perceived Towns equalling Cities well-built Villages and magnificent Cities We saw neither Hill nor Vale where the Hand of the diligent Husbandman was not stampt the Plow had left deep Furrows in every part Thorns Bryars and such Plants as are a useless Burden to the Earth are utterly unknown in this Country We contemplated with Pleasure the fruitful Vallies where Troops of Oxen go lowing in the sweet Pastures that abound with Springs of running Water the Sheep every where Feeding upon the descent of the Hills the champion Ground cover'd with Corn presented with a liberal Hand by the bountiful Ceres in a Word the Mountains adorn'd with Vines and Grapes of a rich purple Colour promising a plentiful Vintage of the delicious Presents of Bacchus which charm the Cares of Men. Mentor told us he had been formerly in Creet and informed us of what he knew This Island said he justly admir'd by all Strangers and famous for its hundred Cities is more than sufficient to nourish all the Inhabitants tho' they are innumerable for the Earth never ceases to produce her Fruits if Industry be not wanting her fertil Bosom can never be exhausted The more numerous Men are in a Country provided they be Laborious the greater abundance they enjoy They need not be jealous of one another for this tender Mother multiplies her Gifts according to the number of her Children if they deserve her Favours by their Labour The Ambition and Covetousness of Men are the only Springs of their Unhappiness They covet all and make themselves miserable by desiring what is superfluous If they would be moderate and contented with what is necessary we should see Plenty Peace Union and Happiness restor'd to the World Minos the wisest and best of Kings understood this well All the admirable Things you shall see in this Island are owing to the excellency of his Laws The Education he appointed for Children renders their Bodies strong and healthful They are accustomed from their Infancy to a plain frugal laborious Life because Pleasure enervates both the Body and the Mind No other Pleasure is ever propos'd to them but the acquisition of an invincible Virtue and solid Glory This People do not measure Mens Courage only by despising Death in the hazards of War but by the contempt of great Riches and ignominious Pleasures Three Vices are punish'd here which remain unpunish'd in all other Nations Ingratitude Dissimulation Covetousness They have no need of Laws to suppress Luxury and dissolution of Manners for such Things are unknown in Creet Every Man Works yet no Man desires to be rich They think all their Labour sufficiently recompenced with an easy and regular Life in which they enjoy plentifully and quietly all that is truly necessary to Men. Costly Furniture rich Apparel delicious Feasts and guilded Palaces are not permitted in this Country Their Cloths are of fine Wool wrought with Art and beautiful in Colour but without Embroidery or any other Ornament Their Tables are sober They drink little Wine good Bread with excellent Fruits and the Milk of the Cattle make the principal part of their Meals At the most their Meat is plain dress'd without Sauce or Ragou and they always take care to reserve the best and strongest of the Cattle to be employ'd in Husbandry Their Houses are neat commodious pleasant but without Ornaments They are not ignorant of the most magnificent Architecture but that 's reserv'd for the Temples of the Gods They dare not live in Houses like those of the immortal Beings The great Riches of this People are Health Strength Courage Peace and Union in Families the liberty of all the Citizens plenty of Things necessary and a contempt of those that are superfluous a habit of Labour and an abhorrence of Sloth a mutual emulation of virtuous Actions submission to the Laws and a reverence of the just Gods I ask'd him in what the Authority of the King consisted And he answer'd thus The King is above all the People but the Laws are above the King He has an absolute Power to do Good but his Hands are tied so soon as he attempts to do Ill. The Laws entrust him with the care of the People as the most valuable of all Trusts on condition to be the Father of his Subjects They intend that one Man shall serve by his Wisdom and Moderation to make whole Nations happy and not that so many Men shall by their Misery and abject Slavery serve to flatter the Pride and Luxury of one Man The King ought to have nothing more than other Men except such assistance as is necessary either to the discharge of his painful Functions or to imprint on the Minds of the People that Respect which is due to the Person who is to maintain the vigour of the Laws On the other Hand the King ought to be more sober more 〈◊〉 to Luxury more free from Vanity Haughtiness and Ostentation than any other Man He is not to have more Riches and Pleasures but more Wisdom Virtue and Glory than the rest of Men. Abroad he is to be the Defende of his Country at the Head of their Armies at Home he is to distribute Justice to the People to make them good wise and happy 'T is not for his own sake that the Gods have made him King but only that he may be the Man of his People He owes all his Time to the People all his Care all his Affection and he is no otherwise worthy of the Crown than as he forgets his own Interests to sacrifice himself to the Publick Good Minos appointed that his Children should not reign after him unless they would reign by these Rules for he lov'd his People more than his Family By this Wisdom he render'd Greet so powerful and so happy By this Moderation he has effac'd the Glory of all Conquerors who make their People subservient to their Greatness that is to their Vanity In a Word by his Justice he do serv'd to be the supreme Judg of the Dead in the Regions below Whilst Mentor was speaking we arrived in the Island we saw the famous Labyrinth built by the Hands of the ingenious Dedalus in imitation of the great Labyrinth which we had seen in Egypt As we were considering this curious Fabrick we beheld the Shoar cover'd with People and Multitudes pressing towards a Place that was near the Sea We ask'd the reason of their hast and receiv'd this Account from one Nausicrates a Native of Creet Idomeneus the Son of Deucalion and Grand-son to Minos wint with the rest of the Grecian Kings to the Siege of Troy After the Destruction of that City he set Sail in order to return to Creet but was surpris'd by so violent a Storm that the Pilot and the most experienc'd Mariners in the Ship gave themselves for lost Every one had Death before his Eyes every one saw the Abyss open to swallow him up every one deplor'd his Misfortune and had not so much as the
The Chief among those old Men opened the Volume of Minos's Laws which was a great Book usually kept among Perfumes in a golden Box. All those old Men kiss'd it with great Respect for they said That next the Gods from whom good Laws are derived nothing ought to be more sacred among Men than even those Laws themselves which tend to make them Good Wise and Happy Those who have in their Hands the Administration of the Laws for the Government of the People ought themselves to be govern'd by those very Laws upon all Occasions 'T is the Law and not the Man that ought to Reign Such was the Discourse of the Sages Afterwards he who presided at the Assembly propounded three Questions which were to be decided by the Maxims of Minos The first Question was Which of all Men was most free Some answer'd That 't was a King who had an absolute Power over his People and had conquer'd all his Enemies Others maintain'd That 't was a Man who being never married travell'd all his Life-time thro' divers Countries without being ever subject to the Laws of any Nation Others fancied That it was a Barbarian who living upon Hunting in the midst of Woods was independent upon any Government and liable to no manner of Want Others thought it was a Man newly made Free who coming out of a rigorous Servitude enjoy'd more than any other the sweets of Liberty Others at last ventur'd to say That it was a dying Man because Death freed him from all Troubles and that all Men had no more Power over him When it came to my turn I was not puzzled how to answer because I still remember'd what Mentor had often told me The most free of all Men answer'd I is he who can be free even in slavery it self and in what Condition or Country soever he be a Man is most free when he fears the Gods and none but them In short that Man is truly free who disingag'd from all manner of Fear or anxious Desire is subject to the Gods and his Reason only The old Men look'd upon one another smiling and wonder'd to find that my Answer was exactly the same with that of Minos Afterwards they propos'd the second Question in these Words Which is the most unhappy of all Men Every one answer'd as he thought One said 'T is a Man who has neither Estate Health nor Honour Another said 'T is a Man who is Friendless Others maintain'd That 't is a Man who has disobedient ungrateful and unworthy Children There came a Sage of the Isle of Lesbos who said That the most unhappy of all Men is he who thinks himself so for Unhappiness doth not depend so much upon the Things we suffer as upon our own impatience and uneasiness which aggravates our Misfortunes This Speech was highly commended and applauded by the whole Assembly and every one thought that this Lesbian would carry the Prize in thus solving this Question but being ask'd my Opinion I answer'd according to Mentor's Maxims The most unhappy of all Men is a King who thinks himself happy when he makes all the rest of Mankind miserable His blindness makes him doubly unhappy for not knowing his Misery he cannot apply Remedies to it nay he fears to be acquainted with it Truth cannot pierce through the Crowd of his Flatterers and reach his View his Passions tyrannize over him he is a stranger to his Duty he never tasted the Pleasure of doing good nor felt the Charms of true Virtue he is unhappy and deserves to be so his Unhappiness encreases daily he runs to his own Ruin and the Gods prepare an eternal Punishment to confound him All the Assembly confest I had overcome the wise Lesbian and the old Men declar'd I had hit upon the true sense of Minos The third Question they ask'd was Which of the two is to be preferr'd either a King victorious and invincible in War or a King less experienced in War but able to Rule his People wisely in Peace The Majority answer'd That the King invincible in War was to be preferr'd What are we the better said they for having a King who knows how to govern well in Peace if he knows not how to defend his Kingdom when a War comes For then his Enemies will overcome him and make his People Slaves Others on the contrary maintain'd That the peaceful King was much better because he would be affraid of War and consequently take care to avoid it Others said That a conquering King would consult and advance as well the Honour of his People as his own and make his Subjects Masters of other Nations whereas a peaceful King would sink their Courage into a shameful Effiminacy They desir'd to know my Opinion and I answer'd thus A King who knows not how to govern but either in Peace or in War and is incapable to rule his People in both is but a Demi-King but if you compare a King who is only skill'd in War to a wise King who without being acquainted with War is able to maintain it upon occasion by his Generals I think he is to be preferr'd to the other A King whose Mind is entirely bent upon War would always be for making War and in order to extend his Dominion and advance his Glory not care if all his People were ruin'd What are a People the better for the Conquest their King makes over other Nations if they are miserable under his Reign Moreover long Wars are still attended with great Disorders the Conquerors themselves grow loose and disorderly in those Times of Confusion See at what a dear Rate Greece has triumph'd over Troy she was depriv'd of her Kings for above ten Years whilst all is ruin'd by War the Laws grow faint Agriculture is neglected all Arts languish and decay even the best Princes when they have a War to carry on are oblig'd to commit the greatest of Ills which is to tolerate Licentiousness and make use of wicked Men. How many profligate Villains would be punish'd during the Peace whose Audaciousness must needs be rewarded during the Disorders of War Never had any Nation a conquering Sovereign but they must suffer much upon account of his Ambition A Conqueror intoxicated with his Glory ruins as much his victorious People as the Nations he has vanquish'd A Prince who wants the necessary Qualifications for Peace cannot make his Subjects relish the Fruits of a War happily ended he is like a Man who could defend his own Field against his Neighbour and usurp even that of his Neighbour himself but could neither Plow nor Sow his Grounds and so Reap no Harvest Such a Man seems to be born to destroy lay wast and turn the World topsy-turvy and not to make the People happy by his wise Government Now let 's consider a peaceful King 'T is true he is not fit for great Conquests that is to say he is not born to disturb the Tranquillity of his own People by endeavouring
to subdue those other Nations who are not his lawful Subject but he is truly fit to govern in Peace and is Master of all the Qualifications necessary to secure and protect his People against their Enemies For he never attempts to do any thing that may disturb the publick Peace he is religiously Faithful in all his Alliances his Allies love him they are not in fear of him but rather repose an intire Confidence in him If he happens to have some stirring haughty ambitious and troublesome Neighbour all the other Kings who fear that stirring Neighbour and in no manner distrust the peaceful King join themselves in Confederacy with that good King and keep him from being opprest His Integrity Honesty and Moderation make him the Arbiter of all the States that surround his whilest the ambitious King is odious to all the rest and ever expos'd to their Leagues This peaceful Prince has the Honour of being as it were the Father and Guardian of all the other Kings These are the Advantages he has abroad those he enjoys at home are still more wonderful Since he is fit to govern in Peace 't is certain he governs according to the wisest Laws he discountenances Pomp Luxury and all those Arts that serve only to cherish and foment Vice he promotes and encourages those that are useful and can supply Mankind with the real Wants of Life more particularly he causes his Subjects to apply themselves to Agriculture and by that means he procures them Plenty of all Necessaries This laborious People plain in their Manners and thrifty in their way of living get an easie livelihood by Tilling of their Lands and multiply every day This Kingdom contains a numberless Multitude of People but a People sound in Body vigorous and strong not softned by Pleasures exercis'd and inur'd in Virtue not addicted to the Enjoyments of an effeminate luxurious Life a People that know how to despise Death and had rather part with their Lives than with the Liberty they enjoy under a wise King who Reigns only by the Dictates of Reason and Justice Let now a neighbouring Conqueror attack this People perhaps he may find them not so well us'd to a Camp ranking themselves in order of Battle or the besieging of a Town but he will find them invincible by their Numbers their Courage their Patience upon hard Duty their Familiarity with Want and Poverty their Resolution and Obstinace in Fights and their constant Virtue not to be shaken even by ill Success and Disasters Moreover if the King have not Experience enough to Command his Armies in Person he will easily find those who shall be able to Command them and will make use of them without losing his Authority In the mean time his Allies will furnish him with Supplies his Subjects will rather die than undergo the Yoke of another unjust and tyrannical King nay the Gods themselves will fight for him See how many Helps and Advantages he will find amidst his greatest Dangers I therefore conclude That a peaceful King who is unskil'd in War is a very imperfect King since he cannot discharge one of his most important Functions which is to overcome his Enemies but at the same time he is infinitely superiour to a conquering King who wants the necessary Qualifications to govern in Peace and is only fit for War I perceiv'd a great many in the Assembly who seem'd to dislike my Opinion but however the old Men declar'd I had spoken the Sentiments of Minos The first of those old Men cry'd out I see the fulfilling of one of Apollo's Oracles which is known through all our Island Minos having consulted the God to know how long his Progeny would Reign according to the Laws he had establish'd Apollo answer'd him Thy Off-spring will cease to Rule when a Stranger coming into thy Island shall cause thy Laws to Reign We fear'd lest some Stranger should come and Conquer the Isle of Crete but Idomeneus's Misfortune and the Wisdom of the Son of Ulysses who best of any Mortal understands the Laws of Minos do plainly discover to us the meaning of the Oracle Why do we any longer deferr Crowning of him whom Destiny appoints to be our King Thereupon the old Men went out of the sacred Wood and the first of them taking me by the hand declar'd to the People who were impatient to know the Decision That I had carried the Prize His words were scarce out of his Mouth when there was heard a confus'd Noise of all the Assembly every one giving a shout for Joy the Shore and all the Neighbouring Hills eccho'd with this general Acclamation Let the Son of Ulysses who is as wise as Minos Reign over the Cretans I paus'd a while and then making Signs with my hand I demanded Silence In the mean time Mentor whisper'd me in the Ear What! will you renounce your own Country Will your ambitious Desire of a Crown make you forget Penelope who now expects you as her only Hopes and the great Ulysses whom the Gods resolv'd to restore to his Family These words went to my Heart and check'd my Ambition of being a King But now the profound Silence of this tumultuous Assembly gave me occasion thus to proceed Illustrious Cretans I am not worthy to Command over you The Oracle you mention'd shews indeed that the Off-spring of Minos shall cease to Rule when a Stranger comes into this Island and causes the Laws of that wise King to flourish but it is not said that that Stranger shall Rule I will suppose I am that Stranger mark'd out by the Oracle I have made his Prediction good I am come into this Island I have discover'd the true Sense of the Laws and I wish my Explanation may contribute to make them Reign with the Man whom you shall chuse For my own part I prefer my Country the little Island of Ithaca before the hundred Cities of Crete and the Glory and Wealth of this fine Kingdom Suffer me to pursue what Fate hath destin'd if I entred your Lists here 't was not with hopes to Rule here but only to merit your Esteem and your Pity and that I might be furnish'd by you with Necessaries for my speedy Return into my Native Country I would rather chuse to obey my Father Ulysses and comfort my Mother Penelope than Reign over all the Nations of the Universe Oh! Cretans you see the bottom of my Heart I must leave you but Death alone shall put a Period to my continued Gratitude yes Telemachus will love the Cretans and be as much concern'd for their Honour as if 't were his own as long as he has Breath I had scarce done speaking when there arose through the whole Assembly a hollow Noise like that of the Sea-Waves which dash one against another in a Storm Some said Is this a God in an humane Shape Others maintain'd They had seen me in other Countries and that they knew me again Others cry'd we must force him
skilful Masters to examin the young Prentices Those Arts said he which are not absolutely necessary ought not to admit of any thing that 's mean or indifferent and therefore no young Men should be suffer'd to learn them but those whose promising Genius seems to tend to Perfection As for others who are Born for less noble Arts they will be usefully employ'd about the ordinary Occasions of the Commonwealth The only thing added he wherein Carvers and Painters ought to be employ'd is in preserving the Memory of great Men and their noble Actions and for that purpose Representations and Memorials of what has been Atchieved with an extraordinary Industry ought to be us'd in publick Buildings and Tombs Moreover Mentor's Moderation and Frugality did not go so far but that he allow'd these great Buildings design'd for Horse or Chariot-Races Wrestling Fights with Cestus and all other Exercises which render the Body both more supple active and vigorous He suppressd a vast number of Merchants and Shopkeepers who sold figur'd Stuffs of remote Countries Embroider'd Works of an excessive Price Gold and Silver Vessels with embossed Figures of the Gods Men and Animals and lastly refined Liquors and Perfumes He order'd likewise that the Furniture of every House should be plain strong and lasting Thus the Salentines who loudly complain'd of their Poverty began to be sensible how many superfluous Riches they enjoy'd but those were deceitful Riches which made them really poor and they only became truly Rich as soon as they had the Resolution to dispossess themselves of them 'T is the best way said they to grow Rich by despising such Riches as exhaust the Nation and the reducing all our Wants to the true and necessary occasions of Nature Mentor was diligent in viewing the Arcenals and publick Magazines to see that Arms and all other Things necessary in War were in Order For said he we always must be in readiness to make War the better to prevent the Misfortune of being first Attackt Now havving found a great many Things wanting every where he presently assembled Artificers to work Iron Steel and Brass You might have seen burning Furnaces and Clouds of Fire and Smoak mounting on high like those substerranean Fires which are vomited up by Mount AEtna The studdy Hammer resounded on the Anvil which groan'd under the repeated Strokes the neighbouring Mountains and Sea-shore ecchoed to 'em one would have thought himself to be in that famous Island where Vulcan cheers up his Cyclopes and forges Thunderbolts for the Father of the Gods And by a wise forecast all the Preparations for a War were making in a profound Peace Afterwards Mentor went out of the City with Idomeneus and found a great Tract of fertile Lands lying waste and uncultivated others were manur'd but by halves through the Negligence and Poverty of the Husbandmen who wanted more Hands and bodily Strength to bring Agriculture to Perfection Mentor beholding those desolate Fields said to the King This Land is willing to enrich the Inhabitants but the Inhabitants are wanting to the Land and to themselves Let us therefore take all the useless Artificers who are in the City and whose Trade tends only to debauch Manners in order to make them till and manure these Plains and high Grounds I own its a Misfortune that all those Men who have practis'd Arts which require a sedentary Life are not inur'd to hard Labour but here is a Remedy for it We must divide among them all the Lands void of Inhabitants and call to their assistance some of the Neighbouring People who will undertake the hardest Work under 'em provided they allow them a reasonable share in the Profits of the Lands they shall begin to Plow Nay in time they may enjoy a proportion of those Lands and being thus incorporated with your People provided they be laborious and submissive to the Laws they will encrease your Power and prove the best Subjects Your City-Tradesmen now transplanted into the Country will train up their Children to Labour and enure them to the Yoke of a rural Life and in process of Time all the Country round about shall be stock'd with strong vigorous Men addicted to Husbandry Now you need not be sollicitous about the increase of your People for they will soon multiply to a Prodigy if you encourage Matrimony which you may do with great ease Most Men have an Inclination to Marry and 't is generally Want that keeps them from it If you do not over-charge 'em with Taxes they will live at ease with their Wives and Families for the Earth is never ungrateful She always yields Fruits to sustain those who cultivate her with Care and Diligence and only denies her Benefits to those who refuse to bestow their Labour upon her The more Children Husbandmen have the richer they are provided the Prince study not to make them Poor for their Children even from their tenderest Youth begin to be a help to 'em the youngest tend the Flocks while they are Feeding those of riper Years begin to drive the great Droves of Cattle and the most aged guide the Plough-handle with their Father In the mean time the Mother and all her Family Dress a course Meal for her Husband and her dear Children against they come home spent with the Toil of the Day She takes care to Milk her Cows and Streams of sweet Liquor fill her cleanly Pails she lights a great Fire round which the innocent and peaceful Family divert themselves with Singing merry Lays before they go to rest she gets ready Cheese Chesnuts and Fruits that look as fresh as if new gather'd In the mean time the Shepherd comes home with his Flute and Sings to the Family such new Songs as he learnt in the Neighbouring Villages The Husbandman comes in with his Plough and goads along his wearied Oxen which walk with slow Steps and bending Necks All the Hardships of Labour end with the Day The kind Poppies which Morpheus by the Command of the immortal Gods scatters all over the Earth quiet all black Thoughts charm and lull Nature into a soft Enchantment and every one falls asleep without forecasting the Labours of the next Day Happy are those Men who live without Ambition Distrust or Disguise provided the Gods vouchsafe to give 'em a good King who never disturbs their innocent Joys But what a horrid piece of Cruelty it is the wresting from their Hands the sweet Fruits of the Earth which they owe to the Bounty of Nature and the sweat of their Brows only to gratifie the Pride and Ambition of one single Man Nature alone out of her fruitful Bosom is able to maintain an infinite number of thrifty and laborious Men but 't is the Pride and luxurious Effeminacy of some Men who reduce so many others to the dreadful pressures of Poverty But what shall I do said Idomeneus if those Men whom I disperse about a fruitful Country neglect to Cultivate it Follow answer'd Mentor a Method entirely
wretched Hopes of that imperfect Rest which the Souls enjoy that have cross'd the River Styx after their Bodies have receiv'd Burial Idomeneus lifting up his Eyes and Hands to Heaven invok'd Neptune in these Words O powerful God! who commandest the Empire of the Sea vouchsafe to hear the Prayer of the Distressed if thou deliverest me from the fury of the Winds and bringest me safe to Creet the first Head I see shall fall by my own Hands a sacrifice to thy Deity In the mean time his Son impatient to see his Father made haste to meet and embrace him at his Landing unhappy Youth who knew not that he was running to his own Destruction The Father escap'd the Storm and landed in the Port of Syria He gave Thanks to Neptune for hearing his Prayers but soon found how fatal they had been to him A black Presage of his Misfortune made him bitterly repent his rash Vow He dreaded his own Arrival he fix't his Eyes upon the Ground He fear'd to see whatever was dear to him in the World But the inexorable Goddess Nemesis who never fails to punish Men and especially haughty Kings push'd him on with a fatal and invisible Hand Idomeneus arrives hardly daring to lift up his Eyes He sees his Son He starts back with Horrour his Eyes in vain look about for some other Head to serve for his vow'd Sacrifice His Son approach'd and threw his Arms about his Neck surpris'd to see his Father dissolving in Tears and making no return to his Tenderness O my Father said he Whence comes this Sadness after so long absence are you displeas'd to see your Kingdom and to be the Joy of Your Son What have I done You turn your Eyes away for fear of seeing me The Father overwhelm'd with Grief made no answer At last after many bitter Sighs he said Ah! Neptune what have I promis'd Restore me to the Winds and to the Rocks which ought to have dash'd me in Pieces and finish'd my wretched Life Let my Son live O thou cruel God here take my Blood and spare his As he spoke he drew his Sword to pierce his own Heart but those that were about him staid his Hand The aged Sophronymus by whom the will of the Gods is convey'd to Men assur'd him that he might satisfie Neptune without the Death of his Son Your Promise said he was imprudent the Gods will not be honour'd by Cruelty Beware of adding to the Error of your Promise the crime of accomplishing it against the Laws of Nature Offer a hundred Bulls white as Snow to Neptune let their Blood stream about his Altar crown'd with Flowers let the sweetest Incense smoak in Honour of the God Idomeneus heard this Discourse inclining his Head towards the Earth and answer'd not one Word Fury sat glaring in his Eyes his pale and disfigur'd Face chang'd Colour every Moment and all his Limbs shook with horrour In the mean time his Son said to him My Father here Lam your Son is ready to Die to appease the God I die contented since my Death will have prevented yours Strike O my Father and suspect not to find in me the least fear of Death or any thing unbecoming your Son In that Moment Idomeneus transported with Distraction and possess'd by infernal Furies surpris'd all that stood about him with Astonishment He thrust his Sword into the Heart of this Youth and drew it out again reeking and full of Blood to plunge it into his own Bowels But he was once more prevented by those that were present The Youth fell down into his own Blood the shades of Death hung upon his Eyes he open'd them a little to the Light but could not support its Brightness As a beautiful Lilly in the midst of the Field out up from the Root by the Plowshare lies down and languishes on the Ground It receives no more Nourishment from the Earth and the Springs of Life are intercepted yet the snowy White and noble Lustre in part remains So the Son of Idomeneus like a young and tender Flower is cut down in the bloom of his Age. The Father through excess of Grief is become insensible he knows not where he is nor what he does nor what he ought to do he reels to wards the City and demands his Son FINIS The other Parts will be Publish'd in a short time THE ADVENTURES OF TELEMACHUS The Son of ULYSSES PART II III IV V. LONDON Printed for A. and J. Chruchill at the Black-Swan in Pater-Noster-Row MDCC THE ADVENTURES OF TELEMACHUS The Son of ULYSSES PART II. IN the mean time the People being touch'd with Pity for the Son and full of Horror at the barbarous Action of the Father cry out That the just Gods have abandon'd him to the Furies Their Rage furnishes 'em with Arms They lay hold of what Weapons come next to hand Discord breaths a secret Venom into their Breasts The Cretans the wise Cretans forget their belov'd Wisdom They will no longer acknowledge the Son of sage Minos Idomeneus ' s Friends know not how to consult his Saftey but by conducting him back to his Ship They embark with him and commit their Flight to the Waves Idomeneus being come to himself returns them Thanks for carrying him away from a Land he 〈◊〉 besprinkled with his Son's 〈◊〉 and which he could no longer inhabit the Winds waft 'em over to Hesperia where they lay the Foundation of a new Kingdom in the Country of the Salentines But now the Cretans being destitute of a King to govern 'em they resolve to chuse such an one as will keep up the Purity of the establish'd Laws And these are the Measures they take for that purpose All the chief Men of a hundred Cities are now to meet at one Place they begin with offering Sacrifices they assemble all the most renown'd Sages of the Neighbouring Countries to examine the Wisdom of those who shall be thought worthy of Command they order publick Games where all the Competitors are to fight for the Crown is the Prize which they propose to him who shall excel both as to strength of Body and endowment of Mind They will have a King whose Body must be strong and active and his Soul adorn'd with Wisdom and Virtue They invite all Strangers to this grand Assembly Nausicrates having recounted to us this wonderous Story cries out Haste therefore you Strangers to our Assembly you shall contend with the Rest and if the Gods decree the Victory for either of you he shall Reign in this Country We followed him not out of any desire of being victorious but only out of a Curiosity to see an Election so extraordinary We arrived at a Place resembling a very large Circus surrounded with a thick Wood. The middle of this Circus was an Arena or Pit prepared for the Combatants it was surrounded by a large Amphitheater of green Turf whereon sat in order an innumerable multitude of Spectators As soon as we came there we were
to Reign here At last I resum'd my Discourse and every one was silent in a moment not knowing whether or no I was going to accept what I had at first rejected in these words therefore I address'd my self to 'em Suffer me Oh! Cretans to tell you my Thoughts You are the wisest of all Nations but methinks Wisdom requires a Precaution which you seem to have forgot you ought to fix your Election not on that Man who best Discourses about the Laws but on him who with a most steddy and constant Virtue puts them in Practice For my part I am young and consequently without Experience expos'd to the Violence of Passions and more fit to be instructed by Obeying in order to Command hereafter than to Command at present Therefore seek not a Man that has overcome others in those Tryals of Wit and Strength but one that has overcome himself look for a Man that has your Laws deeply engraven in his Heart and whose Life is a continu'd Practice of those Laws let his Actions rather than his Words bespeak your Choice All the old Men charm'd with this Discourse and seeing the Applauses of the whole Assembly still encreasing told me Since the Gods will not suffer us to hope to see you Reign among us at least do us the favour to assist us in the finding out a King that will govern according to our Laws Do you know any Body that can Command with that Moderatiou you speak of I know a Man answer'd I to whom I am beholden for all you have admir'd in me 't is his Wisdom and not mine that spoke to you 't is he who suggested to me all those Answers you heard just now Thereupon all the Assembly cast their Eyes upon Mentor whom I shew'd to them holding him by the hand moreover I told them what care he had taken of me from my Infancy what Dangers he had rescued me from what Misfortunes had besallen me as soon as I began to neglect his Counsels At first they took no notice of him because of his plain negligent Dress his modest Countenance his being silent almost all the while and his reserv'd Looks But when they view'd him more attentively they discover'd in his Countenance something that bespoke a firm noble and elevated Soul they took notice of the liveliness of his Eyes and how active he was in all his Actions they ask'd him several Questions which he answer'd to the Admiration of all they resolv'd to make him their King but he excused himself without any concern He told them he preferr'd the Sweets of a private Life before the grand Pomp of a Crown that even the best Kings were unhappy in that they scarce ever did that Good they had a mind to do and that through Surprize and the Insinuations of Flatterers they often did that Mischief they never intended He added that if Slaves be miserable the Condition of a King is no less wretched since 't is but servitude in a disguise When a Man said he is King he is still dependent upon all those whom he has occasion for to support his Authority and make others obey Happy is he who is not oblig'd to Command 'T is only to ones own Country when she invests a Man with Power that he ought to offer the dear Sacrifice of his Liberty in order to consult and promote the publick Good At these words the Cretans still full of wonder and admiration ask'd him What Man they ought to chuse A Man reply'd he that 's well known to you all since you must be govern'd by him and such a one as is affraid to govern you Whoever desires Sovereignty is not acquainted with it and how then will he perform the Duties incumbent upon his Dignity if he be a stranger to them He courts a Crown for himself but you ought to endeavour after one who accepts it only for your advantage All the Cretans being very much surpriz'd to see these two Strangers resuse a Crown which a great many others seek after with eager Ambition they enqui'd who came along with them Nausicrates who had conducted them from the Port to the Circus where the Games were celebrated shew'd them Hasael who was come with Mentor and my self from the Isle of Cyprus but their wonder still encreased when they heard that Mentor had been Hasael's Slave That Hasael deeply affected with the Wisdom and Virtue of his Slave had made him his Counsellor and intimate Friend That that Slave made free was the same who just now refused to be King and that Hasael was come from Damascus in Syria to make himself acquainted with the Laws of Minos so much was his Heart possest with the love of Wisdom The old Men said to Hasael We dare not to desire you to Rule over us for we suppose your Thoughts are the same with those of Mentor you despise Men too much to be willing to take upon you the Conduct of them Besides you have so far renounc'd Riches and the vain Pomp of a Crown that you would not purchase them at the expence of your Liberty and with the Fatigue and anxious Cares which are inseparably attending upon Rule and Government Hasael answer'd Do not understand me Oh! Cretans as if I despis'd Men. No I know too well what great and noble Employment it is to make them good and happy but that Employment is full of Trouble and Dangers the Pomp that attends it has but a false Brightness which can only dazzle the Eyes of Vain-glorious Men. Life is short Greatness and Elevation do more provoke the Passions than they can satisfie them My design in coming so far was not to purchase those false Goods but only to learn to be easie without them I must bid you farewel I have no other Thoughts than to return to a peaceful and retir'd Life where Wisdom shall fill my Heart and nourish my Soul and where the hopes that result from virtue towards a better Life shall comfort me under the Miseries of old Age if I wish for any thing 't is not to be a King but rather never to be parted from those two Men you see here before you At last the Cretans addressing themselves to Mentor cry'd out You the wisest and greatest of all Mortals tell us then who it is we must chuse to be our King for we will not let you go till you have determin'd our Choice To which he answer'd Whilst I was among the Crowd of the Spectators I took notice of a vigorous old Man who shewed no manner of eagerness or concern I ask'd who he was and answer was made he was call'd Aristomedes Afterwards I heard some Body telling him that his two Sons were amongst the Combatants at which he exprest no manner of Joy he said That as for the one he did not wish him the Dangers which attend a Crown and as for the other he lov'd his Country too well ever to consent that he should be King By that
I understood that this Father had a reasonable Love for one of his Sons who is good and virtuous and that he did not countenance the other in his vicious Excesses My Curiosity still encreasing I enquired into the Life and Conversation of this old Man One of your Citizens answer'd me He bore Arms a long time his Body is cover'd with Wounds and Scars but his plain and sincere Virtue entirely averse to Flattery render'd him troublesome to Idomeneus which is the Reason that King did not employ him in the Trojan War He fear'd a Man who would give those wise Counsels which he was not inclin'd to follow he was even jealous of the Honour and 〈◊〉 which he would infallibly have acquir'd in a little time he forgot all his past Services and lest him here Poor and expos'd to the Contempt of those base Men who value nothing but Riches but contented in his Poverty he lives a pleasant Life in a remote Place of this Island where he Tills and Manures his Grounds with his own Hands One of his Sons helps him in his Work and they are both happy in their mutual Love By their Frugality and Labour they have sufficient of all Necessaries for a plain way of Living That wise old Man distributes to the Sick and Poor of his Neighbourhood all that he can spare from his own Wants and his Son 's He sets all young People to work and incourages admonishes and instructs them he decides all Controversies amongst his Neighbours and is as it were the Father of all Families His own Misfortune is that he has a second Son who would never follow his Advice in any Thing The Father having born with him a long time with hopes to reclaim him from his Vices has at last turn'd him out of his House since which he has abandon'd himself to fond Ambition and all extravagant Pleasures This Oh! Cretans is what I have been inform'd you can tell whether that Relation be true But if that Man be such as he is describ'd to be what need you celebrate any Games Why do you assemble so many unknown Persons You have amongst you a Man who knows you and whom you know one who understands the War who has shewn his Courage not only against Darts and Arrows but against dreadful Poverty and has despis'd Riches acquir'd by Flattery one who loves Work who knows how useful Agriculture is to a Nation who abhors Pomp and Luxury who suffers not himself to be unmann'd by a blind Fondness for his Children and loves the Virtue of the one and condemns the Vices of the other in a word a Man who is already the Father of the People This must be your King if so be you desire to see the Laws of wise Minos flourish amongst you All the People cry'd out 'T is true Aristomedes is such as you describe him 't is he that deserves the Crown The old Men order'd he should be called he was found amongst the Crowd undistinguish'd from the meaner Sort and having appear'd before 'em clam and unconcern'd they declar'd to him that they made him King He answer'd I cannot consent to it but upon these three Conditions First That I shall lay down my Dignity in two Years time in case I cannot make you better than you are at present and that you remain refractory to the Laws Secondly That I shall be free to continue my plain and frugal way of Living And Thirdly That my Children shall have no Promotions and that after my death they shall be treated without any other distinction than according to their Merit like the rest of the Citizens At these words the Air was fill'd with joyful Acclamations the Chief of those old Men who were the Guardians of the Laws put the Crown on Aristomedes's Head and afterwards they offer'd Sacrifices to Jupiter and the other great Gods Aristomedes gave us Presents not with that Magnificence which is usual to Kings but with a noble Simplicity He gave to Hasael the Laws of Minos written with Minos's own Hand he likewise gave him a Collection of all the History of the Isle of Crete from Saturn and the Golden Age down to that Time He sent Aboard his Ship all kinds of the choicest Fruits that grow in Crete but are unknown in Syria and offer'd him all the Assistance he had occasion for Now because we press'd our Departure he order'd a Ship to be fitted up and mann'd with a great number of strong Rowers and arm'd Men he gave us withal changes of Cloaths and all manner of Provisions At that very instant there arose a fair Wind for Ithaca this Wind being contrary to Hasael oblig'd him to stay behind he saw us go away and embrac'd us as dear Friends whom he fear'd he should see no more However said he the Gods are just they see a Friendship founded on Virtue alone they will one day bring us together again and those happy Elysian Fields where the Good and Just are said to enjoy an eternal Peace after death shall see our Souls meet never to be parted any more Oh! that my Ashes might be gather'd into the same Urn with yours As he spoke these last Words he shed a Flood of Tears and his Voice was check'd by his deep Sighs We wept no less than he and in this solemn Woe he conducted us to our Ship As for Aristomedes he told us 'T is you made me King remember what Dangers you have expos'd me to and therefore require the Gods that they would inspire me with true Wisdom and make me as much superior to other Men in Moderation as I am above them in Authority For my part I beseech them to conduct you safe into your Country to confound the Insolence of your Foes and bless you with the sight of Ulysses reigning in Peace with his dear Penelope Telemachus I give you a good Ship full of able Mariners and Soldiers who may serve you against those unjust Men that persecute your Mother Oh! Mentor whose boundless Wisdom leaves me no room even to wish you an addition of any Thing Go both in Peace and make each other happy remember Aristomedes and if ever the Ithacians have occasion for the Cretans depend upon me as long as I have Breath He embrac'd us and we could not forbear mingling our Tears with our Thanks In the mean time the Wind which fill'd our spreading Sails seem'd to promise a safe Voyage And now Mount Ida began to decrease in our sight and look'd like a little Hill the Cretan Shore disappear'd and the Coast of Peloponesus seem'd to advance into the Sea to meet us half way But on the sudden a black Storm over-cast the Sky and provok'd the boisterousness of the Waves the Day was turn'd into Night and ghastly Death hover'd over us Oh Neptune 't is you who with your proud Trident stirr'd up the Rage of the watry Deep Venus to be reveng'd upon us for despising her even in her Temple of
his flourishing Youth seem'd renew'd in his Face a temperate quiet and laborous Life had as it were given him a new Constitution You are surpriz'd to see me so alter'd said Philocles then smiling but know 't is my Retreat has thus renew'd and restor'd me to perfect Health My Enemies have given me what I could never find in the greatest of my Fortunes Would you have me then lose the true Good to pursue the false and plunge my self again into my former Miseries Ah! I beseech you be not more Cruel than Protesilaus At least envy me not the Happiness that I owe to him Hegesippus then urg'd to him but in vain all that he thought might move him Are you then insensible said he to him of the Pleasure of seeing your Friends and Relations who wish and sigh for your Return and whom the hope alone of embracing you over-whelms with Joy You who revere the Gods and who love your Duty do you think it none to serve King and to assist him in all the good he designs in making so many People happy Is it permitted that a Man should abandon himself to a wild and savage Philosophy to prefer himself to all the rest of Mankind and to value his own Quiet more than that of his Fellow-Citizens If these be not the Reasons 't will certainly be thought you do it out of spite that you will see the King no more who if he did design any ill to you 't was because he did not then know you It was not the honest the just Philocles whom he would have destroy'd no 't was a Man quite different from him whom he would have punish'd But now he knows you and does not mistake you for another he feels all his former Friendship revive in his Heart He waits for you at this very moment he opens his Arms to embrace you He is so impatient he thinks every Hour a Day And can you be inexorable to your King and to all your dearer Friends Philocles who at first grew tender at the sight of Hegesippus re assum'd his grave and severe Look whilest he hearkned to this Discourse firm as a Rock against which the Winds fruitlessly contend and roaring Billows break themselves he was still immovable nor his Prayers nor his Arguments could penetrate his Heart but in the moment when Hegesippus began to despair to prevail on him Philocles having consulted the Gods found by the Flight of Birds the Entrails of Victims and by several Divinations that he must follow Hegesippus wherefore he no longer resisted but prepar'd to go but not without regret that he must leave the Desert where he had pass'd so many Years Alass said he O my lovely Grotto must I quit thee where peaceful Sleep came every Night to release me from the Labours of the Day Here the Destinies in the middle of my Poverty spun golden Days Here weeping he prostrated himself to adore the Nayade who had so long quench'd his Thirst with her clear Flood and all the Nymphs that inhabited the neighbouring Mountains Eccho heard his mournful Farewells and repeated 'em to all the Deities of the Fields At last Philocles came to the Town with Hegesippus to embark themselves not imagining that the miserable Protesilaus for very shame and anger would have seen him but he was mistaken for ill Men have no shame and can always submit themselves to the meanest things Philocles's Modesty conceal'd him for fear of being seen by this miserable Wretch fearing indeed to heighten his Misfortune by shewing him the Prosperity of an Enemy who was going to be rais'd on his Ruins but Protesilaus eagerly sought Philocles he desir'd he should pity him and beg of the King that he might return to Salenta But Philocles was too sincere to promise him to labour for his being re-call'd for he knew better than any Man how pernicious his Return would have been But he spoke very courteously to him and expressing a great deal of Compassion endeavour'd to comfort him and exhorted him to appease the angry Gods by a pious Life and by a magnanimous Patience in his Affliction And having understood that the King had taken from Protesilaus all his ill-gotten Riches he promis'd him two things which at last he faithfully perform'd One was to take care of his Wife and Children who were at Salenta expos'd to the fury of the Multitude and t'other was to send to Protesilaus in this Isle so far distant some little Supply of Money to alleviate his Misfortunes In the mean time a fair Wind fill'd their spreading Sails Hegesippus full of impatience hastens Philocles and Protesilaus sees 'em embark'd his Eyes are fix'd and immoveable on the Shore he pursues the Vessel that cuts the Waves and which the Wind carries farther and farther each Minute and when at last he could see 'em no more reprints the Idea of them in his Mind In short raging and vex'd and given over to his own Despair he tears his Hair throws himself on the Sand taxes the Gods with their Severity and in vain calls on cruel Death to help him who deaf to his Prayers will not vouchsafe to deliver him out of so great Miseries nor has he the Courage to give it himself In the mean while this Vessel favour'd by Neptune and the Winds soon arriv'd at Salenta and as soon as it was told the King and they were landed at the Port he ran with Mentor towards Philocles and kindly embracing him shew'd a sensible Concern for having persecuted him with so much Injustice This Reception far from appearing a Weakness in a Prince was look'd upon by the Salentines as a great Soul which raises it self above past Faults in freely owning 'em in order to repair ' em Every one wept for joy to see this honest Man again who lov'd the People and to hear the King speak with so much Discretion and Humanity Philocles receiv'd the King's Caresses with great Respect and Modesty and was very impatient to be out of the Noise and Acclamations of the People He follow'd the King to the Palace where presently Mentor and He were as well acquainted as if they had liv'd together all their Lives long tho' they had never seen one another before For the Gods who have deny'd Eyes to the Wicked to perceive Good have given Eyes to good Men whereby they know one another Those who have any Relish of Virtue can't be together without being united because they are soon in love with one another Philocles beg'd of the King that he might retire to some Solitude near Salenta where he continu'd to spend his days in Poverty as he had liv'd in Samos The King and Mentor went daily to see him in his solitary Retreat where they consulted the Means to strengthen the Laws and to lay a solid Foundation of Government for the Publick Good The two first and principal things they consider'd were the Education of Children who belong less to their own Parents than to the
Common-wealth said Mentor They are the Children of the People whose Hope and Strength they are and 't is too late to Correct 'em when they are corrupted 't is too little to exclude 'em from Employments when they have made themselves unworthy of 'em 't is therefore much better to prevent the Mischief than to be forc'd to punish it The King aded he who is the Father of all his People is yet more particularly the Father of all the Youth who are the Flower of the Nation 'T is the Blossom that prepares the Fruit let not the King disdain to watch over 'em and set Officers to mind the Education of these Children Let him see that the Laws of Minos be put in Force which command That Children be brought up in a contempt of Pain and Death That Honour be plac'd in a neglect of Pleasure and Riches That Injustice Lying and Effeminacy be accounted Infamous That from their tender Infancy they be taught to sing the Praises of the Hero 's belov'd of the Gods who have bravely merited of their Country and who have signaliz'd their Courage in Battels Let the Charms of Musick affect their Souls to soften and purifie their Manners Let 'em learn to be Affectionate to their Friends fathful to their Allies respectful to the Nobility and just even to their Enemies Let 'em be taught to fear Death and Torments less than the least thing of their Conscience If Children are betimes inspir'd with these great Principles and if they are sweetly insinuated into 'em they will doubtless be inflam'd with the Love of Honour and Virtue Mentor added That it was absolutely necessary to institute Schools to accustom the Youth to hard Exercises of the Body that they may not learn to grow tender and lazy which debauches the best Constitution He farther advis'd That there should be Plays and Shews frequently to animate the People but above all that they should exercise their Bodies to make 'em active supple and vigorous adding a Reward to excite Emulation But what he most desir'd and tended chiefly to the encouraging of good Manners was that the People should marry betimes and their Parents without any Prospect of Interest should leave 'em to chuse their Wives suitable to 'em both in Body and Mind with whom they might live continually happy The End of the Third Volume THE ADVENTURES OF TELEMACHUS The Son of ULYSSES PART IV. LONDON Printed for A. and J. Churchill at the Black-Swan in Pater-Noster-Row MDCC THE ADVENTURES OF TELEMACHUS The Son of ULYSSES PART IV. BUT while they were thus laying down the most probable Means to keep their Youth Chaste Innocent Laborious Tractable and Ambitious of Renown Philocles who chiefly delighted in War said to Mentor In vain do you employ Youth in all those Exercises if you suffer them to languish in continual Peace where they shall neither have Experience in War nor occasion to shew their Valour by this you will insensibly weaken the Nation and soften their Courage Pleasures will corrupt their Manners and other warlike Nations will find it no hard matter to vanquish them and by endeavouring to shun the Evils of War they will fall into a miserable Servitude Mentor reply'd The Evils of War never fail to drain a Nation and put it in danger of Ruin even while it is most victorious With how great advantage soever they begin it they are never sure to end it without being exposed to the most tragical Chances of Fortune Suppose you engage with never so great a superiority of Force the smallest Mistake a panick Fear a Nothing snatches away the Victory that was already in your Hands and puts it into those of your Enemies And tho' you should hold Victory chain'd in your Camp you destroy your Self in destroying your Enemies You dis-people your Country leave your Ground uncultivated interrupt Commerce nay which is far worse you weaken your Laws and suffer Manners to be corrupted The Youth do not any more apply themselves to Learning pressing Wants make you give Way to a pernicious Licentiousness among your Troops Justice good Order every-thing suffers in this Confusion A King who spills the Blood of so mony Men and is the Cause of so many Miseries to acquire a little Glory or to extend the Limits of his Kingdom is unworthy of the Glory he hunts after and deserves to lose that which he possesses by endeavouring to Usurp what belongs to another But after this manner you must exercise the Courage of a Nation in time of Peace You have already seen the Exercises of the Body that we have Established the Prize that excites Emulation the Maxims of Honour and Virtue with which we season the Minds of Children almost from their Cradle by Songs full of the great Actions of Heroes add to those Aids that of a sober and laborious Life But this is not all As soon as any of your Allies shall be in War you must send thither the flower of your Youth chiefly those in whom you shall observe a War-like Genius and who are the most likely to profit by Experience By this means you shall preserve a high Esteem amongst your Allies your Friendship shall be Courted and they shall be afraid to lose it And without having a War at Home and at your own Charge you shall always be provided with a Martial and intrepid Youth And altho' you your selves enjoy Peace cease not to treat respectfully those that are Masters of the Art of War for the true way to avoid it and preserve a lasting Peace is to Cultivate Arms to Honour Men excellent in that Profession and to entertain those that are train'd up to it in Foreign Parts and who know the Force Discipline and manner of War in Neighbouring Countries You shall be equally uncapable of making War to gratify your Ambition and of being afraid of it through Effeminacy And being in a readiness to undertake it when Necessity obliges you can easily find means to prevent it When your Allies make War upon one another 't will be your part to become Mediator And thus you will acquire a Glory far more solid and sure than that of the Conquerors You shall gain the Love and Esteem of Strangers they will all of them stand in need of you you will strengthen your Authority over your Subjects You shall become the Confident of their Secrets the Umpire of Treatises and Master of their Affections Your Fame shall fly through the most distant Countries and your Name shall be like a most delicious Perfume that diffuses it self far and wide In such a happy State let a Neighbouring People unjustly attack you they shall always find you ready to receive them And what strengthens you still more they shall find you beloved by all and succour'd by your Neighbours who will chearfully Arm themselves for you being fully perswaded that the publick Security depends on the Preservation of you This is a Rampart more secure than the strongest Walls and most regular
Fortifications This is true Glory But how few Kings are there that pursue it nay rather how few are there that don't avoid it They run after a deceitful Shadow and leave true Honour behind them because they do not know it Mentor having thus spoke Philocles look'd upon him with Astonishment then cast his Eyes on the King He was charm'd to see how greedily Idomeneus suckt into his very Soul the Stream of Wisdom which flow'd from the Mouth of that Stranger Minerva in the Shape of Mentor did thus establish in Salentum the best Laws and most useful Maxims of Government not so much for the Prosperity of the Kingdom of Idomeneus as to give Telemachus a sensible Example of what a Wise Government may do to make People Happy and to secure to a good King a lasting Reputation In the mean time Telemachus gave Proof of his Courage in the Perils of War And parting from Salentum made it his chief care to gain the Affection of the Old Captains who were Men of tried Experience and established Reputation Nestor who had formerly seen him at Pylos and had always loved Ulysses treated him as his own Son He gave him Instructions enforc'd with divers Illustrious Examples He related to him the Adventures of his Youth and the most remarkable things he had seen performed by the Hero's of the last Age. The Memory of this sage Old Man who had now seen Three Ages resembled an History of Ancient Times deeply engraved on lasting Marble or Brass Philoctetes at first had not the same Affection for Telemachus the inveterate Hatred which he bore in his Heart against Ulysses gave him an Aversion to his Son and it was some uneasiness to perceive how much this Youth seem'd to be the Darling of the Gods who design'd to make him equal to those Hero's which had laid Troy in Ashes But the obliging Behaviour of Telemachus soon overcame the Resentments of Philoctetes and irresistibly forc'd him to love one who was possess'd with so much Sweetness and Modesty He often took Telemachus in his Arms and said to him My Son for I cannot henceforth forbear calling you so I must own your Father and I did bear a mutual Hatred for a long time against one another and even after we had brought proud Troy to its fatal Period my Anger was not asswag'd and though at first sight I found it hard for me to love you yet that Sweet and Innocent Virtue and unaffected Modesty with which you are endued are not to be resisted Afterwards Philoctetes told him that he would relate to him what it was that had first kindled his Hatred against Ulysses To begin says he my Story a little higher I accompanied in all his Travels the great Hercules who deliver'd the Earth from so many Monsters who in respect of other Hero's was as the lofty Oak amidst the tender Roses or the Eagle among the little Birds Both that Hero 's Misfortunes and my own proceeded from a Passion which is the Cause of the most terrible Disasters Unhappy Love Hercules was subdued by that shameful Passion and became the Spirit of the cruel Boy Cupid He could not remember without Blushing that formerly forgetting all his Glory he had been brought even to handle the Distaff with Omphale Queen of Lydia as if he had been the Weakest and most Effeminate of all Men. While he was under the Dominion of his blind Passion a Hundred times has he owned to me that this Action had quite tainted his Virtue and almost defaced the Glory of all his Labours Nevertheless he was caught a second time in the very same Snares that he so much studied to avoid Had he been constant he was once too happy in the love of Deianira his Wife but too soon the Youth of Iola in whose Face the Graces themselves were painted did rob him of his Heart Deianira burning with Jealousie bethought her of the fatal Garment that the Centaur Nessus had left her at his Death as an infallible way to awaken the Affection of Hercules when he seem'd to neglect her and love another But alass this Garment was full of the venomous Blood of the Centaur and of the Darts which had pierc'd him for you know that the Arrows with which Hercules kill'd the perfidious Monster had been dipp'd in the Blood of the Hydra of Lerna whence they had drawn so strong a Poison that the Wounds they gave were incurable Hercules having put on this Coat was quickly sensible of the devouring Fire which penetrated into the Marrow of his Bones Mount Oeta shook and the deepest Valleys resounded the Sea it self seemed troubled at his Groans which far surpass'd the Bellowings of the most furious Bulls in their dreadful Combats The unhappy Lychas who had brought him the Garment from Dejanira venturing to approach him Hercules in the extremity of his Pain whirl'd him round as one does a Stone in a Sling which he is to throw a great distance So Lychas being darted from the top of the Mountain by the powerful Arm of Hercules fell amongst the Waves of the Sea where he was immediately chang'd into a Rock which still retains its Humane shape and against which the angry Billows beating frighten from afar the wary Pilot. After the Misfortune of Lychas I judg'd it not safe to trust my self to Hercules I began to think now of hiding my self in the deepest Caverns of the Earth I observ'd how easily with one hand he pluck'd up by the Roots the lofty Firs and firm-rooted Oaks which so many Years had despis'd the most impetuous Storms and with the other how he endeavour'd to pull off the fatal Garment but to no purpose for it was glu'd to his Skin and as it were incorporated with his Members and whilst he rent it he tore his Flesh His Blood flow'd in Streams and moisten'd the Earth till at last his Vertue overcoming his Pain he cry'd out Thou seest my dear Philoctetes the Evils which the Gods inflict upon me they are the just punishment of my Offences I have violated my Conjugal Love After having subdu'd so many Enemies I have basely suffer'd my self to be overcome by the Love of a beautiful Stranger I perish and am pleas'd that my Ruin will appease the Wrath of the Gods But alas my dear Friend whither dost thou fly 'T is true the extremity of my Pain has made me commit an Act of Cruelty upon the unhappy Lychas for which I abhor my self He was ignorant of the Poison which he brought me and therefore did not deserve what he suffer'd But couldst thou believe that I should forget the Friendship I owe thee or that I would take away thy Life No sure I shall never cease to love Philoctetes I will breath into his Bosom my departing Soul and he shall gather my Ashes Where art thou then my dear Philoctetes thou only Hope that is left me here below At these words I ran towards him whilst he held out his Arms to
want no other Chastisement of their Crimes than their Crimes themselves which they incessantly contemplate with their most aggravating Circumstances They present themselves to them like horrible Spectres pursuing them to defend themselves from them they call for a Death more powerful than that which separated them from their Bodies a Death that can extinguish in them all Sense and Thought They call to the Deeps to swallow them that they may be snatch'd from the revenging Beams of tormenting Truth But in vain for they are reserved for Vengeance that drops upon them leasurely and will never be exhausted The Truth which they were afraid to see now becomes their Punishment they see it but whilst it flies in their Faces the sight of it puts them beside themselves 'T is like the Thunder which without hurting the Out-side penetrates into the inmost parts of the Bowels The Soul melts in this revenging Fire as Metal in a burning Furnace It s texture is destroy'd and yet there is nothing consum'd It dissolves it to the very first Principles of Life and yet it can never die They are tied to themselves and can find neither Ease nor Comfort for the least Minute They subsist only by their revenge upon themselves and Despair which makes them furious Among so many Objects which made his Hair stand Telemachus saw several of the Ancient Kings of Lydia punish'd for having preferr'd the Pleasures of a voluptuous Life to that of Application which ought to be inseparable from Royalty in order to procure the Ease of their People The End of the Fourth Volume THE ADVENTURES OF TELEMACHUS The Son of ULYSSES PART V. THese two Kings reproach'd one another of Folly and Stupidity Says one to the other who had been his Son did not I when I was Old and near my Death often recommend to your Care the reproach of those Mischeifs which my own negligence had occasion'd The Son reply'd O unhappy Father 'T is you that have ruin'd me 't was your Example that habituated me to Pride Arrogancy and Cruelty to Mankind While I saw you Reign in so effeminate a manner surrounded with servile Parasites I addicted my self to the Love of Flattery and Pleasures I thought the rest of Men were in respect of Kings what other Animals are in regard of Men I say I thought 'em no better than Beasts and that no other account was to be made of 'em but only what Service they could render and what advantage might be expected from ' em This I believed and 't was you that made me believe it and now I endure all these Miseries for imitating your Example To these Reproaches they added the most dreadful Curses and were irritated with so much Rage that they seem'd ready to tear one another in Pieces Besides round about these Kings there hover'd like so many Owls in the Shades of Night cruel Suspicions vain Allarms and Diffidences which revenge Subjects on their Kings for their Severity The unsatiable thirst of Riches that false kind of Glory which is always Tyrannical and vile Effeminacy which redoubles all the Evils they suffer without being able to give any true and solid Pleasure Many of these Kings were severely punished not for the Evils they had done but for neglecting the Good they ought to have done All the Crimes of the People which proceed from Negligence in the execution of the Laws were imputed to their Kings and on them were all those Disorders charg'd which spring from Pride Luxury and all other Excesses which throw Men into a violent State and tempt 'em to contemn the Laws in quiring Wealth Above all those Kings were treated with extreme Rigour who instead of acting the part of good and vigilant Shepherds towards the People thought of nothing but how to ravage their Flocks like so many voracious Wolves But that which rais'd the Consternation of Telemachus to the highest Degree was to see in this Abyss of Darkness and Misery a great number of Kings who had past upon Earth for tolerably good Princes now abandon'd to the Pains of Tartarus for having suffer'd themselves to be govern'd by wicked and designing Men. These were punished for the Evils they had suffer'd to be committed by their Authority Indeed the greatest part of these Kings were neither Good nor Bad their Weakness was so great that they never had been afraid of being kept in Ignorance of the Truth nor ever had a true relish of Vertue nor took Pleasure in doing Good No sooner was Telemachus got out of these dark Regions but he felt himself as much eas'd as if one had remov'd a Mountain off his Breast The sense of this made him comprehend the Misery of those that were shut up in this dismal Place without hope of being ever releas'd It fill'd him with Horror to observe how many Kings were more rigorously Tormented than other Criminals What said he so many Endeavours so many Dangers so many Snares so many Difficulties in coming at the Truth so as to be able to defend ones self against others and against ones self and at last so many horrible Torments in Hell after such Agitations such Assaults of Envy and so many Crosses in a short course of Life O unthinking Man who is desirous of Reigning And happy he who limits his Desires to a private and peacable manner of Life wherein 't is less difficult to be Vertuous In making these Reflections his Mind was fill'd with Trouble and Horror insomuch that he fell into a kind of Consternation which made him feel something of that Despair which racks those miserable Princes whose wretched Condition he had been considering But in proportion to the degrees of distance he gain'd in retiring from these sad Territories of Darkness Horror and Despair his Courage began gradually to revive he regain'd his Breath as he went forward and soon was entertain'd with a distant view of the mild and pure Rays of Light that darted from those blessed Regions where the Heroes reside Here dwelt all those vertuous Kings who had prudently govern'd Men till that time They were separated from other good Men for as wicked Princes suffer'd Torments in Tartarus infinitely more violent than those of other Criminals of a low and private Condition so these good Kings enjoy a Happiness in Elysium infinitely exceeding that of the rest of Mankind who had devoted themselves to Vertue when upon Earth Towards these Kings Telemachus advanc'd They were in odoriferous Groves on Meadows cover'd with immortal Green and always deck'd with Flowers a Thousand little Rivulets water'd this happy Place with their limpid Streams which refresh'd it after a most agreable manner an infinite number of pretty Birds made these Groves resound with their sweet Harmony Here they see at once the beautiful Flowers of the Spring growing on the Turf under their Feet and the pleasant Fruits of Autumn hanging on the Trees over their Heads Here the parching Heat of the furious Dog-star is never felt here the
and Happiness of Mankind thou seest the small number of Kings who have been truly worthy of Royalty and have faithfully perform'd the Function of Godsupon Earth These others whom thou seest not far from 'em but separated by the little Cloud have a Glory too but nothing near so great These indeed are Hero's but the Recompence of their Valour and Military Expeditions is not to be compar'd with that of Wise Just and Beneficent Kings Among those Hero's thou seest Theseus whose Countenance is somewhat dejected he has felt the Unhappiness of having too much Credulity for an Intreaguing Wife and is still afflicted for having so unjustly desir'd of Neptune the Death of his Son Hippolitus Happy had he been if he had not so easily and readily given way to the Passion of Anger Thou also seest Achilles leaning on his Spear because of the Wound the dissolute Paris gave him on the Heel which put an end to his Days If he had been as Wise Just and Moderate as he was Intrepid the Gods would have granted him a long Reign but they had pity on the Phitiotes and Dolopes over whom according to the ordinary Course of Nature he was to have reign'd after his Father Peleus and they were not willing to leave so many People at the mercy of a violent and furious Man more easie to be provok'd than the most unquiet Sea is to be mov'd by a sudden Storm The fatal Sisters have cut off the Thread of his Life he was like a Flower scarce fully Blown that is cut down by the rude Plow-man and falls before the end of the Day that gave it Birth The Gods were willing to use him only as they do Floods and Tempests to punish Men for their Crimes They employ'd Achilles to beat down the Walls of Troy to revenge the Perjury of Laomedon and the unjust Amours of Paris And after having us'd him as the Instrument of their Vengeance they are appeas'd and have refus'd the Tears of Thesis to suffer this young Hero any longer upon Earth who was fit for nothing but to disturb the World and to overthrow Cities and Kingdoms But dost thou observe that other Person who looks so fiercely 't is Ajax the Son of Telamon and Cousin to Achilles to be sure thou art not ignorant what Glory he acquir'd in Battel after the Death of Achilles he pretended his Armour ought not to be given to any but himself but thy Father did not think fit to give him the precedency and the Greeks gave Judgment in favour of Ulysses Ajax upon this kill'd himself in Despair Indignation and Despair are still painted on his Countenance My Son forbear to approach him for he would think thou hadst a mind to insult over him on the account of his Misfortune which ought to be bewail'd Dost thou not see that he looks upon us with Pain and rushes hastily into the dark Grove because he hates to see us On the other side thou seest Hector who had been Invincible if the Son of Thetis had not been in the World But take notice how Agamemnon passes along still carrying the Marks of Clytemnestra's Perfidiousness O my Son I tremble to think of the Misfortunes of that Family of the Impious Tantalus the Contention of the two Brothers Atreus and Thyestes fill'd that House with Horror and Blood Alas how one Crime draws a multitude of others after it Agamemnon when he return'd at the head of the Greeks from the Siege of Troy had not time to enjoy in Peace the Glory he had acquir'd in War and this is the Destiny of almost all Conquerors All those Men whom thou seest there have been formidable in War but have not been of an Amiable and Virtuous Disposition and therefore are only admitted into the second Mansion of the Elysian Fields As for these others who have reign'd with Justice and had a tender Affection for their People they are the intimate Friends of the Gods While Achilles and Agamemnon full of their Quarrels and Battels still retain their Disquietments and natural Defects while they in vain regret the Life which they have lost and asflict themselves with the Thoughts of being now Impotent and Vain Shadows these Just Men who are refin'd by that Divine Light which nourishes 'em having nothing more to desire to make 'em happy Behold with compassion the uneasinesses of poor Mortals and the greatest Affairs that agitate the Minds of Ambitious Men appear to them like the trifling Play of Children their Hearts are replenish'd with Truth and Virtue which they draw at the Fountain Head They have now nothing more to suffer either from others or from themselves no more Wishes no more Necessities no more Fears all is at an end with them except their Joy which can never end Consider my Son this Ancient King Inachus who sounded the Kingdom of Argos thou seest how full of Sweetness and Majesty his Old Age appears the Flowers grow under his Steps he treads so lightly that his walking resembles the flying of a Bird he holds a Golden Book in his Hand and in an Eternal Transport sings the wonderful Works of the Gods from his Heart and Mouth he Breaths exquisite Odors the Harmony of his Lyre and Voice together is capable of Ravishing the Gods as well as Men. He is thus rewarded for the Love he bore to the People heaffembled within the compass of his New Walls to whom he gave excellent Laws On the other side thou may'st see amongst those Myrtles Cecrops the Egyptian who was the first King of Athens a City Consecrated to that wise Goddess whose Name it bears This Cecrops brought wholesome Laws from Egypt a Country which has been to Greece a Spring both of Learning and Morality by this means he polish'd the rough Tempers of the Towns of Attica and united them by the Bands of Civil Society He was eminent for Justice Humanity and Compassion he left his People in great Prosperity and his Family but in a middle state he was not willing to have his Children succeed him in his Authority because he judg'd there were others more worthy of that Trust. I must likewise needs shew thee Ericthon in this little Valley who invented the Use of Silver for Money this he did with a Design to facilitate Commerce among the Cities of Greece but he foresaw the Inconvenience attending this Invention Apply your selves said he to all those People to multiply natural and true Riches in your Dwellings Cultivate the Earth that you may have great plenty of Corn Wine Oly and other Fruits Get innumerable Flocks that may nourish you with their Milk and Cloath you with their Wool Hereby you will put your selves in a Condition never to be afraid of Poverty The more Children you have the richer you 'l be provided you inure 'em to Labour and Industry for the Earth is inexhaustible and augments her Fecundity in proportion to the Number of her Inhabitants who take care to manure her She
liberally rewards the Labour of 'em all whereas she is tenacious and reserv'd to them that Cultivate her after a negligent manner Endeavour therefore principally to acquire this real Wealth which Answers the real Necessaries of Mankind As for Money no Account ought to be made of it any farther than it is necessary either to carry on such Wars as you are unavoidably engag'd in abroad or in the way of Commerce for such necessary Commodities as are wanting in your own Countrey and it were to be wish'd that Trasfick were suffer'd to fall to the Ground for all such things as serve only to maintain Luxury Vanity and Effeminacy The Wise Ericthon would often say My dear Children I am much afraid I have made you a fatal Present in giving you the Invention of Money I foresee it will excite Ambition Avarice and Pride that it will support an infinite number of pernicious Arts which only tend to debase and corrupt the meanest of Men that it will make you disrelish that happy Simplicity which makes your Lives so very quiet and secure In fine That it will make you despise Agriculture which is the support of Humane Life and the source of all solid Riches but the Gods are my Witnesses that my Heart was upright when I imparted this Invention to you which indeed is useful in it self But at length when Ericthon found that Money as he had foreseen corrupted the People he for Grief retired into a solitary Mountain where he lived in Poverty at a distance from Mankind 'till he became extreme Old without being willing to meddle with the Government of Cities Not long after him appear'd in Greece the famous Triptolemus whom Ceres had taught the Art of Tilling the Ground and covering it every Year with a Gilded Harvest Not that Men were 'till then ignorant of Corn and the manner of multiplying it by sowing but they knew not the Art of Husbandry to that Perfection till Triptolemus sent by Ceres came with the Plow in his Hand to offer the Favours of this Goddess to all those Nations who had Courage enough to overcome their natural Laziness and to addict themselves to assiduous Labour Triptolemus soon taught the Greeks the way of cleaving the Ground with Furrows and of rendring her fertile in tearing up her Bosom The sweating and indefatigable Reapers soon made the Ripe standing Corn that cover'd the Fields fall under their sharp Sicles even the Wild and Barbarous People that were scatter'd up and down in the Forests of Epirus and AEtolia seeking Acorns for their Food became civiliz'd and submitted to Laws when they had learn'd the way of making Corn grow and of baking Bread Triptolemus made the Greeks know the Pleasure of owing their Riches to nothing but their Labour and of finding in their own Fields whatever was necessary to render their Lives commodious and Happy This simple and innocent Plenty entail'd on Agriculture made them remember Ericthon's Counsel so that they slighted Money and all Artifical Riches that become so only by the Fancy of Men which tempts 'em to seek after dangerous Pleasures and divert 'em from Labour in which they would find all real Wealth with Purity of Manners in the full Enjoyment of Liberty They were then convinc'd that a Fruitful and well Cultivated Field was the true Treasure of a Family that was wise enough to be content to live frugally as their Fathers had done before ' em And happy had the Greeks been if they had continued firm and steady in embracing Maxims so proper to render 'em powerful Happy Lovers of Liberty and Virtue But alas they begin to admire false Riches and gradually neglect the true they degenerate from their once admir'd Simplicity O my Son thou shalt one Day Reign and then remember to bring Men back to the Exercise of Husbandry to Honour that Art to support those that apply themselves to it and neither to suffer the People to live in Idleness nor to employ their Time in those soft Arts that uphold Luxury and Vanity These two Men that were so wise when upon Earth are here cherish'd by the Gods themselves Observe it well my Son their Glory as far surpasses that of Achilles and other Hero's who have only excell'd in Battel as the agreeable Spring exceeds the frozen Winter and as the Lustre of the Sun out-shines the feebler Light of the Moon While Arcesius was thus speaking he perceived Telemachus had his Eyes continually fix'd on the side of a little Wood of Laurel by a little River the Banks of which were painted with Violets Roses Lillies and many other sorts of odoriferous Flowers whose lively Colours resembled those that invest Iris when she descends from Heaven to bring some Message from the Gods to mortal Men. 'T was the great King Sesostris that Telemachus saw in this lovely Place he was a thousand times more full of Majesty than he had ever been when upon the Throne of Egypt his Eyes emitted mild Rays of Light which dazzled those of Telemachus any one that saw him would think he were overcharg'd with Nectar the Spirit of the Gods had put him into such a Transport above the reach of human Reason to recompense his Vertues Said Telemachus to Arcesius O my Father I know Sesostris that wise King of Egypt whom I saw not long ago Ay there he is reply'd Arcesius and thou seest by his Example how magnificent the Gods are in rewarding vertuous Princes But you ought to know that all this Felicity is nothing in Comparison of what was design'd for him if too great Prosperity had not made him forget the Rules of Moderation and Justice The passionate Desire he had to abase the Pride and Insolence of the Tyrians engag'd him to take their City This Conquest gave him the Ambition to attempt the making of others so that he suffer'd himself to be seduced by the vain-glory of Conquerors He subjugated or to speak more properly ravaged all Asia At his return into Egypt he found his Brother possess'd of the Throne who by an unjust Government had alter'd the best Laws of the Country These are the Mischiefs Conquerors bring upon their own States while they seek to usurp those of their Neighbours This is the Injury a King otherwise so Just and Beneficent did to the Laws and 't is this that diminishes the Glory which the Gods had prepar'd for him Dost thou not see that other Person my Son whose Wound appears so bright and glorious 't is a King of Caria nam'd Dioclides who devoted himself to Die in Battle for his People because the Oracle had predicted that in the War of the Carians and Licians that Nation whose King should Perish should be Victorious Here is another I would have thee consider 't is a wise Legislator who having given Laws to the Nation under his Conduct proper to make 'em Vertuous and Happy made 'em Swear they would never violate any of those Laws during his Absence after which he
the People When Kings accustom themselves to know no other Laws but their own Will and to put no restraint on their Passions they may do any Thing but by this Power of doing any Thing they weaken the Foundation of their Authority they have no certain Rule remaining nor any Maxims of Government Every one strives to exceed others in flattering them Thus they lose their People and have nothing left 'em but Slaves Who shall tell 'em that bold Truth that may set Bounds to this Torrent Every thing gives way to it The wisest Men fly hide themselves and sigh in secret Nothing less than a sudden and violent Revolution can bring back this exorbitant Power into its natural Channel Nay oftentimes the Blow that is design'd to regulate it overthrows it Irrecoverably Nothing so much menaces a fatal Fall as an Authority which is push'd too sar 't is like a Bow too much bent which at last breaks all to pieces if it be not slacken'd But who shall dare to slacken this overstrain'd Power Idomeneus lov'd Justice with all his Heart yet by this so flattering Authority he had been overturn'd from his Throne and would still have remain'd under the Power of the same Delusion had not the Gods sent me here to undecieve him about this blind and extravagant Power which does not agree with the State of Men. Nay there were some kinds of Miracles necessary to open his Eyes The other almost incurable Mischief is Luxury As too great an Authority poysons Kings Luxury poysons a whole Nation 'T is commonly said that Luxury serves to Feed the Poor at the charge of the Rich as if the Poor could not get their Living more profitably in increasing the Fruits of the Earth without rendering the Rich effeminate by refining voluptous Arts. Thus a whole Nation accustoms it self to look upon the most superfluous Things as the Necessities of Life and new Necessities of this king are invented every Day Men can't tell how to Live without Things that were quite unknown thirty Years ago This Luxury they call the Bon gout the perfection of Arts. This Politeness of a Nation this Vice which draws so many others after it is commended as a Vertue and spreads its Contagion down to the very Mob The nearest Relations of the King are willing to imitate his Magnificence and the middle sort would fain equal those of great Quality for who is it that is willing to do himself Justice The lowest Rank of Men desire to pass for the middle Sort and every one does more than he is able some for Ostentation and to make a show of their Wealth others from a foolish Shame and to conceal their Poverty Even those who are wise enough to condemn so great a Disorder are not so wise as to dare to begin to stem the Tide and to give contrary Examples A whole Nation runs to Ruin all conditions and ranks of Men are confounded the passionate Desire of acquiring Riches to support a vain Expence corrupts the purest Minds And nothing is sought for but how to become Rich. To obtain this End Men Borrow Cheat and use a Thousand unworthy Artifices But who shall remedy these Mischiefs The Relish and Habits of a whole Nation must be chang'd new Laws must be given 'em and who shall attempt this Unless the King be so much of a Philosopher as to know how by the pattern of his own Moderation to cover all such with Shame who love a pompous Expence and to encourage the Prudent who are glad to be authoriz'd in an honourable way of Frugality Telemachus hearing this Discourse was like a Man just waking from a profound Sleep He conceiv'd the Truth of these Things and they were deeply impress'd on his Heart by Mentor's Words as a skilful Statuary cuts whatLiniaments he pleases on a piece of Marble so that they gave him Affection Life and Motion He answer'd nothing but revolv'd in his Mind all that he had been hearing His Eyes ran over the Things that had been alter'd in the City in fine he said to Mentor you have made Idomeneus the wisest of all Kings I now neither know him nor his People Nay I confess that what you have done here is infinitely greater than all the Victories we have been Winning Chance and Strength have a great share in the Successes of War and these Successes are always Mischievous and Odious But what I see here is all of it the Work of a celestial Wisdom all is sweet all is pure all is lovely all discovers an Authority more than Humane When Men have a Mind to Glory why do they not seek it in thus applying their Minds to do Good How little do they understand what solid Glory means who hope to acquire it in ravaging the Earth and pouring out humame Blood Mentor display'd a sensible Joy in his Face to find Telemachus so happilp undeceived about his Atchievements and Victories at an Age in which it was so natural for him to be intoxicated with the Glory that surrounded him After this Mentor added 'T is true all you see here is good and laudable but know that 't is possible to do yet better things than those Idomeneus governs his Passions and applies himself to regulate his People yet he does not fail to commit a great many Faults still which are the unhappy Consequences of his Ancient Mistakes When Men have a Mind to forsake an Evil this Evil seems still to pursue 'em for a long time Evil Habits a weak Temper inveterate Errors and almost incurable Prejudices still attend ' em Happy are they who have never thus wander'd they may be able to do good after a more perfect manner O Telemachus the Gods will require more of you than of Idomeneus because you have been acquainted with the Truth from your Youth and have never been deliver'd up to the seductions of too great Prosperity Idomeneus continued Mentor is Wise and Sagacious but he applies himself too much to the Detail and does not enough meditate on the Body of his Affairs That Capacity of Governing which is more than Humane does not consist in doing all on 's self 'T is a gross piece of Vanity to hope by this means to obtain one's end or to endeavour to perswade the World one is capable of it A King ought to Govern in chusing and conducting those who govern under him he is not to descend into every particular Matter this is to discharge the Function of those whose business it is to labour under him He ought only to take of 'em an Account of these things and to know enough of 'em to be able to enter into the Account with Judgment There is a wonderful Art in Governing by chusing and applying those that are under ones Government according to their several Talents by Judging of 'em Correcting 'em Moderating 'em and Inspiring 'em with good Conduct For a Prince to go about to Examin every thing himself is to shew Distrust
like a Looking glass the flagging Sails could no longer animate the Vessel the Rowers than were already tir'd now Labour'd to little Purpose 'T was therefore necessary to make Ashore on this Island which indeed was rather a huge Rock than a habitable Place In other Weather less Calm there would be no approaching it without Danger Those Pheasians who waited for the Wind appear'd no less impatient to continue their Voyage than the Salentines Telemachus advances towards 'em upon this craggy Shore He asks the first he meets with whether he had not seen Ulysses King of Ithaca in the Palace This Person to whom he accidentally addressed himself was not a Pheacian but an unknown Stranger who had a majestick Air but sad and dejected he feem'd to be deeply musing and scarce heard Telemachus his Question at first but at length he thus answer'd You are not mistaken Ulysses has been recieved by the King as he ought to be in a place where Jupiter is fear'd and Hospitality exercised but he is not here now and therefore 't is to no purpose for you to seek him here he is gone to see Ithaca again if the appeas'd Deities will at last suffer him once again to Salute his domestick Gods This Stranger had scarce pronounced these Words with a melancholy Tone but he threw himself into a little thick Wood that was on the top of a Rock from whence he view'd the Sea with a sad Aspect flying from all the Men he saw and seeming troubled that he could not get away Telemachus look'd intently on him and the more he look'd the more he was mov'd and astonished This unknown Person said he to Mentor has answer'd me like one that can't hear a Man speak to him without Pain and seems full of Grief and Anguish I bewail the Unfortunate since I am so my self and I find my Heart strongly engag'd to this Man tho' I know not why He has treated me rudely enough and yet I can't choose but desire he may see the end of his Troubles Mentor replied smiling you see what the Miseries of this Life serve for they render Princes Moderate and sensible of other Men's Afflictions when they have never tasted any thing but the sweet Poyson of Prosperity they are ready to believe themselves Gods they would have the Mountains become Plains to satisfie their Humour they make no Account of Men they would even sport with whole Nature when they hear any one speak of Suffering they know not what it means 't is a mere Dream to 'em they have never seen the distance between Good and Evil. But Misfortunes alone may give 'em Humanity and change their Hearts of Flint into Hearts of Flesh for then they feel they are but Men themselves and that they ought to treat other Men kindly who are like themselves If a Stranger moves your pity so much because you find him wandering on this Shore like your self how much more Compassion ought you to have for the People of Ithaca if ye shall hereafter see 'em suffer That People whom the Gods will commit to you as a Flock to a Shepherd will perhaps become Miserable by your Ambition or Pride or Imprudence for the People seldom suffer but by the Faults of their Kings whose Duty it is to watch over 'em to secure 'em from Misery While Mentor was Speaking thus Telemachus was overwhelm'd with Trouble and at last reply'd If all this be true the Condition of a King is very Miserable He is a Slave to all those he seems to Command he is not so much made to Command 'em as he is made for them he owes himself entirely to 'em he is loaded with all their Cares he is the Man to whom all the People together and every one in particular has a Right he must accommodate himself to their Weaknesses Correct 'em like a Father render 'em wise and happy the Authority he seems to have is not his own he can do nothing either for his own Glory or his own Pleasure his Authority is that of the Laws he must obey them to give a good Example to his Subjects In a Word he is only the Defender of the Laws to make them Reign he must Watch and Labour to maintain ' em He has the least Liberty and Tranquility of any Man in his Kingdom 'T is very true reply'd Mentor a King is made King only to take care of his People as a Shepherd does of his Flock or as a Father does of his Family But my dear Telemachus don't think it hard for him to go through some Trouble to be in a capacity to do good to so many People He Reforms ill Men by Punishments encourages good Men by Rewards he represents the Gods in thus leading all sorts of Men to Vertue has he not Glory enough in causing the Laws to be observ'd That of setting himself above the Laws is but a false Glory that produces nothing but Horror and Contempt If he be given to Vice he can't but be miserable for he can find no Tranquillity in his Thoughts no real Satisfaction if he be good he tastes the most pure and solid of all Pleasures in labouring for Vertue thereby expecting an eternal Recompense from the Gods Telemachus oppos'd to these Reasons Man's Ingratitude What said he to take so much Pains to gain the Love of those Men who perhaps will never love you and to shew Kindness to such vile Persons as will perhaps turn the Favours you confer on 'em against you to do you a Mischief Mentor answered You must expect to meet with Ingratitude from Men and yet not cease to do 'em good You ought to serve 'em not so much for their own sake as out of love to the Gods who command it The good you do is never lost if Men forget it the Gods remember and reward it Besides if the Multitude be ingrateful there are always some vertuous Men that will be affected with your Vertue nay the very Multitude as changeable as they are do not fail to do some kind of Justice to Vertue But would you hinder Men from being ingrateful Do not endeavour only to make 'em powerful rich and formidable by Arms and happy by Pleasures this Glory and this Plenty corrupt 'em they will be but the more wicked and consequently the more ingrateful but apply your self to inform their Manners and to inspire 'em with Justice Sincerity the fear of the Gods Humanity Fidelity Moderation and Disinteressedness In making 'em good you 'll hinder 'em from becoming ingrateful You 'll give 'em the true Good which is Vertue which if it be solid will always engage 'em to him who has inspir'd 'em with it It is to be wonder'd at that Men should be ingrateful to such Princes as never shew'd 'em the way to any thing but Injustice Ambition and Jealousie Inhumanity Pride and Treachery against their Neighbours A Prince ought to expect nothing of 'em but what himself has taught ' em But
that the Earth is too large for 'em all that you must have Neighbours and 't is best to have such as are oblig'd to you for their Establishment Be mov'd with the Misfortune of a King who cannot return into his own Country Polydamas and he being united together by the Bands of Justice and Virtue which are the only durable ones will preserve you in profound Peace and render you formidable to all the neighbouring Nations that may think of aggrandizing themselves You see O Daunians that we have given you and your Nation a King capable of advancing its Glory to the Skies Do you also give a Piece of Ground that is useless to you seeing we ask it at your hands to a Prince who is worthy of all kind of Relief The Daunians reply'd that they could refuse nothing to Telemachus since it was he that had procur'd Polydamas to be their King And they immediately went to seek for him in his solitary Dwelling to make him Reign over ' em Before they went they gave the fertile Plains of Arpos to Diomedes for him to found a new Kingdom there The Allies were extremely pleas'd with it because this Colony of Greeks would considerably fortifie the Confederate Party if ever the Daunians should endeavour to renew the Usurpations of which Adrastus gave 'em so ill an Example Telemachus with Teass in his Eyes took his leave of 'em together with his Company after he had tenderly embrac'd the valiant Diomedes the wise and inconsolable Nestor and the famous Philoctetes the worthy Possessor of the Arrows of Hercules The brave Son of Ulysses long'd with impatience to see Mentor again at Salentum and to embark with him for Ithaca where he hop'd his Father might by this time be arriv'd When he approach'd Salentum he was amaz'd to see the Country round which he had left almost quite uncultivated and desert manur'd like a fine Garden and fill'd with industrious Labourers he knew this must be the work of Mentor When he enter'd the City he observ'd there were fewer Artificers for Luxury and the Pleasures of Life and to make a great appearance of Magnificence Telemachus was choaked at this for he naturally lov'd all things that carried Pomp and Politeness with them But his Mind was soon possess'd with other Thoughts He saw at a distance Idomeneus coming toward him with Mentor this instantly mov'd his Heart with Joy and Tenderness And notwithstanding all the Success he had had in the War against Adrastus he was afraid lest Mentor should not be well pleas'd with him and as he advanc'd he examin'd his Eyes to see if he could read nothing in 'em that might occasion him to reproach himself First Idomeneus embrac'd Telemachus as his own Son after which Telemachus threw himself about Mentor's Neck and wetted him with his Tears Says Mentor to him I am well pleas'd with you you have committed great Faults but they have serv'd to make you know your self and to give you a diffidence in your own Performances Men often derive more Advantage from their Defects than from their great Actions for these swell the Mind and inspire it it with a dangerous Presumption whereas a Man's Faults make him recollect himself and restore him that Prudence which he had lost in the time of his good Successes That which remains for you to do is to Praise the Gods and not to desire the Praises of Men your self you have done great Things but confess the Truth 't is scarce your self that have done 'em Did they not enter like something Adventitious that was infus'd into you And were you not capable of spoiling all by your too great Temerity and Imprudence Do you not find that Minerva has as it were transform'd you into another Man above your self to perform by you that which you have done She has held all your desects in suspense as Neptune does when he appeases the Tempests and suspends the irritated Waves While Idomeneus was speaking to the 〈◊〉 who were return'd from the War Telemachus listen'd to the wise Counsels of Mentor After which he look'd on every side with Astonishment and said what a Change do I see the reason of which I cannot comprehend Is some Calamity befallen Salentum during my absence Whence is it that that Magnificence that reign'd in every part of it at my departure is not discernible at present I see here neither Gold nor Silver nor precious Stones The Habit of the People is plain and the Buildings that are Erecting are not so magnificent and full of Ornaments the Arts languish here and the City is become a Desert Says Mentor smiling upon him Have you observ'd the Conditions of the Country round about this City Yes reply'd Telemachus I see Husbandry is in Repute every where and the Fields are clear'd and manur'd Which is best added Mentor a City Proud and Magnificent with abundance of Gold and Silver with the Country round it neglected and barren or a City mean in its Ornaments and modest in its Manners with Fields about it cultivated and fruitful A great City of Artificers employ'd in soft Arts which corrupt the Manners of Men by engaging them in a luxurious Course of Life when 't is surrounded with a Kingdom that is poor and ill cultivated is like a Monster whose Head is of an extravagant Size and whose whole Body is extremely thin and depriv'd of Nourishment so that it bears no proportion to that Head 'T is the number of People and plenty of Provisions in which the true Strength and true Riches of a Kingdom consists Idomeneus has now a People innumerable and indesatigable in Labour who fill the whole Extent of his Country His whole Country is as it were but one entire City Salentum is only the Center of it the more the People multiply the more are the Fruits of Earth multiplied by their Labour this so sweet and peaceable Multiplication augments his Kingdom more than a Conquest Only those superfluous Arts are rejected in this City which divert the Poor from seeking the supply of their real Wants from the Earth and corrupt the Rich by casting 'em into a state of Pride and Softness Thus Idomeneus is much more powerful than he was when you so much admired his Magnificence That dazzling Splendor hid under it a Weakness and Misery which would soon have overturn'd his Empire now he has a greater number of Men he provides for 'em more easily these Men who are accustom'd to Labour and Toil and to a generous contempt of Life by the Love they bear to good Laws are always ready to Fight to defend those Lands which their own Hands have Cultivated This State which you suppose under a declension will soon become the Wonder of Hesperia Remember O Telemachus that two Things are very pernicious in the Government of Nations and sacrce ever admit a Remedy The first is an unjust and too violent Authority in Kings the other is Luxury which corrupts the Manners of