The education or bringinge vp of children, translated oute of Plutarche by syr Thomas Eliot knyght

¶Howe premeditation ought to be vsed with a pleasant narration of Vlysses and Polyphemus. Ca. xi. (Book 11)

VUho so speaketh contem∣tuously or vnaduisedly, tho it be but lyttell, he very mo∣che do••herre. For oportu∣nite in silence is a great part of wysedome & moche bet∣ter than spekynge. Therfore

our elders haue shewed vnto vs mistical & darke ceremonies & prouerbes: wherby we beyng one•• accustomed to silēce, may conuert the ••ere and re∣uerence that be in diuine secretes / to ••ayth or cre∣dence to be had in the mysteries and wyse senten∣ses of men: wherof diuerse hereafter ensue. Of silence neuer man repented. But of spekyng ma∣ny. More ouer, that sylence kepeth, may sone be vttred, but it that ones is vttred, may neuer be re¦uoked. I remembre dyuers, that by their intem∣perate langage haue susteyned moche domage. And in leauyng al other, it shal suffise to remem∣bre one or two, in settynge out of this matter. Kynge Alexander the great conquerour, cōman∣ded the Grekes to ordeyn garmentes of purple, that whan he returned from his conqueste, they myght in that apparaile honour his victory that he had agaynst them of the orient, with solemne sacrifice: The people for that entent paying heed siluer: One Theocrite a philsopher sayd to Ale∣xander: I haue ben a great whyle in doute, but nowe I perceiue clerely by the sayeng of Homer, that this shalbe thy purple deth. By which wor¦des he brought him selfe ī to the high indignatiō of Alexander. The same Theocrite embraydinge king Antigonus who had but one eie / with blind∣nes: prouoked hym to displesure. For on a tyme kynge Antigonus had commanded to come vnto him one Eutropion his mayster coke, which was also a capitayne in his armye / to reken with hym concernynge his office, which the sayd Theocrite

often tymes came and shewed to Eutropion, and seynge hym make no haste, sayd vnto hym: I se well thou wylte serue me in rawe to Cyclops. In which wordes be enbraided the king with blind∣nes, and the capitayne Etropyon with cokerye. Therfore sayde Eutropion / thou shalte lose thy heed / and suffre penaunce for thy bablynge and rayshenes, and furthwith shewed the wordes to the kyng, who in his fury immediatly sent one to slee Theocrite. But er I procede any further, I wyl shewe the historie of Cyclops, which is here remembred, that the taunt or rebuke gyuen by Theocrite may the better be vnderstande. After that the citie of Troye was destroyed, the Gre∣kes laded with inestimable riches prepared their returne into their countreys, amonge whom the wyse and eloquent Vlisses, by whose policie the Grekes had exployted their affaires, trauayled lōge on the sees: to whom did happē maruailous and strange aduentures. Of the whiche one the most wonderfull was, that by tempest he and his company were dryuen through two daungerous passages: wherof one was a great and horrible rocke named Scilla: the other a gulfe or swalow called Charibdis: and finally arryued in Sicile, whiche at that tyme was named Trinacria, and was onely inhabyted with monsterous people, whiche were of great & huge stature like geaun∣tes, and had but one eie, whiche was great and rounde, in the middes of their forheed, and were called Cyclopes. The chiefe or capitayne of them

was named Polyphemus, who excelled al the o∣ther in enormitie of stature. As Vlisses & diuers of his cōpany were entred into the Isle to reste & solace them after their trauaile, they were incon∣tynent deprehēded by the said Ciclopes, & caried into the horrible caues or dēnes made in the roc∣kes: where the giantes did eate the said Grekes rawe, and like to raueninge wolfes / crushed the heedis & bones of men betwene their tethe, that the braynes & marowe dropped downe by theyr mouthes. Suche was the terrible power and ra∣uyne of the Ciclopes. But whan Vlisses percey∣ued the imminent perill that he was in, he with most swete & delectable wordes appesed the rage of Polyphemus the giante / that toke him, who heringe the wonderfull eloquence of Vlisses, de∣manded of him his name, and he answered, that he was called Noman. The giant delited & had moche pleasure at the beautie and eloquence of Vlisses, whiche he perceiuinge, gaue vnto the gi∣ant a delectable potion, wherof he toke suche a∣bundance, that he became therwith dronke, and fell into a d••ed & heuy slepe: that perceiuing Vlis∣ses, he withdrew him priuely, and conueyed him vnder the deade bodyes, vntyll the tyme that he was assured, that the giant slepte faste, than he toke his sworde, & for the greatnes of the gian∣tis body, beinge longe in a doubt where to stryke him, so that he might be most sure of him, at the last with al his might he perced the eie of the gi∣ant, & put it clene out: but he was so drowned in

slepe, that he therwith coude not awake. As Vlis¦ses perceiued that he had made blynd the giant, be with all haste returned to his shippes & set vp all the sayles, & passed with all hast possible into the mayne see. After that Polyphemus was wa∣ked, and than felte great peyne of his wounde, & that he had vtterly lost his eie, perceyuynge that he was betrayed by Vlisses, he supposynge Vlis∣ses had ben yet in his denne or caue stode vp spre¦dyng his armes before the hole of the caue, thin∣kynge to kepe therin Vlisses: but whan he had longe tyme so taried, & at the laste perceiued that he was fledde, he wandred in to the Ile rorynge with a terrible voyce: wherwith there repaired vnto hym the other Ciclopes or giauntes / and se∣ynge hym sore hurt and bledyng demanded him who had so hurted & woūded him: And he said•• Noman: supposynge that had ben the name of Vlysses. But whan they coulde haue none other answere of knowlege of him, thinkynge•• that he had ben madde, departed their ways: And Po∣lyphemus desired to be auenged on Vlisses, as destracte and madde, pursued hym vnto the see, where he entred so far, that notwithstanding his strength and greatnes, he fynally was drowned. And Vlisses by his eloquence and excellent witte escaped from being eate by the giantes. By this fable it appereth, that Theocrite by namynge of Ciclops, noted and inbrayded kynge Antigonus with crueltie and also with his blemysshe of one eie. And by the sayenge of Theocrite, that Eu∣tropion

wolde serue by •• in rawe, he noted hym with his crafte of cokery and that he was out of his kechyn / where he shulde roste or sethe hym. But to returne to our purpose. Children must be accustomed to speake nothinge but tre••the. For lyinge is a detestable vice, and to be hated of all men, ne to be suffred amonge seruantis ne other persones / howe poure estate so euer they be of.