The Ghent men, being collected in a body on an eminence, fired at once three hundred cannon; after which they turned the marsh, and placed the Bruges men with the sun in their eyes, which much distressed them, and then fell upon them, shouting out, “Ghent!” The moment the men of Bruges heard the cannon and the cry of Ghent, and saw them marching to attack them in front, they, like cowards, opened their ranks, and, letting the Ghent men pass without making any defence, flung down their staves, and ran away. The Ghent men were in close order, and, perceiving their enemies were defeated, began to knock down and kill on all sides. They advanced with a quick step, shouting, “Ghent!” and saying, “Let us pursue briskly our enemies, who are defeated, and enter the town with them: God eyes us this day with looks of pity.” They followed those of Bruges with so much courage, that, whenever they knocked down or killed any one, they marched on without halting or quitting the pursuit, while the men of Bruges fled with the haste of a defeated army. I must say that at this place there were multitudes of slain, wounded, and thrown down, for they made no defence; and never were such cowardly wretches as those of Bruges, or who more weakly or recreantly behaved themselves, after their insolence when they first took the field. Some may wish to excuse them by supposing there might have been treason, which caused this defeat. This was not so; but such poor and weak conduct fell on their own heads. CHAPTER X. BRUGES IS TAKEN BY THE GHENT ARMY.--THE EARL OF FLANDERS SAVES HIMSELF IN THE HOUSE OF A POOR WOMAN. When the Earl of Flanders and the men at arms saw that by the miserable defence of the men of Bruges they had caused their own defeat, and that there was not any remedy for it, for every man was running away as fast as he could, they were much surprised, and began to be alarmed for themselves, and to make off in different directions. It is true, that, had they seen any probability of recovering the loss which the Bruges men were suffering, they would have done some deeds of arms by which they might have rallied them a little; but they saw it was hopeless, for they were flying to Bruges in all directions, and neither the son waited for the father, nor the father for his child.