Part 44 (1/2)

XXII The man brought forth his army great with speed, In order good, his foes at hand he spied, Like the new moon his host two horns did spreed, In midst the foot, the horse were on each side, The right wing kept he for himself to lead, Great Altamore received the left to guide, The middle ward led Mulea.s.ses proud, And in that battle fair Armida stood.

XXIII On the right quarter stood the Indian grim, With Tisipherne and all the king's own band; But when the left wing spread her squadrons trim O'er the large plain, did Altamoro stand, With African and Persian kings with him, And two that came from Meroe's hot sand, And all his crossbows and his slings he placed, Where room best served to shoot, to throw, to cast.

XXIV Thus Emiren his host put in array, And rode from band to band, from rank to rank, His truchmen now, and now himself, doth say, What spoil his folk shall gain, what praise, what thank.

To him that feared, ”Look up, ours is the day,”

He says, ”Vile fear to bold hearts never sank, How dareth one against an hundred fight?

Our cry, our shade, will put them all to flight.”

XXV But to the bold, ”Go, hardy knight,” he says, ”His prey out of this lion's paws go tear:”

To some before his thoughts the shape he lays, And makes therein the image true appear, How his sad country him entreats and prays, His house, his loving wife, and children dear: ”Suppose,” quoth he, ”thy country doth beseech And pray thee thus, suppose this is her speech.

XXVI ”Defend my laws, uphold my temples brave, My blood from was.h.i.+ng of my streets withhold, From ravis.h.i.+ng my virgins keep, and save Thine ancestors' dead bones and ashes cold!

To thee thy fathers dear and parents grave Show their uncovered heads, white, h.o.a.ry, old, To thee thy wife--her b.r.e.a.s.t.s with tears o'erspread-- Thy sons, their cradles, shows, thy marriage bed.”

XXVII To all the rest, ”You for her honor's sake Whom Asia makes her champions, by your might Upon these thieves, weak, feeble, few, must take A sharp revenge, yet just, deserved and right.”

Thus many words in several tongues he spake, And all his sundry nations to sharp fight Encouraged, but now the dukes had done Their speeches all, the hosts together run.

XXVIII It was a great, a strange and wondrous sight, When front to front those n.o.ble armies met, How every troop, how in each troop each knight Stood prest to move, to fight, and praise to get, Loose in the wind waved their ensigns light, Trembled the plumes that on their crests were set; Their arms, impresses, colors, gold and stone, Against the sunbeams smiled, flamed, sparkled, shone.

XXIX Of dry topped oaks they seemed two forests thick, So did each host with spears and pikes abound, Bent were their bows, in rests their lances stick, Their hands shook swords, their slings held cobbles round: Each steed to run was ready, prest and quick, At his commander's spur, his hand, his sound, He chafes, he stamps, careers, and turns about, He foams, snorts, neighs, and fire and smoke breathes out.

x.x.x Horror itself in that fair fight seemed fair, And pleasure flew amid sad dread and fear; The trumpets shrill, that thundered in the air, Were music mild and sweet to every ear: The faithful camp, though less, yet seemed more rare In that strange noise, more warlike, shrill and clear, In notes more sweet, the Pagan trumpets jar, These sung, their armors s.h.i.+ned, these glistered far.

x.x.xI The Christian trumpets give the deadly call, The Pagans answer, and the fight accept; The G.o.dly Frenchmen on their knees down fall To pray, and kissed the earth, and then up leapt To fight, the land between was vanished all, In combat close each host to other stepped; For now the wings had skirmish hot begun, And with their battles forth the footmen run.

x.x.xII But who was first of all the Christian train, That gave the onset first, first won renown?

Gildippes thou wert she, for by thee slain The King of Orms, Hircano, tumbled down, The man's breastbone thou clov'st and rent in twain, So Heaven with honor would thee bless and crown, Pierced through he fell, and falling hard withal His foe praised for her strength and for his fall.

x.x.xIII Her lance thus broke, the hardy dame forth drew With her strong hand a fine and trenchant blade, And gainst the Persians fierce and bold she flew, And in their troop wide streets and lanes she made, Even in the girdling-stead divided new In pieces twain, Zopire on earth she laid; And then Alarco's head she swept off clean, Which like a football tumbled on the green.

x.x.xIV A blow felled Artaxerxes, with a thrust Was Argeus slain, the first lay in a trance, Ismael's left hand cut off fell in the dust, For on his wrist her sword fell down by chance: The hand let go the bridle where it l.u.s.t, The blow upon the courser's ears did glance, Who felt the reins at large, and with the stroke Half mad, the ranks disordered, troubled, broke.

x.x.xV All these, and many mo, by time forgot, She slew and wounded, when against her came The angry Persians all, cast on a knot, For on her person would they purchase fame: But her dear spouse and husband wanted not In so great need, to aid the n.o.ble dame; Thus joined, the haps of war unhurt they prove, Their strength was double, double was their love.

x.x.xVI The n.o.ble lovers use well might you see, A wondrous guise, till then unseen, unheard, To save themselves forgot both he and she, Each other's life did keep, defend, and guard; The strokes that gainst her lord discharged be, The dame had care to bear, to break, to ward, His s.h.i.+eld kept off the blows bent on his dear, Which, if need be, his naked head should bear.

x.x.xVII So each saved other, each for other's wrong Would vengeance take, but not revenge their own: The valiant Soldan Artabano strong Of Boecan Isle, by her was overthrown, And by his hand, the bodies dead among, Alvante, that durst his mistress wound, fell down, And she between the eyes. .h.i.t Arimont, Who hurt her lord, and cleft in twain his front.

x.x.xVIII But Altamore who had that wing to lead Far greater slaughter on the Christians made; For where he turned his sword, or twined his steed, He slew, or man and beast on earth down laid, Happy was he that was at first struck dead, That fell not down on live, for whom his blade Had speared, the same cast in the dusty street His horse tore with his teeth, bruised with his feet.

x.x.xIX By this brave Persian's valor, killed and slain Were strong Brunello and Ardonia great; The first his head and helm had cleft in twain, The last in stranger-wise he did intreat, For through his heart he pierced, and his seat, Where laughter hath his fountain and his seat, So that, a dreadful thing, believed uneath, He laughed for pain, and laughed himself to death.

XL Nor these alone with that accursed knife, Of this sweet light and breath deprived lie; But with that cruel weapon lost their life Gentonio, Guascar, Rosimond, and Guy; Who knows how many in that fatal strife He slew? what knights his courser fierce made die?

The names and countries of the people slain Who tells? their wounds and deaths who can explain?

XLI With this fierce king encounter durst not one.

Not one durst combat him in equal field, Gildippes undertook that task alone; No doubt could make her shrink, no danger yield, By Thermodont was never Amazone, Who managed steeled axe, or carried s.h.i.+eld, That seemed so bold as she, so strong, so light, When forth she run to meet that dreadful knight.