THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
serpent in your bosom. You have Bevis in prison, and the whole city loves him better than you. If
he should escape, he soon would kill you. He is the lion cub that fortune has shown you.”
Dudon sent a hundred armed men to Hampton to tell Brandoria to send Bevis to him, but she told
them that she would have him killed that morning. She had a little cake and a fresh loaf of bread
prepared, both envenomed, along with a poisoned beverage, so that whoever first partook of them
would die. And she called one of her trusted ladies-in-waiting and gave her the keys of the room
where Bevis stayed, telling her: “Go and take this repast to Bevis and let him eat.”
The chambermaid knew the whole truth and, coming to Bevis, said: “There, little boy. Take your
last bite. Your mother sends you this.” Bevis was very bright and of good understanding. Hearing
her say “last bite,” he asked the chambermaid to explain, and she told him the whole truth. Bevis
began to weep, and said: “O cruel mother of mine, you caused the death of my father, and now you
want to kill me, whom you carried nine months in your womb! O good chambermaid, you felt more
pity for me than my own mother!”
At these words the chambermaid wept, and said: “O little lad, I cannot help you but in one way. As
soon as your mother has supped and gone to sleep, I will leave all the doors open for you. Blacken
your whole face and your leggings, turn your garments inside out, and flee for your life, if you can.”
Then Bevis knelt down and she drew some coins from her pocket and gave them to him to buy
bread once he was abroad. When she came back to Brandoria, she said: “I took it to him.” And
when the beastly lady had supped, she said: “I want go to sleep, and afterwards I’ll have Bevis
buried.”
Meanwhile, as she was sleeping, Bevis, with the aid of the chambermaid, left his room. He had
rubbed his hands and his whole face with soot from the wall, and was completely blackened, even to