THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
of Clairmont and Morand of Riviera arrived. They dismounted and said to the king: “You have
caused us much worry.” The king told Lambert to keep the beautiful young woman hidden, so that
she might not be seen, and he obeyed. Meanwhile King Philip of Hungary and the rest of the hunt
rode up, brought together there by the sound of the hunting horns, and all of them supped there
together. Great was their joy at having found King Pepin. When they had eaten, Pepin said to
Bernard: “This man has in his house a lovely young woman, and she has promised to sleep with me
tonight. Have a lodging made ready for me wherever it seems best to you, and watch out for King
Philip, because of his love for his daughter, the queen.” Bernard wanted King Pepin to sleep in the
house, but Lambert would not permit it. Bernard did not want to force him, so he took a great
wagon or car that stood outside the house, had it drawn up to the river bank, and furnished with a
bed atop, big enough for two persons, covered with rich ornaments and sheets and fresh herbs and
fronds. Then all went to sleep, finding lodging in one place or another. King Philip slept in
Lambert’s house. He was grieving on account of his daughter, and Lambert on account of the
queen (who called herself Falisetta so as not to be recognized). And Lambert’s wife was grieving
likewise.
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When everyone had gone to sleep, King Philip and Bernard had Bertha mount the cart, and Bernard
departed. When Pepin went to approach Bertha, she said: “My lord, let us go to bed first.” She
took his boots off with her own hands, and when they had entered the bed, Pepin embraced her and
she began to weep, saying: “Praised by the True God and his Most Holy Mother, for how I have
reached the place where I can declare my reason for being.” The king sat up and said: “What do you
mean ‘your reason for being’? Do you have father or mother other than Lambert, or were you ever
married?” She embraced him and begged him for God’s sake to hear her out, and then she said: “I