Jerusalem Delivered: An English Prose Version

Canto Fourteen

C A N T O F O U R T E E N i Now dark Night issued from the soft moist womb of her great Mother, bringing mild breezes and an ample cloud of her pure and precious dew and, twitching the moisture-laden fringes of her veil, sprinkledwith it the flowers and foliage; and tiny breezes, waving their wings, were soothing the sleep of mortal men. And they had plunged in sweet profound oblivion allthe concerns that accompany the day. But keeping watch in His eternal light the King of the universe wasseated at His governing; and from Heaven He turned upon the Prankish leader His benign and favoring regard: He sent to himfrom there a secret dream that it might revealto him His high decree. 3 Not far from the golden portals whence issues the sun isa crystal portal in the Eastern skythat customarily opens before an egress is revealed for the springing day. From this go forth the dreams that God wills to send of His grace to the pure and spotless mind; from this that dream that now descends to the worthy Bouillon spreads out its gilded wings toward him. 4 Never did vision in sleep offer any man images so lovely or so beautiful as now did this for him, which opened to him the secrets of heaven and the stars; so that, as in a mirror, he made out that which verily is in them there above. He seemed to be translated to aclear serene,filledand adorned with goldenflames. 5 And while in that lofty region he is admiring the length and breadth, the motions, the lights and the harmony, behold there came toward him a 302 Jerusalem Delivered knight ringed round with rays, ringed round with fire; and he heard him speak in a voice, beside which would be rough whatever isgentlest here below : "Godfrey, do you not welcome me?and are you not speakingto your faithful friend? Do you not know Hugh now?" 6 And he answered him: 'That transformed countenance,' that seems made marvellously resplendent by a sun, has led my intellect so far astray from its former knowledge that I return to it but slowly." Then with gentle friendly affection three times he reached his arms about his neck; and three times embraced in vain the image escaped him, like an empty dream, or shifting air. 7 He smiled, and said: "I am not now clothed with earthly garb, asyou believe : you are seeing here essential form and unclothed spirit, acitizen of the Heavenly City. This isa temple of God: here arethe sees of His warriors ; and you will have a place among them." "When will that be?"he replied . "Let the mortal coil be loosed even now, if it isimpediment to my staying here." 8 "Quite soon (Hugh answered) you will be gathered into the glory of the victors; yet it will be necessary first that you pour out much blood and sweat down there below in military service. The rule of the Holy Lands must first be retaken by you from the pagans, and aChristian court established over them, in which thereafter your brother2 isto hold the reign. 9 "But (that your desire may be enkindled the more in its love of things here above) now view more steadily these shining mansions and these living flamesthat Eternal Intellect informs and moves; and hear in angelicstrains 1 At times (e.g., 11.48; 12.93) Tasso chooses to approximate the manner of Dante, ashere(cf. Paradise 3.50). 2 Baldwin succeeded to the kingship after Godfrey's death in noo. C A N T O F O U R T E E N 3 0 3 the holy sirens, and the sound of their heavenlylyres.Cast down your eyes (he said then, and pointed to the earth) to that which that farthest globe contains. 10 "How vile is the motive that down there iscontest and reward for human valor! in what a tiny circle and amid what desolate solitudes are your pomps confined! Your earth, like an island, the seaencloses round; and that—which sometimes you call Ocean, sometimes the Deep—has in it no magnitude equal to such names, but isa low swamp and a narrow pond." n So the one spoke; and the other cast down his eyes, asif in scorn, and smiled at it; for he saw as a single unit oceans, lands...