THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
launched two other assaults, during which Lord Clare lost much blood and began steadily to have
the worst of the fight. Roland, when these two charges were done, prayed and conjured him to be
pleased to leave Gerard, and he would leave Charles. But Lord Clare, who had grown desperate,
was overtaken by wrath, threw away his shield, grasped his sword in both hands and struck Roland
with diverse heavy blows. Roland warded them all, so that Lord Clare believed that his victory was
near. He piled rage upon rage and so violently slashed his enemy’s mail coat that Roland understood
that Clare indeed sought his death.
Therefore Roland hurled away his shattered shield, grasped Durandel in both hands, and struck
Lord Clare so mightily upon the helmet that he clove his face through the middle, down to the neck.
Lord Clare fell lifeless from his horse to the ground. So died the most valiant Lord Clare, son of
Miles of Mongrana, by fault of that desperate man, Gerard of the Thicket.
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Lord Clare was dead. When Gerard saw him falling from his horse, he lifted his hands in a foul
gesture toward the heavens and renounced God. Then he took up the crucifix by his side and broke
it into splinters and destroyed it utterly.
Roland, seeing Lord Clare fall, leapt from his horse and made a great moan over his body, calling to
mind the battles they had together fought in Aspramont against the Saracens, and loudly lamented
the shame of this battle.
Charles sent Ogier, Solomon of Brittany, and the Duke of Bavaria to Roland. They found him in
tears by the body and forced him to remount his horse. There was not one of them who did not
weep at Roland’s words. He commanded that Lord Clare’s body be covered with silk drapery, and