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 sawthe 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 upthere, 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 believeyou, that you will protect the child as it has pleased God to protect him! he then told him how he had found the child, and of the letters on his breast. You tell me such wonders, replied Lisuarte, as I never heard till now: it must needs be that the Lioness found him near this place. I cannot say, said Nasciano, nor let us seek to know more of this than pleases God. Then said the King, I beseech you come and eat with me to-morrow at the Fountain of the Seven Beech Trees, where you will find the Queen and our company, and bring with you Esplandian and the Lioness, and your nephew, to whom I ought to show favour for the sake of Sargil his father, who was a good Knight, and served the King my brother well.
The King then returned to his pavilion, he reached it two hours after noon, and there he found Don Galaor and Norandel, and Guilan the Pensive, who had just arrived with two deer, with whom he talked and made merry, but of his own adventure he said nothing; then bade he the cloths be spread, but Don Grumedan came up and said, Sir, the Queen hath not yet eat, and she requests to speak with you first, for so it behoveth. Immediately he rose and went to her, and she showedhim a letter sealed with an emerald, through which threads of gold were passed, and there were letters round about it saying, this is the seal of Urganda the Unknown. Sir, quoth she, as I came along the road a Damsel met us, richly attired upon a palfrey, and a Dwarf with her upon a good horse. She rode by all my company, and close by my daughter, without vouchsafing a word to them, but when I came up she said, Queen, take this letter, and read it with the King before you dine, and then she and the Dwarf spurred away so fast that there was no time to ask her any thing. The King then opened the letter and read thus:
To the most high and honoured King Lisuarte.
I Urganda the Unknown, who love you, advise you to your benefit, that at the time when the fair boy who has been nursed by three nurses shall appear you love him and cherish him well, for great joy shall he bring to you, and shall deliver you from the greatest danger wherein ever you were placed. He is of high lineage, and know O King that from the milk of his first nurse he shall be so strong and fierce of heart that his great feats in arms shall obscure all the worthies of his own time, and from his second nurse he shall be gentle and courteous, and humble, and of all goodqualities, and from his third nurse prudent and of good understanding, and right catholic, and of fair speech; therefore will he be beloved by all, and no Knight shall equal him. And his great deeds in arms shall all be employed in the service of the Most High God, despising that which other Knights of these days follow more for the honour and vain glory of this world than for the sake of conscience, so that he shall have God on his right hand and his Lady on his left. And I tell thee moreover good King that this child shall make peace between thee and Amadis and his lineage, which shall last all thy days, and which none other could do.
When he had read this, the King blessed himself and said, the wisdom of this woman can neither be imagined nor expressed! I have this day found the child of whom she speaks! and with that he told the Queen what had happened, and how Nasciano and the boy would be with them on the morrow. Right joyful was Brisena to think she should see that child, and talk with that holy man about her conscience. The King then bade her say nothing of all this, and he returned to his tent to take food, there he told his Knights not to go hunt the next day for he had a letter to read tothem from Urganda the Unknown, and he ordered the huntsmen to drive all the beasts into a sheltered valley and keep them there all the day: this did he that they might not be frightened by the Lioness. So thus as you hear they passed the day regaling themselves in that meadow which was full of flowers and of fresh green grass.
On the morrow they all assembled in the King's tent and there heard mass. Lisuarte then took them to the Queen's Pavilion, which was pitched beside a fountain in a fresh meadow, for it was the month of May. The curtains of the pavilion were open, so that the Princesses and Dames and Damsels of high parentage were all seen seated on the estrados, and there the high-born Knights went and conversed with them. The King then had the letter of Urganda read, whereat they were all greatly amazed, marvelling what fortunate child it might be, but most of all Oriana mused thereon and sighed for her son, thinking that perhaps this might be he whom she had lost. What think ye of this letter? said the King. Certes Sir, replied Don Galaor, I doubt not that what she saith will come to pass, as it ever hath done, and how much soever others may rejoice when the child shall appear, with reason shall I above allothers be glad, seeing that through him shall be accomplished the thing I most desire, which is to see my brother Amadis and his kinsmen in your love and service once more, as they were heretofore wont to be. Lisuarte answered, all this is in the hand of God, he will do his service, and we must be contented. While they were thus communing they beheld the hermit coming and his boys with him. Esplandian came first, leading the Lioness in a slender leash and the two Spaniels coupled, and behind him was the holy man Nasciano; then came Esplandian's foster brother Sargil, and two bowmen who had taught Esplandian in the mountain, and they brought upon one beast the stags whom Lisuarte had seen the Lioness slay, and on another two roe-bucks, and hares, and rabbits whom the boys and they had killed with their arrows. When they in the tents beheld such a company, and that great and terrible Lioness, they rose hastily and went to place themselves before the King, but he held out a wand and bade them remain in their places, saying that he who led this Lioness would defend them. It may be so, replied Don Galaor, but methinks we should have a weak defender in the huntsman who leads her if she should grow angry; this is a marvellous thing to see!
The boys and the archers now stopt to let the good man go forward. Friends, said Lisuarte, this is the holy man Nasciano who dwells in the mountain, let us go to him that he may give us his blessing. They then went and knelt before him, and the King said, servant of God and happy man give us your blessing! he raised his hand and replied, receive it in his name as from a sinner! The King then led him to Brisena; but when the women beheld that fierce Lioness looking at them and rolling her eyes round, her red tongue lolling out, and her teeth showing so sharp and strong they were greatly affrighted. The Queen and her daughter and all well welcomed Nasciano, and they were all amazed at the great beauty of the child, who went to the Queen saying, Lady, we have brought you this game. My good boy, said the King, divide it as you like, and this he said to see what he would do. The boy answered, the game is yours, do you dispose of it. Nay, quoth the King, you shall divide it; the boy was abashed, and there came a colour like a rose into his cheek. Sir, said he, take you the stag for yourselves and your companions. He then went to the Queen, who was talking with Nasciano, and kneeling down kissed her hands and gave her theroe-bucks; then looking on his right he thought that none whom he saw appeared more worthy to be honoured than Oriana his own mother whom he did not know, and he gave her the partridges and rabbits, saying, Lady we have slain no other game than this with our arrows. Fair child, replied Oriana, God speed you in your sport and in all else. The King then called him, and Galaor and Norandel took him in their arms and embraced him as if the force of kin were working in them. Lisuarte commanded silence and said to the good man, father and friend of God, say now before all these what you related to me concerning this child. The good man then related how he had met the Lioness with this child in her mouth, carrying him home to her whelps, and how by God's mercy she laid the babe at his feet. And how richly he was clothed, and how the Lioness had suckled him first, and then a ewe-sheep, till he had given him to a nurse, all as the history hath related it. But when Oriana and Mabilia and the Damsel of Denmark heard this they looked at each other, and their flesh trembled for exceeding joy, for they knew of a truth that this child was the son of Amadis, whom the Damsel had lost. But when the hermit told of the letters onhis breast, and uncovered his breast that all might see, then were they certain that this was he, and the delight of their hearts was so great that it cannot be expressed, and above all that of Oriana to behold the child whom she had lost.
Then Lisuarte asked the boys of Nasciano that he might have them brought up, to the which the good man assented, seeing that God had made them more for such a life than for one he could give them, yet was it with great grief of heart that he consented, and knowing the loneliness he should feel in losing them, for he loved Esplandian dearly. When the King had them thus at his disposal he gave Esplandian to the Queen to serve her, and she soon gave him to her daughter Oriana, greatly rejoiced thereat as she who had brought him forth. Thus was that child placed under his mother's care, he who had been in the Lioness's mouth. These are the wonders of the Most High God the preserver of us all! other sons of princes are lapt in silks, and nursed with all blandishments and delicacies, and so carefully that they who tend them must neither sleep nor rest, and yet with little hurt and slight ailing they are taken out of the world; for so God wills, andfathers and mothers must receive his allotments as what is just, and thank him for doing his own will, which cannot err like ours.
The Queen then confessed to that holy man: Oriana did the same, and told him the secret of her love, and how that child was hers, and by what adventure she had lost him, a thing which till then she had never communicated, and she besought him to remember it in his prayers; much did the good man marvel to hear of such love in one of so high degree, who was above all others bound to give a good example, and he reproved her sharply, bidding her give over so great an error, else he would not absolve her, and her soul would be in great peril. But she weeping told him how when Amadis released her from Arcalaus she had received his pledged word as husband, as it ought to be; then was the hermit full glad, and he was the means whereby many were delivered from cruel death that awaited them, as shall be seen hereafter. Then he absolved her, and appointed such penance as was convenient. He then took Esplandian to the King, and embraced the boy and wept, saying, child of God, whom he gave me to bring up, may he guard andprotect thee, and make thee a good man for his holy service! then he kissed him and gave him his blessing, and delivered him to the King, and taking his leave he returned with the archers and the Lioness to his hermitage.