was the descendant of his slayer, the terrible Duke of Burgundy, evil genius of France at that time.
The principal event in the reign of the new king was the reopening of the Italian War by the combined and successful action of Spain and France.

But this proved a barren triumph for Louis, who, when all was done, found that he had been simply aiding that artful diplomatist, Ferdinand, in securing the whole prize for Spain.

The disagreement growing out of the distribution of the spoil resulted in a war between the late allies; and it was in this wretched conflict that Bayard, _chevalier sans peur et sans reproche_, was sacrificed.
Louis died in 1515, also without an heir; and so the crown passed to still another collateral branch of the main Capetian line.

The Count of Angouleme, cousin of the dead king, was proclaimed Francis I.
The fall of Constantinople in the East, and the discovery of a new world in the West, were changing the whole aspect of Europe.

The art of printing, coming almost simultaneously with these transforming events, sent vitalizing currents reaching even to the humblest.