THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

90
© 2009 Max Wickert
As soon as he had eaten, he (God willing) departed. Walking through the city, he came to a church,
and saw many ladies leaving it. Bevis came up to four of them, who seemed to him of some rank,
and said to them: “Give me alms for the love of God and of the soul of Bevis, who was a good
knight.” Three of them closed their eyes and walked away, but the third remained behind and said:
“What Bevis are you speaking of?” He replied: “Of Bevis of Hampton, Drusiana’s husband.” Said
the lady: “How do you know Bevis? Do you have some truthful report of him?” “Yes, by my faith,”
said he; “I have, my lady, been in prison with him for nearly three years and four months, and have
this morning left ship with him.” Said the lady: “My friend, for God’s sake, see if you can find him
and send him in secret to Drusiana, for she has sworn to hurl herself from her balcony and kill
herself, rather than consent to be the wife of any man other than Bevis. If you find him, tell him
that I am the waiting-maid by whom his mother sent the poison to his room, and who helped him
escape. Because he escaped, my husband and I had to flee here. At our arrival in Greece, we heard
tell that Bevis was in Armenia, and came to Armenia, but could not find him. Drusiana keeps me
with her for love of him, and she trusts me more than any other woman.” All the while that she was
speaking these words, she wept. Then she drew four cold coins from her purse, gave them to Bevis,
and said: “If you are asked what you were saying to me, tell them: ‘I was asking the way to the Holy
Sepulcher, since I have a desire to go there.’” She left him then to rejoin her companions, and told
them that he had asked for the way to the Holy Sepulcher.
23
When the lady had left, Bevis went toward Drusiana’s palace and by one of the balconies found
many noblemen diverting themselves, some playing at drafts and others at chess, among which there
was a knight who had lose ten gold coins to a merchant. Bevis stopped and said: “Give alms to me
for the love of God and of the soul of Bevis, who was a good knight.” The man who had lost said: