the few Frenchmen who had escaped the arms of the Imperialists. With
four hundred lances he abandoned the camp, crossed the Ticino, and
reaching France by way of Piedmont, proceeded to Lyons, where he found
Louise of Savoy and Margaret.

It has been alleged that they received him with harsh reproaches, and
that, unable to bear the shame he felt for his conduct, he died only a
few days after the battle. (1)

1 See Garnier's _Histoire de France_, vol. xxiv.; Gaillard's
_Histoire de France, &c_. Odolant Desnos, usually well
informed, falls into the same error, and asserts that when
the Duke, upon his arrival, asked Margaret to kiss him, she
replied, "Fly, coward! you have feared death. You might find
it in my arms, as I do not answer for myself."--_Mémoires
historiques_, vol. ii. p. 253.

There are several errors in these assertions, which a contemporary
document enables us to rectify. The battle of Pavia was fought on
February 14th, 1525, and Charles of Alençon did not die till April 11th,
more than a month after his arrival at Lyons. He was carried off in five
days by pleurisy, and some hours before his death was still able to rise
and partake of the communion. Margaret bestowed the most tender care
upon him, and the Regent herself came to visit him, the Duke finding
strength enough to say to her, "Madam, I beg of you to let the King know
that since the day he was made a prisoner I have been expecting nothing
but death, since I was not sufficiently favoured by Heaven to share his
lot or to be slain in serving him who is my king, father, brother, and
good master." After kissing the Regent's hand he added, "I commend to
you her who has been my wife for fifteen years, and who has been as good