CHAPTER 15.
After those Knights had departed, King Lisuarte sent to summon King Arban of North Wales, and Don Grumedan, and Don Guilan the Pensive, and he said to them, Ye know my friends how I stand with the Knights of the Firm Island, and the great insult which I have received at their hands, and certes if I did not take such amends as should break their great pride, I should not hold myself a King, nor should I think that others would as such esteem me. Therefore that I may render such account of myself, as behoves a prudent man, and that all may be done with due advice and deliberation, I have now sent for you to know your counsel.
Then King Arban who was a good Knight, and prudent, and greatly desired to promote the King's
honour, replied, these Knights Sir, and I, have thought much upon this matter, and consulted together, as you required us. And we have concluded that since it is not your pleasure to come to any terms of concord with these Knights, that you ought with all diligence to prepare the means whereby they may be represt and their haughtiness curbed. For the Knights of the Firm Island are many and right powerful in arms, as you Sir well knew, when by the grace of God they were all so long in your service; and more than this, we are assured that they have sent on all sides to demand succour, the which besure they will find, being of high lineage, sons and brethren of Kings and of other great personages, and likewise they have in their own persons made many friends, so that when people come from so many parts to their help, there will be a great host presently raised. But on the other hand Sir, we see that your Court and Household is more destitute of Knights now than we ever remember it to have been; and the greatness of your power hath made you many enemies who will now discover their ill will, for troubles will break out in times of need like these which are hushed in calm seasons. It is therefore expedient that all your servants and friends should now be called upon,
especially the Emperor of Rome, whom as the Queen hath said, this business more nearly touches than it doth you; then when you have seen the power which you can bring together you may better judge whether to proceed rigorously, or come to such accord as is proposed.
King Lisuarte thought himself well advised by this speech, and bade Don Guilan prepare to go to the Emperor, for for such an Embassy such an Embassador was meet. Don Guilan answered, in this Sir, and in far more than this I am ready to do you service, and God grant it may be to the advancement of your honour; let therefore the dispatches be made ready, that you may be obeyed without delay. There needs nothing more than your letters of credence, said the King. Tell the Emperor that in compliance with his demand, I gave my daughter to his Embassadors to be his wife, and tell him what hath befallen her, and that the Knights have sent to me preferring certain terms, which I, knowing the insult concerned him more than me, would not accept. And say to him that what will satisfy me is that we should surround the place where they detain my daughter and make all the world know that we like great princes as we are have punished these
thieves and robbers for the insult and injury which they have offered us. Tell him then your own opinion and say that wrongs of this nature grow worse, the longer the remedy is delay'd. Don Guilan then received his credentials and went on board. The King then called for Brandoyuas and bade him go to the Island of Mongaza and summon Don Galvanes with all his people, and then pass over with the like bidding to King Cildadan of Ireland; and he sent Filispinel to Gasquilan King of Sweden, to tell him in what state he was, he being a Knight who delighted in all occasions wherein he could show his great hardihood and prowess. In like manner he sent to all his other friends and vassals, and ordered all his people to make ready, and set about preparing arms and horses, to have the greatest force of horsemen that he could raise.
Now the History saith that Arcalaus the Enchanter being in one of his castles, and always devising how he could do some mischief, as he and all wicked ones like him are accustomed to do, the tidings came to him of this great quarrel between King Lisuarte and Amadis. Whether he was pleased or no need not be said, for they were the two men in the world whom he
most hated, and whose destruction he never ceased to have at heart, and the uppermost thing in his thoughts. At such a time as this he thought he might wreak his will, and because he could not in his heart prevail upon himself to assist either of them, he in his subtlety resolved to raise a third army of those who were enemies both to Lisuarte and to Amadis, and so dispose of them that if a battle should take place, they might fall on the survivors, and with little peril utterly destroy them. Incontinently he went to horse, and with such a train as was needful set forth travelling by land and by sea till he came to King Aravigo, who with the six Island-Kings had been hardly handled by Amadis and King Lisuarte, as you have heard in the third book of this history. When he came to him Arcalaus said, O King Aravigo, if your heart and resolution be answerable to your high estate, and to the prudence with which you ought to govern, Fortune who was once so much your enemy hath now so repented, and is ready to make you such amends, that the loss of your honour shall be repaired with double victory. Your revenge is now in your own hands, our two great enemies King Lisuarte and Amadis of Gaul, are at such utter discord, that there can be no other issue