That ought but that hit seemes of nought he weyes,
He skryes Rinaldos mind, addict to warre,
And working spirits, much abhorring ease,
No lust of gold in him, no thoughts there are
Of rule, but great and much enflam’d of prayse,
He skryes that at the mouth he hangs of Gwelfe,
And old examples rare frames to himselfe.
11. When inmost sense of these and other sprights
The King of all the world had
He calles him to, of the angelicke lights
Him that mongst first the second ranck doth hold.
A faithfull truchman, Gabriell that hights, (interpreter
A nuntio glad, twixt soules of better mould,
And God to us downe heav’ns decreees who shoes,
And up to heav’n who with mens prayers goes.
12. God to his nuntio said, “Seeke Godfrey out,
And tell him in my name, why stands he still?
The warres againe who goes he not about?
Hierusalem opprest to free from ill,
Captaines to counsell let him call, and rout
Of sluggards rayse, that he be chiefe I will.
There him chuse, and those below that are
Tofore his mates, shall be his men of warre.”
13. So spake he, Gabriel himselfe addrest,
Swift to performe the things in charge he takes.
His shape unseene, with aire he doth invest,
And unto mortall sense his subject makes,
Mans lims, mans looke, t’ apparence he possest,
Which yet celestiall majestie pertakes:
Twixt youth and childhood bounded seeme his dayes,
His golden lockes he doth adorne with rayes.
14. He puts on silver wings, yfrendg’de with gold, (fringed
Wearilesse nymble, of most plyant sway,
With these he partes the winds and clouds, and hold
Doth flight with these aloft the earth and sea.
Attyred thus, to
This messenger of skyes directes his way;
On Liban mountaine hov’ring first he stayd,
And twixt his egall wings himselfe he wayd.
15. Therehence againe to pastures of Tortose,
Plump downe directly levels he his flight.
From easterne coast the new sunne then arose,
Part up, but of more part waves hid the sight,
And earely Godfrey that mornetide bestowes
In prayre to God, as aye his usage night.
When like the sunne, but farre and far more cleare
Th’ angell to him doth from th’ east appeare.
16. And thus bespake Godfrey: “Now season tides,
That best with warriours service doth agree.
Why thwart you lingring then, while fast it slides,
And not Hierusalem from thraldom free?
Do thou to counsaile call the peoples guides,
Do thou the slow their worke to finish see.
God for their chieftain thee hath deemed fit,
And glad at once they shall themselves submit.
17. “God me this message sent, and I reveale
To thee his mind in his owne name, how great
A hope of victorie to have? A zeale
How great, of host thy charge hooves thee to heat?”
He ceast, and vanisht flew to th’ upper deale,
And purest portion of the heavenly seat.
Godfrey those words, and that his shining bright
Daz’led in eyes, and did in heart affright.
18. But fright once gone, and having well bethought,
Who came, who sent, and what to him was said,
Of earst he wisht, he now a fire hath cought
To end the warre whose charge God on him laid.
Not for the heav’ ns him sole this honour brought,
Ambitious winde puffing his stomacke swaid,
But all his will did more in will enflame
Of his deare Lord, as sparke becomes a flame.
19. Then his heroicke mates disperst about,
But not farre off, t’ assemble he invites:
Letter to letter, message on message out
He sendes, advice with praier he unites
What so may flocke or pricke a courage stout,
What skill dull vertue to awake endites:
Seemes all he findes, with efficacie such
As he enforceth, yet contenteth much.
20. The leaders came, the rest ensew’d also.
Boemund alone doth from this meeting stay:
Part campt abroad, part them in circuit stowe,
Another part within Tortosa lay.
The nobles of the campe to counsell goe,
(A glorious senate) on a solemne day.
Then godly Godfrey thus makes silence breach
Goodly of countnance, and as shrill of speach.
21. “Champions of God chosen by king of sky,
Of this true faith the damage to restore,
Whom midst of armes, and midst of guiles, safely
He rul’de and guided both at sea and shore:
So as of rebell realmes many and many
In so few yeares through us him now adore.
And mongst the nations vanquisht and subdew’d,
His ensignes are advanst, his name renew’d.
22. “We have not left our pledges sweete, nor reast
Native to us (if I beleeve aright)
Nor sold our lives to trustlesse seas beheast,
And to the perill of farre distant sight,
To gaine of fames short blast the vulgar feast,
Or that barbarians land we claime our right.
For our deseigns in straight bounds then were pent,
Slender our hire gainst soules or bloud yspent.
23. “But utmost purpose which our thoughts did heare,
Was Sions noble wals by force to gaine:
And Christen brothers to enfranchize there,
From yoake unworthy of their thralled paine,
In Palestine a kingdome new to reare,
Where safely plast, might godlines sustaine.
That holy pilgrms farre from dread of way,
That great tombe might adore, and vowinge pay.
24. “Our deedes till this for perill haue been great,
For travell more then great, for honour small,
For our mayn purpose nought, if we as yeat
Make stop, or bent of armes elsewere doe call.
What bootes it out of Europe to have sett
Fewell of force, and Asia fire withall?
When as at last of these huge sturres we wend,
Nor kingdomes rays’d, but ruin’d are the end.
25. “He buildeth not, whoso his soveraigntie
On worldly ground plots up to raise hath care:
Where midst unnumbred troopes of paganie
Strangers in faith, few of his countrey are.
Where of the Greekes he hopes no loyaltie,
And westerne succours can arive so spare,
But ruynes he procures, which which opprest,
Sole for himselfe a sepulchre he drest.
26. “Turkes, Persians, Antioch, noble matters be,
In name magnificent, and in effect:
Yet workes not ours, but heavens largesse we
Them deeme: conquests of wonder unexpect.
Now if the giver them wrong turned see,
And misemployed from their course direct:
Heare he’l reaue them quite, and honour past
So great, will waxe the peoples scorne at last.
27. “Ah be there none (for love of God) that guifts
So pleasing to bad uses turne and spill,
To web of these so high attempting drifts
Let threed and end of worke be suited still:
Now that the season to our serv
ice shifts,
Now that ech passage we have free at will,
Why to the citie runne we nott, thats set
Our conquests bound: who ist that can us let?
28. “My lords I do protest, and that which I
Do thus protest, the present world shall heare,
And that to come shall heare, and Saints on hie
Do heare, the time long since did ripe appeare:
And yet sits our exploit, but lie you still,
And t’ will most doubtfull fall that now is cleare.
I prophesie if our course be delayde,
The Palestine from Egypt shall have ayde.”
29. He spake, his speech a muttring short befell,
Next after solitarie Peter rose,
Though private, mongst the princes at counsell,
As he from whom that voyage chiefly groes,
“What Godfrey doth exhort, I say aswell,
No doubt here fals, the truth so certaine shoes,
It skryes hit selfe, he plaine demonstrance gave,
Th’ allowance longs to you, sole t’ adde I have.
30. “If I remember well the brawles and shame,
As t’ were of purpose by you made and borne,
Your froward counsels and proceedings lame,
Which midst of working made your works forlorne,
I gesse that from another head there came
The cause of all these stops, and concord torne,
Namely th’ authoritie in many wits,
And many men that equall peyzed sits. (balanced
31. “Where onely one doth not command, from whom
Judgement of paines and prices may depend:
From whom may offices and charges come,
There still the rule to eyther side will bend:
Ah of these members friendly joyn’d, in some
One bodie make, and make a head to wend
And guide the rest, let one the scepter beare,
And let him rule as king and prince he weare.”
32. The olde man silenst here. What thoughts? What breasts
Are shut from thee breath sacred! Heat divine!
Thou in the hermite dost enspire these heasts,
And in the knights harts though the same dost shrine,
Th’ ingraft, th’ inborne affections thou outwrests
Of rule, of libertie, of honours signe.
So as both Gwelfe and Guillam chiefe in place,
Did Godfrey first with name of chieftaine grace.
33. The rest allowance gave, henceforth must be
Their part t’ advise, the others to direct:
Conditions to the conquer’d grant shall hee,
Warre, peace, when, where he please elect,
The rest now brought to becke, earst equall free,
The charge of his commandments are t’ effect.
This so agreed, the fame out flies, and wide
Spreading it self through tongs of men doth glide.
34. To souldiers then he goes, him worthy they
Deeme of the high estate, that giv’n they have,
And greetings glad, and warlick showts they pay,
Which he receives with countnance mildly grave:
Thus when to showes of minds humbler t’ obay,
And deere in love, he sitting answere gaue:
He points in flied of scope muster to take,
To th’ ensewing day what force the camp can make.
35. The sunne from out the east return’d againe
So bright, and fairely lightsome, as but seeld:
When with the new daies beams came forth the traine,
And under ensignes splayd their weapons weeld,
At Bullions hands ech seeking praise to gaine
Beyond his mates, whilst ring they cast in feeld:
Both horse and foote marshald in warlicke bands,
Before him on do march, where firme he stands.
36. Thou minde, of yeeres and of oblivion foe,
Of what so is, guardaine and steward trew:
Afford thy reasons helpe that I may showe
This camps ech captaine, and ech band to view:
Let their old fame new sound, and ample growe,
On which late yeeres the vayle of silence drew:
Adorne my speech from out thy store to set,
What ev’ry age may heare, and none forget.
37. The Franckes did muster first, of whom tofore
Hugo had charge, a brother to their king.
From Ile of France issewd this warlicke store,
A soile faire, large, on foure streames bordering.
When Hue deceast, th’ ensigne that lilies bore
Of gold, Clotared still them conducting
They followed, who captaine great in fame,
That nought might want, possest a royall name.
38. Of complet armed they are hundreds ten,
So many more of horse next them advance,
So like the first, as twixt them none may ken,
In ordring, nature, armes, a variance:
Normands they be, and Robert leades the men,
Their native prince borne and bred up in France.
Their squadrons next William and Ademere,
Two pastors of the people mustred there.
39. The tone and th’ other of them who but late (one
An holy office in Gods service beare,
Now playted lockes pressing with cap of plate,
Have manly use of arms falne to their share.
Orenge citie and confines of that state,
Foure hundred warriours to the first do spare.
The second those of Poggio doth guide,
Equall in tale, nor less in value tride.
40. When Baldwyn makes his muster next in feeld,
With Bulleyners tofore his brothers band,
For his good brother them contents to yeeld,
Now he on captaines captain doth command:
Th’ ensewing roome th Earle of Carnute helde,
Mightie in counsell, valiant of hand.
Foure hundred with him march, a treble force
Under his cornet Baldwyn leades of horse.
41. Gwelfe occupies the bordring circuit, one
Whose merit his high fortune egalleth,
By Latine sire, of Estine graundsires gone,
A bedroll long and trew he reckoneth: (pedigree
But he unto the great house of Gwelfon,
Germanyn in name, and lordship succeedeth.
Corinthia he rules, and Sweve and Rhetian realmes.
42. To this livelode that from his mother came,
Conquests he winned, glorious and great:
Thence brought he men, who made (he bidding) game
To march where death they were assur’d to geat:
They winters cold by stooves to temper frame,
And with invitings glad pertake their meat.
Five thousand came from home but hardly tho
He could the thirds (the Persians reliques) show.
43. White skins, and yealow locks next people have
Twixt Francks and Germains and the sea bestowde,
Where bancks oreflow doth Mose and Rhenish wave,
Land that of graine and beasts beares fruitful lode:
Eke iland men, whom oceans swellings brave,
Gainst which they force up rampires high and brode.
Ocean that not on wares alone hath power
And ships, but townes and kingdomes doth devour.
44. These that a thousand are and other are,
Under another Robert make one band,
A greater squadron is the British farre,
Committed by their king to Williams hand,
His yonger sonne. Their bowes these English bare,
And people bring the pole that neerer stand.
Whom Ireland placed at the worlds end,
Doth from his wildwoods with locks shaggy send.
&
nbsp; 45. Then Tancred comes, there’s non amongst the rout
(Regnald except) a braver warrier,
Nor of a stomacke noble more or stout,
Nor countenance and conditions more faire.
If cloud of blame wrapt his deserts about
Them dimme, loves folly sole the fault must beare,
Above twixt battailes borne, bred of short sight,
Fed with afflictions, still accreeuing might. (accruing?
46. Fame tells what day the Francks with glory great
The Persian troopes discomfited in fight,
After that Tancred in victorious heat
Chasing those runawayes, was tir’de outright,
Some cooly easefull place he sought to geat
For his scorcht lips, and lims devoide of might,
And drew whereas inviting him to shade,
Closde with greene banks, a fresh spring issue made.
47. Unthought of there appeares to him a dame,
All save her face in complet armour dight.
Shee was a Painim, and she also came
Like rest to gaine in like betyred plight:
Her feature he beheld, he held the same
Most faire, he likes, his liking fire doth light
Of love, o wonder! Love then scarcely bred
Grew great, and flew and in armes triumphed.
48. On goes her helme, and fire th’ assaylers part
Had playd, save others there by chance arrive:
The haughtie dame doth from her thrall depart,
Who of some force becomes a fugitive:
But he her warlike image farre in hart
Preserved so as hit presents alive
The chance, the place, how, whar she came in view,
In restlesse thought still feeding flame anew.
49. His looke was looke that bid his folke to ware
In letters large, he burn’d of hope devoyd,
So full of sighes he went, and so he bare
His eye-lids vayled downe and sadly cloyd:
Th’ eight hundred hoste which under-went his care,
Campanias pleasant fields tofore enjoyd,
Dame natures greatest pompe, and hils that lay
Mellow, fertile woode by the Tirhene Sea.
50. Two hundred followed of the Greekish tong,
Who yron armour none in manner bring,
Their hooked swords upon the the tone side hong, (one
Their bowes and quivers at their backes do ring,
Their light horse service doth to gallop long,
For travaile tough, spare in their dyeting,
Readie t’ assayle and to retire at will,
Disordred, scattred, fled, yet fight they still.
51. Latine that cornet led, and only he
Of Greece the Latine armes accompanide.
O shame! O foule misdeede! And had not ye,
O Grekes, these warres ev’n sticking in your side?
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