But me to quit the cheerful realms of day, And seek the darksome cloisters it behoves."

Here ceased the voice; which in the Child amazed And those two damsels mighty marvel raised.

LXVII Gladly a sister in the martial queen Rogero, she in him a brother knows; Who now embrace, nor move her jealous spleen, That with the love of young Rogero glows; And citing what, and when, and where had been Their childish deeds, as they to memory rose, In summing up past times, more sure they hold The things whereof the wizard's spirit told.

LXVIII Rogero from Marphisa does not hide, How Bradamant to him at heart is dear; And by what obligations he is tied In moving words relates the cavalier; Nor ceases till he has, on either side, Turned to firm love the hate they bore whilere.

When, as a sign of peace, and discord chased, They, at his bidding, tenderly embraced.

LXIX Marphisa to Rogero makes request To say what sire was theirs, and what their strain; And how he died; by banded foes opprest, Or at close barriers, was the warrior slain?

And who it was had issued the behest To drown their mother in the stormy main?

For of the tale, if ever heard before, Little or nothing she in memory bore.

LXX "Of Trojan ancestors are we the seed, Through famous Hector's line," (Rogero said,) "For after young Astyanax was freed, From fierce Ulysses and the toils he spread, Leaving another stripling in his stead, Of his own age, he out of Phrygia fled.

Who, after long and wide sea-wandering, gained Sicily's sh.o.r.e, and in Messina reigned.

LXXI "Part of Calabria within Faro held The warrior's heirs, who after a long run Of successors, departed thence and dwelled In Mars' imperial city: more than one Famed king and emperor, who that list have swelled, In Rome and other part has filled the throne; And from Constantius and good Constantine, Stretched to the son of Pepin, is their line.

LXXII "Rogero, Gambaron, Buovo hence succeed; And that Rogero, second of the name, Who filled our fruitful mother with his seed; As thou Atlantes may'st have heard proclaim.

Of our fair lineage many a n.o.ble deed Shalt thou hear blazed abroad by sounding Fame."

Of Agolant's inroad next the stripling told, With Agramant and with Almontes bold;

LXXIII And how a lovely daughter, who excelled In feats of arms, that king accompanied; So stout she many paladins had quelled; And how, in fine, she for Rogero sighed; And for his love against her sire rebelled; And was baptized, and was Rogero's bride; And how a traitor loved (him Bertram name) His brother's wife with an incestuous flame;

LXXIV And country, sire, and brethren two betrayed, Hoping he so the lady should have won; How Risa open to the foe he laid, By whom all scathe was on those kinsmen done; How Agolant's two furious sons conveyed Their mother, great with child, and six months gone, Aboard a helmless boat, and with its charge, In wildest winter, turned adrift the barge.

LXXV Valiant Marphisa, with a tranquil face, Heard young Rogero thus his tale pursue, And joyed to be descended of a race Which from so fair a font its waters drew: Whence Clermont, whence renowned Mongrana trace Their n.o.ble line, the martial damsel knew; Blazoned through years and centuries by Fame, Unrivalled, both, in arms of mighty name.

LXXVI When afterwards she from her brother knew Agramant's uncle, sire, and grandsire fell, In treacherous wise, the first Rogero slew And brought to cruel pa.s.s Galacielle, Marphisa could not hear the story through: To him she cries, "With pardon, what you tell, Brother, convicts you of too foul a wrong, In leaving thus our sire unvenged so long.

LXXVII "Could'st thou not in Almontes and Troyane, As dead whilere, your thirsty faulchion plant, By you those monarch's children might be slain.

Are you alive, and lives King Agramant?

Never will you efface the shameful stain, That ye, so often wronged, not only grant Life to that king, but as your lord obey; Lodge in his court, and serve him for his pay?

LXXVIII "Here heartily in face of Heaven I vow, That Christ my father worshipped, to adore; And till I venge my parents on the foe To wear this armour, and I will deplore Your deed, Rogero, and deplore even now, That you should swell the squadrons of the Moor, Or other follower of the Moslem faith, Save sword in hand, and to the paynim's scathe."

LXXIX Ah! how fair Bradamant uplifts again Her visage at that speech, rejoiced in sprite!

Rogero she exhorts in earnest vein To do as his Marphisa counsels right; And bids him seek the camp of Charlemagne, And have himself acknowledged in his sight, Who so reveres and lauds his father's worth, He even deems him one unmatched on earth.

Lx.x.x In the beginning so he should have done, (Warily young Rogero answer made,) But, for the tale was not so fully known, As since, the deed had been too long delaid.

Now, seeing it was fierce Troyano's son That had begirt him with the knightly blade, He, as a traitor, well might be abhorred, If he slew one, accepted as his lord.

Lx.x.xI But, as to Bradamant whilere, he cries, He will all measures and all means a.s.say, Whereby some fair occasion may arise To leave the king; and had there been delay, And he whilere had done in otherwise, She on the Tartar king the fault must lay: How sorely handled that redoubted foe Had left him in their battle, she must know;

Lx.x.xII And she, that every day had sought his bed, Must of this truth the fittest witness be.

Much upon this was answered, much was said, Between those damsels, who at last agree; And as their last resolve, last counsel read, He should rejoin the paynim's ensignry, Till he found fair occasion to resort From Agramant's to Charles's royal court.

Lx.x.xIII To Bradamant the bold Marphisa cries: "Let him begone, nor doubt am I, before Many days pa.s.s, will manage in such wise, That Agramant shall be his lord no more."

So says the martial damsel, nor implies The secret purpose which she has in store.

Making his congees to the friendly twain, To join his king Rogero turns the rein.

Lx.x.xIV When a complaint is heard from valley near: All now stand listening, to the noise attent; And to that plaintive voice incline their ear, A woman's (as 'twould seem) that makes lament.

But I this strain would gladly finish here, And, that I finish it, be ye content: For better things I promise to report, If ye to hear another strain resort.

CANTO 37

ARGUMENT Lament and outcry loud of some that mourn, Attract Rogero and the damsels two.

They find Ulania, with her mantle shorn By Marganor, amid her moaning crew.

Upon that felon knight, for his foul scorn, A fierce revenge Marphisa takes: a new Statute that maid does in the town obtain, And Marganor is by Ulania slain.

I If, as in seeking other gift to gain, (For Nature, without study, yieldeth nought) With mighty diligence, and mickle pain, Ill.u.s.trious women day and night have wrought; And if with good success the female train To a fair end no homely task have brought, So -- did they for such other studies wake -- As mortal attributes immortal make;

II And, if they of themselves sufficient were Their praises to posterity to show, Nor borrowed authors' aid, whose bosoms are With envy and with hate corroded so, That oft they hide the good they might declare, And tell in every place what ill they know, To such a pitch would mount the female name, As haply ne'er was reached by manly fame.

III To furnish mutual aid is not enow, For many who would lend each other light.

Men do their best, that womankind should show Whatever faults they have in open sight; Would hinder them of rising from below, And sink them to the bottom, if they might; I say the ancients; as if glory, won By woman, dimmed their own, as mist the sun.

IV But hands or tongue ne'er had, nor has, the skill, Does voice or lettered page the thought impart, Though each, with all its power, increase the ill, Diminishing the good with all its art, So female fame to stifle, but that still The honour of the s.e.x survives in part: Yet reacheth not its pitch, nor such its flight, But that 'tis far below its natural height.

V Not only Thomyris and Harpalice, And who brought Hector, who brought Turnus aid, And who, to build in Lybia crost the sea, By Tyrian and Sidonian band obeyed; Not only famed Zen.o.bia, only she Who Persian, Indian, and a.s.syrian frayed; Not only these and some few others merit Their glory, that eternal fame inherit:

VI Faithful, chaste, and bold, the world hath seen In Greece and Rome not only, but where'er The Sun unfolds his flowing locks, between The Hesperides and Indian hemisphere; Whose gifts and praise have so extinguished been, We scarce of one amid a thousand hear; And this because they in their days have had For chroniclers, men envious, false, and bad.

VII But ye that prosper in the exercise Of goodly labours, aye your way pursue; Nor halt, O women, in your high emprise, For fear of not receiving honour due: For, as nought good endures beneath the skies, So ill endures no more; if hitherto Unfriendly by the poet's pen and page, They now befriend you in our better age.

VIII Erewhile Marullo and Pontante for you Declared, and -- sire and son -- the Strozzi twain; Capello, Bembo, and that writer, who Has fashioned like himself the courtier train; With Lewis Alamanni, and those two, Beloved of Mars and Muses, of their strain Descended, who the mighty city rule, Which Mincius parts, and moats with marshy pool.

IX One of this pair (besides that, of his will, He honours you, and does you courtesies; And makes Parna.s.sus and high Cynthus' hill Resound your praise, and lift it to the skies) The love, the faith, and mind, unconquered still, Mid threats of ruin, which in stedfast wise To him his constant Isabel hath shown, Render yet more your champion than his own.

X So that he never more will wearied be With quickening in his verse your high renown; And, if another censures you, than he Prompter to arm in your defence is none; Nor knight, in this wide world, more willingly Life in the cause of virtue would lay down: Matter as well for other's pen he gives, As in his own another's glory lives;

XI And well he merits, that a dame so blest, (Blest with all worth, which in this earthly round Is seen in them who don the female vest,) To him hath evermore been faithful found; Of a sure pillar of pure truth possest In her, despising Fortune's every wound.

Worthy of one another are the twain; Nor better ere were paired in wedlock's chain.

XII New trophies he on Oglio's bank has shown; For he, mid bark and car, amid the gleam Of fire and sword, such goodly rhymes hath strown, As may with envy swell the neighbouring stream.

By Hercules Bentivoglio next is blown The n.o.ble strain, your honour's n.o.ble theme; Reynet Trivulzio and Guidetti mine, And Molza, called of Phoebus and the Nine.

XIII There's Hercules of the Carnuti, son Of my own duke, who spreads his every plume Soaring and singing, like harmonious swan, And even to heaven uplifts your name; with whom There is my lord of Guasto, not alone A theme for many an Athens, many a Rome; In his high strain he promises as well, Your praise to all posterity to tell.

XIV And beside these and others of our day, Who gave you once, or give you now renown, This for yourselves ye may yourselves purvey: For many, laying silk and sampler down, With the melodious Muses, to allay Their thirst at Aganippe's well, have gone, And still are going; who so fairly speed, That we more theirs than they our labour need.

XV If I of these would separately tell, And render good account and honour due, More than one page I with their praise should swell, Nor ought beside would this day's canto shew; And if on five or six alone I dwell, I may offend and anger all the crew.

What then shall I resolve? to pa.s.s all by?

Or choose but one from such a company?

XVI One will I choose, and such will choose, that she All envy shall so well have overthrown, No other woman can offend be, If, pa.s.sing others, her I praise alone: Nor joys this one but immortality, Through her sweet style (and better know I none): But who is honoured in her speech and page, Shall burst the tomb, and live through every age.

XVII As Phoebus to his silvery sister shows His visage more, and lends her brighter fires, Than Venus, Maja, or to star that glows Alone, or circles with the heavenly quires; So he with sweeter eloquence than flows From other lips, that gentle dame inspires; And gives her word such force, a second sun Seems in our days its glorious course to run.