LIII Who cries, on his approaching him, "Saul, Saul, Why persecutest thou my faithful seed?"

As whilom said the Saviour to Saint Paul, When (blessed stroke!) he smote him from his steed.

"Thou thought'st to pa.s.s the sea, nor pay withal; Thought'st to defraud the pilot of his meed.

Thou seest that G.o.d has arms to reach and smite, When farthest off thou deem'st that G.o.d of might."

LIV And he, that holiest anch.o.r.et, pursued, To whom the night foregoing G.o.d did send A vision, as he slumbered, and foreshewed How, thither by his aid the Child should wend; Wherein his past and future life, reviewed, Were seen, as well as his unhappy end; And sons, and grandsons, and his every heir, Fully revealed to that good hermit were.

LV That anch.o.r.et pursues, and does upbraid Rogero first, and comforts finally: Upbraideth him, because he had delaid Beneath that easy yoke to bend the knee; And what he should have done, when whilom prayed And called of Christ -- then uncompelled and free -- Had done with little grace; nor turned to G.o.d Until he saw him threatening with the rod.

LVI Then comforts him -- that Christ aye heaven allows To them, that late or early heaven desire; And all those labourers of the Gospel shows, Paid by the vineyard's lord with equal hire.

With charity and warm devotion glows, And him instructs the venerable sire, As toward the rocky cell where he resides He with weak steps and slow Rogero guides.

LVII Above that hallowed cell, on the hill's brow, A little church receives the rising day; Commodious is the fane and fair enow; Thence to the beach descends a thicket gray, Where fertile and fruit-bearing palm-trees blow, Myrtle, and lowly juniper, and bay, Evermore threaded by a limpid fountain, Which falls with ceaseless murmur from the mountain.

LVIII 'Twas well nigh forty years, since on that stone The goodly friar had fixed his quiet seat; Which, there to live a holy life, alone, For him the Saviour chose, as harbourage meet.

Pure water was his drink, and, plucked from one, Or the other plant, wild berries were his meat; And hearty and robust, of ailments clear, The holy man had reached his eightieth year.

LIX That hermit lit a fire, and heaped the board With different fruits, within his small repair; Wherewith the Child somedeal his strength restored, When he had dried his clothes and dripping hair.

After, at better ease, to him G.o.d's word And mysteries of our faith expounded were; And the day following, in his fountain clear, That anch.o.r.et baptized the cavalier.

LX There dwells the young Rogero, well content With what the rugged sojourn does allow; In that the friar showed shortly his intent To send him where he fain would turn his prow.

Meanwhile with him he many an argument Handles and often; of G.o.d's kingdom now; Now of things appertaining to his case; Now to Rogero's blood, a future race.

LXI The Lord, that every thing doth see and hear, Had to that holiest anch.o.r.et bewrayed, How he should not exceed the seventh year, Dating from when he was a Christian made; Who for the death of Pinabel whilere, (His lady's deed, but on Rogero laid) As well as Bertolagi's, should be slain By false Maganza's ill and impious train;

LXII And, how that treason should be smothered so, No sign thereof should outwardly appear; For where that evil people dealt the blow, They should entomb the youthful cavalier.

For this should vengeance follow, albeit slow, Dealt by his consort and his sister dear; And how he by his wife should long be sought, With weary womb, with heavy burden fraught,

LXIII 'Twixt Brenta and Athesis, beneath those hills (Which erst the good Antenor so contented, With their sulphureous veins and liquid rills, And mead, and field, with furrows glad indented, That he for these left pools which Xanthus fills; And Ida, and Ascanius long lamented,) Till she a child should in the forests bear, Which little distant from Ateste are;

LXIV And how the Child, in might and beauty grown, That, like his sire, Rogero shall be hight, Those Trojans, as of Trojan lineage known, Shall for their lord elect with solemn rite; Who next by Charles (in succour of whose crown Against the Lombards shall the stripling fight) Of that fair land dominion shall obtain, And the honoured t.i.tle of a marquis gain;

LXV And because Charles shall say in Latin 'Este', (That is -- be lords of the dominion round!) Ent.i.tled in a future season Este Shall with good omen be that beauteous ground; And thus its ancient t.i.tle of Ateste Shall of its two first letters lose the sound.

G.o.d also to his servant had foresaid The vengeance taken for Rogero's dead;

LXVI Who shall, in vision, to his consort true Appear somedeal before the dawn of day; And shall relate how him the traitor slew, And where his body lies to her shall say.

She and Marphisa hence, those valiant two, With fire and sword on earth shall Poictiers lay; Nor shall his son, when of befitting age, Less harm Maganza in his mighty rage.

LXVII On Azos, Alberts, Obysons, did dwell That hermit h.o.a.r, and on their offspring bright; Or Borso, Nicholas, and Leonel, Alphonso, Hercules, and Hippolyte, And. last of those, the gentle Isabel; Then curbs his tongue and will no more recite.

He to Rogero what is fit reveals, And what is fitting to conceal, conceals.

LXVIII Meanwhile Orlando and bold Brandimart, With that good knight, the Marquis Olivier, Against the paynim Mars together start; (Name well befitting Sericana's peer) And the other two -- that from the adverse part, At more than a foot-pace their coursers steer; I say King Agramant and King Sobrine: The pebbly beach resounds, and rolling brine.

LXIX When they encounter in mid field, pell-mell, And to the sky flew every shivered lance, At that loud noise, the sea was seen to swell, At that loud noise, which echoed even to France.

Grada.s.so and Roland met as it befel; And fairly balanced might appear the chance, But for the vantage of Rinaldo's horse; Which made Grada.s.so seem of greater force.

LXX Baiardo shocked the steed of lesser might, Backed by Orlando, with such might and main, He made that courser stagger, left and right, And measure next his length upon the plain: Vainly to raise him strove Anglantes' knight, Thrice, nay four times, with rowels and with rein; Balked of his end, he lights upon the field, Draws Balisarda, and uplifts his shield.

LXXI With Agramant encounters Olivier, Who, fitly matched, their foaming coursers gall.

Bold Brandimart unhorsed in the career Sobrino; but it was not plain withal If 'twas the fault of horse or cavalier; For seldom good Sobrino used to fall.

Was it his courser's or his own misdeed, Sobrino found himself without a steed.

LXXII Now Brandimart, that upon earth descried The king Sobrine, a.s.sailed no more his man; But at Grada.s.so, who Anglantes' pride Had equally unhorsed, in fury ran.

On Agramant and Oliviero's side, Meanwhile the warfare stood as it began: When broken on their bucklers were the spears, With swords encountered the returning peers.

LXXIII Roland who saw Grada.s.so in such guise, As showed that to return he little cared, -- Nor can return; so Brandimart aye plies, And presses Sericana's monarch hard, Turns round, and, like himself, afoot descries Sobrino, in the doubtful strife unpaired: At him he sprang; and, at his haughty look, Heaven, as the warrior trod, in terror shook.

LXXIV Foreseeing the a.s.sault with wary eye, Prepared, and at close ward, behold the Moor!

As pilot against whom, now cresting nigh, The threatening billow comes with hollow roar, Towards it turns his prow, and, when so high He views the sea, would gladly be ash.o.r.e.

Sobrino rears his buckler, to withstand The furious fall of Falerina's brand.

LXXV Of such fine steel was Balisarda's blade, That arms against it little shelter were; And by a person of such puissance swayed, By Roland, singe in the world or rare, It splits the shield, and is in nowise stayed, Though bound about with steel the edges are: It splits the shield, and to the bottom rends, And on the shoulder underneath descends.

LXXVI Upon the shoulder; nor, though twisted chain And double plates encase the paynim foe, These hinder much that sword of stubborn grain From opening wide the parted flesh below.

Sobrino at Orlando smites; but vain Against the valiant count is every blow; To whom, for special grace, the King of heaven A body charmed against all arms had given.

LXXVII The valorous count, redoubling still his blows, Thought from the trunk the monarch's head to smite.

Sobrino, who the strength of Clermont knows, And how the shield ill boots, retired from fight, Yet not so far, but that upon his brows Fell the dread faulchion of Anglantes' knight: 'Twas on its flat, but such his might and main, It crushed the helm and stupefied the brain.

LXXVIII Stunned by that furious stroke, he pressed the sh.o.r.e, And it was long ere he again did rise.

The paladin believes the warfare o'er, And that deprived of life Sobrino lies; And, lest Grada.s.so to ill pa.s.s and sore Should bring Sir Brandimart, at him he flies: For him the paynim overmatched in horse, In arms and faulchion, and perhaps in force.

LXXIX Bold Brandimart, who guides Frontino's rein, The goodly courser, erst Rogero's steed, So well contends with him of Sericane, The king yet little seems his foe to exceed; Who, if he had as tempered plate and chain As that bold paynim lord, would better speed; But (for he felt himself ill-armed) the knight Often gave ground, and traversed left and right.

Lx.x.x Better than good Frontino horse is none To obey upon a sign the cavalier; 'Twould seem that courser had the sense to shun Sharp Durindana's fall, now there now here.

Meanwhile elsewhere is horrid battle done By royal Agramant and Olivier; Who may be deemed well matched in warlike sleight, Nor champions differing much in martial might.

Lx.x.xI Orlando had left Sobrino (as I said) On earth, and against Sericana's pride, Desirous valiant Brandimart to aid, Even as he was, afoot, in fury hied: When, prompt to a.s.sail Grada.s.so with the blade, He, loose and walking in mid field, espied The goodly horse, which had Sobrino thrown; And bowned him straight to make the steed his own.

Lx.x.xII He seized the horse (for none the deed gainsaid) And took a leap, and vaulted on his prize.

This hand the bridle grasped, and that the blade.

Orlando's motions good Grada.s.so spies; Nor at his coming is the king dismaid; Who by his name the paladin defies: With him, and both his partners in the fight, He hopes to make it dark before 'tis night.

Lx.x.xIII Leaving his foe, he, facing Brava's lord, Thrust at the collar of his shirt of mail, All else beside the flesh the faulchion bored; To pierce through which would every labour fail.

At the same time descends Orlando's sword, (Where Balisarda bites no spells avail) Shears helmet, cuira.s.s, shield, and all below, And cleaves whate'er it rakes with headlong blow;

Lx.x.xIV And in face, bosom, and in thigh it seamed, Beneath his mail, the king of Sericane.

From whom his blood till how had never streamed Since he that armour wore; new rage and pain Thereat the warrior felt, and strange it seemed Sword cut so now, nor yet was Durindane.

Had Roland struck more home, or nearer been, From head to belly he had cleft him clean.

Lx.x.xV No more in arms can trust the cavalier As heretofore; for proved those arms have been: He with more care, more caution than whilere, Prepares to parry with the faulchion keen.

When entered Brandimart sees Brava's peer, Who s.n.a.t.c.hed that battle from him, he between Those other conflicts placed himself, that where It most was needed, he might succour bear.

Lx.x.xVI While so the fight is balanced 'mid those foes, Sobrino, that on earth long time had lain, When to himself he was returned, uprose, In face and shoulder suffering grievous pain.

He lifts his face, his eyes about him throws; And thither, where more distant on the plain He sees his leader, with long paces steers So stealthily, that none his coming hears;

Lx.x.xVII He on the Marquis came, who had but eyes For Agramant, and in the warrior's rear, Wounded upon the hocks in such fierce wise The courser of unheeding Olivier, That he falls headlong; and beneath him lies His valiant master, nor his foot can clear; His left foot, which in that unthought for woe, Was in the stirrup jammed, his steed below.

Lx.x.xVIII Sorbine pursued, and with back-handed blow Thought he his head should from his neck have shorn; But this forbids that armour, bright of show, By Vulcan hammered, and by Hector worn.