Fabliaux or Tales; Abridged from French Manuscripts of the Xiith and XIIIth Centuries by M. Le Grand Volume 1 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1815 edition. Excerpt: ...thou sued; thou shalt not trust in vain: Lo, half thy ransome to thy prayer is given; 'All may be thine or e'er the hour of even.' He spoke, and straightways to his audience-hall With hastening step led on the illustrious thrall; In the large space arrang'd on either side' Full fifty Emirs throng'd its entrance wide; The gallant Souldan each in order sued, And claim'd their gifts to ransome prince so good: With rival zeal his sovereign each man heard, Each, as he might, a liberal gift conferr'd: Their zeal was vain; the enormous void to fill, There lack'd full thirteen thousand bysants still: Then Saladin, whose soul did nobly glow With such high worth as none but heroes know, From his own treasury bade that sum be told, And to the captive prince dealt out the gold: 'There, Prince ' he cried, 'thy price of freedom see; 'Take this; and take unpurchas'd liberty; 'Choose thy ten knights, the nearest to thy heart, 'I claim no ransome--uncontroll'd depart.' Nought now there fail'd to crown Tabaria's joy, But that his wealth was bounded in the employ: In Paynim bonds full many a Christian lay, And mourn'd his hopeless doom, and linger'd life away Fain would the prince with countless sums have sought To loose these chains, but bootless was the thought, For Saladin had sworn in ireful hour By Mahomet's dread name, no ransome's power Should from their woes the luckless captives free, And yield them back to light and liberty: Such was the Souldan's vow; Tabaria griev'd With a reluctant heart the gold receiv'd, And, eight days' tarrying past, while feasting reign'd, On the ninth morn safe-conduct he obtain'd: Him fifty Paynims bold, a guardian band, Safe through the perils of that hostile land Lead on to Galilee; with him there go His ten, the...