THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
him with great joy and told him: “Perhaps our lord Mahound sent this peasant to defend us against
Pelleas.”
When Pelleas saw Roland riding toward the city, he began to ride back to the host. Machidant saw
him coming and said: “What have you done to this insolent peasant?” Pelleas replied: “In all my life
I have never received two such blows as in this encounter.” Machidant answered: “Have no fear,
for when you ride out to battle in the morning, you will surely kill him.” Pelleas replied: “I will do
so, if it please Mahound. But I vow that in the morning I will go to the city, in contempt and spite
of the Sultan and Samsonet, and take that whore to throw her into a blazing fire. Then I will kill
that proud churl and destroy all the men in his realm.”
31: Bucephalus [summary]
Pelleas, after the battle, began to suspect that this stranger was not the peasant that he claimed to be, but rather some
great prince. In the morning, he armed and rode secretly into the city. He went straight to the palace and forcibly
carried off Dionysia, vowing to have her burned at the stake. Roland pursued and challenged him. Over Machidant’s
objection that a crowned king may not with honor fight a peasant, Pelleas agreed to a duel in five days’ time.
Roland did not have a good warhorse, for he had left Veliantin at Pamplona. Hearing of this, the Sultan offered him
the fierce stallion Bucephalus, provided he could break him to the saddle. (That horse had already killed five squires
who tried to tame him.) All watched in astonishment as Roland overmastered that fiery steed.
Pelleas
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Now he tale relates that Roland on the fourth day prepared himself knowing that he must that
morning go into battle. All that time Dionysia knelt in prayer to Mahound, beseeching him to grant
the peasant the victory over Pelleas and to free her from Machidant’s hands. When morning
arrived, Roland armed, put that hauberk on his shoulders that had once belonged to Hector of Troy,
laced his helmet upon his head, and leapt on Bucephalus’ back without using the stirrups. When the