Orlando Furioso Part 49

LII Almontes' memory, through the Moorish bands, Makes every bosom with such ardour glow, They deem 'tis better to use arms and hands In fight, than turn their backs upon the foe.

Taller than all William of Burnwich stands, An Englishman, whom Dardinel brings low, And equals with the rest; then smites upon, And cleaves, the head of Cornish Aramon.

LIII Down fell this Aramon, and to afford Him succour, thitherward his brother made; But from the shoulder him Zumara's lord Cleft to the fork, with his descending blade; Next Bogio de Vergalla's belly gored, And from his debt absolved (the forfeit paid) Who to return within six months, if life Were granted him, had promised to his wife.

LIV Lurcanio next met Dardinello's eye; He upon earth Dorchino had laid low, Pierced through the throat, and hapless Gardo nigh Cleft to the teeth; at him, as all too slow, He from Altheus vainly seeks to fly, Whom as his heart Lurcanio loves, a blow Upon his head behind the Scotchman speeds; And. slaughtered by the stroke, the warrior bleeds.

LV Dardinel, to avenge him, took a spear, And, should he lay the fierce Lurcanio dead, Vowed to his Mahomet, if he could hear, The mosque should have his empty arms; this said, Ranging the field in haste, that cavalier He in the flank, with thrust so full and dread, Encountered, that it went through either side: And he to his to strip the baron cried.

LVI From me it sure were needless to demand, If Ariodantes, when his brother fell, Was grieved; if he with his avenging hand Among the d.a.m.ned would send Sir Dardinell; But all access the circling troops withstand And bar, no less baptized than infidel: Yet would he venge himself, and with his blade, Now here, now there, an open pa.s.sage made.

LVII He charges, chases, breaks, and overthrows Whoever cross him on the crowded plain; And Dardinello, who his object knows, Would fain the wish content; but him the train Impedes as well, which round about him flows, And renders aye his every purpose vain.

If one on all sides thins the Moorish rank, The other slays Scot, Englishman, and Frank.

LVIII Fortune still blocked their path throughout the day, So that they met not, 'mid that chivalry, And kept one as a mightier champion's prey; For rarely man escapes his destiny.

Behold the good Rinaldo turns that way!

That, for this one no refuge there might be.

Lo! good Rinaldo comes: him Fortune guides, And for his sword King Dardinel provides.

LIX But here enough for this one while is shown Of their ill.u.s.trious doings in the west; 'Tis time I seek Sir Gryphon, and make known How he, with fury burning in his breast, That rabble-rout had broke and overthrown, Struck with more fear than ever men possest.

Thither speeds Norandine on that alarm, And for his guard above a thousand arm.

LX King Norandine, girt with peer and knight, Seeing on every side the people fly, Rides to the gates, with squadron duly dight, And at his hest the portals open fly.

Meanwhile Sir Gryphon, having put to flight The weak and worthless rabble far and nigh, The scorned arms (to keep him from that train), Such as they were, took up and donned again.

LXI And nigh a temple strongly walled, and round Whose base a moat for its protection goes, Upon a little bridge takes up his ground, That him his enemies may not enclose.

Lo! loudly shouting, and with threatening sound, A mighty squadron through the gateway flows.

The valiant Gryphon changes not his place, And shows how small his fear by act and face.

LXII But when, approaching near, he saw the band, He sallied forth to meet them by the way; And wielding still his sword in either hand, Made cruel havoc in the close array.

Then on the narrow bridge resumed his stand, Nor there his hunters only held at bay: Anew he sallied, and returned anew, Aye leaving b.l.o.o.d.y signs when he withdrew.

LXIII Fore-stroke and back he deals, and on the ground Hors.e.m.e.n and foot o'erthrows on every side: This while the ample mob the knight surround, And more and more the warfare rages wide.

At length Sir Gryphon fears he shall be drowned, (So waxed their numbers) in the increasing tide; And hurt in the left shoulder, through his mail, And thigh, his wind as well begins to fail.

LXIV But Valour, who so oft befriends her own, Makes him find grace in Norandino's eyes; Who, while alarmed, he hurries there, o'erthrown So many men, such heaps of dead espies, While he views wounds, which Hector's hand alone He weens could deal, -- to him all testifies That he had put an undeserved shame Upon a cavalier of mighty name.

LXV Next seeing him more near, whose falchion's sweep Had dealt such deaths amid his chivalry, And raised about himself that horrid heap, And stained the water with that b.l.o.o.d.y dye, He thought that he beheld Horatius keep, Singly, the bridge against all Tuscany; And vext, and anxious to remove the stain, Recalled his men, and that with little pain.

LXVI And, lifting his bare hand, in sign affied, From ancient times, of treaty and of truce, Repenting him, he to Sir Gryphon cried, "It grieves me sorely, and I cannot choose But own my sin: let counsels which misguide, And my own little wit, such fault excuse.

What by the vilest knight I thought to do, I to the best on earth have done in you.

LXVII "And though the bitter injuries and shame That have to thee through ignorance been done, Are equalled, and all cancelled by thy fame, And merged, in truth, in glory thou hast won; Whatever satisfaction thou canst claim, Within my power or knowledge, count upon, When I know how atonement may be made, By city, castle, or by money paid.

LXVIII "Demand of me this kingdom's moiety, And from this day thou its possessor art, Since not alone thy worth deserves this fee, But merits, I with this should give my heart; Then, pledge of faith and lasting love, to me, In the meanwhile, thy friendly hand impart."

So saying, from his horse the king descended, And towards Gryphon his right-hand extended.

LXIX When he beheld the monarch's altered cheer, Who bent to clasp his neck, towards him paced, His sword and rancour laid aside, the peer Him humbly underneath the hips embraced.

King Norandine, who saw the sanguine smear Of his two wounds, bade seek a leech in haste; And bade them softly with the knight resort Towards the town, and lodge him in his court.

LXX Here, wounded, he remained some days before He could bear arms: but him, in the design Of seeking out Sir Aquilant once more, And good Astolpho, left in Palestine, I quit; they vainly did his path explore, After Sir Gryphon left the holy shrine, Through Solyma in every place of note, And many, from the Holy Land remote.

LXXI One and the other are alike to seek In the inquiry where the knight may use; But they encounter with the pilgrim-Greek, Who of false Origilla gives them news; Relating, as of her he haps to speak, That towards Antioch she her way pursues, By a new leman of that city charmed, Who her with fierce and sudden flame had warmed.

LXXII Aquilant asked him, if he had possest Sir Gryphon of the news to them conveyed, Who, hearing that he had, surmised the rest, -- Where he was gone, and by what motive swayed: He followed Origille, was manifest, And had in quest of her for Antioch made, To take her from his rival, and with view On him some memorable scathe to do.

LXXIII Aquilant brooked not Gryphon such a feat, Without him, and alone, should thus a.s.say, And took his armour and pursued his beat; But first besought the duke he would delay To visit France and his paternal seat, Till he from Antioch measured back his way.

At Joppa he embarks, who deems by sea The better and securer way to be.

LXXIV From the south-east up-sprung so strong a breeze, And which for Gryphon's galley blew so right, That the third day he Tyre's famed city sees, And lesser Joppa quick succeeds to sight.

By Zibellotto and Baruti flees, (Cyprus to larboard left) the galley light; From Tripoli to Tortosa shapes her way, And so to Lizza and Lajazzo's bay.

LXXV From thence, towards the east the pilot veered Her ready tiller, prompt his course to scan; And straightway for the wide Orontes steered, And watched his time, and for the harbour ran.

Aquilant, when his bark the margin neared, Bade lower the bridge, and issued, horse and man, It armour, and along the river wended, Up-stream, till he his way at Antioch ended.

LXXVI To inform himself of that Martano bent; And heard that he to Antioch was addrest, With Origilla, where a tournament Was to be solemnized by royal hest.

To track whom Aquilant was so intent, a.s.sured that Gryphon had pursued his quest, He Antioch left again that very day, But not by sea again would take his way.

LXXVII He towards Lidia and Larissa goes, -- At rich Aleppo makes a longer stay.

G.o.d, to make plain that he, even here, bestows On evil and on good their fitting pay, At a league's distance from Mamuga, throws Martano in the avenging brother's way, Martano travelling with the tourney's prize, Displayed before his horse in showy wise.

LXXVIII Sir Aquilant believed, at the first show, His brother he in vile Martano spied.

For arms and vest, more white than virgin snow, The coward in the warrior's sight belied, And sprang towards him, with that joyful "Oh!"

By which delight is ever signified; But changed his look and tone, when, nearer brought He sees that he is not the wight he sought:

LXXIX And through that evil woman's treachery, Deemed Gryphon murdered by the cavalier; And, "Tell me," he exclaimed, "thou, who must be Traitor and thief -- both written in thy cheer -- Whence are these arms? and wherefore do I thee View on the courser of my brother dear?

Say is my brother slaughtered or alive?

How didst thou him of horse and arms deprive?"

Lx.x.x When Origille hears him, in affright She turns her palfrey, and for flight prepares: But Aquilant, more quick, in her despite, Arrests the traitress, ere she further fares.

At the loud threats of that all furious knight, By whom he so was taken unawares, Martan' turns pale and trembles like a leaf, Nor how to act or answer knows the thief.

Lx.x.xI Aquilant thundered still, and, to his dread, A falchion, pointed at his gullet, shewed, And swore with angry menaces, the head From him and Origille should be hewed, Save in all points the very truth be said.

Awhile on this ill-starred Martano chewed, Revolving still what pretext he might try To lessen his grave fault, then made reply:

Lx.x.xII "Know, sir, you see my sister in this dame, And one of good and virtuous parents born, Though she has lately led a life of shame, And been by Gryphon foully brought to scorn; And, for I loathed such blot upon our name, Yet weened that she could ill by force be torn From such a puissant wight, I laid a scheme Her by address and cunning to redeem.

Lx.x.xIII "With her I planned the means, who in her breast Nursed the desire a better life to prove, That she, when Gryphon was retired to rest, In silence from the warrior should remove.

This done: lest he should follow on our quest, And so undo the web we vainly wove, Him we deprived of horse and arm, and we Are hither come together, as you see."

Lx.x.xIV His cunning might have proved of good avail, For Aquilant believed him easily; And, save in taking Gryphon's horse and mail, He to the knight had done no injury; But that he wrought so high the specious tale, As manifested plainly, 'twas a lie.

In all 'twas perfect, save that he the dame Had for his sister vouched with whom he came.

Lx.x.xV Aquilant had in Antioch chanced to know She was his concubine, -- well certified Of this by many, -- and in furious glow Exclaimed; "Thou falsest robber, thou hast lied!"

And dealt, with that, the recreant such a blow, He drove two grinders down his throat; then tied (Not sought Martano with his foe to cope) The caitiff's arms behind him with a rope.

Lx.x.xVI And, though she for excuse tried many wiles, Did thus as well by Origille untrue; And till he reached Damascus' lofty piles, Them by town, street, or farm, behind him drew: And will a thousand times a thousand miles, With sorrow and with suffering, drag the two, Till he his brother find; who, at his pleasure, May vengeance to the guilty couple measure.

Lx.x.xVII Sir Aquilant made squires and beasts as well Return with him, and to Damascus came; And heard Renown, throughout the city, swell, Plying her ample wings, Sir Gryphon's name.