companion for good men. He then went to the queen, and told her how he had in his house the good knight who won the battle. Know you his name? quoth she peradventure he is the son of King Perion, for yon Squire who is talking with Mabilia came in search of him. And the king called to Gandalin, Come with me, and see if you know a knight who is in my palace. Gandalin followed him as one who knew what he should do; and as soon as he saw Amadis, he knelt to him and cried, Ah, Sir Amadis ! great travail have I endured to find you. Then replied the knight, Gandalin my good friend! right heartily art thou welcome: what news from the King of Scotland ?— Good tidings, sir, of him and of all your friends. With that Lisuarte embraced him,-Now, sir, you need no longer conceal yourself, for you are that Amadis, the son of King Perion, who slew in battle the valiant King Abies of Ireland. All then approached to gaze at him the more, knowing that he had performed such feats in arms as none other could have atchieved; much honour was there done him all that day, and when night came King Arban of North Wales lodged him.

Lisuarte meantime took counsel with his wife how he might detain Amadis in his court. Sir, quoth she, it would be an evil report of so great a man as you, if such a knight should leave his house, and had not received all that he asked. He asks me nothing, said Lisuarte, for I would grant him any thing.-I will tell you how it must be let some one ask him to remain on your part, and if he will not consent bid him come see me before he departs, and I and Oriana, and his cousin Mabilia, will entreat him, for they know him well, ever since he was a child and served them. You

:

say well, said Lisuarte, and doubtless he will stay; if not, we may say of him with reason, that he hath more lack of courtesy than courage. King Arban of North Wales spoke with Amadis that night, but could obtain no hope of his stay. In the morning they heard mass with the king; and that over, Amadis went to take leave of him. Certes, friend, said Lisuarte, I am loth at your departure, yet for the promise I made must not entreat your stay; but the queen requests to see you before you go. Amadis went to her, and would have kissed her hand; she made him be seated near her and conversed with him, and Mabilia came and embraced him, as though she had not seen him before. Brisena called to her daughter, Receive this knight who served you when he was a child, and shall serve you now he is a knight if he fail not in courtesy ; help me all to persuade him to what I shall ask. Sir knight, the king my husband hath wished you to remain with him, and he could not prevail; now shall I see if women have more power than men with a knight; I pray you remain and be my knight, and my daughter's, and theirs whom you see here; in this shall you show your courtesy, and you will save us from the need of asking the king to give us a knight for our service, since having you we can dispense with all his. Then they all came and besought him, and Oriana made a sign with her looks that he should consent. Well, sir knight, said Brisena, what will you do? What can I do, lady, but remain at your command, who are the noblest queen in the world! I am at your service, and your daughter's, and afterward at the service of all these; but I am only yours, and if I shall ever do service to the king, it shall be as your knight and not as his. As such I receive you, said 7

VOL. I.

the queen. Thus Amadis, by his lady's command, abode in the house of King Lisuarte.

Galaor, after he had left the Duke of Bristol's castle, where the dwarf had so annoyed him, rode on through the forest of Arnida till the hour of vespers without finding any habitation, or knowing whither he went, and at that time he met a squire on a right goodly steed. Galaor had received a bad wound from one of the three knights who assailed him by the river, and his last night's dalliance had inflamed it; so he saluted the squire and asked him where he could go to be healed? I know a place, said the squire, but such as you dare not go there.-Shall I find one there who will cure my wound?--You will find those who will give thee others.-Shew me the place!-That I may chuse. Shew me, or I will make thee, quoth Galaor, for thou art such a villain that thou deservest all I can do to thee.-You can do nothing that shall make me please such a worthless knight. Then Galaor laid hand upon his sword ;- Shew me the place, or I will take off thy head. I will shew thee, said he, where thou shalt pay for thy folly, and I shall have my revenge. Herewith he rode before, leaving the straight way. Galaor followed, and by the time they had ridden the length of a league, they came to a fortress, seated in a pleasant valley, bravely environed about with trees; Here, quoth the squire, is the place, now let me go! Galaor answered, Go thy way, for I little like thy company. You will like what you find here

less, said the squire; wherewith he turned bridle and away. Then Galaor went to the fortress, which he saw was newly edified, and at the gate he saw an armed knight on horseback, and with him five halberders, and they asked Galaor if it was he who brought their

squire there against his will? I know not, quoth he, if he be your squire, but he who led me here was the worst varlet that ever I knew. That, said the knight, may well be; but what would you have here?—Sir, I am sore wounded, and seek for one to give me help. Enter then, said the knight. Galaor went in, and then the halberders attacked him on one side and the knight on the other. He snatched an axe from one and turned to the knight and smote him, so that he had no need of a surgeon; then fell upon the halberders, and slew three of them, the other two fled into the castle, and he was following; but his squire cried out, Take your arms, sir! for I hear a great stir in the castle. This Galaor did, and the squire took shield and axe from one of the dead men, and said, Sir, I will aid you against the villains; but against a knight I must not lift hand, lest I should lose thereby all title to be knighted. If I find the good knight whom I seek, said Galaor, that shalt thou soon be. Presently they saw two other knights and ten men on foot, and they heard the squire crying from one of the windows, Kill him! kill him! but save his horse for me. When Galaor heard that, he was greatly enraged, and he fiercely ran to meet the new assailants; their lances brake, but he made him whom he encountered sure enough from ever bearing arms afterwards; then setting hand to sword advanced himself to the other, and felled him, and turned among the halberders. The squire had already slain two; Kill them all! said he, let not such traitors live! When the squire of the castle saw this, he ran up a ladder into a high tower, exclaiming, Arm yourself, sir, unless you mean to be slain! Then Galaor dismounted, because he could not ride through the portal, and went towards the tower;

but, before he reached it, there came out a knight all armed, and his horse was brought him, but Galaor caught the bridle, and said, Knight, thou shalt not mount, for I distrust thee! Is it you, quoth the knight, who have slain my nephews and my people? ---I know not whom you ask for, but this I can assure ye, how I found here the most disloyal and bad-minded people that ever I dealt withal.-They whom thou hast slain were better than thou art, and dearly shalt thou pay for them. Then, afoot as they were, they began a cruel battle, for the knight of the castle was a right good knight and a strong; yet in the end he could not endure the heavy and hard blows of Galaor, and flying from him under a portal, he thought to leap from a window to the gallery, but with the weight of his arms he fell short, and falling a great depth upon stones he was dashed to pieces.

When Galaor saw this he turned away, cursing the castle and its dwellers; but then he heard a voice from one of the rooms, saying, Ah, my Lord, for mercy leave me not here! Open the door then, quoth he.— I cannot, sir, I am chained. He then placed foot against the door so strongly that it flew open, and entering he found a fair lady chained by the neck. She asked him what was become of the lord of the castle, and his company; and when she heard how they were all dead, and how they set upon Galaor who came to have his wound healed, she said, Release me and I will heal the wound. Presently he broke the chain, and she took two little boxes from a coffer, and other things for his wounds, and they departed from the castle. In the gate-way Galaor found the first knight whom he had smote down, who was yet breathing and