“Carle, our most noble Emperor and King,
Hath tarried now full seven years in Spain,
Conqu’ring the highland regions to the sea;
No fortress stands before him unsubdued,
Nor wall, nor city left, to be destroyed,
Save Sarraguce, high on a mountain set. 
There rules the King Marsile, who loves not God,
Apollo worships, and Mohammed serves;
Nor can he from his evil doom escape.”

          
                                        Chanson de Roland (Rabillon’s tr.).

[Sidenote:  Battle of Roncesvalles.] The emperor wished to send an embassy to him to arrange the terms of peace, but discarded Roland’s offer of service because of his impetuosity.  Then, following the advice of Naismes de Baviere, “the Nestor of the Carolingian legends,” he selected Ganelon, Roland’s stepfather, as ambassador.  This man was a traitor, and accepted a bribe from the Saracen king to betray Roland and the rear guard of the French army into his power.  Advised by Ganelon, Charlemagne departed from Spain at the head of his army, leaving Roland to bring up the rear.  The main part of the army passed through the Pyrenees unmolested, but the rear guard of twenty thousand men, under Roland, was attacked by a superior force of Saracens in ambush, as it was passing through the denies of Roncesvalles.  A terrible encounter took place here.

“The Count Rolland rides through the battlefield
And makes, with Durendal’s keen blade in hand,
A mighty carnage of the Saracens. 
Ah! had you then beheld the valiant Knight
Heap corse on corse; blood drenching all the ground;
His own arms, hauberk, all besmeared with gore,
And his good steed from neck to shoulder bleed!”

          
                                                Chanson de Roland (Rabillon’s tr.).

[Illustration:  THE DEATH OF ROLAND.—­Keller.]

All the Christians were slain except Roland and a few knights, who succeeded in repulsing the first onslaught of the painims.  Roland then bound a Saracen captive to a tree, wrung from him a confession of the dastardly plot, and, discovering where Marsiglio was to be found, rushed into the very midst of the Saracen army and slew him.  The Saracens, terrified at the apparition of the hero, beat a hasty retreat, little suspecting that their foe had received a mortal wound, and would shortly breathe his last.

During the first part of the battle, Roland, yielding to Oliver’s entreaty, sounded a blast on his horn Olivant, which came even to Charlemagne’s ear.  Fearing lest his nephew was calling for aid, Charlemagne would fain have gone back had he not been deterred by Ganelon, who assured him that Roland was merely pursuing a stag.