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The Romany Rye by George Henry Borrow
page 108 of 544 (19%)
lived so many hundred years ago, how, in the name of wonder, could
he know anything of Meridiana?"

"The wonder, Ursula, is, how your people could ever have got hold
of that name, and similar ones. The Meridiana of Pulci was not the
daughter of old Carus Borzlam, but of Caradoro, a great pagan king
of the East, who, being besieged in his capital by Manfredonio,
another mighty pagan king, who wished to obtain possession of his
daughter, who had refused him, was relieved in his distress by
certain paladins of Charlemagne, with one of whom, Oliver, his
daughter Meridiana fell in love."

"I see," said, Ursula, "that it must have been altogether a
different person, for I am sure that Meridiana Borzlam would never
have fallen in love with Oliver. Oliver! why, that is the name of
the curo-mengro, who lost the fight near the chong gav, the day of
the great tempest, when I got wet through. No, no! Meridiana
Borzlam would never have so far forgot her blood as to take up with
Tom Oliver."

"I was not talking of that Oliver, Ursula, but of Oliver, peer of
France, and paladin of Charlemagne, with whom Meridiana, daughter
of Caradoro, fell in love, and for whose sake she renounced her
religion and became a Christian, and finally ingravidata, or
cambri, by him:-


'E nacquene un figliuol, dice la storia,
Che dette a Carlo-man poi gran vittoria;'

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