Godfrey of Bulloigne, or The Recouerie of Ierusalem Done into English Heroicall verse, by Edward Fairefax |
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The third Booke of Godfrey of Bulloigne.
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 | Godfrey of Bulloigne, or The Recouerie of Ierusalem |  |
The third Booke of Godfrey of Bulloigne.
The argument.
The campe at great Hierusalem arriues:Clorinda giues them battell, in the brest
Of faire Erminia Tancreds loue reuiues,
He iusts with her vnknowne whom he lou'd best,
Argant th' aduentrers of their guide depriues,
With stately pompe they lay their Lord in chest:
Godfrey commands to cut the forrest downe,
And make strong engins to assault the towne.
1
The purple morning left her crimsen bed,And dond her robes of pure vermilion hew,
Her amber locks she crown'd with roses red,
In Edens flowrie gardens gathred new.
When through the campe a murmur shrill was spred,
Arme, arme, they cride; arme, arme, the trumpets blew,
Their merrie noise preuents the ioyfull blast,
So humme small bees, before their swarmes they cast.
2
Their captaine rules their courage, guides their heate,Their forwardnes he staid with gentle raine;
And yet more easie (haply) were the feat
To stop the currant neere Charybdis maine,
Or calme the blustring windes on mountaines great,
Than fierce desires of warlike harts restraine;
He rules them yet, and rankes them in their haste,
For well he knowes disordred speed, makes waste.
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3
Feath'red their thoughts, their feet in wings were dight,Swiftly they marcht, yet were not tir'd thereby,
For willing mindes make heauiest burdens light.
But when the gliding sunne was mounted hie,
Hierusalem (behold) appeer'd in sight,
Hierusalem they view, they see, they spie,
Hierusalem with merrie noise they greet,
With ioyfull shouts, and acclamations sweet:
4
As when a troope of iolly sailers rowSome new-found land, and countrie to descrie,
Through dang'rous seas and vnder stars vnknow,
Thrall to the faithlesse waues, and trothlesse skie,
If once the wished shore begin to show,
They all salute it with a ioyfull crie,
And each to other shew the land in hast,
Forgetting quite their paines and perils past.
5
To that delight which their first sight did breed,That pleased so the secret of their thought,
A deepe repentance did foorthwith succeed,
That reu'rend feare and trembling with it brought.
Scantly they durst their feeble eies despreed
Vpon that towne, where Christ was sold and bought,
Where for our sinnes he faultlesse suffred paine,
There where he dide and where he liu'd againe:
6
Soft words, low speech, deepe sobs, sweete sighes, salt tearesRose from their brests, with ioy and pleasure mixt;
For thus fares he the Lord aright that feares,
Feare on deuotion, ioy on faith is fixt:
Such noice their passions make, as when one heares
The hoarse sea waues, rore hollow rocks betwixt;
Or as the winde in houltes and shadie greaues
A murmur makes, among the boughes and leaues.
7
Their naked feet troad on the dustie way,Following th' ensample of their zealous guide,
Their scarffes, their crests, their plumes, and feathers gay,
They quickly doft, and willing laid aside,
Their moulten harts their woonted pride alay,
Along their watrie cheekes warme teares downe slide,
And then such secret speech as this, they vsed,
While to himselfe, each one himselfe accused.
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8
Flower of goodnes, root of lasting blisse,Thou well of life, whose streames were purple blood
That flowed here, to clense the fowle amisse
Of sinfull man, behold this brinish flood,
That from my melting hart distilled is,
Receiue in gree these teares (O Lord so good)
For neuer wretch with sinne so ouergone,
Had fitter time, or greater cause to mone.
9
This while the warie watchman looked ouer(From tops of Sions towres) the hils and dales,
And saw the dust the fields and pastures couer,
As when thicke mistes arise from moorie vales.
At last the sun-bright shieldes he gan discouer,
And glistring helmes for violence none that fales,
The mettall shone like lightning bright in skies,
And man and horse amid the dust descries.
10
Then lowd he cries, O what a dust ariseth?Oh how it shines with shields and targets cleere?
Vp, vp, to armes, for valiant hart despiseth
The threat'ned storme of death, and danger neere,
Behold your foes; then further thus deuiseth,
Haste, haste, for vaine delay encreaseth feare,
These horrid cloudes of dust that yonder flie,
Your comming foes doth hide, and hide the skie.
11
The tender children, and the fathers old,The aged matrons, and the virgin chast,
That durst not shake the speare, nor target hold,
Themselues deuoutly in their temples plast,
The rest, of members strong and courage bold;
On hardie brestes their harnesse dond in haste,
Some to the walles, some to the gates them dight,
Their king meane-while directs them all aright.
12
All things well ordred, he withdrew with speedVp to a turret high, two ports betweene,
That so he might be neare at euerie need,
And ouerlooke the lands and furrowes greene,
Thither he did the sweet Erminia leed,
That in his court had entertained beene
Since Christians Antioch did to bondage bring,
And flew her father, who thereof was king.
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13
Against their foes Clorinda sallied out,And many a Baron bold was by her side,
Within the postern stood Argantes stout
To rescue her, if ill mote her betide:
With speeches braue she cheer'd her warlike rout,
And with bold words them hart'ned as they ride,
Let vs by some braue act (quoth she) this day
Of Asias hopes the ground-worke found and lay.
14
While to her folke thus spake the virgin braue,Thereby behold foorth past a Christian band,
Towards the campe that herds of cattell draue,
For they that morne had forraid all the land,
The fierce Virago would that bootle saue,
Whom their commander singled hand for hand,
A mightie man at armes, who Guardo hight,
But far too weake to match with her in fight.
15
They met, and low in dust was Guardo laid,Twixt either armie, from his cell downe kest,
The Pagans shout for ioy, and hopefull said,
Those good beginnings would haue endings blest:
Against the rest on went the noble maid,
She broke the helme, and pearst the armed brest,
Her men the paths rode through made by her sword,
They passe the streame where she had found the ford.
16
Soone was the pray out of their hands recou'red,By step and step the Frenchmen gan retire,
Till on a little hill at last they hou'red,
Whose strength preseru'd them from Clorindas ire:
When, as a tempest that hath long been cou'red
In watrie cloudes, breakes out with sparkling fire.
With his strong squadron Lord Tancredie came,
His hart with rage, his eies with courage flame:
17
Mast great the speare was which the gallant bore,That in his warlike pride he made to shake,
As windes tall Cedars tosse on mountaines hore;
The king, that wondred at his brau'rie, spake
To her, that neere him seated was before,
Who felt her hart with loues hot feuer quake,
Well should'st thou know (quoth he) each Christian knight
By long acquaintance, though in armour dight.
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18
Say, who is he showes so great worthinesse,That rides so ranke, and bends his lance so fell?
To this the Princesse said nor more nor lesse,
Her hart, with sighes; her eies, with teares did swell;
But sighes and teares she wisely could suppresse,
Her loue and passion she dissembled well,
And stroue her loue and hot desire to couer,
Till hart with sighes, and eies with teares ron ouer.
19
At last she spake, and with a craftie slightHer secret loue disguis'd in clothes of hate,
Alas too well (she saies) I know that knight,
I saw his force and courage prooued late,
Too late I view'd when his powre and might
Shooke downe the pillar of Cassanoes state,
Alas what wounds he giues? how fierce, how fell?
No phisicke helpes them cure, nor magicks spell.
20
Tancred he hight, O Macon would he weareMy thrall, ere fates him of this life depriue,
For to his hatefull head such spite I beare,
I would him reaue his cruell hart on liue.
Thus said she, they that her complainings heare
In other sense her wishes credit giue.
She sigh'd withall, they constred all amisse,
And thought she wisht to kill, who long'd to kisse.
71
This while foorth prickt Clorinda from the throng,And gainst Tancredie set her speare in rest,
Vpon their helmes they crackt their lances long,
And from her head her guilden caske he kest,
For euery lace he broke and euery thong,
And in the dust threw downe her plumed crest;
About her shoulders shone her golden locks,
Like sunnie beames, on Alablaster rocks.
22
Her lookes with fire, her eies with lightning blaze,Sweet was her wrath, what then would be her smile?
Tancred whereon think'st thou? what dost thou gaze?
Hast thou forgot her in so short a while?
The same is she, the shape of whose sweet face
The god of loue did in thy hart compile,
The same that left thee by the cooling streame,
Safe from sunnes heat, but scorcht with beauties beame.
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23
The Prince well knew her, though her painted shieldAnd golden helme he had not markt before,
She sau'd her head, and with her axe (well stield,)
Assail'd the knight but her the knight forbore,
Gainst other foes he prou'd him through the field,
Yet she for that refrained nere the more,
But following turne thee cride, in irefull wise;
And so at once she threats to kill him twise.
24
Not once the Baron lift his armed handTo strike the maide, but gazing on her eies,
Where lordly Cupid seem'd in armes to stand,
No way to ward or shun her blowes he tries;
But softly sayes, no stroke of thy strong hand
Can vanquish Tancred, but thy conquest lies
In those faire eies, which fierie weapons dart,
That finde no lighting place except this hart.
25
At last resolu'd, although he hopt small grace,Yet ere he dide to tell how much he loued,
For pleasing words in womens care finde place,
And gentle harts with humble suit are moued:
O thou (quoth he) withhold thy wrath a space,
For if thou long to see my valour proued,
Were it not better, from this warlike rout
Withdrawne, somewhere, alone to fight it out?
26
So singled, may we both our courage trie:Clorinda to that motion yeelded glad,
And helmlesse to the forrestward gan hie,
Whither the Prince right pensiue went and sad,
And there the virgin gan him soone defie,
One blow she strooken and he warded had,
When he cride hold, and ere we proue our might,
First heare thou some conditions of the fight.
27
She staid, and desprate loue had made him bold,Since from the fight thou wilt no respite giue,
The cou'nants be (he said) that thou vnfold
This wretched bosome, and my hart out riue,
Giuen thee long since, and if thou cruell would,
I should be dead, let me no longer liue,
But pearse this brest, that all the world may say
The Eagle made the turtle doue her pray.
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28
Saue with thy grace, or let thine anger kill,Loue hath disarm'd my life of all defence;
An easie labour harmlesse blood to spill,
Strike then, and punish where is none offence.
This said the Prince, and more perchance had will
To haue declar'd, to moue her cruell sence.
But in ill time of Pagans thither came
A troope, and Christians that pursu'd the same.
29
The Pagans fled before their valiant foes,For dread or craft, it skils not that we knew,
A soldier wilde, carelesse to win or loes,
Saw where her locks about the damsell flew,
And at her backe he profreth (as he goes)
To strike where her he did disarmed vew:
But Tancred cride, oh stay thy cursed hand,
And for to ward the blow lift vp his brand.
30
But yet the cutting steele arriued theare,Where her faire necke adioin'd her noble head,
Light was the wound, but through her amber heare
The purple drops downe railed bloodie read,
So rubies set in flaming gold appeare:
But Lord Tancredie pale with rage as lead,
Flew on the villaine, who to flight him bound;
The smart was his, though she receiu'd the wound:
31
The villaine flies; he, full of rage and irePursues, she stood and wondred on them both,
But yet to follow them shew'd no desire,
To stray so far she would perchance be loth,
But quickly turn'd her, fierce as flaming fire,
And on her foes wreaked her anger wroth,
On euerie side she kils them downe amaine,
And now she flies, and now she turnes againe:
32
As the swift Vre by Volgaes rolling floodChas'd through the plaines the mastiue curres toforne,
Flies to the succour of some neighbor wood,
And often turnes againe his dreadfull horne
Against the dogs imbru'd in sweat and blood,
That bite not, till the beast to flight retorne;
Or as the Moores at their strange tennise run
Defenst, the flying balles vnhurt to shun:
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33
So ronne Clorinda, so her foes pursewed,Vntill they both approcht the cities wall,
When loe the Pagans their fierce wrath renewed,
Cast in a ring about they wheeled all,
And gainst the Christians backes and sides they shewed
Their courage fierce, and to new combat fall,
When downe the hill Argantes came to fight
Like angrie Mars to aide the Troian knight,
34
Furious, tofore the formost of his ranke,In sturdie steele foorth stept the warriour bold,
The first he smote downe from his saddle sanke,
The next vnder his steed lay on the mold,
Vnder the Sarsens speare the worthies shranke,
No brest-plate could that cursed tree out-hold,
When that was broke his pretious sword he drew,
And whom he hit, he felled, hurt or slew.
35
Clorinda slue Ardelio, aged knight,Whose grauer yeeres would for no labour yeild,
His age was full of puissance and might,
Two sonnes he had to guard his noble eild,
The first (far from his fathers care and sight)
Cald Alicandro wounded lay in feild,
And Poliphern the yonger by his side,
Had he not nobly fought had surely dide.
36
Tancred by this, that stroue to ouertakeThe villaine that had hurt his only deare,
From vaine pursuite at last returned bake,
And his braue troope discomfite saw welneare,
Thither he spurd, and gan huge slaughter make,
His shocke no steed, his blow no knight could beare.
For dead he strikes him whom he lights vpon,
So thunders breake high trees on Libanon.
37
Dudon his squadron of aduentrers brings,To aide the worthie and his tired crew,
Before the res'due yong Rinaldo flings
As swift, as firie light'ning kindled new,
His Argent Eagle with her siluer wings
In field of Azure, faire Erminia knew,
See there sir king; (she sayes) a knight as bold
And braue, as was the sonne of Peleus old.
47
38
He winnes the prise in Iust and Turnament,His actes are numberlesse, though few his yeares,
If Europe sixe like him to war had sent
Among these thousands, strong of Christian Peares,
Syria were lost, lost were the Orient,
And all the lands the southren Ocean weares,
Conquer'd were all hot Affrikes tawnie kings,
And all that dwell by Nilus vnknowne springs.
39
Rinaldo is his name, his armed fistBreakes downe stone walles, when rams and engins faile;
But turne your eies because I would you wist
What Lord that is, in greene and golden maile,
Dudon he hight who guideth as him list
Th' aduentrers troope, whose prowesse seld doth faile,
High birth, graue yeeres and practise long in war,
And fearelesse hart, make him renowmed far.
40
See that big man, that all in browne is bound,Gernando call'd, the king of Norwaies sonne,
A prouder knight treads not on grasse or ground,
His pride hath lost the praise, his prowesse wonne,
And that kinde paire in white all armed round,
Is Edward and Gildippes, who begonne
Through loue the hazard of fierce war to proue,
Famous for armes, but famous more for loue.
41
While thus they tell their foemens worthinesse,The slaughter rageth in the plaine at large,
Tancred and yong Rinaldo breake the presse,
They bruise the helme, and pearse the seuenfold targe,
The troope by Dudon led perform'd no lesse,
But in they come and giue a furious charge:
Argantes selfe, feld at one single blow,
Inglorious, bleeding lay, on earth full low:
42
Nor had the boaster euer risen more,But that Rinaldoes horse eu'n then downe fell,
And with the fall his leg opprest so sore,
That for a space there must he algates dwell.
Meane-while the Pagan troopes were nie forlore,
Swiftly they fled, glad they escapt so well,
Argantes and with him Clorinda stout,
For banke and bulwarke seru'd to saue the rout.
48
43
These fled the last, and with their force sustainedThe Christians rage, that follow'd them so neare,
Their scattred troopes to safetie well they trained,
And while the res'due fled, the brunt these beare,
Dudon pursu'd the victorie he gained,
And on Tigranes nobly broke his speare,
Then with his sword headlesse to ground him cast,
So gard'ners branches lop, that spring too fast.
44
Algazers breast-plate, of fine temper made,Nor Corbans helmet, forg'd by magike art,
Could saue their owners, for Lord Dudons blade
Cleft Corbans head, and pearst Algazers hart,
And their proud soules downe to th' infernall shade,
From Amurath and Mahomet depart,
Nor strong Argantes thought his life was sure,
He could not safely flie, nor fight secure.
45
The angrie Pagan bit his lips for teene,He ran, he staid, he fled, he turn'd againe,
Vntill at last vnmarkt, vnuiew'd, vnseene,
(When Dudon had Almansor newly slaine)
Within his side he sheath'd his weapon keene,
Downe fell the Worthie on the dustie plaine,
And lifted vp his feeble eies vneath,
Opprest with leaden sleepe, of iron death.
46
Three times he stroue to view heau'ns golden ray,And rais'd him on his feeble elbow thries,
And thrise he tumbled on the lowly lay,
And three times clos'd againe his dying eies,
He speakes no word, yet makes he signes to pray,
He sighes, he faints, he grones and then he dies:
Argantes proud to spoile the corps disdain'd,
But shooke his sword with blood of Dudon stain'd.
47
And turning to the Christian knights, he crideLordings, behold, this bloodie reeking blade,
Last night was giuen me by your noble guide,
Tell him what proofe thereof this day is made,
Needs must this please him well that is betide,
That I so well can vse this martiall trade,
To whom so rare a gift he did present,
Tell him the workman fits the instrument.
49
48
If further proofe hereof he long to see,Say it still thirsts, and would his hart blood drinke;
And if he haste not to encounter mee,
Say I will finde him when he least doth thinke:
The Christians at his words enraged bee,
But he to shun their ire doth safely shrinke
Vnder the shelter, of the neighbour wall,
Well guarded with his troopes and soldiers all.
49
Like stormes of haile the stones fell downe from hie,Cast from the bulwarks, flankers, ports and towres,
The shafts and quarries from their engins flie,
As thicke as falling drops in Aprill showres:
The French withdrew, they list not prease too nie,
The Sarrasins escaped all the powres.
But now Rinaldo from the earth vp lept,
Where by the leg his steed had long him kept;
50
He came and breathed vengeance from his brestGainst him that noble Dudon late had slaine,
And being come, thus spake he to the rest,
Warriours, why stand you gazing here in vaine?
Pale death our valiant leader hath opprest,
Come wreake his losse, whom bootlesse you complaine.
These walles are weake, they keepe but cowards out,
No rampier can withstand a courage stout.
51
Of double iron, brasse or adamant,Or if this wall were built of flaming fire,
Yet should the Pagan vile a fortresse want
To shrowd his coward head safe from mine ire;
Come follow then and bid base feare auant,
The harder worke deserues the greater hire:
And with that word close to the walles he starts,
Nor feares he arrowes, quarries, stones or darts.
52
Aboue the waues as Neptune lift his eiesTo chide the windes, that Troian ships opprest,
And with his count'nance calm'd seas, windes and skies;
So lookt Rinaldo, when he shooke his crest
Before those walles, each Pagan feares and flies
His dreadfull sight, or trembling staid at lest:
Such dread his awfull visage on them cast,
So seeme poore doues at goshaukes sight agast.
50
53
The herald Sigiere now from Godfrey came,To will them stay and calme their courage hot,
Retire, quoth he, Godfrey commands the same,
To wreake your ire this season fitteth not:
Though loth Rinaldo staid, and stopt the flame
That boyled in his hardie stomacke hot;
His bridled furie grew thereby more fell,
So riuers stopt, aboue their banks doe swell.
54
The bands retire, not dang'red by their foesIn their retrait, so wise were they and warie,
To murdred Dudon each lamenting goes,
From wonted vse of ruth they list not varie,
Vpon their friendly armes they soft impose
The noble burden of his corps to carie:
Meane-while Godfredo from a mountaine great
Beheld the sacred cittie and her seat.
55
Hierusalem is seated on two hilsOf height vnlike, and turned side to side,
The space betweene a gentle valley fils,
From mount to mount expansed faire and wide.
Three sides are sure imbard, with crags and hils,
The rest is easie, scant to rise espide:
But mightie bulwarks fence that plainer part,
So art helpes nature, nature strength'neth art.
56
The towne is stor'd of troughes and cestrens, madeTo keepe fresh water, but the countrie seames
Deuoid of grasse, vnfit, for plowmens trade,
Not fertill, moist with riuers, wels and streames.
There grow few trees, to make the sommers shade,
To shield the parched land from scorching beames,
Saue that a wood stands sixe mile from the towne,
With aged Cedars darke, and shadowes browne.
57
By East, among the dustie valleis, glideThe siluer streames of Iordans christall flood;
By West, the midland sea, with bounders tide
Of sandie shores, where Ioppa whilome stood;
By North Samaria stands, and on that side
The golden calfe was rear'd in Bethel wood;
Bethleem by South, where Christ incarnate was,
A pearle in steele, a diamond set in brasse.
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While thus the Duke on euery side descriedThe cities strength, the walles and gates about,
And saw where least the same was fortified,
Where weakest seem'd the walles to keepe him out;
Erminia as he armed rode, him spied
And thus bespake the heathen tyrant stout,
See Godfrey there, in purple clad and gold,
His stately port, and princely looke behold:
59
Well seemes he borne to be with honour crown'd,So well the lore he knowes of regiment,
Peerelesse in fight, in counsell graue and sound,
The double gift of glorie excellent,
Among these armies is no warriour found
Grauer in speech, bolder in Turnament.
Raimond pardie in counsell match him might;
Tancred and yong Rinaldo like in fight.
60
To whom the king; he likes me well therefore,I knew him whilome in the court of France,
When I from Egypt went Ambassadore,
I saw him there breake many a sturdie lance,
And yet his chinne no signe of manhood bore,
His youth was forward, but with gouernance,
His words, his actions, and his portance braue,
Of future vertue, timely tokens gaue.
61
Presages ah too true: with that a spaceHe sigh'd for griefe, then said, faine would I know
The man in red, with such a knightly grace,
A worthie Lord he seemeth by his show,
How like to Godfrey lookes he in the face?
How like in person? but some-deale more low.
Baldwine (quoth she) that noble Baron hight,
By birth his brother, and his match in might.
62
Next looke on him that seemes for counsell fit,Whose siluer locks bewray his store of daies,
Raimond he hight, a man of wondrous wit,
Of Tholouse Lord, his wisdome is his praise,
What he forethinkes doth (as he lookes for) hit,
His stratagems haue good successe alwaies:
With guilden helme beyond him rides the milde
And good Prince William Englands kings deere childe.
52
37
With him is Guelpho as his noble mate,In birth, in actes, in armes alike the rest,
I know him well, since I beheld him late,
By his broad shoulders and his squared brest:
But my proud foe that quite hath ruinate
My high estate, and Antioch opprest,
I see not, Boemond, that to death did bring
Mine aged Lord, my father and my king.
64
Thus talked they; meane-while Godfredo wentDowne to the troopes, that in the valley staid,
And for in vaine he thought the labour spent,
T'assaile those partes that to the mountaines laid,
Against the northren gate his force he bent,
Gainst it he campt, gainst it his engins plaid,
All felt the furie of his angrie powre,
That from those gates lies to the corner towre.
65
The townes third part was this, or little lesse,Fore which the Duke his glorious ensignes spred,
For so great compasse had that forteresse,
That round it could not be enuironed
With narrow siege, (nor Babels king I gesse
That whilome tooke it, such an armie led)
But all the waies he kept, by which his foe
Might to or from the citie, come or goe.
66
His care was next, to cast the trenches deepe,So to preserue his resting campe by night,
Least from the citie (while his soldiers sleepe)
They might assaile them with vntimely fight.
This donne, he went where Lords and Princes weepe,
With dire complaints, about the murdred knight,
Where Dudon dead, lay slaughtred on the ground,
And all the soldiers sate lamenting round.
67
His wayling friends adorn'd the mournfull beareWith wofull pompe, whereon his corpes they laid,
And when they saw the Bulloigne Prince draw neare,
All felt new greefe, and each new sorrow maid,
But he, withouten shew or change of cheare,
His springing teares within their fountaines staid,
His ruefull lookes vpon the coarse he cast
Awhile, and thus bespake the same at last.
53
68
We need not mourne for thee, here laid to rest,Earth is thy bed, and not thy graue, the skies
Are for thy soule the cradle and the nest,
There liue, for here thy glorie neuer dies:
For like a Christian knight and champion blest
Thou didst both liue and die, now feed thine eies
With thy redeemers sight, where crown'd with blis
Thy faith, zeale, merit, well-deseruing is.
69
Our losse, not thine, prouokes these plaints and teares,For when we lost thee, then our ship her mast,
Our chariot lost her wheeles, their points our speares,
The bird of conquest her chiefe feather cast:
But though thy death, far from our armie beares
Her chiefest earthlie aide, in heau'n yet plast
Thou wilt procure vs helpe diuine, so reapes
He, that sowes godly sorrow, ioy by heapes.
70
For if our God the Lord ArmipotentThose armed Angels in our aide downe send,
That were at Dothan to his Prophet sent,
Thou wilt come downe with them, and well defend
Our host, and with thy sacred weapons bent
Gainst Sions fort, these gates and bulwarks rend,
That so thy hand may win this hold, and wee
May in these temples praise our Christ for thee.
71
Thus he complain'd; but now the sable shadeIcleped night, had thicke enueloped
The sun, in vaile of double darknes made,
Sleepe, eased care; rest, brought complaint to bed:
All night the warie Duke deuising laide
How that high wall should best be battered,
How his strong engins he might aptly frame,
And whence get timber, fit to build the same.
72
Vp with the larke the sorrowfull Duke arose,A mourner chiefe at Dudons buriall,
Of Cipresse sad a pile his friends compose
Vnder a hill, oregrowne with Cedars tall,
Beside the hearce a fruitfull palme tree groes,
(Ennobled since by this great funerall)
Where Dudons corpes they softly laid in ground,
The priestes sung hymnes, the soldiers wept around.
54
73
Among the boughes, they here and there bestoweEnsignes and armes, as witnes of his praise,
Which he from Pagan Lords, that did them owe,
Had wonne in prosprous fights, and happie fraies:
His shield they fixed on the bole belowe,
And there this distich vnder-writ, which saies,
This palme with stretched armes, doth ouerspread
The champion Dudons glorious carkasse dead.
74
This worke performed with aduisement good,Godfrey his carpenters, and men of skill
In all the campe, sent to an aged wood,
(With conuoy meet to garde them safe from ill)
Within a valley deepe this forrest stood,
To Christian eies vnseene, vnknowne, vntill
A Syrian told the Duke, who thither sent
Those chosen workmen, that for timber went.
75
And now the axe rag'd in the forrest wilde,The Eccho sighed in the groues vnseene,
The weeping Nymphes fled from their bowres exilde,
Downe fell the shadie tops of shaking treene,
Downe came the sacred palmes, the ashes wilde,
The funerall Cipresse, Hollie euer greene,
The weeping Firre, thicke Beech, and sailing Pine,
The maried Elme fell with his fruitfull vine.
76
The showter Eugh, the broad-leau'd Sicamore,The barraine Platane, and the Wall-nut sound,
The Myrrhe, that her foule sinne doth still deplore,
The Alder owner of all watrish ground,
Sweet Iuniper, whose shadow hurteth sore,
Proud Cedar, Oake, the king of forrests crown'd,
Thus fell the trees, with noice the desarts rore,
The beastes, their caues; the birds, their nests forlore.
| Godfrey of Bulloigne, or The Recouerie of Ierusalem | |