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

CHAPTER 29.

You have heard who this Gasquilan was, and in what manner he became King of Sweden. This King was enamoured of a Princess who was called the fair Pinela, and by her father's death became Lady of the Strong Island, which was near Sweden. She, because, Gasquilan was of the race of the Giants, and in himself proud and overbearing, would never encourage his hope; but because her chiefs feared him, and she herself saw no other remedy to prevent his love from changing into exceeding hatred, she devised this means. She told him that it was her determination, and what she had promised to her father at the time of his death, never to marry any other than the best Knight in the world; to find who this might be, she had dispatched messengers into all foreign parts, and the tidings they had all brought back was, that a Knight called Amadis of Gaul was the bravest and best Knight in the world, who undertook and atchieved adventures which no other dared attempt. If, therefore, he who was so strong and courageous would seek out this Amadis, and conquer him, she would then fulfil her promise to her father, and make him master of herself and her kingdom, fully believing that he would then have no peer. This she did, in the hope that Gasquilan, strong as he was, was no ways equal to Amadis.

When the Squire had brought him this answer, he exclaimed, My friend, you tell me what I most desire to hear; every thing is now as I wished, and I shall win the love of my Lady, for I am that Gasquilan whom you know. Then he called for his arms, which were after this fashion; the field of his surcoat and bever was murrey, bearing griffins or; his helmet and shield were burnished and bright as a mirror; and on his shield he had a griffin griping a heart in his talons, wrought in gold, and fastened to the shield with golden nails, and garnished with jewels; by the griffin he gave to understand the great rigour and cruelty of his Lady, and that as that heart was pierced by his talons, even so his heart suffered from its mortal desires. He took a strong lance, whose iron was long and bright, and going before the Emperor, besought him not to let his troops begin the attack till he had performed one joust with Amadis, as he had agreed with him; and he bade the Emperor not hold him as a Knight, if he did not in the first encounter rid him of his enemy. The Emperor, who knew Amadis better than he did, because he had proved him, thought within himself that this was more easily conceited than performed. So Gasquilan advanced forward between the armies, who both halted to witness this signal encounter between two such Knights.

Amadis was ready to give him his welcome; he knew him to be a brave Knight, yet, because he was so arrogant and vain-glorious, cared little for his valour; for when such men as he are in their greatest need, then God breaks their pride; he turned his horse toward him, and covered himself with his shield, and giving the spur rode at him with all his force. Gasquilan did the same, driving at full speed; their lances flew up in shivers, their shields and bodies met with such force, that all the beholders imagined that they would both be dashed to pieces. Gasquilan was driven from his saddle with such force, that being of huge bulk, and falling upon the hard earth, his right arm broke, and he lay stunned and like a dead man. The horse of Amadis had his shoulder broken, and he himself was somewhat stunned, yet not so much but that he leaped from his horse before the beast fell, and went on foot toward Gasquilan to see whether he was dead.

When the Emperor saw Gasquilan lying for dead, and Amadis on foot, he called out to Floyan to advance and help the King of Sweden. Don Quadragante seeing them come on, cried out, Attack them, Sir, and leave not a man of them alive! Both sides then hastened to encounter; but Gandalin, who saw his master on foot, and was fearful for his safety, rode the foremost to help him, and seeing Floyan in the front of his battle encountered him so rudely, that Floyan fell, and he himself lost his stirrups, but kept his seat. Both parties now strove to horse their Knights, and Quadragante dismounted four Romans before he broke his lance, and the horse of the first was given by Angriote to Amadis; mean time the Romans carried Gasquilan, who was now recovering his senses, out of the field. Gavarte of the Perilous Vale, and Landin followed the path of Quadragante; these Knights were used to such business, and were before the host; but when the two hosts encountered, then was there such uproar that none could understand another, and there might you behold horses without riders, and the riders, some slain, others wounded, and trampled under foot. Floyan, who was now horsed again, and desirous both to gain honour and to revenge the death of Salustanquidio his kinsman, made at Angriote, whom he saw doing great deeds in arms, and struck him in the side so rudely, that he well nigh dismounted him; the blow broke his lance; then drew he his sword, and dealt a blow to Enil, which made the fire flash from his helmet, and rode on between them, so that neither could strike him in requital, and they wondered at his courage and great prowess; and before he joined his own people, he met a Knight of Ireland, one of the servants of Don Quadragante, and cut him on the shoulders to the flesh and bone, so that he was constrained to quit the field.

At this time Amadis, taking with him Balays of Carsante and Gandalin, attacked the flank of the Romans as fiercely as he could, being enraged to see how they defended themselves; his companions followed the path he made, and he smote such strokes with his sword, that the enemies were astonished and dismayed, and gave way before him, and strove to run back behind their fellows, like a flock of sheep when they are set upon by the wolves. As he was thus making his way without opposition, a bastard brother of Queen Sardamira, by name Flamineo, who was a good Knight, advanced to meet him, and pierced his shield with a brave encounter, but then his lance failed him. Amadis thought to strike him on the helmet as he passed, but he went by so fast that the blow fell upon the horse behind the saddle, and cut away the greater part of his body and of his bowels, so that Flamineo fell with such violence that he thought his shoulders were burst asunder. Mean time Don Quadragante and they who were in his company prest so closely upon the enemies, that they would have destroyed them all, if Arquisil had not come up with the second division. At his coming they took courage, and such a shock was given, that more than a thousand from the two sides were dismounted. Arquisil himself encountered Landin, the nephew of Quadragante, and both were driven to the ground. Floyan, who with fifty Knights had succoured Flamineo and remounted him, now saw Arquisil engaged afoot with Landin, and cried out, Knights of Rome, help your leader! He himself, with more than five hundred Knights, rode to his succour, and Landin would surely then have been slain if it had not been for Angriote, and Enil, and Gavarte of the Perilous Valley, who called upon Quadragante to support them without delay, and bestirred themselves so bravely, that it was marvellous to behold their prowess. On the other part, Flamineo, who was again on horseback, collected a company, and came to support his friends; the battle then waxed hot, and so many Knights were slain and beaten down, that the field was covered with the dead and wounded. But the Romans were so numerous, that, maugre all their enemies could do, they rescued Arquisil and got him to horse, and Quadragante and his Knights did the same by Landin, for there were horses enow at hand who had no riders.

This while Amadis was doing wonders, and so well had he now made himself known, that the Romans wherever he appeared gave way; great need was there for such prowess, for the enemies were so many, that had it not been for the goodness of the Knights, they would have had it all their own way. But presently Agrayes and Don Bruneo came up with their division, and as the Romans were now confused, they broke them and divided them, so that they would have had no remedy, if the Emperor himself had not now advanced with five thousand Knights; this succour was so powerful that they presently recovered the ground which they had lost. The Emperor himself, armed as you have heard, led the way on a huge horse, being himself of great stature, and marvellously well did he appear, and was greatly admired. Balays of Carsante was the first whom he found before him; he struck his shield so rudely that the lance broke; their horses encountered, the Emperor's was fresh, but that of Balays could not stand the shock, and fell and his master with him, who was sorely bruised with the fall. At this success the Emperor was greatly elated; he drew his sword, and shouted out, Rome! Rome! at them Knights! let not a man escape! and he thrust forward into the press, dealing about his blows like a good Knight. As he was thus making great havock, he met Don Quadragante, who on his part was laying about him, sword in hand. They seeing each other, both raised their swords, and gave such strokes on each other's helmet, that fire flashed from them; but as Don Quadragante was the stronger, the Emperor lost his stirrups with that blow, and was constrained to hold round his horse's neck, and was for a while astounded. It so chanced that Constancio, a young Knight and a good, who was brother to Brondajel of the Rock, was hard at hand, and seeing his lord the Emperor in this plight, he pricked forward, and made at Quadragante with an overhand thrust of his lance, which pierced the shield and wounded him a little in the arm. Quadragante turned to strike him, and in that moment the Emperor had time to shelter himself among his own Knights. But Constancio tarrying there no longer, rode away toward the part where Amadis fought, and when he saw what havock he made, that not a man could stand before him, he was so astonished, that he verily thought it was some devil come there to destroy them. While he was looking at him, a good Knight, who governed the Principality of Calabria for Salustanquidio, came forward, and struck the horse of Amadis in the neck: Amadis in requital gave it him on the helmet and head through helmet and head. At this Constancio was greatly grieved for the loss of so good a Knight, and he cried out to Floyan, Here! here! maim or kill this man! for this is he who destroys us without mercy! Both he and Floyan then rode up to him together, and laid on him with their swords. It was Constancio whom Amadis struck in return; the sword came upon the rim of his raised shield and split it, and went through upon the helmet with such weight that Constancio fell stunned. More than twenty Knights, who were appointed to look to Floyan, now joined, and all at once assailed Amadis, but they could not move him from his horse, and every one was afraid to come too near him, who had no need ever to make a second blow.

Howbeit the Romans were so many, that elsewhere they had somewhat the advantage: they had killed the horses of Agrayes, and Don Bruneo, and Angriote, and surrounded the Knights. Lasindo, and Gandalin, and Gavarte, and Branfil, came to their succour, but the multitude was so great, that though with great danger they had beaten down and slain many Knights, they could not force their way to them. At this time Grasandor and Don Florestan came up: O, Sir Florestan, cried Lasindo, help here, or your friends are lost! Come on then! replied Florestan, and let us attack those who will not dare abide us! then sword in hand he cut his way, and those other Knights with him, to the place where their friends were so hardly beset. Who can tell the feats which were performed in that succour! but certes what those Knights had wrought, being on foot, and so few, and surrounded by so many enemies, cannot be told. Yet would they even then have been in great danger, if Amadis had not heard the outcry; he had now beaten down six of the twenty who assailed him, and the rest had retired and left him at liberty, so he rode toward that press, and knowing his friends by their arms, called out to his people, and followed by more than four hundred Knights, rode up to them. At the same time Floyan, and Arquisil, and Constancio, came up with the greatest body that they could collect, and there began the fiercest and most perilous battle that ever man beheld. Then might you have seen Amadis do such wonders, as it was never before seen or heard that living man could perform, that both friends and enemies marvelled to behold him, and such an uproar arose then, that the Emperor and the greatest part of the army repaired thither. A cross-bowman rode to Don Quadragante, who was in another part of the field, and told him what was going on; and he took with him a thousand Knights from his division, saying, Now, Sirs, show your worth and follow me, for your succour is needed; and away they went: he led the way; so thick was the press that he could scarcely get at his enemies; but he wheeled round, and attacked them in flank with such an encounter, that more than two hundred Knights were thrown down to the ground, and I assure you, that they whom he reached with a full stroke had never need of a surgeon.

At that hour, Arquisil, and Floyan, and Flamineo, and many other of their comrades, did so well that no Knights could do better, striving all they could to slay Agrayes and those Knights who were dismounted; but Florestan and the other Knights, who had forced their way to them, never gave back how hardly soever they were prest; and now were the Romans so sharply set on by Don Quadragante, and by Amadis on another side, who saw the feats of Quadragante, and so bestirred himself, that he left not a man in the saddle whom he could reach; and also by Don Gandales, who had come up with eight hundred Knights, that they began to give ground. The Emperor, who from the time he had received that blow from Quadragante had employed himself more in directing his troops than in fighting, called out to rally them, but with little effect. For now Agrayes, and Angriote, and Don Bruneo, after so much peril and so hard contest, got to horse at last, and pricked forward into the press, and drove back the Romans, till they had retired to the division of King Arban of North Wales, about the hour of sunset. He made way for their retreat to protect them, but he did not advance to battle, because of the lateness of the evening, and because King Lisuarte had forbidden him, for many of the other army had not as yet taken part in the battle. They on their part ceased from pursuit, and thus that day ended with great loss to both parties, although the Romans suffered most. The field was in possession of Amadis, who had all his wounded men removed, and his people spoiled their enemies. But many of the wounded Romans perished for want of help.

When the armies had thus withdrawn, the religious men of the two hosts went out to help the souls of those who were in need; and when they beheld the great destruction that had been made, and heard the cries of the wounded, crying for pity and help, they all agreed that it would be for God's service to make a truce, that the wounded might have help and the slain be buried; so they spoke to King Lisuarte and to the Emperor, and also with King Perion, and a truce was made for the following day. When morning came many went to the field to seek their kinsmen and friends and masters, and then might you have beheld such lamentations, on all sides, as were pitiful to hear, and how much more to see! The wounded were all carried into the Emperor's camp, and the dead were buried, so that the field remained clear. That whole day the Knights passed in refitting their arms, and looking to their horses; the wound in Don Quadragante's arm was dressed; and though it was such that if a Knight not so good as he had received it, he would not have borne arms nor encountered danger till it was healed, yet he would not be hindered from helping his comrades in the following battle. On the following day they rose at dawn at the trumpet's sound, and heard mass, and put themselves in array, and it was determined on both sides that they who had not fought in the former battle should take the lead in this.