THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
King Pepin was much rejoiced by this, and praised Bevis greatly for it. As for Thierry, he had
accompanied the Emperor Pepin to Paris.
King Pepin assembled a great army to march out against the king of Spain; but when the king of
Spain and the others heard that Pepin had escaped from prison and was back in Paris, they all
abandoned the enterprise. Pepin sent Otho with a great force throughout the region and
reconquered all the land that had been taken, and exacted vengeance for the injury suffered from
those who had caused it.
53-56: The Conversion of Slovenia [summary]
Margery of Slovenia and Hungary, from whose prison tower Bevis had earlier made his escape, was wooed by Druan,
a Saracen king. When she refused him, he marched into Slovenia and attempted to take her by force. Pepin, assisted
by Bevis, organized a campaign to relieve her. Druan was defeated and killed. In gratitude, Margery and all her
people converted to Christianity and were baptized.
Margery
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Twelve years had passed since the day when Bevis had lost Drusiana with her two children in the
woo, and when Pulican had died. Bevis made search for them through the greater part of the world
and could not find Drusiana. He had been delivered from the tower of Margery, who much loved
him and who meanwhile had become queen of Hungary for lack of other heir. Consider all this, he
said: “I will not take a wife if Drusiana is still living and has my two sons with her, whom I baptized
in the desert.” Therefore he determined to proclaim a tournament, to be held at the end of the year,
and he had it proclaimed throughout Germany, France, Rumania, and both Greater and Lesser
Armenia, where Drusiana’s father reigned. In his proclamation he announced the Bevis of
Hampton wanted to take to wife Margery, daughter of King Buldras of Sinella, who had saved his