Literature, Medieval -- Translations into English; Tales
Charles then called a council of his captains, and agreed to tie
bandages over their horses' eyes, and to stuff their ears, in order to
disconcert this stratagem on the morrow. Admirable experiment! For now
we fought the enemy from morning till night, and slew a great number,
though it was by no means a general slaughter; for the Saracens, again
joining in martial array, brought forward a castle, drawn by eight oxen,
with a certain red banner waving upon it, which so long as they saw
present, it was their rule never to fly. The King, knowing this, armed
himself with a strong breast-plate, a mighty spear, and invincible
sword, and, aided by divine assistance, hewed his way through his
enemies, overturning them to right and left, till he reached the car,
when, cutting the flag-pole with his sword, the Saracens instantly fled
in all directions. Prodigious shouts were made by both armies. We then
slew eight thousand Moors, together with Ibrahim, King of Seville.
Almanzor made good his retreat into the city, but submitted to Charles
the day after, consenting to be baptized, and to do homage for his
dominions.
The King now divided the conquered countries of Spain amongst his
soldiers. Navarre and Bearn he gave to the inhabitants of Brittany;
Castile to the Franks; Nadres and Saragossa to the Apulians; Arragon to
the Ponthieuse; Andalusia, on the sea-coast, to the Germans; and
Portugal to the Dacians and Flemings. But the French would not settle
in the mountain parts of Gallicia. Thus there seemed to be no more foes
in Spain to hurt the Emperor.
CHAPTER XIX.
_Of the Council the Emperor summoned; and of his Journey to
Compostella._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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