THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
seeing that he had no heir, determined to bestow upon him a young lady of noble blood, whether
she be poor or rich. Among those most anxious to do so were Bernard of Clairmont and Gerard of
the Thicket 30 . These commanded many other lords to proclaim a great feast, and persuaded the king
to hold court in great magnificence. They issued orders that at Pentecost 31 all knights should come
to court with the ladies their wives, sisters, and their marriageable daughters. There came a huge
gathering of lords and a great multitude of fair ladies.
While Bernard and Gerard were sitting by the king’s side, Gerard said: “What an honor it is to see so
many great lords! And all of them are born in your realm.” Pepin said: “You speak truly.” Said
Gerard: “Verily it is a great merit for a lord to make the Christian faith grow and to maintain it.”
Pepin said: “You speak truly.” Then Bernard said: “How then do you maintain it, since you are old
and have no children? Immediately after your death there will be great discord among your lords,
and the pasture will lack a shepherd.” Pepin said: “Ah, Bernard, it is late for you to tell me this.”
Gerard replied: “You are not yet too old to have children.”
At that Pepin commissioned four great nobles to find for him a lady of noble lineage, be she rich or
poor, so long as she was capable of bearing him offspring. One of these nobles was Gerard of the
Thicket, the second was Bernard of Clairmont, and the others were Morand of Riviera and
Raymond of Trier. These went out secretly looking at the courts of many lords to hear how a good
and noble alliance might be made, and they went in person to many regions to look and to listen.
They found many of them, but their fathers did not wish to give their daughters to King Pepin,
because he was old and short as a dwarf. At last they heard that King Philip of Hungary had a
30 This descendant of Bevis’ younger son, Sinibald; eventually becomes the Duke of Burgundy whose rivalry with
Charlemagne is a dominant theme in L’Aspromonte.
31 Pentecost: the Italian reads pasqua (Easter); this, however, is the pasqua rosata (Rosy Easter), forty days later.