passage, but on no account to hazard an engagement, until sustained by
the body of the army. It was a case in which rashness would have been
the best discretion. The headlong charge which the Duke had been about
to make, might possibly have cleared the path and have extricated the
army, provided the Constable had followed up the movement by a rapid
advance upon his part. As it was, the passage was soon blocked up by
freshly advancing bodies of Spanish and Flemish cavalry, while Nevers
slowly and reluctantly fell back upon the Prince of Conde, who was
stationed with the light horse at the mill where the first skirmish had
taken place. They were soon joined by the Constable, with the main body
of the army. The whole French force now commenced its retrograde
movement. It was, however, but too evident that they were enveloped. As
they approached the fatal pass through which lay their only road to La
Fire, and which was now in complete possession of the enemy, the signal
of assault was given by Count Egmont. That general himself, at the head
of two thousand light horse, led the charge upon the left flank. The
other side was assaulted by the Dukes Eric and Henry of Brunswick, each
with a thousand heavy dragoons, sustained by Count Horn, at the head of a
regiment of mounted gendarmerie. Mansfeld, Lalain, Hoogstraaten; and
Vilain, at the same time made a furious attack upon the front. The
French cavalry wavered with the shock so vigorously given. The camp
followers, sutlers, and pedlers, panic-struck, at once fled helter-
skelter, and in their precipitate retreat, carried confusion and dismay
throughout all the ranks of the army. The rout was sudden and total.
The onset and the victory were simultaneous, Nevers riding through a
hollow with some companies of cavalry, in the hope of making a detour and
presenting a new front to the enemy, was overwhelmed at once by the
retreating French and their furious pursuers. The day was lost, retreat
hardly possible, yet, by a daring and desperate effort, the Duke,
accompanied by a handful of followers, cut his way through the enemy and