THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
Now these merchants visited the Spanish seaports, and then the seaports of Morocco by way of the
outer sea, and afterwards they entered the Strait of Gibraltar and visited all the markets of Africa and
of Egypt and Beirut and all of Syria. Then they came to Cyprus, and from there they entered the
Gulf of Anatolia and came within sight of Armenia 19 . That country they wished to visit, because
some of them hailed from it and also because it contained a city called Armenias situated on the
Cilician border near the kingdom of Amazonia where the Amazons dwelled in ancient times.
Bevis saw them growing glad and asked them: “How far are we from the country where you took
me up?” One of the merchants answered: “This place is located in the very center of the world.”
Said Bevis: “Praised be God that I have escaped the hands of my enemies!” So they arrived at the
harbor of the city of Armenias, and Bevis saw great crowds of people on shore, and huge pavilions
that covered the entire strand. He asked what this meant, and was told: “This is a merchant fair that
is held every other year for one month, and we have come to this fair to sell and cheapen our
wares.”
Bevis and Drusiana
8-14: Augustine, Swallowtail and the Princess
8
The merchants’ ship entered the harbor of Armenias. Coming to land, they pitched their pavilion
and unloaded their wares from the ship, and commanded Augustine (for so Bevis called himself so
as not to be recognized) to stand guard over the merchandise, and he did so. As the merchants left
him, they told him to sell cloth and other things. Bevis said to himself: “Cursed be my mother who
19 The name of the country (Erminia), its capital city, Armenias (Ermenias), and its king, Armin (Ermenione), are
clearly cognates.