THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

486
© 2009 Max Wickert
While the knights were standing by the fountain, one of the fruits fell from the tree and Samsonet
picked it up to eat it. As soon as he tasted it, he feared that it was mortally envenomed and threw it
away. The knights made stay there and Samsonet and Hugh went to sleep near the fountain. When
Roland saw that his companions were asleep, he made the sign of the Cross over them and
commended them to Christ. At Roland’s prayer, a falcon with feathers of gold descended from the
sky and sat in the tree watch over the knights.
Roland mounted and rode across a low slope. In the valley he saw a castle and began to give thanks
to Christ. He dismounted and called out for the castellan. Inside that castle there dwelt a hermit
named Samson. He had lived there for sixty years, serving Christ. Every day the angel Gabriel
brought him a loaf of bread and a piece of fruit. Long ago, he had been one of Charles’ knights, but
Charles had banished him from his realm, because he had killed a knight in the emperor’s presence.
Samson thereupon became a hermit in this region to do penance.
The hermit Samson, hearing himself summoned, came to a window and called: “Ah, you cursed
giants, do you still go unpunished? Not two days have passed since I killed four of you in this valley.
Do you think you can go wherever you please? Know that I long ago killed more than ten thousand
of you.” Roland called back: “O holy hermit, I am neither a Saracen nor a highwayman, but a
Christian servant of Christ. I beseech you, give me a piece of your bread.” The hermit answered:
“You lie in your throat and in your teeth. There have never been any Christians in these parts, but if
you call me into the field, I shall make you rue your words.” Roland answered: “I swear on the hilt
of my sword that I am a Christian. Not many days ago I served in Charlemagne’s host near
Pamplona. Know that Roland crossed the great sea and conquered Syria, Persia and Babylon, and
caused more than a hundred thousand Saracens to be baptized. He left Charles because Charles