Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

And pointing forth, "Lo yonder is," faid fhe,
The brafen towre, in which my parents deare
"For dread of that huge feend emprifond be,
"Whom I from far fee on the walles appeare,
Whofe fight my feeble foule doth greatly cheare,
And on the top of all I do espye
The watchman wayting tydings glad to heare;
That, O my Parents! might I happily
Cato you bring, to cafe you of your mifery!"

3

IV.

With that they heard a roaring hideous fownd,
That all the ayre with terror filled wyde,
And feemd uneath to shake the ftedfast ground.
Eftfoones that dreadful dragon they eípyde,
Where ftrecht he lay upon the funny fide

Of

[fill,

great hill, himfelfe like a great hill; But all fo foone as he from far defcryde Thofe gliftring armes, that heaven with light did He rousd himselfe full blyth, and hastned them untill.

V.

Then badd the knight his lady yede aloof,
And to an hill herfelfe withdraw afyde,
From whence the might behold that battailles
proof,

And eke be fafe from daunger far defcryde:
She him obayd, and turnd a little wyde.
Now, O thou facred Mufe! most learned dame,
Fayre ympe of Phœbus and his aged bryde,
The nourfe of Time and everlasting Fame,
That warlike handes ennobleft with immortall
name;

VI.

O gently come into my feeble breft,
Come gently, but not with that mightic rage
Wherewith the martiall troupes thou doeft infest,
And hartes of great heroës doest enrage,
That nought their kindled corage may afwage:
Soone as thy dreadfull trompe begins to fownd,
The God of Warre, with his fiers equipage
Thou doeft awake, fleepe never he fo fownd,

And scared nations docft with horror fterne as ftownd.

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

And over all with brafen fcales was armd,
Like plated cote of steele, fo couched neare
That nought mote perce, ne might his corfe bee
harmd

With dint of fwerd, nor pufh of pointed fpeare;
Which, as an eagle, feeing pray appeare,
His aery plumes doth rouze, full rudely dight,
So fhaked he, that horror was to heare;
For, as the clashing of an armour bright,

Wyde gaped, like the griefly mouth of hell, Through which into his darke abyffe all ravin fell.

Xill.

And that more wondrous was, in either iaw
Three ranckes of yron teeth enraunged were,
In which yett trickling blood and gobbets raw
Of late devoured bodies did appeare,
That fight thereof bredd cold congealed feare;
Which to increase, and all at once to kill,
A cloud of smoothering smoke and fulphure feare
Out of his ftinking gorge forth fteemed still,
That all the ayre about with fmoke and ftench
did fill.

XIV.

His blazing eyes, like two bright fhining fhieldes,
Did burne with wrath, and fparkled living fyre:
As two broad beacons, fett in open fieldes,
Send forth their flames far off to ever shyre,
And warning give that enemies confpyre
With fire and fword the region to invade,
So flam'd his eyne with rage and rancorous yre;
But far within, as in a hollow glade,
Thofe glaring lampes were fett that made a dread-
ful fhade.

XV.

So dreadfully he towardes him did pas,
Forelifting up aloft his speckled brest,
And often bounding on the brused gras,
As for great ioyance of his new-come guest.
Eftfoones he gan advance his haughty creft,
As chauffed bore his briftles doth upreare,
And fhoke his fcales, to battaile ready drest,

Such noyfe his roufed fcales did fend unto the That made the Red-croffè knight nigh quake for

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

Then full of grief and anguish vehement
He lowdly brayd, that like was never heard,
And from his wide devouring oven fent
A flake of fire, that flashing in his beard
Him all amazd, and almost made afeard:
The fcorching flame fore fwinged all his face,
And through his armour all his body feard,
That he could not endure fo cruell cace,
But thought his armes to leave, and helmet to un-
lace.
XXVII.

Not that great champion of the antique world,
Whom famous poetes verfe fo much doth vaunt,
And hath for twelve huge labours high extold,
So many furies and harpe fits did haunt,

When him the poyfoned garment did enchaunt With Centaures blood, and bloody verfes charmd, As did this knight twelve thousand dolours daunt, Whom fyrie fteele now burnt, that erft him armd, That erft him goodly armd, now moft of all him harmd.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]
[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
[blocks in formation]

And downe he fell, with dread of fhame fore Clymbe to her charet, all with flowers spred, terrifide.

XLVI.

There grew a goodly tree him faire befide,
Loaden with fruit and apples rofy redd,
As they in pure vermilion had been dide,
Whereof great vertues over all were redd;
For happy life to all which thereon fedd,
And life eke everlasting did befall;
Great God it planted in that blessed stedd
With his almighty hand, and did it call [fall.
The Tree of Life, the crime of our first father's

XLVII.

In all the world like was not to be fownd,
Save in that foile, where all good things did grow,
And freely fprong out of the fruitfull grownd,
As incorrupted Nature did them fow,
Till that dredd dragon all did overthrow.
Another like faire tree cke grew thereby,
Whereof whofo did eat, eftioones did know
Both good and ill: O mournfull memory!

From heven high to chace the cheareleffe darke; With mery note her lowd falutes the mounting larke.

LII.

Then freshly up arofe the doughty knight,
All healed of his hurts and woundes wide,
And did himselfe to battaile ready dight;
Whofe early foe awaiting him befide
To have devoured, fo foone as day he spyde,
When now he faw himfelfe fo freshly reare,
As if late fight had nought him damnifyde,
He woxe difmaid, and gan his fate to feare;
Natheleffe with wonted rage he him advaunced

neare:

LIII.

And in his first encounter, gaping wyde,
He thought at once him to have fwallowed quight,
And rusht upon him with outrageous pryde;
Who him recounting fierce, as hauke in flight,
Perforce rebutted back. The weapon bright

That tree through one man's fault hath doen us Taking advantage of his open iaw,

all to dy.

XLVIII.

From that first tree forth flowd as from a well,
Atrickling ftreame of balme, moft foveraine

Ran through his mouth with fo importune might, that deepe emperft his darkfome hollow maw, And back retyrd, his life blood forth withal did draw.

« AnteriorContinuar »