of the Lake, the very idea of opposing whom made Falerina turn
pale with fear. Representing to him the hazards of the enterprise,
she led him towards the dwelling of Morgana. To approach it he had
to encounter the same uncourteous bridge-ward who had already
defeated and made captive so many knights, and last of all,
Rinaldo. He was a churl of the most ferocious character, named
Arridano. Morgana had provided him with impenetrable armor, and
endowed him in such a manner that his strength always increased in
proportion to that of the adversary with whom he was matched. No
one had ever yet escaped from the contest, since, such was his
power of endurance, he could breathe freely under water. Hence,
having grappled with a knight, and sunk with him to the bottom of
the lake, he returned, bearing his enemy's arms in triumph to the
surface.

While Falerina was repeating her cautions and her counsels Orlando
saw Rinaldo's arms erected in form of a trophy, among other spoils
made by the villain, and, forgetting their late quarrel,
determined upon revenging his friend. Arriving at the pass, the
churl presuming to bar the way, a desperate contest ensued, during
which Falerina escaped. The churl finding himself overmatched at a
contest of arms, resorted to his peculiar art, grappled his
antagonist, and plunged with him into the lake. When he reached
the bottom Orlando found himself in another world, upon a dry
meadow, with the lake overhead, through which shone the beams of
our sun, while the water stood on all sides like a crystal wall.
Here the battle was renewed, and Orlando had in his magic sword an
advantage which none had hitherto possessed. It had been tempered
by Falerina so that no spells could avail against it. Thus armed,
and countervailing the strength of his adversary by his superior