This as a bourne was far thrust out to keep
Asia distinct from Africk, and a few
of the best markets Negro seaboards claim
Arquico are, Masuá and Súanquem.
98
“View éxtreme Suez where, old Annals say,
once stood the city hight Hero’opolis;
by some Arsin’oe called, and in our day
she holdeth Egypt’s fleets and argosies:
Behold the watery depths, where clove his way
Moses the mighty in past centuries:
Asia beginneth here her huge extent
in regions, kingdoms, empires opulent.
99
“See Sinai mountain,242 with her boast and pride
the silver bier of saintly Catherine:
See Toro-port and Gidá, scant supplied
with fountain-water soft and crystalline:
Behold the Straits which end the southern side
of arid Aden-realms, that here confine
with tall Arzíran range, nude stone and live,
whence soft sweet rains of Heaven ne’er derive.
100
“See threefold Ar’aby, cov’ering so much ground,
where tawny peoples vague o’er vasty space;
whence come the Rabytes,243 best for battle found,
light-limbed, high-fettled, noble-blooded race.
Behold the coast that trends to bind and bound
yon other Persian Strait, where sight can trace
the Headland proud the potent name to own
of Fartak-city, erst to Fame well-known.
101
“Behold insign Dofar that doth command
for Christian altars sweetest incense-store:
But note, beginning now on further band
of Rosalgáté’s244 ever greedy shore,
yon Hormuz Kingdom strown along the strand,
whose fame for riches still shall higher soar
when the Turk’s galleys, and his fierce Armade
see Castel-Branco245 bare his deadly blade.
102
“Behold of Asabón the Head, now hight
Mosandam, by the men who plough the Main:
Here lies the Gulf whose long and lake-like Bight
parts Araby from fertile Persia’s plain.
Attend yon Barem Isle, with depths bedight
by the rich pearly shell whose blushes feign
Auroran tints; and view in Ocean brine
Euphrate and Tygre in one bed conjoin.
103
“Great Persia’s noble Empire here behold,
ever on Destr’ier or in Camp of War,
whose sons disdain the copper-tube to mould,
and hands not horny with the Cymitar.
But see yon Gerum Isle the tale unfold
of mighty things which Time can make or mar;
for of Armúza-town yon shore upon
the name and glory this her rival won.
104
“Here Dom Philippe de Menézes view
approved a doughty valiant man-at-arms,
who with his Portughueze exceeding few
shall quell the Lára246 Parsi’s potent swarms:
Pedro de Sousa too shall make them rue
reversèd Fortunes, Warfare’s deadliest harms,
who had his prowess in Ampáza247 shown,
and took the land by sweep of sword alone.
105
“But now the Narrows and their noted head
Cape Jask, Carpella called by those of yore,
quit we, the dry terrene scant favourèd
by Nature niggard of her normal store:
Whilere Carmánia ’twas intitulèd:
But view fair Indus-flood whose waters pour
adown his natal heights, and in the range
of neighbour-mountains see the source of Gange.
106
“Behold Ulcindé’s most luxuriant land
and of Jaqueta-shore yon intime bay;
the monster Bore which roaring floods the strand,
and ebb which flieth with like force away.
See where Cambaya’s rich feracious band
boundeth re-entering seas, the Gulf Cambay;
and thousand Cities which I leave untold,
here hoard their wealth for you to have and hold.248
107
“See, runs the cel’ebrate seaboard Hindostánian
southward till reached its point, Cape Comori,
erst ‘Cori’ called, where th’ Island Taprobanian
(’tis now Ceylon) encrowns the fronting sea:
Besides these waves thy people Lusitanian,
who with their doughty arms will follow thee,
by conq’uering wars shall lands and towns debel,
wherein your sons and sons of sons shall dwell.
108
“The regions lying ’twixt these Rivers twain,249
thou see’st, with various tribes are infinite:
Here rule the Muslims; there the Géntoos reign
whose Holy Writ the Devil did indite:
See where Narsinga’s seigniories contain
the saintly relicks blessing human sprite,
Thomé’s remains, the Miss’ioner sanctified
who thrust his finger in Lord Jesu’s side.
109
“Here rose the potent City, Meliapor
namèd, in olden time rich, vast and grand:
Her sons their olden idols did adore
as still adoreth that iniquious band:
In those past ages stood she far from shore,
when to declare glad tidings o’er the land
Thomé came preaching, after he had trod
a thousand regions taught to know his God.
110
“Here came he preaching, and the while he gave
health to the sick, revival to the dead;
when Chance one day brought floating o’er the wave
a forest-tree of size unmeasurèd:
The King a Palace building lief would save
the waif for timber, and determinèd
the mighty bulk of trunk ashore to train
by force of engines, elephants and men.
111
“Now was that lumber of such vasty size,
no jot it moves, however hard they bear;
when lo! th’ Apostle of Christ’s verities
wastes in the business less of toil and care:
His trailing waist-cord to the tree he ties,
raises and sans an effort hales it where
a sumptuous Temple he would rear sublime,
a fixt example for all future time.
112
“Right well he knew how ’tis of Faith aver’d
‘Faith moveth mountains’ will or nill they move,
lending a listening ear to Holy Word:
As Christ had taught him, so ’twas his to prove:
By such a mir’acle much the mob was stir’d;
the Brahmins held it something from above;
for, seen his signs and seen his saintly life,
they fear the loss of old prerogative.
113
“These be the Sacerdotes of Géntoo-creed,
that of sore jealousy felt most the pain;
they seek ill-ways a thousand and take rede
Thomé to silence or to gar him slain:
The Principal who dons the three-twine thread,250
by a deed of horror makes the lesson plain,
there be no Hatred fell, and fere, and curst,
as by false Virtue for true Virtue nurst.
114
“One of his sons he slaughters, and accuses
Thomé of murther, who was innocent:
Bringing false witnesses, as there the use is,
him to the death they doom incontinent.
The Saint, assurèd that his best excuses
are his appeals to God Omnipotent,
prepares to work before the King and Court
a public marvel
