THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
informing them of the hidden worries in his mind. They all swore to keep him in concealment and
to call him Augustine, whatsoever might happen. At this, they left the chamber very happily, and
that evening they supped amid great festiveness and joy.
44-45: Bevis Enters Hampton in Disguise [summary]
Bevis, disguised as a physician, secretly entered Hampton with Thierry, intending to kill Dudon. He found lodging
with Sir Rupert of the Cross, a fierce adversary of the Maganza faction, who had long been an ally of Sinibald’s.
While secret plans were laid to seize the city, Bevis presented himself at court, where (unrecognized by her) he found his
mother Brandoria as villainously disposed as ever. However, he contrived to persuade her to have her son Gailon
conduct him to Dudon’s bedside the next day.
Hampton Reconquered
46
After Rupert of the Cross had learned Brandoria’s cruelty, he at once wrote a letter to Sinibald at the
castle, and sent it by a servant at night. Sinibald and Richard armed six hundred knights and went by
night to Hampton, and stood at watch for the moment when the alarm should be raised in the city.
In the evening, Rupert secretly talked with a great number of citizens, and many of them went to his
lodging where they saw Bevis and talked with him, and the greater part wept with emotion and
offered their aid and their persons. Bevis advised them to have no fear and freely to take up arms
upon hearing the first alarm in the morning. They promised to do so, and in the night, after
consulting many friends, ordered a gate to be seized by which Sinibald might enter.
When dawn rose, Bevis secretly armed as well as he could, and bade Thierry arm likewise, and after
the alarm was sounded, disguised himself as a physician, and went to the palace. Gailon came to
meet him and brought him to the keep where Dudon lay, while, as Bevis had advised, Thierry
occupied the upper fortress. When they came where Dudon lay, Bevis sent everyone from the
chamber, opened the window and greeted Dudon, who lay in bed grievously ill and said: “Master