WHEN Astolpho had descended to the earth with the
precious phial, St. John showed him a plant of marvellous
virtues, with which he told him he had only to touch the
eyes of the king of Abyssinia to restore him to sight.
"That important service," said the saint,
"added to your having delivered him from the Harpies,
will induce him to give you an army wherewith to attack
the Africans in their rear, and force them to return from
France to defend their own country." The saint also
instructed him how to lead his troops in safety across the
great deserts, where caravans are often overwhelmed with
moving columns of sand. Astolpho, fortified with ample
instructions, remounted the Hippogriff, thanked the saint,
received his blessing, and took his flight down to the
level country.
Keeping the course of the river Nile, he soon arrived
at the capital of Abyssinia, and rejoined Senapus. The joy
of the king was great when he heard again the voice of the
hero who had delivered him from the Harpies. Astolpho
touched his eyes with the plant which he had brought from
the terrestrial paradise, and restored their sight. The
king's gratitude was unbounded. He begged him to name a
reward, promising to grant it, whatever it might be.
Astolpho asked an army to go to the assistance of
Charlemagne, and the king not only granted him a hundred
thousand men, but offered to lead them himself.
The night before the day appointed for the departure of
the troops, Astolpho mounted his winged horse, and
directed his flight towards a mountain, whence the fierce
South-wind issues, whose blast raises the sands of the
Nubian desert, and whirls them onward in overwhelming
clouds. The paladin, by the advice of St. John, had
prepared himself with a leather bag, which he placed
adroitly, with its mouth open, over the vent whence issues
this terrible wind. At the first dawn of morning the wind
rushed from its cavern to resume its daily course, and was
caught in the bag, and securely tied up. Astolpho,
delighted with his prize, returned to his army, placed
himself at their head, and commenced his march. The
Abyssinians traversed without danger or difficulty those
vast fields of sand which separate their country from the
kingdoms of Northern Africa, for the terrible South-wind,
taken completely captive, had not force enough left to
blow out a candle.
Senapus was distressed that he could not furnish any
cavalry, for his country, rich in camels and elephants,
was destitute of horses. This difficulty the saint had
foreseen, and had taught Astolpho the means of remedying.
He now put those means in operation. Having reached a
place whence he beheld a vast plain and the sea, he chose
from his troops those who appeared to be the best made and
the most intelligent. These he caused to be arranged in
squadrons at the foot of a lofty mountain which bordered
the plain, and he himself mounted to the summit to carry
into effect his great design. Here he found vast
quantities of fragments of rock and pebbles. These he set
rolling down the mountain's side, and, wonderful to
relate, as they rolled they grew in size, made themselves
bodies, legs, necks, and long faces. Next they began to
neigh, to curvet, to scamper on all sides over the plain.
Some were bay, some roan, some dapple, some chestnut. The
troops at the foot of the mountain exerted themselves to
catch these new-created horses, which they easily did, for
the miracle had been so considerate as to provide all the
horses with bridles and saddles. Astolpho thus suddenly
found himself supplied with an excellent corps of cavalry,
not fewer (as Archbishop Turpin asserts) than eighty
thousand strong. With these troops Astolpho reduced all
the country to subjection, and at last arrived before the
walls of Agramant's capital city, Biserta, to which he
laid siege.
We must now return to the camp of the Christians, which
lay before Arles, to which city the Saracens had retired
after being defeated in a night attack led on by Rinaldo.
Agramant here received the tidings of the invasion of his
country by a fresh enemy, the Abyssinians, and learned
that Biserta was in danger of falling into their hands. He
took counsel of his officers, and decided to send an
embassy to Charles, proposing that the whole quarrel
should be submitted to the combat of two warriors, one
from each side, according to the issue of which it should
be decided which party should pay tribute to the other,
and the war should cease. Charlemagne, who had not heard
of the favorable turn which affairs had taken in Africa,
readily agreed to this proposal, and Rinaldo was selected
on the part of the Christians to sustain the combat.
The Saracens selected Rogero for their champion. Rogero
was still in the Saracen camp, kept there by honor alone,
for his mind had been opened to the truth of the Christian
faith by the argument of Bradamante, and he had resolved
to leave the party of the infidels on the first favorable
opportunity, and to join the Christian side. But his honor
forbade him to do this while his former friends were in
distress; and thus he waited for what time might bring
forth, when he was startled by the announcement that he
had been selected to uphold the cause of the Saracens
against the Christians, and that his foe was to be
Rinaldo, the brother of Bradamante.
While Rogero was overwhelmed with this intelligence,
Bradamante on her side felt the deepest distress at
hearing of the proposed combat. If Rogero should fall, she
felt that no other man living was worthy of her love; and
if, on the other hand, Heaven should resolve to punish
France by the death of her chosen champion, Bradamante
would have to deplore her brother, so dear to her, and be
no less completely severed from the object of her
affections.
While the fair lady gave herself up to these sad
thoughts, the sage enchantress, Melissa, suddenly appeared
before her. "Fear not, my daughter," said she,
"I shall find a way to interrupt this combat which so
distresses you."
Meanwhile Rinaldo and Rogero prepared their weapons for
the conflict. Rinaldo had the choice, and decided that it
should be on foot, and with no weapons but the battle-axe
and poniard. The place assigned was a plain between the
camp of Charlemagne and the walls of Arles.
Hardly had the dawn announced the day appointed for
this memorable combat, when heralds proceeded from both
sides to mark the lists. Erelong the African troops were
seen to advance from the city, Agramant at their head; his
brilliant arms adorned in the Moorish fashion, his horse a
bay, with a white star on his forehead. Rogero marched at
his side, and some of the greatest warriors of the Saracen
camp attended him, bearing the various parts of his armor
and weapons. Charlemagne, on his part, proceeded from his
intrenchments, ranged his troops in semicircle, and stood
surrounded by his peers and paladins. Some of them bore
portions of the armor of Rinaldo, the celebrated Ogier,
the Dane, bearing the helmet which Rinaldo took from
Mambrino. Duke Namo of Bavaria and Salomon of Bretagne
bore two axes, of equal weight, prepared for the occasion.
The terms of the combat were then sworn to with the
utmost solemnity by all parties. It was agreed that, if
from either part any attempt was made to interrupt the
battle, both combatants should turn their arms against the
party which should be guilty of the interruption; and both
monarchs assented to the condition, that in such case the
champion of the offending party should be discharged from
his allegiance, and at liberty to transfer his arms to the
other side.
When all the preparations were concluded, the monarchs and
their attendants retired each to his own side, and the
champions were left alone. The two warriors advanced with
measured steps towards each other, and met in the middle
of the space. They attacked one another at the same
moment, and the air resounded with the blows they gave.
Sparks flew from their battle-axes, while the velocity
with which they managed their weapons astonished the
beholders. Rogero, always remembering that his antagonist
was the brother of his betrothed, could not aim a deadly
wound; he strove only to ward off those levelled against
himself. Rinaldo, on the other hand, much as he esteemed
Rogero, spared not his blows, for he eagerly desired
victory for his own sake, and for the sake of his country
and his faith.
The Saracens soon perceived that their champion fought
feebly, and gave not to Rinaldo such blows as he received
from him. His disadvantage was so marked, that anxiety and
shame were manifest on the countenance of Agramant.
Melissa, one of the most acute enchantresses that ever
lived, seized this moment to disguise herself under the
form of Rodomont, that rude and impetuous warrior, who had
now for some time been absent from the Saracen camp.
Approaching Agramant, she said, "How could you, my
lord, have the imprudence of selecting a young man without
experience to oppose the most redoubtable warrior of
France? Surely you must have been regardless of the honor
of your arms, and of the fate of your empire! But it is
not too late. Break without delay the agreement which is
sure to result in your ruin." So saying, she
addressed the troops who stood near. "Friends,"
said she, "follow me; under my guidance every one of
you will be a match for a score of those feeble
Christians." Agramant, delighted at seeing Rodomont
once more at his side, gave his consent, and the Saracens,
at the instant, couched their lances, set spurs to their
steeds, and swept down upon the French. Melissa, when she
saw her work successful, disappeared.
Rinaldo and Rogero, seeing the truce broken, and the
two armies engaged in general conflict, stopped their
battle; their martial fury ceased at once, they joined
hands, and resolved to act no more on either side until it
should be clearly ascertained which party had failed to
observe its oath. Both renewed their promise to abandon
forever the party which had been thus false and perjured.
Meanwhile, the Christians, after the first moment of
surprise, met the Saracens with courage redoubled by rage
at the treachery of their foes. Guido the Wild, brother
and rival of Rinaldo, Griffon and Aquilant, sons of
Oliver, and numerous others whose names have already been
celebrated in our recitals, beat back the assailants, and
at last, after prodigious slaughter, forced them to take
shelter within the walls of Arles.
We will now return to Orlando, whom we last heard of as
furiously mad, and doing a thousand acts of violence in
his senseless rage. One day he came to the borders of a
stream which intercepted his course. He swam across it,
for he could swim like an otter, and on the other side saw
a peasant watering his horse. He seized the animal, in
spite of the resistance of the peasant, and rode it with
furious speed till he arrived at the sea-coast, where
Spain is divided from Africa by only a narrow strait. At
the moment of his arrival, a vessel had just put off to
cross the strait. She was full of people who, with glass
in hand, seemed to be taking a merry farewell of the land,
wafted by a favorable breeze.
The frantic Orlando cried out to them to stop and take him
in; but they, having no desire to admit a madman to their
company, paid him no attention. The paladin thought this
behavior very uncivil; and by force of blows made his
horse carry him into the water in pursuit of the ship. The
wretched animal soon had only his head above water; but as
Orlando urged him forward, nothing was left for the poor
beast but either to die or swim over to Africa.
Already Orlando had lost sight of the bark; distance
and the swell of the sea completely hid it from his sight.
He continued to press his horse forward, till at last it
could struggle no more, and sunk beneath him. Orlando,
nowise concerned, stretched out his nervous arms, puffing
the salt water from before his mouth, and carried his head
above the waves. Fortunately they were not rough, scarce a
breath of wind agitated the surface; otherwise, the
invincible Orlando would then have met his death. But
fortune, which it is said favors fools, delivered him from
this danger, and landed him safe on the shore of Ceuta.
Here he rambled along the shore till he came to where the
black army of Astolpho held its camp.
Now it happened, just before this time, that a vessel
filled with prisoners which Rodomont had taken at the
bridge had arrived, and, not knowing of the presence of
the Abyssinian army, had sailed right into port, where of
course the prisoners and their captors changed places, the
former being set at liberty and received with all joy, the
latter sent to serve in the galleys. Astolpho thus found
himself surrounded with Christian knights, and he and his
friends were exchanging greetings and felicitations, when
a noise was heard in the camp, and seemed to increase
every moment.
Astolpho and his friends seized their weapons, mounted
their horses, and rode to the quarter whence the noise
proceeded. Imagine their astonishment when they saw that
the tumult was caused by a single man, perfectly naked,
and browned with dirt and exposure, but of a force and
fury so terrible that he overturned all that offered to
lay hands on him.
Astolpho, Dudon, Oliver, and Florismart gazed at him
with amazement. It was with difficulty they knew him.
Astolpho, who had been warned of his condition by his holy
monitor, was the first to recognize him. As the paladins
closed round Orlando, the madman dealt one and another a
blow of his fist, which, if they had not been in armor, or
he had had any weapon, would probably have despatched
them; as it was, Dudon and Astolpho measured their length
on the sand. But Florismart seized him from behind,
Sansonnet and another grasped his legs, and at last they
succeeded in securing him with ropes. They took him to the
water-side and washed him well, and then Astolpho, having
first bandaged his mouth so that he could not breathe
except through his nose, brought the precious phial,
uncorked it, and placed it adroitly under his nostrils,
when the good Orlando took it all up in one breath. O
marvellous prodigy! The paladin recovered in an instant
all his intelligence. He felt like one who had awakened
from a painful dream, in which he had believed that
monsters were about to tear him to pieces. He seemed
prostrated, silent, and abashed. Florismart, Oliver, and
Astolpho stood gazing upon him, while he turned his eyes
around and on himself. He seemed surprised to find himself
naked, bound, and stretched on the sea-shore. After a few
moments he recognized his friends, and spoke to them in a
tone so tender that they hastened to unbind him, and to
supply him with garments. Then they exerted themselves to
console him, to diminish the weight with which his spirits
were oppressed, and to make him forget the wretched
condition into which he had been sunk.
Orlando, in recovering his reason, found himself also
delivered from his insane attachment to the queen of
Cathay. His heart felt now no further influenced by the
recollection of her than to be moved with an ardent desire
to retrieve his fame by some distinguished exploit.
Astolpho would gladly have yielded to him the chief
command of the army, but Orlando would not take from the
friend to whom he owed so much the glory of the campaign;
but in everything the two paladins acted in concert, and
united their counsels. They proposed to make a general
assault on the city of Biserta, and were only waiting a
favorable moment, when their plan was interrupted by new
events.
Agramant, after the bloody battle which followed the
infraction of the truce, found himself so weak that he saw
it was in vain to attempt to remain in France. So, in
concert with Sobrino, the bravest and most trusted of his
chiefs, he embarked to return to his own country, having
previously sent off his few remaining troops in the same
direction. The vessel which carried Agramant and Sobrino
approached the shore where the army of Astolpho lay
encamped before Biserta, and, having discovered this fact
before it was too late, the king commanded the pilot to
steer eastward, with a view to seek protection of the king
of Egypt. But the weather becoming rough, he consented to
the advice of his companions, and sought harbor in an
island which lies between Sicily and Africa. There he
found Gradasso, the warlike king of Sericane, who had come
to France to possess himself of the horse Bayard and the
sword Durindana; and, having procured both these prizes,
was returning to his own country.
The two kings, who had been companions in arms under
the walls of Paris, embraced one another affectionately.
Gradasso learned with regret the reverses of Agramant, and
offered him his troops and his person. He strongly
deprecated resorting to Egypt for aid. "Remember the
great Pompey," said he, "and shun that fatal
shore. My plan," he continued, "is this: I mean
to challenge Orlando to single combat. Possessed of such a
sword and steed as mine, if he were made of steel or
bronze, he could not escape me. He being removed, there
will be no difficulty in driving back the Abyssinians. We
will rouse against them the Moslem nations from the other
side of the Nile, the Arabians, Persians, and Chaldeans,
who will soon make Senapus recall his army to defend his
own territories."
Agramant approved this advice except in one particular.
"It is for me," said he, "to combat
Orlando; I cannot with honor devolve that duty on
another."
"Let us adopt a third course," said the aged
warrior Sobrino. "I would not willingly remain a
simple spectator of such a contest. Let us send three
squires to the shore of Africa to challenge Orlando and
any two of his companions in arms to meet us three in this
island of Lampedusa."
This counsel was adopted; the three squires sped on
their way; and now presented themselves, and rehearsed
their message to the Christian knights.
Orlando was delighted, and rewarded the squires with
rich gifts. He had already resolved to seek Gradasso and
compel him to restore Durindana, which he had learned was
in his possession. For his two companions, the Count chose
his faithful friend Florismart and his cousin Oliver.
The three warriors embarked, and sailing with a
favorable wind, the second morning showed them, on their
right, the island where this important battle was to be
fought. Orlando and his two companions, having landed,
pitched their tent. Agramant had placed his opposite.
Next morning, as soon as Aurora brightened the edges of
the horizon, the warriors of both parties armed themselves
and mounted their horses. They took their positions, face
to face, lowered their lances, placed them in rest,
clapped spurs to their horses, and flew to the charge.
Orlando met the charge of Gradasso. The paladin was
unmoved, but his horse could not sustain the terrible
shock of Bayard. He recoiled, staggered, and fell some
paces behind. Orlando tried to raise him, but, finding his
efforts unavailing, seized his shield, and drew his famous
Balisardo. Meanwhile Agramant and the brave Oliver gained
no advantage, one or the other; but Florismart unhorsed
the King Sobrino. Having brought his foe to the ground, he
would not pursue his victory, but hastened to attack
Gradasso, who had overthrown Orlando. Seeing him thus
engaged, Orlando would not interfere, but ran with sword
upraised upon Sobrino, and with one blow deprived him of
sense and motion. Believing him dead, he next turned to
aid his beloved Florismart. That brave paladin, neither in
horse nor arm equal to his antagonist, could but parry and
evade the blows of the terrible Durindana. Orlando, eager
to succor him, was delayed for a moment in securing and
mounting the horse of the King Sobrino. It was but an
instant, and with sword upraised, he rushed upon Gradasso;
who, noways disconcerted at the onset of this second foe,
shouted his defiance, and thrust at him with his sword,
but, having miscalculated the distance, scarcely reached
him, and failed to pierce his mail. Orlando, in return,
dealt him a blow with Balisardo, which wounded as it fell,
face, breast, and thigh, and, if he had been a little
nearer, would have cleft him in twain. Sobrino, by this
time recovered from his swoon, though severely wounded,
raised himself on his legs, and looked to see how he might
aid his friends, Observing Agramant hard pressed by
Oliver, he thrust his sword into the bowels of the
latter's horse, which fell, and bore down his master,
entangling his leg as he fell, so that Oliver could not
extricate himself. Florismart saw the danger of his
friend, and ran upon Sobrino with his horse, overthrew
him, and then turned to defend himself from Agramant. They
were not unequally matched, for though Agramant, mounted
on Brigliadoro, had an advantage over Florismart, whose
horse was but indifferent, yet Agramant had received a
serious wound in his encounter with Oliver.
