allowed his
courage to take him too far--he suddenly found himself in the thickest
ranks of the Stradiotes, accompanied only by eight of the knights he had
just now created, one equerry called Antoine des Ambus, and his
standard-bearer. "France, France!" he cried aloud, to rally round him
all the others who had scattered; they, seeing at last that the danger
was less than they had supposed, began to take their revenge and to pay
back with interest the blows they had received from the Stradiotes.
Things were going still better, for the van, which the Marquis de Cajazzo
was to attack; for although he had at first appeared to be animated with
a terrible purpose, he stopped short about ten or twelve feet from the
French line and turned right about face without breaking a single lance.
The French wanted to pursue, but the Marechal de Gie, fearing that this
flight might be only a trick to draw off the vanguard from the centre,
ordered every man to stay in his place. But the Swiss, who were German,
and did not understand the order, or thought it was not meant for them,
followed upon their heels, and although on foot caught them up and killed
a hundred of them. This was quite enough to throw them into disorder, so
that some were scattered about the plain, and others made a rush for the
water, so as to cross the river and rejoin their camp.

When the Marechal de Gie saw this, he detached a hundred of his own men
to go to the aid of the king, who was continuing to fight with unheard-of
courage and running the greatest risks, constantly separated as he was
from his gentlemen, who could not follow him; for wherever there was
danger, thither he rushed, with his cry of "France," little troubling
himself as to whether he was followed or not. And it was no longer with
his sword that he fought; that he had long ago broken, like his lance,
but with a heavy battle-axe, whose every blow was mortal whether cut or
pierced. Thus the Stradiotes, already hard pressed by the king's
household and his pensioners, soon changed attack for defence and defence
for flight. It was at this moment that the king was really in the
greatest danger; for he had let himself be carried away in pursuit of the
fugitives, and presently found himself all alone, surrounded by these
men, who, had they not been struck with a mighty terror, would have had
nothing to do but unite and crush him and his horse together; but, as
Commines remarks, "He whom God guards is