Amadis of Gaul, Vol. 2

by Vasco de Lobeira

that he might not be known. On the eighth, as they were passing the foot of a mountain, they met a Knight upon a large bay horse, so huge in stature that he appeared to be a Giant, and two Squires carrying his arms. He cried out with a loud voice to Beltenebros, Stop, Sir Knight, till you have told me what I want to know! Beltenebros looked at the stranger's shield, and seeing three golden flowers in a field azure, he knew it was Don Quadragante, for he had seen a like shield in the Firm Island, hanging above all the others, as his who had approached nearest the Forbidden Chamber. Yet, remembering Famongomadan, he would willingly now have avoided battle; as also, because he was on his way to Oriana, and feared lest the great prowess of this Knight should cause him some delay. Howbeit he stopt, and bade Enil give him his arms if they were wanted. God protect you! quoth Enil, he looks to me more like a Devil than a Knight! He is no Devil, quoth Beltenebros, but a right good Knight, of whom I have heard heretofore. By this Quadragante was come up, and said to him, Knight, you must tell me if you belong to the household of King Lisuarte?—Why ask you?—Because I have defied him and all his household, and kill all of them whom I meet. Beltenebros felt his anger rising, and replied, you

are one of those who have defied him?—I am; and I am he who will do to him and his all the evil in my power.—And who are you?—My name is Don Quadragante.—Certes, Don Quadragante, notwithstanding your high lineage, and your great prowess in arms, this is great folly in you to defy the best King in the world! they who undertake more than they can effect, are rather rash than hardy. I am not this King's vassal, nor am I of his land, but for his goodness my heart is disposed to serve him, so that I may account myself among those whom you have defied: if you chuse battle with me, you may have it; if not, go your way! I believe Knight, said Quadragante, you speak thus boldly because you know me so little: pray you, tell me your name?—They call me Beltenebros: you will know me by it no better than before, for it is a name of no renown; but, though I am of a far land, I have heard that you are seeking Amadis of Gaul, and, by what I hear of him, it is no loss to you that you cannot find him. What! quoth Quadragante, do you prize him, whom I hate so much, above me? Know, that your death-hour is arrived! take thy arms, and defend thyself if thou canst. I might do it with some doubt against others, he replied, but can have none in opposing thee, who art so full of pride and threats.

Then they ran their course; both felt the shock; the horse of Beltenebros reeled, and he himself was wounded at the nipple of his breast. Quadragante was unhorsed and hurt in the ribs; he rose, and ran at Beltenebros, who did not see him, for he was adjusting his helmet, and he mortally stabbed his horse. Beltenebros alighted, and went against him sword in hand in great anger. There was no courage in this! cried he; your own horse was strong enough to have finished the battle without this discourtesy! The blows fell as thick and loud as though ten Knights had been in combat, for both put forth all their strength and skill, and the fight lasted from the hour of tierce till vespers; but then Quadragante, overcome with fatigue, and with a blow that Beltenebros gave him on the helmet, fell down senseless. Beltenebros took off his helmet to see if he were dead; the air revived him; he placed the sword-point at his face, and said, Quadragante, remember thy soul, for thou art a dead man. Ah, Beltenebros, cried he, for God's sake let me live for my soul's sake!—Yield thyself vanquished, then, and promise to fulfil what I command! I will fulfil your will to save my life, said Quadragante, but there is no reason wherefore I should confess myself vanquished: he is not vanquished, who in his defence

hath shown no fear, doing his utmost till strength and breath fail him and he falls; but he who does not do what he could have done, for lack of heart. You speak well, said Beltenebros, and I like much what I have learnt from you: give me your hand and your promise then; and he called the Squires to witness it. You shall go forthwith to the court of King Lisuarte, and remain there till Amadis arrives, and then you shall pardon him for the death of your brother, King Abies; for they by their own will fought in lists together, and such revenge, even among those of meaner degree, ought not to be pursued. Moreover, you shall make null the defiance against King Lisuarte, and not take arms against those who are in his service. All this did Quadragante promise against his will, and in the fear of death. He then ordered his Squires to make a litter, and remove him; and Beltenebros mounting the bay horse of his antagonist, gave his arms to Enil, and departed.

Four Damsels, who were hawking with a merlin, had seen the battle, and they now came up, and requested Beltenebros would go to their castle, where he should be honourably welcomed, for the good will which he had manifested to King Lisuarte. He thankfully accepted their

hospitality, being sore wearied with the struggle, and accompanied them. They found no other wound than that upon the nipple of his breast, which bled much; howbeit, in three days he departed. On the second day at noon, from a hill top, he beheld the city of London, and, to the right thereof, the castle of Miraflores, where his Lady Oriana then abode. Here he stood awhile, gazing, and devising how he might dispatch Enil. Do you know this country? said he. Yes, replied Enil; that is London, in the valley.—Are we so near? but I will not go to the court till I have won some renown, and deserve to be there: go you therefore and visit your cousin Gandalin, and there you will hear what may be said of me, and when the battle is to be with King Cildadan.—But shall I leave you alone?—I sometimes go alone; but we will first appoint a place to meet at. They proceeded a little way and saw three tents pitched by a river side, the middle a rich one, and before it there were Knights and Damsels sporting; and he saw five shields at the entrance of one tent, and five at another, and ten armed Knights, therefore he turned aside from the road that he might not joust with them. The Knights called out to him to joust. Not now, said he, for you are many and fresh, and I am alone and weary. I

believe, said the one, you are afraid you should lose your horse.—Why should I lose him?—Because he would be won by the man who dismounted you: a likelier chance than that you should win his. Since that is the case, said Beltenebros, I will ride on and secure him while I can; and he continued his course. The Knights cried after him, your arms, Sir Cavalier, are protected better by a smooth tongue than by a stout heart: they will last to be hung over your monument, tho' you should live these hundred years! Think of me as you please, quoth he, your words will not destroy my worth such as it is. I would to heaven you would break one lance with me! cried the Knight; I would not mount horse again for a whole year, if you rode to your lodging this night upon that bay steed! Good Sir, said Beltenebros, that is the very thing I am afraid of, and have therefore got out of the way. Holy Mary, they all exclaimed, what a cowardly Knight! He nothing heeding them, rode on to a ford, at which he meant to cross, when he heard a cry from behind. Stop, Knight! and looking round saw a Damsel following him upon a palfrey richly trappinged. Sir Knight, said she, Leonoreta, daughter to King Lisuarte, is in yonder tent, and she and all her Damsels request that for their sake you will joust with her

Knights, a thing you will be more bound to do by this request than by their defiance.—What! quoth he, is the daughter of the Queen there?—Aye, truly!—I should rather do her service myself than commit enmity against her Knights, but at her command I will consent, on condition that they require from me nothing farther than the joust. With this answer the Damsel returned; and Beltenebros took his arms, and rode to an open part of the field to wait for the encounter. The first who came was the one who had such an inclination to win his horse. Beltenebros was pleased that this was the first: he unhorsed him, and bade Enil take his horse, and said, Sir Knight, if you keep your word, you will not have another fall for a whole year, for so you promised unless you won my bay; but he lay groaning, for he had three ribs and a hip broken. Three others shared the same fortune with less hurt; on the last, Beltenebros broke his lance. Enil took their horses one by one, and tied them to the trees, and then Beltenebros would have departed; but he saw another Knight making ready, and a Squire brought him four lances, and said, Sir, Leonoreta sends you these lances, and bids you do your duty with them against the other Knights, since you have overthrown their companions. For her sake, said he, who is

daughter to so good a King, I will do what she requires; but for her Knights I would do nothing, for they are discourteous to make Knights who are travelling joust against their will. So he took a lance, and one after the other dismounted all the rest; only the last endured two encounters, and fell not till the third, for he was Nicoran of the Perilous Bridge, and was one of the good jousters in Great Britain. When Beltenebros had finished, he sent all the horses that he had won to Leonoreta, and bade her tell her Knights to be more courteous to strangers, or else to joust better, for they might find a Knight who would make them go afoot. The Knights remained greatly abashed; if Amadis were alive and well, quoth Nicoran, verily I should say this were he, for I know no other who would have left us thus. It is not he, said Galiseo, some of us should have known him, and he would not have jousted with us, being his friends. Giontes, the nephew of King Lisuarte, who was one of them, replied. Would it were Amadis, our dishonour would be well gained! but be he who he may, God prosper him wherever he goes! for he won our horses like a good Knight, and like a good Knight restored them. Curse him, quoth Lasamor, he has broken my hip and my ribs, but it was my own fault.