THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
they are looking for.” They spurred their horses and set off toward the coast, armed cap a pie, with
their lances held high.
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When Duke Gerard saw these four riding toward him, he called his sons, Arnaut and Rainier and his
nephews, Lord Clare and Lord Bussy, and said to them: “I you can unhorse these four, you will gain
great honor in the French court. Therefore ride out against them.”
They set off and, hugging the shore, encountered them. Lord Clare rode at Ogier the Dane. Both
one and the other fell, along with his horse, drew their swords ran to do combat. Flamingon rode
against Lord Bussy, and both of them also fell and at once turned to fight with their swords. Bussy
first wounded the Count in the shoulder, whereby he caused him so much pain that during the
whole rest of the war in Aspramont he was unable to don armor. (That wound later became the
cause of a great war in France, in which many lords and noble men were killed, Lord Bussy among
them.) Duke Namo rode at Rainier and unhorsed him. The Marquis Berlingher met Arnaut and
both fell from their mounts. All that joust happened in the same instant. Leaping to their feet, they
assailed each other with swords. Of all eight of them, only Namo remained in the saddle, and he
dismounted to fight with Rainier. The adversaries made bitter proof of each other, exchanging
mighty blows. One side cried: “Mountjoy Saint Dennis! Long live Charlemagne!” and the other,
“Mountjoy Saint Dennis! Long live Gerard of Burgundy!”
At this, Ogier, hearing these words, halted and said: “Sir knight, what is your name?” The other
answered: “My name is Clare, son of Duke Miles the German, and that man over there is my