BOOK THE FIRST
13
The shrieks of anguish and the yell of war 135
And Death's deep groan, yet vibrate on my heart,
Yet wake the strings of grief!
"Twere long to tell
The vast variety of woe that fill'd
Unhappy Harfleur. Long Estouteville strove,[1]
Long Gaucour's forceful arm repell'd the foe.140
In vain they strove, for weak were the wide walls
And few the gallant garrison, worn out
With days of ceaseless toil, and fearful nights
Of unseen peril. O'er the wasted town
The dreadful engines of destruction hurl'd145
Their ponderous ruin: then my father died!
Spirit of Albert! bend from yon high Heaven
"Thy
- ↑ The Englishmen, notwithstanding all the damage that the French could worke against them, forraied the countrie, spoiled the villages, bringing manie a rich preie to the camp before Harflue. And dailie was the towne assaulted: for the duke of Glocester, to whome the order of the siege was committed, made three mines under the ground, and approching to the wals with his engins and ordinence, would not suffer them within to take anie rast. Holinshed, 549.Estouteville was Governor of Harfleur: the place was gallantly defended under him by Guitri Gaucour and others of the French nobility, but the garrison was weak, and the fortifications were in bad repair.
