The Italian family consists of the following versions:
I Cantari di Rinaldo da Montealbano. In ottava rima, from the late 1300’s. Crticial edition by Elio Melli in 1973 under the title I Cantari di Rinaldo da Monte Albano.
El Inamoramento de Rinaldo da Monte Albano. The aforesaid Cantari, with the story of Fierabras interpolated, a prologue dealing with the feud of Aymon and Ginamo of Baiona added, and many episodes lengthened. Also printed under the title of Rinaldo Innamorato, and in either case usually with a very long subtitle.
Prose Rinaldo. Probably by Andrea da Barberino, though this cannot be proved.
Rinaldo, by Torquato Tasso. In ottava rima. Translated into English couplets by John Hoole, whom Scott notoriously described as “a noble transmuter of gold into lead.” More recently translated into ottava rima by Max Wickert.
I CANTARI DI RINALDO DA MONTE ALBANO
The oldest and best version is in a MS known as palatino 364, of the Bib. Naz. di Firenze. There are three other versions, each of which expand the first section (up to the chessboard-murder) in their own unique ways. R: a manuscript fragment which ends just before the ambush of Buovo, Cod. Riccardiano 683. a: a printed edition without title or date, probably from 1479, British Museum, Printed Books G 11352. b: the first (surviving) printing of El Inamoramento de Rinaldo da Monte Albano, from which all other printings are descended. After the chessboard-murder these three versions all follow Pal closely, with the exception of b’s interpolation of Fierabras before the beginning of the war against Monte Albano. Since b is the ancestor of all other versions, they are known as the beta family. a is most likely related to the prose version in the Laurenzian library.
PALATINO 364
Charlemagne holds court at Paris, when Ginamo of Baiona tells Amone that he [Ginamo] has cuckolded him [Amone], and that all four of his [Amone’s] sons are actually Ginamo’s. Amone, furious, heads for Dordona, but Orlando, Astolfo, Ulivieri, and Namo send messengers ahead of him to warn the Duchess, who flees with her sons Alardo, Rinaldo, Guicciardo and Ricciardetto to Monte Ermino [Montherme]. Rinaldo swears to clear his mother’s name.
Amone is son of Bernardo of Chiaramonte, and his brothers are Girado of Ronsiglione, Milon d’Angrante [Orlando’s father], King Otto of England, [Astolfo’s father], Duodo of Antonia [Doon de Nanteuil?] and Buovo of Agrismonte. Buovo and his wife Smeragda were long childless, and so went on pilgrimage to Saint James. Smeragda became pregnant, and gave birth to twin boys. However, they were still in Spain at the time, and their train was attacked by King Avilante. Only Buovo and his wife escaped, and their children were left behind in the rout. King Avilante finds the one, adopts him and names him Viviano. The other is found by the Queen of Belfiore, who happens to be passing by some days later. She finds him “mal giacere” [lying ill: that is, alone], names him Malagigi, and teaches him magic. By his magic, he grows up to win Baiardo, whom he finds in a grotto with a hauberk, a helmet, and the sword Frusberta. He slays the deadly serpent that guards them, and claims them. Since, by his magic, he knows who his family are and the peril they are in, he takes leave of his foster-mother and pretends to be a merchant. He sells his cousins Baiardo, saying that no bastard can sit on this wonderful horse. Rinaldo, reassured by his mother, buys the beast, after which Malagigi reveals his identity and departs. The brethren ride to Paris with their train. Ginamo meets them on the way and claims to be their father, but they defy him, and battle is joined. The brethren slay Ginamo, who is carried to his castle, where his sons Ramondo and Beltramo mourn him. Although the Sons are reconciled with their father, Charles banishes them from Christendom for three years for killing Ginamo. As they leave, Gano secretly follows to ambush them. Luckily, Orlando is suspicious, and rides with his other cousins after them, finding them just after Gano’s men have leapt out of the bushes. Gano has concealed his insignia, but Rinaldo gives him an ugly cut through his helmet. Gano flees when Orlando arrives, still unknown. The Duchess returns to Dordona with Amone, and Rinaldo takes up residence in Monte Ermino, deciding to lay low instead of actually leaving. Gano returns to court, where he pretends he had a hunting accident. Orlando is suspicious, but can prove nothing.
Charlemagne is married to Sovilia, daughter of King Galafre of Spain and sister of Marsilio and Balugante. They have a son, Alorino. Gano encourages Alorino to tell Charles that Buovo d’Agrismonte has not paid tribute to Charles or come to court for eight years. The king sends Inorante to collect the tribute. Inorante passes through Champagne and past Trois [Troyes] to Agristmonte, which was founded by Caesar, and is built on a mountain by the river Agrimore, over which are two bridges, from which Buovo collects tolls, as he also does from the ships that pass by. Inorante tells the giant porter that he will pay when he comes back. Buovo refuses to pay tribute, and Inorante, leaving, attempts to stiff the porter, who drowns him in the river. Charlemagne hears the news, and sends Alorino, on Gano’s advice. Alorino, as Gano told him to, attempts to kill Buovo, but Buovo has men lying in ambush and kills him, sending his body to Charles. As Charles prepares for war, King Avilante sends an army of seventy thousand knights to Agrismonte, led by Viviano, who does not know he was adopted.
Viviano defeats Buovo in single combat and takes him prisoner, but grants him four months to find another champion. Smeragda sends to Paris for help. Orlando, Ulivieri and Ugger decide that Charles (and Gano) are better off not knowing about the invasion, and secretly depart to help. Meanwhile, Malagigi by his art knows what is going on, and leaves with his horse, Passavanti. Being magic, he reaches Agrismonte first, tells his mother than he is a pagan who wishes to be avenged on Avilante, who has captured his father. He fights Vivian in single combat. When they pause to rest and take off their helmets, Malagigi reveals the truth, peace is made, and Vivian and his army convert. Orlando, Ulivieri, and Ugger arrive amidst the rejoicing, and the five young knights go to Paris, where they persuade Charles to make peace. Gano, however, arranges for Beltramo and Ramondo to ambush Buovo on his way to Paris. Buovo is slain with all his men. The soldiers, disguised with Buovo’s banners, enter Agrismonte, slaughter everyone they can find, and light the castle on fire, smothering the Duchess. Meanwhile, Ginamo’s sons have taken Buovo’s body to court, and then fled to Baiona, on Gano’s advice. At Ronsiglion gather Girardo, Malagigi, Viviano, Duodo d’Antonia, and the Four Sons of Aymon. Malagigi goes to Paris, forges a letter from Gano and seals it with his seal, and then takes it to Baiona, disguised. The letter lures the men of Baiona into an ambush. They are all killed by the men of Chiaramonte, who then take their pennons, enter Baiona in this disguise, and kill everyone they can find. The news of this slaughter disgusts Charlemagne, who lays siege to Ronsiglione, with Orlando and the Peers. Malagigi orders his family to stay in the city while he arranges the peace. He disguises himself as a Cardinal, and goes to Paris, telling the Queen that the Pope has excommunicated Charles for making war on his fellow Christians. The Queen sends him to the King, with whom he makes peace. Meanwhile, however, Viviano has made a sally from the castle, and been slain by Gano’s men. The terms of the peace are that the Four Sons of Aymon, who started this mess by killing Ginamo, must go to the Holy Sepulcher, and the rest will be pardoned. Malagigi will be the Emperor’s treasurer.
Malagigi accompanies his cousins as far as Valenza, and assures them that he will rescue them by his magic if they are ever in danger. The Sons set sail in a boat captained by one Ramondo, and are blown by a storm to the Castello Perduto, recently conquered by the giant Brunamonte, who has forcibly converted all the natives to Islam. Rinaldo slays him and saves the people. They make Ramondo lord, but he doesn’t like it much and soon returns to sailing. Meanwhile the Four Sons have gone to slay Constantino, Brunamonte’s brother, who has conquered the Castello di Fabrino, and only spared its vavasor because he is in love with his daughter. The vavasor alerts the brothers to the giant’s tricks, and so they slay the giant and restore the castle. The vavasor, after offering in vain to give them his daughter in marriage, gives them his son Beldoino as a squire. Beldoino is a dwarf who was sent to school in Spain, and speaks several languages. He tells the Sons that the giant was one of six brothers, known as the sons of Olivante: Mambrino, ruler of the Levant; Marte, who is lord of Galiferno; Gatamoglieri; Brunamonte; Constantino; and Chiarïello, who is besieging King Saligozzo of Rossía. The brothers set out, and in three days come to Rossía, where they offer their services to Saligozzo. He asks if they are Christians or Saracens, and Rinaldo answers that they worship the God who made the world. Meanwhile, Gano’s spies arrive to tell Saligozzo and Chiarïello who the brothers are and that they seek to destroy Pagandom. Saligozzo impales the spies, but Chiarïello orders his lion brought to the field. Rinaldo kills him and the lion, and Saligozzo is saved.
Beldoino next tells the Sons that the Sultan of Mecca is besieging an Amostante of Persia, for love of his daughter. The Sons, pretending to be Pagans, succor the Amostante and capture the Sultan, and the daughter in question, Fioretta, falls in love with Rinaldo. Unfortunately, Gano’s spies reveal the Sons’ identity to the Amostante and Sultan, who promptly patch up their quarrel, agree to the marriage, and throw the Sons in prison. Fioretta sets them free, and Rinaldo leaves her a parting gift, who will grow up to be Guidone Selvaggio. The Four Sons reach Jerusalem, confess their sins, and depart. Passing through Galiferno, Gano’s spies alert King Marte, who siezes them and throws them in jail, and invites all Pagandom to come watch their execution. Malagigi, at this venture, alerts Astolfo, Orlando, Ulivieri, and Ugger, who sail to the Holy Land (in Ramondo’s boat, which he is again captain of). Malagigi himself goes to King Salamone of Brittany, which is apparently next to Galiforne. Marte, you must know, is not the rightful ruler of Galiforne; he slew its previous lord and married his daughter Sovilia by force, although she loves Salamone. Fioretta and Beldoino are thus able to convince her to give the Four Sons their weapons and armor in jail. They make a valiant defense when Marte and his men come to drag them out to execution, (Marte is beheaded by Rinaldo, like his brothers) and are joined by their four newly arrived cousins, but eight men, even eight Paladins, cannot hold out against all Pagandom, and Rinaldo sends Baiard away, that he at least might live. Baiardo is met by Malagigi and Salamone’s army, and encourages them to hurry. They arrive in the nick of time, the Paynims are routed, the eight cousins saved, and the Queen wed to her love. The Paladins return to France, where they are reconciled with Charles.
Gano and his cousin Bertolagi make a plot. Bertolagi plays at chess with Rinaldo, and tries to provoke him to a fight. He calls him bastard, and draws his dagger, whereupon Rinaldo smashes his head with the chessboard. Gano’s men in ambush leap out, but Rinaldo and his brethren escape to Dordona. Amone goes to Paris to see what Charles thinks. Charles thinks it proper to order all his barons to swear to avenge him on Rinaldo, and Amone is compelled to swear, too. He sends word to his sons to flee, and they go to Dardenna, and build a castle, Monte Soro, in the middle of the woods, where they live happily for three years, until one of Gano’s spies discovers them, and Charles lays siege. In a preliminary skirmish, Amone’s sons discover that their father will show them no mercy. Liveri di Rosanna pretends to be fleeing Charles’ wrath to join the sons, but in fact betrays them, and opens the gates one night. Charles’ men are repulsed, but not before they have slain all but a hundred of Rinaldo’s two thousand people, and set the castle on fire. Rinaldo and his men quarter Lervis and hang him from the gates (much to Astolfo’s amusement and Charles’ annoyance), and then flee at crack of dawn. They scatter in the forest, but are pursued by one Count Almenfroi of Magazna, seneschal of the Emperor, whom they slay. The Four Sons now have only eight men with them. Charles sends Amone home, not trusting him. On his way, Amone finds his Sons sleeping, and is forced to wake them up and fight them, before returning to Dordona. The Four Sons wander in the forest of Dardenna for seven years, pursued by Charles all the while, and soon have only four companions left.
At this venture, however, Mambrino, brother of Marte, Constantino, Chiarïello, and Brunamonte, invades Gascony, and seizes Bordeaux. Also in his army are Marsilio and his brother Balugante. Charles calls off the hunt to repulse him, a fact the brothers do not learn for some time. Upon learning it, they return to Dordona, where their father is out hunting, but their mother recognizes Rinaldo by a scar. Amone returns and, after some hesitation, goes out into the garden, so that he cannot be said to have sheltered his sons. They are richly furnished, and ride with Malagigi and an army southward to save King Ivone from Mambrino. Ivone is wary of accepting their help at first, but finally does so. Shortly thereafter, as the cousins are escorting Ivone’s sister Clarice on a picnic in the woods, Mambrino (informed by a spy) ambushes them and flees with the princess. Mambrino, a giant like his brothers, has a magic helmet, with a crest in the shape of an idol (presumably Mahomet), so cunningly constructed that it sings his praises whenever the wind blows through it. Rinaldo challenges him to single combat, and when he unhorses the king, he claims Clarice, whom he returns safely to Bordeaux and then rides back to Mambrino and the battle, which ends inconclusively. Clarice sews Rinaldo and Baiardo lavish surcoats and trappings.
Meanwhile, Charlemagne and his army have finally arrived, only to see Rinaldo’s banners flying in the field. Charles, furious, and orders the army to turn around, saying he won’t help anyone who is friends with Rinaldo. His barons, including Desiderio, Gherardo of Roussillon, Ganelon, and Namo, try to calm him down. Namo suggests sending an order to Ivone, requesting the Aymonids as prisoners in exchange for his emperor’s protection. Charles agrees, and sends Namo and Ogier with the message. Namo and Ogier instead tell Rinaldo and Ivone that Charles does not have enough men to defeat Mambrino in battle, until Orlando and Olivier arrive with their troops (they are some two days behind). Therefore, they (Namo and Ogier) will encourage Charles to start the battle at once, so that Rinaldo and his family can rescue Charles when he inevitably loses, and thus he will be grateful and forgive them. All agree, and so it is done. Rinaldo rescues Charles from Mambrino, cuts off the latter’s head when the giant refuses to accept Christianity, and everyone celebrates the double peace.
Charles returns home to Paris, and the Aymonids remain in Bordeaux. Some time later, Rinaldo and Malagigi are riding through the countryside when they come across an excellent space to build a castle, bounded by three rivers: the Gironda, the Varapenno, and the Balanzone. There is no castle here, however, because King Pippin the Short defeated a pagan who lived here and destroyed his castle, giving orders that no one should ever build there again. King Ivone warns Rinaldo of this decree, but all agree to ignore it, and Malagigi summons demons to build the castle of Monte Albano overnight. Rinaldo marries Clarice, and they have two sons: Amone and Ivonetto. Unfortunately, Ganelon decides to make a pilgrimage to Compostella, and passes Monte Albano en route. He drops by, quarrels with the Sons, and returns at once to Paris, where he tells Charles that Rinaldo has defied Pippin’s decree. The five cousins arrive shortly after him to present their side of the story, but Ganelon starts a riot in Paris. Malagigi is forced to start a fire by his magic, and the Aymonids escpae in the confusion. The fire is extinguished with oil and wine.
Charles declares war, but must wait for Orlando to return from Provence, where he is fighting the invading Saracen, King Scrofaldo. Orlando returns with the king in tow, and has him baptized. Ganelon says that his stepson needs a horse worthy of his abilities, to match Baiard. Namo suggests the horse race with Charles’ crown as prize. Malagigi disguises Baiard as a pure white horse, Rinaldo as an “Eastern” yellow-skinned lad of eighteen, and himself as a wrinkled old man. They ride for Paris, where Charles has posted Ogier the Dane to guard the road from Gascony. Ogier lets them through, despite his suspicions. Baiard kills a Parisian who jestingly siezed his bridle while shouting, “These must be Rinaldo and Malagigi.” Malagigi kills their innkeeper, who had overheard Rinaldo calling Baiard by his name. At the race, Rinaldo waits till the other horses are two miles ahead before he starts, and still wins handily. He then takes Charles’ crown, shouts his identity, and rides off, with Charles in hot pursuit. Baiard leaps a river that is thirty long paces wide, forcing Charles to halt. The two men exchange threats, and Rinaldo rides off. Charles, impressed against his will, later orders two pillars to be built to mark the spot, and the site is still known as “Il Salto di Baiardo” [Baiard’s leap]. For now, though, Charles fords the river and meets Malagigi disguised as a cripple. Malagigi pretends that Rinaldo has thrown his crutch up into a tree, and while Charles is looking for a rock with which to knock it down, the wizard leaps on his horse and gallops away. Charles, furious, begins walking towards Monte Albano, and when his paladins catch up with him they can barely persuade him to return to Paris.
Charles leads his army south and conquers Monbendello, slaughtering the inhabitants. Orlando and the paladins go hunting, whereupon Rinaldo ambushes them and escapes with Charles’ royal banner. (This banner has a dragon, and is only used when fighting against Christians. The Oriflamme is sacred and can only be used when fighting infidels.) He hangs it from the top of Monte Albano, beside Charles’ crown. Ganelon advises Charles to send letters to Ivone ordering him to betray the Sons. Ivone takes counsel with seven counts and the Archbishop of Avignon. Guimarte di Balone and the count of Monbendello are against treason, the others are for it. (The only other counts named are Atausse and Chimante). Ivone has his chaplain and secretary Gondarte write to Charles, who sends back the mules and scarlet mantels, and sends Ogier the Dane and Folcone of Smeriglione to lie in ambush at Valcolor. Ivone takes the “good” news to the sons, who are suspicious, but consent. Clarice tells them of her dream, but they ignore her. (Malagigi, meanwhile, is out hunting). The Four Sons, accompanied by fifteen barons, including all those who were at Ivone’s council, ride to Valcolor, where four roads meet at the foot of a great rock. They are ambushed. Rinaldo manages to slay the Archbishop of Avignon and Folcone, but Ricciardetto is sorely wounded, and the brothers fall back to the rock, which they climb. Ogier calls off the fight, since they are his cousins, but keeps watch on the rock.
Back at Monte Albano, Malagigi has returned from hunting, and Gondarte tells him everything. Malagigi gathers the army and rides to the rescue, returning with his cousins. At first Rinaldo suspects Clarice of complicity, but they are soon reconciled. King Ivone, meanwhile, has summoned his people together, announced his abdication, and fled to a monastery in the Wood of the Serpent. Orlando, Astolfo, and Oliver hear of this, and decide to kidnap him and punish him for his treason. Rinaldo persuades his brothers to ride with him to the rescue. As they sally forth, they are met by Laberto, lord of Tremogna, who is a kinsman of Rinaldo’s and has come with his army to succor him. They ride together for the monastery. In the ensuing battle, Rinaldo and Orlando duel, but are separated. Ricciardetto is captured by Orlando in single combat, but the other Aymonids do not notice this as they return to Monte Albano, where Clarice throws Ivone in jail. Because of Ivone’s treason, Gascony ceased to be a kingdom. Rinaldo was the first ruler to be called simply, “Lord.” Ricciardetto is carried to Charlemagne’s tent, whither Malagigi, having finally noticed his absence, comes shortly afterwards, disguised as an old, crippled pilgrim. Charles is suspicious, but finally agrees to shelter the beggar. Malagigi tells him he had a dream that if Charles fed him with his own hands, he would start to recover. Charles consents to do so, then the beggar is dismissed. Ricciardetto summons Orlando and whispers to him the beggar’s true identity, warning him that his brothers will come rescue him. Charles begins asking his barons who will hang Ricciardetto. Orlando refuses, Turpin says only a Paterine would do so, Astolfo says he would rather set him free, but Rispo da Ripamonte, a brother of Folco’s, agrees.
Malagigi gathers his cousins and they go to Monfalcon, where they lie in ambush for three days. Being very tired, they fall asleep just before Rispo arrives, but Baiard wakes them and they rescue Ricciardetto, killing Rispo. In the ensuing battle, Charlemagne flees. Malagigi pursues him all the way back to his camp, where Oliver captures him. Charles wishes to hang the wizard, but is persuaded to wait until morning. That night, Malagigi puts Charles and all the Peers to sleep by his magic and steals Gioiosa, Durlindana, Altachiara, Cortana, Dolcebona (which belongs to Namo), and the other Peers’ swords, leaving only Astolfo with his. He then brings Charles to a half-awake state, where he cannot move, but can see, hear, and understand. He taunts the Emperor and departs. In the morning, the spell breaks. The Peers try to persuade Charles to end the war, but he refuses, and orders Orlando to challenge Rinaldo to single combat. So it is done, but God, not willing that the invincible Orlando should kill one of the pillars of Christendom, sends a cloud to separate the combatants, as He previously did when Orlando fought Oliver. Orlando repents his part in the duel, surrenders, and rides pillion on Baiardo back to Monte Albano, where he is treated with honor.
At this juncture, however, Gatamoglieri, the last of the six giant brothers, invades Gascony to avenge his family. Charlemagne tells him that if he can kill Rinaldo, he [Charles] will gladly renounce Christianity and turn Muslim. This so disgusts the Peers that they abandon Charles and go to Monte Albano, where they make merry with Rinaldo. Rinaldo and Gatamoglieri agree to single combat, for which Orlando loans his cousin Durlindana. Rinaldo decapitates this last giant, the Christians rout the Pagans, the Paladins return to Monte Albano, and Charlemagne continues the war. Malagigi one night rides Baiard into Charles’ camp, puts the guards and the Emperor to sleep by his magic, and carries off Charles to Monte Albano. He then departs for a hermitage, where he lives on vegetables and water and sleeps on the ground, doing penance for his nigromancy and praying for the Peers.
When Charles awakens, the Paladins, Rinaldo, his brothers, his sons, and Clarice all plead with Charles to end the war, but he refuses unless he can have Malagigi, who is not there. Rinaldo restores to him his crown and sword, and loans him Baiard to ride back to his camp on. The Paladins reluctantly return to Charles, who sends Bairad back and begins the siege in earnest. Sixty catapults and mangonels are set up to assault Monte Albano, eagerly manned by the Maganzans, less eagerly by the Paladins. The walls, however, thanks to Malagigi’s magic, cannot be destroyed. The same does not apply, however, to the interior buildings, which are mostly reduced to rubble. Between skirmishes, missiles, and starvation, soon no one is left alive but the Four Sons, Clarice, Ivone, Lamberto of Tremogna, Aymon, Ivone, and eight horses. They eat the horses one by one, until only Baiard is left. Rinaldo does not wish to kill him, but his brothers threaten to surrender to Charlemagne if it is not done. Rinaldo sneaks out at night, riding Baiard, to visit his father Amone (who was not mentioned at all in the shenanigans that marked the beginning of this war). Amone reminds Rinaldo of his oath, and Rinaldo reminds Amone that an oath to do something evil is not binding. Amone gives Rinaldo food to carry back, and begins catapulting food into Monte Albano. A traitor informs Charles of this, however, and the emperor orders Amone to return to Dordona. Starvation returns to Monte Albano, and Rinaldo’s brothers again demand to eat Baiard. Rinaldo instead begins bleeding the horse, and the nine survive on his blood for some time longer. Finally, Lamberto remembers that he has heard that the Pagan whose castle used to stand here built a secret underground tunnel, in case he ever needed to escape. The men look for it, and discover it. They prepare to leave that night, but before they leave, King Ivone dies.
Rinaldo and company walk (Baiard being too weak to carry even one rider), under cover of darkness, until they meet a pilgrim named Gualtiero, who is of the House of Clairmont. He furnishes them with food and three horses, and they make their way to Tremogna, where they are met with much rejoicing. Charles, meanwhile, has taken Monte Albano, and, bewildered, returned to Paris. Ganelon will not let matters, rest, however, and sends spies through all the world. One of them finds Rinaldo in Tremogna, and carries to news to Paris, whence Charles issues to make war yet again. The Aymonids conduct themselves gallantly, but Lamberto is slain.
Meanwhile, Malagigi has a dream in his hermitage, swears to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulchre, and decides to visit Rinaldo first. En route, he slays some bandits and recovers the goods they stole from some merchants. He arrives at Tremogna, where he eats with the other beggars in the castle hall, until Rinaldo recognizes him. They rejoice, but that night Malagigi slips away, to resume hs pilgrimage. Shortly thereafter, Rinaldo captures Ricardo of Normandy in battle. He threatens to hang him unless Charles makes peace, but Charles calls his bluff. Ricardo, meanwhile, has been treated like a guest, and is in a tower playing chess with Ivonetto when four messengers arrive to take him to the gallows. He thinks they must be jesting, and when they lay hands on him he kills three, chases the fourth away, throws the bodies out the window, and resumes play. Rinaldo, seeing the bodies fall, realizes what must have happened, and goes to inform Ricardo that he really must be hanged. As Ricardo is on the gallows, Charles agrees to make peace. Rinaldo must go on pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulchre, and Baiard must be surrendered to Charles. So it is done, and Rinaldo leaves.
Charles throws Baiard, millstone around neck, into a river, while his vassals whisper each other that he is behaving shamefully. Baiard breaks the millstone and swims to shore. He runs away, visiting Monte Albano and Dordona before returning to the forest where he was born, and no man has seen him since. Clarice burns her finery and swears she will wear only brown until she sees her lord again. It is not to be, however, as old Amone, Beatrice, and Clarice die in short succession. Rinaldo, meanwhile, has come to Jaffa, where he meets Malagigi in the castle of a lady who shelters pilgrims.
The two decide to succor Giufroi of Nazareth, King Matteo of Salerno, and others who are fighting the Amostante of Persia, who has taken Jerusalem and imprisoned its king, Simon. Simone was king of Sicily before conquering Jerusalem, too. The Christians break through the city walls, but the Amostante leans King Simon over the palace balcony and threatens to drop him if peace is not made. The Amostante obtains leave for himself and his men to return to Persia safely, and so it is done. The cousins visit the Sepulchre, but then word comes that King Faburro of India has invaded Italy, and that Charles is trying to recover Rome from him. The cousins return with many of the Christian knights to succor Charles, but on the way they pass Salerno, which the Amostante (who certainly moves quickly) is besieging since Matteo was in the Holy Land. They rescue Salerno, and the Amostante drowns trying to reach his ships. They next rescue Rome, and Rinaldo kills Faburro.
The cousins return to France, where Rinaldo is grieved to learn that his parents and wife are dead. Malagigi returns to his hermitage, and Rinaldo is made prince of Gascony and rebuilds Monte Albano. The duel is between Rinaldo’s sons and the two sons of Folco: Smerigliano and Grifone. Rinaldo leaves his lands and travels to Cologne, where he finds work building Saint Peter’s Church. He only takes two deniers for his wages, and works so hard that he becomes known as “Saint Peter’s Worker.” The other workers, jealous, take counsel to kill him. At nones, as he sleeps, they crack his head open with their picks, and throw him into the Danube [!] The fish hold his body up, however, and all the bells of the city ring, and voices sing the Gloria. The people come out to see what’s happening, find and recognize his body, draw his body out of the river, and lay it on a cart, which begins moving of its own accord to Cogna [Ceoigne]. There he works many miracles. Meanwhile, his brothers and sons (not Malagigi) have been wandering the world seeking him, and they come at last to Cologne, where they are directed to Cogna and recognize his incorrupt body. Charlemagne and Orlando come to weep over his corpse, and to hang the murderers.
Orlando Innamorato in English 