THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

300
© 2009 Max Wickert
you even if you offered him the whole world. If you await him, you shall fare like Goliath the
Philistine against God’s chosen people, and your own people shall fare like the people who followed
Pharaoh into the Red Sea. Woe unto you, you pagans, who have set foot upon Italian soil to die,
and who desire to fatten the mountain slopes of Aspramont with your blood! Far better would it be
for you to save your souls, to undergo baptism, and to convert to faith in Christ. And you, King
Anglant, let not avarice be your undoing. Remember that Roman named Crassus who came once to
Palermo, and who had molten gold poured down his throat because he was possessed by so much
avarice. Do not believe, in your arrogance, that you can overcome Charles. If you want treasure,
turn Christian; Charles will give you treasure aplenty.” Anglant answered: “I do not ask for treasure.
I ask that he himself renounce his false creed and come to believe in Mahomet. Unless he does so, I
will feed him to the dogs. He could not escape our hands even if he could fly.” Duke Namo
replied, as if in jest: “King Anglant, God may put him in your reach soon enough! By my faith, you
shall not see one month pass by before you see him come in arms against you. Then you can
threaten him yourself. Charles is not a man to fear threats. When you see him coming, not a
Saracen in your camp but will tremble with fear.” These words greatly annoyed King Anglant,
wherefore he sent for the messenger whom he had dispatched to France to spy out Charles’
strength, whose name was Subrin the Whitehaired, and said to the Duke: “You think we are unaware
of what Charles can do? I want you to see now whether we know or not.”
44-50: The Embassy Concluded
When Subrin was brought in, he described what he had seen in France and dwelled upon Charles’s chief weakness,
the enmity of Gerard of the Thicket. He went on to suggest killing Namo on the spot. At this Balant rose and swore
to defend his guest. “Charles treated me with the honor due to an ambassador, no matter how much I threatened,” he
said; “shame on us if we maltreat his envoy.” Anglant answered: “Let him deliver his message. I swear he shall not
be harmed.” Then Duke Namo said: “Appoint the day of battle, and I vow that if you do not find Charles ready, I
myself will surrender France and all Christendom.” Anglant answered: “Look at the size of my forces. I have seven
armies, of which the smallest contains a hundred thousand Saracens, enough to defeat you all. Let Charles surrender
to me, for France belongs through my descent from Alexander the Great, son of Philip of Macedon.” Namo did not