The lord of La Palisse looked at the good knight (Bayard), and saw that he seemed to be picking his teeth, as if he had not heard what his comrades had proposed.

'Well, and you,' said he, 'what say you about it?
It is no time for picking one's teeth; we must at once send speedy reply to the emperor.' Gayly the good knight answered, 'If we would all take my lord of Ymbercourt's word, we have only to go straight to the breach.

But it is a somewhat sorry pastime for men-at-arms to go afoot, and I would gladly be excused.

Howbeit, since I must give my opinion, I will.

The emperor bids you, in his letter, set all the French gentlemen afoot for to deliver the assault along with his lanzknechts.
My opinion is, that you, my lord, ought to send back to the emperor a reply of this sort: that you have had a meeting of your captains, who are quite determined to do his bidding, according to the charge they have from the king their master; but that to mix them up with the foot, who are of small estate, would be to make them of little account; the emperor has loads of counts, lords, and gentlemen of Germany; let him set them afoot along with the men-at-arms of France, who will gladly show them the road; and then his lanzknechts will follow, if they know that it will pay.' When the good knight had thus spoken, his advice was found virtuous and reasonable.