XCIV
“He lift me by the trembling hand from ground,
Nor stayed he till my humble speech was done;
But said, ‘A friend and keeper hast thou found,
Fair virgin, nor to me in vain you run:’
A sweetness strange from that sweet voice’s sound
Pierced my heart, my breast’s weak fortress won,
Which creeping through my bosom soft became
A wound, a sickness, and a quenchless flame.
XCV
“He visits me, with speeches kind and grave
He sought to ease my grief, and sorrows’ smart.
He said, ‘I give thee liberty, receive
All that is thine, and at thy will depart:’
Alas, he robbed me when he thought he gave,
Free was Erminia, but captived her heart,
Mine was the body, his the soul and mind,
He gave the cage but kept the bird behind.
XCVI
“But who can hide desire, or love suppress?
Oft of his worth with thee in talk I strove,
Thou, by my trembling fit that well could’st guess
What fever held me, saidst, ‘Thou art in love;’
But I denied, for what can maids do less?
And yet my sighs thy sayings true did prove,
Instead of speech, my looks, my tears, mine eyes,
Told in what flame, what fire thy mistress fries.
XCVII
“Unhappy silence, well I might have told
My woes, and for my harms have sought relief,
Since now my pains and plaints I utter bold,
Where none that hears can help or ease my grief.
From him I parted, and did close upfold
My wounds within my bosom, death was chief
Of all my hopes and helps, till love’s sweet flame
Plucked off the bridle of respect and shame,
XCVIII
“And caused me ride to seek my lord and knight,
For he that made me sick could make me sound:
But on an ambush I mischanced to light
Of cruel men, in armour clothed round,
Hardly I scaped their hand by mature flight.
And fled to wilderness and desert ground,
And there I lived in groves and forests wild,
With gentle grooms and shepherds’ daughters mild.
XCIX
“But when hot love which fear had late suppressed,
Revived again, there nould I longer sit,
But rode the way I came, nor e’er took rest,
Till on like danger, like mishap I hit,
A troop to forage and to spoil addressed,
Encountered me, nor could I fly from it:
Thus was I ta’en, and those that had me caught,
Egyptians were, and me to Gaza brought,
C
“And for a present to their captain gave,
Whom I entreated and besought so well,
That he mine honor had great care to save,
And since with fair Armida let me dwell.
Thus taken oft, escaped oft I have,
Ah, see what haps I passed, what dangers fell,
So often captive, free so oft again,
Still my first bands I keep, still my first chain.
CI
“And he that did this chain so surely bind
About my heart, which none can loose but he,
Let him not say, ‘Go, wandering damsel, find
Some other home, thou shalt not bide with me,’
But let him welcome me with speeches kind,
And in my wonted prison set me free:”
Thus spake the princess, thus she and her guide
Talked day and night, and on their journey ride.
CII
Through the highways Vafrino would not pass,
A path more secret, safe and short, he knew,
And now close by the city’s wall he was,
When sun was set, night in the east upflew,
With drops of blood besmeared he found the grass,
And saw where lay a warrior murdered new,
That all be-bled the ground, his face to skies
He turns, and seems to threat, though dead he lies:
CIII
His harness and his habit both betrayed
He was a Pagan; forward went the squire,
And saw whereas another champion laid
Dead on the land, all soiled with blood and mire,
“This was some Christian knight,” Vafrino said:
And marking well his arms and rich attire,
He loosed his helm, and saw his visage plain,
And cried, “Alas, here lies Tancredi slain!”