His rival sought, and all he met o'erthrew With rout and terror of the Christian crew: The troops of Lybia and the troops of France. 680 death of Gryphon. I had left behind me at the castle the heads of my murdered children, which served as an instrument of vengeance in the hands of Stella: these she took, and carried them to Marchino, with dreadful exclamations, reproaching him with his bloody villany in the death of Gryphon, and the massacre of his people. Marchino, in a phrenzy of fury would have slain the dame; but his lustful passion, which, even in the present moment, was kept alive by her beauty, instigated him to a revenge more dreadful than a thousand deaths: he ordered the putrid dead corpse of Gryphon, still unburied, to be brought before him, and caused the lady to be bound to it, in which condition he accomplished his unheard of and hellish purpose. The king of Orgagna and I now arrived with a numerous force; which, when the villain heard, he caused the lady to be murdered, and afterwards, to shew how far human wickedness could reach, continued, with horrid abomination, to defile her breathless body. The troops which we brought soon made themselves masters of the castle. Marchino was immediately torn in pieces by the fury of the people, and the remains of the wretched Gryphon and Stella were deposited together in a magnificent tomb erected for that purpose. The king of Orgagna then departing, left me mistress of the castle; when in the ninth month of my residence, we heard a most dreadful noise in the tomb, which terrified the three giants whom the king had left with me for my defence. It happened that one of the giants, who was bolder than the rest, ventured to remove a little the stone that covered the entrance; but he instantly repented his rashness, for a monster that was enclosed therein thrust forth one of his claws, drew the giant forcibly through the opening, and swallowed him in a moment. No one henceforth was hardy enough to approach the tomb, which I caused to be sur rounded with a wall of vast strength: by a device the tomb was then thrown open, from which issued a most tremendous monster, whose form my tongue cannot describe, but which you will behold with your own eyes, when you shall be cast to him to be devoured. By a dreadful custom here established, from all the strangers that arrive, one is every day given for food to this monster, and as we have sometimes more than the daily sacrifice requires, the rest are put to death, and their bleeding limbs exposed, as you see, at the Now here, now there, amidst the warring crowd Still turning where he sees the numerous slain 685 entrance of the castle. This monster will receive no nourishment but the flesh of man, and should he fail of his wonted prey, he would break through the wall that encloses him. For me, wretch that I am! the continual remembrance of that villain, and the meditation on his unparalleled wickedness, have so deadened in ine every sense of humanity, that my soul seems now only delighted with scenes of misery and slaughter!" After the old woman had finished her dreadful narrative, and Rinaldo perceived that his sentence was inevitable, he begged, that at least he might be allowed to meet the monster with all his armour, and with his sword: to which the hag replied, with a ghastly smile, that he might wear his armour, and take what weapons he chose, but that nothing could save his life from that fury, against which strength or courage was of no avail. Next morning Rinaldo was let down within the wall, completely armed with his sword drawn; when the monster, dreadfully gnashing his teeth to the terror of all, stood ready to devour him, while the knight advanced with undaunted resolution. It is no easy task to describe the form of this horrible animal, that was doubtless the diabolical offspring of Marchino from the dead body of Stella. In size he was larger than an ox, his muzzle was like a serpent's, his mouth was of vast width, and his teeth long; his head had the fierceness of a wild boar when in its utmost fury, and from each temple issued a horn that cut the air with a roaring noise: his skin was of divers colours, impenetrable by any weapon; his eyes were like fire, and his hands, resembling the hands of man, were armed with the claws of a lion, and he rent asunder with these and with his teeth, armour of the strongest proof. This monster came with open mouth upon Rinaldo, and a most dreadful battle ensued between them, which lasted from the morning till the evening, and in which the knight vainly endeavoured to pierce the hide of his enemy, who on the other hand had torn away his armour in many places, and wounded him in a terrible manner: Rinaldo now began to grow weak with the loss of blood, when aiming with all his remaining strength a furious stroke, the monster seized his sword and drew it from him. While Rinaldo stood thus unarmed, expecting instant death, Angelica waited with the utmost impatience for the return of Malagigi: at last he came, but without Rinaldo, and related to At length the knight he met, and soon oppos'd, Sword clash'd with sword, when first their spears had clos'd In equal joust, when shiver'd with their might A thousand splinters soar'd with wondrous flight 690 her the dreadful adventure that had befallen him, urging her to go immediately to the assistance of the knight. Angelica, terrified at the danger of Rinaldo, began to load Malagigi with reproaches, but he told her there was not a moment to lose, and immediately put into her hands a cord, a file, and a large cake of wax. Angelica then called upon a demon, who transported her at once through the air, to the place where Rinaldo was reduced to the last extremity. Just before the arrival of Angelica, casting round his eyes to discover any possible means of escaping the jaws of the monster, he espied a beam ten feet from the ground that jutted out from the wall, and exerting all his force, he leapt, and seizing it, took his place thereon beyond the reach of the monster, that weighed down with his enormous bulk, in vain endeavoured repeatedly to seize him. It was now night, and Rinaldo, while he clung to the beam, saw something by the light of the moon that seemed to hover near him, and soon discovered the form of a damsel: this was Angelica; but as soon as he beheld her face, he was ready to quit the beam, and expose himself to the enraged monster rather than be preserved by her assistance. Angelica entreated him in the most soothing manner to seek shelter in her arms from so dreadful a peril; but Rinaldo obstinately persisted in refusing to listen to her, and threatened, unless she left him, to quit his present station. On this Angelica, casting the cord she had brought with her at the monster, at the same time laying the cake of wax before him, departed. The monster immediately seized the wax, and closing his jaws was prevented again from opening them: enraged at this, and leaping here and there with inconceivable fury, he entangled himself in the cord, which Rinaldo seeing, quitted the beam, and recovering his sword, attacked his enemy, unable now to make defence; but when the knight found that all attempts to wound him were fruitless, he leaped upon his back and strangled him. The monster being dead, Rinaldo sought some opening in the wall, the height of which it was impossible to scale; at last he espied an iron grate that opened next the castle, which he for some time in vain tried to force, till seeing the file which Angelica had left behind her, he opened the Soon as Gradasso, less by arms or vest, Than by his strokes the Paladin confess'd; And knew Bayardo by his thundering force. That urg'd through yielding ranks his raging course, The knight with loud reproach, as one who fail'd 695 And keep the faith that knight demands from knight.. So well escap'd, I ne'er again should greet 705 710 grate with this; and was preparing at day break to quit the place, when he was met by a monstrous giant, who as soon as he saw him uttered a loud cry, and fled. The people of the castle, alarmed by the giant, attacked Rinaldo in great numbers, but the knight with his sword Fusberta so exerted himself, that he soon slew or put them to flight: he was afterwards attacked by the giant who had first made him prisoner, whom he overcame; and then advanced to the castle, where the old hag had fortified herself, and where the other giant had taken shelter: this giant now causing the gate to be opened, rushed out against Rinaldo, but was soon slain by him; all which being seen by this detested hag, she, in rage and desperation, threw herself from a balcony a hundred feet high, and was dashed to pieces on the pavement Rinaldo then forced the gates, put all within to the sword, and departed thence in search of other adventures." Orl. Inn. Book I. C. v, vi, vii, viii, ix. Then live secure--but never hope again, Unhors'd to seize a generous courser's rein, If thus thy recreant deeds the name of knighthood stain. Both from their sheath their shining weapons bar'd, But swift Rinaldo interpos'd, and said: Shall others take my quarrel on their head? My sword might prove the truth and here defy 715 720 725 730 He said; the king of Sericane inclin'd To courteous lore, like every gallant mind, Consents to hear the generous warrior tell What chance to draw him from the fight befel. 735 Rinaldo there, with words devoid of art, Remov'd the veil that o'er the truth was spread, 740 * Malagigi. |