3. The poor The virtues of that leaf, with pure good will New in the land as yet. They learnt his power Too soon, which law nor conscience could restrain, A fearless but inhuman conqueror, Heart-harden'd by the accursed lust of gain, O fatal thirst of gold! O foul reproach for Spain ! 4. For gold and silver had the Spaniards sought Forward by hope of plunder still allured; So they might one day count their golden gains, They cared not at what cost of sin procured, All dangers they defied, all sufferings they endured. 5. Barren alike of glory and of gold That region proved to them; nor would the soil Unto their unindustrious hands unfold Harvests, the fruit of peace,... and wine and oil, The treasures that repay contented toil With health and weal; treasures that with them bring No guilt for priest and penance to assoil, Nor with their venom arm the awaken'd sting Of conscience at that hour when life is vanishing. 6. But keen of eye in their pursuit of gain free 'T was but to gather in what there grew And share Potosi's wealth. Nor thence alone. But gold in glad exchange they soon should see From all that once the Incas called their own, Or where the Zippa's power or Zaque's laws were known. 7. For this, in fact though not in name a slave, And droves on droves were sent to find a grave O miserable race, to slavery born! Yet when we look beyond this world's unrest, More miserable then the oppressors than the opprest. 8. Often had Kings essay'd to check the ill By edicts not so well enforced as meant ; A present power was wanting to fulfil Remote authority's sincere intent. To Avarice, on its present purpose bent, The voice of distant Justice spake in vain; False magistrates and priests their influence lent The accursed thing for lucre to maintain : O fatal thirst of gold! O foul reproach for Spain! 9. O foul reproach! but not for Spain alone O shall not Justice trumpet-tongued proclaim The foul reproach, the black offence the same? Hear, guilty France! and thou, O England, hear! Thou who hast half redeem'd thyself from shame, When slavery from thy realms shall disappear, Then from this guilt, and not till then, wilt thou be clear. 10. Uncheck'd in Paraguay it ran its course, Till all the gentler children of the land Well nigh had been consumed without remorse. The bolder tribes meantime, whose skilful hand Had tamed the horse, in many a warlike band Kept the field well with bow and dreadful spear. And now the Spaniards dared no more withstand Their force, but in their towns grew pale with fear If the Mocobio, or the Abipon drew near. 11. Bear witness, Chaco, thou, from thy domain With Spanish blood, as erst with Indian, fed! And Corrientes, by whose church the slain Were piled in heaps, till for the gather'd dead One common grave was dug, one service said! Thou too, Parana, thy sad witness bear From shores with many a mournful vestige spread, And monumental crosses here and there, And monumental names that tell where dwellings were! 12. Nor would with all their power the Kings of Spain, Who with the Cross alone, when arms had fail'd, 13. For whensoe'er the Spaniards felt or fear'd 14. And now it chanced some traders who had fell'd The trees of precious foliage far and wide On Empalado's shore, when they beheld The inviting woodlands on its northern side, Crost thither in their quest, and there espied Yeruti's footsteps: searching then the shade At length a lonely dwelling they descried, And at the thought of hostile hordes dismay'd To the nearest mission sped and ask'd the Jesuit's aid. 15. That was a call which ne'er was made in vain Much of injustice had they to complain, way; Their spiritual father took a Cross in hand To be his staff, and forth they went to search the land. 16. He was a man of rarest qualities, Who to this barbarous region had confined Paid in its just inheritance of fame. But he to humbler thoughts his heart inclined; From Gratz amid the Styrian hills he came, And Dobrizhoffer was the good man's honour'd name. 17. It was his evil fortune to behold The labours of his painful life destroy'd; His flock which he had brought within the fold Names which he loved, and things well worthy to be known. |