Books: Legends of Charlemagne
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Thomas Bulfinch >> Legends of Charlemagne
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The knight, filled with wonder at all he saw, was conducted by the
saint to a valley, where he stood amazed at the riches strewed all
around him. Well he might be so, for that valley was the
receptacle of things lost on earth, either by men's fault, or by
the effect of time and chance. Let no one suppose we speak here of
kingdoms or of treasures; they are the toys of Fortune, which she
dispenses in turning her wheel; we speak of things which she can
neither give nor take away. Such are reputations, which appear at
one time so brilliant, and a short time after are heard of no
more. Here, also, are countless vows and prayers for unattainable
objects, lovers' sighs and tears, time spent in gaming, dressing,
and doing nothing, the leisure of the dull and the intentions of
the lazy, baseless projects, intrigues, and plots; these and such
like things fill all the valley.
Astolpho had a great desire to understand all that he saw, and
which appeared to him so extraordinary. Among the rest, he
observed a great mountain of blown bladders, from which issued
indistinct noises. The saint told him these were the dynasties of
Assyrian and Persian kings, once the wonder of the earth, of which
now scarce the name remains.
Astolpho could not help laughing when the saint said to him, "All
these hooks of silver and gold that you see are the gifts of
courtiers to princes, made in the hope of getting something better
in return." He also showed him garlands of flowers in which snares
were concealed; these were flatteries and adulations, meant to
deceive. But nothing was so comical as the sight of numerous
grasshoppers which had burst their lungs with chirping. These, he
told him, were sonnets, odes, and dedications, addressed by venal
poets to great people.
The paladin beheld with wonder what seemed a lake of spilled milk.
"It is," said the saint, "the charity done by frightened misers on
their death-beds." It would take too long to tell all that the
valley contained: meanness, affectations, pretended virtues, and
concealed vices were there in abundance.
Among the rest Astolpho perceived many days of his own lost, and
many imprudent sallies which he had made, and would have been glad
not to have been reminded of. But he also saw among so many lost
things a great abundance of one thing which men are apt to think
they all possess, and do not think it necessary to pray for,--
good sense. This commodity appeared under the form of a liquor,
most light and apt to evaporate. It was therefore kept in vials,
firmly sealed. One of these was labelled, "The sense of the
Paladin Orlando."
All the bottles were ticketed, and the sage placed one in
Astolpho's hand, which he found was his own. It was more than half
full. He was surprised to find there many other vials which
contained almost the whole of the wits of many persons who passed
among men for wise. Ah, how easy it is to lose one's reason! Some
lose theirs by yielding to the sway of the passions; some in
braving tempests and shoals in search of wealth; some by trusting
too much to the promises of the great; some by setting their
hearts on trifles. As might have been expected, the bottles which
held the wits of astrologers, inventors, metaphysicians, and above
all, of poets, were in general the best filled of all.
Astolpho took his bottle, put it to his nose, and inhaled it all;
and Turpin assures us that he was for a long time afterwards as
sage as one could wish; but the Archbishop adds that there was
reason to fear that some of the precious fluid afterwards found
its way back into the bottle. The paladin took also the bottle
which belonged to Orlando. It was a large one, and quite full.
Before quitting the planetary region Astolpho was conducted to an
edifice on the borders of a river. He was shown an immense hall
full of bundles of silk, linen, cotton, and wool. A thousand
different colors, brilliant or dull, some quite black, were among
these skeins. In one part of the hall an old woman was busy
winding off yarns from all these different bundles. When she had
finished a skein another ancient dame took it and placed it with
others; a third selected from the fleeces spun, and mingled them
in due proportions. The paladin inquired what all this might be.
"These old women," said the saint, "are the Fates, who spin,
measure, and terminate the lives of mortals. As long as the thread
stretches in one of those skeins, so long does the mortal enjoy
the light of day; but nature and death are on the alert to shut
the eyes of those whose thread is spun."
Each one of the skeins had a label of gold, silver, or iron,
bearing the name of the individual to whom it belonged. An old
man, who, in spite of the burden of years, seemed brisk and
active, ran without ceasing to fill his apron with these labels,
and carried them away to throw them into the river, whose name was
Lethe. When he reached the shore of the river the old man shook
out his apron, and the labels sunk to the bottom. A small number
only floated for a time, hardly one in a thousand. Numberless
birds, hawks, crows, and vultures hovered over the stream, with
clamorous cries, and strove to snatch from the water some of these
names; but they were too heavy for them, and after a while the
birds were forced to let them drop into the river of oblivion. But
two beautiful swans, of snowy whiteness, gathered some few of the
names, and returned with them to the shore, where a lovely nymph
received them from their beaks, and carried them to a temple
placed upon a hill, and suspended them for all time upon a sacred
column, on which stood the statue of Immortality.
Astolpho was amazed at all this, and asked his guide to explain
it. He replied, "The old man is Time. All the names upon the
tickets would be immortal if the old man did not plunge them into
the river of oblivion. Those clamorous birds which make vain
efforts to save certain of the names are flatterers, pensioners,
venal rhymesters, who do their best to rescue from oblivion the
unworthy names of their patrons; but all in vain; they may keep
them from their fate a little while, but ere long the river of
oblivion must swallow them all.
"The swans, that with harmonious strains carry certain names to
the temple of Eternal Memory, are the great poets, who save from
oblivion worse than death the names of those they judge worthy of
immortality. Swans of this kind are rare. Let monarchs know the
true breed, and fail not to nourish with care such as may chance
to appear in their time."
THE WAR IN AFRICA
When Astolpho had descended to the earth with the precious phial,
St. John showed him a plant of marvellous virtues, with which he
told him he had only to touch the eyes of the king of Abyssinia to
restore him to sight. "That important service," said the saint,
"added to your having delivered him from the Harpies, will induce
him to give you an army wherewith to attack the Africans in their
rear, and force them to return from France to defend their own
country." The saint also instructed him how to lead his troops in
safety across the great deserts, where caravans are often
overwhelmed with moving columns of sand. Astolpho, fortified with
ample instructions, remounted the Hippogriff, thanked the saint,
received his blessing, and took his flight down to the level
country.
Keeping the course of the river Nile, he soon arrived at the
capital of Abyssinia, and rejoined Senapus. The joy of the king
was great when he heard again the voice of the hero who had
delivered him from the Harpies. Astolpho touched his eyes with the
plant which he had brought from the terrestrial paradise, and
restored their sight. The king's gratitude was unbounded. He
begged him to name a reward, promising to grant it, whatever it
might be. Astolpho asked an army to go to the assistance of
Charlemagne, and the king not only granted him a hundred thousand
men, but offered to lead them himself.
The night before the day appointed for the departure of the troops
Astolpho mounted his winged horse, and directed his flight towards
a mountain, whence the fierce South-wind issues, whose blast
raises the sands of the Nubian desert, and whirls them onward in
overwhelming clouds. The paladin, by the advice of St. John, had
prepared himself with a leather bag, which he placed adroitly,
with its mouth open, over the vent whence issues this terrible
wind. At the first dawn of morning the wind rushed from its cavern
to resume its daily course, and was caught in the bag, and
securely tied up. Astolpho, delighted with his prize, returned to
his army, placed himself at their head, and commenced his march.
The Abyssinians traversed without danger or difficulty those vast
fields of sand which separate their country from the kingdoms of
Northern Africa, for the terrible South-wind, taken completely
captive, had not force enough left to blow out a candle.
Senapus was distressed that he could not furnish any cavalry, for
his country, rich in camels and elephants, was destitute of
horses. This difficulty the saint had foreseen, and had taught
Astolpho the means of remedying. He now put those means in
operation. Having reached a place whence he beheld a vast plain
and the sea, he chose from his troops those who appeared to be the
best made and the most intelligent. These he caused to be arranged
in squadrons at the foot of a lofty mountain which bordered the
plain, and he himself mounted to the summit to carry into effect
his great design. Here he found vast quantities of fragments of
rock and pebbles. These he set rolling down the mountain's side,
and, wonderful to relate, as they rolled they grew in size, made
themselves bodies, legs, necks, and long faces. Next they began to
neigh, to curvet, to scamper on all sides over the plain. Some
were bay, some roan, some dapple, some chestnut. The troops at the
foot of the mountain exerted themselves to catch these new-created
horses, which they easily did, for the miracle had been so
considerate as to provide all the horses with bridles and saddles.
Astolpho thus suddenly found himself supplied with an excellent
corps of cavalry, not fewer (as Archbishop Turpin asserts) than
eighty thousand strong. With these troops Astolpho reduced all the
country to subjection, and at last arrived before the walls of
Agramant's capital city, Biserta, to which he laid siege.
We must now return to the camp of the Christians, which lay before
Arles, to which city the Saracens had retired after being defeated
in a night attack led on by Rinaldo. Agramant here received the
tidings of the invasion of his country by a fresh enemy, the
Abyssinians, and learned that Biserta was in danger of falling
into their hands. He took counsel of his officers, and decided to
send an embassy to Charles, proposing that the whole quarrel
should be submitted to the combat of two warriors, one from each
side, according to the issue of which it should be decided which
party should pay tribute to the other, and the war should cease.
Charlemagne, who had not heard of the favorable turn which affairs
had taken in Africa, readily agreed to this proposal, and Rinaldo
was selected on the part of the Christians to sustain the combat.
The Saracens selected Rogero for their champion. Rogero was still
in the Saracen camp, kept there by honor alone, for his mind had
been opened to the truth of the Christian faith by the arguments
of Bradamante, and he had resolved to leave the party of the
infidels on the first favorable opportunity, and to join the
Christian side. But his honor forbade him to do this while his
former friends were in distress; and thus he waited for what time
might bring forth, when he was startled by the announcement that
he had been selected to uphold the cause of the Saracens against
the Christians, and that his foe was to be Rinaldo, the brother of
Bradamante.
While Rogero was overwhelmed with this intelligence Bradamante on
her side felt the deepest distress at hearing of the proposed
combat. If Rogero should fall she felt that no other man living
was worthy of her love; and if, on the other hand, Heaven should
resolve to punish France by the death of her chosen champion,
Bradamante would have to deplore her brother, so dear to her, and
be no less completely severed from the object of her affections.
While the fair lady gave herself up to these sad thoughts, the
sage enchantress, Melissa, suddenly appeared before her. "Fear
not, my daughter," said she, "I shall find a way to interrupt this
combat which so distresses you."
Meanwhile Rinaldo and Rogero prepared their weapons for the
conflict. Rinaldo had the choice, and decided that it should be on
foot, and with no weapons but the battle-axe and poniard. The
place assigned was a plain between the camp of Charlemagne and the
walls of Arles.
Hardly had the dawn announced the day appointed for this memorable
combat, when heralds proceeded from both sides to mark the lists.
Erelong the African troops were seen to advance from the city,
Agramant at their head; his brilliant arms adorned in the Moorish
fashion, his horse a bay, with a white star on his forehead.
Rogero marched at his side, and some of the greatest warriors of
the Saracen camp attended him, bearing the various parts of his
armor and weapons. Charlemagne, on his part, proceeded from his
intrenchments, ranged his troops in semicircle, and stood
surrounded by his peers and paladins. Some of them bore portions
of the armor of Rinaldo, the celebrated Ogier, the Dane, bearing
the helmet which Rinaldo took from Mambrino. Duke Namo of Bavaria
and Salomon of Bretagne bore two axes, of equal weight, prepared
for the occasion.
The terms of the combat were then sworn to with the utmost
solemnity by all parties. It was agreed that if from either part
any attempt was made to interrupt the battle both combatants
should turn their arms against the party which should be guilty of
the interruption; and both monarchs assented to the condition that
in such case the champion of the offending party should be
discharged from his allegiance, and at liberty to transfer his
arms to the other side.
When all the preparations were concluded the monarchs and their
attendants retired each to his own side, and the champions were
left alone. The two warriors advanced with measured steps towards
each other, and met in the middle of the space. They attacked one
another at the same moment, and the air resounded with the blows
they gave. Sparks flew from their battle-axes, while the velocity
with which they managed their weapons astonished the beholders.
Rogero, always remembering that his antagonist was the brother of
his betrothed, could not aim a deadly wound; he strove only to
ward off those levelled against himself. Rinaldo, on the other
hand, much as he esteemed Rogero, spared not his blows, for he
eagerly desired victory for his own sake, and for the sake of his
country and his faith.
The Saracens soon perceived that their champion fought feebly, and
gave not to Rinaldo such blows as he received from him. His
disadvantage was so marked that anxiety and shame were manifest on
the countenance of Agramant. Melissa, one of the most acute
enchantresses that ever lived, seized this moment to disguise
herself under the form of Rodomont, that rude and impetuous
warrior, who had now for some time been absent from the Saracen
camp. Approaching Agramant, she said, "How could you, my lord,
have the imprudence of selecting a young man without experience to
oppose the most redoubtable warrior of France? Surely you must
have been regardless of the honor of your arms, and of the fate of
your empire! But it is not too late. Break without delay the
agreement which is sure to result in your ruin." So saying, she
addressed the troops who stood near, "Friends," said she, "follow
me; under my guidance every one of you will be a match for a score
of those feeble Christians." Agramant, delighted at seeing
Rodomont once more at his side, gave his consent, and the
Saracens, at the instant, couched their lances, set spurs to their
steeds, and swept down upon the French. Melissa, when she saw her
work successful, disappeared.
Rinaldo and Rogero, seeing the truce broken, and the two armies
engaged in general conflict, stopped their battle; their martial
fury ceased at once, they joined hands, and resolved to act no
more on either side until it should be clearly ascertained which
party had failed to observe its oath. Both renewed their promise
to abandon forever the party which had been thus false and
perjured.
Meanwhile, the Christians, after the first moment of surprise, met
the Saracens with courage redoubled by rage at the treachery of
their foes. Guido the Wild, brother and rival of Rinaldo, Griffon
and Aquilant, sons of Oliver, and numerous others whose names have
already been celebrated in our recitals, beat back the assailants,
and at last, after prodigious slaughter, forced them to take
shelter within the walls of Arles.
We will now return to Orlando, whom we last heard of as furiously
mad, and doing a thousand acts of violence in his senseless rage.
One day he came to the borders of a stream which intercepted his
course. He swam across it, for he could swim like an otter, and on
the other side saw a peasant watering his horse. He seized the
animal, in spite of the resistance of the peasant, and rode it
with furious speed till he arrived at the sea-coast, where Spain
is divided from Africa by only a narrow strait. At the moment of
his arrival a vessel had just put off to cross the strait. She was
full of people who, with glass in hand, seemed to be taking a
merry farewell of the land, wafted by a favorable breeze.
The frantic Orlando cried out to them to stop and take him in; but
they, having no desire to admit a madman to their company, paid
him no attention. The paladin thought this behavior very uncivil;
and by force of blows made his horse carry him into the water in
pursuit of the ship. The wretched animal soon had only his head
above water; but as Orlando urged him forward, nothing was left
for the poor beast but either to die or swim over to Africa.
Already Orlando had lost sight of the bark; distance and the swell
of the sea completely hid it from his sight. He continued to press
his horse forward, till at last it could struggle no more, and
sunk beneath him. Orlando, nowise concerned, stretched out his
nervous arms, puffing the salt water from before his mouth, and
carried his head above the waves. Fortunately they were not rough,
scarce a breath of wind agitated the surface; otherwise, the
invincible Orlando would then have met his death. But fortune,
which it is said favors fools, delivered him from this danger, and
landed him safe on the shore of Ceuta. Here he rambled along the
shore till he came to where the black army of Astolpho held its
camp.
Now it happened, just before this time, that a vessel filled with
prisoners which Rodomont had taken at the bridge had arrived, and,
not knowing of the presence of the Abyssinian army, had sailed
right into port, where of course the prisoners and their captors
changed places, the former being set at liberty and received with
all joy, the latter sent to serve in the galleys. Astolpho thus
found himself surrounded with Christian knights, and he and his
friends were exchanging greetings and felicitations, when a noise
was heard in the camp, and seemed to increase every moment.
Astolpho and his friends seized their weapons, mounted their
horses, and rode to the quarter whence the noise proceeded.
Imagine their astonishment when they saw that the tumult was
caused by a single man, perfectly naked, and browned with dirt and
exposure, but of a force and fury so terrible that he overturned
all that offered to lay hands on him.
Astolpho, Dudon, Oliver, and Florimart gazed at him with
amazement. It was with difficulty they knew him. Astolpho, who had
been warned of his condition by his holy monitor, was the first to
recognize him. As the paladins closed round Orlando, the madman
dealt one and another a blow of his fist, which, if they had not
been in armor, or he had had any weapon, would probably have
despatched them; as it was, Dudon and Astolpho measured their
length on the sand. But Florimart seized him from behind,
Sansonnet and another grasped his legs, and at last they succeeded
in securing him with ropes. They took him to the water-side and
washed him well, and then Astolpho, having first bandaged his
mouth so that he could not breathe except through his nose,
brought the precious phial, uncorked it, and placed it adroitly
under his nostrils, when the good Orlando took it all up in one
breath. O marvellous prodigy! The paladin recovered in an instant
all his intelligence. He felt like one who had awakened from a
painful dream, in which he had believed that monsters were about
to tear him to pieces. He seemed prostrated, silent, and abashed.
Florismart, Oliver, and Astolpho stood gazing upon him, while he
turned his eyes around and on himself. He seemed surprised to find
himself naked, bound, and stretched on the sea-shore. After a few
moments he recognized his friends, and spoke to them in a tone so
tender that they hastened to unbind him, and to supply him with
garments. Then they exerted themselves to console him, to diminish
the weight with which his spirits were oppressed, and to make him
forget the wretched condition into which he had been sunk.
Orlando, in recovering his reason, found himself also delivered
from his insane attachment to the queen of Cathay. His heart felt
now no further influenced by the recollection of her than to be
moved with an ardent desire to retrieve his fame by some
distinguished exploit. Astolpho would gladly have yielded to him
the chief command of the army, but Orlando would not take from the
friend to whom he owed so much the glory of the campaign; but in
everything the two paladins acted in concert, and united their
counsels. They proposed to make a general assault on the city of
Biserta, and were only waiting a favorable moment, when their plan
was interrupted by new events.
Agramant, after the bloody battle which followed the infraction of
the truce, found himself so weak that he saw it was in vain to
attempt to remain in France. So, in concert with Sobrino, the
bravest and most trusted of his chiefs, he embarked to return to
his own country, having previously sent off his few remaining
troops in the same direction. The vessel which carried Agramant
and Sobrino approached the shore where the army of Astolpho lay
encamped before Biserta, and having discovered this fact before it
was too late, the king commanded the pilot to steer eastward, with
a view to seek protection of the King of Egypt. But the weather
becoming rough, he consented to the advice of his companions, and
sought harbor in an island which lies between Sicily and Africa.
There he found Gradasso, the warlike king of Sericane, who had
come to France to possess himself of the horse Bayard and the
sword Durindana; and having procured both these prizes was
returning to his own country.
The two kings, who had been companions in arms under the walls of
Paris, embraced one another affectionately. Gradasso learned with
regret the reverses of Agramant, and offered him his troops and
his person. He strongly deprecated resorting to Egypt for aid.
"Remember the great Pompey," said he, "and shun that fatal shore.
My plan," he continued, "is this: I mean to challenge Orlando to
single combat. Possessed of such a sword and steed as mine, if he
were made of steel or bronze, he could not escape me. He being
removed, there will be no difficulty in driving back the
Abyssinians. We will rouse against them the Moslem nations from
the other side of the Nile, the Arabians, Persians, and Chaldeans,
who will soon make Senapus recall his army to defend his own
territories."
Agramant approved this advice except in one particular. "It is for
me," said he, "to combat Orlando; I cannot with honor devolve that
duty on another."
"Let us adopt a third course," said the aged warrior Sobrino. "I
would not willingly remain a simple spectator of such a contest.
Let us send three squires to the shore of Africa to challenge
Orlando and any two of his companions in arms to meet us three in
this island of Lampedusa."
This counsel was adopted; the three squires sped on their way; and
now presented themselves, and rehearsed their message to the
Christian knights.
Orlando was delighted, and rewarded the squires with rich gifts.
He had already resolved to seek Gradasso and compel him to restore
Durindana, which he had learned was in his possession. For his two
companions the Count chose his faithful friend Florismart and his
cousin Oliver.
The three warriors embarked, and sailing with a favorable wind,
the second morning showed them, on their right, the island where
this important battle was to be fought. Orlando and his two
companions, having landed, pitched their tent. Agramant had placed
his opposite.
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