The Whole Works of Homer :: :: University of Virginia Library

The information or fashion of an absolute man; and necessarie (or fatal) passage through many afflictions (according with the most sacred Letter) to his naturall hauen and countrey; is the whole argument, and scope of this inimitable, and miraculous Poeme. And therefore is the epithete πολυτροπον giuen him in the first verse: πολυτροπος signifying, Homo cuius ingenium velut per multas, & varias vias, vertitur in veram.

That wanderd wondrous farre, when, He, the towne
Of sacred Troy, had sackt, and shiuerd downe.
The cities of a world of nations,
With all their manners, mindes, and fashions
He saw and knew. At Sea felt many woes;
Much care sustaind, to saue from ouerthrowes
Himselfe, and friends, in their retreate for home.
But so, their fates, he could not ouercome,
Though much he thirsted it. O men vnwise,
They perisht by their owne impieties,
That in their hungers rapine would not shunne
The Oxen of the loftie-going Sunne:

Who therefore from their eyes, the day bereft
Of safe returne. These acts in some part left,
Tell vs, as others, deified seed of Ioue.

Now all the rest that austere Death out-stroue
At Troys long siege, at home safe anchor'd are,
Free from the malice both of sea and warre;
Onely Vlysses is denide accesse
To wife and home. The Grace of Goddesses
The reuerend Nymph Calypso did detaine
Him in her Caues: past all the race of men,
Enflam'd to make him her lou'd Lord and Spouse.
And when the Gods had destin'd that his house,
Which Ithaca on her rough bosome beares,
(The point of time wrought out by ambient yeares)
Should be his hauen; Contention still extends
Her enuie to him, euen amongst his friends.
All Gods tooke pitie on him: onely he
That girds Earth in the cincture of the sea,
Diuine Vlysses euer did enuie,
And made the fixt port of his birth to flie.

But he himselfe solemniz'd a retreate

Neptunes progresse to the Æthiopes

To th' Æthiops, farre dissunderd in their seate;
(In two parts parted; at the Sunnes descent,
And vnderneath his golden Orient,
The first and last of men) t'enioy their feast
Of buls and lambes, in Hecatombs addrest:
At which he sat, giuen ouer to Delight.

The other Gods, in heauens supreamest height
Were all in Councell met: To whom began
The mightie Father, both of God and man,
Discourse, inducing matter, that inclin'd
To wise Vlysses; calling to his mind

These notes following, I am inforced to insert, (since the word they containe, differ from all other translations) lest I be thought to erre, out of that ignorance, that may perhaps possesse my deprauer. αμυμονος translated in this place inculpabilis; and made the epithete of Ægisthus; is from the true sence of the word, as it is here to be vnderstood: which is quite contrary. As αντιθεος is to be expounded in some place Diuinus, or Deo similis; but in another (soone after) contrarius Deo. The person to whom the Epithete is giuen, giuing reason to distinguish it. And so ολοφρων, an Epithete giuen to Atlas, instantly following, in one place signifies Mente perniciosus: in the next, qui vniuersa mente gerit.

Faultfull Ægisthus, who to death was done,
By yong Orestes, Agamemnons sonne.
His memorie to the Immortals then,
Mou'd Ioue thus deeply: O how falsly, men
Accuse vs Gods, as authors of their ill,
When, by the bane their owne bad liues instill,
They suffer all the miseries of their states,
Past our inflictions, and beyond their fates.
As now Ægisthus, past his fate, did wed
The wife of Agamemnon; and (in dread
To suffer death himselfe) to shunne his ill,
Incurr'd it by the loose bent of his will,
In slaughtering Atrides in retreate.
Which, we foretold him, would so hardly set

To his murtherous purpose; sending Mercurie
(That slaughterd Argus) our considerate spie,
To giue him this charge: Do not wed his wife,
Nor murther him; for thou shalt buy his life,
With ransome of thine owne; imposde on thee
By his Orestes; when, in him shall be
Atrides selfe renewd; and but the prime
Of youths spring put abroad; in thirst to clime
His haughtie Fathers throne, by his high acts.
These words of Hermes, wrought not into facts
Ægisthus powres; good counsell he despisde,
And to that Good, his ill is sacrifisde.

Pallas (whose eyes did sparkle like the skies)

Pallas to Iupiter.

Answerd: O Sire! supreame of Deities;
Ægisthus past his Fate, and had desert
To warrant our infliction; and conuert
May all the paines, such impious men inflict
On innocent sufferers; to reuenge as strict,
Their owne hearts eating. But, that Ithacus
(Thus neuer meriting) should suffer thus;
I deeply suffer. His more pious mind
Diuides him from these fortunes. Though vnkind
I, Pietie to him, giuing him a fate,
More suffering then the most infortunate;
So long kept friendlesse, in a sea-girt soile,
Where the seas nauile is a syluarie Ile,
In which the Goddesse dwels, that doth deriue
Her birth from Atlas; who, of all aliue,
The motion and the fashion doth command,
With his

In this place is Atlas giuen the Epithete ολοφρων, which signifies qui vniuersa mente agitat, here giuen him, for the power the starres haue in all things. Yet this receiues other interpretation in other places, as aboue said.

wise mind, whose forces vnderstand
The inmost deepes and gulfes of all the seas:
Who (for his skill of things superiour) stayes
The two steepe Columnes that prop earth and heauen.
His daughter tis, who holds this

δυστηνος is here turned by others, infelix: in the generall collection: when it hath here a particular exposition, applied to expresse Vlysses desert errors. παρα το στηνον, vt fit, qui vix locum inuenire potest vbi consistat.

homelesse-driuen,
Still mourning with her. Euermore profuse
Of soft and winning speeches; that abuse
And make so

This is thus translated, the rather to expresse and approue the Allegorie driuen through the whole Odysses. Deciphering the intangling of the wisest in his affections: and the torments that breede in euery pious minde: to be thereby hindred to arriue so directly as he desires, at the proper and onely true naturall countrie of euery worthy man, whose hauen is heauen and the next life, to which, this life is but a sea, in continuall æsture and vexation. The words occasioning all this, are μαλακοις, λογοις: signifying, qui languide, & animo remisso rem aliquam gerit: which being the effect of Calypsos sweete words in Vlysses, is here applied passiuely to his owne sufferance of their operation.

languishingly, and possest
With so remisse a mind; her loued guest
Manage the action of his way for home.
Where he (though in affection ouercome)
In iudgement yet; more longs to shew his hopes,
His countries smoke leape from her chimney tops,

And death askes in her armes. Yet neuer shall
Thy lou'd heart be conuerted on his thrall,
(Austere Olympius:) did not euer he,
In ample Troy, thy altars gratifie?
And Grecians Fleete make in thy offerings swim?
O Ioue, why still then burnes thy wrath to him?

Iupiter to Pallas

The Cloud-assembler answerd: What words flie
(Bold daughter) from thy Pale of

ερκος οδοντων vid. vallum or claustrum dentium: which, for the better sound in our language, is here turned, Pale of Ivorie. The teeth being that rampier or pale, giuen vs by nature in that part, for restraint and compression of our speech, till the imagination, appetite and soule (that ought to rule in their examination, before their deliuerie) haue giuen worthy passe to them. The most graue and diuine Port, teaching therein, that not so much for the necessarie chewing of our sustenance, our teeth are giuen vs, as for their stay of our words, lest we vtter them rashly.

Ivorie?
As if I euer could cast from my care
Diuine Vlysses, who exceeds so farre
All men in wisedome? and so oft hath giuen
To all th' Immortals thron'd in ample heauen,
So great and sacred gifts? But his decrees,
That holds the earth in with his nimble knees,
Stand to Vlysses longings so extreme,
For taking from the God-foe Polypheme
His onely eye; a Cyclop, that excell'd
All other Cyclops: with whose burthen swell'd
The Nymph Thoosa; the diuine increase
Of Phorcis seed, a great God of the seas.
She mixt with Neptune in his hollow caues,
And bore this Cyclop to that God of waues.
For whose lost eye, th' Earth-shaker did not kill
Erring Vlysses; but reserues him still
In life for more death. But vse we our powres,
And round about vs cast these cares of ours,
All to discouer how we may preferre
His wisht retreate; and Neptune make forbeare
His sterne eye to him: since no one God can
In spite of all, preuaile, but gainst a man.

To this, this answer made the gray-eyd Maide:
Supreame of rulers, since so well apaide
The blessed Gods are all then, now, in thee
To limit wise Vlysses miserie;
And that you speake, as you referd to me
Prescription for the meanes; in this sort be
Their sacred order: let vs now addresse
With vtmost speed, our swift Argicides,

Calypso.

To tell the Nymph that beares the golden Tresse
In th' ile Ogygia, that tis our will
She should not stay our lou'd Vlysses still;
But suffer his returne: and then will I
To Ithaca, to make his sonne apply
His Sires inquest the more; infusing force
Into his soule, to summon the concourse
Of curld-head Greekes to counsaile: and deterre
Each wooer that hath bene the slaughterer
Of his fat sheepe and crooked-headed beeues,

From more wrong to his mother; and their leaues
Take in such termes, as fit deserts so great.
To Sparta then, and Pylos, where doth beate
Bright Amathus, the flood and epithete
To all that kingdome; my aduice shall send
The spirit-aduanc'd Prince, to the pious end
Of seeking his lost father; if he may
Receiue report from Fame, where rests his stay;
And make, besides, his owne successiue worth,
Knowne to the world; and set in action forth.

This said, her wingd shooes to her feete she tied,

The preparation of Pallas for Ithaca.

Formd all of gold, and all eternified;
That on the round earth, or the sea, sustaind
Her rauisht substance, swift as gusts of wind.
Then tooke she her strong Lance, with steele made keene,
Great, massie, actiue, that whole hoasts of men
(Though all Heroes) conquers; if her ire
Their wrongs inflame, backt by so great a Sire.
Downe from Olympus tops, she headlong diu'd;
And swift as thought, in Ithaca arriu'd,
Close at Vlysses gates; in whose first court,
She made her stand; and for her breasts support,

Pallas, like Mentas.

Leand on her iron Lance: her forme imprest
With Mentas likenesse, come, as being a guest.
There found she those proud wooers, that were then
Set on those Oxe-hides that themselues had slaine,
Before the gates; and all at dice were playing.
To them the heralds, and the rest obaying,
Fill'd wine and water; some, still as they plaid;
And some, for solemne suppers state, puruaid;
With porous sponges, clensing tables, seru'd
With much rich feast; of which to all they keru'd.

God-like Telemachus, amongst them sat,
Grieu'd much in mind; and in his heart begat
All representment of his absent Sire;
How (come from far-off parts) his spirits would fire
With those proud wooers sight, with slaughter parting
Their bold concourse; and to himselfe conuerting
The honors they vsurpt, his owne commanding.

In this discourse, he, first, saw Pallas standing
Vnbidden entrie: vp rose, and addrest
His pace right to her; angrie that a guest
Should stand so long at gate: and coming neare,
Her right hand tooke; tooke in his owne, her speare;
And thus saluted: Grace to your repaire,
(Faire guest) your welcome shall be likewise faire.
Enter, and (chear'd with feast) disclose th' intent
That causde your coming. This said; first he wept,

And Pallas followd. To a roome they came,
Steepe, and of state; the Iauelin of the Dame,
He set against a pillar, vast and hie,
Amidst a large and bright-kept Armorie,
Which was, besides, with woods of Lances grac'd,
Of his graue fathers. In a throne, he plac'd
The man-turnd Goddesse; vnder which was spred
A Carpet, rich, and of deuicefull thred;
A footstoole staying her feete; and by her chaire,
Another seate (all garnisht wondrous faire,
To rest, or sleepe on in the day) he set
Farre from the prease of wooers; lest at meate
The noise they still made, might offend his guest,
Disturbing him at banquet or at rest,
Euen to his combat, with that pride of theirs,
That kept no noble forme in their affaires.
And these he set farre from them, much the rather
To question freely of his absent father.

A Table fairely polisht then, was spread,
On which a reuerend officer set bread;
And other seruitors, all sorts of meate,
(Salads, and flesh, such as their haste could get)
Seru'd with obseruance in. And then the Sewre,
Prowr'd water from a great and golden Ewre,
That from their hands t'a silver Caldron ran;
Both washt, and seated close; the voicefull man
Fetcht cups of gold, and set by them; and round
Those cups with wine, with all endeuour crownd.

Then rusht in the rude wooers; themselues plac't;
The heralds water gaue; the maids in haste
Seru'd bread from baskets. When, of all prepar'd,
And set before them; the bold wooers shar'd;
Their Pages plying their cups, past the rest.
But lustie wooers must do more then feast;
For now (their hungers and their thirsts allaid)
They call'd for songs, and Dances. Those, they said,
Were th' ornaments of feast. The herald strait
A Harpe, caru'd full of artificiall sleight,
Thrust into Phemius (a learnd singers) hand,
Who, till he much was vrg'd, on termes did stand;
But after, plaid and sung with all his art.

Telemachus to Pallas.

Telemachus, to Pallas then (apart,
His eare inclining close, that none might heare)
In this sort said: My Guest, exceeding deare,
Will you not sit incenst, with what I say?
These are the cares these men take; feast and play:
Which easly they may vse, because they eate,
Free, and vnpunisht, of anothers meate.

And of a mans, whose white bones wasting lie
In some farre region, with th' incessancie
Of showres powr'd downe vpon them; lying ashore;
Or in the seas washt nak'd. Who, if he wore
Those bones with flesh, and life, and industrie;
And these, might here in Ithaca, set eye
On him returnd; they all would wish to be,
Either past other, in celeritie
Of feete and knees; and not contend t'exceed
In golden garments. But his vertues feed
The fate of ill death: nor is left to me
The least hope of his lifes recouerie;
No not, if any of the mortall race
Should tell me his returne; the chearfull face
Of his returnd day, neuer will appeare.
But tell me; and let Truth, your witnesse beare;
Who? and from whence you are? what cities birth?
What parents? In what vessell set you forth?
And with what mariners arriu'd you here?
I cannot thinke you a foote passenger.
Recount then to me all; to teach me well,
Fit vsage for your worth. And if it fell
In chance now first that you thus see vs here,
Or that in former passages you were
My fathers guest? For many men haue bene
Guests to my father. Studious of men,
His sociable nature euer was.
On him againe, the grey-eyd Maide did passe
This kind reply; Ile answer passing true,

Pallas to Telemachus.

All thou hast askt: My birth, his honour drew
From wise Anchialus. The name I beare,
Is Mentas, the commanding Ilander
Of all the Taphians, studious in the art
Of Nauigation. Hauing toucht this part
With ship and men; of purpose to maintaine
Course through the darke seas, t'other languag'd men.
And Temesis sustaines the cities name,
For which my ship is bound; made knowne by fame,
For rich in brasse; which my occasions need;
And therefore bring I shining steele in steed,
Which their vse wants; yet makes my vessels freight;
That neare a plowd field, rides at anchors weight,
Apart this citie, in the harbor calld
Rethrus, whose waues, with Neius woods are walld.
Thy Sire and I, were euer mutuall guests,
At eithers house, still interchanging feasts.
I glorie in it. Aske, when thou shalt see
Laertes, th' old Heroe, these of mee,

From the beginning. He, men say, no more
Visits the Citie; but will needs deplore
His sonnes beleeu'd losse, in a priuate field;
One old maide onely, at his hands to yeeld
Foode to his life, as oft as labour makes
His old limbs faint; which though he creepes, he takes
Along a fruitfull plaine, set all with vines,
Which, husbandman-like (though a King) he proines.
But now I come to be thy fathers guest;
I heare he wanders, while these wooers feast.
And (as th' Immortals prompt me at this houre)
Ile tell thee, out of a prophetique powre,
(Not as profest a Prophet, not cleare seene
At all times, what shall after chance to men)
What I conceiue, for this time, will be true:
The Gods inflictions keepe your Sire from you.
Diuine Vlysses, yet, abides not dead
Aboue earth, nor beneath; nor buried
In any seas, (as you did late conceiue)
But, with the broad sea sieg'd, is kept aliue
Within an Ile, by rude and vp-land men,
That in his spite, his passage home detaine.
Yet long it shall not be, before he tred
His countries deare earth; though solicited.
And held from his returne, with iron chaines.
For he hath wit to forge a world of traines,
And will, of all, be sure to make good one,
For his returne, so much relide vpon.
But tell me, and be true: Art thou indeed
So much

τοσος παις, Tantus filius. Pallas thus enforcing her question to stirre vp the son the more to the fathers worthinesse.

a sonne, as to be said the seed
Of Ithacus himselfe? Exceeding much
Thy forehead and faire eyes, at his forme touch:
For oftentimes we met, as you and I
Meete at this houre; before he did apply
His powres for Troy. When other Grecian States,
In hollow ships were his associates.
But since that time, mine eyes could neuer see
Renowmd Vlysses; nor met his with me.

Telemachus to Pallas.

The wise Telemachus againe replide:
You shall withall I know, be satisfide.
My mother, certaine, sayes I am his sonne:
I know not; nor was euer simply knowne
By any child, the sure truth of his Sire.
But would my veines had tooke in liuing fire
From some man happie, rather then one wise,
Whom age might see seizd, of what youth made prise.
But he, whoeuer of the mortall race
Is most vnblest, he holds my fathers place.

This, since you aske, I answer. She, againe:

The Gods sure did not make the future straine

Pallas to Telemachus.

Both of thy race and dayes, obscure to thee,
Since thou wert borne so of Penelope.
The stile may by thy after acts be wonne,
Of so great Sire, the high vndoubted sonne.

Say truth in this then: what's this feasting here?
What all this rout? Is all this nuptiall cheare?
Or else some friendly banquet made by thee?
For here no shots are, where all sharers be.
Past measure contumeliously, this crew
Fare through thy house; which should th' ingenuous view
Of any good or wise man come and find,
(Impietie seeing playd in euery kind)
He could not but through euery veine be mou'd.

Againe Telemachus: My guest much lou'd,
Since you demand and sift these sights so farre;
I grant twere fit, a house so regular,
Rich, and so faultlesse, once in gouernment,
Should still at all parts, the same forme present,
That gaue it glorie, while her Lord was here.
But now the Gods, that vs displeasure beare,
Haue otherwise appointed; and disgrace
My father most, of all the mortall race.
For whom I could not mourne so, were he dead,
Amongst his fellow Captaines slaughtered
By common enemie; or in the hands
Of his kind friends, had ended his commands;
After he had egregiously bestow'd
His powre and order in a warre so vow'd;
And to his tombe, all Greekes their grace had done;
That to all ages he might leaue his sonne
Immortall honor: but now Harpies haue
Digg'd in their gorges his abhorred graue.
Obscure, inglorious, Death hath made his end;
And me (for glories) to all griefes contend.
Nor shall I any more mourne him alone;
The Gods haue giuen me other cause of mone.
For looke how many Optimates remaine
In Samos, or the shoares Dulichian,
Shadie Zacynthus; or how many beare
Rule in the rough browes of this Iland here;
So many now, my mother and this house,
At all parts make defam'd and ruinous.
And she, her hatefull nuptials, nor denies,
Nor will dispatch their importunities:
Though she beholds them spoile still, as they feast,
All my free house yeelds: and the little rest

Of my dead Sire in me, perhaps intend
To bring, ere long, to some vntimely end.

This Pallas sigh'd, and answerd: O (said she)
Absent Vlysses is much mist by thee:
That on these shamelesse suiters he might lay
His wreakfull hands. Should he now come, and stay
In thy Courts first gates, armd with helme and shield,
And two such darts as I haue seene him wield,
When first I saw him in our Taphian Court,
Feasting, and doing his deserts disport;
When from Ephyrus he returnd by vs
From Ilius, sonne to Centaure Mermerus;
To whom he traueld through the watrie dreads,
For bane to poison his sharpe arrowes heads,
That death, but toucht, causde; which he would not giue,
Because he fear'd, the Gods that euer liue,
Would plague such death with death; and yet their feare
Was to my fathers bosome not so deare
As was thy fathers loue; (for what he sought,
My louing father found him, to a thought.)
If such as then, Vlysses might but meete
With these proud wooers; all were at his feete
But instant dead men; and their nuptials
Would proue as bitter as their dying galls.
But these things in the Gods knees are reposde,
If his returne shall see with wreake inclosde,
These in his house, or he returne no more.
And therefore I aduise thee to explore
All waies thy selfe, to set these wooers gone;
To which end giue me fit attention;
To morrow into solemne councell call
The Greeke Heroes; and declare to all
(The Gods being witnesse) what thy pleasure is:
Command to townes of their natiuities,
These frontlesse wooers. If thy mothers mind,
Stands to her second nuptials, so enclinde;
Returne she to her royall fathers towers,
Where th' one of these may wed her, and her dowers
Make rich, and such as may consort with grace,
So deare a daughter, of so great a race.
And thee I warne as well, (if thou as well
Wilt heare and follow) take thy best built saile,
With twentie owers mann'd, and haste t'enquire
Where the abode is of thy absent Sire;
If any can informe thee, or thine eare
From Ioue the fame of his retreate may heare;
(For chiefly Ioue giues all that honours men).

To Pylos first be thy addression then

To god-like Nestor. Thence, to Sparta, haste
To gold-lockt Menelaus, who was last
Of all the brasse-armd Greekes that saild from Troy.
And trie from both these, if thou canst enioy
Newes of thy Sires returnd life, any where,
Though sad thou sufferst in his search, a yeare.
If of his death thou hear'st, returne thou home;
And to his memorie erect a tombe:
Performing parent-rites, of feast and game,
Pompous, and such as best may fit his fame:
And then thy mother a fit husband giue.
These past, consider how thou maist depriue
Of worthlesse life, these wooers in thy house;
By open force, or proiects enginous.
Things childish fit not thee; th' art so no more:
Hast thou not heard, how all men did adore
Diuine Orestes, after he had slaine
Ægisthus, murthering by a trecherous traine
His famous father? Be then (my most lou'd)
Valiant and manly; euery way approu'd
As great as he. I see thy person fit,
Noble thy mind, and excellent thy wit;
All giuen thee, so to vse and manage here,
That euen past death they may their memories beare.
In meane time Ile descend to ship and men,
That much expect me. Be obseruant then
Of my aduice, and carefull to maintaine
In equall acts thy royall fathers raigne.

Telemachus replide: You ope (faire Guest)
A friends heart, in your speech; as well exprest,
As might a father serue t'informe his sonne:
All which, sure place haue in my memorie wonne.
Abide yet, though your voyage calls away;
That hauing bath'd; and dignifide your stay
With some more honour; you may yet beside,
Delight your mind, by being gratifide
With some rich Present, taken in your way;
That, as a Iewell, your respect may lay
Vp in your treasurie; bestowd by me,
As free friends vse to guests of such degree.

Detaine me not (said she) so much inclinde
To haste my voyage. What thy loued minde
Commands to giue; at my returne this way,
Bestow on me; that I directly may
Conuey it home; which (more of price to mee)
The more it askes my recompence to thee.

This said, away gray-eyd Minerua flew,
Like to a mounting Larke; and did endue

His mind with strength and boldnesse; and much more
Made him, his father long for, then before.
And weighing better who his guest might be,
He stood amaz'd, and thought a Deitie
Was there descended: to whose will he fram'd
His powres at all parts; and went, so inflam'd
Amongst the wooers; who were silent set,
To heare a Poet sing the sad retreat
The Greekes performd from Troy: which was from thence
Proclaimd by Pallas, paine of her offence.

When which diuine song, was perceiu'd to beare
That mournfull subiect, by the listning eare
Of wise Penelope (Icarius seed,
Who from an vpper roome had giu'n it heed)
Downe she descended by a winding staire;
Not solely; but the State, in her repaire,
Two Maides of Honour made. And when this Queene
Of women, stoopt so low, she might be seene
By all her wooers. In the doore, aloofe
(Entring the Hall, grac'd with a goodly roofe)
She stood, in shade of gracefull vailes implide
About her beauties: on her either side,
Her honor'd women. When, (to teares mou'd) thus
She chid the sacred Singer: Phemius,
You know a number more of these great deeds,
Of Gods and men (that are the sacred seeds
And proper subiects of a Poets song,
And those due pleasures that to men belong)
Besides these facts that furnish Trois retreate,
Sing one of those to these, that round your seate
They may with silence sit, and taste their wine:
But ceasle this song, that through these eares of mine,
Conuey deseru'd occasion to my heart
Of endlesse sorrowes; of which, the desert
In me, vnmeasur'd is, past all these men;
So endlesse is the memorie I retaine;
And so desertfull is that memorie
Of such a man, as hath a dignitie
So broad, it spreds it selfe through all the pride
Of Greece, and Argos. To the Queene, replide
Inspir'd Telemachus: Why thus enuies
My mother, him that fits

εριηρος αοιδος Cantor, cuius tam apta est societas hominibus.

societies
With so much harmonie, to let him please
His owne mind, in his will to honor these?
For these

ανδρασιν, αλφηστησιν. Αλφηστησιν is an Epithete proper to Poets, for their first finding out of Arts and documents tending to elocution and gouernment: inspired onely by Ioue; and are here called the first of men: since first they gaue rules to manly life: and haue their informatiō immediatly from Iove; (as Plato in Ιωνε witnesseth) The word deduced from αλφα, which is taken for him, qui primas teneat aliqua in re: And will αλφηστησιν then be sufficiently exprest with ingeniosis? then which, no exposition goes further.

ingenuous, and first sort of men,
That do immediatly from Ioue retaine

Their singing raptures; are by Ioue as well
Inspir'd with choice, of what their songs impell.
Ioues will is free in it; and therefore theirs;
Nor is this man to blame, that the repaires
The Greekes make homeward, sings: for his fresh Muse,
Men still most celebrate, that sings most newes.

And therefore in his note, your eares employ:
For, not Vlysses onely lost in Troy
The day of his returne; but numbers more,
The deadly ruines of his fortunes bore.
Go you then, In; and take your worke in hand;
Your web, and distaffe, and your maids command
To plie their fit worke. Words, to men are due,
And those reprouing counsels you pursue;
And most, to me, of all men; since I beare
The rule of all things, that are manag'd here.
She went amazd away; and in her heart,
Laid vp the wisedome Pallas did impart
To her lou'd sonne so lately; turnd againe
Vp to her chamber; and no more would raigne
In manly counsels. To her women, she
Applied her sway; and to the wooers, he
Began new orders; other spirits bewraid
Then those, in spite of which, the wooers swaid.
And (whiles his mothers teares, still washt her eies,
Till gray Minerua did those teares surprise
With timely sleepe; and that her woo'rs did rouse
Rude Tumult vp, through all the shadie house,
Disposde to sleepe because their widow was)
Telemachus, this new-giuen spirit did passe
On their old insolence: Ho! you that are
My mothers wooers! much too high ye beare

Telemachus in new termes with the wooers.

Your petulant spirits: sit; and while ye may
Enioy me in your banquets: see ye lay
These loud notes downe; nor do this man the wrong,
(Because my mother hath dislikt his song)
To grace her interruption: tis a thing
Honest, and honourd too, to heare one sing
Numbers so like the Gods in elegance,
As this man flowes in. By the mornes

ηωθεν, prima luce.

first light,
Ile call ye all before me, in a Court,
That I may cleerly banish your resort
With all your rudenesse, from these roofes of mine.
Away; and elsewhere in your feasts combine:
Consume your owne goods, and make mutuall feast
At eithers house. Or if ye still hold best,
And for your humors more suffised fill,
To feed, to spoile (because vnpunisht still)

On other findings: spoile; but here I call
Th' eternall Gods to witnesse, if it fall
In my wisht reach once, to be dealing wreakes,
(By Ioues high bountie) these your present checks,
To what I giue in charge, shall adde more reines
To my reuenge hereafter; and the paines
Ye then must suffer, shall passe all your pride,
Euer to see redrest, or qualifide.

At this, all bit their lips; and did admire
His words sent from him, with such phrase, and fire:
Which so much mou'd them; that Antinous
(Eupytheus sonne) cried out: Telemachus!
The Gods, I thinke, haue rapt thee to this height
Of elocution; and this great conceit
Of selfe-abilitie. We all may pray,
That Ioue inuest not in this kingdomes sway,
Thy forward forces; which I see put forth
A hote ambition in thee, for thy birth.

Vpon this answer of Telemachus; because it hath so sodain a change; and is so farre let down, frō his late height of heate; altering & tempering so cōmandingly, his affections; I thought not amisse to insert here Spondanus further Annotation, which is this: Prudenter Telemachus ioco, furorem Antinoi ac asperitatē emollijt. Nam ita dictū illius interpretatur vt existimetur censere iocose illa etiam ab Antinoo aduersum se pronunciata. Et primum Ironicè se Regem esse exoptat propter commoda quæ Reges solent comitari. Ne tamen invidiam in se ambitiones concitet, testatur se regnum Ithacæ non ambire, mortuo Vlysse, cum id alij possidere queant se longe præstantiores ac digniores: hoc vnum ait se moliri, vt propriarum ædium & bonorum solus sit dominus, ijs exclusis ac eiectis, qui vi illa occupare ac disperdere conantur.

Be not offended, (he replide) if I
Shall say, I would assume this emperie,
If Ioue gaue leaue. You are not he that sings,
The rule of kingdomes is the worst of things.
Nor is it ill, at all, to sway a throne:
A man may quickly gaine possession
Of mightie riches; make a wondrous prise
Set of his vertues; but the dignities
That decke a King, there are enough beside
In this circumfluous Ile, that want no pride
To thinke them worthy of; as yong as I,
And old as you are. An ascent so hie,
My thoughts affect not: dead is he that held
Desert of vertue to haue so exceld.
But of these turrets, I will take on me
To be the absolute King; and reigne as free
As did my father, ouer all, his hand
Left here, in this house, slaues to my command.

Eurymachus, the sonne of Polybus,
To this, made this reply: Telemachus!
The Girlond of this kingdome, let the knees
Of deitie runne for: but the faculties,
This house is seasd of, and the turrets here,
Thou shalt be Lord of; nor shall any beare
The least part of, of all thou doest possesse,
As long as this land is no wildernesse,
Nor rul'd by out-lawes). But giue these their passe,
And tell me (best of Princes) who he was

That guested here so late? from whence? and what
In any region bosted he his state?
His race? his countrie? Brought he any newes
Of thy returning Father? Or for dues
Of moneys to him, made he fit repaire?
How sodainly he rusht into the aire?
Nor would sustaine to stay, and make him knowne?
His Port shewd no debaucht companion.

He answerd: The returne of my lou'd Sire,
Is past all hope; and should rude Fame inspire
From any place, a flattring messenger,
With newes of his suruiuall; he should beare
No least beliefe off, from my desperate loue.
Which if a sacred Prophet should approue,
(Calld by my mother for her cares vnrest)
It should not moue me. For my late faire guest,
He was of old my Fathers: touching here
From Sea-girt Taphos; and for name doth beare
Mentas; the sonne of wise Anchialus;
And gouernes all the Taphians, studious
Of Nauigation. This he said: but knew
It was a Goddesse. These againe withdrew
To dances, and attraction of the song.
And while their pleasures did the time prolong,
The sable Euen descended; and did steepe
The lids of all men in desire of sleepe.

Telemachus, into a roome built hie,
Of his illustrous Court; and to the eie
Of circular prospect; to his bed ascended;
And in his mind, much weightie thought contended.
Before him, Euryclæa (that well knew
All the obseruance of a handmaids due,
Daughter to Opis Pysenorides)
Bore two bright torches. Who did so much please
Laërtes in her prime; that for the price
Of twentie Oxen, he made merchandize
Of her rare beauties; and Loues equall flame
To her he felt, as to his nuptiall Dame.
Yet neuer durst he mixe with her in bed;
So much the anger of his wife he fled.
She, now growne old, to yong Telemachus
Two torches bore; and was obsequious,
Past all his other maids; and did apply
Her seruice to him, from his infancie.
His wel-built chamber, reacht; she op't the dore;
He, on his bed sat. The soft weeds he wore,
Put off; and to the diligent old maid
Gaue all; who fitly all in thicke folds laid,

And hung them on a beame-pin neare the bed;
That round about was rich embrodered.
Then made she haste forth from him; and did bring
The doore together with a siluer ring;
And by a string, a barre to it did pull.
He, laid, and couerd well with curled wooll,
Wouen in silke quilts: all night emploid his minde
About the taske that Pallas had design'd.