Philip of Valois, scarcely seated on his own throne, turned his arms
towards Flanders, to assist the count in subduing his rebellious
subjects. His noble army consisted of thirty thousand men, among whom
were fourteen thousand gendarmes. Philip marched straight towards
the city of Cassel, and laid siege to it. The rebel army, much less
numerous than the French, was composed entirely of infantry: they were
fishermen, peasants, and artisans. A small dealer in fish, named Colin
Zannequin, was at their head, a bold, daring man, in whom audacity and
cunning made up for deficiency in military experience. Such was the
singular champion opposed to the king of France; such were the troops
destined to contend with the proudest nobility of Europe: and this
ignoble assemblage was very near destroying the haughty battalions
which held them in rather too much contempt. Never was any army more
determined or more insolent in its bearing than these newly-made
soldiers, encamped and intrenched within sight of Cassel, upon an
eminence very difficult of access. They had the audacity to hoist
upon one of the towers of the city a kind of standard, upon which was
painted a cock, with this inscription:--
“Quand ce coq chanté aura,
Le roi Cassel conquérera.”
[When this cock shall have crowed, the king shall conquer Cassel.]
Zannequin conceived a project which might, if successful, have proved
of great importance. In his character of a dealer in fish, he went
every day, with reckless confidence, to exercise his trade in the
royal camp. He sold his fish at a moderate price, in order to get a
footing, and afford him an opportunity of seeing what was going on. He
found that they sat a long time at table, that they gambled a great
deal, that they danced, and they slept in the afternoon. In short,
such negligent guard appeared to be kept, that the audacious Fleming
conceived the design of carrying off the king and all his quarter.
On the 23rd of August, 1528, about two o’clock in the afternoon, at
the time when he knew the French were taking their daily nap, he
divided his troops into three bodies, ordered one to march quietly to
the quarter of the king of Bohemia, the second to advance in silence
against the _battle_ commanded by the count of Hainault, whilst he
placed himself at the head of the third. He entered the camp without
shouting the war-cry, which was at that time always done before
commencing a battle, and penetrated nearly to the king’s tent, where
too good a watch was not kept. When they appeared, they were supposed
to be a reinforcement just arrived, and Renaud Delor, a noble cavalier,
came towards them with a smile, saying it was not polite to disturb
their friends’ slumbers. He was answered by a javelin through his
heart. This proved the signal for fight. The Flemings drew their swords
and slaughtered all they met. The alarm was soon spread through the
French camp; loud cries announced the danger, and all flew to arms.
The king was roused by a Dominican, his confessor. He laughed at the
worthy father, telling him that fear disturbed his imagination; but
Miles de Noyer, who bore the oriflamme, soon rushed in, confirming the
news, and entreating the king to arm. But there was neither squire nor
knight to assist his majesty, and the duty was performed by the clerks
of his chapel. He sprang upon his war-horse, and marched straight
against the assailants. Miles de Noyer stopped him, advising him to
wait till his troops should be sufficiently increased to turn the
Flemings, and afterwards take them in flank. This brave and prudent
knight then raised the royal standard on a point from which it could be
seen at a great distance. At this signal, the cavalry drew up around
their prince. The Flemings were surrounded, broken, and then cut to
pieces. Of sixteen thousand men, who composed this army, not one gave
ground, but not one escaped. The French lost but few in the action:
armour was then very complete, and the ill-protected Flemings had but
little chance against the French chivalry. The other rebel battalions
dispersed immediately. Cassel was taken, razed to the ground, and
reduced to ashes. After having restored peace, Philip returned to his
own dominions, saying to the count of Flanders: “Be more prudent and
more humane, and you will have fewer rebels.” This was certainly a
well-merited reproof; but it came very ill from such a man as Philip of
Valois.