THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
murdered because I refused to render him homage. Arm and go to Paris and tell Charles to give me
back my nephew, for I fear that to force us to do him homage he has killed or imprisoned him.
Remember, he is your brother.” Clare was much grieved at this and knew not what to do. He was
nearly beside himself, thinking: “What could have happened to my brother?” He recalled many of
the men who had been with him and sent for their servants. Presently he learned that Bussy had
lodged at Troyes in Champagne. He was the more aggrieved by this. He was assured of the honors
that Charles had bestowed upon him and of his departure. Clare therefore left Vienne and rode
toward Troyes in Champagne, taking with him a thousand armed knights. After his departure,
Gerard sent another four thousand to follow him.
Lord Clare arrived in Bellande, rode off the next morning toward Troyes in Champagne, and
entered the forest. As he was passing through the forest, some of his men discovered Bussy’s brach,
who would have died of hunger, had she not dug up the flesh of some horses with her paws and
thus nourished herself. As soon as she was found, the news was brought to Clare. He was cheered
by this and said: “He must be in this forest to take some sport.” But when he sounded his horn, and
no one answered, he began to search the woods. Finding not a soul, Clare was greatly puzzled,
saying, “Perhaps this little brach is lost,” and made his way toward Troyes in Champagne. As he
was about to leave the forest, the brach turned back and refused to come when called. Clare, seeing
this, began to follow the dog and she ran back to lie down above the ditch where her master was.
Then Lord Clare had the tree trunks cleared and the ditch dug up, where he found Bussy, all
battered and broken. Nearly dead with grief, he fell upon the corpse. His lords and companions
raised him from that body so that its great stench would not kill him. They went back to Bellandes,
bearing all those dead bodies with them. Lord Clare was inconsolable. Not knowing whom to