OF GUY OF BURGUNDY
The Frenchmen, being now safe in the Tower, refreshed themselves with
food, for they had fasted long, as has been told. As they sat at
meat, came Floripas and said to them, "Tell me now; where is Guy of
Burgundy, that was to be my husband? I saw him sally forth out of
the gates with you; has he returned with you?" Roland answered her:
"Floripas, think not that you will see him again. The pagans took
him out of our hands, notwithstanding all that we could do; and how
he will fare in their hands we know not." When Floripas heard these
words, she fell down as one dead. When she came to herself she cried
aloud with a lamentable voice: "Lords of France, if Guy be not given
back to me I will give up this Tower to my father before two days are
over." Then Roland comforted her saying, "Be not troubled, lady, you
shall see Sir Guy again in no long time. This also I say. You will
not bring him back by weeping and lamenting. Be strong now, and take
comfort, and also, for you are weak with long fasting, eat of this
food." Then Floripas and her ladies were content, and took something
to eat.
Meantime Guy was brought before the Admiral. He was much changed in
face, being pale and wasted, seeing that he had not eaten for three
days. Also he was troubled to think of the danger in which he stood.
He had been spoiled also of his arms. For all this it was manifest
that he was a very gallant knight. Balan asked him his name and
country. Guy answered: "Admiral, I will tell the truth without fear.
I am Guy of Burgundy, subject to King Charles, and cousin to Roland
the Valiant."
The Admiral answered, "I know you over well, Sir Guy. For seven
months past my daughter has had great love for you, a thing which is
most displeasing to me. Verily for this cause I have lost many good
men, that you and your companions have slain. But tell me truly who
are these knights that were with you in the Castle?" Then Guy told
him the names of the knights, the last of all being the name of Duke
Basyn. "Him," said he, "you have slain, but be assured that you will
pay right dearly for his death." When he said these words, a Saracen
that stood by smote him on the mouth so that the blood gushed out.
Thereat Guy was greatly moved with anger, so that he lay hold of the
Saracen by the hair with one hand and with the other hand smote him
upon the bone of his neck so fiercely that the man fell down dead
before the Admiral.
At this deed the Admiral was greatly enraged, and cried out that Guy
should be closely bound. At which word all the Saracens that were in
the chamber fell upon him and beat him so sorely that he would have
been shortly slain, but that the Admiral himself cried out that he
was not to be put to death in such a fashion. Then the Saracens
bound his hands, and the Admiral bade his men fetch Brullant and
Sortibrant and others of his council. "Friends," said the Admiral,
"advise me what I shall do with this prisoner who sets me at nought
most shamefully." Sortibrant said, "I will give you good counsel
concerning him. Set up a gallows-tree near to the moat of the Tower
in which the French knights abide, and make as if you were going to
hang this prisoner. But first cause that a thousand Turks well armed
and fit for battle be hidden in a secret place near to the said tree.
Be sure that the Frenchmen, when they shall see that their comrade is
about to be hanged will come forth to succour him, and when they be
come, then shall your Turks that are in ambush fall on them and take
them."
This counsel pleased the Admiral much. He caused, therefore, the
gallows-tree to be set up, as Sortibrant had advised, and set the
Turks in ambush, more than a thousand, that the thing might be made
more sure. After this he bade thirty Saracens lead Guy to the tree,
beating him sorely with their staves the while. His hands were bound
behind his back, and there was a great rope about his neck, and he
knew himself to be in evil case. He did not cease to commend himself
to God; also he cried out to the Barons of France, and especially to
Roland, that they should help him.
Now Roland stood at a window whence he could see the gallows-tree set
up. And he said to his comrades, "What means, think you, this
gallows-tree that these Saracens are setting up?" Then the others
looked, and the Duke Naymes said, "Without doubt they are about to
hang our comrade Guy of Burgundy." He had scarcely spoken when they
saw Guy led by the Saracens, bound and stripped. Floripas also saw
this thing, and cried to the Knights, "Oh, my lords, will you suffer
Guy that is your comrade to be thus shamefully done to death before
your eyes? If he perish in this fashion I will leap from this window
and so die." And she came to Roland and kneeled before him, and
kissed his feet, and cried to him, "O, Sir, help this Guy whom I
love, or else I am a lost woman. Arm yourselves, I pray you, and I
will cause your horses to be made ready, so, if God pleases, you will
be in good time." Then Roland and his fellows armed themselves in
great haste, and went forth from the Tower, and mounted their horses.
And Roland said to them, "Let us now keep together as much as may be,
and be ready to help each other as each may be in need, for otherwise
we shall hardly win back to this place, for we are but ten in number,
and they are many."
Floripas said, "My lords, I pray you not to tarry, but first I will
bring you the Crown of Thorns." So she went to her chamber and
brought therefrom the Holy Crown. This all the knights kissed with
much reverence, and so issued forth from the Tower with a good
courage. When they were gone, Floripas and her damsel lifted the
bridge and shut fast the gates of the Tower.
The Frenchmen rode in good order towards the place where, the
gallows-tree was set up, the Saracens being busied with Guy whom they
had now brought thereto, with the rope round his neck. When Roland
saw this, he cried out, "Hold, traitors; this thing shall not fall
out as you hope. You have begun a deed of which you shall surely
repent." Thereupon he charged at them with such fierceness that the
hardiest of them turned to fly; yet they fled not so fast but that
Roland killed twenty out of the thirty. When the Saracens that lay
in ambush saw this, they rose up from the place where they lay hid, a
certain Conifer, a pagan of marvellous strength, being their leader.
This Conifer cried out, "Ho, ye French knaves, come you to succour
this malefactor? Verily you shall be hanged along with him." Roland
was very wroth to hear such villainous words, and charged fierce as a
hungry wolf, with his sword Durendal drawn in his hand. Nor did
Conifer for his part draw back, for he was a great warrior. He dealt
a great blow on Roland's shield that went nigh to beat it down.
Nevertheless Roland slew him, cleaving his head in twain. This done
he ran to the gallows and cut the cords with which Guy was bound, and
afterwards stood by him till he had armed himself. This he did,
taking the dead pagan's arms and mounting on his horse. But this was
not easily done, for all the Saracens that had lain in ambush were
coming upon them, and they were sore pressed.
But Guy wrought marvels of valour, as one who having narrowly escaped
from death, fought with great cheerfulness of heart. Floripas also,
who stood at a window of the Tower, saw him, and cried out to him
that he should bear himself as a man. When Ogier the Dane heard
this, he said to his comrades, "Hark to this noble damsel, how
bravely she bears herself. We will not go back to the Tower till we
have done all that was in our mind to do." Then they charged the
Saracens yet again; Roland being still in the front, and driving the
pagans before him, for they flew from him on all sides. Thence the
Frenchmen made their way to the bridge and so again into the Tower.
When the Admiral perceived this, he was much troubled, and asked his
counsellors again for advice. Sortibrant said to him, "Let every man
that is here present make himself ready for battle and let all the
siege engines be prepared, and all the trumpeters stand prepared to
blow a great blast on their trumpets. The Frenchmen are but few, and
when they shall be aware of this great multitude they will be
overcome with fear." To him Brullant answered: "My friend, this that
you say is but folly. You will not frighten these Frenchmen in this
fashion, no, not though we had all the horns and trumpets in the
world. Is not Roland there, the mightiest knight that now lives, who
slays any man that dares to join in battle with him? They are all
great warriors, but Roland is of such greatness that if the rest were
his match they would drive the Saracens out of Spain. There is no
man that could stand against them, and as for our gods, it is long
since they have given us any help." The Admiral was very angry to
hear such talk and would have struck Brullant with his staff, but
Sortibrant held both his arms, "Let be your anger; we should do
better to take counsel together how we may break down this Tower that
the Christians hold."
Then the Admiral gathered all his men together, so many in number
that they covered the ground a mile every way. But of more avail
than all these multitudes was a certain magician, by name Mahon. He
had two siege-engines of marvellous power, which were so contrived
that they who worked them could not be hurt by the enemy.
Thus did the Saracens gain possession of the first defences of the
Tower; yet having won them, they could not long hold them, for the
French knights did their part right bravely, hurling down from the
upper parts stones and darts, and all kinds of missiles, and these so
strongly that no man could stand against them. The maidens also
armed themselves, and did the like.
But the magician had yet other devices to use against the Christians.
He said to the Admiral, "Let me have some of your men to wait on me,
and I will speedily deliver these Christians into your hand." And
when he had made all things ready, he discharged out of his engines
against the walls a fire so marvellous that the very stones began to
burn. The Frenchmen were sorely dismayed at this, and began to say
to each other that they must now surely quit the Tower. But Floripas
said to them, "My lords, be not afraid. I have something wherewith
to quench the fire." Then she went and took certain herbs, and mixed
them in wine, and the knights threw the wine on the fire, and it was
quenched immediately.
When the Admiral saw this he was out of his wits with anger, and when
Sortibrant told him that this was of his daughter's doing, he vowed
that she should die an evil death. Then said Sortibrant, "Bid your
horns and trumpets sound again, and send your men to attack the Tower
once more. By this time the Frenchmen must be so wearied that they
will be overcome. And they have neither stones nor iron to cast at
us." Thereupon the Saracens made yet another assault on the Tower;
so fierce was it that the air was as it were dark with arrows and
darts and stones, great portions of the walls fell down, and the
knights were greatly troubled. "Now," said they, "we must needs be
vanquished, for our defence is broken down." But Floripas bade them
be of good courage. "My lords," said she, "this Tower is yet strong
enough to hold out. Besides, though you have no more stone or iron,
yet my father's treasure is here, wedges and plates of gold,
wherewith you may slay the pagans as well as with stones, aye and
better too." Thereupon Guy of Burgundy, in great joy, kissed her.
Then Floripas, going to the treasure-house, showed the gold to the
knights. This they took and cast against the Saracens, to their
great discomfiture. Moreover, the Saracens, when they saw the gold,
left off fighting against the French, and began to slay each other.
The Admiral, when he saw this, cried with a loud voice to his
captains, "Cease now from the assault, for it turns to my great loss;
see now how my treasure which I have gathered with much pains is
scattered about. This treasure I had entrusted to the keeping of
Mahomet my god, and see how he has failed me. Verily, if I could but
have him in my hands, he should suffer pains for this!" Sortibrant
said to him, "Be not angry, my lord, with Mahomet. He has done as
well as it lay with him to do; doubtless he was asleep when your
treasures were spoiled. These Frenchmen are so crafty that they can
do what they will."
That same night, as the Admiral sat at his supper, Roland spied him
from a window where he lay to rest himself. He said to his comrades,
"I see Balan at his supper with his lords; he is taking his ease, and
it would be to our great honour if we make him rise up from his
meat." The other lords were of the same opinion. They armed
themselves therefore, and issued forth from the Tower. But the
Admiral was aware of their purpose, and he sent against them his
nephew, Espoulart by name, who was a very strong and valiant knight.
Espoulart rode against the Frenchmen, and encountering Roland smote
him on the shield so great a blow that he was well-nigh stunned, but
his flesh was not wounded. Roland, in his turn, unhorsed him, but
the Saracen was so nimble that forthwith he mounted his horse again.
But Roland smote him again, and so sharply that the man wist not
where he was. As he was falling to the ground Roland caught him
right deftly, and laid him across his horse and carried him away.
When the Admiral saw this he cried out in a great rage that they
should rescue his nephew. This the Saracens would willingly have
done, but they could not; many were hurt and many slain, and at last
all the Frenchmen escaped into the Tower. When they had shut-to the
gates they asked Floripas who he was that they had taken. Floripas
said to them, "This is Balan's nephew, a rich man and a powerful. If
ye would vex my father, put him to death." The Duke Naymes answered,
"Nay, we will not put him to death. We will keep him, and if should
happen that one of us be taken prisoner, we will make an exchange."