A thicket close befide the grove there ftood With briers and brambles choak'd, and dwarfish wood; From thence the noise, which now approaching near, Then sprung fhe forth, they follow'd her amain. Not far behind, a knight of swarthy face, High on a coal-black steed pursu'd the chace; 120 With flashing flames his ardent eyes were fill'd, And in his hand a naked fword he held: He chear'd the dogs to follow her who fled, And vow'd revenge on her devoted head. As Theodore was born of noble kind, The brutal action rous'd his manly mind; Mov'd with unworthy ufage of the maid, He, tho unarm'd, refolv'd to give her aid. 125 130 A faplin pine he wrench'd from out the ground, 135 The knight came thund'ring on, but, from afar, And Guido Cavalcanti was my name: 150 155 Not lefs ador'd in life, nor ferv'd by me, On this sharp fword, and now am damn'd in hell, Short was her joy; for foon th' insulting maid By heav'n's decree in this cold grave was laid: And as in unrepented fin fhe dy'd, Doom'd to the fame bad place is punish'd for her pride: Because she deem'd I well deserv’d to die, 170 And made a merit of her cruelty. There, then, we met; both try'd, and both were cast, And this irrevocable fentence pass'd; That she, whom I fo long purfu'd in vain, Should fuffer from my hands a lingʼring pain: Renew'd to life, that she might daily die, I daily doom'd to follow, fhe to fly; 176 180 And tear that harden'd heart from out her breast, Which, with her entrails, makes my hungry hounds a feast. Nor lies she long, but, as the fates ordain, 185 } This, vers'd in death, th' infernal knight relates, And then for proof fulfill'd the common fates; Her heart and bowels thro her back he drew, And fed the hounds that help'd him to pursue. Stern look'd the fiend, as fruftrate of his will, Not half fuffic'd, and greedy yet to kill. And now the foul, expiring through the wound, Had left the body breathlefs on the ground, 196 When thus the grifly spectre spoke again: Behold the fruit of ill-rewarded pain: As many months as I fuftain'd her hate, So many years is she condemn'd by fate To daily death; and ev'ry several place, Conscious of her disdain and my disgrace, Muft witness her juft punishment; and be A scene of triumph and revenge to me! As in this grove I took my last farewel, As on this very spot of earth I fell, As Friday faw me die, fo fhe my prey Becomes ev'n here, on this revolving day. 200 205 Thus, while he spoke, the virgin from the ground Upftarted fresh, already clos'd the wound, 210 And, unconcern'd for all she felt before, Precipitates her flight along the shore : The hell-hounds, as ungorg'd with flesh and blood, Pursue their prey, and feek their wonted food: The fiend remounts his courfer, mends his pace; And all the vifion vanifh'd from the place. 216 Long flood the noble youth opprefs'd with awe, And stupid at the wondrous things he saw, Surpaffing common faith, tranfgreffing nature's law: He would have been asleep, and wish'd to wake, } 225 From heaven, which cannot impious acts decree, From an ill cause to draw a good effect. 230 Inspir'd from heaven he homeward took his way, Nor pall'd his new defign with long delay: But of his train a trusty servant sent To call his friends together at his tent. They came, and, usual falutations paid, With words premeditated, thus he said: What you have often counsell'd, to remove. My vain pursuit of unregarded love; 235 |