THE ARGUMENT.
Ismeno sets to guard the forest old The wicked sprites, whose ugly shapes affray And put to flight the men, whose labor would To their dark shades let in heaven"s golden ray: Thither goes Tancred hardy, faithful, bold, But foolish pity lets him not a.s.say His strength and courage: heat the Christian power Annoys, whom to refresh G.o.d sends a shower.
I But scant, dissolved into ashes cold, The smoking tower fell on the scorched gra.s.s, When new device found out the enchanter old By which the town besieged secured was, Of timber fit his foes deprive he would, Such terror bred that late consumed ma.s.s: So that the strength of Sion"s walls to shake, They should no turrets, rams, nor engines make.
II From G.o.dfrey"s camp a grove a little way Amid the valleys deep grows out of sight, Thick with old trees whose horrid arms display An ugly shade, like everlasting night; There when the sun spreads forth his clearest ray, Dim, thick, uncertain, gloomy seems the light; As when in evening, day and darkness strive Which should his foe from our horizon drive.
III But when the sun his chair in seas doth steep, Night, horror, darkness thick the place invade, Which veil the mortal eyes with blindness deep And with sad terror make weak hearts afraid, Thither no groom drives forth his tender sheep To browse, or ease their faint in cooling shade, Nor traveller nor pilgrim there to enter, So awful seems that forest old, dare venture.
IV United there the ghosts and goblins meet To frolic with their mates in silent night, With dragons" wings some cleave the welkin fleet, Some nimbly run o"er hills and valleys light, A wicked troop, that with allurements sweet Draws sinful man from that is good and right, And there with h.e.l.lish pomp their banquets brought They solemnize, thus the vain Parians thought.
V No twist, no twig, no bough nor branch, therefore, The Saracens cut from that sacred spring; But yet the Christians spared ne"er the more The trees to earth with cutting steel to bring: Thither went Ismen old with tresses h.o.a.r, When night on all this earth spread forth her wing, And there in silence deaf and mirksome shade His characters and circles vain he made:
VI He in the circle set one foot unshod, And whispered dreadful charms in ghastly wise, Three times, for witchcraft loveth numbers odd, Toward the east he gaped, westward thrice, He struck the earth thrice with his charmed rod Wherewith dead bones he makes from grave to rise, And thrice the ground with naked foot he smote, And thus he cried loud, with thundering note:
VII "Hear, hear, you spirits all that whilom fell, Cast down from heaven with dint of roaring thunder; Hear, you amid the empty air that dwell And storms and showers pour on these kingdoms under; Hear, all you devils that lie in deepest h.e.l.l And rend with torments d.a.m.ned ghosts asunder, And of those lands of death, of pain and fear, Thou monarch great, great Dis, great Pluto, hear!
VIII "Keep you this forest well, keep every tree, Numbered I give you them and truly told; As souls of men in bodies clothed be So every plant a sprite shall hide and hold, With trembling fear make all the Christians flee, When they presume to cut these cedars old:"
This said, his charms he gan again repeat, Which none can say but they that use like feat.
IX At those strange speeches, still night"s splendent fires Quenched their lights, and shrunk away for doubt, The feeble moon her silver beams retires, And wrapt her horns with folding clouds about, Ismen his sprites to come with speed requires, "Why come you not, you ever d.a.m.ned rout?
Why tarry you so long? pardie you stay Till stronger charms and greater words I say.
X "I have not yet forgot for want of use, What dreadful terms belong this sacred feat, My tongue, if still your stubborn hearts refuse, That so much dreaded name can well repeat, Which heard, great Dis cannot himself excuse, But hither run from his eternal seat, O great and fearful!"--More he would have said, But that he saw the st.u.r.dy sprites obeyed.
XI Legions of devils by thousands thither come, Such as in spa.r.s.ed air their biding make, And thousands also which by Heavenly doom Condemned lie in deep Avernus lake, But slow they came, displeased all and some Because those woods they should in keeping take, Yet they obeyed and took the charge in hand, And under every branch and leaf they stand.
XII When thus his cursed work performed was, The wizard to his king declared the feat, "My lord, let fear, let doubt and sorrow pa.s.s, Henceforth in safety stands your regal seat, Your foe, as he supposed, no mean now has To build again his rams and engines great:"
And then he told at large from part to part, All what he late performed by wondrous art.
XIII "Besides this help, another hap," quoth he, "Will shortly chance that brings not profit small.
Within few days Mars and the Sun I see Their fiery beams unite in Leo shall; And then extreme the scorching heat will be, Which neither rain can quench nor dews that fall, So placed are the planets high and low, That heat, fire, burning all the heavens foreshow:
XIV "So great with us will be the warmth therefore, As with the Garamants or those of Inde; Yet nill it grieve us in this town so sore, We have sweet shade and waters cold by kind: Our foes abroad will be tormented more, What shield can they or what refreshing find?
Heaven will them vanquish first, then Egypt"s crew Destroy them quite, weak, weary, faint and few:
XV "Thou shalt sit still and conquer; prove no more The doubtful hazard of uncertain fight.
But if Argantes bold, that hates so sore All cause of quiet peace, though just and right, Provoke thee forth to battle, as before, Find means to calm the rage of that fierce knight, For shortly Heaven will send thee ease and peace, And war and trouble mongst thy foes increase."
XVI The king a.s.sured by these speeches fair, Held G.o.dfrey"s power, his might and strength in scorn, And now the walls he gan in part repair, Which late the ram had bruised with iron horn, With wise foresight and well advised care He fortified each breach and bulwark torn, And all his folk, men, women, children small, With endless toil again repaired the wall.
XVII But G.o.dfrey nould this while bring forth his power To give a.s.sault against that fort in vain, Till he had builded new his dreadful tower, And reared high his down-fallen rams again: His workmen therefore he despatched that hour To hew the trees out of the forest main, They went, and scant the wood appeared in sight When wonders new their fearful hearts affright:
XVIII As silly children dare not bend their eye Where they are told strange bugbears haunt the place, Or as new monsters, while in bed they lie, Their fearful thoughts present before their face; So feared they, and fled, yet wist not why, Nor what pursued them in that fearful chase.
Except their fear perchance while thus they fled, New chimeras, sphinxes, or like monsters bred:
XIX Swift to the camp they turned back dismayed, With words confused uncertain tales they told, That all which heard them scorned what they said And those reports for lies and fables hold.
A chosen crew in shining arms arrayed Duke G.o.dfrey thither sent of soldiers bold, To guard the men and their faint arms provoke To cut the dreadful trees with hardy stroke:
XX These drawing near the wood where close ypent The wicked sprites in sylvan pinfolds were, Their eyes upon those shades no sooner bent But frozen dread pierced through their entrails dear; Yet on they stalked still, and on they went, Under bold semblance hiding coward fear, And so far wandered forth with trembling pace, Till they approached nigh that enchanted place:
XXI When from the grove a fearful sound outbreaks, As if some earthquake hill and mountain tore, Wherein the southern wind a rumbling makes, Or like sea waves against the scraggy sh.o.r.e; There lions grumble, there hiss scaly snakes, There howl the wolves, the rugged bears there roar, There trumpets shrill are heard and thunders fell, And all these sounds one sound expressed well.
XXII Upon their faces pale well might you note A thousand signs of heart-amating fear, Their reason gone, by no device they wot How to press nigh, or stay still where they were, Against that sudden dread their b.r.e.a.s.t.s which smote, Their courage weak no shield of proof could bear, At last they fled, and one than all more bold, Excused their flight, and thus the wonders told:
XXIII "My lord, not one of us there is, I grant, That dares cut down one branch in yonder spring, I think there dwells a sprite in every plant, There keeps his court great Dis infernal king, He hath a heart of hardened adamant That without trembling dares attempt the thing, And sense he wanteth who so hardy is To hear the forest thunder, roar and hiss."
XXIV This said, Alcasto to his words gave heed, Alcasto leader of the Switzers grim, A man both void of wit and void of dreed, Who feared not loss of life nor loss of limb.
No savage beasts in deserts wild that feed Nor ugly monster could dishearten him, Nor whirlwind, thunder, earthquake, storm, or aught That in this world is strange or fearful thought.
XXV He shook his head, and smiling thus gan say, "The hardiness have I that wood to fell, And those proud trees low in the dust to lay Wherein such grisly fiends and monsters dwell; No roaring ghost my courage can dismay, No shriek of birds, beast"s roar, or dragon"s yell; But through and through that forest will I wend, Although to deepest h.e.l.l the paths descend."
XXVI Thus boasted he, and leave to go desired, And forward went with joyful cheer and will, He viewed the wood and those thick shades admired, He heard the wondrous noise and rumbling shrill; Yet not one foot the audacious man retired, He scorned the peril, pressing forward still, Till on the forest"s outmost marge he stepped, A flaming fire from entrance there him kept.
XXVII The fire increased, and built a stately wall Of burning coals, quick sparks, and embers hot, And with bright flames the wood environed all, That there no tree nor twist Alcasto got; The higher stretched the flames seemed bulwarks tall, Castles and turrets full of fiery shot, With slings and engines strong of every sort;-- What mortal wight durst scale so strange a fort?
XXVIII Oh what strange monsters on the battlement In loathsome forms stood to defend the place?
Their frowning looks upon the knight they bent, And threatened death with shot, with sword and mace: At last he fled, and though but slow he went, As lions do whom jolly hunters chase; Yet fled the man and with sad fear withdrew, Though fear till then he never felt nor knew.
XXIX That he had fled long time he never wist, But when far run he had discoverd it, Himself for wonder with his hand he blist, A bitter sorrow by the heart him bit, Amazed, ashamed, disgraced, sad, silent, trist, Alone he would all day in darkness sit, Nor durst he look on man of worth or fame, His pride late great, now greater made his shame.
x.x.x G.o.dfredo called him, but he found delays And causes why he should his cabin keep, At length perforce he comes, but naught he says, Or talks like those that babble in their sleep.
His shamefacedness to G.o.dfrey plain bewrays His flight, so does his sighs and sadness deep: Whereat amazed, "What chance is this?" quoth he.
"These witchcrafts strange or nature"s wonders be.
x.x.xI "But if his courage any champion move To try the hazard of this dreadful spring, I give him leave the adventure great to prove, Some news he may report us of the thing:"
This said, his lords attempt the charmed grove, Yet nothing back but fear and flight they bring, For them inforced with trembling to retire, The sight, the sound, the monsters and the fire.
x.x.xII This happed when woful Tancred left his bed To lay in marble cold his mistress dear, The lively color from his cheek was fled, His limbs were weak his helm or targe to bear; Nathless when need to high attempts him led, No labor would he shun, no danger fear, His valor, boldness, heart and courage brave, To his faint body strength and vigor gave.
x.x.xIII To this exploit forth went the venturous knight, Fearless, yet heedful; silent, well advised, The terrors of that forest"s dreadful sight, Storms, earthquakes, thunders, cries, he all despised: He feared nothing, yet a motion light, That quickly vanished, in his heart arised When lo, between him and the charmed wood, A fiery city high as heaven up stood.
x.x.xIV The knight stepped back and took a sudden pause, And to himself, "What help these arms?" quoth he, "If in this fire, or monster"s gaping jaws I headlong cast myself, what boots it me?
For common profit, or my country"s cause, To hazard life before me none should be: But this exploit of no such weight I hold, For it to lose a prince or champion bold.
x.x.xV But if I fly, what will the Pagans say?
If I retire, who shall cut down this spring?
G.o.dfredo will attempt it every day.
What if some other knight perform the thing?
These flames uprisen to forestall my way Perchance more terror far than danger bring.
But hap what shall;" this said, he forward stepped, And through the fire, oh wondrous boldness, leapt!
x.x.xVI He bolted through, but neither warmth nor heat!
He felt, nor sign of fire or scorching flame; Yet wist he not in his dismayed conceit, If that were fire or no through which he came; For at first touch vanished those monsters great, And in their stead the clouds black night did frame And hideous storms and showers of hail and rain; Yet storms and tempests vanished straight again.
x.x.xVII Amazed but not afraid the champion good Stood still, but when the tempest pa.s.sed he spied, He entered boldly that forbidden wood, And of the forest all the secrets eyed, In all his walk no sprite or phantasm stood That stopped his way or pa.s.sage free denied, Save that the growing trees so thick were set, That oft his sight, and pa.s.sage oft they let.
x.x.xVIII At length a fair and s.p.a.cious green he spied, Like calmest waters, plain, like velvet, soft, Wherein a cypress clad in summer"s pride, Pyramid-wise, lift up his tops aloft; In whose smooth bark upon the evenest side, Strange characters he found, and viewed them oft, Like those which priests of Egypt erst instead Of letters used, which none but they could read.