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+The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Red Romance Book
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
+most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
+whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
+of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
+www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you
+will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before
+using this eBook.
+
+Title: The Red Romance Book
+
+Author: Various
+
+Editor: Andrew Lang
+
+Illustrator: Henry Ford
+
+Release Date: February 15, 2008 [eBook #24624]
+[Most recently updated: May 18, 2021]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: UTF-8
+
+Produced by: Thierry Alberto, Chris Curnow, Julia Miller and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
+
+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RED ROMANCE BOOK ***
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber's Note
+
+Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. A list of changes is
+found at the end of the book.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: HOW GUNNAR MET HALLGERDA]
+
+
+
+
+                    THE
+              RED ROMANCE BOOK
+
+
+                 EDITED BY
+                ANDREW LANG
+
+
+               [Illustration]
+
+
+          LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO.
+        39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON
+  FOURTH AVENUE AND 30TH STREET, NEW YORK
+
+
+                    1921
+
+
+
+
+_PREFACE_
+
+WHAT ROMANCES ARE
+
+(TO CHILDREN AND OTHERS)
+
+
+I once read a book about a poor little lonely boy in a great house with
+a large library. This boy was pale, dull, and moping. Nobody knew what
+was the matter with him. But somebody tracked him into the library and
+saw him take a huge thick black book, half as tall as himself, out of a
+bookcase, and sit down and read it. The name of the book was
+_Polexander_. So he sat and sobbed over _Polexander_, because it was so
+very dull and so very long. There were 800 pages, and he had only read
+sixty-seven. But some very stupid grown-up person had told him that he
+must always begin a book at the beginning, and, if he once began, he
+must read every word of it, and read nothing else till he had finished
+every word of it.
+
+The boy saw that he would die of weariness long before he reached the
+end of _Polexander_, but he stuck to it like the other boy who stood by
+the burning deck long after it was 'time for him to go.' So _Polexander_
+was taken away from him and locked up, and so his life was saved.
+
+Now, in the first place _Polexander_ was a romance, but it was not like
+the romances in this book, for it was dreadfully long, and mainly about
+the sorrows of lovers who cannot get married. That could not amuse a
+small boy. In the second place, every boy should stop reading a book as
+soon as he finds that he does not like it, just as you are not expected
+to eat more mutton than you want to eat. Lesson books are another thing;
+you have to read them, and if you do not you will get into trouble. They
+are not meant to be amusing, but to teach Latin grammar, or geography,
+or arithmetic, which are not gay. As to this book of Romances, if you do
+not like one story, give it up and try another. If you do not like any
+of them, read something else that you do like.
+
+Now what are romances? They are grown-up people's fairy tales or
+story-books, but they are the kind of story-books that grown-up people
+read long ago, when there were castles and knights, and tournaments, and
+the chief business of gentlemen was to ride about in full armour,
+fighting, while ladies sat at home doing embroidery work, or going to
+see the men tilt at tournaments, just as they go to see cricket matches
+now. But they liked tournaments better, because they understood the
+rules of the game. Anybody could see when one knight knocked another
+down, horse and all, but many ladies do not understand leg before
+wicket, or stumping.
+
+The stories that they read were called 'romances,' but were in prose.
+Before people could read they were not in prose but in poetry, and were
+recited by minstrels. Mrs. Lang, who did the stories in this book, says:
+'Many hundreds of years ago, when most of these stories were told in the
+halls of great castles, the lives of children were very different from
+what they are now. The little girls were taught by their mothers'
+maidens to spin and embroider, or make simple medicines from the common
+herbs, and the boys learnt to ride and tilt, and shoot with bows and
+arrows; but their tasks done, no one paid any further heed to them. They
+had very few games, and in the long winter evenings the man who went
+from house to house, telling or singing the tales of brave deeds, must
+have been welcome indeed. From him the children, who early became men
+and women, heard of the evil fate that awaited cowardice and treachery,
+and grew to understand that it was their duty through life to help those
+that were weaker than themselves.' That was long, long ago, when nobody
+but priests and a very few gentlemen could read and write. They just
+listened to stories in rhyme, which the minstrels sang, striking their
+harps at the end of each verse.
+
+The stories were really fairy tales, dressed up and spun out, and
+instead of 'a boy' or 'a king' or 'a princess' with no name, the old
+fairy adventures were said to have happened to people with names: King
+Arthur, or Charlemagne, or Bertha Broadfoot. A little real history came
+in, but altered, and mixed up with fairy tales, and done into rhyme.
+
+Later, more and more people learned to read, and now the long poems were
+done into prose, and written in books, not printed but written books;
+and these were the Romances, very long indeed, all about fighting, and
+love-making, and giants, and dwarfs, and magicians, and enchanted
+castles, and dragons and flying horses. These romances were the novels
+of the people of the Middle Ages, about whom you can read in the History
+Books of Mrs. Markham. They were not much like the novels which come
+from the library for your dear mothers and aunts. There is not much
+fighting in them, though there is any amount of love-making, and there
+are no giants; and if there is a knight, he is usually a grocer or a
+doctor, quite the wrong sort of knight.
+
+Here is the beginning of a celebrated novel: 'Comedy is a game played to
+throw reflections upon social life, and it deals with human nature in
+the drawing-rooms of civilised men and women.' You do not want to read
+any more of that novel. It is not at all like a good old romance of
+knights and dragons and enchanted princesses and strong wars. The
+knights and ladies would not have looked at such a book, all about
+drawing-rooms.
+
+Now, in this book, we have made the old romances much shorter, keeping
+the liveliest parts, in which curious things happen. Some of the tales
+were first told in Iceland eight hundred years ago, and are mostly true
+and about real people. Some are from the ancient French romances of the
+adventures of Charlemagne, and his peers and paladins. Some are from
+later Italian poems of the same kind. 'Cupid and Psyche' is older, and
+so is the story of the man who was changed into a donkey. These are from
+an old Latin romance, written when people were still heathens, most of
+them. Some are about the Danes in England (of whom you may have heard),
+but there is not much history in them.
+
+Mrs. Lang says: 'In this book you will read of men who, like Don
+Quixote, were often mistaken but never mean, and of women, such as Una
+and Bradamante, who kept patient and true, in spite of fierce trials and
+temptations. I have only related a few of their adventures, but when you
+grow older you can read them for yourselves, in the languages in which
+they were written.'
+
+'Don Quixote' was written by a Spaniard, Cervantes, in the time of James
+I. of England, to show what would happen if a man tried to behave like a
+knight of old, after people had become more civilised and less
+interesting. Don Quixote was laughed at, because he came too late into
+too old a world. But he was as brave and good a knight as the best
+paladin of them all. So about the knights and ladies and dwarfs and
+giants, I hope you will think like Sir Walter Scott, when he was a boy,
+and read the old romances. He says: 'Heaven only knows how glad I was to
+find myself in such company.'
+
+If you like the kind of company, then read 'Ivanhoe,' by Sir Walter
+Scott, for that is the best romance in the world.
+
+All the stories in this book were done by Mrs. Lang, out of the old
+romances.
+
+ANDREW LANG.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+                                                                  PAGE
+  _How William of Palermo was carried off by the Werwolf_            1
+  _The Disenchantment of the Werwolf_                               13
+  _The Slaying of Hallgerda's Husbands_                             28
+  _The Death of Gunnar_                                             45
+  _Njal's Burning_                                                  71
+  _The Lady of Solace_                                              84
+  _Una and the Lion_                                                93
+  _How the Red Cross Knight slew the Dragon_                       105
+  _Amys and Amyle_                                                 128
+  _The Tale of the Cid_                                            141
+  _The Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance_                        165
+  _The Adventure of the Two Armies who turned out to be Flocks
+     of Sheep_                                                     177
+  _The Adventure of the Boiling Lights_                            190
+  _The Helmet of Mambrino_                                         194
+  _How Don Quixote was Enchanted while guarding the Castle_        202
+  _Don Quixote's Home-coming_                                      209
+  _The Meeting of Huon and Oberon, King of the Fairies_            213
+  _How Oberon saved Huon_                                          221
+  _Havelok and Goldborough_                                        234
+  _Cupid and Psyche_                                               251
+  _Sir Bevis the Strong_                                           267
+  _Ogier the Dane_                                                 287
+  _How the Ass became a Man again_                                 298
+  _Guy of Warwick_                                                 309
+  _How Bradamante conquered the Wizard_                            320
+  _The Ring of Bradamante_                                         331
+  _The Fulfilling of the Prophecy_                                 341
+  _The Knight of the Sun_                                          351
+  _How the Knight of the Sun rescued his Father_                   360
+
+
+
+
+_ILLUSTRATIONS_
+
+_COLOURED PLATES_
+
+
+  _How Gunnar met Hallgerda_                              _Frontispiece_
+  _The Werwolf carries Prince William away_            _To face p._  2
+  _The Lady of Solace_                                      "       86
+  _At the sight of the Lion she flung down the pitcher_     "      102
+  _The End of the Dragon_                                   "      124
+  _Softly she rose to her feet and stole out of the wood_   "      134
+  _Aphrodite finds Psyche's Task accomplished_              "      264
+  _How the Fairies came to see Ogier the Dane_              "      288
+
+
+  _PLATES_
+
+  _The Lovers meet by plan of Alexandrine_             _To face p._  8
+  _The Bearskin--Am not I a bold Beast?_                    "       14
+  _The Fury of the Werwolf_                                 "       24
+  _How Thorwald was slain by Thiostolf_                     "       32
+  _Thiostolf decides to slay Glum_                          "       40
+  _Otkell and Gunnar in the Field_                          "       58
+  _Gunnar's last Fight and Hallgerda's Revenge_             "       66
+  _How Kari escaped from Njal's House_                      "       78
+  _The Lady of Solace helps the Fallen Knight_              "       88
+  _The Red Cross Knight enters the Monster's Cave_          "       96
+  _Una saved by the Wood-Folk_                              "      106
+  _Arthur fights the Seven-Headed Serpent_                  "      112
+  _In the Cave of Despair_                                  "      120
+  _Rodrigo brings home the head of Gomez_                   "      142
+  _Don Diego and Don Fernan show that they are cowards_     "      154
+  _Don Quixada declared that he would give his Housekeeper
+     and his Niece into the bargain for the pleasure of
+     bestowing one kick on Ganelon the traitor_             "      166
+  _Don Quixote determines to attack the Windmills_          "      180
+  _How the Galley Slaves repaid Don Quixote_                "      198
+  _The Meeting of Huon and Oberon_                          "      216
+  _Round the Bag which held the Boy a brilliant Light was
+     shining_                                               "      236
+  _Zephyr carries Psyche down from the Mountain_            "      254
+  _Little Bevis avenges his Father_                         "      268
+  _Strong Sir Bevis keeps the Two Dragons at Bay_           "      278
+  _Bradamante defeats the Wizard with the Ring_             "      326
+  _Roger borne away from Bradamante_                        "      332
+  _The Two Damsels rescue Roger from the Rabble_            "      336
+  _The Giant's Daughter reproaches the Two Brothers_        "      360
+  _The Knight of the Sun fights the Serpent_                "      366
+
+
+  _ILLUSTRATIONS IN TEXT._
+                                                                  PAGE
+  _The Emperor carries William away_                                 5
+  _The Werwolf's Visit to the Cave_                                 19
+  _Hauskuld's Pride in Hallgerda_                                   29
+  _How Gunnar slew Thorgeir, Otkell's Son_                          63
+  _Sudden Departure of Una's Parents_                               94
+  _In Archimago's Cell: the Evil Dream_                            100
+  _The Two Cups_                                                   132
+  _Sir Amyle arrives in time to save the Ladies_                   139
+  _Don Quixote belabours the Muleteer_                             175
+  _Don Quixote's Battle with the Wine-skins_                       203
+  _Huon defeats the Giant Agrapart_                                227
+  _Havelok presents Goldborough to the English People_             247
+  _Aphrodite brings Cupid to Psyche_                               252
+  _Joyfully the Eagle bore back the Urn_                           265
+  _Ogier the Dane meets Morgane le Fay at last_                    293
+  _Apuleius changes into an Ass_                                   302
+
+
+
+
+_HOW WILLIAM OF PALERMO WAS CARRIED OFF BY THE WERWOLF_
+
+
+Many hundreds of years ago there lived in the beautiful city of Palermo
+a little prince who was thought, not only by his parents but by everyone
+who saw him, to be the handsomest child in the whole world. When he was
+four years old, his mother, the queen, made up her mind that it was time
+to take him away from his nurses, so she chose out two ladies of the
+court who had been friends of her own youth, and to them she entrusted
+her little son. He was to be taught to read and write, and to talk
+Greek, the language of his mother's country, and Latin, which all
+princes ought to know, while the Great Chamberlain would see that he
+learned to ride and shoot, and, when he grew bigger, how to wield a
+sword.
+
+For a while everything went on as well as the king and queen could wish.
+Prince William was quick, and, besides, he could not bear to be beaten
+in anything he tried to do, whether it was making out the sense of a
+roll of parchment written in strange black letters, which was his
+reading-book, or mastering a pony which wanted to kick him off. And the
+people of Palermo looked on, and whispered to each other:
+
+'Ah! what a king he will make!'
+
+But soon a terrible end came to all these hopes!
+
+William's father, king Embrons, had a brother who would have been the
+heir to the throne but for the little prince. He was a wicked man, and
+hated his nephew, but when the boy was born he was away at the wars, and
+did not return till five years later. Then he lost no time in making
+friends with the two ladies who took care of William, and slowly managed
+to gain their confidence. By-and-by he worked upon them with his
+promises and gifts, till they became as wicked as he was, and even
+agreed to kill not only the child, but the king his father.
+
+Now adjoining the palace at Palermo was a large park, planted with
+flowering trees and filled with wild beasts. The royal family loved to
+roam about the park, and often held jousts and sports on the green
+grass, while William played with his dogs or picked flowers.
+
+One day--it was a festival--the whole court went into the park at noon,
+after they had finished dining, and the queen and her ladies busied
+themselves with embroidering a quilt for the royal bed, while the king
+and his courtiers shot at a mark. Suddenly there leapt from a bush a
+huge grey wolf with his mouth open and his tongue hanging out. Before
+anyone had time to recover from his surprise, the great beast had caught
+up the child, and was bounding with him through the park, and over the
+wall into the plain by the sea. When the courtiers had regained their
+senses, both the wolf and boy were out of sight.
+
+Oh! what weeping and wailing burst forth from the king and queen when
+they understood that their little son was gone from them for ever, only,
+as they supposed, to die a cruel death! For of course they did not know
+that one far worse had awaited him at home.
+
+After the first shock, William did not very much mind what was happening
+to him. The wolf jerked him on to his back, and told him to hold fast by
+his ears, and the boy sat comfortably among the thick hair, and did not
+even get his feet wet as they swam across the Straits of Messina. On the
+other side, not far from Rome, was a forest of tall trees, and as by
+this time it was getting dark, the wolf placed William on a bed of soft
+fern, and broke off a branch of delicious fruits, which he gave him for
+supper. Then he scooped out a deep pit with his paws, and lined it
+with moss and feathery grasses, and there they both lay down and slept
+till morning; in spite of missing his mother, in all his life William
+had never been so happy.
+
+[Illustration: The Wer-Wolf carries Prince William away]
+
+For eight days they stayed in the forest, and it seemed to the boy as if
+he had never dwelt anywhere else. There was so much to see and to do,
+and when he was tired of playing the wolf told him stories.
+
+But one morning, before he was properly awake, he felt himself gently
+shaken by a paw, and he sat up, and looked about him. 'Listen to me,'
+said the wolf. 'I have to go right over to the other side of the wood,
+on some business of a friend's, and I shall not be back till sunset. Be
+careful not to stray out of sight of this pit, for you may easily lose
+yourself. You will find plenty of fruit and nuts piled up under that
+cherry tree.'
+
+So the wolf went away, and the child curled himself up for another
+sleep, and when the sun was high and its beams awakened him, he got up
+and had his breakfast. While he was eating, birds with blue and green
+feathers came and hopped on his shoulder and pecked at the fruit he was
+putting into his mouth, and William made friends with them all, and they
+suffered him to stroke their heads.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Now there dwelt in the forest an old cowherd, who happened that morning
+to have work to do not far from the pit where William lived with the
+wolf. He took with him a big dog, which helped him to collect the cows
+when they wandered, and to keep off any strange beasts that threatened
+to attack them. On this particular morning there were no cows, so the
+dog ran hither and thither as he would, enjoying himself mightily, when
+suddenly he set up a loud barking, as if he had found a prey, and the
+noise caused the old man to hasten his steps.
+
+When he reached the spot from which the noise came, the dog was standing
+at the edge of a pit, out of which came a frightened cry. The old man
+looked in, and there he saw a child clad in garments that shone like
+gold, shrinking timidly into the farthest corner.
+
+'Fear nothing, my boy,' said the cowherd; 'he will never hurt you, and
+even if he wished I would not let him;' and as he spoke he held out his
+hand. At this William took courage. He was not really a coward, but he
+felt lonely and it seemed a long time since the wolf had gone away.
+Would he _really_ ever come back? This old man looked kind, and there
+could be no harm in speaking to him. So he took the outstretched hand
+and scrambled out of the pit, and the cowherd gathered apples for him,
+and other fruits that grew on the tops of trees too high for the wolf to
+reach. And all the day they wandered on and on, till they came to the
+cowherd's cottage, before which an old woman was standing.
+
+'I have brought you a little boy,' he said, 'whom I found in the
+forest.'
+
+'Ah, a lucky star was shining when you got up to-day,' answered she.
+'And what is your name, my little man? And will you stay and live with
+me?'
+
+'My name is William, and you look kind like my grandmother, and I will
+stay with you,' said the boy; and the old people were very glad, and
+they milked a cow, and gave him warm milk for his supper.
+
+When the wolf returned--he was not a wolf at all, but the son of the
+king of Spain, who had been enchanted by his stepmother--he was very
+unhappy at finding the pit empty. Indeed, his first thought was that a
+lion must have carried off the boy and eaten him, or that an eagle must
+have pounced on him from the sky, and borne him away to his young ones
+for supper. But after he had cried till he could cry no more, it
+occurred to him that before he gave up the boy for dead it would be well
+to make a search, as perchance there might be some sign of his
+whereabouts. So he dried his eyes with his tail and jumped up quite
+cheerfully.
+
+[Illustration: The Emperor carries William away]
+
+He began by looking to see if the bushes round about were broken and
+torn as if some great beast had crashed through them. But they were all
+just as he had left them in the morning, with the creepers still
+knotting tree to tree. No, it was clear that no lion had been near the
+spot. Then he examined the ground carefully for a bird's feather or a
+shred of a child's dress; he did not find these either, but the marks
+of a man's foot were quite plain, and these he followed.
+
+The track turned and twisted for about two miles, and then stopped at a
+little cottage with roses climbing up the walls. The wolf did not want
+to show himself, so he crept quietly round to the back, where there was
+a hole in the door just big enough for the cats to come in and out of.
+The wolf peeped through this hole and saw William eating his supper, and
+chattering away to the old woman as if he had known her all his life,
+for he was a friendly little boy, and purred like a pussy-cat when he
+was pleased. And when the wolf saw that all was well with the child, he
+was glad and went his way.
+
+'William will be safer with them than with me,' he said to himself.
+
+Many years went by, and William had grown a big boy, and was very useful
+to the cowherd and his wife. He could shoot now with his bow and arrow
+in a manner which would have pleased his first teacher, and he and his
+playfellows--the sons of charcoal-burners and woodmen--were wont to keep
+the pots supplied at home with the game they found in the forest.
+Besides this, he filled the pails full of water from the stream, and
+chopped wood for the fire, and, sometimes, was even trusted to cook the
+dinner. And when _this_ happened William was a very proud boy indeed.
+
+One day the emperor planned a great hunt to take place in the forest,
+and, while following a wild boar, he outstripped all his courtiers and
+lost his way. Turning first down one path and then the other, he came
+upon a boy gathering fruit, and so beautiful was he that the emperor
+thought that he must be of a fairy race.
+
+'What is your name, my child?' asked the emperor; 'and where do you
+live?'
+
+The boy looked round at the sound of his voice, and, taking off his cap,
+bowed low.
+
+'I am called William, noble sir,' he answered, 'and I live with a
+cowherd, my father, in a cottage near by. Other kindred have I none that
+ever I heard of;' for the gardens of Palermo and the life of the palace
+had now faded into dreams in the memory of the child.
+
+'Bid your father come hither and speak to me,' said the emperor, but
+William did not move.
+
+'I fear lest harm should befall him through me,' he answered, 'and that
+shall never be.' But the emperor smiled as he heard him.
+
+'Not harm, but good,' he said; and William took courage and hastened
+down the path to the cottage.
+
+'I am the emperor,' said the stranger, when the boy and the cowherd
+returned together. 'Tell me truly, is this your son?'
+
+Then the cowherd, trembling all over, told the whole story, and when he
+had finished the emperor said quietly:
+
+'You have done well, but from to-day the boy shall be mine, and shall
+grow up with my daughter.'
+
+The heart of the cowherd sank as he thought how sorely he and his wife
+would miss William, but he kept silence. Not so William, who broke into
+sobs and wails.
+
+'I should have fared ill if this good man and his wife had not taken me
+and nourished me. I know not whence I came or whither I shall go! None
+can be so kind as they have been.'
+
+'Cease weeping, fair child,' said the emperor, 'some day you shall be
+able to reward the good that they have done you;' and then the cowherd
+spoke and gave him wise counsel how to behave himself at court.
+
+'Be no teller of tales, and let your words be few. Be true to your lord,
+and fair of speech to all men; and seek to help the poor when you may.'
+
+'Set him on my horse,' said the emperor, and, though William wept still
+as he bade farewell to the cowherd, and sent a sorrowful greeting to his
+wife and to his playfellows Hugonet, and Abelot, and Akarin, yet he was
+pleased to be riding in such royal fashion, and soon dried his tears.
+
+They reached the palace at last, and the emperor led William into the
+hall, and sent a messenger for Melior, his daughter.
+
+'I have brought home a present for you,' he cried, as she entered; 'and
+be sure to treat him as you would your brother, for he has come of
+goodly kindred, though now he does not know where he was born, or who
+was his father.' And with that he told her the tale of how he had found
+the boy in the wood.
+
+'I shall care for him willingly,' answered Melior, and she took him
+away, and saw that supper was set before him, and clothes provided for
+him, and made him ready for his duties as page to the emperor.
+
+So the boy and girl grew up together, and everyone loved William, who
+was gentle and pleasant to all, and was skilled in what a gentleman
+should know. Wise he was too, beyond his years, and the emperor kept him
+ever at his side, and took counsel with him on many subjects touching
+his honour and the welfare of his people.
+
+And if the people loved him, how much more Melior, who saw him about the
+court all day long, and knew the store her father set on him? Yet she
+remembered with sadness certain whispers she had heard of a match
+between herself and a foreign prince, and if her father had promised her
+hand nought would make him break his word.
+
+So she sighed and bewailed herself in secret, till her cousin
+Alexandrine marked that something was amiss.
+
+'Tell me all your sickness,' said Alexandrine one day, 'and what grieves
+you so sorely. You know that you can trust me, for I have served you
+truly, and perhaps I may be able to help you in this strait!'
+
+[Illustration: The lovers meet by plan of Alexandrine]
+
+Then Melior told her, and Alexandrine listened in amaze. From his
+childhood William and the two girls had played together, and well
+Alexandrine knew that the emperor had cast his eyes upon another
+son-in-law. Still, she loved her cousin, and she loved William too, so
+she said.
+
+'Mourn no longer, madam; I am skilled in magic, and can heal you. So
+weep no more.' And Melior took heart and was comforted.
+
+That night Alexandrine caused William to dream a dream in which the
+whole world vanished away, and only he and Melior were left. In a moment
+he felt that as long as she was there the rest might go, and that she
+was the princess that was waiting for every prince. But who was he that
+he should dare to ask for the emperor's daughter? and what chance had he
+amongst the noble suitors who now began to throng the palace? These
+thoughts made him very sad, and he went about his duties with a face as
+long as Melior's was now.
+
+Alexandrine paid no heed to his gloomy looks. She was very wise, and for
+some days left her magic to work. At last one morning she thought the
+time had come to heal the wounds she had caused, and planned a meeting
+between them. After this they had no more need of her, neither did
+Melior weep any longer.
+
+For a while they were content, and asked nothing more than to see each
+other every day, as they had always done. But soon a fresh source of
+grief came. A war broke out, in which William, now a knight, had to
+follow the emperor, and more than once saved the life of his master. On
+their return, when the enemy was put to flight, the expected ambassadors
+from Greece arrived at court, to seek the hand of Melior, which was
+readily granted by her father. This news made William sick almost unto
+death, and Melior, who was resolved not to marry the stranger, hastened
+to Alexandrine in order to implore her help.
+
+But Alexandrine only shook her head.
+
+'It is true,' said she, 'that, unless you manage to escape, you will be
+forced to wed the prince; but how are you to get away when there are
+guards before every door of the palace, except by the little gate, and
+to reach that you will have first to pass by the sentries, who know
+you?'
+
+'O dear Alexandrine,' cried Melior, clasping her hands in despair. 'Do
+try to think of some way to save us! I am sure you can; you are always
+clever, and there is nobody else.'
+
+And Alexandrine did think of a way, but what it was must be told in the
+next chapter.
+
+
+
+
+THE DISENCHANTMENT OF THE WERWOLF
+
+(WILLIAM OF PALERMO)
+
+
+Everybody will remember that William and Melior trusted to Alexandrine
+to help them to escape from the palace, before Melior was forced into
+marriage by her father with the prince of Greece. At first Alexandrine
+declared that it was quite impossible to get them away unseen, but at
+length she thought of something which might succeed, though, if it
+failed, all three would pay a heavy penalty.
+
+And this was her plan, and a very good one too.
+
+She would borrow some boy's clothes, and put them on, hiding her hair
+under one of those tight caps that kitchen varlets wore covering all
+their heads; she would then go down into the big kitchens underneath the
+palace, where the wild beasts shot by the emperor were skinned and made
+into coats for the winter. Here she would have a chance of slipping out
+unnoticed with the skins of two white bears, and in these she would sew
+up William and Melior, and would let them through the little back gate,
+from which they could easily escape into the forest.
+
+'Oh, I knew you would find a way!' said Melior, throwing her arms
+joyfully round her cousin's neck. 'I am quite sure it will all go right,
+only let us make haste, for my father may find us out, or perhaps I may
+lose my courage.'
+
+'I will set about it at once,' said Alexandrine, 'and you and William
+must be ready to-night.'
+
+So she got her boy's clothes, which her maid stole for her out of the
+room of one of the scullions, and dressed herself in them, smearing her
+face and hands with walnut-juice, that their whiteness might not betray
+her. She slipped down by some dark stairs into the kitchen, and joined a
+company of men who were hard at work on a pile of dead animals. The sun
+had set, and in the corner of the great hall where the flaying was going
+on, there was very little light, but Alexandrine marked that close to an
+open door was a heap of bearskins, and she took up her position as near
+them as she could. But the girl was careful not to stand too long in one
+place; she moved about from one group of men to another, lending a hand
+here and there and passing a merry jest, and as she did so she gave the
+topmost skins a little shove with her foot, getting them each time
+closer to the open door, and always watching her chance to pick them up
+and run off with them.
+
+It came at last. The torch which lighted that end of the hall flared up
+and went out, leaving the men in darkness. One of them rose to fetch
+another, and, quick as thought, Alexandrine caught up the bearskins and
+was outside in the garden. From that it was easy to make her way
+upstairs unseen.
+
+'See how I have sped!' she said, throwing the skins on the floor. 'But
+night is coming on apace, and we have no time to lose; I must sew you up
+in them at once.'
+
+The skins were both so large that Melior and William wore all their own
+clothes beneath, and did not feel at all hot, as they expected to do.
+
+'Am I not a bold beast?' asked Melior in glee, as she caught sight of
+herself in a polished shield on the wall. 'Methinks no handsomer bear
+was ever seen!'
+
+[Illustration: THE BEARSKINS: AM NOT I A BOLD BEAST?]
+
+'Yes, verily, madam,' answered her maiden, 'you are indeed a grisly
+ghost, and no man will dare to come near you. But now stand aside, for
+it is William's turn.'
+
+'How do you like me, sweetheart?' asked he, when the last stitches had
+been put in.
+
+'You have so fierce an air, and are so hideous a sight, that I fear to
+look on you!' said she. And William laughed and begged Alexandrine to
+guide them through the garden, as they were not yet used to going on all
+fours, and might stumble.
+
+As they passed through the bushes, galloping madly--for in spite of the
+danger they felt as though they were children again--a Greek who was
+walking up to the palace saw them afar, and, seized with dread, took
+shelter in the nearest hut, where he told his tale. The men who heard it
+paid but little heed at the time, though they remembered it after; but
+bears were common in that country, and often came out of the forest at
+night.
+
+Not knowing what a narrow escape they had had, the two runaways
+travelled till sunrise, when they hid themselves in a cave on the side
+of a hill. They had nothing to eat, but were too tired to think of that
+till they had had a good sleep, though when they woke up they began to
+wonder how they should get any food.
+
+'Oh, it will be all right!' said Melior; 'there are blackberries in
+plenty and acorns and hazel-nuts, and there is a stream just below the
+cave--do you not hear it? It will all be much nicer than anything in the
+palace.'
+
+But William did not seem to agree with her, and wished to seek out some
+man who would give him something he liked better than nuts and acorns.
+This, however, Melior would not hear of; they would certainly be
+followed and betrayed, she said, and, to please her, William ate the
+fruit and stayed in the cave, wondering what would happen on the morrow.
+
+Luckily for themselves, they did not have to wait so long before they
+got a good supper. Their friend the werwolf had spied them from afar,
+and was ready to come to their rescue. During that day he had hidden
+himself under a clump of bushes close to the highway, and by-and-by he
+saw a man approaching, carrying a very fat wallet over his shoulder. The
+wolf bounded out of his cover, growling fiercely, which so frightened
+the man that he dropped the wallet and ran into the wood. Then the wolf
+picked up the wallet, which contained a loaf of bread and some meat
+ready cooked, and galloped away with it to William.
+
+They felt quite strong and hearty again when they had finished their
+supper, and quite ready to continue their journey. As it was night, and
+the country was very lonely, they walked on two feet, but when morning
+came, or they saw signs that men were about, they speedily dropped on
+all fours. And all the way the werwolf followed them, and saw that they
+never lacked for food.
+
+Meanwhile the preparations for Melior's marriage to the prince of Greece
+were going on blithely in the palace, and none thought of asking for the
+bride. At last, when everything was finished, the emperor bade the high
+chamberlain fetch the princess.
+
+'She is not in her room, your Majesty,' said the chamberlain, when he
+re-entered the hall; but the emperor only thought that his daughter was
+timid, and answered that he would go and bring her himself.
+
+Like the chamberlain, he found the outer room empty and passed on to the
+door of the inner one, which was locked. He shook and thumped and yelled
+with anger, till Alexandrine heard him from her distant turret, and,
+terrified though she was, hastened to find out what was the matter.
+
+'My daughter! Where is my daughter?' he cried, stammering with rage.
+
+'Asleep, sire,' answered Alexandrine.
+
+'Asleep still!' said the emperor; 'then wake her instantly, for the
+bridegroom is ready and I am waiting to lead her to him.'
+
+'Alas! sire, Melior has heard that in Greece royal brides pass their
+lives shut in a tower, and she has sworn that she will never wed one of
+that race. But, indeed, for my part, I think that is not her true
+reason, and that she has pledged her faith to another, whom you also
+know and love.'
+
+[Illustration: The Werwolf's visit to the Cave]
+
+'And who may that be?' asked the emperor.
+
+'The man who saved your life in battle, William himself,' answered
+Alexandrine boldly, though her limbs shook with fear.
+
+At this news the emperor was half beside himself with grief and rage.
+
+'Where is she?' he cried; 'speak, girl, or I will shut you up in the
+tower.'
+
+'Where is William?' asked Alexandrine. 'If Melior is not here, and
+William is not here, then of a surety they have gone away together.'
+
+The emperor looked at her in silence for a moment.
+
+'The Greeks will make war on me for this insult,' he said; 'and, as for
+William, a body of soldiers shall go in search of him this moment, and
+when he is found I will have his head cut off, and stuck on my palace
+gate as a warning to traitors.'
+
+But the soldiers could not find him. Perhaps they did not look very
+carefully, for, like everyone else, they loved William. Party after
+party was sent out by the emperor, but they all returned without finding
+a trace of the runaways. Then at last the Greek who had seen the two
+white bears galloping through the garden came to the high chamberlain
+and told his tale.
+
+'Send to the kitchen at once and ask if any bearskins are missing,'
+ordered the chamberlain; and the page returned with the tidings that the
+skins of two white bears could not be found.
+
+Now the werwolf had been lurking round the palace seeking for news, and
+as soon as he heard that the emperor had ordered out his dogs to hunt
+the white bears, he made a plan in his head to save William and Melior.
+He hid in some bushes that lay in the path of the hounds, and let them
+get quite near him. As soon as they were close, he sprang out in front
+of their noses and they gave chase at once. And a fine dance he led
+them!--over mountains and through swamps, under ferns that were thickly
+matted together, and past wide lakes. And every step they took brought
+them further away from the bears, who were lying snugly in their den.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+At last even the patience of the emperor was exhausted. He gave up the
+hunt, and bade his men call off the dogs and go home.
+
+'They have escaped me this time,' said he, 'but I will have them
+by-and-by. Let a reward be offered, and posted up on the gate of every
+city. After all, that is the surest way of capturing them.'
+
+And the emperor was right: the shepherds and goatherds were told that if
+they could bring the two white bears to the gates of the palace they
+would not need to work for the rest of their lives, and they kept a
+sharp look-out as they followed their flocks. Once a man actually saw
+them, and gave notice to one of the royal officials, who brought a
+company of spearmen and surrounded the cave. Another moment, and they
+would have been seized, had not the wolf again come to their rescue. He
+leapt out from behind a rock, and snatched up the officer's son, who had
+followed his father. The poor man shrieked in horror, and cried out to
+save the boy, so they all turned and went after the wolf as before.
+
+'We are safer now in our own clothes,' said William; and they hastily
+stripped off the bearskins, and stole away, but they would not leave the
+skins behind, for they had learnt to love them.
+
+For a long while they wandered through the forest, the werwolf ever
+watching over them, and bringing them food. At length the news spread
+abroad, no one knew how, that William and Melior were running about as
+bears no more, but in the garments they always wore. So men began to
+look out for them, and once they were very nearly caught by some
+charcoal-burners. Then the wolf killed a hart and a hind, and sewed them
+in their skins and guided them across the Straits of Messina into the
+kingdom of Sicily.
+
+Very dimly, and one by one, little things that had happened in his
+childhood began to come back to William; but he wondered greatly how he
+seemed to know this land, where he had never been before. The king his
+father had been long dead, but the queen (his mother) and his sister
+were besieged in the city of Palermo by the king of Spain, who was full
+of wrath because the princess had refused to marry his son. The queen
+was in great straits, when one night she dreamed that a wolf and two
+harts had come to help her, and one bore the face of her son, while both
+had crowns on their heads.
+
+She could sleep no more that night, so she rose and looked out of the
+window on the park which lay below, and there, under the trees, were the
+hart and the hind! Panting for joy, the queen summoned a priest, and
+told him her dream, and, as she told it, behold the skins cracked, and
+shining clothes appeared beneath.
+
+'Your dream has been fulfilled,' said the priest. 'The hind is the
+daughter of the emperor of Rome, who fled away with yonder knight
+dressed in a hart skin!'
+
+Joyfully the queen made herself ready, and she soon joined the animals,
+who had wandered off to a part of the park that was full of rocks and
+caves. She greeted them with fair words, and begged William to take
+service under her, which he did gladly.
+
+'Sweet sir, what token will you wear on your shield?' asked she; and
+William answered, 'Good madam, I will have a werwolf on a shield of
+gold, and let him be made hideous and huge.'
+
+'That shall be done,' said she.
+
+When the shield was painted, William prayed her to give him a horse, and
+she led him into the stable, and bade him choose one for himself. And he
+chose one that had been ridden by the late king his father. And the
+horse knew him, though his mother did not, and it neighed from pure
+delight. After that William called to the soldiers to rally round him,
+and there was fought a great battle, and the Spaniards were put to
+flight, and throughout Palermo the people rejoiced mightily.
+
+When the enemy had retreated far away, and William returned to the
+palace, where the queen and Melior were awaiting him; suddenly, from the
+window, they beheld the werwolf go by, and as he passed he held up his
+foot as if he craved mercy.
+
+'What does he mean by that?' asked the queen.
+
+'It betokens great good to us,' answered William.
+
+'That is well,' said the queen; 'but the sight of that beast causes me
+much sorrow. For my fair son was stolen away from me by such a one, when
+he was four years old, and never more have I heard of him.' But in her
+heart she felt, though she said nothing, that she had found him again.
+
+By-and-by the king of Spain came back with another army, and there was
+more fighting. In the end the Spanish king was forced to yield up his
+sword to William, who carried him captor to his mother Felice. The queen
+received him with great courtesy, and placed him next her at dinner, and
+the peers who had likewise been taken prisoners sat down to feast.
+
+The next day a council was held in the hall of the palace to consider
+the terms of peace. The king of Spain and his son were present also, and
+everyone said in turn what penalty the enemy should pay for having
+besieged their city and laid waste their cornfields. In the midst of
+this grave discussion a werwolf entered through the open door, and,
+trotting up to the Spanish king, he kissed his feet. Then he bowed to
+the queen and to William, and went away as he came.
+
+The sight of his tail disappearing through the door restored to the
+guards their courage, which had vanished in the presence of anything so
+unexpected. They sprang up to pursue him, but like a flash of lightning
+William flung himself in their path, crying, 'If any man dare to hurt
+that beast, I will do him to death with my own hands;' and, as they all
+knew that William meant what he said, they slunk back to their places.
+
+'Tell me, gracious king,' asked William when they were all seated afresh
+round the council table, 'why did the wolf bow to you more than to other
+men?'
+
+Then the king made answer that long ago his first wife had died, leaving
+him with a son, and that in a little while he had married again, and
+that his second wife had had a son also. One day when he came back from
+the wars she told him that his eldest son had been drowned, but he found
+out afterwards that she had changed him into a werwolf, so that her own
+child might succeed to the crown.
+
+'And I think,' he added, 'that this werwolf may be indeed the son I
+lost.'
+
+'It may right well be thus,' cried William, 'for he has the mind of a
+man, and of a wise man too. Often has he succoured me in my great need,
+and if your wife had skill to turn him into a werwolf her charms can
+make him a man again. Therefore, sire, neither you nor your people shall
+go hence out of prison till he has left his beast's shape behind him. So
+bid your queen come hither, and if she says you nay I will fetch her
+myself!'
+
+Then the king called one of his great lords, and he bade him haste to
+Spain and tell the queen what had befallen him, and to bring her with
+all speed to Palermo. Little as she liked the summons, the Spanish queen
+dared not refuse, and on her arrival she was led at once into the great
+hall, which was filled with a vast company, both of Spaniards and
+Sicilians. When all were assembled William fetched the werwolf from his
+chamber, where he had lain for nights and days, waiting till his
+stepmother should come.
+
+Together they entered the hall, but at the sight of the wicked woman who
+had done him such ill the wolf's bristles stood up on his back, and with
+a snarl that chilled the blood of all that heard it he sprang towards
+the dais. But, luckily, William was on the watch, and, flinging his arms
+round the wolf's neck, he held him back, saying in a whisper:
+
+[Illustration: THE FURY OF THE WER-WOLF]
+
+'My dear, sweet beast, trust to me as truly as to your own brother. I
+sent for her for your sake, and if she does not undo her evil spells
+I will have her body burned to coals, and her ashes scattered to the
+winds.'
+
+The wicked queen knew well what doom awaited her, and that she could
+resist no longer. Sinking on her knees before the wolf, she confessed
+the ill she had wrought, and added:
+
+'Sweet Alfonso, soon shall the people see your seemly face, and your
+body as it would have been but for me!' At that she led the wolf into a
+private chamber, and, drawing from her wallet a thread of red silk, she
+bound it round a ring she wore, which no witchcraft could prevail
+against. This ring she hung round the wolf's neck, and afterwards read
+him some rhymes out of a book. Then the werwolf looked at his body, and,
+behold, he was a man again!
+
+There were great rejoicings at the court of Palermo when prince Alfonso
+came among them once more. He forgave the queen for her wickedness, and
+rebuked his father for having stirred up such a wanton and bloody war.
+
+'Plague and famine would have preyed upon this land,' he said, 'had not
+this knight, whose real name is unknown to you, come to your aid. He is
+the rightful lord of this country, for he is the son of king Embrons and
+queen Felice, and I am the werwolf who carried him away, to save him
+from a cruel death that was planned for him by his own uncle!'
+
+So the tale ends and everyone was made happy. The werwolf, now prince
+Alfonso, married William's sister, and in due time ruled the kingdom of
+Spain, and William and Melior lived at Palermo till the emperor her
+father died, when the Romans offered him the crown in his stead.
+
+And if you want to know any more about them, you must read the story for
+yourselves.
+
+(Old Romance of _William of Palermo_.)
+
+
+
+
+THE SLAYING OF HALLGERDA'S HUSBANDS
+
+
+If any traveller had visited Iceland nearly a thousand years ago, he
+would have found the island full of busy, industrious people, who made
+the most of their short summer, and tilled the ground so well that they
+generally reaped a golden harvest. Many of the families were akin, and
+had fled some sixty years earlier from Norway and the islands of the sea
+because the king, Harald Fairhair, had introduced new laws, which
+displeased them. They were soon joined, for one reason and another, by
+dwellers in Orkney and Shetland and the Faroe Islands and the Hebrides,
+and, being men of one race, they easily adopted the same customs and
+obeyed the same laws.
+
+Now the Northmen had many good qualities and many very troublesome ones.
+The father of every household had absolute power over all his children;
+he fixed the amount of money that should be paid in exchange for his
+daughter at her marriage, and the sum that was due for the wounded slave
+or 'thrall' as he was called, or even for his murdered son; or, if he
+thought better, he could refuse to take any money at all as the price of
+his injuries, and could then avenge blood by blood.
+
+But once he had declared his purpose he was bound to abide by his word.
+
+Fond though they were of fighting, the Northmen had their own notions of
+fair dealing. If you had killed a man, you had to confess it; if you
+slew him at night, or when he was sleeping, you were guilty of murder,
+and if you refused to throw gravel or sand over his body, thus denying
+your enemy the rights of burial, you were considered a dastard even by
+your friends.
+
+[Illustration: HAUSKULD'S PRIDE IN HALLGERDA]
+
+Now in the valley or dale of the river Laxa dwelt two brothers, each in
+his own house. One was named Hauskuld, and the other Hrut. This Hrut was
+much younger than Hauskuld, and was handsome, brave, and, like so many
+of the Northmen, very gentle when not engaged in war. Like many of them
+also, the gift was given him of reading the future.
+
+One day Hauskuld made a feast, and Hrut came with many of his kinsmen,
+and took his place next his brother Hauskuld. They were all seated in
+the great hall of the house and near the fire Hauskuld's little
+daughter, Hallgerda, was playing with some other children. Fair and blue
+eyed were they all, but Hallgerda was taller and more beautiful than
+any, and her hair fell in long bright curls far below her waist. 'Come
+hither,' said Hauskuld, holding out his hand, and, taking her by the
+chin, he kissed her and bade her go back to her companions. Then,
+turning to his brother he asked:
+
+'Well, is she not fair to look upon?' but Hrut held his peace. Again
+Hauskuld would know what was in the thoughts of Hrut concerning the
+maiden, and this time Hrut made answer:
+
+'Of a truth fair is the maid, and great will be the havoc wrought by her
+among men. But one thing I would know, which of our race has given her
+those thief's eyes?'
+
+At that Hauskuld waxed wroth, and bade Hrut begone to his own house.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+After this some years went by. Hrut left Iceland and spent some time at
+the Court of Norway, and then he came back and married, and had much
+trouble with his wife, Unna. But after they had parted and she had gone
+back to her father, Hrut was a free man again, and he went to visit his
+brother Hauskuld, whose daughter Hallgerda had now become a woman. Tall
+and stately she was, and fair, but sly and greedy of gain, as in the
+days of her childhood, and more she loved Thiostolf, whose wife had
+brought her up, than Hauskuld her father, or Hrut her uncle.
+
+When Hallgerda went back to Hauskuld her father, he saw that he must be
+looking out for a husband for her, as the fame of her beauty would go
+far. It was indeed not long before one came to her, Thorwald, son of
+Oswif, who, besides the broad lands which he possessed on the island,
+owned the Bear Isles out in the sea, where fish were to be had in
+abundance.
+
+Oswif, Thorwald's father, knew more about the maiden than did Thorwald,
+who had been on a journey, and he tried to turn his son's thought to
+some other damsel, but Thorwald only answered, 'Whatever you may say,
+she is the only woman I will marry;' and Oswif made reply, 'Well, after
+all, the risk is yours and not mine.'
+
+So they two set out for Hauskuld's house and he bade them welcome
+heartily. They wasted no time before telling him their business, and
+Hauskuld answered that for his part he could desire no more honourable
+match for his daughter, but he would not hide from them that her temper
+was hard and cruel.
+
+'That shall not stand between us,' said Thorwald, 'so tell me what I
+shall pay for her.'
+
+And the bargain was made, and Thorwald rode home with his father, but
+Hallgerda was never asked if she wished to wed Thorwald or not.
+
+When Hauskuld told his daughter that she was to be married to Thorwald,
+she was not pleased, and said that if her father had loved her as much
+as he pretended to do he would have consulted her in such a matter.
+Besides, she did not think that the match was in any way worthy of her.
+
+But, grumble as she might, there was no getting out of it, and, as
+Hauskuld would listen to nothing, she sought for her foster-father,
+Thiostolf, who never had been known to say her nay. When she had told
+her story, he bade her be of good cheer, prophesying that Thorwald
+should not be her only husband, and that if she was not happy she had
+only to come to him and he would do her bidding, be it what it might,
+save as regarded Hauskuld and Hrut.
+
+Then Hallgerda was comforted, and went home to prepare the bridal feast,
+to which all their friends and kinsfolk were bidden. And when the
+marriage was over, she rode home with her husband Thorwald, and
+Thiostolf her foster-father was ever at her side, and she talked more to
+him than to Thorwald. And there he stayed all the winter.
+
+Now, as time went on, Thorwald began to repent that he had not hearkened
+to the words of his father. His wife paid him scant attention, and she
+wasted his goods, and was noted among all the women of the dales for her
+skill in driving a hard bargain. And, beyond all that, folk whispered
+that she was not careful to ask whether the things she took were her own
+or someone else's. This irked Thorwald sore; but worse was to follow.
+The spring came late that year, and Hallgerda told Thorwald that the
+storehouse was empty of meat and fish, and he must go out to the Bear
+Isles and fetch some more. At this Thorwald reproached her, saying that
+it was her fault if garners were not yet full, and on Hallgerda's
+taunting him with being a miser, struck her such a blow in the face that
+blood spouted, and when he left her to row with his men to the islands,
+Hallgerda sat still, vowing vengeance.
+
+It was not long in coming. Soon after, Thiostolf chanced to pass that
+way, and, seeing the blood on her face, asked whence it sprang.
+
+'From the hand of my husband Thorwald,' answered she, and reproached
+Thiostolf for suffering such dealings.
+
+[Illustration: HOW THORWALD WAS SLAIN BY THIOSTOLF]
+
+'I knew not of it,' said Thiostolf, 'but I will avenge it speedily;' and
+he went to the shore, and put off in a boat, taking nothing but a great
+axe with him. He found Thorwald and his men on the beach of the biggest
+island, loading his vessel with meat and fish from the storehouses. Then
+he began to pick a quarrel with Thorwald and spoke words that vexed
+him more and more, till Thorwald bent forward to seize a knife which lay
+near him. This was the moment for which the other had been waiting. He
+lifted his axe and gave a blow at Hallgerda's husband, and, though
+Thorwald tried to defend himself, a second stroke clove his skull.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+'Your axe is bloody,' said Hallgerda, who was standing outside the door.
+
+'Yes; and _this_ time you can choose your own husband,' answered
+Thiostolf; but Hallgerda only asked calmly:
+
+'So Thorwald is dead?' and as Thiostolf nodded she went on: 'You must go
+northward, to Swan my kinsman; he will hide you from your enemies.'
+
+After that she unlocked her chests and dismissed her maidens with gifts;
+then she mounted her horse and rode home to her father.
+
+'Where is Thorwald?' asked Hrut, who had heard nothing.
+
+'He is dead,' answered Hallgerda.
+
+'By the hand of Thiostolf?' said her father.
+
+'By his hand, and by that of no other;' and Hallgerda passed by them and
+entered the house.
+
+As soon as Oswif, Thorwald's father, had heard the tidings, he guessed
+that Thiostolf must have gone northward to Swan, and calling his men
+round him they all rode to the Bearfirth. But before they were in sight
+Swan cried to Thiostolf, 'Oswif is coming, but we need fear nothing,
+they will never see us,' and he took a goatskin and wrapped it round his
+head, and said to it: 'Be thou darkness and fog, and fright and wonder,
+to those who seek us.' And immediately a thick fog and black darkness
+fell over all things, and Oswif and his men lost their way, and tumbled
+off their horses and tripped over large stones, till Oswif resolved to
+give up seeking Thiostolf and Swan, and to go himself to Hauskuld.
+
+Now Hauskuld was abiding at home, and with him was Hrut his brother.
+Oswif got off his horse, and, throwing its bridle over a stake driven
+into the ground, he said to Hauskuld: 'I have come to ask atonement for
+my son's life.'
+
+'It was not I who slew your son,' answered Hauskuld; 'but as he is
+slain, it is just that you should seek atonement from somebody.'
+
+'You have much need to give him what he asks,' said Hrut, 'for it is not
+well that evil tongues should be busy with your daughter's name.'
+
+'Then give the judgment yourself,' replied Hauskuld.
+
+'That will I do, in truth,' said Hrut; 'and be sure that I will not
+spare you, as I know it was Hallgerda wrought his death;' so he offered
+his hand to Oswif, as a token that his award would be accepted, and that
+at the Great Council of the nation he would not summon Hauskuld for
+Thorwald's murder. And Oswif took his hand, and Hauskuld's, and Hrut
+bade his brother pay down two hundred pounds in silver to Oswif, while
+he himself gave him a stout cloak. And Oswif went away well pleased with
+the award.
+
+For some time Hallgerda dwelt in her father's house, and she brought
+with her a share of Thorwald's goods, and was very rich. But men kept
+away from her, having heard tales of her evil ways. At length Glum, the
+youngest son of Olaf the Lame, told his brother that he would go no more
+trading in strange lands, but would remain at home, and meant to take to
+himself a wife, if the one on whom he had set his heart would come to
+him.
+
+So one day a company of the men, with Glum and Thorarin his brother at
+their head, rode into the Dales to the door of Hauskuld's dwelling.
+Hauskuld greeted them heartily and begged them to stay all night,
+sending secretly for Hrut, whose counsel he always asked when any matter
+of importance was talked over.
+
+'Do you know what they want?' said Hrut next morning, when his brother
+met him on the road.
+
+'No,' replied Hauskuld, 'they have not spoken to me of any business.'
+
+'Then I will tell you,' answered Hrut. 'They have come to ask Hallgerda
+in marriage.'
+
+'And what shall I do?' said Hauskuld.
+
+'Tell them you would like the match,' replied Hrut, 'but hide nothing.
+Let them know all there is of good and evil concerning her.'
+
+They reached the house as he spoke, and the guests came out, and
+Thorarin opened his business by entreating Hauskuld to give his daughter
+Hallgerda to Glum his brother. 'You know,' he added, 'that he is rich
+and strong, and thought well of by all men.'
+
+'Yes, I know that,' answered Hauskuld; 'but once before I chose a
+husband for my daughter, and matters turned out ill for all of us.'
+
+'That will be no hindrance,' replied Thorarin, 'for the lot of one man
+is not the lot of all men. And things might have fared better had it not
+been for the meddling of Thiostolf.'
+
+'You speak truth,' said Hrut, who had listened to their talk in silence;
+'and the marriage may yet turn out well if you will do as I tell you.
+See that you suffer not Thiostolf to ride with her to Glum's house, and
+that he never sleeps in the house for more than three nights running,
+without Glum's leave, on pain of outlawry and death by Glum himself. And
+if Glum will hearken to my counsel, leave to stay he will never give.
+But it is time to let Hallgerda know of the matter, and she shall say
+whether Glum is to her mind.'
+
+And Thorarin agreed, and Hauskuld sent to summon his daughter.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Now, though nothing had been said to Hallgerda as to the business which
+brought all these men to her father's house, perhaps she may have
+guessed something, for when she appeared she was attended by her two
+women, and clad in her festal garments. She wore a dress of scarlet,
+girdled by a silver belt, and over it a mantle of soft dark blue, while
+her thick yellow hair was unbound, and fell almost to her knees. She
+smiled and spoke kindly to the visitors, then sat herself down between
+her father and uncle. After that Glum spoke.
+
+'Your father and Thorarin my brother have had talk about a marriage
+betwixt you and me, Hallgerda. Is it your will, as it is theirs? Tell me
+all that is in your heart. For, if you like me not, I will straightway
+ride back again.'
+
+'The match is to my liking,' answered Hallgerda, 'and better suited to
+my condition than what my father made for me before. And you are to my
+liking also, if our tempers do not fall out.'
+
+'Let Hallgerda betroth herself,' said Hrut, when they had told her what
+terms had been arranged, and that Glum should bring goods or money to an
+equal value to Hallgerda's, and that they two should divide the whole.
+
+After that the betrothal ceremony took place, and Glum went away, and
+returned no more till his wedding.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+There was a great company in Hauskuld's hall to witness Hallgerda's
+marriage, and when the feast began Thiostolf might have been seen
+stalking about holding his axe aloft; but, as the guests pretended not
+to know he was there, no harm came of it.
+
+For some time Glum and his wife lived happily together, though Hallgerda
+proved herself the same greedy yet wasteful woman she had been before.
+At the end of a year a daughter was born to her, whom she named
+Thorgerda, and the child grew up to be as beautiful as her mother. But
+by-and-by trouble came to them through Thiostolf, who had been driven
+away by Hauskuld for beating one of his thralls. Thiostolf vowed
+vengeance in his heart, and rode south to Glum's house.
+
+Hallgerda was pleased to see him, but when she heard his tale she said
+she could not give him shelter without the consent of Glum. So when her
+husband came in she ran quickly to greet him, and, putting her arms
+round his neck, she asked if he would agree to something she wished very
+much.
+
+'If it is anything I can do in honour,' answered Glum, 'do it I will of
+a surety.'
+
+Then she told him how her father had cast out Thiostolf, and that he had
+come to her for shelter, and she wished him to remain, if it was Glum's
+will. And Glum answered that, if she wished it greatly, Thiostolf should
+remain, unless he betook himself to evil courses.
+
+For a while Thiostolf went warily, and no fault did Glum find with him;
+then he fell to marring everything, as he had done in Thorwald's time,
+and to no one would he listen save to Hallgerda only. In vain Thorarin
+warned Glum that things would have an ill ending, but Glum only smiled,
+and let Hallgerda have her way.
+
+When autumn came, and the days grew short and cold, the men went to
+bring their flocks home from the pastures where they had been feeding
+all the summer. It was hard work, for the sheep often strayed far, and,
+besides, the flocks got mixed up, and needed to be separated one from
+the other. One day, when the shepherds had brought tidings that many of
+Glum's sheep were missing, Glum bade Thiostolf go into the hills and see
+if he could find those that were lost.
+
+But Thiostolf grew angry, and answered rudely:
+
+'I am not your slave, and it is not my work to bring in sheep. If you
+mean to go yourself, perhaps I will consent to go with you.'
+
+At this Glum was greatly angered, and, seeking Hallgerda, he told her
+what had happened, adding as he did so:
+
+'I will not have Thiostolf here any longer.'
+
+Then Hallgerda waxed very wrathful, and she upheld Thiostolf in his ill
+doing.
+
+At last the patience of Glum gave way, and he struck her a blow in the
+face, and crying, 'Words are wasted on you,' went off to his own
+business. Hallgerda, who loved him much in spite of her unruly tongue,
+wept bitterly at the thought of what had happened, and, as evil fate
+would have it, Thiostolf heard her, and saw the red mark across her
+cheek.
+
+'It shall not be there again,' he said, but Hallgerda answered:
+
+'It is not for you to come between Glum and me.'
+
+When he heard this, Thiostolf only smiled and said nothing, but got
+ready to go with Glum and his men, to seek after the sheep. After long
+searchings they found many of those that were missing, and he sent some
+of his men one way and some another, till at length by chance he and
+Thiostolf were left alone. They soon came upon a flock of wild sheep,
+and tried to drive them down the steep side of a hill towards Glum's
+house, but it was of no use, and as fast as the sheep were collected
+together they all scattered again. Very soon, Glum and Thiostolf grew
+tired and ill-tempered, and each told the other he was stupid and lazy.
+At length, Glum taunted Thiostolf with being a thrall, and from that
+blows quickly followed. Both men drew their axes, but Thiostolf struck
+so hard at Glum that he rolled dead upon the ground.
+
+At the sight of Glum lying dead at his feet, Thiostolf's wrath cooled
+somewhat. He stooped and covered Glum's body with stones, and took a
+gold ring from his finger. After that he took the road back to Varmalek,
+and found Hallgerda sitting in front of the door. Her eyes fell
+instantly on the bloody axe, and Thiostolf saw this and said hastily:
+
+'Glum, your husband, is slain.'
+
+[Illustration: THIOSTOLF DECIDES TO SLAY GLUM]
+
+'Then it is by your hand,' she answered.
+
+'Yes, it is,' said Thiostolf, and added after a moment's pause: 'What is
+best to be done now?'
+
+'Go to Hrut, and ask him,' replied Hallgerda, and Thiostolf went.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+'Glum is slain' said Thiostolf to Hrut, who had come down to the door in
+answer to Thiostolf's knock.
+
+'Who slew him?' asked Hrut.
+
+'I slew him,' answered Thiostolf.
+
+'Why did you come here?' asked Hrut again.
+
+'Because Hallgerda sent me,' answered Thiostolf.
+
+'Then Hallgerda had no part in his slaying,' said Hrut, with a sound of
+relief in his voice; but as he spoke he drew his sword, which Thiostolf
+saw, and thrust at Hrut with his axe. Hrut, too, saw, and sprang quickly
+aside, knocking up as he did so the handle of the axe, so that it fell
+full on the ground. Turning himself swiftly, Hrut dealt Thiostolf a blow
+which brought him to his knees, and a stab in the heart finished the
+work.
+
+After that Hrut's house-carles laid stones on Thiostolf's body, while he
+himself rode away to tell Hauskuld all that had befallen. And soon after
+Thorarin, Glum's brother, came there too, with eleven men at his back.
+He asked Hauskuld what atonement he would make for Glum, but Hauskuld
+answered that it was neither he nor his daughter who had slain Glum, and
+that Hrut had avenged himself on Thiostolf. To this Thorarin said
+nothing, but Hrut offered to give him gifts, and so peace lay between
+them.
+
+Now, Hrut's wife, Unna, was of kin to two brothers, Gunnar and Kolskegg.
+Both were tall, brave men, but there was not Gunnar's like in all the
+country round for beauty, and for skill in shooting, jumping, and
+swimming. And, besides this, he was beautiful and gentle, faithful to
+the friends he made, but not making them readily. His chief friend was
+Njal, from whom he ever sought counsel, for Njal was a wise man and
+could see far into the future.
+
+Having a mind to see something of the world, Gunnar set sail for Norway,
+where he stayed some time, and had many adventures. It was early in the
+summer when he and Kolskegg sailed home to Iceland, where men were
+assembling for the great Council, or Thing.
+
+Gunnar's first act was to ride off to Njal's house, and Gunnar asked if
+he would be present at the Thing. 'No, truly,' answered Njal; 'stay you
+at home or bad will come of it.'
+
+And Gunnar! What evil was likely to befall him, who wished to live at
+peace with everyone? But Njal only shook his head and said slowly:
+
+'I remain in my own house, and if I had my way you should do so also.'
+
+But Gunnar would not listen, and rode straight off to the Thing.
+
+What happened to him when he got there will be told in another story.
+
+(_Saga_)
+
+
+
+
+_THE DEATH OF GUNNAR_
+
+
+Now of all the men gathered together at the Thing of the year 974, no
+man was handsomer or more splendidly clad than Gunnar. He was arrayed in
+the scarlet raiment given him by King Harald, and he bore on his arm a
+gold ring, given him by Hacon the Earl, and the horse he rode had a
+shining black skin.
+
+A brave figure he made one morning as he left the Hill of Laws and
+passed out beyond the tents of the men of Mossfell. And as he went there
+came to meet him a woman whose dress was no less rich than his. She
+stopped as he drew near, and told him that she was Hallgerda, Hauskuld's
+daughter, and that she knew well that he was Gunnar the traveller, and
+she wished to hear some of the wonders of the lands beyond the seas. So
+he sat down, and they two talked together for long, and they agreed
+well, and became friends. After a while he asked her if she had a
+husband.
+
+'No,' she replied; men feared her, for they held that she brought them
+ill-luck; but at that Gunnar laughed, and said, 'What would you answer
+if I asked you to marry me?'
+
+'Are you jesting?' said Hallgerda.
+
+'No, of a sooth,' replied Gunnar.
+
+'Then go and see what my father has to say to it,' answered Hallgerda,
+and Gunnar went.
+
+Hauskuld was inside his booth when Gunnar arrived. Hrut was there
+likewise, and bade him welcome. For a while the talk ran upon the
+business of the Thing, and then Gunnar turned and asked what answer
+Hauskuld would give if he offered to lay down money for Hallgerda.
+
+'What do you say, Hrut?' inquired Hauskuld.
+
+'It ought not to be,' replied Hrut. 'No man has aught but good to say of
+you; no man has aught but ill to say of her. And this I must not hide
+from you.'
+
+'I thank you for your plain speech,' said Gunnar; 'but my soul is still
+set on wedding Hallgerda. And we have spoken together, and are agreed in
+this matter.'
+
+But though Hrut knew that his words were vain, he told Gunnar all that
+had happened in respect of Hallgerda and her two husbands. And Gunnar
+weighed it for a while, and then he said, 'You know the saying,
+"Forewarned is forearmed." Doubtless it is true, all that you have told
+of Hallgerda, but I am strong, and have travelled far, and if we can
+make a bargain, so shall it be.'
+
+So a messenger was sent for Hallgerda, and she betrothed herself, as she
+had done to Glum, and after that Gunnar rode over to Njal, and told him
+what things had happened.
+
+'Evil will come of it betwixt you and me,' said Njal sadly.
+
+'No woman, or man either, shall ever work ill between us,' answered
+Gunnar, who loved Njal more than his own father.
+
+'She works ill wherever she goes,' replied Njal, 'and you will never
+cease making atonements for her;' but he said no more, for he was a wise
+man and wasted no words, and when Gunnar asked him to come to the
+wedding feast he gave his promise that he would be there.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The winter after Gunnar's wedding, he and Hallgerda were bidden to a
+great feast at Njal's house. Njal and his wife greeted them heartily,
+and by-and-by Helgi, Njal's son, came, and with him Thorhalla his wife.
+Then Bergthora, Njal's wife, went up to Hallgerda, and said, 'Give place
+to Thorhalla,' but Hallgerda would not, and she fell to quarrelling with
+Bergthora, and at last Bergthora taunted Hallgerda with having plotted
+to do Thorwald her husband to death. At that Hallgerda turned and said
+to Gunnar: 'It is nothing to be married to the strongest man in Iceland,
+if you avenge not these insults, Gunnar.'
+
+But Gunnar cried that he would take no part in women's quarrels, least
+of all in Njal's house, and bade Hallgerda come home with him.
+
+'We shall meet again, Bergthora,' said Hallgerda as she mounted the
+sleigh. Then they rode back to Lithend and spent the rest of the winter
+there.
+
+When the spring came, Gunnar went to the Thing, bidding Hallgerda take
+heed, and to give no cause of offence to his friends. But she would give
+no promise, and he set forth with a heavy heart.
+
+By ill-fortune, Njal and Gunnar owned a wood between them, and when Njal
+and his sons departed to the Thing, Bergthora, Njal's wife, ordered
+Swart her servant to cut her some branches for kindling fires from this
+very forest. These tidings reached the ears of Hallgerda, and she
+muttered with a grim face, 'It is the last time that Swart shall steal
+my wood,' and bade Kol, her bailiff, start early next morning and seek
+Swart.
+
+'And when I find him?' asked Kol; but Hallgerda only turned away
+angrily.
+
+'You, the worst of men, ask that?' said she. 'Why, you shall kill him,
+of course.'
+
+So Kol took his axe, though he was ill at ease, for he knew that evil
+would come of it, and he mounted one of Gunnar's horses and fared to the
+wood.
+
+He soon saw Swart and his men piling up bundles of firewood, so he left
+his horse in a hollow, and crouched down behind some bushes, till he
+heard Swart bid the men carry the wood to Njal's house, as he himself
+had more work to do. He began to look about for a tall straight young
+stem with which to make himself a bow, when Kol sprang out of the bushes
+and dealt Swart such a stroke with his axe that he fell dead without a
+word. After that Kol went back and told Hallgerda.
+
+And Hallgerda spoke cheering words, and said he need have no fear, for
+that she would protect him; but Kol's heart was heavy.
+
+Now Hallgerda had forced Kol to slay Swart, to bring about a quarrel
+between her husband and Njal, so she straightway sent a messenger to
+seek Gunnar at the Thing, and tell him what had befallen Swart. Gunnar
+listened in silence to the messenger's tale; then he called his men
+around him, and they all went to Njal's tent, and begged him to come out
+and speak to Gunnar.
+
+'Swart, your house servant has been killed by Hallgerda and Kol her
+man,' said Gunnar gravely when Njal stood before him; and he told the
+tale as he had heard it from the messenger.
+
+'It is for you, Njal, to fix the atonement,' he said at the end.
+
+'You will have work to atone for all Hallgerda's misdoings,' answered
+Njal, 'and it will take all our old friendship to keep us from
+quarrelling now. But I have it in mind that at the last you shall win
+through, but after hard fighting. As to the atonement, as you are my
+friend and have no hand in this, I will fix it at twelve ounces of
+silver. And if it should come to be your turn to settle an award, I
+shall not expect to pay more than that.'
+
+So Gunnar laid down the money and gave it to Bergthora his wife when he
+came home with his sons from the Thing. And Bergthora was content, but
+said to her husband that it should not be spent, as it would some day do
+to make atonement for Kol.
+
+Although Hallgerda met her husband bravely and answered him boldly, in
+secret she trembled a little at his stern face and sharp words, as he
+told her that she was to remember that whatever quarrels she might
+choose to begin, the ending of them would always lie with him. But she
+pretended not to care, and went out among her neighbours as usual,
+telling all who would listen the tale of the killing of Swart. At length
+this reached the ears of Bergthora, and she was sore angered, but bided
+her time in silence.
+
+When Njal and his sons went up to the pastures to see after the cattle,
+and the thralls were busy working in the fields, Bergthora the mistress
+was left alone in the house. On this day a man mounted on a black horse
+and armed with a spear and a short sword rode up to the door and asked
+her if she could find something for him to do. He was skilled in many
+things, he said, but his temper was hot, and had oftentimes been his
+bane.
+
+'I will give you work,' answered Bergthora, 'but you must do whatever I
+bid you, even though it should be to slay a man.'
+
+'You have plenty of other men whom you can better trust on such
+business,' replied the man, as if he repented of his bargain; but
+Bergthora only told him that she expected her servants to do as they
+were bid, and sent the man to put his horse in the stable.
+
+During that summer another Thing was held and Njal and his sons went to
+it, and likewise Gunnar. But Bergthora was left alone in the house with
+her servants.
+
+Then she called Atli, the new man, and bade him seek out Kol, that he
+might slay him, so Atli took his horse and his sword and spear and
+departed.
+
+He found Kol in the place where some men had shown him, and he spoke to
+Kol civilly, but only received rude tones in answer. So, without more
+ado, Atli thrust at him, and Kol, though wounded, swung his axe above
+his head; but his eyes had grown dim, and he could not see to aim, and
+he fell to the ground and rolled over.
+
+Atli left the body where it was, and rode on till he came to some of
+Gunnar's men, and bade them go and tell Hallgerda that Kol was dead.
+
+'Did you kill him?' asked the man.
+
+'Well, I don't expect Hallgerda will think that he dealt his own
+death-blow,' answered Atli; and with that he rode back to Bergthora, who
+praised him for the swiftness with which he had done her bidding. But
+Atli did not seem content, and at last he said:
+
+'What will Njal think?'
+
+'Oh, never fear him,' replied Bergthora, 'for he took with him the money
+of the atonement for the slaying of Swart, and now he can pay it over
+for Kol. But in spite of the atonement, beware of Hallgerda, who knows
+nought of promises.'
+
+When Hallgerda heard of Kol's slaying, she bade a messenger ride to
+Gunnar at the Thing, and Gunnar sent to seek out Njal and Skarphedinn
+his son. They came to his tent, and he greeted them, and then Njal said
+that Bergthora his wife had done great wrong in breaking the atonement,
+and that Gunnar must now fix the award for Kol.
+
+'Let it be the same as that which I paid for Swart,' said Gunnar; and
+Njal laid down the money and they parted, and no ill blood was between
+them, though their wives were still resolved to do each other all the
+ill they could.
+
+Njal was too wise a man not to know that Hallgerda would seek revenge on
+Atli for the slaying of Kol, and he begged Atli would take service far
+away to the east, so that Hallgerda might not reach him. But Atli told
+Njal that he would sooner be slain in his service than live free in the
+service of another master, and he would gladly stay where he was if Njal
+would grant him the atonement due to a free man.
+
+This Njal granted, and Atli remained in his house.
+
+Hallgerda soon came to know what had happened, and she sent messengers
+both to Bergthora and to Gunnar at the Thing to tell them about it.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+'Hallgerda my wife has caused Atli to be slain!' said Gunnar to Njal and
+to Skarphedinn his son. 'What atonement must I make for him?'
+
+'The atonement will be heavy, for he was no thrall, but a freeman, and I
+fear it may cause strife between us,' replied Njal; but Gunnar stretched
+out his hand and said that no woman should sow strife betwixt him and
+Njal. Then Njal fixed a hundred ounces of silver, and Gunnar laid it
+down before him.
+
+'Hallgerda does not let our servants die of old age,' said Skarphedinn,
+as they rode home from the Thing.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Now the words came true, that Gunnar had spoken, and 'blow for blow'
+grew to be the rule between Hallgerda and Bergthora; but for all that
+there was no quarrel between Njal and Gunnar.
+
+So the years went by, and many Things had been held, and much
+blood-money had been paid, when one spring there was a great dearth of
+hay throughout all Iceland, and much cattle died. Gunnar, who was wise
+as well as rich, had seen what was coming and had laid up stores of both
+dried meat and of hay. As long as they lasted, he shared them with his
+neighbours, but when his barns were empty he called Kolskegg his brother
+and two of his friends, and they all fared to Kirkby, where dwelt Otkell
+the son of Skarf.
+
+This Otkell owned many flocks and herds and wide pastures, and Gunnar
+hoped that his barns might yet be full.
+
+'I have come to buy meat and hay, if there is any in your storehouses,
+for mine are empty!' said Gunnar.
+
+'I have yet many storehouses untouched,' answered Otkell, 'but I will
+sell you nothing.'
+
+'Will you give me them, then?' asked Gunnar, 'and I will pay you back
+some time in what you will.'
+
+'I will neither give nor sell,' said Otkell.
+
+'Let us take what we want and leave the money,' said Thrain, who had
+come with Gunnar, but Gunnar answered: 'I am no robber!' and was turning
+to go when Otkell stopped him.
+
+'Will you buy a thrall from me? He is a good thrall,' said Otkell, 'but
+I have no need of him.'
+
+And Gunnar bought the thrall, and they all went home to Lithend
+together.
+
+When Njal heard that Otkell would not sell to Gunnar, he was very wroth
+and rode up into the hills with all his sons, and took meat from his
+storehouses and bound it upon five horses, and hay from his barns and
+bound it upon ten horses, and they drove them all to Lithend, which was
+Gunnar's house.
+
+'Never ask another man for aught when you can ask me,' said Njal, and
+Gunnar answered:
+
+'Your gifts are great, but truly your love is greater.'
+
+In a few weeks the summer began, and, as was his custom, Gunnar rode to
+the Thing, leaving Hallgerda in the house at Lithend.
+
+The day after he had ridden away with his men Hallgerda sent for Malcolm
+the thrall, and said to him:
+
+'I have somewhat for you to do! Take with you two horses besides the one
+you ride, and go to Kirkby and steal meat enough to load the two horses,
+and butter and cheese as well. But take heed, when all is done, to set
+the storehouses on fire, so that none can trace that the goods have
+vanished.'
+
+Malcolm the thrall lifted his head and looked at her.
+
+'I have never been a thief, in spite of all my ill-deeds,' said he.
+
+But Hallgerda only laughed and made sport of him.
+
+'Do you think men have kept silent about your misdeeds?' she asked.
+'Hie hence when I bid you, or you shall not see the new moon rise!'
+
+And Malcolm the thrall knew that she spoke no jesting words, and he did
+her bidding; and none would have known of the thing had he not dropped
+his knife when he was trying to mend the thong of his shoe, and his belt
+also.
+
+A few days after that Gunnar and his men returned home, and many guests
+with him. The table was set by Hallgerda herself, and besides meat there
+were also great cheeses and jars of butter. Well Gunnar knew that Njal
+had not sent these, and he asked Hallgerda whence they came.
+
+'It beseems a man to eat what is before him and not to trouble himself
+further,' answered Hallgerda; but Gunnar cried out:
+
+'I will have no part in food that is ill come by,' and with that he gave
+her a buffet on the cheek.
+
+'I shall remember that,' said Hallgerda, and she got up and went out.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The next morning, Skamkell, Otkell's friend, was riding to bring in some
+sheep, when he saw something bright on the side of the path. He got off
+his horse to see what it was, and found the belt and knife which Malcolm
+had dropped, and he took them straight to Kirkby.
+
+'Did you ever see these things before?' asked Skamkell.
+
+'Yes, often,' answered Otkell; 'they are the knife and belt of Malcolm
+the thrall. And they asked many men the same question, and they all knew
+them likewise. Then they went toward Mord the son of Valgard and took
+counsel with him, how to charge Gunnar's thrall with the theft and the
+burning; for they feared Gunnar, the mighty man of war. At last, for
+three silver marks Mord agreed to give them his help, and bade them
+follow out his plan.
+
+It was this. That they should send women over the country with goods of
+housekeeping use, and mark what was given them in exchange. 'Take heed
+that you note carefully,' said Mord, 'because no man will keep in his
+house the things that he has stolen, if he has a chance of getting rid
+of them. Set therefore apart whatever you get from each house, and bring
+it to me.'
+
+And it was done exactly as Mord commanded, and in fourteen days the
+women came back, all bearing large bundles.
+
+'Who gave you the most?' asked Mord, and one woman answered:
+
+'Hallgerda, the wife of Gunnar; she gave us a cheese cut into great
+slices.'
+
+'I will keep that cheese,' said Mord.
+
+When the women had gone, Mord rode away to Otkell's farm, and bade him
+fetch the cheese-mould of Thorgerda his wife. And when it was brought,
+Mord took the slices and laid them in it, and they filled up the mould.
+
+After this they all saw that Hallgerda had stolen the cheese, and, now
+that Mord had found the thief, he went back to his own house.
+
+The tidings soon spread far and wide, and reached the ears of Kolskegg,
+who rode over to Lithend, so that he might speak with Gunnar.
+
+'Know you that it is said by every man that it was Hallgerda who caused
+the fire at Kirkby, that she might steal the cheese and butter?' asked
+he.
+
+'I have thought before that it must be so, but how can I set it right?'
+answered Gunnar.
+
+'You must make atonement to Otkell, and it is better there should be no
+delay,' replied Kolskegg.
+
+'I will do your bidding,' said Gunnar; and, mounting his horse, he took
+eleven with him, beside Thrain and Lambi his friends, and they all fared
+to Kirkby. There, Otkell came out to greet them, and with him were
+Skamkell and two other men, Hallkell and Hallbjorm.
+
+'I am here,' said Gunnar, 'to offer atonement for the misdeed of my wife
+and the thrall you sold me, for it was they who caused the fire and
+stole the cheeses. And, if it pleases you, let the award be fixed by the
+best of the men round!'
+
+'That sounds fairer than it is, Gunnar,' put in Skamkell, 'for you are a
+man of many things, whereas Otkell has few.'
+
+'Well,' said Gunnar, 'then I will offer atonement of twice the value of
+all that Otkell lost;' but again it was Skamkell and not Otkell who
+replied:
+
+'Beware, Otkell, of giving him the right of making the award when it
+belongs to you.'
+
+And Otkell answered: 'I will fix the award myself, Gunnar.'
+
+'Then fix it,' said Gunnar, who was waxing wroth at this delay; but once
+more Otkell turned to Skamkell, and asked what he should answer.
+
+'Let the award be made by Gizur the white and Geir the priest,' and this
+saying pleased Otkell.
+
+'Do you as you will,' replied Gunnar, 'but do not think that men will
+speak well of your refusing the choices that I gave you.'
+
+And after that he rode home with his men.
+
+Then Hallbjorm spoke to Otkell, saying: 'Ill was it to refuse the offers
+of Gunnar, which were good offers, as you know well. Can it be that you
+think yourself a match for Gunnar in fight, when he has proved himself
+better than any man in the island? But go and see Gizur the white and
+Geir the priest at once, and see if the offers of Gunnar do not seem
+good to them! For he is a just and gentle-hearted man, and perchance he
+will still hearken to you, if you accept them.'
+
+So Otkell, who ever listened to the last speaker, bade, them bring out
+his horse and set forth, Skamkell walking by his side. In a little
+while, when they had gone a mile or two, Skamkell said: 'You have much
+to look to at Kirkby, and no one but yourself can see after the men. Get
+home, therefore, and let me ride to Gizur the white and Geir the priest
+instead of you.'
+
+'Go, then,' answered Otkell, who was lazy and never took the trouble to
+think for himself; 'but see you do not tell them lies, as you are wont
+to do.'
+
+'I will lie no more than I can help, master,' answered Skamkell, jumping
+on Otkell's horse.
+
+Otkell fared home and found Hallbjorm in front of the house.
+
+'Has anything befallen you that you have returned on foot?' asked he;
+and Otkell, who feared him, said hurriedly:
+
+'I had many men to look over, and much work to do, so I sent Skamkell in
+my stead,' But Hallbjorm held his peace and eyed him scornfully.
+
+'He who makes a thrall his friend rues it ever more,' he answered at
+last. 'And it is ill done when men's lives are at stake to send the
+biggest liar in Iceland on such an errand.'
+
+'If you are afraid now, what would you be if Gunnar's bill were
+singing,' asked Otkell, who was always brave when there were none to
+slay, and whose courage always waxed great when there were none to
+fight.
+
+Hallbjorm laughed as he heard him.
+
+'Who can tell who will fear most at the sound of that singing? But this
+you know well, that when the fight has begun Gunnar does not give his
+bill much time to sing!'
+
+Now when Skamkell reached Mossfell, he told truly to Gizur the white the
+offers Gunnar had made.
+
+'Why did not Otkell accept them?' asked Gizur, 'they were generous and
+noble, as Gunnar's offers are.'
+
+'Otkell wished to do you honour,' replied Skamkell; but Gizur for all
+answer bade Geir the priest be sent for, and next morning, as soon as
+he arrived, Gizur told him the story, and after he had finished he said:
+
+'Let Skamkell tell it again, for I misdoubt him greatly.'
+
+So Skamkell was called in, but he was wary, and he told his tale the
+second time as he had done the first, and though Gizur still misdoubted
+him he could find no fault.
+
+'Mayhap you speak the truth,' he said; 'but I know the wickedness of
+your deeds, and if you die in your bed your face belies you.'
+
+And after a little more talking Skamkell rode home to Kirkby.
+
+'Gizur and Geir greet you,' said Skamkell, 'and they wish that this
+matter should have a peaceful ending. They will that Gunnar shall be
+summoned as having received and eaten the goods, likewise Hallgerda for
+stealing them!'
+
+So Otkell followed this counsel, and five days before the opening of the
+Althing he rode with his brother and Skamkell and a great following to
+Lithend.
+
+When Gunnar heard what errand they were on, he was very wroth, and after
+Otkell had read the summons, and departed with his men, he went away to
+seek Njal.
+
+But Njal told him not to trouble, as before the Thing was over he should
+be held in greater honour than before.
+
+Gizur the white rode to the Thing also, and he spoke to Otkell, and
+asked why he had summoned Gunnar to the Thing. Otkell listened in amaze
+and then answered that he had done so because of the counsel that Gizur
+himself and Geir the priest had told Skamkell.
+
+'He lied, then,' replied Gizur; 'we gave no such counsel;' and Gunnar
+and his friends were called, and Gizur stood forth and bade Gunnar make
+his own award. At first Gunnar refused, but at length, after Gizur and
+Geir the priest swore that what Skamkell had said was false, he agreed
+to do it. And his award was this: that atonement in full should be made
+for the burnt storehouses and for the stolen food. 'But for the thrall,'
+said Gunnar, 'I will give nothing, for you knew what he was when you
+sold him to me. Therefore I will restore him to you. On the other hand,
+the ill-words which you have spoken of me, and the way in which you
+sought to put me to shame, I count to be worth full as great an
+atonement as the burning of a few sheds, of the stealing of a few
+cheeses. So that for money we stand equal. One thing more I would say,
+Beware lest you seek again to do me evil.'
+
+So spake Gunnar, and no man said him nay. But after a little Gizur asked
+that Gunnar might forgive the wrongs Otkell had done him, and hold him
+his friend. At this Gunnar laughed out in scorn and answered:
+
+'Let Skamkell be his friend. It is to him Otkell looks for counsel. They
+are fitting mates. But one piece of counsel I will give him, and that is
+to take shelter with his kinsfolk, for if he stays in this country his
+end will be speedy.'
+
+For a while Gunnar rested in peace at home and there was no more
+quarrelling. He gathered in his harvest and tended his cattle, ploughed
+his fields, and so the autumn and winter passed away and the spring
+came.
+
+One day when the sun was shining Gunnar took his small axe, and a bag of
+corn, and set out to sow seed. And while he was stooping to do this,
+Otkell galloped past, on a wild horse that carried him faster than he
+would, and he did not see Gunnar. As ill-chance would have it, Gunnar
+raised himself at that moment from stooping over the furrow, and
+Otkell's spur tore his ear, and he was very wroth.
+
+'You summon me first, and then you ride over me,' he said, and, as was
+his wont, Skamkell made answer:
+
+[Illustration: OTKELL AND GUNNAR IN THE FIELD]
+
+'The wound might have been far sorer, but your anger was greater at
+the Thing, when you judged the atonement and clenched your bill in your
+fist.'
+
+'When we next meet my bill shall have something to say to you,' said
+Gunnar, and went on sowing his corn.
+
+The corn was all sown, and Gunnar was beginning to think of other work,
+when one morning his shepherd came riding fast.
+
+'I passed eight men in Markfleet,' said he; 'their faces were set this
+way, and Skamkell was with them. He ever speaks ill of you, and I have
+heard him tell how you shed tears when Otkell rode over you.'
+
+'It does not do to mind words,' answered Gunnar; 'but for the warning
+you have given me you shall henceforth do the work that pleases you. Now
+go to sleep.'
+
+So the shepherd slept, and Gunnar took the saddle off his horse, and
+laid his own saddle on it; he fetched his shield, and buckled on his
+sword, and then he took his bill, and as his hand touched it it sang
+loudly. Rannveig his mother heard the sound, and came out from the door
+to the place where Gunnar was fastening on his helmet.
+
+'Never have I seen you so full of wrath,' said she. But Gunnar answered
+her nothing and rode quickly away.
+
+Rannveig went back to the sitting-room, where many men were talking,
+and, looking at them, she said:
+
+'Loud is your talk, but the bill sang louder when Gunnar rode away.'
+
+When Kolskegg heard that, he saddled his horse and hasted after Gunnar.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Gunnar's horse was swift and steady, and he never drew rein till he
+reached the ford which he knew Otkell's men must pass. There he tied up
+his horse, and awaited them on foot. When Otkell's men came up, they,
+too, sprang to the ground, and Hallbjorm strode towards Gunnar.
+
+'Keep back,' said Gunnar, 'I have no quarrel with brave men like you,'
+but Hallbjorm answered:
+
+'I cannot for shame stand by while you kill my brother;' and he smote
+with his spear at Gunnar. While they were fighting, Skamkell struck at
+Gunnar's back with his axe, but Gunnar turned round, and, with his bill
+caught the axe from beneath, so that it fell out of Skamkell's hands. A
+second thrust with the bill stretched Skamkell on the ground, and after
+him Otkell and three others. They slew eight men in all, Kolskegg
+aiding.
+
+After that they rode home, and as they went Gunnar said: 'I wonder if I
+am less base than others because I kill men less willingly than they.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The first thing Gunnar did was to seek counsel of Njal, who bid him take
+care never to break the peace which was made between him and his foes,
+and never to slay more than one man of the same race, 'else your life
+will be but short.'
+
+'Do you know the death you yourself will die?' he asked.
+
+'Yes, I know it,' answered Njal.
+
+'And what is it?' asked Gunnar once more.
+
+'One that none could guess,' replied Njal, and Gunnar went away.
+
+Now at the next Thing there was great dispute over this suit, but in the
+end it was settled to Gunnar's honour, and Gizur the white and Geir the
+priest gave pledges that they would keep the peace. But there were other
+men who thought they had been wronged by Gunnar, and laid plots to anger
+him, so that he might be outlawed and forced to leave the country.
+
+By ill-fortune the words which Njal had spoken when he bade Gunnar never
+to slay more than one man of the same race were noised abroad, and his
+enemies made a plan by which Gunnar should be forced to fight Thorgeir,
+son of Otkell, so that his doom might come upon him.
+
+[Illustration: How Gunnar slew Thorgeir, Otkell's son.]
+
+Thus matters stood for a while, and then Gunnar rode down to the isles
+to see what his thralls were doing, and his foes heard of it, and
+resolved to lie in wait for him at the Rang river.
+
+But when Gunnar returned he was not alone, as they expected he would be,
+for Kolskegg his brother was at his side, and carried the short sword
+which some of them knew well, while Gunnar was armed with his sword and
+his bill.
+
+The two were yet far from the Rang river when the bill which Gunnar bore
+in his hand sweated with blood, and Kolskegg, who had not yet seen this
+sight, grew cold with terror.
+
+'This has some dreadful meaning,' said he; and Gunnar nodded.
+
+'It only happens before a great fight,' he answered, 'and they are
+called "wound drops" in other lands. So beware. Let us not be taken
+unawares;' and they looked well about them, till they saw some men lying
+hidden on the banks on the other side of the ford.
+
+Long it were to tell of that fierce fight, and of the men that were
+slain by Kolskegg and Gunnar. At last Thorgeir, Otkell's son, forced his
+way to the front and swung his sword at Gunnar. The blow would have been
+deadly had it fallen, but, leaping aside, he thrust his bill through
+Thorgeir's body, and flung him far into the river.
+
+At that the other men turned and fled away.
+
+'Our money-chests will be emptied for atonement for these men,' said
+Gunnar as they drew near Lithend, and when they told their mother,
+Rannveig shook her head.
+
+'I fear lest ill should come of it,' said she.
+
+And ill _did_ come of it.
+
+Njal's heart was sore when Gunnar told him of the fight by the Rang
+river, for he said:
+
+'You have gone against my counsel, and have slain two men of the same
+race. So take heed, if you break the award, your life will pay forfeit.
+But whatever befalls I am always your friend.'
+
+Soon the Thing was held, and upon the Hill of Laws Gizur the white
+summoned Gunnar, for manslaughter of Thorgeir, Otkell's son, and
+demanded that his goods should be forfeited and his body outlawed, and
+that no man should help or harbour him.
+
+After this there was much talking, but at last the award was given by
+twelve men.
+
+And this was it.
+
+Money was to be paid down for the men slain, and Gunnar and Kolskegg
+were to depart from Iceland and not return for three winters. But if
+Gunnar should break the settlement and stay at home, any man might slay
+him as he would.
+
+Gunnar promised to keep the award, but he did not hold it a just one.
+
+Then Kolskegg began to inquire of the vessels that were sailing that
+summer, and he settled that he would go on board the ship of Armfin of
+the Bay, and Gunnar his brother would go with him.
+
+They sent down to the shore those things that they might need in foreign
+lands, and then Gunnar bade farewell to Njal and his men, and thanked
+his friends for the help they had given him.
+
+At the last he took leave of the thralls at Lithend, and of his mother,
+and told them that, since his own country had outlawed him, he would
+never return to it. Then he threw his arms round every man, and without
+looking back sprang into the saddle.
+
+As they rode along the Mark fleet, his horse stumbled, and Gunnar fell
+to the ground. When he got up he did not mount at once, but stood and
+looked round him for a while. Suddenly he turned and said to Kolskegg:
+'Never has my home seemed to me so fair as now when the corn is ripe and
+ready for cutting. Come what may, I will not leave it.'
+
+'Do not let your foes triumph over you,' answered Kolskegg. 'For if you
+should break your atonement, any man may deal with you as he will.'
+
+'I will go no whither,' repeated Gunnar, 'and I would that you would stay
+with me.'
+
+'I cannot do this thing,' answered Kolskegg; 'but if you go back, tell
+my mother and my kindred that I bid them farewell for ever, for you will
+soon be dead, and I shall have naught to bind me to Iceland.'
+
+Hallgerda's heart was filled with joy when Gunnar came under the
+doorway, but Rannveig said nothing, for her heart was sad.
+
+All that winter Gunnar sat fast at Lithend and would not be prevailed on
+to leave it, and when the winter had gone and the Thing had met, Gizur
+the white proclaimed Gunnar an outlaw for having broken his atonement.
+Then he called together all his foes, and they planned together how that
+they should ride to Lithend and slay him. But Njal heard what they had
+been saying, and he warned Gunnar.
+
+'You have always dealt truly and kindly with me,' said Gunnar, when Njal
+had finished speaking, 'and if ill befall me, take heed, I pray you, of
+my son and Hogni. As for Grani, he has an evil nature, and there is no
+turning him from bad deeds.'
+
+It was in the autumn that Mord, the son of Valgard, sent word to
+Gunnar's foes that the time had come to make the attack upon Lithend, as
+all his men had gone to the haymaking on the isles of the sea. So they
+set forth secretly, but stopped first at the farm nearest to Lithend,
+where they seized the farmer, and warned him that unless he came with
+them and put to death the hound Sam which had guarded Gunnar ever since
+Olaf the Peacock had bestowed him as a gift, his own life should be
+forfeit. Thorkell the farmer was sore at heart when he heard what was
+required of him, but he took his axe and went with the rest. It was easy
+to entice Sam the hound into a hollow dell; but when he saw the crowd of
+men behind Thorkell he knew that evil was afoot, and sprang on Thorkell
+and tore open his throat. Then Aumond of Witchwood smote him on the head
+with his axe, and Sam gave a howl which was not the utterance of any
+mortal dog, and rolled over.
+
+[Illustration: GUNNAR'S LAST FIGHT & HALLGERDA'S REVENGE]
+
+Gunnar, who was sleeping in the narrow space above his great wooden
+hall, heard the awful sound, and said to himself: 'So they have killed
+thee, Sam, my fosterling. Well, I will follow thee soon;' and, taking
+his bill in his hand, he went up into the roof of the hall, where among
+the beams were little slits for windows. In the winter there were
+shutters fastened over these little slits, but now they were left open.
+
+From the beam on which he was crouching Gunnar saw a red tunic slipping
+by the window, and he thrust swiftly out his bill. In a moment a man's
+body fell upon the ground below.
+
+'Well, is Gunnar at home?' said Gizur, and Thorgrim the Easterling
+answered: 'Go and see for yourselves; but if Gunnar is not at home, his
+bill is,' and those were his last words, for the thrust had been mortal.
+
+It hardly seemed possible that one man could keep such a force at bay,
+but wherever they went Gunnar's arrows followed them. Three times they
+came on, and three times they fell back, and Gunnar's heart beat high,
+for he thought that perchance their courage might fail, and that they
+would return whither they had come.
+
+'One of their own arrows sticks outside the window,' he said, laughing
+loud in his glee; 'I will send it to kill its master.' But his mother
+answered: 'It is ill to waken a sleeping dog, my son.'
+
+Her words were wise, but Gunnar would not listen to them. He shot the
+arrow into the midst of the men gathered beneath him, and knew not that
+it had dealt a death-blow, or that Gizur the white had been watching its
+course.
+
+'The arm that drew in that shaft had a ring on it--a gold ring such as
+Gunnar wears,' said he, 'and if they had not shot away their own arrows
+they would not be needing ours;' and with that he urged them to make a
+fresh attack.
+
+'Let us set the house on fire,' said Mord, but Gizur answered him hotly,
+and bade him find out some other plan.
+
+Now Mord was a man of many thoughts, and great skill in planning, so he
+looked about him to see if there was aught else he could do. Lying near
+were some ropes, and as soon as he saw them he cried out, 'If we can
+twist one end of the ropes round the beams, and the other round this
+rock, we can twist them tight, and pull the roof off the hall.'
+
+And this was done; and when the roof fell down they beheld Gunnar
+standing on the beam, shooting arrows at his enemies.
+
+At this Mord cried once more that the house should be burned, but the
+rest called shame on him, and then Thorbrand crept up on one side and
+cut Gunnar's bowstring with his axe. But before he could reach the
+ground again Gunnar had seized his bill, and driven it through his body.
+
+Then, without looking round, Gunnar said swiftly to Hallgerda his wife:
+'Let you and my mother cut off two locks of hair from your heads, and
+twist them into my bowstring, so that I may shoot at them once more.'
+
+'Does aught depend on it?' she asked. 'My life,' he said; and Hallgerda
+made answer: 'Do you remember that time when you struck me in the face?'
+said she; 'well, now you shall die for it.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+For many a day men sang of the fight which Gunnar made for his life and
+the numbers that he slew before he himself was struck down and slain.
+
+'We have laid low a great chief,' said Gizur, 'and many hearts will be
+sore because of his slaying. But, though his body is dead, his name
+shall live for ever.'
+
+(_Saga_)
+
+
+
+
+NJAL'S BURNING
+
+
+Now, Valgard the Cunning was dying. And he sent for his son Mord and
+bade him stir up strife between Njal's sons and their brother Hauskuld
+the priest, for he ever hated Njal, and longed to be avenged on him. So
+Mord fared to Hauskuld, and told him tales of what his brothers had said
+of him, but Hauskuld bade him begone, for he would listen to none of his
+stories. Then Mord left Hauskuld the priest, and had ready a long tale,
+how that Hauskuld had meant to burn them while they sat at a feast in
+Whiteness, had not Hogni, Gunnar's son, come by. And as this plan had
+failed, he set about gathering his men together to slay his brothers as
+they rode home, but neither Grani, son of Gunnar, nor Gunnar, son of
+Lambi, had the heart to do it.
+
+At first, neither Njal's sons, nor Kari, who had married their sister,
+would give ear to Mord's false words, but in spite of themselves
+ill-feelings began to spring up in their breasts towards Hauskuld.
+
+Thus things went on for many months, and whenever Mord met one of Njal's
+sons, or Kari, who had married their sister, he had new stories to tell
+them, till at length their hearts grew hot, and they determined that
+they would slay Hauskuld, lest perchance he might first slay them.
+
+Hauskuld was sowing his corn when his brothers, and with them Mord,
+Valgard's son, came up to kill him. Skarphedinn, Njal's son, was their
+leader, and had bidden the rest each to give Hauskuld a wound. But the
+first blow dealt by Skarphedinn brought him on his knees, and he died
+praying that they might be forgiven for the ill they had brought on him,
+guiltless.
+
+When he was dead they went home and told Njal what they had done.
+
+'It had been well if two of you had died and Hauskuld had lived,' said
+Njal after he had heard the tidings, 'for I know better than you what
+will be the end of this.'
+
+'And what will be the end?' asked Skarphedinn.
+
+'My death, and yours, and your mother's,' answered Njal.
+
+'Shall I die also?' he asked; but Njal shook his head.
+
+'Good fortune will ever be with you!' he answered, and turned away and
+wept.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Now all men knew that at the next Thing a suit would be brought for the
+slaying of Hauskuld, and Njal and his sons made ready to fare to it, and
+to hear the award which should be given. But first sundry of Njal's
+friends came to see him and offered to stand by him, and to set up their
+tents beside his, and among them were Gizur the white and Asgrim. And at
+the Thing an award was made, but was made void by a quarrel between
+Flosi, the friend of Hauskuld the slain, and Skarphedinn, and Njal and
+his sons returned home, and Njal's heart was heavy.
+
+'Are you riding back to your wife?' asked he of Kari, his son-in-law;
+and Kari made answer, 'Whatever happens to you, happens to me!' and they
+all stayed at Bergthorasknoll.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+In the house dwelt an old, old woman, so old that she had nursed
+Bergthora, Njal's wife, and she was wise and could see into the future.
+Njal's sons laughed at her warnings, and took no heed to them, but for
+all that they knew well that it was often the truth she told them. One
+day Skarphedinn was standing outside the door, and the old woman came
+out with a stick in her hand, and she passed silently by him, and
+walked up the path to where a pile of dried shrubs lay above the house.
+
+'May a curse be upon you!' she cried, shaking her stick over it; and
+Skarphedinn, who had followed after her, asked wherefore she was wroth
+with the pile.
+
+'Because with the fire lighted from this pile there will be a great
+burning,' said she. 'And Njal and his sons will be burnt, and Bergthora,
+my foster-child. So carry it away and scatter it in the water, or else
+set fire to it before your enemies can get here!'
+
+'What is the use of doing anything?' answered Skarphedinn, 'for if it is
+written that we should be burned, our foes will find some other fuel,
+though I were to scatter this stack to the four winds;' and he went away
+laughing.
+
+All through the summer the old nurse was ever begging Njal to do away
+with the stack of vetch, but the harvest was plentiful in the pastures
+and the men never came home save to sleep.
+
+'We can bring in that vetch stack any time,' they said.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The harvest was stored in the barns, and a good harvest it was. There
+had been none such since the day that Gunnar had fared from Lithend with
+Kolskegg, and had returned to his ruin. One day, when Grim and Helgi,
+Njal's sons, had ridden away to Holar to see their children, who were at
+nurse there, they heard strange tidings from some poor woman, that the
+country side was stirring and that bands of men were gathering together,
+and were seen riding along the same road.
+
+At this news Grim and Helgi looked at each other.
+
+'Let us go home to Bergthorasknoll,' said they.
+
+Now they had told their mother they would sleep that night at Holar,
+with their children, so she gave no thought to them; but in the evening,
+when the hour had come to prepare supper, Bergthora bade every man
+choose whatever dish he liked best, 'for,' said she, 'this is the last
+food you will eat in this house!'
+
+'Of a truth you must be ill to speak such words,' cried they.
+
+'They are true words,' she said again; 'and that you may know them to be
+true, I will give you a sign. Before the meat that is on the board
+to-night is eaten, Grim and Helgi will be in the house!' and she held
+her peace and went out.
+
+When the food was prepared, Bergthora called to them, and all sat down
+but Njal, who lingered in the doorway.
+
+'What hinders you eating with the rest?' asked Bergthora; and Njal, as
+he answered, put his hand before his eyes.
+
+'A vision has come to me,' he said slowly--'the wall is thrown down, and
+the board is wet with blood.'
+
+At this the men's faces grew pale, and a strange look came into their
+eyes, but Skarphedinn bade them be of good cheer, and to remember that,
+whatever might befall, all men would look to them to bear themselves
+bravely.
+
+Then Grim and Helgi entered with their tidings, and every one had in his
+mind what Bergthora had said, and knew that ill was in store.
+
+'Let no man sleep to-night,' said Njal, 'but take heed to his arms.'
+
+The band of Njal's foes, headed by Flosi, had ridden to a valley behind
+the house, and had fastened their horses there. After that they walked
+slowly up the path, to the front of the house, where Njal and his sons,
+and Kari, his-son-in-law, and his thralls, thirty in all, stood up to
+meet them.
+
+Then both sides halted and spoke together. Flosi's counsel was to fall
+on them where they stood, though he knew that few would there be left to
+tell the tale to their children.
+
+Njal, for his part, desired that his men might return inside the hall,
+for the house was strong; 'and if Gunnar alone could keep them at bay
+they will never prevail against us,' he said.
+
+'Ah, but these chiefs are not of the kind that slew Gunnar,' answered
+Skarphedinn, 'for they turned a deaf ear to Mord's evil counsel to set
+fire to Lithend, so that Gunnar and his wife and mother should be burnt
+up in it. But this band care nothing for what is fair and honourable, so
+long as we leave our bones behind us.'
+
+Then Helgi spoke:
+
+'Let us do as our father wills. He knows best,' and Skarphedinn said:
+
+'If he wishes us to enter the hall, and all to be burnt together, I am
+ready to do it. I care little what death I shall die, and if the time of
+my doom is come, it matters nothing that we try to escape.' And so
+saying he turned to Kari, and bade him stand by his side.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+'They are all mad,' cried Flosi, as he saw Njal and his sons and Kari,
+his son-in-law, take their place on the inside of the door. 'Surely none
+of them can escape us now;' and the fight began with a spear which was
+thrown at Skarphedinn.
+
+But victory was not so near as Flosi thought. Man after man fell back
+wounded or dead, yet Skarphedinn and his brethren remained without a
+wound.
+
+'We shall never put them to flight with our spears,' said Flosi, 'and
+there are only two ways open. Either we give up our vengeance, and await
+the death that will surely befall us at their hands; or else we must set
+fire to the house, and burn them in it. And I know not what else we can
+do; yet that is a mean and cowardly deed, which will lie heavily on our
+souls.'
+
+So they gathered wood and made a great stack before the door, and
+Skarphedinn laughed, and asked if they were turning cooks.
+
+It was Grani, the son of Gunnar, whose soul was black like his mother
+Hallgerda's, who answered him.
+
+'You will not wish better cooking when _you_ are put on the spit;' but
+he had better have left Skarphedinn alone, for the men around heard his
+reply, and looked curiously on Grani.
+
+'Your deeds become your mother's son,' said Skarphedinn. 'It was I who
+avenged your father, therefore it is natural to one of your kind that
+you should wish to slay me,' and he stepped back to pick up some fresh
+arrows.
+
+In spite of Grani's boastful words, the pile of wood was slow in
+catching, for the women threw whey and water upon it from the little
+windows in the roof, so that the flames were quenched as fast as they
+sprang up. The men grew angry and impatient, and at last Kol,
+Thorstein's son, said to Flosi:
+
+'It avails nought to kindle the fire here; but there is a pile of dry
+vetch at the back, just above the house, and we can light it, and put
+the burning wood on the beams under the roof.'
+
+So he crept round unseen, and did as he had said, and the other men
+heaped up wood before the doors of the house, so that none could escape,
+and those within the hall knew nothing that was doing, till a great
+light filled the place, and they saw that the roof was burning.
+
+Then horrible dread overwhelmed the souls of the women, and they broke
+forth into weeping and wailing, till Njal spoke words of comfort to
+them, and bade them keep up their hearts, for God would not suffer them
+to burn both in this world and in the next. And when he had stilled
+their fears he went near the door, and asked:
+
+'Is Flosi nigh at hand?'
+
+'Yes,' answered Flosi.
+
+'Will you suffer my sons to atone?' asked Njal once more, 'or let them
+leave the house?' but Flosi said:
+
+'The women and children and thralls may go out, but, as for your sons,
+the time for atonement is past, and I will not leave this spot as long
+as one of them remains alive.'
+
+When Njal heard that, he went back into the house and called the women
+and children and thralls round him, and bade Thorhalla, the wife of
+Helgi, go out first, for she was a brave woman. And Thorhalla went,
+after bidding farewell to Helgi her husband.
+
+But Astrid whispered softly to Helgi:
+
+'I will tie a woman's kerchief about your head, and wrap you in a cloak,
+and the women folk will stand about you, and none shall know that you
+are not a woman also.'
+
+Helgi did not like this plan, for he thought it shame to steal away in
+his sister's garments; but they prayed him not to be stiff-necked, and
+at length he suffered the cloak to be put round him.
+
+Now the children of Njal were all tall, but Helgi was tallest of all,
+except his brother Skarphedinn. And Flosi marked him, and said to his
+men:
+
+'I like not the height of the woman who went yonder, nor the breadth of
+her shoulders. Seize her and hold her fast.'
+
+As soon as Helgi heard that he threw his cloak aside and thrust at a man
+with his sword, and cut off his leg. But Flosi was close behind, and
+stretched Helgi dead in front of him.
+
+After that he went back to the house, and offered Njal that he should
+come outside, but Njal answered that he was too old to avenge his sons,
+and that he would not outlive them, for that would be a shame and
+disgrace to him.
+
+'Come out, then, Bergthora,' said Flosi, 'for I will not suffer you to
+burn inside.'
+
+But Bergthora made answer:
+
+'Long years from my youth have I lived with Njal, and I vowed on the day
+of betrothal that his death should be mine;' and without more words
+they went into the house.
+
+'I am weary,' said Njal to his wife, 'let us lay down on our bed and
+rest;' and Bergthora bowed her head, and spoke to the boy Thord, the son
+of Kari:
+
+'Come to the door with me and go forth with your kinsmen. I will not
+have you stay here to burn.' But the boy shook off the hand she had laid
+on his shoulder.
+
+'You promised me when I was little, grandmother, that I should never go
+from you till I wished it of myself. And I would rather die with you
+than live after you.'
+
+Bergthora was silent, but she led the boy to the bed, and he climbed in,
+and laid himself down. Then Njal said to his head man:
+
+'Bring hither the oxhide and put it on the bed, and watch how we lay
+ourselves down, so that you may know where to find our bones. For not
+one inch will we stir, whatever befall.'
+
+And he laid himself down, and bade the boy lie between himself and
+Bergthora.
+
+So they waited.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+At the doors and in the windows of the roof Skarphedinn and Grim were
+casting away burning brands, and hurling spears as if they had had
+twenty hands instead of two. At last Flosi called to his men to let be,
+till the fire had its way, for many had been killed and wounded already.
+
+And now a beam which held up the oak fell in, and then another and
+another. 'Surely my father must be dead,' said Skarphedinn, 'that he
+makes no sound,' and, followed by Grim and Kari, he went to the end of
+the hall where a cross beam had fallen.
+
+'The smoke is thick here,' said Kari, 'thick enough to hide a man; let
+us leap out one by one, and we shall be away before they have seen us.
+Skarphedinn, you jump first!'
+
+[Illustration: HOW KARI ESCAPED FROM NJAL'S HOUSE]
+
+'No!' answered Skarphedinn, 'you go first and I will follow; or, if I
+follow not, you will avenge me.'
+
+'I have a chance of my life,' said Kari, 'and I will take it. We must
+each do as seems best to him, but I fear me that we see each other no
+more;' and catching up a huge blazing beam, he threw it over the edge of
+the roof, among the men who were gathered below.
+
+They scattered at once like leaves in a storm, and at that instant Kari,
+with his tunic and hair already burning, leaped from the roof and crept
+away in the smoke. The man who stood nearest on the ground thought he
+saw something dark moving, and he asked his neighbour:
+
+'Think you that was one of them jumping from the beam?' but the man
+answered: 'Nay, but it may have been Skarphedinn hurling a firebrand;'
+and then they went to their own work, and paid no more heed to the
+figure on the roof.
+
+So Kari was left free to escape, and he put out the fire that was
+burning him, and rested in a safe place till he could seek shelter with
+his friends.
+
+Thrice Skarphedinn tried to leap after Kari, and thrice the beam broke
+under his weight, and he was forced to climb back again. Then part of
+the wall fell in, and Skarphedinn fell down with it on to the floor of
+the hall.
+
+In a moment the face of Gunnar, son of Lambi, was seen on top of the
+wall, and he cried out, 'Are those tears on your cheeks, Skarphedinn?'
+and Skarphedinn made answer:
+
+'Now am I finding out in truth how smoke can force tears from one's
+eyes. But methinks I see laughter in yours, Gunnar.'
+
+'Of a surety,' said Gunnar, 'never have I laughed so much since the day
+you slew Thrain in Markfleet.'
+
+'Here is a remembrance of that day for you,' said Skarphedinn, and he
+took from his pouch Thrain's tooth, and flung it at Gunnar. And it
+knocked out Gunnar's eye, and he fell from the roof.
+
+Then Skarphedinn went to Grim, and hand in hand they two tried to stamp
+out the burning beams, but before they had crossed the hall Grim dropped
+dead, and the roof fell in, and shut Skarphedinn in a corner, so that he
+could not move.
+
+At daylight a man rode up who had met Kari, and had learned from him
+that when he had jumped from the roof both Skarphedinn and Grim were
+still alive, but that was many hours before, and both must long since be
+dead.
+
+Then Flosi and some of his men drew nearer and climbed up the gable, for
+the fire had burned low, and only threw out a flame here and there. And
+as they looked into the hall beneath them, which was a mass of charred
+and fallen wood, there seemed to rise up from the red ashes a song of
+triumph, and they held their breath and looked into each other's faces.
+
+'Is it Skarphedinn's song?' asked Glum, 'and is it a token that he is
+dead? or a sign that he is alive? Let us look for him.'
+
+'That shall not be,' said Flosi quickly. 'Fool that you are, do you not
+know that even now Kari is gathering together a band to avenge his
+kinsmen? Therefore let every man take his horse and ride up to the
+Three-corner Fell, and there we can hide and take counsel how we can
+escape from our enemies.'
+
+So it was done, and not a whit too soon, for a very great company
+scattered over the country, seeking Flosi and his Band of Burners--for
+by this ill name men knew them.
+
+As for Kari himself, he begged Hjallti, Njal's cousin, to go with him to
+Bergthorasknoll and find Njal's bones and bury them. And, as they went,
+men joined them, till they numbered nigh on a hundred when they reached
+Bergthorasknoll.
+
+Kari entered the hall first and led them up to the spot where the bed
+had stood, and where a great heap of ashes now covered it. The ashes
+took long to clear away, and underneath was the oxhide, charred and
+shrivelled. But when the oxhide was pulled away they saw the three
+bodies fresh and whole, as they had laid them down. Only one finger of
+the boy was burned, where he had thrust it outside the hide.
+
+When they saw this a great joy fell on the hearts of all, and Hjallti
+said:
+
+'Never have I seen a dead man with a face as bright as this!' And the
+other men said likewise.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+After that they sought for Skarphedinn, and then found him, fastened by
+the beam into the corner, and he had driven his axe into the wall of the
+gable, so that it had to be broken out. And they sought the bones of
+Grim, and found them lying in the middle of the hall, where he had
+dropped down dead. And they sought the bones of other men, and found
+them, and nine bodies in all were carried into the church and buried
+there.
+
+And that is Burnt Njal's story.
+
+[The _Saga of Burnt Njal_.]
+
+
+
+
+THE LADY OF SOLACE
+
+
+There was once an emperor who had two things that he loved more than all
+the world--his daughter and his garden. The finest linen and the richest
+silks of India or China decked the princess from the moment she was old
+enough to run alone, and the ships that brought them brought also the
+fairest flowers and sweetest fruits that grew in distant lands. All the
+time that he was not presiding over his council, or hearing the
+petitions of his people, the emperor passed in his garden, watching the
+flowers open and the fruits ripen, and by-and-by he planted trees and
+shrubs and made walks and alleys, till altogether the garden was the
+most beautiful as well as the largest that had ever been seen.
+
+The years passed, and the princess reached the age of fourteen; quite
+old enough to be married, thought the kings and princes who were looking
+out for a bride for their sons. The emperor's heart sank when he heard
+rumours of embassies that were coming to rob him of his daughter, and he
+shut himself up in his room to try to invent a plan by which he might
+keep the princess, without giving offence to the powerful monarchs who
+had asked for her hand.
+
+For a long while he sat with his head on his hands, thinking steadily,
+but every scheme had some drawback. At length his face brightened and he
+sprang up from his seat.
+
+'Yes! that will do,' he cried, and went down to attend his council,
+looking quite a different man from what he had been a few hours before.
+
+The embassies and the princes continued to arrive, and they all got the
+same answer. 'The emperor was proud of the honour done to himself and
+his daughter, and would give her in marriage to any man who would pass
+through the garden and bring him a branch of the tree which stood at the
+further end.' Nothing could surely be more easy, and every prince in
+turn as he heard the conditions felt that the fairest damsel on the
+whole earth was already his wife.
+
+But though each man went gaily in, none ever came out, nor was it ever
+known what had befallen them. At last so many had entered that fatal
+gate that it seemed as if there could be no more princes or nobles left,
+and the emperor began to breathe again at the thought that he would be
+able after all to keep his daughter.
+
+But one day a knight of great renown, named Tirius, arrived from beyond
+the seas and knocked at the gate of the castle. Like the others, he was
+welcomed and feasted, and when the feast was ended he craved that the
+emperor would grant him the hand of the princess on whatever condition
+he might choose.
+
+'Right willingly,' answered the emperor; 'there is only one condition I
+have laid down, and that is an easy one, though for some strange reason
+no one as yet has been able to fulfil it. You have merely to walk
+through the garden that you see below, and bring me back a branch from a
+tree bearing golden fruit, which stands on the opposite side. If fame
+speaks true, this is child's play to the adventures in which you have
+borne so noble a part.'
+
+'In good sooth,' said the knight, who saw clearly that there was more in
+the matter than appeared--'in good sooth your condition likes me well.
+Still, as fortune is ever inconstant, and may be tired of dealing me
+favours, I would first ask as a boon a sight of your fair daughter and
+leave to hearken to her voice. After that I will delay no longer, but
+proceed on my quest.'
+
+'I will take you to her myself,' answered the emperor, who thought that
+he might show this small mercy to a man who was going to his death, and
+he led his guest down long passages and through lofty halls, till they
+reached the princess's apartments.
+
+'In five minutes my chamberlain shall come for you, and he shall show
+you the way to the garden,' said the emperor, 'and meanwhile I bid you
+farewell;' and, leaving Tirius to enter alone, he went to seek his
+ministers.
+
+It would be hard to say whether the knight or the princess was most
+amazed as they stood gazing at each other--he at her beauty and she at
+his boldness, for never before had any man crossed her threshold. For a
+moment both were silent; then the knight, remembering how short a time
+was allowed him, aroused himself from his dream and spoke:
+
+'Gentle damsel, help me now in my need, for I have been drawn hither by
+love. Full well I know that many have had this adventure before me, and
+have entered that garden and never returned from it. Without your aid my
+fate will be such as theirs, and therefore, I pray you, tell me what I
+should do so that I may win through without harm.'
+
+Now the knight was a goodly man and tall, and perhaps the princess may
+have bewailed in secret the noble youths who had fallen victims to her
+father's pleasure. But, however that might be, she smiled and made
+reply:
+
+'I am ready to marry any man on whom my father wishes to bestow me, and
+you say you have come hither for love of me. Still, you have asked of me
+a hard thing, for it beseems not a daughter to betray her father's
+confidence. Yet, as I am loth that any more fair youths should lose
+their lives for my sake, I will give you this counsel. You must first
+pass through a forest, which is the home of a lady who is known to
+all as the "Lady of Solace." Go to her, and she will give you the help
+you need to journey safely through the garden.'
+
+[Illustration: The Lady of Solace]
+
+The princess had scarcely finished these words when the voice of the
+chamberlain was heard without, bidding him withdraw, and, glancing
+gratefully at her, the knight bowed low and took his leave.
+
+In the great hall the chamberlain quitted him, telling him to take his
+ease and rest till the emperor should return, but instead the knight
+waited till he was alone and then plunged straight into the forest.
+
+He walked on for a little way till he reached a green space, and there
+he stopped and cried, 'Where is the Lady of Solace?' Then he sat down on
+a stone and waited. In a short time he saw coming towards him two
+ladies, one bearing a basin and the other a cloth.
+
+'We give you greeting, sir,' they said; 'the Lady of Solace has sent us
+to you, and she bids you first wash your feet in this basin, and then go
+with us to her palace.' So the knight washed his feet, and dried them in
+the white cloth, and rose up and went with the ladies to the palace,
+which was built of blue marble, and the fairest that ever he saw. The
+Lady of Solace was fair likewise and of a marvellous sweet countenance,
+and her voice was soft like the voice of a thrush as she asked him what
+he wanted with her. At that the knight told his errand, and how the
+princess had bade him come to her, for she alone could help him to win
+through the enchanted garden.
+
+'I am called the Lady of Solace,' said she, with a smile which seemed
+made up of all the beautiful things in the world, 'and I give succour to
+all those who need it. Here is a ball of thread; take it and bind it
+round the post of the gate of the garden, and hold fast the thread in
+your hand, unwinding it as you go. For if you lose the clue, you will
+perish like those before you. And more. A lion dwells in the garden, who
+will spring out and devour you, as he has devoured the rest. Therefore,
+arm yourself with armour, and see that the armour be anointed thickly
+with ointment. When the lion sees you, he will take your arm or your leg
+into his mouth, and his teeth shall stick fast in the ointment, and when
+you sunder yourself from him his teeth shall be drawn out, and you shall
+kill him easily. But during the fight beware lest you let go the clue.
+
+'And after the lion shall come four men, who will set on you and seek to
+turn you from their path; but beware of them also, and if you are in
+peril call to me, and I will succour you. And now return to the palace
+and put on your armour, and so, farewell.'
+
+When the knight heard this he was right glad, and stole back to the
+palace, where he found that the emperor was still sitting at his
+council. He sat down in the great hall to await him, but the time seemed
+very long before his host entered.
+
+'How have you sped?' asked he.
+
+'My lord, now that through your goodness I have seen the princess,' said
+the knight, 'there can be but one ending to my journey. I go at once in
+quest of the tree, and I am content whatever fate may befall me.'
+
+'May fortune be with you!' answered the emperor, who never failed to
+give good wishes to his daughter's suitors, as he felt quite sure that
+they would be of no use.
+
+So the knight bowed low and left the hall, going straight to the
+gatekeeper's house, where he had put off his armour on arriving. On
+pretence of sharpening his sword, he borrowed a pot of ointment from the
+man, and, unseen by him, rubbed the paste thickly over his armour. After
+this he looked about to see that no one was watching him, and took the
+path that led to the garden.
+
+[Illustration: THE LADY OF SOLACE HELPS THE FALLEN KNIGHT]
+
+A large iron gate supported by two posts stood at the entrance, and
+round one of these he firmly bound one end of the thread which the Lady
+of Solace had given him. Holding the other end in his hand, he
+advanced for a long while without seeing or hearing any strange thing,
+till a roar close to him caused him to start. The knight had just time
+to draw his sword and hold up his shield before the lion was upon him;
+but, as he had been forewarned, the great beast dashed aside the shield,
+and fastened his teeth in the arm that held it. The pain was such that
+the knight leaped backwards, but the lion's teeth were fixed fast in the
+ointment, and they all came out of his mouth, so that he could bite no
+more. And when he rushed at his enemy with his claws they stuck also, so
+that the knight with a blow of his sword was able to kill him with ease.
+
+Mightily he rejoiced at seeing his foe dead before him, and by ill
+fortune he forgot that, had it not been for the counsel of the Lady of
+Solace, it was _he_ who would have been slain, and not the lion. He
+swelled with pride and conceit at the ease with which he had won the
+victory, and never noted that the clue of thread was no longer in his
+hands.
+
+'Ah, lovely princess, I come to seek my reward,' cried he to himself,
+and turned his face towards the palace. But a little way on he spied
+seven trees, very fair to view, all covered with fruit that shone
+temptingly in the sun. He gathered a cluster that hung just above his
+head, and when he had eaten that, he thought that it tasted so delicious
+he really must have another, and another also.
+
+He was still eating when three men passed by, and asked him what he was
+doing there. The knight was so puffed up that he did not answer them
+civilly after his manner, but gave them rude words, for which in return
+he received buffets. In the end, the men dragged him away from the tree
+and flung him into a ditch that was full of water, and his armour
+weighed him down, so that he could not get out. Then at last he
+remembered his clue, and felt for it, but it was not there, and his
+pride broke down, and he saw that he had brought his ruin on himself.
+And in despair he lifted up his voice and cried, 'O Lady of Solace, help
+me, I beseech you, in my great need, for I am nigh dead.' He shut his
+eyes for very misery, but opened them again in a moment, for a lady
+stood by him, and she said:
+
+'Did not I tell you that if you lost the clue you could never more find
+your way out of the garden? I will lift you out of the ditch, but, for
+the clue, you must seek for it yourself till you find it.' And with that
+she vanished.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Not that day did the knight find the clue, nor the next, nor the next.
+Faint and weary was he, but he dared not eat of the fruit that was
+around him, some hanging from the boughs of trees and some growing on
+the ground. At length he wandered back to the spot where he had fought
+with the lion, and there, covered with blood, lay the clue he had so
+long sought. By its help he was led to the tree with the golden fruit,
+which stood at the far end of the garden, and plucking one of the boughs
+he turned to retrace his steps, wondering, now that he held the thread,
+at the shortness of the way.
+
+'Here is the branch, O Emperor! and now give me the princess,' he said,
+kneeling and laying the bough down on the steps of the throne. And the
+emperor could not gainsay him, but bade his officers fetch his daughter,
+and after they had been married she went with her husband into his own
+country, where they lived happily till they died.
+
+[From the _Gesta Romanorum_.]
+
+
+
+
+UNA AND THE LION
+
+
+Once upon a time there lived a king and queen who had only one child, a
+little girl, whom they named Una, and they all lived happily at home for
+many years till Una had grown into a woman.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It seemed as if they were some of the fortunate people to whom nothing
+ever happens, when suddenly, just as everything appeared going well and
+peacefully with them, a fearful dragon, larger and more horrible than
+any dragon which had yet been heard of, arrived one night, seized the
+king and queen as they were walking in the garden after the heat of the
+day, and carried them prisoners to a strong castle. Luckily, Una was at
+that moment sitting among her maidens on the top of a high tower
+embroidering a kirtle, or she would have shared the same fate.
+
+When the princess learnt what had befallen her parents, she was struck
+dumb with grief, but she had been taught that no misfortune was ever
+mended by tears, so she soon dried her eyes, and began to think what was
+best to do, and to whom she could turn for help. She ran quickly over in
+her mind the knights who thronged her father's court, but there was not
+one amongst them to whose hands their rescue could be entrusted. One
+spent his days in writing pretty verses to the ladies who were about the
+queen, another passed his time in putting on suits more brilliant than
+any worn by his friends, a third loved hawking, but did not welcome the
+rough life and hard living of real warfare; no, she must seek a champion
+out of her own country if her parents were to be delivered out of the
+power of the dragon. Then all at once she remembered a certain Red Cross
+Knight whose fame had spread even to her distant land, and, ordering her
+white ass to be saddled, she set forth in quest of him.
+
+It were long to tell the adventures Una met with on the way, but at last
+she found the knight resting after a hard-won fight, and told him her
+tale.
+
+[Illustration: Sudden DEPARTURE of UNA'S PARENTS]
+
+'Right willingly will I help you, princess,' said he, 'only you must
+ride with me and guide me to the castle, for I know nothing of the
+countries that lie beyond the sea;' and Una heard his words with joy,
+and called softly to her ass, who was cropping the short green grass
+beside her.
+
+'Let us go forth at once,' she cried gaily, and sprang into her saddle.
+The knight hastily fastened on his armour, and, placing a blood-red
+cross upon his breast, swung himself on to his horse's back. And so
+they rode over the plain, a trusty dwarf following far behind, and a
+snow-white lamb, held by a golden cord, trotting by Una's side.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+After some hours they left the plain and entered a forest, where the
+trees and bushes grew so thick that no path could they see. At first, in
+their eagerness to escape the storm which was sweeping up the plain
+behind them, they hardly took heed where they were going; and besides,
+the beauty of the flowers and the sweet scent of the fruit caused them
+to forget the trouble they would have to find the road again. But when
+the sound of the thunder ceased, and the lightning no longer darted
+through the leaves, they were startled to perceive they had wandered
+they knew not whither. No sun could they see to show them which was east
+and which west, neither was there any man to tell them what they fain
+would know. At length they stopped, for before them lay a cave
+stretching far away into the darkness.
+
+'We can rest there this night,' said the Red Cross Knight, leaping to
+the ground, and handing his spear to the dwarf; 'and first, you, lady,
+shall remain, here, while I enter and make sure that no fierce or
+loathsome beasts lurk in the corners.' But Una turned pale as she
+listened.
+
+'The perils of this place I better know than you,' she answered gravely.
+'In this den dwells a vile monster, hated by God and man.' And the voice
+of the dwarf cried also, 'Fly, fly! this is no place for living men.'
+They might have spared their warnings; when did youth ever heed them?
+The knight looked into the cave, and
+
+        Forth into the darksome hole he went.
+    His glistening armour made a little glooming light,
+    By which he saw the ugly monster plain,
+    Half like a serpent horribly displayed,
+    The other half did woman's shape retain.
+
+It was too late to turn back, even had he wished it; but indeed it was
+the monster who looked round, as if to find a way to flee. Before her
+stood the knight, his sword drawn, waiting for a fair chance to plunge
+it into her throat. Escape there was none, and she prepared for battle.
+
+The knight fought valiantly, but never had he met a foe like this. The
+monster was so large and so scaly that he could not get round her, while
+his sword glanced, blunted, from off her skin. Blow after blow he
+struck, but they only served to increase her fury, till, gathering all
+her strength together, she wound her great tail about his body, pressing
+him close against her horny bosom.
+
+'Strangle her, else she sure will strangle thee,' cried Una, who had
+been watching the combat as well as the darkness would let her; and the
+knight heard, and seized the monster by the throat, till she was forced
+to let go her hold on him. Then, grasping his sword, he cut her head
+clean from her body.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Fain would they now leave the dreadful wood which had been the nurse of
+such an evil creature, and by following a track where the leaves grew
+less thickly, they at last found themselves on the other side of the
+plain, just as the sun was sinking to rest. They pushed on fast, hoping
+to find a shelter for the night, but none could they spy. The plain
+seemed bare, save for one old man in the guise of a hermit who was
+approaching them.
+
+Him the Red Cross Knight stopped and asked if he knew of any adventures
+which might await him in that place. The old man, who was in truth the
+magician Archimago, the professor of lore which could read the secrets
+of men's hearts, answered that the hour was late for the undertaking of
+such things, and bade them rest for the night in his cell hard by. So
+saying, he led them into a little dell amidst a group of trees, in
+which stood a chapel and the dwelling of the hermit.
+
+[Illustration: THE RED CROSS KNIGHT ENTERS THE MONSTER'S CAVE]
+
+It was but a short space before both knight and lady were sleeping
+soundly on the beds of fern which the hermit told them he had always at
+hand for the entertainment of guests. But, for himself, he crept unseen
+to a little cave inside a rock, and taking out his magic books he sought
+therein for mighty charms to trouble sleepy minds!
+
+He soon found what he wanted, and repeated some strange words aloud. In
+an instant there fluttered round him a crowd of little sprites awaiting
+his bidding, but he motioned all aside except two--one of whom he kept
+with him and the other he sent on a message to the house of Morpheus,
+the god of sleep.
+
+'I come from Archimago the wizard,' said the sprite when he reached his
+journey's end. 'Give me, I pray you, as swiftly as may be, a bad dream,
+that I may carry it back to him.'
+
+Slowly the god rose up, and, going to his storehouse, where lay dreams
+of all sorts--dreams to make people happy, dreams to make people
+miserable, dreams to stir people to good, and dreams to move them to
+every kind of wickedness--he took from the shelf a small but very black
+little dream, which the sprite tied round his neck, and hurried to the
+cave of Archimago.
+
+The wizard took the dream in silence, and, going into the den where the
+knight was sleeping, laid it softly on his forehead. In a moment his
+face clouded over; evil thoughts of Una sprang into his mind, till at
+length, unable to bear any longer the grief of mistrusting her he so
+loved and honoured, the knight called to the dwarf to bring him his
+horse, and together they rode away. But when Una woke and found both of
+her companions departed she wept sorely. Then, mounting her milk-white
+ass, she set out to follow them.
+
+Meanwhile the Red Cross Knight was wandering he knew not whither, so
+deep were the wounds in his heart. He rode on with his bridle hanging
+loosely on his horse's neck, till a bend in the path brought him face to
+face with a mighty Saracen, bearing on his arm a shield with the words
+'Sans foy' written across it. By his side, mounted on a palfrey hung
+with golden bells, was a lady clad in scarlet robes embroidered with
+jewels, who chattered merrily as they passed along.
+
+[Illustration: IN ARCHIMAGO'S CELL. The evil dream.]
+
+It was she who first perceived the approach of an enemy, and, turning to
+Sansfoy, bade him begin the attack. He, nothing loth, dashed forward to
+meet the knight, who had barely time to steady himself to receive the
+blow, which caused him to reel in his saddle. The blow was indeed so
+hard that it would have pierced the knight's armour had it not been for
+the cross upon his breast; which, when the Saracen saw, he cursed the
+power of the holy emblem, and prepared himself for a fresh attack.
+
+But either the Christian knight was the more skilful swordsman, or the
+cross lent new strength to his arm, for the fight was not a long one.
+Only a few strokes had passed between them, when the boastful Sansfoy
+fell from his horse, and rolled heavily to the ground. The lady hardly
+waited for the issue of the combat, and galloped off lest she too should
+be in danger. But the knight did not wage war on ladies, and, calling to
+the dwarf to bring the Saracen's shield as a trophy, he spurred quickly
+after her.
+
+He did not take long to come up with her for, in truth, she intended to
+be overtaken, and turned a woeful countenance to the young knight, who
+listened, believing, to the false tale she told. Pitying her from his
+heart, he assured her of his care and protection, and while they are
+faring through the woods together, let us see what had become of Una.
+
+The maiden was herself wandering distraught, seated on her 'unhastie
+beast,' when with a fearful roar a lion rushed out from a thicket with
+eyes glaring and teeth gleaming, seeking to devour his prey. But at the
+sight of Una's tender beauty he stopped suddenly, and, stooping down, he
+kissed her feet and licked her hands.
+
+At this kindness on the part of the great creature, Una bent her head
+and wept grievously. 'He, my lion and my noble lord, how does he find it
+in his cruel heart to hate her that him loved?' she moaned sadly, and
+the lion again looked pityingly at her, and at last the maiden checked
+her sobs and bade her ass go on, the lion walking by her side during the
+day, and sleeping at her feet by night.
+
+They had travelled far and for many days, through a wilderness untrodden
+by either man or beast, when at the foot of a mountain they spied a
+damsel bearing on her shoulder a pot of water. At sight of the lion she
+flung down the pitcher, and ran to the hut where she dwelt, without once
+looking behind her. In the cottage sat her blind mother, not knowing
+what could be the meaning of the shrieks and cries uttered by her
+daughter, who shut the door quickly after her, and caught trembling hold
+of her mother's hands.
+
+It was the first lion the girl had ever seen, or she would have known
+that if he was determined to enter, it was not a wicket-gate that would
+prevent him. As neither mother nor daughter replied to Una's gentle
+prayer for a night's lodging, her 'unruly page' put his paw on the
+little door, which opened with a crash. The maiden then stepped softly
+over the threshold, begging afresh that she might pass the night in one
+corner, and receiving no answer--for the women were still too terrified
+to speak--she curled herself up on the earthen floor with the lion
+beside her.
+
+About midnight there arrived at the door, which Una had refastened, a
+thief laden with spoils of churches, and whatever else he had managed to
+pick up by stealth. To spend the night in thieving was his custom, and
+hither he brought his spoils, as he thought none would suspect a blind
+woman and her daughter of harbouring stolen goods.
+
+Many times he called, but the two women were in grievous dread of the
+lion, and durst not move from the corner where they were crouching; at
+last the man grew angry, and burst the door asunder, as the lion had
+done before him. He entered the hut, and straightway beheld the dreadful
+beast, with glaring eyes and gleaming teeth, as Una had first beheld
+him. But Kirkrapine (such was his name) had neither beauty nor goodness
+to still the lion's rage, and in another moment his body was rent in
+a thousand pieces.
+
+[Illustration: At the sight of the Lion, she flung down the pitcher]
+
+The sun had scarce sent his first beams above the horizon when Una left
+the hut, mounted on her ass, and, followed by the lion, again began her
+quest of the Red Cross Knight. But, alas! though she found him not, she
+met her ancient foe, the magician Archimago, who had taken on himself
+the form of him whom she sought. Too true and unsuspecting was she, to
+dream of guile in others, and the welcome she gave him was from her
+whole heart. In the guise of the knight, Archimago greeted her fondly,
+and bade her tell him the story of her woes, and how came she to take
+the lion for her companion. And so they journeyed, the flowers seeming
+sweeter and the skies brighter to Una, as they went, when suddenly they
+beheld
+
+    One pricking towards them with hasty heat;
+    Full strongly armed, and on a courser free.
+
+On his shield the words 'Sans loy' could be read, written in letters of
+blood.
+
+Now, though Archimago had clad himself in the outward shape of the Red
+Cross Knight, he lacked his courage and his skill in war; and his heart
+was faint from fear, when the Saracen reined back his horse and prepared
+for battle. In the shock of the rush the wizard was borne backwards, and
+the blood from his side dyed the ground.
+
+'The life that from Sansfoy thou tookest, Sansloy shall from thee take,'
+cried the Paynim, and was unlacing the vizor of the fallen man to deal
+him his death-stroke when a cry from Una stayed his hand for a moment,
+though it was not her prayers for mercy that would have kept him from
+drawing his sword, but the sight of the hoary head beneath the helmet,
+which startled him.
+
+'Archimago!' he stammered, 'what mishap is this?' And still Archimago
+lay on the ground stunned, and answered nothing.
+
+For a moment Una gazed in amazement at the strange sight before her, and
+wondered what was the meaning of these things. Then she turned to fly,
+but, quick as thought, the Saracen plucked at her robe to stop her.
+
+Now when the lion, her fierce servant, saw that Paynim knight lay hands
+on his sovereign lady, he sprang on him with gaping jaws, and almost
+tore the shield from his arm. But the knight leapt swiftly back, and
+swinging his sword plunged it into the heart of the faithful creature,
+who rolled over and died amidst the tears of his mistress.
+
+After which the knight set Una on his steed before him and bore her
+away.
+
+[Spenser's _Faerie Queene_.]
+
+
+
+
+HOW THE RED CROSS KNIGHT SLEW THE DRAGON
+
+
+While Una was riding through forest and over plains, with her faithful
+lion for her guard, the knight whom she sought had given himself over
+into the care of Duessa (for such was the name of Sansfoy's companion),
+by whom he was led to the gates of a splendid palace. The broad road up
+to it was worn by the feet of hosts of travellers; but though many
+peeped through the doors few returned. As the knight stood aside and
+watched, all manner of strange people passed before him, though none
+spoke. At length a man, but newly issued from the palace, and bearing a
+shield with the words 'Sans joy' written across it, stopped suddenly in
+front of the knight's page, then snatched from his arm a shield like his
+own, bearing the name 'Sansfoy.' The page, overcome by the quickness of
+the action, did not resist, but a blow on the helmet from the Red Cross
+Knight made Sansjoy stagger where he stood.
+
+The fight was fierce, and no one could tell with whom the victory lay
+till the queen of that place came by, and bade them cease their
+brawling, for on the morrow they should meet in the lists.
+
+But the battle next day went against the Paynim, in spite of the
+presence of the queen and the counsel of the false Duessa. Short would
+have been his shrift had not thick darkness fallen about him, and when
+the Red Cross Knight cried to him to begin the fray afresh, only silence
+answered him.
+
+Then the false Duessa, ever wont to take the side of him who wins,
+hurried up to him, and whispered, as she had whispered to Sansjoy, 'The
+conquest yours, I yours, the shield and glory yours;' but the knight did
+not heed her, for his eye was ever bent on the wall of thick darkness
+which shut in his foe. Indeed, so busy were his thoughts that he never
+knew that blood was streaming from his wounds, till the queen ordered
+him to be carried into the palace, and ointments to be laid on his body.
+
+As was her custom, Duessa talked much and loudly of the care she would
+give him, and of his speedy cure under her hands; but when night fell
+she stole forth and came to the spot where Sansjoy lay, still covered
+with the enchanted cloud. Then, in an iron chariot, borrowed from the
+Queen of Darkness, she drove him down to the underworld, and across the
+river which divides the kingdom of the living from that of the dead.
+Here giving him into the hands of the oldest and greatest of physicians,
+she went her way to the bedside of the Red Cross Knight.
+
+But for all that concerned that knight she might well have stayed in the
+kingdom of darkness; for in her absence the dwarf, wandering through the
+palace, had come upon a dungeon full of wretched captives, who filled
+the air with their wailings.
+
+Filled with fear, the dwarf hastened back to his master and prayed him
+to flee that place before the sun rose. Which the young knight gladly
+did, creeping away through a secret postern, though it was hard to find
+a footing amidst the corpses piled up on all sides, which had come to a
+bad end by reason of their own folly.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+[Illustration: UNA SAVED BY THE WOOD-FOLK]
+
+And what had become of Una when she had fallen into the power of
+Sansloy? Well, trembling she had followed him into the midst of a
+forest, where, to her wonder, from every bush sprang a host of fauns and
+people of the wood, and ran towards her. When the Saracen beheld
+them, he was so distraught with fear that he galloped right away,
+leaving Una behind him. But she, not knowing what to fear the most,
+stood shaking with dread, till the wood folk pressed around her, and,
+kneeling on the ground stroked lovingly her hands and feet. Then she
+understood that she was safe amongst them, and let them lead her where
+they would, and smiled at their songs and merry dances. If she could not
+be with the Red Cross Knight, then it mattered little where she was, and
+it gave her a feeling of rest and safety to lie hidden among the woods,
+with a people who would let nothing harmful come near her.
+
+So she stayed with them long, and taught them many things, while they in
+their turn showed her how to play on their pipes and to dance the
+prettiest and most graceful of their dances.
+
+Time passed in this wise, when one day it chanced that a noble knight,
+Satyrane by name, came to seek his kindred among the woodfolk. He
+wondered greatly to find so lovely a maid among them, and still more to
+see how eagerly they listened to her teachings, and henceforth he formed
+part of the throng that sat at her feet when the heat of the day was
+over.
+
+In this manner Una and the knight Satyrane soon became friends, and at
+length one day she poured out all her sad tale, and besought his help in
+her search for the Red Cross Knight. It was not easy to escape from the
+kind people who always thronged about her, and her heart was sore at the
+thought of leaving them, but she felt that for her captive parents'
+sake, as well as for the knight's, she could delay no longer.
+
+Therefore one morning, when the wood folk had gone to hold a feast in
+the forest, she rode away in company with Satyrane, and issuing from the
+forest soon reached the open plain. Towards evening they met a weary
+pilgrim, whose clothes were worn and soiled, and so true a pilgrim did
+he look, that Una did not know him to be the wizard Archimago. The
+knight instantly drew rein, and asked what tidings he could impart, and
+Una begged with faltering voice that he would tell her aught concerning
+a knight whose armour bore a red cross.
+
+'Alas! dear dame,' answered he slowly, 'these eyes did see that knight,
+both living and eke dead;' and with that he told her all his story.
+
+When he had finished, it was Satyrane who spoke.
+
+'Where is that Paynim's son, that him of life, and us of joy hath reft?'
+And the pilgrim made answer that he was hard by, washing his wounds at a
+fountain.
+
+Satyrane wasted no more words, but went right straight to the fountain,
+where he found Sansloy, whom he challenged instantly to fight. Sansloy
+hastily buckled on his armour, and cried that, though he had not slain
+the Red Cross Knight, he hoped to lay his champion in the dust. Then,
+both combatants being ready, the battle began.
+
+The sight was too dreadful for Una to bear, and she galloped away, not
+knowing that her deadliest foe, the wizard Archimago, was following her.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Meanwhile Duessa had left the splendid palace, and was riding over the
+country in pursuit of the Red Cross Knight, for it was bitter to her to
+see any escape, who had ever been under her thrall. Her good fortune,
+which never seemed to forsake her, before long led her to his side,
+where he lay resting on the banks of a stream, and he greeted her
+gladly.
+
+The sun was hot, and the water rippling clear over the stones seemed
+inviting. The knight was tired, and leaned down to drink, never knowing
+that the stream was enchanted. But in a moment his strength seemed to
+fail, and his arms grew weak as a child's, though he felt nothing till a
+horrible bellowing sounded in the wood. At the dreadful sound he started
+up and looked around for his armour, but before he could reach it a
+hideous giant was upon him.
+
+The fight did not take long, and in a short while the Red Cross Knight
+was a prisoner in the hands of the giant, who, accompanied by the false
+Duessa, carried his captive to a dungeon of his castle. After the door
+was safely locked and barred, the two then retired into the large hall,
+where they ate and made merry.
+
+From that day the giant brought forth his choicest treasures with which
+to deck Duessa. Her robes were purple, and a triple crown of gold was on
+her head, and, what she liked not so well, he gave her a seven-headed
+serpent to ride on.
+
+Now the faithful dwarf had watched the fate of his master, and when he
+saw him borne away senseless by the giant, he took up the armour which
+had been lain aside in the hour of need, and set out he knew not
+whither.
+
+He had gone but a little distance when he met Una, who read at a glance
+the evil tidings he had brought. She fell off her ass in a deadly swoon,
+and the dwarf, whose heart was nigh as sore, rubbed her temples with
+water and strove to bring her back to life. But when she heard the tale
+of all that had befallen the Red Cross Knight since last she had parted
+from him, she would fain have died, till the thought sprang suddenly
+into her mind that perhaps she might still rescue him. So with fresh
+hope she took the road to the giant's castle, but the way was far, and
+she was woefully tired before even its towers were in sight. Brave
+though she was, the maiden's courage failed her at last, and she began
+to weep afresh, when her eyes happened to light upon a good knight
+riding to meet her. He was clad in armour that shone more than any
+man's, and well it might, as it had been welded by the great enchanter
+Merlin. On the crest of his helmet a golden dragon spread his wings: and
+in the centre of his breast-plate a precious stone shone forth amidst a
+circle of smaller ones, 'like Hesperus among the lesser lights.'
+
+As he drew near, and saw before him a lady in distress, he reined in his
+horse, and with gentle words drew from her all her trouble.
+
+'Be of good cheer,' he said, when the tale was ended, 'and take comfort;
+for never will I forsake you till I have freed your captive knight.'
+
+And, though she knew him not, at his promise Una took heart of grace,
+and bade the dwarf lead them to the giant's castle.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Conducted by the dwarf and followed by the squire, the knight and lady
+soon reached the castle. Bidding Una to await him outside, and calling
+to his squire to come with him, they both walked up to the gates, which
+were fast shut, though no man was guarding them.
+
+'Blow your horn,' said the knight, and the squire blew a blast. At the
+sound, the gates flew open, and the giant came foaming from his chamber
+to see what insolent thief had dared disturb his peace.
+
+And the giant did not come alone. Close after him rode Duessa, 'high
+mounted on her many-headed beast'; and at this sight the knight raised
+his shield and eagerly began the attack.
+
+But, horrible though the serpent was, he was not the sole foe that the
+knight had to fight with. The giant's only weapon was his club, but that
+was as thick as a man's body, and studded with iron points besides.
+Luckily for the knight, this was not the first giant to whom he had
+given battle, and ere the mighty blow could fall he sprang lightly to
+one side, and the club lay buried so deep in the ground that before the
+giant could draw it out again, his left arm was smitten off by the
+knight's sword.
+
+[Illustration: ARTHUR FIGHTS THE SEVEN-HEADED SERPENT]
+
+The giant's roars of pain might have been heard in the uttermost parts
+of the kingdom, and Duessa quickly guided her baleful beast to the help
+of her wounded friend. But her way was barred by the squire, who, sword
+in hand, 'stood like a bulwark' between his lord and the serpent.
+Duessa, full of wrath at being foiled, turned the serpent on him, but
+not one foot would the squire move till, beside herself with anger, the
+witch drew out her cup and sprinkled him with the poisonous water. Then
+the strength went out of his arms and the courage from his heart, and he
+sank helpless on the ground before the snake, who fain would have
+trampled the life out of him, and it would have fared ill with him had
+not the knight rushed swiftly to his rescue, and dealt the snake such a
+wound that the garments of Duessa were all soaked in blood. She shrieked
+to the giant that she would be lost if he did not come to her aid, and
+the giant, whose one arm seemed to have gained the strength of two,
+struck the knight such a blow on the helmet that he sank heavily on the
+ground.
+
+The giant raised a shout of joy, but he triumphed too soon. The knight,
+in falling, caught the covering of his shield upon his spear, and rent
+it from top to toe. The brilliance that flowed from it burnt into the
+eyes of the giant, so that he was 'blinded by excess of light,' and sank
+sightless on the ground. At a fresh cry from Duessa he struggled to his
+feet, but all in vain. He had no power to hurt nor to defend, and fell
+back so heavily that the very earth shook beneath him, and was an easy
+prey for his foe, who smote his head from his body.
+
+Duessa, as we know, never stayed with those with whom the world went
+ill, and she was stealing away quietly, when once more the squire
+stopped her.
+
+'You are captive to my lord,' he said, and, holding her firmly, led her
+back.
+
+Then Una came running full of grateful words, but when she saw Duessa a
+cloud of fierce wrath passed over her face.
+
+'Beware lest that wicked woman escape,' cried she, 'for she it is who
+has worked all this ill, and thrown my dearest lord into the dungeon.
+Oh, hear how piteously he calls to you for aid!'
+
+'I give her into your keeping,' answered the knight, turning to the
+squire, 'and beware of her wiles, for they are many;' and, leaving the
+rest behind him, he strode into the castle, meeting no man as he went.
+
+At last there crept forth from one corner an old, old man with a huge
+bunch of rusty keys hanging from his arm. The knight asked him in gentle
+speech whence had gone all the people who dwelt in the castle, but he
+answered only that he could not tell, till the knight waxed impatient,
+and took the keys from him.
+
+The doors of all the rooms opened easily enough, and inside he found the
+strangest medley. Everywhere blood lay thick upon the floors, while the
+walls were covered with cloth of gold and splendid tapestry. No signs
+were there of any living creature, yet he knew that in some hiding-place
+in the castle the captive lay concealed.
+
+The knight had come to the last door of all. It was of iron, and no key
+on the bunch would open it. On one side was a little grating, and
+through it he called loudly, lest perchance any man might hear his
+voice.
+
+At that there answered him a hollow empty sound, and for a while he
+could not make out any words. Then from out the wailing in the darkness
+something spoke:
+
+'Oh, who is that which brings me happy choice of death? Three moons have
+waxed and waned since I beheld the face of heaven? Oh, welcome, welcome
+art thou who hast come to end my weary life!'
+
+The moaning sound of the voice thrilled the brave champion with horror.
+Putting his shoulder to the iron door, he gave a mighty heave, and the
+hinges gave way. Nothing could he see, for the darkness was terrible,
+and his foot, which he stretched cautiously inward, touched no floor.
+And, besides, the foul smells rushed out, poisoning him with their
+fumes.
+
+But when he had grown in some measure used to the darkness and the
+odours, he began to think how he could best deliver the Red Cross Knight
+from the pit into which he had fallen. To this end he sought through the
+castle till he found some lengths of rope, which he carried back with
+him, as he did not know how deep the pit might be. He knotted three or
+four together and let the rope down, but even when a faint cry from the
+captive told him that it had reached the bottom, his labours were not
+ended yet. Twice the knots gave way, by good fortune, before the man was
+more than a foot or two from the ground, and other pieces of rope had to
+be fetched. Then, when all was made fast, the prisoner had grown so weak
+that he could scarce draw himself up; and again the knight feared
+greatly lest he himself should not have strength to hold fast the rope.
+But at length his courage and patience prevailed, and the Red Cross
+Knight, hollow-eyed, and thin as a skeleton, looked once more upon the
+sun.
+
+His parents might have gazed on him and not known him for their child,
+but Una's heart leapt when the unknown knight brought him to her.
+
+'Welcome,' she said, 'welcome in weal or woe. Your presence I have
+lacked for many a day,' and fain would she have heard the tale of his
+sufferings, had not the knight, who knew that men love not to speak of
+their sorrows, begged her to tend the captive carefully, so that his
+forces might come to him again. Further, he bade them remember that they
+had in their power the woman who had been the cause of all their grief,
+and the time had come to give sentence on her.
+
+'I cannot slay her, now she is mine to slay,' answered Una, 'but strip
+her robe of scarlet from off her, and let her go whither she will.'
+
+With her robes and her jewels went all the magic arts that gave her
+youth and beauty. Instead of the dazzling maiden who had wrought so much
+havoc in the world, there stood before them an old bald-headed shaking
+crone, that seemed as ancient as the earth itself. Silently they gazed,
+then turned away in horror, while Duessa wandered into paths of which
+she alone knew the ending.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It was not until they had rested themselves awhile in the castle that
+the stranger knight told who he was and why he came there. He was, he
+said, Arthur, the ward of Merlin, and had ridden far and long in quest
+of the Faerie Queen. And having fulfilled his vow to Una, in delivering
+the Red Cross Knight out of the power of the giant, he bade both
+farewell, leaving behind him, as a remembrance of their friendship a
+diamond box containing a precious ointment, which would cure any wound,
+however deep or poisonous.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+So they parted, but not yet was the Red Cross Knight able to face the
+monstrous dragon who held captive Una's royal parents. For some weeks
+therefore he rested in the castle till his strength came back, then once
+more he and Una rode forth side by side.
+
+They had not gone far when they beheld an armed knight galloping fast
+towards them, and as he went ever glancing over his shoulder as if
+fearful of some dread thing behind. His matted hair streamed in the wind
+and the fingers which grasped the reins were like the claws of an eagle.
+Stranger than all, round his neck was tied a hempen rope. 'He seems to
+be afraid of himself,' thought the Red Cross Knight as he checked his
+horse to offer help to the flying man before him.
+
+At first it seemed as if his words fell on dumb ears, but patiently he
+repeated them over and over again, and at length an answer came from
+the shaking figure:
+
+'For God's sake, Sir Knight, do not, I pray you, stay me, for look, HE
+comes, HE comes fast after me;' and as he spoke he urged on his horse
+afresh. But the Red Cross Knight caught his bridle and bade him fear
+nothing, as he was safe with him, and to tell him why such awful fear
+possessed his soul.
+
+At last the stricken man poured forth his tale, and the Red Cross Knight
+learned that once he was happy and free, like other men, till on an
+ill-starred day he and a friend had fallen in with a cursed wight who
+called himself 'Despair,' who had plucked all hope from their breasts,
+and bade them seek death, the one with a rope, the other with a knife.
+His friend, whose love had been disdained by a proud lady, fell an easy
+prey to the persuasions of the giant, and it was the sight of his corpse
+lying weltering in his blood that drove this man to ride away while yet
+the rope hung loose. 'O sir,' he added when the sad tale was told--'O
+sir, be warned by me, and never let yourself stray into his presence!
+His subtle tongue, like dropping honey, melts into the heart, and ere
+one be aware, his power is gone and weakness doth remain.'
+
+But the Red Cross Knight made answer that he would never rest till he
+had seen with his own eyes that baleful being, and begged the stranger,
+whose name was Trevisan, to guide him hither.
+
+'I will ride back with you, as you ask it of me,' said Sir Trevisan
+unwillingly, 'but not for all the gold in the world will I stay with you
+when you reach his cave, for sooner would I die than see his deadly
+face!'
+
+'Ride on, then, and I will follow,' answered the Red Cross Knight.
+
+The cave lay in the side of a cliff, and was dark and gloomy as a tomb.
+The only sounds they heard were the hooting of an owl and the wails and
+howls of wandering ghosts; the only sights were the corpses of men
+hanging on trees or lying stark upon the ground. Sir Trevisan turned
+his horse's head and would fain have fled, but the Red Cross Knight
+stopped him.
+
+'You are safe with me,' he said confidently, and the other, who was ever
+weak of will, waited.
+
+They entered the cave, and found the doer of all that evil seated on the
+floor, his eyes as the eyes of a dead man, and his body well nigh as
+much a skeleton as any of his victims. On the grass beneath him lay a
+body that was still warm, and in its bleeding wound a rusty knife still
+stood. The sight stirred the blood in the knight's veins, and he
+challenged the murderer to fight where he stood.
+
+'Are you distraught, you foolish man,' was all his answer, 'that you
+should talk in this wild way? It was his own guilt which drove him to
+his end. He loathed his life, why should he then prolong it? Is it not
+the part of a friend to free his feet when they stick fast in the mud,
+and to point to the door that leads to rest, even if some little pain
+must be suffered in the passage? Is not short pain well borne that
+brings long ease--sleep after toil, port after stormy seas?'
+
+The Red Cross Knight listened wonderingly. Then he answered:
+
+'The soldier may not cease to watch nor leave his stand until his
+captain bid.'
+
+But the cursed wight replied boldly, 'The longer life, I wot, the
+greater sin. The greater sin, the greater punishment. Therefore, I pray
+you go no further, but lie down and betake you to your rest. A longer
+life means old age and sickness, and every kind of sorrow. So lay it
+down while things are yet well with you.'
+
+[Illustration: IN THE CAVE OF DESPAIR]
+
+In spite of Sir Trevisan's warning, the fair-sounding words found an
+echo in the heart of the Red Cross Knight, as they had done in the
+hearts of many men before him. The miscreant saw that his courage was
+wavering, and forthwith he brought forth a store of swords, ropes,
+poisons, and a brazier of fire, and bade him choose what manner of
+death he would prefer. The knight gazed at them all, like one who walks
+in sleep, but touched none of them, and the miscreant, beholding this,
+chose out a dagger bright and new, and thrust it in his shaking hand.
+The young man looked at it, his face reddened and then grew pale again,
+and slowly, as if against his will, he lifted the dagger.
+
+A shriek from Una, who had only just reached the cave, caused him to
+drop his arm again, and in an instant she had snatched it from his limp
+fingers, and had flung it on the ground.
+
+'Come away, come away,' she cried, 'let no vain words bewitch you! What
+have you to do with despair, after all the brave deeds you have done?
+Arise, Sir knight, arise and leave this cursed place. Have you forgotten
+that other work awaits you?'
+
+The voice of Una broke the spell which had possessed him. Once more his
+eye grew bright and his arm strong. He mounted his horse and rode away
+by Una's side without ever looking behind him. If he had, he would have
+seen that the miscreant had placed a rope round his own neck, and hanged
+himself on a tree. But even so he could not die; the death to which he
+drove others remained far from him.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The ease with which the Red Cross Knight had been mastered by the wily
+talk of the gloomy miscreant in the cave showed Una that his mind, if
+not his body, was still weak from his long imprisonment in the dungeon.
+She saw that before he could fight the dragon who had carried off her
+parents he needed yet more repose, and luckily she knew of a house not
+far off where they would be made welcome for as long as they chose to
+stay. Hither they fared, and for many weeks the knight's armour was laid
+away, and the ladies who dwelt in that place gave him all the strength
+and counsel that they could think of. Then, when at last he had become
+what he had been of yore, Una bade farewell to her hosts with great
+thanks, and set out for the royal castle. After three days the walls of
+a high tower might be seen dimly across the plain.
+
+'It is there that my parents are kept imprisoned by the dragon,' said
+Una, pointing to it with her hand, 'and I see the watchman watching for
+good tidings, if haply such there be. Ah, he has waited long!'
+
+As she spoke, a roaring hideous sound was heard that seemed to shake the
+ground and to fill all the air with terror. Turning their heads, they
+beheld on their right a huge dragon, lying stretched upon the sunny side
+of a great hill, himself like a great hill. But no sooner did he see the
+shining armour of the knight than he roused himself and made ready for
+battle.
+
+Hastily the Red Cross Knight bade Una withdraw herself to another hill,
+from which she could see the fight without herself being in danger.
+Crouching behind a rock, she watched the dreadful beast approaching,
+half flying and half walking as he went. Run he could not, his size was
+too vast.
+
+Her heart sank as she looked, for how could mortal man get the better of
+such a creature! Besides the brazen scales which thickly covered his
+body, his wings were like two sails, and at the tip of each huge feather
+was a many-pronged claw; while his back was hidden with the folds of his
+tail, which lay doubled in a hundred coils, and in his mouth were three
+rows of sharp-pointed teeth. Una could look no more; she shut her eyes
+and waited.
+
+The knight felt that if he was to win the victory at all it must be by
+means of his lightness of foot, as the monster was so large he could not
+turn himself about quickly. So, getting a little behind his head, he
+tried to pierce his neck between the scaly plates, but the spear glanced
+off harmlessly, and a stroke from the tip of the tail laid both him and
+his horse on the ground.
+
+[Illustration: THE END OF THE DRAGON]
+
+They rose again instantly, and returned to the charge, but a second blow
+met with no better fate. Then the dragon in wrath spread wide his sails
+and rose heavily above the earth, till, suddenly and swiftly darting
+down his head, he snatched both horse and man off the ground. But here
+the knight had the advantage, for with his spear he stung the beast so
+sore that the monster speedily set his captives again on the earth.
+
+Not giving the dragon time to gather himself up, the knight dealt him a
+blow under the left wing. With a roar of agony, the beast snapped the
+spear asunder with his claws, and pulled out the head. At that a sea of
+blood gushed from the wound which would have turned a water-mill, and in
+his pain and rage flames of fire gushed from his mouth.
+
+Unwinding his tail from his back, he coiled it like lightning about the
+legs of the horse, which fell to the ground with his rider. But in an
+instant the knight was on his feet, and by the mere force of his blows
+forced his enemy to reel, though the brazen scales were still unpierced.
+Though his courage was as great as ever, the young man began to lose
+patience, when of a sudden he noticed that the monster could no longer
+rise into the air by reason of his wounded wing. That sight gave him
+heart, and he drew near once more, only to be scorched by the deadly
+fire from the dragon's jaws. Half blinded and suffocated, he staggered,
+which the dragon seeing, he dealt the knight such a blow that he fell
+backwards into a well that lay behind.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+'So that is the end of him,' said the dragon to himself; but, if he had
+only known, it was the beginning, for the well into which the knight had
+fallen was the well of life, which could cure all hurts and heal all
+wounds.
+
+All night Una watched at her post, for darkness had come before the
+knight received his final blow. In the morning, before the sun had risen
+above the plain, she was looking for the knight, who was lying she knew
+not where. Her eyes dropping by chance on the well, she was sore amazed
+to see him rise out of it fairer and mightier than before. With a rush
+he fell upon the dragon, who had gone to sleep, safe in the knowledge of
+his victory, and, taking his sword in both hands, he drove right through
+the brazen scales, and wounded him deep in his skull. In vain did the
+monster roar and struggle; the blows rained thick and fast, and most of
+his tail was cut from his body.
+
+Again and again the knight was overthrown, and again and again he rose
+to his feet, and laid about him as valiantly as ever. But while the
+fight was still hanging in the balance, the dragon thrust his head
+forward with wide-open jaws, thinking to swallow his enemy and make an
+end of him. Quick as thought the knight sprang aside, and, thrusting his
+sword in the yawning gulf up to the hilt, gave the dragon his
+death-blow.
+
+Down he fell, fire and smoke gushing from his nostrils--down he fell,
+and men thought some mighty mountain must have cast up rocks on the
+earth.
+
+The victor himself trembled, and it was long ere Una dared draw near,
+dreading lest the direful fiend should stir. But when at last she knew
+him dead, she came joyfully forth, and, bursting into happy tears,
+faltered her gratitude for the good he had wrought her.
+
+There is little more to be told of Una and the Red Cross knight.
+
+The watchman on the wall, who had seen the dreadful battle, was the
+first to tell the king and queen that the dragon was dead and that they
+were free. Then the king commanded the trumpets to sound and the people
+to assemble, so that fitting rejoicings might be made at the destruction
+of their foe.
+
+This being done, a mighty procession came down, headed by the king and
+queen, to lay laurel boughs at the feet of the victor, and to set a
+garland of bay on the head of the maiden. Once more Duessa and
+Archimago sought to prevent the betrothal of the Red Cross Knight and
+Una by a plot to send the wizard in the guise of a messenger,
+proclaiming the knight to have been already bound to the daughter of the
+emperor, but the false tale was easily seen through, and Archimago
+thrown into a dungeon.
+
+After that the king himself performed the marriage rite, and a solemn
+feast was held through the land, but the wedded pair were not long left
+together. A vow the knight had made when he received his spurs to do the
+Faerie Queen six years of service called him from Una's side, and, sad
+though the parting might be, both held their word too high ever to break
+it.
+
+[From _The Faerie Queene_.]
+
+
+
+
+_AMYS AND AMYLE_
+
+
+Some time in the Middle Ages there lived in the Duchy of Lombardy,
+which, as everybody knows, is part of Italy, two knights, who loved each
+other like brothers. And, what is more to be wondered at, their wives
+were the best friends in the world. To complete the happiness of the two
+couples, two little boys were born to them on the same day, and they
+were given the names of Amys and Amyle.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Now it generally happens that when parents are very anxious for their
+children to be friends, because they are the same age, or neighbours, or
+for some equally good reason, the young people make up their minds to
+hate each other. However, Amys and Amyle did not disappoint their
+fathers and mothers in this way. From the moment they could walk they
+were never seen apart; if they ever _did_ quarrel no one ever heard of
+it; and by the time they were twelve years old they had grown so like
+each other that even their parents could hardly tell the difference
+between them. Indeed, the likeness between them is supposed to have
+given rise to the proverb, 'A miss is as good as a mile.'
+
+It was in that year that the duke, their liege lord, bade all his
+vassals to a great festival to be held in his castle, and many of them
+took their sons with them, to show them some of the customs of chivalry.
+Amys and Amyle went with the rest, and endless were the mistakes made
+about them. The boys themselves, who were merry little fellows,
+delighted in increasing the confusion, and played so many pranks that
+the duke declared that they must remain at the court with him, as his
+life would be too dull without them.
+
+Perhaps the knights thought that their homes would be dull too, but, if
+so, they did not dare say so; only their wives noticed, as they entered
+the castle gates, that their heads were bowed, as if some ill had
+befallen them.
+
+At first the boys felt unhappy and lonely in this strange new world, and
+clung to each other more closely than ever, but, after a little, they
+got used to the change, and learned eagerly how to shoot at a mark and
+tilt at a ring, or to sing sweet love-songs to the sound of a lute.
+
+So the years passed away till Amys and Amyle were eighteen years old,
+and thought themselves men, and were ready to cross lances with the
+bravest. The first step they took towards proving to the world that no
+tie of blood could bind them closer than the love they bore one to
+another, was to swear the oaths which made them brothers in arms, and
+obliged them to fight in each other's quarrels, avenge each other's
+wrongs--even to sacrifice what the other held most dear in the service
+of his friend. Marriage itself was not more sacred.
+
+All this time the duke had been too busy with his own affairs to have
+the youths much in his company, though he took care that they had the
+best chances of learning everything that they ought to know. When,
+however, he heard that Amys and Amyle had sworn the solemn oaths that
+made them brothers in arms, he ordered a tournament to be held in their
+honour, and, when it was over, knighted them on the field. He further
+declared that henceforth Sir Amys should be his chief butler and Sir
+Amyle his head steward over his household, thus the steward whom Amyle
+displaced became their deadly enemy.
+
+Although the young men knew a great deal about hunting, and wrestling,
+and other such sports, they had no idea what the duties of a butler and
+a steward might be. But what they _did_ know was that they would have to
+be very careful, for the eyes of the old steward were watching eagerly
+to report any mistakes to the duke their master. Luckily for them, they
+were favourites with everyone, and if now and then they forgot their
+work, or slipped away for a day's hunting, well! the task was done by
+somebody, and not even the old steward could find out by whom.
+
+Everything seemed going smoothly, and the new-made knights were in
+danger of being spoilt by the favour of the ladies of the court, when a
+sudden stop was put to all their pleasures. One day a man-at-arms riding
+a jaded horse appeared at the palace gateway, and demanded to be led
+into the presence of the good knight Sir Amyle.
+
+'Oh, my lord,' said he, and knew not that it was Amys before whom he was
+kneeling, 'it is grievous news that I bear unto you. Your father and
+mother, that noble knight and his lady, died of a pestilence but seven
+days agone, and none save you can take their place. Therefore am I sent
+unto you.'
+
+'_My_ father and mother?' cried Amys, staggering back.
+
+'Yes, my lord, yours,' answered the man. 'At least----' he stammered, as
+Sir Amyle came and stood by his friend, 'I know not if indeed it may be
+yours. It is long years since I have seen you, and this knight and you
+have but one face. But it is Sir Amyle with whom I would speak.'
+
+Then Amys laid his hand on his brother's shoulder.
+
+'Be comforted,' he said softly. 'Am I not with thee? and, though I
+cannot go with thee now, I will follow thee shortly unless thou quickly
+return to me.'
+
+Early next morning Amyle started with a heavy heart for the home which
+he had left six years before; but before his departure he had caused to
+be made two cups of gold, delicately wrought with figures of birds and
+beasts, such as he and Amys had often chased in the forests and lakes of
+Lombardy. The cups were no more to be told from each other than were
+Amys and Amyle themselves, and Amyle placed them in the pockets of his
+saddle till the moment came for him to part from Sir Amys, who had
+ridden with him as far as he might. Then, drawing out one of the cups,
+Amyle placed it in his friend's hands.
+
+'Farewell, my brother,' he said. 'Be true to me as I will be true to
+you, according to the oath which we sware, that as long as we both shall
+live nothing and nobody shall stand between me and thee.'
+
+And Sir Amys repeated the words of his oath, then slowly turned his
+horse's head towards the castle.
+
+Seven days' hard riding brought Sir Amyle back to his native place, and
+for many months he had much to do in setting aside the pretenders who
+had sprung up to claim his father's lands. When at last peace was
+restored and the false traitors had been thrown into prison, a petition
+on the part of his vassals to take a wife and settle down amongst them,
+turned his thoughts in other directions.
+
+It was the custom of the country that the ruler of those lands should
+choose his wife from the most beautiful maidens in the Duchy of
+Lombardy, no matter what might be their degree. So a herald was sent
+forth to proclaim that any damsel who wished to fill this high place was
+to present herself in the courtyard of the palace on the morning
+following the next new moon, where the chamberlain would receive her.
+Oh, what a fluttering of hearts there was in the towns and villages, as
+the herald, with his silver trumpet and his satin coat of red and
+yellow, covered with figures of strange beasts, passed up and down the
+streets! How the girls all ran to their mirrors, and turned themselves
+this way and that to see if there could possibly be a chance for them!
+Perhaps it was the fault of the headdress they wore that their faces
+seemed so long and their noses so big, or surely something was wrong
+with the glass that their cheeks looked so yellow! But even when it was
+proved beyond a doubt that neither headdress nor mirror was to blame in
+the matter, there were enough lovely maidens and to spare in the
+courtyard of the castle on the day following the new moon.
+
+[Illustration: THE TWO CUPS]
+
+'He is certain to choose _you_,' said one, who in her secret heart
+thought it was impossible that _she_ should be passed over.
+
+'Oh no; fair men's eyes alway rest upon dark women,' answered the girl,
+whose locks were brighter than the sun, though while she spoke she was
+really thinking that no one could bear comparison with her. And then all
+grew silent, for there was heard a blast of trumpets announcing that Sir
+Amyle was at hand.
+
+The young knight had donned for this occasion a close-fitting coat of
+silver cloth, while a short blue velvet mantle hung from his shoulders.
+He walked slowly down the ranks of the maidens, watching each carefully,
+and noting the way in which she received his gaze. Some looked down and
+blushed; some looked up and smiled, but one there was who did neither,
+only stood calm and pale as the young man drew near.
+
+She was a tall girl with dark hair and soft grey eyes, and the
+chamberlain had doubted long, before he told her father that she might
+take her stand with the rest. None would have chosen her as Queen of a
+Tourney, or bidden her preside over a Court of Love, yet there was that
+in her face which had caused Amyle to pause before her and to hold out
+his hand.
+
+So they were married, and by the side of his wife Sir Amyle for a while
+forgot his brother.
+
+Meanwhile Sir Amys dwelt sorrowfully at the court, defending himself as
+best he might against the wiles of the black-hearted steward, who now
+received him with smiles and fair words. Nay, he even desired that they
+should become brothers at arms, but to this Sir Amys replied that,
+having made oath to one brother at arms, the rules of chivalry did not
+allow him to take another.
+
+At these words the steward threw off the mask with which he had sought
+to beguile Sir Amys.
+
+'You will have cause to rue this day,' roared he, nearly choking in his
+wrath; 'you dog, you white-livered cur!' but Amys only smiled, and bade
+him do his worst.
+
+By this time the duke's only daughter, Belisante, had reached the age of
+fifteen, and on her birthday her father proclaimed a great tournament,
+which was to last for fourteen days. Knights from far and near flocked
+to break a lance in honour of the fair damsel, but, though many doughty
+deeds were done, the prize fell to Sir Amys. When he came up to receive
+the golden circlet from the hands of the duchess--for the duke held his
+daughter to be of too tender years to be queen of the tourney--Belisante
+looked earnestly at the knight whose praises had rung in her ears ever
+since her childhood. It was almost the first time her eyes had beheld
+him, for she had lived in one of her father's distant castles, and had
+seldom visited the court.
+
+Now we all know full well that whenever we form to ourselves the picture
+of a man or woman of whom great things are said, woeful is in general
+the disappointment. But even in that assembly Sir Amys was taller and
+stronger and fairer to look upon than the rest.
+
+'He shall be my knight,' said Belisante to herself, never dreaming that
+any man alive could pass her by. But Sir Amys' thoughts dwelt not upon
+women, and he hardly so much as marked her where she sat.
+
+This slight was more than the spoiled damsel could bear. She fell sick
+with love and anger, and for many days lay in bed, pondering how she
+should win the love of Sir Amys.
+
+A full week went by, and still she had never had speech of him--nor had
+even so much as caught sight of him as he followed her father to the
+chase. But one morning her lady brought her word--for indeed she had
+guessed something of her mistress's heart--that Sir Amys had so wearied
+himself in pursuit of a boar the previous evening that he had let his
+lord ride forth alone. So Belisante bade her maiden bring her kirtle of
+green silk, and clasp it with her golden belt set with precious
+stones, and place a veil of shining white upon her hair; then seeking
+her mother they went down into the garden together.
+
+[Illustration: Softly she rose to her feet and stole out of the wood]
+
+It was not long before her quick-glancing eyes beheld Sir Amys lying
+under a tree by the side of a stream, but in her guile she took no heed
+of him, but turned away and entered a little wood.
+
+'I can sleep now,' she said, stretching herself on a bank of soft moss.
+'Listen to the birds, how sweetly they sing! Methinks I hear the voice
+of the nightingale, for the trees make such darkness that he knows not
+night from day.'
+
+'Let us leave her,' answered her mother, and signing to her ladies they
+all returned to the castle.
+
+For a moment Belisante lay still, feigning to sleep; then she raised
+herself on her arm and looked about her. Nothing was to be seen save the
+green darkness about her, nothing was to be heard save the songs of the
+birds. Softly she rose to her feet, and stole out of the wood to the
+orchard where Sir Amys was resting, thinking, though she guessed it not,
+of his brother in arms Amyle.
+
+He sprang to his feet in surprise as Belisante the Fair drew near him;
+but she begged him to sit beside her, and told him how that she had been
+sick of love, and besought him of his grace not to withhold this good
+gift from her. Sir Amys hearkened to her words, not knowing if he had
+heard aright, but, calling his wits to his aid, he answered that she was
+the daughter of a great prince while he was only the son of a poor
+knight, and that marriage between them might never be. This speech so
+wrought upon Belisante that she broke out in such tears and entreaties
+that Sir Amys, to gain time to ponder what best to do, replied that if
+in eight days her mind was still set on him, he would ask her hand in
+marriage.
+
+By ill-luck for both the knight and the maiden, the steward, who had
+been seeking a chance of doing Sir Amys an ill turn, had seen Belisante
+leave the wood and go in search of Sir Amys. Creeping stealthily up to
+them, he hid himself behind a clump of bushes and heard all that was
+said. Cunningly he made his plan, and on the eighth day he waylaid the
+duke and told him that Sir Amys was about to repay all the kindness
+shown him by a secret marriage with the duke's daughter.
+
+Sir Amys was keeping guard that day in the hall of the palace, when,
+sword in hand, his liege lord stood before him charging him with
+beguiling his daughter. In another moment Amys would have fallen dead,
+but behind him was a little room, and into this he stepped, shutting the
+door, so that the sword stuck in the hard wood as it came against it.
+This mischance somewhat cooled the duke's anger, and, bidding Sir Amys
+come out and speak with him, he again accused him of having sought to
+steal away his daughter, whom he wished to betrothe to the emperor's
+son.
+
+Sir Amys was in sore straits. If he could have borne the penalty alone,
+he would have suffered gladly whatever sentence the duke might have
+passed on him; but this could not be. So, to save Belisante from her
+father's wrath, he swore a great oath that there was no truth in that
+tale, and, flinging down his glove, offered to fight any man whom the
+duke should appoint, and prove his innocence on his body. Then the king
+bade his steward pick up Sir Amys' glove, and fixed a morning, fourteen
+days hence, when the two should meet in single combat.
+
+Still it was not enough that Sir Amys and the steward should agree to
+fight; it was needful also that sureties should be found, and such was
+the steward's power at court that all men feared to come forward on
+behalf of Sir Amys. The young man would have fared badly, and indeed
+would at once have been thrown into prison, had not both Belisante and
+her mother offered themselves as sureties for his presence when the day
+arrived.
+
+But not all the wiles of the fair Belisante could chase the gloom from
+the face of Sir Amys. He never forgot that he had sworn a false oath,
+and it was to no purpose that Belisante reminded him of all the ill
+deeds done by the steward to him and others. 'This time,' he said sadly,
+'_I_ have the wrong and _he_ the right, therefore I am afraid to fight,'
+and no other answer could she wring from him.
+
+Way out of the tangle there seemed none. Fight Sir Amys could not, with
+the weight of a false oath on his soul, yet to run away were to confess
+all, and leave Belisante to bear her father's anger alone. Turn his
+thoughts which side he would, escape seemed barred, till the image of
+Sir Amyle flashed across him. 'Fool, why had he not remembered him
+earlier? Luckily there was yet time, and he could ride with full speed
+to his brother's castle, and bid him return to take the battle on
+himself.' With a gladder face than he had known for long, he sought out
+the duchess and her daughter, and told them his plan.
+
+Before the sun rose Sir Amys was in the saddle, and so busy was he with
+all that had befallen him that he pushed on and never drew rein till his
+horse dropped dead under him from sheer weariness. As there was no town
+or house where he might find another, he was forced to proceed on foot.
+But by-and-by he too fell from lack of sleep, and when Sir Amyle was
+returning home through the forest after a day's hunting, he discovered
+his brother stretched across the path in the shade of a tree.
+
+Joy at meeting gave new life to Sir Amys, and, sitting up, he told his
+friend all his woes, and how he dare not fight with a false oath on his
+conscience.
+
+'Oh! that is easily to be managed,' cried Sir Amyle, with a great laugh.
+'Go home to my castle,' said he, 'and tell my wife that you have sent
+the horse to Sir Amys, at court, as you heard he had sore need of one.
+None will know you from me, no more than they did of old, and, as to my
+wife, it was but now I told her that business called me to the most
+distant parts of my lands, so this very night you can bid her farewell.'
+
+Sir Amys did as his brother bade him, and Sir Amyle hastened with all
+speed to the duke's palace.
+
+He was only just in time. The hour for the fight had come, and the
+steward had entered the lists, and, looking round in triumph, proclaimed
+to all whom it might concern that his adversary knew himself to be a
+traitor to his lord, and had fled. Therefore, according to all the rules
+of chivalry, a fire should be made, and his sureties burned before all
+the people.
+
+At these dreadful words, the hearts of the king and his wife and
+daughter trembled within them. For the steward had spoken truly, and the
+order for the execution must be given. It was in vain that the men
+worked right slowly; linger as they might, the pile was ready at last,
+and with one despairing glance round, the duchess and her daughter were
+bravely walking up to it, when Sir Amyle hastily pushed his way to the
+duke and demanded that the captives should be instantly set free. Then,
+followed by the duchess and Belisante, he entered the palace to gird
+himself with the armour of Sir Amys.
+
+When his helmet and sword were buckled on him, he prayed them to leave
+him, as he would fain be alone for a short space before he mounted his
+horse. So the two ladies embraced him and left him, wishing him
+God-speed. As the door closed upon them, Sir Amyle held up his sword and
+muttered a prayer before it.
+
+'Come weal or woe, I will help my brother,' he said softly; then
+mounting his horse he rode into the lists, and, kneeling, took the oath
+that he was guiltless of wrong and would prove his innocence on the body
+of his foe.
+
+[Illustration: SIR AMYLE ARRIVES IN TIME TO SAVE THE LADIES]
+
+The fight lasted but a short time; the steward's sword was keen, and he
+knew how to use it, and it was not long before he had given Sir Amyle a
+sharp thrust through the shoulder, and the young knight reeled in his
+saddle. The steward uttered a cry of fierce joy, and raised his arm to
+deal a second blow, when Sir Amyle suddenly spurred his horse to one
+side and pierced his enemy to the heart. Then, all bleeding as he was,
+the false Amys cut off the head of the traitor, and gave it to the
+duke, proving to him and to all the court that the right had conquered.
+But hardly had he done so when, faint from loss of blood, he fell
+senseless on the ground, and was carried into the palace, where the
+duke's best leeches were called in to attend him. In a few days the
+fever left him, and he was able to receive a visit from the duke
+himself.
+
+'O Amys, my friend, how I have misjudged you!' cried the duke, falling
+on his knees weeping; 'but I will let my people know that you were
+always true, and you shall marry my daughter as soon as you can stand
+upon your feet, and I will hold a feast, and proclaim you heir to my
+duchy.'
+
+And the wounded man gave him thanks and grace, but sent off a messenger
+in all haste to Sir Amys, bidding him be by a spring in the forest, nine
+days hence, which message Sir Amys obeyed, wondering what had passed.
+Then the two knights changed their clothes once more, and Sir Amyle
+returned to his wife and Sir Amys to his bride, and they lived happily
+to the end of their lives.
+
+[Adapted and shortened from _Early English Metrical Romances_.]
+
+
+
+
+_THE TALE OF THE CID_
+
+
+In the year 1025, when Canute the Dane was sitting on the throne of
+England, there was born in the ancient Spanish city of Burgos a baby, to
+whom was given the name of Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar. He came of noble blood
+on both sides of the House, and his forefathers had borne some of the
+highest offices of the land, and from his childhood the boy had been
+taught that it was his duty never to fall one whit behind them in
+courage and in honour. As he grew older, he burned more and more for a
+chance to show the metal of which he was made, and longed to join the
+companies of knights that were ever going forth to fight the Arabs, who
+for nearly four hundred years had reigned over the fairest provinces of
+Spain. But to all his prayers, his father, Don Diego Lainez, turned a
+deaf ear.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+'Wait, wait, my son!' he would say; 'the little shoot must first grow
+into a tree. Go now and practise that sword-thrust in which you failed
+yesterday.'
+
+It was when he was sixteen that the longed-for opportunity came.
+
+Don Diego Lainez, now old and weak, had gone to do his homage to King
+Fernando, who had managed to unite the small kingdoms of Northern Spain
+under his banner. Some dispute arose between him and the powerful count,
+Don Lozano Gomez, probably as to which had the right to pass first into
+the presence of their king, and in the presence of the whole court Don
+Lozano spoke words of deadly insult to the old man, and even gave him a
+buffet on the cheek. The courtiers all cried shame, and Don Diego's hand
+clutched the pommel of his sword, but his rage had deprived him of the
+little strength that remained, and he was powerless to draw it. At this
+the count laughed scornfully, and, bowing mockingly to the king, who
+held it best that men should settle their own quarrels, rode away to his
+castle. Then, without another word, Don Diego turned and mounted his
+horse and set out homewards.
+
+A broken man and older by ten years was he when he entered his hall, but
+many days passed before any could guess what had wrought this change in
+him. All night he lay awake staring into the darkness, and when food was
+brought him it was carried away untasted, and his wife whispered to her
+ladies, 'If we rouse him not he will surely die! Would that I knew what
+has stricken him like this?'
+
+Fifteen days went by in this manner, and none thought to see him leave
+his bed again, when one morning he strode into the hall with some of the
+fire of his former years, and called his sons to him. One by one he
+signed to each to draw near, and taking their soft hands in his palms,
+pressed so hard that the boys cried to him to loosen his grasp, or they
+would die of the pain. But when he came to Rodrigo, he heard no prayers
+of mercy from _him_, only threats and hot words uttered with blazing
+eyes and cheeks burning with anger. And the old man wept for joy, and
+cried:
+
+'Thou art indeed my true son; your rage calms me, your fury heals me. It
+is you who will redeem my honour, which I held lost.' And then he told
+the youth the tale of what had passed at court.
+
+'Take my blessing,' were his last words, 'and take this sword also,
+which shall deal the count his death-blow. After that, you shall do
+greater deeds still.'
+
+[Illustration: RODRIGO BRINGS HOME THE HEAD OF GOMEZ]
+
+Young though he was, Rodrigo had heard enough of war to know Lozano
+Gomez would not prove an easy prey; but, easy or not, he meant to
+fight him. So, vowing to his sword that should he ever bring dishonour
+on the weapon that had done his House good service, he would sheathe it
+in his breast, he mounted his horse and rode to meet his foe.
+
+'Is it a knightly or a brave deed, think you, to smite an old man who
+cannot defend himself?' asked he. 'But when you dealt that blow you may
+have thought that his sons were yet in their cradles, and that there was
+none to avenge him. Well, traitor, you are wrong. _I_ am his son, and
+his honour is mine, so look to yourself, lest I take your head home with
+me.'
+
+And Gomez laughed to hear him, and bade him cease crowing like a young
+cock, but a furious onslaught from Rodrigo cut his words short, and
+hardly did he escape being unhorsed. Before he had steadied himself in
+the saddle Rodrigo had charged again, and this time his enemy was borne
+to the ground.
+
+'So may all dastards die!' cried the victor, as he cut off his head.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Don Diego Lainez was sitting at the table in his great hall, the tears
+rolling down his cheeks as the shameful scene of his dishonour rose up
+before him. Suddenly a clatter of hoofs was heard in the courtyard, and
+the doors swung open. The men-at-arms gathered round the board rose to
+their feet as Rodrigo entered, carrying the head of Count Gomez by the
+long front lock. Taking Don Diego by the arm, he shook him roughly:
+
+'Open your eyes wide, my father, and raise your head, and let your heart
+be merry, for I have cut down the poisonous weed; I have stamped out the
+plague-spot; the robe of your honour is stainless as of yore.'
+
+For a moment the old man kept silence, and then he looked up, his face
+shining.
+
+'Son of my heart,' he said, 'it is enough. From henceforth the seat of
+honour is yours, and you shall take my place as the head of my House.'
+
+From that day the young knights vied with each other in gaining leave to
+ride in the train of Rodrigo Diaz, or 'the Cid' as he was afterwards
+called, and to this name was later added the proud title of 'Campeador.'
+Three hundred youths in splendid attire followed him to the court of
+Fernando, when he went in his turn to do the king homage, and stood by
+his side as he challenged anyone of the blood of Count Lozano to fight
+and avenge his death; but no one came. Then his father and his noble
+company left their horses to kiss the hand of the king, but Rodrigo
+remained in his saddle.
+
+'Get down, get down, Rodrigo!' cried his father, fearing lest the king
+should resent his rudeness. 'Swear fealty to thy lord, and kiss his
+hand, as a loyal subject should do.'
+
+Now, ever since he had fought with Count Gomez, Rodrigo had felt himself
+to be a man, and, more than that, to be much greater than other men, and
+he was not pleased to be scolded by his father in the presence of so
+many people. Still, he was wise enough to know that it would do him no
+good in the eyes of the nobles gathered round, to disobey his father,
+and slowly he got down from his horse to do homage with the rest. But so
+clumsy was he that, as he knelt, his sword nearly fell out of its
+sheath, and the king, thinking Rodrigo meant to kill him, started back,
+exclaiming:
+
+'Away, away! you devil! If you have the form of a man, your deeds are
+those of a lion.'
+
+'It is base to kiss the hand of such a craven,' answered Rodrigo in
+anger, 'and I hold that my father has heaped disgrace on his family by
+humbling himself in such a fashion!' And so saying, he rode away, with
+his followers behind him.
+
+A few centuries later a man might have lost his head for such words, but
+in those days people were accustomed to speak their minds even to
+kings, and little harm came of it. Six weeks later, Rodrigo had
+forgotten all about it, and, what was more to the purpose, so had the
+king, at any rate he pretended to do so, and when Don Diego sent his son
+to do his business with Fernando, who was at Burgos, the young man went
+willingly. The morning after he reached the city he was dining in the
+hall of the palace with the king and his nobles, when word was brought
+to the royal table that Ximena, the daughter of Count Gomez, and her
+train stood at the gates, and demanded an audience of the king. Fernando
+rose from his seat, and, signing to his nobles to follow him, he went to
+meet Ximena.
+
+A figure of woe was she, clothed all in black, even her face hidden by a
+black veil. Throwing herself on her knees, she implored that justice
+might be done on the murderer of her father, for not till then would the
+stain be wiped out which had killed her mother and was killing her. 'He
+rides to and fro under my lattice,' said she, 'and the hawk on his wrist
+slays my doves, and my mantle is sprinkled with their blood. If you do
+not do me right, O king, you are not fit to reign, or to call yourself a
+knight.'
+
+Thus spake Ximena, and the king sat silent and pondered her words. 'I
+cannot punish Don Rodrigo, either by imprisonment or death,' he said to
+himself, 'for my nobles would not suffer it; I must find some other way
+to satisfy Ximena.' Then turning to her, he bade her go home, and added
+that no damsel should have cause to complain that wrong had been done
+them at his hands.
+
+Then Ximena rode away, and by-and-by Rodrigo departed also.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Six months later King Fernando was seated in the great hall of his
+palace of Burgos, dispensing justice to high and low, when there entered
+once more Ximena, followed by thirty esquires and pages.
+
+'I come, though I know it is in vain,' she cried, when she had made her
+way to the foot of the throne. 'Five times I have appeared to demand my
+rights, and no longer will I be put off with empty words. No king are
+you, who are swayed this way and that by every man that passes, and dare
+not even avenge your friends, for fear of what may come of it.'
+
+'Not so,' answered the king; 'but is there no other way by which your
+quarrel may be appeased? Has Rodrigo on his side suffered no insult? You
+have heard of the fame he has lately won, when he took captive the five
+Moorish kings who broke suddenly into the land and ravaged it with fire
+and sword. And to prove that it was fame and not gold he wanted he set
+them all free, with only a promise of homage from them. Ah, if there
+were but a few more like him, Spain would soon be rid of the Moors.
+Happy is the woman he shall choose for his wife; she will live all her
+days in safety and in honour.'
+
+Then the king paused, and watched to see how Ximena took his words.
+
+She was silent for some moments, but the king could not see her face, as
+she had pulled her veil over it. Suddenly she raised her head, and cast
+the veil back over her shoulders.
+
+'It is true, O king, what you speak, and I will forego my vengeance.
+Nay, I think my father himself would have it so. Give me Don Rodrigo for
+my husband; all my days I will be a loyal wife to him, and his honour
+shall be mine.'
+
+Perhaps the king was not so surprised as some of his courtiers as they
+listened to Ximena's request. If he smiled, his beard was thick enough
+to hide it, and he answered gravely:
+
+'You say well, my daughter, and I will to-day send a messenger bidding
+Don Rodrigo meet me at Palencia, and I will give him lands and riches,
+so that in wealth as in birth he may be equal to you.'
+
+When the messengers reached Don Rodrigo, with the offer of Ximena's
+hand, his heart was glad, and, calling his friends to dress themselves
+in their most splendid cloaks and brightest armour, he rode at their
+head towards the city of Palencia. Ximena with her train was already in
+the royal palace, and in the presence of the king the two plighted their
+troth. But Rodrigo swore by the cross on his sword that the marriage
+rite should not be fulfilled till he had beaten five foes in the field,
+and, leaving Ximena under the care of his mother, he bade her farewell,
+and set forth to accomplish his vow.
+
+However, he was not destined to be absent very long, for in those days
+enemies were not far to seek, and in less than two months the wedding
+preparations began. His brothers took pride in arraying him themselves,
+and buttoning on the doublet of black satin which his father had worn in
+many of his battles, while over this he wore a jacket of stout leather
+and a loose cloak lined with plush.
+
+At the last he girded on his sword Tizona, the Dread of the World, then,
+surrounded by his friends and his family, the bridegroom walked to the
+court, where the king, the bishop, and all the nobles were awaiting him.
+
+Soon the noise of trumpets was heard, and there entered Ximena dressed
+in a robe of fine white cloth, brought from London across the seas, with
+a border of silver embroidered on it. On her head was a close hood of
+the same stuff, and high shoes of red leather were on her feet. Round
+her neck was a necklace made of eight round medals, with a little figure
+of St. Michael hanging from them.
+
+Don Rodrigo went forward to lift Ximena from her horse, and kissed her,
+whispering as he did so:
+
+'It is true, O my lady, that I killed your father, but I did it in fair
+fight, as man to man. And in his stead you shall have a husband that
+will care for you and protect you to the end of your life.'
+
+Now, although Don Rodrigo was married, he did not stay at home much more
+than he had done in other days, and his sword was ever unsheathed in the
+service of his king. He was the champion chosen by Fernando to meet in
+single combat Martino Gonzalez, the stoutest knight in Spain, and decide
+a quarrel between Castile and Aragon. The victory lay with Rodrigo, and
+no sooner was the duel over than he rode off to fight the Moors in the
+North of Spain. At length the patience of Ximena was worn out, and she
+wrote a letter to Fernando in which she told him plainly all that was in
+her mind.
+
+'What was the use,' she asked, 'of her marrying Rodrigo if the king kept
+him for ever engaged in his service, and away from her?' She had no
+father, and might as well have no husband, and she implored his master
+to think upon her loneliness, and to let Rodrigo return to her side.
+
+But the king would make no promises, and by-and-by Ximena had a little
+girl to comfort her, to whom Fernando stood godfather.
+
+It seems strange that after these great deeds King Fernando never
+thought of making Don Rodrigo a knight, but so it was. Not till the long
+siege of the city of Coimbra was ended, and the Moorish mosque turned
+into a Christian church, was the order of knighthood conferred on Don
+Rodrigo in return for the mighty works that he had done. But Don Rodrigo
+knew well that his sword-thrusts would have availed him nothing had it
+not been for the aid of a Greek bishop who dreamed when at the shrine of
+St. James that the gates of the city would only fall when a successor of
+the Apostle should appear before them. So the bishop arose and clad
+himself in armour and rode into the Christian hosts, and as he drew
+near, the walls fell down like Jericho of old, and the army entered in
+triumph.
+
+After this the Cid, as men now called him, from a Moorish word which
+meant a man of great valour and fame, went home for a short space to see
+his wife and his little daughter, who by this time was seven years old
+and had never beheld her father. Rest was sweet to Don Rodrigo, but
+before it could grow irksome to him he was summoned to court by the
+death of Fernando, who left all his children under the wardship of the
+Cid. Unluckily, the old man's will had not been a wise one, and bitter
+quarrels soon raged between the new king Sancho and his brothers and
+sisters. In vain Don Rodrigo tried to heal the feuds, but war soon broke
+out, and by his oath of allegiance he was forced, sorely against his
+wish, to fight under the king's banner. By his aid Sancho despoiled his
+two brothers and one of his sisters of the lands which were theirs by
+right, but when the king demanded that he should go as envoy and bid the
+princess Doña Urraca yield up her town of Zamora in exchange for much
+gold, the Cid prayed him to send someone else, for he could not take
+arms against the princess whom he had known when they were children
+together. His words, however, were useless. The king would listen to
+nothing, and the Cid rode forth to Zamora with a heavy heart. Silently
+he bore the reproaches of Doña Urraca, and returned in five days to tell
+Fernando that the citizens of Zamora had sworn in his presence, that the
+city would never be given up till they all lay dead upon her walls. This
+answer so infuriated Don Sancho that he falsely accused the Cid of
+having put the words into the mouths of his enemies, and bade him begone
+out of the kingdom.
+
+But a man like the Cid could not lightly be dismissed, and very soon the
+king was forced to humble himself, and send messengers to beg his
+forgiveness. The Campeador was too generous to bear malice, and rode
+joyfully back, to find Sancho besieging Zamora. And an ill day it was
+for the king when he resolved to wrest his sister's possessions from
+her; for one of her citizens, spurred by love to his lady, gained
+admittance into the royal camp and offered to betray the city. A
+councillor of the princess, the old Arias Gonzalo, cried to the king
+from the walls to lend no ear unto the man's words, for he was a
+traitor; but Dolfos had a wily tongue, and easily persuaded Sancho to
+come with him to see the small door across the trench by which the army
+might enter. They were hardly outside the camp when Dolfos struck him
+between the shoulders with his spear, and the king rolled in his death
+agony on the ground. The sight was seen by Don Rodrigo, who had watched
+eagerly and anxiously the movements of Dolfos, and now sprang towards
+the traitor with his drawn sword. But Dolfos was too quick for him, and
+the postern was flung open by some of the men of Zamora, before the Cid
+could get across the trench.
+
+'Oh, fool was I not to have fastened on my spurs, and then I should have
+caught him!' cried Don Rodrigo shaking with rage, as he turned sadly
+back to stand by the bedside of his dying master, waiting for the
+vengeance which the future would bring.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Now directly she heard that King Sancho was dead, Doña Urraca, his
+sister, the lady of Zamora, sent the tidings to her brother, Don
+Alfonso, in exile at Toledo.
+
+'We have been sent to summon you, King Alfonso,' said the messengers
+when they found him, falling on their knees as they spoke. 'Don Sancho
+was foully stabbed by Bellido el Dolfos, and the men of Castile and Leon
+call on you to take his place. Don Rodrigo only hangs back, and swears
+he will never take the oath of fealty till you have proved that you had
+no part in the murder of your brother.'
+
+Don Alfonso felt glad at their words. He had received nothing but ill at
+the hands of his brother, and he hurried to place himself at the head of
+the army of Castile. But the Arab ruler was not willing to let him go,
+and many days passed before he was able to escape at night, climbing
+silently with a few followers down the walls of Toledo; then, turning
+the shoes on the feet of their horses, so that the track should point
+south instead of north, they made the best of their way to Zamora.
+
+The nobles received the king with joy, and, kneeling to kiss his hand,
+vowed to be true to him. The Cid alone held aloof.
+
+'You are heir to the throne, Don Alfonso,' said he, 'but before I bend
+the knee to you I demand that you and twelve of your vassals shall swear
+that you are innocent, in deed or in word, of the blood of your
+brother.'
+
+'I will swear it,' answered Alfonso, 'when and where you please, and
+twelve men of Leon shall swear it likewise.'
+
+'You shall swear to me in the holy cathedral of Santa Gadea in Burgos,'
+said the Cid; and thither they all rode silently and solemnly, while Don
+Rodrigo, standing at the altar, held out the crucifix to the kneeling
+king. But though the oath was taken freely, both by Alfonso and his
+vassals, deep in the heart of the Cid lay a doubt of his truth.
+
+'You shall swear it thrice,' he said, and Alfonso, devoured as he was
+with rage, knew the Cid's power too well to disobey, though his face
+grew pale with wrath.
+
+'You shall answer for this,' he cried as he rose to his feet, and from
+that day the king never ceased to seek for an excuse to compass Don
+Rodrigo's banishment. At last he found one.
+
+The Moorish king of Toledo laid a complaint against the Cid that, in
+spite of his alliance with Alfonso of Castile, his lands had been
+ravaged and his people made captive. Well Alfonso knew that it was the
+Moors themselves who had broken faith with him, and had wasted the
+Spanish territories which lay along their borders, but he eagerly
+snatched at the plea, and bade the Cid go, an exile, from Castile, while
+his possessions were declared forfeit.
+
+With every insult heaped on him that the king could invent, the Cid left
+the city and rode to his castle of Bivar, only to find that his enemies
+had been before him and had stripped it bare, while his wife and
+children had sought refuge in the convent of San Pedro de Cardeña.
+
+It was on his way thither that the Cid in his dire distress did the one
+mean deed recorded of him, which he never ceased to bewail during his
+life, and afterwards on his deathbed. He had reckoned on finding money
+for his needs at Bivar, and there was none, and he knew not what to do.
+In this strait he invited two rich Jews to his tent under the walls of
+Burgos, and, pointing to two large chests which stood on the ground, he
+told the Jews that they were filled with silver plate, and begged that
+they would take them, and give him a thousand crowns in exchange. The
+Jews, used though they were to being cheated and despoiled by
+Christians, yet trusted to the honour of the Cid, and counted out the
+money. Then, placing the coffers on the backs of two stout mules, they
+returned with them into Burgos, first promising that they would not open
+them till a year had passed. At the time appointed they lifted the lid,
+and, behold, the coffers were full of sand!'
+
+But except in this matter, for which his repentance was bitter, the Cid
+never ceased in his exile to be true to his knighthood, and in all the
+wars which he and his followers made on the Moors he always sent part of
+the spoils to Alfonso. At length the king found that he could not do
+without him. Young knights there were in plenty, but neither in battle
+nor in the council chamber could they vie with Don Rodrigo; so after
+many years, when the Cid had captured strong cities and great towns
+from the Moors, Alfonso sent messengers to say that he was willing to
+pardon him. And the Cid vowed anew to serve him, but his heart was heavy
+for the death of his only son in the siege of Consuegra.
+
+[Illustration: DON DIEGO AND DON FERNAN SHOW THAT THEY ARE COWARDS]
+
+From time to time the king's jealousy broke out afresh, and more than
+once Don Rodrigo was banished, but in the end the Cid always returned to
+Castile, for in truth, as we have said, the land prospered but little in
+his absence. After conquering the Moors in Valencia and elsewhere, his
+fame and wealth grew greater than ever, and two of the proudest nobles
+in Castile, the counts of Carrion, prayed Alfonso to use his rights as
+liege lord, and to grant them the Cid's daughters in marriage. Now, the
+proposal pleased Don Rodrigo but little, and his wife even less. He knew
+something of the two young men who wished to be his sons-in-law, and he
+felt that it was his wealth, and not his daughters, that was wooed.
+Besides, he liked not the boastfulness of the two brothers, and feared
+that beneath their proud and haughty ways the hearts of cowards might be
+hidden. But outwardly all was fair-seeming, and when the king in a
+meeting on the banks of the Tagus bade the Cid consider well the matter,
+Don Rodrigo could only reply that, in his view, his daughters were as
+yet too young to be wedded, but that they and all that belonged to him
+were in the hands of the king, to be dealt with as he thought best. To
+which the king answered that he knew the maidens to be wise beyond their
+years, and, summoning the counts of Carrion to his presence, he informed
+them that he had resolved to grant their desire, and bade them kneel and
+kiss the Cid's hand, which they did with joy. So the next day they all
+rode back to Valencia, and the Cid made a feast for fifteen days, and
+the marriage rite was performed by the Bishop Geronymo, mighty in
+battle.
+
+It was not long after the wedding that the counts showed of what metal
+they were made, and that the Cid had read them truly. One evening they
+and Don Bermudo, nephew of the Cid, were sitting laughing and jesting in
+the hall of the castle, when a cry arose from without, 'Beware of the
+lion; he has broken from his den'; and in an instant the huge beast had
+sprung through the door. Don Bermudo sat still, waiting to see what the
+lion would do, but Don Diego, the elder count, took refuge in a closet,
+while Don Fernan, his brother, hid himself under the bed on which the
+Cid was stretched sleeping. The noise awoke Don Rodrigo, who sprang up,
+when the lion at once lay down on the ground and began to lick his feet.
+The Cid stooped and stroked its head, then calling to the beast to
+follow, he led it back to its den, which it entered quietly, for it knew
+its master well.
+
+'Where are my sons-in-law?' asked he as he entered. 'Methought I heard
+their voices but a moment agone.'
+
+'Here,' cried one of his nephews, and 'here' cried another, and the
+counts were dragged forth, their fine clothes disordered and their faces
+pale with fear.
+
+The Cid looked at them silently, till they grew red with shame and
+anger.
+
+'Are these your wedding garments?' said he at last. 'Truly I should
+scarce have guessed it'; and he passed on, leaving hate and a longing
+for revenge in the young men's hearts.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The matter of the lion did not dwell long in the mind of the Cid, for
+news was speedily brought him that the Moorish king of Morocco was
+advancing with an army to besiege the fair city of Valencia. He quickly
+gathered together a host large enough to give battle in the plain
+outside the walls, but while mounting his horse Babieca he counselled
+his sons-in-law to remain in safety behind the walls of the town. This
+they would gladly have done, but dared not set at naught the mocking
+eyes of the knights around them, so, clad in shining armour, they rode
+forth with the rest. Hardly had the fight begun, when a Moor attacked
+the younger brother, who turned and fled. Another instant and he would
+have sunk to the ground, pierced by the enemy's lance, when Don Bermudo
+suddenly appeared, and engaged the Moor in deadly combat. After a hard
+struggle the infidel was overborne and slain, and the victor turned to
+Don Fernan Gonzalez:
+
+'Take his horse and his armour,' he said, 'and tell the Cid it was you
+who killed him; I will not gainsay you.' And, as cowards are generally
+liars also, Don Fernan gladly snatched at the crown of glory that
+belonged to another.
+
+Don Bermudo was rewarded for his generous deed when he saw the joy of
+the Cid. Perhaps he had condemned them wrongly, thought Don Rodrigo, and
+that the souls of men were at last awaking in them. So he praised them
+for their valour, and if there were those present who could have told a
+different tale, they held their peace.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+But whether they were, perforce, following the Cid in the field, or
+basking in the wealth and pleasures of Valencia, the counts of Carrion
+never forgot or forgave the scorn they had read in the eyes of the Cid
+on the day when they had hidden from the lion. Together they plotted to
+take vengeance on them, and it was a vengeance as mean as their souls.
+
+One morning they entered the great hall of Valencia, where the Cid was
+sitting, and prayed him to give them their wives, and let them depart
+forthwith to their lands. Their words were fair, yet the Cid felt
+troubled; why, he knew not.
+
+'I gave you my daughters to wife, at my king's bidding,' answered he at
+last, 'and I cannot withhold them from you if indeed you desire to take
+them unto your own lands. But see that they are treated as beseems
+them; if not, woe to you.'
+
+And the counts of Carrion, with treason in their hearts, promised that
+all honour should await their brides.
+
+Eight days hence, the procession passed out of the city gates, and the
+Cid went first, with Doña Elvira on his right hand, and Doña Sol on his
+left. For the space of a league he rode, and then he reined up his
+horse. Calling his nephew Don Ordoño to his side, he bade him follow
+unperceived, and bring back news of what befell his daughters.
+
+And so they parted.
+
+For many miles the procession went slowly on, and was received with
+kindness and hospitality by the great Moslem lords through whose country
+the road lay, a kindness repaid whenever possible by theft and cruelty
+by the counts of Carrion. Then, when they had reached a wood which was
+neither in the lordship of the Cid nor of the Moors, they felt that the
+time for which they had so long waited was come. Ordering the guards and
+attendants to ride forward to the Castle of Carrion and prepare for
+their reception, the counts scarcely delayed until they were out of
+their sight before they dragged their wives from their mules, and
+stripped their bodies bare. Next, seizing them by their hair, they flung
+them to the ground, and dug their spurs into them till their bodies were
+covered with blood.
+
+'Farewell, beautiful damsels,' they cried mockingly, bowing low, 'you
+were never fit mates for the counts of Carrion, and, besides, it was
+needful to avenge the affront that the Cid your father put on us in the
+matter of the fierce beast who would have slain us.' And, stooping low
+from their horses, the base knights rode away.
+
+From a distant hill Don Ordoño had seen and heard all that had passed,
+and he now came forth to help and comfort his cousins. 'Take heart,' he
+said, 'I will bring you your lost garments, and if you have lost your
+husbands, who deserve nothing better than the fate of traitors, remember
+that you have yet a father, without a peer throughout the world.'
+
+None can tell the wrath of the Cid when his daughters came home. Little
+he said, for he was ever a man of few words, but he sent forthwith
+messengers to the king, telling him of the base deeds of the counts of
+Carrion, and begging for leave to plead his cause before the Parliament
+at Toledo. This permission Alfonso granted gladly, and bade the counts
+of Carrion to be present also and answer the Cid.
+
+Many days they waited ere Don Rodrigo, accompanied by his wife and
+daughters, and followed by a train of nobles, rode through the gates.
+The king was sitting surrounded by the Cortes or Parliament, but he
+desired that the Cid should be brought to him at once, and then
+commanded him to set forth his wrongs.
+
+'It is you, O king, and not I, who gave my daughters in marriage to
+these base men, therefore it is you, and not I, who must answer for
+this. I ask you that you will force them to restore my swords Colada and
+Tizona that I girded on them when they bore my children from Valencia.'
+And the hearts of the counts were glad when they heard his words, and
+they hasted to place the gold-pommelled swords in the hands of the Cid.
+
+Next, Don Rodrigo demanded that the dowries of his daughters should be
+given back to him, and this also the king adjudged to be his right.
+Last, he set forth the treatment his daughters had suffered from the
+counts of Carrion, and challenged them and also their uncle, who had
+ever given them evil counsel, to fight with three of his knights that
+day.
+
+Before the combat could take place a sound as of armed men was heard in
+the courtyard, and in rode two youths covered with golden armour and
+tall plumed helmets, and one was Don Ramiro of Navarre, and the other
+Don Sancho of Aragon.
+
+'It has reached our ears,' said they, 'that the marriages between the
+counts of Carrion and the daughters of the Cid are about to be set
+aside, and we have come to pray that the ladies may be given to us to
+wife.'
+
+And the king answered: 'If it pleases the Cid, it pleases me also, but
+the Cortes here present must grant its consent.'
+
+So the Cid kissed the hand of the king in token of the honour done him,
+and the Cortes cried with one voice that the man who allied himself with
+Don Rodrigo de Bivar was honoured above all. Therefore, the weddings
+were celebrated without delay, the counts of Carrion having been
+pronounced outlaws and their former marriages null and void.
+
+This matter being settled, the king directed that there should be no
+more delay in arranging the fight between the champions of the Cid and
+the counts of Carrion, which at the request of the counts was to be held
+three weeks later in their own castle. Don Rodrigo himself did not mean
+to fight. His honour was, he knew, safe in the hands of Don Bermudo and
+his other nephews, and he rode blithely home to Valencia. But Alfonso
+declared that he would be present to see that the combat was fairly
+fought, and it was well that he went, for the counts, thinking
+themselves safe on their own lands, had planned treachery. However, the
+king, mistrusting them, made a proclamation that in case of false
+dealing the traitor should be slain upon the field, and his possessions
+be forfeit. Baulked in this direction, the counts then entreated the
+king to forbid their foes to use the swords Tizona and Colada which they
+had been forced to give up, but Alfonso answered that it was now too
+late to make conditions, and they must get to the fight with stout
+hearts. This they could not do, for they had not got them, but, finding
+there was no help for it, they mounted their horses and put their lances
+in rest.
+
+Between such adversaries the combat lasted but a short while. Fernan
+Gonzalez was soon unhorsed by Don Bermudo; Don Diego and his uncle
+confessed themselves vanquished. Their lands were declared forfeit by
+the judges, though their lives were granted them; but the tale of their
+cowardice spread far and wide, and none would speak to them or have
+dealings with them.
+
+Thus was the Cid avenged.
+
+For five years the Cid lived on in Valencia wearied of wars, and turning
+his thoughts to repenting him of his sins, and chief among them the
+wrong he had done many years before to the two Jews of Burgos. His
+strength grew daily less, till at length he could rise from his bed no
+more, neither could he eat food. While he lay in this manner, tidings
+were brought him that the Moors were preparing to besiege Valencia. This
+news roused the dying man, and for a moment it seemed as if he might be
+well again. Clearly he gave his orders how best to resist the attack,
+and bade his followers fight under the banner of Bishop Geronymo. 'As
+for me,' he said, 'you shall take my body and fill it with sweet spices,
+and shall set me once more on Babieca, and place Tizona in my hand. With
+cords shall you fasten me to the saddle, and so you shall lead me forth
+to my last fight with the Moors. Ximena my wife will care for Babieca,
+and when he is dead she will bury him where no Moorish dogs may root up
+his grave. And let no women be hired to make mourning for me. I want no
+tears to be shed over me but the tears of Ximena my wife. But for the
+Christians in this city, well know I that they are too few men to
+conquer the Moors, therefore let them prepare their goods, and steal
+forth by night, and take refuge in Castile. So farewell to you all, and
+pray that God may have mercy on my soul.'
+
+Thus the Cid died, and all was done as he had said, and the king put
+rich garments on him, and set Tizona in his hand, and seated him in a
+carved chair by the altar of San Pedro de Cardeña.
+
+[_El Romanzo del Cid._]
+
+
+
+
+THE KNIGHT OF THE SORROWFUL COUNTENANCE
+
+
+Everybody knows that in the old times, when Arthur was king or Charles
+the Great emperor, no gentleman ever rested content until he had
+received the honour of knighthood. When once he was made a knight, he
+left his home and the court, and rode off in search of adventures,
+seeking to help people in distress who had no one else to help them.
+
+After a while, however, the knights grew selfish and lazy. They liked
+better to hunt the deer through the forest than wicked robbers who had
+carried off beautiful ladies. 'It was the king's business,' they said,
+'to take care of his subjects, not theirs,' so they dwelt in their own
+castles, and many of them became great lords almost as powerful as the
+king himself.
+
+But though the knights no longer went in search of noble adventures, as
+knights of earlier days had been wont to do, there were plenty of books
+in which they could read if they chose of the wonderful deeds of their
+forefathers. Lancelot and Roland, Bernardo del Carpio, the Cid, Amadis
+de Gaule, and many more, were as well known to them as their own
+brothers, and if we will only take the trouble they may be known to us
+too.
+
+Now, several hundreds of years after Lancelot and Roland and all the
+rest had been laid in their graves, a baby belonging to the family of
+Quixada was born in that part of Spain called La Mancha. We are not told
+anything of his boyhood, or even of his manhood till he reached the age
+of fifty, but we know that he was poor; that he lived with a housekeeper
+and a niece to take care of him, and that he passed all his days in
+company with these old books until the courts and forests which were the
+scenes of the adventures of those knights of bygone years were more real
+to him than any of his own doings.
+
+'I wish all those books could be burned,' said the noble gentleman's
+housekeeper one day to his niece. 'My poor master's wits are surely
+going, for he never understands one word you say to him. Indeed, if you
+speak, he hardly seems to see you, much less to hear you!'
+
+What the housekeeper said was true. The things that belonged to her
+master's every-day life vanished completely bit by bit. If his niece
+related to him some scrap of news which a neighbour had run in to tell
+her, he would answer her with a story of the giant Morgante, who alone
+among his ill-bred race had manners that befitted a Spanish knight. If
+the housekeeper lamented that the flour in her storehouse would not last
+out the winter, he turned a deaf ear to all her complaints, and declared
+that he would give her and his niece into the bargain for the pleasure
+of bestowing one kick on Ganelon the traitor.
+
+At last one day things came to a climax. When the hour of dinner came
+round, Don Quixada was nowhere to be found. His niece sought him in his
+bedroom, in the little tower where his books were kept, and even in the
+stable, where lay the old horse who had served him for more years than
+one could count. He was in none of these; but just as she was leaving
+the stable a strange noise seemed to come from over the girl's head, and
+on looking up she beheld her uncle rubbing a rusty sword that had lain
+there long before anybody could remember, while by his side were a steel
+cap and other pieces of armour.
+
+[Illustration: Don Quixada declared that he would give his housekeeper
+and his niece into the bargain for the pleasure of bestowing one kick on
+Ganelon the traitor.]
+
+From that moment Don Quixada became deaf and blind to the things of
+this world. He was in despair because the steel cap was not a proper
+helmet, but only a morion without a vizor to let down. Perhaps a smith
+might have made him what he wanted, but the Don was too proud to ask
+him, and, getting some cardboard, cut and painted it like a vizor, and
+then fastened it to the morion. Nothing could look--at a little
+distance--more like the helmet the Cid might have worn, but Don Quixada
+knew well that no knight ever went forth in search of adventures without
+first proving the goodness of his armour, so, fixing the helmet against
+the wall, he made a slash at it with his sword. He only dealt two
+strokes, whereas his enemy might give him twenty, but those two swept
+clean through the vizor, and destroyed in three minutes a whole week's
+work. So there was nothing for it but to begin over again, and this time
+the Don took the precaution of lining the vizor with iron.
+
+'It looks beautiful,' he cried when it was finished; but he took care
+not to try his blade upon it.
+
+His next act was to go into the stable and rub down his horse's coat,
+and to give it a feed of corn, vainly hoping that in a few days its ribs
+might become less plainly visible.
+
+'It is not right,' he said to himself, one morning, as he stood watching
+the animal that was greedily eating out of its manger--'it is not right
+that a knight's good horse should go forth without a name. Even the
+heathen Alexander bestowed a high-sounding title on his own steed; and
+so, likewise, did those Christian warriors, Roland and the Cid!' But,
+try as he might, no name would come to him except such as were unworthy
+of the horse and his rider, and for four nights and days he pondered the
+question.
+
+Suddenly, at the moment he had least expected it, when he was eating the
+plain broth his housekeeper had set before him, the inspiration came.
+
+'Rozinante!' he cried triumphantly, laying down his spoon--'Rozinante!
+Neither the Cid's horse nor Roland's bore a finer name than that!'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+This weighty matter being settled, the Don now began to think of
+himself, and, not being satisfied with the name his fathers had handed
+down to him, resolved to take one that was more noble, and better suited
+to a knight who was destined to do deeds that would keep him alive in
+the memory of men. For eight days he took heed of nothing save this one
+thing, and on the ninth he found what he had sought.
+
+'The world shall know me as Don Quixote,' he said; 'and as the noble
+Amadis himself was not content to bear this sole title, but added to it
+the name of his own country, so I, in like manner, will add the name of
+mine, and henceforth will appear to all, as the good knight Don Quixote
+de la Mancha!'
+
+Now Don Quixote de la Mancha had read far too many books about the
+customs of chivalry not to be aware that every knight worshipped some
+lady of whose beauty he boasted upon all occasions and whose token he
+wore upon his helmet in battle. It was not very easy for Don Quixote to
+find such a lady, for all his life long, the company which he met in his
+books had been dearer to him than that which he could have had outside
+his home.
+
+'A knight without a liege lady is a tree without fruit, a body without
+soul,' he thought. 'Of what use will it be if I meet with some giant
+such as always crosses the path of a wandering knight, and disarm him in
+our first encounter, unless I have a lady at whose feet he can kneel?'
+So without losing more time he began to search the neighbouring villages
+for such a damsel, whose token he might wear, and at length found one
+with enough beauty for him to fall in love with, whose humble name of
+Aldonza he changed for that of Dulcinea del Toboso.
+
+The sun had hardly risen on the following morning when Don Quixote
+laced on his helmet, braced on his shield, took his lance in hand, and
+mounted Rozinante.
+
+Never during his fifty years had he felt his heart so light, and he rode
+forth into the wide plain, expecting to find a giant or a distressed
+lady behind every bush. But his joy was short-lived, for suddenly it
+came to his mind that in the days of chivalry it never was known that
+any man went in quest of adventures without being first made a knight,
+and that no such good fortune had happened to him. This thought was so
+terrible that he reeled in his saddle, and was near turning the head of
+Rozinante towards his own stable; but Don Quixote was a man of good
+courage, and in a short while he remembered on how many knights Sir
+Lancelot had conferred the honour of knighthood, and he determined to
+claim his spurs from the first that he managed to conquer in fight. Till
+then, he must, as soon as might be, make his armour white, in token that
+as yet he had had no adventures. In this manner he took heart again.
+
+All that day he rode, without either bite or sup, and, of the two,
+Rozinante fared the better, for he at least found a tuft of coarse grass
+to eat. At nightfall a light as big as a faint star was seen gleaming in
+the distance, and both master and horse plucked up courage once more.
+They hastened towards it, and discovered that the light came from a
+small inn, which Don Quixote's fancy instantly changed into a castle
+with four towers and pinnacles of shining silver, surrounded by a moat.
+He paused a moment, expecting a dwarf to appear on the battlements and
+announce by the blasts of his trumpet that a knight was approaching,
+but, as no dwarf could be seen, he dismounted at the door, where he was
+received with courtesy by the landlord or the governor of the castle, as
+Don Quixote took him to be.
+
+At the sight of this strange figure, which looked as if it had gone to
+sleep a thousand years ago, and had only just woke up again, the
+landlord had as much ado to keep from laughter as the muleteers and
+some women who were standing before the door. But being a civil man, and
+somewhat puzzled, he held the stirrup for Don Quixote to alight,
+offering to give him everything that would make him comfortable except a
+bed, which was not to be had. The Don made little of this, as became a
+good knight, and bade the landlord look well after Rozinante, for no
+better horse would ever stand in his stable. The man, who had seen many
+beasts in his day, did not rate him quite so highly, but said nothing,
+and after placing the horse in the stable returned to the house to see
+after the master.
+
+As it happened, it was easier to provide for the wants of Rozinante than
+for those of Don Quixote, for the muleteers had eaten up everything in
+the kitchen, and nothing was left save a little dried fish and black
+bread. Don Quixote, however, was quite content; indeed, he imagined it
+the most splendid supper in the world, and when he had finished he fell
+on his knees before the landlord.
+
+'Never will I rise again, noble sir,' said he, 'until you grant my
+prayer, which shall be an occasion of glory to you and of gain to all
+men.'
+
+The landlord, not being used to such conduct on the part of his guests,
+tried to lift Don Quixote on to his feet, but the knight vowed that he
+would not move till his prayer was granted.
+
+'The gift I would ask of you,' continued the Don, now rising to his
+feet, 'is that to-night I may watch my arms in the chapel of your
+castle, and at sunrise I shall kneel before you to be made a knight.
+Then I shall bid you farewell, and set forth on my journey through the
+world, righting wrongs and helping the oppressed, after the manner of
+the knights of old.'
+
+'I am honoured indeed,' replied the landlord, who by this time saw very
+clearly that the poor gentleman was weak in his wits, and had a mind to
+divert himself. 'As a youth, I myself wandered through the land, and my
+name, the champion of all who needed it, was known to every court in
+Spain, till a deadly thrust in my side, from a false knight, forced me
+to lay down my arms, and to return to this my castle, giving shelter and
+welcome to any knights that ask it. But as to the chapel, it is but a
+week since it was made level with the ground, being but a poor place,
+and in no way worthy of the service of noble knights; but keep your
+watch in the courtyard of my castle, as your books will have told you
+that others have done in case of need. Afterwards, I will admit you into
+the Order of Chivalry, but before you take up your vigil tell me, I pray
+you, what money you have brought with you?'
+
+This question surprised the Don very much.
+
+'I have brought none,' he answered presently, 'for never did I hear that
+either Roland or Percival or any of the great knight-errants whose
+example I fain would follow, carried any money with them.'
+
+'That is because they thought it no more needful to say that they
+carried money or clean shirts than that they carried a sword or a box of
+ointment to cure the wounds of themselves or their foes, in case no
+maiden or enchanter with a flask of water was on the spot,' replied the
+landlord; and he spoke so long and so earnestly on the subject that the
+Don promised never again to start on a quest without money and a box of
+ointment, besides at least three clean shirts.
+
+It was now high time for his watch to begin, and the landlord led the
+way to a great yard at the side of the inn. Here the Don took his arms,
+and piled them on a trough of stone that stood near a well. Then bearing
+his lance he walked up and down beside his trough.
+
+For an hour or two he paced the yard, watched, though he knew it not, by
+many eyes from the inn windows, which, with the aid of a bright moon,
+could see all that happened as clearly as if it were day. At length a
+muleteer who had a long journey before him drove up his team to the
+trough, which was fed by the neighbouring well, and in order to let his
+cattle drink, stretched out his arms to remove the sword and helmet
+which lay there. The Don perceived his aim, and cried in a voice of
+thunder:
+
+'What man are you, ignorant of the laws of chivalry, who dares to touch
+the arms of the bravest knight who ever wore a sword? Take heed lest you
+lay a finger upon them, for if you do your life shall pay the forfeit.'
+
+It might have been as well for the muleteer if he had listened, and had
+led his cattle to water elsewhere, but, looking at the Don's tall lean
+figure and his own stout fists, he only laughed rudely, and, seizing
+both sword and helmet, threw them across the yard. The Don paused a
+moment, wondering if he saw aright; then raising his eyes to heaven he
+exclaimed:
+
+'O Lady Dulcinea, peerless in thy beauty, help me to avenge this insult
+that has been put upon me'; and, lifting high his lance, he brought it
+down with such a force on the head of the man that he fell to the ground
+without a word, and the Don began his walk afresh.
+
+He had not been pacing the yard above half an hour when another man, not
+knowing what had befallen his friend, drove his beasts up to the trough,
+and was stooping to move the Don's arms, so that the cattle could get at
+the water, when a mighty blow fell on _his_ head, splitting it nearly
+into pieces.
+
+At this noise the people from the inn ran out, and seeing the two
+muleteers stretched wounded on the ground picked up stones wherewith to
+stone the knight. The Don, however, fronted them with such courage that
+they did not dare to venture near him, and the landlord, making use of
+their fears, called on them to leave him alone, for that he was a
+madman, and the law would not touch him, even though he should kill them
+all. Then, wishing to be done with the business and with his guest, he
+made excuses for the rude fellows, who had only got what they deserved,
+and said that, as there was no chapel to his castle, he could dub him
+knight where he stood, for, the watch of arms having been completed, all
+that was needful was a slap on the neck with a palm of the hand and the
+touch of the sword on the shoulder.
+
+[Illustration: DON QUIXOTE BELABOURS THE MULETEER]
+
+So Don Quixada was turned into Don Quixote de la Mancha, and, mounting
+Rozinante, he left the inn, and with a joyful heart started to seek his
+first adventure.
+
+
+
+
+THE ADVENTURE OF THE TWO ARMIES WHO TURNED OUT TO BE FLOCKS OF SHEEP
+
+
+The first adventure of the new knight did not turn out at all to his
+liking, nor answered his expectations, for in all the books of chivalry
+which he had read, never had he heard of a good knight being sorely
+wounded by a mere pack of common fellows, as happened to himself shortly
+after leaving the inn; though indeed he comforted his soul by thinking
+that, had not Rozinante stumbled over a stone and fallen, it would have
+fared ill with his foes.
+
+He lay upon the ground for some time, aching in every bone, and
+repeating in a weak voice some lines out of his favourite romance of the
+'Marquis of Mantua,' when a labourer from his own village came by and
+went to see if the man stretched on his back across the road was dead or
+only wounded.
+
+'What ails you, master?' asked he; but as the vizor over the Don's face
+prevented his answer being understood, the labourer pulled it off with
+some trouble, and then stood, staring with surprise.
+
+'Master Quixada!' cried he, wiping off the blood as he spoke, 'what
+villain has served you like this?' but, as Don Quixote only replied to
+his questions with long stories of the heroes of romance, the man gave
+it up, and after gathering up the stray bits of armour, and even the
+broken lance, helped the Don on to his own ass and took Rozinante by the
+bridle.
+
+In this manner Don Quixote returned home.
+
+When the knight dismounted and entered the house he found his
+housekeeper and niece filled with dismay, and bewailing his loss to the
+priest and the barber, who were wont to spend many an hour in company
+with the Don, listening to the strange tales that were always on his
+tongue. The joy with which they heard his well-known knock, in the
+middle of their discourses, was somewhat spoilt when they saw the
+condition he was in, and he stopped them quickly when they flew to
+embrace him.
+
+'Let no one touch me,' cried he, 'for by the falling of my horse I am
+sore wounded. Carry me to bed, and summon the wise woman Urganda to heal
+me with her enchanted water.'
+
+'Oh, never fear, your worship, we can cure you without her,' answered
+the housekeeper; 'and right glad we are to see you back, wounded or
+not.'
+
+So between them all they bore him up the narrow stairs and laid him on
+his bed. And when he was undressed they sought his wounds, but found
+none, only a black bruise so they told him.
+
+'Is it so?' he answered. 'Then the deeds that I did were yet more
+valorous than I thought. It was while I was fighting with ten giants,
+the biggest and strongest who ever gave battle to any Christian knight,
+that Rozinante fell, and I with him.'
+
+'Oh! so there are giants in the dance now,' whispered the priest to the
+barber. 'I will not close my eyes this night till the books which have
+brought this evil are safely in the fire.' And, so saying, they left Don
+Quixote to sleep.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+He was still sleeping next morning, when the priest came to ask for the
+keys of the little room where Don Quixote kept the old books he so much
+loved. They were handed to him with joy by the girl, who held books to
+be the enemy of all mankind, and when they all four entered they found
+more than a hundred volumes large and small, which was a great number
+for so poor a gentleman. One by one the priest examined them, and
+condemned them to the flames, unless by chance there was any doubt about
+their wickedness; that is, unless they had been written by a friend of
+the priest. In these cases, after the barber had been consulted, the
+books escaped the doom of the rest.
+
+For fifteen days Don Quixote stayed at home and seemed content to stay
+there, passing the evenings in talk with the priest and the barber.
+Nothing was needed, he said, to put right the wrongs of the world, save
+a new order of knighthood, of which he had set the example. After much
+of this talk he suddenly remembered that a knight ever had a squire
+riding behind him, and that before he rode forth on his next quest he
+must needs provide himself with such an one. This was almost as hard a
+matter as finding a liege lady, but at length he bethought him of a poor
+peasant living in the same village, who possessed a wife and children,
+and not much else. This man he sent for, and promised him such great
+things and such noble rewards that Sancho Panza, for such was his name,
+readily agreed to serve him. 'Who knows,' said Don Quixote, 'what island
+I may conquer, and it would then fall to you to be the governor, or if
+you disdain the island, and would prefer to follow my fortune, I can
+make you Count at least! But, remember, my business admits of no delay,
+and next week we go forth to seek adventures. Meanwhile, I will give you
+money wherewith to provide all that is needful for our journeying, and
+take heed that you bring wallets with you.'
+
+'Worshipful knight,' answered Sancho Panza, 'I will do all that you bid
+me, but, by your leave, I will bring my ass also, for she is a good ass,
+and never did I walk when a beast was at hand.'
+
+'I know not,' replied Don Quixote, 'if any knight was ever yet followed
+by a squire mounted on an ass's back. Yet, bring the beast, for it will
+doubtless not be long before I meet some discourteous knight, whom I
+will speedily overcome, and his horse shall be yours.'
+
+When all was ready, Sancho Panza bade his wife and children farewell,
+and, joining his master, they rode for some hours across a wide plain
+without seeing anything which would enable them to prove their valour.
+At length Don Quixote reined up Rozinante with a jerk, and turning to
+his squire he said:
+
+'Fortune is on our side, friend Sancho. Look there, what huge giants are
+standing in a row! thirty of them at the least! It is a glorious chance
+for a new-made knight to give battle to these giants, and to rid the
+country of this wretched horde.'
+
+'What giants?' asked Sancho, staring about him. 'I see none.'
+
+'Those drawn up over there,' replied the Don. 'Never did I behold such
+arms! Those nearest us must be two miles long.'
+
+'Go not within reach of them, good master,' answered Sancho anxiously,
+'for they are no giants, but windmills, and what you take for arms are
+the sails, by which the wind turns the mill-stones.'
+
+'How little do you know, friend Sancho, of these sorts of adventures!'
+replied Don Quixote. 'I tell you, those are no windmills, but giants.
+Know, however, that I will have no man with me who shivers with fear at
+the sight of a foe, so if you are afraid you had better fall to praying,
+and I will fight them alone.'
+
+[Illustration: DON QUIXOTE DETERMINES TO ATTACK THE WINDMILLS]
+
+And with that he put spurs to Rozinante and galloped towards the
+windmills, heedless of the shouts of Sancho Panza, which indeed he never
+heard. Bending his body and holding his lance in rest, like all the
+pictures of knights when charging, he rushed on, crying as he went, 'Do
+not fly from me, cowards that you are! It is but a single knight with
+whom you must do battle!' And, calling on the Lady Dulcinea to come
+to his aid, he thrust his lance through the sail of the nearest
+windmill, which happened to be turned by a sharp gust of wind. The sail
+struck Rozinante so violently on the side that he and his master rolled
+over together, while the lance broke into small pieces.
+
+When Sancho Panza saw what had befallen the Don--though indeed it was no
+more than he had expected--he rode up hastily to give him help. Both man
+and horse were half stunned with the blow; but, though Don Quixote's
+body was bruised, his spirit was unconquered, and to Sancho's complaint
+that no one could have doubted that the windmills were giants save those
+who had other windmills in their brains, he only answered:
+
+'Be silent, my friend, and do not talk of things of which you know
+nothing. For of this I am sure, that the enchanter Friston, who robbed
+me of my books, has changed these knights into windmills to rob me of my
+glory also. But in the end, his black arts will have little power
+against my keen blade!'
+
+'I pray that it may be so,' said Sancho, as he still held the stirrup
+for his master, when he struggled, not without pain, to mount Rozinante.
+
+'Sit straighter in your saddle,' went on the worthy man; 'you lean too
+much on one side, but that doubtless comes from the fall you have had.'
+
+'You speak truly,' replied Don Quixote; 'and if I do not complain of my
+hurt, it is because it was never heard that any knight complained of a
+wound, however sore!'
+
+'If that is so, I am thankful that I am only a squire,' answered Sancho;
+'for this I can say, that I shall cry as loud as I please for any pain,
+however little it may be--unless squires are forbidden to cry out as
+well as knights-errant.'
+
+At this Don Quixote laughed, in spite of his hurts, and bade him
+complain whenever he pleased, for squires might lawfully do what was
+forbidden to knighthood. And with that the conversation ended, as
+Sancho declared it was their hour for dinner.
+
+Towards three o'clock they returned to the road, which Don Quixote had
+left on catching sight of the windmills. But before entering it the
+knight thought well to give a warning to his squire.
+
+'I would have you know, brother Sancho,' said he, 'that in whatsoever
+danger you may see me you shall stand aside, and never seek to defend
+me, unless those who set on me should come of base forefathers, and not
+be people of gentle birth. For if those who attack me are knights, it is
+forbidden by the laws of chivalry that a knight be attacked by any man
+that has himself not received the honour of knighthood.'
+
+'Your lordship shall be obeyed in all that you say,' answered Sancho,
+'and the more readily that I am a man of peace, and like not brawls.
+But, see, who are these that approach us?'
+
+The question was natural, for the procession advancing along the road
+was a strange one, even at that day. First came two monks of the Order
+of St. Benedict, mounted on mules so large that Don Quixote, with some
+reason, took them to be dromedaries. The better to conceal their faces
+they had masks, and carried parasols. After them came a coach which had
+for a guard four or five mounted men and two muleteers, and inside the
+coach was seated a lady on her way to join her husband in the city of
+Seville. In reality the monks were strangers to her, and had nothing to
+do with her party, but this Don Quixote did not know, and, being ever on
+the watch to give help to any who needed it, he said:
+
+'Either my eyes deceive me, or this is the most wonderful adventure that
+ever fell to the lot of a knight. For those black shapeless monsters
+that you see yonder are magicians carrying off some princess, and I must
+undo this wrong with all the strength I have.'
+
+'Look you, master,' answered Sancho hastily, 'if you take up with this
+adventure, you will fare worse than you did with the windmills. Those
+are no magicians but monks of St. Benedict, while the others are
+travellers, journeying for business or pleasure. Think, I pray you, lest
+it be a snare of the Evil One.'
+
+'I have often told you, Sancho, that, being what you are, you can know
+nothing of adventures,' replied Don Quixote; 'but what I have said, I
+do, as you will see'; and as he spoke he planted himself in the middle
+of the road, and awaited the approach of the friars.
+
+As soon as they drew near enough for his voice to reach their ears, Don
+Quixote cried loudly:
+
+'Fiends and scum of all the wicked, set free on this instant the captive
+princess whom you hold imprisoned in that coach, or else prepare for
+death, which is the just punishment of all your crimes.'
+
+The monks reined in their mules and stared at Don Quixote, whose figure,
+to say truth, was no less startling than his words. At first they were
+very angry, then gentler counsels prevailed, and they answered:
+
+'Fair sir, we are neither fiends nor scum, but only two friars of St.
+Benedict, who are riding peacefully along the king's highway, and know
+nothing of any captive princess.'
+
+'Miscreants that you are, do you think I am a man to be deceived by
+false speeches?' cried the Don, now beside himself with fury, and,
+dashing with his lance in rest at the friar next him, he would indeed
+have given him his last shrift had not the monk slipped cleverly from
+the other side of his saddle, so that the lance passed over his head.
+His companion, fearing that like treatment was in store for him,
+galloped away with all his might.
+
+As for the squire, directly he saw the man fall to the ground he ran up
+and began to strip off his clothes, till he was stopped in this
+proceeding by a blow on his head from one of the attendants of the two
+monks. The friar, left to himself, jumped on his mule, and rode off
+pale and trembling to rejoin his companion, while Don Quixote busied
+himself with conversing with the lady in the coach, and assuring her of
+his protection.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It were long indeed to tell of the many battles delivered by Don
+Quixote, who troubled himself little about the sore wounds he received
+on his own body as long as he could give aid to those in distress. What
+grieved him far more than mere sword-thrusts or bruises was the loss of
+his helmet.
+
+But, come what might, his spirit was never daunted, though he could not
+deny that, as Sancho Panza truly said, never had they gained any battle,
+unless they counted one which was doubtful, and even at that the knight
+had come off the poorer by half an ear and half a helmet.
+
+'From the first day we set out,' went on the good squire, 'until this
+moment, we have received nothing but blows and more blows, beatings and
+more beatings, over and above the tossing I once got in a blanket. And
+you tell me that the fellows who maltreat me so are enchanted, and would
+not feel my blows if I had a chance of returning them. In truth, my eyes
+are too dull to see where lies the pleasure of conquering one's foes, of
+which your worship is always telling me.'
+
+'Ah, Sancho, that is just what grieves me,' answered Don Quixote sadly;
+'but henceforth I will seek to gird myself always with a sword that
+shall be enchanted in such a manner that it will defend me from any
+spells they may try to throw over me. Maybe that Fortune will send me
+that of Amadis, one of the keenest blades in the world, and the best
+sword that ever knight had. But look, do you see that cloud of dust
+rising out there? That tells us that a large army, made up of men and
+nations without number, are marching towards us.'
+
+'By that way of reckoning,' answered the squire, 'another army must be
+advancing to meet them, for behind us the cloud is just as thick.'
+
+Filled with joy at the thought of fighting two armies, Don Quixote
+turned to look, and his heart beat high. The dust was so thick that
+neither he nor Sancho could perceive that the clouds of dust were caused
+by two immense flocks of sheep. To the mind of the knight they _could_
+be nothing but vast armies, and this he declared so positively that at
+length Sancho Panza came to believe it also. The squire, however, looked
+on the fact with very different feelings to his master, and asked
+anxiously:
+
+'Noble sir, what are we to do?'
+
+'What _can_ we do,' replied the knight, 'except fly to the help of those
+who need it? For you must know, friend Sancho, that the army in front of
+us is led by the Emperor Alifanfaron, while the other, which is marching
+to meet him, is Pentapolin of the Uplifted Arm, so called because he
+rides into battle with his right arm bare.'
+
+'And what is their quarrel?' asked Sancho.
+
+'Alifanfaron is a Moslem, yet desires to marry the daughter of
+Pentapolin,' replied Don Quixote, 'but her father will not give her to
+him till he ceases to be an unbeliever.'
+
+'By my beard,' cried Sancho, 'if I see this Pentapolin driven back I
+will strike a blow for him with all my might.'
+
+'And you will do well,' replied Don Quixote, 'for in such battles it is
+not necessary to be a knight.'
+
+'But what shall I do with my ass?' inquired the squire anxiously, 'for I
+suppose that until this day no man has ever yet ridden into combat on an
+ass.'
+
+'Let him loose,' said Don Quixote, 'and think no more of him, for after
+we have vanquished our enemies we shall have such choice of horses that
+I may light upon one even better than Rozinante! But let us stand on
+yonder little hill, for I would fain describe to you the names and arms
+of the noble knights that are approaching.'
+
+For a long while he spoke, telling his squire of the countries from
+which those leaders of the armies had come. And truly it was wonderful
+to listen to him, seeing that they were all children of his own brain.
+From time to time Sancho Panza stared hard at the dust, trying to see as
+much as his master, and at last he cried:
+
+'If there is a knight or a giant there, they must be enchanted like the
+rest; for, look as I may, I cannot see them.'
+
+'How can you speak such words?' answered Don Quixote reproachfully. 'Do
+you not hear the horses neighing, the drums beating, the trumpets
+sounding?'
+
+'No, I hear nothing of all that,' replied Sancho stoutly; 'all _I_ hear
+is the bleating of sheep and of ewes.' And as he spoke the dust was
+lifted by the wind, and he saw the two flocks in front of them.
+
+'It is the deadly fear which has overtaken you,' answered Don Quixote,
+'which has clouded your eyes and ears, and made everything seem
+different from what it is. If you are afraid, stand aside then, for my
+arm alone carries victory with it'; and, so saying, he touched Rozinante
+with his spurs, and with his lance in rest galloped down the hill,
+unheeding the cries of Sancho, who shrieked out that it was only a flock
+of sheep that he saw, and that there were neither giants nor knights to
+fight with.
+
+He might have spared his voice, for Don Quixote, if he heard him, which
+is doubtful, rode on without turning his head, shouting defiance at the
+Moslem leader, and spearing the sheep which could not get out of his
+way, as if they were indeed the soldiers he took them for.
+
+When the shepherds had recovered from this unexpected onslaught, they
+shouted with all their might to Don Quixote to leave off spearing their
+sheep, but, as he paid no heed to their warnings, they took out the
+slings they carried with them, and whirling them round their heads let
+fly large stones. Don Quixote, however, cared no more for the stones
+than he had done for the cries, and galloped up and down wildly, calling
+as he went:
+
+'Proud Alifanfaron, where can I find you? I, a solitary knight,
+challenge you to meet me in single combat, that I may avenge the wrongs
+that you have done to the noble Pentapolin!' Doubtless the knight would
+have said still more had not a stone hit him on his side at that very
+moment, breaking two of his ribs. At first he thought he was dead, but,
+recollecting the balsam which he kept in his wallet, he drank a draught
+of it, although it was only intended to be laid on the outside of wounds
+and bruises.
+
+He was still in the act of swallowing it when another missile struck him
+full on the face, and knocked out some of his teeth. He reeled in his
+saddle from the blow, and then fell heavily to the ground.
+
+The shepherds, frightened at what they had done, ran up to look at him,
+and seeing him lying there senseless, drove quickly off the rest of
+their flock, leaving the seven that Don Quixote had speared stretched
+beside him.
+
+Directly the shepherds had departed, Sancho Panza came down to look
+after his master, and finding him bruised and bleeding, but not stunned,
+he fell to reproaching him for his folly. But the knight only answered
+that if the enemies around him seemed to bear the likeness of sheep, it
+was only because they had been enchanted, and that their fellows now
+marching along the road would soon regain their proper shape, and become
+straight men and tall again.
+
+Then, with Sancho's help, he mounted Rozinante, and the two rode slowly
+along the road, hoping that they might shortly discover an inn, where
+they could get food and rest.
+
+
+
+
+_THE ADVENTURE OF THE BOBBING LIGHTS_
+
+
+Both Rozinante and his master had fared so ill at the hands of the
+shepherds that they journeyed but slowly, and darkness fell without
+their having reached an inn, or even caught sight of one. This grieved
+sorely both knight and squire, for not only did all Don Quixote's bones
+ache from the stoning he had undergone, but somehow or other their
+wallets had been also lost, and it was many hours since they had broken
+their fast.
+
+In this plight they travelled, man and beast hanging their heads with
+fatigue, when they saw on the road, coming towards them, a great
+multitude of lights, bobbing up and down, as if all the stars of heaven
+were shifting their places. Neither Don Quixote nor Sancho felt much at
+their ease at this strange spectacle, and both pulled up their beasts,
+and waited trembling. Even Don Quixote feared he knew not what, and the
+hair stood up on his head, in spite of his valour, as he said to Sancho:
+
+'There lies before me, Sancho, a great and perilous adventure, and one
+in which I must bear a stout heart.'
+
+'It seems to be an adventure of phantoms,' whispered Sancho fearfully,
+'which never was to my liking.'
+
+'Whatever phantoms they be,' answered the knight, 'they shall not touch
+a hair of your head,' replied Don Quixote soothingly. 'If they mocked at
+you in the inn, it was for reason that I could not leap the fence. But
+here, where the ground is open, I can lay about me as I will.'
+
+'And what if they bewitch you, as they did that other time?' asked the
+squire. 'How much will the open ground profit you then'?
+
+'Trust to me,' replied Don Quixote, 'for my experience is greater than
+yours'; and Sancho said no more.
+
+They stood a little on one side watching the lights approaching, and
+soon they saw a host of men clad in white riding along the road. The
+squire's teeth chattered at the sight of them, and his terror increased
+when he was able to make out that the moving stars were flaming torches
+which men in white shirts carried in their hands, and that behind them
+followed a litter draped in black. After the litter came six other men
+dressed in black and mounted on mules. And Sancho had no doubt that he
+saw before him shadows from the next world.
+
+Though Don Quixote's heart quailed for a moment at the strangeness of
+the vision, he soon recalled his valour. In an instant his fancy had
+changed the litter into a bier, and the occupant into a knight who had
+been done to death by foul means, and whom he was bound in honour to
+avenge. So he moved forward to the middle of the road, and cried in a
+loud voice:
+
+'Proud knights, whoever you may be, stand and give me account of
+yourselves, and tell me who it is that lies in that bier. For either you
+have done an ill deed to some man, or else a wrong has been done to
+you.'
+
+'Pardon me, fair sir,' answered the foremost of the white-shirted men,
+'but we are in haste, and the inn is far. We have no time for
+parleying.'
+
+This reply only confirmed Don Quixote's worst suspicions.
+
+'Stop, or you are a dead man,' cried he in tones of thunder. 'Tell me
+who you are and whither you are going, or else I will fight you all';
+and with that he seized the mule by the bridle. The mule, not being used
+to such rough treatment, reared herself up on her hind legs, so that her
+rider slipped off her back. At this sight one of the other men ran to
+his aid, calling the knight all the ill names he could think of, which
+so inflamed the anger of Don Quixote that he laid about him with his
+spear on every side. Even Rozinante seemed to have gotten a new spirit
+as well as a new body, for he turned him about so nimbly that soon the
+plain was covered with flying white men, still holding the bobbing
+torches. The mourners who rode behind did not escape so easily, for
+their long skirts and cloaks hindered them from moving, and Don Quixote
+struck and beat them just as he would, till they took him to be a giant
+or enchanter rather than a man.
+
+Sancho, as was his custom, bore no part in the fray, but stood by and
+said to himself: 'Had ever any man such a master!'
+
+When Don Quixote's rage was somewhat abated, he paused and gazed about
+him. Then, seeing a burning torch lying on the ground, and a figure near
+it, he went up, and perceived by the light that it was the man whom he
+had first attacked.
+
+'Yield, or I will slay you!' he shouted, and the man answered grimly:
+
+'I seem to have "yielded" as much as can be required of me, as my leg is
+broken. If you are indeed a Christian knight, I pray you of your
+nobility to spare my life, as I am a member of the Holy Church.'
+
+'Who brought you here, then?' asked Don Quixote.
+
+'Who? My ill fortune,' replied he. 'I and the eleven priests who have
+fled with the torches set forth as escort to the body of the gentleman
+that lies in the litter, bearing it to its tomb in the city of Segovia,
+where he was born.'
+
+'And who killed him?' said Don Quixote, who never imagined that any man
+could die naturally.
+
+'He died by reason of a most pestilent fever,' answered the wounded man.
+
+'Then,' replied Don Quixote, 'I am delivered from the duty of avenging
+his death, which would otherwise have fallen to me. For in case you are
+ignorant, I would have you know that I am the knight Don Quixote de la
+Mancha, and it is my place to wander through the world, helping those
+that suffer wrongs and punishing those who inflict them.'
+
+'As to helping those who suffer wrongs,' replied the churchman, 'for my
+part I can see nothing but that it is you and no other who have
+inflicted the wrong upon me. For whereas I was whole before, you have
+given me a thrust which has broken my leg, and I shall remain injured
+for ever.'
+
+'You and your friends the priests,' answered Don Quixote, in no wise
+abashed by this remark, 'have wrought the evil yourselves by coming in
+such wise, and by night, that no man could think but that you were ill
+creatures from another world.'
+
+'Then, if you repent you of the wrong that you have done me,' said the
+man, 'I pray you, worshipful knight, to deliver my leg from the bondage
+of this ass, who has my leg fastened between the stirrup and the
+saddle.'
+
+The kind heart of Don Quixote was shocked at his thoughtlessness, and he
+answered quickly:
+
+'You should have told me of your pain before, or I might have talked on
+till to-morrow'; and he called to Sancho Panza, who was busily robbing
+the mule that carried the provisions. Hearing his master's voice, Sancho
+left off with an ill grace, and, placing the bag of food on his own
+donkey, went to see what his master wanted.
+
+Between them both they set the mule on its feet, and the man on its
+saddle. Don Quixote then put the torch in his hand and bade him ride
+after his companions, and not to forget to ask their pardon in his name
+for the wrong he had unconsciously done them.
+
+'And,' added the squire, 'if your friends should ask the name of this
+gentleman, who now craves their forgiveness, tell them that it is the
+famous Don Quixote, the Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance!'
+
+
+
+
+_THE HELMET OF MAMBRINO_
+
+
+The morning after the last adventure Don Quixote and his squire were
+riding along the road, when the knight saw in front of him a man on
+horseback, with something on his head which looked as if it were made of
+gold.
+
+'If my eyes do not deceive me,' he said, turning to Sancho Panza, 'here
+comes one who wears on his head the helmet of Mambrino.'
+
+'If I had your worship's leave to speak,' answered Sancho, who was by
+this time beginning to learn a little wisdom, 'I could give many reasons
+to show that you are mistaken.'
+
+'How _can_ I be mistaken?' cried Don Quixote angrily. 'Do not you see
+for yourself that a knight is coming towards us, mounted on a grey horse
+and with a golden helmet on his head?'
+
+'All that _I_ can see,' replied the squire, 'is that the man is mounted
+on a grey donkey like my own, and he has on his head something that
+glitters.'
+
+'What you see,' answered Don Quixote solemnly, 'is the helmet of
+Mambrino.[194-1] Go, stand aside and let _me_ deal with him, for without
+even speaking to him I will get possession of his helmet, for which my
+soul has always longed.'
+
+    [194-1] Mambrino was one of the Moorish kings, to whom the helmet
+    belonged. He who wore it could not be wounded in battle.
+
+Truth to tell, the real story of the helmet, for so Don Quixote took it
+to be, was very simple. A rich man who lived in a village only a few
+miles away had sent for the nearest barber to shave and bleed him. The
+man started, taking with him a brass basin, which he was accustomed to
+use, and, as a shower of rain soon came on, he put the basin on his head
+to save his hat, which was a new one. The ass, as Sancho Panza rightly
+said, was very like his own.
+
+The good man was jogging comfortably along, thinking what he would like
+for supper, when suddenly he saw Don Quixote galloping towards him, head
+bent and lance in rest. As he drew near he cried loudly:
+
+'Defend yourself, or give me up the helmet, to which you have no right.'
+
+The barber was so taken by surprise that for a moment he did nothing;
+then he had only just time to escape the lance thrust by sliding off his
+ass and running so swiftly over the plain that even the wind could
+scarcely overtake him. In his flight the basin fell from his head, to
+the great pleasure of Don Quixote, who bade his squire bring it to him.
+
+'The Unbeliever who wore this helmet first must have had indeed a large
+head,' cried he, turning it over in his hands, seeking the vizor; 'yet,
+even so, half of it is wanting.'
+
+At this Sancho began to laugh, and his master asked him what he found to
+divert him so much.
+
+'I cannot but laugh when I think how large was the head of the
+Unbeliever,' replied Sancho gravely, knowing that the knight did not
+love the mirth of other men. 'But, to my mind, the helmet looks exactly
+like a barber's basin.'
+
+'Listen to me,' answered Don Quixote, 'and I will tell you what has
+happened. By a strange accident this famous helmet must have fallen to
+the lot of someone who did not know the value of his prize. But, seeing
+it was pure gold, he melted half of it for his own uses, and the rest he
+made into a barber's basin. Be sure that in the first village where I
+can meet with a skilled workman I will have it restored to its own
+shape again, and meanwhile I will wear it as it is, for half a helmet is
+better than none.'
+
+'And what,' inquired Sancho, 'shall we do with the grey horse that looks
+so like an ass? The beast is a good beast.'
+
+'Leave the ass or horse, whichever it pleases you to call it,' replied
+the Don, 'for no knight ever takes the steed of his foe, unless it is
+won in fair fight. And perchance, when we have ridden out of sight, its
+master will come back and seek for it.'
+
+Sancho, however, was not overmuch pleased by this speech.
+
+'Truly the laws of chivalry are strict,' he grumbled, 'if they will not
+let a man change one donkey for another! And is it forbidden to change
+the pack-saddle also?'
+
+'Of that I am in doubt,' replied Don Quixote; 'and until I have certain
+information on this point, if your need is great, you may take what you
+need.'
+
+Sancho hardly expected such good fortune to befall him, and stripping
+the ass of his harness he speedily put it upon his own beast, and then
+laid out the dinner he had stolen from the sumpter mule for himself and
+his master.
+
+Not long after this event, as Don Quixote and his squire were riding
+along the road, discoursing as they went of matters of chivalry, they
+saw approaching them from a distance a dozen men or more, with iron
+chains round their necks, stringing them together like beads on a
+rosary, and bearing iron fetters on their hands. By their side were two
+men on horseback carrying firelocks, and two on foot with swords and
+spears.
+
+'Look!' cried Sancho Panza, 'here come a gang of slaves, sent to the
+galleys by the king.'
+
+'What is that you say--_sent_?' asked Don Quixote. 'Can any king _send_
+his subjects where they have no mind to go?'
+
+'They are men who have been guilty of many crimes,' replied the squire,
+'and to punish them they are being led by force to the galleys.'
+
+'They go,' inquired Don Quixote, 'by force and not willingly?'
+
+'You speak truly,' answered Sancho Panza.
+
+'Then if that is so,' said the knight, 'it is my duty to set them free.'
+
+'But think a moment, your worship,' cried Sancho, terrified at the
+consequences of this new idea; 'they are bad men, and deserve punishment
+for the crimes they have committed.'
+
+Don Quixote was silent. In fact, he had heard nothing of what his squire
+had said. Instead he rode up to the galley-slaves, who by this time were
+quite near, and politely begged one of the soldiers who had charge of
+them to tell him of his courtesy where these people were going, and why
+they were chained in such a manner.
+
+The guard, who had never read any of the romances of chivalry, and was
+quite ignorant of the speech of knights, answered roughly that they were
+felons going to the galleys, and that was all that mattered to anybody.
+But Don Quixote was not to be put aside like this.
+
+'By your leave,' he said, 'I would speak with them, and ask of every man
+the reason of his misfortune.'
+
+Now this civility of the knight made the soldiers feel ashamed of their
+own rudeness, so one of them replied more gently than before:
+
+'We have here set down the crimes of every man singly, but if your
+worship pleases you may inquire of the prisoners yourself. And be sure
+you will hear all about their tricks, and more too, for it is a mighty
+pleasure to them to tell their tales.'
+
+The soldier spoke truly; and wonderful were the stories which Don
+Quixote listened to and believed, until the knight, smitten by
+compassion, turned to the guards and implored them to set free the poor
+fellows, whose sins would be punished elsewhere.
+
+'I ask you to do this as a favour,' he ended, 'for I would willingly owe
+you this grace. But, if you deny me, my arm and my sword will teach you
+to do it by force.'
+
+'That is a merry jest indeed,' cried the soldier. 'So we are to let go
+the king's prisoners just because you tell us to do it. You had better
+mind your own business, fair sir, and set that pot straight on your
+head, and do not waste your time in looking for five feet in a cat.'
+
+Don Quixote was so furious at the man's words that he felled him to the
+earth with a blow from his sword, while for a moment the other guards
+stood mute from surprise. Then seizing their weapons they rushed at Don
+Quixote, who sat firm in his saddle as became a knight, awaiting their
+onslaught. But for all his valour it would have gone hard with him had
+not the attention of the soldiers been hastily called off by the
+galley-slaves, who were taking advantage of the tumult to break their
+fetters. The chief among them had snatched the sword and firelock of the
+man whom Don Quixote had overthrown, and by merely pointing it at the
+other guards he so frightened them that they fled in all directions,
+followed by a shower of stones from the rest of the captives.
+
+'Let us depart from here,' whispered Sancho Panza, knowing better than
+his master in what a sorry plight they might presently find themselves.
+'If we once reach those hills, none can overtake us.'
+
+'It is well,' replied the knight; 'but first I must settle this matter,'
+and, calling together the prisoners, he bade them go with all speed and
+present themselves before the Lady Dulcinea del Toboso, and say that
+they had come by the command of the Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance,
+and further to relate the doughty deeds by which they had been set free.
+
+[Illustration: HOW THE GALLEY SLAVES REPAID DON QUIXOTE]
+
+At this the convicts only laughed, and replied that if they were to
+fulfil his desires and travel together in a body they would soon be
+taken captive by their enemies, and would be no better off than before,
+but that in gratitude for his services they would be willing to pray for
+him, which they could do at their leisure.
+
+This discourse enraged Don Quixote nearly as much as the words of the
+guard had done, and he answered the fellow in terms so abusive that the
+convict's patience, which was never very great, gave way altogether, and
+he and his comrades, picking up what stones lay about, flung them with
+such hearty goodwill at the knight and Rozinante, that at length they
+knocked him right out of the saddle. The man then dragged the basin from
+his head, and after dealing him some mighty blows with it dashed it to
+the ground, where it broke in pieces. They next took the coat which he
+wore over his armour, and stripped the squire of all but his shirt.
+Having done this, they went their ways, fearing lest they might be
+overtaken.
+
+
+
+
+_HOW DON QUIXOTE WAS ENCHANTED WHILE GUARDING THE CASTLE_
+
+
+In the course of their adventures Don Quixote and his squire found
+themselves at the door of an inn which they had already visited, where
+they met with many friends. The hours were passed in pleasant discourse,
+and in the telling and reading of strange stories; the company parted at
+night well satisfied with their entertainment.
+
+Don Quixote, however, did not share in these joys, for he was sorely
+cast down by reason of wounds he had received a few days previously in
+seeking to right a wrong. So, leaving the remainder of the guests to
+each other's society, he threw himself on the bed that had been made for
+him, and soon fell fast asleep.
+
+The guests below had forgotten all about him, so absorbed were they in
+the interest of a tale of woeful ending, when the voice of Sancho Panza
+burst upon their ears.
+
+'Hasten! hasten! good sirs; hasten and help my master in the hardest
+battle I have ever seen him fight. By my faith, he has dealt such a blow
+to the giant that his head he has cut clean off.'
+
+'What is that you say?' asked the priest, who was reading out the tale.
+'Are you out of your senses, Sancho?' But his question was lost in a
+furious noise from above, in which Don Quixote might be heard crying:
+
+'Rogue, thief, villain! I have you fast, and little will your sword
+avail you'; then followed loud blows against the wall.
+
+[Illustration: DON QUIXOTE'S BATTLE WITH THE WINE-SKINS]
+
+'Quick, quick! don't stand there listening, but fly to the aid of my
+master. Though, indeed, by this time there can be little need, for the
+giant must be dead already, and will trouble the world no more. For I
+saw his blood spurt and run all over the floor, and his head is cut off
+and fallen to one side.'
+
+'As I am alive,' exclaimed the innkeeper, 'I fear that Don Quixote has
+been fighting with one of the wine-skins that I put to hang near the
+bed, and it is wine not blood that is spilt on the ground.' And he ran
+into the room, followed by the rest, to see what had really happened.
+
+They all stopped short at the sight of Don Quixote, who did, in truth,
+present a most strange figure. The only garments he had on were a shirt
+and a little red cap; his legs were bare, and round his left arm was
+rolled the bed covering, while in the right he held a sword, with which
+he was cutting and thrusting at everything about him, uttering cries all
+the while, as if in truth he were engaged in deadly combat with a giant.
+Yet his eyes were tight shut, and it was clear to all that he was fast
+asleep; but in his dream he had slashed at so many of the skins that the
+whole room was full of wine. When the innkeeper perceived this, the loss
+of his wine so enraged him that he in his turn flew at the knight, and
+struck him such hard blows with his fists that, had not the priest and
+another man pulled him off, the war with the giant would soon have
+ended.
+
+Still, curious to say, it was not until a pannikin of cold water had
+been poured over him by the barber that Don Quixote awoke, and even then
+he did not understand what he had been doing, and why he stood there in
+such a dress.
+
+Now the priest had caught hold of Don Quixote's hands, so that he should
+not beat those who were pouring the water over him, and the knight,
+having only partly come to his senses, took him for the princess, for
+whose sake he had made war on the giant.
+
+'Fair and gracious lady,' he said, falling on his knees, 'may your life
+henceforth be freed from the terror of this ill-born creature!'
+
+'Well, did I not speak truly?' asked Sancho Panza proudly. 'Has not my
+master properly salted the giant? I have got my earldom safe at last.'
+For Sancho never ceased to believe in the knight's promises.
+
+Everyone was driven to laugh at the strange foolery of both master and
+man, except the innkeeper, whose mind was still sore at the loss of his
+wine-skins. The priest and the barber first busied themselves in getting
+Don Quixote, now quite worn out with his adventure, safely into bed, and
+then went to administer the best consolation they could to the poor man.
+
+Many days passed before Don Quixote was well enough to leave the inn,
+but at length he seemed to be cured of the fatigue he had undergone
+during his previous adventures, and had bidden his squire get all things
+ready for his departure. Maritornes, the servant at the inn, and the
+innkeeper's daughter, having overheard the plans of Don Quixote,
+resolved that he should not leave them before they had played him some
+merry tricks.
+
+That night, when everyone else had gone to bed, and Don Quixote, armed,
+and mounted on Rozinante, was keeping guard in front of the inn, the two
+girls crept up to a loft. Nowhere in the inn was there such a thing as a
+proper window, but in the loft was a hole through which the knight could
+be seen, leaning on his lance uttering deep sighs and broken words about
+the Lady Dulcinea.
+
+The innkeeper's daughter, falling in with his humour, advanced to the
+hole, and invited him to draw a little nearer. Nothing more was needed
+than for Don Quixote to imagine that the damsel was sick of love for
+him, and he told her straightway that any service he could do her short
+of proclaiming her his liege lady she might command. Upon this,
+Maritornes informed him that her mistress would be content were she
+permitted to kiss his hand, which Don Quixote answered might be done
+without wrong to the Lady Dulcinea. So, without more ado, he passed it
+through the hole, when it was instantly seized by Maritornes, who
+slipped a noose of rope over his wrist, and tied the other end of it
+tightly to the door of the loft.
+
+After that they both ran off, overflowing with laughter, leaving the
+knight to reproach them for their ill-usage.
+
+There the poor knight remained, mounted on Rozinante, his arm in the
+hole and his hand fastened to the door, fearing lest Rozinante should
+move and he should be left hanging. But in this he did wrong to his
+horse, who was happy enough to stand still.
+
+Then Don Quixote, seeing himself bound, instead of seeking to unloose
+himself as many others would have tried to do, sat quietly in his
+saddle, and dreamed dreams of the enchantment which had befallen him.
+And thus he stayed till the day dawned.
+
+His dreams were rudely broken into when there drew up at the inn door
+four men well armed and mounted. As no one answered their knock, they
+repeated it more loudly, when Don Quixote cried to them:
+
+'Knights or squires, or whoever you may be, it is not for you to knock
+at the gates of this castle; for sure, any man might tell that those
+within are asleep, or else it is their custom not to open until the sun
+touches the whole floor. You must wait until it is broad day, and then
+it will be seen whether you can be admitted within the gates.'
+
+'What sort of castle is this, which receives no guests without such
+ceremonies?' mocked one of the men. 'If you are the innkeeper, bid your
+servants open to us without delay. We are neither knights nor squires,
+but honest travellers, who need corn for our horses, and that without
+delay.'
+
+'Have I the air of an innkeeper?' asked Don Quixote loftily.
+
+'I do not know of what you have the air,' answered the man, 'but this I
+_do_ know, and that is that you are jesting when you call this inn a
+castle.'
+
+'But it _is_ a castle,' replied Don Quixote, 'and one of the finest in
+the whole country! And within are those who carry crowns on their heads
+and sceptres in their hands.'
+
+'It may well be that inside are players with crowns and sceptres both,'
+answered the traveller, 'for in so small an inn no real kings and their
+trains would find a place'; and, being weary of talking, he knocked at
+the door with more violence than before.
+
+Meanwhile, one of the horses had drawn near to Rozinante, wondering what
+the strange creature could be, of a form like unto his own, but to all
+outward seeming formed of wood. Rozinante, cheered by the presence of
+one of his own kind, moved his body a little, which caused Don Quixote
+to slip from his saddle, and to remain hanging by his arm, though his
+feet almost touched the ground. The pain of thus being suspended from
+his arm was so great that, knight though he was, he shrieked in agony,
+till the people in the inn ran to the doors to see what was the matter.
+
+Maritornes alone, fearing punishment, slipped round another way, and
+unfastened the cord which bound Don Quixote, who dropped to the ground
+as the travellers came up, and in answer to their questions mounted
+Rozinante, and, after riding round the field, reined up suddenly in
+front of them, crying:
+
+'Whoever shall proclaim that I have suffered enchantment I give him the
+lie, and challenge him to meet me in single combat.'
+
+But instead of answering his defiance the guests merely stood and stared
+at him, till the innkeeper whispered that he was a noble gentleman, a
+little touched in his wits, so they took no further notice of his words.
+This so enraged Don Quixote that he was only withheld from fighting them
+all by remembering that nowhere in the records of chivalry was it
+lawful to undertake a second adventure before the first had drawn to a
+good end.
+
+Meanwhile a new strife had begun in the inn, for two of the travellers
+who had lodged there during the night were found trying to leave the inn
+without paying their reckoning. But it happened that the landlord
+detected their purpose and held them fast, upon which the two fellows
+set on him with blows, till his daughter ran to Don Quixote and implored
+his help.
+
+'Beautiful damsel,' replied the knight slowly, 'just now I cannot listen
+to your prayer, for the laws of chivalry forbid my engaging in a fresh
+adventure. But tell your father to keep his assailants at bay, while I
+ride to the Princess Micomicona, in whose service I already am, and ask
+her leave to aid him in his trouble.'
+
+'And long before your return,' cried Maritornes, 'my poor master will be
+in another world'; but Don Quixote, not heeding her, turned his back,
+and, falling on his knees before a lady present, begged that she would
+grant him permission to rescue the lord of the castle.
+
+This being given, the knight braced on his shield and drew his sword,
+and hastened to the inn door, where the two men were still beating the
+landlord. But the moment he reached the combatants he stopped and drew
+back, in spite of the entreaties of Maritornes and of the innkeeper's
+wife.
+
+'It has come into my mind,' he said, 'that it is not lawful for me to
+give battle to any except belted knights. Now there are no knights here,
+and the task belongs to my squire Sancho, who I will bid to undertake it
+in my stead.'
+
+So the fight still raged, till at length the men's arms grew tired,
+which, Don Quixote seeing, he persuaded them to make peace, and the two
+guests to pay the sum which they rightly owed the landlord.
+
+
+
+
+_DON QUIXOTE'S HOME-COMING_
+
+
+By this time the company of friends who had been passing their days so
+pleasantly at the inn, were called away by other business, but, not
+liking to leave Don Quixote to himself, they contrived a plan by which
+the priest and barber were to carry him home, where they hoped his wits
+might come back to him.
+
+So they set about making secretly a large cage of poles, having the
+sides latticed, so that Don Quixote should receive both air and light,
+and this cage was to be placed on a bullock-cart which happened to be
+going in the same direction. The rest of the company put on masks and
+disguised themselves in various manners, so that the knight might not
+know them again.
+
+These preparations being finished, they stole softly into his room at
+the dead of night and tied his hands and feet firmly together. He woke
+with a start, and, seeing the array of strange figures about him, took
+them to be the phantoms which hovered about the enchanted castle, and
+believed without doubt that he himself was enchanted likewise, for he
+could neither move nor fight.
+
+This reasoning pleased the priest greatly, as in just such a manner he
+had reckoned that the knight would behave. Sancho alone had been left in
+the garments that he commonly wore, and he was not deceived by the
+ghosts who passed before him. But he looked on and said nothing till he
+should see how the matter turned out.
+
+When all was ready, Don Quixote was picked up and carried to the cage,
+where they laid him at full length, but taking good care to nail the
+door, so that it could not be opened. Then a voice was heard from behind
+to utter a prophecy, which Don Quixote understood to mean that he was
+setting forth on his wedding journey, and that he was to be bound in
+marriage to the Lady Dulcinea del Toboso, whose name he had always
+upheld in battle.
+
+The knight responded joyfully to the words he heard, beseeching the
+mighty enchanter in whose power he was not to leave him in his prison
+till these glorious promises had been fulfilled, and appealing to Sancho
+never to part from him either in good or ill fortune. Sancho bowed in
+answer and kissed his master's hand; then the ghosts took up the cage
+and placed it on a waggon.
+
+Don Quixote beguiled the way after his usual fashion, recalling the
+stories of enchantments he had read, yet never finding a knight who had
+been enchanted after his fashion.
+
+'No knight that ever _I_ heard,' said he, 'was drawn by such heavy and
+sluggish animals. Strange it is indeed to be carried to adventures in an
+ox-cart, instead of flying through the air on a griffin or a cloud! Yet,
+mayhap, the new chivalry, of which I am the first knight, may have new
+ways'; and with that he contented himself, and discoursed to Sancho
+about the ghosts, while Rozinante and the ass were saddled. Then Sancho
+mounted his ass and took Rozinante's rein, the priest meanwhile giving
+the troopers a few pence a day to ride by the ox-cart as far as Don
+Quixote's native village.
+
+After allowing Don Quixote to bid farewell to the good people gathered
+at the inn door, the priest, still masked, gave the signal to the
+driver, and the cart drawn by the oxen started at a foot's pace. The
+troopers rode on each side to guard it, and behind them came Sancho
+riding on his ass, leading Rozinante, while the priest and the barber,
+mounted on a pair of fine mules, brought up the rear.
+
+They journeyed in silence for some time, till the driver of the ox-cart,
+who was a lazy fellow, called a halt as he himself wished to rest, and
+the grass was rich and green for the oxen. Soon they were joined by a
+company of well-dressed men on horseback, who stopped in surprise on
+seeing such a strange sight as that of a man in a cage. The leader of
+the party, who made himself known to them as a canon of Toledo, entered
+into conversation with the captive knight. Don Quixote informed him that
+he was enchanted by reason of envy of his glorious deeds, which was
+denied by Sancho Panza, who declared that when he was at liberty his
+master ate, drank, and slept like other people, and if no one hindered
+him would talk more than thirty lawyers.
+
+The canon and his friends rode on with the priest for some distance, as
+he desired greatly to hear the tale of Don Quixote's adventures, for
+never before had he met with such a strange man. In the heat of the day
+they again rested in a shady spot, and here, at the petition of the
+squire, Don Quixote was unloosed from his bonds and set at liberty.
+
+For a while he was content to pass the hours of his journey in hearing
+and telling of matters of chivalry, rejoicing to find himself once more
+on the back of Rozinante. But unfortunately the sight of a procession of
+men in white approaching him stirred up all his anger, for, as was his
+custom, he instantly divined that they were assembled for some unlawful
+purpose, though in sooth they were a body of penitents praying that rain
+might fall upon their thirsty land. He dashed up to battle, followed by
+Sancho on foot, who arrived just at the moment that his master fell to
+the ground stunned by a tremendous blow. The penitents who formed the
+procession, seeing so many men running up, received them with fists and
+candlesticks, but when one of them cast his eyes on the priest who was
+journeying with Don Quixote he found that he had known him formerly,
+and begged him to tell what all this might mean.
+
+By the time the story was told Don Quixote's wits began to return to
+him, and he called to Sancho to put him back into the cage, as he had
+been nigh dead, and could not hold himself on Rozinante.
+
+'With all my heart,' answered Sancho, thankful that the adventure had
+ended no worse; 'and if these gentlemen will do us the honour to go with
+us, we will return home and there make plans for adventures that will
+bring us more profit and glory.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The villagers were all gathered together in the great square, when at
+the end of six days a cage containing a man passed through their midst.
+The people pressed close to see who the captive might be, and when they
+saw it was Don Quixote, they sent a boy to tell his housekeeper and his
+niece that the knight had come back looking pale and lean from his
+wanderings.
+
+Loud were the cries raised by the good women when they saw him in so
+sorry a plight, and they undressed him and put him to bed with what
+speed they were able.
+
+'Keep him there as long as you may,' said the priest who had brought
+him; but it is whispered that this period of rest and repose did not
+last, and that soon Don Quixote might have been seen again mounted on
+Rozinante and seeking adventures.
+
+[_Don Quixote._]
+
+
+
+
+_THE MEETING OF HUON AND OBERON, KING OF THE FAIRIES_
+
+
+In the days of the emperor Charles the Great there lived two young men
+named Huon and Gerard, sons of the duke of Bordeaux and heirs of his
+lands. Now by all the rules of chivalry they were bound to hasten to
+Paris as soon as their father died and do homage to the emperor as their
+liege lord; but, like many other youths, they were careless of their
+duties, and put off the long and tedious journey from day to day.
+
+This conduct was particularly foolish, because there was present at the
+emperor's court the famous earl Amaury, who, rich though he was, coveted
+the estates of the duke of Bordeaux, and whispered in the ear of his
+master that the young men were rebels and traitors. By this time Charles
+was old, and his mind, as well as his body, had waxed feeble; the crown
+was too heavy for him, and he was thinking of resigning it to his son
+Charlot. So Amaury cunningly represented to him that he must summon the
+young men to his court without delay, and then himself plotted with
+Charlot to waylay and kill them. But, though they made their plans with
+great care, fortune was on the side of Huon and Gerard, for they
+defended themselves so bravely that, though they were taken by surprise,
+Gerard only received a slight wound, while Charlot was slain by Huon.
+
+When Amaury returned to Paris with these dreadful tidings, the emperor
+was beside himself with anger, and ordered Amaury to fight a duel with
+Huon, who was the elder of the two, and bid him take heed not to spare
+him. As Huon was young and slight, and Amaury one of the strongest men
+at the court, neither the emperor nor the earl ever had a moment's doubt
+with whom the victory would lie; but if Amaury was more powerful, Huon
+was quicker on his feet, and before long he had stretched his enemy dead
+upon the ground.
+
+The emperor was watching the fight from a window of his palace, and his
+anger at the triumph of Huon was so great that it very near killed him.
+Still, as the duel had been fairly fought, he dared not punish Huon, and
+he was forced to content himself with sending him on a mission to the
+king of Babylon, knowing well the perils which would beset him on the
+way.
+
+The small vessel in which Huon sailed for Jerusalem met with so many
+dangers that oftentimes the young duke thought that he would be dead
+long before he had touched the shores of Palestine. Thrice they were
+attacked by pirates, who were hardly beaten off; twice such terrible
+storms arose that they were almost driven on the rocks, and once they
+had much ado to avoid being drawn into a whirlpool. But somehow or other
+they escaped everything, and Huon was safely landed on the holy soil
+with his uncle Garyn and a few followers.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+He was at first so thankful to be on dry land again that he felt as if
+his journey was already over, but he soon found that the worst part was
+yet to come. Leaving Jerusalem behind them, the little band entered a
+desert, dreary and boundless as far as they could see. Hunger and thirst
+they suffered, and death felt very near them, when at last they reached
+a tiny hut, before which an old man was sitting. At the sight of Huon,
+thin and wasted as he had grown, the old man broke into sobs, crying
+that his face was like unto the face of the duke of Bordeaux, whom he
+had known when he was young.
+
+'Thirty years have I dwelt in these deserts,' said he, 'and never have
+my eyes lighted on the face of a Christian man.'
+
+Then Huon answered that he was indeed the son of the duke of Bordeaux
+whom he had known in his youth, and while they rested each man told his
+tale.
+
+'It is indeed good fortune that guided you here,' said Gerames when Huon
+had ended his story, 'for without me and my counsel never would you have
+reached the kingdom of Babylon. There are two roads which lead to that
+great city; one will take you forty days, and the other fifteen days,
+but if you will be ruled by me you will travel by the longer.'
+
+'And wherefore?' asked Huon, whose body was still sore from the
+hardships he had suffered, and whose ears had been tickled with the
+tidings of the soft couches and lovely gardens of Babylon the Great.
+
+'The short way leads through a wood which is the home of fairies and
+other strange creatures,' answered Gerames, 'and in it dwells Oberon,
+the king of them all, in stature no higher than a child of three years
+old, but with a face more beautiful than any worn by mortal man. His
+voice is softer and his words more sweet than we are wont to use; but
+beware of listening to them, for should you speak to him one word, you
+will fall into his power for ever. But if you hold your peace think not
+to escape that way, for he will be so wroth with you that he will cause
+all manner of tempests to spring up, and a great and black river to rise
+before you. Fear not to pass this river, black and swift though it be,
+for it is but a fantasy, and will not even wet the feet of your horse.
+And now that I have told you the ills that lie in that wood, I pray you
+hearken to my counsel, and ride by the way that is longer.'
+
+Huon paused before he answered. In sooth, Gerames' words had not
+awakened dread in his soul. Instead, he desired greatly to meet that
+dwarf, and to try whose will should prove strongest. So he answered that
+it would ill become a knight, and the son of his father, to shun a
+meeting with anyone, be he man or fairy, and it might be well for him to
+take the short road, for many adventures might befall him by the longer.
+
+'Sir,' said Gerames, 'be it as you will; whichever way you take I will
+go with you.'
+
+Then Huon and Gerames rode at the rear of their company, and entered the
+wood where Oberon, king of the Fairies, abode. For two days they had
+neither food nor drink, and Huon repented him of his journey and wished
+that he had hearkened to Gerames, as perchance the other road might have
+been easier.
+
+'Let us all alight and seek for food,' said he; but at that moment,
+Oberon, richly dressed, and covered with precious stones, appeared
+before them. A magic bow was in his hand, whose arrows never failed to
+hit the beast he aimed at, while round his neck was slung a horn. Now
+this horn was unlike any other in the whole world, for one blast of it
+could cure a man's sickness, even if he was nigh to death, or make him
+feel satisfied if he lacked meat, or joyful though he was poor, or
+summon whomsoever he wanted, if he was distant a hundred days' journey.
+
+Seeing the doleful plight of the little company, Oberon blew the third
+blast, and, behold! Huon and his companions began to sing and dance, as
+if good fortune had come to them.
+
+'Ah, what strange thing has come to pass!' cried the young knight. 'But
+now I was like to fall from my horse from hunger, but in an instant I am
+filled and wish for nothing.'
+
+'Sir,' said Gerames, 'it is Oberon who has wrought this; but do not
+suffer yourself to be drawn into speech with him, or you will rue it.'
+
+'Have no fears for me,' answered Huon, 'I will be steadfast.'
+
+[Illustration: The Meeting of Huon and Oberon]
+
+He held his head very high when Oberon the dwarf came up, and begged
+the knight to speak to him; but Huon only leaped on his horse and signed
+to his men to do likewise. At that the dwarf waxed angry, and bade a
+tempest arise, and with it came such a rain and hail that they were sore
+affrighted. Many times Gerames prayed them to take courage, for these
+were devices of the fairy king, and would not really hurt them, and as
+long as they spoke no words they would be safe.
+
+'Have no doubt of me,' answered Huon.
+
+For a while they lost sight of the dwarf, and Huon vainly hoped that
+they had beaten him off, and that they were rid of him. But in a little
+time they reached a bridge which spanned a great river, and on the
+bridge was Oberon himself. Fain would they have slipped past him, but
+the bridge was narrow, and Oberon stood in the middle. Once more he
+spoke soft words to Huon, and offered to do him service, but Huon held
+his peace. Again Oberon was angered sorely, and blew a blast which
+hindered the company from riding onwards, while four hundred knights of
+his own came galloping up.
+
+'Slay these men at once,' he cried, shaking with wrath, but their leader
+implored him to spare them for a space.
+
+'It will be time enough to kill them if they still keep silence,' said
+he; and Oberon agreed that he would give them yet another chance, and
+Huon and his companions rode hastily onwards.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+'We have left him full five miles behind us,' said Huon, drawing rein;
+'and now that he is not here to trouble us I will say that never in my
+life did I see so fair a creature. Nor do I think he can do us any ill.
+If he should come again, I fain would speak to him, and I pray you,
+Gerames, not to be displeased with me thereat.'
+
+Gerames' heart was heavy at these words, but he knew well the wilfulness
+of young men, and he answered nothing. For fifteen days they rode on,
+and Gerames began to hope that Oberon had given up their pursuit, when
+suddenly he again appeared.
+
+'Noble sir,' he said to Huon, 'have you resolved in good sooth not to
+speak to me? I know all your past life, and the task set you by the
+emperor, and without my help never will you come to the end of that
+business. Therefore, be warned by me, and go no further.'
+
+'You are welcome, sir,' answered Huon at last, and Oberon laughed for
+very joy.
+
+'Never did you give a greeting so profitable as this one,' he said, and
+they rode on together.
+
+
+
+
+_HOW OBERON SAVED HUON_
+
+
+Oberon was so rejoiced that Huon had at last made friends with him, that
+he did everything that he could think of to give pleasure to the knight
+and his friends.
+
+'There is nothing in the world that I cannot have by wishing for it,'
+said he, 'and all I possess is yours. And to prove that my words are not
+vain I will set before you the richest feast that ever you ate. After
+you have finished, you shall go whithersoever you will.'
+
+So they ate and drank to their hearts' content, but, before they
+departed, Oberon bade one of his fairy knights to bring him his golden
+cup, which he showed to Huon.
+
+'Behold,' he said, 'this cup is empty, and will so remain, if any man
+who has done a deadly sin should seek to drink of it. But he who has led
+a goodly life, the moment that he takes it in his hands it will become
+full of wine. Make proof of it yourself, and if you are found worthy the
+cup shall be yours.'
+
+'Alas, sir,' answered Huon, 'I fear very greatly that I have sinned too
+deeply for that cup to have any virtue for me, but yet I have repented,
+and desire from henceforth to wrong no one.' Then he lifted the cup, and
+the wine brimmed over.
+
+Oberon was right glad when he saw this sight, and gave the cup into his
+keeping.
+
+'As long as you are true and faithful, you shall never lack drink in
+it,' said he, 'but if you do falsely to any man, it will lose all its
+virtue and my help will go from you also. I have likewise another gift
+for you: take this horn of ivory, and when you are in great straits,
+and will blow it, however far I may be, I will come to you, and will
+bring with me a great company to lend you aid. But beware, as you set
+store by my friendship and by your life, that you do not blow the horn
+lightly.'
+
+'I give you great thanks for your kindness, and will hearken to your
+words,' said Huon; 'and now, I pray, let me depart hence to do the
+emperor's bidding.'
+
+So the knight and the fairy king took leave of each other, and they
+fared on their way, and in the evening they sat and rested in a green
+meadow, and ate and drank of the food that Oberon had given them. Now
+Huon was uplifted by the gifts the king had given him, and thought that
+he himself must be in some way better than other men, to be singled out
+for such honour, and, as young men will, he began to boast and talk
+idly, making pretence that he doubted the magic qualities of the horn
+and the cup, so that he might prove them at once before his company.
+
+'It was a fair adventure for me when I spoke to Oberon,' said he, 'and
+that I did not listen to the counsel of Gerames. When I fulfil my
+mission and return unto the court of the emperor, I will present him
+with the cup, the like of which he has not got in all his treasury. But
+as for the horn, how do I know if Oberon spoke the truth concerning it?'
+
+'Oh, sir, be not rash, I entreat you!' cried Gerames, 'for he charged
+you straitly not to blow the horn save in your direst need.'
+
+'Ay, surely,' answered Huon, 'but for all that I will try what power it
+has,' and, raising it to his mouth, he blew a loud blast.
+
+At that all the company rose up, and sang and danced joyfully, and
+Garyn, Huon's uncle, begged him to blow the horn once more.
+
+Oberon heard it, though he was full many miles away.
+
+'What man is so bold as to seek to do him ill whom I love best in all
+the world?' said Oberon. 'I wish myself and a hundred good men in his
+company'; and in an instant Huon and his friends beheld the horses'
+skins flashing in the bushes. Then Huon's soul smote him, and he bowed
+his head before Oberon, saying:
+
+'Sir, I have done ill; tell me quickly if death must be my punishment?'
+
+'Where are those that would work you evil?' asked Oberon sternly; but in
+spite of his wrath Huon took heart of grace, and, confessing his folly,
+prayed for pardon, which Oberon granted him for very pity, knowing, he
+said, that Huon would have much to suffer, some things through the
+wicked ways of others, but more from his own pride and self-will. Then,
+bidding the young man farewell afresh, the fairy king rode back to the
+wood.
+
+All befell just as the fairy king had foretold. Giants and mortals alike
+barred his way; small would have been his chance of ever reaching
+Babylon had not Oberon himself watched over him, and sent him help when
+he knew it not. Only one thing he asked of Huon in return--to keep
+himself from ill-doing and lies, so that he might be worthy to drink
+from the golden cup.
+
+And thus it came to pass that after many perils Huon knocked at the
+first of the four gates of the city.
+
+No sound was heard in answer to his knock, so he seized the great bell
+that hung there, and rang it loudly. At this a porter opened a little
+lattice, and asked what great lord it might be who demanded admittance
+in so rude a fashion, to which Huon answered hotly that he was an envoy
+from the emperor Charles, and that if the porter refused him entrance he
+would have to answer for it to his own master.
+
+At that the porter said that if the stranger was an infidel like
+themselves, the gates should be thrown open at once, but that, should he
+allow any Christian to enter, he would pay for it with his head.
+
+'But I am as much a Saracen as yourself,' said Huon, who only thought of
+getting into Babylon and paid no heed to the lie he was telling, or to
+the dishonour of his words. Then the gates were opened wide, and he
+entered.
+
+It was not till he was crossing the bridge which stood before the second
+gate that the wickedness of what he had done came upon him, and then he
+felt ashamed, and sorry, and frightened altogether. And how should he
+pass through the other three gates without again denying his faith and
+steeping himself in dishonour? He was about to turn back in despair,
+when he remembered the two good gifts of a giant whom he had overcome--a
+suit of armour which no sword could pierce, and a ring which would throw
+open all doors. So he showed the ring to the porters that guarded all
+the other three doors, and soon found himself in the garden of the
+palace.
+
+Even the groves of palms, and the trees of delicious fruits, could not
+make him forget the lie he had uttered. Indeed, if he had wished to do
+so, he could not, for presently he came to a fountain beside which was
+written that no traitor should drink thereof on pain of being destroyed
+by the serpent that dwelt therein. At this Huon suddenly felt himself
+forsaken of all, and he sat down and wept bitterly.
+
+'O noble King Oberon, listen to me once more,' he cried, and tremblingly
+blew his horn.
+
+'I help no liars,' said the fairy king when the blast echoed through the
+forest, and, though Huon could not hear his answer, the silence soon
+told him what it was.
+
+'If he slays me, at least it will be soon over,' he thought to himself,
+and, putting forth all his strength, he blew a fresh blast.
+
+This time it was so loud that it reached the ears of the lord of
+Babylon, who was sitting at a feast in the Hall of Moonbeams. And he
+rose up, together with his nobles and their squires and their wives and
+daughters, and every one in the palace from the least to the greatest,
+and began to dance and sing. They sang and danced as long as the horn
+kept on blowing, and when it had ceased the ruler of Babylon called to
+his lords and bade them follow him into the garden, as of a surety some
+great enchanter must have strayed therein.
+
+'Seek him and bring him to me, wherever I be,' commanded the emir; but
+the gardens were so large, and it took so long to find Huon, that the
+emir went back into the palace and laid himself down on a pile of soft
+cushions at the end of the hall.
+
+By his side on a great carved chair was the king of a neighbouring
+country, who arrived hither only a few days before to beg for the hand
+of the emir's fair daughter, the princess Esclaramonde, who was said to
+be the loveliest maiden in the whole world. To be sure, it was whispered
+among the courtiers that the princess did not look on him with a
+favourable eye, when she had watched his arrival from behind her
+lattice, and that more than once she had protested that she was too ill
+to leave her room when sent for by her father; but of course, if
+marriage was resolved upon, it would have to be.
+
+Huon had heard talk of these things between his guards when they were
+marching through the gardens that were almost as big as a town, and up
+the long flight of marble steps that led to the palace. He said nothing;
+perhaps by this time he had learnt a little wisdom, but he knew who the
+man was whose dress was so rich and his air so proud, and before anyone
+even saw him lift his arm the king's head was rolling in the dust.
+
+For a moment all remained still, too astonished to speak. Then the emir
+recovered his wits, and ordered Huon to be carried off to a dungeon, and
+not to be let go or the guards lives would be forfeit. But quick as
+thought Huon held out his hand with the ring on it.
+
+'Do you know this?' he said, and the king started back at the sight of
+it, and cried to the soldiers to let the prisoner go, for in that place
+he might do whatsoever he would. At this permission Huon turned to where
+the princess Esclaramonde was sitting by her father, and kissed her
+thrice.
+
+The emir was not altogether pleased at this fashion of Huon's, but he
+said nothing, and in a moment the knight told him how the emperor had
+sent him to pray the emir to become a Christian, otherwise he should
+proceed against him with a mighty host.
+
+The emir laughed in scorn as he listened to Huon's vain boast.
+
+'Fifteen envoys has he despatched on a like errand,' answered he, 'and
+all fifteen have I hanged. Right willingly should you make the sixteenth
+but for the ring which you wear. Tell me, I pray you, whence you got
+it?'
+
+But when Huon confessed that it had been given him by the giant, the
+emir waxed more wroth than before, and ordered his guards to seize him
+and cast him into prison, which in the end they did, though he resisted
+them well by reason of the harness that was on him.
+
+For a long space Huon lingered in that dark prison, and sad indeed would
+have been his lot had it not been for the secret visits of the princess
+Esclaramonde, who, the better to preserve his life, assured her father
+of his death.
+
+At length, when the emir was sore beset by the army of the giant
+Agrapart, she deemed it a favourable time to betray to her father that
+Huon was still alive in his prison, and was ready to do battle with the
+giant if, as was usual in that country, the princess's hand should be
+given to the victor. Both the emir and the giant agreed that their
+quarrel should stand or fall by single combat, and so the fight began.
+
+[Illustration: HUON DEFEATS THE GIANT AGRAPART]
+
+Huon felt in his heart that there was more at stake than even the hand
+of the princess. He stood forth as the champion of Christendom amidst a
+host of pagans, and it behoved him to strike with all his strength. In
+the end the victory was his, and the giant Agrapart was overcome, but
+his life was spared on condition that he would serve the emir faithfully
+all his days, which solemn oath he took gladly. After that, Huon drew
+out the cup the fairy king had given him, and, having made the sign of
+the cross over it, it was filled with wine, and he drank of it. For he
+had long since repented of the lie he had told, and was clean again.
+Then the emir tried to drink also, but no wine would come.
+
+'You must forsake your false gods, and be a Christian such as I am,'
+said Huon, 'and if you like not fair words you shall see how an armed
+host pleases you;' but, as was natural, the ruler of Babylon was not the
+man to be moved by such persuasions. He angrily bade Huon cease, and to
+speak to him no more on the matter or all the hosts of Charlemagne
+himself should not avail to save his head.
+
+'You will repent you too late,' said Huon, and blew his horn.
+
+At first the emir and his courtiers began to dance and sing wildly, they
+knew not wherefore, while in the wood far away Oberon heard the sound.
+'Huon, my friend, has great need of me,' he thought to himself, 'and his
+ill-doings have been punished enough, so I will pardon him, for there is
+not in all the world so noble a man. Therefore I wish myself at his
+side, with a thousand men behind me.' And in another moment, no man
+could tell how, Oberon and his men were within the walls of Babylon. The
+guards of the palace fell before them on every hand, till at last they
+reached the emir himself.
+
+'He is yours to spare or to slay,' said Oberon, and once more the knight
+gave the Paynim his choice.
+
+'Be a Christian or you die,' said Huon, and the emir made answer:
+
+'I will never forsake my own.' They were the last words he spoke, for
+his head rolled upon the floor. After that Huon cut off the emir's beard
+and pulled out four of his teeth, and hid them in the beard of his old
+friend Gerames, who had lately returned to Babylon.
+
+'Now I must leave you,' said Oberon, when these things were over. 'See
+that in all ways you behave yourself as a good and true knight should
+do, and have no share in ill-doings. I bid you take ship and carry the
+princess Esclaramonde, your bride, into France, and guard her from all
+ills on the way. And if you do not that which I bid you, great evil
+shall happen unto you.'
+
+But, alas! no sooner was the ship out of sight of land than the good
+counsels of Oberon faded out of Huon's mind, and he fell into many sins.
+The cup would not fill with wine, and Oberon was deaf to the blast of
+the horn. Then an awful tempest arose; the ship struck on a rock and was
+rent in pieces, and all were drowned save Huon and the princess, who
+were washed on an island. But even here they were not safe, for Huon was
+bound and tortured, and left under a tree, while Esclaramonde was
+carried away by the pirates who were dwellers on the isle.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Meanwhile, the knowledge of Huon's plight had reached Oberon, and, angry
+though he was, he began to think how best to send help to him, when a
+monster of the sea, called Mallebron, who had before given him aid on
+his journey to Babylon, begged to be allowed to deliver him once more.
+
+'It pleases me well,' answered Oberon, 'that this caitiff Huon should
+suffer pain for the evil that he has wrought, but if you love him so
+much that for his sake you shall endure to wear the shape of a fish for
+twenty years longer I will grant you your wish on two conditions. Carry
+him away from the island and place him on the mainland, only never more
+let mine eyes light on him. Be careful also to bring back to me my
+golden cup, my horn, and my fairy armour, for it is long since he has
+shown himself unworthy of them.'
+
+So Mallebron swam straightway to the island, and, finding Huon fast
+bound, as Oberon had said, he loosed him, and he stood on his feet. But
+when Huon heard the message of Oberon he was sore angered, and,
+forgetting his own misdeeds, complained bitterly of Oberon's hardness
+of heart in commanding that the gifts he had given him should be yielded
+up again. But, wail as he might, he could not move Mallebron, who bade
+him farewell, and departed with Oberon's treasures.
+
+It were long to tell of Huon's adventures after he had left the island.
+At one time he took service with a minstrel and was his varlet. At
+another time he was forced to play chess for the hand of a king's
+daughter, but refused to marry her when he had won the game.
+Unknowingly, he once fought with Gerames, and only found out who he was
+in the course of the battle. He afterwards entered the city with him,
+and visited Esclaramonde, who was a captive in the palace, and right
+glad were they to meet. After that he and some French knights who had
+joined him were besieged in the castle by the Paynims, and were rescued
+by a French ship, which carried Huon and Esclaramonde and all the
+company on their way to Wana, together with much treasure which they had
+found in the castle.
+
+But, happy though Huon felt on the road home again, he heard with wrath
+that Gerard, his brother, had persuaded the emperor that by now Huon
+must be dead, and that _he_ was rightful heir to the duchy. It was so
+long since any tidings had been received of Huon--for none had fared
+that way--that some thought Gerard spoke reasonably, and upheld his
+suit, which in the end was granted by Charles. And no sooner was the new
+duke invested with the lands than he began to oppress all his subjects,
+till the duchess his mother died of grief at the misery of her people.
+
+'He shall pay me for that,' muttered Huon grimly.
+
+There was one thing, however, that could not be delayed a moment more
+than was needed, and this was the marriage between Huon and
+Esclaramonde, for the princess had promised to become a Christian and to
+receive baptism at the hands of the pope. So they bade the captain put
+into the port nearest to Rome, and, taking horse, rode thither as fast
+as they might.
+
+The pope was seated on his throne with his threefold crown on his head,
+holding counsel with his cardinals, when Huon and his company entered
+the hall two by two, and saluted humbly. At the sight of Huon leading
+Esclaramonde by the hand, the pope, who had once visited the court of
+the duke of Bordeaux, and remembered the face of Huon, rose up to greet
+him, kissed him on both cheeks, and bade him tell his adventures, and
+how he had fared.
+
+'Ill enough, good sir, and these others also,' answered Huon; 'but I
+have by grace won through it all, and I have brought the daughter of the
+great emir of the Paynims, whom I desire you should make my wife, after
+she has been baptized by your hands.'
+
+'Huon,' said the pope, 'all this pleases me right well to do, and it is
+my will that you tarry with me here this night.'
+
+So they tarried; and the next day the wedding feast was held, and there
+were great rejoicings in the pope's palace. And early the next morning,
+Huon and his wife and his friends took ship for Bordeaux.
+
+But not yet were Huon's trials ended. Gerard, his brother, had no mind
+to give up his lands and honours lightly, and many were the plots that
+he laid against Huon. Indeed, he not only contrived to throw the
+new-comers into prison, but prevailed on the emperor to journey himself
+to Bordeaux, to the intent that Huon should be put to death, which would
+have happened had it not been for the timely help of Oberon.
+
+It was thus it came about.
+
+The fairy king was seated at dinner in his palace in the wood, when the
+knowledge came to him that the emperor Charles had taken an oath to hang
+Huon ere he slept, and at the thought thereof he broke into weeping.
+
+'I have sore punished the sins he has committed,' said he, 'and great
+has been my wrath. But now it is time that I help him, or he will be
+gone from me. So I wish my table and all that is on it near to the
+emperor's table, only about two feet higher. And I will that on my table
+be set my cup and horn and armour. And I wish that with me shall go a
+hundred thousand men, such as I am wont to have in battle.'
+
+Great was the marvel of the emperor when this table appeared beside him,
+and he took it for an enchantment of duke Names; but Huon and Gerames
+and Esclaramonde, who were present at the feast with fetters on their
+wrists, knew that Oberon had come to their deliverance.
+
+Soon the clank of swords was heard throughout the streets, and you could
+not see the stones for the armed men who stood on them.
+
+'See that none leave the gates,' said Oberon, 'and when you hear the
+blast of my ivory horn, come to me in the palace, and slay everyone you
+shall meet on the way'; and so saying he entered the hall, and many of
+his lords with him. Their dresses were the richest that had ever been
+seen, and on their necks they wore collars of precious stones. As the
+king passed by Charles, he knocked against him, so that his hat fell
+upon the ground.
+
+'Who is this dwarf who so rudely has shouldered me?' asked the emperor,
+'and whence comes he? I will see what he will do, for, small as he is,
+he is the fairest creature that ever I saw.'
+
+Leaving the emperor behind him, the fairy king came to the spot where
+Huon and the captives were standing, and he wished that the fetters
+might fall off their feet, and that they might be free men. Then
+silently he led them before Charles, and caused them to sit down at his
+own table, and bade the lords of the court drink out of the magic cup
+after Huon and Esclaramonde and Gerames had drunk out of it. But only
+for duke Names would the wine bubble up.
+
+Afterwards Oberon ordered Gerard to confess his sins and his plots that
+he had plotted, which out of very shame he was constrained to do, and
+then Oberon prayed the emperor to command Gerard and those who had
+helped him to work ill to be hanged on the gallows which had been reared
+for Huon, and this was done also; and the emperor Charles and Huon, duke
+of Bordeaux, made reconciliation together.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+'Come to me in my city of Mommur four years from now, Huon,' said
+Oberon, 'and I will give you my realm and my dignity, for I know in
+truth I shall not long abide in this world. But beware, as you love your
+life, that you fail not to be with me at the day I have appointed, else
+I shall cause you to die an ill-death.'
+
+When he heard, Huon stooped down and kissed his feet, and said:
+
+'Sir, for this great boon I thank you.'
+
+[From _Huon of Bordeaux_.]
+
+
+
+
+_HAVELOK AND GOLDBOROUGH_
+
+
+Once upon a time there lived in England a king called Athelwold, who
+ruled the land so well that everyone was rich and happy: or, if they
+were not, it was their own fault. His people all loved him dearly, and
+would do anything for him, and when he went to war there was no
+sovereign that could count on a larger following of stout brave men. He
+was quite a youth when he came to the throne, and at first all sorts of
+traitors and robbers from other countries took refuge in his kingdom,
+but Athelwold sought them out so carefully and punished them so severely
+that they soon betook themselves and their crimes elsewhere.
+
+Now one thing grieved the king sorely. He had no son to sit on his
+throne after he was dead, to protect the poor and put down the lawless.
+And how was his little daughter, who was not yet fourteen, to keep
+order, or to uphold the laws?
+
+'If she were a woman grown, it might be different,' he thought to
+himself, 'for Goldborough sees clearly and acts promptly. But as yet she
+has little knowledge, and her ways are those of a child. And full well I
+know that my death is nigh at hand, and there is none to watch over
+her.'
+
+Long the king pondered in his mind what he could best do for his
+daughter's safety and the welfare of his people, and in the end he sent
+messengers with letters to all his earls and barons from Roxborough to
+Dover, bidding them come to his castle of Winchester as swiftly as they
+might, for he could no more mount his horse, neither could he swallow
+meat or pasties.
+
+Sadly his vassals received the summons, for each loved him as his own
+father, and not one lurked behind. The king gave them a glad welcome,
+but they could not forbear shedding tears when they saw his weakness and
+heard his feeble voice. Athelwold let them have their way a little
+while, and then he said:
+
+'I am dying, as you see, and I have sent for you hither, to ask you all
+to tell me which of you will best guard my daughter when I am dead, till
+she has come to years when she can guard herself.'
+
+And they answered as one man:
+
+'Earl Godrich of Cornwall.'
+
+Then the king bade the priest bring the holy vessels, and earl Godrich
+swore on them that he would be faithful and true in peace and in war to
+Goldborough; and, further, that he would seek out a man who was better
+and fairer and stronger than all others to be her husband, so that the
+land might have peace, as in the days of Athelwold.
+
+After the earl had sworn to fulfil what the king required of him,
+Athelwold made his will, and gave England into the keeping of Godrich.
+This done, he lay back in his bed, and that same morning he died in the
+arms of his daughter.
+
+But bad indeed was the choice which king Athelwold's vassals had made
+when they proclaimed earl Godrich as the fittest guardian for the young
+princess. In the beginning, indeed, while Goldborough was still a child,
+everything went smoothly. The earl appointed justices and sheriffs to
+carry out the laws, and, though he took more heed to gather riches for
+himself than to protect his people, yet on the whole he governed well.
+
+Thus six years passed away, and Goldborough was twenty years old. She
+had lived far away from the castle of Winchester, and had never seen her
+guardian since the day that her father had been buried, and, for his
+part, he had hardly remembered her, he was so busy making laws and
+amassing treasures. Still, other people recollected Goldborough, if he
+did not, and one Eastertide, when the princess's twentieth birthday was
+at hand, an old pilgrim chanced to stop at Winchester on his way to
+Canterbury. He had but lately passed through the town where Goldborough
+was living, and had many tales to tell of her fair and gracious ways.
+
+Godrich let him talk, but his face was gloomy and he answered nought.
+But, though his tongue was silent, his heart was base and his thoughts
+were evil.
+
+'Have I toiled all these years for nothing?' he said to himself, 'and
+shall England be ruled by a fool, a maiden? I have a son, a full fair
+knave; he shall have England and be king.'
+
+So Goldborough was brought from her woods and gardens, and shut up in
+the castle of Dover, where none might visit her. And no company had she
+but her foster-sister, and an old woman who had been her nurse.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+At the time when Athelwold ruled England there reigned in Denmark a king
+called Birkabeyn, who had three children, two girls named Swanborough
+and Helfled and a boy called Havelok. Birkabeyn was strong and healthy,
+and thought to live many years, when a wound in battle proved his
+death-blow. Like Goldborough, the children were all young, and he was
+forced to choose someone to protect them till they were of full age. The
+man on whom Birkabeyn's choice fell was his own close friend, who had
+served him all his life, and who, he thought, loved his children well.
+And so perhaps the earl would have done had not such power been given
+into his hands, but this he was not proof against. No sooner had the
+king died than he caused the three children to be cast into prison,
+where he murdered the two girls himself.
+
+[Illustration: ROUND THE BAG WHICH HELD THE BOY A BRILLIANT LIGHT WAS
+SHINING]
+
+At the dreadful fate of his sisters, Havelok, who was the youngest, fell
+on his knees and implored the wicked earl to spare him.
+
+'If it is Denmark you want, it shall be yours,' cried the boy, 'and
+never will I seek to take it from you. Nay, give me a ship, and to-day I
+will leave the country for ever.'
+
+Even the earl's heart was for a moment softened by the child's tears and
+prayers, and at first he thought that he would let him go, as it would
+be many years before he would be old enough to be an enemy. But then he
+remembered that, if Havelok died unwedded, he and his sons would be
+heirs to the crown, for he was the king's cousin. However, he pretended
+to grant the child's prayer, and bade him follow him down to the shore,
+where dwelt an old fisherman. Havelok wandered down to the water, and
+wondered which of the ships drawn up on the beach he should set sail in,
+and where he would go. He was still terrified at the death of sisters,
+and shook with fear as long as their murderer was in sight.
+
+Meanwhile the earl was speaking to the fisherman, who stood at the door
+of his cottage, which was built just out of reach of the waves.
+
+'Grim,' he said, 'to-day you are my thrall, but to-morrow you shall be a
+free man if you will do my bidding. Take the boy that stands there, and
+throw him into the sea, that he drown. Fear nothing: the penalty will be
+mine, not yours.'
+
+'Your bidding shall be done,' answered the fisherman, 'though the deed
+is but little to my liking.'
+
+'So be it,' said the earl, and went home to hold counsel with his family
+how best to take possession of the crown.
+
+Grim took down a cord from a hook in the roof, and went out to the
+child, who screamed with terror as he drew near, but there was no one to
+help him, and Grim thrust a cloth in his mouth to stifle his cries,
+while he bound his hands behind his back with a cord. When this was
+done, he put the boy in a black bag, and carried him to his wife, who
+flung him on the floor, where he lay for many hours, thinking every
+moment that he would be thrown down a well or stabbed by a dagger.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+At midnight, when all was still, and the men in the ships were sleeping
+soundly, Grim arose, and told his wife to kindle a fire and to light a
+candle.
+
+'Why, there is a light in the room already,' said she, 'and it seems to
+come from the farthest corner, and to shine as brightly as if it were
+the sun itself'; and with that she sprang out of bed and ran over the
+floor, calling to Grim to follow her.
+
+And in truth it was as she had said, for round the bag which held the
+boy a brilliant light was shining.
+
+'If we touch him we shall rue it all our lives,' she whispered to her
+husband; then, stooping, she cut the knots which held the bag, and drew
+out Havelok, who was well-nigh dead with fright and suffocation. Next
+she stripped him of his clothes, and on his shoulder she found the mark
+of a tiny cross, from which the light came.
+
+'He is born to be king,' said Grim softly, 'and surely it is he and no
+other who is the son of Birkabeyn, and who some day shall come to his
+own. It is easy to see that he will grow into a man, tall and strong,
+who shall come back from over the sea where I shall send him, and avenge
+himself on the traitor.' Then Grim fell on his knees before Havelok and
+prayed his forgiveness.
+
+'You shall stay here awhile,' he said, 'till I can fit out a ship, and
+in it we will all set sail, you, and I, and my wife and my three sons,
+but it must be done in secret, lest the earl should come to know of it.'
+
+So they gave Havelok bread to eat and milk to drink, and laid him in a
+bed in a dark corner, where no man could see him, and the next day Grim
+set out for the traitor's castle to ask for the reward that had been
+promised him.
+
+'Your bidding is done, and I have come to claim my freedom,' said Grim
+when he stood in the presence of the traitor. But the earl made answer:
+
+'Who is there to know what lies betwixt us? Go home, and be my thrall,
+as you have ever been.'
+
+Full of rage though he was, Grim dared say no more, lest his head should
+pay forfeit; but the earl's words had filled him with fear, and he
+hastened to get ready a ship and to fill it during the night with food
+enough to last them for three weeks. By that time, he thought, they
+would reach the shores of England.
+
+When all was finished, Grim and his wife, his three sons and two
+daughters and little Havelok, stole away very early one morning before
+the sun was up, and set sail southwards. A north wind soon sprang up and
+drove him, in ten days, to the mouth of a great river called the Humber.
+Here he steered his ship on to the beach, and then they all got out and
+set up a tent, till they could look about for a little and see what best
+to do.
+
+It was a wild place where they landed, and for many miles there was not
+even a hut to be seen, but Grim liked it well, and he built houses for
+himself and his family, and by-and-by more people came thither also, and
+a town was built and was called Grimsby, after Grim. But that happened
+afterwards.
+
+Fish were plentiful at the mouth of the river--lampreys and sturgeon and
+turbot and great cod--and Grim and his sons were good fishers, both with
+net and line, and Havelok soon learned to fish too, and was as happy as
+any boy could be. Sometimes he stayed at home with the women while the
+others carried fish round the country in baskets.
+
+Twelve years passed in this manner, during which Grim had prospered
+greatly, but he began to get old, and the long journeys with heavy
+panniers on his back tried him sorely. This Havelok perceived, and one
+day he spoke:
+
+'I am a man grown, and shall I sit at home idle mending nets while my
+father travels over the whole country-side carrying weights too heavy
+for him to bear? Not so! To-morrow I go forth, and my father shall take
+his seat by the fire, and shall mend the nets.'
+
+Whatever Havelok said he did, and early the next morning he took the
+panniers on his shoulders, and started for the houses where Grim was
+wont to sell his fish. But soon, none could tell why, a bad time came,
+and there was no corn in the land, and no fish in the sea. And Grim felt
+pity in his heart for Havelok, who was young and strong, and needed more
+meat than other men. So one day Grim spoke:
+
+'Havelok, dear son, you have come upon evil days, and must stay with us
+no longer. Go to the city of Lincoln. It is a rich town, and there you
+may find work for all you need. But, woe is me! no clothes can I give
+you, save this old sail, which the women shall fashion into doublet and
+hose for you.'
+
+The sail was soon cut and fashioned by Grim's wife and daughters, but
+there was nothing to make into shoes, and Havelok walked into Lincoln
+barefoot, and he fasted from meat for two or three days; at length the
+earl's cook took him into his service as porter, and his chief duty was
+to carry the earl's fish into the castle. But the cook had many porters
+besides Havelok, and when the cry of 'barmen' was heard they all tried
+one to outdo the other in obtaining the pot in which lay the hot fish.
+However, Havelok was taller and stronger than the rest, and generally
+was able to thrust the others on one side.
+
+Besides bearing the cauldron of fish, Havelok had many things to do. He
+had to fill a huge tub in the kitchen with water, and to cut wood for
+the fire, and to do anything the cook told him. And, whatever happened,
+he was full of mirth, and would jest and play with the children who ran
+about the back of the castle.
+
+At last his clothes, which had been fashioned out of the old sail, fell
+into holes, and the cook, out of pity and liking, bought him some new
+ones, and when he put them on there was no man, be he who he might, that
+was fairer to see. Then folk began to notice that he was taller than any
+man in the castle, and that he was very strong. Very soon a chance came
+to him to prove his strength.
+
+Godrich the earl--or the king, as he called himself--now held his court
+at Lincoln, and summoned a parliament to be held there to settle the
+affairs of the nation. They came in great companies, and everyone had a
+following, and so many were they that they were forced to dwell in tents
+outside the city walls. It was not long before they fell to wrestling
+and such sports.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+For a while Havelok looked on, and bided his time. He took no part in
+the wrestling, though there was not a champion on the ground that he
+could not easily have overcome.
+
+When they were tired of throwing each other, someone proposed that they
+should put the stone, and a large smooth piece of rock was chosen. Man
+after man came forward, but hardly one could raise it from the ground,
+far less cast it any distance from him. At this moment the cook strolled
+up and saw his scullion standing there.
+
+'It is your turn,' he said to Havelok; 'show them what you can do, for
+the honour of Lincoln,' and Havelok obeyed him. He lifted the mighty
+stone to the height of his shoulder, and sent it spinning through the
+air.
+
+'Measure the cast,' said the cook proudly; and when it was measured it
+was found to be twelve feet beyond the cast of any other man.
+
+Little was talked of that day but the wonderful throw of the young
+scullion, and soon it reached the ears of the knights at court, and in
+time, Godrich himself. As he listened to the tale, there flashed across
+his memory the words of the dying Athelwold: 'Find out the man who is
+better and fairer and stronger than any man in the world, and give him
+to be husband to my daughter.' Was there any man living stronger than
+this Havelok? and could he himself be ill-spoken of if he should carry
+out Athelwold's dying wish? So thought Godrich; but far back in his
+heart he knew that once Goldborough was wedded to a scullion there would
+be small chance of her becoming queen.
+
+Next morning a knight mounted on a big bay horse, and attended by two
+men-at-arms, might have been seen riding southwards through the fair
+county of Lincoln, and in twenty days' time he returned, bringing with
+him the princess. Godrich greeted her with tokens of great joy, and told
+her that, as her father had bidden him, he had found at last the fairest
+and strongest man in the world, and he should be her husband.
+
+Goldborough listened quietly to his words, and when he had ended she
+looked at him.
+
+'Let him be as strong and fair as he may,' she said, 'but if he is not a
+king or a king's son he is no husband for me.'
+
+At this Godrich waxed wrath, and his whole body trembled with anger.
+
+'Your father bade me swear to him when he was dying that you should
+marry the strongest man in the world, and none other,' cried he, 'and,
+by the Rood, it is he you seek to disobey, and not me. The man who is to
+be your husband is the servant of my cook, and to-morrow we will have
+the wedding.'
+
+The heart of Goldborough was filled with horror when she heard the fate
+that was in store for her, and she fell weeping on her knees before the
+earl to implore him the rather to let her enter a convent; but Godrich
+answered her nothing, and strode out of the hall.
+
+The bells were ringing next day when Havelok woke, and before he was
+dressed a message came ordering him to go at once to the earl's
+presence. He wondered for what cause he was wanted, for never yet had he
+had speech of the earl, and still more surprised was he to find Godrich
+clad in his most splendid robes, as if for a festival. But if Havelok
+was astonished at all this, he was nearly struck dumb by the words which
+he heard.
+
+'Master, will you take a wife?' and the young man gazed at him in
+silence; for why should the ruler of all England take heed whether his
+scullion was wedded or not?
+
+'Will you take a wife?' asked Godrich again, in tones of impatience;
+then Havelok found his voice.
+
+'No, by heaven I will not,' he cried; 'what should I do with a wife? I
+could neither feed, nor clothe, nor shoe her! For myself, I should have
+no clothes either, had it not been for the bounty of your cook.'
+
+In his rage Godrich seized a thick staff and laid it across his
+scullion's shoulder.
+
+'Promise me that you will wed her within an hour, or I will hang you on
+the nearest tree,' he cried; and Havelok, who had no liking for death,
+consented.
+
+His purpose thus gained with Havelok, the earl now summoned Goldborough,
+whom he threatened to burn if she withstood him. All night the princess
+had wept and pondered how to escape so dreadful a doom, but at last she
+took comfort in the thought that in accepting this husband, however
+lowly born he might be, she would be fulfilling her father's wishes. So
+as soon as Godrich gave her a chance to speak she said she would resist
+him no longer.
+
+Then Godrich for the first time in six years felt that he was indeed
+King of England.
+
+'You are a wise maiden,' cried he, his face glowing with joy; 'and, to
+show you how well I love you, I will give you much gold, and you shall
+have an archbishop to bless your marriage.' And so it was done.
+
+Both Havelok and his wife felt that they could stay in Lincoln no
+longer, and the next day they bought two horses and set forth for
+Grimsby. To Havelok's great grief he found that the fisherman had died
+just before, after a few days' illness, but his sons and daughters gave
+them a glad greeting, and bade them stay in their house, promising that
+they themselves would be their servants.
+
+Weary with travel, Havelok soon went to bed, but Goldborough knelt
+praying before the window, when suddenly a bright light filled the room.
+She turned to see what it might be, and beheld it issuing from a cross
+on Havelok's shoulder. While she gazed wondering, she heard a voice
+saying, 'Goldborough, let sorrow depart from you, for your husband is no
+scullion, but the son of a king, and he shall rule over England and
+Denmark.' At that her heart grew light again, and she kissed Havelok and
+woke him, and told him what the voice had said.
+
+'Let us sail at once,' added she, 'for who knows when Godrich the
+traitor may change his mind? And bid the sons of Grim sail with us.'
+
+Goldborough's counsel seemed good to Havelok, and he rose in haste and
+sought Grim's sons, whom he found setting forth to fish. He begged them
+to wait, and to listen to his story, which Grim had always hidden from
+them, and when they heard it, they said that they would go with him, and
+help him to slay the murderer of his sisters and the robber of his
+crown.
+
+'You shall be rich men the day he dies,' vowed Havelok; and the boat was
+made ready for sea.
+
+A fair wind blew them to Denmark, and Havelok left his wife with his
+three foster-brothers, and betook himself to the house of Ubbe the earl,
+whom his father had loved dearly. He said no word as to his birth, but
+asked him leave to trade on his lands, offering a ring as
+earnest-money.
+
+[Illustration: HAVELOK PRESENTS GOLDBOROUGH TO THE ENGLISH PEOPLE.]
+
+Ubbe looked at the ring, and then at the young man who gave it.
+
+'You look fitter to do a knight's work than to buy and sell,' he said,
+and Havelok answered:
+
+'That will come, fair sir, but I must first go softly. Meanwhile I have
+left my wife Goldborough under the care of her foster-brothers, and can
+tarry here no longer.'
+
+'Bring her hither,' said Ubbe, 'and dwell with her in this castle, and
+if no man has dubbed you knight I will take that upon me.'
+
+And so it was done, and the heart of Goldborough rejoiced, for by this
+time she loved her husband dearly.
+
+That same midnight Ubbe was wakened by a great light, which seemed to
+fill the castle. He rose from his bed, and went from room to room, and
+all were bright as day, though he could not tell why. Then he came to
+the room where Havelok and Goldborough lay asleep, and out of Havelok's
+mouth came a flame like that of a hundred and ninety-seven candles. And
+on his shoulder was the cross of kingship, and that was shining too.
+
+When Ubbe saw that, he knew that Havelok was indeed the son of
+Birkabeyn, his friend, and the rightful king of Denmark; and, waking the
+sleeping man, he bade him sit up and receive his homage. After that he
+sent for his lords, and commanded that they should swear fealty to their
+king. And when the lords had sworn, Ubbe summoned the people, and told
+them, what many had known before, that the earl had betrayed his trust,
+and that now he should pay forfeit of his wickedness.
+
+Blithe were Havelok and Goldborough that day as they moved amidst the
+groups of men who shared in the sports which the people of Denmark ever
+loved, and once more Havelok cast the stone further than any one there
+could throw it. His first act, after he had been proclaimed king, was to
+make Grim's three faithful sons barons with fair lands. Then he bid them
+go and seek the earl, and bring him back with them.
+
+This was not done without a hard fight, for the earl and his men
+defended themselves stoutly; but at length he was bound and placed upon
+an old horse and carried before Havelok, who was waiting in the castle
+with his lords about him.
+
+'What judgment will ye pass on him, fair lords?' asked the king.
+
+'That he may be hanged as beseems a murderer and a traitor, and that his
+head be planted over the chief gate of the town as a warning to all,'
+they said with one voice, and this was done also.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+For a while Havelok stayed in Denmark to see to the affairs of the
+kingdom, and then, leaving Ubbe to rule, he set sail for England with
+Goldborough his wife, and a large army, in many ships with high carved
+prows. Once again he landed at the mouth of the Humber, and his first
+act was to found a church in memory of Grim. Next, he placed his army in
+order of battle, and awaited the attack of his enemy. Godrich the earl
+had heard that he had come, and had hastily collected a great host, with
+which he marched upon Lincoln. The attack was begun by the English, and
+fierce was the fight. Many were killed, both of English and Danes. At
+last, just as the English were being beaten slowly back, Havelok and
+Godrich came face to face with each other. Bitterly the earl then rued
+the day when he had married Goldborough to the strongest man in the
+world, scullion though he were! Many times Havelok might have slain him,
+but such was not his purpose, and, taking a cord from his waist, he
+bound the traitor's arms, and bade one of his knights ride and fetch
+Goldborough, whom he had left under a guard at a little distance.
+
+When she drew near, Havelok commanded that a flag of truce should be
+waved, so that the fighting might cease. Then, taking his wife by the
+hand, he led her forward, and told her story to them all, and how
+Godrich the earl had wronged her. And the English fell on their faces
+and did obeisance, and vowed to serve her faithfully all the days of
+their lives.
+
+'And what is the law of England respecting a traitor?' asked Havelok,
+when Goldborough had been proclaimed queen with trumpets and shouting.
+
+'That he be laid on an ass and burned at the stake,' cried they. And
+this was done also.
+
+After this, Havelok gave his two foster-sisters in marriage to great
+lords, and made the cook to whom he had owed his good fortune earl of
+Cornwall in place of the wicked Godrich. He left Ubbe to rule in
+Denmark, while he and Goldborough remained in England, but every two
+years he sailed across the sea to be sure that all went well in the
+country of his birth.
+
+And for sixty years Havelok and Goldborough lived happily together and
+had many children, and wherever Havelok went, Goldborough went too.
+
+[_The Lay of Havelok the Dane._ Early English Text Society.]
+
+
+
+
+_CUPID AND PSYCHE_
+
+
+Once upon a time there lived a king who had three daughters. The two
+elder girls were very fair, and many were their suitors, but the
+youngest was so beautiful that it was whispered in the city that the
+goddess Aphrodite was not her equal in loveliness, and as she walked
+through the streets men touched their foreheads, and bowed low to the
+ground, as if Aphrodite herself had passed by.
+
+Now it was not long since the shepherd Paris had given the goddess the
+golden apple, in token that neither on the earth nor even on Olympus was
+a woman to be found as fair as she. And when she heard of the honours
+paid to Psyche, she rose up in her wrath and sent a winged messenger for
+Cupid, her son.
+
+'Come with me,' she said, when Cupid appeared before her, 'I have
+somewhat to show you'; and without further speech the two flew through
+the air together, till they reached the palace where Psyche was
+sleeping.
+
+'That is the maiden to whom men pay the homage due to me alone,' she
+whispered, while her grey eyes darted gleams like fire. 'I have brought
+you hither that you may avenge me by pricking her with an arrow that
+will fill her heart with love for one of the basest of mortals. And now
+I must depart in haste, for Oceanos awaits me.'
+
+Aphrodite vanished, but Cupid remained where he was, gazing on the
+sleeping maiden and confessing in his heart that those who paid her the
+honours due to his mother were not much to blame.
+
+'Never will I do you such wrong,' he murmured, 'as to mate you with some
+base wretch, who has no thought beyond the wine-cup. From me and my
+darts you are safe. But am I safe from yours?' Then, fearing to stay any
+longer, lest his mother should wax wroth with him, he also took his way
+to the palace of Oceanos.
+
+[Illustration: APHRODITE BRINGS CUPID TO PSYCHE]
+
+If Aphrodite had not been a goddess, and had known a little more about
+the hearts of men, she might not have envied Psyche so bitterly; for,
+though all men bowed down before her and worshipped her beauty, each
+felt that she was too far above him to woo for his bride. So that, while
+her sisters had homes and children of their own, Psyche remained unasked
+and unsought in her father's palace.
+
+At length the king grew frightened as months and years slipped by, and
+Psyche was past the age when Greek maidens left the hearth where they
+had grown into girlhood. He summoned some wise men to give him counsel,
+but they shook their heads, and bade him consult the oracle of his
+fathers. It was a three days' journey to his shrine, and then no man
+knew when the oracle would speak, so the king took with him sheep and
+oxen, and skins of wine for himself and his followers.
+
+Ten days later he returned to the city with bowed head and white face.
+The queen, with anxious heart, had been watching his arrival from the
+roof of the palace, and awaited him at the door of the women's
+apartments.
+
+'What has happened?' she said, as she greeted him; but he drew her on
+one side, where none might hear them.
+
+'The oracle has spoken,' answered he, 'and decrees that Psyche shall be
+left upon a barren rock till a hideous monster shall come and devour
+her. And it is for this that men have paid her honours which were the
+portion only of the gods! Far better had she been born with the hair of
+Medusa and the hump of Hephæstos.'
+
+At these dreadful tidings the queen and her maidens broke into weeping,
+and when the news spread through the city no sounds but those of wailing
+were heard. Only the voice of Psyche was silent among them. She moved
+about as one that was sleeping, and indeed she felt as if the boat, with
+its grim ferryman, had already borne her across the Styx. So the days
+passed on, and one evening a white-clad priest arrived from the shrine
+to bid the king tarry no longer.
+
+That night a sad procession left the gates of the city, and in the midst
+was Psyche, clad in garments of black, and led by her father, while her
+mother followed weeping behind. Singers wailed out a dirge, which was
+scarcely heard above the sobs of the mourners, and the torches burned
+dimly and soon went out.
+
+The sun was rising when they reached the bare rock on top of a high
+mountain where the oracle had directed that Psyche should be left to
+perish. She made no sign when her father and mother took her in their
+arms for the last time, and, though they cried bitterly, she never shed
+a tear. What was the use? It was the will of the gods, and so it had to
+be!
+
+Not daring to look back, the king and queen took their way home to their
+desolate palace, and Psyche leaned against the rock trembling with fear
+lest every moment the monster should appear in sight. She was very
+tired, for the road to the mountain had been long and stony, and she was
+likewise exhausted by her grief, so that slowly a deep sleep crept over
+her, and for a while her sorrows were forgotten.
+
+While she thus slumbered, Cupid, unknown to herself, had been watching
+over her, and at his bidding Zephyr approached and played round her
+garments and among her hair. Then, lifting her gently up, he carried her
+down the mountain side, and laid her upon a bed of lilies in the valley.
+
+While she slept, pleasant dreams floated through her mind, and her
+terrors and grief were forgotten. She awoke feeling happy, though she
+could not have told why, for she was in a strange place and alone. In
+the distance, through some trees, the spray of a fountain glimmered
+white, and she rose and walked slowly towards it. By the fountain was a
+palace, finer by far than the one in which Psyche had lived, for that
+was built of stone, while this was all of ivory and gold. Vast it was,
+and full of precious things, as Psyche saw for herself when, filled with
+wonder mixed with a little fear, she stepped across the threshold.
+
+[Illustration: ZEPHYR CARRIES PSYCHE DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN]
+
+'This palace is as large as a city,' the maiden said aloud, as she
+passed from room to room without coming to an end of the marvels; 'but
+how strange to find that there is no one here to enjoy these treasures,
+or to guard them!' She started, as out of the silence a voice answered
+her:
+
+'The palace with all it contains is yours, lady. Therefore, bathe
+yourself, if you will, or rest your limbs upon silken cushions, till the
+feast is prepared, and we your handmaids clothe you in fine raiment. You
+have only to command, and we obey you.'
+
+By this time all fear had departed from Psyche, and with gladness she
+bathed herself and slept. When she opened her eyes she beheld in front
+of her a table covered with dishes of every kind, and with wines of
+purple and amber hues. As before, she could see no one, though she heard
+the sound of voices, and when she had finished, and lay back on her
+cushions, unseen fingers struck a lyre, and sang the songs that she
+loved.
+
+So the hours flew by, and the sun was sinking, when suddenly a veil of
+golden tissue was placed on her head, and at the same time a voice that
+she had not heard spoke thus:
+
+'Dip your hands in this sacred water'; and Psyche obeyed, and, as her
+fingers sank into the basin she felt a light touch, as if other fingers
+were there also.
+
+'Break this cake and eat half,' said the voice again; and Psyche did so,
+and she saw that the rest of the cake vanished bit by bit, as if someone
+else were eating it also.
+
+'Now you are my wife, Psyche,' whispered the voice softly; 'but take
+heed to what I say, if you would not bring ruin on yourself, and cause
+me to leave you for ever. Your sisters, I well know, will soon seek you
+out, for they think they love you, though their love is of the kind that
+quickly turns to hate. Even now they are with your parents weeping over
+your fate, but a few days hence they will go to the rock, hoping to
+gather tidings of your last moments. It may chance that at last they may
+wander to this enchanted place, but as you value your happiness and your
+life do not answer their questions, or lift your eyes towards them.'
+
+Psyche promised she would do her unseen husband's bidding, and the weeks
+slipped swiftly by, but one morning she felt suddenly lonely and broke
+into wailing that she might never look on her sisters' faces again, or
+even tell them that she was alive. All the long bright hours she sat in
+her palace weeping, and when darkness fell, and she heard her husband's
+voice, she put out her arms and drew him to her.
+
+'What is it?' he asked gently, and she felt soft fingers stroking her
+hair.
+
+Then Psyche poured out all her woe. How could she be happy, even in this
+lovely place, when her sisters were grieving for her loss? If she might
+only see them once, if she might only tell them that she was safe, then
+she would ask for nothing more. If not--why, it was a pity the monster
+had not devoured her.
+
+There was a silence after Psyche had poured forth her entreaties, and
+then the bridegroom spoke, but his voice seemed somehow changed from
+what it had been before.
+
+'You shall do as you wish,' he said, 'though I fear that ill will come
+of it. Send for your sisters if you please, and give them anything that
+the palace contains. But once again let me beseech you to answer nothing
+to their questions, or we shall be parted for ever.'
+
+'Never, never, shall that be,' cried Psyche, embracing her husband with
+delight. And, whoever and whatever you may be, I would not give you up,
+even for the god Cupid. I will tell them nothing, but bid, I pray you,
+Zephyr, your servant, to carry them hither to-morrow, as he carried
+me.'
+
+Next morning Zephyr found the two sisters seated on the rock, tearing
+their hair and beating their breasts with sorrow. 'Psyche! Psyche,' they
+cried, and the mountains echoed 'Psyche! Psyche,' but no other sound
+answered them. Suddenly they felt themselves gently lifted from the
+earth, and wafted through the air to the door of the palace, where stood
+Psyche herself.
+
+'Psyche! Psyche!' they cried again, but this time with joy and wonder,
+and for a while they forgot everything else in the world. Then Psyche
+bade them tell her of her father and mother, and how the days had passed
+since she had left them, and she pictured to herself their gladness when
+they heard how different had been her fate from that which the oracle
+had foretold.
+
+After her sisters had made known to her everything they had to tell,
+Psyche invited them to see the palace, and, calling to the voices,
+ordered them to prepare baths with sweet-smelling spices, and to set
+forth a banquet for her guests. At these tokens of riches and splendour,
+envy began to arise in their hearts, and curiosity also. They looked at
+each other, and the glances of their eyes promised no good to Psyche.
+
+'But where is your husband?' asked the eldest. 'Are we not to see him
+also?'
+
+'Yes,' said the other, 'you have not even told us what he is like, and
+our mother will assuredly wish to know that.'
+
+Their questions recalled to Psyche's mind the danger against which she
+had been warned, and she answered hastily:
+
+'Oh, he is young and very handsome--the handsomest man in all the world,
+I think. But he spends much of his time in hunting, and has now gone far
+into the mountains to chase the boar. It was thus that, feeling myself
+lonely, I sent a messenger for you. And now, come and choose what you
+will out of the treasure-chamber, for the hour of your departure draws
+nigh!'
+
+The sight of gold and precious stones heaped up in the treasure-chamber
+only made the sisters more jealous than before; but their jealousy did
+not prevent their carrying off the most splendid necklaces they could
+find before Psyche summoned Zephyr to bear them unseen back to their own
+homes.
+
+'Why has Fortune treated her so differently from us?' cried the eldest,
+before they were out of sight of the palace. 'Why should _she_ have
+boundless riches, and be married to a man who is young and handsome, and
+own slaves who fly through the air as if they were birds? Far indeed are
+the days when she sat in our father's house, and no suitor came to woo!
+But, though she was lonely and forlorn enough in the city, here she is
+treated as if she were a goddess, while I am linked to a husband whose
+head is bald, and whose back is a hump!'
+
+'My plight is worse than yours,' groaned the other sister, 'for I have
+to spend my time nursing a man who is always ill and rarely suffers me
+to leave his side. But do not let us flatter her pride by telling our
+father and mother of the honours Fate has heaped on her. Rather let us
+consider how best to humble her and bring her low.'
+
+Meanwhile night had fallen, and Psyche's husband came to her side.
+
+'Did you take heed to my warnings,' asked he, 'and refuse to answer the
+questions of your sisters?'
+
+'Oh yes,' cried Psyche; 'I told them nothing that they wished to know. I
+said that you were young and handsome, and gave me the most beautiful
+things in the world, but that they could not see you to-day, for you
+were hunting in the mountains.'
+
+'So far it is well, then,' sighed he; 'but remember that even at this
+moment they are plotting how they may destroy you, by filling your heart
+with their own evil curiosity, so that one day you may ask to see my
+face. But recollect, the moment you do this I vanish for ever.'
+
+'Ah, you do not trust me,' sobbed Psyche; 'yet I have shown you that I
+can be silent! Let me prove it again by suffering Zephyr to bring my
+sisters once more, and then never, never will I crave another boon from
+you.'
+
+For long her husband refused to grant her what she asked, but at last,
+wearied by her tears and prayers, he told her that this once she might
+bid Zephyr bring her sisters to her. Eagerly they ran through the garden
+into the palace, and greeted Psyche with warm embraces and gentle words,
+while she on her part did everything she could think of to give them
+pleasure. As before, she bade them choose whatever they most desired,
+and when they had returned from the treasure-chamber and were eating
+fruit under the trees by the fountain the elder sister spoke:
+
+'How it grieves me to see you the victim of such deceit, and how I long
+to be able to ward off the danger!'
+
+'What do you mean by such words?' asked Psyche, turning pale. 'No one is
+deceiving me, and no goddess could be happier than I.'
+
+'Ah! you do not know--I dare not tell you,' gasped the other in broken
+accents. 'Sister, you try; I cannot shape the words.'
+
+'It is hard, but my duty demands it of me,' said the second sister. It
+is--oh, how shall I tell it?--your husband is not such as you think, but
+a huge serpent whose neck swells with venom, and whose tongue darts
+poison. The men who work in the fields have watched him swimming across
+the river as darkness falls, at the moment that he goes to seek you!'
+
+Their groans and sobs, no less than their words, convinced Psyche, who
+fell straightway into the pit they had digged for her.
+
+'It is true,' she said with a trembling voice, 'that never yet have I
+beheld my husband's face, and that many times he has warned me that the
+moment my eyes light upon him he will abandon me for ever. His words
+were always sweet and gentle, and his touch hardly resembles the skin of
+a serpent. It is not easy to believe; but yet, if you know, I pray you,
+of your love for me, to come to my aid in this deadly peril.'
+
+'Ah, hapless one, it is for that we are here,' answered the elder; 'and
+this is what you must do. This very night, fill a lamp full of oil, and
+cover it with a dark cloth, so that not a ray of light can be seen; then
+take a sharp knife and hide it in your bosom. After the serpent is sound
+asleep, steal softly across the room, and snatch the cloth from the
+lamp, so that you may see where to strike home, for if he should wake
+before you have cut off his head your life will be forfeit.'
+
+Having said this, they both hurriedly embraced their sister, and were
+wafted home on the wings of Zephyr.
+
+Left alone, Psyche flung herself on the ground, and for many hours lay
+trying to subdue her misery. At one moment she thought that she could
+not do it--that her sisters might be wrong after all. But her faith in
+them was strong, and as night approached she rose up to do their
+bidding.
+
+So well did she feign happiness that her husband heard no change in her
+voice as she bade him welcome, and, having travelled far that day, he
+soon laid himself down on the couch and fell sound asleep. Then Psyche
+seized the lamp and snatched off the covering, but by its light she saw
+stretched on the cushions, not a huge and hideous serpent, but the most
+beautiful of all the gods, Cupid himself.
+
+At this sight her knees knocked together with surprise, and she gave a
+step backwards, and the lamp, trembling in her hand, let fall a drop of
+burning oil on Cupid's shoulder. He sprang to his feet, and with one
+reproachful look he turned, and would have flown away had not Psyche
+grasped his leg, and was borne up with him into the air, till at length
+her strength gave way and she fell to the ground, where for some time
+she remained unconscious.
+
+When her senses came back, she was so miserable that she sought eternal
+forgetfulness in a neighbouring stream, but the river, in pity, carried
+her gently along and placed her on a bank of flowers. Finding that even
+the river would have none of her, she rose up, and resolved to wander
+night and day through the world till she should find her husband.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The first spot at which she halted was a temple on the top of a high
+mountain, where, to her surprise, she saw blades of wheat, ears of
+barley, sheaves of oats, scythes and ploughs, all scattered about in
+wild confusion. Never before had she seen such disorder about a temple,
+and, stooping down, she began to separate one thing from another and to
+place them in heaps.
+
+While she was busy with this, a voice cried to her from afar:
+
+'Unhappy girl, my heart bleeds for you! Yet even while you are pursued
+by the wrath of Aphrodite, you can labour in my service. May you find
+some day the rest that you deserve! But now, quit this temple, lest you
+draw down on me the anger of the goddess.'
+
+With despair in her soul, Psyche wandered from one place to another, not
+knowing and not caring whither her feet might lead her. At length she
+was tracked and seized by one of Aphrodite's attendants, who dragged her
+by the hair into the presence of the goddess herself. Here she was
+beaten and scourged, both by whips and by cruel words, and, when every
+kind of suffering had been heaped on her, Aphrodite took a number of
+bags containing wheat, barley, millet, and many other seeds, and,
+tumbling them all into one heap, bade her separate and place them each
+in its own bag by the evening.
+
+Psyche stood staring where Aphrodite had left her, not even trying to
+begin a task that she knew to be hopeless.
+
+She would certainly be killed, thought she, but, after all, death would
+be welcome; and she laid her weary body on the floor and sought sleep.
+At that moment a tiny ant, which had been passing through the storehouse
+on his way to the fields, and saw her terrible straits, went and fetched
+all his brothers, and bade them take pity on the damsel, and do the work
+that had been given to her.
+
+By sunset every grain was sorted and placed in its own bag, but Psyche
+waited with trembling the return of Aphrodite, as she felt that nothing
+she could do would content her.
+
+And so it happened, when Aphrodite entered, and thirsting for vengeance,
+cried with glee, 'Well, where are my seeds?' Psyche pointed silently to
+the row of bags against the wall, each with its mouth open, so that at
+the first glance it could be seen what kind of seed it contained. The
+goddess grew white with rage, and screamed loudly, 'Wretched creature,
+it is not your hands that have done this! you will not escape my anger
+so easily'; and, tossing her a piece of bread, went away, locking the
+door behind her.
+
+Next morning the goddess bade one of her slaves bring Psyche before her.
+
+'In yonder grove,' she said, on the banks of a river, feed sheep whose
+wool is soft as silk and as bright as gold. Before night I shall expect
+you to return with as much of this wool as will make me a robe. And I do
+not think that you will find any one to perform your task this time!'
+
+So Psyche went towards the river, which looked so clear and cool that
+she stepped down to the brink, meaning to lay herself to rest in its
+waters. But a reed sang to her, and its song said:
+
+[Illustration: APHRODITE FINDS PSYCHE'S TASK ACCOMPLISHED]
+
+'O Psyche, do my bidding and fear nothing! Hide yourself till evening,
+for the sheep are driven mad by the heat of the sun, and rush wildly
+through the bushes and thickets. But when the air grows fresh they sink
+exhausted to sleep, and you can gather all the wool you want from the
+branches.'
+
+[Illustration: JOYFULLY THE EAGLE BORE BACK THE URN]
+
+Then Psyche thanked the reed for its counsel and brought the wool safely
+back to the goddess; but she was received as before with scornful looks
+and words, and ordered to go to the top of a lofty mountain and fill a
+crystal urn from a fountain of black water which spouted from between
+walls of smooth rock. And Psyche went willingly, thinking that this time
+surely she must die.
+
+But an eagle which was hovering over this dark and awful place came to
+her aid, and taking the urn from her he bore it in his beak to the
+fountain, which was guarded by two horrible dragons. It needed all his
+strength and skill to pass by them, and indeed it was only when he told
+them that Aphrodite needed it to give fresh lustre to her beauty that
+they ceased to snap at him with their long fangs.
+
+Joyfully the eagle bore back the urn to Psyche, who carried it back
+carefully in her breast. But Aphrodite was still unsatisfied. Again and
+again she found new errands for Psyche, and hoped that each one might
+lead her to her death, though every time birds or beasts had pity on
+her.
+
+If Cupid had only known his mother's wicked schemes, he would have
+contrived to stop them and to deliver Psyche. But the wound on his
+shoulder where the burning oil had fallen took long to heal, and for
+some time he was in ignorance of all that Psyche was suffering. At last,
+however, the pain ceased, and his first thought was to visit Psyche,
+who, nearly fainting with joy at the sound of his voice, poured forth
+all that had happened since that dreadful night which had destroyed her
+happiness.
+
+'Your punishment has been sore,' said he, 'and I have no power to save
+you from the task my mother has set you. But while you fulfil this I
+will fly to Olympus, and beseech the gods to grant you forgiveness, and,
+more, a place among the immortals.'
+
+And so the envy and malice of Aphrodite and the wicked sisters were
+brought to nought, and Psyche left the earth, to sit enthroned on
+Olympus.
+
+[_Apuleius._]
+
+
+
+
+_SIR BEVIS THE STRONG_
+
+
+Many hundreds of years ago there lived in the South of England an earl
+of Southampton, whose name was Guy. He spent most of his life in
+defending his country from all sorts of invaders who sailed from beyond
+the seas, and it was not until he was getting old that he had time to
+think of a wife. Then he made a very foolish choice, for he asked in
+marriage the daughter of the king of Scotland, who had already plighted
+her troth to the young and handsome Sir Murdour.
+
+But though Sir Murdour was brother to the emperor, the Scottish king
+preferred to wed the princess to the stout earl of Southampton, whom he
+had known of old, and his word was law to all his court. So the bride
+journeyed with a great following to the south of England, where the
+marriage took place, and the next year a baby was born that was called
+Bevis.
+
+Now, though her husband was good and kind, and gave her the most
+beautiful dresses and horse-trappings in the whole kingdom, the princess
+hated him with a deadly hatred, just because he was not Sir Murdour. And
+when her son Bevis was seven years old she determined to seek the help
+of her old lover, and entice the earl to his death.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+To this end she made use of her charms and beauty to gain over to her
+side some of her husband's most trusted lords, and when this was done
+she chose out a faithful messenger to ride north to Sir Murdour.
+
+'Bid him,' she said, 'to come without fail on the first of May to the
+great forest that lies by the sea. Thither will I take care that my lord
+shall fare, with but a small company, and--the rest Sir Murdour can
+grasp. Only, I should like to see a bleeding head, in proof that all has
+gone as I wish.'
+
+Sir Murdour did not delay when he heard this message, but called
+together a troop of armed knights, and set sail with them for the forest
+on the water over against Southampton. They landed late one night, and
+Sir Murdour bade his foster-brother go secretly to the palace, and let
+the countess know that he was close at hand. After that he posted his
+men in deep dells and behind trees, and awaited his enemy.
+
+The sun was scarcely up before the countess roused her husband, who was
+sleeping heavily after a day's hunting.
+
+'Awake,' she cried, shaking his shoulder, 'I am feeling like unto death,
+and I have dreamed that this day I shall surely die if I eat not of the
+flesh of a wild boar of the forest.'
+
+At these woeful tidings the earl sprang from his bed, and in a short
+while he was riding with a pack of hounds and a few attendants towards
+the part of the forest where the wild boars were most plentiful. The
+dogs were soon racing down a track, having scented a boar, and the earl
+was preparing to follow when Sir Murdour and his men leapt out from
+their hiding-places and suddenly surrounded him.
+
+'I am here at your lady's bidding,' said the knight; 'she has begged me
+to send her your head, and I mean to do it.'
+
+[Illustration: LITTLE BEVIS AVENGES HIS FATHER]
+
+The earl's face grew pale at these dreadful words. He did not fear any
+man alive, but the thought of his wife's baseness took the strength from
+his arm and the courage from his heart. Still, for the honour of his
+name and knighthood, it behoved him to fight his best, though his only
+weapon was a boar spear. The battle lasted long, but at length the
+earl's horse was killed under him, and he fell to the ground. In another
+moment Sir Murdour struck his head from his shoulders, and, placing it
+on a spear, he ordered his squire to bear it to the castle.
+
+Bevis, who was standing on the battlements, saw this terrible sight, and
+seeking out his mother he vowed vengeance against the murderer. Though
+he was only seven years old, his strength was so great that the countess
+felt that her life would not be safe if once he discovered the truth, so
+she ordered his uncle Saber to take the boy to some distant place and
+there to slay him. Saber did not dare to disobey. He took Bevis with him
+to a small hut near the forest, and, killing a pig, sprinkled the
+child's garments with the blood and sent them to his mother. Afterwards
+he dressed Bevis in the clothes of a peasant, and, putting a stout staff
+in his hands, set him to watch a flock of sheep.
+
+The boy did what he was told without a word, but the sheep wandered far
+that day, and by-and-by he found himself in sight of his father's
+castle. Then a sudden fury filled his soul, and, leaving the sheep to go
+whither they would, he ran swiftly down the hill, and never stopped till
+he reached the castle gate. Here the porter, to whom the countess had
+given much gold, tried to stop him, but Bevis only knocked him down with
+his cudgel, and on into the hall he went, and there he beheld his mother
+and Sir Murdour feasting at the high table.
+
+'Traitors and murderers!' cried he, and lifting his staff, he dealt
+three fierce blows at the head of Sir Murdour, which felled him to the
+ground, where he lay unconscious. Then the boy turned and walked out of
+the hall, none daring to stop him.
+
+He told his uncle what had happened, but Saber was never ready of
+counsel, and before he had time to think what was best the countess
+entered the hut attended by two knights, whom she ordered to seize
+Bevis, and sell him as a slave to any captain in the port of
+Southampton who might be sailing that night for the lands of the
+Infidel.
+
+The captain of the ship was a kind man and took a liking to the boy
+whose fate was so hard, and when a fair wind blew them into the harbour
+of Heathenesse he bade the child bear him company to the palace. The
+king, whose name was Ermyn, thought he had never seen any boy of his age
+so tall and beautiful, and asked him many things as to his past life.
+These Bevis answered with so much truth and spirit that Ermyn was
+persuaded that he would grow into a man much above the common, and
+declared that he would make him heir to his throne and wed him in due
+course to his daughter Josyan, if he would only give up Christianity and
+become a convert to the faith of Heathenesse. But this Bevis swore he
+would never do.
+
+The good captain feared greatly that the king might be angered by
+Bevis's refusal, but instead Ermyn seemed to think that the boy, who
+would not break his vows lightly, was fain to turn out a true and loyal
+man. So he smiled, and told Bevis that he would make him his
+chamberlain, and when he was of age to be a knight, he should be his
+banneret.
+
+Eight years passed by, spent by Bevis in learning all the feats with the
+sword and spear for which the knights of Heathenesse had long been
+famous. His life was smooth and pleasant, and it was only when he had
+counted fifteen summers that he had his first adventure.
+
+It was Christmas Day, and Bevis was riding with a large company of
+Paynim knights through the great plain that surrounded the city. The
+talk ran upon the many lion chases they had held in that very place,
+when suddenly one of the knights who had journeyed both to Rome and
+Jerusalem turned to Bevis, who happened to be next him, and asked if he
+knew what day it was.
+
+'No,' answered Bevis; 'why should I? Is it different from any other
+day?' and the knight laughed and told him he was but a poor Christian.
+This angered Bevis, who said that, as he had lived among heathens since
+he was seven years old, it was not likely he should have learnt anything
+about his faith, but that in defence of it he was ready to tilt with the
+knights one after the other and hoped that in so good a cause he might
+prevail.
+
+'Listen to the crowing of this young cock' cried one of the party,
+highly wroth at the answer of Bevis; and indeed so furious were they
+that they set upon him at once and dealt him many wounds before the boy
+was able to defend himself. Then he snatched a sword from the man
+nearest him, and laid about him so hardly that in a short time they were
+all stretched dead upon the ground, while their horses galloped back to
+their stalls. Bevis himself, suffering great pain, went quietly back to
+his room in the palace and waited to see what would come next.
+
+When king Ermyn heard the news, and how so many of his best knights had
+been put to death by his page, he was beside himself with fury, and gave
+orders that Bevis should be instantly beheaded. But Josyan, his
+daughter, pleaded so hard for the young page that the king agreed to
+hear his story, and when he had heard it he not only forgave the youth,
+but told Josyan, who was skilled in leechcraft, to heal his wounds. And
+in a little while Bevis was raised to higher favour than ever by slaying
+a boar which had carried away and eaten several children on the
+outskirts of the city.
+
+By this time the fame of the princess's beauty had spread far and wide,
+and the king of Damascus sent an embassy to the court of king Ermyn,
+praying that she should be given him to wife.
+
+'But,' added he, 'in case you do not well consider my suit, I would have
+you know that I will gather together a great army, and lay waste your
+land with fire and sword. So think well before you refuse me.'
+
+King Ermyn was little used to language of this sort, and for all answer
+collected twenty thousand men, whom he commanded to be in readiness.
+Next, at the request of his daughter, he dubbed Bevis a knight, and the
+princess herself clad him in a richly inlaid helmet, and buckled on him
+the good sword Morglay. As a parting gift she bestowed on him a swift
+white horse called Arundel, and very proud was Bevis as he rode away at
+the head of the army beside the commander.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It were too long to tell of all the deeds wrought by Sir Bevis during
+the fight with the king of Damascus, whose standard-bearer, the giant
+Radyson, he slew at the very outset of the battle. In the end, and owing
+in a great measure to the valour of the young knight, the Damascenes
+owned themselves beaten, and their king remained a captive in the hands
+of Sir Bevis.
+
+'I will spare your life on one condition only,' said the victor, 'and
+that is that you shall swear fealty on my sword to king Ermyn, and
+acknowledge yourself to be his vassal.'
+
+The king's heart was sore when he heard what was demanded of him, for
+never before had he been vanquished in war. Still, he saw that there was
+no help for it, and he took the oath that Bevis required of him, after
+which he was suffered to depart into his own country.
+
+King Ermyn could not do enough honour to Sir Bevis when he came back to
+the palace, and, as was the custom, he bade his daughter rid him of his
+heavy armour, to put on him gorgeous robes, and to wait on him when he
+sat down to table. Sir Bevis was half glad and half ashamed to receive
+these services at the hands of the princess, but Josyan heard her
+father's orders right willingly, and led him away to fulfil them at
+once.
+
+The first thing she did was to order her slaves to prepare a bath for
+him, and to make it soft with all manner of sweet-smelling spices. Then
+she summoned him to her chamber, where she had prepared food and wine,
+and, like a wise woman, spoke nothing till he had eaten and drunk as
+much as he would. When he had satisfied his hunger, he flung himself to
+rest on a pile of cushions, and Josyan seated herself near him. Taking
+one of his hands in hers, she said softly:
+
+'Oh, Bevis, little do you know what I have suffered these many months
+from the love I bear you! Indeed, so grievous have been my pains that I
+marvel that I am alive this day. But if you return not my love, of a
+surety I am a dead woman.'
+
+Now Bevis had long loved the princess in secret; but his heart was
+proud, and, besides, he feared to seem that he had betrayed the king's
+trust. So he answered:
+
+'Fair Josyan, I thank you for your gentle words, but it would ill become
+me to take advantage of them. There is no prince in all the world, be he
+who he may, who would not crown you queen, and hold himself honoured.
+For me, I am but a poor knight, and one from a strange land, to whom
+your father has shown more favour than I deserve. It is not thus I
+should repay his kindness.'
+
+These words struck a chill through Josyan. All her life she had never
+known what it was to be denied anything she asked for, and she fell to
+weeping.
+
+'I would sooner have you, poor as you are, than the greatest king
+alive,' sobbed she; but when Bevis sat still and kept silence her grief
+turned to wrath.
+
+'Am I, who might reign over any of the kingdoms of the earth, to be
+flouted by you, a mere churl? Out of my chamber this instant, and betake
+yourself to working in the fields, for they are fitter setting for one
+of your birth than a lady's bower!'
+
+'Damsel,' said Bevis, 'you wrong me. No churl am I, but the son of an
+earl, and a knight withal. And now farewell, for I shall depart into my
+own country.'
+
+For a short time Josyan's anger held sway in her heart, and even the
+death of Bevis would hardly have moved her, but when she heard that
+Bevis was actually preparing to leave the city her pride broke down,
+and she sent a messenger to implore his forgiveness. But she had to
+learn that Bevis was no less proud than she, and he dismissed the
+messenger with a ring that the king had given him, merely saying that he
+had already bid good-bye to the princess Josyan.
+
+Then Josyan saw that if she would keep Bevis at her side she must humble
+herself to the dust, so she went herself to the chamber of Bevis, and
+implored him to forget her hasty words, and not to forsake her. Nay, she
+would even promise to give up her own faith and to become a Christian.
+
+At this proof of her devotion, Sir Bevis's resolve gave way, and he told
+her that he had loved her always, but feared that her father would never
+accept him as a son-in-law. Josyan made light of this obstacle, and
+declared that her father would never refuse her anything she had set her
+heart upon; but Bevis was not so hopeful, and soon events proved that he
+was right.
+
+Two knights whom Bevis had rescued from captivity and had brought to the
+palace overheard the vows exchanged between him and Josyan, and her
+offer of being baptized. Hating and envying the good fortune of Bevis,
+they sought out the king, and told him that his daughter was about to
+give up the faith of Mahomet, and to fly from the country with a
+Christian knight.
+
+These tidings were grievous to king Ermyn. He could not forgive his
+daughter, and yet, after all the deeds he had done, the people of the
+city would not suffer Bevis to be punished. What was he to do? The more
+he thought of it the more bewildered he felt; and all the while the two
+traitors stood patiently by, knowing well what was passing through the
+king's mind.
+
+At length he turned, as they were sure he would, and asked their
+counsel, which was quite ready.
+
+'Let your Majesty write a letter to King Bradmond, as from liege lord to
+vassal, and let Sir Bevis be the bearer of it, and bid the king put the
+knight to instant death.' So said the traitors, and, though the device
+was neither new nor honourable, it would serve. Bevis was summoned to
+the king's presence, and listened carefully to all he was told. Joyful
+was he at being chosen for this mission, which he thought betokened
+special favour, though his spirits were somewhat damped by the assurance
+that he must leave his sword Morglay and Arundel, his swift horse,
+behind him.
+
+'It were an insult to the king to approach him on a war-horse, and
+brandishing the sword that has slain so many of his men,' said Ermyn.
+'You shall ride the ambling palfrey on which I make my progress through
+the city; and, as for weapons, you will have no need of them.' So
+Arundel remained quietly in his stable, while Bevis unwillingly jogged
+along at the slow pace of the palfrey. But in one thing he disobeyed
+king Ermyn, for under his tunic was hidden a short sword.
+
+On the way he fell in with a pilgrim, whose offer to share his dinner
+Bevis accepted gladly. They soon began to tell each other their
+adventures, and, to his surprise, Bevis found that the pilgrim was his
+own cousin, the son of his uncle Saber, and that he had come so far with
+no other purpose than to seek out the young knight and to inform him of
+all that had happened during the years that had passed since his
+father's death.
+
+The vassals of the old earl, said the pilgrim, had been so ground down
+by the wicked Sir Murdour and his wife, that they had risen up as one
+man, and, headed by Saber, had defended the Isle of Wight against the
+usurper. But it was greatly to be desired that the young earl should
+return home as fast as possible, and attack Murdour in his castle of
+Southampton, and for this reason had he set forth to seek him.
+
+Bevis's heart and his blood waxed hot with the listening, but he did not
+wish that the pilgrim should learn just then who he was, so he answered
+that the young earl was his friend and brother, and that on his part he
+would promise speedy help to the faithful vassals fighting in his cause.
+With this they parted, and Bevis pursued his way to Damascus.
+
+On entering the gates of the city he found himself in the midst of a
+large crowd, who were making ready a sacrifice to a wooden idol, which
+was carried in a golden car. This roused the wrath of the young man,
+and, forcing his way through the multitude, he seized the idol and flung
+it into the mud, calling loudly on the people to go and help their god,
+since he could not help them. In an instant a thousand arms were raised
+against the stranger who had dared to insult the majesty of their idol,
+and, though Bevis drew his short sword and defended himself bravely, he
+could not have held out against such numbers had not the palace gates
+been close behind. Still fighting, Bevis entered the gates, and drawing
+the letter from his tunic ordered the guards to take him at once into
+the presence of the king.
+
+Bradmond read the letter with joy, as he felt that his enemy was
+delivered into his hands, and the tidings of the attack on the idol
+hardened his heart still more. Without further delay he bade the guards
+take Bevis and carry him off to a deep dungeon under the palace where
+lived two huge dragons, who would be fain to eat him forthwith.
+
+'And I do this,' said Bradmond, 'not to avenge my own wrongs, but to
+perform my oath of duty unto my sovereign lord king Ermyn. For this is
+the service he requires of me, in the letter that you yourself have
+brought.'
+
+[Illustration: STRONG SIR BEVIS KEEPS THE TWO DRAGONS AT BAY]
+
+Ropes were tied under Bevis's arms, and he was lowered down, down, down,
+till he could see nothing but four fiery eyes which glared furiously up
+at him. Soon after his hands knocked against something hard and rough,
+which moved under his touch. At the same moment his feet touched the
+bottom, and he found himself standing in a large cave with a feeble ray
+of light coming from the far end. By this he dimly perceived two
+horrible dragons, but for a moment they were still, and did not move to
+attack him.
+
+Bevis made use of the short time allowed him to feel about if perchance
+he could find some weapon with which to defend himself instead of the
+short sword which had been taken from him, and he came upon a stout
+staff, thrown into one corner, and by the aid of this he held those two
+monsters at bay for a whole night and day. By this time the dragons, who
+had been weakened by a slothful life and the flesh of many prisoners,
+were too weak to resist any longer, and fell an easy prey to the strong
+arm of Bevis.
+
+Of course it was not long before the men who had charge of the dungeon
+discovered that the dragons were dead, but they were so filled with
+admiration of Bevis's courage that they kept his counsel, and let down
+into his prison daily a good portion of wheat cake, so that he managed
+to keep himself alive. Bradmond the king very soon forgot all about him,
+so that the soldiers did as they pleased.
+
+Thus some years passed away.
+
+At the end of that time one of the gaolers died, and the other was sent
+to a distant city. The two men who took their places knew nothing of
+Bevis, save that he was a captive in the dungeon, and that as long as he
+was alive it was part of their duty to feed him every day. 'Let us
+murder him,' said one man to another; 'it is small use to feed a man in
+a dungeon who is forgotten by himself and all the world'; so one of them
+fastened a ladder of ropes to the side and climbed down it, in the hope
+of finding an easy victim lying on the ground. Instead there was a man
+as strong as ten other men, who leapt swiftly aside to avoid the blow of
+his sword, and struck him dead to the ground with a blow of his fist.
+The other gaoler, hearing no noise from below, crept down the ladder to
+see what had taken place; but as soon as he was on the floor of the
+dungeon Bevis gave a mighty spring which snapped the chain that had
+bound him to the rock, and thrust him through with the sword he had
+taken from his fellow. Then, when, as far as he could reckon, the night
+was nearly gone, he climbed up the ladder, and stood once more a free
+man.
+
+At the first gleam of dawn, Sir Bevis stole out to the stables, where
+the king's horses were being groomed. Peeping through a hole, he
+discovered a room hung round with suits of armour, and, getting in
+through the roof, he took down a coat of mail, a helmet, and a shield,
+while he chose out a good sword from a pile standing in a corner. Then
+entering the stable, he cut off the heads of several of the men, while
+the rest fled out of reach of the strange being with the long hair and
+strong arm. When they were all gone Bevis brought out the best horse in
+the stable, and rode out across the drawbridge into the world again.
+
+Of course, directly he was missed, king Ermyn sent his best knights in
+pursuit of him, but in one way or another Sir Bevis got the better of
+them all, and made his way to Jerusalem, where, for the first time since
+he was seven years old, he entered a Christian church. But so anxious
+was he to hear some tidings of Josyan, that he remained only a short
+time in the city, and soon rode on again along the road to her father's
+court.
+
+On the way he met with a young knight who had once been his squire, and
+who told him a sad tale. Josyan, he said, had been asked in marriage by
+the most powerful and fierce of all the kings of Heathenesse, but she
+steadily refused to wed any man who was not a Christian like herself.
+This so enraged her father that he gave leave to her suitor to do with
+her as he would; so king Inor, for so was he named, carried her off to
+his own kingdom, and shut her up in a tower till she should come to a
+better mind, and be ready to return to her old faith.
+
+'In her tower she is still,' continued the knight; 'but if you would
+have speech with her it is first needful to persuade the king to go on
+some distant mission. And first you must put on a disguise, for at any
+moment those may come by who knew you well at the royal palace.'
+
+This advice Bevis followed; he hid himself with his friend behind a
+clump of bushes till a pilgrim passed on the way to Jerusalem. The young
+knight then left his hiding-place, and prayed the pilgrim for the sake
+of charity and a dole of money to be given in alms that he would
+exchange clothes with Sir Bevis. To this the pilgrim readily agreed, and
+soon Bevis was arrayed in a long mantle, carrying a staff in his hand.
+
+'Now go and stand about the door of the palace, and when the king comes
+from hunting he will see you, and will ask you where you come from, and
+what news is stirring in the world. And you must say to him that you
+have lately journeyed from Syria, from the kingdom of his brother, and
+that the land has been overrun by strange armies, and that the country
+is in a great strait. When he hears that he will of a surety hasten to
+his aid, and then you will be able to escape with Josyan without danger
+of losing your head.'
+
+Now Inor the king had placed Josyan under the charge of Boniface, the
+chamberlain, who had been long in the service of her father, and in
+order the better to help her had pretended to approve of the evil way in
+which she was treated. Directly he heard of the plot he began to play
+his part towards its fulfilment, and in the evening of the day on which
+the king had departed he managed to give the steward, who had been left
+to rule the city, such a powerful sleeping draught that he did not wake
+for twenty-four hours. Meanwhile Sir Bevis chose out the best suit of
+armour in the king's armoury and the fastest horse in his stable; and
+when night fell Josyan stole softly down from her tower, and, mounting
+Arundel, whom she had brought with her from her old home, rode out of
+the gates by the side of Bevis. Boniface followed close after them. He
+did not dare to stay behind, as he knew that his head was forfeit.
+
+But as things happened he might as well have remained where he was, for
+the very next day, when Bevis was hunting, two lions came up to the cave
+where Josyan and her chamberlain lay concealed. Without an instant's
+pause they devoured Boniface and his horse, which was tethered outside,
+though Josyan's beauty so overawed them that they bent their heads
+humbly in her presence.
+
+The next adventure that befell Sir Bevis was a battle with a giant
+thirty feet high, who had been sent by the steward to catch the two
+runaways. During the fight he was sore wounded, and in the end owned
+Bevis to be his master, and begged to be allowed to take service with
+him. Sir Bevis agreed, though somewhat doubtfully, but soon found reason
+to rejoice in his new page, for by his help he was able to turn some
+Saracens out of a ship which bore them all with a fair wind to the city
+of Cologne.
+
+Here he found his uncle, the bishop; who was brother to his father and
+to Sir Saber, and, leaving Josyan in safety under his care, he set sail
+with a hundred knights for Southampton. Before landing he sent one of
+his most trusty squires for tidings as to how fared Sir Murdour, and
+received for answer that the quarrel still raged betwixt him and Sir
+Saber. Then Bevis went on shore with all his knights, and bade one of
+them tell Sir Murdour that they had sailed from France in quest of
+service, and that if he so willed they would fight under his banner,
+but, if not, they would offer themselves to his foe.
+
+Sir Murdour was overjoyed at the sight of the strangers, and asked the
+name of their leader.
+
+'Sir Jarrard,' said Bevis, who did not wish to make himself known, and
+inquired further what were the causes of the war with Sir Saber, and how
+long it had lasted. To this Sir Murdour made reply that Sir Saber had
+been seeking for many years past to wrest from him the heritage which
+was his by purchase from the spendthrift heir Bevis, who had afterwards
+quitted the country, but that with the help of the strangers an end
+would speedily be put to the quarrel.
+
+While Bevis stood listening to Sir Murdour, his fingers unconsciously
+crept to the handle of his sword, but he forced back his wrath and
+answered that, had they brought their horses with them, the dispute
+might have been settled that very night. Still, much might be done if
+Sir Murdour would give them a ship in which to sail to the Isle of
+Wight, and would provide them with horses.
+
+Sir Murdour did not need to be asked twice; he gave to Sir Bevis his
+finest horses and his best armour, and before many hours Bevis was
+standing on the Isle of Wight by the side of his uncle Saber.
+
+'Take yonder fishing-boat,' said he to one of his knights, 'and return
+to Southampton and enter the castle. Then tell Sir Murdour that the man
+to whom he has given his arms and his horses is no knight of France, but
+Sir Bevis earl of Southampton, who has come to take vengeance for the
+death of his father.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The battle which decided the strife was fought upon the island, and
+never for a moment did Bevis lose sight of his enemy. In vain did
+Murdour ride from one part of the field to the other; Bevis was always
+there, though it was long before he was close enough to thrust at him.
+At last he managed to hurl him to the ground, but Murdour's followers
+pressed hard on him, and Bevis could not, by his own self, take him
+captive.
+
+'To me! To me!' he cried at last, and Ascapard strode up, cleaving the
+heads of all that stood in his way.
+
+'What shall be done with him?' asked he, picking up the fallen knight
+and holding him tightly.
+
+'Put him in the cauldron that is boiling outside the camp,' said Bevis.
+'For that is the death for traitors.'
+
+So Sir Bevis got his own again, and he sent to Cologne for Josyan, and
+was wedded to her by his uncle the bishop in his good town of
+Southampton.
+
+[From the _Early English Metrical Romances_.]
+
+
+
+
+_OGIER THE DANE_
+
+
+Long, long ago, a baby lay asleep in a cot in a palace. It was a royal
+baby, therefore it was never left alone for a moment, but always had two
+or three ladies watching it, by day and by night, so that no serpent
+should crawl into its cradle and bite it, nor any evil beast run off
+with it, as sometimes happened in other countries.
+
+But one evening, after a very hot day, all the ladies in waiting felt
+strangely drowsy, and, though they tried their best to keep awake, one
+by one they gradually dropped off to sleep in the high carved chairs on
+which they sat. Then a gentle rustle might have been heard outside on
+the staircase, and when the door opened a brilliant light streamed in,
+though the ladies slept too soundly to be awakened by it. Wrapped round
+by the light were six fairies, more beautiful than any fairies that ever
+were seen, who glided noiselessly to the cradle of the baby.
+
+'How fair he is!' whispered one; 'the true son of a king.'
+
+'And how strong he is!' answered another; 'look at his arms and legs,'
+and the whole six bent forward and looked at him.
+
+'The world shall ring with his fame,' said the first, whose name was
+Gloriande, 'and I will give him the best gift I have. He shall never
+fear death, and no word of shame shall ever touch him.'
+
+Then the second fairy leaned forward and lifted the baby out of his
+cradle. She was tall, and on her head was a ruby crown, while a plate of
+gold covered her breast.
+
+'Through all your life,' she murmured, 'wherever war and strife may be,
+you shall be found in the midst of it, even as your forefathers.'
+
+'Yes,' said a third; 'but my gift is better than hers, for you shall
+never be worsted in any fight, and every one shall add to your honour.'
+
+'And though you are the first of knights,' exclaimed the fourth, 'you
+shall win fame for your courtesy and gentlehood, no less than for your
+valour.'
+
+'The hearts of all women shall turn to you, and they shall love you,'
+said the fifth, who was clad in a robe of transparent green; 'but beware
+how you give them back their love, for this love of mortals needs
+proving'; and with that she slipped away from the cradle.
+
+The sixth fairy looked silently at the child for a few moments, though
+her thoughts seemed to be with something far away.
+
+At length she spoke, and these were her words:
+
+'When you are weary of travel and of strife and have won all the glory
+and honour that may fall to men, then you shall come to me in my palace
+of Avallon, and rest in the joys of fairyland with Morgane le Fay.'
+
+After that the light began to fade, and the six fairies vanished none
+could tell how or whither.
+
+By-and-by the baby's attendants woke up, and never knew that during
+their sleep the child's fate had been fixed as surely as if he had been
+bitten by a serpent or carried off by a wolf. Everything _seemed_ the
+same as it had done before, and so they took it for granted that it
+_was_.
+
+Time passed on, and Ogier, for that was the name they gave him, was ten
+years old. He was tall and strong and could send his arrows farther than
+most boys many years older. He could handle a spear too, and his thrusts
+went straight at the mark; while he could sing a song, or touch the lute
+as delicately as a maiden. His father was proud of him, and it went sore
+with him when Charlemagne the emperor, who had had a bitter quarrel
+with the king of Denmark, demanded that Ogier should be sent as a
+hostage to his court of Paris.
+
+[Illustration: HOW THE FAIRIES CAME TO SEE OGIER THE DANE]
+
+For four years the boy lived happily in Paris, daily making new friends,
+and learning to be a skilled swordsman; but at the end of that time the
+Danish king sank some of Charlemagne's ships, and the emperor vowed that
+Ogier should pay for his father's deed. His life was spared, but the
+youth was banished to St. Omer, a little town on the coast. Here he
+spent some years, which would have been dull and very wearisome but for
+the kindness of the governor, who not only allowed him to fish and hunt
+on receiving his word that he would not try to escape, but gave him his
+daughter, the fair Belissande, as his companion, and even consented to a
+marriage between them. For, kind though he was, he did not forget that
+the captive youth was after all heir to the Danish throne.
+
+Ogier would have been quite content to stay where he was, when suddenly
+the emperor summoned him to come to Paris and take part in a war which
+had broken out between him and the Saracens, who had landed in Italy.
+Unwilling though he was, of course Ogier was forced to obey, and he
+speedily won such fame that in a little while Charlemagne declared that
+from henceforth he should have in battle the place of honour on the
+right hand of the emperor himself. This favour so excited the jealousy
+of Charlot, the emperor's son, that he laid many snares for Ogier's
+life, but, owing to the gift of the fairy Gloriande, the young man
+contrived to escape them all.
+
+On his return to France with the army, after the war was over and the
+Saracens had been beaten, he found two pieces of news awaiting him. One
+was that his father was dead, and that he was king of Denmark, and the
+other was that during his absence a son had been born to him.
+
+Taking leave of the emperor, he chose the swiftest horse he could find
+in the stables and rode straight to St. Omer. The boy was by this time
+three years old, and promised to be tall and strong like his father.
+Already he could mount a pony and use a tiny bow and arrows that had
+been made for him, and even could tell the names of some of the battles
+his father had won.
+
+But Ogier could not tarry long in the castle of St. Omer. Taking his
+wife and son with him, he set out at once for Denmark, and spent several
+years in the kingdom making laws and teaching his people many things
+that he had learnt in his travels.
+
+After ten years, however, he became weary of this peaceful life, and,
+after Belissande died, he felt he could bear it no longer. So, leaving
+the crown to his uncle, he returned to France with his son and fought
+once more by the side of Charlemagne. This was the life he loved, and it
+seemed as if it might have gone on for ever had it not been for the
+prince Charlot, who, unhappily, only grew more quarrelsome and foolish
+the older he got.
+
+Charlot was one day playing chess with the son of Ogier, and, as he was
+hasty and impatient, the game went against him. Like many others, he had
+never learned how to take a beating like a man, and, raising his hand,
+he struck the youth a blow on the temple which killed him. Charlemagne,
+grieved though he really was, refused to punish Charlot, and after
+saying bitter words Ogier left Paris, and took service with the king of
+Lombardy, but was soon captured, while asleep, by Archbishop Turpin.
+
+By this time Charlemagne had felt the loss of Ogier so greatly, and had
+besides suffered so much from further ill-doings on the part of his son,
+that he lent a ready ear to Ogier's offer of reconciliation, provided he
+were allowed to avenge himself on the murderer. But just as Ogier was
+about to strike off Charlot's head, and rid the world of a man who never
+did any good in it, he was stopped by a mysterious voice which bade him
+to spare the son of Charlemagne. So Charlot was left to work more
+mischief throughout the land.
+
+A second time a crown fell to Ogier in right of his wife, the princess
+Claria of England, who had been delivered by Ogier out of the hands of
+the Saracens. But the princess died not many months after, and the
+fetters of the throne were no more to Ogier's taste in England than in
+Denmark. So he assembled all his barons, and bade them choose themselves
+a king from among them. This done, he set sail across the sea for the
+life of adventure that he loved.
+
+For some time Ogier fought in Palestine, where he gained great fame, for
+no army and no city could stand before him. But his heart always turned
+to France, and directly peace was made he said farewell to his
+companions and took ship for Marseilles. At first the breeze was fair,
+but when they had made half the voyage a tempest arose and the vessel
+was driven on a rock, while all the crew except Ogier himself were
+drowned. This happened early in the morning, but as soon as darkness
+fell and Ogier was fearing that he might die of hunger, as no living
+thing could be seen on the island, he suddenly beheld facing him a
+castle of adamant. He rubbed his eyes and gazed at it in amazement,
+thinking it was a vision, for he knew not that this castle was
+enchanted, and, though unseen by day, shone by night from light of its
+own. However, he did not hesitate at the strangeness of his adventure,
+but taking his sword in his teeth he swam ashore, and mounted the flight
+of steps that led to the open door.
+
+Rich and beautiful things lay scattered everywhere, but not a sign was
+there of any one to enjoy them. Room after room was empty, and Ogier was
+fast losing hope and wondering whether he was to die of starvation in
+the midst of all this splendour. He had searched every chamber of the
+castle except one which lay before him at the end of a long gallery. He
+would go into that too, but if it should prove as barren as the rest
+then his case was indeed perilous.
+
+With a beating heart he drew back the bolts and lifted the latch of the
+great carved door. Before him a long table was spread with fruits and
+food of the rarest sort, while in a large chair at the further end a
+horse was seated enjoying a huge pasty. At the sight of Ogier he rose
+politely and bowed, after which he presented him with a golden bowl full
+of water and returned to his chair.
+
+During his travels Ogier had beheld many strange things, but never
+before had a horse been his host, and he was so startled that, hungry
+though he was, he hardly touched the food which the horse heaped on his
+plate, expecting every moment that a magician might appear or the whole
+castle crumble away.
+
+Quiet though Ogier was, the horse, who had been taught manners in the
+court of the sultan of Babylon himself, took no notice of his guest's
+behaviour but finished his own supper, which was a very hearty one. When
+it was done he rose again, bowed a second time to Ogier, who had risen
+also, and, signing with his fore hoof towards a curtain on one side of
+the hall, passed through, followed by his guest. In the centre of a
+magnificent chamber stood a soft bed, at which Ogier gazed longingly.
+The horse saw the direction of his eyes, and with another bow he
+withdrew.
+
+In the morning Ogier awoke early and passed through the door into a
+meadow bright with flowers. He looked round him, and saw a group of
+ladies sitting under a tree plucking fruit from its branches, and
+filling golden cups from a clear stream that ran at their feet. Not
+having eaten since his scanty supper of the night before, he approached
+the ladies, one of whom arose and spoke to him, saying:
+
+'Welcome, Ogier of Denmark! I have waited for you long. A hundred years
+have passed since I stood by your cradle--a hundred years of war and of
+fighting. But you have tired of them at last and have come back to me!
+And now you shall rest in the palace of Avallon. I am Morgane le Fay.'
+
+[Illustration: OGIER THE DANE MEETS MORGANE LE FAY AT LAST]
+
+She held out her hand, and Ogier placed his within it, and thus they
+entered the castle. Then she went to her closet and drew a casket from
+it, and from the casket she took a ring, which she slipped on Ogier's
+finger. Afterwards she placed on his head a wreath of golden laurels
+intertwined with bays, and his white hair became once more like
+sunshine, and the wrinkles faded from his brow. And with the wrinkles
+faded also the recollection of the battles he had fought, and of
+Charlemagne himself, and even of Belissande, whom he had loved so well.
+Soft sounds of singing floated through the palace, and fairies trailing
+flowers glided in and out in the dance. While Ogier stood entranced and
+dumb, there entered King Arthur, to whom spoke Morgane le Fay:
+
+'Draw near, Arthur, my lord and brother, come and salute the flower of
+chivalry, the boast of the court of France, he in whom courtesy,
+loyalty, and all virtue are united.'
+
+And Arthur drew near, and they embraced each other.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Two hundred years passed as a single day, till one morning when Ogier
+was lying on a bank listening to the birds which sang like no birds
+which mortal ears have ever heard, he took for an instant the crown from
+off his head. In a moment the memories of his old life flashed across
+him, and, starting up, he sought Morgane le Fay, and bade her give him
+his sword, for he was going to fight for fair France again. In vain the
+fairy besought him not to forsake her, but he would hear nothing, and
+she was fain to do as he wished. So by her magic she conjured up a
+little boat which bore Ogier to Marseilles, whence he hastened to the
+war, which was being carried on in Normandy.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Great was the surprise of the warriors and ladies of the court at the
+sight of the new-comer, whose face was as young and fresh as their own,
+but whose arms and whose speech were of a time long gone by. At first
+some were inclined to try him with jests, but they speedily found that,
+strange though his manners might seem, it were wiser to accept them.
+Indeed, it was not long before Ogier's presence had caused itself to be
+so felt throughout the camp that he was given command of an army that
+was about to march against the enemy who were invading France and
+utterly routed them. In gratitude the king begged him to counsel him in
+all things, and in a few months some of Ogier's strength and wisdom had
+passed into the people.
+
+Now night and day Ogier wore the ring which Morgane le Fay had placed on
+his finger, and as long as it was there no youth about the court was
+fairer and more splendid than he. The gift with which he had been
+endowed in his cradle had lost none of its power, and as he passed
+through the crowd, towering full a head over other men, the hearts of
+the ladies went out towards him. _He_ could not help it, and _they_
+could not help it. It had been so ordained by the fairy. Even age could
+not preserve them; nay, it seemed to render them an easier prey.
+
+Amongst the noble ladies whose pulses beat faster at the sight of
+Ogier's golden hair was the Countess of Senlis. Old was she, and
+withered of face, but she had never ceased to think that she was young,
+and she mistook the kindliness and courtesy of Ogier's manner for the
+love that man bears to woman.
+
+One morning, in crossing the garden to attend upon her mistress the
+queen, the countess came upon Ogier lying asleep under the trees. She
+stopped and looked upon him tenderly; then her eyes fell upon the ring
+on his finger, whose stone, of a strange green hue, was graven with
+devices.
+
+'If I could see them close, perchance I might guess who he is and whence
+he came,' said she to herself, and, stooping, she drew lightly the ring
+from his hand, not knowing that the queen had crept up and stood behind
+her. But what an awful change came over him all at once! His limbs grew
+shrivelled, his hair white, his eyes so shrunken that they seemed hardly
+more than points; but when the queen turned with horror to ask her lady
+what it meant, the change in her was hardly less wondrous, for, though
+the old countess was ignorant of it, fifty years had been swept from
+her, and she was straight and winsome as of yore.
+
+They were still standing, dumb with surprise, when Ogier awoke and
+glanced about him with feeble, uncertain gaze. Catching sight of the
+ring, which the countess was still holding, he stretched his shaking
+hand towards it. The action was more than the queen could bear.
+
+'Give it back to him,' she said; and, unwilling though she was to part
+with such a treasure, the countess was forced to obey.
+
+Tremblingly Ogier restored the ring to its place, and in an instant his
+youth and beauty returned to him.
+
+Soon after this the king of France died, and when the time of mourning
+was over the queen made known to Ogier that she wished to take him for
+her second husband. Gentle was she and fair, and easy it was for Ogier
+to love her, and his heart beat high at the thought of sitting on the
+throne where Charlemagne had once sat. The people rejoiced greatly when
+they heard of the marriage, for with Ogier for their king they were
+safe, they thought, from invaders.
+
+The wedding day had come, and scarce a man or woman in Paris had closed
+their eyes the night before. Magnificent indeed would the procession be
+that was to end in the new cathedral; gorgeous would be the trappings of
+the horses, dazzling the dresses of the ladies that would ride, some in
+litters and some on horses, through the streets that bordered the river.
+Early was the queen astir, to be tired by her maidens, and if Ogier's
+slumbers lasted longer--well, it was not the first time that he had been
+crowned a king.
+
+At length he was awakened by the sound of a voice calling his name:
+
+'Ogier, Ogier!' and at the sound the present was forgotten, and the past
+rushed back. 'Ogier, Ogier!' whispered the voice again, and, looking, he
+saw standing by his bed not the queen, but Morgane le Fay.
+
+'Rise quickly,' she said, 'and put on your wedding garments. Clothe
+yourself in the mantle Charlemagne wore, and the crown that was placed
+upon his brow. Set on your feet his shoes of gold, and let me see you
+once as France would have seen you.'
+
+He did her bidding, and she gazed at him awhile, then slowly drawing
+nigh she lifted the crown from his hair, and in its stead she put on him
+the wreath of laurel which brought peace and forgetfulness.
+
+'Now come with me,' she said, holding out her hand, and together they
+left the palace unseen, and entered a barge that was waiting in the
+river, and in the sunrise they sailed away to the castle of Avallon.
+
+[Adapted from Dunlop's _History of Prose Fiction_, and Morris's _Ogier
+the Dane_.]
+
+
+
+
+_HOW THE ASS BECAME A MAN AGAIN_
+
+
+Once upon a time there lived a young man who would do nothing from
+morning till night but amuse himself. His parents were dead and had left
+him plenty of money, but this was fast vanishing, and his friends shook
+their heads sadly, for when the money was gone they did not see where
+more was to come from. It was not that Apuleius (for that was the name
+of the youth) was stupid. He might have been a good soldier, or a
+scholar, or a worker in gold, if so it had pleased him, but from a child
+he had refused to do anything useful, and roamed about the city all day
+long in search of adventures. The only kind of learning to which he paid
+any heed was magic, and when he was in the house he would spend hours
+poring over great books of spells.
+
+Fond though he was of sorcery, he was too lazy to leave the town and its
+pleasures--the chariot-racing, the theatre, and the wrestling, and to
+travel in search of the wizards who were renowned for their skill in the
+art. However, the time came when, very unwillingly, he was forced to
+take a journey into Thessaly, to see to the proper working of some
+silver mines in which he had a share, and Thessaly, as everybody knows,
+is the home of all magic. So when Apuleius arrived at the town of
+Hypata, where dwelt the man Milo, overseer of his mines, he was prepared
+to believe that all he saw was enchanted.
+
+Now, if Thessaly is the country of magic, it is also the country of
+robbers, and Apuleius soon noticed that everybody he met was in fear of
+them. Indeed, they made this fear the excuse for all sorts of mean and
+foolish ways. For instance, Milo, who loved money and could not bear to
+spend a farthing, refused to have any seats in his house that could be
+removed, and in consequence there was nothing to sit upon except two
+marble chairs fixed to the wall. As there was only room in these for one
+person, the wife of Milo had to retire to her own chamber when the young
+man entered.
+
+'It was no use,' explained Milo, 'in laying out money on moveable seats,
+with robbers about. They would be sure to hear of it and to break into
+the house.'
+
+Unlike his guest, Milo was always occupied in adding to his wealth in
+one form or another. Sometimes he sent down a train of mules to the sea,
+and bought merchandise which the ships had carried from Babylon or
+Egypt, to sell it again at a high price. Then he dealt in sheep and
+cattle, and when he thought he might do so with safety made false
+returns of the silver that was dug up from the mines, and kept the
+difference for himself. But most often he lent large sums at high
+interest to the young men of the neighbourhood, and so cunning was he
+that, whoever else might be ruined, Milo managed to make large profits.
+
+Apuleius knew very well that his steward was in his way as great a
+robber as any in Thessaly, but, as usual, he found it too much trouble
+to look into the matter. So he laughed and jested with the miser, and
+next morning went out to the public baths and then took a stroll through
+the city. It was full of statues of the famous men to whom Hypata had
+given birth; but as Apuleius had made up his mind that nothing in
+Thessaly _could_ be what it seemed, he supposed that they were living
+people who had fallen under enchantment, and that the oxen whom he met
+driven through the streets had once been men and women.
+
+One evening he was returning as usual from a walk when he saw from afar
+three figures before Milo's house, who he at once guessed were trying to
+force an entrance. 'Here is an adventure at last,' thought he, and,
+keeping in the shadow, he stole softly up behind them, and drawing his
+short sword he stabbed each one to the heart. Then, without waiting to
+see what more would befall, he left them where they were and entered the
+house by a door at the back.
+
+He said nothing of what had happened to Milo his host, but the next day,
+before he had left his bed, a summons was brought him by one of the
+slaves to appear before the court at noon on a charge of murder. As has
+been seen, Apuleius was a brave man and did not fear to face three times
+his number, but his heart quailed at the thought of a public trial.
+Still, he was wise enough to know that there was no help for it, and at
+the hour appointed he was in his place.
+
+The first witnesses against him were two women with black veils covering
+them from head to foot. At the sound of the herald's trumpet, one of the
+two stepped forward and accused him of compassing the death of her
+husband. When she had ended her plaint the herald blew another blast,
+and another veiled woman came forward and charged him with her son's
+murder. Then the herald inquired if there was not yet a third victim,
+but was answered that his wound was slight, and that he was able to roam
+through the city.
+
+After the witnesses had been called, the judge pronounced sentence.
+Apuleius the murderer was condemned to death, but he must first of all
+be tortured, so that he might reveal the names of the men who had
+abetted him. By order of the court, horrible instruments were brought
+forward which chilled the blood of Apuleius in his veins. But to his
+surprise, when he looked round to see if none would be his friend, he
+noticed that every one, from the judge to the herald, was shaking with
+laughter. His amazement was increased when with a trembling voice one of
+the women demanded that the bodies should be produced, so that the judge
+might be induced to feel more pity and to order more tortures. The
+judge assented to this, and two bodies were carried into court shrouded
+in wrappings, and the order was given that Apuleius himself should
+remove the wrappings.
+
+The face of the young man grew white as he heard the words of the judge,
+for even a hardened criminal cares but little to touch the corpse of a
+man whom he has murdered. But he dared not disobey, and walked slowly to
+the place where the dead bodies lay. He shrank for a moment as he took
+the cloth in his hand, but his guards were behind him, and calling up
+all his courage he withdrew it. A shout of laughter pealed out behind
+him, and to his amazement he saw that his victims of the previous night
+had been three huge leather bottles and not men at all!
+
+As soon as Apuleius found out the trick that had been played on him he
+was no less amused than the rest, but in the midst of his mirth a sudden
+thought struck him.
+
+'How was it you managed to make them alive?' asked he, 'for alive they
+were, and battering themselves against the door of the house.'
+
+'Oh, that is simple enough when one has a sorceress for a mistress,'
+answered a damsel, who was standing by. 'She burned the hairs of some
+goats and wove spells over them, so that the animals to whom the hairs
+and skins had once belonged became endowed with life and tried to enter
+their former dwelling.'
+
+'They may well say that Thessaly is the home of wonders,' cried the
+young man. 'But do you think that your mistress would let me see her at
+work? I would pay her well--and you also,' he added.
+
+'It might be managed perhaps, without her knowledge,' answered Fotis,
+for such was the girl's name; 'but you must hold yourself in readiness
+after nightfall, for I cannot tell what evening she may choose to cast
+off her own shape.'
+
+Apuleius promised readily that he would not stir out after sunset, and
+the damsel went her way.
+
+That very evening, Hesperus had scarcely risen from his bed when Fotis
+knocked at the door of the house.
+
+[Illustration: APULEIUS CHANGES INTO AN ASS]
+
+'Come hither, and quickly,' she said; and without stopping to question
+her Apuleius hastened by her side to the dwelling of the witch Pamphile.
+Entering softly, they crept along a dark passage, where they could peep
+through a crack in the wall and see Pamphile at work. She was in the act
+of rubbing her body with essences from a long row of bottles which
+stood in a cupboard in the wall, chanting to herself spells as she did
+so. Slowly, feathers began to sprout from her head to her feet. Her arms
+vanished, her nails became claws, her eyes grew round and her nose
+hooked, and a little brown owl flew out of the window.
+
+'Well, are you satisfied?' asked Fotis; but Apuleius shook his head.
+
+'Not yet,' he answered. 'I want to know how she transforms herself into
+a woman again.'
+
+'That is quite easy, you may be sure,' replied Fotis. 'My mistress never
+runs any risks. A cup of water from a spring, with some laurel leaves
+and anise floating in it, is all that she needs. I have seen her do it a
+thousand times.'
+
+'Turn me into a nightingale, then, and I will give you five hundred
+sesterces,' cried Apuleius eagerly; and Fotis, tempted by the thought of
+so much money, agreed to do what he wished.
+
+But either Fotis was not so skilful as she thought herself, or in her
+hurry she neglected to observe that the bird bottles were all on one
+shelf, and the beast bottles on another, for when she had rubbed the
+ointment over the young man's chest something fearful happened. Instead
+of his arms disappearing, they stretched downwards; his back became
+bent, his face long and narrow, while a browny-grey fur covered his
+body. Apuleius had been changed, not into a nightingale, but into an
+ass!
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+A loud scream broke from Fotis when she saw what she had done, and
+Apuleius, glancing at a polished mirror from Corinth which hung on the
+walls, beheld with horror the fate that had overtaken him.
+
+'Quick, quick! fetch the water, and I will seek for the laurels and
+anise,' he cried. 'I do not want to be an ass at all; my arms and back
+are aching already, and if I am not swiftly restored to my own shape I
+shall not be able to overthrow the champion in the wrestling match
+to-morrow.'
+
+So Fotis ran out to draw the water from the spring, while Apuleius
+opened some boxes with his teeth, and soon found the anise and laurels.
+But alas! Fotis had deceived herself. The charm which was meant for a
+bird would not work with a beast, and, what was worse, when Apuleius
+tried to speak to her and beg her to try something else, he found he
+could only bray!
+
+In despair the girl took down the book of spells, and began to turn over
+the pages; while the ass, who was still a man in all but his outward
+form, glanced eagerly down them also. At length he gave a loud bray of
+satisfaction, and rubbed his nose on a part of the long scroll.
+
+'Of course, I remember now,' cried Fotis with delight. 'What a comfort
+that nothing more is needed to restore you to your proper shape than a
+handful of rose leaves!
+
+The mind of Apuleius was now quite easy, but his spirits fell again when
+Fotis reminded him that he could no longer expect to be received by his
+friends, but must lie in the stable of Milo, with his own horse, and be
+tended, if he was tended at all, by his own servant.
+
+'However, it will not be for long,' she added consolingly. 'In the
+corner of the stable is a little shrine to the goddess of horses, and
+every day fresh roses are placed before it. Before the sun sets
+to-morrow you will be yourself again.'
+
+Slowly and shyly Apuleius slunk along lonely paths till he came to the
+stable of Milo. The door was open, but, as he entered, his horse, who
+was fastened with a sliding cord, kicked wildly at him, and caught him
+right on the shoulder. But before the horse could deal another blow
+Apuleius had sprung hastily on one side, and had hidden himself in a
+dark corner, where he slept soundly.
+
+The moon was shining brightly when he awoke, and looking round he saw,
+as Fotis had told him, the shrine of Hippone, with a branch of
+sweet-smelling pink roses lying before it. It was rather high up, he
+thought, but, when he reared himself on his hind legs, he would surely
+be tall enough to reach it. So up he got, and trod softly over the
+straw, till he drew near the shrine, when with a violent effort he threw
+up his forelegs into the air. Yes! it was all right, his nose was quite
+near the roses; but just as he opened his mouth his balance gave way,
+and his front feet came heavily on the floor.
+
+The noise brought the man, who was sleeping in another part of the
+stable.
+
+'Oh, I see what you are at, you ugly beast,' cried he; 'would you eat
+roses that I put there for the goddess? I don't know who may be your
+master, or how you got here, but I will take care that you do no more
+mischief.' So saying, he struck the ass several times with his fists,
+and then, putting a rope round his neck, tied him up in another part of
+the stable.
+
+Now it happened that an hour or two later some of the most desperate
+robbers in all Thessaly broke into the house of Milo, and, unheard by
+anyone, took all the bags of money that the miser had concealed under
+some loose stones in his cellar. It was clear that they could not carry
+away such heavy plunder without risk of the crime being discovered, but
+they managed to get it quietly as far as the stable, where they gave the
+horse some apples to put it in a good temper, while they thrust a turnip
+into the mouth of Apuleius, who did not like it at all. Then they led
+out both the animals, and placed the sacks of money on their backs,
+after which they all set out for the robbers' cave in the side of the
+mountain. As this, however, was some distance off, it took them many
+hours to reach it, and on the way they passed through a large deserted
+garden, where rose bushes of all sorts grew like weeds. The pulse of
+Apuleius bounded at the sight, and he had already stretched out his nose
+towards them, when he suddenly remembered that if he should turn into a
+man in his present company he would probably be murdered by the robbers.
+With a great effort, he left the roses alone, and tramped steadily on
+his way.
+
+It were long indeed to tell the adventures of Apuleius and the number of
+masters whom he served. After some time he was captured by a soldier,
+and by him sold to two brothers, one a cook and the other a maker of
+pastry, who were attached to the service of a rich man who lived in the
+country. This man did not allow any of his slaves to dwell in his house,
+except those who attended on him personally, and these two brothers
+lived in a tent on the other side of the garden, and the ass was given
+to them to send to and fro with savoury dishes in his panniers.
+
+The cook and his brother were both careful men, and always had a great
+store of pastry and sweet things on their shelves, so that none might be
+lacking if their lord should command them. When they had done their work
+they placed water and food for their donkey in a little shed which
+opened on to the tent, then, fastening the door so that no one could
+enter, they went out to enjoy the evening air.
+
+On their return, it struck them that the tent looked unusually bare, and
+at length they perceived that this was because every morsel of pastry
+and sweets on the shelves had disappeared, and nothing was left of them,
+not so much as a crumb. There was no room for a thief to hide, so the
+two brothers supposed that, impossible though it seemed, he must not
+only have got _in_ but _out_ by the door, and, as their master might
+send for a tray of cakes at any moment, there was no help for it but to
+make a fresh supply. And so they did, and it took them more than half
+the night to do it.
+
+The next evening the same thing happened again; and the next, and the
+next, and the next.
+
+Then, by accident, the cook went into the shed where the ass lay, and
+discovered a heap of corn and hay that reached nearly to the roof.
+
+'Ah, you rascal!' he exclaimed, bursting out laughing as he spoke. 'So
+it is you who have cost us our sleep! Well, well, I dare say I should
+have done the same myself, for cakes and sweets are certainly nicer than
+corn and hay.' And the donkey brayed in answer, and winked an eye at
+him, and, more amused than before, the man went away to tell his
+brother.
+
+Of course it was not long before the story reached the ears of their
+master, who instantly sent to buy the donkey, and bade one of his
+servants, who had a taste for such things, teach him fresh tricks. This
+the man was ready enough to do, for the fame of this wonderful creature
+soon spread far and wide, and the citizens of the town thronged the
+doors of his stable. And while the servant reaped much gold by making
+the ass display his accomplishments, the master gained many friends
+among the people, and was soon made chief ruler.
+
+For five years Apuleius stayed in the house of Thyasus, and ate as many
+sweet cakes as he chose; and if he wanted more than were given him he
+wandered down to the tent of his old masters, and swept the shelves bare
+as of yore. At the end of the five years Thyasus proclaimed that a great
+feast would be held in his garden, after which plays would be acted, and
+in one of them his donkey should appear.
+
+Now, though Apuleius loved eating and drinking, he was not at all fond
+of doing tricks in public, and as the day drew near he grew more and
+more resolved that he would take no part in the entertainment. So one
+warm moonlight night he stole out of his stable, and galloped as fast as
+he could for ten miles, when he reached the sea. He was hot and tired
+with his long run, and the sea looked cool and pleasant.
+
+'It is years since I have had a bath,' thought he, 'or wetted anything
+but my feet. I will take one now; it will make me feel like a man
+again'; and into the water he went, and splashed about with joy, which
+would much have surprised anyone who had seen him, for asses do not in
+general care about washing.
+
+When he came back to dry land once more, he shook himself all over, and
+held his head first on one side and then on the other, so that the water
+might run out of his long ears. After that he felt quite comfortable,
+and lay down to sleep under a tree.
+
+He was awakened some hours later by the sound of voices singing a hymn,
+and, raising his head, he saw a vast crowd of people trooping down to
+the shore to hold the festival of their goddess, and in their midst
+walked the high priest crowned with a wreath of roses.
+
+At this sight hope was born afresh in the heart of Apuleius. It was long
+indeed since he had beheld any roses, for Thyasus fancied they made him
+ill, and would not suffer anyone to grow them in the city. So he drew
+near to the priest as he passed by, and gazed at him so wistfully that,
+moved by some sudden impulse, the pontiff lifted the wreath from his
+head, and held it out to him, while the people drew on one side, feeling
+that something was happening which they did not understand.
+
+Scarcely had Apuleius swallowed one of the roses, when the ass's skin
+fell from him, his back straightened itself, and his face once more
+became fair and rosy. Then he turned and joined in the hymn, and there
+was not a man among them all with a sweeter voice or more thankful
+spirit than that of Apuleius.
+
+[Apuleius, _The Golden Ass_.]
+
+
+
+
+_GUY OF WARWICK_
+
+
+Everyone knows about the famous knight Sir Guy, the slayer of the great
+Dun Cow which had laid waste the whole county of Warwick. But besides
+slaying the cow, he did many other noble deeds of which you may like to
+hear, so we had better begin at the beginning and learn who Sir Guy
+really was.
+
+The father of Guy, Segard the Wise, was one of the most trusty
+councillors of the powerful earl of Warwick and Oxford, who was feared
+as well as loved by all, as a man who would suffer no wrong through the
+lands which he governed.
+
+Now the earl had long noted the beauty and strength of Segard's young
+son, and had enrolled him amongst his pages and taught him all manner of
+knightly exercises. He even was versed in the art of chess-playing, and
+thus whiled away many a wet and gloomy day for his master, and for his
+daughter the fair Felice, learned in astronomy, geometry, and music, and
+in all else that professors from the schools of Toulouse and Spain could
+teach a maiden.
+
+It happened one Pentecost that the earl of Warwick ordered a great
+feast, followed by a tourney, to be held in the open space near the
+castle, and tents to be set up for dancing and players on the lute and
+harp. At these tourneys it was the custom of every knight to choose out
+his lady and to wear her token or colours on his helmet, as Sir Lancelot
+did the red sleeve of Elaine, and oftentimes, when Pentecost and the
+sports were over, marriages would be blessed by the priest.
+
+At this feast of Pentecost in particular, Guy stood behind the chair of
+his master the earl, as was his duty, when he was bidden by the
+chamberlain of the castle to hasten to the chamber of the Lady Felice,
+and to attend upon her and her maidens, as it was not thought seemly for
+them to be present at the great feast.
+
+Although, as we have said, the page had more than once been called upon
+to amuse the young damsel with a bout of chess, she had ever been
+strictly guarded by her nurse and never suffered to exchange a word with
+the youth whose place was so much below hers. On this evening, however,
+with none to hinder her, she chattered and laughed and teased her
+ladies, till Guy's heart was stolen from him and he quite forgot the
+duties he was sent to fulfil, and when he left her presence he sought
+his room, staggering like one blind.
+
+Young though he was, Guy knew--none better--how wide was the gulf that
+lay between him and the daughter of his liege lord. If the earl, in
+spite of all his favour, was but to know of the passion that had so
+suddenly been born in him, instant death would be the portion of the
+over-bold youth. But, well though he knew this, Guy cared little, and
+vowed to himself that, come what might, as soon as the feast was over he
+would open his heart to Felice, and abide by her answer.
+
+It was not easy to get a chance of speaking to her, so surrounded was
+she by all the princes and noble knights who had taken part in the
+tourney; but, as everything comes to him who waits, he one day found her
+sitting alone in the garden, and at once poured forth all his love and
+hopes.
+
+'Are you mad to think that _I_ should marry _you_?' was all she said,
+and Guy turned away so full of unhappiness that he grew sick with
+misery. The news of his illness much distressed his master, who bade all
+his most learned leeches go and heal his best-beloved page, but, as he
+answered nothing to all they asked him, they returned and told the earl
+that the young man had not many days to live.
+
+But, as some of our neighbours say, 'What shall be, shall be'; and that
+very night Felice dreamed that an angel appeared to her and chided her
+for her pride, and bade her return a soft answer if Guy again told her
+of his love. She arose from her bed full of doubts and fears, and
+hurried to a rose bower in her own garden, where, dismissing her ladies,
+she tried to set her mind in order and find out what she really felt.
+
+Felice was not very successful, because when she began to look into her
+heart there was one little door which always kept bursting open, though
+as often as it did so her pride shut it and bolted it again. She became
+so tired of telling herself that it was impossible that the daughter of
+a powerful noble could ever wed the simple son of a knight, that she was
+about to call to her maidens to cheer her with their songs and stories,
+when a hand pushed aside the roses and Guy himself stood before her.
+
+'Will my love ever be in vain?' he asked, gasping painfully as he spoke
+and steadying himself by the walls of the arbour. 'It is for the last
+time that I ask it; but if you deny me, my life is done, and I die, I
+die!' And indeed it seemed as if he were already dead, for he sank in a
+swoon at Felice's feet.
+
+Her screams brought one of her maidens running to her. 'Grammercy, my
+lady, and is your heart of stone,' cried the damsel, 'that it can see
+the fairest knight in the world lying here, and not break into pieces at
+his misery? Would that it were _I_ whom he loved! I would never say him
+nay.'
+
+'Would it _were_ you, and then I should no more be plagued of him,'
+answered Felice; but her voice was softer than her words, and she even
+helped her maiden to bring the young man out of his swoon. 'He is
+restored now,' she said to her damsel, who curtseyed and withdrew from
+the bower; then, turning to Guy, she added, half smiling:
+
+'It seems that in my father's court no man knows the proverb, "Faint
+heart never won fair lady." Yet it is old, and a good one. _My_ hand
+will only be the prize of a knight who has proved himself better than
+other men. If _you_ can be that knight--well, you will have your chance
+with the rest.'
+
+The soul of the youth leaped into his eyes as he listened; for he knew
+that this was much for the proud Felice to say. But he only bowed low,
+and with new life in his blood he left the castle. In a few days he was
+as strong as ever he had been, and straightway sought the earl, whom he
+implored to bestow on him the honour of knighthood.
+
+'Right gladly will I do so, my page,' answered Rohand, and gave orders
+that he would hold a solemn ceremony, when Guy and twenty other youths
+should be dubbed knights.
+
+Like many young men, Sir Guy thought that his first step on the road was
+also to be his last, and instantly sought the presence of Felice, whom
+he expected to find in the same softened mood as he had left her. But
+the lady only laughed his eagerness to scorn.
+
+'Think you that the name of knight is so rare that its ownership places
+you high above all men?' asked she. 'In what, I pray you tell me, does
+it put you above the rest who were dubbed by my father with you to-day?
+No troth of mine shall you have until your name is known from Warwick to
+Cathay.'
+
+And Sir Guy confessed his folly and presumption, and went heavily unto
+the house of Segard.
+
+'O my father,' he began before he had let the tapestry fall behind him,
+'I would fain cross the seas and seek adventures.'
+
+'Truly this is somewhat sudden, my fair young knight,' answered Sir
+Segard, with a mocking gleam in his eyes, for Guy's father had not been
+as blind as fathers are wont to be.
+
+'Other knights do so,' replied Guy, drawing figures on the floor with
+the point of his sword. 'And I would not that I were behind them.'
+
+'You shall go, my son,' said Segard, 'and I will give you as companions
+the well-tried knights Sir Thorold and Sir Leroy, and Héraud, whom I
+have proved in many wars. Besides these, you shall have men-at-arms with
+you, and such money as you may need.'
+
+Before many days had passed, Sir Guy and his friends had sailed across
+the high seas, and had made their way to the noble city of Rouen. Amidst
+all that was strange and new to him, there was yet much that was
+familiar to his eyes, for there were certain signs which betokened a
+tournament, and on questioning the host of the inn he learned all that
+he desired. Next morning a tourney was to be held by order of the
+emperor and the prize should be a white horse, a milk-white falcon, and
+two white greyhounds, and, if he wished it, the hand of the princess
+Whiterose, the emperor's daughter.
+
+Though he had not been made a knight a month ago, Sir Guy knew full well
+the customs of chivalry, and presented a palfrey, scarcely less
+beautiful than the one promised as a prize, to the teller of these happy
+tidings. Then he put on his armour and rode forth to the place of the
+tourney.
+
+In the field over against Rouen was gathered the flower of Western
+chivalry. The emperor had sent his son, and in his train came many
+valiant knights, among them Otho duke of Pavia, hereafter to be Sir
+Guy's most bitter enemy. The fights were long and sore, but one by one
+the keenest swordsmen rolled in the dust, and the prize was at length
+adjudged to the youngest knight there present.
+
+Full courteously he told all who might wish to hear that he might not
+wed Whiterose, the princess, for his faith was already plighted to
+another across the sea. And to Felice and to her father he sent the
+falcon and horse and greyhounds as tokens of his valour. After that he
+and his friends journeyed to many lands, fighting tournaments when there
+were any tournaments to fight, till the whole of Christendom rang with
+the name of Sir Guy.
+
+'Surely I have proved my worth,' he said, when a whole year had gone by.
+'Let us go home'; and home they went.
+
+Joyful was the welcome bestowed on him by every one he met--joyful, that
+is, from all but Felice.
+
+'Yes, you have done well,' she said, when he knelt before her, offering
+some of the prizes he had won. 'It is truly spoken among men that there
+are not twelve knights living as valorous as you. But that is not good
+enough for me. It matters not that you are "one of the best"; my husband
+must be "the best of all."'
+
+In vain Sir Guy pleaded that with her for his wife his strength would be
+doubled, and his renown also.
+
+'If you cannot conquer all men for my sake _now_, you will never do it
+after,' she answered; and Sir Guy, seeing his words were useless, went
+out to do her bidding.
+
+The wrath of his father and mother was great when their son came to tell
+them he was going to seek a fresh quest, but, though his heart was sore
+rent with their tears, he only embraced them tenderly, and departed
+quickly, lest he should make some promise he might not keep.
+
+For long he found no knight whose skill and strength were equal to his
+own, and he was beginning to hope that the day was drawing nigh that
+should see him stand without a peer, when, in a tourney near the city of
+Benevento, his foe thrust his lance deep into his shoulder, and for many
+days Sir Guy lay almost senseless on his bed.
+
+Now Otho duke of Pavia had neither forgotten nor forgiven his overthrow
+by the young knight at Rouen, more than a year agone, and he resolved to
+have his revenge while his enemy was still weak from loss of blood. So
+he hid some men behind some bushes, which Sir Guy would needs pass while
+riding along the road to the north, 'and _then_,' thought he, 'I will
+cast him into prison, there to await my pleasure.'
+
+But though his plans were well laid, the fight went against him, and in
+the end Sir Guy, nearly fainting with weariness and loss of blood, was
+again the victor, and Otho's best knight, Sir Guichard of Lombardy, owed
+his life to the swiftness of his horse. His victory, however, was to Sir
+Guy as sad as many defeats, for his constant companions lay dead before
+him.
+
+'Ah, Felice, this is your doing,' said he.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Long were it to tell of the deeds done by the noble knight Sir Guy; of
+the tourneys that he won, of the cities that he conquered--even at the
+game of chess he managed to be victorious! Of course many men were
+sorely jealous of him and his renown, and wove plots for his ruin, but
+somehow or other he contrived to escape them all.
+
+By this time Sir Guy had grown to love wandering and fighting so well
+that he had well-nigh forgotten who had sent him from his native land,
+and why he was not dwelling in his father's castle. Indeed, so wholly
+had the image of Felice faded from his memory, that when Ernis emperor
+of Constantinople, under whose banner he was serving, offered him the
+hand of his only daughter and half of his dominions, Sir Guy at once
+accepted his gifts.
+
+The sight of the wedding-ring brought him back to his allegiance. He no
+longer loved Felice it is true, and he _did_ love a younger and gentler
+maiden. But he must abide by the oath he had sworn, though it were to
+his own undoing.
+
+His grief at the loss of the princess Lorette sent Sir Guy to his bed
+for many days, but as soon as the fever left him he felt that he could
+stay at court no longer, and began to make plans to seek other
+adventures in company with his friend Héraud and a lion which he had
+saved from the claws of a dragon.
+
+Since that day this lion had never quitted his side, except at his
+master's bidding, and he always slept on the floor by his master's bed.
+The emperor and all his courtiers were fond of the great beast, who
+moved among them as freely as a kitten, but Sir Morgadour, the chief
+steward of the emperor of the West, who was visiting the court, had ever
+been Sir Guy's mortal enemy, and one evening, thinking himself unseen,
+gave the lion a mortal wound as he was sleeping quietly in the garden.
+He had just strength enough to drag himself to Sir Guy's feet, where he
+died, and a damsel who had marked the cruel deed proclaimed loudly that
+it was done by Sir Morgadour. In an instant Sir Guy's dagger was buried
+in his breast; but when he grew calmer he remembered that his presence
+at court might bring injury upon Ernis, as the emperor of the West would
+certainly seize the occasion to avenge the death of his steward. So the
+next day he left the city, and slowly turned his face towards England.
+
+It was some months before he arrived there, so many adventures did he
+meet with on the way. But directly he landed he hastened to York to
+throw himself at the feet of Athelstan the king.
+
+'Ah, welcome indeed, fair son,' cried he; 'the fame of your prowess has
+reached us these many years past, and we have just received the news
+that a fearful and horrible dragon, with wings on his feet and claws on
+his ears, is laying waste our county of Northumberland. He is as black
+as any coal, and as rough as any foal, and every man who has gone out to
+meet him has been done to death ere he has struck a blow. Go, therefore,
+with all speed and deliver us from this monster, for of dragons you
+have slain many, and perchance this one is no more evil than the rest.'
+
+The adventure was one after Sir Guy's own heart, and that very day he
+rode northwards; but even _his_ well-proved courage failed somewhat at
+the sight of the dragon, ten times uglier and more loathsome than any he
+had ever beheld. The creature roared hideously as he drew near, and
+stood up at his full length, till he seemed almost to stretch as far as
+Warwick. 'Verily,' thought Sir Guy to himself, 'the fight of old with
+the great Dun Cow was as the slaying of a puppy in comparison with
+this!'
+
+The dragon was covered thickly with scales all over his body, his
+stomach as well as his back. They were polished and shiny and hard as
+iron, and so closely planted that no sword could get in between them.
+
+'No use to strike there,' muttered Sir Guy, 'a thrust down his throat is
+my only chance.'
+
+But if Sir Guy knew this, the dragon knew it much better, and, though
+the knight managed to jump aside and avoid the swoops of his long neck
+and the sudden darting of his sharp claws, he had not even tried to
+strike a blow himself for fear lest his sword should break in two
+against that shining horny surface. This was not the kind of warfare to
+which the dragon was accustomed, and he began to grow angry, as anyone
+might have seen by the lashings of his tail and the jets of smoke and
+flame that poured out of his nostrils. Sir Guy felt that his chance
+would soon come, and waited patiently, keeping his eye for ever fixed on
+the dragon's mouth.
+
+At length the monster gave a sudden spring forward, and if Sir Guy had
+not been watching he could scarcely have leaped out of the way. The
+failure to reach his prey enraged the dragon more than ever, and,
+opening his mouth, he gave a roar which the king heard on his throne at
+York. He opened his mouth; but he never shut it again, for Guy's sword
+was buried in it. The death struggles were short; and then Sir Guy cut
+off the head and bore it to the king.
+
+After this, his first thought was for his parents, who, he found, had
+died many years agone, and having said a prayer over their graves, and
+put his affairs in order, he hurried off to Warwick to see Felice, and
+tell her that he had fulfilled the commands she had given him long years
+ago, when he was but a boy. He also told her of the ladies of high
+degree whose hands he had won in fair fight--won--and rejected. 'All of
+them I forsook for thee, Felice,' he said.
+
+He had kept his word; but he had left his heart in Constantinople.
+Perhaps Felice did not know this, or perhaps she did not set much store
+by hearts, and cared more for the renown that Sir Guy had won throughout
+Christendom. Anyhow, she received him gladly and graciously, and so did
+her father, and the marriage was celebrated with great pomp, and for a
+space Sir Guy remained at home, and after a time a son was born to him.
+
+But at the day of his son's birth Sir Guy was far away. In the quiet and
+idleness of the castle he began to think, and his conscience pricked him
+sore, that all the years of his life he had done ill to many a man
+
+    And slain many a man with his hand,
+    Burnt and destroyed many a land.
+    And all was for woman's love,
+    And not for God's sake above.
+
+'The end should be different from the beginning,' he said, and forthwith
+he put on the dress of a pilgrim, and took ship for the Holy Land,
+carrying with him a gold ring, given him by Felice.
+
+Once more he came back, an old man now, summoned by Athelstan, to
+deliver the city of Winchester out of the hands of the Danes, who were
+besieging it. Once more he returned to Warwick, and, unseen, watched
+Felice training her son in all the duties of knighthood, and once more
+he spoke with her, when, dying in his hermitage, he sent her the ring by
+his page, and prayed her to come and give him burial.
+
+[_Early English Metrical Romances._]
+
+
+
+
+_HOW BRADAMANTE CONQUERED THE WIZARD_
+
+
+Many of you will remember reading of the death of Roland, fighting
+against the Infidels in the Pass of Roncesvalles. Well, there is another
+book called 'Roland the Wrathful,' or in Italian (in which it was
+written), 'Orlando Furioso,' telling of the adventures of the great
+Paladin when he was a young man, and those of his friends. It is of one
+of these stories about a lady named Bradamante that you are going to
+hear now.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+From childhood, Bradamante had loved all feats of arms, and her chiefest
+joy was to mount the most fiery horses in her father's stable. She grew
+up very tall and strong, as well as fair to see, and soon put on man's
+armour, and began to take her part in tournaments, and it was rare
+indeed that she failed to carry off the prize. In truth, it was not long
+before her skill was said to be equal to that of Roland's cousin, the
+renowned Rinaldo.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Of course so wise and beautiful a maiden had no lack of wooers, but
+Bradamante listened to none, save only to the brave Roger, who had
+quitted the Moorish court to seek adventures in the lands of Charlemagne
+the emperor. But she kept silence as to her love, and was content to
+wait till such time as Roger should think fit to claim her as his bride.
+
+Suddenly the tidings came to her that Roger had vanished from among men,
+no one knew whither. As was her wont, Bradamante heard, and said
+nothing, but the next morning she sharpened her sword, and looked to
+the fastenings of her helmet, and rode off to seek him if perchance some
+ill had befallen him.
+
+In this quest she met with some adventures of her own, but of these we
+have no time to tell. Bradamante, we may be sure, did not linger over
+them, but pushed on till she crossed a mountain, and reached a valley
+watered by a stream and shaded by large trees.
+
+On the bank lay a young man with his head buried in his hands and
+seemingly in a state of deepest misery. He had flung his horse's bridle
+over the branch of a beech, and on the same bough he had hung his shield
+and sword. His looks and posture were so forlorn that Bradamante was
+moved to pity, and he himself was nothing loth to confess his woes,
+pretending the while to take her for a man, though he knew well she was
+a maiden. He was journeying, such was his tale, to the court of
+Charlemagne with a company of spearmen to aid the emperor in the war he
+was waging with the Moorish king of Spain. In the company was riding a
+damsel whom the knight had but lately freed from the power of a dragon.
+The beauty of this damsel had fired his heart, and as soon as the
+Infidel was crushed he hoped to wed her. But as they rode along by the
+side of a rapid river a winged horse guided by a man in black was seen
+hovering in the air above the troop. Swifter than lightning he swooped
+down upon the maiden; the rider bent low and snatched her off her
+palfrey, and was out of sight in the heavens almost before he knew that
+she was gone.
+
+'Since that day,' continued he, 'I have sought her through forests and
+over mountains, wherever I heard that a wizard's den was to be found.
+But each time it was a false hope that lured me on, and now my horse is
+spent and not another step can he go, though at length I know that
+hidden among yonder rocks is my captive maiden.'
+
+'If it is there she lies, I will free her,' cried Bradamante; but the
+knight shook his head more grievously than before.
+
+'I have visited that dark and dreadful place,' he said, 'which indeed I
+think seems more like the valley of death than aught on this fair and
+lovely earth. Amidst black and pathless precipices stands a rock, and on
+its top is a castle whose walls are of steel. It was built, so I have
+since learned, by a magician, and none can capture it.'
+
+'But did you see no man who would take pity on you, and tell you what to
+do?' asked Bradamante.
+
+'As I lingered, unable to tear myself away from that loathly prison,
+there appeared a dwarf guiding two knights whose faces I had often seen
+upon the battlefield and at court. One was Gradasso king of Sericane,
+the other and more valiant was the young Roger.'
+
+'And what did they there?' asked Bradamante, casting down her eyes.
+
+'They had come to fight the wizard who dwells in the castle, so said the
+dwarf,' replied the knight, 'and I told them my sad tale, and they
+answered in knightly fashion, that as long as their lives should last
+they would fight for the freedom of my lady. Little need have I to tell
+how my bosom was rent as I stood aside waiting for the combat to begin.
+
+'Each good knight was eager that the first blow might fall to him, but
+it was Gradasso who seized the horn and blew a blast which rang through
+the castle.
+
+'In a moment there shot into the sky the winged horse bearing his
+master, clad as before in black armour. He hovered for a little space so
+high that even the eagle could scarcely have followed him, then darted
+straight downwards, and Gradasso felt a spear-thrust in his side. The
+knight struck sharply back, but his sword cleft the empty air, for the
+horse was already far out of reach. Roger ran to staunch the blood and
+bind up the wound, never thinking of what might befall himself. But, in
+truth, how could mortal men fight with a wizard who had studied all the
+magic of the East, and had a winged horse to help him? His movements
+were so swift that they knew not where to smite, and both Gradasso and
+Roger were covered with wounds and bruises, while their enemy had never
+once been touched.
+
+'Their strength as well as their courage began to fail in the stress of
+this strange warfare. The blows they dealt grew ever wilder and more
+feeble, when from off his shield which hung upon his arm the wizard drew
+a silken covering, and held the shield towards them as a mirror. As I
+looked and wondered, behold the knights fell upon their faces, and I
+also, and when next I opened my eyes I was alone upon the mountain.'
+
+'And Roger?' said Bradamante.
+
+'Roger and Gradasso had doubtless been carried by the wizard to the dark
+cells of the prison, where my fair lady lies,' answered the knight, and
+he again dropped his head upon his hands.
+
+Now the knight was count Pinabello, the false son of a false race, and
+woe betide the man or maid who trusted him. But this Bradamante knew
+not, and thinking that the end of her quest was come cried joyfully:
+
+'Oh, take me to the castle, sir knight, with all the speed you may, and
+I shall be beholden to you for ever!
+
+'If you so desire it I will lead you there,' answered the knight; 'but
+remember that I have warned you that the danger is great! When you have
+climbed those walls of steel, you will find yourself a prisoner like the
+rest.'
+
+'I care nothing for that,' said Bradamante.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+So they set forth, but it was not by the road to the castle that
+Pinabello led the maiden. Wrapped in his gloom begotten of treachery and
+hate, he wandered from the path into a wood, where the trees grew so
+thickly that the sky was scarcely visible. Then a dark thought entered
+his mind. 'She shall trouble me no more,' he murmured as he went; and
+aloud, 'The night is at hand, and ere it comes it were well that we
+found a shelter. Rest, I pray you, here a short while, and I will climb
+that hill and see if, as I expect, there is a tower not far off where we
+can lie. To-morrow we will proceed on our way.'
+
+'Let me go with you,' answered Bradamante, 'lest you should never find
+_me_ again, or _I_ the wizard's castle,' and, so saying, she guided her
+horse after his.
+
+Thus they rode for some way, when Pinabello, who was in front, espied
+among the rocks a deep cavern with sides so steep and smooth that no
+mortal could have climbed them. He jumped off his horse and peered to
+the bottom, but no bottom could he see. Then his heart leaped at the
+thought that now, once and for all, he would be rid of Bradamante.
+
+'Ah, good knight, you did well to follow me,' turning to greet her, as
+her horse came panting up the steep hill.
+
+'A damsel lies imprisoned in that dark place, and it is foretold that
+only a knight with a white mantle and a white plume in his helm can
+deliver her. Now I think that you must be that knight, and if you have
+the courage to go down into that cavern as I went, you will get speech
+of her, as I did.'
+
+'I will go right willingly,' answered Bradamante, and looked about her
+for some means of descending into the cavern. Near the mouth was a stout
+oak, and Bradamante cut off a branch with her sword and plunged it down
+the mouth of the cave. She gave Pinabello one end to hold fast, and
+lowered herself carefully into the darkness.
+
+'Can you jump?' asked the count suddenly, with a laugh, and, giving the
+bough a push, it fell with Bradamante into the pit.
+
+But the traitor triumphed without a cause. In the swift passage down the
+cave the branch struck the bottom first, and, though it broke in pieces,
+Bradamante was saved from being dashed against the floor, where she lay
+for a while bruised and shaken.
+
+When she became used to the darkness, she stood up and looked around
+her. 'There may be some way out, after all,' thought she, noting that
+the cave was less gloomy than she had fancied, and felt round the walls
+with her hands. On one side there seemed to be a passage, and going
+cautiously down it she found that it ended in a sort of church, with a
+lamp hanging over the altar.
+
+At this moment there opened a little gate, and through it came a lady,
+bare-footed, with streaming hair.
+
+'O Bradamante,' she said, 'long have I awaited you, for Merlin, who lies
+here, prophesied before he entered this living tomb that ages hence you
+would find your way hither. He bade me come from a far-distant land, and
+be with you at the hour when his spirit, though dead, should tell of the
+glories of the race that will spring from you and Roger.'
+
+'I am not worthy of such honour,' answered Bradamante, casting down her
+eyes, though her heart beat with joy at the thought that though she and
+Roger might be parted now, yet in the end they would be united. 'Let my
+lord speak, and I will hearken to him.'
+
+At that a voice rose from the sepulchre where Merlin had lain buried for
+many hundreds of years.
+
+'Since it is decreed that you shall be the wife of Roger, take courage,
+and follow the path that leads you to him. Let nothing turn you aside,
+and suffer no adventure to ensnare you till you have overthrown the
+wizard who holds him captive.'
+
+The voice ceased, and Melissa, the kind magician who went through the
+world seeking to set wrongs right, showed from a book the glories that
+would attend the children of Bradamante.
+
+'To-morrow at dawn,' she said when she had finished and put away the
+magic scroll--'to-morrow at dawn I myself will lead you to the wizard's
+castle. Till then it would be well for you to seek of the wisdom of
+Merlin guidance to overcome the dangers bestrewing your path.'
+
+Next morning Melissa and Bradamante rode out from the cavern by a secret
+way, and passed over rushing rivers, and climbed high precipices, and as
+they went Melissa held discourse with Bradamante how best to set Roger
+free.
+
+'No man, however brave, could withstand the wizard, who has his magic
+mirror as well as his flying horse to aid him. If you would reach Roger,
+you must first get possession of the ring stolen from Angelica by
+Agramante, the African king, and given by him to Brunello, who is riding
+only a few miles in front of us. In the presence of this ring all charms
+and sorceries lose their power; but, take heed, for to outwit Brunello
+is no easy task.'
+
+'It is good fortune indeed that Brunello should be so near us,' answered
+Bradamante joyfully; 'but how shall I know him from other men?'
+
+'He is of low stature, and covered with black hair,' replied Melissa;
+'his nose lies flat upon his face, and his skin is yellow, as the skin
+of those who come from the far lands beyond Scythia. You must fall to
+talking with him upon magic and enchantments, but beware lest he guess
+who you are or what your business, and lead him on till he offer himself
+your guide to the wizard's castle. As you go, strike him dead, before he
+has time to spy into your heart, and, above all, before he can slip the
+ring into his mouth. Once he does that, you lose Roger for ever.'
+
+[Illustration: BRADAMANTE DEFEATS THE WIZARD WITH THE RING]
+
+Having thus said, Melissa bade Bradamante farewell, and they parted with
+tears and promises of speedy meeting. Forthwith Bradamante entered an
+inn hard by, where Brunello was already seated, and if she at once
+marked him amongst other men he no less knew her, for many a time he had
+seen her at jousts and tourneys.
+
+Thus, both feigning, they fell into talk, and held discourse upon the
+castle and the knights who lay imprisoned therein. 'Many an adventure as
+perilous have I dared,' at length said Bradamante, 'and never have I
+failed to trample under foot my foe. So, if our worthy host will but
+give me a guide, I myself will challenge this wizard to deadly combat.'
+
+But Brunello would suffer no man to be her guide save himself, and
+together they climbed the mountain till they stood at the foot of the
+castle. 'Look at those walls of steel that crown the precipice,' began
+Brunello; but before he could say more a strong girdle was passed round
+his arms, which were fastened tightly to his side; and in spite of his
+cries and struggles Bradamante drew the ring off his finger and placed
+it on her own, though kill him she would not.
+
+Then she seized the horn which hung from a cord, and, blowing a loud
+blast, waited calmly for the magician to answer.
+
+Out he came on his flying steed, bearing on his left arm his
+silken-covered shield, while he uttered spells that had laid low many a
+knight and lady. Bradamante heard them all, and was no whit the worse
+for the blackest of them.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Furious at his defeat, the wizard snatched the cover from the shield,
+and Bradamante, knowing full well what was wont to follow, sank heavily
+on the ground. At this the wizard covered his shield once more, and
+guided his steed swiftly to where the maiden lay. After that, unclasping
+a chain from his body, he bent down to find her. It was then that she
+lifted her ringed hand, and there stood before her an old man with white
+hair and a face scarred with sorrow.
+
+'Kill me, I pray you, gentle lady,' cried he; 'yet know before I die
+that my love to Roger has been the cause of these heavy woes to so many
+gallant knights and fair damsels. I am that Atlantes who watched over
+him in childhood, and as he grew to manhood he was ever the first in all
+deeds of chivalry. So reckless was he, that many a time it needed all my
+magic to bring him back to life when seemingly he lay dead. At length,
+to keep him from harm, I built this castle, and filled it with all that
+was beautiful, and, as you know, with knights and ladies to be his
+companions. When everything was ready I captured Roger himself.
+
+'Now, take my horse and shield, and throw open wide the castle doors--do
+what you will, but leave me only Roger.'
+
+The heart of Bradamante was not wont to be deaf to the sorrows of
+others, but this time it seemed turned to stone.
+
+'Your horse and shield I have won for myself,' she said; 'and have you
+lived so long in the world without learning that it is idle to war
+against fate? It is fate which has given you into my hands, and it is
+useless to strive against it. Therefore, lead the way to the gate, and I
+will follow.'
+
+They climbed in silence the long flight of steps leading to the castle;
+then Atlantes stooped and raised a stone on which was graven strange and
+magic signs. Beneath the stone was a row of pots filled with undying
+flames, and on these the wizard let the stone fall. In a moment there
+was a sound as if all the rocks on the earth were rent, the castle
+vanished into the air, and with it Atlantes.
+
+Instead, a troop of knights and ladies stood before Bradamante, who saw
+and heard none save only Roger.
+
+[From _Orlando Furioso_.]
+
+
+
+
+_THE RING OF BRADAMANTE_
+
+
+When Bradamante had freed Roger and his companions from the enchanted
+castle, she thought that henceforth they would never more be parted. But
+she forgot that she had to deal with a wizard, and that wizards are not
+easily outwitted.
+
+On a little plain beneath the mountain the winged horse was grazing, and
+when the knights and ladies came gaily down the path Bradamante left the
+rest and went up to take it by the bridle. Atlantes, however, had laid
+other plans, and had thrown a spell over the horse, so that directly
+Bradamante was close to it the creature moved away to a little distance.
+At this the knights, thinking to help her, gave chase, but the horse led
+them up and down the mountain, over rocks and through streams, till one
+by one they dropped behind, and in front there remained only Roger.
+
+As it had been taught by Atlantes, the horse stood still, while Roger,
+with a cry of delight, seized the bridle and jumped upon its back. With
+a bound it sprang into the air, and, though Roger tried to guide it
+downwards to the earth, it was all in vain, for so the enchanter had
+willed it. Below stood Bradamante gazing up; her joy turned quickly to
+despair, and when the traces of Roger had vanished she rode sadly away,
+taking with her the horse Roger had left behind.
+
+Meanwhile Roger was flying through the air swifter than an arrow or the
+lightning. Since he could not make the horse swerve an hair's breadth to
+the right or left, he ceased his useless efforts, and let himself be
+carried this way or that. Suddenly he felt that, instead of going
+forward they were gradually dropping down, down, down; and soon the
+horse stopped on a lovely island.
+
+Where the island might be Roger did not know, nor could he tell how long
+he had been on his journey thither. In truth, he was content to feel
+himself on solid ground once more, and to smell sweet flowers and eat
+delicious fruits, for how could he guess that this also was devised by
+Atlantes--that these sights and sounds might lull his senses, and keep
+him safe from war? Atlantes was a great wizard and wise beyond most, but
+he had never learned that it was a better thing to die in battle than to
+live only for pleasure.
+
+On reaching the ground Roger was careful to hold fast the bridle, having
+no mind that the horse should fly up into the air and leave him helpless
+on the island. Then, looking round, he saw a strong myrtle, and he tied
+the reins tightly to it, so that he himself could roam about as he
+would.
+
+At length he grew tired of wandering and returned to the place where he
+had left his horse, which he found champing and struggling to shake
+itself free. As he drew near a voice cried in melancholy tones:
+
+'If, as I think, you are a knight, and bound by the rules of chivalry,
+release me, I pray you, from this monster, who only adds to the pains
+which I myself endure.'
+
+Startled at the sound, Roger looked around, but nought could he see save
+the myrtle to which the horse was fastened.
+
+'I crave your pardon,' answered he, 'for having unwittingly done you
+wrong; but tell me who you are, and what has caused your present
+plight?'
+
+[Illustration: Roger borne away from Bradamante]
+
+'I am Astolfo, peer of France,' replied the tree, 'and I was enchanted
+by the fairy Alcina, who thus rids herself of her friends and her
+servants when they have ceased to please her. Even this island is not
+hers by right, but was stolen from her sister Logistilla, who is as wise
+and kind as Alcina is wicked. But so beautiful is Alcina, that none can
+withstand her if once she looks on them, therefore fly while you may and
+ask counsel of Logistilla if there is aught that you would know.'
+
+'Oh, tell me, good tree, how I can escape without crossing the path of
+the cruel Alcina?' cried Roger.
+
+'There _is_ a way,' answered the tree, 'but it is rough to the feet, and
+beset by fierce and ill-tongued men, placed there by the fairy. He who
+would quit Alcina's isle needs open eyes and deaf ears.'
+
+'I will have both,' said Roger.
+
+But, alas! he boasted overmuch, as young men are wont to do. He was
+indeed in no wise affrighted at the strange shapes that met him and
+sought to bar his progress. Some had heads of apes and feet of goats;
+some rode eagles or bestrode cranes; while the captain of all was
+mounted on a tortoise. They swarmed on him like a crowd of flies, and
+Roger was so sore bested that he gave no thought to his magic shield,
+which perchance might have saved him.
+
+For into the _mêlée_ came two maidens of such wondrous beauty that Roger
+dropped his lance and stood without defence to gaze his fill. Two
+snow-white unicorns bore them from the city gates, and, at their coming,
+the noisy rabble vanished as if they had never been. Then the ladies
+stretched out their hands, and prayed the knight to follow them into the
+city.
+
+'We have need of your brave heart and mighty arm,' they said, 'to
+vanquish a giantess who guards a bridge which none can pass'; and well
+they knew that, if Roger was to be ensnared by them, it must be by slow
+degrees, for not all at once would he drop into the idle life of the
+dwellers on the island.
+
+So, nothing loth, Roger gladly did their behest, and went forth to meet
+the giantess.
+
+The fight did not last long, and soon the monstrous creature lay
+stretched on the ground at Roger's feet; but her life was spared at the
+request of the damsels, and at their bidding he followed them over the
+bridge and up a hill. On the top was a large meadow full of flowers, in
+which maidens were playing at ball or singing sweet songs on the lute,
+while others were dancing.
+
+In their midst was a damsel so fair that the rest, even the guides of
+Roger, looked swarthy beside her, and she came forth from among them,
+and held out her hand for him to kiss.
+
+Vain it were to seek to tell Alcina's charms, but even as his eyes fell
+on her Roger felt that everything said by Astolfo in her despite was
+false. Even Bradamante was forgotten, as if she had never lived at all;
+yet for this Roger was hardly to blame, for how should he stand against
+Alcina's magic!
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It was here that Melissa, clad in the form of Atlantes, found him after
+many months had gone by, during which Bradamante had sought him vainly.
+At last fate brought Melissa again across her path, and from her the
+forsaken damsel learnt who it was that kept him from her.
+
+'Be comforted,' said Melissa, when she beheld Bradamante's tears. 'You
+yourself have the ring which can free him from those evil spells, and
+bring him back to your side. So lend it me, I pray, and by to-morrow's
+dawn I will be with him.'
+
+Roger was lying on a bed of soft moss, when Atlantes, for so he took her
+to be, stood before him.
+
+He lifted his head lazily, and smiled, but the face of his old master
+was grave as he said sternly:
+
+[Illustration: THE TWO DAMSELS RESCUE ROGER FROM THE RABBLE]
+
+'And is it _you_, Roger, whom I find thus, your hair curled and scented,
+your neck circled with jewelled chains? Was it for this you passed your
+boyhood in waging war against fierce beasts, fearing neither hunger nor
+thirst as you tracked them to their lair? But, as I loved you once, I
+will give you a chance to shake off this shameful life, and to become
+once more worthy of Bradamante. Take this ring, and when next Alcina
+comes this way mark well the change that is wrought in the queen of this
+fair land.'
+
+With shame and repentance burning at his heart, Roger slowly drew the
+ring upon his finger; and by its virtue he beheld not Atlantes but
+Melissa.
+
+'Yes, it is I,' she said, 'and it is Bradamante who sent me hither, to
+save you by means of the ring which she took from the hand of Brunello.
+It will break the strongest spells that wizard ever wove, and open wide
+the eyes that have been longest blinded.'
+
+With that she vanished, and Roger rose and followed the path which led
+to the palace.
+
+On the marble steps he saw, as he went, a troop of ladies standing.
+Their clothes were rich and made of shining stuffs, and well became
+their golden hair or curly raven locks; but who was she in their midst
+whose form was unknown to him? Her back was bowed with age, and scarce a
+hair remained upon her head, while all her skin was shrivelled and
+yellow. Roger gazed in horror, expecting, as he looked, the lean body to
+crumble into dust before him. Yet something, what he knew not, seemed
+not wholly strange in that pale and shrunken figure--something that, in
+spite of all, spoke to him of Alcina. A thrill of horror ran through
+him, but he remembered in time the counsel of Melissa, and, trembling
+though he was, he greeted her with fair words.
+
+Dreading lest he should again fall under the fairy's enchantments, Roger
+never parted from the ring, and kept guard over himself, lest perchance
+Alcina should guess what was passing within him. To gain possession of
+his armour, long laid aside, he feigned a wish to prove if his life of
+idleness had unfitted him to bear the weight of it, or if his chest had
+grown too broad for the clasps of his breast-plate to meet. Then,
+laughing still, he strolled carelessly to the stables, calling back as
+he went that perhaps his horse might have become as fat and lazy as
+himself. But when he reached the stables he passed by the winged steed
+which had borne him to the island, for he bethought himself once more of
+Melissa's words: 'Beware of the hippogryph,' she had said, 'you will
+never wed Bradamante if you mount that.' So he left the great creature
+flapping its wings with longing to soar once more into the sky, and led
+out a strong black horse. Vaulting on his back, he touched him with his
+spurs, and dashed through the guards at the gate before Alcina knew that
+her captive had won his freedom.
+
+When the fairy found that the knight did not return, she sent a
+messenger for tidings of him, and so great was her wrath when she
+learned that he had passed the gate, and was far on the road to her
+sister, the good Logistilla, that she ordered all the guards to be put
+to death. Then she commanded her ships to be got ready, and put to sea
+herself, thinking by that means she might bring him back. But all was
+vain, and at last she was forced to believe that Roger had shaken off
+her yoke for ever.
+
+[From _Orlando Furioso_.]
+
+
+
+
+_THE FULFILLING OF THE PROPHECY_
+
+
+For a long while Bradamante waited quietly in Marseilles, thinking that
+every day Roger would come to her, but as time passed and he gave no
+sign she grew heart-sick and impatient. Some evil must surely have
+befallen him, she whispered to herself, yet where to seek him she did
+not know.
+
+At length one morning, when hope had almost left her, the enchantress
+Melissa stood by her side and smiled at her.
+
+'Have no fear for Roger,' said Melissa; 'he is safe, and counts the
+hours to your meeting. But once more he has been taken captive by
+Atlantes, who ensnared him by putting on your form and face, and
+entering his palace, whither Roger followed eagerly. Never look so cast
+down, Bradamante, but listen to my counsel and abide by it, and all will
+be well.'
+
+Then Bradamante sprang up, grasping tightly her sword and shield.
+
+'Whatever you tell me to do, I will do it,' cried she; and Melissa went
+on:
+
+'This time Atlantes will change his shape for that of Roger, that you
+also may fall a victim to his wiles. Beware lest you be deceived, or
+instead of saving Roger you will find yourself also a prisoner in the
+castle. Harden your heart, and slay him as he stands before you, and
+Roger shall be free for evermore.'
+
+So spoke Melissa not once, but many times, before they drew near the
+castle, where she bade farewell to Bradamante, dreading that the wizard
+should see her and take fright. The maiden rode on till she reached an
+open space, where two fierce giants were pressing Roger sore and
+well-nigh overcoming him. In a moment all the words of Melissa were
+forgotten, or rather she deemed that jealousy or revenge had prompted
+her words. And, as these thoughts ran swiftly through her, a cry for
+help sounded in her ears. Slay Roger? Melissa must have indeed been mad
+when she gave her this counsel, and, spurring her horse, she galloped
+after the wounded knight, who, pursued by his foes, was riding at full
+speed to the castle.
+
+When they were all four inside the courtyard, the gate swung to and
+Bradamante was a prisoner.
+
+Now it was written in the magic book carried by Astolfo, the knight who
+had been changed by Alcina into a myrtle tree and restored by Melissa,
+that if a stone on the threshold were raised, the whole palace would
+vanish into smoke as the other castle had done before. Though he knew it
+not, Melissa stood by his side as he rode through the wood, many weeks
+after Bradamante had entered the castle, and whispered to him that the
+time had come to prove the truth of the prophecy. First blowing a blast
+with the horn which affrighted all that dwelt within the walls, with a
+mighty heave he raised the magic stone. In an instant the earth rocked,
+and he was thrown flat upon the ground, while with a roar the castle
+crumbled into dust. The knights and ladies imprisoned therein ran forth
+in fear, and it was not until the ill-fated place was left far behind
+that they stopped to look about them.
+
+It was then that Roger and Bradamante beheld each other once more, and
+in the joy of meeting forgot the pains they had endured since they had
+parted. But one promise Bradamante asked of Roger before she would be
+his wife. 'I cannot wed an infidel,' said she. 'You must become a
+Christian first.'
+
+'Right willingly,' answered Roger, and it was agreed between them that
+they should set out at once for a fair abbey, so that the rite might be
+delayed no longer.
+
+Thus they talked; but not yet were they to be united. On their way a
+distressed damsel met them on the road imploring help, which both knight
+and lady readily granted. But, alas! in seeking to give the aid prayed
+of them they strayed unwittingly down various roads, and it was long
+before fortune again brought them together. For hardly had Roger brought
+to an end his adventure than he learned that his liege lord, Agramante
+king of Africa, was hard pressed by Charlemagne the emperor, and needed
+his vassal to fight by his side. So Roger turned his face to the west,
+first bidding his squire ride back to Bradamante and tell her that, once
+the war was finished, nothing further should delay his baptism.
+
+The war went ill with Agramante, and many a time Roger was sore wounded
+and like to die. Far away, in the house of her father among the
+mountains, tales came now and then to Bradamante of Roger's doings in
+the fight. Bitterly her soul chafed at not being by his side to help and
+tend him; but, if she could not fight against him, far less could she
+fight in the ranks of the infidels. Thus, weary at heart, she waited and
+sat still, or wandered about the forests, hoping to meet someone who
+could bring her tidings of Roger.
+
+For long no one came through the thick dark woods, and Bradamante was
+almost sick with despair, when a Gascon knight rode by.
+
+'Are you from the war, brave sir?' asked she, springing up from the bank
+where she had cast herself, and going eagerly to meet him. 'Are you from
+the war, and have you news from one Roger?'
+
+'Alas! madam,' he answered, 'but a month since he was sore wounded in
+fight with one Mandricado, and has since lain in his bed, tended by the
+lady Marfisa, who wears a breast-plate as easily as she does a woman's
+gown. Had it not been for her skill, Roger would long have been buried,
+and when he is able to bear arms again doubtless he will offer his hand
+to the damsel in marriage. At least, so say all in camp. But the sun is
+low and time presses. I must begone.'
+
+He went on his way, and when he was out of sight Bradamante turned and
+loosed her horse from the tree to which she had tied him and rode back
+to the castle. Without a word she mounted the stairs to the tower where
+she dwelt, and, throwing herself on her bed, gave vent to the torrents
+of jealousy which possessed her soul. Then, rising up, she bade her
+maidens weave her with all speed a sad-coloured mantle, and when it was
+ready she took the lance of gold belonging to Astolfo, which had (though
+she knew it not) the gift of unhorsing every warrior whom it touched,
+and, going to the courtyard, led out and saddled her horse.
+
+Alone, without even a squire to help her, Bradamante began her journey
+to Arles, where the army of Agramante lay encamped. On the road thither
+she met with many an adventure, but by the aid of the golden lance
+always bore down her foe. After one of these fights she fell in with the
+Lady Flordelice, who was herself riding to Arles in the hope of gaining
+news of her husband, now a prisoner in the hands of the Moors. By her
+Bradamante sent a message challenging Roger to come forth to meet her in
+single combat.
+
+'And if he asks my name say it is unknown to you,' she added, 'but that
+the stranger knight had bidden you take this horse, and prayed that he
+might bestride it in battle.'
+
+Flordelice was careful to fulfil the trust laid upon her, and no sooner
+was she within the gates of Arles than she sought out Roger and
+delivered him the message and the horse. The young man, perplexed at the
+defiance of the nameless knight, sought counsel of his father, who bade
+him accept the challenge and prepare for battle without delay. While he
+was making ready other knights were not slow to seize the chance of
+giving the haughty Christian a lesson, and went out to fight in the
+plain beyond the walls. But a single touch of the magic lance was enough
+to unhorse them all, and one by one Bradamante sent them to their lord.
+
+'Tell him I await a better man than you,' said she.
+
+'And what is his name?' asked Ferrau of Spain when he rode before her,
+having craved permission to try his strength against the stranger.
+
+'Roger,' answered she, and, as her vizor was raised, Ferrau could not
+but see the red that flushed her face, though he feigned to notice
+nothing.
+
+'He shall come to you,' replied Ferrau, 'but first you must cross swords
+with me,' and, spurring his horse, he rode to share the fate of the
+rest.
+
+Right glad was Roger to hear that the peerless knight Ferrau had been
+borne down like those who had gone before him, and that it was he and no
+other whom the victor wished to fight. But the courtiers of King
+Agramante now thronged around Ferrau, asking if perchance he had seen
+the face of his foe, and knew it for having beheld it elsewhere.
+
+'Yes, I saw it,' said Ferrau, 'and it bore something of the semblance of
+Rinaldo. But since we know that it cannot be, and that the young Ricardo
+has neither the strength nor the skill to unhorse so many well-proved
+knights, it can be none other than their sister Bradamante. Truly she is
+mightier even than Rinaldo or her cousin Roland the Wrathful.'
+
+At that Roger started, and his cheeks reddened even as those of
+Bradamante had done. He stood silent and awkward under the eyes of the
+whole court, for he feared to meet Bradamante and to read in her face
+that during the long months of his absence her love had given place to
+anger.
+
+While Roger waited, uncertain whether to accept or refuse the challenge
+of Bradamante, Marfisa buckled on her coat of mail, and rode out in his
+stead to meet the foe. Bradamante felt in her heart who the knight was
+with the plume of blue and shining golden corselet, and hate burned in
+her soul as fiercely as in the breast of the other.
+
+Thrice the magic lance stretched Marfisa on the ground, and thrice she
+rose and sought to avenge herself by a sword-thrust. At this point a
+body of knights, with Roger in their midst, arrived upon the field,
+while a band of pagan warriors approached from the opposite side. Blows
+were soon struck, and Bradamante, caring nothing for her own life,
+galloped wildly about seeking to catch sight of Roger.
+
+The silver eagle on a blue shield was hard to find, but Bradamante found
+it at last, and crying, 'Traitor, defend yourself!' dashed wildly at
+him. Yet, in spite of herself, the arm which had been strong before was
+strangely weak now, and Roger could, with one thrust, have borne her off
+her horse, but instead his lance remained in air; she might slay him if
+so she chose; she had the right, but every hair of her head was safe
+from him.
+
+So the day that began so badly ended happily for them all. Roger renewed
+his vow and became a Christian, but once more declared that by all the
+laws of honour and chivalry he could not desert Agramante in his dire
+straits. Fate again divided him from Bradamante, and sent him to join
+the army of Agramante, which had been worsted in many battles. The king
+had broken a truce with Charlemagne, and was trying to collect men and
+ships in Africa, and Roger felt that he was bound in honour to go to his
+aid. He put off in a small barque, but a violent tempest drove them up
+and down all night, and cast Roger at dawn upon a barren shore. But, so
+exhausted was he by his fight with the waves, that even yet he must have
+died from hunger and cold had not a hermit who dwelt in a cave close by
+come to his help. Here Roger rested till his strength came back to him,
+and before he bade farewell to the hermit he had been baptized a
+Christian.
+
+No sooner was Roger healed from the hurts given him by the winds and
+waves, than he watched eagerly for a passing boat that might take him
+back to France. He waited and watched for long, but at length a ship put
+into the island, having on board both Rinaldo and Roland. Right welcome
+did they make Roger, whom both knew to be the flower of infidel
+chivalry, and when they heard that, Agramante being slain in battle,
+Roger was free to swear fealty to the emperor, and had besides been
+baptized a Christian, Rinaldo at once promised him the hand of his
+sister Bradamante.
+
+And now it may well be thought that the time had come for the prophecy
+of Melissa to be fulfilled, and for Roger and Bradamante to receive the
+marriage blessing. But their happiness was to be delayed still further,
+for the old duke Aymon declared that he had chosen a husband for his
+daughter in the son of Constantine, emperor of the East, and not all the
+tears and prayers of Bradamante and Rinaldo would move him one whit. By
+the help of her brother, Bradamante contrived once more to see Roger,
+who bade her take heart, as he would himself go to Constantinople and
+fight the upstart prince and dethrone his father, then he would seize
+the crown for himself, and Bradamante should be empress after all. At
+these words Bradamante plucked up her courage and they embraced and
+parted.
+
+After Roger had set forth the days hung heavily at duke Aymon's court,
+till one night, as Bradamante was lying awake, wondering if the vision
+of Melissa would ever come to pass, she saw suddenly a way out of her
+distresses. So the next morning she rose early, and fastening on her
+armour, left her father's castle for Charlemagne's camp. Craving speedy
+audience of the emperor, she besought him as a boon that he would order
+proclamation to be made that no man should be given her for husband till
+he had first overcome her in battle. To this Charlemagne consented,
+although duke Aymon, who had followed his daughter, prayed the emperor
+to refuse her this grace, and the old man, waxing very wroth at his
+defeat, shut up the damsel in a strong tower between Perpignan and
+Carcassonne.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+While these things were taking place at home, Roger had reached the
+shores of Constantinople, and learned that the emperor of the East was
+engaged in a fight with the Bulgars, and that his army was encamped in a
+field near Belgrade. Thither Roger rode with all the speed he might, and
+finding that the king of the Bulgars had just been slain by the hand of
+Leo, son of Constantine, he offered to be the leader of the army, and
+soon put the Greeks to flight. Indeed, such were his mighty deeds, that
+Leo himself, rival (though he knew it not) of Roger, could not fail to
+wonder at them. When the battle was over, the Bulgarian army begged him
+to be their king, so sure were they that victory would follow his
+banner; but he declined, for the secret reason that he purposed to
+follow the prince, and slay him in single combat.
+
+But instead of killing each other these two brave knights ended in
+becoming friends and brothers, for Leo delivered Roger from prison,
+where he had unjustly been thrown by the sister of Constantine, and they
+both journeyed together to France, to enter the lists for the hand of
+Bradamante.
+
+Although they travelled with all the speed they might, they only arrived
+at the appointed place outside Paris on the day of the combat, when
+Bradamante was arming herself for the struggle. The prince knew well by
+this time that it was hopeless for him to think of winning for himself
+the love that had so long been given to another, and he prayed Roger to
+do him the grace to wear his arms and to bear his name in the tourney.
+It cost Roger somewhat to lay aside the arms and the name that had stood
+him for many a year in such good stead, but he owed the prince too much
+to say him nay, although to bid farewell to Bradamante when he had won
+the prize in fair fight would be bitter indeed.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+With a double-headed eagle on Leo's crimson shield, and Leo's velvet
+surcoat over his coat of mail, Roger did obeisance to the emperor and
+then walked into the lists. He had chosen to give battle on foot, since
+Bradamante was riding his horse Frontino.
+
+All day long the combat lasted, and, as Bradamante had been unable to
+bear down her foe, she was proclaimed vanquished. But of what value was
+the victory to him, seeing that he had gained the reward for another?
+So, hastily stripping off the armour belonging to the Greek prince, he
+left the tent unseen, and, catching sight of Frontino grazing quietly
+among some trees, sprang quickly on his back and plunged into the
+forest.
+
+'Let death come soon,' he said to himself, 'since life is worthless.'
+
+Meanwhile the court in Paris rang with the name of Leo the prince, and
+duke Aymon informed his daughter that the marriage feast need no longer
+be postponed. But to this Bradamante turned a deaf ear.
+
+'I will wed none but Roger,' she cried, and though her parents taunted
+her with her broken vow, and threatened her with the wrath of the
+emperor, she would give no other answer.
+
+'I can always die,' she thought to herself.
+
+The court was all confusion and perplexity; the emperor loved
+Bradamante, but he did not wish to offend either her powerful father or
+the still more powerful Constantine. The test had been proposed by
+Bradamante herself, and how could he give permission that she should
+break her plighted word?
+
+It was Melissa who once more set this tangle straight. She appeared to
+Leo, who was standing idly at his tent door, and told him that Roger was
+dying in the depths of the forest. The prince, who had grieved sorely
+for the loss of his friend, heard eagerly her tale, and consented gladly
+to go with her to seek him.
+
+The Roger whom they found at last was very different from the Roger who
+had entered the lists but three days agone. His face was pale, his hair
+was damp, his clothes hung loosely on his body. Leo's heart smote him as
+he gazed, and, sinking on his knees beside Roger, he pulled his hands
+gently down from his face.
+
+It was not long before he had drawn out from the young knight the secret
+which Roger had hidden so carefully when he had thought that honour and
+gratitude demanded it. Leo listened in amaze and took shame to himself
+that he had never guessed it sooner.
+
+'Oh, Roger,' he cried, when at length the tale was ended, 'sooner would
+I give up a thousand Bradamantes and all I possess in the world than
+lose a friend so noble and generous as you. So rise quickly and let us
+hasten back to where Bradamante awaits us.'
+
+And so the prophecy was fulfilled in the end, and everyone was made
+happy. Yes, even duke Aymon and his wife Beatrice; for before the
+wedding rejoicings were begun an embassy arrived from the Bulgarian
+people, begging leave from the emperor Charlemagne to offer their crown
+to his vassal Roger. And nobody grudged Roger and Bradamante their
+happiness, for they had waited so long for it, and worked so hard for
+it.
+
+[From _Orlando Furioso_.]
+
+
+
+
+THE KNIGHT OF THE SUN
+
+
+Once upon a time two little boys were born, and the elder had on his
+breast the image of a sun, which shone so brightly that the ladies who
+were waiting on his mother, the princess Briane, were forced to shut
+their dazzled eyes. On the breast of the younger one lay a pink rose,
+and it was hard to believe that the flower had not been newly flung
+there, so fresh was its colour and so vivid its green.
+
+So the elder baby was called in after years 'the Knight of the Sun';
+while his little brother was known as Rosiclair.
+
+Now it happened that their mother, the princess Briane, had been
+secretly married to Trebatius, emperor of Constantinople, who had
+courted her under the name of prince Theodoart. Soon after their
+marriage her husband, while riding through the forest, had been
+astonished at the sight of a magnificent chariot which dashed furiously
+along the road, and, as it passed, he felt sure that his wife, the
+princess Briane, was seated inside. Without losing a moment, he turned
+his horse instantly round, and followed the chariot, but, spur his steed
+as he might, it was impossible to overtake it. However, he rode on as
+fast as the thick creepers and fallen trees would let him in the
+direction in which the chariot had disappeared, and at last he left the
+forest behind him and entered a beautiful meadow.
+
+Here the emperor paused in surprise, for in front of him stood the
+greatest and finest castle he had ever seen, which would have held
+thirty thousand men with ease. At each corner was a large tower, while a
+wide moat of clear water would have kept a large army at bay. Happily
+for the emperor's curiosity, the drawbridge was at the moment let down,
+so he knocked at the door, which straightway opened to him, and boldly
+entered the castle.
+
+He looked around the magnificent hall to see some traces of his wife,
+but, instead, a powerful odour stole gradually over his senses. At the
+same instant a golden curtain was drawn aside, and a lady whose beauty
+dazzled his eyes glided up to him and laid her hand on his shoulder.
+
+'You belong to me now,' she said, as she led him away; and twenty years
+went by before the emperor again left the castle.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Meanwhile the little boys were carried away in the night by one of the
+mother's ladies, whose name was Clandestrie, and taken to her sister's
+house, where they lived freely and happily for some years till they were
+old enough to be brought to the convent where the princess Briane still
+remained, and taught the duties of pages. Rosiclair was always good and
+quiet, but his brother gave his teachers a great deal of trouble, though
+that did not prevent their loving him dearly. He was so tall and strong
+and high-spirited, that it was difficult to remember he was only a child
+after all, and the moment he was left alone he was always seeking some
+adventure.
+
+One day, while Rosiclair was learning from his mother to play on the
+lute, the Knight of the Sun--for so they called him--had gone with his
+nurse to the banks of the broad river, and was amusing himself with
+scrambling in and out of a boat that lay moored to the side. There were
+no mirrors in the convent, and the boy jumped hastily back with dismay
+when he saw some one dressed like himself looking at him from out of the
+water.
+
+He grew red with rage and struck out with his fist, and the arm in the
+water struck out too. Then the prince sprang forward, but, as he did so,
+he began to perceive that it was nothing but his own image that was
+looking at him and imitating his movements. 'How could I be such a
+baby!' he said to himself, and turned to leave the boat, when, to his
+dismay, he found that the rope had got loose and he was gently floating
+down the stream.
+
+At this sight his courage began to fail him; he called loudly to his
+nurse, who had been talking to some friends and had not noticed the
+child's danger. At his cries she rushed into the river a little lower
+down, hoping to catch the boat as it danced by, but the current swept
+her off her feet, and she would certainly have been drowned had not a
+wood-cutter, who had watched her from above, held out a long stick which
+she was able to reach.
+
+Very soon the little boat was a mere speck in the distance, and, now
+that there was nothing to be done, the boy took heart again and thought
+of all he would have to tell Rosiclair when he came back--for come back
+he would some day, he was sure of that.
+
+By-and-by the grass and the trees, and even the big mountains, vanished,
+and all around him was the blue sea, with not even a sail to look at.
+How long he remained in that boat he never knew, but one day, just
+before sunrise, when the air is clearest and you can see farthest, he
+was roused from his sleep by a shout. At first he took it for part of
+his dream and did not move; then the shout came again, and he jumped up
+and waved his hand, for sailing towards him was a large vessel. At the
+prow stood a man in a beautiful purple tunic edged with gold. This was
+Florian prince of Persia.
+
+Oh, how glad the little boy was to be amongst friends again, and how
+hungrily he ate the food they put before him! When he was quite rested,
+they brought him a child about the same age, whom they had picked up
+from a wreck a few days before; and then the ship's head was turned
+towards Babylon.
+
+It took them a long while to get there, but at last they entered the
+great river which flowed past the gates of the city, and the sultan,
+hearing of their approach, came down from his palace to greet them. He
+had lived as a youth at the court of prince Florian's father, and was
+delighted to meet his old friend once more. As for the boys, he took a
+fancy to them at once, and kept them in his palace till many years had
+gone by and they were almost men.
+
+When the Knight of the Sun was about sixteen he was taller than any one
+in all Babylon, for he took after his father, the emperor Trebatius, who
+was fully eight feet high. The youth was also very strong, and was
+afraid of nothing and nobody, and in many ways was different from his
+companions, especially in liking to ride and hunt alone instead of with
+a troop of merry young men. His friends were all fond of him, but rather
+afraid of him, as people often are of those who are quicker than
+themselves.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+One morning the sultan arranged a great hunting expedition, which was to
+take place in some huge forests a few miles from Babylon. The sun was
+hot, and the sultan was old, so he soon gave up the chase, and returned
+to join the princess and her maidens, who were lying under the shady
+trees, with a stream rippling by to make them think they were cool.
+
+Suddenly, without any warning, a band of giants sprang upon them from
+behind a rock, and, seizing the sultan and the ladies, bound them
+rapidly with silken cords. Their shrieks brought a few knights who were
+within earshot to their aid, but these were soon overpowered by the
+strength of the giants, except one, who managed to make his escape, and
+plunged deep into the forest.
+
+He was flying along, half mad with terror, when a voice cried out:
+
+'Sir knight, look well to it, or you will lose your spurs in your
+unseemly haste.'
+
+'Fair youth,' replied the knight, 'do not, I pray you, waste the moments
+in idle talk; for the sultan and the princess have but now been attacked
+by an army of giants, and are being borne captive to some unknown land.'
+But before his tale was ended the youth was riding fast down the path
+along which the knight had come.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+He was just in time: the tallest and strongest giant had laid hold of
+the sultan, bound and helpless as he was, and was carrying him off to a
+huge coal-black horse that was picketed to a tree close by. A blow on
+his helmet forced him to drop his burden, and he turned rapidly on his
+assailant.
+
+'Bah! a boy!' he cried disdainfully; but the 'boy' struck him another
+swinging stroke, which almost cleft his shield. Then the giant drew out
+his great double-edged battle-axe, but the champion sprang aside, and
+the axe crashed harmlessly on a rock, while a well-aimed throw from the
+javelin pierced the joints of the giant's harness, and he fell heavily
+to the ground.
+
+'It is an earthquake,' whispered the people of Babylon, as the houses
+shook and the swords rattled.
+
+After this the giant's followers, who, big though they were, had no mind
+to face such a fighter, fled into the forest, and were seen no more.
+
+The first thing to be done was of course to cut the cords which had been
+carefully wound round the arms and legs of the prisoners, who, seizing
+the champion's hands, shed tears and kisses over them. As to the sultan,
+he was well-nigh speechless from gratitude, but when he was able to
+speak he begged the youth to ask for some boon that he could grant,
+even if it were the half of his kingdom.
+
+'That I will tell you to-morrow,' said he.
+
+By this time the evening had come, and the chariots and the horses were
+made ready, and the company returned to the palace in Babylon, though
+neither the princess nor her ladies felt very safe till they were within
+the gates of the city.
+
+Early next day the sultan sent the grand vizier to bid the youth await
+him in the great hall, that he might declare in presence of all the
+court what guerdon should be given him for saving his master's life.
+
+And a right noble company was gathered together, for the victor was well
+loved of all, and every man expected that he would ask the hand of the
+princess.
+
+All stood up and bowed low as the sultan swept down between them clothed
+in his royal robes, and wearing his golden crown on his head; for he
+wished the goodly assemblage to know how priceless a service the young
+man had done him. Nay, he too thought, like his people, that there was
+only one boon that the youth could fitly crave.
+
+When he was seated on his throne, he signed to the chevalier to draw
+near.
+
+'And what is the reward that I shall give you?' he asked with a smile as
+the young man knelt before him.
+
+'O mighty sultan, grant me this, that with the sword which slew your
+enemy you will make me a knight'; then he paused and grew red, as a
+cloud came over the sultan's brow.
+
+'By all the rules of chivalry----' But the sultan's words were drowned
+by a tumult in the hall, and pushing her way between the crowds came a
+richly clad maiden, closely pursued by a huge black king.
+
+'Save me!' she cried, looking wildly on the company of knights that
+stood round. 'I am the daughter of as mighty a monarch as you, and was
+carried off from my father's island by this black man whom you see
+before you. One grace he has given me, that for the space of a year I
+may wander where I will, seeking a knight to be my champion. But,
+despite their mighty names, not one has ever managed to pierce his
+armour.'
+
+And again she looked on the knights, but not a man stirred from his
+place.
+
+Then the chevalier rose to his feet and spoke out boldly.
+
+'Make _me_ a knight, O sultan, and _I_ will fight this man who is feared
+by all the world! Oh, I know what you would say, that I am yet too young
+to bear the weight which has sometimes proved too heavy for many a
+goodly knight. But, if my years are few, my deeds have proved that I am
+no whit behind the doughtiest knight of your court. So grant me my boon
+or this day I will leave you for ever.'
+
+'Be it so,' answered the sultan at last, 'though I would rather have
+given you the half of my kingdom or the hand of my daughter. But watch
+this night beside your arms in the temple, and to-morrow you shall be
+admitted into the order of chivalry.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Now the sultan had a brother named Lyrgander, who was wise in every kind
+of enchantment, and, though he was at this time in a far country, he
+learned by means of his arts what strange things were happening at the
+court of Babylon. Without losing a moment he went to the room where his
+treasures were kept, and opened a large chest, from which he took two
+suits of armour. One, which was all white, he meant for the chevalier,
+and the other was for his friend Claberinde. Then he poured a few drops
+of a yellow liquid into a glass and drank it, wishing, as he did so,
+that he was in Babylon. Before the glass fell from his hand he found
+himself there. Very early after the youth had ended his watch, Lyrgander
+came to him and girded on him the suit of white armour. Led by
+Lyrgander, and followed by all the knights and nobles of the court, the
+chevalier entered the presence-chamber, where the sultan was sitting on
+his throne awaiting him. Once again the youth knelt, and the sultan,
+drawing the magic sword from its sheath, struck him three times lightly
+on the head with it. Afterwards, the sultan put back the sword in the
+scabbard and buckled it on the side of the kneeling youth.
+
+Then, stooping down, he lowered the vizor, and said slowly and solemnly:
+
+'I dub you knight, and arm you knight. May the high gods have you in
+their care!'
+
+'Amen!' said the chevalier, and he rose from his knees and went out to
+the place where the lists had been prepared. And the court sat round to
+watch the fight, while in the midst of them all, her eyes fixed on her
+champion, was the captive princess, who was resolved to kill herself
+with her own hands rather than fall into the power of the black king.
+
+The Knight of the Sun had chosen the best horse in the sultan's stables,
+and was waiting in his place till the signal should be given.
+
+At the other end, the black king bestrode a huge black horse, and the
+moment he caught sight of his foe poured out a stream of abuse, which
+only ceased when the sound of the trumpets drowned his voice.
+
+'I have never been conquered by mortal man,' said he, 'and shall yon
+wretched beardless boy, who should now be sitting with his mother's
+maidens, the child who but an hour ago was dubbed a knight by special
+grace of the sultan, have strength to do what the hardiest knights have
+failed in doing? By the eyes of my fathers! he will make fine food for
+the vultures before the sun sets.'
+
+And the young knight heard, and the blood flew to his cheeks under his
+vizor, and his fingers closed more tightly on his sword.
+
+With the first blast of the trumpets he spurred his horse, and his
+onslaught was so fierce that the giant reeled in his saddle.
+
+'They have tricked me,' he said to himself, as he righted himself again.
+'That blow was never given by the boy I saw; they have put someone else
+in his place. The battle will be harder than I thought, but the end is
+sure'; and he reined his horse back for a second rush.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The hours passed by, and the sun grew high in the heavens, but the
+flashing of swords never ceased, and the watchers of the fight could
+hardly breathe. Once the chevalier was thrown right on to his horse's
+neck, and was forced to cling to it lest he should fall to the ground.
+Once again--and here a murmur of terror could be heard in the crowd--a
+blow on his head rendered him sick and dizzy, and the charger carried
+him three times round the lists while he sat grasping the bridle,
+unconscious where he was and what he was doing. But after all, the swift
+rush through the air brought back his senses, and, by the time the black
+king was expecting that one more thrust would gain him the day, the
+knight spurred his horse quickly to one side, and, taking his adversary
+unawares, swept him dead from his saddle.
+
+Then at last the silence was broken, and a roar of triumph and relief
+burst from the crowd.
+
+Slowly the young man turned and rode along the lists, pausing before the
+lady Radimere as she sat by the sultan.
+
+'You are free, princess,' he said, as he lifted his vizor; and with
+those words he disappeared in the crowd, before anyone had time to stop
+him.
+
+It was whispered, perhaps truly, that the princess Radimere would fain
+have made him her husband, and have given him lordship over her island;
+but all we know for certain is that she returned there alone, and soon
+after married the son of a neighbouring king.
+
+[_L'Histoire Admirable du Chevalier du Soleil._ Traduite de l'Espagnol
+par Louis Douet.]
+
+
+
+
+HOW THE KNIGHT OF THE SUN RESCUED HIS FATHER
+
+
+When once the youth had been made a knight by the sultan of Babylon, and
+had slain the black king, he set off by himself in quest of other
+adventures, desiring greatly to see the world. For the next few years
+the young man wandered from court to court, fighting giants and
+delivering enchanted damsels, till at last his feet led him to a kingdom
+where Rosiclair his brother happened to be.
+
+Now Rosiclair was scarcely a whit behind the Knight of the Sun in manly
+deeds, and not long before had done such good service to the king of
+England that Olive, the king's daughter, had, at her father's bidding,
+clasped a collar of gold around his neck, and held out to him a crown
+studded with jewels. Rosiclair bent gladly to receive the collar, and
+then taking the crown from the hands of the princess he placed it on her
+head.
+
+'Lady, I am evermore your knight,' said he.
+
+This tale and many others had come to the ears of the Knight of the Sun,
+and he longed to see his brother again, and to break a lance with him in
+good fellowship, but some time had yet to pass before they met, and then
+it fell out in this wise. After the combat in the lists in London, where
+Rosiclair had cut off the arms of the giant Candramarte, the giant's
+daughter had brought him by her wiles to the island in which lay her
+father's castle.
+
+[Illustration: THE GIANT'S DAUGHTER REPROACHES THE TWO BROTHERS]
+
+No sooner had he stepped on shore than the damsel pushed off, crying as
+she did so to her brothers and their knights to avenge the giant's
+wounds. In a moment all the little island was alive with men, whirling
+lances or swords or axes above their heads, and all pressing forward to
+the spot where Rosiclair awaited them. Luckily he had time to place
+himself with the sea at his back, so that he could not be attacked from
+behind, and, covering himself with his shield, stood ready.
+
+Never was there such a dreadful fight, and Rosiclair seemed to have a
+hundred arms, and to be able to strike fifty ways at once. He hardly
+knew himself what he did, so great was the stress of battle, but hour by
+hour the ground slowly reddened round him, and there looked to his
+dimming eyes to be fewer men in front. But by this time his strength was
+fast failing him, and he felt he could not hold out much longer. A
+mighty blow from an axe made him reel, and well-nigh fall; another such,
+and he would be rolling on the sand among the dead men lying at his
+feet. Suddenly the upraised axe flew from the hand of the giant in
+front, and with a cry that echoed through the island he fell backwards
+on the shore.
+
+Rosiclair was still too hard beset to turn and see from whom help had
+come, but he took fresh courage and his sword no longer hit so wildly as
+before. The other sword was even stronger and surer than his own, and
+soon the few men who were left alive ran off and took refuge within the
+gates of the castle.
+
+Then the two knights looked at each other.
+
+'Who are you, and whence do you come?' asked Rosiclair. 'I owe you my
+life this day.'
+
+'I am called the Knight of the Sun,' replied the other; 'this shining
+star upon my breast has given me my name. And I come from wandering over
+the seas in a little boat that just holds me and my horse. I descried
+you from afar, and hastened to your help. Of a truth, it is the noblest
+fight that ever I saw.'
+
+Now, when Rosiclair had seen the emblem of the sun on the new knight's
+breast he wondered if this might indeed be his brother. But being warned
+by his mother not to hold converse with strangers concerning private
+matters, he began to tell of the fight with Candramarte in the lists of
+London, when a cry from the sea caused them both to turn. On the prow of
+a boat stood the giant's daughter, pointing with her forefinger at the
+bodies which lay upon the shore.
+
+'O cruel and bloody wolves,' she called, 'the ocean will give me the
+pity which I have been denied both by heaven and earth. And the god of
+storms will avenge me.' With that she jumped into the sea, but, instead
+of sinking, was held up by the waves. This the Knight of the Sun beheld,
+and, forgetting the evil she had done, jumped into his boat, and pushed
+off to her aid before Rosiclair had time to get in after him. However,
+the Knight of the Sun was never able either to reach the damsel or to
+return to his brother, for a furious wind sprang up, which drove him
+before it, in some direction that he did not know.
+
+In his hurry to reach the side of Rosiclair, the Knight of the Sun had
+forgotten to place his oars in the bottom of the boat, but just left
+them loose in their holes, so that they had floated away; now he had no
+means of directing his course, but was forced to go wherever the waves
+took him. For many days he drifted past the shores of strange countries
+and saw from afar the gleam of white cities, but though he fain would
+have landed, he could not, but was bound to remain where his adventure
+carried him. At length, to the joy of his heart, the boat stopped of its
+own accord on the beach of a beautiful island, and the young man once
+more felt soft grass under his feet, and heard the sound of trickling
+streams. Close by was a forest, and from between the bushes peeped the
+heads of little goats and tiny deer, all gazing with wonder at the
+stranger. From the look of the place it was plain that seldom indeed did
+man come to disturb their lives, and the Knight of the Sun felt he must
+go further inland if he wished to meet with any adventures. So, breaking
+through the creepers which hung from tree to tree, he struggled on
+bravely, and at last the trees grew less thickly, and he came out upon a
+wide open space in front of a big castle.
+
+This castle was quite different from any he had seen, either in Babylon
+or in the other countries he had visited. It seemed to be made of
+nothing but towers, and every tower had a steep pointed roof, so high
+that you would have thought it reached up to heaven itself. In the tower
+nearest him was a door of shining steel, and on top of a row of steps
+above it was a column, from which hung a horn of ivory edged with gold.
+Under the horn some words were cut deep into the column, and mounting
+the steps the knight read:
+
+'This is the castle of the peerless Lindarasse, whose door will never
+open save to him who blows the horn. Yet let him beware who seeks to
+blow it, for if the door _should_ open he will find it is guarded by
+fierce and cruel porters, and his life will pay for his rash curiosity.'
+
+The Knight of the Sun laughed out at the thought that any such threats
+could stop his going wherever he pleased, and, seizing the horn, blew so
+powerful a blast that the sound rang through the whole island. In an
+instant the gates of steel burst open, and between them stood a giant
+with an iron club in one hand, and in the other a chain which was
+fastened round the neck of a serpent. Now in all the world there was no
+serpent more horrible than this, for it did not wriggle along the ground
+as serpents generally do, but advanced erect, its head higher than a man
+seated on a horse, while it trailed besides a tail ten feet behind it.
+At the sight of the young man it lashed its tail so violently that the
+earth trembled as if with an earthquake, while its forky tongue darted
+in and out with a deafening hissing noise.
+
+The few knights who had dared to blow the horn had been so frightened
+at this terrible creature that they had stood as if frozen, and thus the
+giant killed them with his club without any trouble. He, of course,
+expected this knight to behave like the rest, but to his surprise the
+young man remained quietly where he was. Then the giant dropped the
+chain and the snake began to mount the steps, opening its mouth wide
+enough to swallow a man and showing its long and yellow fangs. The
+Knight of the Sun swung his sword in the air and let it fall on the
+serpent's neck with a force that seemed as if it must have severed its
+head from its body; but to his amazement the weapon bounded back as if
+it had been made of wood, though the snake was for the moment half
+stunned and was unable to throw itself on its prey. However, in another
+moment it had reared itself high and was preparing to fling itself
+forward, when the knight leaped behind the column and from its shelter
+struck again at the serpent's head. This time the horrible creature sank
+to the ground, though the sword glanced off harmlessly without
+penetrating its skin; but it became more angry than before, and glided
+rapidly towards the column, hoping to seize his enemy in his gaping
+jaws. The giant meanwhile stood planted, club in hand, at the bottom of
+the steps, ready to receive the young man when the serpent should have
+done with him.
+
+It was not long before this happened. The Knight of the Sun was so
+intent watching the movements of the head of his horrible foe, that he
+forgot everything else till a violent blow from the serpent's tail cast
+him to the ground and sent him rolling down the steps to the place where
+the giant stood. Before he could raise himself, the iron staff had split
+his helmet in pieces, and, as it seemed, his skull with it. Luckily for
+him, the giant felt sure he must be dead, and thus the knight was
+enabled to lie still for some minutes till his senses and his strength
+came back to him, and, springing to his feet, he snatched his sword from
+its sheath and sent half of the giant's body flying one way and half
+the other. But before he was able to rejoice at having slain one foe the
+serpent was upon him for a second time. The knight had proved that the
+sword was useless against it, so seizing the club of the dead giant he
+struck such a blow that its head fell in pieces.
+
+[Illustration: THE KNIGHT OF THE SUN FIGHTS THE SERPENT]
+
+Then he took the ivory horn, and entered the door of the first tower. As
+soon as the Knight of the Sun reached the second tower, he found it was
+shut by a door of steel, just as the first had been. He sounded a blast
+on his horn, and the door flew open with a grating and horrible noise,
+which might have filled the heart of the bravest with terror, and
+another giant stepped forth, no less horrible to look upon than his
+brother, with a club in one hand and a huge chained lion in the other.
+The great beast was larger than any bull that ever was seen, and each of
+its nails was as long as the foot of a man. Directly its chain was
+loosed, the lion reared itself up and sprang upon the knight, who
+awaited it as calmly as if it had been only a sheep. But after the fight
+with the serpent the attack of the lion seemed quite easy to parry, and,
+without pausing till they came together, the young man turned nimbly
+aside and felled him to the earth with the iron staff. After that he
+turned to meet the giant.
+
+This time the battle was soon over, for the giant, like many very big
+people, was heavy and clumsy, and the Knight of the Sun stepped past his
+dead body to the third gate, which flew open at the blast of his horn.
+Behind it stood a fresh giant taller than the last, and all covered with
+thick wiry hair, that looked as if it would resist the keenest
+sword-blade which had ever been forged in Damascus. The young knight
+felt much more afraid of him than of the two tigers which he held on a
+chain, and which showed their teeth and snarled wickedly. But before
+long the knight had stretched them both on the ground, and summoned all
+his strength for the struggle with the giant.
+
+This was much harder than any he had fought yet. The wiry hair turned
+the edge of his sword, and he felt he might almost as well try to cut
+through a fence of iron. Besides, in spite of his great height, this
+giant was much quicker of eye and of hand than the last, and several
+times the young champion was brought to his knees, though he rose again
+before his enemy could deal him a second blow. At length the Knight of
+the Sun noticed a place on the giant's neck where the hair seemed less
+thick than on the rest of his body, and, dropping his sword, he seized
+his dagger and drove it home.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Thus, step by step, fighting giants and beasts every inch of the way,
+the Knight of the Sun at last reached the hall of the castle, where the
+emperor Trebatius sat by the side of the fair Lindarasse. The spells she
+had woven round him were so strong, that for years he had not only never
+been outside the castle walls, but had ceased to wish to see the world
+again. But, powerful though Lindarasse might be, the Knight of the Sun
+did not fear to meet her, as before he had left Babylon the wise
+Lyrgander had given him a ring, which preserved him from all
+enchantments.
+
+At the entrance of the young man the fair Lindarasse looked up; she knew
+who he was and why he had come.
+
+'What is the matter, Wonder of the World?' asked the emperor Trebatius,
+raising his head from her lap, where it had been resting.
+
+'I am a dead woman, my good lord,' answered she, 'unless you will slay
+me that knight who has forced his way into my castle.'
+
+These words filled the emperor with fury, and the spirit awoke within
+him from its long sleep.
+
+'I will teach him manners,' he said grimly, and stalked proudly to the
+gallery where his arms had hung for many a day.
+
+Meanwhile the fair Lindarasse, who, in spite of her haughty bearing,
+bore a sinking heart, tried both by threats and soft words to persuade
+the Knight of the Sun to leave the castle.
+
+'Not till the emperor goes with me!' he answered steadily. 'You took him
+from his wife, and if you will not give him back to her I will take
+him.'
+
+And Lindarasse ground her teeth, and held her peace for a few moments.
+Then she broke into tears and sobs, thinking to move him by these means;
+but this method fared no better than the other.
+
+Thus were they standing when the emperor entered the hall, armed
+_cap-à-pie_.
+
+Now the knight knew that Trebatius's skill in fight had grown rusty from
+want of use, and that as long as he remained inside the castle the
+spells which the fair Lindarasse had woven round him would weaken his
+arm and confuse his head. So the youth refrained from striking, and with
+his shield and sword defended himself the while from the blows which the
+emperor dealt in all directions--for his hand no longer followed his
+eye. And all the while the Knight of the Sun stepped gently backwards,
+drawing Trebatius with him till, after twenty years, the emperor stood
+outside the walls, and the enchantment fell from him like a cloak. Then
+with a rush the remembrance of his wife, the princess Briane, came back
+to him, and in that very moment, though he knew it not, the fair
+Lindarasse fell dead in the place where he had left her. For, evil as
+she was, she had loved him truly, and felt that he had gone from her for
+ever.
+
+So Trebatius was set free by his son, and became a man once more. And
+the two journeyed back towards Hungary, to the monastery where the
+princess Briane still lived. But on the road an adventure claimed the
+Knight of the Sun, so that the emperor alone stood before his wife,
+whose heart was almost broken with joy at the sight of him.
+
+As for their two sons, the Knight of the Sun and his brother Rosiclair,
+who was also known as the Knight of Love, no such deeds had been wrought
+as were done by them since the days of Lancelot and the Round Table.
+
+[_L'Histoire Admirable du Chevalier du Soleil._ Traduite de l'Espagnol
+par Louis Douet.]
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber's Note
+
+
+The use of parentheses and brackets around the sources for the stories
+was inconsistent. The original usage has been maintained.
+
+The following changes were made:
+
+  Page  Error
+  Frontispiece  HALGERDA changed to HALLGERDA
+   50  his own deathblow changed to his own death-blow
+  119  unwillingly, but changed to unwillingly, 'but
+  159  and tell the changed to 'and tell the
+  179  answered Sancho Panzo changed to answered Sancho Panza
+  191  men, but we changed to men, 'but we
+  191  off his back changed to off her back
+  204  to one side. changed to to one side.'
+  215  be so worth changed to be so wroth
+  257  marvels; but changed to marvels; 'but
+  271  head of Sir Murdour. changed to head of Sir Murdour,
+  289  of news awating changed to of news awaiting
+  335  and mighty arm, changed to and mighty arm,'
+  346  safe from him changed to safe from him.
+  356  half of his kingdom.' changed to half of his kingdom.
+  364  avenge me. changed to avenge me.'
+
+The following words had inconsistent spelling:
+
+  knight-errants / knights-errant
+  WERWOLF / WER-WOLF
+
+
+
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RED ROMANCE BOOK ***
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+<div style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold;'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Red Romance Book</div>
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+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
+most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
+whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
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+</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: The Red Romance Book</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Various</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Editor: Andrew Lang</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Illustrator: Henry Ford</div>
+<div style='display:block;margin:1em 0'>Release Date: February 15, 2008 [eBook #24624]<br />
+[Most recently updated: May 18, 2021]</div>
+<div style='display:block;margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div>
+<div style='display:block;margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div>
+<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: Thierry Alberto, Chris Curnow, Julia Miller and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team</div>
+<div style='margin-top:2em;margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RED ROMANCE BOOK ***</div>
+
+<div style="background-color: #EEE; padding: 0.5em 1em 0.5em 1em;">
+<p class="center"><b>Transcriber&rsquo;s&nbsp;Note</b></p>
+
+<p class="noindent">Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. A <a href="#trans_note">list</a> of these changes
+is found at the end of the text. Inconsistencies in spelling and
+hyphenation have been maintained. A <a href="#trans_note">list</a> of inconsistently spelled and
+hyphenated words is found at the end of the text.</p>
+</div>
+
+<hr />
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<a href="images/spine-full.jpg"><img src="images/spine.jpg" width="130" height="598" alt="A knight and damsel standing in profile" title="Spine" /></a>
+<a href="images/cover-full.jpg"><img src="images/cover.jpg" width="382" height="593" alt="A dragon descending on a mounted knight, with a damsel seated under a tree nearby" title="Front cover" /></a>
+</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<a href="images/fly-front-l-full.png"><img src="images/fly-front-l.png" width="375" height="565" alt="A knight on horseback passing a damsel under the trees, with fairies flying above" title="Interior cover, left side" /></a>
+<a href="images/fly-front-r-full.png"><img src="images/fly-front-r.png" width="382" height="568" alt="A knight approaching on horseback, fairies flying above" title="Interior cover, right side" /></a>
+</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 288px;">
+<a name="frontispiece" id="frontispiece"></a><a href="images/f000-full.jpg"><img src="images/f000.jpg" width="288" height="480" alt="A man on horseback coming up behind a woman in red robes" title="HOW GUNNAR MET HALLGERDA" /></a>
+<span class="caption">HOW GUNNAR MET <a name="corr1" id="corr1"></a>HALLGERDA</span>
+</div>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h1>THE<br />
+RED ROMANCE BOOK</h1>
+
+
+<p class="titlepage">EDITED BY<br />
+
+ANDREW LANG</p>
+
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 149px;">
+<a name="title_page" id="title_page"></a><a href="images/p-title-full.png"><img src="images/p-title.png" width="149" height="151" alt="A man on a flying horse, soaring into the sky" title="Decorative illustration" /></a>
+</div>
+
+
+<p class="titlepage">LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO.<br />
+39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON<br />
+FOURTH AVENUE AND 30TH STREET, NEW YORK</p>
+
+<p class="titlepage">1921</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="PREFACE" id="PREFACE"></a><i>PREFACE</i></h2>
+
+<p class="titlepage">WHAT ROMANCES ARE</p>
+
+<p class="titlepage">(<span class="smcap">To Children and Others</span>)</p>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">I once</span> read a book about a poor little lonely boy in a great house with
+a large library. This boy was pale, dull, and moping. Nobody knew what
+was the matter with him. But somebody tracked him into the library and
+saw him take a huge thick black book, half as tall as himself, out of a
+bookcase, and sit down and read it. The name of the book was
+<i>Polexander</i>. So he sat and sobbed over <i>Polexander</i>, because it was so
+very dull and so very long. There were 800 pages, and he had only read
+sixty-seven. But some very stupid grown-up person had told him that he
+must always begin a book at the beginning, and, if he once began, he
+must read every word of it, and read nothing else till he had finished
+every word of it.</p>
+
+<p>The boy saw that he would die of weariness long before he reached the
+end of <i>Polexander</i>, but he stuck to it like the other boy who stood by
+the burning deck long after it was &#8216;time for him to go.&#8217; So <i>Polexander</i>
+was taken away from him and locked up, and so his life was saved.</p>
+
+<p>Now, in the first place <i>Polexander</i> was a romance, but it was not like
+the romances in this book, for it was dreadfully long, and mainly about
+the sorrows of lovers who cannot get married. That could not amuse a
+small boy. In the second place, every boy should stop reading a book as
+soon as he finds that he does not like it, just as you are not expected
+to eat more mutton than you want to eat. Lesson books are another thing;
+you have to read them, and if you do not you will get into trouble. They
+are not meant to be amusing, but to teach Latin grammar, or geography,
+or arithmetic, which are not gay. As to this book of Romances, if you do
+not like one story, give it up and try another. If you do not like any
+of them, read something else that you do like.</p>
+
+<p>Now what are romances? They are grown-up people&#8217;s fairy tales or
+story-books, but they are the kind of story-books that grown-up people
+read long ago, when there were castles and knights, and tournaments, and
+the chief business of gentlemen was to ride about in full armour,
+fighting, while ladies sat at home doing embroidery work, or going to
+see the men tilt at tournaments, just as they go to see cricket matches
+now. But they liked tournaments better, because they understood the
+rules of the game. Anybody could see when one knight knocked another
+down, horse and all, but many ladies do not understand leg before
+wicket, or stumping.</p>
+
+<p>The stories that they read were called &#8216;romances,&#8217; but were in prose.
+Before people could read they were not in prose but in poetry, and were
+recited by minstrels. Mrs. Lang, who did the stories in this book, says:
+&#8216;Many hundreds of years ago, when most of these stories were told in the
+halls of great castles, the lives of children were very different from
+what they are now. The little girls were taught by their mothers&#8217;
+maidens to spin and embroider, or make simple medicines from the common
+herbs, and the boys learnt to ride and tilt, and shoot with bows and
+arrows; but their tasks done, no one paid any further heed to them. They
+had very few games, and in the long winter evenings the man who went
+from house to house, telling or singing the tales of brave deeds, must
+have been welcome indeed. From him the children, who early became men
+and women, heard of the evil fate that awaited cowardice and treachery,
+and grew to understand that it was their duty through life to help those
+that were weaker than themselves.&#8217; That was long, long ago, when nobody
+but priests and a very few gentlemen could read and write. They just
+listened to stories in rhyme, which the minstrels sang, striking their
+harps at the end of each verse.</p>
+
+<p>The stories were really fairy tales, dressed up and spun out, and
+instead of &#8216;a boy&#8217; or &#8216;a king&#8217; or &#8216;a princess&#8217; with no name, the old
+fairy adventures were said to have happened to people with names: King
+Arthur, or Charlemagne, or Bertha Broadfoot. A little real history came
+in, but altered, and mixed up with fairy tales, and done into rhyme.</p>
+
+<p>Later, more and more people learned to read, and now the long poems were
+done into prose, and written in books, not printed but written books;
+and these were the Romances, very long indeed, all about fighting, and
+love-making, and giants, and dwarfs, and magicians, and enchanted
+castles, and dragons and flying horses. These romances were the novels
+of the people of the Middle Ages, about whom you can read in the History
+Books of Mrs. Markham. They were not much like the novels which come
+from the library for your dear mothers and aunts. There is not much
+fighting in them, though there is any amount of love-making, and there
+are no giants; and if there is a knight, he is usually a grocer or a
+doctor, quite the wrong sort of knight.</p>
+
+<p>Here is the beginning of a celebrated novel: &#8216;Comedy is a game played to
+throw reflections upon social life, and it deals with human nature in
+the drawing-rooms of civilised men and women.&#8217; You do not want to read
+any more of that novel. It is not at all like a good old romance of
+knights and dragons and enchanted princesses and strong wars. The
+knights and ladies would not have looked at such a book, all about
+drawing-rooms.</p>
+
+<p>Now, in this book, we have made the old romances much shorter, keeping
+the liveliest parts, in which curious things happen. Some of the tales
+were first told in Iceland eight hundred years ago, and are mostly true
+and about real people. Some are from the ancient French romances of the
+adventures of Charlemagne, and his peers and paladins. Some are from
+later Italian poems of the same kind. &#8216;Cupid and Psyche&#8217; is older, and
+so is the story of the man who was changed into a donkey. These are from
+an old Latin romance, written when people were still heathens, most of
+them. Some are about the Danes in England (of whom you may have heard),
+but there is not much history in them.</p>
+
+<p>Mrs. Lang says: &#8216;In this book you will read of men who, like Don
+Quixote, were often mistaken but never mean, and of women, such as Una
+and Bradamante, who kept patient and true, in spite of fierce trials and
+temptations. I have only related a few of their adventures, but when you
+grow older you can read them for yourselves, in the languages in which
+they were written.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Don Quixote&#8217; was written by a Spaniard, Cervantes, in the time of James
+I. of England, to show what would happen if a man tried to behave like a
+knight of old, after people had become more civilised and less
+interesting. Don Quixote was laughed at, because he came too late into
+too old a world. But he was as brave and good a knight as the best
+paladin of them all. So about the knights and ladies and dwarfs and
+giants, I hope you will think like Sir Walter Scott, when he was a boy,
+and read the old romances. He says: &#8216;Heaven only knows how glad I was to
+find myself in such company.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>If you like the kind of company, then read &#8216;Ivanhoe,&#8217; by Sir Walter
+Scott, for that is the best romance in the world.</p>
+
+<p>All the stories in this book were done by Mrs. Lang, out of the old
+romances.</p>
+
+<p class="right"><span class="smcap">Andrew Lang.</span></p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS"></a>CONTENTS</h2>
+
+<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 80%;" summary="Table of Contents">
+<tr>
+  <td></td>
+  <td class="tdr">PAGE</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#HOW_WILLIAM_OF_PALERMO_WAS_CARRIED_OFF_BY_THE_WERWOLF"><i>How William of Palermo was carried off by the Werwolf</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#HOW_WILLIAM_OF_PALERMO_WAS_CARRIED_OFF_BY_THE_WERWOLF">1</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#THE_DISENCHANTMENT_OF_THE_WERWOLF"><i>The Disenchantment of the Werwolf</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#THE_DISENCHANTMENT_OF_THE_WERWOLF">13</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#THE_SLAYING_OF_HALLGERDAS_HUSBANDS"><i>The Slaying of Hallgerda&#8217;s Husbands</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#THE_SLAYING_OF_HALLGERDAS_HUSBANDS">28</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#THE_DEATH_OF_GUNNAR"><i>The Death of Gunnar</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#THE_DEATH_OF_GUNNAR">45</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#NJALS_BURNING"><i>Njal&#8217;s Burning</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#NJALS_BURNING">71</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#THE_LADY_OF_SOLACE"><i>The Lady of Solace</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#THE_LADY_OF_SOLACE">84</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#UNA_AND_THE_LION"><i>Una and the Lion</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#UNA_AND_THE_LION">93</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#HOW_THE_RED_CROSS_KNIGHT_SLEW_THE_DRAGON"><i>How the Red Cross Knight slew the Dragon</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#HOW_THE_RED_CROSS_KNIGHT_SLEW_THE_DRAGON">105</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#AMYS_AND_AMYLE"><i>Amys and Amyle</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#AMYS_AND_AMYLE">128</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#THE_TALE_OF_THE_CID"><i>The Tale of the Cid</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#THE_TALE_OF_THE_CID">141</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#THE_KNIGHT_OF_THE_SORROWFUL_COUNTENANCE"><i>The Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#THE_KNIGHT_OF_THE_SORROWFUL_COUNTENANCE">165</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#THE_ADVENTURE_OF_THE_TWO_ARMIES"><i>The Adventure of the Two Armies who turned out to be Flocks of Sheep</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#THE_ADVENTURE_OF_THE_TWO_ARMIES">177</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#THE_ADVENTURE_OF_THE_BOBBING_LIGHTS"><i>The Adventure of the Boiling Lights</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#THE_ADVENTURE_OF_THE_BOBBING_LIGHTS">190</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#THE_HELMET_OF_MAMBRINO"><i>The Helmet of Mambrino</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#THE_HELMET_OF_MAMBRINO">194</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#HOW_DON_QUIXOTE_WAS_ENCHANTED"><i>How Don Quixote was Enchanted while guarding the Castle</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#HOW_DON_QUIXOTE_WAS_ENCHANTED">202</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#DON_QUIXOTES_HOME-COMING"><i>Don Quixote&#8217;s Home-coming</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#DON_QUIXOTES_HOME-COMING">209</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#THE_MEETING_OF_HUON_AND_OBERON"><i>The Meeting of Huon and Oberon, King of the Fairies</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#THE_MEETING_OF_HUON_AND_OBERON">213</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#HOW_OBERON_SAVED_HUON"><i>How Oberon saved Huon</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#HOW_OBERON_SAVED_HUON">221</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#HAVELOK_AND_GOLDBOROUGH"><i>Havelok and Goldborough</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#HAVELOK_AND_GOLDBOROUGH">234</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#CUPID_AND_PSYCHE"><i>Cupid and Psyche</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#CUPID_AND_PSYCHE">251</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#SIR_BEVIS_THE_STRONG"><i>Sir Bevis the Strong</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#SIR_BEVIS_THE_STRONG">267</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#OGIER_THE_DANE"><i>Ogier the Dane</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#OGIER_THE_DANE">287</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#HOW_THE_ASS_BECAME_A_MAN_AGAIN"><i>How the Ass became a Man again</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#HOW_THE_ASS_BECAME_A_MAN_AGAIN">298</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#GUY_OF_WARWICK"><i>Guy of Warwick</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#GUY_OF_WARWICK">309</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#HOW_BRADAMANTE_CONQUERED_THE_WIZARD"><i>How Bradamante conquered the Wizard</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#HOW_BRADAMANTE_CONQUERED_THE_WIZARD">320</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#THE_RING_OF_BRADAMANTE"><i>The Ring of Bradamante</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#THE_RING_OF_BRADAMANTE">331</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#THE_FULFILLING_OF_THE_PROPHECY"><i>The Fulfilling of the Prophecy</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#THE_FULFILLING_OF_THE_PROPHECY">341</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#THE_KNIGHT_OF_THE_SUN"><i>The Knight of the Sun</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#THE_KNIGHT_OF_THE_SUN">351</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#HOW_THE_KNIGHT_OF_THE_SUN_RESCUED_HIS_FATHER"><i>How the Knight of the Sun rescued his Father</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#HOW_THE_KNIGHT_OF_THE_SUN_RESCUED_HIS_FATHER">360</a></td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="ILLUSTRATIONS" id="ILLUSTRATIONS"></a><i>ILLUSTRATIONS</i></h2>
+
+<p class="titlepage" style="margin-top: 1.5em;"><i>COLOURED PLATES</i></p>
+
+
+<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 80%;" summary="Coloured Plates">
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#frontispiece"><i>How Gunnar met Hallgerda</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr" colspan="2"><a href="#frontispiece"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#plate_facing_002"><i>The Werwolf carries Prince William away</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc" style="width: 5em;"><i>To face p.</i></td>
+  <td class="tdr" style="width: 3em;"><a href="#plate_facing_002">2</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#plate_facing_086"><i>The Lady of Solace</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#plate_facing_086">86</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#plate_facing_102"><i>At the sight of the Lion she flung down the pitcher</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#plate_facing_102">102</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#plate_facing_124"><i>The End of the Dragon</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#plate_facing_124">124</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#plate_facing_134"><i>Softly she rose to her feet and stole out of the wood</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#plate_facing_134">134</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#plate_facing_264"><i>Aphrodite finds Psyche&#8217;s Task accomplished</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#plate_facing_264">264</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#plate_facing_288"><i>How the Fairies came to see Ogier the Dane</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#plate_facing_288">288</a></td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+
+<p class="titlepage" style="margin-top: 1.5em;"><i>PLATES</i></p>
+
+<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 80%;" summary="Plates">
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_009"><i>The Lovers meet by plan of Alexandrine</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc" style="width: 5em;"><i>To face p.</i></td>
+  <td class="tdr" style="width: 3em;"><a href="#illus_page_009">8</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_015"><i>The Bearskin&mdash;Am not I a bold Beast?</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_015">14</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_025"><i>The Fury of the Werwolf</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_025">24</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_033"><i>How Thorwald was slain by Thiostolf</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_033">32</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_041"><i>Thiostolf decides to slay Glum</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_041">40</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_059"><i>Otkell and Gunnar in the Field</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_059">58</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_067"><i>Gunnar&#8217;s last Fight and Hallgerda&#8217;s Revenge</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_067">66</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_079"><i>How Kari escaped from Njal&#8217;s House</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_079">78</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_089"><i>The Lady of Solace helps the Fallen Knight</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_089">88</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_097"><i>The Red Cross Knight enters the Monster&#8217;s Cave</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_097">96</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_107"><i>Una saved by the Wood-Folk</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_107">106</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_113"><i>Arthur fights the Seven-Headed Serpent</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_113">112</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_121"><i>In the Cave of Despair</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_121">120</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_143"><i>Rodrigo brings home the head of Gomez</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_143">142</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_155"><i>Don Diego and Don Fernan show that they are cowards</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_155">154</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_167"><i>Don Quixada declared that he would give his Housekeeper
+    and his Niece into the bargain for the pleasure of bestowing
+    one kick on Ganelon the traitor</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_167">166</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_181"><i>Don Quixote determines to attack the Windmills</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_181">180</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_199"><i>How the Galley Slaves repaid Don Quixote</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_199">198</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_217"><i>The Meeting of Huon and Oberon</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_217">216</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_237"><i>Round the Bag which held the Boy a brilliant Light was shining</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_237">236</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_255"><i>Zephyr carries Psyche down from the Mountain</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_255">254</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_269"><i>Little Bevis avenges his Father</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_269">268</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_279"><i>Strong Sir Bevis keeps the Two Dragons at Bay</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_279">278</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_327"><i>Bradamante defeats the Wizard with the Ring</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_327">326</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_333"><i>Roger borne away from Bradamante</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_333">332</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_337"><i>The Two Damsels rescue Roger from the Rabble</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_337">336</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_361"><i>The Giant&#8217;s Daughter reproaches the Two Brothers</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_361">360</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_367"><i>The Knight of the Sun fights the Serpent</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdc">&#8221;</td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_367">366</a></td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+
+<p class="titlepage" style="margin-top: 1.5em;"><i>ILLUSTRATIONS IN TEXT.</i></p>
+
+<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 80%;" summary="Illustrations">
+<tr>
+  <td></td>
+  <td class="tdr" style="font-size: smaller;">PAGE</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_005"><i>The Emperor carries William away</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_005">5</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_019"><i>The Werwolf&#8217;s Visit to the Cave</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_019">19</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_029"><i>Hauskuld&#8217;s Pride in Hallgerda</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_029">29</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_063"><i>How Gunnar slew Thorgeir, Otkell&#8217;s Son</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_063">63</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_094"><i>Sudden Departure of Una&#8217;s Parents</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_094">94</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_100"><i>In Archimago&#8217;s Cell: the Evil Dream</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_100">100</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_132"><i>The Two Cups</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_132">132</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_139"><i>Sir Amyle arrives in time to save the Ladies</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_139">139</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_175"><i>Don Quixote belabours the Muleteer</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_175">175</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_203"><i>Don Quixote&#8217;s Battle with the Wine-skins</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_203">203</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_227"><i>Huon defeats the Giant Agrapart</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_227">227</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_247"><i>Havelok presents Goldborough to the English People</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_247">247</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_252"><i>Aphrodite brings Cupid to Psyche</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_252">252</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_265"><i>Joyfully the Eagle bore back the Urn</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_265">265</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_293"><i>Ogier the Dane meets Morgane le Fay at last</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_293">293</a></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#illus_page_302"><i>Apuleius changes into an Ass</i></a></td>
+  <td class="tdr"><a href="#illus_page_302">302</a></td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[1]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="HOW_WILLIAM_OF_PALERMO_WAS_CARRIED_OFF_BY_THE_WERWOLF" id="HOW_WILLIAM_OF_PALERMO_WAS_CARRIED_OFF_BY_THE_WERWOLF"></a><i>HOW WILLIAM OF PALERMO WAS CARRIED OFF BY THE WERWOLF</i></h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">Many</span> hundreds of years ago there lived in the beautiful city of Palermo
+a little prince who was thought, not only by his parents but by everyone
+who saw him, to be the handsomest child in the whole world. When he was
+four years old, his mother, the queen, made up her mind that it was time
+to take him away from his nurses, so she chose out two ladies of the
+court who had been friends of her own youth, and to them she entrusted
+her little son. He was to be taught to read and write, and to talk
+Greek, the language of his mother&#8217;s country, and Latin, which all
+princes ought to know, while the Great Chamberlain would see that he
+learned to ride and shoot, and, when he grew bigger, how to wield a
+sword.</p>
+
+<p>For a while everything went on as well as the king and queen could wish.
+Prince William was quick, and, besides, he could not bear to be beaten
+in anything he tried to do, whether it was making out the sense of a
+roll of parchment written in strange black letters, which was his
+reading-book, or mastering a pony which wanted to kick him off. And the
+people of Palermo looked on, and whispered to each other:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Ah! what a king he will make!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>But soon a terrible end came to all these hopes!</p>
+
+<p>William&#8217;s father, king Embrons, had a brother who would have been the
+heir to the throne but for the little prince. He was a wicked man, and
+hated his nephew, but when the boy was born he was away at the wars, and
+did not return till five years later. Then he lost no time <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[2]</a></span>in making
+friends with the two ladies who took care of William, and slowly managed
+to gain their confidence. By-and-by he worked upon them with his
+promises and gifts, till they became as wicked as he was, and even
+agreed to kill not only the child, but the king his father.</p>
+
+<p>Now adjoining the palace at Palermo was a large park, planted with
+flowering trees and filled with wild beasts. The royal family loved to
+roam about the park, and often held jousts and sports on the green
+grass, while William played with his dogs or picked flowers.</p>
+
+<p>One day&mdash;it was a festival&mdash;the whole court went into the park at noon,
+after they had finished dining, and the queen and her ladies busied
+themselves with embroidering a quilt for the royal bed, while the king
+and his courtiers shot at a mark. Suddenly there leapt from a bush a
+huge grey wolf with his mouth open and his tongue hanging out. Before
+anyone had time to recover from his surprise, the great beast had caught
+up the child, and was bounding with him through the park, and over the
+wall into the plain by the sea. When the courtiers had regained their
+senses, both the wolf and boy were out of sight.</p>
+
+<p>Oh! what weeping and wailing burst forth from the king and queen when
+they understood that their little son was gone from them for ever, only,
+as they supposed, to die a cruel death! For of course they did not know
+that one far worse had awaited him at home.</p>
+
+<p>After the first shock, William did not very much mind what was happening
+to him. The wolf jerked him on to his back, and told him to hold fast by
+his ears, and the boy sat comfortably among the thick hair, and did not
+even get his feet wet as they swam across the Straits of Messina. On the
+other side, not far from Rome, was a forest of tall trees, and as by
+this time it was getting dark, the wolf placed William on a bed of soft
+fern, and broke off a branch of delicious fruits, which he gave him for
+supper. Then he scooped out a deep pit with his <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span>paws, and lined it
+with moss and feathery grasses, and there they both lay down and slept
+till morning; in spite of missing his mother, in all his life William
+had never been so happy.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 497px;">
+<a name="plate_facing_002" id="plate_facing_002"></a><a href="images/f002-full.jpg"><img src="images/f002.jpg" width="497" height="306" alt="A boy being carried in the mouth of a wolf, with women looking on in horror" title="The Wer-Wolf carries Prince William away" /></a>
+<span class="caption">The Wer-Wolf carries Prince William away</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>For eight days they stayed in the forest, and it seemed to the boy as if
+he had never dwelt anywhere else. There was so much to see and to do,
+and when he was tired of playing the wolf told him stories.</p>
+
+<p>But one morning, before he was properly awake, he felt himself gently
+shaken by a paw, and he sat up, and looked about him. &#8216;Listen to me,&#8217;
+said the wolf. &#8216;I have to go right over to the other side of the wood,
+on some business of a friend&#8217;s, and I shall not be back till sunset. Be
+careful not to stray out of sight of this pit, for you may easily lose
+yourself. You will find plenty of fruit and nuts piled up under that
+cherry tree.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So the wolf went away, and the child curled himself up for another
+sleep, and when the sun was high and its beams awakened him, he got up
+and had his breakfast. While he was eating, birds with blue and green
+feathers came and hopped on his shoulder and pecked at the fruit he was
+putting into his mouth, and William made friends with them all, and they
+suffered him to stroke their heads.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">Now there dwelt in the forest an old cowherd, who happened that morning
+to have work to do not far from the pit where William lived with the
+wolf. He took with him a big dog, which helped him to collect the cows
+when they wandered, and to keep off any strange beasts that threatened
+to attack them. On this particular morning there were no cows, so the
+dog ran hither and thither as he would, enjoying himself mightily, when
+suddenly he set up a loud barking, as if he had found a prey, and the
+noise caused the old man to hasten his steps.</p>
+
+<p>When he reached the spot from which the noise came, the dog was standing
+at the edge of a pit, out of which came a frightened cry. The old man
+looked in, and there <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span>he saw a child clad in garments that shone like
+gold, shrinking timidly into the farthest corner.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Fear nothing, my boy,&#8217; said the cowherd; &#8216;he will never hurt you, and
+even if he wished I would not let him;&#8217; and as he spoke he held out his
+hand. At this William took courage. He was not really a coward, but he
+felt lonely and it seemed a long time since the wolf had gone away.
+Would he <i>really</i> ever come back? This old man looked kind, and there
+could be no harm in speaking to him. So he took the outstretched hand
+and scrambled out of the pit, and the cowherd gathered apples for him,
+and other fruits that grew on the tops of trees too high for the wolf to
+reach. And all the day they wandered on and on, till they came to the
+cowherd&#8217;s cottage, before which an old woman was standing.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I have brought you a little boy,&#8217; he said, &#8216;whom I found in the
+forest.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Ah, a lucky star was shining when you got up to-day,&#8217; answered she.
+&#8216;And what is your name, my little man? And will you stay and live with
+me?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;My name is William, and you look kind like my grandmother, and I will
+stay with you,&#8217; said the boy; and the old people were very glad, and
+they milked a cow, and gave him warm milk for his supper.</p>
+
+<p>When the wolf returned&mdash;he was not a wolf at all, but the son of the
+king of Spain, who had been enchanted by his stepmother&mdash;he was very
+unhappy at finding the pit empty. Indeed, his first thought was that a
+lion must have carried off the boy and eaten him, or that an eagle must
+have pounced on him from the sky, and borne him away to his young ones
+for supper. But after he had cried till he could cry no more, it
+occurred to him that before he gave up the boy for dead it would be well
+to make a search, as perchance there might be some sign of his
+whereabouts. So he dried his eyes with his tail and jumped up quite
+cheerfully.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 294px;">
+<a name="illus_page_005" id="illus_page_005"></a><a href="images/p005-full.png"><img src="images/p005.png" width="294" height="343" alt="A man carrying a boy on horseback. Dogs surround the horse" title="The Emperor carries William away" /></a>
+<span class="caption">The Emperor carries William away</span>
+</div>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span>He began by looking to see if the bushes round about were broken and
+torn as if some great beast had crashed through them. But they were all
+just as he had left them in the morning, with the creepers still
+knotting tree to tree. No, it was clear that no lion had been near the
+spot. Then he examined the ground carefully for a bird&#8217;s feather or a
+shred of a child&#8217;s dress; he did <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span>not find these either, but the marks
+of a man&#8217;s foot were quite plain, and these he followed.</p>
+
+<p>The track turned and twisted for about two miles, and then stopped at a
+little cottage with roses climbing up the walls. The wolf did not want
+to show himself, so he crept quietly round to the back, where there was
+a hole in the door just big enough for the cats to come in and out of.
+The wolf peeped through this hole and saw William eating his supper, and
+chattering away to the old woman as if he had known her all his life,
+for he was a friendly little boy, and purred like a pussy-cat when he
+was pleased. And when the wolf saw that all was well with the child, he
+was glad and went his way.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;William will be safer with them than with me,&#8217; he said to himself.</p>
+
+<p>Many years went by, and William had grown a big boy, and was very useful
+to the cowherd and his wife. He could shoot now with his bow and arrow
+in a manner which would have pleased his first teacher, and he and his
+playfellows&mdash;the sons of charcoal-burners and woodmen&mdash;were wont to keep
+the pots supplied at home with the game they found in the forest.
+Besides this, he filled the pails full of water from the stream, and
+chopped wood for the fire, and, sometimes, was even trusted to cook the
+dinner. And when <i>this</i> happened William was a very proud boy indeed.</p>
+
+<p>One day the emperor planned a great hunt to take place in the forest,
+and, while following a wild boar, he outstripped all his courtiers and
+lost his way. Turning first down one path and then the other, he came
+upon a boy gathering fruit, and so beautiful was he that the emperor
+thought that he must be of a fairy race.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;What is your name, my child?&#8217; asked the emperor; &#8216;and where do you
+live?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>The boy looked round at the sound of his voice, and, taking off his cap,
+bowed low.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I am called William, noble sir,&#8217; he answered, &#8216;and I <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span>live with a
+cowherd, my father, in a cottage near by. Other kindred have I none that
+ever I heard of;&#8217; for the gardens of Palermo and the life of the palace
+had now faded into dreams in the memory of the child.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Bid your father come hither and speak to me,&#8217; said the emperor, but
+William did not move.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I fear lest harm should befall him through me,&#8217; he answered, &#8216;and that
+shall never be.&#8217; But the emperor smiled as he heard him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Not harm, but good,&#8217; he said; and William took courage and hastened
+down the path to the cottage.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I am the emperor,&#8217; said the stranger, when the boy and the cowherd
+returned together. &#8216;Tell me truly, is this your son?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Then the cowherd, trembling all over, told the whole story, and when he
+had finished the emperor said quietly:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You have done well, but from to-day the boy shall be mine, and shall
+grow up with my daughter.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>The heart of the cowherd sank as he thought how sorely he and his wife
+would miss William, but he kept silence. Not so William, who broke into
+sobs and wails.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I should have fared ill if this good man and his wife had not taken me
+and nourished me. I know not whence I came or whither I shall go! None
+can be so kind as they have been.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Cease weeping, fair child,&#8217; said the emperor, &#8216;some day you shall be
+able to reward the good that they have done you;&#8217; and then the cowherd
+spoke and gave him wise counsel how to behave himself at court.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Be no teller of tales, and let your words be few. Be true to your lord,
+and fair of speech to all men; and seek to help the poor when you may.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Set him on my horse,&#8217; said the emperor, and, though William wept still
+as he bade farewell to the cowherd, and sent a sorrowful greeting to his
+wife and to his playfellows Hugonet, and Abelot, and Akarin, yet he was
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span>pleased to be riding in such royal fashion, and soon dried his tears.</p>
+
+<p>They reached the palace at last, and the emperor led William into the
+hall, and sent a messenger for Melior, his daughter.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I have brought home a present for you,&#8217; he cried, as she entered; &#8216;and
+be sure to treat him as you would your brother, for he has come of
+goodly kindred, though now he does not know where he was born, or who
+was his father.&#8217; And with that he told her the tale of how he had found
+the boy in the wood.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I shall care for him willingly,&#8217; answered Melior, and she took him
+away, and saw that supper was set before him, and clothes provided for
+him, and made him ready for his duties as page to the emperor.</p>
+
+<p>So the boy and girl grew up together, and everyone loved William, who
+was gentle and pleasant to all, and was skilled in what a gentleman
+should know. Wise he was too, beyond his years, and the emperor kept him
+ever at his side, and took counsel with him on many subjects touching
+his honour and the welfare of his people.</p>
+
+<p>And if the people loved him, how much more Melior, who saw him about the
+court all day long, and knew the store her father set on him? Yet she
+remembered with sadness certain whispers she had heard of a match
+between herself and a foreign prince, and if her father had promised her
+hand nought would make him break his word.</p>
+
+<p>So she sighed and bewailed herself in secret, till her cousin
+Alexandrine marked that something was amiss.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Tell me all your sickness,&#8217; said Alexandrine one day, &#8216;and what grieves
+you so sorely. You know that you can trust me, for I have served you
+truly, and perhaps I may be able to help you in this strait!&#8217;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 269px;">
+<a name="illus_page_009" id="illus_page_009"></a><a href="images/p009-full.png"><img src="images/p009.png" width="269" height="466" alt="A man and woman kissing" title="The lovers meet by plan of Alexandrine" /></a>
+<span class="caption">The lovers meet by plan of Alexandrine</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>Then Melior told her, and Alexandrine listened in amaze. From his
+childhood William and the two girls <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10"><br />[10]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11"><br /><br />[11]</a></span>had played together, and well
+Alexandrine knew that the emperor had cast his eyes upon another
+son-in-law. Still, she loved her cousin, and she loved William too, so
+she said.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Mourn no longer, madam; I am skilled in magic, and can heal you. So
+weep no more.&#8217; And Melior took heart and was comforted.</p>
+
+<p>That night Alexandrine caused William to dream a dream in which the
+whole world vanished away, and only he and Melior were left. In a moment
+he felt that as long as she was there the rest might go, and that she
+was the princess that was waiting for every prince. But who was he that
+he should dare to ask for the emperor&#8217;s daughter? and what chance had he
+amongst the noble suitors who now began to throng the palace? These
+thoughts made him very sad, and he went about his duties with a face as
+long as Melior&#8217;s was now.</p>
+
+<p>Alexandrine paid no heed to his gloomy looks. She was very wise, and for
+some days left her magic to work. At last one morning she thought the
+time had come to heal the wounds she had caused, and planned a meeting
+between them. After this they had no more need of her, neither did
+Melior weep any longer.</p>
+
+<p>For a while they were content, and asked nothing more than to see each
+other every day, as they had always done. But soon a fresh source of
+grief came. A war broke out, in which William, now a knight, had to
+follow the emperor, and more than once saved the life of his master. On
+their return, when the enemy was put to flight, the expected ambassadors
+from Greece arrived at court, to seek the hand of Melior, which was
+readily granted by her father. This news made William sick almost unto
+death, and Melior, who was resolved not to marry the stranger, hastened
+to Alexandrine in order to implore her help.</p>
+
+<p>But Alexandrine only shook her head.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span>&#8216;It is true,&#8217; said she, &#8216;that, unless you manage to escape, you will be
+forced to wed the prince; but how are you to get away when there are
+guards before every door of the palace, except by the little gate, and
+to reach that you will have first to pass by the sentries, who know
+you?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;O dear Alexandrine,&#8217; cried Melior, clasping her hands in despair. &#8216;Do
+try to think of some way to save us! I am sure you can; you are always
+clever, and there is nobody else.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And Alexandrine did think of a way, but what it was must be told in the
+next chapter.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="THE_DISENCHANTMENT_OF_THE_WERWOLF" id="THE_DISENCHANTMENT_OF_THE_WERWOLF"></a>THE DISENCHANTMENT OF THE WERWOLF</h2>
+
+<p class="titlepage">(<span class="smcap">William of Palermo</span>)</p>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">Everybody</span> will remember that William and Melior trusted to Alexandrine
+to help them to escape from the palace, before Melior was forced into
+marriage by her father with the prince of Greece. At first Alexandrine
+declared that it was quite impossible to get them away unseen, but at
+length she thought of something which might succeed, though, if it
+failed, all three would pay a heavy penalty.</p>
+
+<p>And this was her plan, and a very good one too.</p>
+
+<p>She would borrow some boy&#8217;s clothes, and put them on, hiding her hair
+under one of those tight caps that kitchen varlets wore covering all
+their heads; she would then go down into the big kitchens underneath the
+palace, where the wild beasts shot by the emperor were skinned and made
+into coats for the winter. Here she would have a chance of slipping out
+unnoticed with the skins of two white bears, and in these she would sew
+up William and Melior, and would let them through the little back gate,
+from which they could easily escape into the forest.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Oh, I knew you would find a way!&#8217; said Melior, throwing her arms
+joyfully round her cousin&#8217;s neck. &#8216;I am quite sure it will all go right,
+only let us make haste, for my father may find us out, or perhaps I may
+lose my courage.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span>&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I will set about it at once,&#8217; said Alexandrine, &#8216;and you and William
+must be ready to-night.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So she got her boy&#8217;s clothes, which her maid stole for her out of the
+room of one of the scullions, and dressed herself in them, smearing her
+face and hands with walnut-juice, that their whiteness might not betray
+her. She slipped down by some dark stairs into the kitchen, and joined a
+company of men who were hard at work on a pile of dead animals. The sun
+had set, and in the corner of the great hall where the flaying was going
+on, there was very little light, but Alexandrine marked that close to an
+open door was a heap of bearskins, and she took up her position as near
+them as she could. But the girl was careful not to stand too long in one
+place; she moved about from one group of men to another, lending a hand
+here and there and passing a merry jest, and as she did so she gave the
+topmost skins a little shove with her foot, getting them each time
+closer to the open door, and always watching her chance to pick them up
+and run off with them.</p>
+
+<p>It came at last. The torch which lighted that end of the hall flared up
+and went out, leaving the men in darkness. One of them rose to fetch
+another, and, quick as thought, Alexandrine caught up the bearskins and
+was outside in the garden. From that it was easy to make her way
+upstairs unseen.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;See how I have sped!&#8217; she said, throwing the skins on the floor. &#8216;But
+night is coming on apace, and we have no time to lose; I must sew you up
+in them at once.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>The skins were both so large that Melior and William wore all their own
+clothes beneath, and did not feel at all hot, as they expected to do.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Am I not a bold beast?&#8217; asked Melior in glee, as she caught sight of
+herself in a polished shield on the wall. &#8216;Methinks no handsomer bear
+was ever seen!&#8217;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 281px;">
+<a name="illus_page_015" id="illus_page_015"></a><a href="images/p015-full.png"><img src="images/p015.png" width="281" height="401" alt="A person trying on a bearskin, with an assistant helping fit it" title="THE BEARSKINS: AM NOT I A BOLD BEAST?" /></a>
+<span class="caption">THE BEARSKINS: AM NOT I A BOLD BEAST?</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>&#8216;Yes, verily, madam,&#8217; answered her maiden, &#8216;you are <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16"><br />[16]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17"><br /><br />[17]</a></span>indeed a grisly
+ghost, and no man will dare to come near you. But now stand aside, for
+it is William&#8217;s turn.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;How do you like me, sweetheart?&#8217; asked he, when the last stitches had
+been put in.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You have so fierce an air, and are so hideous a sight, that I fear to
+look on you!&#8217; said she. And William laughed and begged Alexandrine to
+guide them through the garden, as they were not yet used to going on all
+fours, and might stumble.</p>
+
+<p>As they passed through the bushes, galloping madly&mdash;for in spite of the
+danger they felt as though they were children again&mdash;a Greek who was
+walking up to the palace saw them afar, and, seized with dread, took
+shelter in the nearest hut, where he told his tale. The men who heard it
+paid but little heed at the time, though they remembered it after; but
+bears were common in that country, and often came out of the forest at
+night.</p>
+
+<p>Not knowing what a narrow escape they had had, the two runaways
+travelled till sunrise, when they hid themselves in a cave on the side
+of a hill. They had nothing to eat, but were too tired to think of that
+till they had had a good sleep, though when they woke up they began to
+wonder how they should get any food.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Oh, it will be all right!&#8217; said Melior; &#8216;there are blackberries in
+plenty and acorns and hazel-nuts, and there is a stream just below the
+cave&mdash;do you not hear it? It will all be much nicer than anything in the
+palace.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>But William did not seem to agree with her, and wished to seek out some
+man who would give him something he liked better than nuts and acorns.
+This, however, Melior would not hear of; they would certainly be
+followed and betrayed, she said, and, to please her, William ate the
+fruit and stayed in the cave, wondering what would happen on the morrow.</p>
+
+<p>Luckily for themselves, they did not have to wait so long before they
+got a good supper. Their friend the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span>werwolf had spied them from afar,
+and was ready to come to their rescue. During that day he had hidden
+himself under a clump of bushes close to the highway, and by-and-by he
+saw a man approaching, carrying a very fat wallet over his shoulder. The
+wolf bounded out of his cover, growling fiercely, which so frightened
+the man that he dropped the wallet and ran into the wood. Then the wolf
+picked up the wallet, which contained a loaf of bread and some meat
+ready cooked, and galloped away with it to William.</p>
+
+<p>They felt quite strong and hearty again when they had finished their
+supper, and quite ready to continue their journey. As it was night, and
+the country was very lonely, they walked on two feet, but when morning
+came, or they saw signs that men were about, they speedily dropped on
+all fours. And all the way the werwolf followed them, and saw that they
+never lacked for food.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile the preparations for Melior&#8217;s marriage to the prince of Greece
+were going on blithely in the palace, and none thought of asking for the
+bride. At last, when everything was finished, the emperor bade the high
+chamberlain fetch the princess.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;She is not in her room, your Majesty,&#8217; said the chamberlain, when he
+re-entered the hall; but the emperor only thought that his daughter was
+timid, and answered that he would go and bring her himself.</p>
+
+<p>Like the chamberlain, he found the outer room empty and passed on to the
+door of the inner one, which was locked. He shook and thumped and yelled
+with anger, till Alexandrine heard him from her distant turret, and,
+terrified though she was, hastened to find out what was the matter.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;My daughter! Where is my daughter?&#8217; he cried, stammering with rage.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Asleep, sire,&#8217; answered Alexandrine.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Asleep still!&#8217; said the emperor; &#8216;then wake her <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span>instantly, for the
+bridegroom is ready and I am waiting to lead her to him.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Alas! sire, Melior has heard that in Greece royal brides pass their
+lives shut in a tower, and she has sworn that she will never wed one of
+that race. But, indeed, for my part, I think that is not her true
+reason, and that she has pledged her faith to another, whom you also
+know and love.&#8217;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 286px;">
+<a name="illus_page_019" id="illus_page_019"></a><a href="images/p019-full.png"><img src="images/p019.png" width="286" height="237" alt="A man in a bearskin holding a small boy with a wolf looking into the cave they are sitting in" title="The Werwolf&#8217;s visit to the Cave" /></a>
+<span class="caption">The Werwolf&#8217;s visit to the Cave</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>&#8216;And who may that be?&#8217; asked the emperor.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;The man who saved your life in battle, William himself,&#8217; answered
+Alexandrine boldly, though her limbs shook with fear.</p>
+
+<p>At this news the emperor was half beside himself with grief and rage.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Where is she?&#8217; he cried; &#8216;speak, girl, or I will shut you up in the
+tower.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span>&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Where is William?&#8217; asked Alexandrine. &#8216;If Melior is not here, and
+William is not here, then of a surety they have gone away together.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>The emperor looked at her in silence for a moment.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;The Greeks will make war on me for this insult,&#8217; he said; &#8216;and, as for
+William, a body of soldiers shall go in search of him this moment, and
+when he is found I will have his head cut off, and stuck on my palace
+gate as a warning to traitors.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>But the soldiers could not find him. Perhaps they did not look very
+carefully, for, like everyone else, they loved William. Party after
+party was sent out by the emperor, but they all returned without finding
+a trace of the runaways. Then at last the Greek who had seen the two
+white bears galloping through the garden came to the high chamberlain
+and told his tale.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Send to the kitchen at once and ask if any bearskins are missing,&#8217;
+ordered the chamberlain; and the page returned with the tidings that the
+skins of two white bears could not be found.</p>
+
+<p>Now the werwolf had been lurking round the palace seeking for news, and
+as soon as he heard that the emperor had ordered out his dogs to hunt
+the white bears, he made a plan in his head to save William and Melior.
+He hid in some bushes that lay in the path of the hounds, and let them
+get quite near him. As soon as they were close, he sprang out in front
+of their noses and they gave chase at once. And a fine dance he led
+them!&mdash;over mountains and through swamps, under ferns that were thickly
+matted together, and past wide lakes. And every step they took brought
+them further away from the bears, who were lying snugly in their den.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">At last even the patience of the emperor was exhausted. He gave up the
+hunt, and bade his men call off the dogs and go home.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;They have escaped me this time,&#8217; said he, &#8216;but I <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span>will have them
+by-and-by. Let a reward be offered, and posted up on the gate of every
+city. After all, that is the surest way of capturing them.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And the emperor was right: the shepherds and goatherds were told that if
+they could bring the two white bears to the gates of the palace they
+would not need to work for the rest of their lives, and they kept a
+sharp look-out as they followed their flocks. Once a man actually saw
+them, and gave notice to one of the royal officials, who brought a
+company of spearmen and surrounded the cave. Another moment, and they
+would have been seized, had not the wolf again come to their rescue. He
+leapt out from behind a rock, and snatched up the officer&#8217;s son, who had
+followed his father. The poor man shrieked in horror, and cried out to
+save the boy, so they all turned and went after the wolf as before.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;We are safer now in our own clothes,&#8217; said William; and they hastily
+stripped off the bearskins, and stole away, but they would not leave the
+skins behind, for they had learnt to love them.</p>
+
+<p>For a long while they wandered through the forest, the werwolf ever
+watching over them, and bringing them food. At length the news spread
+abroad, no one knew how, that William and Melior were running about as
+bears no more, but in the garments they always wore. So men began to
+look out for them, and once they were very nearly caught by some
+charcoal-burners. Then the wolf killed a hart and a hind, and sewed them
+in their skins and guided them across the Straits of Messina into the
+kingdom of Sicily.</p>
+
+<p>Very dimly, and one by one, little things that had happened in his
+childhood began to come back to William; but he wondered greatly how he
+seemed to know this land, where he had never been before. The king his
+father had been long dead, but the queen (his mother) and his sister
+were besieged in the city of Palermo by the king of Spain, who was full
+of wrath <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span>because the princess had refused to marry his son. The queen
+was in great straits, when one night she dreamed that a wolf and two
+harts had come to help her, and one bore the face of her son, while both
+had crowns on their heads.</p>
+
+<p>She could sleep no more that night, so she rose and looked out of the
+window on the park which lay below, and there, under the trees, were the
+hart and the hind! Panting for joy, the queen summoned a priest, and
+told him her dream, and, as she told it, behold the skins cracked, and
+shining clothes appeared beneath.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Your dream has been fulfilled,&#8217; said the priest. &#8216;The hind is the
+daughter of the emperor of Rome, who fled away with yonder knight
+dressed in a hart skin!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Joyfully the queen made herself ready, and she soon joined the animals,
+who had wandered off to a part of the park that was full of rocks and
+caves. She greeted them with fair words, and begged William to take
+service under her, which he did gladly.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Sweet sir, what token will you wear on your shield?&#8217; asked she; and
+William answered, &#8216;Good madam, I will have a werwolf on a shield of
+gold, and let him be made hideous and huge.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;That shall be done,&#8217; said she.</p>
+
+<p>When the shield was painted, William prayed her to give him a horse, and
+she led him into the stable, and bade him choose one for himself. And he
+chose one that had been ridden by the late king his father. And the
+horse knew him, though his mother did not, and it neighed from pure
+delight. After that William called to the soldiers to rally round him,
+and there was fought a great battle, and the Spaniards were put to
+flight, and throughout Palermo the people rejoiced mightily.</p>
+
+<p>When the enemy had retreated far away, and William returned to the
+palace, where the queen and Melior were awaiting him; suddenly, from the
+window, they beheld <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span>the werwolf go by, and as he passed he held up his
+foot as if he craved mercy.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;What does he mean by that?&#8217; asked the queen.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It betokens great good to us,&#8217; answered William.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;That is well,&#8217; said the queen; &#8216;but the sight of that beast causes me
+much sorrow. For my fair son was stolen away from me by such a one, when
+he was four years old, and never more have I heard of him.&#8217; But in her
+heart she felt, though she said nothing, that she had found him again.</p>
+
+<p>By-and-by the king of Spain came back with another army, and there was
+more fighting. In the end the Spanish king was forced to yield up his
+sword to William, who carried him captor to his mother Felice. The queen
+received him with great courtesy, and placed him next her at dinner, and
+the peers who had likewise been taken prisoners sat down to feast.</p>
+
+<p>The next day a council was held in the hall of the palace to consider
+the terms of peace. The king of Spain and his son were present also, and
+everyone said in turn what penalty the enemy should pay for having
+besieged their city and laid waste their cornfields. In the midst of
+this grave discussion a werwolf entered through the open door, and,
+trotting up to the Spanish king, he kissed his feet. Then he bowed to
+the queen and to William, and went away as he came.</p>
+
+<p>The sight of his tail disappearing through the door restored to the
+guards their courage, which had vanished in the presence of anything so
+unexpected. They sprang up to pursue him, but like a flash of lightning
+William flung himself in their path, crying, &#8216;If any man dare to hurt
+that beast, I will do him to death with my own hands;&#8217; and, as they all
+knew that William meant what he said, they slunk back to their places.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Tell me, gracious king,&#8217; asked William when they were all seated afresh
+round the council table, &#8216;why did the wolf bow to you more than to other
+men?<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span>&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Then the king made answer that long ago his first wife had died, leaving
+him with a son, and that in a little while he had married again, and
+that his second wife had had a son also. One day when he came back from
+the wars she told him that his eldest son had been drowned, but he found
+out afterwards that she had changed him into a werwolf, so that her own
+child might succeed to the crown.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;And I think,&#8217; he added, &#8216;that this werwolf may be indeed the son I
+lost.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It may right well be thus,&#8217; cried William, &#8216;for he has the mind of a
+man, and of a wise man too. Often has he succoured me in my great need,
+and if your wife had skill to turn him into a werwolf her charms can
+make him a man again. Therefore, sire, neither you nor your people shall
+go hence out of prison till he has left his beast&#8217;s shape behind him. So
+bid your queen come hither, and if she says you nay I will fetch her
+myself!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Then the king called one of his great lords, and he bade him haste to
+Spain and tell the queen what had befallen him, and to bring her with
+all speed to Palermo. Little as she liked the summons, the Spanish queen
+dared not refuse, and on her arrival she was led at once into the great
+hall, which was filled with a vast company, both of Spaniards and
+Sicilians. When all were assembled William fetched the werwolf from his
+chamber, where he had lain for nights and days, waiting till his
+stepmother should come.</p>
+
+<p>Together they entered the hall, but at the sight of the wicked woman who
+had done him such ill the wolf&#8217;s bristles stood up on his back, and with
+a snarl that chilled the blood of all that heard it he sprang towards
+the dais. But, luckily, William was on the watch, and, flinging his arms
+round the wolf&#8217;s neck, he held him back, saying in a whisper:</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 490px;">
+<a name="illus_page_025" id="illus_page_025"></a><a href="images/p025-full.png"><img src="images/p025.png" width="490" height="304" alt="A man restraining a wolf leaping toward a woman on a dais" title="THE FURY OF THE WER-WOLF" /></a>
+<span class="caption">THE FURY OF THE WER-WOLF</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>&#8216;My dear, sweet beast, trust to me as truly as to your own brother. I
+sent for her for your sake, and <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26"><br />[26]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27"><br /><br />[27]</a></span>if she does not undo her evil spells
+I will have her body burned to coals, and her ashes scattered to the
+winds.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>The wicked queen knew well what doom awaited her, and that she could
+resist no longer. Sinking on her knees before the wolf, she confessed
+the ill she had wrought, and added:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Sweet Alfonso, soon shall the people see your seemly face, and your
+body as it would have been but for me!&#8217; At that she led the wolf into a
+private chamber, and, drawing from her wallet a thread of red silk, she
+bound it round a ring she wore, which no witchcraft could prevail
+against. This ring she hung round the wolf&#8217;s neck, and afterwards read
+him some rhymes out of a book. Then the werwolf looked at his body, and,
+behold, he was a man again!</p>
+
+<p>There were great rejoicings at the court of Palermo when prince Alfonso
+came among them once more. He forgave the queen for her wickedness, and
+rebuked his father for having stirred up such a wanton and bloody war.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Plague and famine would have preyed upon this land,&#8217; he said, &#8216;had not
+this knight, whose real name is unknown to you, come to your aid. He is
+the rightful lord of this country, for he is the son of king Embrons and
+queen Felice, and I am the werwolf who carried him away, to save him
+from a cruel death that was planned for him by his own uncle!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So the tale ends and everyone was made happy. The werwolf, now prince
+Alfonso, married William&#8217;s sister, and in due time ruled the kingdom of
+Spain, and William and Melior lived at Palermo till the emperor her
+father died, when the Romans offered him the crown in his stead.</p>
+
+<p>And if you want to know any more about them, you must read the story for
+yourselves.</p>
+
+<p class="titlepage">(Old Romance of <i>William of Palermo</i>.)</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="THE_SLAYING_OF_HALLGERDAS_HUSBANDS" id="THE_SLAYING_OF_HALLGERDAS_HUSBANDS"></a>THE SLAYING OF HALLGERDA&#8217;S HUSBANDS</h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">If</span> any traveller had visited Iceland nearly a thousand years ago, he
+would have found the island full of busy, industrious people, who made
+the most of their short summer, and tilled the ground so well that they
+generally reaped a golden harvest. Many of the families were akin, and
+had fled some sixty years earlier from Norway and the islands of the sea
+because the king, Harald Fairhair, had introduced new laws, which
+displeased them. They were soon joined, for one reason and another, by
+dwellers in Orkney and Shetland and the Faroe Islands and the Hebrides,
+and, being men of one race, they easily adopted the same customs and
+obeyed the same laws.</p>
+
+<p>Now the Northmen had many good qualities and many very troublesome ones.
+The father of every household had absolute power over all his children;
+he fixed the amount of money that should be paid in exchange for his
+daughter at her marriage, and the sum that was due for the wounded slave
+or &#8216;thrall&#8217; as he was called, or even for his murdered son; or, if he
+thought better, he could refuse to take any money at all as the price of
+his injuries, and could then avenge blood by blood.</p>
+
+<p>But once he had declared his purpose he was bound to abide by his word.</p>
+
+<p>Fond though they were of fighting, the Northmen had their own notions of
+fair dealing. If you had killed a man, you had to confess it; if you
+slew him at night, or when he was sleeping, you were guilty of murder,
+and if you refused to throw gravel or sand over his body, thus <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span>denying
+your enemy the rights of burial, you were considered a dastard even by
+your friends.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 284px;">
+<a name="illus_page_029" id="illus_page_029"></a><a href="images/p029-full.png"><img src="images/p029.png" width="284" height="374" alt="A girl standing by a man, surrounded by other people" title="HAUSKULD&#8217;S PRIDE IN HALLGERDA" /></a>
+<span class="caption">HAUSKULD&#8217;S PRIDE IN HALLGERDA</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>Now in the valley or dale of the river Laxa dwelt two brothers, each in
+his own house. One was named Hauskuld, and the other Hrut. This Hrut was
+much <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span>younger than Hauskuld, and was handsome, brave, and, like so many
+of the Northmen, very gentle when not engaged in war. Like many of them
+also, the gift was given him of reading the future.</p>
+
+<p>One day Hauskuld made a feast, and Hrut came with many of his kinsmen,
+and took his place next his brother Hauskuld. They were all seated in
+the great hall of the house and near the fire Hauskuld&#8217;s little
+daughter, Hallgerda, was playing with some other children. Fair and blue
+eyed were they all, but Hallgerda was taller and more beautiful than
+any, and her hair fell in long bright curls far below her waist. &#8216;Come
+hither,&#8217; said Hauskuld, holding out his hand, and, taking her by the
+chin, he kissed her and bade her go back to her companions. Then,
+turning to his brother he asked:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Well, is she not fair to look upon?&#8217; but Hrut held his peace. Again
+Hauskuld would know what was in the thoughts of Hrut concerning the
+maiden, and this time Hrut made answer:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Of a truth fair is the maid, and great will be the havoc wrought by her
+among men. But one thing I would know, which of our race has given her
+those thief&#8217;s eyes?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>At that Hauskuld waxed wroth, and bade Hrut begone to his own house.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">After this some years went by. Hrut left Iceland and spent some time at
+the Court of Norway, and then he came back and married, and had much
+trouble with his wife, Unna. But after they had parted and she had gone
+back to her father, Hrut was a free man again, and he went to visit his
+brother Hauskuld, whose daughter Hallgerda had now become a woman. Tall
+and stately she was, and fair, but sly and greedy of gain, as in the
+days of her childhood, and more she loved Thiostolf, whose wife had
+brought her up, than Hauskuld her father, or Hrut her uncle.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span>When Hallgerda went back to Hauskuld her father, he saw that he must be
+looking out for a husband for her, as the fame of her beauty would go
+far. It was indeed not long before one came to her, Thorwald, son of
+Oswif, who, besides the broad lands which he possessed on the island,
+owned the Bear Isles out in the sea, where fish were to be had in
+abundance.</p>
+
+<p>Oswif, Thorwald&#8217;s father, knew more about the maiden than did Thorwald,
+who had been on a journey, and he tried to turn his son&#8217;s thought to
+some other damsel, but Thorwald only answered, &#8216;Whatever you may say,
+she is the only woman I will marry;&#8217; and Oswif made reply, &#8216;Well, after
+all, the risk is yours and not mine.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So they two set out for Hauskuld&#8217;s house and he bade them welcome
+heartily. They wasted no time before telling him their business, and
+Hauskuld answered that for his part he could desire no more honourable
+match for his daughter, but he would not hide from them that her temper
+was hard and cruel.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;That shall not stand between us,&#8217; said Thorwald, &#8216;so tell me what I
+shall pay for her.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And the bargain was made, and Thorwald rode home with his father, but
+Hallgerda was never asked if she wished to wed Thorwald or not.</p>
+
+<p>When Hauskuld told his daughter that she was to be married to Thorwald,
+she was not pleased, and said that if her father had loved her as much
+as he pretended to do he would have consulted her in such a matter.
+Besides, she did not think that the match was in any way worthy of her.</p>
+
+<p>But, grumble as she might, there was no getting out of it, and, as
+Hauskuld would listen to nothing, she sought for her foster-father,
+Thiostolf, who never had been known to say her nay. When she had told
+her story, he bade her be of good cheer, prophesying that Thorwald
+should not be her only husband, and that if she was not happy she had
+only to come to him and he <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span>would do her bidding, be it what it might,
+save as regarded Hauskuld and Hrut.</p>
+
+<p>Then Hallgerda was comforted, and went home to prepare the bridal feast,
+to which all their friends and kinsfolk were bidden. And when the
+marriage was over, she rode home with her husband Thorwald, and
+Thiostolf her foster-father was ever at her side, and she talked more to
+him than to Thorwald. And there he stayed all the winter.</p>
+
+<p>Now, as time went on, Thorwald began to repent that he had not hearkened
+to the words of his father. His wife paid him scant attention, and she
+wasted his goods, and was noted among all the women of the dales for her
+skill in driving a hard bargain. And, beyond all that, folk whispered
+that she was not careful to ask whether the things she took were her own
+or someone else&#8217;s. This irked Thorwald sore; but worse was to follow.
+The spring came late that year, and Hallgerda told Thorwald that the
+storehouse was empty of meat and fish, and he must go out to the Bear
+Isles and fetch some more. At this Thorwald reproached her, saying that
+it was her fault if garners were not yet full, and on Hallgerda&#8217;s
+taunting him with being a miser, struck her such a blow in the face that
+blood spouted, and when he left her to row with his men to the islands,
+Hallgerda sat still, vowing vengeance.</p>
+
+<p>It was not long in coming. Soon after, Thiostolf chanced to pass that
+way, and, seeing the blood on her face, asked whence it sprang.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;From the hand of my husband Thorwald,&#8217; answered she, and reproached
+Thiostolf for suffering such dealings.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 288px;">
+<a name="illus_page_033" id="illus_page_033"></a><a href="images/p033-full.png"><img src="images/p033.png" width="288" height="462" alt="A man with an axe attacking a man who is bent over" title="HOW THORWALD WAS SLAIN BY THIOSTOLF" /></a>
+<span class="caption">HOW THORWALD WAS SLAIN BY THIOSTOLF</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>&#8216;I knew not of it,&#8217; said Thiostolf, &#8216;but I will avenge it speedily;&#8217; and
+he went to the shore, and put off in a boat, taking nothing but a great
+axe with him. He found Thorwald and his men on the beach of the biggest
+island, loading his vessel with meat and fish from the storehouses. Then
+he began to pick a quarrel with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34"><br />[34]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35"><br /><br />[35]</a></span> Thorwald and spoke words that vexed
+him more and more, till Thorwald bent forward to seize a knife which lay
+near him. This was the moment for which the other had been waiting. He
+lifted his axe and gave a blow at Hallgerda&#8217;s husband, and, though
+Thorwald tried to defend himself, a second stroke clove his skull.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">&#8216;Your axe is bloody,&#8217; said Hallgerda, who was standing outside the door.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Yes; and <i>this</i> time you can choose your own husband,&#8217; answered
+Thiostolf; but Hallgerda only asked calmly:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;So Thorwald is dead?&#8217; and as Thiostolf nodded she went on: &#8216;You must go
+northward, to Swan my kinsman; he will hide you from your enemies.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>After that she unlocked her chests and dismissed her maidens with gifts;
+then she mounted her horse and rode home to her father.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Where is Thorwald?&#8217; asked Hrut, who had heard nothing.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;He is dead,&#8217; answered Hallgerda.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;By the hand of Thiostolf?&#8217; said her father.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;By his hand, and by that of no other;&#8217; and Hallgerda passed by them and
+entered the house.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as Oswif, Thorwald&#8217;s father, had heard the tidings, he guessed
+that Thiostolf must have gone northward to Swan, and calling his men
+round him they all rode to the Bearfirth. But before they were in sight
+Swan cried to Thiostolf, &#8216;Oswif is coming, but we need fear nothing,
+they will never see us,&#8217; and he took a goatskin and wrapped it round his
+head, and said to it: &#8216;Be thou darkness and fog, and fright and wonder,
+to those who seek us.&#8217; And immediately a thick fog and black darkness
+fell over all things, and Oswif and his men lost their way, and tumbled
+off their horses and tripped over large stones, till Oswif resolved to
+give up seeking Thiostolf and Swan, and to go himself to Hauskuld.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span>Now Hauskuld was abiding at home, and with him was Hrut his brother.
+Oswif got off his horse, and, throwing its bridle over a stake driven
+into the ground, he said to Hauskuld: &#8216;I have come to ask atonement for
+my son&#8217;s life.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It was not I who slew your son,&#8217; answered Hauskuld; &#8216;but as he is
+slain, it is just that you should seek atonement from somebody.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You have much need to give him what he asks,&#8217; said Hrut, &#8216;for it is not
+well that evil tongues should be busy with your daughter&#8217;s name.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Then give the judgment yourself,&#8217; replied Hauskuld.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;That will I do, in truth,&#8217; said Hrut; &#8216;and be sure that I will not
+spare you, as I know it was Hallgerda wrought his death;&#8217; so he offered
+his hand to Oswif, as a token that his award would be accepted, and that
+at the Great Council of the nation he would not summon Hauskuld for
+Thorwald&#8217;s murder. And Oswif took his hand, and Hauskuld&#8217;s, and Hrut
+bade his brother pay down two hundred pounds in silver to Oswif, while
+he himself gave him a stout cloak. And Oswif went away well pleased with
+the award.</p>
+
+<p>For some time Hallgerda dwelt in her father&#8217;s house, and she brought
+with her a share of Thorwald&#8217;s goods, and was very rich. But men kept
+away from her, having heard tales of her evil ways. At length Glum, the
+youngest son of Olaf the Lame, told his brother that he would go no more
+trading in strange lands, but would remain at home, and meant to take to
+himself a wife, if the one on whom he had set his heart would come to
+him.</p>
+
+<p>So one day a company of the men, with Glum and Thorarin his brother at
+their head, rode into the Dales to the door of Hauskuld&#8217;s dwelling.
+Hauskuld greeted them heartily and begged them to stay all night,
+sending secretly for Hrut, whose counsel he always asked when any matter
+of importance was talked over.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span>&#8216;Do you know what they want?&#8217; said Hrut next morning, when his brother
+met him on the road.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;No,&#8217; replied Hauskuld, &#8216;they have not spoken to me of any business.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Then I will tell you,&#8217; answered Hrut. &#8216;They have come to ask Hallgerda
+in marriage.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;And what shall I do?&#8217; said Hauskuld.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Tell them you would like the match,&#8217; replied Hrut, &#8216;but hide nothing.
+Let them know all there is of good and evil concerning her.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>They reached the house as he spoke, and the guests came out, and
+Thorarin opened his business by entreating Hauskuld to give his daughter
+Hallgerda to Glum his brother. &#8216;You know,&#8217; he added, &#8216;that he is rich
+and strong, and thought well of by all men.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Yes, I know that,&#8217; answered Hauskuld; &#8216;but once before I chose a
+husband for my daughter, and matters turned out ill for all of us.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;That will be no hindrance,&#8217; replied Thorarin, &#8216;for the lot of one man
+is not the lot of all men. And things might have fared better had it not
+been for the meddling of Thiostolf.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You speak truth,&#8217; said Hrut, who had listened to their talk in silence;
+&#8216;and the marriage may yet turn out well if you will do as I tell you.
+See that you suffer not Thiostolf to ride with her to Glum&#8217;s house, and
+that he never sleeps in the house for more than three nights running,
+without Glum&#8217;s leave, on pain of outlawry and death by Glum himself. And
+if Glum will hearken to my counsel, leave to stay he will never give.
+But it is time to let Hallgerda know of the matter, and she shall say
+whether Glum is to her mind.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And Thorarin agreed, and Hauskuld sent to summon his daughter.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">Now, though nothing had been said to Hallgerda as to the business which
+brought all these men to her <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span>father&#8217;s house, perhaps she may have
+guessed something, for when she appeared she was attended by her two
+women, and clad in her festal garments. She wore a dress of scarlet,
+girdled by a silver belt, and over it a mantle of soft dark blue, while
+her thick yellow hair was unbound, and fell almost to her knees. She
+smiled and spoke kindly to the visitors, then sat herself down between
+her father and uncle. After that Glum spoke.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Your father and Thorarin my brother have had talk about a marriage
+betwixt you and me, Hallgerda. Is it your will, as it is theirs? Tell me
+all that is in your heart. For, if you like me not, I will straightway
+ride back again.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;The match is to my liking,&#8217; answered Hallgerda, &#8216;and better suited to
+my condition than what my father made for me before. And you are to my
+liking also, if our tempers do not fall out.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Let Hallgerda betroth herself,&#8217; said Hrut, when they had told her what
+terms had been arranged, and that Glum should bring goods or money to an
+equal value to Hallgerda&#8217;s, and that they two should divide the whole.</p>
+
+<p>After that the betrothal ceremony took place, and Glum went away, and
+returned no more till his wedding.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">There was a great company in Hauskuld&#8217;s hall to witness Hallgerda&#8217;s
+marriage, and when the feast began Thiostolf might have been seen
+stalking about holding his axe aloft; but, as the guests pretended not
+to know he was there, no harm came of it.</p>
+
+<p>For some time Glum and his wife lived happily together, though Hallgerda
+proved herself the same greedy yet wasteful woman she had been before.
+At the end of a year a daughter was born to her, whom she named
+Thorgerda, and the child grew up to be as beautiful as her mother. But
+by-and-by trouble came to them through Thiostolf, who had been driven
+away by Hauskuld for beating one of his thralls. Thiostolf <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span>vowed
+vengeance in his heart, and rode south to Glum&#8217;s house.</p>
+
+<p>Hallgerda was pleased to see him, but when she heard his tale she said
+she could not give him shelter without the consent of Glum. So when her
+husband came in she ran quickly to greet him, and, putting her arms
+round his neck, she asked if he would agree to something she wished very
+much.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;If it is anything I can do in honour,&#8217; answered Glum, &#8216;do it I will of
+a surety.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Then she told him how her father had cast out Thiostolf, and that he had
+come to her for shelter, and she wished him to remain, if it was Glum&#8217;s
+will. And Glum answered that, if she wished it greatly, Thiostolf should
+remain, unless he betook himself to evil courses.</p>
+
+<p>For a while Thiostolf went warily, and no fault did Glum find with him;
+then he fell to marring everything, as he had done in Thorwald&#8217;s time,
+and to no one would he listen save to Hallgerda only. In vain Thorarin
+warned Glum that things would have an ill ending, but Glum only smiled,
+and let Hallgerda have her way.</p>
+
+<p>When autumn came, and the days grew short and cold, the men went to
+bring their flocks home from the pastures where they had been feeding
+all the summer. It was hard work, for the sheep often strayed far, and,
+besides, the flocks got mixed up, and needed to be separated one from
+the other. One day, when the shepherds had brought tidings that many of
+Glum&#8217;s sheep were missing, Glum bade Thiostolf go into the hills and see
+if he could find those that were lost.</p>
+
+<p>But Thiostolf grew angry, and answered rudely:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I am not your slave, and it is not my work to bring in sheep. If you
+mean to go yourself, perhaps I will consent to go with you.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>At this Glum was greatly angered, and, seeking Hallgerda, he told her
+what had happened, adding as he did so:</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span>&#8216;I will not have Thiostolf here any longer.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Then Hallgerda waxed very wrathful, and she upheld Thiostolf in his ill
+doing.</p>
+
+<p>At last the patience of Glum gave way, and he struck her a blow in the
+face, and crying, &#8216;Words are wasted on you,&#8217; went off to his own
+business. Hallgerda, who loved him much in spite of her unruly tongue,
+wept bitterly at the thought of what had happened, and, as evil fate
+would have it, Thiostolf heard her, and saw the red mark across her
+cheek.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It shall not be there again,&#8217; he said, but Hallgerda answered:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It is not for you to come between Glum and me.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>When he heard this, Thiostolf only smiled and said nothing, but got
+ready to go with Glum and his men, to seek after the sheep. After long
+searchings they found many of those that were missing, and he sent some
+of his men one way and some another, till at length by chance he and
+Thiostolf were left alone. They soon came upon a flock of wild sheep,
+and tried to drive them down the steep side of a hill towards Glum&#8217;s
+house, but it was of no use, and as fast as the sheep were collected
+together they all scattered again. Very soon, Glum and Thiostolf grew
+tired and ill-tempered, and each told the other he was stupid and lazy.
+At length, Glum taunted Thiostolf with being a thrall, and from that
+blows quickly followed. Both men drew their axes, but Thiostolf struck
+so hard at Glum that he rolled dead upon the ground.</p>
+
+<p>At the sight of Glum lying dead at his feet, Thiostolf&#8217;s wrath cooled
+somewhat. He stooped and covered Glum&#8217;s body with stones, and took a
+gold ring from his finger. After that he took the road back to Varmalek,
+and found Hallgerda sitting in front of the door. Her eyes fell
+instantly on the bloody axe, and Thiostolf saw this and said hastily:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Glum, your husband, is slain.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 302px;">
+<a name="illus_page_041" id="illus_page_041"></a><a href="images/p041-full.png"><img src="images/p041.png" width="302" height="500" alt="A woman seated, with a man standing over her" title="THIOSTOLF DECIDES TO SLAY GLUM" /></a>
+<span class="caption">THIOSTOLF DECIDES TO SLAY GLUM</span>
+</div>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span></p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43"><br />[43]</a></span>&#8216;Then it is by your hand,&#8217; she answered.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Yes, it is,&#8217; said Thiostolf, and added after a moment&#8217;s pause: &#8216;What is
+best to be done now?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Go to Hrut, and ask him,&#8217; replied Hallgerda, and Thiostolf went.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">&#8216;Glum is slain&#8217; said Thiostolf to Hrut, who had come down to the door in
+answer to Thiostolf&#8217;s knock.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Who slew him?&#8217; asked Hrut.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I slew him,&#8217; answered Thiostolf.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Why did you come here?&#8217; asked Hrut again.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Because Hallgerda sent me,&#8217; answered Thiostolf.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Then Hallgerda had no part in his slaying,&#8217; said Hrut, with a sound of
+relief in his voice; but as he spoke he drew his sword, which Thiostolf
+saw, and thrust at Hrut with his axe. Hrut, too, saw, and sprang quickly
+aside, knocking up as he did so the handle of the axe, so that it fell
+full on the ground. Turning himself swiftly, Hrut dealt Thiostolf a blow
+which brought him to his knees, and a stab in the heart finished the
+work.</p>
+
+<p>After that Hrut&#8217;s house-carles laid stones on Thiostolf&#8217;s body, while he
+himself rode away to tell Hauskuld all that had befallen. And soon after
+Thorarin, Glum&#8217;s brother, came there too, with eleven men at his back.
+He asked Hauskuld what atonement he would make for Glum, but Hauskuld
+answered that it was neither he nor his daughter who had slain Glum, and
+that Hrut had avenged himself on Thiostolf. To this Thorarin said
+nothing, but Hrut offered to give him gifts, and so peace lay between
+them.</p>
+
+<p>Now, Hrut&#8217;s wife, Unna, was of kin to two brothers, Gunnar and Kolskegg.
+Both were tall, brave men, but there was not Gunnar&#8217;s like in all the
+country round for beauty, and for skill in shooting, jumping, and
+swimming. And, besides this, he was beautiful and gentle, faithful to
+the friends he made, but not making them readily. His chief friend was
+Njal, from whom he ever sought <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span>counsel, for Njal was a wise man and
+could see far into the future.</p>
+
+<p>Having a mind to see something of the world, Gunnar set sail for Norway,
+where he stayed some time, and had many adventures. It was early in the
+summer when he and Kolskegg sailed home to Iceland, where men were
+assembling for the great Council, or Thing.</p>
+
+<p>Gunnar&#8217;s first act was to ride off to Njal&#8217;s house, and Gunnar asked if
+he would be present at the Thing. &#8216;No, truly,&#8217; answered Njal; &#8216;stay you
+at home or bad will come of it.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And Gunnar! What evil was likely to befall him, who wished to live at
+peace with everyone? But Njal only shook his head and said slowly:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I remain in my own house, and if I had my way you should do so also.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>But Gunnar would not listen, and rode straight off to the Thing.</p>
+
+<p>What happened to him when he got there will be told in another story.</p>
+
+<p class="titlepage">(<i>Saga</i>)</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="THE_DEATH_OF_GUNNAR" id="THE_DEATH_OF_GUNNAR"></a><i>THE DEATH OF GUNNAR</i></h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">Now</span> of all the men gathered together at the Thing of the year 974, no
+man was handsomer or more splendidly clad than Gunnar. He was arrayed in
+the scarlet raiment given him by King Harald, and he bore on his arm a
+gold ring, given him by Hacon the Earl, and the horse he rode had a
+shining black skin.</p>
+
+<p>A brave figure he made one morning as he left the Hill of Laws and
+passed out beyond the tents of the men of Mossfell. And as he went there
+came to meet him a woman whose dress was no less rich than his. She
+stopped as he drew near, and told him that she was Hallgerda, Hauskuld&#8217;s
+daughter, and that she knew well that he was Gunnar the traveller, and
+she wished to hear some of the wonders of the lands beyond the seas. So
+he sat down, and they two talked together for long, and they agreed
+well, and became friends. After a while he asked her if she had a
+husband.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;No,&#8217; she replied; men feared her, for they held that she brought them
+ill-luck; but at that Gunnar laughed, and said, &#8216;What would you answer
+if I asked you to marry me?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Are you jesting?&#8217; said Hallgerda.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;No, of a sooth,&#8217; replied Gunnar.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Then go and see what my father has to say to it,&#8217; answered Hallgerda,
+and Gunnar went.</p>
+
+<p>Hauskuld was inside his booth when Gunnar arrived. Hrut was there
+likewise, and bade him welcome. For a while the talk ran upon the
+business of the Thing, and <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span>then Gunnar turned and asked what answer
+Hauskuld would give if he offered to lay down money for Hallgerda.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;What do you say, Hrut?&#8217; inquired Hauskuld.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It ought not to be,&#8217; replied Hrut. &#8216;No man has aught but good to say of
+you; no man has aught but ill to say of her. And this I must not hide
+from you.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I thank you for your plain speech,&#8217; said Gunnar; &#8216;but my soul is still
+set on wedding Hallgerda. And we have spoken together, and are agreed in
+this matter.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>But though Hrut knew that his words were vain, he told Gunnar all that
+had happened in respect of Hallgerda and her two husbands. And Gunnar
+weighed it for a while, and then he said, &#8216;You know the saying,
+&#8220;Forewarned is forearmed.&#8221; Doubtless it is true, all that you have told
+of Hallgerda, but I am strong, and have travelled far, and if we can
+make a bargain, so shall it be.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So a messenger was sent for Hallgerda, and she betrothed herself, as she
+had done to Glum, and after that Gunnar rode over to Njal, and told him
+what things had happened.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Evil will come of it betwixt you and me,&#8217; said Njal sadly.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;No woman, or man either, shall ever work ill between us,&#8217; answered
+Gunnar, who loved Njal more than his own father.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;She works ill wherever she goes,&#8217; replied Njal, &#8216;and you will never
+cease making atonements for her;&#8217; but he said no more, for he was a wise
+man and wasted no words, and when Gunnar asked him to come to the
+wedding feast he gave his promise that he would be there.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">The winter after Gunnar&#8217;s wedding, he and Hallgerda were bidden to a
+great feast at Njal&#8217;s house. Njal and his wife greeted them heartily,
+and by-and-by<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span> Helgi, Njal&#8217;s son, came, and with him Thorhalla his wife.
+Then Bergthora, Njal&#8217;s wife, went up to Hallgerda, and said, &#8216;Give place
+to Thorhalla,&#8217; but Hallgerda would not, and she fell to quarrelling with
+Bergthora, and at last Bergthora taunted Hallgerda with having plotted
+to do Thorwald her husband to death. At that Hallgerda turned and said
+to Gunnar: &#8216;It is nothing to be married to the strongest man in Iceland,
+if you avenge not these insults, Gunnar.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>But Gunnar cried that he would take no part in women&#8217;s quarrels, least
+of all in Njal&#8217;s house, and bade Hallgerda come home with him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;We shall meet again, Bergthora,&#8217; said Hallgerda as she mounted the
+sleigh. Then they rode back to Lithend and spent the rest of the winter
+there.</p>
+
+<p>When the spring came, Gunnar went to the Thing, bidding Hallgerda take
+heed, and to give no cause of offence to his friends. But she would give
+no promise, and he set forth with a heavy heart.</p>
+
+<p>By ill-fortune, Njal and Gunnar owned a wood between them, and when Njal
+and his sons departed to the Thing, Bergthora, Njal&#8217;s wife, ordered
+Swart her servant to cut her some branches for kindling fires from this
+very forest. These tidings reached the ears of Hallgerda, and she
+muttered with a grim face, &#8216;It is the last time that Swart shall steal
+my wood,&#8217; and bade Kol, her bailiff, start early next morning and seek
+Swart.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;And when I find him?&#8217; asked Kol; but Hallgerda only turned away
+angrily.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You, the worst of men, ask that?&#8217; said she. &#8216;Why, you shall kill him,
+of course.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So Kol took his axe, though he was ill at ease, for he knew that evil
+would come of it, and he mounted one of Gunnar&#8217;s horses and fared to the
+wood.</p>
+
+<p>He soon saw Swart and his men piling up bundles of firewood, so he left
+his horse in a hollow, and crouched down behind some bushes, till he
+heard Swart bid the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span>men carry the wood to Njal&#8217;s house, as he himself
+had more work to do. He began to look about for a tall straight young
+stem with which to make himself a bow, when Kol sprang out of the bushes
+and dealt Swart such a stroke with his axe that he fell dead without a
+word. After that Kol went back and told Hallgerda.</p>
+
+<p>And Hallgerda spoke cheering words, and said he need have no fear, for
+that she would protect him; but Kol&#8217;s heart was heavy.</p>
+
+<p>Now Hallgerda had forced Kol to slay Swart, to bring about a quarrel
+between her husband and Njal, so she straightway sent a messenger to
+seek Gunnar at the Thing, and tell him what had befallen Swart. Gunnar
+listened in silence to the messenger&#8217;s tale; then he called his men
+around him, and they all went to Njal&#8217;s tent, and begged him to come out
+and speak to Gunnar.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Swart, your house servant has been killed by Hallgerda and Kol her
+man,&#8217; said Gunnar gravely when Njal stood before him; and he told the
+tale as he had heard it from the messenger.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It is for you, Njal, to fix the atonement,&#8217; he said at the end.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You will have work to atone for all Hallgerda&#8217;s misdoings,&#8217; answered
+Njal, &#8216;and it will take all our old friendship to keep us from
+quarrelling now. But I have it in mind that at the last you shall win
+through, but after hard fighting. As to the atonement, as you are my
+friend and have no hand in this, I will fix it at twelve ounces of
+silver. And if it should come to be your turn to settle an award, I
+shall not expect to pay more than that.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So Gunnar laid down the money and gave it to Bergthora his wife when he
+came home with his sons from the Thing. And Bergthora was content, but
+said to her husband that it should not be spent, as it would some day do
+to make atonement for Kol.</p>
+
+<p>Although Hallgerda met her husband bravely and <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span>answered him boldly, in
+secret she trembled a little at his stern face and sharp words, as he
+told her that she was to remember that whatever quarrels she might
+choose to begin, the ending of them would always lie with him. But she
+pretended not to care, and went out among her neighbours as usual,
+telling all who would listen the tale of the killing of Swart. At length
+this reached the ears of Bergthora, and she was sore angered, but bided
+her time in silence.</p>
+
+<p>When Njal and his sons went up to the pastures to see after the cattle,
+and the thralls were busy working in the fields, Bergthora the mistress
+was left alone in the house. On this day a man mounted on a black horse
+and armed with a spear and a short sword rode up to the door and asked
+her if she could find something for him to do. He was skilled in many
+things, he said, but his temper was hot, and had oftentimes been his
+bane.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I will give you work,&#8217; answered Bergthora, &#8216;but you must do whatever I
+bid you, even though it should be to slay a man.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You have plenty of other men whom you can better trust on such
+business,&#8217; replied the man, as if he repented of his bargain; but
+Bergthora only told him that she expected her servants to do as they
+were bid, and sent the man to put his horse in the stable.</p>
+
+<p>During that summer another Thing was held and Njal and his sons went to
+it, and likewise Gunnar. But Bergthora was left alone in the house with
+her servants.</p>
+
+<p>Then she called Atli, the new man, and bade him seek out Kol, that he
+might slay him, so Atli took his horse and his sword and spear and
+departed.</p>
+
+<p>He found Kol in the place where some men had shown him, and he spoke to
+Kol civilly, but only received rude tones in answer. So, without more
+ado, Atli thrust at him, and Kol, though wounded, swung his axe above
+his head; but his eyes had grown dim, and he could <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span>not see to aim, and
+he fell to the ground and rolled over.</p>
+
+<p>Atli left the body where it was, and rode on till he came to some of
+Gunnar&#8217;s men, and bade them go and tell Hallgerda that Kol was dead.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Did you kill him?&#8217; asked the man.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Well, I don&#8217;t expect Hallgerda will think that he dealt his own
+<a name="corr2" id="corr2"></a>death-blow,&#8217; answered Atli; and with that he rode back to Bergthora, who
+praised him for the swiftness with which he had done her bidding. But
+Atli did not seem content, and at last he said:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;What will Njal think?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Oh, never fear him,&#8217; replied Bergthora, &#8216;for he took with him the money
+of the atonement for the slaying of Swart, and now he can pay it over
+for Kol. But in spite of the atonement, beware of Hallgerda, who knows
+nought of promises.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>When Hallgerda heard of Kol&#8217;s slaying, she bade a messenger ride to
+Gunnar at the Thing, and Gunnar sent to seek out Njal and Skarphedinn
+his son. They came to his tent, and he greeted them, and then Njal said
+that Bergthora his wife had done great wrong in breaking the atonement,
+and that Gunnar must now fix the award for Kol.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Let it be the same as that which I paid for Swart,&#8217; said Gunnar; and
+Njal laid down the money and they parted, and no ill blood was between
+them, though their wives were still resolved to do each other all the
+ill they could.</p>
+
+<p>Njal was too wise a man not to know that Hallgerda would seek revenge on
+Atli for the slaying of Kol, and he begged Atli would take service far
+away to the east, so that Hallgerda might not reach him. But Atli told
+Njal that he would sooner be slain in his service than live free in the
+service of another master, and he would gladly stay where he was if Njal
+would grant him the atonement due to a free man.</p>
+
+<p>This Njal granted, and Atli remained in his house.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span>Hallgerda soon came to know what had happened, and she sent messengers
+both to Bergthora and to Gunnar at the Thing to tell them about it.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">&#8216;Hallgerda my wife has caused Atli to be slain!&#8217; said Gunnar to Njal and
+to Skarphedinn his son. &#8216;What atonement must I make for him?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;The atonement will be heavy, for he was no thrall, but a freeman, and I
+fear it may cause strife between us,&#8217; replied Njal; but Gunnar stretched
+out his hand and said that no woman should sow strife betwixt him and
+Njal. Then Njal fixed a hundred ounces of silver, and Gunnar laid it
+down before him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Hallgerda does not let our servants die of old age,&#8217; said Skarphedinn,
+as they rode home from the Thing.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">Now the words came true, that Gunnar had spoken, and &#8216;blow for blow&#8217;
+grew to be the rule between Hallgerda and Bergthora; but for all that
+there was no quarrel between Njal and Gunnar.</p>
+
+<p>So the years went by, and many Things had been held, and much
+blood-money had been paid, when one spring there was a great dearth of
+hay throughout all Iceland, and much cattle died. Gunnar, who was wise
+as well as rich, had seen what was coming and had laid up stores of both
+dried meat and of hay. As long as they lasted, he shared them with his
+neighbours, but when his barns were empty he called Kolskegg his brother
+and two of his friends, and they all fared to Kirkby, where dwelt Otkell
+the son of Skarf.</p>
+
+<p>This Otkell owned many flocks and herds and wide pastures, and Gunnar
+hoped that his barns might yet be full.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I have come to buy meat and hay, if there is any in your storehouses,
+for mine are empty!&#8217; said Gunnar.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I have yet many storehouses untouched,&#8217; answered Otkell, &#8216;but I will
+sell you nothing.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span>&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Will you give me them, then?&#8217; asked Gunnar, &#8216;and I will pay you back
+some time in what you will.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I will neither give nor sell,&#8217; said Otkell.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Let us take what we want and leave the money,&#8217; said Thrain, who had
+come with Gunnar, but Gunnar answered: &#8216;I am no robber!&#8217; and was turning
+to go when Otkell stopped him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Will you buy a thrall from me? He is a good thrall,&#8217; said Otkell, &#8216;but
+I have no need of him.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And Gunnar bought the thrall, and they all went home to Lithend
+together.</p>
+
+<p>When Njal heard that Otkell would not sell to Gunnar, he was very wroth
+and rode up into the hills with all his sons, and took meat from his
+storehouses and bound it upon five horses, and hay from his barns and
+bound it upon ten horses, and they drove them all to Lithend, which was
+Gunnar&#8217;s house.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Never ask another man for aught when you can ask me,&#8217; said Njal, and
+Gunnar answered:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Your gifts are great, but truly your love is greater.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>In a few weeks the summer began, and, as was his custom, Gunnar rode to
+the Thing, leaving Hallgerda in the house at Lithend.</p>
+
+<p>The day after he had ridden away with his men Hallgerda sent for Malcolm
+the thrall, and said to him:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I have somewhat for you to do! Take with you two horses besides the one
+you ride, and go to Kirkby and steal meat enough to load the two horses,
+and butter and cheese as well. But take heed, when all is done, to set
+the storehouses on fire, so that none can trace that the goods have
+vanished.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Malcolm the thrall lifted his head and looked at her.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I have never been a thief, in spite of all my ill-deeds,&#8217; said he.</p>
+
+<p>But Hallgerda only laughed and made sport of him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Do you think men have kept silent about your mis<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span>deeds?&#8217; she asked.
+&#8216;Hie hence when I bid you, or you shall not see the new moon rise!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And Malcolm the thrall knew that she spoke no jesting words, and he did
+her bidding; and none would have known of the thing had he not dropped
+his knife when he was trying to mend the thong of his shoe, and his belt
+also.</p>
+
+<p>A few days after that Gunnar and his men returned home, and many guests
+with him. The table was set by Hallgerda herself, and besides meat there
+were also great cheeses and jars of butter. Well Gunnar knew that Njal
+had not sent these, and he asked Hallgerda whence they came.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It beseems a man to eat what is before him and not to trouble himself
+further,&#8217; answered Hallgerda; but Gunnar cried out:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I will have no part in food that is ill come by,&#8217; and with that he gave
+her a buffet on the cheek.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I shall remember that,&#8217; said Hallgerda, and she got up and went out.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">The next morning, Skamkell, Otkell&#8217;s friend, was riding to bring in some
+sheep, when he saw something bright on the side of the path. He got off
+his horse to see what it was, and found the belt and knife which Malcolm
+had dropped, and he took them straight to Kirkby.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Did you ever see these things before?&#8217; asked Skamkell.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Yes, often,&#8217; answered Otkell; &#8216;they are the knife and belt of Malcolm
+the thrall. And they asked many men the same question, and they all knew
+them likewise. Then they went toward Mord the son of Valgard and took
+counsel with him, how to charge Gunnar&#8217;s thrall with the theft and the
+burning; for they feared Gunnar, the mighty man of war. At last, for
+three silver marks Mord agreed to give them his help, and bade them
+follow out his plan.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span>It was this. That they should send women over the country with goods of
+housekeeping use, and mark what was given them in exchange. &#8216;Take heed
+that you note carefully,&#8217; said Mord, &#8216;because no man will keep in his
+house the things that he has stolen, if he has a chance of getting rid
+of them. Set therefore apart whatever you get from each house, and bring
+it to me.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And it was done exactly as Mord commanded, and in fourteen days the
+women came back, all bearing large bundles.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Who gave you the most?&#8217; asked Mord, and one woman answered:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Hallgerda, the wife of Gunnar; she gave us a cheese cut into great
+slices.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I will keep that cheese,&#8217; said Mord.</p>
+
+<p>When the women had gone, Mord rode away to Otkell&#8217;s farm, and bade him
+fetch the cheese-mould of Thorgerda his wife. And when it was brought,
+Mord took the slices and laid them in it, and they filled up the mould.</p>
+
+<p>After this they all saw that Hallgerda had stolen the cheese, and, now
+that Mord had found the thief, he went back to his own house.</p>
+
+<p>The tidings soon spread far and wide, and reached the ears of Kolskegg,
+who rode over to Lithend, so that he might speak with Gunnar.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Know you that it is said by every man that it was Hallgerda who caused
+the fire at Kirkby, that she might steal the cheese and butter?&#8217; asked
+he.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I have thought before that it must be so, but how can I set it right?&#8217;
+answered Gunnar.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You must make atonement to Otkell, and it is better there should be no
+delay,&#8217; replied Kolskegg.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I will do your bidding,&#8217; said Gunnar; and, mounting his horse, he took
+eleven with him, beside Thrain and Lambi his friends, and they all fared
+to Kirkby. There,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span> Otkell came out to greet them, and with him were
+Skamkell and two other men, Hallkell and Hallbjorm.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I am here,&#8217; said Gunnar, &#8216;to offer atonement for the misdeed of my wife
+and the thrall you sold me, for it was they who caused the fire and
+stole the cheeses. And, if it pleases you, let the award be fixed by the
+best of the men round!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;That sounds fairer than it is, Gunnar,&#8217; put in Skamkell, &#8216;for you are a
+man of many things, whereas Otkell has few.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Well,&#8217; said Gunnar, &#8216;then I will offer atonement of twice the value of
+all that Otkell lost;&#8217; but again it was Skamkell and not Otkell who
+replied:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Beware, Otkell, of giving him the right of making the award when it
+belongs to you.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And Otkell answered: &#8216;I will fix the award myself, Gunnar.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Then fix it,&#8217; said Gunnar, who was waxing wroth at this delay; but once
+more Otkell turned to Skamkell, and asked what he should answer.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Let the award be made by Gizur the white and Geir the priest,&#8217; and this
+saying pleased Otkell.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Do you as you will,&#8217; replied Gunnar, &#8216;but do not think that men will
+speak well of your refusing the choices that I gave you.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And after that he rode home with his men.</p>
+
+<p>Then Hallbjorm spoke to Otkell, saying: &#8216;Ill was it to refuse the offers
+of Gunnar, which were good offers, as you know well. Can it be that you
+think yourself a match for Gunnar in fight, when he has proved himself
+better than any man in the island? But go and see Gizur the white and
+Geir the priest at once, and see if the offers of Gunnar do not seem
+good to them! For he is a just and gentle-hearted man, and perchance he
+will still hearken to you, if you accept them.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So Otkell, who ever listened to the last speaker, bade, them bring out
+his horse and set forth, Skamkell walking <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span>by his side. In a little
+while, when they had gone a mile or two, Skamkell said: &#8216;You have much
+to look to at Kirkby, and no one but yourself can see after the men. Get
+home, therefore, and let me ride to Gizur the white and Geir the priest
+instead of you.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Go, then,&#8217; answered Otkell, who was lazy and never took the trouble to
+think for himself; &#8216;but see you do not tell them lies, as you are wont
+to do.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I will lie no more than I can help, master,&#8217; answered Skamkell, jumping
+on Otkell&#8217;s horse.</p>
+
+<p>Otkell fared home and found Hallbjorm in front of the house.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Has anything befallen you that you have returned on foot?&#8217; asked he;
+and Otkell, who feared him, said hurriedly:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I had many men to look over, and much work to do, so I sent Skamkell in
+my stead,&#8217; But Hallbjorm held his peace and eyed him scornfully.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;He who makes a thrall his friend rues it ever more,&#8217; he answered at
+last. &#8216;And it is ill done when men&#8217;s lives are at stake to send the
+biggest liar in Iceland on such an errand.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;If you are afraid now, what would you be if Gunnar&#8217;s bill were
+singing,&#8217; asked Otkell, who was always brave when there were none to
+slay, and whose courage always waxed great when there were none to
+fight.</p>
+
+<p>Hallbjorm laughed as he heard him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Who can tell who will fear most at the sound of that singing? But this
+you know well, that when the fight has begun Gunnar does not give his
+bill much time to sing!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Now when Skamkell reached Mossfell, he told truly to Gizur the white the
+offers Gunnar had made.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Why did not Otkell accept them?&#8217; asked Gizur, &#8216;they were generous and
+noble, as Gunnar&#8217;s offers are.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Otkell wished to do you honour,&#8217; replied Skamkell; but Gizur for all
+answer bade Geir the priest be sent for, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span>and next morning, as soon as
+he arrived, Gizur told him the story, and after he had finished he said:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Let Skamkell tell it again, for I misdoubt him greatly.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So Skamkell was called in, but he was wary, and he told his tale the
+second time as he had done the first, and though Gizur still misdoubted
+him he could find no fault.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Mayhap you speak the truth,&#8217; he said; &#8216;but I know the wickedness of
+your deeds, and if you die in your bed your face belies you.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And after a little more talking Skamkell rode home to Kirkby.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Gizur and Geir greet you,&#8217; said Skamkell, &#8216;and they wish that this
+matter should have a peaceful ending. They will that Gunnar shall be
+summoned as having received and eaten the goods, likewise Hallgerda for
+stealing them!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So Otkell followed this counsel, and five days before the opening of the
+Althing he rode with his brother and Skamkell and a great following to
+Lithend.</p>
+
+<p>When Gunnar heard what errand they were on, he was very wroth, and after
+Otkell had read the summons, and departed with his men, he went away to
+seek Njal.</p>
+
+<p>But Njal told him not to trouble, as before the Thing was over he should
+be held in greater honour than before.</p>
+
+<p>Gizur the white rode to the Thing also, and he spoke to Otkell, and
+asked why he had summoned Gunnar to the Thing. Otkell listened in amaze
+and then answered that he had done so because of the counsel that Gizur
+himself and Geir the priest had told Skamkell.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;He lied, then,&#8217; replied Gizur; &#8216;we gave no such counsel;&#8217; and Gunnar
+and his friends were called, and Gizur stood forth and bade Gunnar make
+his own award. At first Gunnar refused, but at length, after Gizur and
+Geir the priest swore that what Skamkell had <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span>said was false, he agreed
+to do it. And his award was this: that atonement in full should be made
+for the burnt storehouses and for the stolen food. &#8216;But for the thrall,&#8217;
+said Gunnar, &#8216;I will give nothing, for you knew what he was when you
+sold him to me. Therefore I will restore him to you. On the other hand,
+the ill-words which you have spoken of me, and the way in which you
+sought to put me to shame, I count to be worth full as great an
+atonement as the burning of a few sheds, of the stealing of a few
+cheeses. So that for money we stand equal. One thing more I would say,
+Beware lest you seek again to do me evil.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So spake Gunnar, and no man said him nay. But after a little Gizur asked
+that Gunnar might forgive the wrongs Otkell had done him, and hold him
+his friend. At this Gunnar laughed out in scorn and answered:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Let Skamkell be his friend. It is to him Otkell looks for counsel. They
+are fitting mates. But one piece of counsel I will give him, and that is
+to take shelter with his kinsfolk, for if he stays in this country his
+end will be speedy.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>For a while Gunnar rested in peace at home and there was no more
+quarrelling. He gathered in his harvest and tended his cattle, ploughed
+his fields, and so the autumn and winter passed away and the spring
+came.</p>
+
+<p>One day when the sun was shining Gunnar took his small axe, and a bag of
+corn, and set out to sow seed. And while he was stooping to do this,
+Otkell galloped past, on a wild horse that carried him faster than he
+would, and he did not see Gunnar. As ill-chance would have it, Gunnar
+raised himself at that moment from stooping over the furrow, and
+Otkell&#8217;s spur tore his ear, and he was very wroth.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You summon me first, and then you ride over me,&#8217; he said, and, as was
+his wont, Skamkell made answer:</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 287px;">
+<a name="illus_page_059" id="illus_page_059"></a><a href="images/p059-full.png"><img src="images/p059.png" width="287" height="459" alt="A man about to throw a stone at another man riding away on horseback" title="OTKELL AND GUNNAR IN THE FIELD" /></a>
+<span class="caption">OTKELL AND GUNNAR IN THE FIELD</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>&#8216;The wound might have been far sorer, but your <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60"><br />[60]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61"><br /><br />[61]</a></span>anger was greater at
+the Thing, when you judged the atonement and clenched your bill in your
+fist.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;When we next meet my bill shall have something to say to you,&#8217; said
+Gunnar, and went on sowing his corn.</p>
+
+<p>The corn was all sown, and Gunnar was beginning to think of other work,
+when one morning his shepherd came riding fast.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I passed eight men in Markfleet,&#8217; said he; &#8216;their faces were set this
+way, and Skamkell was with them. He ever speaks ill of you, and I have
+heard him tell how you shed tears when Otkell rode over you.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It does not do to mind words,&#8217; answered Gunnar; &#8216;but for the warning
+you have given me you shall henceforth do the work that pleases you. Now
+go to sleep.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So the shepherd slept, and Gunnar took the saddle off his horse, and
+laid his own saddle on it; he fetched his shield, and buckled on his
+sword, and then he took his bill, and as his hand touched it it sang
+loudly. Rannveig his mother heard the sound, and came out from the door
+to the place where Gunnar was fastening on his helmet.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Never have I seen you so full of wrath,&#8217; said she. But Gunnar answered
+her nothing and rode quickly away.</p>
+
+<p>Rannveig went back to the sitting-room, where many men were talking,
+and, looking at them, she said:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Loud is your talk, but the bill sang louder when Gunnar rode away.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>When Kolskegg heard that, he saddled his horse and hasted after Gunnar.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">Gunnar&#8217;s horse was swift and steady, and he never drew rein till he
+reached the ford which he knew Otkell&#8217;s men must pass. There he tied up
+his horse, and awaited them on foot. When Otkell&#8217;s men came <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span>up, they,
+too, sprang to the ground, and Hallbjorm strode towards Gunnar.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Keep back,&#8217; said Gunnar, &#8216;I have no quarrel with brave men like you,&#8217;
+but Hallbjorm answered:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I cannot for shame stand by while you kill my brother;&#8217; and he smote
+with his spear at Gunnar. While they were fighting, Skamkell struck at
+Gunnar&#8217;s back with his axe, but Gunnar turned round, and, with his bill
+caught the axe from beneath, so that it fell out of Skamkell&#8217;s hands. A
+second thrust with the bill stretched Skamkell on the ground, and after
+him Otkell and three others. They slew eight men in all, Kolskegg
+aiding.</p>
+
+<p>After that they rode home, and as they went Gunnar said: &#8216;I wonder if I
+am less base than others because I kill men less willingly than they.&#8217;</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">The first thing Gunnar did was to seek counsel of Njal, who bid him take
+care never to break the peace which was made between him and his foes,
+and never to slay more than one man of the same race, &#8216;else your life
+will be but short.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Do you know the death you yourself will die?&#8217; he asked.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Yes, I know it,&#8217; answered Njal.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;And what is it?&#8217; asked Gunnar once more.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;One that none could guess,&#8217; replied Njal, and Gunnar went away.</p>
+
+<p>Now at the next Thing there was great dispute over this suit, but in the
+end it was settled to Gunnar&#8217;s honour, and Gizur the white and Geir the
+priest gave pledges that they would keep the peace. But there were other
+men who thought they had been wronged by Gunnar, and laid plots to anger
+him, so that he might be outlawed and forced to leave the country.</p>
+
+<p>By ill-fortune the words which Njal had spoken when he bade Gunnar never
+to slay more than one man <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span>of the same race were noised abroad, and his
+enemies made a plan by which Gunnar should be forced to fight Thorgeir,
+son of Otkell, so that his doom might come upon him.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 282px;">
+<a name="illus_page_063" id="illus_page_063"></a><a href="images/p063-full.png"><img src="images/p063.png" width="282" height="346" alt="A man about to stab another man on the ground with a spear. Other men fighting in the background" title="How Gunnar slew Thorgeir, Otkell&#8217;s son." /></a>
+<span class="caption">How Gunnar slew Thorgeir, Otkell&#8217;s son.</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>Thus matters stood for a while, and then Gunnar rode down to the isles
+to see what his thralls were doing, and his foes heard of it, and
+resolved to lie in wait for him at the Rang river.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span>But when Gunnar returned he was not alone, as they expected he would be,
+for Kolskegg his brother was at his side, and carried the short sword
+which some of them knew well, while Gunnar was armed with his sword and
+his bill.</p>
+
+<p>The two were yet far from the Rang river when the bill which Gunnar bore
+in his hand sweated with blood, and Kolskegg, who had not yet seen this
+sight, grew cold with terror.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;This has some dreadful meaning,&#8217; said he; and Gunnar nodded.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It only happens before a great fight,&#8217; he answered, &#8216;and they are
+called &#8220;wound drops&#8221; in other lands. So beware. Let us not be taken
+unawares;&#8217; and they looked well about them, till they saw some men lying
+hidden on the banks on the other side of the ford.</p>
+
+<p>Long it were to tell of that fierce fight, and of the men that were
+slain by Kolskegg and Gunnar. At last Thorgeir, Otkell&#8217;s son, forced his
+way to the front and swung his sword at Gunnar. The blow would have been
+deadly had it fallen, but, leaping aside, he thrust his bill through
+Thorgeir&#8217;s body, and flung him far into the river.</p>
+
+<p>At that the other men turned and fled away.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Our money-chests will be emptied for atonement for these men,&#8217; said
+Gunnar as they drew near Lithend, and when they told their mother,
+Rannveig shook her head.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I fear lest ill should come of it,&#8217; said she.</p>
+
+<p>And ill <i>did</i> come of it.</p>
+
+<p>Njal&#8217;s heart was sore when Gunnar told him of the fight by the Rang
+river, for he said:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You have gone against my counsel, and have slain two men of the same
+race. So take heed, if you break the award, your life will pay forfeit.
+But whatever befalls I am always your friend.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Soon the Thing was held, and upon the Hill of Laws Gizur the white
+summoned Gunnar, for manslaughter of Thorgeir, Otkell&#8217;s son, and
+demanded that his goods <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span>should be forfeited and his body outlawed, and
+that no man should help or harbour him.</p>
+
+<p>After this there was much talking, but at last the award was given by
+twelve men.</p>
+
+<p>And this was it.</p>
+
+<p>Money was to be paid down for the men slain, and Gunnar and Kolskegg
+were to depart from Iceland and not return for three winters. But if
+Gunnar should break the settlement and stay at home, any man might slay
+him as he would.</p>
+
+<p>Gunnar promised to keep the award, but he did not hold it a just one.</p>
+
+<p>Then Kolskegg began to inquire of the vessels that were sailing that
+summer, and he settled that he would go on board the ship of Armfin of
+the Bay, and Gunnar his brother would go with him.</p>
+
+<p>They sent down to the shore those things that they might need in foreign
+lands, and then Gunnar bade farewell to Njal and his men, and thanked
+his friends for the help they had given him.</p>
+
+<p>At the last he took leave of the thralls at Lithend, and of his mother,
+and told them that, since his own country had outlawed him, he would
+never return to it. Then he threw his arms round every man, and without
+looking back sprang into the saddle.</p>
+
+<p>As they rode along the Mark fleet, his horse stumbled, and Gunnar fell
+to the ground. When he got up he did not mount at once, but stood and
+looked round him for a while. Suddenly he turned and said to Kolskegg:
+&#8216;Never has my home seemed to me so fair as now when the corn is ripe and
+ready for cutting. Come what may, I will not leave it.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Do not let your foes triumph over you,&#8217; answered Kolskegg. &#8216;For if you
+should break your atonement, any man may deal with you as he will.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I will go no whither,&#8217; repeated Gunnar, &#8216;and I would that you would stay
+with me.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span>&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I cannot do this thing,&#8217; answered Kolskegg; &#8216;but if you go back, tell
+my mother and my kindred that I bid them farewell for ever, for you will
+soon be dead, and I shall have naught to bind me to Iceland.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Hallgerda&#8217;s heart was filled with joy when Gunnar came under the
+doorway, but Rannveig said nothing, for her heart was sad.</p>
+
+<p>All that winter Gunnar sat fast at Lithend and would not be prevailed on
+to leave it, and when the winter had gone and the Thing had met, Gizur
+the white proclaimed Gunnar an outlaw for having broken his atonement.
+Then he called together all his foes, and they planned together how that
+they should ride to Lithend and slay him. But Njal heard what they had
+been saying, and he warned Gunnar.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You have always dealt truly and kindly with me,&#8217; said Gunnar, when Njal
+had finished speaking, &#8216;and if ill befall me, take heed, I pray you, of
+my son and Hogni. As for Grani, he has an evil nature, and there is no
+turning him from bad deeds.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>It was in the autumn that Mord, the son of Valgard, sent word to
+Gunnar&#8217;s foes that the time had come to make the attack upon Lithend, as
+all his men had gone to the haymaking on the isles of the sea. So they
+set forth secretly, but stopped first at the farm nearest to Lithend,
+where they seized the farmer, and warned him that unless he came with
+them and put to death the hound Sam which had guarded Gunnar ever since
+Olaf the Peacock had bestowed him as a gift, his own life should be
+forfeit. Thorkell the farmer was sore at heart when he heard what was
+required of him, but he took his axe and went with the rest. It was easy
+to entice Sam the hound into a hollow dell; but when he saw the crowd of
+men behind Thorkell he knew that evil was afoot, and sprang on Thorkell
+and tore open his throat. Then Aumond of Witchwood smote him on the head
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68"><br />[68]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69"><br /><br />[69]</a></span>with his axe, and Sam gave a howl which was not the utterance of any
+mortal dog, and rolled over.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 262px;">
+<a name="illus_page_067" id="illus_page_067"></a><a href="images/p067-full.png"><img src="images/p067.png" width="262" height="488" alt="A woman standing on a table, looking up at the man carrying weapons on the beam abover her" title="GUNNAR&#8217;S LAST FIGHT &amp; HALLGERDA&#8217;S REVENGE" /></a>
+<span class="caption">GUNNAR&#8217;S LAST FIGHT &amp; HALLGERDA&#8217;S REVENGE</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>Gunnar, who was sleeping in the narrow space above his great wooden
+hall, heard the awful sound, and said to himself: &#8216;So they have killed
+thee, Sam, my fosterling. Well, I will follow thee soon;&#8217; and, taking
+his bill in his hand, he went up into the roof of the hall, where among
+the beams were little slits for windows. In the winter there were
+shutters fastened over these little slits, but now they were left open.</p>
+
+<p>From the beam on which he was crouching Gunnar saw a red tunic slipping
+by the window, and he thrust swiftly out his bill. In a moment a man&#8217;s
+body fell upon the ground below.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Well, is Gunnar at home?&#8217; said Gizur, and Thorgrim the Easterling
+answered: &#8216;Go and see for yourselves; but if Gunnar is not at home, his
+bill is,&#8217; and those were his last words, for the thrust had been mortal.</p>
+
+<p>It hardly seemed possible that one man could keep such a force at bay,
+but wherever they went Gunnar&#8217;s arrows followed them. Three times they
+came on, and three times they fell back, and Gunnar&#8217;s heart beat high,
+for he thought that perchance their courage might fail, and that they
+would return whither they had come.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;One of their own arrows sticks outside the window,&#8217; he said, laughing
+loud in his glee; &#8216;I will send it to kill its master.&#8217; But his mother
+answered: &#8216;It is ill to waken a sleeping dog, my son.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Her words were wise, but Gunnar would not listen to them. He shot the
+arrow into the midst of the men gathered beneath him, and knew not that
+it had dealt a death-blow, or that Gizur the white had been watching its
+course.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;The arm that drew in that shaft had a ring on it&mdash;a gold ring such as
+Gunnar wears,&#8217; said he, &#8216;and if they had not shot away their own arrows
+they would not be <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span>needing ours;&#8217; and with that he urged them to make a
+fresh attack.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Let us set the house on fire,&#8217; said Mord, but Gizur answered him hotly,
+and bade him find out some other plan.</p>
+
+<p>Now Mord was a man of many thoughts, and great skill in planning, so he
+looked about him to see if there was aught else he could do. Lying near
+were some ropes, and as soon as he saw them he cried out, &#8216;If we can
+twist one end of the ropes round the beams, and the other round this
+rock, we can twist them tight, and pull the roof off the hall.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And this was done; and when the roof fell down they beheld Gunnar
+standing on the beam, shooting arrows at his enemies.</p>
+
+<p>At this Mord cried once more that the house should be burned, but the
+rest called shame on him, and then Thorbrand crept up on one side and
+cut Gunnar&#8217;s bowstring with his axe. But before he could reach the
+ground again Gunnar had seized his bill, and driven it through his body.</p>
+
+<p>Then, without looking round, Gunnar said swiftly to Hallgerda his wife:
+&#8216;Let you and my mother cut off two locks of hair from your heads, and
+twist them into my bowstring, so that I may shoot at them once more.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Does aught depend on it?&#8217; she asked. &#8216;My life,&#8217; he said; and Hallgerda
+made answer: &#8216;Do you remember that time when you struck me in the face?&#8217;
+said she; &#8216;well, now you shall die for it.&#8217;</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">For many a day men sang of the fight which Gunnar made for his life and
+the numbers that he slew before he himself was struck down and slain.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;We have laid low a great chief,&#8217; said Gizur, &#8216;and many hearts will be
+sore because of his slaying. But, though his body is dead, his name
+shall live for ever.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p class="titlepage">(<i>Saga</i>)</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="NJALS_BURNING" id="NJALS_BURNING"></a>NJAL&#8217;S BURNING</h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">Now,</span> Valgard the Cunning was dying. And he sent for his son Mord and
+bade him stir up strife between Njal&#8217;s sons and their brother Hauskuld
+the priest, for he ever hated Njal, and longed to be avenged on him. So
+Mord fared to Hauskuld, and told him tales of what his brothers had said
+of him, but Hauskuld bade him begone, for he would listen to none of his
+stories. Then Mord left Hauskuld the priest, and had ready a long tale,
+how that Hauskuld had meant to burn them while they sat at a feast in
+Whiteness, had not Hogni, Gunnar&#8217;s son, come by. And as this plan had
+failed, he set about gathering his men together to slay his brothers as
+they rode home, but neither Grani, son of Gunnar, nor Gunnar, son of
+Lambi, had the heart to do it.</p>
+
+<p>At first, neither Njal&#8217;s sons, nor Kari, who had married their sister,
+would give ear to Mord&#8217;s false words, but in spite of themselves
+ill-feelings began to spring up in their breasts towards Hauskuld.</p>
+
+<p>Thus things went on for many months, and whenever Mord met one of Njal&#8217;s
+sons, or Kari, who had married their sister, he had new stories to tell
+them, till at length their hearts grew hot, and they determined that
+they would slay Hauskuld, lest perchance he might first slay them.</p>
+
+<p>Hauskuld was sowing his corn when his brothers, and with them Mord,
+Valgard&#8217;s son, came up to kill him. Skarphedinn, Njal&#8217;s son, was their
+leader, and had bidden the rest each to give Hauskuld a wound. But the
+first blow dealt by Skarphedinn brought him on his knees, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span>and he died
+praying that they might be forgiven for the ill they had brought on him,
+guiltless.</p>
+
+<p>When he was dead they went home and told Njal what they had done.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It had been well if two of you had died and Hauskuld had lived,&#8217; said
+Njal after he had heard the tidings, &#8216;for I know better than you what
+will be the end of this.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;And what will be the end?&#8217; asked Skarphedinn.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;My death, and yours, and your mother&#8217;s,&#8217; answered Njal.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Shall I die also?&#8217; he asked; but Njal shook his head.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Good fortune will ever be with you!&#8217; he answered, and turned away and
+wept.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">Now all men knew that at the next Thing a suit would be brought for the
+slaying of Hauskuld, and Njal and his sons made ready to fare to it, and
+to hear the award which should be given. But first sundry of Njal&#8217;s
+friends came to see him and offered to stand by him, and to set up their
+tents beside his, and among them were Gizur the white and Asgrim. And at
+the Thing an award was made, but was made void by a quarrel between
+Flosi, the friend of Hauskuld the slain, and Skarphedinn, and Njal and
+his sons returned home, and Njal&#8217;s heart was heavy.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Are you riding back to your wife?&#8217; asked he of Kari, his son-in-law;
+and Kari made answer, &#8216;Whatever happens to you, happens to me!&#8217; and they
+all stayed at Bergthorasknoll.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">In the house dwelt an old, old woman, so old that she had nursed
+Bergthora, Njal&#8217;s wife, and she was wise and could see into the future.
+Njal&#8217;s sons laughed at her warnings, and took no heed to them, but for
+all that they knew well that it was often the truth she told them. One
+day Skarphedinn was standing outside the door, and the old woman came
+out with a stick in her hand, and <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span>she passed silently by him, and
+walked up the path to where a pile of dried shrubs lay above the house.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;May a curse be upon you!&#8217; she cried, shaking her stick over it; and
+Skarphedinn, who had followed after her, asked wherefore she was wroth
+with the pile.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Because with the fire lighted from this pile there will be a great
+burning,&#8217; said she. &#8216;And Njal and his sons will be burnt, and Bergthora,
+my foster-child. So carry it away and scatter it in the water, or else
+set fire to it before your enemies can get here!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;What is the use of doing anything?&#8217; answered Skarphedinn, &#8216;for if it is
+written that we should be burned, our foes will find some other fuel,
+though I were to scatter this stack to the four winds;&#8217; and he went away
+laughing.</p>
+
+<p>All through the summer the old nurse was ever begging Njal to do away
+with the stack of vetch, but the harvest was plentiful in the pastures
+and the men never came home save to sleep.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;We can bring in that vetch stack any time,&#8217; they said.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">The harvest was stored in the barns, and a good harvest it was. There
+had been none such since the day that Gunnar had fared from Lithend with
+Kolskegg, and had returned to his ruin. One day, when Grim and Helgi,
+Njal&#8217;s sons, had ridden away to Holar to see their children, who were at
+nurse there, they heard strange tidings from some poor woman, that the
+country side was stirring and that bands of men were gathering together,
+and were seen riding along the same road.</p>
+
+<p>At this news Grim and Helgi looked at each other.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Let us go home to Bergthorasknoll,&#8217; said they.</p>
+
+<p>Now they had told their mother they would sleep that night at Holar,
+with their children, so she gave no thought to them; but in the evening,
+when the hour had come to prepare supper, Bergthora bade every man
+choose what<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span>ever dish he liked best, &#8216;for,&#8217; said she, &#8216;this is the last
+food you will eat in this house!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Of a truth you must be ill to speak such words,&#8217; cried they.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;They are true words,&#8217; she said again; &#8216;and that you may know them to be
+true, I will give you a sign. Before the meat that is on the board
+to-night is eaten, Grim and Helgi will be in the house!&#8217; and she held
+her peace and went out.</p>
+
+<p>When the food was prepared, Bergthora called to them, and all sat down
+but Njal, who lingered in the doorway.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;What hinders you eating with the rest?&#8217; asked Bergthora; and Njal, as
+he answered, put his hand before his eyes.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;A vision has come to me,&#8217; he said slowly&mdash;&#8216;the wall is thrown down, and
+the board is wet with blood.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>At this the men&#8217;s faces grew pale, and a strange look came into their
+eyes, but Skarphedinn bade them be of good cheer, and to remember that,
+whatever might befall, all men would look to them to bear themselves
+bravely.</p>
+
+<p>Then Grim and Helgi entered with their tidings, and every one had in his
+mind what Bergthora had said, and knew that ill was in store.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Let no man sleep to-night,&#8217; said Njal, &#8216;but take heed to his arms.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>The band of Njal&#8217;s foes, headed by Flosi, had ridden to a valley behind
+the house, and had fastened their horses there. After that they walked
+slowly up the path, to the front of the house, where Njal and his sons,
+and Kari, his-son-in-law, and his thralls, thirty in all, stood up to
+meet them.</p>
+
+<p>Then both sides halted and spoke together. Flosi&#8217;s counsel was to fall
+on them where they stood, though he knew that few would there be left to
+tell the tale to their children.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span>Njal, for his part, desired that his men might return inside the hall,
+for the house was strong; &#8216;and if Gunnar alone could keep them at bay
+they will never prevail against us,&#8217; he said.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Ah, but these chiefs are not of the kind that slew Gunnar,&#8217; answered
+Skarphedinn, &#8216;for they turned a deaf ear to Mord&#8217;s evil counsel to set
+fire to Lithend, so that Gunnar and his wife and mother should be burnt
+up in it. But this band care nothing for what is fair and honourable, so
+long as we leave our bones behind us.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Then Helgi spoke:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Let us do as our father wills. He knows best,&#8217; and Skarphedinn said:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;If he wishes us to enter the hall, and all to be burnt together, I am
+ready to do it. I care little what death I shall die, and if the time of
+my doom is come, it matters nothing that we try to escape.&#8217; And so
+saying he turned to Kari, and bade him stand by his side.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">&#8216;They are all mad,&#8217; cried Flosi, as he saw Njal and his sons and Kari,
+his son-in-law, take their place on the inside of the door. &#8216;Surely none
+of them can escape us now;&#8217; and the fight began with a spear which was
+thrown at Skarphedinn.</p>
+
+<p>But victory was not so near as Flosi thought. Man after man fell back
+wounded or dead, yet Skarphedinn and his brethren remained without a
+wound.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;We shall never put them to flight with our spears,&#8217; said Flosi, &#8216;and
+there are only two ways open. Either we give up our vengeance, and await
+the death that will surely befall us at their hands; or else we must set
+fire to the house, and burn them in it. And I know not what else we can
+do; yet that is a mean and cowardly deed, which will lie heavily on our
+souls.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So they gathered wood and made a great stack before the door, and
+Skarphedinn laughed, and asked if they were turning cooks.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span>It was Grani, the son of Gunnar, whose soul was black like his mother
+Hallgerda&#8217;s, who answered him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You will not wish better cooking when <i>you</i> are put on the spit;&#8217; but
+he had better have left Skarphedinn alone, for the men around heard his
+reply, and looked curiously on Grani.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Your deeds become your mother&#8217;s son,&#8217; said Skarphedinn. &#8216;It was I who
+avenged your father, therefore it is natural to one of your kind that
+you should wish to slay me,&#8217; and he stepped back to pick up some fresh
+arrows.</p>
+
+<p>In spite of Grani&#8217;s boastful words, the pile of wood was slow in
+catching, for the women threw whey and water upon it from the little
+windows in the roof, so that the flames were quenched as fast as they
+sprang up. The men grew angry and impatient, and at last Kol,
+Thorstein&#8217;s son, said to Flosi:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It avails nought to kindle the fire here; but there is a pile of dry
+vetch at the back, just above the house, and we can light it, and put
+the burning wood on the beams under the roof.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So he crept round unseen, and did as he had said, and the other men
+heaped up wood before the doors of the house, so that none could escape,
+and those within the hall knew nothing that was doing, till a great
+light filled the place, and they saw that the roof was burning.</p>
+
+<p>Then horrible dread overwhelmed the souls of the women, and they broke
+forth into weeping and wailing, till Njal spoke words of comfort to
+them, and bade them keep up their hearts, for God would not suffer them
+to burn both in this world and in the next. And when he had stilled
+their fears he went near the door, and asked:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Is Flosi nigh at hand?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Yes,&#8217; answered Flosi.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Will you suffer my sons to atone?&#8217; asked Njal once more, &#8216;or let them
+leave the house?&#8217; but Flosi said:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;The women and children and thralls may go out, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span>but, as for your sons,
+the time for atonement is past, and I will not leave this spot as long
+as one of them remains alive.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>When Njal heard that, he went back into the house and called the women
+and children and thralls round him, and bade Thorhalla, the wife of
+Helgi, go out first, for she was a brave woman. And Thorhalla went,
+after bidding farewell to Helgi her husband.</p>
+
+<p>But Astrid whispered softly to Helgi:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I will tie a woman&#8217;s kerchief about your head, and wrap you in a cloak,
+and the women folk will stand about you, and none shall know that you
+are not a woman also.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Helgi did not like this plan, for he thought it shame to steal away in
+his sister&#8217;s garments; but they prayed him not to be stiff-necked, and
+at length he suffered the cloak to be put round him.</p>
+
+<p>Now the children of Njal were all tall, but Helgi was tallest of all,
+except his brother Skarphedinn. And Flosi marked him, and said to his
+men:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I like not the height of the woman who went yonder, nor the breadth of
+her shoulders. Seize her and hold her fast.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>As soon as Helgi heard that he threw his cloak aside and thrust at a man
+with his sword, and cut off his leg. But Flosi was close behind, and
+stretched Helgi dead in front of him.</p>
+
+<p>After that he went back to the house, and offered Njal that he should
+come outside, but Njal answered that he was too old to avenge his sons,
+and that he would not outlive them, for that would be a shame and
+disgrace to him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Come out, then, Bergthora,&#8217; said Flosi, &#8216;for I will not suffer you to
+burn inside.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>But Bergthora made answer:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Long years from my youth have I lived with Njal, and I vowed on the day
+of betrothal that his death should <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span>be mine;&#8217; and without more words
+they went into the house.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I am weary,&#8217; said Njal to his wife, &#8216;let us lay down on our bed and
+rest;&#8217; and Bergthora bowed her head, and spoke to the boy Thord, the son
+of Kari:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Come to the door with me and go forth with your kinsmen. I will not
+have you stay here to burn.&#8217; But the boy shook off the hand she had laid
+on his shoulder.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You promised me when I was little, grandmother, that I should never go
+from you till I wished it of myself. And I would rather die with you
+than live after you.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Bergthora was silent, but she led the boy to the bed, and he climbed in,
+and laid himself down. Then Njal said to his head man:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Bring hither the oxhide and put it on the bed, and watch how we lay
+ourselves down, so that you may know where to find our bones. For not
+one inch will we stir, whatever befall.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And he laid himself down, and bade the boy lie between himself and
+Bergthora.</p>
+
+<p>So they waited.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">At the doors and in the windows of the roof Skarphedinn and Grim were
+casting away burning brands, and hurling spears as if they had had
+twenty hands instead of two. At last Flosi called to his men to let be,
+till the fire had its way, for many had been killed and wounded already.</p>
+
+<p>And now a beam which held up the oak fell in, and then another and
+another. &#8216;Surely my father must be dead,&#8217; said Skarphedinn, &#8216;that he
+makes no sound,&#8217; and, followed by Grim and Kari, he went to the end of
+the hall where a cross beam had fallen.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;The smoke is thick here,&#8217; said Kari, &#8216;thick enough to hide a man; let
+us leap out one by one, and we shall be away before they have seen us.
+Skarphedinn, you jump first!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 290px;">
+<a name="illus_page_079" id="illus_page_079"></a><a href="images/p079-full.png"><img src="images/p079.png" width="290" height="508" alt="A man surrounded by smoke about to jump down to where another armed man is standing" title="HOW KARI ESCAPED FROM NJAL&#8217;S HOUSE" /></a>
+<span class="caption">HOW KARI ESCAPED FROM NJAL&#8217;S HOUSE</span>
+</div>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span></p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81"><br />[81]</a></span>&#8216;No!&#8217; answered Skarphedinn, &#8216;you go first and I will follow; or, if I
+follow not, you will avenge me.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I have a chance of my life,&#8217; said Kari, &#8216;and I will take it. We must
+each do as seems best to him, but I fear me that we see each other no
+more;&#8217; and catching up a huge blazing beam, he threw it over the edge of
+the roof, among the men who were gathered below.</p>
+
+<p>They scattered at once like leaves in a storm, and at that instant Kari,
+with his tunic and hair already burning, leaped from the roof and crept
+away in the smoke. The man who stood nearest on the ground thought he
+saw something dark moving, and he asked his neighbour:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Think you that was one of them jumping from the beam?&#8217; but the man
+answered: &#8216;Nay, but it may have been Skarphedinn hurling a firebrand;&#8217;
+and then they went to their own work, and paid no more heed to the
+figure on the roof.</p>
+
+<p>So Kari was left free to escape, and he put out the fire that was
+burning him, and rested in a safe place till he could seek shelter with
+his friends.</p>
+
+<p>Thrice Skarphedinn tried to leap after Kari, and thrice the beam broke
+under his weight, and he was forced to climb back again. Then part of
+the wall fell in, and Skarphedinn fell down with it on to the floor of
+the hall.</p>
+
+<p>In a moment the face of Gunnar, son of Lambi, was seen on top of the
+wall, and he cried out, &#8216;Are those tears on your cheeks, Skarphedinn?&#8217;
+and Skarphedinn made answer:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Now am I finding out in truth how smoke can force tears from one&#8217;s
+eyes. But methinks I see laughter in yours, Gunnar.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Of a surety,&#8217; said Gunnar, &#8216;never have I laughed so much since the day
+you slew Thrain in Markfleet.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Here is a remembrance of that day for you,&#8217; said Skarphedinn, and he
+took from his pouch Thrain&#8217;s tooth, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span>and flung it at Gunnar. And it
+knocked out Gunnar&#8217;s eye, and he fell from the roof.</p>
+
+<p>Then Skarphedinn went to Grim, and hand in hand they two tried to stamp
+out the burning beams, but before they had crossed the hall Grim dropped
+dead, and the roof fell in, and shut Skarphedinn in a corner, so that he
+could not move.</p>
+
+<p>At daylight a man rode up who had met Kari, and had learned from him
+that when he had jumped from the roof both Skarphedinn and Grim were
+still alive, but that was many hours before, and both must long since be
+dead.</p>
+
+<p>Then Flosi and some of his men drew nearer and climbed up the gable, for
+the fire had burned low, and only threw out a flame here and there. And
+as they looked into the hall beneath them, which was a mass of charred
+and fallen wood, there seemed to rise up from the red ashes a song of
+triumph, and they held their breath and looked into each other&#8217;s faces.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Is it Skarphedinn&#8217;s song?&#8217; asked Glum, &#8216;and is it a token that he is
+dead? or a sign that he is alive? Let us look for him.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;That shall not be,&#8217; said Flosi quickly. &#8216;Fool that you are, do you not
+know that even now Kari is gathering together a band to avenge his
+kinsmen? Therefore let every man take his horse and ride up to the
+Three-corner Fell, and there we can hide and take counsel how we can
+escape from our enemies.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So it was done, and not a whit too soon, for a very great company
+scattered over the country, seeking Flosi and his Band of Burners&mdash;for
+by this ill name men knew them.</p>
+
+<p>As for Kari himself, he begged Hjallti, Njal&#8217;s cousin, to go with him to
+Bergthorasknoll and find Njal&#8217;s bones and bury them. And, as they went,
+men joined them, till they numbered nigh on a hundred when they reached
+Bergthorasknoll.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span>Kari entered the hall first and led them up to the spot where the bed
+had stood, and where a great heap of ashes now covered it. The ashes
+took long to clear away, and underneath was the oxhide, charred and
+shrivelled. But when the oxhide was pulled away they saw the three
+bodies fresh and whole, as they had laid them down. Only one finger of
+the boy was burned, where he had thrust it outside the hide.</p>
+
+<p>When they saw this a great joy fell on the hearts of all, and Hjallti
+said:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Never have I seen a dead man with a face as bright as this!&#8217; And the
+other men said likewise.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">After that they sought for Skarphedinn, and then found him, fastened by
+the beam into the corner, and he had driven his axe into the wall of the
+gable, so that it had to be broken out. And they sought the bones of
+Grim, and found them lying in the middle of the hall, where he had
+dropped down dead. And they sought the bones of other men, and found
+them, and nine bodies in all were carried into the church and buried
+there.</p>
+
+<p>And that is Burnt Njal&#8217;s story.</p>
+
+
+<p class="titlepage">[The <i>Saga of Burnt Njal</i>.]</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="THE_LADY_OF_SOLACE" id="THE_LADY_OF_SOLACE"></a>THE LADY OF SOLACE</h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">There</span> was once an emperor who had two things that he loved more than all
+the world&mdash;his daughter and his garden. The finest linen and the richest
+silks of India or China decked the princess from the moment she was old
+enough to run alone, and the ships that brought them brought also the
+fairest flowers and sweetest fruits that grew in distant lands. All the
+time that he was not presiding over his council, or hearing the
+petitions of his people, the emperor passed in his garden, watching the
+flowers open and the fruits ripen, and by-and-by he planted trees and
+shrubs and made walks and alleys, till altogether the garden was the
+most beautiful as well as the largest that had ever been seen.</p>
+
+<p>The years passed, and the princess reached the age of fourteen; quite
+old enough to be married, thought the kings and princes who were looking
+out for a bride for their sons. The emperor&#8217;s heart sank when he heard
+rumours of embassies that were coming to rob him of his daughter, and he
+shut himself up in his room to try to invent a plan by which he might
+keep the princess, without giving offence to the powerful monarchs who
+had asked for her hand.</p>
+
+<p>For a long while he sat with his head on his hands, thinking steadily,
+but every scheme had some drawback. At length his face brightened and he
+sprang up from his seat.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Yes! that will do,&#8217; he cried, and went down to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span>attend his council,
+looking quite a different man from what he had been a few hours before.</p>
+
+<p>The embassies and the princes continued to arrive, and they all got the
+same answer. &#8216;The emperor was proud of the honour done to himself and
+his daughter, and would give her in marriage to any man who would pass
+through the garden and bring him a branch of the tree which stood at the
+further end.&#8217; Nothing could surely be more easy, and every prince in
+turn as he heard the conditions felt that the fairest damsel on the
+whole earth was already his wife.</p>
+
+<p>But though each man went gaily in, none ever came out, nor was it ever
+known what had befallen them. At last so many had entered that fatal
+gate that it seemed as if there could be no more princes or nobles left,
+and the emperor began to breathe again at the thought that he would be
+able after all to keep his daughter.</p>
+
+<p>But one day a knight of great renown, named Tirius, arrived from beyond
+the seas and knocked at the gate of the castle. Like the others, he was
+welcomed and feasted, and when the feast was ended he craved that the
+emperor would grant him the hand of the princess on whatever condition
+he might choose.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Right willingly,&#8217; answered the emperor; &#8216;there is only one condition I
+have laid down, and that is an easy one, though for some strange reason
+no one as yet has been able to fulfil it. You have merely to walk
+through the garden that you see below, and bring me back a branch from a
+tree bearing golden fruit, which stands on the opposite side. If fame
+speaks true, this is child&#8217;s play to the adventures in which you have
+borne so noble a part.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;In good sooth,&#8217; said the knight, who saw clearly that there was more in
+the matter than appeared&mdash;&#8216;in good sooth your condition likes me well.
+Still, as fortune is ever inconstant, and may be tired of dealing me
+favours, I would first ask as a boon a sight of your fair daughter <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span>and
+leave to hearken to her voice. After that I will delay no longer, but
+proceed on my quest.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I will take you to her myself,&#8217; answered the emperor, who thought that
+he might show this small mercy to a man who was going to his death, and
+he led his guest down long passages and through lofty halls, till they
+reached the princess&#8217;s apartments.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;In five minutes my chamberlain shall come for you, and he shall show
+you the way to the garden,&#8217; said the emperor, &#8216;and meanwhile I bid you
+farewell;&#8217; and, leaving Tirius to enter alone, he went to seek his
+ministers.</p>
+
+<p>It would be hard to say whether the knight or the princess was most
+amazed as they stood gazing at each other&mdash;he at her beauty and she at
+his boldness, for never before had any man crossed her threshold. For a
+moment both were silent; then the knight, remembering how short a time
+was allowed him, aroused himself from his dream and spoke:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Gentle damsel, help me now in my need, for I have been drawn hither by
+love. Full well I know that many have had this adventure before me, and
+have entered that garden and never returned from it. Without your aid my
+fate will be such as theirs, and therefore, I pray you, tell me what I
+should do so that I may win through without harm.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Now the knight was a goodly man and tall, and perhaps the princess may
+have bewailed in secret the noble youths who had fallen victims to her
+father&#8217;s pleasure. But, however that might be, she smiled and made
+reply:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I am ready to marry any man on whom my father wishes to bestow me, and
+you say you have come hither for love of me. Still, you have asked of me
+a hard thing, for it beseems not a daughter to betray her father&#8217;s
+confidence. Yet, as I am loth that any more fair youths should lose
+their lives for my sake, I will give you this counsel. You must first
+pass through a forest, which is <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span>the home of a lady who is known to
+all as the &#8220;Lady of Solace.&#8221; Go to her, and she will give you the help
+you need to journey safely through the garden.&#8217;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 286px;">
+<a name="plate_facing_086" id="plate_facing_086"></a><a href="images/f086-full.jpg"><img src="images/f086.jpg" width="286" height="488" alt="A gracious lady handing a ball of thread to a knight" title="The Lady of Solace" /></a>
+<span class="caption">The Lady of Solace</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>The princess had scarcely finished these words when the voice of the
+chamberlain was heard without, bidding him withdraw, and, glancing
+gratefully at her, the knight bowed low and took his leave.</p>
+
+<p>In the great hall the chamberlain quitted him, telling him to take his
+ease and rest till the emperor should return, but instead the knight
+waited till he was alone and then plunged straight into the forest.</p>
+
+<p>He walked on for a little way till he reached a green space, and there
+he stopped and cried, &#8216;Where is the Lady of Solace?&#8217; Then he sat down on
+a stone and waited. In a short time he saw coming towards him two
+ladies, one bearing a basin and the other a cloth.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;We give you greeting, sir,&#8217; they said; &#8216;the Lady of Solace has sent us
+to you, and she bids you first wash your feet in this basin, and then go
+with us to her palace.&#8217; So the knight washed his feet, and dried them in
+the white cloth, and rose up and went with the ladies to the palace,
+which was built of blue marble, and the fairest that ever he saw. The
+Lady of Solace was fair likewise and of a marvellous sweet countenance,
+and her voice was soft like the voice of a thrush as she asked him what
+he wanted with her. At that the knight told his errand, and how the
+princess had bade him come to her, for she alone could help him to win
+through the enchanted garden.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I am called the Lady of Solace,&#8217; said she, with a smile which seemed
+made up of all the beautiful things in the world, &#8216;and I give succour to
+all those who need it. Here is a ball of thread; take it and bind it
+round the post of the gate of the garden, and hold fast the thread in
+your hand, unwinding it as you go. For if you lose the clue, you will
+perish like those before you. And more. A lion dwells in the garden, who
+will spring <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span>out and devour you, as he has devoured the rest. Therefore,
+arm yourself with armour, and see that the armour be anointed thickly
+with ointment. When the lion sees you, he will take your arm or your leg
+into his mouth, and his teeth shall stick fast in the ointment, and when
+you sunder yourself from him his teeth shall be drawn out, and you shall
+kill him easily. But during the fight beware lest you let go the clue.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;And after the lion shall come four men, who will set on you and seek to
+turn you from their path; but beware of them also, and if you are in
+peril call to me, and I will succour you. And now return to the palace
+and put on your armour, and so, farewell.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>When the knight heard this he was right glad, and stole back to the
+palace, where he found that the emperor was still sitting at his
+council. He sat down in the great hall to await him, but the time seemed
+very long before his host entered.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;How have you sped?&#8217; asked he.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;My lord, now that through your goodness I have seen the princess,&#8217; said
+the knight, &#8216;there can be but one ending to my journey. I go at once in
+quest of the tree, and I am content whatever fate may befall me.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;May fortune be with you!&#8217; answered the emperor, who never failed to
+give good wishes to his daughter&#8217;s suitors, as he felt quite sure that
+they would be of no use.</p>
+
+<p>So the knight bowed low and left the hall, going straight to the
+gatekeeper&#8217;s house, where he had put off his armour on arriving. On
+pretence of sharpening his sword, he borrowed a pot of ointment from the
+man, and, unseen by him, rubbed the paste thickly over his armour. After
+this he looked about to see that no one was watching him, and took the
+path that led to the garden.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 285px;">
+<a name="illus_page_089" id="illus_page_089"></a><a href="images/p089-full.png"><img src="images/p089.png" width="285" height="472" alt="A lady bending over to lift the knight whose hands she is holding" title="THE LADY OF SOLACE HELPS THE FALLEN KNIGHT" /></a>
+<span class="caption">THE LADY OF SOLACE HELPS THE FALLEN KNIGHT</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>A large iron gate supported by two posts stood at the entrance, and
+round one of these he firmly bound one end of the thread which the Lady
+of Solace had given <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90"><br />[90]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91"><br /><br />[91]</a></span>him. Holding the other end in his hand, he
+advanced for a long while without seeing or hearing any strange thing,
+till a roar close to him caused him to start. The knight had just time
+to draw his sword and hold up his shield before the lion was upon him;
+but, as he had been forewarned, the great beast dashed aside the shield,
+and fastened his teeth in the arm that held it. The pain was such that
+the knight leaped backwards, but the lion&#8217;s teeth were fixed fast in the
+ointment, and they all came out of his mouth, so that he could bite no
+more. And when he rushed at his enemy with his claws they stuck also, so
+that the knight with a blow of his sword was able to kill him with ease.</p>
+
+<p>Mightily he rejoiced at seeing his foe dead before him, and by ill
+fortune he forgot that, had it not been for the counsel of the Lady of
+Solace, it was <i>he</i> who would have been slain, and not the lion. He
+swelled with pride and conceit at the ease with which he had won the
+victory, and never noted that the clue of thread was no longer in his
+hands.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Ah, lovely princess, I come to seek my reward,&#8217; cried he to himself,
+and turned his face towards the palace. But a little way on he spied
+seven trees, very fair to view, all covered with fruit that shone
+temptingly in the sun. He gathered a cluster that hung just above his
+head, and when he had eaten that, he thought that it tasted so delicious
+he really must have another, and another also.</p>
+
+<p>He was still eating when three men passed by, and asked him what he was
+doing there. The knight was so puffed up that he did not answer them
+civilly after his manner, but gave them rude words, for which in return
+he received buffets. In the end, the men dragged him away from the tree
+and flung him into a ditch that was full of water, and his armour
+weighed him down, so that he could not get out. Then at last he
+remembered his clue, and felt for it, but it was not there, and his
+pride <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span>broke down, and he saw that he had brought his ruin on himself.
+And in despair he lifted up his voice and cried, &#8216;O Lady of Solace, help
+me, I beseech you, in my great need, for I am nigh dead.&#8217; He shut his
+eyes for very misery, but opened them again in a moment, for a lady
+stood by him, and she said:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Did not I tell you that if you lost the clue you could never more find
+your way out of the garden? I will lift you out of the ditch, but, for
+the clue, you must seek for it yourself till you find it.&#8217; And with that
+she vanished.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">Not that day did the knight find the clue, nor the next, nor the next.
+Faint and weary was he, but he dared not eat of the fruit that was
+around him, some hanging from the boughs of trees and some growing on
+the ground. At length he wandered back to the spot where he had fought
+with the lion, and there, covered with blood, lay the clue he had so
+long sought. By its help he was led to the tree with the golden fruit,
+which stood at the far end of the garden, and plucking one of the boughs
+he turned to retrace his steps, wondering, now that he held the thread,
+at the shortness of the way.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Here is the branch, O Emperor! and now give me the princess,&#8217; he said,
+kneeling and laying the bough down on the steps of the throne. And the
+emperor could not gainsay him, but bade his officers fetch his daughter,
+and after they had been married she went with her husband into his own
+country, where they lived happily till they died.</p>
+
+<p class="titlepage">[From the <i>Gesta Romanorum</i>.]</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="UNA_AND_THE_LION" id="UNA_AND_THE_LION"></a>UNA AND THE LION</h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">Once</span> upon a time there lived a king and queen who had only one child, a
+little girl, whom they named Una, and they all lived happily at home for
+many years till Una had grown into a woman.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">It seemed as if they were some of the fortunate people to whom nothing
+ever happens, when suddenly, just as everything appeared going well and
+peacefully with them, a fearful dragon, larger and more horrible than
+any dragon which had yet been heard of, arrived one night, seized the
+king and queen as they were walking in the garden after the heat of the
+day, and carried them prisoners to a strong castle. Luckily, Una was at
+that moment sitting among her maidens on the top of a high tower
+embroidering a kirtle, or she would have shared the same fate.</p>
+
+<p>When the princess learnt what had befallen her parents, she was struck
+dumb with grief, but she had been taught that no misfortune was ever
+mended by tears, so she soon dried her eyes, and began to think what was
+best to do, and to whom she could turn for help. She ran quickly over in
+her mind the knights who thronged her father&#8217;s court, but there was not
+one amongst them to whose hands their rescue could be entrusted. One
+spent his days in writing pretty verses to the ladies who were about the
+queen, another passed his time in putting on suits more brilliant than
+any worn by his friends, a third loved hawking, but did not welcome the
+rough life and hard living of real warfare; no, she must seek a champion
+out of her own country if <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span>her parents were to be delivered out of the
+power of the dragon. Then all at once she remembered a certain Red Cross
+Knight whose fame had spread even to her distant land, and, ordering her
+white ass to be saddled, she set forth in quest of him.</p>
+
+<p>It were long to tell the adventures Una met with on the way, but at last
+she found the knight resting after a hard-won fight, and told him her
+tale.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 281px;">
+<a name="illus_page_094" id="illus_page_094"></a><a href="images/p094-full.png"><img src="images/p094.png" width="281" height="217" alt="A dragon flying away from a castle, with a man and woman clasped in his front legs" title="Sudden DEPARTURE of UNA&#8217;S PARENTS" /></a>
+<span class="caption">Sudden DEPARTURE of UNA&#8217;S PARENTS</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>&#8216;Right willingly will I help you, princess,&#8217; said he, &#8216;only you must
+ride with me and guide me to the castle, for I know nothing of the
+countries that lie beyond the sea;&#8217; and Una heard his words with joy,
+and called softly to her ass, who was cropping the short green grass
+beside her.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Let us go forth at once,&#8217; she cried gaily, and sprang into her saddle.
+The knight hastily fastened on his armour, and, placing a blood-red
+cross upon his breast, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span>swung himself on to his horse&#8217;s back. And so
+they rode over the plain, a trusty dwarf following far behind, and a
+snow-white lamb, held by a golden cord, trotting by Una&#8217;s side.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">After some hours they left the plain and entered a forest, where the
+trees and bushes grew so thick that no path could they see. At first, in
+their eagerness to escape the storm which was sweeping up the plain
+behind them, they hardly took heed where they were going; and besides,
+the beauty of the flowers and the sweet scent of the fruit caused them
+to forget the trouble they would have to find the road again. But when
+the sound of the thunder ceased, and the lightning no longer darted
+through the leaves, they were startled to perceive they had wandered
+they knew not whither. No sun could they see to show them which was east
+and which west, neither was there any man to tell them what they fain
+would know. At length they stopped, for before them lay a cave
+stretching far away into the darkness.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;We can rest there this night,&#8217; said the Red Cross Knight, leaping to
+the ground, and handing his spear to the dwarf; &#8216;and first, you, lady,
+shall remain, here, while I enter and make sure that no fierce or
+loathsome beasts lurk in the corners.&#8217; But Una turned pale as she
+listened.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;The perils of this place I better know than you,&#8217; she answered gravely.
+&#8216;In this den dwells a vile monster, hated by God and man.&#8217; And the voice
+of the dwarf cried also, &#8216;Fly, fly! this is no place for living men.&#8217;
+They might have spared their warnings; when did youth ever heed them?
+The knight looked into the cave, and</p>
+
+<p class="poem"><span class="i2">Forth into the darksome hole he went.</span><br />
+His glistening armour made a little glooming light,<br />
+By which he saw the ugly monster plain,<br />
+Half like a serpent horribly displayed,<br />
+The other half did woman&#8217;s shape retain.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span>It was too late to turn back, even had he wished it; but indeed it was
+the monster who looked round, as if to find a way to flee. Before her
+stood the knight, his sword drawn, waiting for a fair chance to plunge
+it into her throat. Escape there was none, and she prepared for battle.</p>
+
+<p>The knight fought valiantly, but never had he met a foe like this. The
+monster was so large and so scaly that he could not get round her, while
+his sword glanced, blunted, from off her skin. Blow after blow he
+struck, but they only served to increase her fury, till, gathering all
+her strength together, she wound her great tail about his body, pressing
+him close against her horny bosom.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Strangle her, else she sure will strangle thee,&#8217; cried Una, who had
+been watching the combat as well as the darkness would let her; and the
+knight heard, and seized the monster by the throat, till she was forced
+to let go her hold on him. Then, grasping his sword, he cut her head
+clean from her body.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">Fain would they now leave the dreadful wood which had been the nurse of
+such an evil creature, and by following a track where the leaves grew
+less thickly, they at last found themselves on the other side of the
+plain, just as the sun was sinking to rest. They pushed on fast, hoping
+to find a shelter for the night, but none could they spy. The plain
+seemed bare, save for one old man in the guise of a hermit who was
+approaching them.</p>
+
+<p>Him the Red Cross Knight stopped and asked if he knew of any adventures
+which might await him in that place. The old man, who was in truth the
+magician Archimago, the professor of lore which could read the secrets
+of men&#8217;s hearts, answered that the hour was late for the undertaking of
+such things, and bade them rest for the night in his cell hard by. So
+saying, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98"><br />[98]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99"><br /><br />[99]</a></span>he led them into a little dell amidst a group of trees, in
+which stood a chapel and the dwelling of the hermit.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 496px;">
+<a name="illus_page_097" id="illus_page_097"></a><a href="images/p097-full.png"><img src="images/p097.png" width="496" height="303" alt="A knight at the entrance to a cave, the monster has the body of a woman and the tail of a snake" title="THE RED CROSS KNIGHT ENTERS THE MONSTER&#8217;S CAVE" /></a>
+<span class="caption">THE RED CROSS KNIGHT ENTERS THE MONSTER&#8217;S CAVE</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>It was but a short space before both knight and lady were sleeping
+soundly on the beds of fern which the hermit told them he had always at
+hand for the entertainment of guests. But, for himself, he crept unseen
+to a little cave inside a rock, and taking out his magic books he sought
+therein for mighty charms to trouble sleepy minds!</p>
+
+<p>He soon found what he wanted, and repeated some strange words aloud. In
+an instant there fluttered round him a crowd of little sprites awaiting
+his bidding, but he motioned all aside except two&mdash;one of whom he kept
+with him and the other he sent on a message to the house of Morpheus,
+the god of sleep.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I come from Archimago the wizard,&#8217; said the sprite when he reached his
+journey&#8217;s end. &#8216;Give me, I pray you, as swiftly as may be, a bad dream,
+that I may carry it back to him.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Slowly the god rose up, and, going to his storehouse, where lay dreams
+of all sorts&mdash;dreams to make people happy, dreams to make people
+miserable, dreams to stir people to good, and dreams to move them to
+every kind of wickedness&mdash;he took from the shelf a small but very black
+little dream, which the sprite tied round his neck, and hurried to the
+cave of Archimago.</p>
+
+<p>The wizard took the dream in silence, and, going into the den where the
+knight was sleeping, laid it softly on his forehead. In a moment his
+face clouded over; evil thoughts of Una sprang into his mind, till at
+length, unable to bear any longer the grief of mistrusting her he so
+loved and honoured, the knight called to the dwarf to bring him his
+horse, and together they rode away. But when Una woke and found both of
+her companions departed she wept sorely. Then, mounting her milk-white
+ass, she set out to follow them.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span>Meanwhile the Red Cross Knight was wandering he knew not whither, so
+deep were the wounds in his heart. He rode on with his bridle hanging
+loosely on his horse&#8217;s neck, till a bend in the path brought him face to
+face with a mighty Saracen, bearing on his arm a shield with the words
+&#8216;Sans foy&#8217; written across it. By his side, mounted on a palfrey hung
+with golden bells, was a lady clad in scarlet robes embroidered with
+jewels, who chattered merrily as they passed along.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 281px;">
+<a name="illus_page_100" id="illus_page_100"></a><a href="images/p100-full.png"><img src="images/p100.png" width="281" height="284" alt="A wizard placing an evil dream on a sleeping knight's head" title="IN ARCHIMAGO&#8217;S CELL. The evil dream." /></a>
+<span class="caption">IN ARCHIMAGO&#8217;S CELL. The evil dream.</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>It was she who first perceived the approach of an enemy, and, turning to
+Sansfoy, bade him begin the attack. He, nothing loth, dashed forward to
+meet the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span>knight, who had barely time to steady himself to receive the
+blow, which caused him to reel in his saddle. The blow was indeed so
+hard that it would have pierced the knight&#8217;s armour had it not been for
+the cross upon his breast; which, when the Saracen saw, he cursed the
+power of the holy emblem, and prepared himself for a fresh attack.</p>
+
+<p>But either the Christian knight was the more skilful swordsman, or the
+cross lent new strength to his arm, for the fight was not a long one.
+Only a few strokes had passed between them, when the boastful Sansfoy
+fell from his horse, and rolled heavily to the ground. The lady hardly
+waited for the issue of the combat, and galloped off lest she too should
+be in danger. But the knight did not wage war on ladies, and, calling to
+the dwarf to bring the Saracen&#8217;s shield as a trophy, he spurred quickly
+after her.</p>
+
+<p>He did not take long to come up with her for, in truth, she intended to
+be overtaken, and turned a woeful countenance to the young knight, who
+listened, believing, to the false tale she told. Pitying her from his
+heart, he assured her of his care and protection, and while they are
+faring through the woods together, let us see what had become of Una.</p>
+
+<p>The maiden was herself wandering distraught, seated on her &#8216;unhastie
+beast,&#8217; when with a fearful roar a lion rushed out from a thicket with
+eyes glaring and teeth gleaming, seeking to devour his prey. But at the
+sight of Una&#8217;s tender beauty he stopped suddenly, and, stooping down, he
+kissed her feet and licked her hands.</p>
+
+<p>At this kindness on the part of the great creature, Una bent her head
+and wept grievously. &#8216;He, my lion and my noble lord, how does he find it
+in his cruel heart to hate her that him loved?&#8217; she moaned sadly, and
+the lion again looked pityingly at her, and at last the maiden checked
+her sobs and bade her ass go on, the lion walking by her side during the
+day, and sleeping at her feet by night.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span>They had travelled far and for many days, through a wilderness untrodden
+by either man or beast, when at the foot of a mountain they spied a
+damsel bearing on her shoulder a pot of water. At sight of the lion she
+flung down the pitcher, and ran to the hut where she dwelt, without once
+looking behind her. In the cottage sat her blind mother, not knowing
+what could be the meaning of the shrieks and cries uttered by her
+daughter, who shut the door quickly after her, and caught trembling hold
+of her mother&#8217;s hands.</p>
+
+<p>It was the first lion the girl had ever seen, or she would have known
+that if he was determined to enter, it was not a wicket-gate that would
+prevent him. As neither mother nor daughter replied to Una&#8217;s gentle
+prayer for a night&#8217;s lodging, her &#8216;unruly page&#8217; put his paw on the
+little door, which opened with a crash. The maiden then stepped softly
+over the threshold, begging afresh that she might pass the night in one
+corner, and receiving no answer&mdash;for the women were still too terrified
+to speak&mdash;she curled herself up on the earthen floor with the lion
+beside her.</p>
+
+<p>About midnight there arrived at the door, which Una had refastened, a
+thief laden with spoils of churches, and whatever else he had managed to
+pick up by stealth. To spend the night in thieving was his custom, and
+hither he brought his spoils, as he thought none would suspect a blind
+woman and her daughter of harbouring stolen goods.</p>
+
+<p>Many times he called, but the two women were in grievous dread of the
+lion, and durst not move from the corner where they were crouching; at
+last the man grew angry, and burst the door asunder, as the lion had
+done before him. He entered the hut, and straightway beheld the dreadful
+beast, with glaring eyes and gleaming teeth, as Una had first beheld
+him. But Kirkrapine (such was his name) had neither beauty nor goodness
+to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span>still the lion&#8217;s rage, and in another moment his body was rent in
+a thousand pieces.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 484px;">
+<a name="plate_facing_102" id="plate_facing_102"></a><a href="images/f102-full.jpg"><img src="images/f102.jpg" width="484" height="285" alt="A woman mounted on a white donkey with a lion and lamb at her side are beside a stream with a boy with a water jug on the other side" title="At the sight of the Lion, she flung down the pitcher" /></a>
+<span class="caption">At the sight of the Lion, she flung down the pitcher</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>The sun had scarce sent his first beams above the horizon when Una left
+the hut, mounted on her ass, and, followed by the lion, again began her
+quest of the Red Cross Knight. But, alas! though she found him not, she
+met her ancient foe, the magician Archimago, who had taken on himself
+the form of him whom she sought. Too true and unsuspecting was she, to
+dream of guile in others, and the welcome she gave him was from her
+whole heart. In the guise of the knight, Archimago greeted her fondly,
+and bade her tell him the story of her woes, and how came she to take
+the lion for her companion. And so they journeyed, the flowers seeming
+sweeter and the skies brighter to Una, as they went, when suddenly they
+beheld</p>
+
+<p class="poem">One pricking towards them with hasty heat;<br />
+Full strongly armed, and on a courser free.</p>
+
+<p>On his shield the words &#8216;Sans loy&#8217; could be read, written in letters of
+blood.</p>
+
+<p>Now, though Archimago had clad himself in the outward shape of the Red
+Cross Knight, he lacked his courage and his skill in war; and his heart
+was faint from fear, when the Saracen reined back his horse and prepared
+for battle. In the shock of the rush the wizard was borne backwards, and
+the blood from his side dyed the ground.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;The life that from Sansfoy thou tookest, Sansloy shall from thee take,&#8217;
+cried the Paynim, and was unlacing the vizor of the fallen man to deal
+him his death-stroke when a cry from Una stayed his hand for a moment,
+though it was not her prayers for mercy that would have kept him from
+drawing his sword, but the sight of the hoary head beneath the helmet,
+which startled him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Archimago!&#8217; he stammered, &#8216;what mishap is this?<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span>&#8217; And still Archimago
+lay on the ground stunned, and answered nothing.</p>
+
+<p>For a moment Una gazed in amazement at the strange sight before her, and
+wondered what was the meaning of these things. Then she turned to fly,
+but, quick as thought, the Saracen plucked at her robe to stop her.</p>
+
+<p>Now when the lion, her fierce servant, saw that Paynim knight lay hands
+on his sovereign lady, he sprang on him with gaping jaws, and almost
+tore the shield from his arm. But the knight leapt swiftly back, and
+swinging his sword plunged it into the heart of the faithful creature,
+who rolled over and died amidst the tears of his mistress.</p>
+
+<p>After which the knight set Una on his steed before him and bore her
+away.</p>
+
+<p class="titlepage">[Spenser&#8217;s <i>Faerie Queene</i>.]</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="HOW_THE_RED_CROSS_KNIGHT_SLEW_THE_DRAGON" id="HOW_THE_RED_CROSS_KNIGHT_SLEW_THE_DRAGON"></a>HOW THE RED CROSS KNIGHT SLEW THE DRAGON</h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">While</span> Una was riding through forest and over plains, with her faithful
+lion for her guard, the knight whom she sought had given himself over
+into the care of Duessa (for such was the name of Sansfoy&#8217;s companion),
+by whom he was led to the gates of a splendid palace. The broad road up
+to it was worn by the feet of hosts of travellers; but though many
+peeped through the doors few returned. As the knight stood aside and
+watched, all manner of strange people passed before him, though none
+spoke. At length a man, but newly issued from the palace, and bearing a
+shield with the words &#8216;Sans joy&#8217; written across it, stopped suddenly in
+front of the knight&#8217;s page, then snatched from his arm a shield like his
+own, bearing the name &#8216;Sansfoy.&#8217; The page, overcome by the quickness of
+the action, did not resist, but a blow on the helmet from the Red Cross
+Knight made Sansjoy stagger where he stood.</p>
+
+<p>The fight was fierce, and no one could tell with whom the victory lay
+till the queen of that place came by, and bade them cease their
+brawling, for on the morrow they should meet in the lists.</p>
+
+<p>But the battle next day went against the Paynim, in spite of the
+presence of the queen and the counsel of the false Duessa. Short would
+have been his shrift had not thick darkness fallen about him, and when
+the Red Cross Knight cried to him to begin the fray afresh, only silence
+answered him.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span>Then the false Duessa, ever wont to take the side of him who wins,
+hurried up to him, and whispered, as she had whispered to Sansjoy, &#8216;The
+conquest yours, I yours, the shield and glory yours;&#8217; but the knight did
+not heed her, for his eye was ever bent on the wall of thick darkness
+which shut in his foe. Indeed, so busy were his thoughts that he never
+knew that blood was streaming from his wounds, till the queen ordered
+him to be carried into the palace, and ointments to be laid on his body.</p>
+
+<p>As was her custom, Duessa talked much and loudly of the care she would
+give him, and of his speedy cure under her hands; but when night fell
+she stole forth and came to the spot where Sansjoy lay, still covered
+with the enchanted cloud. Then, in an iron chariot, borrowed from the
+Queen of Darkness, she drove him down to the underworld, and across the
+river which divides the kingdom of the living from that of the dead.
+Here giving him into the hands of the oldest and greatest of physicians,
+she went her way to the bedside of the Red Cross Knight.</p>
+
+<p>But for all that concerned that knight she might well have stayed in the
+kingdom of darkness; for in her absence the dwarf, wandering through the
+palace, had come upon a dungeon full of wretched captives, who filled
+the air with their wailings.</p>
+
+<p>Filled with fear, the dwarf hastened back to his master and prayed him
+to flee that place before the sun rose. Which the young knight gladly
+did, creeping away through a secret postern, though it was hard to find
+a footing amidst the corpses piled up on all sides, which had come to a
+bad end by reason of their own folly.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 287px;">
+<a name="illus_page_107" id="illus_page_107"></a><a href="images/p107-full.png"><img src="images/p107.png" width="287" height="436" alt="A girl with two other girls kneeling at her feet, surrounded by fauns and other creatures" title="UNA SAVED BY THE WOOD-FOLK" /></a>
+<span class="caption">UNA SAVED BY THE WOOD-FOLK</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>And what had become of Una when she had fallen into the power of
+Sansloy? Well, trembling she had followed him into the midst of a
+forest, where, to her wonder, from every bush sprang a host of fauns and
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108"><br />[108]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109"><br /><br />[109]</a></span>people of the wood, and ran towards her. When the Saracen beheld
+them, he was so distraught with fear that he galloped right away,
+leaving Una behind him. But she, not knowing what to fear the most,
+stood shaking with dread, till the wood folk pressed around her, and,
+kneeling on the ground stroked lovingly her hands and feet. Then she
+understood that she was safe amongst them, and let them lead her where
+they would, and smiled at their songs and merry dances. If she could not
+be with the Red Cross Knight, then it mattered little where she was, and
+it gave her a feeling of rest and safety to lie hidden among the woods,
+with a people who would let nothing harmful come near her.</p>
+
+<p>So she stayed with them long, and taught them many things, while they in
+their turn showed her how to play on their pipes and to dance the
+prettiest and most graceful of their dances.</p>
+
+<p>Time passed in this wise, when one day it chanced that a noble knight,
+Satyrane by name, came to seek his kindred among the woodfolk. He
+wondered greatly to find so lovely a maid among them, and still more to
+see how eagerly they listened to her teachings, and henceforth he formed
+part of the throng that sat at her feet when the heat of the day was
+over.</p>
+
+<p>In this manner Una and the knight Satyrane soon became friends, and at
+length one day she poured out all her sad tale, and besought his help in
+her search for the Red Cross Knight. It was not easy to escape from the
+kind people who always thronged about her, and her heart was sore at the
+thought of leaving them, but she felt that for her captive parents&#8217;
+sake, as well as for the knight&#8217;s, she could delay no longer.</p>
+
+<p>Therefore one morning, when the wood folk had gone to hold a feast in
+the forest, she rode away in company with Satyrane, and issuing from the
+forest soon reached the open plain. Towards evening they met a weary
+pilgrim, whose clothes were worn and soiled, and so true a <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span>pilgrim did
+he look, that Una did not know him to be the wizard Archimago. The
+knight instantly drew rein, and asked what tidings he could impart, and
+Una begged with faltering voice that he would tell her aught concerning
+a knight whose armour bore a red cross.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Alas! dear dame,&#8217; answered he slowly, &#8216;these eyes did see that knight,
+both living and eke dead;&#8217; and with that he told her all his story.</p>
+
+<p>When he had finished, it was Satyrane who spoke.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Where is that Paynim&#8217;s son, that him of life, and us of joy hath reft?&#8217;
+And the pilgrim made answer that he was hard by, washing his wounds at a
+fountain.</p>
+
+<p>Satyrane wasted no more words, but went right straight to the fountain,
+where he found Sansloy, whom he challenged instantly to fight. Sansloy
+hastily buckled on his armour, and cried that, though he had not slain
+the Red Cross Knight, he hoped to lay his champion in the dust. Then,
+both combatants being ready, the battle began.</p>
+
+<p>The sight was too dreadful for Una to bear, and she galloped away, not
+knowing that her deadliest foe, the wizard Archimago, was following her.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">Meanwhile Duessa had left the splendid palace, and was riding over the
+country in pursuit of the Red Cross Knight, for it was bitter to her to
+see any escape, who had ever been under her thrall. Her good fortune,
+which never seemed to forsake her, before long led her to his side,
+where he lay resting on the banks of a stream, and he greeted her
+gladly.</p>
+
+<p>The sun was hot, and the water rippling clear over the stones seemed
+inviting. The knight was tired, and leaned down to drink, never knowing
+that the stream was enchanted. But in a moment his strength seemed to
+fail, and his arms grew weak as a child&#8217;s, though he felt nothing till a
+horrible bellowing sounded in the wood. At the dreadful sound he started
+up and looked around for <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span>his armour, but before he could reach it a
+hideous giant was upon him.</p>
+
+<p>The fight did not take long, and in a short while the Red Cross Knight
+was a prisoner in the hands of the giant, who, accompanied by the false
+Duessa, carried his captive to a dungeon of his castle. After the door
+was safely locked and barred, the two then retired into the large hall,
+where they ate and made merry.</p>
+
+<p>From that day the giant brought forth his choicest treasures with which
+to deck Duessa. Her robes were purple, and a triple crown of gold was on
+her head, and, what she liked not so well, he gave her a seven-headed
+serpent to ride on.</p>
+
+<p>Now the faithful dwarf had watched the fate of his master, and when he
+saw him borne away senseless by the giant, he took up the armour which
+had been lain aside in the hour of need, and set out he knew not
+whither.</p>
+
+<p>He had gone but a little distance when he met Una, who read at a glance
+the evil tidings he had brought. She fell off her ass in a deadly swoon,
+and the dwarf, whose heart was nigh as sore, rubbed her temples with
+water and strove to bring her back to life. But when she heard the tale
+of all that had befallen the Red Cross Knight since last she had parted
+from him, she would fain have died, till the thought sprang suddenly
+into her mind that perhaps she might still rescue him. So with fresh
+hope she took the road to the giant&#8217;s castle, but the way was far, and
+she was woefully tired before even its towers were in sight. Brave
+though she was, the maiden&#8217;s courage failed her at last, and she began
+to weep afresh, when her eyes happened to light upon a good knight
+riding to meet her. He was clad in armour that shone more than any
+man&#8217;s, and well it might, as it had been welded by the great enchanter
+Merlin. On the crest of his helmet a golden dragon spread his wings: and
+in the centre of his breast-plate <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span>a precious stone shone forth amidst a
+circle of smaller ones, &#8216;like Hesperus among the lesser lights.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>As he drew near, and saw before him a lady in distress, he reined in his
+horse, and with gentle words drew from her all her trouble.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Be of good cheer,&#8217; he said, when the tale was ended, &#8216;and take comfort;
+for never will I forsake you till I have freed your captive knight.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And, though she knew him not, at his promise Una took heart of grace,
+and bade the dwarf lead them to the giant&#8217;s castle.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">Conducted by the dwarf and followed by the squire, the knight and lady
+soon reached the castle. Bidding Una to await him outside, and calling
+to his squire to come with him, they both walked up to the gates, which
+were fast shut, though no man was guarding them.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Blow your horn,&#8217; said the knight, and the squire blew a blast. At the
+sound, the gates flew open, and the giant came foaming from his chamber
+to see what insolent thief had dared disturb his peace.</p>
+
+<p>And the giant did not come alone. Close after him rode Duessa, &#8216;high
+mounted on her many-headed beast&#8217;; and at this sight the knight raised
+his shield and eagerly began the attack.</p>
+
+<p>But, horrible though the serpent was, he was not the sole foe that the
+knight had to fight with. The giant&#8217;s only weapon was his club, but that
+was as thick as a man&#8217;s body, and studded with iron points besides.
+Luckily for the knight, this was not the first giant to whom he had
+given battle, and ere the mighty blow could fall he sprang lightly to
+one side, and the club lay buried so deep in the ground that before the
+giant could draw it out again, his left arm was smitten off by the
+knight&#8217;s sword.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 503px;">
+<a name="illus_page_113" id="illus_page_113"></a><a href="images/p113-full.png"><img src="images/p113.png" width="503" height="305" alt="A knight about to fight a seven-headed serpent" title="ARTHUR FIGHTS THE SEVEN-HEADED SERPENT" /></a>
+<span class="caption">ARTHUR FIGHTS THE SEVEN-HEADED SERPENT</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>The giant's roars of pain might have been heard in <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114"><br />[114]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115"><br /><br />[115]</a></span>the uttermost parts
+of the kingdom, and Duessa quickly guided her baleful beast to the help
+of her wounded friend. But her way was barred by the squire, who, sword
+in hand, &#8216;stood like a bulwark&#8217; between his lord and the serpent.
+Duessa, full of wrath at being foiled, turned the serpent on him, but
+not one foot would the squire move till, beside herself with anger, the
+witch drew out her cup and sprinkled him with the poisonous water. Then
+the strength went out of his arms and the courage from his heart, and he
+sank helpless on the ground before the snake, who fain would have
+trampled the life out of him, and it would have fared ill with him had
+not the knight rushed swiftly to his rescue, and dealt the snake such a
+wound that the garments of Duessa were all soaked in blood. She shrieked
+to the giant that she would be lost if he did not come to her aid, and
+the giant, whose one arm seemed to have gained the strength of two,
+struck the knight such a blow on the helmet that he sank heavily on the
+ground.</p>
+
+<p>The giant raised a shout of joy, but he triumphed too soon. The knight,
+in falling, caught the covering of his shield upon his spear, and rent
+it from top to toe. The brilliance that flowed from it burnt into the
+eyes of the giant, so that he was &#8216;blinded by excess of light,&#8217; and sank
+sightless on the ground. At a fresh cry from Duessa he struggled to his
+feet, but all in vain. He had no power to hurt nor to defend, and fell
+back so heavily that the very earth shook beneath him, and was an easy
+prey for his foe, who smote his head from his body.</p>
+
+<p>Duessa, as we know, never stayed with those with whom the world went
+ill, and she was stealing away quietly, when once more the squire
+stopped her.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You are captive to my lord,&#8217; he said, and, holding her firmly, led her
+back.</p>
+
+<p>Then Una came running full of grateful words, but when she saw Duessa a
+cloud of fierce wrath passed over her face.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span>&#8216;Beware lest that wicked woman escape,&#8217; cried she, &#8216;for she it is who
+has worked all this ill, and thrown my dearest lord into the dungeon.
+Oh, hear how piteously he calls to you for aid!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I give her into your keeping,&#8217; answered the knight, turning to the
+squire, &#8216;and beware of her wiles, for they are many;&#8217; and, leaving the
+rest behind him, he strode into the castle, meeting no man as he went.</p>
+
+<p>At last there crept forth from one corner an old, old man with a huge
+bunch of rusty keys hanging from his arm. The knight asked him in gentle
+speech whence had gone all the people who dwelt in the castle, but he
+answered only that he could not tell, till the knight waxed impatient,
+and took the keys from him.</p>
+
+<p>The doors of all the rooms opened easily enough, and inside he found the
+strangest medley. Everywhere blood lay thick upon the floors, while the
+walls were covered with cloth of gold and splendid tapestry. No signs
+were there of any living creature, yet he knew that in some hiding-place
+in the castle the captive lay concealed.</p>
+
+<p>The knight had come to the last door of all. It was of iron, and no key
+on the bunch would open it. On one side was a little grating, and
+through it he called loudly, lest perchance any man might hear his
+voice.</p>
+
+<p>At that there answered him a hollow empty sound, and for a while he
+could not make out any words. Then from out the wailing in the darkness
+something spoke:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Oh, who is that which brings me happy choice of death? Three moons have
+waxed and waned since I beheld the face of heaven? Oh, welcome, welcome
+art thou who hast come to end my weary life!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>The moaning sound of the voice thrilled the brave champion with horror.
+Putting his shoulder to the iron door, he gave a mighty heave, and the
+hinges gave way. Nothing could he see, for the darkness was terrible,
+and his foot, which he stretched cautiously inward, touched <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span>no floor.
+And, besides, the foul smells rushed out, poisoning him with their
+fumes.</p>
+
+<p>But when he had grown in some measure used to the darkness and the
+odours, he began to think how he could best deliver the Red Cross Knight
+from the pit into which he had fallen. To this end he sought through the
+castle till he found some lengths of rope, which he carried back with
+him, as he did not know how deep the pit might be. He knotted three or
+four together and let the rope down, but even when a faint cry from the
+captive told him that it had reached the bottom, his labours were not
+ended yet. Twice the knots gave way, by good fortune, before the man was
+more than a foot or two from the ground, and other pieces of rope had to
+be fetched. Then, when all was made fast, the prisoner had grown so weak
+that he could scarce draw himself up; and again the knight feared
+greatly lest he himself should not have strength to hold fast the rope.
+But at length his courage and patience prevailed, and the Red Cross
+Knight, hollow-eyed, and thin as a skeleton, looked once more upon the
+sun.</p>
+
+<p>His parents might have gazed on him and not known him for their child,
+but Una&#8217;s heart leapt when the unknown knight brought him to her.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Welcome,&#8217; she said, &#8216;welcome in weal or woe. Your presence I have
+lacked for many a day,&#8217; and fain would she have heard the tale of his
+sufferings, had not the knight, who knew that men love not to speak of
+their sorrows, begged her to tend the captive carefully, so that his
+forces might come to him again. Further, he bade them remember that they
+had in their power the woman who had been the cause of all their grief,
+and the time had come to give sentence on her.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I cannot slay her, now she is mine to slay,&#8217; answered Una, &#8216;but strip
+her robe of scarlet from off her, and let her go whither she will.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>With her robes and her jewels went all the magic <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span>arts that gave her
+youth and beauty. Instead of the dazzling maiden who had wrought so much
+havoc in the world, there stood before them an old bald-headed shaking
+crone, that seemed as ancient as the earth itself. Silently they gazed,
+then turned away in horror, while Duessa wandered into paths of which
+she alone knew the ending.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">It was not until they had rested themselves awhile in the castle that
+the stranger knight told who he was and why he came there. He was, he
+said, Arthur, the ward of Merlin, and had ridden far and long in quest
+of the Faerie Queen. And having fulfilled his vow to Una, in delivering
+the Red Cross Knight out of the power of the giant, he bade both
+farewell, leaving behind him, as a remembrance of their friendship a
+diamond box containing a precious ointment, which would cure any wound,
+however deep or poisonous.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">So they parted, but not yet was the Red Cross Knight able to face the
+monstrous dragon who held captive Una&#8217;s royal parents. For some weeks
+therefore he rested in the castle till his strength came back, then once
+more he and Una rode forth side by side.</p>
+
+<p>They had not gone far when they beheld an armed knight galloping fast
+towards them, and as he went ever glancing over his shoulder as if
+fearful of some dread thing behind. His matted hair streamed in the wind
+and the fingers which grasped the reins were like the claws of an eagle.
+Stranger than all, round his neck was tied a hempen rope. &#8216;He seems to
+be afraid of himself,&#8217; thought the Red Cross Knight as he checked his
+horse to offer help to the flying man before him.</p>
+
+<p>At first it seemed as if his words fell on dumb ears, but patiently he
+repeated them over and over again, and at length an answer came from
+the shaking figure:</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span>&#8216;For God&#8217;s sake, Sir Knight, do not, I pray you, stay me, for look, HE
+comes, HE comes fast after me;&#8217; and as he spoke he urged on his horse
+afresh. But the Red Cross Knight caught his bridle and bade him fear
+nothing, as he was safe with him, and to tell him why such awful fear
+possessed his soul.</p>
+
+<p>At last the stricken man poured forth his tale, and the Red Cross Knight
+learned that once he was happy and free, like other men, till on an
+ill-starred day he and a friend had fallen in with a cursed wight who
+called himself &#8216;Despair,&#8217; who had plucked all hope from their breasts,
+and bade them seek death, the one with a rope, the other with a knife.
+His friend, whose love had been disdained by a proud lady, fell an easy
+prey to the persuasions of the giant, and it was the sight of his corpse
+lying weltering in his blood that drove this man to ride away while yet
+the rope hung loose. &#8216;O sir,&#8217; he added when the sad tale was told&mdash;&#8216;O
+sir, be warned by me, and never let yourself stray into his presence!
+His subtle tongue, like dropping honey, melts into the heart, and ere
+one be aware, his power is gone and weakness doth remain.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>But the Red Cross Knight made answer that he would never rest till he
+had seen with his own eyes that baleful being, and begged the stranger,
+whose name was Trevisan, to guide him hither.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I will ride back with you, as you ask it of me,&#8217; said Sir Trevisan
+<a name="corr3" id="corr3"></a>unwillingly, &#8216;but not for all the gold in the world will I stay with you
+when you reach his cave, for sooner would I die than see his deadly
+face!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Ride on, then, and I will follow,&#8217; answered the Red Cross Knight.</p>
+
+<p>The cave lay in the side of a cliff, and was dark and gloomy as a tomb.
+The only sounds they heard were the hooting of an owl and the wails and
+howls of wandering ghosts; the only sights were the corpses of men
+hanging on trees or lying stark upon the ground.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span> Sir Trevisan turned
+his horse&#8217;s head and would fain have fled, but the Red Cross Knight
+stopped him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You are safe with me,&#8217; he said confidently, and the other, who was ever
+weak of will, waited.</p>
+
+<p>They entered the cave, and found the doer of all that evil seated on the
+floor, his eyes as the eyes of a dead man, and his body well nigh as
+much a skeleton as any of his victims. On the grass beneath him lay a
+body that was still warm, and in its bleeding wound a rusty knife still
+stood. The sight stirred the blood in the knight&#8217;s veins, and he
+challenged the murderer to fight where he stood.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Are you distraught, you foolish man,&#8217; was all his answer, &#8216;that you
+should talk in this wild way? It was his own guilt which drove him to
+his end. He loathed his life, why should he then prolong it? Is it not
+the part of a friend to free his feet when they stick fast in the mud,
+and to point to the door that leads to rest, even if some little pain
+must be suffered in the passage? Is not short pain well borne that
+brings long ease&mdash;sleep after toil, port after stormy seas?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>The Red Cross Knight listened wonderingly. Then he answered:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;The soldier may not cease to watch nor leave his stand until his
+captain bid.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>But the cursed wight replied boldly, &#8216;The longer life, I wot, the
+greater sin. The greater sin, the greater punishment. Therefore, I pray
+you go no further, but lie down and betake you to your rest. A longer
+life means old age and sickness, and every kind of sorrow. So lay it
+down while things are yet well with you.&#8217;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 302px;">
+<a name="illus_page_121" id="illus_page_121"></a><a href="images/p121-full.png"><img src="images/p121.png" width="302" height="480" alt="A knight and maiden entering a cave, in front of them is a kneeling man holding a rope in front of a brzaier" title="IN THE CAVE OF DESPAIR" /></a>
+<span class="caption">IN THE CAVE OF DESPAIR</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>In spite of Sir Trevisan&#8217;s warning, the fair-sounding words found an
+echo in the heart of the Red Cross Knight, as they had done in the
+hearts of many men before him. The miscreant saw that his courage was
+wavering, and forthwith he brought forth a store of swords, ropes,
+poisons, and a brazier of fire, and bade <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122"><br />[122]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123"><br /><br />[123]</a></span>him choose what manner of
+death he would prefer. The knight gazed at them all, like one who walks
+in sleep, but touched none of them, and the miscreant, beholding this,
+chose out a dagger bright and new, and thrust it in his shaking hand.
+The young man looked at it, his face reddened and then grew pale again,
+and slowly, as if against his will, he lifted the dagger.</p>
+
+<p>A shriek from Una, who had only just reached the cave, caused him to
+drop his arm again, and in an instant she had snatched it from his limp
+fingers, and had flung it on the ground.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Come away, come away,&#8217; she cried, &#8216;let no vain words bewitch you! What
+have you to do with despair, after all the brave deeds you have done?
+Arise, Sir knight, arise and leave this cursed place. Have you forgotten
+that other work awaits you?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>The voice of Una broke the spell which had possessed him. Once more his
+eye grew bright and his arm strong. He mounted his horse and rode away
+by Una&#8217;s side without ever looking behind him. If he had, he would have
+seen that the miscreant had placed a rope round his own neck, and hanged
+himself on a tree. But even so he could not die; the death to which he
+drove others remained far from him.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">The ease with which the Red Cross Knight had been mastered by the wily
+talk of the gloomy miscreant in the cave showed Una that his mind, if
+not his body, was still weak from his long imprisonment in the dungeon.
+She saw that before he could fight the dragon who had carried off her
+parents he needed yet more repose, and luckily she knew of a house not
+far off where they would be made welcome for as long as they chose to
+stay. Hither they fared, and for many weeks the knight&#8217;s armour was laid
+away, and the ladies who dwelt in that place gave him all the strength
+and counsel that they could think of. Then, when at last <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span>he had become
+what he had been of yore, Una bade farewell to her hosts with great
+thanks, and set out for the royal castle. After three days the walls of
+a high tower might be seen dimly across the plain.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It is there that my parents are kept imprisoned by the dragon,&#8217; said
+Una, pointing to it with her hand, &#8216;and I see the watchman watching for
+good tidings, if haply such there be. Ah, he has waited long!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>As she spoke, a roaring hideous sound was heard that seemed to shake the
+ground and to fill all the air with terror. Turning their heads, they
+beheld on their right a huge dragon, lying stretched upon the sunny side
+of a great hill, himself like a great hill. But no sooner did he see the
+shining armour of the knight than he roused himself and made ready for
+battle.</p>
+
+<p>Hastily the Red Cross Knight bade Una withdraw herself to another hill,
+from which she could see the fight without herself being in danger.
+Crouching behind a rock, she watched the dreadful beast approaching,
+half flying and half walking as he went. Run he could not, his size was
+too vast.</p>
+
+<p>Her heart sank as she looked, for how could mortal man get the better of
+such a creature! Besides the brazen scales which thickly covered his
+body, his wings were like two sails, and at the tip of each huge feather
+was a many-pronged claw; while his back was hidden with the folds of his
+tail, which lay doubled in a hundred coils, and in his mouth were three
+rows of sharp-pointed teeth. Una could look no more; she shut her eyes
+and waited.</p>
+
+<p>The knight felt that if he was to win the victory at all it must be by
+means of his lightness of foot, as the monster was so large he could not
+turn himself about quickly. So, getting a little behind his head, he
+tried to pierce his neck between the scaly plates, but the spear glanced
+off harmlessly, and a stroke from the tip of the tail laid both him and
+his horse on the ground.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 505px;">
+<a name="plate_facing_124" id="plate_facing_124"></a><a href="images/f124-full.jpg"><img src="images/f124.jpg" width="505" height="297" alt="A knight and maiden standing in front of the dead dragon" title="THE END OF THE DRAGON" /></a>
+<span class="caption">THE END OF THE DRAGON</span>
+</div>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span>They rose again instantly, and returned to the charge, but a second blow
+met with no better fate. Then the dragon in wrath spread wide his sails
+and rose heavily above the earth, till, suddenly and swiftly darting
+down his head, he snatched both horse and man off the ground. But here
+the knight had the advantage, for with his spear he stung the beast so
+sore that the monster speedily set his captives again on the earth.</p>
+
+<p>Not giving the dragon time to gather himself up, the knight dealt him a
+blow under the left wing. With a roar of agony, the beast snapped the
+spear asunder with his claws, and pulled out the head. At that a sea of
+blood gushed from the wound which would have turned a water-mill, and in
+his pain and rage flames of fire gushed from his mouth.</p>
+
+<p>Unwinding his tail from his back, he coiled it like lightning about the
+legs of the horse, which fell to the ground with his rider. But in an
+instant the knight was on his feet, and by the mere force of his blows
+forced his enemy to reel, though the brazen scales were still unpierced.
+Though his courage was as great as ever, the young man began to lose
+patience, when of a sudden he noticed that the monster could no longer
+rise into the air by reason of his wounded wing. That sight gave him
+heart, and he drew near once more, only to be scorched by the deadly
+fire from the dragon&#8217;s jaws. Half blinded and suffocated, he staggered,
+which the dragon seeing, he dealt the knight such a blow that he fell
+backwards into a well that lay behind.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">&#8216;So that is the end of him,&#8217; said the dragon to himself; but, if he had
+only known, it was the beginning, for the well into which the knight had
+fallen was the well of life, which could cure all hurts and heal all
+wounds.</p>
+
+<p>All night Una watched at her post, for darkness had come before the
+knight received his final blow. In the morning, before the sun had risen
+above the plain, she <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span>was looking for the knight, who was lying she knew
+not where. Her eyes dropping by chance on the well, she was sore amazed
+to see him rise out of it fairer and mightier than before. With a rush
+he fell upon the dragon, who had gone to sleep, safe in the knowledge of
+his victory, and, taking his sword in both hands, he drove right through
+the brazen scales, and wounded him deep in his skull. In vain did the
+monster roar and struggle; the blows rained thick and fast, and most of
+his tail was cut from his body.</p>
+
+<p>Again and again the knight was overthrown, and again and again he rose
+to his feet, and laid about him as valiantly as ever. But while the
+fight was still hanging in the balance, the dragon thrust his head
+forward with wide-open jaws, thinking to swallow his enemy and make an
+end of him. Quick as thought the knight sprang aside, and, thrusting his
+sword in the yawning gulf up to the hilt, gave the dragon his
+death-blow.</p>
+
+<p>Down he fell, fire and smoke gushing from his nostrils&mdash;down he fell,
+and men thought some mighty mountain must have cast up rocks on the
+earth.</p>
+
+<p>The victor himself trembled, and it was long ere Una dared draw near,
+dreading lest the direful fiend should stir. But when at last she knew
+him dead, she came joyfully forth, and, bursting into happy tears,
+faltered her gratitude for the good he had wrought her.</p>
+
+<p>There is little more to be told of Una and the Red Cross knight.</p>
+
+<p>The watchman on the wall, who had seen the dreadful battle, was the
+first to tell the king and queen that the dragon was dead and that they
+were free. Then the king commanded the trumpets to sound and the people
+to assemble, so that fitting rejoicings might be made at the destruction
+of their foe.</p>
+
+<p>This being done, a mighty procession came down, headed by the king and
+queen, to lay laurel boughs at the feet of the victor, and to set a
+garland of bay on the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</a></span>head of the maiden. Once more Duessa and
+Archimago sought to prevent the betrothal of the Red Cross Knight and
+Una by a plot to send the wizard in the guise of a messenger,
+proclaiming the knight to have been already bound to the daughter of the
+emperor, but the false tale was easily seen through, and Archimago
+thrown into a dungeon.</p>
+
+<p>After that the king himself performed the marriage rite, and a solemn
+feast was held through the land, but the wedded pair were not long left
+together. A vow the knight had made when he received his spurs to do the
+Faerie Queen six years of service called him from Una&#8217;s side, and, sad
+though the parting might be, both held their word too high ever to break
+it.</p>
+
+<p class="titlepage">[From <i>The Faerie Queene</i>.]</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="AMYS_AND_AMYLE" id="AMYS_AND_AMYLE"></a><i>AMYS AND AMYLE</i></h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">Some</span> time in the Middle Ages there lived in the Duchy of Lombardy,
+which, as everybody knows, is part of Italy, two knights, who loved each
+other like brothers. And, what is more to be wondered at, their wives
+were the best friends in the world. To complete the happiness of the two
+couples, two little boys were born to them on the same day, and they
+were given the names of Amys and Amyle.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">Now it generally happens that when parents are very anxious for their
+children to be friends, because they are the same age, or neighbours, or
+for some equally good reason, the young people make up their minds to
+hate each other. However, Amys and Amyle did not disappoint their
+fathers and mothers in this way. From the moment they could walk they
+were never seen apart; if they ever <i>did</i> quarrel no one ever heard of
+it; and by the time they were twelve years old they had grown so like
+each other that even their parents could hardly tell the difference
+between them. Indeed, the likeness between them is supposed to have
+given rise to the proverb, &#8216;A miss is as good as a mile.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>It was in that year that the duke, their liege lord, bade all his
+vassals to a great festival to be held in his castle, and many of them
+took their sons with them, to show them some of the customs of chivalry.
+Amys and Amyle went with the rest, and endless were the mistakes made
+about them. The boys themselves, who were <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span>merry little fellows,
+delighted in increasing the confusion, and played so many pranks that
+the duke declared that they must remain at the court with him, as his
+life would be too dull without them.</p>
+
+<p>Perhaps the knights thought that their homes would be dull too, but, if
+so, they did not dare say so; only their wives noticed, as they entered
+the castle gates, that their heads were bowed, as if some ill had
+befallen them.</p>
+
+<p>At first the boys felt unhappy and lonely in this strange new world, and
+clung to each other more closely than ever, but, after a little, they
+got used to the change, and learned eagerly how to shoot at a mark and
+tilt at a ring, or to sing sweet love-songs to the sound of a lute.</p>
+
+<p>So the years passed away till Amys and Amyle were eighteen years old,
+and thought themselves men, and were ready to cross lances with the
+bravest. The first step they took towards proving to the world that no
+tie of blood could bind them closer than the love they bore one to
+another, was to swear the oaths which made them brothers in arms, and
+obliged them to fight in each other&#8217;s quarrels, avenge each other&#8217;s
+wrongs&mdash;even to sacrifice what the other held most dear in the service
+of his friend. Marriage itself was not more sacred.</p>
+
+<p>All this time the duke had been too busy with his own affairs to have
+the youths much in his company, though he took care that they had the
+best chances of learning everything that they ought to know. When,
+however, he heard that Amys and Amyle had sworn the solemn oaths that
+made them brothers in arms, he ordered a tournament to be held in their
+honour, and, when it was over, knighted them on the field. He further
+declared that henceforth Sir Amys should be his chief butler and Sir
+Amyle his head steward over his household, thus the steward whom Amyle
+displaced became their deadly enemy.</p>
+
+<p>Although the young men knew a great deal about <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span>hunting, and wrestling,
+and other such sports, they had no idea what the duties of a butler and
+a steward might be. But what they <i>did</i> know was that they would have to
+be very careful, for the eyes of the old steward were watching eagerly
+to report any mistakes to the duke their master. Luckily for them, they
+were favourites with everyone, and if now and then they forgot their
+work, or slipped away for a day&#8217;s hunting, well! the task was done by
+somebody, and not even the old steward could find out by whom.</p>
+
+<p>Everything seemed going smoothly, and the new-made knights were in
+danger of being spoilt by the favour of the ladies of the court, when a
+sudden stop was put to all their pleasures. One day a man-at-arms riding
+a jaded horse appeared at the palace gateway, and demanded to be led
+into the presence of the good knight Sir Amyle.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Oh, my lord,&#8217; said he, and knew not that it was Amys before whom he was
+kneeling, &#8216;it is grievous news that I bear unto you. Your father and
+mother, that noble knight and his lady, died of a pestilence but seven
+days agone, and none save you can take their place. Therefore am I sent
+unto you.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;<i>My</i> father and mother?&#8217; cried Amys, staggering back.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Yes, my lord, yours,&#8217; answered the man. &#8216;At least&mdash;&mdash;&#8217; he stammered, as
+Sir Amyle came and stood by his friend, &#8216;I know not if indeed it may be
+yours. It is long years since I have seen you, and this knight and you
+have but one face. But it is Sir Amyle with whom I would speak.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Then Amys laid his hand on his brother&#8217;s shoulder.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Be comforted,&#8217; he said softly. &#8216;Am I not with thee? and, though I
+cannot go with thee now, I will follow thee shortly unless thou quickly
+return to me.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Early next morning Amyle started with a heavy heart for the home which
+he had left six years before; <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span>but before his departure he had caused to
+be made two cups of gold, delicately wrought with figures of birds and
+beasts, such as he and Amys had often chased in the forests and lakes of
+Lombardy. The cups were no more to be told from each other than were
+Amys and Amyle themselves, and Amyle placed them in the pockets of his
+saddle till the moment came for him to part from Sir Amys, who had
+ridden with him as far as he might. Then, drawing out one of the cups,
+Amyle placed it in his friend&#8217;s hands.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Farewell, my brother,&#8217; he said. &#8216;Be true to me as I will be true to
+you, according to the oath which we sware, that as long as we both shall
+live nothing and nobody shall stand between me and thee.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And Sir Amys repeated the words of his oath, then slowly turned his
+horse&#8217;s head towards the castle.</p>
+
+<p>Seven days&#8217; hard riding brought Sir Amyle back to his native place, and
+for many months he had much to do in setting aside the pretenders who
+had sprung up to claim his father&#8217;s lands. When at last peace was
+restored and the false traitors had been thrown into prison, a petition
+on the part of his vassals to take a wife and settle down amongst them,
+turned his thoughts in other directions.</p>
+
+<p>It was the custom of the country that the ruler of those lands should
+choose his wife from the most beautiful maidens in the Duchy of
+Lombardy, no matter what might be their degree. So a herald was sent
+forth to proclaim that any damsel who wished to fill this high place was
+to present herself in the courtyard of the palace on the morning
+following the next new moon, where the chamberlain would receive her.
+Oh, what a fluttering of hearts there was in the towns and villages, as
+the herald, with his silver trumpet and his satin coat of red and
+yellow, covered with figures of strange beasts, passed up and down the
+streets! How the girls all ran to their mirrors, and turned themselves
+this way and that to see if there could possibly be a chance for them!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[132]</a></span>
+Perhaps it was the fault of the headdress they wore that their faces
+seemed so long and their noses so big, or surely something was wrong
+with the glass that their cheeks looked so yellow! But even when it was
+proved beyond a doubt that neither headdress nor mirror was to blame in
+the matter, there were enough lovely maidens and to spare in the
+courtyard of the castle on the day following the new moon.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 285px;">
+<a name="illus_page_132" id="illus_page_132"></a><a href="images/p132-full.png"><img src="images/p132.png" width="285" height="320" alt="Two knights on horseback, one passing a cup to the other" title="THE TWO CUPS" /></a>
+<span class="caption">THE TWO CUPS</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>&#8216;He is certain to choose <i>you</i>,&#8217; said one, who in her <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</a></span>secret heart
+thought it was impossible that <i>she</i> should be passed over.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Oh no; fair men&#8217;s eyes alway rest upon dark women,&#8217; answered the girl,
+whose locks were brighter than the sun, though while she spoke she was
+really thinking that no one could bear comparison with her. And then all
+grew silent, for there was heard a blast of trumpets announcing that Sir
+Amyle was at hand.</p>
+
+<p>The young knight had donned for this occasion a close-fitting coat of
+silver cloth, while a short blue velvet mantle hung from his shoulders.
+He walked slowly down the ranks of the maidens, watching each carefully,
+and noting the way in which she received his gaze. Some looked down and
+blushed; some looked up and smiled, but one there was who did neither,
+only stood calm and pale as the young man drew near.</p>
+
+<p>She was a tall girl with dark hair and soft grey eyes, and the
+chamberlain had doubted long, before he told her father that she might
+take her stand with the rest. None would have chosen her as Queen of a
+Tourney, or bidden her preside over a Court of Love, yet there was that
+in her face which had caused Amyle to pause before her and to hold out
+his hand.</p>
+
+<p>So they were married, and by the side of his wife Sir Amyle for a while
+forgot his brother.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile Sir Amys dwelt sorrowfully at the court, defending himself as
+best he might against the wiles of the black-hearted steward, who now
+received him with smiles and fair words. Nay, he even desired that they
+should become brothers at arms, but to this Sir Amys replied that,
+having made oath to one brother at arms, the rules of chivalry did not
+allow him to take another.</p>
+
+<p>At these words the steward threw off the mask with which he had sought
+to beguile Sir Amys.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You will have cause to rue this day,&#8217; roared he, nearly choking in his
+wrath; &#8216;you dog, you white-<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</a></span>livered cur!&#8217; but Amys only smiled, and bade
+him do his worst.</p>
+
+<p>By this time the duke&#8217;s only daughter, Belisante, had reached the age of
+fifteen, and on her birthday her father proclaimed a great tournament,
+which was to last for fourteen days. Knights from far and near flocked
+to break a lance in honour of the fair damsel, but, though many doughty
+deeds were done, the prize fell to Sir Amys. When he came up to receive
+the golden circlet from the hands of the duchess&mdash;for the duke held his
+daughter to be of too tender years to be queen of the tourney&mdash;Belisante
+looked earnestly at the knight whose praises had rung in her ears ever
+since her childhood. It was almost the first time her eyes had beheld
+him, for she had lived in one of her father&#8217;s distant castles, and had
+seldom visited the court.</p>
+
+<p>Now we all know full well that whenever we form to ourselves the picture
+of a man or woman of whom great things are said, woeful is in general
+the disappointment. But even in that assembly Sir Amys was taller and
+stronger and fairer to look upon than the rest.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;He shall be my knight,&#8217; said Belisante to herself, never dreaming that
+any man alive could pass her by. But Sir Amys&#8217; thoughts dwelt not upon
+women, and he hardly so much as marked her where she sat.</p>
+
+<p>This slight was more than the spoiled damsel could bear. She fell sick
+with love and anger, and for many days lay in bed, pondering how she
+should win the love of Sir Amys.</p>
+
+<p>A full week went by, and still she had never had speech of him&mdash;nor had
+even so much as caught sight of him as he followed her father to the
+chase. But one morning her lady brought her word&mdash;for indeed she had
+guessed something of her mistress&#8217;s heart&mdash;that Sir Amys had so wearied
+himself in pursuit of a boar the previous evening that he had let his
+lord ride forth alone. So Belisante bade her maiden bring her kirtle of
+green silk, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</a></span>and clasp it with her golden belt set with precious
+stones, and place a veil of shining white upon her hair; then seeking
+her mother they went down into the garden together.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 284px;">
+<a name="plate_facing_134" id="plate_facing_134"></a><a href="images/f134-full.jpg"><img src="images/f134.jpg" width="284" height="468" alt="A woman leaning on a flowering fruit tree, looking down on the man seated on the ground in front of her" title="Softly she rose to her feet and stole out of the wood" /></a>
+<span class="caption">Softly she rose to her feet and stole out of the wood</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>It was not long before her quick-glancing eyes beheld Sir Amys lying
+under a tree by the side of a stream, but in her guile she took no heed
+of him, but turned away and entered a little wood.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I can sleep now,&#8217; she said, stretching herself on a bank of soft moss.
+&#8216;Listen to the birds, how sweetly they sing! Methinks I hear the voice
+of the nightingale, for the trees make such darkness that he knows not
+night from day.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Let us leave her,&#8217; answered her mother, and signing to her ladies they
+all returned to the castle.</p>
+
+<p>For a moment Belisante lay still, feigning to sleep; then she raised
+herself on her arm and looked about her. Nothing was to be seen save the
+green darkness about her, nothing was to be heard save the songs of the
+birds. Softly she rose to her feet, and stole out of the wood to the
+orchard where Sir Amys was resting, thinking, though she guessed it not,
+of his brother in arms Amyle.</p>
+
+<p>He sprang to his feet in surprise as Belisante the Fair drew near him;
+but she begged him to sit beside her, and told him how that she had been
+sick of love, and besought him of his grace not to withhold this good
+gift from her. Sir Amys hearkened to her words, not knowing if he had
+heard aright, but, calling his wits to his aid, he answered that she was
+the daughter of a great prince while he was only the son of a poor
+knight, and that marriage between them might never be. This speech so
+wrought upon Belisante that she broke out in such tears and entreaties
+that Sir Amys, to gain time to ponder what best to do, replied that if
+in eight days her mind was still set on him, he would ask her hand in
+marriage.</p>
+
+<p>By ill-luck for both the knight and the maiden, the steward, who had
+been seeking a chance of doing Sir<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[136]</a></span> Amys an ill turn, had seen Belisante
+leave the wood and go in search of Sir Amys. Creeping stealthily up to
+them, he hid himself behind a clump of bushes and heard all that was
+said. Cunningly he made his plan, and on the eighth day he waylaid the
+duke and told him that Sir Amys was about to repay all the kindness
+shown him by a secret marriage with the duke&#8217;s daughter.</p>
+
+<p>Sir Amys was keeping guard that day in the hall of the palace, when,
+sword in hand, his liege lord stood before him charging him with
+beguiling his daughter. In another moment Amys would have fallen dead,
+but behind him was a little room, and into this he stepped, shutting the
+door, so that the sword stuck in the hard wood as it came against it.
+This mischance somewhat cooled the duke&#8217;s anger, and, bidding Sir Amys
+come out and speak with him, he again accused him of having sought to
+steal away his daughter, whom he wished to betrothe to the emperor&#8217;s
+son.</p>
+
+<p>Sir Amys was in sore straits. If he could have borne the penalty alone,
+he would have suffered gladly whatever sentence the duke might have
+passed on him; but this could not be. So, to save Belisante from her
+father&#8217;s wrath, he swore a great oath that there was no truth in that
+tale, and, flinging down his glove, offered to fight any man whom the
+duke should appoint, and prove his innocence on his body. Then the king
+bade his steward pick up Sir Amys&#8217; glove, and fixed a morning, fourteen
+days hence, when the two should meet in single combat.</p>
+
+<p>Still it was not enough that Sir Amys and the steward should agree to
+fight; it was needful also that sureties should be found, and such was
+the steward&#8217;s power at court that all men feared to come forward on
+behalf of Sir Amys. The young man would have fared badly, and indeed
+would at once have been thrown into prison, had not both Belisante and
+her mother offered <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[137]</a></span>themselves as sureties for his presence when the day
+arrived.</p>
+
+<p>But not all the wiles of the fair Belisante could chase the gloom from
+the face of Sir Amys. He never forgot that he had sworn a false oath,
+and it was to no purpose that Belisante reminded him of all the ill
+deeds done by the steward to him and others. &#8216;This time,&#8217; he said sadly,
+&#8216;<i>I</i> have the wrong and <i>he</i> the right, therefore I am afraid to fight,&#8217;
+and no other answer could she wring from him.</p>
+
+<p>Way out of the tangle there seemed none. Fight Sir Amys could not, with
+the weight of a false oath on his soul, yet to run away were to confess
+all, and leave Belisante to bear her father&#8217;s anger alone. Turn his
+thoughts which side he would, escape seemed barred, till the image of
+Sir Amyle flashed across him. &#8216;Fool, why had he not remembered him
+earlier? Luckily there was yet time, and he could ride with full speed
+to his brother&#8217;s castle, and bid him return to take the battle on
+himself.&#8217; With a gladder face than he had known for long, he sought out
+the duchess and her daughter, and told them his plan.</p>
+
+<p>Before the sun rose Sir Amys was in the saddle, and so busy was he with
+all that had befallen him that he pushed on and never drew rein till his
+horse dropped dead under him from sheer weariness. As there was no town
+or house where he might find another, he was forced to proceed on foot.
+But by-and-by he too fell from lack of sleep, and when Sir Amyle was
+returning home through the forest after a day&#8217;s hunting, he discovered
+his brother stretched across the path in the shade of a tree.</p>
+
+<p>Joy at meeting gave new life to Sir Amys, and, sitting up, he told his
+friend all his woes, and how he dare not fight with a false oath on his
+conscience.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Oh! that is easily to be managed,&#8217; cried Sir Amyle, with a great laugh.
+&#8216;Go home to my castle,&#8217; said he,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[138]</a></span> &#8216;and tell my wife that you have sent
+the horse to Sir Amys, at court, as you heard he had sore need of one.
+None will know you from me, no more than they did of old, and, as to my
+wife, it was but now I told her that business called me to the most
+distant parts of my lands, so this very night you can bid her farewell.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Sir Amys did as his brother bade him, and Sir Amyle hastened with all
+speed to the duke&#8217;s palace.</p>
+
+<p>He was only just in time. The hour for the fight had come, and the
+steward had entered the lists, and, looking round in triumph, proclaimed
+to all whom it might concern that his adversary knew himself to be a
+traitor to his lord, and had fled. Therefore, according to all the rules
+of chivalry, a fire should be made, and his sureties burned before all
+the people.</p>
+
+<p>At these dreadful words, the hearts of the king and his wife and
+daughter trembled within them. For the steward had spoken truly, and the
+order for the execution must be given. It was in vain that the men
+worked right slowly; linger as they might, the pile was ready at last,
+and with one despairing glance round, the duchess and her daughter were
+bravely walking up to it, when Sir Amyle hastily pushed his way to the
+duke and demanded that the captives should be instantly set free. Then,
+followed by the duchess and Belisante, he entered the palace to gird
+himself with the armour of Sir Amys.</p>
+
+<p>When his helmet and sword were buckled on him, he prayed them to leave
+him, as he would fain be alone for a short space before he mounted his
+horse. So the two ladies embraced him and left him, wishing him
+God-speed. As the door closed upon them, Sir Amyle held up his sword and
+muttered a prayer before it.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Come weal or woe, I will help my brother,&#8217; he said softly; then
+mounting his horse he rode into the lists, and, kneeling, took the oath
+that he was guiltless of wrong and would prove his innocence on the body
+of his foe.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 293px;">
+<a name="illus_page_139" id="illus_page_139"></a><a href="images/p139-full.png"><img src="images/p139.png" width="293" height="342" alt="Two women walking into a pile of firewood with a knight on horseback behind them and other people looking on" title="SIR AMYLE ARRIVES IN TIME TO SAVE THE LADIES" /></a>
+<span class="caption">SIR AMYLE ARRIVES IN TIME TO SAVE THE LADIES</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>The fight lasted but a short time; the steward&#8217;s <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</a></span>sword was keen, and he
+knew how to use it, and it was not long before he had given Sir Amyle a
+sharp thrust through the shoulder, and the young knight reeled in his
+saddle. The steward uttered a cry of fierce joy, and raised his arm to
+deal a second blow, when Sir Amyle suddenly spurred his horse to one
+side and pierced his enemy to the heart. Then, all bleeding as he was,
+the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</a></span>false Amys cut off the head of the traitor, and gave it to the
+duke, proving to him and to all the court that the right had conquered.
+But hardly had he done so when, faint from loss of blood, he fell
+senseless on the ground, and was carried into the palace, where the
+duke&#8217;s best leeches were called in to attend him. In a few days the
+fever left him, and he was able to receive a visit from the duke
+himself.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;O Amys, my friend, how I have misjudged you!&#8217; cried the duke, falling
+on his knees weeping; &#8216;but I will let my people know that you were
+always true, and you shall marry my daughter as soon as you can stand
+upon your feet, and I will hold a feast, and proclaim you heir to my
+duchy.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And the wounded man gave him thanks and grace, but sent off a messenger
+in all haste to Sir Amys, bidding him be by a spring in the forest, nine
+days hence, which message Sir Amys obeyed, wondering what had passed.
+Then the two knights changed their clothes once more, and Sir Amyle
+returned to his wife and Sir Amys to his bride, and they lived happily
+to the end of their lives.</p>
+
+<p class="titlepage">[Adapted and shortened from <i>Early English Metrical Romances</i>.]</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[141]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="THE_TALE_OF_THE_CID" id="THE_TALE_OF_THE_CID"></a><i>THE TALE OF THE CID</i></h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">In</span> the year 1025, when Canute the Dane was sitting on the throne of
+England, there was born in the ancient Spanish city of Burgos a baby, to
+whom was given the name of Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar. He came of noble blood
+on both sides of the House, and his forefathers had borne some of the
+highest offices of the land, and from his childhood the boy had been
+taught that it was his duty never to fall one whit behind them in
+courage and in honour. As he grew older, he burned more and more for a
+chance to show the metal of which he was made, and longed to join the
+companies of knights that were ever going forth to fight the Arabs, who
+for nearly four hundred years had reigned over the fairest provinces of
+Spain. But to all his prayers, his father, Don Diego Lainez, turned a
+deaf ear.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">&#8216;Wait, wait, my son!&#8217; he would say; &#8216;the little shoot must first grow
+into a tree. Go now and practise that sword-thrust in which you failed
+yesterday.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>It was when he was sixteen that the longed-for opportunity came.</p>
+
+<p>Don Diego Lainez, now old and weak, had gone to do his homage to King
+Fernando, who had managed to unite the small kingdoms of Northern Spain
+under his banner. Some dispute arose between him and the powerful count,
+Don Lozano Gomez, probably as to which had the right to pass first into
+the presence of their king, and in the presence of the whole court Don
+Lozano spoke words of deadly insult to the old man, and even <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[142]</a></span>gave him a
+buffet on the cheek. The courtiers all cried shame, and Don Diego&#8217;s hand
+clutched the pommel of his sword, but his rage had deprived him of the
+little strength that remained, and he was powerless to draw it. At this
+the count laughed scornfully, and, bowing mockingly to the king, who
+held it best that men should settle their own quarrels, rode away to his
+castle. Then, without another word, Don Diego turned and mounted his
+horse and set out homewards.</p>
+
+<p>A broken man and older by ten years was he when he entered his hall, but
+many days passed before any could guess what had wrought this change in
+him. All night he lay awake staring into the darkness, and when food was
+brought him it was carried away untasted, and his wife whispered to her
+ladies, &#8216;If we rouse him not he will surely die! Would that I knew what
+has stricken him like this?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Fifteen days went by in this manner, and none thought to see him leave
+his bed again, when one morning he strode into the hall with some of the
+fire of his former years, and called his sons to him. One by one he
+signed to each to draw near, and taking their soft hands in his palms,
+pressed so hard that the boys cried to him to loosen his grasp, or they
+would die of the pain. But when he came to Rodrigo, he heard no prayers
+of mercy from <i>him</i>, only threats and hot words uttered with blazing
+eyes and cheeks burning with anger. And the old man wept for joy, and
+cried:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Thou art indeed my true son; your rage calms me, your fury heals me. It
+is you who will redeem my honour, which I held lost.&#8217; And then he told
+the youth the tale of what had passed at court.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Take my blessing,&#8217; were his last words, &#8216;and take this sword also,
+which shall deal the count his death-blow. After that, you shall do
+greater deeds still.&#8217;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 278px;">
+<a name="illus_page_143" id="illus_page_143"></a><a href="images/p143-full.png"><img src="images/p143.png" width="278" height="459" alt="A knight standing with a severed head in his outstretched hand" title="RODRIGO BRINGS HOME THE HEAD OF GOMEZ" /></a>
+<span class="caption">RODRIGO BRINGS HOME THE HEAD OF GOMEZ</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>Young though he was, Rodrigo had heard enough of war to know Lozano
+Gomez would not prove an easy <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[143]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144"><br />[144]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145"><br /><br />[145]</a></span>prey; but, easy or not, he meant to
+fight him. So, vowing to his sword that should he ever bring dishonour
+on the weapon that had done his House good service, he would sheathe it
+in his breast, he mounted his horse and rode to meet his foe.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Is it a knightly or a brave deed, think you, to smite an old man who
+cannot defend himself?&#8217; asked he. &#8216;But when you dealt that blow you may
+have thought that his sons were yet in their cradles, and that there was
+none to avenge him. Well, traitor, you are wrong. <i>I</i> am his son, and
+his honour is mine, so look to yourself, lest I take your head home with
+me.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And Gomez laughed to hear him, and bade him cease crowing like a young
+cock, but a furious onslaught from Rodrigo cut his words short, and
+hardly did he escape being unhorsed. Before he had steadied himself in
+the saddle Rodrigo had charged again, and this time his enemy was borne
+to the ground.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;So may all dastards die!&#8217; cried the victor, as he cut off his head.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">Don Diego Lainez was sitting at the table in his great hall, the tears
+rolling down his cheeks as the shameful scene of his dishonour rose up
+before him. Suddenly a clatter of hoofs was heard in the courtyard, and
+the doors swung open. The men-at-arms gathered round the board rose to
+their feet as Rodrigo entered, carrying the head of Count Gomez by the
+long front lock. Taking Don Diego by the arm, he shook him roughly:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Open your eyes wide, my father, and raise your head, and let your heart
+be merry, for I have cut down the poisonous weed; I have stamped out the
+plague-spot; the robe of your honour is stainless as of yore.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>For a moment the old man kept silence, and then he looked up, his face
+shining.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Son of my heart,&#8217; he said, &#8216;it is enough. From <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[146]</a></span>henceforth the seat of
+honour is yours, and you shall take my place as the head of my House.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>From that day the young knights vied with each other in gaining leave to
+ride in the train of Rodrigo Diaz, or &#8216;the Cid&#8217; as he was afterwards
+called, and to this name was later added the proud title of &#8216;Campeador.&#8217;
+Three hundred youths in splendid attire followed him to the court of
+Fernando, when he went in his turn to do the king homage, and stood by
+his side as he challenged anyone of the blood of Count Lozano to fight
+and avenge his death; but no one came. Then his father and his noble
+company left their horses to kiss the hand of the king, but Rodrigo
+remained in his saddle.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Get down, get down, Rodrigo!&#8217; cried his father, fearing lest the king
+should resent his rudeness. &#8216;Swear fealty to thy lord, and kiss his
+hand, as a loyal subject should do.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Now, ever since he had fought with Count Gomez, Rodrigo had felt himself
+to be a man, and, more than that, to be much greater than other men, and
+he was not pleased to be scolded by his father in the presence of so
+many people. Still, he was wise enough to know that it would do him no
+good in the eyes of the nobles gathered round, to disobey his father,
+and slowly he got down from his horse to do homage with the rest. But so
+clumsy was he that, as he knelt, his sword nearly fell out of its
+sheath, and the king, thinking Rodrigo meant to kill him, started back,
+exclaiming:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Away, away! you devil! If you have the form of a man, your deeds are
+those of a lion.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It is base to kiss the hand of such a craven,&#8217; answered Rodrigo in
+anger, &#8216;and I hold that my father has heaped disgrace on his family by
+humbling himself in such a fashion!&#8217; And so saying, he rode away, with
+his followers behind him.</p>
+
+<p>A few centuries later a man might have lost his head for such words, but
+in those days people were accustomed <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[147]</a></span>to speak their minds even to
+kings, and little harm came of it. Six weeks later, Rodrigo had
+forgotten all about it, and, what was more to the purpose, so had the
+king, at any rate he pretended to do so, and when Don Diego sent his son
+to do his business with Fernando, who was at Burgos, the young man went
+willingly. The morning after he reached the city he was dining in the
+hall of the palace with the king and his nobles, when word was brought
+to the royal table that Ximena, the daughter of Count Gomez, and her
+train stood at the gates, and demanded an audience of the king. Fernando
+rose from his seat, and, signing to his nobles to follow him, he went to
+meet Ximena.</p>
+
+<p>A figure of woe was she, clothed all in black, even her face hidden by a
+black veil. Throwing herself on her knees, she implored that justice
+might be done on the murderer of her father, for not till then would the
+stain be wiped out which had killed her mother and was killing her. &#8216;He
+rides to and fro under my lattice,&#8217; said she, &#8216;and the hawk on his wrist
+slays my doves, and my mantle is sprinkled with their blood. If you do
+not do me right, O king, you are not fit to reign, or to call yourself a
+knight.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Thus spake Ximena, and the king sat silent and pondered her words. &#8216;I
+cannot punish Don Rodrigo, either by imprisonment or death,&#8217; he said to
+himself, &#8216;for my nobles would not suffer it; I must find some other way
+to satisfy Ximena.&#8217; Then turning to her, he bade her go home, and added
+that no damsel should have cause to complain that wrong had been done
+them at his hands.</p>
+
+<p>Then Ximena rode away, and by-and-by Rodrigo departed also.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">Six months later King Fernando was seated in the great hall of his
+palace of Burgos, dispensing justice to high and low, when there entered
+once more Ximena, followed by thirty esquires and pages.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[148]</a></span>&#8216;I come, though I know it is in vain,&#8217; she cried, when she had made her
+way to the foot of the throne. &#8216;Five times I have appeared to demand my
+rights, and no longer will I be put off with empty words. No king are
+you, who are swayed this way and that by every man that passes, and dare
+not even avenge your friends, for fear of what may come of it.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Not so,&#8217; answered the king; &#8216;but is there no other way by which your
+quarrel may be appeased? Has Rodrigo on his side suffered no insult? You
+have heard of the fame he has lately won, when he took captive the five
+Moorish kings who broke suddenly into the land and ravaged it with fire
+and sword. And to prove that it was fame and not gold he wanted he set
+them all free, with only a promise of homage from them. Ah, if there
+were but a few more like him, Spain would soon be rid of the Moors.
+Happy is the woman he shall choose for his wife; she will live all her
+days in safety and in honour.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Then the king paused, and watched to see how Ximena took his words.</p>
+
+<p>She was silent for some moments, but the king could not see her face, as
+she had pulled her veil over it. Suddenly she raised her head, and cast
+the veil back over her shoulders.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It is true, O king, what you speak, and I will forego my vengeance.
+Nay, I think my father himself would have it so. Give me Don Rodrigo for
+my husband; all my days I will be a loyal wife to him, and his honour
+shall be mine.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Perhaps the king was not so surprised as some of his courtiers as they
+listened to Ximena&#8217;s request. If he smiled, his beard was thick enough
+to hide it, and he answered gravely:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You say well, my daughter, and I will to-day send a messenger bidding
+Don Rodrigo meet me at Palencia, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[149]</a></span>and I will give him lands and riches,
+so that in wealth as in birth he may be equal to you.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>When the messengers reached Don Rodrigo, with the offer of Ximena&#8217;s
+hand, his heart was glad, and, calling his friends to dress themselves
+in their most splendid cloaks and brightest armour, he rode at their
+head towards the city of Palencia. Ximena with her train was already in
+the royal palace, and in the presence of the king the two plighted their
+troth. But Rodrigo swore by the cross on his sword that the marriage
+rite should not be fulfilled till he had beaten five foes in the field,
+and, leaving Ximena under the care of his mother, he bade her farewell,
+and set forth to accomplish his vow.</p>
+
+<p>However, he was not destined to be absent very long, for in those days
+enemies were not far to seek, and in less than two months the wedding
+preparations began. His brothers took pride in arraying him themselves,
+and buttoning on the doublet of black satin which his father had worn in
+many of his battles, while over this he wore a jacket of stout leather
+and a loose cloak lined with plush.</p>
+
+<p>At the last he girded on his sword Tizona, the Dread of the World, then,
+surrounded by his friends and his family, the bridegroom walked to the
+court, where the king, the bishop, and all the nobles were awaiting him.</p>
+
+<p>Soon the noise of trumpets was heard, and there entered Ximena dressed
+in a robe of fine white cloth, brought from London across the seas, with
+a border of silver embroidered on it. On her head was a close hood of
+the same stuff, and high shoes of red leather were on her feet. Round
+her neck was a necklace made of eight round medals, with a little figure
+of St. Michael hanging from them.</p>
+
+<p>Don Rodrigo went forward to lift Ximena from her horse, and kissed her,
+whispering as he did so:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It is true, O my lady, that I killed your father, but I did it in fair
+fight, as man to man. And in his stead <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[150]</a></span>you shall have a husband that
+will care for you and protect you to the end of your life.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Now, although Don Rodrigo was married, he did not stay at home much more
+than he had done in other days, and his sword was ever unsheathed in the
+service of his king. He was the champion chosen by Fernando to meet in
+single combat Martino Gonzalez, the stoutest knight in Spain, and decide
+a quarrel between Castile and Aragon. The victory lay with Rodrigo, and
+no sooner was the duel over than he rode off to fight the Moors in the
+North of Spain. At length the patience of Ximena was worn out, and she
+wrote a letter to Fernando in which she told him plainly all that was in
+her mind.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;What was the use,&#8217; she asked, &#8216;of her marrying Rodrigo if the king kept
+him for ever engaged in his service, and away from her?&#8217; She had no
+father, and might as well have no husband, and she implored his master
+to think upon her loneliness, and to let Rodrigo return to her side.</p>
+
+<p>But the king would make no promises, and by-and-by Ximena had a little
+girl to comfort her, to whom Fernando stood godfather.</p>
+
+<p>It seems strange that after these great deeds King Fernando never
+thought of making Don Rodrigo a knight, but so it was. Not till the long
+siege of the city of Coimbra was ended, and the Moorish mosque turned
+into a Christian church, was the order of knighthood conferred on Don
+Rodrigo in return for the mighty works that he had done. But Don Rodrigo
+knew well that his sword-thrusts would have availed him nothing had it
+not been for the aid of a Greek bishop who dreamed when at the shrine of
+St. James that the gates of the city would only fall when a successor of
+the Apostle should appear before them. So the bishop arose and clad
+himself in armour and rode into the Christian hosts, and as he drew
+near, the walls fell down like Jericho of old, and the army entered in
+triumph.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[151]</a></span>After this the Cid, as men now called him, from a Moorish word which
+meant a man of great valour and fame, went home for a short space to see
+his wife and his little daughter, who by this time was seven years old
+and had never beheld her father. Rest was sweet to Don Rodrigo, but
+before it could grow irksome to him he was summoned to court by the
+death of Fernando, who left all his children under the wardship of the
+Cid. Unluckily, the old man&#8217;s will had not been a wise one, and bitter
+quarrels soon raged between the new king Sancho and his brothers and
+sisters. In vain Don Rodrigo tried to heal the feuds, but war soon broke
+out, and by his oath of allegiance he was forced, sorely against his
+wish, to fight under the king&#8217;s banner. By his aid Sancho despoiled his
+two brothers and one of his sisters of the lands which were theirs by
+right, but when the king demanded that he should go as envoy and bid the
+princess Do&ntilde;a Urraca yield up her town of Zamora in exchange for much
+gold, the Cid prayed him to send someone else, for he could not take
+arms against the princess whom he had known when they were children
+together. His words, however, were useless. The king would listen to
+nothing, and the Cid rode forth to Zamora with a heavy heart. Silently
+he bore the reproaches of Do&ntilde;a Urraca, and returned in five days to tell
+Fernando that the citizens of Zamora had sworn in his presence, that the
+city would never be given up till they all lay dead upon her walls. This
+answer so infuriated Don Sancho that he falsely accused the Cid of
+having put the words into the mouths of his enemies, and bade him begone
+out of the kingdom.</p>
+
+<p>But a man like the Cid could not lightly be dismissed, and very soon the
+king was forced to humble himself, and send messengers to beg his
+forgiveness. The Campeador was too generous to bear malice, and rode
+joyfully back, to find Sancho besieging Zamora. And an ill day it was
+for the king when he resolved to wrest his sister&#8217;s <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[152]</a></span>possessions from
+her; for one of her citizens, spurred by love to his lady, gained
+admittance into the royal camp and offered to betray the city. A
+councillor of the princess, the old Arias Gonzalo, cried to the king
+from the walls to lend no ear unto the man&#8217;s words, for he was a
+traitor; but Dolfos had a wily tongue, and easily persuaded Sancho to
+come with him to see the small door across the trench by which the army
+might enter. They were hardly outside the camp when Dolfos struck him
+between the shoulders with his spear, and the king rolled in his death
+agony on the ground. The sight was seen by Don Rodrigo, who had watched
+eagerly and anxiously the movements of Dolfos, and now sprang towards
+the traitor with his drawn sword. But Dolfos was too quick for him, and
+the postern was flung open by some of the men of Zamora, before the Cid
+could get across the trench.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Oh, fool was I not to have fastened on my spurs, and then I should have
+caught him!&#8217; cried Don Rodrigo shaking with rage, as he turned sadly
+back to stand by the bedside of his dying master, waiting for the
+vengeance which the future would bring.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">Now directly she heard that King Sancho was dead, Do&ntilde;a Urraca, his
+sister, the lady of Zamora, sent the tidings to her brother, Don
+Alfonso, in exile at Toledo.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;We have been sent to summon you, King Alfonso,&#8217; said the messengers
+when they found him, falling on their knees as they spoke. &#8216;Don Sancho
+was foully stabbed by Bellido el Dolfos, and the men of Castile and Leon
+call on you to take his place. Don Rodrigo only hangs back, and swears
+he will never take the oath of fealty till you have proved that you had
+no part in the murder of your brother.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Don Alfonso felt glad at their words. He had received nothing but ill at
+the hands of his brother, and he hurried to place himself at the head of
+the army of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[153]</a></span> Castile. But the Arab ruler was not willing to let him go,
+and many days passed before he was able to escape at night, climbing
+silently with a few followers down the walls of Toledo; then, turning
+the shoes on the feet of their horses, so that the track should point
+south instead of north, they made the best of their way to Zamora.</p>
+
+<p>The nobles received the king with joy, and, kneeling to kiss his hand,
+vowed to be true to him. The Cid alone held aloof.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You are heir to the throne, Don Alfonso,&#8217; said he, &#8216;but before I bend
+the knee to you I demand that you and twelve of your vassals shall swear
+that you are innocent, in deed or in word, of the blood of your
+brother.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I will swear it,&#8217; answered Alfonso, &#8216;when and where you please, and
+twelve men of Leon shall swear it likewise.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You shall swear to me in the holy cathedral of Santa Gadea in Burgos,&#8217;
+said the Cid; and thither they all rode silently and solemnly, while Don
+Rodrigo, standing at the altar, held out the crucifix to the kneeling
+king. But though the oath was taken freely, both by Alfonso and his
+vassals, deep in the heart of the Cid lay a doubt of his truth.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You shall swear it thrice,&#8217; he said, and Alfonso, devoured as he was
+with rage, knew the Cid&#8217;s power too well to disobey, though his face
+grew pale with wrath.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You shall answer for this,&#8217; he cried as he rose to his feet, and from
+that day the king never ceased to seek for an excuse to compass Don
+Rodrigo&#8217;s banishment. At last he found one.</p>
+
+<p>The Moorish king of Toledo laid a complaint against the Cid that, in
+spite of his alliance with Alfonso of Castile, his lands had been
+ravaged and his people made captive. Well Alfonso knew that it was the
+Moors themselves who had broken faith with him, and had <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[154]</a></span>wasted the
+Spanish territories which lay along their borders, but he eagerly
+snatched at the plea, and bade the Cid go, an exile, from Castile, while
+his possessions were declared forfeit.</p>
+
+<p>With every insult heaped on him that the king could invent, the Cid left
+the city and rode to his castle of Bivar, only to find that his enemies
+had been before him and had stripped it bare, while his wife and
+children had sought refuge in the convent of San Pedro de Carde&ntilde;a.</p>
+
+<p>It was on his way thither that the Cid in his dire distress did the one
+mean deed recorded of him, which he never ceased to bewail during his
+life, and afterwards on his deathbed. He had reckoned on finding money
+for his needs at Bivar, and there was none, and he knew not what to do.
+In this strait he invited two rich Jews to his tent under the walls of
+Burgos, and, pointing to two large chests which stood on the ground, he
+told the Jews that they were filled with silver plate, and begged that
+they would take them, and give him a thousand crowns in exchange. The
+Jews, used though they were to being cheated and despoiled by
+Christians, yet trusted to the honour of the Cid, and counted out the
+money. Then, placing the coffers on the backs of two stout mules, they
+returned with them into Burgos, first promising that they would not open
+them till a year had passed. At the time appointed they lifted the lid,
+and, behold, the coffers were full of sand!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>But except in this matter, for which his repentance was bitter, the Cid
+never ceased in his exile to be true to his knighthood, and in all the
+wars which he and his followers made on the Moors he always sent part of
+the spoils to Alfonso. At length the king found that he could not do
+without him. Young knights there were in plenty, but neither in battle
+nor in the council chamber could they vie with Don Rodrigo; so after
+many years, when the Cid had captured strong cities and great towns
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[155]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156"><br />[156]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157"><br /><br />[157]</a></span>from the Moors, Alfonso sent messengers to say that he was willing to
+pardon him. And the Cid vowed anew to serve him, but his heart was heavy
+for the death of his only son in the siege of Consuegra.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 487px;">
+<a name="illus_page_155" id="illus_page_155"></a><a href="images/p155-full.png"><img src="images/p155.png" width="487" height="297" alt="Two men trying to hide from a lion with a minstrel and other man looking on" title="DON DIEGO AND DON FERNAN SHOW THAT THEY ARE COWARDS" /></a>
+<span class="caption">DON DIEGO AND DON FERNAN SHOW THAT THEY ARE COWARDS</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>From time to time the king&#8217;s jealousy broke out afresh, and more than
+once Don Rodrigo was banished, but in the end the Cid always returned to
+Castile, for in truth, as we have said, the land prospered but little in
+his absence. After conquering the Moors in Valencia and elsewhere, his
+fame and wealth grew greater than ever, and two of the proudest nobles
+in Castile, the counts of Carrion, prayed Alfonso to use his rights as
+liege lord, and to grant them the Cid&#8217;s daughters in marriage. Now, the
+proposal pleased Don Rodrigo but little, and his wife even less. He knew
+something of the two young men who wished to be his sons-in-law, and he
+felt that it was his wealth, and not his daughters, that was wooed.
+Besides, he liked not the boastfulness of the two brothers, and feared
+that beneath their proud and haughty ways the hearts of cowards might be
+hidden. But outwardly all was fair-seeming, and when the king in a
+meeting on the banks of the Tagus bade the Cid consider well the matter,
+Don Rodrigo could only reply that, in his view, his daughters were as
+yet too young to be wedded, but that they and all that belonged to him
+were in the hands of the king, to be dealt with as he thought best. To
+which the king answered that he knew the maidens to be wise beyond their
+years, and, summoning the counts of Carrion to his presence, he informed
+them that he had resolved to grant their desire, and bade them kneel and
+kiss the Cid&#8217;s hand, which they did with joy. So the next day they all
+rode back to Valencia, and the Cid made a feast for fifteen days, and
+the marriage rite was performed by the Bishop Geronymo, mighty in
+battle.</p>
+
+<p>It was not long after the wedding that the counts showed of what metal
+they were made, and that the Cid <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[158]</a></span>had read them truly. One evening they
+and Don Bermudo, nephew of the Cid, were sitting laughing and jesting in
+the hall of the castle, when a cry arose from without, &#8216;Beware of the
+lion; he has broken from his den&#8217;; and in an instant the huge beast had
+sprung through the door. Don Bermudo sat still, waiting to see what the
+lion would do, but Don Diego, the elder count, took refuge in a closet,
+while Don Fernan, his brother, hid himself under the bed on which the
+Cid was stretched sleeping. The noise awoke Don Rodrigo, who sprang up,
+when the lion at once lay down on the ground and began to lick his feet.
+The Cid stooped and stroked its head, then calling to the beast to
+follow, he led it back to its den, which it entered quietly, for it knew
+its master well.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Where are my sons-in-law?&#8217; asked he as he entered. &#8216;Methought I heard
+their voices but a moment agone.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Here,&#8217; cried one of his nephews, and &#8216;here&#8217; cried another, and the
+counts were dragged forth, their fine clothes disordered and their faces
+pale with fear.</p>
+
+<p>The Cid looked at them silently, till they grew red with shame and
+anger.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Are these your wedding garments?&#8217; said he at last. &#8216;Truly I should
+scarce have guessed it&#8217;; and he passed on, leaving hate and a longing
+for revenge in the young men&#8217;s hearts.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">The matter of the lion did not dwell long in the mind of the Cid, for
+news was speedily brought him that the Moorish king of Morocco was
+advancing with an army to besiege the fair city of Valencia. He quickly
+gathered together a host large enough to give battle in the plain
+outside the walls, but while mounting his horse Babieca he counselled
+his sons-in-law to remain in safety behind the walls of the town. This
+they would gladly have done, but dared not set at naught the mocking
+eyes of the knights around them, so, clad in shining armour, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[159]</a></span>they rode
+forth with the rest. Hardly had the fight begun, when a Moor attacked
+the younger brother, who turned and fled. Another instant and he would
+have sunk to the ground, pierced by the enemy&#8217;s lance, when Don Bermudo
+suddenly appeared, and engaged the Moor in deadly combat. After a hard
+struggle the infidel was overborne and slain, and the victor turned to
+Don Fernan Gonzalez:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Take his horse and his armour,&#8217; he said, <a name="corr4" id="corr4"></a>&#8216;and tell the Cid it was you
+who killed him; I will not gainsay you.&#8217; And, as cowards are generally
+liars also, Don Fernan gladly snatched at the crown of glory that
+belonged to another.</p>
+
+<p>Don Bermudo was rewarded for his generous deed when he saw the joy of
+the Cid. Perhaps he had condemned them wrongly, thought Don Rodrigo, and
+that the souls of men were at last awaking in them. So he praised them
+for their valour, and if there were those present who could have told a
+different tale, they held their peace.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">But whether they were, perforce, following the Cid in the field, or
+basking in the wealth and pleasures of Valencia, the counts of Carrion
+never forgot or forgave the scorn they had read in the eyes of the Cid
+on the day when they had hidden from the lion. Together they plotted to
+take vengeance on them, and it was a vengeance as mean as their souls.</p>
+
+<p>One morning they entered the great hall of Valencia, where the Cid was
+sitting, and prayed him to give them their wives, and let them depart
+forthwith to their lands. Their words were fair, yet the Cid felt
+troubled; why, he knew not.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I gave you my daughters to wife, at my king&#8217;s bidding,&#8217; answered he at
+last, &#8216;and I cannot withhold them from you if indeed you desire to take
+them unto <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[160]</a></span>your own lands. But see that they are treated as beseems
+them; if not, woe to you.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And the counts of Carrion, with treason in their hearts, promised that
+all honour should await their brides.</p>
+
+<p>Eight days hence, the procession passed out of the city gates, and the
+Cid went first, with Do&ntilde;a Elvira on his right hand, and Do&ntilde;a Sol on his
+left. For the space of a league he rode, and then he reined up his
+horse. Calling his nephew Don Ordo&ntilde;o to his side, he bade him follow
+unperceived, and bring back news of what befell his daughters.</p>
+
+<p>And so they parted.</p>
+
+<p>For many miles the procession went slowly on, and was received with
+kindness and hospitality by the great Moslem lords through whose country
+the road lay, a kindness repaid whenever possible by theft and cruelty
+by the counts of Carrion. Then, when they had reached a wood which was
+neither in the lordship of the Cid nor of the Moors, they felt that the
+time for which they had so long waited was come. Ordering the guards and
+attendants to ride forward to the Castle of Carrion and prepare for
+their reception, the counts scarcely delayed until they were out of
+their sight before they dragged their wives from their mules, and
+stripped their bodies bare. Next, seizing them by their hair, they flung
+them to the ground, and dug their spurs into them till their bodies were
+covered with blood.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Farewell, beautiful damsels,&#8217; they cried mockingly, bowing low, &#8216;you
+were never fit mates for the counts of Carrion, and, besides, it was
+needful to avenge the affront that the Cid your father put on us in the
+matter of the fierce beast who would have slain us.&#8217; And, stooping low
+from their horses, the base knights rode away.</p>
+
+<p>From a distant hill Don Ordo&ntilde;o had seen and heard all that had passed,
+and he now came forth to help and comfort his cousins. &#8216;Take heart,&#8217; he
+said, &#8216;I <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[161]</a></span>will bring you your lost garments, and if you have lost your
+husbands, who deserve nothing better than the fate of traitors, remember
+that you have yet a father, without a peer throughout the world.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>None can tell the wrath of the Cid when his daughters came home. Little
+he said, for he was ever a man of few words, but he sent forthwith
+messengers to the king, telling him of the base deeds of the counts of
+Carrion, and begging for leave to plead his cause before the Parliament
+at Toledo. This permission Alfonso granted gladly, and bade the counts
+of Carrion to be present also and answer the Cid.</p>
+
+<p>Many days they waited ere Don Rodrigo, accompanied by his wife and
+daughters, and followed by a train of nobles, rode through the gates.
+The king was sitting surrounded by the Cortes or Parliament, but he
+desired that the Cid should be brought to him at once, and then
+commanded him to set forth his wrongs.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It is you, O king, and not I, who gave my daughters in marriage to
+these base men, therefore it is you, and not I, who must answer for
+this. I ask you that you will force them to restore my swords Colada and
+Tizona that I girded on them when they bore my children from Valencia.&#8217;
+And the hearts of the counts were glad when they heard his words, and
+they hasted to place the gold-pommelled swords in the hands of the Cid.</p>
+
+<p>Next, Don Rodrigo demanded that the dowries of his daughters should be
+given back to him, and this also the king adjudged to be his right.
+Last, he set forth the treatment his daughters had suffered from the
+counts of Carrion, and challenged them and also their uncle, who had
+ever given them evil counsel, to fight with three of his knights that
+day.</p>
+
+<p>Before the combat could take place a sound as of armed men was heard in
+the courtyard, and in rode two youths covered with golden armour and
+tall plumed <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[162]</a></span>helmets, and one was Don Ramiro of Navarre, and the other
+Don Sancho of Aragon.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It has reached our ears,&#8217; said they, &#8216;that the marriages between the
+counts of Carrion and the daughters of the Cid are about to be set
+aside, and we have come to pray that the ladies may be given to us to
+wife.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And the king answered: &#8216;If it pleases the Cid, it pleases me also, but
+the Cortes here present must grant its consent.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So the Cid kissed the hand of the king in token of the honour done him,
+and the Cortes cried with one voice that the man who allied himself with
+Don Rodrigo de Bivar was honoured above all. Therefore, the weddings
+were celebrated without delay, the counts of Carrion having been
+pronounced outlaws and their former marriages null and void.</p>
+
+<p>This matter being settled, the king directed that there should be no
+more delay in arranging the fight between the champions of the Cid and
+the counts of Carrion, which at the request of the counts was to be held
+three weeks later in their own castle. Don Rodrigo himself did not mean
+to fight. His honour was, he knew, safe in the hands of Don Bermudo and
+his other nephews, and he rode blithely home to Valencia. But Alfonso
+declared that he would be present to see that the combat was fairly
+fought, and it was well that he went, for the counts, thinking
+themselves safe on their own lands, had planned treachery. However, the
+king, mistrusting them, made a proclamation that in case of false
+dealing the traitor should be slain upon the field, and his possessions
+be forfeit. Baulked in this direction, the counts then entreated the
+king to forbid their foes to use the swords Tizona and Colada which they
+had been forced to give up, but Alfonso answered that it was now too
+late to make conditions, and they must get to the fight with stout
+hearts. This they could not do, for they had not <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[163]</a></span>got them, but, finding
+there was no help for it, they mounted their horses and put their lances
+in rest.</p>
+
+<p>Between such adversaries the combat lasted but a short while. Fernan
+Gonzalez was soon unhorsed by Don Bermudo; Don Diego and his uncle
+confessed themselves vanquished. Their lands were declared forfeit by
+the judges, though their lives were granted them; but the tale of their
+cowardice spread far and wide, and none would speak to them or have
+dealings with them.</p>
+
+<p>Thus was the Cid avenged.</p>
+
+<p>For five years the Cid lived on in Valencia wearied of wars, and turning
+his thoughts to repenting him of his sins, and chief among them the
+wrong he had done many years before to the two Jews of Burgos. His
+strength grew daily less, till at length he could rise from his bed no
+more, neither could he eat food. While he lay in this manner, tidings
+were brought him that the Moors were preparing to besiege Valencia. This
+news roused the dying man, and for a moment it seemed as if he might be
+well again. Clearly he gave his orders how best to resist the attack,
+and bade his followers fight under the banner of Bishop Geronymo. &#8216;As
+for me,&#8217; he said, &#8216;you shall take my body and fill it with sweet spices,
+and shall set me once more on Babieca, and place Tizona in my hand. With
+cords shall you fasten me to the saddle, and so you shall lead me forth
+to my last fight with the Moors. Ximena my wife will care for Babieca,
+and when he is dead she will bury him where no Moorish dogs may root up
+his grave. And let no women be hired to make mourning for me. I want no
+tears to be shed over me but the tears of Ximena my wife. But for the
+Christians in this city, well know I that they are too few men to
+conquer the Moors, therefore let them prepare their goods, and steal
+forth by night, and take refuge in Castile. So farewell to you all, and
+pray that God may have mercy on my soul.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[164]</a></span>&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Thus the Cid died, and all was done as he had said, and the king put
+rich garments on him, and set Tizona in his hand, and seated him in a
+carved chair by the altar of San Pedro de Carde&ntilde;a.</p>
+
+<p class="titlepage">[<i>El Romanzo del Cid.</i>]</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[165]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="THE_KNIGHT_OF_THE_SORROWFUL_COUNTENANCE" id="THE_KNIGHT_OF_THE_SORROWFUL_COUNTENANCE"></a>THE KNIGHT OF THE SORROWFUL COUNTENANCE</h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">Everybody</span> knows that in the old times, when Arthur was king or Charles
+the Great emperor, no gentleman ever rested content until he had
+received the honour of knighthood. When once he was made a knight, he
+left his home and the court, and rode off in search of adventures,
+seeking to help people in distress who had no one else to help them.</p>
+
+<p>After a while, however, the knights grew selfish and lazy. They liked
+better to hunt the deer through the forest than wicked robbers who had
+carried off beautiful ladies. &#8216;It was the king&#8217;s business,&#8217; they said,
+&#8216;to take care of his subjects, not theirs,&#8217; so they dwelt in their own
+castles, and many of them became great lords almost as powerful as the
+king himself.</p>
+
+<p>But though the knights no longer went in search of noble adventures, as
+knights of earlier days had been wont to do, there were plenty of books
+in which they could read if they chose of the wonderful deeds of their
+forefathers. Lancelot and Roland, Bernardo del Carpio, the Cid, Amadis
+de Gaule, and many more, were as well known to them as their own
+brothers, and if we will only take the trouble they may be known to us
+too.</p>
+
+<p>Now, several hundreds of years after Lancelot and Roland and all the
+rest had been laid in their graves, a baby belonging to the family of
+Quixada was born in that part of Spain called La Mancha. We are not told
+anything of his boyhood, or even of his manhood till he <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[166]</a></span>reached the age
+of fifty, but we know that he was poor; that he lived with a housekeeper
+and a niece to take care of him, and that he passed all his days in
+company with these old books until the courts and forests which were the
+scenes of the adventures of those knights of bygone years were more real
+to him than any of his own doings.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I wish all those books could be burned,&#8217; said the noble gentleman&#8217;s
+housekeeper one day to his niece. &#8216;My poor master&#8217;s wits are surely
+going, for he never understands one word you say to him. Indeed, if you
+speak, he hardly seems to see you, much less to hear you!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>What the housekeeper said was true. The things that belonged to her
+master&#8217;s every-day life vanished completely bit by bit. If his niece
+related to him some scrap of news which a neighbour had run in to tell
+her, he would answer her with a story of the giant Morgante, who alone
+among his ill-bred race had manners that befitted a Spanish knight. If
+the housekeeper lamented that the flour in her storehouse would not last
+out the winter, he turned a deaf ear to all her complaints, and declared
+that he would give her and his niece into the bargain for the pleasure
+of bestowing one kick on Ganelon the traitor.</p>
+
+<p>At last one day things came to a climax. When the hour of dinner came
+round, Don Quixada was nowhere to be found. His niece sought him in his
+bedroom, in the little tower where his books were kept, and even in the
+stable, where lay the old horse who had served him for more years than
+one could count. He was in none of these; but just as she was leaving
+the stable a strange noise seemed to come from over the girl&#8217;s head, and
+on looking up she beheld her uncle rubbing a rusty sword that had lain
+there long before anybody could remember, while by his side were a steel
+cap and other pieces of armour.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 287px;">
+<a name="illus_page_167" id="illus_page_167"></a><a href="images/p167-full.png"><img src="images/p167.png" width="287" height="446" alt="A man seated in a chair with books all around shaking his fist at two women standing in the doorway" title="Don Quixada declared that he would give his housekeeper
+and his niece into the bargain for the pleasure of bestowing one kick on
+Ganelon the traitor." /></a>
+<span class="caption">Don Quixada declared that he would give his housekeeper
+and his niece into the bargain for the pleasure of bestowing one kick on
+Ganelon the traitor.</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>From that moment Don Quixada became deaf and <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[167]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168"><br />[168]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169"><br /><br />[169]</a></span>blind to the things of
+this world. He was in despair because the steel cap was not a proper
+helmet, but only a morion without a vizor to let down. Perhaps a smith
+might have made him what he wanted, but the Don was too proud to ask
+him, and, getting some cardboard, cut and painted it like a vizor, and
+then fastened it to the morion. Nothing could look&mdash;at a little
+distance&mdash;more like the helmet the Cid might have worn, but Don Quixada
+knew well that no knight ever went forth in search of adventures without
+first proving the goodness of his armour, so, fixing the helmet against
+the wall, he made a slash at it with his sword. He only dealt two
+strokes, whereas his enemy might give him twenty, but those two swept
+clean through the vizor, and destroyed in three minutes a whole week&#8217;s
+work. So there was nothing for it but to begin over again, and this time
+the Don took the precaution of lining the vizor with iron.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It looks beautiful,&#8217; he cried when it was finished; but he took care
+not to try his blade upon it.</p>
+
+<p>His next act was to go into the stable and rub down his horse&#8217;s coat,
+and to give it a feed of corn, vainly hoping that in a few days its ribs
+might become less plainly visible.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It is not right,&#8217; he said to himself, one morning, as he stood watching
+the animal that was greedily eating out of its manger&mdash;&#8216;it is not right
+that a knight&#8217;s good horse should go forth without a name. Even the
+heathen Alexander bestowed a high-sounding title on his own steed; and
+so, likewise, did those Christian warriors, Roland and the Cid!&#8217; But,
+try as he might, no name would come to him except such as were unworthy
+of the horse and his rider, and for four nights and days he pondered the
+question.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly, at the moment he had least expected it, when he was eating the
+plain broth his housekeeper had set before him, the inspiration came.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Rozinante!&#8217; he cried triumphantly, laying down his <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[170]</a></span>spoon&mdash;&#8216;Rozinante!
+Neither the Cid&#8217;s horse nor Roland&#8217;s bore a finer name than that!&#8217;</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">This weighty matter being settled, the Don now began to think of
+himself, and, not being satisfied with the name his fathers had handed
+down to him, resolved to take one that was more noble, and better suited
+to a knight who was destined to do deeds that would keep him alive in
+the memory of men. For eight days he took heed of nothing save this one
+thing, and on the ninth he found what he had sought.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;The world shall know me as Don Quixote,&#8217; he said; &#8216;and as the noble
+Amadis himself was not content to bear this sole title, but added to it
+the name of his own country, so I, in like manner, will add the name of
+mine, and henceforth will appear to all, as the good knight Don Quixote
+de la Mancha!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Now Don Quixote de la Mancha had read far too many books about the
+customs of chivalry not to be aware that every knight worshipped some
+lady of whose beauty he boasted upon all occasions and whose token he
+wore upon his helmet in battle. It was not very easy for Don Quixote to
+find such a lady, for all his life long, the company which he met in his
+books had been dearer to him than that which he could have had outside
+his home.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;A knight without a liege lady is a tree without fruit, a body without
+soul,&#8217; he thought. &#8216;Of what use will it be if I meet with some giant
+such as always crosses the path of a wandering knight, and disarm him in
+our first encounter, unless I have a lady at whose feet he can kneel?&#8217;
+So without losing more time he began to search the neighbouring villages
+for such a damsel, whose token he might wear, and at length found one
+with enough beauty for him to fall in love with, whose humble name of
+Aldonza he changed for that of Dulcinea del Toboso.</p>
+
+<p>The sun had hardly risen on the following morning <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[171]</a></span>when Don Quixote
+laced on his helmet, braced on his shield, took his lance in hand, and
+mounted Rozinante.</p>
+
+<p>Never during his fifty years had he felt his heart so light, and he rode
+forth into the wide plain, expecting to find a giant or a distressed
+lady behind every bush. But his joy was short-lived, for suddenly it
+came to his mind that in the days of chivalry it never was known that
+any man went in quest of adventures without being first made a knight,
+and that no such good fortune had happened to him. This thought was so
+terrible that he reeled in his saddle, and was near turning the head of
+Rozinante towards his own stable; but Don Quixote was a man of good
+courage, and in a short while he remembered on how many knights Sir
+Lancelot had conferred the honour of knighthood, and he determined to
+claim his spurs from the first that he managed to conquer in fight. Till
+then, he must, as soon as might be, make his armour white, in token that
+as yet he had had no adventures. In this manner he took heart again.</p>
+
+<p>All that day he rode, without either bite or sup, and, of the two,
+Rozinante fared the better, for he at least found a tuft of coarse grass
+to eat. At nightfall a light as big as a faint star was seen gleaming in
+the distance, and both master and horse plucked up courage once more.
+They hastened towards it, and discovered that the light came from a
+small inn, which Don Quixote&#8217;s fancy instantly changed into a castle
+with four towers and pinnacles of shining silver, surrounded by a moat.
+He paused a moment, expecting a dwarf to appear on the battlements and
+announce by the blasts of his trumpet that a knight was approaching,
+but, as no dwarf could be seen, he dismounted at the door, where he was
+received with courtesy by the landlord or the governor of the castle, as
+Don Quixote took him to be.</p>
+
+<p>At the sight of this strange figure, which looked as if it had gone to
+sleep a thousand years ago, and had only just woke up again, the
+landlord had as much <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[172]</a></span>ado to keep from laughter as the muleteers and
+some women who were standing before the door. But being a civil man, and
+somewhat puzzled, he held the stirrup for Don Quixote to alight,
+offering to give him everything that would make him comfortable except a
+bed, which was not to be had. The Don made little of this, as became a
+good knight, and bade the landlord look well after Rozinante, for no
+better horse would ever stand in his stable. The man, who had seen many
+beasts in his day, did not rate him quite so highly, but said nothing,
+and after placing the horse in the stable returned to the house to see
+after the master.</p>
+
+<p>As it happened, it was easier to provide for the wants of Rozinante than
+for those of Don Quixote, for the muleteers had eaten up everything in
+the kitchen, and nothing was left save a little dried fish and black
+bread. Don Quixote, however, was quite content; indeed, he imagined it
+the most splendid supper in the world, and when he had finished he fell
+on his knees before the landlord.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Never will I rise again, noble sir,&#8217; said he, &#8216;until you grant my
+prayer, which shall be an occasion of glory to you and of gain to all
+men.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>The landlord, not being used to such conduct on the part of his guests,
+tried to lift Don Quixote on to his feet, but the knight vowed that he
+would not move till his prayer was granted.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;The gift I would ask of you,&#8217; continued the Don, now rising to his
+feet, &#8216;is that to-night I may watch my arms in the chapel of your
+castle, and at sunrise I shall kneel before you to be made a knight.
+Then I shall bid you farewell, and set forth on my journey through the
+world, righting wrongs and helping the oppressed, after the manner of
+the knights of old.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I am honoured indeed,&#8217; replied the landlord, who by this time saw very
+clearly that the poor gentleman was weak in his wits, and had a mind to
+divert himself. &#8216;As <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[173]</a></span>a youth, I myself wandered through the land, and my
+name, the champion of all who needed it, was known to every court in
+Spain, till a deadly thrust in my side, from a false knight, forced me
+to lay down my arms, and to return to this my castle, giving shelter and
+welcome to any knights that ask it. But as to the chapel, it is but a
+week since it was made level with the ground, being but a poor place,
+and in no way worthy of the service of noble knights; but keep your
+watch in the courtyard of my castle, as your books will have told you
+that others have done in case of need. Afterwards, I will admit you into
+the Order of Chivalry, but before you take up your vigil tell me, I pray
+you, what money you have brought with you?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>This question surprised the Don very much.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I have brought none,&#8217; he answered presently, &#8216;for never did I hear that
+either Roland or Percival or any of the great knight-errants whose
+example I fain would follow, carried any money with them.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;That is because they thought it no more needful to say that they
+carried money or clean shirts than that they carried a sword or a box of
+ointment to cure the wounds of themselves or their foes, in case no
+maiden or enchanter with a flask of water was on the spot,&#8217; replied the
+landlord; and he spoke so long and so earnestly on the subject that the
+Don promised never again to start on a quest without money and a box of
+ointment, besides at least three clean shirts.</p>
+
+<p>It was now high time for his watch to begin, and the landlord led the
+way to a great yard at the side of the inn. Here the Don took his arms,
+and piled them on a trough of stone that stood near a well. Then bearing
+his lance he walked up and down beside his trough.</p>
+
+<p>For an hour or two he paced the yard, watched, though he knew it not, by
+many eyes from the inn windows, which, with the aid of a bright moon,
+could see all that happened as clearly as if it were day. At length <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[174]</a></span>a
+muleteer who had a long journey before him drove up his team to the
+trough, which was fed by the neighbouring well, and in order to let his
+cattle drink, stretched out his arms to remove the sword and helmet
+which lay there. The Don perceived his aim, and cried in a voice of
+thunder:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;What man are you, ignorant of the laws of chivalry, who dares to touch
+the arms of the bravest knight who ever wore a sword? Take heed lest you
+lay a finger upon them, for if you do your life shall pay the forfeit.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>It might have been as well for the muleteer if he had listened, and had
+led his cattle to water elsewhere, but, looking at the Don&#8217;s tall lean
+figure and his own stout fists, he only laughed rudely, and, seizing
+both sword and helmet, threw them across the yard. The Don paused a
+moment, wondering if he saw aright; then raising his eyes to heaven he
+exclaimed:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;O Lady Dulcinea, peerless in thy beauty, help me to avenge this insult
+that has been put upon me&#8217;; and, lifting high his lance, he brought it
+down with such a force on the head of the man that he fell to the ground
+without a word, and the Don began his walk afresh.</p>
+
+<p>He had not been pacing the yard above half an hour when another man, not
+knowing what had befallen his friend, drove his beasts up to the trough,
+and was stooping to move the Don&#8217;s arms, so that the cattle could get at
+the water, when a mighty blow fell on <i>his</i> head, splitting it nearly
+into pieces.</p>
+
+<p>At this noise the people from the inn ran out, and seeing the two
+muleteers stretched wounded on the ground picked up stones wherewith to
+stone the knight. The Don, however, fronted them with such courage that
+they did not dare to venture near him, and the landlord, making use of
+their fears, called on them to leave him alone, for that he was a
+madman, and the law would not touch him, even though he should kill them
+all. Then, wishing to be done with the business and with his guest, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[175]</a></span>he
+made excuses for the rude fellows, who had only got what they deserved,
+and said that, as there was no chapel to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[176]</a></span>his castle, he could dub him
+knight where he stood, for, the watch of arms having been completed, all
+that was needful was a slap on the neck with a palm of the hand and the
+touch of the sword on the shoulder.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 280px;">
+<a name="illus_page_175" id="illus_page_175"></a><a href="images/p175-full.png"><img src="images/p175.png" width="280" height="408" alt="Don Quixote stands yelling at another man who is lifting armor out of a stone trough" title="DON QUIXOTE BELABOURS THE MULETEER" /></a>
+<span class="caption">DON QUIXOTE BELABOURS THE MULETEER</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>So Don Quixada was turned into Don Quixote de la Mancha, and, mounting
+Rozinante, he left the inn, and with a joyful heart started to seek his
+first adventure.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[177]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="THE_ADVENTURE_OF_THE_TWO_ARMIES" id="THE_ADVENTURE_OF_THE_TWO_ARMIES"></a>THE ADVENTURE OF THE TWO ARMIES WHO TURNED OUT TO BE FLOCKS OF SHEEP</h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">The</span> first adventure of the new knight did not turn out at all to his
+liking, nor answered his expectations, for in all the books of chivalry
+which he had read, never had he heard of a good knight being sorely
+wounded by a mere pack of common fellows, as happened to himself shortly
+after leaving the inn; though indeed he comforted his soul by thinking
+that, had not Rozinante stumbled over a stone and fallen, it would have
+fared ill with his foes.</p>
+
+<p>He lay upon the ground for some time, aching in every bone, and
+repeating in a weak voice some lines out of his favourite romance of the
+&#8216;Marquis of Mantua,&#8217; when a labourer from his own village came by and
+went to see if the man stretched on his back across the road was dead or
+only wounded.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;What ails you, master?&#8217; asked he; but as the vizor over the Don&#8217;s face
+prevented his answer being understood, the labourer pulled it off with
+some trouble, and then stood, staring with surprise.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Master Quixada!&#8217; cried he, wiping off the blood as he spoke, &#8216;what
+villain has served you like this?&#8217; but, as Don Quixote only replied to
+his questions with long stories of the heroes of romance, the man gave
+it up, and after gathering up the stray bits of armour, and even the
+broken lance, helped the Don on to his own ass and took Rozinante by the
+bridle.</p>
+
+<p>In this manner Don Quixote returned home.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[178]</a></span>When the knight dismounted and entered the house he found his
+housekeeper and niece filled with dismay, and bewailing his loss to the
+priest and the barber, who were wont to spend many an hour in company
+with the Don, listening to the strange tales that were always on his
+tongue. The joy with which they heard his well-known knock, in the
+middle of their discourses, was somewhat spoilt when they saw the
+condition he was in, and he stopped them quickly when they flew to
+embrace him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Let no one touch me,&#8217; cried he, &#8216;for by the falling of my horse I am
+sore wounded. Carry me to bed, and summon the wise woman Urganda to heal
+me with her enchanted water.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Oh, never fear, your worship, we can cure you without her,&#8217; answered
+the housekeeper; &#8216;and right glad we are to see you back, wounded or
+not.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So between them all they bore him up the narrow stairs and laid him on
+his bed. And when he was undressed they sought his wounds, but found
+none, only a black bruise so they told him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Is it so?&#8217; he answered. &#8216;Then the deeds that I did were yet more
+valorous than I thought. It was while I was fighting with ten giants,
+the biggest and strongest who ever gave battle to any Christian knight,
+that Rozinante fell, and I with him.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Oh! so there are giants in the dance now,&#8217; whispered the priest to the
+barber. &#8216;I will not close my eyes this night till the books which have
+brought this evil are safely in the fire.&#8217; And, so saying, they left Don
+Quixote to sleep.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">He was still sleeping next morning, when the priest came to ask for the
+keys of the little room where Don Quixote kept the old books he so much
+loved. They were handed to him with joy by the girl, who held books to
+be the enemy of all mankind, and when they all four <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[179]</a></span>entered they found
+more than a hundred volumes large and small, which was a great number
+for so poor a gentleman. One by one the priest examined them, and
+condemned them to the flames, unless by chance there was any doubt about
+their wickedness; that is, unless they had been written by a friend of
+the priest. In these cases, after the barber had been consulted, the
+books escaped the doom of the rest.</p>
+
+<p>For fifteen days Don Quixote stayed at home and seemed content to stay
+there, passing the evenings in talk with the priest and the barber.
+Nothing was needed, he said, to put right the wrongs of the world, save
+a new order of knighthood, of which he had set the example. After much
+of this talk he suddenly remembered that a knight ever had a squire
+riding behind him, and that before he rode forth on his next quest he
+must needs provide himself with such an one. This was almost as hard a
+matter as finding a liege lady, but at length he bethought him of a poor
+peasant living in the same village, who possessed a wife and children,
+and not much else. This man he sent for, and promised him such great
+things and such noble rewards that Sancho Panza, for such was his name,
+readily agreed to serve him. &#8216;Who knows,&#8217; said Don Quixote, &#8216;what island
+I may conquer, and it would then fall to you to be the governor, or if
+you disdain the island, and would prefer to follow my fortune, I can
+make you Count at least! But, remember, my business admits of no delay,
+and next week we go forth to seek adventures. Meanwhile, I will give you
+money wherewith to provide all that is needful for our journeying, and
+take heed that you bring wallets with you.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Worshipful knight,&#8217; answered Sancho <a name="corr5" id="corr5"></a>Panza, &#8216;I will do all that you bid
+me, but, by your leave, I will bring my ass also, for she is a good ass,
+and never did I walk when a beast was at hand.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I know not,&#8217; replied Don Quixote, &#8216;if any knight <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[180]</a></span>was ever yet followed
+by a squire mounted on an ass&#8217;s back. Yet, bring the beast, for it will
+doubtless not be long before I meet some discourteous knight, whom I
+will speedily overcome, and his horse shall be yours.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>When all was ready, Sancho Panza bade his wife and children farewell,
+and, joining his master, they rode for some hours across a wide plain
+without seeing anything which would enable them to prove their valour.
+At length Don Quixote reined up Rozinante with a jerk, and turning to
+his squire he said:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Fortune is on our side, friend Sancho. Look there, what huge giants are
+standing in a row! thirty of them at the least! It is a glorious chance
+for a new-made knight to give battle to these giants, and to rid the
+country of this wretched horde.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;What giants?&#8217; asked Sancho, staring about him. &#8216;I see none.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Those drawn up over there,&#8217; replied the Don. &#8216;Never did I behold such
+arms! Those nearest us must be two miles long.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Go not within reach of them, good master,&#8217; answered Sancho anxiously,
+&#8216;for they are no giants, but windmills, and what you take for arms are
+the sails, by which the wind turns the mill-stones.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;How little do you know, friend Sancho, of these sorts of adventures!&#8217;
+replied Don Quixote. &#8216;I tell you, those are no windmills, but giants.
+Know, however, that I will have no man with me who shivers with fear at
+the sight of a foe, so if you are afraid you had better fall to praying,
+and I will fight them alone.&#8217;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 290px;">
+<a name="illus_page_181" id="illus_page_181"></a><a href="images/p181-full.png"><img src="images/p181.png" width="290" height="482" alt="Don Quixote, on his horse and bearing a lance, and Sancho Panza on his donkey, approaching the windmills" title="DON QUIXOTE DETERMINES TO ATTACK THE WINDMILLS" /></a>
+<span class="caption">DON QUIXOTE DETERMINES TO ATTACK THE WINDMILLS</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>And with that he put spurs to Rozinante and galloped towards the
+windmills, heedless of the shouts of Sancho Panza, which indeed he never
+heard. Bending his body and holding his lance in rest, like all the
+pictures of knights when charging, he rushed on, crying as he went, &#8216;Do
+not fly from me, cowards that you are! It is but a single knight with
+whom you must do battle!&#8217; And, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[181]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182"><br />[182]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183"><br /><br />[183]</a></span>calling on the Lady Dulcinea to come
+to his aid, he thrust his lance through the sail of the nearest
+windmill, which happened to be turned by a sharp gust of wind. The sail
+struck Rozinante so violently on the side that he and his master rolled
+over together, while the lance broke into small pieces.</p>
+
+<p>When Sancho Panza saw what had befallen the Don&mdash;though indeed it was no
+more than he had expected&mdash;he rode up hastily to give him help. Both man
+and horse were half stunned with the blow; but, though Don Quixote&#8217;s
+body was bruised, his spirit was unconquered, and to Sancho&#8217;s complaint
+that no one could have doubted that the windmills were giants save those
+who had other windmills in their brains, he only answered:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Be silent, my friend, and do not talk of things of which you know
+nothing. For of this I am sure, that the enchanter Friston, who robbed
+me of my books, has changed these knights into windmills to rob me of my
+glory also. But in the end, his black arts will have little power
+against my keen blade!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I pray that it may be so,&#8217; said Sancho, as he still held the stirrup
+for his master, when he struggled, not without pain, to mount Rozinante.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Sit straighter in your saddle,&#8217; went on the worthy man; &#8216;you lean too
+much on one side, but that doubtless comes from the fall you have had.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You speak truly,&#8217; replied Don Quixote; &#8216;and if I do not complain of my
+hurt, it is because it was never heard that any knight complained of a
+wound, however sore!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;If that is so, I am thankful that I am only a squire,&#8217; answered Sancho;
+&#8216;for this I can say, that I shall cry as loud as I please for any pain,
+however little it may be&mdash;unless squires are forbidden to cry out as
+well as knights-errant.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>At this Don Quixote laughed, in spite of his hurts, and bade him
+complain whenever he pleased, for squires might lawfully do what was
+forbidden to knighthood.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[184]</a></span> And with that the conversation ended, as
+Sancho declared it was their hour for dinner.</p>
+
+<p>Towards three o&#8217;clock they returned to the road, which Don Quixote had
+left on catching sight of the windmills. But before entering it the
+knight thought well to give a warning to his squire.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I would have you know, brother Sancho,&#8217; said he, &#8216;that in whatsoever
+danger you may see me you shall stand aside, and never seek to defend
+me, unless those who set on me should come of base forefathers, and not
+be people of gentle birth. For if those who attack me are knights, it is
+forbidden by the laws of chivalry that a knight be attacked by any man
+that has himself not received the honour of knighthood.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Your lordship shall be obeyed in all that you say,&#8217; answered Sancho,
+&#8216;and the more readily that I am a man of peace, and like not brawls.
+But, see, who are these that approach us?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>The question was natural, for the procession advancing along the road
+was a strange one, even at that day. First came two monks of the Order
+of St. Benedict, mounted on mules so large that Don Quixote, with some
+reason, took them to be dromedaries. The better to conceal their faces
+they had masks, and carried parasols. After them came a coach which had
+for a guard four or five mounted men and two muleteers, and inside the
+coach was seated a lady on her way to join her husband in the city of
+Seville. In reality the monks were strangers to her, and had nothing to
+do with her party, but this Don Quixote did not know, and, being ever on
+the watch to give help to any who needed it, he said:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Either my eyes deceive me, or this is the most wonderful adventure that
+ever fell to the lot of a knight. For those black shapeless monsters
+that you see yonder are magicians carrying off some princess, and I must
+undo this wrong with all the strength I have.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Look you, master,&#8217; answered Sancho hastily, &#8216;if you <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[185]</a></span>take up with this
+adventure, you will fare worse than you did with the windmills. Those
+are no magicians but monks of St. Benedict, while the others are
+travellers, journeying for business or pleasure. Think, I pray you, lest
+it be a snare of the Evil One.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I have often told you, Sancho, that, being what you are, you can know
+nothing of adventures,&#8217; replied Don Quixote; &#8216;but what I have said, I
+do, as you will see&#8217;; and as he spoke he planted himself in the middle
+of the road, and awaited the approach of the friars.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as they drew near enough for his voice to reach their ears, Don
+Quixote cried loudly:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Fiends and scum of all the wicked, set free on this instant the captive
+princess whom you hold imprisoned in that coach, or else prepare for
+death, which is the just punishment of all your crimes.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>The monks reined in their mules and stared at Don Quixote, whose figure,
+to say truth, was no less startling than his words. At first they were
+very angry, then gentler counsels prevailed, and they answered:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Fair sir, we are neither fiends nor scum, but only two friars of St.
+Benedict, who are riding peacefully along the king&#8217;s highway, and know
+nothing of any captive princess.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Miscreants that you are, do you think I am a man to be deceived by
+false speeches?&#8217; cried the Don, now beside himself with fury, and,
+dashing with his lance in rest at the friar next him, he would indeed
+have given him his last shrift had not the monk slipped cleverly from
+the other side of his saddle, so that the lance passed over his head.
+His companion, fearing that like treatment was in store for him,
+galloped away with all his might.</p>
+
+<p>As for the squire, directly he saw the man fall to the ground he ran up
+and began to strip off his clothes, till he was stopped in this
+proceeding by a blow on his head from one of the attendants of the two
+monks. The friar, left to himself, jumped on his mule, and rode off
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[186]</a></span>pale and trembling to rejoin his companion, while Don Quixote busied
+himself with conversing with the lady in the coach, and assuring her of
+his protection.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">It were long indeed to tell of the many battles delivered by Don
+Quixote, who troubled himself little about the sore wounds he received
+on his own body as long as he could give aid to those in distress. What
+grieved him far more than mere sword-thrusts or bruises was the loss of
+his helmet.</p>
+
+<p>But, come what might, his spirit was never daunted, though he could not
+deny that, as Sancho Panza truly said, never had they gained any battle,
+unless they counted one which was doubtful, and even at that the knight
+had come off the poorer by half an ear and half a helmet.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;From the first day we set out,&#8217; went on the good squire, &#8216;until this
+moment, we have received nothing but blows and more blows, beatings and
+more beatings, over and above the tossing I once got in a blanket. And
+you tell me that the fellows who maltreat me so are enchanted, and would
+not feel my blows if I had a chance of returning them. In truth, my eyes
+are too dull to see where lies the pleasure of conquering one&#8217;s foes, of
+which your worship is always telling me.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Ah, Sancho, that is just what grieves me,&#8217; answered Don Quixote sadly;
+&#8216;but henceforth I will seek to gird myself always with a sword that
+shall be enchanted in such a manner that it will defend me from any
+spells they may try to throw over me. Maybe that Fortune will send me
+that of Amadis, one of the keenest blades in the world, and the best
+sword that ever knight had. But look, do you see that cloud of dust
+rising out there? That tells us that a large army, made up of men and
+nations without number, are marching towards us.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;By that way of reckoning,&#8217; answered the squire, &#8216;another army must be
+advancing to meet them, for behind us the cloud is just as thick.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[187]</a></span>&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Filled with joy at the thought of fighting two armies, Don Quixote
+turned to look, and his heart beat high. The dust was so thick that
+neither he nor Sancho could perceive that the clouds of dust were caused
+by two immense flocks of sheep. To the mind of the knight they <i>could</i>
+be nothing but vast armies, and this he declared so positively that at
+length Sancho Panza came to believe it also. The squire, however, looked
+on the fact with very different feelings to his master, and asked
+anxiously:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Noble sir, what are we to do?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;What <i>can</i> we do,&#8217; replied the knight, &#8216;except fly to the help of those
+who need it? For you must know, friend Sancho, that the army in front of
+us is led by the Emperor Alifanfaron, while the other, which is marching
+to meet him, is Pentapolin of the Uplifted Arm, so called because he
+rides into battle with his right arm bare.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;And what is their quarrel?&#8217; asked Sancho.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Alifanfaron is a Moslem, yet desires to marry the daughter of
+Pentapolin,&#8217; replied Don Quixote, &#8216;but her father will not give her to
+him till he ceases to be an unbeliever.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;By my beard,&#8217; cried Sancho, &#8216;if I see this Pentapolin driven back I
+will strike a blow for him with all my might.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;And you will do well,&#8217; replied Don Quixote, &#8216;for in such battles it is
+not necessary to be a knight.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;But what shall I do with my ass?&#8217; inquired the squire anxiously, &#8216;for I
+suppose that until this day no man has ever yet ridden into combat on an
+ass.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Let him loose,&#8217; said Don Quixote, &#8216;and think no more of him, for after
+we have vanquished our enemies we shall have such choice of horses that
+I may light upon one even better than Rozinante! But let us stand on
+yonder little hill, for I would fain describe to you the names and arms
+of the noble knights that are approaching.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[188]</a></span>&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>For a long while he spoke, telling his squire of the countries from
+which those leaders of the armies had come. And truly it was wonderful
+to listen to him, seeing that they were all children of his own brain.
+From time to time Sancho Panza stared hard at the dust, trying to see as
+much as his master, and at last he cried:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;If there is a knight or a giant there, they must be enchanted like the
+rest; for, look as I may, I cannot see them.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;How can you speak such words?&#8217; answered Don Quixote reproachfully. &#8216;Do
+you not hear the horses neighing, the drums beating, the trumpets
+sounding?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;No, I hear nothing of all that,&#8217; replied Sancho stoutly; &#8216;all <i>I</i> hear
+is the bleating of sheep and of ewes.&#8217; And as he spoke the dust was
+lifted by the wind, and he saw the two flocks in front of them.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It is the deadly fear which has overtaken you,&#8217; answered Don Quixote,
+&#8216;which has clouded your eyes and ears, and made everything seem
+different from what it is. If you are afraid, stand aside then, for my
+arm alone carries victory with it&#8217;; and, so saying, he touched Rozinante
+with his spurs, and with his lance in rest galloped down the hill,
+unheeding the cries of Sancho, who shrieked out that it was only a flock
+of sheep that he saw, and that there were neither giants nor knights to
+fight with.</p>
+
+<p>He might have spared his voice, for Don Quixote, if he heard him, which
+is doubtful, rode on without turning his head, shouting defiance at the
+Moslem leader, and spearing the sheep which could not get out of his
+way, as if they were indeed the soldiers he took them for.</p>
+
+<p>When the shepherds had recovered from this unexpected onslaught, they
+shouted with all their might to Don Quixote to leave off spearing their
+sheep, but, as he paid no heed to their warnings, they took out the
+slings they carried with them, and whirling them round their heads let
+fly large stones. Don Quixote, however, cared <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[189]</a></span>no more for the stones
+than he had done for the cries, and galloped up and down wildly, calling
+as he went:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Proud Alifanfaron, where can I find you? I, a solitary knight,
+challenge you to meet me in single combat, that I may avenge the wrongs
+that you have done to the noble Pentapolin!&#8217; Doubtless the knight would
+have said still more had not a stone hit him on his side at that very
+moment, breaking two of his ribs. At first he thought he was dead, but,
+recollecting the balsam which he kept in his wallet, he drank a draught
+of it, although it was only intended to be laid on the outside of wounds
+and bruises.</p>
+
+<p>He was still in the act of swallowing it when another missile struck him
+full on the face, and knocked out some of his teeth. He reeled in his
+saddle from the blow, and then fell heavily to the ground.</p>
+
+<p>The shepherds, frightened at what they had done, ran up to look at him,
+and seeing him lying there senseless, drove quickly off the rest of
+their flock, leaving the seven that Don Quixote had speared stretched
+beside him.</p>
+
+<p>Directly the shepherds had departed, Sancho Panza came down to look
+after his master, and finding him bruised and bleeding, but not stunned,
+he fell to reproaching him for his folly. But the knight only answered
+that if the enemies around him seemed to bear the likeness of sheep, it
+was only because they had been enchanted, and that their fellows now
+marching along the road would soon regain their proper shape, and become
+straight men and tall again.</p>
+
+<p>Then, with Sancho&#8217;s help, he mounted Rozinante, and the two rode slowly
+along the road, hoping that they might shortly discover an inn, where
+they could get food and rest.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[190]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="THE_ADVENTURE_OF_THE_BOBBING_LIGHTS" id="THE_ADVENTURE_OF_THE_BOBBING_LIGHTS"></a><i>THE ADVENTURE OF THE BOBBING LIGHTS</i></h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">Both</span> Rozinante and his master had fared so ill at the hands of the
+shepherds that they journeyed but slowly, and darkness fell without
+their having reached an inn, or even caught sight of one. This grieved
+sorely both knight and squire, for not only did all Don Quixote&#8217;s bones
+ache from the stoning he had undergone, but somehow or other their
+wallets had been also lost, and it was many hours since they had broken
+their fast.</p>
+
+<p>In this plight they travelled, man and beast hanging their heads with
+fatigue, when they saw on the road, coming towards them, a great
+multitude of lights, bobbing up and down, as if all the stars of heaven
+were shifting their places. Neither Don Quixote nor Sancho felt much at
+their ease at this strange spectacle, and both pulled up their beasts,
+and waited trembling. Even Don Quixote feared he knew not what, and the
+hair stood up on his head, in spite of his valour, as he said to Sancho:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;There lies before me, Sancho, a great and perilous adventure, and one
+in which I must bear a stout heart.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It seems to be an adventure of phantoms,&#8217; whispered Sancho fearfully,
+&#8216;which never was to my liking.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Whatever phantoms they be,&#8217; answered the knight, &#8216;they shall not touch
+a hair of your head,&#8217; replied Don Quixote soothingly. &#8216;If they mocked at
+you in the inn, it was for reason that I could not leap the fence. But
+here, where the ground is open, I can lay about me as I will.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[191]</a></span>&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;And what if they bewitch you, as they did that other time?&#8217; asked the
+squire. &#8216;How much will the open ground profit you then&#8217;?</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Trust to me,&#8217; replied Don Quixote, &#8216;for my experience is greater than
+yours&#8217;; and Sancho said no more.</p>
+
+<p>They stood a little on one side watching the lights approaching, and
+soon they saw a host of men clad in white riding along the road. The
+squire&#8217;s teeth chattered at the sight of them, and his terror increased
+when he was able to make out that the moving stars were flaming torches
+which men in white shirts carried in their hands, and that behind them
+followed a litter draped in black. After the litter came six other men
+dressed in black and mounted on mules. And Sancho had no doubt that he
+saw before him shadows from the next world.</p>
+
+<p>Though Don Quixote&#8217;s heart quailed for a moment at the strangeness of
+the vision, he soon recalled his valour. In an instant his fancy had
+changed the litter into a bier, and the occupant into a knight who had
+been done to death by foul means, and whom he was bound in honour to
+avenge. So he moved forward to the middle of the road, and cried in a
+loud voice:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Proud knights, whoever you may be, stand and give me account of
+yourselves, and tell me who it is that lies in that bier. For either you
+have done an ill deed to some man, or else a wrong has been done to
+you.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Pardon me, fair sir,&#8217; answered the foremost of the white-shirted men,
+<a name="corr6" id="corr6"></a>&#8216;but we are in haste, and the inn is far. We have no time for
+parleying.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>This reply only confirmed Don Quixote&#8217;s worst suspicions.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Stop, or you are a dead man,&#8217; cried he in tones of thunder. &#8216;Tell me
+who you are and whither you are going, or else I will fight you all&#8217;;
+and with that he seized the mule by the bridle. The mule, not being used
+to such rough treatment, reared herself up on her hind legs, so that her
+rider slipped off <a name="corr7" id="corr7"></a>her back. At this <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[192]</a></span>sight one of the other men ran to
+his aid, calling the knight all the ill names he could think of, which
+so inflamed the anger of Don Quixote that he laid about him with his
+spear on every side. Even Rozinante seemed to have gotten a new spirit
+as well as a new body, for he turned him about so nimbly that soon the
+plain was covered with flying white men, still holding the bobbing
+torches. The mourners who rode behind did not escape so easily, for
+their long skirts and cloaks hindered them from moving, and Don Quixote
+struck and beat them just as he would, till they took him to be a giant
+or enchanter rather than a man.</p>
+
+<p>Sancho, as was his custom, bore no part in the fray, but stood by and
+said to himself: &#8216;Had ever any man such a master!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>When Don Quixote&#8217;s rage was somewhat abated, he paused and gazed about
+him. Then, seeing a burning torch lying on the ground, and a figure near
+it, he went up, and perceived by the light that it was the man whom he
+had first attacked.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Yield, or I will slay you!&#8217; he shouted, and the man answered grimly:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I seem to have &#8220;yielded&#8221; as much as can be required of me, as my leg is
+broken. If you are indeed a Christian knight, I pray you of your
+nobility to spare my life, as I am a member of the Holy Church.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Who brought you here, then?&#8217; asked Don Quixote.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Who? My ill fortune,&#8217; replied he. &#8216;I and the eleven priests who have
+fled with the torches set forth as escort to the body of the gentleman
+that lies in the litter, bearing it to its tomb in the city of Segovia,
+where he was born.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;And who killed him?&#8217; said Don Quixote, who never imagined that any man
+could die naturally.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;He died by reason of a most pestilent fever,&#8217; answered the wounded man.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Then,&#8217; replied Don Quixote, &#8216;I am delivered from the duty of avenging
+his death, which would otherwise <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[193]</a></span>have fallen to me. For in case you are
+ignorant, I would have you know that I am the knight Don Quixote de la
+Mancha, and it is my place to wander through the world, helping those
+that suffer wrongs and punishing those who inflict them.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;As to helping those who suffer wrongs,&#8217; replied the churchman, &#8216;for my
+part I can see nothing but that it is you and no other who have
+inflicted the wrong upon me. For whereas I was whole before, you have
+given me a thrust which has broken my leg, and I shall remain injured
+for ever.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You and your friends the priests,&#8217; answered Don Quixote, in no wise
+abashed by this remark, &#8216;have wrought the evil yourselves by coming in
+such wise, and by night, that no man could think but that you were ill
+creatures from another world.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Then, if you repent you of the wrong that you have done me,&#8217; said the
+man, &#8216;I pray you, worshipful knight, to deliver my leg from the bondage
+of this ass, who has my leg fastened between the stirrup and the
+saddle.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>The kind heart of Don Quixote was shocked at his thoughtlessness, and he
+answered quickly:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You should have told me of your pain before, or I might have talked on
+till to-morrow&#8217;; and he called to Sancho Panza, who was busily robbing
+the mule that carried the provisions. Hearing his master&#8217;s voice, Sancho
+left off with an ill grace, and, placing the bag of food on his own
+donkey, went to see what his master wanted.</p>
+
+<p>Between them both they set the mule on its feet, and the man on its
+saddle. Don Quixote then put the torch in his hand and bade him ride
+after his companions, and not to forget to ask their pardon in his name
+for the wrong he had unconsciously done them.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;And,&#8217; added the squire, &#8216;if your friends should ask the name of this
+gentleman, who now craves their forgiveness, tell them that it is the
+famous Don Quixote, the Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance!&#8217;</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[194]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="THE_HELMET_OF_MAMBRINO" id="THE_HELMET_OF_MAMBRINO"></a><i>THE HELMET OF MAMBRINO</i></h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">The</span> morning after the last adventure Don Quixote and his squire were
+riding along the road, when the knight saw in front of him a man on
+horseback, with something on his head which looked as if it were made of
+gold.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;If my eyes do not deceive me,&#8217; he said, turning to Sancho Panza, &#8216;here
+comes one who wears on his head the helmet of Mambrino.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;If I had your worship&#8217;s leave to speak,&#8217; answered Sancho, who was by
+this time beginning to learn a little wisdom, &#8216;I could give many reasons
+to show that you are mistaken.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;How <i>can</i> I be mistaken?&#8217; cried Don Quixote angrily. &#8216;Do not you see
+for yourself that a knight is coming towards us, mounted on a grey horse
+and with a golden helmet on his head?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;All that <i>I</i> can see,&#8217; replied the squire, &#8216;is that the man is mounted
+on a grey donkey like my own, and he has on his head something that
+glitters.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;What you see,&#8217; answered Don Quixote solemnly, &#8216;is the helmet of
+Mambrino.<a name="FNanchor_194-1_1" id="FNanchor_194-1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_194-1_1" class="fnanchor">[194-1]</a> Go, stand aside and let <i>me</i> deal with him, for without
+even speaking to him I will get possession of his helmet, for which my
+soul has always longed.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Truth to tell, the real story of the helmet, for so Don Quixote took it
+to be, was very simple. A rich man who lived in a village only a few
+miles away had sent for the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[195]</a></span>nearest barber to shave and bleed him. The
+man started, taking with him a brass basin, which he was accustomed to
+use, and, as a shower of rain soon came on, he put the basin on his head
+to save his hat, which was a new one. The ass, as Sancho Panza rightly
+said, was very like his own.</p>
+
+<p>The good man was jogging comfortably along, thinking what he would like
+for supper, when suddenly he saw Don Quixote galloping towards him, head
+bent and lance in rest. As he drew near he cried loudly:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Defend yourself, or give me up the helmet, to which you have no right.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>The barber was so taken by surprise that for a moment he did nothing;
+then he had only just time to escape the lance thrust by sliding off his
+ass and running so swiftly over the plain that even the wind could
+scarcely overtake him. In his flight the basin fell from his head, to
+the great pleasure of Don Quixote, who bade his squire bring it to him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;The Unbeliever who wore this helmet first must have had indeed a large
+head,&#8217; cried he, turning it over in his hands, seeking the vizor; &#8216;yet,
+even so, half of it is wanting.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>At this Sancho began to laugh, and his master asked him what he found to
+divert him so much.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I cannot but laugh when I think how large was the head of the
+Unbeliever,&#8217; replied Sancho gravely, knowing that the knight did not
+love the mirth of other men. &#8216;But, to my mind, the helmet looks exactly
+like a barber&#8217;s basin.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Listen to me,&#8217; answered Don Quixote, &#8216;and I will tell you what has
+happened. By a strange accident this famous helmet must have fallen to
+the lot of someone who did not know the value of his prize. But, seeing
+it was pure gold, he melted half of it for his own uses, and the rest he
+made into a barber&#8217;s basin. Be sure that in the first village where I
+can meet with a skilled workman<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[196]</a></span> I will have it restored to its own
+shape again, and meanwhile I will wear it as it is, for half a helmet is
+better than none.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;And what,&#8217; inquired Sancho, &#8216;shall we do with the grey horse that looks
+so like an ass? The beast is a good beast.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Leave the ass or horse, whichever it pleases you to call it,&#8217; replied
+the Don, &#8216;for no knight ever takes the steed of his foe, unless it is
+won in fair fight. And perchance, when we have ridden out of sight, its
+master will come back and seek for it.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Sancho, however, was not overmuch pleased by this speech.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Truly the laws of chivalry are strict,&#8217; he grumbled, &#8216;if they will not
+let a man change one donkey for another! And is it forbidden to change
+the pack-saddle also?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Of that I am in doubt,&#8217; replied Don Quixote; &#8216;and until I have certain
+information on this point, if your need is great, you may take what you
+need.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Sancho hardly expected such good fortune to befall him, and stripping
+the ass of his harness he speedily put it upon his own beast, and then
+laid out the dinner he had stolen from the sumpter mule for himself and
+his master.</p>
+
+<p>Not long after this event, as Don Quixote and his squire were riding
+along the road, discoursing as they went of matters of chivalry, they
+saw approaching them from a distance a dozen men or more, with iron
+chains round their necks, stringing them together like beads on a
+rosary, and bearing iron fetters on their hands. By their side were two
+men on horseback carrying firelocks, and two on foot with swords and
+spears.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Look!&#8217; cried Sancho Panza, &#8216;here come a gang of slaves, sent to the
+galleys by the king.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;What is that you say&mdash;<i>sent</i>?&#8217; asked Don Quixote. &#8216;Can any king <i>send</i>
+his subjects where they have no mind to go?<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[197]</a></span>&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;They are men who have been guilty of many crimes,&#8217; replied the squire,
+&#8216;and to punish them they are being led by force to the galleys.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;They go,&#8217; inquired Don Quixote, &#8216;by force and not willingly?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You speak truly,&#8217; answered Sancho Panza.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Then if that is so,&#8217; said the knight, &#8216;it is my duty to set them free.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;But think a moment, your worship,&#8217; cried Sancho, terrified at the
+consequences of this new idea; &#8216;they are bad men, and deserve punishment
+for the crimes they have committed.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Don Quixote was silent. In fact, he had heard nothing of what his squire
+had said. Instead he rode up to the galley-slaves, who by this time were
+quite near, and politely begged one of the soldiers who had charge of
+them to tell him of his courtesy where these people were going, and why
+they were chained in such a manner.</p>
+
+<p>The guard, who had never read any of the romances of chivalry, and was
+quite ignorant of the speech of knights, answered roughly that they were
+felons going to the galleys, and that was all that mattered to anybody.
+But Don Quixote was not to be put aside like this.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;By your leave,&#8217; he said, &#8216;I would speak with them, and ask of every man
+the reason of his misfortune.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Now this civility of the knight made the soldiers feel ashamed of their
+own rudeness, so one of them replied more gently than before:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;We have here set down the crimes of every man singly, but if your
+worship pleases you may inquire of the prisoners yourself. And be sure
+you will hear all about their tricks, and more too, for it is a mighty
+pleasure to them to tell their tales.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>The soldier spoke truly; and wonderful were the stories which Don
+Quixote listened to and believed, until the knight, smitten by
+compassion, turned to the guards <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[198]</a></span>and implored them to set free the poor
+fellows, whose sins would be punished elsewhere.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I ask you to do this as a favour,&#8217; he ended, &#8216;for I would willingly owe
+you this grace. But, if you deny me, my arm and my sword will teach you
+to do it by force.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;That is a merry jest indeed,&#8217; cried the soldier. &#8216;So we are to let go
+the king&#8217;s prisoners just because you tell us to do it. You had better
+mind your own business, fair sir, and set that pot straight on your
+head, and do not waste your time in looking for five feet in a cat.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Don Quixote was so furious at the man&#8217;s words that he felled him to the
+earth with a blow from his sword, while for a moment the other guards
+stood mute from surprise. Then seizing their weapons they rushed at Don
+Quixote, who sat firm in his saddle as became a knight, awaiting their
+onslaught. But for all his valour it would have gone hard with him had
+not the attention of the soldiers been hastily called off by the
+galley-slaves, who were taking advantage of the tumult to break their
+fetters. The chief among them had snatched the sword and firelock of the
+man whom Don Quixote had overthrown, and by merely pointing it at the
+other guards he so frightened them that they fled in all directions,
+followed by a shower of stones from the rest of the captives.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Let us depart from here,&#8217; whispered Sancho Panza, knowing better than
+his master in what a sorry plight they might presently find themselves.
+&#8216;If we once reach those hills, none can overtake us.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It is well,&#8217; replied the knight; &#8216;but first I must settle this matter,&#8217;
+and, calling together the prisoners, he bade them go with all speed and
+present themselves before the Lady Dulcinea del Toboso, and say that
+they had come by the command of the Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance,
+and further to relate the doughty deeds by which they had been set free.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 489px;">
+<a name="illus_page_199" id="illus_page_199"></a><a href="images/p199-full.png"><img src="images/p199.png" width="489" height="312" alt="A group of people throwing stones at the mounted Don Quixote and at Sancho Panza, hiding behind his donkey" title="How the Galley Slaves repaid DON QUIXOTE" /></a>
+<span class="caption smcap">How the Galley Slaves repaid DON QUIXOTE</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>At this the convicts only laughed, and replied that if <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[199]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200"><br />[200]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201"><br /><br />[201]</a></span>they were to
+fulfil his desires and travel together in a body they would soon be
+taken captive by their enemies, and would be no better off than before,
+but that in gratitude for his services they would be willing to pray for
+him, which they could do at their leisure.</p>
+
+<p>This discourse enraged Don Quixote nearly as much as the words of the
+guard had done, and he answered the fellow in terms so abusive that the
+convict&#8217;s patience, which was never very great, gave way altogether, and
+he and his comrades, picking up what stones lay about, flung them with
+such hearty goodwill at the knight and Rozinante, that at length they
+knocked him right out of the saddle. The man then dragged the basin from
+his head, and after dealing him some mighty blows with it dashed it to
+the ground, where it broke in pieces. They next took the coat which he
+wore over his armour, and stripped the squire of all but his shirt.
+Having done this, they went their ways, fearing lest they might be
+overtaken.</p>
+
+
+<div class="footnotes">
+
+<p><a name="Footnote_194-1_1" id="Footnote_194-1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_194-1_1"><span class="label">[194-1]</span></a> Mambrino was one of the Moorish kings, to whom the
+helmet belonged. He who wore it could not be wounded in battle.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[202]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="HOW_DON_QUIXOTE_WAS_ENCHANTED" id="HOW_DON_QUIXOTE_WAS_ENCHANTED"></a><i>HOW DON QUIXOTE WAS ENCHANTED WHILE GUARDING THE CASTLE</i></h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">In</span> the course of their adventures Don Quixote and his squire found
+themselves at the door of an inn which they had already visited, where
+they met with many friends. The hours were passed in pleasant discourse,
+and in the telling and reading of strange stories; the company parted at
+night well satisfied with their entertainment.</p>
+
+<p>Don Quixote, however, did not share in these joys, for he was sorely
+cast down by reason of wounds he had received a few days previously in
+seeking to right a wrong. So, leaving the remainder of the guests to
+each other&#8217;s society, he threw himself on the bed that had been made for
+him, and soon fell fast asleep.</p>
+
+<p>The guests below had forgotten all about him, so absorbed were they in
+the interest of a tale of woeful ending, when the voice of Sancho Panza
+burst upon their ears.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Hasten! hasten! good sirs; hasten and help my master in the hardest
+battle I have ever seen him fight. By my faith, he has dealt such a blow
+to the giant that his head he has cut clean off.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;What is that you say?&#8217; asked the priest, who was reading out the tale.
+&#8216;Are you out of your senses, Sancho?&#8217; But his question was lost in a
+furious noise from above, in which Don Quixote might be heard crying:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Rogue, thief, villain! I have you fast, and little <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[203]</a></span>will your sword
+avail you&#8217;; then followed loud blows against the wall.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 288px;">
+<a name="illus_page_203" id="illus_page_203"></a><a href="images/p203-full.png"><img src="images/p203.png" width="288" height="380" alt="Don Quixote fighting the wine-skins hanging from the ceiling of the room in the inn" title="DON QUIXOTE&#8217;S BATTLE WITH THE WINE-SKINS" /></a>
+<span class="caption">DON QUIXOTE&#8217;S BATTLE WITH THE WINE-SKINS</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>&#8216;Quick, quick! don&#8217;t stand there listening, but fly to the aid of my
+master. Though, indeed, by this time <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[204]</a></span>there can be little need, for the
+giant must be dead already, and will trouble the world no more. For I
+saw his blood spurt and run all over the floor, and his head is cut off
+and fallen to one side.&#8217;<a name="corr8" id="corr8"></a></p>
+
+<p>&#8216;As I am alive,&#8217; exclaimed the innkeeper, &#8216;I fear that Don Quixote has
+been fighting with one of the wine-skins that I put to hang near the
+bed, and it is wine not blood that is spilt on the ground.&#8217; And he ran
+into the room, followed by the rest, to see what had really happened.</p>
+
+<p>They all stopped short at the sight of Don Quixote, who did, in truth,
+present a most strange figure. The only garments he had on were a shirt
+and a little red cap; his legs were bare, and round his left arm was
+rolled the bed covering, while in the right he held a sword, with which
+he was cutting and thrusting at everything about him, uttering cries all
+the while, as if in truth he were engaged in deadly combat with a giant.
+Yet his eyes were tight shut, and it was clear to all that he was fast
+asleep; but in his dream he had slashed at so many of the skins that the
+whole room was full of wine. When the innkeeper perceived this, the loss
+of his wine so enraged him that he in his turn flew at the knight, and
+struck him such hard blows with his fists that, had not the priest and
+another man pulled him off, the war with the giant would soon have
+ended.</p>
+
+<p>Still, curious to say, it was not until a pannikin of cold water had
+been poured over him by the barber that Don Quixote awoke, and even then
+he did not understand what he had been doing, and why he stood there in
+such a dress.</p>
+
+<p>Now the priest had caught hold of Don Quixote&#8217;s hands, so that he should
+not beat those who were pouring the water over him, and the knight,
+having only partly come to his senses, took him for the princess, for
+whose sake he had made war on the giant.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Fair and gracious lady,&#8217; he said, falling on his knees,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[205]</a></span> &#8216;may your life
+henceforth be freed from the terror of this ill-born creature!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Well, did I not speak truly?&#8217; asked Sancho Panza proudly. &#8216;Has not my
+master properly salted the giant? I have got my earldom safe at last.&#8217;
+For Sancho never ceased to believe in the knight&#8217;s promises.</p>
+
+<p>Everyone was driven to laugh at the strange foolery of both master and
+man, except the innkeeper, whose mind was still sore at the loss of his
+wine-skins. The priest and the barber first busied themselves in getting
+Don Quixote, now quite worn out with his adventure, safely into bed, and
+then went to administer the best consolation they could to the poor man.</p>
+
+<p>Many days passed before Don Quixote was well enough to leave the inn,
+but at length he seemed to be cured of the fatigue he had undergone
+during his previous adventures, and had bidden his squire get all things
+ready for his departure. Maritornes, the servant at the inn, and the
+innkeeper&#8217;s daughter, having overheard the plans of Don Quixote,
+resolved that he should not leave them before they had played him some
+merry tricks.</p>
+
+<p>That night, when everyone else had gone to bed, and Don Quixote, armed,
+and mounted on Rozinante, was keeping guard in front of the inn, the two
+girls crept up to a loft. Nowhere in the inn was there such a thing as a
+proper window, but in the loft was a hole through which the knight could
+be seen, leaning on his lance uttering deep sighs and broken words about
+the Lady Dulcinea.</p>
+
+<p>The innkeeper&#8217;s daughter, falling in with his humour, advanced to the
+hole, and invited him to draw a little nearer. Nothing more was needed
+than for Don Quixote to imagine that the damsel was sick of love for
+him, and he told her straightway that any service he could do her short
+of proclaiming her his liege lady she might command. Upon this,
+Maritornes informed him that her <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[206]</a></span>mistress would be content were she
+permitted to kiss his hand, which Don Quixote answered might be done
+without wrong to the Lady Dulcinea. So, without more ado, he passed it
+through the hole, when it was instantly seized by Maritornes, who
+slipped a noose of rope over his wrist, and tied the other end of it
+tightly to the door of the loft.</p>
+
+<p>After that they both ran off, overflowing with laughter, leaving the
+knight to reproach them for their ill-usage.</p>
+
+<p>There the poor knight remained, mounted on Rozinante, his arm in the
+hole and his hand fastened to the door, fearing lest Rozinante should
+move and he should be left hanging. But in this he did wrong to his
+horse, who was happy enough to stand still.</p>
+
+<p>Then Don Quixote, seeing himself bound, instead of seeking to unloose
+himself as many others would have tried to do, sat quietly in his
+saddle, and dreamed dreams of the enchantment which had befallen him.
+And thus he stayed till the day dawned.</p>
+
+<p>His dreams were rudely broken into when there drew up at the inn door
+four men well armed and mounted. As no one answered their knock, they
+repeated it more loudly, when Don Quixote cried to them:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Knights or squires, or whoever you may be, it is not for you to knock
+at the gates of this castle; for sure, any man might tell that those
+within are asleep, or else it is their custom not to open until the sun
+touches the whole floor. You must wait until it is broad day, and then
+it will be seen whether you can be admitted within the gates.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;What sort of castle is this, which receives no guests without such
+ceremonies?&#8217; mocked one of the men. &#8216;If you are the innkeeper, bid your
+servants open to us without delay. We are neither knights nor squires,
+but honest travellers, who need corn for our horses, and that without
+delay.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Have I the air of an innkeeper?&#8217; asked Don Quixote loftily.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[207]</a></span>&#8216;I do not know of what you have the air,&#8217; answered the man, &#8216;but this I
+<i>do</i> know, and that is that you are jesting when you call this inn a
+castle.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;But it <i>is</i> a castle,&#8217; replied Don Quixote, &#8216;and one of the finest in
+the whole country! And within are those who carry crowns on their heads
+and sceptres in their hands.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It may well be that inside are players with crowns and sceptres both,&#8217;
+answered the traveller, &#8216;for in so small an inn no real kings and their
+trains would find a place&#8217;; and, being weary of talking, he knocked at
+the door with more violence than before.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile, one of the horses had drawn near to Rozinante, wondering what
+the strange creature could be, of a form like unto his own, but to all
+outward seeming formed of wood. Rozinante, cheered by the presence of
+one of his own kind, moved his body a little, which caused Don Quixote
+to slip from his saddle, and to remain hanging by his arm, though his
+feet almost touched the ground. The pain of thus being suspended from
+his arm was so great that, knight though he was, he shrieked in agony,
+till the people in the inn ran to the doors to see what was the matter.</p>
+
+<p>Maritornes alone, fearing punishment, slipped round another way, and
+unfastened the cord which bound Don Quixote, who dropped to the ground
+as the travellers came up, and in answer to their questions mounted
+Rozinante, and, after riding round the field, reined up suddenly in
+front of them, crying:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Whoever shall proclaim that I have suffered enchantment I give him the
+lie, and challenge him to meet me in single combat.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>But instead of answering his defiance the guests merely stood and stared
+at him, till the innkeeper whispered that he was a noble gentleman, a
+little touched in his wits, so they took no further notice of his words.
+This so enraged Don Quixote that he was only withheld from fighting them
+all by remembering that nowhere <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[208]</a></span>in the records of chivalry was it
+lawful to undertake a second adventure before the first had drawn to a
+good end.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile a new strife had begun in the inn, for two of the travellers
+who had lodged there during the night were found trying to leave the inn
+without paying their reckoning. But it happened that the landlord
+detected their purpose and held them fast, upon which the two fellows
+set on him with blows, till his daughter ran to Don Quixote and implored
+his help.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Beautiful damsel,&#8217; replied the knight slowly, &#8216;just now I cannot listen
+to your prayer, for the laws of chivalry forbid my engaging in a fresh
+adventure. But tell your father to keep his assailants at bay, while I
+ride to the Princess Micomicona, in whose service I already am, and ask
+her leave to aid him in his trouble.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;And long before your return,&#8217; cried Maritornes, &#8216;my poor master will be
+in another world&#8217;; but Don Quixote, not heeding her, turned his back,
+and, falling on his knees before a lady present, begged that she would
+grant him permission to rescue the lord of the castle.</p>
+
+<p>This being given, the knight braced on his shield and drew his sword,
+and hastened to the inn door, where the two men were still beating the
+landlord. But the moment he reached the combatants he stopped and drew
+back, in spite of the entreaties of Maritornes and of the innkeeper&#8217;s
+wife.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It has come into my mind,&#8217; he said, &#8216;that it is not lawful for me to
+give battle to any except belted knights. Now there are no knights here,
+and the task belongs to my squire Sancho, who I will bid to undertake it
+in my stead.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So the fight still raged, till at length the men&#8217;s arms grew tired,
+which, Don Quixote seeing, he persuaded them to make peace, and the two
+guests to pay the sum which they rightly owed the landlord.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[209]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="DON_QUIXOTES_HOME-COMING" id="DON_QUIXOTES_HOME-COMING"></a><i>DON QUIXOTE&#8217;S HOME-COMING</i></h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">By</span> this time the company of friends who had been passing their days so
+pleasantly at the inn, were called away by other business, but, not
+liking to leave Don Quixote to himself, they contrived a plan by which
+the priest and barber were to carry him home, where they hoped his wits
+might come back to him.</p>
+
+<p>So they set about making secretly a large cage of poles, having the
+sides latticed, so that Don Quixote should receive both air and light,
+and this cage was to be placed on a bullock-cart which happened to be
+going in the same direction. The rest of the company put on masks and
+disguised themselves in various manners, so that the knight might not
+know them again.</p>
+
+<p>These preparations being finished, they stole softly into his room at
+the dead of night and tied his hands and feet firmly together. He woke
+with a start, and, seeing the array of strange figures about him, took
+them to be the phantoms which hovered about the enchanted castle, and
+believed without doubt that he himself was enchanted likewise, for he
+could neither move nor fight.</p>
+
+<p>This reasoning pleased the priest greatly, as in just such a manner he
+had reckoned that the knight would behave. Sancho alone had been left in
+the garments that he commonly wore, and he was not deceived by the
+ghosts who passed before him. But he looked on and said nothing till he
+should see how the matter turned out.</p>
+
+<p>When all was ready, Don Quixote was picked up and carried to the cage,
+where they laid him at full length, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[210]</a></span>but taking good care to nail the
+door, so that it could not be opened. Then a voice was heard from behind
+to utter a prophecy, which Don Quixote understood to mean that he was
+setting forth on his wedding journey, and that he was to be bound in
+marriage to the Lady Dulcinea del Toboso, whose name he had always
+upheld in battle.</p>
+
+<p>The knight responded joyfully to the words he heard, beseeching the
+mighty enchanter in whose power he was not to leave him in his prison
+till these glorious promises had been fulfilled, and appealing to Sancho
+never to part from him either in good or ill fortune. Sancho bowed in
+answer and kissed his master&#8217;s hand; then the ghosts took up the cage
+and placed it on a waggon.</p>
+
+<p>Don Quixote beguiled the way after his usual fashion, recalling the
+stories of enchantments he had read, yet never finding a knight who had
+been enchanted after his fashion.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;No knight that ever <i>I</i> heard,&#8217; said he, &#8216;was drawn by such heavy and
+sluggish animals. Strange it is indeed to be carried to adventures in an
+ox-cart, instead of flying through the air on a griffin or a cloud! Yet,
+mayhap, the new chivalry, of which I am the first knight, may have new
+ways&#8217;; and with that he contented himself, and discoursed to Sancho
+about the ghosts, while Rozinante and the ass were saddled. Then Sancho
+mounted his ass and took Rozinante&#8217;s rein, the priest meanwhile giving
+the troopers a few pence a day to ride by the ox-cart as far as Don
+Quixote&#8217;s native village.</p>
+
+<p>After allowing Don Quixote to bid farewell to the good people gathered
+at the inn door, the priest, still masked, gave the signal to the
+driver, and the cart drawn by the oxen started at a foot&#8217;s pace. The
+troopers rode on each side to guard it, and behind them came Sancho
+riding on his ass, leading Rozinante, while the priest and the barber,
+mounted on a pair of fine mules, brought up the rear.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[211]</a></span>They journeyed in silence for some time, till the driver of the ox-cart,
+who was a lazy fellow, called a halt as he himself wished to rest, and
+the grass was rich and green for the oxen. Soon they were joined by a
+company of well-dressed men on horseback, who stopped in surprise on
+seeing such a strange sight as that of a man in a cage. The leader of
+the party, who made himself known to them as a canon of Toledo, entered
+into conversation with the captive knight. Don Quixote informed him that
+he was enchanted by reason of envy of his glorious deeds, which was
+denied by Sancho Panza, who declared that when he was at liberty his
+master ate, drank, and slept like other people, and if no one hindered
+him would talk more than thirty lawyers.</p>
+
+<p>The canon and his friends rode on with the priest for some distance, as
+he desired greatly to hear the tale of Don Quixote&#8217;s adventures, for
+never before had he met with such a strange man. In the heat of the day
+they again rested in a shady spot, and here, at the petition of the
+squire, Don Quixote was unloosed from his bonds and set at liberty.</p>
+
+<p>For a while he was content to pass the hours of his journey in hearing
+and telling of matters of chivalry, rejoicing to find himself once more
+on the back of Rozinante. But unfortunately the sight of a procession of
+men in white approaching him stirred up all his anger, for, as was his
+custom, he instantly divined that they were assembled for some unlawful
+purpose, though in sooth they were a body of penitents praying that rain
+might fall upon their thirsty land. He dashed up to battle, followed by
+Sancho on foot, who arrived just at the moment that his master fell to
+the ground stunned by a tremendous blow. The penitents who formed the
+procession, seeing so many men running up, received them with fists and
+candlesticks, but when one of them cast his eyes on the priest who was
+journeying with Don<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[212]</a></span> Quixote he found that he had known him formerly,
+and begged him to tell what all this might mean.</p>
+
+<p>By the time the story was told Don Quixote&#8217;s wits began to return to
+him, and he called to Sancho to put him back into the cage, as he had
+been nigh dead, and could not hold himself on Rozinante.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;With all my heart,&#8217; answered Sancho, thankful that the adventure had
+ended no worse; &#8216;and if these gentlemen will do us the honour to go with
+us, we will return home and there make plans for adventures that will
+bring us more profit and glory.&#8217;</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">The villagers were all gathered together in the great square, when at
+the end of six days a cage containing a man passed through their midst.
+The people pressed close to see who the captive might be, and when they
+saw it was Don Quixote, they sent a boy to tell his housekeeper and his
+niece that the knight had come back looking pale and lean from his
+wanderings.</p>
+
+<p>Loud were the cries raised by the good women when they saw him in so
+sorry a plight, and they undressed him and put him to bed with what
+speed they were able.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Keep him there as long as you may,&#8217; said the priest who had brought
+him; but it is whispered that this period of rest and repose did not
+last, and that soon Don Quixote might have been seen again mounted on
+Rozinante and seeking adventures.</p>
+
+<p class="titlepage">[<i>Don Quixote.</i>]</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[213]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="THE_MEETING_OF_HUON_AND_OBERON" id="THE_MEETING_OF_HUON_AND_OBERON"></a><i>THE MEETING OF HUON AND OBERON, KING OF THE FAIRIES</i></h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">In</span> the days of the emperor Charles the Great there lived two young men
+named Huon and Gerard, sons of the duke of Bordeaux and heirs of his
+lands. Now by all the rules of chivalry they were bound to hasten to
+Paris as soon as their father died and do homage to the emperor as their
+liege lord; but, like many other youths, they were careless of their
+duties, and put off the long and tedious journey from day to day.</p>
+
+<p>This conduct was particularly foolish, because there was present at the
+emperor&#8217;s court the famous earl Amaury, who, rich though he was, coveted
+the estates of the duke of Bordeaux, and whispered in the ear of his
+master that the young men were rebels and traitors. By this time Charles
+was old, and his mind, as well as his body, had waxed feeble; the crown
+was too heavy for him, and he was thinking of resigning it to his son
+Charlot. So Amaury cunningly represented to him that he must summon the
+young men to his court without delay, and then himself plotted with
+Charlot to waylay and kill them. But, though they made their plans with
+great care, fortune was on the side of Huon and Gerard, for they
+defended themselves so bravely that, though they were taken by surprise,
+Gerard only received a slight wound, while Charlot was slain by Huon.</p>
+
+<p>When Amaury returned to Paris with these dreadful tidings, the emperor
+was beside himself with anger, and ordered Amaury to fight a duel with
+Huon, who was the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[214]</a></span>elder of the two, and bid him take heed not to spare
+him. As Huon was young and slight, and Amaury one of the strongest men
+at the court, neither the emperor nor the earl ever had a moment&#8217;s doubt
+with whom the victory would lie; but if Amaury was more powerful, Huon
+was quicker on his feet, and before long he had stretched his enemy dead
+upon the ground.</p>
+
+<p>The emperor was watching the fight from a window of his palace, and his
+anger at the triumph of Huon was so great that it very near killed him.
+Still, as the duel had been fairly fought, he dared not punish Huon, and
+he was forced to content himself with sending him on a mission to the
+king of Babylon, knowing well the perils which would beset him on the
+way.</p>
+
+<p>The small vessel in which Huon sailed for Jerusalem met with so many
+dangers that oftentimes the young duke thought that he would be dead
+long before he had touched the shores of Palestine. Thrice they were
+attacked by pirates, who were hardly beaten off; twice such terrible
+storms arose that they were almost driven on the rocks, and once they
+had much ado to avoid being drawn into a whirlpool. But somehow or other
+they escaped everything, and Huon was safely landed on the holy soil
+with his uncle Garyn and a few followers.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">He was at first so thankful to be on dry land again that he felt as if
+his journey was already over, but he soon found that the worst part was
+yet to come. Leaving Jerusalem behind them, the little band entered a
+desert, dreary and boundless as far as they could see. Hunger and thirst
+they suffered, and death felt very near them, when at last they reached
+a tiny hut, before which an old man was sitting. At the sight of Huon,
+thin and wasted as he had grown, the old man broke into sobs, crying
+that his face was like unto the face of the duke of Bordeaux, whom he
+had known when he was young.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Thirty years have I dwelt in these deserts,&#8217; said <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[215]</a></span>he, &#8216;and never have
+my eyes lighted on the face of a Christian man.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Then Huon answered that he was indeed the son of the duke of Bordeaux
+whom he had known in his youth, and while they rested each man told his
+tale.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It is indeed good fortune that guided you here,&#8217; said Gerames when Huon
+had ended his story, &#8216;for without me and my counsel never would you have
+reached the kingdom of Babylon. There are two roads which lead to that
+great city; one will take you forty days, and the other fifteen days,
+but if you will be ruled by me you will travel by the longer.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;And wherefore?&#8217; asked Huon, whose body was still sore from the
+hardships he had suffered, and whose ears had been tickled with the
+tidings of the soft couches and lovely gardens of Babylon the Great.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;The short way leads through a wood which is the home of fairies and
+other strange creatures,&#8217; answered Gerames, &#8216;and in it dwells Oberon,
+the king of them all, in stature no higher than a child of three years
+old, but with a face more beautiful than any worn by mortal man. His
+voice is softer and his words more sweet than we are wont to use; but
+beware of listening to them, for should you speak to him one word, you
+will fall into his power for ever. But if you hold your peace think not
+to escape that way, for he will be so <a name="corr9" id="corr9"></a>wroth with you that he will cause
+all manner of tempests to spring up, and a great and black river to rise
+before you. Fear not to pass this river, black and swift though it be,
+for it is but a fantasy, and will not even wet the feet of your horse.
+And now that I have told you the ills that lie in that wood, I pray you
+hearken to my counsel, and ride by the way that is longer.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Huon paused before he answered. In sooth, Gerames&#8217; words had not
+awakened dread in his soul. Instead, he desired greatly to meet that
+dwarf, and to try whose will should prove strongest. So he answered that
+it would <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[216]</a></span>ill become a knight, and the son of his father, to shun a
+meeting with anyone, be he man or fairy, and it might be well for him to
+take the short road, for many adventures might befall him by the longer.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Sir,&#8217; said Gerames, &#8216;be it as you will; whichever way you take I will
+go with you.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Then Huon and Gerames rode at the rear of their company, and entered the
+wood where Oberon, king of the Fairies, abode. For two days they had
+neither food nor drink, and Huon repented him of his journey and wished
+that he had hearkened to Gerames, as perchance the other road might have
+been easier.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Let us all alight and seek for food,&#8217; said he; but at that moment,
+Oberon, richly dressed, and covered with precious stones, appeared
+before them. A magic bow was in his hand, whose arrows never failed to
+hit the beast he aimed at, while round his neck was slung a horn. Now
+this horn was unlike any other in the whole world, for one blast of it
+could cure a man&#8217;s sickness, even if he was nigh to death, or make him
+feel satisfied if he lacked meat, or joyful though he was poor, or
+summon whomsoever he wanted, if he was distant a hundred days&#8217; journey.</p>
+
+<p>Seeing the doleful plight of the little company, Oberon blew the third
+blast, and, behold! Huon and his companions began to sing and dance, as
+if good fortune had come to them.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Ah, what strange thing has come to pass!&#8217; cried the young knight. &#8216;But
+now I was like to fall from my horse from hunger, but in an instant I am
+filled and wish for nothing.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Sir,&#8217; said Gerames, &#8216;it is Oberon who has wrought this; but do not
+suffer yourself to be drawn into speech with him, or you will rue it.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Have no fears for me,&#8217; answered Huon, &#8216;I will be steadfast.&#8217;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 485px;">
+<a name="illus_page_217" id="illus_page_217"></a><a href="images/p217-full.png"><img src="images/p217.png" width="485" height="306" alt="A group of knights meeting a fairy in the forest" title="The Meeting of Huon and Oberon" /></a>
+<span class="caption">The Meeting of Huon and Oberon</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>He held his head very high when Oberon the dwarf <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[217]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218"><br />[218]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219"><br /><br />[219]</a></span>came up, and begged
+the knight to speak to him; but Huon only leaped on his horse and signed
+to his men to do likewise. At that the dwarf waxed angry, and bade a
+tempest arise, and with it came such a rain and hail that they were sore
+affrighted. Many times Gerames prayed them to take courage, for these
+were devices of the fairy king, and would not really hurt them, and as
+long as they spoke no words they would be safe.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Have no doubt of me,&#8217; answered Huon.</p>
+
+<p>For a while they lost sight of the dwarf, and Huon vainly hoped that
+they had beaten him off, and that they were rid of him. But in a little
+time they reached a bridge which spanned a great river, and on the
+bridge was Oberon himself. Fain would they have slipped past him, but
+the bridge was narrow, and Oberon stood in the middle. Once more he
+spoke soft words to Huon, and offered to do him service, but Huon held
+his peace. Again Oberon was angered sorely, and blew a blast which
+hindered the company from riding onwards, while four hundred knights of
+his own came galloping up.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Slay these men at once,&#8217; he cried, shaking with wrath, but their leader
+implored him to spare them for a space.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It will be time enough to kill them if they still keep silence,&#8217; said
+he; and Oberon agreed that he would give them yet another chance, and
+Huon and his companions rode hastily onwards.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">&#8216;We have left him full five miles behind us,&#8217; said Huon, drawing rein;
+&#8216;and now that he is not here to trouble us I will say that never in my
+life did I see so fair a creature. Nor do I think he can do us any ill.
+If he should come again, I fain would speak to him, and I pray you,
+Gerames, not to be displeased with me thereat.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Gerames&#8217; heart was heavy at these words, but he knew well the wilfulness
+of young men, and he answered <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[220]</a></span>nothing. For fifteen days they rode on,
+and Gerames began to hope that Oberon had given up their pursuit, when
+suddenly he again appeared.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Noble sir,&#8217; he said to Huon, &#8216;have you resolved in good sooth not to
+speak to me? I know all your past life, and the task set you by the
+emperor, and without my help never will you come to the end of that
+business. Therefore, be warned by me, and go no further.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You are welcome, sir,&#8217; answered Huon at last, and Oberon laughed for
+very joy.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Never did you give a greeting so profitable as this one,&#8217; he said, and
+they rode on together.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[221]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="HOW_OBERON_SAVED_HUON" id="HOW_OBERON_SAVED_HUON"></a><i>HOW OBERON SAVED HUON</i></h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">Oberon</span> was so rejoiced that Huon had at last made friends with him, that
+he did everything that he could think of to give pleasure to the knight
+and his friends.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;There is nothing in the world that I cannot have by wishing for it,&#8217;
+said he, &#8216;and all I possess is yours. And to prove that my words are not
+vain I will set before you the richest feast that ever you ate. After
+you have finished, you shall go whithersoever you will.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So they ate and drank to their hearts&#8217; content, but, before they
+departed, Oberon bade one of his fairy knights to bring him his golden
+cup, which he showed to Huon.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Behold,&#8217; he said, &#8216;this cup is empty, and will so remain, if any man
+who has done a deadly sin should seek to drink of it. But he who has led
+a goodly life, the moment that he takes it in his hands it will become
+full of wine. Make proof of it yourself, and if you are found worthy the
+cup shall be yours.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Alas, sir,&#8217; answered Huon, &#8216;I fear very greatly that I have sinned too
+deeply for that cup to have any virtue for me, but yet I have repented,
+and desire from henceforth to wrong no one.&#8217; Then he lifted the cup, and
+the wine brimmed over.</p>
+
+<p>Oberon was right glad when he saw this sight, and gave the cup into his
+keeping.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;As long as you are true and faithful, you shall never lack drink in
+it,&#8217; said he, &#8216;but if you do falsely to any man, it will lose all its
+virtue and my help will go from you also. I have likewise another gift
+for you: take this horn <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[222]</a></span>of ivory, and when you are in great straits,
+and will blow it, however far I may be, I will come to you, and will
+bring with me a great company to lend you aid. But beware, as you set
+store by my friendship and by your life, that you do not blow the horn
+lightly.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I give you great thanks for your kindness, and will hearken to your
+words,&#8217; said Huon; &#8216;and now, I pray, let me depart hence to do the
+emperor&#8217;s bidding.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So the knight and the fairy king took leave of each other, and they
+fared on their way, and in the evening they sat and rested in a green
+meadow, and ate and drank of the food that Oberon had given them. Now
+Huon was uplifted by the gifts the king had given him, and thought that
+he himself must be in some way better than other men, to be singled out
+for such honour, and, as young men will, he began to boast and talk
+idly, making pretence that he doubted the magic qualities of the horn
+and the cup, so that he might prove them at once before his company.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It was a fair adventure for me when I spoke to Oberon,&#8217; said he, &#8216;and
+that I did not listen to the counsel of Gerames. When I fulfil my
+mission and return unto the court of the emperor, I will present him
+with the cup, the like of which he has not got in all his treasury. But
+as for the horn, how do I know if Oberon spoke the truth concerning it?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Oh, sir, be not rash, I entreat you!&#8217; cried Gerames, &#8216;for he charged
+you straitly not to blow the horn save in your direst need.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Ay, surely,&#8217; answered Huon, &#8216;but for all that I will try what power it
+has,&#8217; and, raising it to his mouth, he blew a loud blast.</p>
+
+<p>At that all the company rose up, and sang and danced joyfully, and
+Garyn, Huon&#8217;s uncle, begged him to blow the horn once more.</p>
+
+<p>Oberon heard it, though he was full many miles away.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[223]</a></span>&#8216;What man is so bold as to seek to do him ill whom I love best in all
+the world?&#8217; said Oberon. &#8216;I wish myself and a hundred good men in his
+company&#8217;; and in an instant Huon and his friends beheld the horses&#8217;
+skins flashing in the bushes. Then Huon&#8217;s soul smote him, and he bowed
+his head before Oberon, saying:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Sir, I have done ill; tell me quickly if death must be my punishment?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Where are those that would work you evil?&#8217; asked Oberon sternly; but in
+spite of his wrath Huon took heart of grace, and, confessing his folly,
+prayed for pardon, which Oberon granted him for very pity, knowing, he
+said, that Huon would have much to suffer, some things through the
+wicked ways of others, but more from his own pride and self-will. Then,
+bidding the young man farewell afresh, the fairy king rode back to the
+wood.</p>
+
+<p>All befell just as the fairy king had foretold. Giants and mortals alike
+barred his way; small would have been his chance of ever reaching
+Babylon had not Oberon himself watched over him, and sent him help when
+he knew it not. Only one thing he asked of Huon in return&mdash;to keep
+himself from ill-doing and lies, so that he might be worthy to drink
+from the golden cup.</p>
+
+<p>And thus it came to pass that after many perils Huon knocked at the
+first of the four gates of the city.</p>
+
+<p>No sound was heard in answer to his knock, so he seized the great bell
+that hung there, and rang it loudly. At this a porter opened a little
+lattice, and asked what great lord it might be who demanded admittance
+in so rude a fashion, to which Huon answered hotly that he was an envoy
+from the emperor Charles, and that if the porter refused him entrance he
+would have to answer for it to his own master.</p>
+
+<p>At that the porter said that if the stranger was an infidel like
+themselves, the gates should be thrown open at once, but that, should he
+allow any Christian to enter, he would pay for it with his head.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[224]</a></span>&#8216;But I am as much a Saracen as yourself,&#8217; said Huon, who only thought of
+getting into Babylon and paid no heed to the lie he was telling, or to
+the dishonour of his words. Then the gates were opened wide, and he
+entered.</p>
+
+<p>It was not till he was crossing the bridge which stood before the second
+gate that the wickedness of what he had done came upon him, and then he
+felt ashamed, and sorry, and frightened altogether. And how should he
+pass through the other three gates without again denying his faith and
+steeping himself in dishonour? He was about to turn back in despair,
+when he remembered the two good gifts of a giant whom he had overcome&mdash;a
+suit of armour which no sword could pierce, and a ring which would throw
+open all doors. So he showed the ring to the porters that guarded all
+the other three doors, and soon found himself in the garden of the
+palace.</p>
+
+<p>Even the groves of palms, and the trees of delicious fruits, could not
+make him forget the lie he had uttered. Indeed, if he had wished to do
+so, he could not, for presently he came to a fountain beside which was
+written that no traitor should drink thereof on pain of being destroyed
+by the serpent that dwelt therein. At this Huon suddenly felt himself
+forsaken of all, and he sat down and wept bitterly.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;O noble King Oberon, listen to me once more,&#8217; he cried, and tremblingly
+blew his horn.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I help no liars,&#8217; said the fairy king when the blast echoed through the
+forest, and, though Huon could not hear his answer, the silence soon
+told him what it was.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;If he slays me, at least it will be soon over,&#8217; he thought to himself,
+and, putting forth all his strength, he blew a fresh blast.</p>
+
+<p>This time it was so loud that it reached the ears of the lord of
+Babylon, who was sitting at a feast in the Hall of Moonbeams. And he
+rose up, together with his nobles and their squires and their wives and
+daughters, and <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[225]</a></span>every one in the palace from the least to the greatest,
+and began to dance and sing. They sang and danced as long as the horn
+kept on blowing, and when it had ceased the ruler of Babylon called to
+his lords and bade them follow him into the garden, as of a surety some
+great enchanter must have strayed therein.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Seek him and bring him to me, wherever I be,&#8217; commanded the emir; but
+the gardens were so large, and it took so long to find Huon, that the
+emir went back into the palace and laid himself down on a pile of soft
+cushions at the end of the hall.</p>
+
+<p>By his side on a great carved chair was the king of a neighbouring
+country, who arrived hither only a few days before to beg for the hand
+of the emir&#8217;s fair daughter, the princess Esclaramonde, who was said to
+be the loveliest maiden in the whole world. To be sure, it was whispered
+among the courtiers that the princess did not look on him with a
+favourable eye, when she had watched his arrival from behind her
+lattice, and that more than once she had protested that she was too ill
+to leave her room when sent for by her father; but of course, if
+marriage was resolved upon, it would have to be.</p>
+
+<p>Huon had heard talk of these things between his guards when they were
+marching through the gardens that were almost as big as a town, and up
+the long flight of marble steps that led to the palace. He said nothing;
+perhaps by this time he had learnt a little wisdom, but he knew who the
+man was whose dress was so rich and his air so proud, and before anyone
+even saw him lift his arm the king&#8217;s head was rolling in the dust.</p>
+
+<p>For a moment all remained still, too astonished to speak. Then the emir
+recovered his wits, and ordered Huon to be carried off to a dungeon, and
+not to be let go or the guards lives would be forfeit. But quick as
+thought Huon held out his hand with the ring on it.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Do you know this?&#8217; he said, and the king started back at the sight of
+it, and cried to the soldiers to let the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[226]</a></span>prisoner go, for in that place
+he might do whatsoever he would. At this permission Huon turned to where
+the princess Esclaramonde was sitting by her father, and kissed her
+thrice.</p>
+
+<p>The emir was not altogether pleased at this fashion of Huon&#8217;s, but he
+said nothing, and in a moment the knight told him how the emperor had
+sent him to pray the emir to become a Christian, otherwise he should
+proceed against him with a mighty host.</p>
+
+<p>The emir laughed in scorn as he listened to Huon&#8217;s vain boast.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Fifteen envoys has he despatched on a like errand,&#8217; answered he, &#8216;and
+all fifteen have I hanged. Right willingly should you make the sixteenth
+but for the ring which you wear. Tell me, I pray you, whence you got
+it?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>But when Huon confessed that it had been given him by the giant, the
+emir waxed more wroth than before, and ordered his guards to seize him
+and cast him into prison, which in the end they did, though he resisted
+them well by reason of the harness that was on him.</p>
+
+<p>For a long space Huon lingered in that dark prison, and sad indeed would
+have been his lot had it not been for the secret visits of the princess
+Esclaramonde, who, the better to preserve his life, assured her father
+of his death.</p>
+
+<p>At length, when the emir was sore beset by the army of the giant
+Agrapart, she deemed it a favourable time to betray to her father that
+Huon was still alive in his prison, and was ready to do battle with the
+giant if, as was usual in that country, the princess&#8217;s hand should be
+given to the victor. Both the emir and the giant agreed that their
+quarrel should stand or fall by single combat, and so the fight began.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 278px;">
+<a name="illus_page_227" id="illus_page_227"></a><a href="images/p227-full.png"><img src="images/p227.png" width="278" height="369" alt="A knight standing with his sword raised and his foot on the chest of a dead giant, saluting the people watching in the lists" title="HUON DEFEATS THE GIANT AGRAPART" /></a>
+<span class="caption">HUON DEFEATS THE GIANT AGRAPART</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>Huon felt in his heart that there was more at stake than even the hand
+of the princess. He stood forth as the champion of Christendom amidst a
+host of pagans, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[227]</a></span>and it behoved him to strike with all his strength. In
+the end the victory was his, and the giant Agrapart was overcome, but
+his life was spared on condition that he would serve the emir faithfully
+all his days, which solemn oath he took gladly. After that, Huon drew
+out <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[228]</a></span>the cup the fairy king had given him, and, having made the sign of
+the cross over it, it was filled with wine, and he drank of it. For he
+had long since repented of the lie he had told, and was clean again.
+Then the emir tried to drink also, but no wine would come.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You must forsake your false gods, and be a Christian such as I am,&#8217;
+said Huon, &#8216;and if you like not fair words you shall see how an armed
+host pleases you;&#8217; but, as was natural, the ruler of Babylon was not the
+man to be moved by such persuasions. He angrily bade Huon cease, and to
+speak to him no more on the matter or all the hosts of Charlemagne
+himself should not avail to save his head.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You will repent you too late,&#8217; said Huon, and blew his horn.</p>
+
+<p>At first the emir and his courtiers began to dance and sing wildly, they
+knew not wherefore, while in the wood far away Oberon heard the sound.
+&#8216;Huon, my friend, has great need of me,&#8217; he thought to himself, &#8216;and his
+ill-doings have been punished enough, so I will pardon him, for there is
+not in all the world so noble a man. Therefore I wish myself at his
+side, with a thousand men behind me.&#8217; And in another moment, no man
+could tell how, Oberon and his men were within the walls of Babylon. The
+guards of the palace fell before them on every hand, till at last they
+reached the emir himself.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;He is yours to spare or to slay,&#8217; said Oberon, and once more the knight
+gave the Paynim his choice.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Be a Christian or you die,&#8217; said Huon, and the emir made answer:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I will never forsake my own.&#8217; They were the last words he spoke, for
+his head rolled upon the floor. After that Huon cut off the emir&#8217;s beard
+and pulled out four of his teeth, and hid them in the beard of his old
+friend Gerames, who had lately returned to Babylon.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Now I must leave you,&#8217; said Oberon, when these things were over. &#8216;See
+that in all ways you behave yourself as <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[229]</a></span>a good and true knight should
+do, and have no share in ill-doings. I bid you take ship and carry the
+princess Esclaramonde, your bride, into France, and guard her from all
+ills on the way. And if you do not that which I bid you, great evil
+shall happen unto you.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>But, alas! no sooner was the ship out of sight of land than the good
+counsels of Oberon faded out of Huon&#8217;s mind, and he fell into many sins.
+The cup would not fill with wine, and Oberon was deaf to the blast of
+the horn. Then an awful tempest arose; the ship struck on a rock and was
+rent in pieces, and all were drowned save Huon and the princess, who
+were washed on an island. But even here they were not safe, for Huon was
+bound and tortured, and left under a tree, while Esclaramonde was
+carried away by the pirates who were dwellers on the isle.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">Meanwhile, the knowledge of Huon&#8217;s plight had reached Oberon, and, angry
+though he was, he began to think how best to send help to him, when a
+monster of the sea, called Mallebron, who had before given him aid on
+his journey to Babylon, begged to be allowed to deliver him once more.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It pleases me well,&#8217; answered Oberon, &#8216;that this caitiff Huon should
+suffer pain for the evil that he has wrought, but if you love him so
+much that for his sake you shall endure to wear the shape of a fish for
+twenty years longer I will grant you your wish on two conditions. Carry
+him away from the island and place him on the mainland, only never more
+let mine eyes light on him. Be careful also to bring back to me my
+golden cup, my horn, and my fairy armour, for it is long since he has
+shown himself unworthy of them.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So Mallebron swam straightway to the island, and, finding Huon fast
+bound, as Oberon had said, he loosed him, and he stood on his feet. But
+when Huon heard the message of Oberon he was sore angered, and,
+forgetting his own misdeeds, complained bitterly of Oberon&#8217;s <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[230]</a></span>hardness
+of heart in commanding that the gifts he had given him should be yielded
+up again. But, wail as he might, he could not move Mallebron, who bade
+him farewell, and departed with Oberon&#8217;s treasures.</p>
+
+<p>It were long to tell of Huon&#8217;s adventures after he had left the island.
+At one time he took service with a minstrel and was his varlet. At
+another time he was forced to play chess for the hand of a king&#8217;s
+daughter, but refused to marry her when he had won the game.
+Unknowingly, he once fought with Gerames, and only found out who he was
+in the course of the battle. He afterwards entered the city with him,
+and visited Esclaramonde, who was a captive in the palace, and right
+glad were they to meet. After that he and some French knights who had
+joined him were besieged in the castle by the Paynims, and were rescued
+by a French ship, which carried Huon and Esclaramonde and all the
+company on their way to Wana, together with much treasure which they had
+found in the castle.</p>
+
+<p>But, happy though Huon felt on the road home again, he heard with wrath
+that Gerard, his brother, had persuaded the emperor that by now Huon
+must be dead, and that <i>he</i> was rightful heir to the duchy. It was so
+long since any tidings had been received of Huon&mdash;for none had fared
+that way&mdash;that some thought Gerard spoke reasonably, and upheld his
+suit, which in the end was granted by Charles. And no sooner was the new
+duke invested with the lands than he began to oppress all his subjects,
+till the duchess his mother died of grief at the misery of her people.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;He shall pay me for that,&#8217; muttered Huon grimly.</p>
+
+<p>There was one thing, however, that could not be delayed a moment more
+than was needed, and this was the marriage between Huon and
+Esclaramonde, for the princess had promised to become a Christian and to
+receive baptism at the hands of the pope. So they bade <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[231]</a></span>the captain put
+into the port nearest to Rome, and, taking horse, rode thither as fast
+as they might.</p>
+
+<p>The pope was seated on his throne with his threefold crown on his head,
+holding counsel with his cardinals, when Huon and his company entered
+the hall two by two, and saluted humbly. At the sight of Huon leading
+Esclaramonde by the hand, the pope, who had once visited the court of
+the duke of Bordeaux, and remembered the face of Huon, rose up to greet
+him, kissed him on both cheeks, and bade him tell his adventures, and
+how he had fared.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Ill enough, good sir, and these others also,&#8217; answered Huon; &#8216;but I
+have by grace won through it all, and I have brought the daughter of the
+great emir of the Paynims, whom I desire you should make my wife, after
+she has been baptized by your hands.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Huon,&#8217; said the pope, &#8216;all this pleases me right well to do, and it is
+my will that you tarry with me here this night.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So they tarried; and the next day the wedding feast was held, and there
+were great rejoicings in the pope&#8217;s palace. And early the next morning,
+Huon and his wife and his friends took ship for Bordeaux.</p>
+
+<p>But not yet were Huon&#8217;s trials ended. Gerard, his brother, had no mind
+to give up his lands and honours lightly, and many were the plots that
+he laid against Huon. Indeed, he not only contrived to throw the
+new-comers into prison, but prevailed on the emperor to journey himself
+to Bordeaux, to the intent that Huon should be put to death, which would
+have happened had it not been for the timely help of Oberon.</p>
+
+<p>It was thus it came about.</p>
+
+<p>The fairy king was seated at dinner in his palace in the wood, when the
+knowledge came to him that the emperor Charles had taken an oath to hang
+Huon ere he slept, and at the thought thereof he broke into weeping.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[232]</a></span>&#8216;I have sore punished the sins he has committed,&#8217; said he, &#8216;and great
+has been my wrath. But now it is time that I help him, or he will be
+gone from me. So I wish my table and all that is on it near to the
+emperor&#8217;s table, only about two feet higher. And I will that on my table
+be set my cup and horn and armour. And I wish that with me shall go a
+hundred thousand men, such as I am wont to have in battle.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Great was the marvel of the emperor when this table appeared beside him,
+and he took it for an enchantment of duke Names; but Huon and Gerames
+and Esclaramonde, who were present at the feast with fetters on their
+wrists, knew that Oberon had come to their deliverance.</p>
+
+<p>Soon the clank of swords was heard throughout the streets, and you could
+not see the stones for the armed men who stood on them.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;See that none leave the gates,&#8217; said Oberon, &#8216;and when you hear the
+blast of my ivory horn, come to me in the palace, and slay everyone you
+shall meet on the way&#8217;; and so saying he entered the hall, and many of
+his lords with him. Their dresses were the richest that had ever been
+seen, and on their necks they wore collars of precious stones. As the
+king passed by Charles, he knocked against him, so that his hat fell
+upon the ground.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Who is this dwarf who so rudely has shouldered me?&#8217; asked the emperor,
+&#8216;and whence comes he? I will see what he will do, for, small as he is,
+he is the fairest creature that ever I saw.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Leaving the emperor behind him, the fairy king came to the spot where
+Huon and the captives were standing, and he wished that the fetters
+might fall off their feet, and that they might be free men. Then
+silently he led them before Charles, and caused them to sit down at his
+own table, and bade the lords of the court drink out of the magic cup
+after Huon and Esclaramonde and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[233]</a></span> Gerames had drunk out of it. But only
+for duke Names would the wine bubble up.</p>
+
+<p>Afterwards Oberon ordered Gerard to confess his sins and his plots that
+he had plotted, which out of very shame he was constrained to do, and
+then Oberon prayed the emperor to command Gerard and those who had
+helped him to work ill to be hanged on the gallows which had been reared
+for Huon, and this was done also; and the emperor Charles and Huon, duke
+of Bordeaux, made reconciliation together.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">&#8216;Come to me in my city of Mommur four years from now, Huon,&#8217; said
+Oberon, &#8216;and I will give you my realm and my dignity, for I know in
+truth I shall not long abide in this world. But beware, as you love your
+life, that you fail not to be with me at the day I have appointed, else
+I shall cause you to die an ill-death.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>When he heard, Huon stooped down and kissed his feet, and said:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Sir, for this great boon I thank you.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p class="titlepage">[From <i>Huon of Bordeaux</i>.]</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[234]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="HAVELOK_AND_GOLDBOROUGH" id="HAVELOK_AND_GOLDBOROUGH"></a><i>HAVELOK AND GOLDBOROUGH</i></h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">Once</span> upon a time there lived in England a king called Athelwold, who
+ruled the land so well that everyone was rich and happy: or, if they
+were not, it was their own fault. His people all loved him dearly, and
+would do anything for him, and when he went to war there was no
+sovereign that could count on a larger following of stout brave men. He
+was quite a youth when he came to the throne, and at first all sorts of
+traitors and robbers from other countries took refuge in his kingdom,
+but Athelwold sought them out so carefully and punished them so severely
+that they soon betook themselves and their crimes elsewhere.</p>
+
+<p>Now one thing grieved the king sorely. He had no son to sit on his
+throne after he was dead, to protect the poor and put down the lawless.
+And how was his little daughter, who was not yet fourteen, to keep
+order, or to uphold the laws?</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;If she were a woman grown, it might be different,&#8217; he thought to
+himself, &#8216;for Goldborough sees clearly and acts promptly. But as yet she
+has little knowledge, and her ways are those of a child. And full well I
+know that my death is nigh at hand, and there is none to watch over
+her.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Long the king pondered in his mind what he could best do for his
+daughter&#8217;s safety and the welfare of his people, and in the end he sent
+messengers with letters to all his earls and barons from Roxborough to
+Dover, bidding them come to his castle of Winchester as swiftly <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[235]</a></span>as they
+might, for he could no more mount his horse, neither could he swallow
+meat or pasties.</p>
+
+<p>Sadly his vassals received the summons, for each loved him as his own
+father, and not one lurked behind. The king gave them a glad welcome,
+but they could not forbear shedding tears when they saw his weakness and
+heard his feeble voice. Athelwold let them have their way a little
+while, and then he said:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I am dying, as you see, and I have sent for you hither, to ask you all
+to tell me which of you will best guard my daughter when I am dead, till
+she has come to years when she can guard herself.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And they answered as one man:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Earl Godrich of Cornwall.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Then the king bade the priest bring the holy vessels, and earl Godrich
+swore on them that he would be faithful and true in peace and in war to
+Goldborough; and, further, that he would seek out a man who was better
+and fairer and stronger than all others to be her husband, so that the
+land might have peace, as in the days of Athelwold.</p>
+
+<p>After the earl had sworn to fulfil what the king required of him,
+Athelwold made his will, and gave England into the keeping of Godrich.
+This done, he lay back in his bed, and that same morning he died in the
+arms of his daughter.</p>
+
+<p>But bad indeed was the choice which king Athelwold&#8217;s vassals had made
+when they proclaimed earl Godrich as the fittest guardian for the young
+princess. In the beginning, indeed, while Goldborough was still a child,
+everything went smoothly. The earl appointed justices and sheriffs to
+carry out the laws, and, though he took more heed to gather riches for
+himself than to protect his people, yet on the whole he governed well.</p>
+
+<p>Thus six years passed away, and Goldborough was twenty years old. She
+had lived far away from the castle of Winchester, and had never seen her
+guardian since the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[236]</a></span>day that her father had been buried, and, for his
+part, he had hardly remembered her, he was so busy making laws and
+amassing treasures. Still, other people recollected Goldborough, if he
+did not, and one Eastertide, when the princess&#8217;s twentieth birthday was
+at hand, an old pilgrim chanced to stop at Winchester on his way to
+Canterbury. He had but lately passed through the town where Goldborough
+was living, and had many tales to tell of her fair and gracious ways.</p>
+
+<p>Godrich let him talk, but his face was gloomy and he answered nought.
+But, though his tongue was silent, his heart was base and his thoughts
+were evil.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Have I toiled all these years for nothing?&#8217; he said to himself, &#8216;and
+shall England be ruled by a fool, a maiden? I have a son, a full fair
+knave; he shall have England and be king.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So Goldborough was brought from her woods and gardens, and shut up in
+the castle of Dover, where none might visit her. And no company had she
+but her foster-sister, and an old woman who had been her nurse.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">At the time when Athelwold ruled England there reigned in Denmark a king
+called Birkabeyn, who had three children, two girls named Swanborough
+and Helfled and a boy called Havelok. Birkabeyn was strong and healthy,
+and thought to live many years, when a wound in battle proved his
+death-blow. Like Goldborough, the children were all young, and he was
+forced to choose someone to protect them till they were of full age. The
+man on whom Birkabeyn&#8217;s choice fell was his own close friend, who had
+served him all his life, and who, he thought, loved his children well.
+And so perhaps the earl would have done had not such power been given
+into his hands, but this he was not proof against. No sooner had the
+king died than he caused the three children to be cast into prison,
+where he murdered the two girls himself.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[237]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 288px;">
+<a name="illus_page_237" id="illus_page_237"></a><a href="images/p237-full.png"><img src="images/p237.png" width="288" height="420" alt="A man and woman looking at a glowing bag on the floor" title="ROUND THE BAG WHICH HELD THE BOY A BRILLIANT LIGHT WAS
+SHINING" /></a>
+<span class="caption">ROUND THE BAG WHICH HELD THE BOY A BRILLIANT LIGHT WAS
+SHINING</span>
+</div>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[238]</a></span></p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239"><br />[239]</a></span>At the dreadful fate of his sisters, Havelok, who was the youngest, fell
+on his knees and implored the wicked earl to spare him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;If it is Denmark you want, it shall be yours,&#8217; cried the boy, &#8216;and
+never will I seek to take it from you. Nay, give me a ship, and to-day I
+will leave the country for ever.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Even the earl&#8217;s heart was for a moment softened by the child&#8217;s tears and
+prayers, and at first he thought that he would let him go, as it would
+be many years before he would be old enough to be an enemy. But then he
+remembered that, if Havelok died unwedded, he and his sons would be
+heirs to the crown, for he was the king&#8217;s cousin. However, he pretended
+to grant the child&#8217;s prayer, and bade him follow him down to the shore,
+where dwelt an old fisherman. Havelok wandered down to the water, and
+wondered which of the ships drawn up on the beach he should set sail in,
+and where he would go. He was still terrified at the death of sisters,
+and shook with fear as long as their murderer was in sight.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile the earl was speaking to the fisherman, who stood at the door
+of his cottage, which was built just out of reach of the waves.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Grim,&#8217; he said, &#8216;to-day you are my thrall, but to-morrow you shall be a
+free man if you will do my bidding. Take the boy that stands there, and
+throw him into the sea, that he drown. Fear nothing: the penalty will be
+mine, not yours.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Your bidding shall be done,&#8217; answered the fisherman, &#8216;though the deed
+is but little to my liking.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;So be it,&#8217; said the earl, and went home to hold counsel with his family
+how best to take possession of the crown.</p>
+
+<p>Grim took down a cord from a hook in the roof, and went out to the
+child, who screamed with terror as he drew near, but there was no one to
+help him, and Grim thrust a cloth in his mouth to stifle his cries,
+while he bound his hands behind his back with a cord. When <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[240]</a></span>this was
+done, he put the boy in a black bag, and carried him to his wife, who
+flung him on the floor, where he lay for many hours, thinking every
+moment that he would be thrown down a well or stabbed by a dagger.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">At midnight, when all was still, and the men in the ships were sleeping
+soundly, Grim arose, and told his wife to kindle a fire and to light a
+candle.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Why, there is a light in the room already,&#8217; said she, &#8216;and it seems to
+come from the farthest corner, and to shine as brightly as if it were
+the sun itself&#8217;; and with that she sprang out of bed and ran over the
+floor, calling to Grim to follow her.</p>
+
+<p>And in truth it was as she had said, for round the bag which held the
+boy a brilliant light was shining.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;If we touch him we shall rue it all our lives,&#8217; she whispered to her
+husband; then, stooping, she cut the knots which held the bag, and drew
+out Havelok, who was well-nigh dead with fright and suffocation. Next
+she stripped him of his clothes, and on his shoulder she found the mark
+of a tiny cross, from which the light came.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;He is born to be king,&#8217; said Grim softly, &#8216;and surely it is he and no
+other who is the son of Birkabeyn, and who some day shall come to his
+own. It is easy to see that he will grow into a man, tall and strong,
+who shall come back from over the sea where I shall send him, and avenge
+himself on the traitor.&#8217; Then Grim fell on his knees before Havelok and
+prayed his forgiveness.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You shall stay here awhile,&#8217; he said, &#8216;till I can fit out a ship, and
+in it we will all set sail, you, and I, and my wife and my three sons,
+but it must be done in secret, lest the earl should come to know of it.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So they gave Havelok bread to eat and milk to drink, and laid him in a
+bed in a dark corner, where no man could see him, and the next day Grim
+set out for the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[241]</a></span>traitor&#8217;s castle to ask for the reward that had been
+promised him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Your bidding is done, and I have come to claim my freedom,&#8217; said Grim
+when he stood in the presence of the traitor. But the earl made answer:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Who is there to know what lies betwixt us? Go home, and be my thrall,
+as you have ever been.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Full of rage though he was, Grim dared say no more, lest his head should
+pay forfeit; but the earl&#8217;s words had filled him with fear, and he
+hastened to get ready a ship and to fill it during the night with food
+enough to last them for three weeks. By that time, he thought, they
+would reach the shores of England.</p>
+
+<p>When all was finished, Grim and his wife, his three sons and two
+daughters and little Havelok, stole away very early one morning before
+the sun was up, and set sail southwards. A north wind soon sprang up and
+drove him, in ten days, to the mouth of a great river called the Humber.
+Here he steered his ship on to the beach, and then they all got out and
+set up a tent, till they could look about for a little and see what best
+to do.</p>
+
+<p>It was a wild place where they landed, and for many miles there was not
+even a hut to be seen, but Grim liked it well, and he built houses for
+himself and his family, and by-and-by more people came thither also, and
+a town was built and was called Grimsby, after Grim. But that happened
+afterwards.</p>
+
+<p>Fish were plentiful at the mouth of the river&mdash;lampreys and sturgeon and
+turbot and great cod&mdash;and Grim and his sons were good fishers, both with
+net and line, and Havelok soon learned to fish too, and was as happy as
+any boy could be. Sometimes he stayed at home with the women while the
+others carried fish round the country in baskets.</p>
+
+<p>Twelve years passed in this manner, during which Grim had prospered
+greatly, but he began to get old, and the long journeys with heavy
+panniers on his back tried <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[242]</a></span>him sorely. This Havelok perceived, and one
+day he spoke:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I am a man grown, and shall I sit at home idle mending nets while my
+father travels over the whole country-side carrying weights too heavy
+for him to bear? Not so! To-morrow I go forth, and my father shall take
+his seat by the fire, and shall mend the nets.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Whatever Havelok said he did, and early the next morning he took the
+panniers on his shoulders, and started for the houses where Grim was
+wont to sell his fish. But soon, none could tell why, a bad time came,
+and there was no corn in the land, and no fish in the sea. And Grim felt
+pity in his heart for Havelok, who was young and strong, and needed more
+meat than other men. So one day Grim spoke:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Havelok, dear son, you have come upon evil days, and must stay with us
+no longer. Go to the city of Lincoln. It is a rich town, and there you
+may find work for all you need. But, woe is me! no clothes can I give
+you, save this old sail, which the women shall fashion into doublet and
+hose for you.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>The sail was soon cut and fashioned by Grim&#8217;s wife and daughters, but
+there was nothing to make into shoes, and Havelok walked into Lincoln
+barefoot, and he fasted from meat for two or three days; at length the
+earl&#8217;s cook took him into his service as porter, and his chief duty was
+to carry the earl&#8217;s fish into the castle. But the cook had many porters
+besides Havelok, and when the cry of &#8216;barmen&#8217; was heard they all tried
+one to outdo the other in obtaining the pot in which lay the hot fish.
+However, Havelok was taller and stronger than the rest, and generally
+was able to thrust the others on one side.</p>
+
+<p>Besides bearing the cauldron of fish, Havelok had many things to do. He
+had to fill a huge tub in the kitchen with water, and to cut wood for
+the fire, and to do anything the cook told him. And, whatever happened,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[243]</a></span>he was full of mirth, and would jest and play with the children who ran
+about the back of the castle.</p>
+
+<p>At last his clothes, which had been fashioned out of the old sail, fell
+into holes, and the cook, out of pity and liking, bought him some new
+ones, and when he put them on there was no man, be he who he might, that
+was fairer to see. Then folk began to notice that he was taller than any
+man in the castle, and that he was very strong. Very soon a chance came
+to him to prove his strength.</p>
+
+<p>Godrich the earl&mdash;or the king, as he called himself&mdash;now held his court
+at Lincoln, and summoned a parliament to be held there to settle the
+affairs of the nation. They came in great companies, and everyone had a
+following, and so many were they that they were forced to dwell in tents
+outside the city walls. It was not long before they fell to wrestling
+and such sports.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">For a while Havelok looked on, and bided his time. He took no part in
+the wrestling, though there was not a champion on the ground that he
+could not easily have overcome.</p>
+
+<p>When they were tired of throwing each other, someone proposed that they
+should put the stone, and a large smooth piece of rock was chosen. Man
+after man came forward, but hardly one could raise it from the ground,
+far less cast it any distance from him. At this moment the cook strolled
+up and saw his scullion standing there.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It is your turn,&#8217; he said to Havelok; &#8216;show them what you can do, for
+the honour of Lincoln,&#8217; and Havelok obeyed him. He lifted the mighty
+stone to the height of his shoulder, and sent it spinning through the
+air.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Measure the cast,&#8217; said the cook proudly; and when it was measured it
+was found to be twelve feet beyond the cast of any other man.</p>
+
+<p>Little was talked of that day but the wonderful throw of the young
+scullion, and soon it reached the ears of the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[244]</a></span>knights at court, and in
+time, Godrich himself. As he listened to the tale, there flashed across
+his memory the words of the dying Athelwold: &#8216;Find out the man who is
+better and fairer and stronger than any man in the world, and give him
+to be husband to my daughter.&#8217; Was there any man living stronger than
+this Havelok? and could he himself be ill-spoken of if he should carry
+out Athelwold&#8217;s dying wish? So thought Godrich; but far back in his
+heart he knew that once Goldborough was wedded to a scullion there would
+be small chance of her becoming queen.</p>
+
+<p>Next morning a knight mounted on a big bay horse, and attended by two
+men-at-arms, might have been seen riding southwards through the fair
+county of Lincoln, and in twenty days&#8217; time he returned, bringing with
+him the princess. Godrich greeted her with tokens of great joy, and told
+her that, as her father had bidden him, he had found at last the fairest
+and strongest man in the world, and he should be her husband.</p>
+
+<p>Goldborough listened quietly to his words, and when he had ended she
+looked at him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Let him be as strong and fair as he may,&#8217; she said, &#8216;but if he is not a
+king or a king&#8217;s son he is no husband for me.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>At this Godrich waxed wrath, and his whole body trembled with anger.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Your father bade me swear to him when he was dying that you should
+marry the strongest man in the world, and none other,&#8217; cried he, &#8216;and,
+by the Rood, it is he you seek to disobey, and not me. The man who is to
+be your husband is the servant of my cook, and to-morrow we will have
+the wedding.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>The heart of Goldborough was filled with horror when she heard the fate
+that was in store for her, and she fell weeping on her knees before the
+earl to implore him the rather to let her enter a convent; but Godrich
+answered her nothing, and strode out of the hall.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[245]</a></span>The bells were ringing next day when Havelok woke, and before he was
+dressed a message came ordering him to go at once to the earl&#8217;s
+presence. He wondered for what cause he was wanted, for never yet had he
+had speech of the earl, and still more surprised was he to find Godrich
+clad in his most splendid robes, as if for a festival. But if Havelok
+was astonished at all this, he was nearly struck dumb by the words which
+he heard.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Master, will you take a wife?&#8217; and the young man gazed at him in
+silence; for why should the ruler of all England take heed whether his
+scullion was wedded or not?</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Will you take a wife?&#8217; asked Godrich again, in tones of impatience;
+then Havelok found his voice.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;No, by heaven I will not,&#8217; he cried; &#8216;what should I do with a wife? I
+could neither feed, nor clothe, nor shoe her! For myself, I should have
+no clothes either, had it not been for the bounty of your cook.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>In his rage Godrich seized a thick staff and laid it across his
+scullion&#8217;s shoulder.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Promise me that you will wed her within an hour, or I will hang you on
+the nearest tree,&#8217; he cried; and Havelok, who had no liking for death,
+consented.</p>
+
+<p>His purpose thus gained with Havelok, the earl now summoned Goldborough,
+whom he threatened to burn if she withstood him. All night the princess
+had wept and pondered how to escape so dreadful a doom, but at last she
+took comfort in the thought that in accepting this husband, however
+lowly born he might be, she would be fulfilling her father&#8217;s wishes. So
+as soon as Godrich gave her a chance to speak she said she would resist
+him no longer.</p>
+
+<p>Then Godrich for the first time in six years felt that he was indeed
+King of England.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You are a wise maiden,&#8217; cried he, his face glowing with joy; &#8216;and, to
+show you how well I love you, I will <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[246]</a></span>give you much gold, and you shall
+have an archbishop to bless your marriage.&#8217; And so it was done.</p>
+
+<p>Both Havelok and his wife felt that they could stay in Lincoln no
+longer, and the next day they bought two horses and set forth for
+Grimsby. To Havelok&#8217;s great grief he found that the fisherman had died
+just before, after a few days&#8217; illness, but his sons and daughters gave
+them a glad greeting, and bade them stay in their house, promising that
+they themselves would be their servants.</p>
+
+<p>Weary with travel, Havelok soon went to bed, but Goldborough knelt
+praying before the window, when suddenly a bright light filled the room.
+She turned to see what it might be, and beheld it issuing from a cross
+on Havelok&#8217;s shoulder. While she gazed wondering, she heard a voice
+saying, &#8216;Goldborough, let sorrow depart from you, for your husband is no
+scullion, but the son of a king, and he shall rule over England and
+Denmark.&#8217; At that her heart grew light again, and she kissed Havelok and
+woke him, and told him what the voice had said.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Let us sail at once,&#8217; added she, &#8216;for who knows when Godrich the
+traitor may change his mind? And bid the sons of Grim sail with us.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Goldborough&#8217;s counsel seemed good to Havelok, and he rose in haste and
+sought Grim&#8217;s sons, whom he found setting forth to fish. He begged them
+to wait, and to listen to his story, which Grim had always hidden from
+them, and when they heard it, they said that they would go with him, and
+help him to slay the murderer of his sisters and the robber of his
+crown.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You shall be rich men the day he dies,&#8217; vowed Havelok; and the boat was
+made ready for sea.</p>
+
+<p>A fair wind blew them to Denmark, and Havelok left his wife with his
+three foster-brothers, and betook himself to the house of Ubbe the earl,
+whom his father had loved dearly. He said no word as to his birth, but
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[247]</a></span>asked him leave to trade on his lands, offering a ring as
+earnest-money.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 278px;">
+<a name="illus_page_247" id="illus_page_247"></a><a href="images/p247-full.png"><img src="images/p247.png" width="278" height="381" alt="A man and woman with a crowd behind them and another crowd in front of them" title="HAVELOK PRESENTS GOLDBOROUGH TO THE ENGLISH PEOPLE." /></a>
+<span class="caption">HAVELOK PRESENTS GOLDBOROUGH TO THE ENGLISH PEOPLE.</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>Ubbe looked at the ring, and then at the young man who gave it.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[248]</a></span>&#8216;You look fitter to do a knight&#8217;s work than to buy and sell,&#8217; he said,
+and Havelok answered:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;That will come, fair sir, but I must first go softly. Meanwhile I have
+left my wife Goldborough under the care of her foster-brothers, and can
+tarry here no longer.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Bring her hither,&#8217; said Ubbe, &#8216;and dwell with her in this castle, and
+if no man has dubbed you knight I will take that upon me.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And so it was done, and the heart of Goldborough rejoiced, for by this
+time she loved her husband dearly.</p>
+
+<p>That same midnight Ubbe was wakened by a great light, which seemed to
+fill the castle. He rose from his bed, and went from room to room, and
+all were bright as day, though he could not tell why. Then he came to
+the room where Havelok and Goldborough lay asleep, and out of Havelok&#8217;s
+mouth came a flame like that of a hundred and ninety-seven candles. And
+on his shoulder was the cross of kingship, and that was shining too.</p>
+
+<p>When Ubbe saw that, he knew that Havelok was indeed the son of
+Birkabeyn, his friend, and the rightful king of Denmark; and, waking the
+sleeping man, he bade him sit up and receive his homage. After that he
+sent for his lords, and commanded that they should swear fealty to their
+king. And when the lords had sworn, Ubbe summoned the people, and told
+them, what many had known before, that the earl had betrayed his trust,
+and that now he should pay forfeit of his wickedness.</p>
+
+<p>Blithe were Havelok and Goldborough that day as they moved amidst the
+groups of men who shared in the sports which the people of Denmark ever
+loved, and once more Havelok cast the stone further than any one there
+could throw it. His first act, after he had been proclaimed king, was to
+make Grim&#8217;s three faithful sons barons with fair lands. Then he bid them
+go and seek the earl, and bring him back with them.</p>
+
+<p>This was not done without a hard fight, for the earl <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[249]</a></span>and his men
+defended themselves stoutly; but at length he was bound and placed upon
+an old horse and carried before Havelok, who was waiting in the castle
+with his lords about him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;What judgment will ye pass on him, fair lords?&#8217; asked the king.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;That he may be hanged as beseems a murderer and a traitor, and that his
+head be planted over the chief gate of the town as a warning to all,&#8217;
+they said with one voice, and this was done also.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">For a while Havelok stayed in Denmark to see to the affairs of the
+kingdom, and then, leaving Ubbe to rule, he set sail for England with
+Goldborough his wife, and a large army, in many ships with high carved
+prows. Once again he landed at the mouth of the Humber, and his first
+act was to found a church in memory of Grim. Next, he placed his army in
+order of battle, and awaited the attack of his enemy. Godrich the earl
+had heard that he had come, and had hastily collected a great host, with
+which he marched upon Lincoln. The attack was begun by the English, and
+fierce was the fight. Many were killed, both of English and Danes. At
+last, just as the English were being beaten slowly back, Havelok and
+Godrich came face to face with each other. Bitterly the earl then rued
+the day when he had married Goldborough to the strongest man in the
+world, scullion though he were! Many times Havelok might have slain him,
+but such was not his purpose, and, taking a cord from his waist, he
+bound the traitor&#8217;s arms, and bade one of his knights ride and fetch
+Goldborough, whom he had left under a guard at a little distance.</p>
+
+<p>When she drew near, Havelok commanded that a flag of truce should be
+waved, so that the fighting might cease. Then, taking his wife by the
+hand, he led her forward, and told her story to them all, and how
+Godrich the earl had wronged her. And the English fell <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[250]</a></span>on their faces
+and did obeisance, and vowed to serve her faithfully all the days of
+their lives.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;And what is the law of England respecting a traitor?&#8217; asked Havelok,
+when Goldborough had been proclaimed queen with trumpets and shouting.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;That he be laid on an ass and burned at the stake,&#8217; cried they. And
+this was done also.</p>
+
+<p>After this, Havelok gave his two foster-sisters in marriage to great
+lords, and made the cook to whom he had owed his good fortune earl of
+Cornwall in place of the wicked Godrich. He left Ubbe to rule in
+Denmark, while he and Goldborough remained in England, but every two
+years he sailed across the sea to be sure that all went well in the
+country of his birth.</p>
+
+<p>And for sixty years Havelok and Goldborough lived happily together and
+had many children, and wherever Havelok went, Goldborough went too.</p>
+
+<p class="titlepage">[<i>The Lay of Havelok the Dane.</i> Early English Text Society.]</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[251]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="CUPID_AND_PSYCHE" id="CUPID_AND_PSYCHE"></a><i>CUPID AND PSYCHE</i></h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">Once</span> upon a time there lived a king who had three daughters. The two
+elder girls were very fair, and many were their suitors, but the
+youngest was so beautiful that it was whispered in the city that the
+goddess Aphrodite was not her equal in loveliness, and as she walked
+through the streets men touched their foreheads, and bowed low to the
+ground, as if Aphrodite herself had passed by.</p>
+
+<p>Now it was not long since the shepherd Paris had given the goddess the
+golden apple, in token that neither on the earth nor even on Olympus was
+a woman to be found as fair as she. And when she heard of the honours
+paid to Psyche, she rose up in her wrath and sent a winged messenger for
+Cupid, her son.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Come with me,&#8217; she said, when Cupid appeared before her, &#8216;I have
+somewhat to show you&#8217;; and without further speech the two flew through
+the air together, till they reached the palace where Psyche was
+sleeping.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;That is the maiden to whom men pay the homage due to me alone,&#8217; she
+whispered, while her grey eyes darted gleams like fire. &#8216;I have brought
+you hither that you may avenge me by pricking her with an arrow that
+will fill her heart with love for one of the basest of mortals. And now
+I must depart in haste, for Oceanos awaits me.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Aphrodite vanished, but Cupid remained where he was, gazing on the
+sleeping maiden and confessing in his heart that those who paid her the
+honours due to his mother were not much to blame.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[252]</a></span>&#8216;Never will I do you such wrong,&#8217; he murmured, &#8216;as to mate you with some
+base wretch, who has no thought beyond the wine-cup. From me and my
+darts you are safe. But am I safe from yours?&#8217; Then, fearing to stay any
+longer, lest his mother should wax wroth with him, he also took his way
+to the palace of Oceanos.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 264px;">
+<a name="illus_page_252" id="illus_page_252"></a><a href="images/p252-full.png"><img src="images/p252.png" width="264" height="329" alt="Two gods standing, looking down at a sleeping woman" title="APHRODITE BRINGS CUPID TO PSYCHE" /></a>
+<span class="caption">APHRODITE BRINGS CUPID TO PSYCHE</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>If Aphrodite had not been a goddess, and had known a little more about
+the hearts of men, she might not have <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[253]</a></span>envied Psyche so bitterly; for,
+though all men bowed down before her and worshipped her beauty, each
+felt that she was too far above him to woo for his bride. So that, while
+her sisters had homes and children of their own, Psyche remained unasked
+and unsought in her father&#8217;s palace.</p>
+
+<p>At length the king grew frightened as months and years slipped by, and
+Psyche was past the age when Greek maidens left the hearth where they
+had grown into girlhood. He summoned some wise men to give him counsel,
+but they shook their heads, and bade him consult the oracle of his
+fathers. It was a three days&#8217; journey to his shrine, and then no man
+knew when the oracle would speak, so the king took with him sheep and
+oxen, and skins of wine for himself and his followers.</p>
+
+<p>Ten days later he returned to the city with bowed head and white face.
+The queen, with anxious heart, had been watching his arrival from the
+roof of the palace, and awaited him at the door of the women&#8217;s
+apartments.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;What has happened?&#8217; she said, as she greeted him; but he drew her on
+one side, where none might hear them.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;The oracle has spoken,&#8217; answered he, &#8216;and decrees that Psyche shall be
+left upon a barren rock till a hideous monster shall come and devour
+her. And it is for this that men have paid her honours which were the
+portion only of the gods! Far better had she been born with the hair of
+Medusa and the hump of Heph&aelig;stos.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>At these dreadful tidings the queen and her maidens broke into weeping,
+and when the news spread through the city no sounds but those of wailing
+were heard. Only the voice of Psyche was silent among them. She moved
+about as one that was sleeping, and indeed she felt as if the boat, with
+its grim ferryman, had already borne her across the Styx. So the days
+passed on, and one evening a white-clad priest arrived from the shrine
+to bid the king tarry no longer.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[254]</a></span>That night a sad procession left the gates of the city, and in the midst
+was Psyche, clad in garments of black, and led by her father, while her
+mother followed weeping behind. Singers wailed out a dirge, which was
+scarcely heard above the sobs of the mourners, and the torches burned
+dimly and soon went out.</p>
+
+<p>The sun was rising when they reached the bare rock on top of a high
+mountain where the oracle had directed that Psyche should be left to
+perish. She made no sign when her father and mother took her in their
+arms for the last time, and, though they cried bitterly, she never shed
+a tear. What was the use? It was the will of the gods, and so it had to
+be!</p>
+
+<p>Not daring to look back, the king and queen took their way home to their
+desolate palace, and Psyche leaned against the rock trembling with fear
+lest every moment the monster should appear in sight. She was very
+tired, for the road to the mountain had been long and stony, and she was
+likewise exhausted by her grief, so that slowly a deep sleep crept over
+her, and for a while her sorrows were forgotten.</p>
+
+<p>While she thus slumbered, Cupid, unknown to herself, had been watching
+over her, and at his bidding Zephyr approached and played round her
+garments and among her hair. Then, lifting her gently up, he carried her
+down the mountain side, and laid her upon a bed of lilies in the valley.</p>
+
+<p>While she slept, pleasant dreams floated through her mind, and her
+terrors and grief were forgotten. She awoke feeling happy, though she
+could not have told why, for she was in a strange place and alone. In
+the distance, through some trees, the spray of a fountain glimmered
+white, and she rose and walked slowly towards it. By the fountain was a
+palace, finer by far than the one in which Psyche had lived, for that
+was built of stone, while this was all of ivory and gold. Vast it was,
+and full of precious things, as Psyche saw for herself when, filled with
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[255]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256"><br />[256]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257"><br /><br />[257]</a></span>wonder mixed with a little fear, she stepped across the threshold.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 286px;">
+<a name="illus_page_255" id="illus_page_255"></a><a href="images/p255-full.png"><img src="images/p255.png" width="286" height="471" alt="Winged Zephyr flying, carrying Psyche" title="ZEPHYR CARRIES PSYCHE DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN" /></a>
+<span class="caption">ZEPHYR CARRIES PSYCHE DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>&#8216;This palace is as large as a city,&#8217; the maiden said aloud, as she
+passed from room to room without coming to an end of the marvels; <a name="corr10" id="corr10"></a>&#8216;but
+how strange to find that there is no one here to enjoy these treasures,
+or to guard them!&#8217; She started, as out of the silence a voice answered
+her:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;The palace with all it contains is yours, lady. Therefore, bathe
+yourself, if you will, or rest your limbs upon silken cushions, till the
+feast is prepared, and we your handmaids clothe you in fine raiment. You
+have only to command, and we obey you.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>By this time all fear had departed from Psyche, and with gladness she
+bathed herself and slept. When she opened her eyes she beheld in front
+of her a table covered with dishes of every kind, and with wines of
+purple and amber hues. As before, she could see no one, though she heard
+the sound of voices, and when she had finished, and lay back on her
+cushions, unseen fingers struck a lyre, and sang the songs that she
+loved.</p>
+
+<p>So the hours flew by, and the sun was sinking, when suddenly a veil of
+golden tissue was placed on her head, and at the same time a voice that
+she had not heard spoke thus:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Dip your hands in this sacred water&#8217;; and Psyche obeyed, and, as her
+fingers sank into the basin she felt a light touch, as if other fingers
+were there also.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Break this cake and eat half,&#8217; said the voice again; and Psyche did so,
+and she saw that the rest of the cake vanished bit by bit, as if someone
+else were eating it also.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Now you are my wife, Psyche,&#8217; whispered the voice softly; &#8216;but take
+heed to what I say, if you would not bring ruin on yourself, and cause
+me to leave you for ever. Your sisters, I well know, will soon seek you
+out, for they think they love you, though their love is of the kind that
+quickly turns to hate. Even now they are with <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[258]</a></span>your parents weeping over
+your fate, but a few days hence they will go to the rock, hoping to
+gather tidings of your last moments. It may chance that at last they may
+wander to this enchanted place, but as you value your happiness and your
+life do not answer their questions, or lift your eyes towards them.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Psyche promised she would do her unseen husband&#8217;s bidding, and the weeks
+slipped swiftly by, but one morning she felt suddenly lonely and broke
+into wailing that she might never look on her sisters&#8217; faces again, or
+even tell them that she was alive. All the long bright hours she sat in
+her palace weeping, and when darkness fell, and she heard her husband&#8217;s
+voice, she put out her arms and drew him to her.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;What is it?&#8217; he asked gently, and she felt soft fingers stroking her
+hair.</p>
+
+<p>Then Psyche poured out all her woe. How could she be happy, even in this
+lovely place, when her sisters were grieving for her loss? If she might
+only see them once, if she might only tell them that she was safe, then
+she would ask for nothing more. If not&mdash;why, it was a pity the monster
+had not devoured her.</p>
+
+<p>There was a silence after Psyche had poured forth her entreaties, and
+then the bridegroom spoke, but his voice seemed somehow changed from
+what it had been before.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You shall do as you wish,&#8217; he said, &#8216;though I fear that ill will come
+of it. Send for your sisters if you please, and give them anything that
+the palace contains. But once again let me beseech you to answer nothing
+to their questions, or we shall be parted for ever.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Never, never, shall that be,&#8217; cried Psyche, embracing her husband with
+delight. And, whoever and whatever you may be, I would not give you up,
+even for the god Cupid. I will tell them nothing, but bid, I pray you,
+Zephyr, your servant, to carry them hither to-morrow, as he carried
+me.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[259]</a></span>&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Next morning Zephyr found the two sisters seated on the rock, tearing
+their hair and beating their breasts with sorrow. &#8216;Psyche! Psyche,&#8217; they
+cried, and the mountains echoed &#8216;Psyche! Psyche,&#8217; but no other sound
+answered them. Suddenly they felt themselves gently lifted from the
+earth, and wafted through the air to the door of the palace, where stood
+Psyche herself.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Psyche! Psyche!&#8217; they cried again, but this time with joy and wonder,
+and for a while they forgot everything else in the world. Then Psyche
+bade them tell her of her father and mother, and how the days had passed
+since she had left them, and she pictured to herself their gladness when
+they heard how different had been her fate from that which the oracle
+had foretold.</p>
+
+<p>After her sisters had made known to her everything they had to tell,
+Psyche invited them to see the palace, and, calling to the voices,
+ordered them to prepare baths with sweet-smelling spices, and to set
+forth a banquet for her guests. At these tokens of riches and splendour,
+envy began to arise in their hearts, and curiosity also. They looked at
+each other, and the glances of their eyes promised no good to Psyche.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;But where is your husband?&#8217; asked the eldest. &#8216;Are we not to see him
+also?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Yes,&#8217; said the other, &#8216;you have not even told us what he is like, and
+our mother will assuredly wish to know that.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Their questions recalled to Psyche&#8217;s mind the danger against which she
+had been warned, and she answered hastily:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Oh, he is young and very handsome&mdash;the handsomest man in all the world,
+I think. But he spends much of his time in hunting, and has now gone far
+into the mountains to chase the boar. It was thus that, feeling myself
+lonely, I sent a messenger for you. And now, come and choose what you
+will out of the treasure-chamber, for the hour of your departure draws
+nigh!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[260]</a></span>&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>The sight of gold and precious stones heaped up in the treasure-chamber
+only made the sisters more jealous than before; but their jealousy did
+not prevent their carrying off the most splendid necklaces they could
+find before Psyche summoned Zephyr to bear them unseen back to their own
+homes.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Why has Fortune treated her so differently from us?&#8217; cried the eldest,
+before they were out of sight of the palace. &#8216;Why should <i>she</i> have
+boundless riches, and be married to a man who is young and handsome, and
+own slaves who fly through the air as if they were birds? Far indeed are
+the days when she sat in our father&#8217;s house, and no suitor came to woo!
+But, though she was lonely and forlorn enough in the city, here she is
+treated as if she were a goddess, while I am linked to a husband whose
+head is bald, and whose back is a hump!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;My plight is worse than yours,&#8217; groaned the other sister, &#8216;for I have
+to spend my time nursing a man who is always ill and rarely suffers me
+to leave his side. But do not let us flatter her pride by telling our
+father and mother of the honours Fate has heaped on her. Rather let us
+consider how best to humble her and bring her low.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile night had fallen, and Psyche&#8217;s husband came to her side.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Did you take heed to my warnings,&#8217; asked he, &#8216;and refuse to answer the
+questions of your sisters?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Oh yes,&#8217; cried Psyche; &#8216;I told them nothing that they wished to know. I
+said that you were young and handsome, and gave me the most beautiful
+things in the world, but that they could not see you to-day, for you
+were hunting in the mountains.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;So far it is well, then,&#8217; sighed he; &#8216;but remember that even at this
+moment they are plotting how they may destroy you, by filling your heart
+with their own evil curiosity, so that one day you may ask to see my
+face.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[261]</a></span> But recollect, the moment you do this I vanish for ever.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Ah, you do not trust me,&#8217; sobbed Psyche; &#8216;yet I have shown you that I
+can be silent! Let me prove it again by suffering Zephyr to bring my
+sisters once more, and then never, never will I crave another boon from
+you.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>For long her husband refused to grant her what she asked, but at last,
+wearied by her tears and prayers, he told her that this once she might
+bid Zephyr bring her sisters to her. Eagerly they ran through the garden
+into the palace, and greeted Psyche with warm embraces and gentle words,
+while she on her part did everything she could think of to give them
+pleasure. As before, she bade them choose whatever they most desired,
+and when they had returned from the treasure-chamber and were eating
+fruit under the trees by the fountain the elder sister spoke:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;How it grieves me to see you the victim of such deceit, and how I long
+to be able to ward off the danger!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;What do you mean by such words?&#8217; asked Psyche, turning pale. &#8216;No one is
+deceiving me, and no goddess could be happier than I.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Ah! you do not know&mdash;I dare not tell you,&#8217; gasped the other in broken
+accents. &#8216;Sister, you try; I cannot shape the words.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It is hard, but my duty demands it of me,&#8217; said the second sister. It
+is&mdash;oh, how shall I tell it?&mdash;your husband is not such as you think, but
+a huge serpent whose neck swells with venom, and whose tongue darts
+poison. The men who work in the fields have watched him swimming across
+the river as darkness falls, at the moment that he goes to seek you!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Their groans and sobs, no less than their words, convinced Psyche, who
+fell straightway into the pit they had digged for her.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It is true,&#8217; she said with a trembling voice, &#8216;that never yet have I
+beheld my husband&#8217;s face, and that <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[262]</a></span>many times he has warned me that the
+moment my eyes light upon him he will abandon me for ever. His words
+were always sweet and gentle, and his touch hardly resembles the skin of
+a serpent. It is not easy to believe; but yet, if you know, I pray you,
+of your love for me, to come to my aid in this deadly peril.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Ah, hapless one, it is for that we are here,&#8217; answered the elder; &#8216;and
+this is what you must do. This very night, fill a lamp full of oil, and
+cover it with a dark cloth, so that not a ray of light can be seen; then
+take a sharp knife and hide it in your bosom. After the serpent is sound
+asleep, steal softly across the room, and snatch the cloth from the
+lamp, so that you may see where to strike home, for if he should wake
+before you have cut off his head your life will be forfeit.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Having said this, they both hurriedly embraced their sister, and were
+wafted home on the wings of Zephyr.</p>
+
+<p>Left alone, Psyche flung herself on the ground, and for many hours lay
+trying to subdue her misery. At one moment she thought that she could
+not do it&mdash;that her sisters might be wrong after all. But her faith in
+them was strong, and as night approached she rose up to do their
+bidding.</p>
+
+<p>So well did she feign happiness that her husband heard no change in her
+voice as she bade him welcome, and, having travelled far that day, he
+soon laid himself down on the couch and fell sound asleep. Then Psyche
+seized the lamp and snatched off the covering, but by its light she saw
+stretched on the cushions, not a huge and hideous serpent, but the most
+beautiful of all the gods, Cupid himself.</p>
+
+<p>At this sight her knees knocked together with surprise, and she gave a
+step backwards, and the lamp, trembling in her hand, let fall a drop of
+burning oil on Cupid&#8217;s shoulder. He sprang to his feet, and with one
+reproachful look he turned, and would have flown away had not Psyche
+grasped his leg, and was borne up with him into <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[263]</a></span>the air, till at length
+her strength gave way and she fell to the ground, where for some time
+she remained unconscious.</p>
+
+<p>When her senses came back, she was so miserable that she sought eternal
+forgetfulness in a neighbouring stream, but the river, in pity, carried
+her gently along and placed her on a bank of flowers. Finding that even
+the river would have none of her, she rose up, and resolved to wander
+night and day through the world till she should find her husband.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">The first spot at which she halted was a temple on the top of a high
+mountain, where, to her surprise, she saw blades of wheat, ears of
+barley, sheaves of oats, scythes and ploughs, all scattered about in
+wild confusion. Never before had she seen such disorder about a temple,
+and, stooping down, she began to separate one thing from another and to
+place them in heaps.</p>
+
+<p>While she was busy with this, a voice cried to her from afar:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Unhappy girl, my heart bleeds for you! Yet even while you are pursued
+by the wrath of Aphrodite, you can labour in my service. May you find
+some day the rest that you deserve! But now, quit this temple, lest you
+draw down on me the anger of the goddess.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>With despair in her soul, Psyche wandered from one place to another, not
+knowing and not caring whither her feet might lead her. At length she
+was tracked and seized by one of Aphrodite&#8217;s attendants, who dragged her
+by the hair into the presence of the goddess herself. Here she was
+beaten and scourged, both by whips and by cruel words, and, when every
+kind of suffering had been heaped on her, Aphrodite took a number of
+bags containing wheat, barley, millet, and many other seeds, and,
+tumbling them all into one heap, bade her separate and place them each
+in its own bag by the evening.</p>
+
+<p>Psyche stood staring where Aphrodite had left her, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[264]</a></span>not even trying to
+begin a task that she knew to be hopeless.</p>
+
+<p>She would certainly be killed, thought she, but, after all, death would
+be welcome; and she laid her weary body on the floor and sought sleep.
+At that moment a tiny ant, which had been passing through the storehouse
+on his way to the fields, and saw her terrible straits, went and fetched
+all his brothers, and bade them take pity on the damsel, and do the work
+that had been given to her.</p>
+
+<p>By sunset every grain was sorted and placed in its own bag, but Psyche
+waited with trembling the return of Aphrodite, as she felt that nothing
+she could do would content her.</p>
+
+<p>And so it happened, when Aphrodite entered, and thirsting for vengeance,
+cried with glee, &#8216;Well, where are my seeds?&#8217; Psyche pointed silently to
+the row of bags against the wall, each with its mouth open, so that at
+the first glance it could be seen what kind of seed it contained. The
+goddess grew white with rage, and screamed loudly, &#8216;Wretched creature,
+it is not your hands that have done this! you will not escape my anger
+so easily&#8217;; and, tossing her a piece of bread, went away, locking the
+door behind her.</p>
+
+<p>Next morning the goddess bade one of her slaves bring Psyche before her.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;In yonder grove,&#8217; she said, on the banks of a river, feed sheep whose
+wool is soft as silk and as bright as gold. Before night I shall expect
+you to return with as much of this wool as will make me a robe. And I do
+not think that you will find any one to perform your task this time!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So Psyche went towards the river, which looked so clear and cool that
+she stepped down to the brink, meaning to lay herself to rest in its
+waters. But a reed sang to her, and its song said:</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 311px;">
+<a name="plate_facing_264" id="plate_facing_264"></a><a href="images/f264-full.jpg"><img src="images/f264.jpg" width="311" height="508" alt="Aphrodite standing looking down on Psyche, seated on the floor, beside filled bags. Birds fluttering around" title="APHRODITE FINDS PSYCHE&#8217;S TASK ACCOMPLISHED" /></a>
+<span class="caption">APHRODITE FINDS PSYCHE&#8217;S TASK ACCOMPLISHED</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>&#8216;O Psyche, do my bidding and fear nothing! Hide yourself till evening,
+for the sheep are driven mad by the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[265]</a></span>heat of the sun, and rush wildly
+through the bushes and thickets. But when the air grows fresh they sink
+exhausted to sleep, and you can gather all the wool you want from the
+branches.&#8217;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 282px;">
+<a name="illus_page_265" id="illus_page_265"></a><a href="images/p265-full.png"><img src="images/p265.png" width="282" height="352" alt="An eagle placing an urn in the hands of a woman" title="JOYFULLY THE EAGLE BORE BACK THE URN" /></a>
+<span class="caption">JOYFULLY THE EAGLE BORE BACK THE URN</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>Then Psyche thanked the reed for its counsel and brought the wool safely
+back to the goddess; but she was received as before with scornful looks
+and words, and <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[266]</a></span>ordered to go to the top of a lofty mountain and fill a
+crystal urn from a fountain of black water which spouted from between
+walls of smooth rock. And Psyche went willingly, thinking that this time
+surely she must die.</p>
+
+<p>But an eagle which was hovering over this dark and awful place came to
+her aid, and taking the urn from her he bore it in his beak to the
+fountain, which was guarded by two horrible dragons. It needed all his
+strength and skill to pass by them, and indeed it was only when he told
+them that Aphrodite needed it to give fresh lustre to her beauty that
+they ceased to snap at him with their long fangs.</p>
+
+<p>Joyfully the eagle bore back the urn to Psyche, who carried it back
+carefully in her breast. But Aphrodite was still unsatisfied. Again and
+again she found new errands for Psyche, and hoped that each one might
+lead her to her death, though every time birds or beasts had pity on
+her.</p>
+
+<p>If Cupid had only known his mother&#8217;s wicked schemes, he would have
+contrived to stop them and to deliver Psyche. But the wound on his
+shoulder where the burning oil had fallen took long to heal, and for
+some time he was in ignorance of all that Psyche was suffering. At last,
+however, the pain ceased, and his first thought was to visit Psyche,
+who, nearly fainting with joy at the sound of his voice, poured forth
+all that had happened since that dreadful night which had destroyed her
+happiness.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Your punishment has been sore,&#8217; said he, &#8216;and I have no power to save
+you from the task my mother has set you. But while you fulfil this I
+will fly to Olympus, and beseech the gods to grant you forgiveness, and,
+more, a place among the immortals.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And so the envy and malice of Aphrodite and the wicked sisters were
+brought to nought, and Psyche left the earth, to sit enthroned on
+Olympus.</p>
+
+
+<p class="titlepage">[<i>Apuleius.</i>]</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[267]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="SIR_BEVIS_THE_STRONG" id="SIR_BEVIS_THE_STRONG"></a><i>SIR BEVIS THE STRONG</i></h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">Many</span> hundreds of years ago there lived in the South of England an earl
+of Southampton, whose name was Guy. He spent most of his life in
+defending his country from all sorts of invaders who sailed from beyond
+the seas, and it was not until he was getting old that he had time to
+think of a wife. Then he made a very foolish choice, for he asked in
+marriage the daughter of the king of Scotland, who had already plighted
+her troth to the young and handsome Sir Murdour.</p>
+
+<p>But though Sir Murdour was brother to the emperor, the Scottish king
+preferred to wed the princess to the stout earl of Southampton, whom he
+had known of old, and his word was law to all his court. So the bride
+journeyed with a great following to the south of England, where the
+marriage took place, and the next year a baby was born that was called
+Bevis.</p>
+
+<p>Now, though her husband was good and kind, and gave her the most
+beautiful dresses and horse-trappings in the whole kingdom, the princess
+hated him with a deadly hatred, just because he was not Sir Murdour. And
+when her son Bevis was seven years old she determined to seek the help
+of her old lover, and entice the earl to his death.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">To this end she made use of her charms and beauty to gain over to her
+side some of her husband&#8217;s most trusted lords, and when this was done
+she chose out a faithful messenger to ride north to Sir Murdour.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Bid him,&#8217; she said, &#8216;to come without fail on the first <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[268]</a></span>of May to the
+great forest that lies by the sea. Thither will I take care that my lord
+shall fare, with but a small company, and&mdash;the rest Sir Murdour can
+grasp. Only, I should like to see a bleeding head, in proof that all has
+gone as I wish.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Sir Murdour did not delay when he heard this message, but called
+together a troop of armed knights, and set sail with them for the forest
+on the water over against Southampton. They landed late one night, and
+Sir Murdour bade his foster-brother go secretly to the palace, and let
+the countess know that he was close at hand. After that he posted his
+men in deep dells and behind trees, and awaited his enemy.</p>
+
+<p>The sun was scarcely up before the countess roused her husband, who was
+sleeping heavily after a day&#8217;s hunting.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Awake,&#8217; she cried, shaking his shoulder, &#8216;I am feeling like unto death,
+and I have dreamed that this day I shall surely die if I eat not of the
+flesh of a wild boar of the forest.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>At these woeful tidings the earl sprang from his bed, and in a short
+while he was riding with a pack of hounds and a few attendants towards
+the part of the forest where the wild boars were most plentiful. The
+dogs were soon racing down a track, having scented a boar, and the earl
+was preparing to follow when Sir Murdour and his men leapt out from
+their hiding-places and suddenly surrounded him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I am here at your lady&#8217;s bidding,&#8217; said the knight; &#8216;she has begged me
+to send her your head, and I mean to do it.&#8217;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 288px;">
+<a name="illus_page_269" id="illus_page_269"></a><a href="images/p269-full.png"><img src="images/p269.png" width="288" height="447" alt="A boy with uplifted cudgel standing over a fallen man, a woman rising behind" title="LITTLE BEVIS AVENGES HIS FATHER" /></a>
+<span class="caption">LITTLE BEVIS AVENGES HIS FATHER</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>The earl&#8217;s face grew pale at these dreadful words. He did not fear any
+man alive, but the thought of his wife&#8217;s baseness took the strength from
+his arm and the courage from his heart. Still, for the honour of his
+name and knighthood, it behoved him to fight his best, though his only
+weapon was a boar spear. The battle <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[269]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270"><br />[270]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271"><br /><br />[271]</a></span>lasted long, but at length the
+earl&#8217;s horse was killed under him, and he fell to the ground. In another
+moment Sir Murdour struck his head from his shoulders, and, placing it
+on a spear, he ordered his squire to bear it to the castle.</p>
+
+<p>Bevis, who was standing on the battlements, saw this terrible sight, and
+seeking out his mother he vowed vengeance against the murderer. Though
+he was only seven years old, his strength was so great that the countess
+felt that her life would not be safe if once he discovered the truth, so
+she ordered his uncle Saber to take the boy to some distant place and
+there to slay him. Saber did not dare to disobey. He took Bevis with him
+to a small hut near the forest, and, killing a pig, sprinkled the
+child&#8217;s garments with the blood and sent them to his mother. Afterwards
+he dressed Bevis in the clothes of a peasant, and, putting a stout staff
+in his hands, set him to watch a flock of sheep.</p>
+
+<p>The boy did what he was told without a word, but the sheep wandered far
+that day, and by-and-by he found himself in sight of his father&#8217;s
+castle. Then a sudden fury filled his soul, and, leaving the sheep to go
+whither they would, he ran swiftly down the hill, and never stopped till
+he reached the castle gate. Here the porter, to whom the countess had
+given much gold, tried to stop him, but Bevis only knocked him down with
+his cudgel, and on into the hall he went, and there he beheld his mother
+and Sir Murdour feasting at the high table.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Traitors and murderers!&#8217; cried he, and lifting his staff, he dealt
+three fierce blows at the head of Sir Murdour,<a name="corr11" id="corr11"></a> which felled him to the
+ground, where he lay unconscious. Then the boy turned and walked out of
+the hall, none daring to stop him.</p>
+
+<p>He told his uncle what had happened, but Saber was never ready of
+counsel, and before he had time to think what was best the countess
+entered the hut attended by two knights, whom she ordered to seize
+Bevis, and sell him as a slave to any captain in the port of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[272]</a></span>
+Southampton who might be sailing that night for the lands of the
+Infidel.</p>
+
+<p>The captain of the ship was a kind man and took a liking to the boy
+whose fate was so hard, and when a fair wind blew them into the harbour
+of Heathenesse he bade the child bear him company to the palace. The
+king, whose name was Ermyn, thought he had never seen any boy of his age
+so tall and beautiful, and asked him many things as to his past life.
+These Bevis answered with so much truth and spirit that Ermyn was
+persuaded that he would grow into a man much above the common, and
+declared that he would make him heir to his throne and wed him in due
+course to his daughter Josyan, if he would only give up Christianity and
+become a convert to the faith of Heathenesse. But this Bevis swore he
+would never do.</p>
+
+<p>The good captain feared greatly that the king might be angered by
+Bevis&#8217;s refusal, but instead Ermyn seemed to think that the boy, who
+would not break his vows lightly, was fain to turn out a true and loyal
+man. So he smiled, and told Bevis that he would make him his
+chamberlain, and when he was of age to be a knight, he should be his
+banneret.</p>
+
+<p>Eight years passed by, spent by Bevis in learning all the feats with the
+sword and spear for which the knights of Heathenesse had long been
+famous. His life was smooth and pleasant, and it was only when he had
+counted fifteen summers that he had his first adventure.</p>
+
+<p>It was Christmas Day, and Bevis was riding with a large company of
+Paynim knights through the great plain that surrounded the city. The
+talk ran upon the many lion chases they had held in that very place,
+when suddenly one of the knights who had journeyed both to Rome and
+Jerusalem turned to Bevis, who happened to be next him, and asked if he
+knew what day it was.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;No,&#8217; answered Bevis; &#8216;why should I? Is it different from any other
+day?&#8217; and the knight laughed and told <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[273]</a></span>him he was but a poor Christian.
+This angered Bevis, who said that, as he had lived among heathens since
+he was seven years old, it was not likely he should have learnt anything
+about his faith, but that in defence of it he was ready to tilt with the
+knights one after the other and hoped that in so good a cause he might
+prevail.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Listen to the crowing of this young cock&#8217; cried one of the party,
+highly wroth at the answer of Bevis; and indeed so furious were they
+that they set upon him at once and dealt him many wounds before the boy
+was able to defend himself. Then he snatched a sword from the man
+nearest him, and laid about him so hardly that in a short time they were
+all stretched dead upon the ground, while their horses galloped back to
+their stalls. Bevis himself, suffering great pain, went quietly back to
+his room in the palace and waited to see what would come next.</p>
+
+<p>When king Ermyn heard the news, and how so many of his best knights had
+been put to death by his page, he was beside himself with fury, and gave
+orders that Bevis should be instantly beheaded. But Josyan, his
+daughter, pleaded so hard for the young page that the king agreed to
+hear his story, and when he had heard it he not only forgave the youth,
+but told Josyan, who was skilled in leechcraft, to heal his wounds. And
+in a little while Bevis was raised to higher favour than ever by slaying
+a boar which had carried away and eaten several children on the
+outskirts of the city.</p>
+
+<p>By this time the fame of the princess&#8217;s beauty had spread far and wide,
+and the king of Damascus sent an embassy to the court of king Ermyn,
+praying that she should be given him to wife.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;But,&#8217; added he, &#8216;in case you do not well consider my suit, I would have
+you know that I will gather together a great army, and lay waste your
+land with fire and sword. So think well before you refuse me.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>King Ermyn was little used to language of this sort, and for all answer
+collected twenty thousand men, whom <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[274]</a></span>he commanded to be in readiness.
+Next, at the request of his daughter, he dubbed Bevis a knight, and the
+princess herself clad him in a richly inlaid helmet, and buckled on him
+the good sword Morglay. As a parting gift she bestowed on him a swift
+white horse called Arundel, and very proud was Bevis as he rode away at
+the head of the army beside the commander.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">It were too long to tell of all the deeds wrought by Sir Bevis during
+the fight with the king of Damascus, whose standard-bearer, the giant
+Radyson, he slew at the very outset of the battle. In the end, and owing
+in a great measure to the valour of the young knight, the Damascenes
+owned themselves beaten, and their king remained a captive in the hands
+of Sir Bevis.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I will spare your life on one condition only,&#8217; said the victor, &#8216;and
+that is that you shall swear fealty on my sword to king Ermyn, and
+acknowledge yourself to be his vassal.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>The king&#8217;s heart was sore when he heard what was demanded of him, for
+never before had he been vanquished in war. Still, he saw that there was
+no help for it, and he took the oath that Bevis required of him, after
+which he was suffered to depart into his own country.</p>
+
+<p>King Ermyn could not do enough honour to Sir Bevis when he came back to
+the palace, and, as was the custom, he bade his daughter rid him of his
+heavy armour, to put on him gorgeous robes, and to wait on him when he
+sat down to table. Sir Bevis was half glad and half ashamed to receive
+these services at the hands of the princess, but Josyan heard her
+father&#8217;s orders right willingly, and led him away to fulfil them at
+once.</p>
+
+<p>The first thing she did was to order her slaves to prepare a bath for
+him, and to make it soft with all manner of sweet-smelling spices. Then
+she summoned him to her chamber, where she had prepared food and wine,
+and, like a wise woman, spoke nothing till he had <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[275]</a></span>eaten and drunk as
+much as he would. When he had satisfied his hunger, he flung himself to
+rest on a pile of cushions, and Josyan seated herself near him. Taking
+one of his hands in hers, she said softly:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Oh, Bevis, little do you know what I have suffered these many months
+from the love I bear you! Indeed, so grievous have been my pains that I
+marvel that I am alive this day. But if you return not my love, of a
+surety I am a dead woman.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Now Bevis had long loved the princess in secret; but his heart was
+proud, and, besides, he feared to seem that he had betrayed the king&#8217;s
+trust. So he answered:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Fair Josyan, I thank you for your gentle words, but it would ill become
+me to take advantage of them. There is no prince in all the world, be he
+who he may, who would not crown you queen, and hold himself honoured.
+For me, I am but a poor knight, and one from a strange land, to whom
+your father has shown more favour than I deserve. It is not thus I
+should repay his kindness.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>These words struck a chill through Josyan. All her life she had never
+known what it was to be denied anything she asked for, and she fell to
+weeping.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I would sooner have you, poor as you are, than the greatest king
+alive,&#8217; sobbed she; but when Bevis sat still and kept silence her grief
+turned to wrath.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Am I, who might reign over any of the kingdoms of the earth, to be
+flouted by you, a mere churl? Out of my chamber this instant, and betake
+yourself to working in the fields, for they are fitter setting for one
+of your birth than a lady&#8217;s bower!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Damsel,&#8217; said Bevis, &#8216;you wrong me. No churl am I, but the son of an
+earl, and a knight withal. And now farewell, for I shall depart into my
+own country.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>For a short time Josyan&#8217;s anger held sway in her heart, and even the
+death of Bevis would hardly have moved her, but when she heard that
+Bevis was actually <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[276]</a></span>preparing to leave the city her pride broke down,
+and she sent a messenger to implore his forgiveness. But she had to
+learn that Bevis was no less proud than she, and he dismissed the
+messenger with a ring that the king had given him, merely saying that he
+had already bid good-bye to the princess Josyan.</p>
+
+<p>Then Josyan saw that if she would keep Bevis at her side she must humble
+herself to the dust, so she went herself to the chamber of Bevis, and
+implored him to forget her hasty words, and not to forsake her. Nay, she
+would even promise to give up her own faith and to become a Christian.</p>
+
+<p>At this proof of her devotion, Sir Bevis&#8217;s resolve gave way, and he told
+her that he had loved her always, but feared that her father would never
+accept him as a son-in-law. Josyan made light of this obstacle, and
+declared that her father would never refuse her anything she had set her
+heart upon; but Bevis was not so hopeful, and soon events proved that he
+was right.</p>
+
+<p>Two knights whom Bevis had rescued from captivity and had brought to the
+palace overheard the vows exchanged between him and Josyan, and her
+offer of being baptized. Hating and envying the good fortune of Bevis,
+they sought out the king, and told him that his daughter was about to
+give up the faith of Mahomet, and to fly from the country with a
+Christian knight.</p>
+
+<p>These tidings were grievous to king Ermyn. He could not forgive his
+daughter, and yet, after all the deeds he had done, the people of the
+city would not suffer Bevis to be punished. What was he to do? The more
+he thought of it the more bewildered he felt; and all the while the two
+traitors stood patiently by, knowing well what was passing through the
+king&#8217;s mind.</p>
+
+<p>At length he turned, as they were sure he would, and asked their
+counsel, which was quite ready.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Let your Majesty write a letter to King Bradmond, as from liege lord to
+vassal, and let Sir Bevis be the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[277]</a></span>bearer of it, and bid the king put the
+knight to instant death.&#8217; So said the traitors, and, though the device
+was neither new nor honourable, it would serve. Bevis was summoned to
+the king&#8217;s presence, and listened carefully to all he was told. Joyful
+was he at being chosen for this mission, which he thought betokened
+special favour, though his spirits were somewhat damped by the assurance
+that he must leave his sword Morglay and Arundel, his swift horse,
+behind him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It were an insult to the king to approach him on a war-horse, and
+brandishing the sword that has slain so many of his men,&#8217; said Ermyn.
+&#8216;You shall ride the ambling palfrey on which I make my progress through
+the city; and, as for weapons, you will have no need of them.&#8217; So
+Arundel remained quietly in his stable, while Bevis unwillingly jogged
+along at the slow pace of the palfrey. But in one thing he disobeyed
+king Ermyn, for under his tunic was hidden a short sword.</p>
+
+<p>On the way he fell in with a pilgrim, whose offer to share his dinner
+Bevis accepted gladly. They soon began to tell each other their
+adventures, and, to his surprise, Bevis found that the pilgrim was his
+own cousin, the son of his uncle Saber, and that he had come so far with
+no other purpose than to seek out the young knight and to inform him of
+all that had happened during the years that had passed since his
+father&#8217;s death.</p>
+
+<p>The vassals of the old earl, said the pilgrim, had been so ground down
+by the wicked Sir Murdour and his wife, that they had risen up as one
+man, and, headed by Saber, had defended the Isle of Wight against the
+usurper. But it was greatly to be desired that the young earl should
+return home as fast as possible, and attack Murdour in his castle of
+Southampton, and for this reason had he set forth to seek him.</p>
+
+<p>Bevis&#8217;s heart and his blood waxed hot with the listening, but he did not
+wish that the pilgrim should <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[278]</a></span>learn just then who he was, so he answered
+that the young earl was his friend and brother, and that on his part he
+would promise speedy help to the faithful vassals fighting in his cause.
+With this they parted, and Bevis pursued his way to Damascus.</p>
+
+<p>On entering the gates of the city he found himself in the midst of a
+large crowd, who were making ready a sacrifice to a wooden idol, which
+was carried in a golden car. This roused the wrath of the young man,
+and, forcing his way through the multitude, he seized the idol and flung
+it into the mud, calling loudly on the people to go and help their god,
+since he could not help them. In an instant a thousand arms were raised
+against the stranger who had dared to insult the majesty of their idol,
+and, though Bevis drew his short sword and defended himself bravely, he
+could not have held out against such numbers had not the palace gates
+been close behind. Still fighting, Bevis entered the gates, and drawing
+the letter from his tunic ordered the guards to take him at once into
+the presence of the king.</p>
+
+<p>Bradmond read the letter with joy, as he felt that his enemy was
+delivered into his hands, and the tidings of the attack on the idol
+hardened his heart still more. Without further delay he bade the guards
+take Bevis and carry him off to a deep dungeon under the palace where
+lived two huge dragons, who would be fain to eat him forthwith.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;And I do this,&#8217; said Bradmond, &#8216;not to avenge my own wrongs, but to
+perform my oath of duty unto my sovereign lord king Ermyn. For this is
+the service he requires of me, in the letter that you yourself have
+brought.&#8217;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 491px;">
+<a name="illus_page_279" id="illus_page_279"></a><a href="images/p279-full.png"><img src="images/p279.png" width="491" height="311" alt="A young man with a cudgel, facing two dragons" title="STRONG SIR BEVIS KEEPS THE TWO DRAGONS AT BAY" /></a>
+<span class="caption">STRONG SIR BEVIS KEEPS THE TWO DRAGONS AT BAY</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>Ropes were tied under Bevis&#8217;s arms, and he was lowered down, down, down,
+till he could see nothing but four fiery eyes which glared furiously up
+at him. Soon after his hands knocked against something hard and rough,
+which moved under his touch. At the same <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[279]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280"><br />[280]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281"><br /><br />[281]</a></span>moment his feet touched the
+bottom, and he found himself standing in a large cave with a feeble ray
+of light coming from the far end. By this he dimly perceived two
+horrible dragons, but for a moment they were still, and did not move to
+attack him.</p>
+
+<p>Bevis made use of the short time allowed him to feel about if perchance
+he could find some weapon with which to defend himself instead of the
+short sword which had been taken from him, and he came upon a stout
+staff, thrown into one corner, and by the aid of this he held those two
+monsters at bay for a whole night and day. By this time the dragons, who
+had been weakened by a slothful life and the flesh of many prisoners,
+were too weak to resist any longer, and fell an easy prey to the strong
+arm of Bevis.</p>
+
+<p>Of course it was not long before the men who had charge of the dungeon
+discovered that the dragons were dead, but they were so filled with
+admiration of Bevis&#8217;s courage that they kept his counsel, and let down
+into his prison daily a good portion of wheat cake, so that he managed
+to keep himself alive. Bradmond the king very soon forgot all about him,
+so that the soldiers did as they pleased.</p>
+
+<p>Thus some years passed away.</p>
+
+<p>At the end of that time one of the gaolers died, and the other was sent
+to a distant city. The two men who took their places knew nothing of
+Bevis, save that he was a captive in the dungeon, and that as long as he
+was alive it was part of their duty to feed him every day. &#8216;Let us
+murder him,&#8217; said one man to another; &#8216;it is small use to feed a man in
+a dungeon who is forgotten by himself and all the world&#8217;; so one of them
+fastened a ladder of ropes to the side and climbed down it, in the hope
+of finding an easy victim lying on the ground. Instead there was a man
+as strong as ten other men, who leapt swiftly aside to avoid the blow of
+his sword, and struck him dead to the ground with a blow of his fist.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[282]</a></span>
+The other gaoler, hearing no noise from below, crept down the ladder to
+see what had taken place; but as soon as he was on the floor of the
+dungeon Bevis gave a mighty spring which snapped the chain that had
+bound him to the rock, and thrust him through with the sword he had
+taken from his fellow. Then, when, as far as he could reckon, the night
+was nearly gone, he climbed up the ladder, and stood once more a free
+man.</p>
+
+<p>At the first gleam of dawn, Sir Bevis stole out to the stables, where
+the king&#8217;s horses were being groomed. Peeping through a hole, he
+discovered a room hung round with suits of armour, and, getting in
+through the roof, he took down a coat of mail, a helmet, and a shield,
+while he chose out a good sword from a pile standing in a corner. Then
+entering the stable, he cut off the heads of several of the men, while
+the rest fled out of reach of the strange being with the long hair and
+strong arm. When they were all gone Bevis brought out the best horse in
+the stable, and rode out across the drawbridge into the world again.</p>
+
+<p>Of course, directly he was missed, king Ermyn sent his best knights in
+pursuit of him, but in one way or another Sir Bevis got the better of
+them all, and made his way to Jerusalem, where, for the first time since
+he was seven years old, he entered a Christian church. But so anxious
+was he to hear some tidings of Josyan, that he remained only a short
+time in the city, and soon rode on again along the road to her father&#8217;s
+court.</p>
+
+<p>On the way he met with a young knight who had once been his squire, and
+who told him a sad tale. Josyan, he said, had been asked in marriage by
+the most powerful and fierce of all the kings of Heathenesse, but she
+steadily refused to wed any man who was not a Christian like herself.
+This so enraged her father that he gave leave to her suitor to do with
+her as he would; so king Inor, for so was he named, carried her off to
+his own kingdom, and shut her up in a tower till she should <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[283]</a></span>come to a
+better mind, and be ready to return to her old faith.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;In her tower she is still,&#8217; continued the knight; &#8216;but if you would
+have speech with her it is first needful to persuade the king to go on
+some distant mission. And first you must put on a disguise, for at any
+moment those may come by who knew you well at the royal palace.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>This advice Bevis followed; he hid himself with his friend behind a
+clump of bushes till a pilgrim passed on the way to Jerusalem. The young
+knight then left his hiding-place, and prayed the pilgrim for the sake
+of charity and a dole of money to be given in alms that he would
+exchange clothes with Sir Bevis. To this the pilgrim readily agreed, and
+soon Bevis was arrayed in a long mantle, carrying a staff in his hand.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Now go and stand about the door of the palace, and when the king comes
+from hunting he will see you, and will ask you where you come from, and
+what news is stirring in the world. And you must say to him that you
+have lately journeyed from Syria, from the kingdom of his brother, and
+that the land has been overrun by strange armies, and that the country
+is in a great strait. When he hears that he will of a surety hasten to
+his aid, and then you will be able to escape with Josyan without danger
+of losing your head.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Now Inor the king had placed Josyan under the charge of Boniface, the
+chamberlain, who had been long in the service of her father, and in
+order the better to help her had pretended to approve of the evil way in
+which she was treated. Directly he heard of the plot he began to play
+his part towards its fulfilment, and in the evening of the day on which
+the king had departed he managed to give the steward, who had been left
+to rule the city, such a powerful sleeping draught that he did not wake
+for twenty-four hours. Meanwhile Sir Bevis chose out the best suit of
+armour in the king&#8217;s armoury and the fastest horse in his stable; and
+when <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[284]</a></span>night fell Josyan stole softly down from her tower, and, mounting
+Arundel, whom she had brought with her from her old home, rode out of
+the gates by the side of Bevis. Boniface followed close after them. He
+did not dare to stay behind, as he knew that his head was forfeit.</p>
+
+<p>But as things happened he might as well have remained where he was, for
+the very next day, when Bevis was hunting, two lions came up to the cave
+where Josyan and her chamberlain lay concealed. Without an instant&#8217;s
+pause they devoured Boniface and his horse, which was tethered outside,
+though Josyan&#8217;s beauty so overawed them that they bent their heads
+humbly in her presence.</p>
+
+<p>The next adventure that befell Sir Bevis was a battle with a giant
+thirty feet high, who had been sent by the steward to catch the two
+runaways. During the fight he was sore wounded, and in the end owned
+Bevis to be his master, and begged to be allowed to take service with
+him. Sir Bevis agreed, though somewhat doubtfully, but soon found reason
+to rejoice in his new page, for by his help he was able to turn some
+Saracens out of a ship which bore them all with a fair wind to the city
+of Cologne.</p>
+
+<p>Here he found his uncle, the bishop; who was brother to his father and
+to Sir Saber, and, leaving Josyan in safety under his care, he set sail
+with a hundred knights for Southampton. Before landing he sent one of
+his most trusty squires for tidings as to how fared Sir Murdour, and
+received for answer that the quarrel still raged betwixt him and Sir
+Saber. Then Bevis went on shore with all his knights, and bade one of
+them tell Sir Murdour that they had sailed from France in quest of
+service, and that if he so willed they would fight under his banner,
+but, if not, they would offer themselves to his foe.</p>
+
+<p>Sir Murdour was overjoyed at the sight of the strangers, and asked the
+name of their leader.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[285]</a></span>&#8216;Sir Jarrard,&#8217; said Bevis, who did not wish to make himself known, and
+inquired further what were the causes of the war with Sir Saber, and how
+long it had lasted. To this Sir Murdour made reply that Sir Saber had
+been seeking for many years past to wrest from him the heritage which
+was his by purchase from the spendthrift heir Bevis, who had afterwards
+quitted the country, but that with the help of the strangers an end
+would speedily be put to the quarrel.</p>
+
+<p>While Bevis stood listening to Sir Murdour, his fingers unconsciously
+crept to the handle of his sword, but he forced back his wrath and
+answered that, had they brought their horses with them, the dispute
+might have been settled that very night. Still, much might be done if
+Sir Murdour would give them a ship in which to sail to the Isle of
+Wight, and would provide them with horses.</p>
+
+<p>Sir Murdour did not need to be asked twice; he gave to Sir Bevis his
+finest horses and his best armour, and before many hours Bevis was
+standing on the Isle of Wight by the side of his uncle Saber.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Take yonder fishing-boat,&#8217; said he to one of his knights, &#8216;and return
+to Southampton and enter the castle. Then tell Sir Murdour that the man
+to whom he has given his arms and his horses is no knight of France, but
+Sir Bevis earl of Southampton, who has come to take vengeance for the
+death of his father.&#8217;</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">The battle which decided the strife was fought upon the island, and
+never for a moment did Bevis lose sight of his enemy. In vain did
+Murdour ride from one part of the field to the other; Bevis was always
+there, though it was long before he was close enough to thrust at him.
+At last he managed to hurl him to the ground, but Murdour&#8217;s followers
+pressed hard on him, and Bevis could not, by his own self, take him
+captive.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;To me! To me!&#8217; he cried at last, and Ascapard <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[286]</a></span>strode up, cleaving the
+heads of all that stood in his way.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;What shall be done with him?&#8217; asked he, picking up the fallen knight
+and holding him tightly.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Put him in the cauldron that is boiling outside the camp,&#8217; said Bevis.
+&#8216;For that is the death for traitors.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So Sir Bevis got his own again, and he sent to Cologne for Josyan, and
+was wedded to her by his uncle the bishop in his good town of
+Southampton.</p>
+
+
+<p class="titlepage">[From the <i>Early English Metrical Romances</i>.]</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[287]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="OGIER_THE_DANE" id="OGIER_THE_DANE"></a><i>OGIER THE DANE</i></h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">Long,</span> long ago, a baby lay asleep in a cot in a palace. It was a royal
+baby, therefore it was never left alone for a moment, but always had two
+or three ladies watching it, by day and by night, so that no serpent
+should crawl into its cradle and bite it, nor any evil beast run off
+with it, as sometimes happened in other countries.</p>
+
+<p>But one evening, after a very hot day, all the ladies in waiting felt
+strangely drowsy, and, though they tried their best to keep awake, one
+by one they gradually dropped off to sleep in the high carved chairs on
+which they sat. Then a gentle rustle might have been heard outside on
+the staircase, and when the door opened a brilliant light streamed in,
+though the ladies slept too soundly to be awakened by it. Wrapped round
+by the light were six fairies, more beautiful than any fairies that ever
+were seen, who glided noiselessly to the cradle of the baby.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;How fair he is!&#8217; whispered one; &#8216;the true son of a king.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;And how strong he is!&#8217; answered another; &#8216;look at his arms and legs,&#8217;
+and the whole six bent forward and looked at him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;The world shall ring with his fame,&#8217; said the first, whose name was
+Gloriande, &#8216;and I will give him the best gift I have. He shall never
+fear death, and no word of shame shall ever touch him.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Then the second fairy leaned forward and lifted the baby out of his
+cradle. She was tall, and on her head was a ruby crown, while a plate of
+gold covered her breast.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[288]</a></span>&#8216;Through all your life,&#8217; she murmured, &#8216;wherever war and strife may be,
+you shall be found in the midst of it, even as your forefathers.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Yes,&#8217; said a third; &#8216;but my gift is better than hers, for you shall
+never be worsted in any fight, and every one shall add to your honour.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;And though you are the first of knights,&#8217; exclaimed the fourth, &#8216;you
+shall win fame for your courtesy and gentlehood, no less than for your
+valour.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;The hearts of all women shall turn to you, and they shall love you,&#8217;
+said the fifth, who was clad in a robe of transparent green; &#8216;but beware
+how you give them back their love, for this love of mortals needs
+proving&#8217;; and with that she slipped away from the cradle.</p>
+
+<p>The sixth fairy looked silently at the child for a few moments, though
+her thoughts seemed to be with something far away.</p>
+
+<p>At length she spoke, and these were her words:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;When you are weary of travel and of strife and have won all the glory
+and honour that may fall to men, then you shall come to me in my palace
+of Avallon, and rest in the joys of fairyland with Morgane le Fay.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>After that the light began to fade, and the six fairies vanished none
+could tell how or whither.</p>
+
+<p>By-and-by the baby&#8217;s attendants woke up, and never knew that during
+their sleep the child&#8217;s fate had been fixed as surely as if he had been
+bitten by a serpent or carried off by a wolf. Everything <i>seemed</i> the
+same as it had done before, and so they took it for granted that it
+<i>was</i>.</p>
+
+<p>Time passed on, and Ogier, for that was the name they gave him, was ten
+years old. He was tall and strong and could send his arrows farther than
+most boys many years older. He could handle a spear too, and his thrusts
+went straight at the mark; while he could sing a song, or touch the lute
+as delicately as a maiden. His father was proud of him, and it went sore
+with him when Charlemagne the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[289]</a></span>emperor, who had had a bitter quarrel
+with the king of Denmark, demanded that Ogier should be sent as a
+hostage to his court of Paris.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 325px;">
+<a name="plate_facing_288" id="plate_facing_288"></a><a href="images/f288-full.jpg"><img src="images/f288.jpg" width="325" height="502" alt="A group of fairies looking down on another fairy lifting a baby from his cradle" title="HOW THE FAIRIES CAME TO SEE OGIER THE DANE" /></a>
+<span class="caption">HOW THE FAIRIES CAME TO SEE OGIER THE DANE</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>For four years the boy lived happily in Paris, daily making new friends,
+and learning to be a skilled swordsman; but at the end of that time the
+Danish king sank some of Charlemagne&#8217;s ships, and the emperor vowed that
+Ogier should pay for his father&#8217;s deed. His life was spared, but the
+youth was banished to St. Omer, a little town on the coast. Here he
+spent some years, which would have been dull and very wearisome but for
+the kindness of the governor, who not only allowed him to fish and hunt
+on receiving his word that he would not try to escape, but gave him his
+daughter, the fair Belissande, as his companion, and even consented to a
+marriage between them. For, kind though he was, he did not forget that
+the captive youth was after all heir to the Danish throne.</p>
+
+<p>Ogier would have been quite content to stay where he was, when suddenly
+the emperor summoned him to come to Paris and take part in a war which
+had broken out between him and the Saracens, who had landed in Italy.
+Unwilling though he was, of course Ogier was forced to obey, and he
+speedily won such fame that in a little while Charlemagne declared that
+from henceforth he should have in battle the place of honour on the
+right hand of the emperor himself. This favour so excited the jealousy
+of Charlot, the emperor&#8217;s son, that he laid many snares for Ogier&#8217;s
+life, but, owing to the gift of the fairy Gloriande, the young man
+contrived to escape them all.</p>
+
+<p>On his return to France with the army, after the war was over and the
+Saracens had been beaten, he found two pieces of news <a name="corr12" id="corr12"></a>awaiting him. One
+was that his father was dead, and that he was king of Denmark, and the
+other was that during his absence a son had been born to him.</p>
+
+<p>Taking leave of the emperor, he chose the swiftest <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[290]</a></span>horse he could find
+in the stables and rode straight to St. Omer. The boy was by this time
+three years old, and promised to be tall and strong like his father.
+Already he could mount a pony and use a tiny bow and arrows that had
+been made for him, and even could tell the names of some of the battles
+his father had won.</p>
+
+<p>But Ogier could not tarry long in the castle of St. Omer. Taking his
+wife and son with him, he set out at once for Denmark, and spent several
+years in the kingdom making laws and teaching his people many things
+that he had learnt in his travels.</p>
+
+<p>After ten years, however, he became weary of this peaceful life, and,
+after Belissande died, he felt he could bear it no longer. So, leaving
+the crown to his uncle, he returned to France with his son and fought
+once more by the side of Charlemagne. This was the life he loved, and it
+seemed as if it might have gone on for ever had it not been for the
+prince Charlot, who, unhappily, only grew more quarrelsome and foolish
+the older he got.</p>
+
+<p>Charlot was one day playing chess with the son of Ogier, and, as he was
+hasty and impatient, the game went against him. Like many others, he had
+never learned how to take a beating like a man, and, raising his hand,
+he struck the youth a blow on the temple which killed him. Charlemagne,
+grieved though he really was, refused to punish Charlot, and after
+saying bitter words Ogier left Paris, and took service with the king of
+Lombardy, but was soon captured, while asleep, by Archbishop Turpin.</p>
+
+<p>By this time Charlemagne had felt the loss of Ogier so greatly, and had
+besides suffered so much from further ill-doings on the part of his son,
+that he lent a ready ear to Ogier&#8217;s offer of reconciliation, provided he
+were allowed to avenge himself on the murderer. But just as Ogier was
+about to strike off Charlot&#8217;s head, and rid the world of a man who never
+did any good in it, he was stopped by a mysterious voice which bade him
+to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[291]</a></span>spare the son of Charlemagne. So Charlot was left to work more
+mischief throughout the land.</p>
+
+<p>A second time a crown fell to Ogier in right of his wife, the princess
+Claria of England, who had been delivered by Ogier out of the hands of
+the Saracens. But the princess died not many months after, and the
+fetters of the throne were no more to Ogier&#8217;s taste in England than in
+Denmark. So he assembled all his barons, and bade them choose themselves
+a king from among them. This done, he set sail across the sea for the
+life of adventure that he loved.</p>
+
+<p>For some time Ogier fought in Palestine, where he gained great fame, for
+no army and no city could stand before him. But his heart always turned
+to France, and directly peace was made he said farewell to his
+companions and took ship for Marseilles. At first the breeze was fair,
+but when they had made half the voyage a tempest arose and the vessel
+was driven on a rock, while all the crew except Ogier himself were
+drowned. This happened early in the morning, but as soon as darkness
+fell and Ogier was fearing that he might die of hunger, as no living
+thing could be seen on the island, he suddenly beheld facing him a
+castle of adamant. He rubbed his eyes and gazed at it in amazement,
+thinking it was a vision, for he knew not that this castle was
+enchanted, and, though unseen by day, shone by night from light of its
+own. However, he did not hesitate at the strangeness of his adventure,
+but taking his sword in his teeth he swam ashore, and mounted the flight
+of steps that led to the open door.</p>
+
+<p>Rich and beautiful things lay scattered everywhere, but not a sign was
+there of any one to enjoy them. Room after room was empty, and Ogier was
+fast losing hope and wondering whether he was to die of starvation in
+the midst of all this splendour. He had searched every chamber of the
+castle except one which lay before him at the end of a long gallery. He
+would go into that too, but if it <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[292]</a></span>should prove as barren as the rest
+then his case was indeed perilous.</p>
+
+<p>With a beating heart he drew back the bolts and lifted the latch of the
+great carved door. Before him a long table was spread with fruits and
+food of the rarest sort, while in a large chair at the further end a
+horse was seated enjoying a huge pasty. At the sight of Ogier he rose
+politely and bowed, after which he presented him with a golden bowl full
+of water and returned to his chair.</p>
+
+<p>During his travels Ogier had beheld many strange things, but never
+before had a horse been his host, and he was so startled that, hungry
+though he was, he hardly touched the food which the horse heaped on his
+plate, expecting every moment that a magician might appear or the whole
+castle crumble away.</p>
+
+<p>Quiet though Ogier was, the horse, who had been taught manners in the
+court of the sultan of Babylon himself, took no notice of his guest&#8217;s
+behaviour but finished his own supper, which was a very hearty one. When
+it was done he rose again, bowed a second time to Ogier, who had risen
+also, and, signing with his fore hoof towards a curtain on one side of
+the hall, passed through, followed by his guest. In the centre of a
+magnificent chamber stood a soft bed, at which Ogier gazed longingly.
+The horse saw the direction of his eyes, and with another bow he
+withdrew.</p>
+
+<p>In the morning Ogier awoke early and passed through the door into a
+meadow bright with flowers. He looked round him, and saw a group of
+ladies sitting under a tree plucking fruit from its branches, and
+filling golden cups from a clear stream that ran at their feet. Not
+having eaten since his scanty supper of the night before, he approached
+the ladies, one of whom arose and spoke to him, saying:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Welcome, Ogier of Denmark! I have waited for you long. A hundred years
+have passed since I stood by your <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[293]</a></span>cradle&mdash;a hundred years of war and of
+fighting. But you have tired of them at last and have come back to me!
+And now you shall rest in the palace of Avallon. I am Morgane le Fay.&#8217;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 289px;">
+<a name="illus_page_293" id="illus_page_293"></a><a href="images/p293-full.png"><img src="images/p293.png" width="289" height="278" alt="A knight meeting a woman, with other women seated on the ground behind her" title="OGIER THE DANE MEETS MORGANE LE FAY AT LAST" /></a>
+<span class="caption">OGIER THE DANE MEETS MORGANE LE FAY AT LAST</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>She held out her hand, and Ogier placed his within it, and thus they
+entered the castle. Then she went to her closet and drew a casket from
+it, and from the casket she took a ring, which she slipped on Ogier&#8217;s
+finger. Afterwards she placed on his head a wreath of golden laurels
+intertwined with bays, and his white hair became once more like
+sunshine, and the wrinkles faded from his brow. And with the wrinkles
+faded also the recollection of the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[294]</a></span>battles he had fought, and of
+Charlemagne himself, and even of Belissande, whom he had loved so well.
+Soft sounds of singing floated through the palace, and fairies trailing
+flowers glided in and out in the dance. While Ogier stood entranced and
+dumb, there entered King Arthur, to whom spoke Morgane le Fay:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Draw near, Arthur, my lord and brother, come and salute the flower of
+chivalry, the boast of the court of France, he in whom courtesy,
+loyalty, and all virtue are united.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And Arthur drew near, and they embraced each other.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">Two hundred years passed as a single day, till one morning when Ogier
+was lying on a bank listening to the birds which sang like no birds
+which mortal ears have ever heard, he took for an instant the crown from
+off his head. In a moment the memories of his old life flashed across
+him, and, starting up, he sought Morgane le Fay, and bade her give him
+his sword, for he was going to fight for fair France again. In vain the
+fairy besought him not to forsake her, but he would hear nothing, and
+she was fain to do as he wished. So by her magic she conjured up a
+little boat which bore Ogier to Marseilles, whence he hastened to the
+war, which was being carried on in Normandy.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">Great was the surprise of the warriors and ladies of the court at the
+sight of the new-comer, whose face was as young and fresh as their own,
+but whose arms and whose speech were of a time long gone by. At first
+some were inclined to try him with jests, but they speedily found that,
+strange though his manners might seem, it were wiser to accept them.
+Indeed, it was not long before Ogier&#8217;s presence had caused itself to be
+so felt throughout the camp that he was given command of an army that
+was about to march against the enemy <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[295]</a></span>who were invading France and
+utterly routed them. In gratitude the king begged him to counsel him in
+all things, and in a few months some of Ogier&#8217;s strength and wisdom had
+passed into the people.</p>
+
+<p>Now night and day Ogier wore the ring which Morgane le Fay had placed on
+his finger, and as long as it was there no youth about the court was
+fairer and more splendid than he. The gift with which he had been
+endowed in his cradle had lost none of its power, and as he passed
+through the crowd, towering full a head over other men, the hearts of
+the ladies went out towards him. <i>He</i> could not help it, and <i>they</i>
+could not help it. It had been so ordained by the fairy. Even age could
+not preserve them; nay, it seemed to render them an easier prey.</p>
+
+<p>Amongst the noble ladies whose pulses beat faster at the sight of
+Ogier&#8217;s golden hair was the Countess of Senlis. Old was she, and
+withered of face, but she had never ceased to think that she was young,
+and she mistook the kindliness and courtesy of Ogier&#8217;s manner for the
+love that man bears to woman.</p>
+
+<p>One morning, in crossing the garden to attend upon her mistress the
+queen, the countess came upon Ogier lying asleep under the trees. She
+stopped and looked upon him tenderly; then her eyes fell upon the ring
+on his finger, whose stone, of a strange green hue, was graven with
+devices.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;If I could see them close, perchance I might guess who he is and whence
+he came,&#8217; said she to herself, and, stooping, she drew lightly the ring
+from his hand, not knowing that the queen had crept up and stood behind
+her. But what an awful change came over him all at once! His limbs grew
+shrivelled, his hair white, his eyes so shrunken that they seemed hardly
+more than points; but when the queen turned with horror to ask her lady
+what it meant, the change in her was hardly less wondrous, for, though
+the old countess was ignorant of it, fifty years <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[296]</a></span>had been swept from
+her, and she was straight and winsome as of yore.</p>
+
+<p>They were still standing, dumb with surprise, when Ogier awoke and
+glanced about him with feeble, uncertain gaze. Catching sight of the
+ring, which the countess was still holding, he stretched his shaking
+hand towards it. The action was more than the queen could bear.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Give it back to him,&#8217; she said; and, unwilling though she was to part
+with such a treasure, the countess was forced to obey.</p>
+
+<p>Tremblingly Ogier restored the ring to its place, and in an instant his
+youth and beauty returned to him.</p>
+
+<p>Soon after this the king of France died, and when the time of mourning
+was over the queen made known to Ogier that she wished to take him for
+her second husband. Gentle was she and fair, and easy it was for Ogier
+to love her, and his heart beat high at the thought of sitting on the
+throne where Charlemagne had once sat. The people rejoiced greatly when
+they heard of the marriage, for with Ogier for their king they were
+safe, they thought, from invaders.</p>
+
+<p>The wedding day had come, and scarce a man or woman in Paris had closed
+their eyes the night before. Magnificent indeed would the procession be
+that was to end in the new cathedral; gorgeous would be the trappings of
+the horses, dazzling the dresses of the ladies that would ride, some in
+litters and some on horses, through the streets that bordered the river.
+Early was the queen astir, to be tired by her maidens, and if Ogier&#8217;s
+slumbers lasted longer&mdash;well, it was not the first time that he had been
+crowned a king.</p>
+
+<p>At length he was awakened by the sound of a voice calling his name:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Ogier, Ogier!&#8217; and at the sound the present was forgotten, and the past
+rushed back. &#8216;Ogier, Ogier!&#8217; whispered the voice again, and, looking, he
+saw standing by his bed not the queen, but Morgane le Fay.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[297]</a></span>&#8216;Rise quickly,&#8217; she said, &#8216;and put on your wedding garments. Clothe
+yourself in the mantle Charlemagne wore, and the crown that was placed
+upon his brow. Set on your feet his shoes of gold, and let me see you
+once as France would have seen you.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>He did her bidding, and she gazed at him awhile, then slowly drawing
+nigh she lifted the crown from his hair, and in its stead she put on him
+the wreath of laurel which brought peace and forgetfulness.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Now come with me,&#8217; she said, holding out her hand, and together they
+left the palace unseen, and entered a barge that was waiting in the
+river, and in the sunrise they sailed away to the castle of Avallon.</p>
+
+
+<p class="titlepage">[Adapted from Dunlop&#8217;s <i>History of Prose Fiction</i>, and Morris&#8217;s <i>Ogier
+the Dane</i>.]</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[298]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="HOW_THE_ASS_BECAME_A_MAN_AGAIN" id="HOW_THE_ASS_BECAME_A_MAN_AGAIN"></a><i>HOW THE ASS BECAME A MAN AGAIN</i></h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">Once</span> upon a time there lived a young man who would do nothing from
+morning till night but amuse himself. His parents were dead and had left
+him plenty of money, but this was fast vanishing, and his friends shook
+their heads sadly, for when the money was gone they did not see where
+more was to come from. It was not that Apuleius (for that was the name
+of the youth) was stupid. He might have been a good soldier, or a
+scholar, or a worker in gold, if so it had pleased him, but from a child
+he had refused to do anything useful, and roamed about the city all day
+long in search of adventures. The only kind of learning to which he paid
+any heed was magic, and when he was in the house he would spend hours
+poring over great books of spells.</p>
+
+<p>Fond though he was of sorcery, he was too lazy to leave the town and its
+pleasures&mdash;the chariot-racing, the theatre, and the wrestling, and to
+travel in search of the wizards who were renowned for their skill in the
+art. However, the time came when, very unwillingly, he was forced to
+take a journey into Thessaly, to see to the proper working of some
+silver mines in which he had a share, and Thessaly, as everybody knows,
+is the home of all magic. So when Apuleius arrived at the town of
+Hypata, where dwelt the man Milo, overseer of his mines, he was prepared
+to believe that all he saw was enchanted.</p>
+
+<p>Now, if Thessaly is the country of magic, it is also the country of
+robbers, and Apuleius soon noticed that everybody he met was in fear of
+them. Indeed, they made this fear the excuse for all sorts of mean and
+foolish <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[299]</a></span>ways. For instance, Milo, who loved money and could not bear to
+spend a farthing, refused to have any seats in his house that could be
+removed, and in consequence there was nothing to sit upon except two
+marble chairs fixed to the wall. As there was only room in these for one
+person, the wife of Milo had to retire to her own chamber when the young
+man entered.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It was no use,&#8217; explained Milo, &#8216;in laying out money on moveable seats,
+with robbers about. They would be sure to hear of it and to break into
+the house.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Unlike his guest, Milo was always occupied in adding to his wealth in
+one form or another. Sometimes he sent down a train of mules to the sea,
+and bought merchandise which the ships had carried from Babylon or
+Egypt, to sell it again at a high price. Then he dealt in sheep and
+cattle, and when he thought he might do so with safety made false
+returns of the silver that was dug up from the mines, and kept the
+difference for himself. But most often he lent large sums at high
+interest to the young men of the neighbourhood, and so cunning was he
+that, whoever else might be ruined, Milo managed to make large profits.</p>
+
+<p>Apuleius knew very well that his steward was in his way as great a
+robber as any in Thessaly, but, as usual, he found it too much trouble
+to look into the matter. So he laughed and jested with the miser, and
+next morning went out to the public baths and then took a stroll through
+the city. It was full of statues of the famous men to whom Hypata had
+given birth; but as Apuleius had made up his mind that nothing in
+Thessaly <i>could</i> be what it seemed, he supposed that they were living
+people who had fallen under enchantment, and that the oxen whom he met
+driven through the streets had once been men and women.</p>
+
+<p>One evening he was returning as usual from a walk when he saw from afar
+three figures before Milo&#8217;s house, who he at once guessed were trying to
+force an entrance.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[300]</a></span> &#8216;Here is an adventure at last,&#8217; thought he, and,
+keeping in the shadow, he stole softly up behind them, and drawing his
+short sword he stabbed each one to the heart. Then, without waiting to
+see what more would befall, he left them where they were and entered the
+house by a door at the back.</p>
+
+<p>He said nothing of what had happened to Milo his host, but the next day,
+before he had left his bed, a summons was brought him by one of the
+slaves to appear before the court at noon on a charge of murder. As has
+been seen, Apuleius was a brave man and did not fear to face three times
+his number, but his heart quailed at the thought of a public trial.
+Still, he was wise enough to know that there was no help for it, and at
+the hour appointed he was in his place.</p>
+
+<p>The first witnesses against him were two women with black veils covering
+them from head to foot. At the sound of the herald&#8217;s trumpet, one of the
+two stepped forward and accused him of compassing the death of her
+husband. When she had ended her plaint the herald blew another blast,
+and another veiled woman came forward and charged him with her son&#8217;s
+murder. Then the herald inquired if there was not yet a third victim,
+but was answered that his wound was slight, and that he was able to roam
+through the city.</p>
+
+<p>After the witnesses had been called, the judge pronounced sentence.
+Apuleius the murderer was condemned to death, but he must first of all
+be tortured, so that he might reveal the names of the men who had
+abetted him. By order of the court, horrible instruments were brought
+forward which chilled the blood of Apuleius in his veins. But to his
+surprise, when he looked round to see if none would be his friend, he
+noticed that every one, from the judge to the herald, was shaking with
+laughter. His amazement was increased when with a trembling voice one of
+the women demanded that the bodies should be produced, so that the judge
+might be <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[301]</a></span>induced to feel more pity and to order more tortures. The
+judge assented to this, and two bodies were carried into court shrouded
+in wrappings, and the order was given that Apuleius himself should
+remove the wrappings.</p>
+
+<p>The face of the young man grew white as he heard the words of the judge,
+for even a hardened criminal cares but little to touch the corpse of a
+man whom he has murdered. But he dared not disobey, and walked slowly to
+the place where the dead bodies lay. He shrank for a moment as he took
+the cloth in his hand, but his guards were behind him, and calling up
+all his courage he withdrew it. A shout of laughter pealed out behind
+him, and to his amazement he saw that his victims of the previous night
+had been three huge leather bottles and not men at all!</p>
+
+<p>As soon as Apuleius found out the trick that had been played on him he
+was no less amused than the rest, but in the midst of his mirth a sudden
+thought struck him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;How was it you managed to make them alive?&#8217; asked he, &#8216;for alive they
+were, and battering themselves against the door of the house.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Oh, that is simple enough when one has a sorceress for a mistress,&#8217;
+answered a damsel, who was standing by. &#8216;She burned the hairs of some
+goats and wove spells over them, so that the animals to whom the hairs
+and skins had once belonged became endowed with life and tried to enter
+their former dwelling.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;They may well say that Thessaly is the home of wonders,&#8217; cried the
+young man. &#8216;But do you think that your mistress would let me see her at
+work? I would pay her well&mdash;and you also,&#8217; he added.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It might be managed perhaps, without her knowledge,&#8217; answered Fotis,
+for such was the girl&#8217;s name; &#8216;but you must hold yourself in readiness
+after nightfall, for I cannot tell what evening she may choose to cast
+off her own shape.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[302]</a></span>&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Apuleius promised readily that he would not stir out after sunset, and
+the damsel went her way.</p>
+
+<p>That very evening, Hesperus had scarcely risen from his bed when Fotis
+knocked at the door of the house.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 289px;">
+<a name="illus_page_302" id="illus_page_302"></a><a href="images/p302-full.png"><img src="images/p302.png" width="289" height="305" alt="A half-man, half-donkey standing in front of a woman" title="APULEIUS CHANGES INTO AN ASS" /></a>
+<span class="caption">APULEIUS CHANGES INTO AN ASS</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>&#8216;Come hither, and quickly,&#8217; she said; and without stopping to question
+her Apuleius hastened by her side to the dwelling of the witch Pamphile.
+Entering softly, they crept along a dark passage, where they could peep
+through a crack in the wall and see Pamphile at work. She was in the act
+of rubbing her body with <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[303]</a></span>essences from a long row of bottles which
+stood in a cupboard in the wall, chanting to herself spells as she did
+so. Slowly, feathers began to sprout from her head to her feet. Her arms
+vanished, her nails became claws, her eyes grew round and her nose
+hooked, and a little brown owl flew out of the window.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Well, are you satisfied?&#8217; asked Fotis; but Apuleius shook his head.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Not yet,&#8217; he answered. &#8216;I want to know how she transforms herself into
+a woman again.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;That is quite easy, you may be sure,&#8217; replied Fotis. &#8216;My mistress never
+runs any risks. A cup of water from a spring, with some laurel leaves
+and anise floating in it, is all that she needs. I have seen her do it a
+thousand times.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Turn me into a nightingale, then, and I will give you five hundred
+sesterces,&#8217; cried Apuleius eagerly; and Fotis, tempted by the thought of
+so much money, agreed to do what he wished.</p>
+
+<p>But either Fotis was not so skilful as she thought herself, or in her
+hurry she neglected to observe that the bird bottles were all on one
+shelf, and the beast bottles on another, for when she had rubbed the
+ointment over the young man&#8217;s chest something fearful happened. Instead
+of his arms disappearing, they stretched downwards; his back became
+bent, his face long and narrow, while a browny-grey fur covered his
+body. Apuleius had been changed, not into a nightingale, but into an
+ass!</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">A loud scream broke from Fotis when she saw what she had done, and
+Apuleius, glancing at a polished mirror from Corinth which hung on the
+walls, beheld with horror the fate that had overtaken him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Quick, quick! fetch the water, and I will seek for the laurels and
+anise,&#8217; he cried. &#8216;I do not want to be an ass at all; my arms and back
+are aching already, and if I am not swiftly restored to my own shape I
+shall <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[304]</a></span>not be able to overthrow the champion in the wrestling match
+to-morrow.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So Fotis ran out to draw the water from the spring, while Apuleius
+opened some boxes with his teeth, and soon found the anise and laurels.
+But alas! Fotis had deceived herself. The charm which was meant for a
+bird would not work with a beast, and, what was worse, when Apuleius
+tried to speak to her and beg her to try something else, he found he
+could only bray!</p>
+
+<p>In despair the girl took down the book of spells, and began to turn over
+the pages; while the ass, who was still a man in all but his outward
+form, glanced eagerly down them also. At length he gave a loud bray of
+satisfaction, and rubbed his nose on a part of the long scroll.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Of course, I remember now,&#8217; cried Fotis with delight. &#8216;What a comfort
+that nothing more is needed to restore you to your proper shape than a
+handful of rose leaves!</p>
+
+<p>The mind of Apuleius was now quite easy, but his spirits fell again when
+Fotis reminded him that he could no longer expect to be received by his
+friends, but must lie in the stable of Milo, with his own horse, and be
+tended, if he was tended at all, by his own servant.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;However, it will not be for long,&#8217; she added consolingly. &#8216;In the
+corner of the stable is a little shrine to the goddess of horses, and
+every day fresh roses are placed before it. Before the sun sets
+to-morrow you will be yourself again.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Slowly and shyly Apuleius slunk along lonely paths till he came to the
+stable of Milo. The door was open, but, as he entered, his horse, who
+was fastened with a sliding cord, kicked wildly at him, and caught him
+right on the shoulder. But before the horse could deal another blow
+Apuleius had sprung hastily on one side, and had hidden himself in a
+dark corner, where he slept soundly.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[305]</a></span>The moon was shining brightly when he awoke, and looking round he saw,
+as Fotis had told him, the shrine of Hippone, with a branch of
+sweet-smelling pink roses lying before it. It was rather high up, he
+thought, but, when he reared himself on his hind legs, he would surely
+be tall enough to reach it. So up he got, and trod softly over the
+straw, till he drew near the shrine, when with a violent effort he threw
+up his forelegs into the air. Yes! it was all right, his nose was quite
+near the roses; but just as he opened his mouth his balance gave way,
+and his front feet came heavily on the floor.</p>
+
+<p>The noise brought the man, who was sleeping in another part of the
+stable.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Oh, I see what you are at, you ugly beast,&#8217; cried he; &#8216;would you eat
+roses that I put there for the goddess? I don&#8217;t know who may be your
+master, or how you got here, but I will take care that you do no more
+mischief.&#8217; So saying, he struck the ass several times with his fists,
+and then, putting a rope round his neck, tied him up in another part of
+the stable.</p>
+
+<p>Now it happened that an hour or two later some of the most desperate
+robbers in all Thessaly broke into the house of Milo, and, unheard by
+anyone, took all the bags of money that the miser had concealed under
+some loose stones in his cellar. It was clear that they could not carry
+away such heavy plunder without risk of the crime being discovered, but
+they managed to get it quietly as far as the stable, where they gave the
+horse some apples to put it in a good temper, while they thrust a turnip
+into the mouth of Apuleius, who did not like it at all. Then they led
+out both the animals, and placed the sacks of money on their backs,
+after which they all set out for the robbers&#8217; cave in the side of the
+mountain. As this, however, was some distance off, it took them many
+hours to reach it, and on the way they passed through a large deserted
+garden, where rose <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[306]</a></span>bushes of all sorts grew like weeds. The pulse of
+Apuleius bounded at the sight, and he had already stretched out his nose
+towards them, when he suddenly remembered that if he should turn into a
+man in his present company he would probably be murdered by the robbers.
+With a great effort, he left the roses alone, and tramped steadily on
+his way.</p>
+
+<p>It were long indeed to tell the adventures of Apuleius and the number of
+masters whom he served. After some time he was captured by a soldier,
+and by him sold to two brothers, one a cook and the other a maker of
+pastry, who were attached to the service of a rich man who lived in the
+country. This man did not allow any of his slaves to dwell in his house,
+except those who attended on him personally, and these two brothers
+lived in a tent on the other side of the garden, and the ass was given
+to them to send to and fro with savoury dishes in his panniers.</p>
+
+<p>The cook and his brother were both careful men, and always had a great
+store of pastry and sweet things on their shelves, so that none might be
+lacking if their lord should command them. When they had done their work
+they placed water and food for their donkey in a little shed which
+opened on to the tent, then, fastening the door so that no one could
+enter, they went out to enjoy the evening air.</p>
+
+<p>On their return, it struck them that the tent looked unusually bare, and
+at length they perceived that this was because every morsel of pastry
+and sweets on the shelves had disappeared, and nothing was left of them,
+not so much as a crumb. There was no room for a thief to hide, so the
+two brothers supposed that, impossible though it seemed, he must not
+only have got <i>in</i> but <i>out</i> by the door, and, as their master might
+send for a tray of cakes at any moment, there was no help for it but to
+make a fresh supply. And so they did, and it took them more than half
+the night to do it.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[307]</a></span>The next evening the same thing happened again; and the next, and the
+next, and the next.</p>
+
+<p>Then, by accident, the cook went into the shed where the ass lay, and
+discovered a heap of corn and hay that reached nearly to the roof.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Ah, you rascal!&#8217; he exclaimed, bursting out laughing as he spoke. &#8216;So
+it is you who have cost us our sleep! Well, well, I dare say I should
+have done the same myself, for cakes and sweets are certainly nicer than
+corn and hay.&#8217; And the donkey brayed in answer, and winked an eye at
+him, and, more amused than before, the man went away to tell his
+brother.</p>
+
+<p>Of course it was not long before the story reached the ears of their
+master, who instantly sent to buy the donkey, and bade one of his
+servants, who had a taste for such things, teach him fresh tricks. This
+the man was ready enough to do, for the fame of this wonderful creature
+soon spread far and wide, and the citizens of the town thronged the
+doors of his stable. And while the servant reaped much gold by making
+the ass display his accomplishments, the master gained many friends
+among the people, and was soon made chief ruler.</p>
+
+<p>For five years Apuleius stayed in the house of Thyasus, and ate as many
+sweet cakes as he chose; and if he wanted more than were given him he
+wandered down to the tent of his old masters, and swept the shelves bare
+as of yore. At the end of the five years Thyasus proclaimed that a great
+feast would be held in his garden, after which plays would be acted, and
+in one of them his donkey should appear.</p>
+
+<p>Now, though Apuleius loved eating and drinking, he was not at all fond
+of doing tricks in public, and as the day drew near he grew more and
+more resolved that he would take no part in the entertainment. So one
+warm moonlight night he stole out of his stable, and galloped as fast as
+he could for ten miles, when he reached the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[308]</a></span>sea. He was hot and tired
+with his long run, and the sea looked cool and pleasant.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It is years since I have had a bath,&#8217; thought he, &#8216;or wetted anything
+but my feet. I will take one now; it will make me feel like a man
+again&#8217;; and into the water he went, and splashed about with joy, which
+would much have surprised anyone who had seen him, for asses do not in
+general care about washing.</p>
+
+<p>When he came back to dry land once more, he shook himself all over, and
+held his head first on one side and then on the other, so that the water
+might run out of his long ears. After that he felt quite comfortable,
+and lay down to sleep under a tree.</p>
+
+<p>He was awakened some hours later by the sound of voices singing a hymn,
+and, raising his head, he saw a vast crowd of people trooping down to
+the shore to hold the festival of their goddess, and in their midst
+walked the high priest crowned with a wreath of roses.</p>
+
+<p>At this sight hope was born afresh in the heart of Apuleius. It was long
+indeed since he had beheld any roses, for Thyasus fancied they made him
+ill, and would not suffer anyone to grow them in the city. So he drew
+near to the priest as he passed by, and gazed at him so wistfully that,
+moved by some sudden impulse, the pontiff lifted the wreath from his
+head, and held it out to him, while the people drew on one side, feeling
+that something was happening which they did not understand.</p>
+
+<p>Scarcely had Apuleius swallowed one of the roses, when the ass&#8217;s skin
+fell from him, his back straightened itself, and his face once more
+became fair and rosy. Then he turned and joined in the hymn, and there
+was not a man among them all with a sweeter voice or more thankful
+spirit than that of Apuleius.</p>
+
+
+<p class="titlepage">[Apuleius, <i>The Golden Ass</i>.]</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[309]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="GUY_OF_WARWICK" id="GUY_OF_WARWICK"></a><i>GUY OF WARWICK</i></h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">Everyone</span> knows about the famous knight Sir Guy, the slayer of the great
+Dun Cow which had laid waste the whole county of Warwick. But besides
+slaying the cow, he did many other noble deeds of which you may like to
+hear, so we had better begin at the beginning and learn who Sir Guy
+really was.</p>
+
+<p>The father of Guy, Segard the Wise, was one of the most trusty
+councillors of the powerful earl of Warwick and Oxford, who was feared
+as well as loved by all, as a man who would suffer no wrong through the
+lands which he governed.</p>
+
+<p>Now the earl had long noted the beauty and strength of Segard&#8217;s young
+son, and had enrolled him amongst his pages and taught him all manner of
+knightly exercises. He even was versed in the art of chess-playing, and
+thus whiled away many a wet and gloomy day for his master, and for his
+daughter the fair Felice, learned in astronomy, geometry, and music, and
+in all else that professors from the schools of Toulouse and Spain could
+teach a maiden.</p>
+
+<p>It happened one Pentecost that the earl of Warwick ordered a great
+feast, followed by a tourney, to be held in the open space near the
+castle, and tents to be set up for dancing and players on the lute and
+harp. At these tourneys it was the custom of every knight to choose out
+his lady and to wear her token or colours on his helmet, as Sir Lancelot
+did the red sleeve of Elaine, and oftentimes, when Pentecost and the
+sports were over, marriages would be blessed by the priest.</p>
+
+<p>At this feast of Pentecost in particular, Guy stood <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[310]</a></span>behind the chair of
+his master the earl, as was his duty, when he was bidden by the
+chamberlain of the castle to hasten to the chamber of the Lady Felice,
+and to attend upon her and her maidens, as it was not thought seemly for
+them to be present at the great feast.</p>
+
+<p>Although, as we have said, the page had more than once been called upon
+to amuse the young damsel with a bout of chess, she had ever been
+strictly guarded by her nurse and never suffered to exchange a word with
+the youth whose place was so much below hers. On this evening, however,
+with none to hinder her, she chattered and laughed and teased her
+ladies, till Guy&#8217;s heart was stolen from him and he quite forgot the
+duties he was sent to fulfil, and when he left her presence he sought
+his room, staggering like one blind.</p>
+
+<p>Young though he was, Guy knew&mdash;none better&mdash;how wide was the gulf that
+lay between him and the daughter of his liege lord. If the earl, in
+spite of all his favour, was but to know of the passion that had so
+suddenly been born in him, instant death would be the portion of the
+over-bold youth. But, well though he knew this, Guy cared little, and
+vowed to himself that, come what might, as soon as the feast was over he
+would open his heart to Felice, and abide by her answer.</p>
+
+<p>It was not easy to get a chance of speaking to her, so surrounded was
+she by all the princes and noble knights who had taken part in the
+tourney; but, as everything comes to him who waits, he one day found her
+sitting alone in the garden, and at once poured forth all his love and
+hopes.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Are you mad to think that <i>I</i> should marry <i>you</i>?&#8217; was all she said,
+and Guy turned away so full of unhappiness that he grew sick with
+misery. The news of his illness much distressed his master, who bade all
+his most learned leeches go and heal his best-beloved page, but, as he
+answered nothing to all they asked him, they returned and told the earl
+that the young man had not many days to live.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[311]</a></span>But, as some of our neighbours say, &#8216;What shall be, shall be&#8217;; and that
+very night Felice dreamed that an angel appeared to her and chided her
+for her pride, and bade her return a soft answer if Guy again told her
+of his love. She arose from her bed full of doubts and fears, and
+hurried to a rose bower in her own garden, where, dismissing her ladies,
+she tried to set her mind in order and find out what she really felt.</p>
+
+<p>Felice was not very successful, because when she began to look into her
+heart there was one little door which always kept bursting open, though
+as often as it did so her pride shut it and bolted it again. She became
+so tired of telling herself that it was impossible that the daughter of
+a powerful noble could ever wed the simple son of a knight, that she was
+about to call to her maidens to cheer her with their songs and stories,
+when a hand pushed aside the roses and Guy himself stood before her.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Will my love ever be in vain?&#8217; he asked, gasping painfully as he spoke
+and steadying himself by the walls of the arbour. &#8216;It is for the last
+time that I ask it; but if you deny me, my life is done, and I die, I
+die!&#8217; And indeed it seemed as if he were already dead, for he sank in a
+swoon at Felice&#8217;s feet.</p>
+
+<p>Her screams brought one of her maidens running to her. &#8216;Grammercy, my
+lady, and is your heart of stone,&#8217; cried the damsel, &#8216;that it can see
+the fairest knight in the world lying here, and not break into pieces at
+his misery? Would that it were <i>I</i> whom he loved! I would never say him
+nay.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Would it <i>were</i> you, and then I should no more be plagued of him,&#8217;
+answered Felice; but her voice was softer than her words, and she even
+helped her maiden to bring the young man out of his swoon. &#8216;He is
+restored now,&#8217; she said to her damsel, who curtseyed and withdrew from
+the bower; then, turning to Guy, she added, half smiling:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It seems that in my father&#8217;s court no man knows <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[312]</a></span>the proverb, &#8220;Faint
+heart never won fair lady.&#8221; Yet it is old, and a good one. <i>My</i> hand
+will only be the prize of a knight who has proved himself better than
+other men. If <i>you</i> can be that knight&mdash;well, you will have your chance
+with the rest.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>The soul of the youth leaped into his eyes as he listened; for he knew
+that this was much for the proud Felice to say. But he only bowed low,
+and with new life in his blood he left the castle. In a few days he was
+as strong as ever he had been, and straightway sought the earl, whom he
+implored to bestow on him the honour of knighthood.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Right gladly will I do so, my page,&#8217; answered Rohand, and gave orders
+that he would hold a solemn ceremony, when Guy and twenty other youths
+should be dubbed knights.</p>
+
+<p>Like many young men, Sir Guy thought that his first step on the road was
+also to be his last, and instantly sought the presence of Felice, whom
+he expected to find in the same softened mood as he had left her. But
+the lady only laughed his eagerness to scorn.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Think you that the name of knight is so rare that its ownership places
+you high above all men?&#8217; asked she. &#8216;In what, I pray you tell me, does
+it put you above the rest who were dubbed by my father with you to-day?
+No troth of mine shall you have until your name is known from Warwick to
+Cathay.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And Sir Guy confessed his folly and presumption, and went heavily unto
+the house of Segard.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;O my father,&#8217; he began before he had let the tapestry fall behind him,
+&#8216;I would fain cross the seas and seek adventures.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Truly this is somewhat sudden, my fair young knight,&#8217; answered Sir
+Segard, with a mocking gleam in his eyes, for Guy&#8217;s father had not been
+as blind as fathers are wont to be.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Other knights do so,&#8217; replied Guy, drawing figures <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">[313]</a></span>on the floor with
+the point of his sword. &#8216;And I would not that I were behind them.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You shall go, my son,&#8217; said Segard, &#8216;and I will give you as companions
+the well-tried knights Sir Thorold and Sir Leroy, and H&eacute;raud, whom I
+have proved in many wars. Besides these, you shall have men-at-arms with
+you, and such money as you may need.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Before many days had passed, Sir Guy and his friends had sailed across
+the high seas, and had made their way to the noble city of Rouen. Amidst
+all that was strange and new to him, there was yet much that was
+familiar to his eyes, for there were certain signs which betokened a
+tournament, and on questioning the host of the inn he learned all that
+he desired. Next morning a tourney was to be held by order of the
+emperor and the prize should be a white horse, a milk-white falcon, and
+two white greyhounds, and, if he wished it, the hand of the princess
+Whiterose, the emperor&#8217;s daughter.</p>
+
+<p>Though he had not been made a knight a month ago, Sir Guy knew full well
+the customs of chivalry, and presented a palfrey, scarcely less
+beautiful than the one promised as a prize, to the teller of these happy
+tidings. Then he put on his armour and rode forth to the place of the
+tourney.</p>
+
+<p>In the field over against Rouen was gathered the flower of Western
+chivalry. The emperor had sent his son, and in his train came many
+valiant knights, among them Otho duke of Pavia, hereafter to be Sir
+Guy&#8217;s most bitter enemy. The fights were long and sore, but one by one
+the keenest swordsmen rolled in the dust, and the prize was at length
+adjudged to the youngest knight there present.</p>
+
+<p>Full courteously he told all who might wish to hear that he might not
+wed Whiterose, the princess, for his faith was already plighted to
+another across the sea. And to Felice and to her father he sent the
+falcon and <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[314]</a></span>horse and greyhounds as tokens of his valour. After that he
+and his friends journeyed to many lands, fighting tournaments when there
+were any tournaments to fight, till the whole of Christendom rang with
+the name of Sir Guy.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Surely I have proved my worth,&#8217; he said, when a whole year had gone by.
+&#8216;Let us go home&#8217;; and home they went.</p>
+
+<p>Joyful was the welcome bestowed on him by every one he met&mdash;joyful, that
+is, from all but Felice.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Yes, you have done well,&#8217; she said, when he knelt before her, offering
+some of the prizes he had won. &#8216;It is truly spoken among men that there
+are not twelve knights living as valorous as you. But that is not good
+enough for me. It matters not that you are &#8220;one of the best&#8221;; my husband
+must be &#8220;the best of all.&#8221;&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>In vain Sir Guy pleaded that with her for his wife his strength would be
+doubled, and his renown also.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;If you cannot conquer all men for my sake <i>now</i>, you will never do it
+after,&#8217; she answered; and Sir Guy, seeing his words were useless, went
+out to do her bidding.</p>
+
+<p>The wrath of his father and mother was great when their son came to tell
+them he was going to seek a fresh quest, but, though his heart was sore
+rent with their tears, he only embraced them tenderly, and departed
+quickly, lest he should make some promise he might not keep.</p>
+
+<p>For long he found no knight whose skill and strength were equal to his
+own, and he was beginning to hope that the day was drawing nigh that
+should see him stand without a peer, when, in a tourney near the city of
+Benevento, his foe thrust his lance deep into his shoulder, and for many
+days Sir Guy lay almost senseless on his bed.</p>
+
+<p>Now Otho duke of Pavia had neither forgotten nor forgiven his overthrow
+by the young knight at Rouen, more than a year agone, and he resolved to
+have his <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">[315]</a></span>revenge while his enemy was still weak from loss of blood. So
+he hid some men behind some bushes, which Sir Guy would needs pass while
+riding along the road to the north, &#8216;and <i>then</i>,&#8217; thought he, &#8216;I will
+cast him into prison, there to await my pleasure.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>But though his plans were well laid, the fight went against him, and in
+the end Sir Guy, nearly fainting with weariness and loss of blood, was
+again the victor, and Otho&#8217;s best knight, Sir Guichard of Lombardy, owed
+his life to the swiftness of his horse. His victory, however, was to Sir
+Guy as sad as many defeats, for his constant companions lay dead before
+him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Ah, Felice, this is your doing,&#8217; said he.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">Long were it to tell of the deeds done by the noble knight Sir Guy; of
+the tourneys that he won, of the cities that he conquered&mdash;even at the
+game of chess he managed to be victorious! Of course many men were
+sorely jealous of him and his renown, and wove plots for his ruin, but
+somehow or other he contrived to escape them all.</p>
+
+<p>By this time Sir Guy had grown to love wandering and fighting so well
+that he had well-nigh forgotten who had sent him from his native land,
+and why he was not dwelling in his father&#8217;s castle. Indeed, so wholly
+had the image of Felice faded from his memory, that when Ernis emperor
+of Constantinople, under whose banner he was serving, offered him the
+hand of his only daughter and half of his dominions, Sir Guy at once
+accepted his gifts.</p>
+
+<p>The sight of the wedding-ring brought him back to his allegiance. He no
+longer loved Felice it is true, and he <i>did</i> love a younger and gentler
+maiden. But he must abide by the oath he had sworn, though it were to
+his own undoing.</p>
+
+<p>His grief at the loss of the princess Lorette sent Sir Guy to his bed
+for many days, but as soon as the fever <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">[316]</a></span>left him he felt that he could
+stay at court no longer, and began to make plans to seek other
+adventures in company with his friend H&eacute;raud and a lion which he had
+saved from the claws of a dragon.</p>
+
+<p>Since that day this lion had never quitted his side, except at his
+master&#8217;s bidding, and he always slept on the floor by his master&#8217;s bed.
+The emperor and all his courtiers were fond of the great beast, who
+moved among them as freely as a kitten, but Sir Morgadour, the chief
+steward of the emperor of the West, who was visiting the court, had ever
+been Sir Guy&#8217;s mortal enemy, and one evening, thinking himself unseen,
+gave the lion a mortal wound as he was sleeping quietly in the garden.
+He had just strength enough to drag himself to Sir Guy&#8217;s feet, where he
+died, and a damsel who had marked the cruel deed proclaimed loudly that
+it was done by Sir Morgadour. In an instant Sir Guy&#8217;s dagger was buried
+in his breast; but when he grew calmer he remembered that his presence
+at court might bring injury upon Ernis, as the emperor of the West would
+certainly seize the occasion to avenge the death of his steward. So the
+next day he left the city, and slowly turned his face towards England.</p>
+
+<p>It was some months before he arrived there, so many adventures did he
+meet with on the way. But directly he landed he hastened to York to
+throw himself at the feet of Athelstan the king.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Ah, welcome indeed, fair son,&#8217; cried he; &#8216;the fame of your prowess has
+reached us these many years past, and we have just received the news
+that a fearful and horrible dragon, with wings on his feet and claws on
+his ears, is laying waste our county of Northumberland. He is as black
+as any coal, and as rough as any foal, and every man who has gone out to
+meet him has been done to death ere he has struck a blow. Go, therefore,
+with all speed and deliver us from this monster, for of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">[317]</a></span>dragons you
+have slain many, and perchance this one is no more evil than the rest.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>The adventure was one after Sir Guy&#8217;s own heart, and that very day he
+rode northwards; but even <i>his</i> well-proved courage failed somewhat at
+the sight of the dragon, ten times uglier and more loathsome than any he
+had ever beheld. The creature roared hideously as he drew near, and
+stood up at his full length, till he seemed almost to stretch as far as
+Warwick. &#8216;Verily,&#8217; thought Sir Guy to himself, &#8216;the fight of old with
+the great Dun Cow was as the slaying of a puppy in comparison with
+this!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>The dragon was covered thickly with scales all over his body, his
+stomach as well as his back. They were polished and shiny and hard as
+iron, and so closely planted that no sword could get in between them.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;No use to strike there,&#8217; muttered Sir Guy, &#8216;a thrust down his throat is
+my only chance.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>But if Sir Guy knew this, the dragon knew it much better, and, though
+the knight managed to jump aside and avoid the swoops of his long neck
+and the sudden darting of his sharp claws, he had not even tried to
+strike a blow himself for fear lest his sword should break in two
+against that shining horny surface. This was not the kind of warfare to
+which the dragon was accustomed, and he began to grow angry, as anyone
+might have seen by the lashings of his tail and the jets of smoke and
+flame that poured out of his nostrils. Sir Guy felt that his chance
+would soon come, and waited patiently, keeping his eye for ever fixed on
+the dragon&#8217;s mouth.</p>
+
+<p>At length the monster gave a sudden spring forward, and if Sir Guy had
+not been watching he could scarcely have leaped out of the way. The
+failure to reach his prey enraged the dragon more than ever, and,
+opening his mouth, he gave a roar which the king heard on his throne at
+York. He opened his mouth; but he never <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_318" id="Page_318">[318]</a></span>shut it again, for Guy&#8217;s sword
+was buried in it. The death struggles were short; and then Sir Guy cut
+off the head and bore it to the king.</p>
+
+<p>After this, his first thought was for his parents, who, he found, had
+died many years agone, and having said a prayer over their graves, and
+put his affairs in order, he hurried off to Warwick to see Felice, and
+tell her that he had fulfilled the commands she had given him long years
+ago, when he was but a boy. He also told her of the ladies of high
+degree whose hands he had won in fair fight&mdash;won&mdash;and rejected. &#8216;All of
+them I forsook for thee, Felice,&#8217; he said.</p>
+
+<p>He had kept his word; but he had left his heart in Constantinople.
+Perhaps Felice did not know this, or perhaps she did not set much store
+by hearts, and cared more for the renown that Sir Guy had won throughout
+Christendom. Anyhow, she received him gladly and graciously, and so did
+her father, and the marriage was celebrated with great pomp, and for a
+space Sir Guy remained at home, and after a time a son was born to him.</p>
+
+<p>But at the day of his son&#8217;s birth Sir Guy was far away. In the quiet and
+idleness of the castle he began to think, and his conscience pricked him
+sore, that all the years of his life he had done ill to many a man</p>
+
+<p class="poem">And slain many a man with his hand,<br />
+Burnt and destroyed many a land.<br />
+And all was for woman&#8217;s love,<br />
+And not for God&#8217;s sake above.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;The end should be different from the beginning,&#8217; he said, and forthwith
+he put on the dress of a pilgrim, and took ship for the Holy Land,
+carrying with him a gold ring, given him by Felice.</p>
+
+<p>Once more he came back, an old man now, summoned by Athelstan, to
+deliver the city of Winchester out of the hands of the Danes, who were
+besieging it. Once more <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_319" id="Page_319">[319]</a></span>he returned to Warwick, and, unseen, watched
+Felice training her son in all the duties of knighthood, and once more
+he spoke with her, when, dying in his hermitage, he sent her the ring by
+his page, and prayed her to come and give him burial.</p>
+
+
+<p class="titlepage">[<i>Early English Metrical Romances.</i>]</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_320" id="Page_320">[320]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="HOW_BRADAMANTE_CONQUERED_THE_WIZARD" id="HOW_BRADAMANTE_CONQUERED_THE_WIZARD"></a><i>HOW BRADAMANTE CONQUERED THE WIZARD</i></h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">Many</span> of you will remember reading of the death of Roland, fighting
+against the Infidels in the Pass of Roncesvalles. Well, there is another
+book called &#8216;Roland the Wrathful,&#8217; or in Italian (in which it was
+written), &#8216;Orlando Furioso,&#8217; telling of the adventures of the great
+Paladin when he was a young man, and those of his friends. It is of one
+of these stories about a lady named Bradamante that you are going to
+hear now.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">From childhood, Bradamante had loved all feats of arms, and her chiefest
+joy was to mount the most fiery horses in her father&#8217;s stable. She grew
+up very tall and strong, as well as fair to see, and soon put on man&#8217;s
+armour, and began to take her part in tournaments, and it was rare
+indeed that she failed to carry off the prize. In truth, it was not long
+before her skill was said to be equal to that of Roland&#8217;s cousin, the
+renowned Rinaldo.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">Of course so wise and beautiful a maiden had no lack of wooers, but
+Bradamante listened to none, save only to the brave Roger, who had
+quitted the Moorish court to seek adventures in the lands of Charlemagne
+the emperor. But she kept silence as to her love, and was content to
+wait till such time as Roger should think fit to claim her as his bride.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly the tidings came to her that Roger had vanished from among men,
+no one knew whither. As was her wont, Bradamante heard, and said
+nothing, but <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_321" id="Page_321">[321]</a></span>the next morning she sharpened her sword, and looked to
+the fastenings of her helmet, and rode off to seek him if perchance some
+ill had befallen him.</p>
+
+<p>In this quest she met with some adventures of her own, but of these we
+have no time to tell. Bradamante, we may be sure, did not linger over
+them, but pushed on till she crossed a mountain, and reached a valley
+watered by a stream and shaded by large trees.</p>
+
+<p>On the bank lay a young man with his head buried in his hands and
+seemingly in a state of deepest misery. He had flung his horse&#8217;s bridle
+over the branch of a beech, and on the same bough he had hung his shield
+and sword. His looks and posture were so forlorn that Bradamante was
+moved to pity, and he himself was nothing loth to confess his woes,
+pretending the while to take her for a man, though he knew well she was
+a maiden. He was journeying, such was his tale, to the court of
+Charlemagne with a company of spearmen to aid the emperor in the war he
+was waging with the Moorish king of Spain. In the company was riding a
+damsel whom the knight had but lately freed from the power of a dragon.
+The beauty of this damsel had fired his heart, and as soon as the
+Infidel was crushed he hoped to wed her. But as they rode along by the
+side of a rapid river a winged horse guided by a man in black was seen
+hovering in the air above the troop. Swifter than lightning he swooped
+down upon the maiden; the rider bent low and snatched her off her
+palfrey, and was out of sight in the heavens almost before he knew that
+she was gone.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Since that day,&#8217; continued he, &#8216;I have sought her through forests and
+over mountains, wherever I heard that a wizard&#8217;s den was to be found.
+But each time it was a false hope that lured me on, and now my horse is
+spent and not another step can he go, though at length I know that
+hidden among yonder rocks is my captive maiden.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_322" id="Page_322">[322]</a></span>&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;If it is there she lies, I will free her,&#8217; cried Bradamante; but the
+knight shook his head more grievously than before.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I have visited that dark and dreadful place,&#8217; he said, &#8216;which indeed I
+think seems more like the valley of death than aught on this fair and
+lovely earth. Amidst black and pathless precipices stands a rock, and on
+its top is a castle whose walls are of steel. It was built, so I have
+since learned, by a magician, and none can capture it.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;But did you see no man who would take pity on you, and tell you what to
+do?&#8217; asked Bradamante.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;As I lingered, unable to tear myself away from that loathly prison,
+there appeared a dwarf guiding two knights whose faces I had often seen
+upon the battlefield and at court. One was Gradasso king of Sericane,
+the other and more valiant was the young Roger.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;And what did they there?&#8217; asked Bradamante, casting down her eyes.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;They had come to fight the wizard who dwells in the castle, so said the
+dwarf,&#8217; replied the knight, &#8216;and I told them my sad tale, and they
+answered in knightly fashion, that as long as their lives should last
+they would fight for the freedom of my lady. Little need have I to tell
+how my bosom was rent as I stood aside waiting for the combat to begin.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Each good knight was eager that the first blow might fall to him, but
+it was Gradasso who seized the horn and blew a blast which rang through
+the castle.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;In a moment there shot into the sky the winged horse bearing his
+master, clad as before in black armour. He hovered for a little space so
+high that even the eagle could scarcely have followed him, then darted
+straight downwards, and Gradasso felt a spear-thrust in his side. The
+knight struck sharply back, but his sword cleft the empty air, for the
+horse was already far out of reach. Roger ran to staunch the blood and
+bind up the wound, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_323" id="Page_323">[323]</a></span>never thinking of what might befall himself. But, in
+truth, how could mortal men fight with a wizard who had studied all the
+magic of the East, and had a winged horse to help him? His movements
+were so swift that they knew not where to smite, and both Gradasso and
+Roger were covered with wounds and bruises, while their enemy had never
+once been touched.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Their strength as well as their courage began to fail in the stress of
+this strange warfare. The blows they dealt grew ever wilder and more
+feeble, when from off his shield which hung upon his arm the wizard drew
+a silken covering, and held the shield towards them as a mirror. As I
+looked and wondered, behold the knights fell upon their faces, and I
+also, and when next I opened my eyes I was alone upon the mountain.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;And Roger?&#8217; said Bradamante.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Roger and Gradasso had doubtless been carried by the wizard to the dark
+cells of the prison, where my fair lady lies,&#8217; answered the knight, and
+he again dropped his head upon his hands.</p>
+
+<p>Now the knight was count Pinabello, the false son of a false race, and
+woe betide the man or maid who trusted him. But this Bradamante knew
+not, and thinking that the end of her quest was come cried joyfully:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Oh, take me to the castle, sir knight, with all the speed you may, and
+I shall be beholden to you for ever!</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;If you so desire it I will lead you there,&#8217; answered the knight; &#8216;but
+remember that I have warned you that the danger is great! When you have
+climbed those walls of steel, you will find yourself a prisoner like the
+rest.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I care nothing for that,&#8217; said Bradamante.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">So they set forth, but it was not by the road to the castle that
+Pinabello led the maiden. Wrapped in his gloom begotten of treachery and
+hate, he wandered from <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_324" id="Page_324">[324]</a></span>the path into a wood, where the trees grew so
+thickly that the sky was scarcely visible. Then a dark thought entered
+his mind. &#8216;She shall trouble me no more,&#8217; he murmured as he went; and
+aloud, &#8216;The night is at hand, and ere it comes it were well that we
+found a shelter. Rest, I pray you, here a short while, and I will climb
+that hill and see if, as I expect, there is a tower not far off where we
+can lie. To-morrow we will proceed on our way.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Let me go with you,&#8217; answered Bradamante, &#8216;lest you should never find
+<i>me</i> again, or <i>I</i> the wizard&#8217;s castle,&#8217; and, so saying, she guided her
+horse after his.</p>
+
+<p>Thus they rode for some way, when Pinabello, who was in front, espied
+among the rocks a deep cavern with sides so steep and smooth that no
+mortal could have climbed them. He jumped off his horse and peered to
+the bottom, but no bottom could he see. Then his heart leaped at the
+thought that now, once and for all, he would be rid of Bradamante.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Ah, good knight, you did well to follow me,&#8217; turning to greet her, as
+her horse came panting up the steep hill.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;A damsel lies imprisoned in that dark place, and it is foretold that
+only a knight with a white mantle and a white plume in his helm can
+deliver her. Now I think that you must be that knight, and if you have
+the courage to go down into that cavern as I went, you will get speech
+of her, as I did.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I will go right willingly,&#8217; answered Bradamante, and looked about her
+for some means of descending into the cavern. Near the mouth was a stout
+oak, and Bradamante cut off a branch with her sword and plunged it down
+the mouth of the cave. She gave Pinabello one end to hold fast, and
+lowered herself carefully into the darkness.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Can you jump?&#8217; asked the count suddenly, with a laugh, and, giving the
+bough a push, it fell with Bradamante into the pit.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_325" id="Page_325">[325]</a></span>But the traitor triumphed without a cause. In the swift passage down the
+cave the branch struck the bottom first, and, though it broke in pieces,
+Bradamante was saved from being dashed against the floor, where she lay
+for a while bruised and shaken.</p>
+
+<p>When she became used to the darkness, she stood up and looked around
+her. &#8216;There may be some way out, after all,&#8217; thought she, noting that
+the cave was less gloomy than she had fancied, and felt round the walls
+with her hands. On one side there seemed to be a passage, and going
+cautiously down it she found that it ended in a sort of church, with a
+lamp hanging over the altar.</p>
+
+<p>At this moment there opened a little gate, and through it came a lady,
+bare-footed, with streaming hair.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;O Bradamante,&#8217; she said, &#8216;long have I awaited you, for Merlin, who lies
+here, prophesied before he entered this living tomb that ages hence you
+would find your way hither. He bade me come from a far-distant land, and
+be with you at the hour when his spirit, though dead, should tell of the
+glories of the race that will spring from you and Roger.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I am not worthy of such honour,&#8217; answered Bradamante, casting down her
+eyes, though her heart beat with joy at the thought that though she and
+Roger might be parted now, yet in the end they would be united. &#8216;Let my
+lord speak, and I will hearken to him.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>At that a voice rose from the sepulchre where Merlin had lain buried for
+many hundreds of years.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Since it is decreed that you shall be the wife of Roger, take courage,
+and follow the path that leads you to him. Let nothing turn you aside,
+and suffer no adventure to ensnare you till you have overthrown the
+wizard who holds him captive.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>The voice ceased, and Melissa, the kind magician who went through the
+world seeking to set wrongs right, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_326" id="Page_326">[326]</a></span>showed from a book the glories that
+would attend the children of Bradamante.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;To-morrow at dawn,&#8217; she said when she had finished and put away the
+magic scroll&mdash;&#8216;to-morrow at dawn I myself will lead you to the wizard&#8217;s
+castle. Till then it would be well for you to seek of the wisdom of
+Merlin guidance to overcome the dangers bestrewing your path.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Next morning Melissa and Bradamante rode out from the cavern by a secret
+way, and passed over rushing rivers, and climbed high precipices, and as
+they went Melissa held discourse with Bradamante how best to set Roger
+free.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;No man, however brave, could withstand the wizard, who has his magic
+mirror as well as his flying horse to aid him. If you would reach Roger,
+you must first get possession of the ring stolen from Angelica by
+Agramante, the African king, and given by him to Brunello, who is riding
+only a few miles in front of us. In the presence of this ring all charms
+and sorceries lose their power; but, take heed, for to outwit Brunello
+is no easy task.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It is good fortune indeed that Brunello should be so near us,&#8217; answered
+Bradamante joyfully; &#8216;but how shall I know him from other men?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;He is of low stature, and covered with black hair,&#8217; replied Melissa;
+&#8216;his nose lies flat upon his face, and his skin is yellow, as the skin
+of those who come from the far lands beyond Scythia. You must fall to
+talking with him upon magic and enchantments, but beware lest he guess
+who you are or what your business, and lead him on till he offer himself
+your guide to the wizard&#8217;s castle. As you go, strike him dead, before he
+has time to spy into your heart, and, above all, before he can slip the
+ring into his mouth. Once he does that, you lose Roger for ever.&#8217;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 291px;">
+<a name="illus_page_327" id="illus_page_327"></a><a href="images/p327-full.png"><img src="images/p327.png" width="291" height="421" alt="A man seated on the ground with his hand upraised toward a wizard with a winged horse behind him" title="BRADAMANTE DEFEATS THE WIZARD WITH THE RING" /></a>
+<span class="caption">BRADAMANTE DEFEATS THE WIZARD WITH THE RING</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>Having thus said, Melissa bade Bradamante farewell, and they parted with
+tears and promises of speedy meeting. Forthwith Bradamante entered an
+inn hard by, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_327" id="Page_327">[327]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_328" id="Page_328"><br />[328]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_329" id="Page_329"><br /><br />[329]</a></span>where Brunello was already seated, and if she at once
+marked him amongst other men he no less knew her, for many a time he had
+seen her at jousts and tourneys.</p>
+
+<p>Thus, both feigning, they fell into talk, and held discourse upon the
+castle and the knights who lay imprisoned therein. &#8216;Many an adventure as
+perilous have I dared,&#8217; at length said Bradamante, &#8216;and never have I
+failed to trample under foot my foe. So, if our worthy host will but
+give me a guide, I myself will challenge this wizard to deadly combat.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>But Brunello would suffer no man to be her guide save himself, and
+together they climbed the mountain till they stood at the foot of the
+castle. &#8216;Look at those walls of steel that crown the precipice,&#8217; began
+Brunello; but before he could say more a strong girdle was passed round
+his arms, which were fastened tightly to his side; and in spite of his
+cries and struggles Bradamante drew the ring off his finger and placed
+it on her own, though kill him she would not.</p>
+
+<p>Then she seized the horn which hung from a cord, and, blowing a loud
+blast, waited calmly for the magician to answer.</p>
+
+<p>Out he came on his flying steed, bearing on his left arm his
+silken-covered shield, while he uttered spells that had laid low many a
+knight and lady. Bradamante heard them all, and was no whit the worse
+for the blackest of them.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">Furious at his defeat, the wizard snatched the cover from the shield,
+and Bradamante, knowing full well what was wont to follow, sank heavily
+on the ground. At this the wizard covered his shield once more, and
+guided his steed swiftly to where the maiden lay. After that, unclasping
+a chain from his body, he bent down to find her. It was then that she
+lifted her ringed hand, and there stood before her an old man with white
+hair and a face scarred with sorrow.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_330" id="Page_330">[330]</a></span>&#8216;Kill me, I pray you, gentle lady,&#8217; cried he; &#8216;yet know before I die
+that my love to Roger has been the cause of these heavy woes to so many
+gallant knights and fair damsels. I am that Atlantes who watched over
+him in childhood, and as he grew to manhood he was ever the first in all
+deeds of chivalry. So reckless was he, that many a time it needed all my
+magic to bring him back to life when seemingly he lay dead. At length,
+to keep him from harm, I built this castle, and filled it with all that
+was beautiful, and, as you know, with knights and ladies to be his
+companions. When everything was ready I captured Roger himself.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Now, take my horse and shield, and throw open wide the castle doors&mdash;do
+what you will, but leave me only Roger.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>The heart of Bradamante was not wont to be deaf to the sorrows of
+others, but this time it seemed turned to stone.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Your horse and shield I have won for myself,&#8217; she said; &#8216;and have you
+lived so long in the world without learning that it is idle to war
+against fate? It is fate which has given you into my hands, and it is
+useless to strive against it. Therefore, lead the way to the gate, and I
+will follow.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>They climbed in silence the long flight of steps leading to the castle;
+then Atlantes stooped and raised a stone on which was graven strange and
+magic signs. Beneath the stone was a row of pots filled with undying
+flames, and on these the wizard let the stone fall. In a moment there
+was a sound as if all the rocks on the earth were rent, the castle
+vanished into the air, and with it Atlantes.</p>
+
+<p>Instead, a troop of knights and ladies stood before Bradamante, who saw
+and heard none save only Roger.</p>
+
+
+<p class="titlepage">[From <i>Orlando Furioso</i>.]</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_331" id="Page_331">[331]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="THE_RING_OF_BRADAMANTE" id="THE_RING_OF_BRADAMANTE"></a><i>THE RING OF BRADAMANTE</i></h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">When</span> Bradamante had freed Roger and his companions from the enchanted
+castle, she thought that henceforth they would never more be parted. But
+she forgot that she had to deal with a wizard, and that wizards are not
+easily outwitted.</p>
+
+<p>On a little plain beneath the mountain the winged horse was grazing, and
+when the knights and ladies came gaily down the path Bradamante left the
+rest and went up to take it by the bridle. Atlantes, however, had laid
+other plans, and had thrown a spell over the horse, so that directly
+Bradamante was close to it the creature moved away to a little distance.
+At this the knights, thinking to help her, gave chase, but the horse led
+them up and down the mountain, over rocks and through streams, till one
+by one they dropped behind, and in front there remained only Roger.</p>
+
+<p>As it had been taught by Atlantes, the horse stood still, while Roger,
+with a cry of delight, seized the bridle and jumped upon its back. With
+a bound it sprang into the air, and, though Roger tried to guide it
+downwards to the earth, it was all in vain, for so the enchanter had
+willed it. Below stood Bradamante gazing up; her joy turned quickly to
+despair, and when the traces of Roger had vanished she rode sadly away,
+taking with her the horse Roger had left behind.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile Roger was flying through the air swifter than an arrow or the
+lightning. Since he could not make the horse swerve an hair&#8217;s breadth to
+the right or left, he ceased his useless efforts, and let himself be
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_332" id="Page_332">[332]</a></span>carried this way or that. Suddenly he felt that, instead of going
+forward they were gradually dropping down, down, down; and soon the
+horse stopped on a lovely island.</p>
+
+<p>Where the island might be Roger did not know, nor could he tell how long
+he had been on his journey thither. In truth, he was content to feel
+himself on solid ground once more, and to smell sweet flowers and eat
+delicious fruits, for how could he guess that this also was devised by
+Atlantes&mdash;that these sights and sounds might lull his senses, and keep
+him safe from war? Atlantes was a great wizard and wise beyond most, but
+he had never learned that it was a better thing to die in battle than to
+live only for pleasure.</p>
+
+<p>On reaching the ground Roger was careful to hold fast the bridle, having
+no mind that the horse should fly up into the air and leave him helpless
+on the island. Then, looking round, he saw a strong myrtle, and he tied
+the reins tightly to it, so that he himself could roam about as he
+would.</p>
+
+<p>At length he grew tired of wandering and returned to the place where he
+had left his horse, which he found champing and struggling to shake
+itself free. As he drew near a voice cried in melancholy tones:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;If, as I think, you are a knight, and bound by the rules of chivalry,
+release me, I pray you, from this monster, who only adds to the pains
+which I myself endure.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Startled at the sound, Roger looked around, but nought could he see save
+the myrtle to which the horse was fastened.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I crave your pardon,&#8217; answered he, &#8216;for having unwittingly done you
+wrong; but tell me who you are, and what has caused your present
+plight?&#8217;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 285px;">
+<a name="illus_page_333" id="illus_page_333"></a><a href="images/p333-full.png"><img src="images/p333.png" width="285" height="412" alt="A woman looking up into the sky at man on a flying horse" title="Roger borne away from Bradamante" /></a>
+<span class="caption">Roger borne away from Bradamante</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>&#8216;I am Astolfo, peer of France,&#8217; replied the tree, &#8216;and I was enchanted
+by the fairy Alcina, who thus rids herself of her friends and her
+servants when they have <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_333" id="Page_333">[333]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_334" id="Page_334"><br />[334]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_335" id="Page_335"><br /><br />[335]</a></span>ceased to please her. Even this island is not
+hers by right, but was stolen from her sister Logistilla, who is as wise
+and kind as Alcina is wicked. But so beautiful is Alcina, that none can
+withstand her if once she looks on them, therefore fly while you may and
+ask counsel of Logistilla if there is aught that you would know.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Oh, tell me, good tree, how I can escape without crossing the path of
+the cruel Alcina?&#8217; cried Roger.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;There <i>is</i> a way,&#8217; answered the tree, &#8216;but it is rough to the feet, and
+beset by fierce and ill-tongued men, placed there by the fairy. He who
+would quit Alcina&#8217;s isle needs open eyes and deaf ears.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I will have both,&#8217; said Roger.</p>
+
+<p>But, alas! he boasted overmuch, as young men are wont to do. He was
+indeed in no wise affrighted at the strange shapes that met him and
+sought to bar his progress. Some had heads of apes and feet of goats;
+some rode eagles or bestrode cranes; while the captain of all was
+mounted on a tortoise. They swarmed on him like a crowd of flies, and
+Roger was so sore bested that he gave no thought to his magic shield,
+which perchance might have saved him.</p>
+
+<p>For into the <i>m&ecirc;l&eacute;e</i> came two maidens of such wondrous beauty that Roger
+dropped his lance and stood without defence to gaze his fill. Two
+snow-white unicorns bore them from the city gates, and, at their coming,
+the noisy rabble vanished as if they had never been. Then the ladies
+stretched out their hands, and prayed the knight to follow them into the
+city.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;We have need of your brave heart and mighty arm,&#8217;<a name="corr13" id="corr13"></a> they said, &#8216;to
+vanquish a giantess who guards a bridge which none can pass&#8217;; and well
+they knew that, if Roger was to be ensnared by them, it must be by slow
+degrees, for not all at once would he drop into the idle life of the
+dwellers on the island.</p>
+
+<p>So, nothing loth, Roger gladly did their behest, and went forth to meet
+the giantess.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_336" id="Page_336">[336]</a></span>The fight did not last long, and soon the monstrous creature lay
+stretched on the ground at Roger&#8217;s feet; but her life was spared at the
+request of the damsels, and at their bidding he followed them over the
+bridge and up a hill. On the top was a large meadow full of flowers, in
+which maidens were playing at ball or singing sweet songs on the lute,
+while others were dancing.</p>
+
+<p>In their midst was a damsel so fair that the rest, even the guides of
+Roger, looked swarthy beside her, and she came forth from among them,
+and held out her hand for him to kiss.</p>
+
+<p>Vain it were to seek to tell Alcina&#8217;s charms, but even as his eyes fell
+on her Roger felt that everything said by Astolfo in her despite was
+false. Even Bradamante was forgotten, as if she had never lived at all;
+yet for this Roger was hardly to blame, for how should he stand against
+Alcina&#8217;s magic!</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">It was here that Melissa, clad in the form of Atlantes, found him after
+many months had gone by, during which Bradamante had sought him vainly.
+At last fate brought Melissa again across her path, and from her the
+forsaken damsel learnt who it was that kept him from her.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Be comforted,&#8217; said Melissa, when she beheld Bradamante&#8217;s tears. &#8216;You
+yourself have the ring which can free him from those evil spells, and
+bring him back to your side. So lend it me, I pray, and by to-morrow&#8217;s
+dawn I will be with him.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Roger was lying on a bed of soft moss, when Atlantes, for so he took her
+to be, stood before him.</p>
+
+<p>He lifted his head lazily, and smiled, but the face of his old master
+was grave as he said sternly:</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 482px;">
+<a name="illus_page_337" id="illus_page_337"></a><a href="images/p337-full.png"><img src="images/p337.png" width="482" height="283" alt="Two maidens on unicorns passing through a group of fantastic beasts to reach a knight" title="The Two Damsels rescue Roger from the Rabble" /></a>
+<span class="caption">THE TWO DAMSELS RESCUE ROGER FROM THE RABBLE</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>&#8216;And is it <i>you</i>, Roger, whom I find thus, your hair curled and scented,
+your neck circled with jewelled chains? Was it for this you passed your
+boyhood in waging war against fierce beasts, fearing neither hunger nor
+thirst as you tracked them to their lair? But, as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_337" id="Page_337">[337]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_338" id="Page_338"><br />[338]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_339" id="Page_339"><br /><br />[339]</a></span> I loved you once, I
+will give you a chance to shake off this shameful life, and to become
+once more worthy of Bradamante. Take this ring, and when next Alcina
+comes this way mark well the change that is wrought in the queen of this
+fair land.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>With shame and repentance burning at his heart, Roger slowly drew the
+ring upon his finger; and by its virtue he beheld not Atlantes but
+Melissa.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Yes, it is I,&#8217; she said, &#8216;and it is Bradamante who sent me hither, to
+save you by means of the ring which she took from the hand of Brunello.
+It will break the strongest spells that wizard ever wove, and open wide
+the eyes that have been longest blinded.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>With that she vanished, and Roger rose and followed the path which led
+to the palace.</p>
+
+<p>On the marble steps he saw, as he went, a troop of ladies standing.
+Their clothes were rich and made of shining stuffs, and well became
+their golden hair or curly raven locks; but who was she in their midst
+whose form was unknown to him? Her back was bowed with age, and scarce a
+hair remained upon her head, while all her skin was shrivelled and
+yellow. Roger gazed in horror, expecting, as he looked, the lean body to
+crumble into dust before him. Yet something, what he knew not, seemed
+not wholly strange in that pale and shrunken figure&mdash;something that, in
+spite of all, spoke to him of Alcina. A thrill of horror ran through
+him, but he remembered in time the counsel of Melissa, and, trembling
+though he was, he greeted her with fair words.</p>
+
+<p>Dreading lest he should again fall under the fairy&#8217;s enchantments, Roger
+never parted from the ring, and kept guard over himself, lest perchance
+Alcina should guess what was passing within him. To gain possession of
+his armour, long laid aside, he feigned a wish to prove if his life of
+idleness had unfitted him to bear the weight of it, or if his chest had
+grown too broad for the clasps of his breast-plate to meet. Then,
+laughing still, he strolled <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_340" id="Page_340">[340]</a></span>carelessly to the stables, calling back as
+he went that perhaps his horse might have become as fat and lazy as
+himself. But when he reached the stables he passed by the winged steed
+which had borne him to the island, for he bethought himself once more of
+Melissa&#8217;s words: &#8216;Beware of the hippogryph,&#8217; she had said, &#8216;you will
+never wed Bradamante if you mount that.&#8217; So he left the great creature
+flapping its wings with longing to soar once more into the sky, and led
+out a strong black horse. Vaulting on his back, he touched him with his
+spurs, and dashed through the guards at the gate before Alcina knew that
+her captive had won his freedom.</p>
+
+<p>When the fairy found that the knight did not return, she sent a
+messenger for tidings of him, and so great was her wrath when she
+learned that he had passed the gate, and was far on the road to her
+sister, the good Logistilla, that she ordered all the guards to be put
+to death. Then she commanded her ships to be got ready, and put to sea
+herself, thinking by that means she might bring him back. But all was
+vain, and at last she was forced to believe that Roger had shaken off
+her yoke for ever.</p>
+
+
+<p class="titlepage">[From <i>Orlando Furioso</i>.]</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_341" id="Page_341">[341]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="THE_FULFILLING_OF_THE_PROPHECY" id="THE_FULFILLING_OF_THE_PROPHECY"></a><i>THE FULFILLING OF THE PROPHECY</i></h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">For</span> a long while Bradamante waited quietly in Marseilles, thinking that
+every day Roger would come to her, but as time passed and he gave no
+sign she grew heart-sick and impatient. Some evil must surely have
+befallen him, she whispered to herself, yet where to seek him she did
+not know.</p>
+
+<p>At length one morning, when hope had almost left her, the enchantress
+Melissa stood by her side and smiled at her.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Have no fear for Roger,&#8217; said Melissa; &#8216;he is safe, and counts the
+hours to your meeting. But once more he has been taken captive by
+Atlantes, who ensnared him by putting on your form and face, and
+entering his palace, whither Roger followed eagerly. Never look so cast
+down, Bradamante, but listen to my counsel and abide by it, and all will
+be well.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Then Bradamante sprang up, grasping tightly her sword and shield.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Whatever you tell me to do, I will do it,&#8217; cried she; and Melissa went
+on:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;This time Atlantes will change his shape for that of Roger, that you
+also may fall a victim to his wiles. Beware lest you be deceived, or
+instead of saving Roger you will find yourself also a prisoner in the
+castle. Harden your heart, and slay him as he stands before you, and
+Roger shall be free for evermore.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>So spoke Melissa not once, but many times, before they drew near the
+castle, where she bade farewell to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_342" id="Page_342">[342]</a></span> Bradamante, dreading that the wizard
+should see her and take fright. The maiden rode on till she reached an
+open space, where two fierce giants were pressing Roger sore and
+well-nigh overcoming him. In a moment all the words of Melissa were
+forgotten, or rather she deemed that jealousy or revenge had prompted
+her words. And, as these thoughts ran swiftly through her, a cry for
+help sounded in her ears. Slay Roger? Melissa must have indeed been mad
+when she gave her this counsel, and, spurring her horse, she galloped
+after the wounded knight, who, pursued by his foes, was riding at full
+speed to the castle.</p>
+
+<p>When they were all four inside the courtyard, the gate swung to and
+Bradamante was a prisoner.</p>
+
+<p>Now it was written in the magic book carried by Astolfo, the knight who
+had been changed by Alcina into a myrtle tree and restored by Melissa,
+that if a stone on the threshold were raised, the whole palace would
+vanish into smoke as the other castle had done before. Though he knew it
+not, Melissa stood by his side as he rode through the wood, many weeks
+after Bradamante had entered the castle, and whispered to him that the
+time had come to prove the truth of the prophecy. First blowing a blast
+with the horn which affrighted all that dwelt within the walls, with a
+mighty heave he raised the magic stone. In an instant the earth rocked,
+and he was thrown flat upon the ground, while with a roar the castle
+crumbled into dust. The knights and ladies imprisoned therein ran forth
+in fear, and it was not until the ill-fated place was left far behind
+that they stopped to look about them.</p>
+
+<p>It was then that Roger and Bradamante beheld each other once more, and
+in the joy of meeting forgot the pains they had endured since they had
+parted. But one promise Bradamante asked of Roger before she would be
+his wife. &#8216;I cannot wed an infidel,&#8217; said she. &#8216;You must become a
+Christian first.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Right willingly,&#8217; answered Roger, and it was agreed <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_343" id="Page_343">[343]</a></span>between them that
+they should set out at once for a fair abbey, so that the rite might be
+delayed no longer.</p>
+
+<p>Thus they talked; but not yet were they to be united. On their way a
+distressed damsel met them on the road imploring help, which both knight
+and lady readily granted. But, alas! in seeking to give the aid prayed
+of them they strayed unwittingly down various roads, and it was long
+before fortune again brought them together. For hardly had Roger brought
+to an end his adventure than he learned that his liege lord, Agramante
+king of Africa, was hard pressed by Charlemagne the emperor, and needed
+his vassal to fight by his side. So Roger turned his face to the west,
+first bidding his squire ride back to Bradamante and tell her that, once
+the war was finished, nothing further should delay his baptism.</p>
+
+<p>The war went ill with Agramante, and many a time Roger was sore wounded
+and like to die. Far away, in the house of her father among the
+mountains, tales came now and then to Bradamante of Roger&#8217;s doings in
+the fight. Bitterly her soul chafed at not being by his side to help and
+tend him; but, if she could not fight against him, far less could she
+fight in the ranks of the infidels. Thus, weary at heart, she waited and
+sat still, or wandered about the forests, hoping to meet someone who
+could bring her tidings of Roger.</p>
+
+<p>For long no one came through the thick dark woods, and Bradamante was
+almost sick with despair, when a Gascon knight rode by.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Are you from the war, brave sir?&#8217; asked she, springing up from the bank
+where she had cast herself, and going eagerly to meet him. &#8216;Are you from
+the war, and have you news from one Roger?&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Alas! madam,&#8217; he answered, &#8216;but a month since he was sore wounded in
+fight with one Mandricado, and has since lain in his bed, tended by the
+lady Marfisa, who wears a breast-plate as easily as she does a woman&#8217;s
+gown. Had it not been for her skill, Roger would long <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_344" id="Page_344">[344]</a></span>have been buried,
+and when he is able to bear arms again doubtless he will offer his hand
+to the damsel in marriage. At least, so say all in camp. But the sun is
+low and time presses. I must begone.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>He went on his way, and when he was out of sight Bradamante turned and
+loosed her horse from the tree to which she had tied him and rode back
+to the castle. Without a word she mounted the stairs to the tower where
+she dwelt, and, throwing herself on her bed, gave vent to the torrents
+of jealousy which possessed her soul. Then, rising up, she bade her
+maidens weave her with all speed a sad-coloured mantle, and when it was
+ready she took the lance of gold belonging to Astolfo, which had (though
+she knew it not) the gift of unhorsing every warrior whom it touched,
+and, going to the courtyard, led out and saddled her horse.</p>
+
+<p>Alone, without even a squire to help her, Bradamante began her journey
+to Arles, where the army of Agramante lay encamped. On the road thither
+she met with many an adventure, but by the aid of the golden lance
+always bore down her foe. After one of these fights she fell in with the
+Lady Flordelice, who was herself riding to Arles in the hope of gaining
+news of her husband, now a prisoner in the hands of the Moors. By her
+Bradamante sent a message challenging Roger to come forth to meet her in
+single combat.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;And if he asks my name say it is unknown to you,&#8217; she added, &#8216;but that
+the stranger knight had bidden you take this horse, and prayed that he
+might bestride it in battle.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Flordelice was careful to fulfil the trust laid upon her, and no sooner
+was she within the gates of Arles than she sought out Roger and
+delivered him the message and the horse. The young man, perplexed at the
+defiance of the nameless knight, sought counsel of his father, who bade
+him accept the challenge and prepare for battle without delay. While he
+was making ready other <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_345" id="Page_345">[345]</a></span>knights were not slow to seize the chance of
+giving the haughty Christian a lesson, and went out to fight in the
+plain beyond the walls. But a single touch of the magic lance was enough
+to unhorse them all, and one by one Bradamante sent them to their lord.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Tell him I await a better man than you,&#8217; said she.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;And what is his name?&#8217; asked Ferrau of Spain when he rode before her,
+having craved permission to try his strength against the stranger.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Roger,&#8217; answered she, and, as her vizor was raised, Ferrau could not
+but see the red that flushed her face, though he feigned to notice
+nothing.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;He shall come to you,&#8217; replied Ferrau, &#8216;but first you must cross swords
+with me,&#8217; and, spurring his horse, he rode to share the fate of the
+rest.</p>
+
+<p>Right glad was Roger to hear that the peerless knight Ferrau had been
+borne down like those who had gone before him, and that it was he and no
+other whom the victor wished to fight. But the courtiers of King
+Agramante now thronged around Ferrau, asking if perchance he had seen
+the face of his foe, and knew it for having beheld it elsewhere.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Yes, I saw it,&#8217; said Ferrau, &#8216;and it bore something of the semblance of
+Rinaldo. But since we know that it cannot be, and that the young Ricardo
+has neither the strength nor the skill to unhorse so many well-proved
+knights, it can be none other than their sister Bradamante. Truly she is
+mightier even than Rinaldo or her cousin Roland the Wrathful.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>At that Roger started, and his cheeks reddened even as those of
+Bradamante had done. He stood silent and awkward under the eyes of the
+whole court, for he feared to meet Bradamante and to read in her face
+that during the long months of his absence her love had given place to
+anger.</p>
+
+<p>While Roger waited, uncertain whether to accept or refuse the challenge
+of Bradamante, Marfisa buckled on <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_346" id="Page_346">[346]</a></span>her coat of mail, and rode out in his
+stead to meet the foe. Bradamante felt in her heart who the knight was
+with the plume of blue and shining golden corselet, and hate burned in
+her soul as fiercely as in the breast of the other.</p>
+
+<p>Thrice the magic lance stretched Marfisa on the ground, and thrice she
+rose and sought to avenge herself by a sword-thrust. At this point a
+body of knights, with Roger in their midst, arrived upon the field,
+while a band of pagan warriors approached from the opposite side. Blows
+were soon struck, and Bradamante, caring nothing for her own life,
+galloped wildly about seeking to catch sight of Roger.</p>
+
+<p>The silver eagle on a blue shield was hard to find, but Bradamante found
+it at last, and crying, &#8216;Traitor, defend yourself!&#8217; dashed wildly at
+him. Yet, in spite of herself, the arm which had been strong before was
+strangely weak now, and Roger could, with one thrust, have borne her off
+her horse, but instead his lance remained in air; she might slay him if
+so she chose; she had the right, but every hair of her head was safe
+from him.<a name="corr14" id="corr14"></a></p>
+
+<p>So the day that began so badly ended happily for them all. Roger renewed
+his vow and became a Christian, but once more declared that by all the
+laws of honour and chivalry he could not desert Agramante in his dire
+straits. Fate again divided him from Bradamante, and sent him to join
+the army of Agramante, which had been worsted in many battles. The king
+had broken a truce with Charlemagne, and was trying to collect men and
+ships in Africa, and Roger felt that he was bound in honour to go to his
+aid. He put off in a small barque, but a violent tempest drove them up
+and down all night, and cast Roger at dawn upon a barren shore. But, so
+exhausted was he by his fight with the waves, that even yet he must have
+died from hunger and cold had not a hermit who dwelt in a cave close by
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_347" id="Page_347">[347]</a></span>come to his help. Here Roger rested till his strength came back to him,
+and before he bade farewell to the hermit he had been baptized a
+Christian.</p>
+
+<p>No sooner was Roger healed from the hurts given him by the winds and
+waves, than he watched eagerly for a passing boat that might take him
+back to France. He waited and watched for long, but at length a ship put
+into the island, having on board both Rinaldo and Roland. Right welcome
+did they make Roger, whom both knew to be the flower of infidel
+chivalry, and when they heard that, Agramante being slain in battle,
+Roger was free to swear fealty to the emperor, and had besides been
+baptized a Christian, Rinaldo at once promised him the hand of his
+sister Bradamante.</p>
+
+<p>And now it may well be thought that the time had come for the prophecy
+of Melissa to be fulfilled, and for Roger and Bradamante to receive the
+marriage blessing. But their happiness was to be delayed still further,
+for the old duke Aymon declared that he had chosen a husband for his
+daughter in the son of Constantine, emperor of the East, and not all the
+tears and prayers of Bradamante and Rinaldo would move him one whit. By
+the help of her brother, Bradamante contrived once more to see Roger,
+who bade her take heart, as he would himself go to Constantinople and
+fight the upstart prince and dethrone his father, then he would seize
+the crown for himself, and Bradamante should be empress after all. At
+these words Bradamante plucked up her courage and they embraced and
+parted.</p>
+
+<p>After Roger had set forth the days hung heavily at duke Aymon&#8217;s court,
+till one night, as Bradamante was lying awake, wondering if the vision
+of Melissa would ever come to pass, she saw suddenly a way out of her
+distresses. So the next morning she rose early, and fastening on her
+armour, left her father&#8217;s castle for Charlemagne&#8217;s camp. Craving speedy
+audience of the emperor, she besought him as a boon that he would <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_348" id="Page_348">[348]</a></span>order
+proclamation to be made that no man should be given her for husband till
+he had first overcome her in battle. To this Charlemagne consented,
+although duke Aymon, who had followed his daughter, prayed the emperor
+to refuse her this grace, and the old man, waxing very wroth at his
+defeat, shut up the damsel in a strong tower between Perpignan and
+Carcassonne.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">While these things were taking place at home, Roger had reached the
+shores of Constantinople, and learned that the emperor of the East was
+engaged in a fight with the Bulgars, and that his army was encamped in a
+field near Belgrade. Thither Roger rode with all the speed he might, and
+finding that the king of the Bulgars had just been slain by the hand of
+Leo, son of Constantine, he offered to be the leader of the army, and
+soon put the Greeks to flight. Indeed, such were his mighty deeds, that
+Leo himself, rival (though he knew it not) of Roger, could not fail to
+wonder at them. When the battle was over, the Bulgarian army begged him
+to be their king, so sure were they that victory would follow his
+banner; but he declined, for the secret reason that he purposed to
+follow the prince, and slay him in single combat.</p>
+
+<p>But instead of killing each other these two brave knights ended in
+becoming friends and brothers, for Leo delivered Roger from prison,
+where he had unjustly been thrown by the sister of Constantine, and they
+both journeyed together to France, to enter the lists for the hand of
+Bradamante.</p>
+
+<p>Although they travelled with all the speed they might, they only arrived
+at the appointed place outside Paris on the day of the combat, when
+Bradamante was arming herself for the struggle. The prince knew well by
+this time that it was hopeless for him to think of winning for himself
+the love that had so long been given to another, and he prayed Roger to
+do him the grace to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_349" id="Page_349">[349]</a></span>wear his arms and to bear his name in the tourney.
+It cost Roger somewhat to lay aside the arms and the name that had stood
+him for many a year in such good stead, but he owed the prince too much
+to say him nay, although to bid farewell to Bradamante when he had won
+the prize in fair fight would be bitter indeed.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">With a double-headed eagle on Leo&#8217;s crimson shield, and Leo&#8217;s velvet
+surcoat over his coat of mail, Roger did obeisance to the emperor and
+then walked into the lists. He had chosen to give battle on foot, since
+Bradamante was riding his horse Frontino.</p>
+
+<p>All day long the combat lasted, and, as Bradamante had been unable to
+bear down her foe, she was proclaimed vanquished. But of what value was
+the victory to him, seeing that he had gained the reward for another?
+So, hastily stripping off the armour belonging to the Greek prince, he
+left the tent unseen, and, catching sight of Frontino grazing quietly
+among some trees, sprang quickly on his back and plunged into the
+forest.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Let death come soon,&#8217; he said to himself, &#8216;since life is worthless.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile the court in Paris rang with the name of Leo the prince, and
+duke Aymon informed his daughter that the marriage feast need no longer
+be postponed. But to this Bradamante turned a deaf ear.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I will wed none but Roger,&#8217; she cried, and though her parents taunted
+her with her broken vow, and threatened her with the wrath of the
+emperor, she would give no other answer.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I can always die,&#8217; she thought to herself.</p>
+
+<p>The court was all confusion and perplexity; the emperor loved
+Bradamante, but he did not wish to offend either her powerful father or
+the still more powerful Constantine. The test had been proposed by
+Bradamante herself, and how could he give permission that she should
+break her plighted word?</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_350" id="Page_350">[350]</a></span>It was Melissa who once more set this tangle straight. She appeared to
+Leo, who was standing idly at his tent door, and told him that Roger was
+dying in the depths of the forest. The prince, who had grieved sorely
+for the loss of his friend, heard eagerly her tale, and consented gladly
+to go with her to seek him.</p>
+
+<p>The Roger whom they found at last was very different from the Roger who
+had entered the lists but three days agone. His face was pale, his hair
+was damp, his clothes hung loosely on his body. Leo&#8217;s heart smote him as
+he gazed, and, sinking on his knees beside Roger, he pulled his hands
+gently down from his face.</p>
+
+<p>It was not long before he had drawn out from the young knight the secret
+which Roger had hidden so carefully when he had thought that honour and
+gratitude demanded it. Leo listened in amaze and took shame to himself
+that he had never guessed it sooner.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Oh, Roger,&#8217; he cried, when at length the tale was ended, &#8216;sooner would
+I give up a thousand Bradamantes and all I possess in the world than
+lose a friend so noble and generous as you. So rise quickly and let us
+hasten back to where Bradamante awaits us.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And so the prophecy was fulfilled in the end, and everyone was made
+happy. Yes, even duke Aymon and his wife Beatrice; for before the
+wedding rejoicings were begun an embassy arrived from the Bulgarian
+people, begging leave from the emperor Charlemagne to offer their crown
+to his vassal Roger. And nobody grudged Roger and Bradamante their
+happiness, for they had waited so long for it, and worked so hard for
+it.</p>
+
+
+<p class="titlepage">[From <i>Orlando Furioso</i>.]</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_351" id="Page_351">[351]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="THE_KNIGHT_OF_THE_SUN" id="THE_KNIGHT_OF_THE_SUN"></a>THE KNIGHT OF THE SUN</h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">Once</span> upon a time two little boys were born, and the elder had on his
+breast the image of a sun, which shone so brightly that the ladies who
+were waiting on his mother, the princess Briane, were forced to shut
+their dazzled eyes. On the breast of the younger one lay a pink rose,
+and it was hard to believe that the flower had not been newly flung
+there, so fresh was its colour and so vivid its green.</p>
+
+<p>So the elder baby was called in after years &#8216;the Knight of the Sun&#8217;;
+while his little brother was known as Rosiclair.</p>
+
+<p>Now it happened that their mother, the princess Briane, had been
+secretly married to Trebatius, emperor of Constantinople, who had
+courted her under the name of prince Theodoart. Soon after their
+marriage her husband, while riding through the forest, had been
+astonished at the sight of a magnificent chariot which dashed furiously
+along the road, and, as it passed, he felt sure that his wife, the
+princess Briane, was seated inside. Without losing a moment, he turned
+his horse instantly round, and followed the chariot, but, spur his steed
+as he might, it was impossible to overtake it. However, he rode on as
+fast as the thick creepers and fallen trees would let him in the
+direction in which the chariot had disappeared, and at last he left the
+forest behind him and entered a beautiful meadow.</p>
+
+<p>Here the emperor paused in surprise, for in front of him stood the
+greatest and finest castle he had ever seen, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_352" id="Page_352">[352]</a></span>which would have held
+thirty thousand men with ease. At each corner was a large tower, while a
+wide moat of clear water would have kept a large army at bay. Happily
+for the emperor&#8217;s curiosity, the drawbridge was at the moment let down,
+so he knocked at the door, which straightway opened to him, and boldly
+entered the castle.</p>
+
+<p>He looked around the magnificent hall to see some traces of his wife,
+but, instead, a powerful odour stole gradually over his senses. At the
+same instant a golden curtain was drawn aside, and a lady whose beauty
+dazzled his eyes glided up to him and laid her hand on his shoulder.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You belong to me now,&#8217; she said, as she led him away; and twenty years
+went by before the emperor again left the castle.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">Meanwhile the little boys were carried away in the night by one of the
+mother&#8217;s ladies, whose name was Clandestrie, and taken to her sister&#8217;s
+house, where they lived freely and happily for some years till they were
+old enough to be brought to the convent where the princess Briane still
+remained, and taught the duties of pages. Rosiclair was always good and
+quiet, but his brother gave his teachers a great deal of trouble, though
+that did not prevent their loving him dearly. He was so tall and strong
+and high-spirited, that it was difficult to remember he was only a child
+after all, and the moment he was left alone he was always seeking some
+adventure.</p>
+
+<p>One day, while Rosiclair was learning from his mother to play on the
+lute, the Knight of the Sun&mdash;for so they called him&mdash;had gone with his
+nurse to the banks of the broad river, and was amusing himself with
+scrambling in and out of a boat that lay moored to the side. There were
+no mirrors in the convent, and the boy jumped hastily back with dismay
+when he saw some one dressed like himself looking at him from out of the
+water.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_353" id="Page_353">[353]</a></span>He grew red with rage and struck out with his fist, and the arm in the
+water struck out too. Then the prince sprang forward, but, as he did so,
+he began to perceive that it was nothing but his own image that was
+looking at him and imitating his movements. &#8216;How could I be such a
+baby!&#8217; he said to himself, and turned to leave the boat, when, to his
+dismay, he found that the rope had got loose and he was gently floating
+down the stream.</p>
+
+<p>At this sight his courage began to fail him; he called loudly to his
+nurse, who had been talking to some friends and had not noticed the
+child&#8217;s danger. At his cries she rushed into the river a little lower
+down, hoping to catch the boat as it danced by, but the current swept
+her off her feet, and she would certainly have been drowned had not a
+wood-cutter, who had watched her from above, held out a long stick which
+she was able to reach.</p>
+
+<p>Very soon the little boat was a mere speck in the distance, and, now
+that there was nothing to be done, the boy took heart again and thought
+of all he would have to tell Rosiclair when he came back&mdash;for come back
+he would some day, he was sure of that.</p>
+
+<p>By-and-by the grass and the trees, and even the big mountains, vanished,
+and all around him was the blue sea, with not even a sail to look at.
+How long he remained in that boat he never knew, but one day, just
+before sunrise, when the air is clearest and you can see farthest, he
+was roused from his sleep by a shout. At first he took it for part of
+his dream and did not move; then the shout came again, and he jumped up
+and waved his hand, for sailing towards him was a large vessel. At the
+prow stood a man in a beautiful purple tunic edged with gold. This was
+Florian prince of Persia.</p>
+
+<p>Oh, how glad the little boy was to be amongst friends again, and how
+hungrily he ate the food they put before him! When he was quite rested,
+they brought him a child about the same age, whom they had picked up
+from <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_354" id="Page_354">[354]</a></span>a wreck a few days before; and then the ship&#8217;s head was turned
+towards Babylon.</p>
+
+<p>It took them a long while to get there, but at last they entered the
+great river which flowed past the gates of the city, and the sultan,
+hearing of their approach, came down from his palace to greet them. He
+had lived as a youth at the court of prince Florian&#8217;s father, and was
+delighted to meet his old friend once more. As for the boys, he took a
+fancy to them at once, and kept them in his palace till many years had
+gone by and they were almost men.</p>
+
+<p>When the Knight of the Sun was about sixteen he was taller than any one
+in all Babylon, for he took after his father, the emperor Trebatius, who
+was fully eight feet high. The youth was also very strong, and was
+afraid of nothing and nobody, and in many ways was different from his
+companions, especially in liking to ride and hunt alone instead of with
+a troop of merry young men. His friends were all fond of him, but rather
+afraid of him, as people often are of those who are quicker than
+themselves.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">One morning the sultan arranged a great hunting expedition, which was to
+take place in some huge forests a few miles from Babylon. The sun was
+hot, and the sultan was old, so he soon gave up the chase, and returned
+to join the princess and her maidens, who were lying under the shady
+trees, with a stream rippling by to make them think they were cool.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly, without any warning, a band of giants sprang upon them from
+behind a rock, and, seizing the sultan and the ladies, bound them
+rapidly with silken cords. Their shrieks brought a few knights who were
+within earshot to their aid, but these were soon overpowered by the
+strength of the giants, except one, who managed to make his escape, and
+plunged deep into the forest.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_355" id="Page_355">[355]</a></span>He was flying along, half mad with terror, when a voice cried out:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Sir knight, look well to it, or you will lose your spurs in your
+unseemly haste.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Fair youth,&#8217; replied the knight, &#8216;do not, I pray you, waste the moments
+in idle talk; for the sultan and the princess have but now been attacked
+by an army of giants, and are being borne captive to some unknown land.&#8217;
+But before his tale was ended the youth was riding fast down the path
+along which the knight had come.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">He was just in time: the tallest and strongest giant had laid hold of
+the sultan, bound and helpless as he was, and was carrying him off to a
+huge coal-black horse that was picketed to a tree close by. A blow on
+his helmet forced him to drop his burden, and he turned rapidly on his
+assailant.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Bah! a boy!&#8217; he cried disdainfully; but the &#8216;boy&#8217; struck him another
+swinging stroke, which almost cleft his shield. Then the giant drew out
+his great double-edged battle-axe, but the champion sprang aside, and
+the axe crashed harmlessly on a rock, while a well-aimed throw from the
+javelin pierced the joints of the giant&#8217;s harness, and he fell heavily
+to the ground.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;It is an earthquake,&#8217; whispered the people of Babylon, as the houses
+shook and the swords rattled.</p>
+
+<p>After this the giant&#8217;s followers, who, big though they were, had no mind
+to face such a fighter, fled into the forest, and were seen no more.</p>
+
+<p>The first thing to be done was of course to cut the cords which had been
+carefully wound round the arms and legs of the prisoners, who, seizing
+the champion&#8217;s hands, shed tears and kisses over them. As to the sultan,
+he was well-nigh speechless from gratitude, but when he was able to
+speak he begged the youth to ask for some <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_356" id="Page_356">[356]</a></span>boon that he could grant,
+even if it were the half of his kingdom.<a name="corr15" id="corr15"></a></p>
+
+<p>&#8216;That I will tell you to-morrow,&#8217; said he.</p>
+
+<p>By this time the evening had come, and the chariots and the horses were
+made ready, and the company returned to the palace in Babylon, though
+neither the princess nor her ladies felt very safe till they were within
+the gates of the city.</p>
+
+<p>Early next day the sultan sent the grand vizier to bid the youth await
+him in the great hall, that he might declare in presence of all the
+court what guerdon should be given him for saving his master&#8217;s life.</p>
+
+<p>And a right noble company was gathered together, for the victor was well
+loved of all, and every man expected that he would ask the hand of the
+princess.</p>
+
+<p>All stood up and bowed low as the sultan swept down between them clothed
+in his royal robes, and wearing his golden crown on his head; for he
+wished the goodly assemblage to know how priceless a service the young
+man had done him. Nay, he too thought, like his people, that there was
+only one boon that the youth could fitly crave.</p>
+
+<p>When he was seated on his throne, he signed to the chevalier to draw
+near.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;And what is the reward that I shall give you?&#8217; he asked with a smile as
+the young man knelt before him.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;O mighty sultan, grant me this, that with the sword which slew your
+enemy you will make me a knight&#8217;; then he paused and grew red, as a
+cloud came over the sultan&#8217;s brow.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;By all the rules of chivalry&mdash;&mdash;&#8217; But the sultan&#8217;s words were drowned
+by a tumult in the hall, and pushing her way between the crowds came a
+richly clad maiden, closely pursued by a huge black king.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Save me!&#8217; she cried, looking wildly on the company of knights that
+stood round. &#8216;I am the daughter of as mighty a monarch as you, and was
+carried off from my father&#8217;s <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_357" id="Page_357">[357]</a></span>island by this black man whom you see
+before you. One grace he has given me, that for the space of a year I
+may wander where I will, seeking a knight to be my champion. But,
+despite their mighty names, not one has ever managed to pierce his
+armour.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And again she looked on the knights, but not a man stirred from his
+place.</p>
+
+<p>Then the chevalier rose to his feet and spoke out boldly.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Make <i>me</i> a knight, O sultan, and <i>I</i> will fight this man who is feared
+by all the world! Oh, I know what you would say, that I am yet too young
+to bear the weight which has sometimes proved too heavy for many a
+goodly knight. But, if my years are few, my deeds have proved that I am
+no whit behind the doughtiest knight of your court. So grant me my boon
+or this day I will leave you for ever.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Be it so,&#8217; answered the sultan at last, &#8216;though I would rather have
+given you the half of my kingdom or the hand of my daughter. But watch
+this night beside your arms in the temple, and to-morrow you shall be
+admitted into the order of chivalry.&#8217;</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">Now the sultan had a brother named Lyrgander, who was wise in every kind
+of enchantment, and, though he was at this time in a far country, he
+learned by means of his arts what strange things were happening at the
+court of Babylon. Without losing a moment he went to the room where his
+treasures were kept, and opened a large chest, from which he took two
+suits of armour. One, which was all white, he meant for the chevalier,
+and the other was for his friend Claberinde. Then he poured a few drops
+of a yellow liquid into a glass and drank it, wishing, as he did so,
+that he was in Babylon. Before the glass fell from his hand he found
+himself there. Very early after the youth had ended his watch, Lyrgander
+came to him and girded on him the suit <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_358" id="Page_358">[358]</a></span>of white armour. Led by
+Lyrgander, and followed by all the knights and nobles of the court, the
+chevalier entered the presence-chamber, where the sultan was sitting on
+his throne awaiting him. Once again the youth knelt, and the sultan,
+drawing the magic sword from its sheath, struck him three times lightly
+on the head with it. Afterwards, the sultan put back the sword in the
+scabbard and buckled it on the side of the kneeling youth.</p>
+
+<p>Then, stooping down, he lowered the vizor, and said slowly and solemnly:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I dub you knight, and arm you knight. May the high gods have you in
+their care!&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Amen!&#8217; said the chevalier, and he rose from his knees and went out to
+the place where the lists had been prepared. And the court sat round to
+watch the fight, while in the midst of them all, her eyes fixed on her
+champion, was the captive princess, who was resolved to kill herself
+with her own hands rather than fall into the power of the black king.</p>
+
+<p>The Knight of the Sun had chosen the best horse in the sultan&#8217;s stables,
+and was waiting in his place till the signal should be given.</p>
+
+<p>At the other end, the black king bestrode a huge black horse, and the
+moment he caught sight of his foe poured out a stream of abuse, which
+only ceased when the sound of the trumpets drowned his voice.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I have never been conquered by mortal man,&#8217; said he, &#8216;and shall yon
+wretched beardless boy, who should now be sitting with his mother&#8217;s
+maidens, the child who but an hour ago was dubbed a knight by special
+grace of the sultan, have strength to do what the hardiest knights have
+failed in doing? By the eyes of my fathers! he will make fine food for
+the vultures before the sun sets.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And the young knight heard, and the blood flew to his cheeks under his
+vizor, and his fingers closed more tightly on his sword.</p>
+
+<p>With the first blast of the trumpets he spurred his <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_359" id="Page_359">[359]</a></span>horse, and his
+onslaught was so fierce that the giant reeled in his saddle.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;They have tricked me,&#8217; he said to himself, as he righted himself again.
+&#8216;That blow was never given by the boy I saw; they have put someone else
+in his place. The battle will be harder than I thought, but the end is
+sure&#8217;; and he reined his horse back for a second rush.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">The hours passed by, and the sun grew high in the heavens, but the
+flashing of swords never ceased, and the watchers of the fight could
+hardly breathe. Once the chevalier was thrown right on to his horse&#8217;s
+neck, and was forced to cling to it lest he should fall to the ground.
+Once again&mdash;and here a murmur of terror could be heard in the crowd&mdash;a
+blow on his head rendered him sick and dizzy, and the charger carried
+him three times round the lists while he sat grasping the bridle,
+unconscious where he was and what he was doing. But after all, the swift
+rush through the air brought back his senses, and, by the time the black
+king was expecting that one more thrust would gain him the day, the
+knight spurred his horse quickly to one side, and, taking his adversary
+unawares, swept him dead from his saddle.</p>
+
+<p>Then at last the silence was broken, and a roar of triumph and relief
+burst from the crowd.</p>
+
+<p>Slowly the young man turned and rode along the lists, pausing before the
+lady Radimere as she sat by the sultan.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;You are free, princess,&#8217; he said, as he lifted his vizor; and with
+those words he disappeared in the crowd, before anyone had time to stop
+him.</p>
+
+<p>It was whispered, perhaps truly, that the princess Radimere would fain
+have made him her husband, and have given him lordship over her island;
+but all we know for certain is that she returned there alone, and soon
+after married the son of a neighbouring king.</p>
+
+
+<p class="titlepage">[<i>L&#8217;Histoire Admirable du Chevalier du Soleil.</i> Traduite de l&#8217;Espagnol
+par Louis Douet.]</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_360" id="Page_360">[360]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="chapterhead"><a name="HOW_THE_KNIGHT_OF_THE_SUN_RESCUED_HIS_FATHER" id="HOW_THE_KNIGHT_OF_THE_SUN_RESCUED_HIS_FATHER"></a>HOW THE KNIGHT OF THE SUN RESCUED HIS FATHER</h2>
+
+
+<p class="opening"><span class="smcap">When</span> once the youth had been made a knight by the sultan of Babylon, and
+had slain the black king, he set off by himself in quest of other
+adventures, desiring greatly to see the world. For the next few years
+the young man wandered from court to court, fighting giants and
+delivering enchanted damsels, till at last his feet led him to a kingdom
+where Rosiclair his brother happened to be.</p>
+
+<p>Now Rosiclair was scarcely a whit behind the Knight of the Sun in manly
+deeds, and not long before had done such good service to the king of
+England that Olive, the king&#8217;s daughter, had, at her father&#8217;s bidding,
+clasped a collar of gold around his neck, and held out to him a crown
+studded with jewels. Rosiclair bent gladly to receive the collar, and
+then taking the crown from the hands of the princess he placed it on her
+head.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Lady, I am evermore your knight,&#8217; said he.</p>
+
+<p>This tale and many others had come to the ears of the Knight of the Sun,
+and he longed to see his brother again, and to break a lance with him in
+good fellowship, but some time had yet to pass before they met, and then
+it fell out in this wise. After the combat in the lists in London, where
+Rosiclair had cut off the arms of the giant Candramarte, the giant&#8217;s
+daughter had brought him by her wiles to the island in which lay her
+father&#8217;s castle.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 283px;">
+<a name="illus_page_361" id="illus_page_361"></a><a href="images/p361-full.png"><img src="images/p361.png" width="283" height="393" alt="A woman with upraised arms, standing in the prow of a small boat, approaching the shore. Two men stand on the shore." title="THE GIANT&#8217;S DAUGHTER REPROACHES THE TWO BROTHERS" /></a>
+<span class="caption">THE GIANT&#8217;S DAUGHTER REPROACHES THE TWO BROTHERS</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>No sooner had he stepped on shore than the damsel pushed off, crying as
+she did so to her brothers and their <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_361" id="Page_361">[361]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_362" id="Page_362"><br />[362]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_363" id="Page_363"><br /><br />[363]</a></span>knights to avenge the giant&#8217;s
+wounds. In a moment all the little island was alive with men, whirling
+lances or swords or axes above their heads, and all pressing forward to
+the spot where Rosiclair awaited them. Luckily he had time to place
+himself with the sea at his back, so that he could not be attacked from
+behind, and, covering himself with his shield, stood ready.</p>
+
+<p>Never was there such a dreadful fight, and Rosiclair seemed to have a
+hundred arms, and to be able to strike fifty ways at once. He hardly
+knew himself what he did, so great was the stress of battle, but hour by
+hour the ground slowly reddened round him, and there looked to his
+dimming eyes to be fewer men in front. But by this time his strength was
+fast failing him, and he felt he could not hold out much longer. A
+mighty blow from an axe made him reel, and well-nigh fall; another such,
+and he would be rolling on the sand among the dead men lying at his
+feet. Suddenly the upraised axe flew from the hand of the giant in
+front, and with a cry that echoed through the island he fell backwards
+on the shore.</p>
+
+<p>Rosiclair was still too hard beset to turn and see from whom help had
+come, but he took fresh courage and his sword no longer hit so wildly as
+before. The other sword was even stronger and surer than his own, and
+soon the few men who were left alive ran off and took refuge within the
+gates of the castle.</p>
+
+<p>Then the two knights looked at each other.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Who are you, and whence do you come?&#8217; asked Rosiclair. &#8216;I owe you my
+life this day.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I am called the Knight of the Sun,&#8217; replied the other; &#8216;this shining
+star upon my breast has given me my name. And I come from wandering over
+the seas in a little boat that just holds me and my horse. I descried
+you from afar, and hastened to your help. Of a truth, it is the noblest
+fight that ever I saw.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>Now, when Rosiclair had seen the emblem of the sun <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_364" id="Page_364">[364]</a></span>on the new knight&#8217;s
+breast he wondered if this might indeed be his brother. But being warned
+by his mother not to hold converse with strangers concerning private
+matters, he began to tell of the fight with Candramarte in the lists of
+London, when a cry from the sea caused them both to turn. On the prow of
+a boat stood the giant&#8217;s daughter, pointing with her forefinger at the
+bodies which lay upon the shore.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;O cruel and bloody wolves,&#8217; she called, &#8216;the ocean will give me the
+pity which I have been denied both by heaven and earth. And the god of
+storms will avenge me.&#8217;<a name="corr16" id="corr16"></a> With that she jumped into the sea, but, instead
+of sinking, was held up by the waves. This the Knight of the Sun beheld,
+and, forgetting the evil she had done, jumped into his boat, and pushed
+off to her aid before Rosiclair had time to get in after him. However,
+the Knight of the Sun was never able either to reach the damsel or to
+return to his brother, for a furious wind sprang up, which drove him
+before it, in some direction that he did not know.</p>
+
+<p>In his hurry to reach the side of Rosiclair, the Knight of the Sun had
+forgotten to place his oars in the bottom of the boat, but just left
+them loose in their holes, so that they had floated away; now he had no
+means of directing his course, but was forced to go wherever the waves
+took him. For many days he drifted past the shores of strange countries
+and saw from afar the gleam of white cities, but though he fain would
+have landed, he could not, but was bound to remain where his adventure
+carried him. At length, to the joy of his heart, the boat stopped of its
+own accord on the beach of a beautiful island, and the young man once
+more felt soft grass under his feet, and heard the sound of trickling
+streams. Close by was a forest, and from between the bushes peeped the
+heads of little goats and tiny deer, all gazing with wonder at the
+stranger. From the look of the place it was plain that seldom indeed did
+man come to disturb their lives, and the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_365" id="Page_365">[365]</a></span> Knight of the Sun felt he must
+go further inland if he wished to meet with any adventures. So, breaking
+through the creepers which hung from tree to tree, he struggled on
+bravely, and at last the trees grew less thickly, and he came out upon a
+wide open space in front of a big castle.</p>
+
+<p>This castle was quite different from any he had seen, either in Babylon
+or in the other countries he had visited. It seemed to be made of
+nothing but towers, and every tower had a steep pointed roof, so high
+that you would have thought it reached up to heaven itself. In the tower
+nearest him was a door of shining steel, and on top of a row of steps
+above it was a column, from which hung a horn of ivory edged with gold.
+Under the horn some words were cut deep into the column, and mounting
+the steps the knight read:</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;This is the castle of the peerless Lindarasse, whose door will never
+open save to him who blows the horn. Yet let him beware who seeks to
+blow it, for if the door <i>should</i> open he will find it is guarded by
+fierce and cruel porters, and his life will pay for his rash curiosity.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>The Knight of the Sun laughed out at the thought that any such threats
+could stop his going wherever he pleased, and, seizing the horn, blew so
+powerful a blast that the sound rang through the whole island. In an
+instant the gates of steel burst open, and between them stood a giant
+with an iron club in one hand, and in the other a chain which was
+fastened round the neck of a serpent. Now in all the world there was no
+serpent more horrible than this, for it did not wriggle along the ground
+as serpents generally do, but advanced erect, its head higher than a man
+seated on a horse, while it trailed besides a tail ten feet behind it.
+At the sight of the young man it lashed its tail so violently that the
+earth trembled as if with an earthquake, while its forky tongue darted
+in and out with a deafening hissing noise.</p>
+
+<p>The few knights who had dared to blow the horn had <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_366" id="Page_366">[366]</a></span>been so frightened
+at this terrible creature that they had stood as if frozen, and thus the
+giant killed them with his club without any trouble. He, of course,
+expected this knight to behave like the rest, but to his surprise the
+young man remained quietly where he was. Then the giant dropped the
+chain and the snake began to mount the steps, opening its mouth wide
+enough to swallow a man and showing its long and yellow fangs. The
+Knight of the Sun swung his sword in the air and let it fall on the
+serpent&#8217;s neck with a force that seemed as if it must have severed its
+head from its body; but to his amazement the weapon bounded back as if
+it had been made of wood, though the snake was for the moment half
+stunned and was unable to throw itself on its prey. However, in another
+moment it had reared itself high and was preparing to fling itself
+forward, when the knight leaped behind the column and from its shelter
+struck again at the serpent&#8217;s head. This time the horrible creature sank
+to the ground, though the sword glanced off harmlessly without
+penetrating its skin; but it became more angry than before, and glided
+rapidly towards the column, hoping to seize his enemy in his gaping
+jaws. The giant meanwhile stood planted, club in hand, at the bottom of
+the steps, ready to receive the young man when the serpent should have
+done with him.</p>
+
+<p>It was not long before this happened. The Knight of the Sun was so
+intent watching the movements of the head of his horrible foe, that he
+forgot everything else till a violent blow from the serpent&#8217;s tail cast
+him to the ground and sent him rolling down the steps to the place where
+the giant stood. Before he could raise himself, the iron staff had split
+his helmet in pieces, and, as it seemed, his skull with it. Luckily for
+him, the giant felt sure he must be dead, and thus the knight was
+enabled to lie still for some minutes till his senses and his strength
+came back to him, and, springing to his feet, he snatched his sword from
+its sheath and sent half of the giant&#8217;s body <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_367" id="Page_367">[367]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_368" id="Page_368"><br />[368]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_369" id="Page_369"><br /><br />[369]</a></span>flying one way and half
+the other. But before he was able to rejoice at having slain one foe the
+serpent was upon him for a second time. The knight had proved that the
+sword was useless against it, so seizing the club of the dead giant he
+struck such a blow that its head fell in pieces.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 282px;">
+<a name="illus_page_367" id="illus_page_367"></a><a href="images/p367-full.png"><img src="images/p367.png" width="282" height="384" alt="A knight with an uplifted sword stands facing a serpent" title="THE KNIGHT OF THE SUN FIGHTS THE SERPENT" /></a>
+<span class="caption">THE KNIGHT OF THE SUN FIGHTS THE SERPENT</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>Then he took the ivory horn, and entered the door of the first tower. As
+soon as the Knight of the Sun reached the second tower, he found it was
+shut by a door of steel, just as the first had been. He sounded a blast
+on his horn, and the door flew open with a grating and horrible noise,
+which might have filled the heart of the bravest with terror, and
+another giant stepped forth, no less horrible to look upon than his
+brother, with a club in one hand and a huge chained lion in the other.
+The great beast was larger than any bull that ever was seen, and each of
+its nails was as long as the foot of a man. Directly its chain was
+loosed, the lion reared itself up and sprang upon the knight, who
+awaited it as calmly as if it had been only a sheep. But after the fight
+with the serpent the attack of the lion seemed quite easy to parry, and,
+without pausing till they came together, the young man turned nimbly
+aside and felled him to the earth with the iron staff. After that he
+turned to meet the giant.</p>
+
+<p>This time the battle was soon over, for the giant, like many very big
+people, was heavy and clumsy, and the Knight of the Sun stepped past his
+dead body to the third gate, which flew open at the blast of his horn.
+Behind it stood a fresh giant taller than the last, and all covered with
+thick wiry hair, that looked as if it would resist the keenest
+sword-blade which had ever been forged in Damascus. The young knight
+felt much more afraid of him than of the two tigers which he held on a
+chain, and which showed their teeth and snarled wickedly. But before
+long the knight had stretched them both on the ground, and summoned all
+his strength for the struggle with the giant.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_370" id="Page_370">[370]</a></span>This was much harder than any he had fought yet. The wiry hair turned
+the edge of his sword, and he felt he might almost as well try to cut
+through a fence of iron. Besides, in spite of his great height, this
+giant was much quicker of eye and of hand than the last, and several
+times the young champion was brought to his knees, though he rose again
+before his enemy could deal him a second blow. At length the Knight of
+the Sun noticed a place on the giant&#8217;s neck where the hair seemed less
+thick than on the rest of his body, and, dropping his sword, he seized
+his dagger and drove it home.</p>
+
+
+<p class="afterbreak">Thus, step by step, fighting giants and beasts every inch of the way,
+the Knight of the Sun at last reached the hall of the castle, where the
+emperor Trebatius sat by the side of the fair Lindarasse. The spells she
+had woven round him were so strong, that for years he had not only never
+been outside the castle walls, but had ceased to wish to see the world
+again. But, powerful though Lindarasse might be, the Knight of the Sun
+did not fear to meet her, as before he had left Babylon the wise
+Lyrgander had given him a ring, which preserved him from all
+enchantments.</p>
+
+<p>At the entrance of the young man the fair Lindarasse looked up; she knew
+who he was and why he had come.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;What is the matter, Wonder of the World?&#8217; asked the emperor Trebatius,
+raising his head from her lap, where it had been resting.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I am a dead woman, my good lord,&#8217; answered she, &#8216;unless you will slay
+me that knight who has forced his way into my castle.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>These words filled the emperor with fury, and the spirit awoke within
+him from its long sleep.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;I will teach him manners,&#8217; he said grimly, and <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_371" id="Page_371">[371]</a></span>stalked proudly to the
+gallery where his arms had hung for many a day.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile the fair Lindarasse, who, in spite of her haughty bearing,
+bore a sinking heart, tried both by threats and soft words to persuade
+the Knight of the Sun to leave the castle.</p>
+
+<p>&#8216;Not till the emperor goes with me!&#8217; he answered steadily. &#8216;You took him
+from his wife, and if you will not give him back to her I will take
+him.&#8217;</p>
+
+<p>And Lindarasse ground her teeth, and held her peace for a few moments.
+Then she broke into tears and sobs, thinking to move him by these means;
+but this method fared no better than the other.</p>
+
+<p>Thus were they standing when the emperor entered the hall, armed
+<i>cap-&agrave;-pie</i>.</p>
+
+<p>Now the knight knew that Trebatius&#8217;s skill in fight had grown rusty from
+want of use, and that as long as he remained inside the castle the
+spells which the fair Lindarasse had woven round him would weaken his
+arm and confuse his head. So the youth refrained from striking, and with
+his shield and sword defended himself the while from the blows which the
+emperor dealt in all directions&mdash;for his hand no longer followed his
+eye. And all the while the Knight of the Sun stepped gently backwards,
+drawing Trebatius with him till, after twenty years, the emperor stood
+outside the walls, and the enchantment fell from him like a cloak. Then
+with a rush the remembrance of his wife, the princess Briane, came back
+to him, and in that very moment, though he knew it not, the fair
+Lindarasse fell dead in the place where he had left her. For, evil as
+she was, she had loved him truly, and felt that he had gone from her for
+ever.</p>
+
+<p>So Trebatius was set free by his son, and became a man once more. And
+the two journeyed back towards Hungary, to the monastery where the
+princess Briane still lived. But on the road an adventure claimed the
+Knight of the Sun, so that the emperor alone stood <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_372" id="Page_372">[372]</a></span>before his wife,
+whose heart was almost broken with joy at the sight of him.</p>
+
+<p>As for their two sons, the Knight of the Sun and his brother Rosiclair,
+who was also known as the Knight of Love, no such deeds had been wrought
+as were done by them since the days of Lancelot and the Round Table.</p>
+
+
+<p class="titlepage">[<i>L&#8217;Histoire Admirable du Chevalier du Soleil.</i> Traduite de l&#8217;Espagnol
+par Louis Douet.]</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<a href="images/fly-back-l-full.png"><img src="images/fly-back-l.png" width="375" height="560" alt="Peacocks in the foreground, a knight with a maiden mounted behind him riding off in the background, fairies in the sky above" title="Interior cover, left side" /></a>
+<a href="images/fly-back-r-full.png"><img src="images/fly-back-r.png" width="382" height="565" alt="A knight sprawled on the ground, holding his hand to his head, with his horse grazing in the background. Fairies flying in the sky" title="Interior cover, right side" /></a>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<div style="background-color: #EEE; padding: 0.5em 1em 0.5em 1em;">
+<p class="center noindent"><a name="trans_note" id="trans_note"></a><b>Transcriber&rsquo;s&nbsp;Note</b></p>
+
+<p class="noindent">The use of parentheses and brackets around the sources for the stories was
+inconsistent. The original usage has been maintained.</p>
+
+<p class="noindent">The following typographical errors were corrected.</p>
+
+<table style="margin-left: 0%;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="typos">
+<tr>
+  <td>Page</td>
+  <td>Error</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#corr1">Frontispiece</a></td>
+  <td>HALGERDA changed to HALLGERDA</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#corr2">50</a></td>
+  <td>his own deathblow changed to his own death-blow</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#corr3">119</a></td>
+  <td>unwillingly, but should read unwillingly, &#8216;but</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#corr4">159</a></td>
+  <td>and tell the changed to &#8216;and tell the</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#corr5">179</a></td>
+  <td>answered Sancho Panzo changed to answered Sancho Panza</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#corr6">191</a></td>
+  <td>men, but we changed to men, &#8216;but we</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#corr7">191</a></td>
+  <td>off his back changed to off her back</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#corr8">204</a></td>
+  <td>to one side. changed to to one side.&#8217;</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#corr9">215</a></td>
+  <td>be so worth changed to be so wroth</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#corr10">257</a></td>
+  <td>marvels; but changed to marvels; &#8216;but</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#corr11">271</a></td>
+  <td>head of Sir Murdour. changed to head of Sir Murdour,</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#corr12">289</a></td>
+  <td>of news awating changed to of news awaiting</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#corr13">335</a></td>
+  <td>and mighty arm, changed to and mighty arm,&#8217;</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#corr14">346</a></td>
+  <td>safe from him changed to safe from him.</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#corr15">356</a></td>
+  <td>half of his kingdom.&#8217; changed to half of his kingdom.</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+  <td><a href="#corr16">364</a></td>
+  <td>avenge me. changed to avenge me.&#8217;</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+
+
+<p class="noindent">The following words had inconsistent spelling:</p>
+
+<p class="noindent">knight-errants / knights-errant<br />
+WERWOLF / WER-WOLF</p>
+</div>
+
+<div style='display:block;margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RED ROMANCE BOOK ***</div>
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@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements,
+metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be
+in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES.
+
+Procedures for determining public domain status are described in
+the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org.
+
+No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in
+jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize
+this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright
+status under the laws that apply to them.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
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+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for
+eBook #24624 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24624)
diff --git a/old/24624-8.txt b/old/24624-8.txt
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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Red Romance Book, by Various
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Red Romance Book
+
+Author: Various
+
+Editor: Andrew Lang
+
+Illustrator: Henry Ford
+
+Release Date: February 15, 2008 [EBook #24624]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RED ROMANCE BOOK ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Thierry Alberto, Chris Curnow, Julia Miller
+and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
+http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images
+generously made available by The Internet Archive)
+
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber's Note
+
+Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. A list of changes is
+found at the end of the book.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: HOW GUNNAR MET HALLGERDA]
+
+
+
+
+                    THE
+              RED ROMANCE BOOK
+
+
+                 EDITED BY
+                ANDREW LANG
+
+
+               [Illustration]
+
+
+          LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO.
+        39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON
+  FOURTH AVENUE AND 30TH STREET, NEW YORK
+
+
+                    1921
+
+
+
+
+_PREFACE_
+
+WHAT ROMANCES ARE
+
+(TO CHILDREN AND OTHERS)
+
+
+I once read a book about a poor little lonely boy in a great house with
+a large library. This boy was pale, dull, and moping. Nobody knew what
+was the matter with him. But somebody tracked him into the library and
+saw him take a huge thick black book, half as tall as himself, out of a
+bookcase, and sit down and read it. The name of the book was
+_Polexander_. So he sat and sobbed over _Polexander_, because it was so
+very dull and so very long. There were 800 pages, and he had only read
+sixty-seven. But some very stupid grown-up person had told him that he
+must always begin a book at the beginning, and, if he once began, he
+must read every word of it, and read nothing else till he had finished
+every word of it.
+
+The boy saw that he would die of weariness long before he reached the
+end of _Polexander_, but he stuck to it like the other boy who stood by
+the burning deck long after it was 'time for him to go.' So _Polexander_
+was taken away from him and locked up, and so his life was saved.
+
+Now, in the first place _Polexander_ was a romance, but it was not like
+the romances in this book, for it was dreadfully long, and mainly about
+the sorrows of lovers who cannot get married. That could not amuse a
+small boy. In the second place, every boy should stop reading a book as
+soon as he finds that he does not like it, just as you are not expected
+to eat more mutton than you want to eat. Lesson books are another thing;
+you have to read them, and if you do not you will get into trouble. They
+are not meant to be amusing, but to teach Latin grammar, or geography,
+or arithmetic, which are not gay. As to this book of Romances, if you do
+not like one story, give it up and try another. If you do not like any
+of them, read something else that you do like.
+
+Now what are romances? They are grown-up people's fairy tales or
+story-books, but they are the kind of story-books that grown-up people
+read long ago, when there were castles and knights, and tournaments, and
+the chief business of gentlemen was to ride about in full armour,
+fighting, while ladies sat at home doing embroidery work, or going to
+see the men tilt at tournaments, just as they go to see cricket matches
+now. But they liked tournaments better, because they understood the
+rules of the game. Anybody could see when one knight knocked another
+down, horse and all, but many ladies do not understand leg before
+wicket, or stumping.
+
+The stories that they read were called 'romances,' but were in prose.
+Before people could read they were not in prose but in poetry, and were
+recited by minstrels. Mrs. Lang, who did the stories in this book, says:
+'Many hundreds of years ago, when most of these stories were told in the
+halls of great castles, the lives of children were very different from
+what they are now. The little girls were taught by their mothers'
+maidens to spin and embroider, or make simple medicines from the common
+herbs, and the boys learnt to ride and tilt, and shoot with bows and
+arrows; but their tasks done, no one paid any further heed to them. They
+had very few games, and in the long winter evenings the man who went
+from house to house, telling or singing the tales of brave deeds, must
+have been welcome indeed. From him the children, who early became men
+and women, heard of the evil fate that awaited cowardice and treachery,
+and grew to understand that it was their duty through life to help those
+that were weaker than themselves.' That was long, long ago, when nobody
+but priests and a very few gentlemen could read and write. They just
+listened to stories in rhyme, which the minstrels sang, striking their
+harps at the end of each verse.
+
+The stories were really fairy tales, dressed up and spun out, and
+instead of 'a boy' or 'a king' or 'a princess' with no name, the old
+fairy adventures were said to have happened to people with names: King
+Arthur, or Charlemagne, or Bertha Broadfoot. A little real history came
+in, but altered, and mixed up with fairy tales, and done into rhyme.
+
+Later, more and more people learned to read, and now the long poems were
+done into prose, and written in books, not printed but written books;
+and these were the Romances, very long indeed, all about fighting, and
+love-making, and giants, and dwarfs, and magicians, and enchanted
+castles, and dragons and flying horses. These romances were the novels
+of the people of the Middle Ages, about whom you can read in the History
+Books of Mrs. Markham. They were not much like the novels which come
+from the library for your dear mothers and aunts. There is not much
+fighting in them, though there is any amount of love-making, and there
+are no giants; and if there is a knight, he is usually a grocer or a
+doctor, quite the wrong sort of knight.
+
+Here is the beginning of a celebrated novel: 'Comedy is a game played to
+throw reflections upon social life, and it deals with human nature in
+the drawing-rooms of civilised men and women.' You do not want to read
+any more of that novel. It is not at all like a good old romance of
+knights and dragons and enchanted princesses and strong wars. The
+knights and ladies would not have looked at such a book, all about
+drawing-rooms.
+
+Now, in this book, we have made the old romances much shorter, keeping
+the liveliest parts, in which curious things happen. Some of the tales
+were first told in Iceland eight hundred years ago, and are mostly true
+and about real people. Some are from the ancient French romances of the
+adventures of Charlemagne, and his peers and paladins. Some are from
+later Italian poems of the same kind. 'Cupid and Psyche' is older, and
+so is the story of the man who was changed into a donkey. These are from
+an old Latin romance, written when people were still heathens, most of
+them. Some are about the Danes in England (of whom you may have heard),
+but there is not much history in them.
+
+Mrs. Lang says: 'In this book you will read of men who, like Don
+Quixote, were often mistaken but never mean, and of women, such as Una
+and Bradamante, who kept patient and true, in spite of fierce trials and
+temptations. I have only related a few of their adventures, but when you
+grow older you can read them for yourselves, in the languages in which
+they were written.'
+
+'Don Quixote' was written by a Spaniard, Cervantes, in the time of James
+I. of England, to show what would happen if a man tried to behave like a
+knight of old, after people had become more civilised and less
+interesting. Don Quixote was laughed at, because he came too late into
+too old a world. But he was as brave and good a knight as the best
+paladin of them all. So about the knights and ladies and dwarfs and
+giants, I hope you will think like Sir Walter Scott, when he was a boy,
+and read the old romances. He says: 'Heaven only knows how glad I was to
+find myself in such company.'
+
+If you like the kind of company, then read 'Ivanhoe,' by Sir Walter
+Scott, for that is the best romance in the world.
+
+All the stories in this book were done by Mrs. Lang, out of the old
+romances.
+
+ANDREW LANG.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+                                                                  PAGE
+  _How William of Palermo was carried off by the Werwolf_            1
+  _The Disenchantment of the Werwolf_                               13
+  _The Slaying of Hallgerda's Husbands_                             28
+  _The Death of Gunnar_                                             45
+  _Njal's Burning_                                                  71
+  _The Lady of Solace_                                              84
+  _Una and the Lion_                                                93
+  _How the Red Cross Knight slew the Dragon_                       105
+  _Amys and Amyle_                                                 128
+  _The Tale of the Cid_                                            141
+  _The Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance_                        165
+  _The Adventure of the Two Armies who turned out to be Flocks
+     of Sheep_                                                     177
+  _The Adventure of the Boiling Lights_                            190
+  _The Helmet of Mambrino_                                         194
+  _How Don Quixote was Enchanted while guarding the Castle_        202
+  _Don Quixote's Home-coming_                                      209
+  _The Meeting of Huon and Oberon, King of the Fairies_            213
+  _How Oberon saved Huon_                                          221
+  _Havelok and Goldborough_                                        234
+  _Cupid and Psyche_                                               251
+  _Sir Bevis the Strong_                                           267
+  _Ogier the Dane_                                                 287
+  _How the Ass became a Man again_                                 298
+  _Guy of Warwick_                                                 309
+  _How Bradamante conquered the Wizard_                            320
+  _The Ring of Bradamante_                                         331
+  _The Fulfilling of the Prophecy_                                 341
+  _The Knight of the Sun_                                          351
+  _How the Knight of the Sun rescued his Father_                   360
+
+
+
+
+_ILLUSTRATIONS_
+
+_COLOURED PLATES_
+
+
+  _How Gunnar met Hallgerda_                              _Frontispiece_
+  _The Werwolf carries Prince William away_            _To face p._  2
+  _The Lady of Solace_                                      "       86
+  _At the sight of the Lion she flung down the pitcher_     "      102
+  _The End of the Dragon_                                   "      124
+  _Softly she rose to her feet and stole out of the wood_   "      134
+  _Aphrodite finds Psyche's Task accomplished_              "      264
+  _How the Fairies came to see Ogier the Dane_              "      288
+
+
+  _PLATES_
+
+  _The Lovers meet by plan of Alexandrine_             _To face p._  8
+  _The Bearskin--Am not I a bold Beast?_                    "       14
+  _The Fury of the Werwolf_                                 "       24
+  _How Thorwald was slain by Thiostolf_                     "       32
+  _Thiostolf decides to slay Glum_                          "       40
+  _Otkell and Gunnar in the Field_                          "       58
+  _Gunnar's last Fight and Hallgerda's Revenge_             "       66
+  _How Kari escaped from Njal's House_                      "       78
+  _The Lady of Solace helps the Fallen Knight_              "       88
+  _The Red Cross Knight enters the Monster's Cave_          "       96
+  _Una saved by the Wood-Folk_                              "      106
+  _Arthur fights the Seven-Headed Serpent_                  "      112
+  _In the Cave of Despair_                                  "      120
+  _Rodrigo brings home the head of Gomez_                   "      142
+  _Don Diego and Don Fernan show that they are cowards_     "      154
+  _Don Quixada declared that he would give his Housekeeper
+     and his Niece into the bargain for the pleasure of
+     bestowing one kick on Ganelon the traitor_             "      166
+  _Don Quixote determines to attack the Windmills_          "      180
+  _How the Galley Slaves repaid Don Quixote_                "      198
+  _The Meeting of Huon and Oberon_                          "      216
+  _Round the Bag which held the Boy a brilliant Light was
+     shining_                                               "      236
+  _Zephyr carries Psyche down from the Mountain_            "      254
+  _Little Bevis avenges his Father_                         "      268
+  _Strong Sir Bevis keeps the Two Dragons at Bay_           "      278
+  _Bradamante defeats the Wizard with the Ring_             "      326
+  _Roger borne away from Bradamante_                        "      332
+  _The Two Damsels rescue Roger from the Rabble_            "      336
+  _The Giant's Daughter reproaches the Two Brothers_        "      360
+  _The Knight of the Sun fights the Serpent_                "      366
+
+
+  _ILLUSTRATIONS IN TEXT._
+                                                                  PAGE
+  _The Emperor carries William away_                                 5
+  _The Werwolf's Visit to the Cave_                                 19
+  _Hauskuld's Pride in Hallgerda_                                   29
+  _How Gunnar slew Thorgeir, Otkell's Son_                          63
+  _Sudden Departure of Una's Parents_                               94
+  _In Archimago's Cell: the Evil Dream_                            100
+  _The Two Cups_                                                   132
+  _Sir Amyle arrives in time to save the Ladies_                   139
+  _Don Quixote belabours the Muleteer_                             175
+  _Don Quixote's Battle with the Wine-skins_                       203
+  _Huon defeats the Giant Agrapart_                                227
+  _Havelok presents Goldborough to the English People_             247
+  _Aphrodite brings Cupid to Psyche_                               252
+  _Joyfully the Eagle bore back the Urn_                           265
+  _Ogier the Dane meets Morgane le Fay at last_                    293
+  _Apuleius changes into an Ass_                                   302
+
+
+
+
+_HOW WILLIAM OF PALERMO WAS CARRIED OFF BY THE WERWOLF_
+
+
+Many hundreds of years ago there lived in the beautiful city of Palermo
+a little prince who was thought, not only by his parents but by everyone
+who saw him, to be the handsomest child in the whole world. When he was
+four years old, his mother, the queen, made up her mind that it was time
+to take him away from his nurses, so she chose out two ladies of the
+court who had been friends of her own youth, and to them she entrusted
+her little son. He was to be taught to read and write, and to talk
+Greek, the language of his mother's country, and Latin, which all
+princes ought to know, while the Great Chamberlain would see that he
+learned to ride and shoot, and, when he grew bigger, how to wield a
+sword.
+
+For a while everything went on as well as the king and queen could wish.
+Prince William was quick, and, besides, he could not bear to be beaten
+in anything he tried to do, whether it was making out the sense of a
+roll of parchment written in strange black letters, which was his
+reading-book, or mastering a pony which wanted to kick him off. And the
+people of Palermo looked on, and whispered to each other:
+
+'Ah! what a king he will make!'
+
+But soon a terrible end came to all these hopes!
+
+William's father, king Embrons, had a brother who would have been the
+heir to the throne but for the little prince. He was a wicked man, and
+hated his nephew, but when the boy was born he was away at the wars, and
+did not return till five years later. Then he lost no time in making
+friends with the two ladies who took care of William, and slowly managed
+to gain their confidence. By-and-by he worked upon them with his
+promises and gifts, till they became as wicked as he was, and even
+agreed to kill not only the child, but the king his father.
+
+Now adjoining the palace at Palermo was a large park, planted with
+flowering trees and filled with wild beasts. The royal family loved to
+roam about the park, and often held jousts and sports on the green
+grass, while William played with his dogs or picked flowers.
+
+One day--it was a festival--the whole court went into the park at noon,
+after they had finished dining, and the queen and her ladies busied
+themselves with embroidering a quilt for the royal bed, while the king
+and his courtiers shot at a mark. Suddenly there leapt from a bush a
+huge grey wolf with his mouth open and his tongue hanging out. Before
+anyone had time to recover from his surprise, the great beast had caught
+up the child, and was bounding with him through the park, and over the
+wall into the plain by the sea. When the courtiers had regained their
+senses, both the wolf and boy were out of sight.
+
+Oh! what weeping and wailing burst forth from the king and queen when
+they understood that their little son was gone from them for ever, only,
+as they supposed, to die a cruel death! For of course they did not know
+that one far worse had awaited him at home.
+
+After the first shock, William did not very much mind what was happening
+to him. The wolf jerked him on to his back, and told him to hold fast by
+his ears, and the boy sat comfortably among the thick hair, and did not
+even get his feet wet as they swam across the Straits of Messina. On the
+other side, not far from Rome, was a forest of tall trees, and as by
+this time it was getting dark, the wolf placed William on a bed of soft
+fern, and broke off a branch of delicious fruits, which he gave him for
+supper. Then he scooped out a deep pit with his paws, and lined it
+with moss and feathery grasses, and there they both lay down and slept
+till morning; in spite of missing his mother, in all his life William
+had never been so happy.
+
+[Illustration: The Wer-Wolf carries Prince William away]
+
+For eight days they stayed in the forest, and it seemed to the boy as if
+he had never dwelt anywhere else. There was so much to see and to do,
+and when he was tired of playing the wolf told him stories.
+
+But one morning, before he was properly awake, he felt himself gently
+shaken by a paw, and he sat up, and looked about him. 'Listen to me,'
+said the wolf. 'I have to go right over to the other side of the wood,
+on some business of a friend's, and I shall not be back till sunset. Be
+careful not to stray out of sight of this pit, for you may easily lose
+yourself. You will find plenty of fruit and nuts piled up under that
+cherry tree.'
+
+So the wolf went away, and the child curled himself up for another
+sleep, and when the sun was high and its beams awakened him, he got up
+and had his breakfast. While he was eating, birds with blue and green
+feathers came and hopped on his shoulder and pecked at the fruit he was
+putting into his mouth, and William made friends with them all, and they
+suffered him to stroke their heads.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Now there dwelt in the forest an old cowherd, who happened that morning
+to have work to do not far from the pit where William lived with the
+wolf. He took with him a big dog, which helped him to collect the cows
+when they wandered, and to keep off any strange beasts that threatened
+to attack them. On this particular morning there were no cows, so the
+dog ran hither and thither as he would, enjoying himself mightily, when
+suddenly he set up a loud barking, as if he had found a prey, and the
+noise caused the old man to hasten his steps.
+
+When he reached the spot from which the noise came, the dog was standing
+at the edge of a pit, out of which came a frightened cry. The old man
+looked in, and there he saw a child clad in garments that shone like
+gold, shrinking timidly into the farthest corner.
+
+'Fear nothing, my boy,' said the cowherd; 'he will never hurt you, and
+even if he wished I would not let him;' and as he spoke he held out his
+hand. At this William took courage. He was not really a coward, but he
+felt lonely and it seemed a long time since the wolf had gone away.
+Would he _really_ ever come back? This old man looked kind, and there
+could be no harm in speaking to him. So he took the outstretched hand
+and scrambled out of the pit, and the cowherd gathered apples for him,
+and other fruits that grew on the tops of trees too high for the wolf to
+reach. And all the day they wandered on and on, till they came to the
+cowherd's cottage, before which an old woman was standing.
+
+'I have brought you a little boy,' he said, 'whom I found in the
+forest.'
+
+'Ah, a lucky star was shining when you got up to-day,' answered she.
+'And what is your name, my little man? And will you stay and live with
+me?'
+
+'My name is William, and you look kind like my grandmother, and I will
+stay with you,' said the boy; and the old people were very glad, and
+they milked a cow, and gave him warm milk for his supper.
+
+When the wolf returned--he was not a wolf at all, but the son of the
+king of Spain, who had been enchanted by his stepmother--he was very
+unhappy at finding the pit empty. Indeed, his first thought was that a
+lion must have carried off the boy and eaten him, or that an eagle must
+have pounced on him from the sky, and borne him away to his young ones
+for supper. But after he had cried till he could cry no more, it
+occurred to him that before he gave up the boy for dead it would be well
+to make a search, as perchance there might be some sign of his
+whereabouts. So he dried his eyes with his tail and jumped up quite
+cheerfully.
+
+[Illustration: The Emperor carries William away]
+
+He began by looking to see if the bushes round about were broken and
+torn as if some great beast had crashed through them. But they were all
+just as he had left them in the morning, with the creepers still
+knotting tree to tree. No, it was clear that no lion had been near the
+spot. Then he examined the ground carefully for a bird's feather or a
+shred of a child's dress; he did not find these either, but the marks
+of a man's foot were quite plain, and these he followed.
+
+The track turned and twisted for about two miles, and then stopped at a
+little cottage with roses climbing up the walls. The wolf did not want
+to show himself, so he crept quietly round to the back, where there was
+a hole in the door just big enough for the cats to come in and out of.
+The wolf peeped through this hole and saw William eating his supper, and
+chattering away to the old woman as if he had known her all his life,
+for he was a friendly little boy, and purred like a pussy-cat when he
+was pleased. And when the wolf saw that all was well with the child, he
+was glad and went his way.
+
+'William will be safer with them than with me,' he said to himself.
+
+Many years went by, and William had grown a big boy, and was very useful
+to the cowherd and his wife. He could shoot now with his bow and arrow
+in a manner which would have pleased his first teacher, and he and his
+playfellows--the sons of charcoal-burners and woodmen--were wont to keep
+the pots supplied at home with the game they found in the forest.
+Besides this, he filled the pails full of water from the stream, and
+chopped wood for the fire, and, sometimes, was even trusted to cook the
+dinner. And when _this_ happened William was a very proud boy indeed.
+
+One day the emperor planned a great hunt to take place in the forest,
+and, while following a wild boar, he outstripped all his courtiers and
+lost his way. Turning first down one path and then the other, he came
+upon a boy gathering fruit, and so beautiful was he that the emperor
+thought that he must be of a fairy race.
+
+'What is your name, my child?' asked the emperor; 'and where do you
+live?'
+
+The boy looked round at the sound of his voice, and, taking off his cap,
+bowed low.
+
+'I am called William, noble sir,' he answered, 'and I live with a
+cowherd, my father, in a cottage near by. Other kindred have I none that
+ever I heard of;' for the gardens of Palermo and the life of the palace
+had now faded into dreams in the memory of the child.
+
+'Bid your father come hither and speak to me,' said the emperor, but
+William did not move.
+
+'I fear lest harm should befall him through me,' he answered, 'and that
+shall never be.' But the emperor smiled as he heard him.
+
+'Not harm, but good,' he said; and William took courage and hastened
+down the path to the cottage.
+
+'I am the emperor,' said the stranger, when the boy and the cowherd
+returned together. 'Tell me truly, is this your son?'
+
+Then the cowherd, trembling all over, told the whole story, and when he
+had finished the emperor said quietly:
+
+'You have done well, but from to-day the boy shall be mine, and shall
+grow up with my daughter.'
+
+The heart of the cowherd sank as he thought how sorely he and his wife
+would miss William, but he kept silence. Not so William, who broke into
+sobs and wails.
+
+'I should have fared ill if this good man and his wife had not taken me
+and nourished me. I know not whence I came or whither I shall go! None
+can be so kind as they have been.'
+
+'Cease weeping, fair child,' said the emperor, 'some day you shall be
+able to reward the good that they have done you;' and then the cowherd
+spoke and gave him wise counsel how to behave himself at court.
+
+'Be no teller of tales, and let your words be few. Be true to your lord,
+and fair of speech to all men; and seek to help the poor when you may.'
+
+'Set him on my horse,' said the emperor, and, though William wept still
+as he bade farewell to the cowherd, and sent a sorrowful greeting to his
+wife and to his playfellows Hugonet, and Abelot, and Akarin, yet he was
+pleased to be riding in such royal fashion, and soon dried his tears.
+
+They reached the palace at last, and the emperor led William into the
+hall, and sent a messenger for Melior, his daughter.
+
+'I have brought home a present for you,' he cried, as she entered; 'and
+be sure to treat him as you would your brother, for he has come of
+goodly kindred, though now he does not know where he was born, or who
+was his father.' And with that he told her the tale of how he had found
+the boy in the wood.
+
+'I shall care for him willingly,' answered Melior, and she took him
+away, and saw that supper was set before him, and clothes provided for
+him, and made him ready for his duties as page to the emperor.
+
+So the boy and girl grew up together, and everyone loved William, who
+was gentle and pleasant to all, and was skilled in what a gentleman
+should know. Wise he was too, beyond his years, and the emperor kept him
+ever at his side, and took counsel with him on many subjects touching
+his honour and the welfare of his people.
+
+And if the people loved him, how much more Melior, who saw him about the
+court all day long, and knew the store her father set on him? Yet she
+remembered with sadness certain whispers she had heard of a match
+between herself and a foreign prince, and if her father had promised her
+hand nought would make him break his word.
+
+So she sighed and bewailed herself in secret, till her cousin
+Alexandrine marked that something was amiss.
+
+'Tell me all your sickness,' said Alexandrine one day, 'and what grieves
+you so sorely. You know that you can trust me, for I have served you
+truly, and perhaps I may be able to help you in this strait!'
+
+[Illustration: The lovers meet by plan of Alexandrine]
+
+Then Melior told her, and Alexandrine listened in amaze. From his
+childhood William and the two girls had played together, and well
+Alexandrine knew that the emperor had cast his eyes upon another
+son-in-law. Still, she loved her cousin, and she loved William too, so
+she said.
+
+'Mourn no longer, madam; I am skilled in magic, and can heal you. So
+weep no more.' And Melior took heart and was comforted.
+
+That night Alexandrine caused William to dream a dream in which the
+whole world vanished away, and only he and Melior were left. In a moment
+he felt that as long as she was there the rest might go, and that she
+was the princess that was waiting for every prince. But who was he that
+he should dare to ask for the emperor's daughter? and what chance had he
+amongst the noble suitors who now began to throng the palace? These
+thoughts made him very sad, and he went about his duties with a face as
+long as Melior's was now.
+
+Alexandrine paid no heed to his gloomy looks. She was very wise, and for
+some days left her magic to work. At last one morning she thought the
+time had come to heal the wounds she had caused, and planned a meeting
+between them. After this they had no more need of her, neither did
+Melior weep any longer.
+
+For a while they were content, and asked nothing more than to see each
+other every day, as they had always done. But soon a fresh source of
+grief came. A war broke out, in which William, now a knight, had to
+follow the emperor, and more than once saved the life of his master. On
+their return, when the enemy was put to flight, the expected ambassadors
+from Greece arrived at court, to seek the hand of Melior, which was
+readily granted by her father. This news made William sick almost unto
+death, and Melior, who was resolved not to marry the stranger, hastened
+to Alexandrine in order to implore her help.
+
+But Alexandrine only shook her head.
+
+'It is true,' said she, 'that, unless you manage to escape, you will be
+forced to wed the prince; but how are you to get away when there are
+guards before every door of the palace, except by the little gate, and
+to reach that you will have first to pass by the sentries, who know
+you?'
+
+'O dear Alexandrine,' cried Melior, clasping her hands in despair. 'Do
+try to think of some way to save us! I am sure you can; you are always
+clever, and there is nobody else.'
+
+And Alexandrine did think of a way, but what it was must be told in the
+next chapter.
+
+
+
+
+THE DISENCHANTMENT OF THE WERWOLF
+
+(WILLIAM OF PALERMO)
+
+
+Everybody will remember that William and Melior trusted to Alexandrine
+to help them to escape from the palace, before Melior was forced into
+marriage by her father with the prince of Greece. At first Alexandrine
+declared that it was quite impossible to get them away unseen, but at
+length she thought of something which might succeed, though, if it
+failed, all three would pay a heavy penalty.
+
+And this was her plan, and a very good one too.
+
+She would borrow some boy's clothes, and put them on, hiding her hair
+under one of those tight caps that kitchen varlets wore covering all
+their heads; she would then go down into the big kitchens underneath the
+palace, where the wild beasts shot by the emperor were skinned and made
+into coats for the winter. Here she would have a chance of slipping out
+unnoticed with the skins of two white bears, and in these she would sew
+up William and Melior, and would let them through the little back gate,
+from which they could easily escape into the forest.
+
+'Oh, I knew you would find a way!' said Melior, throwing her arms
+joyfully round her cousin's neck. 'I am quite sure it will all go right,
+only let us make haste, for my father may find us out, or perhaps I may
+lose my courage.'
+
+'I will set about it at once,' said Alexandrine, 'and you and William
+must be ready to-night.'
+
+So she got her boy's clothes, which her maid stole for her out of the
+room of one of the scullions, and dressed herself in them, smearing her
+face and hands with walnut-juice, that their whiteness might not betray
+her. She slipped down by some dark stairs into the kitchen, and joined a
+company of men who were hard at work on a pile of dead animals. The sun
+had set, and in the corner of the great hall where the flaying was going
+on, there was very little light, but Alexandrine marked that close to an
+open door was a heap of bearskins, and she took up her position as near
+them as she could. But the girl was careful not to stand too long in one
+place; she moved about from one group of men to another, lending a hand
+here and there and passing a merry jest, and as she did so she gave the
+topmost skins a little shove with her foot, getting them each time
+closer to the open door, and always watching her chance to pick them up
+and run off with them.
+
+It came at last. The torch which lighted that end of the hall flared up
+and went out, leaving the men in darkness. One of them rose to fetch
+another, and, quick as thought, Alexandrine caught up the bearskins and
+was outside in the garden. From that it was easy to make her way
+upstairs unseen.
+
+'See how I have sped!' she said, throwing the skins on the floor. 'But
+night is coming on apace, and we have no time to lose; I must sew you up
+in them at once.'
+
+The skins were both so large that Melior and William wore all their own
+clothes beneath, and did not feel at all hot, as they expected to do.
+
+'Am I not a bold beast?' asked Melior in glee, as she caught sight of
+herself in a polished shield on the wall. 'Methinks no handsomer bear
+was ever seen!'
+
+[Illustration: THE BEARSKINS: AM NOT I A BOLD BEAST?]
+
+'Yes, verily, madam,' answered her maiden, 'you are indeed a grisly
+ghost, and no man will dare to come near you. But now stand aside, for
+it is William's turn.'
+
+'How do you like me, sweetheart?' asked he, when the last stitches had
+been put in.
+
+'You have so fierce an air, and are so hideous a sight, that I fear to
+look on you!' said she. And William laughed and begged Alexandrine to
+guide them through the garden, as they were not yet used to going on all
+fours, and might stumble.
+
+As they passed through the bushes, galloping madly--for in spite of the
+danger they felt as though they were children again--a Greek who was
+walking up to the palace saw them afar, and, seized with dread, took
+shelter in the nearest hut, where he told his tale. The men who heard it
+paid but little heed at the time, though they remembered it after; but
+bears were common in that country, and often came out of the forest at
+night.
+
+Not knowing what a narrow escape they had had, the two runaways
+travelled till sunrise, when they hid themselves in a cave on the side
+of a hill. They had nothing to eat, but were too tired to think of that
+till they had had a good sleep, though when they woke up they began to
+wonder how they should get any food.
+
+'Oh, it will be all right!' said Melior; 'there are blackberries in
+plenty and acorns and hazel-nuts, and there is a stream just below the
+cave--do you not hear it? It will all be much nicer than anything in the
+palace.'
+
+But William did not seem to agree with her, and wished to seek out some
+man who would give him something he liked better than nuts and acorns.
+This, however, Melior would not hear of; they would certainly be
+followed and betrayed, she said, and, to please her, William ate the
+fruit and stayed in the cave, wondering what would happen on the morrow.
+
+Luckily for themselves, they did not have to wait so long before they
+got a good supper. Their friend the werwolf had spied them from afar,
+and was ready to come to their rescue. During that day he had hidden
+himself under a clump of bushes close to the highway, and by-and-by he
+saw a man approaching, carrying a very fat wallet over his shoulder. The
+wolf bounded out of his cover, growling fiercely, which so frightened
+the man that he dropped the wallet and ran into the wood. Then the wolf
+picked up the wallet, which contained a loaf of bread and some meat
+ready cooked, and galloped away with it to William.
+
+They felt quite strong and hearty again when they had finished their
+supper, and quite ready to continue their journey. As it was night, and
+the country was very lonely, they walked on two feet, but when morning
+came, or they saw signs that men were about, they speedily dropped on
+all fours. And all the way the werwolf followed them, and saw that they
+never lacked for food.
+
+Meanwhile the preparations for Melior's marriage to the prince of Greece
+were going on blithely in the palace, and none thought of asking for the
+bride. At last, when everything was finished, the emperor bade the high
+chamberlain fetch the princess.
+
+'She is not in her room, your Majesty,' said the chamberlain, when he
+re-entered the hall; but the emperor only thought that his daughter was
+timid, and answered that he would go and bring her himself.
+
+Like the chamberlain, he found the outer room empty and passed on to the
+door of the inner one, which was locked. He shook and thumped and yelled
+with anger, till Alexandrine heard him from her distant turret, and,
+terrified though she was, hastened to find out what was the matter.
+
+'My daughter! Where is my daughter?' he cried, stammering with rage.
+
+'Asleep, sire,' answered Alexandrine.
+
+'Asleep still!' said the emperor; 'then wake her instantly, for the
+bridegroom is ready and I am waiting to lead her to him.'
+
+'Alas! sire, Melior has heard that in Greece royal brides pass their
+lives shut in a tower, and she has sworn that she will never wed one of
+that race. But, indeed, for my part, I think that is not her true
+reason, and that she has pledged her faith to another, whom you also
+know and love.'
+
+[Illustration: The Werwolf's visit to the Cave]
+
+'And who may that be?' asked the emperor.
+
+'The man who saved your life in battle, William himself,' answered
+Alexandrine boldly, though her limbs shook with fear.
+
+At this news the emperor was half beside himself with grief and rage.
+
+'Where is she?' he cried; 'speak, girl, or I will shut you up in the
+tower.'
+
+'Where is William?' asked Alexandrine. 'If Melior is not here, and
+William is not here, then of a surety they have gone away together.'
+
+The emperor looked at her in silence for a moment.
+
+'The Greeks will make war on me for this insult,' he said; 'and, as for
+William, a body of soldiers shall go in search of him this moment, and
+when he is found I will have his head cut off, and stuck on my palace
+gate as a warning to traitors.'
+
+But the soldiers could not find him. Perhaps they did not look very
+carefully, for, like everyone else, they loved William. Party after
+party was sent out by the emperor, but they all returned without finding
+a trace of the runaways. Then at last the Greek who had seen the two
+white bears galloping through the garden came to the high chamberlain
+and told his tale.
+
+'Send to the kitchen at once and ask if any bearskins are missing,'
+ordered the chamberlain; and the page returned with the tidings that the
+skins of two white bears could not be found.
+
+Now the werwolf had been lurking round the palace seeking for news, and
+as soon as he heard that the emperor had ordered out his dogs to hunt
+the white bears, he made a plan in his head to save William and Melior.
+He hid in some bushes that lay in the path of the hounds, and let them
+get quite near him. As soon as they were close, he sprang out in front
+of their noses and they gave chase at once. And a fine dance he led
+them!--over mountains and through swamps, under ferns that were thickly
+matted together, and past wide lakes. And every step they took brought
+them further away from the bears, who were lying snugly in their den.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+At last even the patience of the emperor was exhausted. He gave up the
+hunt, and bade his men call off the dogs and go home.
+
+'They have escaped me this time,' said he, 'but I will have them
+by-and-by. Let a reward be offered, and posted up on the gate of every
+city. After all, that is the surest way of capturing them.'
+
+And the emperor was right: the shepherds and goatherds were told that if
+they could bring the two white bears to the gates of the palace they
+would not need to work for the rest of their lives, and they kept a
+sharp look-out as they followed their flocks. Once a man actually saw
+them, and gave notice to one of the royal officials, who brought a
+company of spearmen and surrounded the cave. Another moment, and they
+would have been seized, had not the wolf again come to their rescue. He
+leapt out from behind a rock, and snatched up the officer's son, who had
+followed his father. The poor man shrieked in horror, and cried out to
+save the boy, so they all turned and went after the wolf as before.
+
+'We are safer now in our own clothes,' said William; and they hastily
+stripped off the bearskins, and stole away, but they would not leave the
+skins behind, for they had learnt to love them.
+
+For a long while they wandered through the forest, the werwolf ever
+watching over them, and bringing them food. At length the news spread
+abroad, no one knew how, that William and Melior were running about as
+bears no more, but in the garments they always wore. So men began to
+look out for them, and once they were very nearly caught by some
+charcoal-burners. Then the wolf killed a hart and a hind, and sewed them
+in their skins and guided them across the Straits of Messina into the
+kingdom of Sicily.
+
+Very dimly, and one by one, little things that had happened in his
+childhood began to come back to William; but he wondered greatly how he
+seemed to know this land, where he had never been before. The king his
+father had been long dead, but the queen (his mother) and his sister
+were besieged in the city of Palermo by the king of Spain, who was full
+of wrath because the princess had refused to marry his son. The queen
+was in great straits, when one night she dreamed that a wolf and two
+harts had come to help her, and one bore the face of her son, while both
+had crowns on their heads.
+
+She could sleep no more that night, so she rose and looked out of the
+window on the park which lay below, and there, under the trees, were the
+hart and the hind! Panting for joy, the queen summoned a priest, and
+told him her dream, and, as she told it, behold the skins cracked, and
+shining clothes appeared beneath.
+
+'Your dream has been fulfilled,' said the priest. 'The hind is the
+daughter of the emperor of Rome, who fled away with yonder knight
+dressed in a hart skin!'
+
+Joyfully the queen made herself ready, and she soon joined the animals,
+who had wandered off to a part of the park that was full of rocks and
+caves. She greeted them with fair words, and begged William to take
+service under her, which he did gladly.
+
+'Sweet sir, what token will you wear on your shield?' asked she; and
+William answered, 'Good madam, I will have a werwolf on a shield of
+gold, and let him be made hideous and huge.'
+
+'That shall be done,' said she.
+
+When the shield was painted, William prayed her to give him a horse, and
+she led him into the stable, and bade him choose one for himself. And he
+chose one that had been ridden by the late king his father. And the
+horse knew him, though his mother did not, and it neighed from pure
+delight. After that William called to the soldiers to rally round him,
+and there was fought a great battle, and the Spaniards were put to
+flight, and throughout Palermo the people rejoiced mightily.
+
+When the enemy had retreated far away, and William returned to the
+palace, where the queen and Melior were awaiting him; suddenly, from the
+window, they beheld the werwolf go by, and as he passed he held up his
+foot as if he craved mercy.
+
+'What does he mean by that?' asked the queen.
+
+'It betokens great good to us,' answered William.
+
+'That is well,' said the queen; 'but the sight of that beast causes me
+much sorrow. For my fair son was stolen away from me by such a one, when
+he was four years old, and never more have I heard of him.' But in her
+heart she felt, though she said nothing, that she had found him again.
+
+By-and-by the king of Spain came back with another army, and there was
+more fighting. In the end the Spanish king was forced to yield up his
+sword to William, who carried him captor to his mother Felice. The queen
+received him with great courtesy, and placed him next her at dinner, and
+the peers who had likewise been taken prisoners sat down to feast.
+
+The next day a council was held in the hall of the palace to consider
+the terms of peace. The king of Spain and his son were present also, and
+everyone said in turn what penalty the enemy should pay for having
+besieged their city and laid waste their cornfields. In the midst of
+this grave discussion a werwolf entered through the open door, and,
+trotting up to the Spanish king, he kissed his feet. Then he bowed to
+the queen and to William, and went away as he came.
+
+The sight of his tail disappearing through the door restored to the
+guards their courage, which had vanished in the presence of anything so
+unexpected. They sprang up to pursue him, but like a flash of lightning
+William flung himself in their path, crying, 'If any man dare to hurt
+that beast, I will do him to death with my own hands;' and, as they all
+knew that William meant what he said, they slunk back to their places.
+
+'Tell me, gracious king,' asked William when they were all seated afresh
+round the council table, 'why did the wolf bow to you more than to other
+men?'
+
+Then the king made answer that long ago his first wife had died, leaving
+him with a son, and that in a little while he had married again, and
+that his second wife had had a son also. One day when he came back from
+the wars she told him that his eldest son had been drowned, but he found
+out afterwards that she had changed him into a werwolf, so that her own
+child might succeed to the crown.
+
+'And I think,' he added, 'that this werwolf may be indeed the son I
+lost.'
+
+'It may right well be thus,' cried William, 'for he has the mind of a
+man, and of a wise man too. Often has he succoured me in my great need,
+and if your wife had skill to turn him into a werwolf her charms can
+make him a man again. Therefore, sire, neither you nor your people shall
+go hence out of prison till he has left his beast's shape behind him. So
+bid your queen come hither, and if she says you nay I will fetch her
+myself!'
+
+Then the king called one of his great lords, and he bade him haste to
+Spain and tell the queen what had befallen him, and to bring her with
+all speed to Palermo. Little as she liked the summons, the Spanish queen
+dared not refuse, and on her arrival she was led at once into the great
+hall, which was filled with a vast company, both of Spaniards and
+Sicilians. When all were assembled William fetched the werwolf from his
+chamber, where he had lain for nights and days, waiting till his
+stepmother should come.
+
+Together they entered the hall, but at the sight of the wicked woman who
+had done him such ill the wolf's bristles stood up on his back, and with
+a snarl that chilled the blood of all that heard it he sprang towards
+the dais. But, luckily, William was on the watch, and, flinging his arms
+round the wolf's neck, he held him back, saying in a whisper:
+
+[Illustration: THE FURY OF THE WER-WOLF]
+
+'My dear, sweet beast, trust to me as truly as to your own brother. I
+sent for her for your sake, and if she does not undo her evil spells
+I will have her body burned to coals, and her ashes scattered to the
+winds.'
+
+The wicked queen knew well what doom awaited her, and that she could
+resist no longer. Sinking on her knees before the wolf, she confessed
+the ill she had wrought, and added:
+
+'Sweet Alfonso, soon shall the people see your seemly face, and your
+body as it would have been but for me!' At that she led the wolf into a
+private chamber, and, drawing from her wallet a thread of red silk, she
+bound it round a ring she wore, which no witchcraft could prevail
+against. This ring she hung round the wolf's neck, and afterwards read
+him some rhymes out of a book. Then the werwolf looked at his body, and,
+behold, he was a man again!
+
+There were great rejoicings at the court of Palermo when prince Alfonso
+came among them once more. He forgave the queen for her wickedness, and
+rebuked his father for having stirred up such a wanton and bloody war.
+
+'Plague and famine would have preyed upon this land,' he said, 'had not
+this knight, whose real name is unknown to you, come to your aid. He is
+the rightful lord of this country, for he is the son of king Embrons and
+queen Felice, and I am the werwolf who carried him away, to save him
+from a cruel death that was planned for him by his own uncle!'
+
+So the tale ends and everyone was made happy. The werwolf, now prince
+Alfonso, married William's sister, and in due time ruled the kingdom of
+Spain, and William and Melior lived at Palermo till the emperor her
+father died, when the Romans offered him the crown in his stead.
+
+And if you want to know any more about them, you must read the story for
+yourselves.
+
+(Old Romance of _William of Palermo_.)
+
+
+
+
+THE SLAYING OF HALLGERDA'S HUSBANDS
+
+
+If any traveller had visited Iceland nearly a thousand years ago, he
+would have found the island full of busy, industrious people, who made
+the most of their short summer, and tilled the ground so well that they
+generally reaped a golden harvest. Many of the families were akin, and
+had fled some sixty years earlier from Norway and the islands of the sea
+because the king, Harald Fairhair, had introduced new laws, which
+displeased them. They were soon joined, for one reason and another, by
+dwellers in Orkney and Shetland and the Faroe Islands and the Hebrides,
+and, being men of one race, they easily adopted the same customs and
+obeyed the same laws.
+
+Now the Northmen had many good qualities and many very troublesome ones.
+The father of every household had absolute power over all his children;
+he fixed the amount of money that should be paid in exchange for his
+daughter at her marriage, and the sum that was due for the wounded slave
+or 'thrall' as he was called, or even for his murdered son; or, if he
+thought better, he could refuse to take any money at all as the price of
+his injuries, and could then avenge blood by blood.
+
+But once he had declared his purpose he was bound to abide by his word.
+
+Fond though they were of fighting, the Northmen had their own notions of
+fair dealing. If you had killed a man, you had to confess it; if you
+slew him at night, or when he was sleeping, you were guilty of murder,
+and if you refused to throw gravel or sand over his body, thus denying
+your enemy the rights of burial, you were considered a dastard even by
+your friends.
+
+[Illustration: HAUSKULD'S PRIDE IN HALLGERDA]
+
+Now in the valley or dale of the river Laxa dwelt two brothers, each in
+his own house. One was named Hauskuld, and the other Hrut. This Hrut was
+much younger than Hauskuld, and was handsome, brave, and, like so many
+of the Northmen, very gentle when not engaged in war. Like many of them
+also, the gift was given him of reading the future.
+
+One day Hauskuld made a feast, and Hrut came with many of his kinsmen,
+and took his place next his brother Hauskuld. They were all seated in
+the great hall of the house and near the fire Hauskuld's little
+daughter, Hallgerda, was playing with some other children. Fair and blue
+eyed were they all, but Hallgerda was taller and more beautiful than
+any, and her hair fell in long bright curls far below her waist. 'Come
+hither,' said Hauskuld, holding out his hand, and, taking her by the
+chin, he kissed her and bade her go back to her companions. Then,
+turning to his brother he asked:
+
+'Well, is she not fair to look upon?' but Hrut held his peace. Again
+Hauskuld would know what was in the thoughts of Hrut concerning the
+maiden, and this time Hrut made answer:
+
+'Of a truth fair is the maid, and great will be the havoc wrought by her
+among men. But one thing I would know, which of our race has given her
+those thief's eyes?'
+
+At that Hauskuld waxed wroth, and bade Hrut begone to his own house.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+After this some years went by. Hrut left Iceland and spent some time at
+the Court of Norway, and then he came back and married, and had much
+trouble with his wife, Unna. But after they had parted and she had gone
+back to her father, Hrut was a free man again, and he went to visit his
+brother Hauskuld, whose daughter Hallgerda had now become a woman. Tall
+and stately she was, and fair, but sly and greedy of gain, as in the
+days of her childhood, and more she loved Thiostolf, whose wife had
+brought her up, than Hauskuld her father, or Hrut her uncle.
+
+When Hallgerda went back to Hauskuld her father, he saw that he must be
+looking out for a husband for her, as the fame of her beauty would go
+far. It was indeed not long before one came to her, Thorwald, son of
+Oswif, who, besides the broad lands which he possessed on the island,
+owned the Bear Isles out in the sea, where fish were to be had in
+abundance.
+
+Oswif, Thorwald's father, knew more about the maiden than did Thorwald,
+who had been on a journey, and he tried to turn his son's thought to
+some other damsel, but Thorwald only answered, 'Whatever you may say,
+she is the only woman I will marry;' and Oswif made reply, 'Well, after
+all, the risk is yours and not mine.'
+
+So they two set out for Hauskuld's house and he bade them welcome
+heartily. They wasted no time before telling him their business, and
+Hauskuld answered that for his part he could desire no more honourable
+match for his daughter, but he would not hide from them that her temper
+was hard and cruel.
+
+'That shall not stand between us,' said Thorwald, 'so tell me what I
+shall pay for her.'
+
+And the bargain was made, and Thorwald rode home with his father, but
+Hallgerda was never asked if she wished to wed Thorwald or not.
+
+When Hauskuld told his daughter that she was to be married to Thorwald,
+she was not pleased, and said that if her father had loved her as much
+as he pretended to do he would have consulted her in such a matter.
+Besides, she did not think that the match was in any way worthy of her.
+
+But, grumble as she might, there was no getting out of it, and, as
+Hauskuld would listen to nothing, she sought for her foster-father,
+Thiostolf, who never had been known to say her nay. When she had told
+her story, he bade her be of good cheer, prophesying that Thorwald
+should not be her only husband, and that if she was not happy she had
+only to come to him and he would do her bidding, be it what it might,
+save as regarded Hauskuld and Hrut.
+
+Then Hallgerda was comforted, and went home to prepare the bridal feast,
+to which all their friends and kinsfolk were bidden. And when the
+marriage was over, she rode home with her husband Thorwald, and
+Thiostolf her foster-father was ever at her side, and she talked more to
+him than to Thorwald. And there he stayed all the winter.
+
+Now, as time went on, Thorwald began to repent that he had not hearkened
+to the words of his father. His wife paid him scant attention, and she
+wasted his goods, and was noted among all the women of the dales for her
+skill in driving a hard bargain. And, beyond all that, folk whispered
+that she was not careful to ask whether the things she took were her own
+or someone else's. This irked Thorwald sore; but worse was to follow.
+The spring came late that year, and Hallgerda told Thorwald that the
+storehouse was empty of meat and fish, and he must go out to the Bear
+Isles and fetch some more. At this Thorwald reproached her, saying that
+it was her fault if garners were not yet full, and on Hallgerda's
+taunting him with being a miser, struck her such a blow in the face that
+blood spouted, and when he left her to row with his men to the islands,
+Hallgerda sat still, vowing vengeance.
+
+It was not long in coming. Soon after, Thiostolf chanced to pass that
+way, and, seeing the blood on her face, asked whence it sprang.
+
+'From the hand of my husband Thorwald,' answered she, and reproached
+Thiostolf for suffering such dealings.
+
+[Illustration: HOW THORWALD WAS SLAIN BY THIOSTOLF]
+
+'I knew not of it,' said Thiostolf, 'but I will avenge it speedily;' and
+he went to the shore, and put off in a boat, taking nothing but a great
+axe with him. He found Thorwald and his men on the beach of the biggest
+island, loading his vessel with meat and fish from the storehouses. Then
+he began to pick a quarrel with Thorwald and spoke words that vexed
+him more and more, till Thorwald bent forward to seize a knife which lay
+near him. This was the moment for which the other had been waiting. He
+lifted his axe and gave a blow at Hallgerda's husband, and, though
+Thorwald tried to defend himself, a second stroke clove his skull.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+'Your axe is bloody,' said Hallgerda, who was standing outside the door.
+
+'Yes; and _this_ time you can choose your own husband,' answered
+Thiostolf; but Hallgerda only asked calmly:
+
+'So Thorwald is dead?' and as Thiostolf nodded she went on: 'You must go
+northward, to Swan my kinsman; he will hide you from your enemies.'
+
+After that she unlocked her chests and dismissed her maidens with gifts;
+then she mounted her horse and rode home to her father.
+
+'Where is Thorwald?' asked Hrut, who had heard nothing.
+
+'He is dead,' answered Hallgerda.
+
+'By the hand of Thiostolf?' said her father.
+
+'By his hand, and by that of no other;' and Hallgerda passed by them and
+entered the house.
+
+As soon as Oswif, Thorwald's father, had heard the tidings, he guessed
+that Thiostolf must have gone northward to Swan, and calling his men
+round him they all rode to the Bearfirth. But before they were in sight
+Swan cried to Thiostolf, 'Oswif is coming, but we need fear nothing,
+they will never see us,' and he took a goatskin and wrapped it round his
+head, and said to it: 'Be thou darkness and fog, and fright and wonder,
+to those who seek us.' And immediately a thick fog and black darkness
+fell over all things, and Oswif and his men lost their way, and tumbled
+off their horses and tripped over large stones, till Oswif resolved to
+give up seeking Thiostolf and Swan, and to go himself to Hauskuld.
+
+Now Hauskuld was abiding at home, and with him was Hrut his brother.
+Oswif got off his horse, and, throwing its bridle over a stake driven
+into the ground, he said to Hauskuld: 'I have come to ask atonement for
+my son's life.'
+
+'It was not I who slew your son,' answered Hauskuld; 'but as he is
+slain, it is just that you should seek atonement from somebody.'
+
+'You have much need to give him what he asks,' said Hrut, 'for it is not
+well that evil tongues should be busy with your daughter's name.'
+
+'Then give the judgment yourself,' replied Hauskuld.
+
+'That will I do, in truth,' said Hrut; 'and be sure that I will not
+spare you, as I know it was Hallgerda wrought his death;' so he offered
+his hand to Oswif, as a token that his award would be accepted, and that
+at the Great Council of the nation he would not summon Hauskuld for
+Thorwald's murder. And Oswif took his hand, and Hauskuld's, and Hrut
+bade his brother pay down two hundred pounds in silver to Oswif, while
+he himself gave him a stout cloak. And Oswif went away well pleased with
+the award.
+
+For some time Hallgerda dwelt in her father's house, and she brought
+with her a share of Thorwald's goods, and was very rich. But men kept
+away from her, having heard tales of her evil ways. At length Glum, the
+youngest son of Olaf the Lame, told his brother that he would go no more
+trading in strange lands, but would remain at home, and meant to take to
+himself a wife, if the one on whom he had set his heart would come to
+him.
+
+So one day a company of the men, with Glum and Thorarin his brother at
+their head, rode into the Dales to the door of Hauskuld's dwelling.
+Hauskuld greeted them heartily and begged them to stay all night,
+sending secretly for Hrut, whose counsel he always asked when any matter
+of importance was talked over.
+
+'Do you know what they want?' said Hrut next morning, when his brother
+met him on the road.
+
+'No,' replied Hauskuld, 'they have not spoken to me of any business.'
+
+'Then I will tell you,' answered Hrut. 'They have come to ask Hallgerda
+in marriage.'
+
+'And what shall I do?' said Hauskuld.
+
+'Tell them you would like the match,' replied Hrut, 'but hide nothing.
+Let them know all there is of good and evil concerning her.'
+
+They reached the house as he spoke, and the guests came out, and
+Thorarin opened his business by entreating Hauskuld to give his daughter
+Hallgerda to Glum his brother. 'You know,' he added, 'that he is rich
+and strong, and thought well of by all men.'
+
+'Yes, I know that,' answered Hauskuld; 'but once before I chose a
+husband for my daughter, and matters turned out ill for all of us.'
+
+'That will be no hindrance,' replied Thorarin, 'for the lot of one man
+is not the lot of all men. And things might have fared better had it not
+been for the meddling of Thiostolf.'
+
+'You speak truth,' said Hrut, who had listened to their talk in silence;
+'and the marriage may yet turn out well if you will do as I tell you.
+See that you suffer not Thiostolf to ride with her to Glum's house, and
+that he never sleeps in the house for more than three nights running,
+without Glum's leave, on pain of outlawry and death by Glum himself. And
+if Glum will hearken to my counsel, leave to stay he will never give.
+But it is time to let Hallgerda know of the matter, and she shall say
+whether Glum is to her mind.'
+
+And Thorarin agreed, and Hauskuld sent to summon his daughter.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Now, though nothing had been said to Hallgerda as to the business which
+brought all these men to her father's house, perhaps she may have
+guessed something, for when she appeared she was attended by her two
+women, and clad in her festal garments. She wore a dress of scarlet,
+girdled by a silver belt, and over it a mantle of soft dark blue, while
+her thick yellow hair was unbound, and fell almost to her knees. She
+smiled and spoke kindly to the visitors, then sat herself down between
+her father and uncle. After that Glum spoke.
+
+'Your father and Thorarin my brother have had talk about a marriage
+betwixt you and me, Hallgerda. Is it your will, as it is theirs? Tell me
+all that is in your heart. For, if you like me not, I will straightway
+ride back again.'
+
+'The match is to my liking,' answered Hallgerda, 'and better suited to
+my condition than what my father made for me before. And you are to my
+liking also, if our tempers do not fall out.'
+
+'Let Hallgerda betroth herself,' said Hrut, when they had told her what
+terms had been arranged, and that Glum should bring goods or money to an
+equal value to Hallgerda's, and that they two should divide the whole.
+
+After that the betrothal ceremony took place, and Glum went away, and
+returned no more till his wedding.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+There was a great company in Hauskuld's hall to witness Hallgerda's
+marriage, and when the feast began Thiostolf might have been seen
+stalking about holding his axe aloft; but, as the guests pretended not
+to know he was there, no harm came of it.
+
+For some time Glum and his wife lived happily together, though Hallgerda
+proved herself the same greedy yet wasteful woman she had been before.
+At the end of a year a daughter was born to her, whom she named
+Thorgerda, and the child grew up to be as beautiful as her mother. But
+by-and-by trouble came to them through Thiostolf, who had been driven
+away by Hauskuld for beating one of his thralls. Thiostolf vowed
+vengeance in his heart, and rode south to Glum's house.
+
+Hallgerda was pleased to see him, but when she heard his tale she said
+she could not give him shelter without the consent of Glum. So when her
+husband came in she ran quickly to greet him, and, putting her arms
+round his neck, she asked if he would agree to something she wished very
+much.
+
+'If it is anything I can do in honour,' answered Glum, 'do it I will of
+a surety.'
+
+Then she told him how her father had cast out Thiostolf, and that he had
+come to her for shelter, and she wished him to remain, if it was Glum's
+will. And Glum answered that, if she wished it greatly, Thiostolf should
+remain, unless he betook himself to evil courses.
+
+For a while Thiostolf went warily, and no fault did Glum find with him;
+then he fell to marring everything, as he had done in Thorwald's time,
+and to no one would he listen save to Hallgerda only. In vain Thorarin
+warned Glum that things would have an ill ending, but Glum only smiled,
+and let Hallgerda have her way.
+
+When autumn came, and the days grew short and cold, the men went to
+bring their flocks home from the pastures where they had been feeding
+all the summer. It was hard work, for the sheep often strayed far, and,
+besides, the flocks got mixed up, and needed to be separated one from
+the other. One day, when the shepherds had brought tidings that many of
+Glum's sheep were missing, Glum bade Thiostolf go into the hills and see
+if he could find those that were lost.
+
+But Thiostolf grew angry, and answered rudely:
+
+'I am not your slave, and it is not my work to bring in sheep. If you
+mean to go yourself, perhaps I will consent to go with you.'
+
+At this Glum was greatly angered, and, seeking Hallgerda, he told her
+what had happened, adding as he did so:
+
+'I will not have Thiostolf here any longer.'
+
+Then Hallgerda waxed very wrathful, and she upheld Thiostolf in his ill
+doing.
+
+At last the patience of Glum gave way, and he struck her a blow in the
+face, and crying, 'Words are wasted on you,' went off to his own
+business. Hallgerda, who loved him much in spite of her unruly tongue,
+wept bitterly at the thought of what had happened, and, as evil fate
+would have it, Thiostolf heard her, and saw the red mark across her
+cheek.
+
+'It shall not be there again,' he said, but Hallgerda answered:
+
+'It is not for you to come between Glum and me.'
+
+When he heard this, Thiostolf only smiled and said nothing, but got
+ready to go with Glum and his men, to seek after the sheep. After long
+searchings they found many of those that were missing, and he sent some
+of his men one way and some another, till at length by chance he and
+Thiostolf were left alone. They soon came upon a flock of wild sheep,
+and tried to drive them down the steep side of a hill towards Glum's
+house, but it was of no use, and as fast as the sheep were collected
+together they all scattered again. Very soon, Glum and Thiostolf grew
+tired and ill-tempered, and each told the other he was stupid and lazy.
+At length, Glum taunted Thiostolf with being a thrall, and from that
+blows quickly followed. Both men drew their axes, but Thiostolf struck
+so hard at Glum that he rolled dead upon the ground.
+
+At the sight of Glum lying dead at his feet, Thiostolf's wrath cooled
+somewhat. He stooped and covered Glum's body with stones, and took a
+gold ring from his finger. After that he took the road back to Varmalek,
+and found Hallgerda sitting in front of the door. Her eyes fell
+instantly on the bloody axe, and Thiostolf saw this and said hastily:
+
+'Glum, your husband, is slain.'
+
+[Illustration: THIOSTOLF DECIDES TO SLAY GLUM]
+
+'Then it is by your hand,' she answered.
+
+'Yes, it is,' said Thiostolf, and added after a moment's pause: 'What is
+best to be done now?'
+
+'Go to Hrut, and ask him,' replied Hallgerda, and Thiostolf went.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+'Glum is slain' said Thiostolf to Hrut, who had come down to the door in
+answer to Thiostolf's knock.
+
+'Who slew him?' asked Hrut.
+
+'I slew him,' answered Thiostolf.
+
+'Why did you come here?' asked Hrut again.
+
+'Because Hallgerda sent me,' answered Thiostolf.
+
+'Then Hallgerda had no part in his slaying,' said Hrut, with a sound of
+relief in his voice; but as he spoke he drew his sword, which Thiostolf
+saw, and thrust at Hrut with his axe. Hrut, too, saw, and sprang quickly
+aside, knocking up as he did so the handle of the axe, so that it fell
+full on the ground. Turning himself swiftly, Hrut dealt Thiostolf a blow
+which brought him to his knees, and a stab in the heart finished the
+work.
+
+After that Hrut's house-carles laid stones on Thiostolf's body, while he
+himself rode away to tell Hauskuld all that had befallen. And soon after
+Thorarin, Glum's brother, came there too, with eleven men at his back.
+He asked Hauskuld what atonement he would make for Glum, but Hauskuld
+answered that it was neither he nor his daughter who had slain Glum, and
+that Hrut had avenged himself on Thiostolf. To this Thorarin said
+nothing, but Hrut offered to give him gifts, and so peace lay between
+them.
+
+Now, Hrut's wife, Unna, was of kin to two brothers, Gunnar and Kolskegg.
+Both were tall, brave men, but there was not Gunnar's like in all the
+country round for beauty, and for skill in shooting, jumping, and
+swimming. And, besides this, he was beautiful and gentle, faithful to
+the friends he made, but not making them readily. His chief friend was
+Njal, from whom he ever sought counsel, for Njal was a wise man and
+could see far into the future.
+
+Having a mind to see something of the world, Gunnar set sail for Norway,
+where he stayed some time, and had many adventures. It was early in the
+summer when he and Kolskegg sailed home to Iceland, where men were
+assembling for the great Council, or Thing.
+
+Gunnar's first act was to ride off to Njal's house, and Gunnar asked if
+he would be present at the Thing. 'No, truly,' answered Njal; 'stay you
+at home or bad will come of it.'
+
+And Gunnar! What evil was likely to befall him, who wished to live at
+peace with everyone? But Njal only shook his head and said slowly:
+
+'I remain in my own house, and if I had my way you should do so also.'
+
+But Gunnar would not listen, and rode straight off to the Thing.
+
+What happened to him when he got there will be told in another story.
+
+(_Saga_)
+
+
+
+
+_THE DEATH OF GUNNAR_
+
+
+Now of all the men gathered together at the Thing of the year 974, no
+man was handsomer or more splendidly clad than Gunnar. He was arrayed in
+the scarlet raiment given him by King Harald, and he bore on his arm a
+gold ring, given him by Hacon the Earl, and the horse he rode had a
+shining black skin.
+
+A brave figure he made one morning as he left the Hill of Laws and
+passed out beyond the tents of the men of Mossfell. And as he went there
+came to meet him a woman whose dress was no less rich than his. She
+stopped as he drew near, and told him that she was Hallgerda, Hauskuld's
+daughter, and that she knew well that he was Gunnar the traveller, and
+she wished to hear some of the wonders of the lands beyond the seas. So
+he sat down, and they two talked together for long, and they agreed
+well, and became friends. After a while he asked her if she had a
+husband.
+
+'No,' she replied; men feared her, for they held that she brought them
+ill-luck; but at that Gunnar laughed, and said, 'What would you answer
+if I asked you to marry me?'
+
+'Are you jesting?' said Hallgerda.
+
+'No, of a sooth,' replied Gunnar.
+
+'Then go and see what my father has to say to it,' answered Hallgerda,
+and Gunnar went.
+
+Hauskuld was inside his booth when Gunnar arrived. Hrut was there
+likewise, and bade him welcome. For a while the talk ran upon the
+business of the Thing, and then Gunnar turned and asked what answer
+Hauskuld would give if he offered to lay down money for Hallgerda.
+
+'What do you say, Hrut?' inquired Hauskuld.
+
+'It ought not to be,' replied Hrut. 'No man has aught but good to say of
+you; no man has aught but ill to say of her. And this I must not hide
+from you.'
+
+'I thank you for your plain speech,' said Gunnar; 'but my soul is still
+set on wedding Hallgerda. And we have spoken together, and are agreed in
+this matter.'
+
+But though Hrut knew that his words were vain, he told Gunnar all that
+had happened in respect of Hallgerda and her two husbands. And Gunnar
+weighed it for a while, and then he said, 'You know the saying,
+"Forewarned is forearmed." Doubtless it is true, all that you have told
+of Hallgerda, but I am strong, and have travelled far, and if we can
+make a bargain, so shall it be.'
+
+So a messenger was sent for Hallgerda, and she betrothed herself, as she
+had done to Glum, and after that Gunnar rode over to Njal, and told him
+what things had happened.
+
+'Evil will come of it betwixt you and me,' said Njal sadly.
+
+'No woman, or man either, shall ever work ill between us,' answered
+Gunnar, who loved Njal more than his own father.
+
+'She works ill wherever she goes,' replied Njal, 'and you will never
+cease making atonements for her;' but he said no more, for he was a wise
+man and wasted no words, and when Gunnar asked him to come to the
+wedding feast he gave his promise that he would be there.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The winter after Gunnar's wedding, he and Hallgerda were bidden to a
+great feast at Njal's house. Njal and his wife greeted them heartily,
+and by-and-by Helgi, Njal's son, came, and with him Thorhalla his wife.
+Then Bergthora, Njal's wife, went up to Hallgerda, and said, 'Give place
+to Thorhalla,' but Hallgerda would not, and she fell to quarrelling with
+Bergthora, and at last Bergthora taunted Hallgerda with having plotted
+to do Thorwald her husband to death. At that Hallgerda turned and said
+to Gunnar: 'It is nothing to be married to the strongest man in Iceland,
+if you avenge not these insults, Gunnar.'
+
+But Gunnar cried that he would take no part in women's quarrels, least
+of all in Njal's house, and bade Hallgerda come home with him.
+
+'We shall meet again, Bergthora,' said Hallgerda as she mounted the
+sleigh. Then they rode back to Lithend and spent the rest of the winter
+there.
+
+When the spring came, Gunnar went to the Thing, bidding Hallgerda take
+heed, and to give no cause of offence to his friends. But she would give
+no promise, and he set forth with a heavy heart.
+
+By ill-fortune, Njal and Gunnar owned a wood between them, and when Njal
+and his sons departed to the Thing, Bergthora, Njal's wife, ordered
+Swart her servant to cut her some branches for kindling fires from this
+very forest. These tidings reached the ears of Hallgerda, and she
+muttered with a grim face, 'It is the last time that Swart shall steal
+my wood,' and bade Kol, her bailiff, start early next morning and seek
+Swart.
+
+'And when I find him?' asked Kol; but Hallgerda only turned away
+angrily.
+
+'You, the worst of men, ask that?' said she. 'Why, you shall kill him,
+of course.'
+
+So Kol took his axe, though he was ill at ease, for he knew that evil
+would come of it, and he mounted one of Gunnar's horses and fared to the
+wood.
+
+He soon saw Swart and his men piling up bundles of firewood, so he left
+his horse in a hollow, and crouched down behind some bushes, till he
+heard Swart bid the men carry the wood to Njal's house, as he himself
+had more work to do. He began to look about for a tall straight young
+stem with which to make himself a bow, when Kol sprang out of the bushes
+and dealt Swart such a stroke with his axe that he fell dead without a
+word. After that Kol went back and told Hallgerda.
+
+And Hallgerda spoke cheering words, and said he need have no fear, for
+that she would protect him; but Kol's heart was heavy.
+
+Now Hallgerda had forced Kol to slay Swart, to bring about a quarrel
+between her husband and Njal, so she straightway sent a messenger to
+seek Gunnar at the Thing, and tell him what had befallen Swart. Gunnar
+listened in silence to the messenger's tale; then he called his men
+around him, and they all went to Njal's tent, and begged him to come out
+and speak to Gunnar.
+
+'Swart, your house servant has been killed by Hallgerda and Kol her
+man,' said Gunnar gravely when Njal stood before him; and he told the
+tale as he had heard it from the messenger.
+
+'It is for you, Njal, to fix the atonement,' he said at the end.
+
+'You will have work to atone for all Hallgerda's misdoings,' answered
+Njal, 'and it will take all our old friendship to keep us from
+quarrelling now. But I have it in mind that at the last you shall win
+through, but after hard fighting. As to the atonement, as you are my
+friend and have no hand in this, I will fix it at twelve ounces of
+silver. And if it should come to be your turn to settle an award, I
+shall not expect to pay more than that.'
+
+So Gunnar laid down the money and gave it to Bergthora his wife when he
+came home with his sons from the Thing. And Bergthora was content, but
+said to her husband that it should not be spent, as it would some day do
+to make atonement for Kol.
+
+Although Hallgerda met her husband bravely and answered him boldly, in
+secret she trembled a little at his stern face and sharp words, as he
+told her that she was to remember that whatever quarrels she might
+choose to begin, the ending of them would always lie with him. But she
+pretended not to care, and went out among her neighbours as usual,
+telling all who would listen the tale of the killing of Swart. At length
+this reached the ears of Bergthora, and she was sore angered, but bided
+her time in silence.
+
+When Njal and his sons went up to the pastures to see after the cattle,
+and the thralls were busy working in the fields, Bergthora the mistress
+was left alone in the house. On this day a man mounted on a black horse
+and armed with a spear and a short sword rode up to the door and asked
+her if she could find something for him to do. He was skilled in many
+things, he said, but his temper was hot, and had oftentimes been his
+bane.
+
+'I will give you work,' answered Bergthora, 'but you must do whatever I
+bid you, even though it should be to slay a man.'
+
+'You have plenty of other men whom you can better trust on such
+business,' replied the man, as if he repented of his bargain; but
+Bergthora only told him that she expected her servants to do as they
+were bid, and sent the man to put his horse in the stable.
+
+During that summer another Thing was held and Njal and his sons went to
+it, and likewise Gunnar. But Bergthora was left alone in the house with
+her servants.
+
+Then she called Atli, the new man, and bade him seek out Kol, that he
+might slay him, so Atli took his horse and his sword and spear and
+departed.
+
+He found Kol in the place where some men had shown him, and he spoke to
+Kol civilly, but only received rude tones in answer. So, without more
+ado, Atli thrust at him, and Kol, though wounded, swung his axe above
+his head; but his eyes had grown dim, and he could not see to aim, and
+he fell to the ground and rolled over.
+
+Atli left the body where it was, and rode on till he came to some of
+Gunnar's men, and bade them go and tell Hallgerda that Kol was dead.
+
+'Did you kill him?' asked the man.
+
+'Well, I don't expect Hallgerda will think that he dealt his own
+death-blow,' answered Atli; and with that he rode back to Bergthora, who
+praised him for the swiftness with which he had done her bidding. But
+Atli did not seem content, and at last he said:
+
+'What will Njal think?'
+
+'Oh, never fear him,' replied Bergthora, 'for he took with him the money
+of the atonement for the slaying of Swart, and now he can pay it over
+for Kol. But in spite of the atonement, beware of Hallgerda, who knows
+nought of promises.'
+
+When Hallgerda heard of Kol's slaying, she bade a messenger ride to
+Gunnar at the Thing, and Gunnar sent to seek out Njal and Skarphedinn
+his son. They came to his tent, and he greeted them, and then Njal said
+that Bergthora his wife had done great wrong in breaking the atonement,
+and that Gunnar must now fix the award for Kol.
+
+'Let it be the same as that which I paid for Swart,' said Gunnar; and
+Njal laid down the money and they parted, and no ill blood was between
+them, though their wives were still resolved to do each other all the
+ill they could.
+
+Njal was too wise a man not to know that Hallgerda would seek revenge on
+Atli for the slaying of Kol, and he begged Atli would take service far
+away to the east, so that Hallgerda might not reach him. But Atli told
+Njal that he would sooner be slain in his service than live free in the
+service of another master, and he would gladly stay where he was if Njal
+would grant him the atonement due to a free man.
+
+This Njal granted, and Atli remained in his house.
+
+Hallgerda soon came to know what had happened, and she sent messengers
+both to Bergthora and to Gunnar at the Thing to tell them about it.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+'Hallgerda my wife has caused Atli to be slain!' said Gunnar to Njal and
+to Skarphedinn his son. 'What atonement must I make for him?'
+
+'The atonement will be heavy, for he was no thrall, but a freeman, and I
+fear it may cause strife between us,' replied Njal; but Gunnar stretched
+out his hand and said that no woman should sow strife betwixt him and
+Njal. Then Njal fixed a hundred ounces of silver, and Gunnar laid it
+down before him.
+
+'Hallgerda does not let our servants die of old age,' said Skarphedinn,
+as they rode home from the Thing.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Now the words came true, that Gunnar had spoken, and 'blow for blow'
+grew to be the rule between Hallgerda and Bergthora; but for all that
+there was no quarrel between Njal and Gunnar.
+
+So the years went by, and many Things had been held, and much
+blood-money had been paid, when one spring there was a great dearth of
+hay throughout all Iceland, and much cattle died. Gunnar, who was wise
+as well as rich, had seen what was coming and had laid up stores of both
+dried meat and of hay. As long as they lasted, he shared them with his
+neighbours, but when his barns were empty he called Kolskegg his brother
+and two of his friends, and they all fared to Kirkby, where dwelt Otkell
+the son of Skarf.
+
+This Otkell owned many flocks and herds and wide pastures, and Gunnar
+hoped that his barns might yet be full.
+
+'I have come to buy meat and hay, if there is any in your storehouses,
+for mine are empty!' said Gunnar.
+
+'I have yet many storehouses untouched,' answered Otkell, 'but I will
+sell you nothing.'
+
+'Will you give me them, then?' asked Gunnar, 'and I will pay you back
+some time in what you will.'
+
+'I will neither give nor sell,' said Otkell.
+
+'Let us take what we want and leave the money,' said Thrain, who had
+come with Gunnar, but Gunnar answered: 'I am no robber!' and was turning
+to go when Otkell stopped him.
+
+'Will you buy a thrall from me? He is a good thrall,' said Otkell, 'but
+I have no need of him.'
+
+And Gunnar bought the thrall, and they all went home to Lithend
+together.
+
+When Njal heard that Otkell would not sell to Gunnar, he was very wroth
+and rode up into the hills with all his sons, and took meat from his
+storehouses and bound it upon five horses, and hay from his barns and
+bound it upon ten horses, and they drove them all to Lithend, which was
+Gunnar's house.
+
+'Never ask another man for aught when you can ask me,' said Njal, and
+Gunnar answered:
+
+'Your gifts are great, but truly your love is greater.'
+
+In a few weeks the summer began, and, as was his custom, Gunnar rode to
+the Thing, leaving Hallgerda in the house at Lithend.
+
+The day after he had ridden away with his men Hallgerda sent for Malcolm
+the thrall, and said to him:
+
+'I have somewhat for you to do! Take with you two horses besides the one
+you ride, and go to Kirkby and steal meat enough to load the two horses,
+and butter and cheese as well. But take heed, when all is done, to set
+the storehouses on fire, so that none can trace that the goods have
+vanished.'
+
+Malcolm the thrall lifted his head and looked at her.
+
+'I have never been a thief, in spite of all my ill-deeds,' said he.
+
+But Hallgerda only laughed and made sport of him.
+
+'Do you think men have kept silent about your misdeeds?' she asked.
+'Hie hence when I bid you, or you shall not see the new moon rise!'
+
+And Malcolm the thrall knew that she spoke no jesting words, and he did
+her bidding; and none would have known of the thing had he not dropped
+his knife when he was trying to mend the thong of his shoe, and his belt
+also.
+
+A few days after that Gunnar and his men returned home, and many guests
+with him. The table was set by Hallgerda herself, and besides meat there
+were also great cheeses and jars of butter. Well Gunnar knew that Njal
+had not sent these, and he asked Hallgerda whence they came.
+
+'It beseems a man to eat what is before him and not to trouble himself
+further,' answered Hallgerda; but Gunnar cried out:
+
+'I will have no part in food that is ill come by,' and with that he gave
+her a buffet on the cheek.
+
+'I shall remember that,' said Hallgerda, and she got up and went out.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The next morning, Skamkell, Otkell's friend, was riding to bring in some
+sheep, when he saw something bright on the side of the path. He got off
+his horse to see what it was, and found the belt and knife which Malcolm
+had dropped, and he took them straight to Kirkby.
+
+'Did you ever see these things before?' asked Skamkell.
+
+'Yes, often,' answered Otkell; 'they are the knife and belt of Malcolm
+the thrall. And they asked many men the same question, and they all knew
+them likewise. Then they went toward Mord the son of Valgard and took
+counsel with him, how to charge Gunnar's thrall with the theft and the
+burning; for they feared Gunnar, the mighty man of war. At last, for
+three silver marks Mord agreed to give them his help, and bade them
+follow out his plan.
+
+It was this. That they should send women over the country with goods of
+housekeeping use, and mark what was given them in exchange. 'Take heed
+that you note carefully,' said Mord, 'because no man will keep in his
+house the things that he has stolen, if he has a chance of getting rid
+of them. Set therefore apart whatever you get from each house, and bring
+it to me.'
+
+And it was done exactly as Mord commanded, and in fourteen days the
+women came back, all bearing large bundles.
+
+'Who gave you the most?' asked Mord, and one woman answered:
+
+'Hallgerda, the wife of Gunnar; she gave us a cheese cut into great
+slices.'
+
+'I will keep that cheese,' said Mord.
+
+When the women had gone, Mord rode away to Otkell's farm, and bade him
+fetch the cheese-mould of Thorgerda his wife. And when it was brought,
+Mord took the slices and laid them in it, and they filled up the mould.
+
+After this they all saw that Hallgerda had stolen the cheese, and, now
+that Mord had found the thief, he went back to his own house.
+
+The tidings soon spread far and wide, and reached the ears of Kolskegg,
+who rode over to Lithend, so that he might speak with Gunnar.
+
+'Know you that it is said by every man that it was Hallgerda who caused
+the fire at Kirkby, that she might steal the cheese and butter?' asked
+he.
+
+'I have thought before that it must be so, but how can I set it right?'
+answered Gunnar.
+
+'You must make atonement to Otkell, and it is better there should be no
+delay,' replied Kolskegg.
+
+'I will do your bidding,' said Gunnar; and, mounting his horse, he took
+eleven with him, beside Thrain and Lambi his friends, and they all fared
+to Kirkby. There, Otkell came out to greet them, and with him were
+Skamkell and two other men, Hallkell and Hallbjorm.
+
+'I am here,' said Gunnar, 'to offer atonement for the misdeed of my wife
+and the thrall you sold me, for it was they who caused the fire and
+stole the cheeses. And, if it pleases you, let the award be fixed by the
+best of the men round!'
+
+'That sounds fairer than it is, Gunnar,' put in Skamkell, 'for you are a
+man of many things, whereas Otkell has few.'
+
+'Well,' said Gunnar, 'then I will offer atonement of twice the value of
+all that Otkell lost;' but again it was Skamkell and not Otkell who
+replied:
+
+'Beware, Otkell, of giving him the right of making the award when it
+belongs to you.'
+
+And Otkell answered: 'I will fix the award myself, Gunnar.'
+
+'Then fix it,' said Gunnar, who was waxing wroth at this delay; but once
+more Otkell turned to Skamkell, and asked what he should answer.
+
+'Let the award be made by Gizur the white and Geir the priest,' and this
+saying pleased Otkell.
+
+'Do you as you will,' replied Gunnar, 'but do not think that men will
+speak well of your refusing the choices that I gave you.'
+
+And after that he rode home with his men.
+
+Then Hallbjorm spoke to Otkell, saying: 'Ill was it to refuse the offers
+of Gunnar, which were good offers, as you know well. Can it be that you
+think yourself a match for Gunnar in fight, when he has proved himself
+better than any man in the island? But go and see Gizur the white and
+Geir the priest at once, and see if the offers of Gunnar do not seem
+good to them! For he is a just and gentle-hearted man, and perchance he
+will still hearken to you, if you accept them.'
+
+So Otkell, who ever listened to the last speaker, bade, them bring out
+his horse and set forth, Skamkell walking by his side. In a little
+while, when they had gone a mile or two, Skamkell said: 'You have much
+to look to at Kirkby, and no one but yourself can see after the men. Get
+home, therefore, and let me ride to Gizur the white and Geir the priest
+instead of you.
+
+'Go, then,' answered Otkell, who was lazy and never took the trouble to
+think for himself; 'but see you do not tell them lies, as you are wont
+to do.'
+
+'I will lie no more than I can help, master,' answered Skamkell, jumping
+on Otkell's horse.
+
+Otkell fared home and found Hallbjorm in front of the house.
+
+'Has anything befallen you that you have returned on foot?' asked he;
+and Otkell, who feared him, said hurriedly:
+
+'I had many men to look over, and much work to do, so I sent Skamkell in
+my stead,' But Hallbjorm held his peace and eyed him scornfully.
+
+'He who makes a thrall his friend rues it ever more,' he answered at
+last. 'And it is ill done when men's lives are at stake to send the
+biggest liar in Iceland on such an errand.'
+
+'If you are afraid now, what would you be if Gunnar's bill were
+singing,' asked Otkell, who was always brave when there were none to
+slay, and whose courage always waxed great when there were none to
+fight.
+
+Hallbjorm laughed as he heard him.
+
+'Who can tell who will fear most at the sound of that singing? But this
+you know well, that when the fight has begun Gunnar does not give his
+bill much time to sing!'
+
+Now when Skamkell reached Mossfell, he told truly to Gizur the white the
+offers Gunnar had made.
+
+'Why did not Otkell accept them?' asked Gizur, 'they were generous and
+noble, as Gunnar's offers are.'
+
+'Otkell wished to do you honour,' replied Skamkell; but Gizur for all
+answer bade Geir the priest be sent for, and next morning, as soon as
+he arrived, Gizur told him the story, and after he had finished he said:
+
+'Let Skamkell tell it again, for I misdoubt him greatly.'
+
+So Skamkell was called in, but he was wary, and he told his tale the
+second time as he had done the first, and though Gizur still misdoubted
+him he could find no fault.
+
+'Mayhap you speak the truth,' he said; 'but I know the wickedness of
+your deeds, and if you die in your bed your face belies you.'
+
+And after a little more talking Skamkell rode home to Kirkby.
+
+'Gizur and Geir greet you,' said Skamkell, 'and they wish that this
+matter should have a peaceful ending. They will that Gunnar shall be
+summoned as having received and eaten the goods, likewise Hallgerda for
+stealing them!'
+
+So Otkell followed this counsel, and five days before the opening of the
+Althing he rode with his brother and Skamkell and a great following to
+Lithend.
+
+When Gunnar heard what errand they were on, he was very wroth, and after
+Otkell had read the summons, and departed with his men, he went away to
+seek Njal.
+
+But Njal told him not to trouble, as before the Thing was over he should
+be held in greater honour than before.
+
+Gizur the white rode to the Thing also, and he spoke to Otkell, and
+asked why he had summoned Gunnar to the Thing. Otkell listened in amaze
+and then answered that he had done so because of the counsel that Gizur
+himself and Geir the priest had told Skamkell.
+
+'He lied, then,' replied Gizur; 'we gave no such counsel;' and Gunnar
+and his friends were called, and Gizur stood forth and bade Gunnar make
+his own award. At first Gunnar refused, but at length, after Gizur and
+Geir the priest swore that what Skamkell had said was false, he agreed
+to do it. And his award was this: that atonement in full should be made
+for the burnt storehouses and for the stolen food. 'But for the thrall,'
+said Gunnar, 'I will give nothing, for you knew what he was when you
+sold him to me. Therefore I will restore him to you. On the other hand,
+the ill-words which you have spoken of me, and the way in which you
+sought to put me to shame, I count to be worth full as great an
+atonement as the burning of a few sheds, of the stealing of a few
+cheeses. So that for money we stand equal. One thing more I would say,
+Beware lest you seek again to do me evil.'
+
+So spake Gunnar, and no man said him nay. But after a little Gizur asked
+that Gunnar might forgive the wrongs Otkell had done him, and hold him
+his friend. At this Gunnar laughed out in scorn and answered:
+
+'Let Skamkell be his friend. It is to him Otkell looks for counsel. They
+are fitting mates. But one piece of counsel I will give him, and that is
+to take shelter with his kinsfolk, for if he stays in this country his
+end will be speedy.'
+
+For a while Gunnar rested in peace at home and there was no more
+quarrelling. He gathered in his harvest and tended his cattle, ploughed
+his fields, and so the autumn and winter passed away and the spring
+came.
+
+One day when the sun was shining Gunnar took his small axe, and a bag of
+corn, and set out to sow seed. And while he was stooping to do this,
+Otkell galloped past, on a wild horse that carried him faster than he
+would, and he did not see Gunnar. As ill-chance would have it, Gunnar
+raised himself at that moment from stooping over the furrow, and
+Otkell's spur tore his ear, and he was very wroth.
+
+'You summon me first, and then you ride over me,' he said, and, as was
+his wont, Skamkell made answer:
+
+[Illustration: OTKELL AND GUNNAR IN THE FIELD]
+
+'The wound might have been far sorer, but your anger was greater at
+the Thing, when you judged the atonement and clenched your bill in your
+fist.'
+
+'When we next meet my bill shall have something to say to you,' said
+Gunnar, and went on sowing his corn.
+
+The corn was all sown, and Gunnar was beginning to think of other work,
+when one morning his shepherd came riding fast.
+
+'I passed eight men in Markfleet,' said he; 'their faces were set this
+way, and Skamkell was with them. He ever speaks ill of you, and I have
+heard him tell how you shed tears when Otkell rode over you.'
+
+'It does not do to mind words,' answered Gunnar; 'but for the warning
+you have given me you shall henceforth do the work that pleases you. Now
+go to sleep.'
+
+So the shepherd slept, and Gunnar took the saddle off his horse, and
+laid his own saddle on it; he fetched his shield, and buckled on his
+sword, and then he took his bill, and as his hand touched it it sang
+loudly. Rannveig his mother heard the sound, and came out from the door
+to the place where Gunnar was fastening on his helmet.
+
+'Never have I seen you so full of wrath,' said she. But Gunnar answered
+her nothing and rode quickly away.
+
+Rannveig went back to the sitting-room, where many men were talking,
+and, looking at them, she said:
+
+'Loud is your talk, but the bill sang louder when Gunnar rode away.'
+
+When Kolskegg heard that, he saddled his horse and hasted after Gunnar.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Gunnar's horse was swift and steady, and he never drew rein till he
+reached the ford which he knew Otkell's men must pass. There he tied up
+his horse, and awaited them on foot. When Otkell's men came up, they,
+too, sprang to the ground, and Hallbjorm strode towards Gunnar.
+
+'Keep back,' said Gunnar, 'I have no quarrel with brave men like you,'
+but Hallbjorm answered:
+
+'I cannot for shame stand by while you kill my brother;' and he smote
+with his spear at Gunnar. While they were fighting, Skamkell struck at
+Gunnar's back with his axe, but Gunnar turned round, and, with his bill
+caught the axe from beneath, so that it fell out of Skamkell's hands. A
+second thrust with the bill stretched Skamkell on the ground, and after
+him Otkell and three others. They slew eight men in all, Kolskegg
+aiding.
+
+After that they rode home, and as they went Gunnar said: 'I wonder if I
+am less base than others because I kill men less willingly than they.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The first thing Gunnar did was to seek counsel of Njal, who bid him take
+care never to break the peace which was made between him and his foes,
+and never to slay more than one man of the same race, 'else your life
+will be but short.'
+
+'Do you know the death you yourself will die?' he asked.
+
+'Yes, I know it,' answered Njal.
+
+'And what is it?' asked Gunnar once more.
+
+'One that none could guess,' replied Njal, and Gunnar went away.
+
+Now at the next Thing there was great dispute over this suit, but in the
+end it was settled to Gunnar's honour, and Gizur the white and Geir the
+priest gave pledges that they would keep the peace. But there were other
+men who thought they had been wronged by Gunnar, and laid plots to anger
+him, so that he might be outlawed and forced to leave the country.
+
+By ill-fortune the words which Njal had spoken when he bade Gunnar never
+to slay more than one man of the same race were noised abroad, and his
+enemies made a plan by which Gunnar should be forced to fight Thorgeir,
+son of Otkell, so that his doom might come upon him.
+
+[Illustration: How Gunnar slew Thorgeir, Otkell's son.]
+
+Thus matters stood for a while, and then Gunnar rode down to the isles
+to see what his thralls were doing, and his foes heard of it, and
+resolved to lie in wait for him at the Rang river.
+
+But when Gunnar returned he was not alone, as they expected he would be,
+for Kolskegg his brother was at his side, and carried the short sword
+which some of them knew well, while Gunnar was armed with his sword and
+his bill.
+
+The two were yet far from the Rang river when the bill which Gunnar bore
+in his hand sweated with blood, and Kolskegg, who had not yet seen this
+sight, grew cold with terror.
+
+'This has some dreadful meaning,' said he; and Gunnar nodded.
+
+'It only happens before a great fight,' he answered, 'and they are
+called "wound drops" in other lands. So beware. Let us not be taken
+unawares;' and they looked well about them, till they saw some men lying
+hidden on the banks on the other side of the ford.
+
+Long it were to tell of that fierce fight, and of the men that were
+slain by Kolskegg and Gunnar. At last Thorgeir, Otkell's son, forced his
+way to the front and swung his sword at Gunnar. The blow would have been
+deadly had it fallen, but, leaping aside, he thrust his bill through
+Thorgeir's body, and flung him far into the river.
+
+At that the other men turned and fled away.
+
+'Our money-chests will be emptied for atonement for these men,' said
+Gunnar as they drew near Lithend, and when they told their mother,
+Rannveig shook her head.
+
+'I fear lest ill should come of it,' said she.
+
+And ill _did_ come of it.
+
+Njal's heart was sore when Gunnar told him of the fight by the Rang
+river, for he said:
+
+'You have gone against my counsel, and have slain two men of the same
+race. So take heed, if you break the award, your life will pay forfeit.
+But whatever befalls I am always your friend.'
+
+Soon the Thing was held, and upon the Hill of Laws Gizur the white
+summoned Gunnar, for manslaughter of Thorgeir, Otkell's son, and
+demanded that his goods should be forfeited and his body outlawed, and
+that no man should help or harbour him.
+
+After this there was much talking, but at last the award was given by
+twelve men.
+
+And this was it.
+
+Money was to be paid down for the men slain, and Gunnar and Kolskegg
+were to depart from Iceland and not return for three winters. But if
+Gunnar should break the settlement and stay at home, any man might slay
+him as he would.
+
+Gunnar promised to keep the award, but he did not hold it a just one.
+
+Then Kolskegg began to inquire of the vessels that were sailing that
+summer, and he settled that he would go on board the ship of Armfin of
+the Bay, and Gunnar his brother would go with him.
+
+They sent down to the shore those things that they might need in foreign
+lands, and then Gunnar bade farewell to Njal and his men, and thanked
+his friends for the help they had given him.
+
+At the last he took leave of the thralls at Lithend, and of his mother,
+and told them that, since his own country had outlawed him, he would
+never return to it. Then he threw his arms round every man, and without
+looking back sprang into the saddle.
+
+As they rode along the Mark fleet, his horse stumbled, and Gunnar fell
+to the ground. When he got up he did not mount at once, but stood and
+looked round him for a while. Suddenly he turned and said to Kolskegg:
+'Never has my home seemed to me so fair as now when the corn is ripe and
+ready for cutting. Come what may, I will not leave it.'
+
+'Do not let your foes triumph over you,' answered Kolskegg. 'For if you
+should break your atonement, any man may deal with you as he will.'
+
+'I will go no whither,' repeated Gunnar, 'and I would that you would stay
+with me.'
+
+'I cannot do this thing,' answered Kolskegg; 'but if you go back, tell
+my mother and my kindred that I bid them farewell for ever, for you will
+soon be dead, and I shall have naught to bind me to Iceland.'
+
+Hallgerda's heart was filled with joy when Gunnar came under the
+doorway, but Rannveig said nothing, for her heart was sad.
+
+All that winter Gunnar sat fast at Lithend and would not be prevailed on
+to leave it, and when the winter had gone and the Thing had met, Gizur
+the white proclaimed Gunnar an outlaw for having broken his atonement.
+Then he called together all his foes, and they planned together how that
+they should ride to Lithend and slay him. But Njal heard what they had
+been saying, and he warned Gunnar.
+
+'You have always dealt truly and kindly with me,' said Gunnar, when Njal
+had finished speaking, 'and if ill befall me, take heed, I pray you, of
+my son and Hogni. As for Grani, he has an evil nature, and there is no
+turning him from bad deeds.'
+
+It was in the autumn that Mord, the son of Valgard, sent word to
+Gunnar's foes that the time had come to make the attack upon Lithend, as
+all his men had gone to the haymaking on the isles of the sea. So they
+set forth secretly, but stopped first at the farm nearest to Lithend,
+where they seized the farmer, and warned him that unless he came with
+them and put to death the hound Sam which had guarded Gunnar ever since
+Olaf the Peacock had bestowed him as a gift, his own life should be
+forfeit. Thorkell the farmer was sore at heart when he heard what was
+required of him, but he took his axe and went with the rest. It was easy
+to entice Sam the hound into a hollow dell; but when he saw the crowd of
+men behind Thorkell he knew that evil was afoot, and sprang on Thorkell
+and tore open his throat. Then Aumond of Witchwood smote him on the head
+with his axe, and Sam gave a howl which was not the utterance of any
+mortal dog, and rolled over.
+
+[Illustration: GUNNAR'S LAST FIGHT & HALLGERDA'S REVENGE]
+
+Gunnar, who was sleeping in the narrow space above his great wooden
+hall, heard the awful sound, and said to himself: 'So they have killed
+thee, Sam, my fosterling. Well, I will follow thee soon;' and, taking
+his bill in his hand, he went up into the roof of the hall, where among
+the beams were little slits for windows. In the winter there were
+shutters fastened over these little slits, but now they were left open.
+
+From the beam on which he was crouching Gunnar saw a red tunic slipping
+by the window, and he thrust swiftly out his bill. In a moment a man's
+body fell upon the ground below.
+
+'Well, is Gunnar at home?' said Gizur, and Thorgrim the Easterling
+answered: 'Go and see for yourselves; but if Gunnar is not at home, his
+bill is,' and those were his last words, for the thrust had been mortal.
+
+It hardly seemed possible that one man could keep such a force at bay,
+but wherever they went Gunnar's arrows followed them. Three times they
+came on, and three times they fell back, and Gunnar's heart beat high,
+for he thought that perchance their courage might fail, and that they
+would return whither they had come.
+
+'One of their own arrows sticks outside the window,' he said, laughing
+loud in his glee; 'I will send it to kill its master.' But his mother
+answered: 'It is ill to waken a sleeping dog, my son.'
+
+Her words were wise, but Gunnar would not listen to them. He shot the
+arrow into the midst of the men gathered beneath him, and knew not that
+it had dealt a death-blow, or that Gizur the white had been watching its
+course.
+
+'The arm that drew in that shaft had a ring on it--a gold ring such as
+Gunnar wears,' said he, 'and if they had not shot away their own arrows
+they would not be needing ours;' and with that he urged them to make a
+fresh attack.
+
+'Let us set the house on fire,' said Mord, but Gizur answered him hotly,
+and bade him find out some other plan.
+
+Now Mord was a man of many thoughts, and great skill in planning, so he
+looked about him to see if there was aught else he could do. Lying near
+were some ropes, and as soon as he saw them he cried out, 'If we can
+twist one end of the ropes round the beams, and the other round this
+rock, we can twist them tight, and pull the roof off the hall.'
+
+And this was done; and when the roof fell down they beheld Gunnar
+standing on the beam, shooting arrows at his enemies.
+
+At this Mord cried once more that the house should be burned, but the
+rest called shame on him, and then Thorbrand crept up on one side and
+cut Gunnar's bowstring with his axe. But before he could reach the
+ground again Gunnar had seized his bill, and driven it through his body.
+
+Then, without looking round, Gunnar said swiftly to Hallgerda his wife:
+'Let you and my mother cut off two locks of hair from your heads, and
+twist them into my bowstring, so that I may shoot at them once more.'
+
+'Does aught depend on it?' she asked. 'My life,' he said; and Hallgerda
+made answer: 'Do you remember that time when you struck me in the face?'
+said she; 'well, now you shall die for it.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+For many a day men sang of the fight which Gunnar made for his life and
+the numbers that he slew before he himself was struck down and slain.
+
+'We have laid low a great chief,' said Gizur, 'and many hearts will be
+sore because of his slaying. But, though his body is dead, his name
+shall live for ever.'
+
+(_Saga_)
+
+
+
+
+NJAL'S BURNING
+
+
+Now, Valgard the Cunning was dying. And he sent for his son Mord and
+bade him stir up strife between Njal's sons and their brother Hauskuld
+the priest, for he ever hated Njal, and longed to be avenged on him. So
+Mord fared to Hauskuld, and told him tales of what his brothers had said
+of him, but Hauskuld bade him begone, for he would listen to none of his
+stories. Then Mord left Hauskuld the priest, and had ready a long tale,
+how that Hauskuld had meant to burn them while they sat at a feast in
+Whiteness, had not Hogni, Gunnar's son, come by. And as this plan had
+failed, he set about gathering his men together to slay his brothers as
+they rode home, but neither Grani, son of Gunnar, nor Gunnar, son of
+Lambi, had the heart to do it.
+
+At first, neither Njal's sons, nor Kari, who had married their sister,
+would give ear to Mord's false words, but in spite of themselves
+ill-feelings began to spring up in their breasts towards Hauskuld.
+
+Thus things went on for many months, and whenever Mord met one of Njal's
+sons, or Kari, who had married their sister, he had new stories to tell
+them, till at length their hearts grew hot, and they determined that
+they would slay Hauskuld, lest perchance he might first slay them.
+
+Hauskuld was sowing his corn when his brothers, and with them Mord,
+Valgard's son, came up to kill him. Skarphedinn, Njal's son, was their
+leader, and had bidden the rest each to give Hauskuld a wound. But the
+first blow dealt by Skarphedinn brought him on his knees, and he died
+praying that they might be forgiven for the ill they had brought on him,
+guiltless.
+
+When he was dead they went home and told Njal what they had done.
+
+'It had been well if two of you had died and Hauskuld had lived,' said
+Njal after he had heard the tidings, 'for I know better than you what
+will be the end of this.'
+
+'And what will be the end?' asked Skarphedinn.
+
+'My death, and yours, and your mother's,' answered Njal.
+
+'Shall I die also?' he asked; but Njal shook his head.
+
+'Good fortune will ever be with you!' he answered, and turned away and
+wept.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Now all men knew that at the next Thing a suit would be brought for the
+slaying of Hauskuld, and Njal and his sons made ready to fare to it, and
+to hear the award which should be given. But first sundry of Njal's
+friends came to see him and offered to stand by him, and to set up their
+tents beside his, and among them were Gizur the white and Asgrim. And at
+the Thing an award was made, but was made void by a quarrel between
+Flosi, the friend of Hauskuld the slain, and Skarphedinn, and Njal and
+his sons returned home, and Njal's heart was heavy.
+
+'Are you riding back to your wife?' asked he of Kari, his son-in-law;
+and Kari made answer, 'Whatever happens to you, happens to me!' and they
+all stayed at Bergthorasknoll.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+In the house dwelt an old, old woman, so old that she had nursed
+Bergthora, Njal's wife, and she was wise and could see into the future.
+Njal's sons laughed at her warnings, and took no heed to them, but for
+all that they knew well that it was often the truth she told them. One
+day Skarphedinn was standing outside the door, and the old woman came
+out with a stick in her hand, and she passed silently by him, and
+walked up the path to where a pile of dried shrubs lay above the house.
+
+'May a curse be upon you!' she cried, shaking her stick over it; and
+Skarphedinn, who had followed after her, asked wherefore she was wroth
+with the pile.
+
+'Because with the fire lighted from this pile there will be a great
+burning,' said she. 'And Njal and his sons will be burnt, and Bergthora,
+my foster-child. So carry it away and scatter it in the water, or else
+set fire to it before your enemies can get here!'
+
+'What is the use of doing anything?' answered Skarphedinn, 'for if it is
+written that we should be burned, our foes will find some other fuel,
+though I were to scatter this stack to the four winds;' and he went away
+laughing.
+
+All through the summer the old nurse was ever begging Njal to do away
+with the stack of vetch, but the harvest was plentiful in the pastures
+and the men never came home save to sleep.
+
+'We can bring in that vetch stack any time,' they said.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The harvest was stored in the barns, and a good harvest it was. There
+had been none such since the day that Gunnar had fared from Lithend with
+Kolskegg, and had returned to his ruin. One day, when Grim and Helgi,
+Njal's sons, had ridden away to Holar to see their children, who were at
+nurse there, they heard strange tidings from some poor woman, that the
+country side was stirring and that bands of men were gathering together,
+and were seen riding along the same road.
+
+At this news Grim and Helgi looked at each other.
+
+'Let us go home to Bergthorasknoll,' said they.
+
+Now they had told their mother they would sleep that night at Holar,
+with their children, so she gave no thought to them; but in the evening,
+when the hour had come to prepare supper, Bergthora bade every man
+choose whatever dish he liked best, 'for,' said she, 'this is the last
+food you will eat in this house!'
+
+'Of a truth you must be ill to speak such words,' cried they.
+
+'They are true words,' she said again; 'and that you may know them to be
+true, I will give you a sign. Before the meat that is on the board
+to-night is eaten, Grim and Helgi will be in the house!' and she held
+her peace and went out.
+
+When the food was prepared, Bergthora called to them, and all sat down
+but Njal, who lingered in the doorway.
+
+'What hinders you eating with the rest?' asked Bergthora; and Njal, as
+he answered, put his hand before his eyes.
+
+'A vision has come to me,' he said slowly--'the wall is thrown down, and
+the board is wet with blood.'
+
+At this the men's faces grew pale, and a strange look came into their
+eyes, but Skarphedinn bade them be of good cheer, and to remember that,
+whatever might befall, all men would look to them to bear themselves
+bravely.
+
+Then Grim and Helgi entered with their tidings, and every one had in his
+mind what Bergthora had said, and knew that ill was in store.
+
+'Let no man sleep to-night,' said Njal, 'but take heed to his arms.'
+
+The band of Njal's foes, headed by Flosi, had ridden to a valley behind
+the house, and had fastened their horses there. After that they walked
+slowly up the path, to the front of the house, where Njal and his sons,
+and Kari, his-son-in-law, and his thralls, thirty in all, stood up to
+meet them.
+
+Then both sides halted and spoke together. Flosi's counsel was to fall
+on them where they stood, though he knew that few would there be left to
+tell the tale to their children.
+
+Njal, for his part, desired that his men might return inside the hall,
+for the house was strong; 'and if Gunnar alone could keep them at bay
+they will never prevail against us,' he said.
+
+'Ah, but these chiefs are not of the kind that slew Gunnar,' answered
+Skarphedinn, 'for they turned a deaf ear to Mord's evil counsel to set
+fire to Lithend, so that Gunnar and his wife and mother should be burnt
+up in it. But this band care nothing for what is fair and honourable, so
+long as we leave our bones behind us.'
+
+Then Helgi spoke:
+
+'Let us do as our father wills. He knows best,' and Skarphedinn said:
+
+'If he wishes us to enter the hall, and all to be burnt together, I am
+ready to do it. I care little what death I shall die, and if the time of
+my doom is come, it matters nothing that we try to escape.' And so
+saying he turned to Kari, and bade him stand by his side.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+'They are all mad,' cried Flosi, as he saw Njal and his sons and Kari,
+his son-in-law, take their place on the inside of the door. 'Surely none
+of them can escape us now;' and the fight began with a spear which was
+thrown at Skarphedinn.
+
+But victory was not so near as Flosi thought. Man after man fell back
+wounded or dead, yet Skarphedinn and his brethren remained without a
+wound.
+
+'We shall never put them to flight with our spears,' said Flosi, 'and
+there are only two ways open. Either we give up our vengeance, and await
+the death that will surely befall us at their hands; or else we must set
+fire to the house, and burn them in it. And I know not what else we can
+do; yet that is a mean and cowardly deed, which will lie heavily on our
+souls.'
+
+So they gathered wood and made a great stack before the door, and
+Skarphedinn laughed, and asked if they were turning cooks.
+
+It was Grani, the son of Gunnar, whose soul was black like his mother
+Hallgerda's, who answered him.
+
+'You will not wish better cooking when _you_ are put on the spit;' but
+he had better have left Skarphedinn alone, for the men around heard his
+reply, and looked curiously on Grani.
+
+'Your deeds become your mother's son,' said Skarphedinn. 'It was I who
+avenged your father, therefore it is natural to one of your kind that
+you should wish to slay me,' and he stepped back to pick up some fresh
+arrows.
+
+In spite of Grani's boastful words, the pile of wood was slow in
+catching, for the women threw whey and water upon it from the little
+windows in the roof, so that the flames were quenched as fast as they
+sprang up. The men grew angry and impatient, and at last Kol,
+Thorstein's son, said to Flosi:
+
+'It avails nought to kindle the fire here; but there is a pile of dry
+vetch at the back, just above the house, and we can light it, and put
+the burning wood on the beams under the roof.'
+
+So he crept round unseen, and did as he had said, and the other men
+heaped up wood before the doors of the house, so that none could escape,
+and those within the hall knew nothing that was doing, till a great
+light filled the place, and they saw that the roof was burning.
+
+Then horrible dread overwhelmed the souls of the women, and they broke
+forth into weeping and wailing, till Njal spoke words of comfort to
+them, and bade them keep up their hearts, for God would not suffer them
+to burn both in this world and in the next. And when he had stilled
+their fears he went near the door, and asked:
+
+'Is Flosi nigh at hand?'
+
+'Yes,' answered Flosi.
+
+'Will you suffer my sons to atone?' asked Njal once more, 'or let them
+leave the house?' but Flosi said:
+
+'The women and children and thralls may go out, but, as for your sons,
+the time for atonement is past, and I will not leave this spot as long
+as one of them remains alive.'
+
+When Njal heard that, he went back into the house and called the women
+and children and thralls round him, and bade Thorhalla, the wife of
+Helgi, go out first, for she was a brave woman. And Thorhalla went,
+after bidding farewell to Helgi her husband.
+
+But Astrid whispered softly to Helgi:
+
+'I will tie a woman's kerchief about your head, and wrap you in a cloak,
+and the women folk will stand about you, and none shall know that you
+are not a woman also.'
+
+Helgi did not like this plan, for he thought it shame to steal away in
+his sister's garments; but they prayed him not to be stiff-necked, and
+at length he suffered the cloak to be put round him.
+
+Now the children of Njal were all tall, but Helgi was tallest of all,
+except his brother Skarphedinn. And Flosi marked him, and said to his
+men:
+
+'I like not the height of the woman who went yonder, nor the breadth of
+her shoulders. Seize her and hold her fast.'
+
+As soon as Helgi heard that he threw his cloak aside and thrust at a man
+with his sword, and cut off his leg. But Flosi was close behind, and
+stretched Helgi dead in front of him.
+
+After that he went back to the house, and offered Njal that he should
+come outside, but Njal answered that he was too old to avenge his sons,
+and that he would not outlive them, for that would be a shame and
+disgrace to him.
+
+'Come out, then, Bergthora,' said Flosi, 'for I will not suffer you to
+burn inside.'
+
+But Bergthora made answer:
+
+'Long years from my youth have I lived with Njal, and I vowed on the day
+of betrothal that his death should be mine;' and without more words
+they went into the house.
+
+'I am weary,' said Njal to his wife, 'let us lay down on our bed and
+rest;' and Bergthora bowed her head, and spoke to the boy Thord, the son
+of Kari:
+
+'Come to the door with me and go forth with your kinsmen. I will not
+have you stay here to burn.' But the boy shook off the hand she had laid
+on his shoulder.
+
+'You promised me when I was little, grandmother, that I should never go
+from you till I wished it of myself. And I would rather die with you
+than live after you.'
+
+Bergthora was silent, but she led the boy to the bed, and he climbed in,
+and laid himself down. Then Njal said to his head man:
+
+'Bring hither the oxhide and put it on the bed, and watch how we lay
+ourselves down, so that you may know where to find our bones. For not
+one inch will we stir, whatever befall.'
+
+And he laid himself down, and bade the boy lie between himself and
+Bergthora.
+
+So they waited.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+At the doors and in the windows of the roof Skarphedinn and Grim were
+casting away burning brands, and hurling spears as if they had had
+twenty hands instead of two. At last Flosi called to his men to let be,
+till the fire had its way, for many had been killed and wounded already.
+
+And now a beam which held up the oak fell in, and then another and
+another. 'Surely my father must be dead,' said Skarphedinn, 'that he
+makes no sound,' and, followed by Grim and Kari, he went to the end of
+the hall where a cross beam had fallen.
+
+'The smoke is thick here,' said Kari, 'thick enough to hide a man; let
+us leap out one by one, and we shall be away before they have seen us.
+Skarphedinn, you jump first!'
+
+[Illustration: HOW KARI ESCAPED FROM NJAL'S HOUSE]
+
+'No!' answered Skarphedinn, 'you go first and I will follow; or, if I
+follow not, you will avenge me.'
+
+'I have a chance of my life,' said Kari, 'and I will take it. We must
+each do as seems best to him, but I fear me that we see each other no
+more;' and catching up a huge blazing beam, he threw it over the edge of
+the roof, among the men who were gathered below.
+
+They scattered at once like leaves in a storm, and at that instant Kari,
+with his tunic and hair already burning, leaped from the roof and crept
+away in the smoke. The man who stood nearest on the ground thought he
+saw something dark moving, and he asked his neighbour:
+
+'Think you that was one of them jumping from the beam?' but the man
+answered: 'Nay, but it may have been Skarphedinn hurling a firebrand;'
+and then they went to their own work, and paid no more heed to the
+figure on the roof.
+
+So Kari was left free to escape, and he put out the fire that was
+burning him, and rested in a safe place till he could seek shelter with
+his friends.
+
+Thrice Skarphedinn tried to leap after Kari, and thrice the beam broke
+under his weight, and he was forced to climb back again. Then part of
+the wall fell in, and Skarphedinn fell down with it on to the floor of
+the hall.
+
+In a moment the face of Gunnar, son of Lambi, was seen on top of the
+wall, and he cried out, 'Are those tears on your cheeks, Skarphedinn?'
+and Skarphedinn made answer:
+
+'Now am I finding out in truth how smoke can force tears from one's
+eyes. But methinks I see laughter in yours, Gunnar.'
+
+'Of a surety,' said Gunnar, 'never have I laughed so much since the day
+you slew Thrain in Markfleet.'
+
+'Here is a remembrance of that day for you,' said Skarphedinn, and he
+took from his pouch Thrain's tooth, and flung it at Gunnar. And it
+knocked out Gunnar's eye, and he fell from the roof.
+
+Then Skarphedinn went to Grim, and hand in hand they two tried to stamp
+out the burning beams, but before they had crossed the hall Grim dropped
+dead, and the roof fell in, and shut Skarphedinn in a corner, so that he
+could not move.
+
+At daylight a man rode up who had met Kari, and had learned from him
+that when he had jumped from the roof both Skarphedinn and Grim were
+still alive, but that was many hours before, and both must long since be
+dead.
+
+Then Flosi and some of his men drew nearer and climbed up the gable, for
+the fire had burned low, and only threw out a flame here and there. And
+as they looked into the hall beneath them, which was a mass of charred
+and fallen wood, there seemed to rise up from the red ashes a song of
+triumph, and they held their breath and looked into each other's faces.
+
+'Is it Skarphedinn's song?' asked Glum, 'and is it a token that he is
+dead? or a sign that he is alive? Let us look for him.'
+
+'That shall not be,' said Flosi quickly. 'Fool that you are, do you not
+know that even now Kari is gathering together a band to avenge his
+kinsmen? Therefore let every man take his horse and ride up to the
+Three-corner Fell, and there we can hide and take counsel how we can
+escape from our enemies.'
+
+So it was done, and not a whit too soon, for a very great company
+scattered over the country, seeking Flosi and his Band of Burners--for
+by this ill name men knew them.
+
+As for Kari himself, he begged Hjallti, Njal's cousin, to go with him to
+Bergthorasknoll and find Njal's bones and bury them. And, as they went,
+men joined them, till they numbered nigh on a hundred when they reached
+Bergthorasknoll.
+
+Kari entered the hall first and led them up to the spot where the bed
+had stood, and where a great heap of ashes now covered it. The ashes
+took long to clear away, and underneath was the oxhide, charred and
+shrivelled. But when the oxhide was pulled away they saw the three
+bodies fresh and whole, as they had laid them down. Only one finger of
+the boy was burned, where he had thrust it outside the hide.
+
+When they saw this a great joy fell on the hearts of all, and Hjallti
+said:
+
+'Never have I seen a dead man with a face as bright as this!' And the
+other men said likewise.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+After that they sought for Skarphedinn, and then found him, fastened by
+the beam into the corner, and he had driven his axe into the wall of the
+gable, so that it had to be broken out. And they sought the bones of
+Grim, and found them lying in the middle of the hall, where he had
+dropped down dead. And they sought the bones of other men, and found
+them, and nine bodies in all were carried into the church and buried
+there.
+
+And that is Burnt Njal's story.
+
+[The _Saga of Burnt Njal_.]
+
+
+
+
+THE LADY OF SOLACE
+
+
+There was once an emperor who had two things that he loved more than all
+the world--his daughter and his garden. The finest linen and the richest
+silks of India or China decked the princess from the moment she was old
+enough to run alone, and the ships that brought them brought also the
+fairest flowers and sweetest fruits that grew in distant lands. All the
+time that he was not presiding over his council, or hearing the
+petitions of his people, the emperor passed in his garden, watching the
+flowers open and the fruits ripen, and by-and-by he planted trees and
+shrubs and made walks and alleys, till altogether the garden was the
+most beautiful as well as the largest that had ever been seen.
+
+The years passed, and the princess reached the age of fourteen; quite
+old enough to be married, thought the kings and princes who were looking
+out for a bride for their sons. The emperor's heart sank when he heard
+rumours of embassies that were coming to rob him of his daughter, and he
+shut himself up in his room to try to invent a plan by which he might
+keep the princess, without giving offence to the powerful monarchs who
+had asked for her hand.
+
+For a long while he sat with his head on his hands, thinking steadily,
+but every scheme had some drawback. At length his face brightened and he
+sprang up from his seat.
+
+'Yes! that will do,' he cried, and went down to attend his council,
+looking quite a different man from what he had been a few hours before.
+
+The embassies and the princes continued to arrive, and they all got the
+same answer. 'The emperor was proud of the honour done to himself and
+his daughter, and would give her in marriage to any man who would pass
+through the garden and bring him a branch of the tree which stood at the
+further end.' Nothing could surely be more easy, and every prince in
+turn as he heard the conditions felt that the fairest damsel on the
+whole earth was already his wife.
+
+But though each man went gaily in, none ever came out, nor was it ever
+known what had befallen them. At last so many had entered that fatal
+gate that it seemed as if there could be no more princes or nobles left,
+and the emperor began to breathe again at the thought that he would be
+able after all to keep his daughter.
+
+But one day a knight of great renown, named Tirius, arrived from beyond
+the seas and knocked at the gate of the castle. Like the others, he was
+welcomed and feasted, and when the feast was ended he craved that the
+emperor would grant him the hand of the princess on whatever condition
+he might choose.
+
+'Right willingly,' answered the emperor; 'there is only one condition I
+have laid down, and that is an easy one, though for some strange reason
+no one as yet has been able to fulfil it. You have merely to walk
+through the garden that you see below, and bring me back a branch from a
+tree bearing golden fruit, which stands on the opposite side. If fame
+speaks true, this is child's play to the adventures in which you have
+borne so noble a part.'
+
+'In good sooth,' said the knight, who saw clearly that there was more in
+the matter than appeared--'in good sooth your condition likes me well.
+Still, as fortune is ever inconstant, and may be tired of dealing me
+favours, I would first ask as a boon a sight of your fair daughter and
+leave to hearken to her voice. After that I will delay no longer, but
+proceed on my quest.'
+
+'I will take you to her myself,' answered the emperor, who thought that
+he might show this small mercy to a man who was going to his death, and
+he led his guest down long passages and through lofty halls, till they
+reached the princess's apartments.
+
+'In five minutes my chamberlain shall come for you, and he shall show
+you the way to the garden,' said the emperor, 'and meanwhile I bid you
+farewell;' and, leaving Tirius to enter alone, he went to seek his
+ministers.
+
+It would be hard to say whether the knight or the princess was most
+amazed as they stood gazing at each other--he at her beauty and she at
+his boldness, for never before had any man crossed her threshold. For a
+moment both were silent; then the knight, remembering how short a time
+was allowed him, aroused himself from his dream and spoke:
+
+'Gentle damsel, help me now in my need, for I have been drawn hither by
+love. Full well I know that many have had this adventure before me, and
+have entered that garden and never returned from it. Without your aid my
+fate will be such as theirs, and therefore, I pray you, tell me what I
+should do so that I may win through without harm.'
+
+Now the knight was a goodly man and tall, and perhaps the princess may
+have bewailed in secret the noble youths who had fallen victims to her
+father's pleasure. But, however that might be, she smiled and made
+reply:
+
+'I am ready to marry any man on whom my father wishes to bestow me, and
+you say you have come hither for love of me. Still, you have asked of me
+a hard thing, for it beseems not a daughter to betray her father's
+confidence. Yet, as I am loth that any more fair youths should lose
+their lives for my sake, I will give you this counsel. You must first
+pass through a forest, which is the home of a lady who is known to
+all as the "Lady of Solace." Go to her, and she will give you the help
+you need to journey safely through the garden.'
+
+[Illustration: The Lady of Solace]
+
+The princess had scarcely finished these words when the voice of the
+chamberlain was heard without, bidding him withdraw, and, glancing
+gratefully at her, the knight bowed low and took his leave.
+
+In the great hall the chamberlain quitted him, telling him to take his
+ease and rest till the emperor should return, but instead the knight
+waited till he was alone and then plunged straight into the forest.
+
+He walked on for a little way till he reached a green space, and there
+he stopped and cried, 'Where is the Lady of Solace?' Then he sat down on
+a stone and waited. In a short time he saw coming towards him two
+ladies, one bearing a basin and the other a cloth.
+
+'We give you greeting, sir,' they said; 'the Lady of Solace has sent us
+to you, and she bids you first wash your feet in this basin, and then go
+with us to her palace.' So the knight washed his feet, and dried them in
+the white cloth, and rose up and went with the ladies to the palace,
+which was built of blue marble, and the fairest that ever he saw. The
+Lady of Solace was fair likewise and of a marvellous sweet countenance,
+and her voice was soft like the voice of a thrush as she asked him what
+he wanted with her. At that the knight told his errand, and how the
+princess had bade him come to her, for she alone could help him to win
+through the enchanted garden.
+
+'I am called the Lady of Solace,' said she, with a smile which seemed
+made up of all the beautiful things in the world, 'and I give succour to
+all those who need it. Here is a ball of thread; take it and bind it
+round the post of the gate of the garden, and hold fast the thread in
+your hand, unwinding it as you go. For if you lose the clue, you will
+perish like those before you. And more. A lion dwells in the garden, who
+will spring out and devour you, as he has devoured the rest. Therefore,
+arm yourself with armour, and see that the armour be anointed thickly
+with ointment. When the lion sees you, he will take your arm or your leg
+into his mouth, and his teeth shall stick fast in the ointment, and when
+you sunder yourself from him his teeth shall be drawn out, and you shall
+kill him easily. But during the fight beware lest you let go the clue.'
+
+And after the lion shall come four men, who will set on you and seek to
+turn you from their path; but beware of them also, and if you are in
+peril call to me, and I will succour you. And now return to the palace
+and put on your armour, and so, farewell.'
+
+When the knight heard this he was right glad, and stole back to the
+palace, where he found that the emperor was still sitting at his
+council. He sat down in the great hall to await him, but the time seemed
+very long before his host entered.
+
+'How have you sped?' asked he.
+
+'My lord, now that through your goodness I have seen the princess,' said
+the knight, 'there can be but one ending to my journey. I go at once in
+quest of the tree, and I am content whatever fate may befall me.'
+
+'May fortune be with you!' answered the emperor, who never failed to
+give good wishes to his daughter's suitors, as he felt quite sure that
+they would be of no use.
+
+So the knight bowed low and left the hall, going straight to the
+gatekeeper's house, where he had put off his armour on arriving. On
+pretence of sharpening his sword, he borrowed a pot of ointment from the
+man, and, unseen by him, rubbed the paste thickly over his armour. After
+this he looked about to see that no one was watching him, and took the
+path that led to the garden.
+
+[Illustration: THE LADY OF SOLACE HELPS THE FALLEN KNIGHT]
+
+A large iron gate supported by two posts stood at the entrance, and
+round one of these he firmly bound one end of the thread which the Lady
+of Solace had given him. Holding the other end in his hand, he
+advanced for a long while without seeing or hearing any strange thing,
+till a roar close to him caused him to start. The knight had just time
+to draw his sword and hold up his shield before the lion was upon him;
+but, as he had been forewarned, the great beast dashed aside the shield,
+and fastened his teeth in the arm that held it. The pain was such that
+the knight leaped backwards, but the lion's teeth were fixed fast in the
+ointment, and they all came out of his mouth, so that he could bite no
+more. And when he rushed at his enemy with his claws they stuck also, so
+that the knight with a blow of his sword was able to kill him with ease.
+
+Mightily he rejoiced at seeing his foe dead before him, and by ill
+fortune he forgot that, had it not been for the counsel of the Lady of
+Solace, it was _he_ who would have been slain, and not the lion. He
+swelled with pride and conceit at the ease with which he had won the
+victory, and never noted that the clue of thread was no longer in his
+hands.
+
+'Ah, lovely princess, I come to seek my reward,' cried he to himself,
+and turned his face towards the palace. But a little way on he spied
+seven trees, very fair to view, all covered with fruit that shone
+temptingly in the sun. He gathered a cluster that hung just above his
+head, and when he had eaten that, he thought that it tasted so delicious
+he really must have another, and another also.
+
+He was still eating when three men passed by, and asked him what he was
+doing there. The knight was so puffed up that he did not answer them
+civilly after his manner, but gave them rude words, for which in return
+he received buffets. In the end, the men dragged him away from the tree
+and flung him into a ditch that was full of water, and his armour
+weighed him down, so that he could not get out. Then at last he
+remembered his clue, and felt for it, but it was not there, and his
+pride broke down, and he saw that he had brought his ruin on himself.
+And in despair he lifted up his voice and cried, 'O Lady of Solace, help
+me, I beseech you, in my great need, for I am nigh dead.' He shut his
+eyes for very misery, but opened them again in a moment, for a lady
+stood by him, and she said:
+
+'Did not I tell you that if you lost the clue you could never more find
+your way out of the garden? I will lift you out of the ditch, but, for
+the clue, you must seek for it yourself till you find it.' And with that
+she vanished.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Not that day did the knight find the clue, nor the next, nor the next.
+Faint and weary was he, but he dared not eat of the fruit that was
+around him, some hanging from the boughs of trees and some growing on
+the ground. At length he wandered back to the spot where he had fought
+with the lion, and there, covered with blood, lay the clue he had so
+long sought. By its help he was led to the tree with the golden fruit,
+which stood at the far end of the garden, and plucking one of the boughs
+he turned to retrace his steps, wondering, now that he held the thread,
+at the shortness of the way.
+
+'Here is the branch, O Emperor! and now give me the princess,' he said,
+kneeling and laying the bough down on the steps of the throne. And the
+emperor could not gainsay him, but bade his officers fetch his daughter,
+and after they had been married she went with her husband into his own
+country, where they lived happily till they died.
+
+[From the _Gesia Romanorum_.]
+
+
+
+
+UNA AND THE LION
+
+
+Once upon a time there lived a king and queen who had only one child, a
+little girl, whom they named Una, and they all lived happily at home for
+many years till Una had grown into a woman.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It seemed as if they were some of the fortunate people to whom nothing
+ever happens, when suddenly, just as everything appeared going well and
+peacefully with them, a fearful dragon, larger and more horrible than
+any dragon which had yet been heard of, arrived one night, seized the
+king and queen as they were walking in the garden after the heat of the
+day, and carried them prisoners to a strong castle. Luckily, Una was at
+that moment sitting among her maidens on the top of a high tower
+embroidering a kirtle, or she would have shared the same fate.
+
+When the princess learnt what had befallen her parents, she was struck
+dumb with grief, but she had been taught that no misfortune was ever
+mended by tears, so she soon dried her eyes, and began to think what was
+best to do, and to whom she could turn for help. She ran quickly over in
+her mind the knights who thronged her father's court, but there was not
+one amongst them to whose hands their rescue could be entrusted. One
+spent his days in writing pretty verses to the ladies who were about the
+queen, another passed his time in putting on suits more brilliant than
+any worn by his friends, a third loved hawking, but did not welcome the
+rough life and hard living of real warfare; no, she must seek a champion
+out of her own country if her parents were to be delivered out of the
+power of the dragon. Then all at once she remembered a certain Red Cross
+Knight whose fame had spread even to her distant land, and, ordering her
+white ass to be saddled, she set forth in quest of him.
+
+It were long to tell the adventures Una met with on the way, but at last
+she found the knight resting after a hard-won fight, and told him her
+tale.
+
+[Illustration: Sudden DEPARTURE of UNA'S PARENTS]
+
+'Right willingly will I help you, princess,' said he, 'only you must
+ride with me and guide me to the castle, for I know nothing of the
+countries that lie beyond the sea;' and Una heard his words with joy,
+and called softly to her ass, who was cropping the short green grass
+beside her.
+
+'Let us go forth at once,' she cried gaily, and sprang into her saddle.
+The knight hastily fastened on his armour, and, placing a blood-red
+cross upon his breast, swung himself on to his horse's back. And so
+they rode over the plain, a trusty dwarf following far behind, and a
+snow-white lamb, held by a golden cord, trotting by Una's side.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+After some hours they left the plain and entered a forest, where the
+trees and bushes grew so thick that no path could they see. At first, in
+their eagerness to escape the storm which was sweeping up the plain
+behind them, they hardly took heed where they were going; and besides,
+the beauty of the flowers and the sweet scent of the fruit caused them
+to forget the trouble they would have to find the road again. But when
+the sound of the thunder ceased, and the lightning no longer darted
+through the leaves, they were startled to perceive they had wandered
+they knew not whither. No sun could they see to show them which was east
+and which west, neither was there any man to tell them what they fain
+would know. At length they stopped, for before them lay a cave
+stretching far away into the darkness.
+
+'We can rest there this night,' said the Red Cross Knight, leaping to
+the ground, and handing his spear to the dwarf; 'and first, you, lady,
+shall remain, here, while I enter and make sure that no fierce or
+loathsome beasts lurk in the corners.' But Una turned pale as she
+listened.
+
+'The perils of this place I better know than you,' she answered gravely.
+'In this den dwells a vile monster, hated by God and man.' And the voice
+of the dwarf cried also, 'Fly, fly! this is no place for living men.'
+They might have spared their warnings; when did youth ever heed them?
+The knight looked into the cave, and
+
+        Forth into the darksome hole he went.
+    His glistening armour made a little glooming light,
+    By which he saw the ugly monster plain,
+    Half like a serpent horribly displayed,
+    The other half did woman's shape retain.
+
+It was too late to turn back, even had he wished it; but indeed it was
+the monster who looked round, as if to find a way to flee. Before her
+stood the knight, his sword drawn, waiting for a fair chance to plunge
+it into her throat. Escape there was none, and she prepared for battle.
+
+The knight fought valiantly, but never had he met a foe like this. The
+monster was so large and so scaly that he could not get round her, while
+his sword glanced, blunted, from off her skin. Blow after blow he
+struck, but they only served to increase her fury, till, gathering all
+her strength together, she wound her great tail about his body, pressing
+him close against her horny bosom.
+
+'Strangle her, else she sure will strangle thee,' cried Una, who had
+been watching the combat as well as the darkness would let her; and the
+knight heard, and seized the monster by the throat, till she was forced
+to let go her hold on him. Then, grasping his sword, he cut her head
+clean from her body.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Fain would they now leave the dreadful wood which had been the nurse of
+such an evil creature, and by following a track where the leaves grew
+less thickly, they at last found themselves on the other side of the
+plain, just as the sun was sinking to rest. They pushed on fast, hoping
+to find a shelter for the night, but none could they spy. The plain
+seemed bare, save for one old man in the guise of a hermit who was
+approaching them.
+
+Him the Red Cross Knight stopped and asked if he knew of any adventures
+which might await him in that place. The old man, who was in truth the
+magician Archimago, the professor of lore which could read the secrets
+of men's hearts, answered that the hour was late for the undertaking of
+such things, and bade them rest for the night in his cell hard by. So
+saying, he led them into a little dell amidst a group of trees, in
+which stood a chapel and the dwelling of the hermit.
+
+[Illustration: THE RED CROSS KNIGHT ENTERS THE MONSTER'S CAVE]
+
+It was but a short space before both knight and lady were sleeping
+soundly on the beds of fern which the hermit told them he had always at
+hand for the entertainment of guests. But, for himself, he crept unseen
+to a little cave inside a rock, and taking out his magic books he sought
+therein for mighty charms to trouble sleepy minds!
+
+He soon found what he wanted, and repeated some strange words aloud. In
+an instant there fluttered round him a crowd of little sprites awaiting
+his bidding, but he motioned all aside except two--one of whom he kept
+with him and the other he sent on a message to the house of Morpheus,
+the god of sleep.
+
+'I come from Archimago the wizard,' said the sprite when he reached his
+journey's end. 'Give me, I pray you, as swiftly as may be, a bad dream,
+that I may carry it back to him.'
+
+Slowly the god rose up, and, going to his storehouse, where lay dreams
+of all sorts--dreams to make people happy, dreams to make people
+miserable, dreams to stir people to good, and dreams to move them to
+every kind of wickedness--he took from the shelf a small but very black
+little dream, which the sprite tied round his neck, and hurried to the
+cave of Archimago.
+
+The wizard took the dream in silence, and, going into the den where the
+knight was sleeping, laid it softly on his forehead. In a moment his
+face clouded over; evil thoughts of Una sprang into his mind, till at
+length, unable to bear any longer the grief of mistrusting her he so
+loved and honoured, the knight called to the dwarf to bring him his
+horse, and together they rode away. But when Una woke and found both of
+her companions departed she wept sorely. Then, mounting her milk-white
+ass, she set out to follow them.
+
+Meanwhile the Red Cross Knight was wandering he knew not whither, so
+deep were the wounds in his heart. He rode on with his bridle hanging
+loosely on his horse's neck, till a bend in the path brought him face to
+face with a mighty Saracen, bearing on his arm a shield with the words
+'Sans foy' written across it. By his side, mounted on a palfrey hung
+with golden bells, was a lady clad in scarlet robes embroidered with
+jewels, who chattered merrily as they passed along.
+
+[Illustration: IN ARCHIMAGO'S CELL. The evil dream.]
+
+It was she who first perceived the approach of an enemy, and, turning to
+Sansfoy, bade him begin the attack. He, nothing loth, dashed forward to
+meet the knight, who had barely time to steady himself to receive the
+blow, which caused him to reel in his saddle. The blow was indeed so
+hard that it would have pierced the knight's armour had it not been for
+the cross upon his breast; which, when the Saracen saw, he cursed the
+power of the holy emblem, and prepared himself for a fresh attack.
+
+But either the Christian knight was the more skilful swordsman, or the
+cross lent new strength to his arm, for the fight was not a long one.
+Only a few strokes had passed between them, when the boastful Sansfoy
+fell from his horse, and rolled heavily to the ground. The lady hardly
+waited for the issue of the combat, and galloped off lest she too should
+be in danger. But the knight did not wage war on ladies, and, calling to
+the dwarf to bring the Saracen's shield as a trophy, he spurred quickly
+after her.
+
+He did not take long to come up with her for, in truth, she intended to
+be overtaken, and turned a woeful countenance to the young knight, who
+listened, believing, to the false tale she told. Pitying her from his
+heart, he assured her of his care and protection, and while they are
+faring through the woods together, let us see what had become of Una.
+
+The maiden was herself wandering distraught, seated on her 'unhastie
+beast,' when with a fearful roar a lion rushed out from a thicket with
+eyes glaring and teeth gleaming, seeking to devour his prey. But at the
+sight of Una's tender beauty he stopped suddenly, and, stooping down, he
+kissed her feet and licked her hands.
+
+At this kindness on the part of the great creature, Una bent her head
+and wept grievously. 'He, my lion and my noble lord, how does he find it
+in his cruel heart to hate her that him loved?' she moaned sadly, and
+the lion again looked pityingly at her, and at last the maiden checked
+her sobs and bade her ass go on, the lion walking by her side during the
+day, and sleeping at her feet by night.
+
+They had travelled far and for many days, through a wilderness untrodden
+by either man or beast, when at the foot of a mountain they spied a
+damsel bearing on her shoulder a pot of water. At sight of the lion she
+flung down the pitcher, and ran to the hut where she dwelt, without once
+looking behind her. In the cottage sat her blind mother, not knowing
+what could be the meaning of the shrieks and cries uttered by her
+daughter, who shut the door quickly after her, and caught trembling hold
+of her mother's hands.
+
+It was the first lion the girl had ever seen, or she would have known
+that if he was determined to enter, it was not a wicket-gate that would
+prevent him. As neither mother nor daughter replied to Una's gentle
+prayer for a night's lodging, her 'unruly page' put his paw on the
+little door, which opened with a crash. The maiden then stepped softly
+over the threshold, begging afresh that she might pass the night in one
+corner, and receiving no answer--for the women were still too terrified
+to speak--she curled herself up on the earthen floor with the lion
+beside her.
+
+About midnight there arrived at the door, which Una had refastened, a
+thief laden with spoils of churches, and whatever else he had managed to
+pick up by stealth. To spend the night in thieving was his custom, and
+hither he brought his spoils, as he thought none would suspect a blind
+woman and her daughter of harbouring stolen goods.
+
+Many times he called, but the two women were in grievous dread of the
+lion, and durst not move from the corner where they were crouching; at
+last the man grew angry, and burst the door asunder, as the lion had
+done before him. He entered the hut, and straightway beheld the dreadful
+beast, with glaring eyes and gleaming teeth, as Una had first beheld
+him. But Kirkrapine (such was his name) had neither beauty nor goodness
+to still the lion's rage, and in another moment his body was rent in
+a thousand pieces.
+
+[Illustration: At the sight of the Lion, she flung down the pitcher]
+
+The sun had scarce sent his first beams above the horizon when Una left
+the hut, mounted on her ass, and, followed by the lion, again began her
+quest of the Red Cross Knight. But, alas! though she found him not, she
+met her ancient foe, the magician Archimago, who had taken on himself
+the form of him whom she sought. Too true and unsuspecting was she, to
+dream of guile in others, and the welcome she gave him was from her
+whole heart. In the guise of the knight, Archimago greeted her fondly,
+and bade her tell him the story of her woes, and how came she to take
+the lion for her companion. And so they journeyed, the flowers seeming
+sweeter and the skies brighter to Una, as they went, when suddenly they
+beheld
+
+    One pricking towards them with hasty heat;
+    Full strongly armed, and on a courser free.
+
+On his shield the words 'Sans loy' could be read, written in letters of
+blood.
+
+Now, though Archimago had clad himself in the outward shape of the Red
+Cross Knight, he lacked his courage and his skill in war; and his heart
+was faint from fear, when the Saracen reined back his horse and prepared
+for battle. In the shock of the rush the wizard was borne backwards, and
+the blood from his side dyed the ground.
+
+'The life that from Sansfoy thou tookest, Sansloy shall from thee take,'
+cried the Paynim, and was unlacing the vizor of the fallen man to deal
+him his death-stroke when a cry from Una stayed his hand for a moment,
+though it was not her prayers for mercy that would have kept him from
+drawing his sword, but the sight of the hoary head beneath the helmet,
+which startled him.
+
+'Archimago!' he stammered, 'what mishap is this?' And still Archimago
+lay on the ground stunned, and answered nothing.
+
+For a moment Una gazed in amazement at the strange sight before her, and
+wondered what was the meaning of these things. Then she turned to fly,
+but, quick as thought, the Saracen plucked at her robe to stop her.
+
+Now when the lion, her fierce servant, saw that Paynim knight lay hands
+on his sovereign lady, he sprang on him with gaping jaws, and almost
+tore the shield from his arm. But the knight leapt swiftly back, and
+swinging his sword plunged it into the heart of the faithful creature,
+who rolled over and died amidst the tears of his mistress.
+
+After which the knight set Una on his steed before him and bore her
+away.
+
+[Spenser's _Faerie Queene_.]
+
+
+
+
+HOW THE RED CROSS KNIGHT SLEW THE DRAGON
+
+
+While Una was riding through forest and over plains, with her faithful
+lion for her guard, the knight whom she sought had given himself over
+into the care of Duessa (for such was the name of Sansfoy's companion),
+by whom he was led to the gates of a splendid palace. The broad road up
+to it was worn by the feet of hosts of travellers; but though many
+peeped through the doors few returned. As the knight stood aside and
+watched, all manner of strange people passed before him, though none
+spoke. At length a man, but newly issued from the palace, and bearing a
+shield with the words 'Sans joy' written across it, stopped suddenly in
+front of the knight's page, then snatched from his arm a shield like his
+own, bearing the name 'Sansfoy.' The page, overcome by the quickness of
+the action, did not resist, but a blow on the helmet from the Red Cross
+Knight made Sansjoy stagger where he stood.
+
+The fight was fierce, and no one could tell with whom the victory lay
+till the queen of that place came by, and bade them cease their
+brawling, for on the morrow they should meet in the lists.
+
+But the battle next day went against the Paynim, in spite of the
+presence of the queen and the counsel of the false Duessa. Short would
+have been his shrift had not thick darkness fallen about him, and when
+the Red Cross Knight cried to him to begin the fray afresh, only silence
+answered him.
+
+Then the false Duessa, ever wont to take the side of him who wins,
+hurried up to him, and whispered, as she had whispered to Sansjoy, 'The
+conquest yours, I yours, the shield and glory yours;' but the knight did
+not heed her, for his eye was ever bent on the wall of thick darkness
+which shut in his foe. Indeed, so busy were his thoughts that he never
+knew that blood was streaming from his wounds, till the queen ordered
+him to be carried into the palace, and ointments to be laid on his body.
+
+As was her custom, Duessa talked much and loudly of the care she would
+give him, and of his speedy cure under her hands; but when night fell
+she stole forth and came to the spot where Sansjoy lay, still covered
+with the enchanted cloud. Then, in an iron chariot, borrowed from the
+Queen of Darkness, she drove him down to the underworld, and across the
+river which divides the kingdom of the living from that of the dead.
+Here giving him into the hands of the oldest and greatest of physicians,
+she went her way to the bedside of the Red Cross Knight.
+
+But for all that concerned that knight she might well have stayed in the
+kingdom of darkness; for in her absence the dwarf, wandering through the
+palace, had come upon a dungeon full of wretched captives, who filled
+the air with their wailings.
+
+Filled with fear, the dwarf hastened back to his master and prayed him
+to flee that place before the sun rose. Which the young knight gladly
+did, creeping away through a secret postern, though it was hard to find
+a footing amidst the corpses piled up on all sides, which had come to a
+bad end by reason of their own folly.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+[Illustration: UNA SAVED BY THE WOOD-FOLK]
+
+And what had become of Una when she had fallen into the power of
+Sansloy? Well, trembling she had followed him into the midst of a
+forest, where, to her wonder, from every bush sprang a host of fauns and
+people of the wood, and ran towards her. When the Saracen beheld
+them, he was so distraught with fear that he galloped right away,
+leaving Una behind him. But she, not knowing what to fear the most,
+stood shaking with dread, till the wood folk pressed around her, and,
+kneeling on the ground stroked lovingly her hands and feet. Then she
+understood that she was safe amongst them, and let them lead her where
+they would, and smiled at their songs and merry dances. If she could not
+be with the Red Cross Knight, then it mattered little where she was, and
+it gave her a feeling of rest and safety to lie hidden among the woods,
+with a people who would let nothing harmful come near her.
+
+So she stayed with them long, and taught them many things, while they in
+their turn showed her how to play on their pipes and to dance the
+prettiest and most graceful of their dances.
+
+Time passed in this wise, when one day it chanced that a noble knight,
+Satyrane by name, came to seek his kindred among the woodfolk. He
+wondered greatly to find so lovely a maid among them, and still more to
+see how eagerly they listened to her teachings, and henceforth he formed
+part of the throng that sat at her feet when the heat of the day was
+over.
+
+In this manner Una and the knight Satyrane soon became friends, and at
+length one day she poured out all her sad tale, and besought his help in
+her search for the Red Cross Knight. It was not easy to escape from the
+kind people who always thronged about her, and her heart was sore at the
+thought of leaving them, but she felt that for her captive parents'
+sake, as well as for the knight's, she could delay no longer.
+
+Therefore one morning, when the wood folk had gone to hold a feast in
+the forest, she rode away in company with Satyrane, and issuing from the
+forest soon reached the open plain. Towards evening they met a weary
+pilgrim, whose clothes were worn and soiled, and so true a pilgrim did
+he look, that Una did not know him to be the wizard Archimago. The
+knight instantly drew rein, and asked what tidings he could impart, and
+Una begged with faltering voice that he would tell her aught concerning
+a knight whose armour bore a red cross.
+
+'Alas! dear dame,' answered he slowly, 'these eyes did see that knight,
+both living and eke dead;' and with that he told her all his story.
+
+When he had finished, it was Satyrane who spoke.
+
+'Where is that Paynim's son, that him of life, and us of joy hath reft?'
+And the pilgrim made answer that he was hard by, washing his wounds at a
+fountain.
+
+Satyrane wasted no more words, but went right straight to the fountain,
+where he found Sansloy, whom he challenged instantly to fight. Sansloy
+hastily buckled on his armour, and cried that, though he had not slain
+the Red Cross Knight, he hoped to lay his champion in the dust. Then,
+both combatants being ready, the battle began.
+
+The sight was too dreadful for Una to bear, and she galloped away, not
+knowing that her deadliest foe, the wizard Archimago, was following her.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Meanwhile Duessa had left the splendid palace, and was riding over the
+country in pursuit of the Red Cross Knight, for it was bitter to her to
+see any escape, who had ever been under her thrall. Her good fortune,
+which never seemed to forsake her, before long led her to his side,
+where he lay resting on the banks of a stream, and he greeted her
+gladly.
+
+The sun was hot, and the water rippling clear over the stones seemed
+inviting. The knight was tired, and leaned down to drink, never knowing
+that the stream was enchanted. But in a moment his strength seemed to
+fail, and his arms grew weak as a child's, though he felt nothing till a
+horrible bellowing sounded in the wood. At the dreadful sound he started
+up and looked around for his armour, but before he could reach it a
+hideous giant was upon him.
+
+The fight did not take long, and in a short while the Red Cross Knight
+was a prisoner in the hands of the giant, who, accompanied by the false
+Duessa, carried his captive to a dungeon of his castle. After the door
+was safely locked and barred, the two then retired into the large hall,
+where they ate and made merry.
+
+From that day the giant brought forth his choicest treasures with which
+to deck Duessa. Her robes were purple, and a triple crown of gold was on
+her head, and, what she liked not so well, he gave her a seven-headed
+serpent to ride on.
+
+Now the faithful dwarf had watched the fate of his master, and when he
+saw him borne away senseless by the giant, he took up the armour which
+had been lain aside in the hour of need, and set out he knew not
+whither.
+
+He had gone but a little distance when he met Una, who read at a glance
+the evil tidings he had brought. She fell off her ass in a deadly swoon,
+and the dwarf, whose heart was nigh as sore, rubbed her temples with
+water and strove to bring her back to life. But when she heard the tale
+of all that had befallen the Red Cross Knight since last she had parted
+from him, she would fain have died, till the thought sprang suddenly
+into her mind that perhaps she might still rescue him. So with fresh
+hope she took the road to the giant's castle, but the way was far, and
+she was woefully tired before even its towers were in sight. Brave
+though she was, the maiden's courage failed her at last, and she began
+to weep afresh, when her eyes happened to light upon a good knight
+riding to meet her. He was clad in armour that shone more than any
+man's, and well it might, as it had been welded by the great enchanter
+Merlin. On the crest of his helmet a golden dragon spread his wings: and
+in the centre of his breast-plate a precious stone shone forth amidst a
+circle of smaller ones, 'like Hesperus among the lesser lights.'
+
+As he drew near, and saw before him a lady in distress, he reined in his
+horse, and with gentle words drew from her all her trouble.
+
+'Be of good cheer,' he said, when the tale was ended, 'and take comfort;
+for never will I forsake you till I have freed your captive knight.'
+
+And, though she knew him not, at his promise Una took heart of grace,
+and bade the dwarf lead them to the giant's castle.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Conducted by the dwarf and followed by the squire, the knight and lady
+soon reached the castle. Bidding Una to await him outside, and calling
+to his squire to come with him, they both walked up to the gates, which
+were fast shut, though no man was guarding them.
+
+'Blow your horn,' said the knight, and the squire blew a blast. At the
+sound, the gates flew open, and the giant came foaming from his chamber
+to see what insolent thief had dared disturb his peace.
+
+And the giant did not come alone. Close after him rode Duessa, 'high
+mounted on her many-headed beast'; and at this sight the knight raised
+his shield and eagerly began the attack.
+
+But, horrible though the serpent was, he was not the sole foe that the
+knight had to fight with. The giant's only weapon was his club, but that
+was as thick as a man's body, and studded with iron points besides.
+Luckily for the knight, this was not the first giant to whom he had
+given battle, and ere the mighty blow could fall he sprang lightly to
+one side, and the club lay buried so deep in the ground that before the
+giant could draw it out again, his left arm was smitten off by the
+knight's sword.
+
+[Illustration: ARTHUR FIGHTS THE SEVEN-HEADED SERPENT]
+
+The giant's roars of pain might have been heard in the uttermost parts
+of the kingdom, and Duessa quickly guided her baleful beast to the help
+of her wounded friend. But her way was barred by the squire, who, sword
+in hand, 'stood like a bulwark' between his lord and the serpent.
+Duessa, full of wrath at being foiled, turned the serpent on him, but
+not one foot would the squire move till, beside herself with anger, the
+witch drew out her cup and sprinkled him with the poisonous water. Then
+the strength went out of his arms and the courage from his heart, and he
+sank helpless on the ground before the snake, who fain would have
+trampled the life out of him, and it would have fared ill with him had
+not the knight rushed swiftly to his rescue, and dealt the snake such a
+wound that the garments of Duessa were all soaked in blood. She shrieked
+to the giant that she would be lost if he did not come to her aid, and
+the giant, whose one arm seemed to have gained the strength of two,
+struck the knight such a blow on the helmet that he sank heavily on the
+ground.
+
+The giant raised a shout of joy, but he triumphed too soon. The knight,
+in falling, caught the covering of his shield upon his spear, and rent
+it from top to toe. The brilliance that flowed from it burnt into the
+eyes of the giant, so that he was 'blinded by excess of light,' and sank
+sightless on the ground. At a fresh cry from Duessa he struggled to his
+feet, but all in vain. He had no power to hurt nor to defend, and fell
+back so heavily that the very earth shook beneath him, and was an easy
+prey for his foe, who smote his head from his body.
+
+Duessa, as we know, never stayed with those with whom the world went
+ill, and she was stealing away quietly, when once more the squire
+stopped her.
+
+'You are captive to my lord,' he said, and, holding her firmly, led her
+back.
+
+Then Una came running full of grateful words, but when she saw Duessa a
+cloud of fierce wrath passed over her face.
+
+'Beware lest that wicked woman escape,' cried she, 'for she it is who
+has worked all this ill, and thrown my dearest lord into the dungeon.
+Oh, hear how piteously he calls to you for aid!'
+
+'I give her into your keeping,' answered the knight, turning to the
+squire, 'and beware of her wiles, for they are many;' and, leaving the
+rest behind him, he strode into the castle, meeting no man as he went.
+
+At last there crept forth from one corner an old, old man with a huge
+bunch of rusty keys hanging from his arm. The knight asked him in gentle
+speech whence had gone all the people who dwelt in the castle, but he
+answered only that he could not tell, till the knight waxed impatient,
+and took the keys from him.
+
+The doors of all the rooms opened easily enough, and inside he found the
+strangest medley. Everywhere blood lay thick upon the floors, while the
+walls were covered with cloth of gold and splendid tapestry. No signs
+were there of any living creature, yet he knew that in some hiding-place
+in the castle the captive lay concealed.
+
+The knight had come to the last door of all. It was of iron, and no key
+on the bunch would open it. On one side was a little grating, and
+through it he called loudly, lest perchance any man might hear his
+voice.
+
+At that there answered him a hollow empty sound, and for a while he
+could not make out any words. Then from out the wailing in the darkness
+something spoke:
+
+'Oh, who is that which brings me happy choice of death? Three moons have
+waxed and waned since I beheld the face of heaven? Oh, welcome, welcome
+art thou who hast come to end my weary life!'
+
+The moaning sound of the voice thrilled the brave champion with horror.
+Putting his shoulder to the iron door, he gave a mighty heave, and the
+hinges gave way. Nothing could he see, for the darkness was terrible,
+and his foot, which he stretched cautiously inward, touched no floor.
+And, besides, the foul smells rushed out, poisoning him with their
+fumes.
+
+But when he had grown in some measure used to the darkness and the
+odours, he began to think how he could best deliver the Red Cross Knight
+from the pit into which he had fallen. To this end he sought through the
+castle till he found some lengths of rope, which he carried back with
+him, as he did not know how deep the pit might be. He knotted three or
+four together and let the rope down, but even when a faint cry from the
+captive told him that it had reached the bottom, his labours were not
+ended yet. Twice the knots gave way, by good fortune, before the man was
+more than a foot or two from the ground, and other pieces of rope had to
+be fetched. Then, when all was made fast, the prisoner had grown so weak
+that he could scarce draw himself up; and again the knight feared
+greatly lest he himself should not have strength to hold fast the rope.
+But at length his courage and patience prevailed, and the Red Cross
+Knight, hollow-eyed, and thin as a skeleton, looked once more upon the
+sun.
+
+His parents might have gazed on him and not known him for their child,
+but Una's heart leapt when the unknown knight brought him to her.
+
+'Welcome,' she said, 'welcome in weal or woe. Your presence I have
+lacked for many a day,' and fain would she have heard the tale of his
+sufferings, had not the knight, who knew that men love not to speak of
+their sorrows, begged her to tend the captive carefully, so that his
+forces might come to him again. Further, he bade them remember that they
+had in their power the woman who had been the cause of all their grief,
+and the time had come to give sentence on her.
+
+'I cannot slay her, now she is mine to slay,' answered Una, 'but strip
+her robe of scarlet from off her, and let her go whither she will.'
+
+With her robes and her jewels went all the magic arts that gave her
+youth and beauty. Instead of the dazzling maiden who had wrought so much
+havoc in the world, there stood before them an old bald-headed shaking
+crone, that seemed as ancient as the earth itself. Silently they gazed,
+then turned away in horror, while Duessa wandered into paths of which
+she alone knew the ending.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It was not until they had rested themselves awhile in the castle that
+the stranger knight told who he was and why he came there. He was, he
+said, Arthur, the ward of Merlin, and had ridden far and long in quest
+of the Faerie Queen. And having fulfilled his vow to Una, in delivering
+the Red Cross Knight out of the power of the giant, he bade both
+farewell, leaving behind him, as a remembrance of their friendship a
+diamond box containing a precious ointment, which would cure any wound,
+however deep or poisonous.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+So they parted, but not yet was the Red Cross Knight able to face the
+monstrous dragon who held captive Una's royal parents. For some weeks
+therefore he rested in the castle till his strength came back, then once
+more he and Una rode forth side by side.
+
+They had not gone far when they beheld an armed knight galloping fast
+towards them, and as he went ever glancing over his shoulder as if
+fearful of some dread thing behind. His matted hair streamed in the wind
+and the fingers which grasped the reins were like the claws of an eagle.
+Stranger than all, round his neck was tied a hempen rope. 'He seems to
+be afraid of himself,' thought the Red Cross Knight as he checked his
+horse to offer help to the flying man before him.
+
+At first it seemed as if his words fell on dumb ears, but patiently he
+repeated them over and over again, and at length an answer came from
+the shaking figure:
+
+'For God's sake, Sir Knight, do not, I pray you, stay me, for look, HE
+comes, HE comes fast after me;' and as he spoke he urged on his horse
+afresh. But the Red Cross Knight caught his bridle and bade him fear
+nothing, as he was safe with him, and to tell him why such awful fear
+possessed his soul.
+
+At last the stricken man poured forth his tale, and the Red Cross Knight
+learned that once he was happy and free, like other men, till on an
+ill-starred day he and a friend had fallen in with a cursed wight who
+called himself 'Despair,' who had plucked all hope from their breasts,
+and bade them seek death, the one with a rope, the other with a knife.
+His friend, whose love had been disdained by a proud lady, fell an easy
+prey to the persuasions of the giant, and it was the sight of his corpse
+lying weltering in his blood that drove this man to ride away while yet
+the rope hung loose. 'O sir,' he added when the sad tale was told--'O
+sir, be warned by me, and never let yourself stray into his presence!
+His subtle tongue, like dropping honey, melts into the heart, and ere
+one be aware, his power is gone and weakness doth remain.'
+
+But the Red Cross Knight made answer that he would never rest till he
+had seen with his own eyes that baleful being, and begged the stranger,
+whose name was Trevisan, to guide him hither.
+
+'I will ride back with you, as you ask it of me,' said Sir Trevisan
+unwillingly, 'but not for all the gold in the world will I stay with you
+when you reach his cave, for sooner would I die than see his deadly
+face!'
+
+'Ride on, then, and I will follow,' answered the Red Cross Knight.
+
+The cave lay in the side of a cliff, and was dark and gloomy as a tomb.
+The only sounds they heard were the hooting of an owl and the wails and
+howls of wandering ghosts; the only sights were the corpses of men
+hanging on trees or lying stark upon the ground. Sir Trevisan turned
+his horse's head and would fain have fled, but the Red Cross Knight
+stopped him.
+
+'You are safe with me,' he said confidently, and the other, who was ever
+weak of will, waited.
+
+They entered the cave, and found the doer of all that evil seated on the
+floor, his eyes as the eyes of a dead man, and his body well nigh as
+much a skeleton as any of his victims. On the grass beneath him lay a
+body that was still warm, and in its bleeding wound a rusty knife still
+stood. The sight stirred the blood in the knight's veins, and he
+challenged the murderer to fight where he stood.
+
+'Are you distraught, you foolish man,' was all his answer, 'that you
+should talk in this wild way? It was his own guilt which drove him to
+his end. He loathed his life, why should he then prolong it? Is it not
+the part of a friend to free his feet when they stick fast in the mud,
+and to point to the door that leads to rest, even if some little pain
+must be suffered in the passage? Is not short pain well borne that
+brings long ease--sleep after toil, port after stormy seas?'
+
+The Red Cross Knight listened wonderingly. Then he answered:
+
+'The soldier may not cease to watch nor leave his stand until his
+captain bid.'
+
+But the cursed wight replied boldly, 'The longer life, I wot, the
+greater sin. The greater sin, the greater punishment. Therefore, I pray
+you go no further, but lie down and betake you to your rest. A longer
+life means old age and sickness, and every kind of sorrow. So lay it
+down while things are yet well with you.'
+
+[Illustration: IN THE CAVE OF DESPAIR]
+
+In spite of Sir Trevisan's warning, the fair-sounding words found an
+echo in the heart of the Red Cross Knight, as they had done in the
+hearts of many men before him. The miscreant saw that his courage was
+wavering, and forthwith he brought forth a store of swords, ropes,
+poisons, and a brazier of fire, and bade him choose what manner of
+death he would prefer. The knight gazed at them all, like one who walks
+in sleep, but touched none of them, and the miscreant, beholding this,
+chose out a dagger bright and new, and thrust it in his shaking hand.
+The young man looked at it, his face reddened and then grew pale again,
+and slowly, as if against his will, he lifted the dagger.
+
+A shriek from Una, who had only just reached the cave, caused him to
+drop his arm again, and in an instant she had snatched it from his limp
+fingers, and had flung it on the ground.
+
+'Come away, come away,' she cried, 'let no vain words bewitch you! What
+have you to do with despair, after all the brave deeds you have done?
+Arise, Sir knight, arise and leave this cursed place. Have you forgotten
+that other work awaits you?'
+
+The voice of Una broke the spell which had possessed him. Once more his
+eye grew bright and his arm strong. He mounted his horse and rode away
+by Una's side without ever looking behind him. If he had, he would have
+seen that the miscreant had placed a rope round his own neck, and hanged
+himself on a tree. But even so he could not die; the death to which he
+drove others remained far from him.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The ease with which the Red Cross Knight had been mastered by the wily
+talk of the gloomy miscreant in the cave showed Una that his mind, if
+not his body, was still weak from his long imprisonment in the dungeon.
+She saw that before he could fight the dragon who had carried off her
+parents he needed yet more repose, and luckily she knew of a house not
+far off where they would be made welcome for as long as they chose to
+stay. Hither they fared, and for many weeks the knight's armour was laid
+away, and the ladies who dwelt in that place gave him all the strength
+and counsel that they could think of. Then, when at last he had become
+what he had been of yore, Una bade farewell to her hosts with great
+thanks, and set out for the royal castle. After three days the walls of
+a high tower might be seen dimly across the plain.
+
+'It is there that my parents are kept imprisoned by the dragon,' said
+Una, pointing to it with her hand, 'and I see the watchman watching for
+good tidings, if haply such there be. Ah, he has waited long!'
+
+As she spoke, a roaring hideous sound was heard that seemed to shake the
+ground and to fill all the air with terror. Turning their heads, they
+beheld on their right a huge dragon, lying stretched upon the sunny side
+of a great hill, himself like a great hill. But no sooner did he see the
+shining armour of the knight than he roused himself and made ready for
+battle.
+
+Hastily the Red Cross Knight bade Una withdraw herself to another hill,
+from which she could see the fight without herself being in danger.
+Crouching behind a rock, she watched the dreadful beast approaching,
+half flying and half walking as he went. Run he could not, his size was
+too vast.
+
+Her heart sank as she looked, for how could mortal man get the better of
+such a creature! Besides the brazen scales which thickly covered his
+body, his wings were like two sails, and at the tip of each huge feather
+was a many-pronged claw; while his back was hidden with the folds of his
+tail, which lay doubled in a hundred coils, and in his mouth were three
+rows of sharp-pointed teeth. Una could look no more; she shut her eyes
+and waited.
+
+The knight felt that if he was to win the victory at all it must be by
+means of his lightness of foot, as the monster was so large he could not
+turn himself about quickly. So, getting a little behind his head, he
+tried to pierce his neck between the scaly plates, but the spear glanced
+off harmlessly, and a stroke from the tip of the tail laid both him and
+his horse on the ground.
+
+[Illustration: THE END OF THE DRAGON]
+
+They rose again instantly, and returned to the charge, but a second blow
+met with no better fate. Then the dragon in wrath spread wide his sails
+and rose heavily above the earth, till, suddenly and swiftly darting
+down his head, he snatched both horse and man off the ground. But here
+the knight had the advantage, for with his spear he stung the beast so
+sore that the monster speedily set his captives again on the earth.
+
+Not giving the dragon time to gather himself up, the knight dealt him a
+blow under the left wing. With a roar of agony, the beast snapped the
+spear asunder with his claws, and pulled out the head. At that a sea of
+blood gushed from the wound which would have turned a water-mill, and in
+his pain and rage flames of fire gushed from his mouth.
+
+Unwinding his tail from his back, he coiled it like lightning about the
+legs of the horse, which fell to the ground with his rider. But in an
+instant the knight was on his feet, and by the mere force of his blows
+forced his enemy to reel, though the brazen scales were still unpierced.
+Though his courage was as great as ever, the young man began to lose
+patience, when of a sudden he noticed that the monster could no longer
+rise into the air by reason of his wounded wing. That sight gave him
+heart, and he drew near once more, only to be scorched by the deadly
+fire from the dragon's jaws. Half blinded and suffocated, he staggered,
+which the dragon seeing, he dealt the knight such a blow that he fell
+backwards into a well that lay behind.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+'So that is the end of him,' said the dragon to himself; but, if he had
+only known, it was the beginning, for the well into which the knight had
+fallen was the well of life, which could cure all hurts and heal all
+wounds.
+
+All night Una watched at her post, for darkness had come before the
+knight received his final blow. In the morning, before the sun had risen
+above the plain, she was looking for the knight, who was lying she knew
+not where. Her eyes dropping by chance on the well, she was sore amazed
+to see him rise out of it fairer and mightier than before. With a rush
+he fell upon the dragon, who had gone to sleep, safe in the knowledge of
+his victory, and, taking his sword in both hands, he drove right through
+the brazen scales, and wounded him deep in his skull. In vain did the
+monster roar and struggle; the blows rained thick and fast, and most of
+his tail was cut from his body.
+
+Again and again the knight was overthrown, and again and again he rose
+to his feet, and laid about him as valiantly as ever. But while the
+fight was still hanging in the balance, the dragon thrust his head
+forward with wide-open jaws, thinking to swallow his enemy and make an
+end of him. Quick as thought the knight sprang aside, and, thrusting his
+sword in the yawning gulf up to the hilt, gave the dragon his
+death-blow.
+
+Down he fell, fire and smoke gushing from his nostrils--down he fell,
+and men thought some mighty mountain must have cast up rocks on the
+earth.
+
+The victor himself trembled, and it was long ere Una dared draw near,
+dreading lest the direful fiend should stir. But when at last she knew
+him dead, she came joyfully forth, and, bursting into happy tears,
+faltered her gratitude for the good he had wrought her.
+
+There is little more to be told of Una and the Red Cross knight.
+
+The watchman on the wall, who had seen the dreadful battle, was the
+first to tell the king and queen that the dragon was dead and that they
+were free. Then the king commanded the trumpets to sound and the people
+to assemble, so that fitting rejoicings might be made at the destruction
+of their foe.
+
+This being done, a mighty procession came down, headed by the king and
+queen, to lay laurel boughs at the feet of the victor, and to set a
+garland of bay on the head of the maiden. Once more Duessa and
+Archimago sought to prevent the betrothal of the Red Cross Knight and
+Una by a plot to send the wizard in the guise of a messenger,
+proclaiming the knight to have been already bound to the daughter of the
+emperor, but the false tale was easily seen through, and Archimago
+thrown into a dungeon.
+
+After that the king himself performed the marriage rite, and a solemn
+feast was held through the land, but the wedded pair were not long left
+together. A vow the knight had made when he received his spurs to do the
+Faerie Queen six years of service called him from Una's side, and, sad
+though the parting might be, both held their word too high ever to break
+it.
+
+[From _The Faerie Queene_.]
+
+
+
+
+_AMYS AND AMYLE_
+
+
+Some time in the Middle Ages there lived in the Duchy of Lombardy,
+which, as everybody knows, is part of Italy, two knights, who loved each
+other like brothers. And, what is more to be wondered at, their wives
+were the best friends in the world. To complete the happiness of the two
+couples, two little boys were born to them on the same day, and they
+were given the names of Amys and Amyle.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Now it generally happens that when parents are very anxious for their
+children to be friends, because they are the same age, or neighbours, or
+for some equally good reason, the young people make up their minds to
+hate each other. However, Amys and Amyle did not disappoint their
+fathers and mothers in this way. From the moment they could walk they
+were never seen apart; if they ever _did_ quarrel no one ever heard of
+it; and by the time they were twelve years old they had grown so like
+each other that even their parents could hardly tell the difference
+between them. Indeed, the likeness between them is supposed to have
+given rise to the proverb, 'A miss is as good as a mile.'
+
+It was in that year that the duke, their liege lord, bade all his
+vassals to a great festival to be held in his castle, and many of them
+took their sons with them, to show them some of the customs of chivalry.
+Amys and Amyle went with the rest, and endless were the mistakes made
+about them. The boys themselves, who were merry little fellows,
+delighted in increasing the confusion, and played so many pranks that
+the duke declared that they must remain at the court with him, as his
+life would be too dull without them.
+
+Perhaps the knights thought that their homes would be dull too, but, if
+so, they did not dare say so; only their wives noticed, as they entered
+the castle gates, that their heads were bowed, as if some ill had
+befallen them.
+
+At first the boys felt unhappy and lonely in this strange new world, and
+clung to each other more closely than ever, but, after a little, they
+got used to the change, and learned eagerly how to shoot at a mark and
+tilt at a ring, or to sing sweet love-songs to the sound of a lute.
+
+So the years passed away till Amys and Amyle were eighteen years old,
+and thought themselves men, and were ready to cross lances with the
+bravest. The first step they took towards proving to the world that no
+tie of blood could bind them closer than the love they bore one to
+another, was to swear the oaths which made them brothers in arms, and
+obliged them to fight in each other's quarrels, avenge each other's
+wrongs--even to sacrifice what the other held most dear in the service
+of his friend. Marriage itself was not more sacred.
+
+All this time the duke had been too busy with his own affairs to have
+the youths much in his company, though he took care that they had the
+best chances of learning everything that they ought to know. When,
+however, he heard that Amys and Amyle had sworn the solemn oaths that
+made them brothers in arms, he ordered a tournament to be held in their
+honour, and, when it was over, knighted them on the field. He further
+declared that henceforth Sir Amys should be his chief butler and Sir
+Amyle his head steward over his household, thus the steward whom Amyle
+displaced became their deadly enemy.
+
+Although the young men knew a great deal about hunting, and wrestling,
+and other such sports, they had no idea what the duties of a butler and
+a steward might be. But what they _did_ know was that they would have to
+be very careful, for the eyes of the old steward were watching eagerly
+to report any mistakes to the duke their master. Luckily for them, they
+were favourites with everyone, and if now and then they forgot their
+work, or slipped away for a day's hunting, well! the task was done by
+somebody, and not even the old steward could find out by whom.
+
+Everything seemed going smoothly, and the new-made knights were in
+danger of being spoilt by the favour of the ladies of the court, when a
+sudden stop was put to all their pleasures. One day a man-at-arms riding
+a jaded horse appeared at the palace gateway, and demanded to be led
+into the presence of the good knight Sir Amyle.
+
+'Oh, my lord,' said he, and knew not that it was Amys before whom he was
+kneeling, 'it is grievous news that I bear unto you. Your father and
+mother, that noble knight and his lady, died of a pestilence but seven
+days agone, and none save you can take their place. Therefore am I sent
+unto you.'
+
+'_My_ father and mother?' cried Amys, staggering back.
+
+'Yes, my lord, yours,' answered the man. 'At least----' he stammered, as
+Sir Amyle came and stood by his friend, 'I know not if indeed it may be
+yours. It is long years since I have seen you, and this knight and you
+have but one face. But it is Sir Amyle with whom I would speak.'
+
+Then Amys laid his hand on his brother's shoulder.
+
+'Be comforted,' he said softly. 'Am I not with thee? and, though I
+cannot go with thee now, I will follow thee shortly unless thou quickly
+return to me.'
+
+Early next morning Amyle started with a heavy heart for the home which
+he had left six years before; but before his departure he had caused to
+be made two cups of gold, delicately wrought with figures of birds and
+beasts, such as he and Amys had often chased in the forests and lakes of
+Lombardy. The cups were no more to be told from each other than were
+Amys and Amyle themselves, and Amyle placed them in the pockets of his
+saddle till the moment came for him to part from Sir Amys, who had
+ridden with him as far as he might. Then, drawing out one of the cups,
+Amyle placed it in his friend's hands.
+
+'Farewell, my brother,' he said. 'Be true to me as I will be true to
+you, according to the oath which we sware, that as long as we both shall
+live nothing and nobody shall stand between me and thee.'
+
+And Sir Amys repeated the words of his oath, then slowly turned his
+horse's head towards the castle.
+
+Seven days' hard riding brought Sir Amyle back to his native place, and
+for many months he had much to do in setting aside the pretenders who
+had sprung up to claim his father's lands. When at last peace was
+restored and the false traitors had been thrown into prison, a petition
+on the part of his vassals to take a wife and settle down amongst them,
+turned his thoughts in other directions.
+
+It was the custom of the country that the ruler of those lands should
+choose his wife from the most beautiful maidens in the Duchy of
+Lombardy, no matter what might be their degree. So a herald was sent
+forth to proclaim that any damsel who wished to fill this high place was
+to present herself in the courtyard of the palace on the morning
+following the next new moon, where the chamberlain would receive her.
+Oh, what a fluttering of hearts there was in the towns and villages, as
+the herald, with his silver trumpet and his satin coat of red and
+yellow, covered with figures of strange beasts, passed up and down the
+streets! How the girls all ran to their mirrors, and turned themselves
+this way and that to see if there could possibly be a chance for them!
+Perhaps it was the fault of the headdress they wore that their faces
+seemed so long and their noses so big, or surely something was wrong
+with the glass that their cheeks looked so yellow! But even when it was
+proved beyond a doubt that neither headdress nor mirror was to blame in
+the matter, there were enough lovely maidens and to spare in the
+courtyard of the castle on the day following the new moon.
+
+[Illustration: THE TWO CUPS]
+
+'He is certain to choose _you_,' said one, who in her secret heart
+thought it was impossible that _she_ should be passed over.
+
+'Oh no; fair men's eyes alway rest upon dark women,' answered the girl,
+whose locks were brighter than the sun, though while she spoke she was
+really thinking that no one could bear comparison with her. And then all
+grew silent, for there was heard a blast of trumpets announcing that Sir
+Amyle was at hand.
+
+The young knight had donned for this occasion a close-fitting coat of
+silver cloth, while a short blue velvet mantle hung from his shoulders.
+He walked slowly down the ranks of the maidens, watching each carefully,
+and noting the way in which she received his gaze. Some looked down and
+blushed; some looked up and smiled, but one there was who did neither,
+only stood calm and pale as the young man drew near.
+
+She was a tall girl with dark hair and soft grey eyes, and the
+chamberlain had doubted long, before he told her father that she might
+take her stand with the rest. None would have chosen her as Queen of a
+Tourney, or bidden her preside over a Court of Love, yet there was that
+in her face which had caused Amyle to pause before her and to hold out
+his hand.
+
+So they were married, and by the side of his wife Sir Amyle for a while
+forgot his brother.
+
+Meanwhile Sir Amys dwelt sorrowfully at the court, defending himself as
+best he might against the wiles of the black-hearted steward, who now
+received him with smiles and fair words. Nay, he even desired that they
+should become brothers at arms, but to this Sir Amys replied that,
+having made oath to one brother at arms, the rules of chivalry did not
+allow him to take another.
+
+At these words the steward threw off the mask with which he had sought
+to beguile Sir Amys.
+
+'You will have cause to rue this day,' roared he, nearly choking in his
+wrath; 'you dog, you white-livered cur!' but Amys only smiled, and bade
+him do his worst.
+
+By this time the duke's only daughter, Belisante, had reached the age of
+fifteen, and on her birthday her father proclaimed a great tournament,
+which was to last for fourteen days. Knights from far and near flocked
+to break a lance in honour of the fair damsel, but, though many doughty
+deeds were done, the prize fell to Sir Amys. When he came up to receive
+the golden circlet from the hands of the duchess--for the duke held his
+daughter to be of too tender years to be queen of the tourney--Belisante
+looked earnestly at the knight whose praises had rung in her ears ever
+since her childhood. It was almost the first time her eyes had beheld
+him, for she had lived in one of her father's distant castles, and had
+seldom visited the court.
+
+Now we all know full well that whenever we form to ourselves the picture
+of a man or woman of whom great things are said, woeful is in general
+the disappointment. But even in that assembly Sir Amys was taller and
+stronger and fairer to look upon than the rest.
+
+'He shall be my knight,' said Belisante to herself, never dreaming that
+any man alive could pass her by. But Sir Amys' thoughts dwelt not upon
+women, and he hardly so much as marked her where she sat.
+
+This slight was more than the spoiled damsel could bear. She fell sick
+with love and anger, and for many days lay in bed, pondering how she
+should win the love of Sir Amys.
+
+A full week went by, and still she had never had speech of him--nor had
+even so much as caught sight of him as he followed her father to the
+chase. But one morning her lady brought her word--for indeed she had
+guessed something of her mistress's heart--that Sir Amys had so wearied
+himself in pursuit of a boar the previous evening that he had let his
+lord ride forth alone. So Belisante bade her maiden bring her kirtle of
+green silk, and clasp it with her golden belt set with precious
+stones, and place a veil of shining white upon her hair; then seeking
+her mother they went down into the garden together.
+
+[Illustration: Softly she rose to her feet and stole out of the wood]
+
+It was not long before her quick-glancing eyes beheld Sir Amys lying
+under a tree by the side of a stream, but in her guile she took no heed
+of him, but turned away and entered a little wood.
+
+'I can sleep now,' she said, stretching herself on a bank of soft moss.
+'Listen to the birds, how sweetly they sing! Methinks I hear the voice
+of the nightingale, for the trees make such darkness that he knows not
+night from day.'
+
+'Let us leave her,' answered her mother, and signing to her ladies they
+all returned to the castle.
+
+For a moment Belisante lay still, feigning to sleep; then she raised
+herself on her arm and looked about her. Nothing was to be seen save the
+green darkness about her, nothing was to be heard save the songs of the
+birds. Softly she rose to her feet, and stole out of the wood to the
+orchard where Sir Amys was resting, thinking, though she guessed it not,
+of his brother in arms Amyle.
+
+He sprang to his feet in surprise as Belisante the Fair drew near him;
+but she begged him to sit beside her, and told him how that she had been
+sick of love, and besought him of his grace not to withhold this good
+gift from her. Sir Amys hearkened to her words, not knowing if he had
+heard aright, but, calling his wits to his aid, he answered that she was
+the daughter of a great prince while he was only the son of a poor
+knight, and that marriage between them might never be. This speech so
+wrought upon Belisante that she broke out in such tears and entreaties
+that Sir Amys, to gain time to ponder what best to do, replied that if
+in eight days her mind was still set on him, he would ask her hand in
+marriage.
+
+By ill-luck for both the knight and the maiden, the steward, who had
+been seeking a chance of doing Sir Amys an ill turn, had seen Belisante
+leave the wood and go in search of Sir Amys. Creeping stealthily up to
+them, he hid himself behind a clump of bushes and heard all that was
+said. Cunningly he made his plan, and on the eighth day he waylaid the
+duke and told him that Sir Amys was about to repay all the kindness
+shown him by a secret marriage with the duke's daughter.
+
+Sir Amys was keeping guard that day in the hall of the palace, when,
+sword in hand, his liege lord stood before him charging him with
+beguiling his daughter. In another moment Amys would have fallen dead,
+but behind him was a little room, and into this he stepped, shutting the
+door, so that the sword stuck in the hard wood as it came against it.
+This mischance somewhat cooled the duke's anger, and, bidding Sir Amys
+come out and speak with him, he again accused him of having sought to
+steal away his daughter, whom he wished to betrothe to the emperor's
+son.
+
+Sir Amys was in sore straits. If he could have borne the penalty alone,
+he would have suffered gladly whatever sentence the duke might have
+passed on him; but this could not be. So, to save Belisante from her
+father's wrath, he swore a great oath that there was no truth in that
+tale, and, flinging down his glove, offered to fight any man whom the
+duke should appoint, and prove his innocence on his body. Then the king
+bade his steward pick up Sir Amys' glove, and fixed a morning, fourteen
+days hence, when the two should meet in single combat.
+
+Still it was not enough that Sir Amys and the steward should agree to
+fight; it was needful also that sureties should be found, and such was
+the steward's power at court that all men feared to come forward on
+behalf of Sir Amys. The young man would have fared badly, and indeed
+would at once have been thrown into prison, had not both Belisante and
+her mother offered themselves as sureties for his presence when the day
+arrived.
+
+But not all the wiles of the fair Belisante could chase the gloom from
+the face of Sir Amys. He never forgot that he had sworn a false oath,
+and it was to no purpose that Belisante reminded him of all the ill
+deeds done by the steward to him and others. 'This time,' he said sadly,
+'_I_ have the wrong and _he_ the right, therefore I am afraid to fight,'
+and no other answer could she wring from him.
+
+Way out of the tangle there seemed none. Fight Sir Amys could not, with
+the weight of a false oath on his soul, yet to run away were to confess
+all, and leave Belisante to bear her father's anger alone. Turn his
+thoughts which side he would, escape seemed barred, till the image of
+Sir Amyle flashed across him. 'Fool, why had he not remembered him
+earlier? Luckily there was yet time, and he could ride with full speed
+to his brother's castle, and bid him return to take the battle on
+himself.' With a gladder face than he had known for long, he sought out
+the duchess and her daughter, and told them his plan.
+
+Before the sun rose Sir Amys was in the saddle, and so busy was he with
+all that had befallen him that he pushed on and never drew rein till his
+horse dropped dead under him from sheer weariness. As there was no town
+or house where he might find another, he was forced to proceed on foot.
+But by-and-by he too fell from lack of sleep, and when Sir Amyle was
+returning home through the forest after a day's hunting, he discovered
+his brother stretched across the path in the shade of a tree.
+
+Joy at meeting gave new life to Sir Amys, and, sitting up, he told his
+friend all his woes, and how he dare not fight with a false oath on his
+conscience.
+
+'Oh! that is easily to be managed,' cried Sir Amyle, with a great laugh.
+'Go home to my castle,' said he, 'and tell my wife that you have sent
+the horse to Sir Amys, at court, as you heard he had sore need of one.
+None will know you from me, no more than they did of old, and, as to my
+wife, it was but now I told her that business called me to the most
+distant parts of my lands, so this very night you can bid her farewell.'
+
+Sir Amys did as his brother bade him, and Sir Amyle hastened with all
+speed to the duke's palace.
+
+He was only just in time. The hour for the fight had come, and the
+steward had entered the lists, and, looking round in triumph, proclaimed
+to all whom it might concern that his adversary knew himself to be a
+traitor to his lord, and had fled. Therefore, according to all the rules
+of chivalry, a fire should be made, and his sureties burned before all
+the people.
+
+At these dreadful words, the hearts of the king and his wife and
+daughter trembled within them. For the steward had spoken truly, and the
+order for the execution must be given. It was in vain that the men
+worked right slowly; linger as they might, the pile was ready at last,
+and with one despairing glance round, the duchess and her daughter were
+bravely walking up to it, when Sir Amyle hastily pushed his way to the
+duke and demanded that the captives should be instantly set free. Then,
+followed by the duchess and Belisante, he entered the palace to gird
+himself with the armour of Sir Amys.
+
+When his helmet and sword were buckled on him, he prayed them to leave
+him, as he would fain be alone for a short space before he mounted his
+horse. So the two ladies embraced him and left him, wishing him
+God-speed. As the door closed upon them, Sir Amyle held up his sword and
+muttered a prayer before it.
+
+'Come weal or woe, I will help my brother,' he said softly; then
+mounting his horse he rode into the lists, and, kneeling, took the oath
+that he was guiltless of wrong and would prove his innocence on the body
+of his foe.
+
+[Illustration: SIR AMYLE ARRIVES IN TIME TO SAVE THE LADIES]
+
+The fight lasted but a short time; the steward's sword was keen, and he
+knew how to use it, and it was not long before he had given Sir Amyle a
+sharp thrust through the shoulder, and the young knight reeled in his
+saddle. The steward uttered a cry of fierce joy, and raised his arm to
+deal a second blow, when Sir Amyle suddenly spurred his horse to one
+side and pierced his enemy to the heart. Then, all bleeding as he was,
+the false Amys cut off the head of the traitor, and gave it to the
+duke, proving to him and to all the court that the right had conquered.
+But hardly had he done so when, faint from loss of blood, he fell
+senseless on the ground, and was carried into the palace, where the
+duke's best leeches were called in to attend him. In a few days the
+fever left him, and he was able to receive a visit from the duke
+himself.
+
+'O Amys, my friend, how I have misjudged you!' cried the duke, falling
+on his knees weeping; 'but I will let my people know that you were
+always true, and you shall marry my daughter as soon as you can stand
+upon your feet, and I will hold a feast, and proclaim you heir to my
+duchy.'
+
+And the wounded man gave him thanks and grace, but sent off a messenger
+in all haste to Sir Amys, bidding him be by a spring in the forest, nine
+days hence, which message Sir Amys obeyed, wondering what had passed.
+Then the two knights changed their clothes once more, and Sir Amyle
+returned to his wife and Sir Amys to his bride, and they lived happily
+to the end of their lives.
+
+[Adapted and shortened from _Early English Metrical Romances_.]
+
+
+
+
+_THE TALE OF THE CID_
+
+
+In the year 1025, when Canute the Dane was sitting on the throne of
+England, there was born in the ancient Spanish city of Burgos a baby, to
+whom was given the name of Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar. He came of noble blood
+on both sides of the House, and his forefathers had borne some of the
+highest offices of the land, and from his childhood the boy had been
+taught that it was his duty never to fall one whit behind them in
+courage and in honour. As he grew older, he burned more and more for a
+chance to show the metal of which he was made, and longed to join the
+companies of knights that were ever going forth to fight the Arabs, who
+for nearly four hundred years had reigned over the fairest provinces of
+Spain. But to all his prayers, his father, Don Diego Lainez, turned a
+deaf ear.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+'Wait, wait, my son!' he would say; 'the little shoot must first grow
+into a tree. Go now and practise that sword-thrust in which you failed
+yesterday.'
+
+It was when he was sixteen that the longed-for opportunity came.
+
+Don Diego Lainez, now old and weak, had gone to do his homage to King
+Fernando, who had managed to unite the small kingdoms of Northern Spain
+under his banner. Some dispute arose between him and the powerful count,
+Don Lozano Gomez, probably as to which had the right to pass first into
+the presence of their king, and in the presence of the whole court Don
+Lozano spoke words of deadly insult to the old man, and even gave him a
+buffet on the cheek. The courtiers all cried shame, and Don Diego's hand
+clutched the pommel of his sword, but his rage had deprived him of the
+little strength that remained, and he was powerless to draw it. At this
+the count laughed scornfully, and, bowing mockingly to the king, who
+held it best that men should settle their own quarrels, rode away to his
+castle. Then, without another word, Don Diego turned and mounted his
+horse and set out homewards.
+
+A broken man and older by ten years was he when he entered his hall, but
+many days passed before any could guess what had wrought this change in
+him. All night he lay awake staring into the darkness, and when food was
+brought him it was carried away untasted, and his wife whispered to her
+ladies, 'If we rouse him not he will surely die! Would that I knew what
+has stricken him like this?'
+
+Fifteen days went by in this manner, and none thought to see him leave
+his bed again, when one morning he strode into the hall with some of the
+fire of his former years, and called his sons to him. One by one he
+signed to each to draw near, and taking their soft hands in his palms,
+pressed so hard that the boys cried to him to loosen his grasp, or they
+would die of the pain. But when he came to Rodrigo, he heard no prayers
+of mercy from _him_, only threats and hot words uttered with blazing
+eyes and cheeks burning with anger. And the old man wept for joy, and
+cried:
+
+'Thou art indeed my true son; your rage calms me, your fury heals me. It
+is you who will redeem my honour, which I held lost.' And then he told
+the youth the tale of what had passed at court.
+
+'Take my blessing,' were his last words, 'and take this sword also,
+which shall deal the count his death-blow. After that, you shall do
+greater deeds still.'
+
+[Illustration: RODRIGO BRINGS HOME THE HEAD OF GOMEZ]
+
+Young though he was, Rodrigo had heard enough of war to know Lozano
+Gomez would not prove an easy prey; but, easy or not, he meant to
+fight him. So, vowing to his sword that should he ever bring dishonour
+on the weapon that had done his House good service, he would sheathe it
+in his breast, he mounted his horse and rode to meet his foe.
+
+'Is it a knightly or a brave deed, think you, to smite an old man who
+cannot defend himself?' asked he. 'But when you dealt that blow you may
+have thought that his sons were yet in their cradles, and that there was
+none to avenge him. Well, traitor, you are wrong. _I_ am his son, and
+his honour is mine, so look to yourself, lest I take your head home with
+me.'
+
+And Gomez laughed to hear him, and bade him cease crowing like a young
+cock, but a furious onslaught from Rodrigo cut his words short, and
+hardly did he escape being unhorsed. Before he had steadied himself in
+the saddle Rodrigo had charged again, and this time his enemy was borne
+to the ground.
+
+'So may all dastards die!' cried the victor, as he cut off his head.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Don Diego Lainez was sitting at the table in his great hall, the tears
+rolling down his cheeks as the shameful scene of his dishonour rose up
+before him. Suddenly a clatter of hoofs was heard in the courtyard, and
+the doors swung open. The men-at-arms gathered round the board rose to
+their feet as Rodrigo entered, carrying the head of Count Gomez by the
+long front lock. Taking Don Diego by the arm, he shook him roughly:
+
+'Open your eyes wide, my father, and raise your head, and let your heart
+be merry, for I have cut down the poisonous weed; I have stamped out the
+plague-spot; the robe of your honour is stainless as of yore.'
+
+For a moment the old man kept silence, and then he looked up, his face
+shining.
+
+'Son of my heart,' he said, 'it is enough. From henceforth the seat of
+honour is yours, and you shall take my place as the head of my House.'
+
+From that day the young knights vied with each other in gaining leave to
+ride in the train of Rodrigo Diaz, or 'the Cid' as he was afterwards
+called, and to this name was later added the proud title of 'Campeador.'
+Three hundred youths in splendid attire followed him to the court of
+Fernando, when he went in his turn to do the king homage, and stood by
+his side as he challenged anyone of the blood of Count Lozano to fight
+and avenge his death; but no one came. Then his father and his noble
+company left their horses to kiss the hand of the king, but Rodrigo
+remained in his saddle.
+
+'Get down, get down, Rodrigo!' cried his father, fearing lest the king
+should resent his rudeness. 'Swear fealty to thy lord, and kiss his
+hand, as a loyal subject should do.'
+
+Now, ever since he had fought with Count Gomez, Rodrigo had felt himself
+to be a man, and, more than that, to be much greater than other men, and
+he was not pleased to be scolded by his father in the presence of so
+many people. Still, he was wise enough to know that it would do him no
+good in the eyes of the nobles gathered round, to disobey his father,
+and slowly he got down from his horse to do homage with the rest. But so
+clumsy was he that, as he knelt, his sword nearly fell out of its
+sheath, and the king, thinking Rodrigo meant to kill him, started back,
+exclaiming:
+
+'Away, away! you devil! If you have the form of a man, your deeds are
+those of a lion.'
+
+'It is base to kiss the hand of such a craven,' answered Rodrigo in
+anger, 'and I hold that my father has heaped disgrace on his family by
+humbling himself in such a fashion!' And so saying, he rode away, with
+his followers behind him.
+
+A few centuries later a man might have lost his head for such words, but
+in those days people were accustomed to speak their minds even to
+kings, and little harm came of it. Six weeks later, Rodrigo had
+forgotten all about it, and, what was more to the purpose, so had the
+king, at any rate he pretended to do so, and when Don Diego sent his son
+to do his business with Fernando, who was at Burgos, the young man went
+willingly. The morning after he reached the city he was dining in the
+hall of the palace with the king and his nobles, when word was brought
+to the royal table that Ximena, the daughter of Count Gomez, and her
+train stood at the gates, and demanded an audience of the king. Fernando
+rose from his seat, and, signing to his nobles to follow him, he went to
+meet Ximena.
+
+A figure of woe was she, clothed all in black, even her face hidden by a
+black veil. Throwing herself on her knees, she implored that justice
+might be done on the murderer of her father, for not till then would the
+stain be wiped out which had killed her mother and was killing her. 'He
+rides to and fro under my lattice,' said she, 'and the hawk on his wrist
+slays my doves, and my mantle is sprinkled with their blood. If you do
+not do me right, O king, you are not fit to reign, or to call yourself a
+knight.'
+
+Thus spake Ximena, and the king sat silent and pondered her words. 'I
+cannot punish Don Rodrigo, either by imprisonment or death,' he said to
+himself, 'for my nobles would not suffer it; I must find some other way
+to satisfy Ximena.' Then turning to her, he bade her go home, and added
+that no damsel should have cause to complain that wrong had been done
+them at his hands.
+
+Then Ximena rode away, and by-and-by Rodrigo departed also.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Six months later King Fernando was seated in the great hall of his
+palace of Burgos, dispensing justice to high and low, when there entered
+once more Ximena, followed by thirty esquires and pages.
+
+'I come, though I know it is in vain,' she cried, when she had made her
+way to the foot of the throne. 'Five times I have appeared to demand my
+rights, and no longer will I be put off with empty words. No king are
+you, who are swayed this way and that by every man that passes, and dare
+not even avenge your friends, for fear of what may come of it.'
+
+'Not so,' answered the king; 'but is there no other way by which your
+quarrel may be appeased? Has Rodrigo on his side suffered no insult? You
+have heard of the fame he has lately won, when he took captive the five
+Moorish kings who broke suddenly into the land and ravaged it with fire
+and sword. And to prove that it was fame and not gold he wanted he set
+them all free, with only a promise of homage from them. Ah, if there
+were but a few more like him, Spain would soon be rid of the Moors.
+Happy is the woman he shall choose for his wife; she will live all her
+days in safety and in honour.'
+
+Then the king paused, and watched to see how Ximena took his words.
+
+She was silent for some moments, but the king could not see her face, as
+she had pulled her veil over it. Suddenly she raised her head, and cast
+the veil back over her shoulders.
+
+'It is true, O king, what you speak, and I will forego my vengeance.
+Nay, I think my father himself would have it so. Give me Don Rodrigo for
+my husband; all my days I will be a loyal wife to him, and his honour
+shall be mine.'
+
+Perhaps the king was not so surprised as some of his courtiers as they
+listened to Ximena's request. If he smiled, his beard was thick enough
+to hide it, and he answered gravely:
+
+'You say well, my daughter, and I will to-day send a messenger bidding
+Don Rodrigo meet me at Palencia, and I will give him lands and riches,
+so that in wealth as in birth he may be equal to you.'
+
+When the messengers reached Don Rodrigo, with the offer of Ximena's
+hand, his heart was glad, and, calling his friends to dress themselves
+in their most splendid cloaks and brightest armour, he rode at their
+head towards the city of Palencia. Ximena with her train was already in
+the royal palace, and in the presence of the king the two plighted their
+troth. But Rodrigo swore by the cross on his sword that the marriage
+rite should not be fulfilled till he had beaten five foes in the field,
+and, leaving Ximena under the care of his mother, he bade her farewell,
+and set forth to accomplish his vow.
+
+However, he was not destined to be absent very long, for in those days
+enemies were not far to seek, and in less than two months the wedding
+preparations began. His brothers took pride in arraying him themselves,
+and buttoning on the doublet of black satin which his father had worn in
+many of his battles, while over this he wore a jacket of stout leather
+and a loose cloak lined with plush.
+
+At the last he girded on his sword Tizona, the Dread of the World, then,
+surrounded by his friends and his family, the bridegroom walked to the
+court, where the king, the bishop, and all the nobles were awaiting him.
+
+Soon the noise of trumpets was heard, and there entered Ximena dressed
+in a robe of fine white cloth, brought from London across the seas, with
+a border of silver embroidered on it. On her head was a close hood of
+the same stuff, and high shoes of red leather were on her feet. Round
+her neck was a necklace made of eight round medals, with a little figure
+of St. Michael hanging from them.
+
+Don Rodrigo went forward to lift Ximena from her horse, and kissed her,
+whispering as he did so:
+
+'It is true, O my lady, that I killed your father, but I did it in fair
+fight, as man to man. And in his stead you shall have a husband that
+will care for you and protect you to the end of your life.'
+
+Now, although Don Rodrigo was married, he did not stay at home much more
+than he had done in other days, and his sword was ever unsheathed in the
+service of his king. He was the champion chosen by Fernando to meet in
+single combat Martino Gonzalez, the stoutest knight in Spain, and decide
+a quarrel between Castile and Aragon. The victory lay with Rodrigo, and
+no sooner was the duel over than he rode off to fight the Moors in the
+North of Spain. At length the patience of Ximena was worn out, and she
+wrote a letter to Fernando in which she told him plainly all that was in
+her mind.
+
+'What was the use,' she asked, 'of her marrying Rodrigo if the king kept
+him for ever engaged in his service, and away from her?' She had no
+father, and might as well have no husband, and she implored his master
+to think upon her loneliness, and to let Rodrigo return to her side.
+
+But the king would make no promises, and by-and-by Ximena had a little
+girl to comfort her, to whom Fernando stood godfather.
+
+It seems strange that after these great deeds King Fernando never
+thought of making Don Rodrigo a knight, but so it was. Not till the long
+siege of the city of Coimbra was ended, and the Moorish mosque turned
+into a Christian church, was the order of knighthood conferred on Don
+Rodrigo in return for the mighty works that he had done. But Don Rodrigo
+knew well that his sword-thrusts would have availed him nothing had it
+not been for the aid of a Greek bishop who dreamed when at the shrine of
+St. James that the gates of the city would only fall when a successor of
+the Apostle should appear before them. So the bishop arose and clad
+himself in armour and rode into the Christian hosts, and as he drew
+near, the walls fell down like Jericho of old, and the army entered in
+triumph.
+
+After this the Cid, as men now called him, from a Moorish word which
+meant a man of great valour and fame, went home for a short space to see
+his wife and his little daughter, who by this time was seven years old
+and had never beheld her father. Rest was sweet to Don Rodrigo, but
+before it could grow irksome to him he was summoned to court by the
+death of Fernando, who left all his children under the wardship of the
+Cid. Unluckily, the old man's will had not been a wise one, and bitter
+quarrels soon raged between the new king Sancho and his brothers and
+sisters. In vain Don Rodrigo tried to heal the feuds, but war soon broke
+out, and by his oath of allegiance he was forced, sorely against his
+wish, to fight under the king's banner. By his aid Sancho despoiled his
+two brothers and one of his sisters of the lands which were theirs by
+right, but when the king demanded that he should go as envoy and bid the
+princess Do�a Urraca yield up her town of Zamora in exchange for much
+gold, the Cid prayed him to send someone else, for he could not take
+arms against the princess whom he had known when they were children
+together. His words, however, were useless. The king would listen to
+nothing, and the Cid rode forth to Zamora with a heavy heart. Silently
+he bore the reproaches of Do�a Urraca, and returned in five days to tell
+Fernando that the citizens of Zamora had sworn in his presence, that the
+city would never be given up till they all lay dead upon her walls. This
+answer so infuriated Don Sancho that he falsely accused the Cid of
+having put the words into the mouths of his enemies, and bade him begone
+out of the kingdom.
+
+But a man like the Cid could not lightly be dismissed, and very soon the
+king was forced to humble himself, and send messengers to beg his
+forgiveness. The Campeador was too generous to bear malice, and rode
+joyfully back, to find Sancho besieging Zamora. And an ill day it was
+for the king when he resolved to wrest his sister's possessions from
+her; for one of her citizens, spurred by love to his lady, gained
+admittance into the royal camp and offered to betray the city. A
+councillor of the princess, the old Arias Gonzalo, cried to the king
+from the walls to lend no ear unto the man's words, for he was a
+traitor; but Dolfos had a wily tongue, and easily persuaded Sancho to
+come with him to see the small door across the trench by which the army
+might enter. They were hardly outside the camp when Dolfos struck him
+between the shoulders with his spear, and the king rolled in his death
+agony on the ground. The sight was seen by Don Rodrigo, who had watched
+eagerly and anxiously the movements of Dolfos, and now sprang towards
+the traitor with his drawn sword. But Dolfos was too quick for him, and
+the postern was flung open by some of the men of Zamora, before the Cid
+could get across the trench.
+
+'Oh, fool was I not to have fastened on my spurs, and then I should have
+caught him!' cried Don Rodrigo shaking with rage, as he turned sadly
+back to stand by the bedside of his dying master, waiting for the
+vengeance which the future would bring.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Now directly she heard that King Sancho was dead, Do�a Urraca, his
+sister, the lady of Zamora, sent the tidings to her brother, Don
+Alfonso, in exile at Toledo.
+
+'We have been sent to summon you, King Alfonso,' said the messengers
+when they found him, falling on their knees as they spoke. 'Don Sancho
+was foully stabbed by Bellido el Dolfos, and the men of Castile and Leon
+call on you to take his place. Don Rodrigo only hangs back, and swears
+he will never take the oath of fealty till you have proved that you had
+no part in the murder of your brother.'
+
+Don Alfonso felt glad at their words. He had received nothing but ill at
+the hands of his brother, and he hurried to place himself at the head of
+the army of Castile. But the Arab ruler was not willing to let him go,
+and many days passed before he was able to escape at night, climbing
+silently with a few followers down the walls of Toledo; then, turning
+the shoes on the feet of their horses, so that the track should point
+south instead of north, they made the best of their way to Zamora.
+
+The nobles received the king with joy, and, kneeling to kiss his hand,
+vowed to be true to him. The Cid alone held aloof.
+
+'You are heir to the throne, Don Alfonso,' said he, 'but before I bend
+the knee to you I demand that you and twelve of your vassals shall swear
+that you are innocent, in deed or in word, of the blood of your
+brother.'
+
+'I will swear it,' answered Alfonso, 'when and where you please, and
+twelve men of Leon shall swear it likewise.'
+
+'You shall swear to me in the holy cathedral of Santa Gadea in Burgos,'
+said the Cid; and thither they all rode silently and solemnly, while Don
+Rodrigo, standing at the altar, held out the crucifix to the kneeling
+king. But though the oath was taken freely, both by Alfonso and his
+vassals, deep in the heart of the Cid lay a doubt of his truth.
+
+'You shall swear it thrice,' he said, and Alfonso, devoured as he was
+with rage, knew the Cid's power too well to disobey, though his face
+grew pale with wrath.
+
+'You shall answer for this,' he cried as he rose to his feet, and from
+that day the king never ceased to seek for an excuse to compass Don
+Rodrigo's banishment. At last he found one.
+
+The Moorish king of Toledo laid a complaint against the Cid that, in
+spite of his alliance with Alfonso of Castile, his lands had been
+ravaged and his people made captive. Well Alfonso knew that it was the
+Moors themselves who had broken faith with him, and had wasted the
+Spanish territories which lay along their borders, but he eagerly
+snatched at the plea, and bade the Cid go, an exile, from Castile, while
+his possessions were declared forfeit.
+
+With every insult heaped on him that the king could invent, the Cid left
+the city and rode to his castle of Bivar, only to find that his enemies
+had been before him and had stripped it bare, while his wife and
+children had sought refuge in the convent of San Pedro de Carde�a.
+
+It was on his way thither that the Cid in his dire distress did the one
+mean deed recorded of him, which he never ceased to bewail during his
+life, and afterwards on his deathbed. He had reckoned on finding money
+for his needs at Bivar, and there was none, and he knew not what to do.
+In this strait he invited two rich Jews to his tent under the walls of
+Burgos, and, pointing to two large chests which stood on the ground, he
+told the Jews that they were filled with silver plate, and begged that
+they would take them, and give him a thousand crowns in exchange. The
+Jews, used though they were to being cheated and despoiled by
+Christians, yet trusted to the honour of the Cid, and counted out the
+money. Then, placing the coffers on the backs of two stout mules, they
+returned with them into Burgos, first promising that they would not open
+them till a year had passed. At the time appointed they lifted the lid,
+and, behold, the coffers were full of sand!'
+
+But except in this matter, for which his repentance was bitter, the Cid
+never ceased in his exile to be true to his knighthood, and in all the
+wars which he and his followers made on the Moors he always sent part of
+the spoils to Alfonso. At length the king found that he could not do
+without him. Young knights there were in plenty, but neither in battle
+nor in the council chamber could they vie with Don Rodrigo; so after
+many years, when the Cid had captured strong cities and great towns
+from the Moors, Alfonso sent messengers to say that he was willing to
+pardon him. And the Cid vowed anew to serve him, but his heart was heavy
+for the death of his only son in the siege of Consuegra.
+
+[Illustration: DON DIEGO AND DON FERNAN SHOW THAT THEY ARE COWARDS]
+
+From time to time the king's jealousy broke out afresh, and more than
+once Don Rodrigo was banished, but in the end the Cid always returned to
+Castile, for in truth, as we have said, the land prospered but little in
+his absence. After conquering the Moors in Valencia and elsewhere, his
+fame and wealth grew greater than ever, and two of the proudest nobles
+in Castile, the counts of Carrion, prayed Alfonso to use his rights as
+liege lord, and to grant them the Cid's daughters in marriage. Now, the
+proposal pleased Don Rodrigo but little, and his wife even less. He knew
+something of the two young men who wished to be his sons-in-law, and he
+felt that it was his wealth, and not his daughters, that was wooed.
+Besides, he liked not the boastfulness of the two brothers, and feared
+that beneath their proud and haughty ways the hearts of cowards might be
+hidden. But outwardly all was fair-seeming, and when the king in a
+meeting on the banks of the Tagus bade the Cid consider well the matter,
+Don Rodrigo could only reply that, in his view, his daughters were as
+yet too young to be wedded, but that they and all that belonged to him
+were in the hands of the king, to be dealt with as he thought best. To
+which the king answered that he knew the maidens to be wise beyond their
+years, and, summoning the counts of Carrion to his presence, he informed
+them that he had resolved to grant their desire, and bade them kneel and
+kiss the Cid's hand, which they did with joy. So the next day they all
+rode back to Valencia, and the Cid made a feast for fifteen days, and
+the marriage rite was performed by the Bishop Geronymo, mighty in
+battle.
+
+It was not long after the wedding that the counts showed of what metal
+they were made, and that the Cid had read them truly. One evening they
+and Don Bermudo, nephew of the Cid, were sitting laughing and jesting in
+the hall of the castle, when a cry arose from without, 'Beware of the
+lion; he has broken from his den'; and in an instant the huge beast had
+sprung through the door. Don Bermudo sat still, waiting to see what the
+lion would do, but Don Diego, the elder count, took refuge in a closet,
+while Don Fernan, his brother, hid himself under the bed on which the
+Cid was stretched sleeping. The noise awoke Don Rodrigo, who sprang up,
+when the lion at once lay down on the ground and began to lick his feet.
+The Cid stooped and stroked its head, then calling to the beast to
+follow, he led it back to its den, which it entered quietly, for it knew
+its master well.
+
+'Where are my sons-in-law?' asked he as he entered. 'Methought I heard
+their voices but a moment agone.'
+
+'Here,' cried one of his nephews, and 'here' cried another, and the
+counts were dragged forth, their fine clothes disordered and their faces
+pale with fear.
+
+The Cid looked at them silently, till they grew red with shame and
+anger.
+
+'Are these your wedding garments?' said he at last. 'Truly I should
+scarce have guessed it'; and he passed on, leaving hate and a longing
+for revenge in the young men's hearts.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The matter of the lion did not dwell long in the mind of the Cid, for
+news was speedily brought him that the Moorish king of Morocco was
+advancing with an army to besiege the fair city of Valencia. He quickly
+gathered together a host large enough to give battle in the plain
+outside the walls, but while mounting his horse Babieca he counselled
+his sons-in-law to remain in safety behind the walls of the town. This
+they would gladly have done, but dared not set at naught the mocking
+eyes of the knights around them, so, clad in shining armour, they rode
+forth with the rest. Hardly had the fight begun, when a Moor attacked
+the younger brother, who turned and fled. Another instant and he would
+have sunk to the ground, pierced by the enemy's lance, when Don Bermudo
+suddenly appeared, and engaged the Moor in deadly combat. After a hard
+struggle the infidel was overborne and slain, and the victor turned to
+Don Fernan Gonzalez:
+
+'Take his horse and his armour,' he said, 'and tell the Cid it was you
+who killed him; I will not gainsay you.' And, as cowards are generally
+liars also, Don Fernan gladly snatched at the crown of glory that
+belonged to another.
+
+Don Bermudo was rewarded for his generous deed when he saw the joy of
+the Cid. Perhaps he had condemned them wrongly, thought Don Rodrigo, and
+that the souls of men were at last awaking in them. So he praised them
+for their valour, and if there were those present who could have told a
+different tale, they held their peace.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+But whether they were, perforce, following the Cid in the field, or
+basking in the wealth and pleasures of Valencia, the counts of Carrion
+never forgot or forgave the scorn they had read in the eyes of the Cid
+on the day when they had hidden from the lion. Together they plotted to
+take vengeance on them, and it was a vengeance as mean as their souls.
+
+One morning they entered the great hall of Valencia, where the Cid was
+sitting, and prayed him to give them their wives, and let them depart
+forthwith to their lands. Their words were fair, yet the Cid felt
+troubled; why, he knew not.
+
+'I gave you my daughters to wife, at my king's bidding,' answered he at
+last, 'and I cannot withhold them from you if indeed you desire to take
+them unto your own lands. But see that they are treated as beseems
+them; if not, woe to you.'
+
+And the counts of Carrion, with treason in their hearts, promised that
+all honour should await their brides.
+
+Eight days hence, the procession passed out of the city gates, and the
+Cid went first, with Do�a Elvira on his right hand, and Do�a Sol on his
+left. For the space of a league he rode, and then he reined up his
+horse. Calling his nephew Don Ordo�o to his side, he bade him follow
+unperceived, and bring back news of what befell his daughters.
+
+And so they parted.
+
+For many miles the procession went slowly on, and was received with
+kindness and hospitality by the great Moslem lords through whose country
+the road lay, a kindness repaid whenever possible by theft and cruelty
+by the counts of Carrion. Then, when they had reached a wood which was
+neither in the lordship of the Cid nor of the Moors, they felt that the
+time for which they had so long waited was come. Ordering the guards and
+attendants to ride forward to the Castle of Carrion and prepare for
+their reception, the counts scarcely delayed until they were out of
+their sight before they dragged their wives from their mules, and
+stripped their bodies bare. Next, seizing them by their hair, they flung
+them to the ground, and dug their spurs into them till their bodies were
+covered with blood.
+
+'Farewell, beautiful damsels,' they cried mockingly, bowing low, 'you
+were never fit mates for the counts of Carrion, and, besides, it was
+needful to avenge the affront that the Cid your father put on us in the
+matter of the fierce beast who would have slain us.' And, stooping low
+from their horses, the base knights rode away.
+
+From a distant hill Don Ordo�o had seen and heard all that had passed,
+and he now came forth to help and comfort his cousins. 'Take heart,' he
+said, 'I will bring you your lost garments, and if you have lost your
+husbands, who deserve nothing better than the fate of traitors, remember
+that you have yet a father, without a peer throughout the world.'
+
+None can tell the wrath of the Cid when his daughters came home. Little
+he said, for he was ever a man of few words, but he sent forthwith
+messengers to the king, telling him of the base deeds of the counts of
+Carrion, and begging for leave to plead his cause before the Parliament
+at Toledo. This permission Alfonso granted gladly, and bade the counts
+of Carrion to be present also and answer the Cid.
+
+Many days they waited ere Don Rodrigo, accompanied by his wife and
+daughters, and followed by a train of nobles, rode through the gates.
+The king was sitting surrounded by the Cortes or Parliament, but he
+desired that the Cid should be brought to him at once, and then
+commanded him to set forth his wrongs.
+
+'It is you, O king, and not I, who gave my daughters in marriage to
+these base men, therefore it is you, and not I, who must answer for
+this. I ask you that you will force them to restore my swords Colada and
+Tizona that I girded on them when they bore my children from Valencia.'
+And the hearts of the counts were glad when they heard his words, and
+they hasted to place the gold-pommelled swords in the hands of the Cid.
+
+Next, Don Rodrigo demanded that the dowries of his daughters should be
+given back to him, and this also the king adjudged to be his right.
+Last, he set forth the treatment his daughters had suffered from the
+counts of Carrion, and challenged them and also their uncle, who had
+ever given them evil counsel, to fight with three of his knights that
+day.
+
+Before the combat could take place a sound as of armed men was heard in
+the courtyard, and in rode two youths covered with golden armour and
+tall plumed helmets, and one was Don Ramiro of Navarre, and the other
+Don Sancho of Aragon.
+
+'It has reached our ears,' said they, 'that the marriages between the
+counts of Carrion and the daughters of the Cid are about to be set
+aside, and we have come to pray that the ladies may be given to us to
+wife.'
+
+And the king answered: 'If it pleases the Cid, it pleases me also, but
+the Cortes here present must grant its consent.'
+
+So the Cid kissed the hand of the king in token of the honour done him,
+and the Cortes cried with one voice that the man who allied himself with
+Don Rodrigo de Bivar was honoured above all. Therefore, the weddings
+were celebrated without delay, the counts of Carrion having been
+pronounced outlaws and their former marriages null and void.
+
+This matter being settled, the king directed that there should be no
+more delay in arranging the fight between the champions of the Cid and
+the counts of Carrion, which at the request of the counts was to be held
+three weeks later in their own castle. Don Rodrigo himself did not mean
+to fight. His honour was, he knew, safe in the hands of Don Bermudo and
+his other nephews, and he rode blithely home to Valencia. But Alfonso
+declared that he would be present to see that the combat was fairly
+fought, and it was well that he went, for the counts, thinking
+themselves safe on their own lands, had planned treachery. However, the
+king, mistrusting them, made a proclamation that in case of false
+dealing the traitor should be slain upon the field, and his possessions
+be forfeit. Baulked in this direction, the counts then entreated the
+king to forbid their foes to use the swords Tizona and Colada which they
+had been forced to give up, but Alfonso answered that it was now too
+late to make conditions, and they must get to the fight with stout
+hearts. This they could not do, for they had not got them, but, finding
+there was no help for it, they mounted their horses and put their lances
+in rest.
+
+Between such adversaries the combat lasted but a short while. Fernan
+Gonzalez was soon unhorsed by Don Bermudo; Don Diego and his uncle
+confessed themselves vanquished. Their lands were declared forfeit by
+the judges, though their lives were granted them; but the tale of their
+cowardice spread far and wide, and none would speak to them or have
+dealings with them.
+
+Thus was the Cid avenged.
+
+For five years the Cid lived on in Valencia wearied of wars, and turning
+his thoughts to repenting him of his sins, and chief among them the
+wrong he had done many years before to the two Jews of Burgos. His
+strength grew daily less, till at length he could rise from his bed no
+more, neither could he eat food. While he lay in this manner, tidings
+were brought him that the Moors were preparing to besiege Valencia. This
+news roused the dying man, and for a moment it seemed as if he might be
+well again. Clearly he gave his orders how best to resist the attack,
+and bade his followers fight under the banner of Bishop Geronymo. 'As
+for me,' he said, 'you shall take my body and fill it with sweet spices,
+and shall set me once more on Babieca, and place Tizona in my hand. With
+cords shall you fasten me to the saddle, and so you shall lead me forth
+to my last fight with the Moors. Ximena my wife will care for Babieca,
+and when he is dead she will bury him where no Moorish dogs may root up
+his grave. And let no women be hired to make mourning for me. I want no
+tears to be shed over me but the tears of Ximena my wife. But for the
+Christians in this city, well know I that they are too few men to
+conquer the Moors, therefore let them prepare their goods, and steal
+forth by night, and take refuge in Castile. So farewell to you all, and
+pray that God may have mercy on my soul.'
+
+Thus the Cid died, and all was done as he had said, and the king put
+rich garments on him, and set Tizona in his hand, and seated him in a
+carved chair by the altar of San Pedro de Carde�a.
+
+[_El Romanzo del Cid._]
+
+
+
+
+THE KNIGHT OF THE SORROWFUL COUNTENANCE
+
+
+Everybody knows that in the old times, when Arthur was king or Charles
+the Great emperor, no gentleman ever rested content until he had
+received the honour of knighthood. When once he was made a knight, he
+left his home and the court, and rode off in search of adventures,
+seeking to help people in distress who had no one else to help them.
+
+After a while, however, the knights grew selfish and lazy. They liked
+better to hunt the deer through the forest than wicked robbers who had
+carried off beautiful ladies. 'It was the king's business,' they said,
+'to take care of his subjects, not theirs,' so they dwelt in their own
+castles, and many of them became great lords almost as powerful as the
+king himself.
+
+But though the knights no longer went in search of noble adventures, as
+knights of earlier days had been wont to do, there were plenty of books
+in which they could read if they chose of the wonderful deeds of their
+forefathers. Lancelot and Roland, Bernardo del Carpio, the Cid, Amadis
+de Gaule, and many more, were as well known to them as their own
+brothers, and if we will only take the trouble they may be known to us
+too.
+
+Now, several hundreds of years after Lancelot and Roland and all the
+rest had been laid in their graves, a baby belonging to the family of
+Quixada was born in that part of Spain called La Mancha. We are not told
+anything of his boyhood, or even of his manhood till he reached the age
+of fifty, but we know that he was poor; that he lived with a housekeeper
+and a niece to take care of him, and that he passed all his days in
+company with these old books until the courts and forests which were the
+scenes of the adventures of those knights of bygone years were more real
+to him than any of his own doings.
+
+'I wish all those books could be burned,' said the noble gentleman's
+housekeeper one day to his niece. 'My poor master's wits are surely
+going, for he never understands one word you say to him. Indeed, if you
+speak, he hardly seems to see you, much less to hear you!'
+
+What the housekeeper said was true. The things that belonged to her
+master's every-day life vanished completely bit by bit. If his niece
+related to him some scrap of news which a neighbour had run in to tell
+her, he would answer her with a story of the giant Morgante, who alone
+among his ill-bred race had manners that befitted a Spanish knight. If
+the housekeeper lamented that the flour in her storehouse would not last
+out the winter, he turned a deaf ear to all her complaints, and declared
+that he would give her and his niece into the bargain for the pleasure
+of bestowing one kick on Ganelon the traitor.
+
+At last one day things came to a climax. When the hour of dinner came
+round, Don Quixada was nowhere to be found. His niece sought him in his
+bedroom, in the little tower where his books were kept, and even in the
+stable, where lay the old horse who had served him for more years than
+one could count. He was in none of these; but just as she was leaving
+the stable a strange noise seemed to come from over the girl's head, and
+on looking up she beheld her uncle rubbing a rusty sword that had lain
+there long before anybody could remember, while by his side were a steel
+cap and other pieces of armour.
+
+[Illustration: Don Quixada declared that he would give his housekeeper
+and his niece into the bargain for the pleasure of bestowing one kick on
+Ganelon the traitor.]
+
+From that moment Don Quixada became deaf and blind to the things of
+this world. He was in despair because the steel cap was not a proper
+helmet, but only a morion without a vizor to let down. Perhaps a smith
+might have made him what he wanted, but the Don was too proud to ask
+him, and, getting some cardboard, cut and painted it like a vizor, and
+then fastened it to the morion. Nothing could look--at a little
+distance--more like the helmet the Cid might have worn, but Don Quixada
+knew well that no knight ever went forth in search of adventures without
+first proving the goodness of his armour, so, fixing the helmet against
+the wall, he made a slash at it with his sword. He only dealt two
+strokes, whereas his enemy might give him twenty, but those two swept
+clean through the vizor, and destroyed in three minutes a whole week's
+work. So there was nothing for it but to begin over again, and this time
+the Don took the precaution of lining the vizor with iron.
+
+'It looks beautiful,' he cried when it was finished; but he took care
+not to try his blade upon it.
+
+His next act was to go into the stable and rub down his horse's coat,
+and to give it a feed of corn, vainly hoping that in a few days its ribs
+might become less plainly visible.
+
+'It is not right,' he said to himself, one morning, as he stood watching
+the animal that was greedily eating out of its manger--'it is not right
+that a knight's good horse should go forth without a name. Even the
+heathen Alexander bestowed a high-sounding title on his own steed; and
+so, likewise, did those Christian warriors, Roland and the Cid!' But,
+try as he might, no name would come to him except such as were unworthy
+of the horse and his rider, and for four nights and days he pondered the
+question.
+
+Suddenly, at the moment he had least expected it, when he was eating the
+plain broth his housekeeper had set before him, the inspiration came.
+
+'Rozinante!' he cried triumphantly, laying down his spoon--'Rozinante!
+Neither the Cid's horse nor Roland's bore a finer name than that!'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+This weighty matter being settled, the Don now began to think of
+himself, and, not being satisfied with the name his fathers had handed
+down to him, resolved to take one that was more noble, and better suited
+to a knight who was destined to do deeds that would keep him alive in
+the memory of men. For eight days he took heed of nothing save this one
+thing, and on the ninth he found what he had sought.
+
+'The world shall know me as Don Quixote,' he said; 'and as the noble
+Amadis himself was not content to bear this sole title, but added to it
+the name of his own country, so I, in like manner, will add the name of
+mine, and henceforth will appear to all, as the good knight Don Quixote
+de la Mancha!'
+
+Now Don Quixote de la Mancha had read far too many books about the
+customs of chivalry not to be aware that every knight worshipped some
+lady of whose beauty he boasted upon all occasions and whose token he
+wore upon his helmet in battle. It was not very easy for Don Quixote to
+find such a lady, for all his life long, the company which he met in his
+books had been dearer to him than that which he could have had outside
+his home.
+
+'A knight without a liege lady is a tree without fruit, a body without
+soul,' he thought. 'Of what use will it be if I meet with some giant
+such as always crosses the path of a wandering knight, and disarm him in
+our first encounter, unless I have a lady at whose feet he can kneel?'
+So without losing more time he began to search the neighbouring villages
+for such a damsel, whose token he might wear, and at length found one
+with enough beauty for him to fall in love with, whose humble name of
+Aldonza he changed for that of Dulcinea del Toboso.
+
+The sun had hardly risen on the following morning when Don Quixote
+laced on his helmet, braced on his shield, took his lance in hand, and
+mounted Rozinante.
+
+Never during his fifty years had he felt his heart so light, and he rode
+forth into the wide plain, expecting to find a giant or a distressed
+lady behind every bush. But his joy was short-lived, for suddenly it
+came to his mind that in the days of chivalry it never was known that
+any man went in quest of adventures without being first made a knight,
+and that no such good fortune had happened to him. This thought was so
+terrible that he reeled in his saddle, and was near turning the head of
+Rozinante towards his own stable; but Don Quixote was a man of good
+courage, and in a short while he remembered on how many knights Sir
+Lancelot had conferred the honour of knighthood, and he determined to
+claim his spurs from the first that he managed to conquer in fight. Till
+then, he must, as soon as might be, make his armour white, in token that
+as yet he had had no adventures. In this manner he took heart again.
+
+All that day he rode, without either bite or sup, and, of the two,
+Rozinante fared the better, for he at least found a tuft of coarse grass
+to eat. At nightfall a light as big as a faint star was seen gleaming in
+the distance, and both master and horse plucked up courage once more.
+They hastened towards it, and discovered that the light came from a
+small inn, which Don Quixote's fancy instantly changed into a castle
+with four towers and pinnacles of shining silver, surrounded by a moat.
+He paused a moment, expecting a dwarf to appear on the battlements and
+announce by the blasts of his trumpet that a knight was approaching,
+but, as no dwarf could be seen, he dismounted at the door, where he was
+received with courtesy by the landlord or the governor of the castle, as
+Don Quixote took him to be.
+
+At the sight of this strange figure, which looked as if it had gone to
+sleep a thousand years ago, and had only just woke up again, the
+landlord had as much ado to keep from laughter as the muleteers and
+some women who were standing before the door. But being a civil man, and
+somewhat puzzled, he held the stirrup for Don Quixote to alight,
+offering to give him everything that would make him comfortable except a
+bed, which was not to be had. The Don made little of this, as became a
+good knight, and bade the landlord look well after Rozinante, for no
+better horse would ever stand in his stable. The man, who had seen many
+beasts in his day, did not rate him quite so highly, but said nothing,
+and after placing the horse in the stable returned to the house to see
+after the master.
+
+As it happened, it was easier to provide for the wants of Rozinante than
+for those of Don Quixote, for the muleteers had eaten up everything in
+the kitchen, and nothing was left save a little dried fish and black
+bread. Don Quixote, however, was quite content; indeed, he imagined it
+the most splendid supper in the world, and when he had finished he fell
+on his knees before the landlord.
+
+'Never will I rise again, noble sir,' said he, 'until you grant my
+prayer, which shall be an occasion of glory to you and of gain to all
+men.'
+
+The landlord, not being used to such conduct on the part of his guests,
+tried to lift Don Quixote on to his feet, but the knight vowed that he
+would not move till his prayer was granted.
+
+'The gift I would ask of you,' continued the Don, now rising to his
+feet, 'is that to-night I may watch my arms in the chapel of your
+castle, and at sunrise I shall kneel before you to be made a knight.
+Then I shall bid you farewell, and set forth on my journey through the
+world, righting wrongs and helping the oppressed, after the manner of
+the knights of old.'
+
+'I am honoured indeed,' replied the landlord, who by this time saw very
+clearly that the poor gentleman was weak in his wits, and had a mind to
+divert himself. 'As a youth, I myself wandered through the land, and my
+name, the champion of all who needed it, was known to every court in
+Spain, till a deadly thrust in my side, from a false knight, forced me
+to lay down my arms, and to return to this my castle, giving shelter and
+welcome to any knights that ask it. But as to the chapel, it is but a
+week since it was made level with the ground, being but a poor place,
+and in no way worthy of the service of noble knights; but keep your
+watch in the courtyard of my castle, as your books will have told you
+that others have done in case of need. Afterwards, I will admit you into
+the Order of Chivalry, but before you take up your vigil tell me, I pray
+you, what money you have brought with you?'
+
+This question surprised the Don very much.
+
+'I have brought none,' he answered presently, 'for never did I hear that
+either Roland or Percival or any of the great knight-errants whose
+example I fain would follow, carried any money with them.'
+
+'That is because they thought it no more needful to say that they
+carried money or clean shirts than that they carried a sword or a box of
+ointment to cure the wounds of themselves or their foes, in case no
+maiden or enchanter with a flask of water was on the spot,' replied the
+landlord; and he spoke so long and so earnestly on the subject that the
+Don promised never again to start on a quest without money and a box of
+ointment, besides at least three clean shirts.
+
+It was now high time for his watch to begin, and the landlord led the
+way to a great yard at the side of the inn. Here the Don took his arms,
+and piled them on a trough of stone that stood near a well. Then bearing
+his lance he walked up and down beside his trough.
+
+For an hour or two he paced the yard, watched, though he knew it not, by
+many eyes from the inn windows, which, with the aid of a bright moon,
+could see all that happened as clearly as if it were day. At length a
+muleteer who had a long journey before him drove up his team to the
+trough, which was fed by the neighbouring well, and in order to let his
+cattle drink, stretched out his arms to remove the sword and helmet
+which lay there. The Don perceived his aim, and cried in a voice of
+thunder:
+
+'What man are you, ignorant of the laws of chivalry, who dares to touch
+the arms of the bravest knight who ever wore a sword? Take heed lest you
+lay a finger upon them, for if you do your life shall pay the forfeit.'
+
+It might have been as well for the muleteer if he had listened, and had
+led his cattle to water elsewhere, but, looking at the Don's tall lean
+figure and his own stout fists, he only laughed rudely, and, seizing
+both sword and helmet, threw them across the yard. The Don paused a
+moment, wondering if he saw aright; then raising his eyes to heaven he
+exclaimed:
+
+'O Lady Dulcinea, peerless in thy beauty, help me to avenge this insult
+that has been put upon me'; and, lifting high his lance, he brought it
+down with such a force on the head of the man that he fell to the ground
+without a word, and the Don began his walk afresh.
+
+He had not been pacing the yard above half an hour when another man, not
+knowing what had befallen his friend, drove his beasts up to the trough,
+and was stooping to move the Don's arms, so that the cattle could get at
+the water, when a mighty blow fell on _his_ head, splitting it nearly
+into pieces.
+
+At this noise the people from the inn ran out, and seeing the two
+muleteers stretched wounded on the ground picked up stones wherewith to
+stone the knight. The Don, however, fronted them with such courage that
+they did not dare to venture near him, and the landlord, making use of
+their fears, called on them to leave him alone, for that he was a
+madman, and the law would not touch him, even though he should kill them
+all. Then, wishing to be done with the business and with his guest, he
+made excuses for the rude fellows, who had only got what they deserved,
+and said that, as there was no chapel to his castle, he could dub him
+knight where he stood, for, the watch of arms having been completed, all
+that was needful was a slap on the neck with a palm of the hand and the
+touch of the sword on the shoulder.
+
+[Illustration: DON QUIXOTE BELABOURS THE MULETEER]
+
+So Don Quixada was turned into Don Quixote de la Mancha, and, mounting
+Rozinante, he left the inn, and with a joyful heart started to seek his
+first adventure.
+
+
+
+
+THE ADVENTURE OF THE TWO ARMIES WHO TURNED OUT TO BE FLOCKS OF SHEEP
+
+
+The first adventure of the new knight did not turn out at all to his
+liking, nor answered his expectations, for in all the books of chivalry
+which he had read, never had he heard of a good knight being sorely
+wounded by a mere pack of common fellows, as happened to himself shortly
+after leaving the inn; though indeed he comforted his soul by thinking
+that, had not Rozinante stumbled over a stone and fallen, it would have
+fared ill with his foes.
+
+He lay upon the ground for some time, aching in every bone, and
+repeating in a weak voice some lines out of his favourite romance of the
+'Marquis of Mantua,' when a labourer from his own village came by and
+went to see if the man stretched on his back across the road was dead or
+only wounded.
+
+'What ails you, master?' asked he; but as the vizor over the Don's face
+prevented his answer being understood, the labourer pulled it off with
+some trouble, and then stood, staring with surprise.
+
+'Master Quixada!' cried he, wiping off the blood as he spoke, 'what
+villain has served you like this?' but, as Don Quixote only replied to
+his questions with long stories of the heroes of romance, the man gave
+it up, and after gathering up the stray bits of armour, and even the
+broken lance, helped the Don on to his own ass and took Rozinante by the
+bridle.
+
+In this manner Don Quixote returned home.
+
+When the knight dismounted and entered the house he found his
+housekeeper and niece filled with dismay, and bewailing his loss to the
+priest and the barber, who were wont to spend many an hour in company
+with the Don, listening to the strange tales that were always on his
+tongue. The joy with which they heard his well-known knock, in the
+middle of their discourses, was somewhat spoilt when they saw the
+condition he was in, and he stopped them quickly when they flew to
+embrace him.
+
+'Let no one touch me,' cried he, 'for by the falling of my horse I am
+sore wounded. Carry me to bed, and summon the wise woman Urganda to heal
+me with her enchanted water.'
+
+'Oh, never fear, your worship, we can cure you without her,' answered
+the housekeeper; 'and right glad we are to see you back, wounded or
+not.'
+
+So between them all they bore him up the narrow stairs and laid him on
+his bed. And when he was undressed they sought his wounds, but found
+none, only a black bruise so they told him.
+
+'Is it so?' he answered. 'Then the deeds that I did were yet more
+valorous than I thought. It was while I was fighting with ten giants,
+the biggest and strongest who ever gave battle to any Christian knight,
+that Rozinante fell, and I with him.'
+
+'Oh! so there are giants in the dance now,' whispered the priest to the
+barber. 'I will not close my eyes this night till the books which have
+brought this evil are safely in the fire.' And, so saying, they left Don
+Quixote to sleep.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+He was still sleeping next morning, when the priest came to ask for the
+keys of the little room where Don Quixote kept the old books he so much
+loved. They were handed to him with joy by the girl, who held books to
+be the enemy of all mankind, and when they all four entered they found
+more than a hundred volumes large and small, which was a great number
+for so poor a gentleman. One by one the priest examined them, and
+condemned them to the flames, unless by chance there was any doubt about
+their wickedness; that is, unless they had been written by a friend of
+the priest. In these cases, after the barber had been consulted, the
+books escaped the doom of the rest.
+
+For fifteen days Don Quixote stayed at home and seemed content to stay
+there, passing the evenings in talk with the priest and the barber.
+Nothing was needed, he said, to put right the wrongs of the world, save
+a new order of knighthood, of which he had set the example. After much
+of this talk he suddenly remembered that a knight ever had a squire
+riding behind him, and that before he rode forth on his next quest he
+must needs provide himself with such an one. This was almost as hard a
+matter as finding a liege lady, but at length he bethought him of a poor
+peasant living in the same village, who possessed a wife and children,
+and not much else. This man he sent for, and promised him such great
+things and such noble rewards that Sancho Panza, for such was his name,
+readily agreed to serve him. 'Who knows,' said Don Quixote, 'what island
+I may conquer, and it would then fall to you to be the governor, or if
+you disdain the island, and would prefer to follow my fortune, I can
+make you Count at least! But, remember, my business admits of no delay,
+and next week we go forth to seek adventures. Meanwhile, I will give you
+money wherewith to provide all that is needful for our journeying, and
+take heed that you bring wallets with you.'
+
+'Worshipful knight,' answered Sancho Panza, 'I will do all that you bid
+me, but, by your leave, I will bring my ass also, for she is a good ass,
+and never did I walk when a beast was at hand.'
+
+'I know not,' replied Don Quixote, 'if any knight was ever yet followed
+by a squire mounted on an ass's back. Yet, bring the beast, for it will
+doubtless not be long before I meet some discourteous knight, whom I
+will speedily overcome, and his horse shall be yours.'
+
+When all was ready, Sancho Panza bade his wife and children farewell,
+and, joining his master, they rode for some hours across a wide plain
+without seeing anything which would enable them to prove their valour.
+At length Don Quixote reined up Rozinante with a jerk, and turning to
+his squire he said:
+
+'Fortune is on our side, friend Sancho. Look there, what huge giants are
+standing in a row! thirty of them at the least! It is a glorious chance
+for a new-made knight to give battle to these giants, and to rid the
+country of this wretched horde.'
+
+'What giants?' asked Sancho, staring about him. 'I see none.'
+
+'Those drawn up over there,' replied the Don. 'Never did I behold such
+arms! Those nearest us must be two miles long.'
+
+'Go not within reach of them, good master,' answered Sancho anxiously,
+'for they are no giants, but windmills, and what you take for arms are
+the sails, by which the wind turns the mill-stones.'
+
+'How little do you know, friend Sancho, of these sorts of adventures!'
+replied Don Quixote. 'I tell you, those are no windmills, but giants.
+Know, however, that I will have no man with me who shivers with fear at
+the sight of a foe, so if you are afraid you had better fall to praying,
+and I will fight them alone.'
+
+[Illustration: DON QUIXOTE DETERMINES TO ATTACK THE WINDMILLS]
+
+And with that he put spurs to Rozinante and galloped towards the
+windmills, heedless of the shouts of Sancho Panza, which indeed he never
+heard. Bending his body and holding his lance in rest, like all the
+pictures of knights when charging, he rushed on, crying as he went, 'Do
+not fly from me, cowards that you are! It is but a single knight with
+whom you must do battle!' And, calling on the Lady Dulcinea to come
+to his aid, he thrust his lance through the sail of the nearest
+windmill, which happened to be turned by a sharp gust of wind. The sail
+struck Rozinante so violently on the side that he and his master rolled
+over together, while the lance broke into small pieces.
+
+When Sancho Panza saw what had befallen the Don--though indeed it was no
+more than he had expected--he rode up hastily to give him help. Both man
+and horse were half stunned with the blow; but, though Don Quixote's
+body was bruised, his spirit was unconquered, and to Sancho's complaint
+that no one could have doubted that the windmills were giants save those
+who had other windmills in their brains, he only answered:
+
+'Be silent, my friend, and do not talk of things of which you know
+nothing. For of this I am sure, that the enchanter Friston, who robbed
+me of my books, has changed these knights into windmills to rob me of my
+glory also. But in the end, his black arts will have little power
+against my keen blade!'
+
+'I pray that it may be so,' said Sancho, as he still held the stirrup
+for his master, when he struggled, not without pain, to mount Rozinante.
+
+'Sit straighter in your saddle,' went on the worthy man; 'you lean too
+much on one side, but that doubtless comes from the fall you have had.'
+
+'You speak truly,' replied Don Quixote; 'and if I do not complain of my
+hurt, it is because it was never heard that any knight complained of a
+wound, however sore!'
+
+'If that is so, I am thankful that I am only a squire,' answered Sancho;
+'for this I can say, that I shall cry as loud as I please for any pain,
+however little it may be--unless squires are forbidden to cry out as
+well as knights-errant.'
+
+At this Don Quixote laughed, in spite of his hurts, and bade him
+complain whenever he pleased, for squires might lawfully do what was
+forbidden to knighthood. And with that the conversation ended, as
+Sancho declared it was their hour for dinner.
+
+Towards three o'clock they returned to the road, which Don Quixote had
+left on catching sight of the windmills. But before entering it the
+knight thought well to give a warning to his squire.
+
+'I would have you know, brother Sancho,' said he, 'that in whatsoever
+danger you may see me you shall stand aside, and never seek to defend
+me, unless those who set on me should come of base forefathers, and not
+be people of gentle birth. For if those who attack me are knights, it is
+forbidden by the laws of chivalry that a knight be attacked by any man
+that has himself not received the honour of knighthood.'
+
+'Your lordship shall be obeyed in all that you say,' answered Sancho,
+'and the more readily that I am a man of peace, and like not brawls.
+But, see, who are these that approach us?'
+
+The question was natural, for the procession advancing along the road
+was a strange one, even at that day. First came two monks of the Order
+of St. Benedict, mounted on mules so large that Don Quixote, with some
+reason, took them to be dromedaries. The better to conceal their faces
+they had masks, and carried parasols. After them came a coach which had
+for a guard four or five mounted men and two muleteers, and inside the
+coach was seated a lady on her way to join her husband in the city of
+Seville. In reality the monks were strangers to her, and had nothing to
+do with her party, but this Don Quixote did not know, and, being ever on
+the watch to give help to any who needed it, he said:
+
+'Either my eyes deceive me, or this is the most wonderful adventure that
+ever fell to the lot of a knight. For those black shapeless monsters
+that you see yonder are magicians carrying off some princess, and I must
+undo this wrong with all the strength I have.'
+
+'Look you, master,' answered Sancho hastily, 'if you take up with this
+adventure, you will fare worse than you did with the windmills. Those
+are no magicians but monks of St. Benedict, while the others are
+travellers, journeying for business or pleasure. Think, I pray you, lest
+it be a snare of the Evil One.'
+
+'I have often told you, Sancho, that, being what you are, you can know
+nothing of adventures,' replied Don Quixote; 'but what I have said, I
+do, as you will see'; and as he spoke he planted himself in the middle
+of the road, and awaited the approach of the friars.
+
+As soon as they drew near enough for his voice to reach their ears, Don
+Quixote cried loudly:
+
+'Fiends and scum of all the wicked, set free on this instant the captive
+princess whom you hold imprisoned in that coach, or else prepare for
+death, which is the just punishment of all your crimes.'
+
+The monks reined in their mules and stared at Don Quixote, whose figure,
+to say truth, was no less startling than his words. At first they were
+very angry, then gentler counsels prevailed, and they answered:
+
+'Fair sir, we are neither fiends nor scum, but only two friars of St.
+Benedict, who are riding peacefully along the king's highway, and know
+nothing of any captive princess.'
+
+'Miscreants that you are, do you think I am a man to be deceived by
+false speeches?' cried the Don, now beside himself with fury, and,
+dashing with his lance in rest at the friar next him, he would indeed
+have given him his last shrift had not the monk slipped cleverly from
+the other side of his saddle, so that the lance passed over his head.
+His companion, fearing that like treatment was in store for him,
+galloped away with all his might.
+
+As for the squire, directly he saw the man fall to the ground he ran up
+and began to strip off his clothes, till he was stopped in this
+proceeding by a blow on his head from one of the attendants of the two
+monks. The friar, left to himself, jumped on his mule, and rode off
+pale and trembling to rejoin his companion, while Don Quixote busied
+himself with conversing with the lady in the coach, and assuring her of
+his protection.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It were long indeed to tell of the many battles delivered by Don
+Quixote, who troubled himself little about the sore wounds he received
+on his own body as long as he could give aid to those in distress. What
+grieved him far more than mere sword-thrusts or bruises was the loss of
+his helmet.
+
+But, come what might, his spirit was never daunted, though he could not
+deny that, as Sancho Panza truly said, never had they gained any battle,
+unless they counted one which was doubtful, and even at that the knight
+had come off the poorer by half an ear and half a helmet.
+
+'From the first day we set out,' went on the good squire, 'until this
+moment, we have received nothing but blows and more blows, beatings and
+more beatings, over and above the tossing I once got in a blanket. And
+you tell me that the fellows who maltreat me so are enchanted, and would
+not feel my blows if I had a chance of returning them. In truth, my eyes
+are too dull to see where lies the pleasure of conquering one's foes, of
+which your worship is always telling me.'
+
+'Ah, Sancho, that is just what grieves me,' answered Don Quixote sadly;
+'but henceforth I will seek to gird myself always with a sword that
+shall be enchanted in such a manner that it will defend me from any
+spells they may try to throw over me. Maybe that Fortune will send me
+that of Amadis, one of the keenest blades in the world, and the best
+sword that ever knight had. But look, do you see that cloud of dust
+rising out there? That tells us that a large army, made up of men and
+nations without number, are marching towards us.'
+
+'By that way of reckoning,' answered the squire, 'another army must be
+advancing to meet them, for behind us the cloud is just as thick.'
+
+Filled with joy at the thought of fighting two armies, Don Quixote
+turned to look, and his heart beat high. The dust was so thick that
+neither he nor Sancho could perceive that the clouds of dust were caused
+by two immense flocks of sheep. To the mind of the knight they _could_
+be nothing but vast armies, and this he declared so positively that at
+length Sancho Panza came to believe it also. The squire, however, looked
+on the fact with very different feelings to his master, and asked
+anxiously:
+
+'Noble sir, what are we to do?'
+
+'What _can_ we do,' replied the knight, 'except fly to the help of those
+who need it? For you must know, friend Sancho, that the army in front of
+us is led by the Emperor Alifanfaron, while the other, which is marching
+to meet him, is Pentapolin of the Uplifted Arm, so called because he
+rides into battle with his right arm bare.'
+
+'And what is their quarrel?' asked Sancho.
+
+'Alifanfaron is a Moslem, yet desires to marry the daughter of
+Pentapolin,' replied Don Quixote, 'but her father will not give her to
+him till he ceases to be an unbeliever.'
+
+'By my beard,' cried Sancho, 'if I see this Pentapolin driven back I
+will strike a blow for him with all my might.'
+
+'And you will do well,' replied Don Quixote, 'for in such battles it is
+not necessary to be a knight.'
+
+'But what shall I do with my ass?' inquired the squire anxiously, 'for I
+suppose that until this day no man has ever yet ridden into combat on an
+ass.'
+
+'Let him loose,' said Don Quixote, 'and think no more of him, for after
+we have vanquished our enemies we shall have such choice of horses that
+I may light upon one even better than Rozinante! But let us stand on
+yonder little hill, for I would fain describe to you the names and arms
+of the noble knights that are approaching.'
+
+For a long while he spoke, telling his squire of the countries from
+which those leaders of the armies had come. And truly it was wonderful
+to listen to him, seeing that they were all children of his own brain.
+From time to time Sancho Panza stared hard at the dust, trying to see as
+much as his master, and at last he cried:
+
+'If there is a knight or a giant there, they must be enchanted like the
+rest; for, look as I may, I cannot see them.'
+
+'How can you speak such words?' answered Don Quixote reproachfully. 'Do
+you not hear the horses neighing, the drums beating, the trumpets
+sounding?'
+
+'No, I hear nothing of all that,' replied Sancho stoutly; 'all _I_ hear
+is the bleating of sheep and of ewes.' And as he spoke the dust was
+lifted by the wind, and he saw the two flocks in front of them.
+
+'It is the deadly fear which has overtaken you,' answered Don Quixote,
+'which has clouded your eyes and ears, and made everything seem
+different from what it is. If you are afraid, stand aside then, for my
+arm alone carries victory with it'; and, so saying, he touched Rozinante
+with his spurs, and with his lance in rest galloped down the hill,
+unheeding the cries of Sancho, who shrieked out that it was only a flock
+of sheep that he saw, and that there were neither giants nor knights to
+fight with.
+
+He might have spared his voice, for Don Quixote, if he heard him, which
+is doubtful, rode on without turning his head, shouting defiance at the
+Moslem leader, and spearing the sheep which could not get out of his
+way, as if they were indeed the soldiers he took them for.
+
+When the shepherds had recovered from this unexpected onslaught, they
+shouted with all their might to Don Quixote to leave off spearing their
+sheep, but, as he paid no heed to their warnings, they took out the
+slings they carried with them, and whirling them round their heads let
+fly large stones. Don Quixote, however, cared no more for the stones
+than he had done for the cries, and galloped up and down wildly, calling
+as he went:
+
+'Proud Alifanfaron, where can I find you? I, a solitary knight,
+challenge you to meet me in single combat, that I may avenge the wrongs
+that you have done to the noble Pentapolin!' Doubtless the knight would
+have said still more had not a stone hit him on his side at that very
+moment, breaking two of his ribs. At first he thought he was dead, but,
+recollecting the balsam which he kept in his wallet, he drank a draught
+of it, although it was only intended to be laid on the outside of wounds
+and bruises.
+
+He was still in the act of swallowing it when another missile struck him
+full on the face, and knocked out some of his teeth. He reeled in his
+saddle from the blow, and then fell heavily to the ground.
+
+The shepherds, frightened at what they had done, ran up to look at him,
+and seeing him lying there senseless, drove quickly off the rest of
+their flock, leaving the seven that Don Quixote had speared stretched
+beside him.
+
+Directly the shepherds had departed, Sancho Panza came down to look
+after his master, and finding him bruised and bleeding, but not stunned,
+he fell to reproaching him for his folly. But the knight only answered
+that if the enemies around him seemed to bear the likeness of sheep, it
+was only because they had been enchanted, and that their fellows now
+marching along the road would soon regain their proper shape, and become
+straight men and tall again.
+
+Then, with Sancho's help, he mounted Rozinante, and the two rode slowly
+along the road, hoping that they might shortly discover an inn, where
+they could get food and rest.
+
+
+
+
+_THE ADVENTURE OF THE BOBBING LIGHTS_
+
+
+Both Rozinante and his master had fared so ill at the hands of the
+shepherds that they journeyed but slowly, and darkness fell without
+their having reached an inn, or even caught sight of one. This grieved
+sorely both knight and squire, for not only did all Don Quixote's bones
+ache from the stoning he had undergone, but somehow or other their
+wallets had been also lost, and it was many hours since they had broken
+their fast.
+
+In this plight they travelled, man and beast hanging their heads with
+fatigue, when they saw on the road, coming towards them, a great
+multitude of lights, bobbing up and down, as if all the stars of heaven
+were shifting their places. Neither Don Quixote nor Sancho felt much at
+their ease at this strange spectacle, and both pulled up their beasts,
+and waited trembling. Even Don Quixote feared he knew not what, and the
+hair stood up on his head, in spite of his valour, as he said to Sancho:
+
+'There lies before me, Sancho, a great and perilous adventure, and one
+in which I must bear a stout heart.'
+
+'It seems to be an adventure of phantoms,' whispered Sancho fearfully,
+'which never was to my liking.'
+
+'Whatever phantoms they be,' answered the knight, 'they shall not touch
+a hair of your head,' replied Don Quixote soothingly. 'If they mocked at
+you in the inn, it was for reason that I could not leap the fence. But
+here, where the ground is open, I can lay about me as I will.'
+
+'And what if they bewitch you, as they did that other time?' asked the
+squire. 'How much will the open ground profit you then'?
+
+'Trust to me,' replied Don Quixote, 'for my experience is greater than
+yours'; and Sancho said no more.
+
+They stood a little on one side watching the lights approaching, and
+soon they saw a host of men clad in white riding along the road. The
+squire's teeth chattered at the sight of them, and his terror increased
+when he was able to make out that the moving stars were flaming torches
+which men in white shirts carried in their hands, and that behind them
+followed a litter draped in black. After the litter came six other men
+dressed in black and mounted on mules. And Sancho had no doubt that he
+saw before him shadows from the next world.
+
+Though Don Quixote's heart quailed for a moment at the strangeness of
+the vision, he soon recalled his valour. In an instant his fancy had
+changed the litter into a bier, and the occupant into a knight who had
+been done to death by foul means, and whom he was bound in honour to
+avenge. So he moved forward to the middle of the road, and cried in a
+loud voice:
+
+'Proud knights, whoever you may be, stand and give me account of
+yourselves, and tell me who it is that lies in that bier. For either you
+have done an ill deed to some man, or else a wrong has been done to
+you.'
+
+'Pardon me, fair sir,' answered the foremost of the white-shirted men,
+'but we are in haste, and the inn is far. We have no time for
+parleying.'
+
+This reply only confirmed Don Quixote's worst suspicions.
+
+'Stop, or you are a dead man,' cried he in tones of thunder. 'Tell me
+who you are and whither you are going, or else I will fight you all';
+and with that he seized the mule by the bridle. The mule, not being used
+to such rough treatment, reared herself up on her hind legs, so that her
+rider slipped off her back. At this sight one of the other men ran to
+his aid, calling the knight all the ill names he could think of, which
+so inflamed the anger of Don Quixote that he laid about him with his
+spear on every side. Even Rozinante seemed to have gotten a new spirit
+as well as a new body, for he turned him about so nimbly that soon the
+plain was covered with flying white men, still holding the bobbing
+torches. The mourners who rode behind did not escape so easily, for
+their long skirts and cloaks hindered them from moving, and Don Quixote
+struck and beat them just as he would, till they took him to be a giant
+or enchanter rather than a man.
+
+Sancho, as was his custom, bore no part in the fray, but stood by and
+said to himself: 'Had ever any man such a master!'
+
+When Don Quixote's rage was somewhat abated, he paused and gazed about
+him. Then, seeing a burning torch lying on the ground, and a figure near
+it, he went up, and perceived by the light that it was the man whom he
+had first attacked.
+
+'Yield, or I will slay you!' he shouted, and the man answered grimly:
+
+'I seem to have "yielded" as much as can be required of me, as my leg is
+broken. If you are indeed a Christian knight, I pray you of your
+nobility to spare my life, as I am a member of the Holy Church.'
+
+'Who brought you here, then?' asked Don Quixote.
+
+'Who? My ill fortune,' replied he. 'I and the eleven priests who have
+fled with the torches set forth as escort to the body of the gentleman
+that lies in the litter, bearing it to its tomb in the city of Segovia,
+where he was born.'
+
+'And who killed him?' said Don Quixote, who never imagined that any man
+could die naturally.
+
+'He died by reason of a most pestilent fever,' answered the wounded man.
+
+'Then,' replied Don Quixote, 'I am delivered from the duty of avenging
+his death, which would otherwise have fallen to me. For in case you are
+ignorant, I would have you know that I am the knight Don Quixote de la
+Mancha, and it is my place to wander through the world, helping those
+that suffer wrongs and punishing those who inflict them.'
+
+'As to helping those who suffer wrongs,' replied the churchman, 'for my
+part I can see nothing but that it is you and no other who have
+inflicted the wrong upon me. For whereas I was whole before, you have
+given me a thrust which has broken my leg, and I shall remain injured
+for ever.'
+
+'You and your friends the priests,' answered Don Quixote, in no wise
+abashed by this remark, 'have wrought the evil yourselves by coming in
+such wise, and by night, that no man could think but that you were ill
+creatures from another world.'
+
+'Then, if you repent you of the wrong that you have done me,' said the
+man, 'I pray you, worshipful knight, to deliver my leg from the bondage
+of this ass, who has my leg fastened between the stirrup and the
+saddle.'
+
+The kind heart of Don Quixote was shocked at his thoughtlessness, and he
+answered quickly:
+
+'You should have told me of your pain before, or I might have talked on
+till to-morrow'; and he called to Sancho Panza, who was busily robbing
+the mule that carried the provisions. Hearing his master's voice, Sancho
+left off with an ill grace, and, placing the bag of food on his own
+donkey, went to see what his master wanted.
+
+Between them both they set the mule on its feet, and the man on its
+saddle. Don Quixote then put the torch in his hand and bade him ride
+after his companions, and not to forget to ask their pardon in his name
+for the wrong he had unconsciously done them.
+
+'And,' added the squire, 'if your friends should ask the name of this
+gentleman, who now craves their forgiveness, tell them that it is the
+famous Don Quixote, the Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance!'
+
+
+
+
+_THE HELMET OF MAMBRINO_
+
+
+The morning after the last adventure Don Quixote and his squire were
+riding along the road, when the knight saw in front of him a man on
+horseback, with something on his head which looked as if it were made of
+gold.
+
+'If my eyes do not deceive me,' he said, turning to Sancho Panza, 'here
+comes one who wears on his head the helmet of Mambrino.'
+
+'If I had your worship's leave to speak,' answered Sancho, who was by
+this time beginning to learn a little wisdom, 'I could give many reasons
+to show that you are mistaken.'
+
+'How _can_ I be mistaken?' cried Don Quixote angrily. 'Do not you see
+for yourself that a knight is coming towards us, mounted on a grey horse
+and with a golden helmet on his head?'
+
+'All that _I_ can see,' replied the squire, 'is that the man is mounted
+on a grey donkey like my own, and he has on his head something that
+glitters.'
+
+'What you see,' answered Don Quixote solemnly, 'is the helmet of
+Mambrino.[194-1] Go, stand aside and let _me_ deal with him, for without
+even speaking to him I will get possession of his helmet, for which my
+soul has always longed.'
+
+    [194-1] Mambrino was one of the Moorish kings, to whom the helmet
+    belonged. He who wore it could not be wounded in battle.
+
+Truth to tell, the real story of the helmet, for so Don Quixote took it
+to be, was very simple. A rich man who lived in a village only a few
+miles away had sent for the nearest barber to shave and bleed him. The
+man started, taking with him a brass basin, which he was accustomed to
+use, and, as a shower of rain soon came on, he put the basin on his head
+to save his hat, which was a new one. The ass, as Sancho Panza rightly
+said, was very like his own.
+
+The good man was jogging comfortably along, thinking what he would like
+for supper, when suddenly he saw Don Quixote galloping towards him, head
+bent and lance in rest. As he drew near he cried loudly:
+
+'Defend yourself, or give me up the helmet, to which you have no right.'
+
+The barber was so taken by surprise that for a moment he did nothing;
+then he had only just time to escape the lance thrust by sliding off his
+ass and running so swiftly over the plain that even the wind could
+scarcely overtake him. In his flight the basin fell from his head, to
+the great pleasure of Don Quixote, who bade his squire bring it to him.
+
+'The Unbeliever who wore this helmet first must have had indeed a large
+head,' cried he, turning it over in his hands, seeking the vizor; 'yet,
+even so, half of it is wanting.'
+
+At this Sancho began to laugh, and his master asked him what he found to
+divert him so much.
+
+'I cannot but laugh when I think how large was the head of the
+Unbeliever,' replied Sancho gravely, knowing that the knight did not
+love the mirth of other men. 'But, to my mind, the helmet looks exactly
+like a barber's basin.'
+
+'Listen to me,' answered Don Quixote, 'and I will tell you what has
+happened. By a strange accident this famous helmet must have fallen to
+the lot of someone who did not know the value of his prize. But, seeing
+it was pure gold, he melted half of it for his own uses, and the rest he
+made into a barber's basin. Be sure that in the first village where I
+can meet with a skilled workman I will have it restored to its own
+shape again, and meanwhile I will wear it as it is, for half a helmet is
+better than none.'
+
+'And what,' inquired Sancho, 'shall we do with the grey horse that looks
+so like an ass? The beast is a good beast.'
+
+'Leave the ass or horse, whichever it pleases you to call it,' replied
+the Don, 'for no knight ever takes the steed of his foe, unless it is
+won in fair fight. And perchance, when we have ridden out of sight, its
+master will come back and seek for it.'
+
+Sancho, however, was not overmuch pleased by this speech.
+
+'Truly the laws of chivalry are strict,' he grumbled, 'if they will not
+let a man change one donkey for another! And is it forbidden to change
+the pack-saddle also?'
+
+'Of that I am in doubt,' replied Don Quixote; 'and until I have certain
+information on this point, if your need is great, you may take what you
+need.'
+
+Sancho hardly expected such good fortune to befall him, and stripping
+the ass of his harness he speedily put it upon his own beast, and then
+laid out the dinner he had stolen from the sumpter mule for himself and
+his master.
+
+Not long after this event, as Don Quixote and his squire were riding
+along the road, discoursing as they went of matters of chivalry, they
+saw approaching them from a distance a dozen men or more, with iron
+chains round their necks, stringing them together like beads on a
+rosary, and bearing iron fetters on their hands. By their side were two
+men on horseback carrying firelocks, and two on foot with swords and
+spears.
+
+'Look!' cried Sancho Panza, 'here come a gang of slaves, sent to the
+galleys by the king.'
+
+'What is that you say--_sent_?' asked Don Quixote. 'Can any king _send_
+his subjects where they have no mind to go?'
+
+'They are men who have been guilty of many crimes,' replied the squire,
+'and to punish them they are being led by force to the galleys.'
+
+'They go,' inquired Don Quixote, 'by force and not willingly?'
+
+'You speak truly,' answered Sancho Panza.
+
+'Then if that is so,' said the knight, 'it is my duty to set them free.'
+
+'But think a moment, your worship,' cried Sancho, terrified at the
+consequences of this new idea; 'they are bad men, and deserve punishment
+for the crimes they have committed.'
+
+Don Quixote was silent. In fact, he had heard nothing of what his squire
+had said. Instead he rode up to the galley-slaves, who by this time were
+quite near, and politely begged one of the soldiers who had charge of
+them to tell him of his courtesy where these people were going, and why
+they were chained in such a manner.
+
+The guard, who had never read any of the romances of chivalry, and was
+quite ignorant of the speech of knights, answered roughly that they were
+felons going to the galleys, and that was all that mattered to anybody.
+But Don Quixote was not to be put aside like this.
+
+'By your leave,' he said, 'I would speak with them, and ask of every man
+the reason of his misfortune.'
+
+Now this civility of the knight made the soldiers feel ashamed of their
+own rudeness, so one of them replied more gently than before:
+
+'We have here set down the crimes of every man singly, but if your
+worship pleases you may inquire of the prisoners yourself. And be sure
+you will hear all about their tricks, and more too, for it is a mighty
+pleasure to them to tell their tales.'
+
+The soldier spoke truly; and wonderful were the stories which Don
+Quixote listened to and believed, until the knight, smitten by
+compassion, turned to the guards and implored them to set free the poor
+fellows, whose sins would be punished elsewhere.
+
+'I ask you to do this as a favour,' he ended, 'for I would willingly owe
+you this grace. But, if you deny me, my arm and my sword will teach you
+to do it by force.'
+
+'That is a merry jest indeed,' cried the soldier. 'So we are to let go
+the king's prisoners just because you tell us to do it. You had better
+mind your own business, fair sir, and set that pot straight on your
+head, and do not waste your time in looking for five feet in a cat.'
+
+Don Quixote was so furious at the man's words that he felled him to the
+earth with a blow from his sword, while for a moment the other guards
+stood mute from surprise. Then seizing their weapons they rushed at Don
+Quixote, who sat firm in his saddle as became a knight, awaiting their
+onslaught. But for all his valour it would have gone hard with him had
+not the attention of the soldiers been hastily called off by the
+galley-slaves, who were taking advantage of the tumult to break their
+fetters. The chief among them had snatched the sword and firelock of the
+man whom Don Quixote had overthrown, and by merely pointing it at the
+other guards he so frightened them that they fled in all directions,
+followed by a shower of stones from the rest of the captives.
+
+'Let us depart from here,' whispered Sancho Panza, knowing better than
+his master in what a sorry plight they might presently find themselves.
+'If we once reach those hills, none can overtake us.'
+
+'It is well,' replied the knight; 'but first I must settle this matter,'
+and, calling together the prisoners, he bade them go with all speed and
+present themselves before the Lady Dulcinea del Toboso, and say that
+they had come by the command of the Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance,
+and further to relate the doughty deeds by which they had been set free.
+
+[Illustration: HOW THE GALLEY SLAVES REPAID DON QUIXOTE]
+
+At this the convicts only laughed, and replied that if they were to
+fulfil his desires and travel together in a body they would soon be
+taken captive by their enemies, and would be no better off than before,
+but that in gratitude for his services they would be willing to pray for
+him, which they could do at their leisure.
+
+This discourse enraged Don Quixote nearly as much as the words of the
+guard had done, and he answered the fellow in terms so abusive that the
+convict's patience, which was never very great, gave way altogether, and
+he and his comrades, picking up what stones lay about, flung them with
+such hearty goodwill at the knight and Rozinante, that at length they
+knocked him right out of the saddle. The man then dragged the basin from
+his head, and after dealing him some mighty blows with it dashed it to
+the ground, where it broke in pieces. They next took the coat which he
+wore over his armour, and stripped the squire of all but his shirt.
+Having done this, they went their ways, fearing lest they might be
+overtaken.
+
+
+
+
+_HOW DON QUIXOTE WAS ENCHANTED WHILE GUARDING THE CASTLE_
+
+
+In the course of their adventures Don Quixote and his squire found
+themselves at the door of an inn which they had already visited, where
+they met with many friends. The hours were passed in pleasant discourse,
+and in the telling and reading of strange stories; the company parted at
+night well satisfied with their entertainment.
+
+Don Quixote, however, did not share in these joys, for he was sorely
+cast down by reason of wounds he had received a few days previously in
+seeking to right a wrong. So, leaving the remainder of the guests to
+each other's society, he threw himself on the bed that had been made for
+him, and soon fell fast asleep.
+
+The guests below had forgotten all about him, so absorbed were they in
+the interest of a tale of woeful ending, when the voice of Sancho Panza
+burst upon their ears.
+
+'Hasten! hasten! good sirs; hasten and help my master in the hardest
+battle I have ever seen him fight. By my faith, he has dealt such a blow
+to the giant that his head he has cut clean off.'
+
+'What is that you say?' asked the priest, who was reading out the tale.
+'Are you out of your senses, Sancho?' But his question was lost in a
+furious noise from above, in which Don Quixote might be heard crying:
+
+'Rogue, thief, villain! I have you fast, and little will your sword
+avail you'; then followed loud blows against the wall.
+
+[Illustration: DON QUIXOTE'S BATTLE WITH THE WINE-SKINS]
+
+'Quick, quick! don't stand there listening, but fly to the aid of my
+master. Though, indeed, by this time there can be little need, for the
+giant must be dead already, and will trouble the world no more. For I
+saw his blood spurt and run all over the floor, and his head is cut off
+and fallen to one side.'
+
+'As I am alive,' exclaimed the innkeeper, 'I fear that Don Quixote has
+been fighting with one of the wine-skins that I put to hang near the
+bed, and it is wine not blood that is spilt on the ground.' And he ran
+into the room, followed by the rest, to see what had really happened.
+
+They all stopped short at the sight of Don Quixote, who did, in truth,
+present a most strange figure. The only garments he had on were a shirt
+and a little red cap; his legs were bare, and round his left arm was
+rolled the bed covering, while in the right he held a sword, with which
+he was cutting and thrusting at everything about him, uttering cries all
+the while, as if in truth he were engaged in deadly combat with a giant.
+Yet his eyes were tight shut, and it was clear to all that he was fast
+asleep; but in his dream he had slashed at so many of the skins that the
+whole room was full of wine. When the innkeeper perceived this, the loss
+of his wine so enraged him that he in his turn flew at the knight, and
+struck him such hard blows with his fists that, had not the priest and
+another man pulled him off, the war with the giant would soon have
+ended.
+
+Still, curious to say, it was not until a pannikin of cold water had
+been poured over him by the barber that Don Quixote awoke, and even then
+he did not understand what he had been doing, and why he stood there in
+such a dress.
+
+Now the priest had caught hold of Don Quixote's hands, so that he should
+not beat those who were pouring the water over him, and the knight,
+having only partly come to his senses, took him for the princess, for
+whose sake he had made war on the giant.
+
+'Fair and gracious lady,' he said, falling on his knees, 'may your life
+henceforth be freed from the terror of this ill-born creature!'
+
+'Well, did I not speak truly?' asked Sancho Panza proudly. 'Has not my
+master properly salted the giant? I have got my earldom safe at last.'
+For Sancho never ceased to believe in the knight's promises.
+
+Everyone was driven to laugh at the strange foolery of both master and
+man, except the innkeeper, whose mind was still sore at the loss of his
+wine-skins. The priest and the barber first busied themselves in getting
+Don Quixote, now quite worn out with his adventure, safely into bed, and
+then went to administer the best consolation they could to the poor man.
+
+Many days passed before Don Quixote was well enough to leave the inn,
+but at length he seemed to be cured of the fatigue he had undergone
+during his previous adventures, and had bidden his squire get all things
+ready for his departure. Maritornes, the servant at the inn, and the
+innkeeper's daughter, having overheard the plans of Don Quixote,
+resolved that he should not leave them before they had played him some
+merry tricks.
+
+That night, when everyone else had gone to bed, and Don Quixote, armed,
+and mounted on Rozinante, was keeping guard in front of the inn, the two
+girls crept up to a loft. Nowhere in the inn was there such a thing as a
+proper window, but in the loft was a hole through which the knight could
+be seen, leaning on his lance uttering deep sighs and broken words about
+the Lady Dulcinea.
+
+The innkeeper's daughter, falling in with his humour, advanced to the
+hole, and invited him to draw a little nearer. Nothing more was needed
+than for Don Quixote to imagine that the damsel was sick of love for
+him, and he told her straightway that any service he could do her short
+of proclaiming her his liege lady she might command. Upon this,
+Maritornes informed him that her mistress would be content were she
+permitted to kiss his hand, which Don Quixote answered might be done
+without wrong to the Lady Dulcinea. So, without more ado, he passed it
+through the hole, when it was instantly seized by Maritornes, who
+slipped a noose of rope over his wrist, and tied the other end of it
+tightly to the door of the loft.
+
+After that they both ran off, overflowing with laughter, leaving the
+knight to reproach them for their ill-usage.
+
+There the poor knight remained, mounted on Rozinante, his arm in the
+hole and his hand fastened to the door, fearing lest Rozinante should
+move and he should be left hanging. But in this he did wrong to his
+horse, who was happy enough to stand still.
+
+Then Don Quixote, seeing himself bound, instead of seeking to unloose
+himself as many others would have tried to do, sat quietly in his
+saddle, and dreamed dreams of the enchantment which had befallen him.
+And thus he stayed till the day dawned.
+
+His dreams were rudely broken into when there drew up at the inn door
+four men well armed and mounted. As no one answered their knock, they
+repeated it more loudly, when Don Quixote cried to them:
+
+'Knights or squires, or whoever you may be, it is not for you to knock
+at the gates of this castle; for sure, any man might tell that those
+within are asleep, or else it is their custom not to open until the sun
+touches the whole floor. You must wait until it is broad day, and then
+it will be seen whether you can be admitted within the gates.'
+
+'What sort of castle is this, which receives no guests without such
+ceremonies?' mocked one of the men. 'If you are the innkeeper, bid your
+servants open to us without delay. We are neither knights nor squires,
+but honest travellers, who need corn for our horses, and that without
+delay.'
+
+'Have I the air of an innkeeper?' asked Don Quixote loftily.
+
+'I do not know of what you have the air,' answered the man, 'but this I
+_do_ know, and that is that you are jesting when you call this inn a
+castle.'
+
+'But it _is_ a castle,' replied Don Quixote, 'and one of the finest in
+the whole country! And within are those who carry crowns on their heads
+and sceptres in their hands.'
+
+'It may well be that inside are players with crowns and sceptres both,'
+answered the traveller, 'for in so small an inn no real kings and their
+trains would find a place'; and, being weary of talking, he knocked at
+the door with more violence than before.
+
+Meanwhile, one of the horses had drawn near to Rozinante, wondering what
+the strange creature could be, of a form like unto his own, but to all
+outward seeming formed of wood. Rozinante, cheered by the presence of
+one of his own kind, moved his body a little, which caused Don Quixote
+to slip from his saddle, and to remain hanging by his arm, though his
+feet almost touched the ground. The pain of thus being suspended from
+his arm was so great that, knight though he was, he shrieked in agony,
+till the people in the inn ran to the doors to see what was the matter.
+
+Maritornes alone, fearing punishment, slipped round another way, and
+unfastened the cord which bound Don Quixote, who dropped to the ground
+as the travellers came up, and in answer to their questions mounted
+Rozinante, and, after riding round the field, reined up suddenly in
+front of them, crying:
+
+'Whoever shall proclaim that I have suffered enchantment I give him the
+lie, and challenge him to meet me in single combat.'
+
+But instead of answering his defiance the guests merely stood and stared
+at him, till the innkeeper whispered that he was a noble gentleman, a
+little touched in his wits, so they took no further notice of his words.
+This so enraged Don Quixote that he was only withheld from fighting them
+all by remembering that nowhere in the records of chivalry was it
+lawful to undertake a second adventure before the first had drawn to a
+good end.
+
+Meanwhile a new strife had begun in the inn, for two of the travellers
+who had lodged there during the night were found trying to leave the inn
+without paying their reckoning. But it happened that the landlord
+detected their purpose and held them fast, upon which the two fellows
+set on him with blows, till his daughter ran to Don Quixote and implored
+his help.
+
+'Beautiful damsel,' replied the knight slowly, 'just now I cannot listen
+to your prayer, for the laws of chivalry forbid my engaging in a fresh
+adventure. But tell your father to keep his assailants at bay, while I
+ride to the Princess Micomicona, in whose service I already am, and ask
+her leave to aid him in his trouble.'
+
+'And long before your return,' cried Maritornes, 'my poor master will be
+in another world'; but Don Quixote, not heeding her, turned his back,
+and, falling on his knees before a lady present, begged that she would
+grant him permission to rescue the lord of the castle.
+
+This being given, the knight braced on his shield and drew his sword,
+and hastened to the inn door, where the two men were still beating the
+landlord. But the moment he reached the combatants he stopped and drew
+back, in spite of the entreaties of Maritornes and of the innkeeper's
+wife.
+
+'It has come into my mind,' he said, 'that it is not lawful for me to
+give battle to any except belted knights. Now there are no knights here,
+and the task belongs to my squire Sancho, who I will bid to undertake it
+in my stead.'
+
+So the fight still raged, till at length the men's arms grew tired,
+which, Don Quixote seeing, he persuaded them to make peace, and the two
+guests to pay the sum which they rightly owed the landlord.
+
+
+
+
+_DON QUIXOTE'S HOME-COMING_
+
+
+By this time the company of friends who had been passing their days so
+pleasantly at the inn, were called away by other business, but, not
+liking to leave Don Quixote to himself, they contrived a plan by which
+the priest and barber were to carry him home, where they hoped his wits
+might come back to him.
+
+So they set about making secretly a large cage of poles, having the
+sides latticed, so that Don Quixote should receive both air and light,
+and this cage was to be placed on a bullock-cart which happened to be
+going in the same direction. The rest of the company put on masks and
+disguised themselves in various manners, so that the knight might not
+know them again.
+
+These preparations being finished, they stole softly into his room at
+the dead of night and tied his hands and feet firmly together. He woke
+with a start, and, seeing the array of strange figures about him, took
+them to be the phantoms which hovered about the enchanted castle, and
+believed without doubt that he himself was enchanted likewise, for he
+could neither move nor fight.
+
+This reasoning pleased the priest greatly, as in just such a manner he
+had reckoned that the knight would behave. Sancho alone had been left in
+the garments that he commonly wore, and he was not deceived by the
+ghosts who passed before him. But he looked on and said nothing till he
+should see how the matter turned out.
+
+When all was ready, Don Quixote was picked up and carried to the cage,
+where they laid him at full length, but taking good care to nail the
+door, so that it could not be opened. Then a voice was heard from behind
+to utter a prophecy, which Don Quixote understood to mean that he was
+setting forth on his wedding journey, and that he was to be bound in
+marriage to the Lady Dulcinea del Toboso, whose name he had always
+upheld in battle.
+
+The knight responded joyfully to the words he heard, beseeching the
+mighty enchanter in whose power he was not to leave him in his prison
+till these glorious promises had been fulfilled, and appealing to Sancho
+never to part from him either in good or ill fortune. Sancho bowed in
+answer and kissed his master's hand; then the ghosts took up the cage
+and placed it on a waggon.
+
+Don Quixote beguiled the way after his usual fashion, recalling the
+stories of enchantments he had read, yet never finding a knight who had
+been enchanted after his fashion.
+
+'No knight that ever _I_ heard,' said he, 'was drawn by such heavy and
+sluggish animals. Strange it is indeed to be carried to adventures in an
+ox-cart, instead of flying through the air on a griffin or a cloud! Yet,
+mayhap, the new chivalry, of which I am the first knight, may have new
+ways'; and with that he contented himself, and discoursed to Sancho
+about the ghosts, while Rozinante and the ass were saddled. Then Sancho
+mounted his ass and took Rozinante's rein, the priest meanwhile giving
+the troopers a few pence a day to ride by the ox-cart as far as Don
+Quixote's native village.
+
+After allowing Don Quixote to bid farewell to the good people gathered
+at the inn door, the priest, still masked, gave the signal to the
+driver, and the cart drawn by the oxen started at a foot's pace. The
+troopers rode on each side to guard it, and behind them came Sancho
+riding on his ass, leading Rozinante, while the priest and the barber,
+mounted on a pair of fine mules, brought up the rear.
+
+They journeyed in silence for some time, till the driver of the ox-cart,
+who was a lazy fellow, called a halt as he himself wished to rest, and
+the grass was rich and green for the oxen. Soon they were joined by a
+company of well-dressed men on horseback, who stopped in surprise on
+seeing such a strange sight as that of a man in a cage. The leader of
+the party, who made himself known to them as a canon of Toledo, entered
+into conversation with the captive knight. Don Quixote informed him that
+he was enchanted by reason of envy of his glorious deeds, which was
+denied by Sancho Panza, who declared that when he was at liberty his
+master ate, drank, and slept like other people, and if no one hindered
+him would talk more than thirty lawyers.
+
+The canon and his friends rode on with the priest for some distance, as
+he desired greatly to hear the tale of Don Quixote's adventures, for
+never before had he met with such a strange man. In the heat of the day
+they again rested in a shady spot, and here, at the petition of the
+squire, Don Quixote was unloosed from his bonds and set at liberty.
+
+For a while he was content to pass the hours of his journey in hearing
+and telling of matters of chivalry, rejoicing to find himself once more
+on the back of Rozinante. But unfortunately the sight of a procession of
+men in white approaching him stirred up all his anger, for, as was his
+custom, he instantly divined that they were assembled for some unlawful
+purpose, though in sooth they were a body of penitents praying that rain
+might fall upon their thirsty land. He dashed up to battle, followed by
+Sancho on foot, who arrived just at the moment that his master fell to
+the ground stunned by a tremendous blow. The penitents who formed the
+procession, seeing so many men running up, received them with fists and
+candlesticks, but when one of them cast his eyes on the priest who was
+journeying with Don Quixote he found that he had known him formerly,
+and begged him to tell what all this might mean.
+
+By the time the story was told Don Quixote's wits began to return to
+him, and he called to Sancho to put him back into the cage, as he had
+been nigh dead, and could not hold himself on Rozinante.
+
+'With all my heart,' answered Sancho, thankful that the adventure had
+ended no worse; 'and if these gentlemen will do us the honour to go with
+us, we will return home and there make plans for adventures that will
+bring us more profit and glory.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The villagers were all gathered together in the great square, when at
+the end of six days a cage containing a man passed through their midst.
+The people pressed close to see who the captive might be, and when they
+saw it was Don Quixote, they sent a boy to tell his housekeeper and his
+niece that the knight had come back looking pale and lean from his
+wanderings.
+
+Loud were the cries raised by the good women when they saw him in so
+sorry a plight, and they undressed him and put him to bed with what
+speed they were able.
+
+'Keep him there as long as you may,' said the priest who had brought
+him; but it is whispered that this period of rest and repose did not
+last, and that soon Don Quixote might have been seen again mounted on
+Rozinante and seeking adventures.
+
+[_Don Quixote._]
+
+
+
+
+_THE MEETING OF HUON AND OBERON, KING OF THE FAIRIES_
+
+
+In the days of the emperor Charles the Great there lived two young men
+named Huon and Gerard, sons of the duke of Bordeaux and heirs of his
+lands. Now by all the rules of chivalry they were bound to hasten to
+Paris as soon as their father died and do homage to the emperor as their
+liege lord; but, like many other youths, they were careless of their
+duties, and put off the long and tedious journey from day to day.
+
+This conduct was particularly foolish, because there was present at the
+emperor's court the famous earl Amaury, who, rich though he was, coveted
+the estates of the duke of Bordeaux, and whispered in the ear of his
+master that the young men were rebels and traitors. By this time Charles
+was old, and his mind, as well as his body, had waxed feeble; the crown
+was too heavy for him, and he was thinking of resigning it to his son
+Charlot. So Amaury cunningly represented to him that he must summon the
+young men to his court without delay, and then himself plotted with
+Charlot to waylay and kill them. But, though they made their plans with
+great care, fortune was on the side of Huon and Gerard, for they
+defended themselves so bravely that, though they were taken by surprise,
+Gerard only received a slight wound, while Charlot was slain by Huon.
+
+When Amaury returned to Paris with these dreadful tidings, the emperor
+was beside himself with anger, and ordered Amaury to fight a duel with
+Huon, who was the elder of the two, and bid him take heed not to spare
+him. As Huon was young and slight, and Amaury one of the strongest men
+at the court, neither the emperor nor the earl ever had a moment's doubt
+with whom the victory would lie; but if Amaury was more powerful, Huon
+was quicker on his feet, and before long he had stretched his enemy dead
+upon the ground.
+
+The emperor was watching the fight from a window of his palace, and his
+anger at the triumph of Huon was so great that it very near killed him.
+Still, as the duel had been fairly fought, he dared not punish Huon, and
+he was forced to content himself with sending him on a mission to the
+king of Babylon, knowing well the perils which would beset him on the
+way.
+
+The small vessel in which Huon sailed for Jerusalem met with so many
+dangers that oftentimes the young duke thought that he would be dead
+long before he had touched the shores of Palestine. Thrice they were
+attacked by pirates, who were hardly beaten off; twice such terrible
+storms arose that they were almost driven on the rocks, and once they
+had much ado to avoid being drawn into a whirlpool. But somehow or other
+they escaped everything, and Huon was safely landed on the holy soil
+with his uncle Garyn and a few followers.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+He was at first so thankful to be on dry land again that he felt as if
+his journey was already over, but he soon found that the worst part was
+yet to come. Leaving Jerusalem behind them, the little band entered a
+desert, dreary and boundless as far as they could see. Hunger and thirst
+they suffered, and death felt very near them, when at last they reached
+a tiny hut, before which an old man was sitting. At the sight of Huon,
+thin and wasted as he had grown, the old man broke into sobs, crying
+that his face was like unto the face of the duke of Bordeaux, whom he
+had known when he was young.
+
+'Thirty years have I dwelt in these deserts,' said he, 'and never have
+my eyes lighted on the face of a Christian man.'
+
+Then Huon answered that he was indeed the son of the duke of Bordeaux
+whom he had known in his youth, and while they rested each man told his
+tale.
+
+'It is indeed good fortune that guided you here,' said Gerames when Huon
+had ended his story, 'for without me and my counsel never would you have
+reached the kingdom of Babylon. There are two roads which lead to that
+great city; one will take you forty days, and the other fifteen days,
+but if you will be ruled by me you will travel by the longer.'
+
+'And wherefore?' asked Huon, whose body was still sore from the
+hardships he had suffered, and whose ears had been tickled with the
+tidings of the soft couches and lovely gardens of Babylon the Great.
+
+'The short way leads through a wood which is the home of fairies and
+other strange creatures,' answered Gerames, 'and in it dwells Oberon,
+the king of them all, in stature no higher than a child of three years
+old, but with a face more beautiful than any worn by mortal man. His
+voice is softer and his words more sweet than we are wont to use; but
+beware of listening to them, for should you speak to him one word, you
+will fall into his power for ever. But if you hold your peace think not
+to escape that way, for he will be so wroth with you that he will cause
+all manner of tempests to spring up, and a great and black river to rise
+before you. Fear not to pass this river, black and swift though it be,
+for it is but a fantasy, and will not even wet the feet of your horse.
+And now that I have told you the ills that lie in that wood, I pray you
+hearken to my counsel, and ride by the way that is longer.'
+
+Huon paused before he answered. In sooth, Gerames' words had not
+awakened dread in his soul. Instead, he desired greatly to meet that
+dwarf, and to try whose will should prove strongest. So he answered that
+it would ill become a knight, and the son of his father, to shun a
+meeting with anyone, be he man or fairy, and it might be well for him to
+take the short road, for many adventures might befall him by the longer.
+
+'Sir,' said Gerames, 'be it as you will; whichever way you take I will
+go with you.'
+
+Then Huon and Gerames rode at the rear of their company, and entered the
+wood where Oberon, king of the Fairies, abode. For two days they had
+neither food nor drink, and Huon repented him of his journey and wished
+that he had hearkened to Gerames, as perchance the other road might have
+been easier.
+
+'Let us all alight and seek for food,' said he; but at that moment,
+Oberon, richly dressed, and covered with precious stones, appeared
+before them. A magic bow was in his hand, whose arrows never failed to
+hit the beast he aimed at, while round his neck was slung a horn. Now
+this horn was unlike any other in the whole world, for one blast of it
+could cure a man's sickness, even if he was nigh to death, or make him
+feel satisfied if he lacked meat, or joyful though he was poor, or
+summon whomsoever he wanted, if he was distant a hundred days' journey.
+
+Seeing the doleful plight of the little company, Oberon blew the third
+blast, and, behold! Huon and his companions began to sing and dance, as
+if good fortune had come to them.
+
+'Ah, what strange thing has come to pass!' cried the young knight. 'But
+now I was like to fall from my horse from hunger, but in an instant I am
+filled and wish for nothing.'
+
+'Sir,' said Gerames, 'it is Oberon who has wrought this; but do not
+suffer yourself to be drawn into speech with him, or you will rue it.'
+
+'Have no fears for me,' answered Huon, 'I will be steadfast.'
+
+[Illustration: The Meeting of Huon and Oberon]
+
+He held his head very high when Oberon the dwarf came up, and begged
+the knight to speak to him; but Huon only leaped on his horse and signed
+to his men to do likewise. At that the dwarf waxed angry, and bade a
+tempest arise, and with it came such a rain and hail that they were sore
+affrighted. Many times Gerames prayed them to take courage, for these
+were devices of the fairy king, and would not really hurt them, and as
+long as they spoke no words they would be safe.
+
+'Have no doubt of me,' answered Huon.
+
+For a while they lost sight of the dwarf, and Huon vainly hoped that
+they had beaten him off, and that they were rid of him. But in a little
+time they reached a bridge which spanned a great river, and on the
+bridge was Oberon himself. Fain would they have slipped past him, but
+the bridge was narrow, and Oberon stood in the middle. Once more he
+spoke soft words to Huon, and offered to do him service, but Huon held
+his peace. Again Oberon was angered sorely, and blew a blast which
+hindered the company from riding onwards, while four hundred knights of
+his own came galloping up.
+
+'Slay these men at once,' he cried, shaking with wrath, but their leader
+implored him to spare them for a space.
+
+'It will be time enough to kill them if they still keep silence,' said
+he; and Oberon agreed that he would give them yet another chance, and
+Huon and his companions rode hastily onwards.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+'We have left him full five miles behind us,' said Huon, drawing rein;
+'and now that he is not here to trouble us I will say that never in my
+life did I see so fair a creature. Nor do I think he can do us any ill.
+If he should come again, I fain would speak to him, and I pray you,
+Gerames, not to be displeased with me thereat.'
+
+Gerames' heart was heavy at these words, but he knew well the wilfulness
+of young men, and he answered nothing. For fifteen days they rode on,
+and Gerames began to hope that Oberon had given up their pursuit, when
+suddenly he again appeared.
+
+'Noble sir,' he said to Huon, 'have you resolved in good sooth not to
+speak to me? I know all your past life, and the task set you by the
+emperor, and without my help never will you come to the end of that
+business. Therefore, be warned by me, and go no further.'
+
+'You are welcome, sir,' answered Huon at last, and Oberon laughed for
+very joy.
+
+'Never did you give a greeting so profitable as this one,' he said, and
+they rode on together.
+
+
+
+
+_HOW OBERON SAVED HUON_
+
+
+Oberon was so rejoiced that Huon had at last made friends with him, that
+he did everything that he could think of to give pleasure to the knight
+and his friends.
+
+'There is nothing in the world that I cannot have by wishing for it,'
+said he, 'and all I possess is yours. And to prove that my words are not
+vain I will set before you the richest feast that ever you ate. After
+you have finished, you shall go whithersoever you will.'
+
+So they ate and drank to their hearts' content, but, before they
+departed, Oberon bade one of his fairy knights to bring him his golden
+cup, which he showed to Huon.
+
+'Behold,' he said, 'this cup is empty, and will so remain, if any man
+who has done a deadly sin should seek to drink of it. But he who has led
+a goodly life, the moment that he takes it in his hands it will become
+full of wine. Make proof of it yourself, and if you are found worthy the
+cup shall be yours.'
+
+'Alas, sir,' answered Huon, 'I fear very greatly that I have sinned too
+deeply for that cup to have any virtue for me, but yet I have repented,
+and desire from henceforth to wrong no one.' Then he lifted the cup, and
+the wine brimmed over.
+
+Oberon was right glad when he saw this sight, and gave the cup into his
+keeping.
+
+'As long as you are true and faithful, you shall never lack drink in
+it,' said he, 'but if you do falsely to any man, it will lose all its
+virtue and my help will go from you also. I have likewise another gift
+for you: take this horn of ivory, and when you are in great straits,
+and will blow it, however far I may be, I will come to you, and will
+bring with me a great company to lend you aid. But beware, as you set
+store by my friendship and by your life, that you do not blow the horn
+lightly.'
+
+'I give you great thanks for your kindness, and will hearken to your
+words,' said Huon; 'and now, I pray, let me depart hence to do the
+emperor's bidding.'
+
+So the knight and the fairy king took leave of each other, and they
+fared on their way, and in the evening they sat and rested in a green
+meadow, and ate and drank of the food that Oberon had given them. Now
+Huon was uplifted by the gifts the king had given him, and thought that
+he himself must be in some way better than other men, to be singled out
+for such honour, and, as young men will, he began to boast and talk
+idly, making pretence that he doubted the magic qualities of the horn
+and the cup, so that he might prove them at once before his company.
+
+'It was a fair adventure for me when I spoke to Oberon,' said he, 'and
+that I did not listen to the counsel of Gerames. When I fulfil my
+mission and return unto the court of the emperor, I will present him
+with the cup, the like of which he has not got in all his treasury. But
+as for the horn, how do I know if Oberon spoke the truth concerning it?'
+
+'Oh, sir, be not rash, I entreat you!' cried Gerames, 'for he charged
+you straitly not to blow the horn save in your direst need.'
+
+'Ay, surely,' answered Huon, 'but for all that I will try what power it
+has,' and, raising it to his mouth, he blew a loud blast.
+
+At that all the company rose up, and sang and danced joyfully, and
+Garyn, Huon's uncle, begged him to blow the horn once more.
+
+Oberon heard it, though he was full many miles away.
+
+'What man is so bold as to seek to do him ill whom I love best in all
+the world?' said Oberon. 'I wish myself and a hundred good men in his
+company'; and in an instant Huon and his friends beheld the horses'
+skins flashing in the bushes. Then Huon's soul smote him, and he bowed
+his head before Oberon, saying:
+
+'Sir, I have done ill; tell me quickly if death must be my punishment?'
+
+'Where are those that would work you evil?' asked Oberon sternly; but in
+spite of his wrath Huon took heart of grace, and, confessing his folly,
+prayed for pardon, which Oberon granted him for very pity, knowing, he
+said, that Huon would have much to suffer, some things through the
+wicked ways of others, but more from his own pride and self-will. Then,
+bidding the young man farewell afresh, the fairy king rode back to the
+wood.
+
+All befell just as the fairy king had foretold. Giants and mortals alike
+barred his way; small would have been his chance of ever reaching
+Babylon had not Oberon himself watched over him, and sent him help when
+he knew it not. Only one thing he asked of Huon in return--to keep
+himself from ill-doing and lies, so that he might be worthy to drink
+from the golden cup.
+
+And thus it came to pass that after many perils Huon knocked at the
+first of the four gates of the city.
+
+No sound was heard in answer to his knock, so he seized the great bell
+that hung there, and rang it loudly. At this a porter opened a little
+lattice, and asked what great lord it might be who demanded admittance
+in so rude a fashion, to which Huon answered hotly that he was an envoy
+from the emperor Charles, and that if the porter refused him entrance he
+would have to answer for it to his own master.
+
+At that the porter said that if the stranger was an infidel like
+themselves, the gates should be thrown open at once, but that, should he
+allow any Christian to enter, he would pay for it with his head.
+
+'But I am as much a Saracen as yourself,' said Huon, who only thought of
+getting into Babylon and paid no heed to the lie he was telling, or to
+the dishonour of his words. Then the gates were opened wide, and he
+entered.
+
+It was not till he was crossing the bridge which stood before the second
+gate that the wickedness of what he had done came upon him, and then he
+felt ashamed, and sorry, and frightened altogether. And how should he
+pass through the other three gates without again denying his faith and
+steeping himself in dishonour? He was about to turn back in despair,
+when he remembered the two good gifts of a giant whom he had overcome--a
+suit of armour which no sword could pierce, and a ring which would throw
+open all doors. So he showed the ring to the porters that guarded all
+the other three doors, and soon found himself in the garden of the
+palace.
+
+Even the groves of palms, and the trees of delicious fruits, could not
+make him forget the lie he had uttered. Indeed, if he had wished to do
+so, he could not, for presently he came to a fountain beside which was
+written that no traitor should drink thereof on pain of being destroyed
+by the serpent that dwelt therein. At this Huon suddenly felt himself
+forsaken of all, and he sat down and wept bitterly.
+
+'O noble King Oberon, listen to me once more,' he cried, and tremblingly
+blew his horn.
+
+'I help no liars,' said the fairy king when the blast echoed through the
+forest, and, though Huon could not hear his answer, the silence soon
+told him what it was.
+
+'If he slays me, at least it will be soon over,' he thought to himself,
+and, putting forth all his strength, he blew a fresh blast.
+
+This time it was so loud that it reached the ears of the lord of
+Babylon, who was sitting at a feast in the Hall of Moonbeams. And he
+rose up, together with his nobles and their squires and their wives and
+daughters, and every one in the palace from the least to the greatest,
+and began to dance and sing. They sang and danced as long as the horn
+kept on blowing, and when it had ceased the ruler of Babylon called to
+his lords and bade them follow him into the garden, as of a surety some
+great enchanter must have strayed therein.
+
+'Seek him and bring him to me, wherever I be,' commanded the emir; but
+the gardens were so large, and it took so long to find Huon, that the
+emir went back into the palace and laid himself down on a pile of soft
+cushions at the end of the hall.
+
+By his side on a great carved chair was the king of a neighbouring
+country, who arrived hither only a few days before to beg for the hand
+of the emir's fair daughter, the princess Esclaramonde, who was said to
+be the loveliest maiden in the whole world. To be sure, it was whispered
+among the courtiers that the princess did not look on him with a
+favourable eye, when she had watched his arrival from behind her
+lattice, and that more than once she had protested that she was too ill
+to leave her room when sent for by her father; but of course, if
+marriage was resolved upon, it would have to be.
+
+Huon had heard talk of these things between his guards when they were
+marching through the gardens that were almost as big as a town, and up
+the long flight of marble steps that led to the palace. He said nothing;
+perhaps by this time he had learnt a little wisdom, but he knew who the
+man was whose dress was so rich and his air so proud, and before anyone
+even saw him lift his arm the king's head was rolling in the dust.
+
+For a moment all remained still, too astonished to speak. Then the emir
+recovered his wits, and ordered Huon to be carried off to a dungeon, and
+not to be let go or the guards lives would be forfeit. But quick as
+thought Huon held out his hand with the ring on it.
+
+'Do you know this?' he said, and the king started back at the sight of
+it, and cried to the soldiers to let the prisoner go, for in that place
+he might do whatsoever he would. At this permission Huon turned to where
+the princess Esclaramonde was sitting by her father, and kissed her
+thrice.
+
+The emir was not altogether pleased at this fashion of Huon's, but he
+said nothing, and in a moment the knight told him how the emperor had
+sent him to pray the emir to become a Christian, otherwise he should
+proceed against him with a mighty host.
+
+The emir laughed in scorn as he listened to Huon's vain boast.
+
+'Fifteen envoys has he despatched on a like errand,' answered he, 'and
+all fifteen have I hanged. Right willingly should you make the sixteenth
+but for the ring which you wear. Tell me, I pray you, whence you got
+it?'
+
+But when Huon confessed that it had been given him by the giant, the
+emir waxed more wroth than before, and ordered his guards to seize him
+and cast him into prison, which in the end they did, though he resisted
+them well by reason of the harness that was on him.
+
+For a long space Huon lingered in that dark prison, and sad indeed would
+have been his lot had it not been for the secret visits of the princess
+Esclaramonde, who, the better to preserve his life, assured her father
+of his death.
+
+At length, when the emir was sore beset by the army of the giant
+Agrapart, she deemed it a favourable time to betray to her father that
+Huon was still alive in his prison, and was ready to do battle with the
+giant if, as was usual in that country, the princess's hand should be
+given to the victor. Both the emir and the giant agreed that their
+quarrel should stand or fall by single combat, and so the fight began.
+
+[Illustration: HUON DEFEATS THE GIANT AGRAPART]
+
+Huon felt in his heart that there was more at stake than even the hand
+of the princess. He stood forth as the champion of Christendom amidst a
+host of pagans, and it behoved him to strike with all his strength. In
+the end the victory was his, and the giant Agrapart was overcome, but
+his life was spared on condition that he would serve the emir faithfully
+all his days, which solemn oath he took gladly. After that, Huon drew
+out the cup the fairy king had given him, and, having made the sign of
+the cross over it, it was filled with wine, and he drank of it. For he
+had long since repented of the lie he had told, and was clean again.
+Then the emir tried to drink also, but no wine would come.
+
+'You must forsake your false gods, and be a Christian such as I am,'
+said Huon, 'and if you like not fair words you shall see how an armed
+host pleases you;' but, as was natural, the ruler of Babylon was not the
+man to be moved by such persuasions. He angrily bade Huon cease, and to
+speak to him no more on the matter or all the hosts of Charlemagne
+himself should not avail to save his head.
+
+'You will repent you too late,' said Huon, and blew his horn.
+
+At first the emir and his courtiers began to dance and sing wildly, they
+knew not wherefore, while in the wood far away Oberon heard the sound.
+'Huon, my friend, has great need of me,' he thought to himself, 'and his
+ill-doings have been punished enough, so I will pardon him, for there is
+not in all the world so noble a man. Therefore I wish myself at his
+side, with a thousand men behind me.' And in another moment, no man
+could tell how, Oberon and his men were within the walls of Babylon. The
+guards of the palace fell before them on every hand, till at last they
+reached the emir himself.
+
+'He is yours to spare or to slay,' said Oberon, and once more the knight
+gave the Paynim his choice.
+
+'Be a Christian or you die,' said Huon, and the emir made answer:
+
+'I will never forsake my own.' They were the last words he spoke, for
+his head rolled upon the floor. After that Huon cut off the emir's beard
+and pulled out four of his teeth, and hid them in the beard of his old
+friend Gerames, who had lately returned to Babylon.
+
+'Now I must leave you,' said Oberon, when these things were over. 'See
+that in all ways you behave yourself as a good and true knight should
+do, and have no share in ill-doings. I bid you take ship and carry the
+princess Esclaramonde, your bride, into France, and guard her from all
+ills on the way. And if you do not that which I bid you, great evil
+shall happen unto you.'
+
+But, alas! no sooner was the ship out of sight of land than the good
+counsels of Oberon faded out of Huon's mind, and he fell into many sins.
+The cup would not fill with wine, and Oberon was deaf to the blast of
+the horn. Then an awful tempest arose; the ship struck on a rock and was
+rent in pieces, and all were drowned save Huon and the princess, who
+were washed on an island. But even here they were not safe, for Huon was
+bound and tortured, and left under a tree, while Esclaramonde was
+carried away by the pirates who were dwellers on the isle.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Meanwhile, the knowledge of Huon's plight had reached Oberon, and, angry
+though he was, he began to think how best to send help to him, when a
+monster of the sea, called Mallebron, who had before given him aid on
+his journey to Babylon, begged to be allowed to deliver him once more.
+
+'It pleases me well,' answered Oberon, 'that this caitiff Huon should
+suffer pain for the evil that he has wrought, but if you love him so
+much that for his sake you shall endure to wear the shape of a fish for
+twenty years longer I will grant you your wish on two conditions. Carry
+him away from the island and place him on the mainland, only never more
+let mine eyes light on him. Be careful also to bring back to me my
+golden cup, my horn, and my fairy armour, for it is long since he has
+shown himself unworthy of them.'
+
+So Mallebron swam straightway to the island, and, finding Huon fast
+bound, as Oberon had said, he loosed him, and he stood on his feet. But
+when Huon heard the message of Oberon he was sore angered, and,
+forgetting his own misdeeds, complained bitterly of Oberon's hardness
+of heart in commanding that the gifts he had given him should be yielded
+up again. But, wail as he might, he could not move Mallebron, who bade
+him farewell, and departed with Oberon's treasures.
+
+It were long to tell of Huon's adventures after he had left the island.
+At one time he took service with a minstrel and was his varlet. At
+another time he was forced to play chess for the hand of a king's
+daughter, but refused to marry her when he had won the game.
+Unknowingly, he once fought with Gerames, and only found out who he was
+in the course of the battle. He afterwards entered the city with him,
+and visited Esclaramonde, who was a captive in the palace, and right
+glad were they to meet. After that he and some French knights who had
+joined him were besieged in the castle by the Paynims, and were rescued
+by a French ship, which carried Huon and Esclaramonde and all the
+company on their way to Wana, together with much treasure which they had
+found in the castle.
+
+But, happy though Huon felt on the road home again, he heard with wrath
+that Gerard, his brother, had persuaded the emperor that by now Huon
+must be dead, and that _he_ was rightful heir to the duchy. It was so
+long since any tidings had been received of Huon--for none had fared
+that way--that some thought Gerard spoke reasonably, and upheld his
+suit, which in the end was granted by Charles. And no sooner was the new
+duke invested with the lands than he began to oppress all his subjects,
+till the duchess his mother died of grief at the misery of her people.
+
+'He shall pay me for that,' muttered Huon grimly.
+
+There was one thing, however, that could not be delayed a moment more
+than was needed, and this was the marriage between Huon and
+Esclaramonde, for the princess had promised to become a Christian and to
+receive baptism at the hands of the pope. So they bade the captain put
+into the port nearest to Rome, and, taking horse, rode thither as fast
+as they might.
+
+The pope was seated on his throne with his threefold crown on his head,
+holding counsel with his cardinals, when Huon and his company entered
+the hall two by two, and saluted humbly. At the sight of Huon leading
+Esclaramonde by the hand, the pope, who had once visited the court of
+the duke of Bordeaux, and remembered the face of Huon, rose up to greet
+him, kissed him on both cheeks, and bade him tell his adventures, and
+how he had fared.
+
+'Ill enough, good sir, and these others also,' answered Huon; 'but I
+have by grace won through it all, and I have brought the daughter of the
+great emir of the Paynims, whom I desire you should make my wife, after
+she has been baptized by your hands.'
+
+'Huon,' said the pope, 'all this pleases me right well to do, and it is
+my will that you tarry with me here this night.'
+
+So they tarried; and the next day the wedding feast was held, and there
+were great rejoicings in the pope's palace. And early the next morning,
+Huon and his wife and his friends took ship for Bordeaux.
+
+But not yet were Huon's trials ended. Gerard, his brother, had no mind
+to give up his lands and honours lightly, and many were the plots that
+he laid against Huon. Indeed, he not only contrived to throw the
+new-comers into prison, but prevailed on the emperor to journey himself
+to Bordeaux, to the intent that Huon should be put to death, which would
+have happened had it not been for the timely help of Oberon.
+
+It was thus it came about.
+
+The fairy king was seated at dinner in his palace in the wood, when the
+knowledge came to him that the emperor Charles had taken an oath to hang
+Huon ere he slept, and at the thought thereof he broke into weeping.
+
+'I have sore punished the sins he has committed,' said he, 'and great
+has been my wrath. But now it is time that I help him, or he will be
+gone from me. So I wish my table and all that is on it near to the
+emperor's table, only about two feet higher. And I will that on my table
+be set my cup and horn and armour. And I wish that with me shall go a
+hundred thousand men, such as I am wont to have in battle.'
+
+Great was the marvel of the emperor when this table appeared beside him,
+and he took it for an enchantment of duke Names; but Huon and Gerames
+and Esclaramonde, who were present at the feast with fetters on their
+wrists, knew that Oberon had come to their deliverance.
+
+Soon the clank of swords was heard throughout the streets, and you could
+not see the stones for the armed men who stood on them.
+
+'See that none leave the gates,' said Oberon, 'and when you hear the
+blast of my ivory horn, come to me in the palace, and slay everyone you
+shall meet on the way'; and so saying he entered the hall, and many of
+his lords with him. Their dresses were the richest that had ever been
+seen, and on their necks they wore collars of precious stones. As the
+king passed by Charles, he knocked against him, so that his hat fell
+upon the ground.
+
+'Who is this dwarf who so rudely has shouldered me?' asked the emperor,
+'and whence comes he? I will see what he will do, for, small as he is,
+he is the fairest creature that ever I saw.'
+
+Leaving the emperor behind him, the fairy king came to the spot where
+Huon and the captives were standing, and he wished that the fetters
+might fall off their feet, and that they might be free men. Then
+silently he led them before Charles, and caused them to sit down at his
+own table, and bade the lords of the court drink out of the magic cup
+after Huon and Esclaramonde and Gerames had drunk out of it. But only
+for duke Names would the wine bubble up.
+
+Afterwards Oberon ordered Gerard to confess his sins and his plots that
+he had plotted, which out of very shame he was constrained to do, and
+then Oberon prayed the emperor to command Gerard and those who had
+helped him to work ill to be hanged on the gallows which had been reared
+for Huon, and this was done also; and the emperor Charles and Huon, duke
+of Bordeaux, made reconciliation together.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+'Come to me in my city of Mommur four years from now, Huon,' said
+Oberon, 'and I will give you my realm and my dignity, for I know in
+truth I shall not long abide in this world. But beware, as you love your
+life, that you fail not to be with me at the day I have appointed, else
+I shall cause you to die an ill-death.'
+
+When he heard, Huon stooped down and kissed his feet, and said:
+
+'Sir, for this great boon I thank you.'
+
+[From _Huon of Bordeaux_.]
+
+
+
+
+_HAVELOK AND GOLDBOROUGH_
+
+
+Once upon a time there lived in England a king called Athelwold, who
+ruled the land so well that everyone was rich and happy: or, if they
+were not, it was their own fault. His people all loved him dearly, and
+would do anything for him, and when he went to war there was no
+sovereign that could count on a larger following of stout brave men. He
+was quite a youth when he came to the throne, and at first all sorts of
+traitors and robbers from other countries took refuge in his kingdom,
+but Athelwold sought them out so carefully and punished them so severely
+that they soon betook themselves and their crimes elsewhere.
+
+Now one thing grieved the king sorely. He had no son to sit on his
+throne after he was dead, to protect the poor and put down the lawless.
+And how was his little daughter, who was not yet fourteen, to keep
+order, or to uphold the laws?
+
+'If she were a woman grown, it might be different,' he thought to
+himself, 'for Goldborough sees clearly and acts promptly. But as yet she
+has little knowledge, and her ways are those of a child. And full well I
+know that my death is nigh at hand, and there is none to watch over
+her.'
+
+Long the king pondered in his mind what he could best do for his
+daughter's safety and the welfare of his people, and in the end he sent
+messengers with letters to all his earls and barons from Roxborough to
+Dover, bidding them come to his castle of Winchester as swiftly as they
+might, for he could no more mount his horse, neither could he swallow
+meat or pasties.
+
+Sadly his vassals received the summons, for each loved him as his own
+father, and not one lurked behind. The king gave them a glad welcome,
+but they could not forbear shedding tears when they saw his weakness and
+heard his feeble voice. Athelwold let them have their way a little
+while, and then he said:
+
+'I am dying, as you see, and I have sent for you hither, to ask you all
+to tell me which of you will best guard my daughter when I am dead, till
+she has come to years when she can guard herself.'
+
+And they answered as one man:
+
+'Earl Godrich of Cornwall.'
+
+Then the king bade the priest bring the holy vessels, and earl Godrich
+swore on them that he would be faithful and true in peace and in war to
+Goldborough; and, further, that he would seek out a man who was better
+and fairer and stronger than all others to be her husband, so that the
+land might have peace, as in the days of Athelwold.
+
+After the earl had sworn to fulfil what the king required of him,
+Athelwold made his will, and gave England into the keeping of Godrich.
+This done, he lay back in his bed, and that same morning he died in the
+arms of his daughter.
+
+But bad indeed was the choice which king Athelwold's vassals had made
+when they proclaimed earl Godrich as the fittest guardian for the young
+princess. In the beginning, indeed, while Goldborough was still a child,
+everything went smoothly. The earl appointed justices and sheriffs to
+carry out the laws, and, though he took more heed to gather riches for
+himself than to protect his people, yet on the whole he governed well.
+
+Thus six years passed away, and Goldborough was twenty years old. She
+had lived far away from the castle of Winchester, and had never seen her
+guardian since the day that her father had been buried, and, for his
+part, he had hardly remembered her, he was so busy making laws and
+amassing treasures. Still, other people recollected Goldborough, if he
+did not, and one Eastertide, when the princess's twentieth birthday was
+at hand, an old pilgrim chanced to stop at Winchester on his way to
+Canterbury. He had but lately passed through the town where Goldborough
+was living, and had many tales to tell of her fair and gracious ways.
+
+Godrich let him talk, but his face was gloomy and he answered nought.
+But, though his tongue was silent, his heart was base and his thoughts
+were evil.
+
+'Have I toiled all these years for nothing?' he said to himself, 'and
+shall England be ruled by a fool, a maiden? I have a son, a full fair
+knave; he shall have England and be king.'
+
+So Goldborough was brought from her woods and gardens, and shut up in
+the castle of Dover, where none might visit her. And no company had she
+but her foster-sister, and an old woman who had been her nurse.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+At the time when Athelwold ruled England there reigned in Denmark a king
+called Birkabeyn, who had three children, two girls named Swanborough
+and Helfled and a boy called Havelok. Birkabeyn was strong and healthy,
+and thought to live many years, when a wound in battle proved his
+death-blow. Like Goldborough, the children were all young, and he was
+forced to choose someone to protect them till they were of full age. The
+man on whom Birkabeyn's choice fell was his own close friend, who had
+served him all his life, and who, he thought, loved his children well.
+And so perhaps the earl would have done had not such power been given
+into his hands, but this he was not proof against. No sooner had the
+king died than he caused the three children to be cast into prison,
+where he murdered the two girls himself.
+
+[Illustration: ROUND THE BAG WHICH HELD THE BOY A BRILLIANT LIGHT WAS
+SHINING]
+
+At the dreadful fate of his sisters, Havelok, who was the youngest, fell
+on his knees and implored the wicked earl to spare him.
+
+'If it is Denmark you want, it shall be yours,' cried the boy, 'and
+never will I seek to take it from you. Nay, give me a ship, and to-day I
+will leave the country for ever.'
+
+Even the earl's heart was for a moment softened by the child's tears and
+prayers, and at first he thought that he would let him go, as it would
+be many years before he would be old enough to be an enemy. But then he
+remembered that, if Havelok died unwedded, he and his sons would be
+heirs to the crown, for he was the king's cousin. However, he pretended
+to grant the child's prayer, and bade him follow him down to the shore,
+where dwelt an old fisherman. Havelok wandered down to the water, and
+wondered which of the ships drawn up on the beach he should set sail in,
+and where he would go. He was still terrified at the death of sisters,
+and shook with fear as long as their murderer was in sight.
+
+Meanwhile the earl was speaking to the fisherman, who stood at the door
+of his cottage, which was built just out of reach of the waves.
+
+'Grim,' he said, 'to-day you are my thrall, but to-morrow you shall be a
+free man if you will do my bidding. Take the boy that stands there, and
+throw him into the sea, that he drown. Fear nothing: the penalty will be
+mine, not yours.'
+
+'Your bidding shall be done,' answered the fisherman, 'though the deed
+is but little to my liking.'
+
+'So be it,' said the earl, and went home to hold counsel with his family
+how best to take possession of the crown.
+
+Grim took down a cord from a hook in the roof, and went out to the
+child, who screamed with terror as he drew near, but there was no one to
+help him, and Grim thrust a cloth in his mouth to stifle his cries,
+while he bound his hands behind his back with a cord. When this was
+done, he put the boy in a black bag, and carried him to his wife, who
+flung him on the floor, where he lay for many hours, thinking every
+moment that he would be thrown down a well or stabbed by a dagger.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+At midnight, when all was still, and the men in the ships were sleeping
+soundly, Grim arose, and told his wife to kindle a fire and to light a
+candle.
+
+'Why, there is a light in the room already,' said she, 'and it seems to
+come from the farthest corner, and to shine as brightly as if it were
+the sun itself'; and with that she sprang out of bed and ran over the
+floor, calling to Grim to follow her.
+
+And in truth it was as she had said, for round the bag which held the
+boy a brilliant light was shining.
+
+'If we touch him we shall rue it all our lives,' she whispered to her
+husband; then, stooping, she cut the knots which held the bag, and drew
+out Havelok, who was well-nigh dead with fright and suffocation. Next
+she stripped him of his clothes, and on his shoulder she found the mark
+of a tiny cross, from which the light came.
+
+'He is born to be king,' said Grim softly, 'and surely it is he and no
+other who is the son of Birkabeyn, and who some day shall come to his
+own. It is easy to see that he will grow into a man, tall and strong,
+who shall come back from over the sea where I shall send him, and avenge
+himself on the traitor.' Then Grim fell on his knees before Havelok and
+prayed his forgiveness.
+
+'You shall stay here awhile,' he said, 'till I can fit out a ship, and
+in it we will all set sail, you, and I, and my wife and my three sons,
+but it must be done in secret, lest the earl should come to know of it.'
+
+So they gave Havelok bread to eat and milk to drink, and laid him in a
+bed in a dark corner, where no man could see him, and the next day Grim
+set out for the traitor's castle to ask for the reward that had been
+promised him.
+
+'Your bidding is done, and I have come to claim my freedom,' said Grim
+when he stood in the presence of the traitor. But the earl made answer:
+
+'Who is there to know what lies betwixt us? Go home, and be my thrall,
+as you have ever been.'
+
+Full of rage though he was, Grim dared say no more, lest his head should
+pay forfeit; but the earl's words had filled him with fear, and he
+hastened to get ready a ship and to fill it during the night with food
+enough to last them for three weeks. By that time, he thought, they
+would reach the shores of England.
+
+When all was finished, Grim and his wife, his three sons and two
+daughters and little Havelok, stole away very early one morning before
+the sun was up, and set sail southwards. A north wind soon sprang up and
+drove him, in ten days, to the mouth of a great river called the Humber.
+Here he steered his ship on to the beach, and then they all got out and
+set up a tent, till they could look about for a little and see what best
+to do.
+
+It was a wild place where they landed, and for many miles there was not
+even a hut to be seen, but Grim liked it well, and he built houses for
+himself and his family, and by-and-by more people came thither also, and
+a town was built and was called Grimsby, after Grim. But that happened
+afterwards.
+
+Fish were plentiful at the mouth of the river--lampreys and sturgeon and
+turbot and great cod--and Grim and his sons were good fishers, both with
+net and line, and Havelok soon learned to fish too, and was as happy as
+any boy could be. Sometimes he stayed at home with the women while the
+others carried fish round the country in baskets.
+
+Twelve years passed in this manner, during which Grim had prospered
+greatly, but he began to get old, and the long journeys with heavy
+panniers on his back tried him sorely. This Havelok perceived, and one
+day he spoke:
+
+'I am a man grown, and shall I sit at home idle mending nets while my
+father travels over the whole country-side carrying weights too heavy
+for him to bear? Not so! To-morrow I go forth, and my father shall take
+his seat by the fire, and shall mend the nets.'
+
+Whatever Havelok said he did, and early the next morning he took the
+panniers on his shoulders, and started for the houses where Grim was
+wont to sell his fish. But soon, none could tell why, a bad time came,
+and there was no corn in the land, and no fish in the sea. And Grim felt
+pity in his heart for Havelok, who was young and strong, and needed more
+meat than other men. So one day Grim spoke:
+
+'Havelok, dear son, you have come upon evil days, and must stay with us
+no longer. Go to the city of Lincoln. It is a rich town, and there you
+may find work for all you need. But, woe is me! no clothes can I give
+you, save this old sail, which the women shall fashion into doublet and
+hose for you.'
+
+The sail was soon cut and fashioned by Grim's wife and daughters, but
+there was nothing to make into shoes, and Havelok walked into Lincoln
+barefoot, and he fasted from meat for two or three days; at length the
+earl's cook took him into his service as porter, and his chief duty was
+to carry the earl's fish into the castle. But the cook had many porters
+besides Havelok, and when the cry of 'barmen' was heard they all tried
+one to outdo the other in obtaining the pot in which lay the hot fish.
+However, Havelok was taller and stronger than the rest, and generally
+was able to thrust the others on one side.
+
+Besides bearing the cauldron of fish, Havelok had many things to do. He
+had to fill a huge tub in the kitchen with water, and to cut wood for
+the fire, and to do anything the cook told him. And, whatever happened,
+he was full of mirth, and would jest and play with the children who ran
+about the back of the castle.
+
+At last his clothes, which had been fashioned out of the old sail, fell
+into holes, and the cook, out of pity and liking, bought him some new
+ones, and when he put them on there was no man, be he who he might, that
+was fairer to see. Then folk began to notice that he was taller than any
+man in the castle, and that he was very strong. Very soon a chance came
+to him to prove his strength.
+
+Godrich the earl--or the king, as he called himself--now held his court
+at Lincoln, and summoned a parliament to be held there to settle the
+affairs of the nation. They came in great companies, and everyone had a
+following, and so many were they that they were forced to dwell in tents
+outside the city walls. It was not long before they fell to wrestling
+and such sports.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+For a while Havelok looked on, and bided his time. He took no part in
+the wrestling, though there was not a champion on the ground that he
+could not easily have overcome.
+
+When they were tired of throwing each other, someone proposed that they
+should put the stone, and a large smooth piece of rock was chosen. Man
+after man came forward, but hardly one could raise it from the ground,
+far less cast it any distance from him. At this moment the cook strolled
+up and saw his scullion standing there.
+
+'It is your turn,' he said to Havelok; 'show them what you can do, for
+the honour of Lincoln,' and Havelok obeyed him. He lifted the mighty
+stone to the height of his shoulder, and sent it spinning through the
+air.
+
+'Measure the cast,' said the cook proudly; and when it was measured it
+was found to be twelve feet beyond the cast of any other man.
+
+Little was talked of that day but the wonderful throw of the young
+scullion, and soon it reached the ears of the knights at court, and in
+time, Godrich himself. As he listened to the tale, there flashed across
+his memory the words of the dying Athelwold: 'Find out the man who is
+better and fairer and stronger than any man in the world, and give him
+to be husband to my daughter.' Was there any man living stronger than
+this Havelok? and could he himself be ill-spoken of if he should carry
+out Athelwold's dying wish? So thought Godrich; but far back in his
+heart he knew that once Goldborough was wedded to a scullion there would
+be small chance of her becoming queen.
+
+Next morning a knight mounted on a big bay horse, and attended by two
+men-at-arms, might have been seen riding southwards through the fair
+county of Lincoln, and in twenty days' time he returned, bringing with
+him the princess. Godrich greeted her with tokens of great joy, and told
+her that, as her father had bidden him, he had found at last the fairest
+and strongest man in the world, and he should be her husband.
+
+Goldborough listened quietly to his words, and when he had ended she
+looked at him.
+
+'Let him be as strong and fair as he may,' she said, 'but if he is not a
+king or a king's son he is no husband for me.'
+
+At this Godrich waxed wrath, and his whole body trembled with anger.
+
+'Your father bade me swear to him when he was dying that you should
+marry the strongest man in the world, and none other,' cried he, 'and,
+by the Rood, it is he you seek to disobey, and not me. The man who is to
+be your husband is the servant of my cook, and to-morrow we will have
+the wedding.'
+
+The heart of Goldborough was filled with horror when she heard the fate
+that was in store for her, and she fell weeping on her knees before the
+earl to implore him the rather to let her enter a convent; but Godrich
+answered her nothing, and strode out of the hall.
+
+The bells were ringing next day when Havelok woke, and before he was
+dressed a message came ordering him to go at once to the earl's
+presence. He wondered for what cause he was wanted, for never yet had he
+had speech of the earl, and still more surprised was he to find Godrich
+clad in his most splendid robes, as if for a festival. But if Havelok
+was astonished at all this, he was nearly struck dumb by the words which
+he heard.
+
+'Master, will you take a wife?' and the young man gazed at him in
+silence; for why should the ruler of all England take heed whether his
+scullion was wedded or not?
+
+'Will you take a wife?' asked Godrich again, in tones of impatience;
+then Havelok found his voice.
+
+'No, by heaven I will not,' he cried; 'what should I do with a wife? I
+could neither feed, nor clothe, nor shoe her! For myself, I should have
+no clothes either, had it not been for the bounty of your cook.'
+
+In his rage Godrich seized a thick staff and laid it across his
+scullion's shoulder.
+
+'Promise me that you will wed her within an hour, or I will hang you on
+the nearest tree,' he cried; and Havelok, who had no liking for death,
+consented.
+
+His purpose thus gained with Havelok, the earl now summoned Goldborough,
+whom he threatened to burn if she withstood him. All night the princess
+had wept and pondered how to escape so dreadful a doom, but at last she
+took comfort in the thought that in accepting this husband, however
+lowly born he might be, she would be fulfilling her father's wishes. So
+as soon as Godrich gave her a chance to speak she said she would resist
+him no longer.
+
+Then Godrich for the first time in six years felt that he was indeed
+King of England.
+
+'You are a wise maiden,' cried he, his face glowing with joy; 'and, to
+show you how well I love you, I will give you much gold, and you shall
+have an archbishop to bless your marriage.' And so it was done.
+
+Both Havelok and his wife felt that they could stay in Lincoln no
+longer, and the next day they bought two horses and set forth for
+Grimsby. To Havelok's great grief he found that the fisherman had died
+just before, after a few days' illness, but his sons and daughters gave
+them a glad greeting, and bade them stay in their house, promising that
+they themselves would be their servants.
+
+Weary with travel, Havelok soon went to bed, but Goldborough knelt
+praying before the window, when suddenly a bright light filled the room.
+She turned to see what it might be, and beheld it issuing from a cross
+on Havelok's shoulder. While she gazed wondering, she heard a voice
+saying, 'Goldborough, let sorrow depart from you, for your husband is no
+scullion, but the son of a king, and he shall rule over England and
+Denmark.' At that her heart grew light again, and she kissed Havelok and
+woke him, and told him what the voice had said.
+
+'Let us sail at once,' added she, 'for who knows when Godrich the
+traitor may change his mind? And bid the sons of Grim sail with us.'
+
+Goldborough's counsel seemed good to Havelok, and he rose in haste and
+sought Grim's sons, whom he found setting forth to fish. He begged them
+to wait, and to listen to his story, which Grim had always hidden from
+them, and when they heard it, they said that they would go with him, and
+help him to slay the murderer of his sisters and the robber of his
+crown.
+
+'You shall be rich men the day he dies,' vowed Havelok; and the boat was
+made ready for sea.
+
+A fair wind blew them to Denmark, and Havelok left his wife with his
+three foster-brothers, and betook himself to the house of Ubbe the earl,
+whom his father had loved dearly. He said no word as to his birth, but
+asked him leave to trade on his lands, offering a ring as
+earnest-money.
+
+[Illustration: HAVELOK PRESENTS GOLDBOROUGH TO THE ENGLISH PEOPLE.]
+
+Ubbe looked at the ring, and then at the young man who gave it.
+
+'You look fitter to do a knight's work than to buy and sell,' he said,
+and Havelok answered:
+
+'That will come, fair sir, but I must first go softly. Meanwhile I have
+left my wife Goldborough under the care of her foster-brothers, and can
+tarry here no longer.'
+
+'Bring her hither,' said Ubbe, 'and dwell with her in this castle, and
+if no man has dubbed you knight I will take that upon me.'
+
+And so it was done, and the heart of Goldborough rejoiced, for by this
+time she loved her husband dearly.
+
+That same midnight Ubbe was wakened by a great light, which seemed to
+fill the castle. He rose from his bed, and went from room to room, and
+all were bright as day, though he could not tell why. Then he came to
+the room where Havelok and Goldborough lay asleep, and out of Havelok's
+mouth came a flame like that of a hundred and ninety-seven candles. And
+on his shoulder was the cross of kingship, and that was shining too.
+
+When Ubbe saw that, he knew that Havelok was indeed the son of
+Birkabeyn, his friend, and the rightful king of Denmark; and, waking the
+sleeping man, he bade him sit up and receive his homage. After that he
+sent for his lords, and commanded that they should swear fealty to their
+king. And when the lords had sworn, Ubbe summoned the people, and told
+them, what many had known before, that the earl had betrayed his trust,
+and that now he should pay forfeit of his wickedness.
+
+Blithe were Havelok and Goldborough that day as they moved amidst the
+groups of men who shared in the sports which the people of Denmark ever
+loved, and once more Havelok cast the stone further than any one there
+could throw it. His first act, after he had been proclaimed king, was to
+make Grim's three faithful sons barons with fair lands. Then he bid them
+go and seek the earl, and bring him back with them.
+
+This was not done without a hard fight, for the earl and his men
+defended themselves stoutly; but at length he was bound and placed upon
+an old horse and carried before Havelok, who was waiting in the castle
+with his lords about him.
+
+'What judgment will ye pass on him, fair lords?' asked the king.
+
+'That he may be hanged as beseems a murderer and a traitor, and that his
+head be planted over the chief gate of the town as a warning to all,'
+they said with one voice, and this was done also.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+For a while Havelok stayed in Denmark to see to the affairs of the
+kingdom, and then, leaving Ubbe to rule, he set sail for England with
+Goldborough his wife, and a large army, in many ships with high carved
+prows. Once again he landed at the mouth of the Humber, and his first
+act was to found a church in memory of Grim. Next, he placed his army in
+order of battle, and awaited the attack of his enemy. Godrich the earl
+had heard that he had come, and had hastily collected a great host, with
+which he marched upon Lincoln. The attack was begun by the English, and
+fierce was the fight. Many were killed, both of English and Danes. At
+last, just as the English were being beaten slowly back, Havelok and
+Godrich came face to face with each other. Bitterly the earl then rued
+the day when he had married Goldborough to the strongest man in the
+world, scullion though he were! Many times Havelok might have slain him,
+but such was not his purpose, and, taking a cord from his waist, he
+bound the traitor's arms, and bade one of his knights ride and fetch
+Goldborough, whom he had left under a guard at a little distance.
+
+When she drew near, Havelok commanded that a flag of truce should be
+waved, so that the fighting might cease. Then, taking his wife by the
+hand, he led her forward, and told her story to them all, and how
+Godrich the earl had wronged her. And the English fell on their faces
+and did obeisance, and vowed to serve her faithfully all the days of
+their lives.
+
+'And what is the law of England respecting a traitor?' asked Havelok,
+when Goldborough had been proclaimed queen with trumpets and shouting.
+
+'That he be laid on an ass and burned at the stake,' cried they. And
+this was done also.
+
+After this, Havelok gave his two foster-sisters in marriage to great
+lords, and made the cook to whom he had owed his good fortune earl of
+Cornwall in place of the wicked Godrich. He left Ubbe to rule in
+Denmark, while he and Goldborough remained in England, but every two
+years he sailed across the sea to be sure that all went well in the
+country of his birth.
+
+And for sixty years Havelok and Goldborough lived happily together and
+had many children, and wherever Havelok went, Goldborough went too.
+
+[_The Lay of Havelok the Dane._ Early English Text Society.]
+
+
+
+
+_CUPID AND PSYCHE_
+
+
+Once upon a time there lived a king who had three daughters. The two
+elder girls were very fair, and many were their suitors, but the
+youngest was so beautiful that it was whispered in the city that the
+goddess Aphrodite was not her equal in loveliness, and as she walked
+through the streets men touched their foreheads, and bowed low to the
+ground, as if Aphrodite herself had passed by.
+
+Now it was not long since the shepherd Paris had given the goddess the
+golden apple, in token that neither on the earth nor even on Olympus was
+a woman to be found as fair as she. And when she heard of the honours
+paid to Psyche, she rose up in her wrath and sent a winged messenger for
+Cupid, her son.
+
+'Come with me,' she said, when Cupid appeared before her, 'I have
+somewhat to show you'; and without further speech the two flew through
+the air together, till they reached the palace where Psyche was
+sleeping.
+
+'That is the maiden to whom men pay the homage due to me alone,' she
+whispered, while her grey eyes darted gleams like fire. 'I have brought
+you hither that you may avenge me by pricking her with an arrow that
+will fill her heart with love for one of the basest of mortals. And now
+I must depart in haste, for Oceanos awaits me.'
+
+Aphrodite vanished, but Cupid remained where he was, gazing on the
+sleeping maiden and confessing in his heart that those who paid her the
+honours due to his mother were not much to blame.
+
+'Never will I do you such wrong,' he murmured, 'as to mate you with some
+base wretch, who has no thought beyond the wine-cup. From me and my
+darts you are safe. But am I safe from yours?' Then, fearing to stay any
+longer, lest his mother should wax wroth with him, he also took his way
+to the palace of Oceanos.
+
+[Illustration: APHRODITE BRINGS CUPID TO PSYCHE]
+
+If Aphrodite had not been a goddess, and had known a little more about
+the hearts of men, she might not have envied Psyche so bitterly; for,
+though all men bowed down before her and worshipped her beauty, each
+felt that she was too far above him to woo for his bride. So that, while
+her sisters had homes and children of their own, Psyche remained unasked
+and unsought in her father's palace.
+
+At length the king grew frightened as months and years slipped by, and
+Psyche was past the age when Greek maidens left the hearth where they
+had grown into girlhood. He summoned some wise men to give him counsel,
+but they shook their heads, and bade him consult the oracle of his
+fathers. It was a three days' journey to his shrine, and then no man
+knew when the oracle would speak, so the king took with him sheep and
+oxen, and skins of wine for himself and his followers.
+
+Ten days later he returned to the city with bowed head and white face.
+The queen, with anxious heart, had been watching his arrival from the
+roof of the palace, and awaited him at the door of the women's
+apartments.
+
+'What has happened?' she said, as she greeted him; but he drew her on
+one side, where none might hear them.
+
+'The oracle has spoken,' answered he, 'and decrees that Psyche shall be
+left upon a barren rock till a hideous monster shall come and devour
+her. And it is for this that men have paid her honours which were the
+portion only of the gods! Far better had she been born with the hair of
+Medusa and the hump of Heph�stos.'
+
+At these dreadful tidings the queen and her maidens broke into weeping,
+and when the news spread through the city no sounds but those of wailing
+were heard. Only the voice of Psyche was silent among them. She moved
+about as one that was sleeping, and indeed she felt as if the boat, with
+its grim ferryman, had already borne her across the Styx. So the days
+passed on, and one evening a white-clad priest arrived from the shrine
+to bid the king tarry no longer.
+
+That night a sad procession left the gates of the city, and in the midst
+was Psyche, clad in garments of black, and led by her father, while her
+mother followed weeping behind. Singers wailed out a dirge, which was
+scarcely heard above the sobs of the mourners, and the torches burned
+dimly and soon went out.
+
+The sun was rising when they reached the bare rock on top of a high
+mountain where the oracle had directed that Psyche should be left to
+perish. She made no sign when her father and mother took her in their
+arms for the last time, and, though they cried bitterly, she never shed
+a tear. What was the use? It was the will of the gods, and so it had to
+be!
+
+Not daring to look back, the king and queen took their way home to their
+desolate palace, and Psyche leaned against the rock trembling with fear
+lest every moment the monster should appear in sight. She was very
+tired, for the road to the mountain had been long and stony, and she was
+likewise exhausted by her grief, so that slowly a deep sleep crept over
+her, and for a while her sorrows were forgotten.
+
+While she thus slumbered, Cupid, unknown to herself, had been watching
+over her, and at his bidding Zephyr approached and played round her
+garments and among her hair. Then, lifting her gently up, he carried her
+down the mountain side, and laid her upon a bed of lilies in the valley.
+
+While she slept, pleasant dreams floated through her mind, and her
+terrors and grief were forgotten. She awoke feeling happy, though she
+could not have told why, for she was in a strange place and alone. In
+the distance, through some trees, the spray of a fountain glimmered
+white, and she rose and walked slowly towards it. By the fountain was a
+palace, finer by far than the one in which Psyche had lived, for that
+was built of stone, while this was all of ivory and gold. Vast it was,
+and full of precious things, as Psyche saw for herself when, filled with
+wonder mixed with a little fear, she stepped across the threshold.
+
+[Illustration: ZEPHYR CARRIES PSYCHE DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN]
+
+'This palace is as large as a city,' the maiden said aloud, as she
+passed from room to room without coming to an end of the marvels; 'but
+how strange to find that there is no one here to enjoy these treasures,
+or to guard them!' She started, as out of the silence a voice answered
+her:
+
+'The palace with all it contains is yours, lady. Therefore, bathe
+yourself, if you will, or rest your limbs upon silken cushions, till the
+feast is prepared, and we your handmaids clothe you in fine raiment. You
+have only to command, and we obey you.'
+
+By this time all fear had departed from Psyche, and with gladness she
+bathed herself and slept. When she opened her eyes she beheld in front
+of her a table covered with dishes of every kind, and with wines of
+purple and amber hues. As before, she could see no one, though she heard
+the sound of voices, and when she had finished, and lay back on her
+cushions, unseen fingers struck a lyre, and sang the songs that she
+loved.
+
+So the hours flew by, and the sun was sinking, when suddenly a veil of
+golden tissue was placed on her head, and at the same time a voice that
+she had not heard spoke thus:
+
+'Dip your hands in this sacred water'; and Psyche obeyed, and, as her
+fingers sank into the basin she felt a light touch, as if other fingers
+were there also.
+
+'Break this cake and eat half,' said the voice again; and Psyche did so,
+and she saw that the rest of the cake vanished bit by bit, as if someone
+else were eating it also.
+
+'Now you are my wife, Psyche,' whispered the voice softly; 'but take
+heed to what I say, if you would not bring ruin on yourself, and cause
+me to leave you for ever. Your sisters, I well know, will soon seek you
+out, for they think they love you, though their love is of the kind that
+quickly turns to hate. Even now they are with your parents weeping over
+your fate, but a few days hence they will go to the rock, hoping to
+gather tidings of your last moments. It may chance that at last they may
+wander to this enchanted place, but as you value your happiness and your
+life do not answer their questions, or lift your eyes towards them.'
+
+Psyche promised she would do her unseen husband's bidding, and the weeks
+slipped swiftly by, but one morning she felt suddenly lonely and broke
+into wailing that she might never look on her sisters' faces again, or
+even tell them that she was alive. All the long bright hours she sat in
+her palace weeping, and when darkness fell, and she heard her husband's
+voice, she put out her arms and drew him to her.
+
+'What is it?' he asked gently, and she felt soft fingers stroking her
+hair.
+
+Then Psyche poured out all her woe. How could she be happy, even in this
+lovely place, when her sisters were grieving for her loss? If she might
+only see them once, if she might only tell them that she was safe, then
+she would ask for nothing more. If not--why, it was a pity the monster
+had not devoured her.
+
+There was a silence after Psyche had poured forth her entreaties, and
+then the bridegroom spoke, but his voice seemed somehow changed from
+what it had been before.
+
+'You shall do as you wish,' he said, 'though I fear that ill will come
+of it. Send for your sisters if you please, and give them anything that
+the palace contains. But once again let me beseech you to answer nothing
+to their questions, or we shall be parted for ever.'
+
+'Never, never, shall that be,' cried Psyche, embracing her husband with
+delight. And, whoever and whatever you may be, I would not give you up,
+even for the god Cupid. I will tell them nothing, but bid, I pray you,
+Zephyr, your servant, to carry them hither to-morrow, as he carried
+me.'
+
+Next morning Zephyr found the two sisters seated on the rock, tearing
+their hair and beating their breasts with sorrow. 'Psyche! Psyche,' they
+cried, and the mountains echoed 'Psyche! Psyche,' but no other sound
+answered them. Suddenly they felt themselves gently lifted from the
+earth, and wafted through the air to the door of the palace, where stood
+Psyche herself.
+
+'Psyche! Psyche!' they cried again, but this time with joy and wonder,
+and for a while they forgot everything else in the world. Then Psyche
+bade them tell her of her father and mother, and how the days had passed
+since she had left them, and she pictured to herself their gladness when
+they heard how different had been her fate from that which the oracle
+had foretold.
+
+After her sisters had made known to her everything they had to tell,
+Psyche invited them to see the palace, and, calling to the voices,
+ordered them to prepare baths with sweet-smelling spices, and to set
+forth a banquet for her guests. At these tokens of riches and splendour,
+envy began to arise in their hearts, and curiosity also. They looked at
+each other, and the glances of their eyes promised no good to Psyche.
+
+'But where is your husband?' asked the eldest. 'Are we not to see him
+also?'
+
+'Yes,' said the other, 'you have not even told us what he is like, and
+our mother will assuredly wish to know that.'
+
+Their questions recalled to Psyche's mind the danger against which she
+had been warned, and she answered hastily:
+
+'Oh, he is young and very handsome--the handsomest man in all the world,
+I think. But he spends much of his time in hunting, and has now gone far
+into the mountains to chase the boar. It was thus that, feeling myself
+lonely, I sent a messenger for you. And now, come and choose what you
+will out of the treasure-chamber, for the hour of your departure draws
+nigh!'
+
+The sight of gold and precious stones heaped up in the treasure-chamber
+only made the sisters more jealous than before; but their jealousy did
+not prevent their carrying off the most splendid necklaces they could
+find before Psyche summoned Zephyr to bear them unseen back to their own
+homes.
+
+'Why has Fortune treated her so differently from us?' cried the eldest,
+before they were out of sight of the palace. 'Why should _she_ have
+boundless riches, and be married to a man who is young and handsome, and
+own slaves who fly through the air as if they were birds? Far indeed are
+the days when she sat in our father's house, and no suitor came to woo!
+But, though she was lonely and forlorn enough in the city, here she is
+treated as if she were a goddess, while I am linked to a husband whose
+head is bald, and whose back is a hump!'
+
+'My plight is worse than yours,' groaned the other sister, 'for I have
+to spend my time nursing a man who is always ill and rarely suffers me
+to leave his side. But do not let us flatter her pride by telling our
+father and mother of the honours Fate has heaped on her. Rather let us
+consider how best to humble her and bring her low.'
+
+Meanwhile night had fallen, and Psyche's husband came to her side.
+
+'Did you take heed to my warnings,' asked he, 'and refuse to answer the
+questions of your sisters?'
+
+'Oh yes,' cried Psyche; 'I told them nothing that they wished to know. I
+said that you were young and handsome, and gave me the most beautiful
+things in the world, but that they could not see you to-day, for you
+were hunting in the mountains.'
+
+'So far it is well, then,' sighed he; 'but remember that even at this
+moment they are plotting how they may destroy you, by filling your heart
+with their own evil curiosity, so that one day you may ask to see my
+face. But recollect, the moment you do this I vanish for ever.'
+
+'Ah, you do not trust me,' sobbed Psyche; 'yet I have shown you that I
+can be silent! Let me prove it again by suffering Zephyr to bring my
+sisters once more, and then never, never will I crave another boon from
+you.'
+
+For long her husband refused to grant her what she asked, but at last,
+wearied by her tears and prayers, he told her that this once she might
+bid Zephyr bring her sisters to her. Eagerly they ran through the garden
+into the palace, and greeted Psyche with warm embraces and gentle words,
+while she on her part did everything she could think of to give them
+pleasure. As before, she bade them choose whatever they most desired,
+and when they had returned from the treasure-chamber and were eating
+fruit under the trees by the fountain the elder sister spoke:
+
+'How it grieves me to see you the victim of such deceit, and how I long
+to be able to ward off the danger!'
+
+'What do you mean by such words?' asked Psyche, turning pale. 'No one is
+deceiving me, and no goddess could be happier than I.'
+
+'Ah! you do not know--I dare not tell you,' gasped the other in broken
+accents. 'Sister, you try; I cannot shape the words.'
+
+'It is hard, but my duty demands it of me,' said the second sister. It
+is--oh, how shall I tell it?--your husband is not such as you think, but
+a huge serpent whose neck swells with venom, and whose tongue darts
+poison. The men who work in the fields have watched him swimming across
+the river as darkness falls, at the moment that he goes to seek you!'
+
+Their groans and sobs, no less than their words, convinced Psyche, who
+fell straightway into the pit they had digged for her.
+
+'It is true,' she said with a trembling voice, 'that never yet have I
+beheld my husband's face, and that many times he has warned me that the
+moment my eyes light upon him he will abandon me for ever. His words
+were always sweet and gentle, and his touch hardly resembles the skin of
+a serpent. It is not easy to believe; but yet, if you know, I pray you,
+of your love for me, to come to my aid in this deadly peril.'
+
+'Ah, hapless one, it is for that we are here,' answered the elder; 'and
+this is what you must do. This very night, fill a lamp full of oil, and
+cover it with a dark cloth, so that not a ray of light can be seen; then
+take a sharp knife and hide it in your bosom. After the serpent is sound
+asleep, steal softly across the room, and snatch the cloth from the
+lamp, so that you may see where to strike home, for if he should wake
+before you have cut off his head your life will be forfeit.'
+
+Having said this, they both hurriedly embraced their sister, and were
+wafted home on the wings of Zephyr.
+
+Left alone, Psyche flung herself on the ground, and for many hours lay
+trying to subdue her misery. At one moment she thought that she could
+not do it--that her sisters might be wrong after all. But her faith in
+them was strong, and as night approached she rose up to do their
+bidding.
+
+So well did she feign happiness that her husband heard no change in her
+voice as she bade him welcome, and, having travelled far that day, he
+soon laid himself down on the couch and fell sound asleep. Then Psyche
+seized the lamp and snatched off the covering, but by its light she saw
+stretched on the cushions, not a huge and hideous serpent, but the most
+beautiful of all the gods, Cupid himself.
+
+At this sight her knees knocked together with surprise, and she gave a
+step backwards, and the lamp, trembling in her hand, let fall a drop of
+burning oil on Cupid's shoulder. He sprang to his feet, and with one
+reproachful look he turned, and would have flown away had not Psyche
+grasped his leg, and was borne up with him into the air, till at length
+her strength gave way and she fell to the ground, where for some time
+she remained unconscious.
+
+When her senses came back, she was so miserable that she sought eternal
+forgetfulness in a neighbouring stream, but the river, in pity, carried
+her gently along and placed her on a bank of flowers. Finding that even
+the river would have none of her, she rose up, and resolved to wander
+night and day through the world till she should find her husband.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The first spot at which she halted was a temple on the top of a high
+mountain, where, to her surprise, she saw blades of wheat, ears of
+barley, sheaves of oats, scythes and ploughs, all scattered about in
+wild confusion. Never before had she seen such disorder about a temple,
+and, stooping down, she began to separate one thing from another and to
+place them in heaps.
+
+While she was busy with this, a voice cried to her from afar:
+
+'Unhappy girl, my heart bleeds for you! Yet even while you are pursued
+by the wrath of Aphrodite, you can labour in my service. May you find
+some day the rest that you deserve! But now, quit this temple, lest you
+draw down on me the anger of the goddess.'
+
+With despair in her soul, Psyche wandered from one place to another, not
+knowing and not caring whither her feet might lead her. At length she
+was tracked and seized by one of Aphrodite's attendants, who dragged her
+by the hair into the presence of the goddess herself. Here she was
+beaten and scourged, both by whips and by cruel words, and, when every
+kind of suffering had been heaped on her, Aphrodite took a number of
+bags containing wheat, barley, millet, and many other seeds, and,
+tumbling them all into one heap, bade her separate and place them each
+in its own bag by the evening.
+
+Psyche stood staring where Aphrodite had left her, not even trying to
+begin a task that she knew to be hopeless.
+
+She would certainly be killed, thought she, but, after all, death would
+be welcome; and she laid her weary body on the floor and sought sleep.
+At that moment a tiny ant, which had been passing through the storehouse
+on his way to the fields, and saw her terrible straits, went and fetched
+all his brothers, and bade them take pity on the damsel, and do the work
+that had been given to her.
+
+By sunset every grain was sorted and placed in its own bag, but Psyche
+waited with trembling the return of Aphrodite, as she felt that nothing
+she could do would content her.
+
+And so it happened, when Aphrodite entered, and thirsting for vengeance,
+cried with glee, 'Well, where are my seeds?' Psyche pointed silently to
+the row of bags against the wall, each with its mouth open, so that at
+the first glance it could be seen what kind of seed it contained. The
+goddess grew white with rage, and screamed loudly, 'Wretched creature,
+it is not your hands that have done this! you will not escape my anger
+so easily'; and, tossing her a piece of bread, went away, locking the
+door behind her.
+
+Next morning the goddess bade one of her slaves bring Psyche before her.
+
+'In yonder grove,' she said, on the banks of a river, feed sheep whose
+wool is soft as silk and as bright as gold. Before night I shall expect
+you to return with as much of this wool as will make me a robe. And I do
+not think that you will find any one to perform your task this time!'
+
+So Psyche went towards the river, which looked so clear and cool that
+she stepped down to the brink, meaning to lay herself to rest in its
+waters. But a reed sang to her, and its song said:
+
+[Illustration: APHRODITE FINDS PSYCHE'S TASK ACCOMPLISHED]
+
+'O Psyche, do my bidding and fear nothing! Hide yourself till evening,
+for the sheep are driven mad by the heat of the sun, and rush wildly
+through the bushes and thickets. But when the air grows fresh they sink
+exhausted to sleep, and you can gather all the wool you want from the
+branches.'
+
+[Illustration: JOYFULLY THE EAGLE BORE BACK THE URN]
+
+Then Psyche thanked the reed for its counsel and brought the wool safely
+back to the goddess; but she was received as before with scornful looks
+and words, and ordered to go to the top of a lofty mountain and fill a
+crystal urn from a fountain of black water which spouted from between
+walls of smooth rock. And Psyche went willingly, thinking that this time
+surely she must die.
+
+But an eagle which was hovering over this dark and awful place came to
+her aid, and taking the urn from her he bore it in his beak to the
+fountain, which was guarded by two horrible dragons. It needed all his
+strength and skill to pass by them, and indeed it was only when he told
+them that Aphrodite needed it to give fresh lustre to her beauty that
+they ceased to snap at him with their long fangs.
+
+Joyfully the eagle bore back the urn to Psyche, who carried it back
+carefully in her breast. But Aphrodite was still unsatisfied. Again and
+again she found new errands for Psyche, and hoped that each one might
+lead her to her death, though every time birds or beasts had pity on
+her.
+
+If Cupid had only known his mother's wicked schemes, he would have
+contrived to stop them and to deliver Psyche. But the wound on his
+shoulder where the burning oil had fallen took long to heal, and for
+some time he was in ignorance of all that Psyche was suffering. At last,
+however, the pain ceased, and his first thought was to visit Psyche,
+who, nearly fainting with joy at the sound of his voice, poured forth
+all that had happened since that dreadful night which had destroyed her
+happiness.
+
+'Your punishment has been sore,' said he, 'and I have no power to save
+you from the task my mother has set you. But while you fulfil this I
+will fly to Olympus, and beseech the gods to grant you forgiveness, and,
+more, a place among the immortals.'
+
+And so the envy and malice of Aphrodite and the wicked sisters were
+brought to nought, and Psyche left the earth, to sit enthroned on
+Olympus.
+
+[_Apuleius._]
+
+
+
+
+_SIR BEVIS THE STRONG_
+
+
+Many hundreds of years ago there lived in the South of England an earl
+of Southampton, whose name was Guy. He spent most of his life in
+defending his country from all sorts of invaders who sailed from beyond
+the seas, and it was not until he was getting old that he had time to
+think of a wife. Then he made a very foolish choice, for he asked in
+marriage the daughter of the king of Scotland, who had already plighted
+her troth to the young and handsome Sir Murdour.
+
+But though Sir Murdour was brother to the emperor, the Scottish king
+preferred to wed the princess to the stout earl of Southampton, whom he
+had known of old, and his word was law to all his court. So the bride
+journeyed with a great following to the south of England, where the
+marriage took place, and the next year a baby was born that was called
+Bevis.
+
+Now, though her husband was good and kind, and gave her the most
+beautiful dresses and horse-trappings in the whole kingdom, the princess
+hated him with a deadly hatred, just because he was not Sir Murdour. And
+when her son Bevis was seven years old she determined to seek the help
+of her old lover, and entice the earl to his death.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+To this end she made use of her charms and beauty to gain over to her
+side some of her husband's most trusted lords, and when this was done
+she chose out a faithful messenger to ride north to Sir Murdour.
+
+'Bid him,' she said, 'to come without fail on the first of May to the
+great forest that lies by the sea. Thither will I take care that my lord
+shall fare, with but a small company, and--the rest Sir Murdour can
+grasp. Only, I should like to see a bleeding head, in proof that all has
+gone as I wish.'
+
+Sir Murdour did not delay when he heard this message, but called
+together a troop of armed knights, and set sail with them for the forest
+on the water over against Southampton. They landed late one night, and
+Sir Murdour bade his foster-brother go secretly to the palace, and let
+the countess know that he was close at hand. After that he posted his
+men in deep dells and behind trees, and awaited his enemy.
+
+The sun was scarcely up before the countess roused her husband, who was
+sleeping heavily after a day's hunting.
+
+'Awake,' she cried, shaking his shoulder, 'I am feeling like unto death,
+and I have dreamed that this day I shall surely die if I eat not of the
+flesh of a wild boar of the forest.'
+
+At these woeful tidings the earl sprang from his bed, and in a short
+while he was riding with a pack of hounds and a few attendants towards
+the part of the forest where the wild boars were most plentiful. The
+dogs were soon racing down a track, having scented a boar, and the earl
+was preparing to follow when Sir Murdour and his men leapt out from
+their hiding-places and suddenly surrounded him.
+
+'I am here at your lady's bidding,' said the knight; 'she has begged me
+to send her your head, and I mean to do it.'
+
+[Illustration: LITTLE BEVIS AVENGES HIS FATHER]
+
+The earl's face grew pale at these dreadful words. He did not fear any
+man alive, but the thought of his wife's baseness took the strength from
+his arm and the courage from his heart. Still, for the honour of his
+name and knighthood, it behoved him to fight his best, though his only
+weapon was a boar spear. The battle lasted long, but at length the
+earl's horse was killed under him, and he fell to the ground. In another
+moment Sir Murdour struck his head from his shoulders, and, placing it
+on a spear, he ordered his squire to bear it to the castle.
+
+Bevis, who was standing on the battlements, saw this terrible sight, and
+seeking out his mother he vowed vengeance against the murderer. Though
+he was only seven years old, his strength was so great that the countess
+felt that her life would not be safe if once he discovered the truth, so
+she ordered his uncle Saber to take the boy to some distant place and
+there to slay him. Saber did not dare to disobey. He took Bevis with him
+to a small hut near the forest, and, killing a pig, sprinkled the
+child's garments with the blood and sent them to his mother. Afterwards
+he dressed Bevis in the clothes of a peasant, and, putting a stout staff
+in his hands, set him to watch a flock of sheep.
+
+The boy did what he was told without a word, but the sheep wandered far
+that day, and by-and-by he found himself in sight of his father's
+castle. Then a sudden fury filled his soul, and, leaving the sheep to go
+whither they would, he ran swiftly down the hill, and never stopped till
+he reached the castle gate. Here the porter, to whom the countess had
+given much gold, tried to stop him, but Bevis only knocked him down with
+his cudgel, and on into the hall he went, and there he beheld his mother
+and Sir Murdour feasting at the high table.
+
+'Traitors and murderers!' cried he, and lifting his staff, he dealt
+three fierce blows at the head of Sir Murdour, which felled him to the
+ground, where he lay unconscious. Then the boy turned and walked out of
+the hall, none daring to stop him.
+
+He told his uncle what had happened, but Saber was never ready of
+counsel, and before he had time to think what was best the countess
+entered the hut attended by two knights, whom she ordered to seize
+Bevis, and sell him as a slave to any captain in the port of
+Southampton who might be sailing that night for the lands of the
+Infidel.
+
+The captain of the ship was a kind man and took a liking to the boy
+whose fate was so hard, and when a fair wind blew them into the harbour
+of Heathenesse he bade the child bear him company to the palace. The
+king, whose name was Ermyn, thought he had never seen any boy of his age
+so tall and beautiful, and asked him many things as to his past life.
+These Bevis answered with so much truth and spirit that Ermyn was
+persuaded that he would grow into a man much above the common, and
+declared that he would make him heir to his throne and wed him in due
+course to his daughter Josyan, if he would only give up Christianity and
+become a convert to the faith of Heathenesse. But this Bevis swore he
+would never do.
+
+The good captain feared greatly that the king might be angered by
+Bevis's refusal, but instead Ermyn seemed to think that the boy, who
+would not break his vows lightly, was fain to turn out a true and loyal
+man. So he smiled, and told Bevis that he would make him his
+chamberlain, and when he was of age to be a knight, he should be his
+banneret.
+
+Eight years passed by, spent by Bevis in learning all the feats with the
+sword and spear for which the knights of Heathenesse had long been
+famous. His life was smooth and pleasant, and it was only when he had
+counted fifteen summers that he had his first adventure.
+
+It was Christmas Day, and Bevis was riding with a large company of
+Paynim knights through the great plain that surrounded the city. The
+talk ran upon the many lion chases they had held in that very place,
+when suddenly one of the knights who had journeyed both to Rome and
+Jerusalem turned to Bevis, who happened to be next him, and asked if he
+knew what day it was.
+
+'No,' answered Bevis; 'why should I? Is it different from any other
+day?' and the knight laughed and told him he was but a poor Christian.
+This angered Bevis, who said that, as he had lived among heathens since
+he was seven years old, it was not likely he should have learnt anything
+about his faith, but that in defence of it he was ready to tilt with the
+knights one after the other and hoped that in so good a cause he might
+prevail.
+
+'Listen to the crowing of this young cock' cried one of the party,
+highly wroth at the answer of Bevis; and indeed so furious were they
+that they set upon him at once and dealt him many wounds before the boy
+was able to defend himself. Then he snatched a sword from the man
+nearest him, and laid about him so hardly that in a short time they were
+all stretched dead upon the ground, while their horses galloped back to
+their stalls. Bevis himself, suffering great pain, went quietly back to
+his room in the palace and waited to see what would come next.
+
+When king Ermyn heard the news, and how so many of his best knights had
+been put to death by his page, he was beside himself with fury, and gave
+orders that Bevis should be instantly beheaded. But Josyan, his
+daughter, pleaded so hard for the young page that the king agreed to
+hear his story, and when he had heard it he not only forgave the youth,
+but told Josyan, who was skilled in leechcraft, to heal his wounds. And
+in a little while Bevis was raised to higher favour than ever by slaying
+a boar which had carried away and eaten several children on the
+outskirts of the city.
+
+By this time the fame of the princess's beauty had spread far and wide,
+and the king of Damascus sent an embassy to the court of king Ermyn,
+praying that she should be given him to wife.
+
+'But,' added he, 'in case you do not well consider my suit, I would have
+you know that I will gather together a great army, and lay waste your
+land with fire and sword. So think well before you refuse me.'
+
+King Ermyn was little used to language of this sort, and for all answer
+collected twenty thousand men, whom he commanded to be in readiness.
+Next, at the request of his daughter, he dubbed Bevis a knight, and the
+princess herself clad him in a richly inlaid helmet, and buckled on him
+the good sword Morglay. As a parting gift she bestowed on him a swift
+white horse called Arundel, and very proud was Bevis as he rode away at
+the head of the army beside the commander.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It were too long to tell of all the deeds wrought by Sir Bevis during
+the fight with the king of Damascus, whose standard-bearer, the giant
+Radyson, he slew at the very outset of the battle. In the end, and owing
+in a great measure to the valour of the young knight, the Damascenes
+owned themselves beaten, and their king remained a captive in the hands
+of Sir Bevis.
+
+'I will spare your life on one condition only,' said the victor, 'and
+that is that you shall swear fealty on my sword to king Ermyn, and
+acknowledge yourself to be his vassal.'
+
+The king's heart was sore when he heard what was demanded of him, for
+never before had he been vanquished in war. Still, he saw that there was
+no help for it, and he took the oath that Bevis required of him, after
+which he was suffered to depart into his own country.
+
+King Ermyn could not do enough honour to Sir Bevis when he came back to
+the palace, and, as was the custom, he bade his daughter rid him of his
+heavy armour, to put on him gorgeous robes, and to wait on him when he
+sat down to table. Sir Bevis was half glad and half ashamed to receive
+these services at the hands of the princess, but Josyan heard her
+father's orders right willingly, and led him away to fulfil them at
+once.
+
+The first thing she did was to order her slaves to prepare a bath for
+him, and to make it soft with all manner of sweet-smelling spices. Then
+she summoned him to her chamber, where she had prepared food and wine,
+and, like a wise woman, spoke nothing till he had eaten and drunk as
+much as he would. When he had satisfied his hunger, he flung himself to
+rest on a pile of cushions, and Josyan seated herself near him. Taking
+one of his hands in hers, she said softly:
+
+'Oh, Bevis, little do you know what I have suffered these many months
+from the love I bear you! Indeed, so grievous have been my pains that I
+marvel that I am alive this day. But if you return not my love, of a
+surety I am a dead woman.'
+
+Now Bevis had long loved the princess in secret; but his heart was
+proud, and, besides, he feared to seem that he had betrayed the king's
+trust. So he answered:
+
+'Fair Josyan, I thank you for your gentle words, but it would ill become
+me to take advantage of them. There is no prince in all the world, be he
+who he may, who would not crown you queen, and hold himself honoured.
+For me, I am but a poor knight, and one from a strange land, to whom
+your father has shown more favour than I deserve. It is not thus I
+should repay his kindness.'
+
+These words struck a chill through Josyan. All her life she had never
+known what it was to be denied anything she asked for, and she fell to
+weeping.
+
+'I would sooner have you, poor as you are, than the greatest king
+alive,' sobbed she; but when Bevis sat still and kept silence her grief
+turned to wrath.
+
+'Am I, who might reign over any of the kingdoms of the earth, to be
+flouted by you, a mere churl? Out of my chamber this instant, and betake
+yourself to working in the fields, for they are fitter setting for one
+of your birth than a lady's bower!'
+
+'Damsel,' said Bevis, 'you wrong me. No churl am I, but the son of an
+earl, and a knight withal. And now farewell, for I shall depart into my
+own country.'
+
+For a short time Josyan's anger held sway in her heart, and even the
+death of Bevis would hardly have moved her, but when she heard that
+Bevis was actually preparing to leave the city her pride broke down,
+and she sent a messenger to implore his forgiveness. But she had to
+learn that Bevis was no less proud than she, and he dismissed the
+messenger with a ring that the king had given him, merely saying that he
+had already bid good-bye to the princess Josyan.
+
+Then Josyan saw that if she would keep Bevis at her side she must humble
+herself to the dust, so she went herself to the chamber of Bevis, and
+implored him to forget her hasty words, and not to forsake her. Nay, she
+would even promise to give up her own faith and to become a Christian.
+
+At this proof of her devotion, Sir Bevis's resolve gave way, and he told
+her that he had loved her always, but feared that her father would never
+accept him as a son-in-law. Josyan made light of this obstacle, and
+declared that her father would never refuse her anything she had set her
+heart upon; but Bevis was not so hopeful, and soon events proved that he
+was right.
+
+Two knights whom Bevis had rescued from captivity and had brought to the
+palace overheard the vows exchanged between him and Josyan, and her
+offer of being baptized. Hating and envying the good fortune of Bevis,
+they sought out the king, and told him that his daughter was about to
+give up the faith of Mahomet, and to fly from the country with a
+Christian knight.
+
+These tidings were grievous to king Ermyn. He could not forgive his
+daughter, and yet, after all the deeds he had done, the people of the
+city would not suffer Bevis to be punished. What was he to do? The more
+he thought of it the more bewildered he felt; and all the while the two
+traitors stood patiently by, knowing well what was passing through the
+king's mind.
+
+At length he turned, as they were sure he would, and asked their
+counsel, which was quite ready.
+
+'Let your Majesty write a letter to King Bradmond, as from liege lord to
+vassal, and let Sir Bevis be the bearer of it, and bid the king put the
+knight to instant death.' So said the traitors, and, though the device
+was neither new nor honourable, it would serve. Bevis was summoned to
+the king's presence, and listened carefully to all he was told. Joyful
+was he at being chosen for this mission, which he thought betokened
+special favour, though his spirits were somewhat damped by the assurance
+that he must leave his sword Morglay and Arundel, his swift horse,
+behind him.
+
+'It were an insult to the king to approach him on a war-horse, and
+brandishing the sword that has slain so many of his men,' said Ermyn.
+'You shall ride the ambling palfrey on which I make my progress through
+the city; and, as for weapons, you will have no need of them.' So
+Arundel remained quietly in his stable, while Bevis unwillingly jogged
+along at the slow pace of the palfrey. But in one thing he disobeyed
+king Ermyn, for under his tunic was hidden a short sword.
+
+On the way he fell in with a pilgrim, whose offer to share his dinner
+Bevis accepted gladly. They soon began to tell each other their
+adventures, and, to his surprise, Bevis found that the pilgrim was his
+own cousin, the son of his uncle Saber, and that he had come so far with
+no other purpose than to seek out the young knight and to inform him of
+all that had happened during the years that had passed since his
+father's death.
+
+The vassals of the old earl, said the pilgrim, had been so ground down
+by the wicked Sir Murdour and his wife, that they had risen up as one
+man, and, headed by Saber, had defended the Isle of Wight against the
+usurper. But it was greatly to be desired that the young earl should
+return home as fast as possible, and attack Murdour in his castle of
+Southampton, and for this reason had he set forth to seek him.
+
+Bevis's heart and his blood waxed hot with the listening, but he did not
+wish that the pilgrim should learn just then who he was, so he answered
+that the young earl was his friend and brother, and that on his part he
+would promise speedy help to the faithful vassals fighting in his cause.
+With this they parted, and Bevis pursued his way to Damascus.
+
+On entering the gates of the city he found himself in the midst of a
+large crowd, who were making ready a sacrifice to a wooden idol, which
+was carried in a golden car. This roused the wrath of the young man,
+and, forcing his way through the multitude, he seized the idol and flung
+it into the mud, calling loudly on the people to go and help their god,
+since he could not help them. In an instant a thousand arms were raised
+against the stranger who had dared to insult the majesty of their idol,
+and, though Bevis drew his short sword and defended himself bravely, he
+could not have held out against such numbers had not the palace gates
+been close behind. Still fighting, Bevis entered the gates, and drawing
+the letter from his tunic ordered the guards to take him at once into
+the presence of the king.
+
+Bradmond read the letter with joy, as he felt that his enemy was
+delivered into his hands, and the tidings of the attack on the idol
+hardened his heart still more. Without further delay he bade the guards
+take Bevis and carry him off to a deep dungeon under the palace where
+lived two huge dragons, who would be fain to eat him forthwith.
+
+'And I do this,' said Bradmond, 'not to avenge my own wrongs, but to
+perform my oath of duty unto my sovereign lord king Ermyn. For this is
+the service he requires of me, in the letter that you yourself have
+brought.'
+
+[Illustration: STRONG SIR BEVIS KEEPS THE TWO DRAGONS AT BAY]
+
+Ropes were tied under Bevis's arms, and he was lowered down, down, down,
+till he could see nothing but four fiery eyes which glared furiously up
+at him. Soon after his hands knocked against something hard and rough,
+which moved under his touch. At the same moment his feet touched the
+bottom, and he found himself standing in a large cave with a feeble ray
+of light coming from the far end. By this he dimly perceived two
+horrible dragons, but for a moment they were still, and did not move to
+attack him.
+
+Bevis made use of the short time allowed him to feel about if perchance
+he could find some weapon with which to defend himself instead of the
+short sword which had been taken from him, and he came upon a stout
+staff, thrown into one corner, and by the aid of this he held those two
+monsters at bay for a whole night and day. By this time the dragons, who
+had been weakened by a slothful life and the flesh of many prisoners,
+were too weak to resist any longer, and fell an easy prey to the strong
+arm of Bevis.
+
+Of course it was not long before the men who had charge of the dungeon
+discovered that the dragons were dead, but they were so filled with
+admiration of Bevis's courage that they kept his counsel, and let down
+into his prison daily a good portion of wheat cake, so that he managed
+to keep himself alive. Bradmond the king very soon forgot all about him,
+so that the soldiers did as they pleased.
+
+Thus some years passed away.
+
+At the end of that time one of the gaolers died, and the other was sent
+to a distant city. The two men who took their places knew nothing of
+Bevis, save that he was a captive in the dungeon, and that as long as he
+was alive it was part of their duty to feed him every day. 'Let us
+murder him,' said one man to another; 'it is small use to feed a man in
+a dungeon who is forgotten by himself and all the world'; so one of them
+fastened a ladder of ropes to the side and climbed down it, in the hope
+of finding an easy victim lying on the ground. Instead there was a man
+as strong as ten other men, who leapt swiftly aside to avoid the blow of
+his sword, and struck him dead to the ground with a blow of his fist.
+The other gaoler, hearing no noise from below, crept down the ladder to
+see what had taken place; but as soon as he was on the floor of the
+dungeon Bevis gave a mighty spring which snapped the chain that had
+bound him to the rock, and thrust him through with the sword he had
+taken from his fellow. Then, when, as far as he could reckon, the night
+was nearly gone, he climbed up the ladder, and stood once more a free
+man.
+
+At the first gleam of dawn, Sir Bevis stole out to the stables, where
+the king's horses were being groomed. Peeping through a hole, he
+discovered a room hung round with suits of armour, and, getting in
+through the roof, he took down a coat of mail, a helmet, and a shield,
+while he chose out a good sword from a pile standing in a corner. Then
+entering the stable, he cut off the heads of several of the men, while
+the rest fled out of reach of the strange being with the long hair and
+strong arm. When they were all gone Bevis brought out the best horse in
+the stable, and rode out across the drawbridge into the world again.
+
+Of course, directly he was missed, king Ermyn sent his best knights in
+pursuit of him, but in one way or another Sir Bevis got the better of
+them all, and made his way to Jerusalem, where, for the first time since
+he was seven years old, he entered a Christian church. But so anxious
+was he to hear some tidings of Josyan, that he remained only a short
+time in the city, and soon rode on again along the road to her father's
+court.
+
+On the way he met with a young knight who had once been his squire, and
+who told him a sad tale. Josyan, he said, had been asked in marriage by
+the most powerful and fierce of all the kings of Heathenesse, but she
+steadily refused to wed any man who was not a Christian like herself.
+This so enraged her father that he gave leave to her suitor to do with
+her as he would; so king Inor, for so was he named, carried her off to
+his own kingdom, and shut her up in a tower till she should come to a
+better mind, and be ready to return to her old faith.
+
+'In her tower she is still,' continued the knight; 'but if you would
+have speech with her it is first needful to persuade the king to go on
+some distant mission. And first you must put on a disguise, for at any
+moment those may come by who knew you well at the royal palace.'
+
+This advice Bevis followed; he hid himself with his friend behind a
+clump of bushes till a pilgrim passed on the way to Jerusalem. The young
+knight then left his hiding-place, and prayed the pilgrim for the sake
+of charity and a dole of money to be given in alms that he would
+exchange clothes with Sir Bevis. To this the pilgrim readily agreed, and
+soon Bevis was arrayed in a long mantle, carrying a staff in his hand.
+
+'Now go and stand about the door of the palace, and when the king comes
+from hunting he will see you, and will ask you where you come from, and
+what news is stirring in the world. And you must say to him that you
+have lately journeyed from Syria, from the kingdom of his brother, and
+that the land has been overrun by strange armies, and that the country
+is in a great strait. When he hears that he will of a surety hasten to
+his aid, and then you will be able to escape with Josyan without danger
+of losing your head.'
+
+Now Inor the king had placed Josyan under the charge of Boniface, the
+chamberlain, who had been long in the service of her father, and in
+order the better to help her had pretended to approve of the evil way in
+which she was treated. Directly he heard of the plot he began to play
+his part towards its fulfilment, and in the evening of the day on which
+the king had departed he managed to give the steward, who had been left
+to rule the city, such a powerful sleeping draught that he did not wake
+for twenty-four hours. Meanwhile Sir Bevis chose out the best suit of
+armour in the king's armoury and the fastest horse in his stable; and
+when night fell Josyan stole softly down from her tower, and, mounting
+Arundel, whom she had brought with her from her old home, rode out of
+the gates by the side of Bevis. Boniface followed close after them. He
+did not dare to stay behind, as he knew that his head was forfeit.
+
+But as things happened he might as well have remained where he was, for
+the very next day, when Bevis was hunting, two lions came up to the cave
+where Josyan and her chamberlain lay concealed. Without an instant's
+pause they devoured Boniface and his horse, which was tethered outside,
+though Josyan's beauty so overawed them that they bent their heads
+humbly in her presence.
+
+The next adventure that befell Sir Bevis was a battle with a giant
+thirty feet high, who had been sent by the steward to catch the two
+runaways. During the fight he was sore wounded, and in the end owned
+Bevis to be his master, and begged to be allowed to take service with
+him. Sir Bevis agreed, though somewhat doubtfully, but soon found reason
+to rejoice in his new page, for by his help he was able to turn some
+Saracens out of a ship which bore them all with a fair wind to the city
+of Cologne.
+
+Here he found his uncle, the bishop; who was brother to his father and
+to Sir Saber, and, leaving Josyan in safety under his care, he set sail
+with a hundred knights for Southampton. Before landing he sent one of
+his most trusty squires for tidings as to how fared Sir Murdour, and
+received for answer that the quarrel still raged betwixt him and Sir
+Saber. Then Bevis went on shore with all his knights, and bade one of
+them tell Sir Murdour that they had sailed from France in quest of
+service, and that if he so willed they would fight under his banner,
+but, if not, they would offer themselves to his foe.
+
+Sir Murdour was overjoyed at the sight of the strangers, and asked the
+name of their leader.
+
+'Sir Jarrard,' said Bevis, who did not wish to make himself known, and
+inquired further what were the causes of the war with Sir Saber, and how
+long it had lasted. To this Sir Murdour made reply that Sir Saber had
+been seeking for many years past to wrest from him the heritage which
+was his by purchase from the spendthrift heir Bevis, who had afterwards
+quitted the country, but that with the help of the strangers an end
+would speedily be put to the quarrel.
+
+While Bevis stood listening to Sir Murdour, his fingers unconsciously
+crept to the handle of his sword, but he forced back his wrath and
+answered that, had they brought their horses with them, the dispute
+might have been settled that very night. Still, much might be done if
+Sir Murdour would give them a ship in which to sail to the Isle of
+Wight, and would provide them with horses.
+
+Sir Murdour did not need to be asked twice; he gave to Sir Bevis his
+finest horses and his best armour, and before many hours Bevis was
+standing on the Isle of Wight by the side of his uncle Saber.
+
+'Take yonder fishing-boat,' said he to one of his knights, 'and return
+to Southampton and enter the castle. Then tell Sir Murdour that the man
+to whom he has given his arms and his horses is no knight of France, but
+Sir Bevis earl of Southampton, who has come to take vengeance for the
+death of his father.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The battle which decided the strife was fought upon the island, and
+never for a moment did Bevis lose sight of his enemy. In vain did
+Murdour ride from one part of the field to the other; Bevis was always
+there, though it was long before he was close enough to thrust at him.
+At last he managed to hurl him to the ground, but Murdour's followers
+pressed hard on him, and Bevis could not, by his own self, take him
+captive.
+
+'To me! To me!' he cried at last, and Ascapard strode up, cleaving the
+heads of all that stood in his way.
+
+'What shall be done with him?' asked he, picking up the fallen knight
+and holding him tightly.
+
+'Put him in the cauldron that is boiling outside the camp,' said Bevis.
+'For that is the death for traitors.'
+
+So Sir Bevis got his own again, and he sent to Cologne for Josyan, and
+was wedded to her by his uncle the bishop in his good town of
+Southampton.
+
+[From the _Early English Metrical Romances_.]
+
+
+
+
+_OGIER THE DANE_
+
+
+Long, long ago, a baby lay asleep in a cot in a palace. It was a royal
+baby, therefore it was never left alone for a moment, but always had two
+or three ladies watching it, by day and by night, so that no serpent
+should crawl into its cradle and bite it, nor any evil beast run off
+with it, as sometimes happened in other countries.
+
+But one evening, after a very hot day, all the ladies in waiting felt
+strangely drowsy, and, though they tried their best to keep awake, one
+by one they gradually dropped off to sleep in the high carved chairs on
+which they sat. Then a gentle rustle might have been heard outside on
+the staircase, and when the door opened a brilliant light streamed in,
+though the ladies slept too soundly to be awakened by it. Wrapped round
+by the light were six fairies, more beautiful than any fairies that ever
+were seen, who glided noiselessly to the cradle of the baby.
+
+'How fair he is!' whispered one; 'the true son of a king.'
+
+'And how strong he is!' answered another; 'look at his arms and legs,'
+and the whole six bent forward and looked at him.
+
+'The world shall ring with his fame,' said the first, whose name was
+Gloriande, 'and I will give him the best gift I have. He shall never
+fear death, and no word of shame shall ever touch him.'
+
+Then the second fairy leaned forward and lifted the baby out of his
+cradle. She was tall, and on her head was a ruby crown, while a plate of
+gold covered her breast.
+
+'Through all your life,' she murmured, 'wherever war and strife may be,
+you shall be found in the midst of it, even as your forefathers.'
+
+'Yes,' said a third; 'but my gift is better than hers, for you shall
+never be worsted in any fight, and every one shall add to your honour.'
+
+'And though you are the first of knights,' exclaimed the fourth, 'you
+shall win fame for your courtesy and gentlehood, no less than for your
+valour.'
+
+'The hearts of all women shall turn to you, and they shall love you,'
+said the fifth, who was clad in a robe of transparent green; 'but beware
+how you give them back their love, for this love of mortals needs
+proving'; and with that she slipped away from the cradle.
+
+The sixth fairy looked silently at the child for a few moments, though
+her thoughts seemed to be with something far away.
+
+At length she spoke, and these were her words:
+
+'When you are weary of travel and of strife and have won all the glory
+and honour that may fall to men, then you shall come to me in my palace
+of Avallon, and rest in the joys of fairyland with Morgane le Fay.'
+
+After that the light began to fade, and the six fairies vanished none
+could tell how or whither.
+
+By-and-by the baby's attendants woke up, and never knew that during
+their sleep the child's fate had been fixed as surely as if he had been
+bitten by a serpent or carried off by a wolf. Everything _seemed_ the
+same as it had done before, and so they took it for granted that it
+_was_.
+
+Time passed on, and Ogier, for that was the name they gave him, was ten
+years old. He was tall and strong and could send his arrows farther than
+most boys many years older. He could handle a spear too, and his thrusts
+went straight at the mark; while he could sing a song, or touch the lute
+as delicately as a maiden. His father was proud of him, and it went sore
+with him when Charlemagne the emperor, who had had a bitter quarrel
+with the king of Denmark, demanded that Ogier should be sent as a
+hostage to his court of Paris.
+
+[Illustration: HOW THE FAIRIES CAME TO SEE OGIER THE DANE]
+
+For four years the boy lived happily in Paris, daily making new friends,
+and learning to be a skilled swordsman; but at the end of that time the
+Danish king sank some of Charlemagne's ships, and the emperor vowed that
+Ogier should pay for his father's deed. His life was spared, but the
+youth was banished to St. Omer, a little town on the coast. Here he
+spent some years, which would have been dull and very wearisome but for
+the kindness of the governor, who not only allowed him to fish and hunt
+on receiving his word that he would not try to escape, but gave him his
+daughter, the fair Belissande, as his companion, and even consented to a
+marriage between them. For, kind though he was, he did not forget that
+the captive youth was after all heir to the Danish throne.
+
+Ogier would have been quite content to stay where he was, when suddenly
+the emperor summoned him to come to Paris and take part in a war which
+had broken out between him and the Saracens, who had landed in Italy.
+Unwilling though he was, of course Ogier was forced to obey, and he
+speedily won such fame that in a little while Charlemagne declared that
+from henceforth he should have in battle the place of honour on the
+right hand of the emperor himself. This favour so excited the jealousy
+of Charlot, the emperor's son, that he laid many snares for Ogier's
+life, but, owing to the gift of the fairy Gloriande, the young man
+contrived to escape them all.
+
+On his return to France with the army, after the war was over and the
+Saracens had been beaten, he found two pieces of news awaiting him. One
+was that his father was dead, and that he was king of Denmark, and the
+other was that during his absence a son had been born to him.
+
+Taking leave of the emperor, he chose the swiftest horse he could find
+in the stables and rode straight to St. Omer. The boy was by this time
+three years old, and promised to be tall and strong like his father.
+Already he could mount a pony and use a tiny bow and arrows that had
+been made for him, and even could tell the names of some of the battles
+his father had won.
+
+But Ogier could not tarry long in the castle of St. Omer. Taking his
+wife and son with him, he set out at once for Denmark, and spent several
+years in the kingdom making laws and teaching his people many things
+that he had learnt in his travels.
+
+After ten years, however, he became weary of this peaceful life, and,
+after Belissande died, he felt he could bear it no longer. So, leaving
+the crown to his uncle, he returned to France with his son and fought
+once more by the side of Charlemagne. This was the life he loved, and it
+seemed as if it might have gone on for ever had it not been for the
+prince Charlot, who, unhappily, only grew more quarrelsome and foolish
+the older he got.
+
+Charlot was one day playing chess with the son of Ogier, and, as he was
+hasty and impatient, the game went against him. Like many others, he had
+never learned how to take a beating like a man, and, raising his hand,
+he struck the youth a blow on the temple which killed him. Charlemagne,
+grieved though he really was, refused to punish Charlot, and after
+saying bitter words Ogier left Paris, and took service with the king of
+Lombardy, but was soon captured, while asleep, by Archbishop Turpin.
+
+By this time Charlemagne had felt the loss of Ogier so greatly, and had
+besides suffered so much from further ill-doings on the part of his son,
+that he lent a ready ear to Ogier's offer of reconciliation, provided he
+were allowed to avenge himself on the murderer. But just as Ogier was
+about to strike off Charlot's head, and rid the world of a man who never
+did any good in it, he was stopped by a mysterious voice which bade him
+to spare the son of Charlemagne. So Charlot was left to work more
+mischief throughout the land.
+
+A second time a crown fell to Ogier in right of his wife, the princess
+Claria of England, who had been delivered by Ogier out of the hands of
+the Saracens. But the princess died not many months after, and the
+fetters of the throne were no more to Ogier's taste in England than in
+Denmark. So he assembled all his barons, and bade them choose themselves
+a king from among them. This done, he set sail across the sea for the
+life of adventure that he loved.
+
+For some time Ogier fought in Palestine, where he gained great fame, for
+no army and no city could stand before him. But his heart always turned
+to France, and directly peace was made he said farewell to his
+companions and took ship for Marseilles. At first the breeze was fair,
+but when they had made half the voyage a tempest arose and the vessel
+was driven on a rock, while all the crew except Ogier himself were
+drowned. This happened early in the morning, but as soon as darkness
+fell and Ogier was fearing that he might die of hunger, as no living
+thing could be seen on the island, he suddenly beheld facing him a
+castle of adamant. He rubbed his eyes and gazed at it in amazement,
+thinking it was a vision, for he knew not that this castle was
+enchanted, and, though unseen by day, shone by night from light of its
+own. However, he did not hesitate at the strangeness of his adventure,
+but taking his sword in his teeth he swam ashore, and mounted the flight
+of steps that led to the open door.
+
+Rich and beautiful things lay scattered everywhere, but not a sign was
+there of any one to enjoy them. Room after room was empty, and Ogier was
+fast losing hope and wondering whether he was to die of starvation in
+the midst of all this splendour. He had searched every chamber of the
+castle except one which lay before him at the end of a long gallery. He
+would go into that too, but if it should prove as barren as the rest
+then his case was indeed perilous.
+
+With a beating heart he drew back the bolts and lifted the latch of the
+great carved door. Before him a long table was spread with fruits and
+food of the rarest sort, while in a large chair at the further end a
+horse was seated enjoying a huge pasty. At the sight of Ogier he rose
+politely and bowed, after which he presented him with a golden bowl full
+of water and returned to his chair.
+
+During his travels Ogier had beheld many strange things, but never
+before had a horse been his host, and he was so startled that, hungry
+though he was, he hardly touched the food which the horse heaped on his
+plate, expecting every moment that a magician might appear or the whole
+castle crumble away.
+
+Quiet though Ogier was, the horse, who had been taught manners in the
+court of the sultan of Babylon himself, took no notice of his guest's
+behaviour but finished his own supper, which was a very hearty one. When
+it was done he rose again, bowed a second time to Ogier, who had risen
+also, and, signing with his fore hoof towards a curtain on one side of
+the hall, passed through, followed by his guest. In the centre of a
+magnificent chamber stood a soft bed, at which Ogier gazed longingly.
+The horse saw the direction of his eyes, and with another bow he
+withdrew.
+
+In the morning Ogier awoke early and passed through the door into a
+meadow bright with flowers. He looked round him, and saw a group of
+ladies sitting under a tree plucking fruit from its branches, and
+filling golden cups from a clear stream that ran at their feet. Not
+having eaten since his scanty supper of the night before, he approached
+the ladies, one of whom arose and spoke to him, saying:
+
+'Welcome, Ogier of Denmark! I have waited for you long. A hundred years
+have passed since I stood by your cradle--a hundred years of war and of
+fighting. But you have tired of them at last and have come back to me!
+And now you shall rest in the palace of Avallon. I am Morgane le Fay.'
+
+[Illustration: OGIER THE DANE MEETS MORGANE LE FAY AT LAST]
+
+She held out her hand, and Ogier placed his within it, and thus they
+entered the castle. Then she went to her closet and drew a casket from
+it, and from the casket she took a ring, which she slipped on Ogier's
+finger. Afterwards she placed on his head a wreath of golden laurels
+intertwined with bays, and his white hair became once more like
+sunshine, and the wrinkles faded from his brow. And with the wrinkles
+faded also the recollection of the battles he had fought, and of
+Charlemagne himself, and even of Belissande, whom he had loved so well.
+Soft sounds of singing floated through the palace, and fairies trailing
+flowers glided in and out in the dance. While Ogier stood entranced and
+dumb, there entered King Arthur, to whom spoke Morgane le Fay:
+
+'Draw near, Arthur, my lord and brother, come and salute the flower of
+chivalry, the boast of the court of France, he in whom courtesy,
+loyalty, and all virtue are united.'
+
+And Arthur drew near, and they embraced each other.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Two hundred years passed as a single day, till one morning when Ogier
+was lying on a bank listening to the birds which sang like no birds
+which mortal ears have ever heard, he took for an instant the crown from
+off his head. In a moment the memories of his old life flashed across
+him, and, starting up, he sought Morgane le Fay, and bade her give him
+his sword, for he was going to fight for fair France again. In vain the
+fairy besought him not to forsake her, but he would hear nothing, and
+she was fain to do as he wished. So by her magic she conjured up a
+little boat which bore Ogier to Marseilles, whence he hastened to the
+war, which was being carried on in Normandy.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Great was the surprise of the warriors and ladies of the court at the
+sight of the new-comer, whose face was as young and fresh as their own,
+but whose arms and whose speech were of a time long gone by. At first
+some were inclined to try him with jests, but they speedily found that,
+strange though his manners might seem, it were wiser to accept them.
+Indeed, it was not long before Ogier's presence had caused itself to be
+so felt throughout the camp that he was given command of an army that
+was about to march against the enemy who were invading France and
+utterly routed them. In gratitude the king begged him to counsel him in
+all things, and in a few months some of Ogier's strength and wisdom had
+passed into the people.
+
+Now night and day Ogier wore the ring which Morgane le Fay had placed on
+his finger, and as long as it was there no youth about the court was
+fairer and more splendid than he. The gift with which he had been
+endowed in his cradle had lost none of its power, and as he passed
+through the crowd, towering full a head over other men, the hearts of
+the ladies went out towards him. _He_ could not help it, and _they_
+could not help it. It had been so ordained by the fairy. Even age could
+not preserve them; nay, it seemed to render them an easier prey.
+
+Amongst the noble ladies whose pulses beat faster at the sight of
+Ogier's golden hair was the Countess of Senlis. Old was she, and
+withered of face, but she had never ceased to think that she was young,
+and she mistook the kindliness and courtesy of Ogier's manner for the
+love that man bears to woman.
+
+One morning, in crossing the garden to attend upon her mistress the
+queen, the countess came upon Ogier lying asleep under the trees. She
+stopped and looked upon him tenderly; then her eyes fell upon the ring
+on his finger, whose stone, of a strange green hue, was graven with
+devices.
+
+'If I could see them close, perchance I might guess who he is and whence
+he came,' said she to herself, and, stooping, she drew lightly the ring
+from his hand, not knowing that the queen had crept up and stood behind
+her. But what an awful change came over him all at once! His limbs grew
+shrivelled, his hair white, his eyes so shrunken that they seemed hardly
+more than points; but when the queen turned with horror to ask her lady
+what it meant, the change in her was hardly less wondrous, for, though
+the old countess was ignorant of it, fifty years had been swept from
+her, and she was straight and winsome as of yore.
+
+They were still standing, dumb with surprise, when Ogier awoke and
+glanced about him with feeble, uncertain gaze. Catching sight of the
+ring, which the countess was still holding, he stretched his shaking
+hand towards it. The action was more than the queen could bear.
+
+'Give it back to him,' she said; and, unwilling though she was to part
+with such a treasure, the countess was forced to obey.
+
+Tremblingly Ogier restored the ring to its place, and in an instant his
+youth and beauty returned to him.
+
+Soon after this the king of France died, and when the time of mourning
+was over the queen made known to Ogier that she wished to take him for
+her second husband. Gentle was she and fair, and easy it was for Ogier
+to love her, and his heart beat high at the thought of sitting on the
+throne where Charlemagne had once sat. The people rejoiced greatly when
+they heard of the marriage, for with Ogier for their king they were
+safe, they thought, from invaders.
+
+The wedding day had come, and scarce a man or woman in Paris had closed
+their eyes the night before. Magnificent indeed would the procession be
+that was to end in the new cathedral; gorgeous would be the trappings of
+the horses, dazzling the dresses of the ladies that would ride, some in
+litters and some on horses, through the streets that bordered the river.
+Early was the queen astir, to be tired by her maidens, and if Ogier's
+slumbers lasted longer--well, it was not the first time that he had been
+crowned a king.
+
+At length he was awakened by the sound of a voice calling his name:
+
+'Ogier, Ogier!' and at the sound the present was forgotten, and the past
+rushed back. 'Ogier, Ogier!' whispered the voice again, and, looking, he
+saw standing by his bed not the queen, but Morgane le Fay.
+
+'Rise quickly,' she said, 'and put on your wedding garments. Clothe
+yourself in the mantle Charlemagne wore, and the crown that was placed
+upon his brow. Set on your feet his shoes of gold, and let me see you
+once as France would have seen you.'
+
+He did her bidding, and she gazed at him awhile, then slowly drawing
+nigh she lifted the crown from his hair, and in its stead she put on him
+the wreath of laurel which brought peace and forgetfulness.
+
+'Now come with me,' she said, holding out her hand, and together they
+left the palace unseen, and entered a barge that was waiting in the
+river, and in the sunrise they sailed away to the castle of Avallon.
+
+[Adapted from Dunlop's _History of Prose Fiction_, and Morris's _Ogier
+the Dane_.]
+
+
+
+
+_HOW THE ASS BECAME A MAN AGAIN_
+
+
+Once upon a time there lived a young man who would do nothing from
+morning till night but amuse himself. His parents were dead and had left
+him plenty of money, but this was fast vanishing, and his friends shook
+their heads sadly, for when the money was gone they did not see where
+more was to come from. It was not that Apuleius (for that was the name
+of the youth) was stupid. He might have been a good soldier, or a
+scholar, or a worker in gold, if so it had pleased him, but from a child
+he had refused to do anything useful, and roamed about the city all day
+long in search of adventures. The only kind of learning to which he paid
+any heed was magic, and when he was in the house he would spend hours
+poring over great books of spells.
+
+Fond though he was of sorcery, he was too lazy to leave the town and its
+pleasures--the chariot-racing, the theatre, and the wrestling, and to
+travel in search of the wizards who were renowned for their skill in the
+art. However, the time came when, very unwillingly, he was forced to
+take a journey into Thessaly, to see to the proper working of some
+silver mines in which he had a share, and Thessaly, as everybody knows,
+is the home of all magic. So when Apuleius arrived at the town of
+Hypata, where dwelt the man Milo, overseer of his mines, he was prepared
+to believe that all he saw was enchanted.
+
+Now, if Thessaly is the country of magic, it is also the country of
+robbers, and Apuleius soon noticed that everybody he met was in fear of
+them. Indeed, they made this fear the excuse for all sorts of mean and
+foolish ways. For instance, Milo, who loved money and could not bear to
+spend a farthing, refused to have any seats in his house that could be
+removed, and in consequence there was nothing to sit upon except two
+marble chairs fixed to the wall. As there was only room in these for one
+person, the wife of Milo had to retire to her own chamber when the young
+man entered.
+
+'It was no use,' explained Milo, 'in laying out money on moveable seats,
+with robbers about. They would be sure to hear of it and to break into
+the house.'
+
+Unlike his guest, Milo was always occupied in adding to his wealth in
+one form or another. Sometimes he sent down a train of mules to the sea,
+and bought merchandise which the ships had carried from Babylon or
+Egypt, to sell it again at a high price. Then he dealt in sheep and
+cattle, and when he thought he might do so with safety made false
+returns of the silver that was dug up from the mines, and kept the
+difference for himself. But most often he lent large sums at high
+interest to the young men of the neighbourhood, and so cunning was he
+that, whoever else might be ruined, Milo managed to make large profits.
+
+Apuleius knew very well that his steward was in his way as great a
+robber as any in Thessaly, but, as usual, he found it too much trouble
+to look into the matter. So he laughed and jested with the miser, and
+next morning went out to the public baths and then took a stroll through
+the city. It was full of statues of the famous men to whom Hypata had
+given birth; but as Apuleius had made up his mind that nothing in
+Thessaly _could_ be what it seemed, he supposed that they were living
+people who had fallen under enchantment, and that the oxen whom he met
+driven through the streets had once been men and women.
+
+One evening he was returning as usual from a walk when he saw from afar
+three figures before Milo's house, who he at once guessed were trying to
+force an entrance. 'Here is an adventure at last,' thought he, and,
+keeping in the shadow, he stole softly up behind them, and drawing his
+short sword he stabbed each one to the heart. Then, without waiting to
+see what more would befall, he left them where they were and entered the
+house by a door at the back.
+
+He said nothing of what had happened to Milo his host, but the next day,
+before he had left his bed, a summons was brought him by one of the
+slaves to appear before the court at noon on a charge of murder. As has
+been seen, Apuleius was a brave man and did not fear to face three times
+his number, but his heart quailed at the thought of a public trial.
+Still, he was wise enough to know that there was no help for it, and at
+the hour appointed he was in his place.
+
+The first witnesses against him were two women with black veils covering
+them from head to foot. At the sound of the herald's trumpet, one of the
+two stepped forward and accused him of compassing the death of her
+husband. When she had ended her plaint the herald blew another blast,
+and another veiled woman came forward and charged him with her son's
+murder. Then the herald inquired if there was not yet a third victim,
+but was answered that his wound was slight, and that he was able to roam
+through the city.
+
+After the witnesses had been called, the judge pronounced sentence.
+Apuleius the murderer was condemned to death, but he must first of all
+be tortured, so that he might reveal the names of the men who had
+abetted him. By order of the court, horrible instruments were brought
+forward which chilled the blood of Apuleius in his veins. But to his
+surprise, when he looked round to see if none would be his friend, he
+noticed that every one, from the judge to the herald, was shaking with
+laughter. His amazement was increased when with a trembling voice one of
+the women demanded that the bodies should be produced, so that the judge
+might be induced to feel more pity and to order more tortures. The
+judge assented to this, and two bodies were carried into court shrouded
+in wrappings, and the order was given that Apuleius himself should
+remove the wrappings.
+
+The face of the young man grew white as he heard the words of the judge,
+for even a hardened criminal cares but little to touch the corpse of a
+man whom he has murdered. But he dared not disobey, and walked slowly to
+the place where the dead bodies lay. He shrank for a moment as he took
+the cloth in his hand, but his guards were behind him, and calling up
+all his courage he withdrew it. A shout of laughter pealed out behind
+him, and to his amazement he saw that his victims of the previous night
+had been three huge leather bottles and not men at all!
+
+As soon as Apuleius found out the trick that had been played on him he
+was no less amused than the rest, but in the midst of his mirth a sudden
+thought struck him.
+
+'How was it you managed to make them alive?' asked he, 'for alive they
+were, and battering themselves against the door of the house.'
+
+'Oh, that is simple enough when one has a sorceress for a mistress,'
+answered a damsel, who was standing by. 'She burned the hairs of some
+goats and wove spells over them, so that the animals to whom the hairs
+and skins had once belonged became endowed with life and tried to enter
+their former dwelling.'
+
+'They may well say that Thessaly is the home of wonders,' cried the
+young man. 'But do you think that your mistress would let me see her at
+work? I would pay her well--and you also,' he added.
+
+'It might be managed perhaps, without her knowledge,' answered Fotis,
+for such was the girl's name; 'but you must hold yourself in readiness
+after nightfall, for I cannot tell what evening she may choose to cast
+off her own shape.'
+
+Apuleius promised readily that he would not stir out after sunset, and
+the damsel went her way.
+
+That very evening, Hesperus had scarcely risen from his bed when Fotis
+knocked at the door of the house.
+
+[Illustration: APULEIUS CHANGES INTO AN ASS]
+
+'Come hither, and quickly,' she said; and without stopping to question
+her Apuleius hastened by her side to the dwelling of the witch Pamphile.
+Entering softly, they crept along a dark passage, where they could peep
+through a crack in the wall and see Pamphile at work. She was in the act
+of rubbing her body with essences from a long row of bottles which
+stood in a cupboard in the wall, chanting to herself spells as she did
+so. Slowly, feathers began to sprout from her head to her feet. Her arms
+vanished, her nails became claws, her eyes grew round and her nose
+hooked, and a little brown owl flew out of the window.
+
+'Well, are you satisfied?' asked Fotis; but Apuleius shook his head.
+
+'Not yet,' he answered. 'I want to know how she transforms herself into
+a woman again.'
+
+'That is quite easy, you may be sure,' replied Fotis. 'My mistress never
+runs any risks. A cup of water from a spring, with some laurel leaves
+and anise floating in it, is all that she needs. I have seen her do it a
+thousand times.'
+
+'Turn me into a nightingale, then, and I will give you five hundred
+sesterces,' cried Apuleius eagerly; and Fotis, tempted by the thought of
+so much money, agreed to do what he wished.
+
+But either Fotis was not so skilful as she thought herself, or in her
+hurry she neglected to observe that the bird bottles were all on one
+shelf, and the beast bottles on another, for when she had rubbed the
+ointment over the young man's chest something fearful happened. Instead
+of his arms disappearing, they stretched downwards; his back became
+bent, his face long and narrow, while a browny-grey fur covered his
+body. Apuleius had been changed, not into a nightingale, but into an
+ass!
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+A loud scream broke from Fotis when she saw what she had done, and
+Apuleius, glancing at a polished mirror from Corinth which hung on the
+walls, beheld with horror the fate that had overtaken him.
+
+'Quick, quick! fetch the water, and I will seek for the laurels and
+anise,' he cried. 'I do not want to be an ass at all; my arms and back
+are aching already, and if I am not swiftly restored to my own shape I
+shall not be able to overthrow the champion in the wrestling match
+to-morrow.'
+
+So Fotis ran out to draw the water from the spring, while Apuleius
+opened some boxes with his teeth, and soon found the anise and laurels.
+But alas! Fotis had deceived herself. The charm which was meant for a
+bird would not work with a beast, and, what was worse, when Apuleius
+tried to speak to her and beg her to try something else, he found he
+could only bray!
+
+In despair the girl took down the book of spells, and began to turn over
+the pages; while the ass, who was still a man in all but his outward
+form, glanced eagerly down them also. At length he gave a loud bray of
+satisfaction, and rubbed his nose on a part of the long scroll.
+
+'Of course, I remember now,' cried Fotis with delight. 'What a comfort
+that nothing more is needed to restore you to your proper shape than a
+handful of rose leaves!
+
+The mind of Apuleius was now quite easy, but his spirits fell again when
+Fotis reminded him that he could no longer expect to be received by his
+friends, but must lie in the stable of Milo, with his own horse, and be
+tended, if he was tended at all, by his own servant.
+
+'However, it will not be for long,' she added consolingly. 'In the
+corner of the stable is a little shrine to the goddess of horses, and
+every day fresh roses are placed before it. Before the sun sets
+to-morrow you will be yourself again.'
+
+Slowly and shyly Apuleius slunk along lonely paths till he came to the
+stable of Milo. The door was open, but, as he entered, his horse, who
+was fastened with a sliding cord, kicked wildly at him, and caught him
+right on the shoulder. But before the horse could deal another blow
+Apuleius had sprung hastily on one side, and had hidden himself in a
+dark corner, where he slept soundly.
+
+The moon was shining brightly when he awoke, and looking round he saw,
+as Fotis had told him, the shrine of Hippone, with a branch of
+sweet-smelling pink roses lying before it. It was rather high up, he
+thought, but, when he reared himself on his hind legs, he would surely
+be tall enough to reach it. So up he got, and trod softly over the
+straw, till he drew near the shrine, when with a violent effort he threw
+up his forelegs into the air. Yes! it was all right, his nose was quite
+near the roses; but just as he opened his mouth his balance gave way,
+and his front feet came heavily on the floor.
+
+The noise brought the man, who was sleeping in another part of the
+stable.
+
+'Oh, I see what you are at, you ugly beast,' cried he; 'would you eat
+roses that I put there for the goddess? I don't know who may be your
+master, or how you got here, but I will take care that you do no more
+mischief.' So saying, he struck the ass several times with his fists,
+and then, putting a rope round his neck, tied him up in another part of
+the stable.
+
+Now it happened that an hour or two later some of the most desperate
+robbers in all Thessaly broke into the house of Milo, and, unheard by
+anyone, took all the bags of money that the miser had concealed under
+some loose stones in his cellar. It was clear that they could not carry
+away such heavy plunder without risk of the crime being discovered, but
+they managed to get it quietly as far as the stable, where they gave the
+horse some apples to put it in a good temper, while they thrust a turnip
+into the mouth of Apuleius, who did not like it at all. Then they led
+out both the animals, and placed the sacks of money on their backs,
+after which they all set out for the robbers' cave in the side of the
+mountain. As this, however, was some distance off, it took them many
+hours to reach it, and on the way they passed through a large deserted
+garden, where rose bushes of all sorts grew like weeds. The pulse of
+Apuleius bounded at the sight, and he had already stretched out his nose
+towards them, when he suddenly remembered that if he should turn into a
+man in his present company he would probably be murdered by the robbers.
+With a great effort, he left the roses alone, and tramped steadily on
+his way.
+
+It were long indeed to tell the adventures of Apuleius and the number of
+masters whom he served. After some time he was captured by a soldier,
+and by him sold to two brothers, one a cook and the other a maker of
+pastry, who were attached to the service of a rich man who lived in the
+country. This man did not allow any of his slaves to dwell in his house,
+except those who attended on him personally, and these two brothers
+lived in a tent on the other side of the garden, and the ass was given
+to them to send to and fro with savoury dishes in his panniers.
+
+The cook and his brother were both careful men, and always had a great
+store of pastry and sweet things on their shelves, so that none might be
+lacking if their lord should command them. When they had done their work
+they placed water and food for their donkey in a little shed which
+opened on to the tent, then, fastening the door so that no one could
+enter, they went out to enjoy the evening air.
+
+On their return, it struck them that the tent looked unusually bare, and
+at length they perceived that this was because every morsel of pastry
+and sweets on the shelves had disappeared, and nothing was left of them,
+not so much as a crumb. There was no room for a thief to hide, so the
+two brothers supposed that, impossible though it seemed, he must not
+only have got _in_ but _out_ by the door, and, as their master might
+send for a tray of cakes at any moment, there was no help for it but to
+make a fresh supply. And so they did, and it took them more than half
+the night to do it.
+
+The next evening the same thing happened again; and the next, and the
+next, and the next.
+
+Then, by accident, the cook went into the shed where the ass lay, and
+discovered a heap of corn and hay that reached nearly to the roof.
+
+'Ah, you rascal!' he exclaimed, bursting out laughing as he spoke. 'So
+it is you who have cost us our sleep! Well, well, I dare say I should
+have done the same myself, for cakes and sweets are certainly nicer than
+corn and hay.' And the donkey brayed in answer, and winked an eye at
+him, and, more amused than before, the man went away to tell his
+brother.
+
+Of course it was not long before the story reached the ears of their
+master, who instantly sent to buy the donkey, and bade one of his
+servants, who had a taste for such things, teach him fresh tricks. This
+the man was ready enough to do, for the fame of this wonderful creature
+soon spread far and wide, and the citizens of the town thronged the
+doors of his stable. And while the servant reaped much gold by making
+the ass display his accomplishments, the master gained many friends
+among the people, and was soon made chief ruler.
+
+For five years Apuleius stayed in the house of Thyasus, and ate as many
+sweet cakes as he chose; and if he wanted more than were given him he
+wandered down to the tent of his old masters, and swept the shelves bare
+as of yore. At the end of the five years Thyasus proclaimed that a great
+feast would be held in his garden, after which plays would be acted, and
+in one of them his donkey should appear.
+
+Now, though Apuleius loved eating and drinking, he was not at all fond
+of doing tricks in public, and as the day drew near he grew more and
+more resolved that he would take no part in the entertainment. So one
+warm moonlight night he stole out of his stable, and galloped as fast as
+he could for ten miles, when he reached the sea. He was hot and tired
+with his long run, and the sea looked cool and pleasant.
+
+'It is years since I have had a bath,' thought he, 'or wetted anything
+but my feet. I will take one now; it will make me feel like a man
+again'; and into the water he went, and splashed about with joy, which
+would much have surprised anyone who had seen him, for asses do not in
+general care about washing.
+
+When he came back to dry land once more, he shook himself all over, and
+held his head first on one side and then on the other, so that the water
+might run out of his long ears. After that he felt quite comfortable,
+and lay down to sleep under a tree.
+
+He was awakened some hours later by the sound of voices singing a hymn,
+and, raising his head, he saw a vast crowd of people trooping down to
+the shore to hold the festival of their goddess, and in their midst
+walked the high priest crowned with a wreath of roses.
+
+At this sight hope was born afresh in the heart of Apuleius. It was long
+indeed since he had beheld any roses, for Thyasus fancied they made him
+ill, and would not suffer anyone to grow them in the city. So he drew
+near to the priest as he passed by, and gazed at him so wistfully that,
+moved by some sudden impulse, the pontiff lifted the wreath from his
+head, and held it out to him, while the people drew on one side, feeling
+that something was happening which they did not understand.
+
+Scarcely had Apuleius swallowed one of the roses, when the ass's skin
+fell from him, his back straightened itself, and his face once more
+became fair and rosy. Then he turned and joined in the hymn, and there
+was not a man among them all with a sweeter voice or more thankful
+spirit than that of Apuleius.
+
+[Apuleius, _The Golden Ass_.]
+
+
+
+
+_GUY OF WARWICK_
+
+
+Everyone knows about the famous knight Sir Guy, the slayer of the great
+Dun Cow which had laid waste the whole county of Warwick. But besides
+slaying the cow, he did many other noble deeds of which you may like to
+hear, so we had better begin at the beginning and learn who Sir Guy
+really was.
+
+The father of Guy, Segard the Wise, was one of the most trusty
+councillors of the powerful earl of Warwick and Oxford, who was feared
+as well as loved by all, as a man who would suffer no wrong through the
+lands which he governed.
+
+Now the earl had long noted the beauty and strength of Segard's young
+son, and had enrolled him amongst his pages and taught him all manner of
+knightly exercises. He even was versed in the art of chess-playing, and
+thus whiled away many a wet and gloomy day for his master, and for his
+daughter the fair Felice, learned in astronomy, geometry, and music, and
+in all else that professors from the schools of Toulouse and Spain could
+teach a maiden.
+
+It happened one Pentecost that the earl of Warwick ordered a great
+feast, followed by a tourney, to be held in the open space near the
+castle, and tents to be set up for dancing and players on the lute and
+harp. At these tourneys it was the custom of every knight to choose out
+his lady and to wear her token or colours on his helmet, as Sir Lancelot
+did the red sleeve of Elaine, and oftentimes, when Pentecost and the
+sports were over, marriages would be blessed by the priest.
+
+At this feast of Pentecost in particular, Guy stood behind the chair of
+his master the earl, as was his duty, when he was bidden by the
+chamberlain of the castle to hasten to the chamber of the Lady Felice,
+and to attend upon her and her maidens, as it was not thought seemly for
+them to be present at the great feast.
+
+Although, as we have said, the page had more than once been called upon
+to amuse the young damsel with a bout of chess, she had ever been
+strictly guarded by her nurse and never suffered to exchange a word with
+the youth whose place was so much below hers. On this evening, however,
+with none to hinder her, she chattered and laughed and teased her
+ladies, till Guy's heart was stolen from him and he quite forgot the
+duties he was sent to fulfil, and when he left her presence he sought
+his room, staggering like one blind.
+
+Young though he was, Guy knew--none better--how wide was the gulf that
+lay between him and the daughter of his liege lord. If the earl, in
+spite of all his favour, was but to know of the passion that had so
+suddenly been born in him, instant death would be the portion of the
+over-bold youth. But, well though he knew this, Guy cared little, and
+vowed to himself that, come what might, as soon as the feast was over he
+would open his heart to Felice, and abide by her answer.
+
+It was not easy to get a chance of speaking to her, so surrounded was
+she by all the princes and noble knights who had taken part in the
+tourney; but, as everything comes to him who waits, he one day found her
+sitting alone in the garden, and at once poured forth all his love and
+hopes.
+
+'Are you mad to think that _I_ should marry _you_?' was all she said,
+and Guy turned away so full of unhappiness that he grew sick with
+misery. The news of his illness much distressed his master, who bade all
+his most learned leeches go and heal his best-beloved page, but, as he
+answered nothing to all they asked him, they returned and told the earl
+that the young man had not many days to live.
+
+But, as some of our neighbours say, 'What shall be, shall be'; and that
+very night Felice dreamed that an angel appeared to her and chided her
+for her pride, and bade her return a soft answer if Guy again told her
+of his love. She arose from her bed full of doubts and fears, and
+hurried to a rose bower in her own garden, where, dismissing her ladies,
+she tried to set her mind in order and find out what she really felt.
+
+Felice was not very successful, because when she began to look into her
+heart there was one little door which always kept bursting open, though
+as often as it did so her pride shut it and bolted it again. She became
+so tired of telling herself that it was impossible that the daughter of
+a powerful noble could ever wed the simple son of a knight, that she was
+about to call to her maidens to cheer her with their songs and stories,
+when a hand pushed aside the roses and Guy himself stood before her.
+
+'Will my love ever be in vain?' he asked, gasping painfully as he spoke
+and steadying himself by the walls of the arbour. 'It is for the last
+time that I ask it; but if you deny me, my life is done, and I die, I
+die!' And indeed it seemed as if he were already dead, for he sank in a
+swoon at Felice's feet.
+
+Her screams brought one of her maidens running to her. 'Grammercy, my
+lady, and is your heart of stone,' cried the damsel, 'that it can see
+the fairest knight in the world lying here, and not break into pieces at
+his misery? Would that it were _I_ whom he loved! I would never say him
+nay.'
+
+'Would it _were_ you, and then I should no more be plagued of him,'
+answered Felice; but her voice was softer than her words, and she even
+helped her maiden to bring the young man out of his swoon. 'He is
+restored now,' she said to her damsel, who curtseyed and withdrew from
+the bower; then, turning to Guy, she added, half smiling:
+
+'It seems that in my father's court no man knows the proverb, "Faint
+heart never won fair lady." Yet it is old, and a good one. _My_ hand
+will only be the prize of a knight who has proved himself better than
+other men. If _you_ can be that knight--well, you will have your chance
+with the rest.'
+
+The soul of the youth leaped into his eyes as he listened; for he knew
+that this was much for the proud Felice to say. But he only bowed low,
+and with new life in his blood he left the castle. In a few days he was
+as strong as ever he had been, and straightway sought the earl, whom he
+implored to bestow on him the honour of knighthood.
+
+'Right gladly will I do so, my page,' answered Rohand, and gave orders
+that he would hold a solemn ceremony, when Guy and twenty other youths
+should be dubbed knights.
+
+Like many young men, Sir Guy thought that his first step on the road was
+also to be his last, and instantly sought the presence of Felice, whom
+he expected to find in the same softened mood as he had left her. But
+the lady only laughed his eagerness to scorn.
+
+'Think you that the name of knight is so rare that its ownership places
+you high above all men?' asked she. 'In what, I pray you tell me, does
+it put you above the rest who were dubbed by my father with you to-day?
+No troth of mine shall you have until your name is known from Warwick to
+Cathay.'
+
+And Sir Guy confessed his folly and presumption, and went heavily unto
+the house of Segard.
+
+'O my father,' he began before he had let the tapestry fall behind him,
+'I would fain cross the seas and seek adventures.'
+
+'Truly this is somewhat sudden, my fair young knight,' answered Sir
+Segard, with a mocking gleam in his eyes, for Guy's father had not been
+as blind as fathers are wont to be.
+
+'Other knights do so,' replied Guy, drawing figures on the floor with
+the point of his sword. 'And I would not that I were behind them.'
+
+'You shall go, my son,' said Segard, 'and I will give you as companions
+the well-tried knights Sir Thorold and Sir Leroy, and H�raud, whom I
+have proved in many wars. Besides these, you shall have men-at-arms with
+you, and such money as you may need.'
+
+Before many days had passed, Sir Guy and his friends had sailed across
+the high seas, and had made their way to the noble city of Rouen. Amidst
+all that was strange and new to him, there was yet much that was
+familiar to his eyes, for there were certain signs which betokened a
+tournament, and on questioning the host of the inn he learned all that
+he desired. Next morning a tourney was to be held by order of the
+emperor and the prize should be a white horse, a milk-white falcon, and
+two white greyhounds, and, if he wished it, the hand of the princess
+Whiterose, the emperor's daughter.
+
+Though he had not been made a knight a month ago, Sir Guy knew full well
+the customs of chivalry, and presented a palfrey, scarcely less
+beautiful than the one promised as a prize, to the teller of these happy
+tidings. Then he put on his armour and rode forth to the place of the
+tourney.
+
+In the field over against Rouen was gathered the flower of Western
+chivalry. The emperor had sent his son, and in his train came many
+valiant knights, among them Otho duke of Pavia, hereafter to be Sir
+Guy's most bitter enemy. The fights were long and sore, but one by one
+the keenest swordsmen rolled in the dust, and the prize was at length
+adjudged to the youngest knight there present.
+
+Full courteously he told all who might wish to hear that he might not
+wed Whiterose, the princess, for his faith was already plighted to
+another across the sea. And to Felice and to her father he sent the
+falcon and horse and greyhounds as tokens of his valour. After that he
+and his friends journeyed to many lands, fighting tournaments when there
+were any tournaments to fight, till the whole of Christendom rang with
+the name of Sir Guy.
+
+'Surely I have proved my worth,' he said, when a whole year had gone by.
+'Let us go home'; and home they went.
+
+Joyful was the welcome bestowed on him by every one he met--joyful, that
+is, from all but Felice.
+
+'Yes, you have done well,' she said, when he knelt before her, offering
+some of the prizes he had won. 'It is truly spoken among men that there
+are not twelve knights living as valorous as you. But that is not good
+enough for me. It matters not that you are "one of the best"; my husband
+must be "the best of all."'
+
+In vain Sir Guy pleaded that with her for his wife his strength would be
+doubled, and his renown also.
+
+'If you cannot conquer all men for my sake _now_, you will never do it
+after,' she answered; and Sir Guy, seeing his words were useless, went
+out to do her bidding.
+
+The wrath of his father and mother was great when their son came to tell
+them he was going to seek a fresh quest, but, though his heart was sore
+rent with their tears, he only embraced them tenderly, and departed
+quickly, lest he should make some promise he might not keep.
+
+For long he found no knight whose skill and strength were equal to his
+own, and he was beginning to hope that the day was drawing nigh that
+should see him stand without a peer, when, in a tourney near the city of
+Benevento, his foe thrust his lance deep into his shoulder, and for many
+days Sir Guy lay almost senseless on his bed.
+
+Now Otho duke of Pavia had neither forgotten nor forgiven his overthrow
+by the young knight at Rouen, more than a year agone, and he resolved to
+have his revenge while his enemy was still weak from loss of blood. So
+he hid some men behind some bushes, which Sir Guy would needs pass while
+riding along the road to the north, 'and _then_,' thought he, 'I will
+cast him into prison, there to await my pleasure.'
+
+But though his plans were well laid, the fight went against him, and in
+the end Sir Guy, nearly fainting with weariness and loss of blood, was
+again the victor, and Otho's best knight, Sir Guichard of Lombardy, owed
+his life to the swiftness of his horse. His victory, however, was to Sir
+Guy as sad as many defeats, for his constant companions lay dead before
+him.
+
+'Ah, Felice, this is your doing,' said he.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Long were it to tell of the deeds done by the noble knight Sir Guy; of
+the tourneys that he won, of the cities that he conquered--even at the
+game of chess he managed to be victorious! Of course many men were
+sorely jealous of him and his renown, and wove plots for his ruin, but
+somehow or other he contrived to escape them all.
+
+By this time Sir Guy had grown to love wandering and fighting so well
+that he had well-nigh forgotten who had sent him from his native land,
+and why he was not dwelling in his father's castle. Indeed, so wholly
+had the image of Felice faded from his memory, that when Ernis emperor
+of Constantinople, under whose banner he was serving, offered him the
+hand of his only daughter and half of his dominions, Sir Guy at once
+accepted his gifts.
+
+The sight of the wedding-ring brought him back to his allegiance. He no
+longer loved Felice it is true, and he _did_ love a younger and gentler
+maiden. But he must abide by the oath he had sworn, though it were to
+his own undoing.
+
+His grief at the loss of the princess Lorette sent Sir Guy to his bed
+for many days, but as soon as the fever left him he felt that he could
+stay at court no longer, and began to make plans to seek other
+adventures in company with his friend H�raud and a lion which he had
+saved from the claws of a dragon.
+
+Since that day this lion had never quitted his side, except at his
+master's bidding, and he always slept on the floor by his master's bed.
+The emperor and all his courtiers were fond of the great beast, who
+moved among them as freely as a kitten, but Sir Morgadour, the chief
+steward of the emperor of the West, who was visiting the court, had ever
+been Sir Guy's mortal enemy, and one evening, thinking himself unseen,
+gave the lion a mortal wound as he was sleeping quietly in the garden.
+He had just strength enough to drag himself to Sir Guy's feet, where he
+died, and a damsel who had marked the cruel deed proclaimed loudly that
+it was done by Sir Morgadour. In an instant Sir Guy's dagger was buried
+in his breast; but when he grew calmer he remembered that his presence
+at court might bring injury upon Ernis, as the emperor of the West would
+certainly seize the occasion to avenge the death of his steward. So the
+next day he left the city, and slowly turned his face towards England.
+
+It was some months before he arrived there, so many adventures did he
+meet with on the way. But directly he landed he hastened to York to
+throw himself at the feet of Athelstan the king.
+
+'Ah, welcome indeed, fair son,' cried he; 'the fame of your prowess has
+reached us these many years past, and we have just received the news
+that a fearful and horrible dragon, with wings on his feet and claws on
+his ears, is laying waste our county of Northumberland. He is as black
+as any coal, and as rough as any foal, and every man who has gone out to
+meet him has been done to death ere he has struck a blow. Go, therefore,
+with all speed and deliver us from this monster, for of dragons you
+have slain many, and perchance this one is no more evil than the rest.'
+
+The adventure was one after Sir Guy's own heart, and that very day he
+rode northwards; but even _his_ well-proved courage failed somewhat at
+the sight of the dragon, ten times uglier and more loathsome than any he
+had ever beheld. The creature roared hideously as he drew near, and
+stood up at his full length, till he seemed almost to stretch as far as
+Warwick. 'Verily,' thought Sir Guy to himself, 'the fight of old with
+the great Dun Cow was as the slaying of a puppy in comparison with
+this!'
+
+The dragon was covered thickly with scales all over his body, his
+stomach as well as his back. They were polished and shiny and hard as
+iron, and so closely planted that no sword could get in between them.
+
+'No use to strike there,' muttered Sir Guy, 'a thrust down his throat is
+my only chance.'
+
+But if Sir Guy knew this, the dragon knew it much better, and, though
+the knight managed to jump aside and avoid the swoops of his long neck
+and the sudden darting of his sharp claws, he had not even tried to
+strike a blow himself for fear lest his sword should break in two
+against that shining horny surface. This was not the kind of warfare to
+which the dragon was accustomed, and he began to grow angry, as anyone
+might have seen by the lashings of his tail and the jets of smoke and
+flame that poured out of his nostrils. Sir Guy felt that his chance
+would soon come, and waited patiently, keeping his eye for ever fixed on
+the dragon's mouth.
+
+At length the monster gave a sudden spring forward, and if Sir Guy had
+not been watching he could scarcely have leaped out of the way. The
+failure to reach his prey enraged the dragon more than ever, and,
+opening his mouth, he gave a roar which the king heard on his throne at
+York. He opened his mouth; but he never shut it again, for Guy's sword
+was buried in it. The death struggles were short; and then Sir Guy cut
+off the head and bore it to the king.
+
+After this, his first thought was for his parents, who, he found, had
+died many years agone, and having said a prayer over their graves, and
+put his affairs in order, he hurried off to Warwick to see Felice, and
+tell her that he had fulfilled the commands she had given him long years
+ago, when he was but a boy. He also told her of the ladies of high
+degree whose hands he had won in fair fight--won--and rejected. 'All of
+them I forsook for thee, Felice,' he said.
+
+He had kept his word; but he had left his heart in Constantinople.
+Perhaps Felice did not know this, or perhaps she did not set much store
+by hearts, and cared more for the renown that Sir Guy had won throughout
+Christendom. Anyhow, she received him gladly and graciously, and so did
+her father, and the marriage was celebrated with great pomp, and for a
+space Sir Guy remained at home, and after a time a son was born to him.
+
+But at the day of his son's birth Sir Guy was far away. In the quiet and
+idleness of the castle he began to think, and his conscience pricked him
+sore, that all the years of his life he had done ill to many a man
+
+    And slain many a man with his hand,
+    Burnt and destroyed many a land.
+    And all was for woman's love,
+    And not for God's sake above.
+
+'The end should be different from the beginning,' he said, and forthwith
+he put on the dress of a pilgrim, and took ship for the Holy Land,
+carrying with him a gold ring, given him by Felice.
+
+Once more he came back, an old man now, summoned by Athelstan, to
+deliver the city of Winchester out of the hands of the Danes, who were
+besieging it. Once more he returned to Warwick, and, unseen, watched
+Felice training her son in all the duties of knighthood, and once more
+he spoke with her, when, dying in his hermitage, he sent her the ring by
+his page, and prayed her to come and give him burial.
+
+[_Early English Metrical Romances._]
+
+
+
+
+_HOW BRADAMANTE CONQUERED THE WIZARD_
+
+
+Many of you will remember reading of the death of Roland, fighting
+against the Infidels in the Pass of Roncesvalles. Well, there is another
+book called 'Roland the Wrathful,' or in Italian (in which it was
+written), 'Orlando Furioso,' telling of the adventures of the great
+Paladin when he was a young man, and those of his friends. It is of one
+of these stories about a lady named Bradamante that you are going to
+hear now.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+From childhood, Bradamante had loved all feats of arms, and her chiefest
+joy was to mount the most fiery horses in her father's stable. She grew
+up very tall and strong, as well as fair to see, and soon put on man's
+armour, and began to take her part in tournaments, and it was rare
+indeed that she failed to carry off the prize. In truth, it was not long
+before her skill was said to be equal to that of Roland's cousin, the
+renowned Rinaldo.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Of course so wise and beautiful a maiden had no lack of wooers, but
+Bradamante listened to none, save only to the brave Roger, who had
+quitted the Moorish court to seek adventures in the lands of Charlemagne
+the emperor. But she kept silence as to her love, and was content to
+wait till such time as Roger should think fit to claim her as his bride.
+
+Suddenly the tidings came to her that Roger had vanished from among men,
+no one knew whither. As was her wont, Bradamante heard, and said
+nothing, but the next morning she sharpened her sword, and looked to
+the fastenings of her helmet, and rode off to seek him if perchance some
+ill had befallen him.
+
+In this quest she met with some adventures of her own, but of these we
+have no time to tell. Bradamante, we may be sure, did not linger over
+them, but pushed on till she crossed a mountain, and reached a valley
+watered by a stream and shaded by large trees.
+
+On the bank lay a young man with his head buried in his hands and
+seemingly in a state of deepest misery. He had flung his horse's bridle
+over the branch of a beech, and on the same bough he had hung his shield
+and sword. His looks and posture were so forlorn that Bradamante was
+moved to pity, and he himself was nothing loth to confess his woes,
+pretending the while to take her for a man, though he knew well she was
+a maiden. He was journeying, such was his tale, to the court of
+Charlemagne with a company of spearmen to aid the emperor in the war he
+was waging with the Moorish king of Spain. In the company was riding a
+damsel whom the knight had but lately freed from the power of a dragon.
+The beauty of this damsel had fired his heart, and as soon as the
+Infidel was crushed he hoped to wed her. But as they rode along by the
+side of a rapid river a winged horse guided by a man in black was seen
+hovering in the air above the troop. Swifter than lightning he swooped
+down upon the maiden; the rider bent low and snatched her off her
+palfrey, and was out of sight in the heavens almost before he knew that
+she was gone.
+
+'Since that day,' continued he, 'I have sought her through forests and
+over mountains, wherever I heard that a wizard's den was to be found.
+But each time it was a false hope that lured me on, and now my horse is
+spent and not another step can he go, though at length I know that
+hidden among yonder rocks is my captive maiden.'
+
+'If it is there she lies, I will free her,' cried Bradamante; but the
+knight shook his head more grievously than before.
+
+'I have visited that dark and dreadful place,' he said, 'which indeed I
+think seems more like the valley of death than aught on this fair and
+lovely earth. Amidst black and pathless precipices stands a rock, and on
+its top is a castle whose walls are of steel. It was built, so I have
+since learned, by a magician, and none can capture it.'
+
+'But did you see no man who would take pity on you, and tell you what to
+do?' asked Bradamante.
+
+'As I lingered, unable to tear myself away from that loathly prison,
+there appeared a dwarf guiding two knights whose faces I had often seen
+upon the battlefield and at court. One was Gradasso king of Sericane,
+the other and more valiant was the young Roger.'
+
+'And what did they there?' asked Bradamante, casting down her eyes.
+
+'They had come to fight the wizard who dwells in the castle, so said the
+dwarf,' replied the knight, 'and I told them my sad tale, and they
+answered in knightly fashion, that as long as their lives should last
+they would fight for the freedom of my lady. Little need have I to tell
+how my bosom was rent as I stood aside waiting for the combat to begin.
+
+'Each good knight was eager that the first blow might fall to him, but
+it was Gradasso who seized the horn and blew a blast which rang through
+the castle.
+
+'In a moment there shot into the sky the winged horse bearing his
+master, clad as before in black armour. He hovered for a little space so
+high that even the eagle could scarcely have followed him, then darted
+straight downwards, and Gradasso felt a spear-thrust in his side. The
+knight struck sharply back, but his sword cleft the empty air, for the
+horse was already far out of reach. Roger ran to staunch the blood and
+bind up the wound, never thinking of what might befall himself. But, in
+truth, how could mortal men fight with a wizard who had studied all the
+magic of the East, and had a winged horse to help him? His movements
+were so swift that they knew not where to smite, and both Gradasso and
+Roger were covered with wounds and bruises, while their enemy had never
+once been touched.
+
+'Their strength as well as their courage began to fail in the stress of
+this strange warfare. The blows they dealt grew ever wilder and more
+feeble, when from off his shield which hung upon his arm the wizard drew
+a silken covering, and held the shield towards them as a mirror. As I
+looked and wondered, behold the knights fell upon their faces, and I
+also, and when next I opened my eyes I was alone upon the mountain.'
+
+'And Roger?' said Bradamante.
+
+'Roger and Gradasso had doubtless been carried by the wizard to the dark
+cells of the prison, where my fair lady lies,' answered the knight, and
+he again dropped his head upon his hands.
+
+Now the knight was count Pinabello, the false son of a false race, and
+woe betide the man or maid who trusted him. But this Bradamante knew
+not, and thinking that the end of her quest was come cried joyfully:
+
+'Oh, take me to the castle, sir knight, with all the speed you may, and
+I shall be beholden to you for ever!
+
+'If you so desire it I will lead you there,' answered the knight; 'but
+remember that I have warned you that the danger is great! When you have
+climbed those walls of steel, you will find yourself a prisoner like the
+rest.'
+
+'I care nothing for that,' said Bradamante.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+So they set forth, but it was not by the road to the castle that
+Pinabello led the maiden. Wrapped in his gloom begotten of treachery and
+hate, he wandered from the path into a wood, where the trees grew so
+thickly that the sky was scarcely visible. Then a dark thought entered
+his mind. 'She shall trouble me no more,' he murmured as he went; and
+aloud, 'The night is at hand, and ere it comes it were well that we
+found a shelter. Rest, I pray you, here a short while, and I will climb
+that hill and see if, as I expect, there is a tower not far off where we
+can lie. To-morrow we will proceed on our way.'
+
+'Let me go with you,' answered Bradamante, 'lest you should never find
+_me_ again, or _I_ the wizard's castle,' and, so saying, she guided her
+horse after his.
+
+Thus they rode for some way, when Pinabello, who was in front, espied
+among the rocks a deep cavern with sides so steep and smooth that no
+mortal could have climbed them. He jumped off his horse and peered to
+the bottom, but no bottom could he see. Then his heart leaped at the
+thought that now, once and for all, he would be rid of Bradamante.
+
+'Ah, good knight, you did well to follow me,' turning to greet her, as
+her horse came panting up the steep hill.
+
+'A damsel lies imprisoned in that dark place, and it is foretold that
+only a knight with a white mantle and a white plume in his helm can
+deliver her. Now I think that you must be that knight, and if you have
+the courage to go down into that cavern as I went, you will get speech
+of her, as I did.'
+
+'I will go right willingly,' answered Bradamante, and looked about her
+for some means of descending into the cavern. Near the mouth was a stout
+oak, and Bradamante cut off a branch with her sword and plunged it down
+the mouth of the cave. She gave Pinabello one end to hold fast, and
+lowered herself carefully into the darkness.
+
+'Can you jump?' asked the count suddenly, with a laugh, and, giving the
+bough a push, it fell with Bradamante into the pit.
+
+But the traitor triumphed without a cause. In the swift passage down the
+cave the branch struck the bottom first, and, though it broke in pieces,
+Bradamante was saved from being dashed against the floor, where she lay
+for a while bruised and shaken.
+
+When she became used to the darkness, she stood up and looked around
+her. 'There may be some way out, after all,' thought she, noting that
+the cave was less gloomy than she had fancied, and felt round the walls
+with her hands. On one side there seemed to be a passage, and going
+cautiously down it she found that it ended in a sort of church, with a
+lamp hanging over the altar.
+
+At this moment there opened a little gate, and through it came a lady,
+bare-footed, with streaming hair.
+
+'O Bradamante,' she said, 'long have I awaited you, for Merlin, who lies
+here, prophesied before he entered this living tomb that ages hence you
+would find your way hither. He bade me come from a far-distant land, and
+be with you at the hour when his spirit, though dead, should tell of the
+glories of the race that will spring from you and Roger.'
+
+'I am not worthy of such honour,' answered Bradamante, casting down her
+eyes, though her heart beat with joy at the thought that though she and
+Roger might be parted now, yet in the end they would be united. 'Let my
+lord speak, and I will hearken to him.'
+
+At that a voice rose from the sepulchre where Merlin had lain buried for
+many hundreds of years.
+
+'Since it is decreed that you shall be the wife of Roger, take courage,
+and follow the path that leads you to him. Let nothing turn you aside,
+and suffer no adventure to ensnare you till you have overthrown the
+wizard who holds him captive.'
+
+The voice ceased, and Melissa, the kind magician who went through the
+world seeking to set wrongs right, showed from a book the glories that
+would attend the children of Bradamante.
+
+'To-morrow at dawn,' she said when she had finished and put away the
+magic scroll--'to-morrow at dawn I myself will lead you to the wizard's
+castle. Till then it would be well for you to seek of the wisdom of
+Merlin guidance to overcome the dangers bestrewing your path.'
+
+Next morning Melissa and Bradamante rode out from the cavern by a secret
+way, and passed over rushing rivers, and climbed high precipices, and as
+they went Melissa held discourse with Bradamante how best to set Roger
+free.
+
+'No man, however brave, could withstand the wizard, who has his magic
+mirror as well as his flying horse to aid him. If you would reach Roger,
+you must first get possession of the ring stolen from Angelica by
+Agramante, the African king, and given by him to Brunello, who is riding
+only a few miles in front of us. In the presence of this ring all charms
+and sorceries lose their power; but, take heed, for to outwit Brunello
+is no easy task.'
+
+'It is good fortune indeed that Brunello should be so near us,' answered
+Bradamante joyfully; 'but how shall I know him from other men?'
+
+'He is of low stature, and covered with black hair,' replied Melissa;
+'his nose lies flat upon his face, and his skin is yellow, as the skin
+of those who come from the far lands beyond Scythia. You must fall to
+talking with him upon magic and enchantments, but beware lest he guess
+who you are or what your business, and lead him on till he offer himself
+your guide to the wizard's castle. As you go, strike him dead, before he
+has time to spy into your heart, and, above all, before he can slip the
+ring into his mouth. Once he does that, you lose Roger for ever.'
+
+[Illustration: BRADAMANTE DEFEATS THE WIZARD WITH THE RING]
+
+Having thus said, Melissa bade Bradamante farewell, and they parted with
+tears and promises of speedy meeting. Forthwith Bradamante entered an
+inn hard by, where Brunello was already seated, and if she at once
+marked him amongst other men he no less knew her, for many a time he had
+seen her at jousts and tourneys.
+
+Thus, both feigning, they fell into talk, and held discourse upon the
+castle and the knights who lay imprisoned therein. 'Many an adventure as
+perilous have I dared,' at length said Bradamante, 'and never have I
+failed to trample under foot my foe. So, if our worthy host will but
+give me a guide, I myself will challenge this wizard to deadly combat.'
+
+But Brunello would suffer no man to be her guide save himself, and
+together they climbed the mountain till they stood at the foot of the
+castle. 'Look at those walls of steel that crown the precipice,' began
+Brunello; but before he could say more a strong girdle was passed round
+his arms, which were fastened tightly to his side; and in spite of his
+cries and struggles Bradamante drew the ring off his finger and placed
+it on her own, though kill him she would not.
+
+Then she seized the horn which hung from a cord, and, blowing a loud
+blast, waited calmly for the magician to answer.
+
+Out he came on his flying steed, bearing on his left arm his
+silken-covered shield, while he uttered spells that had laid low many a
+knight and lady. Bradamante heard them all, and was no whit the worse
+for the blackest of them.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Furious at his defeat, the wizard snatched the cover from the shield,
+and Bradamante, knowing full well what was wont to follow, sank heavily
+on the ground. At this the wizard covered his shield once more, and
+guided his steed swiftly to where the maiden lay. After that, unclasping
+a chain from his body, he bent down to find her. It was then that she
+lifted her ringed hand, and there stood before her an old man with white
+hair and a face scarred with sorrow.
+
+'Kill me, I pray you, gentle lady,' cried he; 'yet know before I die
+that my love to Roger has been the cause of these heavy woes to so many
+gallant knights and fair damsels. I am that Atlantes who watched over
+him in childhood, and as he grew to manhood he was ever the first in all
+deeds of chivalry. So reckless was he, that many a time it needed all my
+magic to bring him back to life when seemingly he lay dead. At length,
+to keep him from harm, I built this castle, and filled it with all that
+was beautiful, and, as you know, with knights and ladies to be his
+companions. When everything was ready I captured Roger himself.'
+
+'Now, take my horse and shield, and throw open wide the castle doors--do
+what you will, but leave me only Roger.'
+
+The heart of Bradamante was not wont to be deaf to the sorrows of
+others, but this time it seemed turned to stone.
+
+'Your horse and shield I have won for myself,' she said; 'and have you
+lived so long in the world without learning that it is idle to war
+against fate? It is fate which has given you into my hands, and it is
+useless to strive against it. Therefore, lead the way to the gate, and I
+will follow.'
+
+They climbed in silence the long flight of steps leading to the castle;
+then Atlantes stooped and raised a stone on which was graven strange and
+magic signs. Beneath the stone was a row of pots filled with undying
+flames, and on these the wizard let the stone fall. In a moment there
+was a sound as if all the rocks on the earth were rent, the castle
+vanished into the air, and with it Atlantes.
+
+Instead, a troop of knights and ladies stood before Bradamante, who saw
+and heard none save only Roger.
+
+[From _Orlando Furioso_.]
+
+
+
+
+_THE RING OF BRADAMANTE_
+
+
+When Bradamante had freed Roger and his companions from the enchanted
+castle, she thought that henceforth they would never more be parted. But
+she forgot that she had to deal with a wizard, and that wizards are not
+easily outwitted.
+
+On a little plain beneath the mountain the winged horse was grazing, and
+when the knights and ladies came gaily down the path Bradamante left the
+rest and went up to take it by the bridle. Atlantes, however, had laid
+other plans, and had thrown a spell over the horse, so that directly
+Bradamante was close to it the creature moved away to a little distance.
+At this the knights, thinking to help her, gave chase, but the horse led
+them up and down the mountain, over rocks and through streams, till one
+by one they dropped behind, and in front there remained only Roger.
+
+As it had been taught by Atlantes, the horse stood still, while Roger,
+with a cry of delight, seized the bridle and jumped upon its back. With
+a bound it sprang into the air, and, though Roger tried to guide it
+downwards to the earth, it was all in vain, for so the enchanter had
+willed it. Below stood Bradamante gazing up; her joy turned quickly to
+despair, and when the traces of Roger had vanished she rode sadly away,
+taking with her the horse Roger had left behind.
+
+Meanwhile Roger was flying through the air swifter than an arrow or the
+lightning. Since he could not make the horse swerve an hair's breadth to
+the right or left, he ceased his useless efforts, and let himself be
+carried this way or that. Suddenly he felt that, instead of going
+forward they were gradually dropping down, down, down; and soon the
+horse stopped on a lovely island.
+
+Where the island might be Roger did not know, nor could he tell how long
+he had been on his journey thither. In truth, he was content to feel
+himself on solid ground once more, and to smell sweet flowers and eat
+delicious fruits, for how could he guess that this also was devised by
+Atlantes--that these sights and sounds might lull his senses, and keep
+him safe from war? Atlantes was a great wizard and wise beyond most, but
+he had never learned that it was a better thing to die in battle than to
+live only for pleasure.
+
+On reaching the ground Roger was careful to hold fast the bridle, having
+no mind that the horse should fly up into the air and leave him helpless
+on the island. Then, looking round, he saw a strong myrtle, and he tied
+the reins tightly to it, so that he himself could roam about as he
+would.
+
+At length he grew tired of wandering and returned to the place where he
+had left his horse, which he found champing and struggling to shake
+itself free. As he drew near a voice cried in melancholy tones:
+
+'If, as I think, you are a knight, and bound by the rules of chivalry,
+release me, I pray you, from this monster, who only adds to the pains
+which I myself endure.'
+
+Startled at the sound, Roger looked around, but nought could he see save
+the myrtle to which the horse was fastened.
+
+'I crave your pardon,' answered he, 'for having unwittingly done you
+wrong; but tell me who you are, and what has caused your present
+plight?'
+
+[Illustration: Roger borne away from Bradamante]
+
+'I am Astolfo, peer of France,' replied the tree, 'and I was enchanted
+by the fairy Alcina, who thus rids herself of her friends and her
+servants when they have ceased to please her. Even this island is not
+hers by right, but was stolen from her sister Logistilla, who is as wise
+and kind as Alcina is wicked. But so beautiful is Alcina, that none can
+withstand her if once she looks on them, therefore fly while you may and
+ask counsel of Logistilla if there is aught that you would know.'
+
+'Oh, tell me, good tree, how I can escape without crossing the path of
+the cruel Alcina?' cried Roger.
+
+'There _is_ a way,' answered the tree, 'but it is rough to the feet, and
+beset by fierce and ill-tongued men, placed there by the fairy. He who
+would quit Alcina's isle needs open eyes and deaf ears.'
+
+'I will have both,' said Roger.
+
+But, alas! he boasted overmuch, as young men are wont to do. He was
+indeed in no wise affrighted at the strange shapes that met him and
+sought to bar his progress. Some had heads of apes and feet of goats;
+some rode eagles or bestrode cranes; while the captain of all was
+mounted on a tortoise. They swarmed on him like a crowd of flies, and
+Roger was so sore bested that he gave no thought to his magic shield,
+which perchance might have saved him.
+
+For into the _m�l�e_ came two maidens of such wondrous beauty that Roger
+dropped his lance and stood without defence to gaze his fill. Two
+snow-white unicorns bore them from the city gates, and, at their coming,
+the noisy rabble vanished as if they had never been. Then the ladies
+stretched out their hands, and prayed the knight to follow them into the
+city.
+
+'We have need of your brave heart and mighty arm,' they said, 'to
+vanquish a giantess who guards a bridge which none can pass'; and well
+they knew that, if Roger was to be ensnared by them, it must be by slow
+degrees, for not all at once would he drop into the idle life of the
+dwellers on the island.
+
+So, nothing loth, Roger gladly did their behest, and went forth to meet
+the giantess.
+
+The fight did not last long, and soon the monstrous creature lay
+stretched on the ground at Roger's feet; but her life was spared at the
+request of the damsels, and at their bidding he followed them over the
+bridge and up a hill. On the top was a large meadow full of flowers, in
+which maidens were playing at ball or singing sweet songs on the lute,
+while others were dancing.
+
+In their midst was a damsel so fair that the rest, even the guides of
+Roger, looked swarthy beside her, and she came forth from among them,
+and held out her hand for him to kiss.
+
+Vain it were to seek to tell Alcina's charms, but even as his eyes fell
+on her Roger felt that everything said by Astolfo in her despite was
+false. Even Bradamante was forgotten, as if she had never lived at all;
+yet for this Roger was hardly to blame, for how should he stand against
+Alcina's magic!
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It was here that Melissa, clad in the form of Atlantes, found him after
+many months had gone by, during which Bradamante had sought him vainly.
+At last fate brought Melissa again across her path, and from her the
+forsaken damsel learnt who it was that kept him from her.
+
+'Be comforted,' said Melissa, when she beheld Bradamante's tears. 'You
+yourself have the ring which can free him from those evil spells, and
+bring him back to your side. So lend it me, I pray, and by to-morrow's
+dawn I will be with him.'
+
+Roger was lying on a bed of soft moss, when Atlantes, for so he took her
+to be, stood before him.
+
+He lifted his head lazily, and smiled, but the face of his old master
+was grave as he said sternly:
+
+[Illustration: THE TWO DAMSELS RESCUE ROGER FROM THE RABBLE]
+
+'And is it _you_, Roger, whom I find thus, your hair curled and scented,
+your neck circled with jewelled chains? Was it for this you passed your
+boyhood in waging war against fierce beasts, fearing neither hunger nor
+thirst as you tracked them to their lair? But, as I loved you once, I
+will give you a chance to shake off this shameful life, and to become
+once more worthy of Bradamante. Take this ring, and when next Alcina
+comes this way mark well the change that is wrought in the queen of this
+fair land.'
+
+With shame and repentance burning at his heart, Roger slowly drew the
+ring upon his finger; and by its virtue he beheld not Atlantes but
+Melissa.
+
+'Yes, it is I,' she said, 'and it is Bradamante who sent me hither, to
+save you by means of the ring which she took from the hand of Brunello.
+It will break the strongest spells that wizard ever wove, and open wide
+the eyes that have been longest blinded.'
+
+With that she vanished, and Roger rose and followed the path which led
+to the palace.
+
+On the marble steps he saw, as he went, a troop of ladies standing.
+Their clothes were rich and made of shining stuffs, and well became
+their golden hair or curly raven locks; but who was she in their midst
+whose form was unknown to him? Her back was bowed with age, and scarce a
+hair remained upon her head, while all her skin was shrivelled and
+yellow. Roger gazed in horror, expecting, as he looked, the lean body to
+crumble into dust before him. Yet something, what he knew not, seemed
+not wholly strange in that pale and shrunken figure--something that, in
+spite of all, spoke to him of Alcina. A thrill of horror ran through
+him, but he remembered in time the counsel of Melissa, and, trembling
+though he was, he greeted her with fair words.
+
+Dreading lest he should again fall under the fairy's enchantments, Roger
+never parted from the ring, and kept guard over himself, lest perchance
+Alcina should guess what was passing within him. To gain possession of
+his armour, long laid aside, he feigned a wish to prove if his life of
+idleness had unfitted him to bear the weight of it, or if his chest had
+grown too broad for the clasps of his breast-plate to meet. Then,
+laughing still, he strolled carelessly to the stables, calling back as
+he went that perhaps his horse might have become as fat and lazy as
+himself. But when he reached the stables he passed by the winged steed
+which had borne him to the island, for he bethought himself once more of
+Melissa's words: 'Beware of the hippogryph,' she had said, 'you will
+never wed Bradamante if you mount that.' So he left the great creature
+flapping its wings with longing to soar once more into the sky, and led
+out a strong black horse. Vaulting on his back, he touched him with his
+spurs, and dashed through the guards at the gate before Alcina knew that
+her captive had won his freedom.
+
+When the fairy found that the knight did not return, she sent a
+messenger for tidings of him, and so great was her wrath when she
+learned that he had passed the gate, and was far on the road to her
+sister, the good Logistilla, that she ordered all the guards to be put
+to death. Then she commanded her ships to be got ready, and put to sea
+herself, thinking by that means she might bring him back. But all was
+vain, and at last she was forced to believe that Roger had shaken off
+her yoke for ever.
+
+[From _Orlando Furioso_.]
+
+
+
+
+_THE FULFILLING OF THE PROPHECY_
+
+
+For a long while Bradamante waited quietly in Marseilles, thinking that
+every day Roger would come to her, but as time passed and he gave no
+sign she grew heart-sick and impatient. Some evil must surely have
+befallen him, she whispered to herself, yet where to seek him she did
+not know.
+
+At length one morning, when hope had almost left her, the enchantress
+Melissa stood by her side and smiled at her.
+
+'Have no fear for Roger,' said Melissa; 'he is safe, and counts the
+hours to your meeting. But once more he has been taken captive by
+Atlantes, who ensnared him by putting on your form and face, and
+entering his palace, whither Roger followed eagerly. Never look so cast
+down, Bradamante, but listen to my counsel and abide by it, and all will
+be well.'
+
+Then Bradamante sprang up, grasping tightly her sword and shield.
+
+'Whatever you tell me to do, I will do it,' cried she; and Melissa went
+on:
+
+'This time Atlantes will change his shape for that of Roger, that you
+also may fall a victim to his wiles. Beware lest you be deceived, or
+instead of saving Roger you will find yourself also a prisoner in the
+castle. Harden your heart, and slay him as he stands before you, and
+Roger shall be free for evermore.'
+
+So spoke Melissa not once, but many times, before they drew near the
+castle, where she bade farewell to Bradamante, dreading that the wizard
+should see her and take fright. The maiden rode on till she reached an
+open space, where two fierce giants were pressing Roger sore and
+well-nigh overcoming him. In a moment all the words of Melissa were
+forgotten, or rather she deemed that jealousy or revenge had prompted
+her words. And, as these thoughts ran swiftly through her, a cry for
+help sounded in her ears. Slay Roger? Melissa must have indeed been mad
+when she gave her this counsel, and, spurring her horse, she galloped
+after the wounded knight, who, pursued by his foes, was riding at full
+speed to the castle.
+
+When they were all four inside the courtyard, the gate swung to and
+Bradamante was a prisoner.
+
+Now it was written in the magic book carried by Astolfo, the knight who
+had been changed by Alcina into a myrtle tree and restored by Melissa,
+that if a stone on the threshold were raised, the whole palace would
+vanish into smoke as the other castle had done before. Though he knew it
+not, Melissa stood by his side as he rode through the wood, many weeks
+after Bradamante had entered the castle, and whispered to him that the
+time had come to prove the truth of the prophecy. First blowing a blast
+with the horn which affrighted all that dwelt within the walls, with a
+mighty heave he raised the magic stone. In an instant the earth rocked,
+and he was thrown flat upon the ground, while with a roar the castle
+crumbled into dust. The knights and ladies imprisoned therein ran forth
+in fear, and it was not until the ill-fated place was left far behind
+that they stopped to look about them.
+
+It was then that Roger and Bradamante beheld each other once more, and
+in the joy of meeting forgot the pains they had endured since they had
+parted. But one promise Bradamante asked of Roger before she would be
+his wife. 'I cannot wed an infidel,' said she. 'You must become a
+Christian first.'
+
+'Right willingly,' answered Roger, and it was agreed between them that
+they should set out at once for a fair abbey, so that the rite might be
+delayed no longer.
+
+Thus they talked; but not yet were they to be united. On their way a
+distressed damsel met them on the road imploring help, which both knight
+and lady readily granted. But, alas! in seeking to give the aid prayed
+of them they strayed unwittingly down various roads, and it was long
+before fortune again brought them together. For hardly had Roger brought
+to an end his adventure than he learned that his liege lord, Agramante
+king of Africa, was hard pressed by Charlemagne the emperor, and needed
+his vassal to fight by his side. So Roger turned his face to the west,
+first bidding his squire ride back to Bradamante and tell her that, once
+the war was finished, nothing further should delay his baptism.
+
+The war went ill with Agramante, and many a time Roger was sore wounded
+and like to die. Far away, in the house of her father among the
+mountains, tales came now and then to Bradamante of Roger's doings in
+the fight. Bitterly her soul chafed at not being by his side to help and
+tend him; but, if she could not fight against him, far less could she
+fight in the ranks of the infidels. Thus, weary at heart, she waited and
+sat still, or wandered about the forests, hoping to meet someone who
+could bring her tidings of Roger.
+
+For long no one came through the thick dark woods, and Bradamante was
+almost sick with despair, when a Gascon knight rode by.
+
+'Are you from the war, brave sir?' asked she, springing up from the bank
+where she had cast herself, and going eagerly to meet him. 'Are you from
+the war, and have you news from one Roger?'
+
+'Alas! madam,' he answered, 'but a month since he was sore wounded in
+fight with one Mandricado, and has since lain in his bed, tended by the
+lady Marfisa, who wears a breast-plate as easily as she does a woman's
+gown. Had it not been for her skill, Roger would long have been buried,
+and when he is able to bear arms again doubtless he will offer his hand
+to the damsel in marriage. At least, so say all in camp. But the sun is
+low and time presses. I must begone.'
+
+He went on his way, and when he was out of sight Bradamante turned and
+loosed her horse from the tree to which she had tied him and rode back
+to the castle. Without a word she mounted the stairs to the tower where
+she dwelt, and, throwing herself on her bed, gave vent to the torrents
+of jealousy which possessed her soul. Then, rising up, she bade her
+maidens weave her with all speed a sad-coloured mantle, and when it was
+ready she took the lance of gold belonging to Astolfo, which had (though
+she knew it not) the gift of unhorsing every warrior whom it touched,
+and, going to the courtyard, led out and saddled her horse.
+
+Alone, without even a squire to help her, Bradamante began her journey
+to Arles, where the army of Agramante lay encamped. On the road thither
+she met with many an adventure, but by the aid of the golden lance
+always bore down her foe. After one of these fights she fell in with the
+Lady Flordelice, who was herself riding to Arles in the hope of gaining
+news of her husband, now a prisoner in the hands of the Moors. By her
+Bradamante sent a message challenging Roger to come forth to meet her in
+single combat.
+
+'And if he asks my name say it is unknown to you,' she added, 'but that
+the stranger knight had bidden you take this horse, and prayed that he
+might bestride it in battle.'
+
+Flordelice was careful to fulfil the trust laid upon her, and no sooner
+was she within the gates of Arles than she sought out Roger and
+delivered him the message and the horse. The young man, perplexed at the
+defiance of the nameless knight, sought counsel of his father, who bade
+him accept the challenge and prepare for battle without delay. While he
+was making ready other knights were not slow to seize the chance of
+giving the haughty Christian a lesson, and went out to fight in the
+plain beyond the walls. But a single touch of the magic lance was enough
+to unhorse them all, and one by one Bradamante sent them to their lord.
+
+'Tell him I await a better man than you,' said she.
+
+'And what is his name?' asked Ferrau of Spain when he rode before her,
+having craved permission to try his strength against the stranger.
+
+'Roger,' answered she, and, as her vizor was raised, Ferrau could not
+but see the red that flushed her face, though he feigned to notice
+nothing.
+
+'He shall come to you,' replied Ferrau, 'but first you must cross swords
+with me,' and, spurring his horse, he rode to share the fate of the
+rest.
+
+Right glad was Roger to hear that the peerless knight Ferrau had been
+borne down like those who had gone before him, and that it was he and no
+other whom the victor wished to fight. But the courtiers of King
+Agramante now thronged around Ferrau, asking if perchance he had seen
+the face of his foe, and knew it for having beheld it elsewhere.
+
+'Yes, I saw it,' said Ferrau, 'and it bore something of the semblance of
+Rinaldo. But since we know that it cannot be, and that the young Ricardo
+has neither the strength nor the skill to unhorse so many well-proved
+knights, it can be none other than their sister Bradamante. Truly she is
+mightier even than Rinaldo or her cousin Roland the Wrathful.'
+
+At that Roger started, and his cheeks reddened even as those of
+Bradamante had done. He stood silent and awkward under the eyes of the
+whole court, for he feared to meet Bradamante and to read in her face
+that during the long months of his absence her love had given place to
+anger.
+
+While Roger waited, uncertain whether to accept or refuse the challenge
+of Bradamante, Marfisa buckled on her coat of mail, and rode out in his
+stead to meet the foe. Bradamante felt in her heart who the knight was
+with the plume of blue and shining golden corselet, and hate burned in
+her soul as fiercely as in the breast of the other.
+
+Thrice the magic lance stretched Marfisa on the ground, and thrice she
+rose and sought to avenge herself by a sword-thrust. At this point a
+body of knights, with Roger in their midst, arrived upon the field,
+while a band of pagan warriors approached from the opposite side. Blows
+were soon struck, and Bradamante, caring nothing for her own life,
+galloped wildly about seeking to catch sight of Roger.
+
+The silver eagle on a blue shield was hard to find, but Bradamante found
+it at last, and crying, 'Traitor, defend yourself!' dashed wildly at
+him. Yet, in spite of herself, the arm which had been strong before was
+strangely weak now, and Roger could, with one thrust, have borne her off
+her horse, but instead his lance remained in air; she might slay him if
+so she chose; she had the right, but every hair of her head was safe
+from him.
+
+So the day that began so badly ended happily for them all. Roger renewed
+his vow and became a Christian, but once more declared that by all the
+laws of honour and chivalry he could not desert Agramante in his dire
+straits. Fate again divided him from Bradamante, and sent him to join
+the army of Agramante, which had been worsted in many battles. The king
+had broken a truce with Charlemagne, and was trying to collect men and
+ships in Africa, and Roger felt that he was bound in honour to go to his
+aid. He put off in a small barque, but a violent tempest drove them up
+and down all night, and cast Roger at dawn upon a barren shore. But, so
+exhausted was he by his fight with the waves, that even yet he must have
+died from hunger and cold had not a hermit who dwelt in a cave close by
+come to his help. Here Roger rested till his strength came back to him,
+and before he bade farewell to the hermit he had been baptized a
+Christian.
+
+No sooner was Roger healed from the hurts given him by the winds and
+waves, than he watched eagerly for a passing boat that might take him
+back to France. He waited and watched for long, but at length a ship put
+into the island, having on board both Rinaldo and Roland. Right welcome
+did they make Roger, whom both knew to be the flower of infidel
+chivalry, and when they heard that, Agramante being slain in battle,
+Roger was free to swear fealty to the emperor, and had besides been
+baptized a Christian, Rinaldo at once promised him the hand of his
+sister Bradamante.
+
+And now it may well be thought that the time had come for the prophecy
+of Melissa to be fulfilled, and for Roger and Bradamante to receive the
+marriage blessing. But their happiness was to be delayed still further,
+for the old duke Aymon declared that he had chosen a husband for his
+daughter in the son of Constantine, emperor of the East, and not all the
+tears and prayers of Bradamante and Rinaldo would move him one whit. By
+the help of her brother, Bradamante contrived once more to see Roger,
+who bade her take heart, as he would himself go to Constantinople and
+fight the upstart prince and dethrone his father, then he would seize
+the crown for himself, and Bradamante should be empress after all. At
+these words Bradamante plucked up her courage and they embraced and
+parted.
+
+After Roger had set forth the days hung heavily at duke Aymon's court,
+till one night, as Bradamante was lying awake, wondering if the vision
+of Melissa would ever come to pass, she saw suddenly a way out of her
+distresses. So the next morning she rose early, and fastening on her
+armour, left her father's castle for Charlemagne's camp. Craving speedy
+audience of the emperor, she besought him as a boon that he would order
+proclamation to be made that no man should be given her for husband till
+he had first overcome her in battle. To this Charlemagne consented,
+although duke Aymon, who had followed his daughter, prayed the emperor
+to refuse her this grace, and the old man, waxing very wroth at his
+defeat, shut up the damsel in a strong tower between Perpignan and
+Carcassonne.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+While these things were taking place at home, Roger had reached the
+shores of Constantinople, and learned that the emperor of the East was
+engaged in a fight with the Bulgars, and that his army was encamped in a
+field near Belgrade. Thither Roger rode with all the speed he might, and
+finding that the king of the Bulgars had just been slain by the hand of
+Leo, son of Constantine, he offered to be the leader of the army, and
+soon put the Greeks to flight. Indeed, such were his mighty deeds, that
+Leo himself, rival (though he knew it not) of Roger, could not fail to
+wonder at them. When the battle was over, the Bulgarian army begged him
+to be their king, so sure were they that victory would follow his
+banner; but he declined, for the secret reason that he purposed to
+follow the prince, and slay him in single combat.
+
+But instead of killing each other these two brave knights ended in
+becoming friends and brothers, for Leo delivered Roger from prison,
+where he had unjustly been thrown by the sister of Constantine, and they
+both journeyed together to France, to enter the lists for the hand of
+Bradamante.
+
+Although they travelled with all the speed they might, they only arrived
+at the appointed place outside Paris on the day of the combat, when
+Bradamante was arming herself for the struggle. The prince knew well by
+this time that it was hopeless for him to think of winning for himself
+the love that had so long been given to another, and he prayed Roger to
+do him the grace to wear his arms and to bear his name in the tourney.
+It cost Roger somewhat to lay aside the arms and the name that had stood
+him for many a year in such good stead, but he owed the prince too much
+to say him nay, although to bid farewell to Bradamante when he had won
+the prize in fair fight would be bitter indeed.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+With a double-headed eagle on Leo's crimson shield, and Leo's velvet
+surcoat over his coat of mail, Roger did obeisance to the emperor and
+then walked into the lists. He had chosen to give battle on foot, since
+Bradamante was riding his horse Frontino.
+
+All day long the combat lasted, and, as Bradamante had been unable to
+bear down her foe, she was proclaimed vanquished. But of what value was
+the victory to him, seeing that he had gained the reward for another?
+So, hastily stripping off the armour belonging to the Greek prince, he
+left the tent unseen, and, catching sight of Frontino grazing quietly
+among some trees, sprang quickly on his back and plunged into the
+forest.
+
+'Let death come soon,' he said to himself, 'since life is worthless.'
+
+Meanwhile the court in Paris rang with the name of Leo the prince, and
+duke Aymon informed his daughter that the marriage feast need no longer
+be postponed. But to this Bradamante turned a deaf ear.
+
+'I will wed none but Roger,' she cried, and though her parents taunted
+her with her broken vow, and threatened her with the wrath of the
+emperor, she would give no other answer.
+
+'I can always die,' she thought to herself.
+
+The court was all confusion and perplexity; the emperor loved
+Bradamante, but he did not wish to offend either her powerful father or
+the still more powerful Constantine. The test had been proposed by
+Bradamante herself, and how could he give permission that she should
+break her plighted word?
+
+It was Melissa who once more set this tangle straight. She appeared to
+Leo, who was standing idly at his tent door, and told him that Roger was
+dying in the depths of the forest. The prince, who had grieved sorely
+for the loss of his friend, heard eagerly her tale, and consented gladly
+to go with her to seek him.
+
+The Roger whom they found at last was very different from the Roger who
+had entered the lists but three days agone. His face was pale, his hair
+was damp, his clothes hung loosely on his body. Leo's heart smote him as
+he gazed, and, sinking on his knees beside Roger, he pulled his hands
+gently down from his face.
+
+It was not long before he had drawn out from the young knight the secret
+which Roger had hidden so carefully when he had thought that honour and
+gratitude demanded it. Leo listened in amaze and took shame to himself
+that he had never guessed it sooner.
+
+'Oh, Roger,' he cried, when at length the tale was ended, 'sooner would
+I give up a thousand Bradamantes and all I possess in the world than
+lose a friend so noble and generous as you. So rise quickly and let us
+hasten back to where Bradamante awaits us.'
+
+And so the prophecy was fulfilled in the end, and everyone was made
+happy. Yes, even duke Aymon and his wife Beatrice; for before the
+wedding rejoicings were begun an embassy arrived from the Bulgarian
+people, begging leave from the emperor Charlemagne to offer their crown
+to his vassal Roger. And nobody grudged Roger and Bradamante their
+happiness, for they had waited so long for it, and worked so hard for
+it.
+
+[From _Orlando Furioso_.]
+
+
+
+
+THE KNIGHT OF THE SUN
+
+
+Once upon a time two little boys were born, and the elder had on his
+breast the image of a sun, which shone so brightly that the ladies who
+were waiting on his mother, the princess Briane, were forced to shut
+their dazzled eyes. On the breast of the younger one lay a pink rose,
+and it was hard to believe that the flower had not been newly flung
+there, so fresh was its colour and so vivid its green.
+
+So the elder baby was called in after years 'the Knight of the Sun';
+while his little brother was known as Rosiclair.
+
+Now it happened that their mother, the princess Briane, had been
+secretly married to Trebatius, emperor of Constantinople, who had
+courted her under the name of prince Theodoart. Soon after their
+marriage her husband, while riding through the forest, had been
+astonished at the sight of a magnificent chariot which dashed furiously
+along the road, and, as it passed, he felt sure that his wife, the
+princess Briane, was seated inside. Without losing a moment, he turned
+his horse instantly round, and followed the chariot, but, spur his steed
+as he might, it was impossible to overtake it. However, he rode on as
+fast as the thick creepers and fallen trees would let him in the
+direction in which the chariot had disappeared, and at last he left the
+forest behind him and entered a beautiful meadow.
+
+Here the emperor paused in surprise, for in front of him stood the
+greatest and finest castle he had ever seen, which would have held
+thirty thousand men with ease. At each corner was a large tower, while a
+wide moat of clear water would have kept a large army at bay. Happily
+for the emperor's curiosity, the drawbridge was at the moment let down,
+so he knocked at the door, which straightway opened to him, and boldly
+entered the castle.
+
+He looked around the magnificent hall to see some traces of his wife,
+but, instead, a powerful odour stole gradually over his senses. At the
+same instant a golden curtain was drawn aside, and a lady whose beauty
+dazzled his eyes glided up to him and laid her hand on his shoulder.
+
+'You belong to me now,' she said, as she led him away; and twenty years
+went by before the emperor again left the castle.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Meanwhile the little boys were carried away in the night by one of the
+mother's ladies, whose name was Clandestrie, and taken to her sister's
+house, where they lived freely and happily for some years till they were
+old enough to be brought to the convent where the princess Briane still
+remained, and taught the duties of pages. Rosiclair was always good and
+quiet, but his brother gave his teachers a great deal of trouble, though
+that did not prevent their loving him dearly. He was so tall and strong
+and high-spirited, that it was difficult to remember he was only a child
+after all, and the moment he was left alone he was always seeking some
+adventure.
+
+One day, while Rosiclair was learning from his mother to play on the
+lute, the Knight of the Sun--for so they called him--had gone with his
+nurse to the banks of the broad river, and was amusing himself with
+scrambling in and out of a boat that lay moored to the side. There were
+no mirrors in the convent, and the boy jumped hastily back with dismay
+when he saw some one dressed like himself looking at him from out of the
+water.
+
+He grew red with rage and struck out with his fist, and the arm in the
+water struck out too. Then the prince sprang forward, but, as he did so,
+he began to perceive that it was nothing but his own image that was
+looking at him and imitating his movements. 'How could I be such a
+baby!' he said to himself, and turned to leave the boat, when, to his
+dismay, he found that the rope had got loose and he was gently floating
+down the stream.
+
+At this sight his courage began to fail him; he called loudly to his
+nurse, who had been talking to some friends and had not noticed the
+child's danger. At his cries she rushed into the river a little lower
+down, hoping to catch the boat as it danced by, but the current swept
+her off her feet, and she would certainly have been drowned had not a
+wood-cutter, who had watched her from above, held out a long stick which
+she was able to reach.
+
+Very soon the little boat was a mere speck in the distance, and, now
+that there was nothing to be done, the boy took heart again and thought
+of all he would have to tell Rosiclair when he came back--for come back
+he would some day, he was sure of that.
+
+By-and-by the grass and the trees, and even the big mountains, vanished,
+and all around him was the blue sea, with not even a sail to look at.
+How long he remained in that boat he never knew, but one day, just
+before sunrise, when the air is clearest and you can see farthest, he
+was roused from his sleep by a shout. At first he took it for part of
+his dream and did not move; then the shout came again, and he jumped up
+and waved his hand, for sailing towards him was a large vessel. At the
+prow stood a man in a beautiful purple tunic edged with gold. This was
+Florian prince of Persia.
+
+Oh, how glad the little boy was to be amongst friends again, and how
+hungrily he ate the food they put before him! When he was quite rested,
+they brought him a child about the same age, whom they had picked up
+from a wreck a few days before; and then the ship's head was turned
+towards Babylon.
+
+It took them a long while to get there, but at last they entered the
+great river which flowed past the gates of the city, and the sultan,
+hearing of their approach, came down from his palace to greet them. He
+had lived as a youth at the court of prince Florian's father, and was
+delighted to meet his old friend once more. As for the boys, he took a
+fancy to them at once, and kept them in his palace till many years had
+gone by and they were almost men.
+
+When the Knight of the Sun was about sixteen he was taller than any one
+in all Babylon, for he took after his father, the emperor Trebatius, who
+was fully eight feet high. The youth was also very strong, and was
+afraid of nothing and nobody, and in many ways was different from his
+companions, especially in liking to ride and hunt alone instead of with
+a troop of merry young men. His friends were all fond of him, but rather
+afraid of him, as people often are of those who are quicker than
+themselves.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+One morning the sultan arranged a great hunting expedition, which was to
+take place in some huge forests a few miles from Babylon. The sun was
+hot, and the sultan was old, so he soon gave up the chase, and returned
+to join the princess and her maidens, who were lying under the shady
+trees, with a stream rippling by to make them think they were cool.
+
+Suddenly, without any warning, a band of giants sprang upon them from
+behind a rock, and, seizing the sultan and the ladies, bound them
+rapidly with silken cords. Their shrieks brought a few knights who were
+within earshot to their aid, but these were soon overpowered by the
+strength of the giants, except one, who managed to make his escape, and
+plunged deep into the forest.
+
+He was flying along, half mad with terror, when a voice cried out:
+
+'Sir knight, look well to it, or you will lose your spurs in your
+unseemly haste.'
+
+'Fair youth,' replied the knight, 'do not, I pray you, waste the moments
+in idle talk; for the sultan and the princess have but now been attacked
+by an army of giants, and are being borne captive to some unknown land.'
+But before his tale was ended the youth was riding fast down the path
+along which the knight had come.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+He was just in time: the tallest and strongest giant had laid hold of
+the sultan, bound and helpless as he was, and was carrying him off to a
+huge coal-black horse that was picketed to a tree close by. A blow on
+his helmet forced him to drop his burden, and he turned rapidly on his
+assailant.
+
+'Bah! a boy!' he cried disdainfully; but the 'boy' struck him another
+swinging stroke, which almost cleft his shield. Then the giant drew out
+his great double-edged battle-axe, but the champion sprang aside, and
+the axe crashed harmlessly on a rock, while a well-aimed throw from the
+javelin pierced the joints of the giant's harness, and he fell heavily
+to the ground.
+
+'It is an earthquake,' whispered the people of Babylon, as the houses
+shook and the swords rattled.
+
+After this the giant's followers, who, big though they were, had no mind
+to face such a fighter, fled into the forest, and were seen no more.
+
+The first thing to be done was of course to cut the cords which had been
+carefully wound round the arms and legs of the prisoners, who, seizing
+the champion's hands, shed tears and kisses over them. As to the sultan,
+he was well-nigh speechless from gratitude, but when he was able to
+speak he begged the youth to ask for some boon that he could grant,
+even if it were the half of his kingdom.
+
+'That I will tell you to-morrow,' said he.
+
+By this time the evening had come, and the chariots and the horses were
+made ready, and the company returned to the palace in Babylon, though
+neither the princess nor her ladies felt very safe till they were within
+the gates of the city.
+
+Early next day the sultan sent the grand vizier to bid the youth await
+him in the great hall, that he might declare in presence of all the
+court what guerdon should be given him for saving his master's life.
+
+And a right noble company was gathered together, for the victor was well
+loved of all, and every man expected that he would ask the hand of the
+princess.
+
+All stood up and bowed low as the sultan swept down between them clothed
+in his royal robes, and wearing his golden crown on his head; for he
+wished the goodly assemblage to know how priceless a service the young
+man had done him. Nay, he too thought, like his people, that there was
+only one boon that the youth could fitly crave.
+
+When he was seated on his throne, he signed to the chevalier to draw
+near.
+
+'And what is the reward that I shall give you?' he asked with a smile as
+the young man knelt before him.
+
+'O mighty sultan, grant me this, that with the sword which slew your
+enemy you will make me a knight'; then he paused and grew red, as a
+cloud came over the sultan's brow.
+
+'By all the rules of chivalry----' But the sultan's words were drowned
+by a tumult in the hall, and pushing her way between the crowds came a
+richly clad maiden, closely pursued by a huge black king.
+
+'Save me!' she cried, looking wildly on the company of knights that
+stood round. 'I am the daughter of as mighty a monarch as you, and was
+carried off from my father's island by this black man whom you see
+before you. One grace he has given me, that for the space of a year I
+may wander where I will, seeking a knight to be my champion. But,
+despite their mighty names, not one has ever managed to pierce his
+armour.'
+
+And again she looked on the knights, but not a man stirred from his
+place.
+
+Then the chevalier rose to his feet and spoke out boldly.
+
+'Make _me_ a knight, O sultan, and _I_ will fight this man who is feared
+by all the world! Oh, I know what you would say, that I am yet too young
+to bear the weight which has sometimes proved too heavy for many a
+goodly knight. But, if my years are few, my deeds have proved that I am
+no whit behind the doughtiest knight of your court. So grant me my boon
+or this day I will leave you for ever.'
+
+'Be it so,' answered the sultan at last, 'though I would rather have
+given you the half of my kingdom or the hand of my daughter. But watch
+this night beside your arms in the temple, and to-morrow you shall be
+admitted into the order of chivalry.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Now the sultan had a brother named Lyrgander, who was wise in every kind
+of enchantment, and, though he was at this time in a far country, he
+learned by means of his arts what strange things were happening at the
+court of Babylon. Without losing a moment he went to the room where his
+treasures were kept, and opened a large chest, from which he took two
+suits of armour. One, which was all white, he meant for the chevalier,
+and the other was for his friend Claberinde. Then he poured a few drops
+of a yellow liquid into a glass and drank it, wishing, as he did so,
+that he was in Babylon. Before the glass fell from his hand he found
+himself there. Very early after the youth had ended his watch, Lyrgander
+came to him and girded on him the suit of white armour. Led by
+Lyrgander, and followed by all the knights and nobles of the court, the
+chevalier entered the presence-chamber, where the sultan was sitting on
+his throne awaiting him. Once again the youth knelt, and the sultan,
+drawing the magic sword from its sheath, struck him three times lightly
+on the head with it. Afterwards, the sultan put back the sword in the
+scabbard and buckled it on the side of the kneeling youth.
+
+Then, stooping down, he lowered the vizor, and said slowly and solemnly:
+
+'I dub you knight, and arm you knight. May the high gods have you in
+their care!'
+
+'Amen!' said the chevalier, and he rose from his knees and went out to
+the place where the lists had been prepared. And the court sat round to
+watch the fight, while in the midst of them all, her eyes fixed on her
+champion, was the captive princess, who was resolved to kill herself
+with her own hands rather than fall into the power of the black king.
+
+The Knight of the Sun had chosen the best horse in the sultan's stables,
+and was waiting in his place till the signal should be given.
+
+At the other end, the black king bestrode a huge black horse, and the
+moment he caught sight of his foe poured out a stream of abuse, which
+only ceased when the sound of the trumpets drowned his voice.
+
+'I have never been conquered by mortal man,' said he, 'and shall yon
+wretched beardless boy, who should now be sitting with his mother's
+maidens, the child who but an hour ago was dubbed a knight by special
+grace of the sultan, have strength to do what the hardiest knights have
+failed in doing? By the eyes of my fathers! he will make fine food for
+the vultures before the sun sets.'
+
+And the young knight heard, and the blood flew to his cheeks under his
+vizor, and his fingers closed more tightly on his sword.
+
+With the first blast of the trumpets he spurred his horse, and his
+onslaught was so fierce that the giant reeled in his saddle.
+
+'They have tricked me,' he said to himself, as he righted himself again.
+'That blow was never given by the boy I saw; they have put someone else
+in his place. The battle will be harder than I thought, but the end is
+sure'; and he reined his horse back for a second rush.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The hours passed by, and the sun grew high in the heavens, but the
+flashing of swords never ceased, and the watchers of the fight could
+hardly breathe. Once the chevalier was thrown right on to his horse's
+neck, and was forced to cling to it lest he should fall to the ground.
+Once again--and here a murmur of terror could be heard in the crowd--a
+blow on his head rendered him sick and dizzy, and the charger carried
+him three times round the lists while he sat grasping the bridle,
+unconscious where he was and what he was doing. But after all, the swift
+rush through the air brought back his senses, and, by the time the black
+king was expecting that one more thrust would gain him the day, the
+knight spurred his horse quickly to one side, and, taking his adversary
+unawares, swept him dead from his saddle.
+
+Then at last the silence was broken, and a roar of triumph and relief
+burst from the crowd.
+
+Slowly the young man turned and rode along the lists, pausing before the
+lady Radimere as she sat by the sultan.
+
+'You are free, princess,' he said, as he lifted his vizor; and with
+those words he disappeared in the crowd, before anyone had time to stop
+him.
+
+It was whispered, perhaps truly, that the princess Radimere would fain
+have made him her husband, and have given him lordship over her island;
+but all we know for certain is that she returned there alone, and soon
+after married the son of a neighbouring king.
+
+[_L'Histoire Admirable du Chevalier du Soleil._ Traduite de l'Espagnol
+par Louis Douet.]
+
+
+
+
+HOW THE KNIGHT OF THE SUN RESCUED HIS FATHER
+
+
+When once the youth had been made a knight by the sultan of Babylon, and
+had slain the black king, he set off by himself in quest of other
+adventures, desiring greatly to see the world. For the next few years
+the young man wandered from court to court, fighting giants and
+delivering enchanted damsels, till at last his feet led him to a kingdom
+where Rosiclair his brother happened to be.
+
+Now Rosiclair was scarcely a whit behind the Knight of the Sun in manly
+deeds, and not long before had done such good service to the king of
+England that Olive, the king's daughter, had, at her father's bidding,
+clasped a collar of gold around his neck, and held out to him a crown
+studded with jewels. Rosiclair bent gladly to receive the collar, and
+then taking the crown from the hands of the princess he placed it on her
+head.
+
+'Lady, I am evermore your knight,' said he.
+
+This tale and many others had come to the ears of the Knight of the Sun,
+and he longed to see his brother again, and to break a lance with him in
+good fellowship, but some time had yet to pass before they met, and then
+it fell out in this wise. After the combat in the lists in London, where
+Rosiclair had cut off the arms of the giant Candramarte, the giant's
+daughter had brought him by her wiles to the island in which lay her
+father's castle.
+
+[Illustration: THE GIANT'S DAUGHTER REPROACHES THE TWO BROTHERS]
+
+No sooner had he stepped on shore than the damsel pushed off, crying as
+she did so to her brothers and their knights to avenge the giant's
+wounds. In a moment all the little island was alive with men, whirling
+lances or swords or axes above their heads, and all pressing forward to
+the spot where Rosiclair awaited them. Luckily he had time to place
+himself with the sea at his back, so that he could not be attacked from
+behind, and, covering himself with his shield, stood ready.
+
+Never was there such a dreadful fight, and Rosiclair seemed to have a
+hundred arms, and to be able to strike fifty ways at once. He hardly
+knew himself what he did, so great was the stress of battle, but hour by
+hour the ground slowly reddened round him, and there looked to his
+dimming eyes to be fewer men in front. But by this time his strength was
+fast failing him, and he felt he could not hold out much longer. A
+mighty blow from an axe made him reel, and well-nigh fall; another such,
+and he would be rolling on the sand among the dead men lying at his
+feet. Suddenly the upraised axe flew from the hand of the giant in
+front, and with a cry that echoed through the island he fell backwards
+on the shore.
+
+Rosiclair was still too hard beset to turn and see from whom help had
+come, but he took fresh courage and his sword no longer hit so wildly as
+before. The other sword was even stronger and surer than his own, and
+soon the few men who were left alive ran off and took refuge within the
+gates of the castle.
+
+Then the two knights looked at each other.
+
+'Who are you, and whence do you come?' asked Rosiclair. 'I owe you my
+life this day.'
+
+'I am called the Knight of the Sun,' replied the other; 'this shining
+star upon my breast has given me my name. And I come from wandering over
+the seas in a little boat that just holds me and my horse. I descried
+you from afar, and hastened to your help. Of a truth, it is the noblest
+fight that ever I saw.'
+
+Now, when Rosiclair had seen the emblem of the sun on the new knight's
+breast he wondered if this might indeed be his brother. But being warned
+by his mother not to hold converse with strangers concerning private
+matters, he began to tell of the fight with Candramarte in the lists of
+London, when a cry from the sea caused them both to turn. On the prow of
+a boat stood the giant's daughter, pointing with her forefinger at the
+bodies which lay upon the shore.
+
+'O cruel and bloody wolves,' she called, 'the ocean will give me the
+pity which I have been denied both by heaven and earth. And the god of
+storms will avenge me.' With that she jumped into the sea, but, instead
+of sinking, was held up by the waves. This the Knight of the Sun beheld,
+and, forgetting the evil she had done, jumped into his boat, and pushed
+off to her aid before Rosiclair had time to get in after him. However,
+the Knight of the Sun was never able either to reach the damsel or to
+return to his brother, for a furious wind sprang up, which drove him
+before it, in some direction that he did not know.
+
+In his hurry to reach the side of Rosiclair, the Knight of the Sun had
+forgotten to place his oars in the bottom of the boat, but just left
+them loose in their holes, so that they had floated away; now he had no
+means of directing his course, but was forced to go wherever the waves
+took him. For many days he drifted past the shores of strange countries
+and saw from afar the gleam of white cities, but though he fain would
+have landed, he could not, but was bound to remain where his adventure
+carried him. At length, to the joy of his heart, the boat stopped of its
+own accord on the beach of a beautiful island, and the young man once
+more felt soft grass under his feet, and heard the sound of trickling
+streams. Close by was a forest, and from between the bushes peeped the
+heads of little goats and tiny deer, all gazing with wonder at the
+stranger. From the look of the place it was plain that seldom indeed did
+man come to disturb their lives, and the Knight of the Sun felt he must
+go further inland if he wished to meet with any adventures. So, breaking
+through the creepers which hung from tree to tree, he struggled on
+bravely, and at last the trees grew less thickly, and he came out upon a
+wide open space in front of a big castle.
+
+This castle was quite different from any he had seen, either in Babylon
+or in the other countries he had visited. It seemed to be made of
+nothing but towers, and every tower had a steep pointed roof, so high
+that you would have thought it reached up to heaven itself. In the tower
+nearest him was a door of shining steel, and on top of a row of steps
+above it was a column, from which hung a horn of ivory edged with gold.
+Under the horn some words were cut deep into the column, and mounting
+the steps the knight read:
+
+'This is the castle of the peerless Lindarasse, whose door will never
+open save to him who blows the horn. Yet let him beware who seeks to
+blow it, for if the door _should_ open he will find it is guarded by
+fierce and cruel porters, and his life will pay for his rash curiosity.'
+
+The Knight of the Sun laughed out at the thought that any such threats
+could stop his going wherever he pleased, and, seizing the horn, blew so
+powerful a blast that the sound rang through the whole island. In an
+instant the gates of steel burst open, and between them stood a giant
+with an iron club in one hand, and in the other a chain which was
+fastened round the neck of a serpent. Now in all the world there was no
+serpent more horrible than this, for it did not wriggle along the ground
+as serpents generally do, but advanced erect, its head higher than a man
+seated on a horse, while it trailed besides a tail ten feet behind it.
+At the sight of the young man it lashed its tail so violently that the
+earth trembled as if with an earthquake, while its forky tongue darted
+in and out with a deafening hissing noise.
+
+The few knights who had dared to blow the horn had been so frightened
+at this terrible creature that they had stood as if frozen, and thus the
+giant killed them with his club without any trouble. He, of course,
+expected this knight to behave like the rest, but to his surprise the
+young man remained quietly where he was. Then the giant dropped the
+chain and the snake began to mount the steps, opening its mouth wide
+enough to swallow a man and showing its long and yellow fangs. The
+Knight of the Sun swung his sword in the air and let it fall on the
+serpent's neck with a force that seemed as if it must have severed its
+head from its body; but to his amazement the weapon bounded back as if
+it had been made of wood, though the snake was for the moment half
+stunned and was unable to throw itself on its prey. However, in another
+moment it had reared itself high and was preparing to fling itself
+forward, when the knight leaped behind the column and from its shelter
+struck again at the serpent's head. This time the horrible creature sank
+to the ground, though the sword glanced off harmlessly without
+penetrating its skin; but it became more angry than before, and glided
+rapidly towards the column, hoping to seize his enemy in his gaping
+jaws. The giant meanwhile stood planted, club in hand, at the bottom of
+the steps, ready to receive the young man when the serpent should have
+done with him.
+
+It was not long before this happened. The Knight of the Sun was so
+intent watching the movements of the head of his horrible foe, that he
+forgot everything else till a violent blow from the serpent's tail cast
+him to the ground and sent him rolling down the steps to the place where
+the giant stood. Before he could raise himself, the iron staff had split
+his helmet in pieces, and, as it seemed, his skull with it. Luckily for
+him, the giant felt sure he must be dead, and thus the knight was
+enabled to lie still for some minutes till his senses and his strength
+came back to him, and, springing to his feet, he snatched his sword from
+its sheath and sent half of the giant's body flying one way and half
+the other. But before he was able to rejoice at having slain one foe the
+serpent was upon him for a second time. The knight had proved that the
+sword was useless against it, so seizing the club of the dead giant he
+struck such a blow that its head fell in pieces.
+
+[Illustration: THE KNIGHT OF THE SUN FIGHTS THE SERPENT]
+
+Then he took the ivory horn, and entered the door of the first tower. As
+soon as the Knight of the Sun reached the second tower, he found it was
+shut by a door of steel, just as the first had been. He sounded a blast
+on his horn, and the door flew open with a grating and horrible noise,
+which might have filled the heart of the bravest with terror, and
+another giant stepped forth, no less horrible to look upon than his
+brother, with a club in one hand and a huge chained lion in the other.
+The great beast was larger than any bull that ever was seen, and each of
+its nails was as long as the foot of a man. Directly its chain was
+loosed, the lion reared itself up and sprang upon the knight, who
+awaited it as calmly as if it had been only a sheep. But after the fight
+with the serpent the attack of the lion seemed quite easy to parry, and,
+without pausing till they came together, the young man turned nimbly
+aside and felled him to the earth with the iron staff. After that he
+turned to meet the giant.
+
+This time the battle was soon over, for the giant, like many very big
+people, was heavy and clumsy, and the Knight of the Sun stepped past his
+dead body to the third gate, which flew open at the blast of his horn.
+Behind it stood a fresh giant taller than the last, and all covered with
+thick wiry hair, that looked as if it would resist the keenest
+sword-blade which had ever been forged in Damascus. The young knight
+felt much more afraid of him than of the two tigers which he held on a
+chain, and which showed their teeth and snarled wickedly. But before
+long the knight had stretched them both on the ground, and summoned all
+his strength for the struggle with the giant.
+
+This was much harder than any he had fought yet. The wiry hair turned
+the edge of his sword, and he felt he might almost as well try to cut
+through a fence of iron. Besides, in spite of his great height, this
+giant was much quicker of eye and of hand than the last, and several
+times the young champion was brought to his knees, though he rose again
+before his enemy could deal him a second blow. At length the Knight of
+the Sun noticed a place on the giant's neck where the hair seemed less
+thick than on the rest of his body, and, dropping his sword, he seized
+his dagger and drove it home.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Thus, step by step, fighting giants and beasts every inch of the way,
+the Knight of the Sun at last reached the hall of the castle, where the
+emperor Trebatius sat by the side of the fair Lindarasse. The spells she
+had woven round him were so strong, that for years he had not only never
+been outside the castle walls, but had ceased to wish to see the world
+again. But, powerful though Lindarasse might be, the Knight of the Sun
+did not fear to meet her, as before he had left Babylon the wise
+Lyrgander had given him a ring, which preserved him from all
+enchantments.
+
+At the entrance of the young man the fair Lindarasse looked up; she knew
+who he was and why he had come.
+
+'What is the matter, Wonder of the World?' asked the emperor Trebatius,
+raising his head from her lap, where it had been resting.
+
+'I am a dead woman, my good lord,' answered she, 'unless you will slay
+me that knight who has forced his way into my castle.'
+
+These words filled the emperor with fury, and the spirit awoke within
+him from its long sleep.
+
+'I will teach him manners,' he said grimly, and stalked proudly to the
+gallery where his arms had hung for many a day.
+
+Meanwhile the fair Lindarasse, who, in spite of her haughty bearing,
+bore a sinking heart, tried both by threats and soft words to persuade
+the Knight of the Sun to leave the castle.
+
+'Not till the emperor goes with me!' he answered steadily. 'You took him
+from his wife, and if you will not give him back to her I will take
+him.'
+
+And Lindarasse ground her teeth, and held her peace for a few moments.
+Then she broke into tears and sobs, thinking to move him by these means;
+but this method fared no better than the other.
+
+Thus were they standing when the emperor entered the hall, armed
+_cap-�-pie_.
+
+Now the knight knew that Trebatius's skill in fight had grown rusty from
+want of use, and that as long as he remained inside the castle the
+spells which the fair Lindarasse had woven round him would weaken his
+arm and confuse his head. So the youth refrained from striking, and with
+his shield and sword defended himself the while from the blows which the
+emperor dealt in all directions--for his hand no longer followed his
+eye. And all the while the Knight of the Sun stepped gently backwards,
+drawing Trebatius with him till, after twenty years, the emperor stood
+outside the walls, and the enchantment fell from him like a cloak. Then
+with a rush the remembrance of his wife, the princess Briane, came back
+to him, and in that very moment, though he knew it not, the fair
+Lindarasse fell dead in the place where he had left her. For, evil as
+she was, she had loved him truly, and felt that he had gone from her for
+ever.
+
+So Trebatius was set free by his son, and became a man once more. And
+the two journeyed back towards Hungary, to the monastery where the
+princess Briane still lived. But on the road an adventure claimed the
+Knight of the Sun, so that the emperor alone stood before his wife,
+whose heart was almost broken with joy at the sight of him.
+
+As for their two sons, the Knight of the Sun and his brother Rosiclair,
+who was also known as the Knight of Love, no such deeds had been wrought
+as were done by them since the days of Lancelot and the Round Table.
+
+[_L'Histoire Admirable du Chevalier du Soleil._ Traduite de l'Espagnol
+par Louis Douet.]
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber's Note
+
+
+The use of parentheses and brackets around the sources for the stories
+was inconsistent. The original usage has been maintained.
+
+The following changes were made:
+
+  Page  Error
+  Frontispiece  HALGERDA changed to HALLGERDA
+   50  his own deathblow changed to his own death-blow
+  119  unwillingly, but changed to unwillingly, 'but
+  159  and tell the changed to 'and tell the
+  179  answered Sancho Panzo changed to answered Sancho Panza
+  191  men, but we changed to men, 'but we
+  191  off his back changed to off her back
+  204  to one side. changed to to one side.'
+  215  be so worth changed to be so wroth
+  257  marvels; but changed to marvels; 'but
+  271  head of Sir Murdour. changed to head of Sir Murdour,
+  289  of news awating changed to of news awaiting
+  335  and mighty arm, changed to and mighty arm,'
+  346  safe from him changed to safe from him.
+  356  half of his kingdom.' changed to half of his kingdom.
+  364  avenge me. changed to avenge me.'
+
+The following words had inconsistent spelling:
+
+  knight-errants / knights-errant
+  WERWOLF / WER-WOLF
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Red Romance Book, by Various
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RED ROMANCE BOOK ***
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diff --git a/old/24624-8.zip b/old/24624-8.zip
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+++ b/old/24624-8.zip
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@@ -0,0 +1,11154 @@
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Red Romance Book, by Various
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Red Romance Book
+
+Author: Various
+
+Editor: Andrew Lang
+
+Illustrator: Henry Ford
+
+Release Date: February 15, 2008 [EBook #24624]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RED ROMANCE BOOK ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Thierry Alberto, Chris Curnow, Julia Miller
+and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
+http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images
+generously made available by The Internet Archive)
+
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber's Note
+
+Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. A list of changes is
+found at the end of the book.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: HOW GUNNAR MET HALLGERDA]
+
+
+
+
+                    THE
+              RED ROMANCE BOOK
+
+
+                 EDITED BY
+                ANDREW LANG
+
+
+               [Illustration]
+
+
+          LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO.
+        39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON
+  FOURTH AVENUE AND 30TH STREET, NEW YORK
+
+
+                    1921
+
+
+
+
+_PREFACE_
+
+WHAT ROMANCES ARE
+
+(TO CHILDREN AND OTHERS)
+
+
+I once read a book about a poor little lonely boy in a great house with
+a large library. This boy was pale, dull, and moping. Nobody knew what
+was the matter with him. But somebody tracked him into the library and
+saw him take a huge thick black book, half as tall as himself, out of a
+bookcase, and sit down and read it. The name of the book was
+_Polexander_. So he sat and sobbed over _Polexander_, because it was so
+very dull and so very long. There were 800 pages, and he had only read
+sixty-seven. But some very stupid grown-up person had told him that he
+must always begin a book at the beginning, and, if he once began, he
+must read every word of it, and read nothing else till he had finished
+every word of it.
+
+The boy saw that he would die of weariness long before he reached the
+end of _Polexander_, but he stuck to it like the other boy who stood by
+the burning deck long after it was 'time for him to go.' So _Polexander_
+was taken away from him and locked up, and so his life was saved.
+
+Now, in the first place _Polexander_ was a romance, but it was not like
+the romances in this book, for it was dreadfully long, and mainly about
+the sorrows of lovers who cannot get married. That could not amuse a
+small boy. In the second place, every boy should stop reading a book as
+soon as he finds that he does not like it, just as you are not expected
+to eat more mutton than you want to eat. Lesson books are another thing;
+you have to read them, and if you do not you will get into trouble. They
+are not meant to be amusing, but to teach Latin grammar, or geography,
+or arithmetic, which are not gay. As to this book of Romances, if you do
+not like one story, give it up and try another. If you do not like any
+of them, read something else that you do like.
+
+Now what are romances? They are grown-up people's fairy tales or
+story-books, but they are the kind of story-books that grown-up people
+read long ago, when there were castles and knights, and tournaments, and
+the chief business of gentlemen was to ride about in full armour,
+fighting, while ladies sat at home doing embroidery work, or going to
+see the men tilt at tournaments, just as they go to see cricket matches
+now. But they liked tournaments better, because they understood the
+rules of the game. Anybody could see when one knight knocked another
+down, horse and all, but many ladies do not understand leg before
+wicket, or stumping.
+
+The stories that they read were called 'romances,' but were in prose.
+Before people could read they were not in prose but in poetry, and were
+recited by minstrels. Mrs. Lang, who did the stories in this book, says:
+'Many hundreds of years ago, when most of these stories were told in the
+halls of great castles, the lives of children were very different from
+what they are now. The little girls were taught by their mothers'
+maidens to spin and embroider, or make simple medicines from the common
+herbs, and the boys learnt to ride and tilt, and shoot with bows and
+arrows; but their tasks done, no one paid any further heed to them. They
+had very few games, and in the long winter evenings the man who went
+from house to house, telling or singing the tales of brave deeds, must
+have been welcome indeed. From him the children, who early became men
+and women, heard of the evil fate that awaited cowardice and treachery,
+and grew to understand that it was their duty through life to help those
+that were weaker than themselves.' That was long, long ago, when nobody
+but priests and a very few gentlemen could read and write. They just
+listened to stories in rhyme, which the minstrels sang, striking their
+harps at the end of each verse.
+
+The stories were really fairy tales, dressed up and spun out, and
+instead of 'a boy' or 'a king' or 'a princess' with no name, the old
+fairy adventures were said to have happened to people with names: King
+Arthur, or Charlemagne, or Bertha Broadfoot. A little real history came
+in, but altered, and mixed up with fairy tales, and done into rhyme.
+
+Later, more and more people learned to read, and now the long poems were
+done into prose, and written in books, not printed but written books;
+and these were the Romances, very long indeed, all about fighting, and
+love-making, and giants, and dwarfs, and magicians, and enchanted
+castles, and dragons and flying horses. These romances were the novels
+of the people of the Middle Ages, about whom you can read in the History
+Books of Mrs. Markham. They were not much like the novels which come
+from the library for your dear mothers and aunts. There is not much
+fighting in them, though there is any amount of love-making, and there
+are no giants; and if there is a knight, he is usually a grocer or a
+doctor, quite the wrong sort of knight.
+
+Here is the beginning of a celebrated novel: 'Comedy is a game played to
+throw reflections upon social life, and it deals with human nature in
+the drawing-rooms of civilised men and women.' You do not want to read
+any more of that novel. It is not at all like a good old romance of
+knights and dragons and enchanted princesses and strong wars. The
+knights and ladies would not have looked at such a book, all about
+drawing-rooms.
+
+Now, in this book, we have made the old romances much shorter, keeping
+the liveliest parts, in which curious things happen. Some of the tales
+were first told in Iceland eight hundred years ago, and are mostly true
+and about real people. Some are from the ancient French romances of the
+adventures of Charlemagne, and his peers and paladins. Some are from
+later Italian poems of the same kind. 'Cupid and Psyche' is older, and
+so is the story of the man who was changed into a donkey. These are from
+an old Latin romance, written when people were still heathens, most of
+them. Some are about the Danes in England (of whom you may have heard),
+but there is not much history in them.
+
+Mrs. Lang says: 'In this book you will read of men who, like Don
+Quixote, were often mistaken but never mean, and of women, such as Una
+and Bradamante, who kept patient and true, in spite of fierce trials and
+temptations. I have only related a few of their adventures, but when you
+grow older you can read them for yourselves, in the languages in which
+they were written.'
+
+'Don Quixote' was written by a Spaniard, Cervantes, in the time of James
+I. of England, to show what would happen if a man tried to behave like a
+knight of old, after people had become more civilised and less
+interesting. Don Quixote was laughed at, because he came too late into
+too old a world. But he was as brave and good a knight as the best
+paladin of them all. So about the knights and ladies and dwarfs and
+giants, I hope you will think like Sir Walter Scott, when he was a boy,
+and read the old romances. He says: 'Heaven only knows how glad I was to
+find myself in such company.'
+
+If you like the kind of company, then read 'Ivanhoe,' by Sir Walter
+Scott, for that is the best romance in the world.
+
+All the stories in this book were done by Mrs. Lang, out of the old
+romances.
+
+ANDREW LANG.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+                                                                  PAGE
+  _How William of Palermo was carried off by the Werwolf_            1
+  _The Disenchantment of the Werwolf_                               13
+  _The Slaying of Hallgerda's Husbands_                             28
+  _The Death of Gunnar_                                             45
+  _Njal's Burning_                                                  71
+  _The Lady of Solace_                                              84
+  _Una and the Lion_                                                93
+  _How the Red Cross Knight slew the Dragon_                       105
+  _Amys and Amyle_                                                 128
+  _The Tale of the Cid_                                            141
+  _The Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance_                        165
+  _The Adventure of the Two Armies who turned out to be Flocks
+     of Sheep_                                                     177
+  _The Adventure of the Boiling Lights_                            190
+  _The Helmet of Mambrino_                                         194
+  _How Don Quixote was Enchanted while guarding the Castle_        202
+  _Don Quixote's Home-coming_                                      209
+  _The Meeting of Huon and Oberon, King of the Fairies_            213
+  _How Oberon saved Huon_                                          221
+  _Havelok and Goldborough_                                        234
+  _Cupid and Psyche_                                               251
+  _Sir Bevis the Strong_                                           267
+  _Ogier the Dane_                                                 287
+  _How the Ass became a Man again_                                 298
+  _Guy of Warwick_                                                 309
+  _How Bradamante conquered the Wizard_                            320
+  _The Ring of Bradamante_                                         331
+  _The Fulfilling of the Prophecy_                                 341
+  _The Knight of the Sun_                                          351
+  _How the Knight of the Sun rescued his Father_                   360
+
+
+
+
+_ILLUSTRATIONS_
+
+_COLOURED PLATES_
+
+
+  _How Gunnar met Hallgerda_                              _Frontispiece_
+  _The Werwolf carries Prince William away_            _To face p._  2
+  _The Lady of Solace_                                      "       86
+  _At the sight of the Lion she flung down the pitcher_     "      102
+  _The End of the Dragon_                                   "      124
+  _Softly she rose to her feet and stole out of the wood_   "      134
+  _Aphrodite finds Psyche's Task accomplished_              "      264
+  _How the Fairies came to see Ogier the Dane_              "      288
+
+
+  _PLATES_
+
+  _The Lovers meet by plan of Alexandrine_             _To face p._  8
+  _The Bearskin--Am not I a bold Beast?_                    "       14
+  _The Fury of the Werwolf_                                 "       24
+  _How Thorwald was slain by Thiostolf_                     "       32
+  _Thiostolf decides to slay Glum_                          "       40
+  _Otkell and Gunnar in the Field_                          "       58
+  _Gunnar's last Fight and Hallgerda's Revenge_             "       66
+  _How Kari escaped from Njal's House_                      "       78
+  _The Lady of Solace helps the Fallen Knight_              "       88
+  _The Red Cross Knight enters the Monster's Cave_          "       96
+  _Una saved by the Wood-Folk_                              "      106
+  _Arthur fights the Seven-Headed Serpent_                  "      112
+  _In the Cave of Despair_                                  "      120
+  _Rodrigo brings home the head of Gomez_                   "      142
+  _Don Diego and Don Fernan show that they are cowards_     "      154
+  _Don Quixada declared that he would give his Housekeeper
+     and his Niece into the bargain for the pleasure of
+     bestowing one kick on Ganelon the traitor_             "      166
+  _Don Quixote determines to attack the Windmills_          "      180
+  _How the Galley Slaves repaid Don Quixote_                "      198
+  _The Meeting of Huon and Oberon_                          "      216
+  _Round the Bag which held the Boy a brilliant Light was
+     shining_                                               "      236
+  _Zephyr carries Psyche down from the Mountain_            "      254
+  _Little Bevis avenges his Father_                         "      268
+  _Strong Sir Bevis keeps the Two Dragons at Bay_           "      278
+  _Bradamante defeats the Wizard with the Ring_             "      326
+  _Roger borne away from Bradamante_                        "      332
+  _The Two Damsels rescue Roger from the Rabble_            "      336
+  _The Giant's Daughter reproaches the Two Brothers_        "      360
+  _The Knight of the Sun fights the Serpent_                "      366
+
+
+  _ILLUSTRATIONS IN TEXT._
+                                                                  PAGE
+  _The Emperor carries William away_                                 5
+  _The Werwolf's Visit to the Cave_                                 19
+  _Hauskuld's Pride in Hallgerda_                                   29
+  _How Gunnar slew Thorgeir, Otkell's Son_                          63
+  _Sudden Departure of Una's Parents_                               94
+  _In Archimago's Cell: the Evil Dream_                            100
+  _The Two Cups_                                                   132
+  _Sir Amyle arrives in time to save the Ladies_                   139
+  _Don Quixote belabours the Muleteer_                             175
+  _Don Quixote's Battle with the Wine-skins_                       203
+  _Huon defeats the Giant Agrapart_                                227
+  _Havelok presents Goldborough to the English People_             247
+  _Aphrodite brings Cupid to Psyche_                               252
+  _Joyfully the Eagle bore back the Urn_                           265
+  _Ogier the Dane meets Morgane le Fay at last_                    293
+  _Apuleius changes into an Ass_                                   302
+
+
+
+
+_HOW WILLIAM OF PALERMO WAS CARRIED OFF BY THE WERWOLF_
+
+
+Many hundreds of years ago there lived in the beautiful city of Palermo
+a little prince who was thought, not only by his parents but by everyone
+who saw him, to be the handsomest child in the whole world. When he was
+four years old, his mother, the queen, made up her mind that it was time
+to take him away from his nurses, so she chose out two ladies of the
+court who had been friends of her own youth, and to them she entrusted
+her little son. He was to be taught to read and write, and to talk
+Greek, the language of his mother's country, and Latin, which all
+princes ought to know, while the Great Chamberlain would see that he
+learned to ride and shoot, and, when he grew bigger, how to wield a
+sword.
+
+For a while everything went on as well as the king and queen could wish.
+Prince William was quick, and, besides, he could not bear to be beaten
+in anything he tried to do, whether it was making out the sense of a
+roll of parchment written in strange black letters, which was his
+reading-book, or mastering a pony which wanted to kick him off. And the
+people of Palermo looked on, and whispered to each other:
+
+'Ah! what a king he will make!'
+
+But soon a terrible end came to all these hopes!
+
+William's father, king Embrons, had a brother who would have been the
+heir to the throne but for the little prince. He was a wicked man, and
+hated his nephew, but when the boy was born he was away at the wars, and
+did not return till five years later. Then he lost no time in making
+friends with the two ladies who took care of William, and slowly managed
+to gain their confidence. By-and-by he worked upon them with his
+promises and gifts, till they became as wicked as he was, and even
+agreed to kill not only the child, but the king his father.
+
+Now adjoining the palace at Palermo was a large park, planted with
+flowering trees and filled with wild beasts. The royal family loved to
+roam about the park, and often held jousts and sports on the green
+grass, while William played with his dogs or picked flowers.
+
+One day--it was a festival--the whole court went into the park at noon,
+after they had finished dining, and the queen and her ladies busied
+themselves with embroidering a quilt for the royal bed, while the king
+and his courtiers shot at a mark. Suddenly there leapt from a bush a
+huge grey wolf with his mouth open and his tongue hanging out. Before
+anyone had time to recover from his surprise, the great beast had caught
+up the child, and was bounding with him through the park, and over the
+wall into the plain by the sea. When the courtiers had regained their
+senses, both the wolf and boy were out of sight.
+
+Oh! what weeping and wailing burst forth from the king and queen when
+they understood that their little son was gone from them for ever, only,
+as they supposed, to die a cruel death! For of course they did not know
+that one far worse had awaited him at home.
+
+After the first shock, William did not very much mind what was happening
+to him. The wolf jerked him on to his back, and told him to hold fast by
+his ears, and the boy sat comfortably among the thick hair, and did not
+even get his feet wet as they swam across the Straits of Messina. On the
+other side, not far from Rome, was a forest of tall trees, and as by
+this time it was getting dark, the wolf placed William on a bed of soft
+fern, and broke off a branch of delicious fruits, which he gave him for
+supper. Then he scooped out a deep pit with his paws, and lined it
+with moss and feathery grasses, and there they both lay down and slept
+till morning; in spite of missing his mother, in all his life William
+had never been so happy.
+
+[Illustration: The Wer-Wolf carries Prince William away]
+
+For eight days they stayed in the forest, and it seemed to the boy as if
+he had never dwelt anywhere else. There was so much to see and to do,
+and when he was tired of playing the wolf told him stories.
+
+But one morning, before he was properly awake, he felt himself gently
+shaken by a paw, and he sat up, and looked about him. 'Listen to me,'
+said the wolf. 'I have to go right over to the other side of the wood,
+on some business of a friend's, and I shall not be back till sunset. Be
+careful not to stray out of sight of this pit, for you may easily lose
+yourself. You will find plenty of fruit and nuts piled up under that
+cherry tree.'
+
+So the wolf went away, and the child curled himself up for another
+sleep, and when the sun was high and its beams awakened him, he got up
+and had his breakfast. While he was eating, birds with blue and green
+feathers came and hopped on his shoulder and pecked at the fruit he was
+putting into his mouth, and William made friends with them all, and they
+suffered him to stroke their heads.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Now there dwelt in the forest an old cowherd, who happened that morning
+to have work to do not far from the pit where William lived with the
+wolf. He took with him a big dog, which helped him to collect the cows
+when they wandered, and to keep off any strange beasts that threatened
+to attack them. On this particular morning there were no cows, so the
+dog ran hither and thither as he would, enjoying himself mightily, when
+suddenly he set up a loud barking, as if he had found a prey, and the
+noise caused the old man to hasten his steps.
+
+When he reached the spot from which the noise came, the dog was standing
+at the edge of a pit, out of which came a frightened cry. The old man
+looked in, and there he saw a child clad in garments that shone like
+gold, shrinking timidly into the farthest corner.
+
+'Fear nothing, my boy,' said the cowherd; 'he will never hurt you, and
+even if he wished I would not let him;' and as he spoke he held out his
+hand. At this William took courage. He was not really a coward, but he
+felt lonely and it seemed a long time since the wolf had gone away.
+Would he _really_ ever come back? This old man looked kind, and there
+could be no harm in speaking to him. So he took the outstretched hand
+and scrambled out of the pit, and the cowherd gathered apples for him,
+and other fruits that grew on the tops of trees too high for the wolf to
+reach. And all the day they wandered on and on, till they came to the
+cowherd's cottage, before which an old woman was standing.
+
+'I have brought you a little boy,' he said, 'whom I found in the
+forest.'
+
+'Ah, a lucky star was shining when you got up to-day,' answered she.
+'And what is your name, my little man? And will you stay and live with
+me?'
+
+'My name is William, and you look kind like my grandmother, and I will
+stay with you,' said the boy; and the old people were very glad, and
+they milked a cow, and gave him warm milk for his supper.
+
+When the wolf returned--he was not a wolf at all, but the son of the
+king of Spain, who had been enchanted by his stepmother--he was very
+unhappy at finding the pit empty. Indeed, his first thought was that a
+lion must have carried off the boy and eaten him, or that an eagle must
+have pounced on him from the sky, and borne him away to his young ones
+for supper. But after he had cried till he could cry no more, it
+occurred to him that before he gave up the boy for dead it would be well
+to make a search, as perchance there might be some sign of his
+whereabouts. So he dried his eyes with his tail and jumped up quite
+cheerfully.
+
+[Illustration: The Emperor carries William away]
+
+He began by looking to see if the bushes round about were broken and
+torn as if some great beast had crashed through them. But they were all
+just as he had left them in the morning, with the creepers still
+knotting tree to tree. No, it was clear that no lion had been near the
+spot. Then he examined the ground carefully for a bird's feather or a
+shred of a child's dress; he did not find these either, but the marks
+of a man's foot were quite plain, and these he followed.
+
+The track turned and twisted for about two miles, and then stopped at a
+little cottage with roses climbing up the walls. The wolf did not want
+to show himself, so he crept quietly round to the back, where there was
+a hole in the door just big enough for the cats to come in and out of.
+The wolf peeped through this hole and saw William eating his supper, and
+chattering away to the old woman as if he had known her all his life,
+for he was a friendly little boy, and purred like a pussy-cat when he
+was pleased. And when the wolf saw that all was well with the child, he
+was glad and went his way.
+
+'William will be safer with them than with me,' he said to himself.
+
+Many years went by, and William had grown a big boy, and was very useful
+to the cowherd and his wife. He could shoot now with his bow and arrow
+in a manner which would have pleased his first teacher, and he and his
+playfellows--the sons of charcoal-burners and woodmen--were wont to keep
+the pots supplied at home with the game they found in the forest.
+Besides this, he filled the pails full of water from the stream, and
+chopped wood for the fire, and, sometimes, was even trusted to cook the
+dinner. And when _this_ happened William was a very proud boy indeed.
+
+One day the emperor planned a great hunt to take place in the forest,
+and, while following a wild boar, he outstripped all his courtiers and
+lost his way. Turning first down one path and then the other, he came
+upon a boy gathering fruit, and so beautiful was he that the emperor
+thought that he must be of a fairy race.
+
+'What is your name, my child?' asked the emperor; 'and where do you
+live?'
+
+The boy looked round at the sound of his voice, and, taking off his cap,
+bowed low.
+
+'I am called William, noble sir,' he answered, 'and I live with a
+cowherd, my father, in a cottage near by. Other kindred have I none that
+ever I heard of;' for the gardens of Palermo and the life of the palace
+had now faded into dreams in the memory of the child.
+
+'Bid your father come hither and speak to me,' said the emperor, but
+William did not move.
+
+'I fear lest harm should befall him through me,' he answered, 'and that
+shall never be.' But the emperor smiled as he heard him.
+
+'Not harm, but good,' he said; and William took courage and hastened
+down the path to the cottage.
+
+'I am the emperor,' said the stranger, when the boy and the cowherd
+returned together. 'Tell me truly, is this your son?'
+
+Then the cowherd, trembling all over, told the whole story, and when he
+had finished the emperor said quietly:
+
+'You have done well, but from to-day the boy shall be mine, and shall
+grow up with my daughter.'
+
+The heart of the cowherd sank as he thought how sorely he and his wife
+would miss William, but he kept silence. Not so William, who broke into
+sobs and wails.
+
+'I should have fared ill if this good man and his wife had not taken me
+and nourished me. I know not whence I came or whither I shall go! None
+can be so kind as they have been.'
+
+'Cease weeping, fair child,' said the emperor, 'some day you shall be
+able to reward the good that they have done you;' and then the cowherd
+spoke and gave him wise counsel how to behave himself at court.
+
+'Be no teller of tales, and let your words be few. Be true to your lord,
+and fair of speech to all men; and seek to help the poor when you may.'
+
+'Set him on my horse,' said the emperor, and, though William wept still
+as he bade farewell to the cowherd, and sent a sorrowful greeting to his
+wife and to his playfellows Hugonet, and Abelot, and Akarin, yet he was
+pleased to be riding in such royal fashion, and soon dried his tears.
+
+They reached the palace at last, and the emperor led William into the
+hall, and sent a messenger for Melior, his daughter.
+
+'I have brought home a present for you,' he cried, as she entered; 'and
+be sure to treat him as you would your brother, for he has come of
+goodly kindred, though now he does not know where he was born, or who
+was his father.' And with that he told her the tale of how he had found
+the boy in the wood.
+
+'I shall care for him willingly,' answered Melior, and she took him
+away, and saw that supper was set before him, and clothes provided for
+him, and made him ready for his duties as page to the emperor.
+
+So the boy and girl grew up together, and everyone loved William, who
+was gentle and pleasant to all, and was skilled in what a gentleman
+should know. Wise he was too, beyond his years, and the emperor kept him
+ever at his side, and took counsel with him on many subjects touching
+his honour and the welfare of his people.
+
+And if the people loved him, how much more Melior, who saw him about the
+court all day long, and knew the store her father set on him? Yet she
+remembered with sadness certain whispers she had heard of a match
+between herself and a foreign prince, and if her father had promised her
+hand nought would make him break his word.
+
+So she sighed and bewailed herself in secret, till her cousin
+Alexandrine marked that something was amiss.
+
+'Tell me all your sickness,' said Alexandrine one day, 'and what grieves
+you so sorely. You know that you can trust me, for I have served you
+truly, and perhaps I may be able to help you in this strait!'
+
+[Illustration: The lovers meet by plan of Alexandrine]
+
+Then Melior told her, and Alexandrine listened in amaze. From his
+childhood William and the two girls had played together, and well
+Alexandrine knew that the emperor had cast his eyes upon another
+son-in-law. Still, she loved her cousin, and she loved William too, so
+she said.
+
+'Mourn no longer, madam; I am skilled in magic, and can heal you. So
+weep no more.' And Melior took heart and was comforted.
+
+That night Alexandrine caused William to dream a dream in which the
+whole world vanished away, and only he and Melior were left. In a moment
+he felt that as long as she was there the rest might go, and that she
+was the princess that was waiting for every prince. But who was he that
+he should dare to ask for the emperor's daughter? and what chance had he
+amongst the noble suitors who now began to throng the palace? These
+thoughts made him very sad, and he went about his duties with a face as
+long as Melior's was now.
+
+Alexandrine paid no heed to his gloomy looks. She was very wise, and for
+some days left her magic to work. At last one morning she thought the
+time had come to heal the wounds she had caused, and planned a meeting
+between them. After this they had no more need of her, neither did
+Melior weep any longer.
+
+For a while they were content, and asked nothing more than to see each
+other every day, as they had always done. But soon a fresh source of
+grief came. A war broke out, in which William, now a knight, had to
+follow the emperor, and more than once saved the life of his master. On
+their return, when the enemy was put to flight, the expected ambassadors
+from Greece arrived at court, to seek the hand of Melior, which was
+readily granted by her father. This news made William sick almost unto
+death, and Melior, who was resolved not to marry the stranger, hastened
+to Alexandrine in order to implore her help.
+
+But Alexandrine only shook her head.
+
+'It is true,' said she, 'that, unless you manage to escape, you will be
+forced to wed the prince; but how are you to get away when there are
+guards before every door of the palace, except by the little gate, and
+to reach that you will have first to pass by the sentries, who know
+you?'
+
+'O dear Alexandrine,' cried Melior, clasping her hands in despair. 'Do
+try to think of some way to save us! I am sure you can; you are always
+clever, and there is nobody else.'
+
+And Alexandrine did think of a way, but what it was must be told in the
+next chapter.
+
+
+
+
+THE DISENCHANTMENT OF THE WERWOLF
+
+(WILLIAM OF PALERMO)
+
+
+Everybody will remember that William and Melior trusted to Alexandrine
+to help them to escape from the palace, before Melior was forced into
+marriage by her father with the prince of Greece. At first Alexandrine
+declared that it was quite impossible to get them away unseen, but at
+length she thought of something which might succeed, though, if it
+failed, all three would pay a heavy penalty.
+
+And this was her plan, and a very good one too.
+
+She would borrow some boy's clothes, and put them on, hiding her hair
+under one of those tight caps that kitchen varlets wore covering all
+their heads; she would then go down into the big kitchens underneath the
+palace, where the wild beasts shot by the emperor were skinned and made
+into coats for the winter. Here she would have a chance of slipping out
+unnoticed with the skins of two white bears, and in these she would sew
+up William and Melior, and would let them through the little back gate,
+from which they could easily escape into the forest.
+
+'Oh, I knew you would find a way!' said Melior, throwing her arms
+joyfully round her cousin's neck. 'I am quite sure it will all go right,
+only let us make haste, for my father may find us out, or perhaps I may
+lose my courage.'
+
+'I will set about it at once,' said Alexandrine, 'and you and William
+must be ready to-night.'
+
+So she got her boy's clothes, which her maid stole for her out of the
+room of one of the scullions, and dressed herself in them, smearing her
+face and hands with walnut-juice, that their whiteness might not betray
+her. She slipped down by some dark stairs into the kitchen, and joined a
+company of men who were hard at work on a pile of dead animals. The sun
+had set, and in the corner of the great hall where the flaying was going
+on, there was very little light, but Alexandrine marked that close to an
+open door was a heap of bearskins, and she took up her position as near
+them as she could. But the girl was careful not to stand too long in one
+place; she moved about from one group of men to another, lending a hand
+here and there and passing a merry jest, and as she did so she gave the
+topmost skins a little shove with her foot, getting them each time
+closer to the open door, and always watching her chance to pick them up
+and run off with them.
+
+It came at last. The torch which lighted that end of the hall flared up
+and went out, leaving the men in darkness. One of them rose to fetch
+another, and, quick as thought, Alexandrine caught up the bearskins and
+was outside in the garden. From that it was easy to make her way
+upstairs unseen.
+
+'See how I have sped!' she said, throwing the skins on the floor. 'But
+night is coming on apace, and we have no time to lose; I must sew you up
+in them at once.'
+
+The skins were both so large that Melior and William wore all their own
+clothes beneath, and did not feel at all hot, as they expected to do.
+
+'Am I not a bold beast?' asked Melior in glee, as she caught sight of
+herself in a polished shield on the wall. 'Methinks no handsomer bear
+was ever seen!'
+
+[Illustration: THE BEARSKINS: AM NOT I A BOLD BEAST?]
+
+'Yes, verily, madam,' answered her maiden, 'you are indeed a grisly
+ghost, and no man will dare to come near you. But now stand aside, for
+it is William's turn.'
+
+'How do you like me, sweetheart?' asked he, when the last stitches had
+been put in.
+
+'You have so fierce an air, and are so hideous a sight, that I fear to
+look on you!' said she. And William laughed and begged Alexandrine to
+guide them through the garden, as they were not yet used to going on all
+fours, and might stumble.
+
+As they passed through the bushes, galloping madly--for in spite of the
+danger they felt as though they were children again--a Greek who was
+walking up to the palace saw them afar, and, seized with dread, took
+shelter in the nearest hut, where he told his tale. The men who heard it
+paid but little heed at the time, though they remembered it after; but
+bears were common in that country, and often came out of the forest at
+night.
+
+Not knowing what a narrow escape they had had, the two runaways
+travelled till sunrise, when they hid themselves in a cave on the side
+of a hill. They had nothing to eat, but were too tired to think of that
+till they had had a good sleep, though when they woke up they began to
+wonder how they should get any food.
+
+'Oh, it will be all right!' said Melior; 'there are blackberries in
+plenty and acorns and hazel-nuts, and there is a stream just below the
+cave--do you not hear it? It will all be much nicer than anything in the
+palace.'
+
+But William did not seem to agree with her, and wished to seek out some
+man who would give him something he liked better than nuts and acorns.
+This, however, Melior would not hear of; they would certainly be
+followed and betrayed, she said, and, to please her, William ate the
+fruit and stayed in the cave, wondering what would happen on the morrow.
+
+Luckily for themselves, they did not have to wait so long before they
+got a good supper. Their friend the werwolf had spied them from afar,
+and was ready to come to their rescue. During that day he had hidden
+himself under a clump of bushes close to the highway, and by-and-by he
+saw a man approaching, carrying a very fat wallet over his shoulder. The
+wolf bounded out of his cover, growling fiercely, which so frightened
+the man that he dropped the wallet and ran into the wood. Then the wolf
+picked up the wallet, which contained a loaf of bread and some meat
+ready cooked, and galloped away with it to William.
+
+They felt quite strong and hearty again when they had finished their
+supper, and quite ready to continue their journey. As it was night, and
+the country was very lonely, they walked on two feet, but when morning
+came, or they saw signs that men were about, they speedily dropped on
+all fours. And all the way the werwolf followed them, and saw that they
+never lacked for food.
+
+Meanwhile the preparations for Melior's marriage to the prince of Greece
+were going on blithely in the palace, and none thought of asking for the
+bride. At last, when everything was finished, the emperor bade the high
+chamberlain fetch the princess.
+
+'She is not in her room, your Majesty,' said the chamberlain, when he
+re-entered the hall; but the emperor only thought that his daughter was
+timid, and answered that he would go and bring her himself.
+
+Like the chamberlain, he found the outer room empty and passed on to the
+door of the inner one, which was locked. He shook and thumped and yelled
+with anger, till Alexandrine heard him from her distant turret, and,
+terrified though she was, hastened to find out what was the matter.
+
+'My daughter! Where is my daughter?' he cried, stammering with rage.
+
+'Asleep, sire,' answered Alexandrine.
+
+'Asleep still!' said the emperor; 'then wake her instantly, for the
+bridegroom is ready and I am waiting to lead her to him.'
+
+'Alas! sire, Melior has heard that in Greece royal brides pass their
+lives shut in a tower, and she has sworn that she will never wed one of
+that race. But, indeed, for my part, I think that is not her true
+reason, and that she has pledged her faith to another, whom you also
+know and love.'
+
+[Illustration: The Werwolf's visit to the Cave]
+
+'And who may that be?' asked the emperor.
+
+'The man who saved your life in battle, William himself,' answered
+Alexandrine boldly, though her limbs shook with fear.
+
+At this news the emperor was half beside himself with grief and rage.
+
+'Where is she?' he cried; 'speak, girl, or I will shut you up in the
+tower.'
+
+'Where is William?' asked Alexandrine. 'If Melior is not here, and
+William is not here, then of a surety they have gone away together.'
+
+The emperor looked at her in silence for a moment.
+
+'The Greeks will make war on me for this insult,' he said; 'and, as for
+William, a body of soldiers shall go in search of him this moment, and
+when he is found I will have his head cut off, and stuck on my palace
+gate as a warning to traitors.'
+
+But the soldiers could not find him. Perhaps they did not look very
+carefully, for, like everyone else, they loved William. Party after
+party was sent out by the emperor, but they all returned without finding
+a trace of the runaways. Then at last the Greek who had seen the two
+white bears galloping through the garden came to the high chamberlain
+and told his tale.
+
+'Send to the kitchen at once and ask if any bearskins are missing,'
+ordered the chamberlain; and the page returned with the tidings that the
+skins of two white bears could not be found.
+
+Now the werwolf had been lurking round the palace seeking for news, and
+as soon as he heard that the emperor had ordered out his dogs to hunt
+the white bears, he made a plan in his head to save William and Melior.
+He hid in some bushes that lay in the path of the hounds, and let them
+get quite near him. As soon as they were close, he sprang out in front
+of their noses and they gave chase at once. And a fine dance he led
+them!--over mountains and through swamps, under ferns that were thickly
+matted together, and past wide lakes. And every step they took brought
+them further away from the bears, who were lying snugly in their den.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+At last even the patience of the emperor was exhausted. He gave up the
+hunt, and bade his men call off the dogs and go home.
+
+'They have escaped me this time,' said he, 'but I will have them
+by-and-by. Let a reward be offered, and posted up on the gate of every
+city. After all, that is the surest way of capturing them.'
+
+And the emperor was right: the shepherds and goatherds were told that if
+they could bring the two white bears to the gates of the palace they
+would not need to work for the rest of their lives, and they kept a
+sharp look-out as they followed their flocks. Once a man actually saw
+them, and gave notice to one of the royal officials, who brought a
+company of spearmen and surrounded the cave. Another moment, and they
+would have been seized, had not the wolf again come to their rescue. He
+leapt out from behind a rock, and snatched up the officer's son, who had
+followed his father. The poor man shrieked in horror, and cried out to
+save the boy, so they all turned and went after the wolf as before.
+
+'We are safer now in our own clothes,' said William; and they hastily
+stripped off the bearskins, and stole away, but they would not leave the
+skins behind, for they had learnt to love them.
+
+For a long while they wandered through the forest, the werwolf ever
+watching over them, and bringing them food. At length the news spread
+abroad, no one knew how, that William and Melior were running about as
+bears no more, but in the garments they always wore. So men began to
+look out for them, and once they were very nearly caught by some
+charcoal-burners. Then the wolf killed a hart and a hind, and sewed them
+in their skins and guided them across the Straits of Messina into the
+kingdom of Sicily.
+
+Very dimly, and one by one, little things that had happened in his
+childhood began to come back to William; but he wondered greatly how he
+seemed to know this land, where he had never been before. The king his
+father had been long dead, but the queen (his mother) and his sister
+were besieged in the city of Palermo by the king of Spain, who was full
+of wrath because the princess had refused to marry his son. The queen
+was in great straits, when one night she dreamed that a wolf and two
+harts had come to help her, and one bore the face of her son, while both
+had crowns on their heads.
+
+She could sleep no more that night, so she rose and looked out of the
+window on the park which lay below, and there, under the trees, were the
+hart and the hind! Panting for joy, the queen summoned a priest, and
+told him her dream, and, as she told it, behold the skins cracked, and
+shining clothes appeared beneath.
+
+'Your dream has been fulfilled,' said the priest. 'The hind is the
+daughter of the emperor of Rome, who fled away with yonder knight
+dressed in a hart skin!'
+
+Joyfully the queen made herself ready, and she soon joined the animals,
+who had wandered off to a part of the park that was full of rocks and
+caves. She greeted them with fair words, and begged William to take
+service under her, which he did gladly.
+
+'Sweet sir, what token will you wear on your shield?' asked she; and
+William answered, 'Good madam, I will have a werwolf on a shield of
+gold, and let him be made hideous and huge.'
+
+'That shall be done,' said she.
+
+When the shield was painted, William prayed her to give him a horse, and
+she led him into the stable, and bade him choose one for himself. And he
+chose one that had been ridden by the late king his father. And the
+horse knew him, though his mother did not, and it neighed from pure
+delight. After that William called to the soldiers to rally round him,
+and there was fought a great battle, and the Spaniards were put to
+flight, and throughout Palermo the people rejoiced mightily.
+
+When the enemy had retreated far away, and William returned to the
+palace, where the queen and Melior were awaiting him; suddenly, from the
+window, they beheld the werwolf go by, and as he passed he held up his
+foot as if he craved mercy.
+
+'What does he mean by that?' asked the queen.
+
+'It betokens great good to us,' answered William.
+
+'That is well,' said the queen; 'but the sight of that beast causes me
+much sorrow. For my fair son was stolen away from me by such a one, when
+he was four years old, and never more have I heard of him.' But in her
+heart she felt, though she said nothing, that she had found him again.
+
+By-and-by the king of Spain came back with another army, and there was
+more fighting. In the end the Spanish king was forced to yield up his
+sword to William, who carried him captor to his mother Felice. The queen
+received him with great courtesy, and placed him next her at dinner, and
+the peers who had likewise been taken prisoners sat down to feast.
+
+The next day a council was held in the hall of the palace to consider
+the terms of peace. The king of Spain and his son were present also, and
+everyone said in turn what penalty the enemy should pay for having
+besieged their city and laid waste their cornfields. In the midst of
+this grave discussion a werwolf entered through the open door, and,
+trotting up to the Spanish king, he kissed his feet. Then he bowed to
+the queen and to William, and went away as he came.
+
+The sight of his tail disappearing through the door restored to the
+guards their courage, which had vanished in the presence of anything so
+unexpected. They sprang up to pursue him, but like a flash of lightning
+William flung himself in their path, crying, 'If any man dare to hurt
+that beast, I will do him to death with my own hands;' and, as they all
+knew that William meant what he said, they slunk back to their places.
+
+'Tell me, gracious king,' asked William when they were all seated afresh
+round the council table, 'why did the wolf bow to you more than to other
+men?'
+
+Then the king made answer that long ago his first wife had died, leaving
+him with a son, and that in a little while he had married again, and
+that his second wife had had a son also. One day when he came back from
+the wars she told him that his eldest son had been drowned, but he found
+out afterwards that she had changed him into a werwolf, so that her own
+child might succeed to the crown.
+
+'And I think,' he added, 'that this werwolf may be indeed the son I
+lost.'
+
+'It may right well be thus,' cried William, 'for he has the mind of a
+man, and of a wise man too. Often has he succoured me in my great need,
+and if your wife had skill to turn him into a werwolf her charms can
+make him a man again. Therefore, sire, neither you nor your people shall
+go hence out of prison till he has left his beast's shape behind him. So
+bid your queen come hither, and if she says you nay I will fetch her
+myself!'
+
+Then the king called one of his great lords, and he bade him haste to
+Spain and tell the queen what had befallen him, and to bring her with
+all speed to Palermo. Little as she liked the summons, the Spanish queen
+dared not refuse, and on her arrival she was led at once into the great
+hall, which was filled with a vast company, both of Spaniards and
+Sicilians. When all were assembled William fetched the werwolf from his
+chamber, where he had lain for nights and days, waiting till his
+stepmother should come.
+
+Together they entered the hall, but at the sight of the wicked woman who
+had done him such ill the wolf's bristles stood up on his back, and with
+a snarl that chilled the blood of all that heard it he sprang towards
+the dais. But, luckily, William was on the watch, and, flinging his arms
+round the wolf's neck, he held him back, saying in a whisper:
+
+[Illustration: THE FURY OF THE WER-WOLF]
+
+'My dear, sweet beast, trust to me as truly as to your own brother. I
+sent for her for your sake, and if she does not undo her evil spells
+I will have her body burned to coals, and her ashes scattered to the
+winds.'
+
+The wicked queen knew well what doom awaited her, and that she could
+resist no longer. Sinking on her knees before the wolf, she confessed
+the ill she had wrought, and added:
+
+'Sweet Alfonso, soon shall the people see your seemly face, and your
+body as it would have been but for me!' At that she led the wolf into a
+private chamber, and, drawing from her wallet a thread of red silk, she
+bound it round a ring she wore, which no witchcraft could prevail
+against. This ring she hung round the wolf's neck, and afterwards read
+him some rhymes out of a book. Then the werwolf looked at his body, and,
+behold, he was a man again!
+
+There were great rejoicings at the court of Palermo when prince Alfonso
+came among them once more. He forgave the queen for her wickedness, and
+rebuked his father for having stirred up such a wanton and bloody war.
+
+'Plague and famine would have preyed upon this land,' he said, 'had not
+this knight, whose real name is unknown to you, come to your aid. He is
+the rightful lord of this country, for he is the son of king Embrons and
+queen Felice, and I am the werwolf who carried him away, to save him
+from a cruel death that was planned for him by his own uncle!'
+
+So the tale ends and everyone was made happy. The werwolf, now prince
+Alfonso, married William's sister, and in due time ruled the kingdom of
+Spain, and William and Melior lived at Palermo till the emperor her
+father died, when the Romans offered him the crown in his stead.
+
+And if you want to know any more about them, you must read the story for
+yourselves.
+
+(Old Romance of _William of Palermo_.)
+
+
+
+
+THE SLAYING OF HALLGERDA'S HUSBANDS
+
+
+If any traveller had visited Iceland nearly a thousand years ago, he
+would have found the island full of busy, industrious people, who made
+the most of their short summer, and tilled the ground so well that they
+generally reaped a golden harvest. Many of the families were akin, and
+had fled some sixty years earlier from Norway and the islands of the sea
+because the king, Harald Fairhair, had introduced new laws, which
+displeased them. They were soon joined, for one reason and another, by
+dwellers in Orkney and Shetland and the Faroe Islands and the Hebrides,
+and, being men of one race, they easily adopted the same customs and
+obeyed the same laws.
+
+Now the Northmen had many good qualities and many very troublesome ones.
+The father of every household had absolute power over all his children;
+he fixed the amount of money that should be paid in exchange for his
+daughter at her marriage, and the sum that was due for the wounded slave
+or 'thrall' as he was called, or even for his murdered son; or, if he
+thought better, he could refuse to take any money at all as the price of
+his injuries, and could then avenge blood by blood.
+
+But once he had declared his purpose he was bound to abide by his word.
+
+Fond though they were of fighting, the Northmen had their own notions of
+fair dealing. If you had killed a man, you had to confess it; if you
+slew him at night, or when he was sleeping, you were guilty of murder,
+and if you refused to throw gravel or sand over his body, thus denying
+your enemy the rights of burial, you were considered a dastard even by
+your friends.
+
+[Illustration: HAUSKULD'S PRIDE IN HALLGERDA]
+
+Now in the valley or dale of the river Laxa dwelt two brothers, each in
+his own house. One was named Hauskuld, and the other Hrut. This Hrut was
+much younger than Hauskuld, and was handsome, brave, and, like so many
+of the Northmen, very gentle when not engaged in war. Like many of them
+also, the gift was given him of reading the future.
+
+One day Hauskuld made a feast, and Hrut came with many of his kinsmen,
+and took his place next his brother Hauskuld. They were all seated in
+the great hall of the house and near the fire Hauskuld's little
+daughter, Hallgerda, was playing with some other children. Fair and blue
+eyed were they all, but Hallgerda was taller and more beautiful than
+any, and her hair fell in long bright curls far below her waist. 'Come
+hither,' said Hauskuld, holding out his hand, and, taking her by the
+chin, he kissed her and bade her go back to her companions. Then,
+turning to his brother he asked:
+
+'Well, is she not fair to look upon?' but Hrut held his peace. Again
+Hauskuld would know what was in the thoughts of Hrut concerning the
+maiden, and this time Hrut made answer:
+
+'Of a truth fair is the maid, and great will be the havoc wrought by her
+among men. But one thing I would know, which of our race has given her
+those thief's eyes?'
+
+At that Hauskuld waxed wroth, and bade Hrut begone to his own house.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+After this some years went by. Hrut left Iceland and spent some time at
+the Court of Norway, and then he came back and married, and had much
+trouble with his wife, Unna. But after they had parted and she had gone
+back to her father, Hrut was a free man again, and he went to visit his
+brother Hauskuld, whose daughter Hallgerda had now become a woman. Tall
+and stately she was, and fair, but sly and greedy of gain, as in the
+days of her childhood, and more she loved Thiostolf, whose wife had
+brought her up, than Hauskuld her father, or Hrut her uncle.
+
+When Hallgerda went back to Hauskuld her father, he saw that he must be
+looking out for a husband for her, as the fame of her beauty would go
+far. It was indeed not long before one came to her, Thorwald, son of
+Oswif, who, besides the broad lands which he possessed on the island,
+owned the Bear Isles out in the sea, where fish were to be had in
+abundance.
+
+Oswif, Thorwald's father, knew more about the maiden than did Thorwald,
+who had been on a journey, and he tried to turn his son's thought to
+some other damsel, but Thorwald only answered, 'Whatever you may say,
+she is the only woman I will marry;' and Oswif made reply, 'Well, after
+all, the risk is yours and not mine.'
+
+So they two set out for Hauskuld's house and he bade them welcome
+heartily. They wasted no time before telling him their business, and
+Hauskuld answered that for his part he could desire no more honourable
+match for his daughter, but he would not hide from them that her temper
+was hard and cruel.
+
+'That shall not stand between us,' said Thorwald, 'so tell me what I
+shall pay for her.'
+
+And the bargain was made, and Thorwald rode home with his father, but
+Hallgerda was never asked if she wished to wed Thorwald or not.
+
+When Hauskuld told his daughter that she was to be married to Thorwald,
+she was not pleased, and said that if her father had loved her as much
+as he pretended to do he would have consulted her in such a matter.
+Besides, she did not think that the match was in any way worthy of her.
+
+But, grumble as she might, there was no getting out of it, and, as
+Hauskuld would listen to nothing, she sought for her foster-father,
+Thiostolf, who never had been known to say her nay. When she had told
+her story, he bade her be of good cheer, prophesying that Thorwald
+should not be her only husband, and that if she was not happy she had
+only to come to him and he would do her bidding, be it what it might,
+save as regarded Hauskuld and Hrut.
+
+Then Hallgerda was comforted, and went home to prepare the bridal feast,
+to which all their friends and kinsfolk were bidden. And when the
+marriage was over, she rode home with her husband Thorwald, and
+Thiostolf her foster-father was ever at her side, and she talked more to
+him than to Thorwald. And there he stayed all the winter.
+
+Now, as time went on, Thorwald began to repent that he had not hearkened
+to the words of his father. His wife paid him scant attention, and she
+wasted his goods, and was noted among all the women of the dales for her
+skill in driving a hard bargain. And, beyond all that, folk whispered
+that she was not careful to ask whether the things she took were her own
+or someone else's. This irked Thorwald sore; but worse was to follow.
+The spring came late that year, and Hallgerda told Thorwald that the
+storehouse was empty of meat and fish, and he must go out to the Bear
+Isles and fetch some more. At this Thorwald reproached her, saying that
+it was her fault if garners were not yet full, and on Hallgerda's
+taunting him with being a miser, struck her such a blow in the face that
+blood spouted, and when he left her to row with his men to the islands,
+Hallgerda sat still, vowing vengeance.
+
+It was not long in coming. Soon after, Thiostolf chanced to pass that
+way, and, seeing the blood on her face, asked whence it sprang.
+
+'From the hand of my husband Thorwald,' answered she, and reproached
+Thiostolf for suffering such dealings.
+
+[Illustration: HOW THORWALD WAS SLAIN BY THIOSTOLF]
+
+'I knew not of it,' said Thiostolf, 'but I will avenge it speedily;' and
+he went to the shore, and put off in a boat, taking nothing but a great
+axe with him. He found Thorwald and his men on the beach of the biggest
+island, loading his vessel with meat and fish from the storehouses. Then
+he began to pick a quarrel with Thorwald and spoke words that vexed
+him more and more, till Thorwald bent forward to seize a knife which lay
+near him. This was the moment for which the other had been waiting. He
+lifted his axe and gave a blow at Hallgerda's husband, and, though
+Thorwald tried to defend himself, a second stroke clove his skull.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+'Your axe is bloody,' said Hallgerda, who was standing outside the door.
+
+'Yes; and _this_ time you can choose your own husband,' answered
+Thiostolf; but Hallgerda only asked calmly:
+
+'So Thorwald is dead?' and as Thiostolf nodded she went on: 'You must go
+northward, to Swan my kinsman; he will hide you from your enemies.'
+
+After that she unlocked her chests and dismissed her maidens with gifts;
+then she mounted her horse and rode home to her father.
+
+'Where is Thorwald?' asked Hrut, who had heard nothing.
+
+'He is dead,' answered Hallgerda.
+
+'By the hand of Thiostolf?' said her father.
+
+'By his hand, and by that of no other;' and Hallgerda passed by them and
+entered the house.
+
+As soon as Oswif, Thorwald's father, had heard the tidings, he guessed
+that Thiostolf must have gone northward to Swan, and calling his men
+round him they all rode to the Bearfirth. But before they were in sight
+Swan cried to Thiostolf, 'Oswif is coming, but we need fear nothing,
+they will never see us,' and he took a goatskin and wrapped it round his
+head, and said to it: 'Be thou darkness and fog, and fright and wonder,
+to those who seek us.' And immediately a thick fog and black darkness
+fell over all things, and Oswif and his men lost their way, and tumbled
+off their horses and tripped over large stones, till Oswif resolved to
+give up seeking Thiostolf and Swan, and to go himself to Hauskuld.
+
+Now Hauskuld was abiding at home, and with him was Hrut his brother.
+Oswif got off his horse, and, throwing its bridle over a stake driven
+into the ground, he said to Hauskuld: 'I have come to ask atonement for
+my son's life.'
+
+'It was not I who slew your son,' answered Hauskuld; 'but as he is
+slain, it is just that you should seek atonement from somebody.'
+
+'You have much need to give him what he asks,' said Hrut, 'for it is not
+well that evil tongues should be busy with your daughter's name.'
+
+'Then give the judgment yourself,' replied Hauskuld.
+
+'That will I do, in truth,' said Hrut; 'and be sure that I will not
+spare you, as I know it was Hallgerda wrought his death;' so he offered
+his hand to Oswif, as a token that his award would be accepted, and that
+at the Great Council of the nation he would not summon Hauskuld for
+Thorwald's murder. And Oswif took his hand, and Hauskuld's, and Hrut
+bade his brother pay down two hundred pounds in silver to Oswif, while
+he himself gave him a stout cloak. And Oswif went away well pleased with
+the award.
+
+For some time Hallgerda dwelt in her father's house, and she brought
+with her a share of Thorwald's goods, and was very rich. But men kept
+away from her, having heard tales of her evil ways. At length Glum, the
+youngest son of Olaf the Lame, told his brother that he would go no more
+trading in strange lands, but would remain at home, and meant to take to
+himself a wife, if the one on whom he had set his heart would come to
+him.
+
+So one day a company of the men, with Glum and Thorarin his brother at
+their head, rode into the Dales to the door of Hauskuld's dwelling.
+Hauskuld greeted them heartily and begged them to stay all night,
+sending secretly for Hrut, whose counsel he always asked when any matter
+of importance was talked over.
+
+'Do you know what they want?' said Hrut next morning, when his brother
+met him on the road.
+
+'No,' replied Hauskuld, 'they have not spoken to me of any business.'
+
+'Then I will tell you,' answered Hrut. 'They have come to ask Hallgerda
+in marriage.'
+
+'And what shall I do?' said Hauskuld.
+
+'Tell them you would like the match,' replied Hrut, 'but hide nothing.
+Let them know all there is of good and evil concerning her.'
+
+They reached the house as he spoke, and the guests came out, and
+Thorarin opened his business by entreating Hauskuld to give his daughter
+Hallgerda to Glum his brother. 'You know,' he added, 'that he is rich
+and strong, and thought well of by all men.'
+
+'Yes, I know that,' answered Hauskuld; 'but once before I chose a
+husband for my daughter, and matters turned out ill for all of us.'
+
+'That will be no hindrance,' replied Thorarin, 'for the lot of one man
+is not the lot of all men. And things might have fared better had it not
+been for the meddling of Thiostolf.'
+
+'You speak truth,' said Hrut, who had listened to their talk in silence;
+'and the marriage may yet turn out well if you will do as I tell you.
+See that you suffer not Thiostolf to ride with her to Glum's house, and
+that he never sleeps in the house for more than three nights running,
+without Glum's leave, on pain of outlawry and death by Glum himself. And
+if Glum will hearken to my counsel, leave to stay he will never give.
+But it is time to let Hallgerda know of the matter, and she shall say
+whether Glum is to her mind.'
+
+And Thorarin agreed, and Hauskuld sent to summon his daughter.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Now, though nothing had been said to Hallgerda as to the business which
+brought all these men to her father's house, perhaps she may have
+guessed something, for when she appeared she was attended by her two
+women, and clad in her festal garments. She wore a dress of scarlet,
+girdled by a silver belt, and over it a mantle of soft dark blue, while
+her thick yellow hair was unbound, and fell almost to her knees. She
+smiled and spoke kindly to the visitors, then sat herself down between
+her father and uncle. After that Glum spoke.
+
+'Your father and Thorarin my brother have had talk about a marriage
+betwixt you and me, Hallgerda. Is it your will, as it is theirs? Tell me
+all that is in your heart. For, if you like me not, I will straightway
+ride back again.'
+
+'The match is to my liking,' answered Hallgerda, 'and better suited to
+my condition than what my father made for me before. And you are to my
+liking also, if our tempers do not fall out.'
+
+'Let Hallgerda betroth herself,' said Hrut, when they had told her what
+terms had been arranged, and that Glum should bring goods or money to an
+equal value to Hallgerda's, and that they two should divide the whole.
+
+After that the betrothal ceremony took place, and Glum went away, and
+returned no more till his wedding.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+There was a great company in Hauskuld's hall to witness Hallgerda's
+marriage, and when the feast began Thiostolf might have been seen
+stalking about holding his axe aloft; but, as the guests pretended not
+to know he was there, no harm came of it.
+
+For some time Glum and his wife lived happily together, though Hallgerda
+proved herself the same greedy yet wasteful woman she had been before.
+At the end of a year a daughter was born to her, whom she named
+Thorgerda, and the child grew up to be as beautiful as her mother. But
+by-and-by trouble came to them through Thiostolf, who had been driven
+away by Hauskuld for beating one of his thralls. Thiostolf vowed
+vengeance in his heart, and rode south to Glum's house.
+
+Hallgerda was pleased to see him, but when she heard his tale she said
+she could not give him shelter without the consent of Glum. So when her
+husband came in she ran quickly to greet him, and, putting her arms
+round his neck, she asked if he would agree to something she wished very
+much.
+
+'If it is anything I can do in honour,' answered Glum, 'do it I will of
+a surety.'
+
+Then she told him how her father had cast out Thiostolf, and that he had
+come to her for shelter, and she wished him to remain, if it was Glum's
+will. And Glum answered that, if she wished it greatly, Thiostolf should
+remain, unless he betook himself to evil courses.
+
+For a while Thiostolf went warily, and no fault did Glum find with him;
+then he fell to marring everything, as he had done in Thorwald's time,
+and to no one would he listen save to Hallgerda only. In vain Thorarin
+warned Glum that things would have an ill ending, but Glum only smiled,
+and let Hallgerda have her way.
+
+When autumn came, and the days grew short and cold, the men went to
+bring their flocks home from the pastures where they had been feeding
+all the summer. It was hard work, for the sheep often strayed far, and,
+besides, the flocks got mixed up, and needed to be separated one from
+the other. One day, when the shepherds had brought tidings that many of
+Glum's sheep were missing, Glum bade Thiostolf go into the hills and see
+if he could find those that were lost.
+
+But Thiostolf grew angry, and answered rudely:
+
+'I am not your slave, and it is not my work to bring in sheep. If you
+mean to go yourself, perhaps I will consent to go with you.'
+
+At this Glum was greatly angered, and, seeking Hallgerda, he told her
+what had happened, adding as he did so:
+
+'I will not have Thiostolf here any longer.'
+
+Then Hallgerda waxed very wrathful, and she upheld Thiostolf in his ill
+doing.
+
+At last the patience of Glum gave way, and he struck her a blow in the
+face, and crying, 'Words are wasted on you,' went off to his own
+business. Hallgerda, who loved him much in spite of her unruly tongue,
+wept bitterly at the thought of what had happened, and, as evil fate
+would have it, Thiostolf heard her, and saw the red mark across her
+cheek.
+
+'It shall not be there again,' he said, but Hallgerda answered:
+
+'It is not for you to come between Glum and me.'
+
+When he heard this, Thiostolf only smiled and said nothing, but got
+ready to go with Glum and his men, to seek after the sheep. After long
+searchings they found many of those that were missing, and he sent some
+of his men one way and some another, till at length by chance he and
+Thiostolf were left alone. They soon came upon a flock of wild sheep,
+and tried to drive them down the steep side of a hill towards Glum's
+house, but it was of no use, and as fast as the sheep were collected
+together they all scattered again. Very soon, Glum and Thiostolf grew
+tired and ill-tempered, and each told the other he was stupid and lazy.
+At length, Glum taunted Thiostolf with being a thrall, and from that
+blows quickly followed. Both men drew their axes, but Thiostolf struck
+so hard at Glum that he rolled dead upon the ground.
+
+At the sight of Glum lying dead at his feet, Thiostolf's wrath cooled
+somewhat. He stooped and covered Glum's body with stones, and took a
+gold ring from his finger. After that he took the road back to Varmalek,
+and found Hallgerda sitting in front of the door. Her eyes fell
+instantly on the bloody axe, and Thiostolf saw this and said hastily:
+
+'Glum, your husband, is slain.'
+
+[Illustration: THIOSTOLF DECIDES TO SLAY GLUM]
+
+'Then it is by your hand,' she answered.
+
+'Yes, it is,' said Thiostolf, and added after a moment's pause: 'What is
+best to be done now?'
+
+'Go to Hrut, and ask him,' replied Hallgerda, and Thiostolf went.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+'Glum is slain' said Thiostolf to Hrut, who had come down to the door in
+answer to Thiostolf's knock.
+
+'Who slew him?' asked Hrut.
+
+'I slew him,' answered Thiostolf.
+
+'Why did you come here?' asked Hrut again.
+
+'Because Hallgerda sent me,' answered Thiostolf.
+
+'Then Hallgerda had no part in his slaying,' said Hrut, with a sound of
+relief in his voice; but as he spoke he drew his sword, which Thiostolf
+saw, and thrust at Hrut with his axe. Hrut, too, saw, and sprang quickly
+aside, knocking up as he did so the handle of the axe, so that it fell
+full on the ground. Turning himself swiftly, Hrut dealt Thiostolf a blow
+which brought him to his knees, and a stab in the heart finished the
+work.
+
+After that Hrut's house-carles laid stones on Thiostolf's body, while he
+himself rode away to tell Hauskuld all that had befallen. And soon after
+Thorarin, Glum's brother, came there too, with eleven men at his back.
+He asked Hauskuld what atonement he would make for Glum, but Hauskuld
+answered that it was neither he nor his daughter who had slain Glum, and
+that Hrut had avenged himself on Thiostolf. To this Thorarin said
+nothing, but Hrut offered to give him gifts, and so peace lay between
+them.
+
+Now, Hrut's wife, Unna, was of kin to two brothers, Gunnar and Kolskegg.
+Both were tall, brave men, but there was not Gunnar's like in all the
+country round for beauty, and for skill in shooting, jumping, and
+swimming. And, besides this, he was beautiful and gentle, faithful to
+the friends he made, but not making them readily. His chief friend was
+Njal, from whom he ever sought counsel, for Njal was a wise man and
+could see far into the future.
+
+Having a mind to see something of the world, Gunnar set sail for Norway,
+where he stayed some time, and had many adventures. It was early in the
+summer when he and Kolskegg sailed home to Iceland, where men were
+assembling for the great Council, or Thing.
+
+Gunnar's first act was to ride off to Njal's house, and Gunnar asked if
+he would be present at the Thing. 'No, truly,' answered Njal; 'stay you
+at home or bad will come of it.'
+
+And Gunnar! What evil was likely to befall him, who wished to live at
+peace with everyone? But Njal only shook his head and said slowly:
+
+'I remain in my own house, and if I had my way you should do so also.'
+
+But Gunnar would not listen, and rode straight off to the Thing.
+
+What happened to him when he got there will be told in another story.
+
+(_Saga_)
+
+
+
+
+_THE DEATH OF GUNNAR_
+
+
+Now of all the men gathered together at the Thing of the year 974, no
+man was handsomer or more splendidly clad than Gunnar. He was arrayed in
+the scarlet raiment given him by King Harald, and he bore on his arm a
+gold ring, given him by Hacon the Earl, and the horse he rode had a
+shining black skin.
+
+A brave figure he made one morning as he left the Hill of Laws and
+passed out beyond the tents of the men of Mossfell. And as he went there
+came to meet him a woman whose dress was no less rich than his. She
+stopped as he drew near, and told him that she was Hallgerda, Hauskuld's
+daughter, and that she knew well that he was Gunnar the traveller, and
+she wished to hear some of the wonders of the lands beyond the seas. So
+he sat down, and they two talked together for long, and they agreed
+well, and became friends. After a while he asked her if she had a
+husband.
+
+'No,' she replied; men feared her, for they held that she brought them
+ill-luck; but at that Gunnar laughed, and said, 'What would you answer
+if I asked you to marry me?'
+
+'Are you jesting?' said Hallgerda.
+
+'No, of a sooth,' replied Gunnar.
+
+'Then go and see what my father has to say to it,' answered Hallgerda,
+and Gunnar went.
+
+Hauskuld was inside his booth when Gunnar arrived. Hrut was there
+likewise, and bade him welcome. For a while the talk ran upon the
+business of the Thing, and then Gunnar turned and asked what answer
+Hauskuld would give if he offered to lay down money for Hallgerda.
+
+'What do you say, Hrut?' inquired Hauskuld.
+
+'It ought not to be,' replied Hrut. 'No man has aught but good to say of
+you; no man has aught but ill to say of her. And this I must not hide
+from you.'
+
+'I thank you for your plain speech,' said Gunnar; 'but my soul is still
+set on wedding Hallgerda. And we have spoken together, and are agreed in
+this matter.'
+
+But though Hrut knew that his words were vain, he told Gunnar all that
+had happened in respect of Hallgerda and her two husbands. And Gunnar
+weighed it for a while, and then he said, 'You know the saying,
+"Forewarned is forearmed." Doubtless it is true, all that you have told
+of Hallgerda, but I am strong, and have travelled far, and if we can
+make a bargain, so shall it be.'
+
+So a messenger was sent for Hallgerda, and she betrothed herself, as she
+had done to Glum, and after that Gunnar rode over to Njal, and told him
+what things had happened.
+
+'Evil will come of it betwixt you and me,' said Njal sadly.
+
+'No woman, or man either, shall ever work ill between us,' answered
+Gunnar, who loved Njal more than his own father.
+
+'She works ill wherever she goes,' replied Njal, 'and you will never
+cease making atonements for her;' but he said no more, for he was a wise
+man and wasted no words, and when Gunnar asked him to come to the
+wedding feast he gave his promise that he would be there.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The winter after Gunnar's wedding, he and Hallgerda were bidden to a
+great feast at Njal's house. Njal and his wife greeted them heartily,
+and by-and-by Helgi, Njal's son, came, and with him Thorhalla his wife.
+Then Bergthora, Njal's wife, went up to Hallgerda, and said, 'Give place
+to Thorhalla,' but Hallgerda would not, and she fell to quarrelling with
+Bergthora, and at last Bergthora taunted Hallgerda with having plotted
+to do Thorwald her husband to death. At that Hallgerda turned and said
+to Gunnar: 'It is nothing to be married to the strongest man in Iceland,
+if you avenge not these insults, Gunnar.'
+
+But Gunnar cried that he would take no part in women's quarrels, least
+of all in Njal's house, and bade Hallgerda come home with him.
+
+'We shall meet again, Bergthora,' said Hallgerda as she mounted the
+sleigh. Then they rode back to Lithend and spent the rest of the winter
+there.
+
+When the spring came, Gunnar went to the Thing, bidding Hallgerda take
+heed, and to give no cause of offence to his friends. But she would give
+no promise, and he set forth with a heavy heart.
+
+By ill-fortune, Njal and Gunnar owned a wood between them, and when Njal
+and his sons departed to the Thing, Bergthora, Njal's wife, ordered
+Swart her servant to cut her some branches for kindling fires from this
+very forest. These tidings reached the ears of Hallgerda, and she
+muttered with a grim face, 'It is the last time that Swart shall steal
+my wood,' and bade Kol, her bailiff, start early next morning and seek
+Swart.
+
+'And when I find him?' asked Kol; but Hallgerda only turned away
+angrily.
+
+'You, the worst of men, ask that?' said she. 'Why, you shall kill him,
+of course.'
+
+So Kol took his axe, though he was ill at ease, for he knew that evil
+would come of it, and he mounted one of Gunnar's horses and fared to the
+wood.
+
+He soon saw Swart and his men piling up bundles of firewood, so he left
+his horse in a hollow, and crouched down behind some bushes, till he
+heard Swart bid the men carry the wood to Njal's house, as he himself
+had more work to do. He began to look about for a tall straight young
+stem with which to make himself a bow, when Kol sprang out of the bushes
+and dealt Swart such a stroke with his axe that he fell dead without a
+word. After that Kol went back and told Hallgerda.
+
+And Hallgerda spoke cheering words, and said he need have no fear, for
+that she would protect him; but Kol's heart was heavy.
+
+Now Hallgerda had forced Kol to slay Swart, to bring about a quarrel
+between her husband and Njal, so she straightway sent a messenger to
+seek Gunnar at the Thing, and tell him what had befallen Swart. Gunnar
+listened in silence to the messenger's tale; then he called his men
+around him, and they all went to Njal's tent, and begged him to come out
+and speak to Gunnar.
+
+'Swart, your house servant has been killed by Hallgerda and Kol her
+man,' said Gunnar gravely when Njal stood before him; and he told the
+tale as he had heard it from the messenger.
+
+'It is for you, Njal, to fix the atonement,' he said at the end.
+
+'You will have work to atone for all Hallgerda's misdoings,' answered
+Njal, 'and it will take all our old friendship to keep us from
+quarrelling now. But I have it in mind that at the last you shall win
+through, but after hard fighting. As to the atonement, as you are my
+friend and have no hand in this, I will fix it at twelve ounces of
+silver. And if it should come to be your turn to settle an award, I
+shall not expect to pay more than that.'
+
+So Gunnar laid down the money and gave it to Bergthora his wife when he
+came home with his sons from the Thing. And Bergthora was content, but
+said to her husband that it should not be spent, as it would some day do
+to make atonement for Kol.
+
+Although Hallgerda met her husband bravely and answered him boldly, in
+secret she trembled a little at his stern face and sharp words, as he
+told her that she was to remember that whatever quarrels she might
+choose to begin, the ending of them would always lie with him. But she
+pretended not to care, and went out among her neighbours as usual,
+telling all who would listen the tale of the killing of Swart. At length
+this reached the ears of Bergthora, and she was sore angered, but bided
+her time in silence.
+
+When Njal and his sons went up to the pastures to see after the cattle,
+and the thralls were busy working in the fields, Bergthora the mistress
+was left alone in the house. On this day a man mounted on a black horse
+and armed with a spear and a short sword rode up to the door and asked
+her if she could find something for him to do. He was skilled in many
+things, he said, but his temper was hot, and had oftentimes been his
+bane.
+
+'I will give you work,' answered Bergthora, 'but you must do whatever I
+bid you, even though it should be to slay a man.'
+
+'You have plenty of other men whom you can better trust on such
+business,' replied the man, as if he repented of his bargain; but
+Bergthora only told him that she expected her servants to do as they
+were bid, and sent the man to put his horse in the stable.
+
+During that summer another Thing was held and Njal and his sons went to
+it, and likewise Gunnar. But Bergthora was left alone in the house with
+her servants.
+
+Then she called Atli, the new man, and bade him seek out Kol, that he
+might slay him, so Atli took his horse and his sword and spear and
+departed.
+
+He found Kol in the place where some men had shown him, and he spoke to
+Kol civilly, but only received rude tones in answer. So, without more
+ado, Atli thrust at him, and Kol, though wounded, swung his axe above
+his head; but his eyes had grown dim, and he could not see to aim, and
+he fell to the ground and rolled over.
+
+Atli left the body where it was, and rode on till he came to some of
+Gunnar's men, and bade them go and tell Hallgerda that Kol was dead.
+
+'Did you kill him?' asked the man.
+
+'Well, I don't expect Hallgerda will think that he dealt his own
+death-blow,' answered Atli; and with that he rode back to Bergthora, who
+praised him for the swiftness with which he had done her bidding. But
+Atli did not seem content, and at last he said:
+
+'What will Njal think?'
+
+'Oh, never fear him,' replied Bergthora, 'for he took with him the money
+of the atonement for the slaying of Swart, and now he can pay it over
+for Kol. But in spite of the atonement, beware of Hallgerda, who knows
+nought of promises.'
+
+When Hallgerda heard of Kol's slaying, she bade a messenger ride to
+Gunnar at the Thing, and Gunnar sent to seek out Njal and Skarphedinn
+his son. They came to his tent, and he greeted them, and then Njal said
+that Bergthora his wife had done great wrong in breaking the atonement,
+and that Gunnar must now fix the award for Kol.
+
+'Let it be the same as that which I paid for Swart,' said Gunnar; and
+Njal laid down the money and they parted, and no ill blood was between
+them, though their wives were still resolved to do each other all the
+ill they could.
+
+Njal was too wise a man not to know that Hallgerda would seek revenge on
+Atli for the slaying of Kol, and he begged Atli would take service far
+away to the east, so that Hallgerda might not reach him. But Atli told
+Njal that he would sooner be slain in his service than live free in the
+service of another master, and he would gladly stay where he was if Njal
+would grant him the atonement due to a free man.
+
+This Njal granted, and Atli remained in his house.
+
+Hallgerda soon came to know what had happened, and she sent messengers
+both to Bergthora and to Gunnar at the Thing to tell them about it.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+'Hallgerda my wife has caused Atli to be slain!' said Gunnar to Njal and
+to Skarphedinn his son. 'What atonement must I make for him?'
+
+'The atonement will be heavy, for he was no thrall, but a freeman, and I
+fear it may cause strife between us,' replied Njal; but Gunnar stretched
+out his hand and said that no woman should sow strife betwixt him and
+Njal. Then Njal fixed a hundred ounces of silver, and Gunnar laid it
+down before him.
+
+'Hallgerda does not let our servants die of old age,' said Skarphedinn,
+as they rode home from the Thing.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Now the words came true, that Gunnar had spoken, and 'blow for blow'
+grew to be the rule between Hallgerda and Bergthora; but for all that
+there was no quarrel between Njal and Gunnar.
+
+So the years went by, and many Things had been held, and much
+blood-money had been paid, when one spring there was a great dearth of
+hay throughout all Iceland, and much cattle died. Gunnar, who was wise
+as well as rich, had seen what was coming and had laid up stores of both
+dried meat and of hay. As long as they lasted, he shared them with his
+neighbours, but when his barns were empty he called Kolskegg his brother
+and two of his friends, and they all fared to Kirkby, where dwelt Otkell
+the son of Skarf.
+
+This Otkell owned many flocks and herds and wide pastures, and Gunnar
+hoped that his barns might yet be full.
+
+'I have come to buy meat and hay, if there is any in your storehouses,
+for mine are empty!' said Gunnar.
+
+'I have yet many storehouses untouched,' answered Otkell, 'but I will
+sell you nothing.'
+
+'Will you give me them, then?' asked Gunnar, 'and I will pay you back
+some time in what you will.'
+
+'I will neither give nor sell,' said Otkell.
+
+'Let us take what we want and leave the money,' said Thrain, who had
+come with Gunnar, but Gunnar answered: 'I am no robber!' and was turning
+to go when Otkell stopped him.
+
+'Will you buy a thrall from me? He is a good thrall,' said Otkell, 'but
+I have no need of him.'
+
+And Gunnar bought the thrall, and they all went home to Lithend
+together.
+
+When Njal heard that Otkell would not sell to Gunnar, he was very wroth
+and rode up into the hills with all his sons, and took meat from his
+storehouses and bound it upon five horses, and hay from his barns and
+bound it upon ten horses, and they drove them all to Lithend, which was
+Gunnar's house.
+
+'Never ask another man for aught when you can ask me,' said Njal, and
+Gunnar answered:
+
+'Your gifts are great, but truly your love is greater.'
+
+In a few weeks the summer began, and, as was his custom, Gunnar rode to
+the Thing, leaving Hallgerda in the house at Lithend.
+
+The day after he had ridden away with his men Hallgerda sent for Malcolm
+the thrall, and said to him:
+
+'I have somewhat for you to do! Take with you two horses besides the one
+you ride, and go to Kirkby and steal meat enough to load the two horses,
+and butter and cheese as well. But take heed, when all is done, to set
+the storehouses on fire, so that none can trace that the goods have
+vanished.'
+
+Malcolm the thrall lifted his head and looked at her.
+
+'I have never been a thief, in spite of all my ill-deeds,' said he.
+
+But Hallgerda only laughed and made sport of him.
+
+'Do you think men have kept silent about your misdeeds?' she asked.
+'Hie hence when I bid you, or you shall not see the new moon rise!'
+
+And Malcolm the thrall knew that she spoke no jesting words, and he did
+her bidding; and none would have known of the thing had he not dropped
+his knife when he was trying to mend the thong of his shoe, and his belt
+also.
+
+A few days after that Gunnar and his men returned home, and many guests
+with him. The table was set by Hallgerda herself, and besides meat there
+were also great cheeses and jars of butter. Well Gunnar knew that Njal
+had not sent these, and he asked Hallgerda whence they came.
+
+'It beseems a man to eat what is before him and not to trouble himself
+further,' answered Hallgerda; but Gunnar cried out:
+
+'I will have no part in food that is ill come by,' and with that he gave
+her a buffet on the cheek.
+
+'I shall remember that,' said Hallgerda, and she got up and went out.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The next morning, Skamkell, Otkell's friend, was riding to bring in some
+sheep, when he saw something bright on the side of the path. He got off
+his horse to see what it was, and found the belt and knife which Malcolm
+had dropped, and he took them straight to Kirkby.
+
+'Did you ever see these things before?' asked Skamkell.
+
+'Yes, often,' answered Otkell; 'they are the knife and belt of Malcolm
+the thrall. And they asked many men the same question, and they all knew
+them likewise. Then they went toward Mord the son of Valgard and took
+counsel with him, how to charge Gunnar's thrall with the theft and the
+burning; for they feared Gunnar, the mighty man of war. At last, for
+three silver marks Mord agreed to give them his help, and bade them
+follow out his plan.
+
+It was this. That they should send women over the country with goods of
+housekeeping use, and mark what was given them in exchange. 'Take heed
+that you note carefully,' said Mord, 'because no man will keep in his
+house the things that he has stolen, if he has a chance of getting rid
+of them. Set therefore apart whatever you get from each house, and bring
+it to me.'
+
+And it was done exactly as Mord commanded, and in fourteen days the
+women came back, all bearing large bundles.
+
+'Who gave you the most?' asked Mord, and one woman answered:
+
+'Hallgerda, the wife of Gunnar; she gave us a cheese cut into great
+slices.'
+
+'I will keep that cheese,' said Mord.
+
+When the women had gone, Mord rode away to Otkell's farm, and bade him
+fetch the cheese-mould of Thorgerda his wife. And when it was brought,
+Mord took the slices and laid them in it, and they filled up the mould.
+
+After this they all saw that Hallgerda had stolen the cheese, and, now
+that Mord had found the thief, he went back to his own house.
+
+The tidings soon spread far and wide, and reached the ears of Kolskegg,
+who rode over to Lithend, so that he might speak with Gunnar.
+
+'Know you that it is said by every man that it was Hallgerda who caused
+the fire at Kirkby, that she might steal the cheese and butter?' asked
+he.
+
+'I have thought before that it must be so, but how can I set it right?'
+answered Gunnar.
+
+'You must make atonement to Otkell, and it is better there should be no
+delay,' replied Kolskegg.
+
+'I will do your bidding,' said Gunnar; and, mounting his horse, he took
+eleven with him, beside Thrain and Lambi his friends, and they all fared
+to Kirkby. There, Otkell came out to greet them, and with him were
+Skamkell and two other men, Hallkell and Hallbjorm.
+
+'I am here,' said Gunnar, 'to offer atonement for the misdeed of my wife
+and the thrall you sold me, for it was they who caused the fire and
+stole the cheeses. And, if it pleases you, let the award be fixed by the
+best of the men round!'
+
+'That sounds fairer than it is, Gunnar,' put in Skamkell, 'for you are a
+man of many things, whereas Otkell has few.'
+
+'Well,' said Gunnar, 'then I will offer atonement of twice the value of
+all that Otkell lost;' but again it was Skamkell and not Otkell who
+replied:
+
+'Beware, Otkell, of giving him the right of making the award when it
+belongs to you.'
+
+And Otkell answered: 'I will fix the award myself, Gunnar.'
+
+'Then fix it,' said Gunnar, who was waxing wroth at this delay; but once
+more Otkell turned to Skamkell, and asked what he should answer.
+
+'Let the award be made by Gizur the white and Geir the priest,' and this
+saying pleased Otkell.
+
+'Do you as you will,' replied Gunnar, 'but do not think that men will
+speak well of your refusing the choices that I gave you.'
+
+And after that he rode home with his men.
+
+Then Hallbjorm spoke to Otkell, saying: 'Ill was it to refuse the offers
+of Gunnar, which were good offers, as you know well. Can it be that you
+think yourself a match for Gunnar in fight, when he has proved himself
+better than any man in the island? But go and see Gizur the white and
+Geir the priest at once, and see if the offers of Gunnar do not seem
+good to them! For he is a just and gentle-hearted man, and perchance he
+will still hearken to you, if you accept them.'
+
+So Otkell, who ever listened to the last speaker, bade, them bring out
+his horse and set forth, Skamkell walking by his side. In a little
+while, when they had gone a mile or two, Skamkell said: 'You have much
+to look to at Kirkby, and no one but yourself can see after the men. Get
+home, therefore, and let me ride to Gizur the white and Geir the priest
+instead of you.
+
+'Go, then,' answered Otkell, who was lazy and never took the trouble to
+think for himself; 'but see you do not tell them lies, as you are wont
+to do.'
+
+'I will lie no more than I can help, master,' answered Skamkell, jumping
+on Otkell's horse.
+
+Otkell fared home and found Hallbjorm in front of the house.
+
+'Has anything befallen you that you have returned on foot?' asked he;
+and Otkell, who feared him, said hurriedly:
+
+'I had many men to look over, and much work to do, so I sent Skamkell in
+my stead,' But Hallbjorm held his peace and eyed him scornfully.
+
+'He who makes a thrall his friend rues it ever more,' he answered at
+last. 'And it is ill done when men's lives are at stake to send the
+biggest liar in Iceland on such an errand.'
+
+'If you are afraid now, what would you be if Gunnar's bill were
+singing,' asked Otkell, who was always brave when there were none to
+slay, and whose courage always waxed great when there were none to
+fight.
+
+Hallbjorm laughed as he heard him.
+
+'Who can tell who will fear most at the sound of that singing? But this
+you know well, that when the fight has begun Gunnar does not give his
+bill much time to sing!'
+
+Now when Skamkell reached Mossfell, he told truly to Gizur the white the
+offers Gunnar had made.
+
+'Why did not Otkell accept them?' asked Gizur, 'they were generous and
+noble, as Gunnar's offers are.'
+
+'Otkell wished to do you honour,' replied Skamkell; but Gizur for all
+answer bade Geir the priest be sent for, and next morning, as soon as
+he arrived, Gizur told him the story, and after he had finished he said:
+
+'Let Skamkell tell it again, for I misdoubt him greatly.'
+
+So Skamkell was called in, but he was wary, and he told his tale the
+second time as he had done the first, and though Gizur still misdoubted
+him he could find no fault.
+
+'Mayhap you speak the truth,' he said; 'but I know the wickedness of
+your deeds, and if you die in your bed your face belies you.'
+
+And after a little more talking Skamkell rode home to Kirkby.
+
+'Gizur and Geir greet you,' said Skamkell, 'and they wish that this
+matter should have a peaceful ending. They will that Gunnar shall be
+summoned as having received and eaten the goods, likewise Hallgerda for
+stealing them!'
+
+So Otkell followed this counsel, and five days before the opening of the
+Althing he rode with his brother and Skamkell and a great following to
+Lithend.
+
+When Gunnar heard what errand they were on, he was very wroth, and after
+Otkell had read the summons, and departed with his men, he went away to
+seek Njal.
+
+But Njal told him not to trouble, as before the Thing was over he should
+be held in greater honour than before.
+
+Gizur the white rode to the Thing also, and he spoke to Otkell, and
+asked why he had summoned Gunnar to the Thing. Otkell listened in amaze
+and then answered that he had done so because of the counsel that Gizur
+himself and Geir the priest had told Skamkell.
+
+'He lied, then,' replied Gizur; 'we gave no such counsel;' and Gunnar
+and his friends were called, and Gizur stood forth and bade Gunnar make
+his own award. At first Gunnar refused, but at length, after Gizur and
+Geir the priest swore that what Skamkell had said was false, he agreed
+to do it. And his award was this: that atonement in full should be made
+for the burnt storehouses and for the stolen food. 'But for the thrall,'
+said Gunnar, 'I will give nothing, for you knew what he was when you
+sold him to me. Therefore I will restore him to you. On the other hand,
+the ill-words which you have spoken of me, and the way in which you
+sought to put me to shame, I count to be worth full as great an
+atonement as the burning of a few sheds, of the stealing of a few
+cheeses. So that for money we stand equal. One thing more I would say,
+Beware lest you seek again to do me evil.'
+
+So spake Gunnar, and no man said him nay. But after a little Gizur asked
+that Gunnar might forgive the wrongs Otkell had done him, and hold him
+his friend. At this Gunnar laughed out in scorn and answered:
+
+'Let Skamkell be his friend. It is to him Otkell looks for counsel. They
+are fitting mates. But one piece of counsel I will give him, and that is
+to take shelter with his kinsfolk, for if he stays in this country his
+end will be speedy.'
+
+For a while Gunnar rested in peace at home and there was no more
+quarrelling. He gathered in his harvest and tended his cattle, ploughed
+his fields, and so the autumn and winter passed away and the spring
+came.
+
+One day when the sun was shining Gunnar took his small axe, and a bag of
+corn, and set out to sow seed. And while he was stooping to do this,
+Otkell galloped past, on a wild horse that carried him faster than he
+would, and he did not see Gunnar. As ill-chance would have it, Gunnar
+raised himself at that moment from stooping over the furrow, and
+Otkell's spur tore his ear, and he was very wroth.
+
+'You summon me first, and then you ride over me,' he said, and, as was
+his wont, Skamkell made answer:
+
+[Illustration: OTKELL AND GUNNAR IN THE FIELD]
+
+'The wound might have been far sorer, but your anger was greater at
+the Thing, when you judged the atonement and clenched your bill in your
+fist.'
+
+'When we next meet my bill shall have something to say to you,' said
+Gunnar, and went on sowing his corn.
+
+The corn was all sown, and Gunnar was beginning to think of other work,
+when one morning his shepherd came riding fast.
+
+'I passed eight men in Markfleet,' said he; 'their faces were set this
+way, and Skamkell was with them. He ever speaks ill of you, and I have
+heard him tell how you shed tears when Otkell rode over you.'
+
+'It does not do to mind words,' answered Gunnar; 'but for the warning
+you have given me you shall henceforth do the work that pleases you. Now
+go to sleep.'
+
+So the shepherd slept, and Gunnar took the saddle off his horse, and
+laid his own saddle on it; he fetched his shield, and buckled on his
+sword, and then he took his bill, and as his hand touched it it sang
+loudly. Rannveig his mother heard the sound, and came out from the door
+to the place where Gunnar was fastening on his helmet.
+
+'Never have I seen you so full of wrath,' said she. But Gunnar answered
+her nothing and rode quickly away.
+
+Rannveig went back to the sitting-room, where many men were talking,
+and, looking at them, she said:
+
+'Loud is your talk, but the bill sang louder when Gunnar rode away.'
+
+When Kolskegg heard that, he saddled his horse and hasted after Gunnar.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Gunnar's horse was swift and steady, and he never drew rein till he
+reached the ford which he knew Otkell's men must pass. There he tied up
+his horse, and awaited them on foot. When Otkell's men came up, they,
+too, sprang to the ground, and Hallbjorm strode towards Gunnar.
+
+'Keep back,' said Gunnar, 'I have no quarrel with brave men like you,'
+but Hallbjorm answered:
+
+'I cannot for shame stand by while you kill my brother;' and he smote
+with his spear at Gunnar. While they were fighting, Skamkell struck at
+Gunnar's back with his axe, but Gunnar turned round, and, with his bill
+caught the axe from beneath, so that it fell out of Skamkell's hands. A
+second thrust with the bill stretched Skamkell on the ground, and after
+him Otkell and three others. They slew eight men in all, Kolskegg
+aiding.
+
+After that they rode home, and as they went Gunnar said: 'I wonder if I
+am less base than others because I kill men less willingly than they.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The first thing Gunnar did was to seek counsel of Njal, who bid him take
+care never to break the peace which was made between him and his foes,
+and never to slay more than one man of the same race, 'else your life
+will be but short.'
+
+'Do you know the death you yourself will die?' he asked.
+
+'Yes, I know it,' answered Njal.
+
+'And what is it?' asked Gunnar once more.
+
+'One that none could guess,' replied Njal, and Gunnar went away.
+
+Now at the next Thing there was great dispute over this suit, but in the
+end it was settled to Gunnar's honour, and Gizur the white and Geir the
+priest gave pledges that they would keep the peace. But there were other
+men who thought they had been wronged by Gunnar, and laid plots to anger
+him, so that he might be outlawed and forced to leave the country.
+
+By ill-fortune the words which Njal had spoken when he bade Gunnar never
+to slay more than one man of the same race were noised abroad, and his
+enemies made a plan by which Gunnar should be forced to fight Thorgeir,
+son of Otkell, so that his doom might come upon him.
+
+[Illustration: How Gunnar slew Thorgeir, Otkell's son.]
+
+Thus matters stood for a while, and then Gunnar rode down to the isles
+to see what his thralls were doing, and his foes heard of it, and
+resolved to lie in wait for him at the Rang river.
+
+But when Gunnar returned he was not alone, as they expected he would be,
+for Kolskegg his brother was at his side, and carried the short sword
+which some of them knew well, while Gunnar was armed with his sword and
+his bill.
+
+The two were yet far from the Rang river when the bill which Gunnar bore
+in his hand sweated with blood, and Kolskegg, who had not yet seen this
+sight, grew cold with terror.
+
+'This has some dreadful meaning,' said he; and Gunnar nodded.
+
+'It only happens before a great fight,' he answered, 'and they are
+called "wound drops" in other lands. So beware. Let us not be taken
+unawares;' and they looked well about them, till they saw some men lying
+hidden on the banks on the other side of the ford.
+
+Long it were to tell of that fierce fight, and of the men that were
+slain by Kolskegg and Gunnar. At last Thorgeir, Otkell's son, forced his
+way to the front and swung his sword at Gunnar. The blow would have been
+deadly had it fallen, but, leaping aside, he thrust his bill through
+Thorgeir's body, and flung him far into the river.
+
+At that the other men turned and fled away.
+
+'Our money-chests will be emptied for atonement for these men,' said
+Gunnar as they drew near Lithend, and when they told their mother,
+Rannveig shook her head.
+
+'I fear lest ill should come of it,' said she.
+
+And ill _did_ come of it.
+
+Njal's heart was sore when Gunnar told him of the fight by the Rang
+river, for he said:
+
+'You have gone against my counsel, and have slain two men of the same
+race. So take heed, if you break the award, your life will pay forfeit.
+But whatever befalls I am always your friend.'
+
+Soon the Thing was held, and upon the Hill of Laws Gizur the white
+summoned Gunnar, for manslaughter of Thorgeir, Otkell's son, and
+demanded that his goods should be forfeited and his body outlawed, and
+that no man should help or harbour him.
+
+After this there was much talking, but at last the award was given by
+twelve men.
+
+And this was it.
+
+Money was to be paid down for the men slain, and Gunnar and Kolskegg
+were to depart from Iceland and not return for three winters. But if
+Gunnar should break the settlement and stay at home, any man might slay
+him as he would.
+
+Gunnar promised to keep the award, but he did not hold it a just one.
+
+Then Kolskegg began to inquire of the vessels that were sailing that
+summer, and he settled that he would go on board the ship of Armfin of
+the Bay, and Gunnar his brother would go with him.
+
+They sent down to the shore those things that they might need in foreign
+lands, and then Gunnar bade farewell to Njal and his men, and thanked
+his friends for the help they had given him.
+
+At the last he took leave of the thralls at Lithend, and of his mother,
+and told them that, since his own country had outlawed him, he would
+never return to it. Then he threw his arms round every man, and without
+looking back sprang into the saddle.
+
+As they rode along the Mark fleet, his horse stumbled, and Gunnar fell
+to the ground. When he got up he did not mount at once, but stood and
+looked round him for a while. Suddenly he turned and said to Kolskegg:
+'Never has my home seemed to me so fair as now when the corn is ripe and
+ready for cutting. Come what may, I will not leave it.'
+
+'Do not let your foes triumph over you,' answered Kolskegg. 'For if you
+should break your atonement, any man may deal with you as he will.'
+
+'I will go no whither,' repeated Gunnar, 'and I would that you would stay
+with me.'
+
+'I cannot do this thing,' answered Kolskegg; 'but if you go back, tell
+my mother and my kindred that I bid them farewell for ever, for you will
+soon be dead, and I shall have naught to bind me to Iceland.'
+
+Hallgerda's heart was filled with joy when Gunnar came under the
+doorway, but Rannveig said nothing, for her heart was sad.
+
+All that winter Gunnar sat fast at Lithend and would not be prevailed on
+to leave it, and when the winter had gone and the Thing had met, Gizur
+the white proclaimed Gunnar an outlaw for having broken his atonement.
+Then he called together all his foes, and they planned together how that
+they should ride to Lithend and slay him. But Njal heard what they had
+been saying, and he warned Gunnar.
+
+'You have always dealt truly and kindly with me,' said Gunnar, when Njal
+had finished speaking, 'and if ill befall me, take heed, I pray you, of
+my son and Hogni. As for Grani, he has an evil nature, and there is no
+turning him from bad deeds.'
+
+It was in the autumn that Mord, the son of Valgard, sent word to
+Gunnar's foes that the time had come to make the attack upon Lithend, as
+all his men had gone to the haymaking on the isles of the sea. So they
+set forth secretly, but stopped first at the farm nearest to Lithend,
+where they seized the farmer, and warned him that unless he came with
+them and put to death the hound Sam which had guarded Gunnar ever since
+Olaf the Peacock had bestowed him as a gift, his own life should be
+forfeit. Thorkell the farmer was sore at heart when he heard what was
+required of him, but he took his axe and went with the rest. It was easy
+to entice Sam the hound into a hollow dell; but when he saw the crowd of
+men behind Thorkell he knew that evil was afoot, and sprang on Thorkell
+and tore open his throat. Then Aumond of Witchwood smote him on the head
+with his axe, and Sam gave a howl which was not the utterance of any
+mortal dog, and rolled over.
+
+[Illustration: GUNNAR'S LAST FIGHT & HALLGERDA'S REVENGE]
+
+Gunnar, who was sleeping in the narrow space above his great wooden
+hall, heard the awful sound, and said to himself: 'So they have killed
+thee, Sam, my fosterling. Well, I will follow thee soon;' and, taking
+his bill in his hand, he went up into the roof of the hall, where among
+the beams were little slits for windows. In the winter there were
+shutters fastened over these little slits, but now they were left open.
+
+From the beam on which he was crouching Gunnar saw a red tunic slipping
+by the window, and he thrust swiftly out his bill. In a moment a man's
+body fell upon the ground below.
+
+'Well, is Gunnar at home?' said Gizur, and Thorgrim the Easterling
+answered: 'Go and see for yourselves; but if Gunnar is not at home, his
+bill is,' and those were his last words, for the thrust had been mortal.
+
+It hardly seemed possible that one man could keep such a force at bay,
+but wherever they went Gunnar's arrows followed them. Three times they
+came on, and three times they fell back, and Gunnar's heart beat high,
+for he thought that perchance their courage might fail, and that they
+would return whither they had come.
+
+'One of their own arrows sticks outside the window,' he said, laughing
+loud in his glee; 'I will send it to kill its master.' But his mother
+answered: 'It is ill to waken a sleeping dog, my son.'
+
+Her words were wise, but Gunnar would not listen to them. He shot the
+arrow into the midst of the men gathered beneath him, and knew not that
+it had dealt a death-blow, or that Gizur the white had been watching its
+course.
+
+'The arm that drew in that shaft had a ring on it--a gold ring such as
+Gunnar wears,' said he, 'and if they had not shot away their own arrows
+they would not be needing ours;' and with that he urged them to make a
+fresh attack.
+
+'Let us set the house on fire,' said Mord, but Gizur answered him hotly,
+and bade him find out some other plan.
+
+Now Mord was a man of many thoughts, and great skill in planning, so he
+looked about him to see if there was aught else he could do. Lying near
+were some ropes, and as soon as he saw them he cried out, 'If we can
+twist one end of the ropes round the beams, and the other round this
+rock, we can twist them tight, and pull the roof off the hall.'
+
+And this was done; and when the roof fell down they beheld Gunnar
+standing on the beam, shooting arrows at his enemies.
+
+At this Mord cried once more that the house should be burned, but the
+rest called shame on him, and then Thorbrand crept up on one side and
+cut Gunnar's bowstring with his axe. But before he could reach the
+ground again Gunnar had seized his bill, and driven it through his body.
+
+Then, without looking round, Gunnar said swiftly to Hallgerda his wife:
+'Let you and my mother cut off two locks of hair from your heads, and
+twist them into my bowstring, so that I may shoot at them once more.'
+
+'Does aught depend on it?' she asked. 'My life,' he said; and Hallgerda
+made answer: 'Do you remember that time when you struck me in the face?'
+said she; 'well, now you shall die for it.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+For many a day men sang of the fight which Gunnar made for his life and
+the numbers that he slew before he himself was struck down and slain.
+
+'We have laid low a great chief,' said Gizur, 'and many hearts will be
+sore because of his slaying. But, though his body is dead, his name
+shall live for ever.'
+
+(_Saga_)
+
+
+
+
+NJAL'S BURNING
+
+
+Now, Valgard the Cunning was dying. And he sent for his son Mord and
+bade him stir up strife between Njal's sons and their brother Hauskuld
+the priest, for he ever hated Njal, and longed to be avenged on him. So
+Mord fared to Hauskuld, and told him tales of what his brothers had said
+of him, but Hauskuld bade him begone, for he would listen to none of his
+stories. Then Mord left Hauskuld the priest, and had ready a long tale,
+how that Hauskuld had meant to burn them while they sat at a feast in
+Whiteness, had not Hogni, Gunnar's son, come by. And as this plan had
+failed, he set about gathering his men together to slay his brothers as
+they rode home, but neither Grani, son of Gunnar, nor Gunnar, son of
+Lambi, had the heart to do it.
+
+At first, neither Njal's sons, nor Kari, who had married their sister,
+would give ear to Mord's false words, but in spite of themselves
+ill-feelings began to spring up in their breasts towards Hauskuld.
+
+Thus things went on for many months, and whenever Mord met one of Njal's
+sons, or Kari, who had married their sister, he had new stories to tell
+them, till at length their hearts grew hot, and they determined that
+they would slay Hauskuld, lest perchance he might first slay them.
+
+Hauskuld was sowing his corn when his brothers, and with them Mord,
+Valgard's son, came up to kill him. Skarphedinn, Njal's son, was their
+leader, and had bidden the rest each to give Hauskuld a wound. But the
+first blow dealt by Skarphedinn brought him on his knees, and he died
+praying that they might be forgiven for the ill they had brought on him,
+guiltless.
+
+When he was dead they went home and told Njal what they had done.
+
+'It had been well if two of you had died and Hauskuld had lived,' said
+Njal after he had heard the tidings, 'for I know better than you what
+will be the end of this.'
+
+'And what will be the end?' asked Skarphedinn.
+
+'My death, and yours, and your mother's,' answered Njal.
+
+'Shall I die also?' he asked; but Njal shook his head.
+
+'Good fortune will ever be with you!' he answered, and turned away and
+wept.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Now all men knew that at the next Thing a suit would be brought for the
+slaying of Hauskuld, and Njal and his sons made ready to fare to it, and
+to hear the award which should be given. But first sundry of Njal's
+friends came to see him and offered to stand by him, and to set up their
+tents beside his, and among them were Gizur the white and Asgrim. And at
+the Thing an award was made, but was made void by a quarrel between
+Flosi, the friend of Hauskuld the slain, and Skarphedinn, and Njal and
+his sons returned home, and Njal's heart was heavy.
+
+'Are you riding back to your wife?' asked he of Kari, his son-in-law;
+and Kari made answer, 'Whatever happens to you, happens to me!' and they
+all stayed at Bergthorasknoll.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+In the house dwelt an old, old woman, so old that she had nursed
+Bergthora, Njal's wife, and she was wise and could see into the future.
+Njal's sons laughed at her warnings, and took no heed to them, but for
+all that they knew well that it was often the truth she told them. One
+day Skarphedinn was standing outside the door, and the old woman came
+out with a stick in her hand, and she passed silently by him, and
+walked up the path to where a pile of dried shrubs lay above the house.
+
+'May a curse be upon you!' she cried, shaking her stick over it; and
+Skarphedinn, who had followed after her, asked wherefore she was wroth
+with the pile.
+
+'Because with the fire lighted from this pile there will be a great
+burning,' said she. 'And Njal and his sons will be burnt, and Bergthora,
+my foster-child. So carry it away and scatter it in the water, or else
+set fire to it before your enemies can get here!'
+
+'What is the use of doing anything?' answered Skarphedinn, 'for if it is
+written that we should be burned, our foes will find some other fuel,
+though I were to scatter this stack to the four winds;' and he went away
+laughing.
+
+All through the summer the old nurse was ever begging Njal to do away
+with the stack of vetch, but the harvest was plentiful in the pastures
+and the men never came home save to sleep.
+
+'We can bring in that vetch stack any time,' they said.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The harvest was stored in the barns, and a good harvest it was. There
+had been none such since the day that Gunnar had fared from Lithend with
+Kolskegg, and had returned to his ruin. One day, when Grim and Helgi,
+Njal's sons, had ridden away to Holar to see their children, who were at
+nurse there, they heard strange tidings from some poor woman, that the
+country side was stirring and that bands of men were gathering together,
+and were seen riding along the same road.
+
+At this news Grim and Helgi looked at each other.
+
+'Let us go home to Bergthorasknoll,' said they.
+
+Now they had told their mother they would sleep that night at Holar,
+with their children, so she gave no thought to them; but in the evening,
+when the hour had come to prepare supper, Bergthora bade every man
+choose whatever dish he liked best, 'for,' said she, 'this is the last
+food you will eat in this house!'
+
+'Of a truth you must be ill to speak such words,' cried they.
+
+'They are true words,' she said again; 'and that you may know them to be
+true, I will give you a sign. Before the meat that is on the board
+to-night is eaten, Grim and Helgi will be in the house!' and she held
+her peace and went out.
+
+When the food was prepared, Bergthora called to them, and all sat down
+but Njal, who lingered in the doorway.
+
+'What hinders you eating with the rest?' asked Bergthora; and Njal, as
+he answered, put his hand before his eyes.
+
+'A vision has come to me,' he said slowly--'the wall is thrown down, and
+the board is wet with blood.'
+
+At this the men's faces grew pale, and a strange look came into their
+eyes, but Skarphedinn bade them be of good cheer, and to remember that,
+whatever might befall, all men would look to them to bear themselves
+bravely.
+
+Then Grim and Helgi entered with their tidings, and every one had in his
+mind what Bergthora had said, and knew that ill was in store.
+
+'Let no man sleep to-night,' said Njal, 'but take heed to his arms.'
+
+The band of Njal's foes, headed by Flosi, had ridden to a valley behind
+the house, and had fastened their horses there. After that they walked
+slowly up the path, to the front of the house, where Njal and his sons,
+and Kari, his-son-in-law, and his thralls, thirty in all, stood up to
+meet them.
+
+Then both sides halted and spoke together. Flosi's counsel was to fall
+on them where they stood, though he knew that few would there be left to
+tell the tale to their children.
+
+Njal, for his part, desired that his men might return inside the hall,
+for the house was strong; 'and if Gunnar alone could keep them at bay
+they will never prevail against us,' he said.
+
+'Ah, but these chiefs are not of the kind that slew Gunnar,' answered
+Skarphedinn, 'for they turned a deaf ear to Mord's evil counsel to set
+fire to Lithend, so that Gunnar and his wife and mother should be burnt
+up in it. But this band care nothing for what is fair and honourable, so
+long as we leave our bones behind us.'
+
+Then Helgi spoke:
+
+'Let us do as our father wills. He knows best,' and Skarphedinn said:
+
+'If he wishes us to enter the hall, and all to be burnt together, I am
+ready to do it. I care little what death I shall die, and if the time of
+my doom is come, it matters nothing that we try to escape.' And so
+saying he turned to Kari, and bade him stand by his side.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+'They are all mad,' cried Flosi, as he saw Njal and his sons and Kari,
+his son-in-law, take their place on the inside of the door. 'Surely none
+of them can escape us now;' and the fight began with a spear which was
+thrown at Skarphedinn.
+
+But victory was not so near as Flosi thought. Man after man fell back
+wounded or dead, yet Skarphedinn and his brethren remained without a
+wound.
+
+'We shall never put them to flight with our spears,' said Flosi, 'and
+there are only two ways open. Either we give up our vengeance, and await
+the death that will surely befall us at their hands; or else we must set
+fire to the house, and burn them in it. And I know not what else we can
+do; yet that is a mean and cowardly deed, which will lie heavily on our
+souls.'
+
+So they gathered wood and made a great stack before the door, and
+Skarphedinn laughed, and asked if they were turning cooks.
+
+It was Grani, the son of Gunnar, whose soul was black like his mother
+Hallgerda's, who answered him.
+
+'You will not wish better cooking when _you_ are put on the spit;' but
+he had better have left Skarphedinn alone, for the men around heard his
+reply, and looked curiously on Grani.
+
+'Your deeds become your mother's son,' said Skarphedinn. 'It was I who
+avenged your father, therefore it is natural to one of your kind that
+you should wish to slay me,' and he stepped back to pick up some fresh
+arrows.
+
+In spite of Grani's boastful words, the pile of wood was slow in
+catching, for the women threw whey and water upon it from the little
+windows in the roof, so that the flames were quenched as fast as they
+sprang up. The men grew angry and impatient, and at last Kol,
+Thorstein's son, said to Flosi:
+
+'It avails nought to kindle the fire here; but there is a pile of dry
+vetch at the back, just above the house, and we can light it, and put
+the burning wood on the beams under the roof.'
+
+So he crept round unseen, and did as he had said, and the other men
+heaped up wood before the doors of the house, so that none could escape,
+and those within the hall knew nothing that was doing, till a great
+light filled the place, and they saw that the roof was burning.
+
+Then horrible dread overwhelmed the souls of the women, and they broke
+forth into weeping and wailing, till Njal spoke words of comfort to
+them, and bade them keep up their hearts, for God would not suffer them
+to burn both in this world and in the next. And when he had stilled
+their fears he went near the door, and asked:
+
+'Is Flosi nigh at hand?'
+
+'Yes,' answered Flosi.
+
+'Will you suffer my sons to atone?' asked Njal once more, 'or let them
+leave the house?' but Flosi said:
+
+'The women and children and thralls may go out, but, as for your sons,
+the time for atonement is past, and I will not leave this spot as long
+as one of them remains alive.'
+
+When Njal heard that, he went back into the house and called the women
+and children and thralls round him, and bade Thorhalla, the wife of
+Helgi, go out first, for she was a brave woman. And Thorhalla went,
+after bidding farewell to Helgi her husband.
+
+But Astrid whispered softly to Helgi:
+
+'I will tie a woman's kerchief about your head, and wrap you in a cloak,
+and the women folk will stand about you, and none shall know that you
+are not a woman also.'
+
+Helgi did not like this plan, for he thought it shame to steal away in
+his sister's garments; but they prayed him not to be stiff-necked, and
+at length he suffered the cloak to be put round him.
+
+Now the children of Njal were all tall, but Helgi was tallest of all,
+except his brother Skarphedinn. And Flosi marked him, and said to his
+men:
+
+'I like not the height of the woman who went yonder, nor the breadth of
+her shoulders. Seize her and hold her fast.'
+
+As soon as Helgi heard that he threw his cloak aside and thrust at a man
+with his sword, and cut off his leg. But Flosi was close behind, and
+stretched Helgi dead in front of him.
+
+After that he went back to the house, and offered Njal that he should
+come outside, but Njal answered that he was too old to avenge his sons,
+and that he would not outlive them, for that would be a shame and
+disgrace to him.
+
+'Come out, then, Bergthora,' said Flosi, 'for I will not suffer you to
+burn inside.'
+
+But Bergthora made answer:
+
+'Long years from my youth have I lived with Njal, and I vowed on the day
+of betrothal that his death should be mine;' and without more words
+they went into the house.
+
+'I am weary,' said Njal to his wife, 'let us lay down on our bed and
+rest;' and Bergthora bowed her head, and spoke to the boy Thord, the son
+of Kari:
+
+'Come to the door with me and go forth with your kinsmen. I will not
+have you stay here to burn.' But the boy shook off the hand she had laid
+on his shoulder.
+
+'You promised me when I was little, grandmother, that I should never go
+from you till I wished it of myself. And I would rather die with you
+than live after you.'
+
+Bergthora was silent, but she led the boy to the bed, and he climbed in,
+and laid himself down. Then Njal said to his head man:
+
+'Bring hither the oxhide and put it on the bed, and watch how we lay
+ourselves down, so that you may know where to find our bones. For not
+one inch will we stir, whatever befall.'
+
+And he laid himself down, and bade the boy lie between himself and
+Bergthora.
+
+So they waited.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+At the doors and in the windows of the roof Skarphedinn and Grim were
+casting away burning brands, and hurling spears as if they had had
+twenty hands instead of two. At last Flosi called to his men to let be,
+till the fire had its way, for many had been killed and wounded already.
+
+And now a beam which held up the oak fell in, and then another and
+another. 'Surely my father must be dead,' said Skarphedinn, 'that he
+makes no sound,' and, followed by Grim and Kari, he went to the end of
+the hall where a cross beam had fallen.
+
+'The smoke is thick here,' said Kari, 'thick enough to hide a man; let
+us leap out one by one, and we shall be away before they have seen us.
+Skarphedinn, you jump first!'
+
+[Illustration: HOW KARI ESCAPED FROM NJAL'S HOUSE]
+
+'No!' answered Skarphedinn, 'you go first and I will follow; or, if I
+follow not, you will avenge me.'
+
+'I have a chance of my life,' said Kari, 'and I will take it. We must
+each do as seems best to him, but I fear me that we see each other no
+more;' and catching up a huge blazing beam, he threw it over the edge of
+the roof, among the men who were gathered below.
+
+They scattered at once like leaves in a storm, and at that instant Kari,
+with his tunic and hair already burning, leaped from the roof and crept
+away in the smoke. The man who stood nearest on the ground thought he
+saw something dark moving, and he asked his neighbour:
+
+'Think you that was one of them jumping from the beam?' but the man
+answered: 'Nay, but it may have been Skarphedinn hurling a firebrand;'
+and then they went to their own work, and paid no more heed to the
+figure on the roof.
+
+So Kari was left free to escape, and he put out the fire that was
+burning him, and rested in a safe place till he could seek shelter with
+his friends.
+
+Thrice Skarphedinn tried to leap after Kari, and thrice the beam broke
+under his weight, and he was forced to climb back again. Then part of
+the wall fell in, and Skarphedinn fell down with it on to the floor of
+the hall.
+
+In a moment the face of Gunnar, son of Lambi, was seen on top of the
+wall, and he cried out, 'Are those tears on your cheeks, Skarphedinn?'
+and Skarphedinn made answer:
+
+'Now am I finding out in truth how smoke can force tears from one's
+eyes. But methinks I see laughter in yours, Gunnar.'
+
+'Of a surety,' said Gunnar, 'never have I laughed so much since the day
+you slew Thrain in Markfleet.'
+
+'Here is a remembrance of that day for you,' said Skarphedinn, and he
+took from his pouch Thrain's tooth, and flung it at Gunnar. And it
+knocked out Gunnar's eye, and he fell from the roof.
+
+Then Skarphedinn went to Grim, and hand in hand they two tried to stamp
+out the burning beams, but before they had crossed the hall Grim dropped
+dead, and the roof fell in, and shut Skarphedinn in a corner, so that he
+could not move.
+
+At daylight a man rode up who had met Kari, and had learned from him
+that when he had jumped from the roof both Skarphedinn and Grim were
+still alive, but that was many hours before, and both must long since be
+dead.
+
+Then Flosi and some of his men drew nearer and climbed up the gable, for
+the fire had burned low, and only threw out a flame here and there. And
+as they looked into the hall beneath them, which was a mass of charred
+and fallen wood, there seemed to rise up from the red ashes a song of
+triumph, and they held their breath and looked into each other's faces.
+
+'Is it Skarphedinn's song?' asked Glum, 'and is it a token that he is
+dead? or a sign that he is alive? Let us look for him.'
+
+'That shall not be,' said Flosi quickly. 'Fool that you are, do you not
+know that even now Kari is gathering together a band to avenge his
+kinsmen? Therefore let every man take his horse and ride up to the
+Three-corner Fell, and there we can hide and take counsel how we can
+escape from our enemies.'
+
+So it was done, and not a whit too soon, for a very great company
+scattered over the country, seeking Flosi and his Band of Burners--for
+by this ill name men knew them.
+
+As for Kari himself, he begged Hjallti, Njal's cousin, to go with him to
+Bergthorasknoll and find Njal's bones and bury them. And, as they went,
+men joined them, till they numbered nigh on a hundred when they reached
+Bergthorasknoll.
+
+Kari entered the hall first and led them up to the spot where the bed
+had stood, and where a great heap of ashes now covered it. The ashes
+took long to clear away, and underneath was the oxhide, charred and
+shrivelled. But when the oxhide was pulled away they saw the three
+bodies fresh and whole, as they had laid them down. Only one finger of
+the boy was burned, where he had thrust it outside the hide.
+
+When they saw this a great joy fell on the hearts of all, and Hjallti
+said:
+
+'Never have I seen a dead man with a face as bright as this!' And the
+other men said likewise.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+After that they sought for Skarphedinn, and then found him, fastened by
+the beam into the corner, and he had driven his axe into the wall of the
+gable, so that it had to be broken out. And they sought the bones of
+Grim, and found them lying in the middle of the hall, where he had
+dropped down dead. And they sought the bones of other men, and found
+them, and nine bodies in all were carried into the church and buried
+there.
+
+And that is Burnt Njal's story.
+
+[The _Saga of Burnt Njal_.]
+
+
+
+
+THE LADY OF SOLACE
+
+
+There was once an emperor who had two things that he loved more than all
+the world--his daughter and his garden. The finest linen and the richest
+silks of India or China decked the princess from the moment she was old
+enough to run alone, and the ships that brought them brought also the
+fairest flowers and sweetest fruits that grew in distant lands. All the
+time that he was not presiding over his council, or hearing the
+petitions of his people, the emperor passed in his garden, watching the
+flowers open and the fruits ripen, and by-and-by he planted trees and
+shrubs and made walks and alleys, till altogether the garden was the
+most beautiful as well as the largest that had ever been seen.
+
+The years passed, and the princess reached the age of fourteen; quite
+old enough to be married, thought the kings and princes who were looking
+out for a bride for their sons. The emperor's heart sank when he heard
+rumours of embassies that were coming to rob him of his daughter, and he
+shut himself up in his room to try to invent a plan by which he might
+keep the princess, without giving offence to the powerful monarchs who
+had asked for her hand.
+
+For a long while he sat with his head on his hands, thinking steadily,
+but every scheme had some drawback. At length his face brightened and he
+sprang up from his seat.
+
+'Yes! that will do,' he cried, and went down to attend his council,
+looking quite a different man from what he had been a few hours before.
+
+The embassies and the princes continued to arrive, and they all got the
+same answer. 'The emperor was proud of the honour done to himself and
+his daughter, and would give her in marriage to any man who would pass
+through the garden and bring him a branch of the tree which stood at the
+further end.' Nothing could surely be more easy, and every prince in
+turn as he heard the conditions felt that the fairest damsel on the
+whole earth was already his wife.
+
+But though each man went gaily in, none ever came out, nor was it ever
+known what had befallen them. At last so many had entered that fatal
+gate that it seemed as if there could be no more princes or nobles left,
+and the emperor began to breathe again at the thought that he would be
+able after all to keep his daughter.
+
+But one day a knight of great renown, named Tirius, arrived from beyond
+the seas and knocked at the gate of the castle. Like the others, he was
+welcomed and feasted, and when the feast was ended he craved that the
+emperor would grant him the hand of the princess on whatever condition
+he might choose.
+
+'Right willingly,' answered the emperor; 'there is only one condition I
+have laid down, and that is an easy one, though for some strange reason
+no one as yet has been able to fulfil it. You have merely to walk
+through the garden that you see below, and bring me back a branch from a
+tree bearing golden fruit, which stands on the opposite side. If fame
+speaks true, this is child's play to the adventures in which you have
+borne so noble a part.'
+
+'In good sooth,' said the knight, who saw clearly that there was more in
+the matter than appeared--'in good sooth your condition likes me well.
+Still, as fortune is ever inconstant, and may be tired of dealing me
+favours, I would first ask as a boon a sight of your fair daughter and
+leave to hearken to her voice. After that I will delay no longer, but
+proceed on my quest.'
+
+'I will take you to her myself,' answered the emperor, who thought that
+he might show this small mercy to a man who was going to his death, and
+he led his guest down long passages and through lofty halls, till they
+reached the princess's apartments.
+
+'In five minutes my chamberlain shall come for you, and he shall show
+you the way to the garden,' said the emperor, 'and meanwhile I bid you
+farewell;' and, leaving Tirius to enter alone, he went to seek his
+ministers.
+
+It would be hard to say whether the knight or the princess was most
+amazed as they stood gazing at each other--he at her beauty and she at
+his boldness, for never before had any man crossed her threshold. For a
+moment both were silent; then the knight, remembering how short a time
+was allowed him, aroused himself from his dream and spoke:
+
+'Gentle damsel, help me now in my need, for I have been drawn hither by
+love. Full well I know that many have had this adventure before me, and
+have entered that garden and never returned from it. Without your aid my
+fate will be such as theirs, and therefore, I pray you, tell me what I
+should do so that I may win through without harm.'
+
+Now the knight was a goodly man and tall, and perhaps the princess may
+have bewailed in secret the noble youths who had fallen victims to her
+father's pleasure. But, however that might be, she smiled and made
+reply:
+
+'I am ready to marry any man on whom my father wishes to bestow me, and
+you say you have come hither for love of me. Still, you have asked of me
+a hard thing, for it beseems not a daughter to betray her father's
+confidence. Yet, as I am loth that any more fair youths should lose
+their lives for my sake, I will give you this counsel. You must first
+pass through a forest, which is the home of a lady who is known to
+all as the "Lady of Solace." Go to her, and she will give you the help
+you need to journey safely through the garden.'
+
+[Illustration: The Lady of Solace]
+
+The princess had scarcely finished these words when the voice of the
+chamberlain was heard without, bidding him withdraw, and, glancing
+gratefully at her, the knight bowed low and took his leave.
+
+In the great hall the chamberlain quitted him, telling him to take his
+ease and rest till the emperor should return, but instead the knight
+waited till he was alone and then plunged straight into the forest.
+
+He walked on for a little way till he reached a green space, and there
+he stopped and cried, 'Where is the Lady of Solace?' Then he sat down on
+a stone and waited. In a short time he saw coming towards him two
+ladies, one bearing a basin and the other a cloth.
+
+'We give you greeting, sir,' they said; 'the Lady of Solace has sent us
+to you, and she bids you first wash your feet in this basin, and then go
+with us to her palace.' So the knight washed his feet, and dried them in
+the white cloth, and rose up and went with the ladies to the palace,
+which was built of blue marble, and the fairest that ever he saw. The
+Lady of Solace was fair likewise and of a marvellous sweet countenance,
+and her voice was soft like the voice of a thrush as she asked him what
+he wanted with her. At that the knight told his errand, and how the
+princess had bade him come to her, for she alone could help him to win
+through the enchanted garden.
+
+'I am called the Lady of Solace,' said she, with a smile which seemed
+made up of all the beautiful things in the world, 'and I give succour to
+all those who need it. Here is a ball of thread; take it and bind it
+round the post of the gate of the garden, and hold fast the thread in
+your hand, unwinding it as you go. For if you lose the clue, you will
+perish like those before you. And more. A lion dwells in the garden, who
+will spring out and devour you, as he has devoured the rest. Therefore,
+arm yourself with armour, and see that the armour be anointed thickly
+with ointment. When the lion sees you, he will take your arm or your leg
+into his mouth, and his teeth shall stick fast in the ointment, and when
+you sunder yourself from him his teeth shall be drawn out, and you shall
+kill him easily. But during the fight beware lest you let go the clue.'
+
+And after the lion shall come four men, who will set on you and seek to
+turn you from their path; but beware of them also, and if you are in
+peril call to me, and I will succour you. And now return to the palace
+and put on your armour, and so, farewell.'
+
+When the knight heard this he was right glad, and stole back to the
+palace, where he found that the emperor was still sitting at his
+council. He sat down in the great hall to await him, but the time seemed
+very long before his host entered.
+
+'How have you sped?' asked he.
+
+'My lord, now that through your goodness I have seen the princess,' said
+the knight, 'there can be but one ending to my journey. I go at once in
+quest of the tree, and I am content whatever fate may befall me.'
+
+'May fortune be with you!' answered the emperor, who never failed to
+give good wishes to his daughter's suitors, as he felt quite sure that
+they would be of no use.
+
+So the knight bowed low and left the hall, going straight to the
+gatekeeper's house, where he had put off his armour on arriving. On
+pretence of sharpening his sword, he borrowed a pot of ointment from the
+man, and, unseen by him, rubbed the paste thickly over his armour. After
+this he looked about to see that no one was watching him, and took the
+path that led to the garden.
+
+[Illustration: THE LADY OF SOLACE HELPS THE FALLEN KNIGHT]
+
+A large iron gate supported by two posts stood at the entrance, and
+round one of these he firmly bound one end of the thread which the Lady
+of Solace had given him. Holding the other end in his hand, he
+advanced for a long while without seeing or hearing any strange thing,
+till a roar close to him caused him to start. The knight had just time
+to draw his sword and hold up his shield before the lion was upon him;
+but, as he had been forewarned, the great beast dashed aside the shield,
+and fastened his teeth in the arm that held it. The pain was such that
+the knight leaped backwards, but the lion's teeth were fixed fast in the
+ointment, and they all came out of his mouth, so that he could bite no
+more. And when he rushed at his enemy with his claws they stuck also, so
+that the knight with a blow of his sword was able to kill him with ease.
+
+Mightily he rejoiced at seeing his foe dead before him, and by ill
+fortune he forgot that, had it not been for the counsel of the Lady of
+Solace, it was _he_ who would have been slain, and not the lion. He
+swelled with pride and conceit at the ease with which he had won the
+victory, and never noted that the clue of thread was no longer in his
+hands.
+
+'Ah, lovely princess, I come to seek my reward,' cried he to himself,
+and turned his face towards the palace. But a little way on he spied
+seven trees, very fair to view, all covered with fruit that shone
+temptingly in the sun. He gathered a cluster that hung just above his
+head, and when he had eaten that, he thought that it tasted so delicious
+he really must have another, and another also.
+
+He was still eating when three men passed by, and asked him what he was
+doing there. The knight was so puffed up that he did not answer them
+civilly after his manner, but gave them rude words, for which in return
+he received buffets. In the end, the men dragged him away from the tree
+and flung him into a ditch that was full of water, and his armour
+weighed him down, so that he could not get out. Then at last he
+remembered his clue, and felt for it, but it was not there, and his
+pride broke down, and he saw that he had brought his ruin on himself.
+And in despair he lifted up his voice and cried, 'O Lady of Solace, help
+me, I beseech you, in my great need, for I am nigh dead.' He shut his
+eyes for very misery, but opened them again in a moment, for a lady
+stood by him, and she said:
+
+'Did not I tell you that if you lost the clue you could never more find
+your way out of the garden? I will lift you out of the ditch, but, for
+the clue, you must seek for it yourself till you find it.' And with that
+she vanished.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Not that day did the knight find the clue, nor the next, nor the next.
+Faint and weary was he, but he dared not eat of the fruit that was
+around him, some hanging from the boughs of trees and some growing on
+the ground. At length he wandered back to the spot where he had fought
+with the lion, and there, covered with blood, lay the clue he had so
+long sought. By its help he was led to the tree with the golden fruit,
+which stood at the far end of the garden, and plucking one of the boughs
+he turned to retrace his steps, wondering, now that he held the thread,
+at the shortness of the way.
+
+'Here is the branch, O Emperor! and now give me the princess,' he said,
+kneeling and laying the bough down on the steps of the throne. And the
+emperor could not gainsay him, but bade his officers fetch his daughter,
+and after they had been married she went with her husband into his own
+country, where they lived happily till they died.
+
+[From the _Gesia Romanorum_.]
+
+
+
+
+UNA AND THE LION
+
+
+Once upon a time there lived a king and queen who had only one child, a
+little girl, whom they named Una, and they all lived happily at home for
+many years till Una had grown into a woman.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It seemed as if they were some of the fortunate people to whom nothing
+ever happens, when suddenly, just as everything appeared going well and
+peacefully with them, a fearful dragon, larger and more horrible than
+any dragon which had yet been heard of, arrived one night, seized the
+king and queen as they were walking in the garden after the heat of the
+day, and carried them prisoners to a strong castle. Luckily, Una was at
+that moment sitting among her maidens on the top of a high tower
+embroidering a kirtle, or she would have shared the same fate.
+
+When the princess learnt what had befallen her parents, she was struck
+dumb with grief, but she had been taught that no misfortune was ever
+mended by tears, so she soon dried her eyes, and began to think what was
+best to do, and to whom she could turn for help. She ran quickly over in
+her mind the knights who thronged her father's court, but there was not
+one amongst them to whose hands their rescue could be entrusted. One
+spent his days in writing pretty verses to the ladies who were about the
+queen, another passed his time in putting on suits more brilliant than
+any worn by his friends, a third loved hawking, but did not welcome the
+rough life and hard living of real warfare; no, she must seek a champion
+out of her own country if her parents were to be delivered out of the
+power of the dragon. Then all at once she remembered a certain Red Cross
+Knight whose fame had spread even to her distant land, and, ordering her
+white ass to be saddled, she set forth in quest of him.
+
+It were long to tell the adventures Una met with on the way, but at last
+she found the knight resting after a hard-won fight, and told him her
+tale.
+
+[Illustration: Sudden DEPARTURE of UNA'S PARENTS]
+
+'Right willingly will I help you, princess,' said he, 'only you must
+ride with me and guide me to the castle, for I know nothing of the
+countries that lie beyond the sea;' and Una heard his words with joy,
+and called softly to her ass, who was cropping the short green grass
+beside her.
+
+'Let us go forth at once,' she cried gaily, and sprang into her saddle.
+The knight hastily fastened on his armour, and, placing a blood-red
+cross upon his breast, swung himself on to his horse's back. And so
+they rode over the plain, a trusty dwarf following far behind, and a
+snow-white lamb, held by a golden cord, trotting by Una's side.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+After some hours they left the plain and entered a forest, where the
+trees and bushes grew so thick that no path could they see. At first, in
+their eagerness to escape the storm which was sweeping up the plain
+behind them, they hardly took heed where they were going; and besides,
+the beauty of the flowers and the sweet scent of the fruit caused them
+to forget the trouble they would have to find the road again. But when
+the sound of the thunder ceased, and the lightning no longer darted
+through the leaves, they were startled to perceive they had wandered
+they knew not whither. No sun could they see to show them which was east
+and which west, neither was there any man to tell them what they fain
+would know. At length they stopped, for before them lay a cave
+stretching far away into the darkness.
+
+'We can rest there this night,' said the Red Cross Knight, leaping to
+the ground, and handing his spear to the dwarf; 'and first, you, lady,
+shall remain, here, while I enter and make sure that no fierce or
+loathsome beasts lurk in the corners.' But Una turned pale as she
+listened.
+
+'The perils of this place I better know than you,' she answered gravely.
+'In this den dwells a vile monster, hated by God and man.' And the voice
+of the dwarf cried also, 'Fly, fly! this is no place for living men.'
+They might have spared their warnings; when did youth ever heed them?
+The knight looked into the cave, and
+
+        Forth into the darksome hole he went.
+    His glistening armour made a little glooming light,
+    By which he saw the ugly monster plain,
+    Half like a serpent horribly displayed,
+    The other half did woman's shape retain.
+
+It was too late to turn back, even had he wished it; but indeed it was
+the monster who looked round, as if to find a way to flee. Before her
+stood the knight, his sword drawn, waiting for a fair chance to plunge
+it into her throat. Escape there was none, and she prepared for battle.
+
+The knight fought valiantly, but never had he met a foe like this. The
+monster was so large and so scaly that he could not get round her, while
+his sword glanced, blunted, from off her skin. Blow after blow he
+struck, but they only served to increase her fury, till, gathering all
+her strength together, she wound her great tail about his body, pressing
+him close against her horny bosom.
+
+'Strangle her, else she sure will strangle thee,' cried Una, who had
+been watching the combat as well as the darkness would let her; and the
+knight heard, and seized the monster by the throat, till she was forced
+to let go her hold on him. Then, grasping his sword, he cut her head
+clean from her body.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Fain would they now leave the dreadful wood which had been the nurse of
+such an evil creature, and by following a track where the leaves grew
+less thickly, they at last found themselves on the other side of the
+plain, just as the sun was sinking to rest. They pushed on fast, hoping
+to find a shelter for the night, but none could they spy. The plain
+seemed bare, save for one old man in the guise of a hermit who was
+approaching them.
+
+Him the Red Cross Knight stopped and asked if he knew of any adventures
+which might await him in that place. The old man, who was in truth the
+magician Archimago, the professor of lore which could read the secrets
+of men's hearts, answered that the hour was late for the undertaking of
+such things, and bade them rest for the night in his cell hard by. So
+saying, he led them into a little dell amidst a group of trees, in
+which stood a chapel and the dwelling of the hermit.
+
+[Illustration: THE RED CROSS KNIGHT ENTERS THE MONSTER'S CAVE]
+
+It was but a short space before both knight and lady were sleeping
+soundly on the beds of fern which the hermit told them he had always at
+hand for the entertainment of guests. But, for himself, he crept unseen
+to a little cave inside a rock, and taking out his magic books he sought
+therein for mighty charms to trouble sleepy minds!
+
+He soon found what he wanted, and repeated some strange words aloud. In
+an instant there fluttered round him a crowd of little sprites awaiting
+his bidding, but he motioned all aside except two--one of whom he kept
+with him and the other he sent on a message to the house of Morpheus,
+the god of sleep.
+
+'I come from Archimago the wizard,' said the sprite when he reached his
+journey's end. 'Give me, I pray you, as swiftly as may be, a bad dream,
+that I may carry it back to him.'
+
+Slowly the god rose up, and, going to his storehouse, where lay dreams
+of all sorts--dreams to make people happy, dreams to make people
+miserable, dreams to stir people to good, and dreams to move them to
+every kind of wickedness--he took from the shelf a small but very black
+little dream, which the sprite tied round his neck, and hurried to the
+cave of Archimago.
+
+The wizard took the dream in silence, and, going into the den where the
+knight was sleeping, laid it softly on his forehead. In a moment his
+face clouded over; evil thoughts of Una sprang into his mind, till at
+length, unable to bear any longer the grief of mistrusting her he so
+loved and honoured, the knight called to the dwarf to bring him his
+horse, and together they rode away. But when Una woke and found both of
+her companions departed she wept sorely. Then, mounting her milk-white
+ass, she set out to follow them.
+
+Meanwhile the Red Cross Knight was wandering he knew not whither, so
+deep were the wounds in his heart. He rode on with his bridle hanging
+loosely on his horse's neck, till a bend in the path brought him face to
+face with a mighty Saracen, bearing on his arm a shield with the words
+'Sans foy' written across it. By his side, mounted on a palfrey hung
+with golden bells, was a lady clad in scarlet robes embroidered with
+jewels, who chattered merrily as they passed along.
+
+[Illustration: IN ARCHIMAGO'S CELL. The evil dream.]
+
+It was she who first perceived the approach of an enemy, and, turning to
+Sansfoy, bade him begin the attack. He, nothing loth, dashed forward to
+meet the knight, who had barely time to steady himself to receive the
+blow, which caused him to reel in his saddle. The blow was indeed so
+hard that it would have pierced the knight's armour had it not been for
+the cross upon his breast; which, when the Saracen saw, he cursed the
+power of the holy emblem, and prepared himself for a fresh attack.
+
+But either the Christian knight was the more skilful swordsman, or the
+cross lent new strength to his arm, for the fight was not a long one.
+Only a few strokes had passed between them, when the boastful Sansfoy
+fell from his horse, and rolled heavily to the ground. The lady hardly
+waited for the issue of the combat, and galloped off lest she too should
+be in danger. But the knight did not wage war on ladies, and, calling to
+the dwarf to bring the Saracen's shield as a trophy, he spurred quickly
+after her.
+
+He did not take long to come up with her for, in truth, she intended to
+be overtaken, and turned a woeful countenance to the young knight, who
+listened, believing, to the false tale she told. Pitying her from his
+heart, he assured her of his care and protection, and while they are
+faring through the woods together, let us see what had become of Una.
+
+The maiden was herself wandering distraught, seated on her 'unhastie
+beast,' when with a fearful roar a lion rushed out from a thicket with
+eyes glaring and teeth gleaming, seeking to devour his prey. But at the
+sight of Una's tender beauty he stopped suddenly, and, stooping down, he
+kissed her feet and licked her hands.
+
+At this kindness on the part of the great creature, Una bent her head
+and wept grievously. 'He, my lion and my noble lord, how does he find it
+in his cruel heart to hate her that him loved?' she moaned sadly, and
+the lion again looked pityingly at her, and at last the maiden checked
+her sobs and bade her ass go on, the lion walking by her side during the
+day, and sleeping at her feet by night.
+
+They had travelled far and for many days, through a wilderness untrodden
+by either man or beast, when at the foot of a mountain they spied a
+damsel bearing on her shoulder a pot of water. At sight of the lion she
+flung down the pitcher, and ran to the hut where she dwelt, without once
+looking behind her. In the cottage sat her blind mother, not knowing
+what could be the meaning of the shrieks and cries uttered by her
+daughter, who shut the door quickly after her, and caught trembling hold
+of her mother's hands.
+
+It was the first lion the girl had ever seen, or she would have known
+that if he was determined to enter, it was not a wicket-gate that would
+prevent him. As neither mother nor daughter replied to Una's gentle
+prayer for a night's lodging, her 'unruly page' put his paw on the
+little door, which opened with a crash. The maiden then stepped softly
+over the threshold, begging afresh that she might pass the night in one
+corner, and receiving no answer--for the women were still too terrified
+to speak--she curled herself up on the earthen floor with the lion
+beside her.
+
+About midnight there arrived at the door, which Una had refastened, a
+thief laden with spoils of churches, and whatever else he had managed to
+pick up by stealth. To spend the night in thieving was his custom, and
+hither he brought his spoils, as he thought none would suspect a blind
+woman and her daughter of harbouring stolen goods.
+
+Many times he called, but the two women were in grievous dread of the
+lion, and durst not move from the corner where they were crouching; at
+last the man grew angry, and burst the door asunder, as the lion had
+done before him. He entered the hut, and straightway beheld the dreadful
+beast, with glaring eyes and gleaming teeth, as Una had first beheld
+him. But Kirkrapine (such was his name) had neither beauty nor goodness
+to still the lion's rage, and in another moment his body was rent in
+a thousand pieces.
+
+[Illustration: At the sight of the Lion, she flung down the pitcher]
+
+The sun had scarce sent his first beams above the horizon when Una left
+the hut, mounted on her ass, and, followed by the lion, again began her
+quest of the Red Cross Knight. But, alas! though she found him not, she
+met her ancient foe, the magician Archimago, who had taken on himself
+the form of him whom she sought. Too true and unsuspecting was she, to
+dream of guile in others, and the welcome she gave him was from her
+whole heart. In the guise of the knight, Archimago greeted her fondly,
+and bade her tell him the story of her woes, and how came she to take
+the lion for her companion. And so they journeyed, the flowers seeming
+sweeter and the skies brighter to Una, as they went, when suddenly they
+beheld
+
+    One pricking towards them with hasty heat;
+    Full strongly armed, and on a courser free.
+
+On his shield the words 'Sans loy' could be read, written in letters of
+blood.
+
+Now, though Archimago had clad himself in the outward shape of the Red
+Cross Knight, he lacked his courage and his skill in war; and his heart
+was faint from fear, when the Saracen reined back his horse and prepared
+for battle. In the shock of the rush the wizard was borne backwards, and
+the blood from his side dyed the ground.
+
+'The life that from Sansfoy thou tookest, Sansloy shall from thee take,'
+cried the Paynim, and was unlacing the vizor of the fallen man to deal
+him his death-stroke when a cry from Una stayed his hand for a moment,
+though it was not her prayers for mercy that would have kept him from
+drawing his sword, but the sight of the hoary head beneath the helmet,
+which startled him.
+
+'Archimago!' he stammered, 'what mishap is this?' And still Archimago
+lay on the ground stunned, and answered nothing.
+
+For a moment Una gazed in amazement at the strange sight before her, and
+wondered what was the meaning of these things. Then she turned to fly,
+but, quick as thought, the Saracen plucked at her robe to stop her.
+
+Now when the lion, her fierce servant, saw that Paynim knight lay hands
+on his sovereign lady, he sprang on him with gaping jaws, and almost
+tore the shield from his arm. But the knight leapt swiftly back, and
+swinging his sword plunged it into the heart of the faithful creature,
+who rolled over and died amidst the tears of his mistress.
+
+After which the knight set Una on his steed before him and bore her
+away.
+
+[Spenser's _Faerie Queene_.]
+
+
+
+
+HOW THE RED CROSS KNIGHT SLEW THE DRAGON
+
+
+While Una was riding through forest and over plains, with her faithful
+lion for her guard, the knight whom she sought had given himself over
+into the care of Duessa (for such was the name of Sansfoy's companion),
+by whom he was led to the gates of a splendid palace. The broad road up
+to it was worn by the feet of hosts of travellers; but though many
+peeped through the doors few returned. As the knight stood aside and
+watched, all manner of strange people passed before him, though none
+spoke. At length a man, but newly issued from the palace, and bearing a
+shield with the words 'Sans joy' written across it, stopped suddenly in
+front of the knight's page, then snatched from his arm a shield like his
+own, bearing the name 'Sansfoy.' The page, overcome by the quickness of
+the action, did not resist, but a blow on the helmet from the Red Cross
+Knight made Sansjoy stagger where he stood.
+
+The fight was fierce, and no one could tell with whom the victory lay
+till the queen of that place came by, and bade them cease their
+brawling, for on the morrow they should meet in the lists.
+
+But the battle next day went against the Paynim, in spite of the
+presence of the queen and the counsel of the false Duessa. Short would
+have been his shrift had not thick darkness fallen about him, and when
+the Red Cross Knight cried to him to begin the fray afresh, only silence
+answered him.
+
+Then the false Duessa, ever wont to take the side of him who wins,
+hurried up to him, and whispered, as she had whispered to Sansjoy, 'The
+conquest yours, I yours, the shield and glory yours;' but the knight did
+not heed her, for his eye was ever bent on the wall of thick darkness
+which shut in his foe. Indeed, so busy were his thoughts that he never
+knew that blood was streaming from his wounds, till the queen ordered
+him to be carried into the palace, and ointments to be laid on his body.
+
+As was her custom, Duessa talked much and loudly of the care she would
+give him, and of his speedy cure under her hands; but when night fell
+she stole forth and came to the spot where Sansjoy lay, still covered
+with the enchanted cloud. Then, in an iron chariot, borrowed from the
+Queen of Darkness, she drove him down to the underworld, and across the
+river which divides the kingdom of the living from that of the dead.
+Here giving him into the hands of the oldest and greatest of physicians,
+she went her way to the bedside of the Red Cross Knight.
+
+But for all that concerned that knight she might well have stayed in the
+kingdom of darkness; for in her absence the dwarf, wandering through the
+palace, had come upon a dungeon full of wretched captives, who filled
+the air with their wailings.
+
+Filled with fear, the dwarf hastened back to his master and prayed him
+to flee that place before the sun rose. Which the young knight gladly
+did, creeping away through a secret postern, though it was hard to find
+a footing amidst the corpses piled up on all sides, which had come to a
+bad end by reason of their own folly.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+[Illustration: UNA SAVED BY THE WOOD-FOLK]
+
+And what had become of Una when she had fallen into the power of
+Sansloy? Well, trembling she had followed him into the midst of a
+forest, where, to her wonder, from every bush sprang a host of fauns and
+people of the wood, and ran towards her. When the Saracen beheld
+them, he was so distraught with fear that he galloped right away,
+leaving Una behind him. But she, not knowing what to fear the most,
+stood shaking with dread, till the wood folk pressed around her, and,
+kneeling on the ground stroked lovingly her hands and feet. Then she
+understood that she was safe amongst them, and let them lead her where
+they would, and smiled at their songs and merry dances. If she could not
+be with the Red Cross Knight, then it mattered little where she was, and
+it gave her a feeling of rest and safety to lie hidden among the woods,
+with a people who would let nothing harmful come near her.
+
+So she stayed with them long, and taught them many things, while they in
+their turn showed her how to play on their pipes and to dance the
+prettiest and most graceful of their dances.
+
+Time passed in this wise, when one day it chanced that a noble knight,
+Satyrane by name, came to seek his kindred among the woodfolk. He
+wondered greatly to find so lovely a maid among them, and still more to
+see how eagerly they listened to her teachings, and henceforth he formed
+part of the throng that sat at her feet when the heat of the day was
+over.
+
+In this manner Una and the knight Satyrane soon became friends, and at
+length one day she poured out all her sad tale, and besought his help in
+her search for the Red Cross Knight. It was not easy to escape from the
+kind people who always thronged about her, and her heart was sore at the
+thought of leaving them, but she felt that for her captive parents'
+sake, as well as for the knight's, she could delay no longer.
+
+Therefore one morning, when the wood folk had gone to hold a feast in
+the forest, she rode away in company with Satyrane, and issuing from the
+forest soon reached the open plain. Towards evening they met a weary
+pilgrim, whose clothes were worn and soiled, and so true a pilgrim did
+he look, that Una did not know him to be the wizard Archimago. The
+knight instantly drew rein, and asked what tidings he could impart, and
+Una begged with faltering voice that he would tell her aught concerning
+a knight whose armour bore a red cross.
+
+'Alas! dear dame,' answered he slowly, 'these eyes did see that knight,
+both living and eke dead;' and with that he told her all his story.
+
+When he had finished, it was Satyrane who spoke.
+
+'Where is that Paynim's son, that him of life, and us of joy hath reft?'
+And the pilgrim made answer that he was hard by, washing his wounds at a
+fountain.
+
+Satyrane wasted no more words, but went right straight to the fountain,
+where he found Sansloy, whom he challenged instantly to fight. Sansloy
+hastily buckled on his armour, and cried that, though he had not slain
+the Red Cross Knight, he hoped to lay his champion in the dust. Then,
+both combatants being ready, the battle began.
+
+The sight was too dreadful for Una to bear, and she galloped away, not
+knowing that her deadliest foe, the wizard Archimago, was following her.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Meanwhile Duessa had left the splendid palace, and was riding over the
+country in pursuit of the Red Cross Knight, for it was bitter to her to
+see any escape, who had ever been under her thrall. Her good fortune,
+which never seemed to forsake her, before long led her to his side,
+where he lay resting on the banks of a stream, and he greeted her
+gladly.
+
+The sun was hot, and the water rippling clear over the stones seemed
+inviting. The knight was tired, and leaned down to drink, never knowing
+that the stream was enchanted. But in a moment his strength seemed to
+fail, and his arms grew weak as a child's, though he felt nothing till a
+horrible bellowing sounded in the wood. At the dreadful sound he started
+up and looked around for his armour, but before he could reach it a
+hideous giant was upon him.
+
+The fight did not take long, and in a short while the Red Cross Knight
+was a prisoner in the hands of the giant, who, accompanied by the false
+Duessa, carried his captive to a dungeon of his castle. After the door
+was safely locked and barred, the two then retired into the large hall,
+where they ate and made merry.
+
+From that day the giant brought forth his choicest treasures with which
+to deck Duessa. Her robes were purple, and a triple crown of gold was on
+her head, and, what she liked not so well, he gave her a seven-headed
+serpent to ride on.
+
+Now the faithful dwarf had watched the fate of his master, and when he
+saw him borne away senseless by the giant, he took up the armour which
+had been lain aside in the hour of need, and set out he knew not
+whither.
+
+He had gone but a little distance when he met Una, who read at a glance
+the evil tidings he had brought. She fell off her ass in a deadly swoon,
+and the dwarf, whose heart was nigh as sore, rubbed her temples with
+water and strove to bring her back to life. But when she heard the tale
+of all that had befallen the Red Cross Knight since last she had parted
+from him, she would fain have died, till the thought sprang suddenly
+into her mind that perhaps she might still rescue him. So with fresh
+hope she took the road to the giant's castle, but the way was far, and
+she was woefully tired before even its towers were in sight. Brave
+though she was, the maiden's courage failed her at last, and she began
+to weep afresh, when her eyes happened to light upon a good knight
+riding to meet her. He was clad in armour that shone more than any
+man's, and well it might, as it had been welded by the great enchanter
+Merlin. On the crest of his helmet a golden dragon spread his wings: and
+in the centre of his breast-plate a precious stone shone forth amidst a
+circle of smaller ones, 'like Hesperus among the lesser lights.'
+
+As he drew near, and saw before him a lady in distress, he reined in his
+horse, and with gentle words drew from her all her trouble.
+
+'Be of good cheer,' he said, when the tale was ended, 'and take comfort;
+for never will I forsake you till I have freed your captive knight.'
+
+And, though she knew him not, at his promise Una took heart of grace,
+and bade the dwarf lead them to the giant's castle.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Conducted by the dwarf and followed by the squire, the knight and lady
+soon reached the castle. Bidding Una to await him outside, and calling
+to his squire to come with him, they both walked up to the gates, which
+were fast shut, though no man was guarding them.
+
+'Blow your horn,' said the knight, and the squire blew a blast. At the
+sound, the gates flew open, and the giant came foaming from his chamber
+to see what insolent thief had dared disturb his peace.
+
+And the giant did not come alone. Close after him rode Duessa, 'high
+mounted on her many-headed beast'; and at this sight the knight raised
+his shield and eagerly began the attack.
+
+But, horrible though the serpent was, he was not the sole foe that the
+knight had to fight with. The giant's only weapon was his club, but that
+was as thick as a man's body, and studded with iron points besides.
+Luckily for the knight, this was not the first giant to whom he had
+given battle, and ere the mighty blow could fall he sprang lightly to
+one side, and the club lay buried so deep in the ground that before the
+giant could draw it out again, his left arm was smitten off by the
+knight's sword.
+
+[Illustration: ARTHUR FIGHTS THE SEVEN-HEADED SERPENT]
+
+The giant's roars of pain might have been heard in the uttermost parts
+of the kingdom, and Duessa quickly guided her baleful beast to the help
+of her wounded friend. But her way was barred by the squire, who, sword
+in hand, 'stood like a bulwark' between his lord and the serpent.
+Duessa, full of wrath at being foiled, turned the serpent on him, but
+not one foot would the squire move till, beside herself with anger, the
+witch drew out her cup and sprinkled him with the poisonous water. Then
+the strength went out of his arms and the courage from his heart, and he
+sank helpless on the ground before the snake, who fain would have
+trampled the life out of him, and it would have fared ill with him had
+not the knight rushed swiftly to his rescue, and dealt the snake such a
+wound that the garments of Duessa were all soaked in blood. She shrieked
+to the giant that she would be lost if he did not come to her aid, and
+the giant, whose one arm seemed to have gained the strength of two,
+struck the knight such a blow on the helmet that he sank heavily on the
+ground.
+
+The giant raised a shout of joy, but he triumphed too soon. The knight,
+in falling, caught the covering of his shield upon his spear, and rent
+it from top to toe. The brilliance that flowed from it burnt into the
+eyes of the giant, so that he was 'blinded by excess of light,' and sank
+sightless on the ground. At a fresh cry from Duessa he struggled to his
+feet, but all in vain. He had no power to hurt nor to defend, and fell
+back so heavily that the very earth shook beneath him, and was an easy
+prey for his foe, who smote his head from his body.
+
+Duessa, as we know, never stayed with those with whom the world went
+ill, and she was stealing away quietly, when once more the squire
+stopped her.
+
+'You are captive to my lord,' he said, and, holding her firmly, led her
+back.
+
+Then Una came running full of grateful words, but when she saw Duessa a
+cloud of fierce wrath passed over her face.
+
+'Beware lest that wicked woman escape,' cried she, 'for she it is who
+has worked all this ill, and thrown my dearest lord into the dungeon.
+Oh, hear how piteously he calls to you for aid!'
+
+'I give her into your keeping,' answered the knight, turning to the
+squire, 'and beware of her wiles, for they are many;' and, leaving the
+rest behind him, he strode into the castle, meeting no man as he went.
+
+At last there crept forth from one corner an old, old man with a huge
+bunch of rusty keys hanging from his arm. The knight asked him in gentle
+speech whence had gone all the people who dwelt in the castle, but he
+answered only that he could not tell, till the knight waxed impatient,
+and took the keys from him.
+
+The doors of all the rooms opened easily enough, and inside he found the
+strangest medley. Everywhere blood lay thick upon the floors, while the
+walls were covered with cloth of gold and splendid tapestry. No signs
+were there of any living creature, yet he knew that in some hiding-place
+in the castle the captive lay concealed.
+
+The knight had come to the last door of all. It was of iron, and no key
+on the bunch would open it. On one side was a little grating, and
+through it he called loudly, lest perchance any man might hear his
+voice.
+
+At that there answered him a hollow empty sound, and for a while he
+could not make out any words. Then from out the wailing in the darkness
+something spoke:
+
+'Oh, who is that which brings me happy choice of death? Three moons have
+waxed and waned since I beheld the face of heaven? Oh, welcome, welcome
+art thou who hast come to end my weary life!'
+
+The moaning sound of the voice thrilled the brave champion with horror.
+Putting his shoulder to the iron door, he gave a mighty heave, and the
+hinges gave way. Nothing could he see, for the darkness was terrible,
+and his foot, which he stretched cautiously inward, touched no floor.
+And, besides, the foul smells rushed out, poisoning him with their
+fumes.
+
+But when he had grown in some measure used to the darkness and the
+odours, he began to think how he could best deliver the Red Cross Knight
+from the pit into which he had fallen. To this end he sought through the
+castle till he found some lengths of rope, which he carried back with
+him, as he did not know how deep the pit might be. He knotted three or
+four together and let the rope down, but even when a faint cry from the
+captive told him that it had reached the bottom, his labours were not
+ended yet. Twice the knots gave way, by good fortune, before the man was
+more than a foot or two from the ground, and other pieces of rope had to
+be fetched. Then, when all was made fast, the prisoner had grown so weak
+that he could scarce draw himself up; and again the knight feared
+greatly lest he himself should not have strength to hold fast the rope.
+But at length his courage and patience prevailed, and the Red Cross
+Knight, hollow-eyed, and thin as a skeleton, looked once more upon the
+sun.
+
+His parents might have gazed on him and not known him for their child,
+but Una's heart leapt when the unknown knight brought him to her.
+
+'Welcome,' she said, 'welcome in weal or woe. Your presence I have
+lacked for many a day,' and fain would she have heard the tale of his
+sufferings, had not the knight, who knew that men love not to speak of
+their sorrows, begged her to tend the captive carefully, so that his
+forces might come to him again. Further, he bade them remember that they
+had in their power the woman who had been the cause of all their grief,
+and the time had come to give sentence on her.
+
+'I cannot slay her, now she is mine to slay,' answered Una, 'but strip
+her robe of scarlet from off her, and let her go whither she will.'
+
+With her robes and her jewels went all the magic arts that gave her
+youth and beauty. Instead of the dazzling maiden who had wrought so much
+havoc in the world, there stood before them an old bald-headed shaking
+crone, that seemed as ancient as the earth itself. Silently they gazed,
+then turned away in horror, while Duessa wandered into paths of which
+she alone knew the ending.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It was not until they had rested themselves awhile in the castle that
+the stranger knight told who he was and why he came there. He was, he
+said, Arthur, the ward of Merlin, and had ridden far and long in quest
+of the Faerie Queen. And having fulfilled his vow to Una, in delivering
+the Red Cross Knight out of the power of the giant, he bade both
+farewell, leaving behind him, as a remembrance of their friendship a
+diamond box containing a precious ointment, which would cure any wound,
+however deep or poisonous.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+So they parted, but not yet was the Red Cross Knight able to face the
+monstrous dragon who held captive Una's royal parents. For some weeks
+therefore he rested in the castle till his strength came back, then once
+more he and Una rode forth side by side.
+
+They had not gone far when they beheld an armed knight galloping fast
+towards them, and as he went ever glancing over his shoulder as if
+fearful of some dread thing behind. His matted hair streamed in the wind
+and the fingers which grasped the reins were like the claws of an eagle.
+Stranger than all, round his neck was tied a hempen rope. 'He seems to
+be afraid of himself,' thought the Red Cross Knight as he checked his
+horse to offer help to the flying man before him.
+
+At first it seemed as if his words fell on dumb ears, but patiently he
+repeated them over and over again, and at length an answer came from
+the shaking figure:
+
+'For God's sake, Sir Knight, do not, I pray you, stay me, for look, HE
+comes, HE comes fast after me;' and as he spoke he urged on his horse
+afresh. But the Red Cross Knight caught his bridle and bade him fear
+nothing, as he was safe with him, and to tell him why such awful fear
+possessed his soul.
+
+At last the stricken man poured forth his tale, and the Red Cross Knight
+learned that once he was happy and free, like other men, till on an
+ill-starred day he and a friend had fallen in with a cursed wight who
+called himself 'Despair,' who had plucked all hope from their breasts,
+and bade them seek death, the one with a rope, the other with a knife.
+His friend, whose love had been disdained by a proud lady, fell an easy
+prey to the persuasions of the giant, and it was the sight of his corpse
+lying weltering in his blood that drove this man to ride away while yet
+the rope hung loose. 'O sir,' he added when the sad tale was told--'O
+sir, be warned by me, and never let yourself stray into his presence!
+His subtle tongue, like dropping honey, melts into the heart, and ere
+one be aware, his power is gone and weakness doth remain.'
+
+But the Red Cross Knight made answer that he would never rest till he
+had seen with his own eyes that baleful being, and begged the stranger,
+whose name was Trevisan, to guide him hither.
+
+'I will ride back with you, as you ask it of me,' said Sir Trevisan
+unwillingly, 'but not for all the gold in the world will I stay with you
+when you reach his cave, for sooner would I die than see his deadly
+face!'
+
+'Ride on, then, and I will follow,' answered the Red Cross Knight.
+
+The cave lay in the side of a cliff, and was dark and gloomy as a tomb.
+The only sounds they heard were the hooting of an owl and the wails and
+howls of wandering ghosts; the only sights were the corpses of men
+hanging on trees or lying stark upon the ground. Sir Trevisan turned
+his horse's head and would fain have fled, but the Red Cross Knight
+stopped him.
+
+'You are safe with me,' he said confidently, and the other, who was ever
+weak of will, waited.
+
+They entered the cave, and found the doer of all that evil seated on the
+floor, his eyes as the eyes of a dead man, and his body well nigh as
+much a skeleton as any of his victims. On the grass beneath him lay a
+body that was still warm, and in its bleeding wound a rusty knife still
+stood. The sight stirred the blood in the knight's veins, and he
+challenged the murderer to fight where he stood.
+
+'Are you distraught, you foolish man,' was all his answer, 'that you
+should talk in this wild way? It was his own guilt which drove him to
+his end. He loathed his life, why should he then prolong it? Is it not
+the part of a friend to free his feet when they stick fast in the mud,
+and to point to the door that leads to rest, even if some little pain
+must be suffered in the passage? Is not short pain well borne that
+brings long ease--sleep after toil, port after stormy seas?'
+
+The Red Cross Knight listened wonderingly. Then he answered:
+
+'The soldier may not cease to watch nor leave his stand until his
+captain bid.'
+
+But the cursed wight replied boldly, 'The longer life, I wot, the
+greater sin. The greater sin, the greater punishment. Therefore, I pray
+you go no further, but lie down and betake you to your rest. A longer
+life means old age and sickness, and every kind of sorrow. So lay it
+down while things are yet well with you.'
+
+[Illustration: IN THE CAVE OF DESPAIR]
+
+In spite of Sir Trevisan's warning, the fair-sounding words found an
+echo in the heart of the Red Cross Knight, as they had done in the
+hearts of many men before him. The miscreant saw that his courage was
+wavering, and forthwith he brought forth a store of swords, ropes,
+poisons, and a brazier of fire, and bade him choose what manner of
+death he would prefer. The knight gazed at them all, like one who walks
+in sleep, but touched none of them, and the miscreant, beholding this,
+chose out a dagger bright and new, and thrust it in his shaking hand.
+The young man looked at it, his face reddened and then grew pale again,
+and slowly, as if against his will, he lifted the dagger.
+
+A shriek from Una, who had only just reached the cave, caused him to
+drop his arm again, and in an instant she had snatched it from his limp
+fingers, and had flung it on the ground.
+
+'Come away, come away,' she cried, 'let no vain words bewitch you! What
+have you to do with despair, after all the brave deeds you have done?
+Arise, Sir knight, arise and leave this cursed place. Have you forgotten
+that other work awaits you?'
+
+The voice of Una broke the spell which had possessed him. Once more his
+eye grew bright and his arm strong. He mounted his horse and rode away
+by Una's side without ever looking behind him. If he had, he would have
+seen that the miscreant had placed a rope round his own neck, and hanged
+himself on a tree. But even so he could not die; the death to which he
+drove others remained far from him.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The ease with which the Red Cross Knight had been mastered by the wily
+talk of the gloomy miscreant in the cave showed Una that his mind, if
+not his body, was still weak from his long imprisonment in the dungeon.
+She saw that before he could fight the dragon who had carried off her
+parents he needed yet more repose, and luckily she knew of a house not
+far off where they would be made welcome for as long as they chose to
+stay. Hither they fared, and for many weeks the knight's armour was laid
+away, and the ladies who dwelt in that place gave him all the strength
+and counsel that they could think of. Then, when at last he had become
+what he had been of yore, Una bade farewell to her hosts with great
+thanks, and set out for the royal castle. After three days the walls of
+a high tower might be seen dimly across the plain.
+
+'It is there that my parents are kept imprisoned by the dragon,' said
+Una, pointing to it with her hand, 'and I see the watchman watching for
+good tidings, if haply such there be. Ah, he has waited long!'
+
+As she spoke, a roaring hideous sound was heard that seemed to shake the
+ground and to fill all the air with terror. Turning their heads, they
+beheld on their right a huge dragon, lying stretched upon the sunny side
+of a great hill, himself like a great hill. But no sooner did he see the
+shining armour of the knight than he roused himself and made ready for
+battle.
+
+Hastily the Red Cross Knight bade Una withdraw herself to another hill,
+from which she could see the fight without herself being in danger.
+Crouching behind a rock, she watched the dreadful beast approaching,
+half flying and half walking as he went. Run he could not, his size was
+too vast.
+
+Her heart sank as she looked, for how could mortal man get the better of
+such a creature! Besides the brazen scales which thickly covered his
+body, his wings were like two sails, and at the tip of each huge feather
+was a many-pronged claw; while his back was hidden with the folds of his
+tail, which lay doubled in a hundred coils, and in his mouth were three
+rows of sharp-pointed teeth. Una could look no more; she shut her eyes
+and waited.
+
+The knight felt that if he was to win the victory at all it must be by
+means of his lightness of foot, as the monster was so large he could not
+turn himself about quickly. So, getting a little behind his head, he
+tried to pierce his neck between the scaly plates, but the spear glanced
+off harmlessly, and a stroke from the tip of the tail laid both him and
+his horse on the ground.
+
+[Illustration: THE END OF THE DRAGON]
+
+They rose again instantly, and returned to the charge, but a second blow
+met with no better fate. Then the dragon in wrath spread wide his sails
+and rose heavily above the earth, till, suddenly and swiftly darting
+down his head, he snatched both horse and man off the ground. But here
+the knight had the advantage, for with his spear he stung the beast so
+sore that the monster speedily set his captives again on the earth.
+
+Not giving the dragon time to gather himself up, the knight dealt him a
+blow under the left wing. With a roar of agony, the beast snapped the
+spear asunder with his claws, and pulled out the head. At that a sea of
+blood gushed from the wound which would have turned a water-mill, and in
+his pain and rage flames of fire gushed from his mouth.
+
+Unwinding his tail from his back, he coiled it like lightning about the
+legs of the horse, which fell to the ground with his rider. But in an
+instant the knight was on his feet, and by the mere force of his blows
+forced his enemy to reel, though the brazen scales were still unpierced.
+Though his courage was as great as ever, the young man began to lose
+patience, when of a sudden he noticed that the monster could no longer
+rise into the air by reason of his wounded wing. That sight gave him
+heart, and he drew near once more, only to be scorched by the deadly
+fire from the dragon's jaws. Half blinded and suffocated, he staggered,
+which the dragon seeing, he dealt the knight such a blow that he fell
+backwards into a well that lay behind.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+'So that is the end of him,' said the dragon to himself; but, if he had
+only known, it was the beginning, for the well into which the knight had
+fallen was the well of life, which could cure all hurts and heal all
+wounds.
+
+All night Una watched at her post, for darkness had come before the
+knight received his final blow. In the morning, before the sun had risen
+above the plain, she was looking for the knight, who was lying she knew
+not where. Her eyes dropping by chance on the well, she was sore amazed
+to see him rise out of it fairer and mightier than before. With a rush
+he fell upon the dragon, who had gone to sleep, safe in the knowledge of
+his victory, and, taking his sword in both hands, he drove right through
+the brazen scales, and wounded him deep in his skull. In vain did the
+monster roar and struggle; the blows rained thick and fast, and most of
+his tail was cut from his body.
+
+Again and again the knight was overthrown, and again and again he rose
+to his feet, and laid about him as valiantly as ever. But while the
+fight was still hanging in the balance, the dragon thrust his head
+forward with wide-open jaws, thinking to swallow his enemy and make an
+end of him. Quick as thought the knight sprang aside, and, thrusting his
+sword in the yawning gulf up to the hilt, gave the dragon his
+death-blow.
+
+Down he fell, fire and smoke gushing from his nostrils--down he fell,
+and men thought some mighty mountain must have cast up rocks on the
+earth.
+
+The victor himself trembled, and it was long ere Una dared draw near,
+dreading lest the direful fiend should stir. But when at last she knew
+him dead, she came joyfully forth, and, bursting into happy tears,
+faltered her gratitude for the good he had wrought her.
+
+There is little more to be told of Una and the Red Cross knight.
+
+The watchman on the wall, who had seen the dreadful battle, was the
+first to tell the king and queen that the dragon was dead and that they
+were free. Then the king commanded the trumpets to sound and the people
+to assemble, so that fitting rejoicings might be made at the destruction
+of their foe.
+
+This being done, a mighty procession came down, headed by the king and
+queen, to lay laurel boughs at the feet of the victor, and to set a
+garland of bay on the head of the maiden. Once more Duessa and
+Archimago sought to prevent the betrothal of the Red Cross Knight and
+Una by a plot to send the wizard in the guise of a messenger,
+proclaiming the knight to have been already bound to the daughter of the
+emperor, but the false tale was easily seen through, and Archimago
+thrown into a dungeon.
+
+After that the king himself performed the marriage rite, and a solemn
+feast was held through the land, but the wedded pair were not long left
+together. A vow the knight had made when he received his spurs to do the
+Faerie Queen six years of service called him from Una's side, and, sad
+though the parting might be, both held their word too high ever to break
+it.
+
+[From _The Faerie Queene_.]
+
+
+
+
+_AMYS AND AMYLE_
+
+
+Some time in the Middle Ages there lived in the Duchy of Lombardy,
+which, as everybody knows, is part of Italy, two knights, who loved each
+other like brothers. And, what is more to be wondered at, their wives
+were the best friends in the world. To complete the happiness of the two
+couples, two little boys were born to them on the same day, and they
+were given the names of Amys and Amyle.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Now it generally happens that when parents are very anxious for their
+children to be friends, because they are the same age, or neighbours, or
+for some equally good reason, the young people make up their minds to
+hate each other. However, Amys and Amyle did not disappoint their
+fathers and mothers in this way. From the moment they could walk they
+were never seen apart; if they ever _did_ quarrel no one ever heard of
+it; and by the time they were twelve years old they had grown so like
+each other that even their parents could hardly tell the difference
+between them. Indeed, the likeness between them is supposed to have
+given rise to the proverb, 'A miss is as good as a mile.'
+
+It was in that year that the duke, their liege lord, bade all his
+vassals to a great festival to be held in his castle, and many of them
+took their sons with them, to show them some of the customs of chivalry.
+Amys and Amyle went with the rest, and endless were the mistakes made
+about them. The boys themselves, who were merry little fellows,
+delighted in increasing the confusion, and played so many pranks that
+the duke declared that they must remain at the court with him, as his
+life would be too dull without them.
+
+Perhaps the knights thought that their homes would be dull too, but, if
+so, they did not dare say so; only their wives noticed, as they entered
+the castle gates, that their heads were bowed, as if some ill had
+befallen them.
+
+At first the boys felt unhappy and lonely in this strange new world, and
+clung to each other more closely than ever, but, after a little, they
+got used to the change, and learned eagerly how to shoot at a mark and
+tilt at a ring, or to sing sweet love-songs to the sound of a lute.
+
+So the years passed away till Amys and Amyle were eighteen years old,
+and thought themselves men, and were ready to cross lances with the
+bravest. The first step they took towards proving to the world that no
+tie of blood could bind them closer than the love they bore one to
+another, was to swear the oaths which made them brothers in arms, and
+obliged them to fight in each other's quarrels, avenge each other's
+wrongs--even to sacrifice what the other held most dear in the service
+of his friend. Marriage itself was not more sacred.
+
+All this time the duke had been too busy with his own affairs to have
+the youths much in his company, though he took care that they had the
+best chances of learning everything that they ought to know. When,
+however, he heard that Amys and Amyle had sworn the solemn oaths that
+made them brothers in arms, he ordered a tournament to be held in their
+honour, and, when it was over, knighted them on the field. He further
+declared that henceforth Sir Amys should be his chief butler and Sir
+Amyle his head steward over his household, thus the steward whom Amyle
+displaced became their deadly enemy.
+
+Although the young men knew a great deal about hunting, and wrestling,
+and other such sports, they had no idea what the duties of a butler and
+a steward might be. But what they _did_ know was that they would have to
+be very careful, for the eyes of the old steward were watching eagerly
+to report any mistakes to the duke their master. Luckily for them, they
+were favourites with everyone, and if now and then they forgot their
+work, or slipped away for a day's hunting, well! the task was done by
+somebody, and not even the old steward could find out by whom.
+
+Everything seemed going smoothly, and the new-made knights were in
+danger of being spoilt by the favour of the ladies of the court, when a
+sudden stop was put to all their pleasures. One day a man-at-arms riding
+a jaded horse appeared at the palace gateway, and demanded to be led
+into the presence of the good knight Sir Amyle.
+
+'Oh, my lord,' said he, and knew not that it was Amys before whom he was
+kneeling, 'it is grievous news that I bear unto you. Your father and
+mother, that noble knight and his lady, died of a pestilence but seven
+days agone, and none save you can take their place. Therefore am I sent
+unto you.'
+
+'_My_ father and mother?' cried Amys, staggering back.
+
+'Yes, my lord, yours,' answered the man. 'At least----' he stammered, as
+Sir Amyle came and stood by his friend, 'I know not if indeed it may be
+yours. It is long years since I have seen you, and this knight and you
+have but one face. But it is Sir Amyle with whom I would speak.'
+
+Then Amys laid his hand on his brother's shoulder.
+
+'Be comforted,' he said softly. 'Am I not with thee? and, though I
+cannot go with thee now, I will follow thee shortly unless thou quickly
+return to me.'
+
+Early next morning Amyle started with a heavy heart for the home which
+he had left six years before; but before his departure he had caused to
+be made two cups of gold, delicately wrought with figures of birds and
+beasts, such as he and Amys had often chased in the forests and lakes of
+Lombardy. The cups were no more to be told from each other than were
+Amys and Amyle themselves, and Amyle placed them in the pockets of his
+saddle till the moment came for him to part from Sir Amys, who had
+ridden with him as far as he might. Then, drawing out one of the cups,
+Amyle placed it in his friend's hands.
+
+'Farewell, my brother,' he said. 'Be true to me as I will be true to
+you, according to the oath which we sware, that as long as we both shall
+live nothing and nobody shall stand between me and thee.'
+
+And Sir Amys repeated the words of his oath, then slowly turned his
+horse's head towards the castle.
+
+Seven days' hard riding brought Sir Amyle back to his native place, and
+for many months he had much to do in setting aside the pretenders who
+had sprung up to claim his father's lands. When at last peace was
+restored and the false traitors had been thrown into prison, a petition
+on the part of his vassals to take a wife and settle down amongst them,
+turned his thoughts in other directions.
+
+It was the custom of the country that the ruler of those lands should
+choose his wife from the most beautiful maidens in the Duchy of
+Lombardy, no matter what might be their degree. So a herald was sent
+forth to proclaim that any damsel who wished to fill this high place was
+to present herself in the courtyard of the palace on the morning
+following the next new moon, where the chamberlain would receive her.
+Oh, what a fluttering of hearts there was in the towns and villages, as
+the herald, with his silver trumpet and his satin coat of red and
+yellow, covered with figures of strange beasts, passed up and down the
+streets! How the girls all ran to their mirrors, and turned themselves
+this way and that to see if there could possibly be a chance for them!
+Perhaps it was the fault of the headdress they wore that their faces
+seemed so long and their noses so big, or surely something was wrong
+with the glass that their cheeks looked so yellow! But even when it was
+proved beyond a doubt that neither headdress nor mirror was to blame in
+the matter, there were enough lovely maidens and to spare in the
+courtyard of the castle on the day following the new moon.
+
+[Illustration: THE TWO CUPS]
+
+'He is certain to choose _you_,' said one, who in her secret heart
+thought it was impossible that _she_ should be passed over.
+
+'Oh no; fair men's eyes alway rest upon dark women,' answered the girl,
+whose locks were brighter than the sun, though while she spoke she was
+really thinking that no one could bear comparison with her. And then all
+grew silent, for there was heard a blast of trumpets announcing that Sir
+Amyle was at hand.
+
+The young knight had donned for this occasion a close-fitting coat of
+silver cloth, while a short blue velvet mantle hung from his shoulders.
+He walked slowly down the ranks of the maidens, watching each carefully,
+and noting the way in which she received his gaze. Some looked down and
+blushed; some looked up and smiled, but one there was who did neither,
+only stood calm and pale as the young man drew near.
+
+She was a tall girl with dark hair and soft grey eyes, and the
+chamberlain had doubted long, before he told her father that she might
+take her stand with the rest. None would have chosen her as Queen of a
+Tourney, or bidden her preside over a Court of Love, yet there was that
+in her face which had caused Amyle to pause before her and to hold out
+his hand.
+
+So they were married, and by the side of his wife Sir Amyle for a while
+forgot his brother.
+
+Meanwhile Sir Amys dwelt sorrowfully at the court, defending himself as
+best he might against the wiles of the black-hearted steward, who now
+received him with smiles and fair words. Nay, he even desired that they
+should become brothers at arms, but to this Sir Amys replied that,
+having made oath to one brother at arms, the rules of chivalry did not
+allow him to take another.
+
+At these words the steward threw off the mask with which he had sought
+to beguile Sir Amys.
+
+'You will have cause to rue this day,' roared he, nearly choking in his
+wrath; 'you dog, you white-livered cur!' but Amys only smiled, and bade
+him do his worst.
+
+By this time the duke's only daughter, Belisante, had reached the age of
+fifteen, and on her birthday her father proclaimed a great tournament,
+which was to last for fourteen days. Knights from far and near flocked
+to break a lance in honour of the fair damsel, but, though many doughty
+deeds were done, the prize fell to Sir Amys. When he came up to receive
+the golden circlet from the hands of the duchess--for the duke held his
+daughter to be of too tender years to be queen of the tourney--Belisante
+looked earnestly at the knight whose praises had rung in her ears ever
+since her childhood. It was almost the first time her eyes had beheld
+him, for she had lived in one of her father's distant castles, and had
+seldom visited the court.
+
+Now we all know full well that whenever we form to ourselves the picture
+of a man or woman of whom great things are said, woeful is in general
+the disappointment. But even in that assembly Sir Amys was taller and
+stronger and fairer to look upon than the rest.
+
+'He shall be my knight,' said Belisante to herself, never dreaming that
+any man alive could pass her by. But Sir Amys' thoughts dwelt not upon
+women, and he hardly so much as marked her where she sat.
+
+This slight was more than the spoiled damsel could bear. She fell sick
+with love and anger, and for many days lay in bed, pondering how she
+should win the love of Sir Amys.
+
+A full week went by, and still she had never had speech of him--nor had
+even so much as caught sight of him as he followed her father to the
+chase. But one morning her lady brought her word--for indeed she had
+guessed something of her mistress's heart--that Sir Amys had so wearied
+himself in pursuit of a boar the previous evening that he had let his
+lord ride forth alone. So Belisante bade her maiden bring her kirtle of
+green silk, and clasp it with her golden belt set with precious
+stones, and place a veil of shining white upon her hair; then seeking
+her mother they went down into the garden together.
+
+[Illustration: Softly she rose to her feet and stole out of the wood]
+
+It was not long before her quick-glancing eyes beheld Sir Amys lying
+under a tree by the side of a stream, but in her guile she took no heed
+of him, but turned away and entered a little wood.
+
+'I can sleep now,' she said, stretching herself on a bank of soft moss.
+'Listen to the birds, how sweetly they sing! Methinks I hear the voice
+of the nightingale, for the trees make such darkness that he knows not
+night from day.'
+
+'Let us leave her,' answered her mother, and signing to her ladies they
+all returned to the castle.
+
+For a moment Belisante lay still, feigning to sleep; then she raised
+herself on her arm and looked about her. Nothing was to be seen save the
+green darkness about her, nothing was to be heard save the songs of the
+birds. Softly she rose to her feet, and stole out of the wood to the
+orchard where Sir Amys was resting, thinking, though she guessed it not,
+of his brother in arms Amyle.
+
+He sprang to his feet in surprise as Belisante the Fair drew near him;
+but she begged him to sit beside her, and told him how that she had been
+sick of love, and besought him of his grace not to withhold this good
+gift from her. Sir Amys hearkened to her words, not knowing if he had
+heard aright, but, calling his wits to his aid, he answered that she was
+the daughter of a great prince while he was only the son of a poor
+knight, and that marriage between them might never be. This speech so
+wrought upon Belisante that she broke out in such tears and entreaties
+that Sir Amys, to gain time to ponder what best to do, replied that if
+in eight days her mind was still set on him, he would ask her hand in
+marriage.
+
+By ill-luck for both the knight and the maiden, the steward, who had
+been seeking a chance of doing Sir Amys an ill turn, had seen Belisante
+leave the wood and go in search of Sir Amys. Creeping stealthily up to
+them, he hid himself behind a clump of bushes and heard all that was
+said. Cunningly he made his plan, and on the eighth day he waylaid the
+duke and told him that Sir Amys was about to repay all the kindness
+shown him by a secret marriage with the duke's daughter.
+
+Sir Amys was keeping guard that day in the hall of the palace, when,
+sword in hand, his liege lord stood before him charging him with
+beguiling his daughter. In another moment Amys would have fallen dead,
+but behind him was a little room, and into this he stepped, shutting the
+door, so that the sword stuck in the hard wood as it came against it.
+This mischance somewhat cooled the duke's anger, and, bidding Sir Amys
+come out and speak with him, he again accused him of having sought to
+steal away his daughter, whom he wished to betrothe to the emperor's
+son.
+
+Sir Amys was in sore straits. If he could have borne the penalty alone,
+he would have suffered gladly whatever sentence the duke might have
+passed on him; but this could not be. So, to save Belisante from her
+father's wrath, he swore a great oath that there was no truth in that
+tale, and, flinging down his glove, offered to fight any man whom the
+duke should appoint, and prove his innocence on his body. Then the king
+bade his steward pick up Sir Amys' glove, and fixed a morning, fourteen
+days hence, when the two should meet in single combat.
+
+Still it was not enough that Sir Amys and the steward should agree to
+fight; it was needful also that sureties should be found, and such was
+the steward's power at court that all men feared to come forward on
+behalf of Sir Amys. The young man would have fared badly, and indeed
+would at once have been thrown into prison, had not both Belisante and
+her mother offered themselves as sureties for his presence when the day
+arrived.
+
+But not all the wiles of the fair Belisante could chase the gloom from
+the face of Sir Amys. He never forgot that he had sworn a false oath,
+and it was to no purpose that Belisante reminded him of all the ill
+deeds done by the steward to him and others. 'This time,' he said sadly,
+'_I_ have the wrong and _he_ the right, therefore I am afraid to fight,'
+and no other answer could she wring from him.
+
+Way out of the tangle there seemed none. Fight Sir Amys could not, with
+the weight of a false oath on his soul, yet to run away were to confess
+all, and leave Belisante to bear her father's anger alone. Turn his
+thoughts which side he would, escape seemed barred, till the image of
+Sir Amyle flashed across him. 'Fool, why had he not remembered him
+earlier? Luckily there was yet time, and he could ride with full speed
+to his brother's castle, and bid him return to take the battle on
+himself.' With a gladder face than he had known for long, he sought out
+the duchess and her daughter, and told them his plan.
+
+Before the sun rose Sir Amys was in the saddle, and so busy was he with
+all that had befallen him that he pushed on and never drew rein till his
+horse dropped dead under him from sheer weariness. As there was no town
+or house where he might find another, he was forced to proceed on foot.
+But by-and-by he too fell from lack of sleep, and when Sir Amyle was
+returning home through the forest after a day's hunting, he discovered
+his brother stretched across the path in the shade of a tree.
+
+Joy at meeting gave new life to Sir Amys, and, sitting up, he told his
+friend all his woes, and how he dare not fight with a false oath on his
+conscience.
+
+'Oh! that is easily to be managed,' cried Sir Amyle, with a great laugh.
+'Go home to my castle,' said he, 'and tell my wife that you have sent
+the horse to Sir Amys, at court, as you heard he had sore need of one.
+None will know you from me, no more than they did of old, and, as to my
+wife, it was but now I told her that business called me to the most
+distant parts of my lands, so this very night you can bid her farewell.'
+
+Sir Amys did as his brother bade him, and Sir Amyle hastened with all
+speed to the duke's palace.
+
+He was only just in time. The hour for the fight had come, and the
+steward had entered the lists, and, looking round in triumph, proclaimed
+to all whom it might concern that his adversary knew himself to be a
+traitor to his lord, and had fled. Therefore, according to all the rules
+of chivalry, a fire should be made, and his sureties burned before all
+the people.
+
+At these dreadful words, the hearts of the king and his wife and
+daughter trembled within them. For the steward had spoken truly, and the
+order for the execution must be given. It was in vain that the men
+worked right slowly; linger as they might, the pile was ready at last,
+and with one despairing glance round, the duchess and her daughter were
+bravely walking up to it, when Sir Amyle hastily pushed his way to the
+duke and demanded that the captives should be instantly set free. Then,
+followed by the duchess and Belisante, he entered the palace to gird
+himself with the armour of Sir Amys.
+
+When his helmet and sword were buckled on him, he prayed them to leave
+him, as he would fain be alone for a short space before he mounted his
+horse. So the two ladies embraced him and left him, wishing him
+God-speed. As the door closed upon them, Sir Amyle held up his sword and
+muttered a prayer before it.
+
+'Come weal or woe, I will help my brother,' he said softly; then
+mounting his horse he rode into the lists, and, kneeling, took the oath
+that he was guiltless of wrong and would prove his innocence on the body
+of his foe.
+
+[Illustration: SIR AMYLE ARRIVES IN TIME TO SAVE THE LADIES]
+
+The fight lasted but a short time; the steward's sword was keen, and he
+knew how to use it, and it was not long before he had given Sir Amyle a
+sharp thrust through the shoulder, and the young knight reeled in his
+saddle. The steward uttered a cry of fierce joy, and raised his arm to
+deal a second blow, when Sir Amyle suddenly spurred his horse to one
+side and pierced his enemy to the heart. Then, all bleeding as he was,
+the false Amys cut off the head of the traitor, and gave it to the
+duke, proving to him and to all the court that the right had conquered.
+But hardly had he done so when, faint from loss of blood, he fell
+senseless on the ground, and was carried into the palace, where the
+duke's best leeches were called in to attend him. In a few days the
+fever left him, and he was able to receive a visit from the duke
+himself.
+
+'O Amys, my friend, how I have misjudged you!' cried the duke, falling
+on his knees weeping; 'but I will let my people know that you were
+always true, and you shall marry my daughter as soon as you can stand
+upon your feet, and I will hold a feast, and proclaim you heir to my
+duchy.'
+
+And the wounded man gave him thanks and grace, but sent off a messenger
+in all haste to Sir Amys, bidding him be by a spring in the forest, nine
+days hence, which message Sir Amys obeyed, wondering what had passed.
+Then the two knights changed their clothes once more, and Sir Amyle
+returned to his wife and Sir Amys to his bride, and they lived happily
+to the end of their lives.
+
+[Adapted and shortened from _Early English Metrical Romances_.]
+
+
+
+
+_THE TALE OF THE CID_
+
+
+In the year 1025, when Canute the Dane was sitting on the throne of
+England, there was born in the ancient Spanish city of Burgos a baby, to
+whom was given the name of Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar. He came of noble blood
+on both sides of the House, and his forefathers had borne some of the
+highest offices of the land, and from his childhood the boy had been
+taught that it was his duty never to fall one whit behind them in
+courage and in honour. As he grew older, he burned more and more for a
+chance to show the metal of which he was made, and longed to join the
+companies of knights that were ever going forth to fight the Arabs, who
+for nearly four hundred years had reigned over the fairest provinces of
+Spain. But to all his prayers, his father, Don Diego Lainez, turned a
+deaf ear.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+'Wait, wait, my son!' he would say; 'the little shoot must first grow
+into a tree. Go now and practise that sword-thrust in which you failed
+yesterday.'
+
+It was when he was sixteen that the longed-for opportunity came.
+
+Don Diego Lainez, now old and weak, had gone to do his homage to King
+Fernando, who had managed to unite the small kingdoms of Northern Spain
+under his banner. Some dispute arose between him and the powerful count,
+Don Lozano Gomez, probably as to which had the right to pass first into
+the presence of their king, and in the presence of the whole court Don
+Lozano spoke words of deadly insult to the old man, and even gave him a
+buffet on the cheek. The courtiers all cried shame, and Don Diego's hand
+clutched the pommel of his sword, but his rage had deprived him of the
+little strength that remained, and he was powerless to draw it. At this
+the count laughed scornfully, and, bowing mockingly to the king, who
+held it best that men should settle their own quarrels, rode away to his
+castle. Then, without another word, Don Diego turned and mounted his
+horse and set out homewards.
+
+A broken man and older by ten years was he when he entered his hall, but
+many days passed before any could guess what had wrought this change in
+him. All night he lay awake staring into the darkness, and when food was
+brought him it was carried away untasted, and his wife whispered to her
+ladies, 'If we rouse him not he will surely die! Would that I knew what
+has stricken him like this?'
+
+Fifteen days went by in this manner, and none thought to see him leave
+his bed again, when one morning he strode into the hall with some of the
+fire of his former years, and called his sons to him. One by one he
+signed to each to draw near, and taking their soft hands in his palms,
+pressed so hard that the boys cried to him to loosen his grasp, or they
+would die of the pain. But when he came to Rodrigo, he heard no prayers
+of mercy from _him_, only threats and hot words uttered with blazing
+eyes and cheeks burning with anger. And the old man wept for joy, and
+cried:
+
+'Thou art indeed my true son; your rage calms me, your fury heals me. It
+is you who will redeem my honour, which I held lost.' And then he told
+the youth the tale of what had passed at court.
+
+'Take my blessing,' were his last words, 'and take this sword also,
+which shall deal the count his death-blow. After that, you shall do
+greater deeds still.'
+
+[Illustration: RODRIGO BRINGS HOME THE HEAD OF GOMEZ]
+
+Young though he was, Rodrigo had heard enough of war to know Lozano
+Gomez would not prove an easy prey; but, easy or not, he meant to
+fight him. So, vowing to his sword that should he ever bring dishonour
+on the weapon that had done his House good service, he would sheathe it
+in his breast, he mounted his horse and rode to meet his foe.
+
+'Is it a knightly or a brave deed, think you, to smite an old man who
+cannot defend himself?' asked he. 'But when you dealt that blow you may
+have thought that his sons were yet in their cradles, and that there was
+none to avenge him. Well, traitor, you are wrong. _I_ am his son, and
+his honour is mine, so look to yourself, lest I take your head home with
+me.'
+
+And Gomez laughed to hear him, and bade him cease crowing like a young
+cock, but a furious onslaught from Rodrigo cut his words short, and
+hardly did he escape being unhorsed. Before he had steadied himself in
+the saddle Rodrigo had charged again, and this time his enemy was borne
+to the ground.
+
+'So may all dastards die!' cried the victor, as he cut off his head.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Don Diego Lainez was sitting at the table in his great hall, the tears
+rolling down his cheeks as the shameful scene of his dishonour rose up
+before him. Suddenly a clatter of hoofs was heard in the courtyard, and
+the doors swung open. The men-at-arms gathered round the board rose to
+their feet as Rodrigo entered, carrying the head of Count Gomez by the
+long front lock. Taking Don Diego by the arm, he shook him roughly:
+
+'Open your eyes wide, my father, and raise your head, and let your heart
+be merry, for I have cut down the poisonous weed; I have stamped out the
+plague-spot; the robe of your honour is stainless as of yore.'
+
+For a moment the old man kept silence, and then he looked up, his face
+shining.
+
+'Son of my heart,' he said, 'it is enough. From henceforth the seat of
+honour is yours, and you shall take my place as the head of my House.'
+
+From that day the young knights vied with each other in gaining leave to
+ride in the train of Rodrigo Diaz, or 'the Cid' as he was afterwards
+called, and to this name was later added the proud title of 'Campeador.'
+Three hundred youths in splendid attire followed him to the court of
+Fernando, when he went in his turn to do the king homage, and stood by
+his side as he challenged anyone of the blood of Count Lozano to fight
+and avenge his death; but no one came. Then his father and his noble
+company left their horses to kiss the hand of the king, but Rodrigo
+remained in his saddle.
+
+'Get down, get down, Rodrigo!' cried his father, fearing lest the king
+should resent his rudeness. 'Swear fealty to thy lord, and kiss his
+hand, as a loyal subject should do.'
+
+Now, ever since he had fought with Count Gomez, Rodrigo had felt himself
+to be a man, and, more than that, to be much greater than other men, and
+he was not pleased to be scolded by his father in the presence of so
+many people. Still, he was wise enough to know that it would do him no
+good in the eyes of the nobles gathered round, to disobey his father,
+and slowly he got down from his horse to do homage with the rest. But so
+clumsy was he that, as he knelt, his sword nearly fell out of its
+sheath, and the king, thinking Rodrigo meant to kill him, started back,
+exclaiming:
+
+'Away, away! you devil! If you have the form of a man, your deeds are
+those of a lion.'
+
+'It is base to kiss the hand of such a craven,' answered Rodrigo in
+anger, 'and I hold that my father has heaped disgrace on his family by
+humbling himself in such a fashion!' And so saying, he rode away, with
+his followers behind him.
+
+A few centuries later a man might have lost his head for such words, but
+in those days people were accustomed to speak their minds even to
+kings, and little harm came of it. Six weeks later, Rodrigo had
+forgotten all about it, and, what was more to the purpose, so had the
+king, at any rate he pretended to do so, and when Don Diego sent his son
+to do his business with Fernando, who was at Burgos, the young man went
+willingly. The morning after he reached the city he was dining in the
+hall of the palace with the king and his nobles, when word was brought
+to the royal table that Ximena, the daughter of Count Gomez, and her
+train stood at the gates, and demanded an audience of the king. Fernando
+rose from his seat, and, signing to his nobles to follow him, he went to
+meet Ximena.
+
+A figure of woe was she, clothed all in black, even her face hidden by a
+black veil. Throwing herself on her knees, she implored that justice
+might be done on the murderer of her father, for not till then would the
+stain be wiped out which had killed her mother and was killing her. 'He
+rides to and fro under my lattice,' said she, 'and the hawk on his wrist
+slays my doves, and my mantle is sprinkled with their blood. If you do
+not do me right, O king, you are not fit to reign, or to call yourself a
+knight.'
+
+Thus spake Ximena, and the king sat silent and pondered her words. 'I
+cannot punish Don Rodrigo, either by imprisonment or death,' he said to
+himself, 'for my nobles would not suffer it; I must find some other way
+to satisfy Ximena.' Then turning to her, he bade her go home, and added
+that no damsel should have cause to complain that wrong had been done
+them at his hands.
+
+Then Ximena rode away, and by-and-by Rodrigo departed also.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Six months later King Fernando was seated in the great hall of his
+palace of Burgos, dispensing justice to high and low, when there entered
+once more Ximena, followed by thirty esquires and pages.
+
+'I come, though I know it is in vain,' she cried, when she had made her
+way to the foot of the throne. 'Five times I have appeared to demand my
+rights, and no longer will I be put off with empty words. No king are
+you, who are swayed this way and that by every man that passes, and dare
+not even avenge your friends, for fear of what may come of it.'
+
+'Not so,' answered the king; 'but is there no other way by which your
+quarrel may be appeased? Has Rodrigo on his side suffered no insult? You
+have heard of the fame he has lately won, when he took captive the five
+Moorish kings who broke suddenly into the land and ravaged it with fire
+and sword. And to prove that it was fame and not gold he wanted he set
+them all free, with only a promise of homage from them. Ah, if there
+were but a few more like him, Spain would soon be rid of the Moors.
+Happy is the woman he shall choose for his wife; she will live all her
+days in safety and in honour.'
+
+Then the king paused, and watched to see how Ximena took his words.
+
+She was silent for some moments, but the king could not see her face, as
+she had pulled her veil over it. Suddenly she raised her head, and cast
+the veil back over her shoulders.
+
+'It is true, O king, what you speak, and I will forego my vengeance.
+Nay, I think my father himself would have it so. Give me Don Rodrigo for
+my husband; all my days I will be a loyal wife to him, and his honour
+shall be mine.'
+
+Perhaps the king was not so surprised as some of his courtiers as they
+listened to Ximena's request. If he smiled, his beard was thick enough
+to hide it, and he answered gravely:
+
+'You say well, my daughter, and I will to-day send a messenger bidding
+Don Rodrigo meet me at Palencia, and I will give him lands and riches,
+so that in wealth as in birth he may be equal to you.'
+
+When the messengers reached Don Rodrigo, with the offer of Ximena's
+hand, his heart was glad, and, calling his friends to dress themselves
+in their most splendid cloaks and brightest armour, he rode at their
+head towards the city of Palencia. Ximena with her train was already in
+the royal palace, and in the presence of the king the two plighted their
+troth. But Rodrigo swore by the cross on his sword that the marriage
+rite should not be fulfilled till he had beaten five foes in the field,
+and, leaving Ximena under the care of his mother, he bade her farewell,
+and set forth to accomplish his vow.
+
+However, he was not destined to be absent very long, for in those days
+enemies were not far to seek, and in less than two months the wedding
+preparations began. His brothers took pride in arraying him themselves,
+and buttoning on the doublet of black satin which his father had worn in
+many of his battles, while over this he wore a jacket of stout leather
+and a loose cloak lined with plush.
+
+At the last he girded on his sword Tizona, the Dread of the World, then,
+surrounded by his friends and his family, the bridegroom walked to the
+court, where the king, the bishop, and all the nobles were awaiting him.
+
+Soon the noise of trumpets was heard, and there entered Ximena dressed
+in a robe of fine white cloth, brought from London across the seas, with
+a border of silver embroidered on it. On her head was a close hood of
+the same stuff, and high shoes of red leather were on her feet. Round
+her neck was a necklace made of eight round medals, with a little figure
+of St. Michael hanging from them.
+
+Don Rodrigo went forward to lift Ximena from her horse, and kissed her,
+whispering as he did so:
+
+'It is true, O my lady, that I killed your father, but I did it in fair
+fight, as man to man. And in his stead you shall have a husband that
+will care for you and protect you to the end of your life.'
+
+Now, although Don Rodrigo was married, he did not stay at home much more
+than he had done in other days, and his sword was ever unsheathed in the
+service of his king. He was the champion chosen by Fernando to meet in
+single combat Martino Gonzalez, the stoutest knight in Spain, and decide
+a quarrel between Castile and Aragon. The victory lay with Rodrigo, and
+no sooner was the duel over than he rode off to fight the Moors in the
+North of Spain. At length the patience of Ximena was worn out, and she
+wrote a letter to Fernando in which she told him plainly all that was in
+her mind.
+
+'What was the use,' she asked, 'of her marrying Rodrigo if the king kept
+him for ever engaged in his service, and away from her?' She had no
+father, and might as well have no husband, and she implored his master
+to think upon her loneliness, and to let Rodrigo return to her side.
+
+But the king would make no promises, and by-and-by Ximena had a little
+girl to comfort her, to whom Fernando stood godfather.
+
+It seems strange that after these great deeds King Fernando never
+thought of making Don Rodrigo a knight, but so it was. Not till the long
+siege of the city of Coimbra was ended, and the Moorish mosque turned
+into a Christian church, was the order of knighthood conferred on Don
+Rodrigo in return for the mighty works that he had done. But Don Rodrigo
+knew well that his sword-thrusts would have availed him nothing had it
+not been for the aid of a Greek bishop who dreamed when at the shrine of
+St. James that the gates of the city would only fall when a successor of
+the Apostle should appear before them. So the bishop arose and clad
+himself in armour and rode into the Christian hosts, and as he drew
+near, the walls fell down like Jericho of old, and the army entered in
+triumph.
+
+After this the Cid, as men now called him, from a Moorish word which
+meant a man of great valour and fame, went home for a short space to see
+his wife and his little daughter, who by this time was seven years old
+and had never beheld her father. Rest was sweet to Don Rodrigo, but
+before it could grow irksome to him he was summoned to court by the
+death of Fernando, who left all his children under the wardship of the
+Cid. Unluckily, the old man's will had not been a wise one, and bitter
+quarrels soon raged between the new king Sancho and his brothers and
+sisters. In vain Don Rodrigo tried to heal the feuds, but war soon broke
+out, and by his oath of allegiance he was forced, sorely against his
+wish, to fight under the king's banner. By his aid Sancho despoiled his
+two brothers and one of his sisters of the lands which were theirs by
+right, but when the king demanded that he should go as envoy and bid the
+princess Dona Urraca yield up her town of Zamora in exchange for much
+gold, the Cid prayed him to send someone else, for he could not take
+arms against the princess whom he had known when they were children
+together. His words, however, were useless. The king would listen to
+nothing, and the Cid rode forth to Zamora with a heavy heart. Silently
+he bore the reproaches of Dona Urraca, and returned in five days to tell
+Fernando that the citizens of Zamora had sworn in his presence, that the
+city would never be given up till they all lay dead upon her walls. This
+answer so infuriated Don Sancho that he falsely accused the Cid of
+having put the words into the mouths of his enemies, and bade him begone
+out of the kingdom.
+
+But a man like the Cid could not lightly be dismissed, and very soon the
+king was forced to humble himself, and send messengers to beg his
+forgiveness. The Campeador was too generous to bear malice, and rode
+joyfully back, to find Sancho besieging Zamora. And an ill day it was
+for the king when he resolved to wrest his sister's possessions from
+her; for one of her citizens, spurred by love to his lady, gained
+admittance into the royal camp and offered to betray the city. A
+councillor of the princess, the old Arias Gonzalo, cried to the king
+from the walls to lend no ear unto the man's words, for he was a
+traitor; but Dolfos had a wily tongue, and easily persuaded Sancho to
+come with him to see the small door across the trench by which the army
+might enter. They were hardly outside the camp when Dolfos struck him
+between the shoulders with his spear, and the king rolled in his death
+agony on the ground. The sight was seen by Don Rodrigo, who had watched
+eagerly and anxiously the movements of Dolfos, and now sprang towards
+the traitor with his drawn sword. But Dolfos was too quick for him, and
+the postern was flung open by some of the men of Zamora, before the Cid
+could get across the trench.
+
+'Oh, fool was I not to have fastened on my spurs, and then I should have
+caught him!' cried Don Rodrigo shaking with rage, as he turned sadly
+back to stand by the bedside of his dying master, waiting for the
+vengeance which the future would bring.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Now directly she heard that King Sancho was dead, Dona Urraca, his
+sister, the lady of Zamora, sent the tidings to her brother, Don
+Alfonso, in exile at Toledo.
+
+'We have been sent to summon you, King Alfonso,' said the messengers
+when they found him, falling on their knees as they spoke. 'Don Sancho
+was foully stabbed by Bellido el Dolfos, and the men of Castile and Leon
+call on you to take his place. Don Rodrigo only hangs back, and swears
+he will never take the oath of fealty till you have proved that you had
+no part in the murder of your brother.'
+
+Don Alfonso felt glad at their words. He had received nothing but ill at
+the hands of his brother, and he hurried to place himself at the head of
+the army of Castile. But the Arab ruler was not willing to let him go,
+and many days passed before he was able to escape at night, climbing
+silently with a few followers down the walls of Toledo; then, turning
+the shoes on the feet of their horses, so that the track should point
+south instead of north, they made the best of their way to Zamora.
+
+The nobles received the king with joy, and, kneeling to kiss his hand,
+vowed to be true to him. The Cid alone held aloof.
+
+'You are heir to the throne, Don Alfonso,' said he, 'but before I bend
+the knee to you I demand that you and twelve of your vassals shall swear
+that you are innocent, in deed or in word, of the blood of your
+brother.'
+
+'I will swear it,' answered Alfonso, 'when and where you please, and
+twelve men of Leon shall swear it likewise.'
+
+'You shall swear to me in the holy cathedral of Santa Gadea in Burgos,'
+said the Cid; and thither they all rode silently and solemnly, while Don
+Rodrigo, standing at the altar, held out the crucifix to the kneeling
+king. But though the oath was taken freely, both by Alfonso and his
+vassals, deep in the heart of the Cid lay a doubt of his truth.
+
+'You shall swear it thrice,' he said, and Alfonso, devoured as he was
+with rage, knew the Cid's power too well to disobey, though his face
+grew pale with wrath.
+
+'You shall answer for this,' he cried as he rose to his feet, and from
+that day the king never ceased to seek for an excuse to compass Don
+Rodrigo's banishment. At last he found one.
+
+The Moorish king of Toledo laid a complaint against the Cid that, in
+spite of his alliance with Alfonso of Castile, his lands had been
+ravaged and his people made captive. Well Alfonso knew that it was the
+Moors themselves who had broken faith with him, and had wasted the
+Spanish territories which lay along their borders, but he eagerly
+snatched at the plea, and bade the Cid go, an exile, from Castile, while
+his possessions were declared forfeit.
+
+With every insult heaped on him that the king could invent, the Cid left
+the city and rode to his castle of Bivar, only to find that his enemies
+had been before him and had stripped it bare, while his wife and
+children had sought refuge in the convent of San Pedro de Cardena.
+
+It was on his way thither that the Cid in his dire distress did the one
+mean deed recorded of him, which he never ceased to bewail during his
+life, and afterwards on his deathbed. He had reckoned on finding money
+for his needs at Bivar, and there was none, and he knew not what to do.
+In this strait he invited two rich Jews to his tent under the walls of
+Burgos, and, pointing to two large chests which stood on the ground, he
+told the Jews that they were filled with silver plate, and begged that
+they would take them, and give him a thousand crowns in exchange. The
+Jews, used though they were to being cheated and despoiled by
+Christians, yet trusted to the honour of the Cid, and counted out the
+money. Then, placing the coffers on the backs of two stout mules, they
+returned with them into Burgos, first promising that they would not open
+them till a year had passed. At the time appointed they lifted the lid,
+and, behold, the coffers were full of sand!'
+
+But except in this matter, for which his repentance was bitter, the Cid
+never ceased in his exile to be true to his knighthood, and in all the
+wars which he and his followers made on the Moors he always sent part of
+the spoils to Alfonso. At length the king found that he could not do
+without him. Young knights there were in plenty, but neither in battle
+nor in the council chamber could they vie with Don Rodrigo; so after
+many years, when the Cid had captured strong cities and great towns
+from the Moors, Alfonso sent messengers to say that he was willing to
+pardon him. And the Cid vowed anew to serve him, but his heart was heavy
+for the death of his only son in the siege of Consuegra.
+
+[Illustration: DON DIEGO AND DON FERNAN SHOW THAT THEY ARE COWARDS]
+
+From time to time the king's jealousy broke out afresh, and more than
+once Don Rodrigo was banished, but in the end the Cid always returned to
+Castile, for in truth, as we have said, the land prospered but little in
+his absence. After conquering the Moors in Valencia and elsewhere, his
+fame and wealth grew greater than ever, and two of the proudest nobles
+in Castile, the counts of Carrion, prayed Alfonso to use his rights as
+liege lord, and to grant them the Cid's daughters in marriage. Now, the
+proposal pleased Don Rodrigo but little, and his wife even less. He knew
+something of the two young men who wished to be his sons-in-law, and he
+felt that it was his wealth, and not his daughters, that was wooed.
+Besides, he liked not the boastfulness of the two brothers, and feared
+that beneath their proud and haughty ways the hearts of cowards might be
+hidden. But outwardly all was fair-seeming, and when the king in a
+meeting on the banks of the Tagus bade the Cid consider well the matter,
+Don Rodrigo could only reply that, in his view, his daughters were as
+yet too young to be wedded, but that they and all that belonged to him
+were in the hands of the king, to be dealt with as he thought best. To
+which the king answered that he knew the maidens to be wise beyond their
+years, and, summoning the counts of Carrion to his presence, he informed
+them that he had resolved to grant their desire, and bade them kneel and
+kiss the Cid's hand, which they did with joy. So the next day they all
+rode back to Valencia, and the Cid made a feast for fifteen days, and
+the marriage rite was performed by the Bishop Geronymo, mighty in
+battle.
+
+It was not long after the wedding that the counts showed of what metal
+they were made, and that the Cid had read them truly. One evening they
+and Don Bermudo, nephew of the Cid, were sitting laughing and jesting in
+the hall of the castle, when a cry arose from without, 'Beware of the
+lion; he has broken from his den'; and in an instant the huge beast had
+sprung through the door. Don Bermudo sat still, waiting to see what the
+lion would do, but Don Diego, the elder count, took refuge in a closet,
+while Don Fernan, his brother, hid himself under the bed on which the
+Cid was stretched sleeping. The noise awoke Don Rodrigo, who sprang up,
+when the lion at once lay down on the ground and began to lick his feet.
+The Cid stooped and stroked its head, then calling to the beast to
+follow, he led it back to its den, which it entered quietly, for it knew
+its master well.
+
+'Where are my sons-in-law?' asked he as he entered. 'Methought I heard
+their voices but a moment agone.'
+
+'Here,' cried one of his nephews, and 'here' cried another, and the
+counts were dragged forth, their fine clothes disordered and their faces
+pale with fear.
+
+The Cid looked at them silently, till they grew red with shame and
+anger.
+
+'Are these your wedding garments?' said he at last. 'Truly I should
+scarce have guessed it'; and he passed on, leaving hate and a longing
+for revenge in the young men's hearts.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The matter of the lion did not dwell long in the mind of the Cid, for
+news was speedily brought him that the Moorish king of Morocco was
+advancing with an army to besiege the fair city of Valencia. He quickly
+gathered together a host large enough to give battle in the plain
+outside the walls, but while mounting his horse Babieca he counselled
+his sons-in-law to remain in safety behind the walls of the town. This
+they would gladly have done, but dared not set at naught the mocking
+eyes of the knights around them, so, clad in shining armour, they rode
+forth with the rest. Hardly had the fight begun, when a Moor attacked
+the younger brother, who turned and fled. Another instant and he would
+have sunk to the ground, pierced by the enemy's lance, when Don Bermudo
+suddenly appeared, and engaged the Moor in deadly combat. After a hard
+struggle the infidel was overborne and slain, and the victor turned to
+Don Fernan Gonzalez:
+
+'Take his horse and his armour,' he said, 'and tell the Cid it was you
+who killed him; I will not gainsay you.' And, as cowards are generally
+liars also, Don Fernan gladly snatched at the crown of glory that
+belonged to another.
+
+Don Bermudo was rewarded for his generous deed when he saw the joy of
+the Cid. Perhaps he had condemned them wrongly, thought Don Rodrigo, and
+that the souls of men were at last awaking in them. So he praised them
+for their valour, and if there were those present who could have told a
+different tale, they held their peace.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+But whether they were, perforce, following the Cid in the field, or
+basking in the wealth and pleasures of Valencia, the counts of Carrion
+never forgot or forgave the scorn they had read in the eyes of the Cid
+on the day when they had hidden from the lion. Together they plotted to
+take vengeance on them, and it was a vengeance as mean as their souls.
+
+One morning they entered the great hall of Valencia, where the Cid was
+sitting, and prayed him to give them their wives, and let them depart
+forthwith to their lands. Their words were fair, yet the Cid felt
+troubled; why, he knew not.
+
+'I gave you my daughters to wife, at my king's bidding,' answered he at
+last, 'and I cannot withhold them from you if indeed you desire to take
+them unto your own lands. But see that they are treated as beseems
+them; if not, woe to you.'
+
+And the counts of Carrion, with treason in their hearts, promised that
+all honour should await their brides.
+
+Eight days hence, the procession passed out of the city gates, and the
+Cid went first, with Dona Elvira on his right hand, and Dona Sol on his
+left. For the space of a league he rode, and then he reined up his
+horse. Calling his nephew Don Ordono to his side, he bade him follow
+unperceived, and bring back news of what befell his daughters.
+
+And so they parted.
+
+For many miles the procession went slowly on, and was received with
+kindness and hospitality by the great Moslem lords through whose country
+the road lay, a kindness repaid whenever possible by theft and cruelty
+by the counts of Carrion. Then, when they had reached a wood which was
+neither in the lordship of the Cid nor of the Moors, they felt that the
+time for which they had so long waited was come. Ordering the guards and
+attendants to ride forward to the Castle of Carrion and prepare for
+their reception, the counts scarcely delayed until they were out of
+their sight before they dragged their wives from their mules, and
+stripped their bodies bare. Next, seizing them by their hair, they flung
+them to the ground, and dug their spurs into them till their bodies were
+covered with blood.
+
+'Farewell, beautiful damsels,' they cried mockingly, bowing low, 'you
+were never fit mates for the counts of Carrion, and, besides, it was
+needful to avenge the affront that the Cid your father put on us in the
+matter of the fierce beast who would have slain us.' And, stooping low
+from their horses, the base knights rode away.
+
+From a distant hill Don Ordono had seen and heard all that had passed,
+and he now came forth to help and comfort his cousins. 'Take heart,' he
+said, 'I will bring you your lost garments, and if you have lost your
+husbands, who deserve nothing better than the fate of traitors, remember
+that you have yet a father, without a peer throughout the world.'
+
+None can tell the wrath of the Cid when his daughters came home. Little
+he said, for he was ever a man of few words, but he sent forthwith
+messengers to the king, telling him of the base deeds of the counts of
+Carrion, and begging for leave to plead his cause before the Parliament
+at Toledo. This permission Alfonso granted gladly, and bade the counts
+of Carrion to be present also and answer the Cid.
+
+Many days they waited ere Don Rodrigo, accompanied by his wife and
+daughters, and followed by a train of nobles, rode through the gates.
+The king was sitting surrounded by the Cortes or Parliament, but he
+desired that the Cid should be brought to him at once, and then
+commanded him to set forth his wrongs.
+
+'It is you, O king, and not I, who gave my daughters in marriage to
+these base men, therefore it is you, and not I, who must answer for
+this. I ask you that you will force them to restore my swords Colada and
+Tizona that I girded on them when they bore my children from Valencia.'
+And the hearts of the counts were glad when they heard his words, and
+they hasted to place the gold-pommelled swords in the hands of the Cid.
+
+Next, Don Rodrigo demanded that the dowries of his daughters should be
+given back to him, and this also the king adjudged to be his right.
+Last, he set forth the treatment his daughters had suffered from the
+counts of Carrion, and challenged them and also their uncle, who had
+ever given them evil counsel, to fight with three of his knights that
+day.
+
+Before the combat could take place a sound as of armed men was heard in
+the courtyard, and in rode two youths covered with golden armour and
+tall plumed helmets, and one was Don Ramiro of Navarre, and the other
+Don Sancho of Aragon.
+
+'It has reached our ears,' said they, 'that the marriages between the
+counts of Carrion and the daughters of the Cid are about to be set
+aside, and we have come to pray that the ladies may be given to us to
+wife.'
+
+And the king answered: 'If it pleases the Cid, it pleases me also, but
+the Cortes here present must grant its consent.'
+
+So the Cid kissed the hand of the king in token of the honour done him,
+and the Cortes cried with one voice that the man who allied himself with
+Don Rodrigo de Bivar was honoured above all. Therefore, the weddings
+were celebrated without delay, the counts of Carrion having been
+pronounced outlaws and their former marriages null and void.
+
+This matter being settled, the king directed that there should be no
+more delay in arranging the fight between the champions of the Cid and
+the counts of Carrion, which at the request of the counts was to be held
+three weeks later in their own castle. Don Rodrigo himself did not mean
+to fight. His honour was, he knew, safe in the hands of Don Bermudo and
+his other nephews, and he rode blithely home to Valencia. But Alfonso
+declared that he would be present to see that the combat was fairly
+fought, and it was well that he went, for the counts, thinking
+themselves safe on their own lands, had planned treachery. However, the
+king, mistrusting them, made a proclamation that in case of false
+dealing the traitor should be slain upon the field, and his possessions
+be forfeit. Baulked in this direction, the counts then entreated the
+king to forbid their foes to use the swords Tizona and Colada which they
+had been forced to give up, but Alfonso answered that it was now too
+late to make conditions, and they must get to the fight with stout
+hearts. This they could not do, for they had not got them, but, finding
+there was no help for it, they mounted their horses and put their lances
+in rest.
+
+Between such adversaries the combat lasted but a short while. Fernan
+Gonzalez was soon unhorsed by Don Bermudo; Don Diego and his uncle
+confessed themselves vanquished. Their lands were declared forfeit by
+the judges, though their lives were granted them; but the tale of their
+cowardice spread far and wide, and none would speak to them or have
+dealings with them.
+
+Thus was the Cid avenged.
+
+For five years the Cid lived on in Valencia wearied of wars, and turning
+his thoughts to repenting him of his sins, and chief among them the
+wrong he had done many years before to the two Jews of Burgos. His
+strength grew daily less, till at length he could rise from his bed no
+more, neither could he eat food. While he lay in this manner, tidings
+were brought him that the Moors were preparing to besiege Valencia. This
+news roused the dying man, and for a moment it seemed as if he might be
+well again. Clearly he gave his orders how best to resist the attack,
+and bade his followers fight under the banner of Bishop Geronymo. 'As
+for me,' he said, 'you shall take my body and fill it with sweet spices,
+and shall set me once more on Babieca, and place Tizona in my hand. With
+cords shall you fasten me to the saddle, and so you shall lead me forth
+to my last fight with the Moors. Ximena my wife will care for Babieca,
+and when he is dead she will bury him where no Moorish dogs may root up
+his grave. And let no women be hired to make mourning for me. I want no
+tears to be shed over me but the tears of Ximena my wife. But for the
+Christians in this city, well know I that they are too few men to
+conquer the Moors, therefore let them prepare their goods, and steal
+forth by night, and take refuge in Castile. So farewell to you all, and
+pray that God may have mercy on my soul.'
+
+Thus the Cid died, and all was done as he had said, and the king put
+rich garments on him, and set Tizona in his hand, and seated him in a
+carved chair by the altar of San Pedro de Cardena.
+
+[_El Romanzo del Cid._]
+
+
+
+
+THE KNIGHT OF THE SORROWFUL COUNTENANCE
+
+
+Everybody knows that in the old times, when Arthur was king or Charles
+the Great emperor, no gentleman ever rested content until he had
+received the honour of knighthood. When once he was made a knight, he
+left his home and the court, and rode off in search of adventures,
+seeking to help people in distress who had no one else to help them.
+
+After a while, however, the knights grew selfish and lazy. They liked
+better to hunt the deer through the forest than wicked robbers who had
+carried off beautiful ladies. 'It was the king's business,' they said,
+'to take care of his subjects, not theirs,' so they dwelt in their own
+castles, and many of them became great lords almost as powerful as the
+king himself.
+
+But though the knights no longer went in search of noble adventures, as
+knights of earlier days had been wont to do, there were plenty of books
+in which they could read if they chose of the wonderful deeds of their
+forefathers. Lancelot and Roland, Bernardo del Carpio, the Cid, Amadis
+de Gaule, and many more, were as well known to them as their own
+brothers, and if we will only take the trouble they may be known to us
+too.
+
+Now, several hundreds of years after Lancelot and Roland and all the
+rest had been laid in their graves, a baby belonging to the family of
+Quixada was born in that part of Spain called La Mancha. We are not told
+anything of his boyhood, or even of his manhood till he reached the age
+of fifty, but we know that he was poor; that he lived with a housekeeper
+and a niece to take care of him, and that he passed all his days in
+company with these old books until the courts and forests which were the
+scenes of the adventures of those knights of bygone years were more real
+to him than any of his own doings.
+
+'I wish all those books could be burned,' said the noble gentleman's
+housekeeper one day to his niece. 'My poor master's wits are surely
+going, for he never understands one word you say to him. Indeed, if you
+speak, he hardly seems to see you, much less to hear you!'
+
+What the housekeeper said was true. The things that belonged to her
+master's every-day life vanished completely bit by bit. If his niece
+related to him some scrap of news which a neighbour had run in to tell
+her, he would answer her with a story of the giant Morgante, who alone
+among his ill-bred race had manners that befitted a Spanish knight. If
+the housekeeper lamented that the flour in her storehouse would not last
+out the winter, he turned a deaf ear to all her complaints, and declared
+that he would give her and his niece into the bargain for the pleasure
+of bestowing one kick on Ganelon the traitor.
+
+At last one day things came to a climax. When the hour of dinner came
+round, Don Quixada was nowhere to be found. His niece sought him in his
+bedroom, in the little tower where his books were kept, and even in the
+stable, where lay the old horse who had served him for more years than
+one could count. He was in none of these; but just as she was leaving
+the stable a strange noise seemed to come from over the girl's head, and
+on looking up she beheld her uncle rubbing a rusty sword that had lain
+there long before anybody could remember, while by his side were a steel
+cap and other pieces of armour.
+
+[Illustration: Don Quixada declared that he would give his housekeeper
+and his niece into the bargain for the pleasure of bestowing one kick on
+Ganelon the traitor.]
+
+From that moment Don Quixada became deaf and blind to the things of
+this world. He was in despair because the steel cap was not a proper
+helmet, but only a morion without a vizor to let down. Perhaps a smith
+might have made him what he wanted, but the Don was too proud to ask
+him, and, getting some cardboard, cut and painted it like a vizor, and
+then fastened it to the morion. Nothing could look--at a little
+distance--more like the helmet the Cid might have worn, but Don Quixada
+knew well that no knight ever went forth in search of adventures without
+first proving the goodness of his armour, so, fixing the helmet against
+the wall, he made a slash at it with his sword. He only dealt two
+strokes, whereas his enemy might give him twenty, but those two swept
+clean through the vizor, and destroyed in three minutes a whole week's
+work. So there was nothing for it but to begin over again, and this time
+the Don took the precaution of lining the vizor with iron.
+
+'It looks beautiful,' he cried when it was finished; but he took care
+not to try his blade upon it.
+
+His next act was to go into the stable and rub down his horse's coat,
+and to give it a feed of corn, vainly hoping that in a few days its ribs
+might become less plainly visible.
+
+'It is not right,' he said to himself, one morning, as he stood watching
+the animal that was greedily eating out of its manger--'it is not right
+that a knight's good horse should go forth without a name. Even the
+heathen Alexander bestowed a high-sounding title on his own steed; and
+so, likewise, did those Christian warriors, Roland and the Cid!' But,
+try as he might, no name would come to him except such as were unworthy
+of the horse and his rider, and for four nights and days he pondered the
+question.
+
+Suddenly, at the moment he had least expected it, when he was eating the
+plain broth his housekeeper had set before him, the inspiration came.
+
+'Rozinante!' he cried triumphantly, laying down his spoon--'Rozinante!
+Neither the Cid's horse nor Roland's bore a finer name than that!'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+This weighty matter being settled, the Don now began to think of
+himself, and, not being satisfied with the name his fathers had handed
+down to him, resolved to take one that was more noble, and better suited
+to a knight who was destined to do deeds that would keep him alive in
+the memory of men. For eight days he took heed of nothing save this one
+thing, and on the ninth he found what he had sought.
+
+'The world shall know me as Don Quixote,' he said; 'and as the noble
+Amadis himself was not content to bear this sole title, but added to it
+the name of his own country, so I, in like manner, will add the name of
+mine, and henceforth will appear to all, as the good knight Don Quixote
+de la Mancha!'
+
+Now Don Quixote de la Mancha had read far too many books about the
+customs of chivalry not to be aware that every knight worshipped some
+lady of whose beauty he boasted upon all occasions and whose token he
+wore upon his helmet in battle. It was not very easy for Don Quixote to
+find such a lady, for all his life long, the company which he met in his
+books had been dearer to him than that which he could have had outside
+his home.
+
+'A knight without a liege lady is a tree without fruit, a body without
+soul,' he thought. 'Of what use will it be if I meet with some giant
+such as always crosses the path of a wandering knight, and disarm him in
+our first encounter, unless I have a lady at whose feet he can kneel?'
+So without losing more time he began to search the neighbouring villages
+for such a damsel, whose token he might wear, and at length found one
+with enough beauty for him to fall in love with, whose humble name of
+Aldonza he changed for that of Dulcinea del Toboso.
+
+The sun had hardly risen on the following morning when Don Quixote
+laced on his helmet, braced on his shield, took his lance in hand, and
+mounted Rozinante.
+
+Never during his fifty years had he felt his heart so light, and he rode
+forth into the wide plain, expecting to find a giant or a distressed
+lady behind every bush. But his joy was short-lived, for suddenly it
+came to his mind that in the days of chivalry it never was known that
+any man went in quest of adventures without being first made a knight,
+and that no such good fortune had happened to him. This thought was so
+terrible that he reeled in his saddle, and was near turning the head of
+Rozinante towards his own stable; but Don Quixote was a man of good
+courage, and in a short while he remembered on how many knights Sir
+Lancelot had conferred the honour of knighthood, and he determined to
+claim his spurs from the first that he managed to conquer in fight. Till
+then, he must, as soon as might be, make his armour white, in token that
+as yet he had had no adventures. In this manner he took heart again.
+
+All that day he rode, without either bite or sup, and, of the two,
+Rozinante fared the better, for he at least found a tuft of coarse grass
+to eat. At nightfall a light as big as a faint star was seen gleaming in
+the distance, and both master and horse plucked up courage once more.
+They hastened towards it, and discovered that the light came from a
+small inn, which Don Quixote's fancy instantly changed into a castle
+with four towers and pinnacles of shining silver, surrounded by a moat.
+He paused a moment, expecting a dwarf to appear on the battlements and
+announce by the blasts of his trumpet that a knight was approaching,
+but, as no dwarf could be seen, he dismounted at the door, where he was
+received with courtesy by the landlord or the governor of the castle, as
+Don Quixote took him to be.
+
+At the sight of this strange figure, which looked as if it had gone to
+sleep a thousand years ago, and had only just woke up again, the
+landlord had as much ado to keep from laughter as the muleteers and
+some women who were standing before the door. But being a civil man, and
+somewhat puzzled, he held the stirrup for Don Quixote to alight,
+offering to give him everything that would make him comfortable except a
+bed, which was not to be had. The Don made little of this, as became a
+good knight, and bade the landlord look well after Rozinante, for no
+better horse would ever stand in his stable. The man, who had seen many
+beasts in his day, did not rate him quite so highly, but said nothing,
+and after placing the horse in the stable returned to the house to see
+after the master.
+
+As it happened, it was easier to provide for the wants of Rozinante than
+for those of Don Quixote, for the muleteers had eaten up everything in
+the kitchen, and nothing was left save a little dried fish and black
+bread. Don Quixote, however, was quite content; indeed, he imagined it
+the most splendid supper in the world, and when he had finished he fell
+on his knees before the landlord.
+
+'Never will I rise again, noble sir,' said he, 'until you grant my
+prayer, which shall be an occasion of glory to you and of gain to all
+men.'
+
+The landlord, not being used to such conduct on the part of his guests,
+tried to lift Don Quixote on to his feet, but the knight vowed that he
+would not move till his prayer was granted.
+
+'The gift I would ask of you,' continued the Don, now rising to his
+feet, 'is that to-night I may watch my arms in the chapel of your
+castle, and at sunrise I shall kneel before you to be made a knight.
+Then I shall bid you farewell, and set forth on my journey through the
+world, righting wrongs and helping the oppressed, after the manner of
+the knights of old.'
+
+'I am honoured indeed,' replied the landlord, who by this time saw very
+clearly that the poor gentleman was weak in his wits, and had a mind to
+divert himself. 'As a youth, I myself wandered through the land, and my
+name, the champion of all who needed it, was known to every court in
+Spain, till a deadly thrust in my side, from a false knight, forced me
+to lay down my arms, and to return to this my castle, giving shelter and
+welcome to any knights that ask it. But as to the chapel, it is but a
+week since it was made level with the ground, being but a poor place,
+and in no way worthy of the service of noble knights; but keep your
+watch in the courtyard of my castle, as your books will have told you
+that others have done in case of need. Afterwards, I will admit you into
+the Order of Chivalry, but before you take up your vigil tell me, I pray
+you, what money you have brought with you?'
+
+This question surprised the Don very much.
+
+'I have brought none,' he answered presently, 'for never did I hear that
+either Roland or Percival or any of the great knight-errants whose
+example I fain would follow, carried any money with them.'
+
+'That is because they thought it no more needful to say that they
+carried money or clean shirts than that they carried a sword or a box of
+ointment to cure the wounds of themselves or their foes, in case no
+maiden or enchanter with a flask of water was on the spot,' replied the
+landlord; and he spoke so long and so earnestly on the subject that the
+Don promised never again to start on a quest without money and a box of
+ointment, besides at least three clean shirts.
+
+It was now high time for his watch to begin, and the landlord led the
+way to a great yard at the side of the inn. Here the Don took his arms,
+and piled them on a trough of stone that stood near a well. Then bearing
+his lance he walked up and down beside his trough.
+
+For an hour or two he paced the yard, watched, though he knew it not, by
+many eyes from the inn windows, which, with the aid of a bright moon,
+could see all that happened as clearly as if it were day. At length a
+muleteer who had a long journey before him drove up his team to the
+trough, which was fed by the neighbouring well, and in order to let his
+cattle drink, stretched out his arms to remove the sword and helmet
+which lay there. The Don perceived his aim, and cried in a voice of
+thunder:
+
+'What man are you, ignorant of the laws of chivalry, who dares to touch
+the arms of the bravest knight who ever wore a sword? Take heed lest you
+lay a finger upon them, for if you do your life shall pay the forfeit.'
+
+It might have been as well for the muleteer if he had listened, and had
+led his cattle to water elsewhere, but, looking at the Don's tall lean
+figure and his own stout fists, he only laughed rudely, and, seizing
+both sword and helmet, threw them across the yard. The Don paused a
+moment, wondering if he saw aright; then raising his eyes to heaven he
+exclaimed:
+
+'O Lady Dulcinea, peerless in thy beauty, help me to avenge this insult
+that has been put upon me'; and, lifting high his lance, he brought it
+down with such a force on the head of the man that he fell to the ground
+without a word, and the Don began his walk afresh.
+
+He had not been pacing the yard above half an hour when another man, not
+knowing what had befallen his friend, drove his beasts up to the trough,
+and was stooping to move the Don's arms, so that the cattle could get at
+the water, when a mighty blow fell on _his_ head, splitting it nearly
+into pieces.
+
+At this noise the people from the inn ran out, and seeing the two
+muleteers stretched wounded on the ground picked up stones wherewith to
+stone the knight. The Don, however, fronted them with such courage that
+they did not dare to venture near him, and the landlord, making use of
+their fears, called on them to leave him alone, for that he was a
+madman, and the law would not touch him, even though he should kill them
+all. Then, wishing to be done with the business and with his guest, he
+made excuses for the rude fellows, who had only got what they deserved,
+and said that, as there was no chapel to his castle, he could dub him
+knight where he stood, for, the watch of arms having been completed, all
+that was needful was a slap on the neck with a palm of the hand and the
+touch of the sword on the shoulder.
+
+[Illustration: DON QUIXOTE BELABOURS THE MULETEER]
+
+So Don Quixada was turned into Don Quixote de la Mancha, and, mounting
+Rozinante, he left the inn, and with a joyful heart started to seek his
+first adventure.
+
+
+
+
+THE ADVENTURE OF THE TWO ARMIES WHO TURNED OUT TO BE FLOCKS OF SHEEP
+
+
+The first adventure of the new knight did not turn out at all to his
+liking, nor answered his expectations, for in all the books of chivalry
+which he had read, never had he heard of a good knight being sorely
+wounded by a mere pack of common fellows, as happened to himself shortly
+after leaving the inn; though indeed he comforted his soul by thinking
+that, had not Rozinante stumbled over a stone and fallen, it would have
+fared ill with his foes.
+
+He lay upon the ground for some time, aching in every bone, and
+repeating in a weak voice some lines out of his favourite romance of the
+'Marquis of Mantua,' when a labourer from his own village came by and
+went to see if the man stretched on his back across the road was dead or
+only wounded.
+
+'What ails you, master?' asked he; but as the vizor over the Don's face
+prevented his answer being understood, the labourer pulled it off with
+some trouble, and then stood, staring with surprise.
+
+'Master Quixada!' cried he, wiping off the blood as he spoke, 'what
+villain has served you like this?' but, as Don Quixote only replied to
+his questions with long stories of the heroes of romance, the man gave
+it up, and after gathering up the stray bits of armour, and even the
+broken lance, helped the Don on to his own ass and took Rozinante by the
+bridle.
+
+In this manner Don Quixote returned home.
+
+When the knight dismounted and entered the house he found his
+housekeeper and niece filled with dismay, and bewailing his loss to the
+priest and the barber, who were wont to spend many an hour in company
+with the Don, listening to the strange tales that were always on his
+tongue. The joy with which they heard his well-known knock, in the
+middle of their discourses, was somewhat spoilt when they saw the
+condition he was in, and he stopped them quickly when they flew to
+embrace him.
+
+'Let no one touch me,' cried he, 'for by the falling of my horse I am
+sore wounded. Carry me to bed, and summon the wise woman Urganda to heal
+me with her enchanted water.'
+
+'Oh, never fear, your worship, we can cure you without her,' answered
+the housekeeper; 'and right glad we are to see you back, wounded or
+not.'
+
+So between them all they bore him up the narrow stairs and laid him on
+his bed. And when he was undressed they sought his wounds, but found
+none, only a black bruise so they told him.
+
+'Is it so?' he answered. 'Then the deeds that I did were yet more
+valorous than I thought. It was while I was fighting with ten giants,
+the biggest and strongest who ever gave battle to any Christian knight,
+that Rozinante fell, and I with him.'
+
+'Oh! so there are giants in the dance now,' whispered the priest to the
+barber. 'I will not close my eyes this night till the books which have
+brought this evil are safely in the fire.' And, so saying, they left Don
+Quixote to sleep.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+He was still sleeping next morning, when the priest came to ask for the
+keys of the little room where Don Quixote kept the old books he so much
+loved. They were handed to him with joy by the girl, who held books to
+be the enemy of all mankind, and when they all four entered they found
+more than a hundred volumes large and small, which was a great number
+for so poor a gentleman. One by one the priest examined them, and
+condemned them to the flames, unless by chance there was any doubt about
+their wickedness; that is, unless they had been written by a friend of
+the priest. In these cases, after the barber had been consulted, the
+books escaped the doom of the rest.
+
+For fifteen days Don Quixote stayed at home and seemed content to stay
+there, passing the evenings in talk with the priest and the barber.
+Nothing was needed, he said, to put right the wrongs of the world, save
+a new order of knighthood, of which he had set the example. After much
+of this talk he suddenly remembered that a knight ever had a squire
+riding behind him, and that before he rode forth on his next quest he
+must needs provide himself with such an one. This was almost as hard a
+matter as finding a liege lady, but at length he bethought him of a poor
+peasant living in the same village, who possessed a wife and children,
+and not much else. This man he sent for, and promised him such great
+things and such noble rewards that Sancho Panza, for such was his name,
+readily agreed to serve him. 'Who knows,' said Don Quixote, 'what island
+I may conquer, and it would then fall to you to be the governor, or if
+you disdain the island, and would prefer to follow my fortune, I can
+make you Count at least! But, remember, my business admits of no delay,
+and next week we go forth to seek adventures. Meanwhile, I will give you
+money wherewith to provide all that is needful for our journeying, and
+take heed that you bring wallets with you.'
+
+'Worshipful knight,' answered Sancho Panza, 'I will do all that you bid
+me, but, by your leave, I will bring my ass also, for she is a good ass,
+and never did I walk when a beast was at hand.'
+
+'I know not,' replied Don Quixote, 'if any knight was ever yet followed
+by a squire mounted on an ass's back. Yet, bring the beast, for it will
+doubtless not be long before I meet some discourteous knight, whom I
+will speedily overcome, and his horse shall be yours.'
+
+When all was ready, Sancho Panza bade his wife and children farewell,
+and, joining his master, they rode for some hours across a wide plain
+without seeing anything which would enable them to prove their valour.
+At length Don Quixote reined up Rozinante with a jerk, and turning to
+his squire he said:
+
+'Fortune is on our side, friend Sancho. Look there, what huge giants are
+standing in a row! thirty of them at the least! It is a glorious chance
+for a new-made knight to give battle to these giants, and to rid the
+country of this wretched horde.'
+
+'What giants?' asked Sancho, staring about him. 'I see none.'
+
+'Those drawn up over there,' replied the Don. 'Never did I behold such
+arms! Those nearest us must be two miles long.'
+
+'Go not within reach of them, good master,' answered Sancho anxiously,
+'for they are no giants, but windmills, and what you take for arms are
+the sails, by which the wind turns the mill-stones.'
+
+'How little do you know, friend Sancho, of these sorts of adventures!'
+replied Don Quixote. 'I tell you, those are no windmills, but giants.
+Know, however, that I will have no man with me who shivers with fear at
+the sight of a foe, so if you are afraid you had better fall to praying,
+and I will fight them alone.'
+
+[Illustration: DON QUIXOTE DETERMINES TO ATTACK THE WINDMILLS]
+
+And with that he put spurs to Rozinante and galloped towards the
+windmills, heedless of the shouts of Sancho Panza, which indeed he never
+heard. Bending his body and holding his lance in rest, like all the
+pictures of knights when charging, he rushed on, crying as he went, 'Do
+not fly from me, cowards that you are! It is but a single knight with
+whom you must do battle!' And, calling on the Lady Dulcinea to come
+to his aid, he thrust his lance through the sail of the nearest
+windmill, which happened to be turned by a sharp gust of wind. The sail
+struck Rozinante so violently on the side that he and his master rolled
+over together, while the lance broke into small pieces.
+
+When Sancho Panza saw what had befallen the Don--though indeed it was no
+more than he had expected--he rode up hastily to give him help. Both man
+and horse were half stunned with the blow; but, though Don Quixote's
+body was bruised, his spirit was unconquered, and to Sancho's complaint
+that no one could have doubted that the windmills were giants save those
+who had other windmills in their brains, he only answered:
+
+'Be silent, my friend, and do not talk of things of which you know
+nothing. For of this I am sure, that the enchanter Friston, who robbed
+me of my books, has changed these knights into windmills to rob me of my
+glory also. But in the end, his black arts will have little power
+against my keen blade!'
+
+'I pray that it may be so,' said Sancho, as he still held the stirrup
+for his master, when he struggled, not without pain, to mount Rozinante.
+
+'Sit straighter in your saddle,' went on the worthy man; 'you lean too
+much on one side, but that doubtless comes from the fall you have had.'
+
+'You speak truly,' replied Don Quixote; 'and if I do not complain of my
+hurt, it is because it was never heard that any knight complained of a
+wound, however sore!'
+
+'If that is so, I am thankful that I am only a squire,' answered Sancho;
+'for this I can say, that I shall cry as loud as I please for any pain,
+however little it may be--unless squires are forbidden to cry out as
+well as knights-errant.'
+
+At this Don Quixote laughed, in spite of his hurts, and bade him
+complain whenever he pleased, for squires might lawfully do what was
+forbidden to knighthood. And with that the conversation ended, as
+Sancho declared it was their hour for dinner.
+
+Towards three o'clock they returned to the road, which Don Quixote had
+left on catching sight of the windmills. But before entering it the
+knight thought well to give a warning to his squire.
+
+'I would have you know, brother Sancho,' said he, 'that in whatsoever
+danger you may see me you shall stand aside, and never seek to defend
+me, unless those who set on me should come of base forefathers, and not
+be people of gentle birth. For if those who attack me are knights, it is
+forbidden by the laws of chivalry that a knight be attacked by any man
+that has himself not received the honour of knighthood.'
+
+'Your lordship shall be obeyed in all that you say,' answered Sancho,
+'and the more readily that I am a man of peace, and like not brawls.
+But, see, who are these that approach us?'
+
+The question was natural, for the procession advancing along the road
+was a strange one, even at that day. First came two monks of the Order
+of St. Benedict, mounted on mules so large that Don Quixote, with some
+reason, took them to be dromedaries. The better to conceal their faces
+they had masks, and carried parasols. After them came a coach which had
+for a guard four or five mounted men and two muleteers, and inside the
+coach was seated a lady on her way to join her husband in the city of
+Seville. In reality the monks were strangers to her, and had nothing to
+do with her party, but this Don Quixote did not know, and, being ever on
+the watch to give help to any who needed it, he said:
+
+'Either my eyes deceive me, or this is the most wonderful adventure that
+ever fell to the lot of a knight. For those black shapeless monsters
+that you see yonder are magicians carrying off some princess, and I must
+undo this wrong with all the strength I have.'
+
+'Look you, master,' answered Sancho hastily, 'if you take up with this
+adventure, you will fare worse than you did with the windmills. Those
+are no magicians but monks of St. Benedict, while the others are
+travellers, journeying for business or pleasure. Think, I pray you, lest
+it be a snare of the Evil One.'
+
+'I have often told you, Sancho, that, being what you are, you can know
+nothing of adventures,' replied Don Quixote; 'but what I have said, I
+do, as you will see'; and as he spoke he planted himself in the middle
+of the road, and awaited the approach of the friars.
+
+As soon as they drew near enough for his voice to reach their ears, Don
+Quixote cried loudly:
+
+'Fiends and scum of all the wicked, set free on this instant the captive
+princess whom you hold imprisoned in that coach, or else prepare for
+death, which is the just punishment of all your crimes.'
+
+The monks reined in their mules and stared at Don Quixote, whose figure,
+to say truth, was no less startling than his words. At first they were
+very angry, then gentler counsels prevailed, and they answered:
+
+'Fair sir, we are neither fiends nor scum, but only two friars of St.
+Benedict, who are riding peacefully along the king's highway, and know
+nothing of any captive princess.'
+
+'Miscreants that you are, do you think I am a man to be deceived by
+false speeches?' cried the Don, now beside himself with fury, and,
+dashing with his lance in rest at the friar next him, he would indeed
+have given him his last shrift had not the monk slipped cleverly from
+the other side of his saddle, so that the lance passed over his head.
+His companion, fearing that like treatment was in store for him,
+galloped away with all his might.
+
+As for the squire, directly he saw the man fall to the ground he ran up
+and began to strip off his clothes, till he was stopped in this
+proceeding by a blow on his head from one of the attendants of the two
+monks. The friar, left to himself, jumped on his mule, and rode off
+pale and trembling to rejoin his companion, while Don Quixote busied
+himself with conversing with the lady in the coach, and assuring her of
+his protection.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It were long indeed to tell of the many battles delivered by Don
+Quixote, who troubled himself little about the sore wounds he received
+on his own body as long as he could give aid to those in distress. What
+grieved him far more than mere sword-thrusts or bruises was the loss of
+his helmet.
+
+But, come what might, his spirit was never daunted, though he could not
+deny that, as Sancho Panza truly said, never had they gained any battle,
+unless they counted one which was doubtful, and even at that the knight
+had come off the poorer by half an ear and half a helmet.
+
+'From the first day we set out,' went on the good squire, 'until this
+moment, we have received nothing but blows and more blows, beatings and
+more beatings, over and above the tossing I once got in a blanket. And
+you tell me that the fellows who maltreat me so are enchanted, and would
+not feel my blows if I had a chance of returning them. In truth, my eyes
+are too dull to see where lies the pleasure of conquering one's foes, of
+which your worship is always telling me.'
+
+'Ah, Sancho, that is just what grieves me,' answered Don Quixote sadly;
+'but henceforth I will seek to gird myself always with a sword that
+shall be enchanted in such a manner that it will defend me from any
+spells they may try to throw over me. Maybe that Fortune will send me
+that of Amadis, one of the keenest blades in the world, and the best
+sword that ever knight had. But look, do you see that cloud of dust
+rising out there? That tells us that a large army, made up of men and
+nations without number, are marching towards us.'
+
+'By that way of reckoning,' answered the squire, 'another army must be
+advancing to meet them, for behind us the cloud is just as thick.'
+
+Filled with joy at the thought of fighting two armies, Don Quixote
+turned to look, and his heart beat high. The dust was so thick that
+neither he nor Sancho could perceive that the clouds of dust were caused
+by two immense flocks of sheep. To the mind of the knight they _could_
+be nothing but vast armies, and this he declared so positively that at
+length Sancho Panza came to believe it also. The squire, however, looked
+on the fact with very different feelings to his master, and asked
+anxiously:
+
+'Noble sir, what are we to do?'
+
+'What _can_ we do,' replied the knight, 'except fly to the help of those
+who need it? For you must know, friend Sancho, that the army in front of
+us is led by the Emperor Alifanfaron, while the other, which is marching
+to meet him, is Pentapolin of the Uplifted Arm, so called because he
+rides into battle with his right arm bare.'
+
+'And what is their quarrel?' asked Sancho.
+
+'Alifanfaron is a Moslem, yet desires to marry the daughter of
+Pentapolin,' replied Don Quixote, 'but her father will not give her to
+him till he ceases to be an unbeliever.'
+
+'By my beard,' cried Sancho, 'if I see this Pentapolin driven back I
+will strike a blow for him with all my might.'
+
+'And you will do well,' replied Don Quixote, 'for in such battles it is
+not necessary to be a knight.'
+
+'But what shall I do with my ass?' inquired the squire anxiously, 'for I
+suppose that until this day no man has ever yet ridden into combat on an
+ass.'
+
+'Let him loose,' said Don Quixote, 'and think no more of him, for after
+we have vanquished our enemies we shall have such choice of horses that
+I may light upon one even better than Rozinante! But let us stand on
+yonder little hill, for I would fain describe to you the names and arms
+of the noble knights that are approaching.'
+
+For a long while he spoke, telling his squire of the countries from
+which those leaders of the armies had come. And truly it was wonderful
+to listen to him, seeing that they were all children of his own brain.
+From time to time Sancho Panza stared hard at the dust, trying to see as
+much as his master, and at last he cried:
+
+'If there is a knight or a giant there, they must be enchanted like the
+rest; for, look as I may, I cannot see them.'
+
+'How can you speak such words?' answered Don Quixote reproachfully. 'Do
+you not hear the horses neighing, the drums beating, the trumpets
+sounding?'
+
+'No, I hear nothing of all that,' replied Sancho stoutly; 'all _I_ hear
+is the bleating of sheep and of ewes.' And as he spoke the dust was
+lifted by the wind, and he saw the two flocks in front of them.
+
+'It is the deadly fear which has overtaken you,' answered Don Quixote,
+'which has clouded your eyes and ears, and made everything seem
+different from what it is. If you are afraid, stand aside then, for my
+arm alone carries victory with it'; and, so saying, he touched Rozinante
+with his spurs, and with his lance in rest galloped down the hill,
+unheeding the cries of Sancho, who shrieked out that it was only a flock
+of sheep that he saw, and that there were neither giants nor knights to
+fight with.
+
+He might have spared his voice, for Don Quixote, if he heard him, which
+is doubtful, rode on without turning his head, shouting defiance at the
+Moslem leader, and spearing the sheep which could not get out of his
+way, as if they were indeed the soldiers he took them for.
+
+When the shepherds had recovered from this unexpected onslaught, they
+shouted with all their might to Don Quixote to leave off spearing their
+sheep, but, as he paid no heed to their warnings, they took out the
+slings they carried with them, and whirling them round their heads let
+fly large stones. Don Quixote, however, cared no more for the stones
+than he had done for the cries, and galloped up and down wildly, calling
+as he went:
+
+'Proud Alifanfaron, where can I find you? I, a solitary knight,
+challenge you to meet me in single combat, that I may avenge the wrongs
+that you have done to the noble Pentapolin!' Doubtless the knight would
+have said still more had not a stone hit him on his side at that very
+moment, breaking two of his ribs. At first he thought he was dead, but,
+recollecting the balsam which he kept in his wallet, he drank a draught
+of it, although it was only intended to be laid on the outside of wounds
+and bruises.
+
+He was still in the act of swallowing it when another missile struck him
+full on the face, and knocked out some of his teeth. He reeled in his
+saddle from the blow, and then fell heavily to the ground.
+
+The shepherds, frightened at what they had done, ran up to look at him,
+and seeing him lying there senseless, drove quickly off the rest of
+their flock, leaving the seven that Don Quixote had speared stretched
+beside him.
+
+Directly the shepherds had departed, Sancho Panza came down to look
+after his master, and finding him bruised and bleeding, but not stunned,
+he fell to reproaching him for his folly. But the knight only answered
+that if the enemies around him seemed to bear the likeness of sheep, it
+was only because they had been enchanted, and that their fellows now
+marching along the road would soon regain their proper shape, and become
+straight men and tall again.
+
+Then, with Sancho's help, he mounted Rozinante, and the two rode slowly
+along the road, hoping that they might shortly discover an inn, where
+they could get food and rest.
+
+
+
+
+_THE ADVENTURE OF THE BOBBING LIGHTS_
+
+
+Both Rozinante and his master had fared so ill at the hands of the
+shepherds that they journeyed but slowly, and darkness fell without
+their having reached an inn, or even caught sight of one. This grieved
+sorely both knight and squire, for not only did all Don Quixote's bones
+ache from the stoning he had undergone, but somehow or other their
+wallets had been also lost, and it was many hours since they had broken
+their fast.
+
+In this plight they travelled, man and beast hanging their heads with
+fatigue, when they saw on the road, coming towards them, a great
+multitude of lights, bobbing up and down, as if all the stars of heaven
+were shifting their places. Neither Don Quixote nor Sancho felt much at
+their ease at this strange spectacle, and both pulled up their beasts,
+and waited trembling. Even Don Quixote feared he knew not what, and the
+hair stood up on his head, in spite of his valour, as he said to Sancho:
+
+'There lies before me, Sancho, a great and perilous adventure, and one
+in which I must bear a stout heart.'
+
+'It seems to be an adventure of phantoms,' whispered Sancho fearfully,
+'which never was to my liking.'
+
+'Whatever phantoms they be,' answered the knight, 'they shall not touch
+a hair of your head,' replied Don Quixote soothingly. 'If they mocked at
+you in the inn, it was for reason that I could not leap the fence. But
+here, where the ground is open, I can lay about me as I will.'
+
+'And what if they bewitch you, as they did that other time?' asked the
+squire. 'How much will the open ground profit you then'?
+
+'Trust to me,' replied Don Quixote, 'for my experience is greater than
+yours'; and Sancho said no more.
+
+They stood a little on one side watching the lights approaching, and
+soon they saw a host of men clad in white riding along the road. The
+squire's teeth chattered at the sight of them, and his terror increased
+when he was able to make out that the moving stars were flaming torches
+which men in white shirts carried in their hands, and that behind them
+followed a litter draped in black. After the litter came six other men
+dressed in black and mounted on mules. And Sancho had no doubt that he
+saw before him shadows from the next world.
+
+Though Don Quixote's heart quailed for a moment at the strangeness of
+the vision, he soon recalled his valour. In an instant his fancy had
+changed the litter into a bier, and the occupant into a knight who had
+been done to death by foul means, and whom he was bound in honour to
+avenge. So he moved forward to the middle of the road, and cried in a
+loud voice:
+
+'Proud knights, whoever you may be, stand and give me account of
+yourselves, and tell me who it is that lies in that bier. For either you
+have done an ill deed to some man, or else a wrong has been done to
+you.'
+
+'Pardon me, fair sir,' answered the foremost of the white-shirted men,
+'but we are in haste, and the inn is far. We have no time for
+parleying.'
+
+This reply only confirmed Don Quixote's worst suspicions.
+
+'Stop, or you are a dead man,' cried he in tones of thunder. 'Tell me
+who you are and whither you are going, or else I will fight you all';
+and with that he seized the mule by the bridle. The mule, not being used
+to such rough treatment, reared herself up on her hind legs, so that her
+rider slipped off her back. At this sight one of the other men ran to
+his aid, calling the knight all the ill names he could think of, which
+so inflamed the anger of Don Quixote that he laid about him with his
+spear on every side. Even Rozinante seemed to have gotten a new spirit
+as well as a new body, for he turned him about so nimbly that soon the
+plain was covered with flying white men, still holding the bobbing
+torches. The mourners who rode behind did not escape so easily, for
+their long skirts and cloaks hindered them from moving, and Don Quixote
+struck and beat them just as he would, till they took him to be a giant
+or enchanter rather than a man.
+
+Sancho, as was his custom, bore no part in the fray, but stood by and
+said to himself: 'Had ever any man such a master!'
+
+When Don Quixote's rage was somewhat abated, he paused and gazed about
+him. Then, seeing a burning torch lying on the ground, and a figure near
+it, he went up, and perceived by the light that it was the man whom he
+had first attacked.
+
+'Yield, or I will slay you!' he shouted, and the man answered grimly:
+
+'I seem to have "yielded" as much as can be required of me, as my leg is
+broken. If you are indeed a Christian knight, I pray you of your
+nobility to spare my life, as I am a member of the Holy Church.'
+
+'Who brought you here, then?' asked Don Quixote.
+
+'Who? My ill fortune,' replied he. 'I and the eleven priests who have
+fled with the torches set forth as escort to the body of the gentleman
+that lies in the litter, bearing it to its tomb in the city of Segovia,
+where he was born.'
+
+'And who killed him?' said Don Quixote, who never imagined that any man
+could die naturally.
+
+'He died by reason of a most pestilent fever,' answered the wounded man.
+
+'Then,' replied Don Quixote, 'I am delivered from the duty of avenging
+his death, which would otherwise have fallen to me. For in case you are
+ignorant, I would have you know that I am the knight Don Quixote de la
+Mancha, and it is my place to wander through the world, helping those
+that suffer wrongs and punishing those who inflict them.'
+
+'As to helping those who suffer wrongs,' replied the churchman, 'for my
+part I can see nothing but that it is you and no other who have
+inflicted the wrong upon me. For whereas I was whole before, you have
+given me a thrust which has broken my leg, and I shall remain injured
+for ever.'
+
+'You and your friends the priests,' answered Don Quixote, in no wise
+abashed by this remark, 'have wrought the evil yourselves by coming in
+such wise, and by night, that no man could think but that you were ill
+creatures from another world.'
+
+'Then, if you repent you of the wrong that you have done me,' said the
+man, 'I pray you, worshipful knight, to deliver my leg from the bondage
+of this ass, who has my leg fastened between the stirrup and the
+saddle.'
+
+The kind heart of Don Quixote was shocked at his thoughtlessness, and he
+answered quickly:
+
+'You should have told me of your pain before, or I might have talked on
+till to-morrow'; and he called to Sancho Panza, who was busily robbing
+the mule that carried the provisions. Hearing his master's voice, Sancho
+left off with an ill grace, and, placing the bag of food on his own
+donkey, went to see what his master wanted.
+
+Between them both they set the mule on its feet, and the man on its
+saddle. Don Quixote then put the torch in his hand and bade him ride
+after his companions, and not to forget to ask their pardon in his name
+for the wrong he had unconsciously done them.
+
+'And,' added the squire, 'if your friends should ask the name of this
+gentleman, who now craves their forgiveness, tell them that it is the
+famous Don Quixote, the Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance!'
+
+
+
+
+_THE HELMET OF MAMBRINO_
+
+
+The morning after the last adventure Don Quixote and his squire were
+riding along the road, when the knight saw in front of him a man on
+horseback, with something on his head which looked as if it were made of
+gold.
+
+'If my eyes do not deceive me,' he said, turning to Sancho Panza, 'here
+comes one who wears on his head the helmet of Mambrino.'
+
+'If I had your worship's leave to speak,' answered Sancho, who was by
+this time beginning to learn a little wisdom, 'I could give many reasons
+to show that you are mistaken.'
+
+'How _can_ I be mistaken?' cried Don Quixote angrily. 'Do not you see
+for yourself that a knight is coming towards us, mounted on a grey horse
+and with a golden helmet on his head?'
+
+'All that _I_ can see,' replied the squire, 'is that the man is mounted
+on a grey donkey like my own, and he has on his head something that
+glitters.'
+
+'What you see,' answered Don Quixote solemnly, 'is the helmet of
+Mambrino.[194-1] Go, stand aside and let _me_ deal with him, for without
+even speaking to him I will get possession of his helmet, for which my
+soul has always longed.'
+
+    [194-1] Mambrino was one of the Moorish kings, to whom the helmet
+    belonged. He who wore it could not be wounded in battle.
+
+Truth to tell, the real story of the helmet, for so Don Quixote took it
+to be, was very simple. A rich man who lived in a village only a few
+miles away had sent for the nearest barber to shave and bleed him. The
+man started, taking with him a brass basin, which he was accustomed to
+use, and, as a shower of rain soon came on, he put the basin on his head
+to save his hat, which was a new one. The ass, as Sancho Panza rightly
+said, was very like his own.
+
+The good man was jogging comfortably along, thinking what he would like
+for supper, when suddenly he saw Don Quixote galloping towards him, head
+bent and lance in rest. As he drew near he cried loudly:
+
+'Defend yourself, or give me up the helmet, to which you have no right.'
+
+The barber was so taken by surprise that for a moment he did nothing;
+then he had only just time to escape the lance thrust by sliding off his
+ass and running so swiftly over the plain that even the wind could
+scarcely overtake him. In his flight the basin fell from his head, to
+the great pleasure of Don Quixote, who bade his squire bring it to him.
+
+'The Unbeliever who wore this helmet first must have had indeed a large
+head,' cried he, turning it over in his hands, seeking the vizor; 'yet,
+even so, half of it is wanting.'
+
+At this Sancho began to laugh, and his master asked him what he found to
+divert him so much.
+
+'I cannot but laugh when I think how large was the head of the
+Unbeliever,' replied Sancho gravely, knowing that the knight did not
+love the mirth of other men. 'But, to my mind, the helmet looks exactly
+like a barber's basin.'
+
+'Listen to me,' answered Don Quixote, 'and I will tell you what has
+happened. By a strange accident this famous helmet must have fallen to
+the lot of someone who did not know the value of his prize. But, seeing
+it was pure gold, he melted half of it for his own uses, and the rest he
+made into a barber's basin. Be sure that in the first village where I
+can meet with a skilled workman I will have it restored to its own
+shape again, and meanwhile I will wear it as it is, for half a helmet is
+better than none.'
+
+'And what,' inquired Sancho, 'shall we do with the grey horse that looks
+so like an ass? The beast is a good beast.'
+
+'Leave the ass or horse, whichever it pleases you to call it,' replied
+the Don, 'for no knight ever takes the steed of his foe, unless it is
+won in fair fight. And perchance, when we have ridden out of sight, its
+master will come back and seek for it.'
+
+Sancho, however, was not overmuch pleased by this speech.
+
+'Truly the laws of chivalry are strict,' he grumbled, 'if they will not
+let a man change one donkey for another! And is it forbidden to change
+the pack-saddle also?'
+
+'Of that I am in doubt,' replied Don Quixote; 'and until I have certain
+information on this point, if your need is great, you may take what you
+need.'
+
+Sancho hardly expected such good fortune to befall him, and stripping
+the ass of his harness he speedily put it upon his own beast, and then
+laid out the dinner he had stolen from the sumpter mule for himself and
+his master.
+
+Not long after this event, as Don Quixote and his squire were riding
+along the road, discoursing as they went of matters of chivalry, they
+saw approaching them from a distance a dozen men or more, with iron
+chains round their necks, stringing them together like beads on a
+rosary, and bearing iron fetters on their hands. By their side were two
+men on horseback carrying firelocks, and two on foot with swords and
+spears.
+
+'Look!' cried Sancho Panza, 'here come a gang of slaves, sent to the
+galleys by the king.'
+
+'What is that you say--_sent_?' asked Don Quixote. 'Can any king _send_
+his subjects where they have no mind to go?'
+
+'They are men who have been guilty of many crimes,' replied the squire,
+'and to punish them they are being led by force to the galleys.'
+
+'They go,' inquired Don Quixote, 'by force and not willingly?'
+
+'You speak truly,' answered Sancho Panza.
+
+'Then if that is so,' said the knight, 'it is my duty to set them free.'
+
+'But think a moment, your worship,' cried Sancho, terrified at the
+consequences of this new idea; 'they are bad men, and deserve punishment
+for the crimes they have committed.'
+
+Don Quixote was silent. In fact, he had heard nothing of what his squire
+had said. Instead he rode up to the galley-slaves, who by this time were
+quite near, and politely begged one of the soldiers who had charge of
+them to tell him of his courtesy where these people were going, and why
+they were chained in such a manner.
+
+The guard, who had never read any of the romances of chivalry, and was
+quite ignorant of the speech of knights, answered roughly that they were
+felons going to the galleys, and that was all that mattered to anybody.
+But Don Quixote was not to be put aside like this.
+
+'By your leave,' he said, 'I would speak with them, and ask of every man
+the reason of his misfortune.'
+
+Now this civility of the knight made the soldiers feel ashamed of their
+own rudeness, so one of them replied more gently than before:
+
+'We have here set down the crimes of every man singly, but if your
+worship pleases you may inquire of the prisoners yourself. And be sure
+you will hear all about their tricks, and more too, for it is a mighty
+pleasure to them to tell their tales.'
+
+The soldier spoke truly; and wonderful were the stories which Don
+Quixote listened to and believed, until the knight, smitten by
+compassion, turned to the guards and implored them to set free the poor
+fellows, whose sins would be punished elsewhere.
+
+'I ask you to do this as a favour,' he ended, 'for I would willingly owe
+you this grace. But, if you deny me, my arm and my sword will teach you
+to do it by force.'
+
+'That is a merry jest indeed,' cried the soldier. 'So we are to let go
+the king's prisoners just because you tell us to do it. You had better
+mind your own business, fair sir, and set that pot straight on your
+head, and do not waste your time in looking for five feet in a cat.'
+
+Don Quixote was so furious at the man's words that he felled him to the
+earth with a blow from his sword, while for a moment the other guards
+stood mute from surprise. Then seizing their weapons they rushed at Don
+Quixote, who sat firm in his saddle as became a knight, awaiting their
+onslaught. But for all his valour it would have gone hard with him had
+not the attention of the soldiers been hastily called off by the
+galley-slaves, who were taking advantage of the tumult to break their
+fetters. The chief among them had snatched the sword and firelock of the
+man whom Don Quixote had overthrown, and by merely pointing it at the
+other guards he so frightened them that they fled in all directions,
+followed by a shower of stones from the rest of the captives.
+
+'Let us depart from here,' whispered Sancho Panza, knowing better than
+his master in what a sorry plight they might presently find themselves.
+'If we once reach those hills, none can overtake us.'
+
+'It is well,' replied the knight; 'but first I must settle this matter,'
+and, calling together the prisoners, he bade them go with all speed and
+present themselves before the Lady Dulcinea del Toboso, and say that
+they had come by the command of the Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance,
+and further to relate the doughty deeds by which they had been set free.
+
+[Illustration: HOW THE GALLEY SLAVES REPAID DON QUIXOTE]
+
+At this the convicts only laughed, and replied that if they were to
+fulfil his desires and travel together in a body they would soon be
+taken captive by their enemies, and would be no better off than before,
+but that in gratitude for his services they would be willing to pray for
+him, which they could do at their leisure.
+
+This discourse enraged Don Quixote nearly as much as the words of the
+guard had done, and he answered the fellow in terms so abusive that the
+convict's patience, which was never very great, gave way altogether, and
+he and his comrades, picking up what stones lay about, flung them with
+such hearty goodwill at the knight and Rozinante, that at length they
+knocked him right out of the saddle. The man then dragged the basin from
+his head, and after dealing him some mighty blows with it dashed it to
+the ground, where it broke in pieces. They next took the coat which he
+wore over his armour, and stripped the squire of all but his shirt.
+Having done this, they went their ways, fearing lest they might be
+overtaken.
+
+
+
+
+_HOW DON QUIXOTE WAS ENCHANTED WHILE GUARDING THE CASTLE_
+
+
+In the course of their adventures Don Quixote and his squire found
+themselves at the door of an inn which they had already visited, where
+they met with many friends. The hours were passed in pleasant discourse,
+and in the telling and reading of strange stories; the company parted at
+night well satisfied with their entertainment.
+
+Don Quixote, however, did not share in these joys, for he was sorely
+cast down by reason of wounds he had received a few days previously in
+seeking to right a wrong. So, leaving the remainder of the guests to
+each other's society, he threw himself on the bed that had been made for
+him, and soon fell fast asleep.
+
+The guests below had forgotten all about him, so absorbed were they in
+the interest of a tale of woeful ending, when the voice of Sancho Panza
+burst upon their ears.
+
+'Hasten! hasten! good sirs; hasten and help my master in the hardest
+battle I have ever seen him fight. By my faith, he has dealt such a blow
+to the giant that his head he has cut clean off.'
+
+'What is that you say?' asked the priest, who was reading out the tale.
+'Are you out of your senses, Sancho?' But his question was lost in a
+furious noise from above, in which Don Quixote might be heard crying:
+
+'Rogue, thief, villain! I have you fast, and little will your sword
+avail you'; then followed loud blows against the wall.
+
+[Illustration: DON QUIXOTE'S BATTLE WITH THE WINE-SKINS]
+
+'Quick, quick! don't stand there listening, but fly to the aid of my
+master. Though, indeed, by this time there can be little need, for the
+giant must be dead already, and will trouble the world no more. For I
+saw his blood spurt and run all over the floor, and his head is cut off
+and fallen to one side.'
+
+'As I am alive,' exclaimed the innkeeper, 'I fear that Don Quixote has
+been fighting with one of the wine-skins that I put to hang near the
+bed, and it is wine not blood that is spilt on the ground.' And he ran
+into the room, followed by the rest, to see what had really happened.
+
+They all stopped short at the sight of Don Quixote, who did, in truth,
+present a most strange figure. The only garments he had on were a shirt
+and a little red cap; his legs were bare, and round his left arm was
+rolled the bed covering, while in the right he held a sword, with which
+he was cutting and thrusting at everything about him, uttering cries all
+the while, as if in truth he were engaged in deadly combat with a giant.
+Yet his eyes were tight shut, and it was clear to all that he was fast
+asleep; but in his dream he had slashed at so many of the skins that the
+whole room was full of wine. When the innkeeper perceived this, the loss
+of his wine so enraged him that he in his turn flew at the knight, and
+struck him such hard blows with his fists that, had not the priest and
+another man pulled him off, the war with the giant would soon have
+ended.
+
+Still, curious to say, it was not until a pannikin of cold water had
+been poured over him by the barber that Don Quixote awoke, and even then
+he did not understand what he had been doing, and why he stood there in
+such a dress.
+
+Now the priest had caught hold of Don Quixote's hands, so that he should
+not beat those who were pouring the water over him, and the knight,
+having only partly come to his senses, took him for the princess, for
+whose sake he had made war on the giant.
+
+'Fair and gracious lady,' he said, falling on his knees, 'may your life
+henceforth be freed from the terror of this ill-born creature!'
+
+'Well, did I not speak truly?' asked Sancho Panza proudly. 'Has not my
+master properly salted the giant? I have got my earldom safe at last.'
+For Sancho never ceased to believe in the knight's promises.
+
+Everyone was driven to laugh at the strange foolery of both master and
+man, except the innkeeper, whose mind was still sore at the loss of his
+wine-skins. The priest and the barber first busied themselves in getting
+Don Quixote, now quite worn out with his adventure, safely into bed, and
+then went to administer the best consolation they could to the poor man.
+
+Many days passed before Don Quixote was well enough to leave the inn,
+but at length he seemed to be cured of the fatigue he had undergone
+during his previous adventures, and had bidden his squire get all things
+ready for his departure. Maritornes, the servant at the inn, and the
+innkeeper's daughter, having overheard the plans of Don Quixote,
+resolved that he should not leave them before they had played him some
+merry tricks.
+
+That night, when everyone else had gone to bed, and Don Quixote, armed,
+and mounted on Rozinante, was keeping guard in front of the inn, the two
+girls crept up to a loft. Nowhere in the inn was there such a thing as a
+proper window, but in the loft was a hole through which the knight could
+be seen, leaning on his lance uttering deep sighs and broken words about
+the Lady Dulcinea.
+
+The innkeeper's daughter, falling in with his humour, advanced to the
+hole, and invited him to draw a little nearer. Nothing more was needed
+than for Don Quixote to imagine that the damsel was sick of love for
+him, and he told her straightway that any service he could do her short
+of proclaiming her his liege lady she might command. Upon this,
+Maritornes informed him that her mistress would be content were she
+permitted to kiss his hand, which Don Quixote answered might be done
+without wrong to the Lady Dulcinea. So, without more ado, he passed it
+through the hole, when it was instantly seized by Maritornes, who
+slipped a noose of rope over his wrist, and tied the other end of it
+tightly to the door of the loft.
+
+After that they both ran off, overflowing with laughter, leaving the
+knight to reproach them for their ill-usage.
+
+There the poor knight remained, mounted on Rozinante, his arm in the
+hole and his hand fastened to the door, fearing lest Rozinante should
+move and he should be left hanging. But in this he did wrong to his
+horse, who was happy enough to stand still.
+
+Then Don Quixote, seeing himself bound, instead of seeking to unloose
+himself as many others would have tried to do, sat quietly in his
+saddle, and dreamed dreams of the enchantment which had befallen him.
+And thus he stayed till the day dawned.
+
+His dreams were rudely broken into when there drew up at the inn door
+four men well armed and mounted. As no one answered their knock, they
+repeated it more loudly, when Don Quixote cried to them:
+
+'Knights or squires, or whoever you may be, it is not for you to knock
+at the gates of this castle; for sure, any man might tell that those
+within are asleep, or else it is their custom not to open until the sun
+touches the whole floor. You must wait until it is broad day, and then
+it will be seen whether you can be admitted within the gates.'
+
+'What sort of castle is this, which receives no guests without such
+ceremonies?' mocked one of the men. 'If you are the innkeeper, bid your
+servants open to us without delay. We are neither knights nor squires,
+but honest travellers, who need corn for our horses, and that without
+delay.'
+
+'Have I the air of an innkeeper?' asked Don Quixote loftily.
+
+'I do not know of what you have the air,' answered the man, 'but this I
+_do_ know, and that is that you are jesting when you call this inn a
+castle.'
+
+'But it _is_ a castle,' replied Don Quixote, 'and one of the finest in
+the whole country! And within are those who carry crowns on their heads
+and sceptres in their hands.'
+
+'It may well be that inside are players with crowns and sceptres both,'
+answered the traveller, 'for in so small an inn no real kings and their
+trains would find a place'; and, being weary of talking, he knocked at
+the door with more violence than before.
+
+Meanwhile, one of the horses had drawn near to Rozinante, wondering what
+the strange creature could be, of a form like unto his own, but to all
+outward seeming formed of wood. Rozinante, cheered by the presence of
+one of his own kind, moved his body a little, which caused Don Quixote
+to slip from his saddle, and to remain hanging by his arm, though his
+feet almost touched the ground. The pain of thus being suspended from
+his arm was so great that, knight though he was, he shrieked in agony,
+till the people in the inn ran to the doors to see what was the matter.
+
+Maritornes alone, fearing punishment, slipped round another way, and
+unfastened the cord which bound Don Quixote, who dropped to the ground
+as the travellers came up, and in answer to their questions mounted
+Rozinante, and, after riding round the field, reined up suddenly in
+front of them, crying:
+
+'Whoever shall proclaim that I have suffered enchantment I give him the
+lie, and challenge him to meet me in single combat.'
+
+But instead of answering his defiance the guests merely stood and stared
+at him, till the innkeeper whispered that he was a noble gentleman, a
+little touched in his wits, so they took no further notice of his words.
+This so enraged Don Quixote that he was only withheld from fighting them
+all by remembering that nowhere in the records of chivalry was it
+lawful to undertake a second adventure before the first had drawn to a
+good end.
+
+Meanwhile a new strife had begun in the inn, for two of the travellers
+who had lodged there during the night were found trying to leave the inn
+without paying their reckoning. But it happened that the landlord
+detected their purpose and held them fast, upon which the two fellows
+set on him with blows, till his daughter ran to Don Quixote and implored
+his help.
+
+'Beautiful damsel,' replied the knight slowly, 'just now I cannot listen
+to your prayer, for the laws of chivalry forbid my engaging in a fresh
+adventure. But tell your father to keep his assailants at bay, while I
+ride to the Princess Micomicona, in whose service I already am, and ask
+her leave to aid him in his trouble.'
+
+'And long before your return,' cried Maritornes, 'my poor master will be
+in another world'; but Don Quixote, not heeding her, turned his back,
+and, falling on his knees before a lady present, begged that she would
+grant him permission to rescue the lord of the castle.
+
+This being given, the knight braced on his shield and drew his sword,
+and hastened to the inn door, where the two men were still beating the
+landlord. But the moment he reached the combatants he stopped and drew
+back, in spite of the entreaties of Maritornes and of the innkeeper's
+wife.
+
+'It has come into my mind,' he said, 'that it is not lawful for me to
+give battle to any except belted knights. Now there are no knights here,
+and the task belongs to my squire Sancho, who I will bid to undertake it
+in my stead.'
+
+So the fight still raged, till at length the men's arms grew tired,
+which, Don Quixote seeing, he persuaded them to make peace, and the two
+guests to pay the sum which they rightly owed the landlord.
+
+
+
+
+_DON QUIXOTE'S HOME-COMING_
+
+
+By this time the company of friends who had been passing their days so
+pleasantly at the inn, were called away by other business, but, not
+liking to leave Don Quixote to himself, they contrived a plan by which
+the priest and barber were to carry him home, where they hoped his wits
+might come back to him.
+
+So they set about making secretly a large cage of poles, having the
+sides latticed, so that Don Quixote should receive both air and light,
+and this cage was to be placed on a bullock-cart which happened to be
+going in the same direction. The rest of the company put on masks and
+disguised themselves in various manners, so that the knight might not
+know them again.
+
+These preparations being finished, they stole softly into his room at
+the dead of night and tied his hands and feet firmly together. He woke
+with a start, and, seeing the array of strange figures about him, took
+them to be the phantoms which hovered about the enchanted castle, and
+believed without doubt that he himself was enchanted likewise, for he
+could neither move nor fight.
+
+This reasoning pleased the priest greatly, as in just such a manner he
+had reckoned that the knight would behave. Sancho alone had been left in
+the garments that he commonly wore, and he was not deceived by the
+ghosts who passed before him. But he looked on and said nothing till he
+should see how the matter turned out.
+
+When all was ready, Don Quixote was picked up and carried to the cage,
+where they laid him at full length, but taking good care to nail the
+door, so that it could not be opened. Then a voice was heard from behind
+to utter a prophecy, which Don Quixote understood to mean that he was
+setting forth on his wedding journey, and that he was to be bound in
+marriage to the Lady Dulcinea del Toboso, whose name he had always
+upheld in battle.
+
+The knight responded joyfully to the words he heard, beseeching the
+mighty enchanter in whose power he was not to leave him in his prison
+till these glorious promises had been fulfilled, and appealing to Sancho
+never to part from him either in good or ill fortune. Sancho bowed in
+answer and kissed his master's hand; then the ghosts took up the cage
+and placed it on a waggon.
+
+Don Quixote beguiled the way after his usual fashion, recalling the
+stories of enchantments he had read, yet never finding a knight who had
+been enchanted after his fashion.
+
+'No knight that ever _I_ heard,' said he, 'was drawn by such heavy and
+sluggish animals. Strange it is indeed to be carried to adventures in an
+ox-cart, instead of flying through the air on a griffin or a cloud! Yet,
+mayhap, the new chivalry, of which I am the first knight, may have new
+ways'; and with that he contented himself, and discoursed to Sancho
+about the ghosts, while Rozinante and the ass were saddled. Then Sancho
+mounted his ass and took Rozinante's rein, the priest meanwhile giving
+the troopers a few pence a day to ride by the ox-cart as far as Don
+Quixote's native village.
+
+After allowing Don Quixote to bid farewell to the good people gathered
+at the inn door, the priest, still masked, gave the signal to the
+driver, and the cart drawn by the oxen started at a foot's pace. The
+troopers rode on each side to guard it, and behind them came Sancho
+riding on his ass, leading Rozinante, while the priest and the barber,
+mounted on a pair of fine mules, brought up the rear.
+
+They journeyed in silence for some time, till the driver of the ox-cart,
+who was a lazy fellow, called a halt as he himself wished to rest, and
+the grass was rich and green for the oxen. Soon they were joined by a
+company of well-dressed men on horseback, who stopped in surprise on
+seeing such a strange sight as that of a man in a cage. The leader of
+the party, who made himself known to them as a canon of Toledo, entered
+into conversation with the captive knight. Don Quixote informed him that
+he was enchanted by reason of envy of his glorious deeds, which was
+denied by Sancho Panza, who declared that when he was at liberty his
+master ate, drank, and slept like other people, and if no one hindered
+him would talk more than thirty lawyers.
+
+The canon and his friends rode on with the priest for some distance, as
+he desired greatly to hear the tale of Don Quixote's adventures, for
+never before had he met with such a strange man. In the heat of the day
+they again rested in a shady spot, and here, at the petition of the
+squire, Don Quixote was unloosed from his bonds and set at liberty.
+
+For a while he was content to pass the hours of his journey in hearing
+and telling of matters of chivalry, rejoicing to find himself once more
+on the back of Rozinante. But unfortunately the sight of a procession of
+men in white approaching him stirred up all his anger, for, as was his
+custom, he instantly divined that they were assembled for some unlawful
+purpose, though in sooth they were a body of penitents praying that rain
+might fall upon their thirsty land. He dashed up to battle, followed by
+Sancho on foot, who arrived just at the moment that his master fell to
+the ground stunned by a tremendous blow. The penitents who formed the
+procession, seeing so many men running up, received them with fists and
+candlesticks, but when one of them cast his eyes on the priest who was
+journeying with Don Quixote he found that he had known him formerly,
+and begged him to tell what all this might mean.
+
+By the time the story was told Don Quixote's wits began to return to
+him, and he called to Sancho to put him back into the cage, as he had
+been nigh dead, and could not hold himself on Rozinante.
+
+'With all my heart,' answered Sancho, thankful that the adventure had
+ended no worse; 'and if these gentlemen will do us the honour to go with
+us, we will return home and there make plans for adventures that will
+bring us more profit and glory.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The villagers were all gathered together in the great square, when at
+the end of six days a cage containing a man passed through their midst.
+The people pressed close to see who the captive might be, and when they
+saw it was Don Quixote, they sent a boy to tell his housekeeper and his
+niece that the knight had come back looking pale and lean from his
+wanderings.
+
+Loud were the cries raised by the good women when they saw him in so
+sorry a plight, and they undressed him and put him to bed with what
+speed they were able.
+
+'Keep him there as long as you may,' said the priest who had brought
+him; but it is whispered that this period of rest and repose did not
+last, and that soon Don Quixote might have been seen again mounted on
+Rozinante and seeking adventures.
+
+[_Don Quixote._]
+
+
+
+
+_THE MEETING OF HUON AND OBERON, KING OF THE FAIRIES_
+
+
+In the days of the emperor Charles the Great there lived two young men
+named Huon and Gerard, sons of the duke of Bordeaux and heirs of his
+lands. Now by all the rules of chivalry they were bound to hasten to
+Paris as soon as their father died and do homage to the emperor as their
+liege lord; but, like many other youths, they were careless of their
+duties, and put off the long and tedious journey from day to day.
+
+This conduct was particularly foolish, because there was present at the
+emperor's court the famous earl Amaury, who, rich though he was, coveted
+the estates of the duke of Bordeaux, and whispered in the ear of his
+master that the young men were rebels and traitors. By this time Charles
+was old, and his mind, as well as his body, had waxed feeble; the crown
+was too heavy for him, and he was thinking of resigning it to his son
+Charlot. So Amaury cunningly represented to him that he must summon the
+young men to his court without delay, and then himself plotted with
+Charlot to waylay and kill them. But, though they made their plans with
+great care, fortune was on the side of Huon and Gerard, for they
+defended themselves so bravely that, though they were taken by surprise,
+Gerard only received a slight wound, while Charlot was slain by Huon.
+
+When Amaury returned to Paris with these dreadful tidings, the emperor
+was beside himself with anger, and ordered Amaury to fight a duel with
+Huon, who was the elder of the two, and bid him take heed not to spare
+him. As Huon was young and slight, and Amaury one of the strongest men
+at the court, neither the emperor nor the earl ever had a moment's doubt
+with whom the victory would lie; but if Amaury was more powerful, Huon
+was quicker on his feet, and before long he had stretched his enemy dead
+upon the ground.
+
+The emperor was watching the fight from a window of his palace, and his
+anger at the triumph of Huon was so great that it very near killed him.
+Still, as the duel had been fairly fought, he dared not punish Huon, and
+he was forced to content himself with sending him on a mission to the
+king of Babylon, knowing well the perils which would beset him on the
+way.
+
+The small vessel in which Huon sailed for Jerusalem met with so many
+dangers that oftentimes the young duke thought that he would be dead
+long before he had touched the shores of Palestine. Thrice they were
+attacked by pirates, who were hardly beaten off; twice such terrible
+storms arose that they were almost driven on the rocks, and once they
+had much ado to avoid being drawn into a whirlpool. But somehow or other
+they escaped everything, and Huon was safely landed on the holy soil
+with his uncle Garyn and a few followers.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+He was at first so thankful to be on dry land again that he felt as if
+his journey was already over, but he soon found that the worst part was
+yet to come. Leaving Jerusalem behind them, the little band entered a
+desert, dreary and boundless as far as they could see. Hunger and thirst
+they suffered, and death felt very near them, when at last they reached
+a tiny hut, before which an old man was sitting. At the sight of Huon,
+thin and wasted as he had grown, the old man broke into sobs, crying
+that his face was like unto the face of the duke of Bordeaux, whom he
+had known when he was young.
+
+'Thirty years have I dwelt in these deserts,' said he, 'and never have
+my eyes lighted on the face of a Christian man.'
+
+Then Huon answered that he was indeed the son of the duke of Bordeaux
+whom he had known in his youth, and while they rested each man told his
+tale.
+
+'It is indeed good fortune that guided you here,' said Gerames when Huon
+had ended his story, 'for without me and my counsel never would you have
+reached the kingdom of Babylon. There are two roads which lead to that
+great city; one will take you forty days, and the other fifteen days,
+but if you will be ruled by me you will travel by the longer.'
+
+'And wherefore?' asked Huon, whose body was still sore from the
+hardships he had suffered, and whose ears had been tickled with the
+tidings of the soft couches and lovely gardens of Babylon the Great.
+
+'The short way leads through a wood which is the home of fairies and
+other strange creatures,' answered Gerames, 'and in it dwells Oberon,
+the king of them all, in stature no higher than a child of three years
+old, but with a face more beautiful than any worn by mortal man. His
+voice is softer and his words more sweet than we are wont to use; but
+beware of listening to them, for should you speak to him one word, you
+will fall into his power for ever. But if you hold your peace think not
+to escape that way, for he will be so wroth with you that he will cause
+all manner of tempests to spring up, and a great and black river to rise
+before you. Fear not to pass this river, black and swift though it be,
+for it is but a fantasy, and will not even wet the feet of your horse.
+And now that I have told you the ills that lie in that wood, I pray you
+hearken to my counsel, and ride by the way that is longer.'
+
+Huon paused before he answered. In sooth, Gerames' words had not
+awakened dread in his soul. Instead, he desired greatly to meet that
+dwarf, and to try whose will should prove strongest. So he answered that
+it would ill become a knight, and the son of his father, to shun a
+meeting with anyone, be he man or fairy, and it might be well for him to
+take the short road, for many adventures might befall him by the longer.
+
+'Sir,' said Gerames, 'be it as you will; whichever way you take I will
+go with you.'
+
+Then Huon and Gerames rode at the rear of their company, and entered the
+wood where Oberon, king of the Fairies, abode. For two days they had
+neither food nor drink, and Huon repented him of his journey and wished
+that he had hearkened to Gerames, as perchance the other road might have
+been easier.
+
+'Let us all alight and seek for food,' said he; but at that moment,
+Oberon, richly dressed, and covered with precious stones, appeared
+before them. A magic bow was in his hand, whose arrows never failed to
+hit the beast he aimed at, while round his neck was slung a horn. Now
+this horn was unlike any other in the whole world, for one blast of it
+could cure a man's sickness, even if he was nigh to death, or make him
+feel satisfied if he lacked meat, or joyful though he was poor, or
+summon whomsoever he wanted, if he was distant a hundred days' journey.
+
+Seeing the doleful plight of the little company, Oberon blew the third
+blast, and, behold! Huon and his companions began to sing and dance, as
+if good fortune had come to them.
+
+'Ah, what strange thing has come to pass!' cried the young knight. 'But
+now I was like to fall from my horse from hunger, but in an instant I am
+filled and wish for nothing.'
+
+'Sir,' said Gerames, 'it is Oberon who has wrought this; but do not
+suffer yourself to be drawn into speech with him, or you will rue it.'
+
+'Have no fears for me,' answered Huon, 'I will be steadfast.'
+
+[Illustration: The Meeting of Huon and Oberon]
+
+He held his head very high when Oberon the dwarf came up, and begged
+the knight to speak to him; but Huon only leaped on his horse and signed
+to his men to do likewise. At that the dwarf waxed angry, and bade a
+tempest arise, and with it came such a rain and hail that they were sore
+affrighted. Many times Gerames prayed them to take courage, for these
+were devices of the fairy king, and would not really hurt them, and as
+long as they spoke no words they would be safe.
+
+'Have no doubt of me,' answered Huon.
+
+For a while they lost sight of the dwarf, and Huon vainly hoped that
+they had beaten him off, and that they were rid of him. But in a little
+time they reached a bridge which spanned a great river, and on the
+bridge was Oberon himself. Fain would they have slipped past him, but
+the bridge was narrow, and Oberon stood in the middle. Once more he
+spoke soft words to Huon, and offered to do him service, but Huon held
+his peace. Again Oberon was angered sorely, and blew a blast which
+hindered the company from riding onwards, while four hundred knights of
+his own came galloping up.
+
+'Slay these men at once,' he cried, shaking with wrath, but their leader
+implored him to spare them for a space.
+
+'It will be time enough to kill them if they still keep silence,' said
+he; and Oberon agreed that he would give them yet another chance, and
+Huon and his companions rode hastily onwards.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+'We have left him full five miles behind us,' said Huon, drawing rein;
+'and now that he is not here to trouble us I will say that never in my
+life did I see so fair a creature. Nor do I think he can do us any ill.
+If he should come again, I fain would speak to him, and I pray you,
+Gerames, not to be displeased with me thereat.'
+
+Gerames' heart was heavy at these words, but he knew well the wilfulness
+of young men, and he answered nothing. For fifteen days they rode on,
+and Gerames began to hope that Oberon had given up their pursuit, when
+suddenly he again appeared.
+
+'Noble sir,' he said to Huon, 'have you resolved in good sooth not to
+speak to me? I know all your past life, and the task set you by the
+emperor, and without my help never will you come to the end of that
+business. Therefore, be warned by me, and go no further.'
+
+'You are welcome, sir,' answered Huon at last, and Oberon laughed for
+very joy.
+
+'Never did you give a greeting so profitable as this one,' he said, and
+they rode on together.
+
+
+
+
+_HOW OBERON SAVED HUON_
+
+
+Oberon was so rejoiced that Huon had at last made friends with him, that
+he did everything that he could think of to give pleasure to the knight
+and his friends.
+
+'There is nothing in the world that I cannot have by wishing for it,'
+said he, 'and all I possess is yours. And to prove that my words are not
+vain I will set before you the richest feast that ever you ate. After
+you have finished, you shall go whithersoever you will.'
+
+So they ate and drank to their hearts' content, but, before they
+departed, Oberon bade one of his fairy knights to bring him his golden
+cup, which he showed to Huon.
+
+'Behold,' he said, 'this cup is empty, and will so remain, if any man
+who has done a deadly sin should seek to drink of it. But he who has led
+a goodly life, the moment that he takes it in his hands it will become
+full of wine. Make proof of it yourself, and if you are found worthy the
+cup shall be yours.'
+
+'Alas, sir,' answered Huon, 'I fear very greatly that I have sinned too
+deeply for that cup to have any virtue for me, but yet I have repented,
+and desire from henceforth to wrong no one.' Then he lifted the cup, and
+the wine brimmed over.
+
+Oberon was right glad when he saw this sight, and gave the cup into his
+keeping.
+
+'As long as you are true and faithful, you shall never lack drink in
+it,' said he, 'but if you do falsely to any man, it will lose all its
+virtue and my help will go from you also. I have likewise another gift
+for you: take this horn of ivory, and when you are in great straits,
+and will blow it, however far I may be, I will come to you, and will
+bring with me a great company to lend you aid. But beware, as you set
+store by my friendship and by your life, that you do not blow the horn
+lightly.'
+
+'I give you great thanks for your kindness, and will hearken to your
+words,' said Huon; 'and now, I pray, let me depart hence to do the
+emperor's bidding.'
+
+So the knight and the fairy king took leave of each other, and they
+fared on their way, and in the evening they sat and rested in a green
+meadow, and ate and drank of the food that Oberon had given them. Now
+Huon was uplifted by the gifts the king had given him, and thought that
+he himself must be in some way better than other men, to be singled out
+for such honour, and, as young men will, he began to boast and talk
+idly, making pretence that he doubted the magic qualities of the horn
+and the cup, so that he might prove them at once before his company.
+
+'It was a fair adventure for me when I spoke to Oberon,' said he, 'and
+that I did not listen to the counsel of Gerames. When I fulfil my
+mission and return unto the court of the emperor, I will present him
+with the cup, the like of which he has not got in all his treasury. But
+as for the horn, how do I know if Oberon spoke the truth concerning it?'
+
+'Oh, sir, be not rash, I entreat you!' cried Gerames, 'for he charged
+you straitly not to blow the horn save in your direst need.'
+
+'Ay, surely,' answered Huon, 'but for all that I will try what power it
+has,' and, raising it to his mouth, he blew a loud blast.
+
+At that all the company rose up, and sang and danced joyfully, and
+Garyn, Huon's uncle, begged him to blow the horn once more.
+
+Oberon heard it, though he was full many miles away.
+
+'What man is so bold as to seek to do him ill whom I love best in all
+the world?' said Oberon. 'I wish myself and a hundred good men in his
+company'; and in an instant Huon and his friends beheld the horses'
+skins flashing in the bushes. Then Huon's soul smote him, and he bowed
+his head before Oberon, saying:
+
+'Sir, I have done ill; tell me quickly if death must be my punishment?'
+
+'Where are those that would work you evil?' asked Oberon sternly; but in
+spite of his wrath Huon took heart of grace, and, confessing his folly,
+prayed for pardon, which Oberon granted him for very pity, knowing, he
+said, that Huon would have much to suffer, some things through the
+wicked ways of others, but more from his own pride and self-will. Then,
+bidding the young man farewell afresh, the fairy king rode back to the
+wood.
+
+All befell just as the fairy king had foretold. Giants and mortals alike
+barred his way; small would have been his chance of ever reaching
+Babylon had not Oberon himself watched over him, and sent him help when
+he knew it not. Only one thing he asked of Huon in return--to keep
+himself from ill-doing and lies, so that he might be worthy to drink
+from the golden cup.
+
+And thus it came to pass that after many perils Huon knocked at the
+first of the four gates of the city.
+
+No sound was heard in answer to his knock, so he seized the great bell
+that hung there, and rang it loudly. At this a porter opened a little
+lattice, and asked what great lord it might be who demanded admittance
+in so rude a fashion, to which Huon answered hotly that he was an envoy
+from the emperor Charles, and that if the porter refused him entrance he
+would have to answer for it to his own master.
+
+At that the porter said that if the stranger was an infidel like
+themselves, the gates should be thrown open at once, but that, should he
+allow any Christian to enter, he would pay for it with his head.
+
+'But I am as much a Saracen as yourself,' said Huon, who only thought of
+getting into Babylon and paid no heed to the lie he was telling, or to
+the dishonour of his words. Then the gates were opened wide, and he
+entered.
+
+It was not till he was crossing the bridge which stood before the second
+gate that the wickedness of what he had done came upon him, and then he
+felt ashamed, and sorry, and frightened altogether. And how should he
+pass through the other three gates without again denying his faith and
+steeping himself in dishonour? He was about to turn back in despair,
+when he remembered the two good gifts of a giant whom he had overcome--a
+suit of armour which no sword could pierce, and a ring which would throw
+open all doors. So he showed the ring to the porters that guarded all
+the other three doors, and soon found himself in the garden of the
+palace.
+
+Even the groves of palms, and the trees of delicious fruits, could not
+make him forget the lie he had uttered. Indeed, if he had wished to do
+so, he could not, for presently he came to a fountain beside which was
+written that no traitor should drink thereof on pain of being destroyed
+by the serpent that dwelt therein. At this Huon suddenly felt himself
+forsaken of all, and he sat down and wept bitterly.
+
+'O noble King Oberon, listen to me once more,' he cried, and tremblingly
+blew his horn.
+
+'I help no liars,' said the fairy king when the blast echoed through the
+forest, and, though Huon could not hear his answer, the silence soon
+told him what it was.
+
+'If he slays me, at least it will be soon over,' he thought to himself,
+and, putting forth all his strength, he blew a fresh blast.
+
+This time it was so loud that it reached the ears of the lord of
+Babylon, who was sitting at a feast in the Hall of Moonbeams. And he
+rose up, together with his nobles and their squires and their wives and
+daughters, and every one in the palace from the least to the greatest,
+and began to dance and sing. They sang and danced as long as the horn
+kept on blowing, and when it had ceased the ruler of Babylon called to
+his lords and bade them follow him into the garden, as of a surety some
+great enchanter must have strayed therein.
+
+'Seek him and bring him to me, wherever I be,' commanded the emir; but
+the gardens were so large, and it took so long to find Huon, that the
+emir went back into the palace and laid himself down on a pile of soft
+cushions at the end of the hall.
+
+By his side on a great carved chair was the king of a neighbouring
+country, who arrived hither only a few days before to beg for the hand
+of the emir's fair daughter, the princess Esclaramonde, who was said to
+be the loveliest maiden in the whole world. To be sure, it was whispered
+among the courtiers that the princess did not look on him with a
+favourable eye, when she had watched his arrival from behind her
+lattice, and that more than once she had protested that she was too ill
+to leave her room when sent for by her father; but of course, if
+marriage was resolved upon, it would have to be.
+
+Huon had heard talk of these things between his guards when they were
+marching through the gardens that were almost as big as a town, and up
+the long flight of marble steps that led to the palace. He said nothing;
+perhaps by this time he had learnt a little wisdom, but he knew who the
+man was whose dress was so rich and his air so proud, and before anyone
+even saw him lift his arm the king's head was rolling in the dust.
+
+For a moment all remained still, too astonished to speak. Then the emir
+recovered his wits, and ordered Huon to be carried off to a dungeon, and
+not to be let go or the guards lives would be forfeit. But quick as
+thought Huon held out his hand with the ring on it.
+
+'Do you know this?' he said, and the king started back at the sight of
+it, and cried to the soldiers to let the prisoner go, for in that place
+he might do whatsoever he would. At this permission Huon turned to where
+the princess Esclaramonde was sitting by her father, and kissed her
+thrice.
+
+The emir was not altogether pleased at this fashion of Huon's, but he
+said nothing, and in a moment the knight told him how the emperor had
+sent him to pray the emir to become a Christian, otherwise he should
+proceed against him with a mighty host.
+
+The emir laughed in scorn as he listened to Huon's vain boast.
+
+'Fifteen envoys has he despatched on a like errand,' answered he, 'and
+all fifteen have I hanged. Right willingly should you make the sixteenth
+but for the ring which you wear. Tell me, I pray you, whence you got
+it?'
+
+But when Huon confessed that it had been given him by the giant, the
+emir waxed more wroth than before, and ordered his guards to seize him
+and cast him into prison, which in the end they did, though he resisted
+them well by reason of the harness that was on him.
+
+For a long space Huon lingered in that dark prison, and sad indeed would
+have been his lot had it not been for the secret visits of the princess
+Esclaramonde, who, the better to preserve his life, assured her father
+of his death.
+
+At length, when the emir was sore beset by the army of the giant
+Agrapart, she deemed it a favourable time to betray to her father that
+Huon was still alive in his prison, and was ready to do battle with the
+giant if, as was usual in that country, the princess's hand should be
+given to the victor. Both the emir and the giant agreed that their
+quarrel should stand or fall by single combat, and so the fight began.
+
+[Illustration: HUON DEFEATS THE GIANT AGRAPART]
+
+Huon felt in his heart that there was more at stake than even the hand
+of the princess. He stood forth as the champion of Christendom amidst a
+host of pagans, and it behoved him to strike with all his strength. In
+the end the victory was his, and the giant Agrapart was overcome, but
+his life was spared on condition that he would serve the emir faithfully
+all his days, which solemn oath he took gladly. After that, Huon drew
+out the cup the fairy king had given him, and, having made the sign of
+the cross over it, it was filled with wine, and he drank of it. For he
+had long since repented of the lie he had told, and was clean again.
+Then the emir tried to drink also, but no wine would come.
+
+'You must forsake your false gods, and be a Christian such as I am,'
+said Huon, 'and if you like not fair words you shall see how an armed
+host pleases you;' but, as was natural, the ruler of Babylon was not the
+man to be moved by such persuasions. He angrily bade Huon cease, and to
+speak to him no more on the matter or all the hosts of Charlemagne
+himself should not avail to save his head.
+
+'You will repent you too late,' said Huon, and blew his horn.
+
+At first the emir and his courtiers began to dance and sing wildly, they
+knew not wherefore, while in the wood far away Oberon heard the sound.
+'Huon, my friend, has great need of me,' he thought to himself, 'and his
+ill-doings have been punished enough, so I will pardon him, for there is
+not in all the world so noble a man. Therefore I wish myself at his
+side, with a thousand men behind me.' And in another moment, no man
+could tell how, Oberon and his men were within the walls of Babylon. The
+guards of the palace fell before them on every hand, till at last they
+reached the emir himself.
+
+'He is yours to spare or to slay,' said Oberon, and once more the knight
+gave the Paynim his choice.
+
+'Be a Christian or you die,' said Huon, and the emir made answer:
+
+'I will never forsake my own.' They were the last words he spoke, for
+his head rolled upon the floor. After that Huon cut off the emir's beard
+and pulled out four of his teeth, and hid them in the beard of his old
+friend Gerames, who had lately returned to Babylon.
+
+'Now I must leave you,' said Oberon, when these things were over. 'See
+that in all ways you behave yourself as a good and true knight should
+do, and have no share in ill-doings. I bid you take ship and carry the
+princess Esclaramonde, your bride, into France, and guard her from all
+ills on the way. And if you do not that which I bid you, great evil
+shall happen unto you.'
+
+But, alas! no sooner was the ship out of sight of land than the good
+counsels of Oberon faded out of Huon's mind, and he fell into many sins.
+The cup would not fill with wine, and Oberon was deaf to the blast of
+the horn. Then an awful tempest arose; the ship struck on a rock and was
+rent in pieces, and all were drowned save Huon and the princess, who
+were washed on an island. But even here they were not safe, for Huon was
+bound and tortured, and left under a tree, while Esclaramonde was
+carried away by the pirates who were dwellers on the isle.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Meanwhile, the knowledge of Huon's plight had reached Oberon, and, angry
+though he was, he began to think how best to send help to him, when a
+monster of the sea, called Mallebron, who had before given him aid on
+his journey to Babylon, begged to be allowed to deliver him once more.
+
+'It pleases me well,' answered Oberon, 'that this caitiff Huon should
+suffer pain for the evil that he has wrought, but if you love him so
+much that for his sake you shall endure to wear the shape of a fish for
+twenty years longer I will grant you your wish on two conditions. Carry
+him away from the island and place him on the mainland, only never more
+let mine eyes light on him. Be careful also to bring back to me my
+golden cup, my horn, and my fairy armour, for it is long since he has
+shown himself unworthy of them.'
+
+So Mallebron swam straightway to the island, and, finding Huon fast
+bound, as Oberon had said, he loosed him, and he stood on his feet. But
+when Huon heard the message of Oberon he was sore angered, and,
+forgetting his own misdeeds, complained bitterly of Oberon's hardness
+of heart in commanding that the gifts he had given him should be yielded
+up again. But, wail as he might, he could not move Mallebron, who bade
+him farewell, and departed with Oberon's treasures.
+
+It were long to tell of Huon's adventures after he had left the island.
+At one time he took service with a minstrel and was his varlet. At
+another time he was forced to play chess for the hand of a king's
+daughter, but refused to marry her when he had won the game.
+Unknowingly, he once fought with Gerames, and only found out who he was
+in the course of the battle. He afterwards entered the city with him,
+and visited Esclaramonde, who was a captive in the palace, and right
+glad were they to meet. After that he and some French knights who had
+joined him were besieged in the castle by the Paynims, and were rescued
+by a French ship, which carried Huon and Esclaramonde and all the
+company on their way to Wana, together with much treasure which they had
+found in the castle.
+
+But, happy though Huon felt on the road home again, he heard with wrath
+that Gerard, his brother, had persuaded the emperor that by now Huon
+must be dead, and that _he_ was rightful heir to the duchy. It was so
+long since any tidings had been received of Huon--for none had fared
+that way--that some thought Gerard spoke reasonably, and upheld his
+suit, which in the end was granted by Charles. And no sooner was the new
+duke invested with the lands than he began to oppress all his subjects,
+till the duchess his mother died of grief at the misery of her people.
+
+'He shall pay me for that,' muttered Huon grimly.
+
+There was one thing, however, that could not be delayed a moment more
+than was needed, and this was the marriage between Huon and
+Esclaramonde, for the princess had promised to become a Christian and to
+receive baptism at the hands of the pope. So they bade the captain put
+into the port nearest to Rome, and, taking horse, rode thither as fast
+as they might.
+
+The pope was seated on his throne with his threefold crown on his head,
+holding counsel with his cardinals, when Huon and his company entered
+the hall two by two, and saluted humbly. At the sight of Huon leading
+Esclaramonde by the hand, the pope, who had once visited the court of
+the duke of Bordeaux, and remembered the face of Huon, rose up to greet
+him, kissed him on both cheeks, and bade him tell his adventures, and
+how he had fared.
+
+'Ill enough, good sir, and these others also,' answered Huon; 'but I
+have by grace won through it all, and I have brought the daughter of the
+great emir of the Paynims, whom I desire you should make my wife, after
+she has been baptized by your hands.'
+
+'Huon,' said the pope, 'all this pleases me right well to do, and it is
+my will that you tarry with me here this night.'
+
+So they tarried; and the next day the wedding feast was held, and there
+were great rejoicings in the pope's palace. And early the next morning,
+Huon and his wife and his friends took ship for Bordeaux.
+
+But not yet were Huon's trials ended. Gerard, his brother, had no mind
+to give up his lands and honours lightly, and many were the plots that
+he laid against Huon. Indeed, he not only contrived to throw the
+new-comers into prison, but prevailed on the emperor to journey himself
+to Bordeaux, to the intent that Huon should be put to death, which would
+have happened had it not been for the timely help of Oberon.
+
+It was thus it came about.
+
+The fairy king was seated at dinner in his palace in the wood, when the
+knowledge came to him that the emperor Charles had taken an oath to hang
+Huon ere he slept, and at the thought thereof he broke into weeping.
+
+'I have sore punished the sins he has committed,' said he, 'and great
+has been my wrath. But now it is time that I help him, or he will be
+gone from me. So I wish my table and all that is on it near to the
+emperor's table, only about two feet higher. And I will that on my table
+be set my cup and horn and armour. And I wish that with me shall go a
+hundred thousand men, such as I am wont to have in battle.'
+
+Great was the marvel of the emperor when this table appeared beside him,
+and he took it for an enchantment of duke Names; but Huon and Gerames
+and Esclaramonde, who were present at the feast with fetters on their
+wrists, knew that Oberon had come to their deliverance.
+
+Soon the clank of swords was heard throughout the streets, and you could
+not see the stones for the armed men who stood on them.
+
+'See that none leave the gates,' said Oberon, 'and when you hear the
+blast of my ivory horn, come to me in the palace, and slay everyone you
+shall meet on the way'; and so saying he entered the hall, and many of
+his lords with him. Their dresses were the richest that had ever been
+seen, and on their necks they wore collars of precious stones. As the
+king passed by Charles, he knocked against him, so that his hat fell
+upon the ground.
+
+'Who is this dwarf who so rudely has shouldered me?' asked the emperor,
+'and whence comes he? I will see what he will do, for, small as he is,
+he is the fairest creature that ever I saw.'
+
+Leaving the emperor behind him, the fairy king came to the spot where
+Huon and the captives were standing, and he wished that the fetters
+might fall off their feet, and that they might be free men. Then
+silently he led them before Charles, and caused them to sit down at his
+own table, and bade the lords of the court drink out of the magic cup
+after Huon and Esclaramonde and Gerames had drunk out of it. But only
+for duke Names would the wine bubble up.
+
+Afterwards Oberon ordered Gerard to confess his sins and his plots that
+he had plotted, which out of very shame he was constrained to do, and
+then Oberon prayed the emperor to command Gerard and those who had
+helped him to work ill to be hanged on the gallows which had been reared
+for Huon, and this was done also; and the emperor Charles and Huon, duke
+of Bordeaux, made reconciliation together.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+'Come to me in my city of Mommur four years from now, Huon,' said
+Oberon, 'and I will give you my realm and my dignity, for I know in
+truth I shall not long abide in this world. But beware, as you love your
+life, that you fail not to be with me at the day I have appointed, else
+I shall cause you to die an ill-death.'
+
+When he heard, Huon stooped down and kissed his feet, and said:
+
+'Sir, for this great boon I thank you.'
+
+[From _Huon of Bordeaux_.]
+
+
+
+
+_HAVELOK AND GOLDBOROUGH_
+
+
+Once upon a time there lived in England a king called Athelwold, who
+ruled the land so well that everyone was rich and happy: or, if they
+were not, it was their own fault. His people all loved him dearly, and
+would do anything for him, and when he went to war there was no
+sovereign that could count on a larger following of stout brave men. He
+was quite a youth when he came to the throne, and at first all sorts of
+traitors and robbers from other countries took refuge in his kingdom,
+but Athelwold sought them out so carefully and punished them so severely
+that they soon betook themselves and their crimes elsewhere.
+
+Now one thing grieved the king sorely. He had no son to sit on his
+throne after he was dead, to protect the poor and put down the lawless.
+And how was his little daughter, who was not yet fourteen, to keep
+order, or to uphold the laws?
+
+'If she were a woman grown, it might be different,' he thought to
+himself, 'for Goldborough sees clearly and acts promptly. But as yet she
+has little knowledge, and her ways are those of a child. And full well I
+know that my death is nigh at hand, and there is none to watch over
+her.'
+
+Long the king pondered in his mind what he could best do for his
+daughter's safety and the welfare of his people, and in the end he sent
+messengers with letters to all his earls and barons from Roxborough to
+Dover, bidding them come to his castle of Winchester as swiftly as they
+might, for he could no more mount his horse, neither could he swallow
+meat or pasties.
+
+Sadly his vassals received the summons, for each loved him as his own
+father, and not one lurked behind. The king gave them a glad welcome,
+but they could not forbear shedding tears when they saw his weakness and
+heard his feeble voice. Athelwold let them have their way a little
+while, and then he said:
+
+'I am dying, as you see, and I have sent for you hither, to ask you all
+to tell me which of you will best guard my daughter when I am dead, till
+she has come to years when she can guard herself.'
+
+And they answered as one man:
+
+'Earl Godrich of Cornwall.'
+
+Then the king bade the priest bring the holy vessels, and earl Godrich
+swore on them that he would be faithful and true in peace and in war to
+Goldborough; and, further, that he would seek out a man who was better
+and fairer and stronger than all others to be her husband, so that the
+land might have peace, as in the days of Athelwold.
+
+After the earl had sworn to fulfil what the king required of him,
+Athelwold made his will, and gave England into the keeping of Godrich.
+This done, he lay back in his bed, and that same morning he died in the
+arms of his daughter.
+
+But bad indeed was the choice which king Athelwold's vassals had made
+when they proclaimed earl Godrich as the fittest guardian for the young
+princess. In the beginning, indeed, while Goldborough was still a child,
+everything went smoothly. The earl appointed justices and sheriffs to
+carry out the laws, and, though he took more heed to gather riches for
+himself than to protect his people, yet on the whole he governed well.
+
+Thus six years passed away, and Goldborough was twenty years old. She
+had lived far away from the castle of Winchester, and had never seen her
+guardian since the day that her father had been buried, and, for his
+part, he had hardly remembered her, he was so busy making laws and
+amassing treasures. Still, other people recollected Goldborough, if he
+did not, and one Eastertide, when the princess's twentieth birthday was
+at hand, an old pilgrim chanced to stop at Winchester on his way to
+Canterbury. He had but lately passed through the town where Goldborough
+was living, and had many tales to tell of her fair and gracious ways.
+
+Godrich let him talk, but his face was gloomy and he answered nought.
+But, though his tongue was silent, his heart was base and his thoughts
+were evil.
+
+'Have I toiled all these years for nothing?' he said to himself, 'and
+shall England be ruled by a fool, a maiden? I have a son, a full fair
+knave; he shall have England and be king.'
+
+So Goldborough was brought from her woods and gardens, and shut up in
+the castle of Dover, where none might visit her. And no company had she
+but her foster-sister, and an old woman who had been her nurse.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+At the time when Athelwold ruled England there reigned in Denmark a king
+called Birkabeyn, who had three children, two girls named Swanborough
+and Helfled and a boy called Havelok. Birkabeyn was strong and healthy,
+and thought to live many years, when a wound in battle proved his
+death-blow. Like Goldborough, the children were all young, and he was
+forced to choose someone to protect them till they were of full age. The
+man on whom Birkabeyn's choice fell was his own close friend, who had
+served him all his life, and who, he thought, loved his children well.
+And so perhaps the earl would have done had not such power been given
+into his hands, but this he was not proof against. No sooner had the
+king died than he caused the three children to be cast into prison,
+where he murdered the two girls himself.
+
+[Illustration: ROUND THE BAG WHICH HELD THE BOY A BRILLIANT LIGHT WAS
+SHINING]
+
+At the dreadful fate of his sisters, Havelok, who was the youngest, fell
+on his knees and implored the wicked earl to spare him.
+
+'If it is Denmark you want, it shall be yours,' cried the boy, 'and
+never will I seek to take it from you. Nay, give me a ship, and to-day I
+will leave the country for ever.'
+
+Even the earl's heart was for a moment softened by the child's tears and
+prayers, and at first he thought that he would let him go, as it would
+be many years before he would be old enough to be an enemy. But then he
+remembered that, if Havelok died unwedded, he and his sons would be
+heirs to the crown, for he was the king's cousin. However, he pretended
+to grant the child's prayer, and bade him follow him down to the shore,
+where dwelt an old fisherman. Havelok wandered down to the water, and
+wondered which of the ships drawn up on the beach he should set sail in,
+and where he would go. He was still terrified at the death of sisters,
+and shook with fear as long as their murderer was in sight.
+
+Meanwhile the earl was speaking to the fisherman, who stood at the door
+of his cottage, which was built just out of reach of the waves.
+
+'Grim,' he said, 'to-day you are my thrall, but to-morrow you shall be a
+free man if you will do my bidding. Take the boy that stands there, and
+throw him into the sea, that he drown. Fear nothing: the penalty will be
+mine, not yours.'
+
+'Your bidding shall be done,' answered the fisherman, 'though the deed
+is but little to my liking.'
+
+'So be it,' said the earl, and went home to hold counsel with his family
+how best to take possession of the crown.
+
+Grim took down a cord from a hook in the roof, and went out to the
+child, who screamed with terror as he drew near, but there was no one to
+help him, and Grim thrust a cloth in his mouth to stifle his cries,
+while he bound his hands behind his back with a cord. When this was
+done, he put the boy in a black bag, and carried him to his wife, who
+flung him on the floor, where he lay for many hours, thinking every
+moment that he would be thrown down a well or stabbed by a dagger.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+At midnight, when all was still, and the men in the ships were sleeping
+soundly, Grim arose, and told his wife to kindle a fire and to light a
+candle.
+
+'Why, there is a light in the room already,' said she, 'and it seems to
+come from the farthest corner, and to shine as brightly as if it were
+the sun itself'; and with that she sprang out of bed and ran over the
+floor, calling to Grim to follow her.
+
+And in truth it was as she had said, for round the bag which held the
+boy a brilliant light was shining.
+
+'If we touch him we shall rue it all our lives,' she whispered to her
+husband; then, stooping, she cut the knots which held the bag, and drew
+out Havelok, who was well-nigh dead with fright and suffocation. Next
+she stripped him of his clothes, and on his shoulder she found the mark
+of a tiny cross, from which the light came.
+
+'He is born to be king,' said Grim softly, 'and surely it is he and no
+other who is the son of Birkabeyn, and who some day shall come to his
+own. It is easy to see that he will grow into a man, tall and strong,
+who shall come back from over the sea where I shall send him, and avenge
+himself on the traitor.' Then Grim fell on his knees before Havelok and
+prayed his forgiveness.
+
+'You shall stay here awhile,' he said, 'till I can fit out a ship, and
+in it we will all set sail, you, and I, and my wife and my three sons,
+but it must be done in secret, lest the earl should come to know of it.'
+
+So they gave Havelok bread to eat and milk to drink, and laid him in a
+bed in a dark corner, where no man could see him, and the next day Grim
+set out for the traitor's castle to ask for the reward that had been
+promised him.
+
+'Your bidding is done, and I have come to claim my freedom,' said Grim
+when he stood in the presence of the traitor. But the earl made answer:
+
+'Who is there to know what lies betwixt us? Go home, and be my thrall,
+as you have ever been.'
+
+Full of rage though he was, Grim dared say no more, lest his head should
+pay forfeit; but the earl's words had filled him with fear, and he
+hastened to get ready a ship and to fill it during the night with food
+enough to last them for three weeks. By that time, he thought, they
+would reach the shores of England.
+
+When all was finished, Grim and his wife, his three sons and two
+daughters and little Havelok, stole away very early one morning before
+the sun was up, and set sail southwards. A north wind soon sprang up and
+drove him, in ten days, to the mouth of a great river called the Humber.
+Here he steered his ship on to the beach, and then they all got out and
+set up a tent, till they could look about for a little and see what best
+to do.
+
+It was a wild place where they landed, and for many miles there was not
+even a hut to be seen, but Grim liked it well, and he built houses for
+himself and his family, and by-and-by more people came thither also, and
+a town was built and was called Grimsby, after Grim. But that happened
+afterwards.
+
+Fish were plentiful at the mouth of the river--lampreys and sturgeon and
+turbot and great cod--and Grim and his sons were good fishers, both with
+net and line, and Havelok soon learned to fish too, and was as happy as
+any boy could be. Sometimes he stayed at home with the women while the
+others carried fish round the country in baskets.
+
+Twelve years passed in this manner, during which Grim had prospered
+greatly, but he began to get old, and the long journeys with heavy
+panniers on his back tried him sorely. This Havelok perceived, and one
+day he spoke:
+
+'I am a man grown, and shall I sit at home idle mending nets while my
+father travels over the whole country-side carrying weights too heavy
+for him to bear? Not so! To-morrow I go forth, and my father shall take
+his seat by the fire, and shall mend the nets.'
+
+Whatever Havelok said he did, and early the next morning he took the
+panniers on his shoulders, and started for the houses where Grim was
+wont to sell his fish. But soon, none could tell why, a bad time came,
+and there was no corn in the land, and no fish in the sea. And Grim felt
+pity in his heart for Havelok, who was young and strong, and needed more
+meat than other men. So one day Grim spoke:
+
+'Havelok, dear son, you have come upon evil days, and must stay with us
+no longer. Go to the city of Lincoln. It is a rich town, and there you
+may find work for all you need. But, woe is me! no clothes can I give
+you, save this old sail, which the women shall fashion into doublet and
+hose for you.'
+
+The sail was soon cut and fashioned by Grim's wife and daughters, but
+there was nothing to make into shoes, and Havelok walked into Lincoln
+barefoot, and he fasted from meat for two or three days; at length the
+earl's cook took him into his service as porter, and his chief duty was
+to carry the earl's fish into the castle. But the cook had many porters
+besides Havelok, and when the cry of 'barmen' was heard they all tried
+one to outdo the other in obtaining the pot in which lay the hot fish.
+However, Havelok was taller and stronger than the rest, and generally
+was able to thrust the others on one side.
+
+Besides bearing the cauldron of fish, Havelok had many things to do. He
+had to fill a huge tub in the kitchen with water, and to cut wood for
+the fire, and to do anything the cook told him. And, whatever happened,
+he was full of mirth, and would jest and play with the children who ran
+about the back of the castle.
+
+At last his clothes, which had been fashioned out of the old sail, fell
+into holes, and the cook, out of pity and liking, bought him some new
+ones, and when he put them on there was no man, be he who he might, that
+was fairer to see. Then folk began to notice that he was taller than any
+man in the castle, and that he was very strong. Very soon a chance came
+to him to prove his strength.
+
+Godrich the earl--or the king, as he called himself--now held his court
+at Lincoln, and summoned a parliament to be held there to settle the
+affairs of the nation. They came in great companies, and everyone had a
+following, and so many were they that they were forced to dwell in tents
+outside the city walls. It was not long before they fell to wrestling
+and such sports.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+For a while Havelok looked on, and bided his time. He took no part in
+the wrestling, though there was not a champion on the ground that he
+could not easily have overcome.
+
+When they were tired of throwing each other, someone proposed that they
+should put the stone, and a large smooth piece of rock was chosen. Man
+after man came forward, but hardly one could raise it from the ground,
+far less cast it any distance from him. At this moment the cook strolled
+up and saw his scullion standing there.
+
+'It is your turn,' he said to Havelok; 'show them what you can do, for
+the honour of Lincoln,' and Havelok obeyed him. He lifted the mighty
+stone to the height of his shoulder, and sent it spinning through the
+air.
+
+'Measure the cast,' said the cook proudly; and when it was measured it
+was found to be twelve feet beyond the cast of any other man.
+
+Little was talked of that day but the wonderful throw of the young
+scullion, and soon it reached the ears of the knights at court, and in
+time, Godrich himself. As he listened to the tale, there flashed across
+his memory the words of the dying Athelwold: 'Find out the man who is
+better and fairer and stronger than any man in the world, and give him
+to be husband to my daughter.' Was there any man living stronger than
+this Havelok? and could he himself be ill-spoken of if he should carry
+out Athelwold's dying wish? So thought Godrich; but far back in his
+heart he knew that once Goldborough was wedded to a scullion there would
+be small chance of her becoming queen.
+
+Next morning a knight mounted on a big bay horse, and attended by two
+men-at-arms, might have been seen riding southwards through the fair
+county of Lincoln, and in twenty days' time he returned, bringing with
+him the princess. Godrich greeted her with tokens of great joy, and told
+her that, as her father had bidden him, he had found at last the fairest
+and strongest man in the world, and he should be her husband.
+
+Goldborough listened quietly to his words, and when he had ended she
+looked at him.
+
+'Let him be as strong and fair as he may,' she said, 'but if he is not a
+king or a king's son he is no husband for me.'
+
+At this Godrich waxed wrath, and his whole body trembled with anger.
+
+'Your father bade me swear to him when he was dying that you should
+marry the strongest man in the world, and none other,' cried he, 'and,
+by the Rood, it is he you seek to disobey, and not me. The man who is to
+be your husband is the servant of my cook, and to-morrow we will have
+the wedding.'
+
+The heart of Goldborough was filled with horror when she heard the fate
+that was in store for her, and she fell weeping on her knees before the
+earl to implore him the rather to let her enter a convent; but Godrich
+answered her nothing, and strode out of the hall.
+
+The bells were ringing next day when Havelok woke, and before he was
+dressed a message came ordering him to go at once to the earl's
+presence. He wondered for what cause he was wanted, for never yet had he
+had speech of the earl, and still more surprised was he to find Godrich
+clad in his most splendid robes, as if for a festival. But if Havelok
+was astonished at all this, he was nearly struck dumb by the words which
+he heard.
+
+'Master, will you take a wife?' and the young man gazed at him in
+silence; for why should the ruler of all England take heed whether his
+scullion was wedded or not?
+
+'Will you take a wife?' asked Godrich again, in tones of impatience;
+then Havelok found his voice.
+
+'No, by heaven I will not,' he cried; 'what should I do with a wife? I
+could neither feed, nor clothe, nor shoe her! For myself, I should have
+no clothes either, had it not been for the bounty of your cook.'
+
+In his rage Godrich seized a thick staff and laid it across his
+scullion's shoulder.
+
+'Promise me that you will wed her within an hour, or I will hang you on
+the nearest tree,' he cried; and Havelok, who had no liking for death,
+consented.
+
+His purpose thus gained with Havelok, the earl now summoned Goldborough,
+whom he threatened to burn if she withstood him. All night the princess
+had wept and pondered how to escape so dreadful a doom, but at last she
+took comfort in the thought that in accepting this husband, however
+lowly born he might be, she would be fulfilling her father's wishes. So
+as soon as Godrich gave her a chance to speak she said she would resist
+him no longer.
+
+Then Godrich for the first time in six years felt that he was indeed
+King of England.
+
+'You are a wise maiden,' cried he, his face glowing with joy; 'and, to
+show you how well I love you, I will give you much gold, and you shall
+have an archbishop to bless your marriage.' And so it was done.
+
+Both Havelok and his wife felt that they could stay in Lincoln no
+longer, and the next day they bought two horses and set forth for
+Grimsby. To Havelok's great grief he found that the fisherman had died
+just before, after a few days' illness, but his sons and daughters gave
+them a glad greeting, and bade them stay in their house, promising that
+they themselves would be their servants.
+
+Weary with travel, Havelok soon went to bed, but Goldborough knelt
+praying before the window, when suddenly a bright light filled the room.
+She turned to see what it might be, and beheld it issuing from a cross
+on Havelok's shoulder. While she gazed wondering, she heard a voice
+saying, 'Goldborough, let sorrow depart from you, for your husband is no
+scullion, but the son of a king, and he shall rule over England and
+Denmark.' At that her heart grew light again, and she kissed Havelok and
+woke him, and told him what the voice had said.
+
+'Let us sail at once,' added she, 'for who knows when Godrich the
+traitor may change his mind? And bid the sons of Grim sail with us.'
+
+Goldborough's counsel seemed good to Havelok, and he rose in haste and
+sought Grim's sons, whom he found setting forth to fish. He begged them
+to wait, and to listen to his story, which Grim had always hidden from
+them, and when they heard it, they said that they would go with him, and
+help him to slay the murderer of his sisters and the robber of his
+crown.
+
+'You shall be rich men the day he dies,' vowed Havelok; and the boat was
+made ready for sea.
+
+A fair wind blew them to Denmark, and Havelok left his wife with his
+three foster-brothers, and betook himself to the house of Ubbe the earl,
+whom his father had loved dearly. He said no word as to his birth, but
+asked him leave to trade on his lands, offering a ring as
+earnest-money.
+
+[Illustration: HAVELOK PRESENTS GOLDBOROUGH TO THE ENGLISH PEOPLE.]
+
+Ubbe looked at the ring, and then at the young man who gave it.
+
+'You look fitter to do a knight's work than to buy and sell,' he said,
+and Havelok answered:
+
+'That will come, fair sir, but I must first go softly. Meanwhile I have
+left my wife Goldborough under the care of her foster-brothers, and can
+tarry here no longer.'
+
+'Bring her hither,' said Ubbe, 'and dwell with her in this castle, and
+if no man has dubbed you knight I will take that upon me.'
+
+And so it was done, and the heart of Goldborough rejoiced, for by this
+time she loved her husband dearly.
+
+That same midnight Ubbe was wakened by a great light, which seemed to
+fill the castle. He rose from his bed, and went from room to room, and
+all were bright as day, though he could not tell why. Then he came to
+the room where Havelok and Goldborough lay asleep, and out of Havelok's
+mouth came a flame like that of a hundred and ninety-seven candles. And
+on his shoulder was the cross of kingship, and that was shining too.
+
+When Ubbe saw that, he knew that Havelok was indeed the son of
+Birkabeyn, his friend, and the rightful king of Denmark; and, waking the
+sleeping man, he bade him sit up and receive his homage. After that he
+sent for his lords, and commanded that they should swear fealty to their
+king. And when the lords had sworn, Ubbe summoned the people, and told
+them, what many had known before, that the earl had betrayed his trust,
+and that now he should pay forfeit of his wickedness.
+
+Blithe were Havelok and Goldborough that day as they moved amidst the
+groups of men who shared in the sports which the people of Denmark ever
+loved, and once more Havelok cast the stone further than any one there
+could throw it. His first act, after he had been proclaimed king, was to
+make Grim's three faithful sons barons with fair lands. Then he bid them
+go and seek the earl, and bring him back with them.
+
+This was not done without a hard fight, for the earl and his men
+defended themselves stoutly; but at length he was bound and placed upon
+an old horse and carried before Havelok, who was waiting in the castle
+with his lords about him.
+
+'What judgment will ye pass on him, fair lords?' asked the king.
+
+'That he may be hanged as beseems a murderer and a traitor, and that his
+head be planted over the chief gate of the town as a warning to all,'
+they said with one voice, and this was done also.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+For a while Havelok stayed in Denmark to see to the affairs of the
+kingdom, and then, leaving Ubbe to rule, he set sail for England with
+Goldborough his wife, and a large army, in many ships with high carved
+prows. Once again he landed at the mouth of the Humber, and his first
+act was to found a church in memory of Grim. Next, he placed his army in
+order of battle, and awaited the attack of his enemy. Godrich the earl
+had heard that he had come, and had hastily collected a great host, with
+which he marched upon Lincoln. The attack was begun by the English, and
+fierce was the fight. Many were killed, both of English and Danes. At
+last, just as the English were being beaten slowly back, Havelok and
+Godrich came face to face with each other. Bitterly the earl then rued
+the day when he had married Goldborough to the strongest man in the
+world, scullion though he were! Many times Havelok might have slain him,
+but such was not his purpose, and, taking a cord from his waist, he
+bound the traitor's arms, and bade one of his knights ride and fetch
+Goldborough, whom he had left under a guard at a little distance.
+
+When she drew near, Havelok commanded that a flag of truce should be
+waved, so that the fighting might cease. Then, taking his wife by the
+hand, he led her forward, and told her story to them all, and how
+Godrich the earl had wronged her. And the English fell on their faces
+and did obeisance, and vowed to serve her faithfully all the days of
+their lives.
+
+'And what is the law of England respecting a traitor?' asked Havelok,
+when Goldborough had been proclaimed queen with trumpets and shouting.
+
+'That he be laid on an ass and burned at the stake,' cried they. And
+this was done also.
+
+After this, Havelok gave his two foster-sisters in marriage to great
+lords, and made the cook to whom he had owed his good fortune earl of
+Cornwall in place of the wicked Godrich. He left Ubbe to rule in
+Denmark, while he and Goldborough remained in England, but every two
+years he sailed across the sea to be sure that all went well in the
+country of his birth.
+
+And for sixty years Havelok and Goldborough lived happily together and
+had many children, and wherever Havelok went, Goldborough went too.
+
+[_The Lay of Havelok the Dane._ Early English Text Society.]
+
+
+
+
+_CUPID AND PSYCHE_
+
+
+Once upon a time there lived a king who had three daughters. The two
+elder girls were very fair, and many were their suitors, but the
+youngest was so beautiful that it was whispered in the city that the
+goddess Aphrodite was not her equal in loveliness, and as she walked
+through the streets men touched their foreheads, and bowed low to the
+ground, as if Aphrodite herself had passed by.
+
+Now it was not long since the shepherd Paris had given the goddess the
+golden apple, in token that neither on the earth nor even on Olympus was
+a woman to be found as fair as she. And when she heard of the honours
+paid to Psyche, she rose up in her wrath and sent a winged messenger for
+Cupid, her son.
+
+'Come with me,' she said, when Cupid appeared before her, 'I have
+somewhat to show you'; and without further speech the two flew through
+the air together, till they reached the palace where Psyche was
+sleeping.
+
+'That is the maiden to whom men pay the homage due to me alone,' she
+whispered, while her grey eyes darted gleams like fire. 'I have brought
+you hither that you may avenge me by pricking her with an arrow that
+will fill her heart with love for one of the basest of mortals. And now
+I must depart in haste, for Oceanos awaits me.'
+
+Aphrodite vanished, but Cupid remained where he was, gazing on the
+sleeping maiden and confessing in his heart that those who paid her the
+honours due to his mother were not much to blame.
+
+'Never will I do you such wrong,' he murmured, 'as to mate you with some
+base wretch, who has no thought beyond the wine-cup. From me and my
+darts you are safe. But am I safe from yours?' Then, fearing to stay any
+longer, lest his mother should wax wroth with him, he also took his way
+to the palace of Oceanos.
+
+[Illustration: APHRODITE BRINGS CUPID TO PSYCHE]
+
+If Aphrodite had not been a goddess, and had known a little more about
+the hearts of men, she might not have envied Psyche so bitterly; for,
+though all men bowed down before her and worshipped her beauty, each
+felt that she was too far above him to woo for his bride. So that, while
+her sisters had homes and children of their own, Psyche remained unasked
+and unsought in her father's palace.
+
+At length the king grew frightened as months and years slipped by, and
+Psyche was past the age when Greek maidens left the hearth where they
+had grown into girlhood. He summoned some wise men to give him counsel,
+but they shook their heads, and bade him consult the oracle of his
+fathers. It was a three days' journey to his shrine, and then no man
+knew when the oracle would speak, so the king took with him sheep and
+oxen, and skins of wine for himself and his followers.
+
+Ten days later he returned to the city with bowed head and white face.
+The queen, with anxious heart, had been watching his arrival from the
+roof of the palace, and awaited him at the door of the women's
+apartments.
+
+'What has happened?' she said, as she greeted him; but he drew her on
+one side, where none might hear them.
+
+'The oracle has spoken,' answered he, 'and decrees that Psyche shall be
+left upon a barren rock till a hideous monster shall come and devour
+her. And it is for this that men have paid her honours which were the
+portion only of the gods! Far better had she been born with the hair of
+Medusa and the hump of Hephaestos.'
+
+At these dreadful tidings the queen and her maidens broke into weeping,
+and when the news spread through the city no sounds but those of wailing
+were heard. Only the voice of Psyche was silent among them. She moved
+about as one that was sleeping, and indeed she felt as if the boat, with
+its grim ferryman, had already borne her across the Styx. So the days
+passed on, and one evening a white-clad priest arrived from the shrine
+to bid the king tarry no longer.
+
+That night a sad procession left the gates of the city, and in the midst
+was Psyche, clad in garments of black, and led by her father, while her
+mother followed weeping behind. Singers wailed out a dirge, which was
+scarcely heard above the sobs of the mourners, and the torches burned
+dimly and soon went out.
+
+The sun was rising when they reached the bare rock on top of a high
+mountain where the oracle had directed that Psyche should be left to
+perish. She made no sign when her father and mother took her in their
+arms for the last time, and, though they cried bitterly, she never shed
+a tear. What was the use? It was the will of the gods, and so it had to
+be!
+
+Not daring to look back, the king and queen took their way home to their
+desolate palace, and Psyche leaned against the rock trembling with fear
+lest every moment the monster should appear in sight. She was very
+tired, for the road to the mountain had been long and stony, and she was
+likewise exhausted by her grief, so that slowly a deep sleep crept over
+her, and for a while her sorrows were forgotten.
+
+While she thus slumbered, Cupid, unknown to herself, had been watching
+over her, and at his bidding Zephyr approached and played round her
+garments and among her hair. Then, lifting her gently up, he carried her
+down the mountain side, and laid her upon a bed of lilies in the valley.
+
+While she slept, pleasant dreams floated through her mind, and her
+terrors and grief were forgotten. She awoke feeling happy, though she
+could not have told why, for she was in a strange place and alone. In
+the distance, through some trees, the spray of a fountain glimmered
+white, and she rose and walked slowly towards it. By the fountain was a
+palace, finer by far than the one in which Psyche had lived, for that
+was built of stone, while this was all of ivory and gold. Vast it was,
+and full of precious things, as Psyche saw for herself when, filled with
+wonder mixed with a little fear, she stepped across the threshold.
+
+[Illustration: ZEPHYR CARRIES PSYCHE DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN]
+
+'This palace is as large as a city,' the maiden said aloud, as she
+passed from room to room without coming to an end of the marvels; 'but
+how strange to find that there is no one here to enjoy these treasures,
+or to guard them!' She started, as out of the silence a voice answered
+her:
+
+'The palace with all it contains is yours, lady. Therefore, bathe
+yourself, if you will, or rest your limbs upon silken cushions, till the
+feast is prepared, and we your handmaids clothe you in fine raiment. You
+have only to command, and we obey you.'
+
+By this time all fear had departed from Psyche, and with gladness she
+bathed herself and slept. When she opened her eyes she beheld in front
+of her a table covered with dishes of every kind, and with wines of
+purple and amber hues. As before, she could see no one, though she heard
+the sound of voices, and when she had finished, and lay back on her
+cushions, unseen fingers struck a lyre, and sang the songs that she
+loved.
+
+So the hours flew by, and the sun was sinking, when suddenly a veil of
+golden tissue was placed on her head, and at the same time a voice that
+she had not heard spoke thus:
+
+'Dip your hands in this sacred water'; and Psyche obeyed, and, as her
+fingers sank into the basin she felt a light touch, as if other fingers
+were there also.
+
+'Break this cake and eat half,' said the voice again; and Psyche did so,
+and she saw that the rest of the cake vanished bit by bit, as if someone
+else were eating it also.
+
+'Now you are my wife, Psyche,' whispered the voice softly; 'but take
+heed to what I say, if you would not bring ruin on yourself, and cause
+me to leave you for ever. Your sisters, I well know, will soon seek you
+out, for they think they love you, though their love is of the kind that
+quickly turns to hate. Even now they are with your parents weeping over
+your fate, but a few days hence they will go to the rock, hoping to
+gather tidings of your last moments. It may chance that at last they may
+wander to this enchanted place, but as you value your happiness and your
+life do not answer their questions, or lift your eyes towards them.'
+
+Psyche promised she would do her unseen husband's bidding, and the weeks
+slipped swiftly by, but one morning she felt suddenly lonely and broke
+into wailing that she might never look on her sisters' faces again, or
+even tell them that she was alive. All the long bright hours she sat in
+her palace weeping, and when darkness fell, and she heard her husband's
+voice, she put out her arms and drew him to her.
+
+'What is it?' he asked gently, and she felt soft fingers stroking her
+hair.
+
+Then Psyche poured out all her woe. How could she be happy, even in this
+lovely place, when her sisters were grieving for her loss? If she might
+only see them once, if she might only tell them that she was safe, then
+she would ask for nothing more. If not--why, it was a pity the monster
+had not devoured her.
+
+There was a silence after Psyche had poured forth her entreaties, and
+then the bridegroom spoke, but his voice seemed somehow changed from
+what it had been before.
+
+'You shall do as you wish,' he said, 'though I fear that ill will come
+of it. Send for your sisters if you please, and give them anything that
+the palace contains. But once again let me beseech you to answer nothing
+to their questions, or we shall be parted for ever.'
+
+'Never, never, shall that be,' cried Psyche, embracing her husband with
+delight. And, whoever and whatever you may be, I would not give you up,
+even for the god Cupid. I will tell them nothing, but bid, I pray you,
+Zephyr, your servant, to carry them hither to-morrow, as he carried
+me.'
+
+Next morning Zephyr found the two sisters seated on the rock, tearing
+their hair and beating their breasts with sorrow. 'Psyche! Psyche,' they
+cried, and the mountains echoed 'Psyche! Psyche,' but no other sound
+answered them. Suddenly they felt themselves gently lifted from the
+earth, and wafted through the air to the door of the palace, where stood
+Psyche herself.
+
+'Psyche! Psyche!' they cried again, but this time with joy and wonder,
+and for a while they forgot everything else in the world. Then Psyche
+bade them tell her of her father and mother, and how the days had passed
+since she had left them, and she pictured to herself their gladness when
+they heard how different had been her fate from that which the oracle
+had foretold.
+
+After her sisters had made known to her everything they had to tell,
+Psyche invited them to see the palace, and, calling to the voices,
+ordered them to prepare baths with sweet-smelling spices, and to set
+forth a banquet for her guests. At these tokens of riches and splendour,
+envy began to arise in their hearts, and curiosity also. They looked at
+each other, and the glances of their eyes promised no good to Psyche.
+
+'But where is your husband?' asked the eldest. 'Are we not to see him
+also?'
+
+'Yes,' said the other, 'you have not even told us what he is like, and
+our mother will assuredly wish to know that.'
+
+Their questions recalled to Psyche's mind the danger against which she
+had been warned, and she answered hastily:
+
+'Oh, he is young and very handsome--the handsomest man in all the world,
+I think. But he spends much of his time in hunting, and has now gone far
+into the mountains to chase the boar. It was thus that, feeling myself
+lonely, I sent a messenger for you. And now, come and choose what you
+will out of the treasure-chamber, for the hour of your departure draws
+nigh!'
+
+The sight of gold and precious stones heaped up in the treasure-chamber
+only made the sisters more jealous than before; but their jealousy did
+not prevent their carrying off the most splendid necklaces they could
+find before Psyche summoned Zephyr to bear them unseen back to their own
+homes.
+
+'Why has Fortune treated her so differently from us?' cried the eldest,
+before they were out of sight of the palace. 'Why should _she_ have
+boundless riches, and be married to a man who is young and handsome, and
+own slaves who fly through the air as if they were birds? Far indeed are
+the days when she sat in our father's house, and no suitor came to woo!
+But, though she was lonely and forlorn enough in the city, here she is
+treated as if she were a goddess, while I am linked to a husband whose
+head is bald, and whose back is a hump!'
+
+'My plight is worse than yours,' groaned the other sister, 'for I have
+to spend my time nursing a man who is always ill and rarely suffers me
+to leave his side. But do not let us flatter her pride by telling our
+father and mother of the honours Fate has heaped on her. Rather let us
+consider how best to humble her and bring her low.'
+
+Meanwhile night had fallen, and Psyche's husband came to her side.
+
+'Did you take heed to my warnings,' asked he, 'and refuse to answer the
+questions of your sisters?'
+
+'Oh yes,' cried Psyche; 'I told them nothing that they wished to know. I
+said that you were young and handsome, and gave me the most beautiful
+things in the world, but that they could not see you to-day, for you
+were hunting in the mountains.'
+
+'So far it is well, then,' sighed he; 'but remember that even at this
+moment they are plotting how they may destroy you, by filling your heart
+with their own evil curiosity, so that one day you may ask to see my
+face. But recollect, the moment you do this I vanish for ever.'
+
+'Ah, you do not trust me,' sobbed Psyche; 'yet I have shown you that I
+can be silent! Let me prove it again by suffering Zephyr to bring my
+sisters once more, and then never, never will I crave another boon from
+you.'
+
+For long her husband refused to grant her what she asked, but at last,
+wearied by her tears and prayers, he told her that this once she might
+bid Zephyr bring her sisters to her. Eagerly they ran through the garden
+into the palace, and greeted Psyche with warm embraces and gentle words,
+while she on her part did everything she could think of to give them
+pleasure. As before, she bade them choose whatever they most desired,
+and when they had returned from the treasure-chamber and were eating
+fruit under the trees by the fountain the elder sister spoke:
+
+'How it grieves me to see you the victim of such deceit, and how I long
+to be able to ward off the danger!'
+
+'What do you mean by such words?' asked Psyche, turning pale. 'No one is
+deceiving me, and no goddess could be happier than I.'
+
+'Ah! you do not know--I dare not tell you,' gasped the other in broken
+accents. 'Sister, you try; I cannot shape the words.'
+
+'It is hard, but my duty demands it of me,' said the second sister. It
+is--oh, how shall I tell it?--your husband is not such as you think, but
+a huge serpent whose neck swells with venom, and whose tongue darts
+poison. The men who work in the fields have watched him swimming across
+the river as darkness falls, at the moment that he goes to seek you!'
+
+Their groans and sobs, no less than their words, convinced Psyche, who
+fell straightway into the pit they had digged for her.
+
+'It is true,' she said with a trembling voice, 'that never yet have I
+beheld my husband's face, and that many times he has warned me that the
+moment my eyes light upon him he will abandon me for ever. His words
+were always sweet and gentle, and his touch hardly resembles the skin of
+a serpent. It is not easy to believe; but yet, if you know, I pray you,
+of your love for me, to come to my aid in this deadly peril.'
+
+'Ah, hapless one, it is for that we are here,' answered the elder; 'and
+this is what you must do. This very night, fill a lamp full of oil, and
+cover it with a dark cloth, so that not a ray of light can be seen; then
+take a sharp knife and hide it in your bosom. After the serpent is sound
+asleep, steal softly across the room, and snatch the cloth from the
+lamp, so that you may see where to strike home, for if he should wake
+before you have cut off his head your life will be forfeit.'
+
+Having said this, they both hurriedly embraced their sister, and were
+wafted home on the wings of Zephyr.
+
+Left alone, Psyche flung herself on the ground, and for many hours lay
+trying to subdue her misery. At one moment she thought that she could
+not do it--that her sisters might be wrong after all. But her faith in
+them was strong, and as night approached she rose up to do their
+bidding.
+
+So well did she feign happiness that her husband heard no change in her
+voice as she bade him welcome, and, having travelled far that day, he
+soon laid himself down on the couch and fell sound asleep. Then Psyche
+seized the lamp and snatched off the covering, but by its light she saw
+stretched on the cushions, not a huge and hideous serpent, but the most
+beautiful of all the gods, Cupid himself.
+
+At this sight her knees knocked together with surprise, and she gave a
+step backwards, and the lamp, trembling in her hand, let fall a drop of
+burning oil on Cupid's shoulder. He sprang to his feet, and with one
+reproachful look he turned, and would have flown away had not Psyche
+grasped his leg, and was borne up with him into the air, till at length
+her strength gave way and she fell to the ground, where for some time
+she remained unconscious.
+
+When her senses came back, she was so miserable that she sought eternal
+forgetfulness in a neighbouring stream, but the river, in pity, carried
+her gently along and placed her on a bank of flowers. Finding that even
+the river would have none of her, she rose up, and resolved to wander
+night and day through the world till she should find her husband.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The first spot at which she halted was a temple on the top of a high
+mountain, where, to her surprise, she saw blades of wheat, ears of
+barley, sheaves of oats, scythes and ploughs, all scattered about in
+wild confusion. Never before had she seen such disorder about a temple,
+and, stooping down, she began to separate one thing from another and to
+place them in heaps.
+
+While she was busy with this, a voice cried to her from afar:
+
+'Unhappy girl, my heart bleeds for you! Yet even while you are pursued
+by the wrath of Aphrodite, you can labour in my service. May you find
+some day the rest that you deserve! But now, quit this temple, lest you
+draw down on me the anger of the goddess.'
+
+With despair in her soul, Psyche wandered from one place to another, not
+knowing and not caring whither her feet might lead her. At length she
+was tracked and seized by one of Aphrodite's attendants, who dragged her
+by the hair into the presence of the goddess herself. Here she was
+beaten and scourged, both by whips and by cruel words, and, when every
+kind of suffering had been heaped on her, Aphrodite took a number of
+bags containing wheat, barley, millet, and many other seeds, and,
+tumbling them all into one heap, bade her separate and place them each
+in its own bag by the evening.
+
+Psyche stood staring where Aphrodite had left her, not even trying to
+begin a task that she knew to be hopeless.
+
+She would certainly be killed, thought she, but, after all, death would
+be welcome; and she laid her weary body on the floor and sought sleep.
+At that moment a tiny ant, which had been passing through the storehouse
+on his way to the fields, and saw her terrible straits, went and fetched
+all his brothers, and bade them take pity on the damsel, and do the work
+that had been given to her.
+
+By sunset every grain was sorted and placed in its own bag, but Psyche
+waited with trembling the return of Aphrodite, as she felt that nothing
+she could do would content her.
+
+And so it happened, when Aphrodite entered, and thirsting for vengeance,
+cried with glee, 'Well, where are my seeds?' Psyche pointed silently to
+the row of bags against the wall, each with its mouth open, so that at
+the first glance it could be seen what kind of seed it contained. The
+goddess grew white with rage, and screamed loudly, 'Wretched creature,
+it is not your hands that have done this! you will not escape my anger
+so easily'; and, tossing her a piece of bread, went away, locking the
+door behind her.
+
+Next morning the goddess bade one of her slaves bring Psyche before her.
+
+'In yonder grove,' she said, on the banks of a river, feed sheep whose
+wool is soft as silk and as bright as gold. Before night I shall expect
+you to return with as much of this wool as will make me a robe. And I do
+not think that you will find any one to perform your task this time!'
+
+So Psyche went towards the river, which looked so clear and cool that
+she stepped down to the brink, meaning to lay herself to rest in its
+waters. But a reed sang to her, and its song said:
+
+[Illustration: APHRODITE FINDS PSYCHE'S TASK ACCOMPLISHED]
+
+'O Psyche, do my bidding and fear nothing! Hide yourself till evening,
+for the sheep are driven mad by the heat of the sun, and rush wildly
+through the bushes and thickets. But when the air grows fresh they sink
+exhausted to sleep, and you can gather all the wool you want from the
+branches.'
+
+[Illustration: JOYFULLY THE EAGLE BORE BACK THE URN]
+
+Then Psyche thanked the reed for its counsel and brought the wool safely
+back to the goddess; but she was received as before with scornful looks
+and words, and ordered to go to the top of a lofty mountain and fill a
+crystal urn from a fountain of black water which spouted from between
+walls of smooth rock. And Psyche went willingly, thinking that this time
+surely she must die.
+
+But an eagle which was hovering over this dark and awful place came to
+her aid, and taking the urn from her he bore it in his beak to the
+fountain, which was guarded by two horrible dragons. It needed all his
+strength and skill to pass by them, and indeed it was only when he told
+them that Aphrodite needed it to give fresh lustre to her beauty that
+they ceased to snap at him with their long fangs.
+
+Joyfully the eagle bore back the urn to Psyche, who carried it back
+carefully in her breast. But Aphrodite was still unsatisfied. Again and
+again she found new errands for Psyche, and hoped that each one might
+lead her to her death, though every time birds or beasts had pity on
+her.
+
+If Cupid had only known his mother's wicked schemes, he would have
+contrived to stop them and to deliver Psyche. But the wound on his
+shoulder where the burning oil had fallen took long to heal, and for
+some time he was in ignorance of all that Psyche was suffering. At last,
+however, the pain ceased, and his first thought was to visit Psyche,
+who, nearly fainting with joy at the sound of his voice, poured forth
+all that had happened since that dreadful night which had destroyed her
+happiness.
+
+'Your punishment has been sore,' said he, 'and I have no power to save
+you from the task my mother has set you. But while you fulfil this I
+will fly to Olympus, and beseech the gods to grant you forgiveness, and,
+more, a place among the immortals.'
+
+And so the envy and malice of Aphrodite and the wicked sisters were
+brought to nought, and Psyche left the earth, to sit enthroned on
+Olympus.
+
+[_Apuleius._]
+
+
+
+
+_SIR BEVIS THE STRONG_
+
+
+Many hundreds of years ago there lived in the South of England an earl
+of Southampton, whose name was Guy. He spent most of his life in
+defending his country from all sorts of invaders who sailed from beyond
+the seas, and it was not until he was getting old that he had time to
+think of a wife. Then he made a very foolish choice, for he asked in
+marriage the daughter of the king of Scotland, who had already plighted
+her troth to the young and handsome Sir Murdour.
+
+But though Sir Murdour was brother to the emperor, the Scottish king
+preferred to wed the princess to the stout earl of Southampton, whom he
+had known of old, and his word was law to all his court. So the bride
+journeyed with a great following to the south of England, where the
+marriage took place, and the next year a baby was born that was called
+Bevis.
+
+Now, though her husband was good and kind, and gave her the most
+beautiful dresses and horse-trappings in the whole kingdom, the princess
+hated him with a deadly hatred, just because he was not Sir Murdour. And
+when her son Bevis was seven years old she determined to seek the help
+of her old lover, and entice the earl to his death.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+To this end she made use of her charms and beauty to gain over to her
+side some of her husband's most trusted lords, and when this was done
+she chose out a faithful messenger to ride north to Sir Murdour.
+
+'Bid him,' she said, 'to come without fail on the first of May to the
+great forest that lies by the sea. Thither will I take care that my lord
+shall fare, with but a small company, and--the rest Sir Murdour can
+grasp. Only, I should like to see a bleeding head, in proof that all has
+gone as I wish.'
+
+Sir Murdour did not delay when he heard this message, but called
+together a troop of armed knights, and set sail with them for the forest
+on the water over against Southampton. They landed late one night, and
+Sir Murdour bade his foster-brother go secretly to the palace, and let
+the countess know that he was close at hand. After that he posted his
+men in deep dells and behind trees, and awaited his enemy.
+
+The sun was scarcely up before the countess roused her husband, who was
+sleeping heavily after a day's hunting.
+
+'Awake,' she cried, shaking his shoulder, 'I am feeling like unto death,
+and I have dreamed that this day I shall surely die if I eat not of the
+flesh of a wild boar of the forest.'
+
+At these woeful tidings the earl sprang from his bed, and in a short
+while he was riding with a pack of hounds and a few attendants towards
+the part of the forest where the wild boars were most plentiful. The
+dogs were soon racing down a track, having scented a boar, and the earl
+was preparing to follow when Sir Murdour and his men leapt out from
+their hiding-places and suddenly surrounded him.
+
+'I am here at your lady's bidding,' said the knight; 'she has begged me
+to send her your head, and I mean to do it.'
+
+[Illustration: LITTLE BEVIS AVENGES HIS FATHER]
+
+The earl's face grew pale at these dreadful words. He did not fear any
+man alive, but the thought of his wife's baseness took the strength from
+his arm and the courage from his heart. Still, for the honour of his
+name and knighthood, it behoved him to fight his best, though his only
+weapon was a boar spear. The battle lasted long, but at length the
+earl's horse was killed under him, and he fell to the ground. In another
+moment Sir Murdour struck his head from his shoulders, and, placing it
+on a spear, he ordered his squire to bear it to the castle.
+
+Bevis, who was standing on the battlements, saw this terrible sight, and
+seeking out his mother he vowed vengeance against the murderer. Though
+he was only seven years old, his strength was so great that the countess
+felt that her life would not be safe if once he discovered the truth, so
+she ordered his uncle Saber to take the boy to some distant place and
+there to slay him. Saber did not dare to disobey. He took Bevis with him
+to a small hut near the forest, and, killing a pig, sprinkled the
+child's garments with the blood and sent them to his mother. Afterwards
+he dressed Bevis in the clothes of a peasant, and, putting a stout staff
+in his hands, set him to watch a flock of sheep.
+
+The boy did what he was told without a word, but the sheep wandered far
+that day, and by-and-by he found himself in sight of his father's
+castle. Then a sudden fury filled his soul, and, leaving the sheep to go
+whither they would, he ran swiftly down the hill, and never stopped till
+he reached the castle gate. Here the porter, to whom the countess had
+given much gold, tried to stop him, but Bevis only knocked him down with
+his cudgel, and on into the hall he went, and there he beheld his mother
+and Sir Murdour feasting at the high table.
+
+'Traitors and murderers!' cried he, and lifting his staff, he dealt
+three fierce blows at the head of Sir Murdour, which felled him to the
+ground, where he lay unconscious. Then the boy turned and walked out of
+the hall, none daring to stop him.
+
+He told his uncle what had happened, but Saber was never ready of
+counsel, and before he had time to think what was best the countess
+entered the hut attended by two knights, whom she ordered to seize
+Bevis, and sell him as a slave to any captain in the port of
+Southampton who might be sailing that night for the lands of the
+Infidel.
+
+The captain of the ship was a kind man and took a liking to the boy
+whose fate was so hard, and when a fair wind blew them into the harbour
+of Heathenesse he bade the child bear him company to the palace. The
+king, whose name was Ermyn, thought he had never seen any boy of his age
+so tall and beautiful, and asked him many things as to his past life.
+These Bevis answered with so much truth and spirit that Ermyn was
+persuaded that he would grow into a man much above the common, and
+declared that he would make him heir to his throne and wed him in due
+course to his daughter Josyan, if he would only give up Christianity and
+become a convert to the faith of Heathenesse. But this Bevis swore he
+would never do.
+
+The good captain feared greatly that the king might be angered by
+Bevis's refusal, but instead Ermyn seemed to think that the boy, who
+would not break his vows lightly, was fain to turn out a true and loyal
+man. So he smiled, and told Bevis that he would make him his
+chamberlain, and when he was of age to be a knight, he should be his
+banneret.
+
+Eight years passed by, spent by Bevis in learning all the feats with the
+sword and spear for which the knights of Heathenesse had long been
+famous. His life was smooth and pleasant, and it was only when he had
+counted fifteen summers that he had his first adventure.
+
+It was Christmas Day, and Bevis was riding with a large company of
+Paynim knights through the great plain that surrounded the city. The
+talk ran upon the many lion chases they had held in that very place,
+when suddenly one of the knights who had journeyed both to Rome and
+Jerusalem turned to Bevis, who happened to be next him, and asked if he
+knew what day it was.
+
+'No,' answered Bevis; 'why should I? Is it different from any other
+day?' and the knight laughed and told him he was but a poor Christian.
+This angered Bevis, who said that, as he had lived among heathens since
+he was seven years old, it was not likely he should have learnt anything
+about his faith, but that in defence of it he was ready to tilt with the
+knights one after the other and hoped that in so good a cause he might
+prevail.
+
+'Listen to the crowing of this young cock' cried one of the party,
+highly wroth at the answer of Bevis; and indeed so furious were they
+that they set upon him at once and dealt him many wounds before the boy
+was able to defend himself. Then he snatched a sword from the man
+nearest him, and laid about him so hardly that in a short time they were
+all stretched dead upon the ground, while their horses galloped back to
+their stalls. Bevis himself, suffering great pain, went quietly back to
+his room in the palace and waited to see what would come next.
+
+When king Ermyn heard the news, and how so many of his best knights had
+been put to death by his page, he was beside himself with fury, and gave
+orders that Bevis should be instantly beheaded. But Josyan, his
+daughter, pleaded so hard for the young page that the king agreed to
+hear his story, and when he had heard it he not only forgave the youth,
+but told Josyan, who was skilled in leechcraft, to heal his wounds. And
+in a little while Bevis was raised to higher favour than ever by slaying
+a boar which had carried away and eaten several children on the
+outskirts of the city.
+
+By this time the fame of the princess's beauty had spread far and wide,
+and the king of Damascus sent an embassy to the court of king Ermyn,
+praying that she should be given him to wife.
+
+'But,' added he, 'in case you do not well consider my suit, I would have
+you know that I will gather together a great army, and lay waste your
+land with fire and sword. So think well before you refuse me.'
+
+King Ermyn was little used to language of this sort, and for all answer
+collected twenty thousand men, whom he commanded to be in readiness.
+Next, at the request of his daughter, he dubbed Bevis a knight, and the
+princess herself clad him in a richly inlaid helmet, and buckled on him
+the good sword Morglay. As a parting gift she bestowed on him a swift
+white horse called Arundel, and very proud was Bevis as he rode away at
+the head of the army beside the commander.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It were too long to tell of all the deeds wrought by Sir Bevis during
+the fight with the king of Damascus, whose standard-bearer, the giant
+Radyson, he slew at the very outset of the battle. In the end, and owing
+in a great measure to the valour of the young knight, the Damascenes
+owned themselves beaten, and their king remained a captive in the hands
+of Sir Bevis.
+
+'I will spare your life on one condition only,' said the victor, 'and
+that is that you shall swear fealty on my sword to king Ermyn, and
+acknowledge yourself to be his vassal.'
+
+The king's heart was sore when he heard what was demanded of him, for
+never before had he been vanquished in war. Still, he saw that there was
+no help for it, and he took the oath that Bevis required of him, after
+which he was suffered to depart into his own country.
+
+King Ermyn could not do enough honour to Sir Bevis when he came back to
+the palace, and, as was the custom, he bade his daughter rid him of his
+heavy armour, to put on him gorgeous robes, and to wait on him when he
+sat down to table. Sir Bevis was half glad and half ashamed to receive
+these services at the hands of the princess, but Josyan heard her
+father's orders right willingly, and led him away to fulfil them at
+once.
+
+The first thing she did was to order her slaves to prepare a bath for
+him, and to make it soft with all manner of sweet-smelling spices. Then
+she summoned him to her chamber, where she had prepared food and wine,
+and, like a wise woman, spoke nothing till he had eaten and drunk as
+much as he would. When he had satisfied his hunger, he flung himself to
+rest on a pile of cushions, and Josyan seated herself near him. Taking
+one of his hands in hers, she said softly:
+
+'Oh, Bevis, little do you know what I have suffered these many months
+from the love I bear you! Indeed, so grievous have been my pains that I
+marvel that I am alive this day. But if you return not my love, of a
+surety I am a dead woman.'
+
+Now Bevis had long loved the princess in secret; but his heart was
+proud, and, besides, he feared to seem that he had betrayed the king's
+trust. So he answered:
+
+'Fair Josyan, I thank you for your gentle words, but it would ill become
+me to take advantage of them. There is no prince in all the world, be he
+who he may, who would not crown you queen, and hold himself honoured.
+For me, I am but a poor knight, and one from a strange land, to whom
+your father has shown more favour than I deserve. It is not thus I
+should repay his kindness.'
+
+These words struck a chill through Josyan. All her life she had never
+known what it was to be denied anything she asked for, and she fell to
+weeping.
+
+'I would sooner have you, poor as you are, than the greatest king
+alive,' sobbed she; but when Bevis sat still and kept silence her grief
+turned to wrath.
+
+'Am I, who might reign over any of the kingdoms of the earth, to be
+flouted by you, a mere churl? Out of my chamber this instant, and betake
+yourself to working in the fields, for they are fitter setting for one
+of your birth than a lady's bower!'
+
+'Damsel,' said Bevis, 'you wrong me. No churl am I, but the son of an
+earl, and a knight withal. And now farewell, for I shall depart into my
+own country.'
+
+For a short time Josyan's anger held sway in her heart, and even the
+death of Bevis would hardly have moved her, but when she heard that
+Bevis was actually preparing to leave the city her pride broke down,
+and she sent a messenger to implore his forgiveness. But she had to
+learn that Bevis was no less proud than she, and he dismissed the
+messenger with a ring that the king had given him, merely saying that he
+had already bid good-bye to the princess Josyan.
+
+Then Josyan saw that if she would keep Bevis at her side she must humble
+herself to the dust, so she went herself to the chamber of Bevis, and
+implored him to forget her hasty words, and not to forsake her. Nay, she
+would even promise to give up her own faith and to become a Christian.
+
+At this proof of her devotion, Sir Bevis's resolve gave way, and he told
+her that he had loved her always, but feared that her father would never
+accept him as a son-in-law. Josyan made light of this obstacle, and
+declared that her father would never refuse her anything she had set her
+heart upon; but Bevis was not so hopeful, and soon events proved that he
+was right.
+
+Two knights whom Bevis had rescued from captivity and had brought to the
+palace overheard the vows exchanged between him and Josyan, and her
+offer of being baptized. Hating and envying the good fortune of Bevis,
+they sought out the king, and told him that his daughter was about to
+give up the faith of Mahomet, and to fly from the country with a
+Christian knight.
+
+These tidings were grievous to king Ermyn. He could not forgive his
+daughter, and yet, after all the deeds he had done, the people of the
+city would not suffer Bevis to be punished. What was he to do? The more
+he thought of it the more bewildered he felt; and all the while the two
+traitors stood patiently by, knowing well what was passing through the
+king's mind.
+
+At length he turned, as they were sure he would, and asked their
+counsel, which was quite ready.
+
+'Let your Majesty write a letter to King Bradmond, as from liege lord to
+vassal, and let Sir Bevis be the bearer of it, and bid the king put the
+knight to instant death.' So said the traitors, and, though the device
+was neither new nor honourable, it would serve. Bevis was summoned to
+the king's presence, and listened carefully to all he was told. Joyful
+was he at being chosen for this mission, which he thought betokened
+special favour, though his spirits were somewhat damped by the assurance
+that he must leave his sword Morglay and Arundel, his swift horse,
+behind him.
+
+'It were an insult to the king to approach him on a war-horse, and
+brandishing the sword that has slain so many of his men,' said Ermyn.
+'You shall ride the ambling palfrey on which I make my progress through
+the city; and, as for weapons, you will have no need of them.' So
+Arundel remained quietly in his stable, while Bevis unwillingly jogged
+along at the slow pace of the palfrey. But in one thing he disobeyed
+king Ermyn, for under his tunic was hidden a short sword.
+
+On the way he fell in with a pilgrim, whose offer to share his dinner
+Bevis accepted gladly. They soon began to tell each other their
+adventures, and, to his surprise, Bevis found that the pilgrim was his
+own cousin, the son of his uncle Saber, and that he had come so far with
+no other purpose than to seek out the young knight and to inform him of
+all that had happened during the years that had passed since his
+father's death.
+
+The vassals of the old earl, said the pilgrim, had been so ground down
+by the wicked Sir Murdour and his wife, that they had risen up as one
+man, and, headed by Saber, had defended the Isle of Wight against the
+usurper. But it was greatly to be desired that the young earl should
+return home as fast as possible, and attack Murdour in his castle of
+Southampton, and for this reason had he set forth to seek him.
+
+Bevis's heart and his blood waxed hot with the listening, but he did not
+wish that the pilgrim should learn just then who he was, so he answered
+that the young earl was his friend and brother, and that on his part he
+would promise speedy help to the faithful vassals fighting in his cause.
+With this they parted, and Bevis pursued his way to Damascus.
+
+On entering the gates of the city he found himself in the midst of a
+large crowd, who were making ready a sacrifice to a wooden idol, which
+was carried in a golden car. This roused the wrath of the young man,
+and, forcing his way through the multitude, he seized the idol and flung
+it into the mud, calling loudly on the people to go and help their god,
+since he could not help them. In an instant a thousand arms were raised
+against the stranger who had dared to insult the majesty of their idol,
+and, though Bevis drew his short sword and defended himself bravely, he
+could not have held out against such numbers had not the palace gates
+been close behind. Still fighting, Bevis entered the gates, and drawing
+the letter from his tunic ordered the guards to take him at once into
+the presence of the king.
+
+Bradmond read the letter with joy, as he felt that his enemy was
+delivered into his hands, and the tidings of the attack on the idol
+hardened his heart still more. Without further delay he bade the guards
+take Bevis and carry him off to a deep dungeon under the palace where
+lived two huge dragons, who would be fain to eat him forthwith.
+
+'And I do this,' said Bradmond, 'not to avenge my own wrongs, but to
+perform my oath of duty unto my sovereign lord king Ermyn. For this is
+the service he requires of me, in the letter that you yourself have
+brought.'
+
+[Illustration: STRONG SIR BEVIS KEEPS THE TWO DRAGONS AT BAY]
+
+Ropes were tied under Bevis's arms, and he was lowered down, down, down,
+till he could see nothing but four fiery eyes which glared furiously up
+at him. Soon after his hands knocked against something hard and rough,
+which moved under his touch. At the same moment his feet touched the
+bottom, and he found himself standing in a large cave with a feeble ray
+of light coming from the far end. By this he dimly perceived two
+horrible dragons, but for a moment they were still, and did not move to
+attack him.
+
+Bevis made use of the short time allowed him to feel about if perchance
+he could find some weapon with which to defend himself instead of the
+short sword which had been taken from him, and he came upon a stout
+staff, thrown into one corner, and by the aid of this he held those two
+monsters at bay for a whole night and day. By this time the dragons, who
+had been weakened by a slothful life and the flesh of many prisoners,
+were too weak to resist any longer, and fell an easy prey to the strong
+arm of Bevis.
+
+Of course it was not long before the men who had charge of the dungeon
+discovered that the dragons were dead, but they were so filled with
+admiration of Bevis's courage that they kept his counsel, and let down
+into his prison daily a good portion of wheat cake, so that he managed
+to keep himself alive. Bradmond the king very soon forgot all about him,
+so that the soldiers did as they pleased.
+
+Thus some years passed away.
+
+At the end of that time one of the gaolers died, and the other was sent
+to a distant city. The two men who took their places knew nothing of
+Bevis, save that he was a captive in the dungeon, and that as long as he
+was alive it was part of their duty to feed him every day. 'Let us
+murder him,' said one man to another; 'it is small use to feed a man in
+a dungeon who is forgotten by himself and all the world'; so one of them
+fastened a ladder of ropes to the side and climbed down it, in the hope
+of finding an easy victim lying on the ground. Instead there was a man
+as strong as ten other men, who leapt swiftly aside to avoid the blow of
+his sword, and struck him dead to the ground with a blow of his fist.
+The other gaoler, hearing no noise from below, crept down the ladder to
+see what had taken place; but as soon as he was on the floor of the
+dungeon Bevis gave a mighty spring which snapped the chain that had
+bound him to the rock, and thrust him through with the sword he had
+taken from his fellow. Then, when, as far as he could reckon, the night
+was nearly gone, he climbed up the ladder, and stood once more a free
+man.
+
+At the first gleam of dawn, Sir Bevis stole out to the stables, where
+the king's horses were being groomed. Peeping through a hole, he
+discovered a room hung round with suits of armour, and, getting in
+through the roof, he took down a coat of mail, a helmet, and a shield,
+while he chose out a good sword from a pile standing in a corner. Then
+entering the stable, he cut off the heads of several of the men, while
+the rest fled out of reach of the strange being with the long hair and
+strong arm. When they were all gone Bevis brought out the best horse in
+the stable, and rode out across the drawbridge into the world again.
+
+Of course, directly he was missed, king Ermyn sent his best knights in
+pursuit of him, but in one way or another Sir Bevis got the better of
+them all, and made his way to Jerusalem, where, for the first time since
+he was seven years old, he entered a Christian church. But so anxious
+was he to hear some tidings of Josyan, that he remained only a short
+time in the city, and soon rode on again along the road to her father's
+court.
+
+On the way he met with a young knight who had once been his squire, and
+who told him a sad tale. Josyan, he said, had been asked in marriage by
+the most powerful and fierce of all the kings of Heathenesse, but she
+steadily refused to wed any man who was not a Christian like herself.
+This so enraged her father that he gave leave to her suitor to do with
+her as he would; so king Inor, for so was he named, carried her off to
+his own kingdom, and shut her up in a tower till she should come to a
+better mind, and be ready to return to her old faith.
+
+'In her tower she is still,' continued the knight; 'but if you would
+have speech with her it is first needful to persuade the king to go on
+some distant mission. And first you must put on a disguise, for at any
+moment those may come by who knew you well at the royal palace.'
+
+This advice Bevis followed; he hid himself with his friend behind a
+clump of bushes till a pilgrim passed on the way to Jerusalem. The young
+knight then left his hiding-place, and prayed the pilgrim for the sake
+of charity and a dole of money to be given in alms that he would
+exchange clothes with Sir Bevis. To this the pilgrim readily agreed, and
+soon Bevis was arrayed in a long mantle, carrying a staff in his hand.
+
+'Now go and stand about the door of the palace, and when the king comes
+from hunting he will see you, and will ask you where you come from, and
+what news is stirring in the world. And you must say to him that you
+have lately journeyed from Syria, from the kingdom of his brother, and
+that the land has been overrun by strange armies, and that the country
+is in a great strait. When he hears that he will of a surety hasten to
+his aid, and then you will be able to escape with Josyan without danger
+of losing your head.'
+
+Now Inor the king had placed Josyan under the charge of Boniface, the
+chamberlain, who had been long in the service of her father, and in
+order the better to help her had pretended to approve of the evil way in
+which she was treated. Directly he heard of the plot he began to play
+his part towards its fulfilment, and in the evening of the day on which
+the king had departed he managed to give the steward, who had been left
+to rule the city, such a powerful sleeping draught that he did not wake
+for twenty-four hours. Meanwhile Sir Bevis chose out the best suit of
+armour in the king's armoury and the fastest horse in his stable; and
+when night fell Josyan stole softly down from her tower, and, mounting
+Arundel, whom she had brought with her from her old home, rode out of
+the gates by the side of Bevis. Boniface followed close after them. He
+did not dare to stay behind, as he knew that his head was forfeit.
+
+But as things happened he might as well have remained where he was, for
+the very next day, when Bevis was hunting, two lions came up to the cave
+where Josyan and her chamberlain lay concealed. Without an instant's
+pause they devoured Boniface and his horse, which was tethered outside,
+though Josyan's beauty so overawed them that they bent their heads
+humbly in her presence.
+
+The next adventure that befell Sir Bevis was a battle with a giant
+thirty feet high, who had been sent by the steward to catch the two
+runaways. During the fight he was sore wounded, and in the end owned
+Bevis to be his master, and begged to be allowed to take service with
+him. Sir Bevis agreed, though somewhat doubtfully, but soon found reason
+to rejoice in his new page, for by his help he was able to turn some
+Saracens out of a ship which bore them all with a fair wind to the city
+of Cologne.
+
+Here he found his uncle, the bishop; who was brother to his father and
+to Sir Saber, and, leaving Josyan in safety under his care, he set sail
+with a hundred knights for Southampton. Before landing he sent one of
+his most trusty squires for tidings as to how fared Sir Murdour, and
+received for answer that the quarrel still raged betwixt him and Sir
+Saber. Then Bevis went on shore with all his knights, and bade one of
+them tell Sir Murdour that they had sailed from France in quest of
+service, and that if he so willed they would fight under his banner,
+but, if not, they would offer themselves to his foe.
+
+Sir Murdour was overjoyed at the sight of the strangers, and asked the
+name of their leader.
+
+'Sir Jarrard,' said Bevis, who did not wish to make himself known, and
+inquired further what were the causes of the war with Sir Saber, and how
+long it had lasted. To this Sir Murdour made reply that Sir Saber had
+been seeking for many years past to wrest from him the heritage which
+was his by purchase from the spendthrift heir Bevis, who had afterwards
+quitted the country, but that with the help of the strangers an end
+would speedily be put to the quarrel.
+
+While Bevis stood listening to Sir Murdour, his fingers unconsciously
+crept to the handle of his sword, but he forced back his wrath and
+answered that, had they brought their horses with them, the dispute
+might have been settled that very night. Still, much might be done if
+Sir Murdour would give them a ship in which to sail to the Isle of
+Wight, and would provide them with horses.
+
+Sir Murdour did not need to be asked twice; he gave to Sir Bevis his
+finest horses and his best armour, and before many hours Bevis was
+standing on the Isle of Wight by the side of his uncle Saber.
+
+'Take yonder fishing-boat,' said he to one of his knights, 'and return
+to Southampton and enter the castle. Then tell Sir Murdour that the man
+to whom he has given his arms and his horses is no knight of France, but
+Sir Bevis earl of Southampton, who has come to take vengeance for the
+death of his father.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The battle which decided the strife was fought upon the island, and
+never for a moment did Bevis lose sight of his enemy. In vain did
+Murdour ride from one part of the field to the other; Bevis was always
+there, though it was long before he was close enough to thrust at him.
+At last he managed to hurl him to the ground, but Murdour's followers
+pressed hard on him, and Bevis could not, by his own self, take him
+captive.
+
+'To me! To me!' he cried at last, and Ascapard strode up, cleaving the
+heads of all that stood in his way.
+
+'What shall be done with him?' asked he, picking up the fallen knight
+and holding him tightly.
+
+'Put him in the cauldron that is boiling outside the camp,' said Bevis.
+'For that is the death for traitors.'
+
+So Sir Bevis got his own again, and he sent to Cologne for Josyan, and
+was wedded to her by his uncle the bishop in his good town of
+Southampton.
+
+[From the _Early English Metrical Romances_.]
+
+
+
+
+_OGIER THE DANE_
+
+
+Long, long ago, a baby lay asleep in a cot in a palace. It was a royal
+baby, therefore it was never left alone for a moment, but always had two
+or three ladies watching it, by day and by night, so that no serpent
+should crawl into its cradle and bite it, nor any evil beast run off
+with it, as sometimes happened in other countries.
+
+But one evening, after a very hot day, all the ladies in waiting felt
+strangely drowsy, and, though they tried their best to keep awake, one
+by one they gradually dropped off to sleep in the high carved chairs on
+which they sat. Then a gentle rustle might have been heard outside on
+the staircase, and when the door opened a brilliant light streamed in,
+though the ladies slept too soundly to be awakened by it. Wrapped round
+by the light were six fairies, more beautiful than any fairies that ever
+were seen, who glided noiselessly to the cradle of the baby.
+
+'How fair he is!' whispered one; 'the true son of a king.'
+
+'And how strong he is!' answered another; 'look at his arms and legs,'
+and the whole six bent forward and looked at him.
+
+'The world shall ring with his fame,' said the first, whose name was
+Gloriande, 'and I will give him the best gift I have. He shall never
+fear death, and no word of shame shall ever touch him.'
+
+Then the second fairy leaned forward and lifted the baby out of his
+cradle. She was tall, and on her head was a ruby crown, while a plate of
+gold covered her breast.
+
+'Through all your life,' she murmured, 'wherever war and strife may be,
+you shall be found in the midst of it, even as your forefathers.'
+
+'Yes,' said a third; 'but my gift is better than hers, for you shall
+never be worsted in any fight, and every one shall add to your honour.'
+
+'And though you are the first of knights,' exclaimed the fourth, 'you
+shall win fame for your courtesy and gentlehood, no less than for your
+valour.'
+
+'The hearts of all women shall turn to you, and they shall love you,'
+said the fifth, who was clad in a robe of transparent green; 'but beware
+how you give them back their love, for this love of mortals needs
+proving'; and with that she slipped away from the cradle.
+
+The sixth fairy looked silently at the child for a few moments, though
+her thoughts seemed to be with something far away.
+
+At length she spoke, and these were her words:
+
+'When you are weary of travel and of strife and have won all the glory
+and honour that may fall to men, then you shall come to me in my palace
+of Avallon, and rest in the joys of fairyland with Morgane le Fay.'
+
+After that the light began to fade, and the six fairies vanished none
+could tell how or whither.
+
+By-and-by the baby's attendants woke up, and never knew that during
+their sleep the child's fate had been fixed as surely as if he had been
+bitten by a serpent or carried off by a wolf. Everything _seemed_ the
+same as it had done before, and so they took it for granted that it
+_was_.
+
+Time passed on, and Ogier, for that was the name they gave him, was ten
+years old. He was tall and strong and could send his arrows farther than
+most boys many years older. He could handle a spear too, and his thrusts
+went straight at the mark; while he could sing a song, or touch the lute
+as delicately as a maiden. His father was proud of him, and it went sore
+with him when Charlemagne the emperor, who had had a bitter quarrel
+with the king of Denmark, demanded that Ogier should be sent as a
+hostage to his court of Paris.
+
+[Illustration: HOW THE FAIRIES CAME TO SEE OGIER THE DANE]
+
+For four years the boy lived happily in Paris, daily making new friends,
+and learning to be a skilled swordsman; but at the end of that time the
+Danish king sank some of Charlemagne's ships, and the emperor vowed that
+Ogier should pay for his father's deed. His life was spared, but the
+youth was banished to St. Omer, a little town on the coast. Here he
+spent some years, which would have been dull and very wearisome but for
+the kindness of the governor, who not only allowed him to fish and hunt
+on receiving his word that he would not try to escape, but gave him his
+daughter, the fair Belissande, as his companion, and even consented to a
+marriage between them. For, kind though he was, he did not forget that
+the captive youth was after all heir to the Danish throne.
+
+Ogier would have been quite content to stay where he was, when suddenly
+the emperor summoned him to come to Paris and take part in a war which
+had broken out between him and the Saracens, who had landed in Italy.
+Unwilling though he was, of course Ogier was forced to obey, and he
+speedily won such fame that in a little while Charlemagne declared that
+from henceforth he should have in battle the place of honour on the
+right hand of the emperor himself. This favour so excited the jealousy
+of Charlot, the emperor's son, that he laid many snares for Ogier's
+life, but, owing to the gift of the fairy Gloriande, the young man
+contrived to escape them all.
+
+On his return to France with the army, after the war was over and the
+Saracens had been beaten, he found two pieces of news awaiting him. One
+was that his father was dead, and that he was king of Denmark, and the
+other was that during his absence a son had been born to him.
+
+Taking leave of the emperor, he chose the swiftest horse he could find
+in the stables and rode straight to St. Omer. The boy was by this time
+three years old, and promised to be tall and strong like his father.
+Already he could mount a pony and use a tiny bow and arrows that had
+been made for him, and even could tell the names of some of the battles
+his father had won.
+
+But Ogier could not tarry long in the castle of St. Omer. Taking his
+wife and son with him, he set out at once for Denmark, and spent several
+years in the kingdom making laws and teaching his people many things
+that he had learnt in his travels.
+
+After ten years, however, he became weary of this peaceful life, and,
+after Belissande died, he felt he could bear it no longer. So, leaving
+the crown to his uncle, he returned to France with his son and fought
+once more by the side of Charlemagne. This was the life he loved, and it
+seemed as if it might have gone on for ever had it not been for the
+prince Charlot, who, unhappily, only grew more quarrelsome and foolish
+the older he got.
+
+Charlot was one day playing chess with the son of Ogier, and, as he was
+hasty and impatient, the game went against him. Like many others, he had
+never learned how to take a beating like a man, and, raising his hand,
+he struck the youth a blow on the temple which killed him. Charlemagne,
+grieved though he really was, refused to punish Charlot, and after
+saying bitter words Ogier left Paris, and took service with the king of
+Lombardy, but was soon captured, while asleep, by Archbishop Turpin.
+
+By this time Charlemagne had felt the loss of Ogier so greatly, and had
+besides suffered so much from further ill-doings on the part of his son,
+that he lent a ready ear to Ogier's offer of reconciliation, provided he
+were allowed to avenge himself on the murderer. But just as Ogier was
+about to strike off Charlot's head, and rid the world of a man who never
+did any good in it, he was stopped by a mysterious voice which bade him
+to spare the son of Charlemagne. So Charlot was left to work more
+mischief throughout the land.
+
+A second time a crown fell to Ogier in right of his wife, the princess
+Claria of England, who had been delivered by Ogier out of the hands of
+the Saracens. But the princess died not many months after, and the
+fetters of the throne were no more to Ogier's taste in England than in
+Denmark. So he assembled all his barons, and bade them choose themselves
+a king from among them. This done, he set sail across the sea for the
+life of adventure that he loved.
+
+For some time Ogier fought in Palestine, where he gained great fame, for
+no army and no city could stand before him. But his heart always turned
+to France, and directly peace was made he said farewell to his
+companions and took ship for Marseilles. At first the breeze was fair,
+but when they had made half the voyage a tempest arose and the vessel
+was driven on a rock, while all the crew except Ogier himself were
+drowned. This happened early in the morning, but as soon as darkness
+fell and Ogier was fearing that he might die of hunger, as no living
+thing could be seen on the island, he suddenly beheld facing him a
+castle of adamant. He rubbed his eyes and gazed at it in amazement,
+thinking it was a vision, for he knew not that this castle was
+enchanted, and, though unseen by day, shone by night from light of its
+own. However, he did not hesitate at the strangeness of his adventure,
+but taking his sword in his teeth he swam ashore, and mounted the flight
+of steps that led to the open door.
+
+Rich and beautiful things lay scattered everywhere, but not a sign was
+there of any one to enjoy them. Room after room was empty, and Ogier was
+fast losing hope and wondering whether he was to die of starvation in
+the midst of all this splendour. He had searched every chamber of the
+castle except one which lay before him at the end of a long gallery. He
+would go into that too, but if it should prove as barren as the rest
+then his case was indeed perilous.
+
+With a beating heart he drew back the bolts and lifted the latch of the
+great carved door. Before him a long table was spread with fruits and
+food of the rarest sort, while in a large chair at the further end a
+horse was seated enjoying a huge pasty. At the sight of Ogier he rose
+politely and bowed, after which he presented him with a golden bowl full
+of water and returned to his chair.
+
+During his travels Ogier had beheld many strange things, but never
+before had a horse been his host, and he was so startled that, hungry
+though he was, he hardly touched the food which the horse heaped on his
+plate, expecting every moment that a magician might appear or the whole
+castle crumble away.
+
+Quiet though Ogier was, the horse, who had been taught manners in the
+court of the sultan of Babylon himself, took no notice of his guest's
+behaviour but finished his own supper, which was a very hearty one. When
+it was done he rose again, bowed a second time to Ogier, who had risen
+also, and, signing with his fore hoof towards a curtain on one side of
+the hall, passed through, followed by his guest. In the centre of a
+magnificent chamber stood a soft bed, at which Ogier gazed longingly.
+The horse saw the direction of his eyes, and with another bow he
+withdrew.
+
+In the morning Ogier awoke early and passed through the door into a
+meadow bright with flowers. He looked round him, and saw a group of
+ladies sitting under a tree plucking fruit from its branches, and
+filling golden cups from a clear stream that ran at their feet. Not
+having eaten since his scanty supper of the night before, he approached
+the ladies, one of whom arose and spoke to him, saying:
+
+'Welcome, Ogier of Denmark! I have waited for you long. A hundred years
+have passed since I stood by your cradle--a hundred years of war and of
+fighting. But you have tired of them at last and have come back to me!
+And now you shall rest in the palace of Avallon. I am Morgane le Fay.'
+
+[Illustration: OGIER THE DANE MEETS MORGANE LE FAY AT LAST]
+
+She held out her hand, and Ogier placed his within it, and thus they
+entered the castle. Then she went to her closet and drew a casket from
+it, and from the casket she took a ring, which she slipped on Ogier's
+finger. Afterwards she placed on his head a wreath of golden laurels
+intertwined with bays, and his white hair became once more like
+sunshine, and the wrinkles faded from his brow. And with the wrinkles
+faded also the recollection of the battles he had fought, and of
+Charlemagne himself, and even of Belissande, whom he had loved so well.
+Soft sounds of singing floated through the palace, and fairies trailing
+flowers glided in and out in the dance. While Ogier stood entranced and
+dumb, there entered King Arthur, to whom spoke Morgane le Fay:
+
+'Draw near, Arthur, my lord and brother, come and salute the flower of
+chivalry, the boast of the court of France, he in whom courtesy,
+loyalty, and all virtue are united.'
+
+And Arthur drew near, and they embraced each other.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Two hundred years passed as a single day, till one morning when Ogier
+was lying on a bank listening to the birds which sang like no birds
+which mortal ears have ever heard, he took for an instant the crown from
+off his head. In a moment the memories of his old life flashed across
+him, and, starting up, he sought Morgane le Fay, and bade her give him
+his sword, for he was going to fight for fair France again. In vain the
+fairy besought him not to forsake her, but he would hear nothing, and
+she was fain to do as he wished. So by her magic she conjured up a
+little boat which bore Ogier to Marseilles, whence he hastened to the
+war, which was being carried on in Normandy.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Great was the surprise of the warriors and ladies of the court at the
+sight of the new-comer, whose face was as young and fresh as their own,
+but whose arms and whose speech were of a time long gone by. At first
+some were inclined to try him with jests, but they speedily found that,
+strange though his manners might seem, it were wiser to accept them.
+Indeed, it was not long before Ogier's presence had caused itself to be
+so felt throughout the camp that he was given command of an army that
+was about to march against the enemy who were invading France and
+utterly routed them. In gratitude the king begged him to counsel him in
+all things, and in a few months some of Ogier's strength and wisdom had
+passed into the people.
+
+Now night and day Ogier wore the ring which Morgane le Fay had placed on
+his finger, and as long as it was there no youth about the court was
+fairer and more splendid than he. The gift with which he had been
+endowed in his cradle had lost none of its power, and as he passed
+through the crowd, towering full a head over other men, the hearts of
+the ladies went out towards him. _He_ could not help it, and _they_
+could not help it. It had been so ordained by the fairy. Even age could
+not preserve them; nay, it seemed to render them an easier prey.
+
+Amongst the noble ladies whose pulses beat faster at the sight of
+Ogier's golden hair was the Countess of Senlis. Old was she, and
+withered of face, but she had never ceased to think that she was young,
+and she mistook the kindliness and courtesy of Ogier's manner for the
+love that man bears to woman.
+
+One morning, in crossing the garden to attend upon her mistress the
+queen, the countess came upon Ogier lying asleep under the trees. She
+stopped and looked upon him tenderly; then her eyes fell upon the ring
+on his finger, whose stone, of a strange green hue, was graven with
+devices.
+
+'If I could see them close, perchance I might guess who he is and whence
+he came,' said she to herself, and, stooping, she drew lightly the ring
+from his hand, not knowing that the queen had crept up and stood behind
+her. But what an awful change came over him all at once! His limbs grew
+shrivelled, his hair white, his eyes so shrunken that they seemed hardly
+more than points; but when the queen turned with horror to ask her lady
+what it meant, the change in her was hardly less wondrous, for, though
+the old countess was ignorant of it, fifty years had been swept from
+her, and she was straight and winsome as of yore.
+
+They were still standing, dumb with surprise, when Ogier awoke and
+glanced about him with feeble, uncertain gaze. Catching sight of the
+ring, which the countess was still holding, he stretched his shaking
+hand towards it. The action was more than the queen could bear.
+
+'Give it back to him,' she said; and, unwilling though she was to part
+with such a treasure, the countess was forced to obey.
+
+Tremblingly Ogier restored the ring to its place, and in an instant his
+youth and beauty returned to him.
+
+Soon after this the king of France died, and when the time of mourning
+was over the queen made known to Ogier that she wished to take him for
+her second husband. Gentle was she and fair, and easy it was for Ogier
+to love her, and his heart beat high at the thought of sitting on the
+throne where Charlemagne had once sat. The people rejoiced greatly when
+they heard of the marriage, for with Ogier for their king they were
+safe, they thought, from invaders.
+
+The wedding day had come, and scarce a man or woman in Paris had closed
+their eyes the night before. Magnificent indeed would the procession be
+that was to end in the new cathedral; gorgeous would be the trappings of
+the horses, dazzling the dresses of the ladies that would ride, some in
+litters and some on horses, through the streets that bordered the river.
+Early was the queen astir, to be tired by her maidens, and if Ogier's
+slumbers lasted longer--well, it was not the first time that he had been
+crowned a king.
+
+At length he was awakened by the sound of a voice calling his name:
+
+'Ogier, Ogier!' and at the sound the present was forgotten, and the past
+rushed back. 'Ogier, Ogier!' whispered the voice again, and, looking, he
+saw standing by his bed not the queen, but Morgane le Fay.
+
+'Rise quickly,' she said, 'and put on your wedding garments. Clothe
+yourself in the mantle Charlemagne wore, and the crown that was placed
+upon his brow. Set on your feet his shoes of gold, and let me see you
+once as France would have seen you.'
+
+He did her bidding, and she gazed at him awhile, then slowly drawing
+nigh she lifted the crown from his hair, and in its stead she put on him
+the wreath of laurel which brought peace and forgetfulness.
+
+'Now come with me,' she said, holding out her hand, and together they
+left the palace unseen, and entered a barge that was waiting in the
+river, and in the sunrise they sailed away to the castle of Avallon.
+
+[Adapted from Dunlop's _History of Prose Fiction_, and Morris's _Ogier
+the Dane_.]
+
+
+
+
+_HOW THE ASS BECAME A MAN AGAIN_
+
+
+Once upon a time there lived a young man who would do nothing from
+morning till night but amuse himself. His parents were dead and had left
+him plenty of money, but this was fast vanishing, and his friends shook
+their heads sadly, for when the money was gone they did not see where
+more was to come from. It was not that Apuleius (for that was the name
+of the youth) was stupid. He might have been a good soldier, or a
+scholar, or a worker in gold, if so it had pleased him, but from a child
+he had refused to do anything useful, and roamed about the city all day
+long in search of adventures. The only kind of learning to which he paid
+any heed was magic, and when he was in the house he would spend hours
+poring over great books of spells.
+
+Fond though he was of sorcery, he was too lazy to leave the town and its
+pleasures--the chariot-racing, the theatre, and the wrestling, and to
+travel in search of the wizards who were renowned for their skill in the
+art. However, the time came when, very unwillingly, he was forced to
+take a journey into Thessaly, to see to the proper working of some
+silver mines in which he had a share, and Thessaly, as everybody knows,
+is the home of all magic. So when Apuleius arrived at the town of
+Hypata, where dwelt the man Milo, overseer of his mines, he was prepared
+to believe that all he saw was enchanted.
+
+Now, if Thessaly is the country of magic, it is also the country of
+robbers, and Apuleius soon noticed that everybody he met was in fear of
+them. Indeed, they made this fear the excuse for all sorts of mean and
+foolish ways. For instance, Milo, who loved money and could not bear to
+spend a farthing, refused to have any seats in his house that could be
+removed, and in consequence there was nothing to sit upon except two
+marble chairs fixed to the wall. As there was only room in these for one
+person, the wife of Milo had to retire to her own chamber when the young
+man entered.
+
+'It was no use,' explained Milo, 'in laying out money on moveable seats,
+with robbers about. They would be sure to hear of it and to break into
+the house.'
+
+Unlike his guest, Milo was always occupied in adding to his wealth in
+one form or another. Sometimes he sent down a train of mules to the sea,
+and bought merchandise which the ships had carried from Babylon or
+Egypt, to sell it again at a high price. Then he dealt in sheep and
+cattle, and when he thought he might do so with safety made false
+returns of the silver that was dug up from the mines, and kept the
+difference for himself. But most often he lent large sums at high
+interest to the young men of the neighbourhood, and so cunning was he
+that, whoever else might be ruined, Milo managed to make large profits.
+
+Apuleius knew very well that his steward was in his way as great a
+robber as any in Thessaly, but, as usual, he found it too much trouble
+to look into the matter. So he laughed and jested with the miser, and
+next morning went out to the public baths and then took a stroll through
+the city. It was full of statues of the famous men to whom Hypata had
+given birth; but as Apuleius had made up his mind that nothing in
+Thessaly _could_ be what it seemed, he supposed that they were living
+people who had fallen under enchantment, and that the oxen whom he met
+driven through the streets had once been men and women.
+
+One evening he was returning as usual from a walk when he saw from afar
+three figures before Milo's house, who he at once guessed were trying to
+force an entrance. 'Here is an adventure at last,' thought he, and,
+keeping in the shadow, he stole softly up behind them, and drawing his
+short sword he stabbed each one to the heart. Then, without waiting to
+see what more would befall, he left them where they were and entered the
+house by a door at the back.
+
+He said nothing of what had happened to Milo his host, but the next day,
+before he had left his bed, a summons was brought him by one of the
+slaves to appear before the court at noon on a charge of murder. As has
+been seen, Apuleius was a brave man and did not fear to face three times
+his number, but his heart quailed at the thought of a public trial.
+Still, he was wise enough to know that there was no help for it, and at
+the hour appointed he was in his place.
+
+The first witnesses against him were two women with black veils covering
+them from head to foot. At the sound of the herald's trumpet, one of the
+two stepped forward and accused him of compassing the death of her
+husband. When she had ended her plaint the herald blew another blast,
+and another veiled woman came forward and charged him with her son's
+murder. Then the herald inquired if there was not yet a third victim,
+but was answered that his wound was slight, and that he was able to roam
+through the city.
+
+After the witnesses had been called, the judge pronounced sentence.
+Apuleius the murderer was condemned to death, but he must first of all
+be tortured, so that he might reveal the names of the men who had
+abetted him. By order of the court, horrible instruments were brought
+forward which chilled the blood of Apuleius in his veins. But to his
+surprise, when he looked round to see if none would be his friend, he
+noticed that every one, from the judge to the herald, was shaking with
+laughter. His amazement was increased when with a trembling voice one of
+the women demanded that the bodies should be produced, so that the judge
+might be induced to feel more pity and to order more tortures. The
+judge assented to this, and two bodies were carried into court shrouded
+in wrappings, and the order was given that Apuleius himself should
+remove the wrappings.
+
+The face of the young man grew white as he heard the words of the judge,
+for even a hardened criminal cares but little to touch the corpse of a
+man whom he has murdered. But he dared not disobey, and walked slowly to
+the place where the dead bodies lay. He shrank for a moment as he took
+the cloth in his hand, but his guards were behind him, and calling up
+all his courage he withdrew it. A shout of laughter pealed out behind
+him, and to his amazement he saw that his victims of the previous night
+had been three huge leather bottles and not men at all!
+
+As soon as Apuleius found out the trick that had been played on him he
+was no less amused than the rest, but in the midst of his mirth a sudden
+thought struck him.
+
+'How was it you managed to make them alive?' asked he, 'for alive they
+were, and battering themselves against the door of the house.'
+
+'Oh, that is simple enough when one has a sorceress for a mistress,'
+answered a damsel, who was standing by. 'She burned the hairs of some
+goats and wove spells over them, so that the animals to whom the hairs
+and skins had once belonged became endowed with life and tried to enter
+their former dwelling.'
+
+'They may well say that Thessaly is the home of wonders,' cried the
+young man. 'But do you think that your mistress would let me see her at
+work? I would pay her well--and you also,' he added.
+
+'It might be managed perhaps, without her knowledge,' answered Fotis,
+for such was the girl's name; 'but you must hold yourself in readiness
+after nightfall, for I cannot tell what evening she may choose to cast
+off her own shape.'
+
+Apuleius promised readily that he would not stir out after sunset, and
+the damsel went her way.
+
+That very evening, Hesperus had scarcely risen from his bed when Fotis
+knocked at the door of the house.
+
+[Illustration: APULEIUS CHANGES INTO AN ASS]
+
+'Come hither, and quickly,' she said; and without stopping to question
+her Apuleius hastened by her side to the dwelling of the witch Pamphile.
+Entering softly, they crept along a dark passage, where they could peep
+through a crack in the wall and see Pamphile at work. She was in the act
+of rubbing her body with essences from a long row of bottles which
+stood in a cupboard in the wall, chanting to herself spells as she did
+so. Slowly, feathers began to sprout from her head to her feet. Her arms
+vanished, her nails became claws, her eyes grew round and her nose
+hooked, and a little brown owl flew out of the window.
+
+'Well, are you satisfied?' asked Fotis; but Apuleius shook his head.
+
+'Not yet,' he answered. 'I want to know how she transforms herself into
+a woman again.'
+
+'That is quite easy, you may be sure,' replied Fotis. 'My mistress never
+runs any risks. A cup of water from a spring, with some laurel leaves
+and anise floating in it, is all that she needs. I have seen her do it a
+thousand times.'
+
+'Turn me into a nightingale, then, and I will give you five hundred
+sesterces,' cried Apuleius eagerly; and Fotis, tempted by the thought of
+so much money, agreed to do what he wished.
+
+But either Fotis was not so skilful as she thought herself, or in her
+hurry she neglected to observe that the bird bottles were all on one
+shelf, and the beast bottles on another, for when she had rubbed the
+ointment over the young man's chest something fearful happened. Instead
+of his arms disappearing, they stretched downwards; his back became
+bent, his face long and narrow, while a browny-grey fur covered his
+body. Apuleius had been changed, not into a nightingale, but into an
+ass!
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+A loud scream broke from Fotis when she saw what she had done, and
+Apuleius, glancing at a polished mirror from Corinth which hung on the
+walls, beheld with horror the fate that had overtaken him.
+
+'Quick, quick! fetch the water, and I will seek for the laurels and
+anise,' he cried. 'I do not want to be an ass at all; my arms and back
+are aching already, and if I am not swiftly restored to my own shape I
+shall not be able to overthrow the champion in the wrestling match
+to-morrow.'
+
+So Fotis ran out to draw the water from the spring, while Apuleius
+opened some boxes with his teeth, and soon found the anise and laurels.
+But alas! Fotis had deceived herself. The charm which was meant for a
+bird would not work with a beast, and, what was worse, when Apuleius
+tried to speak to her and beg her to try something else, he found he
+could only bray!
+
+In despair the girl took down the book of spells, and began to turn over
+the pages; while the ass, who was still a man in all but his outward
+form, glanced eagerly down them also. At length he gave a loud bray of
+satisfaction, and rubbed his nose on a part of the long scroll.
+
+'Of course, I remember now,' cried Fotis with delight. 'What a comfort
+that nothing more is needed to restore you to your proper shape than a
+handful of rose leaves!
+
+The mind of Apuleius was now quite easy, but his spirits fell again when
+Fotis reminded him that he could no longer expect to be received by his
+friends, but must lie in the stable of Milo, with his own horse, and be
+tended, if he was tended at all, by his own servant.
+
+'However, it will not be for long,' she added consolingly. 'In the
+corner of the stable is a little shrine to the goddess of horses, and
+every day fresh roses are placed before it. Before the sun sets
+to-morrow you will be yourself again.'
+
+Slowly and shyly Apuleius slunk along lonely paths till he came to the
+stable of Milo. The door was open, but, as he entered, his horse, who
+was fastened with a sliding cord, kicked wildly at him, and caught him
+right on the shoulder. But before the horse could deal another blow
+Apuleius had sprung hastily on one side, and had hidden himself in a
+dark corner, where he slept soundly.
+
+The moon was shining brightly when he awoke, and looking round he saw,
+as Fotis had told him, the shrine of Hippone, with a branch of
+sweet-smelling pink roses lying before it. It was rather high up, he
+thought, but, when he reared himself on his hind legs, he would surely
+be tall enough to reach it. So up he got, and trod softly over the
+straw, till he drew near the shrine, when with a violent effort he threw
+up his forelegs into the air. Yes! it was all right, his nose was quite
+near the roses; but just as he opened his mouth his balance gave way,
+and his front feet came heavily on the floor.
+
+The noise brought the man, who was sleeping in another part of the
+stable.
+
+'Oh, I see what you are at, you ugly beast,' cried he; 'would you eat
+roses that I put there for the goddess? I don't know who may be your
+master, or how you got here, but I will take care that you do no more
+mischief.' So saying, he struck the ass several times with his fists,
+and then, putting a rope round his neck, tied him up in another part of
+the stable.
+
+Now it happened that an hour or two later some of the most desperate
+robbers in all Thessaly broke into the house of Milo, and, unheard by
+anyone, took all the bags of money that the miser had concealed under
+some loose stones in his cellar. It was clear that they could not carry
+away such heavy plunder without risk of the crime being discovered, but
+they managed to get it quietly as far as the stable, where they gave the
+horse some apples to put it in a good temper, while they thrust a turnip
+into the mouth of Apuleius, who did not like it at all. Then they led
+out both the animals, and placed the sacks of money on their backs,
+after which they all set out for the robbers' cave in the side of the
+mountain. As this, however, was some distance off, it took them many
+hours to reach it, and on the way they passed through a large deserted
+garden, where rose bushes of all sorts grew like weeds. The pulse of
+Apuleius bounded at the sight, and he had already stretched out his nose
+towards them, when he suddenly remembered that if he should turn into a
+man in his present company he would probably be murdered by the robbers.
+With a great effort, he left the roses alone, and tramped steadily on
+his way.
+
+It were long indeed to tell the adventures of Apuleius and the number of
+masters whom he served. After some time he was captured by a soldier,
+and by him sold to two brothers, one a cook and the other a maker of
+pastry, who were attached to the service of a rich man who lived in the
+country. This man did not allow any of his slaves to dwell in his house,
+except those who attended on him personally, and these two brothers
+lived in a tent on the other side of the garden, and the ass was given
+to them to send to and fro with savoury dishes in his panniers.
+
+The cook and his brother were both careful men, and always had a great
+store of pastry and sweet things on their shelves, so that none might be
+lacking if their lord should command them. When they had done their work
+they placed water and food for their donkey in a little shed which
+opened on to the tent, then, fastening the door so that no one could
+enter, they went out to enjoy the evening air.
+
+On their return, it struck them that the tent looked unusually bare, and
+at length they perceived that this was because every morsel of pastry
+and sweets on the shelves had disappeared, and nothing was left of them,
+not so much as a crumb. There was no room for a thief to hide, so the
+two brothers supposed that, impossible though it seemed, he must not
+only have got _in_ but _out_ by the door, and, as their master might
+send for a tray of cakes at any moment, there was no help for it but to
+make a fresh supply. And so they did, and it took them more than half
+the night to do it.
+
+The next evening the same thing happened again; and the next, and the
+next, and the next.
+
+Then, by accident, the cook went into the shed where the ass lay, and
+discovered a heap of corn and hay that reached nearly to the roof.
+
+'Ah, you rascal!' he exclaimed, bursting out laughing as he spoke. 'So
+it is you who have cost us our sleep! Well, well, I dare say I should
+have done the same myself, for cakes and sweets are certainly nicer than
+corn and hay.' And the donkey brayed in answer, and winked an eye at
+him, and, more amused than before, the man went away to tell his
+brother.
+
+Of course it was not long before the story reached the ears of their
+master, who instantly sent to buy the donkey, and bade one of his
+servants, who had a taste for such things, teach him fresh tricks. This
+the man was ready enough to do, for the fame of this wonderful creature
+soon spread far and wide, and the citizens of the town thronged the
+doors of his stable. And while the servant reaped much gold by making
+the ass display his accomplishments, the master gained many friends
+among the people, and was soon made chief ruler.
+
+For five years Apuleius stayed in the house of Thyasus, and ate as many
+sweet cakes as he chose; and if he wanted more than were given him he
+wandered down to the tent of his old masters, and swept the shelves bare
+as of yore. At the end of the five years Thyasus proclaimed that a great
+feast would be held in his garden, after which plays would be acted, and
+in one of them his donkey should appear.
+
+Now, though Apuleius loved eating and drinking, he was not at all fond
+of doing tricks in public, and as the day drew near he grew more and
+more resolved that he would take no part in the entertainment. So one
+warm moonlight night he stole out of his stable, and galloped as fast as
+he could for ten miles, when he reached the sea. He was hot and tired
+with his long run, and the sea looked cool and pleasant.
+
+'It is years since I have had a bath,' thought he, 'or wetted anything
+but my feet. I will take one now; it will make me feel like a man
+again'; and into the water he went, and splashed about with joy, which
+would much have surprised anyone who had seen him, for asses do not in
+general care about washing.
+
+When he came back to dry land once more, he shook himself all over, and
+held his head first on one side and then on the other, so that the water
+might run out of his long ears. After that he felt quite comfortable,
+and lay down to sleep under a tree.
+
+He was awakened some hours later by the sound of voices singing a hymn,
+and, raising his head, he saw a vast crowd of people trooping down to
+the shore to hold the festival of their goddess, and in their midst
+walked the high priest crowned with a wreath of roses.
+
+At this sight hope was born afresh in the heart of Apuleius. It was long
+indeed since he had beheld any roses, for Thyasus fancied they made him
+ill, and would not suffer anyone to grow them in the city. So he drew
+near to the priest as he passed by, and gazed at him so wistfully that,
+moved by some sudden impulse, the pontiff lifted the wreath from his
+head, and held it out to him, while the people drew on one side, feeling
+that something was happening which they did not understand.
+
+Scarcely had Apuleius swallowed one of the roses, when the ass's skin
+fell from him, his back straightened itself, and his face once more
+became fair and rosy. Then he turned and joined in the hymn, and there
+was not a man among them all with a sweeter voice or more thankful
+spirit than that of Apuleius.
+
+[Apuleius, _The Golden Ass_.]
+
+
+
+
+_GUY OF WARWICK_
+
+
+Everyone knows about the famous knight Sir Guy, the slayer of the great
+Dun Cow which had laid waste the whole county of Warwick. But besides
+slaying the cow, he did many other noble deeds of which you may like to
+hear, so we had better begin at the beginning and learn who Sir Guy
+really was.
+
+The father of Guy, Segard the Wise, was one of the most trusty
+councillors of the powerful earl of Warwick and Oxford, who was feared
+as well as loved by all, as a man who would suffer no wrong through the
+lands which he governed.
+
+Now the earl had long noted the beauty and strength of Segard's young
+son, and had enrolled him amongst his pages and taught him all manner of
+knightly exercises. He even was versed in the art of chess-playing, and
+thus whiled away many a wet and gloomy day for his master, and for his
+daughter the fair Felice, learned in astronomy, geometry, and music, and
+in all else that professors from the schools of Toulouse and Spain could
+teach a maiden.
+
+It happened one Pentecost that the earl of Warwick ordered a great
+feast, followed by a tourney, to be held in the open space near the
+castle, and tents to be set up for dancing and players on the lute and
+harp. At these tourneys it was the custom of every knight to choose out
+his lady and to wear her token or colours on his helmet, as Sir Lancelot
+did the red sleeve of Elaine, and oftentimes, when Pentecost and the
+sports were over, marriages would be blessed by the priest.
+
+At this feast of Pentecost in particular, Guy stood behind the chair of
+his master the earl, as was his duty, when he was bidden by the
+chamberlain of the castle to hasten to the chamber of the Lady Felice,
+and to attend upon her and her maidens, as it was not thought seemly for
+them to be present at the great feast.
+
+Although, as we have said, the page had more than once been called upon
+to amuse the young damsel with a bout of chess, she had ever been
+strictly guarded by her nurse and never suffered to exchange a word with
+the youth whose place was so much below hers. On this evening, however,
+with none to hinder her, she chattered and laughed and teased her
+ladies, till Guy's heart was stolen from him and he quite forgot the
+duties he was sent to fulfil, and when he left her presence he sought
+his room, staggering like one blind.
+
+Young though he was, Guy knew--none better--how wide was the gulf that
+lay between him and the daughter of his liege lord. If the earl, in
+spite of all his favour, was but to know of the passion that had so
+suddenly been born in him, instant death would be the portion of the
+over-bold youth. But, well though he knew this, Guy cared little, and
+vowed to himself that, come what might, as soon as the feast was over he
+would open his heart to Felice, and abide by her answer.
+
+It was not easy to get a chance of speaking to her, so surrounded was
+she by all the princes and noble knights who had taken part in the
+tourney; but, as everything comes to him who waits, he one day found her
+sitting alone in the garden, and at once poured forth all his love and
+hopes.
+
+'Are you mad to think that _I_ should marry _you_?' was all she said,
+and Guy turned away so full of unhappiness that he grew sick with
+misery. The news of his illness much distressed his master, who bade all
+his most learned leeches go and heal his best-beloved page, but, as he
+answered nothing to all they asked him, they returned and told the earl
+that the young man had not many days to live.
+
+But, as some of our neighbours say, 'What shall be, shall be'; and that
+very night Felice dreamed that an angel appeared to her and chided her
+for her pride, and bade her return a soft answer if Guy again told her
+of his love. She arose from her bed full of doubts and fears, and
+hurried to a rose bower in her own garden, where, dismissing her ladies,
+she tried to set her mind in order and find out what she really felt.
+
+Felice was not very successful, because when she began to look into her
+heart there was one little door which always kept bursting open, though
+as often as it did so her pride shut it and bolted it again. She became
+so tired of telling herself that it was impossible that the daughter of
+a powerful noble could ever wed the simple son of a knight, that she was
+about to call to her maidens to cheer her with their songs and stories,
+when a hand pushed aside the roses and Guy himself stood before her.
+
+'Will my love ever be in vain?' he asked, gasping painfully as he spoke
+and steadying himself by the walls of the arbour. 'It is for the last
+time that I ask it; but if you deny me, my life is done, and I die, I
+die!' And indeed it seemed as if he were already dead, for he sank in a
+swoon at Felice's feet.
+
+Her screams brought one of her maidens running to her. 'Grammercy, my
+lady, and is your heart of stone,' cried the damsel, 'that it can see
+the fairest knight in the world lying here, and not break into pieces at
+his misery? Would that it were _I_ whom he loved! I would never say him
+nay.'
+
+'Would it _were_ you, and then I should no more be plagued of him,'
+answered Felice; but her voice was softer than her words, and she even
+helped her maiden to bring the young man out of his swoon. 'He is
+restored now,' she said to her damsel, who curtseyed and withdrew from
+the bower; then, turning to Guy, she added, half smiling:
+
+'It seems that in my father's court no man knows the proverb, "Faint
+heart never won fair lady." Yet it is old, and a good one. _My_ hand
+will only be the prize of a knight who has proved himself better than
+other men. If _you_ can be that knight--well, you will have your chance
+with the rest.'
+
+The soul of the youth leaped into his eyes as he listened; for he knew
+that this was much for the proud Felice to say. But he only bowed low,
+and with new life in his blood he left the castle. In a few days he was
+as strong as ever he had been, and straightway sought the earl, whom he
+implored to bestow on him the honour of knighthood.
+
+'Right gladly will I do so, my page,' answered Rohand, and gave orders
+that he would hold a solemn ceremony, when Guy and twenty other youths
+should be dubbed knights.
+
+Like many young men, Sir Guy thought that his first step on the road was
+also to be his last, and instantly sought the presence of Felice, whom
+he expected to find in the same softened mood as he had left her. But
+the lady only laughed his eagerness to scorn.
+
+'Think you that the name of knight is so rare that its ownership places
+you high above all men?' asked she. 'In what, I pray you tell me, does
+it put you above the rest who were dubbed by my father with you to-day?
+No troth of mine shall you have until your name is known from Warwick to
+Cathay.'
+
+And Sir Guy confessed his folly and presumption, and went heavily unto
+the house of Segard.
+
+'O my father,' he began before he had let the tapestry fall behind him,
+'I would fain cross the seas and seek adventures.'
+
+'Truly this is somewhat sudden, my fair young knight,' answered Sir
+Segard, with a mocking gleam in his eyes, for Guy's father had not been
+as blind as fathers are wont to be.
+
+'Other knights do so,' replied Guy, drawing figures on the floor with
+the point of his sword. 'And I would not that I were behind them.'
+
+'You shall go, my son,' said Segard, 'and I will give you as companions
+the well-tried knights Sir Thorold and Sir Leroy, and Heraud, whom I
+have proved in many wars. Besides these, you shall have men-at-arms with
+you, and such money as you may need.'
+
+Before many days had passed, Sir Guy and his friends had sailed across
+the high seas, and had made their way to the noble city of Rouen. Amidst
+all that was strange and new to him, there was yet much that was
+familiar to his eyes, for there were certain signs which betokened a
+tournament, and on questioning the host of the inn he learned all that
+he desired. Next morning a tourney was to be held by order of the
+emperor and the prize should be a white horse, a milk-white falcon, and
+two white greyhounds, and, if he wished it, the hand of the princess
+Whiterose, the emperor's daughter.
+
+Though he had not been made a knight a month ago, Sir Guy knew full well
+the customs of chivalry, and presented a palfrey, scarcely less
+beautiful than the one promised as a prize, to the teller of these happy
+tidings. Then he put on his armour and rode forth to the place of the
+tourney.
+
+In the field over against Rouen was gathered the flower of Western
+chivalry. The emperor had sent his son, and in his train came many
+valiant knights, among them Otho duke of Pavia, hereafter to be Sir
+Guy's most bitter enemy. The fights were long and sore, but one by one
+the keenest swordsmen rolled in the dust, and the prize was at length
+adjudged to the youngest knight there present.
+
+Full courteously he told all who might wish to hear that he might not
+wed Whiterose, the princess, for his faith was already plighted to
+another across the sea. And to Felice and to her father he sent the
+falcon and horse and greyhounds as tokens of his valour. After that he
+and his friends journeyed to many lands, fighting tournaments when there
+were any tournaments to fight, till the whole of Christendom rang with
+the name of Sir Guy.
+
+'Surely I have proved my worth,' he said, when a whole year had gone by.
+'Let us go home'; and home they went.
+
+Joyful was the welcome bestowed on him by every one he met--joyful, that
+is, from all but Felice.
+
+'Yes, you have done well,' she said, when he knelt before her, offering
+some of the prizes he had won. 'It is truly spoken among men that there
+are not twelve knights living as valorous as you. But that is not good
+enough for me. It matters not that you are "one of the best"; my husband
+must be "the best of all."'
+
+In vain Sir Guy pleaded that with her for his wife his strength would be
+doubled, and his renown also.
+
+'If you cannot conquer all men for my sake _now_, you will never do it
+after,' she answered; and Sir Guy, seeing his words were useless, went
+out to do her bidding.
+
+The wrath of his father and mother was great when their son came to tell
+them he was going to seek a fresh quest, but, though his heart was sore
+rent with their tears, he only embraced them tenderly, and departed
+quickly, lest he should make some promise he might not keep.
+
+For long he found no knight whose skill and strength were equal to his
+own, and he was beginning to hope that the day was drawing nigh that
+should see him stand without a peer, when, in a tourney near the city of
+Benevento, his foe thrust his lance deep into his shoulder, and for many
+days Sir Guy lay almost senseless on his bed.
+
+Now Otho duke of Pavia had neither forgotten nor forgiven his overthrow
+by the young knight at Rouen, more than a year agone, and he resolved to
+have his revenge while his enemy was still weak from loss of blood. So
+he hid some men behind some bushes, which Sir Guy would needs pass while
+riding along the road to the north, 'and _then_,' thought he, 'I will
+cast him into prison, there to await my pleasure.'
+
+But though his plans were well laid, the fight went against him, and in
+the end Sir Guy, nearly fainting with weariness and loss of blood, was
+again the victor, and Otho's best knight, Sir Guichard of Lombardy, owed
+his life to the swiftness of his horse. His victory, however, was to Sir
+Guy as sad as many defeats, for his constant companions lay dead before
+him.
+
+'Ah, Felice, this is your doing,' said he.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Long were it to tell of the deeds done by the noble knight Sir Guy; of
+the tourneys that he won, of the cities that he conquered--even at the
+game of chess he managed to be victorious! Of course many men were
+sorely jealous of him and his renown, and wove plots for his ruin, but
+somehow or other he contrived to escape them all.
+
+By this time Sir Guy had grown to love wandering and fighting so well
+that he had well-nigh forgotten who had sent him from his native land,
+and why he was not dwelling in his father's castle. Indeed, so wholly
+had the image of Felice faded from his memory, that when Ernis emperor
+of Constantinople, under whose banner he was serving, offered him the
+hand of his only daughter and half of his dominions, Sir Guy at once
+accepted his gifts.
+
+The sight of the wedding-ring brought him back to his allegiance. He no
+longer loved Felice it is true, and he _did_ love a younger and gentler
+maiden. But he must abide by the oath he had sworn, though it were to
+his own undoing.
+
+His grief at the loss of the princess Lorette sent Sir Guy to his bed
+for many days, but as soon as the fever left him he felt that he could
+stay at court no longer, and began to make plans to seek other
+adventures in company with his friend Heraud and a lion which he had
+saved from the claws of a dragon.
+
+Since that day this lion had never quitted his side, except at his
+master's bidding, and he always slept on the floor by his master's bed.
+The emperor and all his courtiers were fond of the great beast, who
+moved among them as freely as a kitten, but Sir Morgadour, the chief
+steward of the emperor of the West, who was visiting the court, had ever
+been Sir Guy's mortal enemy, and one evening, thinking himself unseen,
+gave the lion a mortal wound as he was sleeping quietly in the garden.
+He had just strength enough to drag himself to Sir Guy's feet, where he
+died, and a damsel who had marked the cruel deed proclaimed loudly that
+it was done by Sir Morgadour. In an instant Sir Guy's dagger was buried
+in his breast; but when he grew calmer he remembered that his presence
+at court might bring injury upon Ernis, as the emperor of the West would
+certainly seize the occasion to avenge the death of his steward. So the
+next day he left the city, and slowly turned his face towards England.
+
+It was some months before he arrived there, so many adventures did he
+meet with on the way. But directly he landed he hastened to York to
+throw himself at the feet of Athelstan the king.
+
+'Ah, welcome indeed, fair son,' cried he; 'the fame of your prowess has
+reached us these many years past, and we have just received the news
+that a fearful and horrible dragon, with wings on his feet and claws on
+his ears, is laying waste our county of Northumberland. He is as black
+as any coal, and as rough as any foal, and every man who has gone out to
+meet him has been done to death ere he has struck a blow. Go, therefore,
+with all speed and deliver us from this monster, for of dragons you
+have slain many, and perchance this one is no more evil than the rest.'
+
+The adventure was one after Sir Guy's own heart, and that very day he
+rode northwards; but even _his_ well-proved courage failed somewhat at
+the sight of the dragon, ten times uglier and more loathsome than any he
+had ever beheld. The creature roared hideously as he drew near, and
+stood up at his full length, till he seemed almost to stretch as far as
+Warwick. 'Verily,' thought Sir Guy to himself, 'the fight of old with
+the great Dun Cow was as the slaying of a puppy in comparison with
+this!'
+
+The dragon was covered thickly with scales all over his body, his
+stomach as well as his back. They were polished and shiny and hard as
+iron, and so closely planted that no sword could get in between them.
+
+'No use to strike there,' muttered Sir Guy, 'a thrust down his throat is
+my only chance.'
+
+But if Sir Guy knew this, the dragon knew it much better, and, though
+the knight managed to jump aside and avoid the swoops of his long neck
+and the sudden darting of his sharp claws, he had not even tried to
+strike a blow himself for fear lest his sword should break in two
+against that shining horny surface. This was not the kind of warfare to
+which the dragon was accustomed, and he began to grow angry, as anyone
+might have seen by the lashings of his tail and the jets of smoke and
+flame that poured out of his nostrils. Sir Guy felt that his chance
+would soon come, and waited patiently, keeping his eye for ever fixed on
+the dragon's mouth.
+
+At length the monster gave a sudden spring forward, and if Sir Guy had
+not been watching he could scarcely have leaped out of the way. The
+failure to reach his prey enraged the dragon more than ever, and,
+opening his mouth, he gave a roar which the king heard on his throne at
+York. He opened his mouth; but he never shut it again, for Guy's sword
+was buried in it. The death struggles were short; and then Sir Guy cut
+off the head and bore it to the king.
+
+After this, his first thought was for his parents, who, he found, had
+died many years agone, and having said a prayer over their graves, and
+put his affairs in order, he hurried off to Warwick to see Felice, and
+tell her that he had fulfilled the commands she had given him long years
+ago, when he was but a boy. He also told her of the ladies of high
+degree whose hands he had won in fair fight--won--and rejected. 'All of
+them I forsook for thee, Felice,' he said.
+
+He had kept his word; but he had left his heart in Constantinople.
+Perhaps Felice did not know this, or perhaps she did not set much store
+by hearts, and cared more for the renown that Sir Guy had won throughout
+Christendom. Anyhow, she received him gladly and graciously, and so did
+her father, and the marriage was celebrated with great pomp, and for a
+space Sir Guy remained at home, and after a time a son was born to him.
+
+But at the day of his son's birth Sir Guy was far away. In the quiet and
+idleness of the castle he began to think, and his conscience pricked him
+sore, that all the years of his life he had done ill to many a man
+
+    And slain many a man with his hand,
+    Burnt and destroyed many a land.
+    And all was for woman's love,
+    And not for God's sake above.
+
+'The end should be different from the beginning,' he said, and forthwith
+he put on the dress of a pilgrim, and took ship for the Holy Land,
+carrying with him a gold ring, given him by Felice.
+
+Once more he came back, an old man now, summoned by Athelstan, to
+deliver the city of Winchester out of the hands of the Danes, who were
+besieging it. Once more he returned to Warwick, and, unseen, watched
+Felice training her son in all the duties of knighthood, and once more
+he spoke with her, when, dying in his hermitage, he sent her the ring by
+his page, and prayed her to come and give him burial.
+
+[_Early English Metrical Romances._]
+
+
+
+
+_HOW BRADAMANTE CONQUERED THE WIZARD_
+
+
+Many of you will remember reading of the death of Roland, fighting
+against the Infidels in the Pass of Roncesvalles. Well, there is another
+book called 'Roland the Wrathful,' or in Italian (in which it was
+written), 'Orlando Furioso,' telling of the adventures of the great
+Paladin when he was a young man, and those of his friends. It is of one
+of these stories about a lady named Bradamante that you are going to
+hear now.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+From childhood, Bradamante had loved all feats of arms, and her chiefest
+joy was to mount the most fiery horses in her father's stable. She grew
+up very tall and strong, as well as fair to see, and soon put on man's
+armour, and began to take her part in tournaments, and it was rare
+indeed that she failed to carry off the prize. In truth, it was not long
+before her skill was said to be equal to that of Roland's cousin, the
+renowned Rinaldo.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Of course so wise and beautiful a maiden had no lack of wooers, but
+Bradamante listened to none, save only to the brave Roger, who had
+quitted the Moorish court to seek adventures in the lands of Charlemagne
+the emperor. But she kept silence as to her love, and was content to
+wait till such time as Roger should think fit to claim her as his bride.
+
+Suddenly the tidings came to her that Roger had vanished from among men,
+no one knew whither. As was her wont, Bradamante heard, and said
+nothing, but the next morning she sharpened her sword, and looked to
+the fastenings of her helmet, and rode off to seek him if perchance some
+ill had befallen him.
+
+In this quest she met with some adventures of her own, but of these we
+have no time to tell. Bradamante, we may be sure, did not linger over
+them, but pushed on till she crossed a mountain, and reached a valley
+watered by a stream and shaded by large trees.
+
+On the bank lay a young man with his head buried in his hands and
+seemingly in a state of deepest misery. He had flung his horse's bridle
+over the branch of a beech, and on the same bough he had hung his shield
+and sword. His looks and posture were so forlorn that Bradamante was
+moved to pity, and he himself was nothing loth to confess his woes,
+pretending the while to take her for a man, though he knew well she was
+a maiden. He was journeying, such was his tale, to the court of
+Charlemagne with a company of spearmen to aid the emperor in the war he
+was waging with the Moorish king of Spain. In the company was riding a
+damsel whom the knight had but lately freed from the power of a dragon.
+The beauty of this damsel had fired his heart, and as soon as the
+Infidel was crushed he hoped to wed her. But as they rode along by the
+side of a rapid river a winged horse guided by a man in black was seen
+hovering in the air above the troop. Swifter than lightning he swooped
+down upon the maiden; the rider bent low and snatched her off her
+palfrey, and was out of sight in the heavens almost before he knew that
+she was gone.
+
+'Since that day,' continued he, 'I have sought her through forests and
+over mountains, wherever I heard that a wizard's den was to be found.
+But each time it was a false hope that lured me on, and now my horse is
+spent and not another step can he go, though at length I know that
+hidden among yonder rocks is my captive maiden.'
+
+'If it is there she lies, I will free her,' cried Bradamante; but the
+knight shook his head more grievously than before.
+
+'I have visited that dark and dreadful place,' he said, 'which indeed I
+think seems more like the valley of death than aught on this fair and
+lovely earth. Amidst black and pathless precipices stands a rock, and on
+its top is a castle whose walls are of steel. It was built, so I have
+since learned, by a magician, and none can capture it.'
+
+'But did you see no man who would take pity on you, and tell you what to
+do?' asked Bradamante.
+
+'As I lingered, unable to tear myself away from that loathly prison,
+there appeared a dwarf guiding two knights whose faces I had often seen
+upon the battlefield and at court. One was Gradasso king of Sericane,
+the other and more valiant was the young Roger.'
+
+'And what did they there?' asked Bradamante, casting down her eyes.
+
+'They had come to fight the wizard who dwells in the castle, so said the
+dwarf,' replied the knight, 'and I told them my sad tale, and they
+answered in knightly fashion, that as long as their lives should last
+they would fight for the freedom of my lady. Little need have I to tell
+how my bosom was rent as I stood aside waiting for the combat to begin.
+
+'Each good knight was eager that the first blow might fall to him, but
+it was Gradasso who seized the horn and blew a blast which rang through
+the castle.
+
+'In a moment there shot into the sky the winged horse bearing his
+master, clad as before in black armour. He hovered for a little space so
+high that even the eagle could scarcely have followed him, then darted
+straight downwards, and Gradasso felt a spear-thrust in his side. The
+knight struck sharply back, but his sword cleft the empty air, for the
+horse was already far out of reach. Roger ran to staunch the blood and
+bind up the wound, never thinking of what might befall himself. But, in
+truth, how could mortal men fight with a wizard who had studied all the
+magic of the East, and had a winged horse to help him? His movements
+were so swift that they knew not where to smite, and both Gradasso and
+Roger were covered with wounds and bruises, while their enemy had never
+once been touched.
+
+'Their strength as well as their courage began to fail in the stress of
+this strange warfare. The blows they dealt grew ever wilder and more
+feeble, when from off his shield which hung upon his arm the wizard drew
+a silken covering, and held the shield towards them as a mirror. As I
+looked and wondered, behold the knights fell upon their faces, and I
+also, and when next I opened my eyes I was alone upon the mountain.'
+
+'And Roger?' said Bradamante.
+
+'Roger and Gradasso had doubtless been carried by the wizard to the dark
+cells of the prison, where my fair lady lies,' answered the knight, and
+he again dropped his head upon his hands.
+
+Now the knight was count Pinabello, the false son of a false race, and
+woe betide the man or maid who trusted him. But this Bradamante knew
+not, and thinking that the end of her quest was come cried joyfully:
+
+'Oh, take me to the castle, sir knight, with all the speed you may, and
+I shall be beholden to you for ever!
+
+'If you so desire it I will lead you there,' answered the knight; 'but
+remember that I have warned you that the danger is great! When you have
+climbed those walls of steel, you will find yourself a prisoner like the
+rest.'
+
+'I care nothing for that,' said Bradamante.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+So they set forth, but it was not by the road to the castle that
+Pinabello led the maiden. Wrapped in his gloom begotten of treachery and
+hate, he wandered from the path into a wood, where the trees grew so
+thickly that the sky was scarcely visible. Then a dark thought entered
+his mind. 'She shall trouble me no more,' he murmured as he went; and
+aloud, 'The night is at hand, and ere it comes it were well that we
+found a shelter. Rest, I pray you, here a short while, and I will climb
+that hill and see if, as I expect, there is a tower not far off where we
+can lie. To-morrow we will proceed on our way.'
+
+'Let me go with you,' answered Bradamante, 'lest you should never find
+_me_ again, or _I_ the wizard's castle,' and, so saying, she guided her
+horse after his.
+
+Thus they rode for some way, when Pinabello, who was in front, espied
+among the rocks a deep cavern with sides so steep and smooth that no
+mortal could have climbed them. He jumped off his horse and peered to
+the bottom, but no bottom could he see. Then his heart leaped at the
+thought that now, once and for all, he would be rid of Bradamante.
+
+'Ah, good knight, you did well to follow me,' turning to greet her, as
+her horse came panting up the steep hill.
+
+'A damsel lies imprisoned in that dark place, and it is foretold that
+only a knight with a white mantle and a white plume in his helm can
+deliver her. Now I think that you must be that knight, and if you have
+the courage to go down into that cavern as I went, you will get speech
+of her, as I did.'
+
+'I will go right willingly,' answered Bradamante, and looked about her
+for some means of descending into the cavern. Near the mouth was a stout
+oak, and Bradamante cut off a branch with her sword and plunged it down
+the mouth of the cave. She gave Pinabello one end to hold fast, and
+lowered herself carefully into the darkness.
+
+'Can you jump?' asked the count suddenly, with a laugh, and, giving the
+bough a push, it fell with Bradamante into the pit.
+
+But the traitor triumphed without a cause. In the swift passage down the
+cave the branch struck the bottom first, and, though it broke in pieces,
+Bradamante was saved from being dashed against the floor, where she lay
+for a while bruised and shaken.
+
+When she became used to the darkness, she stood up and looked around
+her. 'There may be some way out, after all,' thought she, noting that
+the cave was less gloomy than she had fancied, and felt round the walls
+with her hands. On one side there seemed to be a passage, and going
+cautiously down it she found that it ended in a sort of church, with a
+lamp hanging over the altar.
+
+At this moment there opened a little gate, and through it came a lady,
+bare-footed, with streaming hair.
+
+'O Bradamante,' she said, 'long have I awaited you, for Merlin, who lies
+here, prophesied before he entered this living tomb that ages hence you
+would find your way hither. He bade me come from a far-distant land, and
+be with you at the hour when his spirit, though dead, should tell of the
+glories of the race that will spring from you and Roger.'
+
+'I am not worthy of such honour,' answered Bradamante, casting down her
+eyes, though her heart beat with joy at the thought that though she and
+Roger might be parted now, yet in the end they would be united. 'Let my
+lord speak, and I will hearken to him.'
+
+At that a voice rose from the sepulchre where Merlin had lain buried for
+many hundreds of years.
+
+'Since it is decreed that you shall be the wife of Roger, take courage,
+and follow the path that leads you to him. Let nothing turn you aside,
+and suffer no adventure to ensnare you till you have overthrown the
+wizard who holds him captive.'
+
+The voice ceased, and Melissa, the kind magician who went through the
+world seeking to set wrongs right, showed from a book the glories that
+would attend the children of Bradamante.
+
+'To-morrow at dawn,' she said when she had finished and put away the
+magic scroll--'to-morrow at dawn I myself will lead you to the wizard's
+castle. Till then it would be well for you to seek of the wisdom of
+Merlin guidance to overcome the dangers bestrewing your path.'
+
+Next morning Melissa and Bradamante rode out from the cavern by a secret
+way, and passed over rushing rivers, and climbed high precipices, and as
+they went Melissa held discourse with Bradamante how best to set Roger
+free.
+
+'No man, however brave, could withstand the wizard, who has his magic
+mirror as well as his flying horse to aid him. If you would reach Roger,
+you must first get possession of the ring stolen from Angelica by
+Agramante, the African king, and given by him to Brunello, who is riding
+only a few miles in front of us. In the presence of this ring all charms
+and sorceries lose their power; but, take heed, for to outwit Brunello
+is no easy task.'
+
+'It is good fortune indeed that Brunello should be so near us,' answered
+Bradamante joyfully; 'but how shall I know him from other men?'
+
+'He is of low stature, and covered with black hair,' replied Melissa;
+'his nose lies flat upon his face, and his skin is yellow, as the skin
+of those who come from the far lands beyond Scythia. You must fall to
+talking with him upon magic and enchantments, but beware lest he guess
+who you are or what your business, and lead him on till he offer himself
+your guide to the wizard's castle. As you go, strike him dead, before he
+has time to spy into your heart, and, above all, before he can slip the
+ring into his mouth. Once he does that, you lose Roger for ever.'
+
+[Illustration: BRADAMANTE DEFEATS THE WIZARD WITH THE RING]
+
+Having thus said, Melissa bade Bradamante farewell, and they parted with
+tears and promises of speedy meeting. Forthwith Bradamante entered an
+inn hard by, where Brunello was already seated, and if she at once
+marked him amongst other men he no less knew her, for many a time he had
+seen her at jousts and tourneys.
+
+Thus, both feigning, they fell into talk, and held discourse upon the
+castle and the knights who lay imprisoned therein. 'Many an adventure as
+perilous have I dared,' at length said Bradamante, 'and never have I
+failed to trample under foot my foe. So, if our worthy host will but
+give me a guide, I myself will challenge this wizard to deadly combat.'
+
+But Brunello would suffer no man to be her guide save himself, and
+together they climbed the mountain till they stood at the foot of the
+castle. 'Look at those walls of steel that crown the precipice,' began
+Brunello; but before he could say more a strong girdle was passed round
+his arms, which were fastened tightly to his side; and in spite of his
+cries and struggles Bradamante drew the ring off his finger and placed
+it on her own, though kill him she would not.
+
+Then she seized the horn which hung from a cord, and, blowing a loud
+blast, waited calmly for the magician to answer.
+
+Out he came on his flying steed, bearing on his left arm his
+silken-covered shield, while he uttered spells that had laid low many a
+knight and lady. Bradamante heard them all, and was no whit the worse
+for the blackest of them.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Furious at his defeat, the wizard snatched the cover from the shield,
+and Bradamante, knowing full well what was wont to follow, sank heavily
+on the ground. At this the wizard covered his shield once more, and
+guided his steed swiftly to where the maiden lay. After that, unclasping
+a chain from his body, he bent down to find her. It was then that she
+lifted her ringed hand, and there stood before her an old man with white
+hair and a face scarred with sorrow.
+
+'Kill me, I pray you, gentle lady,' cried he; 'yet know before I die
+that my love to Roger has been the cause of these heavy woes to so many
+gallant knights and fair damsels. I am that Atlantes who watched over
+him in childhood, and as he grew to manhood he was ever the first in all
+deeds of chivalry. So reckless was he, that many a time it needed all my
+magic to bring him back to life when seemingly he lay dead. At length,
+to keep him from harm, I built this castle, and filled it with all that
+was beautiful, and, as you know, with knights and ladies to be his
+companions. When everything was ready I captured Roger himself.'
+
+'Now, take my horse and shield, and throw open wide the castle doors--do
+what you will, but leave me only Roger.'
+
+The heart of Bradamante was not wont to be deaf to the sorrows of
+others, but this time it seemed turned to stone.
+
+'Your horse and shield I have won for myself,' she said; 'and have you
+lived so long in the world without learning that it is idle to war
+against fate? It is fate which has given you into my hands, and it is
+useless to strive against it. Therefore, lead the way to the gate, and I
+will follow.'
+
+They climbed in silence the long flight of steps leading to the castle;
+then Atlantes stooped and raised a stone on which was graven strange and
+magic signs. Beneath the stone was a row of pots filled with undying
+flames, and on these the wizard let the stone fall. In a moment there
+was a sound as if all the rocks on the earth were rent, the castle
+vanished into the air, and with it Atlantes.
+
+Instead, a troop of knights and ladies stood before Bradamante, who saw
+and heard none save only Roger.
+
+[From _Orlando Furioso_.]
+
+
+
+
+_THE RING OF BRADAMANTE_
+
+
+When Bradamante had freed Roger and his companions from the enchanted
+castle, she thought that henceforth they would never more be parted. But
+she forgot that she had to deal with a wizard, and that wizards are not
+easily outwitted.
+
+On a little plain beneath the mountain the winged horse was grazing, and
+when the knights and ladies came gaily down the path Bradamante left the
+rest and went up to take it by the bridle. Atlantes, however, had laid
+other plans, and had thrown a spell over the horse, so that directly
+Bradamante was close to it the creature moved away to a little distance.
+At this the knights, thinking to help her, gave chase, but the horse led
+them up and down the mountain, over rocks and through streams, till one
+by one they dropped behind, and in front there remained only Roger.
+
+As it had been taught by Atlantes, the horse stood still, while Roger,
+with a cry of delight, seized the bridle and jumped upon its back. With
+a bound it sprang into the air, and, though Roger tried to guide it
+downwards to the earth, it was all in vain, for so the enchanter had
+willed it. Below stood Bradamante gazing up; her joy turned quickly to
+despair, and when the traces of Roger had vanished she rode sadly away,
+taking with her the horse Roger had left behind.
+
+Meanwhile Roger was flying through the air swifter than an arrow or the
+lightning. Since he could not make the horse swerve an hair's breadth to
+the right or left, he ceased his useless efforts, and let himself be
+carried this way or that. Suddenly he felt that, instead of going
+forward they were gradually dropping down, down, down; and soon the
+horse stopped on a lovely island.
+
+Where the island might be Roger did not know, nor could he tell how long
+he had been on his journey thither. In truth, he was content to feel
+himself on solid ground once more, and to smell sweet flowers and eat
+delicious fruits, for how could he guess that this also was devised by
+Atlantes--that these sights and sounds might lull his senses, and keep
+him safe from war? Atlantes was a great wizard and wise beyond most, but
+he had never learned that it was a better thing to die in battle than to
+live only for pleasure.
+
+On reaching the ground Roger was careful to hold fast the bridle, having
+no mind that the horse should fly up into the air and leave him helpless
+on the island. Then, looking round, he saw a strong myrtle, and he tied
+the reins tightly to it, so that he himself could roam about as he
+would.
+
+At length he grew tired of wandering and returned to the place where he
+had left his horse, which he found champing and struggling to shake
+itself free. As he drew near a voice cried in melancholy tones:
+
+'If, as I think, you are a knight, and bound by the rules of chivalry,
+release me, I pray you, from this monster, who only adds to the pains
+which I myself endure.'
+
+Startled at the sound, Roger looked around, but nought could he see save
+the myrtle to which the horse was fastened.
+
+'I crave your pardon,' answered he, 'for having unwittingly done you
+wrong; but tell me who you are, and what has caused your present
+plight?'
+
+[Illustration: Roger borne away from Bradamante]
+
+'I am Astolfo, peer of France,' replied the tree, 'and I was enchanted
+by the fairy Alcina, who thus rids herself of her friends and her
+servants when they have ceased to please her. Even this island is not
+hers by right, but was stolen from her sister Logistilla, who is as wise
+and kind as Alcina is wicked. But so beautiful is Alcina, that none can
+withstand her if once she looks on them, therefore fly while you may and
+ask counsel of Logistilla if there is aught that you would know.'
+
+'Oh, tell me, good tree, how I can escape without crossing the path of
+the cruel Alcina?' cried Roger.
+
+'There _is_ a way,' answered the tree, 'but it is rough to the feet, and
+beset by fierce and ill-tongued men, placed there by the fairy. He who
+would quit Alcina's isle needs open eyes and deaf ears.'
+
+'I will have both,' said Roger.
+
+But, alas! he boasted overmuch, as young men are wont to do. He was
+indeed in no wise affrighted at the strange shapes that met him and
+sought to bar his progress. Some had heads of apes and feet of goats;
+some rode eagles or bestrode cranes; while the captain of all was
+mounted on a tortoise. They swarmed on him like a crowd of flies, and
+Roger was so sore bested that he gave no thought to his magic shield,
+which perchance might have saved him.
+
+For into the _melee_ came two maidens of such wondrous beauty that Roger
+dropped his lance and stood without defence to gaze his fill. Two
+snow-white unicorns bore them from the city gates, and, at their coming,
+the noisy rabble vanished as if they had never been. Then the ladies
+stretched out their hands, and prayed the knight to follow them into the
+city.
+
+'We have need of your brave heart and mighty arm,' they said, 'to
+vanquish a giantess who guards a bridge which none can pass'; and well
+they knew that, if Roger was to be ensnared by them, it must be by slow
+degrees, for not all at once would he drop into the idle life of the
+dwellers on the island.
+
+So, nothing loth, Roger gladly did their behest, and went forth to meet
+the giantess.
+
+The fight did not last long, and soon the monstrous creature lay
+stretched on the ground at Roger's feet; but her life was spared at the
+request of the damsels, and at their bidding he followed them over the
+bridge and up a hill. On the top was a large meadow full of flowers, in
+which maidens were playing at ball or singing sweet songs on the lute,
+while others were dancing.
+
+In their midst was a damsel so fair that the rest, even the guides of
+Roger, looked swarthy beside her, and she came forth from among them,
+and held out her hand for him to kiss.
+
+Vain it were to seek to tell Alcina's charms, but even as his eyes fell
+on her Roger felt that everything said by Astolfo in her despite was
+false. Even Bradamante was forgotten, as if she had never lived at all;
+yet for this Roger was hardly to blame, for how should he stand against
+Alcina's magic!
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It was here that Melissa, clad in the form of Atlantes, found him after
+many months had gone by, during which Bradamante had sought him vainly.
+At last fate brought Melissa again across her path, and from her the
+forsaken damsel learnt who it was that kept him from her.
+
+'Be comforted,' said Melissa, when she beheld Bradamante's tears. 'You
+yourself have the ring which can free him from those evil spells, and
+bring him back to your side. So lend it me, I pray, and by to-morrow's
+dawn I will be with him.'
+
+Roger was lying on a bed of soft moss, when Atlantes, for so he took her
+to be, stood before him.
+
+He lifted his head lazily, and smiled, but the face of his old master
+was grave as he said sternly:
+
+[Illustration: THE TWO DAMSELS RESCUE ROGER FROM THE RABBLE]
+
+'And is it _you_, Roger, whom I find thus, your hair curled and scented,
+your neck circled with jewelled chains? Was it for this you passed your
+boyhood in waging war against fierce beasts, fearing neither hunger nor
+thirst as you tracked them to their lair? But, as I loved you once, I
+will give you a chance to shake off this shameful life, and to become
+once more worthy of Bradamante. Take this ring, and when next Alcina
+comes this way mark well the change that is wrought in the queen of this
+fair land.'
+
+With shame and repentance burning at his heart, Roger slowly drew the
+ring upon his finger; and by its virtue he beheld not Atlantes but
+Melissa.
+
+'Yes, it is I,' she said, 'and it is Bradamante who sent me hither, to
+save you by means of the ring which she took from the hand of Brunello.
+It will break the strongest spells that wizard ever wove, and open wide
+the eyes that have been longest blinded.'
+
+With that she vanished, and Roger rose and followed the path which led
+to the palace.
+
+On the marble steps he saw, as he went, a troop of ladies standing.
+Their clothes were rich and made of shining stuffs, and well became
+their golden hair or curly raven locks; but who was she in their midst
+whose form was unknown to him? Her back was bowed with age, and scarce a
+hair remained upon her head, while all her skin was shrivelled and
+yellow. Roger gazed in horror, expecting, as he looked, the lean body to
+crumble into dust before him. Yet something, what he knew not, seemed
+not wholly strange in that pale and shrunken figure--something that, in
+spite of all, spoke to him of Alcina. A thrill of horror ran through
+him, but he remembered in time the counsel of Melissa, and, trembling
+though he was, he greeted her with fair words.
+
+Dreading lest he should again fall under the fairy's enchantments, Roger
+never parted from the ring, and kept guard over himself, lest perchance
+Alcina should guess what was passing within him. To gain possession of
+his armour, long laid aside, he feigned a wish to prove if his life of
+idleness had unfitted him to bear the weight of it, or if his chest had
+grown too broad for the clasps of his breast-plate to meet. Then,
+laughing still, he strolled carelessly to the stables, calling back as
+he went that perhaps his horse might have become as fat and lazy as
+himself. But when he reached the stables he passed by the winged steed
+which had borne him to the island, for he bethought himself once more of
+Melissa's words: 'Beware of the hippogryph,' she had said, 'you will
+never wed Bradamante if you mount that.' So he left the great creature
+flapping its wings with longing to soar once more into the sky, and led
+out a strong black horse. Vaulting on his back, he touched him with his
+spurs, and dashed through the guards at the gate before Alcina knew that
+her captive had won his freedom.
+
+When the fairy found that the knight did not return, she sent a
+messenger for tidings of him, and so great was her wrath when she
+learned that he had passed the gate, and was far on the road to her
+sister, the good Logistilla, that she ordered all the guards to be put
+to death. Then she commanded her ships to be got ready, and put to sea
+herself, thinking by that means she might bring him back. But all was
+vain, and at last she was forced to believe that Roger had shaken off
+her yoke for ever.
+
+[From _Orlando Furioso_.]
+
+
+
+
+_THE FULFILLING OF THE PROPHECY_
+
+
+For a long while Bradamante waited quietly in Marseilles, thinking that
+every day Roger would come to her, but as time passed and he gave no
+sign she grew heart-sick and impatient. Some evil must surely have
+befallen him, she whispered to herself, yet where to seek him she did
+not know.
+
+At length one morning, when hope had almost left her, the enchantress
+Melissa stood by her side and smiled at her.
+
+'Have no fear for Roger,' said Melissa; 'he is safe, and counts the
+hours to your meeting. But once more he has been taken captive by
+Atlantes, who ensnared him by putting on your form and face, and
+entering his palace, whither Roger followed eagerly. Never look so cast
+down, Bradamante, but listen to my counsel and abide by it, and all will
+be well.'
+
+Then Bradamante sprang up, grasping tightly her sword and shield.
+
+'Whatever you tell me to do, I will do it,' cried she; and Melissa went
+on:
+
+'This time Atlantes will change his shape for that of Roger, that you
+also may fall a victim to his wiles. Beware lest you be deceived, or
+instead of saving Roger you will find yourself also a prisoner in the
+castle. Harden your heart, and slay him as he stands before you, and
+Roger shall be free for evermore.'
+
+So spoke Melissa not once, but many times, before they drew near the
+castle, where she bade farewell to Bradamante, dreading that the wizard
+should see her and take fright. The maiden rode on till she reached an
+open space, where two fierce giants were pressing Roger sore and
+well-nigh overcoming him. In a moment all the words of Melissa were
+forgotten, or rather she deemed that jealousy or revenge had prompted
+her words. And, as these thoughts ran swiftly through her, a cry for
+help sounded in her ears. Slay Roger? Melissa must have indeed been mad
+when she gave her this counsel, and, spurring her horse, she galloped
+after the wounded knight, who, pursued by his foes, was riding at full
+speed to the castle.
+
+When they were all four inside the courtyard, the gate swung to and
+Bradamante was a prisoner.
+
+Now it was written in the magic book carried by Astolfo, the knight who
+had been changed by Alcina into a myrtle tree and restored by Melissa,
+that if a stone on the threshold were raised, the whole palace would
+vanish into smoke as the other castle had done before. Though he knew it
+not, Melissa stood by his side as he rode through the wood, many weeks
+after Bradamante had entered the castle, and whispered to him that the
+time had come to prove the truth of the prophecy. First blowing a blast
+with the horn which affrighted all that dwelt within the walls, with a
+mighty heave he raised the magic stone. In an instant the earth rocked,
+and he was thrown flat upon the ground, while with a roar the castle
+crumbled into dust. The knights and ladies imprisoned therein ran forth
+in fear, and it was not until the ill-fated place was left far behind
+that they stopped to look about them.
+
+It was then that Roger and Bradamante beheld each other once more, and
+in the joy of meeting forgot the pains they had endured since they had
+parted. But one promise Bradamante asked of Roger before she would be
+his wife. 'I cannot wed an infidel,' said she. 'You must become a
+Christian first.'
+
+'Right willingly,' answered Roger, and it was agreed between them that
+they should set out at once for a fair abbey, so that the rite might be
+delayed no longer.
+
+Thus they talked; but not yet were they to be united. On their way a
+distressed damsel met them on the road imploring help, which both knight
+and lady readily granted. But, alas! in seeking to give the aid prayed
+of them they strayed unwittingly down various roads, and it was long
+before fortune again brought them together. For hardly had Roger brought
+to an end his adventure than he learned that his liege lord, Agramante
+king of Africa, was hard pressed by Charlemagne the emperor, and needed
+his vassal to fight by his side. So Roger turned his face to the west,
+first bidding his squire ride back to Bradamante and tell her that, once
+the war was finished, nothing further should delay his baptism.
+
+The war went ill with Agramante, and many a time Roger was sore wounded
+and like to die. Far away, in the house of her father among the
+mountains, tales came now and then to Bradamante of Roger's doings in
+the fight. Bitterly her soul chafed at not being by his side to help and
+tend him; but, if she could not fight against him, far less could she
+fight in the ranks of the infidels. Thus, weary at heart, she waited and
+sat still, or wandered about the forests, hoping to meet someone who
+could bring her tidings of Roger.
+
+For long no one came through the thick dark woods, and Bradamante was
+almost sick with despair, when a Gascon knight rode by.
+
+'Are you from the war, brave sir?' asked she, springing up from the bank
+where she had cast herself, and going eagerly to meet him. 'Are you from
+the war, and have you news from one Roger?'
+
+'Alas! madam,' he answered, 'but a month since he was sore wounded in
+fight with one Mandricado, and has since lain in his bed, tended by the
+lady Marfisa, who wears a breast-plate as easily as she does a woman's
+gown. Had it not been for her skill, Roger would long have been buried,
+and when he is able to bear arms again doubtless he will offer his hand
+to the damsel in marriage. At least, so say all in camp. But the sun is
+low and time presses. I must begone.'
+
+He went on his way, and when he was out of sight Bradamante turned and
+loosed her horse from the tree to which she had tied him and rode back
+to the castle. Without a word she mounted the stairs to the tower where
+she dwelt, and, throwing herself on her bed, gave vent to the torrents
+of jealousy which possessed her soul. Then, rising up, she bade her
+maidens weave her with all speed a sad-coloured mantle, and when it was
+ready she took the lance of gold belonging to Astolfo, which had (though
+she knew it not) the gift of unhorsing every warrior whom it touched,
+and, going to the courtyard, led out and saddled her horse.
+
+Alone, without even a squire to help her, Bradamante began her journey
+to Arles, where the army of Agramante lay encamped. On the road thither
+she met with many an adventure, but by the aid of the golden lance
+always bore down her foe. After one of these fights she fell in with the
+Lady Flordelice, who was herself riding to Arles in the hope of gaining
+news of her husband, now a prisoner in the hands of the Moors. By her
+Bradamante sent a message challenging Roger to come forth to meet her in
+single combat.
+
+'And if he asks my name say it is unknown to you,' she added, 'but that
+the stranger knight had bidden you take this horse, and prayed that he
+might bestride it in battle.'
+
+Flordelice was careful to fulfil the trust laid upon her, and no sooner
+was she within the gates of Arles than she sought out Roger and
+delivered him the message and the horse. The young man, perplexed at the
+defiance of the nameless knight, sought counsel of his father, who bade
+him accept the challenge and prepare for battle without delay. While he
+was making ready other knights were not slow to seize the chance of
+giving the haughty Christian a lesson, and went out to fight in the
+plain beyond the walls. But a single touch of the magic lance was enough
+to unhorse them all, and one by one Bradamante sent them to their lord.
+
+'Tell him I await a better man than you,' said she.
+
+'And what is his name?' asked Ferrau of Spain when he rode before her,
+having craved permission to try his strength against the stranger.
+
+'Roger,' answered she, and, as her vizor was raised, Ferrau could not
+but see the red that flushed her face, though he feigned to notice
+nothing.
+
+'He shall come to you,' replied Ferrau, 'but first you must cross swords
+with me,' and, spurring his horse, he rode to share the fate of the
+rest.
+
+Right glad was Roger to hear that the peerless knight Ferrau had been
+borne down like those who had gone before him, and that it was he and no
+other whom the victor wished to fight. But the courtiers of King
+Agramante now thronged around Ferrau, asking if perchance he had seen
+the face of his foe, and knew it for having beheld it elsewhere.
+
+'Yes, I saw it,' said Ferrau, 'and it bore something of the semblance of
+Rinaldo. But since we know that it cannot be, and that the young Ricardo
+has neither the strength nor the skill to unhorse so many well-proved
+knights, it can be none other than their sister Bradamante. Truly she is
+mightier even than Rinaldo or her cousin Roland the Wrathful.'
+
+At that Roger started, and his cheeks reddened even as those of
+Bradamante had done. He stood silent and awkward under the eyes of the
+whole court, for he feared to meet Bradamante and to read in her face
+that during the long months of his absence her love had given place to
+anger.
+
+While Roger waited, uncertain whether to accept or refuse the challenge
+of Bradamante, Marfisa buckled on her coat of mail, and rode out in his
+stead to meet the foe. Bradamante felt in her heart who the knight was
+with the plume of blue and shining golden corselet, and hate burned in
+her soul as fiercely as in the breast of the other.
+
+Thrice the magic lance stretched Marfisa on the ground, and thrice she
+rose and sought to avenge herself by a sword-thrust. At this point a
+body of knights, with Roger in their midst, arrived upon the field,
+while a band of pagan warriors approached from the opposite side. Blows
+were soon struck, and Bradamante, caring nothing for her own life,
+galloped wildly about seeking to catch sight of Roger.
+
+The silver eagle on a blue shield was hard to find, but Bradamante found
+it at last, and crying, 'Traitor, defend yourself!' dashed wildly at
+him. Yet, in spite of herself, the arm which had been strong before was
+strangely weak now, and Roger could, with one thrust, have borne her off
+her horse, but instead his lance remained in air; she might slay him if
+so she chose; she had the right, but every hair of her head was safe
+from him.
+
+So the day that began so badly ended happily for them all. Roger renewed
+his vow and became a Christian, but once more declared that by all the
+laws of honour and chivalry he could not desert Agramante in his dire
+straits. Fate again divided him from Bradamante, and sent him to join
+the army of Agramante, which had been worsted in many battles. The king
+had broken a truce with Charlemagne, and was trying to collect men and
+ships in Africa, and Roger felt that he was bound in honour to go to his
+aid. He put off in a small barque, but a violent tempest drove them up
+and down all night, and cast Roger at dawn upon a barren shore. But, so
+exhausted was he by his fight with the waves, that even yet he must have
+died from hunger and cold had not a hermit who dwelt in a cave close by
+come to his help. Here Roger rested till his strength came back to him,
+and before he bade farewell to the hermit he had been baptized a
+Christian.
+
+No sooner was Roger healed from the hurts given him by the winds and
+waves, than he watched eagerly for a passing boat that might take him
+back to France. He waited and watched for long, but at length a ship put
+into the island, having on board both Rinaldo and Roland. Right welcome
+did they make Roger, whom both knew to be the flower of infidel
+chivalry, and when they heard that, Agramante being slain in battle,
+Roger was free to swear fealty to the emperor, and had besides been
+baptized a Christian, Rinaldo at once promised him the hand of his
+sister Bradamante.
+
+And now it may well be thought that the time had come for the prophecy
+of Melissa to be fulfilled, and for Roger and Bradamante to receive the
+marriage blessing. But their happiness was to be delayed still further,
+for the old duke Aymon declared that he had chosen a husband for his
+daughter in the son of Constantine, emperor of the East, and not all the
+tears and prayers of Bradamante and Rinaldo would move him one whit. By
+the help of her brother, Bradamante contrived once more to see Roger,
+who bade her take heart, as he would himself go to Constantinople and
+fight the upstart prince and dethrone his father, then he would seize
+the crown for himself, and Bradamante should be empress after all. At
+these words Bradamante plucked up her courage and they embraced and
+parted.
+
+After Roger had set forth the days hung heavily at duke Aymon's court,
+till one night, as Bradamante was lying awake, wondering if the vision
+of Melissa would ever come to pass, she saw suddenly a way out of her
+distresses. So the next morning she rose early, and fastening on her
+armour, left her father's castle for Charlemagne's camp. Craving speedy
+audience of the emperor, she besought him as a boon that he would order
+proclamation to be made that no man should be given her for husband till
+he had first overcome her in battle. To this Charlemagne consented,
+although duke Aymon, who had followed his daughter, prayed the emperor
+to refuse her this grace, and the old man, waxing very wroth at his
+defeat, shut up the damsel in a strong tower between Perpignan and
+Carcassonne.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+While these things were taking place at home, Roger had reached the
+shores of Constantinople, and learned that the emperor of the East was
+engaged in a fight with the Bulgars, and that his army was encamped in a
+field near Belgrade. Thither Roger rode with all the speed he might, and
+finding that the king of the Bulgars had just been slain by the hand of
+Leo, son of Constantine, he offered to be the leader of the army, and
+soon put the Greeks to flight. Indeed, such were his mighty deeds, that
+Leo himself, rival (though he knew it not) of Roger, could not fail to
+wonder at them. When the battle was over, the Bulgarian army begged him
+to be their king, so sure were they that victory would follow his
+banner; but he declined, for the secret reason that he purposed to
+follow the prince, and slay him in single combat.
+
+But instead of killing each other these two brave knights ended in
+becoming friends and brothers, for Leo delivered Roger from prison,
+where he had unjustly been thrown by the sister of Constantine, and they
+both journeyed together to France, to enter the lists for the hand of
+Bradamante.
+
+Although they travelled with all the speed they might, they only arrived
+at the appointed place outside Paris on the day of the combat, when
+Bradamante was arming herself for the struggle. The prince knew well by
+this time that it was hopeless for him to think of winning for himself
+the love that had so long been given to another, and he prayed Roger to
+do him the grace to wear his arms and to bear his name in the tourney.
+It cost Roger somewhat to lay aside the arms and the name that had stood
+him for many a year in such good stead, but he owed the prince too much
+to say him nay, although to bid farewell to Bradamante when he had won
+the prize in fair fight would be bitter indeed.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+With a double-headed eagle on Leo's crimson shield, and Leo's velvet
+surcoat over his coat of mail, Roger did obeisance to the emperor and
+then walked into the lists. He had chosen to give battle on foot, since
+Bradamante was riding his horse Frontino.
+
+All day long the combat lasted, and, as Bradamante had been unable to
+bear down her foe, she was proclaimed vanquished. But of what value was
+the victory to him, seeing that he had gained the reward for another?
+So, hastily stripping off the armour belonging to the Greek prince, he
+left the tent unseen, and, catching sight of Frontino grazing quietly
+among some trees, sprang quickly on his back and plunged into the
+forest.
+
+'Let death come soon,' he said to himself, 'since life is worthless.'
+
+Meanwhile the court in Paris rang with the name of Leo the prince, and
+duke Aymon informed his daughter that the marriage feast need no longer
+be postponed. But to this Bradamante turned a deaf ear.
+
+'I will wed none but Roger,' she cried, and though her parents taunted
+her with her broken vow, and threatened her with the wrath of the
+emperor, she would give no other answer.
+
+'I can always die,' she thought to herself.
+
+The court was all confusion and perplexity; the emperor loved
+Bradamante, but he did not wish to offend either her powerful father or
+the still more powerful Constantine. The test had been proposed by
+Bradamante herself, and how could he give permission that she should
+break her plighted word?
+
+It was Melissa who once more set this tangle straight. She appeared to
+Leo, who was standing idly at his tent door, and told him that Roger was
+dying in the depths of the forest. The prince, who had grieved sorely
+for the loss of his friend, heard eagerly her tale, and consented gladly
+to go with her to seek him.
+
+The Roger whom they found at last was very different from the Roger who
+had entered the lists but three days agone. His face was pale, his hair
+was damp, his clothes hung loosely on his body. Leo's heart smote him as
+he gazed, and, sinking on his knees beside Roger, he pulled his hands
+gently down from his face.
+
+It was not long before he had drawn out from the young knight the secret
+which Roger had hidden so carefully when he had thought that honour and
+gratitude demanded it. Leo listened in amaze and took shame to himself
+that he had never guessed it sooner.
+
+'Oh, Roger,' he cried, when at length the tale was ended, 'sooner would
+I give up a thousand Bradamantes and all I possess in the world than
+lose a friend so noble and generous as you. So rise quickly and let us
+hasten back to where Bradamante awaits us.'
+
+And so the prophecy was fulfilled in the end, and everyone was made
+happy. Yes, even duke Aymon and his wife Beatrice; for before the
+wedding rejoicings were begun an embassy arrived from the Bulgarian
+people, begging leave from the emperor Charlemagne to offer their crown
+to his vassal Roger. And nobody grudged Roger and Bradamante their
+happiness, for they had waited so long for it, and worked so hard for
+it.
+
+[From _Orlando Furioso_.]
+
+
+
+
+THE KNIGHT OF THE SUN
+
+
+Once upon a time two little boys were born, and the elder had on his
+breast the image of a sun, which shone so brightly that the ladies who
+were waiting on his mother, the princess Briane, were forced to shut
+their dazzled eyes. On the breast of the younger one lay a pink rose,
+and it was hard to believe that the flower had not been newly flung
+there, so fresh was its colour and so vivid its green.
+
+So the elder baby was called in after years 'the Knight of the Sun';
+while his little brother was known as Rosiclair.
+
+Now it happened that their mother, the princess Briane, had been
+secretly married to Trebatius, emperor of Constantinople, who had
+courted her under the name of prince Theodoart. Soon after their
+marriage her husband, while riding through the forest, had been
+astonished at the sight of a magnificent chariot which dashed furiously
+along the road, and, as it passed, he felt sure that his wife, the
+princess Briane, was seated inside. Without losing a moment, he turned
+his horse instantly round, and followed the chariot, but, spur his steed
+as he might, it was impossible to overtake it. However, he rode on as
+fast as the thick creepers and fallen trees would let him in the
+direction in which the chariot had disappeared, and at last he left the
+forest behind him and entered a beautiful meadow.
+
+Here the emperor paused in surprise, for in front of him stood the
+greatest and finest castle he had ever seen, which would have held
+thirty thousand men with ease. At each corner was a large tower, while a
+wide moat of clear water would have kept a large army at bay. Happily
+for the emperor's curiosity, the drawbridge was at the moment let down,
+so he knocked at the door, which straightway opened to him, and boldly
+entered the castle.
+
+He looked around the magnificent hall to see some traces of his wife,
+but, instead, a powerful odour stole gradually over his senses. At the
+same instant a golden curtain was drawn aside, and a lady whose beauty
+dazzled his eyes glided up to him and laid her hand on his shoulder.
+
+'You belong to me now,' she said, as she led him away; and twenty years
+went by before the emperor again left the castle.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Meanwhile the little boys were carried away in the night by one of the
+mother's ladies, whose name was Clandestrie, and taken to her sister's
+house, where they lived freely and happily for some years till they were
+old enough to be brought to the convent where the princess Briane still
+remained, and taught the duties of pages. Rosiclair was always good and
+quiet, but his brother gave his teachers a great deal of trouble, though
+that did not prevent their loving him dearly. He was so tall and strong
+and high-spirited, that it was difficult to remember he was only a child
+after all, and the moment he was left alone he was always seeking some
+adventure.
+
+One day, while Rosiclair was learning from his mother to play on the
+lute, the Knight of the Sun--for so they called him--had gone with his
+nurse to the banks of the broad river, and was amusing himself with
+scrambling in and out of a boat that lay moored to the side. There were
+no mirrors in the convent, and the boy jumped hastily back with dismay
+when he saw some one dressed like himself looking at him from out of the
+water.
+
+He grew red with rage and struck out with his fist, and the arm in the
+water struck out too. Then the prince sprang forward, but, as he did so,
+he began to perceive that it was nothing but his own image that was
+looking at him and imitating his movements. 'How could I be such a
+baby!' he said to himself, and turned to leave the boat, when, to his
+dismay, he found that the rope had got loose and he was gently floating
+down the stream.
+
+At this sight his courage began to fail him; he called loudly to his
+nurse, who had been talking to some friends and had not noticed the
+child's danger. At his cries she rushed into the river a little lower
+down, hoping to catch the boat as it danced by, but the current swept
+her off her feet, and she would certainly have been drowned had not a
+wood-cutter, who had watched her from above, held out a long stick which
+she was able to reach.
+
+Very soon the little boat was a mere speck in the distance, and, now
+that there was nothing to be done, the boy took heart again and thought
+of all he would have to tell Rosiclair when he came back--for come back
+he would some day, he was sure of that.
+
+By-and-by the grass and the trees, and even the big mountains, vanished,
+and all around him was the blue sea, with not even a sail to look at.
+How long he remained in that boat he never knew, but one day, just
+before sunrise, when the air is clearest and you can see farthest, he
+was roused from his sleep by a shout. At first he took it for part of
+his dream and did not move; then the shout came again, and he jumped up
+and waved his hand, for sailing towards him was a large vessel. At the
+prow stood a man in a beautiful purple tunic edged with gold. This was
+Florian prince of Persia.
+
+Oh, how glad the little boy was to be amongst friends again, and how
+hungrily he ate the food they put before him! When he was quite rested,
+they brought him a child about the same age, whom they had picked up
+from a wreck a few days before; and then the ship's head was turned
+towards Babylon.
+
+It took them a long while to get there, but at last they entered the
+great river which flowed past the gates of the city, and the sultan,
+hearing of their approach, came down from his palace to greet them. He
+had lived as a youth at the court of prince Florian's father, and was
+delighted to meet his old friend once more. As for the boys, he took a
+fancy to them at once, and kept them in his palace till many years had
+gone by and they were almost men.
+
+When the Knight of the Sun was about sixteen he was taller than any one
+in all Babylon, for he took after his father, the emperor Trebatius, who
+was fully eight feet high. The youth was also very strong, and was
+afraid of nothing and nobody, and in many ways was different from his
+companions, especially in liking to ride and hunt alone instead of with
+a troop of merry young men. His friends were all fond of him, but rather
+afraid of him, as people often are of those who are quicker than
+themselves.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+One morning the sultan arranged a great hunting expedition, which was to
+take place in some huge forests a few miles from Babylon. The sun was
+hot, and the sultan was old, so he soon gave up the chase, and returned
+to join the princess and her maidens, who were lying under the shady
+trees, with a stream rippling by to make them think they were cool.
+
+Suddenly, without any warning, a band of giants sprang upon them from
+behind a rock, and, seizing the sultan and the ladies, bound them
+rapidly with silken cords. Their shrieks brought a few knights who were
+within earshot to their aid, but these were soon overpowered by the
+strength of the giants, except one, who managed to make his escape, and
+plunged deep into the forest.
+
+He was flying along, half mad with terror, when a voice cried out:
+
+'Sir knight, look well to it, or you will lose your spurs in your
+unseemly haste.'
+
+'Fair youth,' replied the knight, 'do not, I pray you, waste the moments
+in idle talk; for the sultan and the princess have but now been attacked
+by an army of giants, and are being borne captive to some unknown land.'
+But before his tale was ended the youth was riding fast down the path
+along which the knight had come.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+He was just in time: the tallest and strongest giant had laid hold of
+the sultan, bound and helpless as he was, and was carrying him off to a
+huge coal-black horse that was picketed to a tree close by. A blow on
+his helmet forced him to drop his burden, and he turned rapidly on his
+assailant.
+
+'Bah! a boy!' he cried disdainfully; but the 'boy' struck him another
+swinging stroke, which almost cleft his shield. Then the giant drew out
+his great double-edged battle-axe, but the champion sprang aside, and
+the axe crashed harmlessly on a rock, while a well-aimed throw from the
+javelin pierced the joints of the giant's harness, and he fell heavily
+to the ground.
+
+'It is an earthquake,' whispered the people of Babylon, as the houses
+shook and the swords rattled.
+
+After this the giant's followers, who, big though they were, had no mind
+to face such a fighter, fled into the forest, and were seen no more.
+
+The first thing to be done was of course to cut the cords which had been
+carefully wound round the arms and legs of the prisoners, who, seizing
+the champion's hands, shed tears and kisses over them. As to the sultan,
+he was well-nigh speechless from gratitude, but when he was able to
+speak he begged the youth to ask for some boon that he could grant,
+even if it were the half of his kingdom.
+
+'That I will tell you to-morrow,' said he.
+
+By this time the evening had come, and the chariots and the horses were
+made ready, and the company returned to the palace in Babylon, though
+neither the princess nor her ladies felt very safe till they were within
+the gates of the city.
+
+Early next day the sultan sent the grand vizier to bid the youth await
+him in the great hall, that he might declare in presence of all the
+court what guerdon should be given him for saving his master's life.
+
+And a right noble company was gathered together, for the victor was well
+loved of all, and every man expected that he would ask the hand of the
+princess.
+
+All stood up and bowed low as the sultan swept down between them clothed
+in his royal robes, and wearing his golden crown on his head; for he
+wished the goodly assemblage to know how priceless a service the young
+man had done him. Nay, he too thought, like his people, that there was
+only one boon that the youth could fitly crave.
+
+When he was seated on his throne, he signed to the chevalier to draw
+near.
+
+'And what is the reward that I shall give you?' he asked with a smile as
+the young man knelt before him.
+
+'O mighty sultan, grant me this, that with the sword which slew your
+enemy you will make me a knight'; then he paused and grew red, as a
+cloud came over the sultan's brow.
+
+'By all the rules of chivalry----' But the sultan's words were drowned
+by a tumult in the hall, and pushing her way between the crowds came a
+richly clad maiden, closely pursued by a huge black king.
+
+'Save me!' she cried, looking wildly on the company of knights that
+stood round. 'I am the daughter of as mighty a monarch as you, and was
+carried off from my father's island by this black man whom you see
+before you. One grace he has given me, that for the space of a year I
+may wander where I will, seeking a knight to be my champion. But,
+despite their mighty names, not one has ever managed to pierce his
+armour.'
+
+And again she looked on the knights, but not a man stirred from his
+place.
+
+Then the chevalier rose to his feet and spoke out boldly.
+
+'Make _me_ a knight, O sultan, and _I_ will fight this man who is feared
+by all the world! Oh, I know what you would say, that I am yet too young
+to bear the weight which has sometimes proved too heavy for many a
+goodly knight. But, if my years are few, my deeds have proved that I am
+no whit behind the doughtiest knight of your court. So grant me my boon
+or this day I will leave you for ever.'
+
+'Be it so,' answered the sultan at last, 'though I would rather have
+given you the half of my kingdom or the hand of my daughter. But watch
+this night beside your arms in the temple, and to-morrow you shall be
+admitted into the order of chivalry.'
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Now the sultan had a brother named Lyrgander, who was wise in every kind
+of enchantment, and, though he was at this time in a far country, he
+learned by means of his arts what strange things were happening at the
+court of Babylon. Without losing a moment he went to the room where his
+treasures were kept, and opened a large chest, from which he took two
+suits of armour. One, which was all white, he meant for the chevalier,
+and the other was for his friend Claberinde. Then he poured a few drops
+of a yellow liquid into a glass and drank it, wishing, as he did so,
+that he was in Babylon. Before the glass fell from his hand he found
+himself there. Very early after the youth had ended his watch, Lyrgander
+came to him and girded on him the suit of white armour. Led by
+Lyrgander, and followed by all the knights and nobles of the court, the
+chevalier entered the presence-chamber, where the sultan was sitting on
+his throne awaiting him. Once again the youth knelt, and the sultan,
+drawing the magic sword from its sheath, struck him three times lightly
+on the head with it. Afterwards, the sultan put back the sword in the
+scabbard and buckled it on the side of the kneeling youth.
+
+Then, stooping down, he lowered the vizor, and said slowly and solemnly:
+
+'I dub you knight, and arm you knight. May the high gods have you in
+their care!'
+
+'Amen!' said the chevalier, and he rose from his knees and went out to
+the place where the lists had been prepared. And the court sat round to
+watch the fight, while in the midst of them all, her eyes fixed on her
+champion, was the captive princess, who was resolved to kill herself
+with her own hands rather than fall into the power of the black king.
+
+The Knight of the Sun had chosen the best horse in the sultan's stables,
+and was waiting in his place till the signal should be given.
+
+At the other end, the black king bestrode a huge black horse, and the
+moment he caught sight of his foe poured out a stream of abuse, which
+only ceased when the sound of the trumpets drowned his voice.
+
+'I have never been conquered by mortal man,' said he, 'and shall yon
+wretched beardless boy, who should now be sitting with his mother's
+maidens, the child who but an hour ago was dubbed a knight by special
+grace of the sultan, have strength to do what the hardiest knights have
+failed in doing? By the eyes of my fathers! he will make fine food for
+the vultures before the sun sets.'
+
+And the young knight heard, and the blood flew to his cheeks under his
+vizor, and his fingers closed more tightly on his sword.
+
+With the first blast of the trumpets he spurred his horse, and his
+onslaught was so fierce that the giant reeled in his saddle.
+
+'They have tricked me,' he said to himself, as he righted himself again.
+'That blow was never given by the boy I saw; they have put someone else
+in his place. The battle will be harder than I thought, but the end is
+sure'; and he reined his horse back for a second rush.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The hours passed by, and the sun grew high in the heavens, but the
+flashing of swords never ceased, and the watchers of the fight could
+hardly breathe. Once the chevalier was thrown right on to his horse's
+neck, and was forced to cling to it lest he should fall to the ground.
+Once again--and here a murmur of terror could be heard in the crowd--a
+blow on his head rendered him sick and dizzy, and the charger carried
+him three times round the lists while he sat grasping the bridle,
+unconscious where he was and what he was doing. But after all, the swift
+rush through the air brought back his senses, and, by the time the black
+king was expecting that one more thrust would gain him the day, the
+knight spurred his horse quickly to one side, and, taking his adversary
+unawares, swept him dead from his saddle.
+
+Then at last the silence was broken, and a roar of triumph and relief
+burst from the crowd.
+
+Slowly the young man turned and rode along the lists, pausing before the
+lady Radimere as she sat by the sultan.
+
+'You are free, princess,' he said, as he lifted his vizor; and with
+those words he disappeared in the crowd, before anyone had time to stop
+him.
+
+It was whispered, perhaps truly, that the princess Radimere would fain
+have made him her husband, and have given him lordship over her island;
+but all we know for certain is that she returned there alone, and soon
+after married the son of a neighbouring king.
+
+[_L'Histoire Admirable du Chevalier du Soleil._ Traduite de l'Espagnol
+par Louis Douet.]
+
+
+
+
+HOW THE KNIGHT OF THE SUN RESCUED HIS FATHER
+
+
+When once the youth had been made a knight by the sultan of Babylon, and
+had slain the black king, he set off by himself in quest of other
+adventures, desiring greatly to see the world. For the next few years
+the young man wandered from court to court, fighting giants and
+delivering enchanted damsels, till at last his feet led him to a kingdom
+where Rosiclair his brother happened to be.
+
+Now Rosiclair was scarcely a whit behind the Knight of the Sun in manly
+deeds, and not long before had done such good service to the king of
+England that Olive, the king's daughter, had, at her father's bidding,
+clasped a collar of gold around his neck, and held out to him a crown
+studded with jewels. Rosiclair bent gladly to receive the collar, and
+then taking the crown from the hands of the princess he placed it on her
+head.
+
+'Lady, I am evermore your knight,' said he.
+
+This tale and many others had come to the ears of the Knight of the Sun,
+and he longed to see his brother again, and to break a lance with him in
+good fellowship, but some time had yet to pass before they met, and then
+it fell out in this wise. After the combat in the lists in London, where
+Rosiclair had cut off the arms of the giant Candramarte, the giant's
+daughter had brought him by her wiles to the island in which lay her
+father's castle.
+
+[Illustration: THE GIANT'S DAUGHTER REPROACHES THE TWO BROTHERS]
+
+No sooner had he stepped on shore than the damsel pushed off, crying as
+she did so to her brothers and their knights to avenge the giant's
+wounds. In a moment all the little island was alive with men, whirling
+lances or swords or axes above their heads, and all pressing forward to
+the spot where Rosiclair awaited them. Luckily he had time to place
+himself with the sea at his back, so that he could not be attacked from
+behind, and, covering himself with his shield, stood ready.
+
+Never was there such a dreadful fight, and Rosiclair seemed to have a
+hundred arms, and to be able to strike fifty ways at once. He hardly
+knew himself what he did, so great was the stress of battle, but hour by
+hour the ground slowly reddened round him, and there looked to his
+dimming eyes to be fewer men in front. But by this time his strength was
+fast failing him, and he felt he could not hold out much longer. A
+mighty blow from an axe made him reel, and well-nigh fall; another such,
+and he would be rolling on the sand among the dead men lying at his
+feet. Suddenly the upraised axe flew from the hand of the giant in
+front, and with a cry that echoed through the island he fell backwards
+on the shore.
+
+Rosiclair was still too hard beset to turn and see from whom help had
+come, but he took fresh courage and his sword no longer hit so wildly as
+before. The other sword was even stronger and surer than his own, and
+soon the few men who were left alive ran off and took refuge within the
+gates of the castle.
+
+Then the two knights looked at each other.
+
+'Who are you, and whence do you come?' asked Rosiclair. 'I owe you my
+life this day.'
+
+'I am called the Knight of the Sun,' replied the other; 'this shining
+star upon my breast has given me my name. And I come from wandering over
+the seas in a little boat that just holds me and my horse. I descried
+you from afar, and hastened to your help. Of a truth, it is the noblest
+fight that ever I saw.'
+
+Now, when Rosiclair had seen the emblem of the sun on the new knight's
+breast he wondered if this might indeed be his brother. But being warned
+by his mother not to hold converse with strangers concerning private
+matters, he began to tell of the fight with Candramarte in the lists of
+London, when a cry from the sea caused them both to turn. On the prow of
+a boat stood the giant's daughter, pointing with her forefinger at the
+bodies which lay upon the shore.
+
+'O cruel and bloody wolves,' she called, 'the ocean will give me the
+pity which I have been denied both by heaven and earth. And the god of
+storms will avenge me.' With that she jumped into the sea, but, instead
+of sinking, was held up by the waves. This the Knight of the Sun beheld,
+and, forgetting the evil she had done, jumped into his boat, and pushed
+off to her aid before Rosiclair had time to get in after him. However,
+the Knight of the Sun was never able either to reach the damsel or to
+return to his brother, for a furious wind sprang up, which drove him
+before it, in some direction that he did not know.
+
+In his hurry to reach the side of Rosiclair, the Knight of the Sun had
+forgotten to place his oars in the bottom of the boat, but just left
+them loose in their holes, so that they had floated away; now he had no
+means of directing his course, but was forced to go wherever the waves
+took him. For many days he drifted past the shores of strange countries
+and saw from afar the gleam of white cities, but though he fain would
+have landed, he could not, but was bound to remain where his adventure
+carried him. At length, to the joy of his heart, the boat stopped of its
+own accord on the beach of a beautiful island, and the young man once
+more felt soft grass under his feet, and heard the sound of trickling
+streams. Close by was a forest, and from between the bushes peeped the
+heads of little goats and tiny deer, all gazing with wonder at the
+stranger. From the look of the place it was plain that seldom indeed did
+man come to disturb their lives, and the Knight of the Sun felt he must
+go further inland if he wished to meet with any adventures. So, breaking
+through the creepers which hung from tree to tree, he struggled on
+bravely, and at last the trees grew less thickly, and he came out upon a
+wide open space in front of a big castle.
+
+This castle was quite different from any he had seen, either in Babylon
+or in the other countries he had visited. It seemed to be made of
+nothing but towers, and every tower had a steep pointed roof, so high
+that you would have thought it reached up to heaven itself. In the tower
+nearest him was a door of shining steel, and on top of a row of steps
+above it was a column, from which hung a horn of ivory edged with gold.
+Under the horn some words were cut deep into the column, and mounting
+the steps the knight read:
+
+'This is the castle of the peerless Lindarasse, whose door will never
+open save to him who blows the horn. Yet let him beware who seeks to
+blow it, for if the door _should_ open he will find it is guarded by
+fierce and cruel porters, and his life will pay for his rash curiosity.'
+
+The Knight of the Sun laughed out at the thought that any such threats
+could stop his going wherever he pleased, and, seizing the horn, blew so
+powerful a blast that the sound rang through the whole island. In an
+instant the gates of steel burst open, and between them stood a giant
+with an iron club in one hand, and in the other a chain which was
+fastened round the neck of a serpent. Now in all the world there was no
+serpent more horrible than this, for it did not wriggle along the ground
+as serpents generally do, but advanced erect, its head higher than a man
+seated on a horse, while it trailed besides a tail ten feet behind it.
+At the sight of the young man it lashed its tail so violently that the
+earth trembled as if with an earthquake, while its forky tongue darted
+in and out with a deafening hissing noise.
+
+The few knights who had dared to blow the horn had been so frightened
+at this terrible creature that they had stood as if frozen, and thus the
+giant killed them with his club without any trouble. He, of course,
+expected this knight to behave like the rest, but to his surprise the
+young man remained quietly where he was. Then the giant dropped the
+chain and the snake began to mount the steps, opening its mouth wide
+enough to swallow a man and showing its long and yellow fangs. The
+Knight of the Sun swung his sword in the air and let it fall on the
+serpent's neck with a force that seemed as if it must have severed its
+head from its body; but to his amazement the weapon bounded back as if
+it had been made of wood, though the snake was for the moment half
+stunned and was unable to throw itself on its prey. However, in another
+moment it had reared itself high and was preparing to fling itself
+forward, when the knight leaped behind the column and from its shelter
+struck again at the serpent's head. This time the horrible creature sank
+to the ground, though the sword glanced off harmlessly without
+penetrating its skin; but it became more angry than before, and glided
+rapidly towards the column, hoping to seize his enemy in his gaping
+jaws. The giant meanwhile stood planted, club in hand, at the bottom of
+the steps, ready to receive the young man when the serpent should have
+done with him.
+
+It was not long before this happened. The Knight of the Sun was so
+intent watching the movements of the head of his horrible foe, that he
+forgot everything else till a violent blow from the serpent's tail cast
+him to the ground and sent him rolling down the steps to the place where
+the giant stood. Before he could raise himself, the iron staff had split
+his helmet in pieces, and, as it seemed, his skull with it. Luckily for
+him, the giant felt sure he must be dead, and thus the knight was
+enabled to lie still for some minutes till his senses and his strength
+came back to him, and, springing to his feet, he snatched his sword from
+its sheath and sent half of the giant's body flying one way and half
+the other. But before he was able to rejoice at having slain one foe the
+serpent was upon him for a second time. The knight had proved that the
+sword was useless against it, so seizing the club of the dead giant he
+struck such a blow that its head fell in pieces.
+
+[Illustration: THE KNIGHT OF THE SUN FIGHTS THE SERPENT]
+
+Then he took the ivory horn, and entered the door of the first tower. As
+soon as the Knight of the Sun reached the second tower, he found it was
+shut by a door of steel, just as the first had been. He sounded a blast
+on his horn, and the door flew open with a grating and horrible noise,
+which might have filled the heart of the bravest with terror, and
+another giant stepped forth, no less horrible to look upon than his
+brother, with a club in one hand and a huge chained lion in the other.
+The great beast was larger than any bull that ever was seen, and each of
+its nails was as long as the foot of a man. Directly its chain was
+loosed, the lion reared itself up and sprang upon the knight, who
+awaited it as calmly as if it had been only a sheep. But after the fight
+with the serpent the attack of the lion seemed quite easy to parry, and,
+without pausing till they came together, the young man turned nimbly
+aside and felled him to the earth with the iron staff. After that he
+turned to meet the giant.
+
+This time the battle was soon over, for the giant, like many very big
+people, was heavy and clumsy, and the Knight of the Sun stepped past his
+dead body to the third gate, which flew open at the blast of his horn.
+Behind it stood a fresh giant taller than the last, and all covered with
+thick wiry hair, that looked as if it would resist the keenest
+sword-blade which had ever been forged in Damascus. The young knight
+felt much more afraid of him than of the two tigers which he held on a
+chain, and which showed their teeth and snarled wickedly. But before
+long the knight had stretched them both on the ground, and summoned all
+his strength for the struggle with the giant.
+
+This was much harder than any he had fought yet. The wiry hair turned
+the edge of his sword, and he felt he might almost as well try to cut
+through a fence of iron. Besides, in spite of his great height, this
+giant was much quicker of eye and of hand than the last, and several
+times the young champion was brought to his knees, though he rose again
+before his enemy could deal him a second blow. At length the Knight of
+the Sun noticed a place on the giant's neck where the hair seemed less
+thick than on the rest of his body, and, dropping his sword, he seized
+his dagger and drove it home.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Thus, step by step, fighting giants and beasts every inch of the way,
+the Knight of the Sun at last reached the hall of the castle, where the
+emperor Trebatius sat by the side of the fair Lindarasse. The spells she
+had woven round him were so strong, that for years he had not only never
+been outside the castle walls, but had ceased to wish to see the world
+again. But, powerful though Lindarasse might be, the Knight of the Sun
+did not fear to meet her, as before he had left Babylon the wise
+Lyrgander had given him a ring, which preserved him from all
+enchantments.
+
+At the entrance of the young man the fair Lindarasse looked up; she knew
+who he was and why he had come.
+
+'What is the matter, Wonder of the World?' asked the emperor Trebatius,
+raising his head from her lap, where it had been resting.
+
+'I am a dead woman, my good lord,' answered she, 'unless you will slay
+me that knight who has forced his way into my castle.'
+
+These words filled the emperor with fury, and the spirit awoke within
+him from its long sleep.
+
+'I will teach him manners,' he said grimly, and stalked proudly to the
+gallery where his arms had hung for many a day.
+
+Meanwhile the fair Lindarasse, who, in spite of her haughty bearing,
+bore a sinking heart, tried both by threats and soft words to persuade
+the Knight of the Sun to leave the castle.
+
+'Not till the emperor goes with me!' he answered steadily. 'You took him
+from his wife, and if you will not give him back to her I will take
+him.'
+
+And Lindarasse ground her teeth, and held her peace for a few moments.
+Then she broke into tears and sobs, thinking to move him by these means;
+but this method fared no better than the other.
+
+Thus were they standing when the emperor entered the hall, armed
+_cap-a-pie_.
+
+Now the knight knew that Trebatius's skill in fight had grown rusty from
+want of use, and that as long as he remained inside the castle the
+spells which the fair Lindarasse had woven round him would weaken his
+arm and confuse his head. So the youth refrained from striking, and with
+his shield and sword defended himself the while from the blows which the
+emperor dealt in all directions--for his hand no longer followed his
+eye. And all the while the Knight of the Sun stepped gently backwards,
+drawing Trebatius with him till, after twenty years, the emperor stood
+outside the walls, and the enchantment fell from him like a cloak. Then
+with a rush the remembrance of his wife, the princess Briane, came back
+to him, and in that very moment, though he knew it not, the fair
+Lindarasse fell dead in the place where he had left her. For, evil as
+she was, she had loved him truly, and felt that he had gone from her for
+ever.
+
+So Trebatius was set free by his son, and became a man once more. And
+the two journeyed back towards Hungary, to the monastery where the
+princess Briane still lived. But on the road an adventure claimed the
+Knight of the Sun, so that the emperor alone stood before his wife,
+whose heart was almost broken with joy at the sight of him.
+
+As for their two sons, the Knight of the Sun and his brother Rosiclair,
+who was also known as the Knight of Love, no such deeds had been wrought
+as were done by them since the days of Lancelot and the Round Table.
+
+[_L'Histoire Admirable du Chevalier du Soleil._ Traduite de l'Espagnol
+par Louis Douet.]
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber's Note
+
+
+The use of parentheses and brackets around the sources for the stories
+was inconsistent. The original usage has been maintained.
+
+The following changes were made:
+
+  Page  Error
+  Frontispiece  HALGERDA changed to HALLGERDA
+   50  his own deathblow changed to his own death-blow
+  119  unwillingly, but changed to unwillingly, 'but
+  159  and tell the changed to 'and tell the
+  179  answered Sancho Panzo changed to answered Sancho Panza
+  191  men, but we changed to men, 'but we
+  191  off his back changed to off her back
+  204  to one side. changed to to one side.'
+  215  be so worth changed to be so wroth
+  257  marvels; but changed to marvels; 'but
+  271  head of Sir Murdour. changed to head of Sir Murdour,
+  289  of news awating changed to of news awaiting
+  335  and mighty arm, changed to and mighty arm,'
+  346  safe from him changed to safe from him.
+  356  half of his kingdom.' changed to half of his kingdom.
+  364  avenge me. changed to avenge me.'
+
+The following words had inconsistent spelling:
+
+  knight-errants / knights-errant
+  WERWOLF / WER-WOLF
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Red Romance Book, by Various
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