part of his army had already crossed the mountains when disaster overtook the rear in the Pass of Roncesvalles. The Basques, who nourished an eternal hatred against the Franks, had laid a skilful ambuscade among the rocky defiles of the Pyrenees, and, allowing the advanced part of the army to march through, waited till the rear-guard, encumbered with baggage, began slowly to thread its way through the pass. Then they fell upon it hip and thigh, so that scarcely a Frank escaped. The Christian chroniclers tell terrible tales of the slaughter done that day. According to them it was the Saracens, side by side with the knights of Leon, who wrought this havoc upon King Charles. We read in the old Spanish ballad how the legendary hero Bernardo del Carpio led the chivalry of Leon to the massacre of the Frankish host: With three thousand men of Leon from the city Bernard goes, To protect the soil Hispanian from the spear of Frankish foes; From the city which is planted in the midst between the seas, To preserve the name and glory of old Pelayo's victories. Free were we born, 'tis thus they cry, though to our king we owe The homage and the fealty behind his crest to go: By God's behest our aid he shares, but God did ne'er command That we should leave our children heirs of an enslavèd land. Our breasts are not so timorous, nor are our arms so weak, Nor are our veins so bloodless, that we our vow should break, To sell our freedom for the fear of prince or paladin: At least we'll sell our birthright dear--no bloodless prize they'll win. At least King Charles, if God decrees he must be Lord of Spain, Shall witness that the Leonese were not aroused in vain: He shall bear witness that we died as lived our sires of old-- Nor only of Numantium's pride shall minstrels' tale be told. The LION that hath bathed his paws in seas of Lybian gore; Shall he not battle for the laws and liberties of yore? Anointed cravens may give gold to whom it likes them well, But steadfast heart and spirit, Alfonso ne'er shall quell.