THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

370
© 2009 Max Wickert
Danflor and gave them ten thousand each, and asked them both the return into battle, and then sent
for Asmagon, gave him ten thousand knights, and told him to accompany them. He said to them
all: “Fight bravely, for I have sent for forty thousand reinforcements to the Mustapha. These will be
at the Christian rear, and I shall now send them twenty thousand more. Victory will be ours before
nightfall.” He then summoned one of the Mustapha’s sons, gave him the twenty thousand knights,
and said: “Go to your father and tell him to attack the Christian rear, and we shall engage them
here.” He departed and went to his father. When the Mustapha saw his son (he had four of them),
he called him aside and said: “My dear son, King Anglant little cares for us. He wants to send us to
our deaths by making us attack Charles’ army. When we attack and he flees, we will be at the mercy
of the Christian swords and will all be killed. Before this happens, let us first do to him what he
wants to do to us. We have more than one reason for this. He has killed your cousins and my
nephews, Asperant and Margon. Therefore let us go to Reggio and let the Christians cut him to
pieces. Almont is dead, and we will make ourselves masters of Africa.” Having said this, he began
to move across the plain shoreward and made his way toward Reggio. He rode all day before
arriving there.
83-91: The Third Day of Battle [summary]
The Mustapha gained admission into Reggio by means of a lie: he gave out that Anglant was victorious and had
entrusted the city to him. Once entered, the Mustapha’s army turned on the garrison that Anglant had left behind
and slaughtered most of them. They then burnt and sacked the city. Only the queen escaped by taking refuge in a
tower near the harbor. The treacherous Mustapha then sailed back to Africa and, since it was poorly defended, seized
its rule.
Anglant, who as yet knew nothing of the Mustapha’s desertion, now ordered the third day of battle to begin. At first
the Christians had the advantage. Arnaut killed Asmagon and Roland killed Abilant. As the Saracens lost
ground, Anglant was confident that the Mustapha would soon come to their aid. Presently he learned of the
Mustapha’s treason. Yet he ordered Ulien to launch a full-scale attack. Several prominent Christians were slain
(among them Gerard’s relative, Aymeric of Vienne, and Morand’s cousin Manfred) and many others were grievously
wounded.