Jerusalem Delivered Part 17

VI "Sweno, the King of Denmark's only heir, The stay and staff of his declining eild, Longed to be among these squadrons fair Who for Christ's faith here serve with spear and s.h.i.+eld; No weariness, no storms of sea or air, No such contents as crowns and sceptres yield, No dear entreaties of so kind a sire, Could in his bosom quench that glorious fire.

VII "He thirsted sore to learn this warlike art Of thee, great lord and master of the same; And was ashamed in his n.o.ble heart, That never act he did deserved fame; Besides, the news and tidings from each part Of young Rinaldo's worth and praises came: But that which most his courage stirred hath, Is zeal, religion, G.o.dliness, and faith.

VIII "He hasted forward, then without delay, And with him took of knights a chosen band, Directly toward Thrace we took the way, To Byzance old, chief fortress of that land, There the Greek monarch gently prayed him stay, And there an herald sent from you we fand, How Antioch was won, who first declared, And how defended n.o.bly afterward.

IX "Defended gainst Corbana, valiant knight, That all the Persian armies had to guide, And brought so many soldiers bold to fight, That void of men he left that kingdom wide; He told thine acts, thy wisdom and thy might, And told the deeds of many a lord beside, His speech at length to young Rinaldo pa.s.sed, And told his great achievements, first and last:

X "And how this n.o.ble camp of yours, of late Besieged had this town, and in what sort, And how you prayed him to partic.i.p.ate Of the last conquest of this n.o.ble fort.

In hardy Sweno opened was the gate Of worthy anger by this brave report, So that each hour seemed five years long, Till he were fighting with these Pagans strong.

XI "And while the herald told your fights and frays, Himself of cowardice reproved he thought, And him to stay that counsels him, or prays, He hears not, or, else heard, regardeth naught, He fears no perils but whilst he delays, Lest this last work without his help be wrought: In this his doubt, in this his danger lies, No hazard else he fears, no peril spies.

XII "Thus hasting on, he hasted on his death, Death that to him and us was fatal guide.

The rising morn appeared yet aneath, When he and we were armed, and fit to ride, The nearest way seemed best, o'er hold and heath We went, through deserts waste, and forests wide, The streets and ways he openeth as he goes, And sets each land free from intruding foes.

XIII "Now want of food, now dangerous ways we find, Now open war, now ambush closely laid; Yet pa.s.sed we forth, all perils left behind, Our foes or dead or run away afraid, Of victory so happy blew the wind, That careless all the heedless to it made: Until one day his tents he happed to rear, To Palestine when we approached near.

XIV "There did our scouts return and bring us news, That dreadful noise of horse and arms they hear, And that they deemed by sundry signs and shows There was some mighty host of Pagans near.

At these sad tidings many changed their hues, Some looked pale for dread, some shook for fear, Only our n.o.ble lord was altered naught, In look, in face, in gesture, or in thought.

XV "But said, 'A crown prepare you to possess Of martyrdom, or happy victory; For this I hope, for that I wish no less, Of greater merit and of greater glory.

Brethren, this camp will shortly be, I guess, A temple, sacred to our memory, To which the holy men of future age, To view our graves shall come in pilgrimage.'

XVI "This said, he set the watch in order right To guard the camp, along the trenches deep, And as he armed was, so every knight He willed on his back his arms to keep.

Now had the stillness of the quiet night Drowned all the world in silence and in sleep, When suddenly we heard a dreadful sound, Which deafed the earth, and tremble made the ground.

XVII "'Arm, arm,' they cried; Prince Sweno at the same, Glistering in s.h.i.+ning steel leaped foremost out, His visage shone, his n.o.ble looks did flame, With kindled brand of courage bold and stout, When lo, the Pagans to a.s.sault us came, And with huge numbers hemmed us round about, A forest thick of spears about us grew, And over us a cloud of arrows flew:

XVIII "Uneven the fight, unequal was the fray, Our enemies were twenty men to one, On every side the slain and wounded lay Unseen, where naught but glistering weapons shone: The number of the dead could no man say, So was the place with darkness overgone, The night her mantle black upon its spreads, Hiding our losses and our valiant deeds.

XIX "But hardy Sweno midst the other train, By his great acts was well descried I wot, No darkness could his valor's daylight stain, Such wondrous blows on every side he smote; A stream of blood, a bank of bodies slain, About him made a bulwark, and a mote, And when soe'er he turned his fatal brand, Dread in his looks and death sate in his hand.

XX "Thus fought we till the morning bright appeared, And strewed roses on the azure sky, But when her lamp had night's thick darkness cleared, Wherein the bodies dead did buried lie, Then our sad cries to heaven for grief we reared, Our loss apparent was, for we descry How all our camp destroyed was almost, And all our people well-nigh slain and lost;

XXI "Of thousands twain an hundred scant survived.

When Sweno murdered saw each valiant knight, I know not if his heart in sunder rived For dear compa.s.sion of that woful sight; He showed no change, but said: 'Since so deprived We are of all our friends by chance of fight, Come follow them, the path to heaven their blood Marks out, now angels made, of martyrs good.'

XXII "This said, and glad I think of death at hand, The signs of heavenly joy shone through his eyes, Of Saracens against a mighty band, With fearless heart and constant breast he flies; No steel could s.h.i.+eld them from his cutting brand But whom he hits without recure he dies, He never struck but felled or killed his foe And wounded was himself from top to toe.

XXIII "Not strength, but courage now, preserved on live This hardy champion, fortress of our faith, Strucken he strikes, still stronger more they strive, The more they hurt him, more he doth them scathe, When toward him a furious knight gan drive, Of members huge, fierce looks, and full of wrath, That with the aid of many a Pagan crew, After long fight, at last Prince Sweno slew.

XXIV "Ah, heavy chance! Down fell the valiant youth, Nor mongst us all did one so strong appear As to revenge his death: that this is truth, By his dear blood and n.o.ble bones I swear, That of my life I had not care nor ruth, No wounds I shunned, no blows I would off bear, And had not Heaven my wished end denied, Even there I should, and willing should, have died.

XXV "Alive I fell among my fellows slain, Yet wounded so that each one thought me dead, Nor what our foes did since can I explain, So sore amazed was my heart and head; But when I opened first mine eyes again, Night's curtain black upon the earth was spread, And through the darkness to my feeble sight, Appeared the twinkling of a slender light.

XXVI "Not so much force or judgement in me lies As to discern things seen and not mistake, I saw like them who ope and shut their eyes By turns, now half asleep, now half awake; My body eke another torment tries, My wounds began to smart, my hurts to ache; For every sore each member pinched was With night's sharp air, heaven's frost and earth's cold gra.s.s.

XXVII "But still the light approached near and near, And with the same a whispering murmur run, Till at my side arrived both they were, When I to spread my feeble eyes begun: Two men behold in vestures long appear, With each a lamp in hand, who said, 'O son In that dear Lord who helps his servants, trust, Who ere they ask, grants all things to the just.'

XXVIII "This said, each one his sacred blessings flings Upon my corse, with broad our-stretched hand, And mumbled hymns and psalms and holy things, Which I could neither hear nor understand; 'Arise,' quoth they, with that as I had wings, All whole and sound I leaped up from the land.

Oh miracle, sweet, gentle, strange and true!

My limbs new strength received, and vigor new.

XXIX "I gazed on them like one whose heart denieth To think that done, he sees so strangely wrought; Till one said thus, 'O thou of little faith, What doubts perplex thy unbelieving thought?

Each one of us a living body hath, We are Christ's chosen servants, fear us naught, Who to avoid the world's allurements vain, In wilful penance, hermits poor remain.

x.x.x "'Us messengers to comfort thee elect That Lord hath sent that rules both heaven and h.e.l.l; Who often doth his blessed will effect, By such weak means, as wonder is to tell; He will not that this body lie neglect, Wherein so n.o.ble soul did lately dwell To which again when it uprisen is It shall united be in lasting bliss.

x.x.xI "'I say Lord Sweno's corpse, for which prepared A tomb there is according to his worth, By which his honor shall be far declared, And his just praises spread from south to north:"

But lift thine eyes up to the heavens ward, Mark yonder light that like the sun s.h.i.+nes forth That shall direct thee with those beams so clear, To find the body of thy master dear.'

x.x.xII "With that I saw from Cynthia's silver face, Like to a falling star a beam down slide, That bright as golden line marked out the place, And lightened with clear streams the forest wide; So Latmos shone when Phoebe left the chase, And laid her down by her Endymion's side, Such was the light that well discern I could, His shape, his wounds, his face, though dead, yet bold.

x.x.xIII "He lay not grovelling now, but as a knight That ever had to heavenly things desire, So toward heaven the prince lay bolt upright, Like him that upward still sought to aspire, His right hand closed held his weapon bright, Ready to strike and execute his ire, His left upon his breast was humbly laid, That men might know, that while he died he prayed.

x.x.xIV "Whilst on his wounds with bootless tears I wept, That neither helped him, nor eased my care, One of those aged fathers to him stepped, And forced his hand that needless weapon spare: 'This sword,' quoth he, 'hath yet good token kept, That of the Pagans' blood he drunk his share, And blusheth still he could not save his lord, Rich, strong and sharp, was never better sword.

x.x.xV "'Heaven, therefore, will not, though the prince be slain, Who used erst to wield this precious brand That so brave blade unused should remain; But that it pa.s.s from strong to stronger hand, Who with like force can wield the same again, And longer shall in grace of fortune stand, And with the same shall bitter vengeance take On him that Sweno slew, for Sweno's sake.

x.x.xVI "'Great Solyman killed Sweno, Solyman For Sweno's sake, upon this sword must die.

Here, take the blade, and with it haste thee than Thither where G.o.dfrey doth encamped lie, And fear not thou that any shall or can Or stop thy way, or lead thy steps awry; For He that doth thee on this message send, Thee with His hand shall guide, keep and defend.

x.x.xVII "'Arrived there it is His blessed will, With true report that thou declare and tell The zeal, the strength, the courage and the skill In thy beloved lord that late did dwell, How for Christ's sake he came his blood to spill, And sample left to all of doing well, That future ages may admire his deed, And courage take when his brave end they read.

x.x.xVIII "'It resteth now, thou know that gentle knight That of this sword shall be thy master's heir, It is Rinaldo young, with whom in might And martial skill no champion may compare, Give it to him and say, "The Heavens bright Of this revenge to him commit the care."

While thus I listened what this old man said, A wonder new from further speech us stayed;

x.x.xIX "For there whereas the wounded body lay, A stately tomb with curious work, behold, And wondrous art was built out of the clay, Which, rising round, the carca.s.s did enfold; With words engraven in the marble gray, The warrior's name, his worth and praise that told, On which I gazing stood, and often read That epitaph of my dear master dead.

XL "'Among his soldiers,' quoth the hermit, 'here Must Sweno's corpse remain in marble chest, While up to heaven are flown their spirits dear, To live in endless joy forever blest, His funeral thou hast with many a tear Accompanied, it's now high time to rest, Come be my guest, until the morning ray Shall light the world again, then take thy way.'

XLI "This said, he led me over holts and hags, Through thorns and bushes scant my legs I drew Till underneath a heap of stones and crags At last he brought me to a secret mew; Among the bears, wild boars, the wolves and stags, There dwelt he safe with his disciple true, And feared no treason, force, nor hurt at all, His guiltless conscience was his castle's wall.

XLII "My supper roots; my bed was moss and leaves; But weariness in little rest found ease: But when the purple morning night bereaves Of late usurped rule on lands and seas, His loathed couch each wakeful hermit leaves, To pray rose they, and I, for so they please, I congee took when ended was the same, And hitherward, as they advised me, came."

XLIII The Dane his woful tale had done, when thus The good Prince G.o.dfrey answered him, "Sir knight, Thou bringest tidings sad and dolorous, For which our heavy camp laments of right, Since so brave troops and so dear friends to us, One hour hath spent, in one unlucky fight; And so appeared hath thy master stout, As lightning doth, now kindled, now quenched out.

XLIV "But such a death and end exceedeth all The conquests vain of realms, or spoils of gold, Nor aged Rome's proud stately capital, Did ever triumph yet like theirs behold; They sit in heaven on thrones celestial, Crowned with glory, for their conquest bold, Where each his hurts I think to other shows, And glories in those b.l.o.o.d.y wounds and blows.

XLV "But thou who hast part of thy race to run, With haps and hazards of this world ytost, rejoice, for those high honors they have won, Which cannot be by chance or fortune crossed: But for thou askest for Bertoldo's son, Know, that he wandereth, banished from this host, And till of him new tidings some man tell, Within this camp I deem it best thou dwell."

XLVI These words of theirs in many a soul renewed The sweet remembrance of fair Sophia's child, Some with salt tears for him their cheeks bedewed, Lest evil betide him mongst the Pagans wild, And every one his valiant prowess showed, And of his battles stories long compiled, Telling the Dane his acts and conquests past, Which made his ears amazed, his heart aghast.

XLVII Now when remembrance of the youth had wrought A tender pity in each softened mind, Behold returned home with all they caught The bands that were to forage late a.s.signed, And with them in abundance great they brought Both flocks and herds of every sort and kind.

And corn, although not much, and hay to feed Their n.o.ble steeds and coursers when they need.

XLVIII They also brought of misadventure sad Tokens and signs, seemed too apparent true, Rinaldo's armor, frushed and hacked they had, Oft pierced through, with blood besmeared new; About the camp, for always rumors bad Are farthest spread, these woful tidings flew.

Thither a.s.sembled straight both high and low, Longing to see what they were loth to know.