THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
destroyed the world by water, that is covered it with the waters of the deluge, in punishment for the
great sinfulness that was on earth; how Noah, by God’s command, made the ark, in which he
escaped with three of his sons and their wives and his own, and with all the animals with which he
repeopled the earth. That was the First Age, which lasted from Adam to Noah. Then he spoke of
the time from Noah to the patriarch Abraham, and from Abraham to David, and from David to the
Babylonian exile, and from the Babylonian exile to Jesus Christ—of all the prophets and patriarchs
and lawgivers, kings, psalmists and holy judges who were perfect friends of God. And he spoke of
many prophecies, and of how Jesus Christ was made human flesh in the Virgin, and how he
preached the Faith, and of the great miracles he performed. How, to redeem human kind, he
willingly suffered his death and passion; and how he descended to Limbo and freed all the souls that
should be saved; and how he rose on the third day and appeared to Mary Magdalene and his twelve
apostles; and how, according to the prophecies, he would come to judge the good and the bad, and
would summon the good into the kingdom of eternal life and the bad in to the abyss of Hell.
Blessed will be those who have performed his commandments. Balant said: “Ah, Duke Namo, I
promise you that, once I have performed my embassy, I shall become a Christian and be baptized,
so much, dear duke, have you made me in love with the Christian faith.” Shortly thereafter the new
day dawned and Balant arose to be on his way, and the duke rose to do him honor.
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Balant, having risen, called for his armor and donned it, and he was already half-converted by the
wise duke’s words. When he was armed and about to mount his horse, duke Namo presented him
with many horses, many weapons, and many garments, and much gold and silver and many jewels,
birds of prey—falcons and ospreys and gyrfalcons and hawks—and dogs of all kinds for birding and
hunting, and many servants skilled in the manage of horse and whatever else Balant might
command. Balant thanked the duke heartily, but would not take anything. When he was armed, he