GAYDON

13th Century Old French Chanson De Geste

Modern English Summary by Nol Drek 2024

GAYDON SUMMARY:

 
To conquer Spain, Charlemagne stayed there for a long time, so long 
that the sons of the barons of France had to go there after their 
fathers, and even then the conquest could not be completed. The 
death of Roland forced the emperor to retreat, made him lose ground 
and made him all the less formidable. His army was encamped under 
the walls of Nobles, when one day Thibaut of Aspremont, the brother 
of the famous Ganelon, the powerful lord of Montaspre and 
Hautefeuille, left the camp with seven of his people to examine the 
city ramparts. They stopped near a small wood, on a height from 
which the view extended into the distance, and there the army of 
France developed before their eyes. On all sides, more than three 
leagues away, only tents and pavilions could be seen. At this 
sight, Thibaut became thoughtful and changed color. 

	"No doubt you think," said Alori, "that the emperor is very 
powerful?"

	"The emperor!" replied Thibaut, "I could not love him, he 
made me suffer too much. He shamed our family by burning my brother 
Ganelon and quartering my nephew Pinabel. We do not deserve to be 
of such high rank not to have yet put him to death, when the 
poorest of ours could lead two thousand well-armed and well-mounted 
men to war."

	"It is not the emperor who must be accused," said Alori, 
"it is Gaydon, our mortal enemy, it is Duke Naimon, his uncle, and 
it is the Dane, may God confound him! They are his private advisors 
and nothing is done without them. See how close their tents are to 
the imperial tent! If any of us knew a good way to make Gaydon lose 
Charlemagne's friendship, let him say it, in the name of Heaven!"

	"Well!" Thibaut continues, "listen to me. At a young age, I 
was introduced to letters early, and I received lessons from the 
Abbot of Saint Denis, who was my uncle and loved me very much. He 
was the wisest man in Christendom and the most skilled that could 
be seen in the art of necromancy. He shared his knowledge with me, 
and with great success, thinking that I would become abbot after 
him or that I would be bishop of Paris. But my brother Ganelon had 
other plans for me. He summoned me to his side, armed me as a 
knight, and gave me the domains of Montaspre and Hautefeuille. 
Still, I have not forgotten my knowledge. I have preserved and I 
have here in my tent a medicinal herb which, pounded in a mortar 
and soaked in white wine, could be used to poison apples, so that 
anyone who tasted even a little of it would not have the leisure to 
ask a confessor before his eyes pop out of his head and his 
entrails fall out of his belly. My design is to send some of these 
fruits to the emperor, as a gift from Gaydon. Charlemagne will not 
hesitate to eat it, such is his friendship for the Duke and his 
confidence in him. If he eats it, he is dead. Then you can crown me 
king of France and I will give you the rich domains of Orléans, 
Reims, and Beauvais, and this will be the end of our enemies, Ogier 
and Naimon will be burned, and Gaydon will be quartered."

	"Well said!" cry the traitors, "we must start working on 
this project."

	With these words, they returned to the camp, shut 
themselves up in Thibaut's tent, prepared the poison with him and 
took thirty apples, which a kitchen boy, a wicked Provençal, was 
charged with taking to the emperor.

	The messenger, richly dressed, goes to Charlemagne's tent, 
where he arrives just as the emperor is going to bed. He is 
introduced despite the late hour, and carries out his message.

	"Thank you very much," said Charles, "I attach great 
importance to Gaydon’s gifts. Not long ago he gave me twenty 
destriers. By Saint Denis, he will be rewarded. For you, friend, 
come back tomorrow when I get up. If you follow the career of arms, 
I will make you a knight. If you are of another profession, I will 
give you enough gold to benefit all your relatives."

	As the boy returns to Thibaut's tent, Alori runs to meet 
him, putting an arm around his neck.

	"Well, friend," said Alori, "what success did you have?"

	"By God, sire, it went very well. I saw the apples 
distributed to the knights and the claret that accompanied them 
passed from hand to hand."

	"Wonderful!" Alori said. "Here, brother, here is an apple 
that I have reserved for you."

	The messenger takes it without suspicion and eats it. 
Barely has he tasted it when his eyes pop out of his head and his 
entrails are torn up. 

	He falls dead at the feet of Alori, who cries out in his 
joy, "Let us go, our poison is coming to fruition. If the emperor 
and the princes touch them, before the hour of compline Ganelon 
will be avenged."

	But God loved Charlemagne too much to allow anything bad to 
happen to him. Here comes a young gentleman into the emperor's tent 
who kneels before him. Charles, who had a great friendship with 
him, said to him courteously, "Young man, it is with great pleasure 
that I see in you the son of this valiant Duke Gaifier who at 
Roncesvalles allowed himself to be cut to pieces with Roland and 
Oliver. I loved the father, the son will be no less dear to me. To 
prove it to you, I am increasing your stronghold by two hundred 
men."

	At the same time, he presents him in a friendly manner with 
an apple that he was holding in his hand. The young man takes it, 
tastes it, and falls struck dead. The emperor, beside himself, 
picks him up, looks at him attentively, is surprised to see his 
eyes popping out of his head and his face healthy, without any 
other alteration. He then guesses what the present he has just 
received contains, and exclaims, "Lords, you are poisoned, all of 
you who have eaten the fruit!"

	"O happiness!" reply the barons, "none of us has tasted it 
yet." And with one voice they give thanks to him who reigns in the 
glory of heaven.

	Charlemagne, in great anger, calls God to witness that he 
will not eat before holding the guilty person's heart in his hand. 
He sent for Girart of Roussillon, Gui of Beaufort and Aymon of 
Dordonne. When they learned what had just happened, the three 
barons were stunned and made the sign of the cross.

	"Just emperor," said Girart, "what are we to do?"

	"How many are you, barons?" Charles asks. 

	"Two thousand, sire," replies Girart. "Are we enough?"

	"Yes," said the emperor, "because you are all brave. You 
know how the son of Geoffrey the Angevin served me, this Gaydon 
whom I loved more than anyone in my house. He wanted to kill me 
treacherously by sending me poisoned fruit. May God shame me if I 
eat or drink before burning him on hot coals! As he does not know 
whether I am dead or not, and as he knows the roads well, he is 
going to flee this night, but by the apostle who is called upon at 
the meadows of Nero, if you do not deliver him to me tomorrow, 
before prime, take little account of your life!"

	"At this price," replies Girart, "we would have too much to 
lose. You can sleep in peace, sire, we will keep watch." 

	Then they go to lie in ambush by the river which flows not 
far from there to cut off the passage of the bridge.

	Meanwhile Gaydon, who has no suspicion of anything, sleeps 
peacefully in his ivory bed under his tent, where carbuncles shine 
with such brilliance that in the middle of the darkest night one 
can see as clearly as at sunrise. A dream disturbs his sleep. He 
thinks that he is lost in his forest of Valie without being able to 
find his way. A large red-headed eagle swoops down on the head of 
his horse, which it tears into pieces. Wild boars attack him, one 
of which inflicts four mortal wounds on his side. With a blow of 
his sword, Gaydon felled him at his feet. Then, seized with fear, 
he wakes up with a start and cries, "Holy Mary, help me!" Coming to 
himself, he calls his chamberlains, gets up hastily, and after 
hearing mass announces to his barons that he is going to the 
imperial tent to play a game of chess with his lord.

	He leaves, and the next moment the barons who have been 
watching for him all night to arrive at his tent. "Where is your 
master?" Girart asks Gaydon's marshal. 

	"Lord, he went to the emperor's tent," replies the marshal.

	"Is it really true?"

	"Yes, lord."

	"The duke must have lost his senses," the barons say among 
themselves, "to go to court after what he has done. How dare he 
conceive such a betrayal? He deserved to have all his limbs cut 
off, to be burned or thrown into the sea."

	"Do not hasten to condemn him," said Girart. "Many a 
gentleman is sometimes wrongly accused." 

	With these words, they returned to their tents, disarmed 
themselves and went to the emperor's pavilion, where Gaydon had 
just arrived and had gone to lie down, leaning on his elbow, 
between the legs of Duke Naimon, in the middle of the knights 
seated on all sides on mats and carpets.

	The emperor looks at this numerous assembly and sees the 
son of Geoffrey the Angevin in front of him. At this sight, his 
face changes, turns color and becomes black as coal. In his hand he 
holds a long Poitevin steel knife. He is going to strike Gaydon, 
but he holds back. Addressing Naimon, he said to him, "Handsome 
lord duke, ask your nephew Gaydon if he claims any castle, some 
dungeon or town, some town in France, fortress or house, or 
anything worth only a spur. We are ready, in this case, to grant 
his request."

	"Certainly no, sire," replied Gaydon, who stood up at these 
words. "I would consider myself rich enough just with the gift I 
received from you the day I killed the traitor Pinabel. My name was 
Thierry then, I have since been given the name Gaydon in memory of 
the jay which at that moment came to land on my helm. Sire, it is 
not in vain that you have made me rich, I love you more than anyone 
in the world, and will always be ready if necessary to bring you 
thirty thousand companions who will serve you with me."

	"Be quiet, coward," said Charles, "and God curse you! How 
well you know how to cover up your betrayal!" Then rising and 
addressing the assembly, "Listen to me, Germans and Lorraines, 
Normans and French. Must I allow him to come and sit at my side, 
this duke who sent me yesterday as a present such fruits that, for 
having barely tasted them, the son of a count had his entrails torn 
up? This is what Gaydon did, whom I see here in front of me! If I 
eat while he is alive, may the true God shame me!"

	Gaydon heard these words. What pain for him! "Just emperor, 
what did you say? And how was your heart thus changed towards me? 
The betrayal of which you accuse me, I defend myself with my life. 
I would never have designed it. Nurtured by Duke Roland, I served 
him with my heart for seven years. At the disaster of Roncesvalles, 
there were only three survivors, Roland, the archbishop, and me. I 
had just seen my father cut to pieces without being able to help 
him, exhausted as I was from three wounds. Roland hugged me after 
blowing his horn three times, and I was flooded with the blood that 
gushed from his broken veins. Then, when he saw himself at death's 
door and all help became useless, he sent me on a courser from 
Nord, he sent me to you, good king, to report to you the treason of 
Ganelon. There was then around you neither Lorraine, nor French, 
nor Norman, nor Breton, nor English who dared to raise a hand 
against the traitor. It was I who put Pinabel to death, it was I 
who brought justice to you for Ganelon the accursed, the renegade. 
Is this how you reward me? Do I deserve this oath that you have 
just made, not to eat before my death? By the Lord who sits high 
and sees far, be careful, fair sir, of thus attracting the blame of 
your French!"

	"Be quiet," replies Charles, "and curse you! How do you 
hope to deceive me like this when everyone who was near me last 
night saw the present addressed to me and which came to me from 
you?"

	At these words, Riol, the Duke of Le Mans, rises. There is 
no one wiser in all of France who knows better how to discern wrong 
from right. His beard and hair are white as snow. He breaks through 
the press and advances near the emperor. "Just emperor," he said to 
him, "I am the vassal of Gaydon. If I thought that you had spoken 
the truth, I would be of the opinion that he should be burned 
immediately, but I believe that no one will dare stand up who 
declares himself ready to maintain that my lord has failed in his 
faith towards you."

	"Be quiet," said Charles, and curse you! Be silent and flee 
from my eyes, the sight of you is odious to me. It was perhaps 
through you that the crime was advised. What proof have you given 
me of your faith so far? What service did I receive from Le Mans? 
Faithful in the morning, were you faithful in the evening?"

	"And soon I will not be," Riol replies. "If you want to 
come and lay siege to Le Mans, let me know and you will have a 
chance of staying there for two or three years."

	"You hear it, barons," cries Charlemagne in anger, "Riol of 
Le Mans provokes me. He dares to support Gaydon's innocence! Will 
there not be a baron in my court to convince the traitor of his 
crime?" Ogier the Dane and Sanson of Burgundy tried in vain to 
appease the emperor. "If Gaydon," he cries, "leaves like this 
without a fight, I can truly say that there is no man of good heart 
in my court."

	At these words the traitor Thibaut rises. He is not in 
favor, he says, because of his brother Ganelon. He will not, 
however, fail to show his devotion to the service of the emperor. 
He will say what he knows about this famous Gaydon, so loved by 
Charlemagne. "Last night," he adds, "as I accompanied Duke Sanson 
towards my pavilion, passing in front of all the tents, I saw 
Gaydon leave a servant who was carrying a tablecloth and a box. Was 
the box empty or not? I do not know. But still the servant, eager 
to fulfill his commission, gave an apple to one of my people who 
tasted it, and immediately his eyes popped out of his head. He is 
still lying in front of my pavilion. I call Amboin, Milon, 
Guillemer, and Gautier of Avallon to witness the fact. If by chance 
Gaydon denies me, I am ready to convince him."

	Gaydon heard him and smiled with pity. It is a plot hatched 
to turn the emperor's mind against him. He sees it clearly and 
knows the cause. Thibaut's challenge fills him with joy. "Just 
Emperor," he said, "I am also ready, ready to defend myself, to 
prove that Thibaut lied and that I have never been guilty, even in 
thought, of the crime of which I am accused." 

	Immediately Thibaut strips himself of his cloak and 
approaches the emperor to give him his pledge. He has broad 
shoulders, a well-turned leg, and long arms. His face is white with 
eyes like a falcon and his hair is blonde. Fourteen counts of his 
lineage stood up and became sureties for him. 

	"Sir vassal," said Charlemagne to Gaydon, "give me 
hostages. Without hostages you will not leave here and you will 
have your hand cut off."

	The duke looks at the barons who surround him, he sees none 
willing to stand up for him, and he lowers his head and becomes 
thoughtful.

	"Well, vassal," said Charles, "what are you waiting for? By 
Saint Denis! You run the risk of losing the hand which you just now 
placed in mine by your pledge, unless someone can offer to serve 
you as a hostage, whose limbs I will have cut off, and whose ashes 
I will have thrown to the wind after burning him."

	When the French heard their lord speak like this, they all 
remained silent. The Viscount of Thouars, Rispeus of Nantes, 
Geoffroi, Gui of Beaufort, and Riol stand up alone, approach the 
king, and say to him, "Sire, we answer for him with our property 
and our members. If he is defeated, we agree not to take them 
back."

	"Back, barons!", Charles replies. "You are all his men and 
his vassals, it is from him that you hold your domains, burgs, 
towns, castles, and cities, and when you are accused of treason, 
you are not allowed to give your own men as hostages. It is among 
his peers that we must find them. It is one's own assets that one 
must commit. By Saint Denis, when you take leave of me, you will 
have to sing in another tone!" 

	Then he calls Ogier. "Dane," he said to him, "keep them 
here for me until tomorrow at sunrise. By the apostle who is 
invoked at the meadows of Nero, if they leave and I learn of it, I 
withdraw my friendship from you."

	"At your orders, sire," replied Ogier, who only obeyed with 
regret.

	The emperor's wrath is at its peak. "Sir vassal," he said 
again to Gaydon, "why these delays? Why take so long to deliver 
your hostages to me?" And he repeats the threats he has just 
addressed to him. No one in the audience dares to raise their 
heads, the barons move away. 

	At this sight, Gaydon sheds tears and implores the one who 
judges everything. “Father of glory, where have I committed the 
crime which reduces me to this humiliation of not finding a 
relative who will have pity on me? Alas! I believed by my services 
to have won the friendship of Charles, but the traitors have 
alienated him to the point that he threatens to cut off my head. 
Ah! Roland, noble knight, if you were still alive, I would not be 
treated like this at court!"

	"Be careful what you believe," replies Charles. "He would 
have you dismembered, burned at the stake, or drawn with four 
horses."

	Gaydon, distraught, looks around him, sees Naimon of 
Bavaria, goes to kneel before him, and says, "Sire, why do you not 
serve me as a hostage? Have you forgotten that I am your nephew, 
your sister's son?"

	Naimon hears these words and is moved. "Certainly," he 
said, "I acted like a heartless man, like a coward, like a failed 
knight. It was for fear of angering my lord. But now, even if my 
limbs were cut off, nothing will prevent me from being my nephew's 
hostage." He falls at the feet of Charlemagne. "Just emperor," he 
said to him, "please accept me, I stand surety for him with 
everything I own, my castles, my fiefs, and finally my life."

	"Naimon," said Charles, "as you please, but know one thing, 
that if he is defeated, you will bear the penalty."

	"As you please, sire," replies Naimon, "but I will be 
judged right away." At these words, he fainted three times at the 
king's feet before getting up again, and there was no one at court 
who did not burst into tears at the sight.

	Ogier in his turn presents himself before Charlemagne. 
"Just emperor," he said to him, "one must love one’s own. Duke 
Naimon acted as guarantor for his nephew, if I thought I would not 
displease you, I would also offer myself as a hostage to these men 
whose care you have entrusted to me."

	Charlemagne consents, provided that Ogier brings them back 
the next morning a little before the battle.

	"I am going," said Thibaut of Aspremont to the Emperor. 
"When do you want the battle to take place?"

	"Thibaut," replies Charles, "do not think that a traitor 
can stay near me for long, and be here tomorrow morning. By the 
Lord who sits high and sees from afar, if you have not lied to me, 
you will be well rewarded. You will now be my seneschal and will 
carry the standard of France. He who you love will be well loved, 
and whoever incurs your hatred will not be able to hold it."

	"God help the right," replies Thibaut. Then he adds in a 
low voice, "He would hurt me."

	"Just emperor," said Duke Ogier, "do not place your trust 
in the race of Alori, in this race which never did good, and 
betrayed your nephew and his twenty thousand companions at 
Roncesvalles."

	"Ogier," replies Charles, "it is a wonder to hear you. Do 
you think you astonish me with your words, when everyone who was 
here last night saw the present that was brought to me?"

	The assembly separates and Gaydon returns to his tent, 
still moved by the emperor's threats. "I will have to be very 
restrained," he said to his companions, "if I do not draw the blood 
from his body!"

	"Ah! felon," cries Riol, "what are you saying? If you 
struck your legitimate lord before having defied him, no one in 
court would ever want to recognize you again, no knight would ever 
hold your shield for you. Do you want to be like that madman 
Girbert who waged war against God himself? Our Lord left him 
neither castle, nor city, nor keep, nor town, nor burg, nor 
fortress, then he made him enter the hollow of a tree and then 
pulled him out with a blinding thunderbolt. I raised you as a 
child, Gaydon, and until the day I gave you as a companion to Duke 
Roland in Aspremont, where he was armed as a knight. Well, for that 
reason I would not allow my legitimate lord from whom I hold all my 
domains, burgs, towns, castles, and cities, to strike you with this 
stick that is on the ground!"

	"Grace, fair sir," cries Gaydon, "grace in the name of God. 
I will never follow through on my threat."

	The Count of Perche heard these words, he is all gloomy and 
angry. He approaches Gaydon and says to him, "Sir, have no worries 
about Riol and let the old man return to Le Mans to drink his wines 
and dine on his peacocks. He asks for nothing else, except sleep 
and rest."

	Riol, transported with anger, runs towards the count and 
says to him, "Sir vassal, if I have peacocks, you have no right to 
reproach me for them. I conquered them when I was a young man with 
burnished weapons and good destriers, and I still have four 
thousand men in my service." At these words, he hits him with his 
hand on the face and makes his blood spurt out. 

	Gaydon puts an end to the fight that begins, by threatening 
to hang from a tree anyone who dares to come to blows before he 
himself has resolved his quarrel with Thibaut. Regarding the 
outcome of the fight, he is not worried, he trusts that he is in 
the right. But once Thibaut is dead, how to return to Angers?"

	"Sir," said Riol, "here is the advice I give you. At 
midnight, we will have our tents folded, chests and trunks loaded 
onto the carts, and keep only our weapons. We will send this convoy 
forward to Angers and we will take the same route after the battle. 
You will then address a challenge to Charles, and your heart will 
fail you if you do not make him pay dearly for the villainy with 
which he charges you."

	Gaydon accepts the advice of Riol.

	But Thibaut is informed of this plan by one of his spies, 
who heard everything. He orders Alori, one of his own, to take with 
him two thousand knights, to ambush them in two bands on the route 
that the convoy must follow, and to put to death, as they pass, 
those who will escort him. Before the rooster had crowed three 
times, the traps were set.

	At the same time, Gaydon charged his two nephews, Ferraut 
and Amaufroi, with leading the convoy with an escort of seven 
hundred knights. They obeyed, loaded the luggage, and set off for 
Angers.

	While they are walking like this, everything is getting 
ready for the fight between Gaydon and Thibaut. On both sides, the 
people of the two adversaries will pray to God for their lord. 
After hearing mass, Thibaut puts on his armor, girds the sword of 
his father, Griffon of Hautefeuille, mounts his richly harnessed 
steed Bausant, and with his shield around his neck and his lance in 
his fist, he heads towards Charlemagne's tent. He enters with his 
sword at his side, sits down in an armchair prepared for him and 
asks the emperor where the Duke of Angers is.

	"He should already be on horseback," he said, "and is doing 
me a great disservice, for it is half past twelve. But by the 
apostle who is invoked in Rome, this delay will be of little use to 
him. If I hold him once in a closed field before me, this steel 
blade will inflict on him, I think, such punishment that in his 
life he will never resort to poison again."

	"Thibaut," said Charles, "may he help you who allowed 
himself to be martyred on the cross! All the gold in the world 
would not make me happier."

	The Count of Perche cannot stand it, and he speaks to 
Thibaut. "Sir vassal, it is an injustice and a sin to slander the 
Duke of Angers in this way. He is there attending mass with his 
knights, but you will soon have him in armor on his destrier. It is 
not his intention to keep you waiting, because if we gave him 
Étampes and Orléans to give up the fight, he would not take them, I 
am sure. The duke is neither coward nor laggard, nor was it the 
fault of his father Geoffrey, who in his life loved neither cowards 
nor traitors, while Ganelon, the renegade felon, sold Roland, 
Oliver, Turpin, and all twelve peers with twenty thousand knights 
to Marsilius, and it is a shame that will forever be blamed on your 
lineage."

	Thibaut hears this and lowers his head to the great 
satisfaction of the French, who say among themselves, "Thibaut has 
received his due."

	However, Gaydon, at sunrise, has heard mass, then he 
returns to his tent to prepare for battle. Among the pieces of his 
armor, the most precious is his helm made on a sea island by 
fairies, and endowed by them with such virtue that no weapon could 
damage it. His sword Hauteclaire was the sword of Oliver. His horse 
Clinevent is the best in Christendom. It was born on an island in 
the sea, raised by Turks, kept locked up in a cellar, and given to 
Marsilius who lost it at the battle of Roncesvalles. It is an 
excellent swimmer. The duke mounts this richly harnessed steed, and 
followed by a hundred knights, heads towards the imperial tent. 

	Riol enters first and greets in these terms, "May the God 
of glory who created everything, sky, earth, sea, fish, and birds, 
save the king who reigns over France and with him all his barons, 
but may he confound our mortal enemies, while they are all around 
us and at our side!"

	"Be quiet, glutton," said Charles, "and curse you. If God 
helps me and I have the upper hand, you will pay dearly for it."

	"Sire," replies Riol, "the year has not yet begun that will 
see my lord convicted of treason!"

	At these words one of the traitors, Amboin of the Neuve-
Ferté, stands up. He approaches Riol and says to him, "Vassal, you 
are affected and convinced by madness. You and your lord have 
governed yourselves in such a way that you should no longer have 
entry to the court or freedom to come and go."

	"You have lied!" replies Riol. "I am not related to you. I 
am not of the lineage of Hardré and Ganelon. You have not forgotten 
their profession! Woe to you and yours!"

	At these words Amboin, beside himself, puts his hand to 
Riol's beard, pulls out a hundred hairs, and draws blood. Riol, 
transported with anger, raises his large square fist, lowers his 
elbow, and lets the blow go. Amboin falls, and Riol punches him 
three more times. Then Guichart and Hardré and at least sixty of 
their number rose. They would be a bad match for Riol if the 
Viscount of Thouars, Duke Gui, and Ogier the Dane did not also 
rise. 

	Old Duke Naimon, with a stick in his hand, cries, "Back 
off, gluttons! By the Lord and by his Holy Trinity, for a single 
blow sixty will be returned to you."

	The traitors take their place again. Amboin alone 
approaches the emperor. "Sire," he said to him, "Riol has 
mistreated me."

	"Be quiet," replies Charles, "and may God confound you! 
What business did you have to pull his mustache? You will be 
punished for it."

	"Dane," he adds, "put him in prison for having started the 
melee in my tent."

	"At your orders," replied Ogier. Then he seizes Amboin and 
ties his legs so tightly that he draws blood.

	The emperor, to receive the oaths of the two adversaries, 
brings his sword, Joyeuse, whose golden pommel encloses precious 
relics of the body of Saint Honoré and the arm of Saint George, 
with a quantity of hair of Our Lady. Thibaut, in front of the holy 
weapon, renews his accusation. But it is not an oath.

	"The essential words are missing," said Riol, "you must 
swear."

	The emperor recognizes that Riol's claim is well-founded. 
Thibaut recovers and swears. Gaydon gives him a denial, rejects 
with a solemn oath each of the charges, kneels before the relics, 
and kisses them.

	"Gaydon," said Charlemagne, "you have said a lot. There is 
nothing missing from your oath."

	"Sire," said the duke, "I add that, even in thought, I was 
not for an instant guilty."

	"Here is my decision," continues the emperor, "it is that 
one of you two will die."

	Thibaut falters while in turn kissing the relics, but he 
mounts his horse with a bound. Gaydon, on the contrary, uses the 
stirrup. 

	Duke Naimon is in great pain! At this moment he would like 
to die, seeing this lack of confidence in his nephew, he fears that 
he is guilty. He kneels, turning towards the East, and invokes the 
one who never lied and the great lady who was his mother. "Lady of 
paradise," he cries, "implore your son, O queen who suffered the 
pains of childbirth and opened in you the source of heaven! True 
God of glory, father of paradise, under whose feet the green marble 
split on the Friday when you suffered death. You who saved Jonah in 
the belly of the whale and put him to the ground under the walls of 
Nineveh. You who confounded the false witness who accused Saint 
Suzanne, who attended the wedding of Saint Architriclin and changed 
the water into wine, you who served your apostles at the Last 
Supper and washed their feet on a Thursday. You who allowed Judas 
to sell you for thirty denarii, alas a small gain for the price of 
such a treasure! You were seized by the Jews and put to the cross 
on Good Friday. It was then that Longinus, who had never seen 
before, took a spear and struck you with it so that your blood 
flowed onto his fingers. He wiped his eyes, suddenly regained his 
sight, beat his chest, and begged for your mercy. As it is true, 
father, that with a big heart you granted him his forgiveness, so 
today grant your thanks to my nephew, and if he is guilty of the 
treason of which he is accused, beautiful king of glory, of grace, 
Lord, let me die so that I do not see his shame and his dismay!"

	While praying like this, Duke Naimon cries and his tears 
wet his ermine pelisse. At this sight, Charlemagne cannot hold back 
his tears either. He takes Ogier and Count Richart aside, Gui of 
Beaufort and the proud Erart.

	"Barons," he said to them, "since the time I mounted my 
horse and knew how to discern evil from good, I have not felt pain 
similar to that which I feel, except at the disaster of 
Roncesvalles, and this is because of Duke Naimon, my advisor, my 
noble vassal, whom I see there crying. Were it not for the fear 
that everyone would make a fuss about it and that my barons would 
hold it back, the battle would certainly end there and I would make 
peace between the duke and Thibaut."

	This is not Ogier's opinion, he thinks that once peace is 
made, they would have to start again the next day. "Let the Duke," 
he said, "fight with Thibaut. The duke has the right on his side 
and he will win."

	"Ogier," replies Charles, "you are loyal and I have never 
been harmed by your advice. The battle will take place and will not 
end until the hour of victory. But it is a great sadness for me to 
see Naimon crying like this and to think that Gaydon could have 
acted in this way."

	By order of the emperor, the two adversaries enter the 
field and are pitted against each other. They fight on horseback 
and then on foot. Gaydon is wounded and the green grass is all red 
with his blood. 

	"Surrender your sword to me," said Thibaut, "and go to 
Charles to cry for mercy. He will forgive you. All my lineage and I 
will pray on your behalf until you have peace."

	"Woe to him who thought such a thought!" replies Gaydon. 
"It is the bad blood escaping from my body. I need it, it has been 
a long time since I bled. On guard! because I am going to strike 
you."

	The battle continues fiercely. Thibaut loses an arm, gives 
one last sword blow to his opponent, but he is struck by the holy 
sword of Gaydon, whose golden pommel contains relics of the right 
arm of Saint George and the body of Saint Denis. 

	Thibaut falls on the meadow and confesses his treason. 
"Yes," he said, "it was by my hands that the poison was prepared 
and the present sent to Charles. I thought I would become king of 
France and Laon, but God did not allow it. If I make this 
confession, it is not because I want to obtain my forgiveness or 
confess to any priest, because my place is in hell with my brother, 
Count Ganelon."

	On learning the outcome of the combat, Charlemagne turned 
black as coal, he stood up, crossed himself, and exclaimed, "God! 
What harm Ganelon's family did to me!"

	At the same time, Ogier said to the duke, "What are you 
waiting for, Gaydon? Take the head of the felon!"

	"With pleasure," replied the duke. Then he unlaces 
Thibaut’s helm, cuts off his head, puts it in the helm, and raises 
Hauteclaire before him. "Ah! good sword," he cries, "what a blade I 
possess in you! Blessed be he to whom you belonged before me! 
Blessed be Oliver the courteous knight!" With these words, he takes 
Thibaut's sword, crosses it with his own and thus places them on 
the chest of his adversary. 

	"How courteous!" exclaims Charlemagne. "Master Garin," he 
adds, addressing one of his best doctors, "go and see if the duke 
needs your help." 

	Garin obeyed. But seeing him, Gaydon said to him, "Master 
Garin, leave me. It will be for another time. I am in no way 
willing to see anyone coming from Charles."

	Garin reports these words to the emperor. "He is certainly 
right," said Charles. "In his life he will never love me."

	However, Gaydon, kneeling next to Thibaut's body, gives 
thanks to God for having been able to defeat such an adversary. He 
promises himself, if he lives, to make the emperor repent of his 
unjust wrath. Then he gets up and proudly raises his sword. Naimon 
looks at him and calls Ogier, Richard, Riol the bearded and all 
those of his powerful lineage. There are a hundred counts or 
vassals who go near Gaydon and surround him. 

	Riol the Old then calls out to Charlemagne, and pointing to 
Thibaut, he said, "Sire, here he is, your protector. So squeeze the 
sides of this friend who in such a short time had become so dear to 
you. He will carry your banner this summer, when you go to avenge 
the death of Fourré! God forgive me, the traitors have harmed and 
blinded you with their gifts. But if it pleases him who created 
everything, they have also prepared for you many sorrows."

	Charles hears this, nods his head, and says to himself, 
"Thibaut was guilty. Disloyalty is always punished."

	Gaydon sat up, very pale from the blood he had lost. The 
barons of his lineage surround him and guard him, holding hands as 
if dancing a round. Their emotion is great to see him so pale. They 
take him to his tent, disarm him, lay him in an ivory bed and 
bandage his wounds, which cause him great suffering. They are moved 
and cry over the fate of the brave young man. 

	It is the duke who comforts them. "I will heal," he says, 
"if it pleases God." But he wants justice for the traitor and his 
hostages to be hanged or burned. If Charlemagne accepts a denarius 
from them, he will make them repent.

	On the orders of the emperor, justice is done to Thibaut. 
His body is hung by the shoulders, the head being cut off. This is 
a great loss for Hardré and his loved ones. There are thirty 
counts, all lords of a sovereign city, who swear that before 
returning to their domain, they will take revenge on Charlemagne by 
death. Gaydon will also die. Ferraut, who is taking his uncle's 
baggage to Angers, will soon have the same fate. Alori will be 
Thibaut's avenger. For Amaufroi, they will put him in such chains 
that he will never be out of them. Their fear, seeing Thibaut 
hanged, it that Charles will also hang Sanson and Amboin, who are 
in prison. 

	Hardré said to his people, "Take two strong mules which you 
will have loaded with your gold and offer them without delay to the 
emperor. He is greedy and our nephews will be returned to us." The 
advice is adopted, the present is offered and accepted. Upon 
learning of the deliverance of Amboin and Sanson, Gaydon vowed to 
send a challenge to Charlemagne.

	However, Ferraut and Amaufroi are heading towards Angers 
with the convoy which the duke has given them to lead. They arrive 
at the Valley of Glaye, where the traitors are waiting for them. 
Based on the clue of a peasant who was recently mistreated by 
Alori's people, they suspect the danger which threatens them with 
enough time to put themselves on their guard. 

	Soon after, Ferraut sees two armed barons keeping watch. He 
runs to them and asks them who they are. "We are," they replied, 
"men of Alori, and it is you that we are waiting for."

	Ferraut rushes at them and forces them to call for help 
from Alori and his people. Ferraut and Alori fight and a general 
melee between the two troops ensues. Ferraut's knights, less 
numerous than the band of traitors, barely maintain an unequal 
struggle. A tower presents itself to Ferraut's gaze. He seeks to 
seize this shelter, but Alori's people beat him to it. He then 
falls back towards a manor which he sees not far away, but Alori 
cuts him off, and the manor is soon occupied by more than forty of 
the traitors, who swear that Ferraut will never set foot there.

	In the courtyard of this manor there were many cows and 
oxen raised by a vavasour who had lived there for seven years in 
the middle of the woods with his wife and seven sons whom he loved 
dearly. He was a gentleman banished from his country by Duke 
Geoffrey for having killed a citizen of Angers. He had built this 
house for himself and worked in the woods, where he only had as 
much land as he was able to clear. Great was his anger when he saw 
his house invaded by Alori's people. 

	He calls his sons and tells them, "We will see who will 
best defend our livestock. Woe to him who lets it fall into the 
hands of these thieves!" At these words he puts on a smoky old 
gambeson, covers his head with a hat no less old, but so hard that 
he fears no weapon, takes his club, and mounts a mare. Each of his 
sons has in his hand a large and heavy ax with a sharp edge. "Son 
of a whore," cries the vavasour, "you are going to leave me my 
animals, because I know how to defend them!" He takes his club, 
raises it with both hands, hits the first one he meets, breaks his 
head, and at the same time knocks down the man and the horse into a 
heap. "Come, handsome sons," he cries, "strike too! By the body of 
Christ, not one will escape!"

	The vavasour and his sons strive so hard that in an instant 
the place is covered with traitors who fell under their blows. 
Ferraut sees them at work and feels great joy. He rallies his 
people and pushes them forward to take advantage of this unexpected 
help. But at the same time misfortune befalls the vavasour. He saw 
four of his sons killed. Almost mad with pain, he took his club and 
said to the three survivors, "Come, my children, follow me for God, 
and avenge the death of your brothers!" At these words, he spurs 
his mare and breaks heads, chests, and flanks with blows from his 
club. His sons imitate him and more than one traitor receives death 
at their hands.

	Alori sees him and thinks he is losing his mind. He excites 
his people and launches them against the vavasour, who is pressed 
very closely when Ferraut and Amaufroi arrive. Four knights fall 
under their blows and they capture four destriers. They give them 
to the vavasour and his three sons who, unable to resist any 
longer, flee and press into the neighboring woods, the father on 
one side, the sons on another. Ferraut continues the fight, but the 
traitors have the upper hand. 

	"Gaydon," cries Ferraut, "you will never see us again! I do 
not care what happens to me if you survive. If you are defeated by 
Thibaut, I prefer death. But before I die, I will sell my life 
dearly to these proven traitors." So, he leads his people near a 
hedge, backs them up against a ditch, and there defends himself 
like a wild boar.

	Ferraut sees Élinant, a cousin of Gaydon, fall dead. Then 
he calls to Seguin, crying, "Gentleman, you have a fast horse. By 
God, go with all haste to the camp of Charlemagne and learn the 
fate of Gaydon. If he has defeated the traitor Thibaut, tell him to 
come to our aid. If he is dead, I will go no further, but I will 
sell myself here dearly with my sword." 

	Seguin obeys and carries out his message. Upon hearing the 
news of the ambush into which Ferraut and Amaufroi fell, the duke 
forgets his wounds. He arms himself and leaves with his people. On 
arriving at the Valley of Glaye he meets the vavasour in a field, 
who starts to flee as he approaches. But Gaydon reassures him, 
holds him back, questions him, and the vavasour, who finds in him 
an avenger, guides him to the place where Ferraut and Amaufroi are 
still making desperate resistance.

	Gaydon sees them and thanks heaven for having arrived in 
time to rescue them. He spurs his horse and, throwing his lance 
forward, knocks down the first ones he meets, but without giving 
him the blow of death, to the great displeasure of the vavasour, 
who, seeing them get up, exclaims, "Are these the blows you know 
how to give? They are hardly to be feared, and I regret not having 
met a better companion. You will see how I do it and if I know how 
to take advantage of my blows." He takes his club, raises it, hits 
a knight with it, and splits his head to the teeth. He hits a 
second one and tears him to pieces. "This," he said to Gaydon, "is 
how I know how to punish them, but you only irritate your enemies!"

	Upon recognizing their uncle, Ferraut and Amaufroi regained 
all their vigor. "God who gave me life," said Ferraut, "father of 
glory, bless you for having protected my uncle against the traitor 
Thibaut. They will not hold out, the faithless gluttons!" And, 
sword in hand, he rushes into the fray.

	Gaydon, who only laughed at the vavasour's words, gently 
advises him to put on good armor and succeeds in getting him to 
abandon his gambeson. He puts a helmet on his head and a strong 
square lance in his hand. But the vavasour does not give up his 
club, he hangs it on his left to use it if necessary. Thus 
equipped, he becomes prouder than a lion, spurs his horse and goes 
to joust against Ferraut, whom he does not recognize. So violent is 
the shock that the two adversaries empty their saddles and fall 
roughly to the ground.

	"What devils brought him here!" exclaims Ferraut, getting 
up. 

	And the vavasour, who has a heavy heart, cries out for his 
part, "Come, it was madness for me to joust. If I had hit him with 
my club, his bones would have been broken."

	Ferraut, very ashamed, puts his sword in his hand, while 
the vavasour comes towards him, raising his club. 

	The fight is about to continue when Gaydon appears. 
"Ferraut, handsome nephew, what are you doing!" said the duke. "No 
one in the world has served me better today than this man." At 
these words the two adversaries joyfully recognize their error and 
get back on horseback, one brandishing his sword, the other holding 
his gnarly club in his hand.

	The melee continues. The traitors recognized Gaydon, and 
thereby learned of Thibaut's defeat. Their fury increases. 

	"If we do not kill him," said Alori, "we will have no joy 
in our lives."

	Assailed from all sides, the duke is going to be taken, but 
he makes his war cry heard. "Valie!" The vavasour hears him and, 
followed by his sons who have joined him, runs to him and delivers 
him. 

	At the same time, Alori receives the news that Charlemagne 
is arriving with his army. He gathers his men and tells them, "Our 
affairs are going badly. The army of France is coming back, the 
king is behind us. If he reaches us, each of us will have a noose 
on our neck. Let us flee through this valley!"

	Without the news of Charlemagne's return, Gaydon would have 
had to suffer greatly, because he had brought only a few people 
with him. The traitors do not hold out any longer, and leave Gaydon 
in control of the field. The prisoners delivered, the dead raised 
and buried, the duke moves towards Angers with his companions. He 
takes with him the vavasour, whom he will reward well, and whose 
wife and sons he has not forgotten.

	Gaydon arrives in Angers one Sunday after mass. He first 
goes to the monastery to pray to God to dissipate his pain, 
granting him revenge on Charlemagne. Returning to his palace, he 
calls Riol of Le Mans, his wise and loyal advisor, close to him.

	"Lord gentleman," Gaydon said to him, "I need your advice. 
I want to declare war on the emperor. I want him to chase the 
traitors out of France or send them to my court so that I can have 
them burned, flayed, or dragged by a horse's tail, because it is 
with death that treason must be punished. By the body of Saint 
Riquier, if Charles does not consent, I will cut short his marches 
so much that he will lose more than one good castle."

	Riol hears him, nods his head, and says to himself, "Here 
is the duke ready for war. God grant that he begins it to his honor 
and that no one can blame him for anything. For my part, I will 
help him with all my power, because, wrong or right, the liege man 
must help his lord, I have always heard him repeat."

	"Lord," he said to Gaydon, "listen to my feelings. It is 
wrong to seek trouble or quarrel with one's lord, if one does not 
have just reason to do so, and by doing so one only gets people to 
say bad things about oneself. Ask the emperor to banish this 
treacherous race which plotted the treason for which Thibaut bore 
the penalty, and if he chases them from the kingdom, you will 
demand peace and accord with him. He is your lord. You are his man 
and must not do anything to him that is to blame. But if he keeps 
this spawn close to him in spite of you, defy him and take back 
your homage. But I do not know who your messenger will be."

	"Ferraut, my nephew," said Gaydon, "I consider him very 
wise."

	At these words, Ferraut raises his head and swears that he 
will not return before having humiliated Charlemagne. He arms 
himself and leaves. On the way, he meets a handsome knight mounted 
on an expensive destrier. It was Renaut, Marquis of Aubépin. 
Ferraut asks him where he comes from and where he is going so well 
armed and so richly equipped.

	"I am going to Angers," replied Renaut, "on behalf of 
Charlemagne, who is asking the powerful Duke Gaydon to come and 
find him in Reims or in Paris, with a noose on his neck, to implore 
his mercy and make reparation for the outrage which he was guilty 
of towards him, by abandoning his court without his leave and by 
killing his men in the Valley of Glaye, as Alori reported to the 
emperor."

	"By God," cries Ferraut, "Charles must have lost his 
senses. He prefers traitors to the brave who have always served him 
loyally. The old man will bear the penalty, it is a wonder if he 
does not perish at their hands. But if this God who forgave 
Longinus is favorable to Gaydon and his friends, Charles will be 
served a feast which will cause the death of more than a thousand 
knights."

	When he hears Ferraut speak like this, Renaut changes 
color. "Whose are you?" he asks. 

	"With Duke Gaydon," replies Ferraut, "and I will take a 
message from him to Charlemagne. The emperor must hand over the 
traitors to him to be flayed or hanged, because no one should give 
asylum to a traitor. But the criminals, thanks to their wealth, 
have blinded Charlemagne so well that a loyal man has only to lose 
with him." So much said Ferraut, that the emperor's messenger 
became angry and challenged the duke's nephew. Ferraut and Renaut 
begin to fight each other.

	After terrible spear and sword blows, after having thrown 
each other off their horses, the two adversaries, covered with 
wounds, fell exhausted and fainted. Having come to their senses, 
they get up and are about to start the fight again, when they are 
separated by a knight who arrives with his retinue. The knight 
wants to know the cause of the fight. 

	Ferraut tells him all the circumstances. "Without you," he 
adds, "he would have given me the blow of death."

	"Handsome lord," said Renaut in turn, "it was he who would 
have had me at his mercy when you appeared and saved me."

	Moved by such courtesy, the knight persuades them to put an 
end to their quarrel and each one continues on their journey.

	On the way, Ferraut asks the merchants he meets where he 
can find the emperor. "He is in Orléans," replied the merchants. 

	Ferraut goes there, enters the city, where a large crowd 
admires his beautiful countenance, and goes straight to the palace, 
the gates of which were at that moment closed. He calls the 
gatekeeper, who at first does not answer him because he was so 
rude. No worse would have been found until Capernaum. 

	In the end, however, he opens the gate, sees the baron and 
says to him, "Back off, glutton! By Saint Simon, you will only set 
foot here when Charles has eaten at his ease."

	"Fine brother," replies Ferraut, "I come from afar on 
pressing business. I am a messenger. You will lose nothing by 
letting me in. I will give you my ermine pelisse."

	"No sermon, said the gatekeeper. I care as much about what 
you tell me as I do about a button. You will not enter, and I will 
have nothing to do with your present."

	"Beautiful sweet gatekeeper friend," continues Ferraut, 
"open the gate for me, in the name of the God of justice. I am a 
messenger. I must go to the emperor without delay to carry out my 
message. Your master will be grateful to you for letting me in. It 
is wickedness to make a valiant knight wait so long at a king's 
door."

	"Enough pleading," said the gatekeeper. "You will not 
enter, by the body of Saint Riquier! Charles is going to sit down 
at the table."

	"If you open the gate to me," adds Ferraut, "you will have 
my coat as a reward and I will make sure that Duke Naimon is 
grateful to you."

	"You do not lecture badly," says the gatekeeper. "Are you 
not a preacher? You will not come in today. Go to the inn. Go and 
rest, you and your destrier. You will come in tomorrow, and then 
only if I am willing. Go on, back, foolish lord, or else you will 
pay me dearly for it."

	Mistreated like this, Ferraut restrains himself but, once 
inside, he promises himself that, whatever happens, he will take 
revenge on the miscreant.

	At the same moment, the Abbot of Cluny left the emperor's 
house. He arrives near the gatekeeper, whose purse he fills with 
white sterling silver. The gate is open to him. Ferraut takes the 
opportunity to enter. The gatekeeper, in fury, arms himself with a 
large club and strikes a blow on the head of Ferraut, who parries 
it with his shield. The blow slips, hits the baron's horse, and 
bends its legs. The horse stands up, Ferraut draws his sword and 
with his steel blade flies the gatekeeper's head more than seven 
feet away onto the Abbot of Cluny's frock, covering him with blood.

	"In the name of the Mother!" exclaims the abbot, "it is not 
good here." 

	While he flees with his monks, Ferraut dismounts, ties his 
horse to an olive tree, disarms, crosses himself, and heads towards 
the keep.

	Charles is at the table with his barons. Near him sit the 
powerful Duke Naimon, Thierry, Salomon, the brave Ogier, Gautier of 
Dijon, Eudes of Langres, and Girard of Laon, with many of Ganelon's 
relatives. 

	Ferraut advances without fear before the emperor, climbs 
onto a staircase and says in a loud voice, "May the God of glory 
who was incarnated in the holy Virgin, suffered the passion for his 
people, and was martyred by the Jews, save and protect the powerful 
Duke Gaydon, the most loyal knight who ever put on spurs. May he 
save Duke Naimon and the brave Huidelon, Duke Garnier and Milon his 
son, and Sanson, the noble Duke of Valence! May all their friends 
be blessed! But cursed be Alori and Fouques with all their lineage! 
May they receive in this world and the next the reward due to 
traitors! King, listen now to what we have to say to you. Gaydon 
commands you to send him Guimar and Alori, Milon and Haguenon, 
Fouques and Gui, and Amboin and Haton, and all this generation who 
never did anything but evil. He will hang each of them by the neck 
to punish them for the great betrayal of which Thibaut of Aspremont 
was the instrument. Either hand over all these culprits to him, or 
burn them yourself. If you do not consent, Gaydon has sworn by 
Saint Simon to never again be your friend or your man and to put 
your entire kingdom to fire and blood."

	Charles hears these words and remains silent, such is his 
astonishment. 

	"Sire," said Duke Naimon, "do not be annoyed by this 
language. Let him say whatever he wants. We will respond in the 
same tone. I know him well, his name is Ferraut. He is related to 
Gaydon and is a knight of great renown. If you allow me, I will 
talk to him."

	With the permission of the emperor, Duke Naimon leaves the 
table, runs to embrace Ferraut, and then says to him, "Sir cousin, 
you must know that Charles, my lord, has sent a messenger to Gaydon 
to summon him to come without delay. If the duke has been wronged, 
he will obtain justice from the emperor as complete as he can 
desire."

	"Point of debate," replies Ferraut. "If Charles refuses to 
send the traitors to Gaydon, let him burn them, or at least banish 
them from the kingdom. He has no other choice to take."

	At these words, the emperor limits himself to nodding his 
head. But the traitors are very angry and think only of revenge. At 
Alori's suggestion, five of them quietly left the palace to lie in 
ambush on the road to Angers. They would surprise Ferraut on his 
return and put him to death. Ferraut, however, continues to speak 
loudly and threaten Pepin's son.

	"Gaydon tells you," he finally said, "that he has ceased to 
be your man and no longer holds the valor of an Angevin from you." 
Then he bends down, picks up a pine branch from the ground and 
throws it at the king as a sign of defiance. The branch falls on 
Charles's cup, which was filled with poisoned wine, and the wine 
spills onto the imperial ermine. The emperor said nothing, but his 
anger was great. He holds a sharp knife in his hand, he squeezes it 
while shaking his head and is about to throw it at Ferraut, when 
Duke Naimon and Ogier remind him that a messenger is inviolable. He 
calms down, gives justice to the firmness of Ferraut, and also does 
not forget to regret the friendship of Gaydon.

	Among the traitors who did not leave the table is Hardré, 
nephew of Alori and Guirre, the same one who earlier, on Alori's 
orders, filled the cup of the emperor, whose death was assured 
without Ferraut's challenge. The vile rascal dares to raise his 
head and pursue with his outrages the messenger of Gaydon. Ferraut 
prepares to punish him, but his sword is held in its sheath by Duke 
Naimon and Ogier. 

	"Unfortunate ransomed serf," Ferraut told him, "it was not 
Charles who would have saved you. Were it not for Ogier and Naimon, 
I would have split you up to the buckle of your harness." Then 
addressing Charles, he said, "King, I will not hide my name from 
you, I am Ferraut, nephew of the brave Gaydon!" With these words, 
he courteously greets Ogier and Naimon, challenges the king again 
and leaves the palace.

	It is not without regret that Charlemagne sees this 
messenger leave freely with outrageous language. Alori offers to 
pursue him, but Duke Naimon said, "that would be great villainy." 

	At this moment, one of the traitors comes loudly to 
denounce Ferraut as a murderer. The gatekeeper is dead, it was he 
who killed him. 

	"To arms!" exclaims Charles, transported with anger. "Let 
us run after him and bring him back to me. He will be hanged! 
Nothing can save him."

	While they are chasing him, Ferraut falls into the ambush 
that the traitors have set up for him. Of the five, he kills two, 
cuts off an arm from the third, puts the other two to flight, and 
resumes his journey. He soon meets a knight followed by a squire 
who had a goshawk in his hand and was leading a horse of 
unparalleled beauty. Ferraut regards the destrier with a lustful 
eye, approaches the knight, and asks him where he is taking this 
beautiful beast.

	"To the King of France," replies the knight, "it was 
acquired from rent owed to him by the people of Toulouse. I also 
carry this goshawk for him to go to the river."

	"This message is worth a hundred marks to me. You must," 
continues Ferraut, "abandon both the horse and the goshawk to me. I 
want to make a present of the bird to a cousin of mine, and as for 
the horse, Charlemagne will never make him put on a saddle or 
stirrup. He is mine. Return home and live there in peace from your 
rents."

	"It will not be without a fight," replies the knight. 

	Ferraut accepts the challenge, puts his sword in his hand, 
cuts off his opponent's left fist, seizes the horse and the 
goshawk, and leaves at a gallop.

	Further on, at the edge of a large wood, he arrives near a 
manor house without a tower or castle. On the mound stood a single 
square building, surrounded by newly dug ditches. A beautiful young 
girl, without coat or mantle and dressed only in a bliaut, was 
sitting in front of the door. She gets up when she sees Ferraut.

	He greets her and stops. "Lady," he asked, "whose manor is 
this?"

	"It belongs to my father, lord," replies the young girl. 
The night is approaching and she offers him hospitality. She says, 
"My father is in the river, he will be back before compline. He 
hunts birds and makes a living from this hunt, he and his sons. He 
does not dare to have hounds, although he really wants them, but 
the emperor forbids him."

	"It is a cursed race which is the cause. It was Alori, 
Guimar, and all their lineage who robbed my lord," said the maid, 
"and took away his right to hunt with hounds." 

	At these words, she cries and, with tears in her eyes, 
gently begs Ferraut to accept the hospitality she offers him. He 
will be well received and nothing will be lacking, neither for him 
nor for his horses. Ferraut thanks her. He would gladly stop, for 
the sun is setting, but he fears being pursued and the house seems 
weak to him. He will therefore go further, but not without 
recognizing the beauty's gracious offer.

	"Have this, maiden," he said to her, presenting his goshawk 
to her. "When your father returns, tell him that the one who gave 
you this bird will give him back his land and destroy Alori and all 
the traitors to the court."

	The young girl bows deeply. Ferraut takes leave of her and 
continues his path through the forest. There he found shelter with 
a lumberjack, where he spent the night.

	The next day, he meets a squire on his way, who he asks 
where he comes from and where he is going. The squire is afraid, 
seeing him armed. He replies, "Lord, you will know the truth. I am 
the squire of the valiant Isoré, lord of Mayence. My master sends 
Charlemagne four boxes loaded with silver. He is a close relative 
of Alori and Hardré, whom he must help, and tells the emperor that, 
next summer, they will take Gaydon from his city of Angers to put 
him and his people to death. It was Alori who prepared the plan, 
and Charles, blinded by my master's gifts, gave his assent. I am 
ahead of four barons who are escorting the rich convoy, and are 
coming secretly through this valley."

	Ferraut hears this and gives thanks to God. He directs his 
horse in the direction where the barons are coming, stops for a 
moment at a priory where he entrusts the gatekeeper with the 
destrier he has conquered, and urges his mount so well that he does 
not take long to meet the four barons and their convoy. 

	"You will go no further," he shouts to them. "I will take 
your treasure against your will and I will give it to the brave 
Gaydon." 

	With these words, he rushes towards them, kills the first 
one he reaches, is wounded by the three others, but succeeds in 
putting them out of action, seizes their horses, and drives the 
sommiers to the priory, where he left his beautiful destrier. He 
takes back the steed, gives the house one of the four horses that 
the barons rode, sends two others, by a monk, to the maiden whom he 
has already graced with his entourage, and the fourth to the 
woodcutter, his host from the previous night. He takes the destrier 
in hand, and preceded by the sommiers which he urges on, he heads 
towards Angers.

	Meanwhile, Renaut, Charlemagne's messenger, arrived in 
Angers. He summoned Gaydon to appear in Laon, to submit to the 
judgment of the barons. But the duke does not see it that way, he 
wants the traitors delivered to him. This is his last word. Renaut 
is dismissed so roughly that he fears being prosecuted, but quite 
wrongly. If he only has Gaydon to fear, he can return in safety.

	Ferraut proudly continues to ride but his horse starts to 
stumble. He has already fallen three times, to the great 
displeasure of the baron, who has never seen him bend over like 
this. 

	Towards the evening, he saw a castle which he approached 
and saw on the bridge a knight who was returning from the hunt. But 
he only ever went there to watch for an opportunity to do something 
wrong. He was a nephew of Hardré, Ganelon, and Rahier, and a cousin 
of Macaire, Amboin, and Manessier, the most ardent rascal who could 
be seen in the world. Hertaut was his name, God curse him! The 
traitor's wife was a daughter of Duke Bérenger, cousin of Gaydon, 
Naimon, and Ogier. She had given him a son worthy of all esteem, 
because he could not find favor in the eyes of his father, who 
hated him to the point of providing him with great difficulty. 

	Hertaut sees Ferraut coming and immediately begins to covet 
the destrier he has in his hand and the sommiers that he pushes in 
front of him. He goes to meet him with three of his people and 
approaches him courteously.

	"Lord," he said to him, "give me the grace to tell me where 
you are going like this. By the God of justice, I have great reason 
to be astonished to see you without a squire."

	Ferraut does not hide from him that he is Gaydon's 
messenger, that he has just brought a challenge to Charles of 
France, and that he fell into an ambush on his return, but that he 
has well punished those who thought put him to death. Hertaut 
cannot listen to him in cold blood, he would cut him into pieces if 
he dared, but he restrains himself and promises to take revenge 
through treachery.

	"Lord," he said to him, "the sun is setting here, it is 
time to take shelter. I would be pleased for you to be my guest, 
out of love for Duke Gaydon, to whom I was once very dear." To 
himself he said, "God damn me if this evening, at bedtime, I do not 
have all your limbs cut off." Then he adds, "I can assure you that 
for a long time I have not had a guest who was more pleasant to 
me." 

	What he says is misleading at best. If he who is to judge 
the world does not provide, Gaydon will never see his messenger 
again. Ferraut comes down. There is no shortage of people to hold 
him in his stirrup. The horses and sommiers are stabled, and the 
treasure is placed in a safe place by Hertaut. Ferraut did not know 
to keep his guard up, and he stripped himself of his armor. It 
would have been better to keep it on, but it has often been said 
that no one can guard against treason.

	Hertaut introduces his guest into the castle, whose lady 
greets him courteously.

	"Sit down, handsome sir," said the traitor to the baron, 
then in a low voice he said to his wife, "Take this knight aside, 
pass the time with him, chat and tell him stories until I am armed. 
It is Ferraut, my mortal enemy. He is the nephew of Gaydon, who 
killed my uncle Thibaut. I will not eat until he is dismembered."

	The lady hears him and her face changes. "Lord," she said, 
"it would be disloyal to do him any harm after having welcomed him 
as a guest. You would forever be proclaimed a traitor. You should 
do better. Give him back his armor, dismiss him, and challenge him 
when he is outside. So if you kill him, you will be blameless."

	"You are joking," replies Hertaut. "Once armed and mounted, 
he would escape me. But it is to outrage me that you speak to me 
like this, I can see it clearly, and it has hurt you, by my gray 
mustache!" At these words, he punches her nose so roughly that 
blood gushes out. 

	The lady submits. "Lord," she said, "do as you please."

	Hertaut takes ten knights with him to a room, has them 
armed and confides to them his plan to put Ferraut to death.

	Meanwhile, the good lady came and sat down near Ferraut. 
She sighs and cries. 

	"What’s the matter with you, madame?" Ferraut asks her, 
very moved by her tears. 

	She informs him of the danger that threatens him. 

	"If I had my armor," said Ferraut, "I would know how to 
defend myself, but I do not know where it was put."

	"You will have it," replies the lady. 

	She calls Savari, her son. "This knight," she tells him, 
"is betrayed by your father who received him as a guest and is 
preparing to kill him." The young gentleman goes in haste to fetch 
the armor of Ferraut, who takes it and withdraws under the arch of 
a vault and sits there, his sword on his knees.

	Here comes Hertaut, God curse him! He finds Ferraut in 
armor and thinks he will die of rage. "Ah! ugly slut," he cries, 
"you will regret having played this trick on me!"

	"Father," Savari said to him, "please do nothing to your 
shame. You are the host of this knight, spare him or else you will 
never be heard in high court. He is the vassal of Duke Gaydon, he 
is his nephew. If you hurt him, you will bear the penalty, betrayal 
always ends up being punished."

	At these words, Hertaut turns red with anger. "Be silent," 
he said to his son, "and may God confound you! I deny you, you were 
never mine!"

	"By the God of paradise," replies Savari, "I mourn the fact 
that you are my mother's husband. May the God who forgave Longinius 
defend this knight against you and give him the advantage! "

	"Noble gentleman," said Ferraut, "if God allows me to leave 
here, you will one day be rewarded as you deserve."

	With these words, Ferraut is assailed by traitors. He kills 
two and defends himself against the others like a wild boar against 
dogs, but he is about to fall into their hands when Savari runs to 
his aid. Between them they overcome the traitors and chase them 
from the castle.

	"To arms!" exclaims Hertaut, "My men, to arms!" 

	At this call, the inhabitants of the town all armed 
themselves and rushed, more than fifteen hundred in number. Hertaut 
animates them with his anger and launches them into an attack on 
his castle. There are challenges and threats made from both sides.

	Ferraut goes out to the entrance, many of the traitors run 
to him and climb onto the bridge. The affair goes poorly for those 
he reaches. He cuts off the hand of one, he kills others, then 
seizes the chain of the bridge, pulls it, and more than thirty of 
his enemies fall into the moat, who will never come out unless they 
are fished out. 

	"Do not overheat yourself," Ferraut shouts to them, "but 
take your bath slowly, in long strokes."

	"Father," said Savari, "get them out of there, it would be 
wickedness to let them drown."

	Hertaut, furious, swears that they will pay him. The moat 
is crossed with a trellis, ladders are erected against the keep, 
and more than thirty attackers have already reached the 
battlements, to the great terror of the chatelaine who cries and 
tears her hair. Then Ferraut, helped by Savari, throws a beam on 
them which throws them to the bottom of the moat. 

	"Let them drink," said Ferraut, "it will cost them 
nothing."

	"Father," adds Savari, "they have granted us a truce. May 
it be the same for all those who wish us harm."

	The night has come. The traitors keep watch around the 
castle to repeat the assault the next day.

	Meanwhile, Ferraut said to Savari, "Noble young lord, by 
Saint Marcel, we are in bad shape, because we cannot hope for any 
help. If Gaydon knew about this, before tomorrow evening we would 
see many lances here."

	Savari offers to leave for Angers. He departs, manages to 
force his way through the besiegers, arrives the next morning at 
the duke's palace, and implores him to rush to Ferraut's aid. Upon 
hearing of the danger threatening his nephew, Gaydon had his men 
armed, mounted his horse, and set off after the young Savari who 
was guiding him.

	At dawn, Hertaut gave the signal for a new assault. The 
ladders are drawn up against the castle. Ferraut seizes one, loaded 
with twenty assailants, overturns it in the moat and exclaims, "The 
water is not salty, drink as much as you like, we will not take it 
into account."

	Hertaut, furious, swears revenge and has the keep mined. 
His people enter and the lady of the castle falls into their hands. 
Ferraut tries to free her and he also falls into the power of his 
enemies. He will be hanged like a thief. Hertaut has sworn it, and 
the traitor also swears to have his wife burned. Gallows are set 
up, a pyre is lit. 

	"Let us hang this one first," said Bérenger, "and then we 
will burn your wife."

	"I agree," said Hertaut.

	Ferraut has his foot on the ladder and Hertaut has already 
seized the rope when Gaydon arrives within bowshot of his people, 
lance in hand and prodding his horse with golden spurs. In an 
instant, the traitors are put to flight and Ferraut is freed. It is 
Amaufroi who removes his blindfold and frees him from the bonds 
that bind him. 

	"Cousin," he said, "were you frightened?"

	"Yes, on my head," said Ferraut, "I have never seen myself 
so close to death. But I will take revenge, if I can."

	He sees his armor and his destrier near him, seizes them 
and, more terrible than a tiger or a lion, rushes towards his 
enemies. He reaches Hertaut near the keep where he seeks refuge, 
grabs him by the helm, and leads him to Gaydon. The traitor is 
hanged instantly. 

	"Father," said Savari, "this is the price of betrayal. If 
you were a loyal man, I would mourn your death greatly, but I do 
not value it more than a button."

	At these words, the young nobleman runs to his mother and 
unties her. 

	"Lady," Gaydon said to her, "do not regret your husband. We 
will marry you well, and we will make a knight of your son."

	"And we," said Savari, "will do you good service." And so 
he did later, as the story says.

	Ferraut finds his beautiful horse and his sommiers loaded 
with gold in the castle. He reports his message to the duke. God! 
how everyone admires the destrier he has conquered!

	"On my faith as a Christian," said Amaufroi, "if I had this 
fast horse, what pains would King Charles, and Alori, and Fouques, 
and Hardré, and all the traitors of this race of felons endure, may 
God curse them!"

	"Well," said Ferraut, "that is what we will see in the 
ordeal. You will have the horse on the condition that, if we fight 
against the traitors, you will deliver Alori's steed to me."

	Amaufroi accepts, and the challenge brings joy to the 
barons, but later it will be paid dearly. The castle and the town 
were destroyed and burned to the ground. Gaydon returns to Angers 
with his companions, and the following night is spent in feasts and 
games.

	Meanwhile, Charlemagne, already angered by the murder of 
his gatekeeper, killed by Ferraut, becomes even more angry when 
Amboin and Fouques bring him the bodies of those of their 
companions who perished by the same hand. The emperor swears, by 
Saint Denis, that in his life he will not have joy unless Gaydon is 
delivered to him dead or captive. 

	Duke Naimon replied in a low voice, "May God preserve him 
and allow him to regain your friendship!"

	Our emperor has a sad and dark heart, but before the end of 
the day he will be even more doleful. The knight who had the 
goshawk arrives in Orléans. He tells Charles how Ferraut stole from 
him both the bird and the horse of such great value which were 
intended for him. He shows him his arm where his hand that fell 
under the edge of Ferraut's sword is missing. Charles hears him and 
he is very emotional. Then those who were bringing him sommiers 
loaded with riches arrive. They tell him of the loss he has 
suffered. It is not in cold blood that Charles hears them, he 
swears by Almighty God that he will besiege Duke Gaydon. Woe to him 
if he is caught, for his pride will soon be crushed, and for 
Ferraut, Charles will not make him Gaydon's heir. 

	Finally, the messenger that the emperor has dispatched to 
Angers arrives. He reports Gaydon's proud response. Charles hears 
this and almost becomes enraged. He summons his barons, Gaifier, 
Otto of Pavia, Huon of Valence son of Elijah, Thierry of Ardenne, 
Richard of Normandy, and King Lot of England, and Gilemer of 
Scotland. He does not forget Naimon's brother, Duke Beuve the 
Beardless. Lastly, he orders Naimon himself and Ogier to gather 
their vassals. So much he says to the traitors, may God curse them. 
They bring together so many people, each on their own, that the 
city of Orléans is filled with them. We had never seen such an 
army. The army camps in the meadows surrounding the town. You can 
see so many tents there, so many shields all shining with gold, so 
many silk banners from Almerie, so many destriers and mules from 
Syria, so many knights, so many vassals who have pledged their 
lands, so many big foot soldiers with burnt bellies in hideous 
attire, so many jongleurs, so many girls of pleasure who would 
quickly empty the biggest purse! Such people have little concern 
for peace, they only listen to war cries and prefer them to the 
chants of nuns and evening prayers. They are quick to steal a plow 
or burn a manor, and prefer a city in flames to two cities which 
surrender without assault. May God protect Gaydon! If he does not 
have the son of Saint Mary on his side, the duke has done great 
folly to wage war against the king.

	A spy comes to tell Gaydon in Angers that he has never seen 
an army like the one that Charles of Saint Denis has just 
assembled. At this news, he summons Gui of Anjou lord of Nantes, 
Gautier, Hugues of Auvergne, and Morant of Rivier. Everyone comes 
without being asked. 

	At the same time, Bertrand, son of Duke Naimon, said to his 
brother Richier, "Brother, we cannot easily see King Charles 
bringing war and destruction to the Duchy of Gaydon. Let us call to 
us, with their vassals, Berart of Montdidier, Estout of Langres, 
the proud Vivien, Milon, Regnier, and Girart of Nevers, then with 
them let us go to rescue Gaydon. He is our cousin, he must be dear 
to us, and we have nothing from Charlemagne."

	Richier feels the same way. At the summons of the two 
brothers, the barons they had called departed, followed by many 
valiant knights. The one who brings the fewest has two thousand in 
his train, well-armed and well mounted. They assembled in Tours and 
from there went to Angers, where Gaydon received them with open 
arms. Here the interest of the chanson increases, which tells of 
the struggle of sons against their fathers.

	Charles arrives under the walls of Angers. It is Alori who 
commands the vanguard and carries the banner of the king of Saint 
Denis. He is accompanied by Sanson and Amauguin, Guimar, Hardré, 
Fouques, and Gui. All these cursed traitors have twenty thousand of 
their own with them. 

	Alori learns that Amaufroi boasted of taking away his horse 
to deliver it to Ferraut. "A crazy undertaking," he said to his 
family. "If Amaufroi has anything to do with you, be careful not to 
let him live."

	Seeing Charles' army, Gaydon leaves Angers at the head of 
his own. Among his companions is Gautier, the helpful vavasour, 
dressed in a heavy mail hauberk. The duke has his army take 
position. Amaufroi puts those he commands into battle. He wears 
long pendant pleated sleeves with small pleats that his girlfriend 
recently sent to him. He will not forget the promise he made to 
Ferraut. Gaydon grants him the honor of striking the first blow. It 
is a mortal blow for one of the traitors, a nephew of Hardré, a 
brother of Macaire. Amaufroi pierces him and lays him dead. Alori 
takes revenge by killing a relative of Gaydon, then he and Amaufroi 
challenge each other and begin a terrible joust. Amaufroi fulfills 
his promise. He unhorses his enemy, takes away his horse and sends 
him to Ferraut. Ferraut gave it to Hertaut's young son Savari, who 
deserved it. At Alori's cries of rage, the traitors throw 
themselves at Amaufroi, and, if God does not have pity, he will 
never see his family or friends again. He is dismayed in his turn, 
two of his nephews are taken prisoner, and he himself will fall 
into the hands of his enemies, when he calls for help to Ferraut 
and Gaydon. Ferraut runs with four thousand of his people. Amaufroi 
is freed and mounts his destrier again, ready to make the traitors 
pay dearly for the ordeals he has just passed through. Ferraut and 
he fight, each trying to outdo the other. They were both wounded 
and in great danger of being taken, when Riol, Estout of Langres, 
and Morant of Rivier, with ten thousand of their number, came to 
free them and engaged in a fight which left many a lady without a 
husband and many an orphaned child. The fight continues. The 
traitor Guinemant, the poisoner, is killed by Hugues of Auvergne. 
Evil spirits come and seize his soul, throw it at each other and 
thus toss it over the space of more than an acre.
	
	Seeing this, the traitors said, "Lord barons, rejoice, it 
is the angels who carry him away singing."

	But Hardré, one of them, cannot help adding, "I am very 
surprised. If they were angels, we would see them flying."

	The battle continues with many episodes of combat. Charles 
threatens Duke Naimon and the other barons of the Gaydon lineage 
with his wrath if he sees them weaken in this fight against one of 
their own. 

	Duke Naimon gives a noble response. "It is a vain fear," he 
said, "we put loyalty before kinship, and our lineage has never 
failed in its faith."

	Gaydon addressed harsh reproaches to the emperor. "It is 
madness," he told him, "to support the traitors who have covered 
France with shame. It is selling the death of your nephew Roland in 
exchange for a share of their wealth. A day will come when you will 
curse them." At these words, Gaydon spurs his horse, runs towards 
his two nephews Ferraut and Amaufroi, who are closely pressed by 
their enemies, frees them and cries out, uttering his war cry, 
"Strike, free knights, that Charlemagne, the old king, cannot say 
this evening in his tent that he found in us only servants!"

	Charles hears him and pounces on him. Both break their 
lances without hurting themselves or losing their pommels. Then 
they put their swords in their hands, but Charles is not alone in 
front of the Duke, the traitors surround Gaydon and press him so 
closely that he falls from his horse. He gets up, covers himself 
with his shield and calls for help, uttering his war cry, "Valie!" 
three times. At his voice came the two sons of Duke Naimon, 
Bertrand and Richier, and Estout of Langres, Bernard, and Vivien. 
Bertrand does not want to joust against his father whom he 
recognizes, he is going to strike at Ogier. A joust between 
Bertrand and Ogier begins.

	The Dane receives a terrible blow from the sword that Herod 
once had forged for the massacre of the Innocents. His shield, his 
helmet, and his coif cannot resist it, and he himself, without a 
movement of retreat, was cut to the waist. At this sight, Duke 
Naimon and many other barons rushed to the aid of the brave Dane. 
But from the other side also come running Bérart of Montdidier, 
Bertrand's brother Richier, and Estout of Langres, Milon, Regnier, 
Vivien of Aigremont, Savari, and Guiart. So many sons who will 
joust against their fathers, none of whom recognizes his heir, 
because the children had had their armor changed. They did not 
spare their fathers, but it happened incredibly that their lances 
broke in the encounter and that the fathers were only disarmed by 
the violence of the shock. Not one remained on horseback, and each 
lost his destrier. 

	"What devils sent us such soldiers?" exclaims Duke Naimon, 
to the great joy of the children who hear him. They give back to 
their fathers the horses they have just taken from them and leave 
laughing without pushing things further. Gaydon, out of danger, got 
back on his destrier. Night is approaching; he gives the signal to 
retreat and returns to Angers, taking the Dane prisoner. He and 
Bertrand have fought so long that their helms are in pieces and 
they do not have enough of their shields left to use them. But, if 
he took Ogier, the duke left his nephew Ferraut in the hands of 
Charlemagne, who pitched his tent and camped his army on the 
meadows surrounding the city.

	Arriving at the duke's palace, the young knights who took 
Ogier lock him in a room so that he cannot recognize them, but they 
serve him with honor. The barons strip themselves of their armor 
and lament at no longer seeing Ferraut among them. 

	Riol the Old speaks up to admonish them, "One cannot wage 
war," he says, "without sometimes paying dearly for it, and it is 
never good to enter into combat against one's lord. Charles 
recently told you that he would hear all your grievances and would 
gladly accommodate them. I saw you respond with a proud refusal and 
you did not deign to listen to his messenger. Pride only goes so 
far. And what I say is not out of cowardice, please believe it, 
because if we come to blows, you will see me jousting in the first 
place. But it is your honor that touches me, and that is why I 
advise you to indulge in laughter and games, because I see here a 
number of young men who ask for nothing more than joy and dancing. 
If they see you angry and troubled, they will lose heart. The 
emperor has taken Ferraut, but you have the Dane. Deliver one in 
exchange for the other and you will easily buy him back."

	Gaydon welcomes this hope with joy and throws his arms 
around his advisor. The tables are set and dinner is served.

	For his part, Charlemagne is very concerned about having 
left Ogier in the hands of his enemies, but the capture of Ferraut 
eases his pain. Traitors crowd around the emperor, his tent is full 
of them. They see Ferraut sitting on a carpet, and near him Duke 
Naimon, Thierry, Hugues of Langres and Geoffroi of Senlis. 

	Hardré cannot contain himself. "By God, king," he said to 
Charles, "it is my opinion that one must do evil to be loved by 
you. Look at Ferraut here, who has outraged you, who has killed 
your gatekeeper, who ambushed Haguenon, Rahier, and Henri, and cut 
off the hand of my nephew Fouques. But, by him who forgave 
Longinus, if you believe me, he will be hanged tomorrow at noon."

	At these words, Ferraut jumps up and yells. He says, 
"Traitor, you lied! By the God of paradise, I was never guilty of 
treason. What I did, I did alone, without a secret plot and in my 
own defense." 

	He throws himself at Hardré, pulls more than a hundred 
hairs from his mustache, and with a punch to the chest knocks him 
down, stunned. Assailed by traitors, Ferraut picks up a stick and 
defends himself valiantly, but it would be the end of him if 
Charles did not put an end to this melee. 

	The emperor asks advice from Duke Naimon. The duke is of 
the opinion to return Ferraut and ask for Ogier in exchange.

	"If you succeed," said Charles, "know that I would rejoice 
greatly."

	But this is not Hardré's plan. He puts his hand on the 
shoulder of Gui of Hautefeuille and says to him, "Handsome nephew, 
you must be the head of my lineage. You are young, tall, handsome, 
strong, and well built. You see there Ferraut who pulled my 
mustache. I will never have joy until I am avenged. So go and call 
him into single combat, for if you could kill or wound him, Ogier 
would be put to death in retaliation and then your peace would soon 
be made. We would deliver ourselves by the death of Charlemagne, 
Duke Naimon, and Thierry, and I would be consoled for the loss of 
Ganelon and Thibaut."

	Gui of Hautefeuille agrees to his uncle's request. He 
approaches Charlemagne, accuses Ferraut of treason and gives the 
emperor his battle pledge. Ferraut denies the accusation and also 
delivers his pledge. The emperor asks everyone for their 
guarantees. Four counts of the Hardré lineage presented themselves 
for Gui of Hautefeuille. 

	"Sire," said Ferraut to Charlemagne, "have me hanged if I 
do not force this traitor to withdraw his accusation."

	"It is not enough," said the emperor, "I need sureties."

	With these words, here comes Renaut of Aubépin. He said to 
Charles, "Sire, when I was going to carry your message to Duke 
Gaydon, I met this knight alone and without a squire. He heard me 
insult his lord and ran after me with sword in hand. A terrible 
fight began between us in which I believe I would have lost my 
life, if God had not sent a knight there who separated us. Then my 
adversary was so courteous to me that he will be dear to me 
forever. I want to repay him today for this courtesy. I beg you to 
accept me as his guarantor."

	"And me with him," adds Naimon of Bavaria.

	"I agree," replies Charles, on condition that you bring him 
back to me tomorrow at daylight."

	The two adversaries exchange threats and challenges. Duke 
Naimon takes Ferraut to his tent. Gui of Hautefeuille returns to 
his with Amboin, Hardré, and a hundred other traitors. There, they 
plan an ambush of a thousand men-at-arms the next day in a thicket 
near the town, to run to Gui's aid if they see him in danger. In 
the morning, at sunrise, the ambush was set up.

	At the same time, Gaydon gets up and, surrounded by his 
people, goes to hear mass at the monastery of Saint Vincent. 
Leaving the church, he holds a council and suggests to his men that 
they return to the fields to start the battle again. If his nephew 
is not returned to him safe and sound, he will put Ogier to death. 
Everyone agrees to follow him, except Riol the Old. He advises the 
duke to send a messenger to the emperor to offer him the exchange 
of the two prisoners and ask him for peace. His opinion is adopted. 

	It is the young Savari, the savior of Ferraut, who is 
chosen to carry this message. He arms himself and leaves. Arriving 
before Charlemagne, he begins by calling down the wrath of God on 
the traitors who started the war between the duke and the emperor. 
Hardré cannot hear him in cold blood, he immediately detaches five 
of his people and orders them to go and lie in ambush on the path 
of the messenger to put him to death, when he returns to Angers. 
Savari proposes the exchange of prisoners. 

	"I would willingly consent to it," said Charles, "and I 
would send Ferraut away before nightfall, if I had not received a 
pledge of battle from him yesterday. Gui of Hautefeuille accused 
him of murder. He must defend himself with sword in hand, but if I 
can, I will bring them to agreement. The Dane is your prisoner, I 
want nothing more in the world than for his life not to be in 
danger, and I know that Gaydon would not fail to have him put to 
death if something bad happened to Ferraut."

	Hardré hears these words and thinks his plan is failing. He 
dispatches one of his people to hasten the arrival of Gui of 
Hautefeuille. Gui arrives and demands a fight. The emperor implores 
him to postpone it until Ogier is returned. 

	"Do you want my shame then?" replies Gui. 

	As he says these words, Naimon of Bavaria and Renaut of 
Aubépin arrive, who bring Ferraut before the emperor. "Sire," said 
Naimon, "here is Ferraut ready to defend himself."

	"Naimon," replies Charles, "I have already asked Gui and I 
ask him again to agree to a postponement."

	"Sire," said Gui, "your entreaties are in vain. I will not 
consent to it at any price. If I do not get the better of him 
before tonight, I will think no more of myself than a broom."

	"By Saint Eloi," said Savari, "if Ferraut wants to allow 
it, it is I who will fight against you, and if before night I have 
not defeated you, may Charles have me hanged and Ferraut with me."

	"No," replies Ferraut, "no one other than me will put an 
end to this fight, and yet, I say it out loud, no knight bolder 
than you has ever entered the fray."

	Ferraut asks Savari to return to Gaydon, to reassure him 
and to recommend Ogier to him. Savari insists that Ferraut be 
delivered without delay, but Gui of Hautefeuille opposes it.

	"Vassal," he said to Savari, "for a tower full of gold, 
Ferraut will not leave without having fought me, for before this 
evening I hope to cut off his head with my sword."

	Ferraut returns threat for threat. But the emperor silences 
the two adversaries, orders that the battle take place without 
further delay and decides that the vanquished will be hanged. 

	"Woe to Ogier," cries Savari, "if treason attacks Ferraut!" 
He speaks and then departs without taking leave of the king, but 
after having kissed Ferraut twice. On his return, he falls into the 
ambush that awaits him, jousts against the traitors, manages to 
escape them and returns to Angers, wounded.

	He reports his message to Gaydon and gives him the hope 
that Ferraut will be returned to him as soon as he has resolved his 
quarrel with the traitor who accuses him. Gaydon listened to his 
messenger. He looks up and sees him covered in blood. "Where does 
this blood come from?" he asks. 

	"Sire," replies Savari, "after leaving the emperor's 
pavilion, I had to deal with five traitors who were lying in wait 
for me. They hurt me, but, by Saint Simon, they gained nothing, 
because in spite of them I escaped with my life."

	"To arms!" cries the duke, "and let us run after the enemy. 
I will have no more joy until we have recaptured Ferraut."

	But Riol calms this strong emotion. He wants the duke to 
listen to his reason and not his anger. Gaydon bows to the wisdom 
of his old advisor. Riol summons Bertrand, the son of Duke Naimon, 
and six of his young companions. He orders them to mount horses and 
go as soon as possible with two thousand armed men to lie in ambush 
near the field where the combat is to take place to come to the aid 
of Ferraut, if he were threatened by anyone other than his 
adversary. The young gentlemen obey and position themselves not far 
from the traitors' ambush, without either side seeing or hearing 
each other. At the same time Gaydon, Riol the Old, Thiorin the 
Brave, Rispeus of Nantes, and Count Gui of Beaufort arm themselves. 
Hugues of Auvergne, Morant, and Amaufroi are with them. The 
vavasour Gautier is also there, accompanied by his three sons. He 
contemptuously throws away a lance offered to him by Savari. The 
lance falls and breaks into two pieces. Gautier arms himself with 
his club, and swears by the king of paradise that, if he can strike 
a blow on the emperor's head, Charles' helm will not prevent him 
from having his head smashed down into his chest. The barons hear 
this remark and laugh out loud.

	While Gaydon and his people are arming themselves in the 
city, the emperor orders Gui and Ferraut to prepare for battle. 
Duke Naimon and Renaut of Aubépin take Ferraut, who is going to 
hear mass at the monastery of Saint Vincent. 

	At the moment of elevation of the host and the chalice, he 
prostrates himself and says aloud, "Sweet Jesus Christ, as it is 
true that it is your body that is now being raised, and as I have 
the firm belief of it, deign to give me a guarantee against any 
attack, because I am falsely accused of murder."

	After mass, Ferraut is armed by Duke Naimon and Renaut of 
Aubépin. His chausses are of white silver, his spurs are gold and 
richly decorated, over his aketon he wears a jazerant hauberk, 
strong and lightly mailed leather, and a surcoat that is vermilion 
like a resplendent rose. His sword is the one that Alexander 
carried when he conquered the East. They bring him his good 
destrier Ataignant, blacker than ink. He climbs into the saddle 
without using stirrups, rides for a while with a grace that 
delights all those who look at him, then returns at a walk. Led by 
Naimon and Renaut of Aubépin who hold his horse by the bridle, one 
on each side, he will present himself before the emperor's 
pavilion.

	Gui of Hautefeuille also went with his relatives to hear 
mass. If it were not for the shame, he would have missed it. 
Officiating is Bishop Guirre, one of his close friends, from 
Mayence. 

	The service completed, during which Gui did not invoke 
God's help, the bishop strips himself of his ornaments and says to 
Gui, "Fair nephew, listen to me. If you will follow my advice and 
recommendations, you will be the victor. And first of all, vow 
never to be loyal to anyone, never to keep your faith with your 
liege lord, to betray and sell loyal men, to exalt evil and bring 
down good. If you befriend someone, always praise them in their 
presence and blame them behind their back. Shame and mock the poor 
people, strip the orphans of their inheritances and the widows of 
their dowers. Be the support of murderers and thieves. Never bring 
honor to the Holy Church, flee and dodge priests and clerics, 
pillage hermits and monks, beat Franciscans and Dominicans, throw 
little children into the mud, bite them with your teeth, and if you 
are not seen, strangle them with your hands. Grab and manhandle old 
people, or at least spit in their faces. Ravage and destroy the 
abbeys and leave all the nuns abandoned. Wherever you are, lie and 
perjure yourself boldly. You will never distort your faith until 
the day you lose your hand. If you put these lessons to good use, 
you need not fear defeat."

	"Yes," replies Gui, "I will follow them and do even worse."

	"Here he is well confessed," said Alori. "If he died now, 
he would be saved!"

	"Honor to such a priest!" said Hardré. 

	Gui kneels, prostrates himself, and the bishop, who was 
full of evil, forgives him all his falsehoods on the condition that 
he will not tire of falling into them again. Gui gets up and arms 
himself. His chausses are white like meadow flowers. He puts on a 
golden aketon and his hauberk, tightens his cuirass made of good 
leather, and wears a most beautiful surcoat, draped gracefully and 
decorated with gold and a vermilion lion. Then he girded his 
tempered steel sword with silver points. The broadsword is strong 
and sharp, three and a half feet long. His helm has four straps. 
His horse is brought in front of him, covered with fine cloth. The 
saddle was very rich and well refined. Gui mounted his horse, then 
took his shield and his sword. He takes his destrier for a ride and 
attracts the admiration of everyone, even Ferraut.

	"See," Ferrait said to the barons, "what a beautiful 
countenance! I would like to look like him, to be as beautiful, as 
tall, and as well made. I would fear neither kings nor emirs."

	"So you fear him, Ferraut?" Duke Naimon said to him. "By 
God, lord, you speak the truth. To find yourself face to face with 
such an adversary and not fear him would be madness, and yet before 
this evening you will see which of you will have the advantage. If 
he had the right on his side, I would be horrified, but he is 
wrong, and that is what reassures me, with God's protection. You 
are right."

	At these words, Gui of Hautefeuille, followed by his 
relatives, also came to appear before Charles, who had the relics 
of Saint Léger and Saint Martin brought to receive the oaths of the 
two adversaries. He places them on a silk sheet fashioned like a 
chessboard where we see them like they are moving around. Anyone 
who perjures themselves over these relics will not leave the day 
unharmed. The emperor orders Duke Naimon to dictate to the two 
kneeling barons the oaths they must take. 

	Duke Naimon obeyed and said to Gui, "Raise your hand." Then 
he makes him lower it onto the relics. "Repeat," he adds, "what I 
am going to tell you. God, I call you to witness that Ferraut was 
guilty in Orléans of the murder of the gatekeeper, when he went to 
carry out Gaydon's message, that on his return he treacherously 
wounded Foucart and had my cousins Haguenon and Rahier killed by 
ambush. As this is the truth, may God and all the saints help me 
today."

	Gui repeats this oath, stoops, and tries to kiss the 
relics, but the traitor cannot approach them. 

	"How you rise perjured!" exclaims Ferraut, and in turn he 
takes an oath under the dictation of Duke Naimon, receives a denial 
from Gui, returns it to him, kisses the relics, crosses himself and 
mounts a horse. 

	Gui also mounts there and the two adversaries are brought 
face to face. They challenge each other, spur their horses and the 
battle begins. So terrible was the first shock that the two barons 
fell unconscious without a pulse or breath. 

	"Each of them has found his master," say the camp guards. 

	A knight brings cold water and sprinkles them with it. They 
came to their senses completely distraught and both thought they 
had been struck by lightning. Then they raise their heads, look at 
each other, remember their joust, get up and begin to fight again, 
sword in hand. The battle continues. From their ambush the traitors 
follow all the incidents with their eyes. The two adversaries 
exchange blows, threats, and insults. At the end, Gui receives such 
a sword blow from Ferraut that he staggers and falls to his knees. 
Ferraut rushes at him, knocks him down, tears off his helmet, 
strikes him in the face and is about to cut off his head, when the 
traitors emerge from their ambush. Ferraut, assailed, calls to his 
aid the camp guards, who come to line up around him, but they are 
only a hundred against a thousand. Overwhelmed by numbers, they are 
defeated and Ferraut will perish, but he is saved by the young 
knights whom Riol's prudence had armed to monitor the battle. A 
general melee ensues in which more than one traitor falls. 

	Ferraut and Gui remount their horses and take part in the 
fight. To the cries of the combatants, all those traitors who 
remained in their tents run up in arms, with their men. There are 
more than twenty thousand of them. Ferraut and his defenders 
valiantly sustained the attack, but here they are again in great 
danger. At this moment Gaydon arrives, followed by Savari, 
Amaufroi, Riol, Thiorin, Rispeus of Nantes, Morant, Hugues, and the 
vavasour with his three sons. The assault is harsh for the 
traitors, but causes great joy for Ferraut and his companions, who 
hear the duke utter his war cry. 

	The vavasour encourages his sons. "If you do not show 
yourself well," he said to them, "you will make little money today. 
You will only have boiled milk without eggs, and nothing more to 
stuff your belly, but if I see you doing well, by the God of 
paradise, you will be well served. Mutton, sheep, peas, and cheese, 
you will have everything in abundance. I will beg your mother, 
Alix."

	The barons hear it and laugh loudly under their burnished 
helms. The vavasour and his sons fight bravely. 

	Alori recognizes Gautier, shows him to his men, and calls 
them against him. "Know the villain!" he exclaims.

	"By the son of Mary, said Gautier, "villains are only those 
who do villainies. For my part, I never liked treason or deceit. I 
never envied anyone and I lived from my work, but you are known to 
be a felon. Deception has been and always will be your doing, and 
you deserved the rope a long time ago. By Gaydon, I dare you!" 

	Saying this, he spurs his horse, raises his club in both 
hands, throws himself on the traitors, and smashes the heads of the 
first ones he reaches. Alori wants to avenge them and breaks his 
lance against the vavasour, who holds on to his saddle. In his 
turn, Gautier will strike him with his terrible club, but Alori 
dodges the blow, goes behind Gautier, hits his horse in the rump, 
and knocks him down on the meadow. In the fall, the vavasour's club 
breaks. He remains defenseless, but his three sons, ax in hand, 
frame around him.

	The noise of the melee reaches the emperor. "To arms, 
barons!" he exclaims. "By Saint Isaiah, if I can make myself master 
of Gaydon, I will lock him up in such a place that no one in the 
world will be able to get him out and his head will become as white 
as the beard which hangs on my chest."

	The barons obey and mount their horses. Before the hour of 
compline many lands will have lost their lords. The emperor and the 
duke are in each other's presence again and engage in a second 
battle, but not without some regret. Gaydon deplores Charlemagne's 
ingratitude and weakness, and for his part Pepin's son begins to 
desire peace and to accuse himself of having come to devastate the 
duke's domains. After new exploits, the vavasour is wounded and 
taken prisoner, causing his sons great pain. They themselves are in 
great danger. Duke Naimon's two sons come to their aid with other 
knights and manage to free them, despite the efforts of Alori and 
his people. The traitors are about to flee when Charlemagne, 
followed by his main barons, comes to spare them this shame by 
forcing Gaydon to retreat. It was not without a blow that the duke 
managed to return to his city. He is pursued and pressed very 
closely, but the crossbowmen and archers that he left to guard the 
city suddenly came out, rained bolts and arrows heavier than sleet 
in February, and forced Charlemagne's army to turn back. They 
return to their camp while Gaydon returns to his palace.

	Ferraut returned there with him, and he was a great 
consolation for the duke. The vavasour, it is true, fell into the 
hands of his enemies, but Gaydon will buy him back in exchange for 
Ogier, and if Gautier perishes, Ogier will be hanged. 

	"He is my kinsman," said the duke, "but when I was wrongly 
accused before Charles, he did not dare to act as surety for me. 
Shame on him who, when needed, fails his friends and those of his 
blood. He deserves to be shouted at."

	"Fair uncle," said Ferraut, "sit down to the table. After 
supper I will tell you my thoughts."

	After the meal, Ferraut gets up and says to Gaydon, "Fair 
uncle, I have been accused of murder at the court of Charles. Two 
princes were my hostages, Renaut of Aubépin and Duke Naimon. I 
fought well against Gui, because I had God and the right on my 
side. You know how the affair ended. I beg you in the name of God 
to return Ogier to the emperor, or else I will return to his camp 
and stay there until I have discharged my bonds, because I would 
rather stay two years in chains than to know he is in pain because 
of me."

	"Handsome nephew," replies Gaydon, "wait until tomorrow and 
in the morning you will return Ogier, because I would not want you 
to be separated from me again for the gold of ten cities."

	"Sire," said Ferraut, "may God be grateful to you."

	It is a received truth that loyalty always wins out in the 
end.

	For his part, Charlemagne returned to his tent outraged 
with anger because Ferraut had escaped from him. He summons Duke 
Naimon and Renaut.

	"Lords," he said to them, "bring Ferraut back to me or 
return the Dane to me. If I do not have one of them immediately, by 
my gray mustache, you will no longer hold from me either lands or 
fiefs, you will be thrown into prison and dismembered, if your 
judges order it."

	Renaut asks for respite until the next day, but Charles 
does not see it that way, and this is not the feeling of the 
traitors either. 

	"Just emperor," said Hardré, "if you would do us justice, 
you will put them to death."

	"Vassal," said Naimon, "show some restraint and do not thus 
reveal your felony. I do not think that anyone has yet been born 
who would want to treat us in this way, and who, to believe you, a 
proven traitor, would soon commit great villainies." He speaks, 
steps forward, and with his large, square fist delivers such a blow 
to Hardré's nose that blood gushes out and the traitor is knocked 
down at the feet of the emperor. 

	At Hardré's cry for vengeance, all his people approach, and 
Naimon would have fallen into evil hands if more than one brave man 
had not rushed to his defense. A melee would ensue, but Charles 
threatens to hang anyone who attacks, and no one dares to move. The 
emperor had Renaut and Duke Naimon imprisoned, and ordered them to 
be brought back to him the next morning.

	The traitors return to their tents, have two mules loaded 
with fine silver and send them to Charlemagne, who is grateful to 
them and considers them his closest friends. 

	The present accepted, Alori said to his people, "Here is a 
gift that will be sold dearly if I can, and I will tell you how. 
Tomorrow, before daybreak, we will take this Gautier who has done 
me so much harm, we will take him to the neighboring woods and hang 
him from the gallows without the king or anyone knowing anything 
about it. When Duke Gaydon sees him hanging in the wind, he will 
put Ogier to a shameful death, because he loves Gautier 
excessively. Ogier dead, the emperor will take similar revenge 
against Naimon and Renaut of Aubépin, because we will hasten to 
bring an accusation of murder against Ferraut, and thus we will be 
able to throw France into great trouble." 

	"God! what advice," said Amboin. "May Jesus keep such a 
relative!"

	Soon, a spy comes to tell them that the emperor has sworn 
to imprison Renaut of Aubépin and Duke Naimon for their lives if 
the Dane is not returned to him. It is a great joy and a new 
encouragement for the traitors.

	The next morning, thirty of them seized Gautier, tied his 
hands behind his back, placed him on a roussin and secretly took 
him out of the camp. Along the way, they charge him with insults 
and blows. 

	"Lord villain," Hardré said to him, “you have done so much 
through your exploits that we have chosen for you a horse whose 
spine well measures thirty feet, yes, just as much, I am sure of 
it."

	"Traitor without faith, replies Gautier, it is you and your 
relatives that this horse would suit well. May you all be delivered 
over to the torture you are preparing for me!" 

	Let us leave them for a moment to return to Ferraut.

	At the first ray of the sun, the duke's nephew comes to 
find him and begs him to return the Dane, armed and mounted like 
the day he was taken. Gaydon sends for the prisoner, who is brought 
before him and who is surprised to see the duke surrounded only by 
old men. All the young knights have left the palace and are shut up 
in their lodgings.

	"Sir Duke," said the Dane, "I beg you to take me as a 
ransom."

	"Sir Ogier," replies Gaydon, "you will soon be free without 
it costing you a pound."

	Ferraut immediately dresses him in silk clothes with large 
gold bands and has his entire suit of armor loaded onto a strong 
roussin. Then they bring him Broiefort, his Arab destrier. 

	"Handsome lord," Ferraut said to him, "you are free."

	"If you were at peace with the emperor," said Ogier, "I 
would soon render you the service that I have received from you."

	"May God confound," Ferraut continues, "the traitors who 
put us at war with Charles!"

	Ogier mounts his horse. Ferraut and Amaufroi will accompany 
him to the camp. They ask for their armor, and not without reason, 
because they will need them. Ogier alone is not armed, he is 
without fear.

	The three barons leave the city. Ferraut and Amaufroi 
escort Ogier to the emperor's camp. As he was leaving, Ferraut said 
to Ogier, "Sire, in the name of God, tell Charles that we are 
sending you back and that he should release Renaut and Duke Naimon 
who were my hostages from their bond. If he does not consent, I 
will become his prisoner again and you will return to Angers."

	"Yes, certainly," replies Ogier.

	Ferraut and Amaufroi are returning home singing, when they 
meet a young man who tells them that while passing through the 
neighboring woods, he has just seen around thirty armed knights who 
had captured a thief to hang him.

	"I heard him say his name was Gautier," said the young man, 
"and he greatly missed Ferraut, Gaydon, and Amaufroi. He had the 
noose around his neck and was praying on his knees when I passed. 
They probably hanged him at that time, because they were in great 
haste to do so." At these words Ferraut turns black as coal.

	"Let us ride this way," said Amaufroi. If I arrive in time, 
either I will die, or he will be delivered."

	The two cousins urge on their horses, and at the end of an 
old path, on the edge of the woods, they see the gallows raised 
from afar. They see Gautier at the top of the ladder and the rope 
around his neck. It would have been over for him, but the ladder 
breaks.
 
	Gautier falls and invokes in a loud voice the son of Saint 
Mary, "Beautiful Lord God who in Bethany resurrected Lazarus, who 
granted Saint Sophie the glory of giving her name to the church 
built by Constantine, save my soul, Lord who is full of life, for I 
clearly see that my end has come!"

	The traitors, when they see Gautier on the ground, grab the 
rope which surrounds his neck. In vain Gautier implores them in the 
name of Jesus to let him say his Pater Noster and a Salve Regina. 
One of them throws the rope over the gallows, more than ten others 
seized it, pulled it and lifted Gautier so violently that they 
almost broke the sinews of his neck, for he was large and broad, 
and very heavy. 

	At this moment Ferraut and Amaufroi arrive. "Ah! 
miscreants," they cry, "we bring a greeting to you from Gaydon 
which is written on the tips of our lances!"

	At the sight of them, those who hold the rope are filled 
with fear. They let go, and Gautier falls back on the grass without 
seeing anything, because he is blindfolded. In an instant two of 
his executioners perish under the blows of Ferraut and Amaufroi. 
The traitors are all distraught, and Ferraut holds them together so 
well that he manages to untie Gautier and remove his blindfold.

	The vavasour never felt such joy. He sees Amaufroi in his 
armor, he sees Ferraut who had already broken his lance and who was 
holding his sword in his hand. As for him, he notices a pole cut 
for his torture, but left unused because it was too short. He 
seizes it, raises it with both hands, strikes two of the traitors 
to death, seizes a shield, leans against a large tree, and there 
defends himself like a chained bear whose cubs have been bitten and 
irritated. For their part, Ferraut and Amaufroi appear no less 
formidable, and their blows are more than once fatal. In the end, 
however, after a fierce struggle, all three, overwhelmed by numbers 
and covered with wounds, fell into the hands of their enemies, who 
blindfolded them like thieves, put the rope around their necks and 
prepared to hang them. 

	The barons begin to pray. "God who suffers passion," said 
Ferraut, "have pity on my soul and grant it forgiveness. God who 
resurrected Lazarus, protect my uncle Duke Gaydon, whom we must 
never see again."

	"No, certainly," replies the traitor Amboin, and with these 
words he grabs a stick and strikes Gautier with such a terrible 
blow that it knocks him to his knees. The vavasour gets up and in 
his fury makes such an effort that he frees himself from the bonds 
that bind him, tears off his blindfold, and discharges a blow on 
Amboin's head which knocks him down completely stunned. 

	"Take that, traitor!" said Gautier. Then he seizes his 
enemy's horse, mounts the saddle, and flees through the woods. If 
he had been armed, the valiant man would not have turned on his 
heels and set off, driving his spurs into the sides of his horse, 
and pursued by ten of the traitors. Unless God commands otherwise, 
Gaydon's two nephews will die this day. But it is rightly said, and 
it is a recognized truth, that he who has the help of God is 
assured of his salvation.

	What happy fortune God sent to Gautier! After a long 
journey he met Claresme, the wise Claresme, newly proclaimed queen 
of Gascony, at the bottom of a valley. She is on her way to receive 
Charles' investiture and to pay homage to him. Her plan, once the 
war is over, is to take Gaydon as her husband or else never to 
marry, because she loves him so much for his great fame that she 
has forgotten all other love. She is escorted by twenty knights of 
great valor and followed by two damsels, Blonde and Esmerée. Her 
birth is of the highest and her beauty is like a fairy. Gautier 
sees her, goes towards her, and implores her assistance. The lady 
brings him closer and covers him with her cloak. At the same moment 
the traitors arrive who are pursuing him. One of them, his lance in 
front, pierces Claresme's cloak, and with the blow, which would 
have been fatal if Gautier had not made a movement to dodge it, he 
lightly hits the vavasour, whose blood gushes out and flows on the 
beauty's cloak. 

	Claresme utters a cry of fear and vengeance. One of her 
knights rushes towards the traitor who has just struck Gautier and 
kills him, the others are put to flight by the lady's escort. 

	"Noble lady," cries Gautier, "you saved my life, but in the 
name of the Virgin who carried God in her womb, also help Ferraut 
and Amaufroi who are there near this wood, in the power of Hardré 
and his group of traitors. Perhaps at this moment they have already 
lost their lives."

	Then he explains to Claresme the danger he was just in, and 
the way in which he escaped by leaving his two saviors in danger of 
death. At this story, Claresme shuddered and made her barons hurry. 
Armed by them and provided with an ax, because he had little regard 
for the lance that was offered to him, Gautier took the lead and 
from a distance announced himself to the criminals with a death 
cry.

	Already Ferraut, with the rope around his neck, was hoisted 
to the gallows by Hardré and Amboin. At the sight of the vavasour, 
the two traitors let go of the rope. In an instant Ferraut and 
Amaufroi are freed and their enemies killed or put to flight. The 
two barons learn from Gautier to whom they owe this unexpected 
help. They will give thanks to Claresme and bow before her. At the 
same time, Claresme's two beautiful attendants have been enamoured 
for a long time, Blonde with Amaufroi and Esmerée with Ferraut, and 
they both approach the two young knights and declare their love.
 
	Claresme also opens her heart to Gautier, "Friend," she 
whispers, "please tell Gaydon that he has a beautiful girlfriend, 
that I know her well and that she is from my house. If he responds 
to her love, he will have a golden crown on his head."

	"It is folly for you," said Gautier, "to speak like this. A 
woman who makes known a prayer of love falls into a great mistake. 
She often convinces herself that she will be better loved and 
cherished and allows herself to be led recklessly into a 
declaration of love that will bring shame to her. For my part, I 
understand nothing of such an office. Entrust one of these two 
knights with this task, for I will not deliver your message."

	Claresme hears this and blushes. It is with good reason 
that the proverb says: Whoever needs fire must search for embers 
with his hand in the hearth. 

	The lady is not discouraged. She gently insists, "Sir 
gentleman, please agree to be my messenger. I cannot ask one of 
these two barons whom I see so busy courting my damsels so closely, 
and please God that their love is so well committed that they can 
serve me with their uncle. So do not fail to tell the powerful Duke 
of Angers that, if he dares to ride to my tent today, I will 
receive his caresses and his kisses there. If he could make peace 
with Charlemagne and if he would take me as his wife, I would be 
his, me and my land."

	"Lady," replies Gautier, "I call God to witness that I know 
nothing about such a profession, except, madam, what concerns the 
duties of a prudential man towards his wife. I would be much better 
at driving a plow. And then the hearts of women are so light that 
we can in no way trust them. Someone loves madly for eight or 
fifteen days, who we then see change and run to another love."

	Claresme sees clearly, which enrages her, that she will 
have to look for another messenger. "By the God of justice," she 
said to Gautier, "what an ugly remonstration you are giving me 
there. You are only a peasant and not worth a denarius but, by this 
God who will judge us all, a heart that loves well does not let 
itself be defeated."

	"You know how to talk well," continues Gautier. "If you are 
admitted to plead your case before Gaydon, you will not otherwise 
need a lawyer, but finally, since his love is so close to your 
heart, I will not let you dry up with sorrow and will reward you, 
if I can, for having delayed the hour of our death. You will be 
able to kiss the duke, but have your tent pitched outside the camp, 
for I greatly fear Sanson and Bérenger, and it is good to be on 
your guard."

	It is by speaking thus that they prepare an adventure where 
many a valiant knight will find death.

	Troubles often come to us when we have the most cheerful 
hearts. So it happened to the valiant duke. While Claresme rides 
off towards Charlemagne's camp, Gaydon, who was worried about his 
nephews, sees them returning with the vavasour and feels a double 
joy. He presses them in his arms, then is surprised and frightened 
when he saw them covered in blood. A doctor is summoned, who probes 
and bandages their wounds. The duke is eager to know in what 
encounter they were so mistreated. Ferraut tells him and does not 
forget to tell him to whom they owe their salvation. Gautier then 
delivers his message. He tells Gaydon that Claresme is waiting for 
him this very evening, outside the camp, on the edge of the meadows 
where she has had her tent pitched. 

	"You will not fail to go there," he adds. 

	"By God," says Gaydon, "no mockery. This war does not give 
me any rest, and we are pretty close together, you know. When we 
fear losing our inheritance, we have reason to be sad and angry. It 
is therefore wrong for you to take a mocking tone. By the God who 
was put on the cross, I do not think of going to this meeting."

	"If you refuse this love," replies Gautier, "all that 
remains is for you to become a monk. When a beauty such as one 
would not find in ten cities makes you beg to accept her love, it 
is cowardice not to dare to love her, unless you hate women and the 
pleasures that are found near them. May your heart be burned with 
the flame of hell, if it is out of fear that you refuse, for she is 
more beautiful than a winged angel, and who would feel embraced by 
her arms would easily reach paradise."

	"If it were true," said Gaydon, "for ten thousand marks of 
gold I would not fail to give in to her desire."

	"Have no fear, sire," replies Gautier, "because she loves 
you even more than I can say."

	Gaydon hears it, and love takes hold of him, and his heart 
swells with the sweetest joy. Before the next day, he says, since 
the beauty has taken him in, he will go to her in spite of Charles 
and his barons. 

	"Uncle," said Ferraut, "do not be hasty, to the imprudent a 
misfortune soon befalls. Wait longer, please. Since she loves you 
so much, she will not come to hate you."

	"Fair nephew," Gaydon replies, "you do not know how bad 
things are or how distressed my heart is."

	"Praise be to God," replies Amaufroi, "your heart does not 
take long to be moved."

	The young knight asks his uncle, when he goes to pay court 
to Claresme, to greet Esmérée on his behalf. He would go himself as 
would Ferraut, if their wounds were healed.

	The emperor, however, after hearing mass, sits in front of 
his tent, surrounded by his barons. Here come near him Alori, 
Sanson, Griffon, Renaut, and Huon, and with them about thirty of 
their companions, all from the lineage of Thibaut and Ganelon. May 
God curse them, for they only think of evil! 

	"Just emperor," said Alori, "give us justice for Ferraut 
the felon! He would have perished by the hand of Gui if not for the 
traitors who came out of their ambush to come to his aid, and now 
we demand it from you."

	With these words, Charles sent for Duke Naimon and Renaut 
of Aubepin. Thierry of Ardenne brings them to him. 

	"Naimon," said Charles, "by Saint Simon, you and Renaut 
will return my prisoner to me or you will take his place."

	"Sire," replies Naimon, "as you consider it good. 
Certainly, I know Ferraut too well to doubt that he will release us 
from our guaranty."

	"By my gray mustache," continues Charlemagne, "you really 
need it, because, if Ferraut is not returned to us, before this 
evening you will both be put to death."

	"And if we return him to you, sire," said Renaut, "will we 
be released at this price?"

	"Yes, by Saint Paul of Avallon," replies the emperor.

	As he says these words, a servant runs up and cries out 
loud, "Ogier is here! Rejoice, barons."

	Ogier arrives on his steed from Aragon, to the great joy of 
the French, the Burgundians, and the emperor, but to the great 
displeasure of the traitors who would like him to be hanged. As the 
saying goes, there is no complete mourning. When one cries the 
other laughs.

	"Sire Emperor," said Renaut, who rose with Duke Naimon, 
"here we are delivered, thanks to God and to Ferraut the courteous. 
We had guaranteed him. He clearly honors our faith."

	"Yes," said Ogier, "blessed be God and the valiant Ferraut 
and Duke Gaydon and the brave Amaufroi. It will be a long time 
before you see more loyal people, for, if you are not discharged by 
my return, Ferraut returns, and I return."

	"For a barrel of Mansois," said the emperor, "I would not 
consent to see you become a captive again."

	"Lord emperor," cries Gui of Hautefeuille, "this is a 
denial of justice, and I cannot without great displeasure see you 
acquit the traitor who killed your gatekeeper, who caused Haguenon 
and Rahier to perish. I would have beaten down his pride if I had 
not been attacked by two or three thousand of his people. Without 
this help, his defeat was assured."

	"Have no fear," said Ogier, "Ferraut tells you that he will 
return soon to finish the battle, provided that you have previously 
given good hostages."

	"Ogier," said Charles, "it matters little. But tell me, 
what people did you see at the duke's palace? Did he have with him 
these English, these Irish, who accompany him in such large numbers 
in tournaments? They are brave and defensive people."

	"Sire," replied Ogier, "it is not I who can tell you. 
Everyone remained silent in their lodgings, and I only saw 
gentlemen, ladies, and townspeople."

	"So you don't know which knights, which young men are there 
in the city?"

	"Yes," says Ogier, "I did not see a single one in the 
streets, I only found the town so full of horses that I could not 
tell their number. Is this an artifice on their part? I do not 
know, but I did not see, by God, those who took me prisoner. I was 
locked up alone in a room, where I was served with honor."

	"Well!" said Charles, "If God permits, tomorrow before 
Compline I will see in their city all these knights who come here 
to make such sorties against us."

	"Sire," said Ogier, "make sure that the duke and his people 
do not see you, for you would not fail to receive some harm."

	As they are speaking, Claresme, the lady of Gascony, 
arrives. She dismounts in front of the emperor, kneels, joins her 
hands, and pays homage to him with a deep bow. The emperor relieves 
her, receives her homage, and gives her the kiss of faith. Gui of 
Hautefeuille, seeing how beautiful the lady is, approaches Charles 
and quietly begs him to give her to him. He will give him as a 
reward a mule loaded with the finest gold from Russia and rich silk 
fabrics. 

	Charles thanks him for his promise and grants him Claresme, 
then he takes the young lady by the hand and says to Gui, "Here is 
your bride. She will be yours, and when you have married her, you 
will reign over Gascony."

	At these words Claresme becomes angry and responds in her 
fury, "By my faith, Gui, you had a crazy thought there, because you 
will never be my lord." Then pointing with her hand to an abbey, 
"By the God whom we adore in these places, I would rather be buried 
than have you as my husband. I would rather my land were ravaged by 
fire."

	"Foolish words," says the emperor, "because you must obey 
my orders!"

	When she hears Charles speaking like this, Claresme would 
like to be buried, but we know the proverb, the malice of a woman 
shits on many a wise man. Claresme replies to the emperor that she 
is ready to submit. "For a long time," she said, "I have loved Gui 
for his valor and for his goodness, but I did not dare to declare 
myself before having tested him."

	Now that she knows his feelings, she gives herself to him 
in the presence of all the barons. He will be a valiant defender 
for her, because he was told that he would have defeated and killed 
Ferraut if he had not been saved from his blows. "Beautiful, it is 
the truth," Gui told her. With these words he approached 
Charlemagne and begged him to order that the betrothal oaths be 
exchanged without further delay.

	"That is well said,” said Claresme, "but first I would like 
to see you, mounted and armed, give before me proof of your valor."

	"At your orders," replies Gui. "Before tomorrow evening you 
will see me at work. If one of our enemies dares to leave the city, 
and if I do not deliver him to you vanquished and defeated, I do 
not value myself any more than a peeled egg."

	"Finally," says Claresme, "I have reached the goal of my 
desires and Jesus allows me to be united with him!"

	"Sire," she said to the emperor, "I feel very tired and 
would like to retire."

	Then, addressing her quartermaster, she said, "Go, have my 
tent pitched outside the camp, over there, in the meadow, near the 
fountain, under the shelter of the pine tree."

	The emperor orders her to adorn herself the next day in her 
richest finery for the union which she has already postponed too 
long. 

	"At your orders, Sire," she replies, then she adds in a low 
voice, "By the Lord who created everything, I would rather have my 
head cut off than see this traitor in my bed." You have to be very 
daring to claim to have a wife against her will, when, more than 
once, one who gave herself for love and whom her husband serves 
well and loyally, after a while makes him suffer cruel trials.

	The beauty takes leave of the emperor, leaves the camp, and 
goes to her tent, at a distance of about four acres. There she 
dismounts, strips off her cloak and breathes at ease. Her love for 
Gaydon threw her into great trouble. She sends a squire to him to 
urge him to come see her that same evening, followed by three or 
four knights. After hearing what she has to say to him, the duke, 
she adds, will be bolder in his armor. She gives the messenger, to 
give to Gaydon, a ring which she takes from her finger. The 
messenger leaves mounted on a palfrey, and goes quietly hunting for 
birds along an alder grove. He arrives under the walls of Angers, 
has the gate opened by one of the crossbowmen guarding the 
battlements, and, taken to the keep, he is admitted before the 
duke, to whom he shares his message. Upon learning that Claresme 
loves him so much that she has lost sleep, Gaydon sighs, takes the 
ring that the gentleman brings him, puts it on his finger, looks at 
it often, and burns with the deepest love. 

	He calls Riol and Rispeus of Nantes near him, informs them 
of the message he has just received and adds, "I will only go to 
this meeting if you agree. Otherwise, if something bad happened to 
me, you would not fail to blame me."

	"I see clearly," said Riol to him, "that you will not go 
without some fear. You would have none if you loved completely. By 
the Almighty God, your heart fails you. Well, if you are afraid, 
take enough of your people with you to ensure you come back safe 
and sound!"

	Angered by these words, Gaydon vows to visit Claresme at 
night, with no other escort than one of his well-armed men. Thus 
ends the conference.

	After supper, the duke's court separates. Gaydon, before 
leaving, sends for the vavasour Gautier. "Handsome brother," he 
said to him, "go and put on your hauberk. You will come with me, 
please. Claresme has sent me a message through this messenger to go 
and visit her, and I want no other companion there than you."

	At these words the vavasour becomes angry, convinced that 
the duke wants to take him away so that he can also have some 
romantic adventure. He cries, "Do you want to set a trap for me? 
You know that I have my wife, and you want to make me sin with 
another. By this God who is our sovereign master, I would rather 
let myself be skinned alive than consent to cheat on my wife."

	This response puts the duke in a cheerful mood. He takes 
pleasure in arousing Gautier's mood, "Handsome brother," he said to 
him, "do not allow yourself to be moved in this way, and begin new 
loves. A virgin who saw you the day before yesterday loves you to 
the point of losing her mind and desires nothing so much as to 
grant you her kisses and caresses. You will have the pleasure, the 
happiness of pressing her in your arms. Once she gets hold of you, 
by Saint Riquier, she will want to enjoy it to her heart's 
content."

	"Oh!" said Gautier, "I know how to defend myself against 
her. Let her approach me, by God's body, and I hold her, I will 
calm her down so well with a bath in cold water that she will no 
longer worry about being in contact with a man!"

	The duke cannot stop laughing when he hears him scold like 
this. "You will be very clever," he said to him, "if you get away 
with it so easily."

	"I am going back then," said Gautier, "and you can go 
without me, since I am not otherwise necessary to you. Perhaps one 
day you will repent of it. For my part, I do not want any business 
with any other woman than my own. If I accompanied you, something 
bad might happen to me, because a woman knows the art of seducing a 
man and Solomon himself fell for it. You can easily put someone 
other than me in trouble."

	The duke, seeing Gautier so angry and on the point of 
leaving him, said to him, laughing, "Well, handsome sir, since you 
do not want to love the damsel, you leave her there. Unable to make 
you accept her love, she will give it to another. But please, go 
arm yourself."

	"Yes," replies Gautier, "I agree. But you will not see me 
enter a tent."

	"So be it," said Gaydon, "if it is not your wish."

	Gautier therefore goes to put on his hauberk, gird his 
sword, and lace up his helm. Then he arms himself with an ax 
hanging from a pillar. Thus equipped, he looks around him, and, 
brandishing his ax in both hands, he vows, if he meets Alori, to 
make him pay dearly for his betrayal. The duke also armed himself. 
He mounts a horse as does his companion, and, guided by the 
messenger from Claresme, they both soon arrive at the tent of the 
beautiful woman, whose impatience is great. The duke dismounts, 
unlaces his helmet, which he gives to the vavasour to keep, and 
offers himself to the gaze of the beautiful Claresme. 

	"May the God of glory who created everything," she said to 
him, "protect the duke and keep him in joy and health."

	"Lady," replies Gaydon, "may this God whom you invoke 
satisfy your dearest desires."

	At these words, Claresme kisses Gaydon, and the duke 
tenderly presses her in his arms. They enter the tent, where they 
sit on a sheet with gold bands and engage in a long conversation. 
The damsel tells Gaydon how Gui asked for her hand and obtained it 
from the emperor.

	"But I would rather," she said, "have my head cut off than 
see myself next to this traitor, because I love you with sincere 
love, and long have I put all my heart and all my thoughts into 
it."

	"Lady," replies Gaydon, "I love you no less sincerely and 
will never love anyone else."

	A kiss confirms this assurance. The beauty receives it 
without anger and eagerly savors its sweetness. They both fall so 
much in love that they tremble with loving emotion.

	"Do not deceive me," said the lady. "Do you love me with 
tender love?"

	Gaydon sighs, embraces her in a warm embrace, and says, 
"Yes, I gave you my love."

	After these sweet words Claresme said to the duke, "Is 
everything ready to transport us to Angers?"

	"I would like it," replies Gaydon, "and wish that we were 
already there. I will do everything to make it so."

	"Lord," she adds, "is this knight in arms that I see 
outside there young?"

	"He is over fifty years old," replies Gaydon. "He is the 
messenger through whom I knew that I was loved by you. There is no 
more honest or braver man. I promised him, before leaving, that he 
would not enter a tent."

	"So he is not in the mood for love?" said the lady. At 
these words, she calls one of her attendants. "Go," she says, "to 
that knight in arms who is out there, and tell him that you love 
him, that he has stolen your heart."

	The maiden obeys. "Lord," she said, approaching Gautier 
with a gracious smile, "may the Son of the Virgin protect you from 
harm and sorrow! Come to my mistress's tent, you are lucky to find 
a damsel who loves you better than the turtledove loves her 
lovebird."

	This language makes Gautier's heart leap "Lady," he said, 
"by Saint Paul of Tudèle, I want nothing to do with your beautiful 
words. There is a fountain in the meadow, over there under this 
tree whose leaves tremble in the wind. The water is clear, and the 
gravel is clean. If you are too hot, go ahead, girl. A bowl would 
be more valuable to me than your love, because I have a wife who is 
more beautiful and more attractive than you."

	The other one, quite ashamed, replied with annoyance, "Lord 
Gaydon, who is a brave knight, has hardly demonstrated it by being 
accompanied by such a boor, better suited to push a cart than to 
speak to a beautiful lady." Then she returns as quickly as 
possible.

	"Well!" Gaydon asks her, "what did our companion Gautier 
tell you? Did he not want to come back with you?"

	"Lord," she replied, "may God confound him! If I had not 
left the game, he said he would make me take a bath to cool off. 
Nothing could be more shameful. By God Almighty, I have never seen 
such an ugly knight, and a gentleman who values his honor should 
not take such a companion."

	"I need no more at this hour," replies Gaydon. "This one at 
least will not follow in my footsteps."

	While they are talking like this, a servant of Claresme, 
beaten by her the day before, decides to take revenge and goes to 
find Gui of Hautefeuille. He arrives in his tent and goes to kneel 
before him.

	"What do you want?" Gui asks him.

	"Lord," replies the servant, "what would you give to 
someone who would tell you where Duke Gaydon is, and place him so 
well in your hands that three of you could bind him and then 
deliver him to the Emperor Charles?" And without waiting for Gui's 
response, he informs him that Gaydon is in Claresme's tent, that he 
came there to court her and was sent for by her. 

	It is a cruel displeasure for Gui, but at the same time a 
cause for joy, because he is thinking of having all of Gaydon's 
limbs cut off. He is indignant at Claresme's disloyalty and first 
bursts into insults against her. "He who trusts a woman," he said, 
"deserves to be thrown into the water." Then suddenly he softened 
and said to himself, "But am I not very wrong? If she sent for 
Gaydon, it was perhaps by trickery, and to lure him into a trap. I 
was too hasty to believe her guilty."

	The servant, however, asks for his reward. 

	"You are going to get it," Gui replies, "and without 
further ado."

	"Brother," he said to Alori, "discharge this concern, and 
let me hear no more of it."

	And Alori throws him into a ditch, where he breaks his neck 
before reaching the bottom. "Here is your reward," said Alori, 
"when you come back, we will knight you."

	If the God of justice does not provide, it will cost Gaydon 
for coming to engage in courtship with Claresme.

	Alori and his brother Gui hastily arm themselves with 
thirty of their men. 

	At the same time Claresme said to Gaydon, "Let us flee 
without wasting time. If I stayed here until daylight, something 
bad might happen to me, and you yourself would be in great 
distress. I would rather die than be the cause of it." 

	As she speaks thus, Gautier, in the light of the moon, sees 
helms shining and hears destriers on the march. He runs to the tent 
and warns Gaydon of the danger that threatens him. "He will have to 
show you," he told her. "As for me, before I die, I will stand out 
so well for the woman I married when I was very young, and who has 
no equal in the kingdom of France, that she will not hear that I am 
a coward." At these words he jumps on horseback and arms himself 
with his ax which he grips so tightly that his wrist is covered 
with sweat. "Here come the French," he said to Gaydon, "we have no 
help to expect from those of Angers. Your kisses will cost us 
dearly. Ah! Laurence, dear and tender woman, my companion for so 
many days, if you lose me, I know, all joy will be banished from 
your heart. It was you who came to the plow to bring me the big 
horn gourd and the big plump pie from a shack. Just seeing you made 
me happy. Then, in the evening, I pressed you in my arms and paid 
you for your troubles in silver currency, without credit. It was a 
great folly for me to leave, for my lord, my land, my plow, and my 
wife!"

	Meanwhile the duke mounted his horse, and Gui arrived near 
Claresme's tent.

	"By God, Gaydon," he exclaimed, "you have done great folly 
to come and court my girlfriend who gave me her faith and who 
received mine."

	"Lady," said Gaydon to Claresme, "you have lured me into a 
trap, I can see the madman who clings to a woman."

	"Lord," she replies, "I would let my life be taken away 
rather than entertain such a thought. I have here thirty men from 
my house who will not fail you, even if they die." 

	Indeed, the knights of Claresme run to arms.

	The fight first begins between Gui and Gaydon. Both break 
their lances and empty their saddles. They get up and fight with 
swords. The duke, with a terrible blow, makes his adversary bend 
his knees, but at the same moment Gui is picked up and put back in 
the saddle by his people. Gaydon, attacked from all sides, is in 
great danger, but the vavasour comes to his aid, and this help 
allows him to get back on his horse. With a strike of his lance he 
pierces Amboin, a nephew of Gui, a traitor more skilled at weaving 
plots than a woman at spinning her distaff. Gui sees him fall and 
his anger redoubles. He strikes Gaydon with a furious blow which 
only hits the duke's horse and cuts off its head. Gaydon falls, 
gets up stunned, but he no longer has his sword. He implores the 
Virgin Mary, curses the imprudence which made him come alone to 
this meeting and the deceitfulness of Claresme, whom he still 
believes to be guilty. 

	At this moment Alori runs up. He grabs the duke by his helm 
and cries, "Your death is sworn. Tomorrow you will be hanged by the 
throat. For a valley full of gold, I would not give up making you 
put a rope around your neck."

	A second time, the vavasour comes again to deliver Gaydon, 
who gets back on his horse and continues to fight. From the 
emperor's camp the sound of the fight is heard. Charles wakes up, 
and more than three thousand men run to arms. Claresme, at the same 
time, animates her knights and threatens to strip them of their 
lands if they do not come to the aid of her lover. 

	One of them replied, "Lady, it is over for us if Charles 
finds out. Your whole country will be ravaged, and it is we who 
will bear the pain of your crazy loves, because it matters little 
to you, your peace would soon be made."

	At these words, Claresme leaves her tent in despair, runs 
to the duke, and says to him, "Noble knight, for God's sake, do not 
stay here any longer. If you died because of me, I would have no 
more joy in my life. How much I wish, for the price of everything I 
have, that I had not called you to this rendezvous!"

	"Lady," replies Gaydon, "for your sake I want to strike one 
more time before fleeing." Saying this, he spurs his horse and with 
a blow of his lance kills one of the traitors. Gautier in fact does 
as much with his axe, then he cries, "Come, handsome sir, let us 
flee, here comes a reinforcement of enemies from the camp. If we 
died here, we would not be able to make our peace with God."

	The day begins to dawn. Gaydon sees the numerous troops 
arriving from the emperor's camp. He decides to flee, not without 
regret. He pushes his horse towards Claresme, takes her in his 
arms, draws her to him, places her in front of his saddle, on the 
neck of his destrier, and flees towards the city. Gautier follows 
him. They dig their spurs into the sides of their horses, which are 
at great pains to cross plowed land, when suddenly they fall into a 
ditch. The fall is terrible. Claresme faints three times and is on 
the verge of giving up her soul. Ferraut was at this moment in one 
of the turrets of the place. He sees the French coming from afar. 
He sees his uncle, the young lady, and Gautier fall into the ditch. 
He sounds the alarm, puts more than two thousand barons on 
horseback, and leaves in all haste, followed by the two sons of 
Naimon, Bertrand and Richier, the brave Berart, Sanson, and 
Nevelon. Claresme saw them coming and found enough strength to get 
out of the ditch. She fled towards Angers and hid in a vineyard, 
under a walnut tree.

	Gaydon and Gautier got back on horseback. They also saw the 
defenders coming to their aid, and at this sight they took courage. 
The duke looks around him, is moved emotionally at no longer seeing 
Claresme, and crosses himself. At the same moment Gui of 
Hautefeuille comes riding at him, pierces his shield, and makes him 
empty his saddle. Gaydon gets up and defends himself valiantly, but 
he and Gautier would be taken, if Ferraut and his companions did 
not arrive in time to save them. 

	The melee becomes general, and Naimon's two sons stand out. 
The old duke recognizes them by their Bavarian shields, by the big 
blows they give, and by their proud countenances. "Ah! gluttons," 
he told them, "it is too much. You are failing Charles, your lawful 
lord. If you are caught, by the saints of Bavaria, I will punish 
you cruelly."

	"By God, handsome father," replies Richier, his younger 
son, "it is madness of you to show yourself so devoted to the 
Emperor Charles, who takes traitors as his advisors, a dishonor to 
France. Gaydon has never tainted himself with betrayal. He is your 
cousin, and you should put all your care into ensuring that he 
obtains peace and friendship from Charlemagne. By the God who made 
leaves and flowers, I would rather allow myself to be shamed than 
ever abandon Duke Gaydon, who is my cousin and whom I love."

	As the father and son speak thus, here comes Ferraut with 
his shield around his neck, a lance in his fist, and a helm 
surmounted by a peacock's tail on his head. He speaks loud and 
clear and in such a way as to be heard by all. "Gui of 
Hautefeuille, where are you, kinsman of Ganelon, son of a whore, 
glutton, who boasted in Charles' tent that you would have killed me 
if I had not been rescued? Come here and let us begin the test 
again."

	"Nothing is more fair," say the French, and immediately all 
the combatants make a truce to watch the joust of Gui and Ferraut. 

	The joust ends with Gui's defeat. Ferraut's spear pierced 
his shield, his hauberk, his cuirass, his coat, and his aketon, and 
removed a piece of flesh from his side that would be enough to feed 
a falcon.

	"Gui of Hautefeuille," said Ferraut to his enemy lying on 
the ground, "you now know what a jouster I am. Duke Gaydon, blessed 
by God, leaves us wanting for nothing. The barons are well served 
at his court, they have everything they want in abundance and as if 
from a source, while you languish at Charles' table. They give you 
a capon for fourteen, and you do not even have enough good bread. 
Such people can only be capable of little. The house of Gaydon, on 
the contrary, is so well equipped that there would be more than 
seven thousand pigs, more than two thousand oxen, more than 
thirteen thousand capons there at this time. Everyone has plenty of 
it. Fish also abounds, and good wheat. I cannot say everything 
there is. Charles must be very stupid and very mad to think of 
getting his hands on us so easily. A young gentleman in his retinue 
will have a completely gray mustache before he enters the city of 
Gaydon by force. The walls are high, the moats are deep, and each 
of our tiles is sealed with lead."

	The French heard him and said to each other, "What an 
honorable man Ferraut is! How he jousted against Gui! Never did the 
hand of man strike a more beautiful blow."

	The joust thus ended, the French and Burgundians returned 
to their camp and brought the vanquished back to their tent with 
mourning and anger. For his part, the duke returned to Angers with 
Ferraut and the other barons. Gautier had stayed behind. Passing 
near a bush, he sees the beautiful Claresme in the hands of two 
servants who wanted to outrage her. He delivers her, places her in 
front of him on the tree of his saddle, returns to Angers, and 
dismounts in front of the duke's palace. 

	There the squires surround him in crowds and pursue him 
with their jeers. "Where the devil did he get such a pretty maiden, 
this ugly rascal?" 

	One of them puts his arm around Claresme's neck and 
pretends to kiss her. Gautier draws his sword, and the squire only 
dodges the blow that threatens him by falling all the way to the 
ground. There is a great tumult and loud cries. The duke runs to 
find out what is happening. He recognizes Claresme and grabs her. 
Gautier raises his sword again and almost hits Gaydon. 

	"Leave the lady," he said to him, "you have no right over 
her. It was I who conquered her with this steel blade, but you 
abandoned her and had no concern for her. If she believes me, she 
will never sleep next to you."

	"Continue," replies Gaydon, "you will never speak enough, 
and I will never take your words negatively."

	"I will not tell you anything more," says Gautier, "except 
that I saved her."

	"Yes," replies Claresme, "and may God reward you! You will 
not lose if we live."

	While joy breaks out in the duke's palace, the emperor 
worries in his tent. He wants his friend Gui to be brought to him. 
He fears that his fall will have fatal consequences. 

	Ogier hears this, nudges Duke Naimon with his elbow, and 
says to him in a low voice, "Has the Emperor not gone mad? To those 
who serve him well he gives the worst reward and takes a liking to 
a glutton of this kind who has never done anything but betrayal!"

	As he says these words, Gui arrives. Charles gets up, takes 
him by the hand and makes him sit next to him. 

	"Friend," he said to him, "are you in no trouble? I was 
very sorry for you."

	"Sire," replies Gui, "it will be nothing, and I worry very 
little about this fall. It would not have happened if the tree of 
my saddle had not broken. What I want at this time is for you to 
give me the maiden you promised me. I will marry her in the 
presence of your barons and in spite of Gaydon and Gautier. They 
wanted to take her away from me, but I forced them to give her up. 
Send for her in her tent."

	At these words Gautier d'Avallon arrives, one of the 
vassals of Claresme. He kneels before the emperor and says to him, 
"Sire, what should I do? Duke Gaydon has kidnapped my lady and 
taken her captive to Angers, where he will dispose of her as he 
pleases."

	Gui hears these words and turns black as coal. He would not 
say a word for all the riches of Pharaoh. 

	Ogier laughed at this and said to Duke Naimon, "Here is a 
good prey which escapes this falcon. More than a month will pass 
before he seizes her again, and Charles, who in delivering her was 
to have as reward a mule loaded with gold, will have none of it, by 
Saint Simon."

	"Lord barons," said Charles of Laon, "I have reason to feel 
great sadness in my heart. For as long as I have carried my 
gonfanon, for two hundred years, as you know, I have put on spurs, 
and I have destroyed the pride of more than one rebel. No one has 
attacked me who did not end up feeling the pain. Is it not a cruel 
displeasure for me to see this duke who was only a little boy when 
I invested him with his palace at Angers, instead of coming to 
implore me as he should, barefoot, in a chemise, a stick in his 
hand and the rope around his neck like a thief, showing himself so 
felonious and so arrogant, he and his men who have the audacity of 
a lion. I must go and spy on her, see her countenance and find out 
if Claresme will take Gaydon as her husband."

	Ogier strives to dissuade the emperor from this project. If 
he is recognized, he says, he will not get away with his honor 
unless he makes peace with Gaydon. But the emperor would not 
renounce his design for anything. 

	Seeing this, Duke Naimon said to him, "Sire, I will 
therefore accompany you. You will not go without me."

	Charles consents, and immediately they both dress like 
pilgrims. Charles wore a hairy vest and both of them cover their 
faces with soot. Thus disguised, both arrive at the gates of 
Angers. 

	"Open the door for us, kind brother," said Naimon humbly to 
the gatekeeper. We are knights returning from a pilgrimage to the 
holy sepulchre. We are returning to our country and really need the 
duke to give us something to eat. We do not dare go to the camp 
where there are so many scoundrels who would not fail to strip us 
and take away our cloaks to cover up their destriers."

	"Come in," replied the gatekeeper, "come in, for the love 
of God, and may he allow Duke Gaydon to make peace with his lord 
Charlemagne."

	At these words the emperor nods his head. He enters with 
Duke Naimon and they both go through the city.

	They see so many destriers in the streets! So many good 
hauberks in the windows, so many shining helms, banners, strong 
shields, vigorous and agile warriors who sit and play chess dressed 
in their hauberks and girded with their swords, their strong iron 
hats next to them, to be ready as soon as they are needed! 

	At this sight, Charles crosses himself. "Handsome Lord 
Naimon," he said to his advisor, "have I not reason to be 
confounded and greatly angry, I who have been out there for nearly 
a year in the frost, in the wind and the storm, when I see them 
enjoying themselves and having fun like this? If I can take them 
with the help of God, they will not have a good time. I will have 
them skinned alive."

	"Sire," said Naimon, "leave your threats there, it would be 
better for you to pray to God that he would grant you to return 
safely." Naimon speaks the truth, he is a good advisor. 

	The two pilgrims arrive at the palace, where they find the 
duke at table with his barons. It is the sons of Duke Naimon, 
Bertrand and Richier who bring the food. The old duke sees them and 
sighs, and his face becomes wet with tears. 

	"Where are you from, kind pilgrim," Gaydon asks him, "and 
why are you crying like this?"

	"Lord," said Naimon, "it is no wonder I am crying! We are 
poor pilgrims, and there was a time when each of us was lord 
justice of a great land. We had horses and weapons, and now we have 
to beg for our bread. Just thinking about it makes me unable to 
hold back my tears."

	"Do not let yourself be discouraged," Gaydon replies. "God 
is great, he will perhaps help you. Be grateful for your poverty, 
for someone who amasses great wealth falls into poverty in a 
moment, and someone who is poor then sees himself in abundance. It 
is not pain that will keep you healthy. Go and sit down, you will 
be well accommodated and well served, and if you want to return to 
your country, I will offer you each a hundred sous. May the Lord 
God inspire Charlemagne with the thought of no longer being as 
cruel to me as he was. It was wrong that he made me suffer so much, 
but since I cannot regain his friendship, before the month of April 
I will make him endure pain such as he has never felt in his life. 
If I can take him, he will not escape easily, and the damage he has 
caused me will be amply repaired."

	"By the faith I owe to God," said Gautier, "if I had him 
here, I would quickly pluck his mustache, because I do not know a 
more felonious man. He only surrounds himself with traitors and 
loyalty has no place near him."

	Charles hears him and thinks he lost his sense. He raises 
his eyebrows, shakes his head, and grits his teeth like a madman. 
He holds a large square pilgrim's staff in his hand and if he 
dared, he would make the vavasour feel its weight. He puts so much 
weight on the staff that he shatters it. 

	All the barons look at him and say to each other, "This 
pilgrim is crazy, he has a devil in his body."

	"He is enraged," said Gautier, "let us bind him, lords, for 
he could make an attack which would cause trouble in the house."

	"Barons," said Duke Naimon, "spare my companion. There was 
a time when he was powerful, when he would soon have found a 
thousand knights to serve him if necessary. He himself had the 
heart of a lion, never a more valiant man put on the spur. Now that 
he sees himself poor, he feels a shiver of fear in his heart and is 
no longer in control of himself."

	"We can clearly see from his countenance," say those 
present, "that he was a valiant warrior."

	Charles and Naimon are taken to a buffet where they are 
served white bread made from sifted flour, a full barrel of wine, 
and a pepper-roasted peacock. It is Bertrand, one of Naimon's sons, 
who pours claret into a cup for them. He looks at his father and 
looks at him again. He would recognize him, were it not for the 
color the old duke has painted his face. He cannot take his eyes or 
his thoughts away from him, so much so that his heart is moved. He 
hesitates and almost throws himself on the neck of the false 
pilgrim. Finally, he finds Richier, his brother, and tells him of 
his suspicions. The two brothers consult each other and decide to 
test the pilgrims themselves, without commotion, without noise, and 
without saying anything to Gaydon. 

	Naimon sees them coming towards the table where he and the 
emperor are having their meal. "Sire," he said, "here are my sons. 
We are recognized."

	Charles then regrets his folly. He believes that if the 
duke holds him, after all the harm he has done to Gaydon, he will 
not be satisfied with a ransom. He begins an oration and fervently 
prays to God to turn away the danger that threatens him. Meanwhile, 
Bertrand and Richier approach. Duke Naimon bends down and leans his 
face on the emperor's shoulder, like a man who has drunk too much. 

	Richier looks at Charlemagne, kneels before him, and takes 
a golden cup which he fills with wine. "Handsome king," he said to 
him, "I could not present it to anyone greater than you. You are 
the King of France, I recognize you well, and your companion is 
Duke Naimon of Bavaria, who has two sons, Bertrand and Richier." 
Then pulling on his father's cloak, he said to him, "Fair sir 
father, how long have you been a pilgrim? Your crossing overseas 
was not too hard, I think, and you did not do much harm to the 
pagans. You do not get tired of doing the job of a beggar, but here 
it will be without profit. You will not leave without cruelly 
repenting of having come to spy on my lord."

	"God curse you!" replies Naimon, and at the same time he 
gives his son such a slap in the face that his face is completely 
red. 

	Richier cannot resist grabbing his father, tearing his 
clothes, and baring his entire chest. Charles, to avenge Naimon, 
whose son he does not recognize, takes the old duke's stick and 
gives Richier such a blow on the head that he draws blood. At this 
sight, Bertrand threw himself at the emperor and pulled him by the 
beard so hard that he tore out more than a hundred hairs. The 
emperor in turn takes Bertrand by the hair and knocks him down onto 
the pavement. Richier and Naimon separate them. Barons rush from 
all sides. 

	Charles is surrounded and is about to receive multiple 
blows from a stick, when Naimon cries, "Stop, gluttons! It is 
Charlemagne, the king of Laon! No ransom for anyone who dares to 
hit him, he will deserve to have his hand cut off."

	Ferraut heard these words, and all the riches of Pharaoh 
would not make him so joyful. He breaks through the press, 
approaches the emperor, and asks him if it is true that he is 
Charles, the king of Laon. 

	"By God," replies Charles, "I cannot deny it. It was the 
evil spirits Pilate and Nero who brought me here, or it was because 
I had drunk too much, by Saint Simon! I did not want to listen to 
knight or baron. If the adventure turns to my shame, I will have 
well deserved it."

	"Have no fear, sire," replies Ferraut. "If it pleases God, 
no harm will come to you here. It is Heaven that wanted you to come 
to Angers to the Duke's palace to make your peace with him."

	"And how can I make my peace," said Charles, "with a 
glutton who wanted to put me to death?"

	"Sire," said Ferraut, "these are lost words. The duke is 
ready to submit to the judgment of your peers and your barons. 
Remember then the betrayal of Ganelon and the great mourning which 
followed. There was not a baron in all your court who dared to 
accuse him and offer him battle. Gaydon alone, who was still only a 
young squire, dared to be his accuser, fought against Pinabel, a 
nephew of the traitor, and was victorious. Then Ganelon was dragged 
away and hanged as a thief, to the great shame of Alori, Gui, 
Bérenger, and Thibaut of Aspremont. Hence the plan they formed to 
put you to death and the infamy of which they blamed on Gaydon. You 
chased away the duke, and that was already an unjust punishment. 
Since then, you have ravaged his domains. The relatives of Ganelon, 
Hardré, Amboin, Milon, and all those of this evil generation are 
dearer to you than any honorable man of your house."

	Charles hears these words, lowers his head, and remains 
silent for a long time. Ferraut takes him and Duke Naimon by the 
hand and takes them to a room where they wash their faces and put 
on rich clothes. Then, he goes to Gaydon.

	"Sire," said Ferraut to the duke, "you must give thanks to 
the King of Heaven who today gives you a greater honor than anyone 
in the world has ever received. Have you seen the two pilgrims who 
came here? Well, one is the Emperor Charlemagne, the other is the 
valiant Duke Naimon. Their intention was to spy on you."

	At these words, the duke jumped into his seat. All 
Constantine's gold would not make him so happy.

	"And where are they?" exclaims Gaydon. "My joy is 
unparalleled! It will therefore end, this mortal war, or, by the 
God who created us, Charles will have a bad day before he gets out 
of my hands!"

	Then rise up old Riol, brave Gaydon, wise Ferraut, noble 
Amaufroi, and the two brothers Bertrand and Richier. Everyone goes 
together to the emperor's room. Riol enters first, holding Gaydon 
by his ermine cloak. 

	They kneel on the marble pavement, and Riol, the oldest of 
all, speaks in these terms. "May the Lord God who died on the cross 
save the Emperor Charlemagne who has us in his custody and to whom 
we owe faith and loyalty! Fair lord king, listen, please. This war 
has lasted too long, it has caused the death of many a gentleman, 
the ruin of many a church, and the widowhood of many a lady who 
curses you every day. It is a wonder that the earth does not open 
up under your feet! Gaydon, my nephew, is a noble knight. Never did 
a mother give birth to a more loyal one. You have very little 
recognized the great service he rendered when, for you, sire, he 
fought against the traitor Pinabel. The traitors have so bewitched 
you that your heart is entirely theirs and a loyal servant cannot 
find access to it. In the name of the God who died on the cross, 
stop pursuing Gaydon with your hatred."

	"Yes," adds the duke, "and if you agree, I submit to the 
judgment of your barons. Sire, you were very wrong to hate me. God 
is my witness that I never thought of betraying you."

	The emperor hears this and feels moved with pity. "Duke 
Gaydon," he said to him, "here I am taken, by God, like a bear on a 
chain. I must go along with your wishes. You therefore promise me 
to stick to the decision of my barons, whether you are called into 
battle or put on trial. In addition, someone must bring me the 
glutton who pulled my mustache. It has been two hundred years since 
I was armed as a knight. Since then, I have conquered thirty-two 
kingdoms of which I am everywhere proclaimed lord and king, and 
never before have I found a man who dared to attack my mustache. 
This one deserved to have his hand cut off."

	At these words Bertrand comes forward, kneels, and humbly 
extending his fist to the emperor, says to him, "Gentleman sir, 
here is my brother whose head is bandaged because of the blow he 
received from your great strong staff. I could not see him struck 
without becoming angry, and if I came to his aid, I cannot be 
blamed, because I did not know that you were a crowned head. Here 
is my hand, let it be cut off at once if you order it."

	"Ah!" said the emperor, "He would need to have lost his 
senses, I would not order it for a kingdom. I forgive you here and 
before God, if you live you will be a valiant man."

	Then, addressing the duke, he said, "Gaydon, since it is 
agreed that you submit to the judgment of our men, you can come 
with me to my camp."

	"At your orders," replies the duke. "You are my lord. I owe 
you obedience. And what I do is not out of cowardice, believe me. I 
still have more food in this city than is needed for a year, and 
people, as you can see."

	"They are well known to me," replies Charles, "and mine 
have tested their valor in more than one encounter."

	The emperor rides on a palfrey that is brought to him, and 
it is Gaydon who holds the stirrup. He leaves Angers and heads 
towards his camp, followed by the duke, Naimon, Riol, and other 
barons. None of them carry lances or swords. 

	Gui of Hautefeuille sees them coming from afar, thus 
disarmed. "Peace is made!" he exclaims. "If this is so, lords," he 
said to the other traitors, "we are lost! Well, let me be hanged 
like a thief if before sunset I have not struck at the front of 
Gaydon and Charlemagne. We should have taken revenge on the emperor 
a long time ago."

	"Yes," replies Alori, "we must kill him and Duke Gaydon, 
after which we will have you crowned king of France. Yes, you will 
be king, by the eyes of my head, and this is by what treason. We 
will have our rich tent, which is so beautiful, pitched near this 
wood, we will invite Charles to come there, our people will be 
hidden in the wood, they will seize him, and we will dispose of his 
fate as we wish, either to put him to death or to throw him into 
prison. He has lived so long that he falls into childhood. It is a 
shame on us that we have not killed or poisoned him yet."

	"Good advice!" respond the traitors. "If Gui is king, we 
will all gain, we will be bailiffs of his house, and our lineage, 
which is so numerous, will help us maintain the kingdom. Let no one 
open a contrary opinion, under penalty of being hanged on the 
spot."

	All the traitors bind themselves by oath and immediately 
set to work. They pitched their tent, which was the most beautiful 
in the world. The main sections were made of silk decorated with 
figures. On the knob was a dragon with eyes shining like burning 
coals which lit up in the darkness of the night. It is under this 
tent that the gathered traitors make their final arrangements. 
Charles will have no difficulty in coming there, such is his 
confidence in Alori and Gui. Once in their hands, they will hold 
him prisoner, bound hand and foot, without the knowledge of the 
French and the Burgundians, then they will fold their tent and 
leave by a night march favored by the moonlight. As soon as they 
are delivered from Charles' army, the rest will be nothing. The 
French will join them, and if any are hostile, they will all be put 
to death. May God protect Charlemagne, who has no suspicion of this 
betrayal and who is currently arriving from Angers with Duke 
Gaydon!

	Many knights run to meet them. Gui of Hautefeuille precedes 
them, dismounts upon arriving near the emperor, prostrates himself, 
and says to him, "Sire, may Jesus, son of Mary, protect you from 
death and misfortune, you and all those who accompany you! Is peace 
made, Sire? Please do not keep it from me, if it is done, it is a 
great charity. The war with all its evils has lasted too long and 
has already left too many orphans."

	At the same time, he said in a low voice, "By the Almighty 
God, you will die in torments, and Duke Gaydon with you!"


	"Gui," replies Charles, "peace is not entirely concluded, 
but here is Gaydon who comes to confer with me. He leaves it to our 
judgment."

	"He is right," replied Gui, "because he has many powerful 
enemies, and I myself do not like him at all, but if he decides to 
have good feelings for you, I will love him with all my heart and 
pardon him for my enmity."

	"That is well said," Charles continues, "peace will be 
made, if it pleases God."

	They then head towards the camp. Gui rides alongside the 
emperor, much to the displeasure of Duke Naimon. Arriving at the 
emperor's tent, they dismounted, and the good Duke Naimon said to 
Gaydon, "It is getting late, the sun is setting, you know that Gui 
and all his relatives hate you. I very much fear for you some bad 
move on their part. Take leave of the emperor, if you believe me, 
and return tomorrow at dawn to hear his judgment."

	Gaydon thanks the old duke, who, addressing Charles, said 
to him, "Sire, the night is approaching. Please give Duke Gaydon 
leave until tomorrow morning. I guarantee everything I own that he 
will come back to hear your judgment."

	The emperor consents. Gaydon takes leave of him after 
begging him with joined hands not to listen to the advice of the 
traitors. It was a cruel disappointment for Gui to see the duke 
return to Angers. He thought he would put him to death 
treacherously. Now, let Charles be careful, it is on him that the 
wrath of the traitors will fall.

	Gaydon has gone, Charles remains with his barons. The brave 
Dane sits down next to him, and asks him for news of his 
reconnaissance. The emperor tells him of the dangers he has 
encountered, the outrages he has suffered. "But thank God," he 
said, "Gaydon returns to defend himself in battle or in judgment 
for the crime of which I have accused him. God forgive me, I fear 
very much, without hiding anything from you, for having wrongly 
made him suffer great pain and for having listened too much to all 
the bad speeches of the relatives of Ganelon and Hardré."

	"It is the truth, Sire, you have raised them too high in 
your court."

	"Certainly," said Charles, "they will no longer be friends 
of the court, except Gui, the good warrior, for there is heart and 
valor in him. He is not like Alori, Hardré, Ganelon, or the rest of 
this race. He is full of loyalty. I am sure of that having 
experienced it."

	Ogier hears this and nudges Duke Naimon. Alas! the emperor 
does not know that the traitors have plotted his death. If God does 
not protect him, he will never see the light of day again.

	All the barons take leave of Charles and return to their 
tents. The king of Saint Denis remains alone with Gui and Alori, 
who are dear to him and who hate him more than the Antichrist. 

	"Sire," Gui said to him, "by the God of paradise, deign to 
respond to my prayer. Come and relax in my tent, I will show you a 
shipment that was sent to me of twelve bitterns, eighty partridges, 
four pheasants, twenty-six rabbits, two salmon, and five or six 
lampreys. Come, Sire, you will be well served."

	"Gladly, my good friend," replies Charles. The old king 
gets up. Gui of Hautefeuille takes him by the hand and leads him 
away with small steps and torchlight. Arriving in the traitors' 
tent, Charles sits at the head table. He drinks so much that he is 
dizzy.

	"In more than a year that I have been in this country," he 
said to Gui of Hautefeuille, "I have not yet been so richly 
served." Ah! God of glory, true king of paradise! he does not see 
the trap that has been set for him. He has been richly served, but 
he will pay dearly for it. 

	Gui gets up and goes to find his brother Alori. "Brother," 
he said to him, "have our men fetched and load our sommiers. It is 
time to go."

	Alori makes his people leave quietly. Gui leaves the tent 
and returns soon after, like a startled animal. "Holy Mary, crowned 
queen!" he cries, "good king of France, a great misfortune is 
befalling us. If God does not provide, your death is sworn. Here is 
Gaydon with his people in arms, the whole country is covered with 
them. We must flee, your army is defeated! I will not abandon you, 
even if I perish here."

	Charles changed his face. "Ah! God, protect me! Protect me, 
holy crowned Virgin!"

	Gui of Hautefeuille puts the emperor on a horse and has him 
surrounded by more than a thousand traitors who announce to him the 
deaths of his beloved advisor Naimon, Ogier the Dane, and all his 
barons. They advise him to flee if he wants to save his life. The 
emperor sighs, laments, and allows himself to be taken away. They 
ride in the light of the moon. Charles is crying, and his white 
beard is all wet with his tears. He is in the hands of those who 
have sworn his death, but he will be saved by the Son of Saint 
Mary.

	Gaydon, meanwhile, is sleeping peacefully in his bed, when 
a sudden light, as bright as that of thirty candles, illuminates 
his room where a voice from paradise is heard. The duke wakes up 
and makes the sign of the cross. 

	"Do not be afraid, handsome friend," said an angel to him. 
"Jesus commands you to get up immediately, arm your people and run 
to Charlemagne's aid. If you do not obey, the emperor is lost. He 
is in the hands of Gui, his brother Alori, and their relatives, who 
intend to take him to a foreign country. I cannot tell you more, I 
am leaving you. Be quick, you will one day become Charles' friend 
again."

	At these words, Gaydon gives thanks to God and hastens to 
obey the heavenly order. He and his men rush out of the city. The 
moon shines for them and illuminates them as the sun does at noon, 
while the traitors who take Charlemagne have difficulty recognizing 
their route in the thick darkness which surrounds them. At 
midnight, they stop near a wood and hold council. What will they do 
with the emperor? 

	"If you believe me," said Alori, "before daybreak his head 
will be cut off and we will finally be freed from him."

	But Gaydon still rides with his noble barons. After having 
guided them for a long time. "Listen!" he said to them, "the 
traitors who hold our legitimate lord in their hands are not far 
away. Prepare to fight valiantly."

	"At your orders," they reply.

	The night passes, and at the first light of day we see 
helms and golden shields shining on both sides. 

	"Ah! traitor Gui," cries Gaydon, "you will not escape us! 
The emperor was very foolish to trust you but, if it pleases God, 
he will be avenged."

	Having said this, he pricked his horse and pierced the 
heart of the first traitor he reached. Gui and his people run to 
arms, and the two troops mix together. Despite his valor and that 
of his men, Gaydon is on the verge of being defeated, when Gui sees 
Duke Naimon and the barons of France coming from afar. So, he no 
longer thinks of fighting and shamefully flees with Alori. 

	Charlemagne, thus abandoned, laments and no longer knows 
what to do. He sees Gaydon. "Noble knight, if you kill me, you will 
commit a great sin and it will be a shame for all your people. I 
abandon my domains to you. I have lived too much. I can see that 
clearly."

	At these words, the duke, greatly moved, dismounted, 
kneeled before Charles, and renders his sword. At the same time, 
Ogier and Naimon arrive, followed by their companions. Their joy is 
great at seeing the emperor again, who embraces them tenderly and 
then tells them how the traitor Gui made him believe that they had 
all perished under the blows of Gaydon.

	Gui and Alori abandoned many of their relatives while 
fleeing. Gaydon has them seized and tied tightly. He obtains from 
them the confession that their plan is to put Charlemagne to death. 
The emperor gives thanks to God and to Gaydon for having saved his 
life. 

	Charlemagne takes the duke by the hand and says to him, 
"Gaydon, I give you back the fief that you hold from me, and from 
now on you have all my friendship. To give you a guarantee of this, 
I invest you with the great seneschalty of France."

	"What courtesy!" Naimon said. "Thank the emperor for it in 
front of all the barons."

	Gaydon bows deeply and prepares to kiss the feet of 
Charles, who picks him up and wants to forget the past. The emperor 
and the duke, thus reconciled, enter Angers to the sound of bells 
which are set in motion throughout the city. 

	Arriving at the palace of Gaydon, Charles asks him where 
Claresme is. "She is beautiful," he said to her, "she is courteous 
and well learned. She has a large land and powerful friends. Let us 
have your wedding, of course!"

	The beautiful Claresme is brought forth. The emperor takes 
her by the hand and asks her if she agrees to accept Gaydon as her 
husband. "May Jesus bless you, Sire," she replies. "I will be his, 
if that is his will."

	"It does not displease me at all," said the duke. 

	"Well," Charles continues, "since both are in agreement, 
let us unite them. We go to the monastery in grand ceremony and we 
marry them in the name of the Virgin."

	The wedding lasted eight days. On the ninth day the court 
separated. Charles returned to France. He bade farewell to Gaydon, 
and both wept as they parted. Gaydon remained in Angers with his 
wife, but their union did not last long, because she died less than 
a year later. Gaydon felt such pain at this loss that he could not 
console himself. He took an oath to renounce his lordship, and 
history says that in fact he went to a desert where he became a 
hermit. When he died, his soul went white and pure before the 
Creator of all things. As for Gui, he came into favor with 
Charlemagne, through his wealth, his beautiful words, and the power 
of his relatives. Because of his gifts, the cursed traitor regained 
his place among the emperor's friends, and deceived him more than 
once.

	Here the Song of Gaydon is finished. Whoever tells you more 
has invented something new.

END OF THE ROMANCE OF GAYDON

Glossary

Aketon - Stuffed jacket worn underneath chain mail
Bliaut - Long garment worn in the 12th century
Bourdon - Pilgrim's staff generally terminating in a ball at the top
Bourgeois - Inhabitant of a town or a city, one who is neither a noble, nor a knight, nor a member of the clergy
Chatelaine - Mistress of a castle
Chausses - Armor that covers the legs
Chemise - Loose shirt-like undergarment covering the torso and legs
Coif - Hood made of chain mail worn underneath a helmet
Compline - The last of the canonical hours, prayer sung just before retiring to bed
Destrier - Medieval knight's heavy war horse, a charger
Damoiseau - Young gentleman who is not yet a knight, but aspires to be one
Denarius - Silver coin, French denier, twelve denarii are worth one sou
Donjon - Keep
Esclavina - Hooded cape worn by medieval pilgrims
Esperons - Spurs
Fourches - Gallows for hanging criminals, made of two wooden forks supporting a crossbeam
Gambeson - Padded jacket worn as armor
Gars - Young man
Hauberk - Coat of mail
Jazerant - Coat of defense of Arab origin, made of small plates of metal sewn upon linen or similar, like a brigandine
Mansois - Fer Servadou, a red French wine grape variety
Manteau - Cloak or gown worn over other garments
Moutier - Monastery
Parisis - French coin worth one French pound or 20 sols
Pelisse - Long outer garment worn as a coat or a robe and lined with fur
Prime - The third of the canonical hours, prayer sung around 6 A.M.
Ribaud - Foot soldier who follows an army in search of plunder
Roussin - Beast of burden, war horse used for long journeys, lighter than a sommier
Seneschalty - Royal stewardship overseeing the entire country
Sommier - Beast of burden, pack horse, heavier than a roussin
Sou - Gold coin, French sol, worth twelve denarii
Truand - Beggar
Vavasour - Subvassal, French vavasseur, one who holds their lands from a vassal to the king rather than from the king himself, the vavasour in this chanson is named Gautier

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REFERENCES

Gaydon (original text and modern French summary) by François Guessard, 1862