darted towards the horse, and, with his fist gave him such a blow on
the jaws that the blood tinged his mouth with vermilion. Quicker than
an arrow leaves the bow the horse turned upon him, and tried to seize
his arm with his teeth.
The knight stepped back, and then, repeating his blow, struck him on
the forehead. Bayard turned, and kicked with both his feet with a force
that would have shattered a mountain. Rinaldo was on his guard, and
evaded his attacks, whether made with head or heels. He kept at his
side avoiding both; but, making a false step, he at last received a
terrible blow from the horse's foot, and at the shock almost fainted
away. A second such blow would have killed him, but the horse kicked at
random, and a second blow did not reach Rinaldo, who in a moment
recovered himself. Thus the contest continued until by chance Bayard's
foot got caught between the branches of an oak. Rinaldo seized it and
putting forth all his strength and address, threw him on the ground.
No sooner had Bayard touched the ground than all his rage subsided. No
longer an object of terror, he became gentle and quiet, yet with
dignity in his mildness.
The paladin patted his neck, stroked his breast, and smoothed his mane,
while the animal neighed and showed delight to be caressed by his
master. Rinaldo, seeing him now completely subdued, took the saddle and
trappings from the other horse, and adorned Bayard with the spoils.
Rinaldo became one of the most illustrious knights of Charlemagne's
court,--indeed, the most illustrious, if we except Orlando. Yet he was
not always so obedient to the Emperor's commands as he should have
been, and every fault he committed was sure to be aggravated by the
malice of Gan, Duke of Maganza, the treacherous enemy of Rinaldo and
all his house.
At one time Rinaldo had incurred the severe displeasure of Charlemagne,
and been banished from court. Seeing no chance of being ever restored
to favor, he went to Spain, and entered into the service of the Saracen
king, Ivo. His brothers, Alardo, Ricardo, and Ricciardetto, accompanied
him, and all four served the king so faithfully that they rose to high
favor with him. The king gave them land in the mountains on the
frontiers of France and Spain, and subjected all the country round to
Rinaldo's authority. There was plenty of marble in the mountains, the
king furnished workmen, and they built a castle for Rinaldo, surrounded
with high walls, so as to be almost impregnable. Built of white stone,
and placed on the brow of a marble promontory, the castle shone like a
star, and Rinaldo gave it the name of Montalban. Here he assembled his
friends, many of whom were banished men like himself, and the country
people furnished them with provisions in return for the protection the
castle afforded. Yet some of Rinaldo's men were lawless, and sometimes
the supplies were not furnished in sufficient abundance, so that
Rinaldo and his garrison got a bad name for taking by force what they
could not obtain by gift; and we sometimes find Montalban spoken of as
a nest of freebooters, and its defenders called a beggarly garrison.
Charlemagne's displeasure did not last long, and, at the time our
history commences, Rinaldo and his brothers were completely restored to
the favor of the Emperor, and none of his cavaliers served him with
greater zeal and fidelity than they, throughout all his wars with the
Saracens and Pagans.
THE TOURNAMENT
It was the month of May, and the feast of Pentecost. Charlemagne had
ordered magnificent festivities, and summoned to them, besides his
paladins and vassals of the crown, all strangers, Christian or Saracen,
then sojourning at Paris. Among the guests were King Grandonio, from
Spain; and Ferrau, the Saracen, with eyes like an eagle; Orlando and
Rinaldo, the Emperor's nephews; Duke Namo; Astolpho, of England, the
handsomest man living; Malagigi, the Enchanter; and Gano, of Maganza,
that wily traitor, who had the art to make the Emperor think he loved
him, while he plotted against him.
High sat Charlemagne at the head of his vassals and his paladins,
rejoicing in the thought of their number and their might, while all
were sitting and hearing music, and feasting, when suddenly there came
into the hall four enormous giants, having between them a lady of
incomparable beauty, attended by a single knight. There were many
ladies present who had seemed beautiful till she made her appearance,
but after that they all seemed nothing. Every Christian knight turned
his eyes to her, and every Pagan crowded round her, while she, with a
sweetness that might have touched a heart of stone, thus addressed the
Emperor:
"High-minded lord, the renown of your worthiness, and of the valor of
these your knights, which echoes from sea to sea, encourages me to hope
that two pilgrims, who have come from the ends of the world to behold
you, will not have encountered their fatigue in vain. And, before I
show the motive which has brought us hither, learn that this knight is
my brother Uberto, and that I am his sister Angelica. Fame has told us
of the jousting this day appointed, and so the prince my brother has
come to prove his valor, and to say that, if any of the knights here
assembled choose to meet him in the joust, he will encounter them, one
by one, at the stair of Merlin, by the Fountain of the Pine. And his
conditions are these: No knight who chances to be thrown shall be
allowed to renew the combat, but shall remain prisoner to my brother;
but if my brother be overthrown he shall depart out of the country,
leaving me as the prize of the conqueror."
Now it must be stated that this Angelica and her brother, who called
himself Uberto, but whose real name was Argalia, were the children of
Galafron, king of Cathay, who had sent them to be the destruction of
the Christian host; for Argalia was armed with an enchanted lance,
which unfailingly overthrew everything it touched, and he was mounted
on a horse, a creature of magic, whose swiftness outstripped the wind.
Angelica possessed also a ring which was a defence against all
enchantments, and when put into the mouth rendered the bearer
invisible. Thus Argalia was expected to subdue and take prisoners
whatever knights should dare to encounter him; and the charms of
Angelica were relied on to entice the paladins to make the fatal
venture, while her ring would afford her easy means of escape.
When Angelica ceased sneaking she knelt before the king and awaited his
answer, and everybody gazed on her with admiration. Orlando especially
felt irresistibly drawn towards her, so that he trembled and changed
countenance. Every knight in the hall was infected with the same
feeling, not excepting old white-headed Duke Namo and Charlemagne
himself.
All stood for a while in silence, lost in the delight of looking at
her. The fiery youth Ferrau could hardly restrain himself from seizing
her from the giants and carrying her away; Rinaldo turned as red as
fire, while Malagigi, who had discovered by his art that the stranger
was not speaking truth, muttered softly, as he looked at her,
"Exquisite false creature! I will play thee such a trick for this, as
will leave thee no cause to boast of thy visit."
Charlemagne, to detain her as long as possible before him, delayed his
assent till he had asked her a number of questions, all which she
answered discreetly, and then the challenge was accepted.
As soon as she was gone Malagigi consulted his book, and found out the
whole plot of the vile, infidel king, Galafron, as we have explained
it, so he determined to seek the damsel and frustrate her designs. He
hastened to the appointed spot, and there found the prince and his
sister in a beautiful pavilion, where they lay asleep, while the four
giants kept watch. Malagigi took his book and cast a spell out of it,
and immediately the four giants fell into a deep sleep. Drawing his
sword (for he was a belted knight), he softly approached the young
lady, intending to despatch her at once; but, seeing her look so
lovely, he paused for a moment, thinking there was no need of hurry, as
he believed his spell was upon her, and she could not wake. But the
ring which she wore secured her from the effect of the spell, and some
slight noise, or whatever else it was, caused her at that moment to
awake. She uttered a great cry, and flew to her brother, and waked him.
By the help of her knowledge of enchantment, they took and bound fast
the magician, and, seizing his book, turned his arts against himself.
Then they summoned a crowd of demons, and bade them seize their
prisoner and bear him to King Galafron, at his great city of Albracca,
which they did, and, on his arrival, he was locked up in a rock under
the sea.
While these things were going on all was uproar at Paris, since Orlando
insisted upon being the first to try the adventure at the stair of
Merlin. This was resented by the other pretenders to Angelica, and all
contested his right to the precedence. The tumult was stilled by the
usual expedient of drawing lots, and the first prize was drawn by
Astolpho. Ferrau, the Saracen, had the second, and Grandonio the third.
Next came Berlinghieri, and Otho; then Charles himself, and, as his
ill-fortune would have it, after thirty more, the indignant Orlando.
Astolpho, who drew the first lot, was handsome, brave, and rich. But,
whether from heedlessness or want of skill, he was an unlucky jouster,
and very apt to be thrown, an accident which he bore with perfect
good-humor, always ready to mount again and try to mend his fortune,
generally with no better success.
Astolpho went forth upon his adventure with great gayety of dress and
manner, encountered Argalia, and was immediately tilted out of the
saddle. He railed at fortune, to whom he laid all the fault; but his
painful feelings were somewhat relieved by the kindness of Angelica,
who, touched by his youth and good looks, granted him the liberty of
the pavilion, and caused him to be treated with all kindness and
respect.
The violent Ferrau had the next chance in the encounter, and was thrown
no less speedily than Astolpho; but he did not so easily put up with
his mischance. Crying out, "What are the emperor's engagements to me?"
he rushed with his sword against Argalia, who, being forced to defend
himself, dismounted and drew his sword, but got so much the worse of
the fight that he made a signal of surrender, and, after some words,
listened to a proposal of marriage from Ferrau to his sister. The
beauty, however, feeling no inclination to match with such a rough and
savage-looking person, was so dismayed at the offer, that, hastily
bidding her brother to meet her in the forest of Arden, she vanished
from the sight of both by means of the enchanted ring. Argalia, seeing
this, took to his horse of swiftness, and dashed away in the same
direction. Ferrau pursued him, and Astolpho, thus left to himself, took
possession of the enchanted lance in place of his own, which was
broken, not knowing the treasure he possessed in it, and returned to
the tournament. Charlemagne, finding the lady and her brother gone,
ordered the jousting to proceed as at first intended, in which
Astolpho, by aid of the enchanted lance, unhorsed all comers against
him, equally to their astonishment and his own.
The paladin Rinaldo, on learning the issue of the combat of Ferrau and
the stranger, galloped after the fair fugitive in an agony of love and
impatience. Orlando, perceiving his disappearance, pushed forth in like
manner; and, at length, all three are in the forest of Arden, hunting
about for her who is invisible.
Now in this forest there were two fountains, the one constructed by the
sage Merlin, who designed it for Tristram and the fair Isoude;
[Footnote: See their story in "King Arthur and His Knights."] for such
was the virtue of this fountain, that a draught of its waters produced
on oblivion of the love which the drinker might feel, and even produced
aversion for the object formerly beloved. The other fountain was
endowed with exactly opposite qualities, and a draught of it inspired
love for the first living object that was seen after tasting it.
Rinaldo happened to come to the first mentioned fountain, and, being
flushed with heat, dismounted, and quenched in one draught both his
thirst and his passion. So far from loving Angelica as before he hated
her from the bottom of his heart, became disgusted with the search he
was upon, and, feeling fatigued with his ride, finding a sheltered and
flowery nook, laid himself down and fell asleep.
Shortly after came Angelica, but, approaching in a different direction,
she espied the other fountain, and there quenched her thirst. Then
resuming her way, she came upon the sleeping Rinaldo. Love instantly
seized her, and she stood rooted to the spot.
The meadow round was all full of lilies of the valley and wild roses.
Angelica, not knowing what to do, at length plucked a handful of these,
and dropped them, one by one, on the face of the sleeper. He woke up,
and, seeing who it was, received her salutations with averted
countenance, remounted his horse, and galloped away. In vain the
beautiful creature followed and called after him, in vain asked him
what she had done to be so despised. Rinaldo disappeared, leaving her
in despair, and she returned in tears to the spot where she had found
him sleeping. There, in her turn, she herself lay down, pressing the
spot of earth on which he had lain, and, out of fatigue and sorrow,
fell asleep.
As Angelica thus lay, fortune conducted Orlando to the same place. The
attitude in which she was sleeping was so lovely that it is not to be
conceived, much less expressed. Orlando stood gazing like a man who had
been transported to another sphere. "Am I on earth," he exclaimed, "or
am I in Paradise? Surely it is I that sleep, and this is my dream."
But his dream was proved to be none in a manner which he little
desired. Ferrau, who had slain Argalia, came up, raging with jealousy,
and a combat ensued which awoke the sleeper.
Terrified at what she beheld, she rushed to her palfrey, and, while the
fighters were occupied with one another, fled away through the forest.
The champions continued their fight till they were interrupted by a
messenger, who brought word to Ferrau that king Marsilius, his
sovereign, was in pressing need of his assistance, and conjured him to
return to Spain. Ferrau, upon this, proposed to suspend the combat, to
which Orlando, eager to pursue Angelica, agreed. Ferrau, on the other
hand, departed with the messenger to Spain.
Orlando's quest for the fair fugitive was all in vain. Aided by the
powers of magic, she made a speedy return to her own country.
But the thought of Rinaldo could not be banished from her mind, and she
determined to set Malagigi at liberty, and to employ him to win
Rinaldo, if possible, to make her a return of affection. She
accordingly freed him from his dungeon, unlocking his fetters with her
own hands, and restored him his book, promising him ample honors and
rewards on condition of his bringing Rinaldo to her feet.
Malagigi accordingly, with the aid of his book, called up a demon,
mounted him, and departed. Arrived at his destination, he inveigled
Rinaldo into an enchanted bark, which conveyed him, without any visible
pilot, to an island where stood an edifice called Joyous Castle. The
whole island was a garden. On the western side, close to the sea, was
the palace, built of marble, so clear and polished that it reflected
the landscape about it. Rinaldo leapt ashore, and soon met a lady, who
invited him to enter. The house was as beautiful within as without,
full of rooms adorned with azure and gold, and with noble paintings.
The lady led the knight into an apartment painted with stories, and
opening to the garden, through pillars of crystal, with golden
capitals. Here he found a bevy of ladies, three of whom were singing in
concert, while another played on an instrument of exquisite accord, and
the rest danced round about them. When the ladies beheld him coming
they turned the dance into a circuit round him, and then one of them,
in the sweetest manner, said, "Sir knight, the tables are set, and the
hour for the banquet is come;" and, with these words, still dancing,
they drew him across the lawn in front of the apartment, to a table
that was spread with cloth of gold and fine linen, under a bower of
damask roses by the side of a fountain.
Four ladies were already seated there, who rose, and placed Rinaldo at
their head, in a chair set with pearls. And truly indeed was he
astonished. A repast ensued, consisting of viands the most delicate,
and wines as fragrant as they were fine, drunk out of jewelled cups;
and, when it drew towards its conclusion, harps and lutes were heard in
the distance, and one of the ladies said in the knight's ear: "This
house and all that you see in it are yours; for you alone was it built,
and the builder is a queen. Happy indeed must you think yourself, for
she loves you, and she is the greatest beauty in the world! Her name is
Angelica."
The moment Rinaldo heard the name he so detested he started up, with a
changed countenance, and, in spite of all that the lady could say,
broke off across the garden, and never ceased hastening till he reached
the place where he landed. The bark was still on the shore. He sprang
into it, and pushed off, though he saw nobody in it but himself. It was
in vain for him to try to control its movements, for it dashed on as if
in fury, till it reached a distant shore covered with a gloomy forest.
Here Rinaldo, surrounded by enchantments of a very different sort from
those which he had lately resisted, was entrapped into a pit.
The pit belonged to a castle called Altaripa, which was hung with human
heads, and painted red with blood. As the paladin was viewing the scene
with amazement a hideous old woman made her appearance at the edge of
the pit, and told him that he was destined to be thrown to a monster,
who was only kept from devastating the whole country by being supplied
with living human flesh. Rinaldo said, "Be it so; let me but remain
armed as I am, and I fear nothing." The old woman laughed in derision.
Rinaldo remained in the pit all night, and the next morning was taken
to the place where the monster had his den. It was a court surrounded
by a high wall. Rinaldo was shut in with the beast, and a terrible
combat ensued. Rinaldo was unable to make any impression on the scales
of the monster, while he, on the contrary, with his dreadful claws,
tore away plate and mail from the paladin. Rinaldo began to think his
last hour was come, and cast his eyes around and above to see if there
was any means of escape. He perceived a beam projecting from the wall
at the height of some ten feet, and, taking a leap almost miraculous,
he succeeded in reaching it, and in flinging himself up across it. Here
he sat for hours, the hideous brute continually trying to reach him.
All at once he heard the sound of something coming through the air like
a bird, and suddenly Angelica herself alighted on the end of the beam.
She held something in her hand towards him, and spoke to him in a
loving voice. But the moment Rinaldo saw her he commanded her to go
away, refused all her offers of assistance, and at length declared
that, if she did not leave him, he would cast himself down to the
monster, and meet his fate.
Angelica, saying she would lose her life rather than displease him,
departed; but first she threw to the monster a cake of wax she had
prepared, and spread around him a rope knotted with nooses. The beast
took the bait, and, finding his teeth glued together by the wax, vented
his fury in bounds and leaps, and, soon getting entangled in the
nooses, drew them tight by his struggles, so that he could scarcely
move a limb.
Rinaldo, watching his chance, leapt down upon his back, seized him
round the neck, and throttled him, not relaxing his gripe till the
beast fell dead.
Another difficulty remained to be overcome. The walls were of immense
height, and the only opening in them was a grated window of such
strength that he could not break the bars. In his distress Rinaldo
found a file, which Angelica had left on the ground, and, with the help
of this, effected his deliverance.
What further adventures he met with will be told in another chapter.
THE SIEGE OF ALBRACCA
At the very time when Charlemagne was holding his plenary court and his
great tournament his kingdom was invaded by a mighty monarch, who was
moreover so valiant and strong in battle that no one could stand
against him. He was named Gradasso, and his kingdom was called
Sericane. Now, as it often happens to the greatest and the richest to
long for what they cannot have, and thus to lose what they already
possess, this king could not rest content without Durindana, the sword
of Orlando, and Bayard, the horse of Rinaldo. To obtain these he
determined to war upon France, and for this purpose put in array a
mighty army.
He took his way through Spain, and, after defeating Marsilius, the king
of that country, in several battles, was rapidly advancing on France.
Charlemagne, though Marsilius was a Saracen, and had been his enemy,
yet felt it needful to succor him in this extremity from a
consideration of common danger, and, with the consent of his peers,
despatched Rinaldo with a strong body of soldiers against Gradasso.
There was much fighting, with doubtful results, and Gradasso was
steadily advancing into France. But, impatient to achieve his objects,
he challenged Rinaldo to single combat, to be fought on foot, and upon
these conditions: If Rinaldo conquered, Gradasso agreed to give up all
his prisoners and return to his own country; but if Gradasso won the
day, he was to have Bayard.
The challenge was accepted, and would have been fought had it not been
for the arts of Malagigi, who just then returned from Angelica's
kingdom with set purpose to win Rinaldo to look with favor upon the
fair princess who was dying for love of him. Malagigi drew Rinaldo away
from the army by putting on the semblance of Gradasso, and, after a
short contest, pretending to fly before him, by which means Rinaldo was
induced to follow him into a boat, in which he was borne away, and
entangled in various adventures, as we have already related.
The army, left under the command of Ricciardetto, Rinaldo's brother,
was soon joined by Charlemagne and all his peerage, but experienced a
disastrous rout, and the Emperor and many of his paladins were taken
prisoners. Gradasso, however, did not abuse his victory; he took
Charles by the hand, seated him by his side, and told him he warred
only for honor. He renounced all conquests, on condition that the
Emperor should deliver to him Bayard and Durindana, both of them the
property of his vassals, the former of which, as he maintained, was
already forfeited to him by Rinaldo's failure to meet him as agreed. To
these terms Charlemagne readily acceded.
Bayard, after the departure of his master, had been taken in charge by
Ricciardetto, and sent back to Paris, where Astolpho was in command, in
the absence of Charlemagne. Astolpho received with great indignation
the message despatched for Bayard, and replied by a herald that "he
would not surrender the horse of his kinsman Rinaldo without a contest.
If Gradasso wanted the steed he might come and take him, and that he,
Astolpho, was ready to meet him in the field."
Gradasso was only amused at this answer, for Astolpho's fame as a
successful warrior was not high, and Gradasso willingly renewed with
him the bargain which he had made with Rinaldo. On these conditions the
battle was fought. The enchanted lance, in the hands of Astolpho,
performed a new wonder; and Gradasso, the terrible Gradasso, was
unhorsed.
He kept his word, set free his prisoners, and put his army on the march
to return to his own country, renewing his oath, however, not to rest
till he had taken from Rinaldo his horse, and from Orlando his sword,
or lost his life in the attempt.
Charlemagne, full of gratitude to Astolpho, would have kept him near
his person and loaded him with honors, but Astolpho preferred to seek
Rinaldo, with the view of restoring to him his horse, and departed from
Paris with that design.