XIV. "If thou rememberest being in Gascony, When there advanced the nations out of Spain, The Christain cause had suffer'd shamefully, Had not his valor driven them back again. Best speak the truth when there's a reason why: Know then, oh emperor! that all complaint: As for myself, I shall repass the mounts O'er which I cross'd with two and sixty counts. XV. ""Tis fit thy grandeur should dispense relief, So that each here may have his proper part, For the whole court is more or less in grief: Perhaps thou deem'st this lad a Mars in heart?" Orlando one day heard this speech in brief, As by himself it chanced he sate apart: Displeased he was with Gan because he said it, But much more still that Charles should give him credit. XVI. And with the sword he would have murder'd Gan, Wanted but little to have slain him there; From Ermellina, consort of the Dane, He took Cortana, and then took Rondell, And on towards Brara prick'd him o'er the plain; And when she saw him coming, Aldabelle Stretch'd forth her arms to clasp her lord again. Orlando, in whose brain all was not well, As "Welcome, my Orlando, home," she said, Raised up his sword to smite her on the head. XVIII. Like him a fury counsels; his revenge On Gan in that rash act he seem'd to take, Which Aldabelle thought extremely strange; But soon Orlando found himself awake; And his spouse took his bridle on this change, And he dismounted from his horse, and spake Of every thing which pass'd without demur, And then reposed himself some days with her. XIX. Then full of wrath departed from the place, The abbot was call'd Clermont, and by blood But certain savage giants look'd him over; XXI. The monks could pass the convent gate no more, Nor leave their cells for water or for wood; Orlando knock'd, but none would ope, before Unto the prior it at length seem'd good; Enter'd, he said that he was taught to adore Him who was born of Mary's holiest blood, And was baptized a Christian; and then show'd How to the abbey he had found his road. XXII. Said the abbot, "You are welcome; what is mine And that you may not, cavalier, conceive To be rusticity, you shall receive XXIII. "When hither to inhabit first we came These mountains, albeit that they are obscure, As you perceive, yet without fear or blame They seem'd to promise an asylum sure: From savage brutes alone, too fierce to tame, 'Twas fit our quiet dwelling to secure; But now, if here we'd stay, we needs must guard Against domestic beasts with watch and ward. XXIV. "These make us stand, in fact, upon the watch; XXV. "Our ancient fathers living the desert in, Our bounds, or taste the stones shower'd down for XXVI. "The third, Morgante, 's savagest by far; he Plucks up pines, beeches, poplar-trees, and oaks, And flings them, our community to bury; And all that I can do but more provokes." While thus they parley in the cemetery, A stone from one of their gigantic strokes, Which nearly crush'd Rondell, came tumbling over, So that he took a long leap under cover. XXVII. "For God sake, cavalier, come in with speed; The manna's falling now," the abbot cried. "This fellow does not wish my horse should feed, Dear abbot," Roland unto him replied. "Of restiveness he'd cure him had he need; That stone seems with good will and aim applied." The holy father said, "I don't deceive: They'll one day fling the mountain, I believe " Then Passamont, who thought him slain outright, As to desert would almost be a wrong. And loud he shouted, "Giant, where dost go? And hurl'd a fragment of a size so large, That if it had in fact fulfill'd its mission, And Roland not avail'd him of his targe, And in his bulky bosom made incision XXXIX. Morgante had a palace in his mode, Composed of branches, logs of wood, and earth, And stretch'd himself at ease on this abode, And shut himself at night within his berth. Orlando knock'd, and knock'd again, to goad The giant from his sleep; and he came forth, The door to open, like a crazy thing, For a rough dream had shook him slumbering. XL. He thought that a fierce serpent had attack'd him, And Mahomet he call'd; but Mahomet XLII. Mar gante said, "Oh, gentle cavalier! The Saracen rejoin'd in humble tone, And Macon would not pity my condition; dence to thy God, who for ye did atone Upon the cross, preferr'd I my petition; His timely succor set me safe and free, And I a Christian am disposed to be." XLIV. Orlando answer'd, "Baron just and pious, If this good wish your heart can really move And, if you please, as friends we will ally us, XLV. "The Lord descended to the virgin breast Your renegado god, and worship mine,- And then Orlando to embrace him flew, And made much of his convert, as he cried, "To the abbey I will gladly marshal you." To whom Morgante, "Let us go," replied; XLVII. "Since God has granted your illumination, Accepting you in mercy for his own, XLIX. And by the way about the giants dead Orlando with Morgante reason'd: "Be, And, since it is God's pleasure, pardon me. L. "Because his love of justice unto all Is such, he wills his judgment should devour Him, whom I now require you to adore. LI. "And here our doctors are of one accord Coming on this point to the same conclusion,That in their thoughts who praise in heaven the Lord If pity e'er was guilty of intrusion For their unfortunate relations stored In hell below, and damn'd in great confusion, Their happiness would be reduced to nought, And thus unjust the Almighty's self be thought. LII. "But they in Christ have firmest hope, and all If sire or mother suffer endless thrall, They don't disturb themselves for him or her; What pleases God to them must joy inspire;Such is the observance of the eternal choir." LIII. "A word unto the wise," Morgante said, I will cut off the hands from both their trunks, LIV. "So that all persons may be sure and certain That they are dead, and have no further fear Humility should be your first oblation." [known-To wander solitary this desert in, Morgante said, "For goodness' sake, make XLVIII. "Then," quoth the giant, "blessed be Jesu I wish, for your great gallantry always." And that they may perceive my spirit clear Then to the abbey they went on together, Where waited them the abbot in great doubt. LVI. 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 He gazed; Morgante's height he calculated, Know that no more my wonder will arise, 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, Occasions more rejoicing in the skies Than ninety-nine of the celestial list. You may be sure, should each desire arise With just zeal for the Lord, that you'll exist Among the happy saints for evermore; But you were lost and damn'd to hell before!" LX. And thus great honor to Morgante paid Much armor was, and hung up certain bows; LXI. There being a want of water in the place, 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. LXIV. Perceiving that the pig was on him close, Smashing the very bone; and he fell dead Full from the spring, which neither swerved nor shook. LXV. The ton was on one shoulder, and there were Nor spilt one drop of water in his race. With the dead boars, and with that brimful vase, Marvell'd to see his strength so very great; So did the abbot, and set wide the gate. 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; LXVIII. The horse Morgante to a meadow led, To gallop, and to put him to the proof, Thinking that he a back of iron had, Or to skim eggs unbroke was light enough; But the horse, sinking with the pain, fell dead, And burst, while cold on earth lay head and hoof, Morgante said, "Get up, thou sulky cur!" And still continued pricking with the spur. • "Gil dette în su la testa un gran punzone." It is strange that Puld should have literally anticipated the technical terms of my old friend and mas ter, 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 sa la testa," the exact and frequent phrase of our best pugilists, who little dream that theợ are talking the purest Tuscan. |