proof of which he made certain charges against her. The lady
denied them all, and Orlando believed her, defied the knight,
overthrew him, and, releasing the lady, departed with her seated
on his horse's croup.

While they rode another damsel approached on a white palfrey, who
warned Orlando of impending danger, and informed him that he was
near the garden of the enchantress. Orlando was delighted with the
intelligence, and entreated her to inform him how he was to gain
admittance. She replied that the garden could only be entered at
sunrise and gave him such instructions as would enable him to gain
admittance. She gave him also a book in which was painted the
garden and all that it contained, together with the palace of the
false enchantress, where she had secluded herself for the purpose
of executing a magic work in which she was engaged. This was the
manufacture of a sword capable of cutting even through enchanted
substances The object of this labor, the damsel told him, was the
destruction of a knight of the west, by name Orlando, who she had
read in the book of Fate was coming to demolish her garden. Having
thus instructed him, the damsel departed.

Orlando, finding he must delay his enterprise till the next
morning, now lay down and was soon asleep. Seeing this, the base
woman whom he had rescued, and who was intent on making her escape
to rejoin her paramour, mounted Brigliadoro, and rode off,
carrying away Durindana.

When Orlando awoke, his indignation, as may be supposed, was great
on the discovery of the theft; but, like a good knight and true,
he was not to be diverted from his enterprise. He tore off a huge