saying that while she was playing shepherdess, some freebooters seized her and carried her to the Egyptian camp, where she was placed under Armida’s protection.  Her story is just finished when they perceive what appears to be a lifeless warrior.  By the red cross on his armor the spy recognizes a Christian, and further investigation enables him to identify Tancred.  Erminia—­who has owned she loves him—­now takes possession of him, binds up his wounds with her hair (!), and vows she will nurse him back to health.

Canto XX. Warned by his spy that the Egyptians mean to send sundry of their number to mix, during the battle, with his body-guard and kill him, Godfrey changes the ensigns of his men, and thus discovers the conspirators, who are promptly put to death.  Seeing the Egyptian army advance, Godfrey, in a stirring speech, urges his men to do their best for the Holy Sepulchre, and thereby stimulates them to fight so bravely that many of them lose their lives.  Among the slain are Gildippe and her husband, who, having fought together side by side throughout the campaign, die together and are buried in the same tomb.  The other party, however, is far more unfortunate, for the Saracens lose the sultans Aladine and Solyman, the former slain by Godfrey and the latter by Rinaldo.

Meantime Armida, wavering between love and hate, tries to shoot Rinaldo, then flees, but, a little later, seeing him slay Solyman, she tries to kill herself.  It is at this moment that Rinaldo approaches her, and offers to marry her provided she will be converted.  Not only does she now promise conversion and marriage, but accompanies Rinaldo back to the camp.

The Crusaders having completely defeated their foes and secured possession of Jerusalem, march, with solemn hymns of praise to the Holy Sepulchre, where all kneel, thanking God for permitting them to deliver it from the hands of the heathen.  It is with these thanks that the poem ends.

    Thus conquer’d Godfrey; and as yet there glow’d
    A flush of glory in the fulgent West,
    To the freed City, the once loved abode
    Of Christ, the pious chief and armies press’d: 
    Arm’d as he was, and in his sanguine vest,
    With all his knights in solemn cavalcade,
    He reach’d the Temple; there, supremely bless’d,
    Hung up his arms, his banner’d spoils display’d,
  And at the sacred Tomb his vow’d devotions paid.

EPICS OF THE BRITISH ISLES

Although the name Celt was given by the early Greeks to all the people living West of their country, the Romans included under that name only the tribes occupying the countries now known as France, Western Switzerland, Germany west of the Rhine, Belgium, and the British Isles.  Blocked together under a generic name, the Celtic nation was, however, composed of many tribes, with separate dialects and customs.  It has been surmised that two of these tribes, the British and Irish, early took possession of England and Ireland, where they flourished and subdivided until disturbed by invasions of various kinds.