, a great deal!' thought
Messieurs grimly, in response. And there ensued a really furious
clash of host against host; French chivalry (MAISON DU ROI, Black
Mousquetaires, the Flower of their Horse regiments) dashing, in right
Gallic frenzy, on their natural enemies,--on the English, that is; who,
I find, were mainly on the left wing there, horse and foot; and had
mainly (the Austrians and they, very mainly) the work to do;--and did,
with an effort, and luck helping, manage to do it.
"'Grammont breaks orders! Thrice-blamable Grammont!' exclaim Noailles
and others, sorrowfully wringing their hands. Even so! Grammont had
waited seven mortal hours; one's courage burning all the while, courage
perhaps rather burning down,--and not the least use coming of if.
Grammont had, in natural impatience, gradually edged forward; and, in
the end, was being cannonaded and pricked into by the Enemy;--and did at
last, with his MAISON-DU-ROI, dash across that essential Hollow Way, and
plunge in upon them on their own side of it. And 'the, English foot gave
their volley too soon;' ad Grammont did, in effect, partly repulse and
disorder the front ranks of them; and, blazing up uncontrollable, at
sight of those first ranks in disorder, did press home upon them more
and more; get wholly into the affair, bringing on his Infantry as well:
'Let us finish it wholly, now that our hand is in!'--and took one cannon
from the Enemy; and did other feats.
"So furious was that first charge of his; 'MAISON-DU-ROI covering itself
with glory,'--for a short while. MAISON-DU-ROI broke three lines of the
Enemy [three, not "Five"]; did in some places actually break through; in
others 'could not, but galloped along the front.' Three of their lines:
but the fourth line would not break; much the contrary, it advanced
(Austrians and English) with steady fire, hotter and hotter: upon this
fourth line MAISON-DU-ROI had, itself, to break, pretty much altogether,
and rush home again, in ruinous condition. 'Our front lines made lanes
for them; terribly maltreating them with musketry on right and left, as
they galloped through.' And this was the end of Grammont's successes,
this charge of horse; for his infantry had no luck anywhere; and the
essential crisis of the Battle had been here. It continued still a good
while; plenty of cannonading, fusillading, but in sporadic detached
form; a confused series of small shocks and knocks; which were mostly,
or all, unfortunate
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