Part 30 (1/2)
I Now from the fresh, the soft and tender bed Of her still mother, gentle night out flew, The fleeting balm on hills and dales she shed, With honey drops of pure and precious dew, And on the verdure of green forests spread The virgin primrose and the violet blue, And sweet-breathed Zephyr on his spreading wings, Sleep, ease, repose, rest, peace and quiet brings.
II The thoughts and troubles of broad-waking day, They softly dipped in mild Oblivion's lake; But he whose G.o.dhead heaven and earth doth sway, In his eternal light did watch and wake, And bent on G.o.dfrey down the gracious ray Of his bright eye, still ope for G.o.dfrey's sake, To whom a silent dream the Lord down sent.
Which told his will, his pleasure and intent.
III Far in the east, the golden gate beside Whence Phoebus comes, a crystal port there is, And ere the sun his broad doors open wide The beam of springing day uncloseth this, Hence comes the dreams, by which heaven's sacred guide Reveals to man those high degrees of his, Hence toward G.o.dfrey ere he left his bed A vision strange his golden plumes bespread.
IV Such semblances, such shapes, such portraits fair, Did never yet in dream or sleep appear, For all the forms in sea, in earth or air, The signs in heaven, the stars in every sphere All that was wondrous, uncouth, strange and rare, All in that vision well presented were.
His dream had placed him in a crystal wide, Beset with golden fires, top, bottom, side,
V There while he wondereth on the circles vast, The stars, their motions, course and harmony, A knight, with s.h.i.+ning rays and fire embraced, Presents himself unwares before his eye, Who with a voice that far for sweetness pa.s.sed All human speech, thus said, approaching nigh: ”What, G.o.dfrey, knowest thou not thy Hugo here?
Come and embrace thy friend and fellow dear!”
VI He answered him, ”Thy glorious s.h.i.+ning light Which in thine eyes his glistering beams doth place, Estranged hath from my foreknowledge quite Thy countenance, thy favor, and thy face:”
This said, three times he stretched his hands outright And would in friendly arms the knight embrace, And thrice the spirit fled, that thrice he twined Naught in his folded arms but air and wind.
VII Lord Hugo smiled, ”Not as you think,” quoth he, ”I clothed am in flesh and earthly mould, My spirit pure, and naked soul, you see, A citizen of this celestial hold: This place is heaven, and here a room for thee Prepared is among Christ's champions bold:”
”Ah when,” quoth he, ”these mortal bonds unknit, Shall I in peace, in ease and rest there sit?”
VIII Hugo replied, ”Ere many years shall run, Amid the saints in bliss here shalt thou reign; But first great wars must by thy hand be done, Much blood be shed, and many Pagans slain, The holy city by a.s.sault be won, The land set free from servile yoke again, Wherein thou shalt a Christian empire frame, And after thee shall Baldwin rule the same.
IX ”But to increase thy love and great desire To heavenward, this blessed place behold, These s.h.i.+ning lamps, these globes of living fire, How they are turned, guided, moved and rolled; The angels' singing hear, and all their choir; Then bend thine eyes on yonder earth and mould, All in that ma.s.s, that globe and compa.s.s see, Land, sea, spring, fountain, man, beast, gra.s.s and tree.
X ”How vile, how small, and of how slender price, Is their reward of goodness, virtue's gain!
A narrow room our glory vain upties, A little circle doth our pride contain, Earth like an isle amid the water lies, Which sea sometime is called, sometime the main, Yet naught therein responds a name so great, It's but a lake, a pond, a marish strait.”
XI Thus said the one, the other bended down His looks to ground, and half in scorn he smiled, He saw at once earth, sea, flood, castle, town, Strangely divided, strangely all compiled, And wondered folly man so far should drown, To set his heart on things so base and vild, That servile empire searcheth and dumb fame, And scorns heaven's bliss, yet proffereth heaven the same.
XII Wherefore he answered, ”Since the Lord not yet Will free my spirit from this cage of clay, Lest worldly error vain my voyage let, Teach me to heaven the best and surest way:”
Hugo replied, ”Thy happy foot is set In the true path, nor from this pa.s.sage stray, Only from exile young Rinaldo call, This give I thee in charge, else naught at all.
XIII ”For as the Lord of hosts, the King of bliss, Hath chosen thee to rule the faithful band; So he thy stratagems appointed is To execute, so both shall win this land: The first is thine, the second place is his, Thou art this army's head, and he the hand, No other champion can his place supply, And that thou do it doth thy state deny.
XIV ”The enchanted forest, and her charmed treen, With cutting steel shall he to earth down hew, And thy weak armies which too feeble been To scale again these walls reinforced new, And fainting lie dispersed on the green, Shall take new strength new courage at his view, The high-built towers, the eastern squadrons all, Shall conquered be, shall fly, shall die, shall fall.”
XV He held his peace; and G.o.dfrey answered so: ”Oh, how his presence would recomfort me!
You that man's hidden thoughts perceive and know: If I say truth, or if I love him, see.
But say, what messengers shall for him go?
What shall their speeches, what their errand be?
Shall I entreat, or else command the man?
With credit neither well perform I can.”
XVI ”The eternal Lord,” the other knight replied, ”That with so many graces hath thee blest, Will, that among the troops thou hast to guide, Thou honored be and feared of most and least: Then speak not thou lest blemish some betide Thy sacred empire if thou make request; But when by suit thou moved art to ruth, Then yield, forgive, and home recall the youth.
XVII ”Guelpho shall pray thee, G.o.d shall him inspire, To pardon this offence, this fault commit By hasty wrath, by rash and headstrong ire, To call the knight again; yield thou to it: And though the youth, enwrapped in fond desire, Far hence in love and looseness idle sit, Year fear it not, he shall return with speed, When most you wish him and when most you need.
XVIII ”Your hermit Peter, to whose sapient heart High Heaven his secrets opens, tells and shews, Your messengers direct can to that part, Where of the prince they shall hear certain news, And learn the way, the manner, and the art To bring him back to these thy warlike crews, That all thy soldiers, wandered and misgone, Heaven may unite again and join in one.
XIX ”But this conclusion shall my speeches end: Know that his blood shall mixed be with thine, Whence barons bold and worthies shall descend, That many great exploits shall bring to fine.”