An officer of the Palatium or Byzantine palace, a high dignitary.
Paladins. The knights of King Charlemagne. The most noted are Allory de l'Estoc; Astolfo; Basin de Genevois; Fierambras or Ferumbras; Florismart; Ganelon, the traitor; Geoffroy, Seigneur de Bordelois, and Geoffroy de Frises; Guerin, Duc de Lorraine; Guillaume de l'Estoc, brother of Allory; Guy de Bourgogne; Hoë, Comte de Nantes; Lambert, Prince de Bruxelles; Malagigi; Nami or Nayme de Bavièe; Ogier or Oger the Dane; Olivier, son of Regnier, Comte de Gennes, Orlando (see Roland); Otuë; Richard, Duc de Normandie; Rinaldo; Riol du Mans; Roland, Comte de Cenouta, son of Milon and Dame Berthe, Charlemagne's sister, Samson, Duc de Bourgogne; and Thiry or Thiery d'Ardaine. Of these, twelve at a time seemed to have formed the coterie of the king. (Latin, palatimus, one of the palace.) Who bear the bows were knights in Arthur's reign, Twelve they, and twelve the peers of Charlemain.
Dryden: The Flower and the Leaf
Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894
