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[Artist Paul Deacon's impression of Newport's medieval ship. This was a 15th-century sailing ship discovered in excellent condition by archeologists in a riverbank in the city of Newport, South Wales. A local group, the Friends of the Newport Ship, contributes to its maintenance and preservation,]
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Amadis said to his father King Perion:
“My lord, it would be good for you to send for my lady the Queen and for my brother Sir Galaor, for whom I am holding the beautiful Queen Briolanja, and with whom he will always be blessed. They ought to be here when King Lisuarte comes, as was agreed.”
“So it shall be done,” the King said, “and I shall write to the Queen, and thou mayest send what thou wishest.”
Sir Bruneo stood and said, “I want to make this journey, if Your Mercy pleases, and I shall take with me my brother Branfil.”
“But this trip shall not be made without me,” Angriote d’Estravaus said.
King Perion said:
“For you, Angriote and Branfil, I give my consent, but Sir Bruneo does not tell the truth, for whoever takes him from the side of his beloved would not be his friend, which I have always been. In order to remain so, I shall not give him permission.”
Sir Bruneo answered, laughing:
“My lord, although this is the greatest favor of all that I have received from you, I still wish to serve my lady the Queen because from that comes the contentment for all else.”
“May it be so,” the King said, “and, my good friend, may God wish that ye find Sir Galaor, your brother-in-law, disposed to come.”
Insanjo, who was there, said:
“My lord, he is well now, which I learned from some merchants who had come from Gaul and were going to Great Britain, and for safety they came here because they had feared the war that was underway at the time. I asked them about Sir Galaor, and they told me that they had seen him up and walking through the city, although quite weak.”
They all felt great pleasure at that news, the King more than anyone else. His heart was always afflicted and troubled by his son’s illness, and he had great fear of losing him since the malady had gone on for a long time.
Then the next day these three knights that ye hear of ordered a ship to be immediately prepared with everything they would need for the journey, and they had their arms and horses placed on board, and with their squires and with sailors to guide them, they went out to sea. Since the weather was good, in a short time they arrived at Gaul, where they were very well received by the Queen. But of Sir Galaor I tell you that, when he saw them, he took such great pleasure that although he was weak, he ran to embrace all three. He held them for a while, tears in his eyes, and told them:
“Oh my lords and great friends! When will God wish me to travel in your company wearing my armor again, which I have forsaken for so long due to my misfortune?”
Angriote told him:
“My lord, do not fear, for God will fulfill all that ye desire. And ye shall set all that aside when ye learn the great and joyful news that we bring you.”
Then they told the Queen and him everything that ye have heard that happened, both how it began and how it ended well. When Sir Galaor heard that, he was very upset, and he said:
“Oh Holy Mary, is it true that all this happened to my lord King Lisuarte without me being with him? Now I may say that God has done me an outstanding mercy in giving me a great illness at that time because, truly, although my father the King and my brothers were his opponents, I could not have been excused from placing my body at his service unto death. And it is certain that if I had known of it before now, given my weakness, the anguish would have killed me.”
Sir Bruneo told him:
“My lord, it is better this way now that peace is made with honor for all, and with it ye shall gain as a wife the very beautiful Queen Briolanja that your brother Amadis has for you, as ye shall see when ye arrive there.”
Then they gave the letter to the Queen and told her that they had come to take her so she could be present at the weddings of all her children, and so she could see Queen Brisena and Oriana and all the grand ladies who were there. As the Queen was very noble and loved her husband and sons, and she now saw such peace and calm after such a great confrontation and danger, she gave many thanks to God and said:
“My son Sir Galaor, see this letter, take strength, and come to see thy father the King and thy brothers, whom, it seems, thou shalt find there with King Lisuarte, and with more honor from thy lineage than he had wished.”
Angriote told her:
“My lady, ye may well say this, for your son Amadis is today at the height of fame in the world, and at his will and wishes are all the most worthy grandees who live in it. Ye shall see this with your own eyes, for in his court and at his command have been brought together emperors and kings and other princes and great knights who love him dearly and hold him at the degree that his valor deserves. And because of this, it is necessary that as quickly as possible ye should come, and we well believe that King Lisuarte will already be there, and his wife Queen Brisena with their daughter Leonoreta, to deliver her as wife to the Emperor of Rome, whom your son Amadis has placed in that great realm, and which he already has for his own.”
She told them with great joy:
“My good friends, it shall immediately be done as ye say, and I shall order the ships readied so we may go.”
Those knights waited with the Queen a week, at the end of which the ships were prepared with everything necessary for the voyage, and they immediately boarded them with great joy in their souls, and they began to sail on the way to Firm Island.
Then, traveling by sea, as I tell you, with very good weather, on the third day they saw coming to their right a ship with sails and oars, and they decided to wait for it to learn who was on board and to find out why it was headed straight toward the place where they were going. When it had come close, one of Sir Galaor’s squires went to it in a skiff and asked who was traveling in the ship. One of those on board said very courteously that it was a lady who was going to Firm Island in great haste. The squire, when he heard this, told him:
“Then tell this lady ye speak of that this fleet ye see here is going there, and she should have no fear in coming closer, for in it come such persons with whom she would find much pleasure traveling in their company.”
When he heard this, the man went very quickly and happily to tell that to his lady. She ordered to have a skiff placed in the water and a knight sent in it to find out if what he had been told was true. The knight arrived at the ship where the Queen was, and he said to the knights there:
“My lords, by the faith that ye owe to God, tell me if she who is in our ship there, a lady of great estate going to Firm Island, may safely come here, because this squire told us that ye are going to the same place.”
Angriote told him:
“My friend, the squire has told you the truth, and this lady that ye speak of may come here in safety, and she shall suffer no harm here. Instead, she will receive all the aid that may be justly done against anyone who may wish to do her harm.”
“Thanks be to God,” the knight said. “Now I ask you the courtesy of waiting for her, and I shall immediately bring her to you, and since ye are knights, ye shall feel great sorrow when ye learn what has happened to her.”
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