Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. III.djvu/100

74 74 ITALIAN WARS. PART Before these movements were completed in the Spanish camp, the bright arms and banners of the II. pursues. FrcHch wcrc seen glistening in the distance amid the tall fennel and cane-brakes with which the country was thickly covered. As soon as thej had come in view of the Spanish encampment, they were brought to a halt, while a council of war was called, to determine the expediency of giving battle that evening. The duke of Nemours would have deferred it till the following morning, as the day was already far spent, and allowed no time for re- connoitring the position of his enemy. But Ives d'Allegre, Chandieu, the commander of the Swiss, and some other officers, were for immediate action, representing the importance of not balking the im- patience of the soldiers, who were all hot for the assault. In the course of the debate, Allegre was so much heated as to throw out some rash taunts on the courage of the viceroy, which the latter would have avenged on the spot, had not his arm been arrested by Louis d'Ars. He had the weakness, however, to suffer them to change his cooler pur- pose, exclaiming, " We will fight to-night, then ; and perhaps those who vaunt the loudest will be found to trust more to their spurs, than their swords ; " a prediction bitterly justified by the event. ^^ While this dispute was going on, Gonsalvo gain- ed time for making the necessary disposition of his 18 Brantome, Q^uvres, torn. ii. pp. 305, 300. — Gaillard, Rivalit^, disc. 8. — Garnier. Histoire de torn. iv. p. 211. — St. Gelais, Hist. France, (Paris, 1783-8,) torn. v. de Louys XII., p. 171.