Lest all these
gifts serve only to betray, I give you sensibility to return the love
you inspire." Then spoke Morgana, the youngest and handsomest of the
group. "Charming creature, I claim you for my own; and I give you not
to die till you shall have come to pay me a visit in my isle of
Avalon." Then she kissed the child and departed with her sisters.

After this the king had the child carried to the font and baptized with
the name of Ogier.

In his education nothing was neglected to elevate him to the standard
of a perfect knight, and render him accomplished in all the arts
necessary to make him a hero.

He had hardly reached the age of sixteen years when Charlemagne, whose
power was established over all the sovereigns of his time, recollected
that Geoffroy, Ogier's father, had omitted to render the homage due to
him as Emperor, and sovereign lord of Denmark, one of the grand fiefs
of the empire. He accordingly sent an embassy to demand of the king of
Denmark this homage, and on receiving a refusal, couched in haughty
terms, sent an army to enforce the demand. Geoffroy, after an
unsuccessful resistance, was forced to comply, and as a pledge of his
sincerity delivered Ogier, his eldest son, a hostage to Charles, to be
brought up at his court. He was placed in charge of the Duke Namo of
Bavaria, the friend of his father, who treated him like his own son.

Ogier grew up more and more handsome and amiable every day. He
surpassed in form, strength, and address all the noble youths his
companions; he failed not to be present at all tourneys; he was
attentive to the elder knights, and burned with impatience to imitate
them. Yet his heart rose sometimes in secret against his condition as a
hostage, and as one apparently forgotten by his father.

The King of Denmark, in fact, was at this time occupied with new loves.
Ogier's mother having died, he had married a second wife, and had a son
named Guyon. The new queen had absolute power over her husband, and
fearing that, if he should see Ogier again, he would give him the
preference over Guyon, she had adroitly persuaded him to delay
rendering his homage to Charlemagne, till now four years had passed
away since the last renewal of that ceremony. Charlemagne, irritated at
this delinquency, drew closer the bonds of Ogier's captivity until he
should receive a response from the king of Denmark to a fresh summons
which he caused to be sent to him.

The answer of Geoffroy was ins