Went looking for their kinsman Duke Bérenger, at once!
They found him playing chess with Bernart of Riverun.
“In truth, my noble uncle,” said angry Aumagon,
“The bond that you made boast of has quickly been undone,
And with it much distinction assured to all of us!
You’re not to have one foot of the fief of Avignon,
Nor marry Aye the maiden or wear Valence’s glove!
Her hand and land are given by Charles to Doon’s son!”
Said Bérenger, with laughter: “Good nephew, that’s enough!
100 No knight in France would ever usurp what’s mine in trust
While breath was in my body, however brave he was:
He’d know that with my weapon I’d split his reckless skull!”
“Then be prepared to do so!” replied young Aumagon.
At this, the board went flying as Bérenger rose up
And ran to Charlemagne his lord and Emperor.
“My lord,” he cried, “I ask for my pledged inheritance,
Which is fair Aye in marriage and all of Avignon,
As in his life your father bequeathed to me for love.”
But Charlemagne answered: “Sir Bérenger, enough!
110 I’ve never heard this mentioned, by you or anyone!”
Sir Bérenger, in anger, went striding through the crush
To Garnier and shouted: “Pull back, companion!
If you accept this woman and her possessions thus,
Our friendship will be over, our enmity begun!
Fair Aye will be a widow in twelve or seven months:
My weapon will avenge me, for justice must be done.”
On hearing such a death-threat, Sir Doon’s gallant son
Faced Bérenger directly and softly answered thus:
“By all the faith I owe you, what heady wine you’ve drunk!
120 What heavy sleep it gave you that you should dream so much!
If I’m to die as swiftly as you have sworn I must,
Then you must be the lightning that strikes us from above!
I’ll not give up the woman! What man would think of such?
What sort of cur refuses so fine a gift of love?
You’ve been my close companion for eight and forty months:
I want you at the wedding – to share the feast with us!”
Duke Bérenger retorted: “Be certain, I shall come!
And when you bathe, I’ll shave you: I swear, the only cut
You’ll have will be a blunt one – you’ll never see the blood!”
130 SAID AUMAGON the swarthy: “Fine Emperor, my lord,
I fear you may have started this day so fierce a war
That long before it’s over a thousand knights of yours
Will die in bloody sorrow who thought to live in joy.
The woman is my uncle’s; that’s what your father swore,
And Garnier was witness, with others, to it all.
If she’s not freely given, then dearly she’ll be bought!”
Young Garnier retorted: “Then bring a witness forth!
There’s not a person present, however fierce or sure,
Whom, if he dared defy me by saying what he saw,
140 I couldn’t prove a liar and silence with my sword.”
At this point in the quarrel the maiden raised her voice:
“Duke Bérenger, so help me, the fault in this is yours!
Have you been dead for seasons and are you now reborn?
Your apathy has justly deprived you of reward!
The hart you stalked has vanished – don’t chase it anymore,
For it has been recaptured by Garnier of Nanteuil!
I’ve no desire to struggle against our Monarch’s choice!”
“This maiden is unrivalled,” said everyone in court:
“Whoever is her husband will never but rejoice!”
150 THE QUARREL over Aye went on until at length
Count Auboin and Miles, the sons of Pinabel,
Nephews of Ganelon, came striding up the steps
Of Charlemagne’s hall, their spur-less heels unchecked.
On seeing him, at once to Garnier they said:
“Put any thoughts of Aye forever from your head!
Nor Aye nor Avignon shall Doon’s son possess!
If you usurp the right, we’ll fight you to the death.
As falcon scares the dove, so does your growing strength
Affright the King , and thus he feathers both your nests!
160 You, Garnier, are born of Aymer’s haughty geste,
Who, with the thief Maugis, Charles banished from our realm.
Yet they returned and burned the land where’er they went:
From Orléans to Laon, no solid house was left.
And royal Gui was slain by them in the Ardennes.”
“You villains, hold your tongue!” said Garnier, incensed,
“For it was you and yours who on the road that led
From Aigremore attacked and hacked to death the best
Of kinsmen, Duke Buevon – a debt you owe me yet!
If I deserve reproof, then what should you expect?”
170 Their anger drew like flame that grew the more intense
As Auboin reached out his hands towards the head
Of Garnier, to seize his hair and tear it thence!
But Garnier was fast: his fist was first instead
And struck him in the teeth so sharply that he bled
All down his chin and stained his ermine collar red.
The King commanded both: “Control your recklessness!”
Both Auboin and Miles were seized at his behest,
Then taken from the hall and thrown inside a cell.
The King himself led forth his lovely niece to wed
180 Young Garnier at once, before the sun had set.
THE PAIR WAS WED, it’s said, upon the feast of Easter,
A time of joy and hope for all of Heaven’s creatures,
When sunlight wakes the bud and makes the grasses greener,
And lovely maids are clad to match the merry season,
And every lad is glad to catch and clutch them nearer!
The King was home in Laon, and like a noble leader,
Had summoned all his lords and men of liege to meet him
In council to discuss their plans and disagreements.
So Garnier wed Aye amid this mighty meeting
190 And Charles of Saint-Denis showed how much he esteemed him:
The Queen herself led Aye, attending her as needed.
The maiden wore a cloak of silk from Almeria
Inlaid with glowing jewels as rich as they were their gleaming.
The cloak was red of hue and trimmed with ermine neatly.
By Garnier she sat at one end of the meeting,
While at the other end, the council was proceeding –
And with a jealous rage their enemies were seething!
Said swarthy Aumagon: “Is honour sold so cheaply?
There was a time, I thought, when it was bought more dearly.
200 I’d rather die than live to witness its demeaning!”
Then, leaping up at once, he looked at all his people,
As angry as a lion, his face a mask of evil.
How quickly wisdom dies, when folly vies with reason!
This song has lessons strong – if you will let it teach you.
THE COURT was large indeed, for Charles had summoned thither
His barons, with their plans and contrary ambitions –
Like Guillemer the Scot’s with Helgot of Du
nilin’s.
Count Bérenger was one, supported by his kinsmen.
He spoke with ringing voice and everybody listened:
210 “Rich Emperor,” he cried, “I have a charge to bring you!
When we give service true, you promise us great riches –
But when we seek reward, you give us less than little.
I don’t know who has turned your love from us so quickly,
But why should we, if spurned, remain within your kingdom?
I’d rather be abroad in poverty, than sitting
Among the lords of France but subject to derision!”
“Sir Bérenger,” said Charles, “forego your angry spirit
And further claim to Aye – she’s wed and that’s the finish!
Accept instead your choice of Garnier’s two sisters,
220 And double gain is made – Nanteuil’s a wealthy city,
And brings a thousand knights to fight for you if bidden!”
But Bérenger invoked the Virgin Maid as witness
That never would their clans by marriage be co-mingled:
“Until the fiery woe I feel has been extinguished,
And Aubuin and Miles have been released from prison,
I’ll burn upon a pyre that many wrongs have kindled!
Sir Garnier will rue the day that Aye bewitched him.
Though nothing I can do will change his smiling visage,
There’s something I can say to which he’ll have to listen:
230 A charge that I can lay, of treachery most wicked,
For which, if you’re a King, my lord, you’ll have to kill him!”
THE COURT WAS FULL of nobles and knights of highest stock,
As Aumagon the swarthy stood up and spoke aloft:
“Fine Emperor, attend us and what we’re speaking of!
Both I and my good brother are cut from honest cloth,
As sons of Duke Alori, nephews of Haguenon.
And so are Miles and Auboin, the sons of Pinabel,
Who ruled the realm as far as the valleys of Matron
Until his life was ended defending Ganelon.
240 But are the sons to suffer for fathers doing wrong?
Fine King, I know you wonder what brings this sermon on:
Well once, at Verberia, while sitting on a rock,
Sir Garnier, here present, said this to us, by God:
‘My lords, my noble barons, we need to plan a plot
Against the King, whose evils have driven me to wrath,
Whose traitorous oppression, I fear, will never stop:
We’ve won him many riches, yet we ourselves are robbed!
My blade is keen to kill him, in front of all or none,
In woodland or in water, wherever chance allots!
250 And when it’s done there’s nothing for us to fear anon:
His only son, Prince Louis, is weak of will and soft –
If we accept to serve him, he’ll think himself well off!’
That’s what he said, your Highness, but we replied: ‘We’ll not!
We’d rather bear our losses than kill the King, by God!’
As witnesses I call on both Miles and Auboin:
Your favourite would have killed you, if we had willed him on!”
So Charlemagne ordered their prison-cell unlocked
And summoned both before him to hear some proof thereof.
THEIR PRISON-CELL was opened at Charlemagne’s order:
260 To hear some proof of treason he summoned them before him.
Count Auboin spoke firstly, and no one could ignore him,
For even if he’d read it or it had been reported,
He couldn’t have repeated so well his kinsman’s story:
“Fine Emperor,” he told him, “of this I can assure you:
Upon a step of marble, at Verberia’s storming,
With kinsmen I was resting when Garnier implored us
And said: “My noble barons, we need to join our forces
Against King Charlemagne who treats us all so poorly.
We’ve won him lands in battle and we deserve our portion.
270 Your family are fighters and lion-hearted stalwarts,
And I’m prepared to slay him on any night or morning
In woodland or in water, wherever chance affords it.
And when it’s done there’s nothing for us to fear henceforward.
His little son, Prince Louis, is weak of will and palsied:
He’ll only be too happy if we continue loyal.
But if we work together, in time we’ll kill him also!”
‘Upon our faith we’ll never,’ we four replied in chorus:
‘We’d rather bear our losses than see our Monarch slaughtered.’
My lord, I’ll fight with any who says I witness falsely.”
280 Young Garnier responded: “You evil-hearted fraudster!
I’ll fight you and defeat you, for God knows I am faultless.”
And so they gave their gages to Charlemagne’s warden,
As Aye endured a sadness she’d never felt beforehand.
With fear her brow was furrowed and all her looks were altered.
Sir Bérenger was watching and said, to further gall her:
“It seems to me, my lady, your price has greatly fallen.
I was to you a hunter who, though he had you cornered,
You still could dare to menace, since Garnier had caught you!
But with the Lord’s permission your lover will be slaughtered
290 And I shall have your county and you, its fairest portion,
To rule and love at leisure with well deserved enjoyment!”
But Aye replied: “You blackguard! Don’t waste your vigour talking!
I’d rather be a spinster or nun in holy orders
Than ever be a part of the clan of Duke Alori!”
Queen Blancheflor was listening and laughed at Aye’s rejoinder.
THEIR GAGES HAD been given, the battle’s hour bespoke,
When Girart of Riviers, who held in his control
Dinant, Namur, Erēzée and Haye, arrived below –
Sir Garnier’s own nephew, his sister’s son, we’re told.
300 This youngster was the grandson of Doon of Nanteuil,
And with him, as he travelled, a thousand soldiers rode.
He shed his spurs and mounted the palace steps of stone.
King Charlemagne kissed him, his welcome nothing loath,
And sat him by his uncle, who hugged and held him close.
Sir Garnier addressed him in happy, loving tones:
“What dalliance, fine nephew, has kept you from me so?
The King deserves our service o’er any mortal soul,
For he has joined by marriage his fortunes with our own.
But Ganelon’s foul kinsmen have dealt my bliss a blow,
310 By calling me a traitor before his royal throne –
And I must fight the charges, tomorrow, on my troth!”
Girart replied: “Fine uncle, your honour is well known.
I’ll take your place tomorrow, God curse me if I don’t!”
“My gallant lad, you cannot, for any sum of gold,
For such is the agreement: the fight is mine alone.”
“Then my delay has shamed me,” his noble nephew groaned:
“You French, have you forgotten? It wasn’t long ago
That Roland fell to treason and you were filled with woe –
And yet, his killer’s kinsmen still trouble Charles’s throne!
320 They should have died beside him, those seven years ago.
Before the dusk tomorrow, th
eir guilty blood will show.”
Said Aumagon the swarthy: “You’ve said enough, you rogue!
If any man lays charges, abroad or here at home,
Against my family’s honour, I’ll ram them down his throat.
Before midday tomorrow you’ll see that this is so!”
THE QUARREL grew between them, their anger drew like flame.
Count Bérenger continued to charge Sir Garnier:
“I only seek what’s justice and speak the truth, in faith:
If Charles could but remember the great assault we made
330 Upon your father Doon at old Nanteuil that day
Aymon’s four sons, your cousins, opposed us with disdain,
I do not think he’d give you, with such unblinking haste,
His lovely niece, the duchess, or Avignon, her claim.”
But Garnier reproached him with Ganelon again,
His kinsman sent as envoy to King Marsile in Spain,
Whose treachery slew Roland among the Spanish dales.
The King exclaimed in anger: “My lords, enough I say!
This matter won’t be settled or any peace attained
Between the warring parties without a combat waged.”
340 When this was said he ordered the court at Laon to break
And meet again at Soissons; then Blancheflor and Aye
Went straight to church, beseeching the aid of St Gervais.
THE FEAST DAY OF St Basil was chosen for the fight.
Sir Garnier kept vigil until its dawn arrived,
When Bishop Morris chanted the offices required
And Garnier gave Bezants one hundred pounds in price.
The lovely Aye gave bracelets and necklaces alike,
Which still today are kept there in coffers richly lined.
Fell Ganelon’s foul nephews, Sir Auboin and Miles,
350 Arrived at Charles’s palace when Mass was said and signed.
To Charles and his attendants they swore a second time
That Garnier was plotting an end to Charles’s life –
And Garnier repeated and swore to God on High
That never had he done so and never so would strive.
So Auboin went swiftly to arm himself in iron:
He donned a heavy hauberk, whose surcoat was of white,
And then put on a helmet of African design:
Embedded in its nasal there shone a beryl bright.
His brother Miles engirded a sword about his side
Heroines of the French Epic Page 20
