Orlando Furioso Part 134

LIX These things Rogero said, and more beside, Discoursing with himself, and in such strain Oftentimes the afflicted warrior cried, That stander-by o'erheard the knight complain, And more than once his grief was signified To her that was the occasion of his pain; Who no less for his cruel woe, when known, Lamented than for sorrows of her own.

LX But most, of all the sorrows that were said To vex Rogero, most it works her woe To hear that he afflicts himself, in dread Lest for the Grecian prince she him forego.

Hence this belief, this error, from his head To drive, comfort on the knight bestow, The trustiest of her bower-women, one day, She to Rogero bade these words convey.

LXI "Rogero, I what I was till death will be; And be more faithful, if I can be more: Deals Love in kindness or in scorn with me; Hath doubtful Fortune good or ill in store; I am a very rock of faith, by sea And winds unmoved, which round about it roar Nor I have changed for calm or storm, nor I Will ever change to all eternity.

LXII "Sooner shall file or chisel made of lead To the rough diamond various forms impart, Than any stroke, by fickle Fortune sped, Or Love's keen anger, break my constant heart: Sooner return, to Alp, their fountain-head, The troubled streams that from its summit part, Than e'er, for change or chances, good or nought, Shall wander from its way my stedfast thought.

LXIII "All power o'er me have I bestowed on you, Rogero; and more than others may divine: I know that to a prince whose throne is new Was never fealty sworn more true than mine; Nor ever surer state, this wide world through, By king or keysar was possest than thine.

Thou need'st not dig a ditch nor build a tower, In fear lest any rob thee of that power.

LXIV "For if thou hire no aids, a.s.sault is none, But what thereon shall aye be made in vain; Nor shall it be by any riches won: So vile a price no gentle heart can gain: Nor by n.o.bility, nor kingly crown, That dazzle so the silly vulgar train; Nor beauty, puissant with the weak and light, Shall ever make me thee for other slight.

LXV "Thou hast no cause, amid thy griefs, to fear My heart should ever bear new impress more: So deeply is thine image graven here, It cannot be removed: that my heart's core Is not of wax is proved; for Love whilere Smote it a hundred times, not once, before He by his blows a single scale displaced, What time therein his hand thine image traced.

LXVI "Ivory, gem, and every hard-grained stone That best resists the griding tool, may break: But, save the form it once hath taken, none Will ever from the graver's iron take.

My heart like marble is, or thing least p.r.o.ne Beneath the chisel's trenchant edge to flake: Love this may wholly splinter, ere he may Another's beauty in its core enlay."

LXVII Other and many words with comfort rife, And full of love and faith, she said beside; Which might a thousand times have given him life, Albeit a thousand times the knight had died: But, when most clear of the tempestuous strife, In friendly port these hopes appeared to ride, These hopes a foul and furious wind anew Far from the sheltering land to seaward blew.

LXVIII In that the gentle Bradamant, who fain Would do far more than she hath signified, With wonted daring armed her heart again; And boldly casting all respect aside, One day stood up before King Charlemagne; And, "Sire, if ever yet," the damsel cried, "I have found favour in your eyes for deed Done heretofore, deny me not its meed;

LXIX "And I entreat, before I claim my fee, That you to me your royal promise plight, To grant my prayer; and fain would have you see That what I shall demand is just and right."

"Thy valour, damsel dear, deserves from me The boon wherewith thy worth I should requite"

(Charles answered), "and I to content thee swear, Though of my kingdom thou should'st claim a share."

LXX "The boon for which I to your highness sue, Is not to let my parents me accord (Pursued the martial damsel) save he shew More prowess than myself, to any lord.

Let him contend with me in tourney, who Would have me, or a.s.say me with the sword.

Me as his wife let him that wins me, wear; Let him that loses me, with other pair."

LXXI With cheerful face the emperor made reply, The entreaty was well worthy of the maid; And that with tranquil mind she might rely, He would accord the boon for which she prayed.

This audience was not given so secretly, But that the news to others were conveyed; Which on that very day withal were told In the ears of Beatrice and Aymon old;

LXXII Who against Bradamant with fury flame, And both alike, with sudden anger fraught, (For plainly they perceive, that in her claim She for Rogero more than Leo wrought) And active to prevent the damsel's aim From being to a safe conclusion brought, Privily take her from King Charles's court, And thence to Rocca Forte's tower transport.

LXXIII A castle this, which royal Charlemagne Had given to Aymon some few days before, Built between Carca.s.son and Perpignan, On a commanding point upon the sh.o.r.e.

Resolved to send her eastward, there the twain As in a prison kept her evermore.

Willing or nilling, so must she forsake Rogero, and for lord must Leo take.

LXXIV The martial maid of no less modest vein Than bold and full of fire before the foe, Albeit no guard on her the castellain Hath set, and she is free to come or go, Observant of her sire, obeys the rein: Yet prison, death, and every pain and woe To suffer is resolved that constant maid Before by her Rogero be betrayed.

LXXV Rinaldo, who thus ravished from his hand, By ancient Aymon's craft his sister spied, And saw he could no more in wedlock's band Dispose of her, by him in vain affied, Of his old sire complains, and him doth brand, Laying his filial love and fear aside: But little him Rinaldo's words molest; Who by the maid will do as likes him best.

LXXVI Rogero, bearing this and sore afraid That he shall lose his bride; and Leo take, If left alive, by force or love the maid, Resolved within himself (but nothing spake) Constantine's heir should perish by his blade; And of Augustus him a G.o.d would make.

He, save his hope deceived him and was vain, Would sire and son deprive of life and reign.

LXXVII His limbs in arms, which Trojan Hector's were, And afterwards the Tartar king's, he steeled; Bade rein Frontino, and his wonted wear Exchanged, crest, surcoat and emblazoned s.h.i.+eld.

On that emprize it pleased him not to bear His argent eagle on its azure field.

White as a lily, was a unicorn By him upon a field of crimson worn.

LXXVIII He chose from his attendant squires the best, And willed none else should him accompany; And gave him charge, that ne'er by him exprest Rogero's name in any place should be; Crost Meuse and Rhine, and p.r.i.c.ked upon his quest Through the Austrian countries into Hungary; Along the right bank of the Danube made, And rode an-end until he reached Belgrade.

LXXIX Where Save into dark Danube makes descent, And to the sea, increased by him, doth flow, He saw the imperial ensigns spread, and tent And white pavilion, thronged with troops below.

For Constantine to have that town was bent Anew, late won by the Bulgarian foe.

In person, with his son, is Constantine, With all the empire's force his host to line.

Lx.x.x Within Belgrade, and through the neighbouring peak, Even to its bottom which the waters lave, The Bulgar fronts him; and both armies seek A watering-place in the intermediate Save.

A bridge across that rapid stream the Greek Would fling; the Bulgar would defend the wave; When thither came Rogero; and engaged Beheld the hosts in fight, which hotly raged.

Lx.x.xI The Greeks in that affray were four to one, And with pontoons to bridge the stream supplied; And a bold semblance through their host put on Of crossing to the river's further side.

Leo meanwhile was from the river gone With covert guile; he took a circuit wide, Then thither made return; his bridges placed From bank to bank, and past the stream in haste.

Lx.x.xII With many horse and foot in battle dight, Who nothing under twenty thousand rank, Along the river rode the Grecian knight; And fiercely charged his enemies in flank.

The emperor, when his son appeared in sight.

Leading his squadrons on the farther bank, Uniting bridge and bark together, crost Upon his part the stream with all his host.

Lx.x.xIII King Vatran, chief of the Bulgarian band, Wise, bold, withal a warrior, here and there Laboured in vain such onset to withstand, And the disorder of his host repair; When Leo prest him sore, and with strong hand The king to earth beneath his courser bare; Whom at the prince's hest, for all to fierce Is he to yield, a thousand faulchions pierce.

Lx.x.xIV The Bulgar host hath hitherto made head; But when they see their sovereign is laid low, And everywhere that tempest wax and spread, They turn their backs where erst they faced the foe.

The Child, who mid the Greeks, from whom they fled, Was borne along, beheld that overthrow, And bowned himself their battle to restore, As hating Constantine and Leo more.

Lx.x.xV He spurs Frontino, that in his career Is like the wind, and pa.s.ses every steed; He overtakes the troop, that in their fear Fly to the mountain and desert the mead.

Many he stops and turns; then rests his spear; And, as he puts his courser to his speed, So fearful is his look, even Mars and Jove Are frighted in their azure realms above.

Lx.x.xVI Advanced before the others, he descried A cavalier, in crimson vest, whereon With all its stalk in silk and gold was spied A pod, like millet, in embroidery done: Constantine's nephew, by the sister's side, He was, but was no less beloved than son: He split like gla.s.s his s.h.i.+eld and scaly rind; And the long lance appeared a palm behind.

Lx.x.xVII He left the dead, and drew his s.h.i.+ning blade Upon a squadron, whom he saw most nigh; And now at once, and now at other made; Cleft bodies, and made hearts from shoulders fly.

At throat, at breast and flank the warrior laid; Smote hand, and arm, and shoulder, bust, and thigh; And through that champaign ran the reeking blood, As to the valley foams the mountain-flood.

Lx.x.xVIII None that behold those strokes maintain their place; So are they all bewildered by their fear.

Thus suddenly the battle changed its face: For, catching courage from the cavalier, The Bulgar squadrons rally, turn, and chase The Grecian troops that fled from them whilere.

Lost was all order in a thought, and they With all their banners fled in disarray.

Lx.x.xIX Leo Augustus on a swelling height, Seeing his followers fly, hath taken post; Where woeful and bewildered (for to sight Nothing in all the country round is lost) He from his lofty station eyes the knight, Who with his single arm destroys that host; And cannot choose, though so his prowess harms, But praise that peer and own his worth in arms.

XC He knew full well by ensignry displaid, By surcoat and by gilded panoply, That albeit to the foe he furnished aid, That champion was not of his chivalry; Wondering his superhuman deeds surveyed; And now an angel seemed in him to see, To scourge the Greeks from quires above descended, Whose sins so oft and oft had heaven offended;

XCI And, as a man of great and n.o.ble heart, (Where many others would have hatred sworn) Enamoured of such valour, on his part, Would not desire to see him suffer scorn: For one that died, six Grecians' death less smart Would cause that prince; and better had he borne To lose as well a portion of his reign, Than to behold so good a warrior slain.

XCII As baby, albeit its fond mother beat And drive it forth in anger, in its fear Neither to sire nor sister makes retreat; But to her arms returns with fondling cheer: So Leo, though Rogero in his heat Slaughters his routed van and threats his rear, Cannot that champion hate; because above His anger is the admiring prince's love.

XCIII But if young Leo loved him and admired, Meseems that he an ill exchange hath made; For him Rogero loathed; nor aught desired More than to lay him lifeless with his blade: Him with his eyes he sought; for him inquired; But Leo's fortune his desire gainsayed; Which with the prudence of the practised Greek, Made him in vain his hated rival seek.

XCIV Leo, for fear his bands be wholly spent, Bids sound the a.s.sembly his Greek squadrons through: He to his father a quick courier sent, To pray that he would pa.s.s the stream anew; Who, if the way was open, well content Might with his bargain he; and with a few Whom he collects, the Grecian cavalier Recrost the bridge by which he past whilere.

XCV Into the power o' the Bulgars many fall, Stalin from the hill-top to the river-side; And they into their hands had fallen all, But for the river's intervening tide.

From the bridge many drop, and drown withal; And many that ne'er turned their heads aside, Thence to a distant ford for safety made; And many were dragged prisoners to Belgrade.