LITMIR.BIZ

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her seat.

      LV

       Hierusalem is seated on two hills

       Of height unlike, and turned side to side,

       The space between, a gentle valley fills,

       From mount to mount expansed fair and wide.

       Three sides are sure imbarred with crags and hills,

       The rest is easy, scant to rise espied:

       But mighty bulwarks fence that plainer part,

       So art helps nature, nature strengtheneth art.

      LVI

       The town is stored of troughs and cisterns, made

       To keep fresh water, but the country seems

       Devoid of grass, unfit for ploughmen's trade,

       Not fertile, moist with rivers, wells and streams;

       There grow few trees to make the summer's shade,

       To shield the parched land from scorching beams,

       Save that a wood stands six miles from the town,'

       With aged cedars dark, and shadows brown.

      LVII

       By east, among the dusty valleys, glide

       The silver streams of Jordan's crystal flood;

       By west, the Midland Sea, with bounders tied

       Of sandy shores, where Joppa whilom stood;

       By north Samaria stands, and on that side

       The golden calf was reared in Bethel wood;

       Bethlem by south, where Christ incarnate was,

       A pearl in steel, a diamond set in brass.

      LVIII

       While thus the Duke on every side descried

       The city's strength, the walls and gates about,

       And saw where least the same was fortified,

       Where weakest seemed the walls to keep him out;

       Ermina as he armed rode, him spied,

       And thus bespake the heathen tyrant stout,

       "See Godfrey there, in purple clad and gold,

       His stately port, and princely look behold.

      LIX

       "Well seems he born to be with honor crowned,

       So well the lore he knows of regiment,

       Peerless in fight, in counsel grave and sound,

       The double gift of glory excellent,

       Among these armies is no warrior found

       Graver in speech, bolder in tournament.

       Raymond pardie in counsel match him might;

       Tancred and young Rinaldo like in fight."

      LX

       To whom the king: "He likes me well therefore,

       I knew him whilom in the court of France

       When I from Egypt went ambassador,

       I saw him there break many a sturdy lance,

       And yet his chin no sign of manhood bore;

       His youth was forward, but with governance,

       His words, his actions, and his portance brave,

       Of future virtue, timely tokens gave.

      LXI

       "Presages, ah too true:" with that a space

       He sighed for grief, then said, "Fain would I know

       The man in red, with such a knightly grace,

       A worthy lord he seemeth by his show,

       How like to Godfrey looks he in the face,

       How like in person! but some-deal more low."

       "Baldwin," quoth she, "that noble baron hight,

       By birth his brother, and his match in might.

      LXII

       "Next look on him that seems for counsel fit,

       Whose silver locks betray his store of days,

       Raymond he hight, a man of wondrous wit,

       Of Toulouse lord, his wisdom is his praise;

       What he forethinks doth, as he looks for, hit,

       His stratagems have good success always:

       With gilded helm beyond him rides the mild

       And good Prince William, England's king's dear child.

      LXIII

       "With him is Guelpho, as his noble mate,

       In birth, in acts, in arms alike the rest,

       I know him well, since I beheld him late,

       By his broad shoulders and his squared breast:

       But my proud foe that quite hath ruinate

       My high estate, and Antioch opprest,

       I see not, Boemond, that to death did bring

       Mine aged lord, my father, and my king."

      LXIV

       Thus talked they; meanwhile Godfredo went

       Down to the troops that in the valley stayed,

       And for in vain he thought the labor spent,

       To assail those parts that to the mountains laid,

       Against the northern gate his force he bent,

       Gainst it he camped, gainst it his engines played;

       All felt the fury of his angry power,

       That from those gates lies to the corner tower.

      LXV

       The town's third part was this, or little less,

       Fore which the duke his glorious ensigns spread,

       For so great compass had that forteress,

       That round it could not be environed

       With narrow siege—nor Babel's king I guess

       That whilom took it, such an army led—

       But all the ways he kept, by which his foe

       Might to or from the city come or go.

      LXVI

       His care was next to cast the trenches deep,

       So to preserve his resting camp by night,

       Lest from the city while his soldiers sleep

       They might assail them with untimely flight.

       This done he went where lords and princes weep

       With dire complaints about the murdered knight,

       Where Dudon dead lay slaughtered on the ground.

       And all the soldiers sat lamenting round.

      LXVII

       His wailing friends adorned the mournful bier

       With woful pomp, whereon his corpse they laid,

       And when they saw the Bulloigne prince draw near,

       All felt new grief, and each new sorrow made;

       But he, withouten show or change of cheer,

       His springing tears within their fountains stayed,

       His rueful looks upon the corpse he cast

       Awhile, and thus bespake the same at last;

      LXVIII

       "We need not mourn for thee, here laid to rest,

       Earth is thy bed, and not the grave the skies

      

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