As from fome feaft a man returning late,

His faithful dogs all meet him at the gate,

Rejoicing

It is evident, that Ulyffes had a very intimate commerce with Circe, for Hefied writes that he had two fons by her, Agrius and Latinus, who afterwards reign'd in Tuscany; other Authors call them Nanfithous and Telegonus.

Κίρκη δ' Ἠελία θυγάτηρ ὑπεριονίδαο

Γείνατ' Οδυσσήος ταλισίφρονος ἐν φιλότητε
Αγριον, ἠδὲ Λατῖνον.

Dyonyfius Halicarn. and Ariftotle mention Telegonus as the fon of Circe and Ulyffes, who afterwards flew his father with the bone of a fish inadvertently. Thus Horace,

Telegoni juga Parricida.

But then is not this intrigue a breach of Morality, and conjugal infidelity in that Heroe? I refer the Reader to Note XIV. of the fifth book of the Odyffey: I fhall only add, that the notions of Morality are now very different from what they were in former ages: Adultery alone was efteemed criminal, and punish'd with death by the ancient Heathens: Concubinage was not only permitted, but thought to be honourable, as appears from the practice, not only of Heroes, but even of the Pagan Deities; and confequently this was the vice of the age, not in particular of Ulyffes. But there is a ftronger objection against Ulyffes, and it may be asked, how is he to be vindicated for wafting no lefs space than a whole year in dalliance with an harlot? Penelope and his country feem both forgotten, and confequently he appears to neglect his own reeftablishment, the chief defign of the Odyffey: What adds fome weight to this obfervation is, that his companions feem more fenfible of his long abfence from his country, and regret it more than that Heroe; for they awake him out of his dream, and intreat him to depart from the Island. It is therefore neceffary to take away this objection: for if it be unanfwerable, Ulyffes is guilty of all the miferies of his family and country, by neglecting to redress them by returning; and therefore he muft cease to be an Heroe, and is no longer to be propos'd as a pattern of Wisdom, and imitation, as he is in the opening of the Odyssey. But the ftay of Ulyffes is involuntary, and confequently irreproachable; he is in

Rejoicing round, fome morfel to receive, (Such as the good man ever us'd to give.) 250 Domestick thus the grisly beafts drew near; They gaze with wonder, not unmixt with fear. Now on the threshold of the dome they stood, And heard a voice refounding thro' the wood: Plac'd at her loom within, the Goddess fung; 235 The vaulted roofs and folid pavement rung.

the power of a Deity, and therefore not capable of departing with
out her permiffion: this is evident: for upon the remonftrance
made by his companions, he dares not undertake his voyage with-
out her dismission. His asking confent plainly fhews that it was
not fafe, if practicable, to go away without it; if he had been a
free agent, her leave had been unneceffary: 'tis true, fhe tells him
fhe will not detain him any longer against his inclinations; but
this does not imply that his ftay till then had been voluntary, or
that he never had intreated to be difmiffed before, but rather in-
timates the contrary: it only fhews that now at last she is willing
he fhould go away. But why fhould Ulyffes ftand in need of be-
ing admonished by his companions? does not this imply that he
was unmindful of returning? This is only an evidence that they
were defirous to return as well as he; but he makes a wife ufe
of their impatience, and takes an occafion from their importuni-
ties to prefs for an immediate difmiffion.

In fhort, I am not pleading for perfection in the character of
Ulyffes: Human Nature allows it not, and therefore it is not to be
afcribed to it in Poetry. But if Ulyffes were here guilty, his cha-
racter ceases to be of a piece; we no longer intereft our felves in
his misfortunes, fince they are all owing to his own folly: the
nature of the Poem requires, that he should be continually endea-
vouring to restore his affairs: if then he be here funk into a Le-
thargy, his character is at once loft, his calamities are a juft pu-
nishment, and the moral of the Odyffey is deftroy'd, which is to
shew Wisdom and Virtue rewarded, and Vice and Folly punished
by the death of the fuitors, and re-establishment of Ulyffes.

260

255

O'er the fair web the rifing figures fhine,
Immortal labour! worthy hands divine.
Polites to the reft the question mov'd,
(A gallant leader, and a man I lov'd.)

What voice celeftial, chaunting to the loom
(Or Nymph, or Goddess) ecchos from the room?
Say fhall we feek accefs? With that they call;
And wide unfold the portals of the hall.

The Goddess rifing, asks her guests to stay,

Who blindly follow where fhe leads the way.
Eurylochus alone of all the band,

Suspecting fraud, more prudently remain'd.

On thrones around, with downy coverings grac'd, With semblance fair th'unhappy men she plac'd. 270 Milk newly preft, the facred flow'r of wheat,

And honey fresh, and Pramnian wines the treat:
But venom'd was the bread, and mix'd the bowl,
With drugs of force to darken all the foul:

Soon

v. 272. But venom'd was the bread, and mix'd the bowl.] It is an undoubted truth, that Homer afcribes more power to thefe magical drugs and Incantations than they have in reality; but we are to remember that he is speaking before a credulous audience, who readily believed thefe improbabilities, and at the fame time he very judicioufly provides for the fatisfaction of his more underftanding Readers, by couching an excellent moral under his fables; viz. that by indulging our appetites we fink below the dignity of Human Nature, and degenerate into brutality.

Soon in the luscious feast themselves they loft, 75 And drank Oblivion of their native coast.

Inftant her circling wand the Goddess waves,
To hogs transforms 'em, and the Sty receives.

I am not in the number of those who believe that there never were any Magicians who perform'd things of an uncommon nature: The ftory of Jannes and Jambres, of the Witch of Endor, and Simon Magus, are undeniable inftances of the contrary, Magic is fuppos'd to, have been firft practis'd in Egypt, and to have fpread afterwards among the Chaldeans: It is very evident that Homer had been in Egypt, where he might hear an account of the wonders perform'd by it. Dacier is of opinion, that these deluders, or Magicians, were mimics of the real miracles of Mofes, and that they are defcribed with a wand, in imitation of that great Prophet.

But if any person thinks that Magic is mere fable, and never had any existence, yet establish'd fame and common opinion juftify a Poet for ufing it. What has been more ridicul'd than the winds being inclofed in a bag by Æolus, and committed to Ulyffes? but as abfurd as this appears, more countries than Lapland pretend to the power of felling a ftorm or a fair wind at this day, as is notorious from travellers of credit: and perhaps a Poer would not even in thefe ages be thought ridiculous, if fpeaking of Lapland, he should introduce one of these Venefica's, and defcribe the ceremonies she used in the performance of her pretended incantations. Milton not unhappily has introduc'd the imagin'd power of these Lapland Witches into his Paradife Loft.

In fhort, Virgil has imitated Homer in all these bold Episodes, and
Horace calls them the Miracles of the Odyssey.

1

f

.

No more was feen the human form divine,

Head, face and members briftle into swine:

280 Still curft with fenfe, their minds remains alone,

And their own voice affrights them when they groan,
Mean-while the Goddess in difdain beftows

The maft and acorn, brutal food! and ftrows
The fruits of cornel, as their feaft, around;
285 Now prone, and groveling on unfav'ry ground.
Eurylochus with penfive steps and flow,
Aghaft returns; the meffenger of woe,
And bitter fate. To fpeak he made effay,
In vain effay'd, nor would his tongue obey,
290 His fwelling heart deny'd the words their way:

v. 278. No more was feen the human form divine, &c.] Longinus here reports a Criticifm of Zoilus; he is very pleafant upon this transformation of the companions of Ulyffes, and calls them, the fquea ing pigs of Homer: we may gather from this inftance the nature of his Criticifms, and conjecture that they tended to turn the fineft incidents of Homer into ridicule. Burlefque was his talent, and instead of informing the reafon by pointing out the errors of the Poem, his only aim was to make his Readers laugh; but he drew upon himself the indignation of all the learned world: he was known by the name of the vile Thracian flave, and liv'd in great want and poverty; and pofterity profecutes his memory with the fame animofity. The man was really very learned, as Dionyfius Halicarn. informs us: His morals were never reproach'd, and yet, as Vitruvius relates, he was crucify'd by Ptolemy, or as others write, fton'd to death, or burnt alive at Smyrna; fo that his only crime was his defamation of Homer: a tragical instance of the great value which was fet upon his Poetry by antiquity, and of the danger of attacking a celebrated Author with malice and envy.

But