THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
Gorant, with his shield carrying a device of three silver horns on a black ground, rushed into the fray. Charles was
withholding the bulk of his army and now sent them into battle one by one, beginning with the division under Ogier the
Dane, Miles of Angrant and Buy of Burgundy. Ogier was astonished when Almont unhorsed him, crying: “This is
not a man but a devil.” With some difficulty the other Christians rescued him. Charles then sent in his third division
under Desiderius. Once more Gerard of the Thicket intervened to assist Charles’s forces. Clare and Bussy bore down
from their hill, but are overwhelmed by superior numbers. Gerard himself was unhorsed and knelt down desperately
on the battlefield to pray: “My lord Jesus, how can Thy people defend themselves without Thy help?” Charles
dispatched further divisions under Namo, Richier, Otho and Guy of Estivers. But Otho was killed by Almont, and
Guy by Triamedes, and when their bodies were brought to Charles, he was greatly grieved and also knelt to pray: “O
Creator of Heaven and Earth, turn Thy eyes upon your beleaguered Christians and lend them Thy aid. My Lord
Jesus Christ, Thou gavest me this people to govern. I cannot defend them against the enemies of Thy faith without Thy
help. Ah my Lord, have mercy upon them and, if they suffered so much on account of my sins, kill me, the sinner, and
not so many others.” Even as he prayed, another dead champion, Guarnier of Oriens was carried in.
Charlemagne Enters Battle
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As Charles was offering this prayer to God, behold Ogier the Dane arrived. His whole armor was
tented and slashed and his horse was wounded. He said to Charles: “My lord, we have captured
Butran, Almont’s and Anglant’s interpreter. He has told us that Almont his here without his father,
and that he would rather have both his eyes put out than let Anglant hear of this battle. My lord,
now send all your ranks out into the field, and send word back to the tents immediately that neither
knight nor cook nor butler nor servant remain behind. Let him who has no horse mount a mule,
and him who has no mule mount an ass, so that our numbers seem as huge as possible.”
Charles at once did so and at once sent into battle the King of Frisia, Amon, Bevis of Agrevas,
Gilfroy the Whitehaired, and Count Ganelon, and all the other lords. They charged from various
directions, and the pagans began to have the worse of the battle. Having dispatched these troops,
Charles himself rode into battle, with many lords crowding around him. Now began the destruction
of the pagans.
Death of Miles