Old French Romances

ld born in the Castle of Bericain of a noble

e it life, they would bear it to Rome to baptism. At the same time came a vision to a Count of Alverne, whose wife was big wi

sion was uncovered, a wise man and ancient bespake him by the counsel of God: "Make great joy, Count, for there shall be born to

unt, and he and his folk prai

ho was wending Romeward and bearing his son to baptism. They greeted one the other, and each asked other who he was and what he sought, and when they found themselves to be of one purpose they joined

he place of Saint Peter the Apostle, the Count of Alverne, and a noble knight of Bericain the Castle, beseech your Holiness that ye w

ch necessity; give them to the poor, who have need thereof. The infants will I baptize with a good w

mickle joy, and raised them aloft even as God would. And the office of Baptism done, the Apostle bade bring two hanaps of tree dight with gold and precious stones, side and wide alike, and of like fashion, and gav

thou shalt abide and be thine own master. Now firstly, fair son, keep thou the commandments of God; the chivalry of Jesus Christ do thou. Keep thou faith to thy lords, and give aid to thy fellows and friends. Defend the widows and orphans. Uphold the poor and needy: and all days hold thy l

departed in our Lord, and his son did do bury him, and did

hers, and chased him forth out of his castle. So when he bethought him of the commandment of his father, he said to them who went in his company: "The wicked have wrongfully cast me forth out of mine heritage: yet have I good hope in our Lord that he will help me; go we

hey were ready to follow

of the death of his father. And when he found him not, he departed sore troubled, and said to himself that he would not betake him to his own land till he

guested. Thereat they told by order all their adventure and the noble man said to them: "Abide with me, Sir Knights, and I will give my

or a year and a half, then said Amis to his ten fellows "We have done amiss in that we have left see

a pilgrim and asked if he had seen Amis whom men had chased out of his land; and that one said nay, he had not. But Amile did of

, and went his ways to Paris, and

of the Count of Alverne. And the pilgrim answered him all marvelling: "Who art thou, Knight, who thus mockest a pilgrim? Thou seemest to me that Amile who this day asked of me if I had seen Amis

f his silver, and bade him pray our Lord to give him to find Amile. And the pilgrim said: "Go thy ways forthright to Pari

ith his fellows all armed, they rose up and armed them, and so went forth before them; and Amis said to his fellows: "I see French knights who come against us in arms. Now fight

tteth an end to the toil of the righteous, did to hold aback them of one part and of the other when they were now hard on each other, for then said Amis: "Who are ye knights, who have will to slay Amis the exile and

p perpetual, the one to the other, on the sword of Amile, wherein were relics. Thence went they all together to the Court of Charles, King of France; there might men behold them young,

I will return the soonest that I may; and do thou abide at the Court. But keep thee well from touching the daughter of the King; and above all t

n as he might; and right soon forgat he the commandment and the teaching of Amis his fellow.

th robbed the treasure of the King, and therefore is fled away. Wherefore I require of thee thou swear me fealty and friendship and fello

s, he fell adown all astonied, and might say never a word; but the benign King lifted him up again, and said to him: "Rise up, Amile, and have no fear, and defend thee of this blame." So he lifted himself up and said: "Have no will to trow, sire, in the lies of Arderi the traitor, for I wot that thou art

e term which he had given them. Arderi brought with him the Count Herbert for his part; but Amile found none who would be for him saving Hildegarde the Queen, who took up the

ed down from his horse, and cast himself at the feet of his fellow, and said: "O thou, the only hope of my salvation, evilly ha

horses, and get thee to my house, and I will do the battle for thee against the traitor." And Amile answered: "How may I go into thine house, who have no knowledge of thy wif

he semblance of Amis. But the wife of Amis, when she saw him betake him thither, ran to embrace him, whom she deemed was her husband, and would have kissed him. But he said:

n: "Take heed that thou touch me in no manner wise, else diest thou straightway by this sword." And in likewise did

ad suffered and consented hereto, that Amile should shame her daughter. Amidst these words Amis entered into the Court of the King clad in the raiment of his fellow, Amile, at the hour of midday and

ught troubled, Count, for if thou vanquishest the ba

is folk. And the Queen with much company of virgins, and widows and wedded wives, went from church t

ch to him all his days. Wherefore he spake thuswise to Arderi: "O thou, Count, foul rede thou hast, in that thou desirest my death so sorely, and hast foolishly cast th

t of thy friendship nor thy service; but I shall swear the soo

and straightway they dealt together in strokes, and fought together from the hour o

is received the same with great joy. Then he returned at his speediest to his hostel wherein he had left Amile his fellow; but whenas Amile saw him coming with much company of horse, he deemed that Amis was vanquished, and f

he will of our Lord, in such wise that he might not mo

Amis found that, he called to him two of his sergeants, Azones and Horatus by name, and said to them: "Tak

was Amis, the master of them, who was become mesel, and prayed them that they would do him some mercy. But nevertheless, they beat the serg

ell a-weepi

firmity!" And therewith he said to his sergeants: "Bring me to the Church of the Fa

ness, and many a knight of Rome of them who had held Amis at the font, c

to Amis, and said: "Fair sir, thou wottest how feally we have served thee sithence the death of thy father unto this day, and that we have never trespassed against thy

nts, my only comfort, I pray you for God's sake that ye leave me

bade a sergeant of his to bear to the sick man of bread and of flesh, and therewithal his hanap, which was given to him at Rome, full of good wine: and when the sergeant had done his commandment he said to him when he came again: "By the f

he had gotten that hanap. Said he: "I am of Bericain the Castle, and

nd to weeping and lamenting, and to kissing and embracing him. And when his wife heard the same, she ran thereto all dishevelled, and making great dole, whereas she had in memory of how he had slain Arderi. And straightwa

ot, fair sweet fellow." Then the angel said to him: "Thou hast answered well, whereas thou art the fellow of the citizens of Heaven, and thou hast followed after Job, and Thoby in patience. Now I am Raphael, an angel of our Lord, and am c

ow be a manslayer for the healing of me." But t

o thee?" And Amis answered that none had spoken: "But I have prayed to our Lord according to my wont." Then Amile said: "Nay, it is not so; some one hath spoken to

who had said to him: "Amis, our Lord biddeth that thou tell Amile that he slay his two chil

forthwith Amis fell a- weeping, and said: "I wot that I have spoken to thee things grievous, as one constrained, and now I pray thee that thou cast me not out of thine house." And Amile said that he had promised that he would hold him til

an Angel who spake to me this night, so

d I not slay my children for him; if he hath kept faith with me to the death, why keep I not faith? Abraham was saved by faith, and by faith

is wife, and bade her go hear the service of our Lord; an

hath slain his child? Ah, alas my children! I shall be no more your father, but your cruel murderer! And therewith the children awoke because of the tears which fell on them from their father; and the children, who looked

they slept. And with their blood which he received, he washed his fellow, and said: "Sire God, Jesus Christ, who commandest men to keep faith up

our Lord with great joy and said: "Blessed be God, the father o

the church to give thanks there, and the bells by the grace of God rang of themselves.

fell to asking which of the two was her husband and said: "I kn

ess wondered, and said: "I see him all whole; but much I desire to know whereby he is heal

eir children; but the father sighed grievously for the death of his babes. Then the Countess as

, and he found them playing in the bed; but the scars of their w

ke great joy, dame, whereas thy sons whom I had slain by the commandment o

st thou not lead me with thee to receive the blood of my childre

s; and let us be at the service of our Lord,

even unto their dea

joy through that sam

whole, the devils bore off his wife; they b

t they of the castle rendered themselves to him. He received them benignly, and pardoned them their evil will; and from th

to come defend Holy Church. Thereupon King Charles sent to the said Desir messengers to pray him that he give back to the Holy Father the cities and other things which he had taken from him, and that he would give him thereto the sum of forty thousand sols of gold in gold and in silver. But he would give way

t Bernhart his uncle, and a many with him, by the Mount of Jove. And the vanward said that Desir, toget

r the prayer. Again Charles bade him that he send three of the children of the judges of Lombardy in hostage, until such time as he had given back the cities of the Churc

nd so great trembling in the hearts of the Lombards, that they turned to flight all of them, although none chased them, and left there behind them their tents

the works of our Lord, in fasting, in praying, in alms-doing, in giving aid to widows and orphans, in o

k, the other had an abbot; where Desir had a knight Charles had a prince; the one had a man afoot, the other a duke or a count. What should I say, where that King had one knigh

eat infinity. And after the third day's wearing Charles called to him the most mighty and th

ace hight Mortara, which in those days was called Fair- wood, whereas thereabout

ll armed, and there they joined battle, and a great multitude of dead there was on

ards, fled away and entered into Pavia; and King Charles followed after them, and besieged the city on all sides. Withal he sent into France for his wife and his children. But the holy Albins, bishop of Angier, and many other bishops and abbots gave counsel to the King and the Qu

St. Peter, and Amis into the Church of St. Eusebius; and the other corpses were buried here and there. But on the morrow's mo

such might to His disciples that they had power to move mountains and shift them. But because of this miracle the King and the Q

that they were brought to nought by great feebleness and by mortalities. And after ten months from the time when the city was besieged, Charles to

deacons in the aforesaid Church of St. Eusebius, and commanded them that they should without ceasing guard and keep the bodies of

h and reigneth without end with the Fathe