THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
twenty-two-year-old son Samsonet, and his eighteen-year-old daughter Dionysia, attended by many
other barons and knights. Facing them stood Machidant with one of his nephews (his name was
Pelleas, a mighty knight-at-arms); and next them, a king whose name was Florentius, who carried a
mighty mace and was almost as huge as Ferrau. There were many other barons who tried to advise
them to come to an agreement, for they had heard reports that the Emperor Charles had entered
Spain with a large army to fight against Marsilius and Balugant, and was everywhere laying waste the
Spanish countryside.
The Sultan was saying: “Now listen to me, Machidant. I have discovered that Charles has arrived in
Spain, with a great number of Christians, meaning to conquer Marsilius and all Navarre, and to have
all Spain baptized. I would have you consider that, if Charles conquers Spain, he will cross the sea
and conquer all of Barbary. I therefore tell you that it would be best to go out together and aid
Marsilius against the Christians.” Machidant’s nephew Pelleas replied: “We shall never go together
unless you give your daughter in marriage to Machidant.” Then Dionysia spoke: “My dear father,
how can you consent to make me marry an old man of eighty? I vow by our god Termagant that I
shall never yield to him so long as I live. I am a young woman of eighteen, and this wedding is
against all reason.” Pelleas then answered: “What, you impudent whore, would you dare insult an
eminent lord like Machadant? I swear by our high god Mohammed I will have you burned alive.”
And he continued to speak many churlish words to her. Samsonet, her brother, dared say nothing
for fear of Pelleas, who was as strong a knight among the Saracens as Roland was among the
Christians. Thus neither side could agree with the other. But Pelleas could not be opposed, so
direly had Machidant attacked and besieged the Sultan. Already the war had lasted three years and
more than a hundred thousand Saracens on each side had died in it.