Pagina 290 de 310

The cavalry of either side had not as yet gained any decisive

advantage over the other, because Castruccio, knowing his

inferiority in this arm, had commanded his leaders only to stand

on the defensive against the attacks of their adversaries, as he

hoped that when he had overcome the infantry he would be able to

make short work of the cavalry. This fell out as he had hoped,

for when he saw the Florentine army driven back across the river

he ordered the remainder of his infantry to attack the cavalry of

the enemy. This they did with lance and javelin, and, joined by

their own cavalry, fell upon the enemy with the greatest fury and

soon put him to flight. The Florentine captains, having seen the

difficulty their cavalry had met with in crossing the river, had

attempted to make their infantry cross lower down the river, in

order to attack the flanks of Castruccio's army. But here, also,

the banks were steep and already lined by the men of Castruccio,

and this movement was quite useless.