"As soon As ye behold him stretched at length, exert Your utmost strength to hold him there, although He strive and struggle to escape your hands; For he will try all stratagems, and take The form of every reptile on the earth, And turn to water and to raging flame,-- Yet hold him firmly still, and all the more Make fast the bands. When he again shall take The form in which thou sawest him asleep, Desist from force, and loose the bands that held The ancient prophet. Ask of him what god Afflicts thee thus, and by what means to cross The fishy deep and find thy home again." BRYANT, _Odyssey_, Book IV. Menelaus followed these directions, taking with him three of his bravest warriors, as Idothea also advised. They found Proteus, and rushing upon him, they seized and held him firmly in their grip, though he tried hard to escape. First he took the shape Of a maned lion, of a serpent next, Then of a panther, then of a huge boar, Then turned to flowing water, then became A tall tree full of leaves. With resolute hearts We held him fast, until the aged seer Was weaned out, in spite of all his wiles. BRYANT, _Odyssey_, Book IV, The Old Man of the Sea then told Menelaus that he must go to Egypt, to the river there, and offer sacrifices to the gods, and that they would send him forth upon his voyage home, which would be speedy and safe. The Greek chief did as Proteus directed, and the prophecy was fulfilled. He soon reached his Spartan home, where, with his famous queen, Helen, he spent the remainder of his life in happiness. Idomeneus, the warrior king of Crete, reached his island kingdom in safety. Idomeneus brought also back to Crete All his companions who survived the war; The sea took none of them. BRYANT, _Odyssey_, Book III. But a sad event occurred on his arrival in the island. During his voyage home there was a terrible storm, and Idomeneus much feared that his fleet might be destroyed. He then made a vow that if his ships escaped, he would sacrifice to Neptune the first living creature he met on landing. Unfortunately this happened to be his own son, who came down to the shore to receive and welcome his father. Idomeneus, though overwhelmed with grief, nevertheless fulfilled his promise to the god, but the Creʹtans were so incensed at the inhuman act that they banished him from the island. A flying rumor had been spread That fierce Idomeneus from Crete was fled, Expelled and exiled. VERGIL. Thus driven from his own country Idomeneus sailed westward until he came to the southern coast of Italy, where he founded the city and colony of Sal-lenʹtia, and lived to an extreme old age.