like us, a tree, a fountain, or a rock."

Rogero expressed his astonishment at this recital. Astolpho added
that the island was in great part subject to the sway of Alcina.
By the aid of her sister Morgana, she had succeeded in
dispossessing a third sister, Logestilla, of nearly the whole of
her patrimony, for the whole isle was hers originally by her
father's bequest. But Logestilla was temperate and sage, while the
other sisters were false and voluptuous. Her empire was divided
from theirs by a gulf and chain of mountains, which alone had thus
far prevented her sister from usurping it.

Astolpho here ended his tale, and Rogero, who knew that he was the
cousin of Bradamante, would gladly have devised some way for his
relief; but, as that was out of his power, he consoled him as well
as he could, and then begged to be told the way to the palace of
Logestilla, and how to avoid that of Alcina. Astolpho directed him
to take the road to the left, though rough and full of rocks. He
warned him that this road would present serious obstacles; that
troops of monsters would oppose his passage, employed by the art
of Alcina to prevent her subjects from escaping from her dominion.
Rogero thanked the myrtle, and prepared to set out on his way.

He at first thought he would mount the winged horse, and scale the
mountain on his back; but he was too uncertain of his power to
control him to wish to encounter the hazard of another flight
through the air, besides that he was almost famished for the want
of food. So he led the horse after him, and took the road on foot,
which for some distance led equally to the dominions of both the
sisters.