The entire army was usually formed into three "battles:" sometimes into four; and occasionally the whole force was gathered into one body. In 1249 the Imperialists, fighting against the Bolognese, distributed their troops into three corps, while the latter formed four[321]. And in 1266, Manfred, in a battle with Charles d'Anjou, ranged his cavalry in three bodies, while his adversary divided his army into four parts[322]. In front of all were placed the various "gyns" of the host; the mangonels, trebuchets, perdriaux, &c., serving in some degree the purpose of gunnery in our own day. "Près du roi devant la banière Metent François trois Perdriaus, Jetans pierres aus enniaus Entre Flamens grosses et males, Joignant d'eus rot deux Espringoles, Que garçons au tirer avancent." _Guiart._--2^e. Par., v. 11,573. At the battle of Mons-en-Puelle, in 1304, three espringoles were placed in battery before the French army, of which the force was so great that the quarrels discharged from them are said to have pierced four or five ranks of the enemy in succession. "Li garrot, empené d'arain, Quatre ou cinq en percent tout outre."--_G. Guiart._ The Archers and Cross-bowmen were usually placed at the wings, the infantry of the communal levy in the centre, and behind these the mounted men-at-arms. "Cil d'armes se rangent derrières."--_Guiart_, _Année_ 1303. Archers were sometimes intermixed with the cavalry. Thus, in the 23rd of Edward I., the Earl of Warwick fighting against the Welsh, the latter "placed their men-at-arms fronting the earl's army: they were furnished with very long spears, which, being set on the ground, had their points suddenly turned towards the earl and his company, in order to break the force of the English cavalry. But the earl had well provided against them; for between every two horsemen he had placed an archer, so that, by their missile weapons, those who held the lances were put to the rout[323]." We have already seen _bodies_ of archers interspersed with other troops in the conflict between Edward and Wallace in 1298[324]. To defend themselves from the attack of cavalry, the army occasionally formed a barrier of carts and wagons. "De chars et de charettes vuides, Qu'à grant diligence ont atruites, Ont entr'eus trois rengies faites, En tel sens et par ordre commune Que le derrière de chacune Est mis, si com nous estimons, A l'autre entre les deus limons." _Guiart_, 2^e. partie, v. 11,108. The more usual entrenchment was the ancient one of a ditch and palissaded bank.