THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
whereupon he said, “My lady, these will do for me,” and armed himself, and Drusiana helped him.
When he was armed and Drusiana had dubbed him knight, she gave him a sword named Clarenza
which had belonged of old to Sir Lancelot of the Lake. Some English knight, fleeing from England,
had brought it to that country.
After she had dubbed him knight, she threw herself upon his neck and kissed him and said, weeping:
“Sir Augustine, I commend you to my father, but, before you go, I would like a boon from you.”
Augustine said: “My lady, I am ready even unto the death to serve your noble person.” She then
asked that he should marry her; and then they drew aside and both swore troth to each other. He
married her with a golden ring that she gave him.
Drusiana said: “Now I must mind you better than I did before; and you, Sir Augustine, must mind
me better.” Said Bevis: “My lady, since you are my spouse, I wish to be open with you. Know then
that my name is not Augustine, but Bevis of Hampton, and that I was the son of Duke Guy of
Hampton, and am of the blood of the Emperor Constantine.”
When Drusiana heard this, she was the happiest woman in the world. She took another ring from
her pocket, fashioned exactly like the one with which she had married him, and put it upon Bevis’
finger, saying: “Let this be the spousal of love in perfection. Do you keep one of these rings, and I
will keep the other, for as long as we shall live in this world.” This done, he put the helmet on his
head, went to the stable and mounted Swallowtail. Drusiana handed him his shield and lance and
said: “Go, and my God grant you victory!”
Bevis rode to the gate and found all the knights who had fled from the battlefield. Then he too a
thousand select knights, issued from the city, and rode toward the enemy camp with banners spread.
The Saracens marveled greatly, saying: “Who might this be who has so much boldness as to return