Stories of Charlemagne and the Twelve Peers of France by Alfred John Church

On a certain day after these things Richard of Normandy said to his / fellows, "How long are we to abide shut up in this Tower? I am sure / that at the last we must perish by the hands of these Saracens. It / would be well, therefore, that we send a messenger to King Charles, / telling him that if he would not have us perish he must send us / help. " The Duke Naymes said, "This, Sir Richard, is but foolishly / spoken. There is no man here that will dare take this message. Know / you not that the whole land is covered with the Saracens, so that as / soon as the messenger is parted from us he will be slain by them? " / And Floripas said, "My lords, you are safe while you abide in this / place; make yourselves, therefore, as happy as you can. " But Duke / Thierry was ill-content with such counsel, "We are shut in here, my / lords," said he, "and our happiness must be but brief. Let us inform / the King of our condition, that he may come to our help."

Ogier the Dane answered as the Duke Naymes had answered, that there / was no man who would go on such an errand. "Nay," cried Roland, "say / not so. I will go. " But the Duke Naymes answered, "That would be / ill done, Sir Roland; you must not go hence; the Saracens would not / have so much fear of us by a half as now they have if you were gone. " / Then others proffered to go, as William the Scot, and Gerard, and Guy / of Burgundy, this last being willing with all his heart, but Floripas / would not suffer it.