XXVIII For Montalbano's lord the stranger guest, The baron recognised, with whom he came; Because, before they reached their place of rest, The paladin had chanced himself to name; And (for they brethren were) with love opprest, His tenderness him wholly overcame; And touched with kind affection, at his heart, From his full eyes the tears of pleasure start.

XXIX Guido the savage was that cavalier, Who, with Marphisa leagued, the martial maid, Sansonet, and the sons of Olivier, Long sailed the sea, as I erewhile have said; From earlier meeting with his kindred dear By Pinnabel, the felon knight, delaid; Seized by that traitor, and by him detained, To enforce the wicked law he had ordained.

x.x.x Sir Guido, when he knew his host to be Rinaldo, famed above each famous knight, Whom he had burned with more desire to see Than ever blindman covets the lost light, In rapture cries, "What fortune tempted me With you, my lord, to strive in deadly fight, Whom long I have beloved, and love, whose worth I prize above all dwellers' upon earth?

x.x.xI "Me on the distant bank of Euxine's flood (I Guido am yclept) Constantia bare, Conceived of the ill.u.s.trious seed and good Of generous Aymon, as ye likewise are.

To visit you and my bold brotherhood Is the occasion, hither I repair; And, where to honour you I had in thought, I see my coming has but mischief wrought.

x.x.xII "But that I neither ye nor the others knew, Must for so foul a fault be my excuse; And, if I can amend it, bid me do Whate'er thou wilt, nor ought will I refuse."

When, on this part and that, between the two, Of interchanged embraces there was truce, "Take you no farther thought upon your side The battle to excuse," Rinaldo cried.

x.x.xIII "For in complete a.s.surance that you are A real offset of our ancient tree, You could no better testimony bear Than the tried valour which in you we see; If your demeanour more pacific were, We ill should have believed your ancestry: Since neither lion from the doe proceeds, Nor fearful pigeon, hawk or eagle breeds."

x.x.xIV While neither they through talk their journey stay, Neither through speed abate their talk, those two Reached the pavilions where the kinsmen lay: There good Rinaldo, crying to his crew That this was Guido, whom so many a day They had impatiently desired to view, Much pleased the friendly troop; and, at his sight All like his father deemed the stranger knight.

x.x.xV I will not tell what welcome to the peer Made Richardet, Alardo, and those twain; What Malagigi, what Sir Aldigier, And gallant Vivian, of that kindred train; What every captain, every cavalier; What Guido spake, what they replied again: I for conclusion of my tale will say, He was well greeted of the whole array.

x.x.xVI Ever, I deem, good Guido would have been Dear to his brethren bold; but welcomed more Was now the valiant knight, and better seen That at another time, as needed sore.

When the sun, garlanded with radiance sheen, Upraised his visage from the watery floor, Sir Guido and his kinsmen, in a band, Beneath Rinaldo's banner took their stand.

x.x.xVI So one day and another p.r.i.c.k the train, That they to Paris' leaguered gates are nigh, Scarce ten miles distant, on the banks of Seine; When, as good Fortune wills it, they descry Gryphon and Aquilant, the two that stain Their virtuous armour with a different dye; Sable was Aquilant's, white Gryphon's, weed; Good Olivier's and Sigismonda's seed.

x.x.xVIII In parley were they by a damsel stayed, Nor she of mean condition to behold; That in a snowy samyte was arraid, The vesture edged about with list of gold: Graceful and fair; although she was dismaid, And down her visage tears of sorrow rolled; Who with such mien and act her speech enforced, It seemed of some high matter she discoursed.

x.x.xIX As Guido them, they gallant Guido knew.

He with the pair had been few days before; And to Rinaldo: "Behold those! whom few In valour and in prowess go before, And if they join your banner, against you Feebly will stand the squadrons of the Moor."

Rinaldo vouched what valiant Guido told, How either champion was a warrior bold.

XL Nor them he less had recognized at sight; Because (such was the usage of the pair) One by a vest all black, and one all white, He knows, and by the ornaments they wear.

The brethren know as well Mount Alban's knight, And give the warlike kinsmen welcome fair: They both embrace Rinaldo as a friend, And of their ancient quarrel make an end.

XLI They -- erst at feud and with sore hate possest, Through Truffaldino -- (which were long to say) Each other with fraternal love carest, Now putting all their enmity away.

Rinaldo next Sir Sansonet addrest, Who somewhat later joined that fair array; And (knowing well his force and mighty thew) Received the cavalier with honour due.

XLII When she, that gentle damsel, now more near, Beholds renowned Rinaldo, him she knows, Acquainted with each paladin and peer.

She news which sorely grieve the warrior shows; And thus begin: "My lord, your cousin dear, To whom its safety Church and Empire owes, Roland, erewhile so honoured and so sage, Now roves the world, possest with frantic rage.

XLIII "Whence woe, so direful and so strange, ensued Cannot by me to you be signified: I saw on earth his sword and armour strewed, Doffed by that peer, and scattered far and wide; And I a pious knight and courteous viewed Those arms collecting upon every side, Who, in the guise of trophy, to a tree Fastened that fair and pompous panoply.

XLIV "But from the trophied stem the sword withdrew The son of Agrican that very day.

Thou mayst conceive what mischief may ensue To Charles and to the christened host's array, From loss of Durindana, if anew The infidels that goodly blade should sway.

Good Brigliador as well, who roved, forsaken, About those arms, was by the paynim taken.

XLV "Few days are past, since I in shameful wise Saw Roland, running naked in his mood, Sending forth piteous shrieks and fearful cries.

In fine, that he is frantic I conclude; Nor this had I believed, save with these eyes That strange and cruel wonder I had viewed."

She added next, how from the bridge's top, Embraced by Rodomont, she saw him drop.

XLVI "To whosoe'er I deem not Roland's foe I tell my tale," (pursued the dame again,) "That, of the crowd who hear this cruel woe Some one, in pity to his cruel pain, May strive the peer in Paris to bestow, Or other friendly place, to purge his brain.

Well wot I, if such tidings he receive, Nought unattempted Brandimart will leave."

XLVII Fair Flordelice was she, the stranger dame; That his own self to Brandimart more dear: Who in pursuit of him to Paris came.

That damsel, after, tells the cavalier, How hate and strife were blown into a flame Between Grada.s.so and the Tartar peer, For Roland's faulchion; fierce Grada.s.so's prey, When slain in combat Mandricardo lay.

XLVIII By accident, so strange and sad, distrust, Rinaldo is distraught with ceaseless woe: He feels his heart dissolve within his breast, As in the sun dissolves the flake of snow; And, with unchanged resolve, upon the quest Of good Orlando, every where will go; In hopes, if he discover him, to find Some means of cure for his distempered mind.

XLIV But since his band already had he dight, (Did him the hand of Heaven or Fortune sway) He first to put the Saracens to flight, And raise the siege of Paris, will a.s.say.

But (for it promised vantage) he till night The a.s.sault of their cantonments will delay, Till the third watch or fourth, when heavy sleep Their senses shall in Lethe's water steep.

L His squadron in the wood he placed, and there, Ambushed, he made them lie the daylight through; But when the sun, leaving this nether air In darkness, to his ancient nurse withdrew; And fangless serpent now, and goat, and bear, With other beasts, adorned the heavens anew, Which by the greater blaze had been concealed, Rinaldo moved his silent troop afield.

LI A mile an-end with Aquilant he prest, Gryphon, Alardo, and Vivian of his race, Guido and Sansonetto, and the rest, Without word spoken, and with stealthy pace.

The Moorish guard they find with sleep opprest: They slaughter all, nor grant one paynim grace; And, ere they were by others seen or heard, Into their midmost camp the squadron spurred.

LII At the first charge on that unchristened band, Their guard and sentries, taken by surprise, So broken are by good Rinaldo's brand, No wight is left, save he who slaughtered lies.

Their first post forced, the paynims understand No laughing matter is the lord's emprize; For. sleeping and dismaid, their naked swarms Make small resistance to such warriors' arms.

LIII To strike more dread into the Moorish foe, Mount Alban's champion, leading the a.s.sault, Bade beat his drums and bade his bugles blow, And with loud echoing cries his name exalt.

He spurs Baiardo, that is nothing slow; He clears the lofty barriers at a vault, Trampling down foot, o'erturning cavalier, And scatters booth and tent in his career.

LIV Is none so bold of all that paynimry But what his stiffened hair stands up on end, Hearing Mount Alban's and Rinaldo's cry From earth into the starry vault ascend.

Him the twin hosts of Spain and Afric fly, Nor time in loading baggage idly spend; Who will not wait that deadly fury more, Which to have proved so deeply irks them sore.

LV Guido succeeds; no less their foe pursue, The valiant sons of warlike Olivier, Alardo, Richardet, and the other two; Sansonet's sword and horse a pathway clear; And well is proved upon that paynim crew The force of Vivian and of Aldigier.

Thus each bestirs himself like valorous knight, Who follows Clermont's banner to the fight.

LVI Seven hundred men with good Rinaldo speed, Drawn from Mount Alban and the townships nigh -- No fiercer erst obeyed Achilles' lead -- Enured to summer and to winter sky: So stout each warrior is, so good at need, A hundred would not from a thousand fly; And, better than some famous cavaliers, Many amid that squadron couch their spears.

LVII If good Rinaldo gathers small supplies From rents or cities, which his rule obey, So these he bound by words and courtesies, And sharing what he had with his array, Is none that ever from his service buys Deserter by the bribe of better pay.

Of Montalbano these are left in care, Save pressing need demands their aid elsewhere.

LVIII Them now in succour of King Charles he stirred, And left with little guard his citadel.

Among the Africans that squadron spurred, That squadron, of whose doughty feats I tell, Doing by them what wolf on woolly herd Does where Galesus' limpid waters well, Or lion by the bearded goat and rank, That feeds on Cinyphus's barbarous bank.

LIX Tidings to Charles Rinaldo had conveyed, That he for Paris with his squadron steers, To a.s.sail, by night, the paynims ill purveyed; And ready and in arms the king appears.

He, when his help is needed, comes in aid, With all his peerage, and, beside his peers, Brings Monodantes' son, amid that crew, Of Flordelice the lover chaste and true;

LX Whom by such long and by such tedious way She sought throughout the realm of France in vain; Here by the cognizance, his old display, Afar, by her distinguished from the train.

At the first sight of her he quits the fray, And wears a semblance loving and humane.

He clipt her round with many a fond caress, And kissed a thousand times, or little less.

LXI To dame and damsel in that ancient age They trusted much, that, in their wandering vein, Roved, unescorted, many a weary stage, Through foreign countries and by hill and plain; Whom they returning hold for fair and sage, Nor of their faith suspicion entertain.

Here Brandimart by Flordelice was taught How Roland wandered, of his wits distraught.

LXII Had he such strange and evil tidings heard From other lips, he scarce had these believed: But credited fair Flordelice's word, From whom more wondrous things he had received, Nor this, as told by other, she averred; This had she seen, and ill could be deceived; For well as any she Orlando knows; And both the when and where that damsel shows.

LXIII She tells him how the perilous bridge's floor From cavaliers king Rodomont defends; Where, on a pompous sepulchre, the Moor His prisoners' ravished arms and vest suspends; Tells how she saw Orlando, raging sore, Do fearful deeds, and her relation ends, Describing how the paynim fell reversed, To his great peril, in the stream immersed.

LXIV Brandimart, who the Country loves as dear As man can love a brother, friend, or son, Disposed to seek Orlando, far and near, Nor pain nor peril in the adventure shun, Till something for the comfort of that peer By wizard's or by leech's art be done, Armed as he is, leaps lightly on his steed, And takes his way beneath the lady's lead.