THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
of armor, and more jewelry in gold and silver than could be believed. Throughout his progress
toward the city he issued proclamations that poor knights unprovided with armor or horses should
come with him to Paris and they would be armed and mounted. When he presented himself in
Paris, Charles gave him signal honors and was much heartened by his arrival. That king had in his
court one of his sons, whose name was Astolph, whom Charles retained as the companion of his
nephew, young Roland.
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After the embassy to England, Charlemagne set another to King Druon in Lower Frigia 54 and
desired him to come to avenge the outrage which King Anglant had committed in Italy (that is, in
Apulia and Calabria) by taking Reggio, killing countless Christians, and to have an indulgence of sin
and punishment proclaimed throughout his lands. The messenger departed for Frigia and delivered
his embassy in Carcasson. The king was much pleased by Charles’s request, uttered many threats
against Anglant, granted six thousand knights to support Charles, and came himself to Paris. The
Charles sent word into Hungary to King Philip the Elder, who gladly received the messenger and his
letter, saying: “Anglant was ill advised to come against my lord and grandson Charles, the son of my
daughter. I will grant him fifteen thousand knights to assist him.” Then he made his way toward
Italy to join King Charlemagne in Rome, and brought one of his sons along to bear his arms. King
Charles sent into every part of Christendom with requests and commands, here for fighting-men,
here for weapons, and there for money, according to the ability of the country to furnish them. He
assembled a great army, and immediately received much aid from kings, dukes, counts, marquises
54 The place name here used (Bassa Frigia) is puzzling. Frigia could mean either Phrygia (out of the question in
this context) or Frisia (possible, though Reali VI locates it in Ireland and makes Gotteboeuf, not Druon, its king).
The current passage further complicates the question by naming Carcassonne (in southern France!) as Druon’s
capital.