II So b.l.o.o.d.y was the price of victory, Small ground was left them triumphs to prepare; And if, unconquered Duke Alphonso, we May modern things with ancient deeds compare, The battle, whose ill.u.s.trious palm may be Well worthily a.s.signed to you to wear, At whose remembrance sad Ravenna trembles, And aye shall weep her loss, this field resembles.

III When the Calesians and the Picards yielding, And troops of Normandy and Aquitaine, You, with your valiant arms their squadrons shielding, Stormed the almost victorious flags of Spain; And those bold youths their trenchant weapons wielding, Through parted squadrons, followed in your train; Who on that day deserved you should accord, For honoured gifts, the gilded spur and sword.

IV You, with such glorious hearts, who were not slow To follow, nor far off, the gorgeous oak Seized, and shook down the golden acorns so, And so the red and yellow truncheon broke, That we to you our festive laurels owe, And the fair lily, rescued from its stroke; Another wreath may round your temples bloom, In that Fabricius you preserved to Rome.

V Rome's mighty column, by your valiant hand Taken and kept entire, more praise has shed On you, than if the predatory band Had routed by your single valour bled, Of all who flocked to fat Ravenna's land, Or masterless, without a banner fled, Of Arragon, Castile, or of Navarre; When vain was lance or cannon's thundering car.

VI This dear-bought victory brought more relief Than joy, by its event too much outweighed, The loss of that French captain and our chief, Whom dead we on the fatal field surveyed; And swallowed in one storm, for further grief, So many glorious princes, who, arrayed For safeguard of their own, or neighbouring lands, Had poured through, frozen Alps their friendly bands.

VII Our present safety, and life held in fear, We see a.s.sured us by this victory, That saved us from the wintry tempest drear, Which would have whelmed us from Jove's angry sky.

But ill can we rejoice, while yet the tear Is standing in full many a widow's eye, Who weeping and attired in sable, vents, Throughout all grieving France, her loud laments.

VIII 'Tis meet King Lewis should find new supplies Of chiefs by whom his troops may be arrayed, Who for the lilies' honour shall chastise The hands which so rapaciously have preyed; Who brethren, black and white, in shameful wise, Have outraged, sister, mother, wife, and maid, And cast on earth Christ's sacrament divine, With the intent to thieve his silver shrine.

IX Hadst thou not made resistance to thy foe, Better, Ravenna, had it been for thee, And thou been warned by Brescia's fate, than so Thine should Faenza warn and Rimini.

O Lewis, bid good old Trivulzio go With thine, and to thy bands example be, And tell what ills such license still has bred, Heaping our ample Italy with dead.

X As the ill.u.s.trious King of France has need Of captains to supply his leaders lost, So the two kings who Spain and Afric lead, To give new order to the double host, Resolve their bands should muster on the mead, From winter lodgings moved and various post; That they may furnish, as their wants demand, A guide and government to every band.

XI Marsilius first, and after Agramant, Pa.s.sing it troop by troop their army scan.

The Catalonians, who their captain vaunt In Doriphoebus, muster in the van; And next, without their monarch Fulvirant, Erst killed by good Rinaldo, comes the clan Of bold Navarre; whose guideless band to steer The King of Spain appoints Sir Isolier.

XII With Balugantes Leon's race comes on, The Algarbi governed by Grandonio wheel.

The brother of Marsilius, Falsiron, Brings up with him the power of Less Castile.

They follow Madara.s.so's gonfalon, Who have left Malaga and fair Seville, 'Twixt fruitful Cordova and Cadiz-bay, Where through green banks the Betis winds its way.

XIII Stordilane, Tessira, and Baricond, After each other, next their forces stirred; This in Grenada, that in Lisbon crowned; Majorca was obedient to the third.

Larbino had Lisbon ruled, whose golden round Was at his death on Tessira conferred; His kinsman he: Gallicia came in guide Or Serpentine, who Mericold supplied.

XIV They of Toledo and of Calatrave, Who erst with Sinnagon's broad banner spread, Marched, and the mult.i.tude who drink and lave Their limbs in chrystal Guadiana's bed, Came thither, under Matalista brave; Beneath Bianzardin, their common head, Astorga, Salamanca, Placenza, With Avila, Zamorra, and Palenza.

XV The household-troops which guard Marsilius' state, And Saragossa's men, Ferrau commands; And in this force, well-sheathed in mail and plate, Bold Malgarine and Balinverno stands; Morgant and Malzarise, whom common fate Had both condemned to dwell in foreign lands, Who, when dethroned, had to Marsilius' court (There hospitably harboured) made resort.

XVI Follicon, Kind Marsilius' b.a.s.t.a.r.d, hies With valiant Doricont; amid this horde, Bavartes, a.n.a.lard, and Argalise, And Archidantes, the Saguntine lord.

Here, Malagur, in ready cunning wise, And Ammirant and Langhiran the sword Unsheath, and march; of whom I shall endite, When it is time, their prowess to recite.

XVII When so had filed the warlike host of Spain In fair review before King Agramant, Appeared King Oran with his martial train, Who might almost a giant's stature vaunt; Next they who weep their Martasino, slain By the avenging sword of Bradamant, King of the Garamantes, and lament That woman triumphs in their monarch spent.

XVIII Marmonda's men next past the royal Moor, Who left Argosto dead on Gascon meads; And this unguided band, like that before, As well as the fourth troop, a captain needs.

Although King Agramant has little store Of chiefs, he feigns a choice, and thinks; next speeds Buraldo, Ormida, and Arganio tried, Where needing, the unordered troops to guide.

XIX He give Arganio charge of Libicane, Who wept the sable Dudrina.s.so dead.

Brunello guides the men of Tingitane, With cloudy countenance and drooping head; Who since he in the wooded mountain-chain (Nigh where Atlantes dwelt), to her he led, Fair Bradamant, had lost the virtuous ring, Had lived in the displeasure of his king;

XX And but that Ferrau's brother Isolier, Who fastened to a stem had found him there, Made to King Agramant the truth appear, He from the gallows-tree had swung in air: Already fastened was the noose, and near The caitiff's fate, when at the many's prayer The king bade loose him; but reprieving, swore, For his first fault to hang, offending more.

XXI Thus, not without a cause, Brunello pined, And showed a mournful face, and hung his head.

Next Farurantes; to whose care consigned, Maurina's valiant horse and footmen tread.

The new-made king Libanio comes behind, By whom are Constatina's people led: Since Agramant the crown and staff of gold, Once Pinador's, had given to him to hold.

XXII Hesperia's people come with Soridan, With Dorilon the men of Setta ride; The Nasamonians troop with Pulian, And Agricaltes is Ammonia's guide.

Malabupherso rules o'er Fezzan's clan, And Finaduro leads the band supplied By the Canary Islands and Morocco: Balastro fills the place of king Tardocco.

XXIII Next Mulga and Arzilla's legions two.

The first beneath their ancient captains wend; The second troop without a leader, who Are given to Corineus, the sovereign's friend.

So (late Tanphirion's) Almonsilla's crew, To a new monarch in Caichus bend.

Goetulia is bestowed on Rhimedont, And Cosca comes in charge of Balinfront.

XXIV Ruled by Clarindo, Bolga's people go, Who fills the valiant Mirabaldo's post: Him Baliverso, whom I'd have you know For the worst ribald in that ample host, Succeeded next. I think not, 'mid that show, The bannered camp a firmer troop could boast Than that which followed in Sobrino's care; Nor Saracen than him more wise and ware.

XXV Gualciotto dead, Bellamarina's crew, (His va.s.sals) serve, the sovereign of Algiers, King Rodomont, of Sarza; that anew Brought up a band of foot and cavaliers: Whom, when the cloudy sun his rays withdrew Beneath the Centaur and the Goat, his spears There to recruit, was sent to the Afric sh.o.r.e By Agramant, returned three days before.

XXVI There was no Saracen of bolder strain, Of all the chiefs who Moorish squadrons led; And Paris-town (nor is the terror vain) More of the puissant warrior stands in dread Than of King Agramant and all the train, Which he, or the renowned Marsilius head; And amid all that mighty muster, more Than others, hatred to our faith he bore.

XXVII Prusion is the Alvaracchia's king: below King Dardinello's flag Zumara's power Is ranged. I wot not, I, if owl or crow, Or other bird ill-omened, which from tower Or tree croaks future evil, did foreshow To one or to the other, that the hour Was fixed in heaven, when on the following day Either should perish in this deadly fray.

XXVIII Noritia's men and Tremisene's alone Were wanting to complete the paynim host; But in the martial muster sign was none, Nor tale, nor tiding of the squadrons lost; To wondering Agramant alike unknown, What kept the slothful warriors from their post, When of King Tremisene's a squire was brought Before him, who at large the mischief taught;

XXIX -- Who taught how Manilardo was laid low, Alzirdo, and many others, on the plain.

-- "Sir," said the bearer of the news, "the foe Who slew our troop, would all thy camp have slain, If thine a.s.sembled host had been more slow Than me, who, as it was, escaped with pain.

This man slays horse and foot, as in the cote, The wolf makes easy waste of sheep and goat."

x.x.x Where the bold Africans their standards plant, A warrior had arrived some days before; Nor was there in the west, or whole Levant, A knight, with heart or prowess gifted more.

To him much grace was done by Agramant, As successor of Agrican, who wore The crown of Tartary, a warrior wight; The son the famous Mandricardo hight.

x.x.xI Renowned he was for many a glorious quest Atchieved, and through the world his fame was blown.

But him had glorified above the rest Worth in the Syrian fairy's castle shown: Where mail, which cased the Trojan Hector's breast A thousand years before, he made his own.

And finished that adventure, strange and fell; A story which breeds terror but to tell.

x.x.xII When the squire told his news amid that show Of troops, was present Agrican's bold son, Who raised his daring face, resolved to go And find the warrior who the deed had done; But the design he hatched, forebore to show; As making small account of any one, Or fearing lest, should he reveal his thought, The quest by other champion might be sought.

x.x.xIII He of the squire demanded what the vest And bearings, which the valiant stranger wore; Who answered that he went without a crest, And sable shield and sable surcoat bore.

-- And, sir, 'twas true; for so was Roland drest; The old device renounced he had before: For as he mourned within, so he without, The symbols of his grief would bear about.

x.x.xIV Marsilius had to Mandricardo sped, As gift, a courser of a chestnut stain, Whose legs and mane were sable; he was bred Between a Friesland mare and nag of Spain.

King Mandricardo, armed from foot to head, Leapt on the steed and galloped o'er the plain, And swore upon the camp to turn his back Till he should find the champion clad in black.

x.x.xV The king encounters many of the crew Whom good Orlando's arm had put to flight; And some a son, and some a brother rue, Who in the rout had perished in their sight; And in the coward's cheek of pallid hue Is yet pourtrayed the sad and craven sprite: -- Yet, through the fear endured, they far and nigh, Pallid, and silent, and insensate fly.

x.x.xVI Nor he long was had rode, ere he descried A pa.s.sing-cruel spectacle and sore; But which the wonderous feats well testified, That were recounted Agramant before.

Now on this hand, now that, the dead he eyed, Measured their wounds, and turned their bodies o'er; Moved by strange envy of the knight whose hand Had strown the champaign with the slaughtered band.

x.x.xVII As wolf or mastiff-dog, who comes the last Where the remains of slaughtered bullock lie, And finds but horn and bones, where rich repast Had fed the ravening hound and vulture night, Glares vainly on the scull, unsmacked; so pa.s.sed The barbarous Tartar king those bodies by; And grudged, lamenting, like the hungry beast, To have come too late for such a sumptuous feast.

x.x.xVIII That day, and half the next, in search he strayed Of him who wore the sable vest and shield.

When lo! he saw a mead, o'ertopt with shade, Where a deep river wound about the field, With narrow s.p.a.ce between the turns it made, Where'er from side to side the water wheeled.

Even such a spot as this with circling waves Below Otricoli the Tyber laves.

x.x.xIX Where this deep stream was fordable, he scanned A crowd of cavaliers that armour bore: And these the paynim questioned who had manned, With such a troop, and to what end, the sh.o.r.e?