The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1875-01-02

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beauty, and some little show of interest prompted
on one only occasion. by his impassioned invasion
Of her presence What die he know?
TnE TRANSPORTATION OF FAITH.
All if all our hopes were Of knowledge only,
where would we be? What would be our relig-
ion2 And the religion Of Camoens in those days
was IN this young woman. His love for her was
the inspiration of faith of a faith that transfg-
ures and glorifes. She was indeed to him "a
woman, clothed with the sun, and the moon
under her feet "a and he could only contem-
plate her with The diEdent and r~eyerential feel
ing, as contained in these lines, translated from
one Of his sonnets .r rv-r-
Lady 10 you. sure heavily songs are due,
Since T5ss hsa's1 IN, end you S,ta peculiar cares
Attane his simple melodies TO yOu'
Must l not trust 10 that kind chance anew
Which lately wove the rosy bands ! bear.
when h,,S II gave you @ my s@OEpq: yie~);
From yon pure sky, and did from thence descend,
And mortal hearts ofbaser mold amend,
By bright example Of superior world
He of course irradiated her form with the
kindling beams of his own burning love. His
soul was like the gcmm'd cave of the genii that
reflected on a fair presence its own effulgence.
He had garnered up with the confluence of years
an accumulation of passion, that was ready to
flame forth with oEermastering power, the mo
ment that a soul OF seeming affinity spoke by
voice, or by the ~witchery of a brow, an eye, a
marked expression of mouth, or other striking
feature of beauty, and cried q open sesame > to
his heart. Had his true angel touched his lips
with celestial fire and pointed the way upwards?
Or had some vapory witching Will o the wisp
daEed his vision with a baleful sparkle of gas
of malarious earth, that would lead him on to
sink his manhood in the slough of a hopeless and
miserable sentimentality? 1t may have been the
will o the wisp; and it may have been the angel;
but of one thing we are assured, that Camoens,
who never saw his dear love any more. showed
forth in all the troubled days of a long after life,
that he felt that il was the angel that had called
him, and he remained to the last moment of a
noble and manly career true to her sweet message
unto his soul.
THE HATE OF JEALOUSY. IRIS
One is weaTied with pitifulness as we follow
the career of this man. A sullen fate bounded
him at evry step, and all his woe sprang from
his love. We see him win laurel upon laurel
during this African war. He was MANNED and
mutiiated in his c~ountry's service, and stiIl fought
her battles with a patient and faithful courage {;
and yet there came no voice to welcome him to
home and honor. He fought under a brave and
generous prince, who admired his genius and
nobility of character, yet who let him struggle
on unnoticed. But the neglect of Camocns is
only one of a thousand Illustrations of jealous
service to a sovereign hindered of its reward, not
so much by the ingratitude of the ruler, rs that
the rulers will was not strong enough to override
the many combined petty influences that sur
round a court, that with the natural freemasonry
common to mediocrities in place, are forever striv-
ing to bar the way to the entrance of superior
merit within the pale.
HOW HIS WAY WAS BLOCKED.
The poet was forever tabooed to the circle to
which his lady love belonged. The lordly brother
Antonio de Ataide guarded all the influences that
approached the palace at Lisbon. The Cardinal
Henry who hated Camoens presided over the
patronage of the church and as General de
Ataide was IN immediate command in Africa,
there was a Gordon of mighty influences that
kept our hero in check, and caused him to wreak
the expression of his soul in vain. One would
suppose that his enemies, who were all his
country-men would have wearied of their hate
in time since all his life was pure and noble and
forever devoted to public service; but there is no
ill-will so enduring as that which is based upon
jealousy of prominence. And he whose noble
life was constant labor to please his compatriots,
who above all other writers has made the Iberian
Peninsula illustrious, "who had taught her
literary fame to rival the proudest efforts of Italy
itself, ond who seemed born to revive the remem-
brance of ancient ~gcntility, and Lusian heroism ;,
(S) was compelled to struggle single handed for
the maintenance of his independence without one
non ~ lsnll- .oa1-1.k.o-. c,ooo 49, -n.a-A.
quarter.
THE FAITHFUL HEART OF THE POET.
But what was Camoens doing nevertheless +?
He who had a dear mother at Santarems and the
idol of his soul at Lisbon. Was he listening in
ante -chambers and begging for furlough and
favor7 We don't find him there. We find him
by the camp fire, and though he is without n sup
per, he is penning a sonnet for his darling. And
though his country has provided no resting place
for his head, and he has found his own fare in
putrid jackall, yet this faithful loving heart,
true to the memory of his love and his country,
can by the smoldering embers of a rude nights
bivouac in a desert land and without a friend
pen such thoughts as these about the land he
loved, but which offered him no invitation, or
welcome home?
"CIaras agoas e fras do MOndego," sc. . Y e
Mondego thou, whose waters cold and clear 3
Grid those green banks, where fancy fair would stay,
Fondly TO muse on that departed day s
When hope was kind and friendship seemtd sincere;
Ere l had purchasd knowledge with a tear.
Dear country though l bend my pilgrim way
To other shores, where other fountains stray,
And other rivers rol. their proud career,
SIll-nor shall time, nor grief nor stars severe,
Nor widening distance eer prevail all in aught
To make thee less 10 this sad bosom dear; 0
And memory oft, by old affection taught,
Shall lightly speed upon the plumes OF thought,
To drink MondegOs waters cold and clear
THE NOBLE SPIRIT OF cAMoENs.
In all the writings Of this brave and tender
soul, there is not a word of bitterness, or Of any
anger or vindictiyeness. The spirit of his poesy
breathes in every line a generous forgiveness and
forgetfulness of whoever and whatever may have