“That I know not,” answered the prince, “but know that this damsel was in distress, and that I sought to succour her. But doubtless she herself will unfold the whole matter to us.”
Then the damsel told her story. “Know, sirs,” she said, “that I serve a maiden queen of these parts, Mercilla by name, a lady known far and wide, and envied also, for her prosperity and her goodness. Enemies she has, and chief among these is a pagan prince, who is bent on overthrowing her kingdom, yea, verily, and on slaying her sacred self. To this wickedness he is stirred up by his evil wife, Adikia[2] by name. ’Tis she who, trusting in her power, moves him to all kinds of wrong. Now my liege lady, being desirous of peace, and willing for sake of it to give up something of her just right, sent me to make a treaty with this same Adikia, so that there might be quietness in the land. Now, as you know, it has been a custom of all time that such messengers have liberty to come and go without hindrance or harm. But this evil woman, without any offence given on my part, broke forth in railing upon me, and not only this, but thrust me from her door as if I were a dog. Yea, and when I had departed, she sent these two knights after me to take me prisoner. To you, therefore, for myself and for the queen, whose messenger I am, I render you most hearty thanks.”
When they had heard the damsel’s story, the two knights, Sir Artegall and Prince Arthur, counselled together what should be done in this matter. Of which consultation the conclusion was that they should punish those who were guilty of this wrongdoing, that is to say the sultan and his wife and the knights who lent themselves to do their evil will. Further, they concluded to carry out this purpose in the way now to be described. Sir Artegall should disguise himself in the accoutrements of one of the dead pagan knights, and should take with him the damsel to the sultan’s court, making as though she was his prisoner.
Sir Artegall therefore having donned the armour of one of the two knights, took the damsel with him, as being a prisoner, and so came to the sultan’s court. And the sultan’s wife, who chanced to be looking from the window, saw them, and did not doubt but that her errand had been performed, and sent a page who would show the knight what he should do. The page therefore brought them to the place appointed, but when he would have eased Sir Artegall of his armour, the knight refused, for he feared to be discovered.
Meanwhile Prince Arthur, coming to the gate of the city, sent to the sultan this message: “I demand that there be delivered to me the Lady Samient”—this was the damsel’s name—“being the ambassador of Queen Mercilla, whom you wrongfully detain in custody.”
When the sultan heard this message, he was filled with anger, and commanded that his armour should be brought. This he straightway put on, and mounted his chariot. This same was armed in dreadful fashion with iron hooks and scythes, and was drawn by savage horses, whom he was wont to feed on the flesh of men. The poor wretches whom in his cruelty he slew, he was wont to give when they were but half dead to these beasts. In this guise he came forth from the city gates, where he found Prince Arthur awaiting him, mounted on his steed, with Talus standing at his stirrup.
The sultan drove straight at his adversary, thinking to overthrow him by the rush of his chariot, and that his horses would trample him in the dust. But the prince perceiving his design, withdrew himself a pace, and so escaped the danger. Nor was he hurt by the dart which the sultan cast at him as he passed; this also he avoided, and it was well that he did so, else of a certainty it had pierced either him or his horse from side to side. But when Prince Arthur sought to approach the sultan, the horses carried the chariot out of his reach, so swift of foot were they. On the other hand, the sultan, having a store of darts ready to his hand in the chariot, cast them at the prince, and with one of them pierced the prince’s cuirass, and made a grievous wound in his side. So did the combat rage between these two, the prince being at this disadvantage also, that his horse could not endure the look of the sultan’s horses, so fierce and fiery of aspect were they. At the last, finding that all other means were of no avail, he drew the covering from his shield—a thing which he was not wont to do save in the last extremity—and held it so that the light shining from it fell full on the eyes of the sultan’s horses. As a flash of lightning did it fall upon them, and they straightway turned and fled. Nor could the sultan stay their flight. The reins were of no avail; they heeded them not; and when he called to them, they would not hear. Over hill and dale they carried him, he vainly dragging at the reins, and cursing aloud; while the chariot, swaying from side to side, tossed him to and fro. Still the prince followed close behind, but still found no opportunity to strike. Nor, indeed, had he need, for coming to some rocky ground, the horses overset the chariot, and the sultan was torn in pieces by his own contrivance of scythes and hooks. Then the prince took up his shield and armour from where they lay, sorely bent and broken, upon the ground. These he carried back to the city, and hanged them on a tree before the palace door. When the wicked wife saw what had happened, she ran down from her chamber like to one mad, saying to herself, “I will be avenged on that damsel who has brought upon me all this trouble.” And she ran, knife in hand, to the place where she had been put. But Sir Artegall stayed her hand. And she, being made yet more furious, ran forth into the woods, and there abode, in the form—so some men said—of a tigress. Sir Artegall meanwhile vanquished the sultan’s knights, and established a new order in the city.
CHAPTER XXXII
OF THE KNAVE MALENGIN
The two knights delivered the city, when they had ordered it anew, to the Lady Samient, to hold for Queen Mercilla. This done, they would have departed on their own business, but Samient was not content that they should depart without seeing the queen, and this, overborne by her entreaties, they consented to do. As they journeyed, the damsel said to them: “There abides in this region a very sturdy villain, who is wont to rob all the country round about; and carries the spoil to a rock which he makes his dwelling, and to this place no man can get, so hard of access is it. Also he is marvellously light of hand and nimble of foot, smooth of face, and so subtle in his talk that he can deceive well-nigh anyone.”
When the two knights heard this tale, they desired with one accord that the damsel should take them to the place where this villain abode.