Chivalry -- Fiction; Knights and knighthood -- Fiction; Romances, Spanish -- Translations into English
When they reached this place, Melicia and Olinda said to their
husbands, that they also would prove the adventure: thereat Don Bruneo
and Agrayes were greatly rejoiced to see with what courage they would
put their truth to the proof; but yet fearing lest it might turn out
otherwise, they replied, that they were so well satisfied, that the
proof need not be made. Nay, said the brides, we will attempt it; if
we were elsewhere it might well be excused; but being at the place, it
shall never be thought that we feared in our own hearts this proof.
Since it is so, replied the husbands, we cannot deny that we shall
receive from it the greatest joy that can be. Then they told King
Lisuarte that these also would prove the adventure. In God's name!
quoth the King. They all alighted; and it was agreed that Melicia and
Olinda should enter first. They then advanced, and one after the other
passed under the Arch without opposition, and went where the images of
Apolidon and Grimanesa stood; and the figure which stood upon the Arch
sounded his trumpet sweetly, so that all who heard it were delighted;
for except they who had before heard the same, they had never heard
so sweet sounds. Oriana then came up to the line of the spell, and
she looked round at Amadis and her face coloured; then she turned and
advanced, and when she was under the Arch, the Image began his music,
and from the mouth of his trumpet showered down flowers and roses in
such abundance that they covered the ground, and the sound was far
sweeter than what had before been uttered, delightful to all who heard
it, so that they would willingly have remained listening so long as
it should continue; but as soon as she had passed the Arch the sound
ceased. She found Olinda and Melicia looking at their own names which
were now written in the jasper table: they seeing her joyfully went
to her, and led her to behold the Images. Oriana looked carefully at
Grimanesa, and saw that none of those who were without could compare
with her beauty; and she herself began to fear, and would willingly
have declined the adventure of the Forbidden Chamber; in that of
the Arch she had had no fear, knowing her own heart and true love.
Willingly would they have tarried longer, if they who were without had
not expected them; so hand in hand they went out, so well contented
and so proud of what they had atchieved, that their beauty seemed to
have been brightened by the success. Their three husbands, who had
before proved the adventure, went through the Arch to meet them, which
none of the Knights could have done; and the trumpet sounded again, and
again showered more flowers, and they embraced their wives and kissed
them, and thus they all came forth together.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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