Jerusalem Delivered: An English Prose Version

Canto Six

C A N T O S I X i But on the other side abetter hope comfortsand reassures the besieged populace; for in addition to their stored supplies, other provisionshave been brought in to them bydark ofnight: and theyhave fortified withweapons andwarmachinesthe wallstoward Aquilo—which,with theirheight increased , and heavy and solid, betray nofear of rammingor pounding. 2 And yet the king alwaysis having them heightened in this section or that, and their buttresses strengthened, whether the golden sun beshining or the duskyheaven be whitened with moon and stars; and the wearyandexhausted metalsmiths sweat with forging new weapons constantly.Amid such preparation, impatient Argantes cameto him and addressed him: 3 "And how long willyou hold us prisoners within these wallsin an ignoble and boring siege? I hear the anvilsringing and I catch the sounds of helmets and shields and cuirasses; but I do not seeto what purpose; and those thieves run up and down our fields and villages at their pleasure, nor is there one of us everto staytheir passage, nor everatrumpet at least to wake them from their sleep. 4 'Their meals arenever uneasy and interrupted, nor their cheerful feasting disturbed; rather, they spend the livelong day, and the night too, insecurity and quiet. In the long run, you will be persuaded byfamine and privation to surrender us in defeat; or to die with us here likecowards, ifaid from Egypt be still slow in coming. n6 JerusalemDelivered 5 "For myself, I haveno intention that an ignoble death should cover up my days in dark oblivion; nor do I mean the blessed light of the sun to find me shut within these gates tomorrow. Out of this life of mine let fate make whatever is alreadysettled up above; at least it will not be that without using my sword I fall inglorious and unavenged. 6 "But if every sparkof your accustomed valor be not yet quenched in you, I should still havehope—not of dying with honor while making a fight, but of life and victory. Let us go, resolved to face together our enemies and ,,our fate; for often it happens that in greatest perils boldest counsels are ,,best. 7 "But ifyou put no trust in overmuch daring, and are not so bold asto sally forth with allyour troops, at least arrange that this great argument be now resolved between two warriors. And (that the Prankish captain may allthe more willingly accept our challenge), let him choose the weapons, andtake his vantage, and set the conditions ashepleases. 8 "For, ifthe enemy have but two hands and one soul, though bold and brave, you need not fear that the causedefendedby me should be lost through any illhap. My hand has power, in spite of fate and fortune, to give you complete victory; and now it extends itself to you in apledge that if you trust in it, your kingdom is secure." 9 He wassilent; and the king answered: "My bold young man, although you see me heavy with old age, these hands are not so slow to the sword, nor yet this spirit so shiftless and common that it would rather die unworthily than by a death magnanimous and noble, if I had fear, or anydoubt, about the privation and famine that you foretell. C A N T O S I X 117 IO "God forbid such infamy! Now I want to layopen for you what I keepconcealed from the rest, for reasons of my art. Solyman of Nicaea, who longs to avenge in part the injurieshe has sustained, has gathered together the scattered and roving bands of Arabs asfar as Libyaand attackingour enemies in the darkened air he hopes to give us aid and provisions. ii "He will arrivehere soon: now if meanwhile our country villagesareoverrun and captured, that does not matter to us, ifonly I preserve my royal mantle and my noble palace. Before God, temper somewhat this heat and hardihood, that boils in you overmuch; and awaitthe fittingseason for your glory and my revenge." 12 The bold Saracen,who was an old rival of Solyman,was deeply angered, so bitterlynow ishe displeased to hear that he isexpecting so much from his royal friend. He answers"My lord, you shall make both war and peace according to your discretion; of that I sayno more. Delaystill and wait for Solyman: let him who lost his own kingdom defend yours. i? "To you let him come, like a...