what weal men merit, and the Gods dispose.
40
“And thou, O Sire of surest constancy!
from the determine’d purpose of thy mind
turn thee not backwards; weakness ’twere in thee
now to desist thee from the thing design’d.
Send forth thine agile herald, Mercury,
fleeter than trimmèd shaft, or winnowing wind,
and show some happy hythe where Rest shall joy
all weary breasts with news of India nigh.”
41
As thus he said, the Sire of sov’ereign might
assented, nodding grave his awful head
to Mars’ opinion, ever fain of fight,
and o’er the Council show’ers of nectar shed.
The Galaxy, the pathway glowing bright,
the Deities all disparting rose to tread;
royal obeisance making, and the road
each took returning to his own abode.
42
While thus it happens in th’ aethereal reign—
Omnipotent Olympick height serene—
the warrior People cut the curvèd main
Austral and Oriental course between;
where fronts the face of Aethiopick plain
far-famed Saint Lawrence Isle;12 Sol’s brightest sheen
upon the water-deities rainèd fire,
who, changed to fishes, ’scaped Typhoeus’ ire.
43
The wafting winds so winsome urged their way,
As though the smiling heav’ens dear friends defended;
serene the welkin, and the lucid day
dawn’ed sans a cloud nor aught of risk portended:
Astern the leek-green point of Prasum13 lay
an olden name where Aethiop coast extended;
when Ocean op’ening broad a vista show’d
of islets fondled by the circling flood.
44
Vasco da Gama, valiant Capitayne,
for derring-do the noblest volunteer,
of not’able courage and of noble strain,
whom smile of constant Fortune loved to cheer;
seeth no reason why he should remain
where shows the shore-line desert, dark and drear:
Once more determined he to tempt the sea;
but as he willèd Fortune nill’ed it be.
45
For look! appeareth a flotilla yonder,
mosquito-craft that cleave the rolling tide;
and with their flowing sails the surges sunder,
from the small island next the cont’inent side:
The crews rejoicing, in their hope and wonder
could gaze on naught save what their hearts had joy’d.
“Who may be these?” each ask’ed him in amaze;
“What law be theirs, what ruler, what their ways?”
46
The boats appearèd in a manner new
long-built and narrow-beamed, for swiftness plan’d;
mats were the wings wherewith they lightly flew
from certain palm-fronds wove by cunning hand:
The people wore that veritable hue,
Phaëton’s boon to many a burning land,
when work’ed his rashness on the world such ills:
So Padus knows and Lampethusa feels.
47
They come costumèd all in cotton gear,
of hues contrasting, stripèd, chequed, and white;
one zone-girt cloth around the waist they wear,
other they throw on back in airy plight:
Above the waist-band each brown form is bare;
dag-targe and matchet14 are their arms of fight:
Scull-cap on head; and, as they wend their way,
shriek shrilly shawms, and harsh-voiced trumpets bray.
48
Waving their raiment and their hands they signèd
the Lusitanian folk to wait awhile:
but our light Prores their course had now inclinèd
to strike where shelter’d by the nearest isle:
Soldiers and sailors in one toil conjoinèd
as though were here the period of their toil:
They take in sail, and strike the lofty spar,
and Ocean, anchor-smit, froths high in air.
49
Nor had they anchor’d, when the stranger race
the shrouds upswarming ready footing gainèd;
joyous they cluster glad of gest and face;
our Captain gracious greeting gives unfeignèd.
He bids incontinent the board to grace
with vinous liquor first Lyaeus drainèd;
they crown the crystal cups, the proffer’d wine
Phaëton’s scorchèd folk nowise decline.
50
Afeasting cheery all the guests enquirèd
in Arab language, Whence had come their hosts?
Who were they? Where their land? What they desirèd?
What seas their keels had cut and conn’d what coasts?
The valiant Lusians answered with requirèd
discretion, and eschewing foolish boasts—
“We are the Occidental Portughuese;
And, seeking Orient lands, we sail the seas.
51
“We now have coasted, running Ocean o’er,
Callisto’s Arctick and th’ Antarctick lands;
our course hath circled Africk’s winding shore;
strange skies exploring and yet stranger strands:
Ours is a potent King, loved evermore,
and we so prize his praise and his commands,
with mien right joyful, not the sea and sky,
but even Ach’eron Lake we dare defy.
52
“And wend we seeking by his royal will
where farthest Indus wat’ereth Eastern plain:
For him through wild wide waves we hoist the sail,
where ugly seals and orcs deform the Main.
But Reason tells us that ye may not fail
to answer, an of Truth your souls be fain,
Who are ye? What this land wherein ye wone?
And sign of India is to you beknown?”
53
“We live,” an island-man thus answ’ering said,
“aliens in land and law and eke in blood;
where native races are by nature bred,
a lawless, loutish, and unreasoning brood.
We hold his certain Law, that Holy Seed,
springing from Abram’s loins, who hath subdued
the nations subject to his sign’ory true;
by sire a Gentile and by mother Jew.15
54
“This little island, where we now abide,
of all this seaboard is the one sure place
for ev’ery merchantman that stems the tide,
from Quiloa16 or Sofálah or Mombas:
Here, as ’tis necessary, long we’ve tried
to house and home us, like its proper race:
In fine to find you with the facts you seek,
man calls our little island ‘Mozambíque.’
55
“And, as far-faring now ye come to view
Indic Hydaspes and his burning board,
hence ye shall bear a Pilot, sure and true,
whose skill the safest guidance shall afford:
’Twere also well, ere you your toils renew,
vittaile to ship, and let our island-lord,
who governeth this land, his guests behold,
and stock with needed store each empty hold.”
56
His speech thus spake the Moor, and took his leave,
he and his meiny where the bátels lay:
formal farewells to chief and crews he gave,
exchanging congees with due courtesy.
Now weary Phoebus in the western wave
had stalled the crystal chariot of the Day,
and gave his bright-brow’d sister charge t’ illume
the vast of Earth while lasted nightly gloom.
57
Aboard the wayworn
