Chapter 3 - Page 2

Thus Argalia was expected to subdue and take
prisoners whatever knights should dare to encounter him; and the
charms of Angelica were relied on to entice the paladins to make the
fatal venture, while her ring would afford her easy means of escape.
When Angelica ceased speaking, she knelt before the king and awaited
his answer, and everybody gazed on her with admiration. Orlando
especially felt irresistibly drawn towards her, so that he trembled
and changed countenance. Every knight in the hall was infected with
the same feeling, not excepting old white-headed Duke Namo and
Charlemagne himself.
All stood for a while in silence, lost in the delight of looking
at her. The fiery youth Ferrau could hardly restrain himself from
seizing her from the giants and carrying her away; Rinaldo turned as
red as fire, while Malagigi, who had discovered by his art that the
stranger was not speaking the truth, muttered softly, as he looked
at her, "Exquisite false creature! I will play thee such a trick for
this, as will leave thee no cause to boast of thy visit."
Charlemagne, to detain her as long as possible before him, delayed
his assent till he had asked her a number of questions, all of which
she answered discreetly, and then the challenge was accepted.
As soon as she was gone, Malagigi consulted his book, and found
out the whole plot of the vile, infidel king Galafron, as we have
explained it, so he determined to seek the damsel and frustrate her
designs. He hastened to the appointed spot, and there found the prince
and his sister in a beautiful pavilion, where they lay asleep, while
the four giants kept watch. Malagigi took his book and cast a spell
out of it, and immediately the four giants fell into a deep sleep.
Drawing his sword (for he was a belted knight), he softly approached
the young lady, intending to despatch her at once; but, seeing her
look so lovely, he paused for a moment, thinking there was no need
of hurry, as he believed his spell was upon her, and she could not
wake. But the ring which she wore secured her from the effect of the
spell, and some slight noise, or whatever else it was, caused her at
that moment to awake. She uttered a great cry, and flew to her
brother, and waked him. By the help of her knowledge of enchantment,
they took and bound fast the magician, and, seizing his book, turned
his arts against himself. Then they summoned a crowd of demons, and
bade them seize their prisoner and bear him to king Galafron, at his
great city of Albracca, which they did, and, on his arrival, he was
locked up in a rock under the sea.
While these things were going on, all was uproar at Paris, since
Orlando insisted upon being the first to try the adventure at the
stair of Merlin. This was resented