NOW, when Monsieur de Bayard was fighting in the kingdom of Naples, he
made prisoner a valiant Spanish captain, Don Alonzo de Soto-Mayor by
name, who, not liking his situation, complained of the treatment he
received, which he said was unworthy of his dignity as a knight. This
was, however, quite absurd, and against all reason, for, as all the
world knows, there never was a man more courteous than Monsieur de
Bayard. At length, Monsieur de Bayard, wearied with the continued
grumblings of the Spaniard, sent him a challenge. This was at once
accepted, whether the duel should be fought on foot or on horseback, for
Don Alonzo refused to withdraw anything that he had said of the French
knight.
When the day arrived, Monsieur de la Palisse, accompanied by two hundred
gentlemen, appeared on the ground, escorting their champion Monsieur de
Bayard, mounted on a beautiful horse, and dressed all in white, as a
mark of humility, the old chronicler tells us. But Don Alonzo, to whom
belonged the choice of arms, declared that he preferred to fight on
foot, because (he pretended) he was not so skilful a horseman as
Monsieur de Bayard, but really because he knew that his adversary had
that day an attack of malarial fever, and he hoped to find him weakened,
and so to get the better of him. Monsieur de la Palisse and Bayard's
other supporters advised him, from the fact of his fever, to excuse
himself, and to insist on fighting on horseback; but Monsieur de Bayard,
who had never trembled before any man, would make no difficulties, and
agreed to everything, which astonished Don Alonzo greatly, as he had
expected a refusal. An enclosure was formed by a few large stones piled
roughly one on another. Monsieur de Bayard placed himself at one end of
the ground, accompanied by several brave captains, who all began to
offer up prayers for their champion. Don Alonzo and his friends took up
a position at the other end, and sent Bayard the weapons that they had
chosen--namely, a short sword and a poignard, with a gorget and coat of
mail. Monsieur de Bayard did not trouble himself enough about the matter
to raise any objection. For second he had an old brother-at-arms,
Bel-Arbre by name, and for keeper of the ground Monsieur de la Palisse,
who was very well skilled in all these things. The Spaniard also chose a
second and a keeper of the ground. So when the combatants had taken
their places, they both sank on their knees and prayed to God; but
Monsieur de Bayard fell on his face and kissed the earth, then, rising,
made the sign of the cross, and went straight for his enemy, as calmly,
says the old chronicler, as if he were in a palace, and leading out a
lady to the dance.
[Illustration: 'Surrender, Don Alonzo, or you are a dead man!']
Don Alonzo on his side came forward to meet him, and asked, 'Senor
Bayardo, what do you want of me?' He answered, 'To defend my honour,'
and without more words drew near; and each thrust hard with the sword,
Don Alonzo getting a slight wound on his face. After that, they thrust
at each other many times more, without touching. Monsieur de Bayard soon
discovered the ruse of his adversary, who no sooner delivered his
thrusts than he at once covered his face so that no hurt could be done
him; and he bethought himself of a way to meet it. So, the moment Don
Alonzo raised his arm to give a thrust, Monsieur de Bayard also raised
his; but he kept his sword in the air, without striking a blow, and when
his enemy's weapon had passed harmlessly by him, he could strike where
he chose, and gave such a fearful blow at the throat that, in spite of
the thickness of the gorget, the sword entered to the depth of four
whole fingers, and he could not pull it out. Don Alonzo, feeling that he
had got his death-blow, dropped his sword and grasped Monsieur de Bayard
round the body, and thus wrestling they both fell to the ground. But
Monsieur de Bayard, quick to see and to do, seized his sword, and,
holding it to the nostrils of his enemy, he cried, 'Surrender, Don
Alonzo, or you are a dead man;' but he got no answer, for Don Alonzo was
dead already. Then his second, Don Diego de Guignonnes, came forward and
said, 'Senor Bayardo, you have conquered him,' which everyone could see
for himself. But Monsieur de Bayard was much grieved, for, says the
chronicler, he would have given a hundred thousand crowns, if he had had
them, to have made Don Alonzo surrender. Still, he was grateful to God
for having given him the victory, and gave thanks, and, kneeling down,
kissed the earth three times. And after the body of Don Alonzo was
carried from the ground, he said to the second, 'Don Diego, my lord,
have I done enough?' And Don Diego answered sadly, 'Enough and too much,
Senor Bayardo, for the honour of Spain.' 'You know,' said Monsieur de
Bayard, 'that as the victor the body is mine to do as I will, but I
yield it to you; and truly, I would that, my honour satisfied, it had
fallen out otherwise.' So the Spaniards bore away their champion with
sobs and tears, and the French led off the conqueror with shouts of joy,
and the noise of trumpets and clarions, to the tent of Monsieur de la
Palisse, after which Monsieur de Bayard went straight to the church to
give thanks in that he had gained the victory. Thus it happened to the
greater renown of Monsieur de Bayard, who was esteemed not only by the
French, his countrymen, but by the Spaniards of the kingdom of Naples,
to be a peerless knight, who had no equal look where you may.[29]