Duke Namo and the other peers approached, had the body of Amaury dragged forth from the lists, and conducted Huon to Charlemagne.  The Emperor, however, listening to nothing but his resentment and grief for the death of his son, refused to be satisfied; and under the plea that Huon had not succeeded in making his accuser retract his charge seemed resolved to confiscate his estates and to banish him forever from France.  It was not till after long entreaties on the part of Duke Namo and the rest that he consented to grant Huon his pardon, under conditions which he should impose.

Huon approached, and knelt before the Emperor, rendered his homage, and cried him mercy for the involuntary killing of his son.  Charlemagne would not receive the hands of Huon in his own, but touched him with his sceptre, saying, “I receive thy homage, and pardon thee the death of my son, but only on one condition.  You shall go immediately to the court of the Sultan Gaudisso; you shall present yourself before him as he sits at meat; you shall cut off the head of the most illustrious guest whom you shall find sitting nearest to him; you shall kiss three times on the mouth the fair princess, his daughter, and you shall demand of the Sultan, as token of tribute to me, a handful of the white hair of his beard, and four grinders from his mouth.”

These conditions caused a murmur from all the assembly.  “What!” said the Abbot of Cluny; “slaughter a Saracen prince without first offering him baptism?” “The second condition is not so hard,” said the young peers, “but the demand that Huon is bound to make of the old Sultan is very uncivil, and will be hard to obtain.”

The Emperor’s obstinacy when he had once resolved upon a thing is well known.  To the courage of Huon nothing seemed impossible.  “I accept the conditions,” said he, silencing the intercessions of the old Duke of Bavaria; “my liege, I accept my pardon at this price.  I go to execute your commands, as your vassal and a peer of France.”

The Duke Namo and Abbot of Cluny, being unable to obtain any relaxation of the sentence passed by Charlemagne, led forth the young Duke, who determined to set out at once on his expedition.  All that the good Abbot could obtain of him was, that he should prepare for this perilous undertaking by going first to Rome, to pay his homage to the Pope, who was the brother of the Duchess Alice, Huon’s mother, and from him demand absolution and his blessing.  Huon promised it, and forthwith set out on his way to Rome.

Huon of Bordeaux (Continued)

Huon, having traversed the Apennines and Italy, arrived at the environs of Rome, where, laying aside his armor, he assumed the dress of a pilgrim.  In this attire he presented himself before the Pope, and not till after he had made a full confession of his sins did he announce himself as his nephew.  “Ah! my dear nephew,” exclaimed the Holy Father, “what harder penance could I impose than the Emperor has already done?  Go in peace, my son,” he added, absolving him, “I go to intercede for you with the Most High.”  Then he led his nephew into his palace, and introduced him to all the Cardinals and Princes of Rome as the Duke of Guienne, son of the Duchess Alice, his sister.