The king stood on a bench and watched the troops advance, shading his eyes with his hand.  As it was but half a mile to the walls they could see all that took place.  When the knights had got within two hundred yards and arrows began to drop amongst them, they dismounted from their horses and left them in charge of the grooms, who walked them up and down, none remaining still a minute, so as to escape the aim of the enemy’s archers.  Then drawing their swords, the knights, who were in full armour, put themselves at the head of the band, and advanced at a steady pace to the wall.  In their mail with their shields before them they cared not for such feeble archery, nor even for the darts that poured upon them when they came within reach.  There was no fosse to the wall, so that, pushing forward, they were soon at the foot.  So easily had they reached it that Felix almost thought the city already won.  Now he saw blocks of stone, darts, and beams of wood cast at them from the parapet, which was not more than twelve feet above the ground.

Quite undismayed, the knights set up their ladders, of which they had but four, one each.  The men-at-arms held these by main force against the wall, the besiegers trying to throw them away, and chopping at the rungs with their axes.  But the ladders were well shod with iron to resist such blows, and in a moment Felix saw, with intense delight and admiration, the four knights slowly mount to the parapet and cut at the defenders with their swords.  The gleam of steel was distinctly visible as the blades rose and fell.  The enemy thrust at them with pikes, but seemed to shrink from closer combat, and a moment afterwards the gallant four stood on the top of the wall.  Their figures, clad in mail and shield in hand, were distinctly seen against the sky.  Up swarmed the men-at-arms behind them, and some seemed to descend on the other side.  A shout rose from the camp and echoed over the woods.  Felix shouted with the rest, wild with excitement.

The next minute, while yet the knights stood on the wall, and scarcely seemed to know what to do next, there appeared at least a dozen men in armour running along the wall towards them.  Felix afterwards understood that the ease with which the four won the wall at first was owing to there being no men of knightly rank among the defenders at that early hour.  Those who had collected to repulse the assault were citizens, retainers, slaves, any, in fact who had been near.  But now the news had reached the enemy’s leaders, and some of them hastened to the wall.  As these were seen approaching, the camp was hushed, and every eye strained on the combatants.

The noble four could not all meet their assailants, the wall was but wide enough for two to fight; but the other two had work enough the next minute, as eight or ten more men in mail advanced the other way.  So they fought back to back, two facing one way, and two the other.  The swords rose and fell.  Felix saw a flash of light fly up into the air, it was the point of a sword broken off short.  At the foot of the wall the men who had not had time to mount endeavoured to assist their masters by stabbing upwards with their spears.