THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
he would soon be healed and that he had suffered more buffets than wounds. He was treated so
expertly that he was hale and well within a few days. One day afterward, Balant was presented to
him. Charles did him much honor and created him one of his counselors, as Duke Namo had
promised.
39: Aftermath [summary]
Gerard of the Thicket, who had not taken off his armor for two days and two nights (a notable feat at his age),at last
disarmed and readied his army in the tower fortress to join with Charles’s forces. Several days passed while both
Gerard and Charles celebrated the victory, tended their wounded and buried their dead.
Roland Dubbed Knight
Balant Becomes Charlemagne’s Counselor
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At the same time when King Anglant made ready and departed from Reggio, Charlemagne (as told
above) went to Almont’s pavilion and lodged there and had his wounds tended. He was assured by
his physicians that he would quickly heal. Then they all dined in great good cheer. Likewise did
Gerard in the tower fort, with his sons and nephews. That night they stayed there and slept until
daybreak.
In the morning, Charles, though still somewhat smarting from his wounds, sat on his throne in the
royal pavilion which had once been Almont’s. That pavilion (says our author) had walls of four
different hues. The first was blue, and here was depicted the story of Jason. The next was all white,
and here were shown all the mighty deeds of Hector and Achilles, how Achilles slew him, and how
he was afterwards killed in the temple by Paris. The third was of gold. Here there was the story of
Paris, his upbringing and his rape of Helen. The fourth was all scarlet red, and here was shown their