excellent bargain with that monarch before entering his service, arrived
at Amiens. On the 24th July an expedition was sent from that city
towards Dourlens. Bouillon and St. Pol commanded in person a force of
six hundred picked cavalry. Pillars and Sanseval each led half as many,
and there was a supporting body of twelve hundred musketeers. This
little army convoyed a train of wagons, containing ammunition and other
supplies for the beleaguered town. But Fuentes, having sufficiently
strengthened his works, sallied forth with two thousand infantry, and a
flying squadron of Spanish horse, to intercept them. It was the eve of
St. James, the patron saint of Spain, at the sound, of whose name as a
war-cry so many battle-fields had been won in the Netherlands, so many
cities sacked, so many wholesale massacres perpetrated. Fuentes rode in
the midst of his troops with the royal standard of Spain floating above
him. On the other hand Yillars, glittering in magnificent armour and
mounted on a superbly caparisoned charger came on, with his three hundred
troopers, as if about to ride a course in a tournament. The battle which
ensued was one of the most bloody for the numbers engaged, and the
victory one of the most decisive recorded in this war. Villars charged
prematurely, furiously, foolishly. He seemed jealous of Bouillon, and
disposed to show the sovereign to whom he had so recently given his
allegiance that an ancient Leaguer and Papist was a better soldier for
his purpose than the most grizzled Huguenot in his army. On the other
hand the friends of Villars accused the duke of faintheartedness, or at
least of an excessive desire to save himself and his own command. The
first impetuous onset of the admiral was successful, and he drove half-
a-dozen companies of Spaniards before him. But he had ventured too far
from his supports. Bouillon had only intended a feint, instead of a
desperate charge; the Spaniards were rallied, and the day was saved by
that cool and ready soldier, Carlos Coloma. In less than an hour the
French were utterly defeated and cut to pieces. Bouillon escaped to