LIII As yet, upon the bloom of spring, the maid Was a fresh flower that scarce began to blow: Her sire with many children was o'erlaid, And was to poverty a mortal foe.

Hence 'tis an easy matter to persuade Mine host his buxom daughter to forego, And let them, where they will the damsel bear; In that to treat her well the travellers swear.

LIV (Lines 1-6 untranslated by Rose) They to Zattiva come upon the day That from Valencia they had bent their way.

LV "The travellers from their inn to street and square And places, public and divine, resort; Who, wheresoever they had made repair, Themselves were so accustomed to disport, The girl is with the valets left in care, Who make the beds, and wearied hackneys sort: While others in the hostel-kitchen dight The meal against their lords' return at night.

LVI "As groom, a stripling in the hostel plied, Who in the other landlord's house had been: He, from her childhood at the damsel's side, Had joyed her love: they, without change of mien, On meeting, closely one another eyed, Since either apprehended to be seen: But when alone -- now left together -- raised Their eyelids and on one another gazed.

LVII "The stripling asked her whitherward they sped, And of the two which claimed her as his right; This, point by point, to him Flammetta read; Flammetta she, the Greek that boy was hight.

' -- When I had hoped the time was coming,' said The Greek -- 'that I should live with thee, my light, Flammetta, thou, alas! art lost to me, Nor know I if I more thy face shall see.

LVIII " 'I to the bitter dregs the cup must drain Of promised sweets; since thou art others' prey.

'Twas my design, having with mickle pain And labour sore, some money put away, Which I had h.o.a.rded out of frequent gain From parting guests, and from my yearly pay, To seek again Valencia, and demand Thee from thy sire in lawful wedlock's band.

LIX "The damsel shrugs her shoulders, and complains; And -- that he is too late -- is her reply.

The Greek laments and sobs, and partly feigns: ' -- Wilt thou (he answered her) thus let me die?

Let me, at least, exhale my amorous pains!

Let me, but once, in thine embrace lie!

For every moment in thy presence spent, Ere thou depart, will make me die content.'

LX "To him the damsel, full of pity, cries: 'Believe, I covet this no less than thee; But here, surrounded by so many eyes, Is neither time nor opportunity.'

' -- I feel a.s.sured' (to her that youth replied) 'Were I beloved by you, as you by me, This very night you would find out a place Wherein to solace us some little s.p.a.ce.'

LXI (Stanza LXI untranslated by Rose)

LXII "She bade him come -- when she awhile had thought -- When he believed that all asleep were laid; And how by him her chamber should be sought, And how he should return, at full, displaid.

The cautious stripling did as he was taught, And, when he found all silent, thither made: He pushed, till it gave way, the chamber-door, And, upon tiptoes, softly paced the floor.

LXIII - LXX (Stanzas LXIII - LXX untranslated by Rose)

LXXI "Gazing on one another, with surprise, The monarch and Jocundo are confused; Nor even to have heard a case surmise Of two, that ever thus had been abused: Then laughed so, that they sate with winking eyes, And open mouth, and lungs which breath refused; And, wearied with the mirth her tale had bred, Fell backwards, both, exhausted on the bed.

LXXII "When they had laughed so loud a laugh, the dew Stood in their eyes, and each with aching breast Remained, the pair exclaimed: 'What shall we do In order not to be a woman's jest?

Since we, with all our heed, between us two, Could not preserve the one by us possest, A husband, furnished with more eyes than hair, Perforce must be betrayed with all his care.

LXXIII " 'A thousand, beauteous all, have we found kind, Nor one of those so many has stood fast.

If tried, all women we by proof should find Like these; but be the experiment our last.

Then we may deem our own not worse inclined Than are the wives of others, and as chaste: And, if like others we our own discern, I hold it best that we to them return.'

LXXIV "When they have come to this resolve, they, through Flammetta, call the youth into their bower; And with the girl her leman, in the view Of many, gift, and add a fitting dower.

They mount, and to the east their way pursue, Accustomed westward hitherto to scower; To their deserted wives again repair, Nor of their after deeds take farther care."

LXXV Here paused mine host; to whom on every side His audience had with careful heed attended.

Rodomont listened, nor a word replied, Until the landlord's story was suspended.

Then -- "Fully I believe," that paynim cried, "The tale of women's frauds would ne'er be ended; Nor could that man in any volume note The thousandth part, who would their treasons quote."

LXXVI Of sounder judgement, 'mid that company, There was an elder, one more wise and bold; That undefended so the s.e.x to see, Was inly wroth, and could no longer hold: To the relater of that history He turned; and, "Many things we have been told"

(Exclaimed that ancient) "wherein truth is none, And of such matters is thy fable one.

LXXVII "Him I believe not, that told this truth to you, Though in all else he gospel-truths exprest; As less by his experience, than untrue Conceit respecting women prepossest.

The malice which he bears to one or two, Makes him unjustly hate and blame the rest.

But you shall hear him, if his wrath o'erblow, Yet greater praise than blame on these bestow.

LXXVIII "And he a larger field for speaking well Will find, than blaming womankind withal; And of a hundred worthy fame may tell, For one whose evil deeds for censure call.

He should exalt the many that excel, Culled from the mult.i.tude, not rail at all, If otherwise your friend Valerio said, He was by wrath, and not by reason, led.

LXXIX - Lx.x.xIII (Stanzas LXXIX - Lx.x.xIII untranslated by Rose)

Lx.x.xIV So reasoning, that just elder and sincere, With ready instances, supports his creed; Showing there many women are who ne'er Sinned against chast.i.ty, in word or deed: But him with impious visage and severe The paynim scared, ill pleased the truth to read.

So that, through fear, he further speech forbore, But changed not therefore aught his former lore.

Lx.x.xV Having stopt further question in this wise, The paynim monarch from the table rose: Then lays him on his bed, till from the skies The dusky shades depart, and morning glows: But spends a larger part of night in sighs At his liege-lady's sin, than in repose.

Rodomont thence departs at dawn of day, Resolved by water to pursue his way.

Lx.x.xVI For with such care for his good horse's plight, As is becoming a good cavalier, The courser fair and good, made his in spite Of young Rogero and Circa.s.sia's peer; Seeing he, for two days, that horse's might Had taxed too hardly in his long career, -- As well he for his ease embarked the steed, As to pursue his way with better speed.

Lx.x.xVII He straight makes launch the vessel from the marge, And bids put forth the oars from either side: Nor big nor deeply laden, she, at large, Descends the Saone, transported by the tide.

Care never quits him, though the shifting barge The king ascend, or nimble horse bestride: This he encounters aye on prow or p.o.o.p, And bears behind him on his courser's croup;

Lx.x.xVIII Rather within his head or heart always Care sits; whence every comfort is o'erthrown: No remedy the wretched man surveys, In that his enemies are in the town.

From others hope is none; since they who raise This fearful war against him, are his own: Vext by that cruel one, aye night and day, Whom he might hope to find his natural stay.

Lx.x.xIX Rodomont navigates the day and night Ensuing, aye by heavy thoughts opprest; Nor can he ever banish the despite, Suffered from King and Lady, from his breast.

The self-same grief sate heavy on his sprite Aboard the bark, as when his steed he prest.

Such fire was not by water to be drowned, Nor he his nature changed by changing ground.

XC As the sick man who with a fever grows, And, weak and weary, shifts his place in vain, Whether he right or left himself bestows, And hopes in turning some relief to gain, Finds neither on this side nor that repose, But everywhere encounters equal pain; The pagan monarch so found small relief, By land or water, for his secret grief.

XCI Rodomont brooked no more aboard to stay, But bade them land him, and by Lyons hied; By Vienne and Valence next took his way, And the rich bridge in Avignon descried.

For these and more, which 'twixt the river lay And Celtiberian hills upon that side, (Theirs, from the day they conquered the champaigne) Obeyed the kings of Afric and of Spain.

XCII To pa.s.s to Afric straight, the cavalier Kept to the right, towards Acquamorta's sh.o.r.e, And lighted on a stream and hamlet, dear To Ceres and to Bacchus, which that Moor Found quitted by the peasants, in their fear, As often by the soldier harried sore.

The beach upon one side broad ocean laved, And on the other yellow harvests waved.

XCIII Here, newly built upon a hillock's crest, A little church the Saracen espied; Abandoned by its priesthood, like the rest, For war was flaming upon every side.

Rodomont of this place himself possest; Which, from its site, as well as lying wide Of fields, from whence he tidings loathed to hear, So pleased him, he for it renounced Argier.

XCIV He changed his scheme of seeking Afric's land, (So this fair spot seemed fit for his behoof!) And here housed carriages, and steed, and band, Together with himself, beneath one roof, At few leagues' distance, did Montpelier stand, And other wealthy towns, not far aloof.

The village was upon a river's side, So that its every need might be supplied.

XCV Here standing, full of thought, upon a day, (Such was his common wont) the paynim spied, Advancing by a narrow path, which lay Through a green meadow, from the adverse side, A lovely damsel, that upon her way Was by a bearded monk accompanied; And these behind them led a l.u.s.ty steed, Who bore a burden, trapt with sable weed.

XCVI Who that attendant monk and damsel were, And what that burden, will to you be clear, Remembering Isabella is the fair, Charged with the corse of her Zerbino dear: I left her, where from Provence, in the care Of that good sire, she bowned herself to steer, By whom persuaded, had the lady given The remnant of her virtuous life to heaven.

XCVII Although in her pale face and troubled guise, The sorrow of that dame is manifest, Although two fountains are her streaming eyes, And sobs aye issue from her burning breast, And more beside of suffering testifies, With what a load of grief she is opprest, Yet, in her faded cheek such beauties meet, Love and the Graces there might fix their seat.

XCVIII As soon as he of Sarza saw appear The beauteous dame, he laid the thought aside Of hatred to that gentle race and dear, By whom alone the world is glorified; And best by Isabel the cavalier Believed his former love would be supplied, And one love by another be effaced, As bolt by bolt in timber is displaced.

XCIX Her with the kindest mien and mildest tone That he could fashion, met the Sarzan knight; To whom the dame her every thought made known; And said, when she was questioned of her plight, She would with holy works -- this world forgone -- Seek favour in her Heavenly Father's sight.