Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-15

also that the hedge had been wel-nigh 1eveed to
the ground in the course of the combat, that it
no longer presented an obstacle, had ordered his
followers to remount their horses, and it
solid of cavalry that the chivalry of France
advanced to their last supreme effort. The King
was in the center of the front line Godfrey de
Chargny with the golden orifanme upon his right
and Eustace de Ribeaumont with the royal lilies
upon the left At his elbow was the Duke of Athens
High Constable of France and round him the
mobiles of the court, fiery and furious yelling their
war-cries they waved their weapons their
heads. Six thousand gallant men of the bravest
race in Europe whose very like
blasts of a battle-trumpet-B and Chatlons,
Tancarvilles and Ventadours-pressed hard behind
the silver lilies.
Slowly they moved at first, walking their horses,
that they might be the resher for the shock. Then
they broke into trot which was quickening into
a gallop when the remains OF the hedge IN front OF
them beaten in instant to the ground and
the broad line of the stee-clad chivalry of England
swept grandly forth to the final shock With loose
rein and busy spur the two lines of horsemen
gallOped at the top OF their speed straight and
hard for each other. An instant later they met
with a thunder crash which heard by the
burghers the walls OF Potiers, seven good miles
away.
Under that frightfu1 impact horses fell dead with
broken necks, and many rider, held in his saddle
by the high pon1ne fractured his thighs with the
shock. Here and there pair met breast to breast,
the horses rearing straight upward and falling back
upon their masters But for the most part the line
had opened in the gallop and the cavaliers, flying
through the gaps, buried themselves in the enemys
ranks. Then the TANKS shredded out and the thick
press in the loosened until there space to
swing sword and to guide a steed. For ten acres
there was one wild tunultuous swirl of tossing
heads, of cleaning weapons which rose and fell
of upthrown hands, of tossing pumes and of lifted
shields, whilst the din of thousand war-cries and
the clash-clash of metal upon metal and
sweled like the and beat of ocean surge
upon a rock bound coast. Backward and forward
swayed the mighty throng, down the valley
and up each side in turn put forth its
strength for fresh rally. Locked in one long
deadly grapple great England and gallant France
with iron hearts and souls of fire and strove
for mastery.
Sir Walter Woodland, riding hard upon his high
black horse, had plunged into the sweter and
headed for the blue and silver banner of King John
Close at his heels in solid wedge rode the Prince
Chandos, Nigel Lord Reginald Gotham, Audley
with his four famous squlres, and score of the
flower of the English and Gascon knighthood. Hold
ing together and bearing down opposition by a
shower of blows and by the weight of their powerful
horses their progress still very slow, for ever
fresh waves of French cavaliers surged up against
them and broke in front only to close in again upon
their Sometimes they swept backward
by the rush, sometimes they gained few paces
sometimes they could but keep their foothold and
yet from minute to minute that blue and silver flag
which waved above the press grew ever
a little closer dozen furious hard
breathing French knights had broken
into their ranks, and clutched at Sir
Walter Woodlands banner; but Chan
dos and Nigel guarded it on side
Audley with his Squires the other SO
that laid his hand upon it and
lived
But there distant crash