Lx.x.xII Rodomont reined his anger, and retired Some deal, at his approaching sovereign's view; Nor less respect in Sacripant inspired The Moorish monarch; of the furious two, He with grave voice and royal mien inquired What cause of strife such deadly discord blew; And having searched their quarrel to the root, Would fain accord them; but with little fruit.

Lx.x.xIII Circa.s.sia's monarch would not, on his side, Longer his horse to Argier's lord allow, Save humbly Rodomont to him applied, That steed for this occasion to bestow.

To him Sir Rodomont, with wonted pride, Returned for answer: "Neither Heaven nor thou Shall make me recognize as gift or loan What I with this good hand can make mine own."

Lx.x.xIV The king bade Sacripant explain his right, And how that horse was taken from him sought; And this from first to last Circa.s.sia's knight Rehea.r.s.ed, and reddened as the tale he taught, Relating to the king the robber's sleight; Who had surprised him overwhelmed with thought, Upon four spears his courser's saddle stayed, And from beneath the naked horse conveyed.

Lx.x.xV Marphisa, whom these cries, mid others, bring, When of the robbery of the horse advised, In visage is disturbed, remembering How on that day her faulchion was surprised; And when that courser (which equipt with wing Appeared when flying her) she recognized; And recognized as well -- at first unknown -- The valiant king who filled Circa.s.sia's throne.

Lx.x.xVI The others who stood round her, wont to hear Brunello often boast of the deceit, 'Gan turn towards that wretch, and made appear By open signs they knew him for the Cheat.

Marphisa who the subtle knave whilere Suspected as the author of that feat, Now questions this, now that, who all accord In saying 'twas Brunello stole her sword;

Lx.x.xVII Who, well deserving as a fitting pain To dangle from the gallows-tree in air, By Agramant the crown of Tingitane (An ill example) was preferred to wear.

This fires anew Marphisa's old disdain, Nor she from instant vengeance will forbear, For this, as well as other shame and scorn She on her road had from that caitiff born.

Lx.x.xVIII A squire laced on her helmet, at her hest; She wore the remnant of her armour sheen; Nor without martial cuira.s.s on her breast, Find I, that she ten times was ever seen, Even from the day when first that iron vest Braced on her limbs the pa.s.sing-valiant queen: With helm on head, where, mid the highest rows, Brunello sits among the first, she goes.

Lx.x.xIX Him by mid breast Marphisa griped amain, And lifted up the losel from the ground; As is rapacious eagle wont to strain The pullet, in her talons circled round; And bore him where the sons of King Troyane Heard the two knights their jarring claims propound.

He who perceives himself in evil hands, Aye weeps, and mercy of that maid demands.

XC Above the universal noise and shout, Which rose nigh equally on either side, Brunello, who from all the crowd about For pity now, and now for succour, cried, So loud was heard, that of that ample rout He gathered round himself the pressing tide.

Arrived before the Moorish army's head, To him with haughty mien Marphisa said:

XCI "This thief (said she), thy va.s.sal, will I slay, And with this hand of mine will knot the cord About his neck; because the very day He stole this courser, he purloined my sword.

But is there any one who deems I say Amiss, let him stand forth and speak the word; For I on him will prove, before thine eyes, I have done right, and who gainsays me, lies.

XCII "But because haply some one may pretend I have till such a time of strife delayed My vengeance, when such famous knights contend, For three days shall the wretch's doom be stayed; In the mean time let him who would defend That caitiff, come himself, or send him aid.

For afterwards, if none the deed prevent, His carca.s.s shall a thousand birds content.

XCIII "I hence to yonder tower, which distant nigh Three leagues, o'erlooks a little copse, repair, But with one varlet in my company, And with one waiting-maid; if any dare Rescue the thief, let him come thither; I Wait the approach of his defenders there."

Thus she; and thither quickly wends her ways Whither was said, nor any answer stays.

XCIV Held on the pommel grappled by his hair, Brunello on Marphisa's courser lies: The caitiff weeps, and shrieking in despair, On all in whom he hopes, for succour cries.

In such confusion is Troyano's heir, He sees no way through these perplexities; And, that Marphisa thence Brunello bore In such a guise, yet grieved the monarch more.

XCV Not that he loved the losel or esteemed, Rather to him some time had borne despite; And often had to hand the caitiff schemed, Since he had forfeited the ring of might.

But here his honour touched the monarch deemed, So that his visage reddened at the slight: He would, in person, follow her at speed, And to his utmost power avenge the deed.

XCVI But the wise king, Sobrino, who was by, Him from the quest endeavoured to dissuade, And that with his exalted majesty Such enterprize were ill a.s.sorted said: Although firm hope, nay full security, He had to overcome that martial maid, If he with pain subdued a woman, shame, Rather than honour, would pursue his name.

XCVII Small profit and much peril would succeed From any fight he should with her maintain, (And he advised him) as the better deed, To leave that wretched caitiff to his pain; And albeit but a simple nod should need To free him, from that nod he should refrain.

In that the monarch would do ill to force Even-handed Justice from her destined course.

XCVIII "Thou to the fierce Marphisa may'st apply To leave his trial (he pursued) to thee, With promise, her in this to satisfy And to suspend him from the gallows-tree: And even should the maid thy prayer deny, Let her in every wish contented be: And rather than that she desert thy side, Let her hang him and every thief beside."

XCIX Right willingly King Agramant gave way To King Sobrino's counsel sage and staid; And let renowned Marphisa wend her way, Nor scathed he, nor let scathe, that martial maid, Neither endured that any her should pray; And heaven knows with what courage he obeyed That wise advice, to calm such ruder strife And quarrel, as throughout his camp were rife.

C At this mad Discord laughed, no more in fear That any truce or treaty should ensue; And scowered the place of combat there and here, Nor could stand still, for pleasure at the view.

Pride gamboled and rejoiced with her compeer, And on the fire fresh food and fuel threw, And shouted so that Michael in the sky Knew the glad sign of conquest in that cry.

CI Paris-town rocked, and turbid ran the flood Of Seine at that loud voice, that horrid roar; And, so it echo rang in Arden's wood, Beasts left their caverns in that forest h.o.a.r.

Alp and Cevenne's mountain-solitude, And Blois, and Arles, and Rouen's distant sh.o.r.e, Rhine, Rhone, and Saone, and Garonne, heard the pest; Scared mothers hugged their children to their breast.

CII Five have set up their rest, resolved to be The first their different quarrels to conclude: And tangled so is one with other plea, That ill Apollo's self could judge the feud.

To unravel that first cause of enmity The king began -- the strife which had ensued, Because of beauteous Doralice, between The king of Scythia and her Algerine.

CIII King Agramant oft moved, between the pair, Now here now there, to bring them to accord; Now there now here, admonishing that pair, Like faithful brother and like righteous lord: But when he found that neither would forbear, Deaf and rebellious to his royal word, Nor would consent that lady to forego, The cause of strife, in favour of his foe,

CIV As his best lore, at length the monarch said, And to obey his sentence both were fain; That he who was by her preferred, should wed The beauteous daughter of King Stordilane: And that what was established on his head Should not be changed, to either's loss or gain.

The compromise was liked on either side, Since either hoped she would for him decide.

CV The mighty king of Sarza, who long s.p.a.ce Before the Tartar, had loved Doralice, (Who had preferred that sovereign to such grace As modest lady may, nor do amiss) Believed, when she past sentence on the case, She must p.r.o.nounce what would ensure his bliss.

Nor thus alone King Rodomont conceived, But all the Moorish host with him believed.

CVI All know what exploits wrought by him had been For her in joust and war; they all unsound And weak King Mandricardo's judgment ween; But he, who oft was with her on their round, And oftener private with the youthful queen, What time the tell-tale sun was under ground, He, knowing well how sure he was to speed, Laughed at the silly rabble's idle creed.

CVII They, after, ratify the king's award, Between his hands, and next the suitors twain Before that damsel go, that on the sward Fixing her downcast eyes, in modest vein, Avows her preference of the Tartar lord; At which sore wondering stand the paynim train; And Rodomont remains so sore astound, He cannot raise his visage from the ground.

CVIII But wonted anger chasing shame which dyed The Sarzan's face all over, he arraigned The damsel's sentence, of the faulchion, tied About his manly waist, the handle strained, And in the king's and others' hearing cried: "By this the question shall be lost or gained; And not by faithless woman's fickle thought, Which thither still inclines, where least it ought."

CIX Kind Mandricardo on his feet once more, Exclaims, "And be it as it pleases thee."

So that ere yet the vessel made the sh.o.r.e Unploughed remained a mighty s.p.a.ce of sea; But that this king reproved the Sarzan sore, Ruling that to appeal upon that plea No more with Mandricardo could avail, And made the moody Sarzan strike his sail.

CX Branded with double scorn, before those peers, By n.o.ble Agramant, whose sovereign sway He, as in loyal duty bound, reveres, And by his lady on the selfsame day, There will no more the monarch of Algiers Abide, but of his band -- a large array -- Two serjeants only for his service takes, And with that pair the paynim camp forsakes.

CXI As the afflicted bull who has foregone His heifer, nor can longer warfare wage, Seeks out the greenwood-holt and stream most lone, Or sands at distance from his pasturage; There ceases not, in sun or shade to moan; Yet not for that exhales his amorous rage: So parts, constrained his lady to forego, The king of Argier, overwhelmed with woe.

CXII Rogero moved, his courser to regain, And had already donned his warlike gear, Then recollecting, that on listed plain At Mandricardo he must couch the spear, Followed not Rodomont, but turned his rein, To end his quarrel with the Tartar, ere He met in combat Sericana's lord Within close barriers, for Orlando's sword.

CXIII To have Frontino ravished in his sight, And be unable to forbid the deed, He sorely grieves; but, when he shall that fight Have done, resolves he will regain the steed; But Sacripant, whom, like the youthful knight, No quarrels in the Moor's pursuit impede, And who was unengaged in other quest, Upon the Sarzan's footsteps quickly prest;

CXIV And would have quickly joined him that was gone, But for the chance of an adventure rare; Which him detained until the day was done, And made him lose the track of Ulien's heir: A woman who had fallen into the Saone, And who without his help had perished there, The warrior drowning in that water found, And stemmed the stream and dragged the dame aground.

CXV When afterwards he would remount the sell, From him his restless charger broke astray, Who fled before his lord till evening fell, Nor lightly did the king that courser stay.

At last he caught him; but no more could spell Where he had wandered from the beaten way: Two hundred miles he roved, 'twist hill and plain, Ere he came up with Rodomont again.

CXVI How he by Sacripant was overtaken, And fought by him, to his discomfit sore, And how he lost his courser, how was taken, I say not now, who have to say before, With what disdain and with what anger shaken, Against his liege and love, the Sarzan Moor Forth from the Saracen cantonments sped, And what he of the one and other said.

CXVII Wherever that afflicted paynim goes, He fills the kindling air with sighs that burn; And Echo oft, for pity of his woes, With him from hollow rock is heard to mourn: "O female mind! how lightly ebbs and flows Your fickle mood," (he cries,) "aye p.r.o.ne to turn!

Object most opposite to kindly faith!

Lost, wretched man, who trusts you to his scathe!

CXVIII "Neither my love nor length of servitude, Though by a thousand proofs to you made clear, Had power even so to fix your faithless mood, That you at least so lightly should not veer: Nor am I quitted, because less endued With worth than Mandricardo I appear; Nor for your conduct cause can I declare, Save this alone, that you a woman are.

CXIX "I think that nature and an angry G.o.d Produced thee to the world, thou wicked s.e.x, To be to man a plague, a chastening rod; Happy, wert thou not present to perplex.

So serpent creeps along the gra.s.sy sod; So bear and ravening wolf the forest vex; Wasp, fly, and gad-fly buzz in liquid air, And the rich grain lies tangled with the tare.

CXX "Why has not bounteous Nature willed that man Should be produced without the aid of thee, As we the pippin, pear, and service can Engraft by art on one another's tree?

But she directs not all by certain plan; Rather, upon a nearer view, I see, In naming her, she ill can act aright, Since Nature is herself a female hight.