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Title: A Pavorosa Illusão

Author: Manuel Maria Barbosa du Bocage

Release date: September 16, 2007 [eBook #22614]

Language: Portuguese

Credits: Produced by Tiago Tejo


*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A PAVOROSA ILLUSÃO ***




Produced by Tiago Tejo





A PAVOROSA
ILLUSÃO.

POR

M. M. B. DU BOCAGE.


LONDRES.

1837.




A PAVOROSA
ILLUSÃO.

POR

M. M. B. DU BOCAGE.


LONDRES.

1837.




_Ao Leitor_.


As Nações, humas já quebráram as algemas
do despotismo, outras não tardaram a erguer
o grito da Liberdade; porque, aquellas
desesperáram de se salvar, estas estam a beber
as ultimas gotas do fel da tyrannia. Por toda
a parte se alevantam os Povos contra a execravel
imbecillidade dos reis e a maldita hypocrisia
dos sacerdotes. Tão iniqua ha sido a
crueldade dos principes e dos frades contra a
especie humana, que esta se decidio em fim
a sacudir, de viva força, o jugo de ferro que
por tantos seculos lhes havia pesado. He já
tempo que nós Portuguezes conheçamos a futilidade
das illusões com que os nossos avós
nos embaláram. Risquemos para sempre da memoria
esses ridiculos preconceitos de que nos
fartou a superstição, com o perfido intuito de
mais a seu salvo nos envilecer. Eia. ...Leamos
com attenção a excellente Epistola do nosso
grande poeta Bocage, que tanto abunda em
salutares preceitos de moral sublime.




A PAVOROSA
ILLUSÃO.

EPISTOLA.


Pavorosa illusão da eternidade,
Terror dos vivos, carcere dos mortos,
D'almas vãs sonho vão, chamado inferno;
Systema da politica oppressora,
Freio, que a mão dos déspotas, dos bonzos
Forjou para a boçal credulidade;
Dogma funesto, que o remorso arraigas
Nos ternos corações, e a paz lhe arrancas;
Dogma funesto, detestavel crença
Que envenenas delicias innocentes,
Taes como aquellas que no céo se fingem.
Furias, cerastes, dragos, centimanos,
Perpetua escuridão, perpetua chamma;
Incompativeis producções do engano,
Do sempiterno horror terrivel quadro
(Só terrivel aos olhos da ignorancia)
Não, não me assombram tuas negras côres:
Dos homens o pincel e a mão conheço.
Trema de ouvir sacrilego ameaço
Quem de um Deos, quando quer, faz um tyranno.
Trema a superstição; lagrimas, preces,
Votos, suspiros, arquejando espalhe;
Cosa as faces co'a terra, os peitos fira:
Vergonhosa piedade, inutil venia.
Espere ás plantas do impostor sagrado,
Q'ora os infernos abre, ora os ferrolha;
Que as leis e propensões da natureza
Eternas, immutaveis, necessarias,
Chama espantosos, voluntarios crimes;
Que as ávidas paixões, que em si fomenta,
Aborrece nos mais, nos mais fulmina;
Que molesto jejum, roaz cilicio
Com despotica voz á carne arbítra;
E nos ares traçando a futil benção,
Vai do gran'tribunal desenfadar-se
Em sordido prazer, venaes delicias,
Escandalo de amor, que dá, não vende.
Ó Deus! não oppressor, não vingativo,
Não vibrando c'o a dextra o raio ardente
Contra o suave instincto que nos déste;
Não carrancudo, rispido arrojando
Sobre os mortaes a rispida sentença;
A punição cruel, que excede o crime,
Até na opinião do cego escravo,
Que te ama, que te incensa, e crê que és duro:
Monstros de vis paixões, damnados peitos,
Pungidos pelo sofrego interesse,
Alto, impassivel numen, te attribuem
A colera, a vingança, os vicios todos;
Negros enxames, que lhe fervem n'alma.
Quer sanhudo ministro dos altares
Dourar o horror de barbaras cruezas;
Cobrir de véo compacto e venerando,
Atroz satisfação d'antiguos odios,
Que a mira poem no estrago da innocencia:
Ou quer manter asperrimo dominio,
Que os vaivens da razão franqueia e nutre.
Eil-o em sancto furor todo abrasado,
Hirto o cabello, os olhos côr de fogo,
A maldição na bôcca, o fel na espuma;
Eil-o cheio de um Deus tam mau como elle;
Eil-o citando os horridos exemplos,
Em que aterrada observa a phantasia
Um Deus o algoz, a victima o seu povo.
No sobr'olho o pavor, nas mãos a morte,
Involto em nuvens, em trovões, em raios,
D'Israel o tyranno omnipotente
Lá brama do Sinai, lá treme a terra.
O torvo executor dos seus decretos,
Hypocrita feroz, Moysés astuto
Ouve o terrivel Deus, que assim troveja:
"Vai, ministro fiel dos meus furores,
Corre, vôa a vingar-me, e seja a raiva
D'esfaimados leões menor que a tua.
Meu poder, minhas forças te confio;
Minha tocha invisivel te precede;
Dos impios, dos ingratos, que me offendem
Na rebelde cerviz o ferro ensopa.
Extermina, destroe, reduz a cinzas
Dam a frageis metaes, a deuses surdos.
Sepulta as minhas victimas no inferno;
E treme se a vingança me retardas."
Não lh'a retarda o rabido propheta.
Já corre, já vozeia, já diffunde
Pelos brutos attonitos sequazes
A peste do implacavel fanatismo.
Armam-se, investem, rugem, ferem, matam.
Que sanha, que furor, que atrocidade!
Foge dos corações a natureza.
Os consortes, os paes, as mães, os filhos,
Em honra do seu Deus consagram, tingem
Abominosas mãos no parricidio.
Os campos de cadaveres se alastram;
Susurra pela terra o sangue em rios.
Ah! barbaro impostor, monstro sedento
De crimes, de ais, de lagrimas, d'estragos,
Serêna o phrenesi, reprime as garras,
E a torrente de horrores que derramas
Para fundar o imperio dos tyrannos,
Para deixar-lhe o feio e duro exemplo
D'opprimir seus iguaes com ferreo jugo.
Não profanes, sacrilego, não manches
Da eterna divindade o nome augusto.
Esse, de quem te ostentas tam valido,
He Deus, do teu furor, Deus do teu genio;
Deus creado por ti, Deus necessario
Aos tyrannos da terra, aos que te imitam,
E áquelles que não crêem que Deus existe.
N'este quadro fatal bem vês, Marilia,
Que, em tenebrosos seculos involta,
Desde aquelles crueis, nefandos tempos,
Dolosa tradição correu aos nossos.
Do coração, da ideia, ah! desarraiga
De astutos mestres a fallaz doutrina,
E de credulos paes preoccupados
As chimeras, visões, phantasmas, sonhos.
Ha Deus; mas Deus de paz, Deus de piedade,
Deus de amor, pae dos homens, não flagello;
Deus, que ás nossas paixões deu ser, deu fogo;
Que só não leva a bem o abuso d'ellas;
Porque á nossa existencia não se ajusta,
Porque inda encurta mais a curta vida.
Amor he lei do Eterno, he lei suave:
As mais sam invenções; sam quasi todas
Contrarias á razão e á natureza,
Proprias ao bem de alguns, e ao mal de muitos.
Natureza e razão jámais differem:
Natureza e razão movem, conduzem
A dar soccorro ao pallido indigente,
A pôr limite ás lagrimas do afflicto,
E a remir a innocencia consternada,
Quando nos debeis, magoados pulsos
Lhe roxeía o vergão de vís algemas.
Natureza e razão jámais approvam
O abuso das paixões, aquella insania
Que, pondo os homens a nivel dos brutos,
Os infama, os deslustra, os desacorda.
Quando a nossos iguaes, quando huns aos outros
Traçamos fero damno, injustos males,
Em nossos corações, em nossas mentes
És, ó remorso! o precursor do crime;
O castigo nos dás antes da culpa,
Que só na execução do crime existe;
Pois não póde evitar-se o pensamento.
He innocente a mão que se arrepende.
Não vêem só d'um principio acções oppostas,
Taes dimanam de um Deus, e taes do exemplo,
Ou do cego furor, molestia d'alma.
Crê pois, meu doce bem, meu doce encanto
Que te anceiam phantasticos terrores,
Prégados pelo ardil, pelo interesse
Só de infestos mortaes na voz, n'astucia.
A bem da tyrannia está o inferno:
Esse que pintam bárathro de angustias
Sería o galardão, sería o fructo
Das suas vexações, dos seus embustes,
E não pena de amor, se inferno houvesse.
Escuta o coração, Marilia bella,
Escuta o coração, que te não mente;
Mil vezes te dirá; "Se a rigorosa,
Carrancuda oppressão de um pae severo
Te não deixa chegar ao caro amante
Pelo perpetuo nó que chamam sacro,
Que o bonzo enganador teceu na ideia,
Para tambem de amor dar leis ao mundo;
Se obter não pódes a união solemne,
Que allucina os mortaes; porque te esquivas
Da natural prisão, do terno laço
Que em lagrimas, em ais te estou pedindo?
Reclama o teu poder e os teus direitos
De justiça despotica extorquidos.
Não chega aos corações o jus paterno,
Se a chamma da ternura os afogueia.
Eia pois, do temor sacode o jugo,
Acanhada donzella, e no teu pejo,
Destra illudindo as vigilantes guardas,
Pelas sombras da noite, a amor propicias,
Demanda os braços do ancioso Elmano;
Ao risonho prazer franqueia os lares.
Consista o laço na união das almas;
Do ditoso hymeneu as venerandas,
Caladas trevas testemunhas sejam;
Seja ministro amor, a terra o templo,
Pois que o templo do Eterno he toda a terra.
Entrega-te depois aos teus transportes,
Os oppressos desejos desaffoga,
Mata o pejo importuno; incita, incita
O que só de prazer merece o nome.
Verás como, involvendo-se as vontades,
Gostos iguaes se dam e se recebem.
Do jubilo ha-de a força amortecer-te;
Do jubilo ha-de a força aviventar-te:
Sentirás suspirar, morrer o amante;
Com os teus confundir os seus suspiros:
Has-de morrer e reviver com elle.
De tam alta ventura, ah! não te prives,
Ah! não prives, insana, a quem te adora."
Eis o que has-de escutar-lhe, ó doce amada!
Se á voz do coração não fores surda.
De tuas perfeições enfeitiçado,
Ás preces que te envia eu uno as minhas.
Ah! faze-me ditoso, e sê ditosa.
Amar he um dever além de um gosto;
Uma necessidade, não um crime
Qual a impostura horrisona pregoa.
Ceos não existem, não existe inferno.
O premio da virtude he a virtude;
He castigo do vicio o proprio vicio.


M. M. B. DU BOCAGE







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