CCXXI

With Charlemagne already three lines of battle stand.
And then the fourth Duke Neimes got ready to his hand
From a host of gallant barons that had great chivalry.
Germans they were, or gathered from the March of Germany.
Twenty thousand was their number by that all men did say.
Well armed were they and splendid were the steeds of their array.
They flee no fight for fear of death, and Herman doth them lead,
The Duke of Thrace, who will perish e'er he doth a coward's deed.

CCXXII

Count Josseran and Duke Neimes forth the fifth battle led.
They were twenty thousand Normans, so all the Frenchmen said.
And lovely is their armor, and their steeds are swift to run,
And ere they play the traitor they will perish every one.
Under heaven is no nation so much can undergo.
Richard the Ancient led them, that could smite so hard a blow.

CCXXIII

The sixth array were Bretons and forty thousand strong
Were the knights. Like gallant heroes on the steeds they rode along.
Aloft they bore the lances. Laced were the flags of war.
The master of that army the name of Eudes bore.
But unto the Count Nivelon his place the man gave o'er,
And to Tybalt of Rheims and Otho the Marquis good beside:
" A gift they are given to you. Do ye mine army guide. "

CCXXIV

Now had the Emperor six brigades and the Duke Neimes drew
The seventh up — the barons of Auvergne and of Poitou.
They might be forty thousand knights with steeds and armour good.
Alone within a valley on a little hill they stood.
Charlemagne in benediction with his right hand made the sign.
Count Josseran and Godselm were the marshals of that line.

CCXXV

And now the eighth, Duke Neimes established of the bands
Of the barons of the Frisians and of the Netherlands.
Were more than forty thousand knights that battle would not shun.
Then said the King: " By these indeed my service will be done. "
Twixt Rembolt and Count Hamon of Galicia there lay
The right to lead that army in courage through the fray.

CCXXVI

Duke Neimes and Count Josseran led the ninth troop out amain,
The gallant men of Burgundy, the heroes of Lorraine.
And fifty thousand knights by count were there, laced helms that wore
And hauberks good. Well-girded swords and twofold shields they bore.
Strong are the spears, short-hafted. If the foe flee not away,
And if they join the battle, that host will smite to slay.
The Duke of Argone, Thierry, was their captain for the fray.
And in the tenth good company was many a Frankish knight.
There were an hundred thousand of the best men of our might.
And proud were all their faces, brawny their limbs appeared,
And like a flower was every head, and white was every beard.
In hauberk and double-byrnie every man of them was clad.
And great swords belted on them of France and Spain they had.
And the bucklers that they carried bore many a cognizance.
Strong and staunch is every spear-shaft, and glorious every lance.
They got to horse and shouted for the fight on every side,
And cried: " Mountjoy! " for Charlemagne along with them did ride.
And onwards Geoffrey of Anjou bore the great Oriflame —
Because it was Saint Peter's, it bore the Roman name.
But that they changed, and now Mountjoy on all lips it became.

CCXXVIII

Down from his steed the Emperor got. On the green grass did he kneel,
And turned him to the rising sun, and to God made his appeal:
" On this day, my very Father, do Thou aid me to prevail,
Thou who gavest Jonas succor in the belly of the whale,
Thou who the King of Nineveh of Thy dear grace didst save,
And Daniel from the torment of the lions in the cave,
And in the fiery furnace didst protect the children three;
Upon this day of battle may Thy love be over me.
And if it please Thee, grant me, for Thy sweet mercy's sake,
For my dear nephew Roland great vengeance now to take. "
When he had done his orison on his feet he stood upright,
And signed upon his forehead the sign of wondrous might.
Upon his gallant charger he mounted with a spring;
And Josseran and Neimes held the stirrup for the King.
The King took up his buckler and his sharp cutting spear.
Fair and mighty was his body, and well did he appear.
And clear was all his countenance, and fierce he rode to war,
With the bellowing horns of battle behind him and before.
But the great horn of Roland was roaring over all.
And all the Franks were weeping for the sorrow of his fall.

CCXXIX

Fair rode King Charles. His mighty beard he spread his armour o'er.
And so did all the army for the love to him they bore.
An hundred thousand Frenchmen might well be known thereby.
The host came past the mountains and the cliffs that were so high;
Through the deep clefts and dread defiles on did the army haste;
And there at last they issued from the passes and the waste.
So took they their way onward into the march of Spain,
Until at last they halted in the middle of a plain.
The vanguard of the Amiral to Baligant they sped.
And unto him a Syrian among them rose and said:
" We have seen the proud King Charlemagne. His men are full of pride
They will not fail him. Arm you! For battle doth betide. "
Said Baligant:
" I hear a tale of mighty deeds renowned
That my men may understand it, let now the trumpets sound. "

CCXXX

Through all the host the tabors were sounded far and near:
They blew upon the war-horns and on the trumpets clear.
The Paynims all dismounted that their armour they might don.
The Amiral brooked no delay. He got his byrnie on
With the broidered fringe, and laced the helm where bright the good gold shone.
And then forthwith he girded the sword at his left side.
A name he had discovered for the great sword in his pride,
Because of the blade of Charlemagne whereof he heard the fame,
And therefore " Precious " to the sword he had given for a name.
And that within the battle was aye his rallying-call;
And evermore his cavaliers shouted it one and all.
About his neck thereafter a mighty shield he bound.
Golden was all the buckle with crystals set around.
And the cord was of the good red silk; and up he snatched the spear
Men called Maltêt. As huge and thick as a club did it appear.
The steel alone a burden for a mule had been indeed.
Forthwith the Emir Baligant hath mounted on his steed.
Marcules held his stirrup, the man from over sea.
The Amiral was splendid to behold in verity.
Great were his loins, and slim his flank, and broad and strong his side,
Well wrought and fair his body. His chest was very wide.
Gigantic were his shoulders, and clear his glance and fair,
And haughty was his visage, and curling was his hair.
Even as a flower in summer his countenance was white.
He had proved him very often to be a man of might.
God! What a splendid hero, an a christened man he were.
He goaded till the blood ran clear his charger with the spur.
He ran his course, and o'er a trench with a great leap did he ride.
Fifty feet was the measure thereof from side to side.
Said the Paynims:
" Yonder Captain may well his marches hold.
Never is there a Frenchman that to joust with him is bold,
Or, will he not or will he, shall thereafter bide unslain.
When hence he did not flee away a fool was Charlemagne. "

CCXXXI

Like a hero was the Emir. As a flower his beard was white.
The wisdom of the Paynims he understood aright.
Arrogant was his spirit and furious in the fight.
Malprimis his son, moreover, was a hero of great mark,
Much like to his forefathers, and very stout and stark.
" Sire, let us now ride onward, " to his father then said he,
" For very much I wonder if Charles we e'er shall see. "
" Yea, " said Baligant in answer, " his courage is so great.
The histories are many, his high deeds that relate.
But his strong nephew Roland he hath with him no more,
Nor will he have the courage to face us in the war. "

CCXXXII

" Oh Malprimis, my own fair son, " the Amiral then said,
" Roland the gallant vassal yestreen was smitten dead.
And along with him, moreover, the courageous Olivier,
And all the twelve peers, also, whom Charlemagne held dear.
And there fell twenty thousand that were born on Frankish earth.
But as for all the others a glove there are not worth.
Truly the Emperor cometh. My Syrian scout doth say
That into ten great columns he hath marshalled his array.
Surely he is a gallant that the war-horn windeth so,
And clearly on the trumpet doth his companion blow.
And they twain march together before the foremost ranks.
And there are gathered with them full fifteen thousand Franks
Of the young men that but children are held by Charlemagne.
There stride along behind them as many more again.
In great arrogance and anger will they march into the fight. "
Said Malprimis: " I pray thee; the first stroke let me smite. "

CCXXXIII

" Ah Malprimis my lovely son, " gave answer Baligant,
" Whatsoever thou desirest unto thee I will grant.
The assault against the Frenchmen now forthwith do thou make.
But Torleu King of Persia for thy companion take,
And the Lord of Lithuania, King Dapamort, beside.
If haply thou mayst master the Emperor in his pride,
A portion of my kingdom to thee will I give o'er,
From Cheriant to Val Marquis. "
" Now gramercy therefore. "
Said Malprimis, and on he went to take within his hand
Earnest of the gift, that erewhile was the King Fleury's land.
But never will Prince Malprimis again his kingdom see.
The day of his investiture and seizin ne'er will be.

CCXXXIV

And Baligant the Amiral through the army rode in state.
And Malprimis was at his heel that was so huge and great.
King Torleu and King Dapamort thirty columns did array,
And a very mighty legion of cavaliers had they.
The weakest of the columns is of thirty thousand men.
And first the men of Butentrot came out before them then,
Of whom was Judas that betrayed his God in sin and shame.
And after them the Milcians with the great heads there came —
And their back-bones, moreover, have bristles like the swine.
The men of Blos and Nubians were marshalled third in line,
In the fourth did the Russians and the Slavonians ride.
In the fifth the men of Sobre and the men of Sor beside.
In the sixth did the Armenians and the Moriscos go.
And in the seventh battle were the men of Jericho.
In the eighth array were Negroes, in the ninth the Giants stood.
The men of Balida the Strong, that never yet wished good,
Were in the tenth. The Amiral sware loudly as might be
By the body of Mahomet and his strength and majesty:
" Like a fool cometh Charles of France. An he do not withhold
Battle will be. And nevermore shall he wear his crown of gold. "

CCXXXV

Thereafter ten great columns led forth the marshals twain.
And the first of foul Orcanians in that hour did they ordain.
To march across Val Fui themselves they had bestirred.
The Turks made up the second host, and Persian was the third.
And in the fourth was many a desperate Canaanite;
Of Soltras and of Avars was the fifth line of the fight.
In the sixth did the Ormalians and Euglians find place;
And in the seventh column were the men of Samuel's race;
And in the eighth the Prussians and Slavonians did stand.
In the tenth the men of Occiant, the waste deserted land.
They were indeed a nation who never served the Lord —
Never was race of villains yet heard of more abhorred.
Their hides are hard as iron; hauberk and helm therefore
They need not. They are cruel and desperate in war.

CCXXXVI

Forth Baligant the Amiral led other columns ten,
And the giant race of Malprose he ranked the foremost then.
Next came the Huns, and in third place came the Hungarian throng,
And in the fourth the army of Baldisa the Long.
From the dread Vale of Suffering the fifth brigade was come.
Sixth came whoe'er in Aiglent or Marmuse had his home.
The seventh line were Leians or of the land of Thrace.
The eighth of Argoille was, with them of Clarbone ninth in place.
And tenth and last of Val Fonde the bearded villains trod.
They were a folk that never had felt the love of God.
They numbered thirty columns in the history of the Franks.
Great were the hosts. The trumpets were sounding through the ranks.
And forth rode every Paynim most like a valiant knight.

CCXXXVII

Baligant the Amiral was a gallant man of might.
He had his Dragon borne before, and Termagant's ensign
And Mahomet's and the image of Apollo the Malign.
And gathered were ten Canaanites that marched along thereby,
And shouted out a mighty word in a loud voice and high:
" Whosoever the protection of our Gods would now possess,
Let him now pray and serve them in sorrow and distress. "
And therewith all the heathen bent forward chin and brow.
And all their shining helmets in that hour did they bow.
Then said the Franks:
" Ye villains! ye shall perish one and all.
This day a dire confusion upon your host shall fall.
And our God the Emperor Charlemagne will succor by his might,
And in the glory of His name shall we triumph in the fight. "

CCXXXVIII

Baligant the Amiral is wise in many things.
To him his son he summoned and also the two Kings.
" Do ye, my lords and barons, now forth before me ride.
All my columns of the battle do ye begin to guide.
But of the best of the columns three will I keep in hand.
The Turks and the Ormalians beside their King shall stand.
And of Malprose the Giants the third array shall be.
Also the men of Occiant shall march along with me.
With the Frenchmen and with Charlemagne they shall fight the fearful fray.
If he fights me, from his shoulders will I cleave his head away.
Of that he may be certain. He deserves no other fate. "

CCXXXIX

Beautiful were the lines of fight, and the hosts were very great.
Between them was no mountain, nor little hill, nor dale,
Nor any copse or forest, that for refuge might avail.
Well they beheld each other across the open space,
And Baligant cried out aloud:
" Ho, warriors of my race,
Get you to horse and fiercely now in the fight fall on! "
It was Amboire of Olifern who bore his gonfalon.
The Paynims yelled. On Precious the great sword shouted they.
Said the Franks: " A mighty slaughter shall be done on you this day. "
And loud and high the battle cry Mountjoy they raised anew.
And by the Emperor's order all the horns of battle blew;
But bellowing over all men heard the horn of Roland blare.
Said the Paynims then:
" The army of King Charles is wondrous fair.
We are going to a battle most terrible and dread. "

CCXL

The plain was very mighty and wide the country spread.
Gigantic was the army that there its way did hold.
Glittering were all the helmets set with precious stones and gold,
Broidered byrnies and laced pennons, and every shield and spear.
And all the war-horns bellow and their voice is wondrous clear.
And haughty is the sennet that they wind on Roland's horn.
The Amiral called to him Canabeu, his brother born,
That even to Val-Sevree was the ruler of the land.
Unto Charlemagne's ten columns he pointed with the hand.
" Behold the pride of famous France. Fierce rideth Charlemagne;
He cometh behind the foremost amid yon bearded train.
For down upon their hauberks they have let their beards hang low,
And the beards of them are whiter than on the frost the snow.
With the blades and with the lances the great strokes will they smite.
We are like to have a dreadful and a very desperate fight.
Never a man the like has seen on any stricken field. "
Then farther than a man might cast a cudgel cleanly peeled
Baligant went before his men. His mind he spake and showed:
" Ho, Paynims! follow after, for I will clear the road. "
And the spear he shook it greatly and brandished it again.
And he turned thereof the iron head against King Charlemagne.