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Show 456 THE LILY AND TilE TOTEll. volume of manuscripts, afterwards destined to become tho famous deporitory of his deeds. u J have written ]ike a Gascon, Monsieur De Gourgues, but let none complain who is not able to do battle like a Gascon ! He who fights well, my friend, may surely be allowed the privilege of showing bow goodly were his deeds. I will read thee but a pa.ssngc from that famous skirmish at seve; not merely that thou shouldst Jtcc tho spirit of whnt I have written, and bear witness to the truth, but that thou mayst find for thyself a fitting lesson for thy own conduct in the straight which is before thee." Ha\'ing found the passage, Montluc read as follows: u As the Signior Francisco Bernardin and myself, who, for that time were the Marshals of the camp, drew nigh to the place, and were beginning to lodge the army, there sallied forth from fort, and church, and trench, a matter of two or three hundred men, who charged upon us with the greatest fury. I had with me at that time, but the Captain Cha.rry-a. most brave captain, whom thou must well remember-'' Gourgucs noddOO assent- "-with fifty a.rqucbusiers and a. small body of horse. Knowing this my weakness, the Ba.ron de Chissy, our camp· master, sent me a. reinforcement of one hundred a.rquebuaiers. But my peril was such, thn.t I sent to him straightway for other help, telling him that wo were already at it., and close upon the encounter. At this very moment, Monsieur de Bonnivet, return· ing post from court, and hearing of the fighting, said to the Baron de Chissy, without alighting from his horse-- u' Do thou halt here till the Marccbal shall arrive, and, mean· while, I will go and succor Monsieur de Montluo.' . "He was followed by certain captains and arquebUilel'll on DO)HNIQUJ.: Dt OOURGUES. 457 horseback. We hnd but an instant for embrace when he arrived for the enemy were already charging our men. ' ~'' You are wcloomc, Monsieur de Donnivet,' I said to him qmckly; ' but alight, :md Jet us set upon these people, and beat them back again .into tl1cir fortress. ' .~~ Whcrcu~n, he and biB followers insl..'lntly alighted, and he 1111d to me, do you charge directly upon those, who would re· eover the fort.' ~~Which said, he clapped his buckler upon his arm, while I e~ught up an halbert, for I ever (as thou knowcst) loved to play wtth that sort of cudgel. Then I said to Signior Francisco Ber-nardin- "'Comrade, whilst we charge, do you continuo to provide the quarters.' "But to this he answered- "' And is that all the reckoning you make of the cn~ployment tho Marecltal hath entrusted to our charge? If it must be tbat you will fight thus--! will be a fool for company, and, once in my life, play Gascon also.' "So he alighted and went with me to the charge. He wn.sanned with very heavy weapons, and had, moreover, become unwieldy from weight of years. This kept him from making such Speed 88 I. At such banquets, my body methougbt did not weigh an ounce. I felt not that I touched the ground; and, for the pain of my hip (greatly burt as thou knowcst by a fall at the taking of Quiers) that was forgotten! I thua charged straightway upon those by the trench upon one si.de, and Monsieur de Bonnivct did as much upon his quarter; so that we thundered tho rogues back with such a vengeance, that~ passed over the trench, pell-mcll, amidst the route, pursuing, amiting and !!laying, all the way, till 20 |
