THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

Roncesvalles
Ganelon Turns Traitor
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© 2009 Max Wickert
Our story now relates that Charles, after he witnessed this great miracle manifested to him by Christ
while staying with his men in the great valley beneath Lucerna, began to render thanks to the whole
heavenly court. He then crossed the high slope into the great valley of Roncesvalles. He gathered
his whole army in that valley, in a great woodland of fruit-bearing trees called Roncesvalles Forest.
Charles’ men took fruit from these trees and made wine of them. They rested there for ten days.
On the morning of the eleventh, Charles summoned Roland and the Twelve Peers of France, along
with many other nobles, and said to them: “Sixteen years have gone by since we first left France and
entered Spain to conquer the Highway of Saint James of Galicia. We have conquered many towns,
cities and castles, and cause more than two hundred thousand Saracens to be baptized. It is my
advice that we now march on Saragossa. There we shall find Marsilius with his whole army, and
give battle to him to force him to take holy baptism. Thus we shall be able to return to France with
great honor.”
Ganelon of Maganza, who was lord of all Flanders, now said: “Your majesty, we find ourselves in
this valley and have scanty provisions. To go and seek out Marsilius would be too toilsome, for we
must cross exceedingly high mountains and many dangerous passes. After we cross them, Marsilius
will be able to occupy all these passes with twenty thousand knights, so that we will never be able to
go back alive, and thus will all be killed. If you follow my counsel, we should send an embassy to
Marsilius urging him to renounce Mahound and all his gods, since they are possessed by the devil.