THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
mounted atop them, and they rode back toward the city, while Bevis sang and the others answered
in chorus.
The music they made was so loud, that everyone ran up to see them. They passed by the courtyard
and received better notice than the knights at joust. But when Bevis arrived at the courtyard, he had
a sudden mind to joust. Bevis said to some of the servitors: “If I had armor, I would gladly joust.
But I see many attendants furnished with helmets and shield. Let me go take a shield and helmet
from one of them.”
He went into the courtyard and, finding a servitor who had a shield and helmet, asked whether he
might borrow it. But the man spoke ill to him. Then Bevis laid hands upon him, took away his
helmet and shield, and returned to the stable. Many of the hostlers there mounted along with him
on certain packhorses, and they rode with him into the courtyard, more in fun than in the belief that
Augustine would go jousting. He had no spear, but passing along the street he saw above a door a
long pole, holding up wool that had been hung there to dry.
Bevis seized that pole, threw all the wool to the ground. Followed by a great outcry of women, he
entered the lists with that pole, and over sixty reapers following him. All the people cried out at this
fine show, but with his first blow, he unhorsed the Count of Messuri who was a great friend of King
Marcabrun. Therefore King Marcabrun, while Bevis was turning, came riding full tilt at him from
behind. Bevis did not avoid him, and they exchanged two mighty blows. The king broke his spear
on Bevis’ shield, but he dealt with the king in such wise that he knocked him from the saddle.
It was the custom in those realms that whoever was unhorsed in any nuptial tourney should lose his
armor. Therefore Bevis cried: “Disarm these two fallen ones!” The Count of Messuri was
disarmed, but King Marcabrun refused to be disarmed, mounted his horse, and returned to his