Orlando Furioso Part 137

LXIV Rogero past the night before the day Wherein by him the battle should be done, Like that which felon spends, condemning to pay Life's forfeit with the next succeeding sun: He made his choice to combat in the fray All armed; because he would discovery shun: Nor barded steed he backed, nor lance he shook; Nor other weapon than his faulchion took.

LXV No lance he took: yet was it not through fear Of that which Argalia whilom swayed; Astolpho's next; then hers, that in career Her foemen ever upon earth had laid: Because none weened such force was in the spear, Nor that it was by necromancy made; Excepting royal Galaphron alone; Who had it forged, and gave it to his son.

LXVI Nay, bold Astolpho, and the lady who Afterwards bore it, deemed that not to spell, But simply to their proper force, was due The praise that they in knightly joust excel; And with whatever spear they fought, those two Believed that they should have performed as well.

What only makes that knight the joust forego Is that he would not his Frontino show.

LXVII For easily that steed of generous kind She might have known, if him she had espied; Whom in Montalban, long to her consigned, The gentle damsel had been wont to ride.

Rogero, that but schemes, but hath in mind How he from Brandamant himself shall hide, Neither Frontino nor yet other thing.

Whereby he may be known, afield will bring.

LXVIII With a new sword will he the maid await; For well he knew against the enchanted blade As soft as paste would prove all mail and plate; For never any steel its fury stayed; And heavily with hammer, to rebate Its edge, as well he on this faulchion layed.

So armed, Rogero in the lists appeared, When the first dawn of day the horizon cheered.

LXIX To look like Leo, o'er his breast is spread The surcoat that the prince is wont to wear; And the gold eagle with its double head He blazoned on the crimson s.h.i.+eld doth bear; And (what the Child's disguis.e.m.e.nt well may stead) Of equal size and stature are the pair.

In the other's form presents himself the one; That other lets himself be seen of none.

LXX Dordona's martial maid is of a vein Right different from the gentle youth's, who sore Hammers and blunts the faulchion's tempered grain, Lest it his opposite should cleave or bore.

She whets her steel, and into it would fain Enter, that stripling to the quick to gore: Yea, would such fury to her strokes impart, That each should go directly to his heart.

LXXI As on the start the generous barb in spied, When he the signal full of fire attends; And paws now here now there; and opens wide His nostrils, and his pointed ears extends; So the bold damsel, to the lists defied, Who knows not with Rogero she contends, Seemed to have fire within her veins, nor found Resting-place, waiting for the trumpet's sound.

LXXII As sometimes after thunder sudden wind Turns the sea upside down; and far and nigh Dim clouds of dust the cheerful daylight blind, Raised in a thought from earth, and whirled heaven-high; Scud beasts and herd together with the hind; And into hail and rain dissolves the sky; So she upon the signal bared her brand, And fell on her Rogero, sword in hand.

LXXIII But well-built wall, strong tower, or aged oak, No more are moved by blasts that round them rave, No more by furious sea is moved the rock, Smote day and night by the tempestuous wave, Than in those arms, secure from hostile stroke, Which erst to Trojan Hector Vulcan gave, Moved was he by that ire and hatred rank Which stormed about his head, and breast, and flank.

LXXIV Now aims that martial maid a trenchant blow, And now gives point; and wholly is intent 'Twixt plate and plate to reach her hated foe; So that her stifled fury she may vent: Now on this side, now that, now high, now low She strikes, and circles him, on mischief bent; And evermore she rages and repines; As balked of every purpose she designs.

LXXV As he that layeth siege to well-walled town, And flanked about with solid bulwarks, still Renews the a.s.sault; now fain would batter down Gateway or tower; now gaping fosse would fill; Yet vainly toils (for entrance is there none) And wastes his host, aye frustrate of his will; So sorely toils and strives without avail The damsel, nor can open plate or mail.

LXXVI Sparks now his s.h.i.+eld, now helm, now cuira.s.s scatter, While straight and back strokes, aimed now low, now high, Which good Rogero's head and bosom batter, And arms, by thousands and by thousands fly Faster than on the sounding farm-roof patter Hailstones descending from a troubled sky.

Rogero, at his ward, with dexterous care, Defends himself, and ne'er offends the fair.

LXXVII Now stopt, now circled, now retired the knight, And oft his hand his foot accompanied; And lifted s.h.i.+eld, and s.h.i.+fted sword in fight, Where s.h.i.+fting he the hostile hand espied.

Either he smote her not, or -- die he smite -- Smote, where he deemed least evil would betide.

The lady, ere the westering sun descend, Desires to bring that duel to an end.

LXXVIII Of the edict she remembered her, and knew Her peril, save the foe was quickly sped: For if she took not in one day nor slew Her claimant, she was taken; and his head Phoebus was now about to hide from view, Nigh Hercules' pillars, in his watery bed, When first she 'gan mis...o...b.. her power to cope With the strong foe, and to abandon hope.

LXXIX By how much more hope fails the damsel, so Much more her anger waxes; she her blows Redoubling, yet the harness of her foe Will break, which through that day unbroken shows; As he, that at his daily drudgery slow, Sees night on his unfinished labour close, Hurries and toils and moils without avail, Till wearied strength and light together fail.

Lx.x.x Didst thou, O miserable damsel, trow Whom thou wouldst kill, if in that cavalier Matched against thee thou didst Rogero know, On whom depend thy very life-threads, ere Thou killed him thou wouldst kill thyself; for thou, I know, dost hold him than thyself more dear; And when he for Rogero shall be known, I know these very strokes thou wilt bemoan.

Lx.x.xI King Charles and peers him sheathed in plate and sh.e.l.l Deem not Rogero, but the emperor's son; And viewing in that combat fierce and fell Such force and quickness by the stripling shown; And, without e'er offending her, how well That knight defends himself, now change their tone; Esteem both well a.s.sorted; and declare The champions worthy of each other are.

Lx.x.xII When Phoebus wholly under water goes, Charlemagne bids the warring pair divide; And Bradamant (nor boots it to oppose) Allots to youthful Leo as a bride.

Not there Rogero tarried to repose; Nor loosed his armour, nor his helm untied: On a small hackney, hurrying sore, he went Where Leo him awaited in his tent.

Lx.x.xIII Twice in fraternal guise and oftener threw Leo his arms about the cavalier; And next his helmet from his head withdrew, And kiss'd him on both cheeks with loving cheer.

"I would," he cried, "that thou wouldst ever do By me what pleaseth thee; for thou wilt ne'er Weary my love: at any call I lend To thee myself and state; these friendly spend;

Lx.x.xIV "Nor see I recompense, which can repay The mighty obligation that I owe; Though of the garland I should disarray My brows, and upon thee that gift bestow."

Rogero, on whom his sorrows press and prey, Who loathes his life, immersed in that deep woe, Little replies; the ensigns he had worn Returns, and takes again his unicorn;

Lx.x.xV And showing himself spiritless and spent, From thence as quickly as he could withdrew, And from young Leo's to his lodgings went; When it was midnight, armed himself anew, Saddled his horse, and sallied from his tent; (He takes no leave, and none his going view;) And his Frontino to that road addrest, Which seemed to please the goodly courser best.

Lx.x.xVI Now by straight way and now by crooked wound Frontino, now by wood and wide champaign; And all night with his rider paced that round, Who never ceased a moment to complain: He called on Death, and therein comfort found; Since broke by him alone is stubborn pain; Nor saw, save Death, what other power could close The account of his insufferable woes.

Lx.x.xVII "Whereof should I complain," he said, "wo is me!

So of my every good at once forlorn?

Ah! if I will not bear this injury Without revenge, against whom shall I turn?

For I, besides myself, none other see That hath inflicted on me scathe and scorn.

Then I to take revenge for all the harm Done to myself, against myself must arm.

Lx.x.xVIII "Yet was but to myself this injury done, Myself to spare (because this touched but me) I haply could, yet hardly could, be won; Nay, I will say outright, I could not be.

Less can I be, since not to me alone, But Bradamant, is done this injury; Even if I could consent myself to spare, It fits me not unvenged to leave that fair.

Lx.x.xIX "Then I the damsel will avenge, and die, (Nor this disturbs me) whatsoe'er betide; For, bating death, I know not aught, whereby Defence against my grief can be supplied.

But I lament myself alone, that I Before offending her, should not have died.

O happier Fortune! had I breathed my last In Theodora's dungeon prisoned fast!

XC "Though she had slain, had tortured me before She slew, as prompted by her cruelty, At least the hope would have remained in store That I by Bradamant should pitied be: But when she knows that I loved Leo more Than her, that, of my own accord and free, Myself of her, I for his good, deprive, Dead will she rightly hate me or alive."

XCI These words he said and many more, with sigh And heavy sob withal accompanied, And, when another sun illumed the sky, Mid strange and gloomy woods himself espied; And, for he desperate was and bent to die, And he, as best he could, his death would hide; This place to him seemed far removed from view, And fitted for the deed that he would do.

XCII He entered into that dark woodland, where He thickest trees and most entangled spied: But first Frontino was the warrior's care, Whom he unharnessed wholly, and untied.

"O my Frontino, if thy merits rare I could reward, thou little cause" (he cried) "Shouldst have to envy him, so highly graced, Who soared to heaven, and mid the stars was placed.

XCIII "Nor Cillarus, nor Arion, was whilere Worthier than thee, nor merited more praise; Nor any other steed, whose name we hear Sounded in Grecian or in Latin lays.

Was any such in other points thy peer, None of them, well I know, the vaunt can raise; That such high honour and such courtesy Were upon him bestowed, as were on thee.

XCIV "Since to the gentlest maid, of fairest dye, And boldest that hath been, or evermore Will be, thou wast so dear, she used to tie Thy trappings, and to thee thy forage bore: Dear wast thou to my lady-love: Ah! why Call I her mine, since she is mine no more?

If I have given her to another lord, Why turn I not upon myself this sword?"

XCV If him these thoughts so hara.s.s and torment, That bird and beast are softened by his cries; (For, saving these, none hears the sad lament, Nor sees the flood that trickles form his eyes) You are not to believe that more content The Lady Bradamant in Paris lies; Who can no longer her delay excuse, Nor Leo for her wedded lord refuse.

XCVI Ere she herself to any consort tie, Beside her own Rogero, she will fain Do what so can be done; her word belie; Anger friends, kindred, court, and Charlemagne; And if she nothing else can do, will die, By poison or her own good faulchion slain: For not to live appears far lesser woe, Than, living, her Rogero to forego.

XCVII "Rogero mine, ah! wonder gone" (she cried) "Art thou; and canst thou so far distant be, Thou heardest not this royal edict cried, A thing concealed from none, expecting thee?

Faster than thee would none have hither hied, I wot, hadst thou known this; ah! wretched me!

How can I e'er in future think of aught, Saving the worst that can by me be thought?

XCVIII "How can it be, Rogero, thou alone Hast read not what by all the world is read?

If thou hast read it not, nor hither flown, How canst thou but a prisoner be, or dead?

But well I wot, that if the truth were known, This Leo will for thee some snare have spread: The traitor will have barred thy way, intent Thou shouldst not him by better speed prevent.

XCIX "From Charles I gained the promise, that to none Less puissant than myself should I be given; In the reliance thou wouldst be that one, With whom I should in arms have vainly striven.

None I esteemed, excepting thee alone: But well my rashness is rebuked by Heaven: Since I by one am taken in this wise Unfamed through life for any fair emprize.

C "If I am held as taken, since the knight I had not force to take nor yet to slay; A thing that is not, in my judgment, right; Nor I to Charles's sentence will give way, I know that I shall be esteemed as light, If what I lately said, I now unsay; But of those many ladies that have past For light, I am not, I, the first or last.