the most delicate, and wines as fragrant as they were fine, drunk
out of jewelled cups; and, when it drew towards its conclusion,
harps and lutes were heard in the distance, and one of the ladies
said in the knight's ear: "This house and all that you see in it
are yours; for you alone was it built, and the builder is a queen.
Happy indeed must you think yourself, for she loves you, and she
is the greatest beauty in the world! Her name is Angelica."

The moment Rinaldo heard the name he so detested he started up,
with a changed countenance, and, in spite of all that the lady
could say, broke off across the garden, and never ceased hastening
till he reached the place where he landed. The bark was still on
the shore. He sprang into it, and pushed off, though he saw nobody
in it but himself. It was in vain for him to try to control its
movements, for it dashed on as if in fury, till it reached a
distant shore covered with a gloomy forest. Here Rinaldo,
surrounded by enchantments of a very different sort from those
which he had lately resisted, was entrapped into a pit.

The pit belonged to a castle called Altaripa, which was hung with
human heads, and painted red with blood. As the paladin was
viewing the scene with amazement a hideous old woman made her
appearance at the edge of the pit, and told him that he was
destined to be thrown to a monster, who was only kept from
devastating the whole country by being supplied with living human
flesh. Rinaldo said, "Be it so; let me but remain armed as I am,
and I fear nothing." The old woman laughed in derision. Rinaldo
remained in the pit all night, and the next morning was taken to
the place where the monster had his den. It was a court surrounded
by a high wall. Rinaldo was shut in with the beast, and a terrible