The Project Gutenberg eBook of Amadis of Gaul, Vol. IV. of IV., by Vasco Lobeira.

CHAPTER 3.

Now when the fair Grasinda heard of the coming of the fleet and of all that had befallen, she made ready to receive Oriana, whom of all persons in the world she most desired to see, because of her great renown that was every where spread abroad. She therefore wished to appear before her like a Lady of such rank and such wealth as indeed she was; the robe which she put on was adorned with roses of gold, wrought with marvellous skill, and bordered with pearls and precious stones of exceeding value, this robe till now she had never worn, having reserved it to wear when she should make trial of the Forbidden Chamber. On her goodly hair she would wear no other adornment than the crown which the Greek Knight her champion had challenged for her, and won for her from all the Damsels in King Lisuarte's court. She rode a white palfrey, whose trappings were all curiously wrought with gold, in this guise had she resolved, if her good fortune was such that she should accomplish the proof of the Forbidden Chamber, to return to King Lisuarte's court, and there make herself known to Queen Brisena and to her daughter Oriana, and to the other Princesses and damsels, and from thence to return with great glory to her own country; but the issue was far otherwise than she hoped and imagined, for fair as of a truth she was, yet was not her beauty equal to the beauty of Queen Briolania, who had attempted that adventure and failed therein. In this rich attire did that Lady go forth from her apartment, and with her all her dames and damsels all richly apparelled, ten of her Knights on foot led her reins, and with this array she proceeded to the shore. The Bridge of Boats had now been joined, it reached to the ship on board of which was Oriana, and Grasinda waited by the end of the Bridge to salute her as she landed.

Oriana now came out of her cabin, apparalled in a manner more beseeming decency and her present fortune, than for the advancement and display of her beauty. She seeing Grasinda thus ornamented awaiting her at the bridge-end, enquired of Don Bruneo if that was not the Dame who had come to her Father's court, and won the crown from the Damsels. Bruneo replied, that it was the same, and bade Oriana accost and salute her honourably, according to her deserts, for she was one of the worthy Dames of the world; and then he related what honours and good offices Amadis and himself and Angriote had from her received. To this Oriana answered, reasonable is it then that you and your friends should love and honour her, and thus will I do. Then Don Quadragante and Agrayes each took the Princess by the hand, and Don Florestan and Angriote led Queen Sardamira. Amadis alone led Mabilia, Olinda went between Don Bruneo and Dragonis; and in like manner the other Damsels and Knights proceeded from the vessel. When Oriana came near the end of the bridge, Grasinda alighted and knelt down and took her hand to kiss it, but Oriana drew it back, and embraced her with much love, as one whose nature it was to be affable and nothing proud, where pride beseemed her not. But Grasinda seeing her exceeding beauty how far it was beyond all the praises that she had heard thereof, wondered and was greatly astonished, for she had not believed that such beauty was possible in any mortal creature, and in this wonder she remained still on her knees, though Oriana would have raised her; good Lady, quoth she, now may I well give thanks to God that you were not in your father's court at the season of my arrival there; for had you been there though my champion was assuredly the best in the world, a Knight of little prowess would have discomfited him in your behalf, if God as it be said, defends the right; with that she looked at Amadis, pardon me Sir, if I wrong you in saying this, but my eyes never before beheld the like of what they now see. Amadis was full joyful to hear his Lady's praise; unreasonable would it be, he replied, if I should think ill of what you have said, or complain of so manifest a truth! But Oriana was abashed at hearing herself thus praised, and her thoughts were more upon her present fortune then her own beauty. She therefore answered, I cannot my Lady, reply to you, for should I contradict your words that would be discourtesy to one like you, and to assent to them would in me be shame and folly, only I would have you know, that such as I am, I should rejoice to do aught for your honour, that is in the power of a poor disherited princess like me. She then begged Agrayes would lead Grasinda to Olinda and accompany her, leaving her with only Quadragante.

Thus having landed they placed Oriana upon a palfrey, the most richly caparisoned that ever eyes had seen, which Queen Brisena had given her, for her entrance into Rome. Queen Sardamira also, and Grasinda, and all the other Dames and Damsels were mounted; nor could Oriana prevail upon the Knights but that they would proceed on foot and lead the reins, for they knew that whatever honour and service they could manifest to these Ladies would be to their own praise. In this order they entered the Island by way of the Castle, and these Ladies and Oriana were conducted to the Tower in the garden where Don Gandales had ordered their apartments to be made ready, that being the best dwelling in the whole Island; for albeit there were many rich dwellings, of rare workmanship, yet that tower, wherein Apolidon had wrought the enchantments, which were spoken of at length in the second part, had been his favourite place of sojourn, and for that reason he had fabricated it with such skill and such costliness, that the greatest Emperor in the world would not have ventured to attempt to make the like. In that tower were nine apartments, three on a floor, and though some part was the work of skilful artists, the rest was wrought by the skill and science of Apolidon himself so wonderously that no man in the world could rightly value nor even understand its exceeding rarety. And because it would be long to describe it all at length, I shall only say that the Tower stood in the middle of a garden surrounded with a wall of goodly stone and mortar, and the garden was the goodliest that might be seen by reason of its trees and herbs and fountains of sweet water. Of those trees many were hung with fruit the whole year through, and others bore flowers, and round about the garden by the wall were covered walks, with golden trellis-work through which might all that pleasant greenness be seen, the ground was covered with stones, some clear as the crystal, others coloured like rubies and other precious stones, the which Apolidon had procured from certain Islands in the East, where jewels and gold and other rare things are produced by reason of the great heat of the sun continually acting. These Islands are uninhabited save only by wild beasts, and for fear of those beasts no man durst ever set foot thereon, till Apolidon by his cunning wrought such spells that it became safe to enter there; and then the neighbouring people being assured of this, took advantage thereof, and ventured there also, and thus the world became stocked with sundry things which it had never before known. To the four sides of the Tower water was brought from the neighbouring mountains by metal pipes, and collected into four fountains, and the water spouted so high from the golden pillars and through the mouths of animals, that it was easy to reach it from the windows of the first story, for it was caught in golden basons wrought in the pillar, and by these four fountains was the whole garden watered.

In this Tower then were the Princess Oriana and all those Ladies lodged, each in her apartment, and there were they well served by Dames and Damsels with all things convenient; but no Knight entered the Tower nor even the Garden; for so Oriana had desired that it should be, and requested the Knights to let it be so, till some terms might be made with the King her father. They all esteemed her the more, and held her the more praiseworthy, saying, that in that, and all things else, their desire was to obey her will. Amadis himself, altho' he had neither pleasure nor comfort except in her presence, was yet well pleased that she had so ordered, for far more than his own death did he fear the least stain upon her honour; and he now consoled himself with the thought that she was now under his protection, and that he would rather die than lose her. The other Knights and Lords and all their people were lodged in the Island, each according to their quality, and abundantly supplied with all things needful for their subsistence and enjoyment, for though Amadis never appeared abroad but as a poor Errant Knight, he had store of treasure in that Island, not only from the rents and from what he had found there, but of jewels and other precious gifts which his mother and many other Ladies of high rank had given him, all the which he had sent here, and moreover the Islanders themselves who were all rich and honourable men held themselves fortunate to supply him with bread, and meat, and wines, according to his need.