visage ran Like his dead Ladie dead seem'd Tancred good In palenesse stilnesse wounds and streames of blood 71 And his weake sprite to be vnbodied From fleshly prison free that ceaselesse striued Had follow'd her faire soule but lately fled Had not a Christian squadron there arriued To seeke fresh water thither haply led And found the Princesse dead and him depriued Of signes of life yet did the knight remaine On liue nigh dead for her himselfe had flaine 72 Their guide far off the Prince knew by his shield And thither hasted full of greefe and feare Her dead him seeming so he there behield And for that strange mishap shed many a teare He would not leaue the corses faire in field For food to wolues though she a Pagan weare But in their armes the soldiers both vphent And both lamenting brought to Tancreds tent 73 With those deere burthens to their campe they passe Yet would not that dead seeming knight awake At last he deepely groan'd which token was His feeble soule had not her flight yet take The other lay a still and heauie masse Her spirit had that earthen cage forsake Thus were they brought and thus they placed weare In sundry roomes yet both adioyning neare 74 All skill and art his carefull seruants vsed To life againe their dying Lord to bring At last his eies vnclos'd with teares suffused He felt their hands and heard their whispering But how he thither came long time he mused His minde astonisht was with euery thing He gaz'd about his squites in fine he knew Then weake and wofull thus his plaints our threw 75 What liue I yet and doe I breathe and see Of this accursed day the hatefull light This spitefull ray which still vpbraideth mee With that accursed deed I did this night Ah coward hand affraid why shouldst thou bee Thou instrument of death shame and despite Why shouldst thou feare with sharp trenchant knife To cut the threed of this blood-guiltie life 76 Pierce through this bosome and my cruell hart In peeces cleaue breake euery string and vaine But thou to slaughters vile which vsed art Think'st it were pitie so to ease my paine Of lucklesse loue therefore in torments smart A sad example must I still remaine A wofull monster of vnhappie loue Who still must liue least death his comfort proue 77 Still must I liue in anguish griefe and caire Furies my guiltie conscience that torment The ougly shades darke night and troubled aire In grisly formes her slaughter still present Madnes and death about my bed repaire Hell gapeth wide to swallow vp this tent Swift from my selfe I ronne my selfe I feare Yet still my hell within my selfe I beare 78 But where alas where be those reliques sweet Wherein dwelt late all loue all ioy all good My furie left them cast in open street Some beast hath torne her flesh and lickt her blood Ah noble pray for sauage beast vnmeet Ah sweet too sweet and far too pretious food Ah seely Nymph whom night and darksome shade To beasts and me far worse than beasts betrade 79 But where you be if still you be I wend To gather vp those reliques deere at least But if some beast hath from the hils descend And on her tender bowels made his feast Let that selfe monster me in peeces rend And deepe entombe me in his hollow cheast For where she buried is there shall I haue A stately tombe a rich and costly graue 80 Thus mourn'd the knight his squires him told at last They had her there for whom those teares he shed A beame of comfort his dim eies out cast Like lightning through thicke cloudes of darknes spred The heauie burthen of his lims in hast With mickle paine he drew forth of his bed And scant of strength to stand to moue or goe Thither he staggred reeling to and froe 81 When he came there and in her brest espide His handiworke that deepe and cruell wound And her sweet face with leaden palenesse dide Where beautie late spred forth her beames around He trembled so that nere his squires beside To hold him vp he had sunke downe to ground And said O face in death still sweet and faire Thou canst not sweeten yet my greefe and caire 82 O faire right hand the pledge of faith and loue Giuen me but late too late in signe of peace How haps it now thou canst not stir nor moue And you deere lims now laid in rest and ease Through which my cruell blade this flood-gate roue Your paines haue end my torments neuer cease O hands O cruell eies accurst alike You gaue the wound you gaue them light to strike 83 But thither now ronne forth my guiltie blood Whither my plaints my sorrowes cannot wend He said no more but as his passion wood Enforced him he gan to teare and rend His haire his face his wounds a purple flood Did from each side in rolling streames descend He had beene slaine but that his paine and woe Bereft his senses and preseru'd him soe 84 Cast on his bed his squires recall'd his spright To execute againe her hatefull charge But tattling fame the sorrowes of the knight And hard mischance had told this while at large Godfrey and all his Lords of worth and might Ran thither and the dutie would discharge Of friendship true and with sweet words the rage Of bitter greefe and woe they would asswage 85 But as a mortall wound the more doth smart The more it searched is handled or sought So their sweete words to his afflicted hart More griefe more anguish paine and torment brought But reuerend Peter that nould set apart Care of his sheepe as a good sheepheard ought His vanitie with graue aduise reprooued And told what mourning Christian knights behooued 86 O Tancred Tancred how farre different From thy beginnings good these follies bee What makes thee deafe what hath thy eiesight blent What mist what cloud thus ouershadeth thee This is a warning good from heau'n downe sent Yet his aduise thou canst not heare nor see Who calleth and conducts thee to the way From which thou willing dost and witting stray 87 To woorthie actions and atchiuements fit For Christian knights he would thee home recall But thou hast left that course and changed it To make thy selfe a heathen damsels thrall But see thy griefe and sorrowes painefull fit Is made the rod to scourge thy sinnes withall Of thine owne good thy selfe the meanes he makes But thou his mercy goodnes grace forsakes 88 Thou dost refuse of heau'n the profred grace And gainst it still rebell with sinfull ire O wretch O whither doth thy rage thee chace Refraine thy griefe bridle thy fond desire At hels wide gate vaine sorrow doth thee place Sorrow misfortunes sonne despaires foule sire O see thine euill thy plaint and woe refraine The guides to death to hell and endlesse paine 89 This said his will to die the patient Abandoned that second death he feared These words
that deare Lord who helpes his seruants trust Who ere they aske grants all things to the iust 28 This said each one his sacred blessing flings Vpon my coarse with broad out stretched hand And mumbled hymnes and psalmes and holy things Which I could neither heare nor vnderstand Arise quoth they with that as I had wings All whole and sound I leapt vp from the land O miracle sweet gentle strange and trew My lims new strength receiu'd and vigour new 29 I gazde on them like one whose hart denai'th To thinke that donne he sees so strangely wrought Till one said thus O thou of little faith What doubts perplex thy vnbeleeuing thought Each one of vs aliuing bodie haith We are Christes chosen seruants feare vs nought Who to auoid the worlds allurements vaine In wilfull penance hermits poore remaine 30 Vs messengers to comfort thee elect That Lord hath sent that rules both heau'n and hell Who often doth his blessed will effect By such weake meanes as wonder is to tell He will not that this body lie neglect Wherein so noble soule did lately dwell To which againe when it vprisen is It shall vnited be in lasting blis 31 I say Lord Swenoes corpes for which prepar'd A tombe there is according to his worth By which his honour shall be far declar'd And his iust praises spred from south to north But lift thine eies vp to the heauens ward Marke yonder light that like the sunne shines forth That shall direct thee with those beames so cleare To finde the bodie of thy maister deare 32 With that I saw from Cinthias siluer face Like to a falling star a beame downe slide That bright as golden line markt out the place And lightned with cleere streames the forrest wide So Latmos shone when Phebe left the chace And laid her downe by her Endimions side Such was the light that well discerne I could His shape his wounds his face though dead yet bould 33 He lay not groueling now but as a knight That euer had to heauenly things desire So towards heau'n the Prince lay bolt vpright Like him that vpward still sought to aspire His right hand closed held his weapon bright Readie to strike and execute his ire His left vpon his brest was humbly laid That men might know that while he dide he praid 34 Whil'st on his wounds with bootlesse teares I wept That neither helped him nor eas'd my care One of those aged fathers to him stept And forst his hand that needlesse weapon spare This sword quoth he hath yet good token kept That of the Pagans blood he drunke his share And blusheth still he could not saue his Lord Rich strong and sharpe was neuer better sword 35 Heau'n therefore will not though the Prince be slaine Who vsed earst to weild this pretious brand That so braue blade vnused should remaine But that it passe from strong to stronger hand Who with like force can weild the same againe And longer shall in grace of fortune stand And with the same shall bitter vengeance take On him that Sweno slew for Swenoes sake 36 Great Soliman kill'd Sweno Soliman For Swenoes sake vpon this sword must die Here take the blade and with it haste thee than Thither where Godfrey doth encamped lie And feare not thou that any shall or can Or stop thy way or lead thy steps awrie For he that doth thee on this message send Thee with his hand shall guide keepe and defend 37 Arriued there it is his blessed will With true report that thou declare and tell The zeale the strength the courage and the skill In thy beloued Lord that late did dwell How for Christes 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 braue end they reed 38 It resteth now thou know that gentle knight That of this sword shall be thy masters haire It is Rinaldo yong with whom in might And martiall skill no champion may compaire Giue it to him and say the heauens bright Of this reuenge to him commit the caire While thus I list'ned what this old man said A wonder new from further speech vs staid 39 For there whereas the wounded body lay A stately tombe with curious worke behold And wond'rous art was built out of the clay Which rising round the carkas did enfold With words engrauen in the marble gray The warriours name his worth and praise that told On which I gazing stood and often read That epitaph of my deere master dead 40 Among his soldiers quoth the hermit heare Must Swenoes corpes remaine in marble chest While vp to heau'n are flowne their spirits deare To liue in endlesse ioy for euer blest His funerall thou hast with many a teare Accompaned it s now high time to rest Come be my guest vntill the morning ray Shall light the world againe then take thy way 41 This said he led me ouer holts and hags Through thornes and bushes scant my legs I drew Till vnderneath an heape of stones and crags At last he brought me to a secret mew Among the beares wilde boares the wolues and stags There dwelt he safe with his disciple trew And fear'd no treason force nor hurt at all His guiltlesse conscience was his castels wall 42 My supper rootes my bed was mosse and leaues But wearinesse in little rest found ease But when the purple morning night bereaues Of late vsurped rule on lands and seas His loathed couch each wakefull hermite leaues To pray rose they and I for so they please I congee tooke when ended was the same And hitherward as they aduis'd me came 43 The Dane his wofull tale had done when thus The good Prince Godfrey answer'd him sir knight Thou bringest tidings sad and dolorous For which our heauie campe laments of right Since so braue troopes and so deere friends to vs One howre hath spent in one vnluckie fight And so appeared hath thy maister stout As lightning doth now kindled now quencht out 44 But such a death and end exceedeth all The conquests vaine of realmes or spoiles of gold Nor aged Romes proud stately capitall Did euer triumph yet like theirs behold They sit in heau'n on thrones celestiall Crowned with glorie for their conquest bold Where each his hurtes I thinke to other showes And glorie in those bloodie wounds and blowes 45 But thou who hast part of thy race to ronne With haps and hazards of this world itost Reioice for those high honours they haue wonne Which cannot be by chance or fortune crost But for thou askest for Bertoldoes sonne Know that he wandreth banisht from this host And till of him new tidings some man tell Within this campe I deeme it best thou dwell 46 These words of theirs in many a soule renewed The sweet remembrance of faire Sophias childe Some with salt teares for him their cheekes bedewed Least euill betide him mongst the Pagans wilde And euery
walles to shake They should no turrets rammes nor engins make 2 From Godfreyes campe a groue a little way Amid the vallies deepe growes out of sight Thicke with old trees whose horrid armes display An ougly shade like euerlasting night There when the sunne spreads forth his clearest ray Dim thicke vncertaine gloomie seemes the light As when in eu'ning day and darknes striue Which should his foe from our horizon driue 3 But when the sunne his chaire in seas doth steepe Night horrour darknes thicke the place inuade Which vaile the mortall eies with blindnes deepe And with sad terrour make weake harts affraide Thither no groome driues forth his tender sheepe To brouze or ease their faint in cooling shade Nor trauellor nor pilgrime there to enter So awfull seemes that forrest old dare venter 4 Vnited there the ghostes and gobblins meet To frolicke with their mates in silent night With dragons wings some cleaue the welkin fleet Some nimbly ronne ore hils and vallies light A wicked troupe that with allurement sweet Drawes sinfull man from that is good and right And there with hellish pompe their bankets brought They solemnise thus the vaine Pagans thought 5 No twist no twig no bough nor branch therefore The Saracines cut from that sacred spring But yet the Christians spared nere the more The trees to earth with cutting steele to bring Thither went Ismen old with tresses hore When night on all this earth spred forth her wing And there in silence deafe and mirksome shade His characters and circles vaine he made 6 He in the circle set one foot vnshod And whispred dreadfull charmes in gastly wise Three times for witchcraft loueth numbers od Toward the east he gaped westward thrise He stroke the earth thrise with his charmed rod Wherewith dead bones he makes from graues to rise And thrise the ground with naked foote he smote And thus he cried lowd with thundring note 7 Heare heare you spirits all that whilome fell Cast downe from heau'n with dint of roaring thunder Heare you amid the emptie aire that dwell And stormes and showres powre on these kingdoms vnder Heare all you deuils that lie in deepest hell And rend with torments damned ghostes asunder And of those lands of death of paine and feare Thou monarch great great Dis great Pluto heare 8 Keepe you this forrest well keepe euery tree Numbred I giue you them and truly tould As soules of men in bodies cloathed be So euerie plant a sprite shall hide and hould With trembling feare make all the Christians flee When they presume to cut these Cedars ould This said his charmes he gan againe repeat Which none can say but they that vse like feat 9 At those strange speeches still nights splendant fires Quenched their lights and shrunke away for doubt The feeble moone her siluer beames retires And wrapt her hornes with foulding cloudes about Ismen his sprites to come with speed requires Why come you not you euer damned rout Why tarrie you so long pardie you stay Till stronger charmes and greater words I say 10 I haue not yet forgot for want of vse What dreadfull tearmes belong this sacred feat My toong if still your stubburne harts refuse That so much dreaded name can well repeat Which heard great Dis cannot himselfe excuse But hither runne from his eternall seat O great and fearfull more he would haue said But that he saw the sturdie sprites obaid 11 Legions of deuills by thousands thither come Such as in sparsed aire their biding make And thousands also which by heauenly dome Condemned lie in deepe Auemus lake But slow they came displeased all and some Bicause those woods they should in keeping take Yet they obai'd and tooke the charge in hand And vnder euerie branch and leafe they stand 12 When thus his cursed worke performed was The wisard to his king declar'd the feat My Lord let feare let doubt and sorrow pas Henceforth in safetie stands your regall seat Your foe as he suppos'd no meane now has To build againe his rams and engins great And then he told at large from part to part All what he late perform'd by wondrous art 13 Besides this helpe another hap quoth hee Will shortly chance that brings not profit small Within few daies Mars and the Sunne I see Their fi rie beames vnite in Leo shall And then extreme the scorching heat will bee Which neither raine can quench nor dewes that fall So placed are the Planets high and low That heat fire burning all the heau'ns forshow 14 So great with vs will be the warmth therefore As with the Garamantes or those of Inde Yet nill it grieue vs in this towne so sore We haue sweet shade and waters cold by kinde Our foes abroad will be tormented more What shield can they or what refreshing finde Heau'n will them vanquish first then Egypts crew Destroy them quite weake wearie faint and few 15 Thou shalt sit still and conquer proue no more The doubtfull hazard of vncertaine fight But if Argantes bold that hates so sore All cause of quiet peace though iust and right Prouoke thee forth to battaile as before Finde meanes to calme the rage of that fierce knight For shortly heau'n will send thee ease and peace And war and trouble mongst thy foes encrease 16 The king assured by these speeches faire Held Godfreyes powre his might and strength in scorne And now the walles he gan in part repaire Which late the ram had brus'd with iron horne With wise foresight and well aduised caire He fortifide each breach and bulwarke torne And all his folke men women children small With endlesse toile againe repair'd the wall 17 But Godfrey nould this while bring forth his powre To giue assault against that fort in vaine Till he had builded new his dreadfull towre And reared high his downe-falne rammes againe His workmen therefore he dispatcht that howre To hew the trees out of the forrest maine They went and scant the wood appear'd in sight When wonders new their fearfull harts affright 18 As seely children dare not bend their eie Where they are told strange Bugbeares haunt the place Or as new monsters while in bed they lie Their fearefull thoughts present before their face So feared they and fled yet wist not why Nor what pursu'd them in that fearefull chace Except their feare perchance while thus they fled New Chimeres Sphinges or like monsters bred 19 Swift to the campe they turned backe dismai'd With words confus'd vncertaine tales they told That all which heard them scorned what they said And those reportes for lies and fables hold A chosen crew in shining armes arrai'd Duke Godfrey thither sent of soldiers bold To garde the men and their faint armes prouoke To cut the dreadfull trees with hardie stroke 20 These drawing neere the wood where close ipent The wicked sprites in syluan pinfoldes weare Their eies vpon those shades no sooner bent But frosen dread pearst through their entrals deare
iourney dight Towards another port there to get in With hideous noise fast after spurr'd the knight She heard and staide and thus her words begin What haste hast thou ride softly take thy breath What bringest thou he answerd warre and death 53 And warre and death quoth she heere maist thou get If thou for battle come with that she staid Tancred to ground his foote in haste downe set And left his stead on foote he saw the maid Their courage hot their ire and wrath they whet And either champion drew a trenchant blaid Togither ran they and togither stroke Like two fierce buls whom rage and loue prouoke 54 Woorthie of royall listes and brightest day Woorthie a golden trompe and lawrell crowne The actions were and woonders of that fray Which sable night did in darke bosome drowne Yet night consent that I their actes display And make their deeds to future ages knowne And in records of long enduring storie Enroll their praise their fame their woorth glorie 55 They neither shrunke nor vantage sought of ground They trauerst not nor skipt from part to part Their blowes were neither false nor faigned found The night their rage would let them vse no art Their swords togither clash with dreadfull sound Their feete stand fast and neither stir nor start They moue their hands steadfast their feete remaine Nor blow nor foine they stroake or thrust in vaine 56 Shame bred desire a sharpe reuenge to take And veng'ance taken gaue new cause of shame So that with haste and little heed they strake Fuell enough they had to feed the flame At last so close their battell fierce they make They could not weild their swords so nie they came They vs'd the hilts and each on other rusht And helme to helme and shield to shield they crusht 57 Thrice his strong armes he fouldes about her waste And thrice was forst to let the virgine goe For she disdained to be so embraste No louer would haue strain'd his mistresse soe They tooke their swords againe and each enchaste Deepe wounds in the soft flesh of his strong foe Till weake and wearie faint aliue vneath They both retirde at once at once tooke breath 58 Each other long beheild and leaning stood Vpon their swords whose points in earth were pight When day breake rising from the Eastren flood Put forth the thousand eies of blindfold night Tancred beheild his foes out streaming blood And gaping wounds and waxt proud with the sight O vanitie of mans vnstable minde Puft vp with euerie blast of friendly winde 95 Why ioi'st thou wretch O what shall be thy gaine What trophie for this conquest i st thou reares Thine eies shall shed in case thou be not slaine For euerie drop of blood a sea of teares The bleeding warriours leaning thus remaine Each one to speake one world long time forbeares Tancred the silence broake at last and said For he would know with whom this fight he maid 60 Euill is our chance and hard our fortune is Who here in silence and in shade debate Where light of sunne and witnes all we mis That should our prowesse and our praise dilate If words in armes finde place yet grant me this Tell me thy name thy countrey and estate That I may know this dang'rous combate donne Whom I haue conquerd or who hath me wonne 61 What I nill tell you aske quoth she in vaine Nor mou'd by praier nor constraind by powre But thus much know I am one of those twaine Which late with kindled fire destroi'd the towre Tancred at her proud words sweld with disdaine That hast thou said quoth he in euill howre Thy vaunting speeches and thy silence both Vnciuill wretch hath made my hart more wroth 62 Ire in their chafed breasts renew'd the fray Fierce was the fight though feeble were their might Their strength was gone their cunning was away And furie in their stead maintain'd the fight Their swords both points and edges sharpe embay In purple bloud where so they hit or light And if weake life yet in their bosomes lie They liu'd bicause they both disdain'd to die 63 As Egeans seas when stormes be calm'd againe That roll'd their tumbling waues with troublous blasts Do yet of tempests past some shewes retaine And here and there their swelling billowes casts So though their strength were gone and might were vaine Of their first fiercenes still the furie lasts Wherewith sustain'd they to their tackling stood And heaped wound on wound and blood on blood 64 But now alas the fatall howre arriues That her sweete life must leaue that tender hold His sword into her bosome deepe he driues And bath'd in lukewarme blood his iron cold Betweene her brests the cruell weapon riues Her curious square embost with swelling gold Her knees grow weake the paines of death she feeles And like a falling Cedar bends and reeles 65 The Prince his hand vpon her shield doth streach And low on earth the wounded damsell laith And while she fell with weake and woefull speach Her praiers last and last complaints she saith A spirit new did her those praiers teach Spirit of hope of charitie and faith And though her life to Christ rebellious weare Yet died she his childe and handmaide deare 66 Friend thou hast wonne I pardon thee nor saue This bodie that all torments can endure But saue my soule baptisme I dying craue Come wash away my sinnes with waters pure His hart relenting nigh insunder raue With woefull speech of that sweete creature So that his rage his wrath and anger dide And on his cheekes salt teares for ruthe downe slide 67 With murmur lowd downe from the mountaines side A little runnell tumbled neere the place Thither he ran and fild his helmet wide And quicke return'd to do that worke of grace With trembling hands her beauer he vntide Which done he saw and seeing knew her face And lost therewith his speech and moouing quight O woefull knowledge ah vnhappie sight 68 He died not but all his strength vnites And to his vertues gaue his hart in gard Brideling his greefe with water he requites The life that he bereft with iron hard And while the sacred words the knight recites The Nymphe to heau'n with ioy her selfe prepard And as her life decaies her ioyes encrease She smild and said farewell I die in peace 69 As Violets blew mongst Lillies pure men throw So palenes midst her natiue white begonne Her lookes to heau'n she cast their eies I trow Downeward for pitie bent both heau'n and sunne Her naked hand she gaue the knight in show Of loue and peace her speech alas was donne And thus the virgin fell on endlesse sleepe Loue beautie vertue for your darling weepe 70 But when he saw her gentle soule was went His manly courage to relent began Greefe sorrow anguish sadnes discontent Free empire got and lordship on the man His life within his hart they close vp pent Death through his senses and his