Iberia Won 42

Iberia Won 42

XIII. --“Through her, too, passed the steel!”

 

Cujus animam gementem * *

Pertransivit gladius!

ANTIPHONAR. ROM. “_Stabat Mater._”

 

 

XVI. “As each the other’s head had joyous rent,

And gnawed like Ugolino.”

 

Quandò ebbe detto ciò, con gli occhi torti

Riprese il teschio misero co’ denti,

Che furo all’ osso, come d’un can forti.

Dante, _Inferno_, c. xxx.

 

 

XVII. “Of Spain’s defenders see the bayonets gleam,

And lust and plunder the defenders’ aim!”

 

Wir zogen in feindes land hinein,

Dem freunde sollt’s nicht viel besser seyn.

Göthe, “_Ich hab’ mein sach_.”

 

“We marched into the enemy’s land; our friends they fared no

better.”

 

 

XXVII. “And murdered sleep wakes wild from sanguinary dreams.”

 

--φόβος γὰρ ἀνθ’ ὕπνου παραστατεῖ,

Τὸ μὴ βεβαίως βλέφαρα συμβαλεῖν ὕπνῳ.

Æschyl. _Agamem._ 14.

 

“For Fear doth stand me in the place of sleep, lest closely I shut

my eye-lids.”

 

 

XXIX. “Spain’s disasters from their primal source.”

 

Dii multa neglecti dederunt

Hesperiæ mala luctuosæ.

Horat. _Carm._ iii. 6.

 

 

XXXII. “The judge perverts to more pervert the law.”

 

“They heard sworn judges of the law adjudge, upon such grounds

and reasons as every stander-by was able to swear was not

law.”--Clarendon, _Hist. Great Rebel._ i.

 

“Gives Demon-forms of hate the guise of saints.”

 

“Cette question curieuse--savoir, s’il est permis aux jesuites de

tuer les jansenistes!”--Pascal, _Lettres Provinciales_, tome i.

 

 

XXXII. “The Holy Office Hell delighted saw!”

 

The operation of the Spanish Inquisition in an intellectual

point of view may be inferred from the character of the Index

Expurgatorius which was affixed in the different churches. On these

prohibitory lists, by the side of the great names of Montesquieu,

Robertson, and Filangieri were to be found the titles of the

filthiest French romances.

 

 

XXXIII. “In sullen, fierce indifference bide till rent

The thunder-clouds, supine--and some on Vengeance bent.”

 

Ἀλλ’ ὦ πατρῷα γῆ, θεοί τ’ ἐπόψιοι,

Τίσασθε, τίσασθ’ ἀλλὰ τῷ χρόνῳ ποτε.

Soph. _Philoct._ 1040.

 

“But, oh father-land and all-seeing Gods! avenge, avenge at length

in fitting time!” It may here be seen how unfounded is the claim of

the Germans to the originality of their phrase “Vaterland.”

 

 

XXXV. “And secret treaties had the recreant drawn

With Hell’s diplomacy our soil to carve.”

 

O embajadores, puros majaderos!

Que si los reyes quieren engañar,

Comienzan por nosotros los primeros.

Diego de Mendoza.

 

“Oh Ambassadors, mere utterers of silly speeches! If Kings wish

to deceive, they begin by deceiving us the first!” So writes the

renowned Mendoza to his brother-diplomatist, Zuñiga. Mendoza, one

of the most illustrious of the political, military, and literary

worthies of Old Spain, was Ambassador for Charles V. to Rome, and

is still more celebrated as the author of _Lazarillo de Tormes_.

 

“Entant que souverain, s’il parle selon sa pensée, il vous dira,

j’observerai le traité de paix, pendant que le bien de mon royaume

le demandera; je me moquerai de mon serment, des que la maxime de

l’état le voudra.”--Bayle, _Dict. Hist. et Crit. art. Agesilaus_.

 

 

XXXVI. “His curling wave receding,” &c.

 

Vidimus flavum Tiberim retortis, &c.--Horat. _Carm._ i. 2.

 

----Guadiana

Atraz tornou as ondas de medroso:

Correo ao mar o Tejo duvidoso.

Camóens, _Lus._ iv. 28.

 

“Sinks o’er his golden sands, and sighing wears the chain.”

 

----Amnis aurifer Tagus.

Catul. xxvii.

 

 

XXXVII. “And Priests profane declared thy conquerors sent by God!”

 

Dizei-lhe que tambem dos Portuguezes

Alguns traidores houve algumas vezes.

Camóens, _Lus._ iv. 33.

 

I have had the satisfaction of visiting within the past year all

the scenes which form the historical portion of this Canto--San

Sebastian, Madrid, Badajoz the birth-place of Godoy, Lisbon,

Almeda, and a score of other localities consecrated by heroic or

saddening recollections. The toils of my pilgrimage will have

been amply repaid, if I have derived some inspiration from the

_genius loci_.

 

 

 

 

IBERIA WON.

 

Canto VIII.

 

 

I.

 

With many a bitter thought and heavy sigh,

The grave Salustian his discourse resumed:--

“Iberia fell, my children--but her eye

No pomp of battle, no big war illumed.

’Twas fraud and treason her destruction doomed!

France came as an ally--her Lares seized--

The joy-pealed cannon soon in hatred boomed.

And reckless Murat well his master pleased,

His foul behests fulfilled, his rapine-thirst appeased.

 

 

II.

 

“But vengeance ’gainst Godoy the people swore,

Who counselled Carlos from his realm to fly,

And sought in luxury on a foreign shore

The fruits of his portentous sway to enjoy.

Aranjuez saw them burning to destroy!

Shivering in hideous fright, like beast of prey,

Two days, two nights, nor food nor drink Godoy

Partook, till in his den its wolfish bay

The thronging city howled--they stoned him where he lay!

 

 

III.

 

“And mangled, bruised, and torn, from imminent verge

Of death the Guard released him;--Carlos weak

The crown resigned--grey hairs the victim urge,

And, feebler still, Fernando strove to wreak

His feuds upon a throne, where basely meek

Full soon as fawning spaniel he doth woo

The Gaulish tiger--all that France could seek

Too little for his willing hand to do--

All contumelies for him, the Seventh Fernán, too few!

 

 

IV.

 

“Oh galling, dismal servitude! The sword

Which mighty Carlos at Pavía won

The puny Ferdinand to France restored,

While all through Spain the withering tidings run;

And few believe what patriot ears doth stun.

Wrenched from our armouries the trophy proud,

Which proved how Franks of old must Spaniards shun;

And Altemira voiced our shame aloud:

“The sword of Francis given to noblest hands” he vowed!