ut it, on a sudden a strange uncommon
clamour, like the roaring of lions, wolves, and calves, was heard in the
air, and immediately a troop of demons seized him in their talons, and
bore him away alive. What further? Horse and foot sought him four days
together in the adjacent mountains and valleys to no purpose; but the
twelfth day after, as the army was marching through a desert part of
Navarre, his body was found lifeless, and dashed to pieces, on the
summit of some rocks, a league above the sea, about four days' journey
from the city. There the demons left the body, bearing the soul away to
hell. Let this be a warning, then, to all that follow his example to
their eternal perdition.

CHAPTER VIII.

_Of the War of the Holy Facundus, where the Spears grew._

Charles and Milo, his General, now marched after Argolander into Spain,
and found him in the fields of the river, where a castle stands in the
meadows, in the best part of the whole plain, where afterwards a church
was built in honour of the blessed martyrs Facundus and Primitivus;
where likewise their bodies rest, an abbey was founded, and a city
built. When the King's army advanced, Argolander wished to decide the
contest by set combat between twenties, forties, hundreds, thousands, or
even by two champions only. Charles willingly consented, and marched a
hundred of his soldiers against a hundred Saracens, when all of them
were slain. Argolander then sent two hundred, who shared the same fate.
Two thousand were then led against two thousand, part of whom were
slain, and the rest fled. But on the third day Argolander cast lots,
and, knowing that evil fortune threatened the Emperor, sent him word he
would draw out his whole army on the open plain, on the morrow, which
challenge was accepted.

Then did this miracle happen. Certain of the Christians, who carefully
had been furbishing their arms against the day of battle, fixed their
spears in the evening erect in the ground before the castle in the
meadow, near the river, and found them early in the morning covered with
bark and branches. Those, therefore, that were about to receive the palm
of martyrdom were greatly astonished at this event, ascribing it to
divine power. Then cutting off their spears close to the ground, the
roots that remained shot out afresh, and became lofty trees, which may
be still seen flourishing there, chiefly ash. All this denoted joy to
the soul, but loss to the body; for now