Mano a poetical history of the time of the close of the tenth century concerning the adventures of a Norman knight which fell part in Normandy part in Italy. In four books. By Richard Watson Dixon |
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VIII.— HOW THE UNGRIANS BESIEGING THE TOWN WERE BEATEN OFF.
As in the mountain region even stormsSeem part of a great peacefulness that spreads
From hill to hill o'er all the heavy forms
Of rocks, that lift to heaven their rugged heads:
So in that old man's speech, while we could hear
The dropping honey which persuasion sheds,
And his enthusiastic eyes were near,
With their strange glances fixed on each in turn,
Less visible his errors did appear.
But though the poisoned shafts did inly burn,
Yet some there were who to the truth were true,
Among our holy band, who whispered stern.
Then cold looks passed, which soon to danger grew:
Whereat Sir Mano rising on his feet,
His heavy sword upon the table threw,
Bidding all leave their threatenings to repeat
Against that aged man whose guests they were:
Whereon the murmurs rose to clamour great,
And soon a quarrel raged, as ye shall hear,
Which afterwards came near calamity,
And wrought us at the time to troublous fear.
A knight, who late had joined in Italy,
Waxed loud against both Mano and Vilgard:
And at the last their fury ran so high,
That he with all his following prepared
To leave our quest, and rather join the foe,
Or stay behind, the city's walls to guard.
Which Mano scorning, bade him stay or go:
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But soon 'twas heard (a loss of little woe)
That he had stolen away the gallant quean,
With whom Sir Mano dallied in that day:
And with his following was escaped clean.
When the next morning spread on earth her ray,
The plain stood thick with the wild Ungrian clan;
Who with the night came up their siege to lay:
They round the city, when the day began,
Uplifted to the sky their horrid shout,
And shot their cruel arrows as one man.
Above the walls they searched the woodwork stout
Which the townsmen atop with beams made shift to shore:
Then with all speed their horses wheeled about,
And from the walls their riders safely bore,
Preventing aim: wherefore in little space
The town in this game made the losing score.
Then through the streets the priests and monks gan pace
In their procession, chanting litanies,
And mounting to the walls took there their place.
“Ab Ungerorum nos tu jaculis
Defendas, Domine,” loudly did they cry;
“Et libera nos ab his miseriis.”
These ethnicks are the world's calamity:
In turms they shoot their arrows with strange speed,
And still upon their nimbleness rely:
All other nations they in this exceed.
And, in their sieges, first the walls they clear,
With darts, then in a trice fresh troops succeed,
Who to the vacant height their ladders rear,
And climb before the rally; in meanwhile
Against surprise fresh horsemen close the rear.
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That with their camp they carried conjuror Jews,
Who used by night this incantation vile:
For they believe those spots, which whoso views
The changeful moon may mark in her pale sphere,
The old Shechinah which their race did lose:
And from what look they wear, cloudy or clear,
They read the future, and by dull or bright,
And by the stars that nearest them appear.
The devil gives them knowledge of this sleight;
And they instruct the heathen the best hours
Against the Christians to prevail in fight.
And these had taken now this city's towers
Save but for fortune, which by God's decree
Within the sweep of Fate's all-dragging powers
Reserves in earth's events contingency,
And this or that, with heart prudential
Against the set of things drives diversely:
As now was seen, in that it did befall
That in those threatened towers the Normans lay;
Who, when the ladders hung upon the wall,
Disdaining to be brought like beasts to bay,
Neither took part nor heed of danger near,
But issued from the gates in thick array.
Upon the foe they set in hot career,
And drove away in clouds the Ungrian horse,
For all went down before the Norman spear.
They hold the field: and, traversing in course,
The gathering squadrons break with slaughter great.
Then those upon the wall, put in fresh force,
The ladders and the climbers overset
With mighty noise: when, as their wont it is
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The Ungrians broke, and left their enterprise.
Thus stood the victory in all parts sure,
And far the Normans drove their enemies;
But when their burdened horses might endure
No more, they with small loss repassed the gate.
And so by them the town was made secure
Against the nigh approach of evil fate.
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