The gate oppos'd pellucid valves adorn, My mind, reflective, in a thorny maze Shall I my virgin nuptial-vow revere; And from the peers felect the noblect lord? With vifions manifest of future fate. 625 635 A team of twenty geefe (a fnow-white train!) 645 The vifion felf-explain'd (the chief replies) 660 665 670 Sure through fix circlets flew the whizzing dart. Powers Propose the sportive lot (the chief replies) Nor dread to name yourself the bowyer's prize : 640 Ulyffes will furprife th' unfinish'd game Avow'd, and falfify the fuitor's claim. 685 690 To whom, with grace forene, the queen rejoin'd: 695 Thus affable, her bower the queen afcends; Down her pale cheek new ftreaming forrow flows : And o'er her eyes ambrofial flumber shed. While Ulyffes lies in the veftibule of the palace, he is witness to the diforders of the women. Minerva comforts bim, and cafts bim ofleep. At bis waking he defires a favourable fign from Jupiter, which is granted. The feaft of Apollo is celebrated by the people, and the fuitors banquet in the palace. Telemachus exerts his authority among them, notwithstanding which, Ulyffes is infulted by Ctefippus, and the reft continue in their exceffes. Strange prodigies are feen by Theoclymenus the argur, who explains them to the deftruction of the wesers. As thus pavillion'd in the porch he lay Scenes of lew'd loves his wakeful eyes furvey; 10 Whilft to nocturnal joys impure repair, With wanton glee, the proftituted fair. His heart with rage this new difhonour stung, Wavering his thought in dubious balance hung! Or, infaut fhould he quench the guilty flame 15 With their own blood, and intercept the shame; Or to their luft indulge a laft embrace, And let the peers confummate the difgrace; Round his swoln heart the murmurous fury rolls; As o'er her young the mother-maftiff growls, 20 And bays the ftranger-groom: fo wrath comprefs'd, Recoiling, mutter'd thunder in his breaft. Poor fuffering heart! he cried, fupport the pain Of wounded honour, and thy rage reftrain, Not fiercer woes thy fortitude could foil, When the brave partners of thy ten years toil Dire Polypheme devour'd: I then was freed, By patient prudence from the death decreed. 25 And hovering o'er his head in view confeîs'd, 40 The Goddefs thus her favourite care addrefs'd: O thou, of mortals most inur'd to woes! Why roli thofe eyes unfriended of repofe? Beneath thy palace-roof forget thy care; Blefs'd in thy queen! blefs'd in thy blooming heir! Whom, to the Gods when fuppliant fathers bow, They name the ftandard of their dearest vow, Juft is thy kind reproach (the chief rejoin'd ) ; Deeds full of fate di tra my various mind In contemplation wrapp'd. This hoftile crew 50 What fingle arm hath prowefs to fubdue ? Or it, by Jove's and thy auxiliar aid, They're doom'd to bleed; Oh! fay, celestial Maid: Where fhall Ulyffes fun, or how fuftain, Nations embattled to revenge the flain? Oh, impotence of faith! Minerva cries, | | 55 She ceas'd. Ambrofial fumbers feal his eyes; The Goddef, pleas'd, regains her natal kies. And cure the pangs of this convultive heart. 75 | 86 With honey, mil, and wine, their infant years: The registers of Fate expanded lie ;) Wing'dharpies fi atch'd th'unguarded charge away, Be fuch my lot! Cr thou, Diana, fpeed 95 100 105 110 115 Thus, whilft Aurora mounts her purple throne, In audible laments the breaths her moan; The founds affault Ulyffes wakeful ear: Misjudging of the caufe, a fudden fear Of his arrival known, the chief alarms; He thinks the queen is rufi, g to his arms. Up-fpringing from his couch, with active hafte The fleece and carpet in the dome he plac❜d; (The hide, without, imbib'd the morning air ;) And thus the Gods invol'd with ardent prayer : Jove, and ethereal thrones!with heaven to friend, If the long feries of my woes frall end, Of human race now rifrg from repofe Let one a blissful omen here difclofe; And, to confirm my faith, propitious Jove, Vouchsafe the fanction of a fign above! 125 Whilft lowly thus the chief adoring bows, The pitying God his guardian aid avows. Loud fron a fapphire fky his thunder founds: With fpringing hope the hero's heart rebounds, Nn 145 Father of Gods and men; whofe thunders roll Big with their doom donounc'd in earth and sky, Mean time the menial train with unctuous wood 160 Say thou, to whom my youth its nurture owes, She thus: Oh! ceafe that ever honour'd name 180 His cornel javelin pois'd with regal port, re | : 195 200 | Difpatch! for foon the fuitors will effay 211 While thus the chief his woes indignant told, 225 ༢.༣༠ Here, vagrant, itill? offent ve to my lords! race: Imported in a fhallop not his own: 235 240 175 The dome re-echoed to their mingled moan. Two dogs of chafe, a lion-hearted guard, 185 191 255 265 O monarch ever dear!-O man of woe!-Fresh flow'iny tears, and it all for ever flow! 260 Like thee, poor ftranger-guoft, denied his home! Like thee, in rags obicene, decreed to roam! Or, haply perif'd on fome diftant coaft, In Stygian gloom he glides a penfive ghost! Oh! grateful for the good his bounty gave, I'll grieve, til forrow fink me to the grave! His kind protecting hand my youth preferr'd, The regent of his Cephalenian herd: With vaft increase beneath my care it fpreads, A ftately breed! and blackens far the meads. 270 Conftrain'd, the choiceft beeves I thence import To cram thefe cormorants that crowd his court; Who in partition feek his realm to share; Nor human right, nor wrath divine revere. Since here relolv'd oppreffive thefe rerde, Contending doubts my anxious heart divide : Now to fome forcig clime inclin❜d to fly, And with the royal herd protection buy: Then happier thoughts return the nodding scale, Light mounts defpair, alternate hopes prevail : In opening profpects of ideal joy, My king returns; the proud ufurpers die. 275 285 To whom the chief: In thy capacious mind By arms avow'd Ulyffes fall regain, O Jove fupreme! the raptur'd fwain replies, ! 300 305 Mean time the fuitors urge the prince's fate, And deathful arts employ the dire debate: When, in his airy tour the bird of Jove Trufs'd with his finewy pounce a trembling dove: Sinifter to their hope! This omen ey'd Amphinomus, who thus prefaging cry'd: The Gods from force and fraud the prince deO peers! the fanguinary scheme fufpend: [fend; Your future thought let fable Fate employ;. And give the prefent hour to genial joy. [ceas'd, From council fraight th' affenting peerage And in the dome prepar'd the genial feaft. 310 Difrob'd their vefts apart in order lay, Then all with fpeed fuccinct the victims flay: With sheep and fhaggy goats the porkers bled, And the proud fteer was on the marble spread. With fire prepar'd they deal the morfels round, Wine rofy-bright the brimming goblets crown'd, By fage Eumæus borne: the purple tide. Melanthius from an ample iar fupplied: High carifters of bread Philetius plac'd; And eager all devour the rich repast. Difpos'd apart, Ulyffes fhares the treat! A trivet-table, and ignobler seat, 320 The prince appoints; but to his fire affigus Aw'd by the prince, fohaughty, brave and young, Rage gnaw'd the lip, amazement chain'd the tongue. 335 340 Be patient, peers! at length Antinous cries; 345 355 His menial train attend the stranger-gueft: 350 : 361 Which whizzing high the wall unfeemly fign'd. S 379 The chief indignant grins & ghafly fmile; A long ceffation of difcourfe enfued, Nn 2 A just reproof, ye peers! your rage restrain From the protected guest, a d menial train: 390 And, prince! to stop the fource of future ill, Affent yourself, and gain the royal will, Whilst hope prevail'd to fee your fire reitor'd, Of right the queen refus'd a fecond lord. But who fo vai of faith, fo blind to .ate, To think he till furvives to claim the state? Now prefs the fovereign dame with warm defire To wed, as wealth or worth her choice infpire: The lord felected to the nuptial joys, 395 Far hence will lead the long-contested prize: 400 Whilt in paternal pomp, with plenty blefs'd, You reign, of this imperial dome po less'd. 405 410 Sage and ferene Telemachus replies; By him at whofe beheft the thunder flies, And by the name on earth I most revere, By great Ulyffes and his woes, I swear, (Who never mult review his dear domain; Inroll'd, perhaps in Pluto's dreary train !) Whene'er her choice the royal damne avows, My bridal gists hall load the future spouse: But from this dome my parent queen to chafe! From me, ye Gods! avert fuch dire difgrace. But Pallas clouds with intelle&ual gloom The fuiters' fouls, infenfate of their doom! A mirthful phrenzy feiz'd the fated crowd; The roofs refound with caufelefs laughter loud: Floating in gore, porteatous to furvey! In each difcolour'd vafe the via ds lay; Then down each cheek the tears fpontaneous flow, And fudden (gns precede approaching woe, 420 In vifion rapt the Hyperefan feer Uprofe, and thus divin'd the vengeance near: 415 Oh race to death devote! with tygia fhade Each destin'd, peer impending Fates invade: With tear your wan diftorted cheels are drown'd; With fanguine drops the walls are ruhied round: Thick fwarms the fpacious hall with howling To people reus ac the burning coafts! [ghofts *Theoclymerus. Yet warm'd in vain, with laughter loud elate The peers reproach the fure divine of Fate; And thus Eury machus: The dotard's mind To every fenfe is loft, to reafon blind: Swift from the dome conduct the flave away; 435 Let him in open air b.hold the day. 440 445 Tax not (the Heaven-illumin'd feer rejoin'd) Of rage, or folly, my prophetic mind. No clouds of error dim th' ether al rays, Her equal power each faithful sense obeys. Unguided heace my trembling steps I bend, Far hence, before yon hovering deaths defcend; Left, the ripe harvest of revenge begun, I fhare the doom ye fuitors cannot shun. This faid, to fage Piræus fped the feer, His honour'd hoit, a welcome inmate there. O'er the protracted feast the fuiters fit, And aim to wound the prince with pointlefs wit: Cries one, with fcornful leer and mimic voice, Thy charity we praife, but not thy choice; Why fuch profufion of indulgence shown To this poor, timorous, toil-detefting drone? That other feeds on planatary fchemes, And pays his hoft with hideous noon-day dreams. But, prince! for once, at leaft, believe a friend, To fome Sicilian mart thefe courtiers fend, Where, if they yield their freight across the main Dear fell the flaves! demand no greater gain. 450 455 Thus jovial, they: but nought the prince reFull on his fire he roll'd his ardent eyes; [plies; Impatient ftraight to left his virgin-sword, From the wife chief he waits the deathful word. Nigh in her bright alcove, the penfive queen To fee the circlet fate, of all unseen. Sated at length they rife, and bid prepare An eve-repaft, with equal coft and care: But vengeful Pallas, with preventing speed, A feat proportion'd to their crimes decreed; A teaft of death! the feafters doom'd to bleed! 460 BOOK XXI. THE ARGUMENT. The Bending of Ulyffes's Bow. Penelope, to put an end to the folicitation of the fuitors, proposes to marry the person who fall firft bend the bow of Ulyffe, and shoot through the ringlet. After their attempts have proved ineffectual, Uyffes, taking Eumeus and Philetius apart, difecvers himself to them; then returning, defres leave to try his frength at the how, which, though refused with indignation by the juitor, Penelope and Telem chus cause it to be de ivered to his haris. He bends it immediately, and shoots through all the rings. Fuiter in the fame in tant thun lers from heaven; Ulyffes accepts the omen, and givos a fign to Telemachus, who jlands ready armed at his fide. A ND Pallas now, to raise the rival fires, With her own art Penelope infpires: Who now can bend Ulyffes' bow, and wing The well-aim'd arrow through the diftant ring, Shall end the ftrife, and win th' imperial dame; 5 But difcord and black death await the game! The prudent queen the lofty ftair afcends, At diftance due a virgin-train attends; A brazen key fhe held, the handle turn'd, With feel and polish'd elepha at adore'd : 10 Swift to the inmoft room fie bent her way, Where fale repos'd the royal treasures lay; |