the field, whose furious presence frights the eyes?
He drives great armies to disgraceful rout,
and on his banners painted eagles float.”
6
The Géntoo thus, and Gama’s answer came:—
“Thou see’st a Herdsman who his flock forsook;
we know that Viriátus was his name,
who aye preferred the Lance before the Crook:
He shook and shattered Roman pride and fame;
from this unvanquisht victor ne’er she took
Ah, no! nor ever could her power take
the primacy which Pyrrhus failed to break.
7
“Not force but fraud she used, and underhand
she filcht his life that cowed her coward sprite;
for mighty straits make men of honest brand
break the magnan’imous laws of Honour bright.
This other here, against his angry land
with us forgatherèd, an exiled wight:
Right well chose he the men wherewith to rise,
and of immortal lustre snatch the prize.
8
“Thou see’st with us he beats the Flags that bear
Jove’s valiant birds, victorious, sovereign;
e’en in those days no Braves so brave but wear
our yoke, subjected to our might and main:
See his so subtle arts, his wily care
the people by his deep design to gain;
that Prophet-Hind aye dealing wise advice:
Sertorius he; the Doe is his Device.
9
“See now this other painted flag upon,
of our first Kings the great progenitor:
Our Hist’ory makes him to be Hung’ary’s son,
but strangers say Lorraine the hero bore.
When with the chivalry of proud Leon
and the Gallego he lay low the Moor,
unto Sanct Sep’ulchre saintly Henry hied
that might his kingly trunk be sanctified.”
10
“Say, prithee, who be this that frights my sight?”
(asketh th’ astonied man of Malabar)
“who all these squadrons, all these men of might
with his thin legions thus can rout and mar?
Who breaks such bulwarks proud in breadth and height,
who gives such battle, never tired of war,
who comes so many crowns in many parts
to trample under foot, and estandarts?”
11
“The First Afonso ’tis,” the Gama spake,
“by whom the Moor all Portugalia lost;
for whom Fame sware her oath by Stygian Lake
no more of noble Roman name to boast:
The Zealot he whom God would ne’er forsake
by whose brave arm He tames the Moorish host,
for whom their wallèd reign He lays so low
no more is left for future days to do.
12
“Had Caesar, or King Alexander led
a power so puny, men-at-arms so few,
against the multitudes unnumberèd
this excellent Commander overthrew;
deem not their names had earth thus overspread,
nor could their deathless glories death subdue:
But leave we such inexplicable Deeds
and see what worth of vassal-men he leads.
13
“This whom thou seest sight with kindling eye
his broken pupil, fierce in high disdain
bidding him rally flying hosts, and try
once more the desp’erate fortunes of the plain:
Returneth Youth with Age to do or die,
and turns the vanquisht Vanquisher again:
Egas Moníz, the gallant vet’eran hight,
is Knighthood’s mirror to each loyal knight.
14
“See’ him here self-yielded with his sons he goes,
naked of silk and cloth with neck in cord,
because the Youth to break the promise chose
which to Castile he gave with plighted word:
He lured by specious promises the foes
to raise the siege when sov’ereign waged the sword:
To life’s last pains he dooms his sons and wife
and self-condemnèd saves his Liege’s life.
15
“Less did the Consul162 whom the hosts surround
when to the Caudine Forks he careless came,
and there his head to bow and pass was bound
’neath the triumphant Samnites’ yoke of shame:
This, blamed at home, an inborn firmness found
to yield him singly, true to constant aim;
this other yieldeth self and innocent seed
and wife—more glorious and more grievous deed.
16
“See’st thou the Brave who, left his ambuscade,
falls on the King besieging yon tall town,
the town unsieging and the King waylaid:
Illustrious action Mars might call his own!
See him, here wends he, limned in yon Armade,
till eke at sea the Moormen slain or flown
lost all their galleys; while he claims the prize
that heads our host of maritime victories:
17
“Fuás Roupinho ’tis; o’er wave and land
his name shall aye resplend with equal light,
reflecting flames that lit his daring hand
in Moorman galleys under Ab’yla’s height.
See how at just and saintly War’s command
happy he loses life in holy fight:
Enters by Moorish hands the heavenly calm
his Soul, triumphant with the well-won Palm.
18
“See’st not this Gath’ering in strange garb that came
swarming from out yon Navy new and brave,
who holp our first of Kings the foe to tame
and ’leaguing Lisbon saintly proof they gave?
Behold Henrique,163 Knight of peerless fame,
and eke the Palm that grew beside his grave:
Thro’ them His marvels God to man hath shown:—
Germans be they the martyrs Christ shall own.
19
“Behold a Churchman brandishing his skeyne
against Arronches which he takes, the chance
of Leïría ’venging lately tane
by men who couch for Mafamed the lance.
’Tis Theotonio, Prior.164 See again
besiegèd Sant’arem, and shalt see the glance
assured that figures on the mure and first
wave o’er the walls the Quinal Banner durst:
20
“See here he hies, where low our Sancho layeth
the Vandal Moor who in fierce fight atones;
pierceth th’ opponent host, his Ancient slayeth,
and trails th’ Hispalic pendon o’er the stones:
Mem Moniz he, who in his life portrayeth
the valour buried with his Father’s bones;
digne of these Banners, since his force ne’er failèd
to raise his own, to rout whate’er assailèd.
21
“Behold that other, sliding down his spear—
bearing two head of sentinels he slew—
better to hide his ambush; now appear
his Braves whose might and sleight the town o’erthrew:
And now her ’scutcheon shows the Cavalier
proper who holds in hand the coupèd two
cold ghastly heads. A deed ne’er done indeed!
Giraldo Sem-pavor165 the stout name read.
22
“See’st not a Spaniard166 who, dissatisfied
with our ninth King Afonso, by old hate
of Lara movèd, with the Moor abide
in friendship hostile to our
