yout:»

SLIV.
Orlando answer'd, «Baron just and pious,

If this good wish your heart can trally move
To the true God, who will not then deny us

Eternal honour, you will go above.
And, if you please, as friends we will ally us,

And I will love you with a perfect love.
Your idols are vain liars full of fraud,
The only true God is the Christian's God.

XLV.
« The Lord descended to the virgin breast

Of Mary Mother, sinless and divine;
If you acknowledge the Redeemer blest,

Without whom neither suo or star cau shine,
Abjure bad Macon's false and felon test,

Your renegado God, and worship mine, -
Baptise yourself with zeal, since yon repent.
To which Morgante answerd, «I'm content.»

XLVI.
And then Orlando to embrace him flew,

And made much of his convert, as he cried, « To the abbey I will gladly marsbal

To whom Norfante, « Let us go,n replied; « 1 10 the friars have for peace to sile,»

Which thing Orlando beard with inward pride,
Saying, « My brother, so devout and good,
Ask the abbot pardon, as I wish you would:

XLVII.
« Since God bas granted your illumination,

Accepting you in mercy for his own, Humility should be your first oblation.»

Morgante said, « For goodness' sake make known-Since that your God is to be mine--your station,

And let your name in verity be shown; Then will I every thing at your command do.» On which the other said, he was Orlando.

XLVIIL « Then,» quoth the giant, « blessed be Jesu,

A thousand times with gratitude and praise ! Oft. perfect baron! have I heard of you

Through all the different period of my days : And, as I said, to be your vassal too

I wish, for your great gallantry always.»
Thus reasoning, they continued much to say,
And onwards to the abbey went their way.

XLIX.
And by the way, about the giants dead

Orlando with Morgante reason'd: « Be,
For their decease, I pray you, comforted,

And, since it is God's pleasure, pardon me; A thousand wrongs unto the monks they bred,

And our true scripture soundeth openlyGood is rewarded, and chastised the ill, Which the Lord never faileth to fulfil:

LI. « And here our doctors are of one accord,

Coming on this point to the same conclusion| That in their thoughts who praise in heaven the Lord,

If pily e'er was quilty of intrusion
For their unfortunate relations stored

In liell below, and damn'd in great confusion,
Their bappiness would be reduced to nouchi,
And thus unjust the Almighty's self be thought.

LII.
« But they in Christ have firmest hope, and all

Wlrich seems to him, to them too must appear
Well done; nor could it otherwise befal;

He never can in any purpose err :
If sire or mother suffer endless thrall,

They don't disturb themselves for him or her ;
What pleases God to them must joy inspire;-
Such is the observance of the eternal choir.»

LIIT. « A word unto the wise,» Morgante said,

« Js wont to be enough, and you shall see How much I grieve about my brethren dead;

And if the will of God seem good to me,
Just, as you tell me, 'l is in heaven obevd-

Ashes to asties, ---merry let us be!
I will cut off the bands from both their truuks.
And carry them onto the holy monks.

LIV.
« So that all persons may be sure and certain

That they are dead, and have no furi her fear To wander solitary this desert in,

And that they may perceive iny spirit clear By the Lord's grace, who hath withdrawn the curtain

Of darkness, making his bright realm appear.»
He cut his brethren's hands off at these words,
And left them to the savage beasts and birds.

LV.
Then to the abbey they went on together,

Where waited them the abbot in great doubt. The monks, who knew not yet the fact, ran thither

To their superior, all in breathless roul, Saying, with tremor, « Please to tell us whether

You wish to have this person in or out!" The abbot, looking through upon the giant, Too greatly fear'd, at first, to be compliant.

LVL Orlando, seeing him thus agitated,

Said quickly, « Abbot, be thou of good cheer; He Christ believes, as Christian must be rated,

And hath renounced his Macon false ; » which here Morgante with the bands corroborated,

A proof of both the giants' fate quite clear:
Thence, with due thanks, the abbot God adored,
Saying, « Thou hast contented me, oh Lord!»

LVII.
He gazed; Morgante's height he calculated,

And more than once contemplated his size;
And then he said, « Oh giant celebrated,

Know, that no more my wonder will arise, How you could tear and fling the trees you late did,

When I behold your form with my own eyes. You now a truc and perfect friend will show Yourself to Christ, as once you were a foe.

L. « Because his love of justice unto all

Is such, be wills his judgment should devour AJI wlio bave sin, however great or smali;

But good be well remembers to restore: Nor without justice holy could we call

Vim, whom I now require you to adore : All meo must make his will their wishes sway, And quickly and spontaneously obey.

LXV.
The tun was on one shoulder, and there were

The hogs on t'other, and he brush'd apace
On to the abbey, ilough by no means near,

Nor spilt one drop of water in his race. Orlando, seeing him so soon appear

With the dead boars, and with that brimful vase, Marvelld to see luis strength so very great;-So did the abbot, aud set wide the gate.

LXVI.
The monks, who saw the water fresh and good,

Rrjoiced, but much more to perceive the pork ; All animals are glad at sight of food :

They lay their breviaries to sleep, and work With greedy pleasure, and in such a mood,

That the test needs no salt beneath their fork. Of rankness and of rot there is no fear, For all the fasts are now left in arrear.

You may

|

LVUT. « And one of our apostles, Saul once nanied,

Long persecuted sore the faith of Christ, Till one day by the Spirit being intamed,

Why dost dlou persecute me thus suid Christ;
And then from his offence he was reclaimd,

And went for ever after preaching Christ;
And of the faitli became a trump, whose sounding
O'er the whole carth is echoing and rebounding.

LIX.
« So, my Morgante, you may do likewise;

He who repents,-ibus writes the Evangelist, --
Occasions more rejoicing in the skies
Than ninety-nine of the celestial list.

be
sure,

should each desire arise
Will just zeal for the Lord, that you'll exist
Among the lapi'y sainis for evermore;
But you were lost and damn'd to hell before!»

LX.
And thus great honour to Morgante paid

The abbot; many days they did repose.
One day, as with Orlando they both stray'd,

And saunter'd here and there, where'er they chose, The abbol show'd a chamber where array'd

Muchi armour was, and hun; up certain bows;
And one of these Morgante for a whim
Giri on, though useless, he believed, lo lum.

LIT.
There being a want of water in the place,

Orlando, like a wortlıy brother, said,
Morgante, I could wisti

you

in this case To go for water.» « You shall be obey'd In all commands,» was the reply, “straightway.

l'pon his shoulder a great lub he laid,
And went out on his way unto a fountain,
Where he was wont to drink below the mountain.

LXII.
Arrived there, a prodigious noise he hears,

Which suddenly alon; the forest spread;
Whereat from out bis quiver le prepares

An arrow for his bow, and lifts luis bead ; And lo! a monstrous berd of swille appears,

And onward rushies with cempestuous tread, and to thie fountain's briuk precisely pours, So that the giant's join'd by all the boar).

LXII. Morgante at a venture shot an arrow,

Which pierced a pig precisely in the car, And pass d unto the other side quite thorough,

So that the bour, defunct, lay tripp'd up neur. Another, lo revenge his fellow farrow,

Against the giant rushid in fierce career,
And reached the passage with so swift a foot,
Morgante was not now in time to shoot.

LXIV.
Perceiving that the pig was on him close,
He

gave him such a punch upon the head' As floor'd lim, so that lie no more arose-

Smashing the very bone; and he fell dead Next to the other. Having scen such blows,

The other pigs along the valley tled; Morgante on his neck the bucket look, Full from the spring, which neither swerved nor shook.

LXVII.
As though they wislı'd to burst at once, they ale;

Aud gorged so that, as if the bones had been
Io water, sorely grieved the dog and cat,

Perceiving that they all were pick'd too clean.
The abbot, wino to all did honour great,

A few days after this convivial scene,
Gave in Morgante a fine biorse well traig'd,
Which le long time bad for himself maintain'd.

LXVIII.
The horse Morgante 10 a meadow led,

To fallop, and to put him to the proof,
Thinking that he a back of iron had,

Or to skini etes unbroke was light enough; But the horse, sinhing with the pain, fell dead,

And burst, while cold on earth lay head and hoof. Vorgante said, “Gel

ар, thou sulky cur!» And still continued pricking with the spur.

LXIX.
But finally he thought fit to dismount,

And said, “I am as light as any feather,
And be lia burst-10 this what say you, count?»

Orlando answord, «Like a ship's mast rather
You seem to me, and with the truck for front:-

Let him go, foiinue wills that we together Should marchi, but you on foot, Morgante, still.» To which the giant answered, « So I will.

LXX. « When there shall be occasion, you shall see

Bow I approve iny courage in the fight.» Orlando said, I really think you 'll be,

If it should prove God's will, a goodly knight, Nor will you napping ibere discover me:

But never mind your horse, though out of sight
'T were best to carry him into some wood,
If but the means or way I understood.»

LXXT.
The giant said, « Then carry him I will,

Since that to carry me he was so slack-
To render, as the gods do, good for ill;

But lend a hand to place him on my back,
Orlando answers, « If my counsel still

May weighi, Morgante, do not undertake
To lift or carry this dead courser, who,
As you have done to him, will do to you.

LXXII. « Take care le don't revenge himself, though dead,

As Nessus did of old beyond all cure;
I don't know if the fact you've heard or read,

But he will make you burst, you may be sure.» « But help bim on my back,» Morgante said,

« And you shall see what weight I cau endure : In place, my gentle Rolaod, of this palfrey, With all the bells, I'd carry yonder belfry.”

LXXIIC
The abbot said, « The steeple may do well,

But, for the bells, you've broken them, I wot.»
Moryante answer'd, « Let them pay in hell

The penalty, who lie dead in yon grot:» And hoisting up the horse from wliere he fell,

He said, « Now look if I the gout have got,
Oriando, in the legs--or if I have force;»-
And then he made two gambols with the horse.

LXXIV.
Morgante was like any mountain framed;

So if he did this, 't is no prodigy;
But secretly himself Orlando blamed,

Because he was one of his family;
And, fearing that he might be hurt or maim'd,

Once more he bade bim lay his burthen by:
* Put down, nor bear him further the desert in.»
Morgante said, “I'll carry liim for certain.»

LXIV.
He did; and stow'd bim in some nook away,

And to the abbey then return'd with speed.
Orlando said, “Why longer do we stay?

Morgante, here is nought to do indeed.»
The abbot by the hand he took one day,

And said with great respect, lae had agreed
To leave bis Reverence; but for this decision
He wish'd to have his pardon and permission.

LXXVI.
The honours they continued to receive

Perbaps exceeded what his merits claim'd:
He said, « I mean, and quickly, to retrieve

The lost days of time past, which may be blamed;
Some days ago I should have ask d your leave,

Kind father, but I really was ashamed,
And know not how to show my sentiment,
So much I see you with our stay content.

LXXVII.
« But in my heart I bear through every clime,

The abbot, abbey, and this solitude-
So much I love you in so short a time;

For me, from heaven reward you with all good
The God so true, the eternal Lord sublime !

Whose kingdom at the last bath open stood :
Meanwhile we stand expectant of

your blessing, And recommend us to your prayers with pressing.»

LXXVIII.
Now when the abbot Count Orlando heard,

His heart grew soft with inner tenderness,
Such fervour in his bosom bred each word;

And, « Cavalier, » he said, « if I have less
Courteous and kind to your great worth appeard,

Than fits me for sucha gentle blood to express,
I know I've done too little in this case;
But blame our ignorance, and this poor place.

LXXIX.
We can indeed but honour you with masses,

And sermons, thanksgivings, and pater-nosters, llot suppers, dinners (fitting other places

In verity much rather than the cloisters); But such a love for you my

heart

embraces, For thousand virtues which your bosom fosters, That wheresoe'er you go, I too shall be, And, on the other part, you rest with me.

LXXX. « This may involve a seeming contradiction,

But you, I know, are sage, and feel, and taste, And understand my speech with full conviction.

For your just pious deeds may you be graced
With the Lord's great reward and benediction,

By whom you were directed to this wasie:
To his high mercy is our freedom due,
For which we render thanks to him and you.

LXXXI.
« You saved at once our life and soul: such fear

The giants caused us, that the way was lost By which we could pursue a fit career

In search of Jesus and the saintly host;
And your departure breeds such sorrow here,

That comfortless we all are to our cost;
But months and years you could not stay in sloth,
Nor are you form'd to wear our sober cloth;

LXXXII.
« But to bear arms and wield the lance; indeed,

With these as much is done as with this cowl; In proof of which the scripture you may read.

This giant up to heaven may bear his soul
By your compassion; now in peace proceed.

Your state and name I seek not to unroll,
But, if I'm ask'd, this answer shall be given,
That here an angel was sent down from heaven.

LXXXUI.
« If you want armour or aught else, go in,

Look o'er the wardrobe, and take what you chuse; And cover with it o'er this giant's skin.»

Orlando answer'd, « If there should lie loose
Some armour, ere our journey we begin,

Which might be turn'd to my companion's use,
The gift would be acceptable to me.»
The abbot said to him, « Come in and see.»

LXXXIV.
And in a certain closet, where the wall

Was cover with old armonr like a crust,
The abbot said to them, «I give you all.»

Morgante rum maged piece-meal from the dust The whole, which, save one cuirass, was too small,

And that too had the mail inlaid with rust. They wonderd how it fitted him exactly, Which ne'er had suited others so compactly.

LXXXV. 'T was an immeasurable giants, who

By the great Milo of Aryavte fell Before the abbey many years ago.

The story on the wall was figured well; In the last moment of the abbey's foe,

Who lovg had waged a war implacable: Precisely as the war occurr'd they drew him, And there was Milo as he overthrew him.