THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

119
© 2009 Max Wickert
Soon after, she confessed herself and received communion; and Bevis went to Castle Saint-Simon,
since none asked him to have mercy on his mother.
And she was quartered, and one of each of her quarters was hung on each of the city gates, with an
inscription that declared how Pepin had condemned her to death. That evening, when Bevis
returned, he had her taken down and buried. Bevis asked the emperor to let his troops return to
Paris, and he sent them back to France and himself remained for two months with Bevis at
Hampton. Pepin was waiting for Bevis to free him from his parole, and Bevis was waiting for him
to ask to be freed.
Meanwhile it was noised abroad that the emperor was being kept in prison by Bevis of Hampton.
Therefore many prepared to war against the realm of France and against all Christendom, and
among these were the kingdoms of Spain, of Aragon, of Navarre, the princedom of Wales and many
Saracen lands. Therefore the Christians in the West were in great alarm, and so a great counsel of
barons was assembled at Paris, and an embassy was dispatched to Bevis.
When Bevis, along with King Pepin, heard this news, the king begged to be released of his word,
and Bevis freely granted him parole. Then he asked King Pepin, by his grace, to free him and all his
subjects of all tribute and homage to the emperor. King Pepin had drawn up a plenary charter that
declared him, both him and his issue, free and exempt from all tribute so long as he kept the
Christian faith and defended the Holy Catholic Church. And then he departed
Thinking that Bevis would ransom him with gold and silver, he left Otho of Trier as a hostage and
rode out of Hampton and returned to Paris. But Bevis, when the emperor had left, paid great honor
to Otho, and soon after sent him to King Pepin with as many armed men as he could take with him.