Part I, Madoc in Wales: VI

At morning, their high priest, Ayayaca,
Came with our guide: the venerable man
With reverential awe accosted us,
For we, he weened, were children of a race
Mightier than they, and wiser, and by heaven
Beloved and favoured more: he came to give
Fit welcome, and he led us to the Queen.
The fate of war had reft her of her realm ;
Yet with affection and habitual awe,
And old remembrances, which gave their love
A deeper and religious character,
Fallen as she was, and humbled as they were,
Her faithful people still, in all they could,
Obeyed Erillyab. She, too, in her mind
Those recollections cherished, and such thoughts
As, though no hope tempered their bitterness,
Gave to her eye a spirit, and a strength
And pride to features, which perchance had borne,
Had they been fashioned to a happier fate,
Meaning more gentle and more womanly,
Yet not more worthy of esteem and love.
She sate upon the threshold of her hut ;
For in the palace where her sires had reigned
The conqueror dwelt. Her son was at her side,
A boy now near to manhood ; by the door,
Bare of its bark, the head and branches shorn,
Stood a young tree, with many a weapon hung,
Her husband's war-pole, and his monument.
There had his quiver mouldered, his stone-axe
Had there grown green with moss, his bow-string there
Sung as it cut the wind,
She welcomed us,
With a proud sorrow in her mien ; fresh fruits
Were spread before us, and her gestures said,
That when he lived, whose hand was wont to wield
Those weapons, . . that in better days, .. that ere
She let the tresses of her widowhood
Grow wild, she could have given to guests like us,
A worthier welcome. Soon man approached,
Hooded with sable, his half-naked limbs
Smeared black ; the people, at his sight, drew round,
The women wailed and wept, the children turned,
And hid their faces on their mothers knees.

He to the Queen addrest his speech, then looked
Around the children, and laid hands on two,
Of different sexes, but of age alike,
Some six years each: they at his touch shrieked out ;
But then Lincoya rose, and to my feet
Led them, and told me, that the conquerors claimed
These innocents, for tribute ; that the Priest
Would lay them on the altar of his god,
Tear out their little hearts in sacrifice,
Yea, with more cursed wickedness, himself
Feast on their flesh ! ..I shuddered, and my hand
Instinctively unsheathed the holy sword.
He, with most passionate and eloquent signs,
Eye-speaking earnestness, and quivering lips,
Besought me to preserve himself, and those
Who now fell suppliant round me,.. youths and maids,
Grey-headed men, and mothers with their babes.
I caught the little victims up, I kissed
Their innocent cheeks, I raised my eyes to heaven,
I called upon Almighty God, to hear
And bless the vow I made: in our own tongue
Was that sworn promise of protection vowed, ..
Impetuous feeling made no pause for thought.
Heaven heard the vow ; the suppliant multitude
Saw what was stirring in my breast; the Priest,
With eye inflamed, and rapid answer, raised
His menacing hand ; the tone, the bitter smile,
Interpreting his threat.

Meantime the Queen,
With watchful eye and steady countenance,
Had listened ; now she rose, and to the Priest
Addressed her speech. Low was her voice and calm,
As one who spake with effort to subdue
Sorrow that struggled still ; but as she spake,
Her features kindled to more majesty,
Her eye became more animate, her voice
Rose to the height of feeling ; on her son
She called, and from her husband's monument
His battle-axe she took ; and I could see,
That, as she gave the boy his father's arms,
She called his father's spirit to look on,
And bless them to his vengeance.

Silently
The tribe stood listening as Erillyab spake ;
The very priest was awed : once he essayed
To answer; his tongue failed him, and his lip
Grew pale, and fell. He to his countrymen,
Of rage and shame and wonder full, returned,
Bearing no victims for their shrines accurst,
But tidings that the Hoamen had cast off
Their vassalage, roused to desperate revolt
By men, in hue and speech and garment strange,
Who, in their folly, dared defy the power
Of Aztlan.

When the king of Aztlan heard
The unlooked-for tale, ere yet he roused his strength,
Or pitying our rash valour, or belike
Curious to see the man so bravely rash,
He sent to bid me to his court. Surprised,
I should have given to him no credulous faith,
But fearlessly Erillyab bade me trust
Her honourable foe. Unarmed I went,
Lincoya with me, to exchange our speech,
So as he could, of safety first assured ;
For to their damned idols he had been
A victim doomed, and, from the bloody rites:
Flying, been carried captive far away.

From early morning, till the midnoon hour,
We travelled in the mountains; then a plain
Opened below, and rose upon the sight,
Like boundless ocean from a hill-top seen.
A beautiful and populous plain it was ;
Fair woods were there, and fertilizing streams,
And pastures spreading wide, and villages
In fruitful groves embowered, and stately towns,
And many a single dwelling specking it,
As though, for many a year, the land had been
The land of peace. Below us, where the base
Of the great mountains to the level sloped,
A broad blue lake extended far and wide
Its waters, dark beneath the light of noon.
There Aztlan stood upon the farther shore ;
Amid the shade of trees its dwellings rose,
Their level roofs with turrets set around,
And battlements all burnished white, that shone
Like silver in the sun-shine. I beheld
The imperial city, her far-circling walls,
Her garden groves, and stately palaces,
Her temples mountain size, her thousand roofs ;
And when I saw her might and majesty,
My mind misgave me then.

We reached the shore :
A floating islet waited for me there,
The beautiful work of man. I set my foot
Upon green-growing herbs and flowers, and sate
Embowered in odorous shrubs : four long light boats
Yoked to the garden, with accordant song,
And dip and dash of oar in harmony,
Bore me across the lake.

Then in a car
Aloft by human bearers was I borne.
And through the city-gate, and through long lines
Of marshalled multitudes, who thronged the way,
We reached the palace court. Four priests were there;
Each held a burning censer in his hand,
And strewed the precious gum as I drew nigh,
And held the steaming fragrance forth to me,
As I had been a god. They led me in,
Where, on his throne, the royal Azteca
Coanocotzin sate. Stranger, said he,
Welcome! and be this coming to thy weal !
A desperate warfare doth thy courage court ;
But thou shalt see the people, and the power
Whom thy deluded zeal would call to arms ;
So may the knowledge make thee timely wise.
The valiant love the valiant. Come with me!
So saying, he rose ; we went together forth
To the Great Temple. 'Twas a huge square hill,
Or, rather, like a rock it seemed, hewn out
And squared by patient labour. Never yet
Did our forefathers, o'er beloved chief
Fallen in his glory, heap a monument
Of that prodigious bulk, though every shield
Was laden for his grave, and every hand
Toiled, unremitting, at the willing work,
From morn till eve, all the long summer-day.

The ascent was lengthened with provoking art,
By steps that led but to a wearying path
Round the whole structure ; then another flight,
Another road around, and thus a third,
And yet a fourth, before we reached the height.
Lo now, Coanocotzin cried, thou seest
The cities of this widely-peopled plain ;
And, wert thou on yon farthest temple-top,
Yet as far onward wouldst thou see the land
Well husbanded, like this, and full of men.
They tell me that two floating Palaces
Brought thee and al thy people ; .. when I sound
The Trumpet of the God, ten Cities hear
Its voice, and answer to the call, in arms.

In truth I felt my weakness, and the view
Had wakened no unreasonable fear,
But that a nearer sight had stirred my blood ;
For, on the summit where we stood, four Towers
Were piled with human skulls, and all around
Long files of human heads were strung, to parch
And whiten in the sun. What then I felt
Was more than natural courage, . . 'twas a trust
In more than mortal strength, ..a faith in God, ..
Yea, inspiration from him! I exclaimed,
Not though ten Cities ten times told obeyed
The king of Aztlan's bidding, should I fear
The power of man!

Art thou, then, more than man ?
He answered ; and I saw his tawny cheek
Lose its life-colour, as the fear arose ;
Nor did I undeceive him from that fear,
For, sooth, I knew not how to answer him,
And therefore let it work. So not a word
Spake he, till we again had reached the court ;
And I, too, went in silent thoughtfulness :
But then when, save Lincoya, there was none
To hear our speech, again did he renew
The query, .. Stranger! art thou more than man,
That thou shouldst set the power of man at nought ?

Then I replied, Two floating Palaces
Bore me, and all my people, o'er the seas.
When we departed from our mother-land,
The Moon was newly born ; we saw her wex
And wane, and witnessed her new birth again ;
And all that while, alike by day and night,
We travelled through the sea, and caught the winds,
And made them bear us forward. We must meet
In battle, if the Hoamen are not freed
From your accursed tribute, .. thou and I,
My people, and thy countless multitudes.
Your arrows shall fall from us, as the hail
Leaps on a rock, .. and when ye smite with swords,
Not blood, but fire, shall follow from the stroke.
Yet think not thou that we are more than men!
Our knowledge is our power, and God our strength,
God, whose almighty will created thee,
And me, and all that hath the breath of life.
He is our strength ; .. for in his name I speak,.. ..
And when I tell thee that thou shalt not shed
The life of man in bloody sacrifice,
It is his holy bidding that I speak :
And if thou wilt not listen and obey,
When I shall meet thee in the battle field,
It is his holy cause for which I fight,
And I shall have his power to conquer thee !

And thinkest thou our Gods are feeble ? cried
The king of Aztlan ; dost thou deem they lack
Power to defend their altars, and to keep
The kingdom that they gave us strength to win?
The Gods of thirty nations have opposed
Their irresistible might, and they lie now
Conquered and caged and fettered at their feet.
That they who serve them are no coward race,
Let prove the ample realm they won in arms: ..
And I, their leader, am not of the sons
Of the feeble! As he spake, he reached a mace,
The trunk and knotted root of some young tree,
Such as old Albion, and his monster-brood,
From the oak-forest for their weapons plucked,
When father Brute and Corineus set foot
On the White Island first. Lo this, quoth he,
My club! and he threw back his robe; and this
The arm that wields it! ..'twas my father's once:
Erillyab's husband, King Tepollomi,
He felt its weight ... did I not show thee him ?
He lights me at my evening banquet. There,
In very deed, the dead Tepollomi
Stood up against the wall, by devilish art
Preserved ; and from his black and shrivelled hand
The steady lamp hung down.

My spirit rose
At that abomination ; I exclaimed,
Thou art of noble nature, and full fain
Would I in friendship plight my hand with thine ;
But till that body in the grave be laid,
Till thy polluted altars be made pure,
There is no peace between us. May my God,
Who, though thou knowest him not, is also thine,
And, after death, will be thy dreadful Judge,
May it please him to visit thee, and shed
His mercy on thy soul! ... But if thy heart
Be hardened to the proof, come when thou wilt!
I know thy power, and thou shalt then know mine.