“And by long devious courses his command 61
sent me to say, that all things mercantile,
which go by ocean or which go by land,
supplied by realms betwixt the Tage and Nyle;
from foggy Zealand’s frore Pole-fronting strand,
to the far lands where Sol ne’er changeth style
of days, that splendid shine on AEthiop shore,
all these his kingdom holds in mighty store.
“And if thou wilt, with pacts and firmest ties 62
of naked, sacred Peace and Friendship rare,
allow exchange of superfluities
his earth and thine with like abundance bear;
making the rents and revenues richer rise
(wherefore men toil and travail, sweet and fare)
for both the countries, certes, shall pertain
to him great glory and to thee great gain.
“And when thus knitted Friendship’s steadfast knot 63
which aye you mighty monarchs twain shall bind,
prompt will he be against all adverse lot,
by chance of warfare to thy reign design’d,
with soldiers, arms, and ships; so men shall wot
thy friend and brother they in him shall find:
He hopeth eke that when thy course is traced
by sure response to see my mission graced.”
Such royal message spake our Chief before 64
the Gentoo King, who thus vouchsafed reply,
that to receive such fair Ambassador
from land so far he holdeth honour high:
But that his final will fain standeth o’er
till tane the counsel of his ministry,
who shall make certain, after long debate,
what King he speaketh of, what race, what state.
Meanwhile from labours past the Chief may wend 65
where rest awaits him, and in brief delay
to the despatch he will due care extend,
whereby their King shall greet their homeward way.
This said, brought sombre Night the wonted end
to human labours of the livelong Day,
soothing the weary limbs with balmy swoon,
and tired eyne with sweet Oblivion’s boon.
The Gama, with his Portingalls remained, 66
whom, upon hospitable thought intent,
the noble Indian Regent entertained
with feast and joy and general content.
The Cat’ual, to his monarch’s service trained,
sought surest tidings; ’twas his regiment
to learn how, when, and whence the Folk had come,
what laws were theirs, what customs, and what home.
Soon as he saw the Delian Car of fire 67
the fair Youth drives, come forth and light restore,
he summoneth Monsayde for desire
to know the strangers new to th’ Indian shore.
Ready and curious now he ‘gins enquire
if certain signs, pure proofs, the Moorman bore
anent these foreigners, as men had said
hard by his country they were born and bred:
That punct’ual proof particular he must bring 68
with general information; as ’twould be
notable service done to tell the King
all that could guide him in such novelty.
Rejoins Monsaydé:—” Alb’eit everything
I lief recount, yet count it not from me:
I only ken they bide in distant Spain,
where bathe my nest and Phoebus in the Main.
“They hold a Prophet’s Law who was begot 69
sinless, nor stained with carnal detriment
His Virgin-Mother; Him the Breath they wot
of God who holdeth Earth in government.
But what my sires ancestral ne’er forgot,
of them, is Valour fierce, sanguinolent
in arms, that on their arm resplendent gloweth,
as many a Geste with our forefathers showeth.
“For they, with brav’ery better than of man, 70
outdrave our grandsires from the fertile leas
where fresh Guadiana and rich Tagus ran,
with famed and memorable instances:
Still seeking triumphs, in far African
parts, spurning perils of the stormy seas
our plans of safety and of peace they foil,
they break our lofty walls, our towns they spoil.
“Nor less of force and fraud they showed, whene’er 71
kindled were other wars by Fate’s decree,
or when Spain’s warlike sons to fight would fare,
or there, when others poured down Pyrenee:
And thus, in fine, to thrust of foreign spear
ne’er bowed they, owning alien mastery
ne’er yet was known, I swear no man can tell us
to Hannibals like these e’er came Marcellus.
“And if my tidings faulty seem and few, 72
what thou requirest that to ask them send;
ask of themselves, for they be proud and true
and falsehoods most annoy them and offend:
Go see their fleet and arms, their manner view
of moulded metal, ready all to shend:
Wend thou and note the Lusians’ various art
in Peace and War, the sight shall glad thy heart.”
Flamed with desire the Idol-servant’s mind 73
to sight the marvels told him by the Moor:
He bade the boats be manned, and straight incline’d
to view the vessels which the Gama bore:
Both leave the foreshore, and their boat behind
came Nayran hosts, till Ocean curdled o’er:
They scale the Flagship’s gunwales strong and tall;
and, reacht the main-deck, are received by Paul.
Her purple awnings and her banners shine 74
with the rich tissue which the worm hath made;
whereon appear portray’d with rare design
the warlike actions of the mighty Dead:
Here show fierce accidents of ‘battled line,
and there fere single-fights, a scene of dread,
wherefrom the Géntoo seeking all to ‘spy
may not withdraw the pleasure of his eye.
He asks of all he sees: But Gama pray’d 75
he first be seated, and in cool retreat
be pleased to taste the food before him spread,
which Epicurus’ sect holds highest treat.
The spumy vases gen’erous liquors shed
which first did Noah make the world to weet:
Yet nills the Gentoo-man to break his fast,
as ’twas forbidden by the laws of Caste.
The blaring Trumpet, which in Peace the thought 76
of Warfare im’ages, rends the lift like thunder:
The diabolick instruments fire-fraught
wake slumb’ering echoes there, the sea-depths under.
Noted the Gentoo all: But most he sought
to read th’ intention and the works of wonder
done by the Heroes which in scanty space
Picture, mute Poesy, had power to trace.
He riseth, Gama rising by his side, 77
and there Coelho with the Mauritan:
With curious eyne a warlike form they eye’d,
an old white Sire of aspect sovereign,
whose name and honours in our hearts shall ‘bide,
long as the World shall know the name of man:
In garb of Grecian usage stands he dight,
bearing device of leaf-branch in his right.
His right a leaf-branch bore: — But oh! how blind 78
I madly rush to ‘tempt without your stay,
ye Nymphs of Tagus and Mondego kind,
a path so varied, long and ard’uous way!
Lend me your favour while my way shall win
d
o’er the deep Ocean ‘mid the Storm’s affray;
for sore I fear me an ye leave the helm
the waves my fragile barque shall overwhelm.
See how my Lay so long to sing hath striven 79
your Tagus and the Lusians dear to you,
how oft this exile Fate from home hath driven,
new labours ever suffering, losses new:
Now tempting Ocean, then all helpless driven
the dread Mavortian risks and wrongs to rue;
self-doomed as Canacé to death abhor’d,
in this hand aye the Pen, in that the Sword:
Now sunk by hateful scorned Penury 80
to chew the bitter bit of beggar-bread:
Then mockt by Hope already brought so nigh
to be anew and more than e’er misled:
Then with bare life in hand condemned to fly
where life depended from so fine a thread;
only a greater miracle could save,
than what to Judah’s King new life-lease gave.
And still, my Nymphs! ’twas not enough of pain 81
such sorrow-clouds around my life should close;
but they, for whom I sang the patriot-strain,
with sad return must pay my toils, my throes:
In place of Peace and Rest I hoped to gain,
in lieu of Bay-wreaths bound around my brows,
troubles by men unseen they must invent,
when ills of every kind my soul torment.
Behold, ye Nymphs! what high-bred Lords and wise 82
breedeth your Tagus, what a gen’erous race,
who in such fashion with such favours prize
the Bard whose boon hath lent their lordships grace!
For coming writers what examples rise
to raise Man’s genius to its Pride of Place,
to shrine memorious in the Poet’s story
Deeds that deserve to gain eternal glory!
But since such hosts of ills around me lie, 83
let not my Fancy of your favour fail
here chiefest wanted as the goal draws nigh,
that mighty feats wax mightier by my tale:
Aid me you only, long indeed sware I
no grace to grant where good doth not prevail,
and none to flatter whatso their degrees,
on pain of losing all my pow’er to please.
Think not, ah no, my Nymphs! I would enfame 84
the man who dares his country and his King
forget for private interest’s pit’iful claim,
by law of God and Man a felon thing.
Nor poor ambition, whose degraded aim
is to win office, shall my Song e’er sing,
whose only object in th’ ignoble prize
is larger range of Vice and Infamies.
None, who misusing pow’ers on him confer’d, 85
makes them the panders of his ugly greed;
none, who to court and cringe before the herd
in change of figure Proteus shall exceed.
From me, Camenae, fear no fav’ouring word
for him who comes, in grave and honest weed,
in new-born rank his King contenting more,
to fleece and flay the miserable poor.
Nor him who, holding ’tis but just and right, 86
his King’s severest orders to fulfil,
holds it not Justice fitly to requite
the servile brows that weary sweat distil:
Nor him whose bosom, lacking practical light,
seeketh for causes, and by prudent skill
taxeth with niggard heart and hand unfair,
the toils of aliens which he doth not share.
Only of men I’ll sing the glorious name 87
who risked darling life for God, for King;
when losing life they lengthened life by fame,
and well deserved the best that Bard can sing.
Apollo and the Nine, who with me came,
redoubled fury to my song shall bring
when rest and breathing from my travail tane
I to my toil refresht shall come again.
CANTO VIII.
ARGUMENT OF THE EIGHTH CANTO.
THE Governor of Calecut seeth various pictures upon the banners of the Armada; and heareth the account of them given by Paul da Gama: Origin of the word “Lusitania”: Glorious feats of the Portugueze Kings (and of their Vassals) till the reign of King D. Afonso V.: The Samori ordereth the Haruspices to consult futurity respecting the Armada: They report to him evil of the Navigators: They attempt to destroy Da Gama who satisfieth the King in a notable speech.
ANOTHER ARGUMENT.
Vem-se de Lusitania os Fundadores,
E aquelles, que por feitos valerosos,
De alt a memoria sao merecedores,
De hymnos, e de versos numerosos:
Como de Calecut os Regedores,
Consult am os Haruspices famosos,
E corruptos com dadivas possantes,
Tratam de destruir os navegantes.
CANTO VIII.
TARRIED the Cat’ual, standing mute before 1
the first of painted forms that stood in sight;
who for Device in hand a leaf-branch bore,
with meteor-beard, long-flowing, flossy-white.
“Whose counterfeit presentment this; wherefore
the strange device he holdeth in his right?”
When Paul, with sober accents answering said, —
while the wise Moor for both interpreted: —
“All of these figures which to thee are shown 2
so bold in bearing, dreadful to behold,
and bolder, dreader far, the men were known
in mouth of Fame, for words and works of old:
Antients yet moderns are, still brighter grown
with names in Genius’ highest rank enrol’d:
This first in sight is Lusus, from whose fame
our ‘ Lusitania’ gained her royal name.
“He was the Theban’s son or comrade tried, 3
the God who divers regions overran;
it seems he came to hold our Spanish nide,
pursuing conquests which his youth began:
Douro’s and Guadiána’s plains of pride,
of yore ‘ Elysian Fields,’ his fancy wan
so much, he there would give his weary bones
the Tomb eterne, the term our country owns.
“The branch-Device, thou see’st him bear in hand, 4
is the green Thyrsus Bacchus wont to wield,
which to our cent’ury doth belief command
he was a comrade or beloved child.
See’st thou you other treading Tagus-land,
the Plow’er who long hath plow’d the wild Sea-field,
where the perpetual walls he reared on high,
and fane of Pallas for all memory?
“Ulysses ’tis who builds that sacred fane 5
to her, whose favour tongue facund supplies;
if there he fired tall Troy on Asian plain
here made he mighty Lisbon’s walls arise.”
“Who have we here, who cumbers with the slain
the field, whose furious presence frights the eyes?
He drives great armies to disgraceful rout,
and on his banners painted eagles float.”
The Gentoo thus, and Gama’s answer came: — 6
“Thou see’st a Herdsman who his flock forsook;
we know that Viriatus was his name,
who aye preferred the Lance before the Crook:
He shook and shattered Roman pride and fame;
from this unvanquisht victor ne’er she took
Ah, no! nor ever could her power take
the primacy which Pyrrhus failed to break.
“Not force but fraud she used, and underhand 7
she filcht his life that cowed her coward sprite;
&n
bsp; for mighty straits make men of honest brand
break the magnan’imous laws of Honour bright.
This other here, against his angry land
with us forgathered, an exiled wight:
Right well chose he the men wherewith to rise,
and of immortal lustre snatch the prize.
“Thou see’st with us he beats the Flags that bear 8
Jove’s valiant birds, victorious, sovereign;
e’en in those days no Braves so brave but wear
our yoke, subjected to our might and main:
See his so subtle arts, his wily care
the people by his deep design to gain;
that Prophet-Hind aye dealing wise advice:
Sertorius he; the Doe is his Device.
“See now this other painted flag upon, 9
of our first Kings the great progenitor:
Our Hist’ory makes him to be Hungary’s son,
but strangers say Lorraine the hero bore.
When with the chivalry of proud Leon
and the Gallego he lay low the Moor,
unto Sanct Sep’ulchre saintly Henry hied
that might his kingly trunk be sanctified.”
“Say, prithee, who be this that frights my sight?” 10
(asketh th’ astonied man of Malabar)
“who all these squadrons, all these men of might
with his thin legions thus can rout and mar?
Who breaks such bulwarks proud in breadth and height,
who gives such battle, never tired of war,
who comes so many crowns in many parts
to trample under foot, and estandarts?”
“The First Afonso ’tis,” the Gama spake, 11
“by whom the Moor all Portugalia lost;
for whom Fame sware her oath by Stygian Lake
no more of noble Roman name to boast:
The Zealot he whom God would ne’er forsake
by whose brave arm He tames the Moorish host,
for whom their walled reign He lays so low
no more is left for future days to do.
“Had Caesar, or King Alexander led 12
a power so puny, men-at-arms so few,
against the multitudes unnumbered
this excellent Commander overthrew;
deem not their names had earth thus overspread,
nor could their deathless glories death subdue:
But leave we such inexplicable Deeds
and see what worth of vassal-men he leads.
“This whom thou seest sight with kindling eye 13
his broken pupil, fierce in high disdain
bidding him rally flying hosts, and try
once more the desp’erate fortunes of the plain:
Returneth Youth with Age to do or die,
Luis de Camoes Collected Poetical Works Page 20