son to exchange a hasty embrace at parting. He then withdraw的过去式">withdrew to the

hall, and seating himself in princely" target="_blank" title="a.王候般的；高贵的">princely state, ordered the Herald to be
admitted to his presence.

"Well! thou insolent!" said the Prince, "what wouldst thou with me?"
"I come," replied he, "to thee, Manfred, usurper of the principality

of Otranto, from the renowned and invincible Knight, the Knight of the
Gigantic Sabre: in the name of his Lord, Frederic, Marquis of

Vicenza, he demands the Lady Isabella, daughter of that Prince, whom
thou hast basely and traitorously got into thy power, by bribing her

false guardians during his absence; and he requires thee to resign the
principality of Otranto, which thou hast usurped from the said Lord

Frederic, the nearest of blood to the last rightful Lord, Alfonso the
Good. If thou dost not instantly" target="_blank" title="ad.立即，立刻">instantlycomply with these just demands, he

defies thee to single combat to the last extremity." And so saying
the Herald cast down his warder.

"And where is this braggart who sends thee?" said Manfred.
"At the distance of a league," said the Herald: "he comes to make

good his Lord's claim against thee, as he is a true knight, and thou
an usurper and ravisher."

Injurious as this challenge was, Manfred reflected that it was not his
interest to provoke the Marquis. He knew how well founded the claim

of Frederic was; nor was this the first time he had heard of it.
Frederic's ancestors had assumed the style of Princes of Otranto, from

the death of Alfonso the Good without issue; but Manfred, his father,
and grandfather, had been too powerful for the house of Vicenza to

dispossess them. Frederic, a martial and amorous young Prince, had
married a beautiful young lady, of whom he was enamoured, and who had

died in childbed of Isabella. Her death affected him so much that he
had taken the cross and gone to the Holy Land, where he was wounded in

an engagement against the infidels, made prisoner, and reported to be
dead. When the news reached Manfred's ears, he bribed the guardians

of the Lady Isabella to deliver her up to him as a bride for his son
Conrad, by which alliance he had proposed to unite the claims of the

two houses. This motive, on Conrad's death, had co-operated to make
him so suddenly resolve on espousing her himself; and the same

reflection determined him now to endeavour at obtaining the consent of
Frederic to this marriage. A like policyinspired him with the

thought of inviting Frederic's champion into the castle, lest he
should be informed of Isabella's flight, which he strictly enjoined

his domestics not to disclose to any of the Knight's retinue.
"Herald," said Manfred, as soon as he had digested these reflections,

"return to thy master, and tell him, ere we liquidate our differences
by the sword, Manfred would hold some converse with him. Bid him

welcome to my castle, where by my faith, as I am a true Knight, he
shall have courteousreception, and full security for himself and

followers. If we cannot adjust our quarrel by amicable means, I swear
he shall depart in safety, and shall have full satisfaction according

to the laws of arms: So help me God and His holy Trinity!"
The Herald made three obeisances and retired.

During this interview Jerome's mind was agitated by a thousand
contrary passions. He trembled for the life of his son, and his first

thought was to persuade Isabella to return to the castle. Yet he was
scarce less alarmed at the thought of her union with Manfred. He

dreaded Hippolita's unbounded submission to the will of her Lord; and
though he did not doubt but he could alarm her piety not to consent to

a divorce, if he could get access to her; yet should Manfred discover
that the obstruction came from him, it might be equally fatal to

Theodore. He was impatient to know whence came the Herald, who with
so little management had questioned the title of Manfred: yet he did

not dare absent himself from the convent, lest Isabella should leave
it, and her flight be imputed to him. He returned disconsolately to

the monastery, uncertain on what conduct to resolve. A Monk, who met
him in the porch and observed his melancholy air, said -

"Alas! brother, is it then true that we have lost our excellent
Princess Hippolita?"

The holy man started, and cried, "What meanest thou, brother? I come
this instant from the castle, and left her in perfect health."

"Martelli," replied the other Friar, "passed by the convent but a
quarter of an hour ago on his way from the castle, and reported that

her Highness was dead. All our brethren are gone to the chapel to
pray for her happy transit to a better life, and willed me to wait thy

arrival. They know thy holy attachment to that good Lady, and are
anxious for the affliction it will cause in thee - indeed we have all

reason to weep; she was a mother to our house. But this life is but a
pilgrimage; we must not murmur - we shall all follow her! May our end

be like hers!"
"Good brother, thou dreamest," said Jerome. "I tell thee I come from

the castle, and left the Princess well. Where is the Lady Isabella?"
"Poor Gentlewoman!" replied the Friar; "I told her the sad news, and

offered her spiritual comfort. I reminded her of the transitory
condition of mortality, and advised her to take the veil: I quoted

the example of the holy Princess Sanchia of Arragon."
"Thy zeal was laudable," said Jerome, impatiently; "but at present it

was unnecessary: Hippolita is well - at least I trust in the Lord she
is; I heard nothing to the contrary - yet, methinks, the Prince's

earnestness - Well, brother, but where is the Lady Isabella?"
"I know not," said the Friar; "she wept much, and said she would

retire to her chamber."
Jerome left his comrade abruptly, and hastened to the Princess, but

she was not in her chamber. He inquired of the domestics of the
convent, but could learn no news of her. He searched in vain

throughout the monastery and the church, and despatched messengers
round the neighbourhood, to get intelligence if she had been seen; but

to no purpose. Nothing could equal the good man's perplexity. He
judged that Isabella, suspecting Manfred of having precipitated his

wife's death, had taken the alarm, and withdrawn" target="_blank" title="withdraw过去分词">withdrawn herself to some more
secret place of concealment. This new flight would probably carry the

Prince's fury to the height. The report of Hippolita's death, though
it seemed almost incredible, increased his consternation; and though

Isabella's escape bespoke her aversion of Manfred for a husband,
Jerome could feel no comfort from it, while it endangered the life of

his son. He determined to return to the castle, and made several of
his brethren accompany him to attest his innocence to Manfred, and, if

necessary, join their intercession with his for Theodore.
The Prince, in the meantime, had passed into the court, and ordered

the gates of the castle to be flung open for the reception of the
stranger Knight and his train. In a few minutes the cavalcade

arrived. First came two harbingers with wands. Next a herald,
followed by two pages and two trumpets. Then a hundred foot-guards.

These were attended by as many horse. After them fifty footmen,
clothed in scarlet and black, the colours of the Knight. Then a led

horse. Two heralds on each side of a gentleman on horsebackbearing a
banner with the arms of Vicenza and Otranto quarterly - a circumstance

that much offended Manfred - but he stifled his resentment. Two more
pages. The Knight's confessor telling his beads. Fifty more footmen

clad as before. Two Knights habited in complete armour, their beavers
down, comrades to the principal Knight. The squires of the two

Knights, carrying their shields and devices. The Knight's own squire.
A hundred gentlemen bearing an enormous sword, and seeming to faint

under the weight of it. The Knight himself on a chestnut steed, in
complete armour, his lance in the rest, his face entirely concealed by

his vizor, which was surmounted by a large plume of scarlet and black
feathers. Fifty foot-guards with drums and trumpets closed the

procession, which wheeled off to the right and left to make room for
the principal Knight.

As soon as he approached the gate he stopped; and the herald
advancing, read again the words of the challenge. Manfred's eyes were

fixed on the gigantic sword, and he scarce seemed to attend to the
cartel: but his attention was soon diverted by a tempest of wind that

rose behind him. He turned and beheld the Plumes of the enchanted
helmet agitated in the same extraordinary manner as before. It

required intrepidity like Manfred's not to sink under a concurrence of
circumstances that seemed to announce his fate. Yet scorning in the

presence of strangers to betray the courage he had always manifested,
he said boldly -

"Sir Knight, whoever thou art, I bid thee welcome. If thou art of
mortal mould, thy valour shall meet its equal: and if thou art a true

Knight, thou wilt scorn to employ sorcery to carry thy point. Be
these omens from heaven or hell, Manfred trusts to the righteousness

of his cause and to the aid of St. Nicholas, who has ever protected
his house. Alight, Sir Knight, and repose thyself. To-morrow thou

shalt have a fair field, and heaven befriend the juster side!"
The Knight made no reply, but dismounting, was conducted by Manfred to