that to his yoke and law he would subdue
the globèd earth, and e’en the wat’ery sphere;
himself was nothing but the dil’igent hand
that pioneer’d the road to Orient-land.
58
The Géntoo Monarch forth he fares to find,
that with dismissal he may wend his ways;
seeing already how the Moor’s black mind
would baulk his heart’s desire by long delays.
The King, who if by tales of forgèd kind
amazèd were, ’twould not so much amaze,
confiding fully in his Augurs’ troth,
confirmèd too by Moormen’s wordy froth:
59
Feels Fear a-freezing his ignoble breast:
Burneth on other hand a base desire,
which ever held his spirit in arrest,
flaming with Lucre-lust’s unquench’able Fire:
The richest profit sees he manifest
appear in future, if with truth entire,
he make just contract and its cons’equent gain,
for long years offered by our Lusian Reign.
60
Hereon the counc’illors whom the King most prizèd
different counsels and opinions dealt;
for those whereby he wont to be advisèd
money’s almighty magick might had felt.
To call our valiant Captain he devisèd,
and him when come thus spake:—“Now, an thou wilt
here in my presence own the nude clean truth,
thy felon actions still shall claim my ruth:
61
“The message, say they and I understand,
thy King hath sent me, is a falsehood vain;
no King doth own thee, ownest thou no land,
but leadest vaguing life upon the Main:
Say! who from ultimate Hispanian strand,
or King or Lord past hope of cure insane
would send his navies or one ship to stray
over such distant Ocean’s dubious way?
62
“And if great wealthy kingdoms doth thy King
sway, as thou say’est with kingly majesty,
what rich rare presents do I see thee bring
earnests of doubtful unknown verity?
The splendid robe, the costly offering
betwixt high King and King link amity:
I hold no valid sign, no certain pledge,
the pleas a vagrant seaman may allege.”
63
“If as hath hapt to many a high-born Brave,
perchance in exile be your lot to roam,
my land shall lend you refuge and shall save;
for ev’ery country is the strong man’s home:
If ye be Pyrats housed upon the wave,
own it me, fear nor infamy nor doom;
for in all ages life to save must be
the primal law of life’s necessity.”
64
He thus: The Gama, who divin’d the game
perfidious, with a cunning treason play’d
by jealous Muhammadick hearts, whence came
the foul suspicions which the King misled:
With high-soul’d confidence, as did beseem,
commanding credence which he merited,
bowing to Venus Acidalia’s hest
proffered this answer from his prudent breast:—
65
“If man’s orig’inal Sin in hoary Time,
whereby sore fall became our hapless fate,
had never caused the cup of deadly crime—
that cruel scourge of every Christian state—
with enmity to brim in every clime
for Adam’s sons with falsity innate
(O King sublime!) of that foul turpid sect,
ne’er hadst thou held me of such deed suspect.
66
“But, sithence nought is won or good or high
sans stumbling-blocks, and sees each nobler deed
on fair Hope’s footstep Fear aye following nigh,
which on its bosom-sweat delights to feed;
meseems thou deignest little to rely
on this my very truth, nor takest heed
of other reasons, which regard thou must
didst thou not trust to men unworthy trust.
67
“For, an I be a Robber rapine-fed,
undivagous, far banisht from mine own,
how can I, thinkest thou, so far have sped
to seek these seats unseen, these realms unknown?
By what false Hope, what love of profit led
should I ’mid angry seas my lot have thrown,
Antarctick rigours and the fires of air,
which they who dwell beneath the Ram must bear?
68
“If thou demand that gifts of high degree
must the good credit of my words maintain,
I came but stranger climes and skies to see
where Nature chose to set thine ancient reign:
But if my Fortune grant such good to me
home to return and Fatherland regain,
By rich and splendid presents thou shalt learn
the ’assurèd tidings of my glad return.
69
“If this my visit Chance inop’inate seem,
that King should send from far Hesperian strand,
know that yon noble heart and bosom deem
no geste, no poss’ible feat too great and grand.
Well seems it fitting, that the thought supreme
of Lusian spirit should at least command
larger belief and faith of loft’ier flight,
and hold it boundless in its height and might.
70
“Know that long ages passèd, since our old
Kings with a settled purpose ’gan propose
to conquer toils and travails manifold,
which aye to noble plans their pow’er oppose.
They opèd hostile seas that fain withhold
from mortal man the boon of soft repose;
they willed to trace their bounds, to track their shore—
the farthest margent where their billows roar.
71
“Conceit right worthy of his branch so blest
that vent’urous King,172 who plowed in primal rank
the waves and drave from out his well-loved nest
the last possessor of Mount Ab’yla’s flank:
He by rare Genius, toils that never rest,
unto one plank conjoining other plank,
disclosed the parts, where shine in clearest air
Argo with Hydra, Ara with the Hare.173
72
“These early seeds abundant harvest bore,
and waxt our bosoms braver till we came
little by little stranger paths t’ explore,
devel’oping each an antecedent aim:
The latest dwellers on the Blackmoor shore
Austral, whose eyne ne’er saw the Sev’enfold Flame,174
were seen by us when left behind in turn
whatever peoples ’neath the Tropick burn.
73
“Thus with firm bosom, fixt resolve to win,
we vanquisht Fortune and we snatcht the prize,
till harbour’d this thy new-found kingdom in
we taught the crowning Column here to rise:
Cleaving perforce clean through the liquid tin,
horrible Tempests’ importunities,
to thee we come, and only pray from thee
some sign and signal which our King shall see.
74
“This, King, be truth: Nor deem that I would make—
for such uncertain good, such petty gain,
which, b’eing my words untrue, mote be the stake—
such long proëmium forgèd, false and vain.
Liefer would I my rest unending take
