fearing his Monarch pay him for his pains,
when shown the malice which must soon be known,
if there a longer time the stranger wone.
92
He bids him order ev’ery stuff be brought
straight shoreward, all he hath of vendible,
that they might duly barter’d be or bought;
for who nills commerce war is wont to will.
Though knows the Gama what felonious thought
and damnable desires that bosom fill,
yet he consenteth, for right well knows he
with these same stuffs he buys his liberty.
93
Concert they now the Blackmoor shall prepare
launches and lighters fit the wares to land;
to trust his boats our Captain did not care,
where fone might capture or might hold in hand.
Put forth th’ almádies for the beach to bear
Hispanian stuffs, the best he mote command:
He writes his brother fearing all delay
to send the bales that shall his blackmail pay.
94
The merchandise now landed is ashore,
where by that greedy Catual ’tis tane:
Alvaro and Diogo guard the store,
with leave to truck or vend as best they can.
That more than duty, than obedience more,
Gain rules th’ ignoble breast of lawless man
well doth that Pagan to the worldling show;
for gained the goods he let the Gama go:
95
He lets him go, for in the goods he thought
to hold sufficient pledge and pawn that may
a better penny to his purse be brought,
than if for longer time our Chief he stay:
The Gama, certain that no more he ought
to land, and haply ’counter fresh delay,
and to his vessels being now restor’d,
resolves with tranquil mind to bide aboard.
96
Aboard the ships he bides with mind at ease
till seen what circumstance the days shall show;
for now his spirit no reliance sees
upon that bribèd Regent vile and low.
Here let the Casuist who riddle rees,
see how the wealthy as the wantful too,
are ruled by lucre and the noxious thirst
of gain that gars us dare and do the worst.
97
By Thracia’s Sovran Polydore is slain,
only to have and hold his wealthy store;
the guarded edifice may not contain
Acrisius’ daughter ’gainst the golden shower;
so raged Tarpeia’s avarice insane
that she in truck for shining yellow ore,
the lofty towers to the foe betrayeth,
and stifled, crusht, the price of treason payeth.
98
This opes of warded Fort the valvarte-wall,
maketh the felon friend his faith forego:
This changeth noblest Thane to vilest Thrall
and yieldeth Captains to the luring foe:
This maketh purest maiden foully fall,
and know no fear, no reck of Honour trow:
This Art and Science shall at times deprave,
blind sanest judgment, consciences enslave:
99
This loves to gloss with subtler sense than meant
the Texts: This maketh Laws and Laws unmaketh:
This tainteth subjects with a traitor-taint:
This in the patriot King the tyrant waketh.
E’en he, self-vowèd to th’ Omnipotent,
as proved by thousand instances, forsaketh
God’s way by Gold’s enchanting Siren woo’d;
yet haply showing still some tint of good.
Canto IX
Now, free’d from the snares and perils which threatened him, Vasco da Gama quitteth Calecut, and returneth to the Kingdom (Portugal), with the glad tidings of having discovered Oriental India: Venus directeth his course to a delicious Island: Description of that same Island: Landing of the Navigators: Festive shows wherewith they are there received; the soldiers by the Nereids and Da Gama by Thetis (sic).
Fareth from Calecut the Capitayne (1–16)
Bearing glad tidings of the Orient;
To whom, amiddle of the tumid Main, (17–63)
Venus displays an Island excellent:
Here from all nobly suffered loss and pain, (64–82)
Rest and Repose they find convenient,
And with the gentle Nymphs the livelong day (83–95)
They pass in wassail, and in Love’s fair play.
1
Within the City long remainèd pent
nor found a purchaser our Factor-twain:
The wily Infidels by foil and feint
made every trader cease from trade and gain:
For all they purposèd, and hoped, and meant,
was there the stout Discov’erers to detain
of India, till arrive th’ expected Fleet
of Mecan vessels and the foe defeat.
2
There, where the City crowns the Red Sea bight
founded by Egypt’s royal Ptolemy,
and from his sister-spouse Arsin’oe hight,
to Suez changèd in our modern day;
the harbour lieth at a distance light
from far-famed Meca, raised to high degree
by the false superstition and profane,
the Holy Water of the Moorish men.175
3
Gidà the hythe is ’titled, where the trade
of all the Red Sea shorelands flourisht most,
whereby was great and grateful gain convey’d
unto the Sóldan,176 who possest the coast:
Hence to the Malabars, by contract made
with th’ Infidel, tall ships, a potent host,
each year fares sailing over Indic seas
stocking their teeming holds with spiceries.
4
Upon these ships firm hopes the Moors had set,
e’en as their puissance was so much the higher,
that these who sought their gains so grateful great,
they might consume with crepitating fire:
For the good succour all confiding wait,
and from th’ Explorers naught they now require,
save to retard their sailing in such sort,
that the famed Meca-fleet should make the port.
5
But He who rules the Heav’ens and human race,
who for whatever willèd hath His will,
the fittest causes from afar doth trace
which shall His provident effects fulfil;
pitiful accidents of ruth and grace
dealt to Monsaydé, who, with guarded skill,
devoted self Da Gama to advise,
and gain his rightful guerdon—Paradise.
6
He, whom the Moorish rout might not suspect,
being like them a Moor, but firmly thought
a villain member of the villain sect,
unveiled the frauds with foulest treason fraught:
The ships by distance from the shore protect,
in stealth with pious heart full oft he sought,
mourning the causeless evils that ordain
malignant hate and vengeance Sarracen.
7
He warns the wary Gama that th’ Armade
due from Arabian Meca year by year,
is that whereon his fellows’ hope is laid,
to be the deadly arm of certain snare:
“They sail with armed hosts amain,” he said,
“and Vulcan’s horrid
