Orlando in Love, episode 44: The Palace of Febosilla The longing love the knights of old~felt for their lovely ladies and~the strange adventures and the duels and armored jousts and tournaments assured their names a place on earth; We hear their deeds with eagerness. Some honor that knight more, some this, as if they lived among us still. Who'd not listen to the tale of Lancelot and his lovely queen who showed such valor, each for each, that anywhere men tell their deeds, the heavens flame with love, it seems. Come forward, all you women then, and every lord who seeks esteem, and hear the story to be told of ladies and of knights of old. I will resume where I left off, with.the.baron Brandymart and his love, the damsel Fiordiligi. They traveled through the eastern lands, seeking their friend Orlando, who had taught them both the Christian faith. They do not know Orlando has~gone back to France; they seek in vain. -- They reached a palace as they went whose garden faced a balcony. A damsel dressed in gold stood there, a maiden who was wondrous fair. When she observed the baron coming, she signaled him, with looks and gestures, that he must go another way @ and pass that palace at a distance. Now lords, I can't for certain say if Brandymart quite understood, but the knight did not hesitate till he was at the palace gate. When he arrived before its door, he saw its vast interior, with painted arches and a court~one hundred yards along each side. Close to the center stood a _giant,_ equipped with neither sword nor club~nor armaments -- no plate or mail. He held a /dragon/ by the tail. It gave heart to the cavalier to find a strange adventure here. -- The giant was engaged, I said, in a great struggle with a dragon. Their battle never varied, since~he wouldn't let go of its tail. The serpent, which had golden scales, entwined itself around his head but could not squeeze or hurt him much, as long as /he/ could check its movements. The giant, as he whirled the serpent, saw Brandymart there by the door. He.snorted with anger and contempt, and started running after him, dragging the dragon on the ground. -- May God give Brandymart his help! The giant lifts the dragon high and swings at Brandymart, who's~never felt such pain in all his life. But Brandymart's not terrified, and with his sword he whacks the giant's~shoulder and makes a wound a yard~long (maybe shorter) down his side. The giant screamed and raised the dragon, walloping Brandymart on the head, knocking him off his saddle, stunned. He didn't stop, but swung the serpent to hit Batoldo (that fine horse), and with a crash he stretched him flat. -- Meanwhile the knight revived, determined~not to delay, but to get even. He meets the giant, sword in hand and trusting in the Highest Power. But now the giant swings again and with his serpent flattens him. Before he does, though, Brandymart~drives his sword in at least a span. After they swing, they both fall down: At the same time (almost) they land. The _serpent_ grew a /human/ head -- R the image of the giant's -- then~sprouted a neck, chest, arms, and hands, a torso, and the other limbs. The /giant/ turned into a _dragon,_ L strange as the other, once, had been, and lay stretched on the earth until the giant seized it by the tail. -- He turns toward Brandymart anew: /His/ swing is like the one before. Brandymart quickly finds his feet, not frightened by this prodigy,~and sets to work. He wields his sword, thrusting and cutting constantly. How fierce he is! How spirited! He gave that giant four quick hits. The knight was trounced, and pounded too. That damned beast hit him many times. This fight was long and very fierce (he settled it, eventually). Swinging Tranchera, Brandymart~severed the giant to his chest: -- The giant turned into a dragon: The dragon turned into a giant. Now, as before, the giant seized~the dragon's tail and whipped the knight, and soon they had resumed their fight. Brandymart hit his shoulder blade, and what he sliced off fell away~to earth and did not slow his sword, which so destructively descended, he cut the giant to his thigh. As earlier, they were transformed -- the giant here, the dragon there -- and in this way they clashed *six* times. The duel was growing worse and worse. Six times that baron threw them down but could not find a way to finish, and in frustration and despair he thought -- he had no doubt -- he'd perish. -- But still, like the valiant man he was, he had not yet lost all his spirit. Now, with great ruin, daringly, he took a large and fearsome swing and hit the /serpent/ on its back, slicing across, behind its wings. The giant, when he saw /that/ stroke, threw the remains away and _bolted_. Toward the door to the inner court the giant, moaning loudly, fled, terrified.by what had.just occurred. Brandymart hit his head. His sword~descended -- cleaving -- to his waist. The giant tumbled down. Earth quaked. With his companion gone, the giant~did _not_ come back to life, but died. -- Beyond the first door was another and through it was a verdant garden, in which a knight was standing, armed, as if it were his work to guard~a sepulcher which had been set~past the sill of the second portal. The giant hardly hit the earth when the knight at the other door came charging forth at Brandymart. Now these two made a brand-new fray, delivering their mighty swings, but Brandymart fought best and he -- to finish this -- in just one instant stretched the knight dead, beside the giant. -- When Fiordiligi, who'd~watched her daring knight so prove himself, saw that the fight was ended, she~joined her hands, giving thanks to God. But the door they'd come through had _vanished,_ and though they did _all_ that they could~to search for it, they looked in vain, for no trace of that door remained. They waited, knew not what to do, and only one hope gave some comfort: The damsel who had signalled them might show how this adventure ended. -- She came down from the balcony. "What are you doing here?" she asked, "Don't you know what you have to do? You have to open up that tomb~or, locked up here, you'll starve and die. "But when that tomb is opened up, you have to have a valiant heart, since otherwise you'll be destroyed. You'll put us all in jeopardy! You must be bold to finish this; Whatever issues forth, you'll _kiss_." "I'll what? I'll kiss?" said Brandymart, "Is that all? Nothing else to do? No devil lives in hell so fierce that I won't dare to press his face. Don't be concerned about these things, I'll kiss it ten times, not just one," He spoke, then gripped a ring of gold, set in the corner of the tomb, and looking at its noble work, he saw words in the marble, cut~to say, "Not treasure, not great strength, not beauty -- so ephemeral -~ not wit, not courage could prevent~my coming to this bitter end." -- When Brandymart had read, he forced~open the sepulcher. A _dragon_~stretched forth its upper length, huffing~and puffing and hissing noisily. Its eyes were lit and fierce to see; Its mouth gaped to reveal huge teeth. The cavalier stepped back with his~hand on his sword, amazed by this. @ The damsel cried, "Put up your sword! For God! don't use it, baron bold! You will endanger all of us, and we will fall in the abyss! That serpent is what you must kiss, unless you want to leave this life. Move your mouth closer, or this site~will be the place where you will die." -- The knight went closer by a step but did not move too willingly; He leaned down to the serpent, and~he thought it looked so awfully fierce his face became as still as stone. He said, "If Fortune wants me dead, some other time will do as well~as this. Why should I kill myself? I am as sure of Paradise as I'm convinced that if I lean~over, that snake will snatch my face, or sink its teeth some other place! "This is what I think: someone else~other than me should play this game, and that false woman lures me on to vindicate her knight, who's slain." -- Saying this, he withdrew: He was~determined not to lean in close. The damsel was distressed. She told him, "Cowardly knight! What are you doing? Your melancholy attitude~and pensive heart will make you fail! (I tell him how to leave, but he~won't hear -- like all with little faith!)" Now Brandymart, at these strong words, went to the sepulcher once more; His face was pale; He was, of course,~embarrassed that he was afraid. One thought says No! another Yes! Frightened by that, assured by this: twixt bravery and despair, at last~he leaned and offered it a kiss. -- As soon as he had kissed its mouth (it seemed he'd touched a piece of ice), the serpent started to transform~itself: it changed into a woman. She was the fairy Febosilla, and she had built the noble palace, the lovely garden, and the tomb where she'd been suffering so long. Although a fairy cannot die until the Judgement Day arrives, when she has been a woman for~a thousand years (I think) or more, then (and.this happened to Febosilla), she will assume a serpent's shape till she is kissed by someone brave. -- Febosilla, a woman once again, was outfitted in white; her hair~was golden; she was wondrous fair. Her cheeks were rosy; her eyes dark. The fay conversed with Brandymart, inviting him to tell her what enchantment he might like performed: she'd charm his armor and his horse. Then she implored the knight to lead~the lady who was standing with them -- her name was Doristella -- back~to Syria, beside the sea. Her father had grown old, and she~was his sole offspring, son or daughter, and he was the king of Liza, a lord~wealthy in treasure, land, and arms. First, Brandymart accepted her offer~to charm his horse and arms. Then he swore Doristella'd reach~her father, safe, as she deserved. -- The palace portal opened. There, before it lay Batoldo, where~he'd been struck by the giant's dragon: He hadn't moved since he had fallen. Truly, he would have died there, but~the lovely fairy Febosilla restored the charger in.an.instant with juice of herbs and magic philters. Next, she enchanted Brandymart's~hauberk, bright mail, and every plate. When she'd done what he asked, they took~their leave; they bid the fay adieu. As Brandymart escorts the ladies, he caught sight of some men -- some mounted, some on foot -- approaching from the forest depths. To call them thieves would be no lie:~Each shouted louder than the next, "Stop, if you do not want to die!" Now, my good lords, I'm sure it's true you wish this song would not conclude, but mortal's voices /do/ grow sore -- another time, I'll tell you more.