paffihg near St. Amand, to make an aflaultupon the gate which Opens towards Mande. This they executed ; and full four hundred light troops armed croifed the river, and Mortagne's three gates were befieged. The weakell was certainly that leading to Mande ; however, that was tolerably ftrong. At that poft the lord of Beaujéu placed himfelf; for he knew that all the reft were fafe. He had armed himfelf with a very ftout lance, having the head of tempered fteel, and on the under fide a fliarp hook, fo that, when he made his ftroke, he could fix the hook into the jackets, or armour, of thofe who attacked, draw them to. him, and make them fall into 'the river. By this means, in the courfe of the day, he caught and deftroyed more than ' twelve of the aflailants. At this gate, the confila: was much more fevere than any wherç elfe, and the earl of Hainault was ignorant of it : he was hard by to - wards jWnal, drawn out in order of battle upon the bank of the Scheld. The lords took council how they might draw out the piles, either by force or ingenuity, from the bed of the river, fo that they might advance upon it up to the walls of the town* They ordered an engine to be made in a largç veffel, to draw them out one after another ; and all the carpenters were dire&ly fet upon this bufinefs. This fame day the Valenciennois, oil their part, ere&ed a handfome engine, which caft ftones into the town and caftle, and much annoyed the inhabitants of Mortagne. ' · ' • \ In this manner pafled the firft day,- and the fot lowing night in affaulting and devifing upon% the beft means to moleft the town. On ψ