with the impetuosity of a tempest. Their shields were pierced each
with the other's lance, and only the temper of their breastplates
saved their lives. Both the horses recoiled with the violence of
the shock; but the unknown knight's recovered itself at the touch
of the spur; the Saracen king's fell dead, and bore down his
master with him. The white knight, seeing his enemy in this
condition, cared not to renew the combat, but, thinking he had
done enough for glory, pursued his way through the forest, and was
a mile off before Sacripant had got free from his horse.

As a ploughman, stunned by a thunder-clap which has stricken dead
the oxen at his plough, stands motionless, sadly contemplating his
loss, so Sacripant stood confounded and overwhelmed with
mortification at having Angelica a witness of his defeat. He
groaned, he sighed, less from the pain of his bruises than for the
shame of being reduced to such a state before her. The princess
took pity on him, and consoled him as well as she could. "Banish
your regrets, my lord," she said, "this accident has happened
solely in consequence of the feebleness of your horse, which had
more need of rest and food than of such an encounter as this. Nor
can your adversary gain any credit by it, since he has hurried
away, not venturing a second trial." While she thus consoled
Sacripant they perceived a person approach, who seemed a courier,
with bag and horn. As soon as he came up, he accosted Sacripant,
and inquired if he had seen a knight pass that way, bearing a
white shield and with a white plume to his helmet. "I have,
indeed, seen too much of him," said Sacripant, "it is he who has
brought me to the ground; but at least I hope to learn from you
who that knight is." "That I can easily inform you," said the man;
"know then that, if you have been overthrown, you owe your fate to