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THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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507<br />

© 2009 Max Wickert<br />

Meanwhile Bradamant, growing aware of the long dispute, came down from the palace and took<br />

Ganelon by the hand. (Bradamant, you must know, was Marsilius’ wife, and Gaidamont was his<br />

daughter.) Then Bradamant led Ganelon to a fair lodging in the palace and said: “Ah, gentle knight,<br />

I am overcome with love for you, for you seem to me a man of nobility and high estate.” Presently<br />

Bradamant began kissing Ganelon, and he turned redder than dragon’s blood, while she kept saying:<br />

“Ah, noble knight, I see that because of you I will either remain a queen or be deprived of my realm.<br />

I beg you not to love another any better than he loves you. Can you not see clearly that Charles has<br />

sent you out to die? I beg, by my love, do whatever Marsilius and King Blanzardine counsel. I shall<br />

ever be your lady and your friend, and I can help you gain the loveliest woman in the world.”<br />

Ganelon, seeing how beautiful the lady was, was suddenly smitten with love for her and said: “I<br />

want to do whatever pleases you.” Then Bradamant once more kissed him, giving many thanks, and<br />

took his hand while they descended the palace stairs.<br />

King Marsilius and Blanzardine, seeing Bradamant coming down from the palace with Ganelon and<br />

smiling, were exceedingly comforted. Marsilius stepped forward and took Ganelon’s hand, and<br />

Bradamant said: “Marsilius, you must love Ganelon better than the eyes in your head.” Soon<br />

Marsilius went back under his canopy with Ganelon and said to him: “Ah, Ganelon. How can you<br />

love Charles with a sincere heart, since he sends you here to Saragossa to die?” Then Ganelon said:<br />

“Whatever I do must be decided in a place where no man in the world, but only the birds in the air,<br />

can see me. There we will make plans about what to do.” Said Marsilius: “Have no fear on that<br />

account, for I possess a treeless plain, some nine leagues wide, with a fine pine tree at its center and<br />

a beautiful fountain beneath it. There let us go at our pleasure, and there take counsel, so that none<br />

can hear or see us.”

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