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p. lxxxvi

CONTENTS.

BOOK I.

 

 

PAGE

Subject proposed

1, 2

Invocation to the Muses of the Tagus

3

Address to Don Sebastian

3, 4

Assembly of the gods and goddesses

8

The fleet enters the Indian Ocean

13

Discovers islands there

13

Description of the natives

14

Intercourse with the ships

15, 16

The governor visits Gama

17, 18.

Bacchus determines on obstructing the fleet

20

His stratagem for that purpose

21

Attack by the Portuguese on landing to obtain water

23

Bombardment of the town

24, 25

Another plot of Bacchus

26, 27

The poet’s reflections

29


BOOK II.

 

Treacherous invitation from the King of Mombas for the fleet to enter the harbour

31

Messengers sent on shore by Gama to look at the town

32, 33

Venus and the Nereids save the fleet from danger

35, 36

Venus appeals to Jupiter on behalf of the expedition

40

His reply

43

Mercury sent to earth

46

His message to Gama in a dream

47

p. lxxxviii

 

 

PAGE

How the vessels escaped

49

They meet two Moorish ships

49

Their account of Melinda and its king

50

Hospitable reception by the King of Melinda

51

Gama’s address

52

The king’s reply

53, 54

Night rejoicings in the ships and on shore

54, 55

Visit of the king to the fleet

55

Gama’s speech

57

The king requests Gama to describe his country and relate its history

58


BOOK III.

 

Invocation to Calliope

60

Gama commences his story

61

Geographical description of Europe

62

Ancient history of Portugal commences

66

Fidelity of Egas Moniz

70, 71

Battle of Ourique

72-75

Origin of the Portuguese shield and arms

76

Leiria, Mafra, Cintra, Lisbon, etc.

76-78

Palmella, etc., taken from the Moors

79

Alphonso at war with the Leonese

79, 80

Gathering of the Moors to invest Santarem

81

Defeated by the Portuguese

83

Death of Alphonso

83

Don Sancho besieges Sylves

84

Character of Sancho II.

85

   „    „   King Dionis

87

   „   „   Alphonso IV.

87

The Moors assemble again to invade Portugal

88

The Queen of Spain asks aid from her father, the King of Portugal

88

The two allied sovereigns defeat the Moors

90

Episode of Inez de Castro, or the "Fair Inez"

92-96

Character of King Ferdinand

100


BOOK IV.

 

State of Portugal on the death of Ferdinand

103

King John succeeds to the throne

103

Character of Queen Leonora

104

p. lxxxix

 

 

PAGE

The Castilians assemble in aid of Beatrice, daughter of Leonora

106

Don Nuno Alvarez’s loyalty

107

Battle between the Portuguese and Castilians

113

The latter defeated

116, 117

Alphonso, after defeating the Moors, attacks the King of Arragon

117

Alphonso dies, and is succeeded by John II.

118

King John sends to explore the East by land

122

Emmanuel succeeds; his dream of the rivers Ganges and Indus

123

The king consults his council

125

Entrusts the expedition to Vasco de Gama

125

Vasco de Gama’s preparations

127

Parting of the armada with their friends

129

The old man’s farewell address

130


BOOK V.

 

Departure of the fleet from Lisbon

133

Madeira, Coast of Morocco, the Azenegues

134

The river Senegal, Cape Verde, San Jago, Jalofo, Mandinga

135

Dorcades, Sierra Leone, Cape Palmas

136

St. Thomas, Congo, the river Zaire

137

A water-spout described

139

They land near the Tropic of Capricorn

141

A native African met with

141

Veloso’s adventure on shore

142

Gigantic vision of the Cape

146

The armada lands at Saõ Braz

153

Currents encountered

155

The armada touches at Natal

155

Reaches Sofála; description of the inhabitants

157

The crews attacked by scurvy

158

Vasco de Gama compares his voyage with the narratives of ancient poets, and concludes his story

159

Reflections on the subject by the poet

161, 162


BOOK VI.

 

Hospitality of the King of Melinda

164

Gama takes his leave

166

Bacchus descends to Neptune’s abode

166

p. xc

 

 

PAGE

Description thereof

167

The sea-gods assembled by Neptune. Bacchus’ address to Neptune and the other sea-gods

169

Neptune orders Æolus to let loose the winds on the Portuguese fleet

173

The fleet on a tranquil sea

174

Veloso, to pass the time away, relates the story of a tournament in England

175

A dark cloud comes over, and the storm arises

183

Venus, the morning star, appears, and the goddess calls the Nereids to her aid

188

Orithya, Galatea, and other sea-nymphs persuade Boreas to cease his blustering

189

Morning appears, and with it the mountain-tops of the Indian coast

190

Gama returns thanks to God

190

The poet’s reflections

190, 191


BOOK VII.

 

The Portuguese exhorted to the warfare of the cross, other nations being reproved

193-197

India described

198

The fleet anchors, and a message is sent on shore

198

Meeting with Mozaide, who speaks Spanish

199

Mozaide visits Gama, and describes the country

200

Gama goes on shore

209

Enters with the kotwâl into an Indian temple

209

Gama’s interview with the Indian king

213

His speech

214

The king’s reply

215

Mozaide’s description of the Portuguese

216

Visit of the kotwâl to the ships

217

The poet invokes the nymphs of the Tagus, and briefly describes his own shipwreck and other misfortunes

218-221


BOOK VIII.

 

Description of the pictures

222

Bacchus appears as Mohammed, to a priest in a dream

238

The king consults with the magi and the soothsayers

240

The priest consults his friends

241

How evil counsellors mislead kings

242

p. xci

 

 

PAGE

The king’s defiant speech and base accusation

244

Gama’s answer to the king

215-247

Gama detained prisoner in the kotwâl’s house

250


BOOK IX.

 

The king visits the house of the kotwâl

252

Addresses Gama, detained as a prisoner there

252

On what conditions he may be allowed to return to his fleet

253

Gama’s indignant reply

253, 254

The king orders the signal to be given

254

The Moorish vessels surround the fleet, and attack it with clouds of arrows

255

The drums and trumpets of the fleet call to action

255

Destruction of the Moorish vessels by the cannon of the ships

256

Bombardment of Calicut by the fleet

257

The terrified multitude implores the king to release his prisoner

258

The king implores Gama to spare his city and people

258

Lama’s dignified reply

258

The terms offered by the king rejected by Gama

259

Gama directs the king to hoist the Portuguese flag and convey him to his ships

260

Peace restored. Presents of Indian productions

261

Mozaide had discovered to Gama the intended treachery

261

Conversion to Christianity of Mozaide

262

Return of the fleet to Portugal with the hostages

262

Venus raises the Island of Love in the sea, to afford the sailors a resting-place. She summons the Nereids, and informs them of her intentions. Seeks her son, Cupid

264

Cupid discharges the arrows of love at the sea-nymphs

269-271

Approach of the Portuguese fleet

273

The Island of Love described

274-280

The sailors land and pursue the nymphs

280-288

Tethys leads Gama to a palace on a lofty hill

289

The allegory explained

290


BOOK X.

 

Happiness of the heroes and nymphs

299

The poet apostrophizes his muse and bewails his own fate

301, 302

The siren’s prophetic song

302

p. xcii

 

 

PAGE

She pauses to reflect on the ill-requited bravery of Pacheco

305

The siren resumes her prophetic song

305

Foretells the needless cruelty of Albuquerque, who puts to death a soldier for a venial offence

310, 311

Soarez, Sequeyra, Menez, Mascarene, Nunio, Noronha, Souza, and other heroes

312-318

The nymph Tethys leads them to the summit of a rugged hill, where the globe in miniature is displayed before them

319

The Ptolemean system described

320

Sketch of the geography of the world

325

History of St. Thomas, the Apostle of India

331-335

Geographical description continued

337-353

Tethys bids the Portuguese farewell

353

Their return home and reception at Lisbon

356

The poet’s conclusion, and patriotic exhortation to his sovereign

356, 357


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