ed Adraftus's heart against the most wholefome counfels. By not following them, he daily triumphed over his enemies; for haughtiness, breach of faith and violence continually made him victorious. The evils with which Polydamas had fo long threatened him, did not happen. Adraftus laughed at an apprehenfive wisdom, which was perpetually foreseeing inconveniencies. Polydamas became infupportable to him; he was removed from all his pofts, and left to languish in folitude and poverty.

Polydamas was at first greatly dejected at this difgrace; but it gave him what he wanted, by showing. him the vanity of exalted stations. He became wife at his own expence; he rejoiced that he had been unfortunate; he learned by degrees to fuffer, to live upon a little, calmly to nourish his foul with the truth, to cultivate fecret virtues, which are of much greater worth than the glaring; in fine, to live without mankind. He dwelt in a defert a the foot of mount Garganus, where an half-arched rock ferved him for a houfe; a brook which fell from a mountain, flaked his thirft, and fome trees prefented him their fruits. He had two flaves, who tilled a little field, with whom he himself toiled with his own hands. The earth liberally rewarded him for his pains, and fuffered him to want for nothing; he had not only fruits and pulfe in abundance, but all forts of fragrant flowers alfo. There he deplored the mifery of nations, which the mad ambition of a prince hurries on to their ruin. There he daily expected that the righteous Gods, notwithstanding their forbearance, would crush the impious Adraftus. The more his profperity increased, the nearer he thought he faw his inevitable fall; for imprudent measures attended with fuccefs, and power fcrued up to the highest pitch of abfolute authority are the forerunners of the downfall of kings and kingdoms. When he heard of Adraftus's defeat and death, he discovered no joy that he had forefeen it, nor that he was rid of the tyrant; he only grieved left he should fee the Daunians in fervitude.

Voilà l'homme que Télémaque propofa pour le faire régner. Il y avoit déjà quelque temps qu'il connoiffoit fon courage & fa vertu; car Télémaque, felon les confeils de Mentor, ne ceffoit de s'informer partout des qualités bonnes & mauvaifes de toutes les perfonnes qui étoient dans quelque emploi confidérable, non-feulement dans les nations alliées qui fervoient en cette guerre, mais encore chez les ennemis. Son principal foin étoit de découvrir & d'examiner par-tout les hommes qui avoient quelque talent, une vertu particuliere.

Ou

Les princes alliés eurent d'abord quelque répugnance à mettre Polydamas dans la royauté. Nous avons éprouvé, difoient-ils, combien un roi des Dauniens, quand il aime la guerre, & qu'il fait la faire, eft redoutable à fes voifins. Polydamas eft un grand capitaine, & il peut nous jetter dans de grands périls. Mais Télémaque leur répondit : Polydamas, il est vrai, fait la guerre, mais il aime la paix; & voilà les deux chofes qu'il faut fouhaiter. Un homme qui connoît les malheurs, les dangers, les difficultés de la guerre, eft bien plus capable de l'éviter, qu'un autre qui n'en a aucune expérience. Il a appris à goûter le bonheur d'une vie tranquille; il a condamné les entreprifes d'Adrafte; il en a prévu les fuites funeftes. Un prince foible & ignorant eft plus à craindre pour vous, qu'un homme qui connoîtra & qui décidera tout par lui-même. Le prince foible, ignorant & fans expérience ne verra que par les yeux d'un fa̸vori paffionné, ou d'un miniftre flatteur, inquiet & ambitieux. Ainfi ce prince aveugle s'engagera à la guerre, fars la vouloir faire; vous ne pourrez jamais vous affurer de lui, car il ne pourra jamais être für de lui-même; il vous manquera de parole; il vous réduira bientôt à cette extrémité, qu'il faudra, que vous le faffiez périr, ou qu'il vous accable. N'eft-il pas plus utile, plus fûr, & en même temps plus jufte & plus noble, de répondre fidélement à la confiance des Dauniens & de leur donner un roi digne de commander?

ou

Toute l'affemblée fut perfuadée par ces difcours.

On

was

This was the Man whom Telemachus propofed to be advanced to the throne. He had for fome time been acquainted with his courage and virtue; for Telemachus according to Mentor's advice every where continually informing himfelf of the good and bad qualities of all perfons who were in any confiderable poft, not only among the confederate nations who ferved in this war, but among the enemy alfo. His principal care in every place was to find out and fift the men who had any parti cular talent or virtue.

The confederate princes were at first a little unwilling to place Polydamas on the throne. We have experienced, faid they, how formidable a king of the Daunians who understands and delights in war, is to his neighbours. Polydamas is a great commander, and may bring us into great dangers. But Telemachus replied, Polydamas indeed underftands war, but he loves peace; and thefe are the two very things which we ought to wish for. A man who knows the calamities, dangers and difficulties of war, is much better qualified to avoid it than one who has no experience of them. Polydamas has learned to relish the bleffings of a quiet life; he condemned the enterprises of Adraftus, and forefaw their fatal confequences. A weak and ignorant prince is more to be dreaded by you, than a man who will enquire into and determine every thing himself. A weak, ignorant and inexperienced prince will fee only with the eyes of a paffionate favourite, or of a flattering, turbulent and ambitious minifter. He will therefore blindly engage himself in war contrary to his inclinations; you will never be fure of him, for he will never have it in his power to be fure of himself; he will break his word with you, and will quickly reduce you to fuch extremities, that you must destroy him, or he you. Is it not more advantageous, more fafe, and at the fame time more juft and noble to make a faithful return to the confidence of the Daunians, and to give them a king worthy of commanding?

This fpeech convincing the whole affembly, Poly

damas

Voilà l'homme que Télémaque propofa pour le faire régner. Il y avoit déjà quelque temps qu'il connoiffoit fon courage & fa vertu; car Télémaque, felon les confeils de Mentor ne ceffoit de s'informer partout des qualités bonnes & mauvaises de toutes les perfonnes qui étoient dans quelque emploi confidérable, non-feulement dans les nations alliées qui fervoient en cette guerre, mais encore chez les ennemis. Son principal foin étoit de découvrir & d'examiner par-tout les hommes qui avoient quelque talent, ou une vertu particuliere.

Les princes alliés eurent d'abord quelque répugnance à mettre Polydamas dans la royauté. Nous avons éprouvé, difoient-ils, combien un roi des Dauniens, quand il aime la guerre, & qu'il fait la faire eft redoutable à fes voifins. Polydamas eft un grand capitaine, & il peut nous jetter dans de grands périls. Mais Télémaque leur répondit: Polydamas, il est. vrai, fait la guerre, mais il aime la paix; & voilà les deux chofes qu'il faut fouhaiter. Un homme qui connoît les malheurs, les dangers, les difficultés de la guerre, eft bien plus capable de l'éviter, qu'un autre qui n'en a aucune expérience. Il a appris à goûter le bonheur d'une vie tranquille; il a condamné les entreprises d'Adrafte; il en a prévu les fuites funeftes. Un prince foible & ignorant eft plus à craindre pour vous, qu'un homme qui connoîtra & qui décidera tout par lui-même. Le prince foible, ignorant & fans expérience, ne verra que par les yeux d'un favori paffionné, ou d'un miniftre flatteur, inquier & ambitieux. Ainfi ce prince aveugle s'engagera à la guerre, fars la vouloir faire; vous ne pourrez jamais vous affurer de lui, car il ne pourra jamais être für de lui-même; il vous manquera de parole; il vous réduira bientôt à cette extrémité, qu'il faudra, ou que vous le faffiez périr, ou qu'il vous accable. N'est-il pas plus utile, plus fûr, & en même temps plus jufte & plus noble, de répondre fidélement à la confiance des Dauniens, & de leur donner un roi digne de commander?

Toute l'affemblée fut perfuadée par ces difcours.

On

was

This was the Man whom Telemachus propofed to be advanced to the throne. He had for fome time been acquainted with his courage and virtue; for Telemachus according to Mentor's advice every where continually informing himself of the good and bad qualities of all perfons who were in any confiderable post not only among the confederate nations who ferved in this war, but among the enemy alfo. His principal care in every place was to find out and fift the men who had any parti cular talent or virtue.

but

The confederate princes were at first a little unwilling to place Polydamas on the throne. We have experienced, faid they, how formidable a king of the Daunians who understands and delights in war, is to his neighbours. Polydamas is a great commander, and may bring us into great dangers. But Telemachus replied, Polydamas indeed understands war, he loves peace; and thefe are the two very things which we ought to wish for. A man who knows the calamities, dangers and difficulties of war, is much better qualified to avoid it than one who has no experience of them. Polydamas has learned to relish the bleffings of a quiet life; he condemned the enterprises of Adraftus, and forefaw their fatal confequences. A weak and ignorant prince is more to be dreaded by you, than a man who will enquire into and determine every thing himself. A weak, ignorant and inexperienced prince will fee only with the eyes of a paffionate favourite, or of a flattering, turbulent and ambitious minifter. He will therefore blindly engage himself in war contrary to his inclinations; you will never be fure of him, for he will never have it in his power to be fure of himself; he will break his word with you, and will quickly reduce you to fuch extremities, that you must destroy him, or he you. Is it not more advantageous, more fafe, and at the fame time more just and noble to make a faithful return to the confidence of the Daunians, and to give them a king worthy of commanding?

This fpeech convincing the whole affembly, Poly

damas