THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
spouse together with two such lovely sons, whom God may protect and make valiant knights. But
now, after the grace that God has shown you, I beg you to have mercy on me, who nor father nor
brother nor lord except you.” Bevis answered her: “I can take no other wife, for our law forbids it.
But I can give you a noble lord for a husband.” She replied that she would not question his
judgment. Then Bevis suggested to Sinibald of the Castle that he should give her for wife to his son
Thierry.
Sinibald consented grudgingly; but when Thierry was called, he accepted her without hesitation , and
without longer delay pledged troth and wedded her. Since he had no ring with which to marry her,
Drusiana gave him the ring with which Bevis had wedded her, and Thierry’ mother gave him
another. He received for dower the realm of Hungary and all of Slovenia. Bevis promised to act as
their defender, to fight for them and defend them and aid them with all his power, and to maintain
their rule in the realm of Hungary against whoever might oppose them. After these holy oaths were
sworn, he called Sinibald of the Castle and Thierry apart and told them: “Help me to make this feast
complete by giving Floricia as a wife to Richard of Canterbury.” They were content, and the damsel
was called and Richard married her. Bevis gave them a rich golden ring and endowed Richard with
the city of Lima. For a whole month there was held so rich a feast that tongue of man cannot
describe it. Drusiana gave many precious present from her father’s treasury. When the month was
over, all took their leaves from Bevis and returned home.
Bevis reigned at Hampton with Drusiana, and afterward had by Drusiana five sons and three
daughters. But these did not have the good fortune to survive, so that he was left with only Guy
and Sinibald, his first-born, so that he had ten children before he had William, who later became
King of England. Thierry of the Castle left in the same year for Hungary, and Bevis accompanied
him and saw him crowned as king of Hungary, for King Buldras had died. Afterwards he returned