OF THE END OF THE FALSE DUKE MACAIRE
Huon and his companions rode on till they came to the city of
Tormont. At the gate they met a man with a bow in his hand, who had
been hunting in the wood. Huon saluted him in the name of God, and
would know by what name the city was called. When the man heard the
salutation, he said, "Sir, speak softly, I pray you; if the Duke of
this city should know you to be Christian man, he would assuredly
slay you. I am a Christian man myself, but keep it hidden for fear
of my life."
"I am journeying to Babylon," said Huon, "and would fain tarry a
night in the city, for I and my company are weary." "Sir," answered
the stranger, "I counsel you not to tarry; should the Duke know of
your coming, you would hardly save your lives." But Huon said, "The
day is far spent, and we are weary. Nor does a wise traveller leave
a good town." Then said the stranger, "If you are purposed to do
this thing, I will take you to a lodging, where you shall be safe."
So the man took Huon and his companions to the house of the Provost
of the city.
Huon greeted the Provost, as he had greeted the man at the gate, and
the Provost answered him in the same fashion: "Speak softly," he
said, "for if the Duke should hear of this, you would be lost.
Nevertheless you are right welcome to my house." Then he bade Huon
and his companions enter, and when they had refreshed themselves,
they supped with great plenty. Supper being ended, Huon said to
Gerames, "Cause now that proclamation be made that any man in the
city that will may come and sup free of all cost. And go you into
the city, and buy bread and meat and other things needful, and I,
with my cup, will give them drink." And so it was done, and there
was never a beggar or vagabond in the whole city but came to the
supper. And Huon ministered to them wine from the cup.
Now it should be told that the Duke of the city of Tormont was by
name Macaire, and was uncle to Huon. But he had forsworn his
Christian faith, and was full of hatred against all Christian men.
About this time he chanced to send his steward into the city to buy
provisions. But when the steward found that everything had been
sold, he came again to his master, and said, "I can get nothing in
the town for your supper. There is a young man lodged in the
Provost's house that has bought all the victuals that were in the
city, and has feasted therewith all the rogues and vagabonds in it."
When the Duke heard this he said, "I will go and see this fellow."
And he bade his knights arm themselves, and come with him. As he
went there came one that had been at the supper, who said, "There is
a young man that has a most wonderful cup. If all the people from
the east to the west should drink thereof, it would not fail." Then
the Duke said to himself, "I will have that cup." So he and his men
went to the Provost's house.
When the Provost saw the Duke coming, he said to Huon, "Here comes
the Duke; I know not how you will fare." "Trouble not yourself,"
answered Huon; and when the Duke came into the house, he said to him
in a cheerful voice, "Sir, you are welcome." "What mean you by this
tumult? Why did you bid all these rogues to supper?" "Sir,"
answered Huon, "I am bound on a journey to the Red Sea; these poor
folk I have thus entertained that they may pray for me that I may
come back safely." "This is foolishness," said the Duke; "what will
their prayers profit you if you lose your head?" "Sir," answered
Huon, "be content. Sit down now with your knights, and sup with us;
if I have done aught amiss I will make due amends."
So the Duke and his knights sat down, seeming to be content. And
when they had supped, Huon serving them all the time full
courteously, he took the cup and showed it to the Duke, saying, "Is
not this cup empty?" "'Tis so," said the Duke, "I see nothing
therein." Then Huon made the sign of the cross over the cup, and
straightway it was full of wine. But when he gave it to the Duke,
lo! in a moment it was empty. Said the Duke, "What magic is this?"
"'Tis no magic," answered Huon. "Because you are in sin, therefore
the cup became empty in your hands."
The Duke was not a little wroth; nevertheless he dissembled his
anger, and said, "Tell me now your name and your kindred, and of what
country you are." And when he heard these things, he said, "Fair
sir, you are my nephew; you should lodge nowhere but with me." "I
thank you, sir," answered Huon. But Gerames said, "'Tis safer
lodging with the Provost."
On the morrow Huon would have departed, but the Duke said, "Tarry
awhile, fair nephew, till my Barons shall come, for I would have them
go with you to your journey's end." "I am content," answered Huon,
"if you will have it so."
The Duke, purposing to slay his nephew, said to a certain Geoffrey, a
knight who had come with him from France, and had also renounced the
Christian faith, "Bring now five or six score of soldiers, and let
them slay this Huon and all his train. Let not one escape, if you
would not lose my favour." To this Geoffrey consented.
But when Geoffrey was gone out from the Duke's presence, he said to
himself, "This is a villainous deed that the Duke would have me to
do, the slaying of his own nephew. I remember what great service
this man's father, the Duke Sevyn, did me when I was in France,
saving my life when I was overpowered by my enemies. It were a
shameful thing to deal with his son in this fashion."
Now there were in the castle some six score prisoners out of the land
of France who had been taken captive on the seas. Geoffrey, having
charge of these prisoners, for he was in high authority under the
Duke, went to the dungeons where they lay, and said to them, "Sirs,
if you would save your lives, follow me." This they were well
content to do. So he took them to the chamber where the arms were
kept, and armed them all. Having done this he said, "Sirs, now it is
time to show your courage, if you would have freedom instead of
bondage." And he told them how the Duke had sent for pagan men to
slay his nephew. "But you," he said, "when the time comes, will not
slay but succour him."
So the prisoners, being clad in armour, and having swords by their
sides, followed Geoffrey to the hall where the Duke and Huon sat at
dinner; and when they had entered the hall, Huon said to his uncle,
"Are these the Barons who shall conduct me on my journey?" for he was
very desirous to depart. The Duke, thinking that Geoffrey had
fulfilled his commandment, said, "Not so, my nephew; these are
soldiers whom I have sent for that they may slay you."
When Huon heard this he stood upon his feet, and put his helmet on
his head and prepared to fight for his life. Geoffrey, on his part,
said to the prisoners, "Show yourselves men, fair sirs, and suffer
not a single pagan to escape!" And the prisoners fell on the company
that was gathered at dinner with the Duke, and slew them.
As for the Duke, when he saw how he had been deceived, he fled by a
secret way that he knew, and, leaping from a window, so escaped. But
Geoffrey and the Frenchmen shut to the gates, and drew up the
drawbridge, thinking to defend themselves in the castle, for they
knew that the Duke would not be content till he had recovered it.
In no long time the Duke, having gathered together a great company of
men, laid siege to the castle. He had engines of war with him, and
ladders wherewith his men might climb on to the walls and make a
breach with pikes and mattocks. And this the pagans did, and for all
the valour of Huon and Geoffrey and the prisoners the castle was very
like to be taken.
Gerames said to Huon, "Now, sir, it is time for you to blow your
horn, for unless there come to us some help we shall scarce see
another day." Huon answered, "I would willingly do so, but my horn I
have not, for I left it with the Provost."
Meanwhile the Provost had come to the Duke, and said to him, "Sir,
this is but ill counsel that you are pulling down your own castle.
Make peace with your nephew on this condition, that he and his
company straightway depart from out of your city. Let me go,
therefore, and persuade him." "You shall go," answered the Duke.
So the Provost, coming to the castle gate, said that he greatly
desired to see Huon, who coming, desired to know who he was. When he
heard that he was the Provost, he said to him, "Now if you would
serve me, give me the horn which I left in your keeping." "That is
easily done," answered the Provost, and he drew it from his bosom and
gave it to Huon.
Gerames, though he had counselled the blowing of the horn, when he
saw Huon now ready to do so, repented, for he mistrusted King Oberon,
and would gladly have done without his help. He said, therefore, to
Huon, "Sir, I doubt whether you are even now in such a strait that
you should blow the horn. Haply King Oberon would not desire that it
should be done."
"What mean you?" answered Huon. "Shall I tarry till I am slain
before I ask for help?" and putting the horn to his lips he blew it
with all his might.
King Oberon heard the blast of the horn where he sat in his city of
Mommure, and he said to himself, "Doubtless my friend has need of me;
I wish that I were with him and ten thousand men with me." No sooner
had he wished it than he and the ten thousand men were in the city of
Tormont. A great slaughter did they make of the pagans, but they
that were willing to be christened King Oberon saved alive. As for
the Duke, he was slain without mercy, for he was an evil man, and had
sinned against knowledge, and they hanged his body on a gibbet that
was set upon the wall, that his end might serve as an example for
others.
After these things Oberon took leave of Huon. At the same time he
said, "I foresee that you will run into many dangers by your
rashness. I counsel you, therefore, that you undertake no adventures
but such as are necessary." To these words Huon answered, that when
he departed from France, he had resolved that he would refuse no
adventure, how perilous soever it might be. "That is foolishness,"
said Oberon; "and mark this: if you blow the horn when you are on any
of such adventures, I will not heed it, no, not though you should
even break the horn in the blowing of it." "Sir," said Huon, when he
heard these words, "you will do your pleasure, as I will do mine
own." But Oberon answered nothing. So these two parted in anger.