Jerusalem Delivered - Book 06 - Part 02 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCBCBCDD A EDEDE EE A FEF F D A DDDDDDEE D EGEHEHDD D DIDJDJ E D KEKEKEE D EEEEEEEE D EHELEHEE A EDEDEDEE A EME EMEE A EEEEEEEE A ENENENFF A HEH HEEEXV | A |
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'Say that a knight who holds in great disdain | B |
To be thus closed up in secret new | C |
Will with his sword in open field maintain | B |
If any dare deny his words for true | C |
That no devotion as they falsely feign | B |
Hath moved the French these countries to subdue | C |
But vile ambition and pride's hateful vice | D |
Desire of rule and spoil and covetice | D |
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XVI | A |
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'And that to fight I am not only prest | E |
With one or two that dare defend the cause | D |
But come the fourth or fifth come all the rest | E |
Come all that will and all that weapon draws | D |
Let him that yields obey the victor's hest | E |
As wills the lore of mighty Mars his laws ' | - |
This was the challenge that fierce Pagan sent | E |
The herald donned his coat of arms and went | E |
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XVII | A |
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And when the man before the presence came | F |
Of princely Godfrey and his captains bold | E |
'My Lord ' quoth he 'may I withouten blame | F |
Before your Grace my message brave unfold ' | - |
'Thou mayest ' he answered 'we approve the same | F |
Withouten fear be thine ambassage told ' | - |
'Then ' quoth the herald 'shall your highness see | D |
If this ambassage sharp or pleasing be ' | - |
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XVIII | A |
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The challenge gan he then at large expose | D |
With mighty threats high terms and glorious words | D |
On every side an angry murmur rose | D |
To wrath so moved were the knights and lords | D |
Then Godfrey spake and said 'The man hath chose | D |
An hard exploit but when he feels our swords | D |
I trust we shall so far entreat the knight | E |
As to excuse the fourth or fifth of fight | E |
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XIX | D |
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'But let him come and prove the field I grant | E |
Nor wrong nor treason let him doubt or fear | G |
Some here shall pay him for his glorious vaunt | E |
Without or guile or vantage that I swear | H |
The herald turned when he had ended scant | E |
And hasted back the way he came whileare | H |
Nor stayed he aught nor once forslowed his pace | D |
Till he bespake Argantes face to face | D |
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XX | D |
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'Arm you my lord ' he said 'your bold defies | D |
By your brave foes accepted boldly been | I |
This combat neither high nor low denies | D |
Ten thousand wish to meet you on the green | J |
A thousand frowned with angry flaming eyes | D |
And shaked for rage their swords and weapons keen | J |
The field is safely granted by their guide ' | - |
This said the champion for his armor cried | E |
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XXI | D |
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While he was armed his heart for ire nigh brake | K |
So yearned his courage hot his foes to find | E |
The King to fair Clorinda present spake | K |
'If he go forth remain not you behind | E |
But of our soldiers best a thousand take | K |
To guard his person and your own assigned | E |
Yet let him meet alone the Christian knight | E |
And stand yourself aloof while they two fight ' | - |
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XXII | D |
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Thus spake the King and soon without abode | E |
The troop went forth in shining armor clad | E |
Before the rest the Pagan champion rode | E |
His wonted arms and ensigns all he had | E |
A goodly plan displayed wide and broad | E |
Between the city and the camp was spread | E |
A place like that wherein proud Rome beheld | E |
The forward young men manage spear and shield | E |
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XXIII | D |
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There all alone Argantes took his stand | E |
Defying Christ and all his servants true | H |
In stature stomach and in strength of hand | E |
In pride presumption and in dreadful show | L |
Encelade like on the Phlegrean strand | E |
Of that huge giant Jesse's infant slew | H |
But his fierce semblant they esteemed light | E |
For most not knew or else not feared his might | E |
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XXIV | A |
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As yet not one had Godfrey singled out | E |
To undertake this hardy enterprise | D |
But on Prince Tancred saw he all the rout | E |
Had fixed their wishes and had cast their eyes | D |
On him he spied them gazing round about | E |
As though their honor on his prowess lies | D |
And now they whispered louder what they meant | E |
Which Godfrey heard and saw and was content | E |
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XXV | A |
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The rest gave place for every one descried | E |
To whom their chieftain's will did most incline | M |
'Tancred ' quoth he 'I pray thee calm the pride | E |
Abate the rage of yonder Saracine ' | - |
No longer would the chosen champion bide | E |
His face with joy his eyes with gladness shine | M |
His helm he took and ready steed bestrode | E |
And guarded with his trusty friends forth rode | E |
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XXVI | A |
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But scantly had he spurred his courser swift | E |
Near to the plain where proud Argantes stayed | E |
When unawares his eyes he chanced to lift | E |
And on the hill beheld the warlike maid | E |
As white as snow upon the Alpine clift | E |
The virgin shone in silver arms arrayed | E |
Her vental up so high that he descried | E |
Her goodly visage and her beauty's pride | E |
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XXVII | A |
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He saw not where the Pagan stood and stared | E |
As if with looks he would his foeman kill | N |
But full of other thoughts he forward fared | E |
And sent his looks before him up the hill | N |
His gesture such his troubled soul declared | E |
At last as marble rock he standeth still | N |
Stone cold without within burnt with love's flame | F |
And quite forgot himself and why he came | F |
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XXVIII | A |
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The challenger that yet saw none appear | H |
That made or sign or show came to just | E |
'How long ' cried he 'shall I attend you here | H |
Dares none come forth dares none his fortune trust ' | - |
The other stood amazed love stopped his ear | H |
He thinks on Cupid think of Mars who lust | E |
But forth stert Otho bold and took the field | E |
A gentle knight whom God from danger shield | E |
Torquato Tasso
(1)
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