Spurius

Critical Literature

No critical literature available

The inset story appears in the following manuscripts

Manuscript	Language	Siglum (Version)	Language Group within Version
Bibliothèque nationale de France, français 573		M ('Male Marastre')	French

The inset story appears in the following versions and secondary versions

Version	Original Language	Branch of Tradition	Adapted from
M ('Male Marastre')	Old French	West	A (Seven Sages)

The Illegitimate Son

A valiant and honourable sultan or nobleman of Babylon, while fighting with Christians, takes a Christian knight captive. He treats him well, despite his captivity, and often the handsome knight eats at the sultan's table. There he catches the eye of one of the sultan's wives, who promises the conversion of many of the citizens of Babylon if only the knight will return her love. The two begin an affair, and the sultan's wife becomes pregnant, bears a son, and dies in childbirth. The sultan, believing the boy is his child, rears him with all care, and the boy grows into a chivalrous, wise, handsome young man. Eventually the ageing sultan's health begins to decline, and threats from the Christian armies in Jerusalem convince all the lords to ask the sultan to abdicate in favour of his son. Jealous and enraged, the sultan throws the boy in prison, believing him to be plotting against him. However, the lords free the prince, and he kills his father to rule in his stead.