held its camp.

Now it happened, just before this time, that a vessel filled with
prisoners which Rodomont had taken at the bridge had arrived, and, not
knowing of the presence of the Abyssinian army, had sailed right into
port, where of course the prisoners and their captors changed places,
the former being set at liberty and received with all joy, the latter
sent to serve in the galleys. Astolpho thus found himself surrounded
with Christian knights, and he and his friends were exchanging
greetings and felicitations, when a noise was heard in the camp, and
seemed to increase every moment.

Astolpho and his friends seized their weapons, mounted their horses,
and rode to the quarter whence the noise proceeded. Imagine their
astonishment when they saw that the tumult was caused by a single man,
perfectly naked, and browned with dirt and exposure, but of a force and
fury so terrible that he overturned all that offered to lay hands on
him.

Astolpho, Dudon, Oliver, and Florimart gazed at him with amazement. It
was with difficulty they knew him. Astolpho, who had been warned of his
condition by his holy monitor, was the first to recognize him. As the
paladins closed round Orlando, the madman dealt one and another a blow
of his fist, which, if they had not been in armor, or he had had any
weapon, would probably have despatched them; as it was, Dudon and
Astolpho measured their length on the sand. But Florimart seized him
from behind, Sansonnet and another grasped his legs, and at last they
succeeded in securing him with ropes. They took him to the water-side
and washed him well, and then Astolpho, having first bandaged his mouth
so that he could not breathe except through his nose, brought the
precious phial, uncorked it, and placed it adroitly under his nostrils,
when the good Orlando took it all up in one breath. O marvellous
prodigy! The paladin recovered in an instant all his intelligence. He
felt like one who had awakened from a painful dream, in which he had
believed that monsters were about to tear him to pieces. He seemed
prostrated, silent, and abashed. Florismart, Oliver, and Astolpho stood
gazing upon him, while he turned his eyes around and on himself. He
seemed surprised to find himself naked, bound, and stretched on the
sea-shore. After a few moments he recognized his friends, and spoke to
them in a tone so tender that they hastened to unbind him, and to
supply him with garments. Then they exerted themselves