Bayard, who desired nothing more, replied: "My lord, for all the goods

and honours which you have bestowed upon me I can only at this present
time return you thanks.... My greatest desire is to go and join the
company which you speak of, and if it is your good pleasure I will start
to-morrow." "I am quite willing," said the Sire de Ligny; "but you must
first take leave of the King, and I will bring you to him after dinner."
Which was done, and the youth was thus presented: "Sire, here is your
Picquet, who is going to see his companions in Picardy, and he is come to
say good-bye to you." Young Bayard knelt before the King, who said to him
with a smile: "Picquet, my friend, may God continue in you that which I
have seen begun, and you will be a gallant knight; you are going into a
country where there are fair ladies, be courteous and chivalrous to them,
and farewell, my friend." After this, all the princes and lords crowded
round to take leave of the young soldier, with much affection and regret at
losing him. When he reached his lodging, he found that the King had sent
him a purse of three hundred crowns, and also one of the finest war-horses
in the royal stable. With his usual impulsive generosity Bayard gave
handsome presents to the messengers, and then went to spend the evening
with the Sire de Ligny, who treated him as though he were his own son,
giving him wise advice for his future life, and above all bidding him keep
honour always before his eyes. This command did he keep in very truth until
his death. At last, when it grew late, de Ligny said to him: "Picquet, my
friend, I think you will be starting to-morrow morning before I have risen,
may God bless you!" and embraced him with tears, while Bayard on his knees
said good-bye to his kind master.

More presents awaited him, for that night there arrived two complete and
costly suits from the Sire de Ligny, who also sent his own favourite
chestnut horse, so that when the young squire set forth at daybreak he was
splendidly equipped in every way with horses, servants, armour, and clothes
suitable to his position. As we have seen, dress was a very expensive thing
in those days, when gentlemen of rank wore velvet, brocade, and satin, both
for evening and riding costume as a matter of course.

It was a slow journey into Picardy, for Bayard wished his horses to arrive
in good condition, and only travelled a moderate distance every day. When
he arrived at the little town of Aire, his destination, all the young
officers of the garrison came out to meet him, for the fame of his jousting
with Messire Claude de Vauldray had already reached them. They would not
listen to his modest disclaimers, but feasted and made much of their new
comrade. One lively young noble of the company, probably quite deceived by
the fine show that Bayard made with all his handsome parting gifts, and
taking him for a man of wealth, said to him: "My good companion, you must
make people talk about you, and endeavour to acquire the good favour of
all the fair ladies of this country, and you cannot do better than give us
a tournament, for it is a long time since we have had one in this town."
The poor boy must have been somewhat taken aback by this suggestion, but he
was far too plucky to show it, so he replied with ready goodwill, "On my
faith, Monsieur de Tardieu, is that all? You may be sure that this will
please me even more than yourself. If you will have the goodness to send me
the trumpeter to-morrow morning, and if we have leave of our captain, I
will take care that you shall be satisfied."

All that night Bayard was too excited to sleep, and when Tardieu came
to his lodging in the morning with the trumpeter of the company, he
had already settled exactly what he would do and had written out his
announcement, which ran thus: "Pierre de Bayard, young gentleman and
apprentice of arms, native of Dauphine, of the army of the King of France,
under the high and puissant lord the Sire de Ligny--causeth to be
proclaimed and published a tournament to be held outside the town of Aire,
close to the walls, for all comers, on the 20th day of July. They are to
fight with three charges of the lance without 'lice'" (meaning in this
instance a barrier), "with sharpened point, armed at all points; afterwards
twelve charges with the sword, all on horseback. And to him who does best
will be given a bracelet enamelled with his arms, of the weight of thirty
crowns. The next day there shall be fought on foot a charge with the lance,
at a barrier waist-high, and after the lance is broken, with blows of the
axe, until it is ended at the discretion of the judges and those who keep
the camp. And to him who does best shall be given a diamond of the value of
forty crowns."

This sounds more like real war than courtly pastime, and we see how
terribly in earnest this young soldier was. The allusion to "those who keep
the camp" is to the marshals of the tournament and the heralds-at-arms who
kept a very close watch on the combatants. They also maintained on this
miniature battlefield the laws of chivalry and courtesy, giving help to
those who needed it.

When a young squire first entered the lists he was warned by the cry:
"Remember of what race you come and do nothing contrary to your honour."
There were many strict rules to be observed; for instance, it was forbidden
to strike your adversary with the point, although it was usually blunted
(but not in this tournament of Bayard's). It was forbidden to attack the
horse of your opponent, and this we can quite understand, for in those
days, when a knight wore complete and heavy armour, if his horse were
killed he was absolutely at the mercy of his enemy. It was always made a
ground of complaint against the Spaniards that they attacked the horses of
the foe. In a tournament it was the rule only to strike at the face or the
chest, both well protected by the visor and the breastplate, and to cease
at once if the adversary raised the visor of his helmet. Also no knight was
to fight out of his rank when making a rush together. This was very
important when the champions were divided into two companies under the
order of two chiefs, and were placed exactly opposite each other, at the
two ends of the arena. On a signal made by the marshals of the tournament,
they charged impetuously upon each other, with their horses at full gallop.
They held the lances straight out until the signal came, then lowering the
lances, they rushed forward amid a cloud of dust with loud war-cries and
the fight became a furious scuffle. The knights who had stood the first
shock without being unhorsed or wounded, pressed forward and fought with
the sword, until one of the marshals threw his wand of office into the
arena to show that the contest was over.

In these tournaments the horses were frequently armed as well as their
riders, and they were often gaily caparisoned with emblazoned housings,
sometimes of very costly material, such as satin embroidered with gold or
silver.

At the time when young Bayard joined his company at Aire, there were
stationed in Picardy at no great distance about seven or eight hundred
men-at-arms in these regulation companies (compagnies d'ordonnance) as they
were called. When they were not actually employed on duty, they were very
glad to take their pleasure in all sorts of warlike games. As we may
suppose, they were delighted to take part in the proposed tournament.
Amongst these companies there were some of the famous Scotch Guards, who
had first been taken into the service of France by Charles VII.

The time fixed was only eight days off, but all the same about forty or
fifty men-at-arms gave in their names. Fortunately, before the expected
day, that gentle knight, the Captain Louis d'Ars, arrived, and he was much
delighted to have come in time for this entertainment. When Bayard heard of
his captain's arrival he went to pay his respects to him at once, and was
most warmly welcomed, for the boy's fame had gone before him. To make the
festival more complete, his friend Bellabre also appeared, having been
delayed by waiting for two splendid horses which he expected from Spain. At
length the eventful day arrived, and the gentlemen who wished to take part
in the tournament were divided into two equal ranks, there being
twenty-three on one side and twenty-three on the other. The judges chosen
were the Captain Louis d'Ars and the lord of St. Quentin, captain of the
Scotch company.

At this point it will be interesting to give a full account of the details
needful for a tournament of this period, the close of the fifteenth
century. These tournaments were first started as training-schools for the
practice of arms, and were later tempered by the rules of chivalry. Jousts
were single combats, often a succession of them, for a prize or trial of
skill, while the tourney was troop against troop. These warlike games were
very popular in France especially, but very strict rules had to be made to
prevent the "joust of peace" becoming the deadly "joust a l'outrance" (to
the death).

The "lists," or tournament grounds, were in Bayard's time usually of a
square shape rather longer than broad, and were surrounded by palisades,
often adorned with tapestry and heraldic devices. The marshals of the lists
took note of all that happened and enforced the rules of chivalry. Varlets
were in attendance to help the esquires in looking after their masters, and
helping them up, with their heavy armour, if unhorsed.

It was common to hold a "passage of arms" for three days: two for the
contest on horseback, first with lances, second with swords and maces;
while on the third day, on foot, pole-axes were used. A specially heavy
kind of armour was worn, sometimes nearly 200 lbs. in weight, so that a
knight once unhorsed lay on the ground absolutely helpless, and could not
rise without help. This armour was made still stronger by "reinforcing
armour"--pieces screwed on over the left side, chiefly, which received most
blows--making a double defence for the head, chest, and left shoulder.
"Pauldrons" or shoulder-guards buckled on, that on the right arm being
smaller to leave freedom for using the lance. Then we have brassards or
arm-guards; the rere-brace for the upper arm, the vam-brace for the lower,
and the elbow-piece called a "coudiere."

When all was ready on the appointed day for the tournament at Aire, the
trumpet sounded, and then the order of the Tourney was declared aloud.
Bayard had to appear first in the lists, and against him rode forth a
neighbour of his in Dauphine, by name Tartarin, a powerful man-at-arms.
They rushed at each other so vehemently that Tartarin broke his lance half
a foot from the iron, and Bayard struck him above the arm-piece of his
armour and broke his lance into five or six pieces, upon which the trumpets
sounded forth triumphantly, for the joust was wonderfully good. After
having finished their first attack they returned to face each other for the
second. Such was the fortune of Tartarin that with his lance he forced in
Bayard's arm-piece, and every one thought that he had his arm pierced. But
he was not hurt, and succeeded in returning the attack by a stroke above
the visor, which carried off the bunch of plumes from his adversary's
helmet. The third bout with the lance was as good or even better than the
others, for the lance was more completely shivered into fragments.

When these two knights had finished, next came the lord of Bellabre, and
against him a Scotch man-at-arms, named the Captain David of Fougas, and
these likewise did with their three jousts of the lance all that it was
possible for gentlemen to do. Thus, two by two, all the company went
through the same contest.

This jousting with the lance was one of the most popular exercises for
knights of that day, and the proper use of this weapon was one of the most
important accomplishments for a warrior. We shall often notice, in the
accounts of Bayard's adventures on the field of battle, how extremely
expert he was with his lance. The supreme triumph with this weapon was to
use such skill and force as to break the lance shaft--made of ash or
sycamore--into as many pieces as possible; in fact, to "shiver" it
completely, and thus break as many lances as possible. The tilting lance
was often made hollow, and was from 12 to 15 feet long; but the lance used
with the object of unhorsing instead of splintering was much stronger,
heavier, and thicker in the stem, and instead of a pointed head had a
"coronal," which was blunt.

The first part of the tournament having come to an end, then followed the
battle of the swords. According to the rules, this began with Bayard, who,
on the third stroke he gave, broke his sword into two pieces, but he made
such good use of the stump that he went through the number of strokes
commanded, and did his duty so well that no man could have done better.
After this came the others according to their order, and for the rest of
that day there was such a succession of vigorous fighting that the two
judges declared "never had there been finer lance work or contests with the
sword." When the evening came they retired to young Bayard's lodging, where
a great supper was prepared, to which came many ladies, for within ten
miles round all those of Picardy, or the greater number, had come to see
this fine tournament. After the supper there were dances and other
entertainments, and the company was so well amused that it struck one hour
after midnight before they broke up. It was late next morning before they
woke up, and you may believe that they were never weary of praising Messire
de Bayard, as much for his skill at arms as for his good hospitality.

The next morning, in order to complete that which had begun so well, all
the soldiers assembled at the dwelling of their Captain Louis d'Ars, where
Bayard had already arrived, having come to invite him to dinner at his
lodging, in company with the ladies of the previous evening. First they all
went to hear Mass, and when that was over, "you should have seen the young
gentlemen taking the ladies' arms, and with much pleasant talk leading them
to Bayard's lodging, where if they had supped well the night before, at
dinner they did still better." There was no lingering after this meal, and
towards two o'clock all those who were to take part in the second day's
tournament retired to arm themselves and make ready to fight. The
combatants all approached on horseback, and gravely went round to salute
the company before the contest began.

It was Bayard's place to begin, and against him came a gentleman from
Hainault, Hannotin de Sucker, of great repute. They fought with their
lances, one on each side of the barrier, and gave such tremendous strokes
that the lances were soon broken to pieces; after this they took their
battle-axes, which each of them had hanging by their sides, and dealt each
other great and terrible blows. This appears to us an extremely rough form
of entertainment, but we must remember that these knights were clad in
armour, and so thoroughly covered up from head to foot that there was not
supposed to be a place where a pin could pierce between the joints of the
armour. Under the helmet a smaller close-fitting steel cap was often worn.
This fierce contest went on until Bayard gave his opponent a blow near the
ear, which caused him to waver, and worse still, to fall on his knees,
when, pursuing his success, the victor charged again over the barrier, and
caused Hannotin to kiss the ground.

When the judges saw this they cried, "Hola! Hola! that is enough; now you
may retire." After these two came Bellabre and Arnaulton of Pierre Forade,
a gentleman of Gascony, who did wonders with their lances until they were
both broken; and then they came to the battle-axes, but Bellabre broke his,
after which the judges parted them. After these two came Tardieu and David
the Scotchman, and they did their duty very well. So did others in turn, so
that it was seven o'clock before it was all finished and, for a small
tournament, the lookers-on never saw better jousting in their lives.

When all was over, each man went to his lodging to disarm and change; then
they all came to Bayard's lodging, where the banquet was ready, and there
were also the two judges, the lords of Ars and of St. Quentin, and all the
ladies. After supper it had to be decided and declared by the judges who
should have the prizes. Some of the gentlemen most experienced in arms were
asked to give their opinion "on their faith," and afterwards the ladies on
their conscience, without favouring one more than another. At last it was
agreed that, although each one had done his duty well, yet in their
judgment during the two days Messire de Bayard had done best of all;
wherefore they left it to him, as the knight who had gained the prizes, to
give his presents where it seemed good to him. There was a discussion
between the judges as to who should pronounce sentence, but the Captain
Louis d'Ars persuaded the lord of St. Quentin to do so.

The trumpet was sounded to command silence, and St. Quentin said: "My lords
who are here assembled, and especially those who have been in the Tourney
of which Messire Pierre Bayard has given the prizes for two days ... we
would have you know that after due inquiry of the virtuous and brave
gentlemen who were present and saw the contests, and of the noble ladies
here present ... we have found that although each one has very well and
honestly done his duty, yet the common voice is that the lord of Bayard has
done best in these two days; wherefore the lords and ladies leave to him
the honour of giving the prizes where it seems good to him." Then he added:
"My lord of Bayard, decide where you will give them." The young knight
blushed modestly and was quite troubled. Then he said:

"My lord, I do not know why this honour should come to me, for I think that
others have deserved it more than I. But as it pleases the lords and ladies
that I should be judge, I hope that the gentlemen, my companions, will not
be displeased if I give the prize for the first day to my lord of Bellabre,
and for the second day to the Captain David of Scotland." He therefore gave
the gold bracelet to his friend Bellabre, and the diamond to the Scotch
Captain David, and his decision was greatly applauded. There was again
feasting and dancing afterwards, and the ladies could not say enough in
praise of their gallant young host. We may imagine the penniless condition
in which all this extravagant generosity left him, but his extreme
liberality appears to have been one great feature of his character which
made him beloved through life by all who had to do with him.

He never could see one of his companions thrown without giving him another
horse; if he had a crown left, every one shared it. He never refused the
request of any man if he could possibly grant it, and in his gifts was
always gentle and courteous. His chronicler makes a special point of his
piety from early youth; the first thing when he rose in the morning was
always a prayer to God, as he had promised his mother.




[Illustration: LOUIS XII KING of FRANCE _from a medallion_.]

CHAPTER III


During two years Bayard remained with the garrison at Aire, and made great
progress in all warlike training. At the end of this time, in the year
1494, Charles VIII. undertook his first expedition to Italy, and as the
company of the Count de Ligny was commanded to join him, young Bayard
looked forward with great delight to his first taste of real warfare.

The young King of France, in his eager desire for military glory, forsook
the wise policy of his father, Louis XI., and resolved to claim the kingdom
of Naples, in assertion of the rights bequeathed to him by Rene of Anjou.
In order to prevent any opposition from Spain he yielded to King Ferdinand
the provinces of Roussillon and Cerdagne, and on the same principle gave up
to the Emperor Maximilian, Artois and Franche-Comte. Having made these real
sacrifices as the price of a doubtful neutrality, he set forth on his wild
dreams of conquest at a distance, which could be of no permanent advantage
to him.

Charles VIII. had soon collected a magnificent army and crossed the Alps
in August 1494; it was composed of lances, archers, cross-bow men, Swiss
mercenaries, and arquebusiers. These last used a kind of hand-gun which had
only been in common use for about twenty years, since the battle of Morat.
The arquebus had a contrivance, suggested by the trigger of the cross-bow,
to convey at once the burning match to the trigger. Before that the match
had been held in the hand in using the hand-gun as well as the hand-cannon.
Many of these arquebusiers were on horseback. Besides a number of small
pieces of artillery, the French army had 140 big cannons. The use of these
fire-arms in war had been gradually increasing since the days when Louis
XI. made such use of his "bombards" in the wars in Flanders.

When we read of the wonderful success which at first attended the French
army, we must remember how greatly superior it was to the troops which
opposed it in Italy, which were mostly bands of adventurers collected by
mercenary leaders, named Condottieri, who fought for gain rather than for
glory, and had no special zeal or loyalty for the prince who employed them.
The soldiers in their pay were, for the time being, their own personal
property, and their great desire was to save them "to fight another day,"
while it was not to their interest to kill the men of another band (who
might be on the same side next time), and they only sought to make
prisoners for the sake of their ransom. The impetuosity and real warlike
spirit of the French was a new and alarming thing in Italy, which had been
so long accustomed to the mere show of war.

Charles passed as a conqueror through Pisa and Florence to Rome, then
victorious at Capua, he entered Naples in triumph. During the spring months
of 1495, spoilt by his easy victory, he gave himself up to pleasure in
that fair southern land, idly dreaming of distant conquest. His success
awakened the jealous alarm of Europe, and a formidable league was formed
against him by all the Italian States, the Emperor Maximilian, and the
Kings of Spain and England. Suddenly roused to a sense of his danger,
Charles VIII. left his new kingdom in the charge of his cousin, Gilbert de
Montpensier, with a few thousand men, and hastily set forth on his homeward
way. He left garrisons in various conquered cities, and his army consisted
of barely 10,000 men. They crossed the Apennines with great labour and
difficulty, to find their passage barred by the confederates on the Emilian
plain near the village of Fornovo.

[Illustration: Battle of Forvono.]

Never was battle more fiercely contested than on that Monday, 6th July,
when the French succeeded in breaking through the host of their enemies.
The actual fighting lasted little more than an hour, amid a scene of the
wildest confusion, which was increased by a storm of thunder and lightning,
with rain falling in torrents. We are told that Bayard, the Good Knight,
who had accompanied the King through the whole campaign, distinguished
himself in the first charge at the head of de Ligny's company, and had two
horses killed under him, then continued fighting on foot, and in the thick
of the battle he took the standard of the horsemen opposing him, and
covered himself with glory. The King, hearing afterwards of his gallant
deed, sent him a present of five hundred crowns. Charles could appreciate a
kindred spirit as he too fought with splendid courage on that eventful day.
The French camp, with all its rich treasures of armour, gorgeous clothing,
rare tapestries and plate, was looted; but Charles VIII. and the greater
part of his army, with all the artillery, made good their passage through
an overwhelming host of foes and raised the siege of Novara, where Lodovico
Sforza was besieging the Duke of Orleans.

The French King was soon to receive news of the defeat and destruction of
the small army he had left to hold Naples, and the death of the gallant
Viceroy, Gilbert de Montpensier. Such was the sad ending of the first of
those glorious and fatal expeditions to Italy, in which four kings wasted
in vain so much treasure and so many precious lives. Charles VIII. did not
long survive this bitter disappointment. He died at Amboise on 7th April
1498, at the age of twenty-eight. As he left no children he was succeeded
by his cousin, the Duke of Orleans, under the name of Louis XII. Louis XII.
was crowned on the 1st of July 1498.

If there was one trait of character which, more than any other,
distinguished Bayard the Good Knight, it was his absolute loyalty towards
the lord he served, and his undying gratitude for any kindness which he had
received. He never forgot those six happy months he had spent at the Court
of Savoy when he first went there to take up the profession of arms as a
young lad of thirteen. It was not by his own choice that he left the
service of his earliest master, who in a fit of generosity had presented
his favourite page to the King, in the hope that by so doing he would best
further the career of Bayard.

But Charles I., Duke of Savoy, did not live to see this, for he had died in
1490, and the Duchess, his widow, had left Chambery and retired to her
dower house in the pleasant town of Carignano, in Piedmont, about seventeen
miles to the south of Turin. This lady, Blanche Paleologus, had been a most
kind friend to young Bayard, and when she heard that he was stationed in
the neighbourhood, she invited him to visit her, and received him with the
utmost courtesy, treating him as if he were a member of her family. She was
greatly beloved and honoured in Carignano, where she was lady suzerain, and
where there may still be seen, in the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, a
splendid monument to her memory.

We may imagine the satisfaction with which the good Duchess found that her
page of bygone days had blossomed out into a valiant and famous knight, and
they must both have had much to hear and tell of all that had happened
since they parted. Here Bayard also met with another friend, the young lady
who had been one of the maids-of-honour of the Duchess at Chambery and who
had won the boyish affection of the Good Knight. If the young folks had
been able to follow their inclinations it is probable that in time to come,
when they were of suitable age, marriage would have followed, so the "Loyal
Servitor" tells us in his chronicle. But circumstances parted them, as
Bayard went to the King's Court, and the fair maiden was married later to a
very good and honourable gentleman, the Seigneur de Frussasco (or Fluxas),
who was governor of the household to the Duchess of Savoy, a man of wealth
and high position.

We have a simple, touching story of the delight with which the lady of
Frussasco welcomed her dear friend, the Good Knight, of their eager talk
about old times, and their high ideal of honour and duty. She told him how
she had followed the story of his achievements, from his first joust with
Messire Claude de Vauldray, his tournament at Aire in Picardy, and the
honour which he received on the day of Fornovo, which had spread his fame
throughout France and Italy, and she gave him so much praise and honour
that the poor gentleman blushed for very shame.

Then the lady said to him: "Monseigneur de Bayard, my friend, this is the
great house in which you were first brought up; would it not be well for
you to distinguish yourself here as you have done so nobly elsewhere?"

The Good Knight made answer: "Madame, you know how from my youth I have
always loved and honoured you, and I hold you to be so wise and so kind
that you would only advise me for my good. Tell me, therefore, if you
please, what you would have me do to give pleasure to my good mistress, the
Duchess Blanche, to you above all, and to the rest of the noble company
here at this time?"

Then the lady of Frussasco said: "It seems to me, my lord of Bayard, that
you would do well to arrange some tournament in this town for the honour of
Madame of Savoy, who will be very grateful to you. You have here in the
neighbourhood many French gentlemen, your companions, and there are other
gentlemen of this country who I am assured would all most willingly join
you."

"If it is your wish," replied the Good Knight, "it shall be done. You
are the one lady in this world who has first conquered my heart by your
grace and kindness.... I pray of you that you will give me one of the
under-sleeves from your dress, as I have need of it."[1] The lady gave it
him, and he put it into the sleeve of his doublet without a word.

[Footnote 1: This was fastened with a little lacing under the hanging
sleeve, and was the usual favour asked for and worn by the knight on his
helmet.]

The Duchess Blanche was never weary of talking with the Good Knight, who
had always been so great a favourite of hers. But Bayard could not sleep
all that night, for his mind was full of plans for carrying out the request
of his lady. When the morning came he sent a trumpeter round to all the
towns of the neighbourhood where there were garrisons, to make known to
the gentlemen that if they would make their way within four days, on the
next Sunday, to the town of Carignano, in the costume of men-at-arms, he
would give a prize, which was the cuff of his lady, from whence hung a ruby
of the value of a hundred ducats, to him who should be victorious in three
encounters with the lance, without a barrier, and twelve turns with the
sword.

On the appointed day, about an hour after noon, the Good Knight was at his
place in the ranks, armed at all points, with three or four of his
companions, but only those were with him who were prepared to take part in
the coming contest. Bayard began first, and against him came the lord of
Rovastre, a gallant gentleman who bore the ensign of the Duke Philibert of
Savoy. He was a very hardy and skilful knight, who gave a fine thrust with
his lance to begin with, but the Good Knight gave him such a blow on the
broad band, which protected his right arm, that he disarmed him, and caused
his lance to fly in five or six pieces. The lord of Rovastre regained his
band and tilted with the second lance, with which he did his duty
thoroughly ... but the Good Knight struck him on the visor, and carried off
his plume of feathers (panache) and made him tremble, although he kept his
seat on horseback. At the third lance the lord of Rovastre missed his aim,
and Bayard broke his lance, which went to pieces.

After them came Mondragon and the lord of Chevron, who did their tilting so
well that everybody applauded. Then came two others, and so on until all
the company were satisfied.

The lances being broken it was now time for the contest with swords; but
the Good Knight had only struck two blows when he broke his own, and sent
that of his opponent flying out of his hand. The gracious Duchess
requested the lord of Frussasco to invite all the gentlemen who had taken
part in the tournament to supper. After supper the hautboys sounded, and
the minstrels began to tune up in the gallery, but before the dancing
began, it was decided to award the prize to him who had gained it. The
lords of Grammont and Frussasco were the judges, and they asked all the
company--gentlemen, ladies, and the combatants themselves--and they were
all of opinion that the Good Knight himself, by right of arms, had gained
the prize. But when they presented it to him he said that he did not
deserve it, but that if he had done anything well, Madame de Frussasco was
the cause, as she had lent him her sleeve, and that it was her place to
give the prize as she chose.

The lady, who was well versed in the laws of honour and chivalry, humbly
thanked the Good Knight for the honour which he had done her, and said: "As
M. de Bayard has shown me this courtesy I will keep the sleeve all my life
for love of him, while as for the ruby, I advise that it should be given to
M. de Mondragon, for he is considered to have done the next best."

This was accomplished as she wished, to the content of all, and the Duchess
Blanche rejoiced greatly in the success of the Good Knight, who had begun
his career in her household. The Good Knight took leave of his noble
mistress, the lady of Savoy, telling her that he owed her service and
obedience next to the King, his sovereign lord. Then he said farewell to
the lady who had been his first love, and they parted with much regret, but
their warm friendship lasted till death. We do not hear that they ever met
again, but not a year passed without presents being sent from one to the
other.




[Illustration: LUDOVICO SFORZA DUKE of MILAN _from a medallion_.]

CHAPTER IV


While the French army felt such absolute security of their dominion in
Italy as to suffer the young captains to join in amusements, the fugitive
Duke Lodovico Sforza of Milan, who had lost his duchy by treachery, was
watching events and preparing to return.

When Lodovico arrived he was received with acclamation, and entered Milan
in triumph.

If this sudden revolution took all Italy by surprise, we can understand the
dismay of Louis XII., who found that he had all his work to do over again.
For not only had Milan rebelled, but all the other towns which he had
conquered.

King Louis sent the Sire de Ligny as his chief general, and as a matter of
course the Good Knight went with him. I must tell you the story of an
adventure he had. He was in a garrison about twenty miles from Milan with
other young men-at-arms, and they were constantly making small expeditions.
One day Bayard heard that in the little town of Binasco, near the Certosa
di Pavia, there were about three hundred good horses, which he thought
might be easily taken, and therefore he begged his companions to join him
in this adventure. He was so much beloved that forty or fifty gentlemen
gladly accompanied him. But the castellan of the fortress at Binasco had
news of this through his spies, and laid a trap for the Frenchmen; he had a
strong troop placed in ambuscade on the road, and made sure of success.
But, though taken by surprise, the Good Knight fought like a lion, and with
cries of "France! France!" led his little company again and again to the
attack, for, as he told them, if news of this reached Milan not one would
escape. In fact, so fierce was their charge that they drove back the
defenders mile after mile to the very gates of Milan. Then one of the older
soldiers, who saw the enemy's plan, shouted, "Turn, men-at-arms, turn!" and
the others heard in time, but the Good Knight, thinking only of pursuing
his foes, entered pell-mell with them into the city, and followed them to
the very palace of the lord Lodovico. As he was wearing the white cross of
France, he was soon surrounded on all sides and taken prisoner. Lodovico
had heard the cries, and sent for this brave foe, who was disarmed before
being taken to the palace.

The Duke of Milan was surprised to see such a young warrior, and asked him
what brought him into the city. The Good Knight, who was never put out by
anything, replied, "By my faith, my lord, I did not think I was coming in
alone, but believed my companions were following me. They understood war
better than I did, otherwise they would have been prisoners as I am...."
Then Lovodico asked him how big was the French army, and he made answer,
"As far as I know, my lord, there must be fourteen or fifteen hundred
men-at-arms and sixteen or eighteen thousand men on foot; but they are all
picked men, quite determined to win back the State of Milan for the King,
our master. And it seems to me, my lord, that you would be much safer in
Germany than you are here, for your men are not fit to fight us."

He spoke with so much confidence that Lodovico was much amused, and
remarked that he should like to see the two armies face to face. "And so
indeed should I, my lord, if I were not a prisoner." "Really, if that is
all," replied the Duke, "I will at once set you free, and make it up to the
captain who took you prisoner. But tell me, if you desire anything else I
will give it to you."

The Good Knight bent his knee in thanks for this generous offer, and
replied: "My lord, I ask nothing else save that of your courtesy you will
be good enough to return to me my horse and my arms which I brought into
this town; and if you will send me to my garrison, which is twenty miles
from here, you will thus render me a great service, for which I shall be
grateful all my life; and saving my honour and the service of my King, I
would do anything you command in return."

"On my faith!" exclaimed the lord Lodovico, "you shall have what you ask
for at once." Then he turned to the Seigneur Jean Bernardin who had taken
him prisoner. "Do you hear, captain, he is to have his horse, his arms, and
all his accoutrements at once"

"My lord," was the reply, "that is a very easy matter for all is at my
lodging." So he sent two or three servants, who brought the horse, and the
armour, which the Duke caused to be put on before him. This arming took
place in the great courtyard, at least as far as the gallant prisoner was
disarmed, and when Bayard was fully accoutred he sprang on his horse
without touching the stirrup, and asked for his lance, which was given
him--a steel-headed weapon about fourteen feet long, the shaft being of
ash or sycamore with a little flag (pennoncelle) waving at the top. Then,
raising his visor, he said to the Duke: "My lord, I thank you for the great
courtesy you have shown me. May God repay you!"

The Good Knight spurred his horse, who pranced about in the most wonderful
way, and then Bayard gave a small exhibition of his skill with the lance
which amazed the bystanders and did not please the lord Lodovico overmuch,
for he remarked: "If all the French men-at-arms were like this one I should
have a poor chance." However, he took gracious leave of the Good Knight,
and sent him forth with a trumpeter in attendance to conduct him back to
his garrison.

They had not gone very far, only about twelve miles from Milan, when they
met the main body of the French army. Every one was greatly surprised to
see Bayard, for there had been great sorrow at the rumour that the gallant
knight had been too rash and had been taken prisoner through his youthful
boldness and rashness. When he reached the camp he found that the news of
his exploit had preceded him, for the Sire de Ligny, his good leader, came
forward to meet him with a smile, saying: "Hallo! Picquet, who has got you
out of prison? Have you paid your ransoms' I was on the point of sending
one of my trumpeters to pay it and fetch you back."

"My lord," replied the Good Knight, "I thank you humbly for your good will;
but the lord Lodovico set me free by his great courtesy."

It was at Novara that Lodovico Sforza met the army of France. The Duke's
forces were composed of different races--German "landsknechte," Burgundians
who were commanded by the same Claude de Vauldray who had fought with the
Good Knight in his first tournament, and Swiss mercenaries. There were
bands of Swiss fighting on the side of the French, and those within the
city declared that they would not fight against their fellow-countrymenn in
the other camp. They laid down their arms, and neither threat nor promise
availed. Soon it was discovered that one of the gates of Novara had been
opened by treachery, and that the French were entering the city. Then, as a
last hope, Lodovico and his companions put on the dress of common soldiers
and mixed with them in the ranks. But the unfortunate Duke was betrayed by
one of the Swiss captains, who was put to death later by his own countrymen
as a traitor.

On the occasion of Louis' former conquest of this land he had given several
important towns and estates to his general, the Sire de Ligny. These had
revolted with the rest of the duchy, to the great annoyance of de Ligny,
and a report reached the citizens of Tortona and Voghera that their homes
were to be sacked and pillaged. This was of course in those days the usual
penalty of rebellion, but the French general was a generous and merciful
man who had no such cruel intentions. However, the inhabitants of Voghera
took counsel together, and twenty of the chief merchants went forth to meet
their lord and humbly pray for mercy, two miles outside the city gates. But
de Ligny took no notice of them and rode on in silence with his men-at-arms
to his lodging within the city. One of his captains, to whom they appealed,
Louis d'Ars, promised to do his best for them, and advised that they should
plead again on the morrow. This time about fifty of the chief men came to
him as suppliants, bare-headed, and fell on their knees before the General.
They made a long and lamentable petition, ending with the offer of the
richest silver plate, cups, goblets, bowls, and precious vessels to the
value of more than three hundred marks.

Without deigning to look at the presents they had brought, their offended
lord turned upon them, reproached them bitterly for their treachery in
rebelling against him before the usurper, Lodovico, had even approached
their walls. What fate was too terrible for such cowards and traitors? The
kneeling citizens trembled and thought their last hour had come, when the
captain, Louis d'Ars, pleaded for mercy as a special favour to himself,
promising that henceforth they would prove themselves faithful and loyal
subjects. Then at length de Ligny suffered his anger to cool down, and
yielded to the wish of his good captain by granting a pardon. "But as for
your present, I do not deign to accept it for you are not worthy," he
exclaimed. Then, looking round the hall, his eyes fell upon the Good
Knight, to whom he said: "Picquet, take all this plate, I give it you for
your kitchen." To which he made instant reply: "My lord, I thank you humbly
for your kindness, but with God's help the goods of such evil-doers shall
never enter my house for they would bring me misfortune."

Thereupon the Good Knight took one piece of silver after another from the
table and made a present of it to each one of the assembled company, not
keeping a single thing for himself, to the amazement of every one. When he
had given away everything, he quietly left the chamber, as did many of the
others. The Sire de Ligny turned to those who remained and asked: "What do
you think of this, gentlemen? Did you ever see such a generous soul as my
Picquet? God should have made him king over some great realm. Believe me
that he will some day be one of the most perfect knights in the world."
All the company agreed, and could not praise young Bayard enough. And when
the Sire de Ligny had thought over the matter, he sent him next morning a
beautiful costume of crimson velvet lined with satin brocade, a most
excellent war-horse, and a purse with three hundred crowns--which did not
last him long, for he shared it all with his companions.

Louis XII. had been so much engaged with his conquest of Milan that for a
time he had not done much towards recovering the kingdom of Naples. This
had been lost after the retreat of Charles VIII., who died before he had
been able to make another fight for it, after the disastrous fate of his
viceroy, Gilbert de Montpensier, and his brave little army. At this time
Frederick of Aragon was King of Naples, having succeeded his nephew,
Ferdinand II., in 1496.

The king gave the command of his great army to the lord of Aubigny, who had
brought back the broken ranks of the first expedition to Naples. The
company of de Ligny, under his lieutenant, Captain Louis d'Ars, was ordered
to form part of it. Bayard, the Good Knight, who could not bear to be left
behind when fighting was going on, asked the permission of his dear master
to accompany the lieutenant's men.

On this important occasion Louis XII., doubtful of his own strength, made
the great mistake of forming an alliance with Ferdinand, King of Spain.

King Frederick of Naples knew nothing of the secret compact between France
and Spain, and he expected Gongalvo de Cordova, known as the Great Captain,
to come to his help with the troops of Spain.

As the alliance between France and Spain was founded on treachery, we
cannot be surprised that they soon fell out over the division of their
spoils. King Ferdinand of Aragon was never bound by any contract which did
not profit him, and by his orders the Great Captain, Gonzalvo de Cordova,
invaded the province of Naples itself. The lord of Aubigny had placed his
various companies as garrisons in different towns, and those which belonged