THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
As Charlemagne with sixty thousand Christians was riding into the perilous fight, they assaulted the
Saracens from three sides: twenty thousand with Charles, twenty thousand from the direction of the
tower, and twenty thousand further down on the right flank. This encouraged those who were
already in the battle. First Aguentin took up a stout lance and as he saw Charles wounding a
crowned king named Moadas, rode past Charles and killed the man on the spot. Charles exclaimed:
“God bless you!” but Almont, who witnessed this, blasphemed and, like a man desperate, grasped
his sword, ran at Aguentin and split his head in two. A great noise rose thereat. Almont was
causing huge losses among our Christian bands. Meanwhile, Charles was told of Aguentin’s death.
He wept bitterly and loudly cursed Almont and his tribe, for Aguentin had reconquered the kingdom
of France for love of him. 56 Then Charlemagne himself entered the fight. Now who could describe
the great slaughter that now commenced, with such violence that all the Saracens were driven from
the valley? They were perforce obliged to retreat to a mountaintop and, had not Candor of Cyprus
arrived with his fifth division of fifty thousand Saracens, Almont would that evening have lost his
tents. But night fell, wherefore every man rested in place, except Gerard, who, having caught sight
of Almont’s banners, decided to follow them secretly by night, and to attack the banners on the
following morning. He privily sent word of it to Charles, who prayed to God to aid him in
conquering the banners. Charles informed Namo, Ogier and King Solomon of the fact, and thus
they kept good watch all night long.
When morning dawned, a terrible battle commenced. At the first sortie, Almont slew Angerlis of
Agremont. Thereupon Miles of Angrant struck him with his lance. Almont was about to fall, but
his cousin Triamides wounded Miles in the side, thrusting the lance through his body as he passed
56 Reconquered the kingdom of France for love of him: see Reali VI.33ff.