Jerusalem Delivered

by Torquato Tasso

  And this pestiferous serpent, poisoned snake,

  Of all our knights that hath destroyed the flower,

  First let us slay, and his deserved end

  Example make to him that kills his friend.

  LXXI

  “I will, I will, if your courageous force,

  Dareth so much as it can well perform,

  Tear out his cursed heart without remorse,

  The nest of treason false and guile enorm.”

  Thus spake the angry knight with headlong course;

  The rest him followed with a furious storm,

  “Arm, arm.” they cried, to arms the soldiers ran.

  And as they run, “Arm, arm,” cried every man.

  LXXII

  Mongst them Alecto strowed wasteful fire,

  Envenoming the hearts of most and least,

  Folly, disdain, madness, strife, rancor, ire,

  Thirst to shed blood, in every breast increased,

  This ill spread far, and till it set on fire

  With rage the Italian lodgings, never ceased,

  From thence unto the Switzers’ camp it went,

  And last infected every English tent.

  LXXIII

  Not public loss of their beloved knight,

  Alone stirred up their rage and wrath untamed,

  But fore-conceived griefs, and quarrels light,

  The ire still nourished, and still inflamed,

  Awaked was each former cause of spite,

  The Frenchmen cruel and unjust they named,

  And with bold threats they made their hatred known,

  Hate seld kept close, and oft unwisely shown:

  LXXIV

  Like boiling liquor in a seething pot,

  That fumeth, swelleth high, and bubbleth fast,

  Till o’er the brims among the embers hot,

  Part of the broth and of the scum is cast,

  Their rage and wrath those few appeased not

  In whom of wisdom yet remained some taste,

  Camillo, William, Tancred were away,

  And all whose greatness might their madness stay.

  LXXV

  Now headlong ran to harness in this heat

  These furious people, all on heaps confused,

  The roaring trumpets battle gan to threat,

  As it in time of mortal war is used,

  The messengers ran to Godfredo great,

  And bade him arm, while on this noise he mused,

  And Baldwin first well clad in iron hard,

  Stepped to his side, a sure and faithful guard.

  LXXVI

  Their murmurs heard, to heaven he lift his een,

  As was his wont, to God for aid he fled;

  “O Lord, thou knowest this right hand of mine

  Abhorred ever civil blood to shed,

  Illumine their dark souls with light divine,

  Repress their rage, by hellish fury bred,

  The innocency of my guiltless mind

  Thou knowest, and make these know, with fury blind.”

  LXXVII

  Tis said he felt infused in each vein,

  A sacred heat from heaven above distilled,

  A heat in man that courage could constrain

  That his brave look with awful boldness filled.

  Well guarded forth he went to meet the train

  Of those that would revenge Rinaldo killed;

  And though their threats he heard, and saw them bent

  To arms on every side, yet on he went.

  LXXVIII

  Above his hauberk strong a coat he ware,

  Embroidered fair with pearl and richest stone,

  His hands were naked, and his face was bare,

  Wherein a lamp of majesty bright shone;

  He shook his golden mace, wherewith he dare

  Resist the force of his rebellious foe:

  Thus he appeared, and thus he gan them teach,

  In shape an angel, and a God in speech:

  LXXIX

  “What foolish words? what threats be these I hear?

  What noise of arms? who dares these tumults move?

  Am I so honored? stand you so in fear?

  Where is your late obedience? where your love?

  Of Godfrey’s falsehood who can witness bear?

  Who dare or will these accusations prove?

  Perchance you look I should entreaties bring,

  Sue for your favors, or excuse the thing.

  LXXX

  “Ah, God forbid these lands should hear or see

  Him so disgraced at whose great name they quake;

  This sceptre and my noble acts for me

  A true defence before the world can make:

  Yet for sharp justice governed shall be

  With clemency, I will no vengeance take

  For this offence, but for Rinaldo’s love,

  I pardon you, hereafter wiser prove.

  LXXXI

  “But Argillano’s guilty blood shall wash

  This stain away, who kindled this debate,

  And led by hasty rage and fury rash,

  To these disorders first undid the gate;”

  While thus he spoke, the lightning beams did flash

  Out of his eyes of majesty and state,

  That Argillan, — who would have thought it? — shook

  For fear and terror, conquered with his look.

  LXXXII

  The rest with indiscreet and foolish wrath

  Who threatened late with words of shame and pride,

  Whose hands so ready were to harm and scath,

  And brandished bright swords on every side;

  Now hushed and still attend what Godfrey saith,

  With shame and fear their bashful looks they hide,

  And Argillan they let in chains be bound,

  Although their weapons him environed round.

  LXXXIII

  So when a lion shakes his dreadful mane,

  And beats his tail with courage proud and wroth,

  If his commander come, who first took pain

  To tame his youth, his lofty crest down goeth,

  His threats he feareth, and obeys the rein

  Of thralldom base, and serviceage, though loth,

  Nor can his sharp teeth nor his armed paws,

  Force him rebel against his ruler’s laws.

  LXXXIV

  Fame as a winged warrior they beheld,

  With semblant fierce and furious look that stood,

  And in his left hand had a splendent shield

  Wherewith he covered safe their chieftain good,

  His other hand a naked sword did wield,

  From which distilling fell the lukewarm blood,

  The blood pardie of many a realm and town,

  Whereon the Lord his wrath had poured down.

  LXXXV

  Thus was the tumult, without bloodshed, ended.

  Their arms laid down, strife into exile sent.

  Godfrey his thoughts to greater actions bended.

  And homeward to his rich pavilion went,

  For to assault the fortress he intended

  Before the second or third day were spent;

  Meanwhile his timber wrought he oft surveyed

  Whereof his ram and engines great he made.

  NINTH BOOK

  THE ARGUMENT.

  By night the Christians in their tents to kill:

  But God who their intents saw from above,

  Sends Michael down from his sacred hill:

  The spirits foul to hell the angels drove;

  The knights delivered from the witch, at will

  Destroy the Pagans, scatter all their host:

  The Soldan flies when all his bands are lost.

  I

  The grisly child of Erebus the grim,

  Who saw these tumults done and tempest spent,

  Gainst stream of grace who ever strove to swim

  And all her thoughts against Heav
en’s wisdom bent,

  Departed now, bright Titan’s beams were dim

  And fruitful lands waxed barren as she went.

  She sought the rest of her infernal crew,

  New storms to raise, new broils, and tumults new.

  II

  She, that well wist her sisters had enticed,

  By their false arts, far from the Christian host,

  Tancred, Rinaldo, and the rest, best prized

  For martial skill, for might esteemed most,

  Said, of these discords and these strifes advised,

  “Great Solyman, when day his light hath lost,

  These Christians shall assail with sudden war,

  And kill them all while thus they strive and jar.”

  III

  With that where Solyman remained she flew,

  And found him out with his Arabian bands,

  Great Solyman, of all Christ’s foes untrue,

  Boldest of courage, mightiest of his hands,

  Like him was none of all that earth-bred crew

  That heaped mountains on the Aemonian sands,

  Of Turks he sovereign was, and Nice his seat,

  Where late he dwelt, and ruled that kingdom great.

  IV

  The lands forenenst the Greekish shore he held,

  From Sangar’s mouth to crooked Meander’s fall,

  Where they of Phrygia, Mysia, Lydia dwelled,

  Bithynia’s towns, and Pontus’ cities all:

  But when the hearts of Christian princes swelled,

  And rose in arms to make proud Asia thrall,

  Those lands were won where he did sceptre wield

  And he twice beaten was in pitched field.

  V

  When Fortune oft he had in vain assayed,

  And spent his forces, which availed him naught,

  To Egypt’s king himself he close conveyed,

  Who welcomed him as he could best have thought,

  Glad in his heart, and inly well apayed,

  That to his court so great a lord was brought:

  For he decreed his armies huge to bring

  To succor Juda land and Juda’s king.

  VI

  But, ere he open war proclaimed, he would

  That Solyman should kindle first the fire,

  And with huge sums of false enticing gold

  The Arabian thieves he sent him forth to hire,

  While he the Asian lords and Morians hold

  Unites; the Soldan won to his desire

  Those outlaws, ready aye for gold to fight,

  The hope of gain hath such alluring might.

  VII

  Thus made their captain to destroy and burn,

  In Juda land he entered is so far,

  That all the ways whereby he should return

  By Godfrey’s people kept and stopped are,

  And now he gan his former losses mourn,

  This wound had hit him on an elder scar,

  On great adventures ran his hardy thought,

  But naught assured, he yet resolved on naught.

  VIII

  To him Alecto came, and semblant bore

  Of one whose age was great, whose looks were grave,

  Whose cheeks were bloodless, and whose locks were hoar

  Mustaches strouting long and chin close shave,

  A steepled turban on her head she wore,

  Her garment wide, and by her side, her glaive,

  Her gilden quiver at her shoulders hung,

  And in her hand a bow was, stiff and strong.

  IX

  “We have.” Quoth she, “through wildernesses gone,

  Through sterile sands, strange paths, and uncouth ways,

  Yet spoil or booty have we gotten none,

  Nor victory deserving fame or praise,

  Godfrey meanwhile to ruin stick and stone

  Of this fair town, with battery sore assays;

  And if awhile we rest, we shall behold

  This glorious city smoking lie in mould.

  X

  “Are sheep-cotes burnt, or preys of sheep or kine,

  The cause why Solyman these bands did arm?

  Canst thou that kingdom lately lost of thine

  Recover thus, or thus redress thy harm?

  No, no, when heaven’s small candles next shall shine,

  Within their tents give them a bold alarm;

  Believe Araspes old, whose grave advice

  Thou hast in exile proved, and proved in Nice.

  XI

  “He feareth naught, he doubts no sudden broil

  From these ill-armed and worse-hearted bands,

  He thinks this people, used to rob and spoil,

  To such exploit dares not lift up their hands;

  Up then and with thy courage put to foil

  This fearless camp, while thus secure it stands.”

  This said, her poison in his breast she hides,

  And then to shapeless air unseen she glides.

  XII

  The Soldan cried, “O thou which in my thought

  Increased hast my rage and fury so,

  Nor seem’st a wight of mortal metal wrought,

  I follow thee, whereso thee list to go,

  Mountains of men by dint of sword down brought

  Thou shalt behold, and seas of red blood flow

  Where’er I go; only be thou my guide

  When sable night the azure skies shall hide.”

  XIII

  When this was said, he mustered all his crew,

  Reproved the cowards, and allowed the bold:

  His forward camp, inspired with courage new,

  Was ready dight to follow where he would:

  Alecto’s self the warning trumpet blew

  And to the wind his standard great unrolled,

  Thus on they marched, and thus on they went,

  Of their approach their speed the news prevent.

  XIV

  Alecto left them, and her person dight

  Like one that came some tidings new to tell:

  It was the time, when first the rising night

  Her sparkling diamonds poureth forth to sell,

  When, into Sion come, she marched right

  Where Juda’s aged tyrant used to dwell,

  To whom of Solyman’s designment bold,

  The place, the manner, and the time she told.

  XV

  Their mantle dark, the grisly shadows spread,

  Stained with spots of deepest sanguine hue,

  Warm drops of blood, on earth’s black visage shed,

  Supplied the place of pure and precious dew,

  The moon and stars for fear of sprites were fled,

  The shrieking goblins eachwhere howling flew,

  The furies roar, the ghosts and fairies yell,

  The earth was filled with devils, and empty hell.

  XVI

  The Soldan fierce, through all this horror, went

  Toward the camp of his redoubted foes,

  The night was more than half consumed and spent;

  Now headlong down the western hill she goes,

  When distant scant a mile from Godfrey’s tent

  He let his people there awhile repose,

  And victualled them, and then he boldly spoke

  These words which rage and courage might provoke:

  XVII

  “See there a camp, full stuffed of spoils and preys,

  Not half so strong as false report recordeth;

  See there the storehouse, where their captain lays

  Our treasures stolen, where Asia’s wealth he hoardeth;

  Now chance the ball unto our racket plays,

  Take then the vantage which good luck affordeth;

  For all their arms, their horses, gold and treasure

  Are ours, ours without loss, harm or displeasure.

  XVIII

  “Nor is this camp that great victorious host

  That slew the
Persian lords, and Nice hath won:

  For those in this long war are spent and lost,

  These are the dregs, the wine is all outrun,

  And these few left, are drowned and dead almost

  In heavy sleep, the labor half is done

  To send them headlong to Avernus deep,

  For little differs death and heavy sleep.

  XIX

  “Come, come, this sword the passage open shall

  Into their camp, and on their bodies slain

  We will pass o’er their rampire and their wall;

  This blade, as scythes cut down the fields of grain,

  Shall cut them so, Christ’s kingdom now shall fall,

  Asia her freedom, you shall praise obtain.”

  Thus he inflamed his soldiers to the fight,

  And led them on through silence of the night.

  XX

  The sentinel by starlight, lo, descried

  This mighty Soldan and his host draw near,

  Who found not as he hoped the Christians’ guide

  Unware, ne yet unready was his gear:

  The scouts, when this huge army they descried,

  Ran back, and gan with shouts the ‘larum rear;

  The watch stert up and drew their weapons bright,

  And busked them bold to battle and to fight.

  XXI

  The Arabians wist they could not come unseen,

  And therefore loud their jarring trumpets sound,

  Their yelling cries to heaven upheaved been,

  The horses thundered on the solid ground,

  The mountains roared, and the valley green,

  The echoes sighed from the caves around,

  Alecto with her brand, kindled in hell,

  Tokened to them in David’s tower that dwell.

  XXII

  Before the rest forth pricked the Soldan fast,

  Against the watch, not yet in order just,

  As swift as hideous Boreas’ hasty blast

  From hollow rocks when first his storms outburst,

  The raging floods, that trees and rocks down cast,

  Thunders, that towns and towers drive to dust:

  Earthquakes, to tear the world in twain that threat,

  Are naught, compared to his fury great.

  XXIII

  He struck no blow, but that his foe he hit;

  And never hit, but made a grievous wound:

  And never wounded, but death followed it;

  And yet no peril, hurt or harm he found,

  No weapon on his hardened helmet bit,

  No puissant stroke his senses once astound,

  Yet like a bell his tinkling helmet rung,

  And thence flew flames of fire and sparks among.

  XXIV

  Himself well nigh had put the watch to flight,

  A jolly troop of Frenchmen strong and stout,

  When his Arabians came by heaps to fight,

  Covering, like raging floods, the fields about;