Huon and his brother and the open-handed Duch- |
ess. Too much praise they could not give to the
lords and lady of Bordeaux.
"Lord Huon," said the eldest knight, "is even
yet but a slender stripling but he is princelike in
his courtesy and fine speaking. He is the most
comely of face and person, the finest lording, that
I have seen within the borders of France since our
beloved Roland was a youth. And his brother Ger-
ard is like unto him, though not as mighty a war-
rior as yet, being slighter of person and younger
ia
of years. Greatly do the twain of them honor Your
Grace and much eagerness to come to you do they
show, staying only with their mother until after
the Eastertide that they may obey her last re-
quest."
His messengers then showed the King the
princely gifts which had been made them and he
was astonished and greatly pleased to see such
honor shown to his knights. So he did vow before
the assembled lords and peers:
"In the days which are now long past Duke
Sevin of Bordeaux was cup-brother and sword-
mate to us and he was loved even as a brother of
our own blood. Worthy was he of all good will and
high honor and now it seems that he hath left
behind him on this earth two sons bred of his spirit
as well as of his flesh. For as this young Lord
Huon hath treated my messengers, so did his
father render homage in the old days to those to
whom honor was due.
"Such young lords will be ornaments to our as-
semblage. And I do swear that when they come
hither Huon shall be proclaimed a peer of France,
even as he will be confirmed in his holding of
Bordeaux and Aquitaine. And Gerard shall be
made a member of our own household to his ad-
vancement."
All the lords and peers agreed with the King's
wordsўsave Amaury, who, seeing such a sorry
end to his hopes of ruin for Sevin's sons, knew that
he must plot anew. And in his dark mind an evil
