And gave the letter to that maid to bear,
Which, writ by him, he in his bosom wore,
And added many matters, with the prayer,
She would excuse him by her friendly lore.'
Hippalca in her memory fixt, with care,
The whole took leave, and turned her horse once more : Nor ceased that faithful messenger to ride
Till she Mount Alban reached at evening-tide.
Rogero followed fast the paynim knight,
Tracked o'er the level by those footsteps new
But overtook him not, till he got sight,
Beside the fount, of Mandricardo too.
Already either had his promise plight,
He nought unknown to his compeer would do,
Till they had succour to that host conveyed,
On which King Charles his yoke had nearly laid.
XCII.
Arrived, Rogero knew Frontino gay,
And, through that courser, knew the knight astride;
And on his lance with bending shoulders lay,
And in fierce tone the African defied.
Job was outdone by Rodomont that day,
In that the king subdued his haughty pride,
And the fell fight which he had ever used
To seek with every instance, he refused.
The first day this and last, that e'er in fight
King Rodomont refused his part to bear!
But his desire appeared to him so right,
In succour of his sovereign to repair;
That if he had believed he clutched the knight
Faster than nimble leopard gripes the hare,
He not so far his purpose would forego,
As on his prey to waste a passing blow.
Add, that he knows Rogero is the peer
Who him for good Frontino now assails;
-So famous, that no other cavalier
Like him such eminence of glory scales;
-The man, of whom he gladly would be clear,
By proof, how much in battle he avails;
Yet shuns the combat, proffered on his part;
So much his monarch's siege has he at heart.
Three hundred miles, a thousand, would he ride,
-Were it not so-to purchase such affray;
But he, if him Achilles had defied,
Had done no otherwise than as I say;
So deeply did the covering ashes hide
That fire beneath, whose fury stifled lay:
He told, why he refused the strife;' and prayed,
'As well Rogero the design to aid.'
Adding, that he, in doing so, would do
What to his lord a faithful vassal owes ;
Still, when the siege was raised, might they renew
And terminate their deadly strife by blows.'
To him Rogero cried, "The fight with you
I freely will defer, till from his foes
"King Agramant be rescued by the sword; "Provided first Frontino be restored.
"Would you that I delay to prove by deed, That you have acted in unworthy sort,
"-Nor did, like valiant man, to take my steed
"Thus from a woman-till we meet at court,
"Render me my Frontino back, or read,
"Upon no other ground, will I support
"That battle shall not be between us two;
"Nor will accord an hour of truce to you."
XCVIII.
While of that African he so demands
Frontino, or him threats with instant fray;
And either still the other's claim withstands,
Nor this the steed will grant, nor that delay;
King Mandricardo stirs, on the other hand,
Another strife; who sees that ensign gay
Rogero on his shield was wont to wear,
The bird which reigns o'er other fowls of air.
XCIX.
He bore on azure field that eagle white,
The beauteous ensign of the Trojan throng:
Such glorious bearing showed that youthful knight,
Because he drew his line from Hector strong..
But Mandricardo knew not of this right,
Nor would endure-and deemed a crying wrong,
That any other but himself should wield
Famed Hector's argent eagle on his shield.
King Mandricardo in like blazon wore
The bird of Ide, which bore off Ganymede:
How in the castle perilous of yore,
He gained that noble ensign for his meed,
-That enterprize I ween, with matter more,
You bear in mind, and how, for his good deed,
The fairy gave it him with all the gear,
Erst given by Vulcan to the Trojan peer.
CI.
The Tartar and Rogero had before
Engaged in battle, only on this quest,
Divided by what accident, my lore
Recites not, as already manifest:
Nor had till now those knights encountered more:
When Mandricardo sees that bird imprest
On the Child's shield, he shouts with threatening cry
To young Rogero; "Take my proud defy!"
CII.
"Audacious man, mine ensign dost thou wear,
"Nor this to-day for the first time, is said;
"And think'st thou, madman, I will thee forbear,
"Because for once to spare thee I was led ?
"But since nor menace nor yet counsel are
"Of force to drive this folly from thy head,
'It shall appear how much it had been best
"For thee forthwith to have obeyed my hest."
CIII.
As fire, whereon dry, heated wood is strown,
Roused by a little puff, at once ascends,
So burns Rogero's wrath, to fury blown,
By the first word with which that king offends.
Thou thinkest," he exclaims, "to bear me down,
"Because this knight as well with me contends: "But learn that I can win in fighting field
'From him the horse, from thee good Hector's shield. CIV.
"Yet once before-nor is it long ago
Twixt us in battle was this question tried:
"But I that day restrained the murderous blow,
"Because thou hadst no faulchion at thy side.
"These shall be deeds, that strife was but a show ;
"And ill this argent bird shall thee betide;
"This is the ancient bearing of my line;
'Tis thou usurpest what by right is mine."
Say rather, thou usurpest mine from me;"
Cried Mandricardo; and that faulchion drew,
Which lately, underneath the greenwood tree,
Orlando from his hand in fury threw.
The Child, who could not aught but courteous be,
(Such was his gentle nature) at the view
Of Mandricardo, with his faulchion drawn,
Let fall his ready lance upon the lawn;
And at the same time, strained his goodly sword;
And better braced the covering shield he wore :
But 'twixt those combatants leapt Argier's lord,
And quick Marphisa spurred the pair before;
And one this foe, the other that implored,
And both besought, that they would strive no more.
King Rodomont complains, The Tartar knight
Has violated twice the compact plight.
First, in belief he should Marphisa gain,
'He more than once had jousted for that fair;
Now to bear off Rogero's ensign fain,
'He for King Agramant shows little care.'
"If thus" (said Rodomont) "you faith maintain, To finish our own combat better were,
"A cause of strife more fitting and more due
Than either of the pleas maintained by you.
CVIII.
"On this condition was the treaty plight,
And the accord between us now in force, "When I with thee shall have performed the fight,
'I next shall answer him about the horse:
"You then with him, if you survive, your right
Shall to the shield maintain in warlike course.
"But I such work shall give you, I conceive,
As will small labour for Rogero leave."
-"The bargain which thou hopest thou shalt not have," (King Mandricardo answered Rodomont)
"I will accord thee more than thou dost crave,
"And trust to make thee sweat from feet to front.
And to bestow on others, much shall save,
"As water never fails in plenteous font;
"And for Rogero and a thousand more,
"And all the world beside reserve a store."
Their fury waxed, and angrier words ensued,
Now upon this and now upon that side.
With Rodomont and with the Child at feud,
Fierce Mandricardo both at once defied.
Rogero, not endowed with suffering mood,
Would hear no more of peace, but vengeance cried.
Now here Marphisa hurried, and now there,
But could not singly such an ill repair.
As peasant, when a river saps its mounds,
And seeking vent the oozing waters drop,
Hastening to shut the stream within its bounds,
And save his pastures and expected crop,
Dams right and left: yet him the stream confounds :
For, if he here the sinking ruin prop,
There he beholds the rotten dyke give out,
And from thick seams the restless water spout,
So, while the Tartar and Rogero rage,
And Rodomont, in hurly-burly fray,
For each of these would fiercest battle wage,
And would outgo his fears in that assay,
Marphisa seeks their fury to assuage,
And strives, and time and trouble throws away;
For as she makes one knight from strife retire,
She sees the others re-engage with ire.
Marphisa, to appease the warriors bent,
Exclaimed, Sirs, listen to my better lore;
"A good remembrance 'tis, all argument
"To leave until we Agramant restore.
"If each is on his own design intent,
"With Mandricardo will I strive once more;
"And fain would see, according to his word,
"If he can conquer me with spear and sword.
"But if, to aid our sovereign, duty call,
"Him let us aid, nor civil discord breed."
-"To ground, through me, such project shall not fall,' Rogero said, so he restore my steed.
"Let him resign that horse, or-once for all,
I say again-to his defence take heed.
I either here my parting breath will yield, "Or on my courser will return afield."
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