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The English Works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury; Now First Collected and Edited by Sir William Molesworth, Bart., (London: Bohn, 1839-45). 11 vols. Vol. 10.

Author: Homer
Translator: Thomas Hobbes
Editor: Sir William Molesworth

Part of: The English Works of Thomas Hobbes, 11 vols.

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LIB. II.

Telemachus complains in vain, and borrowing a ship goes secretly to

Soon as the rosy morning did appear,
Telemachus himself array’d and shod,
Puts on his sword, and takes in hand his spear
And out he went appearing like a God.

Pyle by night, and how he was there received.

5And straight unto the criers gave command,

To call the people to the public place.
The people met. And then with spear in hand
He to them takes his way; and followed was
By two white dogs. Then takes his father’s throne;
10His elders gave him way; all on him gaze.

For why; the Goddess Pallas of her own
Had set authority upon his face.
The first that spake was old Ægyptius,
Stooping with age, of great experience:
15One son of his, whose name was Antiphus,

Went to the siege of Troy, but coming thence
He died in the savage Cyclops’ jaws,
When with Ulysses he was in his den:
Euronymus one of the suitors was,
20The others with their father dwelled then.

But still he grieved was for Antiphus.
The tears ran down his cheeks, and weeping he
Rose up and said unto th’ assembly thus:
Ye men of Ithaca, I pray hear me;
25Since we to Troy Ulysses sent with ships,

We ne’er convoked were to Parliament,
What need have young or old men of our lips?
And who is he that now doth us convent?
Has he informed been of some invasion,
30And unto us the same would first report?

Or on some other public great occasion
Would give us counsel? The Gods bless him for’t.
Telemachus then presently upstands,
Though well contented with his father’s praise.
35The crier puts the sceptre in his hands.

And to Ægyptius first he speaks, and says,
Here am I, that the people have convok’d.
Nor do I any news or counsel bring,
But by my private suff’rings am provok’d;
40Which here I offer t’ your considering.

Is it not grief enough, my father’s loss,
That ruled like a father to us all,
But that I must yet bear a greater cross,
To see his house to utter ruin fall?
45My mother’s house the suitors daily fill,

And of the best of you they children are.
She wedded must be with her father’s will,
But to her father go they do not dare.
But in my house continually they stay,
50And sacrifice my beeves, and goats, and sheep,

My wine exhaust, and much they cast away.
For why, Ulysses lost is on the deep,
And I myself unable to defend.
But shall I so be still, or once be able

Telemachus goes secretly to Pyle, &c.

55To bring upon these men unjust their end,

Whose injuries no more are tolerable?
Take it to heart. Think how ’twill taken be
By other states. Fear from the Gods some change,
That are not pleas’d with such iniquity,
60And may in closer order make you range.

By Jove I you adjure, and Themis, who
Convokes assemblies, and revokes again,
Forbear these evil deeds yourselves to do,
And of your sons the liberty restrain.
65Leave me to suffer misery alone.

Hurt none but me. Unless my father have
In hatred of you some great evil done,
And for revenge these men such power you gave.
But better ’twere for me, that you than they
70Should spend my treasure and my comings in.

For if among so many men it lay,
Begging I might from them the value win.
But for my case no help can now be found.
So said Telemachus in choler high,
75And from him threw the sceptre to the ground.

Nor could forbear to let fall tears and sigh.
The people pitied him, but silent sat;
None but Antinous durst answer make.
Telemachus, said he, too passionate
80You are, and too much liberty you take.

The people’s hatred you would very fain
Draw to the suitors, and procure them shame.
But from your mother cometh all your pain;
And therefore her, not us, you ought to blame.
85Three years are gone and past, the fourth is this,

Since she her suitors baffled has with art,
Putting each one in hopes by messages,
And promises that he had gain’d her heart.
Moreover, setting up a beam to weave,
90Suitors, said she, since dead Ulysses is,

Stay yet a little while, and give me leave
To make an end but of one business.
I must for old Laertes make a cloth,
Which in his sepulchre he is to wear.
95T’ offend the wives of Greece I should be loth;

For to accuse me they will not forbear,
But say I very hasty was to wed,
If I go hence and not provide a shroud
Wherein Laertes may be buried
100Out of such wealth, that might have been allow’d.

Her suitors all were well content. And then
All day she wove, but ere she went to bed,
What she had wov’n, she ravell’d out again.
Three years her suitors thus she frustrated,
105In the fourth year her woman her betrayed,

And in we came, whilst she the web undid,
And then to end it she could not avoid,
Since now her purpose could no more be hid.
To your complaint the suitors answer thus;
110Take notice of it, you and all the rest:

Send back your mother to Icarius,
There let her marry whom they both think best.
But if she think to vex us longer yet,
Caring for nothing but for Pallas’ gifts,
115To have the reputation for wit,

And skilfulness in curious work and shifts,
Wherein th’ Achæan wives she doth excel,
Both old and young, Tiro, Alcmen’, Micen’,
Although with us she hath not dealed well;
120But if to use us so she longer mean,

So much the longer with you we shall eat,
Which to Penelope will be a glory.
But we consume shall so much of your meat,
If long we stay there, that you will be sorry.
125For so long as she dodges with us thus,

No whither from your house will we depart.
Then to him answered Telemachus:
Antinous, I ne’er shall have the heart
To send my mother hence against her will.
130Abroad my father is, alive or dead.

That I her father should repay, were ill,
For forcing her to leave her husband’s bed.
And from the Furies I shall suffer worse,
For if I force her from my house to go,
135Whether she will or not, she will me curse,

And men will of me be revenged too.
If it displease you that she stayeth here,
You have your remedy; you may go home,
And ev’ry one make all the rest good cheer
140By turns, and into my house never come.

But if you needs will feed on me alone,
I can but to the Gods for vengeance call,
And reparation for what is done,
Which may enough be to destroy you all.
145This said, two eagles coming were in sight,

And when they were the market-place just o’er,
Th’ assembled heads surveying, stopp’d their flight,
And on their broad and levell’d wings they soar;
Then, having torn themselves both neck and cheek,
150They to their right wing rise and fly away.

What this should mean th’ assembly was to seek,
And to them thus did Alitherses say:
Hear me, ye men of Ithaca, said he,
And you, the suitors, that are most concern’d.
155Destruction is rolling toward ye,

Although it be not by yourselves discern’d.
Ulysses from his friends will not be long,
And now from Ithaca far off is not,
Seeing what daily done is in the throng,
160And how to kill the suitors lays his plot;

Nay, many more besides the suitors may
Of their misfortune chance to have their part,
If they desist not soon, and come away.
I speak not this at random, but on art;
165For all must come to pass I told him then,

When with the Argive lords he went to Troy:
That after twenty years he should again
Return with pain, his men all cast away.
Then said Eurymachus, Old man, go home,
170And there to your own children prophecy,

Lest to them any harm hereafter come;
A better prophet for these things am I.
Under the sun be many birds that fly,
And yet not all of them do fortunes tell;
175Ulysses, far hence, dead is certainly,

I know not where. I would thou wert as well,
For then you would give over to inflame
Telemachus, who but too angry is;
In hope to get some present for the same,
180If he will give it. But I tell you this.

If any old man, with his wisdom, dare
To set against us any young man here,
He shall be sure himself the worse to fare,
And when ’tis done he shall be ne’er the near;
185We’ll set a fine upon your head so wise,

Which you to pay will not be well content.
I myself will Telemachus advise
His mother may be to her father sent
To make the match, and on the dower agree,
190Such as becomes him, to his daughter dear;

Till that be done, no hope at all I see
The suitors should desist. For they not fear
Telemachus, as haughty as he is,
And full of words; and much less do they care
195For such deceitful prophecies as this,

For which you only the more hated are.
Meanwhile Telemachus his goods decay,
And he shall never make them up again,
While she persists her suitors to delay,
200And makes us all expect her love in vain.

And ’tis her virtue makes us thus to strive
Amongst ourselves who shall her favour win;
For many other ladies we could wive,
And be sufficiently delighted in.
205Then said Telemachus, No more will I

This matter to you press, or to the woo’rs.
You and the Gods know all I do not lie;
But I demand a bark of twenty oars,
For I intend to travel for awhile,
210To hear what men can of my father say.

To Lacedæmon I will go, and Pyle,
Or seek from Jove some notice of his way,
And if alive he be, and coming home,
Though to my cost, I’ll stay another year.
215If dead he be, then back again I’ll come,

And rites of burial will give him here,
Splendid, and well becoming his estate,
And let my mother her own liking take.
Having thus spoken, down again he sate.
220And then Ulysses’ old friend Mentor spake,

With whom Ulysses left his house in trust.
Hear me, ye Ithacesians, said he;
Let no king ever be hereafter just,
Nor to his people soft and gentle be,
225Since you Ulysses have so soon forgot,

That ever rul’d us like a father kind.
But I the suitors so much accuse not,
Although on force and fraud they set their mind,
(For ’gainst Ulysses’ goods, which they devour,
230They stake their heads in hope he’ll ne’er come home)

And you that many are, and have the power
To check them, sit as if you all were dumb.
And then rose up Leocritus and spake:
Mentor, said he, more busy much than wise,
235That would about a supper quarrel make,

Ulysses, were he here, I’d not advise
To seek by force the suitors to remove.
For though he much be wish’d for by his wife,
She would not of his coming well approve,
240But he the sooner be depriv’d of life.

And you, the people, now may hence retire;
Mentor and Alitherses will provide
A bark for what place ever he’ll desire;
And if at Ithaca he mean t’ abide,
245No news he will hear of him a great while.

But never t’ Ithaca shall come again,
If he to Lacedæmon go, or Pyle.
This said, dismiss’d and scatter’d were the men;
And to Ulysses’ house the suitors went,
250Telemachus to the sea-side, and pray’d:

O God, that gavest me commandement
To pass the seas, canst not now be obey’d,
I am both by the town and woo’rs delay’d.
Then in the form of Mentor, Pallas came,
255And standing by Telemachus, she said,

With such a voice as Mentor’s seem’d the same,
If in you you retain the spirit brave
Your father had, to make his word his deed,
Then also the assurance I shall have,
260To tell you in your voyage you shall speed;

But if Ulysses’ son you be not right,
For aught I know you may this labour spare;
Few sons exceed or reach their father’s might,
But commonly inferior they are.
265But since in you I see your father’s wit,

I hope your voyage shall have good success;
Therefore, no more with th’ woo’rs in council sit,
Expect from fools to have no more redress,
That see not their own end that is so nigh.
270Nor shall you long be forced here to stay,

For with a good ship furnish you will I,
And with you will myself go all the way.
Meanwhile go you into your house again,
And put up store of wine, and of cold meat,
275And good bread, which the marrow is of men;

I’ll for you mariners together get.
In Ithaca are good ships, old and new,
Good store, of which I will go choose you one,
The best of all that come within my view,
280And make it ready, that we may be gone.

This said, to th’ house return’d Telemachus.
The woo’rs in killing cattle were employ’d,
And straight unto him went Antinous,
And laughing, took him by the hand, and said,
285Telemachus, bold and brave orator,

Fear from us neither evil word nor deed;
Eat and drink merrily as heretofore,
We’ll see you furnished with what you need,
Both ship and men, and see you soon convey’d
290To Pyle, that of your father you may hear.

Telemachus then answered, and said,
Antinous, can I be merry here?
D’ye think that yet too little was the wrong
The suitors did me, my estate to waste,
295When I perceiv’d it not, as being young;

But since I grown am, and my childhood past,
And somewhat know, and more hear others say,
I’ll do my best to bring them to their end,
Whether I go to Pyle, or here do stay.
300And yet to go to Pyle I do intend,

And think my passage will not be in vain;
For I go like a merchant, not a guest,
As if to me no ship did appertain.
It must be so; the suitors think it best.
305This said, his hand from his hand he snatch’d out;

And then the suitors that were in the court,
Some give him evil words, and others flout,
And one another with him made good sport.
He’ll come from Pyle with succours, God knows what,
310Said one, or Sparta, which shall on us fall,

Or poison bring from Ephiré; and that
Put in the temperer shall kill us all.
Who knows, then said another, if he go,
But he his father’s fate may also have,
315Whilst seeking him he wanders to and fro,

Which would to us no little trouble save;
His goods amongst us we should soon divide,
And to his mother leave his houses free,
And him she chooses to lie by her side.
320Thus they derided him. Then down went he

Into a large and high-roof’d room, where lay,
In chests pack’d up, great store of cloth of gold,
And garments very many, rich and gay,
And many barrels of sweet wine and old,
325Which for Ulysses were preserved there,

When he returned to his native soil.
In the same room many brass vessels were,
And many barrels of sweet smelling oil,
And double were the locks upon the door,
330Whereof the nurse, Euryclea, had the key.

Telemachus call’d for her, and says to her,
Come, nurse, this night I am to go away.
Fill me of wine twelve pitchers of the best,
Next to that which you for my father save;
335And fine flour, twenty measures at the least,

In good thick leather satchels let me have,
Quickly. For when my mother is a-bed,
To Lacedæmon and to Pyle I go,
That of my father, if alive or dead,
340There any news be, I the same may know.

Euryclea then wept and sobb’d, and said,
Dear child, why will you go from hence so far
Alone? Your mother you will make afraid,
Of whom so dearly you beloved are.
345Your father far off is already dead,

And by the way the suitors seek to kill you,
And share your goods amongst them by the head.
I pray stay here, and do not go. Why will you?
Nurse, said Telemachus, be of good cheer;
350’Tis by the counsel of a God I go,

And I require you solemnly to swear
You’ll not my going let my mother know.
Telemachus to the suitors went again,
And Pallas, in his likeness, to the town,
355For his transporting to procure him men,

From house to house she goeth up and down,
And of Noemon borrowed a bark,
Who not unwillingly it to him lent.
And now the sun was down, the streets were dark,
360And down to the sea-side the Goddess went,

And the good ship into the sea they haul,
And in it stow all that was needful for’t;
The mariners were there together all,
And tied the ship at far end of the port.
365Meanwhile the suitors merrily carouse,

And Pallas then, their fancies to confound,
From the sea-side went back into the house,
And from their hands the cups threw to the ground,
And with the love of sleep possess’d their eyes,
370And made them nod, and let their eye-lids down;

And not long after from their seats they rise,
And for that night took lodging in the town.
Then, like to Mentor both in form and voice,
Telemachus she called out of doors.
375Your men are ready at the port, she says,

There they expecting you sit with their oars.
Then out they went, and Pallas led the way,
And found the rowers ready on the beach.
Telemachus then said, Come back, I pray,
380To th’ house with me, our victual thence to fetch,

Which, well put up, I there have ready laid;
But nothing of it does my mother know,
Nor any else but I and one old maid.
Then with Telemachus to th’ house they go,
385And to the ships at once bring all away,

And stow it as Telemachus thought fit.
Pallas and he embark without delay,
And at the stern they both together sit.
And now the mariners their tackle ply;
390First, in the midst they set the mast upright,

And it unto the ship with strong ropes tie,
And then their sails they hoist up to their height,
Which Pallas, with a lusty gale from west,
Kept full all night. The ship the sea then gores;
395The water, swiftly running from her breast

By both her sides, wounded and broken roars.
And then unto the Gods they offer wine,
And to them all were praying for awhile,
But specially unto their guide divine;
400Then sail’d all night, and were next morn at Pyle.

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LIB. II. - Homer, The English Works, vol. X (Iliad and Odyssey) [1839]

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Part of: The English Works of Thomas Hobbes, 11 vols.

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LIB. II.