Jaufry the Knight and the Fair Brunissende: A Tale of the Times of King Arthur
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CHAPTER X. THE GIANT.
While the archbishop preached beside the pond, Sir Jaufry found himselfwith those two dames in a delicious land. Valley and plain, water andshady grove, city and castle,--all was charming there.
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Before he well recovered his surprise, the lovelier of his twocompanions said:
"I now, sir knight, do hold you in my power; perchance this time you'llnot refuse to do the service which with tears I begged of you some soshort days agone."
"Lady," Sir Jaufry wondering replied, "methinks I ne'er set eyes on youbefore."
"I am that weeping dame who did entreat you to defend her rights 'gainstFelon d'Albaru, a wicked wretch, {144}whom God confound! This monster,who doth not deserve the name of knight, since he doth naught but planmost villain acts and set vile snares, bears on his shoulders more thehead of horse or bull than that of living man. His eyes are large aseggs; his features horrible; his lips are thick and black; his fangsproject from out his mouth, which is itself huge as a leopard's jaw; andagainst nature are his frightful shape, distended body, and misshapenlegs.
"'Tis not to fright you, good my lord, I draw this portrait of myfoe,--your heart ne'er harboured fear: but true it is, he doth all menalarm; so that his aspect, at a distance seen, doth scare away all suchas would defend my cause. As yet in fight invincible, he hath despoiledmy lands and all the country round; I but my castle now have left tome, and that tomorrow must be given up, if God and you oppose not suchdecree. But I would rather suffer torture, death, than fall into hispower."
"Is all this true?" asked Jaufry.
"Yea, lord, by the faith!"
"Since yours' the right, I'll battle with this foe; but you have wrong'dme, and fair Brunissende hath certes her thoughts on death."
"She," {145}said the lady, "fear not, will not die; and you will me havesaved."
As thus discoursing, they the castle reached; a building strong,surrounded by good walls, with fosses, cut from out the solid rock,filled with a living stream. Jaufry was there most grandly entertainedby that fair lady's vassals; and mom come, when he had dressed andarmour buckled on, bathed well his face and hands, and prayed to Heavento give him grace that day and strength to uphold the right of theoppressed, he with humility attended mass, and gave seven marks ofsilver.
When mass was done, he to the terrace mounted with the dame and withher damsels, and watched for Felon's coming. Short space elapsed duringtheir stopping there, he suffering in his heart for Brunissende's justgrief, ere a bright band of knights appeared upon the plain.
"Lady," he then inquired, "is this our foe?"
"'Tis he, my lord, with all his train. He rides ahead of them."
"Let him then come, and we will hear his cause." Felon came gently on,bearing upon his fist a hawk most rare as it was beautiful. It had aslender neck, a {146}large beak sharper than a razor's edge, long wings,a tail a palm at least in length, a sinewy leg, and strong and shapelyfoot.
Just as he came beneath the castle-walls, Felon perceived some hundredcranes all grouped about the grass of a small verdant close; at once heloosed the hawk, which flying off, began to wheel about the grassy spot,then rose up in the air to such vast height, scarce could the eye detecthis presence there. Some time elapsed, then straightway down he shot,and pounced upon the cranes with cry so dread, that, fluttering andhiding in the grass, they let themselves by Felon's men be caughtwithout attempting to escape away.
When they had thus some dozens of them ta'en, Felon recalled the bird,which on his fist again returned to perch.
"By Heaven!" quoth Jaufry, muttering half-aloud, "that man possesseth aright precious bird; never was finer seen or one more stanch; and couldI win it, and return above, 'twould be a worthy present for the king."
"You shall return full soon, my gentle lord," the lady smiling said,"and shall bear with you, I have little doubt, both Felon's bird andarms."
During {147}this time the giant had drawn near; and when he stood beforethe castle-bridge, with all his strength he cried:
"Come down, all you who there above do stand; and with you bring alongthat idle jade, whom I will make the servant of my squires."
"My lord," said Jaufry calmly in reply, "if you left here the jadewhereof you speak, pray you to point her out, and none will strive suchperson to detain."
"You know full well the meaning of my words. Give up the dame andcastle, as agreed."
"All covenant is sacred."
"So give up the dame."
"But if you please, my lord," Sir Jaufry said, "where is the right bywhich you claim such prize?"
"The right of my good pleasure, signor knave; who soon shall dangle on ahempen rope."
"'Tis an ill answer, savouring great pride. But all injustice doth notwin its end. You would abuse your strength against a woman having nodefence. Go arm yourself; for Heaven hath sent her one who will maintainher right."
"An the saints help me," Felon then replied, "you shall pay dearly forthose words of yours."
Giving {148}his squire the hawk without delay, he donned his hauberk andhis armour rich, buckled his helm, and seized his lance and shield; whenout he cried:
"Let that pert knave descend who wants to fight: we soon shall see uponthis very spot how he doth wield his arms."
Sir Jaufry went to put his armour on, and as he did so, made to God hisprayer; crossed he the drawbridge without noise or vaunt, while the fairlady and her vassals knelt and made this orison:
"Thou, Lord, who didst Thy hands upon the cross permit Thy foes to nail,and let an infidel pierce through Thy side, now grant to Jaufry strengthto conquer Felon!"
The champions met within the verdant close where the hawk chased thecranes. And when the giant did Sir Jaufry see, fiercely he cried:
"Hast thou thy senses, fool, to dare meet such as I?--I, who couldvanquish full a score like thee?"
"High vaunts like these," Sir Jaufry calmly said, "I hold as littleworth; for idle words are but as empty wind. Now list: if thou wiltrender back unto the dame who owns yon castle even the smallest thingthou {149}hast unjustly filched from her away, thou mayst depart withouta scratch or wound."
"Fine bargain, on my faith," the giant said; "thou dost pretend to grantme thy good grace: and I affirm I will not quit this spot till with thishand I've torn thee limb from limb."
"Now I no more can list; pride blinds thy sense. Henceforth, then,beware of me!"
And Jaufry at these words wheeled round his horse to give him a broadfield, when at full gallop he did rush at Felon. Seeing him come, thelatter grasped his shield, and flew to strike him with such dire shock,both horse and knight were thrown. But in the encounter Jau-fry's steadylance had broken his shield and pierced the arm right through. Likelightning Dovon's son was on his feet, his good sword firmly grasped.Mad with his wound, Felon came running up, and loudly cried:
"'Eore Heaven, villain, thy last hour is come, and without mercy shallthy carcass swing!"
It was his thought to pin him to the earth; but Jaufry dealt his horseso true a blow, it clean shaved off his head. So both were now afoot,and front to front with the same arms: now we shall shortly learn whichis the better knight.
Felon, {150}all pale, with foam upon his lips, struck with his swordupon Sir Jaufry's helm a blow so strong, it pared the visor off; thelatter dealt him in his turn a stroke which made his shield-arm droop.But such the force with which he gained this point his sword escapedhis hand. This Felon seeing, he his foot placed on't, so that theknight might not resume the blade; then he again assailed him with suchstrength, fire flew from out his helm.
"Yield thee, sir knight!" the giant fiercely cried, "since thou art nowdisarmed."
Sir Jaufry answered not, but raised his shield to ward a blow thatseemed intended to conclude the fight; for Felon's sword fell on it withsuch force, it shivered it in bits, and full two feet the blade struckin the earth.
Quick as the lightning's flash the youthful knight darted to raise hisown, which when
he held, he turned again on Felon. He, humbled in hispride, exclaimed aloud:
"Mercy, sir knight; O, mercy! pray restrain thine hand, and hold me at aransom!"
"Since you speak thus," Sir Jaufry made reply, dragging the giant'ssword from out the ground, "render {151}yourself to _her_ you have sooppressed. As for myself, no ransom do I wish saving yon hawk whichchased erewhile the cranes."
Felon then called about him all his knights, who bore him to the castle.There, when the leech had bound his gaping wounds, they laid him ona couch borne by two quiet steeds; whilst the fair dames, followed bynumerous train, led Jaufry back to where they brought him from.