Part 39 (2/2)
Lx.x.xIX To less than naught their members old were torn, And s.h.i.+vered were their heads to pieces small, As small as are the bruised grains of corn When from the mill dissolved to meal they fall; Their d.a.m.ned souls, to deepest h.e.l.l down borne Far from the joy and light celestial, The furies plunged in the infernal lake: O mankind, at their ends ensample take!
XC This while the engine which the tempest cold Had saved from burning with his friendly blast, Approached had so near the battered hold That on the walls her bridge at ease she cast: But Solyman ran thither fierce and bold, To cut the plank whereon the Christians pa.s.sed.
And had performed his will, save that upreared High in the skies a turret new appeared;
XCI Far in the air up clomb the fortress tall, Higher than house, than steeple, church or tower; The Pagans trembled to behold the wall And city subject to her shot and power; Yet kept the Turk his stand, though on him fall Of stones and darts a sharp and deadly shower, And still to cut the bridge he hopes and strives, And those that fear with cheerful speech revives.
XCII The angel Michael, to all the rest Unseen, appeared before G.o.dfredo's eyes, In pure and heavenly armor richly dressed, Brighter than t.i.tan's rays in clearest skies; ”G.o.dfrey,” quoth he, ”this is the moment blest To free this town that long in bondage lies, See, see what legions in thine aid I bring, For Heaven a.s.sists thee, and Heaven's glorious King:
XCIII ”Lift up thine eyes, and in the air behold The sacred armies, how they mustered be, That cloud of flesh in which for times of old All mankind wrapped is, I take from thee, And from thy senses their thick mist unfold, That face to face thou mayest these spirits see, And for a little s.p.a.ce right well sustain Their glorious light and view those angels plain.
XCIV ”Behold the souls of every lord and knight That late bore arms and died for Christ's dear sake, How on thy side against this town they fight, And of thy joy and conquest will partake: There where the dust and smoke blind all men's sight, Where stones and ruins such an heap do make, There Hugo fights, in thickest cloud imbarred, And undermines that bulwark's groundwork hard.
XCV ”See Dudon yonder, who with sword and fire a.s.sails and helps to scale the northern port, That with bold courage doth thy folk inspire And rears their ladders gainst the a.s.saulted fort: He that high on the mount in grave attire Is clad, and crowned stands in kingly sort, Is Bishop Ademare, a blessed spirit, Blest for his faith, crowned for his death and merit.
XCVI ”But higher lift thy happy eyes, and view Where all the sacred hosts of Heaven appear.”
He looked, and saw where winged armies flew, Innumerable, pure, divine and clear; A battle round of squadrons three they show And all by threes those squadrons ranged were, Which spreading wide in rings still wider go, Moved with a stone calm water circleth so.
XCVII With that he winked, and vanished was and gone; That wondrous vision when he looked again, His worthies fighting viewed he one by one, And on each side saw signs of conquest plain, For with Rinaldo gainst his yielding lone, His knights were entered and the Pagans slain, This seen, the duke no longer stay could brook, But from the bearer bold his ensign took:
XCVIII And on the bridge he stepped, but there was stayed By Solyman, who entrance all denied, That narrow tree to virtue great was made, The field as in few blows right soon was tried, ”Here will I give my life for Sion's aid, Here will I end my days,” the Soldan cried, ”Behind me cut or break this bridge, that I May kill a thousand Christians first, then die.”
XCIX But thither fierce Rinaldo threatening went, And at his sight fled all the Soldan's train, ”What shall I do? If here my life be spent, I spend and spill,” quoth he, ”my blood in vain!”
With that his steps from G.o.dfrey back he bent, And to him let the pa.s.sage free remain, Who threatening followed as the Soldan fled, And on the walls the purple Cross dispread:
C About his head he tossed, he turned, he cast, That glorious ensign, with a thousand twines, Thereon the wind breathes with his sweetest blast, Thereon with golden rays glad Phoebus s.h.i.+nes, Earth laughs for joy, the streams forbear their haste, Floods clap their hands, on mountains dance the pines, And Sion's towers and sacred temples smile For their deliverance from that bondage vile.
CI And now the armies reared the happy cry Of victory, glad, joyful, loud, and shrill.
The hills resound, the echo showereth high, And Tancred bold, that fights and combats still With proud Argantes, brought his tower so nigh, That on the wall, against the boaster's will, In his despite, his bridge he also laid, And won the place, and there the cross displayed.
CII But on the southern hill, where Raymond fought Against the townsmen and their aged king, His hardy Gascoigns gained small or naught; Their engine to the walls they could not bring, For thither all his strength the prince had brought, For life and safety sternly combating, And for the wall was feeblest on that coast, There were his soldiers best, and engines most.
CIII Besides, the tower upon that quarter found Unsure, uneasy, and uneven the way, Nor art could help, but that the rougher ground The rolling ma.s.s did often stop and stay; But now of victory the joyful sound The king and Raymond heard amid their fray; And by the shout they and their soldiers know, The town was entered on the plain below.
CIV Which heard, Raymondo thus bespake this crew, ”The town is won, my friends, and doth it yet Resist? are we kept out still by these few?
Shall we no share in this high conquest get?”
But from that part the king at last withdrew, He strove in vain their entrance there to let, And to a stronger place his folk he brought, Where to sustain the a.s.sault awhile he thought.
CV The conquerors at once now entered all, The walls were won, the gates were opened wide, Now bruised, broken down, destroyed fall The ports and towers that battery durst abide; Rageth the sword, death murdereth great and small, And proud 'twixt woe and horror sad doth ride.
Here runs the blood, in ponds there stands the gore, And drowns the knights in whom it lived before.
NINETEENTH BOOK
THE ARGUMENT.
Tancred in single combat kills his foe, Argantes strong: the king and Soldan fly To David's tower, and save their persons so; Erminia well instructs Vafrine the spy, With him she rides away, and as they go Finds where her lord for dead on earth doth lie; First she laments, then cures him: G.o.dfrey hears Ormondo's treason, and what marks he bears.
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