They agreed that very night to fly to Spain. Pedrillo, who was cunning in devices, turned their horses' shoes backwards, and thus, when they were seeking safety in the west, it appeared as if they were flying towards the east. Thus evading pursuit, they galloped on, crossed the Red Sea, and, travelling through Africa, the whole party arrived safely in that wondrous town of Seville, in Spain, where Saint James was born, and which justly holds itself, in consequence, in the very highest estimation. CHAPTER SEVEN. THE ADVENTURES OF SAINT ANTHONY OF ITALY. The adventures of the great Saint Anthony of Italy, after he parted from his friends at the brazen pillar, are now to be described. Taking ship, like Father Aeneas of old, he and his attendant Squire traversed the Mediterranean Sea, only he sailed eastward, while the pious Aeneas sailed westward, over it. Numberless were the adventures he encountered. Now his ship was tossed by storms, now pursued by a huge sea monster, with jaws so wide that the affrighted mariners believed that it was about to swallow up bodily both them and their ship; but Saint Anthony, putting on his armour, and standing on the poop, brandished his spear so manfully in the monster's face that he effectually kept him at bay. His faithful Squire shouted also with such good effect, that the monster was fain to turn tail and to leave the ship and its honoured freight to proceed unmolested. At length Asia's ancient shores were reached, and travelling on, performing every day unheard-of wonders, combating with terrible monsters, and destroying wild beasts innumerable, he and Niccolo arrived at the far-famed kingdom of Georgia. They wandered on till they began to ascend, amid narrow defiles and dark gorges, the rugged ranges of the mighty Caucasus, high above which Elborus towers with gigantic splendour. As they climbed upwards, higher and higher, there appeared before them a marble castle with gates of brass, which they guessed, from inquiries they had made, belonged to the giant Blanderon. Over the principal gate were these verses:-- "Within this castle lives the scourge of kings; A furious giant, whose unconquer'd power The Georgian monarch in subjection brings, And keeps his daughters prisoners in his tower: Seven damsels fair this monstrous giant keeps, That sing him music while he nightly sleeps. "His sword of steel a thousand knights have felt, Who for these maidens' sakes have lost their lives; Yet, though on many knights he hath death dealt, This most inhuman giant still survives. Let simple passengers take heed in time, When up this mountain height they thoughtless climb. "But knights of worth, and men of noble mind, If any chance to travel by this tower, That for these maidens' sake will be so kind To try their strength against the giant's power, Shall have a maiden's prayer, both day and night, To prosper them with good successful fight."