Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. III.djvu/184

158 158 ITALIAN WARS. PART II. Causes of the French failures. prowess, came forward to welcome him, and made good cheer, says the old chronicler, for himself and his companions, whom they recompensed with lib- eral largesses, proffering at the same time any boon to the brave knight, which he should demand for himself. The latter in return simply requested that his old comrade Ives d'Allegre should be recalled from exile. This trait of magnanimity, when con- trasted with the general ferocity of the times, has something in it inexpressibly pleasing. It shows, like others recorded of the French gentlemen of that period, that the age of chivalry, — the chivalry of romance, indeed, had not wholly passed away.^^ The pacification of Lyons sealed the fate of Naples ; and, while it terminated the wars in that kingdom, closed the military career of Gonsalvo de Cordova. It is impossible to contemplate the mag- nitude of the results, achieved with such slender resources, and in the face of such overwhelming odds, without deep admiration for the genius of the man by whom they were accomplished. His success, it is true, is imputable in part to the signal errors of his adversaries. The magnificent expedition of Charles the Eighth, failed to produce any permanent impression, chiefly in consequence of the precipitation with which it had been entered into, without sufficient concert with the Italian 26 Brantome, Q^uvrcs, torn. ii. See also Memoires de Bayard, disc. 11. — Flenrano-o, Memoires, chap. 25 ; tiie pood kniplit, " sans chap. 5, apud Ptiitot, Colleeiion peur et sans rcproclie," made one des Mi'moirrs, torn. xvi. — l^iio- of this intrepid little band, having naccor-si, Diario, p. 85. — Caillard, joinod Louis d'Ars after the capit- Rivalit^, torn. iv. pp. 2.'>5-2G0. ulation of Gaela.