latter rode well in advance of his
men, while Coligny was equally in front of the Protestants.

The two leaders therefore met. The conflict was a short one.
Coligny was severely wounded in the face, and the Rhinegrave was
killed.

While the cavalry on both sides fought desperately for victory, the
infantry was speedily engaged. The combat between the Huguenot
foot, and the Swiss infantry in the Royalist ranks, was long and
doubtful. The Duc d'Anjou displayed great courage in the fight;
while on the other side the Princes of Navarre and Conde, who had
that morning joined the army from Parthenay, fought bravely in the
front of the Huguenots. The Catholic line began to give way, in
spite of their superiority in numbers; when Marshal Cosse advanced
with fresh troops into the battle, and the Huguenots in turn were
driven back.

The German cavalry of the Huguenots, in spite of the valour of
their leader, Louis of Nassau, were seized with a panic and fled
from the field; shattering on their way the ranks of the German
infantry. Before the latter could recover their order, the Swiss
infantry poured in among them. Many threw down their arms and
shouted for quarter, while others defended themselves until the
last; but neither submission nor defence availed and, out of the
four thousand German infantry, but two hundred escaped.

Three thousand of the Huguenot infantry were cut off by Anjou's
cavalry. A thousand were killed, and the rest spared, at the Duc's
command. In all, two thousand Huguenot infantry and three hundred
knights perished on the field, besides the German infantry; while
on the Catholic side the loss was but a little over five hundred
men.

La Noue was again among those taken prisoner. Before the battle
began, he had requested Philip to join his cousin, who had come up
with the princes; and to attach himself to their bodyguard, during
the battle. They kept close to the princes during the fight, riding
far enough back for them to be seen by the Huguenots, and closing
round when the enemy poured down upon them. When the German
horsemen fled, and the infantry were enveloped by the Catholics,
they led Henri and Conde from the field; charging right through a
body of Catholic horse who had swept round to the rear, and
carrying them off to Parthenay.

Here they found the Admiral, who had been borne off the field,
grievously wounded. For a moment the lion-hearted general had felt
despondency at the crushing defea