Orlando in Love, episode 35: Rescues and Revelations Each to his own, his own to each: Some like to soldier, some tend sheep, some are consumed acquiring things, some like to hunt, and some like love, some sail the sea and back again, and some will fish while others preach; At palace, this sells gossip, @ L/R that~one -- joyous -- dances, sings, and strums. But _you_ prefer to hear high deeds @ C -- out performed by famous knights of old. Your preference comes from nobleness. You care for valor, valor that~men with no virtue do not prize: But you, who listen round me here, bring to renown and virtue, glory -- you like to hear a splendid story. -- I shall resume where I left off: The Count Orlando and his friend, the noble Pagan Brandymart, have fallen prey to cunning traps set by the old King Manodant. They were the last of _many_~cavaliers this monarch had entrapped, for all his plans were made~to capture Count Orlando, which he'd done. Manodant undertook this course to save his last -- his _only_ son. The eldest son of Manodant had vanished many years ago. His younger son, Prince Zilliant, is now his only joy in life. Some while ago, Prince Zilliant was captured by Morgahn the Fay. She offers him to Manodant, if he will give to her, in turn, the head of her old enemy, the Paladin Orlando, bold. -- Orlando, while in prison, teaches~Brandymart the Christian faith. Each felt so for the other, that~they sought to save each other's life. Because their jailers don't know them, each takes the /other/ baron's name. Brandymart, claiming he's the Count, says he will stay in prison here, but asks that his companion be allowed to try and free the Prince. Orlando, now called Brandymart, is given freedom for a month~to try and carry out this quest. But if, within a month, this knight~has not returned with Zilliant, the hostage 'Count Orlando' will be given to Morgahn the Fay. -- Sadly, due to a few mistakes, Brandymart's true name is unmasked. When.Manodant learns he's been tricked, that Count Orlando has escaped, he flies into a fearsome rage. Brandymart is entombed within a dank and lonely oubliette. No food or water's given him. If no help comes, he'll surely die. -- Meanwhile, Orlando reached the lake in which Morgana's island lies. That island's reached by a small bridge which he has traveled o'er before. Just then, a maid arrives there too, riding a palfrey through the plain. She saw the Count. She called his name. She said, "Orlando, my bold knight, (L) the God of Paradise arranged {noble damsel} that you be here to give me aid!" This woman who has just arrived, who (I say) on a palfrey rides, had one lone servant at her side. This maiden's /Fiordiligi,/ and Brandymart is her true love. -- "The Lord in heaven, in His mercy, (L) has sent you here to give me help -- the very thing for which I hoped. It's necessary, baron bold, to show your chivalry at once, but so you'll know what you must do, I will describe your task: attend! "After I left Albraka's walls, (L) with great fatigue and greater care, I searched for Brandymart both day and night, but nothing could be learned. "Then I went back to Albraka (L) to find out if he'd yet returned, and on my way, I found this man. His name's Bardino. Brandymart~employs him as his castellan, to keep guard over Castle Wild. -- "Another baron, full of rage, (L) one always cruel and inhumane, is Brandymart's old enemy: "With many mercenaries, (L) he~has set a siege at Castle Wild, and it seems he will never stop~attacking till he _levels_ it. "He shouts out, 'Brandymart's foul sins (L)(C) have led him to Morgana's lake! {nasal villain} That's why I've come to take possession. Don't expect any help from him!' "Bardino was afraid he'd die (L) if that fierce baron captured him. The court astrologers told him that what that villain said was _true,_ Brandymart's trapped beneath this pool! "I beg you, Count, if _ever_ you've been loved, (L) that you take action now and free him from this evil lake. Then may you live renowned on earth!" and may Love grant your every wish, -- Briefly, Orlando told her that~her news was rather out of date, that Brandymart no /longer/ was~a prisoner beneath that lake. Those prisoners had all been freed except for one -- Prince Zilliant. Now Brandymart's a captive~of King Manodant, not far away. In order to save Brandymart, The Count must rescue Zilliant. The damsel was content with this, and she dismounted on the bank. She knelt and looked up to the sky, and fervently she prayed to God that this adventure the Count chose might reach a good and fitting close. -- By then, Orlando'd reached the door. He knew it; he'd been there before. The door was hidden in a rock, covered outside by thorny plants. Down went Orlando, underground, until he'd reached the stairway's end, then step by step he went a mile~along the floor of marble stones. At last, he reached the magic garden in which Morgana makes her home. Within that garden is a fountain~trimmed.with.gold, pearls, and every gem. Morgana sat beside the spring, Zilliant, sleeping, in her lap. The fairy combed the young man's hair and often kissed him tenderly. -- No painting done by artist's brush ever portrayed such loveliness. Fair and adroit is Zilliant; His face reveals nobility; His clothes are fine and beautiful; His speech is courteous and smooth. No.wonder that fay took such pleasure: She stared -- his fair face was her mirror. With the young man locked in her arms she seems to live in paradise. -- Then suddenly, Orlando entered, and since he had experience lost no time, as he had done once, but reaching her, he seized the lock~of blond hair hanging from her brow. That is the only way in which~the fay Morgana can be caught. Then the false damsel, like a fox, with sweet looks and with ready words requests the baron's pardon, if~she'd ever done him shame or wrong. And then, to recompense his pains, promises treasure and great gains, if he will leave her that young prince. She vows that he can have his wish -- but he wants only Zilliant and rates all else a worthless leaf. Now who could tell the many words, the lamentations and the cries~of sorrow that Morgana tries? But nothing works; the Count won't listen. -- He'd taken Zilliant's fair hand @ L to lead him from the garden, and~he does not fear the fairy's spells because he holds her forelock tight. @ R She grieves and she laments in vain. She finds no solace for her pain. She fawns, she begs, she threatens, but~the Count heads for the exit, silent. They left, and then began to climb~up stairs surrounded by hard stone till, just as they passed through the gate that led from that dark passageway, Orlando turned tow'rds her to say, -- "Morgana, I want you to swear (R) a firm oath by great Demogorgon {Connery knight} never to hurt or hinder me!" Demogorgon rules all.fairies (I.don't know if you're aware of this) adjudicating their disputes, and he does what he wants with them. At night he rides a giant ram across the mountains and the sea, and he whips witches, shades, and fays with live snakes, at firstlight each day, when their appearance is forbidden. If he finds them on earth at dawn he batters them with such mad blows they truly wish that they _could_ die. He chains some deep beneath the sea, some must walk barefoot on the wind, and some must follow him through flames: he torments them in different ways. And so the Count abjures the fay by her great ruler Demogorgon, of whom she's very much afraid, and, terrified, she swore that oath, then fled into the deep when freed. -- The Count and Zilliant both leave and they find Fiordiligi still~devoutly praying on her knees. and when she saw those two emerge she rendered many thanks to God. They walked together till they reached~the seaside, which was nearby. There~they boarded ship and started sailing, towards the realm of Manodant. They disembarked at the capital, where two.towers flanked a noble port, and when the crowd at dockside saw the boy on ship, they _shouted_ out with happy, joyous, loving cries. Until now, they thought he had died. Everyone shouts, both big and small, and gradually the voices spread. No maid or crone remains behind. All arts and crafts are set aside. The old the young -- even children -- rush to see Prince Zilliant arrive. So thickly gathered was the crowd it blanketed that marble port. King Manodant now heard the sound; Not waiting for his cloak or crown he rushed down to the dock at once. -- First off the ship is Zilliant, then Fiordiligi, then the Count. Bardino is the fourth to leave, and when he does, all shout his name "Bardino!~ Look, Bardino! {various} Now the king~will have a chance to learn what happened to his _other_ son!" After the mob has moved aside Orlando tries to reach the front. He makes his greeting to the king~courteously, presents his son, then quickly asks for Brandymart. The king made no response, ashamed~of what he'd, for this service, done: He had mistreated Brandymart. He answers that he's safe and sound, but blushes from embarrassment. Holding Orlando's hand, he turned @ [look L, double-take] and happened then to cast a glance~that caught Bardino. He yelled, "Villain! (L) Where did you put my boy, you _thief?_ {old, -deep} Arrest this traitor instantly! He took my _oldest_ son from me!" At that, Bardino's seized at once, but he asked only to be heard. Bardino claimed that he'd been beaten~from head to foot by Manodant (justly or not, I cannot say). Feeling despair, he'd run away, and kidnapped young Prince Bramadoro. He told exactly how he'd fled~on sea by ship, how, reaching land,~ he'd raised the boy inside a cave and changed his name, which none had known. -- He sold him to the count of Castle Wild and then,~from remorse, remained there, to protect the lad. But when the little boy matured, his strength and daring were prodigious. All men who lived near feared him, so~before he died, the count, who had~no wife or other heirs, /adopted/~the young man and left him all. Until the youngster had matured, Bardino never left that realm, and the young man loved him so well, that he'd made him his castellan. The /former/ Bramadoro went~to tour the world, to prove himself. Bardino now revealed the new~name he had given to the prince. Named Bramadoro as an infant, this _Brandymart,_ now prisoner, was /really/ Manodant's first son! -- Bardino told all this, just so, giving the history of that prince, but when he, at the end, said who~he was, the king's heart greatly grieved, since he had put him, as I said, on cold ground, in a tower dungeon. He'd thrown him in unshod and nude. Now he regrets he'd been so crude. Though he'd already sent before~to free him, at Orlando's wish, the king is keen to send again, and he weeps constantly for love. The cheers of happiness renew from rooftops, balconies, and turrets -- never had such a noise been heard. Townspeople run with flaming torches. On tambourines and harps and lutes and other instruments they played. The king, deprived of his two sons~and hopeless, now had found them *both!* Citizens filled the city square, and some played music, others danced. Amorous maids and small girls tossed~roses and lily leaves in air. -- Amid such joy and happiness, Brandymart's brought before the king. He'd lain in prison naked; now,~his rank restored, he wears fine clothes. Everyone wept for tenderness. The king asked him his mother's name. "Al-bina comess to mind," he said. (R) "I dohn't rrecall my fatherr, though." {saracen} No longer could the king hold back: He wept and said, "My dearest son, (L) my *son,* whatever can I say~for jailing you so miserably?" So saying, he embraces him~tightly, and.his eyes brim with tears. Then he embraces Zilliant, and all can tell the two _are_ brothers, they so resemble one another, although their years are not the same. -- Now who can count the many kisses Brandymart gives to Fiordiligi? And while they revel and rejoice, the king forgives Bardino too. The Count, to culminate, baptized~the king, his children, and his barons, an enterprise that took some effort. But Brandymart spoke so well that~both his father and his court converted. Those who had been in prison were~released -- Astolfo and Rinaldo,~bold Dudone, many more and they were treated royally. -- After some days had flitted by, all of them spent in song and dance, Dudone called the cavaliers~one morning to a chamber, and~he told them of the armies massed~by Africa to conquer France. That king has armored half the world to _crush_ the Christians and King Charles. Rinaldo and Astolfo stood.ready to fight for Christianity. They would maintain its faith and laws as long as they could hold their swords. /Orlando/ would _not_ go with them. I think his overwhelming love sidetracked his heart from what was right. Orlando asked good Brandymart to stay at home with Zilliant to tend their father, who neared death. Young Zilliant will gladly stay, but Brandymart has other plans. He'll stay close to Orlando's side wherever he may choose to ride. Brandymart loves Orlando so, he'd never let him go alone. -- Myself, I must now leave these knights, as they all go their separate ways. The forces moving against France demand my full attention now. My story now is split once more @ [expansive gesture] to many tales on many shores, but if you carefully attend, [waggle finger] all shall be made clear, in... [hands slowly clasp...] The End. [and bow.]