The Constable De Bourbon by William Harrison Ainsworth

William Ainsworth's historical novel opens in the dazzling court of François I, where power, pageantry, and peril move side by side. Into this glittering world rides Charles de Bourbon, the Constable of France: a nobleman of immense wealth, military renown, and proud independence, admired by many and feared by the king's inner circle. His rise sparks jealousy in François I, Louise de Savoie, Chancellor Duprat, and the ambitious Admiral Bonnivet, whose political scheming turns resentment into a ruthless attempt to strip Bourbon of his lands and honor. As court intrigue deepens, Bourbon is drawn toward a destiny shaped by prophecy, betrayal, and war. From Fontainebleau's magnificence to the battlefields of Italy, the story follows shifting alliances, royal ambition, and foreign powers eager to exploit France's divisions. In the campaign that follows, Bourbon's relentless pursuit of the French army leads to a desperate clash at the Sesia, where Bonnivet is wounded and the heroic Bayard fights to save his countrymen. Bayard's final stand and death embody the novel's central themes of honor, loyalty, and tragic chivalry amid the collapse of old ideals. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.