Mystoria Caroli Magni
The Vision of St. James and the Conquest of Spain
Charlemagne receives a divine commission from St. James to liberate Spain and begins his campaign against the pagans.
Turpin, Archbishop of Reims and companion to Charlemagne for fourteen years, wrote to Leodegar, Dean of Aachen, about what he saw after he had liberated Spain and Galicia from the power of the pagans. He described how the holy Apostle James appeared to Charlemagne, asking him to clear the place of his burial and prepare a road to his tomb so that the multitude of pilgrims might have their sins washed away there. He also promised to be his helper in all things and, along with this, to grant him the possession of eternal life. Many had been converted through the preaching of the disciples of James, but they had relapsed, and the faith of Christ had been wiped out there until the time of Charlemagne, who made Spain and Galicia Christian through Christ. The first city he besieged was Pamplona; for three months he couldn't take it because its walls were impregnable. He prayed, therefore: "Lord Jesus Christ, for whose faith I have come here, grant me this city of St. James; if it is true that you have appeared to me, grant that I may take it." Then the walls collapsed and fell to the ground. He allowed the Saracens who wished to be baptized to live, but he killed all the others. Hearing this, other cities sent him tribute and submitted to him, and all that land became subject to tribute. After visiting the sarcophagus of blessed James, he came to Padrón and there thrust his lance into the sea, giving thanks, and added: "Until now I have never been able to come, but now I have." Then he brought all of Galicia and Spain under his rule from sea to sea. He also took one city that had ninety towers. He also besieged the city of Lucerna for four months, but being unable to take it, he invoked God and St. James; then its walls fell, and it remains deserted to this day, along with three other cities that the Lord himself anathematized, as he did Jericho of old. He destroyed all the idols except one, which, as the Saracens say, Muhammad—whom they worship—built in his own name while he was alive, and bound a legion of demons there by magic. They guard it with such strength that it could never be broken by anyone. For when any Christian approaches it, he is immediately in danger, but a pagan, when he comes to pray, leaves unharmed. Any bird that lands on it dies immediately. There is, therefore, on the edge of the sea a high stone, as high as a raven can fly, broad at the bottom and square, narrow at the top, upon which is that image made of the finest bronze, cast in the likeness of a man, standing erect on its feet, with its face toward the south, holding in its right hand a great key, which will fall from its hand in the year that a king is born in Gaul who will make all of Spain Christian. Soon, those who see the key fallen, having placed their treasures in the ground, will all flee. From the gold that kings and princes gave to Charlemagne, and likewise the pagans, Charlemagne himself built a temple to St. James and instituted countless ornaments and canons. Similarly, he built churches in Aachen and many other places. When Charlemagne returned, a pagan African king subjugated Spain to himself and killed many Christians whom Charlemagne had placed as guardians of the land. Hearing this, Charlemagne returned with many armies and came to Bayonne, a city of the Basques, where Roimaricus, dying, entrusted his horse and other things to a kinsman of his to be distributed to priests and the poor, because he heard demons above him like the roaring of lions, wolves, and calves. He was found snatched away through the regions and led by the army of Charlemagne. With Charlemagne about to fight the next day against Argolandus, who had reconquered Spain, the soldiers of Charlemagne prepared themselves in the evening so that they would be ready for battle in the morning, and they fixed their spears in the meadows before their tents.
The Miraculous Spears and the Siege of Argoland
The miraculous blossoming of the soldiers' spears signals their martyrdom, followed by the complex negotiations and battles with Argoland.
In the morning, they found them rooted in the earth and covered in bark and leaves. They cut them down near the ground, and later, a great forest grew from the roots. The spears of those destined to be killed that day and numbered among the saints blossomed. Forty thousand were killed then, including Duke Milo, the father of Roland, and Charlemagne’s horse. Charlemagne was left with only two thousand men, but with his sword, Joyeuse, he killed many pagans; by evening, both sides had returned to their camps. Four nobles arrived with four thousand soldiers, causing the pagans to flee, and Charlemagne returned to Gaul. Later, when Charlemagne returned again with four thousand soldiers, their spears blossomed; they fought joyfully and were the first to engage, killing countless pagans, though they themselves were later killed, along with Charlemagne's horse, which stood there killing many until the pagans fled. Argoland challenged Charlemagne to battle again, so Charlemagne arrived with one hundred thirty-one thousand men. The two leaders then spoke at length about the cause of the war and the faith. Among other things, Argoland said, "Let us fight for the faith; if I am defeated, I will be baptized." Twenty Christians went out against twenty pagans and killed them. Afterward, forty followed, and the same thing happened; then one hundred followed, and it was finished. It happened again in the same way, but the Christians always killed the pagans. Later, after a truce was granted, Argoland came to Charlemagne to be baptized, saying, "Your law is holier." Charlemagne ordered the pagans to be baptized, and they agreed. Then Argoland saw the ranks at the table and asked who they were. Charlemagne replied that these were bishops, these monks, these canons, and these the poor, whom he called God's messengers; to which he said, "You treat God's messengers poorly, and for this reason I refuse to be baptized." It should be noted here that it is a grave sin to treat the poor poorly. Because of this, Charlemagne was deprived of the great joy of those who were to be baptized. The next day, Charlemagne had 134,000 men ready to fight, and Argoland had 100,000; there Argoland and his men were killed. 100,000. The victors stood in blood up to the foundations of the city, which was captured soon after all the pagans were killed. That night, 1,000 Christians plundered the dead without Charlemagne's knowledge, but as they were returning to him laden with gold and silver, they were killed by the pagans who had fled. Greed brought this upon them. The Prince of the Navarrese again sent word of war to Charlemagne, who prayed to the Lord to show him who would die in that battle. The next day, the army was armed.
The Giant of Babylon and the Defense of the Faith
Charlemagne and Roland confront a giant of the lineage of Goliath, using theological arguments to defend the faith before final victory.
Charlemagne saw a red cross on the shoulders of those about to die, behind and above their armor; he pushed them all into his chapel so they wouldn't be killed. After the battle ended and nearly all the pagans had been killed, Charlemagne found that the 150 men he had pushed into the chapel were dead. Then Charlemagne conquered the entire land of the Navarrese. Later, it was reported to Charlemagne that the King of Babylon had sent 20,000 chariots against him from Syria, and that he himself was of the lineage of Goliath—a man who could not be wounded except in the navel, and who possessed the strength of 40 strong men; his height was 12 cubits, his face one cubit long, and his fingers three palms wide; he carried all those sent against him into the city of the Otogori, first Roland, then Constantine the King of the Romans, and another count, lifting all three of them at once as if they were children, and he carried them off in his right and left hands to prison, along with 20 soldiers whom he likewise hauled away. But Roland struck him in the navel, whereupon he cried out, "Help me, Muhammad, for I am dying!" The pagans then rushed up and immediately carried him into the city, and in this way the Christians entered with them, killed the aforementioned giant, and captured the city. Roland preached to the giant about the Trinity, asking, "Abraham saw three, right?" and, "In a harp, when it plays, there are three things: the art, the hand, and the string." In an almond there are three things: the skin, the shell, and the kernel; similarly, in the sun there is the course, the splendor, and the heat. In the wheel of a wagon: the middle, the spokes, the rim. In a human being: body, soul, and shadow; thus, one is three. Yet in God, three persons are one; the giant also asks: how could a virgin give birth? Roland answered: God, who makes worms grow in a bean, a grub, or a tree, and produces many fish from water, and makes birds, bees, and snakes produce offspring without male seed, could also make the same God be born of a virgin. To the question about the Ascension, he answered: just as a mill wheel descends from the top to the bottom, it ascends in reverse; a bird descending from a mountain returns to the heights; the sun rises in the east, travels to the west, and returns again to the east; so too does Christ return to where He descended from. The giant said to him: let us now fight over the faith. Then it happened, as was said in the previous chapter, that Charlemagne's army covered the faces of their horses with linen so they wouldn't see the monsters of the enemy, and they blocked the horses' ears so they wouldn't hear the drums, by which they had been put to flight before, when the pagans had made individual men walk in front of individual horses, masked and beating drums, through which they had now won the victory. Then Charlemagne broke through and cut the banner on the chariot; otherwise, he never would have. They fled; thus he killed 6,000 pagans, captured the city, and afterwards no one dared to attack Charlemagne in Spain. Later, he came to Saint James and rebuilt everything that had been destroyed there. He decreed that, in honor of Saint James, all kings and princes, both present and future, should obey the bishop of Saint James. Then Turpin, the Archbishop of Reims, honorably dedicated the church and altar of Saint James with sixty of Charlemagne's bishops on the calends of June. Charlemagne then gave the whole of Galicia and Spain to the church of Saint James as an endowment, so that every householder would pay four denarii annually and be free from all servitude to the king and princes, and so that councils, episcopal staffs, and royal crowns might be provided there by the hands of the local bishop. And just as the blessed James and John with their mother asked that one might sit at the right hand and the other at the left of Christ, John is the patron in the East at Ephesus, and James in the West.
The Betrayal at Roncesvalles and the Martyrdom of Roland
The treachery of Gaimaleon leads to the slaughter of the Christian rearguard and the holy death of Roland.
Peter holds the apostolic see of Rome by merit, because he and the others were closer to Christ than the rest; yet Peter is the principal one because... Christ wanted him to be the prince of the apostles. Charles was so strong that he could easily straighten four horseshoes at once with his hands, and he could easily lift an armed soldier standing on his palm from the ground up to his own head. He was so generous that he held court in Spain on four feast days in particular—namely, at the Nativity of Christ, at Easter, at Pentecost, and at the feast of Saint James—and every night he was guarded by 120 strong men; forty stood by him during the first watch of the night, ten at his head, ten at his feet, ten at his right, and ten at his left, with those on the right holding a naked sword and those on the left... holding a burning candle. holding them. In this way, forty men kept the second watch, and forty kept the third. Anyone who wants to know more about his virtues should look at how he was emperor in Rome, how he established many churches and abbeys, visited the Lord's sepulcher, and encased the bodies of many saints in silver and gold. When Charles was returning from Spain, there were still two pagan kings at Saragossa, Marsirus and his brother Heligandus, who had been sent to Spain by the King of Babylon from Persia, and who were only pretending to be subject to Charles. Charles commanded them to be baptized, or else to send him tribute; they sent him thirty horses laden with gold and silver, and with Spanish treasures and 400 others. horses. loaded with wine and the most vicious fighters. for drinking, and a thousand beautiful Saracen women, as a message. They had given thirty horses loaded with gold, silver, and fine cloths to Charlemagne’s Gaimaleon so that he would hand the soldiers over to them, which he did. The messenger brought the gifts to Charlemagne, but the soldiers accepted the wine and the women. King Marsirus claimed he was coming to be baptized; Charlemagne met him with fifty-five thousand men, but the pagans arrived as well, and the Christians killed twenty thousand of them. Likewise, thirty thousand Christians were killed by the pagans because of their dullness of spirit and their fornication. All the soldiers were killed there, except for Roland and five others. Then Roland escaped with five men and killed Marsirus; he himself escaped alone, though pierced by four lances. Then, with his sword, he split a marble stone in two from top to bottom with a triple blow, wanting to break it when he saw he was going to die, so that the pagans would not take that same sword. By blowing his horn, he broke it and injured his own neck while calling for his companions. When Charlemagne heard the sound, he wanted to come, but the aforementioned traitor turned him away, claiming he was just out hunting. Charlemagne still didn't know about the slaughter and the betrayal of his men. Theodoric arrived at the site of Roland's death and witnessed his compunction and his prayer. Three times he touched his own flesh, saying: “And in my flesh I shall see God my Savior.” Likewise, he touched his eyes, saying: “Whom I myself shall see,” etc. And he said: “Remember me, Lord, because I die an exile for your honor; be mindful of my companions who were likewise killed for you.” Then, signing himself with the cross, he said, "Now I will see what no eye has seen." And so the most holy martyr Roland breathed his last. I, Turpin, not knowing that Roland had died on that very day of his passing, celebrated a Mass for the dead in the presence of Charles on the sixteenth of the Kalends of July; and, caught up in an ecstasy, I heard choirs in the heavens singing, though I did not know what this meant. Afterward, I saw demons leading away what looked like prey, and I asked them, "What are you carrying?" They answered, "Marsirum to hell, just as Michael is taking Roland to the heavens." Once the Mass was finished, I told this to Charles. While I was saying this, Baldwin arrived on Roland's horse, saying he had left Roland in his death throes. The army quickly came to the funeral, but Charles was the first to find him lifeless; he had placed his arms over his chest in the shape of a cross. Then Charles threw himself upon him; who could describe his lament? He was embalmed with balsam, myrrh, and oil, and the army spent the night there with him. Thirty-seven [unknown term] died; the next day they were armed. They went to the battlefield, where one man found his friend half-alive, another his own; they found Oliver dead, stretched out and bound to four stakes driven into the ground with twisted garments. From his neck down to the nails of his feet and hands, he was flayed and pierced by arrows, spears, and swords. The whole woods were filled with cries as everyone wailed for their friends. Then Charles swore by the Almighty that he wouldn't stop running until he found the enemy; he found them dining and killed four thousand of them.
Divine Judgment and the Passing of Charlemagne
Following the aftermath of the battle, the chapter concludes with the divine vindication of the fallen and the eventual death of Charlemagne.
The sun stood still and that day was prolonged for the space of three days; and once the traitor Gamaleon was found, Charles ordered him to be bound to four of the strongest horses in the entire army and driven by attendants toward the four corners of the earth. And so he perished a death he deserved, torn apart like Judas the traitor; twelve thousand ounces of silver and twelve thousand talents of gold, along with clothing and food, were given for the souls of the dead. Roland was buried in the Roman church, and his sword was hung above his head. Charles ordered that all the land around the town of Blaye, for a distance of six days' journey where Roland was buried, be given to the regular canons whom he himself had restored, and he commanded that every year on the anniversary of Saint Roland, they should clothe thirty poor people in all necessary garments, refresh them with food, and recite thirty psalters and as many Masses for the souls of all the dead who were killed, and live on the remainder. After this, Charles honored Saint Dionysius, gave all of France to his church as an endowment, and commanded that all the Franks, both present and future, and even the kings, should obey the pastor of the church, and that every household should give four denarii annually to that same church. And standing by the body of blessed Dionysius, he prayed for the souls of those killed in Spain and for those who would willingly pay the aforementioned denarii. The following night, Dionysius appeared to the sleeping king and woke him, saying, 'I have obtained forgiveness for all the sins of those who were killed or will be killed in Spain because of your example; likewise, I have obtained the medicine for the more serious wound of your own soul through the four denarii.' Charles told this to everyone. At that time, Charles performed wonderful works for the Mother of God at Aachen, by which many others were also moved to do good deeds. During that period, the death of Charles was revealed to me, Turpin, in this way: when I was in an ecstasy at Vienne one day and occupied in prayer, reciting the psalm 'O God, come to my assistance,' hosts of demons were passing by toward Lotharingia. When they had all passed, I saw one who looked like an Ethiopian following with a slow gait, to whom I said, 'Where are you going?' He replied, 'To Aachen, to take the soul of Charles.' I said, 'I adjure you by Christ to return to me and tell me what has happened.' After a short delay, they returned as they had been ordered before. I then said to the one I had spoken to earlier, 'What have you done?' He replied, 'Galicianus, without a head, carried so many stones and timbers of churches onto the scales that the good deeds weighed more for him than the bad, and therefore he took his soul away from us.' When he had said this, he vanished, and I knew that at that hour Charles had died; he had even promised me, when we were together... ...of his death, he promised me, if it were possible, to tell me. I also promised him the same regarding my death; so, when he was sick and near death, he instructed one of his students to tell me about his passing. He did just that, and he died on the fifth day before the Kalends of February, in the year of our Lord 814.
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Turpinus episcopns Remensis archiepiscopus, socius Caroli XIV annis, cum Hyspaniain et Gallicum a potestate paganorum liberasset, quae vidit, scribit Leoprando decano Aquisgrani, Priüno quomodo sanctus Jacobus apostolus apparuit Carolo rogans, ut locum sepulturae suae purgaret et viam ad locum sui sepulchri praepararet, nt multitudo peregrinorum ibi peccata deleret, Promisit etiam sibi, se fore adjutorem in omnibus et cum hoc vitam aeternam possidendam, Conversi autem fuerant multi per praedicationem discipulorum Jacobi, sed recidivum passi sunt et fides Christi ibi deleta erat usque ad tempus Caroli, qui Hyspaniam et Galliciam christianam fecit per Christum. Prima urbs, quam obsedit, fuit Pampilona: tribus mensibus nequivit eam capere, quia inexpugnabiles erant muri, Oravit ergo: domine Jesu Christe, pro cujus fide huc veni, da inihi hanc urbem sancti Jacobi; si verum est, quod mihi apparuisti, da mihi capere eam. Tunc muri collapsi funditus ceciderunt. Saracenos, qui baptizari voluerunt, vivere permisit, alios omnes occidit, Quo audito aliae civitates miserunt ei tributum et se ei subjecerunt et facta est tota illa terra sub tributo, Visitato sarcophago beati Jacobi venit Petronum et ibi infixit lanceam in mare dicens gratias et addidit: hucusque nunquam nisi nunc venire potui, Tunc subjugavit sibi omnem Galliciam et Hyspauiam a mari usque ad mare, Item civitatem nnam obtinuit, in qua erant XC turres. Item Lucernain civitatem IV mensibus obsedit, quam capere non valens, Deum et sanctum Jacobum invocavit: tunc ceciderunt muri ejus et est deserta usque nunc cuim alis tribus civitatibus, quas ipse dominus anatbemalizavit, ut olin Jericho. Omnia ydola delevit praeter unwn, quod, ut dicunt Saraceni, Magumeth, quem ipsi colunt, cwn viveret, in suo nomine fabricavit et daemomun legionem ibi arte magica colligavit, qui tanta fortitudine illud servant, quod a nullo unquam frangi potuit, Cmn enim aliquis christianus ad illud appropinquat, statim periclitatur sed paganus, cum orandi causa venerit, illaesus abit. Avis, quae snper illnd sederit, statim moritur, Est igitur in maris margine lapis altus, quanlum potest corvus volare sursum, infra latus et quadratus, supra strictus, super quein est imago illa de anrichalco optimo in effigiem hominis fusa, super pedes suos erecta, faciem habens versus meridiem, in manu dextra habens clavem magnam, quae cadet de mann ejus anno, quo rex in Gallia natus fuerit, qui totam Hyspaniam christianam faciet, Mox, qui viderint clavem lapsa, gazis suis in terram positis omnes fugient, Ex auro, quod reges et principes dabant Carolo, similiter quoque pagani, ipse Carolus fecit templum sancto Jacobo et ornamenta inulta et canonicos instituit. Similiter Aquisgrani de illo aedificavit et multas alias ecclesias, Reverso Carolo paganus rex Africanus Hyspanimm sibi subjugavit, christianos multos occidit, qnos Carolus terrae custodes posuerat, Quo audito Carolus rediit cum multis exercitibus et venit Bajonam, urbem Vascorumn, ubi Roimaricus moriens cuidam consanguineo ejus suum equum et caetera sacerdotibus et pauperibus distribnenda commisit, quoniam super se audivit daemones quasi rugilus leonum, luporum et vitulorum habentes, raptus per diaetas 1y ductus ab exercitu Caroli est inventus, Carolo in crastinum pugnaturo cun Argolando, qui Hyspaniam reacquisiverat, in sero parant se milites Caroli, ut mane sint ad bellum promti, et hastas suas ante tentoria in pratis fixerunt.
in term, quas mane invenerunt in corticibus et frondibus decoratas et in terra radicatas. Absciderunt eas prope terram et de radicibus postea crevit magna silva. Horum hastae floruerunt, qui ipso die occidendi erant et sanctorum numero inserendi, Sunt autem tune occisa XL millia et dux Milo pater Rotolandi etequus Caroli, Tunc stetit Carolus cum duobus tantum millibus et spatha, quae dicitur gaudiosa, multos paganos occidit, In sero ulrique redeunt in castra, Crastino. veniunt IV nobiles cmn 1V millibus pugnatorum, unde pagani fugiunt et Carolus in Galliam rediit, Postea rediens iterum cum IV millibus militum Carolus et horun hastae floruerunt, qui laeti et primi pugnaverunt et paganos innumerabiles occiderunt et post ipsi occisi sunt et equus Caroli, mbi stans multos occidit, donec fugerent pagani. lterum mandavit Argolandus Carolo bellum, unde Carolus venit cum CXXXI millibus, Tunc Carolus et Argolandus multa simul locuti sunt de causa belli et fide. Inter quae dixit ArgoJandus: pugnemus pro fide; si vincar, baptizabor. Vadunt ergo XX christiani, contra XX paganos et occidunt eos. Postea XL et evenit ut primo, postea C et factmn est.
similiter, iterum M, sed semper christiani paganos occiderunt, Tunc datis treugis venit Argolandus ad Carolum baptizandus, dicens Carolo: lex tua sanclior est, et praecepit paganis, ut baptizarentur; illi consenserunt. Tunc Argolandus vidit ordines in mensa et quaesivit, qui essent. Respondit Carolus, hos esse episcopos, hos monachos, hos canonicos, hos pauperes, quos dicit nuntios esse Dei, Cui ille: male tractas nuntios Dei, propter hoc nolo baptizari, Hic notandum, quod grave peccatum sit, male tractare pauperes. Propter hoc Carolus tanta laetitia baptizandorum est privatus. Crastino Carolus pugnaturus habuit CXXXIV milia, Argolandus C millia, Ibi occisus est Argolandus et sua. C millia. Victores in sanguine stabant nsque ad "bases civitatis, quae mox capta est paganis omnibus occisis, Tunc M christiani nocte spoliaverunt mortuos Carolo ignorante, qui onustati auro et argento cum ad Carolun redire vellent, a paganis, qui fugerant, sunt occisi, Et hoc fecit iis avaritia, Princeps Navarrorum mandat iterum Carolo bellum, qui oravit dominum, ut ostendat sibi in illo bello moritnros. Crastino armato exercitu.
Carolus vidit rubeam crucem in humeris moriendoruim retro supra loricas, quos omnes in oratorio suo retrusit, ne occiderentnr. Peracto bello et occisis fere inillibus paganorum Carolus, quos in oratorio truserat, reperit mortuos, videlicet CL. Tunc Carolus expugnavit totam patriam Navarrorum. Postea dicitur Carolo, quod rex Babylonis miserat contra eum de Syria XX millia curruum, et ipse de genere Goliath, qui vulnerari non poterat, nisi in mnbilico, vires XL fortium habuit, Statura ejus cubitorum XII,, facies ejus longa unius cubiti, digiti tribus palmis, qui Omnes contra se missos portavit in civitatem Otogorum, Primo RBaynnldum, secundo Constantinum regem Romanorum et alium comitem, tres illos omnes simul leyans quasi pueros dextra et laeva tulit in carcerem, et XX pugnatores, quos similiter deportavit. Botolandus vero fixit eum in wmbilico, unde clamavit: Magumeth juva, qnia inOrior. Accurrunt ergo pagani et portant eum mox in civitatem et sic christiani cum iis intraverunt et praefatum gigantem occidunt et civitatem capiunt. Botolandus giganti praedicavit de trinitate quaerenti: Abrahiun vidit tres eto, Item: in cithara, cum sonat, tria sunt, ars, manus et chorda. In amygdalo tria sunt, corium, testa, nucleus, Similiter in sole cursus, splendor et calor.
In rota plaustri medinm, brachia, circulus. 1n homine corpus, anima, umbra, Sic unum est tria. Mà in Deo tres personae unum sunt, Item quaerit gigas: quomodo poluit virgo parere? Respondit Rotolandus : Deus, qui fabae, gurgulioni et arbori facit gignere vermes multosque pisces ex aqua producit, volucres, apes, serpentes sine masculino semine facit prolem gignere, potuit idem Deus virginei: facere parere, De ascensione quaerenti respondit: rota molendini quantum ad ima descenderit de superius, tantum ascendit e converso, avis de monte descendens redit in altum, sol in oriente surgit et tendit in occidentem et ilerum redit in orientem, lta et Christus, unde descendit, iterum ascendit, Cui gigas: inodo pugnemus de fide, Tuncaccidit, quod in proximo capitulo dictum est, quomodo exercitus Caroli facies equorum linteis operuit, ne viderent larvas hostium, etobstruxerunt aures equorum, ne audirent tympana, per quae prins fugati fuerant, quando pagani fecerant singulos viros ante singulos equos incedere larvatos elL tympana perculientes, unde modo victoriam habuerunt. Tunc Carolus irrumpens vexillum in curru abscidit, alias enin nunquam. fuKissent, Sic occidit VIN millia paganorun, urbem cepit et postea in Hyspania nemo Carolum ausus est impugnare, Postea venit ad sanctum Jacobum et omnia destructa ibi reaedificat. statuitque ad honorem sancti Jacobi omnes reges et principes praesentes et futuros episcopo sancli Jacobi obedire. Tunc ergo Turpiaus Remensis archiepiscopus sancti Jacobi ecclesiam et altare cum LX episcopis Caroli rogatu cal, Junii honorifice dedicavit ct Carolus tunc dedit ecclesiae sancti Jacobi in dotem totam Galliciam et Hyspaniam, ut quilibet possessor domus annuatim 1V denarios persolveret et ab omni servitute regis et principum liberi essent, et ut ibi sint concilia et virgae episcopales et coronae regales per manus episcopi loci praebesntur, Et ut beatus Jacobus et Johannes cum matre petierunt, ut unus sedeat ad dextram, alter ad sinistram Christi, Johannes in Oriente patronus est apud Ephesum, Jacobus in occidente.
Romam apostolicam sedem Petrus habet merito, quia ipsi erant Christo prae caeteris familiares, lrincipalis tamen est l'etrus, quia. Christus eun voluit esse principem apostolorum, "lantae fortitudinis fuit Carolus, quod 1V ferraturas equi simul manibus facile extendebat et militem armatnın stantem super palmam suam a terra usque ad caput suum facile levabat, Tantae largitatis, quod in quatnor festis curiam praecipue habnit in Hyspania, seilicet in nativitate Christi, in pascha et pentecoste Jacobi, per singulas noctes eum custodiebant CXX fortes, prima noctis lia XL ei adstitenmt, X ad caput, X ad pedes, Xad dextram, X ad sinistram, dextra spatham nudam, sinistra. candelam ardentem. habentes. Hoc modo secundam vigiliam quadraginta, sio quadraginta tertiam vigiliam fecerunt, Qui plura de virtutibus ejus scire voluerit, cernat, quomodo Romae imperator fuit, Ecclesias multas et abbatias instituit, sepulchrum doinini visitavit, multorum sanctorum corpora in argento et anro locavit, Cum rediret Carolus de Hyspania, adhuc erant duo reges pagani apud Caesaream Augustam Marsirus et Heligandus frater ejus a rege Babyloniae de Perside in Hyspaniam missi, qui Carolo ficte subjacebant. Quibus Carolus mandavit, ut baptizarentur. vel tributum sibi mittant, Qui miserunt ei XXX equos oneratos auro et argento. gazisque Hyspamicis et CCCC.
equos. vino ulcissino oneratos pugnatoribus. ad potandum et mille Saracenas feminas formosas, Nuntio. vero Caroli Gaimaleoni XXX equos oneratos auro et argento et palliis dederant, ut pugnatores in manus eorum traderet, Quod et fecit, Nuntius Carolo munera tulit, sed vinum el mulieres acceperunt pugnatores, dixitque rex Marsirus, quod veniret baptizandus, Cui Occurrit Carolus cwm LV millibus, venerunt et pagani et horum XX millia occiderunt christiani. Similiter et christianorum XXX millia a paganis sunt occisa propter hebetudinem animi et fornicationem eorum, Ibi occisi sunt omnes pugnatores praeter Rotolandum et alios quinque. Tunc Rotolandus cum V iris evasit et occidit Marsinun, ipse solus IV lanceis fixus evasit, Tunc marmoreum lapidem trino ictu in duas partes divisit a summo usque deorsum gladio suo, quem voluit frangere, quando vidit se moriturum, ne pagani eundem gladium acciperent. Cornu suum sufflando fregit et cervicem colli sui laesit socios vocando, Cum sufflationei Carolus audivit, venire voluit, sed praefatus traditor eum avertit, dicens eum in venatione esse, Adhuc Carolus necem et traditionem suorum ignoravit, Ad obitum Rotolandi venit Theodericus, qui vidit compunctionem et orationem ejus, Tribus vicibus carnem snam tetegit dicens: et in carne mea videbo Deum salvatorem meum. Similiter tetigit et oculos dicens; quem visurus sum ego ipse etc, Et ait: memento mei, domine, quia pro honore tuo exsul morior, memor esto sociorum meorum similiter occisorum pro te.
Tunc signans se cruce ait: nunc videbo, quod oculus non vidit ete. Et sic exspiravit sanctissimus martir Rotolandus, Ego Turpinus nesciens Rotolandum defunctum ipso die obitus ejus missam defunctorum praesente Carolo celebravi XVI cal, Julii et raptus in exstasi audivi choros in coelestibus cantantes, ignorans, quid hoo esset; post hoo daemones quasi praedam ducentes, quibus dixi: quid fertis! responderunt: Marsirum ad infernum, sicut Michael Rotolandum ad coelestia, Missa celebrata dixi hoo Carolo. Cum hoc dicerem, venit Baldevinus super equun Rotolandi dicens, Rotolandum se reliquisse in agonia Cito exercitus venit ad funus, sed Carolus primus invenit ewn exanünatum, brachia super pectus posuerat in formam crucis, Tunc Carolus irruit super illum; quis planctum illius explicet! Balsam, myrrha et oleo conditus est et cum eo ibi pernoctavit exercitus, XXXVII anaonrun obiit, Crastino armati. vadunt ad łocum certaminis, ubi aliquis amicum semivivum reperit, aliquis ionuum, Oliveriun defunctum inveniunt quatuor palis in terram fixis - extensum vestibus retortis, ligatum. a collo usque ad ungues pedum et manuum, excoriatum sagittis, lanceis, spathis perforatum. Totum nemus clamoribus impletur, quilibet suum amicum ejulando, Tunc Carolus juravit per omnipotentem, quod currere non cessaret, donec hostes inveniret, Et invenit eos coenantes IV milliaque occidit.
Stetit sol immobilis et prolongala est dies illa spatio trium dierum et invento traditore Gamaleone praecepit eum Carolus IV equis fortissimis tolius exercitus alligari et uper eos assessores agitantes contra IV plagas orbis, Et sic digna morte interiit discerptus exemplo Judae proditoris, XH millia unciarmn argenti et XH millia talentorum auri, vestes et cibaria data sunt pro animabus defunctorum, Rotolandus in ecclesia Romana sepelitur, gladius ejus ad caput suspenditur, Omnem terram circa oppidum Blaviense VI dierum spatio, ubi Rotolandus sepultus est, canomicis regularibus, quos ipse Carolus restauraverat, jussit dari, nt annuatim anniversario sancti Rotolandi triginta panperes omnibus necessariis vestibus induerent, cibis reficerent, triginta psalteria et tot missas pro omnium defunctorum animabus occisorum dicerent, de reliquo ipsi viverent, Post hoc Carolus sanctum Dionysium honoravit, omnem Franciam ecclesiae ejus in praedio dedit et praecepit, ut Omnes Franci praesentes et futuri etiiun reges pastori eoclesiae Obedirent et quaelibet domus annuatim IV denarios daret ipsi ecclesiae, Et stans apud corpus beati Dionysii oravit pro anünabus occisorum in Hyspania et pro his, qui "libenter praefatos denarios solverent. Nocte proxima regi dormienti Dionysius apparuit eumque excitavit dicens: qui tuo exemplo in Hyspania occisi sunt vel occidentur, omuium delictorum veniam impetravi; similiter de 1V denariis gravioris sui vulneris medicinam impetravi. Hoc Carolus dixit omnibus. Tunc Carolus Aquisgrani mira matri Dei operatus est, nnde provocati sunt etiam ad bona facienda multi alii, Tunc mihi Turpino mors Caroli revelata est hoc modo, Cun apud Vienna die quadam in exstasi raptus orationi vacarem, psalmum : Dens in adjulorimn dicerem, daemonum agmina praecedebant versus Lotharingüun, Cum omnes transiissent, vidi unum quasi Aethiopem gressu tardo sequentem, cui dixi; quo itis? Respondit: Aquisgrani tollere animan Caroli, Cui di adjuro te per Christum, ut redeas ad me dicens, quid actum sit, Tune parum morati redeunt ut prius ordinati, Dixi ergo ei, cui prius dixeram: quid egistis? Respondit: Galicianus sine capite tot lapides et ligna ecclesiarum tulit in statera, quod plus appenderunt ei bona quam mala, et ideo animam ejns a nobis abstulit. Quo dicto evanuit et ezo cognovi, illa hora Carolum esse defunctum, Jpse etiam mihi quando ab invicem re tium. suae mortis i, simus, me rogante promisit, mihi, si fieri posset, nunt.
Similiter ego sibi de ı morte promisi, Unde i alunno suo, ut morlem ej ihi aegrotans ad mortem praecepit cuidam mi iaret. Quod et fecit, Quinto cal, Februarii obiit anno domini octingentesimo decimo quarto,
The Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea) companion
Continue through all 240 chapters, one saint a day
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The Legenda Aurea was organized for day-by-day use across the liturgical year, and Chosen Portion restores that original one-feast-per-day reading rhythm
- A complete saint's life or feast reading most days in 5-10 minutes
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