the most caitiff knight in Great Britain might slay me now. Sir, said Gandalin, for God's sake speak lower, that Durin may not hear this, for he has heard all that the knight said.-What! is Durin here?-We came together: I think he tarries to see what you will do, that he may report it to her who sent him. I am vexed at what you tell me, quoth Amadis; but his spirit arose, knowing that Durin was there, and he said, Give me my horse then, and guide me to the knight. He mounted and took his arms, and Gandalin led him where the knight sate under a tree, holding his horse by the bridle. You sir knight, quoth Amadis, who are enjoying yourself, rise, and let us see if you can maintain the love of which you boast. The knight arose, and cried, Who are you who question me? you shall see how I maintain it, if you dare do battle with me, for I will strike terror into thee, and all who are scorned by love. I am one of those, quoth Amadis love hath foully requited me: I tell thee this, sir lover, where I have found one truth in him, I have found seven lies. Come, and maintain his justice let us see if he has gained more in you than he has lost in me! and, as he spake these words, his anger kindled, feeling how unjustly his lady had abandoned him. The knight mounted and took his arms, and said, You knight, whom love has justly forsaken, because you were not worthy to serve him, get you gone! I am offended even at the sight of you. And he would have rode away, but Amadis cried out, What, knight! do you defend your love only with words, and ride off like a coward? How! quoth he: I was leaving thee for contempt, and thou callest it fear! thou art very desirous of thy own hurt defend thyself now if thou canst! They ran : against each other, and both shields were pierced, but the knight was thrown down: he kept the reins, and mounted again lightly. Quoth Amadis, If you do not defend love better with the sword than with the lance, you will be a bad champion. The knight made no reply, but struck at him in great fury: the sword fell on the rim of the shield, and entered in aslant, and he could not pluck it out. Amadis stood in his stirrups, and gave him a blow on his head, and cut away the trappings of his helmet and the skin of his head, and the sword held on and came upon the neck of the horse, so that he fell dead, and the rider senseless. Amadis waited a minute, thinking that he had slain him; then seeing him recover, he said, Knight, what love has gained in you, and you in him, you may both enjoy: I leave you. So departing from him, he called Gandalin, and seeing Durin there, he said to him, Friend Durin, my sorrow hath no equal, and my grief and recollections are intolerable: it is better that I should die: pray God it may be soon! Go, with good fortune! Salute for me, Mabilia, my good cousin, and the damsel of Denmark, thy sister; and tell them, if they grieve for me, that I perish more undeservedly than ever knight perished; and tell them that I sorely regret that those who have loved me so much, and done so much for me, have never had their guerdon? Durin stood weeping before him, and could make no reply. Amadis embraced him, and he commended him to God, and kissed the skirts of his armour and departed. By this it was day-break: Amadis said to Gandalin, if you chuse to go with me, attempt not to disturb me in whatever I say or do if you will not obey this, go back. He promised obedience. Then Amadis gave him his : arms, and bade him pluck the sword from the shield and give it the knight, and so they rode on. CHAP. V.-Showing who the knight was whom Amadis conquered, and what had befallen him before he was conquered. HIS wounded knight was Patin, brother to he was the best knight in all those lands, and therefore greatly feared throughout the empire. The emperor was very old, and had no son, therefore all thought his brother should succeed him. He loved Sardamira, queen of Sardinia, who was a fair and comely damsel, and being niece to the empress had been brought up in the court; and he had so far profited by his service, that she had promised him, if ever she married, to marry him. El Patin* upon this grew more presumptuous, though his natural arrogance was enough; and he said to her, I have heard that King Lisuarte hath a daughter who is renowned over all the world for her beauty. I will go to his court, and say she is not so fair as you, and this I will maintain against the two best knights who dare undertake her cause. They say there are knights there of great worth in arms, but if I do not conquer them in one day, I will that King Lisuarte do cause my head to be cut off! The queen answered him, Do not do this; for, if that princess be fair, it impaireth not the beauty which God hath bestowed upon me, if beauty *The article is uniformly prefixed to his name, except where he is first mentioned. In our language it is only used where the name is a family or clan appellation: The Plantagenet, the Douglas, the Graham. VOL. I. 18 there be; and, methinks, you might with more reason and less pride prove your prowess in some other cause, for this enterprize is not becoming a man of so high a rank, and moreover it is unreasonable and arrogant, and you cannot expect it to come to a good end. Come what will, quoth he, I will do it, to prove that you, who are the fairest lady in the world, have the best knight for your servant. So he took his leave, and with rich arms and ten squires passed over into great Britain, and went directly to where King Lisuarte was, who seeing him so accompanied thought him to be some great personage, and courteously welcomed him. When he was disarmed, all that saw his great stature judged him to be of great courage. Lisuarte then asked him who he was. He answered, King, I will tell you, for I do not come to your house to conceal myself, but to make myself known. Know, then, that I am El Patin, brother to the emperor of Rome, and so soon as I see the queen, and your daughter Oriana, you shall know the cause of my coming. When the king heard that he was a man of so high rank, he embraced him and said, Good friend, much are we pleased with your coming, and you shall see the queen and her daughter and all others of my house, when it pleaseth you. Then he placed him at his own table, and they were feasted in a manner befitting the table of such a personage. El Patin looked round him, and when he saw so many knights he was astonished, and began to hold the household of his brother, the emperor, as nothing. Don Grumedan took him to his lodging, by the king's command, and did him much honour. The next day after mass, the king took with him El Patin and Don Grumedan, and went to the queen, who received him honourably, and made him sit before her and near her daughter. Now Oriana's beauty was much impaired by reason of her great trouble of mind, yet when El Patin saw her he marvelled greatly, and thought that they who praised her had not mentioned half her beauty, and his heart was entirely changed from the purpose with which he had come, and wholly bent to obtain her. Wherefore calling to mind his own high birth and great qualities, and moreover that he should one day possess the empire, he thought that if he demanded her in marriage she would not be refused him. So taking the king and queen apart, he said, I come hither to request the marriage of your daughter, for your worth and for her beauty: if I sought others of her rank, I could obtain them, seeing what I am, and what I expect to be. The king answered, We thank you much for what you say, but the queen and I have promised our daughter not to give her in marriage against her consent: we must talk with her before we can answer you. This the king said that he might not offend him, but in his mind he was resolved not to give her to him, or to any other who would carry her out of the land which she was to inherit. El Patin was satisfied with this, and waited five days, expecting a favourable answer; but the king and queen, thinking it folly, had said nothing to Oriana. Then El Patin asked the king how the business went on. He answered, I do what I can, but it is necessary that you should speak to my daughter, and request her to obey my commands. El Patin went to the princess, and said, Lady Oriana, I wish to ask a thing of you which will be much to your honour and profit. What thing is that? quoth she.-That you will do the will of your father. She knowing not |