THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

196
© 2009 Max Wickert
thousand Christians on horse and on foot landed at the port of Bordeaux and began to move
toward Paris.
Bernard of Clairmont had tidings of this and attacked them while they were in Irish soil in Lower
Frisia 40 and overthrew them, killing twelve thousand. The King of Hungary came through Bohemia
and Germany to Bavaria with twenty thousand archers and twelve thousand men. Also to Bavaria
came the King of Bohemia, Marquis Berlingher and Agnentin, Lothair of Anelzimbor and his
brother Baldwin, as well as Solomon of Brittany. All these lords and many others, having crossed
the Rhine, assembled in Constance, together with Charles and Duke Namo and the King of
Hungary. One hundred and fifty thousand knights met there, and therefore a council was held to
determine where they should take the field. Many said: “It would be best to wage the campaign
throughout the realm, since many cities will surrender to Charles.” The Duke said: “Let us have
hold a muster, to see how strong we are.” But Marquis Berlingher and Agnentin and Solomon
counseled going directly to Paris, saying, “Our cause is the right cause,” and adding that they did not
believe that Lanfroy and Ulric would expect this.
Meanwhile news had come from Paris that Gerard of the Thicket, with Gryphon and the other
Maganzas, had come in aid of the two brothers, and that already a hundred thousand knights were at
Paris. It was also reported how Bernard of Clairmont had defeated twenty thousand of the enemy.
The Duke had the muster held, and a hundred and fifty thousand knights were found there. Then
they named Duke Namo of Bavaria Commander-in-Chief of the whole army, and he ordained the
divisions in the following manner: He gave the command of the first division to Solomon of
Brittany, Marquis Belingher and Angentin. Charles said he wished to ride be with them in the first
40 On Irish soil in Lower Frisia: a repeated error in geography; see n. [120] below. In any case, if this army is
marching from Bordeaux to Paris, a route via Lower Frisia (?northern Netherlands) makes little sense.