[A Popular History of France From The Earliest Times by Francois Pierre Guillaume Guizot]@TWC D-Link bookA Popular History of France From The Earliest Times CHAPTER XXVIII 127/191
At this sight Admiral Bonnivet in despair exclaimed, "I can never survive this fearful havoc;" and raising the visor of his helmet, he rushed to meet the shots which were aimed at him, and in his turn fell beside his comrades in arms. Bourbon had expressly charged his men to search everywhere 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.
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