A shade of sadness marks his look and gest,
as though deprest by sense of ’during woes,
resolved with alien steel alone to slay
right soon the Lusus men, he ’gan to say:—
27
“Prince! who by birthright holdest high command
o’er the proud seas that sweep from Pole to Pole;
thou who dost curb the den’izens of the land
that none o’erpass his term and certain goal:
And, Father Ocean! thou whose ’circling band
around the globèd universe doth roll,
permitting only by thy just decree
each in due bounds to flourish, Earth and Sea:
28
“And, eke, ye Water-gods, who ne’er endure
aught of injurious in your vast domain,
sans meetest chastisement condign and sure,
dealt to the worms who overrun your reign:
Why dwell ye reckless thus, how rest secure?
Who to such softness had the power to train
your hearts, with reason hardened to behold
this race of mortals weak withal so bold?
29
“Ye saw the wondrous insolent extremes
that dared the heavenly heights in arms to scale:
Ye saw that wildest fantasy that dreams
of conquering Ocean-tide with oar and sail:
Ye saw, and every day we see, meseems,
such braves, such insults that, if these prevail,
full soon, I fear, of sea and sky to find
Mankind the godheads, Gods the humankind.
30
“You see that now this weak ephemeral brood,
who from a Vassal mine hath taken name,
with sprite high-flown, and heart of proudest mood,
you, me and all the world would tempt and tame:
You see how freely they defy your Flood,
a doughtier deed than Rome’s high race could claim:
You see they seek to ’spy your whole domain,
to break the very statutes of your Reign.
31
“I saw how ’gainst the Minyae,138 first to find
the path that passeth through your realm, the wave,
much-injured Boreas, with his brother-wind
Aquilo and their peers, did rage and rave.
If to th’ adventurous mortals who design’d
such wrongs the Winds appaid the boast and brave,
ye, who have higher right these wrongs to pay,
what wait ye? Doom of justice why delay?
32
“Nor will I, Gods! consent, so should you trow
pure love of you from Heaven hath brought me down;
not thus your suff’ering feel I and your woe,
what wrongs I now resent are all mine own;
since the high honours, as your Godships know,
I won on earth, when fell by me o’erthrown
Inde’s wealthy Reign, of Morning-lond the grace,
I see abated by this little race:
33
“For our all-Sovran Sire and eke the Fates
who rule this nether world as best they wot,
resolve with Fame which ne’er on man awaits,
to make th’ abysmal sea these Barons’ lot:
Hence shall you view, O Gods! their human hates
teach god to work god wrong: Ah! see ye not
of note and worth we have the smallest boast
whose value Reason valueth the most.
34
“Wherefore Olympus’ height I now have fled,
to seek heart-salving balm for sore despair;
eke would I find, if rank thus forfeitèd
in Heav’en, your Waters still to honour care.”
More would he say, but nothing more he said,
for tears, already trickling pair by pair,
leapt from his brimming lids, and as they came
the Gods of Water felt their sprites aflame.
35
The rage which sudden fired their hearts divine,
and roused to such display each vengeful soul,
suffered not counsel to contain design,
nor discount brookèd, nor endured control:
Now to great Aeolus they send a sign,
as ’twere from Neptune, bidding him enroll
contrary Winds of wildest phrenesy,
and of all vent’urous sails sweep clean the sea.
36
Proteus the first and foremost there desirèd
to speak his feelings as he felt him bound;
the general Conclave deeming him inspirèd,
by some myst’erious prophesy profound:
yet was that Company divine so firèd
by sudden tumult; brake such storm of sound
that Tethys rising cries indignantly,
“Well kens King Neptune what commandeth he.”
37
Now there superb Hippotades139 gave vent
to furious Winds erst pent in prison-hold;
the while his wilful words fresh fury lent,
against the Lusian Barons brave and bold.
Sudden the summer-vault with clouds was sprent,
for Winds, still growing fierce with rage untold,
gather as on they go fresh might and main,
house, tow’er, and hillock strewing o’er the plain.
38
While thus in Council met the Gods’ array
beneath the Seas, before soft breezes float
our joyous weary Ships, and hold their way
o’er tranquil Ocean on the long new route.
The hour was that when hangs the Lamp of Day
from hemisphere Eöan most remote:
They of night’s early watch140 lay down to sleep,
while others waked the second ward to keep.
39
Drows’iness mastered, all half-numbed and chill
shivered with many a yawn the huddling Crew
beneath the bulging main-sail, clothèd ill
to bear the nightly breath that keenly blew;
their eyes, kept open sore against their will,
they rubbed, and stretcht their torpid limbs anew:
To seek a waking-draught the men devise,
spin stories, tell a thousand histories.
40
One ’gan to say, “Wherewith may better we
spur tardy Time who lags so sore and slow,
save with some pretty tale of joyaunce gay
that heavy slumber trouble us no mo?”
Replied Le’onardo, truest lover he,
whose firm and constant thought was aye aglow:
“What tale our tardy breasts may better move
and kill old Time than some fair Lay of Love?”
41
“ ’Twere not, methinks,” Velloso said, “thing meet
on theme so soft in hours so hard to dwell;
the rough Sea-labours, which do fag the fleet,
Love’s delicatest fancies rudely quell:
Rather of fervid fight and battle-feat
be now our story, for I see full well,
life is all hardship, and good sooth I wis
more trouble cometh; something tells me this.”
42
All with his words consenting joint assail
Velloso to recount whate’er he knew.
“I will recount,” quoth he, “nor shall you rail
at aught that seemeth fabulous or new:
And that my hearers learn from this my tale
high proofs of forceful deed to dare and do,
e’en of my countrymen I’ll say my say;—
the Twelve
