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the Saracens were gathering fruit. He was thinking of the misery of the oppressed Christians who were
there. Suddenly, the fairy Morgana, who was ardently in love with Ruggero, appeared' to him in her
magic chariot, saying: « Come with me to Sicily, and admire its beautiful cities! » Ruggero answered: « I
travel in ships and on horseback, not in enchanted chariots! » Thereupon Morgana waved her wand. What
a marvel then did the bravest of the Normans behold! The island, with all its mountains, cities, rivers, and
fields, drew near. Ruggero, marvelling, saw Messina, and from the summit of Mount Etna beheld the whole
island. The cicalas were singing in the olivefields, herds were grazing among the ruins of Syracuse, bees
were humming on the Iblean mountains, the crops were undulating in Alicant, while, among gardens, rose
Palermo, with her superb palaces, with 'her thousand ships. « Stay here with me,» said Morgana, « and
thou shalt be King of Sicily! »
But thè hero answered: « I want not enchanted ground in exchange for love, but to fight for Christ, until
I have planted his holy banner on those battlemented walls. » And as he spake, the enchantment vanished:
palaces, churches, towers, rivers and fields disappeared into the sea, and Sicily reappeared far away.
C| So Ruggero passed into Sicily, and immediately recognized the importance of the port of Messina. He
restored its walls; surrounding it with fortifications, of an imposing form, as shown by the octagonal tower of
the Castle of Matagrifone. To these he added an arsenal and the mint, he established a fleet, founded a
bishopric, restored the temple of S. Nicolò, and built other churches, hospices and monasteries, amongst
these latter being that of Salvatore, subsequently famous for the schools of the.« dodici ».
CjJ Ruggero’s successors were not behindhand in heaping benefits upon Messina, so that she continued to
grow in magnificence. The Crusades favoured her not a little, although Richard Coeur de Lion damaged