Come Frank and Norman
to council in,
Bavarian, Saxon, and
Poitevin,
With all the barons
of Teuton blood;
But the men of Auvergne
are mild of mood—
Their hearts are swayed
unto Pinabel.
Saith each to other,
“Pause we well.
Let us leave this plea,
and the king implore
To set Count Ganelon
free once more.
Henceforth to serve
him in love and faith:
Count Roland lieth cold
in death:
Not all the gold beneath
the sky
Can give him back to
mortal eye;
Such battle would but
madness be.”
They all applauded his
decree,
Save Thierry—Geoffrey’s
brother he.
CCXXXIII
The barons came the
king before.
“Fair Sire, we
all thy grace implore,
That Gan be suffered
free to go,
His faith and love henceforth
to show.
Oh, let him live—a
noble he.
Your Roland you shall
never see:
No wealth of gold may
him recall.”
Karl answered, “Ye
are felons all.”
CCXXXIV
When Karl saw all forsake
him now,
Dark grew his face and
drooped his brow.
He said, “Of men
most wretched I!”
Stepped forth Thierry
speedily,
Duke Geoffrey’s
brother, a noble knight,
Spare of body, and lithe
and light,
Dark his hair and his
hue withal,
Nor low of stature,
nor over tall:
To Karl, in courteous
wise, he said,
“Fair Sire, be
not disheartened.
I have served you truly,
and, in the name
Of my lineage, I this
quarrel claim.
If Roland wronged Sir
Gan in aught,
Your service had his
safeguard wrought.
Ganelon bore him like
caitiff base,
A perjured traitor before
your face.
I adjudge him to die
on the gallows tree;
Flung to the hounds
let his carcase be,
The doom of treason
and felony.
Let kin of his but say
I lie,
And with this girded
sword will I
My plighted word in
fight maintain.”
“Well spoken,”
cry the Franks amain.
CCXXXV
Sir Pinabel stood before
Karl in place,
Vast of body and swift
of pace,—
Small hope hath he whom
his sword may smite.
“Sire, it is yours
to decide the right,
Bid this clamor around
to pause.
Thierry hath dared to
adjudge the cause;
He lieth. Battle
thereon I do.”
And forth his right-hand
glove he drew.
But the Emperor said,
“In bail to me
Shall thirty of his
kinsmen be;
I yield him pledges
on my side:
Be they guarded well
till the right be tried.”
When Thierry saw the
fight shall be,
To Karl his right glove
reacheth he;
The Emperor gave his
pledges o’er.
And set in place were
benches four—
Thereon the champions
take their seat,
And all is ranged in
order meet,—
The preparations Ogier
speeds,—
And both demand their
arms and steeds.