The Days of Chivalry; Or The Legend of Croquemitaine Read online

  Produced by David Widger

  THE DAYS OF CHIVALRY

  OR THE LEGEND OF CROQUEMITAINE

  By Ernest Louis Victor Jules L'Epine

  FREELY TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH OF L'EPINE BY TOM HOOD.

  ILLUSTRATED WITH 177 DESIGNS ON WOOD

  BY GUSTAVE DORE.

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  PREFACE.

  IN translating L'Epine's charming legend, I have felt it my duty toadhere as closely as possible to the text. "Adaptations" and "versions,"whether presented on the stage or set down in black and white, seem toclaim for those, who give them in English, a greater share of theglory than I feel myself to deserve, in the slightest degree, inthis instance. The delicacy with which the moral is interwoven in thenarrative, without in the least injuring the true legendary tone of theadventures related, is as far beyond any improvement I could make, asit is above the usual clap-trap "tag" with which dramas and children'sstories are ordinarily burdened.

  I scarcely know to whom I should appeal as my readers, for the story Ihave delighted in rendering into English seems to me likely to affordpleasure in the perusal to older heads than those which I am sure wouldgather over the pages in the nursery. For there are a quiet humour anda delicate fancy running through the legend, amid all the excitingaccounts of loves and wars, tourneys and battles, accidents andadventures, which do not lose interest because they are illustrated bythe powerful pencil of Gustave Dore. That great artist's fancy suppliesthese introductory lines with a tail-piece, which aptly typifies thebook. Its author has ably made the doings of knights and paladins pointa useful moral as well as adorn an interesting tale, just as the artistmakes the arms of the chivalric age serve to frighten the birds from thefields that supply our humble daily bread.

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  BOOK THE FIRST -- THE TOURNEY AT FRONSAC -- A.D. 769.

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  CHAPTER I. CHARLEMAGNE.

  THE story which I am about to relate happened (if it ever did happen)in the time of the famous Emperor Charlemagne. There is no necessity,in speaking of that remarkable epoch, to invent facts. The truth is soastounding that it will make you open your eyes quite wide enough. Whatmarvellous doings of fairies, ogres, or demons, can compare with thedeeds of Charlemagne? and what magic ring could be as potent as hissword?

  But before I proceed further it will be as well to sketch for you, in afew lines, the portrait of this hero.

  He was eight feet in height, according to the measurement of his ownfeet, which historians allege with fervour were of remarkable length.His eyes were large and piercing. When he was enraged you could almosthave fancied they flashed fire. His face was broad and ruddy, his hairbrown, and he wore a beard that was innocent of the barber's shears.Although he measured eight feet round the middle, his figure waswellproportioned. He devoured with ease at one repast a quarter ofmutton, or a goose, or a ham, or a peacock. He was moderate in thematter of wine, which he used to take with water. His strength was soenormous that it was mere child's play to him to straighten with hisnaked hands three horse-shoes at a time. He could lift at arm's length,on the palm of his hand, a knight in full armour; and lie could cleavein twain, with one blow of his sword, a horseman in panoply of war--aye,and his horse into the bargain. This was mere sport to him, and often,with a charming complaisance which was peculiarly his own, he would takepleasure in thus giving those about him an ocular demonstration of hissuperhuman strength.

  His anger was as terrible as the thunder, for it was as ready to burstforth and to strike.

  He carves out a kingdom, with the compassion of a Titus, the soundjudgment of a Solomon, the piety of a Joseph, the magnificence of aSardanapalus, and the wisdom of an AEsop, he united two qualities morerare than all these put together? when he spoke he meant what he said,and when others spoke to him he took time for reflection, in order tomake sure that he thoroughly understood their meaning.

  The dominion which his father bequeathed him did not suit the largenessof his views, so he carved out for himself a kingdom which was more inharmony with his gigantic instincts.

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  Born in 742, and raised to the throne in 768, he had in 770 alreadymade conquest of Aquitaine and Lombardy. Four years after Germany wassubjugated by him. He made fifty-three military expeditions, and hebegan the ninth century by having himself crowned Emperor of the West byPope Leo the Third. He was a generous dispenser of crowns, and gaveaway principalities and duchies as freely as now-a-days we give awayrecorderships. Pie had two capitals in his dominions: the one was Rome,the other was Aix-la-Chapelle. He promulgated the code of laws known asCapitularies. He defended religion, spread the Gospel, encouraged thefine arts, and introduced into his cathedrals organs which he importedfrom Lombardy. Surrounded by mighty minds, whose efforts he stimulated,and whose labours he shared, he founded many schools anduniversities. He died in 814, after three-and-forty years of sovereignpower--three-and-forty years of victories and wonders.

  Really, my dear readers, if you are not satisfied with Charlemagne for ahero, you must be very difficult to please!

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