ray Glow'd in the front of heaven, and gave the day. The youthful hero, with returning light, Rofe anxious from th' inquietudes of night. A royal robe he wore with graceful pride, A two-edg'd faulchion threaten'd by his fide, Embroider'd fandals glitter'd as he trod, And forth he mov'd majestic as a God. Then by his heralds, restless of delay, To council calls his peers: the peers obey. Soon as in folemn form th' affembly fate, From his high dome himself defcends in state. Bright in his hand a ponderous javelin fhin'd; Two dogs, a faithful guard, attend behind; Pallas with grace divine his form improves, 15 And gazing crowds admire him as he moves. His father's throne he fill'd: while distant stood The hoary peers, and aged wisdom bow'd.

ΤΟ

20

25

30

'Twas filence all. At laft Egyptius spoke; Ægyptius, by his age and forrows broke: A length of days his foul with prudence crown'd, A length of days had bent him to the ground. His eldest + hope in arms to Ilion came, By great Ulyffes taught the path to fame; But (haplefs youth) the hideous Cyclops tore His quivering limbs, and quaff'd his spouting gore. Three fons remain'd: to climb with haughty fires The royal bed, Eurynomus afpires; The rest with duteous love his griefs affuage, And cafe the fire of half the cares of age. Yet ftill his Antiphus he loves, he mourns, And, as he food, he spoke and wept by turns: Since great Ulyffes fought the Phrygian plains, Within thefe walls inglorious filence reigns. [35 Say then, ye peers, by whofe commands we meet! Why here once more in folemn council fit? Ye young, ye old, the weighty cause disclose: Arrives fome meffage of invading focs? Or fay, does high neceflity of ftate Icfpire fome patriot, and demand debate? The prefent fynod speaks its author wife; Aflift him, Jove, thou regent of the skies!

40

He spoke. Telemachus with transport glows, Embrac'd the omen, and majestic rofe (His royal hand, th' imperial fceptre fway'd); 45 Then thus, addreffing to Egyptius, faid:

50

Reverend old man! lo here confeft he ftands By whom ye meet; my grief your care demands. No ftory I unfold of public woes, Nor bear advices of impending foes: Peace the bieft land, and joys inceffant crown; Of all this happy realm, I grieve alone. For my loft fire continual forrows fpring, The great, the good; your father, and your king. Yet more; our houfe from its foundation bows, 55 Our foes are powerful, and your fons the foes; Hither, unwelcome to the queen, they come; Why feek they not the rich Icarian dome ! If the muft wed, from other hands requir? The dowry: is Telemachus her fire? Yet through my court the noife of revel rings, And waste the wife frugality of kings. Scarce all my herds their luxury fuffice;

75

More powerful advocates than vain complaints.
Approach that hour! insufferable wrong [70
Cries to the Gods, and vengeance fleeps too long.
Rife then, ye Peers! with virtuous anger rife!
Your fame revere, but most th'avenging skies.
By all the deathlefs powers that reign above,
By righteous Themis, and by thundering Jove,
(Themis, who gives to councils, or denies,
Succefs; and humbles, or confirms the wife.)
Rife in my aid! fuffice the tears that flow
For my loft fire, nor add new woe to woe.
If e'er he bore the fword to strengthen ill,
Or, having power to wrong, betray'd the will, 80
On me, on me your kindled wrath affuage,
And bid the voice of lawless riot rage.
If ruin to our royal race ye doom,

Be you the fpoilers, and our wealth confume.
Then might we hope redrefs from jufter laws, 85
And raife all Ithaca to aid our caufe:

But while your fons commit th' unpunish'd wrong, You make the arm of violence too strong.

While thus he spoke, with rage and grief he

frown'd,

And dash'd the imperial fceptre to the ground. 90
The big round tear nung trembling in his eye,
The fynod griev'd, and gave a pitying figh,
Then filent fate--at length Antinous burns
With haughty rage, and sternly thus returns:

O infolence of youth! whofe tongue affords 95
Such railing eloquence, and war of words.
Studious thy country's worthies to defame,
Thy erring voice difplays thy mother's fhame,
Elufive of the bridal day, fhe gives

Fond hope to all, and all with hopes deceives. 100 Did not the fun, through heaven's wide azure roll'd,

For three long years the royal fraud behold?
While fhe, laborious in delufion spread

The spacious loom, and mix'd the various thread;
Where as to life the wonderous figures rife, 105
Thus fpoke th' inventive queen, with artful fighs:
"Though cold in death Ulyffes breathes ne

more,

Scarce all my wine their midnight hours fupplies.
Safe in my youth, in riot ftill they grow,
Nor in the helpless orphan dread a foe.

65

↑ Antiphus.

120

132

Eid inflant to prepare the bridal train,
Nor let a race of princes wait in vain.
Though with a grace divine her foul is bleft,
And all Minerva breathes within her breaft,
In wonderous arts than woman more renown'd,
And more than woman with deep wildom
crown'd;

145

Though Tyro nor Mycene match her name,
Nor great Alcmena (the proud boast of Fame)
Yet, thus by heaven adorn'd, by heaven's decree,
She fhines with fatal excellence to thee: 140
With thee, the bowl wc drain, indulge the feast,
Till righteous heaven reclaim her stubborn breast.
What tho' from pole to pole resounds her name,
The fon's deftruction waits the mother's fame :
For, till fhe leaves thy court, it is decreed,
Thy bowl to empty, and thy flock to bleed.
While yet he speaks, Telemachus replies:
Ev'n nature ftarts, and what ye afk denies.
Thus, fhall I thus repay a mother's cares,
Who gave me life, and nurs'd my infant years?
While fad on foreign fhores Ulyffes treads,
Or glides a ghoft with unapparent shades;
How to Icarius in the bridal hour
Shall I, by wafte undone, refund the dower?
How from my father fhould I vengeance dread?155
How would my mother curfe my hated head?
And while in wrath to vengeful fiends the cries,
How from their hell would vengeful fiends arife?
Abhorr'd by all, accurs'd my name would grow,
The earth's difgrace, and human-kind my foe.160
If this difpleafe, why urge ye here your stay
Hafte from the court, ye fpoilers, haste away:
Waste in wild riot, what your land allows,
There ply the early feast, and late carouse.
But if, to honour loft, 'tis ftill decreed

151

165

For you my bowls fhall flow, my flocks fhall bleed;
Judge and affert my right, impartial Jove!
By him, and all th' immortal host above,
(A facred oath) if heaven the power supply, [270
Vengeance I vow, and for your wrongs ye die.
With that, two eagles from a mountain's height
By Jove's command direct their rapid flight;
Swift they defcend, with wing to wing conjoin'd,
Stretch their broad plumes, and float upon the
wind,

Above th' affembled peers they wheel on high175
And clang their wings, and hovering beat the fky;
With ardent eyes the rival train they threat,
And, fhrieking loud, denounce approaching Fate,
They cuff, they tear; their cheeks and neck they
rend,.
[fcend: 180
And from their plumes huge drops of blood de-
Then, failing o'er the domes and towers, they fly
Full tow'rd the east, and mount into the sky.

The wondering rivals gaze with care oppreft,
And chilling horrors freeze in every breast.
Till, big with knowledge of approaching woes,
The prince of augurs, Halitherfes, rofe:
Prefcient he view'd th' aerial tracks, and drew
A fure prefage from every wing that flew.

Ye fons (he cry'd) of Ithaca, give ear,
Hear all! but chiefly you, oh rivals! hear.
Destruction fure o'er all your heads impends ;
Ulyffes comes, and death his steps attends.
Nor to the great alone is death decreed;
We and our guilty Ithaca must bleed.

186

190

Why cease we then the wrath of heaven to stay?
Be humbled all, and lead, ye Great! the way. 196
For, lo! my words no fancy'd woes relate;
fpeak from fcience, and the voice is fate.

When great Ulyffes fought the Phrygian shores |
To fhake with war proud Ilion's lofty towers, 200
Deeds then undone my faithful tongue foretold:
Heaven feal'd my words, and you thofe deeds be-
I fee (I cry'd) his woes, a countless train; [hold.
I fee his friends o'erwhelm'd beneath the main ;
How twice ten years from fhore to inore he roams;
Now twice ten years are paft, and now he comes !
To whom Eurymachus-Fly, dotard, fly!
With thy wife dreams, and fables of the sky.
Go prophecy at home; thy fons advise : [(kies.
Here thou art fage in vain-I better read the
Unnumber'd birds glide through th' aërial way,211
Vagrants of air, and unforeboding stray.

Cold in the tomb, or, in the deeps below,
Ulyffes lies: oh, wert thou laid as low!
Then would that busy head no broils fuggeft, 215
Nor fire to rage Telemachus's breaft.
From him fome bribe thy venal tongue requires,
And intereft, not the God, thy voice infpires.
His guidelefs youth, if thy experienc'd age
Milled fallacious into idle rage,
Vengeance deferv'd thy malice fhall repress,
And but augment the wrongs thou wouldst re-
Telemachus may bid the queen repair [drefs.
To great Icarius, whofe paternal care
Will guide her paffion, and reward her choice, 225
With wealthy dower, and bridal gifts of price.
Till the retires, determin'd we remain,

220

And both the prince and augur threat in vain:
His pride of words, and thy wild dream of fate,
Move not the brave, or only move their hate. 230
Threat on, O Prince! elude the bridal day,
Threat on, till all thy ftores in waste decay.
True, Greece affords a train of lovely dames,
In wealth and beauty worthy of our flames:
But never from this nobler fuit we cease;
For wealth and beauty less than virtue please.
To whom the youth: Since then in vain I tell
My numerous woes, in filence let them dwell.
But Heaven, and all the Greeks, have heard my

wrongs:

235

241

To Heaven, and all the Greeks, redress belongs,
Yet this I ask, (nor be it ask'd in vain)
A bark to waft me o'er the rolling main;
The realms of Pyle and Sparta to explore,
And feek my royal fire from fhore to shore:
If, or to Fame his doubtful Fate be known, 245
Or to be learn'd from oracies alone?
If yet he lives; with patience I forbear,
Till the fleet hours reftore the circling year:
But if already wandering in the train

Of empty fhades; I measure back the main, 250
Plant the fair column o'er the mighty dead,
And yield his confort to the nuptial bed.

He ceas'd; and while the peers abash'd attend, Mentor arofe, Ulyffe,' faithful friend: [255 [When fierce in arms he fought the fcenes of war, "My friend, (he cry'd) my palace be thy care; "Years roll'd on years my godlike fire decay, "Guard thou his age, and his behefts obey.") Stern as he rofe, he caft his eyes around, [frown'c; That flash'd with rage; and as he spoke, m

265

O never, never more! let king be just, Be mild in power, or faithful to his trust! Let tyrants govern with an iron rod, Opprefs, deftroy, and be the fcourge of God: Since he who like a father held his reign, So foon forgot, was juft and mild in vain!. True, while my friend is griev'd, his griefs I fhare; Yet now the rivals are my smallest care: They, for the mighty mifchiefs they devife, [270 Ere long shall pay—their forfeit lives the price. But against you, ye Greeks! ye coward train, Gods! how my foul is mov'd with just disdain! Dumb ye all ftand, and not one tongue affords His injur'd prince the little aid of words.

275

While yet he fpoke, Leocritus rejoin'd: O pride of words, and arrogance of mind! Would it thou to rife in arms, the Greeks, advife? Join all your powers! in arms, ye Greeks, arife! Yet would your powers in vain our frength pofe !

op

280

The valiant few o'ermatch an hoft of foes.
Should great Ulyffes ftern appear in arms,
While the bowl circles, and the banquet warms;
Though to his breast his spouse with transport
flies,

285

Torn from her breaft, that hour, Ulyffes dies.
But hence retreating to your domes repair;
To arm the veffel, Mentor! be thy care,
And, Halitherfes! thine; be each his friend;
Ye lov'd the father: go, the fon attend.
But yet, I truft, the boafter means to stay
Safe in the court, nor tempt the watery way. 290
Then, with a rufhing found, th' affembly bend,
Diverfe their steps; the rival rout afcend
The royal dome; while fad the prince explores
The neighbouring main, and forrowing treads the
fhores.

There, as the waters o'er his hands he fhed,
The royal fuppliant to Minerva pray'd:

295

[310

O Goddefs! who defcending from the skica Vouchfaf'd thy prefence to my wondering eyes, By whofe commands the raging deeps I trace, And feek my fire thro' ftorms and rolling feas! 300 Hear from thy heavens above, oh, warrior-maid! Defcend once more propitious to my aid. Without thy prefence, vain is thy command: Greece, and the rival train, thy voice withstand. Indulgent to his prayer the Goddess took 305 fage Mentor's form, and thus like Mentor fpoke. O prince, in early youth divinely wife, Born, the Ulyffes of thy age to rife! If to the fon the father's worth defcends, O'er the wide waves fuccefs thy ways attends : To tread the walks of death he flood prepar'd; And what he greatly thought, he nobly dar'd. Were not wife fons defcendents of the wife, And did not heroes from brave heroes rife : 315 Vain were my hopes: few fons attain the praile Of their great fires, and moft their fires difgrace. But fince thy veins paternal virtue fires, And all Penelope thy foul infpires: Go, and fucceed! the rivals aims defpife; For never, never, wicked man was wife. Blind they rejoice, though now, ev'n now they fall, Death haftes amain: one hour o'erwhelms them all! And lo, with speed we plough the watery way, My power hall guard thee, and my hand convey:

320

325 Through feas and realms companions of thy care. Thou to the court afcend; and to the fhores (When night advances) bear the naval stores; Bread, that decaying man with strength supplies, And generous wine, which thoughtful forrow flies. Mean while the mariners, by my command, 331 Shail fpeed abroad, a valiant chofen band. Wide o'er the bay, by vessel vessel rides ; The best I choose to waft thee o'er the tides.

Grieve not, oh, daring prince! that noble heart: Ill fuits gay youth the stern heroic part; Indulge the genial hour, unbend thy foul, Leave thought to age, and drain the flowing bowl. Studious to eafe thy grief, our care provides 345 The bark, to waft thee o'er the fwelling tides.

Is this, returns the prince, for mirth a time? When lawless gluttons riot, mirth's a crime; The lufcious wines, difhonour'd lose their táfte; The fong is noife, and impious is the feast. 350 Suffice it to have spent with swift decay The wealth of kings, and made my youth a prey. But now the wife inftructions of the fage, And manly thoughts infpir'd by manly age, Teach me to feek redrefs for all my woe, Here, or in Pyle.-in Pyle, or here, your foc. Deny your veffels, ye deny in vain; A private voyager I pass the main.. Free breathe the winds, and free the billows flow:

And where on earth I live, I live your foc.

355

360

He spoke and frown'd, nor longer deign'd to stay, Sternly his hand withdrew, and ftrode away. Mean time, o'er all the dome, they quaff, they

feast,

Derifive taunts were fpread from guest to guest,
And each in jovial mood his mate addrest:

Tremble ye not, oh friends! and coward fly, 365
Doom'd by the ftern Telemachus to die?
To Pyle or Sparta to demand fupplies,
Big with revenge, the mighty warrior flies :
Or comes from Ephyre with poifons fraught, 370
And kills us all in one tremendous draught?

375

Or, who can fay (his gamefome mate replies) But, while the dangers of the deeps he trics, He, like his fire, may fink depriv'd of breath, And punish us unkindly by his death? What mighty labours would he then create, To feize his treasures, and divide his state, The royal palace to the queen convey, Or him the blesses in the bridal day! Mean time the lofty rooms the prince furveys, 389 Where lay the treafures of th' Ithacian race; Here ruddy brafs and gold refulgent blaz'd; There polifh'd chefts embroider'd vestures grac'd; Here jars of oil breath'd forth a rich perfume; There cafks of wine in rows adorn'd the dome 385 (Pure flavorous wine, by Gods in bounty given, And worthy to exalt the feafts of heaven). Untouch'd they ftood, till, his long labours o'er, The great Ulyffes reach'd his native fore.