224 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[period II. 



10,000 Swiss infantry in his pay, besides a large number 

 of German lansquenets. 



By this time the cavalry had ceased to range them- 

 selves in single line for the combat, which had been the 

 custom under the feudal system and the age of chivalry. 

 The archers soon came to be mingled with the men-at- 

 arms, and shortly after they began to form in squadrons 

 ranged in three ranks, as each man-at-arms was followed 

 by two archers. It is impossible to fix the date of these 

 changes. La Noue says that the French gendarmerie 

 fought in single line up to the reign of Henry II.* 



It is said that the system of forming cavalry by 

 squadrons was well understood by Charles the Bold of 

 Burgundy, and in use by him in his army. ^ He published 

 a book of military regulations to be followed by his 

 troops, which is the first book on military tactics or drill 

 in the renaissance of the art of war.' 



Cavalry evolutions were not known, however, before 

 1473, for the cavalry service could not arrive at any 

 degree of perfection before the sovereign was sufficiently 

 powerful to control his nobility, and compel them to 

 submit to discipline. 



' Duparcq, ii. 24. 2 jbid. 3 Humbert, 66, 



