A courteous knight I saw with pious pains
Collect the mail and weapons from the plains,
And these collecting on a sapling near
In martial pomp the splendid trophy rear.
But thither came, on that ill-fated day,
The son of Agrican, who bore away
The hapless champion's sword---think what disgrace,
What loss may thus attend the Christian race,
That Durindana, by the Tartar worn,
Should once again a Pagan's side adorn.
With this he Brigliadoro thence convey'd,
That near unrein'd without a master stray'd.
Few days are pass'd since I Orlando left
Naked, devoid of shame, of sense bereft:
Who (strange to tell) unhous'd, unshelter'd lies,
And fills each cave and wood with dreadful cries.
She said; and told how on the bridge she view'd, 330
Where close engag'd with Rodomont he stood,
Till both, embrac'd, fell headlong in the flood.
To every chief that held Orlando dear,
(The dame pursu’d) to every courteous ear
The tale I tell, till one with pious care
To Paris or some friendly place shall bear
The wretched chief, and art or medicine find
To cure the frenzy of his moon-struck mind:
And ah! could Brandimart his suffesings know,
Ilow would his soul with tender pity glow,
And every means essay to heal his kinsman's woe!
Ver. 314. A courteous knight I saw--] Flordelis, as the reader may recollect, was present when Zerbino and Isabella collected to. gether the arms of Orlando, and was witness to the combat between Zerbino and Mandricardo, in which the former received his death's wound; but it does not appear that Flordelis knew either Zerbino or Isabella.
This dame was Flordelis, the lovely wife
Of Brandimart, far dearer than his life:
At Paris him she sought, but sought in vain:
And now she told how, midst the Pagan train,
Debate and hatred for that famous sword
Embroil'd Gradasso and the Tartar lord;
Till Mandricardo stern of life bereft,
The fatal sword was to Gradasso left.
Struck with the news Rinaldo stood opprest,
And thrilling sorrow fill'd his noble breast:
His heart in melting softness seem'd to run,
Like fleecy snows dissolving to the sun;
Resolv'd, where'er forlorn Orlando stray'd,
To trace his steps, and yield him friendly aid;
But since by chance, or Heaven's all-ruling mind,
He saw near Paris' walls his squadron join'd,
He first decreed to raise the siege, and chase
From royal Charles th' exulting Pagan race;
But, anxious for th' event, delay'd th' assault,
Till night had shaded o'er th' ethereal vault,
And through the camp the toils of day had shed
Lethean sleep on every drowsy head.
Far in the wood to wait th' appointed hour
All day conceal'd he kept his banded power;
But when the sun the darkening skies forsook,
And to the lower world his journey took;
When harmless serpents, bears, and all the train
Of fabled beasts, adorn the starry plain,
Ver. 368. When harmless serpents,--] By this expression is meant the constellations of stars, to which the poets have affixed the names of the goat, the bull, the lion, the serpent, and other animals, feigned to have been placed in the Heavens.
Unseen in presence of the greater light,
Rinaldo leads his troop, and to their might
With Vivian, Guido's, Sansonetto's fame,
Adds Gryphon, Aquilant, Álardo's name.
His first attack surpriz'd the sleeping guard,
And these he slew; for no defence prepar❜d :
The trembling Moors, in evil hour perceive
No cause for mirth but ample cause to grieve.
How should a naked, timorous, feeble train
With such a force th' unequal strife maintain?
To strike the Saracens with deeper dread,
When to the charge his band Rinaldo led,
He pour'd the horn and trumpet's clangor round,
And bade each tongue his well-known name resound.
Touch'd by the spur Bayardo seem'd not slow,
But leapt at once the trenches of the foe:
The foot he trampled, and the horse o'er-turn'd,
And tents to earth and rich pavilions spurn'd.
Amid the Pagans none so bold appear'd,
But every hair was bristled when they heard
Rinaldo's name above the tumults rise,
And Mount Albano echo'd to the skies!
Swift fled the troops of Spain, as swift the Moor,
None stay'd behind their riches to secure.
Him Guido follow'd, and with equal might
The sons of Olivero rush'd to fight.
Not less Richardo, nor Alardo less,
With Aldiger and Vivian, cleave the press:
Guichardo next with Richardetto moves,
And each in arms his single valour proves.
Seven hundred that in Mount Albano dwell'd
And round the neighbouring towns, Rinaldo held
Beneath his rule: these rais'd the fearless hand,
In heat or cold, a firm determin'd band.
Not braver troops of old Achilles sway'd,
Though the gaunt Myrmidons his word obey'd.
Each in himself such dauntless force compriz'd,
A hundred here a thousand foes despis'd.
Though good Rinaldo might not boast to hold
Extended land, or heaps of treasur'd gold:
Yet such his conduct, such his fair regard
To every warrior, while with all he shar'd
His little store, that none amidst the crew
For proffer'd favour from his side withdrew.
From Mount Albano ne'er these bands he took,
But when some weighty cause their arms bespoke 415
In parts remote; and now to aid his prince
He left his castle-walls with weak defence.
This train, assaulting now the Moorish host,
This matchless train whose valour's praise I boast,
So rag'd, as on Galesus' verdant mead,
The savage wolf amidst the woolly breed:
Ver. 408. Though good Rinaldo--] The low state of Rinaldo's finances is mentioned in several of the old romances; and in the adventure of the fairy of riches in Boyardo, where he is set at liberty by Orlando, he attempts to carry off a chair of solid gold, alledging that it will furnish the pay of his troops; this action of Rinaldo, and some other passages in the romances, will serve to explain the observation of the curate and barber in their scrutiny of Don Quixotte's library, where Rinaldo and his train are called greater thieves than Cacus. Ariosto in taking up the story, has judiciously dropt this part of his character.
Ver. 420.---Galesus--] Galesus, a river near Tarentum, where the sheep, from the fertility of the pasture, had remarkable thick wool.
Or oft as near Ciniphius' held in chace,
The lordly lion rends the bearded race.
Imperial Charles (who heard Albano's force,
Prepar'd t' attack the camp with silent course)
Stood ready arm’'d, and at th' expected hour
Join'd, with his Paladins, Rinaldo's power.
With him came wealthy Monodontes' * son,
Whose love and truth fair Flordelis had won.
Him long she sought, and now, from far reveal'd,
Observ'd his buckler blazing o'er the field.
When Brandimart his dearest consort view'd,
The fight forgotten, gentler thoughts ensu❜d:
He ran, he held her close in speechless bliss,
And press'd her lips with many an ardent kiss.
Great was the trust of ancient times display'd
In the fair consort or the blooming maid.
Who, unaccompany'd, could safely rove
In lands unknown, through mountain, field, or grove. And, when returning, found their dear-held name Clear as their form from breath of tainting fame! Here to her lord the dame began to tell
What dreadful chance Anglante's knight befel :
Not from report the fatal tale she drew,
Her mournful eyes had prov'd th' event too true:
Then of the bridge she told where every knight
Was stay'd by Rodomont in dangerous fight;
Ver. 422.---Ciniphius---] The Cyniphians were a people of Africa, whose country was extremely fruitful.
Ver. 427.--with his Paladins,] In the xxviith Book, ver. 232, he tells us that the Paladins, except Ugero and Olivero, were made prisoners, and no mention has been since made of their deliverance.
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