CXX And, taken for the man whose crest he wears, In dame and knight moves laughter, through the ring.

The vile Martano, as a man who shares The royal grace, sits next below the king; And next, she, whom her love so fitly pairs; Whom Norandino gaily questioning.

Demands of them, who is the coward knight, That of his honour makes so pa.s.sing light;

CXXI Who, after feat so base and foul, anew Approaches, with such front and shameless cheer, -- And cries, "It seems a thing unheard, that you, An excellent and worthy cavalier, Should take this man for your companion, who Has not in all our wide Levant his peer.

Did you with him for contrast-sake combine, That so your valour might more brightly shine?

CXXII "-- But did not love for you my will restrain, By the eternal G.o.ds, I truly swear, He should endure such ignominious stain, As I am wont to make his fellows share: Him would I make of my long-nursed disdain Of cowardice perpetual record bear.

To you, by whom he hither was conveyed, If now unpunished, let his thanks be paid."

CXXIII That vessel of all filthy vices, he, Made answer: "Mighty sir, I cannot say Who is the stranger, that fell in with me Journeying from Antioch hither, by the way: But him I worthy of my company Deemed, by his warlike semblance led astray.

I nothing of his deeds have heard or seen, Save what ill feats to-day have witnessed been;

CXXIV "Which moved me so, it little lacked but I, For punishment of his unworthy fear, Had put him out of case again to ply, In martial tournament, the sword or spear; And, but in reverence to your majesty And presence, I forbore by hand to rear, Not for his sake: -- nor by thy mercy showed On him, as my companion on the road;

CXXV "Whose former fellowship appears a stain; And ever 'twill sit heavy at my heart, If I, uninjured, see the wretch again 'Scape, to the scandal of the warlike art.

'Twere better he from tower, a worthy pain, Were gibbeted, than suffered to depart: Hung as a beacon for the coward's gaze.

Such were a princely deed, and worthy praise."

CXXVI A voucher he in Origilla had, Who well, without a sign, his purpose read.

"I deem not," cried the king, "his works so bad, That they should cost the stranger knight his head: Enough that he again the people glad, For penance of his weighty sin." This said, He quickly called a baron of his crew, And him enjoined the deed he was to do.

CXXVII With many armed men that baron fares, And to the city-gate descending, here Collects his troop, and for the attempt prepares, Waiting the coming of the cavalier; And him surprises so at unawares, He, softly, 'twixt two bridges, takes the peer; And him detains, with mockery and scorn, In a dark chamber, till returning morn.

CXXVIII The early sun had scarce his golden hair Uplifted from his ancient nurse's breast, Beginning, upon Alpine regions bare, To chase the shades and gild the mountain-crest, When Martan', fearing Gryphon might declare His wrong, and to the king the truth attest, Retorting upon him the slander cast, Took leave, and thence upon his journey past.

CXXIX His ready wit a fit excuse supplies Why he stays not, to see the recreant shown.

He is with other gifts, beside the prize, Rewarded for the victory, not his own, And letters patent, drawn in ample wise, Wherein his lofty honours wide are blown.

Let him depart; I promise he shall meet A guerdon worthy of his treacherous feat.

Cx.x.x Gryphon is brought with shame into the square, When it is fully thronged with gazing wight, Whom they of cuira.s.s and of helmet bare, And leave in simple ca.s.sock, meanly dight; And, as to slaughter he conducted were, Place on a wain, conspicuous to the sight; Harnessed to which two sluggish cows are seen, Weary and weak, and with long hunger lean.

Cx.x.xI Thronging about the ign.o.ble car, appear Brazen-faced boy and girl of evil fame, Who, each in turn, will play the charioteer, And all a.s.sail the knight with bitter blame.

The boys might be a cause of greater fear, For, joined to mocks and mows, and words of shame, The warrior they with volleyed stones would slay, But that the wiser few their fury stay.

Cx.x.xII That which of his disgrace had been the ground, Though no true evidence of guilt, his mail And plate, are dragged in due dishonour round, Suspended at the shameful waggon's tail.

The wain is stopt, and to the trumpet's sound, Heralds, in front of a tribunal's pale, His shame, before his eyes, amid the crowd, (Another's evil deed) proclaim aloud.

Cx.x.xIII They take their prisoner thence, and so repair In front of temple, dwelling-house, and store; Nor any cruel name of mockery spare, Nor leave unsaid a word of filthy lore; And him at last without the city bear: The foolish rabble, trusting evermore Their thrall to banish to the sound of blows, Who pa.s.sing little of its prisoner knows.

Cx.x.xIV The warrior's gyves no sooner they undo, And from their manacles free either hand, Than Gryphon seizes shield and sword, and, through The rabble, makes long furrows with his brand.

With pike and spear unfurnished was the crew, Who without weapons came, a witless band.

The rest for other canto I suspend, For, sir, 'tis time this song should have an end.

CANTO 18

ARGUMENT Gryphon is venged. Sir Mandricardo goes In search of Argier's king. Charles wins the fight.

Marphisa Norandino's men o'erthrows.

Due pains Martano's cowardice requite.

A favouring wind Marphisa's gallery blows, For France with Gryphon bound and many a knight.

The field Medoro and Cloridano tread, And find their monarch Dardinello dead.

I High minded lord! your actions evermore I have with reason lauded, and still laud; Though I with style inapt, and rustic lore, You of large portion of your praise defraud: But, of your many virtues, one before All others I with heart and tongue applaud, -- That, if each man a gracious audience finds, No easy faith your equal judgment blinds.

II Often, to shield the absent one from blame, I hear you this, or other, thing adduce; Or him you let, at least, an audience claim, Where still one ear is open to excuse: And before dooming men to scaith and shame, To see and hear them ever is your use; And ere you judge another, many a day, And month, and year, your sentence to delay.

III Had Norandine been with your care endued, What he by Gryphon did, he had not done.

Profit and fame have from your rule accrued: A stain more black than pitch he cast upon His name: through him, his people were pursued And put to death by Olivero's son; Who at ten cuts or thrusts, in fury made, Some thirty dead about the waggon laid.

IV Whither fear drives, in rout, the others all, Some scattered here, some there, on every side, Fill road and field; to gain the city-wall Some strive, and smothered in the mighty tide, One on another, in the gateway fall.

Gryphon, all thought of pity laid aside, Threats not nor speaks, but whirls his sword about, Well venging on the crowd their every flout.

V Of those who to the portal foremost fleed, The readiest of the crowd their feet to ply, Part, more intent upon their proper need Than their friends' peril, raise the draw-bridge high: Part, weeping and with deathlike visage, speed, Nor turn their eyes behind them as they fly: While, through the ample city, outcry loud, And noise, and tumult rises from the crowd.

VI Two nimble Gryphon seizes, mid the train, When to their woe the bridge is raised; of one, Upon the field the warrior strews the brain, Which he bears out on a hard grinding stone; Seized by the breast, the other of the twain Over the city-wall by him is thrown, Fear chills the townsmen's marrow, when they spy The luckless wretch descending from the sky.

VII Many there were who feared in their alarms, Lest o'er the wall Sir Gryphon would have vaulted; Nor greater panic seized upon those swarms, Than if the soldan had the town a.s.saulted.

The sound of running up and down, of arms, Of cry of Muezzins, on high exalted; Of drums and trumpets, heaven, 'twould seem, rebounded, And, that the world was by the noise confounded.

VIII But I will to another time delay, What chanced on this occasion, to recount.

'Tis meet I follow Charles upon his way, Hurrying in search of furious Rodomont, Who did the monarch's suffering people slay.

I said, with him, the danger to affront, Went Namus, Oliver, the Danish peer, Avino, Avolio, Otho and Berlinghier.

IX Eight lances' shock, that eight such warriors guide, Which all at once against the king they rest, Endured the stout and scaly serpent's hide, In which the cruel Moor his limbs had drest.

As a barque rights itself, -- the sheet untied, Which held its sail, -- by growing wind opprest; So speedily Sir Rodomont arose, Though a hill had been uprooted by the blows.

X Rainier and Guido, Richard, Salomon, Ivan, Ughetto, Turpin, and the twain -- Angiolin, Angelier -- false Ganellon, And Mark and Matthew from St. Michael's plain, With the eight of whom I spake, all set upon The foe, with Edward and Sir Arimane; Who leading succours from the English sh.o.r.e, Had lodged them in the town short time before.

XI Not so, well-keyed into the solid stone, Groans upon Alpine height the castle good, When by rude Boreas' rage or Eurus' strown, Uptorn are ash and fir in mountain wood, As groans Sir Rodomont, with pride o'erblown, Inflamed with anger and with thirst of blood: And, as the thunder and the lightning's fire Fly coupled, such his vengeance and his ire.

XII He at his head took aim who stood most nigh; Ughetto was the miserable wight, Whom to the teeth he clove, and left to die; Though of good temper was his helmet bright.

As well the others many strokes let fly At him, himself; which all the warrior smite, But harm (so hard the dragon's hide) no more, Than needle can the solid anvil score.

XIII All the defences, round, abandoned are, The unpeopled city is abandoned all; For, where the danger is the greater, there The many give their aid, at Charles' call: Through every street they hurry to the square, Since flying nought avails, from work and wall.

Their bosoms so the monarch's presence warms, That each again takes courage, each takes arms.

XIV As when within the closely-fastened cage Of an old lioness, well used to fight, An untamed bull is prisoned, to engage The savage monster, for the mob's delight; The cubs, who see him cresting in his rage, And round the den loud-bellowing, to the sight Of the huge beast's enormous horns unused, Cower at a distance, timid and confused;

XV But if the mother spring at him, and hang, Fixing her cruel tusks into his ear, Her whelps as well will blood their greedy fang, And, bold in her defence, a.s.sail the steer: One bites his paunch, and one his back: so sprang That band upon the paynim cavalier.

From roof and window, and from place more nigh, Poured in a ceaseless shower, the weapons fly.

XVI Of cavaliers and footmen such the squeeze, That hardly can the place the press contain: They cl.u.s.ter there as thick as swarming bees, Who thither from each pa.s.sage troop amain.

So that, were they unarmed, and with more ease Than stalks or turnips he could cleave the train, Ill Rodomont in twenty days would clear The gathering crowd, united far and near.

XVII Unknowing how himself from thence to free, The paynim by this game is angered sore, Who little thins the gathering rabblery, Staining the ground with thousands slain or more; And all the while, in his extremity, Finds that his breath comes thicker than before; And sees he cannot pierce the hostile round, Unless he thence escape while strong and sound.

XVIII The monarch rolls about his horrid eyes, And sees that foes all outlets barricade; But, at the cost of countless enemies, A path shall quickly by his hand be made.