sole object of the expedition, and there was much shouting and confusion.
When the Good Knight at the barrier heard the drums of the enemy's
foot-soldiers, he said to the Captain Lorges: "My friend, if they pass this
barrier we are done for. I pray you, retire with your men, keep close
together and march straight for Biagrasso, while I remain with the horsemen
to protect your rear. We must leave the enemy our baggage, but let us save
the men." Lorges at once obeyed, and the retreat was carried out so
cleverly that not ten men we're lost. The Emperor's people were still
seeking for the Good Knight when he had already reached Biagrasso and
spoken his mind to the Admiral. Bayard was quite broken-hearted at the
misfortune which had befallen him, although it was certainly not his fault,
but there is more chance in war than in anything else.

Still, there was more than chance in these disasters of the French in
Italy. They had quite miscalculated the strength of their enemies, amongst
whom was now the famous general, Charles de Bourbon, late Constable of
France. The young French King, at a time when Spain, England, and Italy
were all against him, had most unwisely deprived Bourbon of the whole of
his vast estates by means of a legal quibble; and his greatest subject,
driven to desperation by this ungrateful treatment, had passed over to the
service of Charles V., and was now in command of the Spanish army. It was
he who urged the immediate pursuit of the French when Bonnivet, discouraged
by ill success and sickness in his camp, retreated from his strong position
at Biagrasso. He made one blunder after another, for now that it was too
late he sent a messenger to raise a levy of six thousand Swiss to join him
by way of Ivria.

According to his usual gallant custom, as the army retired with forced
marches towards the Alps, Bayard took command of the rear-guard, and as the
Spaniards followed day by day he bore all the brunt of the constant