THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

89
© 2009 Max Wickert
to provide the court.” While these words were being spoken, they reached land. Bevis stepped
ashore, took his sword, and, after thanking the fisherman, went on foot toward Apollonia.
Walking toward the city, he found a pilgrim near it in the shadow of some trees. Bevis greeted him
and stayed with him a little while. Then he said to him: “Friend, I would gladly give you my clothes,
if you will give me yours.” The pilgrim said: “I will not, by God!” And Bevis undressed and the
rude fellow would not change with him. But Bevis rushed at him, threw him to the ground, gave
him blows in kicks in quantity, and took off his clothes, finding a sword girded to his side. He
snatched it away from him and discovered that this was his own sword, Clarenza. Said Bevis: “By
my faith, this sword is mine. You must be the man who stole it from me at Sinella.” And the ruffian
seemed to plead for a thousand years to let him escape his hands. This done, they parted. And
Bevis, pilgrim’s cloak on his back, pilgrim’s hat on his head, girt with Clarenza, staff in hand with a
satchel tied to containing the captured food and wine and the ring that Drusiana had given him,
recaptured from the ruffian, went from there to the city of Apollonia.
Reaching the gate, he began to act the beggar, saying that he came from the Holy Sepulcher. He
found lodging at the house of a merchant, where about eight merchant were seated at table. Bevis
entered the lodging and said: “God save you. I beg you, give me alms for the love of God and for
the sake of soul of Bevis, who was a good knight.” He twice accosted them in this manner, and the
merchants said to him: “Do not mention that knight’s name.” Then Bevis said the same in a louder
voice, and the merchants were afraid and rose from the table, for fear of being denounced to the
king. Bevis without more ado ate of the viands that were spread on the table, and no one spoke to
him, since they were thankful that he should eat and then, God willing, be gone. And so he did.