Orlando Furioso Part 121

XIX Rogero, on beholding master, mate, And men abandoning the s.h.i.+p with speed, In doublet, as he is, sans mail and plate, Hopes in the skiff, a refuge in that need: But finds her overcharged with such a weight, And afterwards so many more succeed, That the o'erwhelming wave the pinnace drown, And she with all her wretched freight goes down;

XX Goes down, and, foundering, drags with her whoe'er Leaving the larger bark, on her relies.

Then doleful shrieks are heard, 'mid sob and tear, Calling for succour on unpitying skies: But for short s.p.a.ce that shrilling cry they rear; For, swoln with rage and scorn, the waters rise, And in a moment wholly stop the vent Whence issues that sad clamour and lament.

XXI One sinks outright, no more to reappear; Some rise, and bounding with the billows go: Their course, with head uplifted, others steer; An arm, an unshod leg, those others show: Rogero, who the tempest will not fear, Springs upward to the surface from below; And little distant sees that rock, in vain Eschewed by him and his attendant train.

XXII Himself with hands and feet the warrior rows, Hoping by force thereof to win the sh.o.r.e; Breast boldly the importunate flood, and blows With his unwearied breath the foam before.

Waxing meanwhile, the troubled water rose, And from the rock the abandoned vessel bore; Quitted of those unhappy men, who die (So curst their lot) the death from which they fly.

XXIII Alas! for man's deceitful thoughts and blind!

The s.h.i.+p escaped from wreck, where hope was none; When master and when men their charge resigned, And let the vessel without guidance run.

It would appear the wind has changed its mind, On seeing all that sailed in her are gone; And blows the vessel from those shallows free, Through better course, into a safer sea.

XXIV She, having drifted wildly with her guide, Without him, made directly Africk's strand, Two or three miles of waste Biserta wide, Upon the quarter facing Egypt's land; And, as the sea went down and the wind died, Stood bedded in that weary waste of sand.

Now thither Roland roved, who paced the sh.o.r.e; As I in other strain rehea.r.s.ed before;

XXV And willing to discover if alone, Laden, or light, the stranded vessel were, He, Olivier, and Monodantes' son, Aboard her in a shallow bark repair: Beneath the hatchways they descend, but none Of human kind they see; and only there Find good Frontino, with the trenchant sword And gallant armour of his youthful lord;

XXVI Who was so hurried in his hasty flight He had not even time to take his sword; To Orlando known; which, Balisardo hight, Was his erewhile; the tale's upon record, And ye have read it all, as well I wite; How Falerina lost it to that lord, When waste as well her beauteous bowers he laid; And how from him Brunello stole the blade;

XXVII And how beneath Carena, on the plain Brunello on Rogero this bestowed.

How matchless was that faulchion's edge and grain, To him experience had already showed; I say, Orlando; who was therefore fain, And to heaven's king with grateful thanks o'erflowed; And deemed, and often afterwards so said, Heaven for such pressing need had sent the blade:

XXVIII Such pressing need, in that he had to fight With the redoubted king of Sericane; And knew that he, besides his fearful might, Was lord of Bayard and of Durindane.

Not knowing them, Anglantes' valiant knight So highly rated not the plate and chain As he that these had proved: they valour were, But valued less as good than rich and fair;

XXIX And, for of harness he had little need, Charmed, and against all weapons fortified, To Olivier he left the warlike weed: Not so the sword; which to his waist he tied: To Brandimart Orlando gave the steed: Thus equally that spoil would he divide With his companions twain, in equal share, Who partners in that rich discovery were.

x.x.x Against the day of fight, in goodly gear And new, those warriors seek their limbs to deck.

Blazoned upon Orlando's s.h.i.+eld appear The burning bold and lofty Babel's wreck.

A lyme-dog argent bears Sir Olivier, Couchant, and with the leash upon his neck: The motto; TILL HE COMES: In gilded vest And worthy of himself he will be drest.

x.x.xI Bold Brandimart designed upon the day Of battle, for his royal father's sake, And his own honour, no device more gay Than a dim surcoat to the field to take.

By gentle Flordelice for that dark array, Was wrought the fairest facing she could make.

With costly jewels was the border sown; Sable the vest, and of one piece alone.

x.x.xII With her own hand the lady wrought that vest, Becoming well the finest plate and chain, Wherein the valiant warrior should be drest, And cloak his courser's croup and chest and mane: But, from that day when she herself addrest Unto this task, till ended was her pain, She showed no sign of gladness; nor this while, Nor after, was she ever seen to smile.

x.x.xIII The heartfelt fear, the torment evermore Of losing Brandimart the dame pursued.

She him whilere a hundred times and more Engaged in fierce and fearful fight had viewed; Nor ever suchlike terror heretofore Had blanched her cheek and froze her youthful blood; And this new sense of fear increased her trouble, And made the trembling lady's heart beat double.

x.x.xIV The warriors to the wind their canvas rear, When point device the three accoutred are.

Bold Sansonet is left, with England's peer, Intrusted with the faithful army's care.

Flordelice, p.r.i.c.ked at heart with cruel fear, Filling the heavens with vow, lament and prayer, As far as they by sight can followed be, Follows their sails upon the foaming sea.

x.x.xV Scarce, with much labour, the two captains led Her, gazing on the waters, from the sh.o.r.e, And to the palace drew, where on her bed They left the lady, grieved and trembling sore.

Meanwhile upon their quest those others sped, Whom mercy wind and weather seaward bore.

Their vessel made that island on the right; The field appointed for so fell a fight.

x.x.xVI Orlando disembarks, with his array, His kinsman Olivier and Brandimart; Who on the side which fronts the eastern ray, Encamp them, and not haply without art.

King Agramant arrives that very day, And tents him on the contrary part.

But for the sun is sinking fast, forborne Is their encounter till the following morn.

x.x.xVII Until the skies the dawning light receive, Armed servants keep their watch both there and here.

The valiant Brandimart resorts that eve Thitherward, where their tents the paynims rear; And parleys, by this n.o.ble leader's leave, With Agramant; for they were friends whilere; And, underneath the banner of the Moor, He into France had pa.s.sed from Africk's sh.o.r.e.

x.x.xVIII After salutes, and joining hand with hand, Fair reasons, as a friend, the faithful knight Pressed on the leader of the paynim band Why he should not the appointed battle fight; And every town -- restored to his command -- Laying 'twixt Nile and Calpe's rocky height, Vowed he, with Roland's license, should receive, If upon Mary's Son he would believe.

x.x.xIX He said: "For loved you were, and are by me, This counsel give I; that I deem it sane, Since I pursue it, you a.s.sured must be: Mahound I hold but as an idol vain; In Jesus Christ, the living G.o.d I see, And to conduct you in my way were fain; I' the way of safety fain would have you move With me and all those others that I love.

XL "In this consists your welfare; counsel none Save this, in your disaster, can avail; And, of all counsels least, good Milo's son To meet in combat, clad in plate and mail; In that the profit, if the field be won, Weighs not against the loss, in equal scale.

If you be conqueror, little gain ensues, Yet little loss results not, if you lose.

XLI "Were good Orlando and we others slain, Banded with him to conquer or to die; Wherefore, through this, ye should your lost domain Acquire anew, forsooth, I see not, I; Nor is there reason hope to entertain That, if we lifeless on the champaigne lie, Men should be wanting in King Charles's host To guard in Africa his paltriest post."

XLII Thus Brandimart to Afick's cavalier; And much would have subjoined; but, on his side, That knight, with angry voice and haughty cheer, The pagan interrupted, and replied: " 'Tis sure temerity and madness sheer Moves you and whatsoever wight beside, That counsels matter, be it good or ill, Uncalled a counsellor's duty to fulfil;

XLIII "And how to think, from love those counsels flow Which once you bore and bear me, as you say, (To speak the very truth) I do not know, Who with Orlando see you here, this day.

I ween that, knowing you are doomed to woe, And marked for the devouring dragon's prey, Ye all mankind would drag to nether h.e.l.l, In your eternity of pains to dwell.

XLIV "If I shall win or lose, remount my throne, Or pa.s.s my future days in exile drear, G.o.d only knows, whose purpose is unknown To me, in turn, or to Anglantes' peer.

Befall what may, by me shall nought be done Unworthy of a king, through shameful fear.

If death must be my certain portion, I, Rather than wrong my princely blood, will die.

XLV "Ye may depart, who, save ye better play The warrior, in to-morrow's listed fight, Then ye have plaid the emba.s.sador to-day, In arms will second ill Anglantes' knight."

Agramant ended so his furious say; -- His angry bosom boiling with despite.

So said -- the warriors parted, to repose, Till from the neighbouring sea the day arose.

XLVI When the first whitening of the dawn was seen, Armed, in a moment leapt on horseback all; Short parley past the puissant foes between.

There was no stop; there was no interval; For they have laid in rest their lances keen: But I into too foul a fault should fall Meseems, my lord, if, while their deeds I tell I let Rogero perish in the swell.

XLVII Cleaving the flood with nimble hands and feet He swims, amid the horrid surges' roar, On him the threatening wind and tempest beat, But him his hara.s.sed conscience vexes more.

Christ's wrath he fears; and, since in waters sweet (When time and fair occasion served of yore) He, in his folly, baptism little prized, Fears in these bitter waves to be baptized.

XLVIII Those many promises remembered are Whereby he to his lady-love was tied, Those oaths which sworn to good Rinaldo were, And were in nought fulfilled upon his side.

To G.o.d, in hope that he would hear and spare, That he repented, oftentimes he cried, And, should he land, and scape that mortal scaith, To be a Christian, vowed in heart and faith;

XLIX And ne'er, in succour of the Moorish train, With sword or lance, the faithful to offend; And into France, where he to Charlemagne Would render honour due, forthwith to wend; Nor Bradamant with idle words again To cheat, but bring his love to honest end.

A miracle it is that, as he vows, He swims more lightly and his vigour grows.

L His vigour grows; unwearied is his mind; And still his arms from him the billow throw, This billow followed fast by that behind; Whereof one lifts him high, one sinks him low.

Rising and falling, vext by wave and wind, So gains the Child that sh.o.r.e with labour slow; And where the rocky hill slopes seaward most, All drenched and dropping, climbs the rugged coast.

LI All the others that had plunged into the flood In the end, o'erwhelmed by those wild waters died.

Rogero, as to Providence seemed good, Mounted the solitary islet's side.

When safe upon the barren rock he stood, A new alarm the stripling terrified; To be within those narrow bounds confined, And die, with hards.h.i.+p and with hunger pined.

LII Yet he with an unconquered heart, intent To suffer what the heavens for him ordained, O'er those hard stones, against that steep ascent, Towards the top with feet intrepid strained; And not a hundred yards had gone, when, bent With years, and with long fast and vigil stained, He worthy of much wors.h.i.+p one espied, In hermit's weed, descend the mountain's side;