While crowding near, with unrelenting eyes,
The cruel train admire his mighty size,
The stern assassin lifts his murd'rous mace,
And, marking with his eye the mortal place,
His brain-pan smites, and lays him on the soil,
Then from his members tears the reeking spoil.
The cruel Indian thus, tho' chill'd with age,
On the defenceless victim spent his rage.
The Chief, with generous indignation warm,
Against the ruthless deed began to storm;
And vow'd revenge, and to the host appeal'd;
The general vote his rising rage withheld :
And all agree, that none of hostile name
Should 'scape, the general danger to proclaim:
The cruel senior thus from peril freed,
Exulted in his unrelenting deed.
Two friendly Indians, when their comrades fell,
By fate were spar'd the deadly news to tell.
Those fled the field of death, and gain'd a wood
From which the direful scene of strife they view'd.
Till Phœbus in the west, with setting ray,
Clos'd the dire triumphs of that dreadful day;
And when clear Hesper led the train of night,
The friendly hour conceal'd their homeward flight*
Now climbing up the vast Olympian steep,
The car of night, involv'd in darkness deep,
Reach'd to the point of noon, and far display'd
Over the face of things her peaceful shade.
Not peaceful was the camp, where clamorous joy
Broke thro' the gloom, and struck the vaulted sky.
*This accounts for the particulars of the battle being so distinctly known to the Spaniards, from whom Ercilla had probably
Now fearless of alarm, and eas'd from toil,
Their blood-stain'd arms around the Warriors pile;
The youths prepare to dance, the timbrels sound,
And jocund measures beat the groaning ground;
The joyful tidings, ere the blush of morn,
To all the Araucanian tribes were borne.
In an assembly of the Araucanians a general confederacy of
all the southern tribes is proposed, in order to attack the
Spaniards in every quarter at once, and extirpate the
whole race. This proposal overruled by Caupolican,
the General, who recommends defensive war as the more effectual means of establishing their independence.
"Valdivia's doom, yon castle's mighty fall,
"A feebler foe than Spain would much appall;
"But, when our bold revolt is fully known,
"Revenge to deeds of blood will urge them on.
"WHO then shall meet their desolating rage,
"Or in an equal field their powers engage?
"No! be it ours to leave a passage free,
"While they, secure of fancy'd victory,
"By woody wilds, and swamps encircled round,
"And cliffs embattled high, and lakes profound;
"Incautious in the deadly snare shall fall,
"And one wide ruin overwhelm them all.
"Nor can their valour then their lives defend,
"If fortune still the juster cause befriend;
"In search of us in vain they long may roam,
"And find us, unexpected guests, at home."
The General spoke, the crowd with joint acclaim
Approve his counsel, and applaud his name.
Those means, which wayward fancy spurn'd before,
Seem'd now the best their safety to restore.
Then to the youth he turn'd, whose daring hand Relum'd the courage of the flying band,
From the proud Victor snatch'd his wreath away,
And with unequall'd prowess turn'd the day;
And on his right the high-distinguish'd man,
Placing with due respect, he thus began :
"All hail, unequall'd youth, whose warlike name
"Exalts to Heaven the Araucanian fame!
"To thee she owes that her capacious bound
"Takes in a large extent of hostile ground.
"To thee the safety of the State we owe;
"To thee our cruel Tyrant's overthrow.
"Thine is th' atchievement sole, and thine the praise,
"To last, while yonder sun our world surveys."
Then, turning to the Senate, thus he said,
"For such high merit in the field display'd,
"By great LAUTARO (So the Chief was nam'd)
"Say, what reward, what honours can be claim'd? "If your consent, with my design accord, "His hand shall wield a delegated sword, "And guide to fame, the second in command, "The bold defenders of our native land. "I send him with a brave selected train, "Where best his active valour may sustain "The hot incursion of our deadly foes, "While I, at Elicura's pass dispose "My powers, the hostile squadrons to engage, "If haply there they mean to point their rage.'
All prais'd the generous boon, so well bestow'd, The new made Chief with grateful ardour glow'd: Envy, the darkest demon of the mind, Was mute, if envy there a place could find. The Chief, as laws ordain'd in days of yore, From his redundant locks a ringlet shore;
This simple mark of delegated sway
The tribes were long accustom'd to obey.
This meed the youth obtain'd, his country's shield,
In counsel wise, and fearless in the field:
Yet mild, and gentle in the peaceful shade,
He only seem'd for social pleasure made;
But when his country's call inspir'd his soul,
His fiery spirit flam'd above controul.
Not large of limb, but with collected might,
And lion nerve, he turn'd the tide of fight.
His swelling muscles, his capacious chest,
And shoulders broad, transcendent force confest ;
The choice, and presence of this guest renown'd,
Prolong'd the feast, while oft the sun went round.
The rivals in the course, the wrestlers ring,
The sinewy champion, who with active spring
Out-leap'd his peers, employ'd the jocund day,
But, when pale Cynthia shed her silver ray
Along the solemn wood, the dance and song
Varied the pleasures of the martial throng:
Not equal feasts adorn'd, in days of yore,
The plains of Argos or Scamander's shore:
When long-protracted joys, with honours due,
Paid the long labours of the gallant crew.
But o'er th' assembly soon a cloud was cast, When thro' the forest, breathless, pale, aghast, O'ertoil'd, and smear'd with dust, a Courier came, And thus was heard his tidings to proclaim:
To arms, great Chief! to arms, ye tribes renown'd, "The deadly Foe has forc'd the guarded bound. "Your ambuscade is broke, your champions slain, "None but the troops that fled the field remain, "The reliques of the war. A scanty foe, "Twice seven in number, caus'd our overthrow.
"All cas'd in mail, on fleetest coursers borne, "Our shafts and pointed spears they held in scorn, "As like autumnal storms they swept along "Our scatter'd files, and thinn'd the feeble throng, "The boldest of our train in battle fell, "The rest surviv'd the deadly news to tell."
The Chief, who knew his anguish well to hide, Thus, with a well-dissembled scorn reply'd: "And is it thus our foes maintain the war? "This sudden onset only marks despair. "A band so small can never hope retreat, "Compell'd at every pass their doom to meet." Then to his delegate he gave command To take the vaward with a chosen band, To watch the foe, and recognize their force, While with his legions he pursued their course. Proud of his charge, the dauntless Indian drew A band of heroes from the martial crew; And led them on with speed in quest of fame, With new atchievements to adorn his name. But the sonorous trump of Mars afar Recalls the Muse to other scenes of war;
To sing what these advent'rous Knights perform'd, With what impetuous rage the camp they storm'd,
Of what high import is the love of right!
By her, what numerous ills are put to flight!
Thro' all the Araucanian vales afar
Rebellion had not wav'd the flag of War,
Nor Ruin roll'd her sweeping tide along,
Had castigation check'd the infant wrong.
|