Chapter 16 - Page 2

to be the best made and the most
intelligent. These he caused to be arranged in squadrons at the foot
of a lofty mountain which bordered the plain, and he himself mounted
to the summit to carry into effect his great design. Here he found
vast quantities of fragments of rock and pebbles. These he set rolling
down the mountain's side, and, wonderful to relate, as they rolled
they grew in size, made themselves bodies, legs, necks, and long
faces. Next they began to neigh, to curvet, to scamper on all sides
over the plain. Some were bay, some roan, some dapple, some
chestnut. The troops at the foot of the mountain exerted themselves to
catch these new-created horses, which they easily did, for the miracle
had been so considerate as to provide all the horses with bridles
and saddles. Astolpho thus suddenly found himself supplied with an
excellent corps of cavalry, not fewer (as Archbishop Turpin asserts)
than eighty thousand strong. With these troops Astolpho reduced all
the country to subjection, and at last arrived before the walls of
Agramant's capital city, Biserta, to which he laid siege. We must now return to the camp of the Christians, which lay before
Arles, to which city the Saracens had retired after being defeated
in a night attack led on by Rinaldo. Agramant here received the
tidings of the invasion of his country by a fresh enemy, the
Abyssinians, and learned that Biserta was in danger of falling into
their hands. He took counsel of his officers, and decided to send an
embassy to Charles, proposing that the whole quarrel should be
submitted to the combat of two warriors, one from each side, according
to the issue of which it should be decided which party should pay
tribute to the other, and the war should cease. Charlemagne, who had
not heard of the favorable turn which affairs had taken in Africa,
readily agreed to this proposal, and Rinaldo was selected on the
part of the Christians to sustain the combat.
The Saracens selected Rogero for their champion. Rogero was still in
the Saracen camp, kept there by honor alone, for his mind had been
opened to the truth of the Christian faith by the argument of
Bradamante, and he had resolved to leave the party of the infidels
on the first favorable opportunity, and to join the Christian side.
But his honor forbade him to do this while his former friends were
in distress; and thus he waited for what time might bring forth,
when he was startled by the announcement that he had been selected
to uphold the cause of the Saracens against the Christians, and that
his foe was to be Rinaldo, the brother of Bradamante.
While Rogero was overwhelmed with this intelligence, Bradamante on
her side felt the deepest distress at hearing of the proposed
combat. If Rogero