The Project Gutenberg eBook of Eco da Voz Portugueza por Terras de Santa Cruz, by Antonio Feliciano de Castilho

a partir da digitalização do original, disponibilizada pela Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal - This file was produced from images generously made available by National Library of Portugal)

Nova Polonia, vendida a tres nações, que te veneraram já, que já provaram tua força e tua coragem!…

Estrangulado entre as garras do Leopardo…. dilacerado pelos dentes do Leão…. e por escarneo picado com os esporões do gallo, que sobre o teu cadaver canta os hymnos mortuarios que a finada Polonia ouvira quando posta em almoeda era vendida a quem mais dava!…

De tanta glória passada, de tanta capacidade e inexgutaveis recursos que ainda tens, de tanto patriotismo, dedicação, grandeza de alma, que ficará?

E aos vindouros nada quererá dizer esta palavra, n'outras eras tão significativa—Portugal.—

Que Has feito dessa herança de virtudes que Teu Pai Comprou com a vida para
Ti?

Juraram eles Comtigo o pacto de suas venturas: e a Ti, pelo que de Ti deviam esperar, Te deram inviolabilidade: e ainda, blasfemos em suas palavras de amor por Ti, disseram que Eras—Sagrada.—

Elles obedeceram tanto; elles cumpriram tanto, e de mais, as condições desse pacto firmado a sangue de suas honrosas feridas de batalha, que a fome, sómente a fome lhes poude arrancar um brado supplicante, e afflicto… e não muito alto dado… não muito pungente… para não magoar Teu coração… porque Te julgavam sua Mãi!…

Tu Atiraste ao Povo, que tinha fome, uma pedra com que os dentes lhe Quebraste, que elle esfaimado entre-abrira, julgando que lhe Atiravas algum pedaço de pão, que sobejava de tua lauta mesa, que elle paga!

Como foi que Tu Cumpriste o pacto Assignado por Ti, com lagrimas de saudade a teu Pai votadas, e por teu Povo com sangue derramado por Ti?…

Não És Tu mesma a confessar que Transgrediste a lei pela qual Foste feita
Rainha?

Tu mesma não Prometteste a esse Povo esfaimado Derogar leis que Fizeste contrarias á lei que Te fez de misera proscrita uma Rainha?

Tu mesma, Submettendo-Te a condições aviltantes não Te Degradaste já de Tua alta dignidade?

Tu mesma não És que Derrubaste essa muralha de corações devotos, que Te amavam, que palpitavam por Ti, e inviolavel Te faziam e Te guardavam?

Tu mesma não Foste que Deixaste cair o Teu sceptro de ferro sobre essas cabeças, que Te veneravam sagrada; e quasi que Te adoravam divina?

E sobre as linguas sequiosas Gottejas Tu, risonha de escarneo, o fel amargo de Tuas ingratidões!…

E nas faces de fome pallidas, que enrubeceram pelo Teu desamor, Tu Mandaste dar por Estrangeiros muita bofetada!…

*III*

Em silencio temos por cá pranteado os males de nossa patria: temos devorado as lagrimas: e sem nenhum murmurio elevado temos a Deos o nosso pensamento: e sobre seus altares temos por holocausto offerecido as magoas de nosso coração, por supplicar-lhe que affaste de nossa Patria o seu rigor, tão justo, mas tão pungente.

Com resignação christã soffrido temos em nossos irmãos todo esse rigor da justiça divina por mãos dos homens, irmãos nossos, infligido.

Com Fé de Portuguezes temos esperado que a misericordia divina transforme os nossos males em venturas.

É com dor, mais que acerba, que bem vemos não se applacar a justa ira do
Senhor!

Porque a maldição de um Deos peza sobre o lusitano povo, como sobre o povo escolhido!

Porque um perjurio, um sacrilegio tanto excitaram a colera celeste que muito longa e tormentosa terá de ser a expiação!

Porèm diz-nos a consciencia, animada pela Fé robusta de nossos Pais, que muito e muito haverá de soffrer este povo escolhido; mas soffrer não deverá ser ignominia, aviltamento; porque elle é grande em sua pequenez, que encerra um passado glorioso, um futuro providencial para a felicidade, para a regeneração da caduca Europa!

A nossa voz rompe o silencio dos irmãos nossos, magoados, que choram pela Patria, e se envergonham de que os vejam chorar em terra alheia; e abafam seus gemidos para não parecerem ingratos, elles, que aqui não soffrem, na terra mais hospitaleira e venturosa!

Egoista, que por viveres abrigado de tantas miserias não te importa a fome e a guerra, que vão matando os teus irmãos n'outro hemispherio.

Devasso, que porque sobre a tua face não foi dada a bofetada, tua face fica pallida, impassiva, indiferente á affronta que lá soffreram, a duas mil legoas, os teus compatriotas.

O desamor de Teus subditos ao usurpador, Teu Tio, entorpeceo-lhes os braços por tal fórma que deixaram entrar uma Esquadra Franceza pelo tejo.

E o pavilhão francez, o pavilhão tricolor, essa bandeira do Povo, essa bandeira que a desgraçada Polonia julgava a cada instante esperançosa vêr tremular ao longe em soccorro de seu ultimo baluarte; esse pavilhão mentiroso tremulou por algumas horas n'algumas fortalezas de Portugal.

Mas assim foi ainda, porque os Portuguezes, opprimidos, esperavam protecção nesses estrangeiros para sacudir o jugo de um tyranno, sem derramar tanto sangue, quanto é o que a Tua Corôa lhes tem custado.

Illudidos foram nas suas esperanças; e nunca lhes hade passar a magoa de não terem corrido todos, á voz de quem quer que fosse, para o combate, para morrer abraçados á cruz de sua bandeira!

Triste necessidade, lhes nutrindo uma esperança, os fez covardes, e tal desengano lhes ha de enrubecer de vergonha sempre as faces maceradas!…

E com que necessidade agora Tu Consentes que o pavilhão da soberbissima
Inglaterra se arvore em terra de Portuguezes?

E em que logar, em que torre elle se arvora, para conservar preso um troço de Portuguezes, surpreendidos sem nenhuma declaração de guerra?

Naquella torre, cujos alicerces estão ensopados de sangue portuguez, derramado gota a gota para Ti, por mais de cinco annos….

Alli… alli se arvora a bandeira de Inglaterra, que tem prisioneiros os
Teus subditos…. e a Ti mesma…. a Ti mesma, qual outra Pomaré!…

Sabes tu que muito sangue espargido nos cadafalsos levou sobre ondas rubras que formava a Tua pesada corôa atravez do Oceano para sobre um rochedo inexpugnavel?

Sabes que essas ondas de sangue augmentaram lá com o furor dos combates? e Sabes que refluindo até ás praias do Mindello trouxeram para Ti essa Corôa que Deixas vacillar?

E Sabes Tu que para que ella fosse elevada até á altura de Tua cabeça foi necessario que a levasse aos hombros Teu Pai moribundo; que ajudado por seus amigos subio com muito custo e muita dor uma pyramide alta de cadaveres, em cuja face reclinada Tu Dormias o somno da innocencia?…

E Sabes Tu que apenas chegado ao apice dessa pyramide, Teu Pai, dando sua alma a Deos, dando seu coração aos seus Portuguezes, e collocando, já nos ultimos suspiros, sobre a Tua cabeça essa Corôa de tanto preço, cahio morto, Elle, entre os soldados rasos?!…

Sómente o sceptro é Teu…. fabricado por Ti…. de ferro…. muito pesado para Teu pulso debil….

*VII*

Não hade ser unicamente o ranjer dos ossos que formam o Teu solio, o que te avisará de que mal sentada Estás, quando não Fazes justiça inteira.

Não será unicamente a cor vermelha de tua purpura que hade manchar-Te a mão, quando a Affastares de sobre a cabeça daquelle que vem pedir-Te abrigo.

Não hade unicamente ser a caveira de Teu Pai, que apertando-Te as fontes quando Te Esqueceres do que a Portugal Deves, Te poderá fazer insupportavel o peso dessa Corôa, não sustentada por mão de amigo, mas encravada na Tua cabeça pelas patas do Leopardo e do Leão, e pelos esporões do gallo.

E, como antes que S. Pedro negasse o Divino Mestre, o Gallo cantará tres vezes.—

Rainha de Portugal, porque Te Degradaste abrindo Tu mesma as portas do teu
Reino para ser invadido?

Rainha dos Portuguezes, porque os não Governaste conforme os seus recursos e as suas necessidades, para que a fome os não matasse, e a paz lhes desse prosperidade?

Rainha pelos Portuguezes, porque não Quiseste firmar todo o Teu poder nesse amor dos Portuguezes, que por Ti abriram suas veias e os seus cofres?

Tu não Quiseste ficar inviolavel; mas os Teus subditos são Portuguezes, leaes, e cavalheiros; e Tu para elles ainda És sagrada!

*VIII*

Saiam já de nossa terra os Estrangeiros armados! E onde quer que elles tenham arvorado o seu estandarte, erga-se para memoria dessa affronta uma alta cruz, e diga-se:

Aqui jaz Portugal, que a seus filhos, não tendo já nome que deixar, legou —Vingança— porêm vingança nobre: a de haverem de amarem-se para engrandecer-se, para se regenerar.

E os pulsos dos Teus Portuguezes, ainda magoados das algemas que lhes Lançaste, Verás como ganham vigor para defender-Te, e para humildes servir-Te.

Para leval-os ao combate, e depois do combate a seu trabalho, Toma Tu uma leve canna, como Teus Avós fizeram, e Vae, risonha, nobre e compassiva, ante elles, que são Teus filhos.

Leaes cavalheiros, só querem que não te esqueças de que És sua Mãi, e de que nem mesmo entre as féras ha Mãi para consentir que seus filhos sejam offendidos por estrangeiros.

Tu Crês que não És sua Mãi, elles se consideram Teus filhos, e hão de amar-Te, em quanto Fores, ao menos madrasta sua e não Estrangeira, Tu, que És filha de D. Pedro.

Teus subditos são cavalheiros leaes, que nunca tingiram suas mãos no sangue dos seus Reis, no cadafalso, como fizeram já aquelles a que recorres, aquelles cuja bandeira se arvora a Teu reclamo, em terras de Portugal!

Teus subditos soffrerão tudo, tudo por Ti; menos a infamia de uma bofetada por mão de Regicidas.

………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………

E disse por derradeiro o procurador d'El-Rei Lourenço Viegas: "Quereis que o Senhor Rei vá ás Côrtes d'El-Rei de Leão, ou lhe pague tributo, ou a alguma outra pessoa, afóra o Senhor Papa; que o appellidou Rei?"—A esta voz surgiram todos, e com as espadas nuas e alçadas, gritaram: "Livres somos, nosso Rei é livre, só ás nossas mãos devemos a nossa Liberdade: e qualquer Senhor Rei, que em tal consentir, morra por ello: e se ainda não fôr Rei, nunca em nenhum tempo possa vir a reinar sobre nós."—Aqui El-Rei coroado, se ergueo outra vez, e floreando na direita a espada nua, dísse para todos; "Quanto hei lidado por vossas liberdades, assás o sabeis vós. Por testemunhas vos tomo, e por testemunhas a este meu braço e espada; se alguem em tal consentir, morra por ello; e a ser filho ou neto meu, não reine."

—Todos disseram: boa palavra, morrerão: "Rei, que em alheio dominio consentir, não será de nós soffrido uma só hora no throno."

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