Than his whose charge laid Jesus Christ Himself
Upon the Cross to suffer in our stead.”
Duke Naimon heard, and nodded his old head.
The Abbot’s words not only made good sense
To him, but proved what he himself had felt:
That Blancheflor had wrongly been condemned
With sinful haste – the guilt lay somewhere else.
18. How Naimon spoke to Charles
“BOLD EMPEROR,” said Naimon, old and stalwart:
“If you will act as I advised beforehand,
670 I’ll say again that to proceed with caution
Will earn you praise today from every quarter –
And nobody in future times will fault you.
If Blancheflor’s with child, it would be awful
To put the pair unfairly so to slaughter.
Agree to this my counsel, I implore you:
Assign the Queen to someone’s watch and wardship,
Whose task will be to faithfully escort her
Beyond your realm to bide in foreign borders.
Forbid you wife, from this day on and always,
680 To show her face in any land you’re lord of.”
The King replied: “Your judgement is a sure one,
And one my heart and head can best accord with.
With every speed its needs shall be supported.”
And so they spared our heroine and brought her
Away that day from what had lain before her –
And everyone, except Macaire, applauded.
The King approached and said to her, forlornly:
“My lovely Queen, I truly did adore you!
But what you’ve done has made our marriage forfeit.
690 I’ll spare your life, I’m glad to, I assure you,
But you must leave for foreign lands this morning
And show your face, your lovely face, no more here.
An escort will attend you and support you
Until you cross each border that I’m lord of.”
On hearing this, his wife was weeping sorely,
But still he spoke: “Return now to your quarters.
Prepare yourself and ready all you ought to.
Take wealth of mine to serve your need henceforward.”
The Queen replied: “I’ll do as you have ordered.
700 I will obey; I have obeyed you always.”
And so she turned, her face a mask of mourning.
The Emperor then did as he had sworn to:
He summoned forth a young and gallant Norman,
From Rivier, a kinsman of Sir Morant:
His palace held no paladin more courtly,
More caring of the honour of his order,
Or capable in any task it called for.
The name of this fine courtier was Aubri.
No knight of Charles then living was more loyal.
710 As he approached, the voice of Charles exhorted:
“Sir Aubri, come! I have a mission for you:
Prepare to take Queen Blancheflor on horseback
As far away as will fulfil my order
That she must live outside my lands henceforward.
Report to me upon your task’s performance.”
Young Aubri said: “Your will shall not be thwarted.
Most willingly and well I shall enforce it.”
The loyal lad had no desire to loiter.
He got his squire to saddle up his courser,
720 While he himself was girding on a sword-blade.
Upon his wrist he set his hunting falcon,
And straightaway his greyhound ran towards him!
He helped the Queen to mount upon a palfrey,
Then led her forth – reprove him or applaud him.
He started out upon the road before him,
And everyone, on foot or horse, was mournful –
Old Naimon, and her royal husband also.
19. How Sir Aubri left
WHEN AUBRI LEFT at Charlemagne’s behest,
Both high and low bemoaned his sorry quest.
730 The King himself wept softly in regret,
As Aubri rode then disappeared ahead.
When Lord Macaire had judged the moment best
He turned and ran towards his lodge again.
May God who made old Moses curse the wretch!
Because of him the Queen had been bereft
Of everything; and now he armed himself
And swung astride a palfrey horse he kept.
He seized a shield and hung it round his neck,
Then grasped a spear of sharp and fearsome crest.
740 He left the town, in sweet and high content,
To take the road that Aubri’d taken thence.
Beside the Queen the noble youth had left,
Without a thought of anyone but them.
King Charlemagne, alas, knew nothing then
Of all Macaire still plotted in his head!
Young Aubri’s course continued till at length
He saw a fount beside a slope that led
Inside a wood of wondrous charm and breadth.
Queen Blancheflor admired the scene as well
750 And spoke up for the first time since they’d left:
“Sir Aubri, lord, I bid you, nay I beg
Of you to take me to that stream ahead!
I need to drink and take a moment’s rest.”
The youth replied: “Of course, my Lady, yes!”
So from his mount the gallant youngster stepped
Towards the Queen’s and in one movement swept
Her in his arms and set her down against
A tree beside the water’s grassy edge.
Her thirst was great, and so she drank, and then
760 She washed her hands and then her face; but when
She raised her head she saw with sudden dread
The fiend Macaire come spurring through a cleft
With armour on, and weapons right and left!
At sight of him her fright returned again,
And she began to wail in her distress:
“Sir Aubri, see what evil dogs our step!
I see again Macaire the evil wretch
Whose wicked charge has chased me from the French!”
The youth replied: “My Lady, never fret!
770 I’ll fight for you with every ounce of strength.”
As this was said Macaire himself addressed
The gallant youth in tones of fierce contempt:
“You’ll never lead this haughty Lady hence!
Both you and she will yield to my prowess!”
“ Oh no we won’t!” the noble youngster said:
“I’ll make you feel my weapon’s zeal instead!”
20. How Sir Aubri addressed Macaire
YOUNG AUBRI SAID: “Be sure of this, my lord:
You will regret you followed in our course
To seize the Queen my task is to escort.
780 When fearsome Charles discovers this henceforth,
And Naimon, and Duke Ogier, then all
Your wealth will count for nothing anymore:
You’ll hang, my lord, for this attempt of yours.
Turn back and seek to right the wrong you’ve wrought.
What you intend will end in less than naught!”
“You’ll not defend her now!” the villain roared,
“And if you try, then you may rest assured
That you will die much sooner than you ought!”
But Aubri stayed between him and his ward,
790 And, seeing this, Mac
aire let fly his horse:
The youth was brave, both swift of limb and thought:
He drove his mount and raised his cutting sword.
If Aubri had had armour on, I’m sure
He could have matched the knight Macaire, and more!
Their mounts approached with growing speed and force,
And Aubri raised his burnished blade towards
Macaire, as fierce as any savage boar.
Macaire himself held forth his lance’s point
Of sturdy steel and spurred without remorse.
800 The fiend was armed from top to toe for war,
But Aubri there had nothing but his sword:
How could he bear or fairly fight his cause
In such a joust where compromise was scorned?
An unarmed man’s not worth the smallest coin
Against a knight well clad and armed withal.
A fatal blow was fated soon to fall –
And so it did: the spear Macaire employed
Drove front to rear in such a fierce assault
It threw the youth and slew him on the sward.
810 The Queen, when she had seen the battle joined,
Had watched the fight until her escort’s fall.
On seeing that, she turned aside, distraught,
And ran away, inside the wood, to thwart
Macaire’s desire to have her in his thrall.
She prayed to God, Whose Judgment comes to all,
For Aubri’s life – whose death she never saw.
21. How Blancheflor escaped Macaire’s clutches
THE QUEEN, WHEN she had seen the fight develop,
Was filled with fear, and, as her body trembled,
Her voice invoked the King of kings to help her,
820 And called alike upon the Queen of Heaven.
In tears of woe she fled to hide and headed
Inside the wood, where cover was the densest.
When foul Macaire had slain her gallant escort
He turned for her and looked in all directions,
But vainly so, to his extreme displeasure
And growing shame at where his lust had led him.
He left the youth laid out upon the meadow
Beside the fount, whose waters shimmered gently.
He turned his steed to Charles’s court directly,
830 And hoped his deed would never be detected.
The Queen escaped, her face a mask of terror.
Inside the wood she hid, with great lamenting.
May God, Who tends the smallest flower, protect her!
We’ll soon return to Blancheflor’s adventures,
But first I have a wondrous fact to tell you.
22. How Sir Aubri’s death was discovered
YOUNG AUBRI LAY upon the meadow, dead.
His palfrey grazed upon the grass, content,
But by his side his hound had laid its head
And stayed three days, to hunger’s calling deaf.
840 No mortal man was ever born and bred
Who greater grieved upon his master’s death
Than did that dog for Aubri there and then.
But when three days and nights had run their length
Its hunger pangs at last grew so intense
It couldn’t stay a moment more, and left.
It headed straight for Paris, though, and kept
Upon its road until its goal was met:
At Charles’s hall it bounded up the steps.
The hour it came was when the boards were spread
850 With food for Charles and his assembled men.
No sooner had the greyhound entered, when
It looked around at every one of them.
And when it saw Macaire was there, it went
Straight up to where the villain sat content.
At once it leapt upon the board and clenched
Its jaws around Macaire’s enormous neck!
It sank its teeth completely in his flesh.
Then, with a howl, it seized his bread instead!
When shouts rang out it turned about and went
860 Directly back towards the track that led
To where its lord was slain and lain in death.
Macaire remained just where he was, and bled.
Around him most were filled with wondrous dread,
But there were some who’d watched the greyhound well
And they began to ask among themselves
If Aubri, he with whom King Charles had sent
His wife away, had come back home again –
The hound so looked like one of those he kept.
At length Macaire went back to where he slept.
870 A doctor came to dress his wound, and when
This task was done Macaire addressed his men:
“If in the least you love me, lords,” he said,
“When I go back to Charles’s palace next,
Take each in hand a cudgel to prevent
That devil-dog from hounding me again,
If it returns and shows the same intent!”
His men replied: “Most willingly and well
We’ll arm ourselves to do as you direct.”
The dog, meanwhile, had trotted back and then,
880 At Aubri’s side, it finished off the bread.
Three further days it stayed and never left.
Then, once again, when hunger drove it thence,
It took the road that led to Paris, when
It knew the boards would once again be spread.
Macaire was there when in again it stepped,
His head and neck now swathed in bandages.
He’d shown his face at table to prevent
Suspicious talk about him from the rest.
The greyhound looked, then once again it sped
890 Without delay towards Macaire the wretch!
On beating it as soundly as they’d pledged –
But it was off! Across the boards it leapt!
It snatched some bread, then with a bound it fled
To Aubri’s side, devoured the bread and slept!
The court was stunned, and wondered what it meant.
23. How Naimon addressed Charlemagne
DUKE NAIMON CALLED King Charlemagne aside:
“Attend to me,” said he, “my noble Sire!
I’ve never seen a wonder of this kind.
900 If you will heed, I’ll give you this advice:
Let all prepare, both citizens and knights,
To follow it, when next this hound arrives,
For it’s a sign whose meaning we must find!”
“God will it so!” the Emperor replied.
The dog indeed appeared another time:
When hunger urged it left its master’s side
And came to town the way I first described.
It made for court, it sought the palace high,
Then, stepping in, observed from left and right
910 To see if it could find Macaire inside!
His clansmen there again prepared to strike
With club in hand, when good Naimon the wise
Forbade their blows; with ringing voice he cried:
“Don’t touch that dog – or you will lose your eyes!”
Content or not, they let the dog retire,
Then Charlemagne, with Duke Naimon alike,
And Ogier the Dane, and other knights,
Bestrode their steeds with every speed to ride
Behind the hound and keep its goal in sight.
920 They f
ollowed well, not wasting any time,
Until a smell of rotting flesh beside
The wood contrived to halt them in their stride:
The dog bestrode the body of a knight!
On seeing this, they drew back, horrified,
Then searched the field for any further sign.
They found a horse. And when they recognised
Just whose it was, how heavily they sighed!
24. How Sir Aubri’s corpse was found
WHEN CHARLEMAGNE began to search he sighted
The palfrey horse that Aubri had been riding,
930 And knew at once the hound was Aubri’s finest.
With ringing voice the courtiers were crying:
“Ah, noble King – what evil here is hiding?”
The King at once called Naimon up beside him:
“I beg of you, old counsellor, advise me!”
The Duke replied: “Our sign has been deciphered.
The dog itself has done its best to guide us:
The man it bit in hatred is indicted!
Arrest Macaire, without delay, Your Highness.
He knows the truth and soon he shall confide it!
940 But let us first bear Aubri’s corpse in silence
To Saint-Denis and honour it most highly.
Then justice must be sought and wrought entirely.”
The King replied: “Your counsel is the wisest.
I’ll nevermore contest your gallant guidance.”
Macaire was seized, when this had been decided,
And, with a word, to sturdy hands confided.
But no one’s hand would touch the man who’d died there,
Till fragrant reeds were found in which to bind him.
As best they could they bore the corpse behind them
950 To Saint-Denis and buried it most finely.
What tears were shed by common folk and mighty,
By youthful peers, young girls and matrons likewise!
When all was done to bury Aubri rightly,
The King returned, with Naimon close beside him,
To Paris, where they heard the cry arising
From everyone to start a full enquiry.
Macaire was brought to Charlemagne in private,
Who challenged him about the rumours flying:
“I hear my Peers and everyone indict you
960 For Aubri’s death, my young and gallant fighter.
I see as proof his hound’s resolve to bite you!
If this is so, where is my wife, confided
To Aubri’s care in search of far asylum
From France and me, whose honour she had slighted?”
Macaire replied: “Enough of this, Your Highness!