} The thoughtless pair, indulging their desires, Alternate kindled, and then quenched their fires; Nor thinking in the shades of death they played, } Full of themselves, themselves alone surveyed, } And, too secure, were by themselves betrayed. } Long time dissolved in pleasure thus they lay, Till nature could no more suffice their play; Then rose the youth, and, through the cave again Returned, the princess mingled with her train. Resolved his unripe vengeance to defer, The royal spy, when now the coast was clear, Sought not the garden, but retired unseen, To brood in secret on his gathered spleen, And methodize revenge: to death he grieved; And, but he saw the crime, had scarce believed. The appointment for the ensuing night he heard, } And therefore in the cavern had prepared } Two brawny yeomen of his trusty guard. } Scarce had unwary Guiscard set his foot Within the foremost entrance of the grot, When these in secret ambush ready lay, And rushing on the sudden seized the prey: Encumbered with his frock, without defence, } An easy prize, they led the prisoner thence, } And, as commanded, brought before the prince. } The gloomy sire, too sensible of wrong, To vent his rage in words, restrained his tongue, And only said,--Thus servants are preferred, And, trusted, thus their sovereigns they reward. Had I not seen, had not these eyes received Too clear a proof, I could not have believed.-- He paused, and choked the rest. The youth, who saw His forfeit life abandoned to the law, The judge the accuser, and the offence to him Who had both power and will to avenge the crime. No vain defence prepared; but thus replied:-- The faults of love by love are justified: With unresisted might the monarch reigns, He levels mountains, and he raises plains; And not regarding difference of degree, Abased your daughter, and exalted me.-- This bold return with seeming patience heard, The prisoner was remitted to the guard. The sullen tyrant slept not all the night, But lonely walking by a winking light, Sobbed, wept, and groaned, and beat his withered breast, But would not violate his daughter's rest; Who long expecting lay, for bliss prepared, Listning for noise, and grieved that none she heard; Oft rose, and oft in vain employed the key, } And oft accused her lover of delay, } And passed the tedious hours in anxious thoughts away. } The morrow came; and at his usual hour Old Tancred visited his daughter's bower; Her cheek (for such his custom was) he kissed, Then blessed her kneeling, and her maids dismissed. The royal dignity thus far maintained, Now left in private, he no longer feigned; But all at once his grief and rage appeared, And floods of tears ran trickling down his beard. O Sigismonda,--he began to say: }