LI REALI DI FRANCIA
(THE ROYALS OF FRANCE)
15th Century Italian Prose Compilation of the Legends of Charlemagne
By Andrea da Barberino
Modern English Translation by Nol Drek
LI REALI DI FRANCIA (THE ROYALS OF FRANCE)
LIBRO SESTO (BOOK 6)
KING PEPIN AND BERTHA BROADFOOT
(BERTHE AU GRAND PIED)
CHAPTER 1.
How King Pepin reigned, and how he was advised in his old age
by the barons that he should take a wife in order to have an heir.
The Histories show that since Pepin was king of France and
emperor of Rome for many years, and having never taken a wife
and France being such a noble realm among the Christians, and
the barons seeing that the king had no heir, resolved to give him
a woman of noble blood, rich or poor as she was. The main
barons were Bernard of Clermont and Girart of Fraite and
these ordered together with many other barons to hold a great
festival and that the king held court with great magnificence.
They had the commandment made that at Passover knights
should come to court, and kings and lords with their ladies and
wives and sisters and daughters; and there came a great barony
and a great number of beautiful women. Bernard and Girart
being at the king's side, Girart said to the king: How much
dignity there is in seeing so many lords, who were all born
under your lordship! Pepin answered and said: You are telling
the truth. Girart said: In truth this is a great honor to gentlemen
who increase the Christian faith and maintain it. Pepin said
again: You are telling the truth. Then Bernard said: How will
you support yourself who are now old and have no children?
After your death there will be great discord between the barons
and the realm will remain without a master, Pepin said: O
Bernard, you told me too late. Girart replied: You are not so
old that you cannot yet have children.
For this King Pepin commissioned four barons to find him a
woman of noble lineage, either poor or rich, as long as she was
capable of having children. One of the barons was Girart of Fraite
and the others were Bernard of Clermont, Morando of
Riviera, and Raymond of Trieva. They secretly went looking in
the courts of many lords, trying to make kinship, and they also
went in person in many parts to see and hear, and they found
many women, but their fathers, because King Pepin was old and
seemed frightened and vain, did not want to give him their
daughters. In the end they heard that King Philip of Hungary had
a daughter to marry, so all four of them resolved to leave before
King Pepin said anything about it, and so they did. They passed
through Lombardy and went towards Hungary, and found King
Philip in Buda, who did them great honor, and when he heard
who they were, he marveled at their coming. His daughter was
called Berthe au Grand Pied, because she had one foot larger
than the other, and that was the right foot; other than that she
was a beautiful creature and the most beautiful and the
strongest rider of all the women in the world. The ambassadors
stayed for three days and begged the king to see a hunt with
gentlemen and women. The king had the hunt prepared and
they went out of the city with a large number of women, among
whom was the queen with Bertha Broadfoot on a handsome and
thick steed, who always went leaping along the path, and
Bertha was always laughing.
CHAPTER 2.
How Bertha, since she was seen hunting, was married by the
four aforementioned barons to Pepin, king of France.
While Bernard, Girart, Morando and Raymond went as they
pleased, they always kept in mind Bertha Broadfoot, who rode
so gracefully and had with her a young girl her same age, named
Elisetta, daughter of Count Guglielmo of Mayence, who seemed
like another Bertha, except for her feet. This Elisetta was born in
Hungary, because Count Guglielmo, her father, escaped from
prison, when King Pepin delivered him from the hands of the
sons of Buovo, and King Pepin had him banished and he fled
with his pregnant wife. Elisetta was well brought up, and when
they were dressed in the same clothing they could hardly tell the
one from the other. Now, hunting, King Pepin's barons asked
King Philip: Who is she? To satisfy the king, they pretended not
to know Bertha. King Philip answered and said: She is my
daughter. The barons praised her much for her beauty and
goodness and asked the king if he had given her a husband. He
replied: No, but he was waiting to marry her. And they,
returning in the evening to Buda, were together and in
agreement. Each man praised the damsel, and some said: this
king is a subject of King Pepin. But Girart said: King Pepin has so
many more subjects than him.
They went to King Philip up in the hall and said they wanted to
speak to him and the queen. The king and queen being in a room
with the three named barons, as it was decided among them,
Bernard of Clermont made the proposal. When King Philip
heard that King Pepin asked him for his daughter, he began to
cry and said: Gentlemen, this realm and all my ancestors have
always belonged to the Royalty of France, as do I, the servant of
him who is my lord, but so that my lord does not find himself
deceived, I inform you that Bertha has one foot that is larger
than the other and it is her right foot. They wanted to see her,
and at this they laughed and swore to her by King Pepin, and
ordered that everything be kept secret so that Pepin sent for
her; and they took leave and returned to France to see the king,
who was very happy with their return. Having made the
embassy to King Pepin, although he was old, hearing of the
beauty of Bertha, he fell in love with her.
Chapter 3.
How King Pepin sent for Bertha in Hungary, and how Elisetta
went with her.
King Pepin, having heard of Bertha's beauty and how his
ambassadors had married her for him, summoned all of his
barony to court and ordered a huge festival to be held and sent
for the woman. Bernard of Chiaramente, Girart of Fraite,
Raymond of Trieva, Morando of Riviera, Grifone of Mayence
and two of his brothers and many other lords went there, and
one could not describe the great riches that he sent to his lady,
and the great gifts. Once in Buda, where they married her, it was
time for them to receive great honor, and throughout the
kingdom there was great rejoicing over the relationship made,
and they stayed five days and then set about to go back. The
queen showed Bertha how old King Pepin was and she was very
upset about it, but her mother comforted her a lot by saying:
How he was emperor of Rome and king of the kingdom of
France and that she would be empress, and she was comforted.
But she did not tell her how stout he was. Bertha thought it good
that he was old, but at least that he was a handsome man. Her
father King Philip brought her to the hall, and in the presence of
all the barons of Hungary she was wedded to King Pepin, and
was thereafter called empress. The barons shortly after ordered
to leave and return to France.
The queen tried to give Bertha a secretary companion, whom
she could trust, and speaking of it to King Philip, she replied: Oh,
what more trustworthy company in the world can you give her
than Elisetta, who always grew up with her? The queen
answered and said: You know the fame that those of her lineage
have, that is the lineage of the Mayencians, I do not trust them.
The king replied: Ah, you are crazy! and what can a female do?
And so it was agreed between them that Elisetta should go with
Bertha as her secret damsel. Having ordered this, they sent for
her and told her what they had decided between them, and
Elisetta said: She would never depart from their will. Bernard
and Girart and those other gentlemen took leave and left with
the lady, and with her went ten women on her behalf and ten
damsels; but Elisetta was her devoted secretary. Bernard and
Girart were always beside Bertha.
Grifone, Spinardo, and Tolomeo were always beside Elisetta,
who had revealed to them who she was, and they did her great
honor, and they spoke several times to each other that Elisetta
really did not know that she was not the queen, so that one
seemed to be the other and every man marveled at it. After
many days they entered the kingdom of France, where there
was great preparation throughout the land; and having arrived
near Paris, many lords and many people met them, and being a
league from the city of Paris, they met King Pepin, and all the
people stopped. Then Grifone of Mayence approached Bertha
and showed her King Pepin, and she was greatly grieved.
CHAPTER 4.
How Bertha ordered that Elisetta sleep in her place with King
Pepin, and of the order that Elisetta gave with the Mayencians
to make herself queen and have Bertha of Hungary killed.
The unfortunate effect on Bertha was that, overcome by her
wandering spirit and youthful intellect, when she saw King
Pepin, she remembered what her mother had told her: That his
body was useless and stocky, to such an extent that his pain was
shown by the change in the color of his face, and Grifone of
Mayence noticed this. The great festival was in the palace, but
when they arrived, Bertha could not cheer up, and having gone
to her room, Elisetta asked her: Why was she so pensive? She
replied: My sister, your mother sent you to be my companion
and my secretary, so that I would trust you, and with you I could
tell my secrets; therefore, if you would do your duty to me, I
would be free from so much pain. Elisetta answered and said: I
will do everything that pleases you until death. Bertha said: You
know that we have been told several times how similar we are
to one another, and that no difference is known, except for my
foot. I want you to dwell with the emperor tonight in place of
me, because I am the most sorrowful female that was ever born
in the world. Elisetta answered and said: Alas, madam, what are
you saying? If the emperor realizes this, will he not burn me?
But I will answer you tonight. And together they returned
among the other women and went to the royal hall.
Elisetta, reflecting on the Empress's words, sent for Grifone and
Spinardo, and told them what Bertha had told her. Spinardo
hearing these words, embraced Elisetta and said: This is your
fortune; do whatever she asks, but if you can, make sure that
tonight you take Bertha down to the garden, which is beside the
king's chamber; you will go to sleep with the emperor, and make
him marry you and then you go to bed with him and do all his
will. Elisetta said: I would not want Bertha to be hindered, and
first of all I would like to die. They said: If you are empress, who
will you fear? you will be called Bertha, as she is; you look like
her; no one will know it's you. Elisetta refused many times and
said no many times, but they eventually convinced her and she
consented to the betrayal. When Elisetta had returned to her
room, she asked to see the garden that was beside the room, and
she saw the garden and the entrance and she saw that the
entrance was beside the guard room, from where the empress
could go into this garden. Since she had well estimated
everything, she returned to the hall, and it was not long before
Bertha went from the hall to her room, and said to Elisetta:
What did you decide? She answered and said: I will do your will;
but I wonder where will you stay in the meantime? Bertha
answered and said: I will stay in this room. Elisetta answered
and said: My companions will recognize you. And then she led
her out of a window into the garden, and she spoke to her,
saying: You can stay in this garden, and when the king is asleep
I will come for you and tell my companions that I have to remain
with you. And so they agreed to do this and both returned to the
hall.
CHAPTER 5.
How Elisetta went to bed with King Pepin in place of Bertha, and
how it was before she was married.
Since Elisetta and Bertha were agreed, before it was evening
Elisetta told Grifone and Spinardo, and they immediately found
four of their servants and said to them: This Elisetta who has
come with the Empress is disgraced, and she has taken a young
knight, and he must come to her tonight in the garden; I want
you to do me a favor: seize her and carry her into the great
woods outside Paris and cut her throat out. And they gave them
a thousand gold denarii and made many other great promises to
them. These four rogues promised to do as commanded and to
keep it secret, and when the time came they went into the
garden and secretly hid themselves. Now the feast was great,
and because King Pepin was old and ancient, they ended the
feast early and the women took Bertha into the room, and she
called Elisetta and hid with her inside the guard room, and not
another woman went there. Bertha said: Elisetta, sister, fulfill
your promise, because I do not want to lie down tonight beside
the emperor. Elisetta answered and said: I will do it by your
command, but unwillingly. Queen Bertha took off her royal dress
and put it on her and took off the crown and put it on Elisetta,
and adorned her in such a way that it would have been difficult
to recognize her because, as has been said, in speech and in the
face and body, except for one foot, they looked so much alike
that you could not tell one from the other.
The Empress Bertha, misguided, dressed in Elisetta's clothes
and they opened the door that led to the garden, and Bertha
went down to a painted loggia, and sat down, waiting for Elisetta
to go for her. Elisetta returned to the women, having locked the
garden door, and the women did not recognize her and put her
to bed. When they put her to bed she said: Do you see, women,
the very good company I have, that my companion left me and
went to sleep at the house of her relatives? They laughed and
said this to Elisetta's companions. They did not stay long before
the Emperor came and went into bed, and she threw herself out
of bed, without restraint, and the Emperor caught her, wanting
the matrimony to take effect. She said: That she wanted, as
empress, that he marry her first. The groom laughed, joined her,
and kissed her. They went to bed and she brought about her
desire so that the first night she became pregnant with a male
child. The emperor believed he had slept with Queen Bertha,
and they stayed in great pleasure until daylight.
CHAPTER 6.
How Bertha was taken in the garden and led into the woods and
tied to a tree, and how those who beat her were killed by the
Mayencians.
As it was about midnight, Bertha was attacked and taken by the
aforementioned servants, and they threatened to kill her. She,
afraid and filled with fear of death and not being recognized,
did not know what to do. They gagged her and led her out of the
garden, and dragged her beyond the city, because the gates of
Paris were as open by night as by day, and they led her in the
woods of the Magnus, which was two French leagues from Paris.
When they found a great plot in the wood in the darkest place,
and it was clear, they dug the wood of the gag from her mouth;
and one said to the other: For our faith, it will be a great sin!
Bertha understood from these words that they wanted to kill
her, therefore she, trembling with fear, began to weep bitterly
and very loudly and began to say: O my father, King Philip, to
what country have you sent me? O most noble queen, how will
your daughter's blood be shed? When those who had brought
her heard that she said she was the daughter of the king of
Hungary, one looked at the others, and one of them said to
Bertha: What have you to do with King Philip of Hungary?
She replied: He is my father.
Another one said: You are not telling the truth; your father was
Guglielmo of Mayence. She said: Guglielmo of Mayence was the
father of my companion Elisetta. It seemed to them that she had
done wrong, and they asked her, saying: What were you doing in
the garden? She told them everything in order how it had been.
Then they began to be afraid and said: We are dead, because if
King Philip of Hungary and King Pepin of France hear this, they
will hang us. In the end they all resolved to kill her, saying:
Nothing will be known about it and Elisetta will be empress.
Bertha then realized that Elisetta had betrayed her on the advice
of her family, and she threw herself on the ground on her knees
before the murderers and, asking them for mercy, she said: Have
at least a little reverence for my father and King Pepin who is my
husband, and I swear to you, if you pardon my life, that you will
not die for this; and if you are ever caught, I promise that you
will be released by that faith, of which I am able as queen and
empress and daughter of kings and queens. It then seemed to
them that it would be wrong to kill her, and it seemed to them
there was little danger of her surviving. And she said to them:
Do at least one thing: do not shed my blood, tie me to a tree and
let me be eaten by wild beasts. Then they began to cry and one
said to the others: Kill her. The others said: Well, she dies. But,
you give her what I never would.
In the end one removed her dress and then tied her to a tree
with her arms behind her in the darkest valley of all the woods
of the Magnus and then they left her and they took her dress.
Being near the city, they pierced her dress with a knife and
bloodied it with a dog's blood and took it to Count Grifone of
Mayence and said: That they had killed her. He embraced them
and asked if she had said anything; and they answered no, for
she was gagged. Grifone said: Now you see that she will not
shame us anymore, and they also pretended that they did not
recognize her. Grifone had promised them a certain treasure
and said: Come with me, I want to take care of the promise. And
he showed them great love, promising them even more. When
he had them in his palace he gave them what they deserved,
because, separating them from each other, he killed all four of
them, so that they could never say anything again. This was the
treasure they gained.
CHAPTER 7.
How Elisetta reigned as empress for Bertha and how the
bastards Ranfroi and Heudri were born.
When the four servants died, Grifone and his brothers went to
the palace and found that Elisetta was crowned as queen and
was not recognized. The reason was because she did not want
any of the women who had come with Bertha from Hungary to
be with her and those who served her were all women from the
French kingdom. In a few days she killed a maid whom she
knew for certain would recognize her, and for this killing
Elisetta's deception was not discovered because she looked so
much like Bertha that it seemed she was Queen Bertha herself.
And so while Elisetta reigned, at the end of nine months she had
a son, to whom King Pepin gave the name Ranfroi, and then the
following year she had another son and to this he gave the name
Heudri. Elisetta stayed with King Pepin for many years, and
King Philip believed that his daughter was queen, but Elisetta
called herself Queen Bertha, and under this false name she
wrote to her father King Philip and to her mother the queen.
CHAPTER 8.
How a hunter, named Lambert, found Bertha and untied her
and put her in his house.
The charming Queen Bertha was tied to that tree until after
evening, when she was already completely lost in crying, and so
much so that she no longer cried out for fear and could not
continue and she commended herself to the Lady of Paradise. It
happened that three miles away from this place was a river
passing through the wood, called the River Magnus. On the bank
of this river lived a hunter, whose name was Lambert and he was
hired by the court of King Pepin as a hunter. He had a wife and
four daughters, and while he was going armed and hunting in
this wood, one of his dogs ran ahead, found Bertha tied up, and
began to bark. Lambert, believing it was some wild animal or
game, ran to the barking of the dog, and when he saw Queen
Bertha he marveled and asked her: Who was she? She could
hardly answer him and begged him to release her; and he did so.
Bertha fell to the ground and was unable to speak; then she said:
That she was the daughter of a merchant, and she said: I was
kidnapped in my garden by four robbers and by force I was led
to this place, and they wanted to take away my honor and I
demanded death, and they said to me: We do not we want to kill
you, but we will make you die an unusual death. And stripping
me to my undergarment, they tied me to this tree as you see, and
they took all my clothes with them. Now I entrust myself to you,
I beg you that for the love of God you deliver a letter for me. She
spoke French to Lambert, who felt very sorry for her, and he
helped her to get her out of there as best he could, and led her to
his house, which was on the bank of the Magnus, and told his
wife how he had found her.
The woman felt sorry for her and put her in a thick jacket of hers
and gave her one of her daughters to accompany her, and to her
she said: You will stay with us and what we have we will give
you. She praised God and the divine mother, and knelt at their
feet and thanked them and stayed with them for a month. One
day she said to Lambert: My father, I beg you to buy me some
paper and an inkwell, so that I can write what I need at any time,
and I will ensure that these daughters of yours will earn their
dowry. Lambert did so, and she wrote and ordered what was
needed to do embroideries and to make bags in the French style,
and Lambert took all her work to Paris to sell and doubled his
money. Bertha taught Lambert's daughters to work, and in less
than five years she did so much that Lambert was rich and was
no longer interested in hunting. She had made Lambert's
daughters so charming and honest, and also his wife, who clearly
demonstrated that she was of very noble blood. Everyone did
her honor as well as they could and was obedient to her and
Lambert often recounted the events in Paris, saying how King
Pepin had had two children by Queen Bertha. Bertha soon
thought that Elisetta had betrayed her with the help of her
deceptions, and she started thinking day and night about how
she could avenge herself and return to her lord's grace.
Nevertheless, she feared his death.
CHAPTER 9.
How Bertha made a rich pavilion embroidered with gold and
silver and sent it to sell, and how Grifone of Mayence bought it.
After Bertha had been in Lambert's house for five years, she
sent him to the city with a letter, and on several occasions she
made him spend more than three hundred gold denarii to buy
silks, spun gold and silver and what was needed. Of these things
she made a pavilion embroidered with delicate embroidery
which in small and beautiful figures gave all the history that she
took part in; first how she was married in Hungary and how the
barons had taken her and how she came to Paris and the whole
thing piece by piece, and in each piece was a brief explanation of
what it meant. When the pavilion was completed she called
Lambert and said to him: You will go to Saint Denis on the day
of the feast, and you will set up this pavilion at a stake so that
the king and the barons, when they pass, can see it, and sell it by
weight, two pounds of silver per pound, and if anyone asks
where you got it from, say: I went to Acquamorta and set out to
buy merchandise, and one who came from Alexandria sold it
and I brought it here to sell it and I want twice its weight in
silver. But do not bring it to anyone's house to get the money, you
could be killed for it, but get paid in the square and let me know
who will buy it.
Lambert loaded it on a mule and carried it on the eve of Saint
Denis to Saint Denis and spread it in the countryside beside the
road that came from Paris, as quickly as he could, and a short
while later Grifone of Mayence came passing by to go to Saint
Denis, and he went up to the pavilion and read the brief
explanations. When he had read several of them, he asked
Lambert where did he get this pavilion? Lambert answered
and said as Bertha had taught him: That he would like to sell it.
Grifone had it folded up and said to Lambert: Come with me
and I will give you the money. Lambert replied: For the frankness
of My Lord the King of France whoever wants it will pay me here
twice as much in silver as it weighs. Grifone, fearing that it
would fall into the hands of another person, had it weighed and
sent for the silver and a fee and had the wrapped pavilion
brought to the palace, and he summoned those of his relatives
who knew the facts and showed them the pavilion and said: She
is alive. So they sent many spies to search in Alexandria and
other parts and they burned the pavilion so that it could not be
seen. Lambert returned to Bertha and said: How he had sold it
to Count Grifone of Pontieri. Bertha was doleful and thought
about why he had bought it, and said: My sins are not yet
purged. She thanked God and devotedly commended herself to
him.
CHAPTER 10.
How the king and queen of Hungary, having no letters written
by Bertha's hand, and having seen her in a dream, went to Paris.
The author of these histories says that the king of Hungary and
the queen had written many letters to their daughter Bertha and
had sent many secret messengers to speak to her, but that no
one was able to speak to her. They sent certain spies, with the
result that a very trusted servant of the king saw her come into
the hall in the morning, and as he heard her speak, he
immediately recognized her as Elisetta and immediately left,
with great sorrow, and returned to Hungary and said to the
king: Lord, I have seen Elisetta crowned to have two sons by
King Pepin, one named Ranfroi and the other Heudri, and you
believe they are sons of your daughter Bertha. King Philip said:
My servant, you must have erred; nevertheless, he remained in
great worry and pain and spoke to the queen. The following
night they both had a bad dream, and the king said: I saw in a
dream that a female bear followed our daughter Bertha through
a wood, and that she came into the hands and mouths of four
wolves and threw herself into a river and it seemed that a
fisherman helped her escape. Recounting this dream to the
queen, she said: Sir, I dreamed that same dream that you
dreamed.
And at this vision of theirs they lamented a great deal together.
The queen said: We have no other daughter or son than her, and
yet, sir, I beg you that we go and see her. And he gave orders
that within eight days the brigade they wanted to travel with
them should be prepared, but no one knew where they were
going. Having left, they rode through Bohemia and to Konstanz
and passed through the kingdom and entered France, and when
they were three leagues away from Paris, King Philip sent word
to King Pepin of his coming. The king commanded the barons to
mount their horses and go to meet the king of Hungary, his
father-in-law, and he went to the chamber and said to Elisetta: I
bring you, my lady, good news, and it is that your father and
your mother will be here tonight at dinner with us. Elisetta
pretended she was happy about it, but she was in great worry
and fear. King Pepin wondered why she became pale. She said
to the king: It is easier to die of great joy than of sorrow. King
Pepin said: Get ready to meet your mother. She replied: I do not
know if I will be able to be there. The king left and went to
mount his horse, and mounting his horse he said to Grifone: Go
quickly to the queen, and tell her to mount her horse.
Grifone came to her and found her weeping and trembling with
fear, and she said to Grifone: This you did to me! He comforted
her that she should not be afraid. She said to Grifone: This
comfort is in vain. Grifone said: Make yourself sick and we will
say that the doctors think you have a disease that cannot be
spoken about and that you would die of joy, and we will make
sure there is little light; that if by chance the queen should speak
to you, answer her in a hoarse voice as much as you can, and we
will soon cover you. He mounted his horse, and she fell ill and
got into bed. When Grifone arrived, King Pepin asked him: What
is madame the queen doing? Grifone said: By my faith, I fear she
might die of a sudden illness that came upon her. Pepin said: I
noticed when I told her that her father and mother were
coming. So talking and riding they found King Philip and the
Queen of Hungary coming to Paris celebrating. The king, Philip,
asking King Pepin said: Why did not my daughter Bertha come to
meet her mother? Pepin said: Joy overcame her as soon as she
heard of your coming. Once in Paris, King Philip entered the
royal palace at the king's side, and there they entered from one
palace to the other, and here the whole company was
accommodated.
CHAPTER 11.
How King Philip of Hungary and the Queen recognized Elisetta
who pretended to be the empress, and the great sorrow they
suffered.
When the Queen of Hungary was rested she said to King Philip:
I want to go and see my daughter Bertha; and she gathered
many women and gentlemen and servants and went to the room
where Elisetta was staying, who had let it be known that out of
melancholy and worry that she had fallen asleep. The Queen of
Hungary wanted to enter the room but certain servants from
Mayence said: You cannot enter because she is sleeping and the
doctors do not want her to speak: go away for a while and come
back when she is awake. The Queen of Hungary was angry and
grabbed the door with her hands and opened it and said: How
can you tell me to go away and come back? Is she not my
daughter?
She went inside and found that she was asleep. And she put her
hands on her feet, and then she knew that this was not her
daughter. She lit a small candle and looked at her face and
immediately knew it was Elisetta. She pretended not to
recognize her and that she was her daughter, and said: She is
sleeping so well that I do not want to wake her up and when she
is awakened I will return. Returning to King Philip secretly
weeping, she said to him: Alas, my lord, our daughter Bertha
must be dead, because this one who calls herself Bertha, is not
Bertha, but Elisetta, whom I recognized, and for this reason she
did not come to meet us. Now I want us to tell King Pepin. King
Philip answered and said: My lady, do not do this, because if the
blame comes from King Pepin, if we said nothing he would kill
us, but we will go to Hungary and I will give such an order that I
will have him expelled from Paris, and of the whole realm, and I
will take harsh revenge on him, which will be remembered
forever; but I want to see her first.
They went to the hall and visited King Pepin showing great love
and joy, and after a while King Philip said to King Pepin: Let us
go and see the Empress. King Pepin was happy and they joined
hands. The Queen of Hungary heard of it and went to join them,
and the Mayencians were all armed in secret with many in their
company. Once in the room, King Pepin had many candelabras
lit, and King Philip touched Elisetta's hand and, speaking to her,
immediately recognized her, but he pretended not to notice and
celebrated like she was his daughter. Grifone said: Sir, it is
better to let her rest. The Queen of Hungary was present and
recognized her much better. Then they left and returned to their
lodgings, and Grifone said to Elisetta: You are free, because they
have not recognized you. Elisetta replied: God willing, but I am
afraid. King Philip, having returned to his chamber with the
Queen of Hungary, secretly mourned with her and nothing else
followed that day.
CHAPTER 12.
How King Pepin, emperor of Rome, ordered a hunt in the woods
of the Magnus, in which he got lost and arrived at Lambert's
house.
After the second day, King Philip asked King Pepin for
permission to return to Hungary and entrusted Bertha to him.
King Pepin said: How do you say, sir, that you want to leave, if
you have only been with me for two days? At least I want you to
see my hunt in the Magnus, which I have set up for your sake.
King Philip, not to upset him, answered and said: That he would
love to see it. So the following morning the hunt was prepared,
and King Philip commanded the Queen of Hungary to visit
Elisetta and pretend that she did not recognize her. The queen
said: O my lord, you call her Elisetta, but I will always call her
Falsetta, because she has been very false and wicked to me; and
for this reason since then she has always been called Falsetta.
King Pepin and King Philip mounted their horses and with them
went Bernard of Clermont and Raymond of Paris and
Morando of Riviera and many others. Leaving Paris and arriving
in the woods, the hunt began, and the party spread out through
the woods and the hunt continued there with great pleasure. In
the evening, King Pepin wounded a deer with an arrow, and
having wounded him he sent a dog after it and set off following
the trail until he caught the deer and put it on his horse.
He wanted to return to the company but had become so lost in
the forest that he was never able to find his companions, and
finally he found the river of Magnus, and going up the river bank
he arrived at Lambert's house where Bertha was, dismounted
from his horse, and called out for the person who lived there.
Lambert answered, and when he saw him, he recognized him
and said: My Lord King of France, what are you doing so late
and at night in this part? King Pepin said: By my faith I have lost
my way. And he asked if anyone had arrived there. Lambert
answered no. Then he asked how far it was from there to Paris.
Lambert answered: Five leagues, and said: Sir, if you want to
stay here, I have fresh bread and I still have some salted and
fresh wild game. The emperor laughed and said: I will do so; and
sat down on a great bundle of firewood. Lambert called his
daughters to serve him, and having taken a loaf of bread just
taken out of the oven, he commanded Bertha to bring it with a
white napkin to King Pepin.
CHAPTER 13.
How King Pepin of France spoke to Bertha of Hungary, not
recognizing her, and how he ordered her to sleep with him in
the chariot.
Bertha arriving before King Pepin bowed at his feet with such a
noble appearance that he said to himself: This is not the act of a
peasant. And he looked into her face and said: If I had the queen
with me, by my faith I would say that you were her, and that she
was making fun of me: so much are you like her! Before
Lambert came with the wine, he said to her: Are you Lambert's
daughter? Bertha answered and said: I am more than a daughter.
King Pepin said: Do you want to kiss me? I would marry you.
Trembling, she replied: I will do what you want. Pepin said: If
Lambert is happy, do you want to sleep with me tonight? Bertha
replied: My lord, I will do your will. When Lambert had given the
king a drink, the king said to him: Tell me, Lambert, is this your
daughter? Lambert replied: She is my daughter and more than a
daughter. King Pepin said: Do you want her to sleep with me
tonight? Lambert replied: By God, sir, have pity; if she is not
happy, do not offend her, nor me either. The king said: If she is
not happy, I will not force you or her. Lambert turned to her and
said: Do you want to sleep tonight with King Pepin? Bertha
replied: Yes. When Lambert heard her he was very upset and
immediately went and told his wife. She said: She will never
enter my house again, like the bad woman she must be, and well
I said that she must be a whore.
While the king was engaged in this conversation, Bernard of
Clermont arrived with Morando of Riviera and he
dismounted and said to the king: Lord, you have given me
melancholy. King Pepin told Lambert that he should keep the
young girl hidden so that she was not seen, and he did so. In the
meantime, King Philip of Hungary arrived with some others, and
with the sound of horns all the hunting people gathered here
and they all dined here full of joy because they had found the
emperor King Pepin. When they had supped, King Pepin said to
Bernard: In this house there is a beautiful young woman who
has promised to sleep with me this night: let me arrange a
lodging where you like, and watch for King Philip, for the love of
the queen who is his daughter. Bernard wanted King Pepin to
sleep in the house but Lambert did not want him to, and
Bernard did not want to force him, but he took a chariot that
was outside the house, and had it pulled up to the bank of the
river and had it arranged in a good style and put a bed in it that
two people could sleep in. On the upper part he covered it with
foliage, and then everyone went to sleep, some here and some
there, taking lodgings. King Philip slept in Lambert's house, and
was very distressed about his daughter, and Lambert for Bertha,
who called herself Elisetta so as not to be known. In the same
way the wife of Lambert was still very distressed.
CHAPTER 14.
How Charlemagne was conceived and how Bertha was
recognized by King Pepin and King Philip her father.
When everyone had gone to sleep, King Pepin and Bernard took
Bertha into the cart, and Bernard set off. When King Pepin
wanted to approach Bertha, she said: My lord, let us go to bed;
and she undermined him with her hands. When she got into bed
with King Pepin she began to cry and said: Praised be the true
God and his mother the Virgin Mary that I have come to the
place where I will be able to speak my mind. King Pepin looked
at her and said: How is your reason? Do you have a father or
mother other than Lambert? Have you ever had a husband? She
embraced him and begged him to listen to her and said: I have a
father, a mother, and a husband. Pepin said: Who is your father?
Bertha replied: King Philip of Hungary is my father, and King
Pepin, emperor of Rome and king of France, is my husband, and
I am Bertha with a big foot. King Pepin added: How are you
Bertha if I left you sick in Paris? Bertha said: That is Elisetta; and
I pray, sir, that you hear how the matter is. Then Bertha told
King Pepin how Elisetta was born in Hungary and how she took
her with her and the whole thing as it had been up to that
chariot, always weeping and asking for mercy. King Pepin
looked for her feet, and found them as Bernard, Girart, Morando,
and Raymond had told him. Considering Pepin to be on Bertha's
side for childhood, and on Elisetta's side out of malice, she
swore to take revenge and meanwhile that night the matrimony
followed and Bertha became pregnant with a male child.
In the morning the king said to her: Bertha, King Philip your
father is here, and all this was the work of God who sent me to
this part and caused a deer to lead me here. She was very happy
about her father. In the morning Bernard of Clermont came
early to the cart and King Pepin told him how it was, and
Bernard was very surprised and talked so long with the king
that it became a clear day. When they left the chariot they put
Bertha in front, and they went to Lambert's house. King Philip
had risen and Bertha entering the house collided with him. King
Philip stopped and looked at her, and Bertha looked at him, and
as the eyes of the father and daughter met, they recognized each
other. The father looked at her feet and said: Ah, my daughter!
And she, at the same time, said: Ah, my father! and she threw
herself on her knees at his feet, and her father embraced her
weeping. King Pepin had the door closed and had Morando of
Riviera and Raymond of Trieva called, and in the presence of all
he had Bertha tell the whole story as she had told him, and there
they swore secretly among themselves that they would soon
have revenge for this. Lambert threw himself on his knees
before King Pepin and Bertha, and immediately asked for mercy
because he had greatly blamed her because she had gone to
sleep with King Pepin. Bertha pleaded with her father Philip and
King Pepin that the daughters of Lambert be given to her to
find spouses for them, and King Pepin made Lambert tell him
how he had found her and the day he had found her and they
agreed on everything together. He was sent to Elisetta in secret,
so that the Mayencians would not know about it, and so they
returned to Paris, and Bertha remained in the house of Lambert.
CHAPTER 15.
How Elisetta was taken and burned, and how the Mayencians
were driven out of Paris, and how Ranfroi and Heudri were
pardoned.
Back in Paris, King Philip told the Queen of Hungary, his wife
and the mother of Bertha, everything that had happened,
whereupon she was very happy. King Pepin had all his people
armed and secretly sent to many parts of the city, commanding
that, as soon as the clamor arose, the Mayencians would die.
Many armed men were staying with Bernard in Elisetta's room,
but Morando of Riviera took Ranfroi and Heudri at Bernard's
command and dragged them to the room of the Queen of
Hungary, and she had them guarded so that they could not get
away. In the meantime, King Pepin and Bernard reached
Elisetta's room, and King Pepin ran to her bed and grabbed her
by the hair and drew a knife to kill her; but Bernard of
Clermont did not let him do it.
King Pepin put her under the guard of a seneschal, and then,
sword in hand, he and Bernard ran up the hall of the royal
palace; and King Pepin shouted: "Let the traitors of Mayence
die"; and given the signal, the clamor arose in the square and
throughout the city. Where the order was given those of
Mayence, hearing the clamor, believed that the people had been
summoned there and that Philip of Hungary wanted to set forth;
but they heard a great clamor in the square and in the king's
palace: "Let the traitors of Mayence die". Grifone armed himself
and his guards and said to his brothers: The king of Hungary will
have realized who Elisetta is: let us go before King Pepin to
make our apology. When they were deciding which one of them
should go, a servant arrived who shouted and said: Lord, try to
escape because King Pepin and the whole city are shouting: "Let
the traitors of Mayence die"; and more than seventy of your
servants were killed, and I was wounded, as you see.
King Pepin, Bernard of Clermont, King Philip of Hungary, and
Morando of Riviera turned the whole city into revolt, and
Grifone, Ginamo, Tolomeo, and Spinardo fled out of Paris with
many of their people; and by the arrival of the king of Hungary
they were reinforced with troops. King Pepin had Elisetta led to
the square with both of her children born of adultery. King
Philip, Bernard, Morando, and the Queen of Hungary asked King
Pepin for mercy for the two children, but he did not want to
consent at all, and wanted them to be burned alive. Then the
people of Paris began to cry out: Mercy, holy crown, for the
innocents. King Philip said to King Pepin: Grant, holy crown, to
the people the favor they ask of you. King Pepin pardoned them,
but said: God willing there will be no bad luck for you and for
me, and for the kingdom of France. So Ranfroi and Heudri were
saved from the fire, but Elisetta was burned. Forever and by all
she was named as the Falsetta, because she had used falsehoods.
CHAPTER 16.
How emperor king Pepin sent for Bertha and how the
Mayencians attacked her and how Tolomeo of Mayence and
Spinardo died in this battle.
King Pepin, having done justice to Falsetta, had his barons
prepared and ordered that they take Bertha to the river of
Magnus; and so Bernard, Morando, Raymond of Spain, Raymond
of Trieva, and many other lords set forth, and they led four
thousand knights. While the brigade mounted on horseback,
some of the people of Mayence arrived with Grifone and his
brothers and they rode slowly to hear the news. It was said that
Falsetta was burned with fury and that King Pepin had had
Bernard of Clermont mounted on horseback with four
thousand knights and that he was taking Bertha with him and it
was said she was at the river of Magnus. Grifone of Pontieri
remembered that Lambert the hunter had sold him the pavilion
and said to his brothers: By my faith, she will be at Lambert's
house; and immediately they inquired how many men they had
with them, and found that they had five thousand knights. Of
them they made two parts and one part with two thousand five
hundred were with Grifone and Ginamo, and the same number
were with Spinardo and Tolomeo. They crossed a great open
plain to reach the river of Magnus, and the party that traveled
with Bertha had reached Lambert's house, where Bertha was
adorned as empress.
She wanted to arm herself and when they left Lambert's house
she chose two ranks of them, and Bernard of Clermont went
ahead with two thousand, and Raymond and Morando remained
with Bertha. Thus riding, Bernard with his army met the army of
Tolomeo and Spinardo, and shouting, they attacked each other
with lances in hand. Bernard collided with Spinardo and ran him
through and Spinardo fell dead to the ground. Bernard drew his
sword cheering his brigade and a great battle commenced.
Grifone was somewhat at a distance from this group, but having
heard the noise, trying to run to the other side, he collided with
the group of Morando and Raymond, and another great battle
began. In a short time the two battles were reduced to one, for
each side had closed ranks with their own, the battle being large.
Bernard of Clermont with sword in hand joined in battle
with Tolomeo and they fought each other. The empress arrived
with some good and valiant knights, and those knights who were
with the empress said that she was fully armed. With a lance in
her hand she rode upon Tolomeo while he was fighting with
Bernard, but whether she killed him I do not know, but she was
strong in her jousting beside Bernard of Clermont.
Thus the Mayencians lost two brothers, but many of their
children remained, and in the end those of Mayence were forced
to abandon the field. Grifone, however, wounded Raymond
Navarrese so that he was taken to Paris for dead, and
immediately Grifone left the battle in defeat and with him was
Ginamo of Baiona. They left their brothers Spinardo and
Tolomeo dead in that battle and returned to their country.
Bernard closed in with his company and with the empress, and
they found a thousand knights of their own dead and many
wounded, and two thousand knights of Mayence dead. Bernard
had Raymond carried as far as Paris and then the cause became
known because they had been on the journey so long. King Pepin
and King Philip despaired of not knowing it, as no one would
survive among those of Grifone, and it was told how Queen
Bertha had killed Tolomeo with a lance. Queen Bertha's return
was celebrated and rejoiced, and especially by the queen her
mother. King Philip took his leave of King Pepin and returned to
Hungary, where there was great celebration and joy for his
return and also for the return of Bertha. King Pepin and Bertha
reigned in great happiness and she was pregnant. Nevertheless,
out of love for the two bastards Ranfroi and Heudri the king
Pepin raised them as his own children, nurturing them nobly.
CHAPTER 17.
How Charlemagne and Bertha mother of Roland were born, and
how the two bastards Ranfroi and Heudri poisoned Bertha of
the Big Foot.
At the end of the nine months after Bertha had slept in the cart
with King Pepin, she gave birth to a male child with a birthmark
on his right shoulder which is the usual sign of the French
royalty. And knowing how King Pepin had begotten him in the
cart beside the river Magnus, when Bertha returned to
Lambert's house (Bertha had found spouses for Lambert's
daughters and had made him a rich man, so that she had
rewarded him well) the King Pepin wanted, as a remembrance,
his son to have the name Magnus. His name was Carro, which
means Cart, and his nickname was from the river; but he did not
fail to live up to his name, for he was very great; and for the birth
of Carro Magnus there was joy and a great celebration. Some say
that the King of Hungary was happier than any other lord; and
although he had the name Carro Magnus, by way of habit he was
called Charlot, and therefore it happened later that he was called
Carolus Magnus, and not Carro.
His face and eyes were so proud that no one could look at him
without lowering their eyes. He was given to Morando of Riviera
to raise, and he had him fed and groomed and gave him more
love than if he had been his son. When Charlot was twelve, his
mother Bertha bore a girl and Ranfroi was then sixteen and
Heudri was fifteen. Those of Mayence wrote them letters every
day, recalling how their mother had been burned and that King
Pepin had wanted them to burn and that Bertha had been the
cause of all this evil and that they would lose their lordships if
Charlot reached the age of fifteen, and that they would be
subject to one who was not of the house of France but to one
who was the son of a whore and a hunter of the house of France.
Many times they had written to the brothers Ranfroi and
Heudri seeking the death of Bertha and Charlot. One day Bertha
being in childbirth of a girl, they were not kept away, because
Queen Bertha had raised them as her children when she
returned with King Pepin her husband. Ranfroi seeing Bertha's
food, he brought it or carried it as though he were a servant of
the queen, and poisoned that part which he thought Bertha liked
best, so that she died of this poison on the third day. The doctors
said: She had been poisoned. King Pepin burned three serving
maids who were blamed, and Ranfroi and Heudri seemed more
proud of the revenge of Bertha than any other person. The
mourning of Bertha's death was great in France and in Hungary.
King Pepin baptized his daughter who was born, and for love of
her mother, who was dead, gave her the name Bertha the
second, and she was afterwards the mother of Roland.
THE CHILDHOOD OF CHARLEMAGNE (MAINET)
CHAPTER 18.
How King Pepin the emperor was killed by his bastard children,
and how Charlot escaped to an Abbey outside Paris.
A year after Bertha's death, the two bastards of King Pepin,
namely Ranfroi and Heudri, spoke of the Kingdom together and
as those of Mayence had warned them. Ranfroi said: Certainly
the lordship of the kingdom of France after the death of King
Pepin will not be left to us, but it will be given to Charlot, and
therefore it is necessary to kill King Pepin and Charlot; but first
we will go to visit Count Grifone and the others who are from
Mayence, so that they can gather people and help us. They
agreed to this and sent letters to Grifone. The two brothers got
ready and, having given the order, went to King Pepin's room
and found that he was asleep and alone. With two knives in
hand they began to slaughter him. King Pepin stood up to flee,
but they knocked him down in the middle of the chamber. At
that moment, Charlot reached the door of the room and saw the
homicidal brothers who were killing their father saying: We will
do the same to Charlot as we do to you, because you wanted to
make him lord. Charlot, hearing them speak this way and seeing
the bloody knives, ran away and God aided him in not being seen
and he fled outside of Paris.
He took the road towards Orléans and along the way he found a
shepherd the same age as him looking after the sheep. Charlot
went up to him and said: Do you want to change your clothes
with mine? The shepherd said: I am pleased; and he took off
Charlot's clothes and gave him his own. The shepherd's father
then sold all the clothes, except for the jacket. Charlot smeared
himself all over with blood, and as he walked he did not know
where to go and in the evening he ended up in an abbey of Sant
Omer. The abbot was a great friend of King Pepin and had been
his servant and Charlot, who entered the cloisters of the abbey
unrecognized by anyone, was asked: If he wanted to stay with
the others. And he said yes. The monks took him to the abbot,
and they dressed him and put a monk's robe on him and he
served the abbot so well that speaking to some of his monks the
abbot said: Surely this servant must not be the son of a peasant.
And he asked him what his name was. He said: His name was
Mainet. The abbot asked: Do you have a father? He replied: No.
In the meantime, the two bastards were rescued by Grifone of
Mayence and took over the kingship, and all the Mayencians
returned to Paris and crowned Heudri king of the realm of
France and Ranfroi was made seneschal and captain of all the
men-at-arms, and they ordered under penalty of the gallows
that any person who found Charlot should present him to the
king of France. At the time, Serguis was Pope of Rome, who by
ancient origin was from Mayence, and he excommunicated every
person who believed Charlot or who gave him help or advice or
strength. Leo was made emperor, and after Leo his son
Constantine became emperor, and after Constantine Michael
became emperor, and these emperors lasted a total of
twenty-nine years. Charlemagne was then made emperor after
Michael, as history will tell. Charlemagne was much sought after
by the Mayencians and the abbot, where Charlot had arrived,
said: That many times a vision appeared to him in which he was
told: "This child you keep as a servant is Charlot son of King
Pepin of France". He summoned him one morning and asked him
who he was and who his people were. He replied: I was the son
of a shepherd, and when King Pepin was killed the herd and
sheep were taken away from my father and he died because he
loved King Pepin very much and I ran away. He spoke the truth,
but the abbot did not understand him and thought he was
talking about a leader of livestock, but he was actually talking
about a leader of people. Charlot stayed in this abbey for four
years as the abbot's servant.
CHAPTER 19.
How Morando of Riviera tried to get news of Charlot, and how
the abbot recognized him and had him put armor on his back.
Two years after the death of King Pepin, Morando of Riviera,
bailiff of Charlot, having searched for him and never being able
to hear news of him, resolved to go looking to find him; and so
he left his land to two little sons of his and gave them a trusted
governor, and unknown he came to Paris to certain friends of
his. He never was able to hear any news and he searched,
dressed as a monk, in all the churches and monasteries of
France within three miles of Paris. Not finding him, he went to
Rome and to many other countries, for so long that almost four
years had passed since King Pepin had died. Morando returned
to Paris unknown and asked his friends, but heard nothing, and
finally he left Paris armed and took the road to go to Orléans.
Five miles outside the city of Paris he found a shepherd looking
after his sheep and wearing a torn silk jacket. Morando stopped
because he thought he recognized the jacket. The shepherd was
sixteen years old. Morando asked him: Where did you get that
little doublet? The shepherd answered and said: The day King
Pepin died a servant passed by here and begged me to change
clothes with him and he gave me his clothes and I gave him mine
and we also changed stockings and shoes, and I asked him why
he did it, and he replied: For fear of being killed. This shepherd
gave him so many clues that Morando rejoiced thinking that he
must be alive.
During this time the abbot had the aforementioned vision many
times that this was Charlot, who called himself Mainet, and
because of this one morning he called him into his room, and the
two of them being alone, the abbot kneeled down before him
and spoke to him in this way: Lord, you can no longer hide from
me that you are my lord Charlot. So Charlot was unable to deny
it and fell on his knees before the abbot, crossed his arms, and
trembling and crying, he commended himself to him and said:
Do not deliver me into the hands of the two bastards. The abbot
weeping embraced him and comforted him and said to him: Sir,
your father gave me this abbey, and I have been chaplain of his
lordship for eight years; my person and the abbey and my life
are indebted to you, and I would suffer death a thousand times
before placing you in the hands of two patricidal traitors. So that
he would not be recognized, he begged the abbot not to change
his duties and the abbot secretly had armor with a little grating
made for his back and for love of him he kept a large steed in the
stable. Because Charlot had argued with all the monks, the
abbot made him make peace with everyone, and kept him
sleeping in his room and kept him like this for two years after he
recognized him as Charlot.
CHAPTER 20.
How Morando found Charles again in the abbey and not
anywhere else, and how the abbot gave him arms and a horse.
Morando of Riviera, having searched almost all over the world,
never having heard any news of Charlot except from the
aforementioned shepherd, asked him where he went and stayed.
The shepherd showed him the way with his hands, he said: He
went from here to Orléans. Morando had to make a difficult
decision. He departed from this shepherd and not knowing
which place was safer to go, by chance he went in the evening to
the abbey of Saint Omer and dismounted there. When the abbot
recognized him, he ran to embrace him and put his horse in the
stable. Charlot fled to his room, because he always runs away
from strangers so as not to be recognized. Morando removed his
helmet and the abbot took him by the hand and they went this
way and that through the abbey, and they began to talk about
the lordship of France and the death of King Pepin, and Morando
lamented greatly about it with the abbot but most of all he
lamented about Charlot and crying he said: O father abbot, I
have searched a long time throughout the world to find Charlot
again! Then he told him how he had talked in the morning with
a shepherd whom he had found wearing Charlot's doublet, and
he told him what the shepherd had told him and how he had
changed clothes with him.
The abbot, seeing the great love that Morando had for Charlot
and knowing that he had raised him since he was a little boy,
and knowing that Charlot was not quite safe in this place,
decided to reveal everything to Morando; and taking him by the
hand they both went alone to the abbot's room. When he went
inside, Charlot had grown so much, and also due to the monk's
robes that he wore, Morando did not recognize him, but Charlot
immediately knew him and, without waiting for the abbot to
reveal him, he threw his arms around his neck and weeping
said: O my father, to what end have I come! As Morando
recognized him and heard the words he said, it made him so
happy that he was unable to respond and he would have fallen
suddenly if he had not sat down on a box.
When he could speak he said: O son of fortune, how many
outrages have ever been done to you? The abbot begged him to
be silent because of the danger he posed, and to Morando he
said: So that the monks do not recognize you, go by way of the
kitchen for food. Morando thanked the abbot very much for so
much love and kindness that he had shown towards Charlot,
saying to him: If fortune lends us so much grace that justice can
be done, we will give you even more reward. While they were
having supper Charlot said to Morando: My Father, I want to go
with you. The abbot called him Mainet and this name pleased
Morando very much, and he said to him: I will always call you
Mainet, until your real name can be revealed. The abbot
entrusted him well to Morando, and to Mainet he said: Son,
make sure that you are obedient to Morando, and if you want to
make your enemies unhappy, do not depart from his
commandments. The next morning the abbot got up and brought
Mainet all of the arms and armor and Morando armed him with
his own hand. As they were armed, the abbot gave Mainet his
blessing weeping; and Morando mounted the steed that the
abbot had bought for Mainet, and taking off their helmets, they
set off from the abbey. The abbot commended them to God and
Morando said: Do not speak to friends or enemies and do not
say anything to anyone: May God give them good luck.
CHAPTER 21.
How Morando of Riviera fled with young Charlemagne to Spain,
and how they hid with the sons of King Galaphron.
Departing from the abbey Morando and Charlot, called Mainet,
rode through France and went to Aragon and, to get out of the
lands of France more quickly, they passed through Toulouse and
went to Mangalona and Fierbona, and then to Repulsa,
Perpignan, Barcelona, Tarragona, Tortosa, and to Valencia, and
having reached Valencia they took the road towards the
kingdom of Castile, they departed from the sea and in a few days
they went to Molingiana, then they went to Lucerne and went to
Zaragoza where King Galaphron was lord of all the realms of
Spain. Morando took the name Ragonese and Charlot was named
Mainet. On reaching the city of Zaragoza they dismounted in a
rich hotel and spoke Spanish and the following day Mainet was
asked if he knew how to use a knife. Morando had taught him
this, and he made his way to court to serve before the sons of
King Galaphron, one of whom had the name Marsilius, the other
had the name Balugante and the third had the name Falsiron.
Marsilius the eldest son, was a pleasant man, just in lordship, of
decent stature, a good talker and very learned and he liked
necromancers and took great delight in them. Balugante was
great in person and took great delight in archery; no truth was
found in him; against his enemies he was cruel and of his friends
he had no mercy. Falsiron was a handsome man, big and heavy
and prouder than all his brothers, and an avenger of all things.
Marsilius was seventeen years old and was the oldest. The
young Mainet served him so well that King Galaphron wanted
him to serve at his table, and Mainet did so well that the king
put Morando, called the Ragonese, to carve for his sons in
exchange for Mainet; and so they stayed for a year and they had
no other fortune.
CHAPTER 22.
How Galeana daughter of King Galaphron fell in love with
Mainet, and wanted Mainet's garland of grass.
A year after Morando and Charlot called Mainet arrived in
Zaragoza, it happened that King Galaphron went to eat on the
first of April in one of his gardens and had a table set on a lawn
of grass in the shade of certain trees. Everyone ate seated on
carpets on the floor in the custom of Alexandria and Syria, and
Mainet served and was kneeling on the floor and was wearing a
short lambskin, adorned with certain silver friezes and his hair
was in a mop. Standing in that way, a daughter of King
Galaphron arrived in the garden, called Galeana, who had with
her twenty very refined and beautiful ladies in the manner of
Spain, and she arrived before the king. Galeana went to embrace
her father and he kissed her and said: Mahomet prepares you
good fortune. There was no king or lord who did not rise right
up to pay her reverence, and she played a harp, and the others
danced, and while she was playing Mainet was carving in front
of the king. Galeana looked at him and she liked him so much
that she fell fiercely in love with him. She was not yet old enough
to fall in love, but this was the charm of the greatest power that
she would have to follow, since she was twelve years old and
not ready yet.
Mainet, going through the garden, made himself jewelry out of
grass, that is a garland, and put it on his head. Galeana indicated
him to a secret companion of hers and said to her: Mahomet
wants the one who serves with a knife before my father to be
my husband. The damsel looked at him and said: Be quiet,
madwoman, you that are of such a noble and great lineage
would like a servant for your husband? Galeana said: What do
you know about who he is? His dress shows that he is a
gentleman and I want him to give me that garland that he wears
on his head. Galeana approached Mainet and honestly asked him
for it. Mainet immediately knelt down and said: My Lady, this
garland is not worthy of you, because it wants to be made of
roses and flowers and this one is scavenged. Finally he gave it to
her and this jewelry caused her to love even more and she kept
it among her jewels for a long time. Mainet did not love her
because his mind was wrapped up in other thoughts. It was still
his custom to say his prayers secretly every morning and to pray
to God to give him the grace to return to his house, and he made
many wishes to return to his kingdom in lordship. Returning
from the garden to the city, they remained thus unfamiliar for
many years in Zaragoza, that is, about five years, before Mainet
fell in love with Galeana; so that he was twenty years old and
Galeana was fifteen.
CHAPTER 23.
How Charlot, called Mainet, fell in love with Galeana daughter of
King Galaphron.
It happened that one day Galeana went to the hall before King
Galaphron and saw Mainet carving before her father, and she
returned to her mother and said: You have an old man carving
for me and my father, who is old, is served by Mainet, who is
young; I want him to serve as a carver for me. The queen did so
in the evening and King Galaphron was pleased and the queen
sent for Mainet and said to him: You will serve before my
daughter; she wants you honest and above all, well dressed.
Mainet was dressed short, and the queen gave him a scarlet
garment that reached down to his feet and he was put to serve
Galeana. Morando was put to serve before King Galaphron, and
not a month went by before Galeana had a room prepared for
herself and three other damsels. Galeana did this because she
burned with love for Mainet, but Mainet never looked at her and
still did not love her.
Once the table was all set, she made sure that she remained in
the room alone with her secretary and with Mainet, who was
carving in front of them. Galeana said to Mainet jokingly: Where
is your mistress? Mainet then turned all red and timid and did
not answer her, and out of shyness he turned many colors. The
other, that is the secretary, said to him: Tell me, Mainet, have
you yet known the love of a woman? Mainet then remembered
his father's death and sighing about him he began to grieve and
cry, and from his tears Galeana felt so much tenderness for him
that she too wept and asked him whence he was and who he
was. He replied: I am from Barcelona and I am the son of a
merchant who perished at sea. The secretary said: My lady, he is
not worthy of your love, as he is of such a low social class.
Galeana said: I do not believe him because his actions do not
appear to be those of a merchant; and to Mainet she said: I want
you to be my lover. Mainet answered and said: Mercy of God;
and he fell on his knees and said: My Lady, I'm a poor squire,
do not play tricks with me. She saw that he was scared and to
encourage him she said to him: Love does not come except from
a noble soul. The secretary said: Love is varied. Mainet said:
How can someone love nobly who is not of noble lineage, as I am
of a middle-class birth? Galeana looked him in his face and
laughed. Mainet, continuing to talk about her, said: I will never
love a woman until I return to my house. Galeana set aside all
the words that Mainet had said and retrieved the garland of
flowers, and Mainet was so close that she wanted to put it on his
head, but he did not want to receive it, and shortly the other
damsels returned. As soon as they had eaten, Mainet left.
Afterwards many times Galeana nevertheless showed that she
loved him as honestly as she could, and for this Mainet could not
defend himself enough that he was not vanquished by love, and
secretly he began to love her in his heart, but he did not show
her how he felt about her.
CHAPTER 24.
How Mainet tried on his pieces of armor and they did not fit him,
and how to arm himself he swore to Galeana not to take any
other woman than her to wife, and she swore never to take
anyone but him.
King Galaphron was starting to want to marry his daughter
Galeana, because she was already in her marriage years, and had
a rich court ordered and proclaimed in the city of Zaragoza,
capital of his kingdom. A large number of gentlemen came to this
feast, many to see the feast and most to try to have Galeana as
their wife. Among others came Uliano of Sarza and Duke
Dalfreno of Africa and Candor of Cyprus and the Emir of Numidia
and King Achiro of Judea and the King of Granada and King
Danfiore and King Apolline of Rassia and Sinagon of Faraonia
and the King of Portugal and the King Macaris of Pamplona and
Pentalion of Trazza and Colindor and Darguno and Disorir and
many other lords waiting on the crown, and they were all young
and willing to prove their worth, and they numbered more than
forty including princes, counts, marquises and others. King
Galaphron commanded all three of his sons to show great honor
to all the lords, and so they did. A few days passed, the day for
the tournament was ordered, and as Galeana was in her room
one day eating with some damsels, Mainet was serving and
Galeana said to him: Mainet, will you not break a lance? Mainet
replied: My Lady, I do not know how to joust. And he looked into
her face and their eyes met together, and they each looked down
and sighed.
Mainet then left and returned to his room, where, having
returned, Morando spoke to him of the tournament, and begged
Mainet not to arm himself for many reasons, explaining to him
the danger if he did arm himself. Mainet said: That he would not
joust. When the morning of the feast came, when there was to be
jousting in the square, the joust began with those of the lowest
class. Mainet stood on a balcony to watch, and Morando went to
him and again warned him not to take up arms to joust,
explaining to him again the danger of being recognized. As soon
as Morando had left, Mainet, being in his room, took all his
pieces of armor out of a chest and wanted to put them on, but he
had grown so much that the armor no longer fit him, so he threw
the pieces all over the place, cursing his fortune, and in complete
melancholy, he went off into a little hallway that was in the
middle of the chamber, and sat down on a bench, leaning his jaw
on his hand and keeping his legs crossed with his elbows on his
knees. He was beside the entrance to the chamber, and sighing
he imagined many things, and during this sighing Galeana's
secretary arrived upstairs, wanting to pass through the hall; and
as she reached the hall, she saw Mainet and heard him sigh, and
she drew back and stood listening to him, and not knowing that
Mainet was being heard, he said: Oh, miserable me, when will I
return to my realm, where my father wore such an honored
crown! Since I do not have armor to joust in and prove my
worth, what will I do with my life? O great Alexander, who at my
age had all of Syria subjugated! O honest Hannibal, who at my
age led all the host of the Carthaginians! O valiant African Scipio,
how kind heaven was to you in your youth! All the sad
misfortunes work against me. And he put his face in his hands.
The young girl felt sorry for him and from his words knew that
he must in all ways be of very noble lineage. She then walked
down the hall and asked Mainet what was wrong with him that
he was so pensive. Mainet, completely troubled, told her the
reason. Laughing she said to him: Will you love Galeana if she
gives you armor and a horse that you can ride? Mainet swore
yes. The secretary-maid went to Galeana, and pulling her aside,
told her what had happened to Mainet and the words she had
heard him say, and said: Certainly, Mainet is the son of a king,
but I could not understand which country he is from. She then
told her the deal she had made with him. Galeana went to him
urgently, and with the secretary in her company she spoke to
him. Mainet threw himself on his knees at her feet, and Galeana
said to him: Mainet, if I will have you armed, will you swear
never to take any other woman but me, and to always be my
faithful lover? Mainet replied: I swear to you that while you live I
will love no other woman and that I will take no other bride than
you if you swear never to take any other husband than me. She
swore to him and so he swore to her by Mahomet. The maid
said: Do not swear by Mahomet, but swear by that God you
believe in; and Galeana thus swore to him.
CHAPTER 25.
How Mainet armed himself and won the joust, and how Morando
recognized him in the joust.
While Mainet was speaking to the two damsels, a seneschal said
to Galeana: My Lady, go to the table. And sitting to eat, Mainet
served her, and she ate a few small morsels, then left the table
and immediately went with the secretary into another room,
where they armed Mainet completely, and the secretary and
Galeana covered him all over with white garlands. Then the
secretary took him with a helmet on his head and with a shield
around his neck to the stable, and gave him a large steed. Mainet
mounted his horse and went to the square, and the first he
knocked down was Grandonio, for which the crowd raised a
great cheer, the second was Dalfreno, the third was the Emir of
Numidia, the fourth was Giunento, king of Granada, and many
other barons who were with him wanted to avenge him. He then
struck down Alicardo, Danfiore, Apolline of Rassia and some of
his companions and broke his lance. Galeana donated two lances
to him and with the first he knocked down Uliano of Sarza. All
the lords and every person marveled at this, and when Morando
heard he had performed so many feats, he said: Surely he must
be Charlot; and approached him. Charlot tried to avoid him so
that he would not be discovered, but then he recognized him, and
approaching him, when the lance fell from his hand, he gave it
back to him and said: Scoundrel, I recognize you; Is this the
promise you made me? Now please God that this joust is not
your undoing and mine! But since you have begun it, make sure
that you do honor to yourself and to your blood; and he began to
serve him.
Mainet set forth and Candor of Cyprus met him and Mainet
knocked him down and then knocked down Achiro of Judea and
the king of Portugal and Pentalion and Colindor and Sinagon and
many other princes. On that day Mainet overthrew the lords of
sixty cities and won the joust. Galeana had great joy, and
everyone was very amazed and astonished, and she asked
everyone who he was. When the trumpets sounded Morando
said to him: Flee outside the city. And he threw away his lance
and fled. Morando went to the room for some clothes and
brought them to him. After he was disarmed he washed his face
and reclothed he mounted Morando's horse and returned to
court. Morando had entered into a certain friendship with an
innkeeper who was at a crossroads outside Zaragoza, and he
brought all the arms and armor to him and begged the innkeeper
to guard them well and gave him some money. The innkeeper
locked them in a coffer, and Morando returned Mainet's horse to
the stable, and arriving at the court shortly after returning the
horse, he went to the palace.
Galeana had not yet seen Mainet return, and for this reason she
called Morando to her and said to him: What have you done with
he whom you served in the square? Morando said: Nothing. She
pulled him aside, the secretary present; and she said to him: Tell
me, Ragonese, who is this young man? He replied: Of course I
do not know him. Galeana said: You do not know him? Morando
swore: By Mahomet, I do not know him. Galeana said: Do not
swear by Mahomet, but swear by your God. Then Morando
suspected that Mainet had revealed himself. This was what they
were talking about when Mainet arrived and Galeana made him
a big feast. When that day was over, the secretary had a
conversation with a chambermaid, which came to Galeana's ears,
and she secretly sent her away so that she never returned,
fearing that she would reveal her sworn love for him; and yet
she kept her secret. Galeana also had a great desire to know
about Mainet, and many times when she saw how comfortable
he was with her, she asked him by God that he should tell her
who he was. Mainet always said: he was from Aragon and the
son of a merchant. Galeana said: My secretary told me that she
heard you lamenting, and what you said; and therefore it is not
true that you are the son of a merchant.
CHAPTER 26.
How Galeana found out who Mainet was, and how Morando
baptized her, and how Mainet married her.
King Galaphron searched for the one who had won the
tournament, and he could not find out who he was. Because of
this, King Galaphron did not know to whom his daughter
Galeana should be given, and had a discussion about giving her
to Uliano of Sarza or to Grandonio of Maroc. This thing was
known to Galeana, and she sent word to her father: That she
wanted no other husband than the one her fortune had given
her; that is, the one who had won the tournament by his virtue,
whether rich or poor; and if he is never found, she will never get
married. At this the tournament was ended and each man took
leave and all returned to their countries. King Galaphron called
all his sons and asked each of them if any of them had won the
tournament by his virtue. Marsilius said: I would give away half
my kingdom if it would please the god Mahomet to grant me that
much power. The latter was said to be an immortal God.
After several days, Galeana, eager to know who Mainet was,
made a small hole above Mainet's room, so that she could see as
far as the eye could into Mainet's room, and hear what they
were saying. Several times she saw Mainet and Morando making
the sign of the cross and adoring the crucifix, and hearing the
words that Morando said to Mainet, she understood that the one
who called himself Mainet was named Charlot, and the one who
called himself Ragonese was named Morando of Riviera. Galeana
continued like this for fifteen days, until eventually she heard
how he was the son of King Pepin of France, and she knew that
Morando was his foster father, and how he guarded him and
cautioned him and instructed him.
One day she took some time alone, because no other person ever
went into that room where she made the hole but her, and she
kept it locked up. Now one day having left her post she set out
and went alone in the room when her mother was asleep and
went inside. When Morando saw her he marveled greatly and he
and Mainet knelt down. She said: Christ, who is your God, save
you. Morando became very troubled and looked Mainet in the
face and thought he had revealed that they were Christian.
Galeana said: O Morando of Riviera, do not be dismayed,
because Charles, your lord, is my husband. Then she showed
how she had made a hole in the balcony, and how she had seen
and heard everything, and then she told of the promise Mainet
had made to her, and she to him. Then she threw her arms
around Morando's neck and said: O Morando, my father, you
had a child to nurture, now you will have two, and I want you to
baptize me with your own hands. Morando baptized her and as
she was baptized she wanted Mainet to marry her in Morando's
presence, and she promised not to disobey Morando's authority.
Above all, he warned her to keep the fact a secret; and from that
point on she trembled with fear of not making a mistake
whenever Morando looked at her.
CHAPTER 27.
How King Bramante of Africa, brother of King Agolante, set up
camp in Zaragoza, asking for Galeana.
It happened at that time that King Uliano of Sarza, having
returned to Africa, had told King Bramante and King Agolante
all that had happened to him in Spain, and he told them about
everything, and then told them of the great beauty and grace of
Galeana. King Bramante, although he was forty-five years of age,
nevertheless fell in love with Galeana and made up his mind to
have her as his wife, and asked another king more haughty than
himself, who was called King Polinoro, to join his company. They
crossed into Aragon with thirty thousand people and sent
ambassadors to King Galaphron to ask for his daughter. King
Galaphron was very happy about it, but when she was asked,
she replied that she did not want a husband. Marsilius said: It was
not reasonable for a fifteen-year-old damsel to have for husband
a man of forty-five; and so said the others. The ambassadors
threatened the king of Spain greatly on behalf of Bramante, and
Marsilius said: Do not threaten us, because the Romans took
many more pains to acquire Spain than Africa, and they were on
the ground at the walls of Carthage long before we were
defeated by the Romans. Angry, the ambassadors brought the
embassy to King Bramante, and he, filled with anger, set forth
from Aragon with King Polinoro and thirty thousand people and
sent word to King Agolante that he should send people; and he
sent some, but they came late. They left Aragon and came near
the city of Zaragoza to camp. King Galaphron sent word
throughout Spain and asked for help in the new war. The day
after King Bramante and King Polinoro set up camp, King
Galaphron went out of the city to battle with this plan. He gave
Marsilius and Balugante five thousand Saracen horsemen for
the first line; the second group of ten thousand Saracens he kept
for himself, and Falsiron came with him and he went out to
battle with eight thousand Saracen cavalry, and he said: I know
well that it will not be necessary for me to arm myself for so few
people. The king Polinoro said: Please leave this battle today to
me; for if I do not give you Galaphron and his children in prison,
I will call myself a misbeliever. This king Polinoro had the sword
which was called Durendal.
CHAPTER 28.
How King Galaphron and his children were taken.
One army approached the other, and when King Polinoro arrived
he collided with Marsilius and knocked him off his horse, and
Balugante broke his lance on him. King Polinoro passed up to the
banners, and he threw them on the ground and Marsilius was
put back on his horse and the Africans put those of Zaragoza to
flight. Then King Galaphron came to the field, and Falsiron struck
King Polinoro and broke his lance on him and did not lose his
saddle. The lance broken, King Galaphron wanted to draw his
sword, but Polinoro wounded him so severely that he made him
forget everything. Polinoro grabbed him, removed him from the
saddle, gave him as a prisoner to his knights to take to King
Bramante, and reentering the battle, all the people of Zaragoza
were defeated and driven right into the trenches. Between the
prisoners and the dead there were more than eight thousand.
When the three brothers returned to the palace, their mother
scolded them greatly, saying: O cowardly children, where have
you left your father? Now who is going to rescue him before a
long time has passed? Balugante said: Give Galeana as wife to
King Bramante and you will recover him. In the evening, after
vespers, the queen begged Galeana very much to take Bramante
as a partner, but she said: I will answer you tomorrow morning.
In the evening she asked Morando how she should answer.
Morando said: Say that you would die first. So she replied to the
queen. When King Bramante learned in the evening that
Marsilius had been the cause of not having had Galeana, he and
King Polinoro threatened him greatly. The following morning
King Polinoro armed himself and came to the gate to ask for
man-to-man battle. Marsilius immediately armed himself and
came out into the field and was knocked down and captured. He
then went to Balugante's camp and was a prisoner; then Falsiron
came and King Polinoro praised Falsiron for being the most
honest and strong of all three brothers, but King Bramante
thought less of him, and out of contempt he had Marsilius go on
foot as far as the king's pavilion. Arriving at King Bramante's
pavilion, he asked King Galaphron if there was any baron in the
city who had the courage to dare to stand against him. He
replied: No.
CHAPTER 29.
How Morando armed himself and went out into the field, how he
was taken and of the great honor that was generally done to him
by all the Saracens.
Morando seeing that King Galaphron and his children had been
taken, and seeing Galeana weeping, went to the chamber to arm
himself. Galeana and Mainet helped him to arm himself, and
when he was armed he taught Mainet and Galeana and warned
them strongly what they should do if fortune turned against
them. Mainet asked him where his weapons were and Morando
said: On that day when you jousted, I left them in an inn outside
the gates. Galeana said: Do not doubt that I will give you
weapons, and the best ones of those. Morando then mounted his
horse and went into the field, and when he sounded his horn
every man was astonished.
King Polinoro asked Galaphron who he was. King Galaphron was
unable to tell him. King Polinoro armed himself and having come
to the field, he asked Morando who he was. Morando replied: I
am castellan and carver at the table to King Galaphron and I am
a knight. King Polinoro said: Go and return to the city, I will
never fight with someone else's servant. Morando said: Many
lords have had better servants than you, and although I serve
before King Galaphron, I am nevertheless a gentleman and a
knight, so that you cannot by reason of arms refuse me. Polinoro
said: You seek your evil and you will have it. And he threatened
to have him hanged by the throat. They took the field and
wounded each other twice, and King Polinoro's horse was about
to fall and King Polinoro received a much greater blow from
Morando than any blow that he gave; but Morando's horse fell,
and so he was taken prisoner. Having found Morando such a
valiant knight, Polinoro did him great honor and praised him
much to King Bramante and to King Galaphron, so much so that
King Galaphron offered him in exchange for his freedom from
the ordeal in which he was at present. King Polinoro said to
Morando: O Ragonese, if you want to follow King Bramante he
will make you rich in cities and treasures. Morando replied: In
this fortune I will never abandon my lord, King Galaphron.
CHAPTER 30.
How Mainet armed himself and came to fight with King Polinoro,
and of the battle of the first day.
While this was being discussed in the battlefield, Mainet, who
had seen Morando being taken prisoner, said to Galeana and her
mother the queen: Give me arms and a horse, I want to go to the
battlefield. The queen marveled greatly at the great boldness
that Mainet seemed to have towards her, and led him to
Galaphron's room, and as mother and daughter went inside,
almost crying, Mainet comforted them. There he saw more than
a hundred suits of armor and took down an ancient one that
pleased him very much, and when he was armed the queen and
the princess went with him to the stable, and the queen gave him
the best horse and he rode into the field with a vermilion
surcoat and a silver insignia of Mahomet. Once on the field, he
stopped and began to sound a horn, giving a sign that he was
asking for battle.
Every man marveled saying: Who can this be? King Bramante
asked King Galaphron and his sons who he was. No one was
able to tell him who it was. Then King Polinoro armed himself
and came to the field very furious, and having come to him, he
greeted him and asked him: Who was he? Mainet answered: I am
from Barcelona, the son of a merchant. King Polinoro began to
laugh and said: Leave then and go back to selling your
merchandise and forget about feats of arms. Mainet said: I want
to try. Polinoro marveled at his quick reply and said: You are not
a knight; I would not fight with you for several reasons, first
because you are a commoner, second because you are someone
else's servant and third because you are not a knight. Mainet
answered and said: If you promise to wait here long enough for
me to return, I will go inside the city and make myself a knight.
Polinoro promised to wait for him. Mainet turned towards the
city and went to be knighted.
When the queen and Galeana saw him return they were
astonished, and especially Galeana, for the queen thought he was
returning out of fear. Galeana had no such thought but when he
arrived and explained the cause, the queen wanted to make him
a knight. Galeana said to her mother: Mother, every daughter of
the king and queen can make a knight before she marries, and
therefore I want to make him my knight. When Mainet came to
swear the oath of chivalry, Galeana said: Swear by the God
whom I adore to keep my faith; and Mainet thus swore to
maintain the Christian faith, but the Saracens believed that he
had sworn by the faith of Mahomet. Once he was a knight, he
changed his coat-of-arms, keeping however the vermilion field
and the silver insignia of Mahomet. He mounted his horse and
returned to the field made a knight by the hand of Galeana and
combated with King Polinoro and inflicted great blows, and King
Polinoro almost fell from his horse. Mainet did not droop in his
saddle, and all the innkeepers, those from outside and inside the
city, marveled greatly and said: By Mahomet, this man is not the
son of a merchant, as he says. With drawn swords they began a
great battle; and the first assault lasted until vespers. They were
thrown from their horses and were very tired and weary, and
their helmets and their shields were broken. They rested again
after the first assault, and restarting the second, King Polinoro
gave Mainet a great blow with both hands, so that he was dazed,
and carried him with his whole horse more than a hundred
yards, so that he did not know where he was. King Polinoro
followed him to wound him, but Mainet returned to his senses,
filled with anger and shame and remembering Galeana, threw
the broken shield over his shoulders and took his sword in both
hands and turned to King Polinoro and wounded him on the
helmet with such force that he made him hit the helmet on the
horse's neck. Polinoro was stunned and, having come to his
senses, he cursed Mahomet and Termagant.
As the battle lasted for a long time, it was already approaching
evening, and King Polinoro felt very tired and it seemed to him
that Mainet did not care about the battle. King Polinoro said:
Certainly, knight, I do not believe that you are the son of a
merchant; but I beg you to tell me your name and what you are
doing in the court of King Galaphron. He answered and said: I
have the name Mainet and I am the carver for Galeana, and she
made me her knight by her hand. Polinoro said: I want a favor
from you, that we delay this battle until tomorrow morning.
Mainet gave him a reprieve, and they swore by their faith to
return the next morning to provide battle. Mainet entrusted the
prisoners to him and especially entrusted Ragonese, because he
had kept him good company in Aragon and in Spain. Mainet
returned to the city and King Polinoro returned to camp in his
pavilion.
CHAPTER 31.
How Charlemagne, called Mainet, killed King Polinoro and
acquired the sword Durendal.
When Mainet returned to Zaragoza, Queen Galeana embraced
him, giving him great honor and a large feast. In the evening an
expensive bath was prepared for him, and hoping for victory for
him, she received him very well. That night Mainet rested well,
and that night many men-at-arms from the provinces of Spain
entered Zaragoza, who came to assist King Galaphron, and many
people were waiting for the following morning. King Polinoro
returned to the camp in the evening and, when he was disarmed,
went to King Bramante, who asked about the battle. King
Polinoro answered him and said that the battle was very
uncertain and of great danger and that he thought it best to
break camp and make an agreement, while they had them
prisoners. King Bramante marveled, and he walked up and down
the pavilion; then he asked King Galaphron who this Mainet was,
who served before him carving with a knife. King Galaphron
answered and said: I do not know him except as a servant. King
Bramante said: Now how do you keep servants at home, who
serve you at table, that you do not know? He replied: It is more
than five years since he came with this knight that you have
prisoner, and I believe he is about twenty-two years old; and
because he was so young, I did not bother to find out who he
was. Bramante said: Tell me, Ragonese, who is this young man?
Morando replied: Sir, I do not know who he is, but coming from
Barcelona I found him on the street at an inn and we went
together and he told me he served in a castle. And here Morando
swore by the faith of Mahomet that he did not know who he was.
King Bramante made them keep a good guard, threatening them
with death. In the evening King Polinoro said to King Bramante:
Certainly it will be best for us to agree to leave, for I have found
this young man to be the best free knight in the world, and I fear
that if we fight, I will not win and be victorious. Bramante
answered him haughtily and said: I am going to fight, so that you
can rest.
Polinoro said, and no less haughtily than him: If you swear to
me as a loyal knight, that if I die, you will fight with him until his
death, I will go to battle for Mahomet tomorrow morning. King
Bramante promised him, and he went off to rest. It was not until
the next day that Mainet armed himself with new arms, because
his arms from the previous day were badly broken and mangled,
and he came to the field and asked for battle with great courage.
King Polinoro, as if desperate, armed himself and once again
wanted King Bramante to swear to fight. Then came King
Polinoro into the field and issued a challenge, and they struck
two great blows with the lances and there was no advantage
even though Polinoro came closer to the end. Swords being
drawn, a fierce battle began, and for the space of an hour the
battle went on evenly. Polinoro was angry at heaven and at
fortune that a young man should last so long against him, and
out of desperation he began to say to Mainet that he defended a
whore. Mainet, who was in love, threw away his shield and with
a two-handed sword attacked him with such fury that his horse
stood up, whereupon the sword struck the head of Polinoro's
horse and he remained on his feet.
Mainet dismounted and Polinoro marveled and thought well that
he was not the son of a merchant and said: O Mainet, I ask you
for that God you adore, and for that which you love most in this
world, and for chivalry, tell me who you are and what your name
is. Charles answered and said: You have implored me for three
things that are each great sacraments to me; but it is better for
you not to know. Having said this, he boldly bore his sword in
his hand and said: I am called Charlemagne and I am the son of
King Pepin of France and Emperor of Rome, and I am a mortal
enemy of the traitors of France and of every Saracen. When
Polinoro heard this, he thought he was preparing for his death,
so that all the Saracens would know him; but Mainet brought all
his strength to the battle, and with his two-handed sword
joining strength to strength, he struck him and cut him halfway
from the head to the chest. As soon as he had killed him, he took
away the sword that Polinoro was holding and remounted his
horse and returned to Zaragoza. Many people had already gone
out of the city to help him, as Galeana had ordered, and Mainet
came to them, they called him captain, and he commanded some
to go up to the dead body of King Polinoro and bring him the
sheath of the sword which he had girded. He sent back to
Galeana the one she had given him, and drew Durendal to his
side.
CHAPTER 32.
How Charlemagne fought with Bramante the first day.
Since Mainet had belted Durendal, he had a good shield
brought to him and grabbed a large lance and returned to the
field to ask for battle. When King Bramante saw Polinoro dead,
he felt great grief, but was even more sorry to hear that the one
who had killed him asked him to do battle. Whereupon, with
great pride and a surge of anger, he armed himself, threatening
to have Mainet eaten by the dogs in revenge for King Polinoro.
Arming himself, King Bramante first put on a mail hauberk and
greaves and cuisses and faulds and gorget, and then he put on a
hauberk of tempered steel plates, and above all he put on scale
armor with a surcoat bearing a gold insignia of Mahomet, then
he fastened on an enchanted helmet, which was of such good
tempered steel that no one has ever found one like it, nor even
better; and many say that in this helmet was forged one of the
nails with which Christ was driven into the cross. The field of his
surcoat, on the outside, was all pale blue and full of golden lilies,
and likewise the whole surcoat of the horse. Bramante mounted
on a large horse and wore a large sword girded with a baldric
and a large mace attached to the saddle tree. He took up a long
lance and then commanded his people, on pain of life, that they
should give him no help against a single one, and before he was
summoned he had each of the prisoners given four severe
beatings. He then came to the field against Mainet and greeted
him; then he asked what his name was and whence he came.
Mainet claimed that he was the son of a merchant. Bramante
kindly asked him to show him his face, Mainet said: Who will
give me security? Show me yours first. Bramante uncovered his
face and then Mainet revealed his. When Bramante saw him
many wondered how it could be that such a young knight had
already killed Polinoro; and as he looked young Charles directly
in the face, Charles looked back at him, but finally it was
necessary for King Bramante to lower his eyes: so proud was the
gaze of Charles. They lowered their visors, challenged each
other, and took to the field and with the lances they wounded
each other so severely that both of them broke their straps and
breastplates, and both fell to the ground from their horses; and
when they rose again, King Bramante took hold of the mace
which he had attached to the saddle tree, and Mainet drew
Durendal and they began a fierce assault. Bramante, seeing
Mainet's pride, would gladly have removed him from his
company, promising to keep him instead of his son, who was
fifteen years old and who had the name Traimondes, and also
promising to crown him with three kingdoms. Mainet, still
contradicting and fighting, cut the shield off his neck and
Bramante smashed his whole shield with his mace. Having put
an end to the great breathlessness of the first assault, with good
guard both of them stopped after two lance handles.
Bramante asked him again what he had asked him before, and
Mainet did not answer him, but he always kept in mind in which
way he could most injure him, since Bramante had always had
the advantage over him. They recommenced the second much
worse assault, and King Bramante greatly injured Mainet, but he
was always very careful and dodged many of Bramante's blows,
and so they lasted until evening and night, and Mainet always
had the worst of the battle. The sunlight having already
darkened, Mainet said: O knight, it is not customary in my land
for a knight to fight by night. Bramante said: If you promise me
to return to battle tomorrow morning, for your faith I will let
you go alone, because you are such a noble and valiant knight.
Mainet vowed to return to battle the following morning; and
Bramante also vowed the same. When they were about to leave
one another, King Bramante said: O Mainet, think tonight about
the offer that I made you today, that I promise to crown you with
three kingdoms and you will be my son Traimondes' companion.
Mainet answered: That he would think about it, and then said: O
King Bramante, I beg you for the honor of chivalry that you do
honor to the prisoners and especially to the last prisoner,
Ragonese, until the end of the battle. King Bramante promised
to do him honor for his love; and they took their horses by hand,
so that they could not mount them, and each of them returned
on foot, Mainet to the city, Bramante to the camp.
CHAPTER 33.
How Mainet made a great battle with King Bramante, and how
he killed him.
Mainet returned to his knights and he went back with them to
the city of Zaragoza and was given great honor by the
men-at-arms and by the queen and by Galeana. In the evening
they took a very solemn bath and Galeana stayed in prayer all
night, praying to Jesus for Mainet. As soon as Mainet had supped,
he went to bed to rest, and in the meantime the people of the
city prayed to their gods to help Mainet. King Bramante
returned to his pavilion, and before disarming he summoned the
Ragonese and asked him if he knew Mainet. The Ragonese said:
Sir, I know him, as does King Galaphron, but otherwise I do not
know who he is. Bramante told him about the battle he had
fought with him and how he had begged him to come and be
Traimondes' brother, and how he answered him in the evening
when he left the field. He then made the Ragonese swear to go
and pray that he would want Bramante for his father and
Traimondes for his brother, and that he would crown him with
three of the greatest realms and that he would be able to lead
fifty thousand knights. Morando, who had seen him take off all
of his armor while he was speaking to him, swore to return. He
then went to Zaragoza and it was opened to him, and going
inside, he found that Mainet had gone to sleep. He waited for
him until morning, and getting Mainet out of bed, Morando gave
him the message, laughing, and then informed him that
Bramante was badly armored in the neck, and that he only had
the leather lorica of his helmet, and that the laces were poorly
covered and that in every other place his armor was doubled
and he only took care of that. Having advised Mainet, Morando
returned to camp. In the morning Mainet ordered all his people
into three ranks. Morando, having returned to the camp,
reported to Bramante that Mainet did not want to agree to
anything. Bramante then with great pride armed himself and set
forth, and Mainet ordered the three ranks of his men and then
came to the field, and being wary, they wounded each other with
lances, and both horses went to the ground. When the horses
had fallen, the barons rose to their feet, and Bramante took his
mace, and Mainet the sword Durendal, and they ran one
against the other and began a great battle.
Inside the city and outside among the enemy there was great
fear, considering that whichever of them was the loser, his side
was defeated. The fear was greater in Galeana than in any other
person, and yet she prayed to God and the holy mother for
Mainet. At the first assault Mainet had the worst of the battle,
and this lasted until the third assault. And taking his rest again,
King Bramante asked him if he wanted to do what he had
repeatedly asked him to do. Not answering, Mainet thought
about what Morando had told him. They began the second
assault, and Bramante gave Mainet a blow that he could not
dodge, and it was such that he was about to fall, and hitting each
other blow by blow, Mainet waited until he could cover up and
lost more than fifty paces of the field. Then Mainet heated with
anger and shame, took his sword in both hands and furiously
without any guard and as if in desperation he began to strike
right and left, so that they struck each other furiously, and
Mainet wounded King Bramante in several places and regained
part of the lost field. Then the honest champions, exhausted and
tired, gave an end to the second assault. Regaining his breath,
Mainet rested his hands on the pommel of his sword and
Bramante on his mace, and Mainet kept in mind what Morando
had told him in secret; and since he had rested somewhat, he
commended himself to God and he gave Bramante a thrust with
all the strength of his person, and, taking his sword with the left
hand in the middle, and with the right between the hilt and the
pommel, he started to run towards Bramante, but King
Bramante struck him with a mace with such great force that he
made him lie down on the ground, stunned. Bramante then ran
up to him and grabbed him and by force threw him on his
shoulders and carried him towards his pavilion. Galeana, seeing
this, swooned and the knights of Zaragoza began to go back into
the city saddened, that is, those who had gone out. Having thus
brought Mainet to King Bramante, he returned to his senses.
There are two opinions among the authors. One says: that
Mainet stabbed him under the helmet with a dagger in the face;
the other says: He hit him in the mouth with the pommel of his
sword and broke three of his teeth. Bramante fell due to the
great pain, and when he reached the ground Mainet jumped to
his feet with sword in hand and struck him through the thigh,
but it did him little harm.
Bramante, enflamed with the greatest anger, seeing himself
being mocked, took his mace in both hands to hit Mainet on the
head; but he threw himself aside and escaped the blow, so that
Bramante's blow struck the ground. Mainet swung his sword to
cut off both of Bramante's hands, but it landed on the mace an
inch away from his hands and cut the mace in half. Bramante
added wrath upon wrath when he saw himself without a mace,
and with the remaining piece he hit Mainet in the chest. The
author says that up to this point Mainet had always had the
disadvantage and that Bramante had always had the advantage
in battle. From this point on, King Bramante began always to
suffer the worst, and Galeana was called and comforted
somewhat. The knights of Zaragoza returned to the field and
slew the enemy, fighting like valiant champions. King Bramante
had drawn his sword and without respect or care for his person
boldly fought like one who is desperate, but the prudent Mainet
fought with great caution, and seeing that Bramante was fighting
the battle without reason, he thought to win more with
intelligence rather than force; and when Bramante delivered the
greatest blows, Mainet avoided and dodged them, protecting
himself more than wounding, and every time King Bramante
bent low, when he was lowered towards the ground, then
Mainet struck Bramante lightly on the laces on the back of his
helmet. Bramante believed that Mainet was tired because of his
weak blows and therefore hoped for victory in a short time; and
he was so enraged in battle that he did not notice that the strap
of his helmet was cut.
Mainet, who had cut it off, was aware of the event to come as a
result of his plan, and began to abuse him with words and say to
him: Surrender yourself to the merchant's son; surrender to the
faith of his God because your Mahomet is false and a liar.
Bramante said in a loud voice: Mahomet, how do you suffer that
a bad son of a village commoner scorns you and spites me? And
taking his sword in both hands and without any reason or guard
of his person, he ran upon Mainet and struck him with his sword
with such force that three champions made like Mainet would
have been sliced in half but, forewarned, Mainet threw himself
aside and Bramante struck his sword on the earth and thrust it
more than halfway into the ground and due to the great strength
he applied he bent so far forward that his helmet, which had the
laces cut at the back, went halfway up his head and almost came
off his head. Mainet with his sword boldly attacked between the
helmet and the shoulders and cleanly severed his neck so that
he severed his head from his bowed shoulders, and so Bramante
fell dead to the ground.
Then there was a great uproar among the knights on both sides,
some out of sorrow and some out of joy, but among the Spanish
knights there was a great uproar out of joy. His destrier was
brought to Mainet, and he mounted his horse and commanded a
corporal to remove Bramante's helmet and carry it to Galeana,
and so he did. Mainet had this helmet brought to him to have for
himself, because he had never been able to damage it with
Durendal, and therefore it seemed to him better than all the
helmets in the world. Having sent away his helmet, he went with
those people who had left Zaragoza towards the camp of the
enemies, who made no defense. Mainet went as far as the
pavilion wanting to free the prisoners, and the Africans
surrendered without any opposition, and he was blessed by
anyone he found who he wanted to capture. When Mainet
reached the pavilion, which belonged to King Bramante, each
man knelt down and he dismounted and entered inside with his
sword and rescued King Galaphron, Duke Morando, Marsilius
and his brothers, and all the knights who were guarding King
Bramante surrendered to Mainet. King Galaphron made him
captain general of all his people of Spain, of Granada, of Aragon,
of Navarre, of Portugal, of Galicia, of Lusitania and of every other
province subjected under his lordship, and cities and castles by
sea and by land, and then with this victory they entered the city
of Zaragoza where there was a great celebration.
CHAPTER 34.
How Mainet was invited to fight with King Godfrey, and how he
became friends with Ogier, son of the same king.
For many days there was great celebration and rejoicing in
Zaragoza and in all parts of Spain for the victory won. At the
same time, King Agolante sent to the aid of his brother Bramante
a most valiant lord, called Godfrey, king of Getulia and Sarais and
of Mount Metetubari and Mount Ciarcosi and Mount Cinabori,
placed on the borders of Numidia and Mauritania. He had three
cities on the sea, one called Arzons, the second Artani, and the
third Feren. These were three parts of the realm of Sarais, and
this king Agolante sent Godfrey to help his brother, because he
had gone to him asking for help, when he left Aragon.
Arriving in the port of Carthage, he disembarked on land with
eighty thousand Saracens and with his son, who had the name
Ogier, who was eighteen years old, and was a very handsome
young man, very bold and vigorous in his body. The news of
these people reached King Galaphron in Zaragoza and a great
alarm was raised in the city, and King Galaphron had his people
gather, who had already left, and while the people gathered, the
news came one day that King Godfrey was at Zaragoza. Then
they resolved to go out the next day to meet King Godfrey, but
the following night those people all came to the camp around
Zaragoza. King Godfrey had learned of the death of King
Bramante and King Polinoro from some of those who had fled
and escaped from the past battle, so he decided to see Mainet,
and sent an ambassador to King Galaphron in the city and asked
to come to speak with him in person, and was granted safe
conduct to enter the city with a thousand horsemen.
King Galaphron and his sons went to meet him, and Mainet and
Morando also went with them. King Godfrey took his son Ogier
with him. Mainet had on his head a wreath adorned with many
pearls. When they met, one king did great honor to the other,
and then they turned towards the city and Mainet took Ogier,
son of King Godfrey, by the hand, and it seemed to the young
man that Mainet was so well-mannered and so noble that he
was ashamed of the bad manners which he judged himself and
the people who were with him to have. Riding towards the city,
the two discussed Bramante's past battles and King Godfrey
asked who Mainet was; and King Galaphron said to him: He is
the one who is with your son Ogier. When they dismounted
King Godfrey stopped and they looked into each other's faces
and stayed steady, and finally King Godfrey could not help but
lower his eyes. They then climbed to the palace and Mainet took
Ogier by the hand.
Ogier had already fallen in love with Mainet's noble customs,
and throughout the time that King Godfrey made his stay in the
city, while he stayed there for three days, Ogier always went
with Mainet and slept with him, and he fell so much in love with
his honesty that he placed in his heart to always be in his
company. Mainet always did his best to do him honor, as much
as he could or knew how, so much so that Ogier said to him: O
noble lord Mainet, I have put it in my heart to live and to die with
you. Mainet said to him: That he would be very dear to him, but
his nobility did not suit his low status, that he was the son of a
merchant and he was the son of a king. Ogier made fun of him
and said: For this reason it will not remain customary that I am
your servant, and I want you to be my teacher in matters of
arms: and he said so much that Mainet accepted him as a
companion and they shared a great and perfect love for one
another. King Godfrey said on the third day: That in revenge of
King Bramante and for his honor he wanted to fight with Mainet;
and so that no other battle would arise, Mainet accepted the
battle, and in the pact it was stated that if Mainet lost King
Galaphron would give homage to King Agolante, and if Mainet
won, the camp would return back.
It was agreed that King Galaphron would give two hostages, and
so King Godfrey, having set the day for the battle, returned to the
field, and Ogier remained with Mainet. When the day of the
battle came, King Godfrey assigned Ogier as hostage and King
Galaphron wanted to send Marsilius as hostage into the field,
but he did not want to go there, nor did any of his brothers who
said: They do not want to subjugate to a merchant and the son
of a commoner. King Galaphron expelled them from him with
rude words and, calling Mainet, said to him: I cannot wait for
what I have promised: but before I fail in my faith I will go in
person, for the hope I have in you; and he mounted his horse
and Ogier together with him; and arriving at his father's
pavilion, he told him how the matter was and that he had come
as a hostage so as not to fail in his faith. When King Godfrey saw
the nobility of King Galaphron, he did not want to keep him
prisoner, but said to him: Take Ogier with you, for I trust you,
that without fail you will keep the faith as royal king of what you
have promised me. So he returned the following morning, and
Galeana armed Ogier and he went out to the battle and wore the
helmet that belonged to King Bramante.
CHAPTER 35.
How Mainet fought with King Godfrey, father of Ogier, who
returned to Africa and left Ogier with Mainet, and how before he
left Zaragoza, weeping, he entrusted him to him.
When Mainet arrived in the field, he sounded the horn and asked
for battle from King Godfrey, who armed himself and came to
the field, and brought a large club attached to the saddle tree.
And having reached where Mainet was, they saluted and
challenged one another and they took to the field and wounded
each other with lances and there was little advantage. The
lances broken, Mainet turned around with his sword in his hand,
and King Godfrey took his club and began a bitter and strong
battle, and thus fighting King Godfrey gave Mainet a blow with
his club and broke his entire shield. Mainet took his sword in
both hands and wounded him above the head, but the king
blocked the blow with his shield and club; but Mainet cut the
club and part of the shield in half, and then they fought with
swords, and out of exhaustion finished this assault and rested.
Mainet began to say: O noble king, I beg you for the love of your
noble son Ogier, that we put an end to this battle; between us
there is no reason why we have to engage in such a deadly
battle. Ogier had recommended his father to Mainet when he
helped him arm. King Godfrey did not answer him, but they
restarted the next assault which lasted until noon and,
exhausted, they and the horses stopped to catch their breath.
Mainet also begged him again for the agreement, and he
answered and said: It is not time yet. A little while later the
third assault began again, and in that they were flooded with
wounds, and in that they came to such a close grip that one
grabbed the other by the aventails of the helmet. Mainet took off
the visor of his helmet and the king was left without a visor, and
then they left each other. Mainet cut off all his weapons and truly
would have vanquished him, but Mainet looked at him because
of Ogier's great love, and he had already had great love for Ogier.
King Godfrey was aware of it, even though he himself had the
worst of the battle. Being therefore very exhausted, they turned
back, and King Godfrey already had three wounds. Standing
thus firm, Mainet said to him: O most noble king, why do you
want without cause that one of us, or really both, should be
killed in this bitter battle? I beg you for how much love you have
for Ogier, your dear son, that we make peace. King Godfrey was
satisfied and they made peace with the pact and condition that
he leave with all the host and return to Getulia, that is in part of
Africa, and that King Galaphron yield Ogier to him and remain
free from any tribute.
Mainet returned to the city and Marsilius and his brothers, who
already bore Mainet great hatred, began to say: That he was
leaving the battle out of fear. Arriving at King Galaphron, he
asked him how the battle was going and if he was wounded.
Mainet told him how he had made peace and King Galaphron
said to him: I am satisfied with what you have done, and it will
be as you want, I affirm everything that you have done. And then
he sent for Ogier and told him how the peace was made. Ogier
was very cheerful, but he was not happy to have to leave Mainet,
and he knelt at his feet and begged him to ask his father, King
Godfrey, to leave him with him in Spain.
Mainet asked King Galaphron to keep Ogier in his good company,
and King Galaphron did as Mainet had asked him. King Godfrey
then came to meet King Galaphron at the side of the city gate,
and each of them dismounted from his destrier, and all the
barons dismounted on foot and formed a circle, and there the
peace was affirmed and sworn, as mentioned above. Ogier soon
knelt down before his father and begged him by all the Gods to
leave him in the court of King Galaphron with Mainet so that he
could learn his most noble customs of chivalry, and Mainet
swore to treat him as his own brother.
King Godfrey, seeing the will of his son and the kindness of
Mainet, said: I am content, but I have no other son. He then
begged King Galaphron to do as he wished, and to make him like
Marsilius, his eldest son; and so he promised to do so and then
said to Ogier: I command you not to depart from the will of
Mainet, since he is the best knight in the world. He embraces
Mainet, kisses him and with tears he entrusts Ogier to him, and
then commends him to Marsilius and his brothers and all the
barons, and, embracing his son, he takes leave and returns to the
pavilion. The following morning he broke camp and sent much
treasure to Ogier and left fifty noble squires with him. After
many days he returned to the port of Carthage, where he
entered the sea with his men and sailed back to his country,
where a short time later he died and King Agolante took
possession all his realms.
CHAPTER 36.
How Ogier knew who Mainet was and how he became a
Christian and swore his faith.
Ogier stayed with Mainet and together they loved each other
very much, and Ogier learned many of his noble ways by being
accustomed to being together. Ogier had found Mainet many
times on his knees, and had sometimes heard him entrust
himself to Jesus Christ; and realizing that Galeana loved him
very much, he had also noticed that the Ragonese instructed
him and corrected him in secret. He thought he was really a
Christian, and loved him more than before, thinking he must be
the son of some great gentleman and not a merchant.
It happened that one day Mainet was criticized greatly by
Marsilius, because he hated him a lot for the honor that his
father and the barons gave him, and Morando and Ogier were
present. Because of this, Morando led Mainet into his room and
as he entered he left the door open and did not lock it at all.
Ogier went after, and having reached the door, he stopped to
listen, and Morando began to say: By God, let us not stay in this
court any more, let us go back to France to regain your kingdom
from the two bastards who hold it, and to avenge King Pepin
your father. When Ogier heard these words, he was so happy
that he went inside and locked the door, and Morando laughing
said: Oh, what are you doing Ogier? Ogier threw himself on his
knees at Mainet's feet and said: I have heard your words and yet
I beg you, my lord, and you too, Morando, to accept me into your
faith. Morando said: How! Do you not believe in Mahomet and
Apollo and Termagant the great, as we now do? Ogier said: You
Do not believe these, but you believe in baptism, and therefore I
Will not get off my knees unless you baptize me.
Then Mainet, seeing and knowing Ogier to be very faithful, took
out a silver basin and a bronze pitcher full of water and baptized
him in the name of the most holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy
Spirit, and Ogier swore to always follow Mainet until his death.
Morando then told him who Mainet was and how he was called
Charlemagne. Ogier immediately knelt down to Charles, and
wanted to kiss his feet, but he made him stand up and said to
him: If God gives me the grace to return to my kingdom, I
promise you, O Ogier, that you will be standard-bearer of the
crown of France and you will bear the holy banner Oriflamme.
Then they all embraced and kissed. Ogier then said to Mainet:
Do you want, sir, that I cut off Marsilius's head? Morando
answered and said: Alas, Ogier, what are you saying? do you
want to endanger you and us? I do not want you to ignore my
commandment, because I am Mainet's second father. Ogier then
said: And I want to be your second son and I will never go
beyond your commandment. Mainet told him how Galeana had
been baptized and how she was his bride, and how he had
secretly married her. Ogier said: These sons of King Galaphron
also show ill will against my Mainet, and therefore it will be
better that I familiarize myself and practice with them, and I will
pretend that I do not care about you, and if they have ill will
against you, they will tell me something. And so in agreement
they left the room, and Morando said to Ogier: Do not trouble
yourself and do not get upset about what they tell you if you want
to know their thoughts.
CHAPTER 37.
How Mainet, Ogier, and Morando, disappointed the sons of King
Galaphron and secretly departed from Zaragoza with Galeana.
Ogier became very familiar with Marsilius, pretending that he
had little love for Mainet, and sometimes he said certain words
in contempt for him, and he did the same with Balugante and
with Falsiron. Meanwhile, one day, Marsilius, Balugante,
Falsiron, and Ogier being all together (believing that Ogier hated
Mainet), Balugante could not help but say many villainous words
against Mainet. Then all three went to their mother and said:
Mother, this Mainet has taken away the honor of Spain. She
counselled them to put him to death and said: Find a way, but
beware of your father and Galeana, for they love him very much.
They thought they would then give Galeana to Ogier as his wife
and they were wary of Galeana but not of Ogier.
So they tried every way and means to have Mainet killed, and
they revealed all the facts to Ogier; and Ogier, so that they might
not suspect him, never spoke to Mainet, but told everything to
Galeana, and she told Morando and Mainet. Morando spoke to
Ogier and Mainet one night and they resolved to leave and
return to France and to lead Galeana secretly, and they affirmed
that they would leave on the third night. On the day that they
were to leave at night, Marsilius and his brothers ordered
Mainet to be killed with many armed men on the following
morning when he got up and left his room. Ogier swore his
treachery with them, and as soon as he left he went to Morando
and told him the whole story. A servant of Marsilius went to
Galeana and said to her: He had heard that Mainet would be
Killed in the morning by Marsilius; and Galeana said: He is very
right. In the evening she spoke to Morando, Mainet and Ogier
and gave the order to flee during the night.
It happened that she sent for them in their room and the servant
that she sent was asked by the queen where he was going. He
replied: Where Galeana sent him. Having delivered the message
to Mainet, he went back, and the queen asked: What is Mainet
doing? The servant said: That he compared his armor with that
of Ogier. The truth was that Galeana had given Ogier a beautiful
set of armor and a beautiful helmet and they were deciding
which was the most beautiful, and this is what the servant
meant. Having had the messge from Galeana, they left their
armor and went to her. When the queen saw them go by, she
went to their rooms with four servants, removed all the armor
of Mainet, and believing Mainet's helmet to be stolen (that is, the
one that belonged to Bramante), removed the one that Galeana
had given to Ogier, and they also removed Durendal and took
them away; and since she knew the plans and orders of her
children and knew the boldness of Mainet, she was afraid that
he might arm himself against them, who in the meantime were
getting ready in the shadows of some feast to be seen the
following night.
Galeana promised to steal the key to the gate, and when Mainet,
Ogier and Morando returned to their room, they found their
armor and sword stolen. They were in great sorrow, but
Morando, praising God, comforted them and said to Mainet:
Do not be discouraged, because we will find the armor you wore
in the joust, which is still in the inn where I left it. Then Morando
deftly went to Galeana and obtained the sword that Mainet sent
her with which he had killed King Polinoro. In the evening, when
everyone had supped, Mainet had a good time and enjoyed
himself until it was time to go to sleep. Galeana stole the
promised key, and when each man had gone to sleep, dressed as
a man, she stole many jewels and came to Mainet's room and
found Morando and Ogier armed and went on foot to the gate.
The day before Morando had sent four large horses and three
large lances from outside the hotel. When they reached the gate
and met the guards, they hailed them and opened it, and Mainet,
as captain, said: Look, until the ninth hour tomorrow do not say
that I have left on pain of the gallows, because we are leaving for
a necessity of Galaphron. They came to the hotel where Mainet
armed them and mounted all four of them on horseback, and
they set off towards Gascony and rode with haste. Ogier said:
Will we leave without a battle? If at least Marsilius would come
after us! And they rode all night to cross the River Deron.
CHAPTER 38.
How Marsilius was mocked for allowing Mainet to flee, and how,
once the noise had stopped, he was pursued.
It was already near daylight when Marsilius and his brothers in
company with a hundred armed men came to the room where
Mainet used to sleep and they knocked on the door and nobody
answered. Then they imagined that Mainet had heard them, and
in a fury they threw the door down on the ground and ran inside
and pierced the entire bed with spears and swords, and not
finding him, they pierced with lances all the way under the bed.
Finally they said: He will be in Galeana's room. And they ran
there and going inside, they found neither him nor Galeana. A
servant of Marsilius, who had gone to Ogier's room to call him,
returned and said to his master: Ogier is not there and his
servants do not know anything. At this the queen arrived where
her children were and she said: Have you killed that proud
foreigner? They replied that he was not to be found.
It was already light, and the queen was astonished and had
Galeana called, and not finding her, Balugante said: Now do you
see that it is all your daughter's fault? The queen said: You
speak wrongly because my daughter is not to blame for this.
The whole palace was searched and not finding Galeana, nor
Morando, nor Ogier, nor Mainet, a great cry arose saying: "They
have fled." Then twelve of Ogier's servants were killed, and had
it not been that King Galaphron ran to the noise, they would all
have been killed.
They asked at the gate and the corporal, who was at the gate
through which Mainet exited, did not want to say anything for
fear of Mainet, but when he heard how he had fled and how he
was taking Galeana with him, he immediately showed how he,
Ogier, and the Ragonese has left on foot. For this news the queen
began to cry and King Galaphron felt great sorrow. The
innkeeper then came to reveal how the day before the Ragonese
had sent him four horses and that they had left by night and had
an unarmed youth with them; and from this it was clear that
they had fled. Marsilius and his brothers mounted on horseback
with many companions and followed them with five thousand
on horseback and sent messengers and cavalry everywhere to
have them held prisoner where they arrived.
CHAPTER 39.
How Marsilius and his brothers pursued Mainet as far as
Pamplona, and of the battle they fought at Malborghetto or
Calisfor, which was a strong castle.
Morando of Riviera knew the great danger they had already
placed themselves in, and searching in his mind for the safest
way, since he had been to Spain many times and had seen that
sight and heard of it, he endeavored to pass the great river,
called Ibero. The following day he arrived in the countryside of
Luceria and lodged in a villa and the next day he crossed the
river and came in the evening to a city called Candalor, and
arrived there about midnight. In the morning they left and
passed between Mount Arteles and Mount Pyrenees and passed
by Pamplona two leagues away and in the late evening they
passed by Nobil and arrived at a castle of the Christians which
was called Calisfor, which today is called Malborghetto. They
wanted to find lodging nearby, because Galeana was very tired
from riding and they had ridden fifty leagues. Note that from
Zaragoza to Luceria it is twenty leagues and from Luceria to
Candalor it is ten leagues and from Candalor to Melania until
Calisfor it is twenty leagues. Now, being sheltered and having
crossed a river, they believed they were out of danger.
Marsilius, Balugante and Falsiron had heard how Mainet and his
companions had gone to Luceria and thought they were going
straight to Pamplona. The king of this city honored them and
knowing the reason for their arrival, as soon as they had eaten,
they mounted their horses, and with a thousand well-ordered
knights he joined their company, and in the meantime they
learned that the others had passed late by Nobil. For this reason
they rode all night and in the morning they arrived where
Morando and his companions had lodged in the evening, and
just at the time they were leaving.
Marsilius fastened his helmet on his head and mounted his good
destrier and took a lance in his hand, and so did his brothers and
all the others; Marsilius was better on horseback and rode ahead
of Balugante. When Mainet and his companions saw that many
people had crossed the river and were going towards Calisfor,
Ogier turned around and said to his companions: Look, what
people are these who are following us? Galeana turned around,
and as she saw them she said: Miserable me! It is Marsilius with
my brothers; by God let us flee to this castle. Then Ogier fastened
his helmet and took up his shield and gripped his lance and said
nothing to his companions, but rode against Marsilius and
wounded him with his lance. Marsilius fell to the ground from
his horse, and then Ogier struck down Balugante and beside the
water of the river he struck down Falsiron with his horse. Ogier
would have killed them all if Mazarigi, king of Pamplona, had not
arrived there at that moment. Ogier was attacked and
surrounded by more than a thousand horsemen and King
Mazarigi killed the horse under Ogier, and then Mainet moved to
succor Ogier and meanwhile Morando led the woman towards
Calisfor. The rumor had spread throughout the village, and more
than five hundred villagers were already withdrawing into the
castle. Morando shouted: We are Christians, I entrust this
damsel to you. Galeana was brought inside the castle, believing
that she was a servant, and when Mainet arrived in the skirmish,
he knocked down Mazarigi and pierced the breast of another
and broke his lance; and drawing his sword, he saw Marsilius
who had remounted his horse, and gave him such a great blow
with his sword that he made him fall from his horse wounded
and he took the horse and gave it to Ogier.
In this place, Mainet killed Altomar of Cordova, who was the
father of Serpentino of Stella. When Ogier was remounted on
horseback he struck great blows all around him, but so many
people came upon him that he was completely surrounded. The
valiant Morando then came to battle with five hundred of those
villagers of Calisfor and fought so well that he joined with
Mainet and the two of them struck through helmets with their
swords, and they fought so well that Ogier was able to withdraw
towards the castle with them and the company that came with
the valiant Morando. Those villagers had also gained horses and
weapons and when they arrived in Calisfor they were given
great honor. They then set out for Gascony, so that in two days
they came to Morlain.
CHAPTER 40.
How Mainet and his companions went to Rome, where they had
to sell their armor to survive, and how Cardinal Leo, son of
Bernard, bought back their armor and then sent them on to
Bavaria.
Having left Calisfor they went to Giampie di Porto and then went
to Morlain and then to Salvaterra, and they came to Porta Artese,
which was nine leagues away, and then they passed the
Pyrenees mountains in many days. Morando made many rides,
and many jewels fell to Galeana along the way. During many
discussions, Mainet asked whether it would be better to go to
Rome or to Bavaria or to Hungary or to go to England. Mainet
said: Let us go to the duke of Burgundy or to Girart of Fraite.
Morando answered and said: There is no need to go there,
because Girart is your enemy; and told him how he held with
Ranfroi and with King Heudri, the brothers of Charles who held
the kingdom of France. They decided to go to Rome to see
Cardinal Leo, son of Bernard of Clermont, and they did not
want to go to any part of the French kingdom, because Morando
was too well known. Riding they arrived in Avignon at an inn,
past the bridge, where they heard that the people of the kingdom
were malcontented with the lordship of the two bastards of
France. From Avignon they left for the province of Savoy and
everywhere they heard bad things about the lordship of France.
Having passed the Apennine Alps, they came to Lombardy and
passed through Tuscany and went to Rome and lodged in the
village of San Giovanni Laterano in a low-cost inn; and it was the
inn of a very honest woman; and asking for Cardinal Leo, they
learned that he had gone to Puglia. They waited three months,
for so long that they owed the innkeeper a lot of money. One day
this innkeeper asked them for money and as they had none, they
gave her all their weapons as security for their debts. Now I
let you judge, reader, the exile and misadventure Charles
experienced with his most faithful company and especially
Galeana, seeing herself in such misery! Nonetheless, God's
justice and mercy never abandon his servants, whereupon the
Cardinal, a most perfect friend of Charles, returned from Puglia,
and as soon as he had returned, Morando went to his room on
the second evening and found him in a veranda above the
garden, and Morando knelt down in front of him.
The Cardinal did not know him and asked what he wanted.
Morando said: Monsignor of Clermont, how can you not
know the one who has given you a thousand good lessons? The
Cardinal recognized him more by his voice than by anything else,
and taking him by the hand, he did not reveal much in the
presence of those who were there, and took him to his room and
said to him: Are you not Morando? He threw himself on his knees
at the feet of the Cardinal, who embraced him and kissed him,
and Morando began to cry, and they began to talk together
about the events in Paris. The Cardinal said: Where have you
been all this long time? Morando said: In many places, seeking
my escape for fear of the two brothers; but you, Monsignor, did
you ever find out any news of Charles? The Cardinal replied:
Certainly I never heard any news of him and he must certainly
be dead, and so I wish to God that he were alive; for if he
returned, they are so unwelcome that he would yet regain his
kingdom, and my father and I would give everything we have in
the world, and so would my brothers; and he began to cry out of
sorrow.
Then Morando revealed to him and told him how he had kept
Charlot in Spain, and told him all the things Charlot had done in
Spain and of the deaths of Bramante and Polinoro and the
conversion of Ogier and how they had fled and how they had
hidden Galeana and how she was baptized and how she was the
wife of Charles, who had sworn never to touch her unless he had
the crown of the kingdom of France; and told him how long they
had waited for him, and how they had given away their weapons
and horses to pay their debts. The Cardinal, who was weeping
out of tenderness, took out a chest full of gold coins and gave
him a bag full of them and said to him: Go and pay the innkeeper
and I will come tonight to see my lord. Morando returned to the
inn and sent the Cardinal's two servants back. Then Galeana said,
weeping: O my father, I beg you to go with Mainet so that he
can try to pay for this inn so that it no longer consumes us, and
leave me as insurance that you will return. Morando began to cry
and put his hand to his bosom and drew out the money. She then
ran to the room and said to Mainet: O sir, here is Morando our
father with a sack of florins.
Then everyone cheered up, Morando paid the innkeeper and
then went to his room, where Ogier was also very happy. The
innkeeper brought them all their armor and set dinner well and
asked for forgiveness if she had spoken poorly of them. Morando
said: My lady, it is up to us to say what you will do; forgive us
and be patient, because poverty, due to the fault of others, made
us do it, but God will still take vengeance. After they had supped,
and just as they began to sleep, the Cardinal came to the inn.
Morando was attentive and led him alone to the room, and his
companions remained at the door, twelve of them all armed; and
having entered the room, they shut the door. As soon as the
Cardinal saw Charlot, whom Morando showed him, he threw
himself on his knees, and Charles to him, and embracing they
spoke many words together, weeping with each other. The
Cardinal gave them many denari and then they resolved to wait
several more days, secretly planning more things. Leaving them,
he secretly sent a document to his father Bernard, and said to
the servant who carried the document: You will tell my father by
mouth, that Leo, the savage beast, left the woods, and fled before
the two politicians to return to his den, but I do not know if he
will be able to be domesticated.
The messenger, hurried by the words and by the commandment,
went in less than twenty days to Clermont where, having
found Bernard, he delivered the message to him. When Bernard
had read the document, he immediately wrote to all his sons in
England and to his friends to get ready to raise men and soon,
that the time was approaching for them to take up arms; and he
did not tell them the reason except that they are to be prepared
for when he requests them. He then mounted his horse and went
towards Rome with forty trusted men and no more. In the
meantime, the Cardinal ordered with Morando that they leave
Rome, fearing that the Pope would not notice, and said to
Morando and Charles: Go to Bavaria to Duke Naimon, for he has
a great desire to hear news of Charles and is an enemy of the
two bastards, and he will accept you and give you great help; but
I beg you, Charles, to be merciful to the people, for they are not
to blame, and God will be very grateful to you. Charlot answered
and said: If God gives me so much favor that I return to my
house, I swear to God first and then to you, to forgive everyone,
except for my two brothers, by whom I saw my father killed. And
having given this order, the Cardinal gave them as much money
as they needed and a bonus, and they went to Bavaria.
CHAPTER 41.
How Charles, Morando, and Ogier departed from Rome with
Galeana, and they met Bernard of Clermont in Lombardy.
Charlot and his companions left Rome and went through the city
of Modena in Lombardy and arrived in Parma, lodged there, and
in the morning, riding to Pavia, they met Bernard of Clermont
who was on his way to Rome, and they saw each other as they
passed. Bernard thought he knew Morando and Morando
thought he knew Bernard, and as they passed Morando said to
Mainet: That looked to me like Bernard. Ogier said: The first of
his servants will tell us. Bernard said these words to his
companions: Do any of you know any of those four who we
passed? Everyone said: No. By my faith, said Bernard, one looked
to me like Morando. And he sent a servant back to ask him. In
this way Ogier bumped into a servant with baggage on the rump
of his horse and said to him: Who is that gentleman? The servant
replied, cursing: I do not know. Ogier said: You will tell me; and
took the reins of the nag.
The servant shouted: To arms, to arms, believing that Ogier
wanted to rob him. Bernard immediately turned towards the
noise. Mainet struck a knight and threw him to the ground
wounded; but since Bernard's brigade began to shout:
Clermont, Clermont, for this reason Morando recognized
Bernard and no evil was born and these shouts made the battle
stop, and the battle returned to peace and there was great joy.
Recognizing them, Bernard sent a servant to Rome to tell the
Cardinal: That he had found them in Lombardy. In the evening
they lodged together in an inn in a castle, and in the morning
Bernard decided, more for the greater security of Charles than
of Morando, that they should go to Germany to Duke Naimon of
Bavaria, who had been a great friend of his father and was one of
the Royalty of France, and said: I will return to Clermont and
I will gather a great force of men to aid you.
He turned to Charlot and kissed him, and reminded him of his
father's death and told him how he was born on a chariot on the
river of the Magno, and therefore said: I beg you, sir, to take such
severe vengeance that it will always be remembered. Charles
said: If God grants me the gift of returning to my house, I swear
to the true God to forgive everyone, except the two traitorous
brothers; and so I also swore in the hands of your son Leo.
Bernard said: We have to tear down the house of Mayence.
Morando said: O Sir Bernard, God does not forgive those who do
not forgive: if you are content, we will continue the undertaking,
and God teaches us not to do the slightest evil. And they left in
agreement, and Morando and his companions went towards
Magna, and Bernard returned to Clermont and sent for
Buovo in Agramonte and for Duke Aymon in Dordogne and for
Otto, duke of England and for Milo of Anglante and for Girart
in Roussillon. These were his children by marriage, and he had
two others with him, Anserigi and Sanquino, but they were
bastards. Cardinal Leo was the brother of the aforementioned
five by his mother's marriage. He told them everything as it was
and they all rejoiced and gave orders to gather many men and to
be ready when the time was right.
CHAPTER 42.
How Charles and Morando and Ogier with Galeana arrived in
Bavaria.
Morando, Charlot, Ogier and Galeana, taking leave of Bernard,
crossed the Alps and when they reached Constanza they learned
that Duke Naimon was in Bavaria and they went there and found
that the duke was holding a large court. Morando made his
companions dismount in the courtyard and they went up to the
palace, and Morando led Galeana by the hand dressed as a boy.
The duke saw her and showed her to many barons, saying: This
young man is like a damsel. And the duke approached Morando
and said to him: "O comrade, this little page of yours must have
cracked a fingernail." Morando said, laughing: One fool with
another does not fear mockery. Duke Naimon turned to Charles
and said: Cavalier, where are you from? He could wait no longer,
and kneeling answered him in a loud voice and said: Most noble
duke, I am Charlemagne son of King Pepin and this is Morando
of Riviera, and we have come to commend ourselves to you and
to rely on your arms and beg you to please help our plan, as your
predecessors have already done.
When the duke understood Charles, he immediately threw
himself on his knees at his feet and embraced and kissed him,
and all the barons who were present knelt down, seeing the two
of them kneel, and there was no heart so hard that it did not
weep with joy and sadness; of sadness, considering the death of
his father; of joy, because Charles had appeared when everyone
believed he was dead. Morando pulled the duke aside and told
him who Galeana was. Immediately the duke called his widowed
mother and she embraced Charles and kissed and blessed him.
The duke put Galeana into her hands crying and said: Mother,
this is the queen of France, wife of Charles and daughter of the
king of Spain. The duchess led her into her room, and it is not
necessary to say how much she was honored and dressed and
adorned as a queen; and thus dressed she came into the hall.
Charles told Duke Naimon who Ogier was, and he was given
great honor, and many rooms were assigned to all, and the duke
disarmed him, had royal robes brought to him, and when he
returned to the hall it was clear to all that this was Charles, son
of King Pepin, who was entitled to the lordship of France. The
duke sent letters and ambassadors throughout Christendom and
to Hungary, signifying that Charles, son of King Pepin, was in
Bavaria. King Louis always kept spies on letters from Charles'
friends, because he did not want to obey him, and hearing how
Charles was, he went to Paris and disclosed the matter to King
Heudri and Ranfroi. For this news there was great fear in Paris,
and in the end the two brothers sent throughout the realm and
ordered that the Marquis Berlinghieri in the Marca and
Aquentino of Cenis should come to help them against the one
who claimed to be Charles and who was in Bavaria.
When the Marquis and Aquentino heard the news of Charles,
they sent word that they would go to see him. Duke Girart went
to Burgundy and then came to the aid of Heudri and Ranfroi with
three brothers and fifty thousand horsemen, and Grifone and his
brothers came with as many from Mayence. The pope sent to
Ireland and brought people from Burgundy and Ireland, and
twenty thousand Christians arrived at the port of Bordeaux, and
on horseback and on foot they set out to go to Paris. Bernard of
Clermont got wind of it, and attacked them on the ground of
Ireland in lower Frisia and killed twelve thousand of them.
The king of Hungary came to Bavaria through Bohemia and the
Magna with ten thousand archers and twenty thousand on
horseback. The Marquis Berlinghieri and Aquentino and Lotieri
and Daneziambro and Bardon his brother and Salomon of
Burgundy, all this barony and many others arranged. Meanwhile
in the kingdom of Constanza there were eighty thousand knights
together with Charles and with the Duke Naimon and with the
king of Hungary. Here, by common will, a council was made
where they would go into the field, and many said it would be
better to muster the realm, since many cities would give
themselves to Charles. The duke said: Let us call a muster and
see how we have the right. And they affirmed that it was not
lawful to wait for Ranfroi and Heudri.
Then news came from Paris how Girart of Fraite and Grifone and
the other Mayencians had come to the aid of the brothers and
that there were already one hundred thousand horsemen in
Paris, and it was also known how Bernard of Clermont had
defeated twelve thousand of his enemies. The duke mustered
and found one hundred and fifty thousand horsemen. Then Duke
Naimon of Bavaria made himself captain general of the whole
host, and he arranged the ranks to go in order, and gave the first
to Salomon of Brittany and to the marquis Ulivieri and to
Quintino. Charles said: He wanted to be with them in the first
line; and it was this host of twenty thousand horsemen. The
second he gave to Morando of Riviera and to Ogier and this was
thirty thousand horsemen. The third was given to the king of
Hungary and the king of Bohemia with all the flags and the
baggage wagons. Duke Naimon kept the fourth rank with him,
which was thirty thousand cavalry. Having formed the ranks,
they set out and went towards Paris and as they entered the
realm, they passed near the city of Lyons through Orléans, and
the camp ran all in arms, and then Bernard of Clermont
appeared with his sons and with Sanquino duke of Ireland and
with Fiovo of Bordeaux and with Guglielmo his brother, and he
had with him thirty thousand horsemen. There was great
rejoicing for all the host at their arrival and the camp was set up
and the barons all gathered around their banners to see Bernard
coming with his men towards Brison; and as he had moved far
from Paris towards Troas in the countryside, he therefore did
not encounter the first rank.
The camp stopped and Charles and all the lords came to where
the flags were. The muster having been made, Milo of Anglante
threw himself from his horse and knelt down at Charles' feet and
embraced him and swore never to take off the armor he
currently wore until Charles was lord of Paris and crowned with
the kingdom of France. Charles welcomed him and all his
brothers. Then the rearguard was given to him and to all his
men, so that Bernard and his men could rest, and the duke of
Bavaria was given the third rank, so that the king of Hungary
and the king of Bohemia came to have the fourth rank and
Bernard the fifth. The whole field consisted of one hundred
eighty thousand horsemen with no men that were not battle
ready. Milo threw himself before Charles on his knees and asked
for the favor of his rank riding with his company, and Charles
granted it. The barons of the host made a great murmur saying:
We are going with Charles against his blood; and there was
much talk about everything. But Charles gathered all the barony
and comforted them and swore that if they were all killed,
nothing would be remembered by anyone, and then he forgave
everyone and said: Be honest men as I only reject traitors
against me and my father. Bernard of Clermont rejected
Girart of Fraite as an enemy of the crown of France and of the
right. After that, the barons were comforted, the host thus
arrayed set forth and they all went towards Paris.
CHAPTER 43.
How Ranfroi and Heudri went out to the field against Charles.
When the news reached Paris that the camp had passed Orléans,
Girart of Fraite said to Ranfroi and to King Heudri: Now it is
better to go out into the field against them, lest it appear that we
are afraid; and it was commanded that every man should leave
Paris. King Heudri had the heralds announce that, on pain of the
gallows, every citizen who lived within the city and could bear
arms should leave Paris and go against the enemies. When they
were out of town he had them form the first line and gave them
two citizens as captains, and the second line was given to
Ranfroi and this was twenty thousand horsemen. Girart sent his
younger brother Guerino into this line and said: This Charles
says that he is the son of King Pepin and that he was born in a
hunt on a chariot, but this is not to be believed, because Pepin
was so old that he could never have fathered him, but the
mother, in order to put the realm in question, made sure that
she became pregnant, and we are sure that these, who are the
lords, are Pepin's only children. Then he said to Guerino: They
ask neither homage nor tribute, and Charles, if he were the ruler,
would want homage from us as his father and grandfather
wanted, and therefore we defend our freedom, and I beg you, o
Guerino, that you are much like our father for which you were
named.
He set forth and put the citizens in front of the host. The third
rank he gave to Girart and to Ginamo of Bavaria and to Lionetto
of Alta Foglia son of Rizieri of Volgalia, and to Dionisi his brother,
and in this rank there were twenty thousand. The fourth rank he
gave to Milo and Bernard of Burgundy his brothers, and he
wanted to be captain of this band, and this was thirty thousand
horsemen. The fifth and last rank he gave to King Heudri, and in
this there were thirty thousand prosperous men with Grifone
and with all the flower of the Mayencians; and thus arrayed they
came against the camp of Charles. That night some citizens fled
from the ranks and went to Charles's camp, and from them it
was learned how the civilians were forced to come to battle; and
when Charles heard this, he was in great pain and was in
discussion with his barons. Duke Naimon said: Raise your royal
flag against them, meet them and make yourself known: either
they will join you or they will start to flee, for they will lack
courage. The royal flag was a counterfeit Oriflamme because
those of Paris, that is King Heudri, had the gold and the flame.
Charles did as the duke ordered and one army began to
approach the other.
CHAPTER 44.
How the battle began and how the citizens supported Charles,
and of the great battle, and how Charles killed Ranfroi.
Already the ranks were approaching each other, and Charles
moved forward until he could speak so that the citizens could
hear him and he said: O noble citizens, why do you come against
me? I am your Charles. With these words, great murmuring and
much conversation began among them. At the end they began to
shout: "Long live Charlemagne and let the traitors die". Charles
commanded them to stand aside and leave the battle to his
people and there was great joy and he commanded the heralds
to shout throughout the host: Let no person harm the citizens of
Paris. Then Charles and Salomon with their ranks rode against
Ranfroi. Charles spurred his horse against Ranfroi and he struck
him with great blows. Ranfroi broke his lance and Charles took
all the weapons and the dead man from his horse; and passing
among other people, he made great proofs of his person, and so
did Salomon of Brittany and the Marquis Berlinghieri and
Aquetino and Milo of Anglante. Salomon encountered Guerino of
Mongrana and they struck each other with lances and Salomon
fell from his horse to the ground. Guerino entered among the
people of Charles doing many feats, and one army mixed with
the other and in all parts many lords and knights died. The
author says that some shouted towards the citizens of Paris: O
fortunate citizens of Paris, o noble French, how much evil did
you cause when Pepin wanted to burn Ranfroi and Heudri with
their traitor mother, and you did not let them burn? Now you
are reflected in what followed! The two ranks fighting, Charles
and Milo and Aquetino and Berlinghieri put Salomon back on his
horse, who, out of shame, entered the enemy as if in desperation
and these five resolved to go as far as the banners of this army,
and by force they went there, but with great effort because there
were three thousand horsemen gathered together around the
banners.
In the end they threw them all to the ground with the company
of exceptional knights they had with them; nevertheless they
were surrounded and withstood great difficulty, and many
knights were lost there and more would have been lost, but
Ogier and Morando with their ranks entered the battle and by
force opened up the ranks of their enemies and pushed them
back, and Charles and his companions returned to their army.
Meanwhile Bernard of Mongrana entered the battle, and
although his rank was the fourth, Girart wanted to enter the
battle and passed in front of the third, and with Milo of San
Moris then a terrible battle began, which kept them at a distance
of a mile. The noise was great and the earth was covered with
the dead and the knights of Charles and Guerino had the worst
of it. Then the Duke of Bavaria entered the battle with a large
company of knights and on the other side Ginamo of Bayonne
and Milo of Germany, brother of Girart of Fraite, and with them
Lionetto and Dionisio of Mayence.
The battle intensified and Girart left the battle to go and comfort
his people. At this point Guerino, Girart of Fraite's younger
brother, collided with Guido of Gascony and cruelly wounded
him in the head and threw him from his horse and struck down
the Marquis Berlinghieri and fought with Ogier and many sword
blows were given. So great was the multitude of knights from all
sides that they split in two and another bitter battle began and
many people died on both sides, and it was already late in the
day, when Guerino alongside Charles killed a relative of Duke
Naimon called Lambert of Bavaria. Charles saw him, and being a
great friend of Lambert and seeing Guerino do so many feats of
arms, enraged, he ran upon him with sword in hand, shouting:
Turn to me, knight, you are such an enemy of those who want
me to return to my house. Guerino asked: Who are you? He
replied: I am Charles, son of Pepin. Then Guerino said: How can
you be Pepin's son, you who was born in a wood and do not
know who your father is? Now, to prove this to you, do not
expect to enter Paris. Charles asked: And who are you? He
replied: I am Guerino, son of Guerino, of Mongrana blood, and I
am the brother of Girart of Fraite, and I will kill you with my own
hands. He gripped his sword and struck Charles with a great
blow on the helmet that belonged to King Bramante. Charles,
even more angry at him, because they were both of the same
lineage, that is, born of Constantine, took his sword in both
hands and struck Guerino so hard that he divided his helmet and
face in half, and as he fell to the ground his brains came out of
his skull. Thus died Guerino of Savoy, who was survived by a
small infant named Ugone of Avernia who would later be the
father of Bossoro.
CHAPTER 45.
How the great battle continued, and how King Heudri was taken
and Girart of Fraite fled, and how at the last Charles was
victorious.
When the Burgundians saw Guerino dead, they started to turn
away in grief and the news reached Girart who had left the battle
to give aid to those who were fighting, and his people felt much
sorrow. He rejoined the battle with ten thousand knights and the
author says: Oh most noble blood of Constantine to whom does
fortune ever lead? For two bastards there must therefore be
such a bitter fight. Oh how cursed was that cry the citizens made,
asking for mercy for two bastards! Girart of Fraite fought
desperately, comforting the knights in the fight: and then the
king of Hungary and the king of Bohemia entered the battle and
the Hungarian archers placed themselves in the middle, killing
the horses and driving the enemies from the field. From the
other side Bernard of Clermont arrived with six thousand
horsemen, and here he reinforced a bitter and very cruel battle.
Oh how many lords and knights fell dead on every side and how
much human blood was shed! The earth was already covered
with the dead and one brother did not care for the other and
Clermont and Mongrana were wounded together with the
royal blood of France. Ah, how cruel this was to see so many
people die! And one could well have cursed the two ill-born
sons who were the cause of so much evil.
While they were fighting like this, the citizens left the field and
secured themselves inside the city, they ran all over and killed
all the people who supported King Heudri. On the other side
were Charles and Milo of Anglante and Ogier, giving and
enduring many harsh wounds. Bernard brother of Girart
attacked Milo of Anglante and was taken prisoner. The King
Heudri attacked the king of Hungary, and if it had not been for
Duke Naimon and William of Bordeaux who rescued him, he
would have fallen. Ogier went after King Heudri and Heudri
would not have lasted long in the battle with Ogier if the
multitude of people between them had not been so great.
Heudri overthrew many barons and saw Charles enter the field
and saw the crown placed over his helmet. Charles, having
gathered a crowd of valiant barons, rode over to Heudri and
asked him: Who was he? Heudri said: O you who ask me, who
are you? Charles said: I asked you first and it seems to me right
that you answer first, and I swear to tell you my name
afterwards. Heudri said: I am King Heudri, son of King Pepin.
Charles replied: You lie about it; you were the son of the demon
of emperor Pepin, whom you killed, but divine justice has judged
that you die by my hands to avenge the death of my father,
whom I saw you kill with my own eyes. I killed your brother
Ranfroi and so I will kill you also. Then he drew back to strike
and Heudri cried out: You say you are Pepin's son, but you were
born of a hunter who is a scoundrel. And then he struck Charles
on the helmet and together they began a great battle; and if the
knights of Heudri had not helped him a lot, Charles would have
killed him.
Charles was surrounded by knights who fought for him, and
then Morando and Ogier arrived and a great battle began. On the
other side were Girart and Milo his brother, and Danza and
Meligi and many others, and due to the noise, which was great
Duke Naimon, Salomon, Bernard, Otto, and many others of the
best knights of all the host sped in this direction. Charles always
had his eye on Heudri, and as the shouts and the uproar were
great, an angry Charles threw his shield over his shoulders and
took up his sword, abandoning the horse's reins, so that he
straightened up amid a throng of enemies and shouted: Oh
France, which knight is it who claims your victory? Then Milo of
Anglante, Ogier, Naimon, Salomon, and Buovo of Agramonte let
out a cry and their knights were ashamed and fiercely met the
enemies with such force that they broke apart all their troops.
Charles struck Heudri's helmet with his sword with such force
that he partly turned him upside down and almost knocked him
off his horse. Heudri, hearing the big blow, wanted to flee; and
Charles threw himself on him and grabbed him and forcibly took
him from his saddle, and, pulling him out with the strength of his
arms, took him to the middle of the Bavarians and gave him as a
prisoner to Duke Naimon, so that he would look after him until
the battle ended.
The duke took him back to the banners and had him disarmed
and closely guarded. Heudri pleaded strongly with the duke, but
he gave him little audience and answered him and said: If you
did not have mercy on your father, why must Charles have
mercy on you? In the meantime, Charles returned to battle and
when Girart of Fraite heard how King Heudri was taken, he
sounded the gathering. Then the whole camp began to flee, and
Charles and all the other barons followed the enemies, killing
them. Grifone and Ginamo returned to where Girart was and
said: The noble Duke Heudri is taken; now what do you think to
do? Girart said: Let every man seek his fortune, for he is not to
stay here; and he lamented much about Guerino, that is, about
his death and of Bernard, his brother who was taken, but he
did not know where he was, if he was taken or dead. He turned
to enter Paris, and when he learned how the city had rebelled he
turned with his people towards the countryside; but it would
have helped him little if it had not been that Charles, seeing the
flags of Girart, asked whose they were, and knowing him,
Charles called for them to gather and commanded that Girart no
longer be followed, considering that he was of his lineage. They
encamped the whole host near Paris, and discussed going and
attacking the city.
When they were all disarmed, Duke Naimon knelt down to
Charles and asked for mercy on Bernard of Mongrana. Charles
forgave him and said to Bernard: Go or stay at your pleasure; I
forgive you for any offense and so it will be done to Girart if he is
willing to be my friend. Bernard of Mongrana swore to always
be faithful to Charles and Charles thanked him and then
commanded Bernard of Clermont to attack the city with his
people. He set out towards it and behind him came all the host
following the banners of their lord general, and so they went
towards Paris with their banners unfurled.
CHAPTER 46.
Pause to remember Girart of Fraite and Bernard his brother and
Aymeri of Narbonne.
Girart of Fraite, who left the field with no small amount of fear,
returned to Burgundy where there was great lament over the
death of Guerino, and it was not until after two days of rest that
he learned how his brother Bernard had promised Charles to be
his faithful and true follower. When Girart heard this, he sent all
his people to the lands of Bernard and took them all for himself
and banished his brother Bernard for life and took Tremogna
and Valagna. Duke Elimo, who was under Bernard, contradicted
Girart, saying that this was unjustified; but Girart had him seized
and put in prison. Two of his sons fled with two of his daughters,
who then went into the world as sinners.
The Prince of Cologne was still one of Bernard's subordinates
and did not want to obey. Girart besieged him and took him into
his hands and cut off his head and the heads of two of his sons
and two brothers and he gave the lordship to his followers. A
tiny son of Bernard's brother, named Aymeri, was put in prison
in a tower of Tremogna; and when the news came to Bernard of
his lost lands and the deaths of his barons and of the son who
was in prison, he was so saddened by it that he fell ill and died at
the end of a fortnight. King Charles, after he had returned to his
house, freed Aymeri from prison and raised him, and when he
went to Spain he made him head of a thousand men on
horseback and once sent him with King Desiderius of Pavia with
a large number of men to make war in Aragon, and in that war
Aymeri took a city located on the sea of Aragon, which had the
name Narbonne, and Charles gave it to him. This Aymeri
married Almingrada, sister of King Desiderius of Pavia, from
whom the ancestry of Vallant was born.
CHAPTER 47.
How Charles took the city of Paris and how with his own hand
he cut off the head of Heudri his brother.
Charles with all the host went towards the city and Bernard of
Clermont with his people and with his children had the first
rank. Approaching the city of Paris, he commanded his son Otto
to lead the rank. He summoned Milo of Anglante and Buovo of
Agramonte and Aymon of Dordogne, and took them with him and
went towards the city before all his people to make a treaty, and
met with the ambassadors of the city who were carrying the
keys. Bernard went back with them cheerfully and made his
ranks stop and went with the ambassadors before Charles and
gave him a message saying: How the citizens had fought for
Charles. Then the host was advised to remain outside the city so
as not to start anything new and to avoid the danger, and
Bernard was ordered to enter; and so he did, and his sons went
with him.
Aquentino sent back Berlinghieri and Ogier, and Bernard and his
sons ran all over the city. The following morning Charles entered
the city and upon entering it one hundred and fifty men were
made knights, among whom he knighted Ogier first and then
Milo of Anglante and the Marquis Berlinghieri and Aquentino
and all the sons of Bernard of Clermont and Salomon of
Brittany and many others, so that in all there were one hundred
and fifty, and they were all noble lords and gentlemen. Entering
the royal palace he sat down in his father's chair, and being
seated, he commanded Heudri to be brought before him, and so
it was done. As he arrived before Charles he threw himself on
the ground on his knees asking: Mercy. Charles spoke against
Heudri and said these words: O wicked patricide, oh traitor son
of the demon, how do you proceed to ask for mercy, having
killed the one who begat you? What spirit of cruelty moved you
to kill my father and not your own? because if he had not been
your father, but had been a vile counterfeit or a senseless animal
or a brutish worm, your hand must never have been so cruel
that you shed his blood: I know well that it is not suitable for
you to receive death from my hands, because it would honor
you too much, but so that no one can boast or glory in having
shed our blood, I want to take vengeance for my father with my
own hands. And he commanded that he be taken to the square,
and so he was led and a carpet was spread at the foot of the
palace towards the square, and priests were called to confess
him, but he did not want to confess, on the contrary he began to
say in a loud voice: That Charles was not the son of King Pepin.
Then Charles cut off his head with his own hands, so that no one
else touched the royal blood. The barons had the body brought
to be buried among the Royalty of France, but Charles did not
want him to be buried in a sacred place, because he had not
wanted to confess; yet the barons did honor to the body,
carrying it up to the church in honor of Charles, and then
elsewhere to bury it. Charles also had Guerino of Mongrana
buried, brother of Girart of Fraite and did him great honor and
Charles himself mourned him greatly. He then had many lords
buried who had died in battle, among whom was Ranfroi; and he
commanded that all the dead should be buried, and so it was
done.
CHAPTER 48.
How Bertha was presented before Charles.
On the day that Charles cut off Heudri's head, Bertha was taken
to the royal palace, and this Bertha was the sister of Charles on
her father's side. Charles embraced her and kissed her crying
with tenderness. All the land and all the barons spoke ill against
the two bastards and against the Mayencians because they had
behaved badly, and Bertha had never been in the royal palace
since Pepin was killed and Charles fled. She was seventeen years
old. Charles gave her a good company of gentlewomen who
nurtured her and taught her and Bertha lived in the royal palace.
CHAPTER 49.
How the preparation was made to crown Charlemagne and King
Galaphron and his sons agreed, and how Duke Naimon and
Salomon were sent to Girart to make peace and how Charles
sent for Galeana in Bavaria.
Charles took the lordship and selected twelve councilors. The
first was the Duke Naimon of Bavaria, the second Bernard of
Clermont, the third the king of Hungary, the fourth the king
of Bohemia, the fifth the Marquis Berlinghieri, the sixth
Aquentino, the seventh Ogier of Africa, the eighth Buovo of
Agramonte , the ninth Duke Aymon, the tenth Otto of England,
the eleventh Salomon of Brittany, the twelfth Morando of
Riviera. They began to discuss the coronation of Charles in the
realm and sent by command of Charles throughout Christendom,
proclaiming how Charles forgave each person of their injuries
and demanded peace for everyone. Subsequently, the whole
council ordered for ambassadors to be sent to Girart of Fraite,
and for the best part they sent to him Duke Naimon and Salomon
Duke of Brittany with the will of Charles (at this time the pope of
Rome died and Cardinal Leo of Clermont was elected pope
and came to Paris before Charles crowned himself).
The fame of Charles was already spreading throughout the
world, and the news came to Galaphron, king of Spain, that
Mainet, who had been in his court for a long time, was Charles,
son of King Pepin and how he had acquired his kingdom. He was
very cheerful about this, since he knew how he wanted to keep
Galeana as his lawful wife, so he called his children and told
them how the matter was and that he wanted them to go to
France for the coronation feast of Charles and for the feast of
Galeana and to keep peace with Charles. Marsilius turned to his
brothers asking their opinion. They replied: That none of them
wanted to go into the hands of their enemy. Galaphron said: You
can certainly go; but they did not trust. Galaphron said: I will ask
Charles to commit to safe conduct, and with this they agreed;
and they sent ambassadors to France, telling Charles how they
wanted to come and visit his new lordship, asking forgiveness if
they had offended him in the past, apologizing for not having
known who he was, and Charles granted them safe conduct as
they had asked. At this time a letter came to the court of Charles
sent from Africa to Ogier, which greatly blamed him because he
had been baptized, and in certain parts it was said: O Ogier, "tu
es damnés de l'alma", that is, "your soul is damned". Ogier
laughed at these words and showed the letter to Charles and the
barons, so much so that the proverb was adopted by the court,
and joking they said to each other: "Tu es damnès" and for this
reason when the pope baptized Ogier he wanted to be called
Danese, but most called him Ogier the Dane, and he always kept
this name. Now the story returns to Charles, and first we will
talk about Galeana. Charles sends Morando of Riviera, Milo of
Anglante, the Marquis Berlinghieri, and Aquentino with ten
thousand horsemen to Bavaria for Galeana and they bring her to
Paris.
CHAPTER 50.
How Duke Naimon and Salomon were put in prison as soon as
they arrived to Girart and how many things followed afterward.
Duke Naimon and Salomon, who had been sent to make peace
with Girart of Fraite, found Girart at Felandes, and having sent
him an embassy from the French council, they begged him to
make peace and an agreement with Charles, son of King Pepin,
and they said: That Charles was of his lineage, born of
Constantine, and that Charles elected him first in the order in his
council. Girart gave this answer: You sons of whores, how did
you have so much audacity to come to my lands to remind me of
a bastard who does not know whose son he is? And you still say
that he wants me to be his servant in his council, who is not
worth being a servant to me? You, traitors, who have betrayed
those who are dead, who by right must have been of France, you
have come to your death. And he commanded that they be taken.
Duke Naimon and Salomon drew their swords and the clatter
arose and Girart left the hall.
The people drew their swords against the two ambassadors and
truly they would have died, but Milo, brother of Girart, begged
the ambassadors to surrender to him and he took them prisoner
and placed a good guard upon them. Girart wanted them to die,
but Milo made it so that they were sent to Tremogna to prison.
This done, Girart rode with many men into the kingdom of
France and carried out much looting and killing and ruined
many lands. The news reached Paris of the damage and harm
done by Girart and how Duke Naimon and Salomon were in
prison. Charles bit his hands in worry and, having gathered the
council, lamented about Duke Girart, asking for revenge and
above all lamented to Bernard of Clermont, who made it
known that he and his children were against every person who
did anything against the crown of France. Charles gathered
many people and with the help of the barons he entered
Burgundy and took harsh revenge for the evil that Girart had
done. Knowing that Duke Naimon and Salomon were in prison
at Tremogna, he stopped his camp there and besieged it.
Girart made one last effort to gather his troops, and one night he
attacked the camp on the side where the king of Hungary was,
and in the night three thousand Christians were killed and he
robbed the pavilion, that is, he stole all the stuff that was inside
the pavilion; and when Charlemagne's camp ran out, Girart of
Fraite fled to his fortress; and he and his barons often made these
assaults. Charles stayed with the host in Tremogna for four
months without having gained anything, but then he gave the
order to attack and eight thousand Christians died in the battle.
Charles had them buried and surrounded by a fence and stayed
there for more than six months, and they gave up because of
hunger. Girart of Fraite made many assaults on Charles's camp,
but was not strong enough to lay siege against him; and Charles
took the city of Tremogna with the agreement of returning the
prisoners and he got back the Duke Naimon of Bavaria and
Salomon of Brittany.
Charles wanted to destroy the city, but Duke Naimon of Bavaria
did not want him to. In this city the young son of Bernard of
Mongrana of Clermont, named Aymeri, was found in prison.
Charles left with him to Paris and had him fed, and made a truce
in the war against Girart for ten years with the agreement that
one did not set foot in the lands of the other. That Frank Aymeri,
Count of Berry, was first known as Aymeri the Unlucky, because
he had no property. In this time that the war was inflamed,
Marsilius and his brothers set out from Spain, and when they
were in Gascony on their way to France, they learned that the
war had begun between Charles and Girart and they returned
back home. After the truce, Pope Leo came to Paris, and when
Charles returned he gave Ogier the Dane the whole Province of
Marsa, and was called the Lord of Lunimarsa. Upon this return
Charles prepared to be crowned and to marry Galeana and to
baptize Ogier with solemnity.
CHAPTER 51.
How Ogier the Dane was baptized and Charles crowned, and
how he married Galeana, and how many were crowned and they
were made dukes, lords, and swore allegiance to King Charles.
Having made a truce with Girart of Fraite, Charles returned to
Paris, and the council ordered a feast for his coronation, and
they sent throughout the realm an announcement to come to
court. Pope Leo had already come and one could not say how
great a feast the pope made. When all the barony had come, the
pope baptized Galeana and the Frankish Ogier the Dane with his
own hands, and on the third day Charles was crowned with all
the kingdom of France and with the lordship over all that King
Pepin had held under his crown, and he was confirmed with his
name and nickname and was called King Charles Magno,
Charlemagne. Salomon was crowned king of Brittany and Otto
king of England and Gottebus king of Frisia, and Charles made
many dukes and counts. Then all the lords swore in his hands
and he confirmed their lordships to all and, after all these
ceremonies, knighted a thousand men and then married Galeana
as his lawful wife and performed holy matrimony with her. The
whole kingdom rejoiced and celebrated the coronation of
Charles and the whole kingdom reconciled, and all the other
countries were in good peace for the return of Charlemagne and
the pope returned to Rome.
THE CHILDHOOD OF ROLAND
CHAPTER 52.
How Milo of Anglante fell in love with Bertha and how Roland
was conceived.
After the year of Charlemagne's coronation, as was the custom, a
great court was held and the barony came to visit the king with
many ladies and damsels for many days. During the party it
happened that one day in the main hall of the royal palace of the
king many gentlemen and many ladies and maidens played a
large number of instruments and everyone danced. Among
others at the dance was Milo, son of Bernard of Clermont,
who was the most extraordinary baron that was in the hall. He
took Bertha by the hand and began to dance with her, and she
thought about all the other barons several times, and saw none
so graceful and singular, so she began to love him, and when
Milo looked at her, the eyes of both collided together, so that
they realized that they loved each other, and as they danced they
said a few words to each other laughing, so that Milo sighed for
love.
The acts of loving each other took place honestly so that no one
noticed that they loved each other and the first who noticed it
was Charles, who loved Milo so much that he said nothing to
him, on the contrary he loved him as before. He then ordered
that Bertha be guarded by more maids and gentlewomen and
kept her tighter than usual, she did not however know the
reason why, she thought that he wanted to arrange a marriage
for her. Because of this they could not see each other, but this did
not take away their love, on the contrary it was so inflamed that
Bertha wrote a letter in her own hand to Milo and sent it to him
through one of her secret maids. With this letter she advised him
to go and speak to her at a window which was above the king's
garden, and that although the window was a little high she
would warn him of everything. Milo, having received the letter
and read it, was so cheerful and so much did blind love conquer
him that he neither remembered Charles, nor did he care about
shame, nor about death.
He went up at midnight and brought a ladder and talked to
Bertha. The window was narrow and he could not get in, but she
gave orders for Milo to dress in the style of a veiled woman, and
she ordered him to dress at the house of a woman who had been
Bertha's servant, and so Milo left. The next day he went to the
house of that woman and gave her money, but he did not tell her
where he wanted to go, because she would not have consented
to him. When it was time, Bertha sent a maid to him and said to
the maid: Go to that place and bring me a veiled woman that you
will find; and since she is young and widowed, treat her covertly
and honestly. The maid went and found Milo dressed, she
believed he was a woman. Milo did not hesitate to say a word
and went to the palace and when he came to Bertha it was near
evening. The women asked the maid who had led her, who she
was. She said: She is a young woman who visited Bertha a lot
when Ranfroi and Heudri held her close and when Charles was
banished. When Milo arrived, Bertha greeted him and said: My
sister, you are welcome, praised be God I will be able to cure
you of your poverty and repay the service you did for me when I
was kept in prison without my brother. And taking him by the
hand, she took him with her to a little room and bade farewell to
all, except for the one who brought him the letter, who swore to
keep it secret. In the evening Milo slept in bed with her, and she
kept doing this many times for almost a year and no one ever
noticed. It happened that when Charles was having a great feast
he sent for her to come to the banquet and she fell ill because
she was six months pregnant. Charles sent her two perfect
doctors, who immediately noticed and became very disturbed
and were amazed and remained in suspense; between them
neither knew what to do and they kept it all a secret, but finally
they resolved to tell the king, and so they did.
CHAPTER 53.
How Milo of Anglante and Bertha were put in prison and
married, and how Duke Naimon sent them away and they were
banished, excommunicated, and ended up in Sutri, where Roland
was born in great poverty, and how he went looking for God.
When King Charles heard that the doctors said that Bertha was
very pregnant, he was upset and filled with shame, he sighed
and went to visit his sister, secretly pulled her aside, and
threatened her with death. She threw herself on her knees at the
feet of her brother Charles asking for mercy, and Charles wanted
to know everything, although his mind almost let him know. As
soon as he learned of everything she told him, he had Milo of
Anglante taken prisoner and put her in the dungeon of a tower
and then sent for Duke Naimon, in whom all his hope was, and
weeping and sighing he told him the whole story and said: I am
very sorry about it. Duke Naimon commiserated greatly with
Charles and then said: Lord, the world suffers these pains and
does not want anyone to remain happy in this life. You have
ascended with God's grace into such lordship where I will want
to know how you will carry yourself, but the valiant lord is not
known for earthly lordship, if he is always in happiness, but
when fortune was against him, and therefore of the villain he
takes the one that is missing danger. Milo is also of your lineage
and son of a duke and he himself is a duke and is braver than all
his brothers, but I beg you to give him Bertha to wife. Charles
replied: I would agree before returning into exile, in which my
traitor brothers put me. I am willing to let them both die, but
first I want to talk to Bernard of Clermont and his children.
Soon he sent for Bernard of Clermont and when he arrived,
he told him how things were. Bernard was more fierce than
Charles that his son must die, saying that no one had ever been
a traitor to his house, and he did not want this offense to go
away without being punished. They therefore resolved to have
them both killed, and all of Milo's brothers agreed to this. The
duke spoke to King Charles in secret, explaining to him with
many reasons that this would be his undoing, and in the end
being unable to move King Charles from his will, one night Duke
Naimon made a wise decision to go to the prison and pulled
Milo out of prison and took Bertha from the tower without
Charles knowing anything about it and brought them to his
palace, and, with the judges, notaries and witnesses present, he
arranged for Milo to marry Bertha, and commanded all those
who had been present not to say anything until the sixth day,
and the following night he sent Milo and Bertha away, and the
thing was kept secret for three days, before Charles learned
about it. When Charles learned about it, he was very upset with
the duke, but the duke had done what a good friend would do,
who, knowing his lord's danger, saved him from that which he
did not want to save himself, and more he did than when
Charles forgave Bertha he added that Charles had sent her away
to put Charles in everyone's affection. Now Charles had Milo
banished from the entire country where he had strength and
might and he sent word to Pope Leo and had him
excommunicated and the excommunication of Milo was worse
than the ban, which expelled him only from the country of
Charles, but because of the excommunication no one wanted
him to stay. Bertha was the focus of the punishment and was
excommunicated, Milo and Bertha were unable to stay in any
land because of the excommunication, because the fact had been
made public for all faiths, they went to Italy with the resolution
to go to Rome, and arrived near Rome to a city eight leagues
away called Sutri, where he needed a living, that is money, and
out of necessity and lacking money he sold his horses and arms
and clothing, he decided to live in Sutri, where he saw that he
was not well known, and searching for God.
He found a cave a mile outside Sutri in a solitary place, and in
that cave there was a den made for animals, and Milo settled
down to live in that cave and brought straw and he lived there
for the space of two months and also brought hay and dressed
as a pilgrim and began to go begging. At the end of the said two
months Bertha gave birth to a male child, Milo had gone to the
city to find alms, and Bertha, as soon as she gave birth, had him
on the straw beside her. Milo returned from the city, and
arriving at the entrance to the cave, the boy, swathed round,
rolled, because Bertha had swaddled it as well as she knew how
and placed it in the straw. When Milo came, the boy thus
wrapped round rolled down some straw and went as far as the
entrance to the cave, and Milo, as he saw this thing rolling,
stopped, but when the boy stopped he began to cry.
Milo took him and lifted him in his arms and carried him to his
mother, saying these words: O son, in how much misery I see
you born, not for your sin but for my defect and for that of your
mother! And weeping, he gave him to his mother and she nursed
him, and Milo took care of Bertha and the child for eight days,
until Bertha could get up and govern him. Milo went looking to
feed the woman, the boy and himself, and when the eight days
had passed, Milo said to Bertha: How shall we name our son?
Bertha replied: As you like it. Milo said: The first time I saw him,
I saw him rolling, and in French the word for rolling is roolar;
and therefore Milo said: I want for remembrance that he has the
name as I first saw him, that is, Roolando. The following morning
Milo took him to Sutri, and, having found two poor people who
baptized him, he had him baptized and he was baptized for the
love of God and gave him the name Roolando. He was somewhat
cross-eyed and had fierce eyes, but he was endowed with much
virtue, courteous, charitable, very strong in his body, honest, he
died a virgin and was a man without fear, like no other
Frenchman. Milo of Anglante stayed with Bertha in these parts
until Roolando was five years old and was already going by
himself into the city, begging for God and knew how to carry
bags and barrels and to procure for him and for his mother. He
was dressed in a thick lambskin that had been given to him for
the love of God, and so Bertha his mother and Milo his father
dressed, so that they did penance for the sin they had
committed, overcome by love.
CHAPTER 54.
How Milo of Anglante departed from Sutri and left Bertha and
Roolando, and how he arrived in Risa and went to Arcanoro in
Africa, and as he agreed to join with Balante the Turk.
Seeing how Milo of Anglante had lost so much time in Sutri, he
decided to leave and to go on adventures and entrusted
Roolando with Bertha and with many tears he left and kissed
Roolando and blessed him and commended him to God and
went to Rome and passed through Calabria. Arriving in a city
called Risa, of which a duke called Rambaldo was lord, who was
lord of Puglia and Calabria, he found that he had three sons, and
one was named Beltraino, the other a bastard Milo, because it
was not legitimate, the third had the name Rizieri and was nine
years old and was the youngest. Milo of Anglante knew the
complete art of fencing, and teaching it to certain citizens for a
living he was brought to court for Beltraino and the bastard
Milo, and he stayed there for three years, until Rizieri was
eleven years old and he began to teach him also. At this time
came news that King Agolante of Africa was gathering a large
number of people to conquer Asia.
Again it was said: That Christians and every nation of people
could go to that military service. Milo asked permission and
Rizieri, who was the youngest, gave him a large horse and fine
armor for his person and gave him another good horse for a
servant. Milo called himself Sventura (Misfortune). Rizieri also
gave him money to spend. Milo entered a city called Arcanoro,
where King Agolante was staying, and the said King Agolante
had acquired most of Africa and was proposing to conquer Asia
to make himself lord of the world and he had two sons, one had
the name Troiano, who was a very proud man, the other was
called Almonte, who was very noble. Agolante had sent both of
them to Asia with large troops, and one was in Persia, the other
was in Africa and in Media; and there was a king in Africa who
had taken two nephews of King Agolante, sons of his sister, and
that king was called Salatielo, and he waged great war with king
Agolante and with his nephews, sons of a sister of king Girambel.
King Mulcar and Butrans came to help King Agolante with ten
thousand to pass into Asia, and King Salatielo defeated and
captured them; one nephew was named Aspinar and the other
Dorando. Agolante raised a great army to go against this king
Salatielo and for his captain he had elected one of his barons by
the name of Balante the Turk; and when Milo reached Arcanoro
he was presented before Balante, who asked him whence he
came. He replied: I am from Christian lands and I am driven out
of my land by a newly crowned king, who has the name
Charlemagne and I have the name Sventura. Balante said: You
seem to me a great man; now if you want to come with me I will
merit you, as you will do. Sventura said: I am happy. Balante
took him with him and went to King Agolante and took leave,
and Agolante gave him thirty thousand Saracens, and on leaving
Balante entrusted to King Agolante a little son he had. For this
Duke Milo wept. Balante looked at him and said: Why are you
crying, Sventura? He answered: For a little boy whom I too have
and whom I never hope to see again. Balante comforted him and
they rode off with the aforementioned thirty thousand.
CHAPTER 55.
How Balante and Milo fought against King Salatielo, and how
Milo killed Agoriante and had victory, and how they led King
Salatielo to King Agolante and passed into Persia.
When King Salatielo learned of Balante's coming, he sent
requesting his subjects and friends and gathered forty thousand
Saracens among whom came a giant lord of the mountains of
Giron and Gozari and his name was Agoriante with ten thousand
Saracens. They came around Balante and approaching the camp
of the other Balante made two ranks and gave the first to
Sventura with ten thousand and the other he kept for himself
and went towards the enemies. Balante knew how fierce his
enemy Agoriante was and wanted to go back but Sventura
comforted him so much that he accepted the battle and King
Salatielo made two armies and the first he gave to Agoriante
with twenty thousand Saracens and he kept as many for himself.
Milo led his army with great discipline and everyone was
wounded tremendously and the enemies were heavily set upon
and in bad order, and so was Balante's army. Milo returned to
Balante and said: O Captain, you do not keep the order that
Hannibal held against the Romans to lead the ranks. Balante was
a little ashamed and he gathered his troops and praised
Sventuro a lot. Milo, comforting his army, set forth and when
one army arrived with the other there began a great noise and a
great battle.
Milo killed the first and got back the lance, then he struck
Agoriante and threw him on the ground untouched, because he
was on foot, but when he stood up, he cursed, threatening Milo
with death and then entered the ranks. Milo went as far as the
banners of this rank and threw himself on the ground, and by his
great exploits, returning back, met Agoriante who at the first
blow killed the horse under Milo, and Milo fought on foot and
with the second blow cut off his left side. Then king Salatielo
entered the battle and put all the people of Milo to flight and he
was surrounded around him but frankly on foot he was
defending alongside the dead giant. When Balante saw his
people fleeing he said: I thought well when I gave the first group
and did not know to whom. At this some fugitives arrived
shouting: O Balante, what are you doing that you are not
rescuing that knight who killed Agoriante the giant? When
Balante heard this news he was very cheerful and ran with his
troops to battle doing great feats of arms, and encountered the
king Salatielo and with sword in hand they fought together. Milo
was put back on his horse by the people of Balante, and running
for battle, he rode down to go where Balante was fighting with
King Salatielo. He saw him coming and knew that it was he who
had killed Agoriante, whence for fear of him he surrendered to
Balante and swore allegiance to King Agolante and they took all
the lands. He then gave King Agolante many men and brought
Balante the king Salatielo and Sventura. Balante greatly praised
Sventura to King Agolante for a valiant knight and told him how
Agoriante the giant had died, and therefore he took Agolante
with him and brought Uliano of Sarza and passed through
Morea, Libya, Egypt and through Syria and he entered the
kingdom of Persia against Manador of Cyprus and Soldanus who
had fled before his eldest son Troiano.
Here battles were fought among which in a great battle a king
named Manador, of great stature, on a great horse entered the
battle with the king of Persia and he did great damage to the
people of Agolante and captured King Salatielo and took him
away. Carrying him, Sventura attacked him with a mace and
knocked him down from his horse, and gathering up Salatielo to
take him away he saw King Agolante in battle. He left King
Salatielo and attacked Agolante and gave him a great blow,
embraced the rope of the saddle tree by force of his arms and
carried it towards the hostile banners. The noise was great and
the Africans arose. Sventura had remounted his horse and
Balante followed Manador, and having reached him first
Manador gave him a great blow on the helmet with such great
strength that he let the king Agolante fall, and Balante reached
and cut off his right arm while trying to turn towards Sventura,
and thus Manador was killed.
King Agolante recovered, and continuing the battle, Balante
killed the Sultan of Persia, and after this victory, they took all of
Persia in a short time and received the news that Almonte had
taken Assyria and Media and that Troiano was made lord of all
Turkey and of great Armenia. From there a few days later news
came that Almonte was passing the Tauras mountains and was
entering upper Persia to go to India and that fifteen kings had
moved with a great multitude of Tartars and Indians, who were
coming against Almonte. Because of this news King Agolante set
forth and rode for many days, until he reached his son Almonte
with a great force of men and barons.
CHAPTER 56.
How Agolante and Almonte fought with the Indians for nine
days, and how Almonte was victorious in a battle of five kings.
King Agolante having reached the border of Persia with his son
Almonte and having taken some rest, they crossed the great
river Arico in the province of the Iscuripi and met a multitude of
Tartars and Indians and a battle ensued between one people and
the other which lasted nine days and neither side had the
victory. Two hundred and fifty thousand people died there
between one side and the other, and each side retreating, for the
space of two months they fought no other battle, but in the end
they thought of fighting on a lake, called Aris, on the side of a
city, called Sottira, and an agreement was made between one
camp and the other, and the whole battle was reduced to five on
each side. On King Agolante's side was first Almonte, Balante,
Uliano, Triamondes and Sventura, and Almonte wanted them to
fight one at a time and if one wins, it is understood that his
entire side will have won. Almonte was the first who entered the
battle. The names of the opposing party were these, Caiparo,
King Antinas, King Florione, and two giants, Alpidras and
Aturinos. Almonte killed four of them and made King Florione
prisoner. For this reason the other four companions of Almonte
did not fight and all of India was subject to king Agolante and
they subjugated all of Asia in a short time and returned to Syria
and reconciled the camp of Troiano with that of Agolante and
with great victory they returned to Africa, where there was
great rejoicing at the return. King Agolante crowned Troiano
king of all Asia and crowned Balante king of the two kingdoms
of Scandia and Nobiro, which were two great kingdoms, but the
kingdom of Scandia was larger than that of Nobiro and fielded
sixty thousand people.
CHAPTER 57
How Charles prepared to go to Rome titled emperor.
While these things were being done among the infidels, King
Charles had already reigned in France twelve years, when he
was approved by the college of Rome, emperor Constantine
having died (the third Constantine who was emperor after the
death of Pepin) to create Pope Leo the thirteenth. Charlemagne,
Emperor of Rome, having learned of this election, resolved to go
to Rome and to take the title of the empire as an elected
nobleman, because he did not want to declare himself emperor
until he was obeyed by Girart of Fraite; hence he commanded
that all the Christian barons subject to the crown of France
should be at the court in the spring and at the same time present
themselves in Paris. King Charles made the most magnificent
court that had ever been held in Paris, and he made such a great
quantity of gifts of cities and castles, of arms and horses, of
lordships, of gold, of clothes, and of jewels, that throughout the
world his fame and his courtesy were known. King Agolante and
many other lords swore to keep their lands and lordships for
him and swore fealty to him. Charles asked them to get ready to
go to Rome in the spring in his company and everyone promised
to go where he pleased, and, after the feast, they returned to
their countries. In this time a fool left Paris and went to Spain as
fools go and heard that King Agolante was returning to Africa
with the victory of all Asia, from which he passed through Spain
and went to reach Africa. This fool was the reason that King
Agolante made the passage to Italy with his son Almonte as the
story continues.
CHAPTER 58
How Roland in his childhood began to demonstrate his prowess,
being with his mother in Sutri.
The unfortunate Bertha had remained in Sutri with young
Roland, where Milo of Anglante had left her, and already six
years had passed since Milo had left and she lived on the alms
that her son was able to find, and she became so gloomy about
her person that you would not believe it. There was a gentleman
in Sutri, who was a lieutenant, that is a Roman lord, who had the
name Lucio Albino and his son had the name Rainieri.
This boy was four years older than Roolando or Roland. Being in
Sutri, many children's games were played and Roland was
already eleven years old, and it happened that after Lent those
childish games began, sometimes with stones, sometimes with
clubs. Roland, sometimes being with the children and being
overcome by childhood, entered into these games, and always
the side he was on was the winner, because every game he
played so fiercely that it made every man marvel, in whatever
game one wanted, whether stones or clubs or arms or battle, all
the other children fled before him.
His arms were much bigger than the other children and he could
throw them to the ground, but they could not do it to him if he
did not want them to. Sometimes provoking quarrels he beat
those who were much older than him, and the men of Sutri
greatly marveled at the great strength he had, being only eleven
years old. In the spring time in the city of Sutri the game of
fighting between children began, and in many parts of the city
this game was played and there were many who lost, many who
won, and sometimes there were those who never lost due to
their strong position, and there were some that always lost, and
this part was disliked by the other children.
There was an area called Saint Peter in Rome, inhabited by very
poor people, and because there were few children it, they lost
every time. These boys agreed together and they took Roland to
their side, and when they reached the battle, the fight began.
Roland knew how to do it and he grabbed all his opponents and
threw them to the ground so that all the others fled before him.
For this reason those on the other side complained and said it
Was not a fair game, and those on Roland's side were taught
how to play without being thrown to the ground. After that year
of this game, Roland having begun his twelfth year, the game of
fighting was restarted and Roland always found himself with
those of Saint Peter around him because they had elected him
the leader of their company and they gave him many alms for
the love of God.
CHAPTER 59.
Of many childhood days of Roland and how Raineri son of Lucio
Albino gave him a slap on the cheek, and of vengeance and other
games.
A neighborhood of Sutri, called Borgolungo, had many children,
and they defeated another neighborhood where there were
many merchants, who together with those of Saint Peter went
around and began to defeat all those who were nearby, and
every time they won they shouted, "Long live Roland". Having
defeated many places of redoubt, they went to play in a place
near the square, and here on two sides all the children of the
earth began to fight with fists, and on one side was Captain
Roland, on the other Rainieri son of Lucio Albino. Now the
scuffle being very big, Roland came to blows with Rainieri.
Roland knew him and looked at him, but those on his side
shouted to Roland: Give him something. Then Roland grabbed
him and threw him on the ground, and the others were routed
and were chased or defeated in the place where the fight took
place. Returning to Roland, Rainieri met him and approaching
him said: Who made you captain against me? and raised his
hand and gave him a slap on the cheek. Roland punched him in
the eye, attacked him and threw him on the ground and gave
him many kicks and punches and no one helped him.
Rainieri returned in the evening to his father with a black eye
and made a loud lament and the father ordered that the next day
Roland be seized and brought before him. Roland returned to his
mother in the evening and his eyes were bruised from the fights,
and she asked what had happened, and he told her what he had
done in the game and told her how Rainieri had slapped his
cheek. Bertha began to cry and begged him not to fight with
Rainieri any more, telling him that his father could do him
villainy, that he was a landed lord. The next morning Roland
went to Sutri looking for him and the servants of Lucio Albino
took him and brought him before Lucio Albino, and Roland had
more than a hundred children behind him. Lucio asked him why
he had beaten his son Rainieri so much. Roland weeping
recounted the whole skirmish and how Rainieri had given him a
slap on the cheek.
When Lucio heard this, he called his son and said: You filthy
scoundrel, so you told me lies yesterday evening? and he
dismissed Roland and made peace with him and gave Roland
some bread and wine and some meat. Roland went back to
Bertha and told her everything, and she was as much cheerful as
she had been afraid for him at first. Roland was so beloved by
the children of the city, that he had much more alms than he
used to, so much so that at every feast, where there were many
children, Roland was always made lord and they shouted: Long
live the extraordinary Roland. Being close to the major festival in
the city of Sutri and finding themselves a little in front of more
than a hundred children in the main square, they brought Roland
in the middle of them and they shouted: Long live Roland, and
they wanted to make him lord of the next festival.
CHAPTER 60.
How Roland had the device of the four quarters of purity for the
first time, which he took as his coat of arms.
Roland being in the midst of so many children who wanted to
make him lord of the festival, a child, the son of a cloth merchant,
said to his other companions, By my faith, it is our great shame
that we make Roland our lord and that he comes to the festival
with his clothes so tattered and poor. The others replied that he
was speaking the truth; and they agreed that four of them should
collect money for the love of God and dress Roland. So the
children, some giving four denarii and others giving six, in two
days collected about two gold aurei worth of Roman coins and
divided them into four parts and undertook to buy with two a
yard and a half of white cloth and with the other two they
bought vermilion cloth. These two colors signify the two graces
that reigned in Roland, pure virginity and charity. They made for
Roland a garment in white and red quarters and the quarter on
the right arm was white and on the left arm it was vermilion,
while on the lower left side it was white and on the lower right
side it was vermilion. They gave him these clothes, they called
him lord of the children for the festival. Roland made a great
celebration, and looking at him his mother considered his
ancestry and began to cry and said: O my son, God give you good
luck and give you grace that you return to Clermont. Roland
did not understand her. He was greatly honored by the children
at the festival and always wore this garment to festivals, and
every person familiar with it loved him, and always, while he
lived in this world, his coat of arms was quarterly, saying that
God and purity had given them to him; and therefore he always
wanted to wear them.
CHAPTER 61.
How Charlemagne went to Italy the first time and was elected
emperor and ended up in Sutri.
At this time Charles, being elected emperor after the death of
Constantine the Third, assembled all his barony, among whom
were Duke Naimon, King Salomon of Brittany, King Ivon of
Bordeaux, King Gottebus of Frisia, King Druon of Bohemia,
Bernard of Clermont, Morando of Riviera, Ogier the Dane,
Aquentino, the Marquis Berlinghieri, Ugone the Piter, Ganelon of
Pontieri, Guglielmo of Mayence, Ginamo of Bayonne and many
of the house of Mayence. Charles had already forgiven everyone
and he had often sought peace with Girart of Fraite, but he never
succeeded, so a truce was established for five years between
them, and then Charles left Paris with thirty thousand knights
and, with the aforementioned lords, he arrived in Italy in the
year of our Lord Jesus Christ seven hundred seventy-nine.
He passed through Alemagna and Lombardy and went to Rome
and stayed forty days and received the title of emperor, but he
did not take the crown, because his thought was to rule over
Girart of Fraite; and he left Rome to return to France. The first
day that he left Rome, he came to lodge eight leagues away from
Rome in the city of Sutri, and during the night King Charles fell
ill, for which the doctors wanted him to take medicine, and he
decided to stay in Sutri for six days. His people all lodged inside
and outside the city of Sutri.
CHAPTER 62.
How Roland went to the court for alms, and had a dispute with
a scoundrel, and took half of his food.
King Charles, being in the said city of Sutri, always held a royal
court and it was always the custom that all the food that was left
over at Charles's table was given for the love of God to the poor.
It happened that the first morning he had excess because there
were few poor people, so his reputation went to the villas and
the next morning there were many poor people, and that
morning Roland came to the court, who, seeing so many armed
and unarmed people, began to marvel, and he asked some he
knew what people these were, and they said to him: A great lord
has come whose name is Charlemagne, who is king of France and
is made emperor of Rome. Roland said: What is an emperor?
He was told that, as emperor, he was the defender of the
Christian faith and that all the lords of the world had to obey him
and the pope for the good of the Christian faith and for the rest
of the provinces of the world and of the cities and peoples. Later,
Roland seeing the armor on those armed knights looked at them
and said: Oh God, when will I be big enough to wear that armor
too? And going to beg around the neighborhood he was told:
That he should go to the court where bread, wine and meat were
given; and he went to the court and arrived late after the charity
had been given. Seeing a scoundrel who had food for four,
Roland said: You must not have so much food, I have not had
anything. The scoundrel replied: You have not been harmed, and
if you had come early, as I did, you would have had your share.
Roland said: For the sake of coming late, you do not get to take
my share, and since you have too much, give me my share. Said
the scoundrel: I would rather throw it to a dog. Roland got angry
and grabbed him and threw him to the ground and took away his
staff and gave him very heavy beatings and then took away more
than half his food. A circle of gentlemen formed around them and
they laughed the loudest in the world at seeing a skillful servant
beat such a large scoundrel, and they encouraged Roland to beat
him, and then they made him give him some wine, as he had
plenty of bread and meat, and he returned to Bertha and told her
that there were many people in Sutri and that they said that
Charlemagne, king of France, was there. When Bertha heard it,
she trembled with fear and said to Roland: My son, do not go to
that court any more.
He replied: How is it that the other paupers are going there but
you do not want me to go? She said: I am afraid that Charles will
hurt you. He replied: I am not afraid of this one. In the evening
he returned to the court, and when he saw one of those
scoundrels who had more than was fair Roland took away the
food and gave it to the needy poor or to the children who did not
have any. Many courtiers loved him, but those scoundrels
wished him deathly ill.
CHAPTER 63.
How Roland saw Charles for the first time and took away a bowl
full of meat in front of Charles in Sutri.
The following day Charles waited to eat longer than was his
custom, and the poor waited and Roland had come and was still
waiting. Being in a circle with the others, Roland heard talk of
the great dignity of the emperor, and among other things was
one who said: When the first cutting board of meat is placed
before the emperor on the table, if a poor man took it away with
the meat, just as it reaches the table, no one would say anything
to him for the dignity of the empire. When Roland heard this he
kept quiet and when he heard the instruments playing he went
up the stairs. The gatekeeper did not want to let him enter the
room and they began to argue, so much so that Roland smashed
his head and the barons laughed and called rudely to the
gatekeeper and sent another man to guard the door. Roland
placed himself in one corner of the room, and when Charles
came to dine Roland looked at him a lot and watched everything
he did. A great multitude of gentlemen was before King Charles;
and when the food came Roland saw the sideboard being made
and went forward and took away the first bowl which had been
placed before Charles wherein there were capons and a great
deal of other meat. The bowl was of gilded silver and at the
bottom was the coat of arms of Charles. When Roland took the
bowl, the gentleman who was carving meat before Charles
wanted to stab Roland with the carving knife, but Charles, seeing
the courage of the poor man, said: Do not do it and let him go;
and Charles had such great pleasure in it that he laughed eagerly.
When Roland took the bowl, he spilled some broth that was in
the bowl onto his chest, and when Roland left, Charles said to the
barons: Ah, see how much courage that servant had, yet he is
still a child and very skillful! And laughing with the barons,
Charles was told of the arguments he had had with certain
scoundrels and how he had broken the head of the gatekeeper
and how he took food away from certain people and gave it to
the poor who could not get through. Said King Charles: Surely he
must be the son of some worthy man; and asking some in the
city whose son he was, they could not tell him but a good man of
the city of Sutri said: Holy crown, it was about twelve years ago
that a soldier arrived, who had the aspect and appearance of a
decent person, with his woman who was pregnant, and they
stayed in this land and the lady gave birth to this child in a cave
that is nearby, and it has been six years since that soldier has
been seen and he either left in desperation or died. Now this boy
has always gone begging and sometimes his mother comes with
him; and he told of the many games that Roland had played with
the children and how they had made him a white and red tunic
in quarters. Roland returned with the bowl and the meat to his
mother, who, as she saw the coat of arms of Charles, immediately
recognized them and said: Where did you get this bowl from?
Roland answered and told the story he had heard and told how
he had possessed it. Bertha, to frighten him, began to say that if
he returned, Charles would have him killed or captured or put in
prison or that he could be hanged as a thief, and begged him
never to return. He answered and said: I will go no more and I
will not return the next day.
CHAPTER 64.
How Roland took away the second bowl in front of Charles and
of a dream that King Charles had.
Due to the delight Charles had with Roland when he took the
bowl away, he laughed and ordered that every time he returned
he be allowed to enter. The next morning Roland went back to
the city, and going looking he found no alms, and everyone said:
Go to court. He went to the court, and when it was time he
entered the hall and it was before Charles sat down at the table
and he was in a corner of the hall, and many people looked at
him and said to each other: He gets accustomed to stealing and is
clumsy at home. Others said: He will yet be hanged; and
everyone has their say about him. When the food came, he did as
he had done the day before, he removed the bowl, and as he was
fleeing a baron blocked his way, and Roland pushed him and
threw him to the ground and took away the bowl with the meat.
Charles, seeing the great boldness and great strength of that
child, said to all the barons present: Surely this child must
belong to some poor gentleman, and this is nothing less than a
great sign; and then Charles said: This night a strange event
appeared to me in a vision. I dreamed that we were in the field
and encountered many animals and it seemed to me that I had
lost the battle of my people and that a dragon came to blows
with me and completely disarmed me, and while it wanted to
devour me as his food a young lion came out from a cave that
was in the wood, slew that dragon, freed me, and returned me to
my people in victory. Over these words there was a great
murmur among the barons, and many repeated the words of the
emperor and said that dreams are not without great judgment;
and with these words King Charles rose from the table; and
when he had eaten, he went to his room and sent for Duke
Naimon and for King Salomon and for the valiant Ogier the Dane.
CHAPTER 65.
How Charles ordered Duke Naimon and Salomon King of
Brittany and Ogier the Dane to follow Roland.
When Charles was in the room with the three barons he said to
them: Gentlemen and my brothers, the dream that appeared to
me in this city of that boy is not without great mystery, since the
vision I had this night partly agrees with this boy. You know that
St. Peter and St. Paul appeared to Constantine in a vision; and
because the visions of gentlemen are very often a great
demonstration of the future, however I observe in my vision that
a young lion came out of a tomb which was in a wood, and that
this boy was in a cave; but we do not know what may happen in
the future, and I ask all three of you to get ready tomorrow
morning without any other company and follow this boy when
he takes away a bowl of meat, and find out where he goes and
who he is. I warn you that the secret is not to fall into other
people's mouths and I want you not to take anyone else with
you. They promised to obey and the gatekeepers were again
ordered that Roland be allowed into the room. Duke Naimon,
Salomon, and Ogier ordered three of their servants to stand at
the foot of the stairs with three nags saddled and ready to mount
immediately on horseback. In the morning they went before
Charles with spurs on their feet and swords on the saddle bows
of the nags and no one imagined what they were doing. Roland
returned with the bowl and the meat to his mother and when
she saw this other bowl she began to cry and said: O my son, you
will be the cause of my death; because if Charles finds me he will
kill me. Roland promised never to return; and he stayed all that
time with his mother, but the next morning for a third time he
left to come to Sutri; and his mother began to cry and begged
him not to go to court. He said: Mother I will not go there; but
having gone into the town, looking around the city and not
finding alms, he went to the court because everyone told him:
That he should go there. When they saw him, many scoundrels
blasphemed him and felt very envious. When the instruments
sounded, Roland went up to the hall and hid among the people.
CHAPTER 66.
How Roland took away the third bowl in front of Charles and
grabbed him by the beard and how the three barons followed
him.
When Roland arrived in the room in front of Charles, the three
aforementioned Naimon, Salomon, and Ogier were there. The
food was brought in two large platters and Roland ran and took
one of those platters, and when he took it Charles faked a very
loud voice, thinking he would make him tremble with fear.
Roland left the platter and stretched out his hand and took
Charles by the beard and said: What's wrong with you? and the
look that Roland gave towards Charles was darker than that
which Charles gave towards him. Leaving Charles behind, he
took away the platter and began to flee and Duke Naimon took a
golden goblet that Charles had in front of him and said: Here,
servant, you still need something to drink; which Naimon said
because it was true. Roland took it, descended the stairs and ran
away. Naimon and his companions mounted on horseback
followed him, and Roland, seeing that the wine would slow him
down, threw the wine away and began to run and the three
barons studied his footsteps. Charles remained somewhat
disturbed in the room, both for the act that Roland had done to
him, and for the vision that had appeared to him in a dream, and
he said: These are the signs that appeared to Caesar and to King
Philip and to Alexander close to their deaths; and he
remembered the bird that laid the egg in King Philip's lap and
the messenger who brought the letter to Emperor Julius Caesar.
CHAPTER 67.
How Duke Naimon found Bertha and Roland in the cave at Sutri,
and how he and Salomon and Ogier became his champions.
Roland carried the platter to the room where Bertha was, and
going down the path he entered the usual room, and when
Bertha saw the cup she began to cry and say: Oh dear, my son,
you have disobeyed me: where did you get this golden cup? You
still want me to be dead! Roland told how he had removed the
platter and what he did to Charles, and how one who was by his
side gave him that goblet full of wine, and he told his mother that
he was not afraid of Charles, that he took him by the beard, and
said: If he wanted to hurt me, I would give him this club; and he
ran to grab a club he had in the cave, and Roland gave his own
account of it as children do. In the middle of it, the three barons
arrived outside above the cave and dismounted. Duke Naimon
drew his sword and went down, and when he reached the
hollow cave he said: Who is here? When Bertha saw him she
recognized him at once and fled into a corner on the side of the
cave. Roland wanted to grab the club, but his mother would not
let him grab it, and Roland said to the duke; What are you doing
here in this room of ours? Get out of here right now. Bertha put
her hand over his mouth and told him to keep silent. The duke
entered further in and said: Who are you who seem to live with
wild beasts in a grotto in a cave in the woods? Meanwhile
Salomon and Ogier arrived, and Bertha recognized everyone.
Then she began to cry bitterly seeing that she could not escape
and they looked at her and asked her again: Who was she? She
threw herself on her knees at Duke Naimon's feet and stretched
out her arms and cried out: Mercy. She was wearing a garment
of rough cloth torn and ripped in several places and revealing
her flesh and none of them knew her, yet they had pity on her
for her tears and again they asked her saying: Lady, who are
you? She said with great shame: I am the unfortunate Bertha,
daughter of King Pepin, sister of Charlemagne and wife of Duke
Milo of Anglante and this is his son and mine.
The barons, hearing these words, knelt down weeping before
her. She asked what happened to Duke Milo of Anglante, and
told how he had left her dishonored, because no one wanted to
restore the excommunication he had from her; and she told how
she gave birth to that boy in this cave, and how and why he was
named Roland, and that Milo left when the boy was five years
old. There was none of them who did not weep bitterly, and she
begged them for the love of God not to say anything to Charles.
Roland was crying because he saw his mother crying. Then the
three barons withdrew to one side and speaking together they
resolved to help her and to make Charles forgive them for love
of that boy, who could still be very dear to him and they swore
to be champions of her and of the boy and to defend them, and
they comforted her; and so in agreement they went to Sutri and
asked the citizens for royal clothing and sent them to Bertha and
she was adorned and dressed like a queen. Roland looked at her
in amazement and said: Oh, do not cry, my mother, you are
beautiful and he embraced her. Duke Naimon with his
companions came before the emperor. Roland wanted no other
garment than his quartered one, which he wore for purity.
CHAPTER 68.
How Charles forgave Milo of Anglante and Bertha and made
Roland his son.
The three barons returning in front of Charles found that he was
still at the table and knelt down in front of him. Duke Naimon
spoke for all three and said: Holy Father Emperor, behold we
have fulfilled your commandment and all three of us are
deserving to ask for a favor from you, which will be of great
honor and benefit to your crown. Charles was astonished and
looking them in the face he said: Are you saying this as a joke or
seriously? Salomon and Ogier the Dane affirmed what Duke
Naimon said and added: We are your faithful servants, and
therefore grant us the favor we ask of you. He replied: By my
faith, I have so much confidence in you three that nothing could
mar your request, and I promise you on my crown that the favor
you ask of me, if it is possible to do, I will not fail to do it in any
way. When they stood up, the duke said: Sir, the favor you owe
us is that you forgive Milo of Anglante and your sister Bertha
every hatred and offense that there may have been in the past.
Know that the poor servant who took food away in front of you
is the son of Duke Milo and of your sister, and certainly he is the
lion cub that you dreamed of that will still save you from great
dangers. Charles completely changed his face, shrugged his
shoulders and said: If I had known this, I would not have given
you pardon, but since I agreed to do it, I will reconfirm it and I
want this servant to be my son.
CHAPTER 69.
How Bertha was presented before Charles and how Charles
forgave her and made Roland his adopted son.
As the word spread through the city of Sutri that Roland was
the son of Milo of Anglante and that Bertha was the sister of
Charles, all the people of the city ran to come and see Bertha and
Roland. Bernard of Clermont, Aymon of Dordogne, Buovo of
Agramonte and other lords came to her. They wanted to dress
Roland in rich cloth, but he wanted nothing more than his
clothing of quarters that he had as a child. He was placed on a
nag and always rode at his mother's side. With great honor they
returned to Sutri and dismounted at the palace where Charles
was, and were led to the hall, and Naimon, Salomon, and Ogier
led Bertha in front of Charles; and crying she threw herself on
her knees at his feet, and Roland was in the middle of the three
barons. Bertha asked for mercy and forgiveness. Charles, unable
to temper his anger, lifted his right foot and gave her such a
great kick in her chest that she fell towards Roland. Roland then
threw himself on the seneschal who had a club in his hand and
by force he threw him on the ground and took the club away
from him and he wanted to run to Charles and hit him on the
head with that club, and the barons could barely hold him back.
Duke Naimon, Salomon, and Ogier drew their swords and more
than five hundred other swords were drawn in the room; and if
Bertha had not got back on her knees again and had not said to
Charles: "My brother, you have the right, take any revenge on me
you like, but this boy is entrusted to you and at least forgive me
for love of him. Charles, convinced, began to cry and was
ashamed of what he had done for having broken his promised
faith and for letting himself be overcome by anger, and he
embraced his sister Bertha and kissed her on her forehead, and
because of this all the noise was silenced and everything was
peaceful. Charles forgave Milo of Anglante and proclaimed
throughout his kingdom that Roland was his adopted son and he
soon ordered to leave Sutri and return to France with his barony
and with Bertha and with Roland, and Charles always wanted
Roland to be with him, and loved him as much as if he had been
his own son. He passed through Tuscany and Lombardy and the
Apennine Alps and arrived in France where there was great joy
at his return and at the return of Bertha and Roland.
CHAPTER 70.
How Charles returned from Rome and brought back Bertha, and
made Roland count of Anglante.
When King Charles arrived in France in the city of Paris, there
was a great celebration of his return and that of Roland and of
Bertha. Charles wrote letters to signify for all the cities and lands
of Christians, how Milo of Anglante was excommunicated, and
how he found his son Roland, and how Charles had forgiven him
and returned all his lands to Roland son of Milo. Bertha took
over the lordship of the marquisate of Brava for Roland, and
then Roland was made count of Anglante and marquis of Brava.
Charles had a son from Galeana who was called Charlot the
second, who had a strange manner and greatly delighted in
making people of all backgrounds angry and was very annoying.
For this reason he was very little loved by the subjects of the
realm, but Roland was quite the opposite and was greatly loved
and revered by all. He was very charitable, courteous, humble,
and kind, and he served a great many people willingly and was
very pleasant and truthful and a very eloquent speaker; while
everyone who spoke to him left him very happy. He asked the
emperor for very many favors for others, and due to his great
virtue and kindness Charles did not deny him the favors he
wanted, and in everything he greatly preserved and maintained
the honor of Charles and always kept his virginity and married
damsels. Charles loved him so much that he kept him as his own
adopted son, while it was commonly said that Roland was the
son of Charles, which is contrary to the truth; and the king loved
him for his virtue and because he saw him as valiant in spirit and
in person. Charles had many enemies and was so hated that he
always kept a good guard of five hundred armed men, and
Roland pacified most of them through his virtue. Roland was the
most feared man in the world and by the Shepherd of the Holy
Church he was made the standard-bearer of the Church and
champion of all Christianity and senator of Rome, and Charles
then called him the gonfalonier of the Christians.
THE END.
REFERENCES
