Part 28

XLVI These words of theirs in many a soul renewed The sweet remembrance of fair Sophia’s child, Some with salt tears for him their cheeks bedewed, Lest evil betide him mongst the Pagans wild, And every one his valiant prowess showed, And of his battles stories long compiled, Telling the Dane his acts and conquests past, Which made his ears amazed, his heart aghast.

XLVII Now when remembrance of the youth had wrought A tender pity in each softened mind, Behold returned home with all they caught The bands that were to forage late assigned, And with them in abundance great they brought Both flocks and herds of every sort and kind. And corn, although not much, and hay to feed Their noble steeds and coursers when they need.

XLVIII They also brought of misadventure sad Tokens and signs, seemed too apparent true, Rinaldo’s armor, frushed and hacked they had, Oft pierced through, with blood besmeared new; About the camp, for always rumors bad Are farthest spread, these woful tidings flew. Thither assembled straight both high and low, Longing to see what they were loth to know.

XLIX His heavy hauberk was both seen and known, And his brand shield, wherein displayed flies The bird that proves her chickens for her own By looking gainst the sun with open eyes; That shield was to the Pagans often shown, In many a hard and hardy enterprise, But now with many a gash and many a stroke They see, and sigh to see it, frushed and broke.

L While all his soldiers whispered under hand, And here and there the fault and cause do lay, Godfrey before him called Aliprand Captain of those that brought of late this prey, A man who did on points of virtue stand, Blameless in words, and true whate’er he say, “Say,” quoth the duke, “where you this armor had, Hide not the truth, but tell it good or bad.”

LI He answered him, “As far from hence think I As on two days a speedy post well rideth, To Gaza-ward a little plain doth lie, Itself among the steepy hills which hideth, Through it slow falling from the mountains high, A rolling brook twixt bush and bramble glideth, Clad with thick shade of boughs of broad-leaved treen, Fit place for men to lie in wait unseen.

LII “Thither, to seek some flocks or herds, we went Perchance close hid under the green-wood shaw, And found the springing grass with blood besprent, A warrior tumbled in his blood we saw, His arms though dusty, bloody, hacked and rent, Yet well we knew, when near the corse we draw; To which, to view his face, in vain I started, For from his body his fair head was parted;

LIII “His right hand wanted eke, with many a wound The trunk through pierced was from back to breast, A little by, his empty helm we found The silver eagle shining on his crest; To spy at whom to ask we gazed round, A churl then toward us his steps addressed, But when us armed by the corse he spied, He ran away his fearful face to hide:

LIV “But we pursued him, took him, spake him fair, Till comforted at last he answer made, How that, the day before, he saw repair A band of soldiers from that forest shade, Of whom one carried by the golden hair A head but late cut off with murdering blade, The face was fair and young, and on the chin No sign of heard to bud did yet begin.

LV “And how in sindal wrapt away he bore That head with him hung at his saddle-bow. And how the murtherers by the arms they wore, For soldiers of our camp he well did know; The carcass I disarmed and weeping sore, Because I guessed who should that harness owe, Away I brought it, but first order gave, That noble body should be laid in grave.

LVI “But if it be his trunk whom I believe, A nobler tomb his worth deserveth well.” This said, good Aliprando took his leave, Of certain troth he had no more to tell, Sore sighed the duke, so did these news him grieve, Fears in his heart, doubts in his bosom dwell, He yearned to know, to find and learn the truth, And punish would them that had slain the youth.

LVII But now the night dispread her lazy wings O’er the broad fields of heaven’s bright wilderness, Sleep, the soul’s rest, and ease of careful things, Buried in happy peace both more and less, Thou Argillan alone, whom sorrow stings, Still wakest, musing on great deeds I guess, Nor sufferest in thy watchful eyes to creep The sweet repose of mild and gentle sleep.

LVIII This man was strong of limb, and all his ‘says Were bold, of ready tongue, and working sprite, Near Trento born, bred up in brawls and frays, In jars, in quarrels, and in civil fight, For which exiled, the hills and public ways He filled with blood, and robberies day and night Until to Asia’s wars at last he came, And boldly there he served, and purchased fame.

LIX He closed his eyes at last when day drew near. Yet slept he not, but senseless lay opprest With strange amazedness and sudden fear Which false Alecto breathed in his breast, His working powers within deluded were, Stone still he quiet lay, yet took no rest, For to his thought the fiend herself presented, And with strange visions his weak brain tormented.

LX A murdered body huge beside him stood, Of head and right hand both but lately spoiled, His left hand bore the head, whose visage good, Both pale and wan, with dust and gore defoiled, Yet spake, though dead, with whose sad words the blood Forth at his lips in huge abundance boiled, “Fly, Argillan, from this false camp fly far, Whose guide, a traitor; captains, murderers are.

LXI “Godfrey hath murdered me by treason vile, What favor then hope you my trusty friends? His villain heart is full of fraud and guile, To your destruction all his thoughts he bends, Yet if thou thirst of praise for noble stile, If in thy strength thou trust, thy strength that ends All hard assays, fly not, first with his blood Appease my ghost wandering by Lethe flood;

LXII “I will thy weapon whet, inflame thine ire, Arm thy right hand, and strengthen every part.” This said; even while she spake she did inspire With fury, rage, and wrath his troubled heart: The man awaked, and from his eyes like fire The poisoned sparks of headstrong madness start, And armed as he was, forth is he gone, And gathered all the Italian bands in one.

LXIII He gathered them where lay the arms that late Were good Rinaldo’s; then with semblance stout And furious words his fore-conceived hate In bitter speeches thus he vomits out; “Is not this people barbarous and ingrate, In whom truth finds no place, faith takes no rout? Whose thirst unquenched is of blood and gold, Whom no yoke boweth, bridle none can hold.

LXIV “So much we suffered have these seven years long, Under this servile and unworthy yoke, That thorough Rome and Italy our wrong A thousand years hereafter shall be spoke: I count not how Cilicia’s kingdom strong, Subdued was by Prince Tancredi’s stroke, Nor how false Baldwin him that land bereaves Of virtue’s harvest, fraud there reaped the sheaves:

LXV “Nor speak I how each hour, at every need, Quick, ready, resolute at all assays, With fire and sword we hasted forth with speed, And bore the brunt of all their fights and frays; But when we had performed and done the deed, At ease and leisure they divide the preys, We reaped naught but travel for our toil, Theirs was the praise, the realms, the gold, the spoil.

LXVI “Yet all this season were we willing blind, Offended unrevenged, wronged but unwroken, Light griefs could not provoke our quiet mind, But now, alas! the mortal blow is stroken, Rinaldo have they slain, and law of kind, Of arms, of nations, and of high heaven broken, Why doth not heaven kill them with fire and thunder? To swallow them why cleaves not earth asunder?

LXVII “They have Rinaldo slain, the sword and shield Of Christ’s true faith, and unrevenged he lies; Still unrevenged lieth in the field His noble corpse to feed the crows and pies: Who murdered him? who shall us certain yield? Who sees not that, although he wanted eyes? Who knows not how the Italian chivalry Proud Godfrey and false Baldwin both envy

LXVIII “What need we further proof? Heaven, heaven, I swear, Will not consent herein we be beguiled, This night I saw his murdered sprite appear, Pale, sad and wan, with wounds and blood defiled, A spectacle full both of grief and fear; Godfrey, for murdering him, the ghost reviled. I saw it was no dream, before mine eyes, Howe’er I look, still, still methinks it flies.

LXIX “What shall we do? shall we be governed still By this false hand, contaminate with blood? Or else depart and travel forth, until To Euphrates we come, that sacred flood, Where dwells a people void of martial skill, Whose cities rich, whose land is fat and good, Where kingdoms great we may at ease provide, Far from these Frenchmen’s malice, from their pride;

LXX “Then let us go, and no revengement take For this brave knight, though it lie in our power: No, no, that courage rather newly wake, Which never sleeps in fear and dread one hour, And this pestiferous serpent, poisoned snake, Of all our knights that hath destroyed the flower, First let us slay, and his deserved end Example make to him that kills his friend.

LXXI “I will, I will, if your courageous force, Dareth so much as it can well perform, Tear out his cursed heart without remorse, The nest of treason false and guile enorm.” Thus spake the angry knight with headlong course; The rest him followed with a furious storm, “Arm, arm.” they cried, to arms the soldiers ran. And as they run, “Arm, arm,” cried every man.

LXXII Mongst them Alecto strowed wasteful fire, Envenoming the hearts of most and least, Folly, disdain, madness, strife, rancor, ire, Thirst to shed blood, in every breast increased, This ill spread far, and till it set on fire With rage the Italian lodgings, never ceased, From thence unto the Switzers’ camp it went, And last infected every English tent.

LXXIII Not public loss of their beloved knight, Alone stirred up their rage and wrath untamed, But fore-conceived griefs, and quarrels light, The ire still nourished, and still inflamed, Awaked was each former cause of spite, The Frenchmen cruel and unjust they named, And with bold threats they made their hatred known, Hate seld kept close, and oft unwisely shown: