“See high, haught Europe that adores the Rood,92
for pow’er and polity o’er all renown’d:
See Africk grudging ev’ery worldly good,
yon rough, incult and monster-haunted ground;
whose Stormy Cape till now your search withstood,
by Nature ’stablished as her Austral bound:
Behold this quarter where the Blackmoors dwell
sans-loys, sans-foys, whose numbers none can tell.

“Behold the Ben’omotápa’s puissant reign93
of salvage Negros, nude and noisome race,
where shall for Holy Faith be foully slain
martyr’d Gonçalo,[92] suffering sore disgrace:
This hidden Hemisphere to golden vein
gives birth, which man must win by sweat of face
See from yon Lake, whence Nilus rolls his tide,
how springs Cuáma[93] from the farther side.

“Behold those Blackmoors and their huts that stand94
sans doors, each castled in his natal nest,
they trust of Royal Justice the command,
and in the candour of the neighbour’s breast:
Behold how furious flies the bestial band
like flock of dingy stares thick packt and prest;
to fight Sofala’s fortress they pretend
which dext’erous Nhaia’s arm and wits defend:

“See there the Lakes that cradle Father Nyle[94]95
whose ultime sources men of old ne’er knew:
See how he waters, ’gend’ering cockadrille,
Abassia-lond whose sons to Christ be true:
Behold how bare of bulwarks (novel style)
they show a better front against the foe:
See Meroe-island whilom known to fame,
which now the wild inhabitants Nobá name.

“On distant Africk hills a son of thee96
in Turkish wars shall win the fame of Brave;
hight Dom Christóvam shall the hero be,
but flesh from destined Death no skill shall save.
Here view the Coast where shelter from the sea
and glad relief to thee Melinde gave:
Note how yon Rhaptus[95]-stream, whose wide expanse
natives call Obi, ent’ereth in Quilmance.

“The Cape which Antients ‘Aromatic’ clepe97
behold, yclept by Moderns Guardafú;
where opes the Red Sea mouth, so wide and deep,
the Sea whose ruddy bed lends blushing hue:
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.

“View éxtreme Suez where, old Annals say,98
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.

“See Sinai mountain,[96] with her boast and pride99
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.

“See threefold Ar’aby, cov’ering so much ground,100
where tawny peoples vague o’er vasty space;
whence come the Rabytes,[97] 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.

“Behold insign Dofar that doth command101
for Christian altars sweetest incense-store:
But note, beginning now on further band
of Rosalgáté’s[98] 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-Branco[99] bare his deadly blade.

“Behold of Asabón the Head, now hight102
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.

“Great Persia’s noble Empire here behold,103
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.

“Here Dom Philippe de Menézes view104
approved a doughty valiant man-at-arms,
who with his Portughueze exceeding few
shall quell the Lára[100] Parsi’s potent swarms:
Pedro de Sousa too shall make them rue
reversèd Fortunes, Warfare’s deadliest harms,
who had his prowess in Ampáza[101] shown,
and took the land by sweep of sword alone.

“But now the Narrows and their noted head105
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.

“Behold Ulcindé’s most luxuriant land106
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.[102]

“See, runs the cel’ebrate seaboard Hindostánian107
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.

“The regions lying ’twixt these Rivers twain,[103]108
thou see’st, with various tribes are infinite:
Here rule the Moslems; 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.

“Here rose the potent City, Meliapor109
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.

“Here came he preaching, and the while he gave110
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.

“Now was that lumber of such vasty size,111
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.

“Right well he knew how ’tis of Faith aver’d112
‘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.

“These be the Sacerdotes of Géntoo-creed,113
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,[104]
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.

“One of his sons he slaughters, and accuses114
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 publick marvel of the major sort.

“He bids be brought the body of the slain115
that it may live again, and be affied
to name its slayer, and its word be tane
as proof of testimony certified.
All saw the youth revive, arise again
in name of Jesu Christ the Crucified:
Thomé he thanks when raised to life anew
and names his father as the man who slew.

“So much of marvel did this Mir’acle claim,116
straightway in Holy Water bathes the King
followed by many: These kiss Thomé’s hem
while those the praises of his Godhead sing.
Such ire the Brahmans and such furies ’flame,
Envy so pricks them with her venom’d sting,
that rousing ruffian-rout to wrath condign
a second slaughter-plot the priests design.

“One day when preaching to the folk he stood117
they feigned a quarrel ’mid the mob to ’rise:
Already Christ his Holy man endow’d
with saintly martyrdom that opes the skies.
Rainèd innumerable stones the crowd
upon the victim, sacred sacrifice,
and last a villain, hast’ier than the rest,
pierced with a cruel spear his godly breast.

“Wept Gange and Indus, true Thomé! thy fate,118
wept thee whatever lands thy foot had trod;
yet weep thee more the souls in blissful state
thou led’st to don the robes of Holy Rood.
But Angels waiting at the Par’adise-gate
meet thee with smiling faces, hymning God.
We pray thee, pray that still vouchsafe thy Lord
unto thy Lusians His good aid afford.

“And you, ye others, who usurp the name119
of God’s Apostles, miss’ioners like Thomé,
say, an ye boast of apostolick claim
why fare not Holy Faith to preach and pray?
If ye be salt see how yourselves ye shame,
cleaving to home, where none the Prophet play;
how shall be salted in dark days as these
(Pagans I leave) such hosts of heresies?

“But now this per’ilous theme I pass beyond;120
gain we again the limnèd shore and site.
Here with the City whereof Fame is fond,
bends the long bow-line of Gangetick Bight:
Runneth Narsinga rich and potent lond,
runneth Orissa vaunting tissues bright,
and at the bottom of the Bay’s long line,
illustrious Ganges seeks his home, the brine:

“Ganges whose acc’olents bathe, and bathing die,121
and die in lively faith withal secure
whatever sins upon their spirits lie,
the Holy Waters lave them sinless-pure.
See Cathigam,[105] amid the highest high
in Bengal-province, proud of varied store
abundant, but behold how placed the Post
where sweeps the shore-line t’wards the southing coast.

“Arracan-realm behold, behold the seat122
of Pegu peopled by a monster-brood;
monsters that ’gendered meeting most unmeet
of whelp and woman in the lonely wood.
Here bells of sounding orichalc they fit
upon their bodies, by the craftihood
of subtle Queen, who such new custom plan’d
to ’bate th’ accursèd Sin and Crime nefand.

“Behold Táváí City,[106] whence begin123
Siam’s dominions, Reign of vast extent;
Tenassarí, Quedá of towns the Queen
that bear the burthen of the hot piment.
There farther forwards shall ye make, I ween,
Maláca’s market grand and opulent,
whither each Province of the long seaboard
shall send of merchantry rich varied hoard.

“From this Peninsula, they say, the sea124
parted with puissant waves, and ent’ering tore
Samátra’s noble island, wont to be
joined to the Main as seen by men of yore.
’Twas callèd Chersonèse, and such degree
it gained by earth that yielded golden ore,
they gave a golden ep’ithet to the ground:
Some be who fancy Ophir here was found.

“But on her Lands-end throned see Cingapúr,125
where the wide sea-road shrinks to narrow way:
Thence curves the coast to face the Cynosure,
and lastly trends Auroraward its lay:
See Pam, Patáne,[107] and in length obscure,
Siam, that ruleth all with royal sway;
behold Menam, who rolls his lordly tide
from Source Chiámái called, Lake long and wide.

“Thou see’st in spaces of such vast extent126
nations of thousand names and yet unnamèd;
Láós in land and people prepotent,
Avás and Bramás[108] for vast ranges famèd.
See how in distant wilds and wolds lie pent
the self-styled Gueons,[109] salvage folk untamèd:
Man’s flesh they eat: their own they paint and sear,
branding with burning iron,—usage fere!

“See Mecom river fret Cambodia’s coast,127
his name by ‘Water-Captain’ men explain;
in summer only when he swelleth most,
he leaves his bed to flood and feed the Plain:
As the frore Nyle he doth his freshets boast;
his peoples hold the fond belief and vain,
that pains and glories after death are ’signed
to brutes and soulless beasts of basest kind.

“This Stream with gentle, bland repose shall greet128
in his embrace the Song,[110] that swam to land
from sad and piteous shipwreck dripping wet,
’scaped from the reefs and rocks that fang the strand;
from hunger-tortures and the perilous strait,
what time went forth the dour unjust command
on him, whose high sonorous lyre shall claim
such want of Fortune and such wealth of Fame.

“Here courseth, see, the callèd Champa[111] shore,129
with woods of od’orous wood ’tis deckt and dight:
See Cauchichina still of note obscure,
and of Ainam[112] yon undiscoverèd Bight:
Here the proud Empire famed evermore
for wide-spread lands and wealth and matchless might,
of China runs, and boasts the whole her own
’twixt torrid Cancer and the frigid Zone.

“Behold yon wondrous and incred’ible Wall,130
this and that other Region built to part;
most certain symbol this which shows to all,
Imperial Puissance proud in arm and art:
These their born Princes to the throne ne’er call,
Nor Son succeedeth Sire in subject heart;
the prop’erest man as Monarch they devise,
Some Knight for virtue famèd, brave and wise.

“Parforce hide other vasty lands from thee131
until what time no land remain unfound:
But leave thou not those Islands of the Sea,[113]
where Nature rises to Fame’s highest round:
This Realm half-shadowed, China’s empery
afar reflecting, whither ships are bound,
is the Japan, whose virgin silver mine
shall shine still sheen’ier with the Law Divine.[114]

“Here see o’er Oriental seas bespread132
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.

“See Banda’s Islets, which enamelled glow133
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.

“Timor thence further sendeth forth her store134
of fragrant Saunders, wood medicinal:
See Sunda’s Isle,[115] 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.

“Behold yon land, made island of the sea[116]135
by Time, whose trembling flame in vapour swelleth,
see Petroil-fountain, and the prodigy
of od’orous juice the weeping tree distilleth;[117]
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.

“See in Ceylon that Peak[118] so stark, so gaunt,136
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,[119]
beneath profoundest seas, of sov’ereign might;
whose pome of ev’ry Theriack is confest
by cunning leech of antidotes the best.

“Eke shalt thou see toforn the Red Sea strait137
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 mass[120] rare, odorate,
but whence it cometh none of mortals know’th:
Of Sam Lourenço see yon famous Isle,
which certain travellers Madagascar style.

“Here distant Orient’s new-found climates see,138
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.[121]

“See yon huge Region whose contin’uous lines139
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.

“But here where Earth spreads wider, ye shall claim140
realms by the ruddy Dye-wood made renown’d:
These of the ‘Sacred Cross’[122] 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.

“And when his courses pass the midway place141
which from the Pole Antarctick parts the Line,
he shall behold an all but Giant race[123]
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.[124]

“Thus far, O Portingalls! to you was given142
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:

“Ye can embark, for fav’ouring blows the Wind143
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.

So fared they, cutting through the Main serene144
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.

---

No more, my Muse![125] no more, for now my Lyre145
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.

Nor ken I wherefore, by what Fate indign146
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!

Look how they gladly wend by many a way,147
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.

All risks to serve thy cause they dare affront,148
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 fain encounter, and they dare
unconquer’d Conqueror their King declare.

Favour them alway, gladden every face149
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.

All favour thou in Duty’s different way,150
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.

Foster the Cavaliers with fair esteem,151
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.

So do, my Sire! that sons of famous lands152
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.

Elegant Phormion’s philosophick store,153
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.

But I, what dare I say, rude, humble, low,154
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.

For serving thee an arm to Arms addrest;155
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:—

Or do’ing such derring-do, that ne’er Meduse156
shall Atlas-mountain like thy glances shake,
or battling on the plains of Ampeluse
Marocco’s mures[126] 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.