of comfort bâ—â— the other as much cause to rest If then it bee so as it is mâ—â—â—rue that we are all subiect to thâ— Tyrant he that hath past the flower of his youth not tasting of hâ—â— fury may not thinke himselfe in any thing more happy séeing it is his manner to constraine yoong men to loue and â—â—â—entimes old fooles to dote In that sort the Gentlewoman 〈◊〉 â—ennance for the euill shee conceiued against the blacke knight and had continued longer there had it not been for feare to bee discouered Wherefore with the sword in her hand she returned backe again towards the castle without being once perceiued entered at a posterne dore whereof she had the key and so went vp into her chamber departing from the hermitage not long before her father and the dumbe man returned from the barke and found the knight sléeping who presently awaked and missing his sword asked them if they had taken it away No truly saied the Hermite for we came but now from the sea side Wherewith Esplandian estéeming it lost made account that as he had conque◠〈◊〉 after a strange maner so hée had lost it by a stranger meanes but the Hermite and the dumbe man sought it about the house and could not find it CHAP. X. How King Luisart being aduertised by Carmelle where the blacke knight was departed with her alone to find him out CArmelle returned to the castle as it is said before went to the king who at the same time was talking with master Elizabeth touching the wrong hee thought the blacke knight did him in departing thence without being knowne séeking by that meanes if it were possible to draw from him what hee knew as touching the knight but all in vain for the king was not so subtil to vndermine him but master Elizabeth was as crafty to preueÌ„t him not intending to falsifie the trust reposed in him and although the Gentlewoman had determined to shewe the king what shee had learned of the knight hoping thereby to obtaine her purpose Neuerthelesse séeing maister Elizabeth in presence shée held her peace till he went away and perceiuing the king alone said vnto him My lord if it pleaseth your grace to shew mee so much fauour as to assist mee in a thing that importeth as much as my life in behalfe of the knight that you so much desire to sée before to morrow at night I will shew him vnto you if you think good in such a place where you may easily speake with him and to the end you shall not suspect me of vntruth I wil shew you a certaine token that when you sée it I am assured you will easily beléeue me Gentlewoman said the king if you doe so I wil not faile if it be possible to satisfie your request I beséech your grace saied she when you are both togither it would please you to be a mean vnto him in my behalfe to graunt me a gift that I shall ask him By the faith of a Prince saied hée I will not faile to doe it nor a greater matter then that if it lieth in my power Then follow me saied the Gentlewoman bringing him where shee had laied the sword and shewing it vnto him asked if he had neuer séene it That I haue said the king and I would to God the knight that knoweth so well how to handle it were as néere vnto mee as it is You shall sée him in the morning saied she if it pleaseth you to follow me That will I doe saied the king armed or vnarmed I estéeme not whether so I may sée him Then be you ready saied she when I shall call and let no man go with you Content said the king wherewith hee went out of the chamber and passing through the court he met Libee and others to whome hee saied that in the morning he meant to walke along the rocke because maister Elizabeth had certefied him it was so goodly a countrey and that none but Carmelle should beare him company and falling into other spéeches they passed the time till they went to rest but the king could not sléepe for the great desire he had to sée the knight whereby he was hardly fallen asléep when Carmelle came to awake him saying My lord may it please your grace to remember your promise Let vs goe saied hée and there with making himselfe ready commanded two horses to bée sadled one for himselfe the other for Carmelle and issuing out of the castle rode towards the Hermitage And they had not trauelled farre but they perceiued a man comming towards them in great hast and as hee came néereâ— the Gentlewoman knew him asking what he meant to make such hast and whether hée rode I ride to the castle said hee to fetch Matroco and his brother Frerian with all spéed to helpe their vncle Lindoraque who comming to sée theÌ„ hath met with two knights armed all in white that haue slaine his men and as I thinke I left him in as great danger as possible may bee When the king heard him hee thought them to bee of the blacke knights company and said vnto the GentlewomaÌ„ I pray you stay here with this man and I will ride to sée them and with that hee set spurres to his horse and taking the same way the other came he perceiued a far off the two knights fighting with the Giant that defended himselfe most valiantly with his mare forcing them oftentimes to recule but the two knights as bold and nimble handled him in such sort that hee knew not how to defend himselfe and if hee had not slaine one of their horses it had gone worse with him Neuerthelesse the knight on horsebacke seeking to reuenge his companion was nothing abashed but when the other rose vp set fiercelier vpon the Giant then before in such manner that they closed and striuing together sought by all meanes to vnhorse each other Mean time the knight on foot went vnto the Giant and taking him by the left leg pulled him by such force that both hee and the other knight fell off their horses and holding each other fast the Giant fell vnder with his face vpwards wherewith the knight that threw him downe thrust him into the face that hee was constrained to let goe his hold neuerthelesse rising vp againe with great force and laying hold vpon the knight that had so wounded him hee threw him on the ground meane time the other gaue the Giant such a blow vpon the head that hée began to réele and therewith stretching out his legs yéelded vp the ghost With that the king rode somewhat néerer and perceiued the two knights to beare black crosses that shewed theÌ„ to be Christians wherefore riding boldly vnto them hee went so néere that they knew him wherevpon they went to doe him honour much abashed to sée him But the king perceiuing the honour they did him was no lesse abashed and saied vnto them My good friendes I know you not I pray
together THe fearefull cries at the time of the great constraint shal force thee O thou Knight that hast conquered the sword to returne againe to conquer the great treasure wherby thy ioy shal be restored in such sort that the kindled flames by whose beames thou shalt farre off be wounded shal bee extinguished content thy selfe with this glorious conquest thou hast made for that variable fortune had aduanced thee before all others and thou hast obtained the honor whervnto so many good knights could neuer attaine notwithstanding all their Prowesse Esplandian hauing read and again perused the contents of the writing for a time stood musing thereon and in the end perceiued thereby that although hee had brought the aduenture of the sword vnto an end yet he should be constrained to attend the time appointed according to the contents of the writing neuerthelesse hee knew not the meaning thereof being as then at libertie and frée from all the passions of loue Notwithstanding the cruell Tyrant Loue afterward obtained so great a conquest against him that hee made him fall in loue with her that hee neuer had séene nor neuer was in her company as reading further in this history you shall at large perceiue Then he laied hand vpon the scabbard and put the sword into it thanking God deuoutly for the grace he had obtained After that he went diuers times about the tombe to sée if he could open it without breaking but he perceiued the christall from whence issued part of the brightnesse to be couered with another plate coloured like azure so wonderfully wrought that it would scarse bée iudged whether it were marble mettall or any other stuffe whereupon he left off his enterprise and returned into the hall where the dead serpent lay but as then neither the sword nor the scabberd yéelded any such brightnesse as before they did because it was day Then going out hée went downe againe towards the Hermitage where hee had left his Squier who being melancholy and amased at the long absence of his maister fearing some danger happened vnto him was gone out of the Hermitage to séeke him and he had not trauelled farre but hee perceiued him comming with the sword by his side whereat he made such ioy that being yet farre from him he cried out and said O my lord blessed bee God that hath giuen you so good a beginning wherat euery man shal wonder Friend said Esplandian he hath yet done more for mee then thou wouldest thinke and with that hee began from point to point to shew him the danger wherein he was and being in that discourse it waxed darke euen then when they arriued at the Hermitage wherefore they determined not to trauel any further that night but laied them downe vnder the next trées they came vnto still speaking of the strangenesse of the place whereat Sergil being more abashed then before could not refraine to say As God help me Maister by good reason you may bée estéemed a better knight then Amadis your father that came into this place and saw the Image at the Hermitage the writing that standeth vpon the arch of stone the serpent the sword that stuck in the gate where you found it and the shining tombe yet durst he neuer proue any of these aduentures and hée saied true for Amadis knew well by the contents of the letters written in Gréeke that those aduentures were ordained for his sonne Esplandian and therefore vndertooke them not but all others onely Gransador and Vrganda knew it not til thē but although Sergil thought to please his master vsing such words in his commendation yet Esplandian tooke it not so well saying I pray thée Sergil neuer vse such spéeches for if the Prowesse and knightly aduentures of my Father had ben as well employed to the aduancing of the Christian faith as they were to win and obtaine honour in this world I thinke his like would not be found but hauing passed his youth in things so vaine and transitory doubtlesse his glory is the lesse not that I presume in any thing to accuse him and God forbid I should yet is hee knowne in so many places to bee so valiant a knight that whosoeuer he be can second him may well estéeme himselfe happy among the happiest wherefore I pray thée let vs talk of other matters Thus sometimes talking and other whiles sléeping day began to appeare when they rose vp taking their way towards the sea side descending downe the rocke till they came where the two dumbe men staied for them one within the ship the other in a little barke wherein Esplandian entred according to the sign the dumb man had made and Sergil went into the serpent and with that they departed and the barke sayled so swiftly that in short space they left the sight one of the other But we will leaue Sergil with his dumbe man making extream sorrow to sée himselfe bereaued of his maisters presence and will shew you of Esplandian that from this time forwards shal be called the blacke knight by reason of the armes hee bare who being in the little barke with his conducter sayled so long that they took landing néere the Port where king Lisuart lay prisoner CHAP. III. How the barke wherein the black Knight and the dumbe man sailed arriued in the borders of Turkie hard by the place called La montaigne defendu and of the discourse that an hermite and the Knight had together TEnne daies and as many nights together the black knight and the dumbe man sayled on the sea not knowing in what parts they were for if he had enquired of his guide it had ben but labor lost the eleuenth day they discouered a great pleasant Island where the knight being wearied with the impetuosity of the waues desired his guide to put his barke on shoare but he regarding not his words thrust it néere vnto a high rocke by nature cut in such manner that it séemed a wall purposely made for the defence thereof and the countrey was so 〈◊〉 of woods and bushes that it might be estéemed vnhabitable Then the dumbe man shewed him a path that led him vp to the rocke and made him a signe to goe thether where with he issued out of the barke armed at all points and began to mount vp the weather was then extreame hote whereby the knight was so chased in his harness that he was constrained to put off his helmet carry it in his hand till he perceiued a little Hermitage among the bushes before it stood a high crosse which pleased him well not only for the hope he had to find some one of whom hee might enquire in what countrey hee was but because hee was assured that there dwelt a Christian and with that hée perceiued a man apparrelled like an Hermite so old and withered that his long white beard hung downe to his girdle carrying in his hand a pitcher of water that he had drawne out of a
nature but by art that neither of the two Princes of those countries what force soeuer they brought hether could neuer win it And now a Giant sonne vnto my lady and mistresse and one of the most strongest and puissant knights in the East parts as many of his neighbours whose goods hee hath by force vsurped and that in despight of the Emperour or any other contradicting the same haue proued is lord thereof Where dwelleth hee saiâ—d the knight Aboue vpon the rock said the Hermite in a castle which he hath most strongly fortefied and is kept with all diligence and care by a Giant one of his brethren with others of as good condition as themselues and which is more it is not possible to come néer the castle but by a little path way whereon the sea continually beateth at the end whereof there is a pair of staires cut out of the rocke whereby you mount vp till you come to an yron gate where a villaine in whom the lord of the castle putteth his trust watcheth continually for there is no other entery but onely the great gate that is defended with strong platformes and great Towers in the middle whereof there is a dore so straight that a man on horsebacke can hardly enter therein and that way most commonly those of the castle doe vse to issue forth Before it bee night said the knight I meane to sée what manner of place it is if I can I will know who it is that was so lately brought thether God kéepe you from thence saied the Hermite for thereby you will either procure your owne death or at the least perpetuall imprisonment Happen what may said the knight I wil proue what fortune it shall please God to send mee That were but ill done of you said the Hermite for that men are bound to imploy their forces only in things that stand with reason and possibilitie thereby to reap a benefit by their labors otherwise they are to be estéemed desperat fools not valiant hardy knights adueÌ„turing without due respect not only their bodies but their souls which are of greater price and Christ himselfe hath by example plainely shewed it vnto vs for when the Deuil came and tempted him bidding him doe certain things which in déed as he was Christ were possible but as be was man were impossible to doe hee answered him that hee should not tempt the Lord his God So my good sonne said hee I would aduise you to desist from so vnreasonable an enterprise You may preach what you will to persuade me to the contrary said the knight but I must do that where vnto I am called which is to prooue my selfe in those aduentures that in mans iudgement séeme impossible otherwise those that haue foreshewed of me should not onely haue trauelled in vaine but bee estéemed liers and fooles If then their sayings bee true what greater honour can I obtain then bringing most wonderful aduentures to an end I may from henceforth therby restrain the rage and fury of such men as hurt and do iniury vnto others contrary to the laws of God and man And if they be found liers I had rather they shold be reproued for their want of knowledge then I accused of any point of cowardise And if the worst fal out I will imploy my force against such accursed people members and ministers of the deuill whom by the help of God I shal ouercome and I beléeue and am certainely persuaded that if I die in those aduentures hee will receiue my soule into his heauenly ioy The Hermite meruailed much to heare the blacke knight speake so wisely and with so great a courage neuerthelesse the great beautie and yoong yeares hée perceiued him to haue moued him to so great compassion that the teares ranne downe his eies and therewith he saied Ha good knight hee in whome thou trustest preserue thée and send thée long life and séeing thou art resolutely determined to passe forward I pray thée deferre the time for this night for it is already so late that although thou shouldest haue time inough to get vnto the gate before the sunne goeth downe yet shalt thou find it shut as it is accustomed to be wherevpon the Knight kept the Hermite company till the next day in the morning CHAP. IIII. How the blacke knight went vp the rocke where by force of armes he slue three Giants and dliuered king Luisart out of prison AT the Hermites request the knight stayed and â—are him company all night who entertained him in the best manner hee could where after they had supped they laied them downe vpon a little straw till day began to appear when they rose vp and the knight hauing said his praiers in the chappell being armed at all points tooke his leaue of the Hermite that brought him a great part of his way and had gone further but he feared the Giants Wherfore committing him to God hee tooke his leaue and returned Being gone the knight trauailed so fast that hauing coasted along the sea shore and passed the side of a great and thick forrest he descended into the goodliesh meddow that eâ—er was séene from whence hee perceiued the castle scituated vpon the top of a high rocke and making towards it hee came tâ—â— long bridge finding no other way vnto it at the end whereof was a broad causie paued with stone the sea â—â—â—ting continually against the towers out of the windowes hee espied two knights one as hee thought was a Giant the ladies sonne Notwithstanding hee stayed not but tooke his way on the left hand and â—ounting vp the steppes came to a marble gate kept by a knight all armeâ— that before he came at him cried as loud as hee could saying Thou accursed wretch the colour of thy armor fore sheweth not so much sorrow and griefe as here thou shalt receiue confusion What deuill was bee that sent thée hether being so yoong Meane time the knight by little and little got vp the hill making as if hee heard him not for hee had worke inough to looke to himselfe the way was strait and vneasie to passe and therefore hée bare his helmet vnder his arme But when hée approched the gate and heard the other continue in his brauery he answered him and said He that is afraid commonly threatneth a faâ—â—â— oâ—â— as then bâ—e some but if thou desirest to know the cause oâ—â—â—y comming open mee the gate and thou shalt sée if I can satisfie thy desire With that the Porter came downe and while the knight put on his helmet hee opened the gate and looking out cried with a loud voice come in thou vnhappy creature to the place where you 〈◊〉 any straunger had good entertainement Then the blacke knight went in and entred into a vaut meane time the gate was that whereby the place séemed very darke for there entred no light but only by a little hole that came through the rocke and as he passed forward
him goe in and there shalt thou finde the prisoner Ladie saied the knight if it were to fight I would not faile to doe your commandement but if by subtiltie I should be shut in prison you would laugh at me that I had no more wit but to put my trust in you wherefore goe you in first that whatsoeuer happeneth you may haue your part I sée well saied the lady that my labour is in vaine and all my art is nothing in respect of thée therefore I am content to doe thy will but we haue no light to sée Care you not for that saied he for I will prouide you light and with that hee pulled of the taffata that couered the scabberd of his sword whereby there was so great a brightnesse in the place as if the sunne had shone therein Then they descended into a caue where the knight perceiued king Luisart lie vpon a couch of straw with a great coller of yron about his necke and fetters on his legs whereby he indured no little paine whereat hee was so gréeued that for sorrow the teares ranne downe his eies yet would hee not disclose himselfe vnto him neither once vtter what hee thought but without making himselfe knowne said vnto him Noble king you haue beene ouerlong within this filthy place rise vp I pray you and follow mee When the king heard him speake in that manner hée made no other account but to end his daies at that time wherewith he could not refraine to wéepe and speaking vnto the old lady asked her if she knew him For saied hee since I entered into this place I neuer saw any knight nor any one that spake vnto me but that little sustenance I had was let downe at a hole from the top of this dungeon TheÌ„ she answerd him and in great despight said Thou accursed king if I had not knowne thée I would neuer haue taken paines to fetch thée so farre from hence as I haue done cursed bee the time when first I tooke it vpon mee for thou onely art the cause of my great sorrow and the sole instrument of my bereaued ioies In faith lady saied the king I know not what you meane and am very sorry for your heauinesse for I neuer sought but to doe honour and pleasure vnto all ladies and Gentlewomen that desired the same and for them haue I oftentimes enterprised many dangerous aduentures to the great perrill and hazard of my life and if it hath happened otherwise vnto you it is altogether vnknown to mee and wholly against my will wherefore I be séech you bee not offended with me but tell me where I am and in whose power I now remaine a prisoner in so great misery or by my soule I know it not neither can I so much as conceiue which way I came into this place only I remember that to second a Gentlewoman that a villaine would haue forced I entered into a tent but what happened vnto mée after that I know not but that now I find my selfe lying on straw like a théefe with yrons on my legs King said she the short time of thy continuance in this darknes hath not satisfied as I well hoped it would the great mischief I doe wish thée and that for good cause séeing that by thée onely I haue indured so much sorrow that if the heart and bowels were taken out of my body they would bee found as burning whote as flaming fire and especially for the new displeasure I haue nowe conceiued to sée thée so soone deliuered out of my hands being in good hope by thy long imprisonment to satisfie my losses past but yet I am deceiued for that fortune hath now made mee pay the vsury of my forepassed ioies hauing giuen thée into my handes from whence by the exquisite force of this diuell incarnate thou art now deliuered who hauing put to death the Gardians of this castle and slaine mine owne sonne hath constrained mee to bring him vnto thée which I neuer thought hée could haue done much lesse that euer I should haue yéelded vnto his request knowing the wrath of a woman not to haue any bridle or meanes of mittigation vntill her desired reuenge hath wrought the effect and so had it happened vnto thée without the force of this my enemy but in despight both of him and thée with mine owne handes I will slay my selfe if my aâ—cursed fortune bereaue mee not the sooner of my wretched daies Cursed bée both thou and thy King thou now hast found saied shee vnto the knight Now take him and doe thy pleasure with him I pray you then lady said hée vnlose his irons and helpe mee to lead him vp with that shee tooke the keies out of her pocket and opened the lockes of his chaines whereby the King rose vp vpon his féet and embracing the blacke Knight saied vnto him What great good or pleasure sir Knight did I euer doe you whereby you should purchase this liberty vnto me By my soule I sweare that besides the honour you haue obtained in this place you haue so much bound me vnto you that during my life I shall neuer forget your courtesie wherefore if you loue me let me know your name Noble King said the knight whosoeuer I am I account my selfe happy if many sort I may be able to doe you seruice as for the rest pardon mee if it pleaseth you and let vs goe out of this caue thanking God that oftentimes sendeth scourges vnto those hee loueth as in his heauenly wisedome he thinketh conuenient thereby to kéepe them in obedience vnto him The King pecreiuing well by the knights words that he desired not to be knowne and for the same cause kept his helmet on his head therefore hee determined not to mooue him any more but with that they went all thrée out of the caue and came into a goodly hall when the sunne began to goe downe CHAP. V. How that after King Luisart was deliuered out of prison Matroco Frerions elder brother with his ships arriued at the foot of the rocke called La Roche defendu and of the battell betweene the said Matroco and the blacke knight KIng Luisart the black knight and the lady being entred into the hall as they looked out at the windowes into the sea there entered a Gentlewoman and doing reuerence vnto the lady shee saied Madame your sonne Matroco with his ships is euen now arriued at the foote of the rock with him great numbers of other vessels that he hath taken vpon the seas What is your pleasure to say vnto him When the ladie heard her shee waxed pale and with teares in her eies answered her and said I would to God he were as farre from hence as hee is néere for my heart giueth mee he will spéed in the like maner that others haue done before him And as shee spake king Luisart and the knight looked into the sea and perceiuing the Giants fléet surging on the shoare out of wind
all that day hée had not eaten hauing supped they laied him in a bed where the Hermites doughter when shee came to sée her father vsed to lie and visiting his body to sée if he were hurt they found it much brused and blacke in diuers places but not wounded by reason of the goodnesse of his armour which no sword or other weapon could pierce then they annointed him with certaine ointments that appeased the sorenesse of his bruses wherewith hee fell on sléepe till the next morning CHAP. VI. Of the great displeasure king Luisart tooke for the departure of the blacke knight and what conference he had with Arcabonne mother to Matroco touching her vnfortunate life THe black knight being departed out of the castle he had newly conquered the prisoners entred therein among the rest king Luisart knew maister Elizabeth wherfore he rose vp sitting by Arcabonne Matrocos mother who as then leaned on her lap went to imbrace him asking him what fortune had brought him thether at that time to saue the Giants life being in so great extremity And it pleaseth your grace said he once this day I did not thinke hee would haue had so much néed of my helpe as he now hath But as I vnderstand by a knight that I met going downe the hill hee is in great danger of his life Neuerthelesse for the honour of him that commanded mee to helpe him I will doe the best I can I pray you doe so saied the king Then maister Elizabeth caused Matroco to be softly laied vpon his bed and being vnarmed searched his wounds and perceiuing them to bee deadly would not for that time doe any thing vnto them but stanch their bléeding leauing the rest till hee had slept wherein hee was newly fallen In the meane time king Luisart not forgetting what maister Elizabeth at his comming in had said vnto him asked him what was become of the blacke knight and it pleaseth your grace saied he as we entred into the castle I met him going secretly from hence and not minding to returne againe By Saint Mary saied the king haue I receiued so great aid at his hands and am I so vnfortunate that hee should depart from hence without knowing him Truly I am sorry I staied here to sée what would become of Matroco if I had not I would surely haue followed him and with much importunity haue craued his name Maister Elizabeth said he will you vpon your faith tell mee truly whether you know him or not If it be so if you will do doe me any pleasure hide it no longer froÌ„ mée for I neuer had so great desire to know any knight not only for the aid he hath done me but for the valiant enterprise at this present atchieued by him Your grace shall pardon mé◠if it pleaseth you said maister Elizabeth for it is true that I know him well but if I tel you any more I should do him wrong for hee hath expressely forbidden mee to doe it I sée well saied the king you will but increase the desire I haue to kâ—â—w him and that is worse by the same means bereaue me of all hope euer to sée him againe With that they entered into the hall where they met Arcabonne halfe dead with sorrow whome the king in courteous manner praied to stay a while asking her how her son did He doth saied shee as one in whome I haue as little hope of life as of the other that lieth dead in the court and to say the truth it séemeth that fortune hath wholly bent her selfe against me not ceasing continually to heap sorrow vpon sorrow to make me desperate Notwithstanding I know ful wel how to bee reuenged and that is in despight of her and her cruelties to bereaue my selfe of life whereby shee shall lose her power which by good reason I cannot well prolong séeing she hath not spared me one hower of rest since she first began still playing her part in tormenting mee but of all other my misfortunes none hath gréeued mee so much as the force of this knight by whose power saied she vnto the king I sée thée now deliuered out of my handes and from the cruell torments I had prepared for thée if accursed fortune had not withstood them Madame saied the king I pray you declare vnto me the cause of this your great mallice towards mee whether at any time I haue done you wrong or iniury whereby I should deserue it that wil I shew thée said Arcabonne not therein to doe thée pleasure but rather to gréeue thee more when thou shalt know and vnderstand that I was borne and bred in the same country wherein to my great despight thou hast raigned ouerlong for there I and Arcalaus my brother by father and mother were both begotten and brought vp in the art of Nigromancy which oftentimes we haue practised put in effect therewith to torment diuers persons that neuer did offend vs. In the which art as age and knowledge increased I growing very expert in the end became acquainted with Cartadaque as then lord of this castle with whom I grew in so great familiarity that he married me and with him euer fithence haue dwelt here in this castle where not long after I was deliuered of a sonne called Lindoraque after that of another named Matroco that now lieth in this bed and lastly of the third called Frerion whome thou hast slaine and my brother also that went to helpe Argantes the Porter of this castle And being thus married vnto such a husband as Cartadaque was so much feared and redoubted in all places and hauing thrée of the most valiant and worthy knights to my sons that euer liued I was so eleuated in pride and so little estéemed of cruell fortune that I thought it vnpossible for her to work me any woe But by tract of time I found it otherwise for by little and little shee hath wholly chaunged my ioy into most gréeuous sorrow and wilt thou know how Then I thinke thou doest yet remember the discord that long sithence happened betwéene thée and Childadan king of Ireland and of the battaile wherein thou ouercammest him where my deceased husband minding to bee present expressely departed from hence thether and as accursed fortune would tooke my sonne Lindoraque with him and hauing trauailed many countries at the last arriued at the place where my brother staied for them trauailing all three together with full purpose and intent to doe thée all the iniury they could and they had scarce entered into a forrest not farre from London but they met a knight as then surnamed Le Beautenebreux riding in company of a Gentlewoman that ware on her head a Cal all set with strange flowers whome my sonne as accursed fortune would liked so wel that with a great desire to haue hir to present vnto the Lady Madasine his loue commanded one of his squires to go fetch her to him which the knight
fauour but hast fallen out of her hands to returne again vnto him that neuer while his arme is able to welde thée will forsake thée Now said he to Libee if we chance to be assaulted we haue wherewith to defend vs. Truly saied maister Elizabeth I beléeue all those that could hurt vs in this place are either dead or fled away wherefore I am of opinion in the morning to bury them that are slaine meane time expecting some means whereby we may returne into your graces country we will enquire what is become of the blacke knight that you so much desire to knowe You shal do wel said the king therewith each man went to rest til the morning the master Elizabeth others of his company went to bury the Porter and the rest of the dead knights among the which they knew Arcalaus the inchaunter that not fiftéen daies before had arriued in the castle for at his deliuery out of prison being aduertised of king Luisarts suddaine departure he suspected his sister Arcabonne had stollen him away and therefore came expressely to the castle armed in gréene as you haue heard and although maister Elizabeth had séene him oftentimes before yet at the first sight hee doubted it was hee considering where not long before hee had left him wherefore hee sent to tell the king that presently came to sée him who knew him well yet I thought said he he had still ben prisoner in the Ferme isle and it pleaseth your grace said maister Elizabeth he was deliuered from thence before my departure and therwith shewed him the means how as it is at large declared in the end of our fourth booke Behold said the king how great are the iudgements of God let his body be put into some cold place for I am wel assured that his soule shall indure much more heat then euer it had in this world CHAP. VIII How maister Elizabeth went to finde the blacke knight in the Hermitage and what conference they had ARcalaus and the rest being buried king Luisart went into his chamber and as hée looked into the sea hee could not sée the shippes that Matroco brought with him wherefore inquiring which way they went hee was certefied that when Arcabonne threwe her selfe out of the window into the sea they tooke vp her dead body and laying it in their vessels hoised sailes and put to sea Let theÌ„ goe to the deuill said the king and wee to dinner if there bee any thing to eate your dinner is ready said maister Elizabeth when it pleaseth your grace to sit downe wherewith the meate was brought in and the king eat with a good appetite but hee had taken so little rest the night before that as he sate at the table he fel asléepe Wherefore rissng vp he laid him downe on his bed commaunding his men not to wake him wherewith maister Elizabeth was well pleased knowing that in the mean time he might haue conuenient leisure to goe vnto Esplandian as hée had promised wherevpon hee departed secretly out of the castle and going downe the hill went so long that hee came to the Hermitage where hee found the Hermite and the dumbe man sitting at the dore he saluting them asked if the black knight were there the Hermite said no but the dumbe man made signes that hee should goe into the chamber which he did where he found him very melancholy lying vpon a bed But when hee perceiued maister Elizabeth he tooke him by the hand and said My good friend maister Elizabeth you are welcome hether tell mee I pray you how you left the Ferme Isle in this maner to serue Matroco his barbarous companions Wherewith hee laughed for the Giant had tied him to a chainâ— and â—ade him row in his Gallies as other slaues did My lord said master Elizabeth when you receiued the order of knighthood and that king Bâ—uneo Quedragant and al our company that were as then with your father Amadis de Gaule slept by meanes of the melodious noise of nine trumpets that sounded on the shoare Grasinde my mistresse sent me on a message to the Marquesse Saluder her brother to certefie him of her marriage with the Prince of Sansuegue wherefore I imbarked my selfe and had so good a wind that in short time after I arriued at Constantinople where I found the Emperour that tooke great pleasure to heare mee discourse what had happened sithence the returne of Gastilles his nephew And the next day when I ment to returne the Princesse Leonorine who in my mind is the beautifullest Princesse liuing at this time sent for me most instantlie desiring me that in the presence of quéene Minoresse with diuerse other ladies and Gentlewomen I would shew her what I had heard touching the knight with the gréene sword For said shee although that now we vnderstand hee is named Amadis de Gaule yet will we not change his other name till such time hee sendeth vs some other of his linage or else returne himselfe to doe vs seruice according to his promise TheÌ„ I shewed them of the strangenesse of the Arke of louers the singularities of the Isle whereof they neuer had heard the losse of king Luisart the manner how you receiued the order of knighthood the ceremonies that at the same time Vrganda commanded to bée vsed the commandement that your father Amadis de Gaule gaue you to come and serue them in this place and lastly how in the end we fel asléepe in the great serpent froÌ„ whence we were carried not knowing thereof to the pallace of Apolidon where when we awaked we found all our company together onely you Manely the king of Denmarke Ambor and Talanque not knowing what was become of you And while I made this long discourse the Princesse Leonorine would not suffer me to make an end qut interrupting mée in my tale said vnto me Maister Elizabeth when my cousin Gastilles returned from thence I remember that among other things by him declared he said somthing touching the yong gentleman wherof you speake wherefore I pray you shew vs what you know of him wherein séeking to fulfill her request I began to shew her the maner of your natiuitie how king Luisart found you in the forrest with the lions of the letters hee receiued that day what letters you had on your body when you were borne whereof some were as white as Snow signifying your owne name the rest as red as blood shewing the name of your loue as yet vnknowne by reason the carâ—acters cannot bée vnderstoode Then smilingly shee asked mee how you would know it and I answered her that loue in time would learne and that for certaine she should be of royal blood and one that should be the beautifullest lady liuing in her time Truly said she hee deserueth no lesse wherefore I pray you heartely when you sée him persuade him to come hether and fulfill the promise that his father made vs for I haue great desire to sée
him that hee might bee as much at our commaundement as heretofore his father Amadis hath beene which I promised her to doe although I said I doubted it would not be so soone as I could wish So my lord I staied certain daies at Constantinople speaking continually of you that done I imbarked my selfe againe where by euill fortune wee fell into the hands of the Giant Matroco who as then was vpon the sea While maister Elizabeth shewed the blacke knight of the beauty of the Princesse Leonorine and what shée had inquired of him loue entered so farre into his heart that oftentimes hée changed colour but for the time he couered his intent as much as hée could and entering into another matter asked maister Elizabeth how he found the meanes to leaue king Luisart As well as I would wish said he for as soone as he had dined hee lay downe to sléepe in the meane time I came hether to you I pray you saied the knight let him know nothing touching me And wherefore saied maister Elizabeth will you hide your selfe from him Séeing there is no Prince liuing in the world worthier then he to be honoured and serued of all good knights It is true said the knight but I haue done so little as yet that I am ashamed hee should beare no better newes of mee séeing I am in hope that in time I shall doe great matters which of themselues will set foorth my renowne without the praise of other men Séeing it is your pleasure said maister Elizabeth I will doe so although it would reioice him much to heare that such vnexpected aide should come vnto him onely by your meanes That shall bee at another time saied the knight and not now Wherefore least hée should misse you when hee a maketh I pray you returne vnto the castle and when you sée conuenient time come hether againe to visite mee Wherewith maister Elizabeth tooke his leaue bidding him farewell and went the same way he came towards the castle CHAP. IX How Carmelle the Hermites doughter found the blacke Knight sleeping in the Hermitage and thinking to kill him perceiuing him so faire she fell in loue with him MAister Elizabeth gone from the Hermitage where hée left the black knight went so fast and made such hast that hée came againe vnto the castle not missed of any yet the king was awake before hee came who leaning in a window and séeing him below in the court asked him if hee had slept No and it liketh your grace said he I haue been abroad walking along the countrey which I finde enuironned with the goodliest meddowes that euer were séene come vp hether said the king and we will talke with you but hee was no sooner entered into the chamber when Carmelle the Hermites daughter came to the king and knéeling downe before him said May it please your grace to entertaine mee into your seruice that am one of your naturall subiects and will bee during life wherewith the king took her vp and said Gentlewoman if you desire any thing at my hands assure your selfe it shall not be denied for I did neuer during my life but honor and pleasure such as you are and although such sauours haue oftentimes turned to my great trouble therein doe I blame no man but my selfe for that God iustly sendeth hatâ— gâ—â—â— and euil when where and to whome it pleaseth him wherefore I pray you shewe mee who you are Then Carmelle made a long discourse how from her youth vpwards shee had serued her mistresse Arcabonne and what occasion moued her father to become an Hermite as you heard before Truly Gentlewoman said the king if you will returne into great Brittaine I will take you with mée I will doe saied shee what your grace commandeth in the meane time I pray you grant me leaue to giue my father intelligence who you are for he will be most ready and glad to doe your grace seruice With a good will said the king and tell him I desire to sée him wherewith Carmelle thanked his grace and because it was late she went againe into her chamber till the next morning that she rose and issuing out of the castle about breake of the day went downe a certaine path shee ordinarily vsed to goe whereby shee came into the Hermitage at such time as the Hermite and the dumbe man were gone to the barke to fetch such necessaries as the blacke knight wanted who in the mean time slept in his bed for after that maister Elizabeth had giuen him intelligence what the Princesse Leonorine had said hee could not rest till the very same time when shee entered into her fathers cell wherein shee found him and not doubting any thing went into the chamber where shée heard the blacke knight snort wherewith being abashed she opened the window and perceiued him asléepe his sword hanging at his beds head which she â—â—â—e down and softly drew out of the scabberd finding it freshly posted with blood whervpon she suspected it was he that had slaine Frerion Matroco and others in the castle and as shee looked about her shee knew his blacke armour wherewith shee was in such a feare that shee had almost fallen downe and let the sworâ— fall out of her hands but taking courage she went néerer to the bâ—d to know him better being fully determined if it were hée â—kill him as he lay therwith began by little and little to vncouer his face but he shewed so faire that suddainly the fury she had changed into so burning a loue that during her life it was neuer quenched in such maner that the more she beheld him the more did her loue increase and as hée fel on sléep when his â—â—nd was busied with the imagination conceiued of Leonorine after Carmelle had beheld him long he turned towards her without waking cast foorth a great sigh saying in his sléepe Alas poore wretch what shall become of me The Gentlewoman knew well hée had not séene her wherefore shee imboldened her selfe to kisse him and found his face all wet with tears whereby she feared he had some melancholy humour that troubled him and although shée estéemed not thereof féeling her new disease much more then his gréefe taking all to her aduantage shee hoped from that time forwards to find the meanes to obtaine his loue yet did she faile thereof for that loue to shew his power had wounded them both diuersly in one place and at one time a thing almost incredible for who would euer thinke that little god would enter into such a place Where a poore Hermite liued all alone in most strict manner with a fewe colde roots and not his belly full of bread yet did hee ouercome them both in the most vnfit time as it may bee thought that could bee found for the blacke knight had indured so great trauaile in fighting and the Gentlewoman séene so many of hir friendes sâ—ine at one time that the one had not so much néed
you put off your â—â—â—â—ets that I may sée your faces which they did whereby he knew the one to bee Talanque sonne of Galaor the other Ambor de Gâ—â—el sonne of Angriote destrauaulx whoÌ„ he friendly imbraced saied vnto them In faith my good friends it is not without cause if it liketh you well to sée mee here for all my life haue I desired the companies of your fathers the like doe I of their children wherefore for the loue of God I pray you shew mee what straunge aduenture hath brought you into this country And it pleaseth your grace said Talanque we séeke after a knight armed all in blacke of whome as yet wee can heare no newes Doe you know his name said the king That wee doe said Ambor for it is your nephew Esplandian that contents me said the king doe but follow mee and I will bring you where hee is With that Ambor who before was alighted to honour the king mounted againe on horsebacke and Talanque on the Giants horse for his owne was slaine and all thrée together rode the way the king came thether till such time they espied the Gentlewoman that staid for him who perceiuing them to ride in such hast towards her was in mind to haue fled away fearing they had taken the king and forcibly had him with them but perceiuing them by their gestures to be his friends shée staied till they came vnto her saying to the king My lord where hath your grace gotten company so soone Gentlewoman said he you shall know it all in good time but what haue you done saied hee with the man that I left with you Let vs know what newes he hath told you Truly said she I had no sooner assured him of the death of Matroco and the rest of the castle but hee fled ouer this hill as if all the deuils in hell had ben behind him yet he tolde mée that the Giant his maister had heard some rumour thereof and for the same cause was comming to the castle to know the truth accompanied only with two knights that he caused to ride before him but to their hard fortunes for he found them both slain not knowing who had done it but only that not long after hee met with two strange knights that assailed him and left them fighting as hee saied together By God saied the king if the first two knights sped hardly their maister that followed after them had little better entertainement for they are all slain â—pon the way and here are the knights that did it whome I pray you let vs take with vs for they are friends and companion vnto the knight you haue promised to shew me Let vs goe then saied shée séeing it is your graces pleasure and therewith they rode vnto the Hermitage at the entery whereof they found the Hermite set vpon a stone who being abashed to sée his doughter in such company asked whether shee went Father saied shee here is king Luisart your Prince and mine whom I haue brought to sée you And although the Hermite had not séen him in long time before yet he presently knew him where with hee stepped to kisse his féete which the king would not suffer him to doe but imbraced him and lighting off his horse followed the Gentlewoman till hée met the dumbe man that hearing the noise and trampling of horses came to see who they were and perceiuing the king hee bowed his head before him Neuerthelesse the king went forward not staying to speake vnto him entring presently after Carmelle into the chamber where he found the knight set vpon the beds side Wherwith Esplandian presently knew him and knéeled downe before him but the king taking him vp wéeping for ioy imbraced him With that Talanque and Ambor entred in and perceiuing their companion that they so long had sought were maruellous glad and comming to imbrace him the king said to Esplandian My sonne although you haue sought by all meanes to hide your selfe from vs yet God hath so wrought that at one instant we haue al thrée found you out wherefore I pray you let vs depart hence and go with vs vnto the castle where you shall bee better at your ease then in this simple Hermitage My lord saied hee I am at your commaundement with that hee went to imbrace Talanque and Ambor asking them and they him what had happened vnto theÌ„ since Vrganda caused them to be dubbed knights By Gods helpe said the king you shall stay to he 〈◊〉 the sequell vntill wee bee in the castle for then you shall haue better leisure to declare the same With that he called Carmelle willing her to returne with all dilligence to th◠〈◊〉 and commaund Libee to bring one of Matrocos horses 〈◊〉 splaâ—â—ian My lord saied Ambor it will bee late before he common hether he shaâ—â— rather haue my horse and I will goe on foote but 〈◊〉 shall not saied the king get you vpon Carmelles horse and let 〈◊〉 sit vp behind you In which manner they road vnto the castle after whom the Hermite and the dumb man followed as fast as they could But they scarce alighted off their horses Ambor and Talanque being vnarmed but Carmelle moued with the extreame passions of loue she bare vnto the blacke knight had almost slaine her selfe with the sword that the day before she had stollen from him the occasion wherof procéeded from a conceit that he would disdaine her as vnworthy of him hee being the sonne of Amadis de Gaule as shee vnderstood yet in the end she remembred the promise the king had made wherefore she determined to desire so much of him to be a meanes vnto Esplandian that he would graunt she might neuer be absent from him but would serue him during her life with all fidelitie and to the same end putting her determination in effect as they sat all together she knéeled before the king and saied My lord now your grace séeth I haue kept my promise That is true saied he and while I liue I will not be vnmindfull of it My lord said shée then I trust your grace hath not forgotten the gift you promised mee and to performe your word I pray you be a meanes to the black knight that hee will graunt mee my request Gentlewomen saied the king bee you assured I will doe it with all my heart Your grace saied she as yesterday gaue mee leaue to visite my father in the Hermitage who as it fortuned when I came thether was gone forth whereat I was abashed because he neuer vsed to bee farre from thence And finding the dore open I went into a chamber that I caused to bee furnished wherein sometimes I vse to lie when time or foule weather would not permit me to returne vnto the castle where I found this knight pointing to Esplandian which you all so much desired to sée fast sléeping his sword hanging at his beds head where with not long sit hence he hath slaine those that
importunity he was content wherewith hee tooke his leaue of all the court and vpon a monday in the morning taking horse accompanied onely of maister Elizabeth and Sergil his squire hee tooke his way towards the Ferme Isle hoping to finde the great Serpent there wherein they might imbarke themselues CHAP. XV. How Esplandian riding towards the Ferme Isle was assailed by a strange knight that watched him in the forrest ESplandian departed from the king and hauing taken his leaue of all the court as you heard before tooke the crookeddest way hee could through woods and forrests towards the Ferme Isie thinking not to bee perceiued of any that might hinder his enterprise And hauing ridden thrée miles he entered into a forrest which hauing almost passed hée came vnto a great riuer wherevpon the king had built a house called Bellerose where oftentimes being on hunting hee vsed to resort And as he thought to passe the bridge he perceiued on the other side a knight armed at all points ready to fight that cried vnto him with a loud voice and said Sir knight you must aske me leaue if you wil come ouer for according to my promise I haue taken vpon mee to kéepe this bridge for the space of one whole yeare wherefore if you thinke good you may take some other way With that Esplandian was much gréeued perceiuing that either of force he must fight or séeke another passage wherfore he would willingly haue excused himselfe said Sir knight I pray you then shew mee which way I were best to goe for by me you shall haue no cause at this time to trouble your selfe You must returne again to London said he for other passage is there none vnlesse you will loose your horse and goe on foot Rather the I would doe so said Esplandian I will proue if I can win yours and therewith lacing his helmet tooke his launce and road vnto the knight who no sooner perceiued him comming but setting spurres to his horse ranne towards him whereby they met so fiercely together that both the knights fell off their horses in such manner that maister Elizabeth and Sergil thought verily they had slaine each other but they staied not long before they rose againe and laying hand on their swordes there began betwéene them the cruellest and most daungerous battell that euer was séene whereat maister Elizabeth much abashed said vnto himselfe Good God what may this meane I beléeue for certain that some diuell of hell hath transformed himselfe into humane shape to destroy vs all Meane time the two knights continued in most cruell fight still increasing their mights cleauing shields and armours in such sort that all the field was couered with péeces of the harneis and died with blood that issued from their bodies till at the last the knight of the bridge stept backe said vnto Esplandian Sir knight take another way and I am content to quite you of the combate for you are the valiantest knight that euer I dealt withall and it should displease mee much if by your wilfulnesse you would be cause of your owne death In good faith saied he I had done it at the first had it not beene the feare I had that you would estéeme me a coward but knowing very wel that the honour of this combate cannot bee had but onely by the death of one of vs or both together I will trie my fortune till I bee no longer able to weld a sword Is that true said the knight Then let vs sée to whom fortune will be fauourable And therewith couering themselues with that little of their shields that rested in their hands they began the combate crueller then before as though all the day they had not giuen a stroke so that after many cruel blowes with their swords they closed together and wrastling long time they sought to cast each other to the ground But séeing the little aduantage gotten thereby they began againe to lay on with their swords with such fury that Sergil looked for no other but when they should fall dead vpon the ground not béeing able to iudge who would haue the victory Whereat maister Elizabeth was so much displeased that hee could not abstaine from wéeping saying vnto himselfe Alas what fortune is this must the best knight liuing in the world and in the flower of his age lose his life at that time by so hard a chaunce Cursed be the day that euer he met with him that is the cause of so great losse And to say truth if God had not prouided for them the father had slain the sonne and the sonne the father for the knight of the bridge was Amadis de Gaule who being ouer curious of his sonnes glory would proue his force and the better to doe it the day before Esplandian tooke his leaue hee departed secretly from the court and staied for him at the bridge bearing an vnknowne armour where after many attempts on either part giuen Amadis perceiuing both their dangers said vnto Esplandian Knight you sée well you cannot ouercome mee and I assure you I neuer had to doe with any knight that euer put mee to so great extreamity wherefore I am content to let you passe But not I you saied he vnlesse you tell me your name I will not deny you that saied Amadis wherefore cause maister Elizabeth to come hether for I thinke we haue both néed of his helpe Then Esplandian called him vnto them meane time Amadis put off his helmet so faint and weary that hée was constrained to leane vnto a trée But when Esplandian knew him and perceiuing the fault he had committed he cast forth a grea◠crie and saied Alas wicked wretch that I am and therewith he fell vpon the ground whereat maister Elizabeth and Amadis thinking him to bee in a sound ranne to lift him vp but it was not so onely that it gréeued him hée had dealt in such manner with his father who said vnto him sonne although I am as sore wounded as possible may bee without death yet haue I not receiued so much hurt as conceiued pleasure perceiuing the valour I find to be in you wherefore bee not discomforted Notwithstanding he could not content himselfe but cursed his owne life being as he said the most vnhappy man that euer was borne of woman And continuing in that gréefe the blood in diuers places ranne out of his body whereby he waxed faint which maister Elizabeth perceiuing and knowing assuredly if remedy were not spéedily had they were both in danger of their liues hee saied vnto them I pray you for this time leaue off your sorrow and let vs presently go to Mirefleur not far from hence for you both haue greater néede of rest then of longer staying in this place wherewith he and Sergil set them on their horses and with great pain brought them to the castle where their wounds were dressed Such was the combate betwéene the two knights as you haue heard yet some write that
to pardon the slow performance of his fathers wil but to amend his fault committed he will shortly be here to fulfill his charge as long as pleaseth theÌ„ GentlewomaÌ„ said the Emperor I knew his father for one of the best knights liuing in the world notwithstaÌ„ding you haue shewed such strange things of his son that I certainely beléeue he farre surpasseth him He shall bée heartely welcome when he commeth but if my daughter will follow my counsell she shall not pardon his long absence till he come in person to desire the same and let him bee assured hee shall not depart so soone from hence as Amadis hath done At the least we will make him so good cheare and my doughter likewise to whome I giue expresse commandement to doe it that hee shall not haue occasion to dislike our company Mean time the two knights shal remain with vs for pledges assuring you I will giue them all the honor and good intertainement that I can deuise My lord said shee the desire they had to vnderstand the things declared to your grace hath caused them for to come hether with whome by great good fortune I met for Frandalo whom he pointing to Manely hath most valiantly conquered had taken mee prisoner not farre off from the place where I first imbarked but as fortune would there rose so great a storme at sea that all his vessels seperated one from the other his ship was cast vpon an Island wherein by the same tempest these two knights not long before arriued And with that shee shewed what spéech they had with Frandalo and what passed betwéene them Wherefore my lord acquiting my promise made vnto them I haue at large declared the aduentures of the good knight their companion In faith saied the Emperour they haue shewed themselues right valiant knights and made a worthy present vnto my doughter for which I giue them thankes My Lord said Manely wée humbly beséech your grace that from henceforth you will accept his seruice for it is his only desire as he hath promised vs. Is that possible saied the Emperour For he is the vildest villaine that euer liued on earth and hath more wronged my subiects then euer any did My lord saied the king of Denmarke he will become a new man and therefore my companion did present him to your daughter which promised for to saue his life which we beséech your grace likewise to performe I am content to doe it said the Emperour at your requests though he deserues it not While they sat talking Gastilles that staied in the forrest to looke vnto the hounds entred into the hal and presently knew Manely the king of Denmark hauing séene theÌ„ in great Brittain before they were made knights where with hee asked when they came thether and being made acquainted with the Gentlewomans message he asked her if she knew the names of the other two that staied in the castle for séeing they are armed saied he vnto Manely in the like armes it is certaine they are of your company That is true saied the Gentlewoman for they were all made knights together the one called Ambor the other Talanque I know them wel said Gastilles for Ambor is the sonne of Angriote d'estrauaulx one of the best knights in the country of great Brittaine In truth said Manely wee were in great care how to finde them out but séeing they are in the castle called La montaigne defendu if it pleaseth the Emperour we will goe vnto them I am content said he so you promise mee not to depart before eight daies are past My lord said they wee are at your commandement Being dinner time the Emperor rose vp and went into the hall with the two knights and the Princesse Leonorine tooke the Gentlewoman with her as desirous to heare further nâ—â—es of the knight Esplandian CHAP. XXII What passed betweene the Princesse Leonorine and Carmelle touching the message she had brought YOu heard before howe Carmelle in presence of the Emperour shewed the great desire shee had to slay Esplandian and when shee thought to doe it she was so ouercome with loue that during her life shee determined not to loue any other which the Princesse Leonorine that already pretended part in him had not forgotten but returned with Carmelle into her chamber with a smiling countenance shee said vnto her Is it possible Gentlewoman said she you louing the knight with the black armes so wâ—l as you report that you could leaue his company so soon Madame saied shee I was presently giuen to vnderstand hee loueth another wherewith I comforted my selfe iudging his hart like vnto mine own that he could not chuse but sometimes féele the like swéet passion he caused mée indure What hope then resteth said the Princesse vnto you The same said shée I know to be farre different betwéene him and mee for when I am in presence beholding the excellency of his person I then receiue some comfort which to him is vtterly denied séeing that already hee indureth for her sake that as yet he neuer saw and the madame said she is your owne person as I said before Surely said the Princesse his loue is very strange the foundation whereof I cannot well conceiue Madame said Carmelle I feare ere it be long hee will not be able to indure the great extreamitie wherein he now is fallen onely for your sake specially if at his arriuall here hee find himselfe reiected of your grace hauing no desire but to fulfill your pleasure whereby he may account himselfe your own estéeming it the greatest fauour that euer hee can haue In good faith said she I will not refuse him to small a thing nor a greater as occasion serues but I pray you tell mée why hee calleth himselfe the blacke knight That can I not well doe said Carmelle onely that vpon a night as king Luisart â—â—e Talanque and Ambor were all asléepe in one chamber they heard so pleasant a sound of musicke from the sea that they rose out of their beds to heare it and it was so darke theâ— could not sâ—e but when day appeared they espied the great Serpent at the Hauen whereat they were so glad that descending downe the hill they went vnto the shoare where they perceiued a Gentlewoman in a little boat comming to land bearing in her armes a packe couered with blew Taffata which from her mistresse Vrganda shée presented to Esplandian saying vnto him Sir Knight my mistresse sendeth you these armes and willeth you by mee to leaue the same shee gaue you when you were in sadnesse and to arme your selfe with these that beare the deuise of her which at this day is the beautifullest creature liuing in the world as Amadis your father well did witnesse when he set the crowne vpon her head And for the loue of her your power and courage shall so much increase that your renowme shall spread throughout the world your mind mooued with so amorous a passion that
rather then threatnings would become him better Haue you already forgotten the prison wherein you are and in the handes of those that haue so small occasion to wish you well My lord vertue is neuer better knowne to bee in man but then when hee is in most distresse Wherefore if vntill this time you haue not knowne what constancy doth meane learne hereafter to discerne the same vsing words worthy your estate and not such nor so iniurious as you haue vttered vnto my lord Gastilles who in this place representeth the person of an emperor a greater lord then you in whose mercy your life or death consisteth for we are all his souldiours ready to doe him seruice The king perceiuing well that hee had done them wrong and fearing to bee hardlier vsed then hee was accustomed to bee saied vnto Esplandian Sir Knight I pray you pardon my impatience considring with your selfe the great gréef and melancholy humour wherein I am when I that was wont to be feared and redoubted of al the princes in Asia am now constrained to obay the will and pleasure of my greatest enemies which vnto me is so extreame gréefe that I die each day a hundred times because I cannot die But Esplandian answered not one word but leauing him with his gard taking Gastilles by the hand led him into one of his best chambers where they supped The next day they assembled all together and after many matters propounded it was agréed among them according to Frandalos aduise that they should enter into Turkie being as then in great perplexity as well for the taking of king Armato as for the ouerthrow of his army as it shall bee shewed vnto you hereafter for at this time wee will cease to speake thereof returning to shew you of king Luisart that during this time for the most part held his court in the citty of London CHAP. XXVIII How the greatest part of the knights that vsed to be at king Luisarts court returned vnto their owne houses and of the coronation of Amadis and Oriane at London YOu haue heard before of the combat betwéene Esplandian and Amadis his father and how after long time of their abode at Mirefleur staying the healing of their wounds Esplandian desiring to returne vnto the castle La montaigne defendu tooke his leaue of king Luisart the like did diuers of the knights that as then were at the Court as Galaor king of Sobradise Agraies Gransador Balan Galuanes and Angriotte d'estrauaulx some to sée their wiues others to tast the ease and pleasant rest of their mansion houses whereby it happened the court was lesse replenished with knights then it had beene in long time before especially by reason of the newes they heard from the castle La montaigne defendu whether diuers yong knights trauailed to aide Esplandian King Luisart therefore so meanely accompanied as I said before being very old and decrepit began to bée melancholy and to haue the palsie setting aside all Hunting Hawking Armes and Chiualry or any other pleasure whatsoeuer And with a remēbrance of death so much abhorred all things past present and to come that he estéemed them vaine and altogether transitory whereby he determined to depose himselfe of all kingly estate and gouernment of his realme to passe the rest of his time in a solitary and religious manner specially when he called to mind the great perils from whence he had escaped and aboue all his last most dangerous and cruell imprisonment Neuerthelesse for a time hee kept it secret vntill one night hee being a bed with the Quéene where they lay talking of the sicklenesse of this world hee discouered his whole mind vnto her and how hée determined to make Amadis his sonne king and gouernour of his country to the end he might fréely and without any interruption withdraw himself to his castle of Mirefleur where by Gods helpe he meant to liue a solitary life The Quéene that was one of the wisest and deuoutest ladies in her time confirmed him so well in his opinion that they agréed to returne to London there to accomplish their pretence And the next day they departed from Mirefleur accompanied of Amadis Gransador and others and comming to London after they had remained there a certaine time the Quéene sent for all the nobilitie who being arriued at the court caused a scaffold to bee made in the principall place of all the citty where the people might repaire And as he and the Quéene both apparrelled in their roiall robes each set in a chaire of estate Amadis sitting somwhat lower on his right hand and Oriane on the left were come thether a Herauld crying thrice that all the people should kéepe silence ◠the king with a stately countenaunce and Princely magnanimitie turning to the people saied vnto them My good friends and loial subiects before I begin to shew you the cause why I haue made you to repaire vnto this place I wil put you in mind of part of the dangers and great hazards wherein I haue often fallen since the death of my brother of famous memory king Falangris whē it pleased God to call me vnto the gouernment of this land and as I thinke there are yet many of you liuing that can wel remember the danger wherein both I and my country thought to fall when by the meanes and subtletie of Arcalaus the inchanter I was deliuered into their hands that long time before had conspired my death from whence my sonne Amadis deliuered mee Yet not long after by euill counsell I made warre against him which ended as all men know fortune enuious of my felicitie afterward prepared mee such a banket that without his helpe I had beene prisoner with king Arauigne and vtterly ouerthrowne And that which hath yet more astonished mee was that when I thought my selfe sure and out of danger of all mishaps a worse then all the former suddainely chanced vnto me the which considering the place wherein I was I thought verely to haue ben the end and consumation of my daies Neuerthelesse the Lord God regarding me in pitty sent my yong sonne Esplandian to my sorrowfull prison from whence hée hath deliuered mee as no doubt you haue heard Now my good subiects you all sée mée to bee very old and white haired hauing already attained to the thréescore and tenth yeare of mine age which maketh me think it time now to forget all wordly pleasures and to serue God to whom I am so much bound And for this cause I haue determined from henceforth to forsake all royall dignity and leaue you my son Amadis for your king to whome at this time I yéeld both my Crowne Scepter and all the right I haue vnto the gouernement of this land praying you all as much as possibly I may that hereafter you will bee faithfull and true subiects vnto him as you haue alwaies ben to me And although hée bée but my sonne in law if I knew him vnworthy of the place beléeue
mee my good friendes I would sooner chuse a méere stranger for my successor then I would doe him but there is not one among you but knoweth well his great deserts and of what race hee commeth that at this day may well bee called one of the most noble and happiest linages in all the word as being descended from the valiant Troyans whereof the memory shall indure for euer He is a kings sonne heire vnto the crowne of France now your Prince and Gouernour and so I leaue him vnto you with my daughter your Quéene and lawfull Princesse holding to my selfe only the castle of Mirefleur where with Gods helpe the Quéene and I will end our daies religiously seruing God as we are bound to doe Then calling Amadis giuing him his royall mantle he willed him presently to put it on the like did the quéen to Oriane Mean time the silence was so great that nothing could bée heard among the people but cries and lamentations mooued with pitty compassion to sée the determination of their Prince who being apparrelled in a simple robe of blacke cloth tooke his sonne and the Quéene his daughter set them in their regal seats and in presence of all the people set each of them a crown of gold vpon their heads causing them to be proclaimed by the Heralds King and Quéene of great Brittaigne That done euery man departed some wéeping and others glad for the aduancement they hoped from the new king who from thenceforth began so wisely to gouerne his country that neuer was any prince better beloued nor obaied of his subiects King Luisart within short time after accompanied of the Quéen and Grumedan went vnto Mirefleur as hee had determined to doe where they liued so austerely helping and being present at euery houre when seruice was to be saied as readily as the poorest of the old men that remained there for the administration and seruice to the religious women in the monaster of the deuout Abbesse Adalasta But when king Amadis perceiued his meanes to recompence those of whome in his yoong yeares hee had receiued great pleasure and seruice hee began to exalt Arban de Norgales giuing him one of the fairest Islands in his country to Gandales the lands of the duke of Bristow to Gandalin as then absent hee gaue the lands of Aâ—calaus the inchanter he made Angriotte destrauaulx great maister of his horse Guilan le pensife high steward of his house Ardan le nain his chéefe caruer and married the Gentlewoman of Denmarke very richly Not long after the Quéene was brought to bed of a goodly sonne and a faire daughter both at one birth the sonne named Perion and the daughter Brisenne At whose natiuitie great ioy was made throughout all the country especially at London where the same day one of Norandels Squires arriued that told king Amadis howe Esplandian and his maister met together in Almaigne where the day before hee had slaine two Giants and deliuered Gandalin with diuers other knights Squires Ladies and Gentlewomen out of prison Knowest thou saied the King what way they tooke afterward My lord saied the Squire they made account io goe vnto the castle called La montaigne defendu to helpe them that are therein beeing in great necessitie Which the king vnderstanding sent presently for all the Pilotes that might bee found and in all hast caused to rig and arme the greatest ship he had to saile into the East to his sonne who in the mean time mooued therevnto by Frandalo departed from the castle of Matroco with the Emperours army to inuade the Turks country as in the next chapter you shall heare CHAP. XXIX How the towne of Alfarin in Turkie being assaulted was taken by Esplandian and the rest of his company NOt long after the siege of La montaigne defendu was raised and Gastilles arriued at the castle as you heard before Frandalo had aduise by Belleris his nephewe that returned out of Turkie where hee had been to sée what newes in the countrey that Alforax sonne to king Armato and gouernor of the great Cittie of Tasifant vnderstanding the imprisonment of his father with the ouerthrow of the Turkish armie was departed from the towne of Alfarin where hee had left the beautifull Princesse Heliaxa his wife doughter to Amphirion king of Medea to go with all dilligence to set order in his owne gouernement and raise more men thereby to resist the Christians power if they entred further into the countrey Which vnderstood by Esplandian Gastilles Ambor Manely and the king of Denmarke they determined to enter into Turkie wherevnto by many reasons Frandalo persuaded them shewing them what meanes they had to besiege the town of Alfarin not aboue two daies iourney from them being hardly prouided of victuals and no Garrison therein Wherfore it was agréed among them that Gastilles with his Nauie of ships should depart the next euening in as secret manner as hee could to sée if he might surprise their Hauen and that they on the other side would trauaile all night whereby they might besiege the Towne both by land and sea entring therein before the Turkes should hear news thereof And as they agréed they put the same in execution in such maner that Gastilles giuing forth that he would returne againe vnto Constantinople about sunne setting tooke ship when hee put to sea the moone shone bright wherfore hoising vp their ankers they set saile And they had not sailed long but he called his chéef Captaines together discouering his enterprise vnto theÌ„ wherewith presently leauing the way to Constantinople they made towards the towne of Alfarin On the other side Frandalo slept not when he perceiued his time all the company being alreadie aduertised that he meant to goe by night they issued out of the castle euery man carrying victuals with him for the space of four daies And they trauailed so long that about the breake of day they came vnto a great forrest where they staied in ambushmeÌ„t till the nert night following when they issued forth and about thrée of the clocke at night they came vnto a path that went two waies where Frandalo caused them to stay and calling Esplandian said vnto him My lord I pray you let vs two and no more take the way that leadeth on the left hand and Belleris my nephew shall guide the rest of our company to the mountaigne of Yarebreh from whence they may easily sée if our Nauy be néere the citty of Alfarin and then as they finde the enterprise goe forward they may assaile the place or else remaine in ambush til occasion serueth You and I wil follow on this way that wil bring vs to the aduenturous fountaine by the which lieth the great way that leadeth to Tesifant where most commonly are found diuers strange aduentures and if by fortune wee might méete the Princesse Heliaxe that as to morrow should depart from Alfarin to goe vnto her husband we shall not loose our labours Let
fountaine not farre from thence and was passing by when the knight spake vnto him saying Father God saue you which when the good man heard he was in so great a mase that for feare his pitcher fell out of his hand and brake in péeces Neuerthelesse by little and little he came to himselfe againe and perceiuing him that spake vnto him answered and said My sonne it is now twenty years past fithence I left the pleasures of this world and forseek my natiue soile to obtaine the grace of God and that which most abasheth mée is that since the time whereof I speake I neuer found man that as yet saluted mee in this manner and I thinke verely you are a stranger in these countries or els your spéech and apparell disguiseth you much Father said the knight true it is I am a stranger brought hether by such meanes that I neither know the country where I am nor any man or womā inhabiting therin for you are the first creature that I met since I arriued here of whom I might enquire assuring you that when I perceiued this crosse it reioiced my heart for it is the armes of the maister that I serue What saied the Hermit doe you then know the vertue thereof I answered the knight that I doe being well assured that vpon the like crosse our Redéemer whereof I speak suffered death and passion Alas saied the holy man you say true praised be his holy name that once before I die he hath giuen me the grace to let me sée a man on this side the sea that beléeueth in him assuring you sir knight that you and I are onely the two creatures in this country that are Christians for all the restare Pagans and idolaters And as he would haue procéeded further his spéech failed him doubting that hee to whom hee spake was but a fantasie or shadow of a man but at the last he waxt bolder and in maner of coniuration asked him if he were a mortall man or not Mortall answered the knight that I am for certain and withall a sinner which displeaseth mee much and if it abasheth you at this present to sée mee here I am my selfe no lesse abashed to sée you for without doubt the manner of my arriuall in this countrey hath béen such and so strange that I can render you no reason thereof but if you know the countrey where in wée are I beséech you good Father tell it me to put me out of doubt Gladly said the Hermite and with that he tooke him by the hand led him to his Hermitage and there sitting downe together vpon a log of wood the old man began to speake in this maner and said Now sir knight tell mee I pray you what countryman you are Father said he Great Brittaine is the countrey where in my youth I was borne and bred I know not if euer you were acquainted therewith How long is it said the Hermite since you came from thence It is fiftéene daies more since I was there said the knight did you neuer know king Lisuart saied the Hermite that in my time raigned therin Yes truly said the knight for I haue séene him many times how did hee when you came from thence said the Hermite That can I not certainely shew said the knight for hée was lost and led away from thence but by whom or in what manner no man cantell notwithstanding the great paine and diligence diuers of his knights haue vsed to find him out When the Hermite heard that he séemed very pensiue which the knight perceiuing thought in his mind that hee could tell him some newes where vpon he began to behold him well in the face to sée if hée changed colour with that the Hermite that well perceiued the Knights meaning said vnto him Truly Sir Knight not without cause haue I enquired so much touching King Lisuart but before I will shew you my reason why you shal vnderstand that I am of great Brittaine as well as you where as yet the greatest part of my kindred are liuing whome I forsooke at the same time that a Gyant lord of this country married with a lady who as then I serued and with her passed the sea not only hoping to reape some reward for my former seruice but as yong men are moued with a great desire to sée strange countries but it fortuned that my mistresse being forsaken of God as soone as shee arriued in this countrey left his holy law to receiue the law of her husband wherefore considering with my self that by reason as wel of my natural weakenesse as by often frequenting the company of these countrymen I might fal into some error I determined to withdraw my selfe into this place wherein I haue endured much paine and misery to the great daunger of my life by reason of the controuersie betwéene the law of Iesus Christ which I hold and the law of the Pagans that séeke daily to destroy it that without the fauour of my mistresse that would not suffer them to displease me I had not liued so long as I haue done among them but when it pleaseth God I wil depart hence and returne again into mine own country now you haue heard how I haue hetherto liued I pray you sir knight said hee shew mee your aduentures and who hath brought you into this place from whence very hardly you will euer be able to returne again but rather are in danger of most cruell death or to indure the most horrible imprisonmēt that euer was heard of which would gréeue me much not only for the great beauty and young yeares that I perceiue to be in you but for that you are my natiue countryman Father answered the knight you haue done mee great pleasure to shew me the manner of your life and bringing vp neuerthelesse before I satisfie your request tell mee if it pleaseth you wherfore when you spake of king Lisuart you séemed so sad which made mee coniecture that you know some thing touching him Sonne said the Hermit you shall vnderstand that a doughter of mine seruant to the lady whereof I spake not long since came hether to sée me and told mee that hee mistresse returning from great Brittaine whether shee went to deliuer a brother of hers out of prison brought with her very secretly a knight of great estimation as shee said neuerthelesse I cannot assure you who it is but as I haue learned since they say the two Giants sonnes were much pleased therewith which maketh mee doubt considering the newes you haue shewed mee touching king Luisart that he is most likely to be the man for shée is so well séene in the art of Nigromancy and Magicke that oftentimes shee procureth mischief vnto those that neuer offended her And in what countrey are wee now said the knight You are betwéene the marches of Turky and Gréece said the Hermite for this mountaine parteth both the countries but it is so strong not onely by
within them Thou speakest said the blacke knight as thy nature yéeldeth and I as vertue bindeth me for the rest let God worke his will Come in then said Frerion and defend thy selfe from mee if thou canst With that the black knight entred into a faire court paâ—â—d with white marble all galleried about and supported with pillers of Purphire in the middest whereof stoode the portall that entered into the house where an old lady accompanied of diuers yong gentlewomen stoode looking forth to whom the Giant went and knéeling on his knée said vnto her Madame I most humbly beséech you that neither for good nor euill which may happen vnto me in fighting with this knight not one of your house bée so bold to help or fauour me in any sort for I my selfe wil put him to death with this my trenchant blade and rising vp againe holding his shield before him with his cimiterre in his hand he marched towards his enemy who hauing God on his side to whom he recommended himselfe stood ready to receiue him Then there began such a combate betwéen them that their blowes séemed two smiths forging vpon their anuiles séeming like fire that the wind kindleth in the aire and surely the blacke knight had sped but hardly at that time had it not béene for the armour Vrganda gaue him that could not bée cut by any weapon for the good sword hee conquered in the rocke of the Enchantresse whâ—â—ewith hee strooke not one blow but he drew blood on the Giant â—rerion who neuerthelesse did meruellously both defend himselfe and assaile his enemy but by euil fortune as he thought to strike the knight on the right arme hee started backe and stepping forwards againe gaue the Giant such a blow vpon the helmet that hee cut away a great péece thereof together with the buckle that made it fast but although the blow was maruellous great and in a manner incredible yet was not the Giant any thing therewith abashed but still shewed himselfe as fresh as if hee had not fought all the day long Neuerthelesse the blood in such aboundance issued out of his body that the white pauement of the court was chaunged into red and therewith he grew so weake that it might easily be iudged he had the worst whereby he stil began to reuile séeking only to defend himselfe from his enemies blowes whereat the old lady that beheld them considering her sonnes extremity cried out and said alas my child is it possible I should sée thée murthered before my face and therewith in great hast shee ran thether thinking to part them but it was too late for as she began to goe towards them the Giant felde aâ— on the ground with two blows that the black knight gaue him one vpon the head where he was vnarmed the other right in the middle of his leg where with hee cut it from his body whereat the old lady was so gréeued that she swouned in the place being by her Gentle women carried from thence into hir chamber where they laied her on a bed cursing him that was the cause thereof neuerthelesse hee followed them to the chamber dore where the old woman being reuiued perceiuing him to enter began againe to lament and mourne and shedding great abundance of teares she said vnto him Alas thou cruel knight the only bereauer of all my ioy and felicitie art thou not satisfied yet But wilt thou like wise haue my life and my sonnes both Then I pray thée with spéed either execute thy wil or else depart from hence and take what thou thinkest good permitting mee to liue the rest of my miseraale daies in sorrow and care with these poor women but all her intent was to make him enter into the chamber which was so inchaunted that no man could passe the threshold of the dore but presently hee lost all his sences and fell downe vâ—on the ground as if hee were dead but little did the inchauntment â—â—aile her against the blacke knight because the shining sword had such a propertie in it that no enchantment whatsoeuer could hurt the bearer thereof Therefore the knight hearing the sorrow the old lady made hee went into the chamber speaking courteously vnto her said Madame me thinkes you should take the offence I haue committed on your behalfe in much better part considering such hazards are common vnto knights desiring to win honour and therefore I pray you appease your sorrow and shew mee the knight you brought hether out of great Brittaine When the old lady perceiued him so farre within the chamber without let and that he desired to sée the king she being as it were out of her wits cried as lowd as she could and saied alas vnhappy wretch that I am what haue I done for thinking to reuenge another mans death I haue procured the destruction of mine owne children and therewith shee sighed in such manner as if her heart would burst within her body and lamenting that absence of her other son said Alas Matroco where art thou now What vnhappy fortune hath thus seperated thée from thy brother and mee Surely when thou hearest of his death and at thy returne shalt find another lord of this castle I am in doubt thou wilt not haue the patience to put vp so great an iniury but thinking to reuenge thy selfe I feare this deuill will handle thée in the like sort he hath done the rest for sure he is no mortall man for if hee were hee had found more resistance in this place then he hath done Then speaking vnto the knight she asked him if he knew the man she held in prison I truly saied he it is king Lisuart whereof I am right sorry being well assured that kings elected of God as hee is for the gouernement of his people ought not to be vsed in that manner Wherefore I would haue you shew me where he is otherwise I will doe worse then I haue hetherto done I know not said she who thou art nor by what meanes thou hast so great power but I am well assured and I would neuer haue thought that twenty such knights as once this day I did estéeme thée could euer haue attained to the achieuing of so great an enterprice and much lesse to haue withstood my art as thou hast done so that considering thereof I suppose that this thy power procéedeth from him in whoÌ„ in my yong yeares I did once beléeue and since that haue forsaken him to follow the workes of the common enemie of all mankinde who according to his naturall instinction hath iustly rewarded me to my desert therefore it were but folly to denie thée any thing that art so surely defended by him to whome all thinges are obedient Follow me then said she and I will shew thée the king but as I thinke it is not he thou séekest And with that shee rose vp went into a darke chamber the knight following her then she opened an yron gate and said vnto
and weather among the which they knew Elizabeth Libee his nephue and diuers others that were bound in chaines making great sorrow but none of Matrocos men durst set foot on land hauing already ben aduertised by some of the castle of the great misfortune happened therein and for the same cause staied so long without till the Giant espied at the windowes the knight and the king looking vpon them wherewith in a great rage hée cried vnto the blacke knight whom he perceiued all armed and saied vnto him Thou accursed slaue is it thou that so cowardly hath slaine my vncle my brother and the porter of my castle When the knight heard him he answerd him and said I haue done my endeuour to make thée know that it belongeth not to such as thou art either to imprison kings or to molest and gréeue so many men as continually thou doest By all my gods said Matroco fortune fauoureth thée too much when at my arriuall I finde thée armed with the wals of this my castle for if I had thée here vpon the shore I would soone send thée fishing into the sea as I haue done many other rash and bold fooles like thy selfe that hast enterprised without cause to inforce my castle but if I continue here tenne yeares together I will neuer depart hence till I haue thée in my hands then shalt thou know how I vse to handle such as thou art Stay a while said the black knight there is much more difference betwéene saying and doing then there is distance of place betwéene thée and me Thy threatnings make me more assured wherefore now I feare thée lesser then I did before and that thou maiest well know it to bee so take thy choice whether I shall come downe to fight with thée or thou come vp to me Then shalt thou plainely sée to whome God will giue the victory either to thée that trustest in thine owne strength or to mee that trust onely in him The greatest oxen and fattest buls are oftentimes brought vnto the slaughter as well as lesser beasts So thou great beast I aduise thée to remember thy former life before worse happen vnto thée forsaking thy accursed faith which thou now holdest with might maintainest otherwise bee thou assured the wrath of God will fall vpon thée as it hath already done vpon thy friends That shall bee séene saied Matroco and if thou hast the courage to stay for mee I assure thée thou wilt bee glad to denie the villainous wordes thou now hast vttered Therefore cause the gate to bee opened for séeing thou puttest mée to my choice I will come vp to thée were it into the dungeon from whence thou hast deliuered that villaine standing by thée and therwith leauing his company behind him being all armed he began to mount vp the rocke and went vnto the castle but when he came to the yron gate which he found open because the watch had left it and were gone and saw Argantes lying dead hee was in a manner out of his wits not so much for the prowesse he knew to be in him as that he had from his youth beene nourished and bred vp in the castle by the Giant his father Neuerthelesse hée dissembled his griefe hoping to bee reuenged at his pleasure and going further in another place hee found the Giant armed all in gréene dead and freshly bléeding wherewith he was so moued that he staied and stood still and casting forth a great sigh began to crie out and saied alas Arcalaus my good vncle how néere doth the losse of thee goe to my heart wheresoeuer it had happened but especially being done within mine own castle wherein I thought long time to liue and make merry with thée Alas is fortune so cruell vnto thée that after so many trauailes and dangerous aduentures with infinite perils that in the flower of thy youth thou hast sustained thou must in thine old yeares come and receiue so cruell a death within my house which I estéemed as an assured hold and defence not only for me but for thée and the rest of our kindred and friends O immortall gods what vengeance can I take vpon the Traitor that hath so much offended me séeing that to cause him to die each day a hundred times were nothing in respect of the mischiefe he hath done vnto mée At the least if it were Amadis de Gaule so much estéemed of all men or any of his two brethren or all they thrée together my griefe would bee somewhat eased by reason of the sorrowes I would cause them to indure But what Now I am constrained to fight against one alone who by reason considring the trauell hee hath taken all this day ought already to estéeme himselfe ouercome and vanquished What glory then can I obtaine by winning victory against him Trewly as much as if I fought against a simple woman being as by nature shee is both weake and féeble so hee vnworthy of my presence will bee much prowder if I doe but make a countenance to fight with him neuerthelesse what blot soeuer may happen vnto mine honour of force hee must die In this manner did the Giant lament ouer the body of Arcalaus his dead vncle not mouing from thence till at last hee perceiued the blacke knight that stoode to heare him wherewith being somewhat ashamed he marched towards him thinking without hinderance to enter into the dungeon but hee found the blacke knight at the gate that boldly thrust him backe and saied vnto him Thou brutish and vnreasonable beast thinkest thou to enter in by force Whereat the Giant all abashed staied without and said Thou biddest me to come vp haue I thē done thée wrong to come at thy commandement No saied the knight but beholding thy countenance it séemeth thou wouldest enter by authority and therewith stepping aside he saied Now come in and doe what thou canst When the old woman with whom king Luisart talked perceiued thē ready to fight in great feare she ran out of the hall and fel downe at her sonnes féet crying out and said alas Matroco I pray thée and by the duty a child oweth vnto the mother I commaund thée not to enter into this combate for thou knowest well that of all thy brethren thou art onely left aliue wherewith my heart is so gréeued that had it not been for the loue I beare thée thou haddest found mee now at thy returne in as pittiful estate as thou séest thy brother Frerion neither is there any woman at this present liuing in the world that ought with better reason to wish for death then I. Alas what fortune is this that now again I must renue the sorrows which both time and long patience as I thought had buried in obliuiuion Alas miserable woman that I am I only haue forged the weapon that hath giuen the wound whereby at this present I receiue this dommage for vpon the day of my husbands decease thinking to reuenge the griefe
that my soule sustained I haue to the contrary aduanced mine owne shame and vtter ruine iustly receiuing the reward that belongeth vnto such as refusing the better part thinke to remedy one mischiefe by procuring a worse vpon themselues Madame said the Giant if at this present you haue receiued great losse by the death of some of your friends neuerthelesse you ought not to take it so offensiuely séeing they haue ended their daies in honourable combate as behooueth all worthy knights such as they were And as for me think you that for feare of death I will refuse to doe that whereunto by knighthood I am bound No no likewise what reason or what excuse should moue me being as I am both fresh and wel disposed to refuse the combat alone against one simple knight I deny not madame but confesse that affection causeth you to vse these words and shew the nature of a woman but you must conceiue think with your selfe that I answere you as it becommeth me preferring mine honour before your teares wherefore I beséech you suffer mee to take the small vengeance I can vpon the villaine that hath so much offended mee Matroco saied the knight thou reckonest before thine host I would not for all the gold in the world lose such an occasion offered as I now haue both for mine honour and aduantage Beléeue mee that neither thy mothers teares nor the duty thou owest vnto her as being her child can by any meanes prolong the end of thée or me if without dissimulation thou doest not by oath promise and assure mée to liue in as good sort from this time fâ—rwards as in times past thou hast liued wickedly Wherefore it were better for thée to make mee know by effect the Prowesse thou vauntest thy selfe to haue and for me to let thée sée the curtesie which it may bee thou shalt find at my hands if I ouercome thée When the lady perceiued that her prayers could take no place she left them and the two knights began to runne one vpon the other so brauely and with such fury that king Luisart beholding them thought he neuer saw so cruel a battell the which abashed him more was that hee could not presume how or in what manner the blacke Knight had found him in so strange a place and yet he knew him not sometime hee thought him to be Amadis but when he remembred the loue he bare vnto the lady Oriana that hee had newly married hee was otherwise persuaded and likewise hee remembred very well the combates hee had séene Amadis de Gaule make at Windsore against Dardan le Superbe and after that with Ardan Canile wherein hee vsed all his forces yet were they not comparable to those of the blacke knights who as then found himselfe as fresh and wel disposed to fight as if hee had not fought all the day before Againe when he thought it to be his nephew Esplandian for that Vrganda had foreshewed many wonderfull things of him he was soone dissuaded from that opinion by reason hée left him with the quéen his mother not once séeking to receiue the order of knighthood and although that since his departure out of Brittaine he might haue obtained that honour yet did hee estéeme it impossible for Esplandian to doe so valiantly at the first Further Vrganda had alwaies prophesied of him that the first valiant acts he should atchieue should be renowned and spoken of by his strange fearefull nauigation in the great serpent wherein he should be imbarked and for the blacke knight he knew he arriued there in a little barke vnfurnished whereby he estéemed it vnlikely to be his nephew Esplandian But hée thought hee neuer had séene so valiant and hardy a knight for the longer he fought the more he wearied and laboured Matroco Neuerthelesse hee continued fighting for the space of two hours together before it could be iudged who should haue the victory but in the end the Giant féeling himselfe wounded in so many places his armour altogether broken and his shield halfe clouen in two began to mistrust his owne force Wherefore stepping backe he staied his hand and saied Knight I pray thée let vs breath our selues a while and hear what I wil offer thée which cannot bee other then to thy honour and aduantage With that the knight stood still and Matroco began to speake saying I wonder sir knight what mooued thée to venture in this manner vpon this rocke wherein neuer any but thy selfe durst enterprise to come during my fathers life neither yet sithence that by his death I haue ben lord therof and besides this thy enterprise wherein thou hast done the thing that all others feared to doe before thée thoâ—â—â—st also slaine thrée of my friends whereof two of them as I thinke were the best knights in their time liuing on the earth whereby I haue iust cause to hate thee more then any man liuing But when I call to minde that thou hast done therein like a valiant and hardy knight I haue some reason to pardon thée and to estéem thee for one of the valiantest champions that euer I saw in all my life although I haue both prooued and vanquished many others longer practised in armes stronger then thy selfe Wherfore if the onely cause of thy arriuall in this place was to deliuer the king that looketh on vs I am content thou take and lead him hence in safety and for the same cause likewise I quite thée of the combate vpon condition that without long soiourning here thou shalt presentlie depart out of this castle that belongeth vnto mee When the blacke knight had heard him hée answered him and saied Giant as farre as I perceiue thou estéemest it a great enterprise that I haue done to come hether and find thée here within thy castle where by mee those that thou so much lamentest haue ben slaine but if thou knewest the maister that I serue to whom as duty bindeth mée I am obedient thou shouldest presently perceiue and plainely sée this enterprise by thée estéemed much to bee nothing in comparison of that hee is able to doe and bring to passe for that from him onely and none other procéedeth all whatsoeuer I haue done whereby of good right the glory belongeth vnto him and to the contrary you that are idolaters serue those that are accustomed to rocke and lul you asléepe in all kind of vices cruelties outrages thefts murthers and infinite other wickednesse which for a time doe prosper with you whereby you liue in honour riches and all worldly pleasures and so are nulled in all filthinesse but surely such manner of life may well bee compared to buildings erected vpon the sands that cannot â—ontinue long but are most sure to haue an euil end euen then â—hen they are estéemed to bee at the top of all their worldly felicity Like as it happened vnto Lucifer and his fellswes whereof it may be thou hast heard spoken Neuerthelesse if thou wilt
called Le beau tenebreux whereof I speak would not permit but sent the messenger back againe well beaten wherewith my sonne being moued thought to haue her by force but it fell out otherwise for him for at the first encounter the knight with one blow with his sword thrust him into the body whereof hee died and as much had chanced to his vncle Arcalaus if his horse had not saued him by running away hauing first lost foure of his fingers on the right hand Yet fortune not contenting her selfe with this mischiefe prepared me a worse for my husband who for his valour and prowes was feared and redoubted throughout all Asia and Europe was cruelly slaine by the same murtherer of Lindoraque vpon the same day the battell was fought if thou canst remember it whereby euer sithence I remained a widdow with my other sonnes as thē very yong and tender of age with whom I haue passed the greatest part of my daies most extreamely wéeping and lamenting with continuall sadnesse which had ben more gréeuous vnto mee had it not ben for the hope I conceiued of their valour and prowesse But to come to the point of my discourse time reason hauing in a maner suppressed my forepassed sorrows news was brought me of the last victory thou diddest obtaine by the Prowesse of the knight named Le beautenebreux now as it is said called Amadis de Gaule and likewise of my brothers imprisonment wherwith I was so gréeued that respecting not my old yeares I tooke vpon me to trauaile into Brittaine hoping by some meanes to get him out of thy hands But before I arriued there I had certain newes of his deliuery neuerthelesse considering with my selfe the forepassed iniuries I haue receiued by thy kinsmen namely by that wicked wretch Amadis de Gaule I determined before my returne hether to finde the meanes to make him knowe that small good will I beare him But hauing imploied all my art and finding it in vaine to worke any further therein against him by reason of a ring he beareth daily on his finger giuen him by that wicked enchauntresse Vrganda I determined to proue my skill which could not take effect in him against thée being aduertised of thy often riding to hunt with very fewe in thy company where I made thée sée one of my Gentlewomen and a villaine that would defloure her whom thou thoughtest to succour and if thou now remembrest mee I am the very same thou foundest in the pauillion following after him that fled before thée and there thou remainedst inchaunted from whence wee carried thée into our barke and without knowledge vnto any but mine owne seruants thou wast brought hether by sea with full deliberation to cause thée languish in prison in the meane time with the helpe of my allies and friends thy countrey should bée inuaded but I find my selfe deceiued For that this place which neuer was conquered by any power whatsoeuer the kings of Turkie or the Emperours of Constontinople could euer bring against it in lesse then one day is both conquered and taken by one simple knight with the losse of my two sonnes and others estéemed Paragons among the best knights in the world whereby it may clearely be perceiued that by means of thy captiuity there is much more mischiefe happened vnto mee then sorrow to thy person While Arcabonne made this long discourse the king that still beheld her in the face remembred well it was she to whom hée spake in the pauillion wherefore hee said vnto her In good faith madame I now beléeue you better then at the first yet mee thinketh you doe mee wrong to make mee beare the burthen of another mans offence Thinkest thou so said shee No truly for thy imprisonment only had wrought great domage vnto diuers men but to me and mine great profit and aduantage It might be so answered the king notwithstanding I will not cease to doe you all the fauour and pleasure that I can In the meane time I pray you take your aduersity with as great constancy as you may By my soule saied she thou speakest at thy pleasure and therewith in a great fury shee went into Matrocos chamber leauing the king that had not eaten all that day wherefore hee called maister Elizabeth and the other company that meane time had prepared his meate and sitting downe to supper they discoursed of the talke hee and Arcabonne had together till it was time to goe to rest when the king went to bed leauing Libee to guard the castle CHAP. VII How the Giant Matroco died whereat Arcabonne was in such a fury that hauing failed to kill King Luisart shee threw her selfe headlong out of a window into the sea KIng Luisart was not fully asléepe but hee was forced to awake by meanes of a crie of women that hee heard making great lamentation wherefore starting vp and calling maister Elizabeth and the rest of his company he tooke a hatchet which he had laied vnder the bolster of his bed and went to sée what it meant and as he passed through the hall hee perceiued Arcabonne comming towards him couered onely with a mantle wringing her hands tearing her haire making great sorrow Wherwith the king went to her asking her what she meant Alas said she that which I most feared and euer sithence yesterday most assuredly expected is fallen out and as she vttered those words shee pulled out a naked sword that shee bare vnder her arme wherewith shee meant to kill the king But as fortune would he perceiued the blow comming and stepped aside and with the force of the blow the sword hitting vpon the pauement fell out of the old womans hands wherewith the king stepped vpon it and when hee stooped to take vp Arcabonne perceiuing the chamber dore where maister Elizabeth was to bee open shee ranne thether and threw herselfe out at a window into the sea the king followed her not but went into the chamber where Matroco lay and perceiuing him to bee dead came foorth againe into the hall where hee met maister Elizabeth that tolde him newes of Arcabonnes death In good truth saied hée there is no extremitie like to that of a woman behold I pray you with what fury she was possessed for as I issued out of the chamber I met her and thinking with faire spéeches and good persuasions to comfort her shée failed not much to kill mee with this sword that I haue in my hand and as they beheld it the king knew it to bee the same he wore when hee was inchaunted which pleased him so wel that he saied Ha good sword the best and faithfullest companion that euer man had how many victories haue I had by thy meanes and what combats and aduentures haue I brought to an end with thy helpe And by great misfortune hauing lost thée thou knewest mee for being in a mad womans hands that with thée would haue slaine mee thou hast not onely denied her that
from my infancy haâ— brought the vp and being moued by reason of my no little losse with a desirâ— to reuenge both my selfe and my friendes I thoughâ—â—o kill him â—â—d was so neere the point to execute my will that as I held the 〈◊〉 drawne in my hand and began to lift vp mine arme to giâ—e the blow he séemed so faire within mine eie that suddâ—inâ—y I was surprised with loue and that so feruently that were 〈◊〉 not for the promise you haue made me I had not ben aliue at thâ—â— present time Neuerthelesse hauing sithence vnderstood that hee by whome I am in this extremitie in estate and degrée â—ot to bee my equall whereby I perceiue my selfe vnworthy eiâ—â—er to be wife or companion vnto him I haue somewhat moderated my first deliberation in such manner that I will hold my selfe more then satisfied if it please him I may only continue with him to serue at his commandement during my life which in reason he cannot well deny me for let him doe what hee will so long as life is in my body I will neuer forsake him if I be not constrained therevnto Wherefore my lord for the honour of God I beséech your grace to finde the meanes my poore request may once bée granted and you Gentlemen saied she to Ambor and Talanque I pray you put to your helps that by your fauours the life of me poore louer not beloued may bee prolonged The king hearing the Gentlewoman that while she spake sometime blushed and other whiles waxed pale make this discourse could hardly abstain to laugh thinking how inconsiderately shee had fallen into so great extremitie whereby hee feared if hée should make an answere other then pleased her she would kill her selfe but with courteous spéech hee saied vnto her Gentlewoman your request is so reasonable that I am of opinion hee will not deny it and for my part I will intreat him as much as possible I can My lord said Esplandian I wil do what your grace commaundeth Graunt her then I pray you saied the king what shée craueth at your hands that from henceforth shee may bee called your faithfull seruant her honour alwaies saued as in knighthood you are bound I will doe it answered Esplandian and thereof I assure you saied hee speaking to Carmelle who knéeling on the ground kissed his féete and thanked the king and him most heartely reputing heâ— selfe most happy in obtaining so great fauour CHAP. XI How Talanque and Ambor shewed the king what aduentures they had found seeking for Esplandian their companion after they had receiued the order of knighthood YOu heard before in what sort king Luisart was deliuered out of prison by his nephew Esplandian but as yet he knew not the manner how he receiued the order of knighthood Wherefore as they rose from dinner the king desired him to tell him how he was made knight as also what happened vnto him since that time to the end saied hée that Talanque and Ambor may doe the like Then Esplandian tolde how Vrganda came vnto the Ferme island in the great serpent what spéech shee had with Amadis de Gaule and others that were with him the order shee vsed to dub him knight together with Talanque Ambor Manely the king of Denmarke The sléepe wherein they fell and that when hee awaked he found himselfe at the foot of the rocke of the Enchantresse in company of Sergil his Squire and two dumb men also how he conquered the sword with his arriuall at the mountain where he found the Hermite that dissuaded him from fighting with the giants By my head said the king I neuer heard stranger things And now Ambor saied hee what became of you My lord saied Ambor my companion and I were likewise asléepe and when we awaked we found our selues in a little barke with our two horses in a Hauen of the sea called Armata in the country of Norway as then vnknowne to vs where wee landed before a towne not only to know in what countrey wee were but also to séeke for victuals And as wee went towards it the watch of the towne by reason of certain dissension not long before moued betwéene them and their neighbours sent to knowe what we would haue Wherewith we made them answere wée were knights aduenturous that came from the Ferme Isle cast vpon that shore by tempest of weather In good truth said he that spake vnto vs our king hath so great cause to vse your helpes that if you goe vnto him I am well assured hee will bid you welcome We asked him the kings name and what country wee were in My lords said he the country is called Norway wherof Adroni father in lawe to Agraies sonne to the king of Scots and one of the best knights in the world is our king I know not whether you know him And what cause saied wee hath your king to vse our helpe I will tell you said he he is so old that one of his nephewes his sisters sonne procured therevnto by euil counsel is risen in armes against him séeking to haue the gouernement of the countrey in respect as hee saith his vncle is no more able to rule the same And vnder that pretence hath already vsurped a great part thereof and now lieth in campe before one of the best citties in this land which the king by no meanes can reléeue by reason that most of his trustiest friends haue forsaken him and hold with the yoong presumptuous foole that winneth them by faire promises a thing that oftentimes happeneth vnto such as fortune fauoureth not and when men are fallen they are not only abandoned of straungers but by their owne kindred and friends that properly may be tearmed friends for the present time In good faith said we if the towne will giue vs victuals and one to guide vs we will gladly goe and present our seruice vnto him not onely for the loue of Agraies to whom wee are companions but for the right he hath as you haue told vs. That shall be done said he and therewith desired vs to stay till he came again from the cittie where he staied not long but hee brought what we desired and a guide that conducted vs so wel that the next day about dinner time we arriued where the king lay Who being aduertised of our comming and that wée were of Agraies companions entertained vs most courteously commaunding one of his Gentlemen to vnarme vs in one of his best chambers whether hee came and after hee had bidden vs welcome beganne in the same manner to shew vs all what the watch had before declared vnto vs and what an vnnaturall part his nephew shewed vnto him procured therevnto by two knights in whome onely hée putteth his whole trust because saied hee they are well assured that not any of my knights dareth enter into combat with them they are estéemed so valiant and hardy But who hath mooued them and your cosin said we to vndertake
so foule an action Because said the king I haue no issue male and my cousin alledgeth I am ouer old to gouerne the countrey saying it is fitter for him then for me to do it but if I can I will hold him from it and kéep it for my doughter Olinde and Agraies her husband By my soule said I I am of this opinion that séeing this warre is begun only to trie the title you both pretend in one thing It were good your quarrell shoule bee ended by the combate of two knights of both parts without the death and destruction of so many poore innocent people as daily perish by the same means remitting the issue thereof to those whome it shall please God to make victorious and if it pleaseth you I and my companion will bee the two knights that shall fight for you But when hée heard mee speake in that manner hee paused a while séeming very pensiue till in the end he answered me and saied Sir knights I am not yet so well acquainted with you that I should venture to hazard so great a kingdome as this is vpon your valour Neuerthelesse if you will assure me for a truth that you are knights of the Ferme Island I am content to stand to it whatsoeuer may chance For there can none but valiant knights come from thence being assured as I suppose that otherwise the lord of the place would not giue them intertainement Then wee swore vnto him that what wee had saied was true Wherevpon hee presently dispatched a trumpet with message to his enemy to offer him the combate who hearing the newes séemed very glad making account that his two knights so much estéemed would easily ouercome any two of the best knights the king had So that returning the messenger againe hee sent one of his trumpets with him to conclude the combate with the day time and place where it should be done as also what pledges should on both sides bee giuen for performance thereof so that on the day appointed after ech party had solemnly taken their othes wée entred into the lists where wee had a cruell and dangerous combate one against the other but in the end right lying on our sides wee wan the victory And as we would haue striken off their heads the kings nephew desired vs most earnestly to graunt him their liues which wee agréed vnto vpon condition that from that time forwards hee should suffer his vncle to raigne in peace not molesting him any more which he promised to performe In this combate we were so wounded that of force we continued in Norway longer then wee meant to do where during our abode certaine marchants arriued in the cittie that had séene as they told vs vpon the sea néere vnto the rocke of the Enchauntresse a Serpent greater then any vessell which so much astonished them that they knew not what to doe whereby we heard newes of Esplandian With that although we were not altogether healed of our wounds yet we besought the king to cause vs to bee conducted thether which hee willingly graunted and wee tooke sea with so good a wind that within sixe daies after wee approched the rocke where the serpent staied that at the first made vs somewhat abashed although we had séene it oftentimes before Neuerthelesse we found it flashing such flames of fire out of the mouth and nosthrils thereof that wee feared the fire would fall into our shippe whereby not without much paine and trouble wee procured our maister and marriners to approch it and perceiuing no creature aboord to speake vnto we began to hallow vnto them with so loud a voice that at the last Sergil appeared vpon the hatches and wéeping told vs what had happened vnto his maister on the rocke of the Enchauntresse and how after that one of the dumbe men had caused him to enter into a little barke and there with put to sea so that hée knew not if hee were dead or liuing for hee had heard no newes of him and there hee staied with another dumbe man in the greatest care that might bée With that wee willed him to call the dumbe man vnto vs and when hee came by signes wée made vnto him we shewed him what pleasure he might doe vs if he would bring vs to the place where his fellow had carried Esplandian which as it séemed he was content to doe for presently thervpon he entered into our vessels and sailed so well that the tenth day after he set vs on land hard by the place where wee slew the Giant and the two knights â—nd so your grace hath heard what fortunes wee haue passed since wee receiued the order of knighthood Truly said the king if those of Manely the king of Denmarke be as strange it may well bée saied there neuer happened the like beginning vnto sixe yong knights CHAP. XII How one night as King Luisart was in his bed thinking how hee might returne againe into great Brittaine hee heard so pleasant a sound of instruments that hee rose vp to see where it might bee and what happened after that KIng Luisart coÌ„tinued so long in the castle on the mountaine that at the last hee waxed weary not so much for the desire he had to bee in his owne countrey as for the gréefe he certainely knew the Quéene would conceiue by reason of his long absence in which kinde of pensiuenesse hee continued certaine nights together that by meanes thereof hee could take no rest till at the last one night among the rest about halfe an hower before day he heard the swéetest musick that euer plaied wherewith hee rose out of his bed and without making any noise opened the window to heare it better But as then it was very darke and the wind blew so hard that the sea rising therewith beat against the hollownesse of the rocke in such sort that the noise thereof and the sound of the musicke made a new kind of harmony wherewith hee was so much delighted that hee awaked Esplandian Ambor and Talanque that slept soundly as yoong men without malancholy humours are accustomed to doe But when they heard the musicke they staied not long in their beds but went to the window to sée who it might bee but they could sée nothing till day began to appeare When they perceiued the great Serpent surging on the shoare wherwith they were excéeding glad making full account that the arriuall therof brought them some good newes Wherewith they made them ready and without longer staying issued out of the castle to sée who was in the same and as they stood on the shore they perceaued a smal boat and a Gentlewoman comming out of it bearing in her arms a packet couered with Taffata who comming vnto the king with most humble reuerence saied vnto him My lord and it pleaseth your grace Vrganda recommendeth her vnto your maiesty and hath commanded me to giue you intelligence that being busied to aide the Emperour and the Empresse
your doughter in a certaine thing of great importance shee hath not had the means to come and visite you Then presenting the packet to Esplandian said vnto him Gentle knight My mistresse that loueth and fauoureth you as it is well knowne giueth you these armes and sendeth you word by mee that as shee gaue you the blacke armes that hetherto you haue borne to testifie thereby the sorrow for the losse of the king that as then was common among all his true subiects and friends So in these you shal finde the deuise of the lady that in beautie and comelinesse of person surpasseth all the ladies in the world as Amadis your father in time past well proued when shee set the crowne vpon her head in remembraunce whereof shee hath euer sithence borne the like deuise Who from henceforth shall bee so strongly fixed in your heart that you shal neuer giue stroke with sword nor launce but you will remember her Which she said in respect of the princesse Leonorine doughter to the Emperour of Constantinople that by destinie was appointed only vnto him And opening the pack shee pulled out a helmet shield Haubert and a Caparisson for a horse all of white imbrodered with crowns of gold and set with Diamonds and Pearles which hée most willingly receiued saying to the Gentlewoman I pray you in my behalfe giue Vrganda hearty thankes for the great honour and much good shee hath continually done vnto me assuring her that wheresoeuer I become she hath a knight of mee ready to obay her and that for the loue of her will beare these armes as long as it pleaseth her Bée it so in the name of God saied she but before long time bee past you shall haue another mistresse that will constraine you to doe greater matters for shée shall rauish both your heart and libertie in such manner that you should loose ouermuch if at sometimes you loose not your selfe for her And to conclude I tell you that my mistresse féeleth her selfe as yet so much bound and beholding to my lord Amadis your father because that by his meanes shee recouered her friend that during her life she wil vse al the means shee can to doe him plasure and you likewise for his sake And as shee deliuered the message vnto him Carmelle came thether and hearing her speake in that manner answered her and said Gentlewoman I pray you tell your mistresse from mée that she hath great cause to recompence them well by whom she enioieth her friend she loueth so entirely and tell her I know many to whom if such chance should happen that would not fail to acknowledge it with the price of their déerest blood and their soules likewise if néed were In faith said the gentlewoman I know not in whose behalfe you speake it but I know assuredly you touch mée at the quick which she vttered with so good a grace that the king could not refraine to smile hauing in times past felt the fury of loue when hée first saw the Quéene in the country of Denmarke Yet bee chaunged his countenance asking the Gentlewoman from whence that musicke came that hee heard in the morning before breake of day My lord said she being sometimes in greater passions then willingly I would I passe my melancholy humours with a Lute that I haue especially when I cannot sléepe which as I thinke was it you heard What company haue you in the Serpent said the king None said she but Esplandians Squire that I found in a manner dead for the desire he had to hear news of his maister to whome also I haue brought the goodliest white horse and the best harnaised that euer was séene which my mistresse sendeth him likewise Did she commād you to say nothing else vnto me said the king Yes my lord saied shee shee sendeth you word that at my arriuall here you and hee should enter into this ship that of it selfe will bring you into great Brittaine and that the fortunes that not long since happened vnto you are snares the world setteth to intrap those it séeketh to deceiue séeming to ioine gréene and flourishing age with that which already is dried vp and withered And further willeth you to put in effect that which in your selfe you haue determined to doe which was to forsake his kingly estate and liue a solitary life but hee wondered much that Vrganda knew it yet he made no shew therof but speaking to the Gentlewoman he saied Your mistresse bindeth mee daily more and more vnto her being well assured that without her helpe I could hardly haue found any to haue brought me into my country Wherfore I pray you tell her that whatsoeuer I haue is at her commandement and as touching my determination which as soone as I conceiued in my mind I perceiued it was knowne to her being at home if God giueth me life I meane to put in execution My lord saied shee she praieth you to commend the kéeping of this castle to Talanque and Ambor not taking any with you but Esplandian Sergil maister Elizabeth knowing for certaine that hereafter they shall doe such things that their renoume will spread throughout the world Wherewith my lord I will take my leaue and returne againe to her with the dumbe men that shall guide me in this little barke God haue you in his kéeping saied the king Then the Gentlewoman with her two Marriners entered into the barke that brought Esplandian thether and setting saile put to sea CHAP. XIII How King Luisart imbarked himselfe in the great Serpent and of the message Esplandian sent by Carmelle vnto the Princesse Leonorine doughter to the Emperor of Constantinople THe Gentlewoman that brought the message with the two dumbe men imbarked and put to sea farre from the rocke king Luisart and the rest went vnto the castle where he staied not long for according to the aduise Vrganda had giuen him hee desired Ambor Talanque with Libee and the rest of the company to kéep the castle promising with all spéed to send them prouision of all thinges necessary whereof they wanted But when Esplandian saw there was no remedy but of force he must obey the king much displeased to depart so farre from the borders of Constantinople where he hoped to find her whereof maister Elizabeth had brought him the first newes hée tooke his faithfull seruant Carmelle aside and said vnto her My good friend I was in mind neuer to falsifie the promise I haue made you nor the gift you required at my hands neuerthelesse trusting more in you then any other I pray you take it not in euill part if to saue my life I send you to a place whether I thought to haue gone my self in person but it pleaseth the king as you wel know that I shal beare him company My lord saied shee I most humbly thanke you for the honour it pleaseth you to shew mee swearing vnto you by the liuing God that I take no pleasure
but in fulfilling your desire wherefore I pray you feare not to command mée what you thinke good for whatsoeuer may happen thereby I will bee obedient vnto you during my life My good friend said Esplandian imbracing her I wil one day recompence your good will séeing you are minded to do me so much fauour you must then take your iourney to Constantinople on message to the Princesse Leonorine the Emperours doughter to whom hauing presented my most humble and harty commendations you shall on my behalfe say How that at such time as I receiued the order of knighthood I was commanded by my lord Amadis my father to repaire to her fathers court there to discharge him of the promise hee made vnto her which was either to returne againe to doe her seruice or to send one of his linage thether in his place Neuerthelesse considering with my selfe his great valour and Prowesse and the great beauty that is reported to bee in her which my small desert in regard of him that gaue me the commandement I am afraid to vndertake the same Notwithstanding it hath pleased her by maistee Elizabeth to put mee in mind thereof although while breath is in my body I will neuer faile to be her knight And to the end shee may giue credite to your message you shal present this ring vnto her which she knoweth well as being the same she gaue vnto my father to put him in remembrance of his promise My lord saied she I will fulfill your commandement but if you goe so far from hence where shal I find you when I come backe again In this place said Esplandian whether I will returne as soone as I haue brought the king into great Brittaine Then calling Libee hee commanded him that presently after hee had set saile hee should cause a ship to be prepared for Carmelle to goe on message where he would send her that done hee went to finde the king and maister Elizabeth that staied for him in the Serpent the which presently vpon his entring therein of her self began to set forwards with such spéede that in short space they left the coast of Turkie and the twentith day after they discouered the Ferme Isle where she staied which those of the country perceiuing aduertised Amadis and the rest of the company who in great hast ran vnto the Hauen but they were no sooner come thether when they espied the king Esplandian maister Elizabeth and Sergil landing out of a little boat Wherewith being all abashed but much more pleasod stepped forwards to receiue theÌ„ and after many imbracings and salutations on either part Amadis presented the Giant Balan to the king whom as yet hee had neuer séene and therewith set forward towards the pallace of Apolidon wherof Oriane and the rest of the ladies hauing intelligence the great sorrow that so long time they had vsed for his absence was conuerted into ioy which much more increased when the king in presence of them all rehearsed the manner how Esplandian deliuered him out of Arcabonnes hands and the great Prowesse he shewed against Matroco Frerion and Arcalaus their vncle Oriane knew wel the great desire and much gréefe the Quéene had because shee heard no newes of the king wherefore the same day shee sent her danish Gentlewoman to aduertise her of his arriuall who made such hast that within sixe daies after shee arriued at London at such time the Quéene sat downe to dinner CHAP. XIIII How King Luisart departed from the Ferme Isle accompanied of diuers knights Ladies and Gentlewomen and being neere London in a forrest they met with foure knights that sent to ask four courses with their launces against Esplandian THrée daies king Luisart continued in the Ferme Isle and the fourth day hee determined to goe see the Quéene and to the same end with all the company of knights ladies and gentlewomen he set forwards towards London and trauailed so fast that they were within a daies iourney of the cittie And as they entred into a forrest where they vsed commonly to chase the Hart they saw in the high way foure knights well mounted armed at all points each his Esquire by his side bearing their shield and launces for they had their helmets on their heads And with that they perceiued a Gentlewoman comming towards them riding on a palfrey and being néere them speaking to Esplandian she saied Sir knight with the white armes those foure knights you sée in the high way before you send you word by me that they would gladly know the cause why you beare the deuise of crownes wherin if you satisfie their desire in such sort that their honours bee not stained they will from henceforth refraine to inquire the same any more otherwise they giue you by me to vnderstand it were best for you to leaue them or else that you defend them well as being the most honourable deuise that is in all the world When Esplandian heard her speake in that manner in courteous sort he answered her and said Gentlewoman to satisfie their request I pray you tell them that the deuise and the armes I beare was giuen me by Vrganda but for what cause I know not neuertheles I bear them for the loue of her as also that they like me wel and if this content them not tel them mee thinketh the occasion of combate betwéene mee and them is so small that for this time I would desire them to forbeare the same In good faith saied shee smiling you speak with reason for they are knights that séeme to haue much néed of your counsell but notwithstanding good sir I pray you bee not vnprouided for your excuses will not bee receiued Gentlewoman said Esplandian if they assaile me it shall bee against my wil. Truly said she as farre as I perceiue the great beautie that is in you together with the rich armes and goodly horse you ride vpon are worse bestowed then euer was any when you are not ashamed â—â— make an answere so little to your credite Neuerthelesse either you must forsake the way to London and this good company or defend the braue deuise you bear as they haue sent you word The way saied Esplandian is common to all men and out of it for them I will not goe wherefore if they assaile me I must of force defend my self And because the Gentlewoman was not knowne among them they all mused who she might me as also who the foure knights were that sent her to whom shée returned againe Meane time Esplandian laced on his helmet taking his launce in his hand ready to fight if occasion serued Wherewith Amadis and the rest of the company were excéeding glad doubting least the king had spoken in fauour of him when he shewed what he had done but they had not ridden long but one of the four knights came riding softly towards them and about a carriers length from them called to Esplandian and said You sir knight that would not
satisfie our desires defend your selfe from mee Wherewith hee set spurres to his horse and Esplandian likewise who at the first encounter cast him so strongly out of his saddle that in long time after hee could not rise againe and therewith his launce brake with that the second knight came forwards willing Esplandian to take another launce for he meant to reuenge his companion Which Amadis hearing sent him his launce that he willingly receiued and being in a rage to sée himselfe assailed without cause hée ranne against the knight and strake him so surely on the brest that he ouerthrew him both horse and man Well said the king to the standers by iudge you if it be possible to doe better My lord said Agraies I neuer saw two fairer strokes giuen with a launce the rest I will leaue to consider of till I know those that ranne against him Let vs sée the end saied the king and calling a Squire hee sent his launce vnto Esplandian for as then the third knight prepared himselfe to runne and spurring their horses set forwards so fiercely that breaking their launces they met so strongly body and shields and heads together that Esplandian had much adoe to sit vpon his horse and the other had such a fall that he lay stil vpon the ground Whereat the fourth knight being abashed saied vnto himselfe Truly both the king and Vrganâ—â— â—â—ue good reason as they do to assure the valor and Prowesse of this knight séeing it is much more then they warrant it to bee Neuerthelesse I must of force trie him otherwise I should doe both my selfe and him wrong And with that he called Esplandian and said Knight Although I well know the small courtesie that I and my companions haue shewed vnto you yet I must not refuse to doe the same that they haue done before me wherefore I pray you send to some of your company for another launce that we may sée who shall beare the honour of this enterprise I will doe it saied hee séeing you constraine me therevnto vpon condition that if I can I will serue you in the like sort I haue done your companions With that Gransador that heard them speake gaue him his launce which he presently charging they met together with such force that their launces brake close vnto their hands neither of them remouing out his saddle wherefore the knight of the forrest turned to Esplandian and saied Sir Knight let vs yet trie one blow more and I will quite you for this time You might content your selfe said hée with that is done but séeing you are so void of reason I am content to trie it with you till one of vs bee beaten off his horse Then he sent Sergil to fetch another lance and he brought him one some what bigger and shorter then those hee had before wherewith hee strooke the knight of the forrest so valiantly that he ouerthrew him himself being constrained to imbrace his horse about the necke or else he had fallen as the other did that lay on the ground yet he rose before Esplandian had runne out his course and as he returned barke he staied him by the armour and saied vnto him Before God sir knight you haue sufficiently shewed that in valour and Prowesse you are second to none but to your selfe but hee answered not a word but holding downe his head ashamed of that had happened vnto him passed forth With that the king came thether to knowe what knights they were that had ben ouerthrowne among the which he knew Galaor for hee had put off his helmet to do him honour when he saw him come wherat the king was so well pleased that he alighted of his horse and ranne to imbrace him the like did Amadis saying vnto him with a smiling countenaunce How now brother Galaor how long haue you vsed to be a kéeper of the high waies You sée said hee that I and my companions haue sought to trie whether this knight be of such force as we haue found him and what hath happened you may well iudge when Esplandian vnderstood his vncle Galaor fearing to haue offended hee lighted off his horse and knéeling downe before him asked pardon for his fault Nephew saied hée it is I that haue done the wrong and therefore I tolde the king that you are a better knight then I and maruaile not if I sought to prooue it Because I thought to doe it with mine honour but I found the contrary which from henceforth shal make me thinke the things foreshewed of you will bee accomplished so well that the glory of your father and the reputation by many knights in times past obtained shall from henceforth bee extinguished you hauing so easily ouerthrowne thrée of the best knights in great Brittaine and my selfe the fourth What are they said the king My lord said Galaor the first that ranne was Sendale of Gonaste the second Galuanes the third Angriote d'estrauaulx and my selfe hath done worse then they Wherat the king and al the company began to laugh And imbracing them caused them to mount on horsebacke riding towards London where in the way the King praied them to tell him howe this enterprise was deuised My Lord saied Galaor hauing vnderstoode by the danish Gentlewoman that my lady Oriane not long since sent vnto the Quéene to bring her newes of your returne and what had happened vnto you during your imprisonment the valiant acts by you declared of my nephew Esplandian wee conceiued such a iealousie against him estéeming the honour you did him thereby to procéed rather of fatherly loue then otherwise that wée determimined secretly to depart out of London to proue his force as now you haue well séene and to moue him therevnto we sent the gentlewoman with the message you haue heard Of my faith saied the king the deuise was good and hath fallen out well In this manner deuising of sundry things hee came to Mirefleur where the Quéen met him praising God for his vnexpected return and considering his trouble past with the gréefe shee had for his long absence séeing him there safe and in good health shee thought her selfe well recompenced with his presence The next day in the morning they set forwards towards London where the people receiued him with such signs of gladnesse that most part of them wept for ioy to sée him for there was neuer Prince better loued of his subiects theÌ„ he Being there Esplandian began to be weary of the place longing to heare news of Carmelle that he had sent to Constantinople as you haue heard before And therefore euery day hee deuised meanes to get licence to depart from thence pretending a cause of returning to the castle called La montaigne defendu shewing the king what promise he had made to his companions which if hee did not performe they should haue cause to complaine of him but the king would not in any sort graunt to his request yet in the end ouercome with much
Amadis was so wounded by Esplandian that in the end with a thrust of a launce into the right shoulder and other blowes with his sword hee was slaine in the field which Oriane hearing threw her selfe out of a window and brake her necke But it is not true for they raigned after that both in Fraunce and great Brittaine and had another sonne named Perion and a doughter no lesse beautifull then her mother that married Arquisil sonne to the Emperour of Rome But I cannot conceiue from whence those lyers could inuent such a thing if they vnderstand not by death the shadowes that Esplandian caused his fathers valiant acts to bee couered withall by the light and pleasant shining of his owne wherby his fathers were so much had in obliuion that there was no more brute of them then if they had neuer beene done But to returne againe vnto our matter you must note that newes went presently vnto the court what had chanced to the two knights Wherewith the king and Oriane much displeased departed from London came to Mirefleur when maister Elizabeth began the second time to dresse their wounds Whereby he perceiued them out of danger and cured them so well that within seuen daies after they could walke about the chamber which put Oriane in better comfort then before and it fell out well for her for if her malancholy had longer indured she had for certain died at that time And because the king had not as yet vnderstoode the reason that mooued them to fight one day when hee found Amadis in good disposition hee praied him to tell him In faith my lord saied hee I was desirous to haue the difference of our two forces knowne being assured that whatsoeuer chaunced thereby it could not bee but to mine honour for if my sonne bee a better knight then my selfe his honour for the present time will increase my glory past Before God saied the king your enterprise was but rashly vndertaken I pray you another time let vs leaue such youthfull partes for those that are but entring into arms Beléeue me and it pleaseth your grace saied hée I was neuer better beaten in all my life It is no matter saied the king séeing you haue both escaped with your liues now séeke meanes to bée healed of your wounds with as much spéede as you may and from henceforth let vs war only against Harts and other wild beasts that are within this forrest as my huntsmen haue shewed me this day CHAP. XVI How the King of Denmarke Garinter and Manely succoured Vrganda that certaine knights would haue slaine because she aided the Emperors sonne of Rome YOu heard before of the aduentures of Esplandian Ambor and Talanque after they had receiued the order of knighthood now you shall heare what became of Garinter king of Denmarke and Manely who sléeping as others did by the sound of sixe trumpets that plaied on the shore the next night they found themselues with their squires in a little barke so farre out of al knowledge that although they had landed they knew not where they were and it was so darke that they could not sée each other till at the last they perceiued a fire not farre from thence that moued them to goe thether to sée if they could find any that would shew them in what country they were therefore leauing their squires to kéepe their barke they tooke their shields and mounting vp a little hill they perceiued a fire burning circle wise in the middle whereof they saw a woman holding a yong child in her armes and about the fire stood tenne knights all armed that sought to take her but by no meanes they could come néere her she was so well defended by the fire And as they went néerer vnto it they heard one among the rest that said vnto her Ha thou false and accursed wretch thy diuellish spirits and familiars can now no longer helpe thée but at this time thou shalt surely die And although Manely and Garinter had their helmets on their heads yet the woman they so threatened knew them well calling thē and said Help me my sonnes and faile me not I pray you at this time With that Manely and the king of Denmarke knew her by her voice wherefore laying hands on their swords they marched towards the tenne knights wherof one of them stepped before the rest asking them if they knew that wicked woman that had done him the greatest mischiefe that euer was By God sir knight said Manely you lie in your throat she is not wicked but faithfuller for her part then you for yours Wherewith they ran each vpon other and there began the combate of tenne knights against two and although the match was not equall Manely and the king of Denmarke setting their backes together laied valiantly vpon them yet in the end they could not haue resisted but Vrganda playing her part put out the fire and taking her two knights aside left the rest in the darke striking each other as if Manely and the king of Denmarke had beene with them Meane time Vrganda and her company got into the thicket of the wood and hauing trauailed long at the last the moone began to shine when they were weary whereby they determined to stay a while and rest themselues till day appeared Meane time the two knights desired Vrganda to shewe them how shee came thether and whether she knew the country My good friends said she hauing long since learned by my art that this little child son to the Emperour of Rome and of the Empresse Leonor his wife should bee stollen away by the Traitor that assailed you who is sonne to Garadan that Amadis as then called the knight of the gréene sword put to death in the countrey of Bohemia in defending the right of king Tafmor As soone as you fell on sléepe in the great Serpent I made al the hast I could vnto this place to succour it according to my promise made being in the Ferme Isle in presence of Amadis and diuers other knights where I arriued at so good a time when the villaines which you saw came to a shepheards house where a poore nurse dwelt to whom they deliuered this little child to giue it sucke And séeing it was time to put my enterprise in practise I went out of my barke and making as if I had ben robbed by certaine théeues ranne towards them crying out and wéeping bitterly wherewith they all came forth to sée what it might be and perceiuing me in that manner asked the cause of my gréefe Ha my lords said I It is so that as my husband I passed through this wood wée met eight théeues that slew him and not content therewith haue taken away my horse and my budget wherein there is a great summe of money Which they beléeuing to bee true not that they were mooued with compassion for my losse but respecting their owne particular benefite hoping to get a booty by them
the sea although hee is well known by the name of Frandalo for by his valor hée hath brought in subiection the greatest part of all this sea pilling and taking all hée findeth and by force of weather hath beene constrained to put into this Island his other vessels being scattered so farre heare him named Notwithstanding one thing ouercommeth him and vanquisheth his most couragious heart which is your grace my good lady said she whom he loueth honoureth and desireth to serue while life indureth But knowing not if his seruice would be accepted of he durst not presume to come himselfe in person to offer you the same although by him that next after your selfe may most commaund him hee had expresse charge to present it vnto you as bound thereto by promise And to the end you may giue credite to my wordes hee sendeth you this ring which is the very same you gaue to Amadis being in this Court if your grace can call it to remembrance With that Leonorine tooke it in her hand and beholding it long time she saied vnto the Gentlewoman Truly this ring was sometimes mine which I gaue vnto the best knight nowe liuing in the world In faith said the Gentlewoman a better knight then hée hath sent it you againe and that is my lord Esplandian his sonne I neuer sawe him that I know off said she True it is maister Elizabeth told me of a yoong Gentleman sonne to the knight with the greene sword that not long since was made knight in the Ferme Isle Vrganda being present and the next day was carried away in a strange ship of whome as then they could beare no newes Madame said Carmelle I know not who the knight with the gréen sword may be but he whereof I shew you hath had such a beginning in armes that if it be your pleasure to heare it you will bee abashed thereat tell it I pray you said the Princesse But as the Gentlewoman began to speak one brought the Princesse news the Emperour her father was come from hunting and asked for her wherewith shée knowing what pleasure her father would take to heare newes tooke Carmelle by the hand and led her into the Emperours chamber and doing reuerence vnto him she said My lord here is a strange Gentlewoman that can tell you newes of the good knight with the gréene sword and of his sonne likewise of whome maister Elizabeth made a long discourâ—â— and she hath ben conducted hether by two knights of the Ferm Isle whereof one of them hath fought with Frandalo and hath presented him vnto me and staying your returne I haue sent them into a chamber to refresh themselues Doughter said the Emperour both they and the Gentlewoman are most heartely welcome My lord saied Carmelle God preserue your grace without further honour vnto him shee stoode still and held her peace whereat all the company began to smile thinking that want of ciuilitie caused her to forget her selfe But not long after they changed their opinion Carmelle beginning to speak in this maner My lord I haue beene nourished all my life among the best knights liuing in the world yet let not your grace find it strange if at the first being in your maiesties presence I haue vsed so little honour to your grace whereby your Gentlemen should haue cause to laugh at mee For that want of vnderstanding howe to behaue my selfe in presence of so great a Prince is not the cause thereof but onely the ioy I conceiue in my selfe to bee a seruant vnto him whom I more estéeme then any man liuing and I only hold for my lord and maister not knowing any worthier then he And if it pleaseth your grace to know who it is together with the cause of my arriuall in this countrey I pray you send for the two knights that brought mée hether I will shew such things whereat it may be your grace will be abashed Gentlewoman saied the Emperour you shall therein doe mee great pleasure Wherewith hee commanded a Gentleman to goe fetch the two straunge knights who comming into the Emperours presence hauing kissed his handes and he welcommed them in courteous manner he willed two chaires to bee brought wherein hee set them being a Prince that alwaies entertained straungers with great honour especially if hee knew them to be of forraine countries That done all the knights Gentlewomen and ladies went néere to heare the Gentlewomans spéech when shee turning vnto the Emperour said in this manner My lord I thinke your grace hath long before this time knowne the castle called La montaigne defendu the which during the life of valiant Chartadaque and since that time you and the king of Turkie haue diuers time assailed to winne although in vaine it hath alwaies been so well defended by the Giants Matroco and Frerion yet in one day a knight alone hath conquered it slain the two giants whereof I spake with their vncle Arcalaus and Argantes the Porter of the same And which is more hath deliuered king Luisart that lay prisoner therein no man knowing it for hée had ben surprised in great Brittaine and secretly brought from thence by Arcabonne lady of the castle The which lady falling in despaire threw her selfe out of a window into the sea And to the end your grace may knowe how all hath happened it is so saied shee that Arcabonne who as then I serued hauing intelligence of her brothers imprisonment in the Ferme Isle departed expressely from the castle hoping to deliuer him but before she got thether he was set at liberty Notwithstanding she being loth to loose her labour to bee reuenged thereof did so much by her art that she got king Luisart as then hunting in the forrest into her tent the king thinking to succour a Gentlewoman that as hee thought a knight would haue defloured where he was so cruelly inchaunted that losing all his sences hee was transported without any mans knowledge into the dungeon of the castle where my lord and maister found him And continuing her discourse she shewed in what manner Esplandian was made knight and séeking to find the king hée was carried by the boat of the great serpent into the Isle of the Enchauntresse where he conquered the shining sword and after that brought in a little barke to the foote of the rocke called La montaigne defendu the spéech hee had with the Hermite the combates with Argantes Matroco and Frerion the desperatenesse of Arcabonne the determination she had to kil him when she found him sléeping in the hermitage the loue wherwith she was sodainly surprised And lastly the means how king Luisart knew him for my lord said she he is son of Amadis his son and of the Princesse Oriane And because at his departure froÌ„ his father he gaue him in coÌ„mandement to come serue the Princes Leonorine your doughter with the other ladies according to his promise he hath expressely sent me hether humbly beséeching theÌ„
many times you shall desire death And opening the packet she tooke forth a white armour all set with crownes of gold inriched with Pearles and Diamonds most sumptuous to behold Which Esplandian with harty thanks vnto Vrganda and the messenger receiued willingly This as I thinke madame said Carmelle is the cause why he hath ben called the blacke knight but I suppose séeing hee hath chaunged his deuise he will likewise change his name The Princesse Leonorine knew thereby that all these thinges were saied as touching her wherewith shee felt an alteration in her mind for that loue by little and little began to burne her heart which shee had willingly couered but Carmelle by the changing of her colour which sometimes waxed pale and sometimes redâ— the sundry motions wherewith swéet loue did pricâ—e her 〈◊〉 heart perceiued it â—ull well in such manner that being no longer able to abstaine â—rom sighing as if she had spoken to her selfe she said I pray God his beginning may proue a happy end Wherâ—with Carmelle perceiuing her maisters suâ—â—â— prospeâ— with effeâ—t the better to encrease the desire of the lady 〈◊〉 said vnto her madame he hath commanded me not to stay long here for till my returne he doth continue in excéeding paine and neuer shall bée frée if hee receiue no comfortable answere from your â—race Gentlewoman saied â—he Princesse I were the most vngratefull Princesse liuing on â—he earth if I should doe so but tell him I pray you from me that I giue him hearty thankes for the courtesies hee offereth mee by you and when he once arriueth here hée shall soone know the great good will I beare him As also that I hold him for my knight for proofe whereof you shall on my behalfe present him with this â—airelace as being the first present that Grimanaise my grandfather gaue to his Appolidon being but her louer Wherewith taking a cloth of tissue from her head she vnbound her hair and deâ—iuered the hairelace vnto her and sending for a gowne imbroâ—ered all with crownes of gold gaue it her likewise But saied shee because the two knights haue promised the Emperour not â—o depart from hence till eight daies are past you shall stay for them and all together return vnto the castle called La montaigne defendu which she willingly graunted CHAP. XXIII How newes was brought vnto the Emperour that Armato king of Turkie had besieged the castle of La montaigne defendu and of the charge he gaue Frandalo with Manely and the king of Denmarke to goe succour it IN manner as you heard before the two knights of the Ferme Isle and Carmelle staied at Constantinople where there arriued a certaine shippe that brought a Squire on message from Talanque and Ambor to certefie the Emperour that Armatâ— king of Turkie aduertised of the death of Matroco had besieged the castle La montaigne defendu both by land and sea desiring him to send some aid otherwise they should bée constrained to yéeld the same not hauing victuals nor men for to defend it The Emperor hearing those newes and considering the truce betwéene him and the king of Turkes as also that hee had not any men prepared for to send neither Gally Galliace ship nor Brigandine ready for the sea stood somewhat in amase But considering with himselfe of what importaunce that Frontier castle might bee vnto him if the enemy should obtaine it he determined by all meanes to hinder him from the same Wherfore calling for Frandalo and taking him aside he said vnto him Well Frandalo you are now my prisoner and it lieth in me either to hang you like a théefe or deliuer you with greater riches then euer you possessed which I promise you to doe if from this time forwards you sweare to bee my loiall subiect and faithfully to serue me when you are imploied My lord saied hee I beséech your grace wholly to forget the faults by me committed to your Maiestie swearing of my faith if it pleaseth you to pardon my offence you shal from henceforth find a seruant of me that in time will make you knowe by effect how much I estéeme this fauour at your hands Will you doe it said the Emperor I and it pleaseth your grace said he What is become of your Nauie saied the Emperour that in times past you held vpon the sea My lord saied Frandalo the winds tempests that lately happened on the sea hath so scattered them that I can heare no newes of them Neuerthelesse I am of opinion they may easily be brought together wherewith I will doe your grace seruice if you thinke good Doe it then saied the Emperor and that with spéed for I haue determined to raise the greatest army that euer hath been séene therewith to driue Armato king of Turkie out of the Frontiers of my Empire who not long since hath besieged La montaigne defendu And while my forces are preparing you with the two knights that of late came hether shall goe before and vsing meanes to assemble your men shall in the meane time giue the Turkes somewhat to doe My lord said Frandalo God giue me grace to doe you faithful seruice then be you ready in the morning saied he to depart from hence wherewith hée commanded Frandâ—â—os ship to bee rigged and prepared with al things necessary and finding Manely and the king of Denmarke he told them that he had receiued news from Talanque and Ambor touching the â—astle of La montaigne defendu and what hee had determined to doe as concerning their reléefe shewing them what had passed betweene him and Frandalo touching the same Wherefore my good friends saied hee because I well perceiue the great desire you haue to sée your companions me thinketh it were good you imbark your selues with him who goeth before to aduertise them of the aide I meane to send them My lord saied Manely it is our whole desires In the morning said the king you shal haue your bark ready and furnished with all things necessary and some other of my ships likewise to second you attending the great army my selfe dooth meane to bring But before their departure hee gaue them diuers rich presents which they refused contenting themselues with the honor and courteous intertainement hee had already giuen them and taking their leaue of all the court especially of the Princesse Leonorine they took sea and Carmelle with them hoping to haue her maisters great good will for the good newes she brought him But before we passe further to shew you what became of them I thinke it not out of our hystory to leaue Esplandian no longer at Miresleur but shew you what became of him being healed of his wounds CHAP. XXIIII How Esplandian healed of his wounds tooke leaue of king Luisart and all the court to goe vnto the Ferme Isle where hee left the great Serpent wherein accompanied onely of maister Elizabeth and Sergil he imbarked himselfe to returne vnto the castle of La montaigne defendu MAny
tell it vs. Then Manely began to shew how he and the king of Denmarke when they awaked found themselues in a barke vpon the coast of Italy where taking land they found Vrganda and after that by cruell tempests they arriued in an Isle where a Beare assailed them in which Isle they saw two great apes that shewed them much sport But saied hee wee thought to haue starued therein for want of meat for our victuals were cleane consumed when by fortune Frandalo arriued in the same Isle with whome I fought and ouercame him And because our barke was cast away wee entered into his wherein wee found a Gentlewoman that told vs newes of you whom for your sake we conducted vnto Constantinople and from thence haue brought her backe againe As farre as I vnderstand said Esplandian you haue not alwaies slept and I beléeue that neuer any knight had fo straunge aduentures at their first entering into armes vnlesse it were my lord Amadis my father which I would hardly haue beléeued had it not ben for the signes and euident tokens that wee saw in the Isle Saint Mary What were they said the king of Denmark We saw the Image of Landriaque said Esplandian with whome he had so long and perrillous a combate It is true saied Argenton that such combates against monsters doe oftentimes strike the hardiest knights with feare and the combate of our Apes made sorrowfull knights reioice In good faith saied Esplandian thou hast reason and I like thée well for thy mirth but I pray thée heartely returne againe and fetch the Gentlewoman that is in thy maisters ship and bring her hether that I may speake with her which he presently did and as she entred into the great Serpent Esplandian imbracing her asked if she had séene the emperour and the beautifull Princesse Leonorine his doughter I my lord said she both of them desiring your arriual in that countrey especially the Princesse Leonorine with all the ladies and Gentlewomen being fully determined not to pardon the great fault you haue committed in their behalfes to haue deferred off so long before you come to serue them according to the promise made by Amadis your father as I assured thē Yet I thinke their displeasure is not so great but yee may well find meanes to pacefie the same My good friend saied Esplandian you are heartely welcome wee will talke together when better leisure serueth Which he said fearing she should haue procéeded further wherewith the standers by might haue intelligence of the loue he bare vnto the Princesse wherefore leauing the Gentlewoman and turning to Manely hee saied In faith I cannot well excuse my selfe but that I doe them wrong for the first commaundement my father gaue mee at such time I receiued the order of knighthood was that in his place I should goe and serue them to quit the promise he had made Neuertheles fortune hath euer sithence giuen mee so many crosses thereby to hinder my intent that I could neither fulfill his wil nor satisfie their expectations While they were thus deuising two of Frandalos Brigantines that by him were sent to espy the enemies nauy brought news they had séene great numbers of their Foistes and Gallies sailing to the East to fetch victuals for the Nauie and that the rest that remained behind would easily bee ouercome if it pleased them to set vpon them which the knights vnderstanding were of opinion that without longer delay they would assaile them and presently therewith hoised vp their ankers making as secretly as they could towards Armatos fléete yet they determined not to set vpon them before the breake of day hoping to take them sléeping which in truth fell out The first that set vpon them was the great Serpent that at her arriuall entering among the enemies cast fire so fiercely at her mouth and nosthrils that when they awaked it put them in such feare that losing courage without stroke giuen they all began to flie Neuerthelesse it could not saue their liues but that the greatest part of their vessels were drowned by meanes of a contrary wind that rose so suddainely on the sea whereby it raged in such sort that neither mast sayle bord nor oare could holde but were broken all in péeces yet did not Frandalo lose any of his fléet neither did the camp once moue thereat for they were not séene of any other then the sentinell of the castle that presently told Ambor and Talanque wherat they receiued great pleasure especially when they espied the great Serpent and Esplandian there 〈◊〉 with whome they talked long time before hee came to land At the last they concluded to auoid all danger that the rampiers they had made before the gate should for that time not bee broken but they would let down a lather of cords whereby they might mount vp into the castle Frandalo hauing giuen order for the safetie of his shippes which was presently done CHAP. XXVI How Armato king of Turkie had intelligence of the ouerthrow of his army at sea by Frandalo and his company and what enterprises happened on both parts THat aid entred into the castle of La montaigne defendu Esplandian desirous to sée the enemies campe presently mounted vpon the wals accompanied only of Talanque and Ambor that shewed him the tents of Armato the Bassias Begberbeys and Sangiaces whereof some were lodged within the Base court which they had conquered at their first comming thether wherwith Esplandian was much gréeued and asked Talanque how he suffered them to come so néer Assure your selfe said he it was not with our wils but we defended it as long as possible wee might and the Portaile like wise which at their first comming they assailed But we defended it so well that without their mine they had neuer won it yet did it profite them but little for that sodainly wee destroied all their mine that had cost them fiftéen daies labour Which Armato perceiuing sought to begin againe which we by diuers sallies would not suffer him to doe but whatsoeuer we could doe in the end their force preuailed and wee constrained to forsake the same and retire vnto the castle and that in good time for we were scarse entered into the dungeon but they fired it whereby the Portall fell downe giuing vs at that time one of the most cruell assaults that euer place sustained being so meanely guarded as it was and assure your selfe that there is neither loopehole nor window but they raised ladders or some other engins against it and with launces fire and sword gaue vs so much to doe that we were in doubt to be ouercome Neuerthelesse they were as whotely repulsed for Libee gaue them such intertainement with a dramme of pouder that hee set on fire as they began to crie out victorie but vpon a suddain their cry became so pittifull that nothing but sorrow and lamentation could be heard among them where with there were so many of them burnt and singed that
hee could not sléepe till day began to appeare when Frandalo and the rest of his knights entred into his chamber to talke with him not only as touching the intertainement of their prisoners but of other thinges that much imported them And as they were in counsell together Gandalin came vnto them shewing them that king Armato desired for to speake with them wherevpon they went out of the chamber to heare what hee would say Frandalo could speake the Arabian tongue better then the rest for that hee had serued the king of Turkie and hee knew him very well wherefore Esplandian desired him to speake for all the rest And entring into the chamber Frandalo went first who knéeling on the ground kissed the kings hand With that Armato thinking hee had beene prisoner asked him where he was taken My lord saied he I am now become a Christian and a knight of Iesus Christ that hath done mee so much grace not long time since to call mee to bee one of his A Christian said the king is that possible By my soule it maketh mee more abashed then the cruell fortune that is now happened vnto mee for that all knights following armes ought patiently to beare those hazards that they fall into vsing necessitie as a vertue But thou vnhappy wretch that through feare and want of courage hast forsaken our iust and holy law wherefore takest thou not a rope and hangest thy selfe as vnworthy to goe vpon the earth My lord saied hee you may say what pleaseth you as being priueledged for the greatnesse of your estate yet I can assure you I neuer had so cowardly a heart as you estéeme I haue but rather account my selfe happie to haue done that I haue done Yet will I not refuse to doe you seruice my honour still reserued in any thing I can With that Armato remembred himselfe and thought hee did him wrong wherefore moderating his choler he saied vnto him Friend Frandalo If it gréeueth mee to haue lost you let it not séeme strange vnto you séeing now I had greater hope then euer I haue had to bée serued by your meanes But séeing it is so you knowe howe I haue vsed you heretofore now I pray you if you may doe any thing for mee to finde the meanes with your companions that I may bee deliuered from hence by some reasonable composition My lord saied Frandalo pointing to Esplandian This is hee that hath all power and authoritie in this place both ouer you and mee With that Armato looked vpon him and perceiuing him so yoong without a beard thought Frandalo saied it to excuse himselfe wherefore hee asked if he mocked him God forbid I should doe so my lord saied Frandalo but I pray you beléeue me for it is true that my lord Esplandian standing here before you is he and none other that slew Matroco Frerion Arcalaus the inchanter and Argantes the Porter of the castle which hee conquered as you haue been aduertised By my head saied the king I would hardly haue estéemed him for so braue a man but séeing it is so I pray thee doe somewhat with him touching the thing I told you of euen now Beléeue mée my lord said Frandalo there shall want no good will in me and with that hee bad him God morrow and leauing him with his guard they went into the hall where they found the tables ready couered for dinner for it was about noone time But as Esplandian rested ill that night so hee made but a meane dinner not being able to withdraw his mind from thinking on the princesse Leonorine which was the cause that the Tables being vncouered hee went into his chamber without any company onely the king of Denmarke whom he loued as himselfe where being together he began to shew him the cause why he sent Carmelle to Constantinople as also what affection hee bare to the Princesse Leonorine And to the end said he you bee participant of my ioy I pray you let vs haue her here that shee may shew vs what shee learned in her voyage My lord saied the king of Denmarke if you saw her apparrelled in the gowne the Princesse gaue her I am assured you will scarse knowe her at the first Will you that I send her word to bring it hether It is well saied saied Esplandian with that he called a Squire sending him to Carmelle that as theÌ„ was in company of Arcabonnes Gentlewomen but vnderstanding Esplandians pleasure went presently to apparrell her selfe as hee had willed her and hauing a mantle on her shoulders because she would not be séene went to him in his chamber where she found him and the king of Denmarke talking together but as soon as he espied her he tooke her in his armes and setting her in a chair couered with veluet saied vnto her My goodfriend I meane to shew my companion you sée here how much I loue and estéeme him wherefore I pray you shew me before him what intertainement the princesse Leonorine gaue you knowing you came from me and whether I find any fauour in her sight My lord said she as soone as I was arriued and that she vnderstood the cause of my comming vnto her I found her no lesse yours then you hers whereby I may estéeme you the happiest knight liuing in the world And know you why She is so faire and of so comely personage that vnlesse it bee her selfe none can resemble her and of truth shee dooth farre surpasse all other ladies for being alone in her priuate chamber playing on some instrument or singing for her pleasure she stealeth and rauisheth the harts seperated from the bodies of such as either heare or sée her and if at sometimes she attireth her selfe after the Italian manner with a cap of that country fashion then you may sée her faire and glistering haire part giuing a certaine shadow on her vermilion chéekes the rest knit vp together inuironing her head shewing with farre better grace then any crowne that she could weare bée it of stones laurell or the finest gold that may be found But if that be a temptation vnto man her two humble and modest eies like two suns giue them as many deaths as they at times behold the same and againe reuiueth them better â—hen at the first and all at one instant whereat you must not 〈◊〉 abashed séeing that loue it selfe doth often skirmish and striue in them thereby to yéeld both pain and pleasure vnto those that doe behold the same and if hée touch her he feareth to hurt her as being in most extreame passions of loue And not without a cause for that nature hauing made her brake the mould that shee might be the only perfect creature accompanied with so many vertues that loue findeth nothing in her but bones to gnaw vpon And I assure you my lord that speaking vnto her of those thinges you had giuen mee in charge I plainely perceiued her by the changing of her countenance to be charged with the
of their long staying with the Princesse to whom Frandalo in most courteous maner saied Madame Is it not your pleasure meane time that I and my companion goe vnto the towne to stay here for vs with this Gentlewoman and my cousin Foron I truly said Heliaxa and I will not depart from hence before I heare of you againe With that Frandalo and Esplandian ranne in great hast towards the Towne where they found their companions fighting with those of Alfarin among the which were Talanque Ambor the king of Denmarke Gandalin and Lazinde that had giuen the town a hard skirmish on that side thinking to giue them so much to doe that in the meane time the army by sea might assaile the water gate but they were too soone discouered whereby they found great resistance on all sides Neuerthelesse Norandel and Belleris had gotten the Barriers and repulsed the enemies vnto the pallisadoes Which Esplandian and Frandalo perceiuing they lighted on foot and being couered with their shields their swords in their hands passed through the prease and with bold courage went so farre that they slewe great number of the enemies for the Alfarins to defend their citty issued out of the gates and the Christians to winne it did most valiantly but the place was so narrow they could not hurt their enemies so much as in the opeÌ„ field Whereby it happened that Frandalo and Esplandian minding either to winne or loose stepped so farre forward that the Alfarins flying into the towne and they after found themselues alone within the same among their enemies and that so farre that had it not ben for Frandalo Esplandian that tooke no care but only to kill and ouerthrow the enemy had ben inclosed by them but hee pulled him backe Whereby the two knights perceaued the danger they were in wherefore by little and little they got vnto the steps that went vpon the wallâ— where they sustained many hard assalts without being hurt although the enemy ceased not to throw Launces Stones Darts and all other weapons at them they could find none of theÌ„ daring come to handle strokes for if any aduanced himselfe to shew his Prowes it cost him his life or els was throwne downe headlong Meane time Norandel and his company that had séene Frandalo and Esplandian shut into the towne sought by all meanes to scale the wals or else to breake the gates but all in vaine for they within defended it so well with Oile scalding Water Logs and Stones that diuers of them were ouerthrowne and ended their liues most miserably And fighting in that sort a knight all armed came from the Hauen crying with a loud voice and said Be of good courage my children be of good courage defend this quarter well for our enemies on the sea side haue not as yet found meanes to set one man on land and yet haue lost aboue two hundred of their men By God saied one of them I sée not one that standeth idle yet can we not ouercome these two knights Why so said the other They are saied he entered in among vs and wee haue ben these two howers fighting with them but all in vaine for the yoongest of them fighteth so valiantly that wee dare not approch them And which is more hee and his companion in despight of vs all haue gotten those staires where they now defend themselues and that so well that we can find no means to driue them thence although many of our men haue been slain by them others cruelly wounded I am of opinion said the knight that wee receiue theÌ„ vnto mercy for it may bee they are such men that for to haue them againe the enemy will bée glad to giue king Armato in exchange and returne againe into their country Wherevnto they all agéed and therewith the knight that had giuen them that counsell made signes vnto Esplandian that they would parley with them whereby the assault ceased for a time and the knight spake vnto them in this manner Sir knights you sée it is impossible for you to escape from hence and it were great pitty that two so valiant knights should die so yoong now in the flower of your ages But this wee will doe yéeld your selues and wee will saue your liues Sir knight saied Esplandian If wee die at this time we are quit for euer after but so much there wanteth therof and wee haue so good hearts and so sure a confidence in Iesus Christ in whose quarrell we fight that wee hope he will giue vs meanes not only to escape this danger but to spoile the Towne and lead you prisoners with vs Wherefore take this counsell for your selues and yéelde you vnto vs before the wrath of God bée further moued against you When they that stood about them heard those wordes both great and small began to crie with a lowd voice saying Stay that villaine let him die or wee will die here at his féet wherewith they assailed them so fiercely that they were constrained to get vpoÌ„ the highest steps But not long after they repulsed the enemy so valiantly with stones whereof they found great quantity vpon the Portall that from that time forwards they had no longer stomacks to assaile them But Norandel and the rest being without vnderstanding the noise and the voice of their companions whome they estéemed dead or taken prisoners determined to set fire on the gates while the rest assailed the towne Wherewith euery man ranne to fetch wood which the Alfarins perceiued but to conclude they could not shun it but whether they would or not the draw-bridge and the gates were set on fire wherewith they were so abashed that most part of them began to flie vnto the great temple of Iupiter the principall place of strength within their citty the rest staying behind with full determination rather to die then suffer the Christians to enter the Towne And séeing the gates burnt downe so many of them ranne to fetch water that not long after the Christians had meanes to assaile the towne on that side which assault continued so long that day failed yet could they not enter by reason of the great resistance the Alfarins made but the two knights that were aboue did them so much hurt with blockes and stones that not any of them durst appeare whereby the Christians became maisters of the towne Wherin great number of people both men women and children were put to the sword and more had died had it not ben night specially on the water side where Gâ—stilles and his army entred with most great fury Neuerthelesse fearing least the Alfarins should assemble againe and in the night they might bee repulsed hee commanded a retraict to bee founded being well assured the next day to haue the towne at their pleasure And for the same cause he sent to the army on land that they should do the like wherewith euery man retired setting watch in those places where most néed required The towne in this
sort being conquered and the people gotten into the great temple of Iupiter Esplandian minding not to lose the Princesse Heliaxe nor the Giant Foron that he and Frandalo left with Carmelle desired Gandalin and Lazinde to goe fetch them and with them hee sent Sergil his Squire to bring them to the place which they presently did and made such hast that they found her sitting by a great fire that Foron had made where lighting off their horses saluting Heliaxe Gandalin said Madame my lord Esplandian praieth you to come vnto the place where hee staieth for you My friends saied shee I knew him not true it is I was brought hether by two knights whereof one is Frandalo that I haue knowne long time but for the other I assure you as farre as I remember I neuer sawe him before Madame saied Carmelle hee is sonne to the valiant knight Amadis de Gaule whose fame is spread so farre about the world Truly saied Heliaxa I haue heard of him so haue you as I thinke said Carmelle of my lord Esplandian his sonne for hee alone conquered the castle La montaigne defendu and now lately hath taken king Armato your father in lawe and I can assure you hee is one of the courteous knights liuing in the world I am much abashed then saied she how he shewed himselfe so vncourteous in my behalf not speaking vnto me while I was in his company yet me thinketh being his prisoner hee could haue done no lesse then comfort mée either with good spéeches or faire promises whereof hee hath vsed so few that while I liue I shall neuer thinke well of him Madame saied Carmelle you take the matter otherwise then it is for if hee refrained to speake vnto you it was by reason of the great acquaintance hee perceiued Frandalo to haue with you vnto whome he is so great a friend that hee was not onely content to giue him leaue to entertaine you but much greater fauour would hee doe vnto him if hee can You may say what you will saied shee Neuerthelesse if he haue no other excuse then that you alledge in his behalfe hee shall neuer lose the disliking hee hath gotten at my hands Madame saied Gandalin I am well assured hee will amend that fault when it pleaseth you wherefore I pray you determine what you meane to dâ—e for hee hath commaunded vs to doe as pleaseth you My friendes saied Heliaxe I would gladly sléepe till it bee day then I will bee ready to goe where you thinke good but I pray you tell mee what noise it was I heard of late within the Towne Madame saied Lazinde It is not yet thrée howers since the Towne was taken by assault Good God saied she what miserable fortune was that for the poore inhabitants I thinke they are all put vnto the sword No madame saied Lazinde the greater part haue saued themselues in the great Temple of Iupiter but they will hardly escape when it is day for our Generals are determined to burne the Temple If it bee so saied shee that Frandalo hath any credite with his companions and that hee that sent you bee so courteous as this Gentlewoman reporteth him to bee I hope they will take pittie on the poore people at least if not for the loue of them I trust vpon request for my sake they will not refuse it And to the end I come not thether for late I pray you when day appeareth let vs presentlie depart wherewith laying her downe vpon a cloke shee passed the rest of the night not greatly to her ease CHAP. XXX How Gandalin and Lazinde brought the Princesse Heliaxe and the Giant Foron into the Towne of Alfarin to Esplandian and Frandalo and of the honourable intertainment they had HEliaxe that had not slept all that night being gréeued for the losse of the towne of Alfarin the ordinary abiding place of Alphorax her husband and withall the pleasantest and most delicious place of all Turkie perceauing day to appeare waked the two knights making her account if shee might get into the towne before the destruction of the temple the people that were fled into it by her request and humble supplication to Esplandian and Frandalo should bee saued With that they all mounted on their horses and made such hast that they entred into the town as the Christians began to assault the fortresse and when Frandalo perceiued the Princesse Heliaxe hee rode vnto her bidding her God morrow and taking her palfry by the bridle bareheaded brought her to Esplandian and his company that did her great honor knowing her to be a kings doughter and wife to so great a Prince With that shee asked Frandalo which of them was Esplandian Madame saied hee pointing vnto him here he is ready to do you any seruice that he can as hee hath assured mee But when shee perceiued him to bee so yoong and of so great beautie shee was abashed to think how nature had furnished him with so many good perfections especially of so great and incomparable force wherof he had the commendation among the most valerous knights wherewith shee saied vnto Frandalo In good faith I haue heard him commended in diuers places for one of the best knights liuing in the world and of mine owne knowledge I haue séen him doe that which I would neuer haue thought to bee in him considering his yoong yeares so that if hee abound as much in courtesie as he doth in valour and beautie I thinke him to bee the brauest Gentleman that may bee found which I shall presently sée if he graunt me one request Madame saied Esplandian blushing at the praises she vsed in respect of him If I doe it not you shall be the first that euer I refused gift vnto in all my life and considering your great beautie and most courteous behauiour howe should it be possible for me to disobay your will I pray you then sir knight said she to pardon the poore people that are within the Temple and graunt them vnto mee with leaue to send them where I shall thinke good not hurting them any more In good truth madame said Esplandian you shall not be refused for so smal a matter and I will doe so much with the other knights that they shall giue consent as also to your owne libertie and the Giant Forons to guide you where it pleaseth you which Frandalo did most earnestly desire at our handes before you arriued here And for his sake looke what else you will command at our hands wee are ready to performe it with all our hearts For the which the Princesse Heliaxe thanked him most heartely and turning to Frandalo saied vnto him Sir Knight the good that you and your companions doe vnto mee shall neuer bee forgotten on my part but I will by all means séeke to acknowledge the same although presently I cannot doe it wherefore if it pleaseth you cause your souldiours to retire that these poore distressed people may come forth according to
perceiued him enter into choler to pacefie the same answered vim and said My lord you may doe it when it pleaseth you but at this present you sée here a great number of poore desolate people I beséech you speake vnto them and comfort them as wel as you may for their whole trust is in you with that Alphorax going vnto them gaue them many gracious and comfortable spéeches and with them returned to the citty of Tesifant CHAP. XXXI How Gastilles tooke his leaue of Esplandian and sailed to Constantinople and of the arriuall of Palomir Branfil and other knights of great Brittaigne at the towne of Alfarin THe Towne of Alfarin brought vnder the subiection of the knights of the castle La montaigne defendu as you heard before Gastilles hauing prepared himselfe to return to Cōstantinople went vnto Esplandian and saied vnto him My lord when I departed from the Emperour hee gaue me expresse commandement with al spéed to aduertise him what I had done to the end he might determine either to come himselfe in person if occasion serued with the army hee is already preparing or else wholly to breake off his enterprise for it now beginneth to bee Winter and séeing as it is Gods will that your affaires on this side are in good estate I am determined as to morrow to depart hence to Constantinople that the Emperour vnderstanding by mee what hath passed on this side the sea he shall not bee forced for this yeare to bee at further charges wherof before this time I had willingly certefieed him had it not ben the daily expectation I had to sée the end of this our last enterprise which God bee thanked is fallen out as we desired My lord saied Esplandian séeing the Emperour as you say by your returne may receiue both pleasure and profite you shall doe well to make hast thether one thing I beséech you doe for me that is most humbly to commend me vnto his grace assuring him that not any subiect hee hath is or shall bee readier to obey him then my selfe and as touching our proceedings for that you haue personally both séene and béene an actor in the same you can aduertise him at large Shew him likewise I pray you that I kéepe king Armato as his prisoner attending his pleasure what shall bee done with him but not the castle of La montaigne defendu for I haue conquered the same in fauour and vnder the protection of the Princesse Leonorine kéeping the same at this present onely to her vse and as her seruant as I meane to continue during my life But if it pleaseth his grace to giue the Towne of Alfarin to Frandalo not onely thereby to increase his will and desire to serue him but also for that hee deserueth a greater reward so dooing mee thinketh hee shall therein shewe the part of a liberall Prince considering the seruice and fidelitie hee hath done and shewed in all places where hee hath beene employed You shall tell the Emperour also that according to my fathers will and commandement I hope shortly to bee in Constantinople to present my selfe before his grace and the ladie Leonorine as by the Gentlewoman Carmelle I haue giuen thē to vnderstand wherewith I think you are not vnacquainted praying you in the meane time to make my excuse to them in that I haue deferred it off so long for in a manner you are not ignorant what hath béene the cause My lord said Gastilles the Emperour my vncle so much desireth your company that I neuer saw man more gréeued nor woman than the Princesse my cousin when they perceiued the great serpent passe before Constantinople to crosse the straightes of Bosphore I will shewe them what you say and in the morning about breake of day I meane God willing to set saile Will you not said Esplandian first goe visit Frandalo Manely and others that lie wdunded in their beds to know if they will send any message to the Empeperour That I will said Gastilles Goe then said Esplandian and I will beare you companie With that they went to Frandalos lodging where they were no sooner entred but the watch that stood vpon the tower ouer the water gate discouered about thrée miles in the sea a great shippe that with full saile made towards the towne whereof they aduertised Gastilles who presently caused two Brigandines to goe forth to sée if they were friends or enemies and they were not long before they returned againe with the great shippe in their company wherin were Palomir Branfil Helian le delibere Garuate du Val Craintif Brauor sonne of the gyant Balan that king Amadis had newly made knight Imosel de Burgoigne Ledarin de Faiarque Listoran de la tour Blanche Trion cousin to quéene Briolanie Tentilles le Superbe Guil le bien esteme Grodonan brother to Angriote Destrauaux and the two sonnes of Isamie gouernour of the firme Isle with many others that had imbarked themselues in great Britaine to goe to aid Esplandian and comming to the castle La montaigne defendu they had intelligence by the fishermen at sea of the ouerthrow of Armatos nauie his captiuitie with the taking of the citie of Alfarin whereat they much reioyced especially when they knew by Gastilles souldiers that not any of their companions were slaine in the assault They béeing arriued at the towne as they began to lande Esplandian with diuers others went thither to receiue them where betwéene them were many salutations and welcomes giuen which done Esplandian led them to his lodging where they refreshed themselues about two houres before they went to visit Frandalo of whome Esplandian gaue such commendations that they desired him to bring them where he lay which hée presently did but when Frandalo knew who they were béeing ashamed to sée them vse such courtesie to him could not well tel what to say and as he entertained them Palomir spake vnto him and said Sir knight I and my companie haue heard so great commendation of your valour that there is not one of vs but would be ready to obey and serue you as our chiefe commander wherefore we beséech you vse all diligence you may to be healed of your wounds that we may presently go into the field vnder your conduction My lords said Frandalo I pray you pardon me I am well assured that my valour is none such as you report whereby I deserue not the praise you giue me neither did I euer any thing worthy commendation but only by my lord Esplandians meanes Neuerthelesse I hope if God spareth me life and health so to behaue my selfe that all men shall know the desire I haue to doe seruice vnto Christendome and particularly vnto euery one of you Companion said Esplandian I pray you take care to be cured of your griefe that done wée will take order for the rest and for that these knightes are wearie with their long trauaile on the sea I pray you giue them leaue for to depart and in the
morning we will visit you againe Which he said fearing least too much talke might cause him fall into a feuer for Gastilles before that had béene deuising with him aboue two houres togither touching the conference betwéene him and Esplandian as concerning his returne vnto the Emperour With that the knights bad him farewell and went out of the chamber on the other side Gastilles made all the hast he could to depart from thence the next day in the morning and taking leaue of all his friends the same night he entred into his ship when day began to appeare he set saile with so good winde that within eight daies he discouered the city of CoÌ„stantinople entring into the hauen which the Emperor vnderstanding went to receiue him going with him to the palace asked him what he had done in his viage whether Armato were retired froÌ„ the siege or not My lord saied hee The good knight Esplandian and his company most humbly commend themselues vnto your grace especially Frandalo whom I can assure you to bee one of the best seruaunts that euer you had With that the Empresse accompanied with the Princesse Leonorine Quéene Minoresse and diuers other ladies and Gentlewoman came thether to whom Gastilles doing humble reuerence they bad him welcome and because hee staied to doe Esplandians commendations to the Princesse Leonorine the Emperour said vnto him Truly nephew you shall make an end to shewe vs what hath happened in your voiage then if it please you you may court the ladies Wherefore I pray you tell from the beginning what you haue done My lord saied he at our departure from hence wee had so good a winde that without any let wee arriued at the castle La montaigne defendu yet could wee not make such hast but that Esplandian with his great Serpent and Frandalos ships had already drowned and ouerthrowne certaine of the enemies ships and made the rest to flie and the next day after king Armato was taken prisoner his army ouerthrowne and put to flight but the sport was when I saluted the Turke and that hee knew mee then hee told the great rage the Turke was in the threatnings and spéeches hee vsed vnto him the ouerthrow of the twenty knights at the aduenturous fountaine the skirmishes and assaults at the Towne of Alfarin the danger wherein Esplandian and Frandalo found themselues the taking of the Towne and of Heliaxe her deliuery with the peoples that fled to the temple of Iupiter and how that before hee imbarked himselfe to returne a great shippe arriued there from great Brittaigne with diuers knights therin whose names and sirnames he rehearsed as hauing séene them with king Amadis Further my lord said he the good knight Esplandian willed me to shewe you that hee kéepeth king Armato till your grace shall dispose of him as also the citty of Alfarin but for the castle La montaigne defendu hee saith hee mindeth not to yéeld the same to any other then to the Princesse Leonorine in whose name hee hath conquered it hoping as her seruaunt and no other to defend the same When will he be here saied the Emperour With all the spéed hee may saied Gastilles as hee hath promised mee In good faith saied the Emperour I would it were this day before tomorrow I haue so great desire to knowe him by reason of the great chiualry that daily increaseth in him in such manner that if heretofore the knight with the Gréene Sword hath béen estéemed the best in all the world now his sonne diminisheth a great part of his glory And all being well considered I thinke that Amadis hath not done more in tenne yeares time then Esplandian hath accomplished in the space of tenne wéekes But touching Frandalo is hee so well disposed to our seruice as you make report My lord saied Gastilles It is not possible to doe better then he hath done wherefore my lord Esplandian willed mee to shew you that for the better entertaining him in his procéedings hée is of aduise that your grace should giue him the citty of Alfarin not knowing any man worthier then hee to kéepe it In good truth saied the Emperour Esplandian and his companions haue had the paines to conquer it wherefore I am content they haue the disposing thereof Neuerthelesse if they rest vpon my consent therein I am well content it shall bee so and I will not cease to shewe him greater fauour if hee perseuer as hee hath begun And you daughter saied hee to the Princesse Leonorine what say you to this that my cousin Gastâ—lles hath told you touching Esplandian that sayeth hee kéepeth the castle La montaigne defendu for you onely My lord saied she I know not how you and many others estéeme so much of him considering the small obedience hee sheweth to his father for if he were such a knight as hee is reported hee had long since come hether to acquite the promise wherevnto hee is bound which maketh mee verily thinke the spéech Carmelle vsed of him and all that hee hath sent you by word of mouth by my cousin Gastilles are onely but dissimulations And I for my part am not yet determined although hee reporteth himselfe to bee my knight to accept him for the same much lesse to pardon him before hee comes in person to excuse his fault then I will consider what I haue to doe The emperor that perceaued his doughter speak with such a choler therwith to blush more then ordinary could not refrain laughter and saied vnto her What daughter doe you refuse the seruice of the best knight in all the world I my lord saied shee and so should euery maister his seruant when hee flieth from his presence and obeyeth not his commandements no more then he hath done both yours and mine Truly swéet heart said the Emperour I like you well I would to God that nature had furnished you with a bodie like vnto your heart if shee had shee had made you a perfect man and not a woman as you are Nowe nephewe you heare my doughters answere I pray you let Esplandian know it that he may make hast hether least he lose not her good will And although the Emperour spake it as in iest Esplandian tooke it otherwise when he heard the newes by a squire that Gastilles sent vnto him CHAP. XXXII How Frandalo accompanied of fourescore Knights issued out of Alfarin towards Tesifant and of the taking of Eiraca captaine of the Towne THe knights of great Brittaigne arriued in the Towne of Alfarin as you heard before Frandalo and others that were hurt being healed of their wouÌ„ds Belleris that ceased not continually to hearken after Alphorax was aduertised by his spies that hee continued in the citty of Tesifannt which hee and Branfil told vnto the rest of their company who therewith being somewhat incouraged very earnestly desired Frandalo to lead theÌ„ forth and bring them to some place where they might lie in ambush to surprise Alphorax
occasion to be offended with me hauing offended her so much can I hope for any other at her handes than méere disdaine and mortall hatred My lord said Carmelle I am a woman and know the nature of women better than you doe or then all the men in the world besides I pray you therefore beléeue me and go and sée her and if so be shée entertaine you not according to your desire then neuer giue credit to my words againe In faith my good companion said the king of Denmark Carmelle giueth you so good and wise counsell that either you ought to giue credit to her spéech or els wholly driue this fantasie out of your mind considering as is most true that sometimes and very often how much the more feruent and extreme the loue of a woman is so much the sooner is it dead and wholly extinguished for that their inconstancie is such and so great that for the least occasion in the world they are ouer ready to loue and much more inconsiderately doe they forget the same againe not that I accuse the Princes Leonorine of so great lightnes but to say the truth as cōmonly we find for my part I know not vpon what occasion you ground your loue wherby you should make so much accoūt of her séeing that she neuer saw you nor you her but are only content to conceiue well of ech other vpon a certaine renowm that hath spred abroad set forth the great perfections that are reported to be in you both which in truth may bée compared to a fire made of straw that is no sooner kindled but presētly cōsumed wherfore be not then so much abashed if the princes Leonorine shew her selfe at this presēt so smally affected towards you for those that loue most déerly do oftentimes fall into discurtesies coldnes of affection that they disdaine or at the least in the twinkling of an eie wholly forget those that for a long time they haue loued most intirely that for their sakes shal haue hazarded their liues in most dangerous aduentures Did you neuer heare how Brisarde behaued her selfe in regard of Troilus after the destruction of Troy shée loued him so well that she would néeds die in his armes whē she was constrained to forsake him the Gréekes thinking verily she would haue slaine her selfe yet was shée scarse issued out of Troy but she wholly forgot her loue Troilus transported that vehement loue she had borne him all her life to Diomedes king of Thrace O God What inconstancie what lightnes what foundation vpon a sandy groūd was that This vnconstant woman among other precious ornaments giuen her by Troilus her friend had a paire of perfumed gloues which within one houre after her captiuitie she gaue vnto her new friend Diomedes in token of the loue amity she bare vnto him What had Troilus said then if he had béen present would he haue beléeued her I thinke not And what a point of honestie I pray you did Clitemnestra shew vnto her husband when in stéed of welcoming him home at his comming from the siege of Troy where he had remained ten yéers togither she caused him cruelly to be murdered by Egistus her ruffian But will you heare more exāples of the like matter as he began to procéed Esplandian said vnto him My good friend I pray you do not this wrong vnto my lady Leonorine but let me here your counsell how I may from henceforth gouerne my selfe to satisfie her desire Go sée her said the king if you think good I will beare you cōpany Shall we go leaue our cōpanions said Esplandian that wil I neuer do wherfore said the king are not Frandalo Manely the rest of their cōpany strong inough to defend the town in your absence I am of aduise that you send presētly for thē giue them to vnderstand that by reason of certain newes you haue of late receiued you must be constrained to leaue them for the space of eight or fiftéene daies and in like sort dispatch Gastilles Squire and write vnto his master that you thanke him heartily for the good remembrance he hath had of you and that with all spéed you will send a messenger expressely vnto the Emperour with an answere to that it hath pleased him to command to bée written vnto you in the meane time I will take order to prepare a ship to bring vs to the castle La montaigne defendu where wée will imbarke our selues in the great Serpent that will not faile as I thinke to bring vs vnto Constantinople and determine with your selfe what companie you meane to take with you My good friend said Esplandian doe as you thinke good I am content to hazzard my life in your hands It suffiseth said the king but I pray you speake vnto our companions and dispatch the squire With that Esplandian called for inke and paper and wrote vnto Gastilles as the king of Denmarke had aduised him Next day in the morning Frandalo and the rest of the companie came into his chamber as they vsed ordinarily to doe and being togither deuising of diuers things Esplandian said vnto them My good friends I am constrained to leaue your company for the space of fiftéene daies or three wéekes to goe about certain vrgent affaires that import me much I will take with me my brother the king of Denmarke Gandalin Enil Carmelle and no more I pray you thinke it not strange for if I were not constrained thereunto I sweare vnto you of my faith I would not do it There was not any among them that once would aske him whether he went but answering him said That he might goe whither it pleased him that they for their parts would kéepe the place till he came againe although he staid a whol yéer before he returned by this means Esplandian by little little framed himselfe to take his voiage while the king of Denmarke caused the ship that brought the knights of great Britain thither to be made ready vpon a monday in the morning Esplandian his company imbarked themselues to saile vnto the castle La montaigne defendu but they were no sooner put to sea but the wind falling contrary the sea rose so high so furious withall that neither mast saile nor cord could hold but brake all in péeces in which maner they cōtinued for the space of tenne daies and as many nights so that neither maister nor marriners could tell in what part they were for that during that time the clouds were so thicke and the mist so great that it made the aire so darke and obscure that those that were in the shippe could scarse sée one the other expecting nothing else without the mercy of God then the ouerthrow of their shippe which they thought verily had happened when they arriued at the rocke of the Enchauntresse wherevpon they were driuen about thrée of the clocke after midnight wherewith the saylers
cast anker and going on land staied till day appeared CHAP. XXXIII How Esplandian and his company went vp vnto the broken pallace of the Enchaunteresse and of the straunge thinges they found there ESplandian and his company being on land not knowing the place where they were arriued caused a great fire to bee made about the which they thought to lie downe and sléepe but they heard such a noise from the top of the rocke that they were all abashed with that the winde began to cease and the sea to waxe calme the skie shewing full of starres and withall the mone shone so bright that it séemed as light as if it had ben day wherefore Esplandian desirous to know what the noise might bee determined to mount vp the rocke but he was counselled by his company to stay till the next day in the morning When Esplandian knew it certainely to be the rocke of the Enchauntresse and saied vnto the king of Denmarke In good truth I thinke I haue beene here before and take it to be the place whether the great Serpent brought me the same day I receaued the order of knighthood which putteth mee in better hope of our voiage then I had before which he saied remembring the scroll with the prophesie that he found in the lions paw Then he told the king of Denmarke how he conquered the sword he bare the death of the serpent all that he had séene vpon the rocke it is called said he the rock of the Enchauntresse By God said Gandalin you say trew for I remember that pursuing after a knight that led a Gentlewoman away I found your father king Amadis Grandasor here the knight likewise that I sought that had hiddeÌ„ himself in the old pallace vpoÌ„ this rock theÌ„ he told theÌ„ froÌ„ point to point what had happened vnto him the great loue the knight bare vnto the gentilwomaÌ„ he had carried away by force but said he before we departed she agréed with him they promised mariage to ech other although before the time shée hated him most deadly neuertheles vnderstanding that the force he vsed vnto her was only done for the loue he bare her she clean forgot her former hatred chaÌ„ging it to a most excéeding loue In good faith saied Carmelle as farre as I perceiue no man ought to dispaire of any thing hée taketh in hand no more will I during my life which shee said in respect of Esplandian who in time as shée thought might loue her whollie forget the Princes Leonorine And so long they talked that day began to apear theÌ„ Esplandian said to the king of Denmark CoÌ„panion I pray you stay here forme while I goe vp for I wil haue no body with me but Gandalin Enil they shal go with me not that I fear any danger that may happeÌ„ vnto me but only because they may help me to lift vp the tomb wherof I told you eueÌ„ now My lord said the king I pray you offer me not so much iniury for I will not leaue you though it cost mee my life especially in this place where I haue most great desire to sée that I neuer saw before Séeing it is your pleasure said Esplandian let vs go let our squires bring some victuals with them if we néed to eat before we come backe againe which the squires did wherwith they began to mount vp the rock and trauelled so long that about sunne setting they came vnto the hermitage where the great image was erected wherof you heard before where they stayed all night the next day they trauelled again came vnto the lake that ran before the old pallace because it began to be dark they determined not to trauel any further for the time to say the truth they were weary but all night the serpeÌ„ts the issued out of their holes to drink of the water ceased not to hisse and passe before about them to assaile them which they had not failed to doe had it not beene for the vertue of Esplandians sword wherevnto no venomous thinges might once approch or come néer Neuerthelesse they rested not but as soon as they might sée rose vp went on their way and passing by the ruinated monumeÌ„ts they came vnto the pallace of the enchantresse where they found the gates shut wherat Esplandian gaue so great a blow with his foot that they opened they entred into the place where the shining tombe stood with the lion vpon it Then Esplandian said vnto the thrée knights In good faith when I was here before I could not lift vp this plate I pray you each man prooue what you can do then I wil sée if I be grown stronger in the back theÌ„ I was at that time wherwith the king of Denmark assailed to doe it but what strength so euer hée vsed it was impossible for him the like did Gandalin Enil but they sped no better then the king wherat Esplandian began to laugh taking it by the two ends lifted it vp so easily as if it had been a péece of dry wood yet was it a péece of christall of thrée fingers thick about ten or twelue foote long vnder it they found an azure stone the fairest most orient color that euer was séene the couered a Ceader chest which smelt as swéet as any balme the chest being shut with a locâ—â—â— emerald stone hauing a key of diamoÌ„ds that hong by it at a chaâ—â— of fine gold al most artificially coÌ„posed the stone takeÌ„ vp the chest opened they found the image of Iupiter lying therein all of massy gold garnished with many pearles rubies other inestimable rich iewels especially a crown that he ware on his head about that which were placed certain Carboncles inform of Gréeke letters with these words Iupiter is great god of all gods in his right hand he bare a table coÌ„taining this prophesie WheÌ„ time shal come that my art knowledge shal faile the hart of the Hind inclosed herein life restored by theÌ„ that were the cause of death the Grecian sheep long time norished in plesant pastures shal be coÌ„strained to feed on a herb bitterer theÌ„ gal by means of the extremity the huÌ„gry sea wolues shal put theÌ„ vnto whose number shall be so great that they shall couer the sea in diuers places in such wise that the poore sheep inclosed in their great forrest diuers of their lambes being dead and torn in peeces their sheepheard hauing in a maner lost all hope of restoring theÌ„ againe with anguish of heart and mind in abundance of teares shall lament their great misfortune Then shall come the braue Lions whelpe by whose meanes that great troope of wolues shall be driuen away and destroyed Neuerthelesse hee shall take from the sheepeheard his great power and the best beloued of his sheepe wherevpon he shal seaze in such sort that his strong teeth and sharpe clawes shall enter into her
heart and the entrailes of her body the rest of the flocke resting in the power and gouernement of him and his fierce company whereby not long after it shall come to passe that the great deceitfull Serpent the inchaunted sword and this high rocke shal sink into the bottome of the sea and shall neuer after be seene againe of any man But although Esplandian vnderstoode the Gréeke tongue yet could he not giue any interpretation or exposition to this prophesie no more could any of his company wherefore they determined not to stay long about the same but were more busied to behold the stones and great riches they sawe within the tombe which they determined to take with them and return vnto their ships without staying any longer for their victuals began to fail wherefore Esplandiâ—â— willed Carmelle to take the Lion hee and the king of Denmarke tooke the plate of christall Gandalin and Enil the azure stone and the Squires the Ceader chest with the Image of Iupiter And in that sort they issued out of the pallace descending downe the rocke till about euening they came vnto the hermitage where they staied all night the next day they went on till they found their ship wherein about sunsetting they imbarked themselues and because Esplandian would not be séene in Constantinople without the great Serpent hée commanded the master of the ship to direct his course to the castle called La montaigne defendu which he did But hauing sailed about two daies more as the king of Denmark sat talking with Esplandian about the letter that was sent vnto him hee asked him if he thought not good that he should make a voiage vnto the Princesse Leonorine to vnderstand the truth of her affection towards him For saied hee it may be Gastilles hath mistaken her words or the Emperor himselfe hath commanded him to write vnto you in such sort that therby you should make the more hast to goe thether at the least I shall know of her what her pleasure is and how you shal gouern your selfe in respect of her Ha my good friend said Esplandian you haue toucht me now euen at the quicke If you would doe me so much fauour you shall bind mee for euer vnto you meane time I will stay for you in the gulfe where I found you with Frandalo when we raised the siege of the castle La montaigne defendu Assure your selfe said the king I will do my good will There was belonging to their ship a little Pinnace which the maister tooke with him besides the boat to saue himselfe and his people if any tempest should happen wherin the king with certain martiners to guide him entred and taking their leaue of Esplandian sailed forwards with so good a winde that in short space they lost the sight of the great ship But the next night following there happened such a teÌ„pest that at the breake of day their Pilot knew not where hee was without knowledge of the place he was constrained to abandon the Pinnace vnto the mercy of the waues which continued for the space of forty daies together in which time they indured so many fortunes that it would be ouertedious to recount them and wée should likewise digresse from the matter whereinto wee are entered to bring our history vnto an end â—et it therefore suffice you to know that their victuals being spent they chanced to arriue in the Island of the Giant Drapheon where the king of Denmarke and his squire lost their wits and became mad by force of a water that they drunk out of a fountain called The fountain of Forgetfelnesse that sprang in that Isle where they were taken kept in a cruel prison froÌ„ whence in short time after they were deliuered by the meanes of a Gentlewoman that fel in loud with the king and caused him to recouer his health armes horse and a ship with all things necessary for himselfe and his squire and hauing done she with them put to sea and coasting the countrey of Treuisane they came vnto an Island where the people of the countrey would haue burnt a Gentlewoman because shee could not find a knight for to maintaine her quarrel but the king fought for her and ouercame him that accused her taking the Gentlewoman with him put to sea againe sailing sixe daies together along the coast hée perceiued a maid out of a tower where in the lord of the country kept her prisoner for the cause which shee declared to the king out of a window that looked into the sea for whose sake the king took land to fight with the lord till hée deliuered the poor gentle woman out of prison such were the aduentures of the king of Denmark which are rehearsed at large in the great chronicles that master Elizabeth wrote not long after the coronation of Esplandian wherein the prowesse aduentures of the Brittish knights and others remaining at Alfarin are likewise registred orderly set downe For this time content your selues to vnderstand the maner how in what sort Esplandian and the Princesse Leonorine saw each other how afterward Vrganda came to Constantinople of the armies both â—y land sea of the cruell battaile betwéen the Turks Christians which ended our history likewise shall be finished but hauing many things to describe before I come to that point we will returne to Esplandian that was not smally abashed at the long absence of the King expecting froÌ„ day to day some newes of him that had left his company only for the cause you heard before CHAP. XXXV How Esplandian hauing staied Garinter king of Denmarks returne about two weekes space and perceiuing no news of him determined by the counsell of Carmelle to goe in person to the citty of Constantinople AFter that Garinter King of Denmarke had set saile towards Constantinople as it is saied before Esplandians ship arriued at the gulfe where he promised to stay and there lay at anker for the space of two wéekes not hearing any news of his desired message wherewith he doubted either that the king of Denmarke should bee drowned or that fortune had carried his vessel some other way wherfore he thought to send one of his marriners to enquire of him But before hee did it he determined first to speak with Carmelle and taking her aside saied vnto her My great friend you know for what cause the king of Denmarke left vs the reason of his voiage as also the promise he made vnto me to returne again with all spéed but we can heare no news of him at all which maketh me assuredly beléeue either hee is dead or that the storme hee was in hath cast him in some country so far off that he cannot by any meanes doe as he hath promised wherefore I pray you giue mee your aduise what I were best to doe for those that are in the like mind that I am although in some thinges they haue their vnderstandings whole and perfect
yet are they commonly to séeke in that which concerneth them as touching those points My lord saied she séeing it is your pleasure to vse my counsel I wil tel you truly what I thinke therein and so much I can assure you that if you should search throughout the world you shall hardly finde one that can come néere mee in iudging the passion wherewith you are molested for the same is in me that is in you and I féele it as well as you doe and it may bée more but the ease and great contentment I receiue by your presence haue giuen mee so many remedies that I delight in my greefe and liue not but only to cause my sorrow to indure To tell you truth at such time as you began to vse spéecheâ—â—nto mée of the king of Denmarke I thought vpon his long abâ—ente and me thinketh it were best wee sailed vnto Constantinople assuring you that I haue deuised a meanes to bring you vnto the Princesse Leonorine whereby you may both sée and speake with her without being knowne of any other then her selfe if you thinke it good And to bring it to passe we being arriued there it shal be necessary that all those of our ship be aduertised if any man asketh for you to say that you staied in the castle La montaigne defendu meane time you shall lie in the bottome of the shippe and I with Gandalin and Enil will goe vnto the Emperour to whome I will say that you sent mee to the Princesse Leonorine to present vnto her in your behalfe that which you haue conquered in the rocke of the Enchauntresse and for the rest let mee alone When Esplandian heard her speake in that manner hee behelde her for a while and at last saied vnto her My good friend I feare not death neither can it bee more bitter or sharper vnto me then the life I now indure but I feare the dishonour of my lady the iniury that thereby I might do vnto the Emperor who by his courtesie hath so much bound my father vnto him as if I shuld wrong him it would be a blemish to my honor while I liue Neuerthelesse I am content to hazard my self in all the dangers you shal think conuenient that is sufficient said Carmelle I pray you then be merry make good chear for if euer woman accomplished the thing she took in hand I wil bring this to passe Wherwith leauing Esplandian she called the Patron willed him to set saile for Constantinople whervnto he obaied had so good a wind the within thrée daies after they entred into the haueÌ„ where being arriued Esplandian told his men what by the couÌ„sel of Carmelle he had determined to do coÌ„maÌ„ding theÌ„ expressely not to make it known to any man of his being there but that they should say they left him in the castle La montaigne defendu For said he I am not now in such estate as I would be to preseÌ„t my self before so great a prince as the Emperor is And to the end you be not found liers I will stay in the bottome of the ship till you returne againe then he Carmelle Gandalin Enil spake together where the gentlewomaÌ„ shewed theÌ„ at large how she meant to bring hir enterprise to passe I will presently said â—â—e cause the 〈◊〉 he wee brought from the rock of the enchauntresse to be set vp in the same sort we found it vpon the hatches of the ship theÌ„ wil I go tel the emperor that I haue one of the singularest things abord the ship that euer was séen we find means to bring him hether where I wil shew him the lion with Iupiter al the rest of the furniture which hauing séene and peruseâ— I will tell him that you send it to the Princesse Leonorine He being gone vnto his palace you shall goe into the Ceader chest and so will I cause you to be carried into the princesse chamber lying in the arme whereof I will secretly aduertise her and by this meanes â—he may speake to you and you to hir what you thinke good I 〈◊〉 said Eâ—plandian tell mee how I shall come out againe I wil desire her said she to giue me the ceader theft therein to be by the body of Marroco that died a Christian wherein you shall had in closed and tomorrow in the morning I will cause you to be broughâ—◠〈◊〉 againe By God said Gandalin it is the prettiest deuise that euer I heard now I confesse that I was neuer but a foole in regard of Carmelle Meddle you not with any thing said shée but rest content let me alone to worke my will and to the same end let vs presently begin then Esplandian went downe into the bottome of the ship and the gentlewoman prepared the tombe as shée had determined before with that shée Gandalin and Enil landed and went vnto the Emperour whome they saluted most honourably but Carmelle did him no reuerence for as it is said before she estéemed not of any man liuing how great a Prince soeuer hee were but only of Esplandian shée and Gandalin were knowne in Constantinople by reason of their being there before Wherefore the Emperour receiued Gandalin very courteously and with smiling countenance said vnto him Friend Gandalin although your presence hath procured great melancholly in my minde remembring I haue often séene you here with the man that in all Christendome I most entirely loue whome I am vtterly persuaded I shall neuer sée againe yet you are heartily welcome and I pray you tell me how doth the knight with the Gréene Sword My lord said Gandalin it is long since I left him to come into this countrey neuerthelesse I am assured wheresoeuer he is he is a Prince ready to doe your grace any pleasure he can In good faith said the Emperour I beléeue it well and I am glad of the honour I vnderstand hée hath receiued at the hands of king Luisart that voluntarily hath deposed himselfe of all princely dignitie to inuest him therewith My lord said Enil that is true I can assure your Grace thereof as one that was present as his Coronation and although I could wish king Amadis the Monarch of all the world Truly when I beheld the gesture and humble countenance of good king Luisart I could not refraine wéeping for compassion I had to sée him and not I onely but all the people that beheld him I pray you Sir Knight said the Emperor shew me how it was for that all wise men are bound not onely to enquire of all vertuous actions but also to imitate them as néere as possibly they may with that Enil shewed him at large the whole order of the same as you heard it before Whereat the Emperour holding downe his head mused for a while and then said I am certainly persuaded it will be long before we find a better prince thaÌ„ king Luisart is or one that hath passed his young yéeres with more
Gandalin shewed him from point to point what spéeches had passed betwéene the Princesse and him not only before the Emperour but also in the garden And of my faith sir saied hée you do her wrong considering the good meanes you haue both to satisfie her and your self for what excuse soeuer you can make you are not so sore charged on this side that you may not spare some time to goe and sée her which shee craueth at your hands That I wil doe saied Esplandian but I must find the meanes take you care for that said Gandalin and let me go sléepe for I neuer had more néed Goe said Esplandian be here again betimes in the morning Wherewith Gandalin tooke his leaue leauing Esplandian alone in great care how hee might find some conuenient excuse to leaue his companions in the extreamity but God prouided for him for the same night about an hour before day as he began to slumber he heard a most pleasant sound of musick which you must vnderstand came out of the great serpent that hee left in the castle La montaigne defendu which at the time was arriued before the town of Galatia but little did he thinke of any such thing or that Vrganda had ben therein because he thought her to bée in great Brittaine This mellody continued for the space of half an houre and more which done he heard such a noise of trumpets Clarigals Phifes and Tabers that sounded so high that the sentinels of the town thought verily the enemies nauy had ben arriued before the same to lay siege vnto it wherevpon they caused an alarum in the town each man running to the wals being all of that mind till day when they might be hold the great serpent wherein Vrganda was all hung with long pennons and streamers wherat Esplandian was so glad that going downe vnto the Hauen hee presently entered into a boat with Talanque Manely and diuerse other of the principall captaines to sée who might bee there And rowing néere vnto it they knew Vrganda that staied for them on the hatches stretching forth her armes spake vnto them said My good friends you are most hartily welcome I pray you come vp into my ship that I may imbrace you With that Esplandian entered and as he meant to salute Vrganda she knéeled on the ground to kisse his féet whereat he being ashamed tooke her vp and saied vnto her Madame I neuer thought you would haue takē pleasure to mock with me séeing I account my self much more bound to you then to any creature liuing in the world And therfore for Gods cause if at any time I chaunce to offend you punish mee I pray you in some sort or other Most happy Knight sayed shée The aide I hope for at your hands before manie dayes shall passe mooued mée to doe as I haue done wherefore I beséech you take it in good part And with that shee embraced him and after him Talanque Manely and all the rest euery man doing her great honour desiring her to shewe them the cause of her so suddaine comming thether My good friends saied shee you shal know it at some other time when better laisure serueth mean while I am to tell you that it is necessary for you shortly to go vnto the city of Constantinople where you shall enter all armed apparelled in the same armor I haue brought hither for you and thus must I tell you that if you should deferre it till another time it would be preiudiciall to you all Wherfore I counsel you to do it vpon the first day of the next wéeke assuring you to be as well receiued of the Emperor as euer were any knights which your ease and pleasure in his company shall continue vntil the rolling whéele of Fortune turning about shall bring with it manie trauels passions and aduentures which shal cause many gréefes and sorrowes both to you and others And the better to make you beléeue that all I say is true I tell you that I my selfe shall fall into two of the greatest dangers of my life that euer I had whether it bee here or in another place I knowe not And which is worse I cannot by any means auoid the same not knowing any cause how nor wherefore it should be so although it be in a manner ready to fall vpon mee Madame saied Esplandian before you shall receiue any hurt in our presence wee will all lose our liues to succour you My good child said she mans destiny of force must bee accomplished But I pray you let vs enter into some other talke for this maketh mee melancholy Madame saied Manely Is it not your pleasure to goe into the Towne I saied she and I pray you send for Norandel who at this present I knowe is at Alfarin and I wil giue you as great cause to reioice as euer you had for that within my shippe I haue brought the king of Denmarke wounded in a combate that hee fought against Garlante Lord of the Isle of Calafre that by force would haue taken two Gentlewomen from him And although Garlante bee estéemed a hardy and valiant knight yet did the king bring him in such case that vnlesse hee had craued mercy the king would haue stricken of his head which he spared vpon condition that during his life hee should neuer after iniury any knight which Garlante sware and vowed in my presence for that by chance arriuing there during their combate I heard what passed betwéene tham And because I perceiued the King to bee in danger of his person by reason of the great number of wounds he had vpon his body I would not leaue him but caused him to enter into my shippe and layed him in the best bed where now hée is almost healed Ha saied Esplandian What good newes are these of my faith I thought verily he had ben dead wherefore madame I pray you for Gods cause let mée craue the means to sée him with the Vrganda led him where he lay but when they saw each other Esplandian could not refraine wéeping with the great pleasure hée took to sée the king Neuerthelesse for that time they had no great spéech together neither would Vrganda permit them to do it doubting least the king being yet but weake and féeble might therby bée hindered of his health Wherefore she caused Esplandian to go forth and entring with her into the boat they rowed to the shoare from whence they led Vrganda to the best lodging in the town with as much honor as they could haue done to the Quéenes Brisenne or Oriane if any of thē had ben there in presence The next day Esplandian pitying the great number of women little children that had ben kept within the town from the time that it was takē said to his companions that it would be better to giue them leaue to depart from thence then to hold them stil for the the longer they continued in the town the
said Esplandian you may command me and likewise set me forth for a coward hardy or any other what it pleaseth you to tearme me In which manner talking togither they came vnto his lodging where master Elizabeth newly come from Alfarin visited his wounds and the rest likewise that had cause to vse his helpe CHAP. XLII How the Knights of great Brittaine that were at Galatia imbarked themselues with Vrganda in the great serpent to saile vnto Constantinople and what happened vnto them THe Knightes that had béen hurt at the last encounter for the space of fiftéene daies after were forced to kéepe their chambers vntill their woundes were healed during which time Vrganda tooke great pleasure in reading Melies bookes which Esplandian caused to bée brought vnto her wherein shée found such wonderfull coniurations and deuises of Magicke Art that she was abashed how shée that had had them so long time in her possession knew no more than yet shée did estéeming the Enchantresse Lady to haue béen the perfectest schollar that euer studied in that art as it well appeared by her bookes Now the time approched wherein it was expedient according to the destinies appointed that Esplandian and his companions should goe vnto Constantinople wherefore as soone as their wounds were healed Vrganda caused them to bée assembled and standing in the middest of them all she said vnto them My good friends knowing part of the prosperities and aduersities which the heauens foreshewe vnto you all I came hither specially to sée Esplandian and you of whome I haue receiued great pleat pleasure perceiuing at my arriuall the loue and amitie that is among you with the great desire you haue to accomplish the order of knighthood not for the glory and recompence of this world but onely for the increasing of our faith and the seruice of God that shall reward you for it and to the end you may continue in this forwardnes and that the thing which I pretend may happily fall out I will from henceforth not only imploy my person but my Arte which hath pleased God to lend me wherewith I will aduise you what I shall find conuenient and necessarie for the augmentation of your honours alreadie spread throughout the world which to begin I am of opinion that you all imbarke your selues with me in the great serpent that shall bring vs vnto Constantinople to the Emperour for without him it is impossible that this great enterprise you haue taken in hand can come to good effect as also that hee himselfe before many yéeres are past shall be found in maruellous necessitie and such that he shall account himselfe most happie to haue your aid and with good reason for that in the end both hee and you shall ouercome those hazzards according to your desires Then shall you plainely knowe that this that I foreshew vnto you is most true While Vrganda vsed these wordes all the company stood still intentiue for to heare her and had it not béen that they estéemed her words to be most true they had doubted of the threatnings shée vsed against the Emperour he béeing so great and puissant a Monarch Neuerthelesse the issue of that trouble which shée assured vnto them gaue them some ease and contentation of minde in expectation whereof they made account in the meane time to prooue their strengths and forces that thereby their valour and magnanimitie might be further spread abroad And as touching their voiage to the Emperour as Vrganda gaue them direction it was onely the thing wherevnto Esplandian did aspire hoping that if the warres were openly proclaimed in the Grecian Empire and the Emperours daunger so imminent to shewe such valour and prowesse in martiall exploits that hée would not onely frée and acquite his father of the promise he had made to serue the Ladies but confirme the loue that the princes Leonorine bare vnto him in such sort that he might obtaine her for his wife which caused him to speake for all his companie assuring Vrganda that not one of them but was readie to obey and goe where it pleased her My friends said she then I pray you to morrow in the morning cause your horses to be shipped in my shippe and for armour take you no care I will prouide you thereof so well that ech man shall find himselfe content let it suffice you to imbarke your selues and set saile for often times an enterprise deferred ouer long falleth not out as mē desire it should not for want of good and wise counsell but by the negligēce of those that are appointed to execute the same Thus was their voiage to Constantinople agréed vpon in such sort that all the knights of great Brittaine entred into the great serpent taking with them Frandalo Melie and the captaine of Tesifant that had béen taken prisoner as you heard before leauing the Admirals souldiers for garrison in the towne Which done the ship went forward of it selfe sayling towards the castle La montaigne defendu where being arriued they tooke Armato king of Turkie and his two captaines with them for Vrganda willed them so to doe and sixe daies after the great serpent arriued within halfe a mile of Constantinople where she staied Then Vrganda caused her Knightes to be armed with the armour shée had brought which were white with a red crosse both before and behind most comely to behold They were in all fortie knights whose names are as followeth Esplandian Frandalo Norandel Talanque Manely the wise Ambor of Gandel Grauate of the fearfull valley Gandalin Enil Trion cousin to quéene Briolanie Brauor sonne of the giant Balan Belleris Elion le delibere Licoran of the white Tower Listoran of the siluer bridge Landin of Sariaque Imosil of Burgondie Ledadrin of Ferraque Sarquiles cousin to Angriotes Palomir Branfil Tantiles the proud Galbron sonne of Isamel Carpin his brother Carin of Carante Attalio sonne of Oliuas Bracele sonne of Bandoyuas Garamante sonne of Norgales Amphinio of Almain Brandonie of Fraunce Penatrie of Spaine Flamene his brother Culspicio of Bohemia Amandario of litle Brittaine Siluester of Hungaria Manely of Swethland Galfarie of Italie Galiot of Scotland Amandalie his brother and Calfeur the glorious Being arriued the shippe was presently espied by the citizens which they knewe hauing séene it before when it put them in such feare as you haue heard but hoping for him that vsed ordinarily to saile therein they all ranne vnto the walles and along the shore to sée him land wherwith the noise and rumour was so great that the Emperour had newes thereof béeing as then talking with the ladies Those newes pleased the Princes Leonorine so well that she no sooner heard the great serpent named but she rose vp and went vnto the windowes to sée if shée could espie her loue Esplandian but the ship was somewhat too farre off neither did it mooue from the place whereas it lay Wherfore fearing to be deceiued as she had béen before she began to
change colour which Quéene Minoresse perceiued and iesting said vnto her Madame doe you make this pitifull countenance to dissemble the ioy you haue conceiued or for feare I should beguile you of him that commeth to sée you How now cousin said she how long haue you learned to mock In faith I neuer thought vpon the first of those two points and much lesse am I in doubt of the second for you know as much as my selfe and yet I am not ignorant that when the great serpent was there where I now behold it he whome we expect came not thither wherefore I feare and with good reason that wée shall now be serued in like sort and as she ended her spéech the shippe came within a bow shot of the hauen where they might perceiue one of her sides to open from whence they put out a boat and not long after they saw Carmelle and two other gentlewomen come forth the two gentlewomen playing most swéetly vpon two instruments which they did till they arriued at the shore from whence they went vnto the Emperor who knowing Carmelle had better hope to sée Esplandian than euer he had before going vnto her to aske what newes she made no more reuerence vnto him than she vsed at other times to do saying vnto him My lord Esplandian my master that you so much desire to sée is now arriued before the town in the great serpent with diuers other knights his friends and allies and Vrganda la disogneue desiring you to shew them the fauour to stay in your pallace where they meane to come and visit your grace Truly Carmelle said the Emperor I neuer heard message in al my life that pleased me so wel I am content to do as they desire although I was determined to méet them and to giue them that entertainement they deserue But séeing they will haue it otherwise I will satisfie their desires That is sufficient said Carmelle we will then retourne to them againe to certefie your graces answere Goe said the Emperor and tell them from me that they shall be most heartily welcome With that Carmelle with the two Gentlewomen departed towards the Hauen meane time whosoeuer had beheld the Princesse Leonorine might easily haue iudged the alteration of her heart it was so full of ioy that without Quéene Minoresse that caused her to refraine she would peraduenture haue done done somthing whereby her honour had been blemished minding to leaue the Empresse her mother and goe to méete Esplandian whose absence had procured so great sorrow in her mind But the Quéene as a wise and discréet lady persuaded her so much that shée stayed at the window whereby her alteration might not be perceaued Carmelle staied not long but went into the boate rowing to the great serpent where being entered there were presently two boats more put forth that brought horses to land which don they returned again to fetch the knights those that would went forth and among them six gentlewomen thrée of thē sounding the recorders thē ceasing the other thrée plaied on the lute and vials in that manner being landed mounted on their horses they entred into the Citty the sixe Gentlewomen marching first after them the two Turkish captaines that were taken at the siege of the castle La montaigne defendu then the captain of Tesifant next followed Armato with him the princesse Melie apparrelled in the beares skin as shée had ben taken then followed the forty knights two in a ranke armed horse man in one sort of armour in the middest of them road Vrganda talking to Esplandian and the king of Denmarke And as they approched the pallace the Emperor the Empresse and the ladies met thē where the emperor comming to Vrganda did her as much honor as if she had ben the greatest quéen in the world Mean time the knights being among the Ladies gaue occasion to bee found no lesse courteous then prompt valiant in armes specially Esplandian who comming to the princesse Leonorine knéeled on the ground to kisse her hands but shee refused it making the whole cōpany beléeue she was offended with him for delaying the time to come vnto the court as he had promised Which the Emperour perceiuing could not refraine to smile and saied vnto her How now daughter Is this the good entertainement you shewe vnto your knight and the thankes you giue him for comming expressely hether to serue you I pray you call to mind that he deserueth a better countenance were it only for his fathers sake to whome you are so much beholding My lord said shee that is the cause I am so much offended with him for if he resembled the knight with the gréen sword as much in curtesie as in countenance he had not stayed so long to obay his fathers wil to satisfie the requests that you I haue made vnto him by Carmelle and others as your grace kneweth Before God said the emperor you say true yet I could neuer haue ben persuaded you would conceiue displeasure so long time considring what he hath done the rich presents he sent to you My lord said she if he hath done any thing for me it was without my cōmandement I had rather he had done lesse in those things that hée had ben more obedient to his fathers wil mine Madame said the emperor to Vrganda you sée in my daughter how great the choler of an angry woman is My lord said she she hath reason so to do for that Esplandian obeying his father ought to confirm himself both to her wil yours And hauing failed therin all he saith that he hath done for her sake may be accounted nothing although I am assured that the remembrance of my lady your daughter hath made him being in fight enter into such danger that it was most strange howe hee could escape Wherefore Madame said shee to Leonorine he deserueth pardō for the same so I pray you grant him While Vrganda spake the Princes beheld Esplandian with so great affection that in a maner shée liued and died in him and he for his part by hir felt in what sort loue vseth those he holds in his power Wherby she cōtinued a long time without answering Vrganda not for any euill will to her in vsing of those spéeches but rather féeling such alteration in her mind that she trembled like a leaf But in the end she remembred her selfe and saied vnto her Madame séeing it is your pleasure that I remit his offence I am content to doe it vpon condition that if hée forget himselfe as hée hath done heretofore you shall beare the punishment for him With that she tooke him by the hand and made him rise vp changing spéech because the Empresse that in the meane time talked with the king of Denmarke came thether whereby Esplandian was constrained to leaue the Princesse and salute her The emperor al that while had giuen no entertainement to king
Armato as knowing him not but when they shewed him which was he he imbraced him and said My lord and brother I beséech you pardon my ignorance in not entertaining you before this time as not knowing you but I will amend the fault when you think good My lord saied Armato I am now as it pleaseth fortune in place where you may command me yet I pray you call to mind who I was and what I may bee and doe for me as you would I should do for you if your case were mine Considering with your selfe that the like hard fortune may fall on you and that it is no lesse vertue to intertain the vanquished courteously then to ouerthrow the puissant enemie With that the Emperour led him into his pallace the rest following after him and when they were in the hall hee left them with the Empresse to speake vnto Frandalo and taking him aside saied vnto him Frandalo to let you knowe howe well I do account of the great good seruice you haue done for mée I will that from henceforth you shall bee my chéefe standard bearer in which place I nowe establish you For the which Frandalo thanked him most humbly accounting himselfe most happye to haue so great authoritie CHAP. XLIII How Norandel and Queene Minoresse fell in loue one of the other and what conference they had together THe Emperour being among his Knights making them all the cheare and honour that hee could deuise It happened that the Princesse Leonorine and Quéene Minoresse séeing the king of Denmark and Norandel together called Carmelle and asked her who they were My Ladies saied shée you haue séen him that hath the least beard here before which is the king of Denmarke for hee came hether with Frandalo the other is Norandel king Luisarts sonne estéemed for one of the hardiest knights liuing on the earth I pray you said the Princesse desire them to come hether that wée may speake with them With that Carmelle called them vnto her and as they were before the two Princesses the more they beheld the excellency of their beauties the more they maruailed at it and not without cause for next vnto Leonorine there could hardly be found in all Gréece one that matched quéene Minoresse especially in comelinesse and good behauiour but if shee had some perfection in her nature had not forgotten her selfe in forming the two knights especially Norandel who till that time had neuer felt the stings of loue no more had Quéene Minoresse Neuerthelesse that little théefe surprised them so couertly that hee bound them both making them captiues one to the other in such manner that after many Questions and Answeres propounded they drew themselues apart leauing the king of Denmarke talking with the Princesse Leonorine the Quéene asking Norandel what hee thought of the Princesse Madame said hée although I haue heard her estéemed for one of the goodliest ladies in the world yet did I neuer thinke her beautie had béene such as now I sée it is although you are little behinde her in that respect whereby I might estéeme my selfe most happy if I had ben asléepe that day I enterprised to take my iourney hether Wherfore said the quéen haue you had so ill intertainment in this court No madame said he but there is one hath stollen that from me which I haue most carefully kept during my life The Quéene not knowing what he meant was thereat abashed asking him what it was whether he knew the théefe I madame saied he and it resteth in you to do me iustice if it bée your pleasure for you none other haue that whereof I speake In good faith saied the Quéene you shall pardon mee for I haue nothing of yours that I cam remember Madame saied Norandel since the time I first did knowe what belonged to a man I kept my liberty not alienating it to any one But comming hether I had no sooner set mine eie on you but I found my selfe of a fréeman a bondslaue and captiue to your ladiship 's good fauor which I beséech you afore me in recompence of the liberty you now haue taken from me Truly sir knight saied she you haue at this presēt run too far astray for if you beheld me as you should you had not found me such a one as you say wold haue ben twice aduised to vse such spéeches as you do Neuerthelesse I will not take them at your hands being a stranger in so euill part as mine honour doth require and I think likewise you speake farre otherwise then you meane which she said to vndermine him thereby to sée if Norandels words were spoken from the heart who hearing that ouerthwart answere was much astonished but being moued with loue answerd her and said Madame pardon my boldnesse I beséech you but I sweare vnto you by the faith of a knight that I haue discouered the secret of my heart and if you will not beléeue me at this time I hope in time to come to doe so much that you shall well perceiue what great desire I haue to bee your Knight if it will please you to graunt mee so much fauour to accept mee for the same When Quéene Minoresse perceaued him so earnest as that in vttering those words hee shewed great affection shee estéemed in her minde to haue sufficient argument that might persuade her to beléeue his wordes wherewith shee answered him and saied My lorde Norandel If you doe as you promise I well beléeue that you say and for the accepting you to bee my Knight mee thinketh I should doe wrong to refuse so small a fauor to so courteous a gentleman as you are wherfore I both grant it and desire it of you With that she took a litle ring she commonly wore off from hir finger giuing it vnto him for a witnesse of their new confirmed aliance And had it not ben that the Emperor was ready to go to supper they had no sooner left talking but the Empresse went in whereby quéen Minoresse was constrained to follow after taking Melie Carmelle with hir to whom she did al honor good intertainmēt she could deuise supper being don the tables vncouered the princes Leonorine that had séen Norandel quéen Minoresse talking with so great affection doubted some feathers in the wind wherefore taking her aside said vnto hir Cousin I beléeue the knight that intertained you so long told you some news out of great Brittaine or somthing els that pleased you ful wel I pray you fair lady tel me what it was for you were very earnest to harken thervnto How now madame said she since when I pray you did you learn to mock cal you the mocking said she which is don in earnest I pray God the mockery I mean to you may fal out as I desire it wold thē shal I at the least haue as good aduātage at you as you haue had at me which wold please me wel not so much to haue a cōpaniō
said shée to returne againe as you haue promised Which Esplandian vowed vpon his faith meane time Norandel and quéene Minoresse as much gréeued as might be knewe not what countenance to holde hauing their hearts so seased with care that the Quéene was constrained to withdrawe her selfe into her chamber and lay vpon her bedde shutting the doore whereby Norandel had no meanes to take his leaue but imbarked himselfe charged with an infinite number of gréefes and sorrowes with that the great serpent began of it selfe to set forward and within two daies after arriued at the castle La montaigne defendu CHAP. XLV How the two Dragons set Vrganda Melie and king Armato in the middle of the cittie of Tesifant and of the great armie that Armato prepared to enter into Greece THe Dragons bearing Vrganda Melie and king Armato in the aire flewe so swiftly that before day they were right ouer the citie of Tesifante where they set downe their charge that done they flewe away and neuer were séene againe king Armato was excéeding glad when he perceiued himselfe to be in place whereas he might commaund and went vnto his pallace where finding the guard he made himselfe knowen vnto them that presently went to aduertise the prince Alphorax who much abashed at those newes start out of his bed and casting a furred gowne vpon his shoulders ranne to imbrace his father who séemed to be so changed not onely because his beard was longer than he vsed but by reason of the great gréefe and melancholly he had so long endured that the prince began to wéepe and say vnto him My Lord you are more than heartily welcome for Gods cause I beséech you tell vs how fortune hath béene so much your friend to deliuer you out of the misery wherein you haue continued so long to my no little griefe Sonne said he Melie can tell you better than my selfe for she is the only meanes of my good hap and hath brought with her Vrganda discogneue of whome heretofore you haue heard And as he left speaking Melie and Vrganda entred into the hall wherewith the rumor of the kings returne was so great within the Citie that all the people ranne vnto the palace for to sée him being as glad of his arriuall as Vrganda sorry to sée her selfe in such a place and that which gréeued her more was that Melie in presence of them all spake vnto her and said Vrganda two things mooue me to saue thy life the one for that in my captiuitie thou hast not once suffered an euill word to be vsed to me neither permitted that any man should doe mee harme the other because I certainly know that king Armato hath by thy means receiued all the good intertainement he had during his hard imprisonment Neuerthelesse the mischiefe thou hast procured vnto this country being the only cause the Christians entered into the same is sufficient to make thée indure perpetuall imprisonment wherein by mine art I will so straightly inclose thée that thy Art shal nought auaile thée euer so get forth But although that sentence might well abash Vrganda yet shee shewed such constancy that she neuer changed colour determining with her selfe to indure whatsoeuer should fal out wherfore she said vnto Melie Madame you may do with me as pleaseth you but in reason you ought not to vse me otherwise then you your selfe were vsed whē I had the like authority ouer you as you haue now of me otherwise you shal do wrong both to your selfe me To me that am olde ancient putting me in prison wherewith you threaten me not hauing offended you to your selfe in preferring cruelty before the curtesie that hath ben found in you whereto Melie answered hir not a word but commanded her to be shut into a great tower stāding in the midst of the citty ouer the which she wrought such coniurations the Vrganda knew without Gods help it would be impossible for her euer to come forth yet she liued in hope considring the mutability of fortune the king Armato himselfe had ben casually deliuered who continued certaine daies in his great Citty of Tesifant without making any shew to bee reuenged But in the end he sent Embassadours to all the Princes in the East that were his allies and confederates desiring them to enter into arms not onely to driue the Christians out of Galatia Alfarin and other places that they had vsurped in his countrey but to destroy Constantinople with all the Christian monarch and therefore wrote a letter vnto them the contents whereof doe follow Armato by the prouidence of our immortall gods called to the gouernment of the puissant country of Turky the frontier Bulwark of al the Pagan land to all caitifes kings soldiors admirals gouernors of the countries scituated in the east parts sēdeth gréeting being returned out of prison from whence we are now deliuered I thought good to giue you to vnderstand that not long since there is a knight come out of the South into the marches descended as men say of the race of Brutus the Troiane to whome for our iniustice as it is verie likely our gods haue giuen power to conquer the castle La montaigne defendu slaying Matroco and Frerion two of the best Knightes in all the East parts and which is worse the number of the Christians increasing more and more they haue fought all meanes to destroy our holy lawe which to preuent we entred into armes and hauing raised a mightie armie thought to driue them out of our quarters but hauing long time continued siege before the castle La montaigne defendu and brought it to such extremitie that they had no victuals to sustaine themselues he of whome we were most in doubt the first beginner of those warres found meanes by the aid of a villaine named Frandalo that sometime belonged vnto vs to enter therein and by subtiltie to take vs prisoners in such sort that our army being ouerthrowne we remained prisoners in their handes where they haue holden vs in straight kéeping almost for the space of a whole yéere togither meane time our fortune continuing worse and worse they haue by treason seazed vpon the townes of Alfarin and Galatia two of the best portes in all our Realme which they had neuer taken in hand without the aide of the traiterous and disloyall Emperour of Constantinople who for to aid and succour them hath falsly broken the truce concluded betwéen vs and raised so many men that without your aides we are in danger to fall into their hāds a thing that would concerne you much séeing we as you know are the frontire and rampart to you all Wherefore in the name of all our gods wee pray and desire you that not onely for the safegard of our law but for the profit and vtilitie of all the East countries you will assemble your forces in so great number that thereby we may driue these Christians out of our countrey and
conquer the Empire of Constantinople euen to Fraunce and the countries of great Brittaine which will be both easie and profitable vnto vs. These letters written and the messengers dispatched they made such hast that before the end of Iuly following there were so many men assembled at the port of Tenedos that the Christians had newes thereof as hereafter you shall heare One day among the rest as Belleris Talanque and Manely being issued out of the castle La montaigne defendu hoping to take some Turke in the way to Tesifant that might tel them news not only of king Armato but of Melie Vrganda as day began to appeare came vnto the aduenturous fountain where they beheld the pillers of brasse the pauillion the field bed the Heliaxe had left there with a great serpent lying therein which presently began to run away and the knights after thinking to kill her but their horses durst not go néere her yet she began to complain and wéep as bitterly as a womā trauelling with child Wherewith there appeared four men wel mounted armed at al points that cried out and saied Sir knights depart frem hence trouble not our gentlewoman in this sort or it shall cost you your liues And scarse had they ended their spéech but they ran ech at other the strange knights breaking their speares in such maner vpon the Christians the Manely and his companions thought they had run against thē with long strawes Yet could not one of thē couch his launce but ran their course without once touching thē Mean time the serpent entred into a hole and could no more be séene as they turned their horses to run another course the four knights would not abide but flying away cried vnto them and said Sir knights our Gentlewoman is safe for the rest contēt your selues if you think good Get you hence to al the deuils said Talanque and ill fortune might he haue that followeth after you With that they thrée returned vnto the fountain not without great laughing at their aduenture And as they were before the pauillion they perceiued a knight that watred his horse to whō Belleris riding asked him his name What haue you to do therwith said he So much said Belleris that either you shal tell me presently with good wil or els shal sight with me You shal faile in the one but not in the other for although you bée thrée yet am I well content to prooue what the knights of great Brittaine can doe Whē Talanque heard him speake so boldly he could not refrain to say By God sir knight that shall you prooue without delay setting spurs to his horse ran fiercely against the other that refused him not but strake him so sure that he ouerthrew him to the ground Which Manely wondring at set forward to reuēge his friend but if the first sped ill he sped no better no more did Belleris all thrée rising vp againe ashamed at their fals which minding to amend by dent of swords the other knight fled along the wood crying so lowd that they might heare him saie Sir knights another time sit better on your horses and trouble not your selues to follow me if you meane not to lose your way In Gods name said Talanque what may this mean shall wée haue no better fortune all this day I thinke wee are inchaunted Let vs mount vpon our horses and follow after him that wee may knowe whether God or all the diuels in hell haue determined to crosse vs in this iourny Wherewith they mounted determining to follow after the other but they heard a lamentable voice wherfore they staied to sée what it might bee With that they espied a woman with her head vndrest crying out for helpe And after her ran a lion ready to deuour her whereat they being mooued with compassion thought to step betwéen thē but the lion began so horribly to rore that the horses stricken with fear bare their masters aboue two long bows shot from thence meane time the woman and the lion vanished away whereat Talanque and Manely more abashed then before asked Belleris if euer hee heard of such aduētures In good faith said he those the are desirous to sée strāge things must repaire vnto this fountaine For there are manie such as yet you haue not séene the wonder it is to hear wil you know how it commeth to passe Melie had deuised thē long time since wherfore it is not to be maruelled No more I doe not said Manely neuertheles were it not for the enterprise we now haue takē in hand by the faith of a knight said he I would not depart from hence before I had séene them all That shall bée at another time said Belleris let vs now kéepe on our way that wee be not discouered With that they held on the left hand alwaies riding toward the citty of Tesifant hauing ridden about fiue miles space they met ten men on horseback all vnarmed leading two Gentlewomen one of them being somewhat faire and well apparelled But the ten men were in so great fear the leauing the Gentlewomen they ran and saued thēselues not being pursued for the thrée knights staied with the gentlewomen of whom they hoped to hear such news as they desired And in effect after they had somwhat assured them they asked them what news of king Armato and whether he were stil prisoner My lords said the eldest Gentlewoman it is not long since hee escaped out of the Christians hands and is returned vnto Tesifant with Melie that hath shut Vrganda in a tower from whence she shal neuer depart without her leaue That is good newes for vs then said Belleris and what hath king Armato done since his returne Doth he not saied he meane to bee reuenged on them that kept him prisoner so long I truly said she for all the kings Souldans Cailiffes and admirals of the Pagan law haue promised him to arriue at Constantinople and to destroy all Christendome And as it is saied the most part of them are already arriued in the isle of Tenedos In good faith said Belleris to his companions considering the spéeches of these Gentlewomen I am of this opinion that we meddle no longer with them but returne vnto our hold Wherevnto they both agréed and letting the Gentlewomen depart made so great hast that about two houres after sunnesetting they arriued at the castle La montaigne defendu where they shewed their companions what aduentures they found in the aduenturous fountaine And at our departure from thence said they we found tenne men on horsebacke leading two Gentlewomen by whom wee haue for certaine vnderstood that Vrganda is straightly shut vp in one of the towers of Tesifant and so inchaunted therein by Melies coniurations that she is like neuer to come forth as also that the Pagan kings assemble themselues together in the isle of Tenedos to ouerrun the Emperour of Constantinople and all the Christians
if she knewe not the cause of Esplandians returne to Constantinople shée asked it of them faining to be displeased at the same but they excused him in like sort they did vnto the emperour as you heard before CHAP. XLVII How Crescelin and Belleris returned to the castle La montaigne defendu with a ship that they had taken from the Turks by whome they vnderstood the enemies pretence NOt long after that Crescelin and Belleris departed from the castle La montaign defendu sayling as secretly as they could along the coast of Phrigia fortune fauoured them so well that a Brigandine sayling to Tenedos charged with Turkes fell into their hands whereof they left but foure aliue by whom they certainely vnderstood that the armie of the Princes of the East was to depart from thence within a moneth or sixe wéekes after at the furthest and saile to Constantinople which they hoped easily to surprise hauing by their espials had intelligence that the Emperour made no preparation to withstand them Which hauing heard they returned without longer stay to giue aduise vnto Esplandian who fearing that the Emperour would not be able to withstand their might determined to vse the ayde of all his feiendes minding to send Gandalin and Enil vnto them with letters to the same effect specially to his vncle the Emperour of Rome to whome hée wrote as followeth My lord the danger I sée prepared against all Christendome constraineth me to send this messenger vnto you by whome at large your Grace may vnderstand how great and puissant an armie all the Kings and Potentates of the East enemies of our faith haue lately raised by the persuasion of Armato king of Turkie therwith to ouer-runne not only the Empire of Greece but all the land of Christendome and wholly to extinguish our faith and holy lawe And for that all those of whome you hold the place haue alwaies béene the true defenders of the Christian faith as also that the case toucheth you so néere I am of this aduise my lord that you ought to spare neither mony nor men but to assemble your forces in all hast and prepare your vessels to aid and succour the good prince who is the frontier as you knowe both vnto you and all the potentates that hold the law of Christ I write the like vnto the king my father and to the most part of all the Christian Lordes to whome I send Gandalin And for that Enil hath in charge to certifie your grace by word of mouth what it shall please you to demand I will not trouble you with many lines beséeching you to giue credit vnto him as to my selfe The like he wrote to the king of Sardaigne which two messages Enil had in charge to whome he gaue ample instructions and remembrances of all the aduertisements and secret intelligences he had receiued from the Turkish coast not onely of the number of men both on horse and foot but also of the multitude of their vessels and other warlike instruments commaunding Gandalin to goe with him till he came vnto Cicilia where he should prouide shipping to saile into great Brittaine to Amadis his father and from thence to France vnto king Perion then to Sobradise to Galaor likewise to king Bruneau to Quedragant Dragonis and Gosquilant to whome he sent like seuerall letters Gandalin carrying them likewise the same instructions that Enil had vnto the Emperour commaunding them expresly to assure them all that he would not depart from the castle La montaigne defendu before their arriuall there but meant to kéepe it while breath was in his body Gandalin and Enil had so good and prosperous a weather that in lesse than fiftéene daies after their departure they passed the countrey of Messine and landed at Saragource where Gandalin hired a Brigandine to execute his charge And to the end you may vnderstand what effect their messages did worke I will leaue Gandalin trauersing the Mediteranean Sea and entring into the Ocean and speake of Enil that arriued at Ostre where as then he found the Emperour accompanied with king Florestan deuising onely of haukes and houndes but when they espied Enil presuming he brought some ill newes they asked him where hée left Esplandian Enil knowing how to behaue himselfe kissed the letters and gaue one to the Emperour the other to the king of Sardaigne which hauing read and perceiuing them to be of credit tooke him apart where hee discouered vnto them all you heard before With that the Emperour leauing Enil with king Florestan went vnto the gentlemen and knights that then were present and said vnto them My friends wée must all to the warres my nephew Esplandian hath aduertised me by this gentleman expressely sent vnto me that the king of Turkie and all his allies are in armes and haue raised a mighty armie to assaile my brother the Emperor of Constantinople but I vow to God if he giue me life helpe that before the moneth of September next ensuing I will be there with such a force that I will make him twice repent how hee so rashly dooth assaile and learne him to defend himselfe Wherefore let euery man bée ready for I will goe my selfe in person and calling king Florestan he asked him if hee would goe with him My lord said he to morrow I will send to all my ports hauens that all the ships of war that can be found may be in a readines meane time I will in all parts assemble men to doe as my nephew Esplandian hath required My Lord said Enil my lord Esplandian hath written by Gandalin to king Amadis and other of his friends whome he hath desired to ioyne with you so that I hope about one time all your armies wil be ready that wiihout long staying for each other you will assemble all togither Truly said king Florestan it was well deuised With that diuers captaines were dispatched into sundry places to giue order for their men and to ballace rigge and prepare vessels for their voiage into the East Gandalin on the other side coasting the Isles of Maiorque and Minorque leauing Guinea and Barbarie passed the straits of Gibraltar and had so good a wind that in fewe daies without staying in Spaine hée arriued in great Brittain with king Amadis who as then continued in London and presented him with the letter that Esplandian sent shewing him likewise his charge by word of mouth the good and euill aduentures that he had had since he departed from Myrefleur and among the rest the ouerthrowe of the Turkish armie on the sea the taking of king Armato the occasion why the siege rose vp before the castle La montaigne defendu the arriuall of Gastilles the taking of Alfarin and of the captaine of Tesifant the surprising of Galatia the losse of Vrganda and lastly all what you haue read at large in the chapters going before And to the end my lord said he that order may be had to preuent the
the agréement we shall make Wherefore make mée an answere worthy such a Knight that thereby thy honour be not stained Norandel hauing read this letter shewed it to his friends who were all of aduise to graunt the Soudan his request But Norandel would determine nothing before hée made the Emperour acquainted vnder whose conduct during the siege he had submitted himselfe whereupon hee went to speake with him and hauing shewed him the contents of the letter that hée had receiued in Esplandians name and the counsell of his companions the Emperour asked him what hee thought therein My lord saied hee if it pleased you that I and nine others which I will chuse shall vndertake this combate you shal doe vs great fauor My good friend said the Emperor you sée the estate wherein I am and the time wherein I ought to kéepe not onely you and others wherein I put my whole affiance but the meanest souldiour in this Cittye Neuertheles I will so much agrée vnto your will that if you and your companions thinke it good I am content you do it My lord said Norandel both I and they most humblye craue it of your grace Wel then said the Emperour If it pleaseth God you shal win honour thereby as you haue done before in many as perrillous aduentures as this is Norandel thanked the Emperour and the same day caused his Knights of great Brittaigne to bee assembled together by whose aduise there was an Aunswere framed to the Soudans letters the contents whereof doe follow The knights that are seruants to Iesus Christ being at this time with the Emperor of Constantinople for the defence augmentation of the Christians name to thée Rodrigue Souldan of Liquie like gréeting thou hast sent vnto the knight of the great serpent a gentlewoman that saith shee belongeth vnto thée that hath giuen vs a letter directed vnto him the contents wherof are in two points In the first thou complainest of the enterprises he hath made against thine vncle king Armato in the other thou shewest a desire thou hast to proue thy person against his or a greater number against a greater as he shal think it good But for that the knight thou writest vnto at this present is not here nor in place wheras he can return thée answer we thought it conuenient in his behalf to satisfie thy request to accept the offers thou hast made vnto him assuring thée that here is the son of a king nine other knights with him that wil fight with thée and as many more of thine if thou be content therwith Aduise thy self thē herein hauing receiued thy answere with safe conduict safely to go and come we wil not faile to be in the place where you shall appoint This letter sealed vp Norandel gaue it to one of his squires to bear it to the soudan who made him answere that he desired only to proue his body against the knight of the great serpent none other But saied he if those that sent you hether haue any desire to fight against ten of my knights they shall find thē ready being as great gentlemen and of as high a linage as they are And as touching their safe conduict I wil so wel prouide for it that they shall haue occasion to think wel of me wherfore return thou vnto thē and let me know their answere With that the squire hauing his dispatch went and came so often betwéene them that in the end the combate of ten to ten was fully agréed vpon and the lists appoint hard before the Towne where they the next morning the tenne knights went whose names were as followeth Norandel Garuate du Val Craintif Talanque Manely Ambor de Galdel Elian le delibere Brauor son of Balan Trion cousin germane to Quéene Briolanie Imosil de Burgoigne and Listoran of the siluer bridge CHAP. XLIX How the ten Christian knights entred into the lists and of the combate betweene them and tenne Pagan knights that belonged to the Souldan of Liquie ALL that night the ten Knights watched in the principallest church of Constantinople confessing thēselues and praying vnto God as if they should presently die The next day as the sunne began to appeare the Emperour accompanied of diuers Noblemen the Empresse the Princesse Leonorine Quéene Minoresse with diuers other Ladies and Gentlewomen came vnto them where they heard masse deuoutly that done they returned vnto the pallace where Norandel and his nine companions armed themselues the ladies seruing them for squires in such sort as Norandel receaued such fauor at quéen Minoresses handes that shee found meanes to helpe to buckle on euery péece of his armour one after the other As shee was busie about him he found meanes to say vnto her Madame the honor that you doe me maketh mee so couragious that this day I hope to make it knowne to those that shall beholde vs fight how much my strength is now increased by your meanes But if it pleased you to bestow some fauour vpon me that I might bear the same about my armour I should account my selfe for one of the most happy knights liuing on the yearth My good friend saied she the most precious iewell that I can giue vnto you is my heart that shal accompany yours to the end that being vnited together they may the better preserue both your life mine And taking a bracelet of gold that from her infancy she had alwaies kept shee tied it about his right arme And this circle saied she being round as you behold it shall without ceasing bee witnesse of our loues seruing for a rampart to this army which if it pleaseth God in defending it shal so wel defend his master that he shall return in as good health as I desire he should Norandel thanked her most heartily mean time Leonorine intertained Talanque Manely the rest to whom she said My friends I hope the Lord wil shew you so much grace that the victory shall be yours for the combat you take in hand is not for to defend the honour of a Gentle woman but the glorious faith of Christ If therfore it be so the strength procéedeth from him be you thē wel assured that he wil impart so much to you as you shal want Madame said Talanque at other times we haue ben at the like feast from whence we haue returned to the great expence of those that called vs thither as if it be Gods wil we hope this day to do the like Wherwith taking their leaues of her they went to find their horses and being mounted the emperor with great number of knights and gentlewomen brought them to the gate And committing them to God the ten knights marched brauely to the place of combat where the souldan with a great number of his friends met thē asking them whom the emperor had appointed iudge on their side Souldan said Norandel wée desire no other iudge then your self that are accounted a curteous and most faithfull
to returne into her countrey not offering from that time once to giue stroke with sword to their aduantage Yet not long after shée was appeased and fought with King Amadis as it shall bée shewed you at large in the end of this our fift Booke And that wée may haue the better meanes to attaine thereto wée will now returne againe vnto the Christian Princes that assembled their powers and forces to helpe the Emperour imbarking themselues as presently you shall heare But before they arriued at Constantinople many good knights both of great Brittaine and others were slaine within the citie not onely in the assaultes made against it by the Pagans but at the last assault made by the quéene Calafre among the which none were so much lamented as Ledarin de Faiarque Trys Imosill of Burgundie and the two sonnes of the gyant Balan CHAP. LI. How the Christian Princes as well of the East as West partes assembled their forces to aid the Emperour of Constantinople and of their nauigation IF you haue read the discourse of this our history it hath béene shewed you before how Enil went vnto the Emperour of Rome and Florestan king of Sardaigne and what became of Gandalin after he had passed the straights of Giberaltar and entred in the Ocean sea euen to great Brittaine and other places where hée found king Amadis and others to whome he had charge to goe Now we must declare the rest You shall therefore vnderstand that Gandalin hauing soiourned eight daies in London more by the commaundement of king Amadis and Quéene Oriane than for the pleasure that hee tooke in the woman they had caused him to marrie knowing the affaires wherein he had left his companions departed from thence and trauailed so long that he arriued in Fraunce and went vnto king Perion to whome he gaue the letters that his sonne and grand-child sent vnto him and withall declared the state of the East countries as they then were with the inconuenience that might fall vnto all Christendome if the Empire of Constantinople were in obedience to the infidels So well could Gandalin tell his tale that the good old king Perion mooued with a holy zeale determined to go himselfe in person and to take with him great quantity of ships and men furnished for the wars Gandalin stayed not long with him but while hee prepared himselfe hee went into Scotland Norway Sobradise Denmarke and Sweathland and did his Embassages so well that all the Kings and Princes to whome hee went determined with all spéede to aid Esplandian in such sort that in short time after their ships were ready and those of Sweathland Norway and Denmarke come vnto the port of Suer from whence setting saile they coasted along Freseland Holland and Braband till they arriued at Bulloigne where king Perion had prepared great number of Ships Hulkes and other vessels which being furnished with men victuals and munition necessarye for the warres hoised saile and put to sea And coasting Normandie came to little Brittaigne where they ankered in S. Mathewes Hauen where the Kings Luisart and Amadis accompanied of Grumedan and diuers other knights were arriued to refresh thēselues hauing passed the Isle of Sorlingue the Irish men imbarked themselues at the cape Antiquan and the Scots at cape Basso And hauing sailed the way that the Brittons had past ioined with the Westerne Princes that went that voiage in such sort that within thrée daies after they set saile hauing a Northeast wind they discouered the coast of Spaine passing the Port of Finis terre in compostelle after that the cape S. Vincent drawing on the left side they passed the straights of Gibraltar leauing Barbary and Guinde on the right hand sailed toward Tamar Austora and Lagarde minding to leaue Maiorque Minorque to enter into the straights of Busina and Monaco frō thence to saile to the ports of Elese and Corse where they met with Florestan king of Sardaigne his fléet but before they ariued there fortune was so contrary vnto them that certaine of their Gallions could not follow the ships but staied behind to the number of eight being so scattered that they made account they had been lost Neuerthelesse the next day they arriued all at Port S. Luce where without longer staying they passed forward to go to Regi where the army of the Emperor of Rome comming from Osty lay at anker staying for them Where they continued six daies not onely to take in fresh water but also to calke and mend their shippes and other vessels that had néed the seuenth day hauing a good wind they hoysed ankers and setting saile coasted along the country of Morea comming to cape de Maluasie where the winde fell somewhat contrarie but in the end the sea waxing calme put forward to Cape Calon and the Isle of Negrepont and entring into the Archipelago they discouered the side of the cape Athos till they approched Galiopi leauing the I le of Tenedos because they would not be discouered by the Turkes that Armato had set there to kéepe a passage for his victuals to bée brought vnto the armie where they staied not long but they entred into the goulfe of Propontide coasting Thrace till they came vnto the Port of Salombre which is not aboue thirtie miles from the citie of Constantinople where they landed that they might the better approch the Pagans campe with that they agréed among them that king Childadan and Quedragant should be Generals of the armie by sea and hauing left sufficient number of men for the furnishing and safe kéeping of their shippes their fléet sailed towards Constantinople hoping to set vpon Alphorax and his armie by sea before they should perceiue them But it fell out otherwise for the Turkes that had spies in all places discouered them not suffering Alphorax to fight desiring him most earnestly onely to kéepe the entrie of the straits to take all meanes from the towne to be victualled on that side Which king Childadan and Quedragant vnderstanding would not hazzard themselues but ankered within halfe a myle of the enemie staying for king Luisart the Emperour of Rome and those that marched by land meane time giuing diuers skirmishes to the enemie with their Pinnaces but Alphorax for all that would not leaue his hole lying as close as possibly he could on the other side Armato and his company being aduertised of the great aid that came towards the towne caused their forces to assemble determining to kéep the side of the great sea by the which they might easilier recouer victuals as well from Natolia as out of Tartaria The kings Amadis Perion others made such hast that the ninth day after they incamped themselues in the sight of Constantinople right before their enemies in a place that séemed most conuenient But if the Pagans at the first were much abashed to sée those succours the Emperor those within the town were not much lesse doubting it had béen some
new forces come against the towne for they had not any intelligence of the sending of Gandalin Enil to the christian princes that brought with them a multitude both of ships men as well knights as others Now to returne to the Christians fléet King Childadan knowing that Alphorax plaied the foxe desired Quedragant hauing equall power with him to be content that he with thréescore pinnaces might skirmish with him that thereby if it were possible he might prouoke him to come out which he agréed vnto wherefore setting saile he made towards the enemie so néere that they were ready to fight hand to hand neuertheles Alphorax for that time would not touch the bait but entred farther in the straights wherewith king Childadan retired and came vnto the hauen of the citie making the brauest show that might be séene those of Constantinople perceiuing the bandirols and streamers of great Brtttain of other christian princes made him answer with the like and so high that the noise of the trumpets clerons tabers was so great that Armato and all the Pagans might easily hear it With that king Childadan was receiued by the Emperor Norandel others to whome he shewed what aide was come vnto them and what princes had taken the voiage in hand In good faith said the Emperor they bind me for euer vnto them yet am I much abashed how they vnderstood of the wars betwéene Armato me What my Lord said Childadan did Esplandian neuer tell you therof No I assure you said the Emperor nor any of his companions as far as I know Is he not in the city said the king In good truth said Norandel hee would not leaue the castle La montaigne defendu minding to kéep it if the Pagans came to besiege it Assure your selues said Childadan he will not long stay there before king Amadis sendeth for him for we determine presently to giue battell if he should faile at such a iourny it would gréeue him euer after Much other talketh had the knights of Constantinople with Childadan and those that bare him companie where he stayed till the next day in the morning that he entered into his ships to returne vnto Quedragant CHAP. LII How Esplandian and the king of Denmarke were sent for by Gandalin that went vnto the castle La montaigne defendu where they staied attending the succours of the Christian Princes and of a letter that the Souldan of Liquie and Queene Calafre wrot vnto king Amadis and Esplandian KIng Childadan returned to Quedragant as you heard before and the army on land incamped in sight of the enemy Amadis was aduertised by those that had ben in the city of Constantinople that Esplandian and the king of Denmarke were at the castle La montaigne defendu wherevpon he sent Gandalin to fetch them Gandalin tooke shipping and had so good a winde that without any aduenture hee arriued there where hee declared vnto them howe king Amadis and almost all the Christian Princes were incamped within halfe a mile of the Pagans host and all what hee and Enil had done considring their charge And because said Gandalin that our men are determined shortly to giue them bataile they pray you to come vnto them Truly saied Esplandian Gandalin my friend you haue wrought the matter well and I thanke you for the paines that you haue taken My lord saied the king of Denmarke are you not determined that we go vnto them For my part I had rather lose one of mine armes then faile thereof Brother saied Esplandian to morrow if it pleaseth God the great serpent shall bring vs thither before that time it had alwaies vsed to saile of it selfe but as then it failed For when they were entered into it it stirred not whereat Gandalin much abashed could not refraine to say By god this vessell is like to the horse with the white legge that faileth vs when we haue most néed Friend said Esplandian I am surely persuaded that this procéedeth by reason of Vrgandas imprisonment who at this time is in Melies power and so well inchaunted that her art profiteth her as little as this vessel doth vs that moued by her inchauntments which at this present hath no meanes to stirre as you may well perceiue And Esplandian saied true for at the same time the countrey wherein Vrganda dwelt called The vnknowne Island because it was alwaies inuisible was as then discouered and séene of all men With that Gandalin counselled them to enter into the Pinnace which Esplandian and the king of Denmarke did and hauing a good winde sayled towards Constantinople and on a sunday in the morning they espied the vessels of king Childadan and Quedragant which not long after they borded where Esplandian and the king of Denmark were receiued with great ioy after that hee went to sée his father and the rest of the knights that were on lande and after an infinite number of imbracings and welcomes on all sides they determined to visit their enemies somewhat néerer wherby many braue skirmishes were made where the women of Quéen Calafre were continually in armes and among the rest a sister of the Quéenes named Liote a hardy and valiant ladie that tooke a Frenchman prisoner which certefied the Souldan of Liquie that Amadis de Gaule king of great Brittaine and Esplandian his sonne were in the army Whereof the Souldan and Quéene Calafre being aduertised determined together to write a letter vnto them the contents whereof doe follow Rodrigue Souldan of Liquie mortall enemy to the enemies of our gods and Calafre Quéene of Califorine a countrey most rich and abundant in gold and precious stones giue you Amadis de Gaule king of great Brittaine and your sonne Knight of the great Serpent to vnderstand that the occasion of our arriual in these countries hath been for these two causes The one in hope to destroy all Christendome and the other to prooue if wee may take from you the renowne that is spread abroad of you to bee the two best knights liuing in the world for we account our selues for such as that if you will accept the combate of your persons against ours we will euidently make it knowne that our valor is no lesse then yours And to the end the glorye of the victors may be knowne the vanquished shall remaine in their powers to dispose of them as they shall thinke conuenient Aduise your selues therefore to answere vs herein by this our messenger to whome wee haue giuen charge to declare vnto you if you refuse this combate that from henceforth we shall haue iust occasion to attribute to our selues the aduantage of the praises and endlesse glories that fortune heretofore hath giuen you and to estéeme of you as meanely in time to come as you haue béen highly renowned heretofore This letter giuen to the Gentlewoman that bare the first to Norandel she went vnto the Christians campe and being aduertised which was Amadis tent entered therein as he sate
talking with king Luisart Esplandian and other good knights Where knéeling on the ground she asked which of them was the knight of the great Serpent and his father Amadis spake vnto her and saied Gentlewoman I am the one and this is my sonne Is it your pleasure to speake with vs The gentlewoman casting hir eie vpon Esplandian maruelling at his great beautie spake said In good faith king Amadis I verily beléeue that this is hee for I haue heard him in diuers places estéemed for the same that nowe I doe behold in him Gentlewoman said Amadis if you came into our camp only to sée him you now haue your desire That hath not ben only the cause said she but to bring this letter which the Souldan of Liquie and Quéen Calafre send vnto you both wherfore hauing read it I pray you returne an answere With that Amadis hauing taken it in his hand the Gentlewoman departed out of the tent attending their resolution King Amadis hauing read it shewed it to King Luisart and the rest that were in presence wherewith there rose great controuersie among them concerning the refusall or acceptation of the combat for that the most part of them were of aduise it should not be accepted shewing diuers great and euident reasons to confirm the same as the greater number of enemies they had before them readye to giue them battaile if it happen said they that fortune should be contrary to king Amadis and Esplandian in whome partly consisteth our hope such hard chance would bréed great fear in diuers men that are now very willing ready to do the best they can Others held the contrary saying that it would be shame vnto them al for that that refusal only would much incourage the enemy but they were of this opinion that it might wel be required that the number of the combatants might be greater In good truth saie Amadis be it of two against two twenty against twenty or of greater number the victory is in the hands of God Wherefore in refusing thereof I should doe my selfe wrong and cause a great blemish to all Christendome that would not be defaced in long time after Besides I haue great hope of Gods helpe herein for whose faith and honour I haue vndertaken this voiage When Esplandian heard his fathers mind he spake boldlier and said That he would take that combate vpon himselfe alone not onely against the Souldan and the Quéene but against two others more with them rather then it so should be refused whereupon it was concluded that Amadis and he would fight and sending for the messenger into the tent Amadis saied vnto her Gentlewoman you shall tel the Souldan and the Quéene that I and my son are content to doe as they require wherefore let them chuse what arms they will and for the place it shall bee betwéene their campe and ours assuring them on the faith of a king that not one of our soldiours shall once remoue how soeuer we spéed which wee desire likewise at their hands and if it bée their desire to haue the combate fought this day we are content to doe it With that the gentlewoman returned and comming to the Souldans tent shée declared her message vnto thē being such as you haue heard wherof the Souldan was glad but especially the Quéene for the great desire she had to sée Esplandian wherefore shee asked the Gentlewoman what she thought of him Madame saied shee I haue in my life time séene many men and women that nature had indued with great beautie but by the gods I confesse it is all but painting in regard of that I haue found in him for hee is so faire and beautifull that the more I thinke thereon so much the more it maketh me cōceiue such beauty to be rather deuine thē humane That is much said the Quéene I know not said the gentlewoman what you meane by that word Much but I am wel assured if you had séene him as I did that you would say as much as I doe and it may be more Truly saied the Quéene before I enter in combat with him I will first sée him vnarmed and speak with him not as an enemie to an enemy but as friends commonly do one vnto the other Madame saied the Souldan séeing it is your desire it were good our Gentlewoman went againe vnto them to desire them to giue you leaue to come and visite them in their campe not to procure them any cause of enuy but to do them honour and for that cause to desire their safe conduct This counsell séemed good vnto the Quéene and without longer staying she sent the Gentlewoman backe againe vnto Amadis and Esplandian whom she found yet in the Tent whereas she left them With that she told them what her message was and the great desire the Quéene had to sée them before they entred into combat King Amadis could not refraine laughing to hear the Gentlewoman expresse the affection her mistresse had asking king Luisart what he thought therein Sonne saied hee deny not her request for I assure you since our comming hether I haue heard the Quéene to bée estéemed a wise and beautifull Princesse You heare our answere saied Amadis to the Gentlewoman let the Quéene come hether when she thinketh good for she shall be heartely welcome With that the Gentlewoman returned to the Quéene who being greatly pleased with that answere determined the next daye to goe vnto them But she knew not well what manner of apparell she were best to weare sometimes shee thought it fit to goe as she vsed when she went to bataile and then presently changed opinion thinking a womans apparrell would bee more séemely and conuenient séeing she went not to trie their forces but only to win the loue and fauour of Esplandian if she might procure the same And thinking on it all night long in the morning when she meant to apparrell her self she was resolued to dresse her as women vse to do thinking she had means inough afterward to shew her selfe in habite of a knight whereby shee might bee séene both in the one and the other sort Whervpon she caused her most precious robes to be brought vnto her and apparrelling her self forgot not any thing that might once beautifie or adorn her person or that in her opinion would deck her well the better to be liked And to bear her company she tooke twelue of her own gentlewomen so well furnished and set forth with stones and pearles that the like was neuer séene That done she sent vnto her ships for a most strange and monstrous beast wherevpon sometimes shee vsed to ride in great pomp It was as big as a great Dromadary the hair long somewhat yellow black spots his two eares hanging downe vnto his knées hauing but one eye shining brighter then a burning glasse and stood right in the midst of his forehead out of his mouth there issued two great téeth like hornes and although his
the launce that stucke within his forehead But the Quéene rose presently and with her sword in hand went towards Amadis the like did the Souldan to Esplandian that had suffered him to take breath and lace his helmet not for any good he wished him but that at the end of his carere hée espied the princes Leonorine standing on the walles of Constantinople whereat he was so abashed that euery man saide the Souldan had hurt him in the bodie Neuerthelesse within short space after they knew the contrarie for hée lighted on foote where betwéene them two was fought the most perillous combat that euer was séene for Rodrigue was as valiant a knight in armes as any in his time but Esplandian handled him in such manner that often times he made him cleane forget the subtilties that commonly he vsed in such affaires and in the end vsed him so hardly that it might euidently be séene the victorie would be his Meane time the Quéene vsed all her force to ouercome king Amadis who holding in his hand a great truncheon of a launce instead of a sword gaue her such a blowe on the crest of her helmet that hée made her eyes start within her head Wherewith shée being much offended spake vnto him and said What sir Knight doe you thinke me either to he a dogge or else a countrey clowne that you séeme to beat me with a staffe By my head before you escape out of my handes there is no armour you haue but will be néedfull for you to the safegard of your life Calafre said Amadis all my life time I haue béene a seruant vnto Ladies and if at this time I should begin with you to wish them ill the good that others haue receiued at my handes would be lesse estéemed You account mée then said the Quéene one of that number but you shall presently féele that I am something more with that shée tooke her sword in both handes and in great choller gaue him such a blow that shée claue his shield in two and thinking to double her stroke Amadis stepped vnto her and plucked hers from off her necke with such force that shée was constrained to knéele vpon the ground Neuerthelesse shée rose presently againe and thinking to be reuenged vsed all her force to charge Amadis who turning aside gaue her such a blowe with his truncheon hard by the eare and therewith made her so astonished that her sworde fell out of her hand wherewith he stepped forward and taking her by the helmet said vnto her Now you shall be my prisoner whether you will or not as well as the Souldan is prisoner to my sonne With that the Quéene looked aside and perceiued that Amadis said true wherefore shée said Truly I am your prisoner séeing fortune will haue it so and therewith Rodrigue and Esplandian came vnto them and they foure going out of the lists went vnto the Christians campe the Pagans that saw them ledde away in whome in a manner consisted most of their hope when the campes should ioyne in battaile made countenance to rescue them which caused the Christians to stand all day in order of battaile meane time they agréed among themselues to send the Souldan and the Quéene vnto Constantinople Gandalin hauing charge to bring them thither and present them to the Princesse Leonorine from Amadis and Esplandian who thanked them most heartily And before hée returned againe vnto the campe a souldier of Thrace that had dwelt in Tartaria aboue twentie yéere togither came and yéelded himselfe vnto the Christians and tolde King Perion and Luisart that their enemies determined the next day in the morning to surprise them before they were aware whereof they aduertised the Emperor of Constantinople to the end he might be readie There were in the citie fortie thousand men whereof he appointed thirtie thousand to issue forth vpon the enemies rereward as soone as they perceiued the battaile once begon and gaue likewise intelligence to King Childadan and Quedragant that his spies had brought him newes that Alphorax had vnfurnished his shippes of men to strengthen their armie on land trusting to the straights which they meane to kéepe hoping thereby to saile into the Maiorque seas if fortune fauour not their enterprise and there it would be good with the other Christian princes aduise that they should set vpon him and that Frandalo with his fléete should second them Which newes vnderstood by the two Generals of the armie by sea they sent vnto king Amadis and the rest of the Commaunders in the campe to knowe their aduise whereunto answer was returned that they should followe the opinion of the Emperour of Constantinople which they should execute vpon the next day in the morning wherevpon Frandalo ceased not all night to make and prepare diuers kindes of artificiall fires wherewith he made account to burne the most part of Alphorax ships which he did as hereafter you shall heare But to returne to king Armato and his forces About an houre before day according to their former determinations they began to march against the Christians thinking to find them sléeping and thereby to slay their watch before they should haue meanes to set themselues in order of battaile Neuerthelesse they found themselues deceiued for they were alreadie set in order of battaile standing close with great desire to receiue their enemie as they did the Emperour of Rome had the vantguard and with him king Luisart king Amadis king Perion Galaor and Esplandian the maine battaile Florestan Bruneo and Balan the rereguard On the Pagans side there marched first the Souldan of Alaxa thréescore knightes two Califfes and foure Tamorlanes that in great furie set vpon the Emperour of Rome and his battaile where at their first arriuall many a braue knight was stroken downe both on the one side and the other for Esplandian and the Christian princes being fayned togither gaue not one blowe but it was a deadly stroke yet at the first they were repulsed by the great quantitie of arrowes the enemies shot against them which flew in so great number that hailestones neuer fell thicker out of the skies wherby it fell out that both vantguard maine battaile and reregard indured much paine with that Norandel Talanque Manely Trion Landin Licoran Imosill Palomie Enil Ellan and to conclude all Esplandians companions with thirtie thousand men chosen by the Emperour issued out of the citie which small troupe resolutely determined did so abash the Pagans that in a manner they all lost their courages whereby they presently began to recule as farre backe as they aduanced themselues wherewith those that before had béen in feare tooke courage againe and turning their faces on the enemie recouered the ground that they had lost in such sort that with good cause they might well crie Victorie On the other side Quedragant and Childadan setting saile made towardes the straights at the entrie whereof Frandalo ouertooke them with fourescore vessels of all sorts and as they
had spoken togither touching their enterprise considering the great power of their enemies it was agréed that Frandalo that had prooued them at other times should first set vpon them wherwith he began to saile forwards and Alphorax likewise against him giuing a signe of battaile to his men who with great courage entred vpon ten of the best gallies that the Christians had and sunke them in the sea yet Frandalo nought abashed set fire on more than an hundred of their shippes before Childadan entred into fight but not long after hée and Quedragant came vnto them where good defence preuailed In which fight they continued for the space of eight houres without any signe vpon which side the victorie would fall vntill Quedragant borded Alphorax shippe and entred by force slaying all that were therein What néed I stand longer to discourse The Turkes séeing their captaine dead and their manifest ouerthrow before their faces being ready to fall into the Christians hands began to flie and by force of oares entred into the Maiorque sea but not all for there were taken burnt and drowned about two or thrée hundred Gallies Galleasses Fustes and Brigandines the rest saued themselues in such sort as you heard before to whom night was so much assistant that the chase endured not so long as els it would haue done Alphorax dead and his armie ouerthrowne the Christians assembled themselues togither staying to heare newes from their armie on land which in the meane time had had so much to endure that wonder it was how they could hold out and among the rest the good olde king Perion and Luisart séeing Esplandian raging like a lyon followed by the hunters would not leaue him fearing to loose him and so long they followed him striking both on the right side and the left that they found themselues inclosed by aboue a thousand Turkish horsemen not hauing any other aid by them than Grumedan the Duke of Bristowe Guilan Brandoyuas Nicoran of the siluer bridge Cendil de gonate and a few others Surely those eight or nine caused those that met them to buy full déerely their approch as not being the first danger wherein they had fallen neuerthelesse in the end being ouer wearie and sore trauailed with the blowes they had giuen and receiued they were cleane out of breath and the worst was their horses were slaine vnder them and they themselues so sore wounded that they were all slaine in the place only Esplandian that in a manner could scarse lift vp his armes when king Amadis his father with great number of Frenchmen found him there whereat the battaile begun fiercer than euer it had béene for Amadis and his company séeing the Kings dead and their companions lying on the ground and Esplandian fighting in the middle of them on foote they were in a manner mad and therwith made such slaughter that the Turks were forced to separate themselues and Esplandian horsed again and being on horsebacke notwithstanding all his woundes hee shewed well that his body was not weary for hee followed the enemies in such sort mooued with gréefe to sée his friends dead that in short space by the aide of his father and the rest that followed him hée forced the Sâ—uldan of Alaxa and his souldiers to turne their backes and flie and in his flight gaue him such a blowe with his sword vpon the head that hée strake him dead and more than an hundred Pagans with him Amadis like wise did so valiantly with all the Knightes of Fraunce great Brittaine and Swethland specially the King of Denmarke Talanque Manely Ambor and Norandel that woonder it was to sée yet had their valour little preuailed without the aide that the Emperor of Constantinople brought thither with a great troup of horsemen that the Emperour of Rome had likewise gathered togither by which meanes king Armato with thirtie other Kings and their retinue were cleane ouerthrowne and the most part of them put to the sword the Christian Knightes making such slaughter that the blood ranne about the field in such abundance as if it had rained blood a whole day togither and greater had the abundance béene if night had not come on which separated them the Westerne Princes remaining incamped in the field till day opened that they might accomplish their desires Meane time Amadis caused watch and Sentinels to be set in all places because hee had béen aduertised that King Armato that had fledde away assembled his men by little and little which to doe hée caused hornes and drummes to sound throughout the field making fire round about the place where hee had retired sending two knights to the sea side to know what had happened to his sonne but newes was brought him that he was slaine and all his shippes burnt and drowned except fiftie or thréescore that were at the end of the straights of the Maiorque sea staying to heare newes of him assure your selues that such newes pleased him not too well neuerthelesse perceiuing it more conuenient to supply his owne necessitie than to spend the time in sorrow and teares hée called such captaines as hée had togither with whome he determined presently to depart and before day to imbarke that small number of men that rested before the Christians should perceiue the same With that he commanded from place to place that euery man should presently retire and without noise make towards the sea where being arriued they entred into their shippes flying towards Tartaria in all the hast they could wherof the Emperor of Constantinople being aduertised sent Frandalo diuers gallies with him to follow them but all in vaine in the meane time the hurt Knightes and souldiers were brought into the citie and the dead buried each according to his degrée wherein the Emperour shewed great affection especially as touching the buriall of the Kings Perion and Luisart for whome Esplandian comming to the Empire and those that succéeded after him caused two Pyramides to be made not any thing inferiour to those which sometime were erected in the citie of Memphis as well for the Kings Miris Chemnis as others and hard by them they buried the bodies of the valiant knights Balan Helian Polimner Enil Grumedan the good olde man and diuers other knights that died in that battaile fighting in the defence of the faith of Iesus Christ with whome their blessed soules do now remaine in ioy And because no menâ—ion hath béen made of Quéene Calafre since her captiuitie neither of the aide that shée had brought vnto the Pagan kings it séemeth reason that I should declare the occasion why her women fought not with the rest you must vnderstand that the Quéene perceiuing her in one day to be taken not only with the loue of the knight Esplandian but by the force of his father King Amadis not long after she had béen in the company of the princes Leonorine to whome Gandalin brought her shée sent vnto her sister Lyote to will her with her
giuen vnto king Amadis hauing vanquished me by force which I certainely know to be wholly subiect to fortune but the imprisonment wherof 〈◊〉 complain is the wherin my hart hath inclosed it self hath the only mouing by the sole beauty fauor I haue found in the new most happy emperor estéeming my selfe to be such that I haued leauing my law to accept of yours to haue had him for my lord and husband although my hope by little and little began to deminish when I perceiued the Princes Leonorine to bee more recommended in all perfections then any that euer I heard of or euer haue séene so that speaking against my selfe it had béene impossible to finde a more equall match nor more conformable one vnto the other then the marriage of them together which maketh me beléeue that fortune extendeth wholy to eternise this my passion wherein I will if I can so much impeach her that forgetting my first affection and if it wil please him to giue me another husband worthy my estate I will accept it willingly together with baptisme and the law of Christ which you doe hold When the Emperour Esplandian saw her good pretence he began to comfort her in the best manner hee could and calling Talanque a faire lusty and wel disposed Gentleman hee saied vnto the Quéene Madame this Gentleman I offer vnto you is my cousin and son vnto King Galaor one of the best knights as I thinke liuing in the world I pray you at my request refuse him not for your lord and husband assuring you that I knowe no Princesse how great soeuer she be liuing in the world but might content her selfe with him The Quéene beheld him with so good affection that shee easily beléeued Esplandian and saied vnto him Vpon your word my lord I wil accept of him and from this time forward yéeld my selfe to bée his wife and will for his sake doe so much that the Island wherin I and others my predecessors would not suffer a man to liue shal from henceforth be gouerned by him as other countries are by their Kings and Princes And because her sister Liâ—â—e was not at that assembly but with her ships lying in the straights as Quéen Calafre had commaunded her as you heard before shee desired the Emperour to send for her who presently sent the admirall Tartarie to fetch her she being come and hauing heard her sisters mind easily agréed thereto and by the same meanes was married to Manely the wise both espoused at one time and being baptised caused all their armie to do the like which done not long after those newe married couples taking their leaues of the Kings Princes Lords Ladies and Gentlewomen of the Court they imbarked themselues Manely hauing with him the vessels wherein Childadan his father arriued in the east and Talanque those of king Galaor which they caused to bee sraighted laden with all things necessary for so strange a country And setting saile for Californie not without great trouble which in the end they ouercame they arriued in safety where afterward they had many battels with their neighbors bordering about them whom they ouercame augmenting their dominions with many great lands territories But because the subiect of our history is not further to intreat of them we will for this present leaue theÌ„ to goe on with that which afterward was done in the city of Constantinople You heard before of the loue of Norandel and quéen Minoresse that daily increased in theÌ„ more more which the Empresse knowing ful well caused them to be married together the emperor giuing to Norandel the castle La montaigne defendu with the townes of Alfarin Galatia for the which he recompenced Frandalo with the rich fertile and well peopled isle's of Galatines Mean time the Emperor Esplandian not forgetting the imprisonment of Vrganda one day among the rest not long before the princes of the West imbarked theÌ„selues to return into their countries hee shewed theÌ„ in what sort Melie had taken her away by inchantment caried her to the great citty of Tesifant where she held her prisoner in a great tower desiring them most earnestly to giue him counsel what he might do therin Son said king Amadis it were good you sent vnto Armato to offer him for her the souldan of Liquie that is your prisoner if he refuse you so to doe we will enter into his country and fetch her thence by force Wherevnto they all agréed so that without longer delay Carmelle was sent to Tesifant imbarking her self with four squires thrée gentlewomeÌ„ with a good wind arriued at the castle La montaigne defendu where she remained certain daies staying for king Armatos pasport which by one of her womeÌ„ she sent to fetch who fouâ—â— Armato as melancholy as might be féeling as yet his fortune past specially the death of his son Alphorax which without ceasing he coÌ„tinually lamented With that the gentlewoman gaue him to vnderstand the cause of her arriual wherwith he was so wel pleased that presently hee caused Carmelles safe conduct to bee made and giuing it to the messenger said vnto her My friend returne vnto your mistresse and assure her from mee that shée may come vnto my court as often as it pleaseth her remembring well the pleasures she shewed vnto me during my imprisonment The gentlewomaÌ„ thanked him most hartily and returned to Carmelle who within few daies after went to Tesifant to Armato where shee declared at large the effect of her embassage which heard by king Armato and considring with himself that for Vrganda hée might recouer one of his greatest friends therby cause the Christian Princes for a time to refrain the ouerrunning of his country sent presently for Melie desiring her in all affection for his sake to grant to his desire the pleasure of the Christians considring the offer made by theÌ„ was both aduantage vnto him his Melie desirous to please Armato brake her inchantments without delay Vrganda was deliuered vnto Carmelle vpon condition that shee being arriued in the city of Constantinople should likewise set the Souldan of Liquie at liberty which she swore and promised to do which done taking their leaue of Armato they trauelled so long that they came vnto the castle La montaigne defendu where Vrganda caused theÌ„ to leaue Carmelles ship to enter into the great serpent that as yet she found there which presently of it selfe began to saile as it had alwaies done before Vrganda was in prison in such manner that without impeachment they arriued in the Hauen of Constantinople where the Princes and lords being on shoare descended to the water side to receiue Vrganda And thinking to bring her to the pallace she desired the to stay there til a prophesie were accoÌ„plished that should be done before the sun went down which they agréed vnto not onely to please her mind but likewise desiring to sée what it should be
With that they were abashed that the great serpent began to leape and labour in the water as if it had ben in the greatest storm that euer was although the sea was very calme but only about the serpent where it raged in most horrible maner but that which most abashed the beholders was that the vessell cast forth such horrible cries that not one among them but his haire stood vpright vpon his head for fear And hauing continued in that maner about 〈…〉 more the serpent thrust his head into the water wherewith it sunk and neuer was séen again And with that they perceiued a farre off a great rock which being driuen by the waues came within half a bow shot néer vnto the shore on the top whereof stood a woman bareheaded and couered only with a linnen cloth to hide her priuities being inuironned by more then a thousand serpents as wel great as small which stung her in such sort that she wept and lamented in most pittiful maner wherat the knights of great Brittaine had so much coÌ„passion that they thought to enter into the ships and go to help her which Vrganda forbad them For said she besides the dangers that may happeÌ„ vnto you you shal lose your labors because she whom you behold which is the inchauntresse lady hath ordained it to be so With that the rocke sunk into the water and the gentlewoman vanished out of sight but not long after she appeared again vpon the waues flying from the fury of a monster of the sea that with his throat opeÌ„ followed after ready to deuour her in such manner that she came right vnto the hauen crying with a loud voire vnto Esplandian Gentle Emperor I pray you help me for none but you can do it wherewith Esplandian stepped forward holding the sword hee conquered in the old pallace of the inchaunted rock in his hand ran vnto her thinking to go néere the monster the gentlewoman that fled from it caught hold of his sword whether he would or not took it away wherwith she threw her self into the sea the monster after her Whereat euery man began to laugh saying to the emperor that if a gentlewoman had predestinated the same vnto him kept it long time another gentlewoman or she her selfe vpon a suddaine had taken it from him againe With that Vrganda was led vnto the pallace accompanied by the emperor with all the kings knights where not long after the Souldan of Liquie was deliuered sent to Tesifant about the beginning of the next wéek after the westerne princes took shipping and being imbarked with Vrganda recommending the emperor to God failed forwards till at the last euery man arriued at his desired hauen namely king Amadis that found Oriane very sad for the death of her mother newly deceased which much more increased wheÌ„ she knew hir father king Luisart was dead But in the end time made hir to forget her sorrow but not so soon as Amadis could haue wished CHAP. LV. How the Emperour Esplandian sent Norandel to take possession of the country he had giuen him and of the taking of Tesifant NOt long after the westerne princes were departed into their countries the emperor Esplandian would that Norandel should goe vnto the castle La montaigne defendu and other towns that he had giuen him to make warre against king Armato for which cause he gaue him a great number of soldiors with the which to make short he assailed the king of Turky had battell together wherein many a valiant knight lost their liues neuerthelesse the victory fell on Norandels side wherby he caused Armato to flie away retiring to his city of Tesifant which being known vnto the Emperour he departed from Constantinople with a great army going into Turkie ioyned with Norandels power and besieged Tesifant but feare seased so wel vpon Armato that he found means to flie away leaue the town which not long after was taken the princesse Heliaxe brought vnto the emperor who vsed her courteously and sent her againe vnto her father Ampheon king of Medea giuing her diuers rich presents News being spred throughout the country of Turky of the flight of king Armato as also of the taking of Tesifant diuers towns and citties yéelded to Esplandian that gaue them likewise to Norandel and because winter came on hee returned into Thrace where two of his nephewes sonnes of Galaor came to visite him and to receiue the order of knighthood which he gaue vnto them with both armor and horses minding to request them to trauell to Tesifant vnto Norandel thereto begin their first entrance into arms but they desired rather to take the way to Californie where Mâ—â—â— and Taâ—anque had great war against their neighbors which the emperor perceiuing caused al things necessary for so long a voiage to bee giuen them with so good Piloteâ— that in the end they arriued at their desired Hauen where they attained to great honor and estimation among their â—panâ— But 〈◊〉 to enter further to discouâ—â— of them 〈…〉 this present let them rest And let it suffice you to knowe how that as time passed Perion succéeded in his fathers feat and Garinter married in the east parts with Heletria quéen of Citharee and was the best knight in all the world And because it is declared at large in the sixt and seuenth bookes of this our historye we will passe it ouer at this time CHAP. LVI How Vrganda sent to desire king Amadis the Emperor Esplandian Don Galaor king of Sobradise and others to come vnto the Firm Isle and of the maruellous inchauntments that she made ouer theÌ„ VRganda being in her Isle not as yet discouered taking great pleasure to read Melies bookes knewe by her art death to be néere vnto the kings and princes whom she most loued and hauing great sorrow that worms should consume the flesh of so valiant king hes deuised to preuent the same which to do she took sea accompanied of her two cousins Iuliande and Solisee with diuers other gentlewomen and went vnto the Firme Isle where being arriued she sent to the emperor Esplandian Amadis Galaor Florestan Agraies and Gransador praying them most earnestly to come vnto her to the pallace of Apolidon for matter that touched theÌ„ most néer otherwise she sent theÌ„ word if they did it not that before long time past euil would happeÌ„ vnto theÌ„ and the master Elizabeth should bring with him the book that he made of the aduentures of the knights liuing in his time as also that they should bring their wiues with Ardan the dwarf Carmelle Gandalin the Gentlewoman of Denmarke Those princes hauing vnderstood Vrgandas mind failed not therin so that about the same time she willed theÌ„ to come they all arriued there where Vrganda receiued them not with a smiling counâ—â—nance as â—â—er vsed ordinary to doe but with teares in her eies whereat they being much abashed desired her
to shew the cause thereof which at the first she could not doe her heart was so full of gréete Neuerthelesse in the 〈◊〉 shee tooâ—◠〈◊〉 againe and saied vnto them My good friends 〈…〉 of almighty God al things haue 〈…〉 teÌ„poral things should passe away by death haue an end according to the qualities of his creatures Which diuers great persons considering with themselues haue trauailed during their liues in many sorts after their deaths to leaue some memorie of them not minding to bury their renowme togither with their bodies Now I know for certaine that the end of your daies is néere wherefore it is most requisite that you bée constant and shew your selues to be the same you were at the beginning Neuerthelesse before that death shall seaze vpon you I will shew the loue that I haue alwaies borne vnto you and with the helpe of God will doe so much that without death you shall remaine asléepe vntill the time that one descended of your race shall deliuer you froÌ„ thence and after that shall bée in as good case and raigne againe within your countries as you did before otherwise assure your selues that before sixe moneths do come vnto an end not one of you shall be aliue but all buried in the earth Wherefore let euery man shew me his opinion and for the rest said shee let me prouide Surely that spéech and newes of death was so harde for them to endure that not one of them but changed colour their hearts béeing seazed with an extreme sorow And as they beheld ech other king Amadis séeming least astonished answered vnto Vrganda and said Madame we know for certaine that not one of vs nor any other liuing creature can perfectly knowe what is necessarie for vs but only you alone wherefore doe with vs as you thinke good and wée will all obey you that is sufficient said Vrganda therefore let euery man put on his armour in the same maner hée vseth when hée goeth to the fielde and each man hold his sword naked in his hand that done she caused them to goe into the forbidden chamber setting them in their roiall seates with all their wiues by them which done Vrgandas two cousens Iuliande and Solisde in two basons of gold brought a certaine composition wherewith shée desired them to wash their faces which they did Whereby it happened that on a suddaine Beautie which Age and Time had decaied in them began againe to appeare within their faces in as great perfection aâ— euen it had done which aduenture pleaseâ— the Ladies so â—â—ll that they began to behold ech other and their husbands thereat to be much abashed Then Vrganda called master Elizabeth taking him by the hand led him into the next chamber where she caused him to sit downe putting the booke that he had brought into her hands she made signes to Gandalin and the gentlewoman of Denmark that they should follow her and passing through the Arke of faithfull louers they entred into the garden where the images of Apolidon and Grimanaise were placed ouer the which she set them and Ardan the dwarfe hard by them wherwith she said vnto them My friends the true and faithfull louers haue béen worthy to sée these images before the Arke sometime inchanted so you deserue this place for the faith and true and affection that you haue alwaies borne to your masters Wherefore vpon your liues sée you depart not hence whatsoeuer you shall heare or sée that done she went vnto the chamber where shée left the Emperour and taking Carmelle by the hand before them all she said vnto her Carmelle you were but of meane parentage but the vertue and great curtesie of your heart hath so much inabled you that you shall bée placed at the Emperors féet to fulfill the promise made vnto him which was neuer to forsake him while you liued With that she spake vnto king Amadis and all the other princes praying them not to flie till shée returned againe and going vp into one of the towers of the pallace shée tooke with her the best of Medeas bookes which Melie had that sometime belonged to the Enchantresse lady and being in the tower shée vncouered her head with that she began to read certaine coniuâ—â—ations and looking into all the foure quarters of the earth making signes and tokens with her fingers her face became so redde â—hat it séemed fire had issued out of her eyes Whereupon there â—appened such an earthquake so great tempests of lightning and â—hunder as though the Elements had fought togither This tempest continuing for the space of thrée quarters of an houre those whome she had caused to sit downe as you heard before remained in a trance without all knowledge as if they had béene dead and with that there appeared a cloud so obscure and thicke which inuironed the place that neuer after it could be séen till Luisart of Gréece sonne to Esplandian brought that enchantment to an end by meanes of a sword which he conquered as it shall be declared to you in the sixt Booke wherein is described one of the most pleasant and delectable histories that euer was read At which time all the Princes and the rest were reuiued againe and not before The Emperor Esplandian at that time had a sonne after his grandfathers name called Luisart as then about the age of eight yéeres King Amadis a sonne and a daughter the sonne named Perion and the daughter Brisene that married the eldest sonne of the Emperour of Rome King Galaor two sonnes the one named Perion the other Garinter of whome I haue shewed you before Florestan the King of Sardaigne two sonnes the one named Florestan after his father that raigned after him and the other Palmindan of Almaine after his grandfather Agrayes Earle of Salandrie two sonnes the one called Languines the other Galmenes King Bruneau one sonne named Vallade and a daughter named Helisenne that married Quedragants sonne and bare his fathers name King Childadan two sonnes the eldest called Abies of Ireland after his grandfather whome Amadis slewe the first day hée entred into Knighthood And although these princes left such heires as you heard before yet would they not during their fathers absence take on them the names or titles of Kings hoping by Gods helpe that they should once returne as well as euer they were For the which cause they hauing â—â—â—tained to the age and strength to bear armes passed 〈◊〉 â—reland there to bée made knights by King Childâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 very weake and withered with age 〈…〉 followed strange aduentures doing many 〈…〉 feates of armes which are at large declared in the bookes that followe which in time may come vnto your handes when it pleaseth God FINIS