THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

175
© 2009 Max Wickert
One day, while Galeana was at dinner in her chamber with some of her ladies and Mainet was
waiting on her, she said to him: “Will you not break a lance for love of me?” Mainet answered,
“Madam, I do not know how to joust.” He looked her in the face, and she in his, and their glances
met. Both lowered their eyes and sighed. Mainet had scarcely left and returned to his room where
he found Morand returned. When he told him of the tournament, he earnestly begged Mainet not to
don armor, urging many dangers if he did so. Mainet promised him not to arm.
On the morning of the feast when the tournament was to take place in the square, the joust was
begun there by those of the lowest rank. Mainet stood in a balcony to watch, and Morand came up
to him and once more admonished him not to arm for the joust, again pointing out the danger of
his being recognized. When Morand had left, Mainet stayed in the room and took all his armor
from a chest and decided to put it on. But he had grown so much, that the armor did not fit him.
At this, he scattered it all over the room, cursing his ill fortune, and then retired in bad humor to a
little antechamber between two rooms. There he sat on a bench, with his hand at his jaw, with one
of his knees folded upon the other and his elbow upon his knee. He was sitting by a side entrance
to the great hall and sighed, beset by many thoughts. At this moment, Galeana’s duenna entered the
hall, saw Mainet and perceived how he sighed; so she drew near to listen. Mainet, unaware that he
was being overheard, was saying: “Aye me! when shall I return to my kingdom, where my father
wore such a venerable crown, since I cannot procure a jousting armor or prove my worth? O
Alexander the Great, you who at my age had already made all Syria subject! O brave Hannibal, you
who at my age led the whole army of Carthage! O valiant Scipio Africanus, how gracious was
heaven to you in your youth, while all the earth cries shame upon me!” And he struck himself in the
face with his hand.