Part 25 (1/2)
LXXIII Kind nature first upon the craggy clift Bewrayed this herb unto the mountain goat, That when her sides a cruel shaft hath rift, With it she shakes the reed out of her coat; This in a moment fetched the angel swift, And brought from Ida hill, though far remote, The juice whereof in a prepared bath Unseen the blessed spirit poured hath.
LXXIV Pure nectar from that spring of Lydia than, And panaces divine therein he threw, The cunning leech to bathe the wound began, And of itself the steely head outflew; The bleeding stanched, no vermile drop outran, The leg again waxed strong with vigor new: Erotimus cried out, ”This hurt and wound No human art or hand so soon makes sound:
LXXV ”Some angel good I think come down from skies Thy surgeon is, for here plain tokens are Of grace divine which to thy help applies, Thy weapon take and haste again to war.”
In precious cloths his leg the chieftain ties, Naught could the man from blood and fight debar; A st.u.r.dy lance in his right hand he braced, His s.h.i.+eld he took, and on his helmet laced:
LXXVI And with a thousand knights and barons bold, Toward the town he hasted from his camp, In clouds of dust was t.i.tan's face enrolled, Trembled the earth whereon the worthies stamp, His foes far off his dreadful looks behold, Which in their hearts of courage quenched the lamp, A chilling fear ran cold through every vein, Lord G.o.dfrey shouted thrice and all his train:
LXXVII Their sovereign's voice his hardy people knew, And his loud cries that cheered each fearful heart; Thereat new strength they took and courage new, And to the fierce a.s.sault again they start.
The Pagans twain this while themselves withdrew Within the breach to save that battered part, And with great loss a skirmish hot they hold Against Tancredi and his squadron bold.
LXXVIII Thither came G.o.dfrey armed round about In trusty plate, with fierce and dreadful look; At first approach against Argantes stout Headed with poignant steel a lance he shook, No casting engine with such force throws out A knotty spear, and as the way it took, It whistled in the air, the fearless knight Opposed his s.h.i.+eld against that weapon's might.
LXXIX The dreadful blow quite through his target drove, And bored through his breastplate strong and thick, The tender skin it in his bosom rove, The purple-blood out-streamed from the quick; To wrest it out the wounded Pagan strove And little leisure gave it there to stick; At G.o.dfrey's head the lance again he cast, And said, ”Lo, there again thy dart thou hast.”
Lx.x.x The spear flew back the way it lately came, And would revenge the harm itself had done, But missed the mark whereat the man did aim, He stepped aside the furious blow to shun: But Sigiere in his throat received the same, The murdering weapon at his neck out-run, Nor aught it grieved the man to lose his breath, Since in his prince's stead he suffered death.
Lx.x.xI Even then the Soldan struck with monstrous main The n.o.ble leader of the Norman band, He reeled awhile and staggered with the pain, And wheeling round fell grovelling on the sand: G.o.dfrey no longer could the grief sustain Of these displeasures, but with flaming brand, Up to the breach in heat and haste he goes, And hand to hand there combats with his foes;
Lx.x.xII And there great wonders surely wrought he had, Mortal the fight, and fierce had been the fray, But that dark night, from her pavilion sad, Her cloudy wings did on the earth display, Her quiet shades she interposed glad To cause the knights their arms aside to lay; G.o.dfrey withdrew, and to their tents they wend, And thus this b.l.o.o.d.y day was brought to end.
Lx.x.xIII The weak and wounded ere he left the field, The G.o.dly duke to safety thence conveyed, Nor to his foes his engines would he yield, In them his hope to win the fortress laid; Then to the tower he went, and it beheeld, The tower that late the Pagan lords dismayed But now stood bruised, broken, cracked and s.h.i.+vered, From some sharp storm as it were late delivered.
Lx.x.xIV From dangers great escaped, but late it was, And now to safety brought well-nigh it seems, But as a s.h.i.+p that under sail doth pa.s.s The roaring billows and the raging streams, And drawing nigh the wished port, alas, Breaks on some hidden rocks her ribs and beams; Or as a steed rough ways that well hath pa.s.sed, Before his inn stumbleth and falls at last:
Lx.x.xV Such hap befell that tower, for on that side Gainst which the Pagans' force and battery bend, Two wheels were broke whereon the piece should ride, The maimed engine could no further wend, The troop that guarded it that part provide To underprop with posts, and it defend Till carpenters and cunning workmen came Whose skill should help and rear again the same.
Lx.x.xVI Thus G.o.dfrey bids, and that ere springing-day, The cracks and bruises all amend they should, Each open pa.s.sage, and each privy way About the piece, he kept with soldiers bold: But the loud rumor, both of that they say, And that they do, is heard within the hold, A thousand lights about the tower they view, And what they wrought all night both saw and knew.
TWELFTH BOOK
THE ARGUMENT.
Clorinda hears her eunuch old report Her birth, her offspring, and her native land; Disguised she fireth G.o.dfrey's rolling fort.
The burned piece falls smoking on the sand: With Tancred long unknown in desperate sort She fights, and falls through pierced with his brand: Christened she dies; with sighs, with plaints and tears.
He wails her death; Argant revengement swears.
I Now in dark night was all the world embarred; But yet the tired armies took no rest, The careful French kept heedful watch and ward, While their high tower the workmen newly dressed, The Pagan crew to reinforce prepared The weakened bulwarks, late to earth down kest, Their rampiers broke and bruised walls to mend, Lastly their hurts the wounded knights attend.
II Their wounds were dressed, part of the work was brought To wished end, part left to other days, A dull desire to rest deep midnight wrought, His heavy rod sleep on their eyelids lays: Yet rested not Clorinda's working thought, Which thirsted still for fame and warlike praise, Argantes eke accompanied the maid From place to place, which to herself thus said:
III ”This day Argantes strong, and Solyman, Strange things have done, and purchased great renown, Among our foes out of the walls they ran, Their rams they broke and rent their engines down: I used my bow, of naught else boast I can, My self stood safe meanwhile within this town, And happy was my shot, and prosperous too, But that was all a woman's hand could do.
IV ”On birds and beasts in forests wild that feed It were more fit mine arrows to bestow, Than for a feeble maid in warlike deed With strong and hardy knights herself to show.
Why take I not again my virgin's weed, And spend my days in secret cell unknow?”
Thus thought, thus mused, thus devised the maid, And turning to the knight, at last thus said:
V ”My thoughts are full, my lord, of strange desire Some high attempt of war to undertake, Whether high G.o.d my mind therewith inspire Or of his will his G.o.d mankind doth make, Among our foes behold the light and fire, I will among them wend, and burn or break The tower, G.o.d grant therein I have my will And that performed, betide me good or ill.
VI ”But if it fortune such my chance should be, That to this town I never turn again, Mine eunuch, whom I dearly love, with thee I leave my faithful maids, and all my train, To Egypt then conducted safely see Those woful damsels and that aged swain, Help them, my lord, in that distressed case, Their feeble s.e.x, his age, deserveth grace.”
VII Argantes wondering stood, and felt the effect Of true renown pierce through his glorious mind, ”And wilt thou go,” quoth he, ”and me neglect, Disgraced, despised, leave in this fort behind?