The History of Valentine and Orson (1806)/Chapter 1

by Anonymous

THE

HISTORY

OF

VALENTINE and ORSON.

CHAP. I.

The banishment of the Lady Bellisant who is delivered of Valentine and Orson, at one Birth, in a Wood.

It stands upon record, that Pepin King of France, had a fair sister named Bellisant, who was married to Alexander, the Emperor of Greece, and by him carried to his capital at Constantinople; from whence, after having lived with great virtue, she was banished through the means of a false accuser, whom she had severely checked for his impudence; and though at that time she was big with child, yet she was compelled to leave her husband's empire to the great regret of the people, attended only by a Squire named Blandiman.

After great fatigue and travel, she arrived in the forest of Orleans, where finding her pains come thick upon her, she dismissed her attendant for a midwife, but before his return, was delivered of two lovely children, one of which was conveyed away by a she-bear, but she willing to save it, pursued on her hands and knees, leaving the other behind. But before her return, King Pepin being a hunting in the forest, came to the tree where she had left the other babe, and causing it to be taken up, sent it to a nurse and when it grew up, he called his name Valentine. Blandiman at length came back and instead of finding his mistress, found her brother Pepin at the tree, to whom he declared all that had happened, and how his sister was banished through the false suggestions of the arch-priest; which when King Pepin heard, he was greatly enraged against the Lady Bellisant, saying, the Emperor ought to have put her to death. So leaving Blandiman, he returned with his nobles to Paris.

The Lady Bellisant having followed the bear to no purpose, returned to the place where she had left the other babe; but great was her sorrow when Blandiman said he had seen her brother Pepin, but could tell nothing of the child;—and having comforted her for the loss of it, they went to the sea-side, took shipping and arrived at the castle of the giant Feragus, in Portugal.

All this while the bear nourished the infant among her young ones until at length it grew up a wild hairy man, doing great mischief to all that passed through the forest; in which we will leave him, and return to the arch-priest, who did great mischief, until he was impeached by a merchant, of having wrongfully accused the Empress; upon which they fought, and the merchant conquering, made the priest confess all his treasons.

The Emperor wrote about it to the King of France, and he was hanged.