Cosi diceva. Con molta rovina Sempre seguia Morgana il cavalliero: Fiacca ogni bronco ed ogni mala spina, Lasciando dietro a se largo il sentiero: Ed a la Fata molto s' avicina E già d' averla presa è il suo pensiero: Ma quel pensiero è ben fallace e vano, Pera che presa anchor scappa di mano. O quante volte gli dette di piglio, Hora ne' panni ed hor nella persona: Ma il vestimento, ch* è bianco e vermiglio, Ne la speranza presto 1' abbandona: Pur una fiata rivoltando il ciglio, Come Dio volse e la ventura buona, Volgendo il viso quella Fata al Conte El ben la prese al zuffo ne la fronte. Allor cangiosse il tempo, e l' aria scura Divenne chiara, e il ciel tutto sereno, E aspro monte si fece pianura; E dove prima fa di spine pteno, Se coperse de fiori e de verdura: E Uagedar dell' altra veni La qual, con miglior viio che non mole, Verso del Conte usava tel parole. Attend, cavalliero, a quella ctitama....{1} 1 Bojardo, _Orlando Innamarato_, L ii. c. 9. Ed. di Vinegia; 1544. So spake Repentance. With the speed of fire Orlando followed where the enchantress fled, Rending and scattering tree and bush and brier, And leaving wide the vestige of his tread. Nearer he drew, with feet that could not tire, And strong in hope to seise her as she sped. How vain the hope! Her form he seemed to clasp, But soon as seized, she vanished from his grasp. How many times he laid his eager hand On her bright form, or on her vesture fair; But her white robes, and their vermilion band, Deceived his touch, and passed away like air. But once, as with a half-turned glance she scanned Her foe--Heaven's will and happy chance were there-- No breath for pausing might the time allow-- He seized the golden forelock of her brow. Then passed the gloom and tempest from the sky; The air at once grew calm and all serene; And where rude thorns had clothed the mountain high, Was spread a plain, all flowers and vernal green. Repentance ceased her scourge. Still standing nigh, With placid looks, in her but rarely seen, She said: 'Beware how yet the prize you lose; The key of fortune few can wisely use.' In the last stanza of the preceding translation, the seventh line is the essence of the stanza immediately following; the eighth is from a passage several stanzas forward, after Orlando has obtained the key, which was the object of his search: Che mal se trova alcun sotto la Luna, Ch' adopri ben la chiave di Fortuna.