THE COMING OF ROLAND
Reynaud and his brothers, with Mawgis their cousin, came in their
riding to Poictiers, where it was told them that John, King of
Gascony was hard pressed by the Saracens. Reynaud said to his
comrades, "Let us go to the help of the King." To this they
consented, and so coming to the city of Bordeaux were joyfully
received by the King and his courtiers.
Not many days after, the King of the Saracens came to Bordeaux, and
Reynaud and his comrades went forth from the city to attack him.
Then followed a great battle, and the Saracens fled, whom Reynaud
pursued so hotly that all his friends counted him to have been slain.
Great, therefore, was their joy when Reynaud came back, not only safe
and sound, but bringing with him the King of the Saracens, as
prisoner, for he had taken him in single combat. Thereupon, King
John, holding that he could not honour too greatly so valiant a
knight, yielded to him a fair hill whereon was a castle, and gave him
also his sister in marriage. This castle Reynaud made very strong
with towers and the like, and called it Montalban; and for a while
the brothers had peace.
It befell that King Charles, going on a pilgrimage, saw this same
hill with the castle built upon it, and much admiring, would know who
dwelt there. When he heard that it was the castle of the sons of
Aymon, he was very wroth, and sent an embassy, of which Ogier the
Dane was the leader, to King John, demanding that the brothers and
their company should be delivered to him. "I will do no such thing,"
said the King. Thereupon King Charles said to his barons, "You see
how this man defies us. Come now, we will go to Paris, and hold a
council of the whole realm, and consider how we shall deal with him."
When the Council was assembled, the King stood up, and set the matter
before them. Then the Duke Naymes spake in this fashion; "Sir, we
are wrong in this war; let us have peace for five years; after that,
if you are so minded, we will fight again." This counsel angered the
King greatly, but while he doubted what he should say, there came to
the palace a young man, very fair, and well arrayed, with thirty
squires following him, and did obeisance to the King. "Tell me your
name," said Charles. "Sire," answered the stranger, "my name is
Roland, and I am your nephew, being son of your sister that is
married to the Duke of Milan." "You are welcome," said the King.
"To-morrow I will make you a knight and you shall make war upon these
traitors, the sons of Aymon." "That I will do right willingly,"
answered Roland, "seeing that Reynaud slew my cousin, Berthelot."
On the morrow the King made Roland a knight. But while they sat at
the feast, there came a messenger saying that the city of Cologne was
beset of Saracens. Said Roland to the King, "Let me go against these
infidels," and the King answered, "You shall go." So Roland went
with twenty thousand men well armed and fell upon the Saracens, and
took from them spoils and prisoners, and overcame their King in
single combat, bringing him back to Paris and delivering him to the
King.
The King said to Duke Naymes, "How did Roland, my nephew, bear
himself in the battle?" "Never did knight bear himself better,"
answered the Duke, "only he needs a horse that should carry him well
when he is fully armed. I counsel you, therefore, to make a
proclamation that there shall be a race of all the best horses in
your realm, and that you will give to the horse that shall prevail
your crown of gold, and five hundred marks of fine silver, and a
hundred rolls of silk." "This is good counsel," said the King, and
he caused proclamation to be made, and the lists to be set up.
Now it chanced that a yeoman of Gascony, being in Paris, heard the
proclamation, and going back to his own country told the matter to
Reynaud and Mawgis. When Reynaud heard it, he laughed and said: "Now
shall the King see as good a race as ever was run in the world, for I
will go to Paris with Bayard and win this prize." "I will go with
you," said Mawgis, "and your brethren also, and we will have with us
some knights well armed."
So Reynaud and his company set out, and when any one would know who
they were, they said that they were from Bearn, and that they were
journeying to Paris to run their horses in the King's race. When
they were now near to Paris, Mawgis, being a great magician, took a
certain herb that he knew, and when he had pounded it with the pommel
of his sword, and tempered it with water, he rubbed Bayard therewith,
so that he became all white. And he took another herb that he knew
and therewith caused Reynaud to look like a youth of twenty years.
When the others saw Reynaud and his horse, how changed they were,
they laughed aloud. Then Reynaud and Mawgis parted from them, and
went on alone to Paris with Bayard the horse.
Meanwhile, the King had sent the Duke Naymes, and Ogier the Dane, and
another, with a hundred knights to keep the road from Orleans, that
none might pass without their knowledge. There they abode, not a few
days, suffering much from hunger and thirst. "What do we here?" said
Duke Naymes. "Does the King hold us to be fools that he makes us
tarry here for nothing?" "You say well," said Ogier the Dane, "let
us go back." But even as he spake, they were aware of two men on
horseback. Said the Duke, "That horse is Bayard, but that he is of
another colour." When the men were near, the Duke said to them, "Who
are you?" Mawgis answered, "My name is Sousser, and I come from
Peron, and this is my son, but he speaks no French." The Duke said
to Reynaud, "Man, know you anything of Reynaud, the son of Aymon?"
Reynaud answered him with strange words that no man could understand.
"What devil taught thee to speak such strange French? Maybe 'tis
Latin, but thou art more like to a fool than to a bishop." And he
suffered the two to pass in peace.
When they came to Paris some ill fellow saw them, and cried in a loud
voice, "This is Reynaud, son of Aymon," at which saying many ran
together. Thereupon the villain, growing bold, caught Bayard by the
bridle. But the horse smote the man on the breast with his fore
foot, and killed him.
Then the two rode on, and took a lodging in an inn; where when they
bedded their horses, Mawgis took a thread of silk and waxed it well
and after bound the fore feet of Bayard. Said the host, "Why do you
this? The horse can run but ill being so bound. But tell me who is
the knight; had he more years he were like Reynaud the son of Aymon."
Mawgis answered, "I bound the horse's feet because he is given to
fighting. As for his rider he is my son." But it chanced that, not
long after, Mawgis named Reynaud by name, and the host heard it and
said, "This beyond all doubt is Reynaud who slew the King's nephew.
Truly, before I sleep, I will tell the matter to the King." Reynaud
heard the man speak and straightway slew him. Thereat there was no
small outcry, but the two knights mounted on their horses, and
mingling with the crowd, so escaped.
After mass the King and his lords went down to a certain meadow that
is by the river Seine, where the race should be run. And the two
knights went with him, but Bayard having his foot bound halted much.
Then said one knight, "See here the horse that will win the prize,"
and another said, "Verily, he will win, if God so favour him." And
they laughed him to scorn.
When the trumpets sounded for the starting of the horses they all
ran. When Mawgis saw this, he lighted from his horse and cut the
thread of silk that was bound about Bayard's foot. And Reynaud
spurred his horse, saying to him, "Bayard, we are far behind, now it
is time for you to haste." When Bayard heard his master so speak, he
understood him as well as though he had been a man. Straightway he
held up his head, and stretched forth his neck, and ran so fast that
he speedily passed all the other horses. When the King saw this he
said to Richard of Normandy, "This white horse is marvellously swift,
and he is like to Bayard, the horse of Reynaud, son of Aymon."
Reynaud, having prevailed in the race, took the crown of gold, but
the silver and the silk he disdained. Then having the crown in his
hand, he rode back to the palace where the King sat with his lords.
The King said to him, "I will give you for your horse such treasure
as will content you." Reynaud answered: "Sire, I have angered you
many times, and slain your men, and now I carry away your crown.
Know that I am Reynaud, son of Aymon. Seek elsewhere for a horse
that you may give to Roland your nephew. But Bayard you shall not
have." So saying he spurred his horse, and rode away, and when he
had travelled certain miles, then came Mawgis on his black horse. So
these two returned to the castle of Montalban, and were received with
great joy.