THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
“Most noble king,” said Drusiana, “for God’s sake, have pity on me on this little child that you with
your own hands carried to baptism. I am not a man and cannot go running about the world like a
knight in armor. I ask that you graciously bestow the city of Hampton on me and on this little child,
until God establish peace between you and Bevis.”
Then the king wept for pity and, calling judges and notaries, freely bestowed the city of Hampton on
Drusiana, and commanded Bevis to be gone from the island within fifteen days. Bevis departed,
much consoled by the gift that the king had bestowed on Drusiana, and he thanked him profusely.
When he returned to Hampton, he was met by Guy and Rupert, and they made a great feast for him.
But when they heard that he was banished, they were much aggrieved and did not want to consent
to his departure, saying: “Rest here, and let them make war against us.” Bevis said to them: “My
sons, none of our lineage was ever a traitor, from the time that Constantine begot us; I do not now
want to begin to betray my troth.” He commanded a ship to be made ready, and so it was done.
Bevis knew that his sons were minded to declare war against King William as soon as he had
departed, and he therefore gave command that they come with him. He boarded ship with them,
and commended Drusiana to the citizens of Hampton, and they all wept.
And so he left Hampton. Sailing over the sea for many days, they left the Ocean, entered the Strait
of Gibraltar, passed near Sicily, entered the Adriatic Sea, and came to land at the harbor of Sinella,
where King Thierry and Sinibald received them with great honor, and told them the cause of their
leaving England. They stayed a year to rest with King Thierry, his father Sinibald and the duchess.
And that year Thierry had a boy child by his wife Margery, and he named him Sicurans 28 . And the
28 Sicurans is the future father of Bertha of the Large Foot, who will marry Pepin the Short and thus become
Charlemagne’s mother.