The monks, who knew not yet the fact, ran thither, Orlando, seeing him thus agitated, Said quickly, 'Abbot, be thou of good cheer; He Christ believes, as Christian must be rated, And hath renounced his Macon false;' which here Morgante with the hands corroborated, A proof of both the giants' fate quite clear: Thence, with due thanks, the abbot God adored, Saying, 'Thou hast contented me, oh Lord!' LVII. He gazed; Morgante's height he calculated, Know, that no more my wonder will arise, You now a true and perfect friend will show LVIII. And one of our apostles, Saul once named, Long persecuted sore the faith of Christ, Till, one day, by the Spirit being inflamed, "Why dost thou persecute me thus?" said Christ; And then from his offence he was reclaim'd, And went for ever after preaching Christ, And of the faith became a trump, whose sounding O'er the whole earth is echoing and rebounding. LIX. 'So, my Morgante, you may do likewise He who repents, thus writes the Evangelist, Than ninety-nine of the celestial list. LX. And thus great honour to Morgante paid LXI. There being a want of water in the place, To go for water.' 'You shall be obey'd In all commands,' was the reply, 'straightways.' Upon his shoulder a great tub he laid, And went out on his way unto a fountain, LXII. Arrived there, a prodigious noise he hears, An arrow for his bow, and lifts his head; And lo a monstrous herd of swine appears, And onward rushes with tempestuous tread, And to the fountain's brink precisely pours; So that the giant's join'd by all the boars. LXIII. Morgante at a venture shot an arrow, Which pierced a pig precisely in the ear, And pass'd unto the other side quite thorough; So that the boar, defunct, lay tripp'd up near. Another, to revenge his fellow farrow, Against the giant rush'd in fierce career, And reach'd the passage with so swift a foot, Morgante was not now in time to shoot. LIV. Perceiving that the pig was on him close, Smashing the very bone; and he fell dead LXV. The ton was on one shoulder, and there were With the dead boars, and with that brimful vase, LXVI. The monks, who saw the water fresh and good, Rejoiced, but much more to perceive the pork; All animals are glad at sight of food: They lay their breviaries to sleep, and work With greedy pleasure, and in such a mood, That the flesh needs no salt beneath their fork. Of rankness and of rot there is no fear, For all the fasts are now left in arrear. LXVII. As though they wish'd to burst at once, they ate; Perceiving that they all were pick'd too clean. Gli dette in su la testa un gran punzone. It is strange that Pulci should have literally anticipated the technical terms of my old friend and master, Jackson, and the art which he has carried to its highest pitch. A punch on the head,' or 'a punch in the head'un punzone in su la testa,-is the exact and frequent phrase of our best pugilists, who little dream that they are talking the purest Tuscan. The abbot, who to all did honour great, The horse Morgante to a meadow led, Or to skim eggs unbroke was light enough; LXIX. But finally he thought fit to dismount, And said, 'I am as light as any feather, And he has burst;-to this what say you, Count?" Orlando answer'd, Like a ship's mast rather You seem to me, and with the truck for front: Let him go! Fortune wills that we together Should march, but you on foot Morgante still.' To which the giant answer'd, 'So I will. LXX. 'When there shall be occasion, you will see How I approve my courage in the fight.' Orlando said, 'I really think you'll be, If it should prove God's will, a goodly knight; Nor will you napping there discover me. But never mind your horse, though out of sight 'Twere best to carry him into some wood, If but the means or way I understood.' LXXI. The giant said, 'Then carry him I will, May weigh, Morgante, do not undertake LXXII. 'Take care he don't revenge himself, though dead, As Nessus did of old beyond all cure. I don't know if the fact you've heard or read; But he will make you burst, you may be sure." 'But help him on my back,' Morgante said, 'And you shall see what weight I can endure. In place, my gentle Roland, of this palfrey, With all the bells, I'd carry yonder belfry.' LXXIII. The abbot said, 'The steeple may do well, LXXIV. Morgante was like any mountain framed; And fearing that he might be hurt or maim'd, LXXV. He did; and stow'd him in some nook away, And to the abbey they return'd with speed, Orlando said, 'Why longer do we stay? Morgante, here is nought to do indeed. The abbot by the hand he took one day, And said, with great respect, he had agreed To leave his reverence; but for this decision He wish'd to have his pardon and permission. LXXVI. The honours they continued to receive LXXVII. 'But in my heart I bear through every clime For me, from heaven reward you with all good The God so true, the eternal Lord sublime! Whose kingdom at the last hath open stood. Meantime we stand expectant of your blessing, And recommend us to your prayers with pressing.' LXXVIII. Now when the abbot Count Orlando heard, I know I have done too little in this case; LXXIX. 'We can indeed but honour you with masses, And sermons, thanksgivings, and pater-nosters, Hot suppers, dinners (fitting other places In verity much rather than the cloisters); But such a love for you my heart embraces, For thousand virtues which your bosom fosters, That wheresoe'er you go I too shall be, And, on the other part, you rest with me. LXXX. This may involve a seeming contradiction; But you I know are sage, and feel, and taste. And understand my speech, with full conviction For your just pious deeds may you be graced With the Lord's great reward and benediction, 'You saved at once our life and soul: such fear The giants caused us, that the way was lost By which we could pursue a fit career In search of Jesus and the saintly host; And your departure breeds such sorrow here, That comfortless we all are to our cost; But months and years you would not stay in sloth, Nor are you form'd to wear our sober cloth, LXXXII. But to bear arms, and wield the lance; indeed, With these as much is done as with this cowl; In proof of which the Scriptures you may read. This giant up to heaven may bear his soul By your compassion: now in peace proceed. Your state and name I seek not to unroll; But, if I'm ask'd, this answer shall be given, That here an angel was sent down from heaven. LXXXIII. 'If you want armour or aught else, go in, Look o'er the wardrobe, and take what you choose, And cover with it o'er this giant's skin. Orlando answer'd, If there should lie loose Some armour, ere our journey we begin, Which might be turn'd to my companion's use, The gift would be acceptable to me.' LXXXIV. And in a certain closet, where the wall Was cover'd with old armour like a crust, The abbot said to them, 'I give you all.' Morgante rummaged piecemeal from the dust The whole, which, save one cuirass, was too small, And that too had the mail inlaid with rust. They wonder'd how it fitted him exactly, Which ne'er has suited others so compactly. LXXXV. 'Twas an immeasurable giant's, who By the great Milo of Agrante fell Before the abbey many years ago. The story on the wall was figured well; In the last moment of the abbey's foe, Who long had waged a war implacable; Precisely as the war occurr'd they drew him, And there was Milo as he overthrew him. LXXXVI. Seeing this history, Count Orlando said So that he could not keep his visage dry,- The scene of the Drama is amongst the Higher Alps-partly in the Castle of Manfred, and partly in the Mountains. ACT I. SCENE I.-Manfred alone.-Scene, a Gothic Man. The lamp must be replenish'd, but even then It will not burn so long as I must watch: My slumbers-if I slumber-are not sleep, But a continuance of enduring thought, Which then I can resist not in my heart There is a vigil, and these eyes but close To look within; and yet I live, and bear The aspect and the form of breathing men. But grief should be the instructor of the wise; Sorrow is knowledge: they who know the most Must mourn the deepest o'er the fatal truth, The Tree of Knowledge is not that of Life. Philosophy and science, and the springs Of wonder, and the wisdom of the world, I have essay'd, and in my mind there is A power to make these subject to itself— But they avail not: I have done men good, And I have met with good even among men- › But this avail'd not: I have had my foes, And none have baffled, many fallen before me→→ But this avail'd not :-Good, or evil, life, Powers, pass ions, all I see in other beings, Have been to me as rain unto the sands, Since that all-nameless hour. I have no dread, And feel the curse to have no natural fear, Nor fluttering throb, that beats with hopes or wishes, Or lurking love of something on the earth. Now to my task. Mysterious Agency! Ye spirits of the unbounded Universe! Of mountains inaccessible are haunts, They come not yet.-Now by the voice of him [A pause. If it be so-Spirits of earth and air, A star is seen at the darker end of the gallery: it is stationary; and a voice is heard singing. First Spirit. Mortal to thy bidding bowl, From my mansion in the cloud, 300 Which the breath of twilight builds, Voice of the Second Spirit. Mont Blanc is the monarch of mountains: They crown'd him long ago On a throne of rocks, in a robe of clouds, With a diadem of snow. Around his waist are forests braced, The Avalanche in his hand; Or with its ice delay. I am the spirit of the place, Could make the mountain bow Voice of the Third Spirit. In the blue depth of the waters, Where the wave hath no strife, Where the wind is a stranger, And the sea-snake hath life, Where the Mermaid is decking Her green hair with shells; Like the storm on the surface Came the sound of thy spells; O'er my calm Hall of Coral The deep echo roll'dTo the Spirit of Ocean Thy wishes unfold! Fourth Spirit. Where the slumbering earthquake Rise boilingly higher; Strike deep in the earth, I have quitted my birthplace, Fifth Spirit. I am the Rider of the wind, Is yet with lightning warm; To speed to thee o'er shore and sea Sixth Spirit. My dwelling is the shadow of the nigh The star which rules thy destiny What wouldst thou, Child of Clay with me? Earth, ocean, air, night, mountains, winds, thy star, Are at thy beck and bidding, Child of Clay! Before thee at thy quest their spirits are What wouldst thou with us, son of mortalssay? |