Gonzalvo, who was kept well informed of his enemies' condition, threw, on the 27th of December, a bridge over the Garigliano, attacked the French suddenly, and forced them to fall back upon Gaeta, which they did not succeed in entering until they had lost artillery, baggage, and a number of prisoners.

"The Spaniards," says John d'Auton, "halted before the place, made as if they would lay siege to it, and so remained for two or three days.

The French, who were there in great numbers, had scarcely any provisions, and could not hold out for long; however, they put a good face upon it.

The captain, Gonzalvo, sent word to them that if they would surrender their town he would, on his part, restore to them without ransom all prisoners and others of their party; and he had many of them, James de la Palisse, Stuart d'Aubigny, Gaspard de Coligny, Anthony de la Fayette, &c., all captains.

The French captains, seeing that fortune was not kind to them, and that they had provisions for a week only, were all for taking this offer.