Orlando Furioso Part 125

Of him he next demands, how he is hight, That he may know and tell who brought him aid; And among worthy warriors, and before King Charles, exalt his prowess evermore.

LX The stranger answered: "Let it irk not thee That I not now my name to thee display; Ere longer by a yard the shadows be, This will I signify; a short delay."

Wending together, they a river see Whose murmurs woo the traveller from his way, And shepherd-swain, by whiles, to their green brink; There an oblivion of their love to drink.

LXI My lord, that fountain's chilling stream and clear Extinguished love; Angelica of yore Drinking thereof, for good Montalban's peer Conceived that hate she nourished evermore; And if she once displeased the cavalier, And he to her such pa.s.sing hatred bore, For this no other cause occasion gave, My lord, save drinking of this chilly wave.

LXII Arriving at that limpid river's side, The cavalier that with Rinaldo goes, Reined-in his courser, how with toil, and cried, "Here 'twere not ill, meseemeth, to repose."

-- "It cannot but be well" (the peer replied), "Because, beside that mid-day fiercely glows, I have so suffered from that hideous Pest, As sweet and needful shall I welcome rest."

LXIII Upon the green sward lit the martial two, While their loose horses through the forest fed; And from their brows the burnished helmets threw On that flowered herbage, yellow, green, and red.

Rinaldo to the liquid crystal flew, By heat and thirst unto the river sped; And with one draught of that cold liquid drove Out of his burning bosom thirst and love.

LXIV Whenas Rinaldo, sated with the draught, Raising his head the stranger knight espied, And saw that he, repentant, every thought Of that so frantic love had put aside, He reared himself, and said with semblance haught That which he would not say before, and cried: "Rinaldo, know that I am hight Disdain, Bound hither but to break thy worthless chain."

LXV So saying, suddenly he pa.s.sed from sight; With him his horse: this in Rinaldo bred Much wonderment; and the astonished knight, "Where is he?" gazing round about him, said.

He cannot guess if 'twere a magic sprite, A fiend by Malagigi thither sped, From those his ministers, to break the chain, Fettered whereby he lived so long in pain;

LXVI Of if an angel from the heavenly sphere In his ineffable goodness by the Lord, Dispatched, as to Tobias's aid whilere, A medicine for his blindness to afford.

But good or evil angel -- whatsoe'er He was that him to liberty restored -- Him thanked and praised Rinaldo, for a heart Healed only by his help of amorous smart.

LXVII Old hate revived upon Rinaldo's side; Nor he alone unworthy to be wooed, The damsel deemed by pilgrimage so wide Her half a league he would not have pursued.

Nathless anew Baiardo to bestride To Sericane would go that warrior good: As well because his honour him compelled, As for the talk which he with Charles had held.

LXVIII He p.r.i.c.ked to Basle upon the following day, Whither the tidings had arrived before: That Count Orlando was, in martial fray, To meet Grada.s.so and the royal Moor: Nor through Orlando was divulged that say: But one, who crost from the Sicilian sh.o.r.e, And thither had, in haste, the journey made, As certain news, the tidings had conveyed.

LXIX Rinaldo had gladly been at Roland's side, And from that battle far himself doth see: Every ten miles he changes horse and guide, And whips and spurs, and makes his courser flee.

He crost the Rhine at Constance, forward hied, He traversed Alp, arrived in Italy, He left Verona, Mantua, in his rear, And reached and past the Po, with swift career.

LXX Much towards eve already sloped the sun, And the first star was glimmering in the sky, When, doubting on the bank if he shall run Another course, or in some hostel lie Until the shades of night and vapours dun Before Aurora's beauteous visage fly, A cavalier approaching him he viewed, Who courtesy in face and semblance shewed.

LXXI He, after greeting him, if he were tied In wedlock, made in gentle wise demand.

Rinaldo, wondering what the quest implied, Made answer: "I am bound in nuptial band."

-- "I joy thereat," the cavalier replied; Then, that he might this saying understand, Added, "I pray that you, sir knight, within My mansion will this eve be pleased to inn.

LXXII "For I will make you see what must please A wight" (pursued the stranger) "that is wed."

Rinaldo, as well that he would take his ease, -- But this, with so long posting sore bested -- As that to see and hear strange novelties By natural desire he still was led, His offer takes, and enters a new road, Following that cavalier to his abode.

LXXIII A bowshot from the way diverged the two, And a great palace fronting them descried: Whence squires with blazing lights (a numerous crew) Issued, and chased the darkness far and wide.

Entering, his eyes around Rinaldo threw, And saw a place, whose like is seldom spied, Of beauteous fabric, and well ordered plan; Nor such huge cost befitted private man.

LXXIV Of serpentine and of hard porphyry are The stones which form the gateway's arch above.

Of bronze the portal leaves, which figures bear, Whose lively features seem to breathe and move.

Beneath the vaulted entry, colours rare Cheating the eye, in mixt mosaic strove, The quadrangle within was galleried, And of a hundred yards, on every side.

LXXV A gateway is there to each galleried row, And, twixt it and that gate, an arch is bent; Of equal breadth, but different in their show, For the architect had spared not ornament.

Each arch an entrance was; up which might go A laden horse; so easy the ascent.

To arch above leads every stair withal, And every arch is entrance to a hall.

LXXVI Above, project the arches in such sort, They for the s.p.a.cious portals form a shade; And each two pillars has for its support: Of bronze are some, and some of marble made.

The ornamented chambers of the court Too many are to be at length displayed; With eas.e.m.e.nts, which (beside what is in sight) The skilful master underground had dight.

LXXVII Tall columns, with their capitals of gold, Which gemmed entablatures support in air; Exotic marbles engraved with figures fair; Picture and cast, and works so manifold, Albeit by night they mostly hidden were, Showed that two kings' united treasure ne'er Would have sufficed such gorgeous pile to rear.

LXXVIII Above the beauteous ornaments and rich That mingled in that gay quadrangle meet, There is a fresh and plenteous fountain, which Scatters in many threads its watery sheet, 'Tis here that youths at equal distance pitch, I' the middle, tables for the festive treat.

Whence they four gates of that rich mansion see, And seen from those four gates as well may be.

LXXIX By cunning master, diligent and wise, With much and subtle toil, the fount was made: In open gallery or pavilion's guise; Which from eight separate fronts, projects a shade.

A gilded roof, which with enamelled dyes Was stained below, the building overlayed.

Eight marble statues (snowy was the grain), With the left arm that gilded roof sustain.

Lx.x.x Fair Amalthaea's horn in the right hand Had quaintly sculptured the ingenious master, Whence water, trickling forth with murmur bland, Descends into a vase of alabaster; And he, in likeness of a lady grand, With sovereign art had fas.h.i.+oned each pilaster.

Various they were in visage and in vest, But all of equal charms and grace possest.

Lx.x.xI Upon two beauteous images below Each of these female statues fix their feet.

The lower seem with open mouth to show That song and harmony to them are sweet; And, by their att.i.tude, 'twould seem, as though Their every work and every study meet In praising them, they on their shoulders bear, As they would those whose likenesses they wear.

Lx.x.xII The images below them in their hand Long scrolls and of an ample size contain, Which of the worthiest figures of that band The several names with mickle praise explain As well their own at little distance stand, Inscribed upon that scroll, in letters plain, Rinaldo, by the help of blazing lights, Marked, one by one, the ladies and their knights.

Lx.x.xIII The first inscription there which meets the eye Recites at length Lucretia Borgia's fame, Whom Rome should place, for charms and chast.i.ty, Above that wife who whilom bore her name.

Strozza and Tebaldeo -- Anthony And Hercules -- support the honoured dame: (So says the scroll): for tuneful strain, the pair A very Linus and an Orpheus are.

Lx.x.xIV A statue no less jocund, no less bright, Succeeds, and on the writing is impressed; Lo! Hercules' daughter, Isabella hight, In whom Ferrara deems her city blest, Much more because she first shall see the light Within its circuit, than for all the rest Which kind and favouring Fortune in the flow Of rolling years, shall on that town bestow.

Lx.x.xV The pair that such desirous ardour shew That aye her praises should be widely blown: John James alike are named: of those fair two, One is Calandra, one is Bardelon.

In the third place, and fourth, where trickling through Small rills, the water quits that octagon, Two ladies are there, equal in their birth, Equal in country, honour, charms and worth.

Lx.x.xVI One was Elizabeth, one Eleanor, And if we credit what that marble said, Manto's so glorious city which such store Sets my melodious Maro, whom she bred, More vaunts not him, nor reverences more, Than these fair dames her poet's honoured head.

The first of these her hallowed feet had set On Peter Bembo and James Sadolet.

Lx.x.xVII Arelio and Castiglion, a polished pair, That other lady, in mid air, sustain.

Their names were carved upon the marble fair, Then both unknown, and now so fames a twain.

Next was a lady, that from Heaven shall heir As mighty virtue as on earth doth reign, Or ever yet hath reigned, in any age, Well proved by Fortune in her love or rage.

Lx.x.xVIII Inscribed in characters of gold is here Lucretia Bentivoglia, and among Her praises, 'tis declared Ferrara's peer Joys that such daughter doth to him belong.

Her shall Camillus voice, and far and near Reno and Felsina shall hear his song, Wrapt in as mighty wonder at the strain As that wherewith Amphrysus heard his swain;

Lx.x.xIX And one, through whom that city's name (where sweet Isaurus salts his wave in larger vase) Fame shall from Africa to Ind repeat, From southern tracts to Hyperborean ways, More than because Rome's gold in that famed seat Was weighed, whereof perpetual record says Guy Posthumus -- about whose honoured brow Phoebus and Pallas bind a double bough.

XC Dian is next in order of that train.

"Regard not (said the marble) is she wear A haughty port; for in her heart, humane The matron is, as in her visage, fair.

Learned Celio Calcagnine in lofty strain Her glories and fair name abroad shall bear, And Juba's and Moneses' kingdom hear, And Spain and farthest Ind, his trumpet clear;

XCI And a Cavallo shall make such a font Of poetry in famed Ancona run, As that winged courser on Parna.s.sus' mount; Or was it on the hill of Helicon?

'Tis Beatrice, who next uprears her front, Whereof so speaks the writing on the stone: "Her consort Beatrice, while she has breath, Blesses, and leaves unhappy at her death;

XCII "Yea, Italy; that with her triumphs bright, Without that lady fair shall captive be."

A lofty song appears of her to indite A lord of the Correggio's n.o.ble tree; And, Benedeo's pride, Timotheus hight.

Between his banks, descending to the sea, By their joint music shall the stream be stopt, Whose trees erewhile the liquid amber dropt.