The strange intelligence then reached my ears That in the land of Egypt lived a man, Who, wise of wit, subjected to his scan The dark occurrences of uncome years: He judged the stars, and by the moving spheres, And aspects of the heavens, unveiled the dim Face of futurity, which then to him Appeared, as clear to us the past appears. A yearning toward this sage inspired my pen And tongue that instant, with humility Descending from my height of majesty; Such mastery has a strong desire o'er men: My earnest prayers I wrote--I sent--with ten My noblest envoys, loaded each apart With gold and silver, which with all my heart, I offered him, but the request was vain. With much politeness the wise man replied, 'You, sire, are a great king, and I should be Most glad to serve you, but in the rich fee Of gold and gems I take no sort of pride: Deign, then, yourself to use them; I abide Content in more abundant wealth; and may Your treasures profit you in every way That I can wish, your servant.' I complied; But sent the stateliest of my argosies, Which reached, and from the Alexandrian port Brought safe this cunning master to my court, Who greeted me with all kind courtesies: I, knowing well his great abilities, And learning in the movement of the spheres, Have highly honoured him these many years, For honour is the birthright of the wise. The two coplas with which the book of _Las Querellas_ began, are altogether superior in style, harmony, and elegance. 'Cousin, friend, faithful vassal, all and each, Diego Perez Sarmiento, thee The ills which from my men adversity Makes me conceal, do I intend to teach; To thee who, far, alas! from friendship's reach, Hast left thy lands for my concerns in Rome, My pen flies; hearken to the words that come, For mournfully it grieves in mortal speech. How lonely lies the monarch of Castile, Emperor of Germany that was! whose feet Kings humbly kissed, and at whose mercy-seat Queens asked for alms; he who in proud Seville Maintained an army sheathed from head to heel, Ten thousand horse and thrice ten thousand foot, Whom distant nations did with fear salute, Awed by his wisdom[A] and his sword of steel.' There seems to be a century between verse and verse, between language and language; but what is yet more remarkable, to meet with _coplas de arte mayor_ of equal merit, as well in diction as in cadence, we must overleap almost two centuries more, and look for them in Juan de Mena.[B]