Chivalry -- Fiction; Knights and knighthood -- Fiction; Romances, Spanish -- Translations into English
Now Arcalaus the Enchanter, had, as you have heard, stirred up King
Aravigo, and Barsinan, Lord of Sansuena, and the King of the Deep
Island, who had escaped from the battle of the Seven Kings, and all
the lineage of Dardan the Proud, and when he knew that Amadis and King
Lisuarte had collected their forces, he dispatched a Knight called
Garin, who was the son of Grumen one of the Enchanter's kinsmen, whom
Amadis slew when he rescued Oriana. Him he bade rest neither day nor
night till he had borne the intelligence to all those Chiefs. Meantime
he himself assembled the kinsmen of Dardan and all his own forces. This
Garin came to King Aravigo, whom he found in Araviga the chief city of
all his realm; from which all the Kings thereof were called Aravigos,
because great part of their dominions lay in the land of Arabia. The
King at this news without delay assembled all his forces, and they
pitched their tents in the plains near Califan, which was a principal
town in Sansuena. Twelve thousand Knights were they in number; there
they prepared their fleet, and stored it with food in abundance, as
men who were going against a strange land; and from thence they put
to sea, and with a fair wind in eight days they arrived at a port in
Great Britain where Arcalaus had a strong castle. Arcalaus had with
him six thousand good Knights, who all hated King Lisuarte and Amadis
for having hunted down and slain many of their chiefs and put them to
flight themselves, like evil doers as they were. I cannot tell you
the joy there was at this meeting. So as Arcalaus had learnt from his
spies, that the King and Amadis were advancing to meet each other,
he set forth without delay. Barsinan led the van; he was a young
Knight and strong, eager to revenge the deaths of his father and of
his brother Gandalot, and to show his own prowess. He had under him
archers and cross-bowmen and two thousand Knights. Arcalaus, who, as
you may well believe, was not inferior to him in great strength and
courage, led the second division. Though half his right hand was lopt
off, yet could there hardly be found a better Knight in arms, if his
ill deeds had not taken away all the renown which his hardihood gained.
He led on six hundred Knights, and two thousand four hundred whom King
Aravigo gave him. King Aravigo himself and that other King of the Deep
Island, led the third detachment with all the other forces, and they
had with them six Knights all akin to Brontaxar Danfania, whom Amadis
slew in the battle of the Seven Kings, as is recorded in the third book
of this history. These six Knights came from the Sagittary Island,
where it is said the Sagittaries at first made their habitation; and
they were huge in body, and strong, like those who were descended in a
right line from the hugest and most valiant giants that were ever in
this world. These Knights when they heard of such great preparations,
came by their own good will to revenge the death of that Brontaxar,
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