The King's Esquires

Or, The Jewel of France

Downloads: Under 100
Pages: 229

Read PDF online Download Save

About this book

Guard duty at Fontainebleau gives young Denis more time for impatience than he wants. While Francis I rests, the boy practises fencing against a carved figure on the palace mantelpiece. His efforts attract Master Leoni, the king's physician, whose unsettling manner and unexpected knowledge of swordsmanship make him a difficult teacher. George Manville Fenn opens this historical adventure with a sharp exchange between youthful pride and an older man's watchful authority.

The scene later shifts to Windsor, where Denis finds a companion in Ned Carrbroke. Riding, fencing, court entertainments and walks beside the Thames occupy their days, even as Denis loses sight of the special mission that brought him across the sea. Readers interested in court life and young adventurers will find both the pleasures of royal company and the unease surrounding a physician whose skill earns admiration without securing trust.