The ancient Proteus from his grotto came.
He'd seen Orlando enter and then leave
That gaping mouth; then, witnessing its shame,
He'd seen him to the shore the monster heave.
And at this uproar, heedless he became
Of all his flock, and fled; and I believe
That Neptune's dolphins harnessed were that day
To speed to Ethiopia straight away.

Ino, all tears, her offspring in her arms,
The Nereids, their tresses loose and flowing,
The followers of Glaucus, all alarms,
The Tritons fled, in all directions going.
Orlando so disables and disarms
The orc, no vestige now of life is showing;
By pain and travail sorely mortified,
Before it reached the water's edge, it died.

Quite a few islanders had run to see
The strange event in which the orc was slain.
A deed so holy seems profanity
To those who hold to heathen creeds and vain.
They said it would renew the enmity
Of Proteus, who would send his flock again
To ravage and despoil their island shore,
The ancient quarrel flaring up once more.

They judge it will be best to sacrifice
To the offended god ere worse occur,
And, to placate him, deem it will suffice
To cast the body of the warrior
Into the raging sea; as in a trice
A flame is caught from torch to torch, so there
A burning hatred, spread from heart to heart,
Destined Orlando for the victim's part.