The army, on seeing the horse and banner advancing as it were of themselves, blessed themselves, and asked Otnit why he did not likewise.
"It is God's messenger!" Otnit then cried: "Who unto Muntabur will be our trusty guide; Him ye should believe in, who like Christians debate, Who in the fight them spare not, he leads to heaven straight."
Thus encouraged, the troops cheerfully follow the invisible standard-bearer, and soon appear before Muntabur, where Elberich delivers the banner to king Elias, and directs them to encamp. He meanwhile enters the city, flings down the artillery from the walls, and when the Soldan again refuses to give his daughter, plucks out some of his majesty's beard[254] and hair, in the midst of his courtiers and guards, who in vain cut and thrust at the viewless tormentor. A furious battle ensues. The queen and princess resort to prayers to their gods Apollo and Mahomet for the safety of the Soldan The princess is thus described:
Her mouth flamed like a rose, and like the ruby stone, And equal to the full moon her lovely eyes they shone.
With roses she bedecked had well her head, And with pearls precious,--no one comforted the maid: She was of exact stature, slender in the waist, And turned like a taper was her body chaste.
Her hands and her arms, you nought in them could blame, Her nails they so clear were, people saw themselves in them; And her hair ribbons were of silk costly, Which she left down hanging, the maiden fair and free.
She set upon her head high a crown of gold red,-- Elberich the little, he grieved for the maid;-- In front of the crown lay a carbuncle stone, That in the royal palace like a taper shone.
Elberich endeavours to persuade her to become a Christian, and espouse Otnit; and to convince her of the incapacity of her gods, he tumbles their images into the fosse. Overcome by his representations and her father's danger, the princess, with her mother's consent, agrees to wed the monarch whom Elberich points out to her in the battle, and she gives her ring to be conveyed to him. The Dwarf, unperceived, leads her out of the city, and delivers her to her future husband, strictly forbidding all intercourse between them, previous to the maiden's baptism.[255] When the old heathen misses his daughter he orders out his troops to recover her. Elberich hastens to king Elias, and brings up the Christians. A battle ensues: the latter are victorious, and the princess is brought to Sunders;--ere they embark Elberich and Elias baptise her, and ere they reached Messina "the noble maiden was a wife."