On the first day, early in the morning, there entered Courtrai Messires Baldwin of Papenrode, Henry of Raveschoot, Ivo of Belleghem, Solomon of Sevecote, and the lord of Maldeghem. Toward midday a cloud of dust arose over the distant trees in the direction of Moorseele, and amid the loud shouts of the men of Bruges, fifteen hundred men of Furnes entered the city, with the renowned warrior Eustachius Sporkyn at their head. They were accompanied by a multitude of knights who had joined them on their march. Among these the most distinguished were Messires John van Ayshoven, William van Daekenem, and his brother Peter; Messire van Landeghem, Hugo van der Moere, and Simon van Caestere. John Willebaert of Thorout had also placed himself, with a small contingent of troops, under the command of Van Sporkyn. Each moment, moreover, some stray knight would enter the camp: not a few of these were from surrounding countries, and gladly came to lend their aid to the Flemings in their struggle for liberty. In this way Henry van Lonchyn of Luxemburg, Goswyn van Goetzenhove and John van Cuyck, two nobles of Brabant, were already with Guy when the troops of Furnes marched into the city. As soon as each newcomer had recruited his strength, and refreshed himself with food, he was sent into the camp, and placed under the command of Messire van Renesse.
On the second day arrived in haste the men of Ypres. Although they had their own city to care for, they could not allow Flanders to be liberated without them. Their troops were the finest and richest in equipment of all the army. They were five hundred clubmen, all arrayed in scarlet, and with magnificent feathers in their glittering morions; they wore also breastplates and kneeplates, which gleamed wondrously in the sunshine. Seven hundred others carried enormous crossbows, with bolts of steel: and their uniform was green turned up with yellow. With them came Messires John of Ypres, armor-bearer of Count John of Namur, Diederik van Vlamertinghe, Joseph van HoUebeke and Baldwin van Passchendale; their leaders were Philip Baelde and Peter Belle, the Deans of the two principal Guilds of Ypres. In the afternoon arrived two hundred well-appointed warriors from east and west Vrye, the villages around Bruges.
On the third day, early in the morning, Messires William van Gulick, the priest, and John van Renesse returned from Cassel. Five hundred knights, four hundred Zeelanders, and another detachment of the men of Bruges, marched with them into the camp.
And now from every part the knights and warriors who had been summoned had arrived. Men of all arms were ranged under the command of Guy. It is impossible to express the joy which filled the hearts of the Flemings during these days; for now they saw that their fellow-countrymen had not degenerated, and that their fatherland still counted loyal and valiant sons in every quarter. Already one-and-twenty thousand men lay encamped, fit and ready for battle, under the banner of the Black Lion; and their number was being hourly increased by small reenforcements.
Although the French had an army of sixty-two thousand men, of which the half was cavalry, yet not the slightest fear found entrance into the hearts of the Flemings. In their enthusiasm they would cease their work, and embrace one another, exchanging words of confidence and triumph, as though there were nothing that could rob them of their victory.
Toward evening, as the laborers were returning to their tents, the cry, "Flanders and the Lion!" arose anew over the walls of Courtrai. All ran back to the entrenchments to see what the sound could mean. No sooner did their eyes range freely over the ramparts than they sent back a loud and joyous answering shout. Six hundred horsemen, all cased in steel, sprang into the trenches amid deafening acclamations. They came from Namur; and Count John, the brother of Robert de Bethune, had sent them into Flanders. The arrival of these horsemen greatly raised the spirits and increased the joy of the Flemings; for it was in cavalry that they were particularly deficient. Although they knew right well that the men of Namur could not understand one word they said, they overwhelmed them with words of greeting and welcome, and brought them wine in profusion: and when the foreign warriors saw this friendly reception, they felt themselves animated by a like spirit of affection; and they swore that they would sacrifice both blood and life for their good hosts.
Ghent alone had sent neither message nor contingent to Courtrai. It had been long known that the Lilyards were very numerous there, and that the governor was a stanch ally of the French. Nevertheless, seven hundred French mercenaries had been slain
