THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
sallied out of the city to deliver its people. When he entered battle, he encountered with Luciferus,
but was thrown to the ground and captured and brought to his tent. His soldiers were pushed back
into the city by force of arms; many of them were slain and many taken. The gates were shut and
the city suffered great tribulation and noise and fear and lamenting. And Drusiana above all wept
for fear that the city would be lost.
Bevis, who was walking beneath the palace, heard say how Drusiana was weeping. Love caused him
to share her woe, and he, caring and fearing for nothing, went where she was weeping, reached her
chamber, and found her there, in tears, with many other women.
When she saw him, she threw herself upon his neck and embraced him, saying: “Alas, Augustine,
what shall we do? For my father and your lord has been captured, and King Marcabrun with him,
and now they have also taken Duke Hewellyn, my uncle.” Augustine said: “My lady, have no fear.
For I sense such valor and might within myself that, if you give me a good suit of armor and dub me
knight, I shall go into battle. And my souls tells me that I will recapture your father and the others
who have been taken. However, the arms that I have acquired in the joust are insufficient for so
great a danger as this battle.”
Drusiana led him to her chamber and gather up a good suit of armor for him. Bevis armed, and
when he was armed, he rose and put all his armor to the test, and every part of it broke. And he
pushed the helmet from his head with the pommel of his sword and broke it, and said: “My lady,
these arms will not do for me.” Drusiana said: “I have no better armor, but I have plenty of worse
ones.” Then she remembered something and said: “I do have one suit of armor that belonged to
my grandfather, and it was brought from Rome, as I have heard tell of it by my father. But it is old
and rusty.” Bevis made her fetch it and put severely to the test, and found it strong and suitable;