Protestantism in France From Death of Francis I to Edict of Nantes - James Aitken Wylie

egretted by neither party.
After the fall and sack of Rouen, seven weeks
passed away, and then the two armies met (19th
December) near the town of Dreux. This was the
first pitched battle of the civil wars, and the only
regular engagement in the first campaign. The
disparity of force was considerable, the Huguenots
having only 10,000 of all arms, while the royalists
had 20,000, horse and foot, on the field. Battle
being joined, the Huguenots had won the day when
a stratagem of the Duke of Guise snatched victory
from their grasp. All the time that the battle was
raging--that is, from noon till five in the afternoon -
-Guise sat in the rear, surrounded by a chosen body
of men-at-arms, intently watching the progress of
the action, and at times sending forward the other
Triumvirs with succors. At last the moment he had
waited for came. The duke rode out to the front,
rose in his stirrups, cast a glance over the field, and
bidding his reserves follow, for the day was theirs,
dashed forward. The Huguenots had broken their
ranks and were pursuing the routed royalists all
over the field. The duke was upon them before they
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