The Orlando of Ariosto - 1791 Author:Lodovico Ariosto Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: As in the crackling wood, when breath infpires The fudden blaze, and wakes the fleeping fires; So to his ear when firft the challenge came, 375 Rogero's anger... more » burft to inftant flame Thou think'ft to o'erpower me now—(he cries enrag'd) But though anbthcr has my arms engag'd, They foon fhall win (thou to thy coft fhalt fee) JFrom him Frontino, Hector's fhield from thee. Ill fate for thee yon argent bird to bear, "Which thou ufurp'ft, and I with juftice wear ; Deliver'd down to me, the rightful heir. 'Tis thou ufurp'ft my right—and at the word, Stern Mandricardo grafp'd his dreadful fword, That fword, which once in fight Orlando drew, And late in madnefs 'midft the foreft threw. Rogero faw his foe the falchion wield, And dropt his fpear as ufelefs on the field. His fword, good Balifarda, then with hafte t 390 His right hand feiz'd, his left the fhield embrac'd; But Rodomont between them fpurr'd his fteed: Marphifa interpos'd with equal fpeed. Words follow words, and wrath new wrath fupplies,; Now here, now there, increafing tumults rife. 395 C a As As when, efcaping from its broken fhores, The angry ftream through various channels poursr The peafant fees the waves the meads overflow, And trembles for his promis'd crops below; While here his cares againft the flood provide, 400 Thro' other breaches burfts the founding tide: Thus, while with Rodomont Rogero rag'd, And Mandricardo in like feuds engag'd -, Marphifa ftrove to cairn each reftlefs foul, No words could foothe them, and no prayers control, O ! yet (fhe cry'd) thefe vain debates compofe, 406- Till Agramant is freed from Chriftian foes. Not one fhall aid our king with readier fpeed Than I—but let him firft reftore the fteed, (Rogero cry'd)—let him my words attend, 41...« less