Roland's sword, _Durandal_, which was given him by Charlemagne, plays the same part in the French _Chansons_ as Siegfried's sword Balmung in the _Nibelunglied_, or Excalibur in the Arthurian cycle. Other forms of the name are _Durendas, Durrenda, Durandarda_. _en franc neveu du roi_, like a real or genuine nephew of the king. _Tournon_, a town situated on the right bank of the Rhone, in the department of Ardèche. It still produces a well-known wine, called _Vins de l'Ermitage_. 1. 70. Here is a curious mistake, which Jubinal originated and Hugo copied. Closamont was the original possessor of the sword, not another name for the weapon. The lines in the 'Chanson de Girart de Viane' are:-- Une en aporte ke molt fut onoree. plus de c. anz l'ot li iuis gardee, Closamont fut, k'iert de grand renommee, li emperere de Rome la loee. _Sinnagog or Sinnagos_ was the Saracen king of Alexandria with whose attack on the castle of Garin, Olivier's grandfather, the story of 'Girart de Viane' begins. 1. 144. This is another deviation from tradition, as we have it in the Carolingian cycle. Roland never married Aude. He was still betrothed to her when he fell at Roncesvalles. AYMERILLOT. The poem on part of which this is based is an anonymous _Chanson_ written in the thirteenth century and belonging to the cycle known as the cycle of _Guillaume_. The story is as follows. Charlemagne is returning from Spain, after the defeat at Roncesvalles, his army discouraged, his knights exhausted, and wishing only to be at home and in comfort. Suddenly he catches sight of a city, surrounded by a crenelated wall, splendid within, with a palace the roofs of which shine in the sun, its feet bathed in the sea, which is covered by the ships of its commerce. Charlemagne wishes to attack it, but the duke of Bavaria advises him to let it alone; it is garrisoned by thousands of pagans and his men are exhausted. The Emperor addresses several of his barons in turn, offering to each the city if he will take it. One and all refuse: Charlemagne upbraids them for their cowardice, bids them go home, and declares he will take the town by himself. Then Hernaut de Beaulande brings forward his son Aimeri, who volunteers to undertake the task. With the aid of one hundred barons he captures the city and is made Count of Narbonne. Hugo has selected the first and the best part of the _Chanson_ for modernization. Léon Gautier (_Les Épopeés françaises_) says: 'Rien n'égale en majesté le début de ce poème, dont le dénoûment est presque trivial... Rien de plus ennuyeux que le récit de tant de combats contre les Sarrasins; rien de plus attachant que le tableau de ce grand désespoir de Charlemagne à la vue de Narbonne, dont aucun de ses Barons ne veut entreprendre la conquête. Il n'y a peut-être dans aucune poésie aucun épisode comparable à ce discours de l'Empereur, lorsqu'il crie à tous ses chevaliers: "Ralés vos en, Bourguignon et François...je remenrai ici, à Narbonois." C'est