rescue, was
unable to accomplish anything. His horse was killed under him, and, before
he could be provided with another, he was taken prisoner by Damville, a
son of the constable. The German reiters now proved to be worth little
more than the lansquenets. Returning from the pursuit of the fugitives of
the constable's division, and perceiving the misfortunes of the infantry,
they retired to the cover of a wood, and neither the prayers nor the
expostulations of the admiral could prevail on them to face the enemy
again that day.[211] But Guise could not follow up his advantage. The
battle had lasted five hours. Almost the whole of the Huguenot cavalry and
the remnants of the infantry had been drawn up by Coligny in good order on
the other side of a ravine; and the darkness would not allow the Duke,
even had he been so disposed, to renew the engagement.[212]

On either side the loss had been severe. Marshal Saint Andre,
Montberon--one of the constable's sons--and many other illustrious Roman
Catholics, were killed. Montmorency was a prisoner. The Huguenots, if they
had lost fewer prominent men and less common soldiers, were equally
deprived of their leading general. What was certain was, that the
substantial fruits of victory remained in the hands of the Duke of Guise,
to whom naturally the whole glory of the achievement was ascribed. For,
although Admiral Coligny thought himself sufficiently strong to have
attacked the enemy on the following day,[213] if he could have persuaded
his crestfallen German auxiliaries to follow him, he deemed it advisable
to abandon the march into Normandy--difficult under any circumstances on
account of the lateness of the season--and to conduct his army back to
Orleans. This, Coligny--never more skilful than in conducting the most
difficult of all military operations, a retreat in the presence of an
enemy--successfully accomplished.[214]

The first tidings of the battle of Dreux were brought to Paris by
fugitives from the constable's corps. These announced the capture of the
commanding general, and the entire rout of the Roman Catholic army. The
populace, intense in its devotion to the old form of faith, and
recognizing the fatal character of such a blow,[215] was overwhelmed with
discouragement. But Catharine de' Medici displayed little emotion. "Very
well!" she quietly remarked, "_then we shall pray to God in French_."[216]
But the truth was soon known, and the dirge and the _miserere_ wer