THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
commanded all the Christian nobles to attend him there. At the feast he dubbed many knights and
endowed many cities and castles, and created many dukes and counts, and made presents of many
horses and weapons and garments, of money, gold and silver. All the nobles of the Christian faith
swore fealty to King Charles, and proclaimed their cities and realms subject to him. He was at peace
with all of them. All of them promised to execute all his commands with all their might by land or
by sea, except Duke Gerard of the Thicket, lord of Burgundy, Savoy, the Dauphinée, Languedoc
and many other lands. He was an enemy to Charlemagne and refused to obey the crown nor the
pope nor the Empire of Rome. He was a very proud man, and he had four valiant sons and two
grandsons. King Charlemagne was holding his feast with jousts and tournaments, and that feast
lasted for many days and was nearing its end. In remembrance of the day of Pentecost many lords
were gathered at court to dine with King Charles—kings, dukes, princes, marquises and counts—so
that never before had there been seen in France so great a gathering of nobles as was that day
assembled in the great hall of the palace to dine with King Charles in commemoration of the day, in
celebration of their departure and their return home. Together with the emperor, they had heard
mass that morning in the church of Saint Dennis, and were just returned. The tables were in
readiness for their banquet. King Charles took the royal chair, and all the nobles were seated around
him according to their degree, and great was the press of eminent folk, all gentlemen, knights and
squires at the hall’s entry. Then it was said that a stranger, in full armor, had arrived and dismounted
by the royal hitching stone, where none but kings and dukes ever dismounted, and that he had
tidings to deliver. King Charles waited to learn who this was and what his tidings might be.
2
While Charlemagne sat calmly like this, Balant arrived in the courtyard, armed and mounted on a
great steed, dismounted at the royal hitching stone, tied his horse to one of its iron rings, took his