infinite island-groups and alwhere strewed:
Tidore, Ternáte view, whose burning head
lanceth the wavy flame and fiery flood:
There see the groves the biting clove-bud shed,
bought with the price of Portughueze’s blood;
here dwell the golden fowls, whose home is air
and never earthward save in death may fare.
133
“See Banda’s Islets, which enamelled glow
various painted by the rosy fruits;
variegate birds, that flit from bough to bough,
take tithe and tribute of the greeny nuts:
See Borneo’s sea-girt shore where ever flow
the perfumed liquor’s thick and curded gouts,
the tears of forest-trees men ‘Camphor’ clepe,
wherefore that Island crop of Fame shall reap.
134
“Timor thence further sendeth forth her store
of fragrant Saunders, wood medicinal:
See Sunda’s Isle,261 so stretch her farther shore
that hideth Auster’s regions of appall:
The wand’ering men who inner wilds explore,
tell of a stream whose marvels never pall;
for, where its lone and single current floweth,
dead wood that in it falls a live stone groweth.
135
“Behold yon land, made island of the sea262
by Time, whose trembling flame in vapour swelleth,
see Petroil-fountain, and the prodigy
of od’orous juice the weeping tree distilleth;263
sweeter than scent-tears shed in Araby
by Cin’yras’ daughter, where for aye she dwelleth;
and see, how holding all that others hold,
soft silk she hoardeth and the nugget-gold.
136
“See in Ceylon that Peak264 so stark, so gaunt,
shooting high o’er the clouds or mocking sight:
The native peoples hold it sacrosanct
for the famed Stone where print of foot is pight:
O’er lone Maldivia’s islets grows the plant,265
beneath profoundest seas, of sov’ereign might;
whose pome of ev’ry Theriack is confest
by cunning leech of antidotes the best.
137
“Eke shalt thou see toforn the Red Sea strait
Socotra, famed for Aloë’s bitter growth:
I subject other sea-girt Isles to ’wait
your steps where sandy Africk seaboard show’th;
and yieldeth floating mass266 rare, odorate,
but whence it cometh none of mortals know’th:
Of Sam Lourenço see yon famous Isle,
which certain travellers Madagascar style.
138
“Here distant Orient’s new-found climates see,
climes on the world by this your Feat bestowèd
that opened Ocean-portals patent-free,
whose vasty plain with doughty hearts you plowèd.
But in the Ponent als a reason be,
a Lusian’s noble exploit be avowèd,
who being greatly by his King aggrieved,
shall force a passage Fancy ne’er conceived.267
139
“See yon huge Region whose contin’uous lines
course from Callisto to the contr’ary Pole;
superb shall’t be by boast of lucent mines
whose veins Apollo’s golden tincture stole.
Castile, your ally, worthily designs
to make its barb’arous neck her yoke to thole:
In varied regions bide its various tribes,
with different rites which different use prescribes.
140
“But here where Earth spreads wider, ye shall claim
realms by the ruddy Dye-wood made renown’d:
These of the ‘Sacred Cross’268 shall win the name:
By your first Navy shall that world be found.
Along this seaboard, which your arm shall tame,
shall wend him seeking Earth’s extremest bound
Magellan who, good sooth, by birth shall be
a Portughueze in all save loyalty.
141
“And when his courses pass the midway place
which from the Pole Antarctick parts the Line,
he shall behold an all but Giant race269
holding the countries which therewith confine:
Still onwards lie the Straits that aye shall grace
his name, which sea with sea through land conjoin;
a sea and land where horrid Auster bideth,
and ’neath his frozen wings their measure hideth.270
142
“Thus far, O Portingalls! to you was given
the feats of future ages now to know;
how o’er those Oceans which your keels have riven
great-hearted Barons grandest deeds shall do:
And hence, since all with mighty toils have striven,
toils by whose Fame your favour aye shall grow
with your eternal Spouses debonnair,
who shall weave glorious crowns for you to wear:
143
“Ye can embark, for fav’ouring blows the Wind
and to your well-loved home the seas be clear.”
Thus spake the Goddess, and the Braves incline’d
from the glad Island of sweet Love to steer.
They bear refreshment of the noblest kind,
they bear the longed-for Comp’any, each his Fere,
the Nymph that ever shall in heart abide,
long as the sunshine warmeth land and tide.
144
So fared they, cutting through the Main serene
with favouring breezes that ne’er blew in ire,
till they had sighted that familiar scene
their Fatherland, and ever fond desire.
They past the Tagus-mouth, our stream amene,
and gave their Country and their dread loved Sire,
who willed their voyage, glory and renown
and added lustrous titles to his crown.
145
No more, my Muse!271 no more, for now my Lyre
untunèd lies, and hoarse my voice of Song;
not that of singing tire I, but I tire
singing for surd and horny-hearted throng.
Favours which Poet-fancy mostly fire
our Land gives not, ah, no! ’tis plunged too long
in lust of lucre, whelmed in rudest folly
of vile, austere and vulgar melancholy.
146
Nor ken I wherefore, by what Fate indign
she ’joys ne genial pride, ne gen’eral taste,
which strengthen mortal spirit and incline
to face all travail with a happy haste.
Wherefore, O King! thou whom the Will Divine
hath on the kingly throne for purpose place’d
look that thou be (and see the realms of Earth)
sole Lord of vassals peerless in their worth!
147
Look how they gladly wend by many a way,
with raging Bulls’ or rampant Lyons’ might,
self-doomed to sleepless night and foodless day,
to fire and steel, shaft-show’er and bullet-flight:
To torrid Tropicks, Arcticks frore and grey,
the Pagan’s buffet and the Moor’s despight;
to risks invis’ible threating human life,
to wrack, sea-monsters and the waves’ wild strife.
148
All risks to serve thy cause they dare affront,
to thee though distant yield they homage due,
of ev’ry hard command they bear the brunt
sans answer, ever prompt and ever true:
On single look of favour could they count,
infernal Demons, black with Hell’s own hue,
with thee they
