And, for in Paris-town she is not found,
In search of his Angelica is bound.
A cunning, old enchanter him deceived,
As in the outlet of my tale was said:
Deluded by a phantom, he believed
Angelica was with Orlando fled;
And hence with jealousy, at heart, aggrieved
(Lover ne’er suffered worse) to Paris sped;
Whence he, as soon as he appeared at court,
By chance, was named to Britain to resort.
Now, the field won, wherein with mickle fame
He drove King Agramant his works behind,
To Paris yet again the warrior came,
Searched convent, tower, and house, and, save confined
’Twixt solid walls or columns be the dame,
Her will the restless lover surely find:
Nor her nor yet Orlando he descries,
So forth in the desire to seek them hies.
Her to Anglantes or to Brava brought,
He deemed the Count enjoyed in mirth and play;
And vainly, here and there, that damsel sought,
Nor here nor there, descried the long-sought prey.
To Paris he repaired again, in thought
The paladin returning to waylay;
Because he deemed he could not rove at large
Without that Town, but on some special charge.
Within he takes a day or two’s repose;
And, when he finds Orlando comes not there,
Again to Brava and Anglantes goes
Inquiring tidings of the royal fair;
Nor, whether morning dawns or noontide glows,
—Nor night nor day—his weary steed does spare;
Nor once—but twice a hundred times—has run
The selfsame course, by light of moon or sun.
But the ancient foe, deluded by whose say,
To the forbidden fruit Eve raised her hand,
Turned his wan eyes on Charlemagne one day,
When he the good Rinaldo absent scanned;
And seeing what foul rout and disarray
Might at that time be given to Charles’s band,
Of all the Saracens the choice and flower
Marshalled in arms against the Christian power.
King Sacripant and King Gradasso (who
Whilere companionship in war had made,
When from Atlantes’ palace fled the two)
Together to unite their arms, in aid
Of royal Agramant’s beleaguered crew,
And to the ruin of King Charles, he swayed;
And where through unknown lands the warriors hied,
Made smooth the way, and served them as a guide.
Thither another fiend that ruthless foe
Bade Rodomont and Mandricardo bear
Through ways, by which his comrade was not slow
With the affrighted Doralice to fare:
A third, lest they their enterprise forego,
Rogero and Marphisa has in care:
But their conductor journeys not so fast;
And hence that martial pair arrives the last.
Later by half an hour, against their foes,
So matched, Rogero and Marphisa speed;
Because the sable angel, who his blows
Aimed at the bands that held the Christian creed,
Provided, that the contest which arose
About that horse, his work should not impede;
Which had again been kindled, had the twain,
Rodomont and Rogero, met again.
The first four ride until themselves they find
Where the besiegers and besieged they view;
And see the banners shaking in the wind,
And the cantonments of those armies two.
Here they short counsel took, and next opined,
In spite of Charlemagne’s beleaguering crew,
To carry speedy succour to their liege,
And rescue royal Agramant from siege.
Where thickest camped lay Charles’s host, they spurred,
Closing their files against the Christian foe.
“Afric and Spain!” is the assailants’ word,
Whom at all points the Franks for paynims know.
—“To arms, to arms!” throughout their camp is heard:
But first is felt the Moorish sabre’s blow:
Even on the rear-guard falls the vengeful stroke,
Not charged alone, but routed, beat and broke.
The Christian host throughout is overthrown,
And how they know not, in tumultuous wise;
And that it is a wonted insult done
By Switzer or by Gascon, some surmise;
But—since the reason is to most unknown—
Each several nation to its standard flies,
This to the drum, that to the trumpet’s sound,
And shriek and shout from earth to heaven redound.
All armed is Charlemagne, except his head,
And, girt with paladins, his faithful stay,
Arrived demanding what alarm has bred
Disorder in his host and disarray;
And stopt with menace this or that who fled,
And many fugitives, upon their way,
Some with maimed face, breast, arm, or hand, espied,
And some with head or throat with life-blood dyed.
Advancing, he on earth saw many more,
Or rather in a lake of crimson laid,
Horribly weltering in their own dark gore,
Beyond the leech’s and magician’s aid;321
And busts dissevered from the heads they bore,
And legs and arms—a cruel show—surveyed;
And, from the first cantonments to the last,
Saw slaughtered men on all sides as he past.
Where the small band advances in such wise,
Deserving well eternal praise to gain,
Vouching their deeds, a long-drawn furrow lies,
A signal record of their might and main.
His army’s cruel slaughter, with surprise,
Anger and rage, is viewed by Charlemagne.
So he whose shattered walls have felt its force,
Throughout his mansion tracks the lightning’s course.
Not to the ramparts of the paynim crew
Of Agramant as yet had pierced this aid,322
When, on the further side, these other two,
Rogero and Marphisa, thither made.
When, once or twice, that worthy pair a view
Have taken of the ground, and have surveyed
The readiest way assistance to afford,
They swiftly move in succour of their lord.
As when we spark to loaded mine apply,
Through the long furrow, filled with sable grain,
So fast the furious wildfire darts, that eye
Pursues the progress of the flash with pain;
And as dire ruin follows, and from high,
The loosened rock and solid bastion rain,
So bold Rogero and Marphisa rush
To battle, so the Christian squadrons crush.
Front and askance, the assailants smote, and low
On earth heads, arms, and severed shoulders lay,
Where’er the Christian squadrons were too slow
To free the path and break their close array.
Whoe’er has seen the passing tempest blow,
And of the hill or valley, in its way,
