"Enter this underground passage and follow the path. It will lead you to the great hall of the
castle of Curvale. You will find a door which you must break through by force. There are enough of you to achieve this and to engage those in the fortress."
They responded, "Certainly, my lord."
They went in and advanced until the path brought them to the steps leading up to the door through which the great hall of the castle could be entered. So they began to beat and batter at the door with huge, well-honed axes and with heavy hammers to break it down and shatter it. It was about nightfall, and the castle garrison were keeping good watch when they heard someone attempting to enter the castle through the passage. They sprang up at once and hurried there.
Espagnolet, who was on his way to bed, appeared and advised them to pile beams, rocks, posts and other objects in the entrance to the passage to obstruct it so much that they would not be able to get past. This was done immediately and no defence could have been better. For although the men in the passageway had hacked the door into a hundred pieces with their axes, they had still not cleared the entrance, and in fact had more to do than before. When they realised the impossibility of entering that way they turned back to rejoin the army - it was now about midnight - and related to the lords what they had found and how the garrison of
Curvale had rumbled them and blocked up the entrance to the underground passage so efficiently that it had become impossible to gain entry to the castle through it.
SHF 3-54 sync
Third Book, Chapter 24 [1388-(1385)]
How the castle of Curvale and the castle of Le Mesnil, situated in Bigorre, were captured by the French, and all those within slain or hanged.
The discussion ended and the engine, from which the crossbowmen shoot when an attack is called for, was ordered to be conveyed from where it still stood at
La Bouffie. It was completely dismantled and transported to
Curvale where it was reassembled and mounted once more on its wheels and made ready to go. In addition they were equipped with a substantial supply of other weaponry. When everything was prepared for the attack,
Sir Gaucher de Passac, whose wish it was to conquer the castle and town of
Curvale, had the trumpets sounded throughout the army and all manner of men armed themselves and drew up in ranks ready to go. The
seneschal of Toulouse was present on one side with those from his seneschalsy, and on the other was
Sir Roger d'Espagne, the
seneschal of Carcassonne, with the men of his seneschalsy. The
lord of Barbazan, Sir Benedict, the
lord of Bénac, the son of the
count of Assérac,
Sir Raymon de Lille, and the knights and squires of that area were drawn up there in fine array. Then they began their attack, and those within defended themselves. They realised that it was in their best interest to do so because they sensed they were going to have a hard time of it. They knew too that
Sir Gaucher would show no mercy, so resolved to hold out for as long as they could. The Genoese crossbowmen were shooting so efficiently and accurately at their opponents' heads with those rotating bolts that even the bravest feared them, for whoever was struck was done for the day and would be better off returning to his lodgings.
Sir Gaucher de Passac was right at the forefront, performing great wonders of arms with all his might and calling to his companions,
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