Parforce will every standard fly before
That conquering faulchion, or be cast to ground:
Nor, stormed by it, will rampart, fosse, or wall,
Secure the city, they surround, from fall.
“Imbued with every generous quality,
Which can in great commander be combined,
—Prudence like his who won Thrasymenae
And Trebbia’s field, with Caesar’s daring mind,
And Alexander’s fortune, him I see;
Without which all designs are mist and wind;
Withal, so passing liberal, I in none
Mark his example or his parragon.”
So Malagigi to his comrades said,
And moved in them desire some name to hear
Of others, who had laid that monster dead,
Which to slay others had been used whilere.
Among the first Bernardo’s name was read,299
Much vaunted in the writing of the Seer:
Who said, “Through him as known as Bibbiena
As her own neighbour Florence and Siena.
“More forward in this chase shall no one show
Than Sigismond, than Lewis, and than John;
Each to that hideous beast a cruel foe;
One a Gonzaga, one of Arragon,
And one a Salviati:2 with them go
Francis Gonzaga and Frederick his son:301
Brother and son-in-law, their aid afford;
One chief Ferrara’s, one Urbino’s lord.302
“Of one of these the son, Sir Guidobald,303
Will not by sire, or other, distanced be:
With Ottobon de Flisco, Sinibald304
Chases the beast, both striving equally:
Lewis de Gazolo305 its neck has galled
With one of those keen darts, Apollo’s fee,
Given with his bow, what time as well his glaive,
The god of war, to gird that warrior, gave.
“Two Hercules and two Hippolyti306
Of Este, a Hercules and Hippolyte
Of the Gonzagas’ and the Medici,
Hunt and fatigue the monster in his flight:
Nor Julian307 lets his good son pass him by;
Nor bold Ferrant308 his brother; nor less wight
Is Andrew Doria:309 nor by any one
Is Francis Sforza310 in the chase outdone.
“Of good Avalo’s glorious lineage bred,311
Two chiefs that mountain for their bearing show;
Which, hiding him, from dragon-feet to head,
The wicked Typheus seems to keep below.
’Mid those combined, to lay the monster dead,
Shall none more forward than this couple go:
Him Francis of Pescara312 names the text;
Alphonso, hight of Guasto,313 is the next.
“But where leave I Gonsalvo Ferrant,314 who
Is held in such esteem, the pride of Spain?
So praised by Malagigi, that him few
Equal among the worthies of that train.
William, surnamed of Monferrato,315 view
’Mid those that have the hideous monster slain:
But these are few compared with numbers round,
Whom that despiteous Beast shall kill or wound.”
To converse gay the friends themselves addrest,
And seemly pastimes, when their meal was done,
Through the hot noontide, and fine carpets prest,
’Mid shrubs, by which the limpid river run.
Vivian and Malagigi, that the rest
Might be more tranquil, watched with armour on;
When unaccompanied they saw a dame,
Who quickly towards their place of shelter came;
Hippalca she; from whom was torn away
Frontino, that good horse, by Rodomont:
Him had she long pursued the former day,
And now with prayer, now followed with affront.
Which booting nought, she had retraced her way,
To seek Rogero out in Agrismont;
And, how I know not, heard upon her round,
He here with Richardetto would be found.
And, for to her well known was that repair,
Used by her often, she herself addrest
Towards the fount, and in that quarter fair
Found him, and in what manner, was exprest;
But like embassadress, who—wise and ware—
Better than was enjoined performs a hest,
When Richardetto she beheld, made show
As if she good Rogero did not know.
She turned her wholly to Sir Richardet,
As bound direct to him; and, on his side,
He who well knew her, straight uprose and met,
And asked that damsel whitherward she hied.
Hippalca, with her eyes yet red and wet
From her long weeping, sighing deeply, cried,
But cried aloud, that young Rogero, near
The warrior she addrest, her tale might hear:
“I from Mount Alban with a courser sped;
(So your good sister had commanded me)
A horse much loved by her, and highly bred;
Frontino is yclept that charger free;
And him I more than thirty miles had led
Towards Marseilles, where she designed to be
Within few days; by her enjoined to wend
Thither, and her arrival there attend.
“I in the sure belief pursued my course,
Was none so stout of heart, if I should say
How Sir Rinaldo’s sister owned the horse,
He would presume to take that steed away.
But vain was my design; for him parforce
A Saracen took from me yesterday:
Nor, when to him his master’s name I read,
Will that bold robber render back the steed.
“Him I to-day and all the day before
Have prayed, and prayer and menace proving vain,
Aye cursing him and execrating sore,
Have left at little distance; where, with pain,
Both to his courser and himself, the Moor,
As best he can, a combat does maintain
Against a knight, who him so hard has prest,
I trust my injury shall be redrest.”
At this Rogero, leaping on his feet,
Who scarcely had endured the whole to hear,
To Richardetto turned; and, as a meet
Guerdon for his good deed, the cavalier
Did, with beseechings infinite, entreat
To let him singly with that damsel steer,
Until she showed the paynim, who by force
Had wrested from her hands that goodly horse.
Richardet (though it seems discourtesy
To yield to other champion that emprize,
Which by himself should terminated be)
Yet with Rogero’s earnest suit complies;
Who takes farewell of that good company,
And with the damsel on her journey hies.
And leaves those others, whom his feats confound,
Not merely
