret in fifty places with a sort of hand grenades. At this workwho so busy as the tall knight. He put the fire-bags on his long spear,and thrust them into the doomed structure late so terrible. To do thishe was obliged to stand on a projecting beam of the shattered hoard,holding on by the hand of a pikeman to steady himself. This provokedDenys; he ran out from his mantelet, hoping to escape notice in theconfusion, and levelling his crossbow missed the knight clean, but senthis bolt into the brain of the pikeman, and the tall knight fell heavilyfrom the wall, lance and all. Denys gazed wonder-struck; and in thatunlucky moment, suddenly he felt his arm hot, then cold, and there wasan English arrow skewering it.
This episode was unnoticed in a much greater matter. The knight, hisarmour glittering in the morning sun, fell headlong, but turning as heneared the water, struck it with a slap that sounded a mile off.
None ever thought to see him again. But he fell at the edge of thefascines on which the turret stood all cocked on one side, and his spearstuck into them under water, and by a mighty effort he got to the side,but could not get out. Anthony sent a dozen knights with a white flag totake him prisoner. He submitted like a lamb, but said nothing.
He was taken to Anthony's tent.
That worthy laughed at first at the sight of his muddy armour, butpresently, frowning, said, "I marvel, sir, that so good a knight asyou should know his devoir so ill as turn rebel, and give us all thistrouble."
"I am nun-nun-nun-nun-nun-no knight."
"What then?"
"A hosier."
"A what? Then thy armour shall be stripped off, and thou shalt be tiedto a stake in front of the works, and riddled with arrows for a warningto traitors."
"N-n-n-n-no! duda-duda-duda-duda-don't do that."
"Why not?"
"Tuta-tuta-tuta-townsfolk will-h-h-h-hang t'otherbuba-buba-buba-buba-bastard."
"What, whom?"
"Your bub-bub-bub-brother Baldwyn."
"What, have you knaves ta'en him?"
The warlike hosier nodded.
"Hang the fool!" said Anthony, peevishly.
The warlike hosier watched his eye, and doffing his helmet, took out ofthe lining an intercepted letter from the duke, bidding the said Anthonycome to court immediately, as he was to represent the court of Burgundyat the court of England; was to go over and receive the English king'ssister, and conduct her to her bridegroom, the Earl of Charolois. Themission was one very soothing to Anthony's pride, and also to his loveof pleasure. For Edward the Fourth held the gayest and most luxuriouscourt in Europe. The sly hosier saw he longed to be off, and said,"We'll gega-gega-gega-gega-give ye a thousand angels to raise thesiege."
"And Baldwyn?"
"I'll gega-gega-gega-gega-go and send him with the money."
It was now dinner-time; and a flag of truce being hoisted on both sides,the sham knight and the true one dined together and came to a friendlyunderstanding.
"But what is your grievance, my good friend?"
"Tuta-tuta-tuta-tuta-too much taxes."
Denys, on finding the arrow in his right arm, turned his back, which wasprotected by a long shield, and walked sulkily into camp. He was met bythe Comte de Jarnac, who had seen his brilliant shot, and finding himwounded into the bargain, gave him a handful of broad pieces.
"Hast got the better of thy grief, arbalestrier, methinks."
"My grief, yes; but not my love. As soon as ever I have put down thisrebellion, I go to Holland, and there I shall meet with him."
This event was nearer than Denys thought. He was relieved from servicenext day, and though his wound was no trifle, set out with a stout heartto rejoin his friend in Holland.