THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

41: Deceit and Counterdeceit [summary]
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© 2009 Max Wickert
The queen, who now regretted withholding her help from Charles, sent for Algiron and Baldwin. She supplied them
with enough of her own treasure to gather an army of twenty-thousand from France, Germany, Normandy, Brittany,
and Brabant. They were to bring these to Charles’ camp at Pamplona.
Answig discovered this plan and dispatched five thousand to Aragon. There, by treacherously displaying the royal
standard of the Oriflamme, he seized the border fortress of Monpaslere, and slaughtered the guard that Charles had
posted there. Meanwhile, Answig and Baldwin succeeded in raising a large force, many of whose men had fathers and
brothers already encamped at Pamplona.
By then, queen had discovered Answig’s treachery. She therefore sent Algiron and Baldwin to besiege Monpaslere.
They decided to repay Answig’s deceit by a similar ruse. Displaying the Maganza banner, they pretended to be
Ganelon’s brother Andrew and his son Melchion, sent out to Answig’s assistance. Answig, taken in by the ruse, rode
out to meet them and was killed by Algiron and the fortress retaken. During the following days, Algiron and
Baldwin laid waste to much Maganza territory.
At length, Algiron and Baldwin moved toward Navarre. When Charlemagne’s host came into view, it was gathered
on the mountainside, rather encamped near Pamplona . At first, the two brothers mistook it for a Saracen host and
nearly offered battle, but at the last moment Algiron and Namo recognized each other, and the forces joyfully joined.
Algiron and Baldwin now vowed that they would yield Pamplona into Charles’ hands. This was their plan: Baldwin
was to take his force to the gates of Pamplona, pretending to be the Mustapha of Cordoba leading a relief force. When
the gates were opened, he was to take possession of the gate and wait for Algiron’s troops and the Twelve Peers before
entering the city. The first part of the plan succeeded Thirty thousand Saracens issued from the city, were surrounded
and slain. But the city, under Malzarisse’s and Isoler’s command, remained untaken and five thousand Christians
perished in the encounter.
Pamplona, Estella, Lucerna 89
42: Roland in Rome and Lombardy [summary]
The Pope had learned of Roland’s return and now wrote to him to come to Rome and reassume command the
twenty-thousand soldiers of the Church who had fled there after his departure from Charles. When Roland received
the Pope’s letter, he set out with the Twelve Peers, leaving Algiron and Baldwin as commanders in his place. Roland
and the Peers arrived at Rome and stayed for a month, amid great festivities. Then they took their leave and rode out
with their twenty thousand. In Lombardy, they were gladly received by King Desiderius. He offered to join them, with
ten thousand additional troops, most of them foot soldiers. Roland gladly accepted. Within a month Desiderius’s force
was ready and they all crossed into Provençe. Six days later they reached Charles at Pamplona.
89 Lucera: It is tempting to identify this city as the modern Puente la Reina, but several details argue against it. I
have therefore retained the original name. Pamplona and Estella are, of course, actual places. Estella’s
magnificent Palacio de los Reyes de Navarra features a fine early sculpture depicting Roland’s battle with
Ferrau.