Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. III.djvu/67

41 RESOLUTION OF THE SPANIARDS. 41 may be noticed Jacques de Chabannes, more com- chapter monlj known as the Sire de la Palice, a favorite of • '■ — Louis the Twelfth, and well entitled to be so by his deserts ; Louis d'Ars ; Ives d'Alegre, brother of the Precy who gained so much renown in the vvars of Charles the Eighth ; and Pierre de Bay- ard, the knight " sans peur et sans reproche," who was then entering on the honorable career in which he seemed to realize all the imaginary perfections of chivalry.^* ' Notwithstanding the small numbers of the French infemnty ° ^ ^ ^ ^ of the Span force, the Great Captain was in no condition to '^'^''•^ cope with them. He had received no reinforce- ments from home since he first landed in Calabria. His little corps of veterans was destitute of proper clothing and equipments, and the large arrears due them made the tenure of their obedience extremely precarious. ^^ Since affairs began to assume their present menacing aspect, he had been busily oc- cupied with drawing together the detachments posted in various parts of Calabria, and concen- trating them on the town of Atella in the Basili- cate, where he had established his own quarters. He had also opened a correspondence with the 11 Guicciardini, Istoria, lib. 5, p. 12 Martyr's epistles at this crisis 265. — D'Auton, Hist, de Louys are filled with expostulation, arg-u- XII., part. 1, chap. 57. — Gaillard, ment, and entreaties to the sove- Rivalit^, torn. iv. pp. 221-233. — reigns,- begging them to rouse from St. Gelais, Hist, de Louys XII., their apathy, and take measures to p. 169. secure the wavering affections of Brantome has introduced sketch- Venice, as well as to send more es of most of the French captains effectual aid to their Italian troops, mentioned in the text into his ad- Ferdinand listened to the first of mirable gallery of national por- these suggestions; but showed a traits. See Vies des Hommes II- strange insensibiluy to the last, lustres, CEuvres, torn. ii. and iii. VOL. Ill 6