135 - Concerning the belfry and siege ladders that the king ordered to be made

Summary

After the king had spent nine days encamped outside this place, and the men of the town had shot sixty cannon stones (which, however, did no damage), the king ordered a siege engine to be constructed on top of the town bridge. Immediately on that Wednesday it launched five stones; three fell inside the town and two hit the wall. They replied from inside with twelve cannon stones, which did no damage. On Thursday the engine launched twenty-five rocks, of which sixteen hit the wall and two hit two arbours, which were toppled at once. Nine fell inside the town, and caused heavy damage to houses that they knocked down.

Meanwhile they never ceased cutting and hauling wood that the king had ordered to be brought to construct two siege ladders and a belfry, to be moved all together and placed against the town wall. When it had been built, they made the wheels of the cart for the siege tower; the wheel rims were roughly two handspans thick, the width from wheel to wheel was 13 cubits, and the planking over the wheels measured 26 cubits in length; the height, measuring from the planking to the top, was 13½ fathoms.

On the belfry there were three platforms, for men-at-arms and crossbowmen, grouped together or separately, as required. Its first platform sat on stout beams, was floored in thick cane matting, for men to walk on, and was fenced by 136 posts. To the rear, it was left open; here there were hatchway ladders, by which they would climb up. Likewise, the second platform was fenced by 124 posts, and the third by 130, also with hatchway ladders leading from one to the other. Above this platform was a fourth small one, fenced by 128 half posts; stored here were 3,000 stones for throwing, which the market women had been ordered to gather. On the second platform there were fifteen large wineskins, full of vinegar to be poured on the fire if any were hurled at them. This belfry carried in front six large panels of woven cane, padded with gorse, and covered by twenty-four uncured ox hides, nailed to it for protection against fire and missiles from the cannons.