Page:The Poetical Works of Thomas Parnell (1833).djvu/288

In the morning as he walked the street, he observed in some places inscriptions concerning Homer, which informed him where he lived, where he had taught school, and several other particularities which the Smyrneans glory to have recorded of him; all which awakened and irritated the passions of Zoilus. But his temper was quite overthrown by the venerable appearance which he saw, upon entering the Homereum; which is a building composed of a library, porch, and temple, erected to Homer. Here a frenzy seized him which knew no bounds; he raved violently against the poet and all his admirers; he trampled on his works, he spurned about his commentators, he tore down his busts from the niches, threw the medals that were cast of him out of the windows, and passing from one place to another, beat the aged priests, and broke down the altar. The cries which were occasioned by this means brought in many upon him; who observed with horror how the most sacred honours of their city were profaned by the frantic impiety of a stranger; and immediately dragged him to punishment before their magistrates, who were then sitting. He was no sooner there, but known for Zoilus by some in court, a name a long time most hateful to Smyrna; which, as it valued itself upon the birth of Homer, so bore more impatiently than other places, the abuses offered him. This made them eager to propitiate his shade, and claim to themselves a second merit by the death of Zoilus;