to strengthen that important position, which he feared might be inadequately guarded.  The act of caution came too late.  This was the fatal point which the quick glance of Egmont had at once detected.  As Nevers reached the spot, two thousand of the enemy’s cavalry rode through and occupied the narrow passage.  Inflamed by mortification and despair, Nevers would have at once charged those troops, although outnumbering his own by nearly, four to one.  His officers restrained him with difficulty, recalling to his memory the peremptory orders which he had received from the Constable to guard the passage, but on no account to hazard an engagement, until sustained by the body of the army.  It was a case in which rashness would have been the best discretion.  The headlong charge which the Duke had been about to make, might possibly have cleared the path and have extricated the army, provided the Constable had followed up the movement by a rapid advance upon his part.  As it was, the passage was soon blocked up by freshly advancing bodies of Spanish and Flemish cavalry, while Nevers slowly and reluctantly fell back upon the Prince of Conde, who was stationed with the light horse at the mill where the first skirmish had taken place.  They were soon joined by the Constable, with the main body of the army.  The whole French force now commenced its retrograde movement.  It was, however, but too evident that they were enveloped.  As they approached the fatal pass through which lay their only road to La Fire, and which was now in complete possession of the enemy, the signal of assault was given by Count Egmont.  That general himself, at the head of two thousand light horse, led the charge upon the left flank.  The other side was assaulted by the Dukes Eric and Henry of Brunswick, each with a thousand heavy dragoons, sustained by Count Horn, at the head of a regiment of mounted gendarmerie.  Mansfeld, Lalain, Hoogstraaten; and Vilain, at the same time made a furious attack upon the front.  The French cavalry wavered with the shock so vigorously given.  The camp followers, sutlers, and pedlers, panic-struck, at once fled helter-skelter, and in their precipitate retreat, carried confusion and dismay throughout all the ranks of the army.  The rout was sudden and total.  The onset and the victory were simultaneous, Nevers riding through a hollow with some companies of cavalry, in the hope of making a detour and presenting a new front to the enemy, was overwhelmed at once by the retreating French and their furious pursuers.  The day was lost, retreat hardly possible, yet, by a daring and desperate effort, the Duke, accompanied by a handful of followers, cut his way through the enemy and effected his escape.  The cavalry had been broken at the first onset and nearly destroyed.  A portion of the infantry still held firm, and attempted to continue their retreat.  Some pieces of artillery, however, now opened upon them, and before they reached Essigny, the whole army was completely annihilated.  The defeat was absolute.