d had a garrison
not exceeding two thousand men; yet made they such stout resistance as
protracted the siege a month; and they at last found themselves more in
danger from want of provisions and ammunition than from the assaults of
the besiegers. Having conveyed intelligence of their situation to Lewis,
who had advanced to Amiens with his army, that prince gave orders to
throw relief into the place. Fontrailles appeared at the head of eight
hundred horsemen, each of whom carried a sack of gunpowder behind him,
and two quarters of bacon. With this small force he made a sudden
and unexpected irruption into the English camp, and, surmounting all
resistance, advanced to the fosse of the town, where each horseman threw
down his burden. They immediately returned at the gallop, and were so
fortunate as again to break through the English and to suffer little or
no loss in this dangerous attempt.[*]

But the English had, soon after, full revenge for the insult. Henry
had received intelligence of the approach of the French horse, who had
advanced to protect another incursion of Fontrailles; and he ordered
some troops to pass the Lis, in order to oppose them. The cavalry of
France, though they consisted chiefly of gentlemen, who had behaved with
great gallantry in many desperate actions in Italy, were, on sight of
the enemy, seized with so unaccountable a panic, that they immediately
took to flight, and were pursued by the English. The duke of
Longueville, who commanded the French, Bussi d'Amboise, Clermont,
Imbercourt, the chevalier Bayard, and many other officers of distinction
were made prisoners.[**] This action, or rather rout, is sometimes
called the battle of Guinegate, from the place where it was fought; but
more commonly the "battle of spurs," because the French that day made
more use of their spurs than of their swords or military weapons.

* Hist. de Chev. Bayard, chap. 57. Memoires de Bellai.

** Memoires de Bellai, liv. i. Polyd. Virg. liv. xxvii.
Holingshed, p. 822. Herbert.

After so considerable an advantage, the king, who was at the head of a
complete army of above fifty thousand men, might have made incursions to
the gates of Paris, and spread confusion and desolation every where. It
gave Lewis great joy when he heard that the English, instead of pushing
their victory, and attacking the dismayed troops of France, returned to
the siege of so inconsiderable a place as Terouane. The governors were