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.

King Frederick of Naples knew nothing of the secret compact between France
and Spain, and he expected Gongalvo de Cordova, known as the Great Captain,
to come to his help with the troops of Spain.