Page "Battle of Bouvines" Paragraph 30

The battle opened with a confused cavalry fight on the French right, in which individual feats of knightly gallantry were more noticeable ( and better recorded in the chronicles ) than any attempt at combined action.

The serious fighting was between the two centers.

The infantry of the Low Countries, who were at this time almost the best in existence, drove back the French.

Philip led the cavalry reserve of nobles and knights to retrieve the day, and after a long and doubtful fight ( in which he himself was unhorsed and narrowly escaped death ), began to drive back the Flemings.