Orlando Furioso Part 84

XVII "The night before that morning streaked the sky, Fixt for his journey, to his sore dismay, Her husband deemed that in his arms would die The wife from whom he was to wend his way.

She slumbered not: to her a last goodbye He bade, while yet it lacked an hour of day, Mounted his nag, and on his journey sped; While his afflicted spouse returned to bed.

XVIII "Jocundo was not two miles on his road, When he that jewelled cross recalled to mind; Which he beneath his pillow had bestowed, And, through forgetfulness, had left behind.

'Alas! (the youth bethought him) in what mode Shall I excuse for my omission find, So that from this my consort shall not deem I little her unbounded love esteem?

XIX "He pondered an excuse; then weened' twould be Of little value, if it were exprest By page or other -- save his emba.s.sy He did himself; his brother he addrest; ' -- Now to Baccano ride you leisurely, And there at the first inn set-up your rest; For I must back to Rome without delay; But trust to overtake you by the way.

XX " 'No other but myself my need could do.

Doubt not but I shall speedily be back.'

-- No servant took he, but, with an adieu, Jocundo, at a trot, wheeled round his hack, And when that cavalier the stream was through, The rising sun 'gan chase the dusky rack.

At home he lighted, sought his bed, and found The consort he had quitted sleeping sound.

XXI "He, without saying aught, the curtains drew, And, what he least believed, within espied; For he beneath the quilt, his consort true And chaste, saw sleeping at a stripling's side.

Forthwith Jocundo that adulterer knew, By practice, of his features certified, In that he was a footboy in his train, Nourished by him, and come of humble strain.

XXII "To imagine his distress and wonderment, And warrant it, that other may believe, Is better than to make the experiment, And, like this wretch, the cruel proof receive: By anger stirred, it was his first intent To draw his sword, and both of life bereave; But love, which spite himself, he entertained For that ungrateful woman, him restrained.

XXIII "You see if like a va.s.sal he obeyed This ribald Love, who left him not the force To wake her, lest to know her guilt surveyed, Should in his consort's bosom move remorse.

As best he could, he forth in silence made, The stair descended, and regained his horse.

Goaded by Love, he goads his steed again, And ere they reach their inn rejoins his train.

XXIV "His change of mien to all was manifest; All saw his heart was heavy; yet not one, Mid these, in any sort, the reason guessed, Nor read the secret woe which caused his moan; All thought he had to Rome his steps addrest, Woe to the town, surnamed of horns, had gone.

That Love has caused the mischief all surmise, Though none of them conjectures in what wise.

XXV "His brother weened he was in grief immersed For his deserted wife: he, on his side, For other reason, inly chafed and cursed, -- That she was but too well accompanied.

Meanwhile, with swelling lips and forehead pursed, The ground that melancholy stripling eyed.

Faustus, who vainly would apply relief, Ill cheered him, witless what had caused his grief.

XXVI "He for his sore an evil salve had found, And, where he should retire, encreased his woes; Who, with the mention of his wife, that wound Inflamed and opened, which he sought to close.

He rests not night nor day, in sorrow drowned; His appet.i.te is gone, with his repose, Ne'er to return; and (whilom of such fame) His lovely visage seems no more the same.

XXVII "His eye-b.a.l.l.s seem deep-buried in his head, His nose seems grown -- his cheeks are pined so sore -- Nor even remains (his beauty so is fled) Enough to warrant what he was before.

Such fever burns him, of his sorrow bred, He halts on Arbia's and on Arno's sh.o.r.e; And, if a charm is left, 'tis faded soon, And withered like a rose-bud plucked at noon.

XXVIII "Besides that Faustus sorrowed to descry Him so bested; worse cause for sorrowing Was to that courtier to appear to lie Before Astolpho; he was pledged to bring One that was fairest deemed in every eye, Who must appear the foulest to that king; Yet he continued on his way to wend, And brought him to Pavia in the end.

XXIX "Not that forthwith he lets the youth be seen, Lest him the king of little wit arraign; He first by his dispatches lets him ween, That thither he Jocundo brings with pain: Saying, that of his beauteous air and mien Some secret cause of grief had been the bane, Accompanied by a distemper sore: So that he seemed not what he was before.

x.x.x "Glad was the monarch, of his coming taught, As of a friend's arrival he could be; Since in the universal world was nought, That he so much desired as him to see: Nor was the Lombard's king displeased in ought To mark his guest's inferiority; Though, but for his misfortune, it was clear, He his superior would have been or peer.

x.x.xI "Lodged by him in his palace, every day And every hour, the stranger youth he sees, Studious to honour him, and bids purvey Store of provision for his better ease.

While still his thoughts to his ill consort stray, Jocundo languishes; nor pastimes please That melancholy man; nor music's strain One jot diminishes his ceaseless pain.

x.x.xII "Above his chambers, on the upper floor, Nearest the roof, there was an ancient hall: Thither, in solitary mood, (for sore Pastime and company, the stripling gall,) He aye betakes himself; while evermore Sad thoughts some newer cause of grief recall.

He here (who would believe the story?) found A remedy unhoped, which made him sound.

x.x.xIII "At that hall's farther end, more feebly lighted, (For windows ever closed shut out the day) Where one wall with another ill united, He, through the c.h.i.n.k, beheld a brighter ray: There laid his eye, and saw, what he had slighted As hard to credit, were it but hearsay: He hears it not, but this himself descries; Yet hardly can believe his very eyes.

x.x.xIV "He of the Queen's apartment here was sight, Her choicest and her priviest chamber, where Was never introduced whatever wight, Save he most faithful was esteemed: he there, As he was peeping, saw an uncouth fight; A dwarf was wrestling with the royal fair; And such that champion's skill, though undergrown, He in the strife his opposite had thrown.

x.x.xV "As in a dream, Jocundo stood, beside Himself, awhile of sober sense bereaved; Nor, but when of the matter certified, And sure it was no dream, his sight believed.

-- 'A scorned and crooked monster,' (then he cried,) 'Is, as her conqueror, by a dame received, Wife of the comeliest, of the curtiest wight, And greatest monarch; Oh! what appet.i.te!'

x.x.xVI "And he the consort to whom he was wed, Her he most used to blame, recalled to mind, And, for the stripling taken to her bed, To deem the dame less culpable inclined: Less of herself than s.e.x the fault he read, Which to one man could never be confined: And thought, if in one taint all women shared, At least his had not with a monster paired.

x.x.xVII "To the same place Jocundo made return, At the same hour, upon the following day; And, putting on the king the self-same scorn, Again beheld that dwarf and dame at play: And so upon the next and following morn; For -- to conclude -- they made no holiday: While she (what most Jocundo's wonder moved) The pigmy for his little love reproved.

x.x.xVIII "One day, amid the rest, the youth surveyed The dame disordered and opprest with gloom; Having twice summoned, by her waiting-maid, The favoured dwarf, who yet delayed to come; A third time by the lady sent, she said: -- 'Engaged at play, Madonna, is the groom, Nor, lest he lose a doit, his paltry stake, Will that discourteous churl his game forsake.'

x.x.xIX "At such strange spectacle, the Roman knight Cleared up his brow, his visage and his eyes; He jocund, as in name, became in sprite, And changed his tears for smiles; with altered guise, He waxed ruddy, gay, and plump in plight, And seems a cherubim of Paradise.

So that such change with wonderment all see, Brother and king, and royal family.

XL "If from the youth Astolpho wished to know From whence this sudden light of comfort came, No less Jocundo this desired to show, And to the king such injury proclaim: But willed that like himself he should forego Revenge upon the author of that shame.

Hence, that he might discern her guilt, yet spare, He made him on the Agnus Dei swear.

XLI "He made him swear that he, for nothing said, Or seen, which might to him displeasing be, (Though he, in what he should discover, read An outrage offered to his majesty,) Would, now or ever, venge him on his head: Moreover him he bound to secrecy; That the ill doer ne'er, through deed or word, Might guess his injured king that case had heard.

XLII "The monarch, who to every thing beside Could better have given credit, freely swore: To him the cause Jocundo signified, Why he had many days lamenting sore; -- Because he had his evil wife espied In the embraces of a serjeant poor; And vowed he should in fine have died of grief, If he for longer time had lacked relief.

XLIII "But that within his highness' palace said, He had witnessed what had much appeased his woe; For, if foul shame had fallen upon his head, At least he was not single; saying so, He to that c.h.i.n.k the Lombard monarch led, Who spied the mannikin of hideous show.

(Lines 7 & 8 untranslated by Rose)

XLIV "You may believe he shameless deemed that act, Without my swearing it; he, at the sight, It seemed, would go distraught, -- with fury racked, He against every wall his head would smite -- Would cry aloud -- would break the solemn pact, Yet kept parforce the promise he had plight; And gulped his anger down and bitter scorn; Since on the holy water he had sworn.

XLV "Then to Jocundo: 'What remains to me To do in this misfortune, brother, speak; Since vengeance with more noted cruelty Thou wilt not let me on the sinners wreak.'

(Jocundo answered) 'Let these ingrates be; And try we if all women are as weak; And if the wives of others can be won To do what others by our own have done.

XLVI " 'Both fair and youthful, measured by this scale, Nor easily our equals shall we find; What woman but to us shall strike her sail, If even to the ugly these are kind?

At least, if neither youth nor grace avail, The money may, with which our bags are lined; Nor will I that we homeward more return, Ere the chief spoils we from a thousand earn.

XLVII " 'Long absence, seeing with a distant part, Converse with different women, oft allay, As it would seem, the troubles of a heart, Whereof Love's angry pa.s.sions make their prey.'

The king is pleased to hear the youth impart This counsel, nor his journey will delay: Thence on their road, with but two squires beside, He and the Roman knight together ride.

XLVIII "Disguised they go through France and Italy, They Flanders next and England scower, and where A woman they of lovely visage spy, Aye find the dame complaint with their prayer.

They upon some bestow what others buy, And oft replaced their squandered treasures are.

Our travellers to the wives of many sued, And by as many other dames were wooed.

XLIX "By solid proof those comrades ascertain, Here tarrying for a month, and there for two, That their own wives are of no other vein Than those of others, and as chast and true.

After some season, wearied are the twain With ever running after something new: For, without risk of death, thus evermore The intruders ill could enter other's door.

L "-- 'Twere best to find a girl whose natural bent And face to both of us should pleasing be; A girl, that us in common might content, Nor we in her find cause for jealousy; And wherefore wouldst thou that I should lament More than with other, to go halves with thee?'

(Exclaimed Astolpho) 'well I know is none, Of all the female s.e.x, content with one.

LI " 'One damsel that in nought shall us constrain, -- Then only, when disposed to please the fair -- Will we in peace and pleasure entertain, Nor we, about her, have dispute or care.

Nor, deem I, she with reason could complain: For if two fell to every other's share, Better than one might she keep faith with two; Nor haply we such frequent discord view.'

LII "Much seems the king's proposal to content The Roman youth; and thus it is, the twain, To execute Astolpho's project bent, Journey by many a hill and many a plain; And find at last, well fitting their intent, The daughter of a publican of Spain, Of presence and of manners framed to win; Whose father at Valencia kept his inn.