ItwasonthefairplainsofTouraine，bythebanksofsilverLoire，thatthearmiessatdownbeforeeachother，andthebattlewastotakeplacewhichhadsuchaneffectuponthefortunesofFrance。’TwasabriskdayofMarch:thepractisedvalorofNemoursshowedhimatoncewhatusetomakeofthearmyunderhisorders，andhavingenfiladedhisNationalGuardbattalions，andplacedhisartilleryinechelons，heformedhiscavalryintohollowsquaresontherightandleftofhisline，flingingoutacloudofhowitzerstofallbackuponthemaincolumn。HisveteraninfantryheformedbehindhisNationalGuard——politelyhintingtoOdillonBarrot，whowishedtoretireunderpretenceofbeingexceedinglyunwell，thattheregulartroopswouldbayonettheNationalGuardiftheygavewayaninch:onwhichtheirGeneral，turningverypale，demurelywentbacktohispost。Hismenweredreadfullydiscouraged；theyhadsleptonthegroundallnight；theyregrettedtheirhomesandtheircomfortablenightcapsintheRueSt。Honore:theyhadluckilyfalleninwithaflockofsheepandadroveofoxenatToursthedaybefore；butwhatwerethese，comparedtothedelicaciesofChevet’sorthreecoursesatVefour’s？Theymournfullycookedtheirsteaksandcutletsontheirramrods，andpassedamostwretchednight。
ThearmyofHenrywasencampedoppositetothemforthemostpartinbetterorder。Thenoblecavalryregimentsfoundavillageinwhichtheymadethemselvesprettycomfortable，Jenkins’sFoottakingpossessionofthekitchensandgarretsofthebuildings。
TheIrishBrigade，accustomedtolieabroad，werequarteredinsomepotatofields，wheretheysangMoore’smelodiesallnight。Therewere，besidesthetroopsregularandirregular，aboutthreethousandpriestsandabbeswiththearmy，armedwithscourging-
whips，andchantingthemostlugubriouscanticles:thesereverendmenwerefoundtobeahindranceratherthanotherwisetotheoperationsoftheregularforces。
Itwasatouchingsight，onthemorningbeforethebattle，toseethealacritywithwhichJenkins’sregimentsprungupattheFIRST