er lover, and is crowned with him as Queen of
Saxony, Helissend being in like manner given to Berard.

"It is now that the truly tragical part of the poem commences. Charles
and his host depart, the Emperor warning his nephew to be courteous,
loyal, and generous, to keep true faith to his wife, yet not to spend
too much time in her arms, but to beware of the Saxons. The caution is
needed, for already the two sons of Guiteclin, with one hundred thousand
Russians and Bulgarians, and the giant Ferabras of Russia, a personage
twelve feet high, with light hair plaited together, reddish beard, and
flattened face, are within a day and a half's journey of 'Tremoigne,'
burning to avenge Guiteclin. One Thursday morning their invasion is
announced to the young king, who has but fifteen thousand men to oppose
to them. Sebile embraces her husband's knees, and entreats him to send
at once for help to his uncle; the barons whom he has called to counsel
favour her advice. 'Barons,' said Baldwin, 'I should fear the dishonour
of it. It is too soon to seek and pray for succour. We have not yet
unhorsed knights, cut arms from bodies, made bowels trail; we are
fifteen thousand young men untried, who should buy our praise and our
honour, and seize and acquire strange lands, and kill and shame and
grieve our enemies, cleave the bright helmets, pierce the shields, break
and tear the hauberks of mail, shed blood and make brains to fly. To
me a pleasure it seems to put on hauberk, watch long nights, fast long
days. Let us go strike upon them without more delay, that we may be
able to govern this kingdom.' The barons listen with an ill-will to this
speech; Baldwin himself, on viewing the paynim host, is staggered at
their numbers, and lets Sebile persuade him to send a messenger to his
uncle. However, with five thousand men he makes a vigorous attack on
the vanguard of the Saxons, consisting of twenty thousand, and ends
by putting them to flight. On the news of this repulse the two sons of
Guiteclin come out, apparently with the bulk of the army. The French
urge the young king to re-enter the city, but he refuses--Sebile
would hold him for a sleepy coward. He kills Ferabras, unhorses one of
Guiteclin's sons. But the disparity of numbers is too great; the French
are obliged to retreat, and shut themselves up in the city.

"Meanwhile the messenger had reached Charlemagne at Cologne with the
news of the renewal of the war. Whilst all his barons are