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Now though Rogero (as before I sed)
Detested sore the vgly witches sight,
Yet by Melyssas counsell wisely led,
He doth conceale the matter for a night,
Till of prouision he were better sped,
With which he might more safely take his flight.
And taking care his meaning close to hide,
He doth forthwith his armour all prouide.
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And tels Alcyna he would go and trie,
If that he were not waxen grosse or no,
Because that idle he so long did lie,
And neuer fought with any armed fo:
His sword vnto his girdle he doth tie,
With armour on, a walking he doth go,
And with a scarfe about his arme he lapt
The shield that in the cypresse case was wrapt.
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And thus arraid, he commeth to the stable,
And tooke a horse (as wise Melyssa taught)
A horse as blacke as any ieat or sable,
So made as if in waxe he had bene wrought,
Most swift for course, and strong of limbes and able,
This horse hight Rabican was thither brought
By Duke Astolfo, who by sorcerie
Was turned late into a mirtle tree.
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As for the Griffith horse that there was by,
Melyssa wisheth him to let him stand,
And sayth, that she her selfe ere long would trie
To make him gentle to the spurre and hand
And that she would hereafter time espie,
To bring it him, and let him vnderstand,
How he should do with very little paine,
To make him yeeld to spurre, to rod and raine.
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She further said, his flight would be suspected,
Except he let the flying horse to stay.
Rogero none of all her words neglected,
But did her counsell wise and sage obay:
And so before his meaning was detected,
From this misshapen hag he stole away,
And meanes (if God will grant him so much grace)
To be at Logestillas in short space.
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Such men of armes as watched at the gate
He slue, the rest he sodainly assailed,
He happie was scapt with a broken pate,
They tooke their heeles when as their hearts them failed.
Alcyna now had notice all too late,
Rogero was so farre it nought auailed:
But in another booke shall be contained,
How him dame Logestilla entertained.
In Erifila that is ouerthrowne by Rogero and not killed, we may obserue, that the liberalitie that men make great show of in their youthfull pleasures and entertainments, is not the true vertue that doth indeed quite extinguish and kill that monster of couetousnesse. In Alcyna and Rogeros lasciuious loue, from whom Rogero is glad at last to runne away, we may note the notable allurements of fleshly sensualitie, and take a good lesson to auoyd them onely by flying from them, as hath bene in part touched before. Melyssas good counsell, euery yong Rogero may apply to himselfe, and learne thereby to begone to Logestillas in time, lest he be turned into some beast or tree, as these notable enchantresses do daily transforme their followers. But of all this I will speake more at large in the Allegorie.
Concerning the Historie of this book, there is no matter historicall therein: Only where there is a comparison of the riot of Alcyna with that of the Persian kings, and that of Cleopatra, those to whom the storie is not knowne, shall find an ex∣planation therof in the Table or Index.
〈◊〉〈◊〉 before how by Erifila is meant couetousnesse, which our young gallants beate downe but kill not, nay oft it riseth again and ouercomes them, and makes them fall to meere rapine and extortion. Whereas in the eight staffe, the way was said to be vnpleasant (through that seeme contrary to the saying of Hercules two wayes of vice and vertue) yet no doubt but euen in this way of pleasure, there be many ill fauoured and dangerous passages, as one of the fathers well 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that a wretched worldling doth oftentimes toile more to go to hell for his labour, then a vertuous man doth to win heaven. The things that allure most to sensualitie, are set downe in order: in the ninth staffe kind entertainment: in the tenth, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 building: in the eleuenth and so forward to the sixteenth, artificiall behaviour and exquisite beautie, set forth with all cunning, as Ouid saith, Et meruit formosa videri, that is, she deserued with the paine she took to seem hand some: in the eighteenth, musicke and wanton sonets of loue: riotous fare in the nineteenth, with all kind of delicacies to provoke venery: in the twentith, wanton discourses and purposes, of which commonly their last conclusion is to lie to∣gether, as there is said: in the two and twentith, perfumes and all effeminate delicacies, in all which we see, the eye, the care, the tast, the smelling, the feeling, the wit, the thoughts, all fed with their obiects of delight, making men quite to forget God and all good counsell; as Rogero quite forgat Bradamant and the counsell of Astolfo. And sure it is worth the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 where it is find in the sixteenth staffe, that the tale Astolfo late to him rehearst, he thinketh false or else by him deserued. How yong men that at the first haue seemed very well giuen, very religious, continent and studious of all vertue and good learning, yet after when they come to be aduanced to high fauours or to great liuing, they despise all that was taught them before, and count religion but a pollicie, and philosophie but a folly, and the admonition of graue and 〈…〉〈…〉 that reproue their ambition, or their sensualitie, or their extreme couetousnesse, to proceed but of enuie 〈◊〉〈◊〉 begin estate and felicitie, which they would be glad to come to themselues and cannot. And surely if any will but take a note of any speciall persons, toucht with any or with all three of these enormous vices, let them but marke if they have not in their whole liues and actions (and some perhaps in plaine words) discouered this their contempt of religion and vertu undiscipline: I would this age were barren of examples of this kind.
Now concerning the enchantments that bring men into this blindnes to think Alcyna so faire a woman, it is nothing but 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of vertue, of beautie, of graciousnes, that the foolish louer perswades himself that he seeth in the person or idol of his mistress, of which Petrarke saith, Da questi magi transformato fui: These are the witches that transformed me.