bours. All transactions which require reputation, probity and confidence, will become impoffible to you; you will have no means of making people be lieve what you promife.

There is, added Telemachus, a yet nearer con cern which muft needs affect you, if you have any fenfe of probity, or any forefight with regard to your own interest, viz, that fo treacherous a conduct would be an internal attack upon your whole league, and quickly ruin it; your perjury would cause Adraftus to triumph.

The whole affembly, murmuring at thefe words, asked him how he could take upon him to fay, that an action which would infallibly make the confederates victorious, would ruin the confederacy? How, replied be, will you be able to confide in each other if you once violate your fincerity, the only band of fociety and confidence? When you have laid it down as a maxim, that the laws of probity and fidelity may be difpenfed with for the fake of fome fignal advantage, which, of you will trust another, fince another may find it very advantageous to falfify his word and to deceive you? Where will you be then? Which of you will not endeavour by his own artifices to prevent thofe of his neighbour? What will be the fate of a confederacy of fo many nations, when they have agreed among themfelves after a general difcuffion of the matter, that it is lawful to over reach one's neighbour and to violate one's plighted faith? How great will your mutual jealoufies be, your diffentions, your zeal to deftroy each other? Adraftus will have no occafion to attack you; you will fufficiently worry one another, and juftify his perfidies. Ye fage, ye magnanimous princes, you who fo wifely govern innumerable multitude, disdain not to hearken to the counfels of a young man. Should you ever fall into the most terrible extremities into which war fometimes precipitates men, you may rife again by your vigilance and the ftruggles of your virtue; for true courage never defpairs: But if you have once broken down the barrier of honour and probity, your ruin is inevitable:

plus rétablir ni la confiance néceffaire au fuccès de toutes les affaires importantes, ni ramener les hommes aux principes de la vertu, après que vous leur auriez appris à les méprifer. Que craignez-vous ? N'avez-vous pas affez de courage pour vaincre fans tromper? Votre vertu jointe aux forces de tant de peuples, ne vous fuffit-elle pas ? Combattons, mourons, s'il le faut, plutôt que de vaincre fi indignement. Adrafte, l'impie Adrafte eft dans nos mains, pourvu que nous ayons horreur d'imiter fa lâcheté & fa mau vaife foi.

Lorfque Télémaque acheva ce difcours, il fentic que la douce perfuafion avoit coulé de fes levres, & avoit paffé jufqu'au fond des coeurs. Il remarqua un profond filence dans l'affemblée; chacun penfoit, non à lui, ni aux graces de fes paroles mais à la force de la vérité qui fe faifoit fentir dans la fuite de fon raifonnement. L'étonnement étoit peint fur les vifages. Enfin on entendit un murmure fourd, qui fe répandoit peu-à-peu dans l'affemblée. Les uns regardoient les autres, & n'ofoient parler les premiers. On attendoit que les chefs de l'armée fe déclaraffent, & chacun avoit de la peine à retenir fes fentimens. Enfin le grave Neftor prononça ces paroles :

Digne fils d'Ulyffe, les Dieux vous ont fait parler, & Minerve, qui a tant de fois infpiré votre pere, 2 mis dans votre cœur le confeil fage & généreux que vous avez donné Je ne regarde point votre jeuneffe, je ne confidére que Minerve dans tout ce que Vous venez de dire. Vous avez parlé pour la vertus fans elle les plus grands avantages font de vraies pertes; fans elle on s'attire bientôt la vengeance de fes ennemis, la défiance de fes alliés, l'horreur de tous les gens de bien, & la jufte colere des Dieux Laiffons donc Vénufe entre les mains des Lucaniens, & ne fongeons plus qu'à vaincre Adrafte par notre

courage.

Il dit, & toute l'affemblée applaudit à fes fa ges paroles. Mais en applaudiffant, chacun étonné tournoit les yeux vers le fils d'Ulyffe, & on croyoit

inevitable: you can never revive the confidence which. is neceffary to make all important affairs fuccefs ful nor reclaim men to the principles of virtue which you have taught them to defpife. And what do you apprehend? Are you not brave enough to conquer without treachery? Is not your valour, together with the forces of fo many nations, fufficient for this? Let us fight, let us die, if it must be fo, rather than conquer by fuch vile means. Adraftus, the impious Adraftus, is in our power, provided we abhor imitating his bafeness and perfidy.

When Telemachus concluded his fpeech, he perceived that foft perfuafion had flowed from his lips, and funk deep into their hearts. He obferved that there was a profound filence throughout the whole affembly; every one's thoughts being employed, not on him or the graces of his words, but on the force of truth, which was fo ftriking in the whole courfe of his reafoning. Amazement was painted on their faces At length an hollow murmur was heard fpreading itfelf by little and little through the whole affembly. They all looked one upon another, being afraid to fpeak firft, and waiting till the principal commanders should declare them felves, though every one found it difficult to retain his fentiments. At last the grave Neftor pronounced these words:

Worthy fon of Ulyffes, the Gods prompted you to fpeak, and Minerva, who fo often infpired your fa ther, fuggefted to you the wife and generous counfel which you have given us. I do not regard your youth, I fee Minerva in all you have faid. You have pleaded the cause of virtue. Without virtue the greatest advantages are real loffes; without virtue men foon draw on themselves the vengeance of their enemies the jealoufy of their allies, the hatred of all good men, and the just wrath of the Gods. Let us therefore leave Venufium in the hands of the Lucanians, and think of conquering Adraftus only by our courage.

He faid; and the whole affembly applauded the wisdom of his words. But every one, as he gave his applaufe, turned his eyes with amazement towards

K 6

the

voir reluire en lui la fageffe de Minerve qui l'infpi

roit.

Il s'éleva bientôt une autre queftion dans le confeil des rois, où il n'acquit pas moins de gloire. Adrafte, toujours cruel & perfide, envoya dans le camp un transfuge nommé Acante, qui devoit empoifonner les plus illuftres chefs de l'armée. Sur - tout il avoit ordre de ne rien épargner pour faire mourir le jeune Télémaque, qui étoit déjà la terreur des Dauniens. Télémaque qui avoit trop de courage & de candeur pour être enclin à la défiance, reçut fans peine, avec amitié, ce malheureux, qui avoit vu Ulyffe en Sicile, & qui lui racontoit les aventures de ce héros. Il le nourriffoit, & tấchoit de le confoler dans fon malheur ; car Acante fe plaignoit d'avoir été trompé & traité indignement par Adrafte : mais c'étoit nourrir & réchauffer dans fon fein une vipere venimeufe toute prête à faire une bleffure mortelle. On furprit un autre transfuge nommé Arion, qu'Acante envoyoit vers Adrafte , pour lui apprendre l'état du camp des alliés, & pour lui affurer qu'il empoifonneroit le lendemain les principaux rois avec Télémaque, dans un feftin que celui-ci lui devoit donner. Arion pris, avoua fa trahifon. On foupçonna qu'il étoit d'intelligence avec Acante, parce qu'ils étoient bons amis mais Acante, profondément diffimulé & intrépide, fe défendoit avec tant d'art qu'on ne pouvoit le convaincre, ni découvrir le fond de la conjuration.

Plufieurs des rois furent d'avis qu'il falloit dans le doute, facrifier Acante à la fûreté publique. Il faut, difoient-ils, le faire mourir; la vie d'un feul homme - n'est rien, quand il s'agit d'affurer celle de tant de rois. Qu'importe qu'un innocent périffe, quand il s'agit de conferver ceux qui repréfentent les Dieux milieu des hommes ?

au

Quelle maxime inhumaine ! quelle politique barbare répondit Télémaque. Quoi ! vous êtes fi prodigues du fang humain ! O vous qui êtes

établis

les

the fon of Ulyffes, and imagined that he faw the wifdom of Minerva, his infpirer, shine forth in him.

There foon arofe another question in the council of the kings by which he did not acquire lefs glory. Adraftus, ever bloody and perfidious, fent into the camp one Acanthus a deferter, who was to poifon the moft illuftrious chiefs of the army. He was particularly ordered to fpare no pains to effect the death of the young Telemachus, who was already become the terror of the Daunians. Telemachus, who had too much courage and candour to be mistrustful, readily and kindly received this wretch, who had feen Ulyffes in Sicily, and who related to him the adventures of that hero. He subsisted him, and endeavoured to comfort him in his misfortunes; for Acanthus complained of having been deceived and unworthily treated by Adraftus. But this was cherishing and warming a venomous viper in his bofom, which was ready to fting him to death. Another deferter was taken, whofe name was Arion, whom Acanthus was fending back to Adraftus, to inform him of the state of the confederate camp, and to affure him that he would the next day poifon the principal kings and Telemachus at an entertainment which the latter was to give him. Arion being apprehended, confeffed his treason, and it was fufpected that Acanthus was concerned with him, because they were intimate friends; but Acanthus, who was a deep diffembler and not to be daunted, defended himself fo artfully that he could not be convicted, nor the bottom of the confpiracy discovered.

Several of the kings were of opinion that they ought in this uncertainty to facrifice Acanthus to the public fafety. He muft, faid they, be put to death; the life of a fingle perfon is nothing, when the fafety of fo many princes is concerned. What if an innocent perfons perish, when the point in debate is the prefervation of thofe who reprefent the Gods among men?

What an inhuman maxim! What barbarous policy, replied Telemachus! How are you fo lavish of human blood! O you who are appointed the shepherds

of