Read Henri II: His Court and Times for Free Online Page B

—
"
le chevalier sans peur et sans reproche
" — which occurred on
April 30.
    The Imperialists pressed the French hard, and the latter
only escaped destruction through the gallantry with which
Bayard, who commanded the rear-guard, covered the retreat.
He saved the army, however, at the cost of his own life, for,
after seeing many of his officers fall around him, he himself was
struck by
"une pierre d'arquebuse,"
which passed through his
body and shattered his spine. When he felt himself wounded,
he exclaimed,
"Jésus!
" and then observed,
"Hélas, mon Dieu,
je suis mort!"
He kissed the hilt of his sword, which was
in the form of a cross, and requested those about him to assist
him from his horse and lay him at the foot of a tree, with his
face turned towards the enemy; and then begged them to leave
him and seek their own safety. A few moments later, Bourbon,
who was hotly pursuing the French, in the hope of making
Louise's minion, Bonnivet, a prisoner, galloped up, and expressed
his pity at seeing him in this extremity. "Monsieur," replied
the dying hero, "there is no need to pity me, for I die a man
of honour. But I pity you, to see you in arms against your
prince, your country, and your oath!" Bourbon rode away
without replying; but Pescara, who came up soon afterwards,
directed that everything possible should be done to alleviate
the wounded man's sufferings, declaring that he would have
willingly shed "the half of his blood" to have taken him
unhurt; while his officers crowded round "with great mourning
and lamentation," for Bayard had made war with humanity
and courtesy, and they esteemed him almost as much as did
the French. All their care, however, was, of course, unavailing,
and in a little while the "flower of all chivalry" breathed
his last. His magnanimous foes caused his body to be transported to
Dauphiné; and from the foot of the Alps to Grenoble
it was escorted by immense crowds. There it was laid to rest
in his family vault in the Convent of the Minims; and "allfêtes, dances, banquets, and pastimes ceased for a month in
the province." 16
    After the death of Bayard the army continued its retreat and
re-entered Dauphiné by the Lower Valais; the last French
garrisons of Lombardy capitulated, and not a rod of Italian soil
remained to François I.
    The peninsula once cleared of the French, the Pope 17 and the other Italian members of the coalition wished to make
peace with France and to secure the withdrawal of the Spanish
and German troops, who exercised over the provinces which
they had "delivered" a domination even more insolent and
oppressive than the soldiers of François. But the Emperor
desired to remain master of Italy and to follow up his successes against France; and when Clement appealed to Henry
VIII to use his influence on behalf of a general pacification,
Wolsey, who was naturally inclined to look coldly upon
overtures coming from his successful rival for the tiara, and
wished to reserve to himself the honour of regulating the
destiny of Europe, caused the proposal to be rejected. 18
    The Pope, the Venetians, and the Tuscan republics then
withdrew from the league and announced their intention of
observing a strict neutrality; but the other members renewed
their offensive alliance against France, and at the beginning
of July an army of some 18,000 men, under the command of
Bourbon, advanced rapidly along the Corniche road, crossed
the Var, and entered Provence.
    This sudden invasion was totally unexpected by François,
who was quite unprepared to meet it. Bourbon, aware of
this, had conceived the bold plan of marching straight upon
Lyons, by way of Provence and Dauphiné, in the belief that,
if he penetrated to the heart of the kingdom, the discontented
nobles, particularly those of his own former dominions, would
hasten to rally round him. There was undoubtedly much to
be said for this course, though the ex-Constable perhaps over-estimated the strength of the rebellious faction.