for him the warmest affection, knew by his art that his pupil was
destined to be severed from him, and converted to the Christian
faith through the influence of Bradamante, that royal maiden with
whom chance had brought him acquainted. Thinking to thwart the
will of Heaven in this respect, he now put forth all his arts to
entrap Rogero into his power. By the aid of his subservient demons
he reared a castle on an inaccessible height, in the Pyrenean
mountains, and to make it a pleasant abode to his pupil, contrived
to entrap and convey thither knights and damsels many a one, whom
chance had brought into the vicinity of his castle. Here, in a
sort of sensual paradise, they were but too willing to forget
glory and duty, and to pass their time in indolent enjoyment

It was by the enchanter that the dwarf had now been sent to tempt
the knights into his power.

But we must now return to Rinaldo, whom we left interrupted in his
combat with Rodomont. In search of his late antagonist and intent
on bringing their combat to a decision he entered the forest of
Arden, whither he suspected Rodomont had gone. While engaged on
this quest he was surprised by the vision of a beautiful child
dancing naked, with three damsels as beautiful as himself. While
he was lost in admiration at the sight the child approached him,
and, throwing at him handfuls of roses and lilies, struck him from
his horse. He was no sooner down than he was seized by the
dancers, by whom he was dragged about and scourged with flowers
till he fell into a swoon. When he began to revive one of the
group approached him, and told him that his punishment was the
consequence of his rebellion against that power before whom all
things bend; that there was but one remedy to heal the wounds that