=167= 1 =aquel romance=, etc.: the extracts that follow are from one of
the finest of the Spanish ballads (=romances=) that deal, not with the
traditional heroes of Spain, but with personages whose epic history had
first been developed in mediaeval France, and thence diffused through
the other countries of Europe. Roldan is the French Roland (called in
the Italian forms of his story Orlando), and Renialdos is the hero
called in the French _chansons de geste_ Renaut de Montauban (in
Italian, Rinaldo da Montalbano). The present ballad appears in both the
oldest existing collections of Spanish ballads, printed the one in 1550
and the other slightly earlier (it bears no date). The poem relates how
Renialdos (or Reinaldos), having fallen into the hands of his feudal
lord and unforgiving enemy, the Emperor Charlemagne, is about to be put
to death, when Charlemagne's nephew Roldan (Roland) rides up and
violently interposes in the prisoner's behalf. The Emperor yields on
condition that Renialdos shall leave France forever. This the hero
promises to do, and makes his way to the land of the Great Khan, who
receives him warmly and offers to aid him against Charlemagne. Renialdos
refuses, however, to make war upon his liege lord, even though wronged
by him. Then the Khan furnishes him with men to conquer the Emperor of
Trebizond and to establish himself in his place. The story of the
banishment of Renialdos is not told in this form in the splendid old
French poem (_chanson de geste_) entitled _Renaut de Montauban_, but is
an Italianized version containing elements not truly popular and
traditional. The Spanish ballad, too, is in some other respects not
thoroughly popular in its character. Nevertheless, it is written in the
traditional ballad style, and is very fine and spirited. It is printed
in full in Duran, _Romancero General_, Vol. I, p. 240; and in Wolf y
Hofmann, _Primavera y Flor de Romances_, Vol. II, p. 346.

=167= 5 =Briador=: in the old French poems (_Chanson de Roland_, etc.)
Roland's horse is called Veillantif; but the Italian poets Boiardo (in
the _Orlando Innamorato_) and Ariosto (in the _Orlando Furioso_) call
him Brigliadoro (= _briglia d'oro_, 'bridle of gold'). Pulci, however,
in the _Mergante Maggiore_, but slightly modifies the French name,
making it Vegliantin. The Spanish =Briador= is a corruption of
Brigliadoro.

=167= 7 =Durlindana=: the name of Roland's sword. In the French poems
the word is Durendal.