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[King holding an orb and scepter alongside other men on an ivory ring-shaped base, possibly from a crozier, 14th century, from the Gothic Ivories Project at the Courtauld Institute of Art, London.]
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Then Nasciano took King Perion by the hand and led him away to speak privately, and he told him:
“King, blessed in all the things of this world and in the next if ye fear God and see that everything is done in His service, I have come to these lands with this body so weak and weary from old age with the intent that my Lord God would give me the grace to serve Him by ending all the evil that is yet to happen, and my illness and great fatigue did not permit me to come earlier. I have spoken with King Lisuarte, who as a servant of God would wish to achieve peace if both sides can do so with honor. And from him I went to your son Amadis, who sent me to you and excused himself from responding to what I told him by placing himself at your orders. And so, my lord, peace or war depends on you, and everyone knows how ye are obliged to prevent all things contrary to the service of the most high Lord, given the goods that he has provided you in this world, such as a wife and children and kingdoms. So now it is the time for Him to know whether ye shall be grateful to Him and wish to serve Him.”
The King, who was always inclined to peace and tranquility, both because of the harm that war could bring and because his son, who was the light of his eyes, was there, as were Sir Florestan and Agrajes and many other knights of his lineage, responded to him and said:
“Father Nasciano, God is the witness to the goodwill I have had in this great rupture and how I would have avoided it if any way to do so could have been found, but King Lisuarte has made it so that no way is possible, because greatly against both God and his conscience he wished to disinherit his daughter Oriana, as everyone knows, who was rescued, as ye have learned. And even after he was admonished and begged to do what is just, and everything would be done at his orders, he, as a powerful prince, and in this affair more arrogant than reasonable, believing he had the Emperor of Rome on his side and all the world would be subject to him, never wished to do justice or even to hear it spoken of. What has come to him from it and what he has earned, God knows and everyone else sees.
“But if now he wishes to have the understanding that up to now he has not, I have much faith in these knights beside me to do and to follow what seems best to me, which is nothing else but to prevent these wrongs. And so that ye, father, may see how he has been stubborn over so little, if he were only to resolve the matter involving his daughter Oriana, that would solve everything.”
The good man told him:
“My good lord, God shall deliver that, and I in His place, and for that end, speak with your knights and name such persons who shall seek what is good, and this will also be done by King Lisuarte, and I shall be with them as the servant of Jesus Christ to mend and repair what has been broken.”
King Perion agreed to that and told him:
“This shall be done immediately, and I shall send two knights who, with complete love and goodwill, shall arrive at what is just.”
With that, the good man returned very content and pleased to King Lisuarte’s camp.
King Perion ordered all the most principal knights to be called to his tent, and when they were assembled, he told them:
“Noble princes and knights, just as we are all very obliged to defend our honor and estates and to place ourselves in every danger to defend them and maintain justice, we are also called to withdraw without rage or arrogance and take recourse in reason when justice is made plain to us. At times, things may be initially undertaken with true justice and without offense to God, but as the matter proceeds, if through illusion and misunderstanding it does not come to anything reasonable, what is just at first will be negated by later injustice. So it is necessary that for honor and esteem to be perfected, if a way to peace can be found, as it seems now, by leaving the past behind, the service to the Lord on high may be taken as a remedy to our souls, to Whom we are so obliged.
“Now know ye that a holy man and hermit, friend and servant of God, has come to me, and from what he says, our opponents wish peace more as a matter of good conscience than as a point of honor, if we wish. In order for this to be put into effect, he only asks that men be named from both sides who will meet with goodwill and leave aside unjust passion. It seemed to me a very wise thing for ye to know it and give your will as to what you consider the best way to continue.”
They were all quiet for a long time. Angriote de Estravaus stood and said:
“Since ye are all quiet, I shall say what I think.”
And he said to the King:
“My lord, because of your royal dignity and great worth, and even more for the great love that these princes and knights have for you, they considered it wise to take on this task with you as their leader so that in matters of war and peace they might be guided by your counsel, knowing that no fear or self-interest would subjugate you. And I have such faith in your virtue that whatever ye might determine would not be contradicted by anyone, and for everyone your ability is sufficient.
“But since Your Mercy is pleased to hear what each one wishes to say, I want you to know my will: which is that, since the Princess Oriana and everything that concerns her is held so dearly by us, it would be a great injustice for us to oppose peace, since our honor has grown so much and since we risk so little in seeking it. And since earlier Sir Cuadragante and Sir Brian of Monjaste were named as negotiators, they should be our negotiators now. Their discretion and virtue is so heightened that as they undertake the task this time, in the future they shall conclude it either with a peace agreement or with an outbreak of war.”
And just as this knight said, the King and the lords there agreed that these two knights, with the advice and approval of the King, would determine what should be done going forward.
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