alerno. In that celebrated school she
has so completely acquired the art of medicine; has learned so many
_salves_ and drugs; has so studied _herbs_ and _roots_, that she will be
enabled to compose for you _electuaries_ and _drinks_, capable of
communicating the degree of vigour necessary to the accomplishment of
the trial prescribed by my father. To her you shall bear a letter from
me, and at your return shall demand me from the king, on the terms to
which he has himself assented." The lover thanked her; went home,
provided the necessary assortment of rich clothes, and other
merchandize, of palfreys, beasts of burthen and attendants, and set off
for Salerno. His mission was successful: the good aunt's electuaries
rendered him much more athletic than before; and he brought back, in a
small vial, an elixir capable of instantly restoring strength at the
moment of complete exhaustion. He therefore was full of confidence, and
claimed the trial. The king having summoned all his principal vassals to
behold the ceremony, conducted his daughter into the great plain on the
banks of the Seine, and found the youth already stationed at the foot of
the mountain. The lovely princess had scarcely tasted food since the
departure of her lover; she would gladly have wasted herself to the
lightness of air for the purpose of diminishing his labour. She wore
only a single robe which closely enveloped her. Her lover catching her
up with one hand, and bearing the precious vial in the other, appeared
perfectly unconscious of the burthen, and bore her, with the rapidity of
lightning, more than half way up the mountain: but here she perceived
his breath began to fail, and conjured him to have recourse to his
medicine. He replied, that he was still full of vigour; was too much
within sight of the multitude below, that their cries on seeing him
stop, even for an instant, would annoy and dishearten him; and that,
while able to proceed alone, he would not appeal to preternatural
assistance. At two-thirds of the height she felt him totter under the
weight, and again repeated her earnest entreaties. But he no longer
heard or listened: exerting his whole remains of strength, he staggered
with her to the top, still bearing the untasted vial in his hand, and
dropped dead on the ground. His mistress, thinking he had only fainted,
knelt down by his side, applied the elixir to his lips, but found that
life had left him. She then dashed the vial on the ground,