After the capture of the wicked enchantress Acrasia, Prince Arthur and
Sir Guyon travelled long and far together in all sorts of dangerous
places. They met with many perilous adventures, which won them great
glory and honour, for their aim was always to relieve the weak and
oppressed, and to recover right for those who had suffered wrong.
At last one day, as they rode across an open plain, they saw a Knight
spurring towards them. An aged squire rode beside him, and on the
Knight’s shield was emblazoned a lion on a golden field.
When they saw him, Sir Guyon begged Prince Arthur to let him be the one
to face the attack, and the Prince agreeing, Guyon levelled his spear
and galloped towards the Knight. They met with such fury that the
stranger reeled in his saddle, and Guyon himself, before he was aware,
was hurled from his horse.
His fall filled him with shame and sorrow, for never yet since he bore
arms had such a disgrace happened to him. He need not, however, have
been so grieved, for it was no fault of his own that he was dismounted.
The spear that brought him to the ground was enchanted, and no one could
resist it.
But Guyon would have felt far more sorry and ashamed had he known that
the Knight who overthrew him was in reality a maiden. The stranger was
no other than the famous Princess Britomart, daughter of Ryence, King of
South Wales. She was roaming the world in search of Artegall, the
champion Knight of Justice, whose image she had once beheld in a magic
mirror given by the magician Merlin to her father. So grand and noble
was the image of this splendid Knight that Britomart felt she could
never rest until she had seen him in reality. She dressed herself in the
armour of a knight, and her old nurse, Glaucé, disguised herself as her
squire, and together the two left the court of King Ryence and wandered
through the world in search of Sir Artegall.
[Illustration:
“=But Guyon selfe, ere well he was aware,
High a speares length behind his crouper fell.=”
]
Sir Guyon, full of anger at his fall, and eager to revenge himself, rose
hastily, drew his sword, and rushed at the foe; but his attendant, the
Black Palmer, who had been his faithful companion and guide in all his
former adventures, implored his master not to run into fresh danger. By
his great wisdom he could tell that Britomart’s spear was enchanted, and
that no mortal power could withstand it.
Prince Arthur joined his entreaties to the Palmer’s, and they both spoke
so wisely that Guyon’s anger melted away. Britomart and he became
reconciled, and swore a firm friendship. In those days, when knights
fought together, it was often not at all in malice, but only to test
their strength and manliness. The one who conquered won much renown, but
the vanquished felt no spite nor envy. It is a great thing to be able to
lose with a good grace, without becoming sulky and disagreeable. Later
ages might do well in this respect to learn a lesson from the days of
chivalry.
So Britomart, Prince Arthur, and Sir Guyon then travelled on together in
the most friendly fashion, seeking further adventures. For some time
nothing happened, but at length they came to a wide forest, which seemed
very horrible and dreary. They rode a long way through this, but found
no track of living creature, except bears, and lions, and bulls, which
roamed all around. Suddenly, out of the thickest part of the wood,
something rushed past them.