Jerusalem Delivered | Page 9

his craven kind?Exasperate by such a bloody deed.?For if he need, what grace could then be got,?If thus of peace he broke or loosed the knot?
LXXXIX?His villain heart his cursed rage restrained,?To other thoughts he bent his fierce desire,?The suburbs first flat with the earth he plained,?And burnt their buildings with devouring fire,?Loth was the wretch the Frenchman should have gained?Or help or ease, by finding aught entire,?Cedron, Bethsaida, and each watering else?Empoisoned he, both fountains, springs, and wells.
XC?So wary wise this child of darkness was;?The city's self he strongly fortifies,?Three sides by site it well defenced has,?That's only weak that to the northward lies;?With mighty bars of long enduring brass,?The steel-bound doors and iron gates he ties,?And, lastly, legions armed well provides?Of subjects born, and hired aid besides.
SECOND BOOK
THE ARGUMENT.?Ismeno conjures, but his charms are vain;?Aladine will kill the Christians in his ire:?Sophronia and Olindo would be slain?To save the rest, the King grants their desire;?Clorinda hears their fact and fortunes plain,?Their pardon gets and keeps them from the fire:?Argantes, when Aletes' speeches are?Despised, defies the Duke to mortal war.
I?While thus the tyrant bends his thoughts to arms,?Ismeno gan tofore his sight appear,?Ismen dead bones laid in cold graves that warms?And makes them speak, smell, taste, touch, see, and hear;?Ismen with terror of his mighty charms,?That makes great Dis in deepest Hell to fear,?That binds and looses souls condemned to woe,?And sends the devils on errands to and fro.?II?A Christian once, Macon he now adores,?Nor could he quite his wonted faith forsake,?But in his wicked arts both oft implores?Help from the Lord, and aid from Pluto black;?He, from deep caves by Acheron's dark shores,?Where circles vain and spells he used to make,?To advise his king in these extremes is come,?Achitophel so counselled Absalom.
III?"My liege," he says, "the camp fast hither moves,?The axe is laid unto this cedar's root,?But let us work as valiant men behoves,?For boldest hearts good fortune helpeth out;?Your princely care your kingly wisdom proves,?Well have you labored, well foreseen about;?If each perform his charge and duty so,?Nought but his grave here conquer shall your foe.
IV?"From surest castle of my secret cell?I come, partaker of your good and ill,?What counsel sage, or magic's sacred spell?May profit us, all that perform I will:?The sprites impure from bliss that whilom fell?Shall to your service bow, constrained by skill;?But how we must begin this enterprise,?I will your Highness thus in brief advise.
V?"Within the Christian's church from light of skies,?An hidden alter stands, far out of sight,?On which the image consecrated lies?Of Christ's dear mother, called a virgin bright,?An hundred lamps aye burn before her eyes,?She in a slender veil of tinsel dight,?On every side great plenty doth behold?Of offerings brought, myrrh, frankincense and gold.
VI?"This idol would I have removed away?From thence, and by your princely hand transport,?In Macon's sacred temple safe it lay,?Which then I will enchant in wondrous sort,?That while the image in that church doth stay,?No strength of arms shall win this noble fort,?Of shake this puissant wall, such passing might?Have spells and charms, if they be said aright."
VII?Advised thus, the king impatient?Flew in his fury to the house of God,?The image took, with words unreverent?Abused the prelates, who that deed forbode,?Swift with his prey, away the tyrant went,?Of God's sharp justice naught he feared the rod,?But in his chapel vile the image laid,?On which the enchanter charms and witchcraft said.
VIII?When Phoebus next unclosed his wakeful eye,?Up rose the sexton of that place profane,?And missed the image, where it used to lie,?Each where he sough in grief, in fear, in vain;?Then to the king his loss he gan descry,?Who sore enraged killed him for his pain;?And straight conceived in his malicious wit,?Some Christian bade this great offence commit.
IX?But whether this were act of mortal hand,?Or else the Prince of Heaven's eternal pleasure,?That of his mercy would this wretch withstand,?Nor let so vile a chest hold such a treasure,?As yet conjecture hath not fully scanned;?By godliness let us this action measure,?And truth of purest faith will fitly prove?That this rare grace came down from Heaven above.
X?With busy search the tyrant gan to invade?Each house, each hold, each temple and each tent?To them the fault or faulty one bewrayed?Or hid, he promised gifts or punishment,?His idle charms the false enchanter said,?But in this maze still wandered and miswent,?For Heaven decreed to conceal the same,?To make the miscreant more to feel his shame.
XI?But when the angry king discovered not?What guilty hand this sacrilege had wrought,?His ireful courage boiled in vengeance hot?Against the Christians, whom he faulters thought;?All ruth, compassion, mercy he forgot,?A staff to beat that dog he long had sought,?"Let them all die," quoth he, "kill great and small,?So shall the offender perish sure withal.
XII?"To spill the wine with poison mixed with spares??Slay then the righteous with the faulty one,?Destroy