THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
these arms.” As the continued sailing, Bevis promised to stay in his company until the end of the
war.
They sailed for many days, and in that time Bevis grew so dear to Thierry, that he asked all those
whom he had hired to name him their commander; and so they did. They sailed to Sicily, and there
Thierry laded the brigantine, as well as two other vessels, with horses. They crossed the sea as far as
Avignon, that is to the mouth of the Rhone, and from there went by land to Bordeaux. There he
boarded ship with three hundred knights and brought them to the harbor of Winchelsea, two days
journey from the castle.
There they disembarked, mounted their horses and proceeded to Castle Saint-Simon. Sinibald, with
many other knight, rode out to meet them. With him came Sir Richard of Canterbury. Unspeakable
was the great joy of Sinibald at the return of his son, who had been gone for a year and six months.
And he asked him if he had not heard of Bevis. And he recounted where he had been and what he
had heard, and how he had enlisted his men, and where he had found Sir Augustine the Armenian,
and made him commander. Sinibald was greatly delighted, and they went on to the castle, and in its
town all that troop was lodged. All made merry, except Richard of Canterbury, because of the love
he felt for Countess Floricia; and already he began to be jealous of Sir Augustine, who was so greatly
honored.
40-42: Dudon Defeated [summary]
Bevis, joined by Richard of Canterbury and Thierry, launched an expedition against Dudon and Alberic at
Hampton. He was assisted by Sir Rupert of the Cross, a nobleman of the town who had long harbored a grudge
against the Maganza usurpers. During the attack on the city, Bevis and Swallowtail performed prodigious feats of
daring and valor, and in the end Bevis’ army captured the town and massacred the men of Maganza. However,
Dudon, though gravely wounded but escaped and returned to Maganza.
43: Recognition