His changing cheek and colour seemed to rise,
And catch its sacred hues while gazing there;
Full of his God, and rapt with zeal sublime,
To angel minds his spirit soared, whence he
Unveiled the never-ending course of time,
And pierced the secrets of futurity.
LXXIV
Then, bursting out in louder, loftier strain,
Foretold events that would in time arise,
While all, attracted by his look, remain
Attentive to his thundered prophecies.
‘Rinaldo lives,’ he cried; ‘what else one hears
Is lies and tricks of woman’s baleful will.
He lives; his young and inexperienced years
The Heavens reserve for greater glories still.
LXXV
‘These boyish feats but indices supply
Of what all Asia knows — his future fame;
Lo! I see clearly that, as years roll by,
He will the pride of impious monarchs tame,
And ‘neath the shadow of her silver wing
His eagle will protect the Church and Rome,
Them from the oppressor’s claws delivering;
And worthy children shall adorn his home,
LXXVI
‘And children’s children, and their sons, who thence
Will bright and notable example have;
Who will, from Caesars’ unjust violence,
The papal mitre and our temples save;
To oppress the proud, the lowly to restore,
The guilty punish, and defend the right,
Will be their aim; thus past the sun will soar
Haught Este’s eagle in her glorious flight
LXXVII
‘And right it is, beholding truth and light,
That she to Peter mortal thunder bring,
And that, where’er in Jesu’s cause men fight,
She spread in triumph her unconquered wing,
Since, by predestined statute, Providence
To her this innate virtue has decreed;
And wills that she, now summoned back from whence
She flew, to this great enterprise proceed.’
LXXVIII
With words like these the prudent Peter cheered
Their hearts, with terror for Rinaldo fraught:
Sole, ‘mid the general joy, the chief appeared
Silent, immersed in deep and anxious thought
Meanwhile the night in clouds of darkness rose,
And o’er earth’s face her murky mantle spread;
The rest retired to give their limbs repose,
But from Prince Godfred’s eyes all sleep had fled.
CANTO XI.
I
WHILE thus the captain of the Christian powers
Urged them the warlike instruments to frame,
He being resolved to storm the royal towers,
The hermit Peter to his presence came,
And drawing him aside, the sage began,
In accents stem and with a solemn air:
‘Hosts of this world, O chief, thou leadest on,
But that is not what first should claim thy care.
II
‘Begin from Heaven, and first with penitence,
In public worship and on bended knee,
Invoke the saints’ and angels’ army, whence
Alone thou mayest hope for victory.
In sacred vestments let the priests precede,
And anthems chaunt with suppliant voice, while ye,
Great glorious leaders of the army, lead
Their ranks to join those strains of piety.’
III
Thus the stem hermit did the captain chide,
And Godfred deemed his admonition wise.
‘Servant beloved of Jesus,’ he replied,
‘Well pleased I am to follow thy advice.
Now, while I invite the chiefs to come with me,
Thou to the bishops of the host repair,
William and holy Ademar, and be
The sacred rites and pious pomp your care.’
IV
The reverend sage next mom assembled round
With the high priests those of less station, where
Within the camp, on consecrated ground,
They used to glorify the Lord in prayer:
The others in white surplices were dressed,
The bishops gold-embroidered mantles wore,
Which in twain parted, buttoned at the breast
O’er snowy lawn; their heads proud mitres bore.
V
Peter walked first alone, and to the wind
Displayed the sign in Paradise revered;
With slow and solemn step the choir behind
In two distinct extended lines appeared,
And in alternate melody replied,
With suppliant voice, with meek and lowly air;
And closing up their ranks, went side by side,
William and his companion Ademar.
VI
Then, as commanders do, the Bouillon passed
Alone, without companion at his side;
Next came the leaders two by two, and last
The camp, with weapons of defence supplied:
Proceeding thus the assembled host passed thro’
And out the intrenchments; in the stilly air
No warlike clangour rose, no bugles blew —
The only sound was piety and prayer.
VII
Thee, Father, and Thy dear coequal Son;
Thee who from both proceeding breath’st love’s fire;
Thee, Virgin Mother of the God in man,
They now invoke to favour their desire;
And you that move Heaven’s fulgent Seraphim
In trinal orbits; thee whose hands did lave
The pure unstained humanity of Him
Who knew no sin, in the life-giving wave;
VIII
They now invoke: Thee too, the solid Rock,
Whereon Christ’s Church is built, whose lofty place
A new successor fills, whose hands unlock
The blessèd gates of pardon and of grace;
And the other saint apostles that revealed
The glorious tidings of triumphant Death;
And those brave martyrs who the Truth had sealed
With their own life-blood and their dying breath:
IX
Those, too, whose pious pens or precepts true
Pointed Heaven’s path to all that from it erred;
And her, Christ’s dear and faithful handmaid, who
The noblest life’s felicity preferred;
And virgins chaste in convent cell immured,
Whom to Himself in wedlock God unites;
And those who firmly tortures had endured,
Despising crowns and the vain world’s delights.
X
Chanting such hymns, the pious populace,
Winding along in ample ‘rcles, came
Direct towards Olivet with solemn pace,
Which from the olive tree derives its name;
A Mount from sacred story wide-world known:
It to the eastward of the wall doth rise,
And parting it from the imperial town
Jehoshaphat’s precipitous valley lies.
XI
Thither the tuneful army bends its way.
And with its music the deep valley fills;
To the high peaks the sounds are borne away,
And Echo answers from a thousand hills.
It seemed like sylvan choir that was concealed
Among the trees, or from the caverns came;
Such resonant reverberations pealed
With Jesus’ now, and now with Mary’s name.
XII
Meanwhile the walls the astonished Pagans throng,
And watch in silent wonder from their heights
&nb
sp; The slow-paced windings, the submissive song,
And the strange splendour of the outlandish rites;
But when the pageant’s novelty had ceased,
Derisive yells the impious miscreants poured;
And as their taunts and blasphemies increased,
The torrent, mount, and spacious valley roared.
XIII
But not for that did Jesus’ flock refrain
From their sweet melody and touching words;
Nor did they heed them, nor more notice deign
Than to so many flocks of chattering birds;
Nor feared, though by far-darted shafts pursued,
That such could check their harmony divine,
But hoped they would be able to conclude
The hymns begun with such devout design.
XIV
An altar, then, on the hill-top they raised,
Where the Lord’s Supper by the priest was spread;
On either side refulgent cressets blazed
Of burnished gold suspended over head.
William put on more costly vestments here;
But first in silent meditation stays,
Then lifting up his voice in accents clear,
With self-arraignment and thanksgiving prays.
XV
Those near him listened with attentive ear;
Those far, ’twas all they could, kept fixed their eyes;
But when he had performed the rites austere
Of the pure Lamb’s mysterious sacrifice,
‘Depart,’ he said, and, raising up his hands,
With priestly unction the Crusaders blest;
Then to the camp returned the pious bands
By the same path that coming they had pressed.
XVI
The encampment entered and dismissed the ranks,
Godfred at once to his pavilion went,
Escorted by a dense array of Franks,
Ev’n to the threshold of the imperial tent.
Here he took leave of them, retaining none
But the great chiefs to join his festive board;
And in the honoured seat that faced his own,
Placed with respect Toulouse’s aged lord.
XVII
But when their thirst and natural appetite
For food was sated, Godfred added: ‘All
Prepared must be, with the dawn’s earliest light,
To carry by assault you rampired wall.
As that will be a day of sweat and blows,
So this to rest and preparation spare:
Let each withdraw, then, and enjoy repose,
And for the fight himself and troops prepare.’
XVIII
They then took leave, and, by the trumpet’s sound,
The heralds straight the chiefs commands convey,
That every soldier under arms be found,
Marshalled and ready at the dawn of day.
Thus they that morn gave partly to repose,
And part to preparation and deep thought,
Until calm Night, rest’s silent friend, arose,
And a fresh respite to their labours brought
XIX
Still doubtful was the dawn, the birth of day
But faintly in the Orient was discerned;
No iron share cleaved yet the dewsprent clay,
Nor had the shepherds to the fields returned;
Still on the boughs slept safe each little bird;
Free were the woods from hound or hunter’s cry;
When, at the morning’s bugle call, was heard
‘To arms!’—’ to arms!’ re-echoed through the sky.
XX
‘To arms!’ ‘to arms!’ Those joyous, welcome words
Concordant thousands thunder as one man.
Aroused, Prince Godfred rises up, nor girds
His golden cuishes or great breastplate on,
But now the arms of a foot soldier wore,
Not stiff or hard, but lissome and most light;
Their easy burden he already bore,
When gallant Raymond joined the pious knight;
XXI
And seeing the captain armed in such a mode,
His secret purpose instantly divined.
‘Where is,’ he cried, ‘thy corslet’s solid load?
Why leave thine iron armature behind,
And thus half armed go forth? I can’t approve
That thou shouldst with such poor defence depart;
To me, signor, these indications prove
That bent on humble goal of fame thou art.
XXII
‘What seekest thou, O prince? The simple prize
Of him who scales a wall? This task impose
On the less worthy crowd, whose duty ’tis,
And let them their less useful lives expose.
Resume thou, then, thy usual arms and post,
And of thy body, for our sake, take care;
Thy soul, the life and spirit of the host,
For God’s sake guard, and from such risks forbear.’
XXIII
He ceased, and thus the gallant Godfred: ‘Know
That when in Clermont, in my young career,
On me this sword great Urban did bestow,
And made me Christ’s devoted cavalier,
I vowed to God in secret, that I would
The part of captain not alone sustain,
But would employ my valour, when I could,
As simple soldier in this great campaign.
XXIV
‘When I shall have, then, all my tactics formed,
Against the foe the combat to renew,
And fully have the offices performed
That from commander of the host are due,
Tis right that yonder I my course direct,
And the vow made unto my God observe
(Nor do I think to that thou canst object);
Let Him then guard me, and my life preserve.’
XXV
He ceased. At once the cavaliers of France,
And his two brothers, his example shared;
And the other princely leaders, without lance,
In lighter arms as foot-soldiers appeared.
Meanwhile, the Pagans had ascended where
The lofty ramparts, stretching towards the West,
Confront the starry cluster of the Bear,
That part being less protected than the rest.
XXVI
Elsewhere so strong, the city had not recked
The slightest damage from the foe’s assault;
But here not only did the king collect
His regular soldiers, but, in their default,
Had, as a last resource, assembled there
The old, and those of ev’n the tenderest years;
Who move about, and to the stronger bear
Bitumen, sulphur, lime, darts, stones, and spears.
XXVII
With flashing arms, balistae, pikes, and bows
Bristles the rampart that o’erlooks the plain;
And there, in form of horrid giant, rose
Breast high above it, mighty Solyman;
Amid the merlons of the lofty wall
Arganté towers, and is discerned afar;
And in the angle turret, over all,
Clorinda waits the coming shock of war.
XXVIII
A heavy load of piercing arrows, lo!
And burnished quiver from her back depend;
And, see! already she has seized the bow,
The bolt affixes, and prepares to bend.
Upon the passage of the advancing foe
The lovely archer sets her eager eyes:
Thus, Fancy deemed, upon the world below
The Delian virgin arrowed from the skies.
XXIX
Beneath, on foot, the hoary monarch made
His way from gate to gate; then, from the wall,
Observe
d if all his orders were obeyed,
And cheer and reassurance gave to all;
Here reinforcements furnishes, and there
Of arms and stores provides a fresh supply.
Meanwhile, sad matrons to the mosques repair,
To supplicate their impious deity:
XXX
‘Do thou, O Lord, with just and powerful hand,
Asunder rive the Frank marauder’s spear,
And ‘neath these portals strow that blasphemous band
Which desecrates the name that we revere.’
Thus prayed, nor down there were their voices heard,
‘Mid Death’s eternal lamentations lost:
Now, while the city prayed, and thus prepared,
The pious Bouillon marshals out his host
XXXI
With extreme foresight and consummate art,
He ranges forth his foot, and in two sides
Obliquely formed, in echelon, that part
Intended to assault the wall, divides.
In the centre, the balistæ he unites
With other horrid instruments of war,
Whence stones and javelins towards the embattled heights,
Like flashing thunderbolts, projected are.
XXXII
Behind the foot the heavy horse he posts,
The light sends forward to patrol around;
Then gives the sign of battle. ‘Mid the hosts
The archers and the slingers so abound,
And arms so numerous from their engines fly,
That from the merlons the defenders fall;
Some quit their posts, and some are seen to die;
Thinned are already those that crowned the wall.
XXXIII
Then dashed the Franks impetuous o’er the field,
And towards the ramparts with fresh vigour sped;
And some had shield adapted upon shield,
And with them made a covering for the head;
Some crept beneath the mighty engines, which
Afforded shelter from the stony rain,
Then strove to fill, arriving at the ditch,
Its void, and make it level with the plain.
XXXIV
Not of soft mud or water was the fosse,(I)
For this the soil allowed not; whence with ease
They filled it up, tho’ deep and broad across,
With gabions, stones, and sods of turf, and trees.
Meanwhile Alcasto was the first to show
His daring head, and ‘gan the wall to scale,
Raising a ladder, which he mounted, tho’
Deluged by fiery rain and iron hail.
XXXV
The impetuous Switzer had already won
Half the aerial path with matchless force,
Butt for a thousand arrows, yet not one
So injured him as to obstruct his course;
When a huge mass of round and ponderous rock,
Like shell from mortar, by Arganté thrown,
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