Orlando Furioso Part 108

x.x.xV So said, she spurred at him amid the throng; But, first -- "Defend thee, false Rogero!" -- cried.

"No more, if I have power, in spoil and wrong, Done to a virgin heart, shalt thou take pride."

Hearing that voice the hostile ranks among, He deems -- and truly deems -- he hears his bride; Whose voice the youth remembers in such wise, That mid a thousand would he recognize.

x.x.xVI Her further meaning well did he divine, Weening that him she in that speech would blame, For having broke their pact; and -- with design, The occasion of his failure to proclaim, -- Of his desire for parley made a sign: But she, with vizor closed, already came, Raging and grieved, intent, with vengeful hand, To fling the youth; nor haply upon sand.

x.x.xVII Rogero, when he saw her so offended, Fixed himself firmly in his arms and seat, He rests his lance, but holds the stave suspended, So that it shall not harm her when they meet, She that to smite and pierce the Child intended, Pitiless, and inflamed with furious heat, Has not the courage, when she sees him near, To fling, or do him outrage with the spear.

x.x.xVIII Void of effect, 'tis thus their lances go; And it is well; since Love with burning dart, Tilting this while at one and the other foe, Has lanced the enamoured warriors in mid-heart.

Unable at the Child to aim her blow, The lady spent her rage in other part, And mighty deeds achieved, which fame will earn, While overhead the circling heavens shall turn.

x.x.xIX Above three hundred men in that affray In little s.p.a.ce by her dismounted lie, Alone that warlike damsel wins the day; From her alone the Moorish people fly.

To her Rogero, circling, threads his way, And says: "Unless I speak with you I die.

Hear me, for love of heaven! -- what done I done, Alas! that ever mine approach ye shun?"

XL As when soft southern breezes are unpent, Which with a tepid breath from seaward blow, The snows dissolve, and torrents find a vent, And ice, so hard erewhile, is seen to flow; At those entreaties, at that brief lament, Rinaldo's sister's heart is softened so; Forthwith compa.s.sionate and pious grown; Which anger fain had made more hard than stone.

XLI Would she not, could she not, she nought replied, But spurred aslant the ready Rabicane, And, signing to Rogero, rode as wide As she could wend from that embattled train; Then to a sheltered valley turned aside, Wherein embosomed was a little plain.

In the mid lawn a wood of cypress grew, Whose saplings of one stamp appeared to view.

XLII Within that thicket, of white marble wrought, Is a proud monument, and newly made; And he that makes enquiry, here is taught In few brief verses who therein is laid.

But of those lines, methinks, took little thought, Fair Bradamant, arriving in that glade.

Rogero spurred his courser, and pursued And overtook that damsel in the wood.

XLIII But turn we to Marphisa, that anew During this s.p.a.ce was seated on her steed, And sought again the valiant champion, who At the first onset cast her on the mead; And saw, how from the mingling host withdrew Rogero, after that strange knight to speed; Nor deemed the youth pursued in love; she thought He but to end their strife and quarrel sought.

XLIV She p.r.i.c.ks her horse behind the two, and gains, Well nigh as soon as they, that valley; how Her coming thither either lover pains, Who lives and loves, untaught by me, may know: But sorest vext sad Bradamant remains; Beholding her whence all her sorrows flow.

Who shall persuade the damsel but that love For young Rogero brings her to that grove?

XLV And him perfidious she anew did name.

-- "Perfidious, was it not enough (she said) That I should know thy perfidy from fame, But must the witness of thy guilt be made?

I wot, to drive me from thee is thine aim; And I, that thy desires may be appaid, Will die; but strive, in yielding up my breath, She too shall die, the occasion of my death."

XLVI Angrier than venomed viper, with a bound, So saying, she upon Marphisa flies; And plants so well the spear, that she, astound, Fell backward on the champaigne in such guise, Nigh half her helm was buried in the ground: Nor was the damsel taken by surprise: Nay, did her best the encounter to withstand; Yet with her helmed head she smote the sand.

XLVII Bradamant who will die, or in that just Will put to death Marphisa, rages so, She has no mind again with lance to thrust, Again that martial maid to overthrow: But thinks her head to sever from the bust, Where it half buried lies, with murderous blow: Away the enchanted lance that damsel flings, Unsheathes the sword, and from her courser springs.

XLVIII But is too slow withal; for on her feet She finds Marphisa, with such fierce disdain Inflamed, at being in that second heat So easily reversed upon the plain, She hears in vain exclaim, in vain entreat, Rogero, who beholds their strife with pain.

So blinded are the pair with spite and rage, That they with desperate fury battle wage.

XLIX At half-sword's engage the struggling foes; And -- such their stubborn mood -- with shortened brand They still approach, and now so fiercely close, They cannot choose but grapple, hand to hand.

Her sword, no longer needful, each foregoes; And either now new means of mischief planned.

Rogero both implores with earnest suit: But supplicates the twain with little fruit.

L When he entreaties unavailing found, The youth prepared by force to part the two; Their poniards s.n.a.t.c.hed away, and on the ground, Beneath a cypress-tree, the daggers threw.

When they no weapons have wherewith to wound, With prayer and threat, he interferes anew: But vainly; for, since better weapons lack, Each other they with fists and feet attack.

LI Rogero ceased not from his task; he caught, By hand or arm, the fiercely struggling pair, Till to the utmost pitch of fury wrought The fell Marphisa's angry pa.s.sions were.

She, that this ample world esteemed at nought, Of the Child's friends.h.i.+p had no further care.

Plucked from the foe, she ran to seize her sword, And fastened next upon that youthful lord.

LII "Like a discourteous man and churl ye do, Rogero, to disturb another's fight; A deed (she cried) this hand shall make ye rue, Which I intend, shall vanquished both." The knight Sought fierce Marphisa's fury to subdue With gentle speech; but full of such despite He found her, and inflamed with such disdain, All parley was a waste of time and pain.

LIII At last his faulchion young Rogero drew; For ire as well had flushed that cavalier: Nor is it my belief, that ever shew Athens or Rome, or city whatsoe'er Witnessed, which ever so rejoiced the view, As this rejoices, as this sight is dear To Bradamant, when, through their strife displaced, Every suspicion from her breast is chased.

LIV Bradamant took her sword, and to descry The duel of those champions stood apart.

The G.o.d of war, descended from the sky, She deemed Rogero, for his strength and art: If he seemed Mars, Marphisa to the eye Seemed an infernal Fury, on her part.

'Tis true, that for a while the youthful knight Against that damsel put not forth his might.

LV He knew the virtues of that weapon well, Such proof thereof the knight erewhile had made.

Where'er it falls parforce is every spell Annulled, or by its stronger virtue stayed.

Hence so Rogero smote, it never fell Upon its edge or point, but still the blade Descended flat: he long this rule observes; Yet once he from his patient purpose swerves.

LVI In that, a mighty stroke Marphisa sped, Meaning to cleave the brainpan of her foe: He raised the buckler to defend his head, And the sword smote upon its bird of snow, Nor broke nor bruised the s.h.i.+eld, by spell bested; But his arm rang astounded by the blow; Nor aught but Hector's mail the sword had stopt, Whose furious blow would his left arm have lopt;

LVII And had upon his head descended shear, Whereat designed to strike the savage fair.

Scarce his left arm can good Rogero rear; Can scarce the s.h.i.+eld and blazoned bird upbear.

All pity he casts off, and 'twould appear As in his eyes a lighted torch did glare.

As hard as he can smite, he smites; and woe To thee, Marphisa, if he plants the blow!

LVIII I cannot tell you truly in what wise, That faulchion swerves against a cypress-stock, In such close-serried ranks the saplings rise, Buried above a palm within the block.

As this the mountain and the plain that lies Beneath it, with a furious earthquake rock; And from that marble monument proceeds A voice, that every mortal voice exceeds.

LIX The horrid voice exclaims, "Your quarrel leave; For 'twere a deed unjust and inhumane, That brother should of life his sister reave, Or sister by her brother's hand be slain.

Rogero and Marphisa mine, believe!

The tale which I deliver is not vain.

Seed of one father, on one womb ye lay; And first together saw the light of day.

LX "Galaciella's children are ye, whom She to Rogero, hight the second, bare.

Whose brothers, having, by unrighteous doom, Of your unhappy sire deprived that fair, Not heeding that she carried in her womb Ye, who yet suckers of their lineage are, Her in a rotten carcase of a boat, To founder in mid ocean, set afloat.

LXI "But Fortune, that had destined you whilere, And yet unborn, to many a fair emprize, Your mother to that lonely sh.o.r.e did steer, Which overright the sandy Syrtes lies.

Where, having given you birth, that spirit dear Forthwith ascended into Paradise.

A witness of the piteous case was I, So Heaven had willed, and such your destiny!

LXII "I to the dame as descent burial gave As could be given upon that desert sand.

Ye, well enveloped in my vest, I save, And bear to Mount Carena from the strand; And make a lioness leave whelps and cave, And issue from the wood, with semblance bland.

Ye, twice ten months, with mickle fondness bred, And from her paps the milky mother fed.

LXIII "Needing to quit my home upon a day, And journey through the country, (as you can Haply remember ye) we are on our way, Were overtaken by an Arab clan.

Those robbers thee, Marphisa, bore away: While young Rogero 'scaped, who better ran.

Bereaved of thee, they woful loss I wept, And with more watchful care thy brother kept.

LXIV "Rogero, if Atlantes watched thee well, While yet he was alive, thou best dost know.

I the fixed stars had heard of thee foretell, That thou shouldst perish by a treacherous foe In Christian land; and still their influence fell Was ended, laboured to avert the blow; Nor having power in fine thy will to guide, I sickened sore, and of my sorrow died.

LXV "But here, before my death, for in this glade I knew thou should'st with bold Marphisa fight, I with huge stones, ama.s.sed by h.e.l.lish aid, Had this fair monument of marble dight; And I to Charon with loud outcries said; I would not he should hence convey my sprite, Till here, prepared in deadly fray to strive, Rogero and his sister should arrive.

LXVI "Thus has my spirit for this many a day Waited thy coming in these beauteous groves; So be no more to jealous fears a prey, O Bradamant, because Rogero loves.