Orlando Furioso Part 44

XIX Two crystal streams the wealthy city scower; Whose currents, parted into many a rill, Infinite gardens, never bare of flower, Or stript of leaf, with grateful murmur fill: 'Tis said the perfumed waters are of power (So plenteously they swell) to turn a mill; And that whoever wander through the streets, Scent, issuing from each home, a cloud of sweets.

XX Then the high-street gay signs of triumph wore, Covered with showy cloths of different dye, Which deck the walls, while sylvan leaves in store, And scented herbs upon the pavement lie.

Adorned is every window, every door, With carpeting and finest drapery; But more with ladies fair, and richly drest, In costly jewels and in gorgeous vest.

XXI Within the city gates in frolic sport, Many are seen to ply the festive dance; And here the burghers of the better sort Upon their gay and well-trapt coursers prance.

A fairer show remains; the sumptuous court Of barons bold and va.s.sals, who advance, Garnished with what could be procured, of ore And pearl, from Ind and Erythraean sh.o.r.e.

XXII Forward Sir Gryphon p.r.i.c.ked, with his array, Surveying, here and there, the whole at ease; When them a knight arrested by the way, And (such his wont and natural courtesies) Obliged beneath his palace-roof to stay; Where he let nought be wanting which might please; And chearfully the guests, with bath restored, Next welcomed at his costly supper-board;

XXIII And told how he, who, Norandino hight, Damascus and all Syria's kingdom swayed, Native and foreigner had bade invite, On whom the sword of knighthood had been laid, To a fair joust, which at the morrow's light, Ensuing, in the square was to be made.

Where they might show, and without further faring, If they had valour equal to their bearing.

XXIV Gryphon, though he came not that joust to see, Accepts the challenge of the cavalier; For when occasion serves, it cannot be An evil use to make our worth appear: Then questioned more of that solemnity; -- If 'twere a wonted feast, held every year, Or new emprise; by which, in martial course, The monarch would a.s.say his warriors' force. --

XXV "The gorgeous feast our monarch will display Each fourth succeeding moon," the baron said; "This is the first that you will now survey; None have been held beside. The cause which bred The solemn usage is, that on such day The king from sovereign peril saved his head, After four months, consumed in doleful wise, 'Mid tears and groans, with death before his eyes.

XXVI "Our monarch, who is named king Norandine (Fully to you the matter to recite), Through many and many a year for her did pine, Above all other damsels fair and bright, The king of Cyprus' daughter; whom, in fine, Espoused, he, with his bride, and dame, and knight, To wait upon her home, a fair array, Towards his Syrian realm had shaped his way.

XXVII "But as we scoured the fell Carpathian sea, With flowing sheet, at distance from the sh.o.r.e, A storm a.s.sailed us, of such cruelty, The tempest even scared our pilot h.o.a.r.

Drifting three days and nights at random, we Our devious course 'mid threatening waves explore; Then, wet and weary, land 'mid verdant hills, Between well-shaded and refres.h.i.+ng rills.

XXVIII "We our pavilions pitch, and, 'mid those groves, Joyfully strain our awnings overhead; And kitchens there construct, and rustic stoves, And carpets for the intended banquet spread.

Meanwhile through neighbouring vale the monarch roves, And secret wood, scarce pervious to the tread, Seeking red deer, goat, fallow-buck, and doe; And, following him, two servants bear his bow.

XXIX "While, with much solace, seated in a round, We from the chace expect our lord's return, Approaching us along the sh.o.r.e, astound, The orc, that fearful monster, we discern.

G.o.d grant, fair sir, he never may confound Your eyesight with his semblance foul and stern!

Better it is of him by fame to hear, Than to behold him by approaching near.

x.x.x "To calculate the griesly monster's height, (So measureless is he) exceeds all skill; Of fungus-hue, in place of orbs of sight, Their sockets two small bones like berries fill.

Towards us, as I say, he speeds outright Along the sh.o.r.e, and seems a moving hill.

Tusks jutting out like savage swine he shows, A breast with drivel foul, and pointed nose.

x.x.xI "Running, the monster comes, and bears his snout In guise of brach, who enters on the trail.

We who behold him fly (a helpless rout), Wherever terror drives, with visage pale.

'Tis little comfort, that he is without Eye-sight, who winds his plunder in the gale, Better than aught possest of scent and sight: And wing and plume were needed for our flight.

x.x.xII "Some here, some there make off, but little gain By flying him; for swifter is the pest Than the south wind. Of forty, ten, with pain, Swimming aboard the bark in safety rest.

Under his arm some wretches of our train He packed, nor empty left his lap or breast: And loaded a capacious scrip beside, Which, like a shepherd's, to his waist was tied.

x.x.xIII "Us to his den the sightless monster carried, Hollowed within a rock, upon the sh.o.r.e; Of snowy marble was that cavern quarried, As white as leaf, unstained by inky score.

With him within the cave a matron tarried, Who marked by grief and pain a visage wore.

With her were wife and maid, a numerous court, Both fair and foul, of every age and sort.

x.x.xIV "Large as the other, and that grotto near, Almost upon the summit of the rock, Another cavern was contrived, to rear, And from the weather fend his woolly flock, Which he still herded through the changeful year; So numerous, it were hard to count his stock: Wont in due season these to pen or loose, And play the shepherd more for sport than use.

x.x.xV "The flesh of man he savoured more than sheep, And this, before he reached the cave, was seen.

Three youths of ours, ere yet he climbed the steep, He are alive, or rather swallowed clean; Then moved the stone, which closed that cavern deep, And lodged us there. With that, to pasture green His flock he led, as wont, the meads among, Sounding the pipe which at his neck was hung.

x.x.xVI "Our lord, meanwhile, returning to the strand, The loss which he had suffered comprehends; For in deep silence, upon every hand, Through empty tent and hut the monarch wends: Nor who has robbed him can be understand; And full of terror to the beach descends; Whence he his sailors in the offing sees Unmoor and spread their canvas to the breeze.

x.x.xVII "As soon as Norandino was in view, They launched and sent their pinnace to convey The monarch thence: but he no sooner knew Of the fell orc, and those he made his prey, Then he, without more thought, would him pursue And follow, wheresoe'er he bent his way.

To lose Lucina is such cruel pain, That life is loathsome save he her regain.

x.x.xVIII "When on the newly printed sand his eyes Norandine fixt, he with the swiftness sped With which the rage of love a man supplies, Until he reached the cave of which I said, Where we, enduring greater agonies Than e'er were suffered, there await in dread The orc, and deem at every sound we hear, The famished brute about to re-appear.

x.x.xIX "The monarch to the cave did Fortune guide, When the orc's wife alone was in the lair.

Seeing the king: 'Fly! -- Woe to thee!' (she cried) 'Should the orc take thee!' -- 'Woeful every where I cannot choose but be,' (the king replied) 'Whether be take or miss me, kill or spare.

Not hither I by chance have wandered, I Come with desire beside my wife to die.'

x.x.x "He afterwards the dame for tidings pressed Of those the orc had taken on the sh.o.r.e; And of Lucina above all the rest; If slain or prisoner kept. With kindly lore, She Norandino, in return, addressed; And said Lucina lived, nor need he more Have of her future safety any dread, For the orc on flesh of woman never fed.

XLI " 'Of this you may behold the proof in me, And all these other dames who with me dwell; Nor me, nor them the orc offends, so we Depart not ever from this caverned cell.

But vainly who would from her prison flee, Hopes peace or pardon from our tyrant fell: Buried alive, or bound with griding band, Of, in the sun, stript naked on the sand.

XLII " 'When hither he to-day conveyed your crew, The females from the males he severed not; But, as he took them, in confusion threw All he had captive made, into that grot.

He will scent out their s.e.x; not tremble, you, Lest he the women slay: the others' lot Is fixt; and, of four men or six a-day, Be sure the greedy orc will make his prey.

XLIII " 'I have no counsel for you how to free The lady; but content thyself to hear, She in no danger of her life will be, Who will our lot, in good or evil, share.

But go, for love of Heaven, my son, lest thee The monster smell, and on thy body fare; For when arrived, he sniffs about the house, And, such his subtle scent, can wind a mouse.'

XLIV "To her the amorous monarch made reply, That he the cave would not abandon, ere He saw Lucina, and near her to die, Than to live far from her, esteemed more dear.

-- Seeing that she can nothing more supply Fitted to shake the purpose of the peer, Upon a new design the matron hits.

Pursued with all her pains, with all her wits.

XLV "With slaughtered sheep and goat was evermore The cavern filled, the numerous flock's increase, Which served her and her household as a store; And from the ceiling dangled many a fleece.

The dame made Norandino from a h.o.a.r And huge he-goat's fat bowels take the grease, And with the suet all his members pay, Until he drove his natural scent away.

XLVI "And when she thought he had imbibed the smell Which the rank goat exhales, she took the hide, And made him creep into the s.h.a.ggy fell; Who was well covered by that mantle wide.

Him in this strange disguise she from the cell Crawling (for such was her command) did guide, Where, prisoned by a stone, in her retreat, Was hid his beauteous lady's visage sweet.

XLVII "Kin Norandine, as bid, took up his ground Before the cavern, on the greensward laid, That he might enter with the flock who wound Homeward; and longing sore, till evening stayed.

At eve he hears the hollow elder's sound, Upon whose pipes the wonted tune was played, Calling his sheep from pasture to their rock, By the fell swain who stalked behind his flock.

XLVIII "Think if his heart is trembling at its core, When Norandino hears the approaching strains; And now advancing to the cavern door, The sight of that terrific face sustains!

But if fear shook him, pity moved him more: You see if he loves well or only feigns!

The orc removed the stone, unbarred the cote, And the king entered, amid sheep and goat.

XLIX "His flock so housed, to us the orc descended, But first had care the cavern door to close: Then scented all about, and having ended His quest, two wretches for his supper chose.

So is remembrance by this meal offended, It makes me tremble yet: this done, he goes; And being gone, the king his goatish vest Casts off, and folds his lady to his breast.

L "Whereas she him with pleasure should descry, She, seeing him, but suffers grief and pain.

She sees him thither but arrived to die, Who cannot hinder her from being slain.

' "Twas no small joy 'mid all the woes, that.'

To him exclaimed Lucina, 'here sustain.

That thou wert not among us found to-day, When hither I was brought, the monster's prey.

LI " 'For though to find myself about to leave This life be bitter and afflict me sore, Such is our common instinct, I should grieve But for myself; but whether thee, before Of after me, the orc of life bereave, a.s.sure thyself thy death will pain me more Than mine.' And thus the dame persists to moan More Norandino's danger than her own.