Anon appeared the keels to settle low
where horrid Glooms the deep sea bowels shroud.
While Notus, Auster, Boreas, Aquilo
the world-machine to wreck and ruin crowd:
Gleamèd and glarèd pitchy hideous night
with Leven burning all the polar height.
77
The Halcyon birds their melancholy wail
piped, as they cowered on the salvage shore;
remembering aye the wrongful long-past tale
of woes the waters wrought to them of yore:
Meanwhile th’enamoured Dolphins fled the gale
to shelt’ering grottos in the deep-sea floor,
although the mighty winds and mightier waves
threatenèd danger in their deepest caves.
78
Ne’er forged such lightning-bolts of living fire
against the Giants’ haught rebellious band,
the great toil-sordid Blacksmith, in desire
to grace with radiant arms his stepson’s hand.
Never was known the mighty Thunderer’s ire
to rain such fulm’inant fulgor o’er the land
in the great Deluge, which alone withstood
the pair that changèd stones to flesh and blood.
79
How many mountains levelled with the lea
those Waves that burst and brake with awful might!
How many a gnarlèd trunk of ancient tree
the Winds uptore with wild and wilful spite!
Ne’er reckt those bulky cable-roots to see
their heels upturned to meet the heav’enly light;
nor thought the deep-laid sands that floods could flow
so fierce, and raise aloft what lay below.
80
Da Gama, seeing that so near the scope
of his long voyage, ev’ery chance had failèd;
seeing the seas to depths infernal ope,
then with redoubled rage the Lift assailèd:
By nat’ural Fear confused, and sans a hope
of Life, where nought of heart or art availèd,
to that high Puissance, and that certain Aid
which makes th’ imposs’ible possible, thus pray’d:—
81
“Celestial Guard! divine, angelical
of Skies and Earth and Sea sole Suzerain;
Thou, who didst lead Thy people Israël
thro’ Erythrean waters cleft in twain:
Thou, who didst fain defend thy servant Paul
from sandy Syrtes and the monstrous Main,
Who deign’edst the second Sire and children save
to fill the regions emptied by the Wave:
82
“If through new perilous paths a way I wore
through other Scyllas and Charybdes came,
Saw other Syrtes reef the sandy floor,
other Acroceraunian rocks infame:
Why, when such labours are well-nigh no more,
why are we thus abandoned, left to shame,
if by our travails Thou be not offended
Nay, if Thy greater glory be intended?
83
“Oh happy they whose hap it was to die
on grided points of lances African;
to fall, while striving still to bear on high
our Holy Faith in regions Mauritan!
Whose feats illustrious live in ear and eye,
whose mem’ories aye shall haunt the heart of man;
whose Lives by ending life win living name,
whose Deaths are sweeten’d by a deathless Fame!”
84
Thus he, while battling Winds still fiercer clashèd,
like raging Bulls indomitably wood;
to greater rage the raging gale was lashèd,
hissing and howling through the twiney shroud:
The lightnings’ dreadful night-light brighter flashèd,
and fearful thunders rolled and rent the cloud,
as though the Heavens to Earth unaxled fell,
and the four Elements in battle mell.
85
But now the lovely Star145 with sparkling ray,
led forth clear Sol in Eastern hemisphere;
Day’s lovely Herald hasting to display
her gladdening brow, and Earth and Sea to cheer:
The Goddess-ruler of its skyey way,
whom faulchion-girt Orion flies in fear
when seen the billows and her dear-loved Fleet
with equal anger and with fear was smit.
86
“Here, certès, Bacchus’ handwork I descry,”
quoth she, “but Fortune ne’er shall gar him gain
his wicked object, nor shall ’scape mine eye
the damn’d intention which he plans in vain.”
Thus she; and slipping instant from the sky
lightly she ’lighteth on the spacious Main,
bidding her Nymphs to wear as on she sped
a rosy garland on each golden head.
87
Garlands she bade them wear of varied hue,
on blondest tresses of the purest shine:
Who had not said the ruddy florets grew
on nat’ural gold, which Love had loved to ’twine?
To tame and blandish by the charming view
the noisome crew of Winds, she doth design
her galaxy of Nymphs, a train as fair
as Planets dancing on the plains of air.
88
And thus it was: For when in Beauty’s pride
showed the fair Bevy, faded straight away
the force wherewith each windy Warrior vied,
and all surrender’d happy to obey:
It seemed their mighty feet and hands were tied
by hanks of hair that dimmed the leven-ray;
meanwhile her Boreas, she who ruled his breast,
loveliest Orithyia, thus addrest:—
89
“Think not, fere Boreas! e’er ’twas thought of mine
that thou hast lovèd me with constant love;
for gentle ways be Love’s securest sign;
wrath has no power the lover’s heart to move:
See, an thou bridle not that rage indign,
expect no grace of me, whom ’twill behove
henceforth to murther Love by deadly Fear;
for Love is terror when Fear draweth near.”
90
Bespake fair Galatéa in such strain
her furious Notus; for she wots right well
long in her presence pleasure he had tane,
and now she feeleth he must feel her spell.
The Salvage scarcely can his joy contain,
nor will his heart within his bosom dwell;
o’erjoyed to view his Dame vouchsafe command,
he deems ’tis little to wax soft and bland.
91
Thus eke had others equal pow’er to tame
those other lovers who their hests obey’d;
yielding to Venus every Wind became
tranquil of semblance by new softness sway’d:
She promised, seen their loves her aidance claim,
in Love’s sweet wars her sempiternal aid;
and took their homage on her beauteous hands,
to bear, while sail the Ships, her dear commands.
92
Now splendid Morning tipt the hills with red
whence rolls the Gange his sacred sounding tide,
when seamen percht upon the topmast head
Highlands far rising o’er the prows descried:146
Now, ’scaped the tempest and the first sea-dread,
fled from each bosom terrors vain, and cried
the Melindanian Pilot in delight,
“Calecut-land, if aught I see aright!”
93
“This is, pardie, the very Land of Inde,
what realms you seek behold! ahead appear;
and if no farther Earth ye long to find,
