CI "Enough I to my lover faith maintain, And, firmer than a rock, am still found true!

And far herein surpa.s.s the female train, That were in olden days, or are in new!

Nor, if they me as fickle shall arraign, Care I, so good from fickleness ensue; Though I am lighter than a leaf be said, So I be forced not with that Greek no wed."

CII These things and more beside the damsel bright ('Twixt which oft sobs and tears were interposed), Ceased not to utter through the livelong night Which upon that unhappy day had closed.

But, when within Cimmeria's caverned height Nocturnus with his troops of shades reposed, Heaven, which eternally had willed the maid Should be Rogero's consort, brought him aid:

CIII This moves the haught Marphisa, when 'tis morn, To appear before the king; to whom that maid Saith, to the Child, her brother, mighty scorn Was done; nor should he be so ill appaid, That from him should his plighted wife be torn; And nought thereof unto the warrior said; And on whoever lists she will in strife Prove Bradamant to be Rogero's wife;

CIV And this, before all others, will prove true On her, if to deny it she will dare; For she had to Rogero, in her view, Spoken those words, which they that marry swear; And with all ceremony wont and due So was the contract sealed between the pair, They were no longer free; nor could forsake The one the other, other spouse to take.

CV Whether Marphisa true or falsely spake, I well believe that, rather with intent Young Leo's purpose, right or wrong, to break, Than tell the truth, she speaks; and with consent Of Bradamant doth that avowal make: For to exclude the hated Leo bent, And of Rogero to be repossest, This she believes her shortest way and best.

CVI Sorely by this disturbed, King Charlemagne Bade Bradamant be called, and to her told That which the proud Marphisa would maintain; And Aymon present in the press behold!

-- Bradamant drops her head, nor treats as vain, Nor vouches what avows that virgin bold, In such confusion, they may well believe That fierce Marphisa speaks not to deceive.

CVII Joy good Orlando and joy Rinaldo show, Who view in valorous Marphisa's plea A cause the alliance shall no further go, Which sealed already Leo deemed to be; And yet, in spite of stubborn Aymon's no, Bradamant shall Rogero's consort be; And they may, without strife, without despite Done to Duke Aymon's, give her to the knight.

CVIII For if such words have pa.s.s'd between the twain, Fast is the knot and cannot be untied; They what they vowed more fairly will obtain, And without further strife are these affied.

"This is a plot, a plot devised in vain; And ye deceive yourselves (Duke Aymon cried) For, were the story true which ye have feigned, Believe not therefore that your cause is gained.

CIX "For granting what I will not yet allow, And what I to believe as yet demur; That weakly to Rogero so her vow Was plighted, as Rogero's was to her; Where was the contract made, and when and how?

More clearly this to me must ye aver.

Either it was not so, I am advised; Or was before Rogero was baptized.

CX "But if it were before the youthful knight A Christian was, I will not heed it, I; For 'twixt a faithful and a paynim wight, I deem that nought avails the marriage-tie.

For this not vainly in the doubtful fight Should Constantine's fair son have risked to die; Nor Charlemagne for this, our sovereign lord Will forfeit, I believe, his plighted word.

CXI "What now you say you should before have said, While yet the matter was unbroke, and ere Charles at my daughter's prayer that edict made Which has drawn Leo to the combat here."

Orlando and Rinaldo were gainsayed So before royal Charles by Clermont's peer; And equal Charlemagne heard either side, But neither would for this nor that decide.

CXII As in the southern or the northern breeze The greenwood murmurs; and as on the sh.o.r.e, When Aeolus with the G.o.d that rules the seas Is wroth, the hoa.r.s.e and hollow breakers roar, So a loud rumour of this strife, that flees Through France, and spreads and circles evermore, Affords such matter to rehea.r.s.e and hear, That nought beside is bruised far or near.

CXIII These with Rogero, those with Leo side; But the most numerous are Rogero's friends, Who against Aymon, ten to one, divide.

Good Charlemagne to neither party bends; But wills that cause shall be by justice tried, And to his parliament the matter sends.

Marphisa, now the bridal was deferred, Appeared anew, and other question stirred;

CXIV And said, "In that anther cannot have Bradamant, while my brother is alive, Let Leo, if the gentle maid he crave, His foe in listed fight of life deprive; And he, that sends the other to his grave, Freed from his rival, with the lady wive."

Forthwith this challenge, as erewhile the rest, To Leo was declared at Charles' behest.

CXV Leo who if he had the cavalier Of the unicorn, believed he from his foe Was safe; and thought no peril would appear Too hard a feat for him; and knew not how Thence into solitary woods and drear That warrior had been hurried by his woe; Him gone for little time and for disport Believed, and took his line in evil sort.

CXVI This shortly Leo was condemned to rue: For he, on whom too fondly he relied, Nor on that day nor on the following two Appeared, nor news of him were signified; And combat with Rogero was, he knew, Unsafe, unless that knight was on his side: So sent, to eschew the threatened scathe and scorn, To seek the warrior of the unicorn.

CXVII Through city, and through hamlet, and through town, He sends to seek Rogero, far and near: And not content with this, himself is gone In person, on his steed, to find the peer.

But of the missing warrior tidings none Nor he nor any of the Court would hear But for Melissa: I for other verse Reserve myself, her doings to rehea.r.s.e.

CANTO 46

ARGUMENT After long search for good Rogero made, Him Leon finds, and yields to him his prize: Informed of all -- already with that maid He wives; already in her bosom lies: When thither he that Sarza's sceptre swayed To infect such bliss with impious venom hies, But falls in combat; and, blaspheming loud, To Acheron descends his spirit proud.

I I, if my chart deceives me not, shall now In little time behold the neighbouring sh.o.r.e; So hope withal to pay my promised vow To one, so long my guide through that wide roar Of waters, where I feared, with troubled brow, To scathe my bark or wander evermore.

But now, methinks -- yea, now I see the land; I see the friendly port its arms expand.

II A burst of joy, like thunder to my ear, Rumbles along the sea and rends the sky.

I chiming bells, I shrilling trumpets hear, Confounded with the people's cheerful cry; And now their forms, that swarm on either pier Of the thick-crowded harbour, I descry.

All seem rejoiced my task is smoothly done, And I so long a course have safely run.

III What beauteous dames and sage, here welcome me!

With them what cavaliers the sh.o.r.e adorn!

What friends! to whom I owe eternity Of thanks for their delight at my return.

Mamma, Ginevra, with the rest I see, Correggio's seed, on the harbour's furthest horn.

Veronica de Gambara is here, To Phoebus and the Aonian choir so dear.

IV With Julia, a new Ginevra is in sight, Another offset from the selfsame tree; Hippolita Sforza, and Trivultia bright, Bred in the sacred cavern, I with thee Emilia Pia, and thee, Margherite, Angela Borgia, Graziosa, see, And fair Richarda d'Este, Lo! the twain, Blanche and Diana, with their sister train!

V Beauteous, but wiser and more chaste than fair, I Barbara Turca, linked with Laura, know: Nor beams the sun upon a better pair 'Twixt Ind and where the Moorish waters flow.

Behold Ginevra! that rich gem and rare Which gilds the house of Malatesta so, That never worthier or more honoured thing Adorned the dome of Keysar or of king.

VI If she had dwelt in Rimini of yore, What time, from conquered Gaul returning home, Julius stood fearing on the river-sh.o.r.e, To ford the stream and make a foe of Rome, He every banner would have bowed before That dame, discharged his trophies, and such doom, Such pact would have received as liked her best; And haply ne'er had Freedom been opprest.

VII The consort of my lord of Bozzolo Behold! the mother, sisters, cousinhood; Them of Torello, Bentivoglio, Pallavigini's and Visconti's brood!

Lo! she to whom all living dames forego The palm, and all of Grecian, Latin blood, Or barbarous, all that ever were, whose name For grace and beauty most is noised by Fame;

VIII Julia Gonzaga, she that wheresoe'er She moves, where'er she turns her lucid eyes, Not only is in charms without a peer, But seems a G.o.ddess lighted from the skies: With her is paired her brother's wife, who ne'er Swerved from her plighted faith -- aye good and wise -- Because ill Fortune bore her long despite; Lo! Arragonian Anna, Vasto's light!

IX Anne gentle, courteous, and as sage as fair, Temple of Love and Truth and Chast.i.ty: With her, her sister dims all beauty, where Her radiance shines. Lo! one that hath set free Her conquering lord from Orcus' dark repair, And him in spite of death and destiny (Beyond all modern instance) raised on high, To shine with endless glory in the sky.

X My ladies of Ferrara, those of gay Urbino's court are here; and I descry Mantua's dames, and all that fair array Which Lombardy and Tuscan town supply.

The cavalier amid that band, whom they So honour, unless dazzled is mine eye By those fair faces, is the shining light Of his Arezzo, and Accolti hight.

XI Adorned with scarlet hat, and scarlet pall, His nephew Benedict, lo! there I see; With him Campeggio and Mantua's cardinal; Glory and light of the consistory; And (if I dote not) mark how one and all In face and gesture show such mighty glee At my return, no easy task 'twould seem So vast an obligation to redeem.

XII With them Lactantius is, Claude Ptolemy, Trissino, Pansa, and Capilupi mine, Latino Giovenal, it seems to me; Sa.s.so, and Molza, and Florian hight Montine; With him, by whom through shorter pathway we Are led to the Ascraean font divine, Julio Camillo; and meseems that I Berna, and Sanga, and Flaminio spy.

XIII Lo! Alexander of Farnese, and O Learned company that follows in his train!

Phaedro, Cappella, Maddalen', Portio, Surnamed the Bolognese, the Volterrane.

Blosio, Pierio, Vida, famed for flow Of lofty eloquence of exhaustless vein; Mussuro, Lascari, and Navagero, And Andrew Maro, and the monk Severo.

XIV Lo! two more Alexanders! of the tree Of the Orologi one, and one Guarino: Mario d' Olvito, and of royalty That scourge, divine Pietro Aretino.

I two Girolamos amid them see, Of Veritade and the Cittadino; See the Mainardo, the Leoniceno, Panizzato, Celio, and Teocreno.

XV Bernardo Capel, Peter Bembo here I see, through whom our pure, sweet idiom rose, And who, of vulgar usage winnowed clear, Its genuine form in his example shows.

Behold an Obyson, that in his rear Admires the pains which he so well bestows.

I Fracastoro, Bevezzano note, And Tryphon Gabriel, Ta.s.so more remote.

XVI Upon me Nicholas Tiepoli And Nicholas Ammanio fix their eyes; With Anthony Fulgoso, who to spy My boat near land shows pleasure and surprise.