THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
have a father and a mother and a husband.” The king said: “Who is your father?” And she replied:
“King Philip of Hungary is my father, and King Pepin, Emperor of Rome and King of France, is my
husband, and I am Bertha of the Large Foot.” Pepin said: “How can you be Bertha, whom I have
left on a sickbed in Paris?” Bertha replied; “That is Falisetta, and I pray you, my lord, to hear how
the matter stands.” Then, weeping and praying his mercy all the while, she told the king how
Falisetta had been reared in Hungary, how she had brought her with her, and how all things had
happened up to their meeting in the car. King Pepin felt for her feet and found them as Bernard
and Gerard and Morand and Raymond had told him. Considering how everything had been put in
motion by youth on Bertha’s part and by malice on Falisetta, he swore to wreak a terrible and
notable revenge. Nonetheless he wished to know whether Bertha was a virgin, and therefore he
knew used as a wife in the normal way, and found her intact. That night she grew pregnant with a
man-child. In the morning the king said to her: “Bertha, your father King Philip is here. All this has
been the work of God, Who has led me into these parts and Who created the stag that led me here.”
She was overjoyed to see her father. In the early dawn Bernard of Clairmont arrived by the car, and
Pepin told him how things stood. Bernard marveled greatly and talked with the king until full
daylight. When the left the car, they sent Bertha ahead. As she walked toward Lambert’s house,
King Philip had just risen; as she came to the door, Bertha met him. He stood staring at her and she
at him. As the gazes of father and daughter crossed, they recognized each other. Her father looked
at her foot and said: “O my daughter!” And she at the same instant cried out: “O my father!” and
threw herself to her knees at his feet. Her father embraced her, weeping. Pepin had the gate closed
and called for Raymond of Trier and Morand of Riviera, in whose presence he had Bertha declare all
the events that had passed. Then they secretly swore to each other that just vengeance should be
taken. Lambert fell on his knees before Pepin and Bertha, asking at once for mercy, since he had
much blamed Bertha for going to sleep with King Pepin. Bertha asked her father, King Philip, and