THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
leave the room, whereat Gerard grew afraid of Clare’s fury and angrily went out. Clare finished
arming and said to those who were helping him: “My fear of betraying my knighthood makes me go
into battle.” Half despairing, he mounted his horse and left the city. There was no man or woman in
Vienne who did not weep and commend him to God. He arrived on the field, blew his horn and
demanded battle.
That sound greatly troubled Roland. He was angry at Lord Clare and said to himself: “Alas, Roland,
what will you do? You know that you will be the victor, but what honor, what glorious prize will
you gain by Lord Clare’s death? The damage to our faith will be greater than the honor for you. Yet
fight you must if you would not lose your honor. O most noble Bussy, you are free of all worldly
troubles, but your death has brought us dire travail.” With these words he rose from his bed and
dressed. Then Charles came in to him and said: “My dear nephew, Lord Clare has arrived on the
field.” Roland made no answer and walked up and down in the tent, sighing. Charles said: “My
dear son, why will you give me no answer?” Roland replied: “My lord, if I make no answer, I have
good reason, and Lord Clare has good reason for not loving Gerard, since the two of you are the
cause of our deaths.” At this, Duke Namo, Solomon, and Ogier the Dane came in, and the same
words passed that Duke Namo had employed earlier, so that Roland grew resentful of Lord Clare
and, fired by wrath, called for his armor, put it on, mounted Veliantin, and rode into the field where
Lord Clare was waiting.
143 69
When the two knights, Roland and Lord Clare, had returned to the field, Roland saluted Clare and
he replied. As they had done before, they exchanged a few charges with the lance and, when their
69 The opening lines of this chapter and of the next are missing in the MSS.