Soft pity touch'd the mighty master's foul;
Adown his cheek a tear unbidden stole,
Stole unperceiv'd; he turn'd his head, and dry'd
The drop humane; then thus impassion'd cry'd:
What noble beaft in this abandon'd state
Lyes here all helpless at Ulyffes' gate?
His bulk and beauty fpeak no vulgar praise;
If, as he feems, he was in better days,
Some care his age deferves or was he priz'd
For worthless beauty? therefore now despis'd?
Such dogs and men there are, mere things of state,
And always cherish'd by their friends, the great. 375
Not Argus fo, (Eumaeus thus rejoin'd)
But ferv'd a master of a nobler kind,
Who never, never fhall behold him more !
Long, long fince perifh'd on a distant fhore!
Oh had you feen him, vig'rous, bold and young, 380 Swift as a stage, and as a lion strong;
Him no fell favage on the plain withstood,
None 'fcap'd him, bosom'd in the gloomy wood;
His eye how piercing! and his fcent how true,
To wind the vapour in the tainted dew!
Such, when Ulyffes left his natal coaft;
Now years un-nerve him, and his lord is loft!
The women keep the gen'rous creature bare,
A fleek and idle race is all their care:
The mafter gone, the fervants what restrains?
Or dwells humanity where riot reigns?
Jove fix'd it certain, that whatever day
Makes man a flave, takes half his worth away.
This faid, the honest herdsman ftrode before:
The musing monarch paufes at the door.
The dog, whom fate had granted to behold
And now Telemachus, the first of all, Obferv'd Eumaeus ent'ring in the hall ;
His lord, when twenty tedious years had roll'd,
Takes a laft look, and having feen him, dies;
So clos'd for ever faithful Argus' eyes!
Diftant he faw, across the hady dome;
Then gave a fign, and beckon'd him to come.
There food an empty feat, where late was plac'd,
In order due, the fteward of the feast,
(Who now was bufied carving round the board ;)
Eumaeus took, and plac'd it near his lord.
Before him inftant was the banquet spread,
And the bright bafket pil'd with loaves of bread.
Next came Ulyffes, lowly at the door,
A figure defpicable, old, and poor,
In fqualid vefts with many a gaping rent,
Propt on a staff, and trembling as he went.
Then, refting on the threshold of the gate,
Against a cypress pillar lean'd his weight;
(Smooth'd by the workman to a polish'd plain)
The thoughtful fon beheld, and call'd his fwain :
These viands, and this bread, Eumaeus! bear,
And let yon' mendicant our plenty share :
Then let him circle round the fuitors' board, 420
And try the bounty of each gracious lord.
Bold let him afk, encourag'd thus by me;
How ill, alas! do want and shame agree!
His lord's command the faithful fervant bears;
The feeming beggar anfwers with his pray'rs : 425
Bleft be Telemachus! in ev'ry deed
Infpire him, Jove! in ev'ry wifh fucceed!
This faid, the portion from his fon convey'd
With fmiles receiving, on his fcrip he laid.
Long as the min'ftrel fwept the founding wire,
He fed, and ceas'd when filence held the lyre.
Soon as the fuitors from the banquet rofe,
Minerva prompts the man of mighty woes
To tempt their bounties with a fuppliant's art,
And learn the gen'rous from th' ignoble heart;
(Not but his foul, refentful as humane,
Dooms to full vengeance all th' offending train ;)
With speaking eyes, and voice of plaintive found,
Humble he moves, imploring all around,
The proud feel pity, and relief bestow,
With fuch an image touch'd of human woe;
Enquiring all, their wonder they confefs,
And eye the man, majestic in distress.
While thus they gaze and question with their eyes,. The bold Melanthius to their thought replies: My lords this ftranger of gigantic port The good Eumaeus ufher'd to your court. Full well I mark'd the features of his face,
Tho' all unknown his clime, or noble race.
And is this prefent, fwineherd! of thy hand? 450 Bring'st thou thefe vagrants to infeft the land? (Returns Antinous with retorted eye)
Objects uncouth! to check the genial joy.
Enough of these our court already grace,
Of giant ftomach, and of famifh'd face.
Such guests Eumaeus to his country brings,
To share our feaft, and lead the life of kings.
To whom the hofpitable fwain rejoin'd:
Thy paffion, prince, belies thy knowing mind.
Who calls from diftant nations to his own,
The poor, diftinguifh'd by their wants; alone?
Round the wide world are fought those men divine.
Who public structures raife, or who defign;
I hofe to whofe eyes the gods their ways reveal,
Qr bless with falutary arts to heal;
But chief to poets fuch refpect belongs,
By rival nations, courted for their fongs;
Thefe ftates invite, and mighty kings admire,
Wide as the fun displays his vital fire.
It is not fo with want! how few that feed
A wretch unhappy, merely for his need!
Unjuft to me and all that serve the state,
To love Ulyffes is to raise thy hate.
For me, fuffice the approbation won
of my great mistress, and her god like fon:
To him Telemachus: No more incenfe
The man by nature prone to infolence :
E. c. 2
Injurious minds just answers but provoke
Then turning to Antinous, thus he spoke :
Thanks to thy care, whofe abfolute command
Thus drives the stranger from our court and land.
Heav'n blefs its owner with a better mind!
From envy free, to charity inclin'd.
This both Penelope and I afford :
Then, prince! be bounteous of Ulyffes' board. 485
To give another's is thy hand fo flow?
So much more fweet, to spoil, than to bestow?
Whence, great Telemachus! this lofty strain?
(Antinous cries with infolent disdain)
Portions like mine if ev'ry fuitor gave,
Our walls this twelvemonth fhould not see the slave.
He fpoke, and lifting high above the board
His pond'rous footftool, fhook it at his lord.
The reft with equal hand conferr'd the bread;
He fill'd his fcrip, and to the threshold fped; 495
But first before Antinous stopt, and faid,
Bestow, my friend! thou doft not seem the worst
Of all the Greeks, but prince-like and the first ;
Then as in dignity, be first in worth,
And I fhall praise thee thro' the boundless earth. 500
Once I enjoy'd in luxury and state
Whate'er gives man the envy'd name of great;
Wealth, fervants, friends, were mine in better days;
And hofpitality was then my praise ;
In ev'ry forrowing foul I pour'd delight,
And poverty stood fmiling in my fight.
But Jove, all-governing, whose only will
Determines fate, and mingles good with ill,
Sent me (to punish my pursuit of gain)
With roving pyrates o'er the Egyptian main.
By Egypt's filver flood our fhips we moor;
Our fpies commiffion'd ftrait the coaft explore;
But impotent of mind, with lawlefs will
The country ravage, and the natives kill.
The spreading clamour to their city flies,
And horfe and foot in mingled tumult rife;
The red'ning dawn reveals the hostile fields
Horrid with briftly spears, and gleaming shields :
Jove thunder'd on their fide: our guilty head 519
We turn'd to flight; the gath'ring veng'ance spread
On all parts round, and heaps on heaps lay dead.
Some few the foes in fervitude detain ;
Death ill-exchang'd for bondage and for pain!
Unhappy me a Cyprian took a-board,
And gave to Dmetor, Cyprus' haughty lord:...
Hither, to 'fcape his chains, my courfe 1 fteer,
Still curft by fortune, and infulted here!
To whom Antinous thus his rage expreft:
What god has plagu'd us with this gormaund guest ?
Unless at diftance, wretch! thou keep behind, 530
Another ifle than Cyprus more unkind,
Another Egypt fhalt thou quickly find.
From all thou beg'ft, a bold audacious slave;
Nor all can give. fo much as thou canst crave.
Nor wonder I, at fuch profufion shown;
Shameless they give, who give what's not their own.
The chief, retiring: Souls, like that in thee,
Ill fuit fuch forms of grace and dignity.
Nor will that hand to utmost need afford
The smallest portion of a wasteful board,
Whofe luxury whole patrimonies sweeps,
Yet ftarving want amidst the riot weeps.
The haughty fuitor with refentment burns,
And fow'rly fmiling, this reply returns :
Take that, ere yet thou quit this princely throng: 545
And dumb for ever be thy fland'rous tongue!
He faid, and high the whirling tripod flung.
His fhoulder-blade receiv'd th' ungentle fhock;
He flood, and mov'd not, like a marble rock;
But fhock his thoughtful head, nor more complain'd, 550
Sedate of foul, his character fuftain'd,
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