he said, My good lady, I have heard all this news in my hermitage, and have therefore taken this journey, because I knew the secret of your conscience, and the great danger of your person and fame, if the marriage which the King your father designeth, should take place. Now, my dear daughter, having learnt this from you in confession, I am not at liberty to apply the remedy to all this evil; but it is now a greater sin to keep it silent, than to reveal it; I therefore come, my beloved daughter, that you may be persuaded that your father should be informed of what has passed, and how he cannot lawfully give you any other husband than the one you already have; for while he thinks he may justly dispose of you in marriage, he will persist in his determination to the great destruction of so many; and at last it will be discovered, for the Gospel sayeth, that all hidden things shall be made known. Oriana who had now somewhat recovered, took his hands and forcibly kissed them oftentimes, and said, O holy man and servant of God, I commit my cares to you, that you may do what is most for the good of my soul and the service of God; and I beseech him to direct you, not as I, sinner as I am, have deserved, but as he in his infinite goodness, hath oftentimes been pleased to deal with those who, like
me, with their whole hearts implore his mercy. Put your trust in him, replied the good man; and I must without delay depart, for great evil might arise if I made any tarriance. God be with you, said Oriana; I beseech you, if you return here, bring with you the child who is indebted to you, under God, for his life.
The holy man then took his leave; but so infirm was he, that not being able to travel in any other manner than upon his ass, he did not arrive at the camp of King Lisuarte till these two battles had been fought, and they were employed in burying the dead. This sight greatly troubled him, and he besought God to prosper him, that he might be the means of ending this destructive quarrel, and without any delay he rode straight to the King's tent, and there alighted from his ass and went in. When the King saw him he knew him immediately, and marvelled at his coming; for he thought that by reason of his great age he could not go from his hermitage; and he presently judged, that so holy a man was not come without great cause; and he went to meet him and fell upon his knees before him, and said, Father Nasciano, my friend, and the servant of God, give me your blessing! The Hermit raised
his hands, and said, That God whom I and all are bound to revere, protect you and give you such understanding, that your soul may one day enjoy the glory and repose for which it was created, if by your own fault it be not lost. He then gave him his blessing, and raised him up, and knelt in his turn to kiss his hand; but Lisuarte embraced him. The King then gave orders that food should be brought him; and after he had eat, he led the holy man into a recess of the tent and asked him the cause of his coming, saying, that he marvelled how so recluse a man and one of so great age should have travelled so far from his habitation. The Hermit made answer, Certes, Sir, according to my years, and condition, and inclination, I am now only fit to go from my cell to the altar; but it behoves all those who would serve our Lord Jesus Christ, and would follow his example, for no trouble or toil to turn aside. I learnt, Sir, in my hermitage, of this cruel war, and that the cause thereof was, that you were resolved to give your daughter in marriage to the Emperor of Rome. Now, this I knew could not be done, not for the reason which the Chiefs and People of your realm with good cause assigned, because she is your lawful inheritrix, which ought in conscience to have prevailed; but for another cause
which is unknown to you and all your people, and which, according to all laws, divine and human, makes it impossible; which is, that your daughter is already joined in marriage to the husband whom it hath pleased our Lord Christ to appoint for his service.
When the King heard this, he thought either that the good man's senses were impaired by his great age, or else that some one had deceived him with false tales, and he replied, Nasciano, my good friend, my daughter Oriana neither now has, nor ever has had any other husband than that Emperor to whom I gave her; and God is my witness that I did not that for the sake of disinheriting her to give my kingdom to my other daughter, as some have supposed, but in order by this alliance with the Roman Empire, to increase his holy Catholic faith. If I had foreseen the great evils which have occurred, I would gladly have changed my purpose; but as my designs were just and good, I cannot think that what has ensued can be imputed to my account. The good man replied, I told you, Sir, that the cause was unknown to you, but I know it. On that day, Sir, when by your command, I brought Child Esplandian to your tent in the Forest, the Queen and
Oriana spake with me concerning the state of their conscience, and then I learnt from your daughter Oriana, that when Amadis of Gaul delivered her from Arcalaus and the four Knights who were carrying her away, that day when you were decoyed away by the Damsel, and in danger of losing your kingdom and your life, unless you had been helped by Galaor, she then, in recompence for the service which he had done her, and still more for what his brother had done for you, promised marriage to that noble Knight, who is the flower and mirror of all chivalry; and from this marriage it has pleased God that Esplandian should be born, whom he has thought fit so to distinguish above all others that live. You know, Sir, better than I, what the wise Urganda the Unknown said concerning him; and now I would see if the great wisdom wherewith God has endowed you be well bestowed, and the great power wherewith he has entrusted you; for since he hath done for you so much more than you deserve, you ought not to think much of following what his holy destinies point out.
When the King heard this he was greatly astonished, and said, O Father Nasciano, is it true that my daughter is married to Amadis? He
replied, it is certainly true that he is the husband of your daughter, and that Child Esplandian is your grandson. Holy Mary! quoth the King, how ill done was it to keep this secret from me so long. If I had known or guessed it, so many would not have been slain for no fault of their own! My good friend, I wish you had informed me in time to have prevented this evil! That, Sir, could not be, replied the holy man, for what is revealed in confession must never be divulged; and it is with the consent of the Princess that I come. I trust in God that if the present be remedied, as it may, he will with little penitence forgive the past, in which the action hath been worse than the will. King Lisuarte made no answer, he sate musing upon the great worth of Amadis and the services he had received from him, and he thought also upon his love to Galaor, and above all to Esplandian, and what Urganda had prophesied. At length he said, Father Nasciano, the friend of God, subject as my heart hath been to pride, and though I had resolved either to receive death or to inflict it, your holy words have such virtue, that they have prevailed; and if peace be not now brought, you shall witness before God that the fault is not mine. Do you, therefore, speak with Amadis, without letting him know my intention,
and learn what he would have done in this case, and let us see how all can be settled to the advantage and honour of both parties. Nasciano, weeping for pure joy, knelt before him, and exclaimed, O fortunate King! may he who came to save us thank you for this! I have not power to do it. So he prepared to depart without delay, that all might be settled before the truce expired. But as he was going forth from the tent, Esplandian and Sargil came in, whom Queen Brisena had sent to learn tidings of the King her Lord. When the good man saw how he was grown, and that he was almost approaching to the stature of manhood, who can tell the joy and delight that he felt? certes, it is impossible to express it, and being as he was with the King, he went towards him as fast as he could to embrace him. Esplandian, though he had not for a long time seen him, knew him immediately, and knelt down to kiss his hand, and the old man embraced him and kissed him many times with exceeding joy, saying, O my dear son, blessed be the hour wherein thou wert born, and blessed and praised be the Lord, who by such miracle preserved thy life, and hath made thee what I now behold. All they who beheld the exceeding love which the good man manifested