tied behind our Backs and our Death was deferr'd only to make us a Spectacle to a cruel People as soon as they should know we were Greeks We were without delay presented to Acestes who sate with a golden Scepter in his Hand distributing Justice and preparing himself for a great Sacrifice He ask'd us with a severe Voice of what Country we were and the occasion of our Voyage Mentor answer'd We come from the Coasts of the great Hesperia and our Country is not far from thence By this means he avoided to say that we were Greeks But Acestes would hear no more and taking us for Persons that conceal'd some bad Design he commanded us to be sent into a Neighbouring Forest there to serve as Slaves to those who look'd after the Cattle This Condition seem'd more terrible to me than Death I cried out O King order us rather to suffer Death than to be treated so unworthily Know that I am Telemachus the Son of the wise Ulysses King of the Ithacians I seek my Father in all parts of the World and if I can neither find him nor return to my Country nor avoid Servitude take that Life from me which I cannot bear Scarce had I pronounced these Words when all the People in a Rage cried out That the Son of the cruel Ulysses must die whose Artifices had destroy'd the City of Troy O Son of Ulysses said Acestes I cannot refuse your Blood to the Ghosts of so many Trojans that your Father precipitated into the Waters of the black Cocytus You and your Conductor shall die At the same time an Old Man of the Company proposed to the King that we should be Sacrificed upon the Tomb of Anchises Their Blood said he will be grateful to the Soul of that Hero AEneas himself when he hears of this Sacrifice will be overjoy'd to see how much you love what was dearer to him than all other Things in the World Every One applauded this Proposition and nothing remain'd but to put it in Execution We were led to the Tomb of Anchises where two Altars were erected and the Sacred Fire kindled The Knife was brought we were Crown'd with Garlands and no Composition would be accepted to save our Lives Our Fate was determined when Mentor calmly desir'd to speak to the King and having receiv'd Permission said O Acestes if the Misfortunes of Young Telemachus who never carried Arms against the Trojans may not plead for him at least let your own Interest move you The Knowledge I have acquir'd to predict the Will of the Gods informs me That before the end of three Days you shall be attack'd by a barbarous People who will come down like a Torrent from the Mountains to destroy your City and ravage your whole Country Hasten to prevent them Arm your People and from this moment begin to secure within these Walls all the Riches you have in the Fields If my Prediction be false you may Sacrifice us when the three Days are expir'd but if on the contrary it prove true remember That no One ought to take away the Lives of those by whom his own was preserv'd Acestes was astonish'd at these Words which Mentor spoke with more assurance than he had ever found in any Man I see said he O Stranger That the Gods who have granted you so small a share in the Favours of Fortune have in Recompence given you such Wisdom as is more valuable than the highest Prosperity At the same time he put off the Sacrifice and issued out all necessary Orders with the utmost Diligence to prevent the Attack that Mentor had foretold On all sides were to be seen Old Men and Women trembling for fear and accompanied with great numbers of Young Children bath'd in Tears and retiring into the City The lowing Oxen and bleating Sheep left the rich Pastures and came along in confusion but their number was too great to find places to contain them all The Noise and Tumult of People pressing to get in was such that no One could understand another In this Disorder some took an unknown Person for their Friend and others ran tho' they knew not whether But the Principal Men of the City thinking themselves wiser than the rest suspected Mentor to be an Impostor who had predicted a Falshood to save his Life Yet before the third Day was expired whilst they were full of these Imaginations a Cloud of Dust was seen rising upon the descent of the Neighbouring Hills an innumerable Multitude of Barbarians appear'd in Arms and all those who had despis'd the wise Prediction of Mentor lost all their Slaves and their Cattle Upon this the King said to Mentor I forget that you are Greeks our Enemies are become our faithful Friends the Gods have sent you to save us I expect no less from your Valour than from the Wisdom of your Words Hasten therefore to assist us Mentor shew'd in his Eyes a boldness that was sufficient to astonish the fiercest Warrior He takes up a Shield a Helmet a Sword and a Lance He draws up the Soldiers of Acestes puts himself at their Head and advances in good Order towards the Enemy Acestes tho' full of Courage could not follow him but at a distance by reason of his Age. I follow'd him more close But nothing can equal his Valour In the Fight his Helmet resembled the immortal One of Minerva Death flew from Rank to Rank where-ever his Blows fell As a Lyon of Numidia provok'd by cruel Hunger falling upon a Flock of unresisting Sheep kills tears and swims in Blood Whilst the Shepherds far from assisting their Flock fly trembling away from his Fury These Barbarians who hoped to surprise the City were themselves surpris'd and defeated The Subjects of Acestes were animated by the Example and Words of Mentor and felt a Vigour which they thought not to be in them With my Lance I kill'd the Son of the Barbarian King He was of my Age but much higher than I am for this People is descended from Gyants and of the same Race with the Cyclops He despis'd so weak an Enemy but I not at all daunted with his prodigious Strength or his fierce and savage Looks push'd my Lance against his Breast and made his Soul gush out at the Wound in a Torrent of black and reeking Blood As he fell he was like to crush me in pieces by his Fall The sound of his Arms eccho'd in the Hills I took the Spoil and return'd to Acestes with the Arms I had gain'd from this formidable Enemy Mentor having intirely broken the Barbarians pursued them to the Woods and cut them in pieces This unexpected Success made Mentor to be regarded as one cherish'd and inspir'd by the Gods And Acestes from a sense of Gratitude shew'd his Concernment for us if the Fleet of Eneas should return to Sicily He gave us a Ship to carry us to our own Country made us many and rich Presents and press'd us to hasten our Departure
Woman And besides he dreaded to expose himself to the cruel jealousy of the King Astarbe finding she was scorn'd abandon'd her self to Resentment In her Despair she imagined it possible to make Malachon pass for the Stranger that the King had demanded of Narbal In effect she soon perswaded Pygmalion as she desired and corrupted all those who were able to undeceive him For having no Affection for virtuous Men whom he neither knew nor valued he was always surrounded by such only as were full of Artifice addicted to their Interest and ready to execute his unjust and bloody Orders These Men feared the Authority of Astarbe and help'd her to deceive the King that they might not offend this haughty Woman who intirely possess'd his Confidence Thus the young Malachon tho' known by all the City to be of Crete passed for the young Stranger that Narbal had brought from Egypt He was siez'd and sent away to Prison Astarbe who feared Narbal might go to the King and discover her Imposture had dispatch'd this Officer in hast and commanded him to say these Words Astarbe forbids you to discover your Stranger to the King she requires nothing of you but Silence and promises to satisfy him concerning you In the mean time take care that the young Stranger who came with you from Egypt may imbark among the Cyprians with all expedition and be no longer seen in the City Narbal overjoy'd to save his own Life and mine promised to be silent and the Officer pleas'd that he had obtain'd what he demanded immediately return'd to Astarbé with an account of his Commission Narbal and I admir'd the goodness of the Gods who had rewarded our Sincerity and taken such care of those who had hazarded all for the sake of Virtue We reflected with Horror upon a King given up to Voluptuousness and Avarice He deserves to be deceiv'd said we who dreads it so excessively And he is so most frequently and grosly for he trusts not Men of Honesty but abandons himself to Villains He is the only Person who knows nothing of what is doing See how Pygmalion is made the scorn of an immodest Woman whilst the Gods make use of wicked Men to save the Good who chuse to part with Life rather than deceive As we were making these Reflexions we perceived the Wind to turn and become favourable to the Cyprian Fleet. The Gods declare themselves said Narbal they resolve to take care of your fafety my dear Telemachus Fly from this unfortunate accursed Land Happy he that could follow you to the remotest parts of the Earth Happy who might live and dye with you But my cruel Fate ties me to my unhappy Country I must suffer with her and perhaps be buried in her Ruins No matter provided I may always speak the Truth and my Heart love nothing but Justice As for you O my dear Telemachus I pray the Gods who lead you as it were by the Hand to grant you the most precious of all their Gifts a pure and unblemish'd Virtue to the last Moment of your Life Live return to Ithaca comfort Penelope deliver her from the Persecutions of her Lovers May your Eyes see and your Arms embrace the wise Ulysses and may he find in you a Son equal to him in Wisdom But in the midst of your Felicity remember the unhappy Narbal and continue always to love me When he finish'd these Words my Tears run down so fast that I was not able to answer him My Sighs which I drew from the bottom of my Heart would not suffer me to speak We embrac'd in Silence He brought me to the Ship He staid upon the Shoar and when the Vessel put off we continued to look upon each other as long as we could Calypso who all this while had hearkn'd with the utmost Attention and Pleasure to the Adventures of Telemachus interrupted the pursuit of his Narration that she might perswade him to take some Rest. 'T is time said she after so many Toils to taste the sweetness of Sleep In this place you have nothing to fear All that 's here is favorable to you Abandon your Heart to Joy and Tranquility and receive the Favours of the Gods To Morrow when Aurora has open'd the golden Gates of the East with her rosy Fingers and the Horses of the Sun springing from the briny Main spread the Flames of Light and drive away the Stars before 'em we will resume the History of your Misfortunes my dear Telemachus No your Father never equal'd you in Wisdom and Courage Achilles who conquer'd Hector Theseus who return'd from Hell the great Alcides himself who deliver'd the World from Monsters never shew'd so much Constancy and Virtue May the softest and profoundest Sleep make the Night seem short to you But alas how tedious will it be to me How I shall long to see you again To hear your Voice to make you to repeat what I know already and to ask you what I know not Go my dear Telemachus with the wise Mentor whom the Favour of the Gods has restor'd to you go into the Grotto where every thing is prepar'd for your Repose May Morpheus shed the sweetest of his Charms upon your falling Eyelids May he infuse a divine Vapour through all your wearied Limbs and send you easy Dreams which hovering about you may flatter your Senses with the most delightful Images and chase away whatever might disturb your Rest or awaken you too soon The Goddess brought Telemachus to the Grotto which was separated from her own but not less agreable nor less rustick A Fountain of liquid Christal ran down in one corner and sweetly murmuring seem'd contriv'd to invite Sleep The Nymphs had prepared two Beds compos'd of the softest Greens and had cover'd them with two large Skins the one of a Lyon for Telemachus the other of a Bear for Mentor Before Slumber had clos'd their Eyes Mentor spoke thus to Telemachus The pleasure of relating your Adventures has carried you too far you have charm'd the Goddess with the History of those Dangers from which your Courage and Industry have deliver'd you By this means you have added to the Flames of her Heart and are preparing for your self a most dangerous Captivity How can you hope she should suffer you to depart from her Island you who have charm'd her with the relation of your Story Affectation of vain Glory has induc'd you to talk without Prudence When will you be wife enough O Telemachus never to speak with Vanity and when will you know how to conceal what may commend you if it be not fit to be said Others admire your Wisdom at such Years as may want it without blame But for me I can forgive you nothing I alone know and love you enough to tell you of all your Faults How far do you yet come short of your Father's wisdom But said Telemachus could I refuse to relate my Misfortunes to Calypso No replied Mentor 't was absolutely necessary But
threaten the greatest Kings However trust to my Management and only let me know which are those Greek Cities that refuse to enter into your Alliance The Chief of them answer'd Idomeneus is the City of Tarentum 't is now three Years since Phalantus laid the Foundation of it having gather'd in Cremona a vast Number of young Men born of Women who had forgot their absent Husbands during the Siege of Troy When the Men came home their Wives endeavour'd to pacifie them by disowning the Faults they had committed in their absence These numerous Youths born out of Wedlock knowing neither Father nor Mother abandon'd themselves to an unbounded Licentiousness but the severity of the Laws having curb'd their Disorders they unanimously submitted to Phalantus a bold dauntless and ambitious Leader who by subtle Insinuations knew how to master their Affections He came to this Shore with those young Laconians who have made of Tarentum a second Lacedemon On-the other side Philocletes who reap'd so much Glory at the Siege of Troy whither he carried Hercules's Arrows has raised on this Neighbourhood the Walls of Petelia a City which tho' less powerful than Tarentum is yet more wisely govern'd Lastly we have near us the City of Metapontus which the wise Nestor founded with his Pilians What! reply'd Mentor is Nestor in Hesperia and cou'd not you engage him in your Interest Nestor who saw you so often fight against the Trojans and who profess'd a Friendship for you I lost that Friend answer'd Idomeneus by the Artifice of those People who are barbarous only in Name for they were so cunning as to persuade him that I design'd to make my self master of all Hesperia We will undeceive him answer'd Mentor Telemachus saw him at Pilos before he came to settle his Colony in this Country and before we undertook our long Voyages in quest of Vlysses undoubtedly he will still remember that great Hero and the Marks of Tenderness and Affection he gave his Son Telemachus But the chief Business is to remove his Distrust Those Suspicions you created in the Minds of all your Neighbours have been the occasion of this War and the only way to put a stop to it is to dissipate those vain Fears Once more leave all to my Conduct At these words Idomeneus embracing Mentor felt a shivering mixt with Tenderness and remain'd Speechless for a while At last with a broken Voice he utter'd these words Oh! wise old Man whom the Gods have sent hither to redress all my Errors I confess I would have been angry with any other Mortal that durst be so free with me as you have been I own you are the only Man that could prevail with me to make me sue for Peace I was resolv'd either to die or overcome all my Enemies but it is reasonable to believe your wise Counsels rather than my Passion Oh! Telemachus how happy you are in having a Guide that will never suffer you to go astray Mentor you may do whatever you think fit all the Wisdom of the Gods is in you Minerva her self could not give more wholsome Advice Go promise and give any thing that is in my Power conclude a Treaty upon what Terms you please Idomeneus will ratifie all you do Whilest they were thus discoursing together there was heard on the sudden a confus'd Noise of Chariots neighing of Horses hideous Shrieks and Howlings of Men and loud Trumpets which fill'd the Air with martial Clangors The general Cry is The Enemy are come they have gone a great way about to avoid the narrow Passages guarded by Towers here they are ready to besiege Salanta The old Men and the Women are under a deep Consternation Alas said they why did we forsake our dear Country the fruitful Isle of Crete and follow an unhappy Prince through so many Seas to founda a City which is now going to be destroy'd and devour'd by Flames like Troy They saw from the Top of their new-rais'd Walls the Head-Pieces and Shields of the Enemy shine with so much brightness that their Eyes were dazled with it they saw likewise the bristling Pikes which ccver'd the Ground as thick as a plentiful Harvest which Ceres ripens in Sicily during the scorching heat of Summer to recompence the Labour of the Husband-man And now they perceiv'd the Chariots arm'd with sharp Sythes and easily discern'd the several Nations that made up their Army Mentor the better to discover them went up to the Top of a high Tower whither Idomeneus and Telemachus soon follow'd him He was hardly come there when he espy'd Philoctetes on one side and Nestor with his Son Pisistrates on the otehr for Nestor was easily distinguish'd by his venerable old Age. What! cry'd Mentor you thought Oh! Idomeneus that Philoctetes and Nestor would be contented to remain Neuter but now you see they have taken up Arms against you and if I am not mistaken the other Troops which march in such good order and with so fierce a Look are a Body of Lacedemonians commanded by Phalantus all are against you you have made all your Neighbours your Enemies tho' against your Will Having thus said Mentor comes down in haste from the Top of that Tower runs to one of the City-Gates towards which the Enemy were advancing and commands it to be opened whilest Idomeneus surpriz'd with the noble Majesty which accompanies all he does dares not so much as to ask him what he means to do Mentor beckens with his hand that no Body should follow him then makes toward the Enemy who wondered to see a single Man coming to them shews them afar off an Olive Branch as a sign of Peace and being come so near them that he might convenienly be heard he requir'd them to assemble all the Captains who being met in an instant he thus spoke to ' em Oh! generous Men assembled out of so many Nations which flourish in rich Hesperia I know 't is the common Interest of your Liberty that summon'd you together to this Place I do highly commend your Zeal but suffer me to tell you an easie way to preserve the Liberty and Honour of all your several Nations without spilling human Blood Oh! Nestor Oh! wise Nestor whom I perceive in this Assembly You are not ignorant how fatal War is even to those who undertake it with Justice and under the Protection of the Gods War is the greatest Evil with which the Gods afflict Mankind you can never forget how much the Greeks have suffer'd during ten Years before unhappy Troy How many Divisions have they seen among their Chiefs What Caprices of Fortune have they been expos'd to How many of them have fallen by Hector's Sword What a desolation has been occasion'd in the most powerful and flourishing Cities upon account of the War by the long absence of their Kings At their return home some were cast away and others met a fatal Death in the very Embrace of their Consorts Oh! Inhabitants of Hesperia I wish
are deriv'd his Kingdom is exhausted of Mony and Men and the loss of these is the greatest and the most irreparable His despotick Power makes as many Slaves as he has Subjects they all seem to adore him whereas they only tremble at his dreadful Looks But see what will happen at the least Revolution this monstrous Power scrued up to a violent Excess can hold out no longer she finds no Supplies in the Affections of the People she has wearied and provok'd all the different Ranks of Men in his State and by that means forces every Member of that Body to sigh with equal earnestness after a Change At the very first blow which is made at her the Idol is thrown down and trampled under Foot Contempt Hatred Fear Resentment Distrust in a word all the Passions unite themselves against so odious an Authority The King who during his vain Prosperity could find no Man that durst speak the Truth to him shall not find in his Misfortune any one Man that will either excuse his Follies or defend him against his Enemies These and the like Discourses of Mentor having prevail'd upon Idomeneus he presently distributed the waste Lands among the useless Artificers and put in execution what had been resolv'd before And now the Fields which had long been o're-spread with Briars and Thorns begin to promise plentiful Harvests and Fruits till then unknown The Earth opens her Bosom to receive the cutting Plow-share and prepares her Riches to recompence the Labour of the Husband-man Hope revives and smiles on every side You might see both in the Vallies and on the Hills numerous Flocks of Sheep skipping and bleeting on the Grafs and great Herds of larger Cattle which make the high Mountains resound with their Bellowings Those Flocks and Herds fatten in the Fields and Meadows 't is Mentor who has found the way to procure them by advising Idomeneus to exchange with the neighbouring Nations all the superfluous Things which are now prohibited in Salenta for those Sheep Cows and Oxen which the Salentines wanted At the same time both the Cities and Villages round about were full of fine sprightly Youths who for a long time had languish'd in Misery and were afraid to marry lest they should aggravate their Woes But when they saw that Idomeneus began to embrace Sentiments of Humanity and was willing to become their Father they were no more afraid of Hunger nor of the other Plagues with which Heaven afflicts Mankind There were heard every where great Shoutings for Joy the Shepherds and Plow-men celebrated the Hymeneal Pleasures in their rural Songs so that one would have thought that the God Pan with a Chorus of Satrys Fauns and Nymphs danc'd to the soft sound of the Flute in the Shady Woods All was peaceful and smiling but 't was a moderate Joy and as those Pleasures serv'd obly to allay the Hardships of daily Labour so they were more quick and more sensible The Old Men surpriz'd to see what they did not so much as hope for during the long series of their Years wept through an excess of Joy mixt with Tenderness and lifting up their trembling Hands towards Heaven Bless said they Bless Oh! great Jupiter the King who resembles thee and is the greatest King thou ever madest As he is born for the good of Mankind return him all the good we receive from him Our Great-grand-sons sprung from those happy Marriages which he encourages shall be indebted to him even for their very Brith and he will truly be the Father of all his Subjects The young Men and Maidens who married together exprest their mutual Joys in singing the Praises of him who was the Fountain of those Joys ' every Mouth every Heart were continually fill'd with his Praises The sight of him was accounted a great Happiness his absence a Misfortune and the losing of him had been the Desolation of all Families Thereupon Idomeneus confest to Mentor that he never felt so trus and sensible a Pleasure as that of being belov'd and making so many People happy I could not said he have believ'd what I now see I thought all the Greatness of Princes consisted only in making themselves to be fear'd that the rest of Mankind were all made for them And I look'd upon it as a meer Fable whatever I had heard of those Kings who were the Delight and Darlings of their People I now find the Truth of it but I must relate to you how from my tenderest Infancy my Mind was intoxicated with the Authority of Kings which was the cause of all the Misfortunes of my Life Protesilaus who is something older than my self was of all others the young Man whom I lov'd most his lively and bold Temper suited with my Inclinations he insinuated himself into my Pleasures and Diversions flatter'd all my Passions and gave me a distrust of another young Man whom I loved also and whose Name was Philocles This Philocles fear'd the Gods and had a great Soul but full of Moderation He placed Greatness not in raising but in conquering himself and doing nothing that 's Base and Ungenerous He told me of my Faults with freedom and even when he durst not speak to me his very Looks and sed Countenance gave me susficiently to understand what he had a mind to reproach me with I was well enough pleas'd at first with his Sincerity and I often assur'd him that I would ever hear him in Confidence as long as I liv'd To secure me against Flatteries he told me all I ought to do to tread in the Footsteps of Minos and to make my Subjects happy his Wisdom was not so deep as yours Oh Mento but I now find by degrees that his Maxims were good The cunning Insinuations of Protesilaus who was Jealous and full of Ambition gave me a disgust for Philocles Philocles being indifferent and free from towring Thoughts suffer'd the other to get the Ascendant and contented himself with telling me the Truth when I was willing to hear it for 't was my Good and not my Fortune that he sought Protesilaus made me insensibly believe that Philocles was a morose and proud Censurer of all my Actions who ask'd no Favours of me because his Pride would not suffer him to be beholden to me and that he courted the Reputation of one that is above all Honours that I was able to bestow He added that he spoke as freely about my Faults with other People as he did with my self that he gave sufficiently to understand what a small Esteem he had for me and that his lessening my Reputation was a Design to open himself a Way to the Throne by the shew of a rigid Virtue At first I was unwilling to think that Philocles design'd to usurp my Crown for there is a certain Candour and Ingenuity in true Virtue which cannot be counterfeited and which cannot be mistaken if consider'd with attention Yet I begun to grow wary of Philocles's Obstinacy in condemning my Weakness