France -- History -- Henry III, 1574-1589 -- Fiction
"See!" cried Joyeuse, "what one can do fighting for one's country! A
pure heart and a loyal arm suffice to defend a head without a helmet, a
face without a vizor;" and he threw his helmet far from him, displaying
his noble and beautiful head, with eyes sparkling with pride, youth and
anger.
His antagonist forebore answer, uttered a cry, and struck at his bare
head.
"Ah!" cried Joyeuse, parrying the blow, "I said you were a traitor, and
as a traitor you shall die. I will kill you, and carry off this helmet
which hides and defends you, and hang you to the first tree that I see."
[Illustration: "I SAID YOU WERE A TRAITOR, AND AS A TRAITOR YOU SHALL
DIE."]
But at this moment a cavalier cried:
"Monseigneur, no more skirmishing; your presence is wanted over there."
Glancing toward the point indicated, the unknown saw the Flemings giving
way before the Calvinist cavalry.
"Yes," cried he, "those are the men I wanted."
At this moment so many cavaliers pressed on the sailors, that they made
their first step in retreat.
The black cavalier profited by this movement to disappear in the melée.
A quarter of an hour after the French began to give way. M. de St.
Aignan tried to retreat in good order, but a last troop of 2,000
infantry and 500 horse came out fresh from the city, and fell on this
harassed and already retreating army. It was the old band of the Prince
of Orange, which had fought in turns against the Duc d'Alva, Don John,
Requesens, and Alexander Farnese. In spite of the coolness of the chiefs
and the bravery of many, a frightful rout commenced.
At this moment the unknown fell again on the fugitives, and once more
met Joyeuse with his now diminished band. The young admiral was mounted
on his third horse, two having been killed under him; his sword was
broken, and he had taken from a sailor one of their heavy hatchets,
which he whirled round his head with the greatest apparent ease. From
time to time he turned and faced his enemy, like the wild boar who
cannot make up his mind to fly, and turns desperately on his hunter. The
Flemings, who by monseigneur's advice had fought without cuirasses, were
active in the pursuit, and gave no rest to the Angevin army. Something
like remorse seized the unknown at the sight of this disaster.
"Enough, gentlemen," cried he, in French, "to-night they are driven from
Antwerp, and in a week will be driven from Flanders; ask no more of the
God of battles."
"Ah! he is French," cried Joyeuse; "I guessed it, traitor. Ah! be
cursed, and may you die the death of a traitor."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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