Part 29

LXXIV Like boiling liquor in a seething pot, That fumeth, swelleth high, and bubbleth fast, Till o’er the brims among the embers hot, Part of the broth and of the scum is cast, Their rage and wrath those few appeased not In whom of wisdom yet remained some taste, Camillo, William, Tancred were away, And all whose greatness might their madness stay.

LXXV Now headlong ran to harness in this heat These furious people, all on heaps confused, The roaring trumpets battle gan to threat, As it in time of mortal war is used, The messengers ran to Godfredo great, And bade him arm, while on this noise he mused, And Baldwin first well clad in iron hard, Stepped to his side, a sure and faithful guard.

LXXVI Their murmurs heard, to heaven he lift his een, As was his wont, to God for aid he fled; “O Lord, thou knowest this right hand of mine Abhorred ever civil blood to shed, Illumine their dark souls with light divine, Repress their rage, by hellish fury bred, The innocency of my guiltless mind Thou knowest, and make these know, with fury blind.”

LXXVII Tis said he felt infused in each vein, A sacred heat from heaven above distilled, A heat in man that courage could constrain That his brave look with awful boldness filled. Well guarded forth he went to meet the train Of those that would revenge Rinaldo killed; And though their threats he heard, and saw them bent To arms on every side, yet on he went.

LXXVIII Above his hauberk strong a coat he ware, Embroidered fair with pearl and richest stone, His hands were naked, and his face was bare, Wherein a lamp of majesty bright shone; He shook his golden mace, wherewith he dare Resist the force of his rebellious foe: Thus he appeared, and thus he gan them teach, In shape an angel, and a God in speech:

LXXIX “What foolish words? what threats be these I hear? What noise of arms? who dares these tumults move? Am I so honored? stand you so in fear? Where is your late obedience? where your love? Of Godfrey’s falsehood who can witness bear? Who dare or will these accusations prove? Perchance you look I should entreaties bring, Sue for your favors, or excuse the thing.

LXXX “Ah, God forbid these lands should hear or see Him so disgraced at whose great name they quake; This sceptre and my noble acts for me A true defence before the world can make: Yet for sharp justice governed shall be With clemency, I will no vengeance take For this offence, but for Rinaldo’s love, I pardon you, hereafter wiser prove.

LXXXI “But Argillano’s guilty blood shall wash This stain away, who kindled this debate, And led by hasty rage and fury rash, To these disorders first undid the gate;” While thus he spoke, the lightning beams did flash Out of his eyes of majesty and state, That Argillan,—who would have thought it?—shook For fear and terror, conquered with his look.

LXXXII The rest with indiscreet and foolish wrath Who threatened late with words of shame and pride, Whose hands so ready were to harm and scath, And brandished bright swords on every side; Now hushed and still attend what Godfrey saith, With shame and fear their bashful looks they hide, And Argillan they let in chains be bound, Although their weapons him environed round.

LXXXIII So when a lion shakes his dreadful mane, And beats his tail with courage proud and wroth, If his commander come, who first took pain To tame his youth, his lofty crest down goeth, His threats he feareth, and obeys the rein Of thralldom base, and serviceage, though loth, Nor can his sharp teeth nor his armed paws, Force him rebel against his ruler’s laws.

LXXXIV Fame as a winged warrior they beheld, With semblant fierce and furious look that stood, And in his left hand had a splendent shield Wherewith he covered safe their chieftain good, His other hand a naked sword did wield, From which distilling fell the lukewarm blood, The blood pardie of many a realm and town, Whereon the Lord his wrath had poured down.

LXXXV Thus was the tumult, without bloodshed, ended. Their arms laid down, strife into exile sent. Godfrey his thoughts to greater actions bended. And homeward to his rich pavilion went, For to assault the fortress he intended Before the second or third day were spent; Meanwhile his timber wrought he oft surveyed Whereof his ram and engines great he made.

NINTH BOOK

THE ARGUMENT. Alecto false great Solyman doth move By night the Christians in their tents to kill: But God who their intents saw from above, Sends Michael down from his sacred hill: The spirits foul to hell the angels drove; The knights delivered from the witch, at will Destroy the Pagans, scatter all their host: The Soldan flies when all his bands are lost.

I The grisly child of Erebus the grim, Who saw these tumults done and tempest spent, Gainst stream of grace who ever strove to swim And all her thoughts against Heaven’s wisdom bent, Departed now, bright Titan’s beams were dim And fruitful lands waxed barren as she went. She sought the rest of her infernal crew, New storms to raise, new broils, and tumults new.

II She, that well wist her sisters had enticed, By their false arts, far from the Christian host, Tancred, Rinaldo, and the rest, best prized For martial skill, for might esteemed most, Said, of these discords and these strifes advised, “Great Solyman, when day his light hath lost, These Christians shall assail with sudden war, And kill them all while thus they strive and jar.”

III With that where Solyman remained she flew, And found him out with his Arabian bands, Great Solyman, of all Christ’s foes untrue, Boldest of courage, mightiest of his hands, Like him was none of all that earth-bred crew That heaped mountains on the Aemonian sands, Of Turks he sovereign was, and Nice his seat, Where late he dwelt, and ruled that kingdom great.

IV The lands forenenst the Greekish shore he held, From Sangar’s mouth to crooked Meander’s fall, Where they of Phrygia, Mysia, Lydia dwelled, Bithynia’s towns, and Pontus’ cities all: But when the hearts of Christian princes swelled, And rose in arms to make proud Asia thrall, Those lands were won where he did sceptre wield And he twice beaten was in pitched field.

V When Fortune oft he had in vain assayed, And spent his forces, which availed him naught, To Egypt’s king himself he close conveyed, Who welcomed him as he could best have thought, Glad in his heart, and inly well apayed, That to his court so great a lord was brought: For he decreed his armies huge to bring To succor Juda land and Juda’s king.

VI But, ere he open war proclaimed, he would That Solyman should kindle first the fire, And with huge sums of false enticing gold The Arabian thieves he sent him forth to hire, While he the Asian lords and Morians hold Unites; the Soldan won to his desire Those outlaws, ready aye for gold to fight, The hope of gain hath such alluring might.

VII Thus made their captain to destroy and burn, In Juda land he entered is so far, That all the ways whereby he should return By Godfrey’s people kept and stopped are, And now he gan his former losses mourn, This wound had hit him on an elder scar, On great adventures ran his hardy thought, But naught assured, he yet resolved on naught.

VIII To him Alecto came, and semblant bore Of one whose age was great, whose looks were grave, Whose cheeks were bloodless, and whose locks were hoar Mustaches strouting long and chin close shave, A steepled turban on her head she wore, Her garment wide, and by her side, her glaive, Her gilden quiver at her shoulders hung, And in her hand a bow was, stiff and strong.

IX “We have.” Quoth she, “through wildernesses gone, Through sterile sands, strange paths, and uncouth ways, Yet spoil or booty have we gotten none, Nor victory deserving fame or praise, Godfrey meanwhile to ruin stick and stone Of this fair town, with battery sore assays; And if awhile we rest, we shall behold This glorious city smoking lie in mould.

X “Are sheep-cotes burnt, or preys of sheep or kine, The cause why Solyman these bands did arm? Canst thou that kingdom lately lost of thine Recover thus, or thus redress thy harm? No, no, when heaven’s small candles next shall shine, Within their tents give them a bold alarm; Believe Araspes old, whose grave advice Thou hast in exile proved, and proved in Nice.

XI “He feareth naught, he doubts no sudden broil From these ill-armed and worse-hearted bands, He thinks this people, used to rob and spoil, To such exploit dares not lift up their hands; Up then and with thy courage put to foil This fearless camp, while thus secure it stands.” This said, her poison in his breast she hides, And then to shapeless air unseen she glides.

XII The Soldan cried, “O thou which in my thought Increased hast my rage and fury so, Nor seem’st a wight of mortal metal wrought, I follow thee, whereso thee list to go, Mountains of men by dint of sword down brought Thou shalt behold, and seas of red blood flow Where’er I go; only be thou my guide When sable night the azure skies shall hide.”

XIII When this was said, he mustered all his crew, Reproved the cowards, and allowed the bold: His forward camp, inspired with courage new, Was ready dight to follow where he would: Alecto’s self the warning trumpet blew And to the wind his standard great unrolled, Thus on they marched, and thus on they went, Of their approach their speed the news prevent.

XIV Alecto left them, and her person dight Like one that came some tidings new to tell: It was the time, when first the rising night Her sparkling diamonds poureth forth to sell, When, into Sion come, she marched right Where Juda’s aged tyrant used to dwell, To whom of Solyman’s designment bold, The place, the manner, and the time she told.