Journeys Through Bookland Volume Iii Part 48

"I have no money," then quoth the young man, "No ready gold or fee, But I will swear upon a book Thy true servant for to be."

[Ill.u.s.tration: IN THE GREENWOOD]

"How many miles is it to thy true love?

Come tell me without guile,"

"By the faith of my body," then said the young man, "It is hut five little mile."

Then Robin he hasted over the plain, He did neither stint nor lin,*

Until he came unto the church, Where Allin should keep his wedding.

*[Footnote: Stint and lin here mean practically the same; that is, cease or stop.]

"What hast thou here?" the bishop then said, "I prithee now tell unto me."

"I am a bold harper," quoth Robin Hood, "And the best in the north country."

"O welcome, O welcome," the bishop he said, "That musick best pleaseth me."

"You shall have no musick," quoth Robin Hood, "Till the bride and the bridegroom I see."

With that came in a wealthy knight, Which was both grave and old, And after him a finikin* la.s.s, Did s.h.i.+ne like glistering gold.

*[Footnote: Finikin here means dainty.]

"This is not a fit match," quod bold Robin Hood, "That you do seem to make here, For since we are come into the church, The bride shall chuse her own dear."

Then Robin Hood put his horn to his mouth, And blew blasts two or three; When four and twenty bowmen bold Came leaping over the lee.

And when they came into the church-yard, Marching all on a row, The first man was Allin a Dale, To give bold Robin his bow.

"This is thy true love," Robin he said, "Young Allin, as I hear say; And you shall be married at this same time, Before we depart away."

"That shall not be," the bishop he said, "For thy word shall not stand; They shall be three times askt in the church, As the law is of our land."

Robin Hood pull'd off the bishop's coat, And put it upon Little John: "By the faith of my body," then Robin said, "This cloth doth make thee a man."

When Little John went into the quire,*

The people began to laugh; He askt them seven times into church, Lest three times should not be enough.

*[Footnote: Quire is an old spelling of choir. It here means the choir loft.]

"Who gives me this maid?" said Little John.

Quoth Robin Hood, "That do I; And he that takes her from Allin a Dale, Full dearly he shall her buy."

Thus having ended this merry wedding, The bride lookt like a queen; And so they returned to the merry greenwood, Amongst the leaves so green.

ROLAND AT RONCESVALLES

NOTE,--The greatest legendary hero of France is Roland, one of Charlmagne's knights. His deeds are told in Chansons De Roland (Songs of Roland). These songs correspond to the legends of King Arthur in England and to the stories of the Cid in Spain.

Every nation possesses a few of these great characters whose lives have furnished incidents without number to enrich the literature of the land. Roland s.h.i.+nes as one of the finest of national heroes.

Charlemagne, old and gray, grown weary with fighting and the conquest of Europe, sat at ease among his n.o.ble councilors in the shade of a great tree in northern Spain. Around him were camped the mighty hosts that he had led against the Saracens, and now the leaders were talking over their plans for the future. Only one strong castle, the great fortress of Zaragoz, on a steep and rugged mountain top, held out against him after his seven years of combat against the Mohammedans in Spain. So heavy were the walls of this stronghold and so difficult the guarded paths that led up to it that it seemed impossible for man to take it. One after another, the valorous knights, the twelve great paladins of Charlemagne gave their opinions, but no conclusion could be reached.

Among these hardy warriors was Roland, favorite nephew of the king, and greatest of all the paladins. Next him sat Oliver, the friend of his soul, closer knit in bonds of friends.h.i.+p than ever the ties of blood bound brother to brother. Others there were of valiant men who had often proved their courage against their pagan enemies. None, however, matched in ma.s.siveness and kingly bearing the great Charles himself, who sat now on his chair of gold over which twined a flowering rose vine. In the boughs of the towering pine the birds sang blithely, unconscious of the tragic events planning below them.

While they sat there in council there appeared among them a herald bearing the white flag of peace. Behind him came Blancandrin, chief n.o.ble and councilor of Marsilius, the ruler of the fortress about which King Charles and his paladins had been talking.

"My Lord the king," said Blancandrin, kneeling at the feet of the stately old monarch, "I come as a messenger of peace from my master, King Marsilius, who now, after these years, sees in you the great king whom all men may wors.h.i.+p. Rich gifts bear I to your glorious majesty, --bears, lions and hounds in numbers, falcons trained to hunt and keen for their prey, and four hundred powerful mules drawing fifty chariots full of gold, rich tapestries and precious jewels, wealth which even Charles the Great need not scorn to take.

"For all this richness my master begs only peace from thee, and privilege to reign over Spain as thy loyal va.s.sal. On the Feast of Michael will Marsilius go to thy palace at Aachen and render homage unto thee, and thenceforth shalt thou be his lord, and thy G.o.d shall be his G.o.d, only so that thou removest thine armies from out this kingdom."

The king listened in silence and bowed his head in meditation. For a quarter of an hour was no word spoken, for gravely Charlemagne considered every question placed before him, and weighed well his words; for once he had given pledge no power could make him change.

At last he turned upon the messenger his face clothed in its aureole of silvery hair, and said, "What a.s.surance have I that Marsilius will keep his word and be my faithful subject?"

"Most n.o.ble king," said Blancandrin, "we have with us twenty boys, sons of twenty of the greatest n.o.bles of our land. Take them all and keep them as hostages till my master pays homage to thee at Aachen as he has promised. Deal gently with these young men of ours, I pray thee, for they are dear to our hearts and are of the very flower of our kingdom."

That night the king lodged the messengers sumptuously, with due care, however, that they learned none of the secrets of his camp, for in his heart he felt that some treachery was planned. When morning came, Blancandrin was sent on his journey back to Marsilius with word that messengers from Charlemagne would soon follow. The great king called together his paladins and all the leaders of his force to consider the proposal that Blancandrin had brought. Among them were Turpin, the Archbishop, and Roland with his inseparable companion, Oliver. And in the group, too, might be seen the lowering brow and sneaking face of Ganelon, the traitorous friend of Charlemagne.

The king laid before them in full the message of Marsilius and bade them say what they thought of the strange proposal. With one accord all shouted, "Beware of treachery from King Marsilius."

Roland, towering above all the other warriors, spoke for himself: "Trust not the heathen king. Have no parley with him. Remember what seven years of warfare have cost us in blood and treasure, and without hesitation go on to finish the work we have begun. Proceed at once to lay siege to Zaragoz, conquer this last great stronghold and free Spain utterly from Mohammedan rule. Remember the treachery Marsilius once before practiced against our good messengers, whom he slew under the flag of truce. Go and avenge their death."

But the fierce Ganelon slyly crept to the king's side and whispered in his ear, "Hear no word of any babbling fool. This Roland, though my stepson, is a babbling idiot. He thinks only of battle and his own glory. So brave and strong is he that he can protect himself and cares nothing for kinsmen or friends. Marsilius promises everything we could demand or secure, and what shall it profit us to sacrifice our n.o.ble soldiers in useless warfare when we can gain everything we seek by this bloodless surrender?"

To others, also, the specious reasoning of Ganelon appealed, and so many joined in urging peace that at last Charles said, "Well and good; but who among you will bear to Marsilius my glove and staff and make the covenant with him?"

Then Roland said, "If so be it that the king would have a messenger, send me."

But Oliver straightway interfered. "Send Roland on a peaceful mission?

He would only embroil us in further trouble. My hot-blooded friend has no skill in parleying. Send me, I pray you, my Lord the king."

Others offered their services, and the king stroked his silvery beard in silent meditation.

"No, neither of you, nor any who have yet offered, not even Archbishop Turpin, shall go."

Then Roland spoke again. "To me, my stepfather seems the man, for there is none among us more cunning in speech than he. Send Ganelon, my stepfather."

With all his fierceness Ganelon was an arrant coward, and much he feared to take the message to Marsilius, for well he remembered the fate of Basant and Basil. Pale with anger and with coward fear, Ganelon threw his sable cloak from his shoulders and faced the gallant Roland. "All the world knows," said Ganelon, "that I am thy stepfather, and that I bear thee no love, but only hatred and contempt; but to show your malice toward me thus openly is the work of a fool and a coward. If I return from this dangerous mission, then will I avenge myself for your insults."

"I had no thought of malice," said Roland, "as all my companions may bear me witness. The post is one of honor, and you should feel proud that it is entrusted to you. As for your anger and malice, I have only contempt for your words and despise them utterly."

[Ill.u.s.tration: GANELON PICKS UP CHARLEMAGNE'S GLOVE]

"Do not think," replied the wrathy Ganelon, "that I go at your bidding or that anything you might say will move me from my steady purpose. If the king chooses me his messenger, I will do him service; but as for you, you shall repent that you ever spoke my name."

This fierce speech was received by Roland with loud laughter, which was echoed by Oliver and his companions, for all knew well the mighty prowess of the great paladin. The act, however, served only to enrage Ganelon the more, and as he turned his back he muttered fiercely, "I say, you shall repent of this."

Stepping to the throne of Charlemagne, he knelt and said, "Most n.o.ble emperor, from Marsilius no messenger ever yet returned alive.

Willingly will I go to Zaragoz and make for thee thy covenant. One favor only do I ask, and that is that if I should not return thou wilt care for Baldwin, my son, and the son of thy sister to whom I am wed.

Confer on him my honors and possessions and bring him up among the knights of thy court."