XXII The man brought forth his army great with speed, In order good, his foes at hand he spied, Like the new moon his host two horns did spreed, In midst the foot, the horse were on each side, The right wing kept he for himself to lead, Great Altamore received the left to guide, The middle ward led Mulea.s.ses proud, And in that battle fair Armida stood.
XXIII On the right quarter stood the Indian grim, With Tisipherne and all the king"s own band; But when the left wing spread her squadrons trim O"er the large plain, did Altamoro stand, With African and Persian kings with him, And two that came from Meroe"s hot sand, And all his crossbows and his slings he placed, Where room best served to shoot, to throw, to cast.
XXIV Thus Emiren his host put in array, And rode from band to band, from rank to rank, His truchmen now, and now himself, doth say, What spoil his folk shall gain, what praise, what thank.
To him that feared, "Look up, ours is the day,"
He says, "Vile fear to bold hearts never sank, How dareth one against an hundred fight?
Our cry, our shade, will put them all to flight."
XXV But to the bold, "Go, hardy knight," he says, "His prey out of this lion"s paws go tear:"
To some before his thoughts the shape he lays, And makes therein the image true appear, How his sad country him entreats and prays, His house, his loving wife, and children dear: "Suppose," quoth he, "thy country doth beseech And pray thee thus, suppose this is her speech.
XXVI "Defend my laws, uphold my temples brave, My blood from washing of my streets withhold, From ravishing my virgins keep, and save Thine ancestors" dead bones and ashes cold!
To thee thy fathers dear and parents grave Show their uncovered heads, white, h.o.a.ry, old, To thee thy wife--her b.r.e.a.s.t.s with tears o"erspread-- Thy sons, their cradles, shows, thy marriage bed."
XXVII To all the rest, "You for her honor"s sake Whom Asia makes her champions, by your might Upon these thieves, weak, feeble, few, must take A sharp revenge, yet just, deserved and right."
Thus many words in several tongues he spake, And all his sundry nations to sharp fight Encouraged, but now the dukes had done Their speeches all, the hosts together run.
XXVIII It was a great, a strange and wondrous sight, When front to front those n.o.ble armies met, How every troop, how in each troop each knight Stood prest to move, to fight, and praise to get, Loose in the wind waved their ensigns light, Trembled the plumes that on their crests were set; Their arms, impresses, colors, gold and stone, Against the sunbeams smiled, flamed, sparkled, shone.
XXIX Of dry topped oaks they seemed two forests thick, So did each host with spears and pikes abound, Bent were their bows, in rests their lances stick, Their hands shook swords, their slings held cobbles round: Each steed to run was ready, prest and quick, At his commander"s spur, his hand, his sound, He chafes, he stamps, careers, and turns about, He foams, snorts, neighs, and fire and smoke breathes out.
x.x.x Horror itself in that fair fight seemed fair, And pleasure flew amid sad dread and fear; The trumpets shrill, that thundered in the air, Were music mild and sweet to every ear: The faithful camp, though less, yet seemed more rare In that strange noise, more warlike, shrill and clear, In notes more sweet, the Pagan trumpets jar, These sung, their armors shined, these glistered far.
x.x.xI The Christian trumpets give the deadly call, The Pagans answer, and the fight accept; The G.o.dly Frenchmen on their knees down fall To pray, and kissed the earth, and then up leapt To fight, the land between was vanished all, In combat close each host to other stepped; For now the wings had skirmish hot begun, And with their battles forth the footmen run.
x.x.xII But who was first of all the Christian train, That gave the onset first, first won renown?
Gildippes thou wert she, for by thee slain The King of Orms, Hircano, tumbled down, The man"s breastbone thou clov"st and rent in twain, So Heaven with honor would thee bless and crown, Pierced through he fell, and falling hard withal His foe praised for her strength and for his fall.
x.x.xIII Her lance thus broke, the hardy dame forth drew With her strong hand a fine and trenchant blade, And gainst the Persians fierce and bold she flew, And in their troop wide streets and lanes she made, Even in the girdling-stead divided new In pieces twain, Zopire on earth she laid; And then Alarco"s head she swept off clean, Which like a football tumbled on the green.
x.x.xIV A blow felled Artaxerxes, with a thrust Was Argeus slain, the first lay in a trance, Ismael"s left hand cut off fell in the dust, For on his wrist her sword fell down by chance: The hand let go the bridle where it l.u.s.t, The blow upon the courser"s ears did glance, Who felt the reins at large, and with the stroke Half mad, the ranks disordered, troubled, broke.
x.x.xV All these, and many mo, by time forgot, She slew and wounded, when against her came The angry Persians all, cast on a knot, For on her person would they purchase fame: But her dear spouse and husband wanted not In so great need, to aid the n.o.ble dame; Thus joined, the haps of war unhurt they prove, Their strength was double, double was their love.
x.x.xVI The n.o.ble lovers use well might you see, A wondrous guise, till then unseen, unheard, To save themselves forgot both he and she, Each other"s life did keep, defend, and guard; The strokes that gainst her lord discharged be, The dame had care to bear, to break, to ward, His shield kept off the blows bent on his dear, Which, if need be, his naked head should bear.
x.x.xVII So each saved other, each for other"s wrong Would vengeance take, but not revenge their own: The valiant Soldan Artabano strong Of Boecan Isle, by her was overthrown, And by his hand, the bodies dead among, Alvante, that durst his mistress wound, fell down, And she between the eyes. .h.i.t Arimont, Who hurt her lord, and cleft in twain his front.
x.x.xVIII But Altamore who had that wing to lead Far greater slaughter on the Christians made; For where he turned his sword, or twined his steed, He slew, or man and beast on earth down laid, Happy was he that was at first struck dead, That fell not down on live, for whom his blade Had speared, the same cast in the dusty street His horse tore with his teeth, bruised with his feet.
x.x.xIX By this brave Persian"s valor, killed and slain Were strong Brunello and Ardonia great; The first his head and helm had cleft in twain, The last in stranger-wise he did intreat, For through his heart he pierced, and his seat, Where laughter hath his fountain and his seat, So that, a dreadful thing, believed uneath, He laughed for pain, and laughed himself to death.
XL Nor these alone with that accursed knife, Of this sweet light and breath deprived lie; But with that cruel weapon lost their life Gentonio, Guascar, Rosimond, and Guy; Who knows how many in that fatal strife He slew? what knights his courser fierce made die?
The names and countries of the people slain Who tells? their wounds and deaths who can explain?
XLI With this fierce king encounter durst not one.
Not one durst combat him in equal field, Gildippes undertook that task alone; No doubt could make her shrink, no danger yield, By Thermodont was never Amazone, Who managed steeled axe, or carried shield, That seemed so bold as she, so strong, so light, When forth she run to meet that dreadful knight.
XLII She hit him, where with gold and rich anmail, His diadem did on his helmet flame, She broke and cleft the crown, and caused him veil His proud and lofty top, his crest down came, Strong seemed her arm that could so well a.s.sail: The Pagan shook for spite and blushed for shame, Forward he rushed, and would at once requite Shame with disgrace, and with revenge despite.
XLIII Right on the front he gave that lady kind A blow so huge, so strong, so great, so sore, That out of sense and feeling, down she twined: But her dear knight his love from ground upbore, Were it their fortune, or his n.o.ble mind, He stayed his hand and strook the dame no more: A lion so stalks by, and with proud eyes Beholds, but scorns to hurt a man that lies.
XLIV This while Ormondo false, whose cruel hand Was armed and prest to give the trait"rous blow, With all his fellows mongst G.o.dfredo"s band Entered unseen, disguised that few them know: The thievish wolves, when night o"ershades the land, That seem like faithful dogs in shape and show, So to the closed folds in secret creep, And entrance seek; to kill some harmless sheep.
XLV He proached nigh, and to G.o.dfredo"s side The b.l.o.o.d.y Pagan now was placed near: But when his colors gold and white he spied, And saw the other signs that forged were, "See, see, this traitor false!" the captain cried, "That like a Frenchman would in show appear, Behold how near his mates and he are crept!"
This said, upon the villain forth he leapt;
LXVI Deadly he wounded him, and that false knight Nor strikes nor wards nor striveth to be gone; But, as Medusa"s head were in his sight, Stood like a man new turned to marble stone, All lances broke, unsheathed all weapons bright, All quivers emptied were on them alone, In parts so many were the traitors cleft, That those dead men had no dead bodies left.
LXVII When G.o.dfrey was with Pagan blood bespread, He entered then the fight and that was past Where the bold Persian fought and combated, Where the close ranks he opened, cleft and brast; Before the knight the troops and squadrons fled, As Afric dust before the southern blast; The Duke recalled them, in array them placed, Stayed those that fled, and him a.s.sailed that chased.
LXVIII The champions strong there fought a battle stout, Troy never saw the like by Xanthus old: A conflict sharp there was meanwhile on foot Twixt Baldwin good and Mulea.s.ses bold: The hors.e.m.e.n also near the mountains rout, And in both wings, a furious skirmish hold, And where the barbarous duke in person stood, Twixt Tisiphernes and Adrastus proud;
XLIX With Emiren Robert the Norman strove, Long time they fought, yet neither lost nor won; The other Robert"s helm the Indian clove, And broke his arms, their fight would soon be done: From place to place did Tisiphernes rove, And found no match, against him none dust run, But where the press was thickest thither flew The knight, and at each stroke felled, hurt, or slew.
L Thus fought they long, yet neither shrink nor yield, In equal balance hung their hope and fear: All full of broken lances lay the field, All full of arms that cloven and shattered were; Of swords, some to the body nail the shield, Some cut men"s throats, and some their bellies tear; Of bodies, some upright, some grovelling lay, And for themselves eat graves out of the clay.
LI Beside his lord slain lay the n.o.ble steed, There friend with friend lay killed like lovers true, There foe with foe, the live under the dead, The victor under him whom late he slew: A hoa.r.s.e unperfect sound did eachwhere spread, Whence neither silence, nor plain outcries flew: There fury roars, ire threats, and woe complains, One weeps, another cries, he sighs for pains.
LII The arms that late so fair and glorious seem, Now soiled and slubbered, sad and sullen grow, The steel his brightness lost, the gold his beam; The colors had no pride nor beauty"s show; The plumes and feathers on their crests that stream, Are strowed wide upon the earth below: The hosts both clad in blood, in dust and mire, Had changed their cheer, their pride, their rich attire.
LIII But now the Moors, Arabians, Ethiops black, Of the left wing that held the utmost marge, Spread forth their troops, and purposed at the back And side their heedless foes to a.s.sail and charge: Slingers and archers were not slow nor slack To shoot and cast, when with his battle large Rinaldo came, whose fury, haste and ire, Seemed earthquake, thunder, tempest, storm and fire.
LIV The first he met was Asimire, his throne That set in Meroe"s hot sunburnt land, He cut his neck in twain, flesh, skin and bone, The sable head down tumbled on the sand; But when by death of this black prince alone The taste of blood and conquest once he fand, Whole squadrons then, whole troops to earth he brought, Things wondrous, strange, incredible he wrought.
LV He gave more deaths than strokes, and yet his blows Upon his feeble foes fell oft and thick, To move three tongues as a fierce serpent shows, Which rolls the one she hath swift, speedy, quick, So thinks each Pagan; each Arabian trows He wields three swords, all in one hilt that stick; His readiness their eyes so blinded hath, Their dread that wonder bred, fear gave it faith.
LVI The Afric tyrants and the negro kings Fell down on heaps, drowned each in other"s blood, Upon their people ran the knights he brings, p.r.i.c.ked forward by their guide"s example good, Killed were the Pagans, broke their bows and slings: Some died, some fell; some yielded, none withstood: A ma.s.sacre was this, no fight; these put Their foes to death, those hold their throats to cut.
LVII Small while they stood, with heart and hardy face, On their bold b.r.e.a.s.t.s deep wounds and hurts to bear, But fled away, and troubled in the chase Their ranks disordered be with too much fear: Rinaldo followed them from place to place, Till quite discomfit and dispersed they were.
That done, he stays, and all his knights recalls, And scorns to strike his foe that flies or falls.
LVIII Like as the wind stopped by some wood or hill, Grows strong and fierce, tears boughs and trees in twain, But with mild blasts, more temperate, gentle, still, Blows through the ample field or s.p.a.cious plain; Against the rocks as sea-waves murmur shrill, But silent pa.s.s amid the open main: Rinaldo so, when none his force withstood, a.s.suaged his fury, calmed his angry mood;
LIX He scorned upon their fearful backs that fled To wreak his ire and spend his force in vain, But gainst the footmen strong his troops he led, Whose side the Moors had open left and plain, The Africans that should have succored That battle, all were run away or slain, Upon their flank with force and courage stout His men at arms a.s.sailed the bands on foot:
LX He brake their pikes, and brake their close array, Entered their battle, felled them down around, So wind or tempest with impetuous sway The ears of ripened corn strikes flat to ground: With blood, arms, bodies dead, the hardened clay Plastered the earth, no gra.s.s nor green was found; The hors.e.m.e.n running through and through their bands, Kill, murder, slay, few scape, not one withstands.
LXI Rinaldo came where his forlorn Armide Sate on her golden chariot mounted high, A n.o.ble guard she had on every side Of lords, of lovers, and much chivalry: She knew the man when first his arms she spied, Love, hate, wrath, sweet desire strove in her eye, He changed somedeal his look and countenance bold, She changed from frost to fire, from heat to cold.
LXII The prince pa.s.sed by the chariot of his dear Like one that did his thoughts elsewhere bestow, Yet suffered not her knights and lovers near Their rival so to scape withouten blow, One drew his sword, another couched his spear, Herself an arrow sharp set in her bow, Disdain her ire new sharped and kindled hath, But love appeased her, love a.s.suaged her wrath.
LXIII Love bridled fury, and revived of new His fire, not dead, though buried in displeasure, Three times her angry hand the bow updrew, And thrice again let slack the string at leisure; But wrath prevailed at last, the reed outflew, For love finds mean, but hatred knows no measure, Outflew the shaft, but with the shaft, this charm, This wish she sent: Heaven grant it do no harm:
LXIV She bids the reed return the way it went, And pierce her heart which so unkind could prove, Such force had love, though lost and vainly spent, What strength hath happy, kind and mutual love?
But she that gentle thought did straight repent, Wrath, fury, kindness, in her bosom strove, She would, she would not, that it missed or hit, Her eyes, her heart, her wishes followed it.
LXV But yet in vain the quarrel lighted not, For on his hauberk hard the knight it hit, Too hard for woman"s shaft or woman"s shot, Instead of piercing, there it broke and split; He turned away, she burnt with fury hot, And thought he scorned her power, and in that fit Shot oft and oft, her shafts no entrance found, And while she shot, love gave her wound on wound.