errified, and galloped back in spite
of all their riders could do to prevent them. Whereupon the foot
retreated likewise to an adjacent mountain, where, uniting in one
squadron, they stopped for the Saracens, who would then advance no
further, but gave our people time to pitch their tents, and encamp that
night.

Charles then called a council of his captains, and agreed to tie
bandages over their horses' eyes, and to stuff their ears, in order to
disconcert this stratagem on the morrow. Admirable experiment! For now
we fought the enemy from morning till night, and slew a great number,
though it was by no means a general slaughter; for the Saracens, again
joining in martial array, brought forward a castle, drawn by eight oxen,
with a certain red banner waving upon it, which so long as they saw
present, it was their rule never to fly. The King, knowing this, armed
himself with a strong breast-plate, a mighty spear, and invincible
sword, and, aided by divine assistance, hewed his way through his
enemies, overturning them to right and left, till he reached the car,
when, cutting the flag-pole with his sword, the Saracens instantly fled
in all directions. Prodigious shouts were made by both armies. We then
slew eight thousand Moors, together with Ibrahim, King of Seville.
Almanzor made good his retreat into the city, but submitted to Charles
the day after, consenting to be baptized, and to do homage for his
dominions.

The King now divided the conquered countries of Spain amongst his
soldiers. Navarre and Bearn he gave to the inhabitants of Brittany;
Castile to the Franks; Nadres and Saragossa to the Apulians; Arragon to
the Ponthieuse; Andalusia, on the sea-coast, to the Germans; and
Portugal to the Dacians and Flemings. But the French would not settle
in the mountain parts of Gallicia. Thus there seemed to be no more foes
in Spain to hurt the Emperor.

CHAPTER XIX.

_Of the Council the Emperor summoned; and of his Journey to
Compostella._

Charles then sent away the greatest part of his troops, and came to
Gallicia, where he behaved very liberally to the Christians he found
there, but either put to death or banished those that had revolted to
the Moorish faith. He then appointed bishops and prelates in every city,
and, assembling a council of the chief dignitaries in Compostella,
decreed that the church of St. James should be henceforth considered as
the Metropolitan, instead of Iria, as it was no city, subj