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.