The Swiss always will honour the memory of their national hero Arnold von Winkelried. When at the battle of Sempach* in 1386 he saw that his countrymen could not attack the Austrians because the latter, being completely armed and dismounted to form closed ranks, presented an iron front of lances and pikes, he addressed them as follows: "Friends, I am going to lay down my life to procure you victory. All I have to recommend to you is to provide for my family. Follow me and imitate my example."
With these words he arranged them in the form of a triangle, of which he himself occupied the point, and in this manner advanced towards the enemy. When close up to them, he seized as many of the pikes as he could lay hold of, and then falling on the ground, opened to those who followed him a way for piercing into this thick battalion. The Austrians, once broken, were defeated.
阿諾德.馮.溫克里德是瑞士人千秋敬重的民族英雄。一三八六年森帕赫一役*,奧地利軍全副武裝,下馬之後,並肩成陣、槍矛前指,有如鐵壁銅牆之難摧。溫克里德見同袍無法進攻,就對他們說:「各位,我會用性命為大家爭取勝利,以後請照顧我家人。跟在我後面,照我所為行事吧。」
說罷,他着同袍排成三角陣,自居三角的尖端,邁向敵軍,到雙方近在咫尺,就伸手把奧軍的槍、矛盡量攬入懷中,隨即倒地,為其後的同袍打開了銅牆鐵壁的缺口。奧軍陣形既破,終告敗績。
*一三八六年,奧地利大軍入侵瑞士,到處縱火搶掠,瑞士軍民於是奮起反抗。