THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
not long ago I returned from the East and won four battles for you in which I overcame King
Pilinas and King Amidas and king Urial of the White Hair, and subjected all their provinces and
territories to your crown by the might of my sword. What man is there who could say that this is not
true? I surrendered all their treasure to you, and more than one-hundred-thousand shields from
their territories are with you in the field. Moreover you should recall Manador the Giant, the
Sultan’s nephew, against whom we waged a great battle in which we were beaten and you were
taken. Mandor seized you and carried you off, and all men abandoned you. I myself was wounded
by two lance-thrusts, yet this did not prevent me from aiding you. I struck Manador with my right
hand and helped you back on your horse, and by this act your person and your people were rescued.
Soon after I cut off the Sultan’s head and received many wounds. You made one of your relatives
Sultan, and for three months I was in disgrace. Did you remember this when you said that you loved
me more than any of your kin and that you were never out of my counsel?”
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Another king, whose name was Salatiel, rose then and said: “King Anglant, you have summoned us
and assembled this army for your protection. Well have I heard the accusations that King Balant has
leveled against you. By my faith, if he served you in the past, he has amply vitiated all his former
services by this journey. For he has put so much fear into this army that, were it not for the sea, all
our men would already have fled. Evil betides the lord who makes his servant too great! For this
Alexander lost his life, by making his kinsman great, and the same befell Darius, King of Persia.
This man loves Christians better than Saracens. He has deserved death for the treason he has
committed against you.” When Balant heard him, he rose to his feet and said: “King Anglant, I
marvel greatly that you should give ear to this King Salatiel. For ten years he warred against you in
Africa, and you sent me against him in battle. I fought with him and captured him as a wretched
vassal and later presented him to you. You pardoned him, though he should have been chained up