De destructione castri Garthe.
The Siege and Fall of Garth
The Teutonic master besieges the fortress of Garth, and after fierce fighting, the brothers storm and destroy it by fire.
In the year of our Lord 1284, the same master, not yet sated with war against the unbelievers, gathered a strong army and, with Scumandus as their leader, advanced against the fortress of Garth in the summer. After crossing the Memel, he stationed archers at the proper positions and set ladders against the walls, so that so great a battle arose between them that those who were afraid dared not look upon such things. While those men attacked bravely, the besieged resisted strongly, and very many on each side fell wounded. At last, as it pleased God, the brothers entered in force; after killing all of them and taking captives, they destroyed it with fire.
Devastation of the Territory
A large force ravages the surrounding territory with fire and plunder, returning with great booty.
This done, one thousand eight hundred men entered the territory of the said fortress, laying waste as much as possible with fire and plunder; after capturing and killing many men, they returned with the greatest booty.
The Traitor's Gruesome End
A fugitive from Barthen who had captured Teutonic commendators is killed, and his dog tears out and devours his treacherous heart.
In this territory a certain man from Barthen was killed, who had fled from Pogesahia; in the last apostasy he had captured the commendators from Cristburgk and Elbing with their families. His dog attacked him and thus killed him with savage bites, and opening his left side, drew his heart out of his body — that heart which had been conscious of so many treacheries and frauds — and in the presence of many Christians devoured it.
Read the original Latin
Anno domini mcclxxxiiii idem magister, necdum bello infidelium saciatus, congregavit valid um exercitum, et cum Scumando ductore processit contra castrum Gartham tempore estivo, et dum transivisset Memelam ordinavit sagittarios ad loca debita, applicatisque scalis ad menia tarn grande bellum ortum fuit inter eos, quod formidolosi talia inspicere non auderent. Istis viriliter impugnantibus, obsessi fortiter resisterunt, cadebantque ex utraque parteb plurimi vulnerati. Tandem sicut deo placuit, fratres potenter intraverunt, et occisis omnibus et captis, per incendium destruxerunt. Hoc facto mille viri et octingenti intraverunt territorium dicti castri, vastantes quam plurimum incendio et rapina, et captis multis hominibus et occisis cum preda maxima redierunt. In hoc territorio fuit occisus quidam Barthensis, qui fugerat de Pogesahia, et in ultima apostasia commendatores de Cristburgk et Elbingo cum eorum familia captivavit. Quem sic interfectum canis ejus diris morsibus est aggressus, et aperiens latus ejus sinistrum, cor ejus, quod tot prodicionum et fraudum conscium fuit, de corpore extraxit, et in presencia Cristianorum plurium devoravit.
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