Oriana, when he was wandering and enduring difficulty, than in repose and enjoyment, he spake to the King saying, Sir, since your war is ended, and the time when my fortune will not let me rest is come, I must obey the will of that fortune, not my own. I will depart to-morrow, and God grant that there may come a time wherein I may make some return for the great honours and favours which you have vouchsafed me. King Tafinor thereat was sorely troubled,—Ah, Knight of the Green Sword, my true friend, take what you will of my kingdom, power as well as possessions, and do not leave me! Sir, replied he, this I always believed, that knowing my good will to serve you, you would honour me accordingly, but I cannot rest till my heart be in that place where its thoughts are always. The King seeing how he spake, and knowing him to be fixed in all his purposes, answered then with a sad countenance, my loyal friend, since it must be so, I beg of you two things: the one, that if ever need betide you, you will remember me and this my country; the other, that you will hear mass with me to-morrow for I would speak with you.
He of the Green Sword then ordered Gandalin to prepare for their departure. That night he did
not sleep, even as though he had been overwearied with bodily toil, for trouble and grief of mind so mastered him, for his Lady's sake; many tears did he shed that night; at dawn he rose and armed and went to horse, and Gandalin and the Dwarf mounted their palfreys, taking the things necessary for their journey. Forthwith he went to the King's chapel where they heard mass; King Tafinor then bidding all others go forth, said to him, my great friend, I beg of you one boon, which shall neither be to the hindrance of your journey nor to your dishonour.—So Sir I well believe, do you therefore ask according to your virtue, and I grant it.—Tell me then good friend your name, and whose son you are, and trust me the secret shall be kept by me till you divulge it. The Knight remained silent awhile, repenting what he had promised,—Sir, if it please you do not ask this, for it will not profit you.—My good friend doubt not to tell me—I will conceal it like you yourself. He then replied, since it pleases you Sir to know, I am that Amadis of Gaul, son to King Perion, of whom you spake before the battle. Ah, happy Knight, quoth then King Tafinor, blessed was the hour wherein thou wert begotten, by whom thy parents and kin, and we also have derived such honour and advantage!
You have made me right joyful by telling me this, and I trust in God that it will be for your own good, and the means that I may somewhat discharge the great debts I owe you. Now, though the King spake thus from his own good will, and not because of any thing which he could know of that Knight's needs, yet was it fulfilled in two ways; the one, because he made be written all the feats of arms which Amadis had done in those countries, and the other when he was a right good ally to him with his son and his people, when he had great need of help, as you shall hear hereafter. Then he took leave of the King, and being accompanied out of town by Grasandor and Count Galtines, and other good Knights for half a league, they then commended him to God, and he set forth to go through the Islands of Romania, and prove himself in such adventures as he might there find.
CHAPTER 8.
King Lisuarte, to solace himself and his Knights, resolved to go hunt in the forest and take with him the Queen and her daughters and all her Damsels, and he bade the tents be pitched by the fountain of the Seven Beech Trees, which was a pleasant place. Now you are to know that this was the forest where the hermit Nasciano dwelt, and where he was breeding up Esplandian. There leaving the Queen in her fair tent, the King and his huntsmen went into the thickest part of the mountain, where, because that ground was kept, they had plenty of sport. It so fell out that the King started a stag and followed him down into the valley, and there a strange thing chanced, for he saw a child coming down the opposite hill, a boy of five years old, the prettiest that ever he had seen, leading a lioness in a leash, and when he saw
the stag he loosed her and hallooed her to the game. Presently the Lioness overtook him and slew him and began to suck his blood, and the child came running up and with him another somewhat older than himself, and they took out their knives and gave the Lioness her share. The King stood in the thicket wondering at what he saw, and his horse was frightened at the Lioness and would not go towards her. Presently the boy took a horn which hung from his neck and blew it, and two spaniels came up, the one tawny and the other black, and they had their fees of the game; this done they leashed the Lioness again, and went up the hill. By this the King had fastened his horse to a tree, and called out to the boy to stop, and when he came up and saw how beautiful he was he marvelled more than before, and he said to him, God bless thee my fine boy, and keep thee for his service; tell me where you are brought up and whose son you are? Sir, replied the child, the holy man Nasciano the hermit breeds me up and he is my father. The King mused awhile how a man so holy and so old should have so young and so fair a child, and did not believe that it could be so; he then asked him where the hermit's house was. The child showed him a path but little trodden,—you may go up
there, but I must follow that boy who is taking the Lioness to the fountain where we have our game. So he went his way and the King went to horse, and followed the path till he came to the hermitage, which was among beech trees and brambles, and he saw no one there; then he alighted and went in, and he found an old man kneeling and reading prayers in a book; he was in his habit, and his hair was quite gray. When he had finished his prayers he looked round and saw the King, and the King knelt before him and besought his blessing, which the good man gave and asked him then what he would have. Good friend, replied Lisuarte, I have met a fair boy in the mountain hunting with a Lioness, who told me that you bred him up, and because he is so beautiful and this thing so strange, I come to ask you who he is, promising you on the word of a King that no harm shall come from the discovery either to him or you. When the good man heard this he recollected the King's person and knelt down and kissed his hand, but the King raised him up and embraced him saying, friend Nasciano, I am very desirous to know this, do not fear to tell me. The good man led him out of the chapel and they sat down on a bench in the porch, by where his horse was fastened, and he said, Sir I believe