e,--who would probably unite their country with
Spain,--the Portuguese fought the battle of Eljubarota in favor of Don
John, and succeeded in dictating terms of peace to the Spanish at
Seville. Some time after this the king of Portugal and his brother
were captured by the Moors, and told they could recover their freedom
only by surrendering Ceuta. Pretending acquiescence, the king returned
to Portugal, where, as he had settled with his brother, who remained
as hostage with the Moors, he refused to surrender the city.

After describing the victories of Alfonso V., Vasco da Gama related
how John II., thirteenth king of Portugal, first began to seek a
maritime road to India, and how his successor, Emmanuel, was invited
in a vision, by the gods of the Indus and Ganges, to come and conquer
their country.

Here as the monarch fix'd his wond'ring eyes,
Two hoary fathers from the streams arise;
Their aspect rustic, yet, a reverend grace
Appear'd majestic on their wrinkled face:
Their tawny beards uncomb'd, and sweepy long,
Adown their knees in shaggy ringlets hung;
From every lock the crystal drops distil,
And bathe their limbs, as in a trickling rill;
Gay wreaths of flowers, of fruitage and of boughs,
(Nameless in Europe), crown'd their furrow'd brows.

_Book V._ Such was the enthusiasm caused by this vision that many
mariners dedicated their lives to the discovery of this road to India.
Among these Gama modestly claims his rank, declaring that, when he
called for volunteers to accompany him, more men than he could take
were ready to follow him. [History reports, however, that, such was
the terror inspired by a voyage in unknown seas, Vasco da Gama had to
empty the prisons to secure a crew!] Then the narrator added he
had--as was customary--taken ten prisoners with him, whose death
sentence was to be commuted provided they faithfully carried out any
difficult task he appointed.

After describing his parting with his father, Vasco da Gama relates
how they sailed past Mauritania and Madeira, crossed the line, and
losing sight of the polar star took the southern cross as their guide.

"O'er the wild waves, as southward thus we stray,
Our port unknown, unknown the wat'ry way,
Each night we see, impress'd with solemn awe,
Our guiding stars and native skies withdraw,
In the wide void we lose their cheering beams,
Lower and lower still the pole-star gleams.

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