in which the captain gives an account of the great festivals which were held, in the dominions of king polycarp.
"an island, which is situated not far from ireland, is my native place. it is large enough to be called a kingdom, but is not hereditary, nor does it go by succession. the people elect their sovereign by their own pleasure, always trying to secure the best and most virtuous man they can find; and without any intermediate treaties and negotiations, without either bribes or solicitations, the king is chosen by the common consent of all, and takes the sceptre of absolute command for life, or whilst his life continues unchanged in virtues. thus, those who are not kings, try to be virtuous in hopes of becoming such, and those who are kings, continue good, for fear of losing their dignity; ambition is restrained, and covetousness annihilated. the people live in tranquillity, justice and mercy shine brightly forth. the former is not to be obtained or frustrated by bribes, nor by the claims of kindred. it is a land where none need fear insolence or wrong, and where every man may enjoy his own in peace.
"this custom, which is in my opinion a good and wholesome one, placed the sceptre of the kingdom in the hands of polycarp, a worthy and renowned man, famous both in arms and learning; and he had, when he ascended the throne, two daughters of remarkable beauty; the elder is called polycarpa, and the younger sinforosa. they have no mother, which was a loss he hardly felt, except as a companion, for her virtues and good qualities were revived in her daughters, giving a bright example to the whole kingdom. they and their father, are beloved and admired by every one.
"the sovereigns of this country conceiving that evil thoughts are engendered among their subjects by melancholy, tried to encourage mirth and amusement, and established public festivals, and sometimes plays were performed. the principal of these festivals is held on the anniversary of the king's accession, when there is a revival of what were, by the heathens in ancient days, called olympic games, in the best manner they are able. prizes are given to the swiftest runners; honours adjudged to the most successful in fencing; crowns to the best archer, and rewards for wrestling. these games take place in a spacious plain, near the sea-shore; the spectators are sheltered from the sun by an infinite quantity of green boughs intertwined together. in the midst is a sumptuous theatre, in which are seats for the king and royal family, who are always present to survey the games.
"one of these days had arrived, and polycarp desired to celebrate it with greater magnificence than had ever before been known. he and his daughters, with all the greatest in the land, were already seated; the sound of musical instruments, both warlike and pacific, had given the signal that the sports were about to begin; already four youths, light and active in make, were ready to start for the race, only waiting till a cord should be withdrawn which served as a line of restraint till the signal should be given; when, just at this instant, a boat was seen approaching, with her sides white, as if newly-painted, and impelled through the waters by six oars on either side, in the hands of twelve graceful youths, of robust and finely formed make, ample shoulders, broad chests, and strong arms. they were dressed in white, all but the one who steered, and he was in the scarlet dress of a mariner. the boat flew rapidly over the waves, and to run her ashore, and all the men in her to leap on land, was the work of an instant. polycarp commanded that the race should not begin till it was ascertained who these new comers were, and what they came for, as it was possible they were coming to assist at the festival, and prove their skill and prowess in the games.
"the first who advanced to speak to the king, was he who had steered the boat; a very young man, whose smooth skin was fair as snow, his curling hair like rings of gold, and every feature of his face so perfect, his whole form so beautiful, that it was a wondrous sight to look upon. his beauty instantly won all hearts, and i, among the rest, felt directly attracted to love and admire him. he addressed the king, saying, 'sire! these my companions and myself, having heard the fame of these games, come to offer our services, and to assist at their celebration. we are not come from a far country, but from a ship, which we left in the isle of scinta, which is not very distant. as the wind did not suit to bring her here, we got the boat ready, and manned her ourselves. we are all of noble birth, desirous to win honour; and what we come to demand of you as a king, is, that you will allow us, strangers, to show our strength, or skill, or ingenuity, so as to obtain renown ourselves, and afford pleasure to you.'
"'certainly, my agreeable young gentleman,' answered the king, 'you make your request with so much grace and courtesy, that it would be difficult to refuse it; you will honour my festival by your presence. do all you please, and leave to me the charge of bestowing the rewards on those who deserve them; and if i am to judge from what i see, i should say few will have a chance of winning the first prizes while you are present.'
"the beautiful youth gracefully bent his knee, and bowed his head in thanks, respectfully, and with an air of high breeding. in two bounds he stood before the cord by the side of the four runners; his twelve comrades placed themselves on one side as spectators of the race. a trumpet sounded, the cord was loosed, and the five sprang forwards at full speed; but they had not run twenty paces, when the new comer was more than seven paces ahead; at thirty paces he had gained nearly fifteen; finally he left them half way behind, as if they had been made of stone, to the admiration of all beholders, especially of sinforosa, who followed him with her eyes, whether he ran, or whether he stood still; for indeed the beauty and grace of the youth was enough to attract every eye, and win the hearts of every one that looked upon him. i observed all attentively, because i had my eyes fixed upon polycarpa, the lovely object of my affections, and thus i remarked also the motions of her sister. envy began to rise in the breasts of those who were intending to try for the prizes, when they saw the ease with which the stranger had won the race. the second trial was that of fencing; the boy took the foil, and of seven who encountered him, he hit one on the mouth, the nose of another, closed the eyes of a third, and gave blows about the head repeatedly, whilst not one of his adversaries ever succeeded in touching so much as a bit of his clothing.
"with one accord, the public voice adjudged the first prize to him.
"then six men prepared for wrestling; and the boy, with more grace than ever, bared his broad shoulders, his wide and ample chest, and the nerves and muscles of his strong arms, and with incredible address and dexterity, he shortly made each antagonist measure his length on the ground. next he lifted a heavy iron bar, which was driven into the earth, because he was told that throwing this was the fourth trial of strength. he swung it for a moment, and then making signs for the people who were before him to stand aside, that he might have space for the throw, he flung the bar without turning his arm round, with such force, that, passing the bounds of the shore, the sea received it, and there it lay buried. this surprising feat dismayed his opponents, and none dared so much as to enter the lists in this contest. they next gave him a cross-bow, and some arrows, and showed him a very high and smooth pole, at the top of which was fastened part of a lance, on which a dove was sitting, tied by a slight pack-thread. those who were to make this trial, were only permitted a single shot. one, who was esteemed a very skilful marksman, stepped forward, hoping i believe to knock the dove over, before the other could try; he drew his bow, and the arrow struck the end of the lance, the affrighted bird rose into the air; immediately another, not less confident than the first, aimed with such dexterity, that he divided the string which tied the dove, and released from its bonds, it soared free into the sky; but the youth, who had already gained every first prize, let his arrow fly, and, as if he had given it its mandate what to do, and it understood him, it went whistling through the air, and divided the bird in two, arresting at once its flight and its life. then the cries and acclamations of the spectators were renewed, and all praised the stranger, who in the race, the fencing-match, wrestling, throwing the bar, and drawing the cross-bow, with sundry other exercises which i have not mentioned, was unrivalled, and bore away every first prize, leaving it to his companions to make their essay, after he had tried each once.
"it was twilight when the games finished; and when the king polycarp arose from his seat, with the other judges, who were there to pronounce who were the conquerors, and was preparing to reward the victorious boy, he saw him kneeling before him, and saying, 'our ship is left unprotected and deserted; the night is coming on; whatever prizes i have to hope for, coming from your hand, will be highly esteemed by me: but, great king, let me pray you to leave them for another time, when, at more leisure, and with more convenience, i may return to offer my services, and claim them at your hands.'
"the king raised and embraced him; asked his name, and he told him he was called periander. then the beautiful sinforosa took a garland from her head, and placed it on that of the noble youth, and with sweet and modest grace, she said as she crowned him, 'when my father is so fortunate as to see you return, you will find that you do not come to serve him, but to be served, in every way that is in his power.'"
