The mighty Captain whom the Fates ordain
to view his toils win Glory’s lasting Crown,
should ever ’prove him kind and loved compeer
of his own men, not cruel judge severe.
46
In days of hunger and of dire distress,
sickness, bolts, arrows, thunder, lightning-glint,
when the sore seasons and sad sites oppress
his soldiers, rendering services sans stint;
it seemeth salvage act of wild excess,
of heart inhuman, bosom insolent,
to make last penalty of Laws atone
for sins our frailty and our love condone.
47
Abominable incest shall not be
his sin, nor ruffian rape of virgin pure,210
not e’en dishonour of adultery,
but lapse with wanton slave-girl, vile, obscure:
If urged by jealous sting, or modesty,
or used to cruelty and harshness dour,
Man from his men mad anger curbeth not,
his Fame’s white shield shall bear black ugly blot.
48
Learnt Alexander that Apelles lovèd
and his Campaspe gave with glad consent,
though was the Painter not his Soldier provèd,
nor in hard urgent siege his force was pent.
Felt Cyrus, eke, Panthéa deeply movèd
Araspas, by the fire of Passion brent,
though he had tane her charge, and pledged his oath
dishonest love should never break his troth:
49
But see’ing the noble Persian ’slaved and sway’d
by pow’er of Passion, sans in fine defence,
he gives light pardon, and thus gained his aid
in gravest case, the fittest recompense.
Himself perforce the mate of Judith made
Baldwin hight “Bras-de-fer,” but his offence
her father, Charles, for troublous times condone’d,
and gave him life the Flanders’ reign to found.
50
Again the Lyre its soul of music sheds,
and sings the Nymph how shall Soáres fly
air-winn’owing flags whose terror far o’erspreads
the ruddy coasted lands of Araby:
Th’ abominable town, Medina, dreads
as Meca dreads and Gidá, and where lie
Abassia’s ultime shores: while Barbora fears
the fate that floodeth Zeyla-mart with tears.
51
“And, eke, the noble Island Taproban,
whose ancient name ne’er fail’d to give her note,
as still she reigns superb and sovereign
by boon of fragrant tree-bark, biting-hot:
Toll of her treasure to the Lusitan
ensign shall pay, when proud and high shall float
your breezy banners from the lofty tower,
and all Columbo fear your castled power.
52
“Sequeira,211 too, far sailing for the shore,
of Erythras, new way shall open wide
to thee, Great Empire! who canst vaunt of yore
to be Candáce’s and the Sheban’s nide:
Masuá212 that hoards in tanks her watery store,
he shall behold by Port Arquico’s side;
and send explorers to each distant isle,
till novel wonder all the world beguile.
53
“Succeeds Menézes;213 less enfamed his sword
shall be in Asia than in Africk-land:
he shall chastise high Hormuz’ erring horde
and twofold tribute claim with conq’uering hand.
Thou also, Gama! shalt have rich reward
for ban of exile, when to high command
entitled, ‘County’ thou shalt be restorèd
to the fair region this thy Feat explorèd.
54
“But soon that fatal Debt all flesh must pay,
wherefrom our Nature no exception knows,
while deckt with proudest Royalty’s array,
from Life shall reave thee and Life’s toils and woes
Other Menézes214 cometh sans delay,
who few of years but much of prudence shows
in rule; right happy this Henrique’s lot
by human story ne’er to be forgot.
55
“Conquer he shall not only Malabar,
destroy Panáné and Coulété waste,
hurling the bombards, which through hurtled air
deal horrid havock on th’ opposing breast;
but, dower’d with virtues truly singular,
he deals to seven-fold Spirit-foes his hest:
Covetise with Incont’inence he shall spurn—
the highest conquest in the years that burn.
56
“Him, when his presence shall the stars invite
O Mascarenhas brave!215 thou shalt succeed;
and if injurious men shall rob thy right
eternal Fame I promise for thy meed!
That ev’ry hostile tongue confess thy might
and lofty valour, Fate for thee decreed
far more of Palm-wreaths shall thy glory crown,
than the Good Fortune due to thy renown.
57
“Where Bintam’s216 reign her baleful head uprears,
Maláca humbling with her harmful hate,
in one short day the thousand tyrannous years
with bravest bosoms shalt avenge and ’bate:
Inhuman travails, perils without peers,
a thousand iron reefs, and dangerous strait,
stockade and bulwark, lances, arr’owy sleet,
all shalt thou break, I swear, all shalt submit.
58
“But Inde’s Ambition, and her Lucre-lust,
for ever flaunting bold and brazen face
in front of God and Justice, shall disgust
thy heart, but do thine honour no disgrace.
Who works vile inj’ury with unreas’oning trust
in force, and footing lent by rank and place,
conquereth nothing, the true Conq’ueror he
who dares do naked Justice fair and free.
59
“Yet to Sampaio217 will I not gainsay
a noble valour shown by shrewdest blows,
that shall o’er Ocean flash like thunder-ray,
curded with thousand corpses of his foes.
He shall in Bacanor make fierce assay
on Malabar, till owns in terror-throes
Cutiále,218 beaten with his battered Fleet
the dreadful ruin of a rout complete.
60
“Nor less of Diu the fierce and fere Armade,
the dread of Cháúl, daring, proudly man’d,
with single glance shall fall, till all have fled
our Hector da Sylveira’s heavy hand:
Our Hector Portingall, of whom ’tis said,
that o’er yon ever armed Cambayan strand,
such wrath on Guzerats ’tis his to wreak
as Trojan Hector wreakèd on the Greek.
61
“Then shall succeed to fierce Sampaio’s powers
Cunha,219 and hold the helm for many a year;
building of Chálé-town the lofty towers,
while quakes illustrious Diu his name to hear:
Bassein to him her sturdy standard lowers,
yet not sans bloodshed, for with groan and tear
Melíque220 se’eth his proudest estocade
storm’d not by firebrand but by sway of blade.
62
“Next comes Noronha,221 whose auspicious sway
Diu from the barbarous Rumé-warman rends;
Diu, which beleaguer’d in his warrior way
Antonio da Sylveira well defends:
Soon must Noronha doom of death obey,
when branch of thine,222 O Gama! aidance lends
to govern empire, and his
