Pagina 256 van 310

Castruccio had noticed how the enemy had placed all his best

troops in the centre of the line of battle, and his less reliable

men on the wings of the army; whereupon he did exactly the

opposite, putting his most valiant men on the flanks, while those

on whom he could not so strongly rely he moved to the centre.

Observing this order of battle, he drew out of his lines and

quickly came in sight of the hostile army, who, as usual, had

come in their insolence to defy him. He then commanded his centre

squadrons to march slowly, whilst he moved rapidly forward those

on the wings. Thus, when they came into contact with the enemy,

only the wings of the two armies became engaged, whilst the

center battalions remained out of action, for these two portions

of the line of battle were separated from each other by a long

interval and thus unable to reach each other.