The renegades Here too were seen, Ebba and Sisibert; A spurious brood, but of their parent’s crimes True heirs, in guilt begotten, and in ill Train’d up. The same unnatural rage that turn’d Their swords against their country, made them seek, Unmindful of their wretched mother’s end, Pelayo’s life. No enmity is like Domestic hatred. For his blood they thirst, As if that sacrifice might satisfy Witiza’s guilty ghost, efface the shame Of their adulterous birth, and one crime more Crowning a hideous course, emancipate Thenceforth their spirits from all earthly fear. This was their only care; but other thoughts Were rankling in that elder villain’s mind, Their kinsman Orpas, he of all the crew Who in this fatal visitation fell, The foulest and the falsest wretch that e’er Renounced his baptism. From his cherish’d views Of royalty cut off, he coveted Count Julian’s wide domains, and hopeless now To gain them through the daughter, laid his toils Against the father’s life, ... the instrument Of his ambition first, and now design’d Its victim. To this end with cautious hints, At favouring season ventured, he possess’d The leader’s mind; then, subtly fostering The doubts himself had sown, with bolder charge He bade him warily regard the Count, Lest underneath an outward show of faith The heart uncircumcised were Christian still: Else, wherefore had Florinda not obey’d Her dear loved sire’s example, and embraced The saving truth? Else, wherefore was her hand, Plighted to him so long, so long withheld, Till she had found a fitting hour to fly With that audacious Prince, who now in arms, Defied the Caliph’s power; ... for who could doubt That in his company she fled, perhaps The mover of his flight? What if the Count Himself had plann’d the evasion which he feign’d In sorrow to condemn? What if she went A pledge assured, to tell the mountaineers That when they met the Musselmen in the heat Of fight, her father passing to their side Would draw the victory with him?... Thus he breathed Fiend-like in Abulcacem’s ear his schemes Of murderous malice; and the course of things, Ere long, in part approving his discourse, Aided his aim, and gave his wishes weight. For scarce on the Asturian territory Had they set foot, when, with the speed of fear, Count Eudon, nothing doubting that their force Would like a flood sweep all resistance down, Hasten’d to plead his merits; ... he alone, Found faithful in obedience through reproach And danger, when the madden’d multitude Hurried their chiefs along, and high and low With one infectious frenzy seized, provoked The invincible in arms. Pelayo led The raging crew, ... he doubtless the prime spring Of all these perilous movements; and ’twas said He brought the assurance of a strong support, Count Julian’s aid, for in his company