Page:Readings in European History Vol 1.djvu/515

 The Hundred Years War 479 Monsieur de CMteau-Guyon), into which they had thrown seven or eight hundred of their best troops; and because it was near to them, they had resolved to defend it to the last extremity. The duke's army was mightily increased, for he daily received considerable reinforcements out of Lombardy and Savoy ; for he employed strangers rather than his own subjects, of whom he might have formed a sufficient army that would have been more faithful and valiant. . . . He had a fine train of artillery, and he lived in great pomp and magnificence in the camp, to show his grandeur and riches to the Italian and German ambassadors who were sent to him ; and he had all his valuable jewels, plate, and rich furniture with him : besides he had great designs upon the duchy of Milan, where he expected to find a consider- able party of sympathizers. It was not many days after the duke's investing Granson before the garrison, being terrified with his continual batter- ing it with cannon, surrendered at discretion, and were all put to the sword. The Swiss were assembled, but they were not very numerous, as several of them have told me (for that country produced not so many soldiers as was imagined, and still fewer than at present, because of late many of them have left their husbandry and followed the wars). . . . The duke of Burgundy, contrary to the advice of his officers, resolved to advance and meet the enemy at the foot of the mountains, to his great disadvantage; for he was already posted in a place much more proper for an engage- ment, being fortified on one side with his artillery and on the other by a lake, so that to all appearance there was no fear of his being injured by the enemy. He had detached a hundred of his archers to secure a certain pass at the entrance of the mountains, and was advancing forward him- self, when the Swiss attacked him, while the greatest part of his army was still in the plain. The foremost troops designed to' fall back ; but the infan- try that were behind, supposing they were running away, retreated toward their camp, and some of them behaved themselves handsomely enough ; but, in the end, when they