did yeeld Our admiration shelues with cheeses heapt Sheds stuft with Lambs and Goates distinctly kept Distinct the biggest the more meane distinct Distinct the yongest And in their precinct Proper and placefull stood the troughs and pailes In which he milkt and what was giuen aâ— meales Set vp a creaming in the Euening still All scouring bright as deaw vpon the hill Then were my fellowes instant to conuay Kids cheeses lambs ashipâ—boord and away Saile the salt billow I thought best not so But better otherwise and first would know What guest-gifts he would spare me Little knew My friends on whom they would haue preyd his view Prou'd after that his inwards were too rough For such bold vsage we were bold enough In what I sufferd which was there to stay Make fire and feed there though beare none away There sate we till we saw him feeding come And on his necke a burthen lugging home Most highly huge of Sere-wood which the pile That fed his fire supplide all supper while Downe by his den he threw it and vp rose A tumult with the fall Afraid we close Withdrew our selues while he into a Caue Of huge receit his high-fed cattell draue All that he milkt the males he left without His loftie roofes that all bestrowd about With Rams and buck-goates were And then a rocke He lift aloft that damd vp to his flocke The doore they enterd t was so hard to wield That two and twentie Waggons all foure-wheeld Could they be loaded and haue teames that were Proportion'd to them could not stirre it there Thus making sure he kneeld and milkt his Ewes And braying Goates with all a milkers dues Then let in all their yong then quicke did dresse His halfe milke vp for cheese and in a presse Of wicker prest it put in bolls the rest To drinke and eate and serue his supping feast All works dispatcht thus he began his fire Which blowne he saw vs and did thus enquire Ho! Guests what are ye whence saile ye these seas Trafficke or roue ye and like theeues oppresse Poore strange aduenturers exposing so Your soules to danger and your liues to wo This vttâ—rd he when Feare from our hearts tooke The very life to be so thunder-strooke With such a voice and such a monster see But thus I answerd Erâ—ing Grecians we From Troy were turning homewards but by force Of aduerse winds in far-diuerted course Such vnknowne waies tooke and on rude seas tost As Ioue decreed are cast vpon this Coast. Of Agamemnon famous Atreus sonne We boast our selues the souldiers who hath wonne Renowme that reacheth heauen to ouerthrow So great a Citie and to ruine so So many nations Yet at thy knees lie Our prostrate bosomes forc't with praires to trie If any hospitable right or Boone Of other nature such as haue bin wonne By lawes of other houses thou wilt giue Reuerence the Gods thou greatst of all that liue We suppliants are and hospitable Ioue Poures wreake on all whom praires want powre to moue And with their plagues together will prouide That humble Guests shall haue their wants supplide He cruelly answerd O thou foole said he To come so farre and to importune me With any Gods feare or obserued loue We Cyclops care not for your Goat-fed Ioue Nor other Blest ones we are better farre To Ioue himselfe dare I bid open warre To thee and all thy fellowes if I please But tell me where 's the ship that by the seas Hath brought thee hither If farre off or neare Informe me quickly These his temptings were But I too much knew not to know his mind And craft with craft paid telling him the wind Thrust vp from Sea by him that shakes the Shore Had dasht our ships against his rocks and tore Her ribs in peeces close vpon his Coast And we from high wracke sau'd the rest were lost He answerd nothing but rusht in and tooke Two of my fellowes vp from earth and strooke Their braines against it Like two whelps they flew About his shoulders and did all embrew The blushing earth No mountaine Lion tore Two Lambs so sternly lept vp all their gore Gusht from their torne-vp bodies lim by lim Trembling with life yet rauisht into him Both flesh and marrow-stuffed bones he eate And euen th'vncleansed entrails made his meate We weeping cast our hands to heauen to view A sight so horrid Desperation flew With all our after liues to instant death In our beleeu'd destruction But when breath The fury of his appetite had got Because the gulfe his belly reacht his throte Mans flesh and Goates milke laying laire on laire Till neare chokt vp was all the passe for aire Along his den amongst his cattell downe He rusht and streakt him When my mind was growne Desperate to step in draw my sword and part His bosome where the strings about the heart Circle the Liuer and adde strength of hand But that rash thought More staid did countermand For there we all had perisht since it past Our powres to lift aside a log so vast As barrd all outscape and so sigh'd away The thought all Night expecting actiue Day Which come he first of all his fire enflames Then milks his Goates and Ewes then to their dams Le ts in their yong and wondrous orderly With manly haste dispatcht his houswifery Then to his Breakfast to which other two Of my poore friends went which eate out then go His heards and fat flocks lightly putting by The churlish barre and closde it instantly For both those works with ease as much he did As you would ope and shut your Quiuer lid With stormes of whistlings then his flocks he draue Vp to the mountaines and occasion gaue For me to vse my wits which to their height I striu'd to skrew vp that a vengeance might By some meanes fall from thence and Pallas now Affoord a full eare to my neediest vow This then my thoughts preferd a huge club lay Close by his milk-house which was now in way To drie and season being an Oliue tree Which late he feld and being greene must be Made lighter for his manage T was so vast That we resembl'd it to some fit Mast To serue a ship of burthen that was driuen With twentie Ores and had a bignesse giuen To beare a huge sea Full so thicke so tall We iudg'd this club which I in part hewd small And cut a fathome off The peece I gaue Amongst my souldiers to take downe and shaue Which done I sharpn'd it at top and then Hardn'd in fire I hid it in the den Within a nastie dunghill reeking there Thicke and so moist it issude euery where Then made I lots cast by my friends to trie Whose fortune seru'd to dare the bor'd out eie Of that man-eater and the lot did fall On foure I wisht to make my aid of all And I the fift made chosen like the rest Then came the Euen and he came from the feast Of his fat cattell
allowd either voice or relish for Qui Poeticas ad fores accedit c. sayes the Diuine Philosopher he that knocks at the Gates of the Muses sine Musarum furore is neither to be admitted entrie nor a touch at their Thresholds his opinion of entrie ridiculous and his presumption impious Nor must Poets themselues might I a litle insist on these contempts not tempting too farre your Lordships Vlyssean patience presume to these doores without the truly genuine and peculiar induction There being in Poesie a twofold rapture or alienation of soule as the abouesaid Teâ—cher termes it one Insania a disease of the mind and a meere madnesse by which the infected is thrust beneath all the degrees of humanitie ex homine Brutum quodammodo redditur for which poore Poesie in this diseasd and impostorous age is so barbarously vilified the other is Diuinus furor by which the sound and 〈◊〉 healthfull supra hominis naturam erigitur in Deum transit One a perfection directly infused from God the other an infection obliquely and degenerately proceeding from man Of the diuine Furie my Lord your Homer hath euer bene both first and last Instance being pronounced absolutely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most wise and most diuine Poet. Against whom whosoeuer shall open his prophane mouth may worthily receiue answer with this of his diuine defender Empedocles Heraclitus Protagoras Epichar c. being of Homers part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. who against such an Armie and the Generall Homer dares attempt the assault but he must be reputed ridiculous And yet against this hoast and this inuincible Commander shall we haue euery Besogne and foole a Leader The common herd I assure my self readie to receiue it on their hornes Their infected Leaders Such men as sideling ride the ambling Muse Whose saddle is as frequent as the stuse Whose Raptures are in euery Pageant seene In euery Wassall rime and Dancing greene When he that writes by any beame of Truth Must diue as deepe as he past shallow youth Truth dwels in Gulphs whose Deepes hide shades so rich That Night sits muffl'd there in clouds of pitch More Darke then Nature made her and requires To cleare her tough mists Heauens great fire of fires To whom the Sunne it selfe is but a Beame For sicke soules then but rapt in foolish Dreame To wrestle with these Heau'n-strong mysteries What madnesse is it when their light serues eies That are not worldly in their least aspect But truly pure and aime at Heauen direct Yet these none like but what the brazen head Blatters abroad no sooner borne but dead Holding then in eternal contempt my Lord those short-liued Bubbles eternize your vertue and iudgement with the Grecian Monark esteeming not as the least of your New-yeares Presents Homer three thousand yeares dead now reuiu'd Euen from that dull Death that in life he liu'd When none conceited him none vnderstood That so much life in so much death as blood Conueys about it could mixe But when Death Drunke vp the bloudie Mist that humane breath Pour'd round about him Pouertie and Spight Thickning the haplesse vapor then Truths light Glimmerd about his Poeme the pincht soule Amidst the Mysteries it did enroule Brake powrefully abroad And as we see The Sunne all hid in clouds at length got free Through some forc't couert ouer all the wayes Neare and beneath him shootes his vented rayes Farre off and stickes them in some litle Glade All woods fields riuers left besides in shade So your Apollo from that world of light Closde in his Poems bodie shot to sight Some few forc't Beames which neare him were not seene As in his life or countrie Fate and Spleene Clouding their radiance which when Death had clear'd To farre off Regions his free beames appear'd In which all stood and wonderd striuing which His Birth and Rapture should in right enrich Twelue Labours of your Thespian Hercules I now present your Lordship Do but please To lend Life meanes till th' other Twelue receaue Equall atchieuement and let Death then reaue My life now lost in our Patrician Loues That knocke heads with the herd in whom there moues One blood one soule both drownd in one set height Of stupid Enuie and meere popular Spight Whose loues with no good did my least veine fill And from their hates â— I feare as little ill Their Bounâ—â—es nourish not when most they feed But where there is no Merit or no Need Raine into riuers still and are such showres As bubbles spring and ouerflow the flowres Their worse parts and worst men their Best subornes Like winter Cowes whose milke runnes to their hornes And as litigious Clients bookes of Law Cost infinitely taste of all the Awe Bencht in our kingdomes Policie Pietie State Earne all their deepe explorings satiate All sorts there thrust together by the heart With thirst of wisedome spent on either part Horrid examples made of Life and Death From their fine stuffe wouen yet when once the breath Of sentence leaues them all their worth is drawne As drie as dust and weares like Cobweb Lawne So these men set a price vpon their worth That no man giues but those that trot it forth Through Needs foule wayes feed Humors with all cost Though Iudgement sterues in them Rout State engrost At all Tabacco benches solemne Tables Where all that crosse their Enuies are their fables In their ranke faction Shame and Death approu'd Fit Penance for their Opposites none lou'd But those that rub them not a Reason heard That doth not sooth and glorifie their preferd Bitter Opinions When would Truth resume The cause to his hands all would flie in fume Before his sentence since the innocent mind Iust God makes good to whom their worst is wind For that I freely all my Thoughts expresse My Conscience is my Thousand witnesses And to this stay my constant Comforts vow You for the world I haue or God for you Certaine ancient Greeke Epigrammes Tâ—anslated 〈◊〉 starres are 〈◊〉 vp by the firie Sâ—nne And in so much a flame lies 〈◊〉 the Moone 〈…〉 Name all 〈…〉 Death 〈…〉 Another Heau'ns fires 〈…〉 〈◊〉 his Sphere Graue Night the light â—eed of the Day shall 〈◊〉 Fresh streames shall chace the 〈…〉 shall teare Her fishie bottomes Men in long date dead Shall rise and 〈…〉 Another The great Maeonides doth onely write And to him dictates the great God of Light Another Seuen kingdomes strâ—â—e in which should swell the wombe That bore great Homer whom Fame freed from Tombe Argos Chius Pylos Smyrna Colophone The learn'd Athenian and Vlyssean Throne Another 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 THE FIRST BOOKE OF HOMERS ODYSSES. THE ARGVMENT THe Gods in counsaile sit to call Vlysses from Calypso's thrall And order their high pleasures thus Gray Pallas to Telemachus In Ithaca her way addrest And did her heauenly lims inuest In Menta's likenesse that did raigne King of the Taphians in the Maine Whose rough waues neare
these bore off the prize VVith myracles to me from all before In which thy Siluer-footed Mother bore The Institutions name but thy desarts Being great with heauen caus'd al the eminent parts And thus through all the worst effects of Fate Achilles Fame euen Death shall propagate VVhile any one shall lend the light an eye Diuine Aeâ—cides shal neuer dye But wherein can these comforts be conceiu'd As rights to me when hauing quite aâ—chieu'd An end with safety and with Conquest too Of so vnmatcht a warre what none could do Of all our enemies there at home a Friend And VVife haue giuen me inglorious end While these thus spake the Argus-killing spy Brought neere Vlysses noble victory To their renewâ— d discourse in all the ends The wooers suffer'd and shew'd those his Frends VVhom now amaze inuaded with the view And made giue backe yet 〈◊〉 knew Melanthius heyre much-fam'd Amphimedâ—â— Who had in Ithaca Guest-fauours shown To great Atrides who first spake and saide Amphimedon what sufferance hath bene laide On your aliue parts that hath made you maâ—e This land of darknesse the retreat you take So all together All being like in yeeres Nor would a man haue choosd of all the Peeres A City honors men to make a part More strong for any obiect Hath your smart Bene felt from Neptune being at Sea His wrath The winds and waues exciting to your scath Or haue offensiue men imposd this Fate Your Oxen driuing or your flockes estate Or for your City fighting and your wiues Haue deaths vntimely seiz'd your best-tim'd liues Informe me truly I was once your Guest VVhen I and Menelaus had profest First armes for Ilion and were comâ— ashore On Ithaca with purpose to implore Vlysses aide that City-racing man In wreake of the adulterous Phrygian Retaine not you the time A whole months date We spent at Sea in hope to instigâ—te In our arriuall old Laertes Son VVhom hardly yet to our designe we won The Soule made answer Worthiest King of men I well remember euery passage then You now reduce to thought and will relate The truth in whole forme of our timelesse Fate VVe woo'd the wife of that long absent King VVho though her second marriage were a thing Of most hate to her she would yet deny At no part our affections nor comply With any in performance but decreed In her delayes the cruell Fates we feed Her craft was this She vndertooke to weauâ— A Funerall garment destin'd to receaue The corse of old Laertes being a taske Of infinite labour and which Time would aske In midst of whose attempt she causd our stay VVith this attraction Youths that come in way Of honor'd Nuptials to me Though my Lord Abide amongst the dead yet cease to bord My choise for present Nuptials and sustaine Lest what is past me of this web be vaine Till all receiue perfection 'T is a weede Dispos'd to wrap in at his Funerall neede The old Laâ—rtes who possessing much Would in his want of rites as fitting touch My honor highly with each vulgar Dame Thus spake she and perswaded and her Frame All day she labour'd her dayes worke not small But euery night time she vnwrought it all Three yeares continuing this imperfect taske But when the fourth year came her slights could mask In no more couert since her trusted Maid Her whole deceite to our true note betraid VVith which surpriz'd she could no more protract Her workes perfection but gaue end exact To what remain'd washt vp and set thereon A glosse so bright that like the Sun and Moon The whole worke shew'd together And when now Of meere necessity her honour'd vow She must make good to vs ill fortune brought Vlysses home who yet gaue none one thought Of his arriuall but far-off at field Liu'd with his Herdsman Nor his trust would yield Note of his person but liu'd there as Guest Ragg'd as a begger in that life profest At length Telemachus left Pylos sank And with a Ship fetcht soone his natiue Land When yet not home he went but laid his way Vp to his Herdsman where his Father lay And where both laide our deaths To town then bore The Swine-herd and his King the Swaine before Telemachus in other wayes bestow'd His course home first t'associate vs that woo'd The Swaine the King led after who came on Ragged and wretched and still lean'd vpon A borrow'd staffe At length he reacht his home VVhere on the sodaine and so wretched come Nor we nor much our elders once did dreame Of his returne there but did wrongs extreame Of words and blowes to him all which he bore VVith that old patience he had learn'd before But when the minde of Ioue had rais'd his owne His son and he fetcht all their Armour downe Fast lockt the doores and to prepare their vse He will'd his wife for first meane to produce His Bow to vs to draw of which no one Could stir the string Himselfe yet set vpon The deadly strength it held Drew all with eaâ—e Shot through the steeles and then began to sease Our armelesse bosomes striking first the brest Of King Antinous and then the â—est In heapes turn'd ouer hopefull of his end Because some God he knew stood firme his frend Nor prou'd it worse with him but all in flood The Pauement straight blusht with our vitall blood And thus our soules came heere our bodies laid Neglected in his roofes no word conuaid To any friend to take vs home and giue Our wounds fit balming not let such as liue Entombe our deaths and for our fortunes shed Those teares and dead rites that renowne the dead Atrides Ghost gaue answere O blest Son Of old Laertes thou at length hast won With mighty vertue thy vnmatched wife How good a knowledge how vntoucht a life Hath wise Penelope How well she laide Her husbands right vp whom she lou'd a Maid For which her vertues shall extend applause Beyond the circles fraile mortality drawes The deathlesse in this vale of death comprising Her praise in numbers into infinites rising The daughter Tyndarus begat begot No such chaste thoughts but cut the virgin knot That knit her spouse her with murtherous swords For which posterities shall put hatefull words To notes of her that all her Sex defam'd And for her ill shall euen the good be blam'd To this effect these these digressions made In hell Earths darke and euer-hiding shade Vlysses and his Son now past the Towne Soone reacht the field elaborately growne By old Laertes labour when with cares For his lost Son he left all Court affaires And tooke to this râ—de vpland which with toile He made a sweet and habitable soile VVhere stood a house to him about which ran In turnings thicke and Labyrinthian Poore Houels where his necessary men That did those workes of pleasure to him then Might sit and eate and sleepe In his owne house An old Sicilian Dame liu'd stâ—dious To serue his sowre
HOMER'S ODYSSES. Translated according to the Greeke By Geo Chapman At mihi q d Viuo detraxerit Jnuida Turba Post obitum duplici foenore reddet Honos Imprinted at London by Rich Field for Nathaniell Butter TO THE MOST WORTHILY HONORED MY SINGVLAR GOOD LORD ROBERT Earle of SOMERSET Lord Chamberlaine c. I Haue aduentured Right Noble Earle out of my vtmost and euer-vowed seruice to your Vertues to entitle their Merits to the Patronage of Homers English life whose wisht naturall life the great Macedon would haue protected as the spirit of his Empire That he to his vnmeasur'd mightie Acts Might adde a Fame as vast and their extracts In fires as bright and endlesse as the starres His breast might breathe and thunder out his warres But that great Monarks loue of fame and praise Receiues an enuious Cloud in our foule daies For since our Great ones ceasse themselues to do Deeds worth their praise they hold it folly too To feed their praise in others But what can Of all the gifts that are be giuen to man More precious then Eternitie and Glorie Singing their praises in vnsilenc't storie Which No blacke Day No Nation nor no Age No change of Time or Fortune Force nor Rage Shall euer race All which the Monarch knew Where Homer liu'd entitl'd would ensew Cuius de gurgite viuo Combibit arcanos vatum 〈◊〉 turba furores c. From whose deepe Fount of life the thirstie rout Of Thespian Prophets haue lien sucking out Their sacred rages And as th'influent stone Of Father Ioues great and laborious Sonne Lifts high the heauie Iron and farre implies The wide Orbs that the Needle rectifies In vertuous guide of euery sea-driuen course To all aspiring his one boundlesse force So from one Homer all the holy fire That euer did the hidden heate inspire In each true Muse came cleerly sparkling downe And must for him compose one flaming Crowne He at Ioues Table set fils out to vs Cups that repaire Age sad and minous And giues it Built of an eternall stand With his all-sinewie Odyssaean hand Shifts Time and Fate puts Death in Lifes free state And Life doth into Ages propagate He doth in Men the Gods affects inflame His fuell Vertue blowne by Praise and Fame And with the high soules first impulsions driuen Breakes through rude Chaos Earth the Seas and Heauen The Nerues of all things hid in Nature lie Naked before him all their Harmonie Tun'd to his Accents that in Beasts breathe Minds What Fowles what Floods what Earth what Aire what Winds What fires Aethereall what the Gods conclude In all their Counsels his Muse makes indude With varied voices that eâ—en rockes haue mou'd And yet for all this naked Vertue lou'd Honors without her he as abiect prises And foolish Fame deriu'd from thence despises When from the vulgar taking glorious bound Vp to the Mountaine where the Muse is crownd He sits and laughs to see the iaded Rabble Toile to his hard heights t' all accesse vnable c. And that your Lordship may in his Face take view of his Mind the first word of his Iliads is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wrath the first word of his Odysses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Man contracting in either word his each workes Proposition In one Predominant Perturbation in the other ouer-ruling Wisedome in one the Bodies feruour and fashion of outward Fortitude to all possible height of Heroicall Action in the other the Minds inward constant and vnconquerd Empire vnbroken vnalterd with any most insolent and tyrannous infliction To many most souer aigne praises is this Poeme entitled but to that Grace in chiefe which sets on the Crowne both of Poets and Orators 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Parua magnè dicere peruulgata nouè ieiuna plenè To speake things litle greatly things commune rarely things barren and emptie fruitfully and fully The returne of a man into his Countrie is his whole scope and obiect which in it selfe your Lordship may well say is ieiune and fruitlesse enough affoording nothing feastfull nothing magnificent And yet euen this doth the diuine inspiration render vast illustrous and of miraculous composure And for this my Lord is this Poeme preferred to his Iliads for therein much magnificence both of person and action giues great aide to his industrie but in this are these helpes exceeding sparing or nothing and yet is the Structure so elaborate and pompous that the poore plaine Groundworke considered together may seeme the naturally rich wombe to it and produce it needfully Much wonderd at therefore is the Censure of Dionysius Longimus a man otherwise affirmed graue and of elegant iudgement comparing Homer in his Iliads to the Sunne rising in his Odysses to his descent or setting Or to the Ocean robd of his aesture many tributorie flouds and riuers of excellent ornament withheld from their obseruance When this his worke so farre exceeds the Ocean with all his Court and concourse that all his Sea is onely a seruiceable streame to it Nor can it be compared to any One power to be named in nature being an entirely wel-sorted and digested Confluence of all Where the most solide and graue is made as nimble and flâ—ent as the most airie and firie the nimble and fluent as firme and well bounded as the most graue and solid And taking all together of so tender impression and of such Command to the voice of the Muse that they knocke heauen with her breath and discouer their foundations as low as hell Nor is this all-comprising Poesie phantastique or meere fictiue but the most material and doctrinall illations of Truth both for all manly information of Manners in the yong all prescription of Iustice and euen Christian pietie in the most graue and high-gouernd To illustrate both which in both kinds with all height of expression the Poet creates both a Bodie and a Soule in them Wherein if the Bodie being the letter or historie seemes fictiue and beyond Possibilitie to bring into Act the sence then and Allegorie which is the Soule is to be sought which intends a more eminent expressâ—re of Vertue for her louelinesse and of Vice for her vglinesse in their seuer all effects going beyond the life then any Art within life can possibly delineate Why then is Fiction to this end so hatefull to our true Ignorants Or why should a poore Chronicler of a Lord Maiors naked Truth that peraduenture will last his yeare include more worth with our â—oderne wizerds then Homer for his naked Vlysses clad in eternall Fiction But this Prozer Dionysius and the rest of these graue and reputatiuely learned that dare vndertake for their grauities the headstrong censure of all things and challenge the vnderstanding of these Toyes in their childhoods when euen these childish vanities retaine deepe and most necessarie learning enough in them to make them children in their ages and teach them while they liue are not in these absolutely diâ—ine Infusions
Leucadia runne Aduising wise Vlysses sonne To seeke his father and addresse His course to yong Tantalides That gouern'd Sparta Thus much said She shewd she was Heaâ—'ns martiall Maid And vanisht from him Next to this The Banquet of the wooers is Another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Deities sit The Man retir'd Th'Vlyssean wit By Pallas fir'd THe Man O Muse informe that many a way Wound with his wisedome to his wished stay That wanderd wondrous farre when He the towne Of sacred Troy had sackt and shiuerd downe The cities of a world of nations With all their manners mindes and fashions He saw and knew At Sea felt many woes Much care sustaind to saue from ouerthrowes Himselfe and friends in their retreate for home But so their fates he could not ouercome Though much he thirsted it O men vnwise They perisht by their owne impieties That in their hungers rapine would not shunne The Oxen of the loftie-going Sunne Who therefore from their eyes the day bereft Of safe returne These acts in some part left Tell vs as others deified seed of Ioue Now all the rest that austere Death out-stroue At Troys long siege at home safe anchor'd are Free from the malice both of sea and warre Onely Vlysses is denide accesse To wife and home The Grace of Goddesses The reuerend Nymph Câ—lypso did detaine Him in her Caâ—â—es past all the race of men Enflam'd to make him her lou'd Lord and Spouse And when the Gods had destin'd that his house Which Ithaca on her rough bosome beares The point of time wrought out by ambient yeares Should be his hauen Contention still extends Her enuie to him euen amongst his friends All Gods tooke pitie on him onely he That girds Earth in the cincture of the sea Diuine Vlysses euer did enuie And made the fixt port of his birth to flie But he himselfe solemniz'd a retreate To th'Aethiops farre dissunderd in their seate In two parts parted at the Sunnes descent And vnderneath his golden Orient The first and last of men t' enioy their feast Of buls and lambes in Hecatombs addrest At which he sat giuen ouer to Delight The other Gods in heauens supreamest height Were all in Councell met To whom began The mightie Father both of God and man Discourse inducing matter that inclin'd To wise Vlysses calling to his mind Faultfull Aegisthus who to death was done By yong Orestes Agamemnons sonne His memorie to the Immortals then Mou'd Ioue thus deeply O how falsly men Accuse vs Gods as authors of their ill When by the bane their owne bad liues instill They suffer all the miseries of their states Past our inflictions and beyond their fates As now Aegisthus past his fate did wed The wife of Agamemnon and in dread To suffer death himselfe to shunne his ill Incurr'd it by the loose bent of his will In slaughtering Atrides in retreate Which we foretold him would so hardly set To his murtherous purpose sending Mercurie That slaughterd Argus our considerate spie To giue him this charge Do not wed his wife Nor murther him for thou shalt buy his life With ransome of thine owne imposde on thee By his Orestes when in him shall be Atrides selfe renewd and but the prime Of youths spring put abroad in thirst to clime His haughtie Fathers throne by his high acts These words of Hermes wrought not into facts Aegisthus powres good counsell he despisde And to that Good his ill is sacrifisde Pallâ—s whose eyes did sparkle like the skies Answerd O Sire supreame of Deities Aegisthus past his Fate and had desert To warrant our infliction and conuert May all the paines such impious men inflict On innocent sufferers to reuenge as strict Their owne hearts eating But that Ithacus Thus neuer meriting should suffer thus I deeply suffer His more pious mind Diuides him from these fortunes Though vnkind Is Pietie to him giuing him a fate More suffering then the most infortunate So long kept friendlesse in a sea-girt soile Where the seas nauile is a syluane I le In which the Goddesse dwels that doth deriue Her birth from Atlas who of all aliue The motion and the fashion doth command With his wise mind whose forces vnderstand The inmost deepes and gulfes of all the seas Who for his skill of things superiour stayes The two steepe Columnes that â—rop earth and heauen His daughter t is who holds this homelesse-driuen Still mourning with her Euermore profuse Of soft and winning speeches that abuse And make so languishingly and possest With so remisse a mind her loued guest Manage the action of his way for home Where he though in affection ouercome In iudgement yet more longs to shew his hopes His countries smoke leape from her chimney tops And death askes in her armes Yet neuer shall Thy lou'd heart be conuerted on his thrall Austere Oly 〈◊〉 did not euer he In ample Troy thy altars gratifie And Grecians Fleete make in thy offerings swim O 〈◊〉 why still then burnes thy wrath to him The Cloud-assembler answerd What words flie Bold daughter from thy Pale of Ivorie As if I euer could cast from my care Diuine Vlysses who exceeds so farre All men in wisedome and so oft hath giuen To all th'Immortals thron'd in ample heauen So great and sacred gifts But his decrees That holds the earth in with his nimble knees Stand to Vlysses longings so extreme For taking from the God-foe Polypheâ—e His onely eye a Cyclop that excell'd All other Cyclops with whose burthen swell'd The Nymph Thâ—osa the diuine increase Of Phorcis seed a great God of the seas She mixt with Neptune in his hollow caues And bore this Cyclop to that God of waues For whose lost eye th'Earth-shaker did not kill Erring Vlysses but reserues him still In life for more death But vse we our powres And round about vs cast these cares of ours All to discouer how we may preferre His wisht retreate and Neptâ—ne make forbeare His sterne eye to him since no one God can In spite of all preuaile but gainst a man To this this answer made the gray-eyd Maide Supreame of rulers since so well apaide The blessed Gods are all then now in thee To limit wise Vlysses miserie And that you speake as you referd to me Prescription for the meanes in this sort be Their sacred order let vs now addresse With vtmost speed our swift Argicides To tell the Nymph that beares the golden Tresâ—e In th'ile Ogygia that t is our will She should not stay our lou'd Vlysses still But suffer his returne and then will I To Ithaca to make his sonne apply His Sires inquest the more infusing force Into his soule to summon the concourse Of curld-head Greekes to counsaile and deterre Each wooer that hath bene the slaughterer Of his fat sheepe and crooked-headed beeues From more wrong to his mother and their leaues Take in such termes as fit deserts so great
To Sparta then and Pylos where doth beate Bright Amathus the flood and epithete To all that kingdome my aduice shall send The spirit-aduanc'd Prince to the pious end Of seeking his lost father if he may Receiue report from Fame where rests his stay And make besides his owne successiue worth Knowne to the world and set in action forth This said her wingd shooes to her feete she tied Formd all of gold and all eternified That on the round earth or the sea sustaind Her rauisht substance swift as gusts of wind Then tooke she her strong Lance with steele made keene Great massie actiue that whole hoasts of men Though all Heroes conquers if her ire Their wrongs inflame backt by so great a Sire Downe from Olympus tops she headlong diu'd And swift as thought in Ithaca arriu'd Close at Vlysses gates in whose first court She made her stand and for her breasts support Leand on her iron Lance her forme imprest With Mentas likenesse come as being a guest There found she those proud wooers that were then Set on those Oxe-hides that themselues had slaine Before the gates and all at dice were playing To them the heralds and the rest obaying Fill'd wine and water some still as they plaid And some for solemne suppers stare puruaid With porous sponges clensing tables seru'd With much rich feast of which to all they keru'd God-like Telemachus amongst them sat Grieu'd much in mind and in his heart begat All representment of his absent Sire How come from far-off parts his spirits would fire With those proud wooers sight with slaughter parting Their bold concourse and to himselfe conuerting The honors they vsurpt his owne commanding In this discourse he first saw Pallas standing Vnbidden entrie vp rose and addrest His pace right to her angrie that a guest Should stand so long at gate and coming neare Her right hand tooke tooke in his owne her speare And thus saluted Grace to your repaire Faire guest your welcome shall be likewise faire Enter and chear'd with feast disclose th' intent That causde your coming This said first he went And Pallas followd To a roome they came Steepe and of state the Iauelin of the Dame He set against a pillar vast and hie Amidst a large and bright-kept Armorie Which was besides with woods of Lances grac'd Of his graue fathers In a throne he plac'd The man-turnd Goddesse vnder which was spred A Carpet rich and of deuicefull thred A footstoole staying her feete and by her chaire Another seate all garnisht wondrous faire To rest or sleepe on in the day he set Farre from the prease of wooers lest at meate The noise they still made might offend his guest Disturbing him at banquet or at rest Euen to his combat with that pride of theirs That kept no noble forme in their affaires And these he set farre from them much the rather To question freely of his absent father A Table fairely polisht then was spread On which a reuerend officer set bread And other seruitors all sorts of meate Salads and flesh such as their haste could get Seru'd with obseruance in And then the Sâ—wre Prowr'd water from a great and golden Ewre That from their hands t' a siluer Caldron ran Both washt and seated close the voicefull man Fetcht cups of gold and set by them and round Those cups with wine with all endeuour crownd Then rusht in the rude wooers themselues plac't The heralds water gaue the maids in haste Seru'd bread from baskets When of all prepar'd And set before them the bold wooers shar'd Their Pages plying their cups past the rest But lustie wooers must do more then feast For now their hungers and their thirsts allaid They call'd for songs and Dances Those they said Were th' ornaments of feast The herald strait A Harpe caru'd full of artificiall sleight Thrust into Phemius a learnd singers hand Who till he much was vrg'd on termes did stand But after plaid and sung with all his art Telemachus to Pallas then apart His eare inclining close that none might heare In this sort said My Guest exceeding deare Will you not sit incenst with what I say These are the cares these men take feast and play Which easly they may vse because they eate Free and vnpunisht of anothers meate And of a mans whose white bones wasting lie In some farre region with th'incessancie Of showres powr'd downe vpon them lying ashore Or in the seas washt nak'd Who if he wore Those bones with flesh and life and industrie And these might here in Ithaca set eye On him returnd they all would wish to be Either past other in celeritie Of feete and knees and not contend t' exceed In golden garments But his vertues feed The fate of ill death nor is left to me The least hope of his lifes recouerie No not if any of the mortall race Should tell me his returne the chearfull face Of his returnd day neuer will appeare But tell me and let Truth your witnesse beare Who and from whence you are what cities birth What parents In what vessell set you forth And with what mariners arriu'd you here I cannot thinke you a foote passenger Recount then to me all to teach me well Fit vsage for your worth And if it fell In chance now first that you thus see vs here Or that in former passages you were My fathers guest For many men haue bene Guests to my father Studious of men His sociable nature euer was On him againe the grey-eyd Maide did passe This kind reply I le answer passing true All thou hast askt My birth his honour drew From wise Anchialus The name I beare Is Mentas the commanding Ilander Of all the Taphians studious in the art Of Nauigation Hauing toucht this part With ship and men of purpose to maintaine Course through the darke seas t'other languag'd men And Temesis sustaines the cities name For which my ship is bound made knowne by fame For rich in brasse which my occasions need And therefore bring I shining steele in steed Which their vse wants yet makes my vessels freight That neare a plowd field rides at anchors weight Apart this citie in the harbor calld Rethrus whose waues with Neius woods are walld Thy Sire and I were euer mutuall guests At eithers house still interchanging feasts I glorie in it Aske when thou shalt see Laertes th' old Herâ—e these of mee From the beginning He men say no more Visits the Citie but will needs deplore His sonnes beleeu'd losse in a priuate field One old maide onely at his hands to yeeld Foode to his life as oft as labour makes His old limbs faint which though he creepes he takes Along a fruitfull plaine set all with vines Which husbandman-like though a King he proines But now I come to be thy fathers guest I heare he wanders while these wooers feast And as th'Immortals prompt me at this houre I le tell thee out of a prophetique powre
Not as profest a Prophet nor cleare seene At all times what shall after chance to men What I conceiue for this time will be true The Gods inflictions keepe your Sire from you Diuine Vlysses yet abides not dead Aboue earth nor beneath nor buried In any seas as you did late conceiue But with the broad sea sieg'd is kept aliue Within an I le by rude and vp-land men That in his spite his passage home detaine Yet long it shall not be before he tred His countries deare earth though solicited And held from his returne with iron chaines For he hath wit to forge a world of traines And will of all be sure to make good one For his returne so much relide vpon But tell me and be true Art thou indeed So much a sonne as to be said the seed Of Ithacus himselfe Exceeding much Thy forehead and faire eyes at his forme touch For oftentimes we met as you and I Meete at this houre before he did apply His powres for Troy When other Grecian States In hollow ships were his associates But since that time mine eyes could neuer see Renowmd Vlysses nor met his with me The wise Telemachus againe replide You shall withall I know be satisfide My mother certaine sayes I am his sonne I know not nor was euer simply knowne By any child the sure truth of his Sire But would my veines had tooke in liuing fire From some man happie rather then one wise Whom age might see seizd of what youth made prise But he whoeuer of the mortall race Is most vnblest he holds my fathers place This since you aske I answer She againe The Gods sure did not make the future straine Both of thy race and dayes obscure to thee Since thou wert borne so of Penelope The stile may by thy after acts be wonne Of so great Sire the high vndoubted sonne Say truth in this then what 's this feasting here What all this rout Is all this nuptiall cheare Or else some friendly banquet made by thee For here no shots are where all sharers be Past measure contumeliously this crew Fare through thy house which should th' ingenuous view Of any good or wise man come and find Impietie seeing playd in euery kind He could not but through euery veine be mou'd Againe Telemachus My guest much lou'd Since you demand and sift these sights so farre I grant t were fit a house so regular Rich and so faultlesse once in gouernment Should still at all parts the same forme present That gaue it glorie while her Lord was here But now the Gods that vs displeasure beare Haue otherwise appointed and disgrace My father most of all the mortall race For whom I could not mourne so were he dead Amongst his fellow Captaines slaughtered By common enemies or in the hands Of his kind friends had ended his commands After he had egregiously bestow'd His powre and order in a warre so vow'd And to his tombe all Greekes their grace had done That to all ages he might leaue his sonne Immortall honor but now Harpies haue Digg'd in their gorges his abhorred graue Obscure inglorious Death hath made his end And me for glories to all griefes contend Nor shall I any more mourne him alone The Gods haue giuen me other cause of mone For looke how many Optimates remaine In Samos or the shoares Dulichian Shadie Zacynthus or how many beare Rule in the rough browes of this Iland here So many now my mother and this house At all parts make defam'd and ruinous And she her hatefull nuptials nor denies Nor will dispatch their importunities Though she beholds them spoile still as they feast All my free house yeelds and the little rest Of my dead Sire in me perhaps intend To bring ere long to some vntimely end This Pallas sigh'd and answerd O said she Absent Vlysses is much mist by thee That on these shamelesse suiters he might lay His wreakfull hands Should he now come and stay In thy Courts first gates armd with helme and shield And two such darts as I haue seene him wield When first I saw him in our Taphian Court Feasting and doing his deserts disport When from Ephyrus he returnd by vs From Ilâ—s sonne to Centaâ—re Merâ—â—rus To whom he traueld through the watrie dreads For bane to poison his sharpe arrowes heads That death but toucht causde which he would not giue Because he fear'd the Gods that euer liue Would plague such death with death and yet their feare Was to my fathers bosome not so deare As was thy fathers loue for what he sought My louing father found him to a thought If such as then Vlysses might but meete With these proud wooers all were at his feete But instant dead men and their nuptials Would proue as bitter as their dying galls But these things in the Gods knees are reposde If his returne shall see with wreake inclosde These in his house or he returne no more And therefore I aduise thee to explore All waies thy selfe to set these wooers gone To which end giue me fit attention To morrow into solemne councell call The Greeke Heroes and declare to all The Gods being witnesse what thy pleasure is Command to townes of their natiuities These frontlesse wooers If thy mothers mind Stands to her second nuptials so enclinde Returne she to her royall fathers towers Where th' one of these may wed her and her dowers Make rich and such as may consort with grace So deare a daughter of so great a race And thee I warne as well if thou as well Wilt heare and follow take thy best built saile With twentie owers mann'd and haste t' enquire Where the abode is of thy absent Sire If any can informe thee or thine eare From Ioâ—e the fame of his retreate may heare For chiefly Ioue giues all that honours men To Pylos first be thy addression then To god-like Nestor Thence to Sparta haste To gold-lockt Menelaus who was last Of all the brasse-armd Greekes that saild from Troy And trie from both these if thou canst enioy Newes of thy Sires returnd life any where Though sad thou sufferst in his search a yeare If of his death thou hear'st returne thou home And to his memorie erect a tombe Performing parent-rites of feast and game Pompous and such as best may fit his fame And then thy mother a fit husband giue These past consider how thou maist depriue Of worthlesse life these wooers in thy house By open force or proiects enginous Things childish fit not thee th' art so no more Hast thou not heard how all men did adore Diuine Orestes after he had slaine Aegisthus murthering by a trecherous traine His famous father Be then my most lou'd Valiant and manly euery way approu'd As great as he I see thy person fit Noble thy mind and excellent thy wit All giuen thee so to vse and manage here That euen past death they may their memories beare In meane time I
Another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here of the Sire The 〈◊〉 dâ—th heare The woo'rs conspire The mothers feare IN Lacedâ—â—â— now the nurse of Whales These two arriu'd and found at festiuals With mightie concourse the renowmed King His sonne and daughter ioyntly marrying Alectors daughter he did giue his sonne Strong 〈◊〉 who his life begunne By Menelaus boâ—dmaid whom he knew In yeares When Hellen could no more renew In issue like diuine 〈◊〉 Who held in all faire forme as high degree As golden Venus Her he married now To great Achilles sonne who was by vow Betrothd to her at Trâ—y And thus the Gods To constant loues giue nuptiall periods Whose state here past the Myrmidâ—ns rich towne Of which she shar'd in the Imperiall Crowne With horse and chariots he resign'd her to Meane space the high huge house with feast did flow Of friends and neighbours ioying with the King Amongst whom did a heauenly Poet sing And touch his Harpe Amongst whom likewise danc't Two who in that dumbe motion aduanc't Would prompt the Singer what to sing and play All this time in the vtter Court did stay With horse and chariot Telemachus And Nestors noble sonne Pisistratus Whom Eteoneus coming forth descried And being a seruant to the King most tried In care and his respect he ranne and cried Guests Ioue-kept Menelaus two such men As are for forme of high Saturnius straine Informe your pleasure if we shall vnclose Their horse from coach or say they must dispose Their way to some such house as may embrace Their knowne arriuall with more welcome grace He angry answerd Thou didst neuer show Thy selfe a foole Beotides till now But now as if turnd child a childish speech Vents thy vaine spirits We our selues now reach Our home by much spent hospitalitie Of other men nor know if Ioue will trie With other after wants our state againe And therefore from our feast no more detaine Those welcome guests but take their Steeds from Coach And with attendance guide in their approach This said he rusht abroad and calld some more Tried in such seruice that together bore Vp to the guests and tooke their Steeds that swet Beneath their yokes from Coach At mangers set Wheate and white barley gaue them mixt and plac't Their Chariot by a wall so cleare it cast A light quite thorough it And then they led Their guests to the diuine house which so fed Their eyes at all parts with illustrous sights That Admiration seisd them Like the lights The Sunne and Moone gaue all the Pallace threw A luster through it Satiate with whose view Downe to the Kings most bright-kept Baths they went Where handmaids did their seruices present Bath'd balmd them shirts and well-napt weeds put on And by Atrides side set each his throne Then did the handmaid royall water bring And to a Lauer rich and glittering Of massie gold powr'd which she plac't vpon A siluer Caldron into which might runne The water as they washt Then set she neare A polisht table on which all the cheare The present could affoord a reuerend Dame That kept the Larder set A Cooke then came And diuers dishes borne thence seru'd againe Furnisht the boord with bolles of gold and then His right hand giuen the guests Atrides said Eate and be chearfull appetite allaid I long to aske of what stocke ye descend For not from parents whose race namelesse end We must deriue your ofspring Men obscure Could get none such as you The pourtraiture Of Ioue-sustaind and Scepter-bearing Kings Your either person in his presence brings An Oxes fat chine then they vp did lift And set before the guests which was a gift Sent as an honor to the Kings owne tast They saw yet t was but to be eaten plac't And fell to it But food and wines care past Telemachus thus prompted Nestors sonne His eare close laying to be heard of none Consider thou whom most my mind esteemes The brasse-worke here how rich it is in beames And how besides it makes the whole house sound What gold and amber siluer ivorie round Is wrought about it Our of doubt the Hall Of Iupiter Olympius hath of all This state the like How many infinites Take vp to admiration all mens sights Atrides ouer-heard and said Lou'd sonne No mortall must affect contention With Ioue whose dwellings are of endlesse date Perhaps of men some one may emulate Or none my house or me For I am one That many a graue extreme haue vndergone Much error felt by sea and till thâ— eight yeare Had neuer stay but wanderd farre and neare Cyprus Phoenicia and Sydâ—nia And fetcht the farre off Aethiopia Reacht the Erembi of Arabia And Lybia where with hornes Ewes yeane their Lambs Where euery full yeare Ewes are three times dams Where neither King nor shepheard want comes neare Of cheese or flesh or sweete milke All the yeare They euer milke their Ewes And here while I Errd gathering meanes to liue one murtherously Vnwares vnseene bereft my brothers life Chiefly betraid by his abhorred wife So hold I not enioying what you see And of your Fathers if they liuing be You must haue heard this since my suffrings were So great and famous From this Pallace here So rarely-well-built furnished so well And substanced with such a precioâ—s deale Of well-got treasure banisht by the doome Of Fate and erring as I had no home And now I haue and vse it not to take Th' entire delight it offers but to make Continuall wishes that a triple part Of all it holds were wanting so my heart Were easde of sorrowes taken for their deaths That fell at Troy by their reuiued breaths And thus sit I here weeping mourning still Each least man lost and sometimes make mine ill In paying iust teares for their losse my ioy Sometimes I breathe my woes for in annoy The pleasure soone admits satietie But all these mens wants wet not so mine eie Though much they moue me as one sole mans misse For which my sleepe and meate euen lothsome is In his renewd thought since no Greeke hath wonne Grace for such labours as Laâ—rtes sonne Hath wrought and sufferd to himselfe nought else But future sorrowes forging to me hels For his long absence since I cannot know If life or death detaine him since such woe For his loue old Laertes his wise wife And poore yong sonne sustaines whom new with life He left as sirelesse This speech griefe to teares Powrd from the sonnes lids on the earth his eares Told of the Father did excite who kept His cheekes drie with his red weed as he wept His both hands vsde therein Atrides then Began to know him and did 〈◊〉 retaine If he should let himselfe confesse his Sire Or with all fitting circumstance enquire While this his thoughts disputed forth did shine Like to the golden distaffe-deckt diuine From her beds high and odoriferous roome Hellen. To whom of an elaborate loome
Makes good and ill one after other moue In all things earthly for he can do all The woes past therefore he so late let fall The comforts he affoords vs let vs take Feast and with fit discourses merrie make Nor will I other vse As then our blood Grieu'd for Vlysses since he was so good Since he was good let vs delight to heare How good he was and what his suffrings were Though euery fight and euery suffring deed Patient Vlysses vnderwent exceed My womans powre to number or to name But what he did and sufferd when he came Amongst the Troians where ye Grecians all Tooke part with sufferance I in part can call To your kind memories How with ghastly wounds Himselfe he mangl'd and the Troian bounds Thrust thicke with enemies aduentured on His royall shoulders hauing cast vpon Base abiect weeds and enterd like a slaue Then begger-like he did of all men craue And such a wretch was as the whole Greeke fleete Brought not besides And thus through euery streete He crept discouering of no one man knowne And yet through all this difference I alone Smok't his true person Talkt with him But he Fled me with wiles still Nor could we agree Till I disclaimd him quite And so as mou'd With womanly remorse of one that prou'd So wretched an estate what ere he were Wonne him to take my house And yet euen there Till freely I to make him doubtlesse swore A powrefull oath to let him reach the shore Of ships and tents before Troy vnderstood I could not force on him his proper good But then I bath'd and sooth'd him and he then Confest and told me all And hauing slaine A number of the Troian guards retirde And reacht the Fleete for slight and force admirde Their husbands deaths by him the Troian wiues Shrickt for but I made triumphs for their liues For then my heart conceiu'd that once againe I should reach home and yet did still retaine Woe for the slaughters Venus made for me When both my husband my Hermioâ—e And bridall roome she robd of so much right And drew me from my countrie with her sleight Though nothing vnder heauen I here did need That could my Fancie or my Beautie feed Her husband said Wife what you please to tell Is true at all parts and becomes you well And I my selfe that now may say haue seene The minds and manners of a world of men And great Heroes measuring many a ground Haue neuer by these eyes that light me found One with a bosome so to be belou'd As that in which th'accomplisht spirit mou'd Of patient Vlysses What braue man He both did act and suffer when we wan The towne of Ilion in the braue-built horse When all we chiefe States of the Grecian force Were housde together bringing Death and Fate Amongst the Troians you wife may relate For you at last came to vs God that would The Troians glorie giue gaue charge you should Approch the engine and Deiphoâ—us The god-like followd Thrice ye cirâ—'d vs With full suruay of it and often tried The hollow crafts that in it were implied When all the voices of their wiues in it You tooke on you with voice so like and fit And euery man by name so visited That I Vlysses and King Diomed Set in the midst and hearing how you calld Tydides and my selfe as halfe appalld With your remorcefull plaints would passing faine Haue broke our silence rather then againe Endure respectlesse their so mouing cries But Ithacus our strongest fantasies Containd within vs from the slendrest noise And euery man there sat without a voice Anticlus onely would haue answerd thee But his speech Ithacus incessantly With strong hand held in till Mineruas call Charging thee off Vlysses sau'd vs all Telemachus replide Much greater is My griefe for hearing this high praise of his For all this doth not his sad death diuert Nor can though in him swelld an iron heart Prepare and leade then if you please to rest Sleepe that we heare not will content vs best Then Argiue Hellen made he handmaid go And put faire bedding in the Portico Lay purple blankets on Rugs warme and soft And cast and Arras couerlet aloft They torches tooke made haste and made the bed When both the guests were to their lodgings led Within a Portico without the house Atrides and his large-traine-wearing Spouse The excellent of women for the way In a retir'd receit together lay The morne arose the King rose and put on His royall weeds his sharpe sword hung vpon His ample shoulders forth his chamber went And did the person of a God present Telemachus accosts him who begun Speech of his iourneys proposition And what my yong Vlyssean Heroe Prouokt thee on the broad backe of the sea To visit Lacedaemon the Diuine Speake truth Some publickeâ— or onely thine I come said he to heare if any fame Breath'd of my Father to thy notice came My house is sackt my fat workes of the field Are all destroid my house doth nothing yeeld But enemies that kill my harmlesse sheepe And sinewie Oxen nor will euer keepe Their steeles without them And these men are they That wooe my Mother most inhumanely Committing iniurie on iniurie To thy knees therefore I am come t' attend Relation of the sad and wretched end My erring Father felt if witnest by Your owne eyes or the certaine newes that flie From others knowledges For more then is The vsuall heape of humane miseries His Mother bore him to Vouchsafe me then Without all ruth of what I can sustaine The plaine and simple truth of all you know Let me beseech so much If euer vow Was made and put in good effect to you At Troy where suffrance bred you so much smart Vpon my Father good Vlysses part And quit it now to me himselfe in youth Vnfolding onely the vnclosed truth He deeply sighing answerd him O shame That such poore vassals should affect the fame To share the ioyes of such a Worthies Bed As when a Hinde her calues late farrowed To giue sucke enters the bold lions den He rootes of hils and herbie vallies then For food there feeding hunting but at length Returning to his Cauerne giues his strength The liues of both the mother and her brood In deaths indecent so the 〈…〉 Must pay Vlysses powres as sharpe an end O would to Ioue Apollo and thy friend The wise Minerua that thy Father were As once he was when he his spirits did rere Against Philomelides in a fight Performd in well-built Lesbos where downe-right He strooke the earth with him and gat a shout Of all the Grecians O if now full out He were as then and with the wooers cop't Short-liu'd they all were and their nuptials hop't Would proue as desperate But for thy demand Enforc't with prayrs I le let thee vnderstand The truth directly nor decline a thought Much lesse deceiue or sooth thy search in ought
wondrous time and caâ— by no meanes find An end to my retention It hath spent The very heart in me Giue thou then vent To doubts thus bound in me ye Gods know all Which of the Godheads doth so fowly fall On my addression home to stay me here Auert me from my way The fishie cleare Barr'd to my passage He replide Of force If to thy home thou wishest free recourse To Ioue and all the other Deities Thou must exhibite solemne sacrifice And then the blacke sea for thee shall be cleare Till thy lou'd countries settl'd reach But where Aske these rites thy performance â—Tis a fate To thee and thy affaires appropriate That thou shalt neuer see thy friends nor tred Thy Countries earth nor see inhabited Thy so magnificent house till thou make good Thy voyage backe to the Aegyptian flood Whose waters fell from Iâ—â—e and there hast giâ—en To Ioue and all Gods housd in ample heauen Deuoted Hecatombs and then free wayes Shall open to thee cleard of all delayes This told he and me thought he bâ—â—ke my heart In such a long and hard couâ—se to diuert My hope for home and charge my backe retreat As farre as Aegypt I made answer yet Father thy charge I le perfect but before Resolue me truly if their naturall â—hore All those Greeks and their ships do safe enioy That Nestor and my selfe left when from Troy We first raisde saile Or whether any died At sea a death vnwisht Or satisfied When warre was past by friends embrac't in peace Resign'd their spirits He made answer Cease To aske so farre it fits thee not to be So cunning in thine owne calamitie Nor seeke to learne what learnd thou shouldst forget Mens knowledges haue proper limits set And should not prease into the mind of God But t will not long be as my thoughts abode Before thou buy this curious skill with teaâ—es Many of those whose states so tempt thine eares Are stoopt by Death and many left aliue One chiefe of which in strong hold doth suruiâ—e Amidst the broad sea Two in their retreate Are done to death I list not to repeate Who fell at Troy thy selfe was there in fight But in returne swift Aiax lost the light In his long-oard ship Neptune yet a while Saft him vnwrackt to the Gyrâ—an I le A mightie Rocke â—emoâ—ing from his way And surely he had scapt the fatall day In spite of Pallas if to that foule deed He in her Phane did when he rauiâ—hed The Troian Prophetesse he had not here Adioynd an impious boast that he would beare Despite the Gods his ship safe through the waues Then raisde against him These his impious bâ—aues When Neptune heard in his strong hand he tooke His massie Trident and so soundly strooke The rocke Gyraean that in two it cleft Of which one fragment on the land he left The other fell into the troubld seas At which first rusht Aiax Oileades And split his ship and then himselfe aflote Swum on the rough waues of the worlds vaâ—t moâ—e Till hauing drunke a salt cup for his sinne There perisht he Thy brother yet did winne The wreath from Death while in the waues they stroue Afflicted by the reuerend wife of Ioue But when the steepe Mount of the Malean shore He seemd to reach a most tempestuous blore Farre to the fishie world that sighes so sore Strait rauisht him againe as farre away As to th' extreme bounds where the Agrians stay Where first Thiestes dwelt but then his sonne Aegisthus Thiestiades liu'd This done When his returne vntoucht appeard againe Backe turnd the Gods the wind and set him then Hard by his house Then full of ioy he left His ship and close t' his countrie earth he cleft Kist it and wept for ioy powrd teare on teare To set so wishedly his footing there But see a Sentinell that all the yeare Craftie Aegisthus in a watchtowre set To spie his landing for reward as great As two gold talents all his powres did call To strict remembrance of his charge and all Discharg'd at first sight which at first he cast On Agamemnon and with all his hast Informd Aegâ—sthus He an instant traine Laid for his slaughter Twentie chosen men Of his Plebeians he in ambush laid His other men he charg'd to see puruaid A Feast and forth with horse and chariots grac't He rode t'inuiâ—e him but in heart embrac't Horrible welcomes and to death did bring With trecherous slaughter the vnwary King Receiu'd him at a Feast and like an Oxe Slaine at his manger gaue him bits and knocks No one left of Atrides traine nor one Sau'd to Aegisthus but himselfe alone All strowd together there the bloudie Court This said my soule he sunke with his report Flat on the sands I fell teares spent their store I light abhord my heart would liue no more When drie of teares and tir'd with tumbling there Th' old Tel-truth thus my danted spirits did cheare No more spend teares nor time ô Atreus sonne With ceaslesse weeping neuer wish was wonne Vse vttermost assay to reach thy home And all vnwares vpon the murtherer come For torture taking him thy selfe aliue Orw let Orestes that should farre out-striue Thee in fit vengeance quickly quit the light Of such a darke soule and do thou the right Of buriall to him with a Funerall feast With these last words I fortifide my breast In which againe a generous spring began Of fitting comfort as I was a man But as a brother I must euer mourne Yet forth I went and told him the returne Of these I knew but he had nam'd a third Held on the broad sea still with life inspir'd Whom I besought to know though likewise dead And I must mourne alike He answered He is Laertes sonne whom I beheld In Nymph Calypsos Pallace who compeld His stay with her and since he could not see His countrie earth he mournd incessantly For he had neither ship instruct with oares Nor men to fetch him from those stranger shores Where leaue we him and to thy selfe descend Whom not in Argos Fate nor Death shall end But the immortall ends of all the earth So rul'd by them that order death by birth The fields Elisian Fate to thee will giue Where Rhadamanthus rules and where men liue A neuer-troubld life where snow nor showres Nor irksome Winter spends his fruitlesse powres But from the Ocean Zephyre still resumes A constant breath that all the fields perfumes Which since thou marriedst Hellen are thy hire And Ioue himselfe is by her side thy Sire This said he diu'd the dâ—epsome watrie heapes I and my tried men tooke vs to our ships And worlds of thoughts I varied with my steps Arriu'd and shipt the silent solemne Night And Sleepe bereft vs of our visuall light At morne masts sailes reard we sate left the shores And beate the fomie Ocean with our oares Againe then we the Ioue-falne flood did fetch As
sauorie seas Like her he past a world of wildernesse But when the far-off I le he toucht he went Vp from the blue sea to the Continent And reacht the ample Cauerne of the Queene Whom he within found without seldome seene A Sun-like fire vpon the harth did flame The matter precious and diuine the frame Of Cedar cleft and Incense was the Pile That breath'd an odour round about the I le Her selfe was seated in an inner roome Whom sweetly sing he heard and at her loome About a curious web whose yarne she threw In with a golden shittle A Groue grew In endlesse spring about her Cauerne round With odorous Cypresse Pines and Poplars crownd Where Haulks Sea-owles and long-tongu'd Bittours bred And other birds their shadie pinions spred All Fowles maritimall none roosted there But those whose labours in the waters were A Vine did all the hollow Caue embrace Still greene yet still ripe bunches gaue it grace Foure Fountaines one against another powrd Their siluer streames and medowes all enflowrd With sweete Balme-gentle and blue Violets hid That deckt the soft brests of each fragrant Mead. Should any one though he immortall were Arriue and see the sacred obiects there He would admire them and be ouer-ioyd And so stood Hermes rauisht powres employd But hauing all admir'd he enterd on The ample Caue not could be seene vnknowne Of great Calypso for all Deities are Prompt in each others knowledge though so farre Seuerd in dwellings but he could not see Vlysses there within Without was he Set sad ashore where t was his vse to view Th'vnquiet sea sigh'd wept and emptie drew His heart of comfort Plac't here in her throne That beames cast vp to Admiration Diuine Calypso question'd Hermes thus For what cause deare and much-esteem'd by vs Thou golden-rod-adorned Mercurie Arriu'st thou here thou hast not vsde t' apply Thy passage this way Say what euer be Thy hearts desire my mind commands it thee If in my meanes it lie or powre of fact But first what hospitable rights exact Come yet more neare and take This said she set A Table forth and furnisht it with meate Such as the Gods taste and seru'd in with it Vermilion Nectar When with banquet fit He had confirmd his spirits he thus exprest His cause of coming Thou hast made request Goddesse of Goddesses to vnderstand My cause of touch here which thou shalt command And know with truth Ioue causd my course to thee Against my will for who would willingly Lackey along so vast a lake of Brine Neare to no Citie that the powres diuine Receiues with solemne rites and Hecatombs But Ioues will euer all law ouercomes No other God can crosse or make it void And he affirmes that one the most annoid With woes and toiles of all those men that fought For Priams Citie and to end hath brought Nine yeares in the contention is with thee For in the tenth yeare when roy Victorie Was wonne to giue the Greeks the spoile of Troy Returne they did professe but not enioy Since Pallas they incenst and she the waues By all the winds powre that blew ope their graues And there they rested Onely this poore one This Coast both winds and waues haue cast vpon Whom now forthwith he wils thee to dismisse Affirming that th'vnalterd destinies Not onely haue decreed he shall not die Apart his friends but of Necessitie Enioy their sights before those fatall houres His countrie earth reach and erected Towres This strook a loue-checkt horror through her powres When naming him she this reply did giue Insatiate are ye Gods past all that liue In all things you affect which still conuerts Your powres to Enuies It afflicts your hearts That any Goddesse should as you obtaine The vse of earthly Dames enioy the men And most in open mariage So ye far'd When the delicious-fingerd Morning shar'd Orions bed you easie-liuing States Could neuer satisfie your emulous hates Till in Ortygia the precise-liu'd Dame Gold-thron'd Diana on him rudely came And with her swift shafts slue him And such paines When rich-haird Ceres pleasd to giue the raines To her affections and the grace did yeeld Of loue and bed amidst a three-cropt field To her Iasion he paid angrie Ioue Who lost no long time notice of their loue But with a glowing lightning was his death And now your enuies labour vnderneath A mortals choice of mine whose life I tooke To liberall safetie when his ship Ioue strooke With red-hote flashes peece-meale in the seas And all his friends and souldiers succourlesse Perisht but he Him cast vpon this coast With blasts and billowes I in life giuen lost Preseru'd alone lou'd nourisht and did vow To make him deathlesse and yet neuer grow Crooked or worne with age his whole life long But since no reason may be made so strong To striue with Ioues will or to make it vaine No not if all the other Gods should straine Their powres against it let his will be law So he affoord him fit meanes to withdraw As he commands him to the raging Maine But meanes from me he neuer shall obtaine For my meanes yeeld nor men nor ship nor oares To set him off from my so enuied shores But if my counsell and goodwill can aide His safe passe home my best shall be assaid Vouchsafe it so said heauens Ambassador And daigne it quickly By all meanes abhorre T' incense Ioues wrath against thee that with grace He may hereafter all thy wish embrace Thus tooke the Argus-killing God his wings And since the reuerend Nymph these awfull things Receiu'd from Ioue she to Vlysses went Whom she ashore found drownd in discontent His eyes kept neuer drie he did so mourne And waste his deare age for his wisht returne Which still without the Caue he vsde to do Because he could not please the Goddesse so At night yet forc't together tooke their rest The willing Goddesse and th' vnwilling Guest But he all day in rockes and on the shore The vext sea viewd and did his Fate deplore Him now the Goddesse coming neare bespake Vnhappie man no more discomfort take For my constraint of thee nor waste thine age I now will passing freely disengage Thy irksome stay here Come then fell thee wood And build a ship to saue thee from the flood I le furnish thee with fresh waue bread and wine Ruddie and sweet that will the Piner pine Put garments on thee giue thee winds foreright That euery way thy home-bent appetite May safe attaine to it if so it please At all parts all the heauen-housd Deities That more in powre are more in skill then I And more can iudge what fits humanitie He stood amaz'd at this strange change in her And said O Goddesse thy intents preferre Some other proiect then my parting hence Commanding things of too high consequence For my performance That my selfe should build A ship of powre my home assaies to shield
paid Griefes whole summe due from me at sea before I reacht the deare touch of my countries shore With what clouds Ioue heauens heightned forehead binds How tyrannize the wraths of all the winds How all the tops he bottomes with the deepes And in the bottomes all the tops he steepes Thus dreadfull is the presence of our death Thrice foure times blest were they that sunke beneath Their Fates at Troy and did to nought contend But to renowme Atrides with their end I would to God my houre of death and Fate That day had held the power to terminate When showres of darts my life bore vndeprest About diuine Aeacides deceast Then had I bene allotted to haue died By all the Greeks with funerals glorified Whence Death encouraging good life had growne Where now I die byâ—â—o man mournd nor knowne This spoke a huge waue tooke him by the head And hurld him o're-boord ship and all it laid Inuerted quite amidst the waues but he Farre off from her sprawld strowd about the sea His Sterne still holding broken off his Mast Burst in the midst so horrible a blast Of mixt winds strooke it Sailes and saile-yards fell Amongst the billowes and himselfe did dwell A long time vnder water nor could get In haste his head out waue with waue so met In his depression and his garments too Giuen by Calypso gaue him much to do Hindring his swimming yet he left not so His drenched vessell for the ouerthrow Of her nor him but gat at length againe Wrestling with Neptune hold of her and then Sate in her Bulke insulting ouer Death Which with the salt streame prest to stop his breath He scap't and gaue the sea againe to giue To other men His ship so striu'd to liue Floting at randon cufft from waue to waue As you haue seene the Northwind when he draue In Autumne heapes of thorne-fed Grashoppers Hither and thither one heape this way beares Another that and makes them often meete In his confusde gales so Vlyssâ—s fleete The winds hurl'd vp and downe now Boreas Tost it to Notus Notus gaue it passe To Eurus Eurus Zephire made it pursue The horrid Tennis This sport calld the view Of Cadmus daughter with the narrow heele Ino Leucothea that first did feele A mortall Dames desires and had a tongue But now had th' honor to be nam'd among The marine Godheads She with pitie saw Vlysses iustl'd thus from flaw to flaw And like a Cormorand in forme and flight Rose from a whirl-poole on the ship did light And thus bespeake him Why is Neptune thus In thy pursuite extremely furious Oppressing thee with such a world of ill Euen to thy death He must not serue his will Though t is his studie Let me then aduise As my thoughts serue thou shalt not be vnwise To leaue thy weeds and ship to the commands Of these rude winds and worke out with thy hands Passe to Phaeacia where thy austere Fate Is to pursue thee with no more such hate Take here this Tablet with this riband strung And see it still about thy bosome hung By whose eternall vertue neuer feare To suffer thus againe nor perish here But when thou touchest with thy hand the shore Then take it from thy necke nor weare it more But cast it farre off from the Continent And then thy person farre ashore present Thus gaue she him the Tablet and againe Turnd to a Cormorand diu'd past sight the Maine Patient Vlysses sighd at this and stucke In the conceit of such faire-spoken Lucke And said Alas I must suspect euen this Lest any other of the Deities Adde sleight to Neptunes force to counsell me To lâ—aue my vessell and so farre off see The shore I aime at Not with thoughts too cleare Will I obey her but to me appeare These counsels best as long as I perceiue My ship not quite dissolu'd I will not leaue The helpe she may affoord me but abide And suffer all woes till the worst be tride When she is split I le swim no miracle can Past neare and cleare meanes moue a knowing man While this discourse emploid him Neptune raisd A huge a high and horrid sea that seisd Him and his ship and tost them through the Lake As when the violent winds together take Heapes of drie chaffe and hurle them euery way So his long woodstacke Neptune strooke astray Then did Vlysses mount on rib perforce Like to a rider of a running horse To stay himselfe a time while he might shift His drenched weeds that were Calypsos gift When putting strait Leucotheas Amulet About his necke he all his forces set To swim and cast him prostrate to the seas When powrefull Neptune saw the ruthlesse prease Of perils siege him thus he mou'd his head And this betwixt him and his heart he said So now feele ils enow and struggle so Till to your Ioue-lou'd Ilanders you row But my mind sayes you will not so auoid This last taske too but be with sufferance cloid This said his rich-man'd horse he mou'd and reacht His house at Aegas But Minerua fetcht The winds from sea and all their wayes but one Barrd to their passage the bleake North alone She set to blow the rest she charg'd to keepe Their rages in an bind themselues in sleepe But Boreas still flew high to breake the seas Till Ioue-bred Ithacus the more with ease The nauigation-skild Phaeacian States Might make his refuge Death and angrie Fates At length escaping Two nights yet and daies He spent in wrestling with the sable seas In which space often did his heart propose Death to his eyes But when Aurora rose And threw the third light from her orient haire The winds grew calme and cleare was all the aire Not one breath stirring Then he might descrie Raisd by the high seas cleare the land was nie And then looke how to good sonnes that esteeme Their fathers life deare after paines extreame Felt in some sicknesse that hath held him long Downe to his bed and with affections strong Wasted his bodie made his life his lode As being inflicted by some angrie God When on their praires they see descend at length Health from the heauens clad all in spirit and strength The sight is precious so since here should end Vlysses toiles which therein should extend Health to his countrie held to him his Sire And on which long for him Disease did tire And then besides for his owne sake to see The shores the woods so neare such ioy had he As those good sonnes for their recouerd Sire Then labourd feete and all parts to aspire To that wisht Continent which when as neare He came as Clamor might informe an eare He heard a sound beate from the sea-bred rocks Against which gaue a huge sea horrid shocks That belcht vpon the firme land weeds and fome With which were all things hid there where no roome Of fit capacitie was for any port Nor from the sea for
forme of man Beginning where the Greeks a ship-boord went And euery Chiefe had set on fire his Tent. When th' other Kings in great Vlysses guide In Troys vast market place the horse did hide From whence the Troians vp to Ilion drew The dreadfull Engine Where sate all arew Their Kings about it many counsels giuen How to dispose it In three waies were driuen Their whole distractions first if they should feele The hollow woods heart searcht with piercing steele Or from the battlements drawne higher yet Deiect it headlong or that counterfet So vast and nouell set on sacred fire Vowd to appease each angerd Godheads ire On which opinion they thereafter saw They then should haue resolu'd th'vnalterd law Of Fate presaging that Troy then should end When th'hostile horse she should receiue to friend For therein should the Grecian Kings lie hid To bring the Fate and death they after did He sung besides the Greeks eruption From those their hollow crafts and horse forgone And how they made Depopulation tred Beneath her feete so high a Cities head In which affaire he sung in other place That of that ambush some man else did race The Ilion Towres then Laertiades But here he sung that he alone did seise With Menelaus the ascended roofe Of Prince Deiphobus and Mars like proofe Made of his valour a most dreadfull fight Daring against him And there vanquisht quite In litle time by great Mineruas aid All Ilions remnant and Troy leuell laid This the diuine Expressor did so giue Both act and passion that he made it liue And to Vlysses facts did breathe a fire So deadly quickning that it did inspire Old death with life and renderd life so sweet And passionate that all there felt it fleet Which made him pitie his owne crueltie And put into that ruth so pure an â—ie Of humane frailtie that to see a man Could so reuiue from Death yet no way can Defend from death his owne quicke powres it made Feele there deaths horrors and he felt life fade In teares his feeling braine swet for in things That moue past vtteâ—ance teares ope all their springs Nor are there in the Powres that all life beares More true interpreters of all then teares And as a Ladie mournes her sole-lou'd Lord That falne before his Citie by the sword Fighting to rescue from a cruell Fate His towne and children and in dead estate Yet panting seeing him wraps him in her armes Weeps shriekes and powres her health into his armes Lies on him striuing to become his shield From foes that still asâ—aile him speares impeld Through backe and shoulders by whose points embrude They raise and leade him into seruitude Labor and languor for all which the Dame Eates downe her cheekes with teares and feeds lifes flame With miserable sufferanc So this King Of teare-swet anguish op't a boundlesse spring Nor yet was seene to any one man there But King Alcinous who sate so neare He could not scape him sighs so chok't so brake From all his tempers which the King dâ—d take Both note and graue respâ—ct of and thus spake Heare me Phaeacian Counsellers and Peeres And ceasse Demodocus perhaps all eares Are not delighted with his song for euer Since the diuine Muse sung our Guest hath neuer Containd from secret mournings It may fall That something sung he hath bin grieu'd withall As touching his particular Forbeare That Feast may ioyntly comfort all hearts here And we may cheare our Guest vp t is our best In all due honor For our reuerend Guest Is all our celebration gifts and all His loue hath added to our Festiuall A Guest and suppliant too we should esteeme Deare as our brother one that doth but dreame He hath a soule or touch but at a mind Deathlesse and manly should stand so enclin'd Nor cloke you longer with your curious wit Lou'd Guest what euer we shall aske of it It now stands on your honest state to tell And therefore giue your name nor more conceale What of your parents and the Towne that beares Name of your natiue or of forreiners That neare vs border you are calld in fame There 's no man liuing walkes without a name Noble nor base but had one from his birth Imposde as fit as to be borne What earth People and citie owne you Giue to know Tell but our ships all that your way must show For our ships know th'expressed minds of men And will so most intentiuely retaine Their scopes appointed that they neuer errâ— And yet vse neuer any man to stere Nor any Rudders haue as others need They know mens thoughts and whither tends their speed And there will set them For you cannot name A Citie to them nor fat Soile that Fame Hath any notice giuen but well they know And will flie to them though they ebbe and flow In blackest clouds and nights and neuer beare Of any wracke or rocke the slendrest feare But this I heard my Sire Nausithous say Long since that Neptune seeing vs conuay So safely passengers of all degrees Was angry with vs and vpon our seas A well-built ship we had neare habor come From safe deduction of some stranger home Made in his flitting billowes sticke stone still And dimm'd our Citie like a mightie hill With shade cast round about it This report The old King made in which miraculous sort If God had done such things or left vndone At his good pleasure be it But now on And truth relate vs both whence you errd And to what Clime of men would be transferrd With all their faire Townes be they as they are If rude vniust and all irregular Or hospitable bearing minds that please The mightie Dâ—itie Which one of these You would be set at say and you are there And therefore what afflicts you why to heare The Fate of Greece and Ilion mourne you so The Gods haue done it as to all they do Destine destruction that from thence may rise A Poeme to instruct posterities Fell any kinsman before Ilion Some worthy Sire-in-law or like-neare sonne Whom next our owne blood and selfe-race we loue Or any friend perhaps in whom did moue A knowing soule and no vnpleasing thing Since such a good one is no vnderling To any brother for what fits true friends True wisedomâ— is that blood and birth transcends Finis libri octaui Hom. Odyss THE NINTH BOOKE OF HOMERS ODYSSES. THE Aâ—GVMENT VLysses here is first made knowne Who tels the sterne contention His powres did gainst the Cicons trie And thence to the Lotophagie Extends his conquest and from them Assayes the Cyclop Polypheme And by the crafts his wits apply He puts him out his onely eye Another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The strangely fed Lotophagie The Cicons fled The Cyclops eye VLysses thus resolu'd the Kings demands Alcinous in whom this Empire stands You should not of so naturall right disherit Your princely feast as take from it
draue in all nor kept One male abroad if or his memory slept By Gods direct will or of purpose was His driuing in of all then doth surpasse My comprehension But he closde againe The mightie barre milkt and did still maintaine All other obseruation as before His woâ—ke all done two of my souldiers more At once he snatcht vp and to supper went Then dar'd I words to him and did present A boll of wine with these words Cyclop take A boll of wine from my hand that may make Way for the mans flesh thou hast eate and show What drinke our ship held which in sacred vow I offer to thee to take ruth on me In my dismission home Thy rages be Now no more sufferable How shall men Mad and inhumane that thou art againe Greet thy abode and get thy actions grace If thus thou ragest and eatst vp their race He tooke and drunke and vehemently ioyd To taste the sweet cup and againe employd My flagons powre entreating more and said Good Guest againe affoord my taste thy aid And let me know thy name and quickly now That in thy recompence I may bestow A hospitable gift on thy desert And such a one as shall reioyce thy heart For to the Cylops too the gentle Earth Beares generous wine and Ioue augments her birth In store of such with showres But this rich wine Fell from the riuer that is meere diuine Of Nectar and Ambrosia This againe I gaue him and againe nor could the foole abstaine But drunke as often When the noble Iuyce Had wrought vpon his spirit I then gaue vse To fairer language saying Cylop now As thou demandst I le tell thee my name do thou Make good thy hospitable gift to me My name is No-Man No-Man each degree Of friends as well as parents call my name He answerd as his cruell soule became No-Man I le eate thee last of all thy friends And this is that in which so much amends I vowd to thy deseruings thus shall be My hospitable gift made good to thee This said he vpwards fell but then bent round His fleshie necke and Sleepe with all crownes crownd Subdude the Sauage From his throte brake out My wine with mans flesh gobbets like a spout When loded with his cups he lay and snor'd And then tooke I the clubs end vp and gor'd The burning cole-heape that the point might heate Confirmd my fellowes minds lest Feare should let Their vowd assay and make them flie my aid Strait was the Oliue Leuer I had laid Amidst the huge fire to get hardning hot And glowd extremely though t was greene which got From forth the cinders close about me stood My hardie friends but that which did the good Was Gods good inspiration that gaue A spirit beyond the spirit they vsde to haue Who tooke the Oliue sparre made keene before And plung'd it in his eye and vp I bore Bent to the top close and helpt poure it in With all my forces And as you haue seene A ship-wright bore a nauall beame he oft Thrusts at the Augurs Froofe works still aloft And at the shanke helpe others with a cord Wound round about to make it sooner bor'd All plying the round still So into his eye The firie stake we labourd to imply Out gusht the blood that scalded his eye-ball Thrust out a flaming vapour that scorcht all His browes and eye-lids his eye-strings did cracke As in the sharpe and burning rafter brake And as a Smith to harden any toole Broad Axe or Mattocke in his Trough doth coole The red-hote substance that so feruent is It makes the cold waue strait to seethe and hisse So sod and hizd his eye about the stake He roar'd withall and all his Cauerne brake In claps like thunder We did frighted flie Disperst in corners He from forth his eie The fixed stake pluckt after which the blood Flowd freshly forth and mad he hurl'd the wood About his houill Out he then did crie For other Cyclops that in Cauernes by Vpon a windie Promontorie dwelld Who hearing how impetuously he yelld Rusht euery way about him and enquir'd What ill afflicted him that he expir'd Such horrid clamors and in sacred Night To breake their sleepes so Askt him if his fright Came from some mortall that his flocks had driuen Or if by craft or might his death were giuen He answerd from his den By craft nor might No man hath giuen me death They then said right If no man hurt thee and thy selfe alone That which is done to thee by Ioue is done And what great Ioue inflicts no man can flie Pray to thy Father yet a Deitie And proue from him if thou canst helpe acquire Thus spake they leauing him When all on fire My heart with ioy was that so well my wit And name deceiu'd him whom now paine did split And groning vp and downe he groping tride To find the stone which found he put aside But in the doore sate feeling if he could As his sheepe issude on some man lay hold Esteeming me a foole that could deuise No stratageme to scape his grosse surprise But I contending what I could inuent My friends and me from death so imminent To get deliuerd all my wiles I woue Life being the subiect and did this approue Fat fleecie Rams most faire and great lay there That did a burthen like a Violet beare These while this learn'd in villanie did sleepe I yokt with Osiers cut there sheepe to sheepe Three in a ranke and still the mid sheepe bore A man about his belly the two more Marcht on his each side for defence I then Chusing my selfe the fairest of the den His fleecie belly vnder-crept embrac't His backe and in his rich wooll wrapt me fast With both my hands arm'd with as fast a mind And thus each man hung till the Morning shin'd Which come he knew the houre and let abroad His male-flocks first the females vnmilkt stood Bleating and braying their full bags so sore With being vnemptied but their shepheard more With being vnsighted which was cause his mind Went not a milking He to wreake enclin'd The backs felt as they past of those male dams Grosse foole beleeuing we would ride his Rams Nor euer knew that any of them bore Vpon his belly any man before The last Ram came to passe him with his wooll And me together loded to the full For there did I hang and that Ram he staid And me withall had in his hands my head Troubl'd the while not causlesly nor least This Ram he grop't and talkt to Lazie beast Why last art thou now thou hast neuer vsde To lag thus hindmost but still first hast brusde The tender blossome of a flowre and held State in thy steps both to the flood and field First still at Fold at Euen now last remaine Doest thou not wish I had mine eye againe Which that abhord man No-Man did put out Assisted by his execrable rout
sword drew and earths wombe did gore Till I a pit digg'd of a cubite round Which with the liquid sacrifice we crown'd First honey mixt with wine then sweete wine neate Then water powr'd in last the flowre of wheate Much I importun'd then the weake-neckt dead And vowd when I the barren soile should tread Of cliffie Ithaca amidst my hall To kill a Heifer my cleare best of all And giue in offering on a Pile composd Of all the choise goods my whole house enclosd And to Tiresias himselfe alone A sheepe cole-blacke and the selectest one Of all my flockes When to the powres beneath The sacred nation that suruiue with Death My prayrs and vowes had done deuotions fit I tooke the offrings and vpon the pit Bereft their liues Out gusht the sable blood And round about me fled out of the flood The Soules of the deceast There cluster'd then Youths and their wiues much suffering aged men Soft tender virgins that but new came there By timelesse death and greene their sorrowes were There men at Armes with armors all embrew'd Wounded with lances and with faulchions hew'd In numbers vp and downe the ditch did stalke And threw vnmeasur'd cries about their walke So horrid that a bloodlesse feare surprisde My daunted spirits Straight then I aduisde My friends to flay the slaughter'd sacrifice Put them in fire and to the Deities Sterne Pluto and Persephone apply Excitefull prayrs Then drew I from my Thy My well-edg'd sword stept in and firmely stood Betwixt the prease of shadowes and the blood And would not suffer any one to dip Within our offring his vnsolide lip Before Tiresias that did all controule The first that preast in was Elpenors soule His body in the broad-waid earth as yet Vnmournd vnburied by vs since we swet With other vrgent labours Yet his smart I wept to see and ru'd it from my heart Enquiring how he could before me be That came by ship He mourning answerd me In Circes house the spite some Spirit did beare And the vnspeakable good licour there Hath bene my bane For being to descend A ladder much in height I did not tend My way well downe but forwards made a proofe To tread the rounds and from the very roofe Fell on my necke and brake it And this made My soule thus visite this infernall shade And here by them that next thy selfe are deare Thy Wife and Father that a little one Gaue food to thee and by thy onely Sonne At home behind thee left Telemachus Do not depart by stealth and leaue me thus Vnmourn'd vnburied left neglected I Bring on thy selfe th' incensed Deitie I know that saild from hence thy ship must touch On th'Ile Aeâ—â— where vouchsafe thus much Good king that landed thou wilt instantly Bestow on me thy royall memory To this grace that my body armes and all May rest consum'd in firie funerall And on the fomie shore a Sepulchre Erect to me that after times may heare Of one so haplesse Let me these implore And fixe vpon my Sepulcher the Ore With which aliue I shoooke the aged seas And had of friends the deare societies I told the wretched Soule I would fulfill And execute to th' vtmost point his will And all the time we sadly talkâ— I still My sword aboue the blood held when aside The Idoll of my friend still amplified His plaint as vp and downe the shades he err'd Then my deceased mothers Soule appeard Faire daughter of Antolicus the Great Graue Anticlaeâ— Whom when forth I set For sacred Ilion I had left aliue Her sight much mou'd me and to teares did driue My note of her deceasse and yet not she Though in my ruth she held the highest degree Would I admit to touch the sacred blood Till from Tiresias I had vnderstood What Circes told me At the length did land Theban Tiresias soule and in his hand Sustaind a golden Scepter knew me well And said O man vnhappy why to hell Admitst thou darke arriuall and the light The Sunne giues leau'st to haue the horrid sight Of this blacke region and the shadowes here Now sheath thy sharpe sword and the pit forbeare That I the blood may taste and then relate The truth of those acts that affect thy Fate I sheath'd my sword and left the pit till he The blacke blood tasting thus instructed me Renoum'd Vlysses all vnaskt I know That all the cause of thy arriuall now Is to enquire thy wisht retreate for home Which hardly God will let thee ouâ—rcome Since Neptune still will his opposure trie With all his laid-vp anger for the eye His lou'd Sonne lost to thee And yet through all Thy suffring course which must be capitall If both thine owne affections and thy friends Thou wilt containe when thy accesse ascends The three-forckt Iland hauing scap't the seas Where ye shall find fed on the flowrie leas Fat flocks and Oxen which the Sunne doth owne To whom are all things as well heard as showne And neuer dare one head of those to slay But hold vnharmefull on your wished way Though through enough affliction yet secure Your Fates shall land ye But Presage saies sure If once ye spoile them spoile to all thy friends Spoile to thy Fleete and if the iustice ends Short of thy selfe it shall be long before And that length forc't out with inflictions store When losing all thy fellowes in a saile Of forreigne built when most thy Fates preuaile In thy deliuerance thus th' euent shall sort Thou shalt find shipwracke raging in thy Port Proud men thy goods consuming and thy Wife Vrging with gifts giue charge vpon thy life But all these wrongs Reuenge shall end to thee And force or cunning set with slaughter free Thy house of all thy spoilers Yet againe Thou shalt a voyage make and come to men That know no Sea nor ships nor oares that are Wings to a ship nor mixe with any fare Salts sauorie vapor Where thou first shalt land This cleare-giuen signe shall let thee vnderstand That there those men remaine assume ashore Vp to thy roiall shoulder a ship oare With which when thou shalt meete one on the way That will in Countey admiration say What dost thou with that wanne vpon thy necke There fixe that wanne thy oare and that shore decke With sacred Rites to Neptune slaughter there A Ram a Bull and who for strength doth beare The name of husband to a herd a Bore And coming home vpon thy naturall shore Giue pious Hecatombs to all the Gods Degrees obseru'd And then the Periods Of all thy labors in the peace shall end Of easie death which shall the lesse extend His passion to thee that thy foe the Sea Shall not enforce it but Deaths victory Shall chance in onely-earnest-pray-vow'd age Obtaind at home quite emptied of his rage Thy subiects round about thee rich and blest And here hath Truth summ'd vp thy vitall rest I answerd him We will suppose all these
About her turrets that seuen Ports enclosde For though the Thebâ—ns much in strength reposde Yet had not they the strength to hold their owne Without the added aides of wood and stone Alcmena next I saw that famous wife Was to Amphytriâ— and honor'd life Gaue to the Lyon-hearted Herculeâ— That was of Ioues embrace the great increase I saw besides proud Craeons daughter there Bright Megara that nuptiall yoke did weare With Ioues great Sonne who neuer field did try But bore to him the flowre of victory The mother then of Oedipus I saw Faire Epicasta that beyond all law Her owne Sonne maried ignorant of kind And he as darkly taken in his mind His mother wedded and his father slew Whose blind act heauen exposde at length to view And he in all-lou'd Thebes the supreame state With much mone manag'd for the heauy Fate The Gods laid on him She made violent flight To Plutos darke house from the lothed light Beneath a steepe beame strangl'd with a cord And left her Sonne in life paines as abhord As all the furies powr'd on her in hell Then saw I Chloris that did so excell In answering beauties that each part had all Great Neleus married her when gifts not small Had wonne her fauour term'd by name of dowre She was of all Amphions seed the flowre Amphion calld lâ—sides that then Ruld strongly Myniâ—an 〈◊〉 And now his daughter rul'd the Pylean Throne Because her beauties Empire ouershone She brought her wise-awd husband Neleus Nestâ—r much honord Peryclimenus And Chromius Sonnes with soueraigne vertues grac'â— But after brought a daughter that surpast Rare-beautied Perâ— so for forme exact That Nature to a miracle was rackt In her perfections blaz'd with th' eyes of men That made of all the Countries hearts a chaine And drew them suiters to her Which her Sire Tooke vantage of and since he did aspire To nothing more then to the broad-browd herd Of Oxen which the common fame so rer'd Own'd by Iphiclus not a man should be His Peros husband that from Phylace Those neuer-yet-driuen Oxen could not driue Yet these a strong hope held him to atchieue Because a Prophet that had neuer err'd Had said that onely he should be prefer'd To their possession But the equall Fate Of God withstood his stealth inextricate Imprisoning Bands and sturdy churlish Swaines That were the Heardsmen who withheld with chaines The stealth attempter which was onely he That durst abet the Act with Prophecie None else would vndertake it and he must The king would needs a Prophet should be iust But when some daies and moneths expired were And all the Houres had brought about the yeare The Prophet did so satisfie the king Iphiclus all his cunning questioning That he enfranchisde him and 〈◊〉 worst done Ioues counsaile made th'all-safe conclusion The saw I Laeda linkt in nuptiall chaine With Tyndâ—rus to whom she did sustaine Sonnes much renowm'd for wisedome Câ—stâ—â— one That past for vse of horse comparison And Pollâ—x that exceld in whirlbat fight Both these the fruitfull Earth bore while the light Of life inspir'd them After which they found Such grace with Ioue that both liu'd vnder ground By change of daies life still did one sustaine While th'â—ther died the dead then liu'd againe The liuing dying both of one selfe date Their liues and deaths made by the Gods and Fate Iphemedia after Laeda came That did deâ—iue from Neptune too the name Of Father to two admirable Sonnes Life yet made short their admirations Who God-opposed Otus had to name And Ephialtes farre in sound of Fame The prodigall Earth so fed them that they grew To most huge stature and had fairest hew Of all men but Orion vnder heauen At nine yeares old nine cubits they were driuen Abroad in breadth and sprung nine fathomes hie They threatn'd to giue battell to the skie And all th'Immortals They were setting on Ossa vpon Olympus and vpon Steepe Ossa leauie Pelius that euen They might a high-way make with loftie heauen And had perhaps perform'd it had they liu'd Till they were Striplings But Ioues Sonne depriu'd Their lims of life before th'age that begins The flowre of youth and should adorne their chins Phaedra and Procris with wise Minos flamâ— Bright Ariadne to the offring came Whom whilom Theseus made his prise from Crete That Athens sacred soile might kisse her feete But neuer could obtaine her virgin Flowre Till in the Sea-girt Dia Dians powre Detain'd his homeward haste where in her Phane By Bacchus witnest was the fatall wane Of her prime Glorie Maera Clymene I witnâ—st there and loth'd Eryphile That honouâ—'d gold more then she lou'd her Spouse But all th' Heâ—oesses in Plutos house That then encounterd me exceeds my might To name or number and Ambrosian Night Would quite be spent when now the formall houres Present to Sleepe our all-disposed powres If at my ship or here my home-made vow I leaue for fit grace to the Gods and you This said the silence his discourse had made With pleasure held still through the houses shade When white-arm'd Arete this speech began Phaeacians how appeares to you this man So goodly person'd and so matcht with mind My guest he is but all you stand combin'd In the renowne he doth vs. Do not then With carelesse haste dismisse him nor the maine Of his dispaâ—ch to one so needie maime The Gods free bountie giues vs all iust claime To goods enow This speech the oldest man Of any other Phaeacensian The graue Heroe Echineus gaue All approbation saying Friends ye haue The motion of the wise Queene in such words As haue not mist the maâ—ke with which accords My cleare opinion But Alcinous In word and worke must be our rule He thus And then Alcinous said This then must stand If while I liue I rule in the command Of this well-skild-in-Nauigation State Endure then Guest though most importunate Be your affects for home A litle stay If your expectance beare perhaps it may Our gifts make more complete The cares of all Your due deduction asks but Principall I am therein the ruler He replied Alcinous the most duly glorifiâ—d With rule of all of all men if you lay Commandment on me of a whole yeares stay So all the while your preparations rise As well in gifts as time ye can deuise No better wish for me for I shall come Much fuller handed and more honourd home And dearer to my people in whoâ—e loues The richer euermore the better proues He answerd There is argude in your sight A worth that works not men for benefit Like Pâ—ollers or Impostors of which crew The gentle blacke Earth feeds not vp a few Here and there wanderers blanching tales and lies Of neither praise nor vse you moue our eies With forme our minds with matter and our â—ares With elegant oration such as beares A musicke in the orderd historie It layes before vs. Not
Demodocus With sweeâ—er straines hath vsde to sing to vs All the Greeke sorrowes wept out in your owne But say of all your worthy friends were none Obiected to your eyes that Consorts were To â—lion with you and seru'd destinie there This Night is passing long vnmeasur'd none Of all my houshold would to bed yet On Relate these wondrous things Were I with you If you would tell me but your woes as now Till the diuine Aurora shewd her head I should in no night relish thought of bed Most eminâ—nt King said he Times all must keepe There 's time to speake much time as much to sleepe But would you heare still I will tell you still And vtter more more miserable ill Of Friends then yet that scap't the dismall warres And perisht homewards and in houshold iarres Wag'd by a wicked woman The chaste Queene No sooner made these Ladie-ghosts vnseene Here and there flitting but mine eie-sight wonne The Soule of Agamemnon Atreus sonne Sad and about him all his traine of friends That in Aegysthus house endur'd their ends With his sterne Fortune Hauing drâ—nke the blood He knew me instantly and forth a flood Of springing teares gusht Out he thrust his hands With will t' embrace me but their old commands Flowd not about him nor their weakest part I wept to see and mon'd him from my heart And askt O Agamemnon King of men What sort of cruell death hath renderd slaine Thy royall person Neptune in thy Fleete Heauen and his hellish billowes making meete Rowsing the winds Or haue thy men by land Done thee this ill for vsing thy command Past their consents in diminution Of those full shaâ—es their worths by lot had wonne Of sheepe or oxen or of any towne In couetous strife to make their rights thine owne In men or women prisoners He replied By none of these in any right I died But by Aegysthus and my murtherous wife Bid to a banquet at his house my life Hath thus bene reft me to my slaughter led Like to an Oxe pretended to be fed So miserably fell I and with me My friends lay massacred As when you see At any rich mans nuptials shot or feast About his kitchin white-tooth'd swine lie drest The slaughters of a world of men thine eies Both priuate and in prease of enemies Haue personally witnest but this one Would all thy parts haue broken into mone To see how strewd about our Cups and Cates As Tables set with Feast so we with Fates All gasht and slaine lay all the floore embrude With blood and braine But that which most I ru'd Flew from the heauie voice that Priams seed Cassandra breath'd whom she that wit doth feed With banefull crafts false Clytemnestra slew Close sitting by me vp my handâ— I threw From earth to heauen and tumbling on my sword Gaue wretched life vp When the most abhord By all her sexes shame forsooke the roome Nor daind though then so neare this heauie home To shut my lips or close my broken eies Nothing so heapt is with impieties As such a woman that would kill her Spouse That maried her a maid When to my house I brought her hoping of her loue in heart To children maids and slaues But she in th' Art Of onely mischiefe heartie not alone Cast on her selfe this foule aspersion But louing Dames hereafter to their Lords Will beare for good deeds her bad thoughts and words Alas said I that Ioue should hate the liues Of Atreus seed so highly for their wiues For Menelaus wife a number fell For dangerous absence thine sent thee to hell For this he answerd Be not thou more kind Then wise to thy wife neuer all thy mind Let words expresse to her Of all she knowes Curbs for the worst still in thy selfe repose But thou by thy wifes wiles shalt lose no blood Exceeding wise she is and wise in good Icarius daughter chaste Penelope We left a yong Bride when for batteâ—l we Forsooke the Nuptiall peace and at her brest Her first child sucking Who by this houre blest Sits in the number of suruiuing men And his blisse she hath that she can containe And her blifse thou hast that she is so wise For by her wisedome thy returned eies Shall see thy sonne and he shall greete his Sire With fitting welcomâ—s When in my retire My wife denies mine eyes my sonnes deare sight And as from me will take from him the light Before she addes one iust delight to life Or her false wit one truth that sits a wife For her sake therefore let my harmes aduise That though thy wife be ne'â—e so chaste and wise Yet come not home to her in open view With any ship or any personall shew But take close shore disguisde nor let her know For t is no world to trust a â—oman now But what sayes Fame Doth my Sonne yet suruiue In Orchâ—men or Pylos or doth liue In Sparta with his Vnkle yet I see Dâ—uine Orestes is not here with me I answerd asking Why doth Aâ—reus sonne Enquire of me who yet arriu'd where none Could giue to these newes any cerâ—aine wings And t is absurd to tell vncertaine things Such sad speech past vs and as thus we stood With kind teares rendring vnkind fortunes good Achilles and Patroclus Soule appear'd And his Soule of whom neuer ill was heard The good Antilochus and the Soule of him That all the Greeks past both for force and lim Excepting the vnmatcht Aeacides Illustrous Aiax But the first of these That saw acknowledg'd and saluted me Was Thetis coâ—quering Sonne who heauily His state here taking said Vnworthy breatâ— What act yet mightier imagineth Thy ventrous spirit How doest thou descend These vnder regions where the dead mans end Is to be lookt on and his foolish shade I answerd him I was induc'd t' inuade These vnder parts most excellent of Greece To visite wise Tirâ—sias for adâ—â—ce Of vertue to direct my voyage home To rugged Ithaca since I could come To note in no place where Achaia stood And so liu'd euer tortur'd with the blood In mans vaine veines Thou therefore Thetis sonne Hast equald all that euer yet haue wonne The blisse the earth yeelds or hereafter shall In life thy eminence was ador'd of all Euen with the Gods And now euen dead I see Thy vertues propagate thy Emperie To a renewd life of command beneath So great Achilles triumphs ouer death This comfort of him this encounter found Vrge not my death to me nor rub that wound I rather wish to liue in earth a Swaine Or serue a Swaine for hire that scarce can gaine Bread to sustaine him then that life once gone Of all the dead sway the Imperiall th one But say and of my Sonne some comfort yeeld If he goes on in first fights of the field Or lurks for safetie in the obscure Rere Or of my Father if thy royall eare Hath bene aduertisde that the Phthian Throne He still commands as
are If so much they moue That spite of all your reason your will stands To be enfranchisde both of feete and hands Charge all your men before to sleight your charge And rest so farre from fearing to enlarge That much more sure they bind you When your friends Haue outsaild these the danger that traâ—scends Rests not in any counsaile to preuent Vnlesse your owne mind finds the tract and bent Of that way that auoids it I can say That in your course there lies a twofold way The right of which your owne taught present wit And grace diuine must prompt In generall yet Let this informe you Neare these Sirens shore Moue two steepe Rocks at whose feete lie and rore The blacke seas cruell billowes the blest Gods Call them the Rouers Their abhord abods No bird can passe no not the * Doues whose feare Sire Ioue so loues that they are said to beare Ambrosia to him can their rauine scape But one of them falles euer to the rape Of those slie rocks Yet â—oue another still Adds to the rest that so may euer fill The sacred number Neuer ship could shunne The nimble perill wing'd there but did runne With all her bulke and bodies of her men To vtter ruine For the seas retaine Not onely their outragious aesture there But fierce assistents of particular feare And supernaturall mischiefe they expire And those are whirlewinds of deuouring fire Whisking about still Th' Argiue ship alone Which bore the care of all men got her gone Come from Aretâ— Yet perhaps euen she Had wrackt at those Rocks if the Deitie That lies by Ioues side had not lent her hand To their transmission since the man that mann'd In chiefe that voyage she in chiefe did loue Of these two spitefull Rocks the one doth shoue Against the height of heauen her pointed brow A blacke cloud binds it round and neuer show Lends to the sharp point not the cleare blew skie Le ts euer view it Not the Somners eye Not feruent Autâ—mnes None that Death could end Could euer skale it or if vp descend Though twenty hands and feete he had for hold A polisht ice-like glibnesse doth enfold The rocke so round whose midst a gloomie cell Shrowds so farre Westward that it sees to hell From this keepe you as farre as from his bow An able yong man can his shaft bestow For here the whuling Scylla shrowds her face That breaths a voice at all parts no more base Then are a newly-kitn'd kitlings cries Her selfe a monster yet of boundlesse sise Whose sight would nothing please a mortals eies No nor the eyes of any God if he Whom nought should fright fell foule on her and she Her full shape shew'd Twelue foule feete beare about Her ougly bulke Sixe huge long necks lookt out Of her ranke shoulders euery necke doth let A ghastly head out euery head three set Thicke thrust together of abhorred teeth And euery tooth stucke with a sable death She lurkes in midst of all her denne and streakes From out a ghastly whirle-poole all her necks Where gloting round her rocke to fish she falles And vp rush Dolphins Dogfish somewhiles Whaleâ— If got within her when her rapine feeds For euer-groning Amphitrite breeds About her whirlepoole an vnmeasur'd store No Sea-man euer boasted touch of shore That there toucht with his ship but still she fed Of him and his A man for euery head Spoiling his ship of You shall then descrie The other humbler Rocke that moues so nie Your dart may mete the distance It receaues A huge wilde Fig-tree curl'd with ample leaues Beneath whose shades diuine Câ—arybdis sits Supping the blacke deepes Thrice a day her piâ—s She drinking all dry and thrice a day againe All vp she belches banefull to sustaine When she is drinking dare not neare her draught For not the force of Neptune if once caught Can force your freedome Therefore in your strife To scape Charybdis labour all for life To row neare Scylla for she will but haue For her sixe heads sixemen and better saue The rest then all make offerings to the waue This Neede she told me of my lossâ— when I Desir'd to know if that Necessitie When I had scap't Châ—râ—bdis outrages My powres might not reuenge though not redresse She answerd O vnhappy aâ—t thou yet Enflam'd with warre and thirst to drinke thy swet Not to the Gods giue vp both Armes and will She deathlesse is and that immortall ill Graue harsh outragious not to be subdu'd That men must suffer till they be renew'd Nor liues there any virtue that can flie The vicious outrage of their crueltie Shouldst thou put Armes on and approch â—he Rockâ— I feare sixe more must expiate the shocke Sixe heads sixe men aske still Hoise â—aile and flie And in thy flight aloud on Cratis crie Great Scyllas Mother who exposde to light That bane of men and she will do such right To thy obseruance that she downe will tread Her daughters rage nor let her shew a head From thenceforth then for euer past her care Thou shalt ascend the Iâ—e Triangularâ— Where many Oxen of the Sunne are fed And fatted flocks Of Oxen fifty head In euery herd feed and their herds are seuen And of his fat flocks is their number Euen Increase they yeeld not for they neuer die There euery shepherdesse a Deitie Faire Phaethusa and Leâ—petie The louely Nyâ—phs are that their Guardians be Who to the daylights lofty-going flame Had gracious birthright from the heauenly Dame Still yong Neaera who brought forth and bred Farre off dismist them to see duly fed Their Fathers herds and flocks in Sicilie These herds and flocks if to the Deitie Ye leaue as sacred things vntoucht and on Goe with all fit care of your home alone Though through some sufferance you yet sase shall land In wished Ithacâ— But if impious hand You lay on those herds to their hurts I then Presage sure ruine to thy â—hip and men If thou escap'st thy selfe extending home Thy long'd for landing thou shalt loded come With store of losses most exceeding late And not consorted with a saued mate This said the golden-thron'd Aurora rose She her way went and I did mine dispose Vp to my ship weigh'd Anchor and away When reuerend Circe helpt vs to conuaie Our vessell safe by making well inclind A Sea mans true companioâ— a forewind With which she filld our sailes when fitting all Our Armes close by vs I did sadly fall To graue relation what conceâ—nd in Fate My friends to know and told them that the state Of our affaires successe which Circe had Presag'd to me alone must yet be made To one nor onely two knowne but to all That since their liues and deaths were left to fall In their elections theâ—â—ight life elect And giue what would preserue it fit effect I first inform'd them that we were to flie The heauenly-singing Sireâ—s harmony And flowre-adorned Medow And that I Had charge to
heare their song but fâ—tteâ—d â—â—st In bands vnfauor'd to th'erected Mast From whence if I should pray or vse command To be enlarg'd they should with much more â—and Containe my struglings This I simply told To each particular nor would withold What most enioyn'd mine owne affections stay That theirs the rather might be taught t' obay In meane time flew our ships and straight we fetcht The Sirens Ile a spleenelesse wind so stretcht Her wings to waft vs and so vrg'd our keele But hauing reacht this Ile we could not â—eele The least gaspe of it it was striken dead And all the Sea in prostrate slumber spread The Sirens diuell charm'd all Vp then flew My friends to worke strooke saile together drew And vnder hatches stowd them sat and plied Their polisht oares and did in curls diuide The white-head waters My part then came on A mighty waxen Cake I set vpon Chopt it in fragments with my sword and wrought With strong hand euery peece till all were soft The great powre of the Sunne in such a beame As then flew burning from his Diademe To liquefaction helpt vs. Orderlie I stopt their eares and they as faire did ply My feete and hands with cords and to the Mast With other halsers made me soundly fast Then tooke they seate and forth our passage strooke The fomie Sea beneath their labour shooke Rowd on in reach of an erected voice The Sirens soone tooke note without our noice Tun'd those sweete accents that made charmes so strong And these learn'd numbers made the Sirens song Come here thou worthy of a world of praise That dost so high the Grecian glory raise Vlysses stay thy ship and that song heare That none past â—uer but it bent his eare But left him râ—uish and instructed more By vs then any euer heard before For we know all things whatsoeuer were In wide Troy labour'd whatsoeuer there The Grecians and the Troians both sustain'd By those high issues that the Gods ordain'd And whatsoeuer all the earth can show T' informe a knowledge of desert we know This they gaue accent in the sweetest straine That euer open'd an enamour'd vaine When my constrain'd heart needs would haue mine eare Yet more delighted force way forth and heare To which end I commanded with all signe Sterne lookes could make for not a ioynt of mine Had powre to stirre my friends to rise and giue My limbs free way They freely striu'd to driue Their ship still on When farre from will to lose Eurylochus and Perimedes rose To wrap me surer and opprest me more With many a halser then had vse before When rowing on without the reach of sound My friends vnstopt their eares and me vnbound And that I le quite we quitted But againe Fresh feares emploid vs. I beheld a maine Of mighty billows and a smoke ascend A horrid murmure hearing Euery friend Astonisht sat from euery hand his oare Fell quite forsaken with the dismall Rore Where all things there made Echoes stone still stood Our ship it selfe because the ghastly flood Tooke all mens motions from her in their owne I through the ship went labouring vp and downe My friends recouerd spirits One by one I gaue good words and said That well were knowne These ills to them before I told them all And that those could not proue more capitall Then those the Cyclop blockt vs vp in yet My vertue wit and heauen-helpt Counsailes set Their freedomes open I could not beleeue But they rememberd it and wisht them giue My equall care and meanes now equall trust The strength they had for stirring vp they must Rouze and extend to trie if Ioue had laid His powres in theirs vp and would adde his aid To scape euen that death In particular then I told our Pylot that past other men He most must beare firme spirits since he swaid The Continent that all our spirits conuaid In his whole guide of her He saw there boile The fierie whirlpooles that to all our spoile Inclosde a Rocke without which he must stere Or all our ruines stood concluded there All heard me and obaid and little knew That shunning that Rocke sixe of them should rue The wracke another hid For I conceal'd The heauy wounds that neuer would be heal'd To be by Scylla opened for their feare Would then haue robd all of all care to stere Or stirre an oare and made them hide beneath When they and all had died an idle death But then euen I forgot to shunne the harme Circe forewarnd who willd I should not arme Nor shew my selfe to Sâ—ylla lest in vaine I ventur'd life Yet could not I containe But arm'd at all parts and two lances tooke Vp to the foredecke went and thence did looke That Rockie Scylla would haue first appear'd And taken my life with the friends I feard From thence yet no place could afford her sight Though through the darke rocke mine eye threw her light And ransackt all waies I then tooke a streight That gaue my selfe and some few more receipt Twixt Scylla and Charybdis whence we saw How horridly Charybdis throat did draw The brackish sea vp which when all abroad She spit againe out neuer Caldron sod With so much feruor fed with all the store That could enrage it All the Rocke did rore With troubl'd waters round about the tops Of all the steepe crags flew the fomy drops But when her draught the sea and earth dissunderd The troubl'd bottoms turnd vp and she thunderd Farre vnder shore the swart sands naked lay Whose whole sterne sight the startl'd blood did fray From all our faces And while we on her Our eyes bestowd thus to our ruines feare Sixe friends had Scylla snatcht out of our keele In whom most losse did force and virtue feele When looking to my ship and lending eye To see my friends estates their heeles turnd hie And hands cast vp I might discerne and heare Their calles to me for helpe when now they were To try me in their last extremities And as an Angler medcine for surprise Of little fish sits powring from the rocks From out the crookt horne of a fold-bred Oxe And then with his long Angle hoists them hie Vp to the Aire then sleightly hurles them by When helplesse sprauling on the land they lie So easely Scylla to her Rocke had rapt My wofull friends and so vnhelpt entrapt Strugling they lay beneath her violent rape Who in their tortures desperate of escape Shriekt as she tore and vp their hands to me Still threw for sweeâ—e life I did neuer see In all my sufferance ransacking the seas A spectacle so full of miseries Thus hauing fled these rocks these cruell dames Scylla Charybdis where the king of flames Hath offerings burnd to him our ship put in The Iland that from all the earth doth winne The Epithete Fâ—ultlesse where the broad of head And famous Oxen for the Sunne are fed With many fat flocks of that high-gone God Set in my
ship mine eare reacht where we rod The bellowing of Oxen and the bleate Of fleecie sheepe that in my memories seate Put vp the formes that late had bene imprest By dread Aeaean Circe and the best Of Soules and Prophets the blind Thebâ—â— Seer The wise Tiresias who was graue decreer Of my returnes whole meanes Of which this one In chiefe he vrg'd that I should alwaies shunne The Iland of the Man-delighting Sunne When sad at heart for our late losse I praid My friends to heare fit counsaile though dismaid With all ill fortunes which was giuen to me By Circes and Tiresias Prophecie That I should flie the I le where was ador'd The Comfort of the world for ills abhorr'd Were ambusht for vs there and therefore willd They should put off and leaue the I le This kill'd Their tender spirits when Eurylochuâ— A speech that vext me vtter'd answering thus Cruell Vlysses Since thy nerues abound In strength the more spent and no toyles confound Thy able lims as all beate out of steele Thou ablest vs to as vnapt to feele The teeth of Labor and the spoile of Sleepe And therefore still wet wast vs in the deepe Nor let vs land to eate but madly now In Night put forth and leaue firme land to strow The Sea with errors All the rabide flight Of winds that ruine ships are bred in Night Who is it that can keepe off cruell Death If suddainly should rush out th' angry breath Of Notus or the eager-spirited West That cuffe ships dead and do the Gods their best Serue black Night still with shore meate sleepe and ease And offer to the Morning for the seas This all the rest approu'd and then knew I That past all doubt the diuell did apply His slaughterous works Nor would they be withheld I was but one nor yeelded but compell'd But all that might containe them I assaid A sacred oath on all their powres I laid That if with herds or any richest flocks We chanc't t' encounter neither sheepe nor Oxe We once should touch nor for that constant ill That followes folly scorne aduice and kill But quiet sit vs downe and take such food As the immortall Circe had bestowd They swore all this in all seuerst sort And then we ancord in the winding Port Neare a fresh Riuer where the longdâ— for shore They all flew out to tooke in victles store And being full thought of their friends and wept Their losse by Scylla weeping till they slept In Nights third part when stars began to stoope The Cloud-assembler put a Tempst vp A boistrous spirit he gaue it draue out all His flocks of clouds and let such darknesse fall That Earth and Seas for feare to hide were driuen For with his clouds he thrust out Night from heauen At Morne we drew our ships into a caue In which the Nyâ—phs that Phoebus cattaile draue Faire dancing Roomes had and their seates of State I vrg'd my friends then that to shunne their Fate They would obserue their oath and take the food Our ship afforded nor attempt the blood Of those faire Herds and Flocks because they were That dreadfull Gods that all could see and heare They stood obseruant and in that good mind Had we bene gone but so aduerse the wind Stood to our passage that we could not go For oâ—e whole moneth perpetually did blow Impetuous Notus not a breaths repaire But his and Eurus rul'd in all the Aire As long yet as their ruddy wine and bread Stood out amongst them so long not a head Of all those Oxen fell in any strife Amongst those students for the gut and life But when their victles faild they fell to prey Necessitie compell'd them then to stray In rape of fish and fowle what euer came In reach of hand or 〈◊〉 the bellies flame Afflicted to it I then fell to praire And making to a close Retreate repaire Free from both friends and winds I washt my hands And all the Gods besought that held commands In liberall heauen to yeeld some meane to stay Their desperate hunger and set vp the way Of our returne restraind The Gods in steed Of giuing what I prayd for powre of deed A deedlesse sleepe did on my lids distill For meane to worke vpon my friends their fill For whiles I slept there wak't no meane to curb Their headstrong wants which he that did disturb My rule in chiefe at all times and was chiefe To all the rest in counsaile to their griefe Knew well and of my present absence tooke His fit adâ—antage and their iron strooke At highest heate For feeling their desire In his owne Entrailes to allay the fire That Famine blew in them he thus gaue way To that affection Heare what I shall say Though words will stanch no hunger euery death To vs poore wretches that draw temporall bâ—eath You know is hatefull but all know to die The Death of Famine is a miserie Past all Death loathsome Let vs therefore take The chiefe of this faire herd and offerings make To all the Deathlesse that in broad heauen liue And in particular vow if we arriue In naturall Ithaca to strait erect A Temple to the haughtie in aspect Rich and magnificent and all within Decke it with Relicks many and diuine If yet he stands incenst since we haue slaine His high-browd herd and therefore will sustaine Desire to wracke our ship he is but one And all the other Gods that we attone With our diuine Rites will their suffâ—age giue To our design'd returne and let vs liue If not and all take part I rather craue To serue with one sole Death the yawning waue Then in a desert Iland lie and sterue And with one pin'd life many deaths obserue All cried He counsailes nobly and all speed Made to their resolute driuing For the feed Of those coleblacke faire broad-browd Sun-lou'd Beeues Had place close by our ships They tooke the liues Of sence most eminent About their fall Stood round and to the States celestiall Made solemne vowes But other Rites their ship Could not afford them they did therefore strip The curld-head Oke of fresh yong leaues to make Supply of seruice for their Barly cake And on the sacredly enflam'd for wine Powrd purest water all the parts diuine Spitting and rosting all the Rites beside Orderly vsing Then did light diuide My low and vpper lids when my repaire Made neare my ship I met the delicate ayre Their rost exhal'd Out instantly I cried And said O Ioue and all ye Deified Ye haue opprest me with a cruell sleepe While ye conferd on me a losse as deepe As Death descends to To themselues alone My rude men left vngouernd they haue done A deed so impious I stand well assur'd That you will not forgiue though ye procur'd Then flew Lempetie with the ample Robe Vp to her Father with the golden Globe Ambassadresse t' informe him that my men Had slaine his Oxen. Heart-incensed then He cried Reuenge me
touch But lost his life by Female bribery Yet two sonnes author'd his posterity Alcinaon and renown'd Amphilochus Mantius had yssue Polyphidius And Clytus But Aurora rauish't him For excellence of his admired lim And interested him amongst the Gods His Brother knew mens good and bad abods The best of all men after the decease Of him that perish't in vnnaturall peace At spacious Thebes Apollo did inspire His knowing soule with a Propheticke fire VVho angry with his Father tooke his way To Hyperesia where making stay He prophesied to all men and had there A Sonne call'd Theoclymenus who here Came to Telemachus and found abord Himselfe at Sacrifice whom in a word He thus saluted O Friend since I finde Euen heere at Ship a sacrificing minde Informe your actions By your sacrifice And by that worthy choise of Deities To whom you offer by your selfe and all These men that serue your course maritimall Tell one that askes the truth Nor giue it glose Both who and whence you are From what seed rose Your royall person And what Cities Tow'rs Hold habitation to your parents pow'rs He answer'd Stranger The sure truth is this I am of Ithaca my Father is Or was Vlysses but austere death now Takes his state from him whose euent to know Himselfe being long away I set forth thus With ship and souldiers Thâ—oclymenus As freely said And I to thee am fled From forth my country for a man strooke dead By my vnhappy hand who was with me Of one selfe-Tribe and of his pedigree Are many Friends and Brothers and the sway Of Achiue Kindred reacheth farre away From whom because I feare their spleenes suborne Blood and blacke fate against me being borne To be a wandrer among forreigne men Make thy faire ship my rescue and sustein My life from slaughter Thy deseruings may Performe that mâ—râ—y and to them I pray Nor will I barre said he thy will to make My meanes and equall ship thy ayde but take With what wee haue heere in all friendly vse Thy life from any violence that pursues Thus tooke he in his Lance and it extended Aloft the hatches which himselfe ascended The Prince tooke seate at Sterne on his right hand Set Theoclymenus and gaue command To all his men to arme and see made fast Amidst the hollow Keele the Beechen Mast VVith able halâ—ers hoise saile lanch which soone He saw obay'd And then his Ship did runne A merry course Blew-ey'd Minerua sent A fore-right gale tumultuous vehement Along the aire that her waies vtmost yeeld The ship might make and plough the brackish field Then set the Sun and Night black't all the waies The ship with Ioues wind wing'd wher th' Epian swaies Fetcht â—heras first then Elis the diuine And then for those Isles made that Sea-ward shine For forme and sharpnesse like a Lances head About which lay the wooers ambushed On which he rush't to try if he could scape His plotted death or serue Her treacherous Rape And now returne we to Eumaeus Shed VVhere at their foode with others marshalled Vlysses and his noble Herdsman sate To try if whose loues curious estate Stood firme to his abode or felt it fade And so would take each best cause to perswade His Guest to Towne Vlysses thus contends Heare me Eumaeus and ye other Friends Next Morne to Towne I couet to be gone To beg some others almes not still charge one Aduise me well then and as well prouide I may be fitted with an honest guide For through the streets since Need will haue it so I le tread to try if any will bestow A dish of drinke on me or bit of bread Till to Vlysses house I may be led And there I le tell all-wise Penelope newes Mix with the wooers pride and since they vse To fare aboue the full their hands excite To some small Feast from out their infinite For which I le waite and play the Seruingman Fairely enough command the most they can For I will tell thee note me well and heare That if the will be of heauens Messenger VVho to the workes of men of any sort Can grace infuse and glory nothing short Am I of him that doth to most aspire In any seruice as to builde a Fire To cleaue sere wood to roast or boile their meat To waite at boord mixe wine or know the Neate Or any worke in which the poore-cal'd worst To serue the rich-cal'd best in Fate are forc't He angry with him said Alas poore Guest VVhy did this counsaile euer touch thy brest Thou seek'st thy vtter spoyle beyond all doubt If thou giu'st venture on the Wooers rout VVhose wrong the force affects the Iron heauen Their light delights are farre from being giuen To such graue Seruitors Youths richly trick't In coats or Cassocks Lockes diuinely slickt And lookes most rapting euer haue the gift To taste their crown'd cups â—and full Trenchers shift Their Tables euer like their Glasses shine Loaded with bread with varied flesh and wine And thou go thither Stay for heere do none Grudge at thy presence nor my selfe nor one Of all I feed But when Vlysses sonne Againe shall greet vs he shall put thee on Both coat and cassocke and thy quicke retreat Set where thy heart and soule desire thy seat Industrious Vlysses gaue reply I still much wish that heauens chiefe Deity Lou'd thee as I do that hast easde my minde Of woes and wandrings neuer yet confin'de Nought is more wretched in a 〈…〉 Then Countries want and shift from place to place But for the banefull belly men take care Beyond good counsaile whosoeuer are In compasse of the wants it vndergoes By wandrings losses or dependant woes Excuse me therefore if I err'd at home VVhich since thou wilt make heere as ouercome VVith thy command for stay I le take on me Cares appertaining to this place like thee Does then Vlysses Sire and Mother breath Both whom he left in th'age next doore to death Or are they breathlesse and descended where The darke house is that neuer day doth cleere Laertes liues saide he but euery howre Beseecheth Ioue to take from him the powre That ioynes his life and limbes for with a mone That breeds a meruaile he laments his sonne Depriu'd by death And addes to that another Of no lesse depth for that dead sonnes dead Mother VVhom he a Virgin wedded which the more Makes him lament her losse and doth deplore Yet more her misse because her wombe the truer Was to his braue sonne and his slaughter slue her VVhich last loue to her doth his liâ—e engage And makes him liue an vndigested age O! such a death she died as neuer may Seize any one that heere beholds the day That either is to any man a friend Or can a woman kill in such a kind As long as she had Being I would be A still Inquirer since t' was deere to me Though death to her to heare his
whom our ambush lay And yet hath God to his returne giuen way But let vs prosecute with counsailes here His necessary death nor any where Let rest his safety for if he suruiue Our sailes will neuer in wisht Hauens arriue Since he is wise hath soule and counsaile to To worke the people who will neuer do Our faction fauour What we then intend Against his person giue we present end Before he call a counsaile which beleeue His spirit will hast point where it doth greeue Stand vp amongst them all and vrge his death Decreed amongst vs. Which complaint will breath A fire about their spleenes and blow no praise On our ill labours Lest they therefore raise Pow'r to exile vs from our Natiue earth And force our liues societies to the birth Of forreigne countries let our speeds preuent His comming home to this austere complaint At field and farre from Towne or in some way Of narrow passage with his latest day Shewne to his forward youth his goods and lands Left to the free diuision of our hands The Moouables made al his Mothers dowre And his who-euer Fate affoords the powre To celebrate with her sweet Hymeâ—s rites Or if this please not but your appetites Stand to his safety and to giue him â—eate In his whole birth-right let vs looke to eate At his cost neuer more but euery man Haste to his home and wed with whom he can At home and there lay first about for dowre And then the woman giue his second powre Of Nuptiall liking And for last apply His purpose with most gifts and destiny This silence caus'd whose breach at last begon Amphinomus the much renowned Son Of Nisus surnam'd Aretiades VVho from Dulychius full of flowry Leas Led all the wooers and in chiefe did please The Queene with his discourse because it grew From rootes of those good mindes that did indue His goodly person who exceeding wiâ—e Vs'd this speech Friends I neuer will aduiâ—e The Princes death for 't is a damned thing To put to death the yssue of a King First therefore let 's examine what applause The Gods will giue it If the equall Lawes Of Ioue approoue it I my selfe will be The man shall kill him and this companie Exhort to that minde If the Gods remaine Aduerse and hate it I aduise refraine This said Amphinomus and pleas'd them all VVhen all arose and in Vlysses Hall Tooke seate againe Then to the Queene was come The wooers plot to kill her sonne at home Since their abroad designe had mist successe The Herald Medon who the whole addresse Knew of their counsailes making the report The Goddesse of her sex with her faire sort Of louely women at the large Hals dore Her bright cheekes clouded with a veile shee wore Stood and directed to Antinous Her sharpe reproofe which she digested thus Antinous composde of iniury Plotter of mischiefe Though reports that flye Amongst our Ithacensian people say That thou of all that glory in their sway Art best in words and counsailes Th' art not so Fond busie fellow why plott'st thou the wo And slaughter of my Son and dost not feare The Presidents of suppliants when the eare Of Ioue stoopes to them 'T is vniust to do Slaughter for slaughter or pay woe for wo Mischiefe for kindnesse Death for life sought then Is an iniustice to be loath'd of men Serues not thy knowledge to remember when Thy Father fled to vs who mou'd to wrath Against the Taphian theeues pursu'd with scath The guiltlesse Thesprots in whose peoples feare Pursuing him for wreake he landed here They after him professing both their prize Of all his chiefly valew'd Faculties And more prizâ—d life Of all whose bloodiest ends Vlysses curb'd them though they were his frends Yet thou like one that no Law will allow The least true honor eat'st his house vp now That fed thy Father woo'st for loue his wife VVhom thus thou grieu'st seek'st her sole sons life Ceasse I command thee and command the rest To see all thought of these foule fashions eeast Eurymachus replyed Be confident Thou all of wit made the most fam'd descent Of King Icarius Free thy spirits of feare There liues not any one nor shall liue here Now nor hereafter while my life giues heat And light to me on earth that dares entreat VVith any ill touch thy well-loued Sonne But heere I vow and heere will see it done His life shall staine my Lance. If on his knees The City-racer Laertâ—ades Hath made me sit put in my hand his foode And held his red wine to me shall the bloode Of his Telemachus on my hand lay The least pollution that my life can stay No I haue euer charg'd him not to feare Deaths threat from any And for that most deare Loue of his Father he shall euer be Much the most louâ—d of all that liue to me Who kils a guiltlesse man from Man may flye From God his searches all escapes deny Thus cheer'd his words but his affections still Fear'd not to cherish foule intent to kill Euen him whose life to all liues he prefer'd â—he Queene went vp and to her loue appear'd Her Lord so freshly that she wept till sleepe By Pallas forc't on her her eyes did steepe In his sweet humor When the Euen was come The God-like Herdsman reacht the whole way home Vlysses and his Son for supper drest A yeare-old Swine and ere their Host and Guest Had got their presence Pallas had put by With her faire rod Vlysses royalty And render'd him an aged man againe VVith all his vile Integuments lest his Swaine Should know him in his trim tell his Queene In these deepe secrets being not deeply seene He seene to him the Prince these words did vse VVelcome diuine Eumaeus Now what newes Imployes the City Are the wooers come Backe from their Scout dismaid Or heere at home VVill they againe attempt me He replied These touch not my care I was satisfied To do with most speed what I went to do My message done returne And yet not so Came my newes first a Herald met with there Fore-stal'd my Tale and told how safe you were Besides which meerely necessary thing What in my way chanc't I may ouer-bring Being what I know and witnest with mine eyes Where the Hermaean Sepulcher doth rise Aboue the City I beheld take Port A Ship and in her many a man of sort Her freight was shields and Lances and me thought They were the wooers but of knowledge nought Can therein tell you The Prince smil'd and knew They were theâ—wooers casting secret view Vpon his Father But what they intended Fled far the Herdsman whose Swaines labors ended They drest the Supper which past want was eat VVhen all desire suffic'd of wine and meat Of other humane wants they tooke supplies At Sleepes soft hand who sweetly clos'd their eies The End of the xvi Booke THE SEVENTEENTH BOOKE OF HOMERS ODYSSES.
made him tosse apace you haue not tride A fellow roasting of a Pig before A hasty fire his belly yeelding store Of fat and blood turne faster labour more To haue it roast and would not haue it burne Then this and that way his vnrest made turne His thoughts and body would not quench the fire And yet not haue it heighten his desire Past his discretion and the fit enough Of hast and speed that went to all the proofe His well-laid plots and his exploits requir'd Since he but one to all their deaths aspir'd In this contention Pallas stoop't from heauen Stood ouer him and had her presence giuen A womans forme who sternly thus began Why thou most sowre and wretched-fated man Of all that breath yet liest thou thus awake The house in which thy cares so tosse and take Thy quiet vp is thine thy wife is there And such a Son as if thy wishes were To be suffic'd with one they could not mend Goddesse said he t is true But I contend To right their wrongs and though I bee but one To lay vnhelpt and wreakfull hand vpon This whole resort of impudents that here Their rude assemblies neuer will forbeare And yet a greater doubt imployes my care That if their slaughters in my reaches are And I performe them Ioue and you not pleas'd How shall I flye their friends would stand seas'd Of counsaile to resolue this care in me Wretch she replied a friend of worse degree Might win thy credence that a mortall were And vs'd to second thee though nothing nere So powerfull in performance nor in care Yet I a Goddesse that haue still had share In thy atchieuements and thy persons guard Must still be doubted by thy Braine so hard To credit any thing aboue thy powre And that must come from heauen if euery houre There be not personall apparance made And aide direct giuen that may sense inuade I le tell thee therefore cleerely If there were Of diuers languag'd men an Army here Of fifty Companies all driuing hence Thy Sheepe and Oxen and with violence Offer'd to charge vs and besiedge vs round Thou shouldst their prey reprize them confound Let sleepe then seize thee To keepe watch all Night Consumes the spirits and makes dull the sight Thus pour'd the Goddesse sleepe into his eyes And re-ascended the Olympian skies VVhen care-and-lineament-resoluing sleepe Had laide his temples in his golden steepe His wise-in-chast-wit-worthy-wife did rise First sitting vp in her soft bed her eyes Opened with teares in care of her estate VVhich now her friends resolu'd to terminate To more delaies and make her marry one Her silent teares then ceast her Orizon This Queene of women to Diana made Reuerend Diana let thy Darts inuade My wofull bosome and my life depriue Now at this instant or soone after driue My soule with Tempests forth and giue it way To those farre-off darke Vaults where neuer day Hath powre to shine and let them cast it downe Where refluent Oceanus doth crowne His curled head where Pluto's Orchard is And entrance to our after miseries As such sterne whirlewinds rauisht to that streame Pandareus daughters when the Gods to them Had reft their parents and them left alone Poore orphan children in their Mansion VVhose desolate life did loues sweet Queene incline To nurse with pressed Milke and sweetest wine VVhom Iuno deckt beyond all other Dames VVith wisedomes light and beauties mouing flames VVhom Phoebe goodlinesse of stature render'd And to whose faire hands wise Minerua tender'd The Loome and Needle in their vtmost skill And while Loues Empresse skal'd th' Olympian hill To beg of Lightning-louing Ioue since hee The meanes to all things knowes and doth decree Fortunes infortunes to the mortall Race For those poore virgins the accomplisht grace Of sweetest Nuptials The fierce Harpyes prey'd On euery good miserable Maid And to the hatefull Furies gaue them all In horrid seruice Yet may such Fate fall From steepe Olympus on my loathed head Or faireâ—â—hair'd â—hoebe strike me instant dead That I may vndergo the gloomy Shore To visit great Vlysses soule before I sooth my idle blood and wed a wurse And yet beneath how desperate a curse Do I liâ—e now It is an ill that may Be well indur'd to mourne the whole long day So nights sweete sleepes that make a man forget Both bad and good in some degree would let My thoughts leaue greeuing But both day and night Some cruell God giues my sad memory sight This night me thought Vlysses grac't my bed In all the goodly state with which he led The Grecian Army which gaue ioyes extreame To my distresse esteeming it no dreame But true indeed and that conceite I had That when I saw it false I might be mad Such cruell Fates command in my lifes guide By this the mornings Orient dewes had di'de The earth in all her colours when the King In his sweet sleepe suppos'd the sorrowing That she vi'd waking in her plaintiffe bed To be her mourning standing by his head As hauing knowne him there VVho straight arose And did againe within the Hall dispose The Carpets and the Cushions where before They seru'd the seats The Hide without the dore He carried backe then with held vp hands He pray'd to him that heauen earth commands O Father Ioue If through the moyst and dry You willing brought me home when misery Had punisht me enough by your free doomes Let some of these within those inner roomes Startl'd with horror of some strange Ostent Come heere tell me that great Ioue hath bent Threatnings without at some lewd men within To this his pray'r Ioue shooke his sable chin And thunder'd from those pure clouds that aboue The breathing aire in bright Olympus moue Diuine Vlysses ioy'd to heare it rore Report of which a woman Miller bore Straight to his eares For neere to him there ground Milles for his Corne that twice six women found Continuall motion grinding Barley meale And wheat mans Marrow Sleepe the eies did seale Of all the other women hauing done Their vsuall taske which yet this Dame alone Had scarse giuen end to being of al the rest Least fit for labour But when these sounds prest Her eares aboue the rumbling of her Mill She let that stand look't out and heauens steepe hill Saw cleere and temperate which made her vnware Of giuing any comfort to his care In that strange signe he pray'd for thus inuoke O King of men and Gods a mighty stroke Thy thundring hand laide on the cope of starres No cloud in all the aire and therefore warres Thou bidst to some men in thy sure Ostent Performe to me poore wretch the maine euent And make this day the last and most extream In which the wooers pride shall solace them With whoorish Banquets in Vlysses Roofe That with sad toyle to grinde them meale enough Haue quite dissolu'd my knees vouchsafe then now Thy thunders may their
whirlepit doth to gather in To fishy death those swimmers in their sin Or feeds a motion as circulare To driue my Herds away But while the Son Beares vp with life t' were hainous wrong to ron To other people with them and to trust Men of another earth and yet more iust It were to venture their Lawes an maine right Made stil their Maisters then at home lose quite Their right and them and sit and greeue to see The wrong authoriz'd by their gluttonie And I had long since fled and tried th' euent VVith other proud Kings since more insolent These are then can be borne But that euen stil I had a hope that this though borne to ill VVould one day come from some coast their last In his roofes strew with ruines red and vast Herdsman said he because thou art in show Nor lewd nor indiscreete and that I know There rules in thee an vnderstanding soule I l'e take an oath that in thee shall controule All doubt of what I sweare be witnesse Ioue That swai'st the first Seate of the thron'd aboue This hospitable Table and this house That still holds title for the strenuous Sonne of Laertes that if so you please Your eyes shall witnesse Laertiades Arriu'd at home and all these men that raigne In such excesses heere shall heere lye slaine He answer'd Stranger would inst Ioue wold signe What you haue sworne in your eyes beams should shine What powers I mannage and how these my hands VVould rise and follow where he first commands So said Eumaeus praying all the Sky That wise Vlysses might arriue and trie Thus while they vow'd the wooers sat as hard On his Sons death but had their coâ—nsels skar'd For on their left hand did an Eagle â—ore And in her seres a fearefull Pigeon bore VVhich seene Amphinomus presa'gd O friends Our Counsailes neuer will receiue their ends In this mans slaughter let vs therefore plie Our bloody feast and make his Oxen die Thus came they in cast off on seates their cloakes And fell to giuing sacrificing strokes Of Sheepe and Goates the cheefely fat and great Slew fed vp Swine and from the Heard a Neate The inwards roasted they disposd'e betwixt Their then obseruers wine in Flaggons mixt The bolles Eumaeus brought Pâ—ilaetius bread Melanthus fill'd the wine Thus dranke and fed The feastfull wooers Then the Prince in grace Of his close proiect did his Father place Amids the paued Entrie in a Seate Seemelesse and abiect a small boord and meate Of th' onely inwards In a cup of gold Yet sent him wine and bad him now drinke bolde All his approches he himselfe would free Gainst all the wooers since he would not see His Court made populare but that his Sire Built it to his vse Therefore all the fire Blowne in the wooers spleenes he bad suppresse And that in hands nor words they â—hould digresse From that set peace his speech did then proclaime They bit their lips and wondred at his aime Iâ— that braue Language when Antinons saide Though this speech Grecians be a meere vpbraide Yet this time giue it passe The will of Ioâ—e Forbids the violence of our hands to moue But of our tongues we keepe the motion free And therefore if his further iollity Tempt our encounter with his Braues let 's checke His growing insolence though pride to speake Fly passing high with him The wise Prince made No more spring of his speech but let it fade And now the Heralds bore about the Towne The sacred Hecatombe to whose renowne The faire-haird Greekes assembl'd and beneath Apollo's shady wood the holy death They put to fire which made enough they drew Diuided all that did in th' end accrew To glorious satisfaction Those that were Disposers of the Feast did equall cheere Bestow on wretched Laertiades With all the wooers soules It so did please Telemachus to charge them And for these Minerua would not see the malices The wooers bore too much contain'd that so Vlysses mou'd heart yet might higher flow In wreakfull anguish There was wooing there Amongst the rest a Gallant that did â—eare The name of one well learn'd in iests prophane His name Ctesippus borne a Samiane Who proud because his Father was so rich Had so much confidence as did bewitch His heart with hope to wed Vlysses wife And this man said Heare me my Lords in strife For this great widdow This her guest did share Euen feast with vs with very comely care Of him that order'd it For 't is not good Nor equall to depriue Guests of their food And specially what euer guest makes way To that house where Telemachus doth sway And therefore I will adde to his receipt A gift of very hospitable weight VVhich he may giue againe to any Maide That bath's his graue feete and her paines see paide Or any seruant else that the diuine Vlysses lofty Battlements confine Thus snatcht he with a valiant hand from oâ—â— The poore folkes commune basket a Neat foot And threw it at Vlysses who his head Shrunke quietly aside and let it shed His malice on the wall The suffering man A laughter raising most Sardinian VVith scorne and wrath mixt at the Samian VVhom thus the Prince reprou'd Your valour wan Much grace Ctesippus and hath eas'd your minde VVith mighty profit yet you see it finde No marke it aim'd at the poore strangers part Himselfe made good enough to scape your Dart. But should I serue thee worthily my Lance Should strike thy heart through in place t' aduance Thy selfe in Nuptials with his wealth thy Sire Should make thy toomb heere that the foolish fire Of all such valors may not dare to show These foule indecencies to me I now Haue yeares to vnderstand my strength and know The good and bad of things and am no more At your large sufferance to behold my store Consum'd with patience See my Cattell slaine My wine exhausted and my Bread in vaine Spent on your license For to one then yong So many enemies were match too strong But let me neuer more be witnesse to Your hostile minds Nor those base deeds ye do For should ye kill me in my offred wreake I wish it rather and my death would speake Much more good of me then to liue and â—ee Indignity vpon indignity My Guests prouok't with bitter words and blowes My women seruants dragg'd about my house To lust and rapture This made silence seize The house throughout till Damastorides At length the calme brake and said Friend forbeare To giue a iust speech a disdainfull eare The Guest no more touch nor no seruant here My selfe will to the Prince and Queene commend A motion gratefull if they please to lend Gratefull receite as long as any hope Left wise Vlysses any passage ope To his returne in our conceits so long The Queenes delayes to our demands stood strong In cause and reason and our quarrels thus With guests the Queene or her Telemachus Set neuer
now began To taste the Bow the sharpe shaft tooke tug'd hard And held aloft and till he quite had marr'd His delicate tender fingers could not stir The churlish string who therefore did refer The game to others saying that same Bow In his presage would proue the ouerthrow Of many a chiefe man there nor thought the Fate VVas any whit austere since Deathâ— short daâ—e Were much the better taken then long life Without the ohiect of their amorous strife For whom they had burn'd out so many dayes To finde still other nothing but delayes Obtaining in them and affirm'd that now Some hop't to haue her but when that tough Bow They all had tried and seene the vtmost done They must rest pleasd to cease and now some one Of all their other faire veyl'd Grecian Dames VVith gifts and dow'r and Hymeneal Flames Let her loue light to him that most will giue And whom the Nuptiall destiny did driue Thus laid he on the well-ioyn'd polâ—sht Bord The Bow and bright-pil't shaft and then restor'd His seate his right To him Antinous Gaue bitter language and reprou'd him thus VVhat words Liodes passe thy speeches guard That 't is a worke to beare And set so hard They set vp my disdaine This Bow must end The best of vs since thy armes cannot lend The string least motion Thy Mothers throwes Brought neuer forth thy armes to draught of Bowes Or knitting shafts off Though thou canst not draw The sturdy Plant thou art to vs no law Melanthius Light a fire and set thereat A chaire and cushions that masse of fat That lyes within bring out that we may set Our Pages to this Bow to see it heat And suppl'd with the sueâ— and then wee May giue it draught and pay this great decree Vtmost performance He a mighty fire Gaue instant flame put into act th' entire Command layd on him Chaire and cushions set Laid on the Bow which straight the Pages het Chaft suppl'd with the Suet to their most And stiâ—l was all their Vnctuous labour lost All wooers strengths too indigent and pore To draw that Bow Antinous armes it tore Anâ— great Eurymachus the both cleere best Yet both it tir'd and made them glad to rest Forth then went both the Swaines and after them Diuine Vlysses when being past th' extreme Of all the Gates with winning words he tride Their loues and this askt Shall my counsailes hide Their depths from you My mind would gladly know If sodainly Vlysses had his Vow Made good for home and had some God to guide His steps and strokes to to wreak these wooers pride Would your aids ioyne on his part or with theirs How stand your hearts affected They made prayr's That some God would please to returne their Lord He then should see how farre they would affoord Their liues for his He seeing thâ—ir 〈◊〉 replied I am your Lord through 〈◊〉 any a sufferance â—â—ied Arriu'd now heere whom twenty yeares haue held From foorth my Country yet are not conceal'd From my sure knowledge your desires to see My safe returne Of all the company Now seruing heere besides not one but you Mine eare hath witnest willing to bestow Their wishes of my life so long held dead I therefore vow which shall be perfected That if God please beneath my hand to leaue These wooers liuelesse ye shall both receiue Wiues from that hand and meanes and neere to me Haue houses built to you and both shall be As friends and brothers to my onely Sonne And that ye well may know me and â—e â—onne To that assurance the infallible Signe The white-tooth'd Bore gâ—â—e this markt knee of mine When in Parnassus he was held in chase By me and by my famous Grandâ—ires race I l'e let you see Thus seuer'd he his weede From that his wound and euery word had deed In their sure knowledges VVhich made them cast Their armes about him his broade brest imbrac't His necke and shoulders kist And him as well Did those true powers of humane loue compell To kisse their heads and hands and to their mone Had sent the free light of the cheerefull Sunne Had not Vlysses broke the â—uth and saide Cease teares and sorrowes leâ—t wee proue displaide By some that issue from the house and they Relate to those within Take each his way Not altogether in but one by one First I then you and then see this be done The enuious wooers will by no meanes giue The offer of the Bow and Arrow leaue To come at me spight then their pride do thou My good Eumaeus bring both shaft and Bow To my hands proofe and charge the maides before That instantly they shut in euery doore That they themselues if any tumult rise Beneath my Roofes by any that enuies My will to vndertake the Game may gaine No passage forth but close at worke containe With all free quiet or at least constrain'd And therefore my Philaetius see maintain'd VVhen close the gates are shut their closure faâ—t To which end be it thy sole worke to cast Their chaines before them This said in he led Tooke first his feate and then they seconded His entry with their owne Then tooke in hand Eurymachus the Bow made close his stand Aside the fire at whose heate here and there He warm'd and suppl'd it yet could not stere To any draught the string with all his Art And therefore sweld in him his glorious heart Affirming that himselfe and all his friends Had cause to greeue Not onely that their ends They mist in marriage since enow besides Kinde Grecian Dames there liu'd to be their Brides In Ithaca and other bordering Townes But that to all times future their renownes VVould stand disparag'd if Vlysses Bow They could not drawe and yet his wife would woo Antinous answer'd That there could ensue No shame at all to them For well he knew That this day was kept holy to the Sâ—nne By all the City and there should be done No such prophane act therefore bad lay by The Bow for that day but the maistery â—f Axes that were set vp still might stand Since that no labour was nor any hand VVould offer to inuade Vlysses house To take or touch with surreptitious Or violent hand what there was left for vse He therefore bad the Cup 〈◊〉 infuse VVine to the Bolles that so with â—acrifice They might let rest the shooting exercise And in the morning make 〈◊〉 bring The cheefe Goats of his Herd that to the King Of Bowes and Archers they might burne the Thyes For good successe and then attempt the prize The rest sate pleasd with this the Heralds straite Pour'd water on their hands each Page did waite VVith his crown'd cup of wine seruâ—d 〈◊〉 man Till all were satisfied and then began Vlyssâ—s plot of his close purpose 〈◊〉 Heare me ye much renown'd Eurymachus And King Antinous in cheefe who well And with decorum sacred doth compell This dayes obseruance and to let lay
gates then were shut By kind Philaetius who straight did go From out the Hall and in the Portico Found laid a Gable of a Ship compos'd Of spongy Bulrushes with which hee clos'd In winding round about them the Court gates Then tooke his place againe to view the Fates That quickly follow'd When he came he saw Vlysses viewing ere he tried to draw The famous Bow which euery way he mou'd Vp and downe turning it in which he prou'd The plight it was in fearing chiefly lest The hornes were eate with wormes in so long rest But what his thoughts intended turning so And keeping such a search about the Bow The wooers little knowing fell to iest And said Past doubt he is a man profest In Bowyers craft and sees quite through the wood Or something certaine to be vnderstood There is in this his turning of it still A cunning Rogue he is at any ill Then spake another proud one Would to heauen I might at will get Gold till he hath geuen That Bow his draught with these sharp iests did these Delightsome wooâ—rs their fatall humors please But when the wise Vlysses once had laide His fingers on it and to proofe suruaide The stil sound plight it held As one of skill In song and of the Harpe doth at his will In tuning of his Instrument extend A string out with his pin touch all and lend To euery wel-wreath'd string his perfect sound Strooke all togither with such ease drew round The King the Bow Then twang'd he vp the string That as a Swallow in the aire doth sing VVith no continu'd tune but pausing still Twinkes out her scatter'd voice in accents shrill So sharpe the string sung when he gaue it touch Once hauing bent and drawne it Which so much Amaz'd the wooers that their colours went And came most grieuously And then Ioue rent The aire with thunder which at heart did chere The now-enough-sustaining Traueller Tha Ioue againe would his attempt enable Then tooke he into hand from off the Table The first drawne arrow and a number more Spent shortly on the wooers But this One He measur'd by his arme as if not knowne The lengâ—h were to him nockt it then and drew And â—hrough the Axes at the first hole flew The steele-chardg'd arrow which wheÌ„ he had done He thus bespake the Prince You haue not wonne Disgrace yet by your Guest for I haue strook The marke I shot at and no such toile tooke In wearying the Bow with fat and fire As did the wooers yet reseru'd entire Thanke heauen my strength is my selfe am tried No man to be so basely vilified As these men pleas'd to think me But free way Take that and all their pleasures and while Day Holds her Torch to you and the howre of feast Hath now full date giue banquet and the rest Poeme and Harpe that grace a wel-fill'd boorde This saide he beckn'd to his Sonne whose sword He straight girt to him tooke to hand his Lance And compleate arm'd did to his Sire aduance The End of the XXI Booke of Homers Odysses THE XXII BOOKE OF HOMERS ODYSSES. THE ARGVMENT THe Wooers in Mineruaes sight Slaine by Vlysses All the light And lustfull Hâ—swiues by his Sonne And seruants are to slaughter done Another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The end of Pride lawlesse Lust Is wretched tried with slaughters iust THe vpper rags that wise Vlysses wore Cast off he â—usheth to the great Hall dore With Bow and Quiuer full of shafts which downe He pour'd before his feet thus made known His true state to the wooers This strife thus Hath harmlesse bene decided Now for vs There rests another marke more hard to hit And such as neuer man before hath smit VVhose full point likewise my hands shall assay And try if Phoebus will giue me his day He said and off his bitter Arrow thrust Right at Antinous that strooke him iust As he was lifting vp the Bolle to show That 'twixt the cup lip much ill may grow Death toucht not at his thoughts at Feast for who VVould thinke that he alone could perish â—o Amongst so many And he best of all The Arrow in his throate tooke full his fall And thrust his head farre through the other side Downe fell his cup downe he downe all his pride Straight from his Nostrils gusht the humane gore And as he fell his feete farre ouerbore The feastfull Table all the Rost and Bread About the house strew'd VVhen his high-born head The rest beheld so low vp rusht they all And ransack't euery Corner of the Hall For Shields and Darts but all fled farre their reach Then fell they foule on him with terrible speach And told him it should proue the deerest shaft That euer past him and that now was saf't No shift for him but sure and sodaine death For he had slaine a man whose like did breath In no part of the Kingdome and that now He should no more for Gameâ— striue with his Bow But Vultures eate him there These threats they spent â—et euery man beleeu'd that sterne euent Chanc't 'gainst the authors will O Fooles to thinke That all their rest had any cup to drinke But what their great Antinous began He frowning saide Dogs see in me the man Ye all held dead at Troy My house it is That thus ye spoile that thus your Luxuries File with my womens rapes in which ye woo The wife of one that liues and no thought â—â—ow Of mans fit feare or Gods your present Fame Or any faire sence of your future name And therefore present and eternal death Shall end your base life This made fresh feares breath Their former boldnesse euery man had eye On all the meanes and studied wayes to flye So deepe deaths imminent But seeing none Eâ—rymachus began with suppliant mone To mooue his pitty saying If you be This Iles Vlysses we must all agree In grant of your reproofes integrity The Greekes haue done you many a wrong at home At field as many But of all the summe Lies heere contract in death For onely he Imposd the whole ill Offices that we Are now made guilty of and not so much Sought his endeuours or in thought did touch At any Nuptials but a greater thing Employ'd his forces For to be our King VVas his cheefe obiect his sole plot it was To kil your Son which Ioues hand would not passe But set it to his owne most merited end In which end your iust anger nor extend Your sterne wreake further Spend your royal pow'rs In milde ruth of your people we are yours And whatsoeuer waste of wine or food Our Liberties haue made wee 'le make all good In restitutions call a Court and passe A fine of twenty Oxen Gold and Brasse On euery Head and raise your most rates still Till you are pleasd with your confessed fill VVhich if we faile to tender all your wrath It shal be iustice in our bloods to bathe Eurymachus saide
Twice fiue and twenty women here that share All worke amongst them whom I taught to Spin And beare the iust bands that they suffer'd in Of all which onely there were twelue that gaue Themselues to impudence and light behaue Nor me respecting nor herselfe the Queene And for your Son he hath but lately bene Of yeares to rule Nor would his Mother beare His Empire where her womens labors were But let me go and giue her notice now Of your arriuall Sure some God doth show His hand vpon her in this rest she takes That all these vproâ—es beares and neuer wakes Nor wake her yet said he but cause to come Those twelue light women to this vtter roome She made all vtmost haste to come and go And bring the women he had summon'd so Then both his Swaines and Son he bad go call The women to their aide and cleere the Hall Of those dead bodies Clense each boord Throne VVith wetted Sponges which with fitnesse done He bad take all the Strumpets 'twixt the wall Of his first Court and that roome next the Hall In which the vessell of the house were scour'd And in their bosomes sheath their euery sword Till all their soules were fled and they had then Felt 't was but paine to sport with lawlesse men This said the women came all drown'd in mone And weeping bitterly But first was done The bearing thence the dead all which beneath The Portico they stow'd where death on death They heap't together Then tooke all the paines Vlysses will'd His Sonne yet and the Swaines VVith paring-shouels wrought The women bore Their parings forth and al the clotter'd gore The house then clensd they brought the women out And put them in a roome so wall'd about That no meanes seru'd their sad estates to flye Then saide Telemachus These shall not dye A death that lets out any wanton blood And vents the poison that gaue Lust her foode The body clensing but a death that chokes The breath and all together that prouokes And seemes as Bellowes to abhorred Lust That both on my head pour'd depraues vniust And on my Mothers scandaling the Court VVith men debaucht in so abhorr'd a sort This said a Halser of a ship they cast About a crosse beame of the roofe which fast They made about their neckes in twelue parts cut And hal'd them vp so high they could not put Their feete to any stay As which was done Looke how a Mauis or a Pygeon In any Groue caught with a Sprindge or Net VVith strugling Pinions 'gainst the ground doth beat Her tender body and that then-streight bed Is sowre to that swindge in which she was bred So striu'd these taken Birds till euery one Her pliant halter had enforc't vpon Her stubborne necke and then aloft was haul'd To wretched death A little space they sprauld Their feet fast mouing but were quickly still Then fetcht they downe Melanthius to fulfill The equall execution which was done In Portall of the Hall and thus begun They first slit both his Nose thrils cropt each eare His Members tugg'd off which the dogges did teare And chop vp bleeding sweet and while red hot Tâ—e vice-abhorring blood was off they smote His hands and feet and there that worke had end Then washt they hands feet that blood had steind And tooke the house againe And then the King Euryclea calling bad her quickly bring All ill-expelling Brimstone and some fire That with perfumes cast he might make entire The houses first integrity in all And then his timely will was she should call Her Queene and Ladies still yet charging her That all the Handmaids she should first confer She said he spake as fitted But before She held it fit to change the weeds he wore And she would others bring him that not so His faire broad shoulders might rest clad and show His person to his seruants was too blame First bring me Fire said he She went and came VVith fire sulphure straight with which the hall And â—f the huge house all roomes capitall He throughly sweetned Then went Nurse to call The Handmaid seruants downe vp she went To tell the newes and will'd them to present Their seruice to their Soueraigne Downe they came Sustaining Torches all and pour'd a flame Of Loue about their Lord with welcomes home VVith huggings of his hands with laborsome Both heads and fore-heads kisses and embraces And plyed him so with all their louing graces That teares and sighes tooke vp his whole desire For now he knew their hearts to him entire The End of the XXII Booke of Homers Odysses THE XXIII BOOKE OF HOMERS ODYSSES. THE ARGVMENT VLysses to his wife is knowne A briefe sum of his Trauailes shownâ— Himselfe his Son and Seruants go T' approue the Wooers ouerâ—hrow Another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For all annoyes sustain'd before The true wiuâ—s ioyes now made the more THe seruants thus inform'd the Matron goes Vp where the Queene was cast in such repose Affected with a feruent ioy to tell VVhat all this time she did with paine conceale Her knees reuokt their first strength and her feete Were borne aboue the ground with wings to greete The long-greeu'd Queene with newes her King was come And neere her said Wake Leaue this withdrawne roome That now your eyes may see at length though late The man return'd which all the heauy date Your woes haue rackt out you haue long'd to see Vlysses is come home and hath set free His Court of all your wooers slaughtering all For wasting so his goods with Fesâ—iuall His house so vexing and for violence done So all waies varied to his onely sonne She answer'd her The Gods haue made thee mad Of whose pow'r now thy pow'rs such proof haue had The Gods can blinde with follies wisest eies And make men foolish so to make them wise For they haue hurt euen thy graue braine that bore An vnderstanding spirit heretofore VVhy hast thou wak't me to more teares when Monâ— Hath turn'd my minde with teares into her owne Thy madnesse much more blamefull that with lyes Thy haste is loaden and both robs mine eyes Of most delightsome sleepe and sleepe of them That now had bound me in his sweet extream T' embrace my lids and close my vsuall Spheres I haue not slept so much this twenty yeares Since first my dearest sleeping-Mate was gone For that too-ill-to-speake of Ilion Hence take your mad steps backe if any Maid Of all my traine besides a part had plaid So bold to wake and tell mine eares such lies I had return'd her to her huswiferies VVith good proofe of my wrath to such rude Dames But go your yeares haue sau'd their yonger blames She answer'd her I nothing wrong your eare But tell the truth your long-mist Lord is heere And with the wooers slaughter his owne hand In chiefe exploit hath to his owne command Reduc't his house and that poore Guest was he That all those wooers wrought
name when she Heard of Vlysses for I might be bold She brought me vp and in her loue did hold My life compar'd with long-vail'd 〈◊〉 Her yongest yssue in some small degree Her daughter yet prefer'd a braue yong Dame But when of youth the dearely loued Flame VVas lighted in vs marriage did prefer The maide to Samos whence was sent for her Infinite riches when the Queene bestow'd A faire new suite new shooes and all and vow'd Me to the field But passing loth to part As louing me more then she lou'd her hart And these I want now but their businesse growes Vpon me daily Which the Gods impose To whom I hold all giue account to them For I see none left to the Diadem That may dispose all better So I drinke And eate of what is heere and whom I think VVorthy or reuerend I haue giuen to still These kinds of Guest-riâ—es for the houshold ill VVhich where the Queene is ryots takes her stil From thought of these things Nor is it delight To heare from her plight of or worke or word The wooâ—rs spoyle all But yet my men will bord Her sorrowes often with discourse of all Eating and drinking of the Festiuall That there is kept and after bring to field Such things as seruants make their pleasures yield O me Eumaeus saide Laertes sonne Hast thou then err'd so of a little one Like me From friends and country pray thee say And say a Truth doth vast Destruction lay Her hand vpon the wide-way'd Seat of men VVhere dwelt thy Sire and reuerend Mother then That thou art spar'd there Or else set alone In guard of Beeues or Sheepe Set th' enemy on Surprisde and Shipt transfer'd and sold thee heere He that bought thee paid well yet bought not deere Since thou enquir'st of that my guest said he Heare and be silent and meane space sit free In vse of these cups to thy most delights Vnspeakable in length now are the Nights Those that affect sleepe yet to sleepe haue leaue Those that affect to heare their hearers giue But sleep not ere your houre Much sleep dâ—th grieue VVho euer lists to sleepe Away to bed Together with the morning raise his head Together with his fellowes breake his fast And then his Lords Herd driue to their repast VVe two still in our Tabernacle heere Drinking eating will our bosomes cheere VVith memories and tales of our annoyes Betwixt his sorrowes euery Humane ioyes He most who most hath felt and furthest err'd And now thy wil to act shall be preferr'd There is an Isle aboue Ortygiâ— If thou hast heard they call it Syria VVhere once a day the Sun moues backwards still T is not so great as good for it doth fill The fields with Oxen fils them still with Sheepe Fils roofes with wine makes al Come there cheap No Dearth comes euer there nor no Disease That doth with hate vs wretched mortals sease But when mens varied Nations dwelling there In any City enter th' aged yeare The Siluer-bow-bearer the Sun and she That beares as much renowne for Archery Stoop with their painles shafts strike them dead As one would sleepe and neuer keepe the bed In this Isle stand two Cities betwixt whome All things that of the soiles fertility come In two parts are diuided And both these My Father ruld Ctesius Ormenides A man like the immortals With these States The crosse-biting Phaenissians traffick't rates Of infinit Merchandize in ships brought there In which they then were held exempt from pere There dwelt within my Fathers house a Dame Borne a Phaenissian skilfull in the frame Of Noble Huswiferies right tall and faire Her the Phaenissian great-wenâ—h-net-lai're With sweet words circumuented as she was VVashing her Linnen To his amorous passe He brought her first shor'd from his Shâ—p to her To whom he did his whole life's loue prefer Which of these brest-exposing Dames the harts Deceiues though fashion'd of right honest parts He askt her after VVhat she was and whence She passing presently the excellence Told of her Fathers Turrets and that she Might boast her selfe sprung from the Progeny Of the rich Sydons and the daughter was Of the much-yeare-reuennew'd Arybas But that the Taphian Pirats made her prize As she return'd from her field-huswiferies Transfer'd her hither and at that mans house VVhere now she liu'd for value precious Sold her to th' Owner He that stole her loue Bad her againe to her births seate remoue To see the faire roofes of her friends againe Who still held state and did the port maintaine Her selfe reported She said Be it so So you and al that in your ship shall roe Sweare to returne me in all safety hence All swore th' Oath past with euery consequence She bad Be silent now and not a word Do you or any of your friends afford Meeting me afterward in any way Or at the washing Fount lest some display Be made and told the old man and he then Keepe me streight bound To you and to your men The vtter ruine plotting of your liues Keepe in firme thought then euery word that striues For dangerous vtterance Haste your ships ful freight Of what you Trafficke for and let me streight Know by some sent friend She hath all in hold And with my selfe I le bring thence all the gold I can by all meanes finger and beside I le do my best to see your freight supplide VVith some wel-weighing burthen of mine owne For I bring vp in house a great mans sonne As crafty as my selfe who will with me Run euery way along and I will be His Leader till your Ship hath made him sure He will an infinite great price procure Transfer him to what languag'd men ye may This said She gat her home and there made stay A whole yeare with vs Goods of great auaile Their Ship enriching VVhich now fit for saile They sent a Messenger t' informe the Dame And to my fathers house a fellow came Full of Phaenissian craft that to be sold A Tablet bought the body all of Gold The Verge all Amber This had ocular view Both by my honor'd Mother and the crew Of her house-handmaids handl'd and â—he price Beat askt and promist And while this deuice Lay thus vpon the Forge this Ieweller Made priuy signes by winkes and wiles to her That was his obiect which she tooke and he His signe seeing noted â—ied to Ship VVhen she My hand still taking as she vsde to do To walke abroad with her conuai'd me so Abroad with her and in the Porticâ— Found cups with tasted Viands which the guests That vsde to flocke about my Fathers feasts Had left They gone some to the Counsaile Court Some to heare newes amongst the talking sort Her Theft three bowles into her lap conuaid And forth she went Nor was my wit so staid To stay her or my selfe The Sun went downe And shadowes round about the world were