Chides his neglect, recalling to his thought
Some valu'd purpose, midst his zeal forgot,
And, ere he sees his lord, with eager care
Bends every power th' omission to repair:
The angel thus will not to GoD ascend,
Till future deeds his error past amend.
To where before in hallow'd cloisters plac'd,
He Discord met, he ply'd his wings in haste:
Again he found, where midst the monks she sate,
And at a chapter urg'd the dire debate:
Pleas'd with their strife she view'd with joyful eye,
Cast at each other, prayers and masses fly.
With holy wrath the heavenly angel burn'd,
Her by the locks he seiz'd, and seizing spurn'd;
Then in his hand a crosier swift he took,
And on her head, her arms, and shoulder broke.
Mercy! ah, mercy! (loud the fury yell'd,
While close the heavenly nunciate's knees she held)
But Michael set not yet the fiend at large,'
Till to the Saracens, with weighty charge,
He thus dismiss'd her---Hence! nor more forsake
Yon hostile camp my heavier wrath to wake.
Though Discord, sorely bruis'd with back and breast The livid marks of many a stripe confess'd, Yet trembling more with fear of future harm, From the strong power of that angelic arm; Her bellows swift she seiz'd with kindled fire, And store of fuel that might well conspire T' increase the flame, with which her ruthless art Lights up fell strife, that rankling in the heart, To Rodomont and Mandricardo spread,
With good Rogero: these the fury led
Before the king, for now each peril o'er
From Christian foes, their legions fear'd no more
A new assault from Charles' defeated power.
Their quarrels told, each to the monarch shows
The causes whence their late dissentions rose,
And begg'd his voice the contest to decide,
By whom in arms their claims should first be try'd.
Marphisa with the rest attention won,
Eager to end her combat late begun,
Which first the Tartar urg'd; nor would she yield
A day, an hour, her title to the field;
But with a generous warmth enforc'd her right,
To meet with instant arms the Tartar knight.
Not less would Rodomont conclude the strife,
That to himself or rival gives the wife;
The mighty strife, by joint consent delay'd,
To give their friendly camp and sovereign aid.
Rogero would annul his claim, and vow'd
That ill his honour Rodomont allow'd
From him the steed unjustly to detain,
And not in battle first the deed maintain.
More to perplex their broils the Tartar knight
Stept forth, and loud deny'd Rogero's right
To bear the bird with silver wings display'd:
And, as he spoke, such rage his bosom sway'd,
He dar'd the three at once to combat call,
By one sole trial to determine all:
Alike the rest in mingled fight had clos'd,
But that the king his high commands oppos'd.
King Agramant, that further strife may cease,
With prayers and soothing words entreats the peace,
In vain he sooths and prays---with deafen'd ear,
Each knight refuses peace or truce to hear :
And now his thoughts suggest the warriors' names
Inscrib'd on lots shall fix their several claims:
He bids four scrolls the written names disclose:
One Rodomont, and Mandricardo shows:
With Mandricardo one Rogero bears:
Rodomont with Rogero one declares:
One Mandricardo with Marphisa joins :
These to be drawn, as fickle chance inclines,
The king commands; and lo! the first that came
Bore Sarza's king* and Mandricardo's name.
Next, with Rogero Mandricardo stood:
Rodomont and Rogero third were view'd :
Last, Mandricardo with Marphisa join'd;
Which sore displeas'd the martial virgin's mind.
Not better pleas'd his lot Rogero saw,
Lest he*, decreed the foremost chance to draw, Should wage such conflict with the Tartar knight, 345 Marphisa and himself might lose their right
To meet the son of Agrican in fight.
Not far from Paris' walls a tract of ground
Was seen, a little mile in compass round;
Where, in theatric guise, the seats dispos'd,
With gentle rise a middle space enclos'd.
There once a castle stood, but now o'erthrown
By wars and time no more the place was known.
The lists were here design'd; with busy care
The workmen clear'd the ground and form'd a square
Of large extent, and fenc'd on either hand,
With two wide gates, as ancient rites demand;
And at the barrier's end, the lists to close,
On either side a fair pavilion rose.
Now came the day, when swords must fix the right,
Nam'd by the king, and wish'd by either knight:
Plac'd in the tent that to the west appears,
His giant limbs the king of Algiers rears,
There bold Ferrau and Sacripant assist,
With scaly hide to arm him for the list:
And where the eastern gate its valves expands,
With king Gradasso Falsirones stands,
These for the son of Agrican* employ
Their aid, to deck him with the arms of Troy.
High on a lofty throne, in royal state,
The king of Spain and king of Afric sate:
Next Stordilano and the peers were plac'd
Above the rest, in rank and honours grac❜d.
Happy is he who on some rising height,
Or tufted tree can sit to view the sight!
Great is the press, and deep on every side,
Through all the camp, was pour'd the mingled tide.
Castilia's queen was present; many a queen
And princess fair, with noble dames were seen,
From Arragon, Castile, Granada's land,
And near the bound where Atlas' pillars stand.
There Stordilano's daughter, with the rest,
Appears in robes of various colour drest:
One vest was green, and one a paly red
Of soften'd dye, like roses newly shed:
A garb Marphisa wore, that might proclaim
(Succinct and simple) both the knight and dame.
Like her apparell'd, near Thermodöon's flood,
Hippolyta with all her virgins stood.
Already in his coat of arms array'd,
That royal Agramant's device display'd,
The herald enter'd, in the list to draw
The bounds prescrib'd, and state the duel's law.
While now impatient throngs demand the fight,
While oft their murmurs chide, and oft invite
Each tardy champion; sudden in their ear
From Mandricardo's tent a noise they hear,
Loud and more loud, deriv'd from wrathful words
Between the Sericane and Tartar lords.
Soon as the king of Sericane had drest
The Tartar monarch in his martial vest,
He stood prepar'd to gird the sword, which, try'd
In battle oft, had grac'd Orlando's side,
When DURINDANA on the hilt he views,
And that device Almontes wont to use,
From whom, long since, beside a limpid brook,
This sword, while yet a youth, Orlando took.
He saw, and knew full well the famous sword,
That arm'd the hand of great Anglante's lord;
Which prize to gain he left his native shore,
With such a force as ne'er was seen before;
And, some few years elaps'd, Castilia view'd,
And France itself beneath his arms subdu'd.
He marvell'd now, by what strange means obtain'd
He saw this sword in Mandricardo's hand,
Then ask'd what chance had given the fatal blade,
And when and where he from the earl convey'd
The precious prize-The Tartar prince reply'd :
Erewhile in fight Orlando's force I try'd :
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