feOPflENS AKC SOPMOCLES. 41 



gave it chase, dvei'took, bo&vded it, and dfter" two hours of hard fighting;, 

 became masters of it. 



I know that vengeance is the portion of the gods, and that they have 

 kept it to themselves ; but I was so much exasperated with the pilot, 

 the cruel author of all my afflictions, that I could not but see him with 

 pleasure a captive. That pleasure soon gave way to new sorrows. Im- 

 lacca, wounded and dying, appeared before me ; upon examination, his 

 wounds were declared mortal. The crew would have thrown him into 

 the deep, but I prevented it by crying out that he was a noble Greek ; 

 the hopes of a ransom withheld them — the gods and my care restored 

 hini to life. The next day the pirates held a council ; — a little city they 

 descried lying on the coast was the victim of their fury and avarice. They 

 took it by surprise in the night. Men, women, and children, all were 

 reduced to slavery. They pillaged and burnt that unhappy city, which is 

 now a heap of stones — a sad and mournful scene of desolation and ruin, 

 upon which the spirit of time seems to fling the unuttera1)le gloom of 

 eternal woe and endless lamentation. 



Returned to the vessel, they divided the booty among them. The 

 women and girls were placed by themselves, — some to be sold, others to 

 serve the pleasures of their masters — the old men, or such as their 

 wounds rendered useless, were unmercifully murdered, and thrown into 

 the sea. 



My woes had not dried up the source of my tears ; that scene of 

 cruelty made me shed many — it was a crime, and I suffered for my pity. 



Their riots knew no bounds ; yet even now I cannot remember with- 

 out horror either their discourses or their deeds. The impious punish 

 themselves for their impiety — drunkenness and sleep betrayed our tyrants 

 into our hands. " Let us," thought I, " heboid enough to attempt re- 

 covering our liberty, and we shall succeed ;" this was my resolution, 

 Imlacca approved of it, so did some of our companions to whom ire im- 

 parted it ; though they were but very few, they agreed with us. The 

 others, or, at least, most part of them, preferred their slavery to so easy 

 and so glorious an undertaking. Who could believe it ? some of them 

 were base enough to entertain the idea of arousing and informing* tfie 

 barbarians of the conspiracy we had formed against them. It failed of 

 success ; but happily the barbarians did not know the danger which had 

 been impending over them. 



Being recovered from their brutal intoxication,'they thought of selljng 

 their prize, and accordingly hung out a flag of peace ; they then entered 

 the haven of Artycome, delivered, and received hostage?.. 



Soon, in a spacious market, they exposed, and offeJ'ed to sell, rich 

 furniture, gold and silver vases, and all that could minister either to the 

 wants or the luxury of men. The inhabitants contended for. and snatched 

 them from each other. Cupidity found nothing too dear. As for us 

 slaves, we were cooped up in the vessel; this voluptuous and unfeelin"- 

 people regarded us but little. Imlacca was the handsomest man breath- 

 ing; they bought him alone : nobody manifested a disposition top o?f ess 

 me ; I was destined to new adventures. 



Artycome is famous for a temple consecated to Minerva. At the 

 entrance of it is a golden statue that represents the goddess to the life. 

 She has a helmet on her head; with one hand she holds a shi«ld, and a 



