le the Bishop, who had first started him in his career of arms,
received him with the greatest affection. He was warmly welcomed and made
much of in his native land, and possibly the excitement, combined with his
serious wound, was too much for him, as he fell ill with fever and for more
than a fortnight his life was despaired of.

Prayers and supplications were made for him throughout the whole country,
especially in all the churches of Grenoble itself, and, as the chronicler
remarks, "there must have been some good person whose prayers were heard,"
for the Good Knight gradually grew better, and before many weeks he was as
well and as gay as ever. Never was any one more feasted and entertained
than he was during the three months when he remained with his uncle, the
Bishop of Grenoble. A very interesting letter has been preserved which this
good prelate wrote to the Queen of France at this time. He thanks her for
her great kindness in sending her doctor, Maitre Pierre, whose skill has
had so much effect in curing his nephew. He also informs Her Majesty that
he has spoken to Bayard about the marriage she suggests for him, but with
all due gratitude he does not find himself in a position to marry, and has
never given the subject a thought....

This is exactly what we might have expected from the good Anne of Brittany.
She had such a passion for match-making that she had obtained from the Pope
a "portable" altar, which always travelled with her, that she might have a
marriage solemnised at any time.

[Illustration: Bayard presented to the King of England.]

[Illustration: HENRY _the_ EIGHTH KING OF ENGLAND
_from the portrait by Hans Holbein_.]

CHAPTER VIII

The next war in which Bayard was engaged was that in which Louis XII. was
attacked by the King of Spain in Navarre. Henry VIII. was at the same time
preparing to invade the north of France, landing near Calais, and the Swiss
were already pouring into Burgundy.

As we may expect, Bayard was not long without being sent on some perilous
adventure. He was at the siege of Pampeluna with the deposed King Jean
d'Albret of Navarre and the lord of La Palisse, when they told him there
was a certain castle about four leagues off which it would be well for him
to take, as the garrison was a constant annoyance to the French. The Good
Knight at once set off with his own company, that of Captain Bonneval, a
certain number of adventurers, and two troops of "landsknechte.