As the alliance between France and Spain was founded on treachery, we
cannot be surprised that they soon fell out over the division of their
spoils. King Ferdinand of Aragon was never bound by any contract which did
not profit him, and by his orders the Great Captain, Gonzalvo de Cordova,
invaded the province of Naples itself. The lord of Aubigny had placed his
various companies as garrisons in different towns, and those which belonged
to the Count de Ligny were in the hands of his company, amongst whom, as we
know, was Bayard, the Good Knight. We shall now understand how it was that
he found himself at war with the Spaniards, who had been at first the
allies of France.

Pierre de Bayard, the Good Knight, had been placed in command of a garrison
at a place called Monervine, by his captain, Louis d'Ars. There had been no
fighting in his neighbourhood for some little time, and he began to get
rather weary. So he said one evening to his companions: "Gentlemen, it
seems to me that we have been too long in one place without seeing our
foes. We shall grow weak for want of using our arms, and our enemies will
grow bolder than ever, thinking that we dare not go out of our fort. So I
propose that to-morrow we ride out towards the nearest Spanish garrisons,
Andria or Barletta, and have a little fighting if possible." The others
readily agreed, and about thirty of them arranged to start early the next
morning. It was a merry party of young gentlemen who galloped over the
country at daybreak, and it so chanced that the same idea had occurred
to a Spanish knight of Andria, Don Alonzo of Soto-Mayor, who wished to
exercise his company of men-at-arms. Such was the fortune of the two
captains, that as they turned a corner by some rising ground they suddenly
came within arrow-shot of each other, and joyful indeed they were to have
such a chance. When the Good Knight saw the red crosses he turned to his
followers and cried: "My friends, here is our chance to win honour ...
we will not wait for them to attack!"