the true Medusa-face so awful fair,
which man’s imprison’d, witch-bound heart can turn
no, not to stone, but flames that fiercely burn?
143
“Who se’eth a firm-fixt glance, a gesture bland,
soft promises of angel-excellence,
the soul transforming aye by charmed command;
say, who from pow’er like this can find defence?
Pardie, he scantly blameth King Fernand
who pays, as he did, Love’s experience:
But human Judgment would, if fancy-free,
adjudge his laches even worse to be.
Canto IV
Da Gama pursueth his discourse with the King of Melinde, and relateth the wars between Portugal and Castile, touching the succession to the throne, after the death of the king, D. Fernando: Military feats of the Constable, D. Nuno Alvares Pereira: Battle and victory of Aljubarrota: Diligent attempts to discover India by land, in the days of the king D. Joam II: How the king D. Manoel gained this end by resolving upon the present voyage: Preparations for it: Embarkation and farewells of the navigators upon the Belem beach.
Joam acclaimèd to be Pedro’s heir, (1–5)
Léonor craveth aidance of Castile: (6–13)
Withstandeth Nuno, warrior sans fear, (14–22)
They fight; and conquest crowns the Lusian’s weal: (23–47)
Who first went forth the Morning-land to spere (60–66)
And through the tumid flood his way to feel;
And how to Gama fell the great emprize, (77–End)
To gar our Port’ugal’s glory higher rise.
1
“After the horrors of the stormy Night,
with gloom, and lightning-gleams, and hiss of wind,
breaks lovely Morning’s pure and blessèd light,
with hope of haven and sure rest to find:
Sol banisheth the dark obscure from sight,
laying the terror of man’s timid mind:
Thus to the doughty kingdom it befell,
when King Fernando bade this world farewell.
2
“For, if so many with such hopes were firèd
for one whose potent arm their harms could pay
on those, that wrought their wrongs with soul untirèd,
nerved by Fernando’s heedless, feeble way;
in shortest time it happed as they desirèd,
when ever-glorious John arose to sway,
the only heir that did from Pedro spring,
and (though a bastard) every inch a King.
3
“That such accession came from Heaven divine
proved ’special marvels, God His truth proclaiming,
when Ev’ora city saw the choicest sign,
a babe of age unspeech’d the ruler naming;
and, but to show the Heav’en’s supreme design,
she raised her cradled limbs and voice, exclaiming—
‘Portugal! Port’ugal!’ high uplifting hand,
‘for the new king, Dom John, who rules the land.’
4
“Changèd in sprite were all within the Reign,
old hatreds firing hearts with novel flame;
absolute cruelties none cared restrain
popular Fury dealt to whence it came:
Soon are the friends and kith and kinsmen slain
of the adult’erous County and the Dame,
with whom incont’inent love and lust unblest,
the wappen’d widow showèd manifest.
5
“But he, dishonour’d and with cause, at last
by cold white weapon falls before her eyes,
and with him many to destruction past;
for flame so kindled all consuming flies:
This, like Astyanax, is headlong cast
from the tall steeple (’spite his dignities);
whom orders, altar, honours, nought avail;
those through the highways torn and stript they trail.
6
“Now long Oblivion veils the deeds accurst
of mortal fierceness, such as Rome beheld,
done by fierce Marius, or the bloody thirst
of Sylla, when parforce his foe expel’d.
Thus Léonor, who mortal vengeance nurst
for her dead County gars, with fury swell’d,
Castilia’s force on Lusitania fall,
calling her daughter heir of Portugal.
7
“Beatrice was the daughter, interwed
with the Castilian, who for kingship greedeth,
putative offspring of Fernando’s bed,
if evil Fame so much to her concedeth.
Hearing the voice, Castile high raiseth head,
and saith this daughter to her sire succeedeth;
for warfare must’ereth she her warrior bands
from various regions and from various lands.
8
“They flock from all the Province, by one Brigo85
(if such man ever was) yclept of yore;
and lands by Ferd’inand won, and Cid Rodrigo
from the tyrannick gov’ernance of the Moor.
Little in fear of warlike feat doth he go
who with hard plowshare cleaving lordeth o’er
the champaign Leonèze, and boasts to be
the blight and bane of Moorish chivalry.
9
“In Valour’s ancient fame the Vandal host,
confident still and stubborn, ’gan appear
from all Andalusía’s head and boast,
laved by thy crystal wave, Guadalquivir!
the noble Island86 eke, whilere the post
of Tyrian strangers, to the war drew near,
bringing insignia by renown well known,
Hercules’ Pillars on their pennons shown.
10
“Eke come they trooping from Toledo’s reign,
City of noble, ancient or’igin, span’d
by Tagus circling with his sweet glad vein,
that bursts and pours from Conca’s87 mountain-land.
You also, you, all craven fear disdain
sordid Gallegos! hard and canny band,
for stern resistance fast to arms ye flew,
warding their doughty blows whose weight ye knew.
11
“Eke War’s black Furies hurried to the fight
the fierce Biscayan folk, who clean despise
all polisht reasons, and ne wrong ne slight
of stranger races bear in patient guise.
Asturias-land and that Guipusc’oan hight,
proud of the mine which iron ore supplies,
with it their haughty sworders armed and made
ready their rightful lords i’ the war to aid.
12
“John in whose bosom Peril only grows
the strength Jew Sampson borrow’d of his hair,
though all he hath be few to fight his foes,
yet bids his few for battle-gage prepare:
And, not that counsel fails when danger shows,
with his chief lords he counsels on th’ affair,
but drift of inner thoughts he seeks and finds;
for ’mid the many there be many minds.
13
“Nor lack their reas’onings who would disconcert
opinions firmly fixt in pop’ular will,
whose weal of ancient valour is convèrt
to an unusèd and disloyal ill:
Men in whose hearts Fear, gelid and inert,
reigneth, which faith and truth were wont to fill:
Deny they King and Country; and, if tried,
they had (as Peter did) their God denied.
14
“But ne’er did such denial-sin appear
in noble Nuno Alv’ares, nay, instead—
although his brothers show’d default so clear—
he
