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What though from pole to pole refounds her name,
The fon's deftruction waits the mother's fame :
For, till the leaves thy court, it is decreed,
Thy bowl to empty, and thy flock to bleed.
While yet he speaks, Telemachus replies:
Ev'n Nature starts, and what ye ask denies.
Thus, fhall I thus repay a mother's cares,
Who gave me life, and nurs'd my infant years? 1.50
While fad on foreign shores Ulyffes treads,

Or glides a ghost 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?
How would my mother curfe my hated head?
And while in wrath to vengeful fiends she cries,
How from their hell would vengeful fiends arise?
Abhorr'd by all, accurs'd my name would grow,
The earth's difgrace, and human-kind my foe.
If this displease, 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.

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But if, to honour lost, 'tis still decreed

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For you my bowl shall 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, Vengeance I vow, and for your wrongs ye die.

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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 high,
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And clang their wings, and hovering beat the sky ;
With ardent eyes the rival train they threat,
And, shrieking loud, denounce approaching Fate.
They cuff, they tear; their cheeks and neck they rend,
And from their plumes huge drops of blood descend:
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 cares opprest,
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' aërial tracks, and drew
A fure prefage from every wing that flew.

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Ye fons (he cry'd) of Ithaca, give ear,
Hear all! but chiefly you, oh rivals! hear.
Deftruction 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.

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

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When great Ulyffes fought the Phrygian shores To shake with war proud Ilion's lofty towers, Deeds then undone my faithful tongue foretold: Heaven feal'd my words, and you thofe deeds behold. F 2

I fee

I fee (I cry'd) his woes, a countless train;

I fee his friends o'erwhelm'd beneath the main ;
How twice ten years from shore to fhore he roams: 205
Now twice ten years are past, 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:

Here thou art fage in vain-I better read the skies.
Unnumber'd birds glide through th' aërial way,
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 bufy head no broils fuggeft,
Nor fire to rage Telemachus's breast.

From him fome bribe thy venal tongue requires,
And intereft, not the God, thy voice inspires.
His guideless youth, if thy experienc'd age
Mislead fallacious into idle rage,

Vengeance deferv'd thy malice shall reprefs,

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And but augment the wrongs thou would'st redress. Telemachus may bid the queen repair

To great Icarius, whose paternal care

Will guide her paffion, and reward her choice,
With wealthy dower, and bridal gifts of price.
Till the retires, determin'd we remain,
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.
Threat on, O Prince! elude the bridal day,
Threat on, till all thy ftores in waste decay.

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True,

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.

235

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: To Heaven, and all the Greeks, redrefs belongs. 240 Yet this I afk, (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,
Or to be learn'd from oracles alone?

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If yet he lives; with patience I forbear,

Till the fleet hours restore the circling year :
But if already wandering in the train

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

He ceas'd; and while abafh'd the peers attend,
Mentor arofe, Ulyffes' faithful friend :

250

[When fierce in arms he fought the scenes of war, 255

"My friend, (he cry'd) my palace be thy care;

"Years roll'd on years my god-like fire decay,
"Guard thou his age, and his behefts obey."]
Stern as he rofe, he caft his eyes around,

That flash'd with rage; and as he spoke, he frown'd:
O never, never more let king be juft,
Be mild in power, or faithful to his trust!

F 3

Let

Let tyrants govern with an iron rod,
Oppress, destroy, and be the scourge of God;
Since he who like a father held his reign,

So foon forgot, was just and mild in vain!
True, while my friend is griev'd, his griefs I share ;
Yet now the rivals are my smallest care :
They, for the mighty mischiefs they devife,
Ere long fhall 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 stand, and not one tongue affords
His injur'd prince the little aid of words.

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While yet he spoke, Leocritus rejoin'd: O pride of words, and arrogance of mind! Would't thou to rife in arms the Greeks advise? Join all your powers! in arms, ye Greeks, arife! Yet would your powers in vain our strength oppose: The valiant few o'ermatch an hoft of foes. Should great Ulysses ftern appear in arms, While the bowl circles, and the banquet warms; Though to his breast his spouse with transport flies, Torn from her breast, 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 son attend. But yet, I truft, the boafter means to stay

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Safe in the court, nor tempt the watery way.

290

Then, with a rushing found, th' affembly bend,

Diverse their steps: the rival rout afcend

The