THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

served them, so that I can say that I have forty masters. But I would prefer to be at some
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© 2009 Max Wickert
nobleman’s. I am skilled carving at table, and I know how to manage a horse, since I managed a
horse at our mill.”
As Bevis was speaking these words, the king smiled, greatly delighted by the youth’s handsome
appearance, and asked him his name. Bevis answered: “I am called Augustine, and I am a baptized
Christian.” The king said to one of his barons: “He must certainly be the son of some great and
noble person who does not wish to be recognized.”
As these words were spoken, the greater part of the merchants chanced to come back. The king
said: “Augustine, do you want to stay with me? You shall not keep on selling merchandise.” “Yea,
by my faith,” Augustine replied, “but not without the leave of my masters, the merchants, for they
have always been very good to me.” Then the king told one of his treasurers to buy the lad and
departed to view the fair.
The treasurer could reach no terms with the merchants, and having rejoined the king, told him so;
and the king, having made the tour of the fair, which was great, and having returned to the pavilion,
had the merchants summoned. He reached an accord with them and bought Bevis for ten times the
price of a slave, had him mount behind him on the saddle and returned toward the city.
When he dismounted, Augustine leapt into the saddle and guided the king’s steed into the stable.
He was charged to tend on him with the king’s other pages, and he fared very well. Whenever the
king dined, he sent for Augustine, for he took pleasure in hearing him discourse, since he talked very
eloquently. He spent five years in this manner, and very soon could speak the language like one
born to the country. He had grown into a handsome youth and went about better dressed, for a
servitor, than the rest of the household.