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

Vlysses way to Hell appeares;
Where he, the graue Tiresias heares;
Enquires his owne, and others fates.
His mother sees, and th' after states,
In which, were held, by sad Decease
Heroes, and Heroesses;
A number, that at Troy wag'd warre;
As Aiax that was still at iarre
With Ithacus, for th' armes be lost;
And with the great Achilles Ghost.

Another.

Λαμβδα.

Vlysses here
Inuokes the dead;
The liues appeare,
Hereafter led.

Arriu'd now at our ship; we lancht, and set
Our Mast vp, put forth saile; and in did get
Our late-got Cattell. Vp our sailes, we went;

They mournd the euent before they knew it.

My wayward fellowes mourning now th' euent.
A good companion yet, a foreright wind;
Circe, (the excellent vtterer of her mind)
Supplied our murmuring consorts with, that was
Both speed, and guide to our aduenturous passe.
All day our sailes stood to the winds; and made
Our voiage prosprous. Sunne then set, and shade
All wayes obscuring: on the bounds we fell
Of deepe Oceanus; where people dwell
Whom a perpetuall cloud obscures outright:
To whom the cheerfull Sunne lends neuer light;
Nor when he mounts the star-sustaining heauen;
Nor when he stoopes earth, and sets vp the Euen:
But Night holds fixt wings, fetherd all with Banes,
Aboue those most vnblest Cimmerianes.
Here drew we vp our ship: our sheepe with-drew;
And walkt the shore till we attaind the view
Of that sad region Circe had foreshow'd;
And then the sacred offerings, to be vow'd,
Eurylochus, and Persimedes bore.
When I, my sword drew, and earths wombe did gore

161

Till I, a pit digg'd of a cubite round;
Which with the liquid sacrifice, we crown'd
First, honey mixt with wine; then, sweete wine neate;
Then water powr'd in; last the flowre of wheate.
Much I importun'd then, the weake-neckt dead,
And vowd, when I the barren soile should tread
Of cliffe Ithaca; amidst my hall
To kill a Heifer, my cleare best of all,
And giue in offering: on a Pile composd
Of all the choise goods, my whole house enclosd.
And to Tiresias, himselfe, alone
A sheepe cole-blacke, and the selectest one
Of all my flockes. When to the powres beneath,
The sacred nation, that suruiue with Death,
My prayrs, and vowes, had done deuotions fit;
I tooke the offrings, and vpon the pit
Bereft their liues. Out gusht the sable blood;
And round about me, fled out of the flood,
The Soules of the deceast. There cluster'd then,
Youths, and their wiues, much suffering aged men,
Soft tender virgins, that but new came there,
By timelesse death, and greene their sorrowes were.
There, men at Armes, with armors all embrew'd,
Wounded with lances, and with faulchions hew'd:
In numbers, vp and downe the ditch, did stalke;
And threw vnmeasur'd cries, about their walke;
So horrid that a bloodlesse feare surprisde,
My daunted spirits. Straight then, I aduisde
My friends to flay the slaughter'd sacrifice;
Put them in fire, and to the Deities;
Sterne Pluto, and Persephone, apply
Excitefull prayrs. Then drew I from my Thy,
My well-edg'd sword; stept in, and firmely stood
Betwixt the prease of shadowes, and the blood;
And would not suffer any one to dip
Within our offring, his vnsolide lip;
Before Tiresias, that did all controule.
The first that preast in, was Elpenors soule;
His body, in the broad-waid earth, as yet
Vnmournd vnburied by vs; since we swet
With other vrgent labours. Yet his smart,
I wept to see; and ru'd it from my heart;
Enquiring how, he could before me be,
That came by ship? He mourning, answerd me:
In Circes house; the spite some Spirit did beare;
And the vnspeakable good licour there
Hath bene my bane. For being to descend
A ladder much in height; I did not tend

162

My way well downe; but forwards made a proofe
To tread the rounds; and from the very roofe
Fell on my necke, and brake it. And this made
My soule thus visite this infernall shade.
And here, by them that next thy selfe are deare,
Thy Wife, and Father, that a little one
Gaue food to thee; and by thy onely Sonne
At home behind thee left, (Telemachus)
Do not depart by stealth, and leaue me thus,
Vnmourn'd, vnburied: lest neglected I
Bring on thy selfe, th' incensed Deitie.
I know, that saild from hence, thy ship must touch
On th' Ile Ææa; where vouchsafe thus much
(Good king) that, landed, thou wilt instantly,
Bestow on me, thy royall memory;
To this grace; that my body, armes and all,
May rest consum'd in fitie funerall.
And on the fomie shore, a Sepulchre
Erect to me; that after times may heare
Of one so haplesse. Let me these implore;

Misenus apud Virgilium, ingenti mole, &c.

And fixe vpon my Sepulcher, the Ore
With which aliue, I shooke the aged seas;
And had, of friends, the deare societies.

I told the wretched Soule, I would fulfill
And execute to th' vtmost point, his will;
And, all the time, we sadly talkt; I still
My sword aboue the blood held; when aside
The Idoll of my friend, still amplified
His plaint, as vp and downe, the shades he err'd.
Then, my deceased mothers Soule appeard;
Faire daughter of Antolicus, the Great;
Graue Anticlæa, Whom, when forth I set
For sacred Ilion, I had left aliue.
Her sight, much mou'd me; and to teares did driue
My note of her deceasse: and yet, not she
(Though in my ruth, she held the highest degree)
Would I admit to touch the sacred blood;
Till from Tiresias, I had vnderstood
What Circes told me. At the length did land,

Tiresias to Vlysses.

Theban Tiresias soule; and in his hand
Sustaind a golden Scepter, knew me well;
And said; O man vnhappy, why to hell
Admitst thou darke arriuall; and the light
The Sunne giues, leau'st; to haue the horrid sight
Of this blacke region, and the shadowes here?
Now sheath thy sharpe sword; and the pit forbeare.
That I the blood may taste; and then relate
The truth of those acts, that affect thy Fate.

163

I sheath'd my sword; and left the pit, till he
The blacke blood tasting, thus instructed me;
Renoum'd Vlysses! all vnaskt, I know
That all the cause of thy arriuall now,
Is to enquire thy wisht retreate, for home:
Which hardly God will let thee ouercome;
Since Neptune still will his opposure trie,
With all his laid vp anger, for the eye
His lou'd Sonne lost to thee. And yet through all
Thy suffring course, (which must be capitall)
If both thine owne affections, and thy friends
Thou wilt containe; when thy accesse ascends
The three-forckt Iland, hauing scap't the seas;
(Where ye shall find fed, on the flowrie leas,
Fat flocks, and Oxen; which the Sunne doth owne;
To whom are all things, as well heard as showne:
And neuer dare, one head of those to slay;
But hold, vnharmefull on, your wished way)
Though through enough affliction; yet secure
Your Fates shall land ye. But Presage saies sure,
If once ye spoile them; spoile to all thy friends;
Spoile to thy Fleete; and if the iustice ends
Short of thy selfe; it shall be long before,
And that length, forc't out, with inflictions store:
When, losing all thy fellowes, in a saile
Of forreigne built (when most thy Fates preuaile
In thy deliuerance) thus th' euent shall sort;
Thou shalt find shipwracke, raging in thy Port:
Proud men, thy goods consuming; and thy Wife
Vrging with gifts; giue charge vpon thy life.
But all these wrongs, Reuenge shall end to thee;
And force, or cunning, set with slaughter, free
Thy house of all thy spoilers. Yet againe,
Thou shalt a voyage make; and come to men
That know no Sea; nor ships, nor oares, that are
Wings to a ship; not mixe with any fare,

Men that neuer eate salt with their foode.

Salts sauorie vapor. Where thou first shalt land,
This cleare-giuen signe, shall let thee vnderstand,
That there those men remaine: assume ashore,
Vp to thy roiall shoulder, a ship oare;
With which, when thou shalt meete one on the way,
That will, in Countey admiration, say
What dost thou with that wanne, vpon thy necke?
There, fixe (that wanne) thy oare; and that shore decke
With sacred Rites to Neptune: slaughter there
A Ram, a Bull, and, (who for strength doth beare
The name of husband to a herd) a Bore.
And, coming home, vpon thy naturall shore,

164

Giue pious Hecatombs, to all the Gods
(Degrees obseru'd). And then the Periods
Of all thy labors, in the peace shall end
Of easie death; which shall the lesse extend
His passion to thee; that thy foe, the Sea
Shall not enforce it, but Deaths victory,

γηρα υπο λιπαρω. Which all translate senectute sub molli. The Epithete λιπαρω, not of λιπαρος, viz. pinguit, or λιπαρως, pinguiter. But λιπαρως signifying flagitanter orando To which, pious age is euer altogether addicted.

Shall chance in onely-earnest-pray-vow'd age:
Obtaind at home, quite emptied of his rage;
Thy subiects round about thee, rich and blest:
And here hath Truth summ'd vp, thy vitall rest.

I answerd him; We will suppose all these
Decreed in Deity; let it likewise please
Tiresias to resolue me, why so neare
The blood and me, my mothers Soule doth beare;
And yet, nor word, nor looke, vouchsafe her Sonne?
Doth she not know me? No (said he) nor none
Of all these spirits, but my selfe alone;
Knowes any thing, till he shall taste the blood;
But whomsoeuer, you shall do that good,
He will the truth, of all you wish, vnfold;
Who, you enuy it to, will all withhold.

Thus said the kingly soule, and made retreate,
Amidst the inner parts of Plutos Seate,
When he had spoke thus, by diuine instinct:
Still I stood firme, till to the bloods precinct
My mother came, and drunke; and then she knew,
I was her Sonne; had passion to renew
Her naturall plaints; which thus she did pursew:
How is it, (O my Sonne) that you aliue,
This deadly-darksome region vnderdiue?
Twixt which, and earth, so many mighty seas,
And horrid currents, interpose their prease?
Oceanus, in chiefe; which none (vnlesse
More helpt then you) on foote now can transgresse.
A well built ship he needs, that ventures there:
Com'st thou from Troy but now? enforc't to erre
All this time with thy souldiers? Nor hast seene,
Ere this long day, thy Countrey, and thy Queene?

I answerd; That a necessary end
To this infernall state, made me contend;
That from the wise Tiresias Theban Soule,
I might, an Oracle, inuolu'd, vnrowle:
For I came nothing neare Achaia yet;
Nor on our lou'd earth, happy foote had set;
But (mishaps suffering) err'd from Coast to Coast;
Euer since first, the mighty Græcian hoast
Diuine Atrides, led to Ilion;
And I, his follower, to set warre vpon

165

The rapefull Troyans: and so praid she would
The Fate of that vngentle death vnfould,
That forc't her thither: if some long disease;
Or that the Splene, of her that arrowes please,
(Diana, enuious of most eminent Dames)
Had made her th' obiect of her deadly aimes?
My Fathers state, and sonnes, I sought; if they
Kept still my goods? or they became the prey
Of any other, holding me no more
In powre of safe returne, or if my store
My wife had kept together, with her Sonne?
If she, her first mind held; or had bene wonne
By some chiefe Greciæn, from my loue, and bed?

All this she answerd; that Affliction fed
On her blood still at home; and that to griefe,
She all the dayes, and darknesse, of her life,
In teares, had consecrate. That none possest
My famous kingdomes Throne; but th' interest
My sonne had in it; still he held in peace.
A Court kept, like a Prince; and his increase
Spent in his subiects good; administring lawes
With iustice, and the generall applause
A king should merit; and all calld him king.
My Father, kept the vpland, labouring;
And shun'd the Citie: vsde no sumptuous beds;
Wonderd at furnitures; nor wealthy weeds;
But, in the Winter, strew'd about the fire
Lay with his slaues in ashes; his attire
Like to a beggers. When the Sommer came;
And Autumne all fruits ripend with his flame;
Where Grape-charg'd vines, made shadows most abound,
His couch with falne leaues, made vpon the ground:
And here lay he; his Sorrowes fruitfull state,
Increasing, as he faded, for my Fate.
And now, the part of age, that irksome is
Lay sadly on him. And that life of his,
She led, and perisht in; not slaughterd by
The Dame, that darts lou'd, and her archerie;
Nor, by disease inuaded, vast, and foule
That wasts the body, and sends out the soule
With shame and horror: onely in her mone,
For me, and my life; she consum'd her owne.

She thus; when I, had great desire to proue
My armes, the circle, where her soule did moue;
Thrice prou'd I, thrice she vanisht, like a sleepe;
Or fleeting shadow, which strooke much more deepe
The wounds, my woes made; and made, aske her why
She would my Loue to her embraces flie;

166

And not vouchsafe, that euen in hell we might,
Pay pious Nature, her vnalterd right,
And giue Vexation here, her cruell fill?

Proserpina or Persephone.

Should not the Queene here, to augment the ill
Of euery sufferance (which her office is)
Enforce thy idoll, to affoord me this?

O Sonne (she answerd) of the race of men
The most vnhappy; our most equall Queene,
Will mocke no solide armes, with empty shade;
Nor suffer empty shades, againe t'inuade
Flesh, bones, and nerues: nor will defraud the fire
Of his last dues; that, soone as spirits expire,
And leaue the white bone, are his natiue right;
When, like a dreame, the soule assumes her flight.
The light then, of the liuing, with most haste
(O Sonne) contend to: this thy little taste
Of this state is enough; and all this life,
Will make a tale, fit, to be told thy wife.

The old Heroesses appeare to Vlysses.

This speech we had; when now repair'd to me
More female spirits; by Persephone,
Driuen on before her. All t'heroes wiues
And daughters, that, led there their second liues,
About the blacke blood throngd. Of whom, yet more
My mind impell'd me to enquire, before
I let them altogether taste the gore;
For then would all haue bene disperst, and gone,
Thicke as they came. I therefore, one by one
Let taste the pit: my sword drawne from my Thy
And stand betwixt them made; when, seuerally
All told their stockes. The first that quencht her fire,

Tyro,

Was Tyro, issu'd of a noble Sire.
She said she sprong from pure, Salmoneus bed;
And Cretheus, Sonne of Æolus did wed.
Yet the diuine flood Enipeus, lou'd,
Who much the most faire streame, of all floods mou'd.
Neare whose streames, Tyro walking: Neptune came,
Like Enipeus, and enioyd the Dame:
Like to a hill; the blew, and Snakie flood
Aboue th' immortall, and the mortall stood;
And hid them both; as both together lay,
Iust where his current, falles into the Sea.
Her virgine wast, dissolu'd, she slumberd then;
But when the God had done the worke of men,
Her faire hand gently wringing; thus he said;
Woman! Reioyce in our combined bed;
For when the yeare hath runne his circle, round
(Because the Gods loues, must in fruite abound)
My loue shall make (to cheere thy teeming mones)

167

Thy one deare burthen, beare two famous Sonnes;
Loue well, and bring them vp: go home, and see
That, though of more ioy yet, I shall be free;
Thou dost not tell, to glorifie thy birth:
Thy Loue is Neptune shaker of the earth.
This said; he plung'd into the sea, and she
(Begot with child by him) the light let see
Great Pelias, and Neleus; that became
In Ioues great ministrie, of mighty fame.
Pelias, in broad Iolcus held his Throne,
Wealthy in cattell; th' other roiall Sonne
Rul'd sandy Pylos. To these, issue more
This Queene of women to her husband bore:
Aeson and Pheres, and Amythaon,
That for his fight on horsebacke, stoopt to none.

Next her, I saw admir'd Antiope

Antiope like Tyro.

Asopus daughter; who (as much as she
Boasted attraction, of great Neptunes loue)
Boasted to slumber in the armes of Ioue:
And two Sonnes likewise, at one burthen bore,
To that, her all-controlling Paramore:
Amphion, and faire Zethus; that first laid
Great Thebes foundations; and strong wals conuaid
About her turrets, that seuen Ports enclosde.
For though the Thebans, much in strength reposde,
Yet had not they, the strength to hold their owne,
Without the added aides, of wood, and stone.

Alcmena, next I saw; that famous wife

Alcmena.

Was to Amphytrio; and honor'd life
Gaue to the Lyon-hearted Hercules,
That was, of Ioues embrace, the great increase.

I saw besides, proud Cræons daughter there,

Megara.

Bright Megara; that nuptiall yoke did weare
With Ioues great Sonne; who neuer field did try,
But bore to him, the flowre of victory.

The mother then, of Oedipus, I saw,

Epicasta the mother of Oedipus.

Faire Epicasta; that beyond all law,
Her owne Sonne maried, ignorant of kind;
And, he (as darkly taken, in his mind)
His mother wedded, and his father slew;
Whose blind act, heauen exposde at length to view:
And he, in all-lou'd Thebes, the supreame state
With much mone manag'd; for the heauy Fate
The Gods laid on him. She made violent flight
To Plutos darke house, from the lothed light;
Beneath a steepe beame, strangl'd with a cord;
And left her Sonne, in life, paines as abhord,
As all the furies powr'd on her in hell.

168

Chloris.

Then saw I Chloris, that did so excell
In answering beauties, that each part had all;
Great Neleus married her, when gifts not small,
Had wonne her fauour; term'd by name of dowre.
She was of all Amphions seed, the flowre;
(Amphion, calld Iasides, that then
Ruld strongly, Myniæan Orchomen)
And now his daughter rul'd the Pylean Throne;
Because her beauties Empire ouershone.
She brought her wise-awd husband, Neleus,
Nestor, much honord; Peryclimenus,
And Chromius; Sonnes, with soueraigne vertues grac't;
But after, brought a daughter that surpast;
Rare-beautied Pero, so for forme exact;
That Nature, to a miracle, was rackt,
In her perfections, blaz'd with th' eyes of men.
That made of all the Countries hearts, a chaine,
And drew them suiters to her. Which her Sire
Tooke vantage of; and (since he did aspire
To nothing more, then to the broad-browd herd
Of Oxen, which the common fame so rer'd,
Own'd by Iphiclus) not a man should be
His Peros husband, that from Phylace,
Those neuer-yet-driuen Oxen, could not driue:
Yet these; a strong hope held him to atchieue;
Because a Prophet that had neuer err'd,
Had said, that onely he should be prefer'd
To their possession. But the equall Fate
Of God, withstood his stealth: inextricate
Imprisoning Bands; and sturdy churlish Swaines
That were the Heardsmen; who withheld with chaines
The stealth attempter: which was onely he
That durst abet the Act with Prophecie;
None else would vndertake it; and he must:
The king would needs, a Prophet should be iust;
But when some daies and moneths, expired were,
And all the Houres had brought about the yeare;
The Prophet, did so satisfie the king
(Iphiclus; all his cunning questioning)
That he enfranchisde him; and (all worst done)
Ioues counsaile made, th' all-safe conclusion.

Læda.

Then saw I Læda (linkt in nuptiall chaine
With Tyndarus) to whom, she did sustaine
Sonnes much renowm'd for wisedome; Castor one,
That past, for vse of horse, comparison;
And Pollux, that exceld, in whirlbat fight;
Both these, the fruitfull Earth bore; while the light
Of life inspir'd them; After which, they found

169

Such grace with Ioue, that both liu'd vnder ground,
By change of daies: life still did one sustaine,
While th' other died; the dead then, liu'd againe,
The liuing dying; both, of one selfe date,
Their liues and deaths made, by the Gods and Fate.

Iphemedia, after Læda came,

Iphemedia

That did deriue from Neptune too, the name
Of Father to two admirable Sonnes:
Life yet made short their admirations;
Who God-opposed Otus had to name,
And Ephialtes, farre in sound of Fame.
The prodigall Earth so fed them, that they grew
To most huge stature; and had fairest hew
Of all men, but Orion, vnder heauen;
At nine yeares old, nine cubits they were driuen
Abroad in breadth, and sprung nine fathomes hie.
They threatn'd to giue battell to the skie,
And all th' Immortals. They were setting on
Ossa vpon Olympus; and vpon
Steepe Ossa, leauie Pelius, that euen
They might a high-way make, with loftie heauen.
And had perhaps perform'd it, had they liu'd
Till they were Striplings. But Ioues Sonne depriu'd
Their lims of life; before th' age that begins
The flowre of youth; and should adorne their chins.

Phædra and Procris, with wise Minos flame,

Phædra and Procris.

(Bright Ariadne) to the offring came.
Whom whilom Theseus made his prise from Crete;
That Athens sacred soile, might kisse her feete.
But neuer could obtaine her virgin Flowre;
Till, in the Sea-girt Dia, Dians powre
Detain'd his homeward haste; where (in her Phane,
By Bacchus witnest) was the fatall wane
Of her prime Glorie. Mara, Clymene,

Mara and Clymene.

I witnest there; and loth'd Eryphile;
That honour'd gold more, then she lou'd her Spouse.

Amphiaraus was her husband: whō she betrayd to his ruine at Thebes, for gold taken of Adrastus her brother.

But all th' Heroesses in Plutos house,
That then encounterd me, exceeds my might
To name or number; and Ambrosian Night
Would quite be spent; when now the formall houres,
Present to Sleepe, our all-disposed powres.
If at my ship, or here, my home-made vow,
I leaue for fit grace, to the Gods and you.

This said; the silence his discourse had made,
With pleasure held still, through the houses shade.
When, white-arm'd Arete this speech began:
Phæacians! how appeares to you this man?
So goodly person'd, and so matcht with mind?

170

My guest he is; but all you stand combin'd,
In the renowne he doth vs. Do not then
With carelesse haste dismisse him: nor the maine
Of his dispatch, to one so needie, maime;
The Gods free bountie, giues vs all iust claime
To goods enow. This speech, the oldest man
Of any other Phæacensian,
The graue Heroe, Echineus gaue
All approbation; saying: Friends! ye haue
The motion of the wise Queene; in such words,
As haue not mist the marke; with which, accords
My cleare opinion. But Alcinous,
In word and worke, must be our rule. He thus;
And then Alcinous said: This then must stand,
If while I liue, I rule in the command
Of this well-skild-in-Nauigation State.
Endure then (Guest) though most importunate
Be your affects for home. A litle stay
If your expectance beare; perhaps it may
Our gifts make more complete. The cares of all,
Your due deduction asks; but Principall
I am therein, the ruler. He replied:
Alcinous! the most duly glorified,
With rule of all; of all men; if you lay
Commandment on me, of a whole yeares stay;
So all the while, your preparations rise,
As well in gifts, as

Venustè & falsè dictum.

time: ye can deuise
No better wish for me; for I shall come
Much fuller handed, and more honourd home;
And dearer to my people: in whose loues,
The richer euermore the better proues.

He answerd: There is argude in your sight,
A worth that works not men for benefit,
Like Prollers or Impostors; of which crew,
The gentle blacke Earth feeds not vp a few;
Here and there wanderers, blanching tales and lies,
Of neither praise, nor vse: you moue our eies
With forme; our minds with matter, and our eares
With elegant oration; such as beares,
A musicke in the orderd historie
It layes before vs. Not Demodocus,
With sweeter straines hath vsde to sing to vs,
All the Greeke sorrowes, wept out in your owne.
But say; of all your worthy friends, were none
Obiected to your eyes; that Consorts were
To Ilion with you? and seru'd destinie there?
This Night is passing long, vnmeasur'd: none
Of all my houshold would to bed yet: On,

171

Relate these wondrous things. Were I with you;
If you would tell me but your woes, as now,
Till the diuine Aurora shewd her head,
I should in no night relish thought of bed.

Most eminent King, (said he) Times, all must keepe;
There's time to speake much, time as much to sleepe.
But would you heare still, I will tell you still,
And vtter more, more miserable ill,
Of Friends then yet, that scap't the dismall warres,
And perisht homewards, and in houshold iarres.

Here he begins his other relatiō.

Wag'd by a wicked woman. The chaste

Proserpina.

Queene,
No sooner made these Ladie-ghosts vnseene,
(Here and there flitting) but mine eie-sight wonne
The Soule of Agamemnon, (Atreus sonne)
Sad; and about him, all his traine of friends,
That in Ægysthus house, endur'd their ends,
With his sterne Fortune. Hauing drunke the blood,
He knew me instantly; and forth a flood
Of springing teares gusht. Out he thrust his hands,
With will t'embrace me; but their old commands,
Flowd not about him; nor their weakest part.
I wept to see; and mon'd him from my heart.
And askt: O Agamemnon! King of men!
What sort of cruell death, hath renderd slaine
Thy royall person? Neptune, in thy Fleete?
Heauen, and his hellish billowes making meete,
Rowsing the winds? Or haue thy men by land
Done thee this ill; for vsing thy command,
Past their consents, in diminution
Of those full shares, their worths by lot had wonne,
Of sheepe or oxen? or of any towne?
In couetous strife, to make their rights, thine owne,
In men or women prisoners? He replied:
By none of these, in any right, I died;
But by Ægysthus, and my murtherous wife,
(Bid to a banquet at his house) my life
Hath thus bene reft me: to my slaughter led,
Like to an Oxe, pretended to be fed.
So miserably fell I; and with me,
My friends lay massacred: As when you see
At any rich mans nuptials, shot, or feast,
About his kitchin, white-tooth'd swine lie drest.
The slaughters of a world of men, thine eies,
Both priuate, and in prease of enemies,
Haue personally witnest; but this one,
Would all thy parts haue broken into mone:
To see how strewd about our Cups and Cates,
As Tables set with Feast, so we with Fates,

172

All gasht and slaine, lay; all the floore embrude
With blood and braine. But that which most I ru'd,
Flew from the heauie voice, that Priams seed,
Cassandra breath'd; whom, she that wit doth feed
With banefull crafts, false Clytemnestra slew,
Close sitting by me; vp my hands I threw
From earth to heauen; and tumbling on my sword,
Gaue wretched life vp. When the most abhord,
By all her sexes shame, forsooke the roome;
Nor daind (though then so neare this heauie home)
To shut my lips, or close my broken eies.
Nothing so heapt is with impieties,
As such a woman, that would kill her Spouse,
That maried her a maid. When to my house
I brought her, hoping of her loue in heart,
To children, maids, and slaues. But she (in th' Art
Of onely mischiefe heartie) not alone
Cast on her selfe, this foule aspersion;
But louing Dames, hereafter, to their Lords
Will beare, for good deeds, her bad thoughts and words.

Alas (said I) that Ioue should hate the liues
Of Atreus seed, so highly for their wiues.
For Menelaus wife, a number fell;
For dangerous absence, thine sent thee to hell.

For this, (he answerd) Be not thou more kind
Then wise to thy wife; neuer, all thy mind
Let words expresse to her. Of all she knowes,
Curbs for the worst still, in thy selfe repose.
But thou by thy wifes wiles, shalt lose no blood;
Exceeding wise she is, and wise in good.
Icarius daughter, chaste Penelope,
We left a yong Bride; when for battell, we
Forsooke the Nuptiall peace; and at her brest,
Her first child sucking. Who, by this houre, blest,
Sits in the number of suruiuing men.
And his blisse, she hath, that she can containe;
And her blisse, thou hast, that she is so wise;
For, by her wisedome, thy returned eies
Shall see thy sonne; and he shall greete his Sire,
With fitting welcomes. When in my retire,
My wife denies mine eyes, my sonnes deare sight;
And, as from me, will take from him the light;
Before she addes one iust delight to life;
Or her false wit, one truth that sits a wife.
For her sake therefore, let my harmes aduise;
That though thy wife be ne're so chaste and wise,

This aduice he followed at his coming home.

Yet come not home to her in open view,
With any ship, or any personall shew.

173

But take close shore disguisde: nor let her know;
For tis no world, to trust a woman now.
But what sayes Fame? Doth my Sonne yet suruiue,
In Orchomen, or Pylos? or doth liue
In Sparta, with his Vnkle? yet I see
Diuine Orestes is not here with me.

I answerd, asking: Why doth Atreus sonne:
Enquire of me? who yet arriu'd where none
Could giue to these newes any certaine wings?
And tis absurd, to tell vncertaine things.

Such sad speech past vs; and as thus we stood,
With kind teares rendring vnkind fortunes good;
Achilles and Patroclus Soule appear'd;
And his Soule, of whom neuer ill was heard,
The good Antilochus: and the Soule of him,
That all the Greeks past, both for force and lim,
Excepting the vnmatcht Æacides,
Illustrous Aiax. But the first of these,
That saw, acknowledg'd, and saluted me,
Was Thetis conquering Sonne, who (heauily

Achilles.

His state here taking) said: Vnworthy breath!
What act, yet mightier, imagineth
Thy ventrous spirit? How doest thou descend
These vnder regions: where the dead mans end,
Is to be lookt on? and his foolish shade?

I answerd him: I was induc'd t'inuade
These vnder parts, (most excellent of Greece)
To visite wise Tiresias, for aduice
Of vertue to direct my voyage home
To rugged Ithaca; since I could come
To note in no place, where Achaia stood;
And so liu'd euer, tortur'd with the blood
In mans vaine veines. Thou therefore (Thetis sonne)
Hast equald all, that euer yet haue wonne
The blisse the earth yeelds; or hereafter shall.
In life, thy eminence was ador'd of all,
Euen with the Gods. And now, euen dead, I see
Thy vertues propagate thy Emperie,
To a renewd life of command beneath;
So great Achilles triumphs ouer death.
This comfort of him, this encounter found;
Vrge not my death to me, nor rub that wound;
I rather wish, to liue in earth a Swaine,

Achilles of the new life.

Or serue a Swaine for hire, that scarce can gaine
Bread to sustaine him; then (that life once gone)
Of all the dead, sway the Imperiall thone.
But say; and of my Sonne, some comfort yeeld;
If he goes on, in first fights of the field;

174

Or lurks for safetie in the obscure Rere?
Or of my Father, if thy royall eare
Hath bene aduertisde, that the Phthian Throne,
He still commands, as greatest Myrmidon?
Or that the Phthian and Thessalian rage,
(Now feete and hands are in the hold of Age)
Despise his Empire? Vnder those bright rayes,
In which, heauens feruour hurles about the dayes;
Must I no more shine his reuenger now;
Such as of old, the Ilion ouerthrow
Witnest my anger: th' vniuersall hoast,
Sending before me, to this shadie Coast,
In fight for Grecia. Could I now resort,
(But for some small time) to my Fathers Court;
In spirit and powre, as then: those men should find
My hands inaccessible; and of fire, my mind,
That durst, with all the numbers they are strong,
Vnseate his honour, and suborne his wrong.

This pitch still flew his spirit, though so low;
And this, I answerd thus: I do not know,
Of blamelesse Peleus, any least report;
But of your sonne, in all the vtmost sort,
I can informe your care with truth; and thus:

Vlysses report of Neoptolemus the son of Achilles.

From Scyros, princely Neoptolemus,
By Fleete, I conuaid to the Greeks; where he
Was Chiefe, at both parts: when our grauitie
Retir'd to councell; and our youth to fight.
In councell still (so firie was Conceit,
In his quicke apprehension of a cause)
That first he euer spake; nor past the lawes
Of any graue stay, in his greatest hast.
None would contend with him, that counseld last;
Vnlesse illustrous Nestor, he and I
Would sometimes put a friendly contrary,
On his opinion. In our fights, the prease
Of great or common, he would neuer sease;
But farre before fight euer. No man there,
For force, he forced. He was slaughterer
Of many a braue man, in most dreadfull fight.
But one and other, whom he reft of light,
(In Grecian succour) I can neither name,
Nor giue in number. The particular fame,
Of one mans slaughter yet, I must not passe;
Eurypilus Telephides he was,

This place (and a number more) is most miserably mistaken by all translators and commentors.

That fell beneath him; and with him, the falls
Of such huge men went, that they shewd like whales,
Rampir'd about him. Neoptolemus
Set him so sharply, for the sumptuous

175

Fauours of Mistresses, he saw him weare;
For past all doubt, his beauties had no peere,
Of all that mine eies noted; next to one,
And that was Memnon, Tithons Sun-like sonne.
Thus farre, for fight in publicke, may a tast
Giue of his eminence. How farre surpast
His spirit in priuate; where he was not seene;
Nor glorie could be said, to praise his spleene;
This close note, I excerpted. When we sate
Hid in Epæus horse; no Optimate
Of all the Greeks there, had the charge to ope
And shut the

The horse above said.

Stratageme, but I. My scope
To note then, each mans spirit, in a streight
Of so much danger; much the better might
Be hit by me, then others: as, prouokt,
I shifted place still; when, in some I smokt
Both priuie tremblings, and close vent of teares.
In him yet, not a soft conceit of theirs,
Could all my search see, either his wet eies
Plied still with wiping; or the goodly guise,
His person all waies put forth; in least part,
By any tremblings, shewd his toucht-at heart.
But euer he was vrging me to make
Way to their sally; by his signe to shake
His sword hid in his scabberd; or his Lance
Loded with iron, at me. No good chance,
His thoughts to Troy intended. In th' euent,
(High Troy depopulate) he made ascent
To his faire ship, with prise and treasure store:
Safe, and no touch, away with him he bore,
Of farre-off hurl'd Lance, or of close-fought sword,
Whose wounds, for fauours, Warre doth oft affoord;
Which he (though sought) mist, in warres closest wage;
In close fights, Mars doth neuer fight, but rage.

This made the soule of swift Achilles tred
A March of glorie, through the herbie meade;
For ioy to heare me so renowme his Sonne;
And vanisht stalking. But with passion
Stood th' other Soules strooke: and each told his bane.
Onely the spirit

Aiax the sonne of Telamon.

Telamonian
Kept farre off; angrie for the victorie
I wonne from him at Fleete; though Arbitrie
Of all a Court of warre, pronounc't it mine,
And Pallas selfe. Our prise were th' armes diuine,
Of great Æacides; proposde t'our fames
By his bright Mother, at his funerall Games.

Achilles. Thetis.

I wish to heauen, I ought not to haue wonne;
Since for those Armes, so high a head, so soone

178

The base earth couerd. Aiax, that of all
The hoast of Greece, had person capitall,
And acts as eminent; excepting his,
Whose armes those were; in whom was nought amisse.
I tride the great Soule with soft words, and said:
Aiax! great sonne of Telamon; arraid
In all our glories! what? not dead resigne
Thy wrath for those curst Armes? The Powres diuine,
In them forg'd all our banes; in thine owne One;
In thy graue fall, our Towre was ouerthrowne.
We mourne (for euer maimd) for thee as much,
As for Achilles: nor thy wrong doth touch,

Iupiter.

In sentence, any, but Saturnius doome;
In whose hate, was the hoast of Greece become
A very horror. Who exprest it well,
In signing thy Fate, with this timelesse Hell.
Approch then (King of all the Grecian merit)
Represse thy great mind, and thy flamie spirit;
And giue the words I giue thee, worthy eare.

All this, no word drew from him; but lesse neare
The sterne Soule kept. To other Soules he fled;
And glid along the Riuer of the dead.
Though Anger mou'd him; yet he might haue spoke;
Since I to him. But my desires were strooke
With sight of other Soules. And then I saw

Minos

Minos, that ministred to Death a law;
And Ioues bright sonne was. He was set, and swaid
A golden Scepter; and to him did pleade
A sort of others, set about his Throne,
In Plutos wide-door'd house; when strait came on,

Orion.

Mightie Orion, who was hunting there,
The heards of those beasts he had slaughterd here,
In desart hils on earth. A Club he bore,
Entirely steele, whose vertues neuer wore.

Tityus.

Tityus I saw: to whom the glorious Earth
Opened her wombe, and gaue vnhappie birth;
Vpwards, and flat vpon the Pauement lay
His ample lims; that spred in their display,
Nine Acres compasse. On his bosome sat
Two Vultures, digging through his caule of fat,
Into his Liuer, with their crooked Beakes;
And each by turnes, the concrete entraile breakes,
(As Smiths their steele beate) set on either side.
Nor doth he euer labour to diuide
His Liuer and their Beakes; nor with his hand,
Offer them off: but suffers by command,
Of th' angrie Thunderer; offring to enforce,
His loue Latona in the close recourse,

177

She vsde to Pytho, through the dancing land,
Smooth Panopæus. I saw likewise stand,
Vp to the chin, amidst a liquid lake,
Tormented Tantalus; yet could not slake
His burning thirst. Oft as his scornfull cup,
Th' old man would taste; so oft twas swallowd vp;
And all the blacke earth to his feete descried;
Diuine powre (plaguing him) the lake still dried.
About his head, on high trees, clustering, hung
Peares, Apples, Granets, Oliues, euer yong;
Delicious Figs, and many fruite trees more,
Of other burthen, whose alluring store,
When th' old Soule striu'd to pluck, the winds from sight,
In gloomie vapours, made them vanish quite.

There saw I Sisyphus, in infinite mone,

Sisyphus.

With both hands heauing vp a massie stone;
And on his tip-toes, racking all his height,
To wrest vp to a mountaine top, his freight;
When prest to rest it there (his nerues quite spent)
Downe rusht the deadly Quarrie: the euent
Of all his torture, new to raise againe;
To which, strait set his neuer-rested paine.
The sweate came gushing out from euery Pore;
And on his head a standing mist he wore;
Reeking from thence, as if a cloud of dust
Were raisd about it. Downe with these was thrust,
The Idoll of the force of Hercules.

Hercules.

But his firme selfe, did no such Fate oppresse;
He feasting liues amongst th' immortall States;
White-ankled Hebe, and himselfe, made mates,
In heauenly Nuptials. Hebe, Ioues deare race,
And Iunos; whom the golden Sandals grace.
About him flew the clamors of the dead,
Like Fowles; and still stoopt cuffing at his head.
He, with his Bow, like Night, stalkt vp and downe;
His shaft still nockt; and hurling round his frowne,
At those vext houerers, aiming at them still;
And still, as shooting out, desire to still.
A horrid Bawdricke, wore he thwart his brest;
The Thong all gold, in which were formes imprest,
Where Art and Miracle, drew equall breaths,
In Beares, Bores, Lions, Battels, Combats, Deaths.
Who wrought that worke, did neuer such before;
Nor so diuinely will do euer more.
Soone as he saw, he knew me; and gaue speech:
Sonne of Laertes; high in wisedomes reach;
And yet vnhappie wretch; for in this heart,
Of all exploits atchieu'd by thy desert,

178

Thy worth but works out some sinister Fate.
As I in earth did. I was generate
By Ioue himselfe; and yet past meane, opprest
By one my farre inferiour; whose proud hest,
Imposde abhorred labours, on my hand.
Of all which, one was, to descend this Strand,
And hale the dog from thence. He could not thinke
An act that Danger could make deeper sinke;
And yet this depth I drew; and fetcht as hie,
As this was low, the dog. The Deitie,
Of sleight and wisedome, as of downe-right powre,
Both stoopt, and raisd, and made me Conquerour.

This said; he made descent againe as low
As Plutos Court; when I stood firme; for show
Of more Heroes, of the times before;
And might perhaps haue seene my wish of more;
(As Theseus and Pirithous, deriu'd
From rootes of Deitie) but before th' atchieu'd
Rare sight of these; the rank-soul'd multitude
In infinite flocks rose; venting sounds so rude,
That pale Feare tooke me, lest the Gorgons head
Rusht in amongst them; thrust vp, in my dread,
By grim Persephone. I therefore sent
My men before to ship; and after went.
Where, boorded, set, and lancht; th' Ocean waue,
Our Ores and forewinds, speedie passage gaue.

Finis libri vndecimi Hom. Odyss.