UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
AT LOS ANGELES
IN MEMORIAM
S. L. MILLARD ROSENBERG
farenfcott
TASSO
H. B. COTTER ILL
HENRY FROWDE, M.A.
PUBLISHER TO THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
LONDON, EDINBURGH, AND NEW YORK
Clarenboit Boss
V
TASSO
LA GERUSALEMME LIBERATA
CANTOS I, II
WITH INTRODUCTION AND NOTES
BY
H. B. COTTERILL, B.A., F.R.G.S.
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AT THE CLARENDON PRESS
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CONTENTS.
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14
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._ INTRODUCTION
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REMARKS
! LIFE OF TASSO xv ii
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PREFACE.
IT was thought advisable to publish an Italian reading-
book of a more elementary nature than the ' Selections from
Dante.' I have for this purpose chosen a poet rather than
a prose writer, because I am persuaded that poetry, in
addition to other advantages, teaches, as no prose can, the
real character of a language. Further, I have chosen Tasso
not only for the historical interest of his poem, but on
account of the simplicity and transparency of his style. I
hope that the ignorant and foolish remark of Boileau about
the 'tinsel' of Tasso a remark that was caught up by
Addison and has been the source of much self-satisfaction to
those who have never read the Jerusalem is now generally
estimated at its true value, and will not afford an excuse to
those who have an opportunity of forming their own
opinion by the study of the original poem.
The Notes are at first very full, and adapted to the use of
beginners, but become more scanty in elementary informa-
tion as the poem proceeds. The Remarks should be care-
fully studied, and used for reference.
viii PREFACE.
The text is that given by Carbone, with a few slight
alterations. For much of the collateral matter I am in-
debted to Serassi, Carbone, Ugo Foscolo, and Deagostini,
besides various English writers. For historical facts I have
also drawn largely from Gibbon.
H. B. C.
i Athol Place, Edinburgh.
INTRODUCTION.
THE episode of the First Crusade is so well known, and
has been so often and fully related 1 , that I do not purpose
to do more than give a very brief outline of the events. All
necessary details, especially those in which Tasso has diverged
from historical truth, will be found in the Notes, under the
names of the more celebrated leaders and places.
At the end of the tenth century, and during the first half of
the eleventh, Palestine was under the rule of the Fatimite
Caliphs of Egypt. About the beginning of the eleventh century
Persia and Asia Minor were overrun by the Turks, under
leaders of the Seljukian dynasty, who conquered the Holy
Land and advanced as far as Cairo. The Seljuks held sway
about twenty years over Jerusalem (1076-1096), and the here-
ditary command of the Holy City was entrusted to an Emir
Ortok. The barbarities that were committed by these new
converts to Islam on the Christian pilgrims excited the in-
dignation of Peter the Hermit, whose preaching aroused the
whole of Europe, and brought about the First Crusade.
In 1095 Urban II assembled a council at Placentia, con-
sisting of four thousand clergy and thirty thousand of the
laity. At this council ambassadors from the Greek emperor,
Alexius Commenus, were present to beg assistance against
the Turks, who had advanced their conquests up to the
shores of the Bosporus. A second council was held in the
same year at Clermont in Auvergne, and there it was deter-
mined to undertake the war, and the red 2 cross was accepted
1 See especially Gibbon, chap. Iviii.
3 Red was the universal colour of the cross in the first Crusade.
In the third the English adopted white, and the Flemings green.
X INTRODUCTION.
by the Crusaders as the ' pledge of their sacred and irrevocable
engagement.' The departure for the Holy Land was fixed
to take place on the isth August, 1096. But so great was
the impatience of the zealots that early in the spring of that
year a vast multitude followed the hermit from France and
Germany. Of this host the greater part was destroyed by
the Hungarians, in retaliation for the devastation of their
land. About a third escaped, Only to fall by the arrows of
the Turks in Asia Minor. A great heap of bones was after-
wards found near Nice by the main body of the Crusaders
the sole memorial of their unfortunate brethren in arms.
Thus three hundred thousand had perished before the real
Crusaders can be said to have left Europe.
It is said that six millions had taken the red cross. Of
these we are told that six hundred thousand infantry, and one
hundred thousand mailed horsemen, crossed over to Asia,
besides a great multitude of followers. In 1097 they laid
siege to Nice (Nicaea) capital of Soliman, Turkish king of
Roum ; and the city was surrendered to Alexius, who
jealously guarded all conquests made by the Crusaders within
what he claimed as his empire. The army then directed
their march towards Phrygia, and in the hard-fought battle of
Dorylaeum defeated Soliman, who retreated eastward (1097).
After crossing the range of Mount Taurus, they entered
Syria. The next year was occupied by the siege and capture
of Antioch (concerning which see on i. 6. 4). In May 1099
an advance was made on Jerusalem, which was taken after
a siege of forty days. A terrible massacre of the inhabitants
then took place, and the Crusaders elected Godfrey of Bouillon
as the first Christian king of Jerusalem.
The Holy City was before this siege under the dominion of
the Fatimites of Egypt, who had reconquered it from the
Turks while the Crusaders were yet leaving Europe (1096).
After an attempt to stay the progress of the invading army by
means of an embassy sent to the Christians at Antioch, the
vizier or sultan of Egypt had collected a vast army, in which
were companies of Aethiopians and other African tribes, and
now approached Jerusalem. But he was utterly overthrown
INTRODUCTION. xi
in the battle of Ascalon, which firmly established the Latin
kingdom in Syria. Thus ends the period of history that
Tasso has treated in his poem. On the whole he is wonder-
fully exact, not only in the relation of facts, but even in the
description of individual characters. The sources from which
he drew his information were mostly old monastic chronicles,
especially one named ' Gesta Dei per Francos ' (What God
accomplished by the Franks). Besides the historical, there is
also an allegorical meaning in the poem, which has been fully
explained by Tasso himself. It would be impossible here to
enter fully into the meaning of the various characters : and it
will be sufficient to state that the siege and capture of the
Holy City represents the attainment of 'la felicita civile, la
quale e un bene molto difficile da conseguire, e posto in cima
all' alpestre e faticoso giogo della virtu.'
In order to give sufficient action to the poem, and also for
the sake of contrast, there are introduced several fictitious
characters, such as Aladin, Argantes, and others ; and a super-
natural 'machinery' is contrived by means of mages, sor-
cerers, demons, and angels.
The Gerusalemme has always been a favourite with the
people of Italy, and even foreigners may to some extent
admire the beautiful language of Tasso, which for elegance
and a lucid transparency yields to that of no poet, and is
rivalled by Homer and Virgil alone. For centuries his poem
has been known and loved by the common people in Italy,
and it was once no rare thing to hear his verses sung by the
peasants, or by the Venetian gondoliers.
But even in the city of the sea,
Venice, the fairy-land of Italy,
Whose streets are laid with waves of sapphire clear,
The stdli of the steering gondolier
Repeats its dreary note where Tasso's lays
The marble echoes woke to great Goffredo's praise.
REMARKS.
THE following remarks and examples should be carefully
studied before attempting to translate ; and they should be
constantly referred to. By this means many of the difficulties
that beset the beginner will be soon explained away especi-
ally those connected with what may seem arbitrary changes
in spelling, with certain troublesome little enclitics, pronouns,
and the like, and also with constructions. It will be well to
pay particular attention to the changes both in form, and in
meaning, that occur in words derived from Latin, by which
alone a careless and superficial knowledge will be avoided.
Unaccented vowel terminations may be elided even before
a consonant : as
... in or(a). Not common.
f...in verbs and nouns: riman(e), ii. 22. 5, ii. 62. 5;
licor(e), i. 3.6, especially in infinitives ; scriver(e),
i. 4. 8 (and in syncope: lettere a lettre, i. 19. 3).
/'...especially in plur. of nouns: guerrier(i), i. 21. i;
favor(i), i. 25. 6.
o ... invan(o), i. i. 5 ; popol(o), i. 1.6: and often in plur.
of verbs: abbiam(o), i. 27. 6, venian(o), i. 50. i.
In the third person plural of the perfect one or two syl-
lables may suffer elision : as
-o..seguiro(no), i. 20. i; furo(no).
-oo..arrivar(ono), i. 48. 2; fersi ( = si fecero), ii. 55. 6;
unirsi, ii. 55. 7 ; fur(ono).
In infinitives in -rre the last r is dropped together with
the final e :
trar(re), ii. i. 3; introdur(re), i. 9, 7; and compounded
with a pronoun, torgli (gli torre).
REMARKS. xiil
In the imperfects the <v is often dropped: as attende(v)a,
i. 6. 8 ; porge(v)a, i. 15. 5. L is dropped in tai (ii. 35. 8),
quai (i. 19. i), quei, etc.
II. Ft, ci, ne.
Vi either stands for voi (ace.), or a voi (dat.).
Or else it is a short form of ivi (Lat. ibi) ' there ' : used
especially in such expressions as 'v'e,' 'there is.' Refer-
ences: i. 28. i, ii. 90. 6, ii. 27. 2, ii. 12. 5.
Ci . . . for not (ace.), or a not (dat.).
Or else it means ' here ' (Lat. hic-ce) : especially in c'e,
ci sono, etc. ii. 87. 4 and 7, ii. 15. 6.
Ne . . . for not or a not. Examples: ii. 36. 8, ii. 83. 2, and
often.
Or else a partitive pronoun or adverb, like French ' en,'
meaning (i) 'of it,' 'of them,' etc., as 'ne ho . . .' (j'en
ai) : (2) ' away ' or ' along,' expressing motion, as ' andar-
sene ' (s'en aller).
The partitive ne is very often joined as an enclitic to
verbs and pronouns ; and it will be noticed that in such
cases ' si,' and ' ci,' etc. change into ' se,' ' ce.' Examples :
(i) faronne acerbi esempi, i. 87. 3 ; ne fa ricercar,
ii. 10. i ; se n' intese la fama, ii. 13. i : (2) ne vola, i.
33. 7 ; ne vengo, ii. 4. i ; cen andremo, ii. 94. 2.
III. N, t, s and other consonants are often doubled in com-
position, especially after an accented termination (such
as the 3rd pers. sing, perf.) : as gravonne (ne gravo), i.
84. 8; pregollo, ii. 44. r; curvollo e fenne, ii. 89. 2;
coprissi (si copri), i. 48. I ; indirizzossi, i. 14. 5 ; dimmi,
ii. 71. i; narrerotti (fut.), ii. 4. 8; sebbene (se-bene),
ii. 66. 7.
IV. In the formation of Italian from Latin,
(i) The accusative singular was adopted as the normal
case of substantives : the final m was dropped, and u
changed into o. Thus, cicerone(m), sermone(m), par-
te(m), favore(m), terra(m), popolo (populum) : this rule
holds in neuters, as lato (latus) ; and is well illustrated
by such forms as Ta'ida (Lat. Thais ; ace. Tha'ida).
REMARKS.
(n) L following a consonant is softened into / : as, chia-
mare (clamare), fiore (florem), enfiata (inflata), ii.
88. 3.
(in) The initial j in many words stands for Lat. ' ex,' or
' dis,' with the sense of ' out,' ' apart,' or as a negative.
Thus, spuntare (ii. 97. 8), scacciare (ii. 54. i), scar-
care (i. 50. 2), spiacente (i. 23. 4), spetrare (ii. 83. 8),
sfidare (i. 63. 8). In certain words, however, as storia
(Lat. historiam), some other syllable has been dropped.
Cf. resia (Lat. heresiam), reda (haeredem), retaggio, i.
42. i.
(iv) Double / often stands for the ct of the Latin : as, in-
vitto (invictum), allettando, i. 3. 4.
(v) Notice the interchange of such vowels as u and o, i and
e, etc., as in popolo, selva (Lat. silva). There are also
many points of similarity, such as the terminations of im-
perfect and other tenses, the plurals of nouns, &c., which
will be easily recognised.
V. Reflective verbs are either passive or middle, (i) As pas-
sives they are used impersonally ; as, si cessa (i. 12. 2), si
speri (ii. 51.8), si va, etc. ; or with a subject, as, la guerra
si rinnova (i. 12. 3). (2) As middles the reflective pro-
noun may be either the direct object, as ' ristorarse,' to
refresh oneself (i. 42. 4), or the indirect, as 'fansi,'
make for themselves (i. 43. 5).
N.B. The compound tenses of reflective verbs take
' essere,' and not ' avere.' After fare, lasciare, and a few
other such verbs, the active infinitive is used in French
and Italian where we should use the passive. Thus we
translate si puo vedere, 'it can be seen'; si possa pro-
porre a te, ' may be preferred by you.' See ' Selections
from Dante,' notes to v. 26, viii. 58 ; and, for the use of
reflectives, on i. 62.
VI. Pronouns are often compounded, especially with infini-
tives and participles. Thus, dirsi, dirgli, dirglielo (to
REMARKS. XV
tell it to him), vattene (go away : see Rem. II. and III),
nol (non lo), sel, sen, cen, etc. The suffix is generally
placed after the first infinitive or participle in the sen-
tence. Cp. ii. 87. 4, ii. 19. 7, and passim. Notice that
le as a suffix is often for ' lei,' or ' a lei ' : also that when
gli and lo, la, Ii, etc., are compounded, they are written
glielo, gliela, etc.
VII. As in most languages, the infinitive is used, with or
without the article, as a substantive. As ' parlar facondo,'
ii. 58. 4; 'il creder mio,' i. 22. 2; 'senza parlar,' ii. 3.
i ; '1'aver . . . accolto,' i. 24. 5 ; 'in un vestire schietto,'
ii. 60. 3 ; 'i nostri pareri,' i. 30. 3.
VIII. A general rule about the agreement of the passive par-
ticiple in the compound past tenses of an active verb is
very difficult to give. Generally, if the object of the verb
precedes, the participle agrees with it, but if it follows the
agreement may be with either the object or the subject.
Much however is decided by euphony, and by the promi-
nence of the active or passive idea ; i. e. whether the
participle is to be looked upon as merely an adjective, or
a part of the verb.
IX. Non is often repeated, where in English we should not
use it. See on i. 82. 2 ; ii. 68. 8. Thus, ' II dolce non far
niente ' is the right form of this well-known expres-
sion, which in its usual form means, if anything, just
the reverse of what is intended. Non with the infinitive
is used for the imperative. Probably some verb of com-
mand is to be understood. See ii. 87. i.
X. The subjunctive may be used
(i) As optative 'segua che puote,' ii. ii. 6, etc. (these
may be considered as imperatives).
(ii) In dependent sentences, after ' che,' ' onde,' etc., when-
ever there is any futurity, opinion, doubt, or the like in-
volved. Thus,
' Ove un sol non impera, onde i guidici
Pendano . . .' (i. 31. i).
XVI REMARKS.
Also where the relative has the sense of 'such a one to . .'
(Lat. ' qui ' with subjunctive). As,
'Ah, non sia alcun, per Dio, che si graditi
Doni in uso si reo per da e dijfonda' (i. 27. i).
'. . . che non ascolte' (ii. 63. i).
But when in the dependent sentence there is no futurity
or doubt, but a certain fact, the indicative follows: as
' Vede Goffredo, che scacciar desia . . .' (i. 8. 5).
Benche, and other such conjunctions, may be followed (as
in Latin) by either mood, according to the positive or
doubtful assertion made : thus, Sophronia asserts that she is
not guilty of theft in 'Benche non furto e il mio' (ii. 25. i).
Much delicacy of expression is dependent on the
use of the moods. The following example is given by
Robello. ' Nous verrons que lorsque 1'esprit doit mani-
fester sa pensee sur un principe d'un verite e"ternelle,
comme je crois que 1'ame est immortelle 1'Italien em-
ploiera, comme le Franais, 1'indicatif, et dira : io credo
che Fanima e immortale, parce que credo che sia, au sub-
jonctif, serait une heresie pour un chretien.'
XI. There are certain nouns which make irregular plurals,
as arme (i. i. i), ala (i. 14. i). The most noticeable
are those in -o, which take both a regular masculine
plural in -/, and also a feminine plural in -a. Such are
il membro, le membra (i. 13. 5), il muro, le mura (i.
22. 2), il ciglio, le ciglia (i. 49. 4). A list of others
will be found in any grammar.
XI I. Tasso uses sometimes a poet's license in varying the
vowels: as 'fusse' for 'fosse' (i. 59. 3), 'nui' for 'noi'
(ii. 50. 7), ' Goffrido ' for ' Goffredo ' (ii. 90. 4), ' ditto '
for 'detto' (ii. 94. i). A common poetical termina-
tion is that of -e instead of -/' in the 2nd and 3rd persons
sing, of the subjunctive of verbs in -are a form nearer
the Latin in -es and -et. See i. 31. 6, i. 71. 4, ii. 6. 2,
ii. 31. 2, ii. 63. i, ii. 71. 3. Also notice such forms as
'rapio,' for 'rapi' (ii. 7. 4 ) and <fue' for 'fu' (ii. 44. 2).
LIFE OF TASSO.
About 1 200 A.D. the powerful family of Tassi relinquished
the feuds of the lowlands, and settled at Almenno, near
Bergamo. Later they removed (as most of the Italian
nobles were compelled to do) within the walls of their city.
Scions of this family spread all over Europe. Some dis-
tinguished themselves in foreign service, and held high and
hereditary office under various Emperors. From them was
descended the princely German house of Tassi.
The eldest branch remained at Bergamo. Not a few of
the Tassi were illustrious as bishops and pontifical officers,
especially under the three popes Alexander VI, Julius II,
and the famous Leo X. Pietro de' Tassi was the head of
this eldest branch. From him was descended Gabriele,
father of Bernardo Tasso.
Bernardo, father of Torquato, was celebrated for his writ-
ings in verse and prose. He was patronised by Cardinal
Bembo, and became secretary to Ferrante Sanseverino,
Prince of Salerno. This post he filled for twenty-three
years; and on one occasion accompanied the prince to
Africa, and was present at the capture of Tunis. In 1537
he was sent on an important mission to Spain. On his
return (1539) he married Porzia, daughter of Giacomo de'
Rossi, of Pistoia a marriage that connected him with
several noble families.
Through some misunderstanding Sanseverino became
alienated from Bernardo, and he retired, with his wife and
his little daughter Cornelia, to Sorrento. Here he resided in
b
XVlll LIFE OF TASSO.
a palace l on the verge of the lovely olive-crested cliffs that
overhang the southern bay of Naples.
It was here, on the nth March, 1544, that Torquato was
born 2 . His father was absent at the time in Piedmont,
being engaged in the wars of Charles V.' Among the facts
related of Torquato's infancy we hear of his wonderful
precocity in speaking fluently and sagely when ten months
old. What is more worthy of belief and attention is that,
as his biographer tells^ us, ' nella sua infanzia non fu mai
veduto ridere per nonnulla.'
When Tasso was about three years old a rebellion broke
out at Naples. Don Pietro Toledo, viceroy of Charles V,
endeavoured to introduce the Spanish inquisition into the
city. Sanseverino was accordingly chosen as ambassador to
represent the grievances of the people to the Emperor.
Toledo forthwith declared him a rebel and confiscated his
property; Bernardo Tasso was involved in the same fate,
and took refuge in Rome.
Porzia was thus left behind with her son and daughter,
in great destitution. In 1554 the father sent for Torquato
to join him in Rome, where he was placed under the best
instructors. His mother however could not sustain her loss,
and in 1556 died, it is said of a broken heart. Cornelia was
left in charge of her connections and friends, and eventually
married into a noble Sorrentine family.
In 1560, after wandering to Pesaro, Urbino, Venice, and
other places, Bernardo and Torquato settled for a time in
Padua, where the young poet, in the midst of legal studies,
1 Manso, the first biographer of Tasso, says it was a palace of the
' Mastrogiudici." Anastasio also says ' in aedibus olim Magistrijudi-
cum ad litorales rapes amoenissime prominentes domicilium habuit.'
This no longer exists. ' Fluctum concussione subsedit.'
8 It seems certain that another son, also called Torquato, had
been born and had died before this. Although Tasso's birthplace
has occasioned as much dispute as Homer's, it is evident that he
was born at Salerno, although he often speaks of Bergamo and
Naples as his ' patria,' using that word in a loose sense. Thus :
' sono in guisa beigamasco, che non ricuso d'esser napolitano o
sorrentino.'
LIFE OF TASSO. xix
wrote his Rinaldo, a romance poem in twelve cantos; and
soon afterwards began the Gerusalemme.
The Rinaldo was dedicated to Cardinal Luigi of Este,
brother to Alfonso II, who held his court at Ferrara ; and
to this court Tasso was brought by his patron in 1565. A
strong attachment soon sprang up between him and the two
sisters of the Duke, Lucrezia and Eleonora ; and it was
doubtless this passion, combined with the glitter and bustle
of a court so unsympathetic with all the higher instincts
of the poet that finally developed his natural melancholy
into genuine madness. Soon after this Bernardo died at
Mantua. In 1570 Tasso accompanied the Cardinal to
France ; but after an absence of about a year he returned
to Italy, and, having been appointed to some office in the
court of Alfonso, settled again at Ferrara. It was then that
he wrote his Aminta, a pastoral comedy, in which we see
evidence of the passionate feelings that were overmastering
him.
Meantime his great poem was being gradually finished.
Several cantos had already seen the light by means of
manuscript copies ; and before he had revised and corrected
it to his satisfaction, it was reported that a mutilated edition
was to appear in print * . This and other annoyances, such
as a quarrel with a courtier, seem to have brought his
morbid state to a crisis. Before this time several adverse
criticisms had been passed on his poem ; and those especially
of Cardinal Antoniano, who had insinuated charges of heresy
against him, preyed upon his sensitive mind. Day by day
he became more melancholy, and suspicious of his friends
(a point in which he and poor Keats were alike), until at
last he demanded an examination before the Inquisitor in
order to ' clear up a doubt.' This doubt was whether, as
had been alleged by Antoniano, the episode of Sophronia
(canto ii.) was an offence against religion and morality ! His
state of mind was such that on one occasion he drew a
1 The edition of Cavalcalupa (or Malaspina). See Serassi, vol. ii.
377. 378.
b 2
XX LIFE OF TASSO.
dagger in the presence of the Duchess, and Alfonso probably
was perfectly justified in placing him in confinement. From
this he was, however, soon liberated, and allowed to take
up his abode at the Franciscan convent in Ferrara, where
he resolved to take the cowl. But his resolve was short-
lived, and, having fled from Ferrara, he wandered on foot
through all Italy until he reached Sorrento. The story of
his meeting with his sister is very touching reminding one
of Orestes and Electra. So many years had passed that
Cornelia did not recognise him, and to prove her affection
he told her that Torquato was seriously ill. At the news
she fainted ; and was inconsolable until she learnt that her
brother stood before her. Tasso stayed a short time at
Sorrento, and then resumed his wanderings. From Rome he
made his way to Mantua, Padua, Venice, Pesaro, Urbino, and
at length rested for a short time at Turin, where he was
hospitably received by the Archbishop and the Duke Carlo
Emmanuele. Then a longing seized him to see Ferrara once
more. His return was ill-timed, for the marriage of the
Duke was occupying the attention of the court, and the
poor wanderer received a cold welcome. The violent abuse
which he poured on all around him was intolerable on such
an auspicious occasion, and we need not be surprised to hear
that he was confined in the lunatic asylum of Sant' Anna.
For the next seven years he was a prisoner in the most
deplorable state of mind and body. In his more lucid mo-
ments he would compose both verse and prose ; and at times
he was allowed to visit the churches, or public spectacles.
But he was often unfit for this, being tormented by the morbid
creations of his own mind spectres and apparitions and,
either by the indifference of the Duke or his own obstinacy,
living in a state of starvation and nakedness. It is difficult
to say how far we are justified in our indignation against
Alfonso : but doubtless the dark and dripping cell which is
pointed out to the tourist as Tasso's prison has excited a
good deal of unnecessary feeling against the ' tyrant,' and
probably inspired the vituperative language of Byron in his
Childe Harold. On the other hand there is no doubt that
LIFE OF TASSO.
Tasso's malady required a kinder treatment than it re-
ceived.
Meanwhile his poem had become famous, and had aroused
a fierce controversy. By some it was considered superior to
the Orlando Furioso of Ariosto ; while others, especially the
Accademia della Crusca in Florence *, exerted all their powers
in denouncing its faults of both language and epic compo-
sition. Among the adverse critics we may be surprised to
find the celebrated Galileo.
In 1586 Prince Vincenzio Gonzaga came to Ferrara and
obtained the release of Tasso, who immediately removed to
Mantua. Here he published his Torismondo, and soon after-
wards set off on foot, and passing through Bologna, after
many hardships arrived at Rome, and thence continued his
journey to Naples. After staying for a short time in the
convent of Monteoliveto, he was persuaded to accept the
hospitality of a young Neapolitan, Giambattista Manso (after-
wards his biographer), who received him at his villa on Po-
silipo, the range that separates Naples from the Bay of Baiae.
In 1589 he went once more to Rome. The next year he
paid a short visit to Ferdinand de' Medici at Florence. Once
more, in 1598, he left Rome for Mantua; but soon after we
find him again at Naples, and then once more at Rome,
whither he was invited by the Aldobrandini, and where he
received a pension from Pope Clement VIII, and rooms in
the Vatican.
It was during this stay in Rome (1593) that he printed his
Gerusalemme Conquistata, in which he endeavoured to carry
out the suggestions of his critics, but which has always been
regarded as inferior to the original poem. In the following
year he visited Naples for the last time, but did not stay
there long, for he was recalled to Rome in order that he
might at length receive, what had been his due so long, the
laurel crown. But it was too late. Tasso himself declared
his presentiment that all preparations for the ceremony were
1 For a long time this ' Cruscan quire' would not admit quotations
from Tasso's works in their standard dictionary ; but finally they
were forced to give way to public opinion.
xxii LIFE OF TASSO.
in vain, for it would never take place. And he was not
deceived ; for soon after his arrival in Rome he was seized
by a serious illness, and died in the monastery of Sant'
Onofrio, on the asth April, 1595, at the age of 51. He
was buried, according to his express desire, in the church
of the same saint; and his tomb was marked by a plain
stone, on which the brethren of the monastery, at the appeal
of Manso, inscribed the simple but appropriate epitaph
D. o. M.
TORQVATI TASSI
OSS A
HIC JACENT
HOC NE NESCIV S
ESSES HOSPES
FRES HVIVS ECCL.
PP.
MDCI.
OBIIT ANNO M.D.XC.V.
Afterwards a magnificent sepulchre was erected by Cardinal
Bevilacqua, of an illustrious Ferrarese family. A still more
splendid erection was begun in 1827, and in 1857 the remains
of the poet were deposited in it with great ceremony.
The following description of Tasso is by Manso (as given
by Carbone) :
' Era di alta statura e di membra ben proporzionate : aveva
ie cami bianchissime : il colore della folta barba e dei capelli
tra mezzo il bruno e il biondo: il capo grande, la fronte ampia,
e quadrata, le ciglia nere, gli occhi grandi vivaci e di color
cilestro, il naso grande ed inchinato verso la bocca, le labbra
sottili e pallide ; le membra tutte cosi agili da non cedere ad
alcuno nell' armeggiare, nel cavalcare, e nel giostrare : aveva
la voce chiara e sonora ; ma leggeva male le sue composizioni,
per difetto della lingua balba, e della debole e corta vista.'
LA GERUSALEMME LIBERATA
METRE.
The Gerusalemme is written in ottava rima, the invention of which
is attributed to Boccaccio. It consists of stanzas containing eight
hendecasyllabic lines, i. e. of eleven syllables, or five feet and an
open vowel. The feet are, in the typical line, all iambic ( -), but
variation is allowed by the use of trochees (- o) or spondees ( ), as
well as by slur, crasis, etc. But in all cases the tenth syllable is
strongly accented, and, when followed by a final vowel, forms the
weak rhyme, which is used by Tasso. Such a line is called verso
piano. When curtailed of the final vowel it is a verso tronco.
LA GERUSALEMME LIBERATA.
CANTO PRIMO.
1 Canto 1' armi pietose e '1 Capitano
Che '1 gran sepolcro libero di Cristo :
Molto egli opro col senno e con la mano;
Molto soffri nel glorioso acquisto :
E invah 1' Inferno a lui s' oppose, e invano
S' armo d' Asia e di Libia il popol misto ;
Che il Cfel gli die favore, e sotto ai santi
Segni ridusse i suoi compagni erranti.
2 O Musa, tu, che di caduchi allori
Non circondi la fronte in Elicona, 4
Ma su nel cielo infra i beati cori
Hai di stelle immortali aurea corona,
Tu spira al petto mio celesti ardori,
Tu rischiara il mio canto, e tu perdona
S' intesso fregi al ver, s' adorno in parte
D* altri diletti, che de' tuoi, le carte.
3 Sai che la corre il mondo ove piu versi
Di sue dolcezze il lusinghier Parnaso ;
E che '1 vero condito in molli versi
I piu schivi allettando ha persiiaso :
Cosi all' egro fanciul porgiamo aspersi
Di soave licor gli orli del vaso ;
Succhi amari ingannato intanto ei beve,
E dall' inganno suo vita riceve.
B
LA GERUSALEMME LIBERATA.
4 Tu, magnanimo Alfonso, il qual ritogli
Al furor di fortuna, e guidi in porto
Me peregrine errante, e fra gli scogli
E fra 1' onde agitato e quasi absorto,
Queste mie carte in lieta fronte accogli,
Che quasi in voto a te sacrate i' porto.
Forse un di fia che la presaga penna
Osi scriver di te quel ch' or n' accenna.
5 E ben ragion, s' egli awerra che in pace
II buon popol di Cristo unqua si veda,
E con navi e cavalli al fero Trace
Cerchi ritor le grande ingiusta preda,
Ch' a te lo scettro in terra, o, se ti piace,
L' alto imperio de' mari a te conceda.
Emulo di Goffredo, i nostri carmi
Intanto ascolta, e t' apparecchia all' armi.
6 Gia '1 sesto anno volgea, che 'n Oriente
Passo il campo cristiano all' alta impresa;
E Nicea per assalto, e la potente
Ant'iochia con arte avea gia presa;
L' avea poscia in battaglia, incontro a gente
Di Persia innumerabile, difesa ;
E Tortosa espugnata : indi alia rea
Stagion die loco, e '1 novo anno attendea.
7 E '1 fine omai di quel piovoso inverno,
Che fea 1' armi cessar, lunge non era ;
Quando dall' alto soglio il Padre eterno,
Ch' e nella parte piu del ciel sincera,
E quanto e dalle stelle al basso inferno,
Tanto e piu in su della stellata spera,
Gli occhi in giu volse, e in un sol punto e in una
Vista miro cio ch' in se il mondo aduna.
CANTO PRIMO.
8 Miro tutte le cose, ed in Soria
S' affiso poi ne' principi cristiani;
E con quel guardo suo, ch' addentro spia
Nel piu secreto lor gli affetti umani,
Vede Goffredo che scacciar desia
Dalla santa citta gli empi Pagani,
E pien di fe, di zelo, ogni mortale
Gloria, impero, tesor mette in non cale.
9 Ma vede in Baldovin cupido ingegno,
Ch' all' umane grandezze intento aspira :
Vede Tancredi aver la vita a sdegno;
Tanto un suo vano amor 1' ange e martira:
E fondar Boemondo al novo regno
Suo d' Antiochia alti principii mira,
E leggi imporre, ed introdur costume
Ed arti e culto di verace nume ;
10 E cotanto internarsi in tal pensiero,
Ch' altra impresa non par che piu rammenti :
Scorge in Rinaldo ed animo guerriero
E spirti di riposi impaz'ienti ;
Non cupidigia in lui d'oro o d' impero,
Ma d' onor brame immoderate, ardenti:
Scorge che dalla bocca intento pende
Di Guelfo, e i chiari antichi esempj apprende.
11 Ma, poi ch' ebbe di 'questi e d' altri cori
Scorti gF intimi sensi il Re del mondo,
Chiama a se dagli angelici splendori
Gabriel, che ne' primi era il secondo:
li tra Dio questi e Panime migliori
Interprete fedel, nunzio giocondo ;
Giu i decreti del Ciel porta, ed al Cielo
Riporta de' mortali i preghi e ? 1 zelo.
B 2
LA GERUSALEMME LIBERATA.
12 Disse al suo nunzio Dio: Goffredo trova,
E in mio nome di' lui: Perche si cessa?
Perche la guerra omai non si rinnova
A liberar Gerusalemme oppressa?
Chiami i duci a consiglio; e i tardi mova
All' alta impresa: ei capitan fia d' essa.
lo qui P eleggo; e '1 faran gli altri in terra
Gia suoi compagni, or suoi ministri in guerra.
13 Cosi parlogli; e Gabriel s' accinse
Veloce ad eseguir P imposte cose :
La sua forma invisibil d' aria cinse,
Ed al senso mortal la sottopose :
Umane membra, aspetto uman si finse;
Ma di celeste maesta il compose:
Tra giovane e fanciullo eta confine
Prese, ed orno di raggi il biondo crine.
14 Ali bianche vesti, c' ban d' or le cime,
Infaticabilmente agili e preste:
Fende i venti e le nubi, e va sublime
Sovra la terra e sovra il mar con queste.
Cosl vestito indirizzossi all' ime
Parti del mondo il messaggier celeste:
Pria sul Libano monte ei si ritenne,
Ei si libro su P adeguate penne;
15 E ver le piagge di Tortosa poi
Drizzo precipitando il volo in giuso.
Sorgeva il novo Sol dai lidi eoi,
Parte gia fuor, ma '1 piu nelP onde chiuso,
E porgea mattutini i preghi suoi
Goffredo a Dio, com' egli avea per uso;
Quando a paro col Sol, ma piu lucente,
L' angelo gli appari dall' oriente ;
CANTO PRIMO.
1 6 E gli disse : Goffredo, ecco opportuna
Gia la stagion ch' al guerreggiar s' aspetta;
Perche dunque trappor dimora alctma
A liberar Gerusalem soggetta?
Tu i principi a consiglio omai raguna;
Tu al fin dell' opra i neghittosi affretta.
Dio per lor duce gia t' elegge ; ed essi
Sopporran volontari a te se stessi.
1 7 Dio messaggier mi manda : io ti rivelo
La sua mente in suo nome. Oh quanta spene
Aver d'alta vittoria, oh quanto zelo
Dell' oste a te commessa or ti conviene !
Tacque; e, sparito, rivolo del cielo
Alle parti piii eccelse e piii serene.
Resta Goffredo ai detti, allo splendore,
D' occhi abbagliato, attonito di core.
1 8 Ma poi che si riscote, e che discorre
Chi venne, chi mando, che gli fu detto,
Se gia bramava, or tutto arde d' imporre
Fine alia guerra ond' egli e duce eletto :
Non che '1 vedersi agli altri in ciel preporre
D' aura d' ambiz'ion gli gonfi il petto;
Ma il suo voler piu nel voler s' infiamma
Del suo Signor, come favilla in fiamma.
19 Dunque gli eroi compagni, i quai non lunge
Erano sparsi, a ragunarsi invita:
Lettere a lettre, e messi a messi aggiunge ;
Sempre al consiglio e la preghiera unita:
Cio ch' alma generosa alletta e punge,
Cio che puo risvegliar virtu sopita,
Tutto par che ritrovi, e in efficace
Modo 1'adorna si, che sforza piace.
LA GERUSALEMME LIBER AT A.
20 Vennero i duci, e gli altri anco seguiro ;
E Boemondo sol qui non convenne.
Parte fuor s' attendo, parte nel giro
E tra gli alberghi suoi Tortosa tenne.
I Grandi dell' esercito s'uniro
(Glorioso senate) in di solenne.
Qui il pio Goffredo incomincio tra loro,
Angusto in volto, ed in sermon sonoro :
21 Guerrier di Dio, ch' a ristorare i danni
Delia sua fede il Re del cielo elesse,
E securi fra 1' arme e fra gl' inganni
Delia terra e del mar vi scorse e resse;
Si ch' abbiam tante e tante in si poch' anni
Ribellanti provincie a lui sommesse,
E fra le genti debellate e dome
Stese 1' insegne sue vittrici e '1 nome:
22 Gia non lasciammo i dolci pegni e '1 nido
Nativo noi, se '1 creder mio non erra,
Ne la vita esponemmo al mare infido,
Ed ai perigli di lontana guerra,
Per acquistar di breve suono un grido
Vulgare, e posseder barbara terra;
Che proposto ci avremmo angusto e scarso
Premio, e in danno dell' alme il sangue sparse:
23 Ma fu de* pensier nostri ultimo segno
Espugnar di S'ion le nobil mura,
E sottrarre i Cristiani al giogo indegno
Di servitu cosi spiacente e dura,
Fondando in Palestina un novo regno,
Ov' abbia la pieta sede secura;
Ne sia chi neghi al peregrin devoto
D'adorar la gran tomba, e sciorre il voto.
CANTO PRIMO.
24 Dunque il fatto sinora al rischio e molto,
Piu che molto al travaglio, all' onor poco,
Nulla al disegno, ove o si fermi, o volto
Sia 1'impeto dell' armi in altro loco.
Che giovera 1' aver d' Europa accolto
Si grande sforzo, e posto in Asia il foco,
Quando sian poi di tanti moti il fine
Non fabbriche di regni, ma mine ?
25 Non edifica quei che vuol gl' imperi
Su fondamenti fabbricar mondani,
Ov' ha pochi di patria e fe stranieri
Fra gl' infiniti popoli pagani;
Ove ne' Greci non convien che speri,
E i favor d'Occidente ha si lontani :
Ma ben move riiine, ond' egli oppresso
Sol construtto un sepolcro abbia a se stesso.
26 Turchi, Persi, Antiochia (illustre suono,
E di nome magnifico e di cose)
Opre nostre non gia, ma del Ciel dono
Furo, e vittorie fur maravigliose.
Or, se da noi rivolte e torte sono
Contra quel fin che '1 donator dispose,
Temo cen privi, e favola alle genti
Quel si chiaro rimbombo alfin diventi.
27 Ah non sia alcun, per Dio, che si graditi
Doni in uso si reo perda e diffonda !
A quei che sono alti principii orditi
Di tutta P opra il filo e '1 fin risponda.
Ora che i passi liberi e spediti,
Ora che la stagione abbiam seconda,
Che non corriamo alia citta ch' e meta
D' ogni nostra vittoria? e che piu '1 vieta?
LA GERUSALEMME LIBER ATA.
28 Principi, io vi protesto (i miei protest!
Udra il mondo presente, udra il futuro,
Gli odono or su nel cielo anco i Celesti),
II tempo dell' impresa e gia maturo :
Men diviene opportun, piu che si resti ;
Incerti-simo fia quel ch' e securo.
Presago son : s' e lento il nostro corso,
Avra d' Egitto il Palestin soccorso.
29 Disse; e ai detti segui breve bisbiglio:
Ma sorse poscia il solitario Piero,
Che private fra' principi a consiglio
Sedea, del gran passaggio autor primiero.
Cio ch' esorta Goffredo ed io consiglio;
Ne loco a dubbio v' ha ; si certo e il vero,
E per se noto: ei dimostrollo a lungo:
Voi 1' approvate ; io questo sol v' aggiungo :
30 Se ben raccolgo le discordie e 1' onte
Quasi a prova da voi fatte e patite,
I ritrosi pareri, e le non pronte
E in mezzo all' eseguire opre impedite,
Reco ad un' alta originaria fonte
La cagion d' ogni indugio e d' ogni lite :
A quella autorita che, in molti e vari
D' opinion quasi librata, e pan.
31 Ove un sol non impera, onde i giudici
Pendano poi de' premii e delle pene,
Onde sian compartite opre ed uffici,
Ivi errante il governo esser conviene.
Deh ! fate un corpo sol di membri amici ;
Fate un capo che gli altri indrizzi e frene ;
Date ad un sol Io scettro e la possanza ;
E sostenga di re vece e sembianza.
CANTO PRIMO. 5
32 Qui tacque 51 veglio. Or quai pensier, quai petti
Son chiusi a te, sant' aura, e divo ardore?
Inspiri tu dell' eremita i detti,
E tu gl' imprimi ai cavalier nel core;
Sgombri gl' inserti, anzi gl' innati affetti
Di sovrastar, di liberta, d' onore;
Si che Guglielmo e Guelfo, i piu sublimi,
Chiamar Goffredo per lor duce i primi.
33 L' approvar gli altri : esser sue parti denno
Deliberare e commandar altrui.
Imponga ai vinti legge egli a suo senno;
Porti la guerra e quando vuole, e a cui ;
Gli altri, gia pari, ubbid'ienti al cenno
Sian or ministri degF imperi sui.
Concluso cio, fama ne vola, e grande
Per le lingue degli uomini si spande.
34 Ei si mostra ai soldati; e ben lor pare
Degno dell' alto grado ove 1' ban posto ;
E riceve i saluti e '1 militare
Applause in volto placido e composto.
Poi ch' alle rimostranze umili e care
D' amor, d' ubbid'ienza ebbe risposto,
Impon che '1 di seguente in un gran campo
Tutto si mostri a lui schierato il campo.
35 Facea nell' oriente il Sol ritorno,
Sereno e luminoso oltre 1' usato,
Quando co' raggi usci del nuovo giorno
Sotto P insegne ogni guerriero armato ;
E si mostro quanto pote piu adorno
Al pio Buglion, girando il largo prato.
S' era egli fermo, e si vedea davanti
Passar distinti i cavalieri e i fanti.
JO LA GERUSALEMME LIBER AT A.
36 Mente, degli anni e dell' obblio nemica,
Delle cose custode e dispensiera,
Vagliami tua ragion, si ch' io ridica
Di quel campo ogni duce ed ogni schiera:
Suoni e risplenda la lor fama antica,
Fatta dagli anni omai tacita e nera;
Tolto da' tuoi tesori, orni mia lingua
Cid ch' ascolti ogni eta, nulla 1' estingua.
37 Prima i Franchi mostrarsi: il duce loro
Ugone esser solea, del re fratello :
Nell' isola di Francia eletti foro,
Fra quattro fiumi ampio paese e bello.
Poscia che Ugon mori, de' gigli d' oro
Segui 1' usata insegna il fier drappello
Sotto Clotareo, capitano egregio,
A cui se nulla manca, e il sangue regio.
38 Mille son di gravissima armatura;
Sono altrettanti i cavalier seguenti,
Di disciplina ai prirni e di natura
E d' arme e di sembianza indifferenti,
Normandi tutti: e gli ha Roberto in cura,
Che principe nativo e delle genti.
Poi duo pastor de' popoli spiegaro
Le squadre lor, Guglielmo ed Ademaro.
39 L' uno e 1* altro di lor, che ne' divini
Uffici gia tratto pio ministero,
Sotto 1' elmo premendo i lunghi crini
Esercita dell' arme or 1' uso fero.
Dalla citti d' Orange e dai confini
Quattrocento guerrier scelse il primiero ;
Ma guida quei di Poggio in guerra 1'altro,
Numero egual, ne men nell' armi scaltro.
CANTO PRIMO. II
40 Baldovin poscia in mostra addur si vede
Co' Bolognesi suoi quei del germane,
Che le sue genti il pio fratel gli cede
Or ch' ei de' capitani e capitano.
II conte de' Carnuti indi succede,
Potente di consiglio, e pro' di mano :
Van con lui quattrocento; e triplicati
Conduce Baldovino in sella armati.
41 Occupa Guelfo il campo a lor vicino,
Uom ch' all' alta fortuna agguaglia il merto :
Conta costui per genitor latino
Degli avi Estensi un lungo ordine e certo ;
Ma german di cognome e di domino,
Nella gran casa de' Guelfoni e inserto :
Regge Carintia, e presso 1' Istro e '1 Reno
Cio che i prischi Suevi e i Reti avieno.
/ 42 A questo, che retaggio era materno,
Acquisti ei giunse gloriosi e grandi.
Quindi gente traea che prende a scherno
D' andar contra la morte, ov' ei comandi;
Usa a temprar ne' caldi alberghi il verno,
E celebrar con lieti inviti i prandi.
Fur cinquemila alia partenza; a pena
(De' Persi avanzo) il terzo or qui ne mena.
43 Seguia la gente poi Candida e bionda
Che tra' Franchi e i Germani e '1 mar si giace
Ove la Mosa ed ove il Reno inonda,
Terra di biade e d' animai ferace :
E gP isolani lor, che d' alta sponda
Riparo fansi all' ocean vorace;
L' ocean che non pur le merci e i legni,
Ma intere inghiotte le cittadi e i regni.
12 LA GERUSALEMME LIBERATA.
44 Gli uni e gli altri son mille, e tutti vanno
Sotto un altro Roberto insieme a stuolo.
Maggior alquanto e lo squadron britanno :
Guglielmo il regge, al re minor figliuolo.
Sono gl' Inglesi sagittari, ed hanno
Gente con lor ch' e piu vicina al polo :
Questi dall' alte selve irsuti manda
La divisa dal mondo ultima Irlanda.
45 Vien poi Tancredi ; e non e alcun fra tanti
(Tranne Rinaldo) o feritor maggiore,
O piu bel di maniere e di sembianti,
piu eccelso ed intrepido di core.
S' alcun' ombra di colpa i suoi gran vanti
Rende men chiari, e sol follia d' amore
Nato fra 1'arme, amor di breve vista,
Che si nutre d'affanni e forza acquista.
46 E fama che quel di che gloribso
Fe la rotta de' Persi il popol Franco,
Poi che Tancredi alfin vittorioso
1 fuggitivi di seguir fu stanco,
Cerco di refrigerio e di riposo
All' arse labbra, al travagliato fianco,
E trasse ove invitollo al rezzo estivo
Cinto di verdi seggi un fonte vivo.
47 Quivi a lui d' improwiso una donzella,
Tutta, fuor che la fronte, armata apparse:
Era pagana, e la venuta anch' ella
Per 1' istessa cagion di ristorarse.
Egli mirolla, ed ammiro la bella
Sembianza, e d'essa si compiacque, e n' arse.
Oh maraviglia ! Amor ch' appena e nato,
Gia grande vola, e gia trionfa armato.
CANTO PRIMO. 13
48 Ella d' elmo coprissi; e, se non era
Ch' altri quivi arrivar, ben 1' assaliva.
Parti dal vinto suo la donna altera,
Ch' e per necessita sol fuggitiva :
Ma 1' immagine sua bella e guerriera
Tal ei serbo nel cor, qual essa e viva;
E sempre ha nel pensiero e 1' atto e '1 loco
In che la vide, esca continua al foco.
49 E ben nel volto suo la gente accorta
Legger potria : Questi arde, e fuor di spene :
Cosi vien sospiroso, e cosi porta
Basse le ciglia e di mestizia piene.
Gli ottocento a cavallo, a cui fa scorta,
Lasciar le piagge di Campagna amene,
Pompa maggior della natura, e i colli
Che vagheggia il Tirren fertili e molli.
50 Venian dietro dugento in Grecia nati,
Che son quasi di ferro in tutto scarchi:
Pendon spade ritorte all' un de' lati ;
Suonano al tergo lor faretre ed archi :
Asciutti hanno i cavalli, al corso usati,
Alia fatica invitti, al cibo parchi:
NelP assalir son pronti e nel ritrarsi,
E combatton fuggendo erranti e sparsi.
51 Tatin regge la schiera, e sol fu questi
Che, greco, accompagno 1' armi latine.
Oh vergogna! oh misfatto! or non avesti
Tu, Grecia, quelle guerre a te vicine ?
E pur quasi a spettacolo sedesti,
Lenta aspettando de' grandi atti il fine.
Or se tu se' vil serva, e il tuo servaggio
(Non ti lagnar) giustizia, e non oltraggio.
14 LA GERUSALEMME LI8ERATA.
52 Squadra d'ordine estrema ecco vien poi,
Ma d' onor prima e di valor e d' arte.
Son qui gli avventurieri invitti eroi,
Terror dell' Asia, e folgori di Marte.
Taccia Argo i Mini, e taccia Artu que' suoi
Errantij che di sogni empion le carte ;
Ch' ogni antica memoria appo costoro
Perde : or qual duce fia degno di loro ?
53 Dudon di Consa e il duce; e, perche duro
Fu il giudicar di sangue e di virtute,
Gli altri sopporsi a lui concordi furo,
Ch' avea piu cose fatte e piu vedute.
Ei di virilita grave e maturo
Mostra in fresco vigor chiome Canute;
Mostra, quasi d'onor vestigi degni,
Di non brutte ferite impressi segni.
54 Eustazio e poi fra' primi ; e i propri pregi
Illustre il fanno, e piu il fratel Buglione.
Gernando v' e, nato di re norvegi,
Che scettri vanta e titoli e corone.
Ruggier di Balnavilla infra gli egregi
La vecchia fama, ed Engerlan ripone;
E celebrati son fra i piu gagliardi
Un Gentonio, un Rambaldo, e duo Gherardi.
55 Son fra' lodati Ubaldo anco, e Rosmondo
Del gran ducato di Lincastro erede:
Non fia ch' Obizo il Tosco aggravi al fondo
Chi fa delle memorie avare prede ;
Ne i tre frati lombardi al chiaro mondo
Involi, Achilla, Sforza e Palamede:
O '1 forte Otton, che conquisto lo scudo
In cui dall' angue esce il fanciullo ignudo.
CANTO PRIMO. 15
56 Ne Guasco, ne Ridolfo addietro lasso,
Ne 1' un, ne 1' altro Guido, ambo famosi;
Non Eberardo, e non Gernier trapasso
Sotto silenzio ingratamente ascosi.
Ove voi me, di numerar gia lasso,
Gildippe ed Odoardo amanti e sposi,
Rapite ? o nella guerra anco consorti,
Non sarete disgiunti ancor die morti.
7~ iu^u. -^ft l*^Xy^.^i*. tv *e.., ,,;U~~ HJV.
.,_ , . .
57 Nelle scuole d' Amor che non s' apprende ?
I vl si fe costei guerriera ardita;-
Va sempre affissa al caro fianco ; e pende
DA un feto solo e 1' una e 1' altra vita:
Colpo ch' ad un sol noccia, unqua non scende,
Ma indiviso e il dolor d'ogni ferita;
E spesso e 1'un ferito, e 1'altro langue ;
E versa 1' alma quel, se questa il sangue.
' -
58 Ma il fanciullo Rinaldo e sovra questi,
E sovra quanti in mostra eran condutti,
Dolcemente feroce alzar vedresti
La regal fronte, e 'in lui mirar sol tutti.
L' eta precorse e la speranza; e presti
Pareano i fior, quando n^ usciro i frutti :
Se '1 miri fultninar nell' arme avvolto,
Marte lo stimi ; Amor, se scopre il volto.
59 Lui nella riva d' Adige produsse
A Bertoldo Sofia, Sofia la bella
A Bertoldo il possente ; e, pria che fusse
Tolto quasi il bambin dalla mammella,
Matilda il volse, e nutricollo, e instrusse
Nell' arti regie ; e sempre ei fu con ella,
Finche invaghi la giovenetta mente
La tromba che s' udia dalF Oriente.
1 6 LA GERUSALEMME LIBER AT A.
60 Allor (ne pur tre lustri avea forniti)
Fuggi soletto, e corse strade ignote :
Varco 1'Egeo, passo di Grecia i liti,
Giunse nel campo in region remote.
Nobilissima fuga, e che 1' imiti
Ben degna alcun magnanimo nipote.
Tre anni son ch'e in guerra; e intempestiva
Molle piuma del mento appena usciva.
6 1 Passati i cavalieri, in mostra viene
La gente a piedi, ed e Raimondo innanti :
Reggea Tolosa, e scelse infra Pirene
E fra Garonna e 1'ocean suoi fanti.
Son quattromila, e ben armati e bene
Instrutti, usi al disagio e tolleranti :
Buona e la gente, e non puo da piu dotta
O da piu. forte guida esser condotta.
62 Ma cinquemila Stefano d'Ambuosa
E di Blesse e di Torsi in guerra adduce :
Non e gente robusta o faticosa,
Sebben tutta di ferro ella riluce.
La terra molle e lieta e dilettosa
Simili a se gli abitator produce.
Impeto fan nelle battaglie prime;
Ma di leggier poi langue, e si reprime.
63 Alcasto il terzo vien, qual presso a Tebe
Gia Capaneo, con minaccioso volto:
Seimila Elvezi, audace e fera plebe,
Dagli alpini castelli avea raccolto,
Che '1 ferro uso a far solchi, a franger glebe,
In nove forme e in piil degne opre ha volto ;
E con la man, che guardo rozzi armenti,
Par ch' i regi sfidar nulla paventi.
CANTO PRIMO. 17
^' ~^ ^L^- A, fi ;U~t^
64 Vedi appresso spiegar 1' alto vessillo
Col diadema di Piero e con le chiavi.
Qui settemila aduna il buon Camillo
^frfJTV * -*--~ "*" ^^ a "^>
Pedoni, d' arme rilucenti e gravi:
Lieto ch' a tanta impresa il Ciel sortillo,
Ove rinnovi il prisco onor degli avi,
O mostri almen ch' alia virtu latina
O nulla manca, o sol la disciplina.
65 Ma gia tutte le squadre eran con bella
Mostra passate, e 1' ultima fu questa ;
Quando GofFredo i maggior duci appella,
E la sua mente lor fa manifesta:
Gome appaia diman 1' alba novella,
Vo' che 1' oste s' invii leggiera e presta,
Si ch' ella giunga alia citta sacrata,
Quant' e possibil piii meno aspettata.
66 Preparatevi dunque ed al viaggio
Ed alia pugna, e alia vittoria ancora.
Questo ardito parlar d' uom cosi saggio
Sollecita ciascuno, e 1' avvalora.
Tutti d' andar son pronti al novo raggio,
E impaz'ienti in aspettar 1' aurora.
Ma '1 provido Buglion senza ogni tema
Non e pero, benche nel cor la prema :
67 Perch' egli avea certe novelle intese,
Che s' e d'Egitto il re gia posto in via
Inverse Gaza, bello e forte arnese
Da fronteggiare i regni di Soria :
Ne creder puo che 1' uomo, a fere imprese
Avvezzo sempre, or lento in ozio stia ;
Ma d' averlo aspettando aspro nemico,
Parla al fedel suo messaggiero Enrico :
C
18 LA GERUSALEMME LIBERATA.
68 Sovra una lieve saettia tragitto
Vo' che tu faccia nella greca terra.
Ivi giunger dovea (cosi m' ha scritto
Chi mai per uso in avvisar non erra)
Un giovane regal, d'animo invitto,
Ch' a farsi vien nostro compagno in guerra:
Prence e de' Dani, e mena un grande stuolo
Sin dai paesi sottoposti al polo.
69 Ma perche '1 greco imperator fallace
Seco forse usera le solite arti,
Per far ch'o torni Indietro, o '1 corso audace
Torca in altre da noi lontane parti ;
Tu, nunzio mio, tu, consiglier verace,
In mio nome il disponi a cio che parti
Nostro e suo bene ; e di' che tosto vegna,
Che di lui fora ogni tardanza indegna.
70 . Non venir seco tu, ma resta appresso
Al re de' Greci a procurar 1' aiuto,
Che, gia piu d' una volta a noi promesso,
E per ragion di patto anco dovuto./,
r r *W rv^0*uw*
Cosi parla, e 1* informa ; e poi che '1 messo
Le lettre ha di credenza e di saluto,
-^ . j
Toglie, affrettando il suo partir, congedo;
E tregua fa co' suoi pensier Goffredo.
71 II di seguente, allor ch' aperte sono
Del lucido oriente al Sol le porte,
Di trombe udissi e di tamburi un suono,
Ond' al cammino ogni guerrier s'esorte.
Non e si grato ai caldi giorni il tuono
Che speranza di pioggia al mondo apporte,
Come fu caro alle feroci genti
L' altero suon de' bellici istrumenti.
CANTO PRIMO. 19
72 Tosto ciascun da gran desio compunto
Veste le membra dell' usate spoglie,
E tosto appar di tutte 1' arme in punto;
Tosto sotto i suoi duci ogn' uom s' accoglie,
E 1' ordinato esercito congiunto
Tutte le sue bandiere al vento scioglie;
E nel vessillo imper'iale e grande
La trionfante Croce al ciel si spande.
73 Intanto il Sol, che de' celesti campi
Va piu sempre avanzando e in alto ascende,
L' armi percote, e ne trae fiamme e lampi
Tremuli e chiari, onde le viste offende.
L' aria par di faville intorno avvampi,
E quasi d' alto incendio in forma splende ;
E co' feri nitriti il suono accorda
Del ferro scosso, e le campagne assorda.
74 Il^Capitan, che da' nemici aguati
Le schierc sue d' assecurar desk,
Molti a cavallo leggiermente armati
A scoprire il paese intorno invia ;
E innanzi i guastatori avea mandati,
Da cui si debba 'agevolar la via, ^ jti**^
E i voti luoghi empire, e spianar gli erti,
E da cui siano i chiusi passi aperti.
75 Non e gente pagana insieme accolta,
Non muro cinto di profonda fossa,
Non gran torrente, o monte alpestre, o folta
Selva, che '1 lor viaggio arrestar possa.
Gosi degli altri fiumi il re talvolta,
Quando superbo oltra inisura ingrossa,
Sovra le sponde riiinoso scorro,
N cosa e mai che gli s' ardisca opporre.
c 2
20 LA GERUSALEMME LIBER AT A.
76 Sol di Tripoli il re, che 'n ben guardate
Mura genti, tesori ed armi serra,
/^-"-*, iw ^v'tflxZ^-J-
Forse le schiere Tranche avria tardate;
Ma non oso di provocarle in guerra. .
tor con messf e con doni anco placate
Ricetto volontario entro la terra ;
E riceve -condizion di pace,
Siccome imporle al pio Goffredo piace.
77 /Qui d^ljnonte Seir, ch' alto e sovrano
Dall' oriente alia cittade e presso,
Gran turba scese di Fedeli al piano,
D' ogni eta mescolata e d' ogni sesso:
Porto suoi doni al vincitor cristiano;
Godea in mirarlo, e in ragionar con esso ;
Stupk dell' armi peregrine; e guida
Ebbe (fa lor Goffredo arnica e fida.
78 Conduce ei sempre alle marittime onde
Vicino il campo per diritte strade,
Sapendo ben che le propinque sponde
L' arnica armata costeggiando rade ;
La qual puo far che tutto il campo abbonde
De' necessari arnesi, e che le biade
Ogn' isola de' Greci a lui sol mieta,
E Scio petrosa gli vendemmi, e Greta.
,', j-,,^^--
79 Geme il vicino mar sotto 1' incarco
Dell' alte navi e de' piu lievi pini;
Si che non s' apre omai securo varco
Nel mar Mediterraneo ai Saracini :
Ch' oltra quei c' ha Georgio armati e Marco
Ne' Veneziani e liguri confini,
Altri Inghilterra e Francia, ed altri Olanda,
E la fertil Sicilia altri ne manda.
CANTO PRIMO. 21
80 E questi, che son tutti insieme uniti
- ,-T-^ X^->~i.
on saldissimi lacci in un volere, M
S' eran carchi e provvisti in varii liti
Di cio ch" e d' uopo alle terrestri schiere:
/'<
Le quai, trovando liberi e sforniti
I passi de' nemici alle frontiere,
In corso velocissimo sen vanno
La 've Cristo soffri mortale affanno.
8 1 Ma precorsa e la fama, apportatrice
De' yeraci romori e de' bugiardi,
Ch' unito e il campo vincitor felice,
Che gia s* e mosso, e che non e chi '1 tardi:
Quante e quai sian le squadre ella ridice ;
Narra il nome e '1 valor de' piu gagliardi ;
Narra i lor vanti, e con terribil faccia
Gli usurpatori di S'ion minaccia.
82 El' aspettar del male e mal peggiore
Forse che non parrebbe il mal presente :
1 r
Pende ad ogn' aura incerta di romore
Ogni orecchia sospesa ed ogni mente;
E un confuso bisbiglio entro e di fuore
Trascorre i campi e la citta dolente.
Ma il vecchio re ne' gia vicin perigli
Volge nel dubbio cor feri consigli.
83 Aladin detto e il re, che di quel regno
Novo signer vive in continua cura;
Uom gia crudel, ma '1 suo feroce ingegno
Pur mitigate avea 1' eta matura :
Egli, che de' Latini udi il disegno
C' han d' assalir di sua citta le mura,
Giunge al vecchio timor novi sospetti,
E de' nemici pave e de' soggetti.
22 LA GERUSALEMME LIBER ATA.
i
84 Perocche dentro a una citta commisto
Popolo alberga di contraria fede :
La debii parte e la minore in Cristo,
La grande e forte in Macometto crede.
Ma quando il re fe di S'ion 1' acquisto.
E vi cerco di stabilir la sede.
<4- U'f /,. 1 '
'Scemo i pubblici pesi a' suoi Pagani,
Ma piu gravbnne i miseri Cristiani.
*w ' r ,. . .
85 ^ Questo pensier la ferita nativa,
Che dagli anni^opita e fredda larigue,
Irritando inasprisce e la rawiva
' fa 1
Si, ch' assetata e piu che mai di sangue.
Tal fero torna alia stagione estiva
Quel che parve nelgel piacevol angue:
Cosi leon domestico riprende
L' innato suo furor, s' altri 1' offende.
xC r
86 Veggio, dicea, della letizia nova
Veraci segni in questa turba infida :
II danno universal solo a lei' giova, ,
Sol nel pianto comun par ch' ella rida;
E forse insidie e tradimenti or cova,
Rivolgendo fra se come m' uccida,
O come al mio nemico e suo consofte
Popolo occultamente apra le porte.
87 Ma nol fara :. preveniro questi empi
Disegni loro, .e sfogherommi appieno \
r -OK uccidero, faronne acerbi scempi ;
> Xf-u . , ^ lj^- ? ^- S.~, t. - ^ '
Svenero i figli alle lor madri in seno j
Ardero loro alberghi e insieme i tempi :
; Questi i debiti roghi ai morti fieno;
E su quel lor sepolcro in mezzo ai voti
Vittime pria faro de' sacerdoti.
CANTO PR I MO. 23
88 Cos! 1' iniquo fra suo cor ragiona ;
Pur non segue pensier si mal concetto:
Ma s' a quegli innocenti egli perdona,
E di villa, non di pietate effetto :
Che s' un timor a incrudelir lo sprona,
II ritien piu potente altro sospettoj
Troncar le vie d' accordo, e de' nemici
Troppo teme irritar 1' arme vittrici.
89 Tempra dunque il fellon la rabbia insana,
Anzi altrove pur cerca ove la sfoghi;
I rustic! edifizi abbatte e spiana,
E da in preda alle fiamme i culti luoghi ;
Parte alcuna non lascia integra o sana,
Ove il Franco si pasca, ove s'alloghi;
Turba le fonti e i rivi, e le pure onde
Di veneni mortiferi confonde.
90 Spietatamente e cauto ; e non obblia
Di rinforzar Gerusalem frattanto.
Da tre lati fortissima era pria,
Sol verso bo'rea e men secura alquanto;
Ma da' primi sospetti ei le munia
D' alti ripari il suo men forte canto ;
E v' accogliea gran quantitade in fretta
Di gente mercenaria e di soggetta.
24 LA GERUSALEMME LIBER AT A.
CANTO SECONDO.
i Mentre il tiranno s'app.arecchia all' armi,
Soletto Ismeno un digli s' appresenta;
Ismen, che trar ui sotto ai chiusi marmi
Puo corpo estinto, e far che spiri e senta;
Ismen, ch' al suon de' mormorati carmi
"*~Sin'nella reggia sua Pluto spaventa,
E i'suoi demon negli empi uffici impiega
Pur come servi, e li discibglie e
,
2 Quest! or Macone adora, e fu cristiano,
Ma i primi riti anco lasciar non puote ;
Anzi sovente in uso empio e profano
.; * <-<. ^_^^_
Confonde le due leggi a se mal note :
Ed or dalle spelonche. ove lontano
' -tL. 4~>*<t>-. -vCj-
Dal vulgo esercitar suol 1' arti ignote,
Vien nel pubblico rischio al suo signore,
A re malvagio consiglier peggiore.
L. - w ~~s
3 Signor, dicea, senza tardar sen viene
II vincitor esercito temuto :
Ma facciam noi cio che a noi far conviene ;
* .
Dara il Ciel, dara il mondo ai forti aiuto.
tT f /eC2, ^ i. .
Ben tu di re, di duce hai tutte piene
.. ttvmtm A^ f f4 **- /tji
Le parti, e lunge hai visto e provveduto.
6 ffi/^J-f *"" ' ' ' '
S'^mpie^j^n tal guisa ogn' altro i propri uffici,
Tomba fia questa terra a' tuoi nemici.
CANTO SECONDO.
~* <v -
4 Io, quanto a me, ne vengo, e del periglio
E deW opre compagno, ad aitarte. ,
Gio che puo dar di vecchia'eta consiglio,
Tutto prometto, e cid che magic' arte.
Gli angeli che dal cielo ebbero esiglio
Costringero clelle fatiche a parte ;
Ma aoticP io vbglia incominciar gl' incanti,
E con quai modi, or narrerotti avanti.
5 Nel tempio de' Cristiani occulto giace
Un sotterraneo altare, e quivi e il volto
I Dr colei che sua diva e madre face
Otiel vulgo del no Dio nato e sepolto.
^- ;.
Dinanzi al simulacro aecesa face
*v- ***
Continua splende : egli e in un velo avvolto ;
Pendono intorno in lungo ordine i vdti
Che vi portaro i creduli devoti.
, eu.-*-*^"*^
&^
6 Or questa effigie lor, di la rapita,
Voglio che tu di propria man trasporte,
E la ripong'a entro la tua meschita: -.w-
10 poscia incahto adoprero si forte,
^
Ch' ognor, mentre ella qui fia ctistodita,
Sara fatal custodia a queste porte :
Tra mura inespugnabili il tuo impero
Sicuro fia per novo alto mistero.
7 Si disse, e '1 persiiase : e impaziente
11 r^ sen corse alia magion di Dio ;
E sforzo i sacerdoti, e irriverente
II casto simulacro indi rapio,
E portojlo a quel tempio, oye sovente
S' irrita il Giel col iblle culto e rio:
Nel profan loco e su la sacra immago
Susurro poi le sue bestemmie il mago.
26 LA GERUSALEMME LIBER AT A.
~w
8 Ma, come^apparse in ciel 1' alba novella,
Quel, cui 'Ijmmondo tempio in guardia e dato,
Non'rivide 1' immagine dov' ella
Fu posta, e invan cerconne in altro lato.
Tosto n' awisa il re, ch' alia novella
1^ hu i mostra fieramente irato;
Ed immagina ben ch' alcun Fedele
Abbia fatto quel furto, e che sel'cele.
t. U^; .
9 f O fu di man fedele opra furtiva,
O pur il Ciel qui sua potenza adopra,
Che di colei, ch' e sua regina e diva,
Sdegna che loco vil 1' immagin copra:
Ch' incerta fama e ancor, se cio s' ascriva
Ad arte umana, od a mirabil opra.
Ben e pieta, che, la pietade e '1 zelo
Uman cedendo, 'autor sen creda il Cielo.
10 II re ne fa ,con importuna inchiesta
Ricercar ogni chiesa, ogni magione;
Ed a chi gli nasconde o maniifesta
II furto o il 'reo, gran pene e premi impone :
E '1 mago di spiarne anco non resta
Con tutte P arti il ver ; ma non s' appone :
//-*' ,
Che 1 Cielo, opra sua fosse, o fosse altrui,
Celolla, ad ohta degP incanti/a lui.
11 Ma, poi che '1 re crudel vide occultarse
Quel che peccato de' Fedeli ei pensa,
Tutto in lor d' odio infellonissi, ed arse
D' ira e di rabbia immoderata, immensa :
Ogni rispetto obblia; vuol vendicarse,
Segua che puote, e sfogar P alma accensa.
Morra, dicea, non andra P ira a v6to,
Nella strage comune il ladro ignoto.
\
CANTO SECONDO. 2J
v^ .<V / ' >**-*
12 Purche '1 reo non si salvi, il giusto pera
E 1' innocente. Ma qual giusto io dico ?
E colpevol ciascun ; ne in loro schiera
Uom fu giammai del nostro nome amico.
S' anima v' e nel novo error sincera.
/, -
Basti a novella pena un fallo antico.
Su su, fedeli miei, su via prendete
Le fiamme e '1 ferro, ardete ed uccidete.
13 Cosi parla alle turbe; e se n' intese
La fama tra' Fedeli immantinente,
Ch' attoniti restar: si li sorprese
1 , .*j^*
II timor della morte omai presente:
E non e chi la fuga o le difese,
Lo scusar o '1 pregar ardisca o tente.
Ma le timide genti e irresolute, .y
Donde nieno speraro, ebber salute.
. .
14 Vergin era x fra lor di gia matura
Verginita, a' alti pensieri e regf
D' alta belta ; ma sua belta non cura,
6 tanto sol, quant' onesta sen fregi :
E il siio pregio maggior, che tra le mura
D' angusta casa asconde i suoi gran pregi ;
E de' vagheggiatori elfa s' invola
' Alle loili, agli sguardi, inculta e sola.
-t. ^~ v .
15 Pur guardia esser non puo, che 'n tutto celi
Belta degna ch' appaia e che s' ammiri ;
Nc tu il consenti, Amor ; ma la riveli
D' un giovenetto ai cupidi desiri.
~*1 4
, Amor, ch' or cieco, or Argo,' ora ne veli
Di benda gli occhi, ora 'be gli apri e giri,
Tu per mille custodie entro ai piu cast!
Verginei alberghi il guardo altrui portasti.
28 LA GERUSALEMME LIBERAfA.
1 6 Colei Sofronia, Olindo egli s' appella;
^D* una cittade entrambi e d' una fede.
Ei che modesto e si, com' essa e bella,
Brama assai, poco spera, e nulla chiede,
Ne sa scoprirsi, o non ardisce; ed ella
O lo sprezza, o nol vede, o non s' avvede.
Gosi finora il misero ha servito
O non visto, o mal noto, o mal gradito.
u~~*^ *^M L
17 S' ode 1'annunzio intanto, e che s' appresta
Miserabile strage al popol loro.
A lei, che generosa e quanto onesta,
Viene in pensier come salvar costoro.
Move fortezza il gran pensier; 1' arresta
t PoiUa vergogna e '1 verginal decoro:
.Vince fortezza, anzi s' accorda, e face
Se vergognosa, e la vergogna audace.
1 8 La vergine tra '1 vulgo usci soletta ;
Non copri sue bellezze, e non 1' espose ;
Raccolse gli occhi, ando nel vel ristretta,
Con ischive maniere e generose :
Non sai ben dir s' adorna, o se negletta,
Se caso od arte il bel volto compose ;
Di natura, d' amor, de' cieli amici
Le negligenze sue sono artifici.
*-<" -<Uv- f^. fU j*^ *. * trr*- v,-/ *^r-.*
19 Mirata da ciascun, passa e non mira
L' altera donna, e innanzi al re sen viene;
Ne, perche irato il veggia, il pie ritira,
Ma il fero aspetto intrepida sostiene.
pVengo, signer, gli disse, e 'ntanto 1' ira
Prego sospenda, e '1 tuo popolo affrene;
Vengo a scoprirti, e vengo a darti preso
Quel reo che cerchi, onde sei tanto offeso.
CANTO SECONDO. 29
20 All' onesta baldanza, all' improwiso
Folgorar di bellezze altere e sante,
Quasi confuso il re, quasi conquiso,
Freno lo sdegno, e placo il fier sembiante.
S' egli era d' alma, o se costei di viso
Severa manco, ei diveniane amante;
I\Ia ritrosa belta ritroso core
Non prende, e sono i vezzi esca d' amore.
2i., Fu stupor, fu vaghezza, e fu diletto,
S' amor non fu, che mosse il cor villano.
Narra, ei le dice, il tutto: ecco io commetto
Che non s' offenda il popol tuo cristiano.
Ed ella: II reo si trova al tuo cospetto;
Opra e '1 furto, signor, di questo mano;
Io F immagine tolsi; io son colei
Che tu ricerchi, e me punir tu dei.
22 Cosi al pubblico fato il capo altero
Offerse, e '1 vplse in se sola raccorre.
Magnanima menzogna! or quando e il vero
Si bello, che si possa a te preporre ?
Riman sospeso, e non si tosto il fero
Tiranno all' ira, come suol, trascorre :
Poi la richiede: Io vo' che tu mi scopra
Chi di consiglio, e chi fu insieme all' opra.
li >-* fc,*. (~f-(
23 Non volsi far della mia gloria altrui
Ne pur minima parte, ella gli dice;
Sol di me stessa io corisapevol fui,
Sol consigliera, e sola esecutrice.
Dunquc in te sola, ripiglio colui,
Cadera F ira mia vendicatrice.
Disse ella : & giusto ; esser a me conviene,
Se fui sola all' onor, sola alle pene.
30 LA GERUSALEMME LIBER ATA.
. .
24 Qui comincia il tiranno a risdegnarsi;
Poi le dimanda: Ov' hai 1' immago ascosa?
Non la nascosi, a lui risponde; io 1' arsi:
E P arderla stimai laudabil cosa.
Cosi almen non potra piu violarsi
Per man di miscredenti ingiuriosa.
Signore, o chiedi il furto, o il ladro chiedi:
Quel non vedrai in eterno, e questo il vedi.
> J ^.3tuU- *~* r-
25 Benche ne furto e il mio, ne ladra io sono:
Giusto e ritor cio ch' a gran torto e tolto.
Or, questo udendo, in minaccevol suono
Freme il tiranno, e '1 fren dell' ira e sciolto.
Non speri piu di ritrovar perdono
Cor pudico, alta mente, e nobil volto;
E 'ndarno Amor contra Io sdegno crudo
Di sua vaga bellezza a lei fa scudo.
26 Presa e la bella donna; e incrudelito
II re la danna entro un incendio a morte.
Gia '1 velo e '1 casto manto e a lei rapito ;
^py frl. l
Stringon le molli braccia aspre ritorte.
Ella si tace ; e in lei non sbigottito,
Ma pur commosso alquanto e '1 petto forte;
E smarrisce il bel volto in un colore
A--~~" '
Che non A pallidezza, ma candore.
27 Divulgossi il gran caso ; e quivi tratto
Gia 'Ijpppol s' era: Olindo anco v' accorse;
Che, dubbia la persona, e certo il fatto,
Venia che fosse la sua donna in forse.
Come la bella prigioniera in atto
Non pur di rea, ma di dannata ei scorse; ^-
Come i ministri al duro ufficio intenti
i* i :
Vide, precipitoso urto le genti.
CANTO SECONDO. 31
28 Al re grido: Non e, non e gia rea
Costei del furto, e per follia sen vanta.
Non penso, non ardi, ne far potea
Donna sola e inesperta opra cotanta.
Come inganno i custodi, e della Dea
Con qual arti involo 1' immagin santa?
Se '1 fece, il narri. lo 1' ho, signer, furata.
(Ahi tanto amo la non amante amata !)
>, *~
29 Soggiunse poscia: lo la, donde riceve
L' alta vostra meschita e 1' aura e '1 die,
Di notte ascesi, e trapassai per breve
Foro, tentando inaccessibil vie.
A me 1' onor, la morte a me si deve ;
Non usurpi costei le pene mie :
Mie son quelle catene, e per me questa
Fiamma s' accende, e '1 rogo a me s' appresta.
30 Alza Sofronia il viso, e umanamente
Con occhi di pietade in lui rimira.
A che ne vieni, o misero innocente?
)*?*+ Jr~ *~
Qual consiglio o furor ti guida o tira?
NOn son io dunque senza te possente
A sostener cio che a un uom ptio 1' ira ?
Ho petto anch' io, ch' ad una morte crede
Di bastar solo, e compagnia non chiede.
et>**~ ** ~
31 Cosi parla all' amante; e nol dispone
Si ch' egli si disdica, e pensier mute.
Oh spettacolo grande, ove a tenzone
Sono amore e magnanima virtute ; ^^ ju~**r "
Ove la morte al vincitor si pone
In premio, e '1 mal del vinto c la salute J
Ma piu s' irrita il re, quant' ella ed esso
E piu constante in incolpar se stesso.
32 LA GERUSALEMME LIBER AT A.
,^/n- i 4 <C~-^ 4G* X*TV>~"~ <* w ^ <&
32 Pargli che vilipeso egli ne resti,
E che 'n disprezzo suo sprezzin le pene.
^c e^*-V-^-- R *-- * ^, * <j.
Credasi, dice, ad ambo ; e quella e questi
Vinca, e la palma sia qual si conviene.
Indi accenna ai sergenti, i quai son presti
A le'gar il garzon di lor catene.
Sono ambo stretti al palo stesso, e volto
E il tergo al tergo, e '1 volto ascoso al v<
volto.
f*yr~
3 3 Composto e lor d' intorno il rogo omai,
E gia le fiamme il mantice v' incita;
Quando il fanciullo in dolorosi lai
Proruppe, e disse a lei ch' e seco unita :
Questo dunque e quel laccio ond' io sperai
Teco accoppiarmi in compagnia di vita?
Questo e quel foco ch' io credea che i cori
Ne dovesse infiammar d' eguali ardori?
c; r *^
34 Altre fiamme, altri nodi amor promise;
Altri ce n' apparecchia iniqua sorte.
Troppo, ahi ! ben troppo ella gia noi divise ;
Ma duramente or ne congiunge in morte.
Piacemi almen, poiche in si strane guise
Morir pur dei, del rogo esser consorte
Se del letto non fui : duolmi il tuo fato ;
II mio non gia, pioch' io ti moro a lato.
^ I- 1 ' '
35 Ed oh mia sorte awenturosa appieno!
Oh fortunati miei dolci martiri !
/ jk~
S' impetrero che, giunto seno a seno,
L' anima mia nella tua bocca io spiri ;
_ {-*. -c .^ ^ '
E, venendo tu meco a un tempo meno,
In me fuor mandi gli ultimi spspiri.
Cosi dice piangendo: ella il ripiglia
Soavemente, e in tai detti il consiglia :
CANTO SECONDO. 33
36 Amico, altri pensieri, altri lament!
Per piii alta cagione il tempo chiede.
Che non pensi a tue colpe, e non rammenti
Qual Dio promette ai buoni ampia mercede?
Soffri in suo nome, e fian dolci i tormenti;
E lieto aspira alia superna sede.
Mira il ciel com' e bello; e mira il Sole,
Ch' a se par che n' inviti e ne console.
37 Qui il vulgo de' Pagani il pianto estolle; '
Piange il Fedel, ma in voci assai piu basse.
Un non so che d' inusitato e molle
Par che nel duro petto al re trapasse :
Ei presentillo, e si sdegno ; ne voile
Piegarsi, e gli occhi torse, e si ritrasse.
Tu sola il duol comun non accompagni,
Sofronia; e, pianta da ciascun, non piagni.
38 Mentre sono in tal rischio ecco un guerriero
(Che tal parea) d' alta sembianza e degna;
E mostra, d' arme e d' abito straniero,
Che di lontan peregrinando vegna.
La tigre, che sull' elmo ha per cimiero,
Tutti gli occhi a se trae : famosa insegna ;
Insegna usata da Clorinda in guerra:
Onde la credon lei; ne il creder erra.
x-*. **-* -~
/
39 Costei gl' ingegni femminili e gli usi
Tutti sprezzd sin dalP etate accrba ;
Ai lavori d' Aracne, all' ago, ai fusi
Inchinar non degno la man superba;
Fuggi gli abiti molli e i lochi chiusi,
Che ne' campi onestate anco si serba :
Armo d' orgoglio il volto, c si compiacque
Rigido farlo; e piir rigido piacquc.
D
LA GERUSALEMME LIBER AT A.
40 Tenera^ancpr, con pargoletta destra
Strinse e lento d' un corridore il mbrsb ;
><* -" <W I* f*-rr*~ i-j^...-*'* -*l*
' Tratto 1' asta e la spada, ed in palestra
<U<vXu i- v t: -- ~f
Induro i membri, ed allenogli al corso :
Poscia o per via montana o per silvestra
L orme segui di fier leone e d' orso ;
Segui le guerre ; e in 'esse, e fra le selve,
Fera agli uomini parve, ubmo alle belve.
41 Viene or costei dalle contrade Perse,
_JC <^- >W-* f:
Perche ai Cristiani a suo poter resista ;
r '
Bench' altre volte ha di lor membra asperse
Le piagge, e 1' onda di lor sangue ha mista.
Or quirici in arrivando a lei s' offerse
L^ apparato di morte a prima vista.
Di mirar vagaj e di saper qual fallo
Gondanni i rei, sospinge oltre il cavallo.
42 Cedon le turbe ; e i duo legati insieme
Ella si ferma a riguardar da presso :
Mira che F uria tace, e 1' altro geme,
Epiu vigor mostra il men forte sesso ;
Pianger lui vede in guisa d' uom cui preme
Pieta, non doglia, o duol non di se stesso;
E tacer lei con gli occhi al ciel si fisa,
Ch' anzi '1 morir'par di qua giu divisa.
43 Clorinda intenenssi, e si condolse
D' ambeduo lofo. e lacrimonne alquanto.
-7(A
Pur maggior sente il duol per chi non duolse,
Piu la' move il silenzio, e meno il pianto.
Senza troppo indugiare ella si volse
Ad un uom che canuto avea da canto :
Deh ! dimmi : chi son questi ? ed al martoro
Qual li conduce o sorte o colpa loro?
CANTO SECONDO. 35
/t > . "*
44 Cosi pregollo : e da colui risposto
Breve, ma pieno, alle dimande fue.
Stupissi udendo, e immagino ben tosto
Ch' egualmente innocent! eran ( que' due.
Gi;i di vietar lor morte ha in se proposto,
Quanto potranno i pregW o 1' armi sue.
Pronta accorre alia fiamma, e fa ritrarla,
Che gia s' appressa, ed a' ministri parla:
45 Alcun non sia di voi, che 'n questo duro
Ufficio oltra seguire abbia baldanza,
Sinch' io non parli al re : ben v' assicuro
Ch' ei non v' accusera di tal tardanza.
Ubbidiro i sergenti. e mossi furo
Da quella grande sua regal sembianza.
Poi verso il re si mosse ; e lui tra via
Ella trovd, che incontro a lei venia.
46 Io son Clorinda, disse ; hai forse intesa
^ i ' * '
Talor nomarmi ; e qui, signer, ne vegno
Per ritrovarmi teco alia difesa
Delia fede comune e del tuo regno.
Son pronta, imponi pure, ad ogni impresa;
L' alte non temo, e 1' umili non sdegno :
Vogfimi in campo aperto,"o pur tra '1 chiuso
Delle mura impicgar, nulla ricuso.
47 Tacque ; e rispose il re : Qual si disgiunta
Terra c dall' Asia o dal cammin del Sole,
Vergine gloriosa, ove non giunta u r ..~
Sia la tua fama, e 1' onor tuo non vole ? */ r
Or che s' e la tua spada a me <56ngiunta,
D' ogni timor m' afndi e mi console;
N'on, V esercito grande unito insieme ^ ^^ t^,
F'bsse in mio scampo, a'vrei piu ccrta speme.
D 2
36 LA GERUSALEMME LIBERATA.
48 Gia gia mi par ch' a giunger qui Goffredo
Oltra il dover indugi : or tu dimandi
Ch' impieghi io te : sol di te degne credo
L' imprese malagevoli e le grandi.
Sovra i nostri guerrieri a te concede
Lo scettro, e legge sia quel che comandi.
Cosi parlava. Ella rendea cortese
Grazie per lodi ; indi a parlar riprese :
49 Nova cosa parer devra per certo
Che preceda a' servigi il guiderdone;
Ma tua bonta m' affida: io vo' che 'n merto
Del future servir que' rei mi done :
In don li chieggo; e pur, se '1 fallo e incerto,
Li danna inclementissima ragione :
Ma taccio questo, e taccio i segni espressi,
Ond' argomento 1' innocenza in essi.
J f**. <.<-' U -. ,vt . ,.>.. .~ 1- *~
50 E diro sol, ch' e qui comun sentenza
Che i Cristiani togliessero 1' immago :
Ma discord' io da voi: ne pero senza
tnM. .. ~ _ ^r-'f r
Alta ra'gion del mio parer m' appago.
Fu delle nostre leggi irriverenza
Quell' opra far, che persiiase il mago ;
Che non convien ne' nostri tempii a nui
Gl' idoli avere, e men gP idoli altrui.
,
51 Dunque suso a Macon recar mi giova
II miracol dell' opra; ed ei la fece
Per dimostrar che i tempii suoi con nova
Religion contaminar non lece.
**~j ^
Faccia Ismeno^incantando ogni sua prova,
Egli a cui le malie son d' arme in vece:
Trattiamo il ferro pur noi cavalieri ;
Quest' arte e nostra, e 'n questa sol si speri.
CANTO SECONDO. 3/
52 Tacque, cio detto: e '1 re bench' a pietade
L' irato cor difficilmente pieghi,
Pur cbmpiacer la voile, e '1 persuade
Ragione, e '1 move autorita di preghi.
Ahbian vita, rispose, e libertade;
E nulla a tanto intercessor si neghi.
Siasi questa o giustizia, ovver perdono,
Innocenti gli assolvo, e rei li dono.
,.,VK. i , *
53 Cosi furon disciolti. Awenturoso
Ben veramente fu d' Olindo il fato,
Ch' atto pote mostrar che 'n generoso
Petto alfine ha d' amore amor destato.
Va dal rogo alle nozze, ed e gia sposo
Fatto di reo, non pur d' amante amato:
Volse con lei morire; ella non schiva,
Poiche seco non muor, che seco viva.
54 Ma il sospettoso re stimo periglio
Tanta virtu cfongiunta aver vicina:
Onde, com' egli volse, ambo in esiglio
( )ltre ai termini andar di Palestina.
Ei, pur seguendo il suo crudel consiglio,
Bandisce altri Fedeli, altri confina.
Oh come lascian mesti i pargoletti
Figli, e gli antichi padri, e i dolci letti !
55 Dura division! scaccia sol quelli
Di forte corpo e di feroce ingegno ;
Ma '1 mansiieto sesso, e gli anni imbclli
Seco ritien, siccome ostaggi in pegno.
Molti n' andaro errando, altri rubelli
Fersi, e piu che '1 timor potc lo sdcgno.
Questi unirsi co' Franchi, e gl' incontraro
Ajipunto il di che in Emaus ehtraro.
38 LA GERUSALEMME LIBER AT A.
*^Ux ^ j ' r'-
56 Emaus e citta, cui breve strada
Dalla regal Gerusalem disgiunge;
Ed uom, che lento a suo diporto vada,
Se parte mattutino, a nona giunge.
Oh quanto intender questo ai Franchi aggrada !
Oh quanto piu '1 desio gli affretta e punge!
Ma, perch' oltre il meriggio il Sol gia sceride,
Qui fa spiegare il Capitan le tende.
/V. '&W ft-L~ - M^~- t \
57 L'avean gia tese, e poco era remota
L' alma luce del Sol dall' oceano,
Quando duo gran baroni in veste ignota
Venir son visti, e 'n portamento estrano.
Ogni atto lor pacifico dinota
Che vengon come amici al Capitano.
Del gran re dell' Egitto eran messaggi,
E molti intorno hanno scudieri e paggi.
58 , Alete e 1' un, che da principle indegno
Tra le brutture della plebe e sorto;
<- '.tr,C, *^- A . l ^-
Ma '1 innalzaro ai primi onor del regno
Parlar facondo e lusinghiero e scorto,
Pieghevoli costumi, e vario ingegno ;
Al finger pronto, all' ingannare accorto ;
Gran fabro di calunnie, adorne in modi
Novi, che sono accuse, e paion lodi.
& .-c C^,^ t ^-. *
59 L' altro e il circasso Argante, uom che straniero
Sen venne alia regal corte d' Egitto,
Ma de' satrapi fatto e dell' impero,
E in sommi gradi alia milizia ascritto :
Impaziente, inesorabil, fero,
Nell' arme infaticabile ed invitto,
D' ogni Dio sprezzator, e che ripone
NeUa ^pada sua legge e sua ragione.
CANTO SECONDO. 39
60 Chieser questi udienza, ed al cospetto
Del famoso Goffredo ammessi entraro ;
, ',- ,U- r
E in umil seggio e in un vestire scnietto
Fra' suoi duci sedendo il ritrovaro :
Ma verace valor, benche negletto,
K di se stesso a se fregio assai chiaro.
Piccol segno d' onor gli fece Argante,
In guisa pur d' uom grande e non curante :
6r Ma la destra si pose Alete al seno,
E chino il capo, e piego a terra i lumi ;
E 1' onoro con ogni modo appieno,
Che di sua gente portino i costumi.
Comincio pbscia ; e di sua bocca uscicno
Piu che mel dolci d' eloquenza i fiumi :
E perche i Franchi ban gia il sermone appreso
Delia Soria, fu cio ch' ei disse, inteso.
& fa>~-J ~r\ --'
62 O degno sol, cui d' ubbidire or degni
Questa adunanza di famosi eroi,
Che per 1' addietro ancor le palme e i regni
Da te conobbe e dai consigli tuoi ;
II nome tuo, che non riman tra i segni
D' Alcide, omai risuona anco fra noi ;
E la fama, d' Egitto in ogni parte,
Del tuo valor chiare novelle ha sparte.
63 Ne v' e fra tanti alcun che non 1' ascolte,
Com' egli suol le meraviglie estreme :
Ma dal mio re con istupore accolte
Sono non sol, ma con diletto insieme;
E s' appaga in narrarle anco piii volte,
Amando in te cio ch' altri invidia e teme:
Ama il valore, e volontario elegge
Teco unirsi d' amor, se non di legge.
40 LA GERUSALEMME LIBER ATA.
V^ A~/<,
64 Da si bella cagion dunque sospinto,
L' amicizia e la pace a te richiede ;
E '1 mezzo, onde 1' un resti all' altro avvinto,
Sia la virtu, s' esser non puo la fede.
Ma, perche inteso avea che t' eri accinto
ft- C^AX 7 < ^-~~/v.- v ^ /rr. <U-> ^.'
Per iscacciar 1' amico suo di sede,
Volse, pria ch' altro male indi seguisse,
Ch' a te la mente sua per noi s' aprisse.
65 E la sua mente e tal : che s' appagarti
Vorrai di quanto hai fatto in guerra tuo,
Ne Giudea molestar, ne 1' altre parti
Cfie ricopre il favor del regno suo,
Ei promette all' incontro assecurarti
II non ben fermo stato : e se voi duo
Sarete uniti, or quando i Turchi e i Persi
Potranno unqua sperar di riaversi ? /
(Lau
66 Signer, gran cose in picciol tempo hai fatte,
Che lunga eta porre in obblio non puote :
^ Eserciti e citta vinti e disfatte,
Superati disagi e strade ignote;
Si ch' al grido o smarrite o stupefatte
Son le provincie intorno e le remote:
E, se bene acquistar puoi novi imperi,
Acquistar nova gloria indarno speri.
.dW
67 Giunta e tua gloria al sommo : e per 1' innanzi
Fuggir le dubbie guerre a te conviene :
Ch' ove tu vinca, sol di stato avanzi,
Ne tua gloria maggior quinci diviene ;
Ma 1' imperio acquistato e preso dianzi,
~ JE 1' onor perdi, se '1 contrario avviene.
Ben gioco e di fortuna audace e stolto
Por contra '1 poco e 'ncerto il certo e : 1 molto.
CANTO SECONDO. 4!
.
68 Ma il consiglio di tal, cui forse pesa
Ch' altri gli acquisti a lungo andur conserve;
E 1' aver sempre vinto in ogni impresa ;
E quella voglia natural che ferve,
E sempre e piu ne' cor piu grand! accesa,
D' aver le genti tributarie e serve;
Faran per avventura a te la pace
Fuggir piti che la guerra altri non face.
fit*? ^^ ** ,... *^~v- . . t
'9 T' esorteranno a seguitar la strada
Che t' c dal fato largamente aperta,
A non depor questa famosa spada,
Al cui valore ogni vittoria e certa,
Finche la legge di Macon non cada,
Finche 1' Asia per te non sia deserta:
Dolci cose ad udire, e dolci inganni,
Ond' escon poi sovente estremi danni.
^.
70 Ma, s' animosita gli occhi non benda
Ne il lume oscura in te della ragione,
Scorgerai ch' ove tu la guerra prenda,
Hai di temer, non di sperar cagione :
Che fortuna qua giu varia a vicenda,
Mandandoci venture or triste or buone;
Ed a' voli troppo alti e repentini
Sogliono i precipizi esscr vicini.
,,/./
71 Dimmi ; s' a' danni tuoi 1' Egitto move,
D' oro e d' armi potente e di consiglio;
E s' avvien che la guerra anco rinnove
II Perso e '1 Turco e di Cassano il figlio;
Quai forze opporre a si gran furia, o dove
Ritrovar potrai scampo al tuo periglio?
T' affida forse il re malvagio greco,
II qual dai sacri patti unito e teco?
42 LA GERUSALEMME LIBER ATA.
L"
72 /La Fede greca a chi non e
Tu da un sol tradimento ogn' altro impara ;
Anzi da mille, perche mille ha tese
/ lnsidie a voi la gente infida, avara.
Dunque chi dianzi il passo a voi contese,
Per voi la vita esporre or si prepara ?
Chi le vie, che comuni a tutti soho,
X-*-*-. ^ ."' *- ' a ^">-i r>-^w
Negd, del proprio sangue or rara dono ?
73 Ma forse hai tu riposta ogni tua speme
In queste squadre, ond' ora cinto siedi.
Quei che sparsi vincesti, uniti insieme
Di vincer anco agevolmente credi ;
{- . - \.. f . r s
Sebben son le tue schiere or molto sceme
Tra le guerre e i disagi, e tu tel vedi ;
Sebben novo nemico a te s' accresce,
E co' Persi e co' Turchi Egizi mesce.
74 Or, quando pur estimi esser fatale
Che non ti possa il ferro vincer mai,
Siati concesso ; e siati appunto tale
II decreto del Ciel, qual (u tel fai.
' *
Vinceratti la fame: a questo male
Che rifugio, per dio, che schermo avrai?
Vibra contra costei la lancia, e stringi
La spada, e la vittoria anco ti fingi.
75 Ogni campo d' intorno arso e distrutto
Ha la provida man degli abitanti ;
E in chiuse mura e in alte torri il frutto
Riposto, al tuo venir piu giorni avanti.
r -, ' i- >- /. ,. .4^.
Tu, ch' ardito sin qui ti sei condutto,
Onde speri nutrir cavalli e fanti ?
, - **- M
Dirai: L' armata in mar cura ne prende.
Dai venti adunque il viver tuo dipende ?
CANTO SECONDO. 43
76 Comanda forse tua fortuna ai venti,
E gli avvince a sua voglia, e li dislega?
11 mar, ch' ai preghi e sordo ed ai lament!,
Te solo udendo, al tuo voler si piega?
O non potranno pur le nostre genti,,
E le Perse e le Turche, unite in lega,
Cosi potente armata in un raccorre,
Che a questi legni tuoi si possa opporre ?
77 Doppia vittoria a te, signor, bisogna,
S' hai dell' impresa a riportar 1' onore.
Una perdita sola alta vergogna
Puo cagionarti, e danno anco maggiore:
Ch' ove la nostra armata in rbtta pogna
La tua, qui poi di fame il campo more ;
E se tu sei perdente, indarno poi
Saran vittoriosi i legni tuoi.
.
78 Ora se in tale stato anco rifiuti
Col gran re dell' Egitto e pace e tregua,
(Diasi licenza al ver) 1' altre virtuti
Questo consiglio tuo nbn bene adegua.
Ma voglia il Ciel che '1 tuo pensier si muti,
S* a guerra e volto, che '1 contrario segua,
Si che 1' Asia respiri omai dai lutti, '""V
E goda tu della vittoria i frutti.
'*"*' A^-v^*. i^
79 N voi, che del periglio e degli affanni
E della gloria a lui sete consorti,
11 favor di fortuna or tanto inganni,
Che nove guerre a provocar v* esorti ;
Ma, qual nocchier che dai marini inganni
Ridutti ha i legni ai des'iati porti,
Raccor dovreste omai le sparse vele,
Ne fidarvi di novo al mar crudele.
44 LA GERUSALEMME LIBER AT A.
80 Qui tacque Alete : e '1 suo parlar seguiro
Con basso mormorar que' forti eroi;
E ben negli atti disdegnosi apriro
Quanto ciascun quella proposta annoi.
II Capitan nvolse gli occhi in giro
Tfe volte e quattro, e miro in fronte i suoi ;
E poi nel volto di colui gli amsse, &**&** * "
Ch' attendea la risposta, e cosi disse:
81^ Messaggier, dolcemente a noi sponesti
Ora cortese or minaccioso invito.
Se 'I tuo re m'ama, e loda i nostri gesti,
E sua mercede, e m' e 1' amor gradito.
A quella parte poi, dove protesti
La guerra a noi del Paganesmo unito,
Rispondero, come da me si suole,
Liberi sensr in semplici parole.
82 Sappi che tanto abbiam finor sofferto
In mare, in terra, all' aria chiara e scura,
Solo acciocche ne fosse il calle aperto
A quelle sacre e venerabil mura^
Per acquistar appo Dio grazia e merto,
Togliendo lor di servitu si dura;
Ne mafgrave ne fia per fin si degno
Esporre onor mondano e vita e regno:
83 , Che non ambiziosi avari affetti
a *r~ '
Ne spronaro all' impresa, e ne fur guida.
Sgqmbri il Padre del ciel dai nostri petti
Peste si rea, s' in alcun pur s' annida ;
Ne soffra che 1' asperga o che 1' infetti
Di venen dplce che piacendo ancida.
Ma la sua man, che i duri cor penetra
Soavemente, e gli ammollisce e spetra,
CANTO SECONDO. 45
84 Questa ha noi mossi, e questa ha noi condutti,
Tratti d' ogni periglio e d' ogni impaccio;
Questa fa piani i monti, e i fiumi asciutti,
L' ardor toglie alia state, al vcrno il ghiaccio ;
Placa del mare i tempestosi flutti,
Stringe e rallenta questa a' venti il laccio :
Quindi son 1' alte mura aperte ed arse,
Quindi 1' armate schiere uccise e sparse ;
trr~
85 Quindi 1' ardir, quindi la speme nasce,
Non dalle frali nostre forze e stanche,
Non dall' armata, e non da quante pasce
Genti la Grecia, e non dall' armi Franche.
Purch' ella mai non ci abbandoni e lascc,
Poco debbiam curar ch' altri ci manche.
Chi sa come difende e come fere.
. /. f* ' *JL*~i
Soccqrso a' suoi perigli altro non chere. o*^-*---*
L-t .. *. ../> -,- - *" -, '- ~^f
86 Ma quando di sua aita ella 'ne privi
Per gli error nostri, o per giudizi occulti,
Chi fia di noi ch' esser sepulto schivi
< )ve i membri di Dio fur gia sepulti ?
... . , . ... -.'!.
Isoi monrem, ne mvidia avremo ai vivi ; _
t~*4 f^i tf^ " * r 1 fUi
Noi morirem, ma non morremo inulti :
Ne 1' Asia rider a di nostra sorte,
Ne pianta iia da noi la nostra morte.
^ < >w* <^i**+*4,
87 Non creder gia che noi fuggiam la pace,
Come guerra mortal si fugge e pave ;
Che P amicizia del tuo re ne piace,
No d' unirci con lui ne sara grave:
Ma s' al suo imperio la Giudea so^iace,
Tu '1 sai : perche tal cura'ei dun<jue n' ;n
De' regni altrui P acquisto ei non ci vieti,
E regga in pace i suoi tranquilli e lieti.
46 LA GERUSALEMME LIBERATA.
/.^/w*/- /^v
88 Cosi rispose ; e di pungente rabbia
La^risposta ad Argante il cor trafisse :
Ne '1 celo gia, ma con enfiata labbia
Si^ trasse avanti al Capitano, e disse :
Chi la pace non vuol, la guerra s'abbia;
Che penuria giammai non fu di fisse :
E ben la pace ritusar tu mostri,
Se non t' acqueti ai primi detti nostri.
89 Indi il suo manto per lo lembo prese,
4sfU^*-r*-<~ ** * ~ t *~J J ' * J^-*+ f f ^ <a~ f^-~ ****+
Curvollo, e fenne un seno ; e, 1 seno sporto,
Cosi pur anco a ragionar riprese,
'' Via^piu che prima dispettoso e fofto :-
O sprezzator delle piu dubbie imprese,
E guerra e pace in questo sen t' apporto:
Tua sia 1' elezione; or ti consiglia
Senz' altro indugio, e, qual piu vuoi, ti piglia.
90 L^attb fero e '1 parlar tutti commosse
A chiamar guerra in un Concorde grido,
Non attendendo che risposto fosse
Dal magnanimo lor duce Goffrido.
^piego quel crudo il seno, e '1 manto scosse
Ed, A guerra mortal, disse, vi sifido.
E '1 disse in atto sLferoce ed empio,
Che parve aprir di Giano il chiuso tempio.
^/ j ^_-^- x ^ / ^ " *~*~~y /r*-~ *~i *, a^^
91 Parve ch' aprendo il seno indi traesse
II furor pazzo e la discordia fera,
E che negli occhi orribili gli ardesse
La gran face d' Aletto e di Megera.
ft-** ?*~*V* <rvv *' I** (t **V i . i SjLt^^ 4
Quel grande gia, che ncontra il cielo eresse
L' alta rriole d' error, forse tal era;
\ i^^*^
E in cotal atto il nmiro Babelle
Alzar la fronte, e minacciar le stelle.
CANTO SECONDO. 47
92 Soggiunse allor GofFredo: Or riportate
Al vostro re, che venga e che s' affrctti ;
Che la guerra acccttiam che minacciate :
*/ {* *}f ^~* Jh^ ~*^ *~ '* *i t t**' l 1 t** 3
E s' ei non vien, fra '1 Nilo suo n' aspetti.
Accomiato lor poscia in dolci e grate
Maniere, e gli onoro di doni cletti :
Ricchissimo ad Alete un elmo diede,
Ch' a Nicea conquisto fra 1' altre prede :
.<) *~,
93 Ebbe Argante una spada; e '1 fabro egregio
L' else e '1 p\>mo le fe gemmato e d' oro
Con magistero tal, che perde il pregio
Delia ricca materia appo il lavoro.
Poi che la tempra e la ricchezza e '1 fregio
Sottilmente da lui mirati foro, f~*
Disse Argante al Buglion : Vedrai ben tosto
Come da me il tuo dono in uso e posto.
94 Indi, tolto congedo, e da lui ditto < J -'
Al suo compagno : Or ce n' andremo omai,
lo ver Gerusalem, tu verso Egitto ;
'J'u col Sol novo, io co' notturni rai ;
Ch' uopo o di mia presenza o di mio scritto
Esser non puo cola dove tu vai :
Reca tu la risposta j io dilunganni
Quinci non vo', dove si trattan 1' anni.
(*- - i >~~t~. ,
95 ("osi di messaggier fatto e nimico,
Sia fretta intempestiva, o sia matura:
ne '1 cura.
La ragion delle genti e 1' uso antic
S' offenda, o no, in: '1 pensa egli, r
Scn/.a risposta aver, va per F aniico
^ilenzio delle stelle all altc- niura.
1)' indugio impax'iente ; ed a chi resta
Gia non men la dimora anco e molesta.
t*C^ J<-t*~. f*l*9 *^~.
48 LA GERUSALEMME LIBER ATA.
96 Era la notte allor ch' alto riposo
Han 1' onde e i venti, e parea muto il mondo ;
Gli animai lassi, e quei che '1 mare ondoso,
O de' liquid! laghi alberga il fondo,
E chi si giace in tana, o in mandra ascoso,
E i pinti augelli, nelP obblio giocondo,
Sotto il silenzio de' secreti orrori,
if .<**K,
Sopian gli affanni, e raddolciano i cori.
>. *~,<.-
97 Ma ne '1 campo Fedel, ne '1 Franco duca
* * iv *^-- ( ^t . . "" fc-v-fc, ^**^_ -v..-*- t.tr^ __ *lixvv
Si discioglie nel sonno, o pur s' accheta ;
Tanta in lor cupidigia e che riluca
Omai nel ciel 1' alba aspettata e lie'ta,''
Perche il cammin lor mostri, e li condlica
A" &
Alia citta ch' al gran passaggio e meta:
Mirano ad or ad or se raggio alcuno
rt~r*st cL~~~*H*
Spunti, o rischiari della notte il bruno.
NOTES.
CANTO I.
ARGUMENT.
Proem : Invocation of the Muse : Address to Alfonso (1-5). The
scene opens on the plains of Tortosa, where, after the capture of
Antioch, the Crusaders lie encamped. Gabriel is sent from Heaven
to bid Godfrey summon a council for the election of a commander-
in-chief, and arouse the flagging zeal of the army, so that the great
object of the war, the capture of Jerusalem, may be no longer
neglected (5-20). Godfrey's speech to the Council (21-28). Peter
the Hermit advises the election of a chief (30-31). Godfrey is chosen
by the Council, and hailed by the soldiery. At daybreak on the
morrow the host passes in review before its new leader (32-35).
The catalogue of the various nations and their chief captains. The
French, whose leader, Ugo, has already perished, under Clotharius
(37). Robert and his Normans. William, Archbishop of Orange,
and Ademar, Archbishop of Puy (39). Baldwin with his Boulognese,
and his brother's troops. Stephen of Blois. Guelfo of Este. The
fair-haired Flemings, led by a second Robert, a thousand strong.
The ' British squadron,' not much more numerous, commanded by
William, the youngest son of Rufus (44). Tancred the Norman,
whose love for a fair Paynim adversary forms a romantic digression
(46-49). One small band of Greeks under Tatinus. The last
squadron of the cavalry, commanded by Dudon, is accompanied by
Eustace, brother to Godfrey, Otto de' Visconti, Edward, an English
baron, and his wife Gildippe, and Rinaldo (60). The foot soldiers
next march past with Raymond of Toulouse at their head. Stephen
of Amboise with five thousand. Alcastus with six thousand Swiss.
Lastly, Camillo and his Romans bear the Papal standard in the
rear (64).
Godfrey assembles the captains, and discloses his intention of
marching forthwith on Jerusalem. His speech is received with en-
thusiasm. Having learnt that the King of Egypt is approaching
towards Gaza, Godfrey sends his messenger Henry to Greece to
E
50 LA GERVSALEMME LIBER AT A.
hasten the arrival of auxiliaries under Sweyn of Norway (7)- O n
the morrow the Christian host begins its southward march. The
King of Tripoli sends gifts, and Godfrey, leaving that city unmolested,
leads his army by the sea coast, so that the fleets may supply pro-
visions on the way. Aladin, King of Jerusalem, hearing of the
approach of the Crusaders, is filled with terror and impotent rage,
which he would fain vent on the Christians in the sacred city; but
fear restrains his intended slaughter, and he contents himself with
devastating the fields, and poisoning the springs, of the surrounding
country. Then, having hastily repaired the ramparts of the city, and
collected a mercenary force, he awaits the assault.
Stanza 1, line I. This first stanza bears considerable resemblance to
the opening of Virgil's Aeneid ; ' Arma virumque cano. . . . multum
ille et terris jactatus et alto. . . . Multa quoque et bello passus. . . .'
' Arms and the man I sing. . . . much was he storm-tossed on land
and sea. . . . much too in war he suffered.'
Armi : the plural from the form ' arme'; as 5. 8, and ii. I. i.
But see 21. 3. ' II y a des noms fe"minins terminus en a qui peuvent
^galement se terminer en e sans changer de genre, tels que I'arma ou
I'arme.' Robello, vi. Nouns that end in e in the singular may be either
masculine or feminine. Cp. xiv. i. Pietose refers to the sacred
object of the war. ' Pio,' ' pietd,' have the double meaning of ' pious '
and 'pitiful.'
Capitano, i.e. Godfrey ; concerning whom see on stanza 8.
i. gran. The words ' bello,' ' santo,' ' quello,' often lose their last
syllable before a masculine noun which begins with a consonant : and
' grande ' may be written ' gran ' before masculines or feminines, whether
singular or plural.
libero. It will be of advantage to notice that the terminal
accent in verbs is confined to the ist and 3rd persons of the future,
and to the 3rd of the perfect, which last 'if not accented might be
misunderstood for the present indicative.' Thus ' compro,' ' vende,'
'send' are distinguished from 'compro' (ist pers.), 'vende' (3rd),
' servi ' (2nd). The accent is in some cases probably due to the contrac-
tion from the Latin. Thus ' servi ' = servit ; ' servl ' = serviit.
3. senno, wisdom. ' Who much in council much in field sustained.'
(Hoole.) Similarly Dante says, ' Fece con senno assai e con la spada.'
(Inf. xvi. 39.)
mano is feminine by exception, keeping the gender of the Latin
' manus,' as is also the case with ' eco,' and the poetical forms 'imago,'
' Carthago ' ' Dido,' etc.
CANTO I. 51
5. invan. . . . invano : see Remarks i. Inferno. This refers
especially to the enchantments of Armida, and the mage Ismeno. See
on ii. i. i.
6. Libia. The name Libya was often applied by the Greeks and
Romans to the whole of Africa. Here it means more particularly
Egypt ; but in the Egyptian army that was defeated at Ascalon there
were troops which had been drawn from the nations of the interior.
See p. x.
7. did is a short form of ' diede,' 3rd sing, perfect of ' dare.' Irregular
perfects, which suffer a radical change of stem, do not generally (unless
contracted) take the terminal accent. Thus ' disse,' ' vide,' and, in
the next line, ' ridusse." Sotto a. Such combinations of prepositions
are not uncommon in Italian. Thus ' incontro a,' 6. 8, ' in su.'
' sovra a,' ' sotto da ' (both of which latter are used by Dante). Perhaps
in such cases one is rather an adverb than a preposition.
2. Although this is a reminiscence of Virgil's ' Musa mihi causas
refera. . . .' yet it is none of the Pierian Nine that Tasso invokes for
his sacred poem. He is said by some to address the Virgin Mary.
Caduchi. For the formation of the plural of such words there is no
invariable rule. Perhaps one of the best is that given by Robello (v) :
' Les noms qui ont leur terminaison co ou go, pre'cede'e d'une voyelle,
forment leur pluriel en ci et gi.' To this rule, however, there are about
fifty exceptions, amongst which is ' caduco.'
2. Helicon, a mountain range in Boeotia, from which rose the
streams Aganippe and Hippocrene, was sacred to Apollo and the Muses.
3-4. I cannot doubt that this description was inspired by some
picture. It reminds one forcibly of the Venetian masters, especially of
Tintoretto. When we consider that the stanza was composed soon
after a visit to Venice, and at no great distance from Venice, and at the
very period when that ' fulmine della pintura' (as he is called on his
monument in the Doge's Palace) was at the zenith of his glory, the idea
seems far from fanciful.
6. Rischiara, 'illumine,' or 'unfold.' From Lat. ' re-ex-clarus.'
See Rem. iv.
7. 'If I entwine fancies with truth.' Fregio, ornament, is our word
'frieze.' Cp. French ' frise,' ' fraise.' In Low Latin we find 'frisii
panni,' 'vestimenta de Fresarum provincia' (cloths from Friesland),
from which use of the word came the more general meaning of ' curled,'
and ' well got up ' ; hence it was applied to ornament of all kinds.
Tasso here uses it in keeping with its original sense. A rule applicable
to such plurals as ' fregi ' may be stated thus If the 10 is preceded by c,
ch, g, gl (in which case the i is merely a connecting vowel) the plural
may end in i instead oij (now generally written ii, or even simple ').
2
52 LA GERUSALEMME LIBER AT A.
3. i. Sai ch.e la corre. Notice the indicative used in a dependent
sentence; Rem. x. Versi : subj. from ' versare,' to overturn or pour forth.
2. Lusinghier : connected with Latin ' laus,' ' laudare ' (praise),
whence also O. Fr. ' losenge,' and modern Fr. ' louange.' Parnassus, a
mountain range near Delphi and a haunt of the Muses here represents
Poetry.
3. The Italians, as other nations, allow such rhymes as ' versi . .
versi,' provided that the meanings of the two words are different. See
on Dante, Inf. iii. 91 ; Clar. Press.
4. schivo or schifo is perhaps connected with Germ. ' scheu," and
our ' shy.' Schifo is used as a noun by Dante (Inf. xxxi. 122), meaning
' disdain.' Allettando : see Rem. iv. Persuaso : see Rem. viii.
5. This idea is from the Latin poet Lucretius (i. 935, iv. 11).
' Sed veluti pueris absinthia tetra medentes
Cum dare conantur, prius oras pocula circum
Contingunt mellis dulci flavoque liquore,
Ut puerorum aetas improvida ludificetur
Labrorum tenus, interea perpotet amarum
Absinthi laticem, deceptaque non capiatur,
Sed potius tali pacto recreata valescat.'
' But as when physicians attempt to give fetid wormwood to children,
they first smear the edges round the cups with sweet and golden
syrup of honey, so that unsuspicious childhood may be beguiled as
far as the lips; meanwhile it drains the bitter fluid of wormwood, and
though deceived is not betrayed, but rather revives and grows strong by
such means.'
5. fanciul. Such words, when they drop the final o, lose with
item /. Thus ' quel,' ' bel,' etc.
6. orlo, an edge, is from the Latin word (which Lucretius uses
in the above passage) ' ora,' through the usual diminutive form ' orula.'
4. i. It was in 1565 that the Cardinal Luigi of Este introduced
Tasso to the court of his brother Alfonso II, at Ferrara. The poem
was probably begun before this date, and this and the following stanza
may have been inserted afterwards. Ritogli, from ' ritogliere,' or
' ritorre ' irregular verb. ' Thou who recoverest me from . . .' In 1. 5,
aecogli is the imperative.
3. gli scogli : see on i. 7.
4. absorto. Compare Ariosto, c. iv. ' Questo so ben ch'io fui dal
mare absorto.' From ' absorbere ' or ' assorbere,' to suck up, engulph :
hence ' assorto ' also means ' preoccupied,' and ' dreamy."
7. fia che, it shall be that. Fia (Lat. net) is used for ' sark.'
8. Osi : subj., Rem. x. ' Dare to write of thee that which now
(thereof) it signifies.' For ne see Rem. ii. Accennare means 'to
CANTO I. 53
make a. sign ' (' cenno '), ' to beckon,' and also ' to hint at.' Thus
' m' e stato accennato,' I had a hint of it.
5. 1-2. ben or bene is often used for emphasis, and may be trans-
lated by ' indeed,' or ' quite.' From s' egli to preda the sentence is
hypothetical, the main construction being ' E ben ragione . . . Ch' a te
. . . conceda.' Egli awerra, ' it shall come to pass.' Tasso's words
have a ring of despair. Many Italian poets, Petrarch among the
number, had with more or less earnestness raised their voices to incite
i.ew Crusades; but few except Dante saw and lamented the ruin that
was overwhelming their Church and Nation by means of internal
divisions. TJnqua, 'ever'; Lat. ' unquam.' Si veda: Rem. v.
4. ' Strive to regain from savage Thrace. . . .' Ritor for ' ritorre.'
Rem. i. This is no mere poetical exaggeration, for, in the times of
Tasso, there existed great suspicion and alarm occasioned by the
< Htoman kingdom that had established itself by force in Europe. In the
preceding century (1453) the Turks had captured Jerusalem, and during
Tasso's life they had appeared more than once before the walls of Vienna.
6. a te conceda. The subject to ' conceda ' is ' il popol di Cristo.'
Another reading is 'altri conceda,' which would mean 'one should
grant.' Altri is used like ' on ' in French ; and very often stands for
' God ' a sense that it may have here.
6. i. Gia '1 sesto anno . . . This is not historically true. The
various streams of Crusaders crossed over in 1096 and 1097. Nicaca
was taken on June 20, 1097. Between that date therefore and the
capture of Jerusalem on July 15, 1099, only a little more than two
years elapsed. The action of the poem begins about May 1099, when
the Crusaders are on their way from Antioch to Jerusalem.
3. The following graphic description of the taking of Nicaea, the
capital of Soliman, the Turkish Sultan, near the Propontis, is given by
(iibbon. 'The lofty and solid walls of Nice were covered by a deep
ditch, and flanked by 370 towers ; and on the verge of Christendom the
Moslems were trained in arms, and inflamed by religion. Before this
city the French princes occupied their stations, and prosecuted their
attacks without correspondence or subordination In the siege of
Nice the arts and engines of antiquity were employed by the Latins : the
mine and the battering-ram, the toitoise, and the belfrey or movable
turret, artificial fire, and the catapult and balist, the sling, and the cross-
bow for the casting of stones and darts. In the space of seven weeks
much labour and blood were expended, and some progress, especially by
Count Raymond, was made on the side of the besiegers. But the Turks
could protract their resistance, and secure their escape, as long as they
were masters of the lake Ascanius, which stretches several miles to
the westward of the city, The means of conquest were supplied by
54 LA GERUSALEMME LIBER AT A.
the prudence and industry of Alexius ; a great number of boats was
transported on sledges from the sea to the lake ; they were filled with
the most dexterous of his archers : the flight of the Sultana was inter-
cepted ; Nice was invested by land and water ; and a Greek emissary
persuaded the inhabitants to accept his master's protection, and to save
themselves by a timely surrender from the rage of the savages of Europe.
In the moment of victory, or at least of hope, the crusaders, thirsting for
blood and plunder, were awed by the imperial banner that streamed
from the citadel ; and Alexius guarded with special vigilance this im-
portant conquest. The murmurs of the chiefs were stifled by honour or
interest ; and after a halt of nine days they directed their march to%vards
Phrygia.' (Chap. Iviii.) Tasso's expression, ' per assalto," is therefore not
strictly correct.
4-6. The 'art' with which Antioch was taken may be gathered
from the following facts. After an investment of seven months, during
which the besiegers no less than the besieged suffered severely from
famine., the capture of Antioch seemed as remote as ever. But, during
a short truce, the crafty and ambitious Bohemond, whom Gibbon well
terms the Latin Ulysses, succeeded in gaining the traitorous confidence
of a certain Armenian by name Phirouz (' Pirro,' canto vii. 67), a per-
vert from Christianity, who held the command of three important towers.
When all had been arranged between the two, Bohemond brought the
proposal before the council of Christian chiefs, claiming the sovereignty
of Antioch as his reward. But the honour, or the envy, of these knights
rejected the treachery with scorn, until, alarmed by the rumoured ap-
proach of a vast Turkish army under Kerboga, they yielded to Bohe-
mond's arguments. Phirouz, though suspected and narrowly eyed by
the emir, concerted his plans with secrecy and despatch. His brother,
who opposed his intentions, he stabbed and threw from a tower into the
city moat. At a fixed hour the Christian army broke up their camp,
and began, as it appeared, their southward march. But during the night
they retraced their steps in haste, and, after some hesitation, Bohemond
and some of the boldest, scaled the city wall by means of a rope ladder,
and were received by the renegade. In the rush that was then made the
battlement, to which the ladder was fastened, gave way, and many fell
from the lofty wall into the moat. But, in spite of the confusion and
dismay occasioned by this, several of the towers were seized by those
who had already gained the summit, and a gate was at length burst
open to admit the mass of the troops. In a short time the whole of
Antioch was in the hands of the Christians, except the citadel. The emir
Cassano (ii. 70), or Akhy-Syan (Baghasian), while endeavouring to
escape from the city, was slain. But in a short time arrived the in-
numerable host of Kerboga, prince of Mosul, by whom the Christians
CANTO I. 55
were in their turn besieged in Antioch. In the elation of victory, as on
former occasions, the licence of the Crusading army had known no
bounds. With ungovernable riot they had soon consumed or de-
stroyed all the provisions in the city, and began to suffer from a
second famine more terrible than the first. Many, both before
and after the capture of Antioch, deserted the Christian camp, among
whom were Hugh of Vermandois, Stephen of Chartres, and William
Viscount of Melun, the ponderous strokes of whose axe had gained him
the name of the Carpenter. Even Peter the Hermit was discovered by
Tancred in the act of stealing away, and was brought back again to
the tent of Bohemond. In the extremity of their despair, with starva-
tion within the city and a hostile force of 600,000 Turks surrounding
their walls, the minds of the soldiery turned with wild fanaticism to
the guidance of visionaries and impostors. One such. Peter Bartholemy,
a priest of Marseilles, had been informed in a vision by St. Andrew
that the lance-head which had pierced the side of the Redeemer lay
buried beneath the altar of St. Peter's Church in Antioch. With a
jugglery, which at other times would have been too transparent, the
priest himself drew forth from a pit that had been prepared the head
of a Saracen lance wrapped in silk and gold. It was no time now
for either leaders or people to question the grounds of their belief. In-
flamed with the madness of religious enthusiasm, and goaded onward
by despair, they burst forth from the gates, and while .their excited
feelings were still further aroused by the apparition of St. George, St.
Theodore, and St. Maurice, who were seen issuing forth from the hills
clad in white garments and resplendent arms, they fell upon the innu-
merable hosts of their enemies and routed them with immense slaughter
(June 28, 1098). The seasonable fraud of the 'holy lance,' however
useful it had proved, was made the subject of much ridicule and scep-
ticism after danger had passed away. Peter Bartholemy was subjected
to the painful ordeal of fire, through which he passed to all appearance
unscathed. But he had received fatal injuries, and the next day he expired.
7. Tortosa was a city (it is now almost a mere ruin) anciently
called Antharadus, and Orthosia, lying nine miles or so to the north of
Tripoli. Tasso is not historically correct when he makes the Crusaders
spend the winter at Tortosa, for they spent it at Antioch, from which
they did not move till May 13, 1099. Moreover, Tortosa was not
stormed ('espugnata'), for it was abandoned by the inhabitants on the
approach of the invading army. In his Gerusalemme Conquistata
Tasso moves the scene of this first canto from Tortosa to Caesarea, a
much more important city.
8. ' Then to the bad season it (the army) gave way, and awaited
the new year.' Beo or rio (Lat. ' reus') has originally the moral sense
56 LA GERUSALEMME LIBER AT A.
of ' guilty ,' but is used also with a more general meaning. Die: see
on i. 7.
7. i. This passage is evidently inspired by Virgil (Aen. i. 223):
' Et jam finis erat quum Juppiter aethere summo
Despiciens,' etc.
2. fea: a poetical form of 'faceva.' Notice the force of the im-
perfect. Lunge, far off: also a poetical word.
4. sincera, in the true Latin sense of ' pure,' ' untainted."
5-6. From Virgil (Aen. vi. 577), who has himself translated Homer
(II. viii. 1 6).
' Turn Tartarus ipse
Bis patet in praeceps tantum, tenditque sub umbras,
Quantus ad aethereum coeli suspectus Olympum.'
' Then Hell itself yawns into an abyss twice as deep, stretching down
below the darkness, as the vault of the sky, reaching up to the heavenly
pole.' The stellata spera is the sphere of the fixed stars, the eighth,
according to the Ptolemaic system, and next below the Crystalline
heaven or Primum Mobile. But Tasso probably uses the word in a less
definite way for the ' starry vault of heaven.' Piu in su della, still
higher than. The following stanza, describing the throne of God, was
added by Tasso in the Gerusalemme Conquistata, and is well worth
quotation.
' Stanno a quell' alta sede intorno intorno
Spirit! divini al suo splendor accensi,
E ciascun d'essi b di sei ale adorno:
E si come i vapori umidi o densi,
O le nubi dipinte il sole e'l giorno
Copron soavemente a' nostri sensi,
Velano due la faccia a quel Vetusto;
Due i pie, due van girando il seggio augusto.'
7. Volse from ' volgere.' This must not be mistaken for ' volse,'
which is sometimes used by the poets for ' voile,' from ' volere.'
8. mird: see on I. 2. 'That which the world gathers within itself,'
i e. contains.
8. 1-2. Soria, a form ' Siria.' S' affiso, gazed at. See Rem. v.
3-4. Spiare. This word is from the Old High German ' speha '
( = exploratio), and is found in Germ, 'spahen,' Fr. 'epier,' Eng. 'spy.'
Lor or loro is the Lat. 'illorum' (of them), and is used for the oblique
cases of 'eglino.' Translate 'human passions in their most secret
depths.'
5. Godfrey of Bouillon, the blameless knight ' cavaliere senza taccia
e senza paura ' in whom Tasso found all the qualities that might con-
stitute his ideal Christian hero, was born about the middle of the
CANTO I. 57
eleventh century, at Baysy, a small village in Brabant. His father,
Eustace, was of the noble race of the Counts of Boulogne ; his mother,
a descendant of Charles the Great, inherited Brabant. In the service of
the Emperor Henry IV, Godfrey slew Rudolph, the claimant of the
imperial crown : and received the title of Duke of Bouillon in the
Ardennes. In the war against the pope, Godfrey had been the first to
scale the walls of Rome, and it was perhaps remorse for this act that
drew him to join in the great Crusade. It was by his prudence no less
than by his courage that the Christian army was saved more than once
from the dangers into which their follies and excesses had brought them.
To relate all the facts connected with him would be merely to reca-
pitulate the principal events of the Crusade, which have been already
sketched out, and will be described more fully as occasion offers. It is
enough to say here that, accompanied by his brothers Baldwin and Eustace,
he commanded about 80,000 foot and 10,000 horse, and, uniting as he
did all the eminent qualities of a commander knowledge of men, of
arms, and of language, together with impartiality and a natural dignity
he was elected chief before the siege, and was offered the crown after
the capture of Jerusalem a dignity which he refused to accept in the
city where the King of kings had worn a crown of thorns, contenting
himself with the modest title of Baron and Defender of the Holy
Sepulchre. A fortnight after this he sallied forth from Jerusalem and
secured his government by the total overthrow of the forces of Egypt at
the battle of Ascalon. The reign, for such it must nevertheless be called,
of Godfrey fell short of a year by five days. During this short period,
among other praiseworthy actions, he composed a code of laws called
the 'Assise of Jerusalem,' one of the most valuable treasures of feudal
jurisprudence. After his death his younger brother Baldwin was chosen
king, and reigned for eighteen years.
che scacciar desia, See Rem. x. for the mood. Desiare, and
desirare are contracted for the Lat. and Ital. ' desiderare.' For scacciar
see Rem. iv.
8. mette in non cale, lit. places in ' it matters not,' i.e. treats
with unconcern. Porre ' and ' avere in non cale ' are used similarly.
' Calere ' in Latin means 'to be warm,' and thus to be excited by desire
for.' Cp. ' Se di saper ch' io sia ti cal cotanto,' ' if to know who I be
concerns thee so much ' (Dante, Inf. xix. 67).
9. i. Baldwin was by no means an equal of his brother Godfrey in
great qualities. His ambition impelled him fraudulently to sieze upon
Tarsus, which had already yielded to Tancred, whom he ejected
by force. After this he deserted the Crusaders' camp for a wild ex-
cursion into the heart of Persia, and there founded a kingdom in
Mesopotamia, with Edessa as his capital. This act, though prompted
5 8 LA GERUSALEMME LIBER AT A.
by a selfish greed, proves him to have possessed no small daring ; and
the Latin principality of Edessa, which lasted for about fifty years, did
good service in attracting the attention of the Persians from the conquest
of Jerusalem. As has been already stated, Baldwin succeeded Godfrey
as king of Jerusalem.
3. 'In the accomplished character of Tancred,' says Gibbon, 'we
discover all the virtues of a perfect knight.' He was the son of the
Marquis Odo (some call him William), probably one of those Norman
adventurers who overran Italy in the eleventh century, or perhaps an
Italian who by his marriage with a sister of Robert Guiscard was received
among the Norman chiefs. Tancred accompanied his cousin Bohemond
to the Holy Land, where many heroic feats are accredited to him, such
as having slain or dispersed five Moslems by whom he had been sur-
prised alone on Mount Olivet. The romantic episode that we shall
find in st. 46-49 concerning his love for a Pagan damsel, daughter of
the emir of Antioch, has no historical foundation. In the siege of
the Holy City he distinguished himself by his courage and by the dis-
covery of the grove from which wood was procured for the machines.
\\ hen the mass of the Crusaders had returned home, Godfrey retained
for the defence of the city only 2000 foot, and 300 knights under
Tancred. He was soon afterwards given the principality of Galilee;
and, when Bohemond was taken prisoner, he succeeded to the
government of Antioch. In 1112 he perished in an expedition against
the Infidels, and was buried at Antioch in the porch of the church of
St. Peter.
4. 'Such a hopeless love grieves and torments him.' Notice the
use of suo, which it is impossible to translate except by expanding it
into ' Such a hopeless love was his which . . . .' Martirare is used also
by Dante. The longer form ' martirizzare ' is commoner.
5-6. Bohemond, son of Robert Guiscard, was endowed with an
attractive person, a persuasive eloquence, and a courageous disposition,
not however free from pride, vindictiveness, and cunning. With Robert
Guiscard he had at Durazzo and Larissa assisted in the discomfiture of
the Greek Emperor, Alexius ; but he was disinherited by his father,
and had barely kept the small princedom of Taranto. He joined the
Crusade from motives of ambition, or a love of adventure, rather than
those of religious zeal. His successful intrigues at Antioch have been
already related (vi. 4). After holding that city in his power for some
years he was captured by the Turks, and kept a prisoner four years.
He is said to have escaped by the help of a Moslem princess, Melial by
name, and to have returned to Italy where Pope Pascal II received him,
and gave him the means to raise another army for the recovery of
Antioch. But, impelled by his inextinguishable hatred of the Greek
CANTO I. 59
emperor, he attacked and captured Durazzo. Here he was besieged,
and, having been abandoned by his troops, was forced to sign an
ignominious peace with Alexius, and retired to Taranto, where he
died.
6. principii or principj. See the rule given on 2. 7.
7. introdur : Rem. i. Costume, pi. from ' costuma,' not the
masc. form ' costume.'
10. i. internarsi, to penetrate into, to be buried in, a thought.
Dante uses the word in a somewhat similar sense, ' Come occhio per lo
mare, entro s' interna ' (Par. xix. 60), it penetrates within, as the eye
penetrates through the sea.
3. Rinaldo (i. 58) is the only one among the Christian chiefs that
is not a historical character. ' To gratify,' says Gibbon, ' the childish
vanity of the house of Este, Tasso has inserted in his poem, and in the
first Crusade, a fabulous hero, the brave and amorous Rinaldo. He
might borrow his name from a Rinaldo, with the Aquila bianca Estense,
who vanquished, as standard-bearer of the Roman Church, the Emperor
Frederick I. ... But this Rinaldo, and his exploits, are not less
chimerical than the hero of Tasso.' Rinaldo, son of Bertoldo of Este,
is said to have died in 1175 (Serassi, i. p. 184); see 59. 2. There was
also a Rinaldo who took part in the first Crusade, and who, routed by
the Turks near Nicaea, saved his life by adopting the faith of Islam.
Tasso's Rinaldo is a mistake, for, although his is a very noble character
corresponding somewhat to that of Achilles in the Iliad it is over-
drawn, and the feelings that dictated the glowing descriptions given by
the poet are too evident, and too personal, if not too servile, to enlist
our sympathies. In the Gerusalemme Conquistata Tasso has substituted
Richard, son of the Norman Guiscard.
6. brame, desires. Erama is said to be connected with Greek
Pptfttiv, to roar. Cp. Fr. ' bramer,' to scream. The two meanings are
interchanged in Latin ; for instance Ennius the poet uses ' latrare ' (to
bark) in the sense of ' poscere ' (to beg for).
7. dalla bocca . . . pende, as in Latin 'pendet ab ore,' hangs on
the words of.
8. Guelfo IV (i. 41, iii. 63, etc.), of the Suabian house, was the
son of Alberto d'Azzo, marquis of Este. He did not actually go to
the Holy Land until four years after this. In v. 36 he is called the uncle
of Rinaldo. He too is introduced to glorify the house of Este; and acts
as a father towards his youthful nephew, inciting him by ' illustrious feats
of ancient days.' For esempj see on 2. 7.
11. i. poi che, or poichd, lit. 'then that,' i.e. 'when.' The meaning
of all such compounds is found at once by resolving them into their
parts and translating literally. This ' acciocchc ' = ' to this that..
60 LA GERUSALEMME LIBERATA.
i.e. 'in order to.' Similarly 'perocche,' 'posciache,' etc. For con-
struction of scorti see Rem. viii.
3-4. chiama ; Lat. ' clamare.' Rem. iv. The seven spirits that
stand round the throne are Michael, Gabriel, Lamael, Raphael, Zachariel,
Anael, and Oriphiel. Gabriel plays the part that Mercury held under
the Olympian dynasty.
5. quest! for ' questo.' Similarly ' quegli,' ' quei,' ' cotesti,' are
used in the singular, with reference not only to persons but things
Compare the Greek forms TOVTI, TOVTOVI, etc., for TOVTO, TOVTOV, which
are used for emphasis, as 'hicce ' in Lat. and ' celui-ci' in French.
8. '1 zelo. Before z the article is often 'lo,' as 'lo zio,' 'gli zii.'
But the rule does not apply strictly.
12. 2. di': imperative. The dative case of ' egli ' is generally ' a lui '
or ' gli ' ; but we often find ' lui ' standing for ' gli,' especially in old writers,
Thus Dante uses ' risposi lui,' ' dissi lui,' etc., and Fraticelli remarks in
his note, ' Gli antichi tacevano spesso la preposizione a avanti i pronomi
di persona.' Si cessa: the impersonal reflective, 'Why this delay?'
Si rinnova, on the contrary, is not impersonal, ' Why is the war not
renewed ? ' Rem. v.
5-6. chlami .... mova : the 3rd person imperative, ' Let him
call . . . .' Fia : see on iv. 7.
7. '1 faran, ' shall do it,' i.e. elect him chief. The next line may
allude to the period of luxury and idleness that had converted fellow-
soldiers into mere boon-companions : but the contrast lies also between
who were equals (compagni) and now are to be subjects (ministri),
as xxxiii. 5.
13. I. parlogli : see on xii. 2. and Rem. vi. S' accinse, from 'ac-
cingersi ' or ' accignersi.' Cp. ' fingere ' and ' fignere,' ' pungere ' and
' pugnere,' ' pingere ' and ' pignere,' etc. For the rhyme see on 3. 3.
3. ' He clothes his heavenly form with ether light.
And makes it visible to human sight.' (Hoole.)
5. membra, an irregular feminine plural from ' membro.' See
Rem. xi. ' Membro ' takes either plural in the sense of ' limbs ' ; but ' i
membri ' alone is used for members of a society, Parliament, etc. Si finse :
a middle use of the reflective, ' fashioned for himself.' Rem. v.
14. i. Ali is really the plural of a sing, form ' ale,' which Dante uses,
' su 1'una e 1'altr' ale' (Puig. xxix. 109). The common form in the sing,
is 'ala,' and in plural 'ali' and 'ale.' Cp. on i. i. Vesti: see on i. 2.
C' han = che hanno.
3. This is like Virgil's description of Mercury (Aen. iv. 239).
' First he binds on his feet the golden sandals, which bear him, uplifted
on their wings, with swift whirlwind, alike over the seas or over land.'
5. indirizzossi = si indirizzb. Rem. iii. and on ii. 2.
CANTO I. 6 1
7. Pria, first : a poetical word. Mount Lebanon is to the south of
Tortosa, running parallel to the coast. Tasso, in his Conquistata, intro-
duces a beautiful description of the mountain :
' che sorge altero e grande,
E corona ha di cedri alta e superba.'
8. 'And balanced himself on poised wings,' as Virgil 'panbus
nitens . . . alis' (Aen. iv. 252).
15. 1-2. Tortosa, see on vi. 7. ' Giuso e suso invece di giu e su, voci
tronche, fu detto dagli Antichi in prosa e in verso.'
3. lido, from Lat. ' litus.' The well-known island by Venice is so
called because it faces the open sea. Eoo is the Lat. ' eous," from Grk.
T/as, dawn.
5. porgea. Notice that the v of the imperfect is often dropped,
as in the next line, ' avea.'
7. a paro col, ' equal to,' ' rivalling.'
16. 1-2. gli disse : see on xii. 2. Al guerreggiar : see Rem. vii.
3. trappor for ' trappore,' infinitive used in a question. ' Where-
fore then interpose any delay in liberating . . .'
7-8. lor: see on 8. 4. 'And they shall submit themselves
voluntarily to thee.'
17. 2. sua. The reflective pronoun se is used in Italian almost as
stiictly as in Latin with reference to the principal subject of the
sentence (as in 16. 8); but 'suo' does not, as the Latin 'suus,'
always relate to the subject which, in this sentence for instance, is ' io.'
Yet, where there might be ambiguity, ' suo ' is always used in the stricter
manner. Thus ' il re fe andato con suo figlio a vedere il suo ritratto,'
must mean ' the king has come with his son to see his own portrait.'
If the son's portrait were intended, it would be ' il ritratto di lui.'
Spene and speme are poetical forms.
4. conviene, ' beseems ' : an impersonal use of ' convenire.'
5. Tacque: irregular perfect from 'tacere.' Sparito, Rem. iv.
8. abbagliato, from ' bagliore,' a flash, or dazzling splendour, the
derivation of which is not known. All this passage about Gabriel is
closely imitated from Virgil : thus, ' At vero Aeneas adspectu obmutuit
amens'(Aen. iv. 279).
18. I. 'But when he recovers himself.' Hiscotersi, or riscuo-
tersi, from Lat. ' re-ex-cutio,' means 'to shake oneself,' or, 'be
startled.' Dante uses it twice of being startled from sleep, or from a
trance, as (Inf. iv. i)
'Ruppemi 1'alto sonno nella testa
Un greve tuono, si ch' io mi riscossi,
Come persona che per forza e desta."
3. ' If before this he was desirous, now he is all aflame to . . .'
6z LA GERUSALEMME LIBER AT A.
4. onde. Robello says, ' Le mot onde est souvent employe" dans 'a
poesie italienne, et quelquefois aussi dans la prose relevee, k la place de
di cut, ou del quale, dal quale, pel quale, col quale, nel quale, au singulier
ou au pluriel, au masculin ou au feminin. Ex.
Di quei sospiri ond' io nudriva il core. (Petr.)'
The Latin 'unde' is used similarly; as 'Unde nil majus generatur ipso,'
1. e. ' a quo,' Hor. Carm. i. 12. 17.
5-7. Non che . . . Ma. Just as we say ' Not that . . . but . . . '
Notice the mood of ' gonfi.' The orthography of verbs in -tare is
subject to as much variation as that of the plurals of nouns in -io (see on
2, 7), but the best rule is the following. When the stem of the verb
ends in gi, ci, or gli (as ' pigiiare '), the double i is not kept. Thus
the 2nd pers. pres. will be ' pigli,' and not ' piglii.' Other verbs in
-tare generally keep the double i when that is the actual termination
(thus, in the subj. ' odii,' but 'odino'). This rule however, which is
given by the grammars, is liable to be broken on account of the accent,
as here. II vedersi is the verbal noun, used here as the nominative.
Rem. v.
19. i. lunge : see 7. 2.
5. alletta, 3. 4. For punge see on 13. i.
6. risvegliar : ' re-ex-vigilare,' to awaken.
7-8. Notice the change of mood, and the reason.
20. i. vennero . . . seguiro. See Rem. i.
2. Boemondo : 9. 5. Convenne, ' came with them,' or ' as-
sembled.' Used in the same way by Dante (Inf. iii. 123), 'Tutti
convengon qui d'ogni paese.' Bohemond was at Antioch, and therefore
did not come to the assembly.
3-4. nel giro, within the circle of her walls. S' uniro, as
' seguiro ' above.
7. pio: see on i. I.
21. i . Guerrier, i. e. guerrieri. See Rem. i.
3. arme is here plural from ' arma." See on 1. 1.
4. vi = voi. Rem. ii. 'Guided and conducted you.' From this
sense of ' scorgere ' comes our ' escort.' Hesse from ' reggere.'
6. a lui, i. e. Dio.
7. dome. In poetry many such shortened forms of the passive
participles of the first conjugation are in use : as ' adorno ' for ' aclornato,'
'compro' for ' comprato,' 'desto,' 'guasto,' 'privo,' 'scemo,' etc.
35- 5 and 7.
22. i. pegni (Lat. 'pignus') pledges, i. e. wives and children.
3. esponemmo. Notice that in such perfects as ' posi ' the stem
varies in some of the persons.
4. perigli: 2. 7; 4. 3.
CANTO I. 63
p. grido. a cry, is often used for ' fame,' as by Dante, speaking of
the two great fathers of Italian art (Purg. xi. 94),
' Credette Cimabue nella-pintura
Tener lo campo, ed ora ha Giotto il grido.'
7. ' Since we should have (thus) proposed to ourselves a prize
mean and poor, and spilt our blood in ruin of our souls."
23. i. segno, mark, or goal.
2. mura, plural from ' muro.' See Rem. xi.
3. The Christians of Jerusalem were treated much in the same
way as the Jews have been treated in Christian cities. They were subject
to severe tributes, were obliged to inhabit a certain quarter of the city,
and to wear a leathern girdle as the sign of their servitude. The pilgrims
also were treated with great cruelty and oppression.
4. Notice that such words as ' virtu,' ' pieta," ' viltk,' ' servitu,' etc.,
though they seem to be formed from the Latin nominative ('virtus.'
' pietas,' etc.), have the corresponding long forms ' virtute,' ' pietate,'
' viltate, 1 etc. (all used by Dante), which uphold the important canon
that in the formation of the Romance languages the accusative of the
Latin was accepted as the new substantive.
7. 'And that there shall be none to refuse . . . ' Chi, 'he who':
as 'wer' in German. In Latin the expression would be the same:
' neque sit qui neget.' Notice that in all parts of speech an h is some-
times introduced so as to retain the hard pronunciation. Thus
'alberghi,' 20. 4, 'ricchi,' etc.: but 'medici/ ' Greci' (25. 5), etc.
24. 3. Notice the gradations : ' Much in danger, more in toil, little
in honour, nought in design.'
' Our purpose lost, while indolent we stay,
Or turn the force of arms another way.' (Hoole.)
The ' disegno ' was of course the capture of Jerusalem. Si fermi :
Rem. v. and x.
5. ' What shall it profit to have ..." L'aver . . . accolto :
Rem. vii.
6. il foco (or 'fuoco,' as 'loco' and 'luogo') means the 'flame
of war.'
25. i. The argument is, ' if we wished to found an earthly empire, we
should not have come to Palestine.'
3-4. The meaning of these verses was said by Galileo to be 'strop-
piata ' (lame) ; and certainly they are rather awkwardly expressed.
Translate ' Where he has but few, and these strangers in race and faith,
amid the innumerable paynim host.'
5. The Greeks were opposed to the Crusade, and the Greek em-
peror Alexius was very jealous of the invasion of a country that once
was a portion of his empire. How he treated the Crusaders at the
64 LA GERUSALEMME LIBER AT A.
capture of Nice, and on other occasions, has been already related. See
Tasso's indignant address to Greece in stanza 51. Convien: 17. 4.
Greci: 23. 7.
7. ben: 5. i. Ond', ' by which' : 18.4.
26. i. Antioehia: see on 6.4.
4. Furo . . . fur. Rem. i. Another reading gives ' e vittorie inver
maravigliose.'
5. ri volte : sc. vittorie.
7. Temo cen privi. A word of fearing or doubt, as ' temere,'
is generally followed by 'che' and the subjunctive. The 'che' is how-
ever often dropped. When followed by ' che non,' or ' non ' alone, it
sometimes (as Lat. ' vereor ne ') expresses the fear of the positive, as
Dante, Inf. ii. 64, ' E temo che non sia gik si smarrito ' ' And I fear
that he is already so far astray.' But sometimes it expresses the reverse,
as in Inf. xxi. 93,
'E i diavoli si fecer tutti avanti:
SI ch' io temetti non tenesser patto '
' And the demons all advanced, so that I was afraid that they would not
keep the compact.' For cen, see Rem. ii. Favola, a tale. Cp. Hor.
Epp. i. 13. 9, 'fabula fias'; and Horn. II. vi. 'so that we shall become
a subject of song for men unborn.' He fears that all the noise and fame
of the Crusade may merely serve to 'point a moral or adorn a tale.'
Kimbombo, from Latin 'bombus,' a deep hollow sound: cp. our
' boom ' and ' bomb.'
27. 1-2. sia: the optative, expressing a wish. Reo : see on 6. 7.
Che . . . perda, ' such as to (or would) waste.' In Latin it would be
similarly ' qui . . . perdat.'
3. priucipii : 9. 6. Distinguish the form ' principi,' chiefs. Orditi
is used in the sense of ' woven,' and the metaphor is kept up by ' filo."
5. ' Now that we have our steps free ..." Passi may however
be ' passes ' or ' passages,' as Hoole,
' The country open, and the passes freed.'
7. meta, a goal, is a Latin word. The ' meta ' in the Roman
racecourse was a conical stone that served as a turning post for the
chariots. This word must not be confounded with ' meta,' which is con-
nected with ' mezzo ' (medius).
8. piu, any longer.
28. 3. Gli, them : i. e. ' i miei protesti.'
5. piu che si resti, ' the longer we delay.' Rem. v. and x.
8. Some read ' ch' avra . . ,' in which case only a comma must
stand after ' son ' in the last line. The succour from Egypt came after
the capture of Jerusalem. See the description of the battle of Ascalon.
29. 2. Piero. Peter the Hermit was, according to some, a native of
CANTO I. 65
Amiens; or, according to others, of Huy, the lovely little town on the
Mouse, a few miles above Liege. Others again think he came from
Acherstadt in the neighbourhood of Liege, because in some chronicles
he is called ' Petrus de Aehcris.' He studied at Paris, and became so
distinguished for his learning that he was chosen as tutor to Godfrey.
In 1093 he made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and was then inspired with
the desire of liberating the Holy City from the power of he infidels.
On his return he was favoured by Pope Urban II, and succeeded in
arousing that extraordinary excitement through the greater portion of
Europe, which resulted in the first Crusade. His ill-fated invasion of
Asia Minor, and his attempted desertion at Antioch, have already been
related. He is introduced several times in the poem (x. 73 ; xi. i ; xii.
85 ; xiii. 50 ; xiv. 29 ; xviii. 6 and 39), and is said to have received the
adoring homage of the Crusading host after the capture of Jerusalem.
His task was done,' says Mr. Cox, ' and in the annals of the time Peter is
heard of no more.' Another authority (Ugo Foscolo) however informs
us that on his return to Europe he confined himself closely in a
monastery at Huy, where he lived for sixteen years in humility and
penitence. It seems a little strange that Peter should be described
by Tasso as speaking with so much authority in the council so soon
after the public disgrace that he had brought upon himself. See on 6. 4.
5. consiglio : see on 3. 3.
6. v' ha : ' Le gallicisme il y a a et<S aussi transporte dans la
langue italiennc, depuis les temps les plus recules, et Ton a dit egli
vi ha, ou hdwi, pour le singulier comme pour le pluriel, ct ainsi de
suite dans les autres temps de ce verbe.' (Robello.) The Gallic origin
of the expression may be doubted. Cp. Greek Ka\us txei, and Latin
' bene habet.' Dante uses ' avere ' without the ' vi ' in the same sense :
as 'ha gente che sospira' (Inf. vii. 118), and ' non avea pianto '
(Inf. iv. 26).
29. 7. Dimostrollo : Rem. ii.
30. i. onta, is connected with Germ. ' hohnen,' to scoff. ' If rightly
I note the discords and despite . . . .'
2. a prova, 'in rivalry.' Cp. Dante, Inf. viii. 114, 'a pruova si
ricorse,' rushed back eagerly ^certatim).
3-4. pareri : Rem. vii. ' And many plans obstructed in their
course.' (Hoole.) This line is altered in the Conquistata to ' E 1' opere
si tarde e si impedite.'
7. ' Quell' autorita che e pari (uguale), essendo quasi equilibrata
in molti capitani, e questi varj di opinione.' (Deagostini.)
31. i. This seems to be imitated from Homer, Iliad ii. 203, where
Odysseus says, ' Surely all of us Achaeans shall not be kings here. An
evil thing is it when many bear rule. Let there be one commander, one
F
66 LA GERUSALEMME LIBER ATA.
king.* G-iudici, from ' giudicio,' not from 'guidice.' See on 2. 7.
Onde, 1 8. 4.
2. Pendano : the subjunctive, as in 27. 2. 'On whom may rest
the judgments of rewards and of punishments."
3 -4. Onde must here be translated ' by whom.' Conviene, ' must
needs be.'
6. Frene, for ' freni.' Rem. xii.
8. Sostenga : 3rd pers. imperative, ' Let him sustain.' Vece,
as Lat. ' vicem,' means the ' part ' or ' office.'
32. i. veglio and vecchio are from the Lat. diminutive form
'vetulus' or 'veclus' (found, says Donkin, in an ancient grammarian).
Thus we find ' speglio ' a poetical form of ' specchio.'
2. aura, inspiration. Cp. 18. 6.
5. sgombri gl' insert! . . . . ' Thou dispellest the implanted, nay
the inborn, desires . . . .' Sgombrare : from ' ex ' (or ' dis ') and ' cumu-
lus," a heap : whence Fr. ' comble,' It. ' ingombro," Eng. ' cumber," etc.
7- Guglielmo: see on 44. 4. Guelpho : 10. 8. This is a
palpable stroke of flattery for the house of Este ' i piu sublimi."
33. 1-2. denno for ' debbono ' a form used also by Dante. ' Denno '
may also be the perfect from 'dare' instead of 'diedero' or ' dierono."
Translate ' his duties are to be to deliberate and command others.'
Altrui stands for all the oblique cases of ' altri ' and ' altro," and, as is
usual with words whose terminations indicate the case, is not often used
with a preposition.
3. Imponga : as in Latin, the subjunctive is used in an indirect
construction, when a command is implied. ' Let him impose . . .' i. e.
they decide that he shall impose ... A suo senno, ' at his discretion."
5. gia pari : see on 12. 7.
7. Concluso cio, an absolute construction : ' when this was
finished." Notice the two forms ' coacluso ' and ' conchiuso.' Rem. iv.
34. 7. impone . . . , ' he orders that . . .'
8. schierato, ' arrayed.' Schiera, a band or company, is con-
nected with Germ. ' schaar ' (a troop), and our ' share," ' ploughshare,"
' shear," etc., all of which words contain the notion of division.
35. 3. co' raggi . . . i. e. at daybreak.
5. adorno : see on 21. 7.
6. Buglion, i.e. Godfrey of Bouillon : 8. 5. For pio, see on i. I.
It is the epithet that Virgil constantly gives to his hero Aeneas.
7. fermo = fermato ; 21. 7. Notice that, as in French, reflective
verbs form their passives with 'essere.'
8. fante, from Lat. 'infantem,' means originally a child before it
can speak (in . . . fari) ; hence a servant, ' boy," retainer, or infantry. In
two passages Dante uses the word in the sense of a rational creature,
CANTO I. 67
as opposed to a. speechless animal, in which cases it seems to be the
Latin ' fantem 1 (speaking), rather than the shortened form of' infantem.'
36. i. Mente means 'memory,' as in Dante (Inf. ii. 8), 'O mente,
che scrivesti cio ch' io vidi."
3-4. vagliami, from ' vale-re,' imperative. ' Let thy (reasoning)
power aid me.' Some read ' vagliami tua virtu.' Schiera : 34. 8.
36. 8. eta, from Lat. 'aetatem'; and, as we might expect (see on 23.
4), there is a longer form 'etade,' used by Dante. Nulla 1* estingua:
notice the redundance of the pronoun in such expressions. Thus ' Ch'
Amor di nostra dipartille,' ' which Love cut off (them : sc. ' ombre ')
from our life.' Dante, Inf. v. 69 ; cp. ii. 95. 4.
37. i. mostrarsi = si mostrarono. Rem. i.
2. Ugone. Hugh, Count of Vermandois, was brother of Philip I
of France, and one of the most conspicuous of the Crusading princes ;
but, as Gibbon says, his appellation of 'the Great' was due not so much
to his merit or possessions (.though neither were contemptible) as
to his royal birth. After the capture of Antioch he was sent back as
envoy to Constantinople, to remind Alexius of his promises, and seized
the opportunity to retire to his native land. Tasso, perhaps to draw a
veil over the cowardice of the prince, states that he had already died ;
Lut this is not true, for, after Jerusalem had fallen, he returned to the
Holy Land on a new Crusade, and died of a wound at Tarsus.
3. Foro is another form of ' furo,' ' furono,' used chiefly in rhyme.
The isle of France (from which came the ' Franchi '), between the Seine,
the Oise, the Aisne, and the Mame, was the original domain of the
Capetian sovereigns, and the home of that dialect of the ' langue d'Oil,'
which supplanted the dialects of Normandy, Picardy, and Burgundy,
and became the French language.
5. gigli, i.e. the 'fleurs-de-lis.'
6. drappello, a flag ; hence, a company. With ' drappo ' are con-
nected our ' drape,' ' draper,' ' trappings,' etc.
7. Clotareo, or Clotaire, was afterwards killed by the Amazonian
Clorinda (xi. 43).
8. nulla, and niente are often thus used after a verb in the sense
of ' something,' or ' anything.' Thus ' se io posso far nulla ' means, ' if
I can do anything.' Therefore the common expression, ' il dolce far
r.ie-nte,' first vulgai ise-d (says Robello) by the newspapers, means exactly
the opposite of what it is generally intended to mean. The right phrase
would be, ' il dolce non far niente.' Translate ' To whom if aught is
wanting, 'tis royal blood."
38. 2. altrettaiiti : see on Rem. iii.
4. indifferent! = non differenti.'
5. Robert, eldest son of William the Conqueror, a prince of
F 2
68 LA GERUSALEMME LIBER AT A.
magnanimous but indolent and unpractical nature, was deprived of
the English Crown, his birthright, by the craft and activity of his
younger brother, William Rufus, and was obliged to content himself
with the duchy of Normandy and Maine. His wayward and careless
misrule ruined his people, and roused them to rebellion ; and when
a sudden impulse led him to join the Crusaders, he pawned Nor-
mandy to William for ten thousand marks, with which he might
collect a body of followers. In the Holy Land he distinguished
himself, and it is related by some chroniclers that he refused the
offered crown of Jerusalem. After the fall of the City of David,
while on his journey home, he fell in love with an Italian lady,
Sibyl, daughter of Count Conversano. While he loitered in Italy,
Rufus died, and the English Crown was seized by Henry I. Robert,
when he heard of this, hastened to England and landed with an
army at Portsmouth. War was averted for a time ; but sooa after-
wards Henry invaded Normandy. Robert was taken prisoner at
Tenchebray, and was confined by his unnatural brother for twenty-
eight years in Cardiff castle, where he died.
7. pastor de popoli : ' shepherds of the peoples,' an expression
taken from Homer. Spiegare is the Lat. ' explicare,' used in the same
sense. Rem. iv.
8. Two prelates named William, one Bishop of Orange, the
other of Metz, were among the Crusaders. It is probable that
Tasso's Guglielmo is the former, both for other reasons and because
the city of Orange is mentioned in the next stanza. He is again
coupled with Adhemar in canto xi. 5, and celebrates mass (xi. 14).
Adhemar, Bishop of Puy, and pope's legate, ' a respectable
prelate ' (according to Gibbon) ' alike qualified for this world, and
the next,' was associated with Raymond in the command of those
who came from the south of France. He was the first who at the
Council of Clermont took the badge of the Cross. After his fervent
exhortations as spiritual adviser, and no less vigorous example in the
field of battle, had long encouraged the Christian army; he. was,
according to the legend of Tasso, slam before Jerusalem by arrows
from the bow of Clorinda. The historical fact, however, seems to
be that he fell a victim to the epidemic that raged among the Cru-
saders after the capture of Antioch. He was buried in the church
of St. Peter, the same in which afterwards Tancred's remains were
kid.
39. 3. lunghi crini. ' Costumanza die anche oggidi si mantiene ne'
preti rrancesi.' (Carbone.)
5. Orange (anciently Arausio) lies not far to the north of
Avignon, in the department of Vaucluse.
CANTO I. 69
7. Poggio is Le Puy, in the province of Vellai, called Podium in
the middle ages.
8. Scaltro : according to the Crusca, 'scaltrire' means to
'sharpen,' or 'shape from the rough.' It may be connected with Latin
' scalpere,' ' scalptura ' (forms of ' sculptura,' etc.). The s was thought
to be ex (Rem. iv.\ and a verb ' calterire' was also formed. Translate
' Xor less skilled in arms.'
40.1-2. Baldovin: see on 9. I. These 'Bolognesi' are from
Boulogne-sur-mer. Godfrey, as commander-in-chief, has entrusted his
company to his brother. Addur si vede, ' Is seen bringing up.'
3. pio : as 35. 6.
5. This Count of the Carnutes (an ancient people in Gallia
Lugdunensis) is Stephen of Chartres, concerning whom see on 62. i.
6. pro" is the Latin preposition ' pro,' used in Italian as a sub-
stantive, e.g. 'in pro o in contro." From Lat. 'prodest' (it profits) we
get ' prod" e.' Then ' prode ' was used as an adjective ; as ' egli e prode '
(i. e. prodest), he is useful or brave. (Diez.)
7. triplicati. i. e. thrice as many.
41. i. Guelpho : 10. 8.
2. This may, or may not, be imitated from Cicero (pro Archia),
' Qui cum virtute fortunam adaeqtiavit.'
3. ' Through his Italian father': see on 10. 8. Latino is used by
Dante and Petrarch in this sense. See Selections from the Inferno,
Clar. Press, p. 148.
. germane, as Germ. ' Germane,' is not commonly used except
to distinguish the ancient inhabitants of Germany. It is probably used
here purposely, to imply the ancient origin of the Suabian line, from
which he was transplanted into that of-Este ; but cp. 43. 2.
7. Istro, the Lat. ' Ister,' is the Danube.
8. The Suevi occupied in ancient times the greater part of
Germany, and comprised numerous tribes. Tacitus gives the name of
Suevia to all the country between the Danube and the Baltic. In the
third century we find the name applied to a people living between the
mouth of the river Maine and the Black Forest, and from them is derived
the modern ' Suabia.' The Rhaeti are supposed by some to have come
originally from Ktruria. They lived in what is now the Tyrol and
the Swis-; Grisons. Avieno : a form of the imperfect 'avevano,' used
also by Dante (Inf. xxii. 144, etc.).
42. i. retaggio, from Lat. ' haereditatcm ' : as 'redita,' 'reda' ( =
erede, Dante), 'resia' (haeresis), 'storia' (historia\ and other words,
from which the first syllable has dropped out. See Rem. iv.
3-4 Horace speaks of the Rhaeti in like terms of praise. ' Hearts
devoted to the death of the free ' (Carm. iv. 14. 18). Che prende a
70 LA GERUSALEMME LIBER ATA.
scherno d' andar . . . , ' who deem lightly of . . .' Cp. such expres-
sions as ' godo di,' ' I am rejoiced in ..." Scherno is probably from
the same root as our ' scorn.'
5. TJsa agrees with ' gente.' Temprar, i. e. ' temperare.' The
idea is probably from Virgil, who, in describing the dreaded winter of the
North, cheers the scene by a similar description. ' They themselves in
deep-dug caverns lead a merry time of ease far beneath the ground, and
roll on to the hearths stacked oak logs and whole elms, and give them
to the flame. Here they spend the night in sport, and with malt and
sour sorb-apples imitate draughts of wine.' (Georg. iii. 376.)
8. or qui ne mena, ' here he now leads scarce a third of them.'
Rem. ii.
43. 3. Mosa, i. e. the Meuse or Maas. These are the Flemish and
Dutch.
4. Sponda in Latin means the frame of a bedstead or couch :
hence an ' edge' or ' bank.'
5. fansi : Rem. v. Compare Goldsmith (Traveller, 282) :
' Embosomed in the deep where Holland lies,
Methinks her patient sons before me stand,
Where the broad ocean leans against the land,
And, sedulous to stop the coming tide,
Lift the tall rampire's artificial pride.
While the pent ocean, rising o'er the pile,
Sees an amphibious world beneath him smile.'
8. cittadi : see on 23. 4. Pliny states that the ocean had
swallowed up certain islands in these parts.
44. 2. This 'other Robert' (see on 38. 5) was Count of Flanders.
His father Robert I had made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to expiate
the crime of having usurped the title that he bore. His son pur-
chased absolution for an offence against the Church by assuming the
Red Cross. By his courage he earned the title of the ' Lance and
sword of the Crusaders' from his comrades, and that of 'St. George'
from his enemies. He remained in Palestine until the kingdom of
Jerusalem was established, and then returned to his native land,
where he was killed by a fall from his horse. A stuolo, ' in one
band.' Stuolo is from the Greek crrSXps.
4. The King of England at this time was William Rufus. He
had no legitimate children ; and it is not known for certain whether
among the Crusaders there was any son of his named William.
Cp- 32. 7, where he is mentioned as one of the principal leaders.
6. ' From the distant bogs,' says Gibbon, ' and mountains of
CANTO I. 71
Ireland and Scotland issued some naked and savage fanatics, ferocious
at home, but umvarlike abroad.' The chronicler Guibert says, ' I
call heaven to witness that I know not the name of these peoples
(English and Irish) : their language was to us unknown ; and to
shew that they were even Christians they used to place one finger
over another in the form of a cross.'
8. This is imitated from Virgil's ' Et penitus toto divisos orbe
Britannos,' 'And the Britons, utterly cut off from the whole world.'
(Eel. i. 67.)
45. i. Tancredi : see on 9. 3.
2. Trarme, i. e. 'ne trai ' (from ' trarre'), 'except.' Thus Dante
(Inf. xxix. 125), ' Tranne lo Stricca.' Rem. ii. For Rinaldo, see 10. 3.
3. bel: see on 3. 5.
7-8. The sense is well given by Hoole
'A sudden love, that, born amidst alarms,
Was nursed with anguish in the din of arms.'
The words ' afan ' and ' ahan,' meaning pain, are found in early
romance poems. Thence come O. Fr. 'ahan,' toil, and 'ahaner,' to
toil, or to be out of breath.
46. i. la rotta. i.e. the defeat of Kerboga before Antioch : see on
6. 4. The ' donzella ' of the next stanza is the daughter of the emir
of Antioch ; but this romantic story is a pure invention of Tasso's.
4. stance is said to be from Lat. ' stagnare,' to make stagnant,
or to stop : with which are also connected our ' staunch,' and ' tank.' It
means ' wearied.'
5. labbra : see Rem. xi.
7. invitollo : Rem. iii. Hezzo, orezza, and rezza (a veil)
seem all to be derived from Lat. ' auretium ' (a breezy spot). But cp.
' brezza,' Fr. 'brise,' etc., and ' ribrezzo,' which means ' shivering.'
8. seggi : see on 2. 7. Fonte vivo : cp. Lat. ' vivum flumen,'
etc. 'A fresh (or natural) spring circled with verdant seats." This
is perhaps from Virgil's ' Intus aquae clulces, vivoque sedilia saxo.'
' within are sweet waters, and seats cut in the natural rock ' (Aen. i.
i67\
47. 4. istessa, as 'ispecchio,' ' isperare,' etc. Such words are still
more softened in French, as ' etat,' ' c-toile.' Eistorarse for ' ristorarsi ':
Rem. vi. ; cp. ii. n. i.
6. e n' arse : ' and was inflamed with love for her.'
8. This of course alludes to the wings and bow of Cupid.
48. 1-2. coprissi : Rem. iii. Arrivar : Rem. i. Ben, ' certainly':
;-. i. Assaliva, 'would have attacked him' (avrebbe assalito lui). The
indicative pluperfect is used similarly in Latin and English.
5. The idea in these lines may be taken from Ovid, who makes
72 LA GERUSALEMME LIEERATA.
use of it more than once, as in the beautiful passage about Lucretia
(.Fasti, ii. 769 sq.), and in Metam. vi. :
' At rex Odrysius, quamvis secessit ab ilia,
Aestuat, et repetens faciem, motusque, manusque,
Qualia vult fingit, quae nondum vidit ; et ignes
Ipse suos nutrit, cura removente dolorem.'
49. i. Cp. Petrarch, Canz. xiii. :
' Onde alia vista nom di tal vita esperto
Diria : questi arde e di suo stato e incerto.'
2. spene : 17. 2.
5. le ciglia: Rem. xi.
6. pompa . . . This expression seem to be copied from Claudian,
the last Roman poet, who speaks of
' Luxuriantis arenae
Delicias, pompam nemorum."
8. ' Which the Tyrrhene deep woos.' Vago, meaning originally
' wandering,' has also the sense of ' desirous,' ' amorous,' from the notion
of eager quest.
50. 2. scarce or scarico, ' unladen.' Rem. iv.
5. asciugare and asciutto, from Lat. 'exsugere' (sucus) and
' exsuctus,' literally ' sucked out,' and therefore ' dry,' ' lean.'
7-8. This is like the description given of Hannibal's Numidian
cavalry, or still more of the Parthian :
' Fidentemque fuga Parthum, versisque sagittis.'
(Virg. Georg. iii. 31.)
51. i. The leader of the Greeks, sent by Alexius, was Taticius (or
Tanino), whom Tasso calls Tatino (or, according to some editions
Latino, or Tazio). In canto xiii. 68 he is said to have deserted the
Christian camp before Jerusalem on account of the famine : but this
took place really at the siege of Antioch. See on 6. 4.
2. armi latine : see on i. i.
3. See on 25. 5.
5. pur quasi, ' only as if,' or 'just as if.' For the uses of ' pure,
see Selections from the Inferno, note on v. 21. (Clar. Press).
8. non ti lagnar, ' complain not.' Rem. ix.
52. 3. invitto is the Latin ' invicrus.' Rem. iv.
4. This is imitated from Lucretius, who calls the two Scipios
' Scipiades, belli fulmen, Carthaginis horror.'
Tasso applies the same expression to Tissaphemes (xvii. 31).
5. ' Let Argo cease to boast her Minyae.' Most of the Argonauts
were Minyae, who came originally from Thessaly, under their leader
Minyas, and founded a kingdom in Boeotia, with Orchomenos as their
CANTO I. 73
capital. King- Arthur and his knights are too well known to
description.
6. Cp. Petrarch, Trionfo d'Amor, cap. iii. :
' Ecco quei che le carte empion di sogni,
Lancillotto, Tristano, e gli altri erranti."
7. 'Tacciano perchc ogni antica mcmoria percle, e vinta, appo,
cio& appresso, questi eroi avventurieri.' (Deagostini.) Appo, Lat.
' apud,' means near.' It is used by Dante (Inf. xviii. 1 35) in the Latin
sense, i. e. ' appo te,' with thee.
53. i. Dudon, a friend of Godfrey, came from Contz, not far from
the confluence of the Saar and the Moselle, (Ugo Foscolo); or, as
others say, from Conza in southern Italy. Nothing further is known of
him. Tasso seems almost to apologise for Dudon's obscurity in the
following lines.
8. non brutte, that is, 'honourable.' This is an example of
what grammarians call ' meiosis' (a lessening).
54. i. Eustace (8. 5), younger brother of Godfrey and Baldwin.
After the former was established at Jerusalem, and the latter at Edessa,
Eustace returned to the West. Pregi : see on 2. 7.
3. ' Gernando is there.' Rem. ii. Nothing is told in the history
of the Crusades concerning this leader: nor is the royal house of
Norway mentioned.
5. Roger of Barneville is a historical character. He is afterwards
kilk-d by Tisaphernes (canto xx. 112), a heroic Indian in the mercenary
force of the Egyptian caliph.
6-8. There are four chiefs mentioned in the chronicles, with the
name Engerlan or Engerrand ; one a German prince, another of
Lilliers, etc. It is impossible to say which Tasso means. The Gherards.
or Gerards, also who took part in this Crusade number at least six. of
which Tasso mentions two. Rambaldo was Duke of Orange. Later in
the poem (v. 75) he is seduced from his allegiance and faith by the enchan-
tress Armida. Gentonio is probably a Gentone of Beam in France.
55. 2. Of the names in this stanza none are sufficiently reccg:.ised as
historical to demand notice.
3-4. Non fla ch' . . , ' it shall not be that . . .' Chi f a . . . ,
i. e. time, or oblivion.
6. involi . . . al chiaro mondo, lit. ' rob from the illustrious
world,' i. e. celebrity. These three Lombard brothers are of the
Parian family Bfccaria.
8. ' In which from the (mouth of the) snake issues the naked
child': the arms of the Visconti of Milan. Ignudo , a long form of
4 nudo.' Cp. Lat. ' gnavus.' and ' navus ' : and see on 47. 4. Angue is
a poetical word for a snake. Lat. ' anguis.'
74 LA GERUSALEMME LIBERATA.
56. 1-3. Of these chiefs Eberardo (Everard) of Puysage alone is
mentioned by the commentators. There were five Guidi, and it is
impossible to say which two are here meant.
5. lasso : for the rhyme see on 3. 3. Ove . . . rapite, from
Virg. Aen. vi. 846, 'Quo fessum rapitis Fabii?' Translate 'Whither
do ye ... hurry me, already weary of recounting ? '
6. This Edward was an English baron, who was accompanied by
his heroic wife Gildippe. She is represented as the Christian Amazon.
a character that Clorinda acts on the side of the Pagans. Both she and
her husband are (xx. 94. sq.) killed by Soliman. Hence 'ye shall not
be separated even when dead.'
57. 1-2. 'In the schools of Love what is not learnt ?' Cp. Petrarch's
' Per quel ch' egli imparo nella mia scola.' Ivi si fe, ' there was she
made,' or ' made herself.' Rem. v.
3. noccia: subjunctive, present, from 'nuocere,' or 'nocere,'
which is declined like ' piacere,' ' giacere,' etc. The construction ' ad
un . . . noccia' resembles the Latin construction of the dative after
'nocere.' Unqua and unquanco (Lat. 'unquam') are archaic and
poetical forms. Dante also uses ' unque.'
8. versa, 'sheds,' 'pours forth.' Cp. 3. i. Qussta, i.e. Gildippe
58. i. Einaldo : see on 10. 3.
2. sovra quanti .... Notice the omission of the antecedent.
4. The order of the words is ' vedresti tutti mirar in lui solo.'
6. n' usciro, ' issued forth.' Hoole translates,
' Mature beyond his years his virtues shoot,
As, mixed with blossoms, grows the budding fruit.'
7-8. fulminar, ' flash.' Rinaldo is the Achilles of the Crusade
uniting the attributes of Mars and Amor, as did the son of Peleus, who,
unrivalled by all but Nireus, was the most handsome of the Greeks
who came beneath the walls of Troy.
59. 2. See on 10. 3. Bertoldo was son of Azzo V of Este, the ge-
nealogy of which house is given in Canto xvii.
3. fusse : see Rem. xii.
5. This Matilda, whom Tasso here feigns to have been the in-
structress of Rinaldo, is the celebrated Countess Matilda, daughter of
the Margrave Boniface of Tuscany. She defeated Robert Guiscard, and
was the valiant ally of Gregory VII (Hildebrand) against Henry IV.
By her assistance the emperor was overpowered and forced to submit to
a humiliating penance at Canossa, where, ' for three days and nights in
January. 1077, he waited bareheaded in the courtyard of the castle
before the haughty prelate would grant him an audience ' (Select. Inferno,
Clar. Press, p. xvii). Matilda left to the papal see the greater portion
of her vast possessions, thus to a great extent securing the temporal
CANTO I. 75
power of the Popes. Dante introduces her into Purgatory as a symbol
of active life, in contrast to Beatrice, or contemplative life. Her deeds are
recounted by Tasso in Canto xvii. 77 sq.
6. con ella, 'per grazia di rima, sull' esempio di molti eccellenti
poeti, invece di dire con lei secondo i grammatici.' (Deagostini.)
60. i. lustro (Lat. 'lustrum') is a space of five years, so 'called from
the expiatory sacrifice or purification (the original meaning of 'lustrum')
performed by the Roman censors after the census, which was taken every
five years. Forniti : completed.
2. G-iunse, 'arrived.' The Latin 'jungere' means to 'join'; but
in medieval Latin we find such expressions as ' conjungere ad . . . ,' to
arrive at.
5. 1'imiti : see on 36. 8.
6. This is evidently ' magnanimo Alfonso.' Cp. 5. I sq. Nipote
is used loosely for ' descendant,' as Virgil uses ' magna de stirpe ne-
potum.' These two lines are entirely omitted by Hoole, perhaps as too
obscure.
61. i . Passati i cavlieri, ' when the mounted troops had passed,'
an absolute construction common in Italian.
2. innanti (and innanto) for ' innanzi.' Raymond of Toulouse
(see on 38. 8) was united with Adhemar in the command of more
than 100,000 men from the south of France. He was marquis of
Provence, duke of Narbonne, and count of Toulouse and of St. Giles.
The last title he took from the town of his birth (or perhaps his first
appanage), which was consecrated to St Aegidius, a name corrupted by
the French into St. Gilles, or St. Giles. It is situated in Lower Languedoc,
between Nismes and the Rhone, and still boasts a collegiate church of the
foundation of Raymond (Gibbon, chap. Iviii). He had earlier in life
fought in Spain, as comrade of the Cid, against the Moors. After the
conquest of Jerusalem he returned to Constantinople, and received as a
reward for his services from the Greek Emperor the city of Laodicea.
Soon afterwards he took part in the siege of Tripoli, and died before the
walk of that city in 1 1 10. Pirene, i. e. the Pyrenees.
8. Notice that most nouns in -a that signify a male, as ' papa,'
' poeta,' etc., are masculine. Quids is an exception.
62. r. ' Stephen, count of Chartres, of Blois, and of Troyes, was one
of the richest princes of the age ; and the number of his castles has been
compared to the three hundred and sixty five days of the year. His
mind was improved by literature; and in ihe council of the chiefs the
eloquent Stephen was chosen to discharge the office of their president.'
(Gibbon.) He was married to Adela, or Alice, fourth daughter of
William the Conqueror, and was the father by her of Stephen, King of
Kngland. During the siege of Antioch he deserted and returned home
76 LA GERUSALEMME LIBER ATA.
(see on 6. 4), but, unable to bear the reproaches of his high-minded
wife and his subjects, he again collected a large force of about 250,000
men, and made his way to Palestine. But great calamities overtook
this army, and after great losses only a few, together with their leader,
reached Antioch. Here he distinguished himself by saving the life of
Bohemond on one occasion ; but he was himself killed in a fight near
Jerusalem in 1103.
5-8. Of this stanza Cesarotti (the notorious disparager of Homer)
remarks that it contains a precious philosophical maxim on the influence
of climate. In like manner many critics have praised Dante as a meta-
physician, a natural philosopher, a theologian, and what not, while they
have utterly ignored him as a poet. The ' furia francese ' described in
the last two lines is also noticed by Cesarotti. It shews that the
character of French troops in their furious and brief elan has suffered
little change. Di leggier, lightly, easily.
63. i. This Alcasto is mentioned later in the poem (Canto xi) as one
of the foremost in the assault on Jerusalem, when he was driven back
by Argante. He also endeavoured in vain to cut down the enchanted
grove (Canto xiii).
2. After the tragic fate of Oedipus, his sons Eteocles and Poly-
nices dfvided the government of Thebes ; but quarrels arose, and
Polynices was driven out. He fled to Argos, where Adrastus organised
for his restoration the famous expedition of the ' Seven against Thebes.'
Capaneus was one of these seven heroes. While he was scaling the
walls he was struck down by the thunderbolt of Zeus, whom he had
defied.
' With launched lightning hurls him down,
E'en at the goal and summit,
Striving to shout, triumphant, 'Victory';
And dashed upon th' unyielding ground he fell.'
(Sophocles, Antig. 131.)
In a most magnificent passage Capaneus is represented by Dante as
still indomitably defiant even in hell, caring nought for the flakes of
burning snow that are showered upon him, so that he forces from Virgil
the exclamation, ' O Capaneus, in that thy pride is not quenched thou
art the more punished. No torment, save thy rage, would be pain pro-
portioned to thy fury' (xiv. 46). Again (xxv. 14) he says:
' Spirto non vidi in Dio tanto superbo,
Non quel che cadde a Tebe giu de' muri.'
Tasso here of course means a nobler pride and the defiant look of
courage : but probably not unmingled in Acasto with a savage fierceness.
3. Elvezi, the ' Helvetii ' or Swiss. Plebe implies that they had
been mere uneducated cowherds and low-born rustics.
CANTO I. 77
5-6. Solchi, furrows : from Lat. ' sulcus.' Cp. Virgil (Georg. i.
508) :
'Bent sickles forged into the rigid sword.'
Contrast Isaiah ii. 4 ; ' And they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruninghooks.'
8. sfidar, to challenge, or defy. See Rem. iv.
64. I. vessillo, a standard: from Lat. 'vexillum,' which is the
diminutive of ' velum,' a sail, or curtain. This is the Papal standard
of Urban II.
4. rilucnti, as in 62. 4.
5. 'Glad that for so great an emprise Heaven had chosen him.'
Thus Dante (Par. xi. 109) :
' Colui, ch' a tanto ben sortillo.'
Camillas rejoices that he is allowed to imitate the great deeds of his
great namesakes, especially M. Furius Camillus, who in 396 took Veii,
and drove Brennus and his Gauls from Rome, after the city had been
captured and sacked by the barbarian in 390.
7. latina, here probably in the more limited sense of ' Roman '
or ' Latian.' See on 41. 3. He wishes to prove that courage at least is
not deficient in the Roman troops, however much their military training
may be inferior to that of their ancestors.
65. i. 'L'esercito consisteva in circa diecimila cavalli senza gli Av-
venturieri, e ventidue mila pedoni.' (Deagostini.)
5. appaia: pres. subj. of 'apparire,' or ' apparere.' Alba, the
dawn, from ' albus ' (white) : whence also French ' aube.' Thus Dante,
speaking of the newly risen sun, says, ' II sol imjaianca i fioretti.'
6. Vo' = ' voglio,' from ' volere.'
7. giunga : see on 60. 4. Citta sacrata, i. e. Jerusalem.
8. aspettata agrees with ' oste.' The more quickly the army
advances the less will it be expected, and opposed.
66. 3. parlar: see Rem. vii.
5. novo raggio, the morrow's dawn.
8. nel cor la prema, an imitation of Virgil's (Aen. i. 209) 'Spem
vultu simulat, premit altum corde dolorem.'
67. 3. Ga/a. 'The last city on the S. W. frontier of Palestine, and
the key of the country on the side of Egypt, stood on an eminence about
two miles from the sea, and was, from the very earliest times of which
we have any record, very strongly fortified ' (Smith's Class. Diet.). It
was a stronghold of the Philistines against the Jews, of the Jews against
the Persians, of the Persians against Alexander, and in the wars of
subsequent ages was often destroyed and rebuilt. It fell into the hands
of the Arabs in 634, and at the time of the first Crusade was probably
under the dominion of Egypt, though Tasso has represented Palestine as
78 LA GERUSALEMME LIBER AT A.
still in the hands of the Turks. Bello e forte arnese . . , copied
from Dante, wl.o (Inf. xx. 70) speaks of
' Peschiera, bello e forte arnese
Da fronteggiar Bresciani e Bergamaschi.'
6. stia : pres. subj. from 'stare.'
7. ' Nor doubts in him a cruel foe to find.' (Hoole.)
68. i. saettia, a brigantine, or some such fast-sailing vessel.
5. un giovane regal : Sweyn, son of the Danish king. While
he attempted to lead his army from Constantinople to join the Crusaders,
he and his followers were destroyed by Soliman and his Turks.
' Insidiis Turcorum,' says the chronicler Paolo Emilio, ' ad unum
omnes cum regio juvene caesi.'
7. Prence, a short form of ' principe.' Dante (Purg. x. 74) uses
' prince.'
8. Sin, a form of 'fino' (from Lat. 'finis,' an end): used much
in such expressions as ' fin a . . . ,' etc. like the Lat. ' usque ad,' French
' jusqu'a,' Germ. ' bis. . .' Sottoposte al polo, perhaps from Virgil's
'medium Rhodope porrecta sub axem.' (Georg. iii. 351.)
69. i. See on 25. 5.
6. parti, ' seems to thee.' For the rhyme, see on 2. 3.
8. fora = sarebbe (Lat. ' foret ' = ' esset ').
70. i. non venir; in a negative command the infinitive is used.
Rem. ix. Seco, as well as suo ' are not used (as in Latin ' secum ' and
' suus ') as strictly reflective. Cp. 69, 2.
3. piu d' una volta. For the rules applying to the distinction
of ' di ' and ' che ' after comparisons, see Vergani viii, and Robello x.
Such expressions as the present are ' piu di tre anni,' ' piu di venti
uomini," etc.
7. Toglie . . congedo, 'takes leave': from Lat. 'commeatus'
(Diez ?) ; whence also O. Fr. ' conjet,' and modern Fr. ' conge.'
8. tregua, a truce ; Fr. ' trfeve,' Low Lat. ' treuga ' : probably
connected with Germ. ' treu ' and Eng. ' true.'
71. 4. s' esorte s' esorti (Rem. i.) : from Lat. 'exhortare.'
72. 3. appar ... in punto, 'appears in readiness': thus ' essere
punto ' is often used.
6-7. scioglie, ' unfurls.' Vessillo : 64. i .
73. i. de' celesti campi . . . , 'ever winning further through (lit.
of) the ethereal plains.'
3 - 4. ne trae . . . , ' draws from them flashes and gleams.' Onde,
' by which.' This is imitated from Virgil's description (Aen. vii. 526).
' The bronzen arms gleam, struck by the sun, and cast up a light against
the clouds.'
5. awampare, from ' vampa'; Lat. ' vapor,' heat.
CANTO I. 79
6. in forma di . . . , ' in the likeness of . . . ,'
7. nitrito, a neighing, comes from Lat. ' hinnitus' (or 'hinnitrus ').
74. 6. cui is used in all cases of the relative, both singular and plu:al.
7. erto, steep ; from Lat. ' erectus,' as ' clritto ' from ' directus.'
75. 3. folta, dense. Dante also uses it of a wood (xiii. 7). Diez
thinks that it is from Lat. ' infultus,' Sicilian ' 'nfultu,' which would
mean ' stuffed or packed in.'
5. This is copied from Virgil (Georg. i. 481), who speaks of the
Po as the ' king of rivers ' :
' Proluit insano contorquens vortice silvas
Fluviorum rex Eridanus, camposque per omnes
Cum stabulis armenta tulit.'
7. scorre : Rem. iv.
76. i. By the king of Tripoli is meant the Emir. Gibbon says,
' Their easy march i that is, from Antioch, and not, as Tasso says, from
Tortosa) was continued between mount Libanus and the sea-shore ;
their wants were liberally supplied by the coasting traders of Genoa
and Pisa ; and they drew large contributions from the emirs of Tripoli,
Tyre, Sidon, Acre, and Cscsarea, who granted a free passage.' From
the emir of Tripoli they are said to have obtained fifteen thousand
' scudi," and the restoration of all the Christian prisoners.
2. Mura, a heterogeneous noun : cp. 22. i. Rem. xi.
77. i. This mount Seir must not be confounded with the great range
to the south of the Dead Sea.
3. Fedeli, i.e. Christians. The word is used similaily in ii. viii.
7 sq.
7. guida: 61. 8.
78. i. See above on 76. i.
4. armata, used only of a naval armament : an ' armada.' Hade,
lit. to scrape, or giaze, thence to ' hug,' the shore.
6. arnesi, i.e. supplies. Biada, corn, is the same word as
Germ. ' blatt' (a leaf), and our ' blade.'
8. petrosa is probably from the epithet applied to Scio (Chios)
in the well known line in the Greek hymn to Apollo, which describes
Homer as ' the blind old man of Scio's rocky isle.' Vindemrni, the
orthography of such words is very variable. The best grammars give
the rule t'lat an ' i' is dropped in all cases when the termination does
not consist wholly of an ' i.' The Greek army before Troy was siip-
plied in like manner from the vineyards of Lemnos. (II. vii. 467.)
79. 5. The Genoese and Venetians are meant, St. George being the
patron saint of Genoa and St. Mark of Venice.
6. The ancient ' Ligures ' inhabited the country about what is
BOW the G ulf of Genoa.
80 LA GERUSALEMME LIBER AT A.
80. 2. laccio, a noose, here means a bond. The expression ' saldissimi
lacci ' is hardly satisfactory : and Tasso has improved the line in the
Ger. Conquist : ' Con legami di fede in un volere.' Translate ' United
with the firmest bonds in one desire '
3. s'eran carchi : the reflective is used with ' essere ' especially
when, as here, the expression may be looked upon as the compound
tense of a reflective verb. Thus this may be translated, ' had loaded
themselves' (carco = carcato : see 21. 7.)
5. sforniti, lit. unfurnished, i.e. unoccupied.
81. i. This resembles several passages in ancient writers; especially
Virgil, Aen. iv. 173: 'Fame speeds through cities, no less faithful to
falsehood and misrepresentation than she is a messenger of truth.'
4. a' e mosso : Rem. v.
5. ella, i.e. la fama.
8. gli usurpatori, i. e. the Turks.
82. 2. forse clie non parrebbe .... In French also the negative
is used in these cases, where we omit it. Rem. ix. Translate : ' And
the expectation of ill is a worse ill perhaps than would seem the present
ill (or, the ill, if present).' Cp. Cicero Epp. ad Att. lib. x: ' Majus
malum est tamdiu timere, quam est illud ipsum quod timetur.'
83. i. Aladin (according to Foscolo) is not a historical character.
Jerusalem had been subdued by the Fatimite Caliph of Egypt a year
before the arrival of the Christians before the city. There was not, as
Tasso feigns, a Saracen king in alliance with Egypt, but an Egyptian
governor named Ducat ; whom Tasso substitutes for Aladin in the
Ger. Conquist. under the name of ' Ducalto.' According to Gibbon it
was a sultan or emir Aphdal who recovered Jerusalem and also Tyre
for the Fatimites. But he calls the ' caliph's lieutenant, who was en-
trusted with the defence,' Aladin or Iftikhar.
83. i . Tasso considered it necessary for the sake of contrast to paint
the arch-enemy of the Christians in the darkest colours. The explana-
tions that he gives of the allegory of the poem account for this, from
the fact that the Christian army and its chiefs represent virtue, while their
enemies are the ministers of Satan.
84. 4. Macometto, i. e. Mahomet.
7. Scemo ... a' suoi Pagani, ' he lightened . . . for his
own Paynims.' Tasso often uses the word ' pagans ' for Mahometans,
though they hardly merit the name in its present meaning. Originally it
meant merely a villager,' as opposed to the townspeople, who were
naturally the first to embrace Christianity as the national religion.
85. 5. This is probably a recollection of Virgil's well-known descrip-
tion of the snake, which, in winter, gorged with noxious herbs, coils its
swollen body beneath the cold earth, but in spring casts its slough and
CANTO I. Si
comes forth, raising its head aloft and darting out its flickering tongue.
Angue, Lat. ' anguis," is a poetical word for ' serpe ' or ' serpente.'
7-8. Aeschylus (Agamemnon 716 sq.) gives a fine description of
a young lion, which had been reared in a house, ' at the outset of life,
gentle, loving towards the children, a joy to the elders : and oft was he
in the arms like a fresh-weaned babe, with bright joyous looks as he is
patted, and fawning through stress of hunger. But when he is full
grown he shows the former nature of his parents . . . and the house is
besmeared with gore.' It is possible that Tasso knew this passage.
Altri is often used to mean ' any one.'
86. 5. cova, lit. 'hatches,' ' broods over': from Lat. 'cubare,' to lie.
87. i. nol: Rem. vi.
2. sfogherommi, ' I will put myself at ease.' Sfogare or dis-
fogare is to ' exhale ' or ' evaporate.' Foga, impetuosity, is perhaps
from Lat. ' focus ' (a hearth, or fire) and not from ' fuga ' (flight).
3. faronne, ' I will make of them . . .' Rem. ii.
4. svenare is literally to ' open the veins ' (Lat. ' ex ' and
vena').
6. ' These (i. e. the temples and houses) shall be their due
funeral pyres.' Fieno : i. e. saranno (Lat. ' fient '). It may be noticed
that the Christians, when Jerusalem was taken, almost exceeded by their
acts the hideous barbarities that Aladin here designs. They drove the
Jews into their synagogue and burnt it to the ground, while of the
Mahometans they slaughtered about seventy thousand.
88. 2. pur, ' only."
4. vilta . . . pietate : see on 23. 4.
7. le vie d'accordo, i. e. the harmony existing between his
Christian and Mahometan subjects in the city.
8. 1' arme vittrici : as in Latin ' anna victricia ' (Virgil), where
the phrase is less correct, for ' victrix ' is strictly a feminine, and ' anna '
is neuter.
89. 2. sfoghi: 87. 2.
3. rustic!, i.e. in the surrounding country.
5. alcuno is used, like French 'aucun,' where usually the nega-
tive is repeated.
6. Franco. The French composed the greater part of the
army, and thence their name was used to denote the whole. It is said
that ever since the Crusades Europeans have been called ' Franks ' by
the inhabitants of these parts. Hence also comes the ' lingua franca,' a
jargon of French, Spanish, and Italian, that is spoken by the sailors and
people of the seaports in the Levant.
90. 4. The fortifications built by the Jews (says Gibbon) had been
completely destroyed and imperfectly restored. The natural bulwarks
G
82 LA GERUSALEMME LIBERATA.
of crags and precipices secured the city on the south and east, and it
was on the northern and western sides that the Christians directed their
chief assaults.
5. da' . . ., 'ever since.'
7. quantitade, as ' cittade,' ' pietade,' etc., 23. 4.
CANTO II.
ARGUMENT.
Ismeno, the wizard, proposes to Aladin that, in order to render
Jerusalem secure, an image of the Virgin should be removed from a
Christian church and placed in the mosque. This is done ; but soon
the image disappears from the temple of the infidels. Aladin, enraged,
orders a general massacre of the Christians, by one of whom he believes
the robbery to have been committed. A young Christian maiden
Sophronia publicly denounces herself (14) in order to save the others.
She is condemned to be burnt to death. Her lover (28) Olindo, a
young Syrian, endeavours to avert her fate by claiming the deed as his
own. They are both led to the stake ; but, when fire is about to be
applied, Clorinda, the woman-warrior, arrives at the scene (38) and
by her entreaty Aladin is persuaded to spare their lives ; but he banishes
them, and many others. The Crusaders had meantime reached Emmaus
(55), where two ambassadors from Egypt meet them. The crafty
speech of Alethes (62-79), proposing a compact between Egypt and
the Christians. Godfrey's answer. Argantes. the other envoy, offers
war, which is accepted (92), and the ambassadors are dismissed with
gifts. Argantes enters Jerusalem, but Alethes returns to Egypt. The
Christians await with impatience the dawn of the morrow, on which
they will reach the Holy City and begin the siege.
1. 3. di sotto ai chiusi marmi, ' from below closed marbles/
i. e. tombs. Thus Virgil, ' saepe animas imis excire sepulcris ' (Eel. viii.
98).
6. sin nella . . . ; i. e. ' even as far as in . . .' Pluto was the
god of the infernal regions.
7. suoi ; i. e. Pluto's.
2. i. Macone ; i.e. Mahomet.
3. i. senza tardar; Rem. vii.
3. A maxim common to most languages* The commentator?
CANTO II. 83
quote Cicero ' fortes fortuna adjuvat ' ; and Ovid, ' audaces forsque
Deusque juvat.'
5-6. hai tutte piene . . . le parti, ' thou hast fulfilled the duties
of king and leader . . .' Thus in Lat. ' explere partes.'
4. i. quanto a me, 'as for me.'
4. ebbero esiglio ; i. e. were exiled : the fallen angels.
6. ' I will compel to a share in the toils.'
7. donde, whence, or with what. See on i. 1 8. 4. Voglia :
subjunctive. Kem. ix.
5. i . The episode of Sophronia and Olindo was probably suggested by
a historical fact, which is stated by William of Tyre in his ' Gesta Dei per
Francos. 1 A Mahometan, who wished to inflame the public feeling against
the Christians, one night threw the carcase of a clog intooneof the principal
mosques of the city. The consequence was that a general massacre of
the Christians was decreed. At this crisis a young man (whose name
history has not preserved) offered to sacrifice himself for his fellows.
His offer was accepted; and, having accused himself of the deed, he
was given over to the rage of the populace.
3. face for 'fa' (Lat. 'facit'). Translate 'of her whom that
crowd (the Christians) make their goddess and the mother of their born
and buried God.' Galileo, with some reason, complained that these
lines were involved and obscure.
5. face, a torch ; i. e. the lighted candles that are kept continually
burning before such images. See on i. 3. 3.
7. i voti . . . ' the votive tablets which the ... bear thither.'
These tablets are hung up as thankofferings for recovery from sickness,
and other dangers. The custom is one of many which have been
adopted from the old religion by the Romish Church.
6. i. lor ; i. e. de' Cristiani.
2. trasporte for ' trasporti.' Rem. xii.
3. riponga : subj. from ' riporre.' Meschita (more usually
' moschea '), a mosque, is a Turkish word. Dante uses it when speaking
of the flaming towers of the City of Dis (Inf. viii. 70).
6. fatale is taken from Virgil's ' fatale . . . Palladium' (Aen. ii.
165). The Palladium was an image of Minerva which by its presence
secured the safety of Troy. Fatale therefore means ' on which the fate
of the city depended.'
7. 2. niagione ; Fr. ' maison," Eng. ' mansion,' ' manse,' etc., are from
Lat. ' mansio,' an abode. From ' manere' (to abide) we also have prob-
ably, Eng. ' messuage ' and ' mastiff ' ( = house-dog: cf. olieovp6s in Greek).
4. rapio for ' rapi.' Rem. xii.
7. immago is the Latin form 'imago,' not formed, as 'imagine, 1
from the accusative. See on i. 23. 4.
G 2
84 LA GERUSALEMME LIBER AT A.
8. 4. cerconne = ' ne cerco,' sought for it.
6. Di lui ; i.e. of the man in charge of the mosque, who had brought
the news.
7. Fedele ; i.e. Christian : as in following stanzas, and i. 77. 3,
etc.
8. sel cele, ' is concealing it.' Rem. viii. Cele for ' celi.'
9. 4. Sdegna, disdains, or 'sdains (a word formed on the Italian by
Milton).
5. Che, 'for.'
7. Ben e pieta . . . pietade : cf. i. 5. I and i. 23. 4.
8. autor sen creda, ' be believed the author thereof."
10. 4. il reo, ' the culprit.'
6. apporsi means ' to be imputed.' The crime is not discovered,
or brought home to any one.
7. fosse : ' were it the work of heaven, or of some other.' The
subjunctive is used to express the doubt or hypothesis, ' whether it
were . . .' Rem. x.
8. a lui after ' celolla.' ' Hid it from him.'
11. i. occultarse: cf. i. 47. 4. Rem. vi.
6. segua che puote : Rem. x. Sfogar : i. 87. 2.
7. non andra 1' ira a voto, ' my anger shall not come to nought,'
i.e. be aroused in vain. Voto, ' empty,' connected with our ' vault,'
and 'void,' from Lat. 'volvere,' 'volutus,' rounded or hollowed out.
The Venetian form is 'vodo,' as in the expression 'luna voda,' the
waning moon. (Diez.)
12. 5-6. ' If there is a soul guiltless in the late crime (i.e. of stealing
the image) let an old fault (i.e. some former deed) suffice for a new
punishment.' This is merely a repetition' of what has already been said,
viz. that all deserve death, if not for this, at least for some former
deed.
7. su . . . via, 'up ... away ! '
13. 4. presente, 'imminent.' Cp. Virg. Aen. i. 91 : ' Praesentemque
viris intentant omnia mortem,' and all things threaten the heroes with
immediate death.
8. ' Whence they least hoped, had salvation.'
14. i. For the origin of this story see on ii. 5. I. The critics have
discovered that this episode spoils the unity of the poem, and is too
lyrical for the strict laws of epic poetry. Even Tasso himself (as is
proved by one of his letters) had his doubts on this point.
4. ' Or only so far as thereby virtue is adorned.' Fregiare : see
on i. 2. 7. As the stem of the verb ends in ' -gi ' the final ' i ' in ' fregi '
is dropped.
5. mura : Rem. xi.
CANTO II. 85
7. ella s' invola alle . . , 'she hides herself from the praises . . .
of flatterers." The passage seems to be a reminiscence of Petrarch
(Son. ccv) :
' L' alta belth, ch' al mondo non a pare,
Noia t' e, se non quanto il bel tesoro
Di castita par ch' ella adorni e fregi.'
15. 2. appaia: from ' apparere.'
5. Argo. Argus, surnamed Panoptes (the all-seeing), was sent by
Hera (Juno) to keep guard over lo, who had been beloved by Zeus
(Jupiter) and had been transformed into a cow. He is said to have had
a hundred eyes, which, when he had been killed by Hermes the messen-
ger of Zeus, were placed by Hera in the tail of her favourite bird, the
peacock.
6. benda, a band, or veil : connected with Eng. ' bind,' ' bundle,'
Fr. ' bande,' Germ. ' Band,' ' Bund,' etc.
Ce, for us. Rem. ii.
16. 5. Nd sa scoprirsi . . . , ' He knew not how, or feared to tell his
pain.' (Hoole.)
6-8. non s' awede, ' does not understand.' Carbone says, ' Mai
gradito risponde a lo sprezza ; non visito a nol vede ; mal noto a non
s' awede. 1
17. 7. anzi s' accorda. The notion is that courage conquers modesty,
and then allies with it, so that each quality is tempered with the
other.
18. 3. ' Withdrew her glances, went enwrapped in her veil.'
4. ischivi, ' bashful' : see on i. 3. 4; and for the form ' ischivo '
cp. i. 47. 4.
10. 3. ' Nor because she saw him angry does she withdraw.'
8. quel reo, 'that culprit': as 10.4. Onde, ' by whom.' See
on i. 18. 4.
20. 3. quasi . . . quasi, ' almost . . . almost.'
6. manco, ' less ' : as ' meno.' Translate ' if he had been less
haughty of soul, she of look, he had become her lover.'
7. ritroso, stubborn, or proud : from Lat. ' retrorsus ' (or ' retro-
versus') which means 'turned back,' 'reversed.'
21. 3. le = 'a lei,' to her. See on i. 12. 2.
8. ddi : 2nd pers. sing, pres., from ' dovere.'
22. 2. '1 volse raccorre ; i.e. ' il fato.'
3. Magnanima menzogna. This may be from Horace's ' splen-
dide mendax ' (nobly false), which he applies to the Danaid who alone
spared her husband (Carm. iii. 35). Sophocles also has a like expression
concerning Antigone, oeria iravovpyrjaaaa (having committed a holy
crime). Robello says, speaking of the difference of words that are often
86 LA GERUSALEMME LIBER AT A.
thought synonymous, ' Ces differences remarquables existent meme dans
les mots synonymes de la meme langue. Ainsi les deux mots italiens
bugia et menzogna signifient "mensonge" ; mais le premiernous represente
1'idee sous un aspect naturellement hideux ; le sens du second est au
contraire adouci par 1' elegance du mot. Cette difference n'a point
echappe au jugement exquis du Tasse. . . .' He then quotes the present
passage.
4. preporre. Notice that in these cases, as also after 'fare,'
' lasciare,' etc., the infinitive active is used. Cp. the construction of
' faire' in French and ' lassen ' in German.
8. die = ' diede ' : perf. from ' dare.'
24. 4. 1' arderla, ' to burn it.' Rem. vii.
5. potra piu violarsi: see on 22. 4, and Rem. vi.
25. i. Quantunque and benche are not always followed by the
subjunctive, which shows, says Robello, that one can consider them as
expressing a positive as well as a dubitative idea. ' En effet, le Tasse fait
dire a Sophronia, benche non furto e il mio bien que ce ne soit pas un
larcin celui que j'ai commis.'
8. scudo ; i.e. defence ; from. Lat. ' scutum,' an oblong shield.
26. 4. ritorte, ' cords ' ; from Lat. ' retortus,' twisted back.
7. smarrire is used of any bewilderment, as of losing a way, or
being disheartened. ' Che la diritta via era smarrita.' (Dante, Inf. i. 3.)
The next line contains one of those exquisite, but slightly artificial, con-
trasts in which Tasso is unsurpassed.
27. 1-2. tratto . . . s' era. See on i. 80. 3.
3-4. ' For, since the person was doubtful, and the deed certain,
he came in doubt whether it were his lady.' Forse is thus used, as a
substantive, by Dante : as ' io rimango in forse ' (Inf. viii. no), where it
means 'doubt'; and 'milizia, che era in forse' (Par. xii. 41) where it
means ' danger.'
28. 2. sen vanta, she boasts of it; i.e. of the deed.
7. il narri, let her relate it.
29. 2. die ( = dl) from Lat. 'dies,' only used in poetical language.
For meschita see on 6. 3. This stanza reminds one of the speech of
Nisus in Virgil (Aen. ix. 425).
3. breve foro, a narrow hole, or passage : as ' breve pertugio '
(Inf. xxxiii. 22). This is a common meaning of Lat. 'brevis.' The
Crusca, oblivious of Dante, condemned Tasso's use of the word in this
sense. Foro, connected with ' forare,' to bore.
30. 3. A che ne vieni . . , ' wherefore dost thou come ? ' Rem. ii.
6. ' To endure that which the anger of one man can (inflict).'
31. i. nol dispone si ch" . . , ' does not induce him to . . .'
2. mute : Rem. xii.
CANTO II. 8;
32. i-2. ' It seemed to him that he is (lit. remains) despised by them,
and that in contempt of him they scorn the torments.'
3. Credasi ... ad ambo. This is the same impersonal con-
struction as would be used in Latin, ' credatur ambobus,' let credence be
given to both.
5. Sergente, from Lat. ' servire,' ' servientem,' in the same way
as ' pioggia' from ' pluvia.' Hence Fr. ' sergent,' Eng. ' sergeant.' (Diez.)
7. volto from 'volgere.'
33. 3. Lai is only used in the plural: from A. S. 'lag,' Eng. 'lay,'
O. Fr. ' lai ' (lais). Dante uses it twice, once of the note of cranes and
once of the swallow.
5. ond': i. 18. 4.
8. Ne, 'for us.'
34. 7. duolmi il tuo fato, ' thy fate grieves me.' In this sense
' dolere ' (duole) is generally used impersonally, as Lat. dolet." Some-
times however it has an expressed subject, as ' il capo che ti duole '
(Inf. xxx. 127).
35. 5. venendo tu . . . meno, 'as thou expired': an absolute con-
struction. ' Venire meno,' or ' svenire ' is to faint away. ' lo venni men,
cosi com" io morisse.' (Inf. v. 141.)
8. tai: Rem. i.
36. 5. 'Suffer in His name, and thy tortures shall become (Lat.
fient) sweet.'
7-8. Mira il ciel com' e bello. None but a poet could have
conceived that the mere beauty of the sky would attract and console one
at the point of death. It is the function of a poet to interpret the
Creator by his works, not to deal in metaphysics and dogmas. The
mysterious depths of the sky,
' Wherein the secrets of eternity
Are writ with golden stars,"
have ever been a source of consolation and meditation to such men.
Thus Dante :
' Chiamavi il cielo e intorno vi si gira,
Mostrandovi le sue belleze eterne,
E '1 occhio vostro pure a terra mira.'
(Purg. xiv. 148.)
And Petrarch :
' Or ti solleva a piu beata spene
Mirando il ciel che ti si volvc intorno
Immortale ed adorno.' (Canz. xvii.)
And Victor Hugo :
' O, contemplez le ciel ! et dcs qu'a fui le jour,
En tout temps, en tout lieu, d'un ineffable amour,
88 LA GERUSALEMME LIBER AT A.
Regardez & travers ses voiles :
Un mystere est au fond de leur grave beaut^ :
I.'hiver, quand ils sont noirs comme un linceul ; 1" et6,
Quand la nuit les brode d'etoiles.'
(Feuilles d'Automne.)
37. 3. Un non so che : cp. ' nescio quod . .' in Latin, and ' un je
ne sais quoi ' in French. ' I know not what unusual and tender feeling
appeared to pass through . . .'
5. presentillo, ' foreknew it,' i.e. felt pity gradually rising in his
breast.
7. Carbone compares what Ovid says about Polyxena,
' At populus lacrymas, quas ilia tenebat,
Non tenet : ipse etiam flens invitusque sacerdos.'
38. 3. And, a stranger in arms and dress, shews that . . . ' i. e.
shews by the strangeness of arms and dress.
5. Cimiero (cima), crest.
6. Clorinda. Ugo Foscolo reminds us that, besides the fact
that the character of Clorinda is purely imaginary, the conception is
entirely at variance with all the manners and customs of the East. In
the Christian army there were women, as Gildippe, who bore arms, but
the thing was unknown among Mahometans. Nevertheless the cha-
racter is introduced with great skill and judgment. Probably the idea
was taken from the Camilla of Virgil, an Amazonian princess, daughter
of the Volscian King Metabus. See Virg. Aen. vii. 803, xi. 432, 648,
etc. After performing many acts of valour during the siege Clorinda is
at last slain by Tancred.
8. ' Wherefore they believe that it is she.'
39. 2. etate acerba. In Latin also this sense of ' acerba ' exists in
such expressions as ' mors acerba ' (It. ' morte acerba ') an untimely
death. The notion is of an unripe fruit : hence also ' sour.'
3. Arachne was a Lydian maiden who challenged Athena to a
contest in the art of weaving. She was vanquished and changed by the
goddess into a spider. See Ovid Metam. vi. Thus also Dante (Inf.
xvii. 18.)
'Ne fur tal tele per Aracne imposte.'
This passage is a reminiscence of Virgil's (Aen. vii. 805) description of
Camilla :
' Bellatrix : non ilia colo calathisve Minervae
Foemineas assueta manus, sed praelia virgo
Dura pati.'
40. i. pargoletta, childish: 'pargolo' for 'parvolo.' Cp. Virg.
Aen. xi. 578 (of Camilla) :
'Tela manu jam turn tenera puerilia torsit.'
CANTO II. 89
3. palestra, wrestling ; Grk. naKaiffrpa, Lat. ' palaestra,' a
wrestling-school.
4. alleno, from ' allenare,' to temper or strengthen.
6. orma, track, or spoor : said to be from Greek fatf, scent.
41. 3. membra. Rem. xi.
7. vago, Lat. ' vagus,' means originally ' wandering ' : hence,
from the notion of unsettled search, ' desirous.'
42. 8. anzi '1 morir, before dying. Di qua giu, ' from the earth.'
43. 3. per chi non duolse, ' for the one who does not.' Duolse
= ' si duole,' and thus the rhyme is legitimate. See on i. 3. 3.
44. 2. fue. Rem. xii.
7. fa ritrarla. Notice the active infinitive after ' fare ' ' lasciare,'
where we use the passive.
45. I. Alcun; see on i. 89. 5.
3. non parli : the negative is here repeated, as in French.
7. tra via, ' on the way."
46. i. hai ... ' Clorinda's name perchance has reached your ear."
(Hoole.)
5. imponi pure, 'only (or 'just') impose it.' The force of
' pure ' after an imperative is easier to appreciate, than to express in
English. Robello says ' Parlate signifie parlez ; mais si Ton dit parlate
pure, on ajoute h 1'expression une idee de consentement plus prononcee :
cela veut dire parlez, n'ayez pas peur.'
8. impiegar, to employ ; as 48. 3.
47. i. This is imitated from Virgil (Aen. i. 565) :
' Quis genus Aeneadum, quis Trojae nesciat urbem ?
Non obtusa adeo gestamus pectora Poeni;
Nee tarn aversus equos Tyria sol jungit ab urbe.'
The idea is that a nation ' remote from the path of the sun ' would be
far from the known world in the darkness of barbarism.
4. vole for ' voli,' subj. from ' volare.' See Rem. xii.
7. ' Not, if a great army had been collected together for my
deliverance, should I have more certain hope.'
48. i. Now that Clorinda has joined him, Aladin thinks the approach
of his enemy too slow. Notice the form ' indugi."
49. 2. ' That the reward should precede the services.'
3. in merto : by syncope for 'merito,' i.e. 'mercede,' reward.
4. quei rei : i. e. Olindo and Sophronia. Done for ' doni."
50. 4. ' I am satisfied with my opinion.'
7. tempii : i. 2. 7, 10. 8. Nui for ' noi.' Rem. xii.
51. 4. lece is used impersonally, as Lat. ' licet,' it is lawful.
52. 5. libertade : see on i. 23. 4.
90 LA GERUSALEMME LIBERATA.
8. e rei li dono : ' as (or, if) guilty, I give them to you.'
53. 3. atto ; i. e. the act of Olindo.
7. volse. ' Au passe defini les poetes disent souvent volsi pour
volli, et volse pour voile, ce qui est une faute, parce que volsi et volse
appartiennent au verbe volgere, tourner.' (Robello.)
8. This may be from Ovid (Met. x.), ' Occidet hie igitur, voluit
quia vivere mecum?'
55. i. scaccia : Rem. iv.
3. il mansiieto sesso, the gentle sex. Mansueto, from ' manus'
and ' suescere,' literally means ' accustomed to the hand,' and therefore
tame and gentle.
6. Fersi ; see Rem. i. ; and cp. ' unirsi ' in the next line.
56. i. cui ; the accusative.
3. a suo diporto : i. e. leisurely.
57. 2. oceano: generally ' oceano.'
4. estrano ; see on i. 47. 4.
58. As has been already remarked, the Fatimite Caliph of Egypt
had before this, by means of his Emir Aphdal, recovered Jerusalem from
the Turks. Tasso is therefore inaccurate in most of the particulars
connected with these ambassadors. The names of Alethes and Argantes
are not found in any records of history. Ambassadors were sent by the
Caliph to the Christian army when it was besieging Antioch. He pro-
mised to consider the Turks as the common enemy, and to protect the
Christians, and rebuild their churches, in Jerusalem. The Crusaders
were at that time in great straits, and in order to gain time delegates
were sent back to Cairo with the Egyptian ambassadors to consider the
proposals. But when the Christian cause was again in the ascendant
they repudiated with scorn the advances that were made by a second
embassy, which arrived as they were besieging Archas : and war was
declared. See Gibbon, chap. Iviii. (p. 268).
8. paion : from ' parere.'
59. i. circasso, a Circassian.
3. satrapi. The ' satraps ' were originally the governors of pro-
vinces under the kings of Persia.
60. 3. schietto: probably the Germ. ' schlicht,' from Goth. ' slaihts.'
It is used by Dante of smooth boughs (' rami schietti,' Inf. xiii. 5). Here
it means ' plain.'
6. fregio : see on i. 2. 7.
8. pur gives a peculiar emphasis which is difficult to express in
English. ' Just like ' does not quite give it.'
61. 4. portino : Rem. x.
5. uscieno, a poetical form for ' uscivano ' : cp. ' facifcno,'
' movieno,' for ' facevano,' ' moveano,' etc. The idea is taken from
CANTO II. 91
Homer, who says of Nestor that 'from his tongue flowed a voice
sweeter than honey ' (II. i. 249).
6. il sermone, the language.
62. 4. conobbe (conoscere), ' recognised from thee ' : i. e. owed to
thee.
5. 'Which remains not within the bounds of Alcides.' Hercules
(whose original name Alcides was probably derived from a grandfather
Alceus, or Alcaeus) performed some of his ' labours ' in Greece, but his
name, and his travels, were by no means bounded by such narrow limits
as Alethes (or Tasso) thought. Of all mythological legends those
about Hercules are perhaps the widest spread.
53. i. che non 1' ascolte : notice the mood, and cp. ii. 6. 2.
Rein. xii.
3. istupore : see on i. 47. 4.
4. sono . . . accolte, sc. ' le novelle.' The news is heard not
only with astonishment, but with pleasure at the same time.
5. s'appaga : cp. 50. 4.
64. 3. il mezzo, the means. Onde : i. 18. 4. See also on
Rem. x.
5. t' eri accinto. Notice that (as in French) reflective verbs,
such as ' accingersi,' in their compound tenses use ' essere ' and not
' avere.' ' Accingersi,' to gird oneself, to make ready.
6. iscacciar : as ' istupore ' in last stanza. L'amico suo is
Aladin, who, according to Tasso, was the Turkish governor of Jeru-
salem, and was in alliance with the Caliph of Egypt. This is, as has
been already explained, a fiction. See on i. 83 and 2. 58.
7. Volse : see on 53. 7.
66. i. 'If thou wilt be content with what thou hast in war made
thine own.'
67. 2. dubbie, of doubtful issue, dangerous. Cp. 89. 5.
3. ' For wheresoever thou conquerest, thou gainest but dominion.'
8. For, to stake.
68. i. il consiglio ... 1' aver . . . voglia, are all nominatives to
' faran ' (1. 7). Cui forse pesa . . , ' whom perchance it grieves that
a man (altri) should hold for a long time . . . .' Conserve for ' con-
servi.'
7. ' Will make peace avoided by you . . .' This is a case where
the active infinitive is used in French and Italian (' faire voir a . . .').
8. non face: see on 45. 3, and 5. 3.
69. 5. Finche . . . non cada, as in 5. 3.
8. escon, from ' uscire ' or ' escire,' ' whence come . . .'
70. voli, flights. The metaphor here is not well sustained, for a
' precipice ' is of no danger to anything that can fly. Precipizio may
92 LA GERUSALEMME LIBERATA.
perhaps merely mean ' downfall.' Tasso has altered the couplet for the
better in the Gerusalemme Conquistata.
' E per troppo salir si smonta : e spesso
All' erta cima il precipizio e presso.'
71. 3. rinnove for ' rinnovi.' Rem. xii.
4. Cassano was the king or emir of Antioch before its capture
(see on i. 6. 4). Erminia was his daughter (see iii. 12. 5). His son
was taken prisoner by the Christians, and sent to Constantinople, but
had been set at liberty, and would be ready to join the Egyptian army.
7- See on i. 25. 5. ' Malvagio e meno di no, e dicevasi a tutti gli
oggetticorporei, come il francese mauvais.' (Fraticelli on Dante, Inf. 1.97.)
72. i. palese, apparent: from Lat. adv. 'palam,' openly.
2. This is perhaps from Virgil's 'Crimine ab uno Disce omnes'
(Aen. ii. 65).
5. Chi: he who. II passo means the passage through Greece.
7. ' The paths that are common to all ' are the paths of the sea.
Compare Virgil's
'. . . cunctis undamque auramque patentem.'
73. 5. Sceme, or scemate (see on i. 21. 7), 'diminished.'
6. tel, i. e. te il. The reflective form seems to emphasise the
person : ' you see it for yourself.'
74. The argument is : Granted that you are invincible in the field, yet
famine shall conquer you.
4. tel: as in the last stanza.
7. 'Then draw the falchion, and the javelin wield;
Then dream of conquest in the boasted field.' (Hoole.)
75. 3. chiuse mura: Rem. xi.
5. ' Who as far as here have boldly led yourself.' See on 65. 5-
7. cura ne prende, will take care of that.
76. 7. raccorre, a short form of ' raccogliere,' Lat. ' re-colligere.'
77. 4. Cagionarti : exactly our expression ' cause you.'
5. ove . . . pogna, ' wherever, or whenever, . . . may put . . .'
As in 70. 3, ' ove . . . prenda,' and 67. 3, ' ove tu vinca.' Rem. x.
Pogna, subj. from 'porre.' Notice the metathesis in 'pogna,' 'pongo.'
78. 3. Diasi, subj. from ' darsi.'
5. voglia is the optative. ' May heaven be willing.'
79. 2. sete for 'siete.'
4. che . . . v'esorti, ' that it may incite you . . .'
5. nocchier: probably from Greek va\>K\rjpos, and not through
the Latin form, which is rare ; though it is used by Plautus. This is
one of tfye many sea-terms which come direct from the Greek : as
' ciurma ' (>ct\evffiM) ; ' falo,' ' fanale,' and Venetian ' farale ' (<papos) ;
'poggia' (iroSuw), 'artimone' (dpTe/w), etc. See 'Selections from
CANTO II. 93
Dante,' p. 1. Inganni. This being a noun, while in 1. 3 it is a verb,
the rule given for similar rhymes holds good. See i. 3. 3.
80. 3. annoi. This follows the rules already given for the termi-
nations of verbs in -tare. See Robello, p. 374.
7. gli; i.e. 'gli occhi.' Colui is Alethes.
81. 4. ' E sua mercede, cortesia, grazia.' (Deagostini.)
82. 3. ne, to us ; as also in 1. 7.
6. lor; i.e. le mura.
83. i . See Rem. ii.
4. s' annida, it nestles ; from Lat. ' nidus,' a nest.
7. penetra. The accent is changed; as in ' oceano,' 57. i.
8. spetra, softens. Rem. iv.
84. i. questa, sc. ' mano.'
6. laccio, the bonds, or perhaps the rein.
7. Quindi, i.e. 'by this'; as 'onde.' It will be noticed that
Godfrey's speech, in contrast to that of Alethes, is very simple and
plainly worded ; liberi sensi in semplici parole.'
85. 4. armi: see on i. i. i.
5. lasce for 'lasci': see on 71. 3 and 80. 3, and 'Blanche' in
1.6.
8. chere, from ' cherere,' a form nearer the Lat. ' quaerere ' than
the commoner ' chiedere.'
86. 3. ' Who will there be of us to dread . . .' See on i. 3. 4.
6. As Virgil (Aen. ii. 670) ' Nunquam omnes hodie moriemur inulti.'
87. i. non creder. In negative imperatives (2nd person) the in-
finitive is used. Rem ix. ' Avec la negation non on peut le (i.e. gia)
traduire par pas ou point.' (Robelli.)
2. This is a repetition of Alethe's expression, 68. 7, 8.
5. The argument here is founded on Tasso's figment that Judaea
was not at this time under the supremacy of Egypt. See on 58. Tu '1
sai: see on 95. 4.
6. ' Wherefore then has he such care for it ? ' Ave is an antique
and poetical form for ' a' (Lat. ' habet').
7. non ce vieti, ' let him not forbid us.' In the third person the
infinitive is not used. See on 1. I.
88. 3. N6 . . . gia. See on last stanza, 1. i. Enfiata labbia may be
from Dante's ' Poi si rivolse a quell' enfiata labbia ' (Inf. vii. 7).
89. i. This scene is taken from one that took place at the beginning
of the second Punic war between Fabius Maximus, the Roman am-
bassador, and the Carthaginian senate. He folded his toga and said,
' In this fold I bring war and peace. Which do ye choose ? Take
which ye please.' They told him to give whichever he liked, and he
' shook war out of the fold of his toga in the midst of the senate.'
94 LA GERUSALEMME LIBERATA.
2. Fenne: Rem. ii. n seno sporto, an absolute construction.
4. Via piu : far more.
5. dubbie : cp. 67. 2.
00. 4. Goffrido, a poetical license for ' Goffredo.' Rem. xii.
8. The temple of Janus (the god of 'opening': cp. 'janua,' a
door) in ancient Rome was kept open in time of war, and its gates were
closed with great ceremony on the rare event of universal peace. The
temple consisted of a covered passage, or arch, with gates at both ends.
The god was similarly represented with a double face, looking behind
and before. Some of his arches had four gates, and in these cases he
was called ' Janus quadrifrons.'
91. 4. Megaera, Alecto, and Tisiphone were (in the later Greek
writers) the names given to the three Furies or Erinyes. Dante intro-
duces them into his Inferno (ix. 46). 'Aeschylus describes them as
divinities more ancient than the Olympian gods, dwelling in the deep
darkness of Tartarus, dreaded by gods and men ; with bodies all black,
serpents twined in their hair, and blood dripping from their eyes.' (Class.
Diet.)
92. 3. Che, since.
8. Nicea : i. 6. 3.
93. 2. le or a lei : dative of ' ella,' here referring to ' spada.'
4. Probably from Ovid's 'materiam superabat opus,' the work
surpassed the material.
6. foro ; i.e. ' furono.'
94. i. tolto congedo: i. 70. 7. Ditto for 'detto.' Deagostini re-
marks, ' licenza poet, da evitarsi.'
95. i. nimieo, a form of ' nemico,' nearer the Lat. ' inimicus.'
4. ne '1 pensa . . Notice that the pronominal article is used in
such cases where we should omit it. Cp. 87. 6: and see on i. 36. 8.
5. per 1' amico . . . Evidently from Virgil (Aen. ii. 255), ' Taci-
tae per arnica silentia lunae."
96. This beautiful descriptive passage is taken, with very little
alteration, from Virgil (Aen. iv. 522-8) :
'Nox erat, et placidum carpebant fessa soporem
Corpora per terras, silvaeque et saeva quierant
Aequora : quum medio volvuntur sidera lapsu ;
Quum tacet omnis ager, pecudes, pictaeque volucres,
Quaeque lacus late liquidos, quaeque aspera dumis,
Rura tenent, somno positae sub nocte silenti,
Lenibant curas, et corda oblita laborum.'
' It was night, and weary living things through the earth were culling
calm slumber, and the woods and raging seas were hushed ; when the
stars revolve in their midmost course ; when every field is still, when
CANTO II. 95
tiocks and painted birds those that far and wide haunt liquid pools,
and those that live in woodlands bristling with copse laid asleep
beneath the silent night soothe their cares and their hearts forgetful of
toils." The last expression explains Tasso's ' Sotto il silenzio de' secreti
orrori.'
97. 3. che riluca . . . ' that the long expected and joyful dawn may
break.'
7. ad or ad. or, again and again.
8. Spunti: see Rem. iv.
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