XV. river. He abandoned his tents and baggage, to- CHAPTER gether with nine of his heaviest cannon; leaving even the sick and wounded to the mercy of the enemy, rather than encumber himself with any thing that should retard his march. The remainder of the artillery he sent forward in the van. The infantry followed next, and the rear, in which Saluzzo took his own station, was brought up by the men-at-arms, to cover the retreat. on Gaeta. Before Allègre could reach Suzio, the whole Span- They retreat ish army had passed the Garigliano, and formed on the right bank. Unable to face such superior numbers, he fell back with precipitation, and joined himself to the main body of the French, now in full retreat on Gaeta. 5 Gonsalvo, afraid the French might escape him, sent forward Prospero Colonna, with a corps of light horse, to annoy and retard their march until he could come up. Keeping the right bank of the river with the main body, he marched rapidly through the deserted camp of the enemy, leaving little leisure for his men to glean the rich spoil, which lay tempting them on every side. It was not long before he came up with the French, whose movements were greatly retarded by the difficulty of dragging their guns over the ground completely sec. 6. 5 Bernaldez, Reyes Católicos, lib. 2, cap. 110.-Abarca, Reyes MS., cap. 189. Ulloa, Vita di de Aragon, tom. ii. rey 30, cap. 14, Carlo V., fol. 22, 23. GuicciarZurita, Anales, tom. v. dini, Istoria, p. 330. Garnier, lib. 5, cap. 60.-Senarega, apud Hist. de France, tom. v. pp. 448, Muratori, Rerum Ital. Script., tom. 449.- Chrónica del Gran Capitan, xxiv. p. 579. PART 11. Action at saturated with rain. The retreat was conducted, however, in excellent order; they were eminently favored by the narrowness of the road, which, allowing but a comparatively small body of troops on either side to come into action, made success chiefly depend on the relative merits of these. The French rear, as already stated, was made up of their menat-arms, including Bayard, Sandricourt, La Fayette, and others of their bravest chivalry, who, armed at all points, found no great difficulty in beating off the light troops which formed the advance of the Spaniards. At every bridge, stream, and narrow pass, which afforded a favorable position, the French cavalry closed their ranks, and made a resolute stand to gain time for the columns in advance. In this way, alternately halting and retreating, with perpetual skirmishes, though without much loss on either side, they reached the bridge before Mola di Gaeta. Here, some of the gun-carriages, breaking down or being overturned, occasioned considerable delay and confusion. The infantry pressing on, became entangled with the artillery. The marquis of Saluzzo endeavoured to avail him self of the strong position afforded by the bridge to restore order. A desperate struggle ensued. The French knights dashed boldly into the Spanish ranks, driving back for a time the tide of pursuit. The chevalier Bayard, who was seen as usual in the front of danger, had three horses killed under him; and, at length, carried forward by his ardor into the thickest of the enemy, was retrieved with difficulty from their hands by a desperate charge of CHAPTER his friend Sandricourt." XV. tested. The Spaniards, shaken by the violence of the Hotly conassault, seemed for a moment to hesitate; but Gonsalvo had now time to bring up his men-at-arms, who sustained the faltering columns, and renewed the combat on more equal terms. He himself was in the hottest of the mêlée; and at one time was exposed to imminent hazard by his horse's losing his footing on the slippery soil, and coming with him to the ground. The general fortunately experienced no injury, and, quickly recovering himself, continued to animate his followers by his voice and intrepid bearing, as before. The fight had now lasted two hours. The Spaniards, although still in excellent heart, were faint with fatigue and want of food, having travelled six leagues, without breaking their fast since the preceding evening. It was, therefore, with no little anxiety, that Gonsalvo looked for the coming up of his rear-guard, left, as the reader will remember, under Andrada at the lower bridge, to decide the fortune of the day. The welcome spectacle at length presented itself. The dark columns of the Spaniards were seen, at first faint in the distance, by degrees growing more and more distinct to the eye. Andrada 6 Guicciardini, Istoria, lib. 6, pp. 330, 331.-Garnier, Hist. de France, tom. v. pp. 449-451. Chrónica del Gran Capitan, ubi supra. Varillas, Hist. de Louis XII., tom. i. pp. 416-418.-Am mirato, Istorie Fiorentine, tom. iii. Arrival of the Spanish rear." PART II. The French routed. They had easily carried the French redoubt on his side At no great distance from the bridge the road takes two directions, the one towards Itri, the other to Gaeta. The bewildered fugitives here separated; by far the greater part keeping the latter route. Gonsalvo sent forward a body of horse under Navarro and Pedro de la Paz, by a short cut across the country, to intercept their flight. A large number fell into his hands in consequence of this XV. manœuvre; but the greater part of those who CHAPTER escaped the sword succeeded in throwing themselves into Gaeta." The Great Captain took up his quarters that night in the neighbouring village of Castellone. His brave followers had great need of refreshment, having fasted and fought through the whole day, and that under a driving storm of rain which had not ceased for a moment. Thus terminated the battle, or rout, as it is commonly called, of the Garigliano, the most important in its results of all Gonsalvo's victories, and furnishing a suitable close to his brilliant military career. The loss of the Their loss. French is computed at from three to four thousand men, left dead on the field, together with all their baggage, colors, and splendid train of artillery. The Spaniards must have suffered severely during the sharp conflict on the bridge; but no estimate of their loss is to be met with, in any native or foreign writer. It was observed that the 29th of 9 7 Bernaldez, Reyes Católicos, MS., cap. 190. - Garnier, Hist. de France, tom. v. pp. 452, 453.Ulloa, Vita di Carlo V., fol. 23. Guicciardini, Istoria, lib. 6, p. 331. Garibay, Compendio, tom. ii. lib. 19, cap. 16.-Chrónica del Gran Capitan, ubi supra. - Buonaccorsi, Diario, pp. 84, 85.-Ammirato, Istorie Fiorentine, ubi supra.-Varillas, Hist. de Louis XII., tom. i. pp. 416-418. 8 Soon after the rout of the Garigliano, Bembo produced the following sonnet, which most critics agree was intended, although no name appears in it, for Gonsalvo de Cordova. 8 "Ben devria farvi onor d' eterno esempio Opere, tom. ii. p. 57. up the loss of the French, from the |