. History of France and Normandy, from the earliest times to the revolution of 1848. sooner entered the lane, than a well directedand close fire opened on their flanks and front, which they JOHN. 145 could neither retaliate nor avoid, so that their first line wasdefeated almost before it reached the enemy. The charge ofprince Edward completed their overthrow, and the cavalrywas ordered up to their rescue; but while they were advanc-ing, the English archers had gained a favourable position ontheir flanks, a cloud of arrows threw them into confusion,they fell back on the Germans, who in their tu
. History of France and Normandy, from the earliest times to the revolution of 1848. sooner entered the lane, than a well directedand close fire opened on their flanks and front, which they JOHN. 145 could neither retaliate nor avoid, so that their first line wasdefeated almost before it reached the enemy. The charge ofprince Edward completed their overthrow, and the cavalrywas ordered up to their rescue; but while they were advanc-ing, the English archers had gained a favourable position ontheir flanks, a cloud of arrows threw them into confusion,they fell back on the Germans, who in their turn, recoiled onthe second line, and broke its ranks. 32. Edward seized thedecisive moment to charge, and the cowardly flight of a largebody that had been left to guard the four sons of John addingto the enemys dismay, there was scarce a moments resist-ance when the French were completely broken, and theirgallant army scattered over the plain. Bitterly did they la-ment the fatal order that had deprived them of their horses;encumbered by heavy armour, their lines broken, and their. 18 Battle of Poictiers. K 146 HISTORY OF FRANCE. lances useless, they were trampled down by the English cavairy, or swept away by the dense body of men-at-arms whoadvanced under the cover of the archers. 33. John had stilla third division of his army under the command of himselfand his youngest son Philip, which, being superior in numberto the English, might have changed the fate of the day; butthey were dispirited by the defeat of their companions; theywere, besides, for the most part unused to fight on foot, andbeing drawn up in close column, they presented an unerringmark to the archers. The English, mad with success anddrunk with gore, broke this last body by one furious charge ;but the individual valour of John and his immediate attend-ants still maintained the fight. 34. The English and Gasconknights, who recognised his person, frequently exhorted himto surrender, but he refused to yield to any b
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