Lisuarte led Gandandel and Brocadan aside, and said to them, you have often urged me to put those Damsels to death, and said you would maintain the justice of the deed by reason, or your sons should in arms, if need should be, now then do as you said, for what Ymosil advances seems just to
me, and I will not appoint any of my Court to combat against these Knights. Look ye to it! Else will the Damsels be delivered, and I shall have been ill advised by ye, and wrongfully. They replied, that to-morrow they would be ready with their reply, and returned very sorrowfully to their homes. And they agreed to persist in their advice and maintain it by reason, but not put their sons in danger, because the cause was not just, and they were not such in arms as those Knights. But that same evening tidings came to the King how Gromadaza the Giantess was dead, and had ordered her Castles to be delivered up to save her daughter and the Damsels, and that they had accordingly been yielded to Count Latine. Greatly pleased thereat was Lisuarte, and when the Knights came before him on the morrow he said, proceed no farther in this cause, for you are quit of your defence, and the Damsels are free; the Castles for which I held them in pledge having been surrendered. Gandandel and Brocadan then rejoiced, for they surely expected to be dishonoured. Then Lisuarte sent for Madasima and the Damsels, and said to them, ye are free; do what it pleases you, the Castles have been given up; but he would not tell her that her mother was dead. Madasima would have kissed
his hand but the King permitted not that, for he never suffered Dame or Damsel to kiss his hand save when he bestowed upon them some boon. Then said she, since you leave me at my own disposal; I give myself to my Lord Galvanes, who hath been so willing to help me. Agrayes took her by the hand and said, good Lady, you do that which is right; and though you are now disherited of your own land, you shall be honoured in another till it please God to remedy your loss. But Ymosil then said to the King, Sir, if right be done to Madasima she will not be disherited, for children who are in the power of their parents must obey them, however unwillingly, but not for that should they be disherited, when obedience and not free will hath made them bind themselves to what their parents commanded. And because you Sir are appointed here to make every one render to another his right, so ought you yourself to do as an example. Ymosil, replied the King, you have the Damsels at liberty, say no more upon this other matter; I have had sufficient trouble about that land, and will defend it now it is mine, nor can I take it from my daughter Leonoreta, to whom I have granted it. Don Galvanes then said, Sir, that right which Madasima has to the land of her fathers is now mine. I beseech you remember some
services which I have done you, and do not disinherit me, for I would willingly be your vassal and stand in your favour, and serve you as loyally as it is possible. Say no more Don Galvanes, quoth Lisuarte, that is done which cannot be undone. Since it is so, quoth he, that I find neither right nor courtesy here, I shall strive to win it how I can. Do your utmost, replied the King, it was in the power of those who were stronger than you, and easier will it be to defend it from you, than it was to win it from them. You won it, answered Galvanes, by means of one who was badly guerdoned, he will help to recover it. If he helps you, cried Lisuarte, many others will serve me who would not serve me before for his sake, when I had him in my household and protected him from them. Agrayes then grew angry and exclaimed, Certes all here, and others beside can tell whether Amadis was protected by you or you by him, though you are a King and he was always as an Errant Knight. Don Florestan seeing how Agrayes was moved laid hand upon his shoulder and drew him back, and then said himself, it seems, Sir, you prize the services of these you speak of above those of Amadis, whether they be so indeed, we shall soon see. Don Brian of Monjaste then stept forward, however little you esteem the services of Amadis and
his friends, they must be of great worth indeed who can reasonably make them to be forgotten. It is plain Don Brian, replied the King, that you are one of those friends!—Sure Sir I am; he is my kinsman and I shall do what he pleases. We have enough, quoth Lisuarte, to dispense with you. All you have, replied Don Brian, will be wanted to resist what Amadis can do. The Knights on both sides drew nigh to answer, but Lisuarte stretched out a wand which he held and commanded them to say no more, and they returned to their places.
Just then Angriote of Estravaus, and his nephew Sarquiles entered, compleatly armed, and approached to kiss the King's hand. The twelve Knights marvelled at their coming being ignorant of the cause thereof, but Gandandel and Brocadan were put in fear, and they looked at each other, for they knew what Angriote had said of them before, and albeit they held him for the best Knight in the King's dominions, yet they took courage to answer what he might say; and they called their sons and bade them say nothing more than they should tell them. Angriote stood up before the King and said, Sir, let Gandandel and Brocadan come hither, and I will say that to them which shall make you and all present know them better than ye have
hitherto done. The King accordingly called on them to come forward, and all the Knights drew nigh to hear. Then said Angriote, know Sir that Gandandel and Brocadan are disloyal and false toward you, they counselled you wickedly and lyingly, neither regarding God, nor you, nor Amadis, who had so honoured them, and had never done them wrong. They, villains as they are, told you that Amadis designed to seize your kingdom, a thing which never was in his thoughts, for what he desired hath ever been your service, and thus have they made you lose the best Knight that ever King had to serve him, and many other good Knights with him, for no fault of their own. Therefore I say that these wicked and false men, in whom you trusted, have committed a great treason against you, which if they deny, I will do battle with them both; but if their age excuses them, let their sons come forward, and by God's help I will make them confess the disloyalty of their fathers before you, that you shall understand it. Sir, replied Gandandel, you see how Angriote comes to dishonour your court! and this is because you permit those to enter your land who do not seek your service, if you had prevented that at first this would not have happened; and now Sir do not marvel if Amadis should come hither to-morrow and defy you
yourself! If Angriote had met me in those days when I did good service in arms for this kingdom, and for your brother King Falangris, he would not then have dared to say what now he says, but now he sees me old and weak, and dares insult me as one already overcome; this shame Sir falls more upon you than me. No Sir Knave, quoth Angriote, I am not come hither to dishonour the Court, but for its honour to destroy treason, and root out the tares which you have scattered among the good seed! Then said Sarquiles, Sir, you know the words which I spake to you upon this matter; with my own ears I heard the villainy which these old traitors were devising; they are old, but their sons are young and strong; let them answer for them, they are three and we are two, then will God discover the truth, and it will be seen if they are such as to make amends for the loss of Amadis and his lineage as their fathers have boasted! When the two sons of Gandandel heard this, and saw that the whole Court were smiling to see their fathers so prest, they thrust angrily through the throng, and came before the King and said, Sir, Angriote lies in all that he hath said and we will combat with him; here are our gages, and they threw their gloves into his lap. Angriote then held out the lappet of his armour—here Sir is
mine! let them go arm themselves, and do you Sir behold the battle. The King answered, the day is far spent and there will not be time, let it be after mass to-morrow. With that Adamas came up, the son of Brocadan by a sister of Gandandel; he was great of stature and strong, but of so villainous a nature that none esteemed him. He said to the King, Sir, Sarquiles lies in all he hath said, and if he dare enter the field with his Uncle I will combat him! at this Sarquiles right joyfully gave his gage; the Court then broke up. Angriote and Sarquiles went with the twelve Knights and Madasima, who had taken leave of the Queen and of Oriana, and Brisena sent her a rich tent to lodge in.
The King remained with Don Grumedan and Giontes his nephew; he sent for Gandandel and Brocadan, and said to them, I marvel at you! you have so often told me that Amadis designed treason and meant to seize my kingdom, and now when the proof was necessary you shrunk from it! and have suffered your sons to risque themselves who know not what is the justice of their cause. You have sinned against God and me; great evil have you done me in making me lose such a man and such Knights, but you will not