bestowed on him the famous order of St. Michael and the command of a
hundred men-at-arms. He also made many promises of future greatness, and
both he and his mother, the Queen Louise, praised Bayard to the skies. But,
unfortunately, the only results of all this praise were a few empty honours
and an immense amount of jealousy and ill-feeling amongst the courtiers.
Indeed, we find that after this time Bayard never had any important charge
given to him, and never attained the position, which he so richly deserved,
of commander in time of war. It is very interesting to notice that the
"Loyal Servitor"--that faithful chronicler who followed Bayard through all
his campaigns, and probably often wrote at his dictation--never allows us
to suspect that the Good Knight felt any bitterness at this neglect. Not
one word of complaint is ever heard; he never murmured, he asked for
nothing; his only anxiety was to serve his country and his king.

If Bayard was not rewarded with the prizes of his profession he was
certainly always chosen when any dangerous or wearisome business was on
hand.

The Good Knight was not recalled to Court, and it is supposed that, besides
the jealousy which his brilliant deeds had awakened, he was also in
disgrace on account of his warm friendship for Charles de Bourbon, who was
now being driven to despair and ruin through the hatred of Louise de
Savoie.

Bayard having been made lieutenant of the Governor of Dauphiné in 1515, it
was easy to keep him at a distance from Paris at his post, and with his
keen and devoted interest in all matters that concerned his country, these
years in a far-off province were a veritable exile. Several of his letters
written during this period have been preserved, and we have also a friendly
note from the King, written in December 1523, when he had settled to make