No sooner was the pity’d Laura gone, But Oswald’s sister, Gartha the renown’d, Enters as if the world was overthrown, Or in the tears of the afflicted drown’d. Unconquer’d as her beauty was her mind, Which wanted not a spark of Oswald’s fire; Ambition lov’d, but ne’er to love was kind; Vex’d thrones did more than quiet shades desire. Her garments now in loose neglect she wore, As suited to her wild dishevell’d hair. In the fury of her passion she breaks out into execrations against the innocent. Blasted be all your beauties, Rhodalind! Till you a shame and terror be to sight; Unwing’d be Love, and slow as he is blind, Who with your looks poison’d my brother’s sight! At length she mounts her chariot, and flies with the wings of revenge to the veteran camp at Brescia. The terror impressed on the people by her hasty departure is imaged with great sublimity. She seem’d their city’s Genius as she pass’d, Who, by their sins expell’d, would ne’er return. The third canto brings us to Brescia, where Hubert’s arrival with the dead body of Oswald excites every emotion of surprize, grief and fury in the breasts of the brave veterans. They spend the night in this storm of contending passions; and at day-break assemble round the tent of Hubert, who by a noble harangue gives additional fire to their revenge. They instantly arm, and demand to be led to Bergamo; when Gartha arrives. She turns their vengeance against the court, where she represents the triumph of Gondibert’s faction, and the dishonour cast upon their own. The rage discovered in her countenance, overpowering the symptoms of grief, is painted with amazing grandeur in the following simile: The Sun did thus to threat’ned nature show His anger red, whilst guilt look’d pale in all, When clouds of floods did hang about his brow; And then shrunk back to let that anger fall. This tempest is, however, allayed in the next canto by the arrival of the wife Hermegild; who, though grown aged in war and politics, is possessed with a youthful passion for Gartha. He solemnly binds his services to their party, for the reward of Gartha’s love; but persuades them to submit to more cautious and pacific measures. Gartha returns with him to the court; and the funeral of Oswald with Roman rites, “Which yet the world’s last law had not forbid,” is described in the remaining part of the canto.