Of Other Transactions, Nothing Inferior To Theirs,
Perhaps Even Far Greater, Which Have Been Performed By Other Nations,
There Is Little Or No Memory, Because These Do Not Remain Recorded By
History:
Such are those of the Assyrians, Medes and Persians; of the
Africans against the Romans; of the Suevi against
Julius Caesar; of
the Spaniards in recovering their country from the Moors; and
principally of these invincible and pious kings of Portugal, your
glorious ancestors, Don Alonso Henriques, Don Sancho his son, and Don
Alonso, who acquired the kingdoms of Portugal and Algarve by great and
wonderful deeds of arms. Of all which, there hardly remaineth any
memory, for want of having been duly recorded by writing. So likewise
of those actions which have been performed in India, only as it were
of yesterday, the exact memory of them is confined to four persons;
and if they were to die, all remembrance of these transactions must
have ended to their great dishonour. Considering these things, I
resolved to record these noble deeds which the subjects of your
highness have performed in the discovery and conquest of India, which
have never been surpassed in valour, or even equalled, in any age or
country. Leaving all mention of the conquests of Cyrus and other
barbarians, and even taking into the account the deeds of Alexander,
so famous over all the world, which are as nothing compared to what
has been performed since India became frequented by the Portuguese, no
more than a dead lion can be likened to one alive.
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