Amadis of Gaul, Vol. 2

by Vasco de Lobeira

Beltenebros went on satisfied with his success, and admiring the lance which he held, for it was a good one. About a quarter of a league on, he saw a chapel overbowered with trees, and there he determined to alight for the sake of prayer, and because the great heat and the exercise of jousting had made him athirst. At the chapel-door were three palfreys equipped for women, and two for Squires. He went in, but there was no one there, and commended himself from his heart to God and the Virgin. As he was coming out, he saw the three Damsels and their Squires sitting under the trees beside a fountain, and made up to them that he might drink: but neither of them did he know. Knight, said they, are you of King Lisuarte's household? I would, quoth he, I were so good a Knight as to be approved in such a company: but whither go ye?—To Miraflores, to see our Aunt who is Abbess there, and to see Oriana the Princess; but we are waiting here till the heat of the day be over. In God's name, quoth he, and I will keep you company till it be time to travel: how is this fountain called?—We know not but there is one in yonder valley, by those great trees there, which is called the Fountain of the Three Channels. He knew it better than they, for he had often passed it when hunting, and there he

determined to fix a meeting-place with Enil, whom he wished to send away while he went to his Lady.

Presently, while they were thus talking, there came along the road which Beltenebros had passed, a waggon drawn by twelve palfreys, and on it were two Dwarfs who drove. There were many Knights in chains in the waggon, and their shields were hanging at the side, and many damsels and girls among them weeping and lamenting loudly. Before it went a Giant, so great that he was fearful to behold; he rode a huge black horse, and he was armed with plates of steel, and his helmet shone bright, and in his hand he had a boar spear, whose point was a full arm's-length long. Behind the waggon was another Giant, who appeared more huge and terrible than the first. The Damsels seeing them were greatly terrified, and hid themselves among the trees. Presently the Giant who rode foremost turned to the Dwarfs, and cried, I will cut you into a thousand pieces if you suffer these girls to shed their own blood, for I mean to do sacrifice with it to my god, whom I adore. When Beltenebros heard this, he knew it was Famongomadan, for he had a custom to sacrifice damsels to an Idol in the Boiling Lake, by whose

advice and words he was guided in every thing, and that sacrifice used to content his god, being the Wicked Enemy who is satisfied with such wickedness. At this time Beltenebros did not wish to encounter him, because he expected to be that night with Oriana, and also because his joust with the ten Knights had wearied him; but he knew the Knights in the waggon, and saw that Leonoreta and her Damsels were there, for Famongomadan, who always took this waggon with him to carry away all he could find, had seized them in their tents shortly after their encounter. Immediately he mounted, and called to Enil for his arms; but Enil said, let those Devils pass by first. Give me! quoth Beltenebros, I shall try God's mercy before they pass, to see if I can redress this villainy. O Sir, cried the Squire, why have you so little compassion upon your own youth! if the best twenty Knights of King Lisuarte's court were here, they would not venture to attack them. Care not thou for that, replied his Master, if I let them pass without doing my best I should be unworthy to appear among good men: you shall see my fortune. Enil gave him his arms, weeping, and Beltenebros then descended the sloping ground to meet them. He looked toward Miraflores as he went, and said, O Oriana, my Lady, never did I

attempt adventure confiding in my own courage, but in you: my gentle Lady, assist me now, in this great need! He felt his full strength now, and all fear was gone, and he cried out to the Dwarfs to stop.

When the Giant heard him, he came towards him with such rage that smoke came through the vizor of his helmet, and he shook his boar-spear with such force that its ends almost met. Unhappy wretch! cried he, who gave thee boldness enough to dare appear before me? That Lord, quoth Beltenebros, whom thou hast offended, who will give me strength to-day to break thy pride. Come on! come on! cried the Giant, and see if his power can protect thee from mine! Beltenebros fitted the lance under his arm, and ran against him full speed: he smote him below the waist with such exceeding force that the spear burst through the plates of steel and ran through him, even so as to strike the saddle behind, that the girths broke, and he fell with the saddle, the broken lance remaining in him. His boar-spear had taken effect upon the horse of Beltenebros, and mortally wounded him. The Knight leapt off and drew his sword. The Giant rose up so enraged that fire came from him, and he plucked the lance from his

wound, and threw it at Beltenebros so forcibly that if the shield had not protected his helmet, it would have driven him to the ground; but his own bowels came out with the weapon, and he fell, crying, help, Basagante! I am slain. At this Basagante came up as fast as his horse could carry him: he had a steel axe in his hand, and with this he thought to have cut his enemy in two; but Beltenebros avoided the blow, and at the same time struck at the Giant's horse: the stroke fell short, but the end of his sword cut through the stirrup-leather, and cut the leg also half through. The Giant in his fury did not feel the wound, though he missed the stirrup; he turned and raised his axe again. Beltenebros had taken the shield from his neck, and was holding it by the thongs: the axe fell on it and pierced in, and drove it from his hands to the ground. Beltenebros had made another stroke, the sword wounded Basagante's arm, and, falling below upon the plates of fine steel, broke, so that only the handle remained in his hand. Not for this was he a whit dismayed; he saw the Giant could not pluck his axe from the shield, and he ran and caught it by the handle also; both struggled; it was on that side where the stirrup had been cut away, so that Basagante lost his balance, the horse started and he fell, and

Beltenebros got the battle-axe. The Giant drew his sword in great fury, and would have ran at the Knight, but the nerves of his leg were cut through; he fell upon one knee, and Beltenebros smote him on the helmet, that the laces burst and it fell off. He seeing his enemy so near, thought with his sword, which was very long, to smite off his head; the blow was aimed too high, it cut off the whole crown of the helmet, and cut away the hair with it. Beltenebros drew back; the helmet fell over his head upon his shoulders, and Leonoreta and the Damsels, who were on their knees in the waggon praying to God to deliver them, tore their hair and began to shriek and call upon the Virgin, thinking he was surely slain. He himself put up his hand to feel if he were wounded to death, but feeling no harm, made again at the Giant, whose sword falling upon a stone in the last blow had broken. Basagante's heart failed him now, he made one stroke more, and cut him slightly in the leg with the broken sword; but Beltenebros let drive the battle-axe at his head; it cut away the ear and the cheek and the jaw, and Basagante fell, writhing in the agony of death.

At this time Famongomadan had taken off his helmet, and was holding his hands upon his wound