venerable appearance seemed to assure his piety.

This hermit, who appeared shrunk by age and fasting, travelled
slowly, mounted upon a wretched ass. The princess, overcome with
fear, conjured him to save her life; and to conduct her to some
port of the sea, whence she might embark and quit France, never
more to hear the odious name of Rinaldo.

The old hermit was something of a wizard. He comforted Angelica,
and promised to protect her from all peril. Then he opened his
scrip, and took from thence a book, and had read but a single page
when a goblin, obedient to his incantations, appeared, under the
form of a laboring man, and demanded his orders. He received them,
transported himself to the place where the knights still
maintained their conflict, and boldly stepped between the two.

"Tell me, I pray you," he said, "what benefit will accrue to him
who shall get the better in this contest? The object you are
contending for is already disposed of; for the Paladin Orlando,
without effort and without opposition, is now carrying away the
princess Angelica to Paris. You had better pursue them promptly;
for if they reach Paris you will never see her again."

At these words you might have seen those rival warriors
confounded, stupefied, silently agreeing that they were affording
their rival a fair opportunity to triumph over them. Rinaldo,
approaching Bayard, breathes a sigh of shame and rage, and swears
a terrible oath that, if he overtakes Orlando, he will tear his
heart out. Then mounting Bayard and pressing his flanks with his
spurs, he leaves the king of Circassia on foot in the forest.