unconquer’d Conqueror their King declare.
149
Favour them alway, gladden every face
with thy fair Presence, blithe Humanity;
of rig’orous rule relieve them, deal the grace
of milder law that leads to sanctity:
impart to long Experience rank and place,
an with Experience ’habit Honesty
to work thy Sovran will; thus all shall trow
what things befall them, Whence and When and How.
150
All favour thou in Duty’s different way,
as in each life the storèd talent lies:
Let the Religious for thy gov’ernance pray,
and beg a blessing on each high emprize;
fast they and fash their flesh for those who stray
in vulgar vices, and as wind despise
Ambition, ne’er shall holy Priest mislead
glare of vain-glory, nor of gain the greed.
151
Foster the Cavaliers with fair esteem,
that oft their fearless, fiery blood have lent
to spread not only Heaven’s law supreme,
but eke thy royal Rule pre-eminent.
Such men who fare to face each fell extreme
of climate in thy cause aye diligent,
conquer a double foe; the fone that live,
and (deadlier task) with dark, dumb danger strive.
152
So do, my Sire! that sons of famous lands
Britons, Italians, Germans and the Gaul,
ne’er vaunt that might of mortal man commands
thy Portingalls, who should command them all.
Take counsel only with experienced hands,
men who long years, long moons, saw rise and fall:
Many for gen’eral science fitness show,
yet the partic’ulars none save experts know.
153
Elegant Phormion’s philosophick store,
see how the practised Hannibal deridèd,
when lectured he with wealth of bellick lore
and on big words and books himself he pridèd.
Senhor! the Soldier’s discipline is more
than men may learn by mother-fancy guidèd:
Not musing, dreaming, reading what they write;
’tis seeing, doing, fighting, teach to fight.
154
But I, what dare I say, rude, humble, low,
to thee unknown, yes, even in thy dreams?
Yet oft from lips of Babes and Sucklings flow,
I trow, the words of wisdom man esteems:
Right honest studies my career can show
with long Experience blent as best beseems,
and Genius here presentèd for thy view;—
gifts, that conjoinèd appertain to few.
155
For serving thee an arm to Arms addrest;
for singing thee a soul the Muses raise;
nought lacks me save of thee to stand confest,
whose duty ’tis the Good to prize and praise:
If Heav’en concede me this, and if thy breast
deign incept worthy of a Poet’s lays;—
as doth presage my spirit vaticine
viewing thee pace the human path divine:—
156
Or do’ing such derring-do, that ne’er Meduse
shall Atlas-mountain like thy glances shake,
or battling on the plains of Ampeluse
Marocco’s mures272 and Terodant to break;
my now esteemèd and rejoicing Muse
thy name o’er Earth, I swear, so famed shall make,
an Alexander shall in Thee be shown
who of Achilles envy ne’er shall own.
The Rejected Stanzas
These Stanzas, omitted by Camões, were discovered by Manoel de Faria y Sousa, and published in his Commentaries (Juan Sanches, 1639). The whole are extant in three manuscripts. Number I, the better of the two first, contains only six cantos: Number II, belonging to M. Correia Montenegro, embraces the whole poem. The third MS., in the hands of M. Luiz Franco, is given by Viscount Juromenha (Vol. VI 419). It has only four “rejected stanzas”; the first three are those of Faria y Sousa; and the fourth is that of the established text (Canto I 79) with a few unimportant changes of words and rhymes.
The Stanzas number:—
| MS. | No. | 1, | 48 + 2 fragments | = | 49 |
| ” | ” | 2, | (Correia Montenegro’s) | = | 26 |
| ” | ” | 3, | (Luiz Franco’s) | = | 4 |
| Total | 79 | ||||
I will not here enter into the consideration why the Stanzas were left out. Many of them fully equal those retained in the popular Lusiads; but almost all contain something opposed to public, or rather to priestly, sentiment. A cursory glance shows that not a few want the polish and finish which distinguish the Poem. I have purposely followed suit for the sake of contrast and fidelity. Juromenha’s original text is printed in verso, that the reader may judge how literal is my version, which, for additional security, was submitted to Mr. J. J. Aubertin, the translator of The Lusiads.
Manuscript No. I
Canto I Stanza 77 (modified)
1
He spake in fury wood, like wight insane,
And straight alighted on the Theban way,
Where mortal gest and human vesture tane,
He bore where new-born Phoebus bears the Day.
Now spans his flight the Med’iterranean Main,
Now spurns the bounds of Cleopatra’s sway;
Now leaves to right the Garamántes-land,
And circumjacent sheets of Libyan sand.
2
Now leaves he Mer’oe ’mid the fiery downs,
Fed by the waters of the Sev’en-flood River,
Realms which the high and holy President273 owns,
Of Christ His doctrine old and true Believer:
He passes drouthy land whose people wones
Lacking the Lakes that roll their waters ever;
The very birthplace of the secret Nyle
Who breeds the monstrous brood of crocodile.
3
Hence to the Prasum Headland fast he flies;
And, making Mozambíque, in briefest space
Becomes the Counterfeit, in Moorman guise,
Of one that held high honourable place.
And, as the Regent much this Moor did prize,
Entering with somewhat sad and chargèd face,
Began the Theban thus his plaint to make,
Removing others who sat near the Shaykh.
Canto I (after Stanza 80)
“And eke, that credit these my words befall,
Showing what plotteth yon false Capitayne,
Know, when thou wendedst on thy guest to call
I heard this case debated ’twixt a twain:
In what I tell thee make no interval,
And I will truly tell thee how, where, when,
Thou canst destroy them; for I lief believe
We should deceive him who would us deceive.”
Canto III (after Stanza 10)
“Between this Ocean, and the waters shed
To feed large Tanaïs, flowing ceaseless flood,
Dwell the Sarmatae races, who are fed
On mare-milk diet mixt with purpling blood.
Here live the Mysian peoples that o’erspread
A part of Asia, low, inglorious brood;
Abii who banish women; and with these
A host of tribes that drink Borysthenes.”
Canto III
“But his ill mother following whither led
Her woman’s bosom ready aye to range,
Took Dom Bermudo to her marriage-bed—
And
