The Essays Chapter 45

(1, p. 114v-115).Michel de MontaigneC145 De la bataille de dreuxMontaigne - Essais, Éd de Bordeaux, 1.djvuMontaigne - Essais, Éd de Bordeaux, 1.djvu/1114v-115
Chapitre 45 :
De la Bataille de Dreux

IL y eut tout plein de rares accidens en nostre bataille de Dreux ; mais ceux qui ne favorisent pas fort la reputation de monsieur de Guise, mettent volontiers en avant qu’il ne se peut excuser d’avoir faict alte et temporisé avec les forces qu’il
commandoit, cependant qu’on enfonçoit monsieur le Connestable, chef
de
l’armée, avecques l’artillerie, et qu’il valoit mieux se hazarder,
prenant l’ennemy par flanc, qu’attendant l’advantage de le voir en
queue, souffrir une si lourde perte ; mais outre ce que l’issue en
tesmoigna, qui en debattra sans passion me confessera aisément, à
mon
advis, que le but et la visée, non seulement d’un capitaine, mais de
chaque soldat, doit regarder la victoire en gros, et que nulles
occurrences particulieres, quelque interest qu’il y ayt, ne le
doivent
divertir de ce point là. Philopoemen, en une rencontre contre
Machanidas, ayant envoyé devant, pour attaquer l’escarmouche, bonne
trouppe d’archers et gens de traict, et l’ennemy, apres les avoir
renversez, s’amusant à les poursuivre à toute bride et coulant apres
sa victoire le long de la bataille où estoit Philopoemen, quoy que
ses soldats s’en émeussent, il ne fut d’advis 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 bataillon de leurs gens de pied, lors qu’il les vit
tout
à fait abandonnez de leurs gens de cheval ; et, bien que ce fussent
Lacedemoniens, d’autant qu’il les prit à heure que, pour tenir tout
gaigné, ils commençoient à se desordonner, il en vint aisément à
bout, et, cela fait, se mit à poursuivre Machanidas. Ce cas est
germain à celuy de Monsieur de Guise.

Chapter XLV. Of the battle of Dreux.

Our battle of Dreux is remarkable for several extraordinary incidents;

but such as have no great kindness for M. de Guise, nor much favour his

reputation, are willing to have him thought to blame, and that his making

a halt and delaying time with the forces he commanded, whilst the

Constable, who was general of the army, was racked through and through

with the enemy's artillery, his battalion routed, and himself taken

prisoner, is not to be excused; and that he had much better have run the

hazard of charging the enemy in flank, than staying for the advantage of

falling in upon the rear, to suffer so great and so important a loss.

But, besides what the event demonstrated, he who will consider it without

passion or prejudice will easily be induced to confess that the aim and

design, not of a captain only, but of every private soldier, ought to

regard the victory in general, and that no particular occurrences, how

nearly soever they may concern his own interest, should divert him from

that pursuit. Philopoemen, in an encounter with Machanidas, having sent

before a good strong party of his archers and slingers to begin the

skirmish, and these being routed and hotly pursued by the enemy, who,

pushing on the fortune of their arms, and in that pursuit passing by the

battalion where Philopoemen was, though his soldiers were impatient to

fall on, he did not think fit to stir from his post nor to present

himself to the enemy to relieve his men, but having suffered these to be

chased and cut in pieces before his face, charged in upon the enemy's

foot when he saw them left unprotected by the horse, and notwithstanding

that they were Lacedaemonians, yet taking them in the nick, when thinking

themselves secure of the victory, they began to disorder their ranks; he

did this business with great facility, and then put himself in pursuit of

Machanidas. Which case is very like that of Monsieur de Guise.

In that bloody battle betwixt Agesilaus and the Boeotians, which

Xenophon, who was present at it, reports to be the sharpest that he had

ever seen, Agesilaus waived the advantage that fortune presented him, to

let the Boeotian battalions pass by and then to charge them in the rear,

how certain soever he might make himself of the victory, judging it would

rather be an effect of conduct than valour, to proceed that way; and

therefore, to show his prowess, rather chose with a marvellous ardour of

courage to charge them in the front; but he was well beaten and well

wounded for his pains, and constrained at last to disengage himself, and

to take the course he had at first neglected; opening his battalion to

give way to this torrent of Boeotians, and they being passed by, taking

notice that they marched in disorder, like men who thought themselves out

of danger, he pursued and charged them in flank; yet could not so prevail

as to bring it to so general a rout but that they leisurely retreated,

still facing about upon him till they had retired to safety.