THE MEDIEVAL PLEASAUNCE 67 



vegetation he wished to have -cultivated he mentions, 

 among other flowers : lilies, roses, and poppies, besides 

 naming many fruit trees equally familiar to us. "We 

 desire," he dictated, "that in the garden there should 

 be all kinds of plants." 



The Carolingian orchard and garden were practi- 

 cally one and the same. It was often the scene of 

 the May-field and of other important assemblies, as 

 well as of the more homely events of daily life. Here 

 Charlemagne is described as receiving the ambassa- 

 dors from the last pagan king of Spain. It must 

 have been an impressive sight. " Fifteen thousand 

 Frenchmen wearing satin tunics are stretched upon the 

 white carpet. The king is seated on a massive golden 

 throne, from which he overlooks all the barons with 

 an almost priestly gravity; then suddenly the ten infi- 

 dels enter the garden and make their way slowly 

 through the crowd ; they are mounted on white mules 

 with bridles of gold and saddles of silver. They carry 

 olive branches in their hands, Eastern fashion, as a 

 token of peace. It is a scene worthy of Virgil." 



" Le roi Charles est en un grand verger, 

 Avec lui sont Roland et Olivier . . . 

 Ils sont assis sur des tapis blancs . . . 



Sous un pin, pres d'un glantier 



Est un fauteuil d'or massif, 



C'est la qu'est assis le roi qui tient douce France." 



"Chanson de Roland." 



