THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

arrived at Charles’ pavilion, where Roland and the Twelve Paladins 92 of France were waiting,
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© 2009 Max Wickert
strongly fearing that Ganelon had acted treacherously. When Ganelon saw Charles and his barons,
he dismounted, knelt to Charles, and began to speak: “God save you, your majesty. I have
performed you embassy to Marsilius. He is desirous to renounce Mahound and Apollyon and to
believe in the faith of Jesus Christ. Moreover, I will tell you that he with his own hands will take the
crown from his head and put it on the head of your nephew Roland, making him king of all Spain.
In token whereof he sends you six mules laden with fine gold, thirty greyhounds, thirty whippets,
thirty coursers, thirty nubile maidens, thirty falcons, and thirty sperhawks, with thirty pages to tend
them. He sends all this things by way of three years’ tribute.”
After a while, Charles said: “Ah, Count Ganelon, do not let yourself be deceived by that crowd of
infidels into betraying me!” To this, Ganelon replied; “My lord, God will never allow me to
consider any treason by which either you, your majesty, or my son-in-law Roland might come to
harm. Do you not see these twelve hostages, all sons of crowned kings? Do you think that
Marsilius , if he were unwilling to make peace with you, would have sent twelve hostages of such
high rank as these?” He continued; “The first is son to Marsilius; the second, to King Blanzardine;
the third to Balugant; the fourth, to the Caliph; the fifth to Algaris of Seville; the sixth, to
Grandoino; the seventh, to Mustapha the White; the eighth to Mustapha the Black; the ninth to the
Old Man of the Mountain; the tenth, to Turchino of Turcullosa; the eleventh, to King Stramaris; and
the twelfth, to Alfaris of Nona. Thus you may readily believe that he desires fair peace and loving
friendship with you.”
92 Paladins: this word is here used for the first time in I Fatti; previously the author has spoken of them as the
Twelve Peers or Twelve Barons. See note [] to Aspramonte, above.