Sprang forth, that every glowing charm combined
Ascribed by Fancy to the' angelic kind.
Intent Rinaldo gazed, and seem'd to trace
The well known features of Armida's face.
She with a glad but melancholy look
Eyed the proud youth; a hundred feelings spoke In that expressive glance: ‘And do these eyes Behold Rinaldo once again?' she cries;
'Why art thou here? some comfort to bestow
On widow'd night, and days of hopeless woe?
Or comest thou on unkind aggression bent?
Perchance to drive me hence thy harsh intent?
Else why conceal that face, those features fair?
Why grasp thy falchion, and for war prepare?
Comest thou an enemy or lover, say?
Not for an enemy I smooth'd the way,
That golden bridge supplied, and call'd to birth
The springing flowerets from the lap of earth,
Oped the pure fountain, and whate'er had proved
A hinderance to thy cherish'd steps removed.
But if a friend, that hidden face expose,
To my charm'd gaze thy beaming eyes disclose,
Soft lips with lips, with bosom bosom join,
And let my hand at least unite with thine.'
As thus she spake, she roll'd her swimming eyes,
Breathed the sweet magic of dissembled sighs,
And sobs that thrill'd, and tears of crystal shed;
From her fair face the lovely colour fled;
In marble hearts soft sympathy might grow
To see such piteous plenitude of woe.
He cautious, though of heart that knew to feel,
Delay'd no more, but drew his shining steel,
And to the tree advanced: the Fair applied
To the loved trunk her arms, and, clinging, cried,
'Barbarian, hold! ne'er shall such outrage be,
That hand of thine should harm my lovely tree!
Lay down thy sword, or, cruel as thou art,
Hide the keen weapon in Armida's heart.'
Regardless of her prayer, his sword he rear'd,
When lo! another prodigy appear'd;
Sudden an alter'd form, a huger size
The maid assumed; 'tis thus the sleeper's eyes
See, when in dreams the roving senses range,
From shape to shape the shadowy objects change,
To monstrous bulk her swelling members grew;
Her blackening face was terrible to view;
Gone was her cheek's pure white and rosy red;
A towering giant now she rears her head,
And huge and hideous and terrific stands,
An arm'd Briareus with a hundred hands.
The threatening phantom fifty falchions wields,
And shakes with horrid clash as many shields.
At once each Nymph a Cyclop vast appear'd,
Threatening with arms; nor yet Rinaldo fear'd,
But on the guarded tree his blows renew'd;
The tree, as if with vital powers endued,
Deep groan'd at every stroke the warrior lent:
Instant through all the' unmeasured air's extent
Such crowds of imps and fiends and goblins fell,
Swarm'd, as if ether were transform'd to hell.
The skies are wrapp'd in gloom, loud thunders
sound,
And rocks beneath his feet the trembling ground;
A war of winds and rattling tempests grows;
Full in his face a hurricano blows;
Nor could these horrors yet his arm detain, Nor does one well aim'd blow descend in vain,
The tree gives way,-it falls,-the spell is o'er;
The enchantment ends-the fiends are seen no
Instant the air was still, the sky serene, [more.
And Nature reassumed the silvan scene;
Nor black with spells it seem'd, nor gay with bloom;
Dark it became, but dark with native gloom.
Again and yet again the conqueror tried,
If aught perchance might interpose beside,
To guard the forest from the woodman's stroke;
Then to himself he smiled, and inly spoke:
'Oh! idle fantasies, and shadows vain! How weak, whom such illusive arts restrain !'
THE RECONCILIATION OF RINALDO AND ARMIDA.
FROM THE ITALIAN OF TASSO.
RINALDO paused to see where best were made
His next attack, where needed most his aid:
Order amid the foe no more he found;
Their standards all lay prostrate on the ground.
Then ceased his arm; then slept, at once repress'd
The martial flame that burn'd within his breast;
Calm he became; and straight the flying Fair
He call'd to mind, her sorrow, her despair.
Her flight he saw: Compassion now demands
Protection for Armida at his hands.
And still his plighted faith he kept in view,
His pledge to be her knight and champion true,
When homeward from the 'Enchanted Island borne,
He bent his parting steps, and left her there for-
lorn.
He follow'd where she fled, where'er he found Her palfrey's steps imprinted on the ground.
A spot recluse she reach'd, o'ercast with gloom, Meet for the suicide's unhappy doom.
Much she rejoiced that chance her steps had led
To this lone vale, with dismal shade o'erspread.
Dismounting from her steed, she laid aside
Her hated bow and quiver, late her pride :
'Unhappy arms, sad source of woe and shame,'
She cried, 'since bloodless from the fight ye came!
I quit you here, here bury in the ground,
Since to avenge my wrongs unequal found.
What! in so choice a store, not one endued
With power to dip its point in hostile blood?
Though other hearts are adamant or steel,
A woman's bosom ye may force to feel.
I offer you my breast, unarm'd and bare;
There be your worth display'd, your triumphs
there.
Its soft and yielding texture Love can tell;
There never yet in vain his arrows fell.
Here show your temper; pardon'd thus shall be
Your weakness past; be strong, be keen on me.
Unbless'd Armida! cruel is thy doom,
If from such source thine only hope can come !
Since here all other remedies must fail,
And wounds alone to cure my wounds avail,
The barbed steel shall heal Love's fiercer smart,
And death, sad remedy! relieve my heart:
Thrice happy, if my disembodied ghost
Bear not this plague to haunt the' infernal coast.
Love, stay behind; thou, Anger, with me go;
Be thou my comrade in the realms below,
Or with my shade return to upper air,
To drive the impious traitor to despair,
With dreams of wild affright his sense o'erpower, And break his slumbers at the midnight hour.' Here ceased the Fair; and with determined heart
Chose out her strongest and her sharpest dart,
When lo! the youthful knight arrived; he found
Armida tottering on life's utmost bound;
Her features fix'd in wild despair he view'd;
On her fair cheek death's ghastly paleness stood.
Behind her close he came; her arm he press'd,
Her arm just raised to pierce her beauteous breast.
Armida turned;-amazed the knight she spies;
Till now his coming had escaped her eyes.
She scream'd, and from the face she loved so well
With scorn her eyes removed, and, swooning, fell;
She bent, like some fair flower half cut in twain,
Her languid neck: he struggled to sustain
The sinking fair; he clasp'd her slender waist,
And from her breast the straightning robe dis-
placed,
While o'er her lovely face and breast of snow
Some pious generous drops were seen to flow.
Then, as restored by morning's silver dew,
The fading rose resumes its vermeil hue,
So from her swoon recall'd, Armida rears
Her face all glistening with another's tears.
Thrice her bright eyes she raised, as oft removed,
Unwilling to behold the form she loved:
The arm that sought her sinking frame to stay,
With feeble hand she coyly put away;
To quit his powerful grasp she thrice essay'd, And thrice more close he held the struggling maid. At length, within his dear embrace retain'd (For still perchance 'twas dear, though hate she feign'd),
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