mily
insignia and set with garnets was bound to the infant's arm with
silken lace. When the child had thus been attired the damsel took it
and carried it for many miles into the country, until at last she came
to a city where there was a large and fair abbey. Breathing a prayer
that the child might have proper guardianship, the girl placed it on
the abbey steps as her mistress had ordered her to do, but, afraid
that it might catch cold on such a chilly bed, she looked around and
saw an ash-tree, thick and leafy, with four strong branches, among the
foliage of which she deposited the little one, commending it to the
care of God, after which she returned to her mistress and acquainted
her with what had passed.

In the morning the abbey porter opened the great doors of the house of
God so that the people might enter for early Mass. As he was thus
engaged his eye caught the gleam of red silk among the leaves of the
ash-tree, and going to it he discovered the deserted infant. Taking
the babe from its resting-place, he returned with it to his house,
and, awaking his daughter, who was a widow with a baby yet in the
cradle, he asked her to cherish it and care for it. Both father and
daughter could see from the crimson silk and the great signet ring
that the child was of noble birth. The porter told the abbess of his
discovery, and she requested him to bring the child to her, dressed
precisely as it had been found. On beholding the infant a great
compassion was aroused in the breast of the holy woman, who resolved
to bring up the child herself, calling her her niece, and since she
was taken from the ash giving her the name of Frene.

Frene grew up one of the fairest damsels in Brittany. She was frank in
manner, yet modest and discreet in bearing and speech. At Dol,
where, as we have read, there is a great menhir and other prehistoric
monuments, there lived a lord called Buron, who, hearing reports of
Frene's beauty and sweetness, greatly desired to behold her.
Riding home from a tournament, he passed near the convent, and,
alighting there, paid his respects to the abbess, and begged that he
might see her niece. Buron at once fell in love with the maiden, and
in order to gain favour with the abbess bestowed great riches upon the
establishment over which she presided, requesting in return that he
might be permitted to occupy a small apartment in the abbey should he
chance to be in the neighbourhood.

In this way he frequently