THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
the cause of King Anglant’s crossing into Italy with his son Almont, as our chronicle will presently
relate. 48
The Boyhood of Young Roland
58
Six years after Miles’ departure, the unfortunate Bertha, whom remained at Sutri where Miles had
left her with Young Roland, was still living on the alms that her son begged for her. She had grown
very infirm with age, which could hardly be disputed. In Sutri there dwelt a nobleman who was vice-
regent and appointed ruler on behalf of the Romans. His name was Lucius Albinus and he had a
son named Rainier. That boy was four years older than Young Roland.
Since there many game contests among the boys in Sutri, sometimes with stones, sometimes with
sticks, Young Roland at times found himself taking part in these. Overcome by youthful folly he
joined in these games and the group on whose side he fought always won, for in every scuffle he
fought more fiercely than any of the others, to the astonishment of all. Let the contest be what it
will, with stones, or with sticks, or in wrestling, or in boxing, the rest of the boys ever fled before
him. In wrestling he overthrew many that were older than he, and if any younger boy offered to
fight him, he refused. Sometimes, being provoked, he beat boys who were far older than himself.
People in Sutri marveled greatly at his tremendous strength, for he was only eleven years old.
One spring, a great boxing competition commenced among the boys of Sutri, and it was fought out
between various districts of the city. There were many districts that sometimes lost and sometimes
won. Some there were that never lost because of their strong position; and some there were that
48 This passage suggests that Andrea already had the plot (or even the text) of L’Aspramonte fixed in his mind—one
of several cogent reason to consider L’Aspramonte as the intended Book Seven of Reali.