know it we shall easily knowe it by force of armes but seeing he hath promised me a boon this shall be it sayde hee turning to don Bellianis that you all take off your helmes and that we may knowe your names Don Belliani stood somewhat pensiue not knowing what to answere yet thinking that the longer he kept silence they wold the more suspect he at last thus replyed Truly excellent Lord you haue demanded me a thing that by my wil I neuer would discouer but séeing I can do no lesse there is no reason I shuld deny it therfore wil declare it with license of this my coÌ„panie We wil allow whatsoeuer you shal do sayd they The princesse Aurora was at this time in great feare least they shuld be knowne thinking y t don Gallaneo had séen them in the castle when don Brianell was caried thither but they deceiued themselues for he had not séen theÌ„ but armed when he was there taken Don Bellianis replying the Soldane said You shall know my good Lorde I am called the knight of the golden Image because I beare it on my sheeld and I assure you at this present I haue no other name neither may I haue it till I be commanded the contrarie This my companion poynting to don Brianell is nominated the venturous knight and this other is the Prince Arfileo if euer you heard him named before Prince and sole heire of the kingdom of Rasia This Ladie whome wee accompanie is the King of Carcasias Daughter with whome through a certaine aduenture we were al going to the king her fathers Court. This is almost noble Lord what in this case I can declare protesting by the fayth of a Knight I may not more discouer for I my selfe doo not knowe it You haue doone with me replyed the Soldane although I desired larger information and séeing there remaines no more to doo I pray you vnlace your hâ—lmes that my desire may further bee satisfied Arfileo and Don Bryanell straight way obeyed being verie glad to heare how well don Bellianis had answered which done they all highly commended theÌ„ for their braue disposition The Princesse Aurora till that time being sorowfull not knowing what replie don Bellianis would make with great ioy stepped vnto him vnlaced his helme whose fayre complection with the gallant constitution of his well knit members and strength of body was highly admired hauing his haire like thréed of massie gold disheueled hanging on his shoulders The sight of this his rare fauor with his haughtie exployts in armes made them amazedly think him the ofspring of the mighty god of war iudging it impossible that any mortall creature should possesse two such extreams wherin he surpassed al within y e compasse of the earth He was of stature higher theÌ„ any knight in that time his hands long and finowy betokening his excessiue strength his shoulders big and large whose breadth might mainely beare the puissant burthen of olde Atlas forces His face whiter then the purest Alabaster commixt with the Roseate colour of a naturall red Therein was placed his eagle-penetrating instruments of sight as bright as the resplendant rayes of the meridiall sunne and to conclude there was none afflicted with blacke heart oppressing melancholie but in examining his perfections would on a sodaine banish that enemie to quiet pleasure He had moreouer a certaine maner of milde grauitie that with it he drew vnto him the loue of the admirers for it being with anger moued there could be no countenance more sterne then his yet he so refrained himself by forcing it from him that straight he would expell it He was a great maintainer and louer of iustice that if any did committe a fault or erred he himselfe would sée him punished None in his time could equall him in forces His spéech was rare but wise and neuer spake but premeditated vpon occasion When y e Soldane sawe such accomplished perfections compleate vallor in one knight hee again imbraced him conceiuing so great pleasure y t had not the marriage of his daughter bin so forward he would willingly without further knowledge what he was giuen hir him for his wife at last he brake their sileÌ„ce with these words Most glorious knight I impute it no fault in you in being so vnwilling to discouer vnto vs your rare parts which only to y e high immortall gods as things altogither proper and appertaining to theÌ„selues doo belong to whom I render recountlesse thanks that in my time they haue vouchsafed to send so great a wonder among vs in this our age At the time that Don Bellianis wold haue kissed his hands which he not consented arriued the Princesse Persiana with Don Gallaneo leading with them the Princesse Aurora Whereupon the Souldane and the Knight mounted on theyr horses and the Ladies on theyr Palfrayes and don Bellianis hauing his woundes first dressed by the Damsels who also did the like to the knights of the bridge they tooke their way towards Persepolis The Dukes traine was excéeding merrie to haue in their company so famous knights for those tryumphes don Bryanell that was called the aduenturous Knight stepped to the beautious Persiana and as one that in courtly courtesie and pleasant discourses was inferiour to none said vnto her Séeing faire Princesse my name is not opposite against any fauour I may receiue I beséech you make me thereby assured firme against all changes of al reuoluing chance in signe whereof grace me by your graunt with the leading of your palfray by the raynes whereby I may with the fruition of your diuine companie inioy all that I may desire which is to rest sole yours for euer since yonder knight meaning don Gallaneo hath taken on him my office with the Princesse my Lady This he said because don Gallaneo did lead the Princesse Auroraes palfraye which though she suffered was to dissemble that she knew him not rather desiring his death then at his hands any such fauour The like wish wished the Duke Alfyron The Princesse Persiana no lesse gallant in talke then rarenesse of beautie replyed I would not sir Knight that about your seruice the Princesse your Lady and I should â—arre but séeing she doth accept a stranger for her seruitor she shall receiue the guerdon of her change and therewith she gaue him the raines which he gladly tooke to whome the Princesse Aurora saide I know not sir aduenturous knight wherein I haue so much discontented you that you should so soone drowne mee in obliuion but if it were in commaunding you to prooue the aduenture of the bridge henceforth will I be more considerate and so you shall be lesse greeued yet notwithstanding all thinges haue so well befallen you that you haue no cause of gréeuance True said he if the Prince Arfileo had not got more by that proofe then I. What haue I obtained more demanded Arfileo The commaundement of my Lady the Princesse saide he besides the horse you haue vnder
did it against lawe and iustice which béeing so hee would reuisit him against his will since hee would not obserue them the conditions of the Combatte and therefore hee shoulde prepare to entertaine him which indeede was so for they determined to bee reuenged at full vppon the Souldane who was guarded in his Pallace with more then tenne thousand Armed men to preuent all occasions of conspyracies against him The Kings of Armenia and Tessifinty spake with him and intreating him not to breake his promise which they in his behalfe had made vnto the Duke But he would not heare them Whereuppon they went to the Dukes Pallace to visit the wounded knights where among them they layde the plot and manner howe to frée the Duke as hereafter shall be showen which cost many liues with losse of infinit blood CHAP. XXVI What befell the Knight of the Golden Image and Don Contumeliano who beeing at the poynt of death was succoure with the aduenture of the Desperation of loue DOn Bellianis hauing left his companions in field tooke the next way to the place â—om whence that morning he came going out of the Cittie gate at such time that the darkenesse through absence of the cleare light and daye-resplending sunne ouerspread the face of the earth giuing place vnto the watery brightnesse of Dianaes beames whose pale riflect increased the paine of Don Bellianis déepe starres as also with one memorating the excellencye and diuine beautie of his alâ—uâ— all others fayre mistresse the princesse Florisbella whose remembrance made him forget Don CoÌ„tumeliano that followed him a litle after and béeing come to the wood and seeing him come towards him stayed to talke togither The Prince don Contumeliano comming to him said Whither doo you meane to go Sir Knight so sore wounded leauing the Cittie where you might be cured I haue no neede answered the knight of any other thing but your sight most excellent Prince to heale me The Prince woondred at these words and thought by this and by what he saw him do in the pallace calling himselfe by his name that he so was counselled to do by his Lady the Damzell to whome he lent his armour but very courteously thanking him for his kinde speeches thus said I cannot expresse the great desire I haue to know whom you are therby to see the end of the aduenture which happened to me since yesterday at this time which by the immortall gods I protest I cannot comprehend And tell me what is become of a most fayre Lady to whom the last night I deliuered those Armes whnse most déere sight I onely wish nowe to see Followe mee most excellent Lorde replied Don Bellianis and I will conduct you where you desire and so they went through those trées till they came to the Caue where Don Bellianis had left the Garments and there both alighting on foote hee went thereto amazing Don Contumeliano what should be the ende of it and finding the robes shewing them to him said Knowe you Syr these He looking on them aunswered he did hauing ingrauen in his heart all the tokens of his mistresse and that shee did weare them that deserued the rule of all the world and therefore tell me the rest for the more I looke on them the more I meruaile Take of my Helme saide don Bellianis while the Damzell comes The Prince Don Contumeliano did so and gazing on his face was straight strooken into such a traunce and rested so amazed that hee knewe not what to faye and hadde not Don Bellianis cast his Armes about his necke hee hadde presentlye fallen downe to the grounde notwithstanding hee was in such case that the Prince was faine to sit downe and take the knightes head on his knees whyle y e Page went to seeke for water out of a spring or fountaine to cast in his face But before he returned Don Contumeliano a little recouered his loste sences and with a déâ—re sigh séeming to send his soule after complayned in this manner Ay mâ—e vnfortunate and disgraced Don Contumelian vnhappy was the day thou determinedst to see Persepolis seeing such great disasters lay hidden in these hearbes to insnare thee Oh deceite to driue mée from deceite how haste thou manifestly shewed me the small interest I haue in the large dominions of sole conquering Loue beeing intangled in the deceitfull snares of a Ladies garment Ay mâ—e how many yéeres haue I shunned habitable citties now to come and dye in this desarte wood Oh renowned knight the best that euer buckled armour how litle do I now estéeme your immortall victories since you had the hart to captiuate me with so cunning a slight hauing committed no fault nor cause nor giuen any occasion to mooue you thereto vnlesse my starre-â—rost hap procures my vntunely fatall end For if you néeded my armour why should you seeke such meanes to require that of me which I neuer could deny any being thereunto bound by the order I maintaine vnlesse you desired the desolation of my vnluckie life Which hee no sooner ended but sounded againe in such manner that no remedie that Don Bellianis vsed could recouer him nor yet his Page that was returned which traunce was so vehement that they iudged him dead which in deede he was not farre from being oppressed with so extreame an euill that hee lay hopelesse his heart panting with in his body with his vytall spirits stopt that he could neither speake nor breath that with the intollerable paine and agony thereof hee laye groning and tumbling expecting the last minute as those that for want of their naturall heate and moysture without other disease dye Which so gréeued the greeued Prince Don Bellianis that the teares ranne downe the eyes of y â— herroicke knight like streames of flowing waters in such aboundance as if his owne deare Ladie were in that case and truly there could bee no danger so great which that Prince would not attempt then for the safety of that good knight Don Contumelian rather then to sée him so languish in that extremitie Thus lay they a good whyle iudging him altogether dead and Don Bellianis through gréefe and losse of infinit blood so faint that hee could not almost sturre Where there comming towards them from among those trées a beaste the vglyest and deformedst that euer they saw or in the world might be found This beast was so horrible in sight casting fyer out of her mouth that for feare of her Gontumelianos Page fell downe almost dead Don Bellianis as well as he could rose from the ground which hee could scant doe taking the Curtleaxe in his hand which hee got of the King of Cyprus his brother and awayted her comming whose furious passage making against him was so vehement that she tumbled downe all the trées in her way and being nigh him straight vanished leauing in her place a huge white Piller with a letter theron incompassed about with much fire Don Bellianis amazed at what hee sawe stepped to
reason of his good armour yet through diuers places there issued infinit blood But his aduersaries eager of reuenge procured nought but his death in so much that they would often close their eies and fall vppon him because they would not see his strokes and had not he leapt sometimes héere and sometimes there some one would haue got him faste which if they did hée greatly hazarded his life Yet could hee not so defend himselfe but that at last some 50. of them despising death fel vpon him together laying fast holde on his armes wherin it behooued him to vse his strength onely to get from them kicking and spurning with his féete that in the ende hée fell downe with aboue halfe of them vppon him and seeing himselfe in such daunger hauing there receiued aboue tenne woundes suddenly stept away rysing on his féete on the other side bestowing deablie woundes on all sides that heere arose such greate and mightie clamours and outcries that the rest of the battell was nothing to this fight incouraging one another onely to kill that Knight on whose death depended their victorie In this season arriued here the Prince of Phenicia with his company that came in pursuit of those that fledde and hearing there that great noyse so brauely set vpon them that they vnhorsed aboue 2000. Knights with which fury this Prince prest through them till he came where the Knight of the golden Image was whom he knew though he neuer sawe him by the deuise of his shield and séeing him do such wonders said to himselfe that not without cause he enioyed the name and deserued to be called the sole-worthie of admyred Chiualrie and being about to alight to giue his Horse vnto Don Bellianis the mightie Boraldo came thither to succour his men that here lost their gotten vantage which they did not on the otherside because he valiantly had withstood the force of the Princes Don Brianell and Arfileo And espying that Knight straight know him by his Armour thinking him to be he that had slaine the King of Cyprus and fearing his force durst not like a good Knight confront him face to face supposing that in a battell any thing was tollerable raised himself on his stirropes and with his hand behinde his backe gaue his so huge a blow that it made him bend his head lower then his Horses eares Which Don Bellianis perceiuing hauing knowne y e Prince and thinking he would haue fallen from his Horse ranne to helpe him But the Prince Don Contumelian losing no whit of his high valour at such blowes returned vpon him with his sword hoysted aloft determining at that blow to part his head in two The other with like intent came also vpon him and at one instant discharged their rage on each other that Contumeliano was like to fall But Boraldo lost his sences The Prince seconded another that therewith he tumbled from his Horse and alighting to cut off his head vnlaced his Helme and found it in such case that he iudging him dead let him lye though it had bene better for him there to haue made him sure then for his after harme to giue him his life as this Historie discourseth And going to the Knight of the golden Image with great courtesie thus saide Mount vpon this my Horse most hautie Knight vsurper of anothers heart and follow the victorie ordeined by the Gods to all your happie and glorious acts The Knight of the golden Image replied Leaue not your Horse forme high and renowmed Prince for though I in this battell doe miscarry there is nothing lost in respect of your royall person how much the more that this knights horse whom you haue slaine suffiseth me And so mounting on Beraldos horse the Phenician Prince did the like vpon his owne togither so ouerturned the fury of the fight that through want of an infinit number of the Soldans men his Captains began to yeeld the field Which their aduersaries séeing so hotely renewed their decaying forces that their enemies were constrained to saue their liues by giuing the rained libertie to their horses in which flight being brauely pursued there was an innumerable number slaine that after the fight it was found ethat of the Souldans men were slaine aboue 25. thousand With not aboue two thousand losse on the Dukes behalfe Which good successe being by those Kings and Princes woorthily attained euery one with immortal praises thanked him to whom their deuotion was most being in that whole Campe but onely thrée Christian Knights This done they went to meete the Princesses that were comming to them Betwéene whome their courteous gréetings and kinde salutes were such as if they neuer before had seene one another Euerie one greatly honoured the Princesse Contumeliano some for his aide in that great daunger newly past the others that knew no otherwise not only for the same thanked him but also for the ouerthrow he had giuen the fearefull Feliston King of Cyprus At which time arriued the Duke Alfiron who séeing the Phenician Prince would haue alighted being sorely wounded but he would by no meanes suffer it Giue me your royall white handes most excellent Prince that I may kisse them said the Duke in token that I twise haue receiued my despised life by your meanes Don Contumelian séeing the Dukes error would not longer séeme to robbe the glorie from the Uictor by ioying in anothers honour contenting himselfe with that he had wonne in that battell and the obtaining of such friends replied I will not Magnanimious Duke and you heroike Knights suffer your errour no farther to procéed nor longer vsurpe the honour of so high a victorie from him that vindeth all wandring Knightes in the orbed earth to his furie and seeing there is now no daunger in discouering it knowe great Lords that he which hath wonne the immortall glorie of the victory is your friend and Lord of vs all the neuer inogh praised the Knight of the golden Image to whom by a strange aduenture I lent my Armour wherewith he vndertooke the fight wherein befell all that you sawe and dylated the manner how he found him and in what habit concealing nothing but what hapned after the fight Which heard of the Duke Kings Princes and the Knights there present they highly wondred at his discourse whereto the Duke thus said Now am I not renowmed Prince so much indebted as I thought for hauing giuen all my selfe vnto the Knight of the golden Image he doeth in taking care for my matters busie himselfe in his owne wherby my dutie can be no greater then it was before You haue nothing so much cause saide Don Brianell to thanke him for what he did in that battell hauing therein as great a part as your selfe or else had he not bene there present very ill should we haue defended his honour Wherevppon they newly imbraced Don Bellianis saying he had not done well in not disclosing himselfe to them that they mought with more confidence haue vsed their