514 
When morning dawn’d, each from his flum- 
bers ftarted, 
And ache like pilgrims, to ae his 
wa 
No hoft was to be called ere they acgaeea 
‘The baneful reckoning for the guetts to pay. 
But, when they tried to go, their courfe was 
thwarted ; 
No portal could they find to get away. 
6¢ What, are the fumes of wine,’ Orlando 
cried, 
6¢ So ftrong within us that we want a guide ? 
This (or I’ve loft my fenfes) is the hali; 
The tables andthe feat away have fcour’d: 
While we have flept, fome other pilgrims all 
Tie viduals ate and ev’n our board de- 
vour’d. 
Keen guefts they muft have been, and quick 
withal, 
An¢ plenteous draughts into their ftomiachs 
pour’d,” 
Thus, long they roam’d about in wand’rings 
vain== 
Each path they trode but brought them back 
again. | 
ts This is the palace of fome wicked fprite,” 
Morgante faid, ‘* by firange inchaniment 
rais’d ! be 
Orlando crofs’s himfelf with all. his might, 
And ftill ftood fix’d and looking round 
amaa’d. 
< Js this fome ftrange illufion of the night ? 
We furely dream—or are our fenfes craz’d?” 
¢¢ Dream .we, or not,” the giant faid, ** at 
leatt 
Laft night, thank Heav’n, we had a waking 
featt. 
Enough for me, ’twas good and folid meat— 
Let Satan, if he pleafe, the board have 
laid— 
At any rate, he:gave a noble treat.” 
Three days within this labyrinth they 
ftay’d, 
And ftill could find no opening or retreat: 
At length, as through the caftie’s vaults 
they ftray’d, 
They faw a gloomy dungeon, unde: ground, 
Where from 2 tomb burft forth a difmal found. 
s© Sir Knights, that in thefe caverns wand’- 
ring are; 
Hence never (Fate ordains it) can ye 20, 
Till me to mortal fight ye boldly dare : 
Lift then this:ftone, your noble hearts to 
fhew, 
Unlefs ye chufe to lie for ever here !” 
Morgante cried, ‘* What noife is that be- 
low P= 
Oh! hear’ft thou not, Sir Knight, that hol- 
low found, 
And that bold challenge fent from under 
ground 3 
& ‘The deed I'll dare, whatever fate betide 5 
The ftone I'll raife, whatever rifk enfue; - 
Though hell itfelf fhould open at my fide, 
And pour out all the diabolic crew.” 
Critical Obfervations on the Morgante Maggiore. 
[Joly!, 
He faid no more, but to his tafk applied, « 
Urg’d by the Count, and to his promife 
true. 
€* Work on, my friend, tho” all the devils 
rife 
That fell to earth’s hot centre from the 
fkies.” 
Morgante rais’d the tomb‘tone from the cave, 
When, lo! ademon, black as deepeft heli, 
Wrapped in the mouldering cerements of the 
grave. 
Lept bounding from th’ abyfs with hideous 
yell. 
Dry was his flefh, and bare, and naked, fave 
Where the worm-eaten grave-clothes tat- 
ter’d fell. 
s¢ Tt is the devil himf-1f!—I know his face,”* 
Orlando cried, and gave him inftant chace. 
In clofe embrace the fpe€tre grafp’d him 
firaight— 
Orlando flarted, and Morgante jaid, \ 
( Wait till I help thee, for an inftane wait :” 
But the bold Count refus’d the giant’s aid. 
Yet Gill the demon prefled him. with his 
weight, 
Till nigh upon the earth the Count he 
lard. ; 3 
But he, his frength colle@ing, from the 
plain 
Bounds up, and grapples with the fiend 
again. 
By this Morgante in the conteft join’d, 
- And fought the ftrange unearthly fight to 
clofe, 
Fell with his mace upon the fiend behind, 
And made him ftagger with.repeated blows. - 
Then borribly thac heliifh damon grinn’d, 
_ And fiercer far upon the giant rofe ; 
But by the throat Morgante feiz’d him faft, 
And hurled him. headlong in the grave at laft.. 
And there he held him down with force and 
pain 5— 
But, as he held him, loud the demon 
roar’d, 
*¢ Clofe not the tomb! for, if it fhuts again, 
Never to freedom can’ft thou be reftor’d !”” 
‘¢ What muft we do, our freedom to regain ? 
How can we ever quit this place abhor’d?” 
*“ BapriseE Morcanre !” roard again the 
fiend, 
And then fecurely on thy journey wend ! 
But leave the tomb unclofed, and leave me 
free, 
And, wherefoe’er your future path may 
lead, 
No hurt or bagi fhalt thou receive from me !” 
So fpoke the fiend—the noble Count agreed. 
‘¢ Part we-from hence, the reft let Fate de- 
cree ; 
_So, tho’ thy crimes deferve it not, be 
freed !” 
The giant ftraight received the holy rite, 
Then iffued forth once more our noble say 
