The History of Valentine and Orson (1806)/Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
Valentine and Orson having taken leave of the Duke of Acquitain, and his daughter Fazon, proceeded on their journey in search of the Lady Clerimond, and at last came to a tower of burnished brass; which, upon enquiry, they discovered to be kept by Clerimond, sister to Feragus and the Green Knight, and having demanded entrance, were refused it by the centinal who guarded the gate; which provoked Valentine to that degree, that he ran against him with such fury, that the centinal fell down dead immediately.
The Lady Clerimoad beheld all this dispute, and seeing them brave Knights, received them courteously. Valentine having presented tokens from the Green Knight, told her he came there for the love of her, and to discourse with the All-knowing Head, concerning their parents.
After dinner, the Lady Clerimond took them by the hand and led them to the chamber of varieties, where the Head was placed between four pillars of pure jasper, when as they entered, it made the following speech to Valentine:
"Thou famous Knight of Royal extract, are called Valentine the Valiant, who of right ought to marry the Lady Clerimond. Thou art son to the Emperor of Greece, and the Empress Bellisant, who is now in the castle of Feragus in Portugal, where she has resided for twenty years. King Pepin is thine uncle, and the Wild man thy brother; the Empress Bellisant brought you two forth in the forest of Orleans; he was taken away by a ravenous bear, and thou wast taken up by thine uncle Pepin, who brought thee up to man's estate.—Moreover, I likewise tell thee, that thy brother shall never speak until thou cuttest the thread that groweth under his tongue."
The Brazen Head having ended his speech, Valentine embraced Orson, and cut the thread which grew under his tongue; when he directly related many surprising things.
After which Valentine married the Lady Clerimond, but not before she had turned a Christian.
In this castle there lived a dwarf, named Pacolet, who was an enchanter, and by his art had contrived a horse of wood, and in the forehead a fixed pin, by turning of which he could convey himself to the farthest part of the world.
This enchanter flies to Portugal, and informed Feragus of his sister's nuptials, and of her turning Christian, which so enraged him, that he swore by Mahomet he would make her rue it, and therefore got ready his fleet, and sailed towards the castle of Clerimond, where, when he arrived, he concealed his malice from his sister, and also the two Knights, telling them, that he came to fetch them into Portugal, the better to solemnize their marriage, and he would turn Christian on their arival at his castle, all which they believed, and soon after embarked with him.
When he had got them on board, he ordered them to be put in irons, which so much grieved his sister Clerimond, that she would have thrown herself into the sea, had she not been stopped.