XL "I now on this, O peers! your counsel crave.

If, bootless, homeward I should wend my way, Or should not such a fair adventure wave, Till Charles with me a prisoner I convey; Or how I may as well our Africk save, And ruin this redoubted empire, say.

Who can advise, is prayed his lore to shew, That we may learn the best, and that pursue."

XLI He said; and on Marsilius seated nigh Next turned his eyes, who in the signal read, That it belonged to him to make reply To what the king of Africa had said.

The Spaniard rose, and bending reverently To Agramant the knee as well as head, Again his honoured seat in council prest, And in these words the Moorish king addrest:

XLII "My liege, does Rumour good or ill report, It still increases them; hence shall I ne'er, Under despondence, lack for due support, Nor bolder course than is befitting steer, For what may chance, of good or evil sort; Weighing in even balance hope and fear, O'errated still; and which we should not mete By what I hear so many tongues repeat;

XLIII "Which should so much more doubtfully be viewed, As it seems less with likelihood to stand.

Now it is seen, if there be likelihood, That king who reigns in so remote a land, Followed by such a mighty mult.i.tude, Should set his foot on warlike Africk's strand; Traversing sands, to which in evil hour Cambyses trusted his ill-omened power.

XLIV "I well believe, that from some neighbouring hill The Arabs have poured down, to waste the plain; Who, for the country was defended ill, Have taken, burnt, destroyed and sacked and slain; And that Branzardo, who your place doth fill, As viceroy and lieutenant of the reign, Has set down thousands, where he tens should write; The better to excuse him in your sight.

XLV "The Nubian squadrons, I will even yield, Have been rained down on Africk from the skies; Or haply they have come, in clouds concealed, In that their march was hidden from all eyes: Think you, because unaided in the field, Your Africk from such host in peril lies?

Your garrisons were sure of coward vein, If they were scared by such a craven train.

XLVI "But will you send some frigates, albeit few, (Provided that unfurled your standards be) No sooner shall they loose from hence, that crew Of spoilers shall within their confines flee; -- Nubians are they, or idle Arabs -- who, Knowing that you are severed by the sea From your own realm, and warring with our band, Have taken courage to a.s.sail your land.

XLVII "Now take your time for vengeance, when the son Of Pepin is without his nephew's aid.

Since bold Orlando is away, by none Of the hostile sect resistance can be made.

If, through neglect or blindness, be foregone The glorious Fortune, which for you has stayed, She her bald front, as now her hair, will show, To our long infamy and mighty woe."

XLVIII Thus warily the Spanish king replied, Proving by this and other argument, The Moorish squadrons should in France abide, Till Charlemagne was into exile sent.

But King Sobrino, he that plainly spied The scope whereon Marsilius was intent, To public good preferring private gain, So spake in answer to the king of Spain:

XLIX "My liege, when I to peace exhorted you, Would that my prophecy had proved less just!

Of, if I was to prove a prophet true, Ye in Sobrino had reposed more trust, Than in King Rodomont and in that crew, Alzirdo, Martasine and Marbal.u.s.t!

Whom I would here see gladly, front to front; But see most gladly boastful Rodomont.

L "To twit that warrior with his threat to do By France, what by the brittle gla.s.s is done; And throughout heaven and h.e.l.l your course pursue, Yea (as the monarch said) your course outrun.

Yet lapt in foul and loathsome ease, while you So need his help, lies Ulien's lazy son; And I, that as a coward was decried For my true prophecy, am at your side;

LI "And ever will be while this life I bear; Which, albeit 'tis with yours sore laden, still Daily for you is risked with them that are The best of France; and -- be he who he will -- There is not mortal living, who will dare To say Sobrino's deeds were ever ill: Yea, many who vaunt more, amid your host, Have not so much, nay lighter, cause for boast.

LII "I speak, these words to show that what whilere I said and say again, has neither sprung From evil heart, nor is the fruit of fear; But that true love and duty move my tongue.

You homeward with what haste you may to steer, I counsel, your a.s.sembled bands among; For little is the wisdom of that wight, Who risks his own to gain another's right.

LIII "If there be gain, ye know, Late thirty-two, Your va.s.sal kings, with you our sails we spread; Now, if we pause to sum the account anew, Hardly a third survives; the rest are dead.

May it please Heaven no further loss ensue!

But if you will pursue your quest, I dread Lest not a fourth nor fifth will soon remain; And wholly spent will be your wretched train.

LIV "Orlando's absence so far aids, that where Our troops are few, there haply none would be; But not through this removed our perils are, Though it prolongs our evil destiny.

Behold Rinaldo! whom his deeds declare No less than bold Orlando; of his tree There are the shoots; with paladin and peer, Our baffled Saracens' eternal fear;

LV "And the other Mars (albeit against my heart It goes to waste my praise upon a foe); I speak of the redoubted Brandimart, Whose feats no less than fierce Orlando's show; Whose mighty prowess I have proved in part, In part, at others' cost I see and know.

Then many days Orlando has been gone; Yet we have lost more fields than we have won.

LVI "I fear, if heretofore our band has lost, A heavier forfeit will henceforth be paid.

Blotted is Mandricardo from our host; Martial Grada.s.so hath withdrawn his aid; Marphisa, at our worst, has left her post; So Argier's lord; of whom it may be said, Where he as true as strong, we should not need Grada.s.so and the Tartar king, to speed.

LVII "While aids like these are lost to our array, While on our side such slaughtered thousands lie, Those looked-for are arrived, nor on her way Is any vessel fraught with new supply -- Charles has been joined by four, that, as they say, Might with Orlando or Rinaldo vie; With reasons, for from hence to Bactrian sh.o.r.e, Ill would you hope to find such other four.

LVIII "I know not if you know who Guido are, Sansonet, and the sons of Olivier.

For these I more respect, more fear I bear, Than any warlike duke or cavalier, Of Almayn's or of other lineage fair, Who for the Roman empire rests the spear, Though I misrate not those of newer stamp, That, to our scathe, are gathered in their camp.

LIX "As often as ye issue on the plain, Worsted so oft, or broken, shall you be.

If oft united Africa and Spain Were losers, when sixteen to eight were we, What will ensue, when banded with Almayn Are England, Scotland, France, and Italy?

When with our six twice six their weapons cross, What else can we expect but shame and loss?

LX "You lose your people here, and there your reign, If you in this emprize are obstinate; -- Returning -- us, the remnant of your train, You save, together with your royal state.

It were ill done to leave the king of Spain, Since all for this would hold you sore ingrate; Yet there's a remedy in peace; which, so It pleases but yourself, will please the foe.

LXI "But, if, as first defeated, on your part It seems a shame to offer peace, and ye Have war and wasteful battle more at heart, Waged hitherto with what success you see, At least to gain the victory use art, Which may be yours, if you are ruled by me.

Lay all our quarrel's trial on one peer, And let Rogero be that cavalier.

LXII "Such our Rogero is, ye know and I, That -- pitted one to one in listed fight -- Not Roland, not Rinaldo stands more high, Nor whatsoever other Christian knight.

But would ye kindle warfare far and nigh, Though superhuman be that champion's might, The warrior is but one mid many spears, Matched singly with a host of martial peers.

LXIII "Meseemeth, if to you it seemeth good, Ye should propose to Charles the war to end; And that, to spare the constant waste of blood, Which his, and countless of your warriors spend, He -- by a knight of yours to be withstood -- A champion, chosen from his best should send; And those two all the warfare wage alone, Till one prevails, and one is overthrown;

LXIV "On pact the king, whose champion in the just Is loser, tribute to that other pay.

Nor will this pact displease King Charles, I trust, Though his was the advantage in the fray.

Then of his arms Rogero so robust I deem, that he will surely win the day; Who would prevail (so certain is our right) Though Mars himself should be his opposite."

LXV With these and other sayings yet more sound, So wrought Sobrino, he his end obtained; And on that day interpreters were found, And they that day to Charles their charge explained.

Charles, whom such matchless cavaliers surround.

Believes the battle is already gained; And chooses good Rinaldo for the just, Next to Orlando in his sovereign's trust.

LXVI In this accord like cause for pleasure find, As well the Christian as the paynim foe: For, hara.s.sed sore in body and in mind, Those warriors all were weary, all were woe.

Each in repose and quietude designed To pa.s.s what time remained to him below: Each cursed the senseless anger and the hate Which stirred their hearts to discord and debate.

LXVII Rinaldo felt himself much magnified, That Charles, for what in him so strong weighed, More trusted him than all his court beside, And glad the honoured enterprise a.s.sayed: Rogero he esteemed not in his pride, And thought he ill could keep him from his blade.

Nor deemed the Child could equal him in fight, Albeit he slew in strife the Tartar knight.

LXVIII Rogero, though much honoured, on his part, That him his king has chosen from the rest, To whom a trust so weighty to impart, As of his many martial lords the best, Yet shows a troubled face; not that the heart Of that good knight unworthy fears molest; Not only none Rinaldo would have bred; Him, with Orlando leagued, he would not dread --

LXIX But because sister of the Christian knight (He knows) is she, his consort true and dear; That to the stripling evermore did write, As one sore injured by that cavalier.

Now, if to ancient sins he should unite A mortal combat with Montalban's peer, Her, although loving, will he anger so, Not lightly she her hatred will forego.

LXX If silently Rogero made lament That he in his despite must battle do; In sobs his consort dear to hers gave vent, When shortly to her ears the tidings flew.

She beat her breast, her golden tresses rent: Fast, scalding tears her innocent cheeks bedew: She taxes young Rogero as ingrate, And aye cries out upon her cruel fate.

LXXI Nought can result to Bradamant but pain, Whatever is the doubtful combat's end.

She will not think Rogero can be slain; For this, 'twould seem, her very heart would rend; And should our Lord the fall of France ordain, That kingdom for more sins than one to amend, The gentle maid, beside a brother's loss, Would have to weep a worse and bitterer cross.

LXXII For, without shame and scorn, she never may, Not without hatred of her kin combined, To her loved lord return in such a way As that it may be known of all mankind; As, thinking upon this by night and day, She oftentimes had purposed in her mind; And so by promise both were tied withal, Room for repentance and retreat was small.

LXXIII But she, that ever, when things adverse were, With faithful succour Bradamant had stayed, I say the weird Melissa, could not bear To hear the wailings of the woeful maid; She hurried to console her in her care, And proffered succour in due time and said, She would disturb that duel 'twixt the twain, The occasion of such grief and cruel pain.