lowed by three horses--the
first ridden by a page in armour like his own, the two others by
equerries who were called lateral auxiliaries, because in a fray they
fought to right and left of their chief. This troop was not only the
most magnificent, but the most considerable in the whole army; for as
there were 2500 knights, they formed each with their three followers a
total of 10,000 men. Five thousand light horse rode next, who carried
huge wooden bows, and shot long arrows from a distance like English
archers. They were a great help in battle, for moving rapidly wherever
aid was required, they could fly in a moment from one wing to another,
from the rear to the van, then when their quivers were empty could go off
at so swift a gallop that neither infantry or heavy cavalry could pursue
them. Their defensive armour consisted of a helmet and half-cuirass; some
of them carried a short lance as well, with which to pin their stricken
foe to the ground; they all wore long cloaks adorned with shoulder-knots,
and plates of silver whereon the arms of their chief were emblazoned.

At last came the young king's escort; there were four hundred archers,
among whom a hundred Scots formed a line on each side, while two hundred
of the most illustrious knights marched on foot beside the prince,
carrying heavy arms on their shoulders. In the midst of this magnificent
escort advanced Charles VIII, both he and his horse covered with splendid
armour; an his right and left marched Cardinal Ascanio Sforza, the Duke
of Milan's brother, and Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere, of whom we have
spoken so often, who was afterwards Pope Julius II. The Cardinals
Colonna and Savelli followed immediately after, and behind them came
Prospero and Fabrizia Colonna, and all the Italian princes and generals
who had thrown in their lot with the conqueror, and were marching
intermingled with the great French lords.

For a long time the crowd that had collected to see all these foreign
soldiers go by, a sight so new and strange, listened uneasily to a dull
sound which got nearer and nearer. The earth visibly trembled, the glass
shook in the windows, and behind the king's escort thirty-six bronze
cannons were seen to advance, bumping along as they lay on their
gun-carriages. These cannons were eight feet in length; and as their
mouths were large enough to hold a man's head, it was supposed that each
of these terrible machines, scarcely known as yet to the