to be picking his teeth, as if he had not heard
what his comrades had proposed. 'Well, and you,' said he, 'what say you
about it? It is no time for picking one's teeth; we must at once send
speedy reply to the emperor.' Gayly the good knight answered, 'If we
would all take my lord of Ymbercourt's word, we have only to go straight
to the breach. But it is a somewhat sorry pastime for men-at-arms to go
afoot, and I would gladly be excused. Howbeit, since I must give my
opinion, I will. The emperor bids you, in his letter, set all the French
gentlemen afoot for to deliver the assault along with his lanzknechts.
My opinion is, that you, my lord, ought to send back to the emperor a
reply of this sort: that you have had a meeting of your captains, who are
quite determined to do his bidding, according to the charge they have
from the king their master; but that to mix them up with the foot, who
are of small estate, would be to make them of little account; the emperor
has loads of counts, lords, and gentlemen of Germany; let him set them
afoot along with the men-at-arms of France, who will gladly show them the
road; and then his lanzknechts will follow, if they know that it will
pay.' When the good knight had thus spoken, his advice was found
virtuous and reasonable. To the emperor was sent back this answer, which
he thought right honorable. He incontinently had his trumpets sounded
and his drums beaten for to assemble all the princes, and lords, and
captains as well of Germany and Burgundy as of Hainault. Then the
emperor declared to them that he was determined to go, within an hour,
and deliver the assault on the town, whereof he had notified the lords of
France, who were all most desirous of doing their duty therein right
well, and prayed him that along with them might go the gentlemen of
Germany, to whom they would gladly show the road: 'Wherefore, my lords,'
said the emperor, I pray you, as much as ever I can, to be pleased to
accompany them and set yourselves afoot with them; and I hope, with God's
help, that at the first assault we shall be masters of our enemies.'
When the emperor had done speaking, on a sudden there arose among his
Germans a very wondrous and strange uproar, which lasted half an hour
before it was appeased; and then one amongst them, bidden to answer for
all, said that they were not folks to be set afoot or so to go up to a
breach, and that their condition was to fight like gentlemen,
a-horseb