Precipitant in fear, would wing their flight,
And curse their cumb'rous pride's unweildy weight.
But ah! I dream!th' appointed hour is fled, 215
And hope, too long with vain delusion fed,
Deaf to the rumour of fallacious fame,
Gives to the roll of death his glorious name!
With venial freedom let me now demand
Thy name, thy lineage, and paternal land:
Sincere, from whence began thy course, recite,
And to what ship I owe the friendly freight?
Now first to me this visit dost thou deign,
Or number'd in my father's social train?
All who deserv'd his choice, he made his own,
And curious much to know, he far was known.
My birth I boast, (the blue-ey'd virgin cries,)
From great Anchialus, renown'd and wise:
Mentes my name; I rule the 'Taphian race,
Whose bounds the deep circumfluent waves embrace :
A duteous people, and industrious isle,
To naval arts inur'd, and stormy toil
Freighted with iron from my native land,
I steer my voyage to the Brutian strand;
To gain by commerce, for the labour'd mass,
A just proportion of refulgent brass.
Far from your cap al my ship resides
At Reithrus, and secure at anchor rides ;
Where waving groves on airy Neion grow,
Supremely tall, and shade the deeps below.
Thence to revisit your imperial dome,
An old hereditary guest I come :
Your father's friend. Læertes can relate
Our faith unspotted, and its early date;
Who, prest with heart corroding grief and years, 245
To the gay court a rural shade prefers,
Where, sole of all his train, a matron sage
Supports with homely food his drooping age,
With feeble steps from marshalling his vines
Returning sad, when toilsome day declines.
With friendly speed, induc'd by erring fame
To hail Ulysses' safe return I came :
But still the frown of some celestial pow'r
With envious joy retards the blissful hour.
Let not your soul be sunk in sad despair;
He lives, he breathes this heav'nly vital air,
Among a savage race, whose shelfy bounds
With ceaseless roar the foaming deep surrounds.
The thoughts which roll within my ravish'd breast,
To me, no seer, th' inspiring gods suggest;
Nor skill'd, nor studious with prophetic eye
To judge the winged omens of the sky;
Yet hear this certain speech, nor deem it vain
Tho' adamantine bonds the chief restrain,
The dire restraint his wisdom will defeat,
And soon restore him to his regal seat.
But, gen'rous youth! sincere and free declare,
Are you of manly growth his royal heir?
For sure Ulysses in your look appears,
The same his features, if the same his years.
Such was that face, on which I dwelt with joy,
Ere Greece assembled stemm'd the tides to Troy;
But parting then for that detested shore,
Our eyes, unhappy! never greeted more.
To prove a genuine birth, (the prince replies,)
On female truth assenting faith relies;
Thus manifest of right, I build my claim
Sure founded on a fair maternal fame,
Ulysses' son but happier he, whom fate
Hath plac'd beneath the storms which toss the great! Happier the son, whose hoary sire is blest
With humble affluence, and domestic rest!
Happier than I, to future empire born,
But doom'd a father's wretched fate to mourn!
.To whom, with aspect mild, the guest divine.
O true descendant of a scepter'd line!
The gods a glorious fate, from anguish free,
To chaste Penelope's increase decree.
But say, yon jovial troop so gaily drest,
Is this a bridal or a friendly feast?
Or from their deed I lightlier may divine,
Unseemly flown with insolence and wine;
Unwelcome revellers whose lawless joy
Pains the sage ear, and hurts the sober eye?
Magnificence of old, (the prince reply'd,)
Beneath our roof with virtue could reside;
Unblam'd abundance crown'd the royal board,
What time this dome rever'd her prudent lord;
Who now, (so heav'n decrees,) is doom'd to mourn,
Bitter constraint! erroneous and forlorn.
Better the chief, on liion's hostile plain
Had fall'n, surrounded with his warlike train;
Or safe return'd, the race of glory past,
New to his friends embrace, had breath'd his last!
Then grateful Greece, with streaming eyes, would raise Historic marbles, to record his praise;
Had with transmissive honour grac'd his son.
His praise, eternal on the faithful stone,
Now snatch'd by harpies to the dreary coast,
Sunk is the hero, and his glory lost;
Vanish'd at once! unheard of, and unknown!
And I his heir in misery alone.
Nor for a dear, lost father only flow
The filial tears, but woe succeeds to woe:
To tempt the spouseless queen with am'rous wiles, 315
Resort the nobles from the neighb'ring isles;
From Samos, circled with th' Ionian main,
Dulychium, and Zacynthus' silvan reign:
Ev'n with presumptuous hope her bed t' ascend,
'The lords of Ithaca their right pretend.
She seems attentive to their pleaded vows,
Her heart detesting what her ear allows.
They, vain expectants of the bridal hour,
My stores in riotous expence devour,
In feast and dance the mirthful months employ,
And meditate my doom to crown their joy.
With tender pity touch'd, the goddess cry'd:
Soon may kind heav'n a sure relief provide,
Soon may your sire discharge the vengeance due,
And all your wrongs the proud oppressors
rue!
Oh! in that portal should the chief appear,
Each hand tremendous with a brazen spear,
In radiant panoply his limbs incas'd;
(For so of old my father's court he grac'd,
When social mirth unbent his serious soul,
O'er the full banquet, and the sprightly bowl;)
He then from Ephire, the fair domain
Of Ilus, sprung from Jason's royal train,
Measur'd a length of seas, a toilsome length in vain.
For voyaging to learn the direful art
To taint with deadly drugs the barbed dart;
Observant of the gods, and sternly just,
Ilus refus'd t' impart the baneful trust:
With friendlier zeal my father's soul was fir'd
The drugs he knew, and gave the boon desir'd. ́
Appear'd he now with such heroic port,
As then conspicuous at the Taphain court;
Soon should yon boasters cease their haughty strife,
Or each atone his guilty love with life.
But of his wish'd return the care resign;
Be future vengeance to the pow'rs divine.
My sentence hear; with stern distaste avow'd,
To their own districts drive the suitor-crowd:
When next the morning warms the purple east,
Convoke the peerage, and the gods attest;
The sorrows of your inmost soul relate;
And form sure plans to save the sinking state.
Should second love a pleasing flame inspire,
And the chaste queen connubial rites require;
Dismiss'd with honour, let her hence repair
To great Icarius, whose paternal care
Will guide her passion, and reward the choice
With wealthy dow'r, and bridal gifts of price.
Then let this dictate of my love prevail:
Instant, to foreign realms prepare to sail,
To learn your father's fortunes: fame may prove,
Or omen'd voice, (the messenger of Jove,)
Propitious to the search. Direct your toil
Thro' the wide ocean first to sandy Pyle;
Of Nestor, hoary sage his doom demand;
Thence speed your voyage to the Spartan strand;
For young Atrides to th' Achaian coast
Arriv'd the last of all the victor host.
If yet Ulysses views the light, forbear,
'Till the feet hours restore the circling year: But if his soul hath wing'd the destin'd flight, Inhabitant of deep disastrous night,
Homeward with pious speed repass the main,
To the pale shade funereal rites ordain,
Plant the fair column o'er the vacant grave,
A hero's honours let the hero have.
With decent grief the royal dead deplor'd,
For the chaste queen select an equal lord.
Then let revenge your daring mind employ.
By fraud or force the suitor-train destroy,
And, starting into manhood, scorn the boy.
Hast thou not heard how young Orestes, fir'd
With great revenge, immortal praise acquir'd?
His virgin-sword, Arysthus' veins imbru'd;
The murd❜rer fell, and blood aton'd for blood.
O greatly bless'd with ev'ry blooming grace!
With equal steps the paths of glory trace;
Join to that royal youth your rival's name,
And shine eternal in the sphere of fame-
But my associates now my stay deplore,
Impatient on the hoarse-resounding shore.
Thou, heedful of advice, secure proceed;
My praise the precept is, be thine the deed.
The counsel of my friend (the youth rejoin'd)
Imprints conviction on my grateful mind.
So fathers speak (persuasive speech and mild !)
Their sage experience to the fav'rite child.
But, since to part, for sweet refection due
The genial viands let my train renew:
And the rich pledge of plighted faith receive,
Worthy the heir of Ithaca to give.
Defer the promis'd boon, (the goddess cries,
Celestial azure bright'ning in her eyes,)
And let me now regain the Reithrian port:
From Temese return'd, your royal court
I shall revisit; and that pledge receive,
And gifts memorial of our friendship, leave.
Abrupt, with eagle speed she cut the sky;
Instant invisible to mortal eye.
Then first he recogniz'd th' ætherial guest;
Wonder and joy alternate fire his breast:
Heroic thoughts infus'd, his heart dilate,
Revolving much his father's doubtful fate:
At length, compos'd, he join'd the suitor-throng,
Hush'd in attention to the warbled song,
His tender theme the charming lyrist chose
Minerva's anger, and the direful woes
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