guide.

When Bayard arrived at the French camp, the Count of Ligny was
astonished and overjoyed to see him, for all had heard of Bayard's
solitary descent on Milan and his consequent capture.

"What, Piquet!" exclaimed the count, "thou out of prison! How didst thou
pay thy ransom? I was about to send a herald to pay it, and bring thee
back."

"Sir," replied the knight, "I thank thee most sincerely, but Ludovic
Sforza hath spared thee the trouble, and in doing so, he hath proved
himself a rival in courtesy and generosity even to thyself--he hath made
me a present of my freedom, and provided me with a guide hither."

Milan afterwards fell into the hands of the king, but Bayard was not
able to return the great kindness Ludovic had shown to him.

After conquering Milan, King Louis turned his attention to the Kingdom
of Naples, which had, during the last days of Charles VIII., thrown off
the yoke of France and raised a Spanish prince to the throne.

Bayard counted it great good fortune to be allowed to go on the
expedition sent by the king into Naples; and there he performed such
wonderful feats of arms that the Spanish allies of the Neapolitans
declared him to be a devil instead of a man. It was, indeed, through no
fault of Bayard's that the French ultimately lost Naples.

The fame of Bayard's exploits spread. The Pope, a bitter enemy to the
King of France, sent for the chevalier, and tried to persuade him to
renounce the service of King Louis for that of the States of the Church.
In order to make his proposition exceedingly tempting, the Pontiff
offered to load the knight with riches and honors, and make him
Captain-General of the Church. To all this Bayard gave the simple,
earnest answer,--

"I have but one master in heaven,--God,--and one upon earth,--the King
of France."

Once, while the good Duke of Nemours commanded the French army in Italy,
he and several of his officers had occasion to spend a few days in the
little town of Carpi. While there, they were hospitably entertained by
the Count of Carpi, who provided many amusements for them. For their
diversion, the count one day caused an astrologer--a little withered
black man--to appear at court, and read the future for the distinguished
guests.

The astrologer came, and astonished all by the accuracy with which he
related past events in their lives. Then he told them that on the next
Good Friday or Easter Day the French and Spanish armies would come
toge