Published by Good Press, 2019

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      EAN 4057664100719

Table of Contents

       SECOND BOOK

       THIRD BOOK

       FOURTH BOOK

       FIFTH BOOK

       SIXTH BOOK

       SEVENTH BOOK

       EIGHTH BOOK

       NINTH BOOK

       TENTH BOOK

       ELEVENTH BOOK

       TWELFTH BOOK

       THIRTEENTH BOOK

       FOURTEENTH BOOK

       FIFTEENTH BOOK

       SIXTEENTH BOOK

       SEVENTEENTH BOOK

       EIGHTEENTH BOOK

       NINETEENTH BOOK

       TWENTIETH BOOK

SECOND BOOK

       Table of Contents

      THE ARGUMENT.

       Ismeno conjures, but his charms are vain;

       Aladine will kill the Christians in his ire:

       Sophronia and Olindo would be slain

       To save the rest, the King grants their desire;

       Clorinda hears their fact and fortunes plain,

       Their pardon gets and keeps them from the fire:

       Argantes, when Aletes' speeches are

       Despised, defies the Duke to mortal war.

      I

       While thus the tyrant bends his thoughts to arms,

       Ismeno gan tofore his sight appear,

       Ismen dead bones laid in cold graves that warms

       And makes them speak, smell, taste, touch, see, and hear;

       Ismen with terror of his mighty charms,

       That makes great Dis in deepest Hell to fear,

       That binds and looses souls condemned to woe,

       And sends the devils on errands to and fro.

      II

       A Christian once, Macon he now adores,

       Nor could he quite his wonted faith forsake,

       But in his wicked arts both oft implores

       Help from the Lord, and aid from Pluto black;

       He, from deep caves by Acheron's dark shores,

       Where circles vain and spells he used to make,

       To advise his king in these extremes is come,

       Achitophel so counselled Absalom.

      III

       "My liege," he says, "the camp fast hither moves,

       The axe is laid unto this cedar's root,

       But let us work as valiant men behoves,

       For boldest hearts good fortune helpeth out;

       Your princely care your kingly wisdom proves,

       Well have you labored, well foreseen about;

       If each perform his charge and duty so,

       Nought but his grave here conquer shall your foe.

      IV

       "From surest castle of my secret cell

       I come, partaker of your good and ill,

       What counsel sage, or magic's sacred spell

       May profit us, all that perform I will:

       The sprites impure from bliss that whilom fell

       Shall to your service bow, constrained by skill;

       But how we must begin this enterprise,

       I will your Highness thus in brief advise.

      V

       "Within the Christian's church from light of skies,

       An hidden alter stands, far out of sight,

       On which the image consecrated lies

       Of Christ's dear mother, called a virgin bright,

       An hundred lamps aye burn before her eyes,

       She in a slender veil of tinsel dight,

       On every side great plenty doth behold

       Of offerings brought, myrrh, frankincense and gold.

      VI

       "This idol would I have removed away

       From thence, and by your princely hand transport,

       In Macon's sacred temple safe it lay,

       Which then I will enchant in wondrous sort,

       That while the image in that church doth stay,

       No strength of arms shall win this noble fort,

       Of shake this puissant wall, such passing might

       Have spells and charms, if they be said aright."

      VII

       Advised thus, the king impatient

       Flew in his fury to the house of God,

       The image took, with words unreverent

       Abused the prelates, who that deed forbode,

       Swift with his prey, away the tyrant went,

       Of God's sharp justice naught he feared the rod,