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Télémaque dans une partie de chasse, délivre-Intiope d'un sanglier, dont il lui présente la hure.

THE

ADVENTURES

O F

TELEM A CHU S,

SON of ULYSSES.

BOOK the TWENTY-THIRD.

The ARGUMENT.

Idomeneus fearing the departure of his two guests, propofes feveral intricate affairs to Mentor, affuring him that he could not fettle them without his affistance. Mentor tells him how he ought to ad, and perfifts in his refolution to carry Telemachus home. Idomeneus again attempts to detain them by exciting the passion of the latter for Antiope: He engages them in a hunting match, at which he orders his daughter to be prefent. She would have been torn in pieces by a wild boar, but for Telemachus who refcues her. He is afterwards very unwilling to forfake her, and to take leave of the king her father; but being encouraged by Mentor, he overcomes his reluctance, and embarks for his native country.

DOMENEUS, who feared the departure of

dy to retard it. He reprefented to Mentor that he could not without him adjuft a difpute that was rifen between Diophanes, a priest of Jupiter Confervator, and Heliodorus, a prieft of Apollo, concerning the prefages which are drawn from the flight of birds and the entrails of victims. Why, faid Mentor

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crées? Laiffez-en la décifion aux Etruriens, qui ont la tradition des plus anciens oracles, & qui font infpirés pour être les interpretes des Dieux. Employez feulement votre autorité à étouffer ces difputes dès leur naiffance. Ne montrez ni partialité ni prévention : contentez-vous d'appuyer la décifion, quand elle fera faite. Souvenez-vous qu'un roi doit être foumis à la religion & qu'il ne doit jamais entreprendre de la régler la religion vient des Dieux; elle eft au-deffus des rois. Si les rois fe mêlent de la religion au lieu de la protéger, ils la mettent en fervitude. Les rois font fi puiffans, & les autres hommes font fi foibles, que tout fera en péril d'être altéré au gré des rois, fi on les fait entrer dans les queftions qui regardent les chofes facrées. Laiffez donc en pleine liberté la décision aux amis des Dieux, & bornez-vous à réprimer ceux qui n'obé ront pas à leur jugement, quand il aura été prononcé.

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Enfuite Idoménée fe plaignit de l'embarras où il étoit fur un grand nombre de procès entre di vers particuliers, qu'on le preffoit de juger. Décidez, lui répondit Mentor toutes les questions nouvelles , qui vont à établir des maximes générales de jurifprudence, & à interpréter les loix; mais ne Vous chargez jamais de juger les caufes particulieres elles viendroient toutes en foule vous affiéger. Vous feriez l'unique juge de votre peuple. Tous les autres juges, qui font fous vous, deviendroient inutiles; vous feriez accablé, & les petites affaires vous déroberoient aux grandes, fans que vous puffiez fuffire à régler le détail des petites. Gardez-vous donc bien de vous jetter dans cet embarras; renvoyez les affaires des particuliers aux juges ordinaires; ne faites que ce que nul autre ne peut faire pour vous foulager; vous ferez alors les véritables fonctions de roi.

On me preffe encore difoit Idoménée de faire certains mariages. Les perfonnes d'une naiffance diftinguée, qui m'ont fuivi dans toutes les guerres, & qui ont perda de très grands biens en me fervant, voudroient

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would you intermeddle in things facred? Leave the decifion of them to the Etrurians, who have the tradition of the most ancient oracles, and are infpired, that they may be the interpreters of the Gods. Ufe your authority only to ftifle thefe difputes in their birth. Show neither partiality nor prejudice; content yourfelf with fupporting the decifion when it is made. Remember that a king is to be fubject to religion, and is never to take upon him the regula tion of it: Religion comes from the Gods, and is above kings. If kings meddle with religion, inftead of protecting they enflave it. Kings are fo powerful, and other men fo weak that every thing will be in danger of being changed, according to the fancy of princes, if they should be permitted to concern themfelves in queftions relating to things facred. Leave therefore the free decifion of them to the favourites of the Gods, and confine yourself to the quelling of those who shall not conform to their de termination when it is made,

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Idomeneus afterwards complained of the perplexity he was in, with regard to a great number of lawfuits between divers private perfons, which he was importuned to determine. Decide replied Mentor all new questions, which may be the foundations of general maxims, and become precedents of law; but never burthen yourself with trying private caufes they would come and befiege you in crowds. You would be the only judge of all your people. All the other judges, who are under you, wou'd be eome ufelefs; you would be overburthened; trifling affairs would take you off from the important, and yet you would not be fufficient to adjuft all the particulars of the trifling. Take care therefore not to plunge yourself into this perplexity; refer the cau fes of private perfons to the ordinary judges; do nothing but what no body elfe can do to eafe you, and you will then discharge the real functions of a king.

I am alfo importuned, faid Idomeneus, to interfere in certain marriages. The perfons of diftinguished birth, who attended me in all my wars, and who lost

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