OF THE CRAFT OF MAWGIS
When King John of Gascony heard all the trouble that had befallen the
brethren, on the one side, and the Emperor and his knights, on the
other, he could not rest, so much did his conscience trouble him. So
having bidden farewell to his sister Clare, Reynaud's wife, he sought
a certain Abbey, and there took a monk's habit. But a certain man
that was a spy was aware of the matter, and told it to Roland. Also
he said that the brethren and Mawgis were journeying to Montalban.
Then Roland, having first called Oliver, said, "We will go now and
fight with the sons of Aymon, and we will take four thousand men only
with us, so that we shall have no advantage over them, inasmuch as
they have five thousand well horsed and well armed." Said Ogier the
Dane, "I will go with you and see how you fare, and I promise that if
you lay hands on them I will lend you a rope."
Roland first came to the Abbey, and said to the Abbot. "You have
here in a monk's habit a certain John, whom men call King of Gascony.
Deliver him to me that I may hang him as a thief." And when the
Abbot would not consent, Roland entered the cloister, and took King
John by force, the man being known to him, and set him on a horse,
with his face to the tail. The King said to a certain knight whom he
knew, "Go now to Reynaud and say that I am in sore straits." "Sir,"
said the knight, "I doubt whether Reynaud will so much as stir a foot
to help you." Nevertheless he consented to go.
Now Reynaud had come by this time to the castle of Montalban. But
when his wife the Lady Clare came forth to meet him, he would not
suffer her to come near to him. "Go," he said, "to your false
brother John." The children also, for he had two sons, he spurned
away. "I will have none of this evil brood," said he. But when the
Lady Clare swore by all the Saints that she had no knowledge of her
brother's wickedness and fell in a swoon at his feet, and his
brothers also made intercession for her, his heart was softened, and
he consented to receive her again.
As they sat at meat there came the knight from King John. He said,
"King John is in sore straits. Roland has taken him prisoner, and is
stedfastly purposed to hang him. The King knows that he has sinned
grievously against you, nevertheless he prays that you will help
him." Then cried Alard, "If Roland hang that traitor, he will do
well." But Reynaud said nothing.
When he had thought a long while he began to speak, telling all the
story of his life, how he had himself done wrong to others, and how
he had suffered many things, and was bound to show mercy rather than
hardness. "King John," he said, "would have betrayed me, but he did
it for fear of King Charles. It becomes me to help him in his need."
To this the brethren consented, though not willingly. So they set
forth, having six thousand men on horseback, and one thousand on
foot, and before they had gone many hours' journey there came Roland
and Oliver and Ogier the Dane, having King John with them, as has
been said.
When Ogier saw them, he greatly rejoiced. "If one had given me a
thousand marks in gold," he said, "it had not pleased me so well as
that Roland should meet the brethren and Mawgis and learn of what
quality they are." To Roland he said, "See now what you have desired
so long. If you take these men alive the King will give you great
thanks therefor, and you will have Bayard for your own, and the war
will be ended." Roland answered "Ogier, you say not this in
kindness, but I will do my best."
Reynaud, on the other part, when he saw Roland and his company, said
to his brothers, "Stay you behind till you are wanted. I will make
trial of this great Roland." And when they would have kept him back
he said, "I know that he is the strongest knight in all the world.
Nevertheless I will meet him, for mine is the right cause and his the
wrong. Therefore I shall certainly prevail."
When the two armies were now near, Oliver said to Roland, "these men
are too many for us." "Not so," answered Roland, "the Gascons are
but cowards." "Maybe," said Turpin the Archbishop, "but they have a
good leader this day, and a valiant man has ever valiant men to
follow him."
[Illustration: REYNAUD KNEELING TO ROLAND.]
Roland, liking this talk but little, rode forth to meet Reynaud. But
Reynaud, when he was now at the distance to charge, lighted down off
Bayard, and fixing his spear in the earth, tethered his horse, and
running forward knelt before Roland and said to him, "I pray you to
have pity on me, for you are of kin to me. I will give you Bayard my
horse, that is the most precious thing I have, and my lordship of
Montalban, if you can make the King to be at peace with us. Further,
I promise that I will leave France for the rest of my days, and go to
the Holy Land with my brothers and Mawgis, and there make war upon
the Saracens."
Roland was much troubled at these words, and said, "I would that it
might be, but the King will not make peace except you deliver to him
Mawgis." "Mawgis," said Reynaud, "is not one that a man can give or
take. And now seeing that I have humbled myself in vain let us two
settle this matter. There is no need that others should shed their
blood, but we only. If you overcome me then shall you take me to the
King, that he may do with me as he will; but if I, on the other hand,
overcome, then will I take you to Montalban, but you shall suffer no
harm or shame."
To this Roland consented, but his friends would not suffer it to be
so. So the two armies met together in battle, and many were slain on
both sides, but in the end Reynaud and his men prevailed over Roland
and his army. Nevertheless Reynaud suffered this great loss and
damage, that his brother Richard, having assailed Roland, was
overthrown and taken prisoner.
When Reynaud heard these tidings he was greatly troubled, and would
have given himself up to King Charles, if he might so deliver his
brother. But this the others would not suffer. Then said Mawgis,
"Trouble not yourselves about Richard, I will set him free. Do you
go to Montalban." But they doubted how he should do this, and were
in great heaviness.
Meanwhile Mawgis disguised himself in such a fashion that no one
could know him. By eating of a certain herb he made himself much
bigger to see, and with another herb he darkened his face almost to
blackness. Then he put on him the habit of a pilgrim, having a
mantle and hood, and great boots on his feet, and a staff in his
hand. This done, he conveyed himself with more speed than if he had
ridden the swiftest of horses to the King's camp, for he was a
magician, as has been said. This speed he used that he might be
beforehand with Roland.
When he was come to the Camp, he watched till the King came forth
from his tent, and said to him, "God keep you, Sir, from all
treason!" Now the King, having been deceived many times, said, "Who
is this knave? Does he compass some treason?" For a while the false
pilgrim made no answer. But then, as one that takes courage to
speak, he said, "Sir, you may see that I am a poor man that has more
need of health than of compassing treason. I am newly come from
Jerusalem, where I worshipped at the Holy Sepulchre, and now I must
go to Rome and to St. James of Compostella, but I am in great
trouble. Yesterday, as I was passing over the river Gironde with ten
men that I had to guard me, there fell upon me some thieves that slew
all my men and took all that I had. These thieves told me that they
were the four sons of Amyon, and one Mawgis, their cousin. And when
I asked them why they dealt so hardly with me, they answered that
they were in such sore need at their castle of Montalban that they
could not choose but rob all wayfarers. Then they beat me and let me
go. And now, Sire, I pray that you will avenge me of these robbers."
The King answered, "Gladly would I avenge you if I might, but I can
do nothing against these men." And the false pilgrim said, "If I
cannot have help of man, yet surely I shall have it of God." The
King said, "This seems to be a godly man." And he turned to his
lords. "It would be a good deed to give this pilgrim alms." And he
commanded his steward to give him twenty pounds in silver.
When Mawgis received the money, he said to himself, "Surely you shall
have a reward for this." But aloud he said, "I pray you, Sire, to
give me some meat, for since yesterday I have neither eaten nor
drunk." And the King commanded that he should be served with the
very best.
So Mawgis ate and drank; he said nothing, but looked very earnestly
at the King. And Charlemagne said, "Tell me, pilgrim, why you look
so earnestly upon me?" The false pilgrim answered, "Sire, I have
travelled in many lands, but never saw I, whether among Saracens or
Christian men, so godly and courteous a prince. Now, therefore, of
all the pardons that I have I will give you half." "That," answered
the King, "is a fair gift. I take it willingly." So the false
pilgrim gave him his staff to kiss for a token.
And now came Roland with Richard his prisoner. But before he had
audience of the King, the Duke Naymes and other Barons said to him,
"It will be ill done if you deliver Richard to the King. Let him
depart in peace." "That," answered Roland, "I will do right
willingly if I may."
But a certain yeoman that was standing by heard the Barons and Roland
talking together, and told the matter to the King. And he, coming
forth from his tent, when he saw Richard, cried, "Villain, now that I
have you, I will see that you are hanged by the neck," and he smote
him with his staff. Then Richard leapt upon the King, for he had
been unbound, and the two wrestled together and fell to the earth.
But the Barons laid hands upon them and held them apart.
When Mawgis saw how the King had smitten Richard, he had much ado to
keep still. Nevertheless he restrained himself, making a sign to
Richard, and when Richard knew him he was glad, being sure that he
should be delivered by his means.
After this Mawgis departed from the King's camp, and went with all
speed to Montalban. Being come there, he said to the three brethren,
"Richard is yet alive, but he is in great straits. Come and deliver
him while there is yet time." Thereupon they all set out. But when
they were come near to the camp, and had hidden themselves in a wood
that was hard by, it so happened that for weariness they all fell
into a deep sleep. And this thing came near to the undoing of
Richard.
Meanwhile the King called his Barons together. First he said to
Berenger, Lord of Valois, "I will make you quit of all service to me
if you will take this knave Richard and see that he is hanged."
Berenger answered, "You love me little, my lord King, if you make
such a demand of me. I will not do this thing."
Then the King said to another of the Barons, "You hold Bavaria of me,
and are bound to serve me with three thousand men. I will quit you
of this service if you will hang this knave Richard." "I will not
hurt the man," answered the Earl.
Then he turned to Ogier the Dane and said, "Now, if you would prove
me your love, hang this fellow." "Nay," answered Ogier, "I will not,
and, moreover, I hold any man to be my enemy that shall harm Richard."
At the last he said to Turpin the Archbishop, "Hang this Richard, and
I will make you Pope of Rome." "Sire," answered Turpin, "to do so
would be against my priest's duty."
At last the King prevailed with a certain knight, Ripus by name, that
he should do this deed. So this Ripus, having put a halter about
Richard's neck, led him to the gallows which had been set up outside
the wood. And when Richard would have given him gold he would have
none of it. Only he suffered that a priest should shrive him, to
whom indeed Richard confessed more sins than he had committed in his
whole life, so gaining a little time, for he yet looked for help.
And when the shriving was ended, then he begged for time wherein he
might make his prayers, nor could Ripus say him nay.
And now, when he was in the greatest need, did the good horse Bayard
help him, for he, having such wit as never horse had before, seeing
that Reynaud his master was fast asleep, smote with his hoof on his
shield that he woke him, and he, looking up, the gallows being hard
by the wood, saw Richard now beginning to mount the ladder that was
set against the gallows. Then he leapt on Bayard's back, and made
all haste to deliver Richard, Mawgis and Alard and Guichard following
him with all the speed they could use.
As for Ripus and his men, they could make no stand against the
brothers and Mawgis. Many were slain, and the rest were right glad
to fly. Then Reynaud took the bodies of Ripus and fifteen of his
knights that lay dead upon the plain and hanged them on the gallows
that had been set up for Richard.