THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
thrown into prison. Others say 52 that she had a boy child and a girl. King Anglant went to live in
the city of Reggio with his queen and with many barons and all the gentlewomen who were with his
army.
BOOK TWO: GERARD OF THE THICKET
Balant
Balant at Charlemagne’s Court
1
Our author tells next, in the second book of King Anglant, how King Almont met in counsel with
his father King Anglant and all the kings of his host and composed a message that Balant was to
deliver. He was commanded to depart and go to Charlemagne in France. So Balant girded his
sword and put a golden ring upon his finger that the queen had given him. He swore that he would
not desist until he had killed a great French lord and a hundred Christians with him. Balant
commended Goreas to King Anglant, and therefore King Anglant made him commander of the
whole army. His father Balant was pleased at this and, having taken the letter and gotten by heart all
that he was to say, left Reggio and departed toward Aspramont joined by a huge force that was
stationed in the fort of Aspramont. Then he made his way to Rome and saw Pope Leo, marveling at
the greatness that Rome had once possessed. Then he left Rome and passed through Tuscany,
Lombardy and Piedmont, and made great haste to reach Paris, so as to get there by Pentecost, for he
had heard people at Rome tell of the magnificent feast that was held at Paris. King Charles had
52 This account is the one taken up in later Italian epic, including Boiardo’s and Ariosto’s, whose characters,
Ruggiero and Marfisa, are the twin children of Richier and Galiziella.