Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-12-19
TIE .soSe OF ROLAND"
I'm, national Lpic Of france, which
Gave Ri.c 10 the Proverb' "A
Goinpa for nn Oitver"

And every pelsdin hhu peer ,t.,,
ON Koncesyalles died !'-hdFH''V"
.wpcn Chsrlemain with all his peerage
nv Fon,srabb,a." - Paradise lost.
"A Roland for an Oliver :" SAVING
the passing reference by Scott and MI
ION quoted above Roland and oilVeF
arc almost upkuowa TO English read
ers : ard vet their once familiar names
Init tcuelaer for centuries, haze pass
ed into a proyerb, to DO remembered a.
ge'remember the friendship OF DaYld
and Jonathan. or to be clas'ed by the
scholar with Pylades aud Orestes o.
classic story. or with Amys and Amy
lion Of romance.
The g Song Of Roland" might be
called the national epic of France IL
corresponds 20 the Morte d'Arthur Of
ENGLAND. the Cid Chronicles Of Spain,
he Nibeluugenlied Of Germany, and
the Longobardian legends of North
Italy. Italian MEDIEVAL literature Is
rich in the Roland romances, founded
IN The fabulous " Chronicles of John
Turpin" and the "ChansonS do
Gestes," of which the " Song Of Ro-
land " is one. Of the Italian romanceS
the Inorganic Maggiore" Of Pdlci
was published as early as 1883, Boyar-
dos - Orlando InnamOrato in ago,
and Aiiosto's "Orlando Furioso in
1915. English versions Of Boyardo
and Ariosto have since been translated
into the rhyming couplets Of Hoole,'
and as late as 1881 into the ottdra rima
s,anzas Of W. ). Rose. 1t was not,
however, until April, 1880, that a full
English translation Of the original
"Song Of Roland" from MSS. written
in the old langue d'oH Of Northern
France, was published from the pen OF
Mr.. O'Hogan, Q. c., Of Dublin. Most
probably it was curtailed version o!
this romance that is referred to by
Waco in his Roman le Rou," when
he records how. as the NCrmans march
ed to Senlac Hill in 1906, the minstrel
Taillefer sang
"Of Roland and the heroes all
Whofeh at fatal KoncesvalL'
Turning to the historical data on
which the romance is based it will be
found that in the year rs A. D..
Cbarlemsgne, accompanied by his ne
nhew, Count Roland, of Brotagne, and
! Ire flower Of Frankish chiyalry, made a
raid across the Spanish border. Abdal-
rahman, the first Of the great Spanish
Caliphs of Corioya, was engaged In
putting down the rebelhous chiefs who
had refused to own their allegiance to
the new caliphste. he frontier was,
therefore, comparatively unprotected.
The Spanish Christians, who maintain
ed q precarious independence among
tie AstuIias and PyIenees. and who
found it the wisest policy 70 bo A. peace
Ulh the Mohammedan rulers, were
not strong enough to resist Charlie
msgne. Accordingly tho Franks ad-
yanced nearly to SaTag0ssa. On re-
srnirg to France. laden with spoil,
through the winding detle of konce5-
wales (tbe valley Of thorns or briarsl,
their Iear.guaId was cut off by a band
Of Basques or Gascons and Spanish
Atabians, and their loader Roland
lain. TO the presence Of these Span
ish Christians in the Moorish army
must be attributed the origin Of the
many Spanish ballads on the victory,
in which all the glo-y is due to the
prowess of the national hero, Bernardo
del Carpio, " the doughtiost lance in
Spain" 1t is curious also TO note, on
the other hand, that the Arabians
themselves in their chronicles, trans
lated by the Spanish historian Condo,
make little of this victory, merely men,
tioning the fact. The Saracen King
Marsil Tor Marsilius) Of Saragossa, so
often referred to in this and other Carlo
yingian romances, isidentiiied by Condo
with the Mohammedan Wall, or Gov
ernor Of Sarcgossa, Abdelmelic, the
son Of Omar, called by the Christians
Omoris Fiiius, hence tho corruption
Marsilius.
With these brief outlines Of the his
tcrv Of Roncesyales before rs it IS in.
ierestirg to observe the grandiloquent
strain Of the old Norman rym0afS, the
fearless cxaggerations, and the total
ignorance Of the actual state OF affairs
in Spain under the enlightened and &C
| complishCd Arabisns.
Carries Is rels uogite emrerere mognes
Seian1 ut p'elus ad estef en- Eapaigue
Our great Emperor Charles the King
had been forseyen full yearsin Spain, SO
runs the chronicle; castle and keep alike
had gone down except Saragossa, tho
mountain town, where King Marsil held
bis court surrounded by 10000 Mo-
hammedan mobiles. At their council il
was agreed to accept Spain as de
rom the Emperor, and ten knights SET
out with golden brides and silver sad
alcs,
And they ride WITH olive boushs in hand
Ioseek tie lord Of the frtuk.sn land
Near the Pass Of Roncesyalles one
~ the Pyrcncan "gates Of SPAN, Sit.
Le Emperor upon a throne OF bea'oa
4c!d. Ills form is tall aud mejss io
nd bis long white beard flows over hi
cat Of mail. lis whispered, too, tia
Ae is already two hundred years Oh
md yet, thero he is in all his pride
Beside him stand his nephew, Roland
] he Lord Marquis Of the marches O
! BIetegre Sir Olivier; GeohIey Of A
! ion, the progcnitor Of the Plantagenots
and more than a thousand Franks d
France" The Moslem knishts are in
PRODUCED 20 this cou1cil OF war, Kin.
Marsil's offer IS accepted, and Sir Cane
Ion Is sent to Saragcssa TO represen
the Emperor. Jealous Of Roland
military glory, aud enyious Of the
stores Of pagan gold, the false GanelOr
conSpires with King Marsil to put To,
all.powerful Roland to death. Him.
Marsll is assured that on receipt Of tn
golden tribute Charlemagne will be per
suaded to leave Spain. whilst b.
he traitors advice Roland will b
appointed TO remain behind and guar
tie rear Of the retiring hosts. Tn
scheme succeeded. Ganelon returned
TO the FraDhish camp with the tribute
! money for the EmperOr, and the trai