No more the Gama could compose his mind
for joy to see that Inde is known and near;
with knees on deck and hands to Heav’en upraisèd
the God who gave such gift of grace he praisèd:
94
Praise to his God he gave, and rightly gave,
for he not only to that Bourne was brought
wherefore such perils he and his did brave,
wherefore with toil and moil so sore he fought;
but more, because so barely ’scaped the grave
when raging Ocean death for him had wrought
by the dure fervid Winds’ terrifick might,
he was like one who wakes from dream of fright.
95
Amid such fierce extremes of Fear and Pain,
such grievous labours, perils lacking name,
whoso fair Honour wooeth aye shall gain,
Man’s true nobility, immortal Fame:
Not those who ever lean on ancient strain,
imping on noble trunk a barren claim,
not those reclining on the golden beds,
where Moscow’s Zebelin downy softness spreads:
96
Not with the novel viands exquisite,
not with the languid wanton promenade,
not with the pleasures varied infinite,
which gen’erous souls effeminate, degrade:
Not with the never-conquer’d appetite,
by Fortune pamper’d as by Fortune made,
that suffers none to change and seek the meed
of Valour, daring some heroick Deed:
97
But by the doughty arm and sword that chase
Honour which man may proudly hail his own;
in weary vigil, in the steely case,
’mid wrathsome winds and bitter billows thrown,
suff’ering the frigid rigours in th’ embrace
of South, and regions lorn, and lere, and lone;
swall’owing the tainted rations’ scanty dole,
salted with toil of body, moil of soul:
98
The face enforcing when the cheek would pale
to wear assurèd aspect glad and fain;
and meet the red-hot balls, whose whistling hail
spreads comrades’ arms and legs on battle-plain.
Thus honour’d hardness shall the heart prevail,
to scoff at honours and vile gold disdain,
the gold, the honours often forged by Chance,
no Valour gained, no Virtue shall enhance.
99
Thus wax our mortal wits immortal bright
by long Experience led, Man’s truest guide;
and thus the soul shall see, from heavenly height,
the maze of human pettiness and pride:
Whoso shall rule his life by Reason-light
which feeble Passion ne’er hath power to hide,
shall rise (as rise he ought) to Honour true,
maugre his will that ne’er hath stoop’d to sue.
Canto VII
On the occasion of the famous Discovery of India, a notable and poetic Exhortation is addrest to the Princes of Christendom, arousing them to like Enterprises: Description of the Reign of Malabar wherein lieth the Empire of Calecut, at whose Port the Armada anchoreth: Appeareth the Moor Monsaydé who giveth information to the Gama and eke instructeth him concerning the natives of the land: The Catual, or Governor of Calecut, fareth to see the Fleet.
Anchors, to Calecut safe come, the Fleet; (1–22)
Sent to its puissant King an Envoy goes; (23–27)
Monsaydé comes the Lusian ships to greet, (28–41)
And of the Province telleth all he knows:
The Gama fares the Samori to meet; (42–65)
Grace to the stranger th’ Indic people shows: (66–72)
Then joint the Regent and the Moorman hie (73–end)
Aboard, where many a flag and awning fly.
1
And now th’ Armada near’d the Morning-land,
many so much desirèd to have seen,
Reigns by those Indic currents moated, and
by Gange who dwelleth in the sky terrene.
Up Braves! and at them, an your valiant hand,
to snatch victorious Palms determined bene
Here ends your warfare; here before you lies
the realm of riches and your rightful prize.
2
To you, O race from Lusus sprung! I say,
to whom such puny part of Earth is dole’d
nay, what say I of Earth, but of His sway
who ruleth all the rounded skies enfold?
You, whom ne dangers dure ne dire dismay
from conqu’ering brutal Heathenesse withhold,
but eke no greed of gain may wean from love
of Mother-essence147 throned the Heavens above.
3
Ye, Portingalls! as forceful as ye’re few,
who e’er disdain to weigh your weakly weight;
ye, who at cost of various deaths be true
the Laws of Life Eternal to dilate:
Cast by the heav’enly lots your lot ye drew,
however poor or mean your mundane state,
great deeds for Holy Christendom to show:
So high, O Christ! exaltest Thou the low!
4
See them, those Germans, stiff-neckt, herd-like horde
who browse the pastures of such wide extent,
to him rebellious who hath Peter’s ward,
choose a new Shepherd, a new Sect invent:
See them absorbed in ugly wars abhor’d
(nor yet with blinded errant ways content!)
fight, not the haught tyrannick Othoman,
but th’ apostolick yoke they fain unspan.
5
See the hard Englander148 proclaim his right
of that old Sacred City King to be,
where reigns and rules the base-born Ishmaelite
(Honour of Truth so nude who e’er did see!);
’mid Boreal snows he taketh sad delight
to mould new mode of old Christianity:
For those of Christ he bares the ready brand,
not to rethrone Lord Christ in Holy Land.
6
Holds for himself meanwhile a faithless Roy,149
Jerus’alem City, the terrestrial;
who holds not holy law, but dares defy
Jerus’alem City, the celestial.
Then what of thee, vile Gaul150 what need say I?
who wouldst thy vaunting self “Most Christian” call,
not that such title wouldest ward and guard,
but that the name thro’ thee be smircht and mar’d!
7
Thy claim to conquer Christian lands beseems
one who so much and such fair land doth claim?
why seek not Cinyps151 and the Nilus, streams
which ever hate that ántique Holy Name?
There should they feel of steel the hard extremes,
who would the Church’s truthful song defame:
Of Charles, of Louis,152 name thou didst inherit
and lands;—why not of justest wars the merit?
8
What shall I say of those who ’mid delights,
which vilest Idlesse bare for manhood’s bane,
spend life and love to waste the gold that blights,
and clean forget their ancient valiant strain?
Tyrannick best to hostile act incites,
