Ambition haply lurketh rags below:
And men in all things pious, just, and pure,
often of worldly knowledge little know;
for ill shall trustful Innocence take part
in mundane matters, when God holds the heart.
But each and ev’ery Cat’ual gross in greed, 56
the puissant rulers of the Gentile herd,
gained by the glozings of the hellish breed,
unto the Portingalls dispatch defer’d.
Whereon the Gama, — whose one only heed
despite the mischief by the Moormen stir’d,
was at the kingly feet sure sign to lay
of the discover’d World left far away: —
Worketh for this alone, as well he knew 57
that, when sure tidings and clear proofs appear,
arms, armour, ships, and men would send anew
Mano’el, the King who rules the Realm sans peer;
that to his yoke and law he would subdue
the globed earth, and e’en the wat’ery sphere;
himself was nothing but the dil’igent hand
that pioneer’d the road to Orient-land.
The Gentoo Monarch forth he fares to find, 58
that with dismissal he may wend his ways;
seeing already how the Moor’s black mind
would baulk his heart’s desire by long delays.
The King, who if by tales of forged kind
amazed were, ’twould not so much amaze,
confiding fully in his Augurs’ troth,
confirmed too by Moormen’s wordy froth:
Feels Fear a-freezing his ignoble breast: 59
Burneth on other hand a base desire,
which ever held his spirit in arrest,
flaming with Lucre-lust’s unquench’able Fire:
The richest profit sees he manifest
appear in future, if with truth entire,
he make just contract and its consequent gain,
for long years offered by our Lusian Reign.
Hereon the councillors whom the King most prized 60
different counsels and opinions dealt;
for those whereby he wont to be advised
money’s almighty magick might had felt.
To call our valiant Captain he devised,
and him when come thus spake:—” Now, an thou wilt
here in my presence own the rude clean truth,
thy felon actions still shall claim my ruth:
“The message, say they and I understand, 61
thy King hath sent me, is a falsehood vain;
no King doth own thee, ownest thou no land,
but leadest vaguing life upon the Main:
Say! who from ultimate Hispanian strand,
or King or Lord past hope of cure insane
would send his navies or one ship to stray
over such distant Ocean’s dubious way?
“And if great wealthy kingdoms doth thy King 62
sway, as thou say’est with kingly majesty,
what rich rare presents do I see thee bring
earnests of doubtful unknown verity?
The splendid robe, the costly offering
betwixt high King and King link amity:
I hold no valid sign, no certain pledge,
the pleas a vagrant seaman may allege.”
“If as hath hapt to many a high-born Brave, 63
perchance in exile be your lot to roam,
my land shall lend you refuge and shall save;
for ev’ery country is the strong man’s home:
If ye be Pyrats housed upon the wave,
own it me, fear nor infamy nor doom;
for in all ages life to save must be
the primal law of life’s necessity.”
He thus: The Gama, who divin’d the game 64
perfidious, with a cunning treason play’d
by jealous Mahometick hearts, whence came
the foul suspicions which the King misled:
With high-soul’d confidence, as did beseem,
commanding credence which he merited,
bowing to Venus Acidalia’s hest
proffered this answer from his prudent breast: —
“If man’s original Sin in hoary Time, 65
whereby sore fall became our hapless fate,
had never caused the cup of deadly crime, —
that cruel scourge of every Christian state, —
with enmity to brim in every clime
for Adam’s sons with falsity innate
(O King sublime!) of that foul turpid sect,
ne’er hadst thou held me of such deed suspect.
“But, sithence nought is won or good or high 66
sans stumbling-blocks, and sees each nobler deed
on fair Hope’s footstep Fear aye following nigh,
which on its bosom-sweat delights to feed;
meseems thou deignest little to rely
on this my very truth, nor takest heed
of other reasons, which regard thou must
didst thou not trust to men unworthy trust.
“For, an I be a Robber rapine-fed, 67
undivagous, far banisht from mine own,
how can I, thinkest thou, so far have sped
to seek these seats unseen, these realms unknown?
By what false Hope, what love of profit led
should I ‘mid angry seas my lot have thrown,
Antarctick rigours and the fires of air,
which they who dwell beneath the Ram must bear?
“If thou demand that gifts of high degree 68
must the good credit of my words maintain,
I came but stranger climes and skies to see
where Nature chose to set thine antient reign:
But if my Fortune grant such good to me
home to return and Fatherland regain,
By rich and splendid presents thou shalt learn
the ‘assured tidings of my glad return.
“If this my visit Chance inop’inate seem, 69
that King should send from far Hesperian strand,
know that you noble heart and bosom deem
no geste, no possible feat too great and grand.
Well seems it fitting, that the thought supreme
of Lusian spirit should at least command
larger belief and faith of loft’ier flight,
and hold it boundless in its height and might.
“Know that long ages passed, since our old 70
Kings with a settled purpose ‘gan propose
to conquer toils and travails manifold,
which aye to noble plans their pow’er oppose.
They oped hostile seas that fain withhold
from mortal man the boon of soft repose;
they willed to trace their bounds, to track their shore, —
the farthest margent where their billows roar.
“Conceit right worthy of his branch so blest 71
that venturous King, who plowed in primal rank
the waves and drave from out his well-loved nest
the last possessor of Mount Ab’yla’s flank:
He by rare Genius, toils that never rest,
unto one plank conjoining other plank,
disclosed the parts, where shine in clearest air
Argo with Hydra, Arawith the Hare.
“These early seeds abundant harvest bore, 72
and waxt our bosoms braver till we came
little by little stranger paths t’ explore,
developing each an antecedent aim:
The latest dwellers on the Blackmoor shore
Austral, whose eyne ne’er saw the Sev’enfold Flame,
were seen by us when left behind in turn
whatever peoples ‘neath the Tropick burn.
“Thus with firm bosom, fixt resolve to win, 73
we vanquisht Fortune and we snatcht the prize,
we taught the crowning Column here to rise:
Cleaving perforce clean through the liquid tin,
horrible Tempests’ importunities,
to thee we come, and only pray from thee
some sign and signal which our King shall see.
“This, King, be truth: Nor deem that I would make, — 74
for such uncertain good, such petty gain,
which, b’eing my words untrue, mote be the stake, —
such long proemium forged, false and vain.
Liefer would I my rest unending take
on the fierce restless bosom of the Main
by mother Thetis rockt, a Pyrat dour
who makes his wealth by making others poor.
“If then, Oh King! this honest truth of mine 75
thou take for what it is, one-fold, sincere,
aid us, to our despatch thy heart incline
and gust of glad return to mar forbear.
But an my tale appear some feigned design,
heed thou my pleadings proved so fair and clear,
as seen by Judgment-lights that never fail,
for Truth is strong and Truth shall aye prevail.”
Th’ attentive Monarch felt assured content 76
when thus Da Gama proved his discourse:
Conceives in him reliance confident,
and the firm trust that lent his language force:
He weighs of every word the full intent
pond’ering the pleading from such trusty source;
and ‘gins to hold as men by self deceived
those caitiff Cat’uals who had bribes received.
Jointly his lucre-lust claims firm effect, 77
which Lusian contract shall he hopes ensure;
Hope bids him listen, and far more affect
the Captain’s honour than the crafty Moor;
In fine he biddeth Gama hie direct
aboard, and thence from hurt and harm secure
the fittest stuffs for traffick shoreward send
against his spicey stores to truck or vend.
The stuffs to send, in fine, he gives command, 78
which in Gangetick realms the rarest be
if aught of value brought he from the land,
where ends the shore and where begins the sea.
Now from the Royal presence venerand
the Captain seeks the port to make his plea
before the Cat’ual honored with his charge,
for loan of boat as his were all at large.
For boat whereby to board his ship he pleadeth: 79
Yet the bad Regent plotting novel snare
wherein to ‘trap the stranger, nought concedeth,
but stay and hindrance straightway doth prepare;
Then, faring from the quay, his Guest he leadeth
far from the royal Palaces; and there,
where kens the Monarch nought of such intent,
would work the mischief which his malice meant.
When reached the distant site, he ‘gan to say 80
fitting conveyance should be soon supplied,
or to the dawning of the crastine day
the passage to defer he best decide.
But now perceived from prolonged delay
the Gama how the Gentoo was allied
with the deep-plotting Moors’ revengeful brood,
a truth he had not hereto understood.
This Cat’ual also gifts and bribes had tane, 81
tempted like others by the Moslem folk;
eke was he chief who held the guiding rein
of all the cities ‘neath the Samo’rim’s yoke:
From him alone the Moormen looked to gain
their base and wicked wills by hook or crook:
He, who in concert vile with them conspires,
despaireth not to glut their ill desires.
To him the Gama with much instance prays 82
for passage shipward, but without avail;
for thus had order given, as he says,
the proud successor of the Perimal.
“What cause of hindrance here, why these delays
to land the stuffs and goods of Portugal?
Subjects perforce obey what Kings command
who dares their dreadful orders countermand?”
That bribed Cat’ual lent no heed as due 83
to the high words; nay more he rackt his thought
to find some subtle phantasy and new,
some deep and devilish scheme, some monstr’ous plot;
or how his brutal steel he might imbrue
in that detested blood he ever sought;
or how the vessels he might blast and burn
that none and nought therein may home return.
That none to Fatherland return intendeth, 84
and nothing less, the Moslems’ fiendish plan;
so ne’er shall ken how far and wide extendeth
Th’ Eoan land our sovran Lusitan.
In fine goes not the Gama whom forfendeth
of those barbarian hordes the ruling man;
lacking whose permit none might leave the beach
as all the boats were borne beyond his reach.
To the Chiefs reasons and rough words replieth 85
that Idol-worshipper, he must command
to bring near shore the Fleet that distant lieth
so mote it easier be to board and land:
“Of foe or thief the tactick it implieth
when in far offing thus the vessels stand,”
quoth he, “for ne’er shall true and trusty friend
from those he loveth danger apprehend.”
Shrewd Gama seeth in each wily word 86
the Cat’ual’s drift, who fain would bring the Fleet
nearer, where dire assault of flame and sword
were ready made for wreaking mortal hate.
His thoughts he scatters better aid t’ afford:
He seeks in Fancy’s realm some cure discreet
some counterplot ‘gainst evil plans prepared;
in fine he feared all, for all he caréd.
As beam reflected by the burnisht bright 87
mirror of steel, or glass-plate chrystal-clear,
which sometime struck by ray of solar light
in other part re-strikes the dazzling glare;
and waved by wanton hand of curious Spright
about the house to sparkle here and there,
o’er walls and roofs the shimm’ering species plays,
nor rest its trem’ulous, fitful, quiv’ering rays.
So did his vaguing judgment fluctuate 88
when captive Gama’s mem’ory brought to mind
Coelho, lest he peradventure wait
ashore with boats as by command design’d:
With message priv’ily sent he warned his mate
fast for the Fleet his homeward way to find,
lest he fall lightly in the bitter lace
he feared, the fierce fell work of Moorish race.
Such should be he who would, by grace of Mart, 89
follow th’ illustrious and their fame outvie:
His nimble thought must fly to every part,
see through, and ‘scape the danger ere ’tis nigh.
His soldier-instinct rare, and subtle art
must read, mark, learn his baffled enemy;
note all in fine; nor shall that Captain’s lot
be praise of mine, who pleads I thought it not!
Insists the Malabar his guest remain 90
prisoner, till orders bring th’ Armada near;
he constant, fired with hot high disdain,
hears eve’ry menace with unfrighten’d ear;
rather shall he the weight on self sustain
which vilest malice born of hate and fear
machinates, than to shade of risk expose
his Liege�
�s navy riding safe from foes.
That livelong night in durance vile he lies, 91
and of next day a part, when he ordains
once more to see the King: But leave denies
the Guard that not a few of men contains.
To tempt with other tricks the Gentoo tries,
fearing his Monarch pay him for his pains,
when shown the malice which must soon be known,
if there a longer time the stranger wone.
He bids him order ev’ery stuff be brought 92
straight shoreward, all he hath of vendible,
that they might duly barter’d be or bought;
for who nills commerce war is wont to will.
Though knows the Gama what felonious thought
and damnable desires that bosom fill,
yet he consenteth, for right well knows he
with these same stuffs he buys his liberty.
Concert they now the Blackmoor shall prepare 93
launches and lighters fit the wares to land;
to trust his boats our Captain did not care,
where fone might capture or might hold in hand.
Put forth th’ almadies for the beach to bear
Hispanian stuffs, the best he mote command:
He writes his brother fearing all delay
to send the bales that shall his blackmail pay.
The merchandise now landed is ashore, 94
where by that greedy Catual ’tis tane:
Alvaro and Diego guard the store,
with leave to truck or vend as best they can.
That more than duty, than obedience more,
Gain rules th’ ignoble breast of lawless man
well doth that Pagan to the worldling show;
for gained the goods he let the Gama go:
He lets him go, for in the goods he thought 95
to hold sufficient pledge and pawn that may
a better penny to his purse be brought,
than if for longer time our Chief he stay:
The Gama, certain that no more he ought to land,
and haply ‘counter fresh delay,
and to his vessels being now restor’d,
resolves with tranquil mind to bide aboard.
Aboard the ships he bides with mind at ease 96
till seen what circumstance the days shall show;
for now his spirit no reliance sees
upon that bribed Regent vile and low.
Here let the Casuist who riddle rees,
see how the wealthy as the wantful too,
are ruled by lucre and the noxious thirst
of gain that gars us dare and do the worst.
By Thracia’s Sovran Polydore is slain, 97
only to have and hold his wealthy store;
the guarded edifice may not contain
Acrisius’ daughter ‘gainst the golden shower;
so raged Tarpeia’s avarice insane
that she in truck for shining yellow ore,
Luis de Camoes Collected Poetical Works Page 22