Book contents
- Frontmatter
- EDITORS' PREFACE
- THE LIFE AND WRITINGS OF AZURARA
- THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE
- CHAPTER I Which is the Prologue, wherein the Author sheweth what will be his purpose in this Work
- CHAPTER II The Author's invocation
- CHAPTER III In which we recount the descent of the Infant Don Henry
- CHAPTER IV Which speaketh of the habits of the Infant Don Henry
- CHAPTER V In which the Chronicler speaketh briefly of the notable matters which the Infant performed for the service of God and the honour of the Kingdom
- CHAPTER VI In which the Author, who setteth in order this history, saith something of what he purposeth concerning the virtues of the Infant Don Henry
- CHAPTER VII In which five reasons appear why the Lord Infant was moved to command the search for the lands of Guinea
- CHAPTER VIII Why ships had not hitherto dared to pass beyond Cape Bojador
- CHAPTER IX How Gil Eannes, a native of Lagos, was the first who passed the Cape of Bojador, and how he returned thither again, and with him Affonso Gonçalvez Baldaya
- CHAPTER X How Affonso Gonçalvez Baldaya reached the Rio d'Ouro
- CHAPTER XI Of the things that were achieved in the years following
- CHAPTER XII How Antam Gonçalvez brought back the first Captives
- CHAPTER XIII How Nuno Tristam reached the spot where Antam Gonçalvez was, and how he dubbed him knight
- CHAPTER XIV How Antam Gonçalvez, and afterwards Nuno Tristam, came before the Infant with their booty
- CHAPTER XV How the Infant Don Henry sent his embassy to the Holy Father, and of the answer that he had
- CHAPTER XVI How Antam Gonçalvez went to make the first ransom
- CHAPTER XVII How Nuno Tristam went to the island of Gete, and of the Moors that he took
- CHAPTER XVIII How Lançarote required license from the Infant to go with his ships to Guinea
- CHAPTER XIX Who were the Captains of the other Caravels, and of the first booty that they made
- CHAPTER XX How they went to the island of Tiger, and of the Moors that they took
- CHAPTER XXI How they, Lançarote and the others, returned in their boats to Tiger, and of the Moors that they took
- CHAPTER XXII Of the reasons that Gil Eannes gave, and how they went to Tiger, and of the Moors that they took
- CHAPTER XXIII How they went to Cape Branco, and of what they did there
- CHAPTER XXIV How the caravels arrived at Lagos, and of the account that Lancarote gave to the Infant
- CHAPTER XXV Wherein the Author reasoneth somewhat concerning the pity inspired by the captives, and of how the division was made
- CHAPTER XXVI How the Infant Don Henry made Lancarote a Knight
- CHAPTER XXVII How the Infant ordered Gonçallo de Sintra to go to Guinea, and how he was killed
- CHAPTER XXVIII Of the reasons that the Author giveth for a warning as to the death of Gonçallo de Sintra
- CHAPTER XXIX How Antam Gonçalvez and Gomez Pirez and Diego Affonso went to the Rio d'Ouro
- CHAPTER XXX How Nuno Tristam went to Tira, and of the Moors that he took captive there
- CHAPTER XXXI How Dinis Diaz went to the land of the Negroes, and of the Captives that he took
- CHAPTER XXXII How Antam Gonçalvez, Garcia Homem, and Diego Affonso, set out for Cape Branco
- CHAPTER XXXIII How they went to Ergim Island, and of the Moors they took there
- CHAPTER XXXIV How John Fernandez came to the caravels
- CHAPTER XXXV How Antam Gonçalvez went to make the ransom
- CHAPTER XXXVI How they took the Moors at Cape Branco
- CHAPTER XXXVII How the caravel of Gonçalo Pacheco and two other ships went to the isle of Ergim
- CHAPTER XXXVIII How Mafaldo took forty-six Moors
- CHAPTER XXXIX How they landed another time, and of the things that they did
- CHAPTER XL How Alvaro Vasquez took the seven Moors
- Plate section
CHAPTER VI - In which the Author, who setteth in order this history, saith something of what he purposeth concerning the virtues of the Infant Don Henry
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 November 2010
- Frontmatter
- EDITORS' PREFACE
- THE LIFE AND WRITINGS OF AZURARA
- THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE
- CHAPTER I Which is the Prologue, wherein the Author sheweth what will be his purpose in this Work
- CHAPTER II The Author's invocation
- CHAPTER III In which we recount the descent of the Infant Don Henry
- CHAPTER IV Which speaketh of the habits of the Infant Don Henry
- CHAPTER V In which the Chronicler speaketh briefly of the notable matters which the Infant performed for the service of God and the honour of the Kingdom
- CHAPTER VI In which the Author, who setteth in order this history, saith something of what he purposeth concerning the virtues of the Infant Don Henry
- CHAPTER VII In which five reasons appear why the Lord Infant was moved to command the search for the lands of Guinea
- CHAPTER VIII Why ships had not hitherto dared to pass beyond Cape Bojador
- CHAPTER IX How Gil Eannes, a native of Lagos, was the first who passed the Cape of Bojador, and how he returned thither again, and with him Affonso Gonçalvez Baldaya
- CHAPTER X How Affonso Gonçalvez Baldaya reached the Rio d'Ouro
- CHAPTER XI Of the things that were achieved in the years following
- CHAPTER XII How Antam Gonçalvez brought back the first Captives
- CHAPTER XIII How Nuno Tristam reached the spot where Antam Gonçalvez was, and how he dubbed him knight
- CHAPTER XIV How Antam Gonçalvez, and afterwards Nuno Tristam, came before the Infant with their booty
- CHAPTER XV How the Infant Don Henry sent his embassy to the Holy Father, and of the answer that he had
- CHAPTER XVI How Antam Gonçalvez went to make the first ransom
- CHAPTER XVII How Nuno Tristam went to the island of Gete, and of the Moors that he took
- CHAPTER XVIII How Lançarote required license from the Infant to go with his ships to Guinea
- CHAPTER XIX Who were the Captains of the other Caravels, and of the first booty that they made
- CHAPTER XX How they went to the island of Tiger, and of the Moors that they took
- CHAPTER XXI How they, Lançarote and the others, returned in their boats to Tiger, and of the Moors that they took
- CHAPTER XXII Of the reasons that Gil Eannes gave, and how they went to Tiger, and of the Moors that they took
- CHAPTER XXIII How they went to Cape Branco, and of what they did there
- CHAPTER XXIV How the caravels arrived at Lagos, and of the account that Lancarote gave to the Infant
- CHAPTER XXV Wherein the Author reasoneth somewhat concerning the pity inspired by the captives, and of how the division was made
- CHAPTER XXVI How the Infant Don Henry made Lancarote a Knight
- CHAPTER XXVII How the Infant ordered Gonçallo de Sintra to go to Guinea, and how he was killed
- CHAPTER XXVIII Of the reasons that the Author giveth for a warning as to the death of Gonçallo de Sintra
- CHAPTER XXIX How Antam Gonçalvez and Gomez Pirez and Diego Affonso went to the Rio d'Ouro
- CHAPTER XXX How Nuno Tristam went to Tira, and of the Moors that he took captive there
- CHAPTER XXXI How Dinis Diaz went to the land of the Negroes, and of the Captives that he took
- CHAPTER XXXII How Antam Gonçalvez, Garcia Homem, and Diego Affonso, set out for Cape Branco
- CHAPTER XXXIII How they went to Ergim Island, and of the Moors they took there
- CHAPTER XXXIV How John Fernandez came to the caravels
- CHAPTER XXXV How Antam Gonçalvez went to make the ransom
- CHAPTER XXXVI How they took the Moors at Cape Branco
- CHAPTER XXXVII How the caravel of Gonçalo Pacheco and two other ships went to the isle of Ergim
- CHAPTER XXXVIII How Mafaldo took forty-six Moors
- CHAPTER XXXIX How they landed another time, and of the things that they did
- CHAPTER XL How Alvaro Vasquez took the seven Moors
- Plate section
Summary
Such were the virtues and habits of this great and glorious Prince, even as you have heard in the past few chapters, in which I have spoken as well as I was able, but certainly not as the matter deserved of me, for as St. Jerome layeth it down, small wits cannot handle great subjects. And if it be true, as Sallust saith, that great praise was given to those who performed the famous actions in the history of Athens, as far as the brilliant and glorious talents of her subtle authors were able by words to praise and exalt them, it was great boldness in me, who am only worthy to name myself a disciple of each one of these ancients, to undertake so high a charge.
But whereas it is said, that obedience is better than sacrifice, it seemeth to me that I do not deserve so great a blame, since I have only fulfilled what was commanded me. But I neither demand nor desire that my work should be placed before the public, for it is not of so precious a nature as to merit that it be preserved in a tower or temple, as the Athenians preserved the Minerva of Phidias, the figure to wit of the goddess Pallas, which for the excellency of its beauty was placed on high for the better view of all men, as saith the Philosopher in the sixth book of his Ethics, in the Chapter on Wisdom.
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- The Chronicle of the Discovery and Conquest of Guinea , pp. 22 - 27Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010First published in: 1896