Donovan Baldwin

Pierre Terrail LeVieux, seigneur de Bayard



Posted: Sunday, January 03, 2010

by
No Diet 4 Me

"Le chevalier sans peur et sans reproche."

A knight of France in the 15th and 16th centuries, the Chevalier de Bayard was considered to be the epitome of chivalry and was held up as an ideal for knights of the time, and for many others since.

He was so esteemed by the people of the time that the french phrase quoted above, "The knight without fear and above reproach" was used to describe him.  For himself, he preferred the simple appelation, "le bon chevalier"..."the good knight."

A warrior respected and looked up to by other warriors, he was also known for his wit, intelligence, and kindness.  On one occasion, when wounded, he placed a homeowner and his family under his protection as he recovered from his wounds in their house.  One of the most skilled commanders of the age, he won battles not only by his own skills as a warrior and commander, but by the fruits of an espionage organization he fostered.

His personal valor came never in question.  In one famous battle, he, with twelve other French knights, won in battle against an equal number of Spanish knights.  Another tale has him single-handedly holding a bridge against 200 Spaniards.

So respected was he by not only his countrymen but by foes as well, he was twice released after being captured simply out of respect for his valor and his reputation.  One time, he was asked to give his word to refrain from returning to the battle for at least six weeks...which he did.

In an era when mercenaries were the rage, and it was not uncommon to change one's loyalty to pursue one's own goals, the Chevalier de Bayard remained loyal to his country and his king until his death in 1524.  Even as he was dying, he reproached an old comrade-in-arms, Charles, duc de Bourbon, for fighting on the other side.

The other day, my wife mentioned that so many of us live lives sheltered from the realities of existence.  Once we had to feed ourselves, protect our selves, and choose life-or-death roles that we would play out in society.  We made decisions knowing that we would have to live with the fruits of those decisions, unable to quickly and easily change plans.  There was a time when the common options of life exposed us to the opportunities for fame and/or fortune or for death...or worse.
 
Now we worry about which video to rent, watching horror movies to get our kicks, and worry about losing our hair or our figures more than losing our lives, holding beliefs and positions which profit us rather than the world in which we live.
In his times when death, disease, or dismemberment was a reality of daily life, the Chevalier de Bayard remained faithful to his faith, his country, his king, and his honor.  He was known then, and still remains, "le chevalier sans peur et sans reproche".

What will be said about you and me when we are gone?
 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 
Donovan Baldwin is a 65-year-young amteur bodybuilder and freelance writer currently living in Stone Mountain, Georgia.  He is retired from the U. S. Army after 21 years of service and is a University of West Florida alumnus (BA Accounting 1973).  He writes frequently on health and fitness and occasionally on other subjects as well, as witness this article.  He has a blog titled Fitness After 40 at http://fitness-after-40.blogspot.com .
Donovan Baldwin is a freelance writer currently living in the Dallas - Fort Worth area. He is a University Of West Florida alumnus (1973) with a BA in accounting. He has also been a member of Mensa and the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, and has held several managerial positions while in the military and in civilian life. After retiring from the U. S. Army in 1995, he became interested in internet marketing and developed various online businesses. He has been writing poetry, articles, and essays for over 40 years, and now frequently publishes articles on his own websites and for use by other webmasters. He has a blog, Fitness After 40 at http://fitness-after-40.blogspot.com .
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