out with him, am his sister, whose name is Angelica.  Fame has told us of the jousting this day appointed, and of the noble press of knights here assembled, and how your generous natures care not to win prizes of gold or jewels, or gifts of cities, but only a wreath of roses; and so the prince my brother has come to prove his own valour, and to say, that if any or all of your guests, whether baptised or infidel, choose to meet him in the joust, he will encounter them one by one, in the green meadow without the walls, near the place called the Horseblock of Merlin, by the Fountain of the Pine.  And his conditions are these,—­that no knight who chances to be thrown shall have license to renew the combat in any way whatsoever, but remain a submissive prisoner in his hands; he, on the other hand, if himself be thrown, agreeing to take his departure out of the country with his giants, and to leave his sister, for prize, in the hands of the conqueror.”

Kneeling at the close of these words, the lady awaited the answer of Charlemagne, and every body gazed on her with astonishment.  Orlando especially, more than all the rest, felt irresistibly drawn towards her, so that his heart trembled, and he changed countenance.  But he felt ashamed at the same time; and casting his eyes down, he said to himself, “Ah, mad and unworthy Orlando! whither is thy soul being hurried?  I am drawn, and cannot say nay to what draws me.  I reckoned the whole world as nothing, and now I am conquered by a girl.  I cannot get her sweet look out of my heart.  My soul seems to die within me, at the thought of being without her.  It is love that has seized me, and I feel that nothing will set me free;—­not strength, nor courage, nor my own wisdom, nor that of any adviser.  I see the better part, and cleave to the worse."[2]

Thus secretly in his heart did the frank and noble Orlando lament over his new feelings; and no wonder; for every knight in the hall was enamoured of the beautiful stranger, not excepting even old white-headed Duke Namo.  Charlemagne himself did not escape.

All stood for awhile in silence, lost in the delight of looking at her.  The fiery youth Ferragus was the first to exhibit symptoms in his countenance of uncontrollable passion.  He refrained with difficulty from going up to the giants, and tearing her out of their keeping.  Rinaldo also turned as red as fire; while his cousin Malagigi the enchanter, who had discovered that the stranger was not speaking truth, muttered softly, as he looked at her, “Exquisite false creature!  I will play thee such a trick for this, as will leave thee no cause to boast of thy visit.”

Charlemagne, to detain her as long as possible before him, made a speech in answer, in which he talked and looked, and looked and talked, till there seemed no end of it.  At length, however, the challenge was accepted in all its forms; and the lady quitted the hall with her brother and the giants.