Of all the numbers that her arts believ'd, 400 Thou know'st what recompence their loves receiv'd. 405 That could once more his wandering senses bring: 410 Her task perform'd, aside the enchantress threw Her borrow'd form, and stood disclos'd to view; Then to the wondering youth her name reveal'd, Nor kept the cause, for which she came, conceal'd: Sent by the fairest of her sex, whose care 415 No longer could her lover's absence bear; To free him thence, where magic bands control, 420 In shameful servitude, his manly soul: A deeper reverence on his sense t' impose. That gentle maid, whose fond affections burn 425 For thee, and merit well a kind return: This ring, a safe defence from spelful art, Here sends by me, and would have sent her heart, If aught her heart avail'd to give thee aid: 430 The love of Bradamant she then display'd, And, with her other noble virtues join'd, 435 440 By fortune to the place again convey'd, Where many days before his trust was laid, Beholds the unthought of change with vast surprise, Rogero thus, by sage Melissa sent, 445 When to Alcina's sight again he went, For that fair dame, the fairest of the fair, 450 Ver. 447. For that fair dame,] The allegory is here closely kept up; where the eyes of the understanding being cleared by the ring (reason), vice, which before appeared beautiful to the depraved imagination, then resumes its natural deformity. "Spenser's Duessa, who had before appeared young and beautiful, divested of her rich apparel, is discovered to be a loathsome old woman. She is a copy of Ariosto's Alcina. The circumstances of Duessa's discovery are literally translated from the Italian poet. See Fairy Queen.. A loathly wrinkled hag, ill-favour'd, old Her crafty head was altogether bald Was overgrown with scurf and filthy scald, Warton's Obs. on Spenser. spans Her face was wrinkled, sharp, and pale of hue, 455 460 The secret purpose of his wary breast: At length his arms he seiz'd, that long had laid But first, each light suspicion to remove, 465 He told Alcina he desir'd to prove If, living thus a recreant from the field, His hands could yet their wonted weapons wield. So was his falchion nam'd, of temper try'd, 470 He took the buckler, whose enchanted blaze 475 Ver. 469. Balisarda-} The sword stolen from Orlando by Him, Rabicano nam'd, and once the right Of fam'd Astolpho, with that hapless knight And promis'd soon t' instruct him to bestride 480 485 And less they would suspect his flight design'd, 490. Who, still invisible, beside him stood; 495 And forc'd his passage through with pointed steel: 500: Ver. 479.--- Rabicano-] Boyardo relates,. that this horse was produced by enchantment, and nourished only with the air. He was at first the property of Argalia, but when Terrau drove him loose, (see General View of Boyardo's Story) he returned to the cave where he was bred, and whence he was taken by Argalia. Rinaldo, having lost his horse Bayardo, arrives at this cave where Rabican was kept; he kills a giant and two griffins that guarded him, and gets possession of the horse: Rinaldo afterwards going to Albracca, recovers his own from Astolpho, and leaves Rabican with him in his stead. See Orlando Innam. |