ABSTRACT
(French poetry, early 13th cent.) Count Julien chastises Elie for delaying a trip to pay homage to King Louis, so Elie sets out for court. He meets a knight who tells him that Saracens first captured King Louis and then imprisoned William after he freed Louis. Elie rescues William but is taken prisoner himself. While William goes to seek help from Julien, Elie escapes and fights some robbers whose food he steals. One robber, Galopin, becomes his servant. Saracens pursue Elie and jail him again. A Saracen princess, Rosamonde, falls in love with him, and when an old King wants to marry her against her will, Elie fights on her behalf. Galopin steals the king’s prize horse and Elie wins the duel. Louis and William arrive and defeat the Saracens. Rosamonde converts, but the Church will not allow her to marry Elie because he served as her godfather at her baptism. She marries Galopin instead and Elie marries Louis’ sister Avisse.
