Page images
PDF
EPUB

But if, to honour lost, 'tis still decreed

For you my bowl shall flow, my flocks shall bleed ;

Judge and assert my right, impartial Jove!

By him, and all th' immortal host above

(A sacred oath), if Heaven the power supply, Vengeance I vow, and for your wrongs ye die.

With that, two eagles from a mountain's height

By Jove's command direct their rapid flight;
Swift they descend, with wing to wing conjoin'd,
Stretch their broad plumes, and float upon the wind-
Above th' assembled peers they wheel on high,
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, sailing 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, Halitherses, rose :
Prescient he view'd th' aërial tracks, and drew
A sure presage from every wing that flew.

Ye sons (he cried) of Ithaca, give ear,
Hear all! but chiefly you, O rivals! hear.
Destruction sure o'er all your heads impends;
Ulysses comes, and death his steps attends.
Nor to the great alone is death decreed;
We and our guilty Ithaca must bleed.
Why cease we then the wrath of Heaven to stay?
Be humbled all, and lead, ye great! the way.
For lo! my words no fancied woes relate:
I speak from science, and the voice is fate.
When great Ulysses sought the Phrygian shores
To shake with war proud Ilion's lofty towers,

Deeds then undone my faithful tongue foretold :
Heav'n seal'd my words, and you those deeds behold.
I see (I cried) his woes, a countless train ;
I see his friends o'erwhelm'd beneath the main ;
How twice ten years from shore to shore he roams:
Now twice ten years are past, and now he comes!

To whom Eurymachus Fly, dotard, fly;
With thy wise dreams, and fables of the sky.
Go prophesy at home, thy sons advise :
Here thou art sage in vain I better read the skies.
Unnumber'd birds glide through the aërial way,
Vagrants of air, and unforeboding stray.
Cold in the tomb, or in the deeps below,
Ulysses lies: oh wert thou laid as low !
Then would that busy head no broils suggest,
Nor fire to rage Telemachus's breast.
From him some bribe thy venal tongue requires,
And interest, not the god, thy voice inspires.
His guideless youth, if thy experienc'd age
Mislead fallacious into idle rage,

Vengeance deserv'd thy malice shall repress,
And but augment the wrongs thou wouldst redress :
Telemachus may bid the queen repair
To great Icarius, whose paternal care
Will guide her passion, and reward her choice,
With wealthy dower, and bridal gifts of price.
Till she 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 stores in waste decay.
True, Greece affords a train of lovely dames,
In wealth and beauty worthy of our flames:
But never from this nobler suit we cease;
For wealth and beauty less than virtue please.

To whom the youth: Since then in vain I tell

My cuanerous woes, in silence let them dwell.
Bur Heaven, and all the Greeks, have heard my wrongs
To Heaven, and all the Greeks, redress belongs.
Yet this I ask (nor be it ask'd in vain),
A bark to wart me o'er the rolling main,
The realms of Pyle and Sparta to explore,
And seek my royal sire from shore to shore:
If. or to tame his doubtful fate be known,
Or to be learn'd from oracles alone.
If yet he lives, with patience I forbear,
Till the theet hours restore the circling year:
But if already wandering in the train
Of empty shades; I measure back the main,
Plant the fair column o'er the mighty dead,
And yield his consort to the nuptial bed.

He ceas'd; and while abash'd the peers attend,
Mentor arose. Ulysses' faithful friend:
[When fierce in arms he sought the scenes of war,
"My friend (he cried), my palace be thy care;
Years roll'd on years my godlike sire decay,
Guard thou his age, and his behests obey."]
Stern as he rose, he cast his eyes around,
That flash'd with rage; and as he spoke, he frown'd

O never, never more, let king be just, Be mild in power, or faithful to his trust! 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 soon 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 devise, Ere long shall pay their forfeit lives the price. But against you, ye Greeks! ye coward train ! Cods! how my soul is mov'd with just disdain!

[ocr errors]

Dumb ye all stand, and not one tongue affords
His injur'd prince the little aid of words.
While yet he spoke, Leocritus rejoin'd:
O pride of words, and arrogance of mind!

ongs

Wouldst thou to rise in arms the Greeks advise?
Join all your powers! in arms, ye Greeks, arise!
Yet would your powers in vain our strength oppose:
The valiant few o'ermatch a host of foes.

Should great Ulysses stern 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 Ulysses dies.
But hence retreating to your domes repair,
To arm the vessel, Mentor! be thy care,
And Halitherses! thine: be each his friend;
Ye lov'd the father: go, the son attend.
But yet, I trust, the boaster means to stay
Safe in the court, nor tempt the watery way.
Then, with a rushing sound, th' assembly bend,
Diverse their steps: the rival rout ascend

The royal dome; while sad the prince explores
The neighbouring main, and sorrowing treads the shores.
There, as the waters o'er his hands he shed,
The royal suppliant to Minerva pray'd:

O goddess! who descending from the skies
Vouchsaf'd thy presence to my wondering eyes,
By whose commands the raging deeps I trace,
And seek my sire through storms and rolling seas!
Hear from thy heavens above, O warrior-maid!
Descend once more, propitious to my aid.
Without thy presence, vain is thy command:
Greece, and the rival train, thy voice withstand.
Indulgent to his prayer, the goddess took
Sage Mentor's form, and thus like Mentor spoke.
O prince, in early youth divinely wise,
Born, the Ulysses of thy age to rise!

If to the son the father's worth descends,
O'er the wide waves success thy ways attends:
To tread the walks of death he stood prepar'd;
And what he greatly thought, he nobly dar'd.

Were not wise sons descendant of the wise,
And did not heroes from brave heroes rise,
Vain were my hopes: few sons attain the praise
Of their great sires, and most their sires disgrace.
But since thy veins paternal virtue fires,
And all Penelope thy soul inspires,
Go, and succeed! the rivals' aims despise ;
For never, never, wicked man was wise.
Blind they rejoice, though now, ev'n now they fall;
Death hastes amain: one hour o'erwhelms them all!
And lo, with speed we plough the watery way;
My power shall guard thee, and my hand convey:
The winged vessel studious I prepare,
Through seas and realms companion of thy care.
Thou to the court ascend and to the shores
(When night advances) bear the naval stores;
Bread, that decaying man with strength supplies,
And generous wine, which thoughtful sorrow flies.
Meanwhile the mariners, by my command,
Shall speed aboard, a valiant chosen band.
Wide o'er the bay, by vessel vessel rides;
The best I choose to waft thee o'er the tides.

She spoke: to his high dome the prince returns,
And, as he moves, with royal anguish mourns.
'Twas riot all, among the lawless train;
Boar bled by boar, and goat by goat lay slain.
Arriv'd, his hand the gay Antinoüs prest,
And thus deriding, with a smile addrest.

Grieve not, O daring prince! that noble heart : Ill suits gay youth the stern heroic part. Indulge the genial hour, unbend thy soul, Leave thought to age, and drain the flowing bowl.

« PreviousContinue »