BOOK VI. THE ARGUMENT. Gama's long recital being concluded, the poet resumes the thread of his story in his own person. The Portuguese admiral enters into an /alliance with the King of Melinda, assures him that the vessels of his nation will always in future anchor on his shores. Gama receives from the monarch a faithful pilot to conduct him to India. Bacchus, now has recourse to Neptune, at whose palace the divinities of the sea assemble. The gods of the sea consent to let loose the winds and waves against the daring navigators. During the night the sailors on the watch relate to each other amusing stories. Veloso urges them to relate some proud feats of war. The history of the contest of the twelve knights of England with the twelve of Portugal is then told. A violent tempest assails the fleet. Vivid picture of a storm at sea. Gama addresses his prayer to God; and Venus, with her nymphs so captivates the storm-gods that a calm ensues. The boy at the masthead raises a joyful cry of Land! re-echoed by the whole crew. The pilot informs the Portuguese that they are now approaching the kingdom of Calicut. The poet's reflections. WITH heart sincere the royal pagan joy'd, And hospitable rites each hour employ'd, Their silken banners waving o'er the tide, Such was the pomp, when Egypt's beauteous1 queen In pleasure's downy bosom, to beguile Her love-sick warrior: 2 o'er the breast of Nile, Now, from the West the sounding breezes blow, Whate'er his port, whate'er his land could give.3 1 Cleopatra. 2 Every display of eastern luxury and magnificence was lavished in the fishing parties on the Nile, with which Cleopatra amused Mark Antony, when at any time he showed symptoms of uneasiness, or seemed inclined to abandon the effeminate life which he led with his mistress. At one of these parties, Mark Antony, having procured divers to put fishes upon his hooks while under the water, he very gallantly boasted to his mistress of his great dexterity in angling. Cleopatra perceived his art, and as gallantly outwitted him. Some other divers received her orders, and in a little while Mark Antony's line brought up a fried fish in place of a live one, to the vast entertainment of the queen, and all the convivial company. Octavius was at this time on his march to decide who should be master of the world. 3 The friendship of the Portuguese and Melindians was of long continuance. Alvaro Cabral, the second admiral who made the voyage to India, in an engagement with the Moors off the coast of Sofala, took two ships richly freighted from the mines of that city ven Nor less his joy the grateful chief declar'd; And, far from shore through middle ocean bears. The Roman honours-raging with despair The ocean's monarch, by the Nereid train, country. On finding that Xeques Fonteyma, the commander, was Adorn'd with pillars, and with roofs of gold, Which, stol'n from heav'n, inspir'd the vital frame. Thin as the light, incapable of wound; The subtle power the burning south pervades, And penetrates the depth of polar shades. Here, mother Earth, with mountains crown'd, is seen, 1 A giant. 2 Two gods contending.-According to the fable, Neptune and Minerva disputed the honour of giving a name to the city of Athens. They agreed to determine the contest by a display of their wisdom and power, in conferring the most beneficial gift on mankind. Neptune The choicest boon to humankind to give, Though wide, and various, o'er the sculptur'd stone 2 struck the earth with his trident and produced the horse, whose bounding motions are emblematical of the agitation of the sea. Pallas commanded the olive-tree, the symbol of peace, and of riches, to spring forth. The victory was adjudged to the goddess, from whom the city was named Athens. The taste of the ancient Grecians clothed almost every occurrence in mythological allegory. The founders of Athens, it is most probable, disputed whether their new city should be named from the fertility of the soil or from the marine situation of Attica. The former opinion prevailed, and the town received its name in honour of the goddess of the olive-treeAthēnē. 1 While Pallas here appears to wave her hand.-As Neptune struck the earth with his trident, Minerva, says the fable, struck the earth with her lance. That she waved her hand while the olive boughs spread, is a fine poetical attitude, and varies the picture from that of Neptune, which follows. 2 Though wide, and various, o'er the sculptur'd stone. The description of palaces is a favourite topic several times touched upon by the two great masters of epic poetry, in which they have been happily imitated by their three greatest disciples among the moderns, Camoëns, Tasso, and Milton. The description of the palace of Neptune has great merit. Nothing can be more in place than the picture of chaos and the four elements. The war of the gods, and the contest of Neptune and Minerva are touched with the true boldness of poetical colouring. To show to the English reader that the Portuguese poet is, in his manner, truly classical, is the intention of many of these notes. 3Bacchus. |