where in the melley
for the admiral, and bring him in a prisoner. When, as he passed along
that part of the battle-field, he recognized the corpse, "Ah! wretch," he
cried, as he moved away, "it is thou who hast caused the ruin of France
and of me!" Amidst these dead and dying, Francis still fought on;
wounded as he was in the face, the arms, and the legs, he struck right
and left with his huge sword, and cut down the nearest of his assailants;
but his horse, mortally wounded, dragged him down as it fell; he was up
again in an instant, and, standing beside his horse, he laid low two more
Spaniards who were pressing him closely; the ruck of the soldiers crowded
about him; they did not know him, but his stature, his strength, his
bravery, his coat of mail studded with golden lilies, and his helmet
overshadowed by a thick plume of feathers pointed him out to all as the
finest capture to make; his danger was increasing every minute, when one
of Bourbon's most intimate confidants, the Lord of Pomperant, who, in
1523, had accompanied the constable in his flight through France, came up
at this critical moment, recognized the king, and, beating off the
soldiers with his sword, ranged himself at the king's side, represented
to-him the necessity of yielding, and pressed him to surrender to the
Duke of Bourbon, who was not far off. "No," said the king, "rather die
than pledge my faith to a traitor where is the Viceroy of Naples?" It
took some time to find Lannoy; but at last he arrived and put one knee on
the ground before Francis I., who handed his sword to him. Lannoy took
it with marks of the most profound respect, and immediately gave him
another. The battle was over, and Francis I. was Charles V.'s prisoner.

[Illustration: Capture of Francis I.----91]

He had shown himself an imprudent and unskilful general, but at the same
time a hero. His conquerors, both officers and privates, could not help,
whilst they secured his person, showing their admiration for him. When
he sat down to table, after having had his wounds, which were slight,
attended to, Bourbon approached him respectfully and presented him with a
dinner-napkin; and the king took it without embarrassment and with frigid
and curt politeness. He next day granted him an interview, at which an
accommodation took place with due formalities on both sides, but nothing
more. All the king's regard was for the Marquis of Pescara, who came to
see him in a simple suit