THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

86
© 2009 Max Wickert
It was the first watch of the night (almost a third of the night had passed) and Bevis landed at a
venture upon the ground, and he scarcely remembered where he was when he arrived there.
Reaching the wall of the enclosure, he entered a garden, removed a long piece of wood from a
bower and by means of it ascended the wall. Drawing it up alongside him, he began to descend
along the outside. It took a great effort, but at last he let himself drop into a water-filled moat,
receiving little hurt, but getting wet and bedraggled all over. He began to travel, and traveled for
many days unrecognized through Bosnia, lodging in the woods and deserts, eating herbs and wild
berries.
On the morning after the night of his escape from prison, many in the city saw the rope hanging
from the tower. They all gaped, saying: “What thing is here?” When those in the king’s palace
received notice of this, they ordered a search of the top of the tower. Much blood being discovered,
they reported this to the king, but they did not find the two dead guards there, because Bevis had
thrown them down into the tower. Then the king had the inside of the tower searched, and they
found all ten of the dead guards.
The alarm was raised, and on every side men went out on horseback and on foot to pursue him.
Word was sent to Dalmatia, to Croatia, and throughout Slovenia and Hungary and Bosnia and a part
of Rumania that he should be apprehended. But he only traveled by woodland paths, and suffered
so much hunger and fear that it was a wonder that he did not die. After many days he chanced to
arrive on the shore of the Black Sea, and he saw a city at his left hand which was named Varna.
Bevis walked toward the city, and come men who overtook him along the shore said to the citizens:
“We saw a man all covered with hair and miserably dressed on the shores of the sea.”