Chapter Twelve Paladins to Two Drovers of T by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Twelve Paladins to Two Drovers

Twelve Paladins (The), twelve famous warriors in Charlemagne’s court.

(1) Astolpho, cousin of Roland, descended from Charles Martel. A great boaster, fool-hardy, and singularly handsome. It was Astolpho who went to the moon to fetch back Orlando’s (Roland’s) brains when mad.

(2) Ferumbras or Fierabras, a Saracen, afterwards converted and baptized.

(3) Florismart, the fidus Achatês of Roland or Orlando.

(4) Ganelon, the traitor, count of Mayence. Placed by Dantê in the Inferno.

(5) Maugris, in Italian Malagigi, cousin to Rinaldo, and son of Beuves of Aygremont. He was brought up by Oriande the fairy, and became a great enchanter.

(6) Namo or Nayme de Bavière.

(7) Ogier the Dane, thought to be Holger the hero of Denmark, but some affirm that “Dane” is a corruption of Damné; so called because he was not baptized.

(8) Oliver, son of Regnier comte de Gennes, the rival of Roland in all feats of arms.

(9) Otuel, a Saracen, nephew to Ferragus or Ferracute. He was converted, and married a daughter of king Charlemagne.

(10) Rinaldo, son of duke Aymon, and cousin to Roland. Angelica fell in love with him, but he requited not her affection.

(11) Roland, called Orlando in Italian, comte de Cenouta. He was Charlemagne’s nephew, his mother being Berthe the king’s sister, and his father Millon.

(12) One of the following names, all of which are called paradins, and probably supplied vacancies caused by death: Basin de Genevois, Geoffrey de Frises, Guerin duc de Lorraine, Guillaume de l’Estoc, Guy de Bourgogne, Hoël comte de Nantes, Lambert prince of Bruxelles, Richard due de Normandy, Riol du Mans, Samson duc de Bourgogne, and Thiery.

There is considerable resemblance between the twelve selected paladins and the twelve selected Table knights. In each case there were three pre-eminent for bravery: Oliver, Roland, and Rinaldo (paladins); Launcelot, Tristram, and Lamoracke (Table knights). In each was a Saracen: Ferumbras (the paladin); Palomides (the Table knight). In each was a traitor: Ganelon (the paladin); Mordred (the Table knight), like Judas Iscariot in the apostolic twelve.

Who bear the bows were knights in Arthur’s reign,
Twelve they, and twelve the peers of Charlemain.
   —Dryden: The Flower and the Leaf.

Twelve Wise Masters (The), the original corporation of the mastersingers. Hans Sachs, the cobbler of Nürnberg, was the most renowned and the most voluminous of the mastersingers, but he was not one of the original twelve. He lived 1494–1576, and left behind him thirty-four folio vols. of MS., containing 208 plays, 1700 comic tales, and about 450 lyric poems.

Here Hans Sachs, the cobbler-poet, laureate of the gentle craft,
Wisest of the Twelve Wise Masters, in huge folios sang and laughed.
   —Longfellow: Nuremberg.

The original corporation consisted of Heinrik von Mueglen, Konrad Harder, Master Altschwert, Master Barthel Regenbogen (blacksmith), Master Muscablüt (tailor), Hans Blotz (barber), Hans Rosenblüt (armorial painter), Sebastian Brandt (jurist), Thomas Murner, Hans Folz (surgeon), Wilhelm Weber, and Hans