. 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
h