CHAPTER 9.
You have heard how the Green Sword Knight resolved to go through the Islands of Romania: there he went, redressing the oppressed, and quelling the proud, and passing through great perils combating Knights and Giants, and suffering wounds and sickness at times, gaining great renown, yet neither danger nor toil abating the mortal grief which he endured for Oriana's sake. Thus as he wandered, having no rest either of body or mind, he came to a sea-port called Sadiana, opposite Greece; the city was fairly situate at the extremity of the land, with gardens and high towers. Now because the day was yet before him he did not enter the city, but went about beholding it, for it was a goodly place, and he delighted to look at the sea, which he had not seen since he left Gaul, now more than two years agone. Presently he saw a greatcompany of Knights and Dames and Damsels going along shore towards the town. Among them was a Lady most richly garmented, over whom they carried a rich cloth upon four rods, to defend her from the sun. The Knight of the Green Sword, who took little pleasure in beholding company, but rather in going alone, and thinking upon his Lady, turned aside that he might not meet them. Presently there came a Knight towards him upon a strong horse, well armed and shaking a lance as if he would have broken it; he was strong of body, and large limbed, and a good horseman, and with him came a Damsel of that company in rich attire. When he of the Green Sword saw that they made towards him he stopt, the Damsel came up and said, Sir, the Lady my mistress commands you to come before her at her pleasure, and this she tells you for your profit. He, though the Damsel spake German, understood her well, for it was always his custom to learn the language of the countries which he passed through. Damsel, he replied, may God grant honour to your Lady and you, but tell me what yonder Knight would have? That matters not, she answered, do what I tell you.—That shall I not till you reply.—I must then answer against my will. When my Lady saw you and the Dwarf with you she thought youmight be the strange Knight who has gone through this country, doing such wonders in arms as had never till now been witnessed, she therefore wished to honour you, and to disclose to you a secret which hath hitherto been known to none. When yonder Knight understood her pleasure he said he would make you come to her command whether you would or no, which he can well do, being the mightiest man in arms of all this land. I therefore counsel you to leave him alone and come with me. Damsel, quoth he, I am ashamed not to obey the command of your Lady, but I chuse that you should see whether he can do as he hath said. She replied, I am sorry at this, for your courtesy hath much pleased me.
Then she departed and he of the Green Sword rode on as before, with that the other Knight cried out in a loud voice, you Sir Good-for-nothing who will not go with the Damsel! alight directly, and with your shield reversed get up the wrong way upon your horse, and take the tail for a bridle, and present yourself in that manner before yonder Lady, unless you chuse to lose your head;—take your choice! Certes Knight, replied he, it is not my intention to chuse either of these things: I rather chuse you should have the one. Quoth he, I shallmake thee, and with that he spurred his horse, thinking at the first encounter to bear him from the saddle, as he had done many others, for he was the best jouster far or near. The Knight of the Dwarf had taken his arms, and now went towards him being well covered with his shield. That joust was decided at the first meeting, for the lances brake, and the threatening Knight was borne to the ground; he of the Green Sword had his shield and mail pierced, and the lance iron wounded his throat, so that he felt he should suffer much therefrom. He turned upon Brandasidel, for so was that Knight called, and seeing that he lay like one dead, bade Gandalin take off his helmet and see if he was slain. He did accordingly, and then the Knight breathed and attempted to recover, but he could not. But then that other placed the point of the Green Sword at his face, You Sir Knight, who threaten and despise those whom you do not know, shall now either lose your head or pass through your own law! He recovered his senses better with the fear of death, and hung down his head.—Will you not speak—I shall off with thy head? Then he cried, Ah Knight, mercy! I will rather obey you than die in such a state as to lose my soul.—Be it done then forthwith! Brandasidel then called his Squires and they placed himbackward upon his horse, and reversed his shield round his neck, and put the tail in his hand for a bridle, and in this plight they led him before that fair Lady, and through the town that all might see him, and that he might be an example to those who insult and despise those whom they do not know. Greatly did that Lady and her company and all the townsmen marvel at his overthrow, and the more therefore they praised his conqueror, believing now the wonders which they had heard spoken of him.
This being done the Green Sword Knight went to the Damsel who had witnessed all, and said, now Lady Damsel, if it pleases you I will obey your mistress. It does please me, quoth she, and so it will please my Lady Grasinda. So they went together, and when he beheld that Lady he thought that since he had left his sister Melicia he had seen none so fair, and she thought him the comeliest Knight that ever she had beheld. Sir, quoth she, I have heard of your great prowess, for by your Dwarf and your Green Sword I perceive that you are he who served King Tafinor of Bohemia so well, and who have since atchieved such wonders in arms; now I see you are wounded, and beseech you to be my guest here in this very town that youmay be healed; you will not in all this province be so well lodged elsewhere. Lady, quoth he, seeing your good will I would obey you in a thing of toil and danger, how much more in this which is to me so necessary!
They then went toward the town; an old Knight who led her bridle gave it to him of the Green Sword to lead, and he rode forward to prepare the stranger's lodging, for he was that Lady's steward. When they entered the gates the doors and windows were all filled with people crowding to see this Lady, who was greatly beloved, and this Knight of whom they had heard so much; they thought him the handsomest and best made whom they had ever seen, and deemed that he had performed never greater exploit than in discomfiting Brandasidel, so much had he been feared. Thus they arrived at the palace, and there was he lodged in a rich chamber, such as became the dwelling of such a Lady, and was disarmed, and his hands and face washed from the dust, and they gave him a rose-coloured mantle. When Grasinda saw him thus attired she thought him more beautiful than she had believed mortal man could be, and she sent for a master to heal his wounds, the best and skilfullest in all those parts. He looked at the woundin his throat and said, Knight you are hurt in a dangerous part, and you must rest, otherwise you will be in great pain and danger. The Knight answered, Master, I beseech you by the faith you owe to God and to this your Lady, that, as soon as I am in a state to ride, you let me know it, for it doth not befit me to rest or be at ease, till it shall please God to bring me there where my heart desires to be. And when he said this he could not restrain his tears, whereat he was ashamed, and wiped them hastily away, and made semblance of mirth. The Master then drest his wound and gave him food such as was fitting. Then said Grasinda, rest now Sir and sleep, and we will go to our meal; we will see you when it is time, and do you bid your Squire ask freely for whatever is wanted; with that they left him, and he remained thinking of Oriana, for in that thought was all his pleasure and delight though mingled with such pain.
But when Grasinda had eaten and retired to her chamber, and was in her bed, she thought upon the beauty of the Green Sword Knight, and of the great feats which he had performed in arms; and though she was of such high degree, being niece to King Tafinor of Bohemia, and widow of a great Knight, with whom she had lived only one year,having no issue, and though she believed him to be only an Errant Knight, she resolved to have him for her husband. But while she was devising how this might be brought about, she recollected how she had seen him weep, and thought that that could only have been because of some woman whom he loved and could not obtain. This made her pause and resolve to learn more concerning him. So hearing he was awake she went with her Ladies to visit him, as well to show him honour as for the great pleasure she took in beholding him, and talking with him, nor had he less though for a very different cause. Thus she continued to be in his company, devising for him every pleasure that could be, till one day being unable to endure this longer she took Gandalin aside and said, Good Squire, whom God bless and make happy, tell me one thing if you know it, and I promise you it shall never be by me discovered. Do you know any woman whom your master dearly and affectionately loves? Lady, replied Gandalin, I and this Dwarf have lived with him but a short time, serving him for the great renown which we had heard of his great feats, and he told us never to enquire his name, nor any thing concerning him, unless we chose directly to be dismissed. But since we have been with him we have seen enough to beassured that he is the best Knight in the world: I know nothing more. The Dame then hung down her head and mused greatly. Gandalin beheld her, and suspecting that she loved his master wished to relieve her from a wish which never could be gratified, and he said to her, Lady, I often see him weep, and that so bitterly that it can only be for extreme love, for that is an evil which neither strength nor courage can overcome. As God shall save me, she replied, I believe you, and thank you for what you have told me; go to him now, and God help him in his wishes! She then went to her woman resolving no longer to encourage those thoughts, for seeing how stedfast he was in his words and actions she believed he was not one who would be changed.
Thus as you hear was he of the Green Sword attended in the house of that great Lady the fair and rich Grasinda, as though she had known him, instead of a poor Errant Knight, as he seemed to be, son of a great King, as in truth he was. Now when he felt himself able to bear arms he ordered Gandalin to prepare for their departure, and he answered that all was ready. But while they were speaking Grasinda with four Damsels entered the apartment. He rose and led her to an estrado,which was covered with a cloth of silk and gold, and said to her, my Lady, I am now in a state to travel; if any service of mine can afford you pleasure, willingly will I put it in action, for the great honour which I have received at your hands.—Certes Sir Knight of the Green Sword I believe what you say, and when I ask a return for the pleasure and service you have received here, if any it have been, then will I without hesitation or shame disclose to you that which hath hitherto been known to none: meantime tell me I pray you whitherward you design to go.—Toward Greece if it please God, to see the manner of life among the Greeks and their Emperor, of whom I have heard good things—Then I must help you in your voyage; I will give you a ship manned with good mariners to be at your command, and victualled for a year; and I will give you Master Helisabad who cured your wounds, for such another in his art cannot be found far or near, on condition that if you be at your own disposal you will be in this town with me within a year. The Knight was right glad of this good offer; my Lady, quoth he, if I cannot serve you for all these favours I shall hold myself the unhappiest Knight in the world, and so in like manner if I should know that you hesitateor shame to ask what you desire. Sir, she replied, when God shall bring you back from this voyage I will demand that which my heart hath long desired, and which will be to the advancement of your honour, albeit with some peril.—Be it so: and I trust in your wisdom that you will ask nothing which I may not rightfully perform. Do you then rest five days, said she, while every thing is prepared. At the end of that time the ship was ready, and the Knight embarked with Master Helisabad, in whom next to God he trusted for his safety. So they set sail, not straight to Constantinople, but to those Islands of Romania which he had not visited, and to the Islands of Greece, and there for a long time did that Knight prove himself in abating the insolence of the haughty and against many Knights who came to try themselves against him, but he still won the victory and the praise from all; and Master Helisabad always healed his wounds. But at length the mariners were weary of sailing thus from one Island to another and complained to Master Helisabad of their great fatigue, and he repeated it to the Knight, who bade them then steer directly for Constantinople, for by the time he had been to that city and could sail from it, the year would be expired.
We told you in the second book how El Patin went to prove himself against the Knights of Great Britain, and how reckless of his former love to Queen Sardamira of Sardinia, he asked Oriana of her father in marriage, and how falling in with Amadis he was by him sorely wounded in the head. That wound brought him oftentimes to the point of death, so that he returned forthwith to Rome, where he was soon chosen Emperor by reason of his brother's death. But then thinking that he might more easily obtain Oriana, of whose love he nothing doubted, he determined again to ask her of King Lisuarte, and for this purpose to dispatch his cousin Salustanquidio Prince of Calabria, a famous Knight in arms, and with him Brondajel of the Rock his high steward, and the Archbishop of Talancia, and a company of three hundred men, and the fair Queen Sardamira, with Dames and Damsels in her train to bring home Oriana. So they prepared to fulfil the Emperor's pleasure as you shall hear hereafter.