Chivalry -- Fiction; Knights and knighthood -- Fiction; Romances, Spanish -- Translations into English
Early in the morning we went to a wood where there were fine groves
and fair gardens, and there we had tents pitched by a brook side. We
found there a round building with twelve marble pillars, the walls
were of crystal so curiously made that they who might be within could
see all without; the doors were made of plate of gold and of silver,
and by every pillar there was placed the image of a Giant made in
copper, and these images had bows in their hands, and the arrow heads
were of fire. We were told that nothing could enter that chamber but
would be presently reduced to ashes by those arrows which never failed
of their mark; and they put in two fallow deer and a stag, immediately
the images shot at them and they were reduced to ashes, and the arrows
returned to the bows from whence they fled. On the doors of the chamber
there were letters written which said, Let no man or woman dare enter
here except they twain who love each other truly, as truly as did
Grimanesa and Apolidon, and they must enter here together, else will
they die the cruellest death that ever was seen. This enchantment will
endure till they twain shall have entered the Forbidden Chamber, and
then shall all the enchantments of the Firm Island be done away. Then
Briolania called Ysanjo and Enil, and told them she wished to see
nothing more except the Arch of True Lovers and the Forbidden Chamber,
and she asked Ysanjo the meaning of the Lion and Serpent, and of the
Hart and the Dogs. Lady, he replied, we know nothing more than that
always at that hour they appear; and the Hart and the Dogs run from the
window into a lake which we believe proceeds from the sea, but were
you to remain here a whole year you could not see half the wonders
that are in this Island.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account