Orlando Furioso Part 97

Lx.x.xV "Sir Tristram and his lady reached the Hall, When now the sun had Seville left behind.

They for admission on the porter call, Since they for ten miles round no shelter find, But Clodion, that loved much, and was withal Sore jealous, was determined in his mind No stranger in his keep should ever inn, So long as that fair lady lodged therein.

Lx.x.xVI "When, after long entreaties made in vain, The castellain refused to house the knight, He said, 'What supplication cannot gain, I hope to make thee do in they despite'; And loudly challenged him, with all his train, Those ten which he maintained, to b.l.o.o.d.y fight; Offering, with levelled lance and lifted glaive, To prove Sir Clodion a discourteous knave;

Lx.x.xVII "On pact, if he sate fast, and overthrown Should be the warder, and his warlike rout, He in that castle should be lodged alone, And Clodion with his knights remain without.

Against him goes the king of France's son, At risque of death, to venge that galling flout; But falls astound; the rest partake his fate, And on the losers Tristram bars the gate.

Lx.x.xVIII "Entering the tower, he finds her harboured there Whereof I spake, so dear in Clodion's eyes; Whom SHE had equalled with the loveliest fair, Nature, so n.i.g.g.ard of such courtesies.

With her Sir Tristram talks, while fell despair Aye racks the houseless prince in horrid wise.

Who prays the conquering knight, with suppliant cry, Not to his arms the damsel to deny.

Lx.x.xIX "Though she small worth in Tristram's sight possess, Nor any, saving Yseult, please his sight, Nor other dame to love or to caress, The philtre, drunk erewhile, allows the knight; Yet, for he would that foul discourteousness Of Clodion with a fit revenge requite, He cries, 'I deem it were foul wrong and sore, If so such beauty I should shut the door.

XC " 'And, should Sir Clodion grieve beneath the tree To lodge alone, and company demand; Although less beautiful, I have with me A fair and youthful damsel, here at hand, Who, I am well content, his mate shall be, And do in all things, as he shall command.

But she that is most fair to the most strong, Meseemeth, in all justice should belong.'

XCI "Shut out all night, the moody Clodion strayed, Puffing and pacing round his lofty tower, As if that prince the sentinel had played On them, that slept at ease in lordly bower: Him, sorer far than wind and cold dismayed That lovely lady's loss in Tristram's power: But he, with pity touched, upon the morrow, Rendered her back, and so relieved his sorrow.

XCII "Because, he said, and made it plain appear, Such as he found her, he returned the fair; And though for his discourtesy whilere, Clodion had every scorn deserved to bear, He was content with having made the peer Out.w.a.tch the weary night in open air.

Accepting not that cavalier's excuse, Who would have thrown on Love his castle's use.

XCIII "For Love should make a churlish nature kind, And not transform to rude a gentle breast.

When Tristram hence was gone, not long behind Remained the enamoured prince who changed his rest: But first he to a cavalier consigned The tower; whereof that baron he possest, On pact, that he and his in the domain Henceforth this usage ever should maintain;

XCIV "That cavalier of greater heart and power Should in this hall be harboured without fail: They that less worthy were should void the tower, And seek another inn, by hill or dale.

In fine, that law was fixt, which to this hour Endures, as you have seen"; while so his tale To Bradamant recounts that castle's lord, The sewer with savoury meats has heaped the board.

XCV In the great hall that plenteous board was laid, (None fairer was in all the world beside) Then came where those beauteous ladies stayed, And them, with torches lit, did thither guide.

On entering, Bradamant the room surveyed, And she, that other fair, on every side; Who as they gaze about the gorgeous hall Filled full of picture, mark each storied wall.

XCVI So beauteous are the figures, that instead Of eating, on the painted walls they stare; Albeit of meat they have no little need, Who wearied sore with that day's labour are.

With grief the sewer, with grief the cook takes heed, How on the table cools the untasted fare.

Nay, there is one amid the crowd, who cries, "First fill your bellies, and then feast your eyes."

XCVII The guests were placed, and now about to eat, When suddenly bethought that castellain, To house two damsels were a thing unmeet; One lady must dislodge, and one remain; The fairest stay, and she least fair retreat.

Where howls the wind, where beats the pattering rain.

Because they separate came, 'tis ordered so: One lady must remain, one lady go.

XCVIII The lord some matrons of his household crew Calls, with two elders, in such judgments wise; He marks the dames, and bids them of the two Declare which is most beauteous in their eyes; And all, upon examination due, Cry, Aymon's daughter best deserves the prize, And vouch as she in might those kings outweighed, No less in beauty she surpa.s.sed the maid.

XCIX The warder cries to that Islandic dame, Who of her sentence has a shrewd suspicion, "O lady, let it be no cause of blame, That we observe our usage and condition; To seek some other rest must be thine aim, Since, by our universal band's admission, Though unadorned that martial maid be seen, Thou canst not match her charms and lovely mien."

C As in a moment's time a cloud obscure Steams from the bottom of some marshy dale, Which the sun's visage, late so bright and pure, Mantles all over with its dingy veil; So that poor damsel, sentenced to endure, Without, the pelting shower and bl.u.s.tering gale, Is seen to change her cheer, and is no more The fair and mirthful maid she was before.

CI The maid turns pale, and all her colour flies, Who dreads so stern a sentence to obey: But generous Bradamant, in prudent guise, Who could not bear to see her turned away, Cried to that baron, "Partial and unwise Your judgment seems, as well all judgments may, Wherein the losing party has not room To plead before the judge p.r.o.nounces doom.

CII "I, who this cause take on me to defend, Say (whether fairer or less fair I be) I came not as a woman, nor intend That now mine actions shall be womanly.

But, saving I undress, who shall pretend To say I am or am not such as she?

Neither should aught be said but what we know, And least of all what works another woe.

CIII "Many, as well as I, long tresses wear, Yet are not therefore women; if, as guest, I have admittance gained to your repair, Like woman or like man, is manifest: Then why should I the name of woman bear, That in my actions stand a man confest?

'Tis ruled that woman should a woman chase; Nor that a knight a woman should displace.

CIV "Grant we (what I confess not howsoe'er) That you the woman in my visage read; But that in beauty I am not her peer: Not therefore, deem I, of my valour's meed Ye would deprive me, though in beauteous cheer The palm I to that damsel should concede 'Twere hard, before I yield to her in charms, That I should forfeit what I won in arms.

CV "And if it be your usage, that the dame Who yields in beauty, from your tower must wend, Here to remain I my design to proclaim, Should my resolve have good or evil game, Hence I infer, unequal were the game, If she and I in beauty should contend: For if such strife 'twixt her and me ensues, Nought can the damsel gain, and much may lose;

CVI "And save the gain and loss well balanced be In every match, the contest is unfair.

So that by right, no less than courtesy, May she a shelter claim in you repair.

But are there any here that disagree, And to impugn my equal sentence dare, Behold my prompt, at such gainsayer's will, To prove my judgment right, his judgment ill!"

CVII Bradamant -- grieved that maid of gentle kind Should from that castle wrongfully be sped, To bide the raging of the rain and wind, Where sheltering house was none, nor even shed -- With reasons good, in wary speech combined, Persuades that lord; but mostly what she said On ending silences the knight; and he Allows the justice of that damsel's plea.

CVIII As when hot summer sun the soil has rived, And most the thirsty plant of moisture drains, The weak and wasting flower, well nigh deprived Of that quick sap which circled in its veins, Sucks in the welcome rain, and is revived; So, when bold Bradamant so well maintains The courier maid's defence, her beauteous cheer And mirth revive, and brighten as whilere.

CIX At length the supper, which had long been dight, Nor yet was touched, enjoys each hungry guest; Nor any further news of errant knight Them, seated at the festive board, molest; All, saving Bradamant, enjoy, whose sprite, As wont, is still afflicted and opprest.

For that suspicious fear, that doubt unjust, Which racked her bosom, marred the damsel's gust.

CX The supper done -- brought sooner to a close Haply from their desire to feast their eyes -- First of the set, Duke Aymon's daughter rose, And next the courier maid is seen to rise.

With that the warder signs to one, that goes And many torches fires in nimble wise; Whose light on storied wall and ceiling fell.

What followed shall another canto tell.

CANTO 33

ARGUMENT Bradamant sees in picture future fight There, where she gained admission by the spear.

From combat cease, upon Baiardo's flight, Grada.s.so and Montalban's cavalier.

While soaring through the world, the English knight Arrives in Nubia's distant realm, and here Driving the Harpies from the royal board, Hunts to the mouth of h.e.l.l that impious horde.

I Timagoras, Parrhasius, Polygnote, Protogenes, renowned Apollodore, Timanthes, and Apelles, first of note, Zeuxis and others, famed heretofore, Whose memory down the stream of Time will float, While we their wreck and labours lost deplore, Whose fame will flourish still in Fate's despite, (Grammercy authors!) while men read and write.

II And those, yet living or of earlier day, Mantegna, Leonardo, Gian Belline, The Dossi, and, skilled to carve or to pourtray, Michael, less man than angel and divine, Bastiano, Raphael, t.i.tian, who (as they Urbino and Venice) makes Cadoro s.h.i.+ne; With more, whose works resemble what he hear And credit of those spirits, famed whilere;

III The painters we have seen, and others, who Thousands of years ago in honour stood, Things which had been with matchless pencil drew, Some working upon wall, and some on wood.

But never, amid masters old or new, Have ye of pictures heard or pictures viewed Of things to come; yet such have been pourtrayed Before the deeds were done which they displayed.

IV Yet let not artist whether new or old, Boast of his skill such wondrous works to make; But leave this feat to spell, wherewith controlled The spirits of the infernal bottom quake.

The hall, whereof in other strain I told, With volume sacred to Avernus' lake, Or Norsine grot, throught subject Demons' might, Was made by Merlin in a single night.

V That art, whereby those ancient erst pourtrayed Such wonders, is extinguished in our day.

But to the troop, by whom will be surveyed The painted chamber, I return, and say; A squire attendant on a signal made, Bore thither lighted torches, by whose ray Were scattered from that hall the shades of night, Nor this in open day had shown more bright.

VI When thus the castle's lord addressed that crew: "Know, of adventures in this chamber wrought, Up to our days, have yet been witnessed few; A warfare storied, but its fields unfought.

Who limned the battles, these as well foreknew.

Here of defeats to come and victories taught, Whate'er in Italy our host befalls You may discern as painted on these walls.

VII "The wars, wherein French armies should appear, Beyond the Alps, of foul event or fair, Even from his days until the thousandth year, By the prophetic Merlin painted were.