The World's Greatest Books [Volumes 1-15, 17-20]

But not the pious chief nor faithful camp Gives way to sleep, or for a moment rests; To see the welcome dawn relume her lamp Creates such longing in their eager breasts That their approach it might illumined make To Salem's walls, the goal of their crusade: They watch each moment for one ray to break And pierce the gloom of night's invidious shade.

Already was awake the herald air

To announce that fair Aurora 'gan to rise,

Who decked herself and wreathed her golden hair

With fresh-blown roses culled in Paradise;

When from the camp, ere yet the reveille rung,

There rose a murmur from the deep-toned throats

Of arming thousands. The shrill trumpet's tongue

Then pealed forth livelier and more tuneful notes.

The wise commander with paternal care Directs their bent and regulates their force; Since much more easy near Charybdis 'twere To turn the rolling billows from their course, Or Boreas check when down the Apennines He sweeps, engulfing vessels in the sea. He orders, starts, by trumpet rules the lines Rapidly—still by rule, though rapidly.

Winged are their anxious hearts and winged their feet;

Unconscious of their speed, on, on they fly.

But when the advancing sun with fervent heat

Had struck the arid plains and risen on high,

Lo! fair Jerusalem appears in sight,

Lo! countless fingers point there, and exclaim

Ten thousand voices that in one unite,

" Hail! Hail! Jerusalem, Jerusalem ! "

Clorinda, the Moslem heroine, makes the first sally from the city, at the head of a band of warriors, encounters a foraging party, and kills Gardo, its leader. Godfred orders Tancredi to advance to their support. Meanwhile Erminia, daughter of the

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deceased King of Antioch, points out to King Aladine, from the summit of a high tower, the principal leaders of the Christian army. In an encounter between Clorinda and Tancredi the Pagans are driven back. Godfred calls off his troops, reconnoitres the city, and encamps near the South Gate. Satan, or, as he is here called, Pluto, enraged at the successes of the Christians, convenes a council in the infernal regions to consider the best means of opposing their further progress.

Ill

While thus the Franks their warlike engines made, To have them ready for their high emprise, Man's mighty foe from Acheron's gloomy shade Against the Christians turned his livid eyes; And seeing them on their pious work intent, Bit both his lips, with rankling fury stung; While like a wounded bull his rage found vent In bellowing roars that through Gehenna rung.

Then having turned his every thought to bring Upon the Christians ruin most complete, His legions are commanded by their king (Terrific council!) round his throne to meet, As though a light emprise—insensate!—'twere The Heavenly Will's fixed purpose to withstand. Fool! that would try to equal God, or dare Forget the thunders of his angered hand!

Straightway the gods of hell in several swarms Rushed to the lofty gates from all around. Oh, what strange shapes they had—what horrid forms! What dread—what death in their gaunt eyeballs frowned! With cloven foot some print the burning soil, Whose human heads contorted snakes entwined; And like a scourge in many a sinuous coil, Voluminous tails the hybrids drag behind.

Here countless filthy Harpies you might mark; Centaurs by thousands; Sphinxes, Gorgons pale; Voracious Scyllas without number bark; Huge Pythons hiss, and hideous Hydras wail.

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Dark lurid flames misshaped Chimaeras pour; Here Polyphemus stalks, there Geryon; And monsters strange ne'er seen or known before, With looks diverse, confused, and blent in one.

After delivering an address to the gods of the inferno, Pluto senHs his emissaries to the upper world. At their instigation, Idraotes, Prince of Damascus, a magician, sends his niece Armida, who is likewise an enchantress, to endeavour to seduce their chiefs. Arriving at the Christian camp and interviewing Eustace, she is hy him introduced to Godfred. Giving him a feigned account of herself, she requests assistance, which Godfred refuses; but at length, at the instance of his brother Eustace, and others of the younger knights, he permits ten of them to accompany her. She seeks by artful stratagems to induce others to join her.

Eustace, being in love with Armida, persuades Rinaldo, of whom he is jealous, to solicit the place of captain of the Adventurers. Gernando, brother of the King of Norway, aspires to fhe same post, and being instigated by an evil spirit, uses expressions to the disparagement of Rinaldo, who kills him in presence of the whole army. Godfred having determined to punish the offender, Rinaldo, by the advice of Guelpho and Tancredi, quits the camp. The Pagan champion Argante challenges the Christian camp to single combat His challenge is accepted on their part by Tancredi

In rest each warrior placed his knotty spear,