IL y eut tout plein de rares accidens en nostre battaille de Dreux: mais ceux qui ne fauorisent pas fort la reputation de M. de Guyse, mettent volontiers en auant, qu’il ne se peut excuser d’auoir faict alte, et temporisé auec les forces qu’il commandoit, cependant qu’on enfonçoit Monsieur le Connestable chef de l’armée, auecques l’artillerie: et qu’il valoit mieux se hazarder, prenant l’ennemy par flanc, qu’attendant l’aduantage de le voir en queuë, souffrir vne si lourde perte.
There were any number of remarkable incidents in our battle of Dreux. But those who are not very favorable to the reputation of Monsieur de Guise readily put it about that he cannot be excused for having halted and held back with the forces he commanded while the Constable, commander of the army, was being overwhelmed along with the artillery; and that it would have been better to take the risk of attacking the enemy in the flank than to suffer so heavy a loss while waiting for the advantage of having him in the rear.
Mais outre ce, que l’issuë en tesmoigna, qui en debattra sans passion, me confessera aisément, à mon aduis, que le but et la visée, non seulement d’vn Capitaine, mais de chasque soldat, doit regarder la victoire en gros; et que nulles occurrences particulieres, quelque interest qu’il y ayt, ne le doiuent diuertir de ce point là.
But besides what the outcome demonstrated, anyone who debates the matter without passion will readily admit to me, I think, that the aim and target not only of a captain but of every soldier must be the victory as a whole, and that no particular occurrences, however much may be at stake in them, should divert him from that point.
Philopœmen en vne rencontre de Machanidas, ayant enuoyé deuant pour attaquer l’escarmouche, bonne trouppe d’archers et gens de traict: et l’ennemy apres les auoir renuersez, s’amusant à les poursuiure à toute bride, et coulant apres sa victoire le long de la battaille où estoit Philopœmen, quoy que ses soldats s’en esmeussent, il ne fut d’aduis de bouger de sa place, ny de se presenter à l’ennemy, pour secourir ses gens: ains les ayant laissé chasser et mettre en pieces à sa veue, commença la charge sur les ennemis au battaillon de leurs gens de pied, lorsqu’il les vid tout à fait abandonnez de leurs gens de cheual: et bien que ce fussent Lacedemoniens, d’autant qu’il les prit à l’heure, que pour tenir tout gaigné, ils commençoient à se desordonner, il en vint aisément à bout, et cela fait se mit à poursuiure Machanidas.
Philopoemen, in an encounter with Machanidas, had sent ahead a good troop of archers and javelin men to open the skirmish. The enemy, after overthrowing them, busied themselves pursuing them at full gallop, and swept on in their victory along the main body where Philopoemen was. Though his soldiers were stirred by this, he did not see fit to budge from his position or to show himself to the enemy to rescue his men. Instead, having let them be chased and cut to pieces before his eyes, he launched the charge on the enemy’s battalion of foot when he saw them completely abandoned by their cavalry. And although they were Lacedaemonians, since he caught them at the moment when, thinking the day was won, they were beginning to break ranks, he easily got the better of them; and that done, he set off in pursuit of Machanidas.
Ce cas est germain à celuy de Monsieur de Guise.
This case is first cousin to that of Monsieur de Guise.
En cette aspre battaille d’Agesilaus contre les Bœotiens, que Xenophon qui y estoit, dit estre la plus rude qu’il eust oncques veu, Agesilaus refusa l’auantage que fortune luy presentoit, de laisser passer le bataillon des Bœotiens, et les charger en queuë, quelque certaine victoire qu’il en preuist, estimant qu’il y auoit plus d’art que de vaillance; et pour montrer sa prouësse d’vne merueilleuse ardeur de courage, choisit plustost de leur donner en teste:
In that bitter battle of Agesilaus against the Boeotians, which Xenophon, who was there, says was the hardest he had ever seen, Agesilaus refused the advantage that Fortune offered him of letting the Boeotian battalion pass and then charging them from the rear, however certain the victory he foresaw from it, judging that there was more skill than valor in that. And to show his prowess with a marvelous ardor of courage, he chose instead to strike them head-on.
mais aussi fut-il bien battu et blessé, et contraint en fin de se demesler, et prendre le party qu’il auoit refusé au commencement, faisant ouurir ses gens, pour donner passage à ce torrent de Bœotiens: puis quand ils furent passez, prenant garde qu’ils marcheoyent en desordre, comme ceux qui cuidoyent bien estre hors de tout danger, il les fit suiure, et charger par les flancs: mais pour cela ne les peut-il tourner en fuitte à val de route; ains se retirerent le petit pas, montrants tousiours les dents, iusques à ce qu’ils se furent rendus à sauueté.
But he was well beaten and wounded for it, and forced in the end to disengage and adopt the course he had refused at the start, opening his ranks to let this torrent of Boeotians through. Then, when they had passed, noticing that they were marching in disorder, like men who thought themselves well out of all danger, he had them followed and charged on the flanks. But even so he could not turn them into headlong flight; instead they withdrew at a slow pace, still showing their teeth, until they had reached safety.