The fickle and quarrelsome couple, Blandamour and Paridell, having been
defeated by Britomart and Sir Scudamour, next fell in with a party of
two knights and two masked ladies. They sent their squire to find out
who these were, and he brought back word that they were two doughty
knights of dreaded name, Cambell and Triamond, and the two ladies were
their wives, Cambina and Candace. All four were very famous people, and
the dearest friends possible. They had had many wonderful adventures of
their own, about which perhaps you will read some day.
Blandamour, in his usual vainglorious spirit, would gladly have tested
his strength against the knights, but he was still sore from the late
unlucky fight with Britomart. However, he went up to them, and began to
abuse and insult them, thinking in this way to win admiration from the
ladies. Of course this enraged the two knights, who were both bent on
punishing Blandamour for his base behaviour. But Cambina, wife of
Cambell, soothed them with her mild words, so, for the present, they
were reconciled.
The whole party rode on together, talking of daring deeds and strange
adventures, and, among other things, of the great tournament to which
they were then all bound.
This tournament had been set on foot by Sir Satyrane, the same woodland
knight who had formerly befriended Una, and who had met Britomart at the
castle of the churl Malbecco. Some time before, ranging abroad in search
of adventure, he had come to the sea-coast, where he was horrified to
find a vile monster, something like a hyena, feeding on the dead body of
a milk-white palfrey. He knew the horse at once as the one on which
Florimell was accustomed to ride, and, moreover, he found beside it her
golden girdle. This girdle had fallen from her in flight, for Florimell
had escaped in a small boat; but Sir Satyrane did not know this—he
thought she had been killed by the savage brute. Filled with fury, he
fell on the creature. He was unable to slay it, for it was protected by
the magic spells of its mistress, a wicked witch; but he led it away
captive for the time, though it afterwards escaped.
The golden girdle which Sir Satyrane found he kept as a sacred treasure,
and wore for the sake of Florimell. But when she herself was lost and
gone, many knights who also loved her dearly were jealous that Sir
Satyrane alone should wear the ornament of the lost lady, and began to
bear much spite against him. Therefore, to stop their envy, he caused a
solemn feast, with public tourneying, to be proclaimed, to which every
knight was to bring his lady. She who was found fairest of them all was
to have the golden girdle as a reward, and she was to bestow it on the
stoutest knight.
[Illustration:
“=He sett upon her Palfrey, tired lame,
And slew him cruelly ere any reskew came.=”
]
Now it happened after the flight of Florimell, that the wicked witch
from whom she had escaped made up another person to represent her, in
order to deceive people. This imitation maiden was most beautiful to
see. The substance of which her body was made was purest snow frozen in
a mass, and mixed with virgin wax, tinted with vermilion; her eyes shone
like stars, her hair was yellow gold. Any one who saw her would surely
say it was Florimell herself, or even fairer than Florimell, if such a
thing could be.
But this false Florimell had a wicked and deceitful spirit, full of
fawning guile, and she excelled in all manner of wily cunning.
In the course of her wandering, this creature, who was known by the name
of the “Snowy Lady,” came across Braggadochio, whom you may remember as
the cowardly boaster that stole Sir Guyon’s horse and armour. But as she
rode along with Braggadochio the latter was attacked and beaten by
another knight, who thought the lady was the real Florimell. He in turn
was vanquished by Blandamour, who also imagined that she was the true
Florimell, and was very proud of himself for getting possession of such
a paragon. Though he was so false himself, and had deceived hundreds of
others, he was no match for the “Snowy Lady” in cunning, and was
completely taken in by her.
When Blandamour heard of the great tournament held by Sir Satyrane in
honour of Florimell’s golden girdle, he immediately determined to go
there and claim the prize on behalf of its rightful owner, whom he then
believed to be under his protection. Thus it came to pass that the false
Florimell journeyed with Blandamour and the others to the tournament.
Not long after Cambell and Triamond, with their wives, Cambina and
Candace, had joined the party, they saw a man in bright armour, with
spear in rest, riding towards them as though he meant to attack them.
Paridell immediately prepared his own weapons, whereupon the other
slackened his pace, and seemed to alter his intention, as if he meant
nothing but peace and pleasure now that he had fallen by chance into
their fellowship. Seeing this, they greeted him civilly, and he rode on
with them.
This man was Braggadochio. When his eyes fell on the false Florimell, he
remembered her as the lady who had been taken from him not long before.
He therefore began to challenge her as his own prize, and threatened to
seize her again by force.
Blandamour treated his words with much disdain, saying, “Sir Knight,
since you claim this lady, you shall win her, as I have done, in fight.
She shall be placed here, together with this hideous old hag, Até
(_Strife_), that whoso wins her may have her by right. But Até shall go
to the one that is beaten, and he shall always ride with her till he
gets another lady.”
That offer pleased all the company, so the false Florimell was brought
forward with Até, at which every one began to laugh merrily. But
Braggadochio now tried to back out of his challenge. He said he never
thought to imperil his person in fight for a hideous old creature like
that. If they had sought to match the lady with another one equally fair
and radiant, he would then have spent his life to justify his right.
At this vain excuse they all began to smile, scorning his unmanly
cowardice. The Snowy Lady reviled him loudly for refusing to venture
battle for her sake when it was offered in such knightly fashion, and
Até secretly taunted him with the shame of such contempt. But nothing
did he care for friend or foe, for in the base mind dwells neither
friendship nor enmity.
But Cambell jestingly stopped them all, saying, “Brave knights and
ladies, certainly you do wrong to stir up strife when most we need rest,
so that we may keep ourselves fresh and strong against the coming
tournament, when every one who wishes to fight may fight his fill.
Postpone your challenge till that day, and then it shall be tried, if
you will, which one shall have Até and which one still hold the lady.”
They all agreed, and so, turning everything to sport and pleasantness,
they passed merrily on their way, till at length, on the appointed day,
they came to the place where the tournament was to be held.