The Thracian leader never more content Than to obey, whatever be the call, Is at my bidding ever prompt to smite, Without regarding who or what the wight.

XLI "When I perceive that, through the warrior's mean, Extinguished is my father's every foe; And, conquered by himself, that knight is seen -- Friendless, through us -- I now the masque forego; What I, from him, beneath a flattering mien, Had hitherto concealed, I plainly show; -- What deep and deadly hate by bosom fired, And that I but to work his death desired.

XLII "Then, thinking if such course I should pursue, That public shame would still the deed attend, (For men too well my obligations knew, And would be prompt my cruelty to shend.) Meseemed enough to drive him from my view, So that he should no more my eyes offend: Nor would I more address or see the peer, Nor letter would receive or message hear.

XLIII "This my ingrat.i.tude in him such pain At length produced, that mastered by his woe, After entreating mercy long in vain, He sickened sore and sank beneath the blow.

For pain which fits my sin, dark fumes now stain My cheek, and with salt rheum mine eyes o'erflow.

Thus in eternal torment shall I dwell; For saving mercy helpeth not in h.e.l.l."

XLIV Since wretched Lydia spake no more, the peer Would fain discern if more in torment lay; But, those false ingrates' curse, the darkness drear So waxed before him, and obscured the way, That not one inch advanced the cavalier; Nay, back parforce returns that warrior; nay, Himself from that increasing smoke to save, Makes for the mouth of the disastrous cave.

XLV The motion of his quickly shifting feet More savours of a run than walk or trot.

Thus mounting the ascent in swift retreat, Astolpho sees the outlet of the grot; Where, through the darkness of that dismal seat And those foul fumes, a dawn of daylight shot; He from the cavern, sorely pained and pined, Issues at last, and leaves the smoke behind;

XLVI And next to bar the way against that band, Whose greedy bellies so for victual crave, Picks stones, and trees lays level with his brand, Which charged with pepper or amomum wave; And what might seem a hedge, with busy hand, As best he can, constructs before the cave; And so succeeds in blocking that repair, The harpies shall no more revisit air.

XLVII While in that cave Astolpho did remain, The fumes that from the sable pitch arose, Not only what appeared to sight did stain; But even so searched the flesh beneath his clothes, He sought some cleansing stream, long sought in vain; But found at length a limpid till, which rose Out of a living rock, within that wood, And bathed himself all over in the flood.

XLVIII Then backed the griffin-horse, and soared a flight Whereby to reach that mountain's top he schemes, Which little distant, with its haughty height, From the moon's circle good Astolpho deems; And, such desire to see it warms the knight, That he aspires to heaven, nor earth esteems.

Through air so more and more the warrior strains, That he at last the mountain-summit gains.

XLIX Here sapphire, ruby, gold, and topaz glow, Pearl, jacinth, chrysolite and diamond lie, Which well might pa.s.s for natural flowers which blow, Catching their colour from that kindly sky.

So green the gra.s.s! could we have such below, We should prefer it to our emerald's dye.

As fair the foliage of those pleasant bowers!

Whose trees are ever filled with fruit and flowers.

L Warble the wanton birds in verdant brake, Azure, and red, and yellow, green and white.

The quavering rivulet and quiet lake In limpid hue surpa.s.s the crystal bright.

A breeze, which with one breath appears to shake, Aye, without fill or fall, the foliage light, To the quick air such lively motion lends, That Day's oppressive noon in nought offends;

LI And this, mid fruit and flower and verdure there, Evermore stealing divers odours, went; And made of those mixt sweets a medley rare, Which filled the spirit with a calm content.

In the mid plain arose a palace fair, Which seemed as if with living flames it brent.

Such pa.s.sing splendour and such glorious light Shot from those walls, beyond all usage bright.

LII Thither where those transparent walls appear, Which cover more than thirty miles in measure, At ease and slowly moved the cavalier, And viewed the lovely region at his leisure; And deemed -- compared with this -- that sad and drear, And seen by heaven and nature with displeasure, Was the foul world, wherein we dwell below: So jocund this, so sweet and fair in show!

LIII Astound with wonder, paused the adventurous knight, When to that shining palace he was nigh, For, than the carbuncle more crimson bright, It seemed one polished stone of sanguine dye.

O mighty wonder! O Daedalian sleight!

What fabric upon earth with this can vie?

Let them henceforth be silent, that in story Exalt the world's seven wonders to such glory!

LIV An elder, in the shining entrance-hall Of that glad house, towards Astolpho prest; Crimson his waistcoat was, and white his pall; Vermillion seemed the mantle, milk the vest: White was that ancient's hair, and white withal The bushy beard descending to his breast; And from his reverend face such glory beamed, Of the elect of Paradise he seemed.

LV He, with glad visage, to the paladin, Who humbly, from his sell had lighted, cries: "O gentle baron, that by will divine Have soared to this terrestrial paradise!

Albeit nor you the cause of your design, Nor you the scope of your desire surmise, Believe, you not without high mystery steer Hitherward, from your arctic hemisphere.

LVI "You for instruction, how to furnish aid To Charles and to the Church in utmost need, With me to counsel, hither are conveyed, Who without counsel from such distance speed.

But, son, ascribe not you the journey made To wit or worth; nor through your winged steed, Nor through your virtuous bugle had ye thriven, But that such helping grace from G.o.d was given.

LVII "We will discourse at better leisure more, And you what must be done shall after hear; But you that, through long fast, must hunger sore, First brace your strength with us, with genial cheer."

Continuing his discourse, that elder h.o.a.r Raised mighty wonder in the cavalier, When he avouched, as he his name disclosed, That he THE HOLY GOSPEL, had composed;

LVIII He of our Lord so loved, the blessed John; Of whom a speech among the brethren went, He never should see death, and hence the Son Of G.o.d with this rebuke St. Peter shent; In saying, "What is it to thee, if one Tarry on earth, till I anew be sent?"

Albeit he said not that he should not die, That so he meant to say we plain descry.

LIX Translated thither, he found company, The patriarch Enoch, and the mighty seer Elias; nor as yet those sainted three Have seen corruption, but in garden, clear Of earth's foul air, will joy eternity Of spring, till they angelic trumpets hear, Sounding through heaven and earth, proclaim aloud Christ's second advent on the silvery cloud.

LX The holy ancients to a chamber lead, With welcome kind, the adventurous cavalier; And in another then his flying steed Sufficiently with goodly forage cheer.

Astolpho they with fruits of Eden feed, So rich, that in his judgment 'twould appear, In some sort might our parents be excused If, for such fruits, obedience they refused.

LXI When with that daily payment which man owes, Nature had been contented by the peer, As well of due refreshment as repose, (For all and every comfort found he here) And now Aurora left her ancient spouse, Not for his many years to her less dear, Rising from bed, Astolpho at his side The apostle, so beloved of G.o.d, espied.

LXII Much that not lawfully could here be shown, Taking him by the hand, to him he read.

"To you, though come from France, may be unknown What there hath happened," next the apostle said; "Learn, your Orlando, for he hath foregone The way wherein he was enjoined to tread, Is visited of G.o.d, that ever shends Him whom he loveth best, when he offends:

LXIII "He, your Orlando, at his birth endowed With sovereign daring and with sovereign might, On whom, beyond all usage, G.o.d bestowed The grace, that weapon him should vainly smite, Because he was selected from the crowd To be defender of his Church's right.

As he elected Sampson, called whilere The Jew against the Philistine to cheer;

LXIV "He, your Orlando, for such gifts has made Unto his heavenly Lord an ill return: Who left his people, when most needing aid, Then most abandoned to the heathens' scorn.

Incestuous love for a fair paynim maid Had blinded so that knight, of grace forlorn, That twice and more in fell and impious strife The count has sought his faithful cousin's life.

LXV "Hence G.o.d hath made him mad, and, in this vein, Belly, and breast, and naked flesh expose; And so diseased and troubled is his brain, That none, and least himself, the champion knows, Nebuchadnezzar whilom to such pain G.o.d in his vengeance doomed, as story shows; Sent, for seven years, of savage fury full, To feed on gra.s.s and hay, like slavering bull.

LXVI "But yet, because the Christian paladine Has sinned against his heavenly Maker less, He only for three months, by will divine, Is doomed to cleanse himself of his excess.

Nor yet with other scope did your design Of wending hither the Redeemer bless, But that through us the mode you should explore, Orlando's missing senses to restore.

LXVII " 'Tis true to journey further ye will need, And wholly must you leave this nether sphere; To the moon's circle you I have to lead, Of all the planets to our world most near, Because the medicine, that is fit to speed Insane Orlando's cure, is treasured here.

This night will we away, when over head Her downward rays the silver moon shall shed."

LXVIII In talk the blest apostle is diffuse On this and that, until the day is worn: But when the sun is sunk i' the salt sea ooze, And overhead the moon uplifts her horn, A chariot is prepared, erewhile in use To scower the heavens, wherein of old was borne From Jewry's misty mountains to the sky, Sainted Elias, rapt from mortal eye.

LXIX Four goodly coursers next, and redder far Than flame, to that fair chariot yokes the sire; Who, when the knight and he well seated are, Collects the reins; and heavenward they aspire.

In airy circles swiftly rose the car, And reached the region of eternal fire; Whose heat the saint by miracle suspends, While through the parted air the pair ascends.

LXX The chariot, towering, threads the fiery sphere, And rises thence into the lunar reign.

This, in its larger part they find as clear As polished steel, when undefiled by stain; And such it seems, or little less, when near, As what the limits of our earth contain: Such as our earth, the last of globes below, Including seas, which round about it flow.

LXXI Here doubly waxed the paladin's surprize, To see that place so large, when viewed at hand; Resembling that a little hoop in size, When from the globe surveyed whereon we stand, And that he both his eyes behoved to strain, If he would view Earth's circling seas and land; In that, by reason of the lack of light, Their images attained to little height.

LXXII Here other river, lake, and rich champaign Are seen, than those which are below descried; Here other valley, other hill and plain, With towns and cities of their own supplied; Which mansions of such mighty size contain, Such never he before of after spied.

Here s.p.a.cious hold and lonely forest lay, Where nymphs for ever chased the panting prey.

LXXIII He, that with other scope had thither soared, Pauses not all these wonder to peruse: But led by the disciple of our Lord, His way towards a s.p.a.cious vale pursues; A place wherein is wonderfully stored Whatever on our earth below we lose.

Collected there are all things whatsoe'er, Lost through time, chance, or our own folly, here.

LXXIV Nor here alone of realm and wealthy dower, O'er which aye turns the restless wheel, I say: I speak of what it is not in the power Of Fortune to bestow, or take away.

Much fame is here, whereon Time and the Hour, Like wasting moth, in this our planet prey.

Here countless vows, here prayers unnumbered lie, Made by us sinful men to G.o.d on high: