persons

for the journey, and sent his own son and other to guide them; and the other prisoners, who were about two hundred, he released also, and sent them to Amadis. When they arrived at the monastery, they kissed the king's hand, who received them kindly and with good cheer. But when they saw Arquisil, neither he nor they could refrain from tears. Amadis courteously received them, and taking them apart without Arquisil, he said, Good sirs, I sent for you, that as things appear to be drawing to a happy end, ye might be present, being men of whom reasonably much account should be taken; and also to tell you, that I have Arquisil's promise to return to prison, at my discretion, as probably you have heard. But considering the lineage from which he is sprung, and his own nobleness, I resolved to confer with you, that as there is no other to whom the empire can of right belong, ye should take him for your emperor, in doing which ye would do two things: first, ye would discharge your duty by giving to the empire so good a knight, who is the right heir, and who would bestow great honours upon you ; and secondly, as to what relates to your own captivity and his, for without delay ye should be at liberty to return into your own country, and I would always be your good friend as long as it pleased you; for I love Arquisil as though he were my own brother. Upon this the Roman lords desired Brondajel of the Rock to speak for them: We are much beholden to you, Sir Amadis, said he, for this gracious speech. But this is a weighty business, and the consent of so many wills is necessary, that we cannot reply till we have consulted with the knights who are here; for though little account may be made of them, yet in this, sir,

they are of great importance, for they possess cities, and towns, and fortresses, in the empire, and many offices, which concern the election; if it please you, therefore, let us see Flamineo, and we will summon the rest in his presence, and then we shall be enabled deliberately to answer. Amadis upon this said they had answered like good knights, and he besought them that there might be no delay; incontinently those lords went to horse, and rode into the town, which by this time was cleared of the dead, for King Lisuarte had summoned the people of the surrounding districts to bury them.

Glad were they to see Flamineo, albeit the great misfortunes which had befallen them made their countenances sorrowful. They told him what had past, and the chiefs of the Romans were forthwith assembled. Then, when they were all met, Brondajel of the Rock thus began: Honourable Knight Flamineo, you, and these our good friends, know the misfortunes which have fallen upon us, since first we came to this Island of Great Britain, by command of the emperor, whom God pardon! of this I will not speak. We were prisoners in the Firm Island, and it pleased Amadis of Gaul to send for us hither, where he hath shown us great honour, and spoken to us at length saying, that as our empire is now without a lord, and the succession more justly appertaineth to Arquisil than to any other, it would please him if we would chuse that knight to be our lord and emperor, and that he would then set us free, and become our faithful friend and ally; and so earnestly did he propose this, that it appeared to us he would rejoice if we did so with good-will, and that if we refused he would employ his force to bring it

otherwise about; for this cause ye are now summoned ; and to me it seems that this which Amadis desires of us is what we ought most earnestly to have requested of him. For who is there, who either by his right, or for his courage, or for his virtues, deserves the empire so well as Arquisil? Certes none. He is our countryman, brought up among us; we know his good disposition, and that we may ask privileges of him as our right, which a stranger belike would deny. Moreover, thus should we win the friendship of the famous Amadis, who, as when he was our enemy, he had such power to injure us, so being our friend, will he remedy the past with much honour and advantage. Now, then, sirs, speak as you may think fit, having no regard to our captivity or tribulation, but only as reason and justice shall direct.

Such influence have those things that are just and reasonable, that even the wicked cannot easily withstand them. But these knights were men of much discretion and understanding, and though on such occasions there are often many discordant wills, they all agreed that what Brondajel of the Rock had advised was reasonable, and that what Amadis recommended should be done; that they and their emperor might leave the land, in which so much evil had befallen them, and return to their own country. With this answer the chiefs returned to Amadis. Then all the chiefs and people of the empire there present, being assembled in the church, they did homage to Arquisil as their emperor, and he swore to maintain their privileges and customs, and granted them all the favours which they reasonably asked.

CHAP. XXXVII.-How King Lisuarte assembled all the kings and chiefs and knights in the monastery of Lubayna, and told them the services which he had received from Amadis of Gaul, and the guerdon which he gave him.

HEN King Lisuarte had left his bed, and was sufficiently recovered, and all the other wounded knights had been healed by the skill of that great master Helisabad, the king on a day summoned all the kings and chiefs of both armies to the church of the monastery, and addressed them in this manner, Honourable kings and renowned knights, I need not call to your remembrance the things which have now befallen us, for ye also were present; and if an end had not been found to them, we also who are living, should have been among the dead. Leaving this then apart, and knowing the great evil to the service of God, and to our own person and kingdom, if they had gone on, I have detained the noble King Perion of Gaul and all the princes and knights of his army, that I may speak in their presence, and in yours. Then turning to Amadis, he said, Brave Sir Amadis of Gaul, it is not my custom to praise a man in his presence, nor is it your inclination to be praised; but I must call to the remembrance of these knights all that hath passed between you and me, since you first abode at my court as the knight of Queen Brisena my wife; these things were notorious to all, but they must see that I also acknowledge them, and that there is a good cause for the guerdon which I design to bestow. After you had defeated Dardan the Proud in my presence, and given me your brother Don Galaor

to be my knight, which was the best gift that ever yet was made to any king, I and my daughter Oriana were entrapped by the wicked Enchanter Arcalaus, and led away without any means of defence; for my knights were all withheld by the word which I had given; so that she and I were in danger of death or cruel prison, and my kingdom in hazard of being lost. Then did you and Galaor, returning from adventure on which the queen had sent you, put your lives upon the chance to help us, and we were both rescued, and our enemies slain or put to flight, and immediately after the queen my wife was succoured by you, and Barsinan, the father of this Lord of Sansuena, defeated, who besieged her in our city of London; so that as with great treachery and imminent danger I had been taken, I was by you with honour saved, to the safety of my kingdom. Again, when the battle of the hundred knights on each side was appointed between me and King Cildadan who is here present; before the day arrived you rid me of the enmity of this Knight Don Quadragante, and slew Famongomadan and Basagante, the fiercest giant of all the islands in the sea, and rescued my daughter Leonoreta with all her ladies and ten of my bravest knights, when all my power could not have saved them. In the battle, such were the giants and knights whom King Cildadan brought against me, that I could not have won the victory but for you, who slew with one blow the brave Sardaman the Lion, and with another delivered me from Madanfabul of the Vermilion Tower, who had disabled me, and plucked me from the saddle to carry me on board his ship. You then conquered that most valiant and renowned Ardan Canileo the Terrible, to the great