The famous history of the life of the renowned Prince Palmerin of England: or, The glory of knightly prowess. In three parts. Containing his parentage, birth, education, travels, strange adventures, noble exploits and victories; combats with monsters, gyants, armies, and armed knights, dissolving inchantments, delivering distressed ladies; and his success in love. The whole being a compleat series, inter-woven with the heroick actions of many valiant emperours, kings, princes, and knights of undoubted fame, whose matchless deeds have won them immortal honour. A book worthy the perusal of either sex. Written originally in French; and now faithfully done into English (for the better satisfaction of the reader) by J.S.

CHAP. XII.

Who The Knight of Death was, and the cause of his solitary Life: How Prince Palmerin fought for the Passage of a Bridge; and of other Adventures.

THis Knight of Death was Son to the King of Sardagina, who falling in Love with fair Altea, one of his Mothers Ladies of Honour, and Daughter to the Duke of Goelicia, his Father, to cross his love (ha∣ving designed to marry him to the Queen of Sicilia, and he being avers thereto) caused the beautious Altea to be Poysoned; where∣upon this Knight (named ••••oriman) stiling himself the Knight of Death privately retired from the Court, and betook himself to the solitary place where the Prince found him, singing Songs in praise of her to her Picture, as if she had been alive: And there he continued in like manner after the departure of the Prince, till his Father hearing where he was, compelled him to return.

The Prince having left the Knight of Death in his solitary retirement, much grieving at his foile, passed on, till coming to a Bridge, he found three Knights striving against a single Knight, for the passage, who bare for his Device a Bull-head, and so puissant was he, that he foiled them, tumbling them to the Ground, which the Prince perceiving, addrest him against, but they both meeting with force more than humane, fell from their Horses, when drawing their Swords, they fought with great fury, till in the end the Knight of the Bull (by a wound he received on his Head) fell to the ground, upon which the Prince stood up, and bid him at the peril of his Life disclose his Name, and the reason of his keeping that passage, which he did as followeth: viz.

That his Name was Pompides, Son to Don Edoard and Argolanta Queen of the Inchanted Island; and that he ha∣ving

received divers wounds from two Knights, whom he had slain, a beautious Lady living in a Castle close by cured him, and injoyned him to keep that Bridge, till he met a Knight in red Armour, with a Lyon painted in his Shield, the whom if I conquered, to bring into her presence; and that having obeyed for three weeks, he had not in many Encounters been foiled before.

The Prince having received this satisfaction, passed on his way; together with his Esquire, having before obtained Li∣cence for the other Knights to pass.