Clorinda gave the king thanks for his courtesy, and then resumed.  “Strange is it, in truth,” she said, “to ask my reward before I have earned it; but confidence like this reassures me.  Grant me, for what I propose to do in the good cause, the lives of these two persons.  I wave the uncertainty of their offence; I wave the presumption of innocence afforded by their own behaviour.  I ask their liberation as a favour.  And yet it becomes me, at the same time, to confess, that I do not believe the Christians to have taken the image out of the mosque.  It was an impious thing of the magician to put it there.  An idol has no business in a Mussulman temple, much less the idols of unbelievers; and my opinion is, that the miracle was the work of Mahomet himself, out of scorn and hatred of the contamination.  Let Ismeno prefer his craft, if he will, to the weapons of a man; but let him not take upon himself the defence of a nation of warriors.”

The warlike damsel was silent; and the king, though he could with difficulty conquer his anger, yet did so, to please his guest.  “They are free,” said he; “I can deny nothing to such a petitioner.  Whether it be justice or not to absolve them, absolved they are.  If they are innocent, I pronounce them so; if guilty, I concede their pardon.”

At these words the youth and the maiden were set free.  And blissful indeed was the fortune of Olindo; for love, so proved as his, awoke love in the noble bosom of Sophronia; and so he passed from the stake to the marriage-altar, a husband, instead of a wretch condemned—­a lover beloved, instead of a hopeless adorer.

[Footnote 1:  “Brama assai, poco spera, e nulla chiede.”  Canto ii. st. 16.  A line justly famous.]

[Footnote 2: 

  “Magnanima menzogna! or quando e il vero
  Si bello, che si possa a te preporre?”]

[Footnote 3:  This conceit is more dwelt upon in the original, coupled with the one noticed at p. 362.]

TANCRED AND CLORINDA.

Argument.

The Mussulman Amazon Clorinda, who is beloved by the Christian chief Tancred, goes forth in disguise at night to burn the battering tower of the Christian army.  She effects her purpose; but, in retreating from its discoverers, is accidentally shut out of the gate through which she had left the city.  She makes her way into the open country, trusting to get in at one of the other gates; but, having been watched by Tancred, who does not know her in the armour in which she is disguised, a combat ensues between them, in which she is slain.  She requests baptism in her last moments, and receives it from the hands of her despairing lover.

TANCRED AND CLORINDA