The first city which Charles besieged was Pamplona. For three months, he could not break down the walls.
He prayed, “O Lord Jesus Christ, for whose faith I am come hither to fight the Pagans; for thy glory’s sake deliver this city into my hands; and O blessed St. James, if thou didst indeed appear to me, help me to take it.”
God and St James heard his petition, and the walls collapsed utterly, by themselves.
Those Saracens who agreed to baptism, Charles spared; the others were butchered with swords.
Hearing about this miracle made the other Saracens inclined to surrender and pay tribute to Charlemagne, and the whole land was put under his taxation.
The Saracens marvelled when they saw the best of the French, with their fine clothes and elegant manners, and accepted an honourable peace, putting aside their arms.
The Emperor, having visited the tomb of St James, went to Ferrol and fixed his lance in the sea, and gave thanks to God and St James who led him there, where previously he had not been able to go.
The Galicians, having lapsed into pagan ways after the preaching of St James and his disciples, were regenerated thanks to baptism by the hand of Archbishop Turpin. Those who did not take the faith were either slaughtered or enslaved by the Christians. Then Turpin travelled all Spain, from sea to sea.