I Now from the fresh, the soft and tender bed Of her still mother, gentle night out flew, The fleeting balm on hills and dales she shed, With honey drops of pure and precious dew, And on the verdure of green forests spread The virgin primrose and the violet blue, And sweet-breathed Zephyr on his spreading wings, Sleep, ease, repose, rest, peace and quiet brings.
II The thoughts and troubles of broad-waking day, They softly dipped in mild Oblivion"s lake; But he whose G.o.dhead heaven and earth doth sway, In his eternal light did watch and wake, And bent on G.o.dfrey down the gracious ray Of his bright eye, still ope for G.o.dfrey"s sake, To whom a silent dream the Lord down sent.
Which told his will, his pleasure and intent.
III Far in the east, the golden gate beside Whence Phoebus comes, a crystal port there is, And ere the sun his broad doors open wide The beam of springing day uncloseth this, Hence comes the dreams, by which heaven"s sacred guide Reveals to man those high degrees of his, Hence toward G.o.dfrey ere he left his bed A vision strange his golden plumes bespread.
IV Such semblances, such shapes, such portraits fair, Did never yet in dream or sleep appear, For all the forms in sea, in earth or air, The signs in heaven, the stars in every sphere All that was wondrous, uncouth, strange and rare, All in that vision well presented were.
His dream had placed him in a crystal wide, Beset with golden fires, top, bottom, side,
V There while he wondereth on the circles vast, The stars, their motions, course and harmony, A knight, with shining rays and fire embraced, Presents himself unwares before his eye, Who with a voice that far for sweetness pa.s.sed All human speech, thus said, approaching nigh: "What, G.o.dfrey, knowest thou not thy Hugo here?
Come and embrace thy friend and fellow dear!"
VI He answered him, "Thy glorious shining light Which in thine eyes his glistering beams doth place, Estranged hath from my foreknowledge quite Thy countenance, thy favor, and thy face:"
This said, three times he stretched his hands outright And would in friendly arms the knight embrace, And thrice the spirit fled, that thrice he twined Naught in his folded arms but air and wind.
VII Lord Hugo smiled, "Not as you think," quoth he, "I clothed am in flesh and earthly mould, My spirit pure, and naked soul, you see, A citizen of this celestial hold: This place is heaven, and here a room for thee Prepared is among Christ"s champions bold:"
"Ah when," quoth he, "these mortal bonds unknit, Shall I in peace, in ease and rest there sit?"
VIII Hugo replied, "Ere many years shall run, Amid the saints in bliss here shalt thou reign; But first great wars must by thy hand be done, Much blood be shed, and many Pagans slain, The holy city by a.s.sault be won, The land set free from servile yoke again, Wherein thou shalt a Christian empire frame, And after thee shall Baldwin rule the same.
IX "But to increase thy love and great desire To heavenward, this blessed place behold, These shining lamps, these globes of living fire, How they are turned, guided, moved and rolled; The angels" singing hear, and all their choir; Then bend thine eyes on yonder earth and mould, All in that ma.s.s, that globe and compa.s.s see, Land, sea, spring, fountain, man, beast, gra.s.s and tree.
X "How vile, how small, and of how slender price, Is their reward of goodness, virtue"s gain!
A narrow room our glory vain upties, A little circle doth our pride contain, Earth like an isle amid the water lies, Which sea sometime is called, sometime the main, Yet naught therein responds a name so great, It"s but a lake, a pond, a marish strait."
XI Thus said the one, the other bended down His looks to ground, and half in scorn he smiled, He saw at once earth, sea, flood, castle, town, Strangely divided, strangely all compiled, And wondered folly man so far should drown, To set his heart on things so base and vild, That servile empire searcheth and dumb fame, And scorns heaven"s bliss, yet proffereth heaven the same.
XII Wherefore he answered, "Since the Lord not yet Will free my spirit from this cage of clay, Lest worldly error vain my voyage let, Teach me to heaven the best and surest way:"
Hugo replied, "Thy happy foot is set In the true path, nor from this pa.s.sage stray, Only from exile young Rinaldo call, This give I thee in charge, else naught at all.
XIII "For as the Lord of hosts, the King of bliss, Hath chosen thee to rule the faithful band; So he thy stratagems appointed is To execute, so both shall win this land: The first is thine, the second place is his, Thou art this army"s head, and he the hand, No other champion can his place supply, And that thou do it doth thy state deny.
XIV "The enchanted forest, and her charmed treen, With cutting steel shall he to earth down hew, And thy weak armies which too feeble been To scale again these walls reinforced new, And fainting lie dispersed on the green, Shall take new strength new courage at his view, The high-built towers, the eastern squadrons all, Shall conquered be, shall fly, shall die, shall fall."
XV He held his peace; and G.o.dfrey answered so: "Oh, how his presence would recomfort me!
You that man"s hidden thoughts perceive and know: If I say truth, or if I love him, see.
But say, what messengers shall for him go?
What shall their speeches, what their errand be?
Shall I entreat, or else command the man?
With credit neither well perform I can."
XVI "The eternal Lord," the other knight replied, "That with so many graces hath thee blest, Will, that among the troops thou hast to guide, Thou honored be and feared of most and least: Then speak not thou lest blemish some betide Thy sacred empire if thou make request; But when by suit thou moved art to ruth, Then yield, forgive, and home recall the youth.
XVII "Guelpho shall pray thee, G.o.d shall him inspire, To pardon this offence, this fault commit By hasty wrath, by rash and headstrong ire, To call the knight again; yield thou to it: And though the youth, enwrapped in fond desire, Far hence in love and looseness idle sit, Year fear it not, he shall return with speed, When most you wish him and when most you need.
XVIII "Your hermit Peter, to whose sapient heart High Heaven his secrets opens, tells and shews, Your messengers direct can to that part, Where of the prince they shall hear certain news, And learn the way, the manner, and the art To bring him back to these thy warlike crews, That all thy soldiers, wandered and misgone, Heaven may unite again and join in one.
XIX "But this conclusion shall my speeches end: Know that his blood shall mixed be with thine, Whence barons bold and worthies shall descend, That many great exploits shall bring to fine."
This said, he vanished from his sleeping friend, Like smoke in wind, or mist in t.i.tan"s shine; Sleep fled likewise, and in his troubled thought, With wonder, pleasure; joy, with marvel fought.
XX The duke looked up, and saw the azure sky With argent beams of silver morning spread, And started up, for praise axed virtue lie In toil and travel, sin and shame in bed: His arms he took, his sword girt to his thigh, To his pavilion all his lords them sped, And there in council grave the princes sit, For strength by wisdom, war is ruled by wit.
XXI Lord Guelpho there, within whose gentle breast Heaven had infused that new and sudden thought, His pleasing words thus to the duke addressed: "Good prince, mild, though unasked, kind, unbesought, Oh let thy mercy grant my just request, Pardon this fault by rage not malice wrought; For great offence, I grant, so late commit, My suit too hasty is, perchance unfit.
XXII But since to G.o.dfrey meek benign and kind, For Prince Rinaldo bold, I humbly sue, And that the suitor"s self is not behind Thy greatest friends in state or friendship true; I trust I shall thy grace and mercy find Acceptable to me and all this crew; Oh call him home, this trespa.s.s to amend, He shall his blood in G.o.dfrey"s service spend.
XXIII "And if not he, who else dares undertake Of this enchanted wood to cut one tree?
Gainst death and danger who dares battle make, With so bold face, so fearless heart as he?
Beat down these walls, these gates in pieces break, Leap o"er these rampires high, thou shalt him see, Restore therefore to this desirous band Their wish, their hope, their strength, their shield, their hand;
XXIV "To me my nephew, to thyself restore A trusty help, when strength of hand thou needs, In idleness let him consume no more, Recall him to his n.o.ble acts and deeds!
Known be his worth as was his strength of yore Wher"er thy standard broad her cross outspreads, Oh, let his fame and praise spread far and wide, Be thou his lord, his teacher and his guidel"
XXV Thus he entreated, and the rest approve His words, with friendly murmurs whispered low.
G.o.dfrey as though their suit his mind did move To that whereon he never thought tell now, "How can my heart," quoth he, "if you I love, To your request and suit but bend and bow?
Let rigor go, that right and justice be Wherein you all consent and all agree.
XXVI "Rinaldo shall return; let him restrain Henceforth his headstrong wrath and hasty ire, And with his hardy deeds let him take pain To correspond your hope and my desire: Guelpho, thou must call home the knight again, See that with speed he to these tents retire, The messengers appoint as likes thy mind, And teach them where they should the young man find."
XXVII Up start the Dane that bare Prince Sweno"s brand, "I will," quoth he, "that message undertake, I will refuse no pains by sea or land, To give the knight this sword, kept for his sake."
This man was bold of courage, strong of hand, Guelpho was glad he did the proffer make: "Thou shalt," quoth he, "Ubaldo shalt thou have To go with thee, a knight, stout, wise, and grave."
XXVIII Ubaldo in his youth had known and seen The fashions strange of many an uncouth land, And travelled over all the realms between The Arctic circle and hot Meroe"s strand, And as a man whose wit his guide had been, Their customs use he could, tongues understand, Forthy when spent his youthful seasons were Lord Guelpho entertained and held him dear.
XXIX To these committed was the charge and care To find and bring again the champion bold, Guelpho commands them to the fort repair, Where Boemond doth his seat and sceptre hold, For public fame said that Bertoldo"s heir There lived, there dwelt, there stayed; the hermit old, That knew they were misled by false report, Among them came, and parleyed in this sort:
x.x.x "Sir knights," quoth he, "if you intend to ride, And follow each report fond people say, You follow but a rash and truthless guide That leads vain men amiss and makes them stray; Near Ascalon go to the salt seaside, Where a swift brook fails in with hideous sway, An aged sire, our friend, there shall you find, All what he saith, that do, that keep in mind.
x.x.xI "Of this great voyage which you undertake, Much by his skill, and much by mine advise Hath he foreknown, and welcome for my sake You both shall be, the man is kind and wise."
Instructed thus no further question make The twain elected for this enterprise, But humbly yielded to obey his word, For what the hermit said, that said the Lord.
x.x.xII They took their leave, and on their journey went, Their will could brook no stay, their zeal, no let; To Ascalon their voyage straight they bent, Whose broken sh.o.r.es with brackish waves are wet, And there they heard how gainst the cliffs, besprent With bitter foam, the roaring surges bet, A tumbling brook their pa.s.sage stopped and stayed, Which late-fall"n rain had proud and puissant made,
x.x.xIII So proud that over all his banks he grew, And through the fields ran swift as shaft from bow, While here they stopped and stood, before them drew An aged sire, grave and benign in show, Crowned with a beechen garland gathered new, Clad in a linen robe that raught down low, In his right hand a rod, and on the flood Against the stream he marched, and dry shod yode.
x.x.xIV As on the Rhene, when winter"s freezing cold Congeals the streams to thick and hardened gla.s.s, The beauties fair of shepherds" daughters bold With wanton windlays run, turn, play and pa.s.s; So on this river pa.s.sed the wizard old, Although unfrozen soft and swift it was, And thither stalked where the warriors stayed, To whom, their greetings done, he spoke and said:
x.x.xV "Great pains, great travel, lords, you have begun, And of a cunning guide great need you stand, Far off, alas! is great Bertoldo"s son, Imprisoned in a waste and desert land, What soil remains by which you must not run, What promontory, rock, sea, sh.o.r.e or sand Your search must stretch before the prince be found, Beyond our world, beyond our half of ground!
x.x.xVI But yet vouchsafe to see my cell I pray, In hidden caves and vaults though builded low, Great wonders there, strange things I will bewray, Things good for you to hear, and fit to know:"
This said, he bids the river make them way, The flood retired, backward gan to flow, And here and there two crystal mountains rise, So fled the Red Sea once, and Jordan thrice.
x.x.xVII He took their hands, and led them headlong down Under the flood, through vast and hollow deeps, Such light they had as when through shadows brown Of thickest deserts feeble Cynthia peeps, Their s.p.a.cious caves they saw all overflown, There all his waters pure great Neptune keeps, And thence to moisten all the earth he brings Seas, rivers, floods, lakes, fountains, wells and springs:
x.x.xVIII Whence Ganges, Indus, Volga, Ister, Po, Whence Euphrates, whence Tigris" spring they view, Whence Tanais, whence Nilus comes also, Although his head till then no creature knew, But under these a wealthy stream doth go, That sulphur yields and ore, rich, quick and new, Which the sunbeams doth polish, purge and fine, And makes it silver pure, and gold divine.
x.x.xIX And all his banks the rich and wealthy stream Hath fair beset with pearl and precious stone Like stars in sky or lamps on stage that seem, The darkness there was day, the night was gone, There sparkled, clothed in his azure-beam, The heavenly sapphire, there the jacinth shone, The carbuncle there flamed, the diamond sheen, There glistered bright, there smiled the emerald green.