Canto 3

OH that my head were so well storde with skill,
Of such a noble subiect fit to treat,
Oh that my wits were equall to my will,
To frame a phrase fit for so high conceat:
Ye muses that do hold the sacred hill,
Inspire my heart with flame of learned heat,
While I presume in base and lowly verse,
The names of glorious Princes to reherse.

Such Princes as excell all Princes far,
In all the gifts of bodie and of mind,
Temprat in peace, victorious eake in war,
Themselues most noble, come of noble kind.
And such (except my guesse do greatly arre)
As are by heau'ns eternall doome assignd,
In wealth, in fame, in rule and in prosperitie,
To liue themselues, their children and posteritie.

Nor can I now their seuerall actes most rare,
Atcheeud by eu'rie one of them recite,
No though my verse with Virgils might compare,
Or I as well as Homer could endite:
With their great praise, great volumes filled are,
With large discourse, by them that stories write.
I onely meane to show what was foreshowne,
Long er their persons or their deeds were knowne.

But first of Pinnabel a word to speake,
Who as you heard with traiterous intent,
The bonds of all humanitie did break,
For which er long himselfe was after shent,
Thus while base minds their wrōgs do basely wreak
They do that once that often they repent,
And curse that time, a thousand times, too late
When they pursude their vnreuenged hate.

With fainting heart, (for sin is full of feare,)
By stealing steps from hence he doth depart,
And as he goes he prieth here and there,
His fearefull looke bewrayes his guiltie hart,
Not yet his dread doth moue him to forbeare,
To heape more sin vpon this ill desart.
Appald with feare, but toucht with no remorse,
Supposing she was slaine, he takes her horse.

But let him go vntill another time,
For I do meane hereafter you shall heare,
How he was dealt with, when his double crime,
In secret wrought, most open did appeare,
Now vnto Bradamant I bend my time,
Who with her fall, was yet of heauie cheare:
And had bene taught a gamball for the nonce,
To giue her death and buriall at once.

Now when she came vnto her selfe againe,
And had recouerd memorie and sence,
She gets her on her feete, although with paine,
In mind to seeke some way to get fro thence,
When loe, before her face she seeth plaine,
A stately portall built with great expence,
And next behind the same she might descrie,
A larger roome and fairer to the eye.

This was a church most solemne and deuout,
That stands on marble pillars small and round,
And raisd by art on arches all about,
That made ech voyce to yeeld a double sound.
A lightsome lampe that neuer goeth out,
Did burne on altar standing in the ground:
That though the rooms were large & wide in space,
The lampe did serue to lighten all the place.

The noble damsell full of reu'rent feare,
When as her selfe in sacred place she sees,
(As one that still a godly minde did beare,)
Begins to pray to him vpon her knees,
Whose holy side was perst with cruell speare,
And who to saue our liues his owne did leese:
And while she stayes deuoutly at her prayre,
The sage Melissa doth to her repaire.

Her gowne vngyrt, her haire about her hed,
Much like a priest or prophetesse arraid,
And in her booke a little while she red,
And after thus vnto the damsell said:
O thou by Gods appointment hither led,
O Bradamant, most wise and worthy maid,
I long haue looked here for this thy comming,
Foretold thereof by prophet Merlines cunning.

Here is the tombe that Merline erst did make,
By force of secret skill and hidden art,
In which sometimes the Ladie of the lake,
That with her beautie had bewitcht his hart,
Did make him enter fondly for her sake,
From whence he neuer after could depart,
And he was by a woman ouer reached,
That vnto others prophesied and preached.

His carkas dead within this stone is bound,
But with dead corse the liuing soule doth dwell:
And shall vntill it here the trumpet sound,
That brings reward of doing ill or well.
His voyce doth liue, and answer and expound,
And things both present past and future tell,
Resoluing men of eu'rie doubtfull case,
That for his counsell come vnto this place.

About a month or little more or lesse,
It is since I repaird to Merlins graue,
Of him about the studie I professe,
Some precepts and instructions to haue.
And (for I willing was I must confesse)
To meete you at your comming to this caue[…]
For which he did prefixe this certaine day,
This moued me of purpose here to stay.

Duke Ammons daughter silent stands and still,
The while the wise Melyssa to her spake,
Astonished at this vnusuall skill,
And doubting if she were a sleepe or wake,
A modest shame with grace her eyes doth fill,
With which downe cast, this answer she doth make:
Alas what good or merite is in me
That prophets should my comming so foresee?

And glad of this aduenture vnexpected,
She followeth her guide with great delight,
And straight she saw the stately toombe erected,
Of marble pure that held his bones and sprite,
And (that which one would little haue suspected)
The verie marble was so cleare and bright,
That though the sunne no light vnto it gaue,
The toombe it selfe did lighten all the caue.

For whether be the nature of some stone,
A darke some place with lightsomnes to fill,
Or were it done by magike art alone,
Or else by helpe of Mathematike skill,
To make transparencies to meete in one,
And so conuey the sunne beames where you will:
But sure it was most curious to behold,
Set forth with carued workes and guilt with gold.

Now when the damsell was approched nyre,
To this strange toombe where Merlins bones were plast,
Forth of the stones that shine like flaming fire,
His liuely voyce such speeches out doth cast:
Let fortune euer fauour thy desire,
O Bradamant thou noble maid and chast,
From out whose wombe an issue shall proceed,
That all the world in glorie shall exceed.

The noble blood that came of ancient Troy,
By two cleare springs in thee togither mixt,
Shall breed the flowre, the iewell and the ioy,
Of all on whom the sunne his beames hath fixt,
Twixt those that heat, and those that cold annoy,
From Tage to Inde, Danub and Nile betwixt,
Emp'rors and kings, and dukes and lords for ay,
Of this thy linage carrie shall the sway.

And many a Captaine braue and worthy Knight,
Shall issue from this stocke, that shall restore
By warlike feates the glorie shining bright,
That Italy possessed heretofore.
And magistrates to maintaine peace and right,
As Numa and Augustus did before,
To cherish vertue, vice so to asswage,
As shall to vs bring backe the golden age.

Wherefore sith God hath by predestination,
Appointed thee to be Rogeros wife,
And means to blesse thine heirs and generation,
With all the graces granted in this life,
Persist thou firme in thy determination,
And stoutly ouercome each storme of strife,
And worke his worthy punishment and paine,
That doth thy liues delight from thee detaine.

This said: the prophet Merline holds his peace,
And giues Melissa time to worke her will,
Who when she did perceiue the voice to cease,
She purposeth by practise of her skill,
To shew the damsell part of that increase,
That should with fame the world hereafter fill.
And for this end she calls a great assemble,
Ofsprights that might their persons all resemble.

Who straight by words of secret vertue bound,
In numbers great vnto the caue repaire,
Of whence I know not, whether vnder ground,
Or else of those that wander in the aire:
Then thrise she drawes about a circle round,
And thrise she hallowes it with secret praire.
Then opens she a triple clasped booke,
And softly whispering in it she doth looke.

This done she takes the damsell by the hand
Exhorting her she should not be afraid,
And in a circle causeth her to stand,
And for her more securitie and aid,
And as it were for more assured band,
Vpon her head some characters she laid.
Then hauing done her due and solemne rites,
She doth beginne to call vpon the sprites.

Behold a crew of them come rushing in,
In sundrie shapes with persons great and tall,
And now they filled all the roome within,
So readily they came vnto her call,
When Bradamant to feare did straight begin,
Her heart was cold, her colour waxed pall.
But yet the circle kept her like a wall,
So that she needed not to feare at all.

Howbeit Melyssa caused them be gone,
From thence vnto the next adioyning caue,
And thence to come before them one by one,
The better notice of their names to haue,
That at more leysure they may talke thereon,
When as occasion so may seeme to craue.
Although (quoth she) this short time cannot serue
To speake of eu'rie one as they deserue.

Lo here the first thy first begotten sonne,
That beares thy fauour and his fathers name,
By whom the Lombards shall in fight be wonne,
To Desiderius their kings great shame,
Who shall at Pontyr make the streames to runne,
With blood in fields adioyning to the same,
And shall reuenge the deeds and minds vnpure,
Of such as did his fathers fall procure.

And for this noble act among the rest,
The Emperour shall giue him in reward,
The honours great of Calaon and Est,
By which his familie shalbe prefard.
The next Vberto is whose valiant brest,
Shalbe vnto the holy church a gard.
Defending it with valiant heart and hand,
To th'honour of Helperyan armes and land.

Alberto he is nam'd that third comes in,
Whose triumphs are most famous eu'rie where,
Then his sonne Hugo that did Millain winne,
And for his crest two vipers vs'd to beare,
Next Atso is and next to him of kinne,
That erst of Lombardie the crowne shall weare,
Then Albertasso by whose meanes are wonne,
The Beringers both father and the sonne.

To him shall Othons fauour so encline,
He shall in marridge giue to him his daughter,
Now Hugo comes againe, o happie line,
And happie man that sau'd so great a slaughter,
When at Christ vicars rule Rome did repine,
He daunteth them and so restord them after:
The which by wit without the dint of sword,
He shall effect in Othons time the thurd,

Now Fulko comes that to his brother gaue,
His land in Italy which was not small,
And dwelt in Almany his land to saue
Of Samsony, that vnto him did fall
A duke dome great that did with Castels braue,
Accrew to him for want of issue male.
By him that noble house is held and cherished,
That but for him would be extinct and perished.

Then cometh Atso that misliketh warre,
But yet his sonnes Bertold and Albertasse,
With second H[…]nrie shalbe still at iarre,
And bring the Dutchmen to a wofull passe.
Next young Renaldo shining like a starre,
Shalbe vnto the church a wall of brasse,
And worke the vtter ouerthrow and losse,
Of wicked Fredrike named Barbarosse,

Behold another Atso shall possesse,
Verona with a stately territorie,
Of Oton and Honorius no lesse,
Shalbe a marques made to his great glorie,
It would be long their names all to expresse,
That shall protect the sacred consistorie,
And in most valerous and marshall manner,
Display and eke defend the Churches banner.

Obyso next and Folko you may view,
With Henries two, the father and the sonne,
Both Guelf[…]s that frutfull Humbrya shall subdew,
And keepe the dukedome there by conquest won.
Behold him that the good state doth renew,
Of Italy that late was quite vndone.
Cald Atso sift that brauely ouerthrew,
The cruell Esselino and him slew.

That cruell Esselyno that was thought,
To haue beene gotten by some wicked diuell,
That neuer any goodnesse had beene taught,
But sold his soule to sinne and doing euill,
Comparing with the cruell acts he wrought,
Fierce Nero were but myld and Sylla ciuell.
Beside this Atso shall in time to come
The powre of second Fredrike ouercome.

And then he shall his brother Albandrine,
Vnto the Florentines for monie gage,
And Othon with the faction Gebellyn,
He shall suppresse amid the furious rage,
And raise the church, nor letting it decline,
But spending to defend it all his age.
For which good seruice he shall iustly merite;
The dukedome of Ferara to inherite[…]

Next him Renaldo now ensu'th, whose lot
Shalbe at Naples to be made away,
A death his verrtuous deeds deserued not,
But wo to them that guiltlesse blood betray.
Now followeth a'worthy crue and knot,
Whose acts alone to tell would spend a day:
O[…]so, Nicolas and Alabrandme,
Whose noble deeds shall honour much their line.

Then Nicolas is he that next ensuth,
That rul'd in tender yeares both neere and farre,
That findes and eke reuengeth their vntruth,
That sought his state by ciuill strife to marre.
The sports and exercises of his youth,
Are blowes and fights, and dangers great & warre,
Which makes that ere to manly state he came,
For martiall deeds he gets the onely name.

Lo Lyonell the glorie of his age,
Maintaining peace and quiet all his time,
And keeping that with ease by wisedome sage,
To which some others by much paine do clime.
That fettred furie and rebuked rage,
That locks vp Mars in wals of stone and lime:
That all his wit, his care and trauell bent,
To make his subiects liue in state content.

Now Hercles comes, an Hercules indeed,
Whose deeds shall merite euer during fame:
That by his paines his countries ease shall breed,
And put his enemies to flight and shame.
Sharpe to deuise, to execute with speed,
Both stout t'attempt, and patient to the same,
No prince shall euer rule his countrie better,
No prince had euer countrie more his detter.

Not onely that he shall their moorish grounds,
By great expence to pasture sirme reduce,
Not that the towne with wall enuiron round,
And store with things behoostull to their vse,
Not that when warre in ech place shall abound,
He shall maintaine them peaceably in truce,
Not that he shall according to their asking
Disburden them of payments and of tasking.

But that he shall more and aboue all thease,
Leaue them behind him such a worthy race,
As search within the circuit of the seas,
You shall not find two to supplie their place.
So shall the one the other striue to please,
So shall the one the others loue imbrace,
As may for louing brotherly regard,
With Castor and with Pollux be compard.

The elder of these two Alfonso hight,
The next of them Hyppolito we call,
Both passing stout and valiant in fight,
Both passing wise and prouident withall:
And both in due defence of countries right,
Shall seeme a bulwarke and a brazen wall:
They both shall haue of enemies good store,
They both shall still subdue them euermore.

Their mother (if I may a mother name,)
One more like Progne and Medea fell,
Vnto her endlesse infamie and shame,
Against her sonne Alfonso shall rebell,
And ioyne with Venice force (for this to blame)
Though for the same ere long they paid full well,
For those they thought to hurt, they did this good,
To make the groūd more fruitfull with their blood.

Nor far fro thence the Spanish souldier hired,
By pastors purse and in that pastors pay,
That with a forcible assault aspired,
To take a sort, and eke the captaine slay.
But loe he comes and they perforce retyred,
And haue so short a pleasure of this pray,
Scarse one of them in life is left abiding,
To carrie notice of so heauie tiding.

His wit and valour shall him so aduance,
To haue the honour of Romama field,
Where by his meanes vnto the force of France,
The Pope and Spaniards, forced are to yeeld:
And there in Christian blood, ò fatall chance,
Shall horses swimme, such number shall be keeld,
Nor shall not men enough aliue remaine,
To burie those shall be in battell slaine.

The while his brother vnder Card'nals cap,
Shall couer, nay shall thew a prudent head,
Hyppolito (I meane) who shall haue hap,
With band of men but small (yet wisely led)
To giue to the Venetians such a clap,
As few the like in stories haue bene read.
To take three times fiue Gallies at one ride,
And barkes and boates a thousand more beside.

Behold two Sygismonds both wise and graue,
Alfonso next, whose fame is talkt of rife,
With his fiue sonnes, then Hercles that shall haue
The king of France his daughter to his wife,
That towards him, her selfe shall to behaue,
Shall make him liue most happie all his life.
Hyppolito it is that now comes in,
Not least for praise and glorie of his kin.

Next Francis named third, Alfonsos two,
With many others worthy of renowne,
The which to name might finde one worke to do,
From Phoebus rising to his going downe.
Now therefore if you will consent thereto,
I here will end and send the spirits downe:
To this the worthy damsell said not nay,
And straight the spirits vanisht all away.

Then Bradamant, that all well marked had,
Of whom her selfe should be the ancient mother,
Did say, to learne she would be very glad,
What two those were that differed from the other,
That came with backward steps and lookt so sad,
Vpon the good Alfonso and his brother.
Melyssa sight, misliking that suggestion,
That moued her to aske so grieuous question.

And then as in a trance these words she spake,
O thou more worthy sonne of worthy sire,
They are thy bloud, on them compassion take,
Let grace allwage, though iustice kindle ire:
Then vnto Bradamant as new awake,
I must (said she) denie you this desire,
I say no more, content you with the sweet,
For you this sower morsell is not meet.

Tomorrow when the Sunne at breake of day,
With light shall dim the light of eu'ry starre:
I meane my selfe to guide you on your way,
So as I will be sure you shall not arre.
The place whereas your loue is forc'd to stay,
Is from the salt sea shore not very farre:
That were you past a mile beyond this wood,
The other way would easie be and good.

Of this nights stay the damsell was content,
And in the caue with her she doth remaine,
And most thereof in Merlins toombe she spent,
Whose voice with talke did her still entertaine:
Emboldning her to giue her free consent,
To loue where she should sure be lou'd againe.
Now gan the messenger of day to cro,
When as her guide and she away did go.

The way they went was darke and vnaccessible,
By secret vaults and hollowes of the hill,
To find it out had bene a thing impossible,
But with a guide of knowledge great and skill:
At last they came vnto a path more passible,
By which they cease not to ascend, vntiil
They quite had left the darke and lothsome place,
And saw the beames of Phoebus chearefull face.

And while that vp this hill they slowly stalke,
With pausing panting oft, and taking wind,
To make lesse wearie seeme their weane walke,
Melyssa still doth store of matter find,
And now of this, and then of that doth talke,
But chiefly she the damsell puts in mind,
Of her Rogero, how he had bene trained
Into the prison where he now remained.

Atlanta that Magician strange is he
That holdeth him (I trust) vnto his cost,
But had you Pallas strength or Mars (quoth she)
And eke of armed men a mightie host,
Yet to attempt by force to set him free,
Your trauell and your labour all were lost.
Art must be wonne by art, and not by might,
Force cannot free your welbeloued knight.

For first the castle mounted is on hie,
Impregnable with wals all ouer steeld,
And next, the horse he rides hath wings to flie,
And gallops in the aire as in the field[…]
And last he dazleth eu'ry mortalleie,
By hidden force of his enchanted shield,
With light whereof mens senses are so dazed,
With sight thereof they fall downe all amazed.

In all the world one onely meane hath beene,
And is yet still to worke so rare a feat,
A ring there is which from an Indian Queene,
Was stoine sometime, of price and vertue great:
This ring can make a man to go vnseene,
This ring can all inchantments quite defeat:
King Agramant hath sent his secretarie,
Vnto Rogero this same ring to carie.

Brunello is his name that hath the ring,
Most leud and false, but politike and his wise,
And put in trust especiall by his king,
With it Rogeros safetie to deuise:
Which sith I wish not he, but you should bring,
To bind him to you by this enterprise,
And for I would not haue the Turke protect him,
Because I know he greatly doth affect him.

Do therefore this, when you do meete this man,
Whose markes I wish in memory you beare.
His statute is two cubits and a span,
His head is long and gray, and thin of haire,
His nose is short and flat, his colour wan,
With beetle brow, eyes watrie not with teare,
His beard growes on his face without all stint,
And to conclude, his looke is all a squint.

Now when as you this comely man shall meet,
As sure you shall within a day or two,
You may with curteous words him seeme to greet,
And tell him partly what you meane to do:
But speake not of the ring although you see't,
For so you may the matter all vndo,
Then he great courtesie to you will offer,
And straight his companie to you will proffer.

But when vnto the castle you come nie,
Then see you set vpon him on the way,
And take away the ring and make him die,
Nor giue him any time, lest he conuay
The ring into his mouth, and so thereby
Out of your sight he vanish quite away.
The worthy damsell makes her speeches well,
And so the one the other bids farewell.

Next day she hapt Brunello to espie,
She knew him straight, she found him at her Inne,
She growes to question with him by and by,
And he to lie doth by and by beginne,
And she dissembles too, and doth d. nie
Her countrey, stocke and name, and sex and kinne.
Brunello pleasantly doth talke and tipple,
Not knowing he did halt before a cripple.

Now when they almost broken had their fast,
She marking more his fingers then his eies,
When much good talk between them two had past,
The most whereof were false and forged hes,
Behold mine host came vnto them in hast,
And told them newes that made them sooner rise:
But here I meane to make a little pause,
Before I tell what was thereof the cause.