e, we now briefly proceed to tell.

CHAPTER XXI.

_Of the Treachery of Ganalon; the Battle of Ronceval, and the Sufferings
of the Christian Warriors._

When this famous Emperor had thus recovered Spain to the glory of our
Lord and St. James, after a season he returned to Pampeluna, and
encamped there, with his army. At that time there were in Saragossa two
Saracen Kings, Marsir, and Beligard, his brother, sent by the Soldan of
Babylon from Persia to Spain. Charles had bowed them to his dominion,
and they served him always, but only with feigned fidelity. For the King
having sent Ganalon to require them to be baptized, and to pay tribute,
they sent him thirty horse-load of gold, silver, and jewels; forty load
of wine likewise for his soldiers, and a thousand beautiful Saracen
women. But at the same time they covenanted with Ganalon to betray the
King's army into their hands for twenty horse-load of gold and silver;
which wicked compact being accordingly made, Ganalon returned to the
King with intelligence that Marsir would embrace the Christian faith,
and was preparing to follow him into France to receive baptism there,
and would then hold all Spain under oath of fealty to him. The old
soldiers would accept the wine only, but the young men were highly
gratified with the present of the women.

Charles, confiding in Ganalon, now began his march through the pass of
the mountains, in his return to France; giving the command of the rear
to his nephew, Orlando, Count of Mans and Lord of Guienne, and to
Oliver, Count of Auvergne, ordering them to keep the station of Ronceval
with thirty thousand men, whilst he passed it with the rest of the army.
But many, who had on the night preceding intoxicated themselves with
wine, and been guilty of fornication with the Saracen women, and other
women that followed the camp from France, incurred the penalty of death.
What more shall we say? When Charles had safely passed the narrow strait
that leads into Gascony, between the mountains, with twenty thousand of
his warriors, Turpin, the Archbishop, and Ganalon, and while the rear
kept guard, early in the morning Marsir and Beligard, rushing down from
the hills, where, by Ganalon's advice, they had lain two days in ambush,
formed their troops into two great divisions, and with the first of
twenty thousand men attacked our army, which making a bold resistance,
fought from morning to the third hour, and utterly destroyed the enemy.