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The Odyssey Of Homer
By
Homer
Contents
ARGUMENT
- MINERVA'S DESCENT TO ITHACA.
ARGUMENT
- THE COUNCIL OF ITHACA.
ARGUMENT
- THE INTERVIEW OF TELEMACHUS AND NESTOR.
ARGUMENT
- THE CONFERENCE WITH MENELAUS.
ARGUMENT
- THE DEPARTURE OF ULYSSES FROM CALYPSO..
ARGUMENT
- The court of Alcinous.
THE
ADVENTURES OF THE CICONS, LOTOPHAGI AND CYCLOPS.
ARGUMENT
-ADVENTURES WITH AEOLUS, THE LAESTRYGONS, AND CIRCE.
ARGUMENT
- THE DESCENT INTO HELL.
ARGUMENT
- THE SIRENE, SCYLLA, AND CHARYBDIS.
ARGUMENT
- THE ARRIVAL OF ULYSSES IN ITHACA.
ARGUMENT
- THE CONVERSATION WITH EUMAEUS.
ARGUMENT
- THE RETURN OF TELEMACHUS.
ARGUMENT
- THE DISCOVERY OF ULYSSES TO TELEMACHUS.
ARGUMENT
- THE FIGHT OF ULYSSES AND IRUS.
ARGUMENT
- THE DISCOVERY OF ULYSSES TO EURYCLEA.
ARGUMENT
- THE BENDING OF ULYSSES' BOW.
ARGUMENT
- THE DEATH OF THE SUITORS.
<=
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style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-fa=
reast-font-family:
Calibri'>THE ODYSSEY OF HOMER<=
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The poem opens within forty eight days of the
arrival of Ulysses in his dominions. He had now remained seven years in the
Island of Calypso, when the gods assembled in council, proposed the method =
of
his departure from thence and his return to his native country. For this
purpose it is concluded to send Mercury to Calypso, and Pallas immediately
descends to Ithaca. She holds a conference with Telemachus, in the shape of
Mantes, king of Taphians; in which she advises him to take a journey in que=
st
of his father Ulysses, to Pylos and Sparta, where Nestor and Menelaus yet
reigned; then, after having visibly displayed her divinity, disappears. The=
suitors
of Penelope make great entertainments, and riot in her palace till night.
Phemius sings to them the return of the Grecians, till Penelope puts a stop=
to
the song. Some words arise between the suitors and Telemachus, who summons =
the
council to meet the day following.
The man for wisdom's various arts renown'd, Lo=
ng
exercised in woes, O Muse! resound; Who, when his arms had wrought the dest=
ined
fall Of sacred Troy, and razed her heaven-built wall, Wandering from clime =
to
clime, observant stray'd, Their manners noted, and their states survey'd, On
stormy seas unnumber'd toils he bore, Safe with his friends to gain his nat=
al
shore: Vain toils! their impious folly dared to prey On herds devoted to the
god of day; The god vindictive doom'd them never more (Ah, men unbless'd!) =
to
touch that natal shore. Oh, snatch some portion of these acts from fate, Ce=
lestial
Muse! and to our world relate.
Now at their native realms the Greeks arrived;=
All
who the wars of ten long years survived; And 'scaped the perils of the gulfy
main. Ulysses, sole of all the victor train, An exile from his dear paternal
coast, Deplored his absent queen and empire lost. Calypso in her caves
constrain'd his stay, With sweet, reluctant, amorous delay; In vain-for now=
the
circling years disclose The day predestined to reward his woes. At length h=
is
Ithaca is given by fate, Where yet new labours his arrival wait; At length
their rage the hostile powers restrain, All but the ruthless monarch of the
main. But now the god, remote, a heavenly guest, In AEthiopia graced the ge=
nial
feast (A race divided, whom with sloping rays The rising and descending sun
surveys); There on the world's extremest verge revered With hecatombs and
prayer in pomp preferr'd, Distant he lay: while in the bright abodes Of high
Olympus, Jove convened the gods: The assembly thus the sire supreme address=
'd, AEgysthus'
fate revolving in his breast, Whom young Orestes to the dreary coast Of Plu=
to
sent, a blood-polluted ghost.
"Perverse mankind! whose wills, created f=
ree,
Charge all their woes on absolute degree; All to the dooming gods their gui=
lt
translate, And follies are miscall'd the crimes of fate. When to his lust
AEgysthus gave the rein, Did fate, or we, the adulterous act constrain? Did
fate, or we, when great Atrides died, Urge the bold traitor to the regicide=
? Hermes
I sent, while yet his soul remain'd Sincere from royal blood, and faith
profaned; To warn the wretch, that young Orestes, grown To manly years, sho=
uld
re-assert the throne. Yet, impotent of mind, and uncontroll'd, He plunged i=
nto
the gulf which Heaven foretold."
Here paused the god; and pensive thus replies =
Minerva,
graceful with her azure eyes:
"O thou! from whom the whole creation
springs, The source of power on earth derived to kings! His death was equal=
to
the direful deed; So may the man of blood be doomed to bleed! But grief and
rage alternate wound my breast For brave Ulysses, still by fate oppress'd. =
Amidst
an isle, around whose rocky shore The forests murmur, and the surges roar, =
The
blameless hero from his wish'd-for home A goddess guards in her enchanted d=
ome;
(Atlas her sire, to whose far-piercing eye The wonders of the deep expanded
lie; The eternal columns which on earth he rears End in the starry vault, a=
nd
prop the spheres). By his fair daughter is the chief confined, Who soothes =
to
dear delight his anxious mind; Successless all her soft caresses prove, To
banish from his breast his country's love; To see the smoke from his loved
palace rise, While the dear isle in distant prospect lies, With what
contentment could he close his eyes! And will Omnipotence neglect to save T=
he
suffering virtue of the wise and brave? Must he, whose altars on the Phrygi=
an
shore With frequent rites, and pure, avow'd thy power, Be doom'd the worst =
of
human ills to prove, Unbless'd, abandon'd to the wrath of Jove?"
"Daughter! what words have pass'd thy lips
unweigh'd! (Replied the Thunderer to the martial maid;) Deem not unjustly b=
y my
doom oppress'd, Of human race the wisest and the best. Neptune, by prayer
repentant rarely won, Afflicts the chief, to avenge his giant son, Whose vi=
sual
orb Ulysses robb'd of light; Great Polypheme, of more than mortal might? Him
young Thousa bore (the bright increase Of Phorcys, dreaded in the sounds and
seas); Whom Neptune eyed with bloom of beauty bless'd, And in his cave the
yielding nymph compress'd For this the god constrains the Greek to roam, A
hopeless exile from his native home, From death alone exempt--but cease to
mourn; Let all combine to achieve his wish'd return; Neptune atoned, his wr=
ath
shall now refrain, Or thwart the synod of the gods in vain."
"Father and king adored!" Minerva cr=
ied,
"Since all who in the Olympian bower reside Now make the wandering Gre=
ek
their public care, Let Hermes to the Atlantic isle repair; Bid him, arrived=
in
bright Calypso's court, The sanction of the assembled powers report: That w=
ise
Ulysses to his native land Must speed, obedient to their high command. Mean=
time
Telemachus, the blooming heir Of sea-girt Ithaca, demands my care; 'Tis min=
e to
form his green, unpractised years In sage debates; surrounded with his peer=
s, To
save the state, and timely to restrain The bold intrusion of the suitor-tra=
in; Who
crowd his palace, and with lawless power His herds and flocks in feastful r=
ites
devour. To distant Sparta, and the spacious waste Of Sandy Pyle, the royal
youth shall haste. There, warm with filial love, the cause inquire That from
his realm retards his god-like sire; Delivering early to the voice of fame =
The
promise of a green immortal name."
She said: the sandals of celestial mould, Fled=
ged
with ambrosial plumes, and rich with gold, Surround her feet: with these
sublime she sails The aerial space, and mounts the winged gales; O'er earth=
and
ocean wide prepared to soar, Her dreaded arm a beamy javelin bore, Ponderous
and vast: which, when her fury burns, Proud tyrants humbles, and whole hosts
o'erturns. From high Olympus prone her flight she bends, And in the realms =
of
Ithaca descends, Her lineaments divine, the grave disguise Of Mentes' form
conceal'd from human eyes (Mentes, the monarch of the Taphian land); A
glittering spear waved awful in her hand. There in the portal placed, the
heaven-born maid Enormous riot and misrule survey'd. On hides of beeves, be=
fore
the palace gate (Sad spoils of luxury), the suitors sate. With rival art, a=
nd
ardour in their mien, At chess they vie, to captivate the queen; Divining of
their loves. Attending nigh, A
menial train the flowing bowl supply. Others, apart, the spacious hall prep=
are,
And form the costly feast with busy care. There young Telemachus, his bloomy
face Glowing celestial sweet, with godlike grace Amid the circle shines: but
hope and fear (Painful vicissitude!) his bosom tear. Now, imaged in his min=
d,
he sees restored In peace and joy the people's rightful lord; The proud
oppressors fly the vengeful sword. While his fond soul these fancied triump=
hs
swell'd, The stranger guest the royal youth beheld; Grieved that a visitant=
so
long should wait Unmark'd, unhonour'd, at a monarch's gate; Instant he flew
with hospitable haste, And the new friend with courteous air embraced. &quo=
t;Stranger,
whoe'er thou art, securely rest, Affianced in my faith, a ready guest; Appr=
oach
the dome, the social banquet share, And then the purpose of thy soul
declare."
Thus affable and mild, the prince precedes, An=
d to
the dome the unknown celestial leads. The spear receiving from the hand, he
placed Against a column, fair with sculpture graced; Where seemly ranged in
peaceful order stood Ulysses' arms now long disused to blood. He led the
goddess to the sovereign seat, Her feet supported with a stool of state (A =
purple
carpet spread the pavement wide); Then drew his seat, familiar, to her side=
; Far
from the suitor-train, a brutal crowd, With insolence, and wine, elate and
loud: Where the free guest, unnoted, might relate, If haply conscious, of h=
is
father's fate. The golden ewer a maid obsequious brings, Replenish'd from t=
he
cool, translucent springs; With copious water the bright vase supplies A si=
lver
laver of capacious size; They wash. The tables in fair order spread, They h=
eap
the glittering canisters with bread: Viands of various kinds allure the tas=
te, Of
choicest sort and savour, rich repast! Delicious wines the attending herald
brought; The gold gave lustre to the purple draught. Lured with the vapour =
of
the fragrant feast, In rush'd the suitors with voracious haste; Marshall'd =
in
order due, to each a sewer Presents, to bathe his hands, a radiant ewer. Lu=
xurious
then they feast. Observant round Gay stripling youths the brimming goblets
crown'd. The rage of hunger quell'd, they all advance And form to measured =
airs
the mazy dance; To Phemius was consign'd the chorded lyre, Whose hand reluc=
tant
touch'd the warbling wire; Phemius, whose voice divine could sweetest sing =
High
strains responsive to the vocal string.
Meanwhile, in whispers to his heavenly guest H=
is
indignation thus the prince express'd:
"Indulge my rising grief, whilst these (my friend) With song and dance the pompous revel end. Light is the dance, and doubly sweet the lays, When for the dear delight another pays. His treasured stores those cormarants consume, Whose bones, defrauded of a regal tomb And common turf, lie naked on the plain, Or doom'd to welter in the whelming ma= in. Should he return, that troop so blithe and bold, With purple robes inwrought, and stiff with gold, Precipitant in fear would wing their flight, And curse the= ir cumbrous pride's unwieldy weight. But ah, I dream!-the appointed hour is fl= ed. And hope, too long with vain delusion fed, Deaf to the rumour of fallacious fam= e, Gives to the roll of death his glorious name! With venial freedom let me now dema= nd Thy name, thy lineage, and paternal land; Sincere from whence began thy course, recite, And to what ship I owe the friendly freight? Now first to me this v= isit dost thou deign, Or number'd in my father's social train? All who deserved = his choice he made his own, And, curious much to know, he far was known."<= o:p>
"My birth I boast (the blue-eyed virgin
cries) From great Anchialus, renown'd and wise; Mentes my name; I rule the
Taphian race, Whose bounds the deep circumfluent waves embrace; A duteous
people, and industrious isle, To naval arts inured, and stormy toil. Freigh=
ted
with iron from my native land, I steer my voyage to the Brutian strand To g=
ain
by commerce, for the labour'd mass, A just proportion of refulgent brass. F=
ar
from your capital my ship resides At Reitorus, and secure at anchor rides; =
Where
waving groves on airy Neign grow, Supremely tall and shade the deeps below.=
Thence
to revisit your imperial dome, An old hereditary guest I come; Your father's
friend. Laertes can relate Our
faith unspotted, and its early date; Who, press'd with heart-corroding grief
and years, To the gay court a rural shed pretors, Where, sole of all his tr=
ain,
a matron sage Supports with homely fond his drooping age, With feeble steps
from marshalling his vines Returning sad, when toilsome day declines.
"With friendly speed, induced by erring f=
ame,
To hail Ulysses' safe return I came; But still the frown of some celestial
power With envious joy retards the blissful hour. Let not your soul be sunk=
in
sad despair; He lives, he breathes this heavenly vital air, Among a savage
race, whose shelfy bounds With ceaseless roar the foaming deep surrounds. T=
he
thoughts which roll within my ravish'd breast, To me, no seer, the inspiring
gods suggest; Nor skill'd nor studious, with prophetic eye To judge the win=
ged
omens of the sky. Yet hear this certain speech, nor deem it vain; Though
adamantine bonds the chief restrain, The dire restraint his wisdom will def=
eat,
And soon restore him to his regal seat. But generous youth! sincere and free
declare, Are you, of manly growth, his royal heir? For sure Ulysses in your
look appears, The same his features, if the same his years. Such was that f=
ace,
on which I dwelt with joy Ere Greece assembled stemm'd the tides to Troy; B=
ut,
parting then for that detested shore, Our eyes, unhappy? never greeted
more."
"To prove a genuine birth (the prince
replies) On female truth assenting faith relies. Thus manifest of right, I
build my claim Sure-founded on a fair maternal fame, Ulysses' son: but happ=
ier
he, whom fate Hath placed beneath the storms which toss the great! Happier =
the
son, whose hoary sire is bless'd With humble affluence, and domestic rest! =
Happier
than I, to future empire born, But doom'd a father's wretch'd fate to mourn=
!"
To whom, with aspect mild, the guest divine: &=
quot;Oh
true descendant of a sceptred line! The gods a glorious fate from anguish f=
ree To
chaste Penelope's increase decree. But say, yon jovial troops so gaily dres=
s'd,
Is this a bridal or a friendly feast? Or from their deed I rightlier may
divine, Unseemly flown with insolence and wine? Unwelcome revellers, whose
lawless joy Pains the sage ear, and hurts the sober eye."
"Magnificence of old (the prince replied)=
Beneath
our roof with virtue could reside; Unblamed abundance crowned the royal boa=
rd, What
time this dome revered her prudent lord; Who now (so Heaven decrees) is doo=
m'd
to mourn, Bitter constraint, erroneous and forlorn. Better the chief, on
Ilion's hostile plain, Had fall'n surrounded with his warlike train; Or safe
return'd, the race of glory pass'd, New to his friends' embrace, and breath=
ed
his last! Then grateful Greece with streaming eyes would raise, Historic
marbles to record his praise; His praise, eternal on the faithful stone, Had
with transmissive honour graced his son. Now snatch'd by harpies to the dre=
ary
coast. Sunk is the hero, and his glory lost; Vanish'd at once! unheard of, =
and
unknown! And I his heir in misery alone. Nor for a dear lost father only fl=
ow The
filial tears, but woe succeeds to woe To tempt the spouseless queen with
amorous wiles Resort the nobles from the neighbouring isles; From Samos,
circled with the Ionian main, Dulichium, and Zacynthas' sylvan reign; Ev'n =
with
presumptuous hope her bed to ascend, The lords of Ithaca their right preten=
d. She
seems attentive to their pleaded vows, Her heart detesting what her ear all=
ows.
They, vain expectants of the bridal hour, My stores in riotous expense devo=
ur. In
feast and dance the mirthful months employ, And meditate my doom to crown t=
heir
joy."
With tender pity touch'd, the goddess cried: &=
quot;Soon
may kind Heaven a sure relief provide, Soon may your sire discharge the
vengeance due, And all your wrongs the proud oppressors rue! Oh! in that po=
rtal
should the chief appear, Each hand tremendous with a brazen spear, In radia=
nt
panoply his limbs incased (For so of old my fathers court he graced, When
social mirth unbent his serious soul, O'er the full banquet, and the sprigh=
tly
bowl); He then from Ephyre, the fair domain Of Ilus, sprung from Jason's ro=
yal
strain, Measured a length of seas, a toilsome length, in vain. For, voyagin=
g to
learn the direful art To taint with deadly drugs the barbed dart; Observant=
of
the gods, and sternly just, Ilus refused to impart the baneful trust; With =
friendlier
zeal my father's soul was fired, The drugs he knew, and gave the boon desir=
ed. Appear'd
he now with such heroic port, As then conspicuous at the Taphian court; Soon
should you boasters cease their haughty strife, Or each atone his guilty lo=
ve
with life. But of his wish'd return the care resign, Be future vengeance to=
the
powers divine. My sentence hear: with stern distaste avow'd, To their own
districts drive the suitor-crowd; When next the morning warms the purple ea=
st, Convoke
the peerage, and the gods attest; The sorrows of your inmost soul relate; A=
nd
form sure plans to save the sinking state. Should second love a pleasing fl=
ame
inspire, And the chaste queen connubial rights require; Dismiss'd with hono=
ur,
let her hence repair To great Icarius, whose paternal care Will guide her
passion, and reward her choice With wealthy dower, and bridal gifts of pric=
e. Then
let this dictate of my love prevail: Instant, to foreign realms prepare to
sail, To learn your father's fortunes; Fame may prove, Or omen'd voice (the
messenger of Jove), Propitious to the search. Direct your toil Through the =
wide
ocean first to sandy Pyle; Of Nestor, hoary sage, his doom demand: Thence s=
peed
your voyage to the Spartan strand; For young Atrides to the Achaian coast A=
rrived
the last of all the victor host. If yet Ulysses views the light, forbear, T=
ill
the fleet hours restore the circling year. But if his soul hath wing'd the
destined flight, Inhabitant of deep disastrous night; Homeward with pious s=
peed
repass the main, To the pale shade funereal rites ordain, Plant the fair co=
lumn
o'er the vacant grave, A hero's honours let the hero have. With decent grief
the royal dead deplored, For the chaste queen select an equal lord. Then let
revenge your daring mind employ, By fraud or force the suitor train destroy=
, And
starting into manhood, scorn the boy. Hast thou not heard how young Orestes,
fired With great revenge, immortal praise acquired? His virgin-sword AEgyst=
hus'
veins imbrued; The murderer fell, and blood atoned for blood. O greatly ble=
ss'd
with every blooming grace! With equal steps the paths of glory trace; Join =
to
that royal youth's your rival name, And shine eternal in the sphere of fame=
. But
my associates now my stay deplore, Impatient on the hoarse-resounding shore=
. Thou,
heedful of advice, secure proceed; My praise the precept is, be thine the d=
eed.
"The counsel of my friend (the youth
rejoin'd) Imprints conviction on my grateful mind. So fathers speak (persua=
sive
speech and mild) Their sage experience to the favourite child. But, since to
part, for sweet refection due, The genial viands let my train renew; And the
rich pledge of plighted faith receive, Worthy the air of Ithaca to give.&qu=
ot;
"Defer the promised boon (the goddess cri=
es, Celestial
azure brightening in her eyes), And let me now regain the Reithrian port; F=
rom
Temese return'd, your royal court I shall revisit, and that pledge receive;=
And
gifts, memorial of our friendship, leave."
Abrupt, with eagle-speed she cut the sky; Inst=
ant
invisible to mortal eye. Then first he recognized the ethereal guest; Wonder
and joy alternate fire his breast; Heroic thoughts, infused, his heart dila=
te; Revolving
much his father's doubtful fate. At length, composed, he join'd the
suitor-throng; Hush'd in attention to the warbled song. His tender theme the
charming lyrist chose. Minerva's anger, and the dreadful woes Which voyaging
from Troy the victors bore, While storms vindictive intercept the store. The
shrilling airs the vaulted roof rebounds, Reflecting to the queen the silve=
r sounds.
With grief renew'd the weeping fair descends; Their sovereign's step a virg=
in
train attends: A veil, of richest texture wrought, she wears, And silent to=
the
joyous hall repairs. There from the portal, with her mild command, Thus gen=
tly
checks the minstrel's tuneful hand:
"Phemius! let acts of gods, and heroes ol=
d, What
ancient bards in hall and bower have told, Attemper'd to the lyre, your voi=
ce
employ; Such the pleased ear will drink with silent joy. But, oh! forbear t=
hat
dear disastrous name, To sorrow sacred, and secure of fame; My bleeding bos=
om
sickens at the sound, And every piercing note inflicts a wound."
"Why, dearest object of my duteous love, =
(Replied
the prince,) will you the bard reprove? Oft, Jove's ethereal rays (resistle=
ss
fire) The chanters soul and raptured song inspire Instinct divine? nor blame
severe his choice, Warbling the Grecian woes with heart and voice; For novel
lays attract our ravish'd ears; But old, the mind with inattention hears: P=
atient
permit the sadly pleasing strain; Familiar now with grief, your tears refra=
in, And
in the public woe forget your own; You weep not for a perish'd lord alone. =
What
Greeks new wandering in the Stygian gloom, Wish your Ulysses shared an equal
doom! Your widow'd hours, apart, with female toil And various labours of the
loom beguile; There rule, from palace-cares remote and free; That care to m=
an
belongs, and most to me."
Mature beyond his years, the queen admires His
sage reply, and with her train retires. Then swelling sorrows burst their
former bounds, With echoing grief afresh the dome resounds; Till Pallas,
piteous of her plaintive cries, In slumber closed her silver-streaming eyes=
.
Meantime, rekindled at the royal charms, Tumul=
tuous
love each beating bosom warms; Intemperate rage a wordy war began; But bold
Telemachus assumed the man. "Instant (he cried) your female discord en=
d, Ye
deedless boasters! and the song attend; Obey that sweet compulsion, nor pro=
fane
With dissonance the smooth melodious strain. Pacific now prolong the jovial
feast; But when the dawn reveals the rosy east, I, to the peers assembled,
shall propose The firm resolve, I here in few disclose; No longer live the
cankers of my court; All to your several states with speed resort; Waste in
wild riot what your land allows, There ply the early feast, and late carous=
e. But
if, to honour lost, 'tis still decreed For you my bowl shall flow, my flock
shall bleed; Judge and revenge my right, impartial Jove! By him and all the
immortal thrones above (A sacred oath), each proud oppressor slain, Shall w=
ith
inglorious gore this marble stain."
Awed by the prince, thus haughty, bold, and yo=
ung,
Rage gnaw'd the lip, and wonder chain'd the tongue. Silence at length the g=
ay
Antinous broke, Constrain'd a smile, and thus ambiguous spoke: "What g=
od
to your untutor'd youth affords This headlong torrent of amazing words? May
Jove delay thy reign, and cumber late So bright a genius with the toils of
state!"
"Those toils (Telemachus serene replies) =
Have
charms, with all their weight, t'allure the wise. Fast by the throne obsequ=
ious
fame resides, And wealth incessant rolls her golden tides. Nor let Antinous
rage, if strong desire Of wealth and fame a youthful bosom fire: Elect by J=
ove,
his delegate of sway, With joyous pride the summons I'd obey. Whene'er Ulys=
ses
roams the realm of night, Should factious power dispute my lineal right, So=
me
other Greeks a fairer claim may plead; To your pretence their title would
precede. At least, the sceptre lost, I still should reign Sole o'er my vass=
als,
and domestic train."
To this Eurymachus: "To Heaven alone Refer
the choice to fill the vacant throne. Your patrimonial stores in peace poss=
ess;
Undoubted, all your filial claim confess: Your private right should impious
power invade, The peers of Ithaca would arm in aid. But say, that stranger
guest who late withdrew, What and from whence? his name and lineage shew. H=
is
grave demeanour and majestic grace Speak him descended of non vulgar race: =
Did
he some loan of ancient right require, Or came forerunner of your sceptr'd
sire?"
"Oh son of Polybus!" the prince repl= ies, "No more my sire will glad these longing eyes; The queen's fond hope inventive rumour cheers, Or vain diviners' dreams divert her fears. That stranger-guest the Taphian realm obeys, A realm defended with encircling se= as. Mentes, an ever-honour'd name, of old High in Ulysses' social list enroll'd."<= o:p>
Thus he, though conscious of the ethereal gues=
t, Answer'd
evasive of the sly request. Meantime the lyre rejoins the sprightly lay; Lo=
ve-dittied
airs, and dance, conclude the day But when the star of eve with golden ligh=
t Adorn'd
the matron brow of sable night, The mirthful train dispersing quit the cour=
t, And
to their several domes to rest resort. A towering structure to the palace
join'd; To this his steps the thoughtful prince inclined: In his pavilion
there, to sleep repairs; The lighted torch, the sage Euryclea bears (Daught=
er
of Ops, the just Pisenor's son, For twenty beeves by great Laertes won; In =
rosy
prime with charms attractive graced, Honour'd by him, a gentle lord and cha=
ste,
With dear esteem: too wise, with jealous strife To taint the joys of sweet
connubial life. Sole with Telemachus her service ends, A child she nursed h=
im,
and a man attends). Whilst to his couch himself the prince address'd, The
duteous dame received the purple vest; The purple vest with decent care
disposed, The silver ring she pull'd, the door reclosed, The bolt, obedient=
to
the silken cord, To the strong staple's inmost depth restored, Secured the
valves. There, wrapped in silent shade, Pensive, the rules the goddess gave=
he
weigh'd; Stretch'd on the downy fleece, no rest he knows, And in his raptur=
ed
soul the vision glows.
Telemachus in the assembly of the lords of Ith=
aca
complains of the injustice done him by the suitors, and insists upon their =
departure
from his palace; appealing to the princes, and exciting the people to decla=
re
against them. The suitors endeavour to justify their stay, at least till he
shall send the queen to the court of Icarius her father; which he refuses.
There appears a prodigy of two eagles in the sky, which an augur expounds to
the ruin of the suitors. Telemachus the demands a vessel to carry him to Py=
los
and Sparta, there to inquire of his father's fortunes. Pallas, in the shape=
of
Mentor (an ancient friend of Ulysses), helps him to a ship, assists him in
preparing necessaries for the voyage, and embarks with him that night; which
concludes the second day from the opening of the poem. The scene continues =
in the
palace of Ulysses, in Ithaca.
Now reddening from the dawn, the morning ray G=
low'd
in the front of heaven, and gave the day The youthful hero, with returning
light, Rose anxious from the inquietudes of night. A royal robe he wore with
graceful pride, A two-edged falchion threaten'd by his side, Embroider'd
sandals glitter'd as he trod, And forth he moved, majestic as a god. Then by
his heralds, restless of delay, To council calls the peers: the peers obey.=
Soon
as in solemn form the assembly sate, From his high dome himself descends in
state. Bright in his hand a ponderous javelin shined; Two dogs, a faithful
guard, attend behind; Pallas with grace divine his form improves, And gazing
crowds admire him as he moves,
His father's throne he fill'd; while distant s=
tood
The hoary peers, and aged wisdom bow'd.
'Twas silence all. At last AEgyptius spoke; AEgyptius=
, by
his age and sorrow broke; A length of days his soul with prudence crown'd, A
length of days had bent him to the ground. His eldest hope in arms to Ilion
came, By great Ulysses taught the path to fame; But (hapless youth) the hid=
eous
Cyclops tore His quivering limbs, and quaff'd his spouting gore. Three sons
remain'd; to climb with haughty fires The royal bed, Eurynomus aspires; The=
rest
with duteous love his griefs assuage, And ease the sire of half the cares of
age. Yet still his Antiphus he loves, he mourns, And, as he stood, he spoke=
and
wept by turns,
"Since great Ulysses sought the Phrygian
plains, Within these walls inglorious silence reigns. Say then, ye peers! by
whose commands we meet? Why here once more in solemn council sit? Ye young,=
ye
old, the weighty cause disclose: Arrives some message of invading foes? Or =
say,
does high necessity of state Inspire some patriot, and demand debate? The
present synod speaks its author wise; Assist him, Jove, thou regent of the
skies!"
He spoke. Telemachus with transport glows, Emb=
raced
the omen, and majestic rose (His royal hand the imperial sceptre sway'd); T=
hen
thus, addressing to AEgyptius, said:
"Reverend old man! lo here confess'd he
stands By whom ye meet; my grief your care demands. No story I unfold of pu=
blic
woes, Nor bear advices of impending foes: Peace the blest land, and joys
incessant crown: Of all this happy realm, I grieve alone. For my lost sire
continual sorrows spring, The great, the good; your father and your king. Y=
et
more; our house from its foundation bows, Our foes are powerful, and your s=
ons
the foes; Hither, unwelcome to the queen, they come; Why seek they not the =
rich
Icarian dome? If she must wed, from other hands require The dowry: is
Telemachus her sire? Yet through my court the noise of revel rings, And was=
te
the wise frugality of kings. Scarce all my herds their luxury suffice; Scar=
ce
all my wine their midnight hours supplies. Safe in my youth, in riot still =
they
grow, Nor in the helpless orphan dread a foe. But come it will, the time wh=
en
manhood grants More powerful advocates than vain complaints. Approach that
hour! insufferable wrong Cries to the gods, and vengeance sleeps too long. =
Rise
then, ye peers! with virtuous anger rise; Your fame revere, but most the
avenging skies. By all the deathless powers that reign above, By righteous
Themis and by thundering Jove (Themis, who gives to councils, or denies Suc=
cess;
and humbles, or confirms the wise), Rise in my aid! suffice the tears that =
flow
For my lost sire, nor add new woe to woe. If e'er he bore the sword to
strengthen ill, Or, having power to wrong, betray'd the will, On me, on me =
your
kindled wrath assuage, And bid the voice of lawless riot rage. If ruin to y=
our
royal race ye doom, Be you the spoilers, and our wealth consume. Then might=
we
hope redress from juster laws, And raise all Ithaca to aid our cause: But w=
hile
your sons commit the unpunish'd wrong, You make the arm of violence too
strong."
While thus he spoke, with rage and grief he
frown'd, And dash'd the imperial sceptre to the ground. The big round tear =
hung
trembling in his eye: The synod grieved, and gave a pitying sigh, Then sile=
nt
sate--at length Antinous burns With haughty rage, and sternly thus returns:=
"O insolence of youth! whose tongue affor=
ds Such
railing eloquence, and war of words. Studious thy country's worthies to def=
ame,
Thy erring voice displays thy mother's shame. Elusive of the bridal day, she
gives Fond hopes to all, and all with hopes deceives. Did not the sun, thro=
ugh
heaven's wide azure roll'd, For three long years the royal fraud behold? Wh=
ile
she, laborious in delusion, spread The spacious loom, and mix'd the various
thread: Where as to life the wondrous figures rise, Thus spoke the inventive
queen, with artful sighs:
"Though cold in death Ulysses breathes no
more, Cease yet awhile to urge the bridal hour: Cease, till to great Laerte=
s I
bequeath A task of grief, his ornaments of death. Lest when the Fates his r=
oyal
ashes claim, The Grecian matrons taint my spotless fame; When he, whom livi=
ng
mighty realms obey'd, Shall want in death a shroud to grace his shade.'
"Thus she: at once the generous train
complies, Nor fraud mistrusts in virtue's fair disguise. The work she plied;
but, studious of delay, By night reversed the labours of the day. While thr=
ice
the sun his annual journey made, The conscious lamp the midnight fraud
survey'd; Unheard, unseen, three years her arts prevail; The fourth her maid
unfolds the amazing tale. We saw, as unperceived we took our stand, The
backward labours of her faithless hand. Then urged, she perfects her
illustrious toils; A wondrous monument of female wiles!
"But you, O peers! and thou, O prince! gi=
ve
ear (I speak aloud, that every Greek may hear): Dismiss the queen; and if h=
er
sire approves Let him espouse her to the peer she loves: Bid instant to pre=
pare
the bridal train, Nor let a race of princes wait in vain. Though with a gra=
ce
divine her soul is blest, And all Minerva breathes within her breast, In
wondrous arts than woman more renown'd, And more than woman with deep wisdom
crown'd; Though Tyro nor Mycene match her name, Not great Alemena (the proud
boasts of fame); Yet thus by heaven adorn'd, by heaven's decree She shines =
with
fatal excellence, to thee: With thee, the bowl we drain, indulge the feast,=
Till
righteous heaven reclaim her stubborn breast. What though from pole to pole
resounds her name! The son's destruction waits the mother's fame: For, till=
she
leaves thy court, it is decreed, Thy bowl to empty and thy flock to
bleed."
While yet he speaks, Telemachus replies: "=
;Ev'n
nature starts, and what ye ask denies. Thus, shall I thus repay a mother's
cares, Who gave me life, and nursed my infant years! While sad on foreign
shores Ulysses treads. Or glides a ghost with unapparent shades; How to Ica=
rius
in the bridal hour Shall I, by waste undone, refund the dower? How from my
father should I vengeance dread! How would my mother curse my hated head! A=
nd
while In wrath to vengeful fiends she cries, How from their hell would veng=
eful
fiends arise! Abhorr'd by all, accursed my name would grow, The earth's
disgrace, and human-kind my foe. If this displease, why urge ye here your s=
tay?
Haste from the court, ye spoilers, haste away: Waste in wild riot what your
land allows, There ply the early feast, and late carouse. But if to honour
lost, 'tis still decreed For you my howl shall flow, my flocks shall bleed;=
Judge,
and assert my right, impartial Jove! By him, and all the immortal host abov=
e (A
sacred oath), if heaven the power supply, Vengeance I vow, and for your wro=
ngs
ye die."
With that, two eagles from a mountain's height=
By
Jove's command direct their rapid flight; Swift they descend, with wing to =
wing
conjoin'd, Stretch their broad plumes, and float upon the wind. Above the
assembled peers they wheel on high, And clang their wings, and hovering beat
the sky; With ardent eyes the rival train they threat, And shrieking loud
denounce approaching fate. They cuff, they tear; their cheeks and neck they
rend, And from their plumes huge drops of blood descend; Then sailing o'er =
the
domes and towers, they fly, Full toward the east, and mount into the sky.
The wondering rivals gaze, with cares oppress'=
d, And
chilling horrors freeze in every breast, Till big with knowledge of approac=
hing
woes, The prince of augurs, Halitherses, rose: Prescient he view'd the aeri=
al
tracks, and drew A sure presage from every wing that flew.
"Ye sons (he cried) of Ithaca, give ear; =
Hear
all! but chiefly you, O rivals! hear. Destruction sure o'er all your heads
impends Ulysses comes, and death his steps attends. Nor to the great alone =
is
death decreed; We and our guilty Ithaca must bleed. Why cease we then the w=
rath
of heaven to stay? Be humbled all, and lead, ye great! the way. For lo? my
words no fancied woes relate; I speak from science and the voice of fate.
"When great Ulysses sought the Phrygian
shores To shake with war proud Ilion's lofty towers, Deeds then undone me
faithful tongue foretold: Heaven seal'd my words, and you those deeds behol=
d. I
see (I cried) his woes, a countless train; I see his friends o'erwhelm'd
beneath the main; How twice ten years from shore to shore he roams: Now twi=
ce
ten years are past, and now he comes!"
To whom Eurymachus--"Fly, dotard fly, With
thy wise dreams, and fables of the sky. Go prophesy at home, thy sons advis=
e: Here
thou art sage in vain--I better read the skies Unnumber'd birds glide throu=
gh
the aerial way; Vagrants of air, and unforeboding stray. Cold in the tomb, =
or
in the deeps below, Ulysses lies; oh wert thou laid as low! Then would that
busy head no broils suggest, For fire to rage Telemachus' breast, From him =
some
bribe thy venal tongue requires, And interest, not the god, thy voice inspi=
res.
His guideless youth, if thy experienced age Mislead fallacious into idle ra=
ge, Vengeance
deserved thy malice shall repress. And but augment the wrongs thou would'st
redress, Telemachus may bid the queen repair To great Icarius, whose patern=
al
care Will guide her passion, and reward her choice With wealthy dower, and
bridal gifts of price. Till she retires, determined we remain, And both the
prince and augur threat in vain: His pride of words, and thy wild dream of
fate, Move not the brave, or only move their hate, Threat on, O prince! elu=
de
the bridal day. Threat on, till all thy stores in waste decay. True, Greece
affords a train of lovely dames, In wealth and beauty worthy of our flames:=
But
never from this nobler suit we cease; For wealth and beauty less than virtue
please."
To whom the youth: "Since then in vain I =
tell
My numerous woes, in silence let them dwell. But Heaven, and all the Greeks,
have heard my wrongs; To Heaven, and all the Greeks, redress belongs; Yet t=
his
I ask (nor be it ask'd in vain), A bark to waft me o'er the rolling main, T=
he
realms of Pyle and Sparta to explore, And seek my royal sire from shore to
shore; If, or to fame his doubtful fate be known, Or to be learn'd from ora=
cles
alone, If yet he lives, with patience I forbear, Till the fleet hours resto=
re
the circling year; But if already wandering in the train Of empty shades, I
measure back the main, Plant the fair column o'er the mighty dead, And yield
his consort to the nuptial bed."
He ceased; and while abash'd the peers attend,=
Mentor
arose, Ulysses' faithful friend: (When fierce in arms he sought the scenes =
of
war, "My friend (he cried), my palace be thy care; Years roll'd on yea=
rs
my godlike sire decay, Guard thou his age, and his behests obey.") Ste=
rn as
he rose, he cast his eyes around, That flash'd with rage; and as spoke, he
frown'd,
"O never, never more let king be just, Be
mild in power, or faithful to his trust! Let tyrants govern with an iron ro=
d, Oppress,
destroy, and be the scourge of God; Since he who like a father held his rei=
gn, So
soon forgot, was just and mild in vain! True, while my friend is grieved, h=
is
griefs I share; Yet now the rivals are my smallest care: They for the mighty
mischiefs they devise, Ere long shall pay--their forfeit lives the price. B=
ut
against you, ye Greeks! ye coward train! Gods! how my soul is moved with ju=
st
disdain! Dumb ye all stand, and not one tongue affords His injured prince t=
he
little aid of words."
While yet he spoke, Leocritus rejoined: "O
pride of words, and arrogance of mind! Would'st thou to rise in arms the Gr=
eeks
advise? Join all your powers? in arms, ye Greeks, arise! Yet would your pow=
ers
in vain our strength oppose. The valiant few o'ermatch a host of foes. Shou=
ld
great Ulysses stern appear in arms, While the bowl circles and the banquet
warms; Though to his breast his spouse with transport flies, Torn from her
breast, that hour, Ulysses dies. But hence retreating to your domes repair.=
To
arm the vessel, Mentor! be thy care, And Halitherses! thine: be each his
friend; Ye loved the father: go, the son attend. But yet, I trust, the boas=
ter
means to stay Safe in the court, nor tempt the watery way."
Then, with a rushing sound the assembly bend D=
iverse
their steps: the rival rout ascend The royal dome; while sad the prince
explores The neighbouring main, and sorrowing treads the shores. There, as =
the
waters o'er his hands he shed, The royal suppliant to Minerva pray'd:
"O goddess! who descending from the skies=
Vouchsafed
thy presence to my wondering eyes, By whose commands the raging deeps I tra=
ce, And
seek my sire through storms and rolling seas! Hear from thy heavens above, O
warrior maid! Descend once more, propitious to my aid. Without thy presence,
vain is thy command: Greece, and the rival train, thy voice withstand."=
;
Indulgent to his prayer, the goddess took Sage
Mentor's form, and thus like Mentor spoke:
"O prince, in early youth divinely wise, =
Born,
the Ulysses of thy age to rise If to the son the father's worth descends, O=
'er
the wide wave success thy ways attends To tread the walks of death he stood
prepared; And what he greatly thought, he nobly dared. Were not wise sons
descendant of the wise, And did not heroes from brave heroes rise, Vain wer=
e my
hopes: few sons attain the praise Of their great sires, and most their sires
disgrace. But since thy veins paternal virtue fires, And all Penelope thy s=
oul
inspires, Go, and succeed: the rivals' aims despise; For never, never wicked
man was wise. Blind they rejoice, though now, ev'n now they fall; Death has=
tes
amain: one hour o'erwhelms them all! And lo, with speed we plough the watery
way; My power shall guard thee, and my hand convey: The winged vessel studi=
ous
I prepare, Through seas and realms companion of thy care. Thou to the court
ascend: and to the shores (When night advances) bear the naval stores; Brea=
d,
that decaying man with strength supplies, And generous wine, which thoughtf=
ul
sorrow flies. Meanwhile the mariners, by my command, Shall speed aboard, a
valiant chosen band. Wide o'er the bay, by vessel vessel rides; The best I
choose to waft then o'er the tides."
She spoke: to his high dome the prince returns=
, And,
as he moves, with royal anguish mourns. 'Twas riot all, among the lawless
train; Boar bled by boar, and goat by goat lay slain. Arrived, his hand the=
gay
Antinous press'd, And thus deriding, with a smile address'd:
"Grieve not, O daring prince! that noble
heart; Ill suits gay youth the stern heroic part. Indulge the genial hour,
unbend thy soul, Leave thought to age, and drain the flowing bowl. Studious=
to
ease thy grief, our care provides The bark, to waft thee o'er the swelling
tides."
"Is this (returns the prince) for mirth a
time? When lawless gluttons riot, mirth's a crime; The luscious wines,
dishonour'd, lose their taste; The song is noise, and impious is the feast.=
Suffice
it to have spent with swift decay The wealth of kings, and made my youth a
prey. But now the wise instructions of the sage, And manly thoughts inspire=
d by
manly age, Teach me to seek redress for all my woe, Here, or in Pyle--in Py=
le,
or here, your foe. Deny your vessels, ye deny in vain: A private voyager I =
pass
the main. Free breathe the winds, and free the billows flow; And where on e=
arth
I live, I live your foe."
He spoke and frown'd, nor longer deign'd to st=
ay, Sternly
his hand withdrew, and strode away.
Meantime, o'er all the dome, they quaff, they
feast, Derisive taunts were spread from guest to guest, And each in jovial =
mood
his mate address'd:
"Tremble ye not, O friends, and coward fl=
y, Doom'd
by the stern Telemachus to die? To Pyle or Sparta to demand supplies, Big w=
ith
revenge, the mighty warrior flies; Or comes from Ephyre with poisons fraugh=
t, And
kills us all in one tremendous draught!"
"Or who can say (his gamesome mate replie=
s) But,
while the danger of the deeps he tries He, like his sire, may sink deprived=
of
breath, And punish us unkindly by his death? What mighty labours would he t=
hen
create, To seize his treasures, and divide his state, The royal palace to t=
he
queen convey, Or him she blesses in the bridal day!"
Meantime the lofty rooms the prince surveys, W=
here
lay the treasures of the Ithacian race: Here ruddy brass and gold refulgent
blazed; There polished chests embroider'd vestures graced; Here jars of oil
breathed forth a rich perfume; There casks of wine in rows adorn'd the dome=
(Pure
flavorous wine, by gods in bounty given And worthy to exalt the feasts of
heaven). Untouch'd they stood, till, his long labours o'er, The great Ulyss=
es
reach'd his native shore. A double strength of bars secured the gates; Fast=
by
the door the wise Euryclea waits; Euryclea, who great Ops! thy lineage shar=
ed, And
watch'd all night, all day, a faithful guard.
To whom the prince: "O thou whose guardian
care Nursed the most wretched king that breathes the air; Untouch'd and sac=
red
may these vessels stand, Till great Ulysses views his native land. But by t=
hy
care twelve urns of wine be fill'd; Next these in worth, and firm these urn=
s be
seal'd; And twice ten measures of the choicest flour Prepared, are yet desc=
ends
the evening hour. For when the favouring shades of night arise, And peaceful
slumbers close my mother's eyes, Me from our coast shall spreading sails
convey, To seek Ulysses through the watery way."
While yet he spoke, she fill'd the walls with
cries, And tears ran trickling from her aged eyes. "O whither, whither
flies my son (she cried) To realms; that rocks and roaring seas divide? In
foreign lands thy father's days decay'd. And foreign lands contain the migh=
ty
dead. The watery way ill-fated if thou try, All, all must perish, and by fr=
aud
you die! Then stay, my, child! storms beat, and rolls the main, Oh, beat th=
ose
storms, and roll the seas in vain!"
"Far hence (replied the prince) thy fears=
be
driven: Heaven calls me forth; these counsels are of Heaven. But, by the po=
wers
that hate the perjured, swear, To keep my voyage from the royal ear, Nor
uncompell'd the dangerous truth betray, Till twice six times descends the l=
amp
of day, Lest the sad tale a mother's life impair, And grief destroy what ti=
me
awhile would spare."
Thus he. The matron with uplifted eyes Attests=
the
all-seeing sovereign of the skies. Then studious she prepares the choicest
flour, The strength of wheat and wines an ample store. While to the rival t=
rain
the prince returns, The martial goddess with impatience burns; Like thee,
Telemachus, in voice and size, With speed divine from street to street she
flies, She bids the mariners prepared to stand, When night descends, embodi=
ed
on the strand. Then to Noemon swift she runs, she flies, And asks a bark: t=
he
chief a bark supplies.
And now, declining with his sloping wheels, Do=
wn
sunk the sun behind the western hills The goddess shoved the vessel from the
shores, And stow'd within its womb the naval stores, Full in the openings o=
f the
spacious main It rides; and now descends the sailor-train,
Next, to the court, impatient of delay. With r=
apid
step the goddess urged her way; There every eye with slumberous chains she
bound, And dash'd the flowing goblet to the ground. Drowsy they rose, with
heavy fumes oppress'd, Reel'd from the palace, and retired to rest. Then th=
us,
in Mentor's reverend form array'd, Spoke to Telemachus the martial maid. &q=
uot;Lo!
on the seas, prepared the vessel stands, The impatient mariner thy speed
demands." Swift as she spoke, with rapid pace she leads; The footsteps=
of
the deity he treads. Swift to the shore they move along the strand; The rea=
dy
vessel rides, the sailors ready stand.
He bids them bring their stores; the attending
train Load the tall bark, and launch into the main, The prince and goddess =
to
the stern ascend; To the strong stroke at once the rowers bend. Full from t=
he
west she bids fresh breezes blow; The sable billows foam and roar below. The
chief his orders gives; the obedient band With due observance wait the chie=
f's
command; With speed the mast they rear, with speed unbind The spacious shee=
t,
and stretch it to the wind. High o'er the roaring waves the spreading sails=
Bow
the tall mast, and swell before the gales; The crooked keel the parting sur=
ge
divides, And to the stern retreating roll the tides. And now they ship their
oars, and crown with wine The holy goblet to the powers divine: Imploring a=
ll
the gods that reign above, But chief the blue-eyed progeny of Jove.
Thus all the night they stem the liquid way, A=
nd
end their voyage with the morning ray.
Telemachus, guided by Pallas in the shape of
Mentor, arrives in the morning at Pylos, where Nestor and his sons are
sacrificing on the sea-shore to Neptune. Telemachus declares the occasion of
his coming: and Nestor relates what passed in their return from Troy, how t=
heir
fleets were separated, and he never since heard of Ulysses. They discourse
concerning the death of Agamemnon, the revenge of Orestes, and the injuries=
of
the suitors. Nestor advises him to go to Sparta, and inquire further of
Menelaus. The sacrifice ending with the night, Minerva vanishes from them in
the form of an eagle: Telemachus is lodged in the palace. The next morning =
they
sacrifice a bullock to Minerva; and Telemachus proceeds on his journey to
Sparta, attended by Pisistratus.
The scene lies on the sea-shore of Pylos.
The sacred sun, above the waters raised, Throu=
gh
heaven's eternal brazen portals blazed; And wide o'er earth diffused his
cheering ray, To gods and men to give the golden day. Now on the coast of P=
yle
the vessel falls, Before old Neleus' venerable walls. There suppliant to the
monarch of the flood, At nine green theatres the Pylians stood, Each held f=
ive
hundred (a deputed train), At each, nine oxen on the sand lay slain. They t=
aste
the entrails, and the altars load With smoking thighs, an offering to the g=
od. Full
for the port the Ithacensians stand, And furl their sails, and issue on the
land. Telemachus already press'd the shore; Not first, the power of wisdom
march'd before, And ere the sacrificing throng he join'd, Admonish'd thus h=
is
well-attending mind:
"Proceed, my son! this youthful shame exp=
el; An
honest business never blush to tell. To learn what fates thy wretched sire
detain, We pass'd the wide immeasurable main. Meet then the senior far reno=
wn'd
for sense With reverend awe, but decent confidence: Urge him with truth to
frame his fair replies; And sure he will; for wisdom never lies."
"Oh tell me, Mentor! tell me, faithful gu=
ide (The
youth with prudent modesty replied), How shall I meet, or how accost the sa=
ge, Unskill'd
in speech, nor yet mature of age? Awful th'approach, and hard the task appe=
ars,
To question wisely men of riper years."
To whom the martial goddess thus rejoin'd: &qu=
ot;Search,
for some thoughts, thy own suggesting mind; And others, dictated by heavenly
power, Shall rise spontaneous in the needful hour. For nought unprosperous
shall thy ways attend, Born with good omens, and with heaven thy friend.&qu=
ot;
She spoke, and led the way with swiftest speed=
; As
swift, the youth pursued the way she led; and join'd the band before the sa=
cred
fire, Where sate, encompass'd with his sons, the sire. The youth of Pylos, =
some
on pointed wood Transfix'd the fragments, some prepared the food: In friend=
ly
throngs they gather to embrace Their unknown guests, and at the banquet pla=
ce, Pisistratus
was first to grasp their hands, And spread soft hides upon the yellow sands=
; Along
the shore the illustrious pair he led, Where Nestor sate with the youthful
Thrasymed, To each a portion of the feast he bore, And held the golden gobl=
et
foaming o'er; Then first approaching to the elder guest, The latent goddess=
in
these words address'd: "Whoe'er thou art, from fortune brings to keep =
These
rites of Neptune, monarch of the deep, Thee first it fits, O stranger! to prepare The due libation and the
solemn prayer; Then give thy friend to shed the sacred wine; Though much thy
younger, and his years like mine, He too, I deem, implores the power divine=
; For
all mankind alike require their grace, All born to want; a miserable
race!" He spake, and to her hand preferr'd the bowl; A secret pleasure
touch'd Athena's soul, To see the preference due to sacred age Regarded eve=
r by
the just and sage. Of Ocean's king she then implores the grace. "O tho=
u!
whose arms this ample globe embrace, Fulfil our wish, and let thy glory shi=
ne On
Nestor first, and Nestor's royal line; Next grant the Pylian states their j=
ust
desires, Pleased with their hecatomb's ascending fires; Last, deign Telemac=
hus
and me to bless, And crown our voyage with desired success."
Thus she: and having paid the rite divine, Gav=
e to
Ulysses' son the rosy wine. Suppliant he pray'd. And now the victims dress'=
d They
draw, divide, and celebrate the feast. The banquet done, the narrative old =
man,
Thus mild, the pleasing conference began:
"Now gentle guests! the genial banquet o'=
er, It
fits to ask ye, what your native shore, And whence your race? on what adven=
ture
say, Thus far you wander through the watery way? Relate if business, or the
thirst of gain, Engage your journey o'er the pathless main Where savage pir=
ates
seek through seas unknown The lives of others, venturous of their own."=
;
Urged by the precepts by the goddess given, And
fill'd with confidence infused from Heaven, The youth, whom Pallas destined=
to
be wise And famed among the sons of men, replies: "Inquir'st thou, fat=
her!
from what coast we came? (Oh grace and glory of the Grecian name!) From whe=
re
high Ithaca o'erlooks the floods, Brown with o'er-arching shades and pendent
woods Us to these shores our filial duty draws, A private sorrow, not a pub=
lic
cause. My sire I seek, where'er the voice of fame Has told the glories of h=
is
noble name, The great Ulysses; famed from shore to shore For valour much, f=
or
hardy suffering more. Long time with thee before proud Ilion's wall In arms=
he
fought; with thee beheld her fall. Of all the chiefs, this hero's fate alon=
e Has
Jove reserved, unheard of, and unknown; Whether in fields by hostile fury
slain, Or sunk by tempests in the gulfy main? Of this to learn, oppress'd w=
ith
tender fears, Lo, at thy knee his suppliant son appears. If or thy certain =
eye,
or curious ear, Have learnt his fate, the whole dark story clear And, oh!
whate'er Heaven destined to betide, Let neither flattery soothe, nor pity h=
ide.
Prepared I stand: he was but born to try The lot of man; to suffer, and to =
die.
Oh then, if ever through the ten years' war The wise, the good Ulysses clai=
m'd
thy care; If e'er he join'd thy council, or thy sword, True in his deed, and
constant to his word; Far as thy mind through backward time can see Search =
all
thy stores of faithful memory: 'Tis sacred truth I ask, and ask of thee.&qu=
ot;
To him experienced Nestor thus rejoin'd: "=
;O
friend! what sorrows dost thou bring to mind! Shall I the long, laborious s=
cene
review, And open all the wounds of Greece anew? What toils by sea! where da=
rk
in quest of prey Dauntless we roved; Achilles led the way; What toils by la=
nd!
where mix'd in fatal fight Such numbers fell, such heroes sunk to night; Th=
ere
Ajax great, Achilles there the brave, There wise Patroclus, fill an early
grave: There, too, my son--ah, once my best delight Once swift of foot, and
terrible in fight; In whom stern courage with soft virtue join'd A faultless
body and a blameless mind; Antilochus--What more can I relate? How trace the
tedious series of our fate? Not added years on years my task could close, T=
he
long historian of my country's woes; Back to thy native islands might'st th=
ou
sail, And leave half-heard the melancholy tale. Nine painful years on that
detested shore; What stratagems we form'd, what toils we bore! Still labour=
ing
on, till scarce at last we found Great Jove propitious, and our conquest
crown'd. Far o'er the rest thy mighty father shined, In wit, in prudence, a=
nd
in force of mind. Art thou the son of that illustrious sire? With joy I gra=
sp
thee, and with love admire. So like your voices, and your words so wise, Who
finds thee younger must consult his eyes. Thy sire and I were one; nor vari=
ed
aught In public sentence, or in private thought; Alike to council or the
assembly came, With equal souls, and sentiments the same. But when (by wisd=
om
won) proud Ilion burn'd, And in their slips the conquering Greeks return'd,=
'Twas
God's high will the victors to divide, And turn the event, confounding human
pride; Some be destroy'd, some scatter'd as the dust (Not all were prudent,=
and
not all were just). Then Discord, sent by Pallas from above, Stern daughter=
of
the great avenger Jove, The brother-kings inspired with fell debate; Who ca=
ll'd
to council all the Achaian state, But call'd untimely (not the sacred rite =
Observed,
nor heedful of the setting light, Nor herald sword the session to proclaim)=
, Sour
with debauch, a reeling tribe the came. To these the cause of meeting they
explain, And Menelaus moves to cross the main; Not so the king of men: be
will'd to stay, The sacred rites and hecatombs to pay, And calm Minerva's
wrath. Oh blind to fate! The gods not lightly change their love, or hate. W=
ith
ireful taunts each other they oppose, Till in loud tumult all the Greeks ar=
ose.
Now different counsels every breast divide, Each burns with rancour to the
adverse side; The unquiet night strange projects entertain'd (So Jove, that
urged us to our fate, ordain'd). We with the rising morn our ships unmoor'd=
, And
brought our captives and our stores aboard; But half the people with respect
obey'd The king of men, and at his bidding stay'd. Now on the wings of winds
our course we keep (For God had smooth'd the waters of the deep); For Tened=
os
we spread our eager oars, There land, and pay due victims to the powers; To
bless our safe return, we join in prayer; But angry Jove dispersed our vows=
in
air, And raised new discord. Then (so Heaven decreed) Ulysses first and Nea=
tor
disagreed! Wise as he was, by various counsels away'd, He there, though lat=
e,
to please the monarch, stay'd. But I, determined, stem the foamy floods, Wa=
rn'd
of the coming fury of the gods. With us, Tydides fear'd, and urged his hast=
e: And
Menelads came, but came the last, He join'd our vessels in the Lesbian bay,=
While
yet we doubted of our watery way; If to the right to urge the pilot's toil =
(The
safer road), beside the Psyrian isle; Or the straight course to rocky Chios
plough, And anchor under Mimas' shaggy brow? We sought direction of the pow=
er
divine: The god propitious gave the guiding sign; Through the mid seas he b=
id
our navy steer, And in Euboea shun the woes we fear. The whistling winds
already waked the sky; Before the whistling winds the vessels fly, With rap=
id
swiftness cut the liquid way, And reach Gerestus at the point of day. There
hecacombs of bulls, to Neptune slain, High-flaming please the monarch of the
main. The fourth day shone, when all their labours o'er, Tydides' vessels
touched the wish'd-for shore. But I to Pylos scud before the gales, The god
still breathing on my swelling sails; Separate from all, I safely landed he=
re; Their
fates or fortunes never reach'd my ear. Yet what I learn'd, attend; as here=
I
sat, And ask'd each voyager each hero's fate; Curious to know, and willing =
to
relate.
"Safe reach'd the Myrmidons their native
land, Beneath Achilles' warlike son's command. Those, whom the heir of great
Apollo's art, Brave Philoctetes, taught to wing the dart; And those whom Id=
omen
from Ilion's plain Had led, securely cross'd the dreadful main How Agamemnon
touch'd his Argive coast, And how his life by fraud and force he lost, And =
how
the murderer, paid his forfeit breath; What lands so distant from that scen=
e of
death But trembling heard the fame? and heard, admire. How well the son
appeased his slaughter'd sire! Ev'n to the unhappy, that unjustly bleed, He=
aven
gives posterity, to avenge the deed. So fell Aegysthus; and mayest thou, my
friend, (On whom the virtues of thy sire descend,) Make future times thy eq=
ual
act adore, And be what brave Orestes was before!"
The prudent youth replied: "O thou the gr=
ace And
lasting glory of the Grecian race! Just was the vengeance, and to latest da=
ys Shall
long posterity resound the praise. Some god this arm with equal prowess ble=
ss! And
the proud suitors shall its force confess; Injurious men! who while my soul=
is
sore Of fresh affronts, are meditating more. But Heaven denies this honour =
to
my hand, Nor shall my father repossess the land; The father's fortune never=
to
return, And the sad son's to softer and to mourn!" Thus he; and Nestor
took the word: "My son, Is it then true, as distant rumours run, That
crowds of rivals for thy mother's charms Thy palace fill with insults and
alarms? Say, is the fault, through tame submission, thine? Or leagued again=
st
thee, do thy people join, Moved by some oracle, or voice divine? And yet who
knows, but ripening lies in fate An hour of vengeance for the afflicted sta=
te; When
great Ulysses shall suppress these harms, Ulysses singly, or all Greece in
arms. But if Athena, war's triumphant maid, The happy son will as the father
aid, (Whose fame and safety was her constant care In every danger and in ev=
ery
war: Never on man did heavenly favour shine With rays so strong, distinguis=
h'd
and divine, As those with which Minerva mark'd thy sire) So might she love
thee, so thy soul inspire! Soon should their hopes in humble dust be laid, =
And
long oblivion of the bridal bed."
"Ah! no such hope (the prince with sighs
replies) Can touch my breast; that blessing Heaven denies. Ev'n by celestial
favour were it given, Fortune or fate would cross the will of Heaven."=
"What words are these, and what imprudence
thine? (Thus interposed the martial maid divine) Forgetful youth! but know,=
the
Power above With ease can save each object of his love; Wide as his will,
extends his boundless grace; Nor lost in time nor circumscribed by place. H=
appier
his lot, who, many sorrows' pass'd, Long labouring gains his natal shore at
last; Than who, too speedy, hastes to end his life By some stern ruffian, or
adulterous wife. Death only is the lot which none can miss, And all is poss=
ible
to Heaven but this. The best, the dearest favourite of the sky, Must taste =
that
cup, for man is born to die."
Thus check'd, replied Ulysses' prudent heir: &=
quot;Mentor,
no more--the mournful thought forbear; For he no more must draw his country=
's
breath, Already snatch'd by fate, and the black doom of death! Pass we to o=
ther
subjects; and engage On themes remote the venerable sage (Who thrice has se=
en
the perishable kind Of men decay, and through three ages shined Like gods
majestic, and like gods in mind); For much he knows, and just conclusions
draws, From various precedents, and various laws. O son of Neleus! awful
Nestor, tell How he, the mighty Agamemnon, fell; By what strange fraud
Aegysthus wrought, relate (By force he could not) such a hero's fate? Live
Menelaus not in Greece? or where Was then the martial brother's pious care?=
Condemn'd
perhaps some foreign short to tread; Or sure Aegysthus had not dared the
deed." To whom the full of days: Illustrious youth, Attend (though par=
tly
thou hast guess'd) the truth. For had the martial Menelaus found The ruffian
breathing yet on Argive ground; Nor earth had bid his carcase from the skie=
s, Nor
Grecian virgins shriek'd his obsequies, But fowls obscene dismember'd his
remains, And dogs had torn him on the naked plains. While us the works of
bloody Mars employ'd, The wanton youth inglorious peace enjoy'd: He stretch=
'd
at ease in Argos' calm recess (Whose stately steeds luxuriant pastures bles=
s), With
flattery's insinuating art Soothed the frail queen, and poison'd all her he=
ard.
At first, with the worthy shame and decent pride, The royal dame his lawless
suit denied. For virtue's image yet possess'd her mind. Taught by a master =
of
the tuneful kind; Atrides, parting for the Trojan war, Consign'd the youthf=
ul
consort to his care. True to his charge, the bard preserved her long In
honour's limits; such the power of song. But when the gods these objects of
their hate Dragg'd to the destruction by the links of fate; The bard they
banish'd from his native soil, And left all helpless in a desert isle; There
he, the sweetest of the sacred train, Sung dying to the rocks, but sung in
vain. Then virtue was no more; her guard away, She fell, to lust a voluntary
prey. Even to the temple stalk'd the adulterous spouse, With impious thanks,
and mockery of the vows, With images, with garments, and with gold; And odo=
rous
fumes from loaded altars roll'd. "Meantime from flaming Troy we cut the
way With Menelaus, through the curling sea. But when to Sunium's sacred poi=
nt
we came, Crown'd with the temple of the Athenian dame; Atride's pilot,
Phrontes, there expired (Phrontes, of all the songs of men admired To steer=
the
bounding bark with steady toil, When the storm thickens, and the billows bo=
il);
While yet he exercised the steerman's art, Apollo touch'd him with his gent=
le
dart; Even with the rudder in his hand, he fell. To pay whole honours to the
shades of hell, We check'd our haste, by pious office bound, And laid our o=
ld
companion in the ground. And now the rites discharged, our course we keep F=
ar
on the gloomy bosom of the deep: Soon as Malae's misty tops arise, Sudden t=
he
Thunderer blackens all the skies, And the winds whistle, and the surges rol=
l Mountains
on mountains, and obscure the pole. The tempest scatters, and divides our
fleet; Part, the storm urges on the coast of Crete, Where winding round the=
rich
Cydonian plain, The streams of Jardan issue to the main. There stands a roc=
k,
high, eminent and steep, Whose shaggy brow o'erhangs the shady deep, And vi=
ews
Gortyna on the western side; On this rough Auster drove the impetuous tide:=
With
broken force the billows roll'd away, And heaved the fleet into the neighb'=
ring
bay. Thus saved from death, the gain'd the Phaestan shores, With shatter'd
vessels and disabled oars; But five tall barks the winds and water toss'd, =
Far
from their fellows, on the Aegyptian coast. There wander'd Menelaus through
foreign shores Amassing gold, and gathering naval stores; While cursed
Aegysthus the detested deed By fraud fulfilled, and his great brother bled.=
Seven
years, the traitor rich Mycenae sway'd, And his stern rule the groaning land
obey'd; The eighth, from Athens to his realm restored, Orestes brandish'd t=
he
avenging sword, Slew the dire pair, and gave to funeral flame The vile assa=
ssin
and adulterous dame. That day, ere yet the bloody triumphs cease, Return'd
Atrides to the coast of Greece, And safe to Argos port his navy brought, Wi=
th
gifts of price and ponderous treasure fraught. Hence warn'd, my son, beware!
nor idly stand Too long a stranger to thy native land; Lest heedless absence
wear thy wealth away, While lawless feasters in thy palace away; Perhaps may
seize thy realm, and share the spoil; And though return, with disappointed
toil, From thy vain journey, to a rifled isle. However, my friend, indulge =
one
labour more, And seek Atrides on the Spartan shore. He, wandering long a wi=
der
circle made, And many-languaged nations has survey'd: And measured tracks
unknown to other ships, Amid the monstrous wonders of the deeps, (A length =
of
ocean and unbounded sky. Which scarce the sea-fowl in a year o'erfly); Go t=
hen;
to Sparta take the watery way, Thy ship and sailors but for orders stay; Or=
, if
my land then choose thy course to bend, My steeds, my chariots, and my song=
s,
attend; Thee to Atrides they shall safe convey, Guides of thy road, compani=
ons
of thy way. Urge him with truth to frame his wise replies, And sure he will;
for Menelaus is wise." Thus while he speaks the ruddy sun descends, And
twilight grey her evening shade extends. Then thus the blue-eyed maid: &quo=
t;O
full of days! Wise are thy words, and just are all thy ways. Now immolate t=
he
tongues, and mix the wine, Sacred to Neptune and the powers divine, The lam=
p of
day is quench'd beneath the deep, And soft approach the balmy hours of slee=
p; Nor
fits it to prolong the heavenly feast, Timeless, indecent, but retire to re=
st."
So spake Jove's daughter, the celestial maid, =
The
sober train attended and obey'd. The sacred heralds on their hands around P=
our'd
the full urns; the youths the goblets crown'd; From bowl to bowl the homely
beverage flows; While to the final sacrifice they rose. The tongues they ca=
st
upon the fragrant flame, And pour, above, the consecrated stream. And now,
their thirst by copious draughts allay'd, The youthful hero and the Athenian
maid Propose departure from the finish'd rite, And in their hollow bark to =
pass
the night; But this hospitable sage denied, "Forbid it, Jove! and all =
the
gods! (he cried), Thus from my walls and the much-loved son to send Of such=
a
hero, and of such a friend! Me, as some needy peasant, would ye leave, Whom
Heaven denies the blessing to relieve? Me would ye leave, who boast imperial
sway, When beds of royal state invite your stay? No--long as life this mort=
al
shall inspire, Or as my children imitate their sire. Here shall the wanderi=
ng
stranger find his home, And hospitable rites adorn the dome."
"Well hast thou spoke (the blue-eyed maid
replies), Beloved old man! benevolent as wise. Be the kind dictates of thy
heart obey'd, And let thy words Telemachus persuade: He to thy palace shall=
thy
steps pursue; I to the ship, to give the orders due, Prescribe directions a=
nd
confirm the crew. For I alone sustain their naval cares, Who boast experien=
ce
from these silver hairs; All youths the rest, whom to this journey move Like
years, like tempers, and their prince's love There in the vessel shall I pa=
ss
the night; And, soon as morning paints the fields of light, I go to challen=
ge
from the Caucons bold A debt, contracted in the days of old, But this, thy
guest, received with friendly care Let thy strong coursers swift to Sparta
bear; Prepare thy chariot at the dawn of day, And be thy son companion of h=
is
way."
Then, turning with the word, Minerva flies, And
soars an eagle through the liquid skies. Vision divine! the throng'd specta=
tors
gaze In holy wonder fix'd, and still amaze. But chief the reverend sage
admired; he took The hand of young Telemachus, and spoke: "Oh, happy
youth! and favoured of the skies, Distinguished care of guardian deities! W=
hose
early years for future worth engage, No vulgar manhood, no ignoble age. For=
lo!
none other of the course above, Then she, the daughter of almighty Jove, Pa=
llas
herself, the war-triumphant maid; Confess'd is thine, as once thy fathers a=
id. So
guide me, goddess! so propitious shine On me, my consort, and my royal line=
! A
yearling bullock to thy name shall smoke, Untamed, unconscious of the galli=
ng
yoke, With ample forehead, and yet tender horns, Whose budding honours duct=
ile
gold adorns."
Submissive thus the hoary sire preferr'd His h=
oly
vow: the favouring goddess heard. Then, slowly rising, o'er the sandy space=
Precedes
the father, follow'd by his race, (A long procession) timely marching home =
In
comely order to the regal dome. There when arrived, on thrones around him
placed, His sons and grandsons the wide circle graced. To these the hospita=
ble
sage, in sign Of social welcome, mix'd the racy wine (Late from the mellowi=
ng
cask restored to light, By ten long years refined, and rosy bright). To Pal=
las
high the foaming bowl he crown'd, And sprinkled large libations on the grou=
nd. Each
drinks a full oblivion of his cares, And to the gifts of balmy sleep repair=
s. Deep
in a rich alcove the prince was laid, And slept beneath the pompous colonna=
de; Fast
by his side Pisistratus was spread (In age his equal) on a splendid bed: Bu=
t in
an inner court, securely closed, The reverend Nestor and his queen reposed.=
When now Aurora, daughter of the dawn, With ro=
sy
lustre purpled o'er the lawn, The old man early rose, walk'd forth, and sat=
e On
polish'd stone before his palace gate; With unguents smooth the lucid marble
shone, Where ancient Neleus sate, a rustic throne; But he descending to the
infernal shade, Sage Nestor fill'd it, and the sceptre sway'd. His sons aro=
und
him mild obeisance pay, And duteous take the orders of the day. First Eehep=
hron
and Stratius quit their bed; Then Perseus, Aretus, and Thrasymed; The last
Pisistratus arose from rest: They came, and near him placed the stranger-gu=
est.
To these the senior thus declared his will: "My sons! the dictates of =
your
sire fulfil. To Pallas, first of gods, prepare the feast, Who graced our ri=
tes,
a more than mortal guest Let one, despatchful, bid some swain to lead A
well-fed bullock from the grassy mead; One seek the harbour where the vesse=
ls
moor, And bring thy friends, Telemachus! ashore (Leave only two the galley =
to
attend); Another Laerceus must we send, Artist devine, whose skilful hands
infold The victim's horn with circumfusile gold. The rest may here the pious
duty share, And bid the handmaids for the feast prepare, The seats to range,
the fragrant wood to bring, And limpid waters from the living spring."=
He said, and busy each his care bestow'd; Alre=
ady
at the gates the bullock low'd, Already came the Ithacensian crew, The
dexterous smith the tools already drew; His ponderous hammer and his anvil =
sound,
And the strong tongs to turn the metal round. Nor was Minerva absent from t=
he
rite, She view'd her honours, and enjoyed the sight, With reverend hand the
king presents the gold, Which round the intorted horns the gilder roll'd. So
wrought as Pallas might with pride behold. Young Aretus from forth his bride
bower Brought the full laver, o'er their hands to pour, And canisters of
consecrated flour. Stratius and Echephron the victim led; The axe was held =
by
warlike Thrasymed, In act to strike; before him Perseus stood, The vase
extending to receive the blood. The king himself initiates to the power: Sc=
atters
with quivering hand the sacred flour, And the stream sprinkles; from the
curling brows The hair collected in the fire he throws. Soon as due vows on=
every
part were paid, And sacred wheat upon the victim laid, Strong Thrasymed
discharged the speeding blow Full on his neck, and cut the nerves in two. D=
own
sunk the heavy beast; the females round Maids, wives, and matrons, mix a
shrilling sound. Nor scorned the queen the holy choir to join (The first bo=
rn
she, of old Clymenus' line: In youth by Nestor loved, of spotless fame. And
loved in age, Eurydice her name). From earth they rear him, struggling now =
with
death; And Nestor's youngest stops the vents of breath. The soul for ever
flies; on all sides round Streams the black blood, and smokes upon the grou=
nd The
beast they then divide and disunite The ribs and limbs, observant of the ri=
te: On
these, in double cauls involved with art, The choicest morsels lay from eve=
ry
part. The sacred sage before his altar stands, Turns the burnt offering with
his holy hands, And pours the wine, and bids the flames aspire; The youth w=
ith
instruments surround the fire. The thighs now sacrificed, and entrails dres=
s'd,
The assistants part, transfix, and broil the rest While these officious tend
the rites divine, The last fair branch of the Nestorean line, Sweet Polycas=
te,
took the pleasing toil To bathe the prince, and pour the fragrant oil. O'er=
his
fair limbs a flowery vest he throw, And issued, like a god, to mortal view.=
His
former seat beside the king he found (His people's father with his peers
around); All placed at ease the holy banquet join, And in the dazzling gobl=
et
laughs the wine.
The rage of thirst and hunger now suppress'd, =
The
monarch turns him to his royal guest; And for the promised journey bids pre=
pare
The smooth hair'd horses, and the rapid car. Observant of his word, tire wo=
rd
scarce spoke, The sons obey, and join them to the yoke. Then bread and wine=
a
ready handmaid brings, And presents, such as suit the state of kings. The
glittering seat Telemachus ascends; His faithful guide Pisistratus attends;=
With
hasty hand the ruling reins he drew; He lash'd the coursers, and the course=
rs
flew. Beneath the bounding yoke alike they hold Their equal pace, and smoked
along the field. The towers of Pylos sink, its views decay, Fields after fi=
elds
fly back, till close of day; Then sunk the sun, and darken'd all the way.
To Pherae now, Diocleus' stately seat (Of Alph=
eus'
race), the weary youths retreat. His house affords the hospitable rite, And
pleased they sleep (the blessing of the night). But when Aurora, daughter of
the dawn, With rosy lustre purpled o'er the lawn, Again they mount, their
journey to renew, And from the sounding portico they flew. Along the waving
fields their way they hold The fields receding as their chariot roll'd; Then
slowly sunk the ruddy globe of light, And o'er the shaded landscape rush'd =
the
night.
Telemachus with Pisistratus arriving at Sparta=
, is
hospitably received by Menelaus to whom he relates the cause of his coming,=
and
learns from him many particulars of what befell the Greeks since the
destruction of Troy. He dwells more at large upon the prophecies of Proteus=
to
him in his return; from which he acquaints Telemachus that Ulysses is detai=
ned
in the island of Calypso.
In the meantime the suitors consult to destroy
Telemachus on the voyage home. Penelope is apprised of this; but comforted =
in a
dream by Pallas, in the shape of her sister Iphthima.
And now proud Sparta with their wheels resound=
s, Sparta
whose walls a range of hills surrounds; At the fair dome the rapid labour e=
nds;
Where sate Atrides 'midst his bridal friends, With double vows invoking Hym=
en's
power, To bless his son's and daughter's nuptial hour.
That day, to great Achilles son resign'd, Herm=
ione,
the fairest of her kind, Was sent to crown the long-protracted joy, Espoused
before the final doom of Troy; With steeds and gilded cars, a gorgeous trai=
n Attend
the nymphs to Phthia's distant reign. Meanwhile at home, to Megapentha's be=
d The
virgin choir Alector's daughter led. Brave Megapenthas From a stolen amour =
To
great Atrides' age his handmaid bore; To Helen's bed the gods alone assign =
Hermione,
to extend the regal line; On whom a radiant pomp oh Graces wait, Resembling
Venus in attractive state.
While this gay friendly troop the king surroun=
d, With
festival and mirth the roofs resound; A bard amid the joyous circle sings H=
igh
airs attemper'd to the vocal strings; Whilst warbling to the varied strain,
advance Two sprightly youths to form the bounding dance, 'Twas then, that
issuing through the palace gate, The splendid car roll'd slow in regal stat=
e: On
the bright eminence young Nestor shone, And fast beside him great Ulysses' =
son;
Grave Eteoneous saw the pomp appear, And speeding, thus address'd the royal
ear;
"Two youths approach, whose semblant feat=
ures
prove Their blood devolving from the source of Jove Is due reception deign'=
d,
or must they bend Their doubtful course to seek a distant friend?"
"Insensate! (with a sigh the king replies= ,) Too long, misjudging, have I thought thee wise But sure relentless folly steals= thy breast, Obdurate to reject the stranger-guest; To those dear hospitable rit= es a foe, Which in my wanderings oft relieved my woe; Fed by the bounty of anoth= er's board, Till pitying Jove my native realm restored-- Straight be the coursers from the car released, Conduct the youths to grace the genial feast."<= o:p>
The seneschal, rebuked, in haste withdrew; With
equal haste a menial train pursue: Part led the coursers, from the car
enlarged, Each to a crib with choicest grain surcharged; Part in a portico,
profusely graced With rich magnificence, the chariot placed; Then to the do=
me
the friendly pair invite, Who eye the dazzling roofs with vast delight; Res=
plendent
as the blaze of summer noon, Or the pale radiance of the midnight moon. From
room to room their eager view they bend Thence to the bath, a beauteous pil=
e,
descend; Where a bright damsel train attends the guests With liquid odours,=
and
embroider'd vests. Refresh'd, they wait them to the bower of state, Where,
circled with his pears, Atrides sate; Throned next the king, a fair attenda=
nt
brings The purest product of the crystal springs; High on a massy vase of
silver mould, The burnish'd laver flames with solid gold, In solid gold the
purple vintage flows, And on the board a second banquet rose. When thus the
king, with hospitable port; "Accept this welcome to the Spartan court:=
The
waste of nature let the feast repair, Then your high lineage and your names
declare; Say from what sceptred ancestry ye claim, Recorded eminent in
deathless fame, For vulgar parents cannot stamp their race With signatures =
of
such majestic grace."
Ceasing, benevolent he straight assigns The ro=
yal
portion of the choicest chines To each accepted friend; with grateful haste=
They
share the honours of the rich repast. Sufficed, soft whispering thus to
Nestor's son, His head reclined, young Ithacus begun:
"View'st thou unmoved, O ever-honour'd mo=
st! These
prodigies of art, and wondrous cost! Above, beneath, around the palace shin=
es The
sunless treasure of exhausted mines; The spoils of elephants the roofs inla=
y, And
studded amber darts the golden ray; Such, and not nobler, in the realms abo=
ve My
wonder dictates is the dome of Jove."
The monarch took the word, and grave replied: =
"Presumptuous
are the vaunts, and vain the pride Of man, who dares in pomp with Jove cont=
est,
Unchanged, immortal, and supremely blest! With all my affluence, when my wo=
es
are weigh'd, Envy will own the purchase dearly paid. For eight slow-circling
years, by tempests toss'd, From Cypress to the far Phoenician coast (Sidon =
the
capital), I stretch'd my toil Through regions fatten'd with the flows of Ni=
le. Next
Aethiopia's utmost bound explore, And the parch'd borders of the Arabian sh=
ore;
Then warp my voyage on the southern gales, O'er the warm Lybian wave to spr=
ead
my sails; That happy clime, where each revolving year The teeming ewes a tr=
iple
offspring bear; And two fair crescents of translucent horn The brows of all
their young increase adorn: The shepherd swains, with sure abundance blest,=
On
the fat flock and rural dainties feast; Nor want of herbage makes the dairy
fail, But every season fills the foaming pail. Whilst, heaping unwash'd wea=
lth,
I distant roam, The best of brothers, at his natal home, By the dire fury o=
f a
traitress wife, Ends the sad evening of a stormy life; Whence, with incessa=
nt
grief my soul annoy'd, These riches are possess'd, but not enjoy'd! My wars,
the copious theme of every tongue, To you your fathers have recorded long. =
How
favouring Heaven repaid my glorious toils With a sack'd palace, and barbaric
spoils. Oh! had the gods so large a boon denied And life, the just equivale=
nt
supplied To those brave warriors, who, with glory fired Far from their coun=
try,
in my cause expired! Still in short intervals of pleasing woe. Regardful of=
the
friendly dues I owe, I to the glorious dead, for ever dear! Indulge the tri=
bute
of a grateful tear. But oh! Ulysses--deeper than the rest That sad idea wou=
nds
my anxious breast! My heart bleeds fresh with agonizing pain; The bowl and
tasteful viands tempt in vain; Nor sleep's soft power can close my streaming
eyes, When imaged to my soul his sorrows rise. No peril in my cause he ceas=
ed
to prove, His labours equall'd only by my love: And both alike to bitter
fortune born, For him to suffer, and for me to mourn! Whether he wanders on
some friendly coast, Or glides in Stygian gloom a pensive ghost, No fame
reveals; but, doubtful of his doom, His good old sire with sorrow to the to=
mb Declines
his trembling steps; untimely care Withers the blooming vigour of his heir;=
And
the chaste partner of his bed and throne Wastes all her widow'd hours in te=
nder
moan."
While thus pathetic to the prince he spoke, Fr=
om
the brave youth the streaming passion broke; Studious to veil the grief, in
vain repress'd, His face he shrouded with his purple vest. The conscious
monarch pierced the coy disguise, And view'd his filial love with vast
surprise: Dubious to press the tender theme, or wait To hear the youth inqu=
ire
his father's fate. In this suspense bright Helen graced the room; Before her
breathed a gale of rich perfume. So moves, adorn'd with each attractive gra=
ce, The
silver shafted goddess of the chase! The seat of majesty Adraste brings, Wi=
th
art illustrious, for the pomp of kings; To spread the pall (beneath the reg=
al
chair) Of softest wool, is bright Alcippe's care. A silver canister, divine=
ly
wrought, In her soft hands the beauteous Phylo brought; To Sparta's queen of
old the radiant vase Alcandra gave, a pledge of royal grace; For Polybus her
lord (whose sovereign sway The wealthy tribes of Pharian Thebes obey), When=
to
that court Atrides came, caress'd With vast munificence the imperial guest:=
Two
lavers from the richest ore refined, With silver tripods, the kind host
assign'd; And bounteous from the royal treasure told Ten equal talents of
refulgent gold. Alcandra, consort of his high command, A golden distaff gav=
e to
Helen's hand; And that rich vase, with living sculpture wrought, Which heap=
'd
with wool the beauteous Phylo brought The silken fleece, impurpled for the
loom, Rivall'd the hyacinth in vernal bloom. The sovereign seat then Jove b=
orn
Helen press'd, And pleasing thus her sceptred lord address'd:
"Who grace our palace now, that friendly
pair, Speak they their lineage, or their names declare? Uncertain of the tr=
uth,
yet uncontroll'd, Hear me the bodings of my breast unfold. With wonder wrap=
p'd
on yonder check I trace The feature of the Ulyssean race: Diffused o'er each
resembling line appear, In just similitude, the grace and air Of young
Telemachus! the lovely boy, Who bless'd Ulysses with a father's joy, What t=
ime
the Greeks combined their social arms, To avenge the stain of my ill-fated
charms!"
"Just is thy thought, (the king assenting
cries,) Methinks Ulysses strikes my wondering eyes; Full shines the father =
in
the filial frame, His port, his features, and his shape the same; Such quick
regards his sparkling eyes bestow; Such wavy ringlets o'er his shoulders fl=
ow And
when he heard the long disastrous store Of cares, which in my cause Ulysses
bore; Dismay'd, heart-wounded with paternal woes, Above restraint the tide =
of
sorrow rose; Cautious to let the gushing grief appear, His purple garment
veil'd the falling tear."
"See there confess'd (Pisistratus replies=
) The
genuine worth of Ithacus the wise! Of that heroic sire the youth is sprung,=
But
modest awe hath chain'd his timorous tongue. Thy voice, O king! with pleased
attention heard, Is like the dictates of a god revered. With him, at Nestor=
's
high command, I came, Whose age I honour with a parent's name. By adverse
destiny constrained to sue For counsel and redress, he sues to you Whatever=
ill
the friendless orphan bears, Bereaved of parents in his infant years, Still
must the wrong'd Telemachus sustain, If, hopeful of your aid, he hopes in v=
ain;
Affianced in your friendly power alone, The youth would vindicate the vacant
throne."
"Is Sparta blest, and these desiring eyes=
View
my friend's son? (the king exalting cries;) Son of my friend, by glorious t=
oils
approved, Whose sword was sacred to the man he loved; Mirror of constant fa=
ith,
revered and mourn'd-- When Troy was ruin'd, had the chief return'd, No Gree=
k an
equal space had ere possess'd, Of dear affection, in my grateful breast. I,=
to
confirm the mutual joys we shared, For his abode a capital prepared; Argos,=
the
seat of sovereign rule, I chose; Fair in the plan the future palace rose, W=
here
my Ulysses and his race might reign, And portion to his tribes the wide dom=
ain,
To them my vassals had resign'd a soil, With teeming plenty to reward their
toil. There with commutual zeal we both had strove In acts of dear benevole=
nce
and love: Brothers in peace, not rivals in command, And death alone dissolv=
ed
the friendly band! Some envious power the blissful scene destroys; Vanish'd=
are
all the visionary joys; The soul of friendship to my hope is lost, Fated to
wander from his natal coast!"
He ceased; a gush of grief began to rise: Fast
streams a tide from beauteous Helen's eyes; Fast for the sire the filial
sorrows flow; The weeping monarch swells the mighty woe; Thy cheeks,
Pisistratus, the tears bedew, While pictured so thy mind appear'd in view, =
Thy
martial brother; on the Phrygian plain Extended pale, by swarthy Memnon sla=
in! But
silence soon the son of Nestor broke, And melting with fraternal pity, spok=
e:
"Frequent, O king, was Nestor wont to rai=
se And
charm attention with thy copious praise; To crowd thy various gifts, the sa=
ge
assign'd The glory of a firm capacious mind; With that superior attribute
control This unavailing impotence of soul, Let not your roof with echoing g=
rief
resound, Now for the feast the friendly bowl is crown'd; But when, from dewy
shade emerging bright, Aurora streaks the sky with orient light, Let each
deplore his dead; the rites of woe Are all, alas! the living can bestow; O'=
er
the congenial dust enjoin'd to shear The graceful curl, and drop the tender
tear. Then, mingling in the mournful pomp with you, I'll pay my brother's g=
host
a warrior's due, And mourn the brave Antilochus, a name Not unrecorded in t=
he
rolls of fame; With strength and speed superior form'd, in fight To face the
foe, or intercept his flight; Too early snatch'd by fate ere known to me! I
boast a witness of his worth in thee."
"Young and mature! (the monarch thus
rejoins,) In thee renew'd the soul of Nestor shines; Form'd by the care of =
that
consummate sage, In early bloom an oracle of age. Whene'er his influence Jo=
ve
vouchsafes to shower, To bless the natal and the nuptial hour; From the gre=
at
sire transmissive to the race, The boon devolving gives distinguish'd grace=
. Such,
happy Nestor! was thy glorious doom, Around thee, full of years, thy offspr=
ing
bloom. Expert of arms, and prudent in debate; The gifts of Heaven to guard =
thy
hoary state. But now let each becalm his troubled breast, Wash, and partake
serene the friendly feast. To move thy suit, Telemachus, delay, Till heaven=
's
revolving lamp restores the day."
He said, Asphalion swift the laver brings; Alt=
ernate,
all partake the grateful springs; Then from the rites of purity repair, And
with keen gust the savoury viands share. Meantime, with genial joy to warm =
the
soul, Bright Helen mix'd a mirth inspiring bowl; Temper'd with drugs of
sovereign use, to assuage The boiling bosom of tumultuous rage; To clear the
cloudy front of wrinkled Care, And dry the tearful sluices of Despair; Char=
m'd
with that virtuous draught, the exalted mind All sense of woe delivers to t=
he
wind. Though on the blazing pile his parent lay. Or a loved brother groan'd=
his
life away. Or darling son, oppress'd by ruffian force, Fell breathless at h=
is
feet, a mangled corse; From morn to eve, impassive and serene, The man
entranced would view the dreadful scene These drugs, so friendly to the joy=
s of
life. Bright Helen learn'd from Thone's imperial wife; Who sway'd the scept=
re,
where prolific Nile With various simples clothes the fatten'd soil. With
wholesome herbage mix'd, the direful bane Of vegetable venom taints the pla=
in; From
Paeon sprung, their patron-god imparts To all the Pharian race his healing
arts. The beverage now prepared to inspire the feast, The circle thus the
beauteous queen addressed:
"Throned in omnipotence, supremest Jove T=
empers
the fates of human race above; By the firm sanction of his sovereign will, =
Alternate
are decreed our good and ill. To feastful mirth be this white hour assign'd=
. And
sweet discourse, the banquet of the mind Myself, assisting in the social jo=
y, Will
tell Ulysses' bold exploit in Troy, Sole witness of the deed I now declare =
Speak
you (who saw) his wonders in the war.
"Seam'd o'er with wounds, which his own s=
abre
gave, In the vile habit of a village slave, The foe deceived, he pass'd the
tented plain, In Troy to mingle with the hostile train. In this attire secu=
re
from searching eyes, Till happily piercing through the dark disguise, The c=
hief
I challenged; he, whose practised wit Knew all the serpent mazes of deceit,=
Eludes
my search; but when his form I view'd Fresh from the bath, with fragrant oi=
ls
renew'd, His limbs in military purple dress'd, Each brightening grace the
genuine Greek confess'd. A previous pledge of sacred faith obtain'd, Till he
the lines and Argive fleet regain'd, To keep his stay conceal'd; the chief
declared The plans of war against the town prepared. Exploring then the sec=
rets
of the state, He learn'd what best might urge the Dardan fate; And, safe
returning to the Grecian host, Sent many a shade to Pluto's dreary coast. L=
oud
grief resounded through the towers of Troy, But my pleased bosom glow'd with
secret joy: For then, with dire remorse and conscious shame I view'd the
effects of that disastrous flame. Which, kindled by the imperious queen of =
love,
Constrain'd me from my native realm to rove: And oft in bitterness of soul
deplored My absent daughter and my dearer lord; Admired among the first of
human race, For every gift of mind and manly grace."
"Right well (replied the king) your speech
displays The matchless merit of the chief you praise: Heroes in various cli=
mes
myself have found, For martial deeds and depth of thought renown'd; But
Ithacus, unrivall'd in his claim, May boast a title to the loudest fame: In
battle calm he guides the rapid storm, Wise to resolve, and patient to perf=
orm.
What wondrous conduct in the chief appear'd, When the vast fabric of the st=
eed
we rear'd! Some demon, anxious for the Trojan doom, Urged you with great
Deiphobus to come, To explore the fraud; with guile opposed to guile. Slow-=
pacing
thrice around the insidious pile, Each noted leader's name you thrice invok=
e, Your
accent varying as their spouses spoke! The pleasing sounds each latent warr=
ior
warm'd, But most Tydides' and coy heart alarm'd: To quit the steed we both
impatient press Threatening to answer from the dark recess. Unmoved the min=
d of
Ithacus remain'd; And the vain ardours of our love restrain'd; But Anticlus,
unable to control, Spoke loud the language of his yearning soul: Ulysses
straight, with indignation fired (For so the common care of Greece required=
), Firm
to his lips his forceful hands applied, Till on his tongue the fluttering
murmurs died. Meantime Minerva, from the fraudful horse, Back to the court =
of
Priam bent your course."
"Inclement fate! (Telemachus replies,) Fr=
ail
is the boasted attribute of wise: The leader mingling with the vulgar host,=
Is
in the common mass of matter lost! But now let sleep the painful waste repa=
ir Of
sad reflection and corroding care." He ceased; the menial fair that ro=
und
her wait, At Helen's beck prepare the room of state; Beneath an ample porti=
co
they spread The downy fleece to form the slumberous bed; And o'er soft pall=
s of
purple grain unfold Rich tapestry, stiff with interwoven gold: Then, through
the illumined dome, to balmy rest The obsequious herald guides each princely
guest; While to his regal bower the king ascends, And beauteous Helen on her
lord attends. Soon as the morn, in orient purple dress'd, Unbarr'd the port=
al
of the roseate east, The monarch rose; magnificent to view, The imperial ma=
ntle
o'er his vest he threw; The glittering zone athwart his shoulders cast, A
starry falchion low-depending graced; Clasp'd on his feet the embroidered
sandals shine; And forth he moves, majestic and divine, Instant to young
Telemachus he press'd; And thus benevolent his speech addressed:
"Say, royal youth, sincere of soul report=
Whit
cause hath led you to the Spartan court? Do public or domestic care constra=
in This
toilsome voyage o'er the surgy main?"
"O highly-flavour'd delegate of Jove! (Re=
plies
the prince) inflamed with filial love, And anxious hope, to hear my parent's
doom, A suppliant to your royal court I come: Our sovereign seat a lewd
usurping race With lawless riot and misrule disgrace; To pamper'd insolence
devoted fall Prime of the flock, and choicest of the stall: For wild ambiti=
on
wings their bold desire, And all to mount the imperial bed aspire. But
prostrate I implore, O king! relate The mournful series of my father's fate=
: Each
known disaster of the man disclose, Born by his mother to a world of woes! =
Recite
them; nor in erring pity fear To wound with storied grief the filial ear. If
e'er Ulysses, to reclaim your right, Avow'd his zeal in council or in fight=
, If
Phrygian camps the friendly toils attest, To the sire's merit give the son's
request."
Deep from his inmost soul Atrides sigh'd, And
thus, indignant, to the prince replied: "Heavens! would a soft,
inglorious, dastard train An absent hero's nuptial joys profane! So with her
young, amid the woodland shades, A timorous hind the lion's court invades, =
Leaves
in the fatal lair the tender fawns, Climbs the green cliff, or feeds the
flowery lawns: Meantime return'd, with dire remorseless sway, The
monarch-savage rends the trembling prey. With equal fury, and with equal fa=
me, Ulysses
soon shall reassert his claim. O Jove supreme, whom gods and men revere! And
thou! to whom 'tis given to gild the sphere! With power congenial join'd,
propitious aid The chief adopted by the martial maid! Such to our wish the
warrior soon restore, As when contending on the Lesbian shore His prowess
Philomelidies confess'd, And loud-acclaiming Greeks the victor bless'd; Then
soon the invaders of his bed and throne Their love presumptuous shall with =
life
atone. With patient ear, O royal youth, attend The storied labour of thy
father's friend: Fruitful of deeds, the copious tale is long, But truth sev=
ere
shall dictate to my tongue: Learn what I heard the sea-born seer relate, Wh=
ose
eye can pierce the dark recess of fate.
"Long on the Egyptian coast by calms
confined, Heaven to my fleet refused a prosperous wind; No vows had we
preferr'd, nor victims slain! For this the gods each favouring gale restrai=
n Jealous,
to see their high behests obey'd; Severe, if men the eternal rights evade. =
High
o'er a gulfy sea, the Pharian isle Fronts the deep roar of disemboguing Nil=
e: Her
distance from the shore, the course begun At dawn, and ending with the sett=
ing
sun, A galley measures; when the stiffer gales Rise on the poop, and fully
stretch the sails. There, anchor'd vessels safe in harbour lie, Whilst limp=
id
springs the failing cask supply.
"And now the twentieth sun, descending, l=
aves
His glowing axle in the western waves: Still with expanded sails we court in
vain Propitious winds to waft us o'er the main; And the pale mariner at once
deplores His drooping vigour and exhausted stores. When lo! a bright cerule=
an
form appears, Proteus her sire divine. With pity press'd, Me sole the daugh=
ter
of the deep address'd; What time, with hunger pined, my absent mates Roam t=
he
wide isle in search of rural cates, Bait the barb'd steel, and from the fis=
hy
flood Appease the afflictive fierce desire of food."
"'Whoe'er thou art (the azure goddess cri=
es) Thy
conduct ill-deserves the praise of wise: Is death thy choice, or misery thy
boast, That here inglorious, on a barren coast, Thy brave associates droop,=
a
meagre train, With famine pale, and ask thy care in vain?' "Struck with
the loud reproach, I straight reply: 'Whate'er thy title in thy native sky,=
A
goddess sure! for more than moral grace Speaks thee descendant of ethereal
race; Deem not that here of choice my fleet remains; Some heavenly power av=
erse
my stay constrains: O, piteous of my fate, vouchsafe to show (For what's
sequester'd from celestial view?) What power becalms the innavigable seas? =
What
guilt provokes him, and what vows appease?'
"I ceased, when affable the goddess cried=
: 'Observe,
and in the truths I speak confide; The oracular seer frequents the Pharian
coast, From whose high bed my birth divine I boast; Proteus, a name tremend=
ous
o'er the main, The delegate of Neptune's watery reign. Watch with insidious
care his known abode; There fast in chains constrain the various god; Who
bound, obedient to superior force, Unerring will prescribe your destined
course. If, studious on your realms, you then demand Their state, since last
you left your natal land, Instant the god obsequious will disclose Bright
tracts of glory or a cloud of woes.'
"She ceased; and suppliant thus I made re=
ply:
'O goddess I on thy aid my hopes rely; Dictate propitious to my duteous ear=
, What
arts can captivate the changeful seer; For perilous the assay, unheard the
toil, To elude the prescience of a god by guile.'
"Thus to the goddess mild my suit I end. =
Then
she: 'Obedient to my rule attend: When through the zone of heaven the mount=
ed
sun Hath journeyed half, and half remains to run; The seer, while zephyrs c=
url
the swelling deep, Basks on the breezy shore, in grateful sleep, His oozy
limbs. Emerging from the wave, The Phocas swift surround his rocky cave, Fr=
equent
and full; the consecrated train Of her, whose azure trident awes the main; =
There
wallowing warm, the enormous herd exhales An oily steam, and taints the
noontide gales. To that recess, commodious for surprise, When purple light
shall next suffuse the skies, With me repair; and from thy warrior-band Thr=
ee
chosen chiefs of dauntless soul command; Let their auxiliar force befriend =
the
toil; For strong the god, and perfected in guile. Strech'd on the shelly sh=
ore,
he first surveys The flouncing herd ascending from the seas; Their number
summ'd, reposed in sleep profound The scaly charge their guardian god surro=
und;
So with his battening flocks the careful swain Abides pavilion'd on the gra=
ssy
plain. With powers united, obstinately bold, Invade him, couch'd amid the s=
caly
fold; Instant he wears, elusive of the rape, The mimic force of every savage
shape; Or glides with liquid lapse a murmuring stream, Or, wrapp'd in flame=
, he
glows at every limb. Yet, still retentive, with redoubled might, Through ea=
ch
vain passive form constrain his flight But when, his native shape renamed, =
he
stands Patient of conquest, and your cause demands; The cause that urged the
bold attempt declare, And soothe the vanquish'd with a victor's prayer. The
bands releas'd, implore the seer to say What godhead interdicts the watery =
way.
Who, straight propitious, in prophetic strain Will teach you to repass the
unmeasured main. She ceased, and bounding from the shelfy shore, Round the
descending nymph the waves resounding roar.
"High wrapp'd in wonder of the future dee=
d, with
joy impetuous to the port I speed: The wants of nature with repast suffice,=
Till
night with grateful shade involved the skies, And shed ambrosial dews. Fast=
by
the deep, Along the tented shore, in balmy sleep, Our cares were lost. When
o'er the eastern lawn, In saffron robes, the daughter of the dawn Advanced =
her
rosy steps, before the bay Due ritual honours to the gods I pay; Then seek =
the
place the sea-born nymph assign'd, With three associates of undaunted mind.=
Arrived,
to form along the appointed strand For each a bed, she scoops the hilly san=
d; Then,
from her azure cave the finny spoils Of four vast Phocae takes, to veil her
wiles; Beneath the finny spoils extended prone, Hard toil! the prophet's
piercing eye to shun; New from the corse, the scaly frauds diffuse Unsavoury
stench of oil, and brackish ooze; But the bright sea-maid's gentle power
implored, With nectar'd drops the sickening sense restored.
"Thus till the sun had travell'd half the
skies, Ambush'd we lie, and wait the bold emprise; When, thronging quick to
bask in open air, The flocks of ocean to the strand repair; Couch'd on the
sunny sand, the monsters sleep; Then Proteus, mounting from the hoary deep,=
Surveys
his charge, unknowing of deceit; (In order told, we make the sum complete.)=
Pleased
with the false review, secure he lies, And leaden slumbers press his droopi=
ng
eyes. Rushing impetuous forth, we straight prepare A furious onset with the
sound of war, And shouting seize the god; our force to evade, His various a=
rts
he soon resumes in aid; A lion now, he curls a surgy mane; Sudden our hands=
a
spotted paid restrain; Then, arm'd with tusks, and lightning in his eyes, A
boar's obscener shape the god belies; On spiry volumes, there a dragon ride=
s; Here,
from our strict embrace a stream he glides. At last, sublime, his stately
growth he rears A tree, and well-dissembled foliage wears. Vain efforts with
superior power compress'd, Me with reluctance thus the seer address'd; 'Say,
son of Atreus, say what god inspired This daring fraud, and what the boon
desired?' I thus: 'O thou, whose certain eye foresees The fix'd event of fa=
te's
remote decrees; After long woes, and various toil endured, Still on this de=
sert
isle my fleet is moor'd, Unfriended of the gales. All-knowing, say, What godhead
interdicts the watery way? What vows repentant will the power appease, To s=
peed
a prosperous voyage o'er the seas.'
"'To Jove (with stern regard the god repl=
ies)
And all the offended synod of the skies, Just hecatombs with due devotion
slain, Thy guilt absolved, a prosperous voyage gain. To the firm sanction of
thy fate attend! An exile thou, nor cheering face of friend, Nor sight of n=
atal
shore, nor regal dome, Shalt yet enjoy, but still art doom'd to roam. Once =
more
the Nile, who from the secret source Of Jove's high seat descends with swee=
py
force, Must view his billows white beneath thy oar, And altars blaze along =
his
sanguine shore. Then will the gods with holy pomp adored, To thy long vows a
safe return accord.'
"He ceased: heart wounded with afflictive
pain, (Doom'd to repeat the perils of the main, A shelfy track and long!) 'O
seer' I cry, 'To the stern sanction of the offended sky My prompt obedience
bows. But deign to say What fate propitious, or what dire dismay, Sustain t=
hose
peers, the relics of our host, Whom I with Nestor on the Phrygian coast Emb=
racing
left? Must I the warriors weep, Whelm'd in the bottom of the monstrous deep=
? Or
did the kind domestic friend deplore The breathless heroes on their native
shore?
"'Press not too far,' replied the god: 'b=
ut
cease To know what, known, will violate thy peace; Too curious of their doo=
m!
with friendly woe Thy breast will heave, and tears eternal flow. Part live!=
the
rest, a lamentable train! Range the dark bounds of Pluto's dreary reign. Tw=
o,
foremost in the roll of Mars renown'd, Whose arms with conquest in thy cause
were crown'd, Fell by disastrous fate: by tempests toss'd, A third lives
wretched on a distant coast.
"By Neptune rescued from Minerva's hate, =
On
Gyrae, safe Oilean Ajax sate, His ship o'erwhelm'd; but, frowning on the
floods, Impious he roar'd defiance to the gods; To his own prowess all the
glory gave: The power defrauding who vouchsafed to save. This heard the rag=
ing
ruler of the main; His spear, indignant for such high disdain, He launched;
dividing with his forky mace The aerial summit from the marble base: The ro=
ck
rush'd seaward, with impetuous roar Ingulf'd, and to the abyss the boaster
bore.
"By Juno's guardian aid, the watery vast,=
Secure
of storms, your royal brother pass'd, Till, coasting nigh the cape where Ma=
len
shrouds Her spiry cliffs amid surrounding clouds, A whirling gust tumultuous
from the shore Across the deep his labouring vessel bore. In an ill-fated h=
our
the coast he gain'd, Where late in regal pomp Thyestes reigned; But, when h=
is
hoary honours bow'd to fate, Aegysthus govern'd in paternal state, The surg=
es
now subside, the tempest ends; From his tall ship the king of men descends;=
There
fondly thinks the gods conclude his toil: Far from his own domain salutes t=
he
soil; With rapture oft the urge of Greece reviews, And the dear turf with t=
ears
of joy bedews. Him, thus exulting on the distant stand, A spy distinguish'd
from his airy stand; To bribe whose vigilance, Aegysthus told A mighty sum =
of
ill-persuading gold: There watch'd this guardian of his guilty fear, Till t=
he
twelfth moon had wheel'd her pale career; And now, admonish'd by his eye, to
court With terror wing'd conveys the dread report. Of deathful arts expert,=
his
lord employs The ministers of blood in dark surprise; And twenty youths, in
radiant mail incased, Close ambush'd nigh the spacious hall he placed. Then
bids prepare the hospitable treat: Vain shows of love to veil his felon hat=
e! To
grace the victor's welcome from the wars, A train of coursers and triumphal
cars Magnificent he leads: the royal guest, Thoughtless of ill, accepts the
fraudful feast. The troop forth-issuing from the dark recess, With homicidal
rage the king oppress! So, whilst he feeds luxurious in the stall, The
sovereign of the herd is doomed to fall, The partners of his fame and toils=
at
Troy, Around their lord, a mighty ruin, lie: Mix'd with the brave, the base
invaders bleed; Aegysthus sole survives to boast the deed."
He said: chill horrors shook my shivering soul=
, Rack'd
wish convulsive pangs in dust I roll; And hate, in madness of extreme despa=
ir, To
view the sun, or breathe the vital air. But when, superior to the rage of w=
oe, I
stood restored and tears had ceased to flow, Lenient of grief the pitying g=
od
began: 'Forget the brother, and resume the man. To Fate's supreme dispose t=
he
dead resign, That care be Fate's, a speedy passage thine Still lives the wr=
etch
who wrought the death deplored, But lives a victim for thy vengeful sword; =
Unless
with filial rage Orestes glow, And swift prevent the meditated blow: You ti=
mely
will return a welcome guest, With him to share the sad funereal feast."=
;
"He said: new thoughts my beating heart
employ, My gloomy soul receives a gleam of joy. Fair hope revives; and eage=
r I
address'd The prescient godhead to reveal the rest: 'The doom decreed of th=
ose
disastrous two I've heard with pain, but oh! the tale pursue; What third br=
ave
son of Mars the Fates constrain To roam the howling desert of the main; Or,=
in
eternal shade of cold he lies, Provoke new sorrows from these grateful eyes=
.'
"'That chief (rejoin'd the god) his race
derives From Ithaca, and wondrous woes survives; Laertes' son: girt with
circumfluous tides, He still calamitous constraint abides. Him in Calypso's
cave of late! view'd, When streaming grief his faded cheek bedow'd. But vain
his prayer, his arts are vain, to move The enamour'd goddess, or elude her
love: His vessel sunk, and dear companions lost, He lives reluctant on a
foreign coast. But oh, beloved by Heaven! reserved to thee A happier lot the
smiling Fates decree: Free from that law, beneath whose mortal sway Matter =
is
changed, and varying forms decay, Elysium shall be thine: the blissful plai=
ns Of
utmost earth, where Rhadamanthus reigns. Joys ever young, unmix'd with pain=
or
fear, Fill the wide circle of the eternal year: Stern winter smiles on that
auspicious clime: The fields are florid with unfading prime; From the bleak
pole no winds inclement blow, Mould the round hail, or flake the fleecy sno=
w; But
from the breezy deep the blest inhale The fragrant murmurs of the western g=
ale.
This grace peculiar will the gods afford To thee, the son of Jove, and
beauteous Helen's lord.'
"He ceased, and plunging in the vast
profound, Beneath the god and whirling billows bound. Then speeding back,
involved in various thought, My friends attending at the shore I sought, Ar=
rived,
the rage of hunger we control Till night with silent shade invests the pole=
; Then
lose the cares of life in pleasing rest. Soon as the morn reveals the rosea=
te
east, With sails we wing the masts, our anchors weigh, Unmoor the fleet, and
rush into the sea. Ranged on the banks, beneath our equal oars White curl t=
he
waves, and the vex'd ocean roars Then, steering backward from the Pharian i=
sle,
We gain the stream of Jove-descended Nile; There quit the ships, and on the
destined shore With ritual hecatombs the gods adore; Their wrath atoned, to
Agamemnon's name A cenotaph I raise of deathless fame. These rites to piety=
and
grief discharged, The friendly gods a springing gale enlarged; The fleet sw=
ift
tilting o'er the surges flew, Till Grecian cliffs appear'd a blissful view!=
"Thy patient ear hath heard me long relat=
e A
story, fruitful of disastrous fate. And now, young prince, indulge my fond
request; Be Sparta honoured with his royal guest, Till, from his eastern go=
al,
the joyous sun His twelfth diurnal race begins to run. Meantime my train the
friendly gifts prepare, The sprightly coursers and a polish'd car; With the=
se a
goblet of capacious mould, Figured with art to dignify the gold (Form'd for
libation to the gods), shall prove A pledge and monument of sacred love.&qu=
ot;
"My quick return (young Ithacus rejoin'd)=
, Damps
the warm wishes of my raptured mind; Did not my fate my needful haste
constrain, Charm'd by your speech so graceful and humane, Lost in delight t=
he
circling year would roll, While deep attention fix'd my listening soul. But=
now
to Pyle permit my destined way, My loved associates chide my long delay: In
dear remembrance of your royal grace, I take the present of the promised va=
se; The
coursers, for the champaign sports retain; That gift our barren rocks will
render vain: Horrid with cliffs, our meagre land allows Thin herbage for the
mountain goat to browse, But neither mead nor plain supplies, to feed The
sprightly courser, or indulge his speed: To sea-surrounded realms the gods
assign Small tract of fertile lawn, the least to mine."
His hand the king with tender passion press'd,=
And,
smiling, thus the royal youth address'd: "O early worth! a soul so wis=
e,
and young, Proclaims you from the sage Ulysses sprung. Selected from my sto=
res,
of matchless price, An urn shall recompense your prudent choice; By Vulcan's
art, the verge with gold enchased. A pledge the sceptred power of Sidon gav=
e, When
to his realm I plough'd the orient wave."
Thus they alternate; while, with artful care, =
The
menial train the regal feast prepare. The firstlings of the flock are doom'=
d to
die: Rich fragrant wines the cheering bowl supply; A female band the gift of
Ceres bring; And the gilt roofs with genial triumph ring.
Meanwhile, in Ithaca, the suitor powers In act=
ive
games divide their jovial hours; In areas varied with mosaic art, Some whirl
the disk, and some the javelin dart, Aside, sequester'd from the vast resor=
t, Antinous
sole spectator of the sport; With great Eurymachus, of worth confess'd, And
high descent, superior to the rest; Whom young Noemon lowly thus address'd:=
--
"My ship, equipp'd within the neighboring
port, The prince, departing for the Pylian court, Requested for his speed; =
but,
courteous, say When steers he home, or why this long delay? For Elis I shou=
ld
sail with utmost speed. To import twelve mares which there luxurious feed, =
And
twelve young mules, a strong laborious race, New to the plow, unpractised in
the trace."
Unknowing of the course to Pyle design'd, A su= dden horror seized on either mind; The prince in rural bower they fondly thought= , Numbering his flocks and herds, not far remote. "Relate (Antinous cries), devoid= of guile, When spread the prince his sale for distant Pyle? Did chosen chiefs across the gulfy main Attend his voyage, or domestic train? Spontaneous did= you speed his secret course, Or was the vessel seized by fraud or force?"<= o:p>
"With willing duty, not reluctant mind (N=
oemon
cried), the vessel was resign'd, Who, in the balance, with the great affair=
s Of
courts presume to weigh their private cares? With him, the peerage next in
power to you; And Mentor, captain of the lordly crew, Or some celestial in =
his
reverend form, Safe from the secret rock and adverse storm, Pilot's the cou=
rse;
for when the glimmering ray Of yester dawn disclosed the tender day, Mentor
himself I saw, and much admired," Then ceased the youth, and from the =
court
retired.
Confounded and appall'd, the unfinish'd game T=
he
suitors quit, and all to council came. Antinous first the assembled peers
address'd. Rage sparkling in his eyes, and burning in his breast
"O shame to manhood! shall one daring boy=
The
scheme of all our happiness destroy? Fly unperceived, seducing half the flo=
wer Of
nobles, and invite a foreign power? The ponderous engine raised to crush us
all, Recoiling, on his head is sure to fall. Instant prepare me, on the
neighbouring strand, With twenty chosen mates a vessel mann'd; For ambush'd
close beneath the Samian shore His ship returning shall my spies explore; He
soon his rashness shall with life atone, Seek for his father's fate, but fi=
nd
his own."
With vast applause the sentence all approve; T=
hen
rise, and to the feastful hall remove; Swift to the queen the herald Medon =
ran,
Who heard the consult of the dire divan: Before her dome the royal matron
stands, And thus the message of his haste demands;
"What will the suitors? must my servant-t=
rain
The allotted labours of the day refrain, For them to form some exquisite
repast? Heaven grant this festival may prove their last! Or, if they still =
must
live, from me remove The double plague of luxury and love! Forbear, ye sons=
of
insolence! forbear, In riot to consume a wretched heir. In the young soul
illustrious thought to raise, Were ye not tutor'd with Ulysses' praise? Have
not your fathers oft my lord defined, Gentle of speech, beneficent of mind?=
Some
kings with arbitrary rage devour, Or in their tyrant-minions vest the power=
; Ulysses
let no partial favours fall, The people's parent, he protected all; But abs=
ent
now, perfidious and ingrate! His stores ye ravage, and usurp his state.&quo=
t;
He thus: "O were the woes you speak the worst! They form a deed more odious and accursed; More dreadful than your boding soul divines; But pitying Jove avert the dire designs! The darling object of your royal care Is marked to perish in a deathful snare; Before he anchors in his native port, From Pyle re-sailing and the Spartan court; Hor= rid to speak! in ambush is decreed The hope and heir of Ithaca to bleed!"<= o:p>
Sudden she sunk beneath the weighty woes, The
vital streams a chilling horror froze; The big round tear stands trembling =
in
her eye, And on her tongue imperfect accents die. At length in tender langu=
age
interwove With sighs, she thus expressed her anxious love; "Why rarely
would my son his fate explore, Ride the wild waves, and quit the safer shor=
e? Did
he with all the greatly wretched, crave A blank oblivion, and untimely
grave?"
"Tis not (replied the sage) to Medon give=
n To
know, if some inhabitant of heaven In his young breast the daring thought
inspired Or if, alone with filial duty fired, The winds end waves he tempts=
in
early bloom, Studious to learn his absent father's doom."
The sage retired: unable to control The mighty
griefs that swell her labouring soul Rolling convulsive on the floor is see=
n The
piteous object of a prostrate queen. Words to her dumb complaint a pause
supplies, And breath, to waste in unavailing cries. Around their sovereign =
wept
the menial fair, To whom she thus address'd her deep despair:
"Behold a wretch whom all the gods consig=
n To
woe! Did ever sorrows equal mine? Long to my joys my dearest lord is lost, =
His
country's buckler, and the Grecian boast; Now from my fond embrace, by temp=
ests
torn, Our other column of the state is borne; Nor took a kind adieu, nor so=
ught
consent!-- Unkind confederates in his dire intent! Ill suits it with your s=
hows
of duteous zeal, From me the purposed voyage to conceal; Though at the sole=
mn
midnight hour he rose, Why did you fear to trouble my repose? He either had
obey'd my fond desire, Or seen his mother pierced with grief expire. Bid Do=
lius
quick attend, the faithful slave Whom to my nuptial train Icarius gave To t=
end
the fruit groves: with incessant speed He shall this violence of death decr=
eed To
good Laertes tell. Experience=
d age May
timely intercept the ruffian rage. Convene the tribes the murderous plot
reveal, And to their power to save his race appeal."
Then Euryclea thus: "My dearest dread; Th=
ough
to the sword I bow this hoary head, Or if a dungeon be the pain decreed, I =
own
me conscious of the unpleasing deed; Auxiliar to his flight, my aid implore=
d, With
wine and viands I the vessel stored; A solemn oath, imposed, the secret sea=
l'd,
Till the twelfth dawn the light of day reveal'd. Dreading the effect of a f=
ond
mother's fear, He dared not violate your royal ear. But bathe, and, in impe=
rial
robes array'd, Pay due devotions to the martial maid, And rest affianced in=
her
guardian aid. Send not to good Laertes, nor engage In toils of state the
miseries of age: Tis impious to surmise the powers divine To ruin doom the
Jove-descended line; Long shall the race of just Arcesius reign, And isles
remote enlarge his old domain."
The queen her speech with calm attention hears=
, Her
eyes restrain the silver-streaming tears: She bathes, and robed, the sacred
dome ascends; Her pious speed a female train attends: The salted cakes in
canisters are laid, And thus the queen invokes Minerva's aid;
"Daughter divine of Jove, whose arm can w= ield The avenging bolt, and shake the dreadful shield If e'er Ulysses to thy fane preferr'd The best and choicest of his flock and herd; Hear, goddess, hear,= by those oblations won; And for the pious sire preserve the son; His wish'd re= turn with happy power befriend, And on the suitors let thy wrath descend."<= o:p>
She ceased; shrill ecstasies of joy declare The
favouring goddess present to the prayer; The suitors heard, and deem'd the =
mirthful
voice A signal of her hymeneal choice; Whilst one most jovial thus accosts =
the
board:
"Too late the queen selects a second lord=
; In
evil hour the nuptial rite intends, When o'er her son disastrous death
impends." Thus he, unskill'd of what the fates provide! But with severe
rebuke Antinous cried:
"These empty vaunts will make the voyage
vain: Alarm not with discourse the menial train: The great event with silent
hope attend, Our deeds alone our counsel must commend." His speech thus
ended short, he frowning rose, And twenty chiefs renowned for valour chose;=
Down
to the strand he speeds with haughty strides, Where anchor'd in the bay the
vessel rides, Replete with mail and military store, In all her tackle trim =
to
quit the shore. The desperate crew ascend, unfurl the sails (The seaward pr=
ow
invites the tardy gales); Then take repast till Hesperus display'd His gold=
en
circlet, in the western shade.
Meantime the queen, without reflection due, He=
art-wounded,
to the bed of state withdrew: In her sad breast the prince's fortunes roll,=
And
hope and doubt alternate seize her soul. So when the woodman's toil her cave
surrounds, And with the hunter's cry the grove resounds, With grief and rage
the mother-lion stung. Fearless herself, yet trembles for her young While
pensive in the silent slumberous shade, Sleep's gentle powers her drooping =
eyes
invade; Minerva, life-like, on embodied air Impress'd the form of Iphthima =
the
fair; (Icarius' daughter she, whose blooming charms Allured Eumelus to her
virgin arms; A sceptred lord, who o'er the fruitful plain Of Thessaly wide
stretched his ample reign:) As Pallas will'd, along the sable skies, To calm
the queen, the phantom sister flies. Swift on the regal dome, descending ri=
ght,
The bolted valves are pervious to her flight. Close to her head the pleasing
vision stands, And thus performs Minerva's high commands
"O why, Penelope, this causeless fear, To
render sleep's soft blessing unsincere? Alike devote to sorrow's dire extre=
me The
day-reflection, and the midnight-dream! Thy son the gods propitious will
restore, And bid thee cease his absence to deplore."
To whom the queen (whilst yet in pensive mind =
Was
in the silent gates of sleep confined): "O sister to my soul forever d=
ear,
Why this first visit to reprove my fear? How in a realm so distant should y=
ou
know From what deep source ceaseless sorrows flow? To all my hope my royal =
lord
is lost, His country's buckler, and the Grecian boast; And with consummate =
woe
to weigh me down, The heir of all his honours and his crown, My darling son=
is
fled! an easy prey To the fierce storms, or men more fierce than they; Who,=
in
a league of blood associates sworn, Will intercept the unwary youth's
return."
"Courage resume (the shadowy form replied=
); In
the protecting care of Heaven confide; On him attends the blue eyed martial
maid: What earthly can implore a surer aid? Me now the guardian goddess dei=
gns
to send, To bid thee patient his return attend."
The queen replies: "If in the blest abode=
s, A
goddess, thou hast commerce with the gods; Say, breathes my lord the blissf=
ul
realm of light, Or lies he wrapp'd in ever-during night?"
"Inquire not of his doom, (the phantom
cries,) I speak not all the counsel of the skies; Nor must indulge with vain
discourse, or long, The windy satisfaction of the tongue."
Swift through the valves the visionary fair Re=
pass'd,
and viewless mix'd with common air. The queen awakes, deliver'd of her woes=
; With
florid joy her heart dilating glows: The vision, manifest of future fate, M=
akes
her with hope her son's arrival wait.
Meantime the suitors plough the watery plain, =
Telemachus
in thought already slain! When sight of lessening Ithaca was lost Their sail
directed for the Samian coast A small but verdant isle appear'd in view, And
Asteris the advancing pilot knew; An ample port the rocks projected form, To
break the rolling waves and ruffling storm: That safe recess they gain with
happy speed, And in close ambush wait the murderous deed.
Pallas in a council of the gods complains of t=
he
detention of Ulysses in the Island of Calypso: whereupon Mercury is sent to=
command
his removal. The seat of Calypso described. She consents with much difficul=
ty;
and Ulysses builds a vessel with his own hands, in which he embarks. Neptune
overtakes him with a terrible tempest, in which he is shipwrecked, and in t=
he
last danger of death; till Lencothea, a sea-goddess, assists him, and, afte=
r innumerable
perils, he gets ashore on Phaeacia.
The saffron morn, with early blushes spread, N=
ow
rose refulgent from Tithonus' bed; With new-born day to gladden mortal sigh=
t, And
gild the courts of heaven with sacred light. Then met the eternal synod of =
the
sky, Before the god, who thunders from on high, Supreme in might, sublime in
majesty. Pallas, to these, deplores the unequal fates Of wise Ulysses and h=
is
toils relates: Her hero's danger touch'd the pitying power, The nymph's
seducements, and the magic bower. Thus she began her plaint: "Immortal Jove! And you who f=
ill
the blissful seats above! Let kings no more with gentle mercy sway, Or bles=
s a
people willing to obey, But crush the nations with an iron rod, And every
monarch be the scourge of God. If from your thoughts Ulysses you remove, Who
ruled his subjects with a father's love, Sole in an isle, encircled by the
main, Abandon'd, banish'd from his native reign, Unbless'd he sighs, detain=
ed
by lawless charms, And press'd unwilling in Calypso's arms. Nor friends are
there, nor vessels to convey, Nor oars to cut the immeasurable way. And now
fierce traitors, studious to destroy His only son, their ambush'd fraud emp=
loy;
Who, pious, following his great father's fame, To sacred Pylos and to Sparta
came."
"What words are these? (replied the power=
who
forms The clouds of night, and darkens heaven with storms;) Is not already =
in
thy soul decreed, The chief's return shall make the guilty bleed? What cann=
ot
Wisdom do? Thou may'st restore The son in safety to his native shore; While=
the
fell foes, who late in ambush lay, With fraud defeated measure back their
way."
Then thus to Hermes the command was given: &qu=
ot;Hermes,
thou chosen messenger of heaven! Go, to the nymph be these our orders borne=
'Tis
Jove's decree, Ulysses shall return: The patient man shall view his old abo=
des,
Nor helped by mortal hand, nor guiding gods In twice ten days shall fertile
Scheria find, Alone, and floating to the wave and wind. The bold Phaecians
there, whose haughty line Is mixed with gods, half human, half divine, The
chief shall honour as some heavenly guest, And swift transport him to his p=
lace
of rest, His vessels loaded with a plenteous store Of brass, of vestures, a=
nd
resplendent ore (A richer prize than if his joyful isle Received him charged
with Ilion's noble spoil), His friends, his country, he shall see, though l=
ate:
Such is our sovereign will, and such is fate."
He spoke. The god who mounts the winged winds =
Fast
to his feet the golden pinions binds, That high through fields of air his
flight sustain O'er the wide earth, and o'er the boundless main: He grasps =
the
wand that causes sleep to fly, Or in soft slumber seals the wakeful eye; Th=
en
shoots from heaven to high Pieria's steep, And stoops incumbent on the roll=
ing
deep. So watery fowl, that seek their fishy food, With wings expanded o'er =
the
foaming flood, Now sailing smooth the level surface sweep, Now dip their
pinions in the briny deep; Thus o'er the word of waters Hermes flew, Till n=
ow
the distant island rose in view: Then, swift ascending from the azure wave,=
he
took the path that winded to the cave. Large was the grot, in which the nym=
ph
he found (The fair-hair'd nymph with every beauty crown'd). The cave was
brighten'd with a rising blaze; Cedar and frankincense, an odorous pile, Fl=
amed
on the hearth, and wide perfumed the isle; While she with work and song the
time divides, And through the loom the golden shuttle guides. Without the g=
rot
a various sylvan scene Appear'd around, and groves of living green; Poplars=
and
alders ever quivering play'd, And nodding cypress form'd a fragrant shade: =
On
whose high branches, waving with the storm, The birds of broadest wing their
mansions form,-- The chough, the sea-mew, the loquacious crow,-- and scream
aloft, and skim the deeps below. Depending vines the shelving cavern screen=
. With
purple clusters blushing through the green. Four limped fountains from the
clefts distil: And every fountain pours a several rill, In mazy windings
wandering down the hill: Where bloomy meads with vivid greens were crown'd,=
And
glowing violets threw odours round. A scene, where, if a god should cast his
sight, A god might gaze, and wander with delight! Joy touch'd the messenger=
of
heaven: he stay'd Entranced, and all the blissful haunts surveyed. Him,
entering in the cave, Calypso knew; For powers celestial to each other's vi=
ew Stand
still confess'd, though distant far they lie To habitants of earth, or sea,=
or
sky. But sad Ulysses, by himself apart, Pour'd the big sorrows of his swell=
ing
heard; All on the lonely shore he sate to weep, And roll'd his eyes around =
the
restless deep: Toward his loved coast he roll'd his eyes in vain, Till, dim=
m'd
with rising grief, they stream'd again.
Now graceful seated on her shining throne, To
Hermes thus the nymph divine begun:
"God of the golden wand! on what behest A=
rrivest
thou here, an unexpected guest? Loved as thou art, thy free injunctions lay=
; 'Tis
mine with joy and duty to obey. Till now a stranger, in a happy hour Approa=
ch,
and taste the dainties of my bower."
Thus having spoke, the nymph the table spread =
(Ambrosial
cates, with nectar rosy-red); Hermes the hospitable rite partook, Divine
refection! then, recruited, spoke:
"What moves this journey from my native s=
ky, A
goddess asks, nor can a god deny. Hear then the truth. By mighty Jove's com=
mand
Unwilling have I trod this pleasing land: For who, self-moved, with weary w=
ing
would sweep Such length of ocean and unmeasured deep; A world of waters! far
from all the ways Where men frequent, or sacred altars blaze! But to Jove's
will submission we must pay; What power so great to dare to disobey? A man,=
he
says, a man resides with thee, Of all his kind most worn with misery. The
Greeks, (whose arms for nine long year employ'd Their force on Ilion, in the
tenth destroy'd,) At length, embarking in a luckless hour, With conquest pr=
oud,
incensed Minerva's power: Hence on the guilty race her vengeance hurl'd, Wi=
th
storms pursued them through the liquid world. There all his vessels sunk
beneath the wave! There all his dear companions found their grave! Saved fr=
om
the jaws of death by Heaven's decree, The tempest drove him to these shores=
and
thee. Him, Jove now orders to his native lands Straight to dismiss: so dest=
iny
commands: Impatient Fate his near return attends, And calls him to his coun=
try,
and his friends."
E'en to her inmost soul the goddess shook; Then
thus her anguish, and her passion broke: "Ungracious gods! with spite =
and
envy cursed! Still to your own ethereal race the worst! Ye envy mortal and
immortal joy, And love, the only sweet of life destroy, Did ever goddess by=
her
charms engage A favour'd mortal, and not feel your rage? So when Aurora sou=
ght
Orion's love, Her joys disturbed your blissful hours above, Till, in Ortygia
Dian's winged dart Had pierced the hapless hunter to the heart, So when the
covert of the thrice-eared field Saw stately Ceres to her passion yield, Sc=
arce
could Iasion taste her heavenly charms, But Jove's swift lightning scorched=
him
in her arms. And is it now my turn, ye mighty powers! Am I the envy of your
blissful bowers? A man, an outcast to the storm and wave, It was my crime to
pity, and to save; When he who thunders rent his bark in twain, And sunk his
brave companions in the main, Alone, abandon'd, in mid-ocean tossed, The sp=
ort
of winds, and driven from every coast, Hither this man of miseries I led, R=
eceived
the friendless, and the hungry fed; Nay promised (vainly promised) to besto=
w Immortal
life, exempt from age and woe. 'Tis past-and Jove decrees he shall remove; =
Gods
as we are, we are but slaves to Jove. Go then he must (he must, if he ordai=
n, Try
all those dangers, all those deeps, again); But never, never shall Calypso =
send
To toils like these her husband and her friend. What ships have I, what sai=
lors
to convey, What oars to cut the long laborious way? Yet I'll direct the saf=
est
means to go; That last advice is all I can bestow."
To her the power who hears the charming rod; &=
quot;Dismiss
the man, nor irritate the god; Prevent the rage of him who reigns above, For
what so dreadful as the wrath of Jove?" Thus having said, he cut the
cleaving sky, And in a moment vanished from her eye, The nymph, obedient to
divine command, To seek Ulysses, paced along the sand, Him pensive on the
lonely beach she found, With streaming eyes in briny torrents drown'd, And =
inly
pining for his native shore; For now the soft enchantress pleased no more; =
For
now, reluctant, and constrained by charms, Absent he lay in her desiring ar=
ms, In
slumber wore the heavy night away, On rocks and shores consumed the tedious
day; There sate all desolate, and sighed alone, With echoing sorrows made t=
he
mountains groan. And roll'd his eyes o'er all the restless main, Till, dimm=
ed
with rising grief, they strea=
med
again.
Here, on his musing mood the goddess press'd, =
Approaching
soft, and thus the chief address'd: "Unhappy man! to wasting woes a pr=
ey, No
more in sorrows languish life away: Free as the winds I give thee now to ro=
ve: Go,
fell the timber of yon lofty grove, And form a raft, and build the rising s=
hip,
Sublime to bear thee o'er the gloomy deep. To store the vessel let the care=
be
mine, With water from the rock and rosy wine, And life-sustaining bread, and
fair array, And prosperous gales to waft thee on the way. These, if the gods
with my desire comply (The gods, alas, more mighty far than I, And better
skill'd in dark events to come), In peace shall land thee at thy native
home."
With sighs Ulysses heard the words she spoke, =
Then
thus his melancholy silence broke: "Some other motive, goddess! sways =
thy
mind (Some close design, or turn of womankind), Nor my return the end, nor =
this
the way, On a slight raft to pass the swelling sea, Huge, horrid, vast! whe=
re
scarce in safety sails The best-built ship, though Jove inspires the gales.=
The
bold proposal how shall I fulfil, Dark as I am, unconscious of thy will? Sw=
ear,
then, thou mean'st not what my soul forebodes; Swear by the solemn oath that
binds the gods."
Him, while he spoke, with smiles Calypso eyed,=
And
gently grasp'd his hand, and thus replied: "This shows thee, friend, by
old experience taught, And learn'd in all the wiles of human thought, How p=
rone
to doubt, how cautious, are the wise! But hear, O earth, and hear, ye sacred
skies! And thou, O Styx! whose formidable floods Glide through the shades, =
and
bind the attesting gods! No form'd design, no meditated end, Lurks in the c=
ounsel
of thy faithful friend; Kind the persuasion, and sincere my aim; The same my
practice, were my fate the same. Heaven has not cursed me with a heart of
steel, But given the sense to pity, and to feel."
Thus having said, the goddess marched before: =
He
trod her footsteps in the sandy shore. At the cool cave arrived, they took
their state; He filled the throne where Mercury had sate. For him the nymph=
a
rich repast ordains, Such as the mortal life of man sustains; Before herself
were placed the the cates divine, Ambrosial banquet and celestial wine. The=
ir
hunger satiate, and their thirst repress'd, Thus spoke Calypso to her godli=
ke
guest:
"Ulysses! (with a sigh she thus began;) O
sprung from gods! in wisdom more than man! Is then thy home the passion of =
thy
heart? Thus wilt thou leave me, are we thus to part? Farewell! and ever joy=
ful
mayst thou be, Nor break the transport with one thought of me. But ah, Ulys=
ses!
wert thou given to know What Fate yet dooms these still to undergo, Thy hea=
rt
might settle in this scene of ease. And e'en these slighted charms might le=
arn
to please. A willing goddess, and immortal life. Might banish from thy mind=
an
absent wife. Am I inferior to a mortal dame? Less soft my feature less augu=
st
my frame? Or shall the daughters of mankind compare Their earth born beauti=
es
with the heavenly fair?"
"Alas! for this (the prudent man replies)=
Against
Ulysses shall thy anger rise? Loved and adored, O goddess as thou art, Forg=
ive
the weakness of a human heart. Though well I see thy graces far above The d=
ear,
though mortal, object of my love, Of youth eternal well the difference know=
, And
the short date of fading charms below; Yet every day, while absent thus I r=
oam,
I languish to return and die at home. Whate'er the gods shall destine me to
bear; In the black ocean or the watery war, 'Tis mine to master with a cons=
tant
mind; Inured to perils, to the worst resign'd, By seas, by wars, so many
dangers run; Still I can suffer; their high will he done!"
Thus while he spoke, the beamy sun descends, A=
nd
rising night her friendly shade extends, To the close grot the lonely pair
remove, And slept delighted with the gifts of love. When rose morning call'd
them from their rest, Ulysses robed him in the cloak and vest. The nymph's =
fair
head a veil transparent graced, Her swelling loins a radiant zone embraced =
With
flowers of gold; an under robe, unbound, In snowy waves flow'd glittering on
the ground. Forth issuing thus, she gave him first to wield A weighty axe w=
ith
truest temper steeled, And double-edged; the handle smooth and plain, Wroug=
ht
of the clouded olive's easy grain; And next, a wedge to drive with sweepy s=
way Then
to the neighboring forest led the way. On the lone island's utmost verge th=
ere
stood Of poplars, pine, and firs, a lofty wood, Whose leafless summits to t=
he
skies aspire, Scorch'd by the sun, or seared by heavenly fire (Already
dried). These pointing out to=
view,
The nymph just show'd him, and with tears withdrew.
Now toils the hero: trees on trees o'erthrown =
Fall
crackling round him, and the forests groan: Sudden, full twenty on the plain
are strow'd, And lopp'd and lighten'd of their branchy load. At equal angles
these disposed to join, He smooth'd and squared them by the rule and line, =
(The
wimbles for the work Calypso found) With those he pierced them and with
clinchers bound. Long and capacious as a shipwright forms Some bark's broad
bottom to out-ride the storms, So large he built the raft; then ribb'd it
strong From space to space, and nail'd the planks along; These form'd the
sides: the deck he fashion'd last; Then o'er the vessel raised the taper ma=
st, With
crossing sail-yards dancing in the wind; And to the helm the guiding rudder
join'd (With yielding osiers fenced, to break the force Of surging waves, a=
nd
steer the steady course). Thy loom, Calypso, for the future sails Supplied =
the
cloth, capacious of the gales. With stays and cordage last he rigged the sh=
ip, And,
roll'd on levers, launch'd her in the deep.
Four days were pass'd, and now the work comple=
te, Shone
the fifth morn, when from her sacred seat The nymph dismiss'd him (odorous
garments given), And bathed in fragrant oils that breathed of heaven: Then
fill'd two goatskins with her hands divine, With water one, and one with sa=
ble
wine: Of every kind, provisions heaved aboard; And the full decks with copi=
ous
viands stored. The goddess, last, a gentle breeze supplies, To curl old Oce=
an,
and to warm the skies.
And now, rejoicing in the prosperous gales, Wi=
th
beating heart Ulysses spreads his sails; Placed at the helm he sate, and ma=
rk'd
the skies, Nor closed in sleep his ever-watchful eyes. There view'd the
Pleiads, and the Northern Team, And great Orion's more refulgent beam. To
which, around the axle of the sky, The Bear, revolving, points his golden e=
ye: Who
shines exalted on the ethereal plain, Nor bathes his blazing forehead in the
main. Far on the left those radiant fires to keep The nymph directed, as he
sail'd the deep. Full seventeen nights he cut the foaming way: The distant =
land
appear'd the following day: Then swell'd to sight Phaeacia's dusky coast, A=
nd
woody mountains, half in vapours lost; That lay before him indistinct and v=
ast,
Like a broad shield amid the watery waste.
But him, thus voyaging the deeps below, From f=
ar,
on Solyme's aerial brow, The king of ocean saw, and seeing burn'd (From
AEthiopia's happy climes return'd); The raging monarch shook his azure head=
, And
thus in secret to his soul he said: "Heavens! how uncertain are the po=
wers
on high! Is then reversed the sentence of the sky, In one man's favour; whi=
le a
distant guest I shared secure the AEthiopian feast? Behold how near Phoenec=
ia's
land he draws; The land affix'd by Fate's eternal laws To end his toils. Is
then our anger vain? No; if this sceptre yet commands the main."
He spoke, and high the forky trident hurl'd, R=
olls
clouds on clouds, and stirs the watery world, At once the face of earth and=
sea
deforms, Swells all the winds, and rouses all the storms. Down rushed the
night: east, west, together roar; And south and north roll mountains to the
shore. Then shook the hero, to despair resign'd, And question'd thus his yet
unconquer'd mind;
"Wretch that I am! what farther fates att=
end This
life of toils, and what my destined end? Too well, alas! the island goddess
knew On the black sea what perils should ensue. New horrors now this destin=
ed
head inclose; Untill'd is yet the measure of my woes; With what a cloud the
brows of heaven are crown'd; What raging winds! what roaring waters round! =
'Tis
Jove himself the swelling tempest rears; Death, present death, on every side
appears. Happy! thrice happy! who, in battle slain, Press'd in Atrides' cau=
se
the Trojan plain! Oh! had I died before that well-fought wall! Had some
distinguish'd day renown'd my fall (Such as was that when showers of javeli=
ns
fled From conquering Troy around Achilles dead), All Greece had paid me sol=
emn
funerals then, And spread my glory with the sons of men. A shameful fate now
hides my hapless head, Unwept, unnoted, and for ever dead!"
A mighty wave rush'd o'er him as he spoke, The
raft is cover'd, and the mast is broke; Swept from the deck and from the ru=
dder
torn, Far on the swelling surge the chief was borne; While by the howling
tempest rent in twain Flew sail and sail-yards rattling o'er the main. Long=
-press'd,
he heaved beneath the weighty wave, Clogg'd by the cumbrous vest Calypso ga=
ve; At
length, emerging, from his nostrils wide And gushing mouth effused the briny
tide; E'en then not mindless of his last retreat, He seized the raft, and
leap'd into his seat, Strong with the fear of death. In rolling flood, Now here, now th=
ere,
impell'd the floating wood As when a heap of gather'd thorns is cast, Now t=
o,
now fro, before the autumnal blast; Together clung, it rolls around the fie=
ld; So
roll'd the float, and so its texture held: And now the south, and now the
north, bear sway, And now the east the foamy floods obey, And now the west =
wind
whirls it o'er the sea. The wandering chief with toils on toils oppress'd, =
Leucothea
saw, and pity touch'd her breast. (Herself a mortal once, of Cadmus' strain=
, But
now an azure sister of the main) Swift as a sea-mew springing from the floo=
d, All
radiant on the raft the goddess stood; Then thus address'd him: "Thou =
whom
heaven decrees To Neptune's wrath, stern tyrant of the seas! (Unequal conte=
st!)
not his rage and power, Great as he is, such virtue shall devour. What I
suggest, thy wisdom will perform: Forsake thy float, and leave it to the st=
orm;
Strip off thy garments; Neptune's fury brave With naked strength, and plunge
into the wave. To reach Phaeacia all thy nerves extend, There Fate decrees =
thy
miseries shall end. This heavenly scarf beneath thy bosom bind, And live; g=
ive
all thy terrors to the wind. Soon as thy arms the happy shore shall gain, R=
eturn
the gift, and cast it in the main: Observe my orders, and with heed obey, C=
ast
it far off, and turn thy eyes away."
With that, her hand the sacred veil bestows, T=
hen
down the deeps she dived from whence she rose; A moment snatch'd the shining
form away, And all was covered with the curling sea.
Struck with amaze, yet still to doubt inclined=
, He
stands suspended, and explores his mind: "What shall I do? unhappy me!=
who
knows But other gods intend me other woes? Whoe'er thou art, I shall not
blindly join Thy pleaded reason, but consult with mine: For scarce in ken
appears that distant isle Thy voice foretells me shall conclude my toil. Th=
us
then I judge: while yet the planks sustain The wild waves' fury, here I fix=
'd
remain: But, when their texture to the tempest yields, I launch adventurous=
on
the liquid fields, Join to the help of gods the strength of man, And take t=
his
method, since the best I can."
While thus his thoughts an anxious council hol=
d, The
raging god a watery mountain roll'd; Like a black sheet the whelming billows
spread, Burst o'er the float, and thunder'd on his head. Planks, beams,
disparted fly; the scatter'd wood Rolls diverse, and in fragments strews the
flood. So the rude Boreas, o'er the field new-shorn, Tosses and drives the
scatter'd heaps of corn. And now a single beam the chief bestrides: There
poised a while above the bounding tides, His limbs discumbers of the clingi=
ng
vest, And binds the sacred cincture round his breast: Then prone an ocean i=
n a
moment flung, Stretch'd wide his eager arms, and shot the seas along. All n=
aked
now, on heaving billows laid, Stern Neptune eyed him, and contemptuous said=
:
"Go, learn'd in woes, and other foes essa=
y! Go,
wander helpless on the watery way; Thus, thus find out the destined shore, =
and
then (If Jove ordains it) mix with happier men. Whate'er thy fate, the ills=
our
wrath could raise Shall last remember'd in thy best of days."
This said, his sea-green steeds divide the foa=
m, And
reach high Aegae and the towery dome. Now, scarce withdrawn the fierce
earth-shaking power, Jove's daughter Pallas watch'd the favouring hour. Bac=
k to
their caves she bade the winds to fly; And hush'd the blustering brethren of
the sky. The drier blasts alone of Boreas away, And bear him soft on broken
waves away; With gentle force impelling to that shore, Where fate has desti=
ned
he shall toil no more. And now, two nights, and now two days were pass'd, S=
ince
wide he wander'd on the watery waste; Heaved on the surge with intermitting
breath, And hourly panting in the arms of death. The third fair morn now bl=
azed
upon the main; Then glassy smooth lay all the liquid plain; The winds were
hush'd, the billows scarcely curl'd, And a dead silence still'd the watery
world; When lifted on a ridgy wave he spies The land at distance, and with
sharpen'd eyes. As pious children joy with vast delight When a loved sire
revives before their sight (Who, lingering along, has call'd on death in va=
in, Fix'd
by some demon to his bed of pain, Till heaven by miracle his life restore);=
So
joys Ulysses at the appearing shore; And sees (and labours onward as he see=
s) The
rising forests, and the tufted trees. And now, as near approaching as the s=
ound
Of human voice the listening ear may wound, Amidst the rocks he heard a hol=
low
roar Of murmuring surges breaking on the shore; Nor peaceful port was there,
nor winding bay, To shield the vessel from the rolling sea, But cliffs and
shaggy shores, a dreadful sight! All rough with rocks, with foamy billows
white. Fear seized his slacken'd limbs and beating heart, As thus he commun=
ed
with his soul apart;
"Ah me! when, o'er a length of waters tos=
s'd,
These eyes at last behold the unhoped-for coast, No port receives me from t=
he
angry main, But the loud deeps demand me back again. Above, sharp rocks for=
bid
access; around Roar the wild waves; beneath, is sea profound! No footing su=
re
affords the faithless sand, To stem too rapid, and too deep to stand. If he=
re I
enter, my efforts are vain, Dash'd on the cliffs, or heaved into the main; =
Or
round the island if my course I bend, Where the ports open, or the shores
descend, Back to the seas the rolling surge may sweep, And bury all my hopes
beneath the deep. Or some enormous whale the god may send (For many such an
Amphitrite attend); Too well the turns of mortal chance I know, And hate
relentless of my heavenly foe." While thus he thought, a monstrous wave
upbore The chief, and dash'd him on the craggy shore; Torn was his skin, nor
had the ribs been whole, But Instant Pallas enter'd in his soul. Close to t=
he
cliff with both his hands he clung, And stuck adherent, and suspended hung;=
Till
the huge surge roll'd off; then backward sweep The refluent tides, and plun=
ge
him in the deep. As when the polypus, from forth his cave Torn with full fo=
rce,
reluctant beats the wave, His ragged claws are stuck with stones and sands;=
So
the rough rock had shagg'd Ulysses hands, And now had perish'd, whelm'd ben=
eath
the main, The unhappy man; e'en fate had been in vain; But all-subduing Pal=
las
lent her power, And prudence saved him in the needful hour. Beyond the beat=
ing
surge his course he bore, (A wider circle, but in sight of shore), With lon=
ging
eyes, observing, to survey Some smooth ascent, or safe sequester'd bay. Bet=
ween
the parting rocks at length he spied A failing stream with gentler waters
glide; Where to the seas the shelving shore declined, And form'd a bay
impervious to the wind. To this calm port the glad Ulysses press'd, And hai=
l'd
the river, and its god address'd:
"Whoe'er thou art, before whose stream
unknown I bend, a suppliant at thy watery throne, Hear, azure king! nor let=
me
fly in vain To thee from Neptune and the raging main Heaven hears and pities
hapless men like me, For sacred even to gods is misery: Let then thy waters
give the weary rest, And save a suppliant, and a man distress'd."
He pray'd, and straight the gentle stream
subsides, Detains the rushing current of his tides, Before the wanderer smo=
oths
the watery way, And soft receives him from the rolling sea. That moment,
fainting as he touch'd the shore, He dropp'd his sinewy arms: his knees no =
more
Perform'd their office, or his weight upheld: His swoln heart heaved; his
bloated body swell'd: From mouth and nose the briny torrent ran; And lost in
lassitude lay all the man, Deprived of voice, of motion, and of breath; The
soul scarce waking in the arms of death. Soon as warm life its wonted office
found, The mindful chief Leucothea's scarf unbound; Observant of her word, =
he
turn'd aside HIs head, and cast it on the rolling tide. Behind him far, upon
the purple waves, The waters waft it, and the nymph receives.
Now parting from the stream, Ulysses found A m=
ossy
bank with pliant rushes crown'd; The bank he press'd, and gently kiss'd the
ground; Where on the flowery herb as soft he lay, Thus to his soul the sage
began to say:
"What will ye next ordain, ye powers on h=
igh!
And yet, ah yet, what fates are we to try? Here by the stream, if I the nig=
ht
out-wear, Thus spent already, how shall nature bear The dews descending, and
nocturnal air; Or chilly vapours breathing from the flood When morning rise=
s?--If
I take the wood, And in thick shelter of innumerous boughs Enjoy the comfort
gentle sleep allows; Though fenced from cold, and though my toil be pass'd,=
What
savage beasts may wander in the waste? Perhaps I yet may fall a bloody prey=
To
prowling bears, or lions in the way."
Thus long debating in himself he stood: At len=
gth
he took the passage to the wood, Whose shady horrors on a rising brow Waved
high, and frown'd upon the stream below. There grew two olives, closest of =
the
grove, With roots entwined, the branches interwove; Alike their leaves, but=
not
alike they smiled With sister-fruits; one fertile, one was wild. Nor here t=
he
sun's meridian rays had power, Nor wind sharp-piercing, nor the rushing sho=
wer;
The verdant arch so close its texture kept: Beneath this covert great Ulyss=
es
crept. Of gather'd leaves an ample bed he made (Thick strewn by tempest thr=
ough
the bowery shade); Where three at least might winter's cold defy, Though Bo=
reas
raged along the inclement sky. This store with joy the patient hero found, =
And,
sunk amidst them, heap'd the leaves around. As some poor peasant, fated to
reside Remote from neighbours in a forest wide, Studious to save what human
wants require, In embers heap'd, preserves the seeds of fire: Hid in dry
foliage thus Ulysses lies, Till Pallas pour'd soft slumbers on his eyes; And
golden dreams (the gift of sweet repose) Lull'd all his cares, and banish'd=
all
his woes.
Pallas appearing in a dream in to Nausicaa (the
daughter of Alcinous, king of Phaeacia, commands her to descend to the rive=
r, and
wash the robes of state, in preparation for her nuptials. Nausicaa goes with
her handmaidens to the river; where, while the garments are spread on the b=
ank,
they divert themselves in sports. Their voices awaken Ulysses, who, address=
ing
himself to the princess, is by her relieved and clothed, and receives
directions in what manner to apply to the king and queen of the island.
While thus the weary wanderer sunk to rest, And
peaceful slumbers calmed his anxious breast, The martial maid from heavens
aerial height Swift to Phaeacia wing'd her rapid flight, In elder times the
soft Phaeacian train In ease possess'd the wide Hyperian plain; Till the
Cyclopean race in arms arose A lawless nation of gigantic foes; Then great
Nausithous from Hyperia far, Through seas retreating from the sounds of war=
, The
recreant nation to fair Scheria led, Where never science rear'd her laurell=
'd
head; There round his tribes a strength of wall he raised; To heaven the
glittering domes and temples blazed; Just to his realms, he parted grounds =
from
grounds, And shared the lands, and gave the lands their bounds. Now in the
silent grave the monarch lay, And wise Alcinous held the legal sway.
To his high palace through the fields of air T=
he
goddess shot; Ulysses was her care. There, as the night in silence roll'd a=
way,
A heaven of charms divine Nausicaa lay: Through the thick gloom the shining
portals blaze; Two nymphs the portals guard, each nymph a Grace, Light as t=
he
viewless air the warrior maid Glides through the valves, and hovers round h=
er
head; A favourite virgin's blooming form she took, From Dymas sprung, and t=
hus
the vision spoke:
"Oh Indolent! to waste thy hours away! And
sleep'st thou careless of the bridal day! Thy spousal ornament neglected li=
es; Arise,
prepare the bridal train, arise! A just applause the cares of dress impart,=
And
give soft transport to a parent's heart. Haste, to the limpid stream direct=
thy
way, When the gay morn unveils her smiling ray; Haste to the stream! compan=
ion
of thy care, Lo, I thy steps attend, thy labours share. Virgin, awake! the
marriage hour is nigh, See from their thrones thy kindred monarchs sigh! The
royal car at early dawn obtain, And order mules obedient to the rein; For r=
ough
the way, and distant rolls the wave, Where their fair vests Phaeacian virgi=
ns
lave, In pomp ride forth; for pomp becomes the great And majesty derives a
grace from state." Then to the palaces of heaven she sails, Incumbent =
on
the wings of wafting gales; The seat of gods; the regions mild of peace, Fu=
ll
joy, and calm eternity of ease. There no rude winds presume to shake the sk=
ies,
No rains descend, no snowy vapours rise; But on immortal thrones the blest
repose; The firmament with living splendours glows. Hither the goddess wing=
ed
the aerial way, Through heaven's eternal gates that blazed with day.
Now from her rosy car Aurora shed The dawn, and
all the orient flamed with red. Up rose the virgin with the morning light, =
Obedient
to the vision of the night. The queen she sought, the queen her hours besto=
wed In
curious works; the whirling spindle glow'd With crimson threads, while busy
damsels call The snowy fleece, or twist the purpled wool. Meanwhile Phaeaci=
a's
peers in council sate; From his high dome the king descends in state; Then =
with
a filial awe the royal maid Approach'd him passing, and submissive said:
"Will my dread sire his ear regardful dei=
gn, And
may his child the royal car obtain? Say, with my garments shall I bend my w=
ay? Where
through the vales the mazy waters stray? A dignity of dress adorns the grea=
t, And
kings draw lustre from the robe of state. Five sons thou hast; three wait t=
he
bridal day. And spotless robes become the young and gay; So when with praise
amid the dance they shine, By these my cares adorn'd that praise is mine.&q=
uot;
Thus she: but blushes ill-restrain'd betray Her
thoughts intentive on the bridal day, The conscious sire the dawning blush
survey'd, And, smiling, thus bespoke the blooming maid "My child, my
darling joy, the car receive; That, and whate'er our daughter asks, we
give." Swift at the royal nod the attending train The car prepare, the
mules incessant rein, The blooming virgin with despatchful cares Tunics, and
stoles, and robes imperial, bears. The queen, assiduous to her train assign=
s The
sumptuous viands, and the flavorous wines. The train prepare a cruse of cur=
ious
mould, A cruse of fragrance, form'd of burnish'd gold; Odour divine! whose =
soft
refreshing streams Sleek the smooth skin, and scent the snowy limbs.
Now mounting the gay seat, the silken reins Sh=
ine
in her hand; along the sounding plains Swift fly the mules; nor rode the ny=
mph
alone; Around, a bevy of bright damsels shone. They seek the cisterns where
Phaeacian dames Wash their fair garments in the limpid streams; Where,
gathering into depth from falling rills, The lucid wave a spacious bason fi=
lls.
The mules, unharness'd, range beside the main, Or crop the verdant herbage =
of
the plain.
Then emulous the royal robes they lave, And pl=
unge
the vestures in the cleansing wave (The vestures cleansed o'erspread the sh=
elly
sand, Their snowy lustre whitens all the strand); Then with a short repast
relieve their toil, And o'er their limbs diffuse ambrosial oil; And while t=
he
robes imbibe the solar ray, O'er the green mead the sporting virgins play (=
Their
shining veils unbound). Along the skies, Toss'd and retoss'd, the ball
incessant flies. They sport, they feast; Nausicaa lifts her voice, And,
warbling sweet, makes earth and heaven rejoice.
As when o'er Erymanth Diana roves, Or wide
Tuygetus' resounding groves; A sylvan train the huntress queen surrounds, H=
er
rattling quiver from her shoulders sounds: Fierce in the sport, along the
mountain's brow They bay the boar, or chase the bounding roe; High o'er the
lawn, with more majestic pace, Above the nymphs she treads with stately gra=
ce; Distinguish'd
excellence the goddess proves; Exults Latona as the virgin moves. With equal
grace Nausicaa trod the plain, And shone transcendent o'er the beauteous tr=
ain.
Meantime (the care and favourite of the skies =
Wrapp'd
in imbowering shade, Ulysses lies, His woes forgot! but Pallas now address'=
d To
break the bands of all-composing rest. Forth from her snowy hand Nausicaa t=
hrew
The various ball; the ball erroneous flew And swam the stream; loud shrieks=
the
virgin train, And the loud shriek redoubles from the main. Waked by the
shrilling sound, Ulysses rose, And, to the deaf woods wailing, breathed his
woes:
"Ah me! on what inhospitable coast, On wh=
at
new region is Ulysses toss'd; Possess'd by wild barbarians fierce in arms; =
Or
men, whose bosom tender pity warms? What sounds are these that gather from =
he
shores? The voice of nymphs that haunt the sylvan bowers, The fair-hair'd
Dryads of the shady wood; Or azure daughters of the silver flood; Or human
voice? but issuing from the shades, Why cease I straight to learn what sound
invades?"
Then, where the grove with leaves umbrageous
bends, With forceful strength a branch the hero rends; Around his loins the
verdant cincture spreads A wreathy foliage and concealing shades. As when a
lion in the midnight hours, Beat by rude blasts, and wet with wintry shower=
s, Descends
terrific from the mountains brow; With living flames his rolling eye balls
glow; With conscious strength elate, he bends his way, Majestically fierce,=
to
seize his prey (The steer or stag;) or, with keen hunger bold, Spring o'er =
the
fence and dissipates the fold. No less a terror, from the neighbouring grov=
es (Rough
from the tossing surge) Ulysses moves; Urged on by want, and recent from the
storms; The brackish ooze his manly grace deforms. Wide o'er the shore with
many a piercing cry To rocks, to caves, the frightened virgins fly; All but=
the
nymph; the nymph stood fix'd alone, By Pallas arm'd with boldness not her o=
wn. Meantime
in dubious thought the king awaits, And, self-considering, as he stands,
debates; Distant his mournful story to declare, Or prostrate at her knee
address the prayer. But fearful to offend, by wisdom sway'd, At awful dista=
nce
he accosts the maid:
"If from the skies a goddess, or if earth=
(Imperial
virgin) boast thy glorious birth, To thee I bend! If in that bright disguis=
e Thou
visit earth, a daughter of the skies, Hail, Dian, hail! the huntress of the
groves So shines majestic, and so stately moves, So breathes an air divine!=
But
if thy race Be mortal, and this earth thy native place, Blest is the father
from whose loins you sprung, Blest is the mother at whose breast you hung. =
Blest
are the brethren who thy blood divide, To such a miracle of charms allied: =
Joyful
they see applauding princes gaze, When stately in the dance you swim the
harmonious maze. But blest o'er all, the youth with heavenly charms, Who cl=
asps
the bright perfection in his arms! Never, I never view'd till this blast ho=
ur Such
finish'd grace! I gaze, and I adore! Thus seems the palm with stately honou=
rs
crown'd By Phoebus' altars; thus o'erlooks the ground; The pride of Delos. =
(By
the Delian coast, I voyaged, leader of a warrior-host, But ah, how changed I
from thence my sorrow flows; O fatal voyage, source of all my woes;) Raptur=
ed I
stood, and as this hour amazed, With reverence at the lofty wonder gazed: R=
aptured
I stand! for earth ne'er knew to bear A plant so stately, or a nymph so fai=
r. Awed
from access, I lift my suppliant hands; For Misery, O queen! before thee
stands. Twice ten tempestuous nights I roll'd, resign'd To roaring blows, a=
nd
the warring wind; Heaven bade the deep to spare; but heaven, my foe, Spares
only to inflict some mightier woe. Inured to cares, to death in all its for=
ms; Outcast
I rove, familiar with the storms. Once more I view the face of human kind: =
Oh
let soft pity touch thy generous mind! Unconscious of what air I breathe, I
stand Naked, defenceless on a narrow land. Propitious to my wants a vest su=
pply
To guard the wretched from the inclement sky: So may the gods, who heaven a=
nd
earth control, Crown the chaste wishes of thy virtuous soul, On thy soft ho=
urs
their choicest blessings shed; Blest with a husband be thy bridal bed; Bles=
t be
thy husband with a blooming race, And lasting union crown your blissful day=
s. The
gods, when they supremely bless, bestow Firm union on their favourites belo=
w; Then
envy grieves, with inly-pining hate; The good exult, and heaven is in our
state."
To whom the nymph: "O stranger, cease thy
care; Wise is thy soul, but man is bore to bear; Jove weighs affairs of ear=
th
in dubious scales, And the good suffers, while the bad prevails. Bear, with=
a
soul resign'd, the will of Jove; Who breathes, must mourn: thy woes are from
above. But since thou tread'st our hospitable shore, 'Tis mine to bid the
wretched grieve no more, To clothe the naked, and thy way to guide. Know, t=
he
Phaecian tribes this land divide; From great Alcinous' royal loins I spring=
, A
happy nation, and a happy king."
Then to her maids: "Why, why, ye coward
train, These fears, this flight? ye fear, and fly in vain. Dread ye a foe?
dismiss that idle dread, 'Tis death with hostile step these shores to tread=
; Safe
in the love of heaven, an ocean flows Around our realm, a barrier from the
foes; 'Tis ours this son of sorrow to relieve, Cheer the sad heart, nor let
affliction grieve. By Jove the stranger and the poor are sent; And what to
those we give to Jove is lent. Then food supply, and bathe his fainting lim=
bs Where
waving shades obscure the mazy streams."
Obedient to the call, the chief they guide To =
the
calm current of the secret tide; Close by the stream a royal dress they lay=
, A
vest and robe, with rich embroidery gay; Then unguents in a vase of gold
supply, That breathed a fragrance through the balmy sky.
To them the king: "No longer I detain Your
friendly care: retire, ye virgin train! Retire, while from my wearied limbs=
I
lave The foul pollution of the briny wave. Ye gods! since this worn frame
refection know, What scenes have I surveyed of dreadful view! But, nymphs,
recede! sage chastity denies To raise the blush, or pain the modest eyes.&q=
uot;
The nymphs withdrawn, at once into the tide Ac=
tive
he bounds; the flashing waves divide O'er all his limbs his hands the waves
diffuse, And from his locks compress the weedy ooze; The balmy oil, a fragr=
ant
shower, be sheds; Then, dressed, in pomp magnificently treads. The
warrior-goddess gives his frame to shine With majesty enlarged, and air div=
ine:
Back from his brows a length of hair unfurls, His hyacinthine locks descend=
in
wavy curls. As by some artist, to whom Vulcan gives His skill divine, a
breathing statue lives; By Pallas taught, he frames the wondrous mould, And
o'er the silver pours the fusile gold So Pallas his heroic frame improves W=
ith
heavenly bloom, and like a god he moves. A fragrance breathes around; majes=
tic
grace Attends his steps: the astonished virgins gaze. Soft he reclines along
the murmuring seas, Inhaling freshness from the fanning breeze.
The wondering nymph his glorious port survey'd=
, And
to her damsels, with amazement, said:
"Not without care divine the stranger tre=
ads This
land of joy; his steps some godhead leads: Would Jove destroy him, sure he =
had
been driven Far from this realm, the favourite isle of heaven. Late, a sad
spectacle of woe, he trod The desert sands, and now be looks a god. Oh heav=
en!
in my connubial hour decree This man my spouse, or such a spouse as he! But
haste, the viands and the bowl provide." The maids the viands and the =
bowl
supplied: Eager he fed, for keen his hunger raged, And with the generous
vintage thirst assuaged.
Now on return her care Nausicaa bends, The rob=
es
resumes, the glittering car ascends, Far blooming o'er the field; and as she
press'd The splendid seat, the listening chief address'd:
"Stranger, arise! the sun rolls down the =
day.
Lo, to the palace I direct thy way; Where, in high state, the nobles of the
land Attend my royal sire, a radiant band But hear, though wisdom in thy so=
ul
presides, Speaks from thy tongue, and every action guides; Advance at dista=
nce,
while I pass the plain Where o'er the furrows waves the golden grain; Alone=
I
reascend--With airy mounds A strength of wall the guarded city bounds; The
jutting land two ample bays divides: Full through the narrow mouths descend=
the
tides; The spacious basons arching rocks enclose, A sure defence from every
storm that blows. Close to the bay great Neptune's fane adjoins; And near, a
forum flank'd with marble shines, Where the bold youth, the numerous fleets=
to
store, Shape the broad sail, or smooth the taper oar: For not the bow they
bend, nor boast the skill To give the feather'd arrow wings to kill; But the
tall mast above the vessel rear, Or teach the fluttering sail to float in a=
ir. They
rush into the deep with eager joy, Climb the steep surge, and through the
tempest fly; A proud, unpolish'd race--To me belongs The care to shun the b=
last
of slanderous tongues; Lest malice, prone the virtuous to defame, Thus with
wild censure taint my spotless name: 'What stranger this whom thus Nausicaa
leads! Heavens, with what graceful majesty he treads! Perhaps a native of s=
ome
distant shore, The future consort of her bridal hour: Or rather some descen=
dant
of the skies; Won by her prayer, the aerial bridegroom flies, Heaven on that
hour its choicest influence shed, That gave a foreign spouse to crown her b=
ed! All,
all the godlike worthies that adorn This realm, she flies: Phaeacia is her
scorn.' And just the blame: for female innocence Not only flies the guilt, =
but
shuns the offence: The unguarded virgin, as unchaste, I blame; And the least
freedom with the sex is shame, Till our consenting sires a spouse provide, =
And
public nuptials justify the bride, But would'st thou soon review thy native
plain? Attend, and speedy thou shalt pass the main: Nigh where a grove with
verdant poplars crown'd, To Pallas sacred, shades the holy ground, We bend =
our
way; a bubbling fount distills A lucid lake, and thence descends in rills; =
Around
the grove, a mead with lively green Falls by degrees, and forms a beauteous
scene; Here a rich juice the royal vineyard pours; And there the garden yie=
lds
a waste of flowers. Hence lies the town, as far as to the ear Floats a stro=
ng
shout along the waves of air. There wait embower'd, while I ascend alone To
great Alcinous on his royal throne. Arrived, advance, impatient of delay, A=
nd
to the lofty palace bend thy way: The lofty palace overlooks the town, From
every dome by pomp superior known; A child may point the way. With earnest =
gait
Seek thou the queen along the rooms of state; Her royal hand a wondrous work
designs, Around a circle of bright damsels shines; Part twist the threads, =
and
part the wool dispose, While with the purple orb the spindle glows. High on=
a
throne, amid the Scherian powers, My royal father shares the genial hours: =
But
to the queen thy mournful tale disclose, With the prevailing eloquence of w=
oes:
So shalt thou view with joy thy natal shore, Though mountains rise between =
and
oceans roar."
She added not, but waving, as she wheel'd, The
silver scourge, it glitter'd o'er the field; With skill the virgin guides t=
he
embroider'd rein, Slow rolls the car before the attending train, Now whirli=
ng
down the heavens, the golden day Shot through the western clouds a dewy ray=
; The
grove they reach, where, from the sacred shade, To Pallas thus the pensive =
hero
pray'd:
"Daughter of Jove! whose arms in thunder wield The avenging bolt, and shake the dreadful shield; Forsook by thee, in vain I sought thy aid When booming billows closed above my bead; Attend, un= conquer'd maid! accord my vows, Bid the Great hear, and pitying, heal my woes."<= o:p>
This heard Minerva, but forbore to fly (By Nep=
tune
awed) apparent from the sky; Stern god! who raged with vengeance, unrestrai=
n'd.
Till great Ulysses hail'd his native land.
The princess Nausicaa returns to the city and
Ulysses soon after follows thither. He is met by Pallas in the form of a yo=
ung virgin,
who guides him to the palace, and directs him in what manner to address the
queen Arete. She then involves him in a mist which causes him to pass
invisible. The palace and gardens of Alcinous described. Ulysses falling at=
the
feet of the queen, the mist disperses, the Phaecians admire, and receive him
with respect. The queen inquiring by what means he had the garments he then
wore, be relates to her and Alcinous his departure from Calypso, and his
arrival in their dominions.
The same day continues, and the book ends with=
the
night.
The patient heavenly man thus suppliant pray'd=
; While
the slow mules draws on the imperial maid; Through the proud street she mov=
es,
the public gaze; The turning wheel before the palace stays. With ready love=
her
brothers, gathering round, Received the vestures, and the mules unbound. She
seeks the bridal bower: a matron there The rising fire supplies with busy c=
are,
Whose charms in youth her father's heart inflamed, Now worn with age,
Eurymedusa named; The captive dame Phaeacian rovers bore, Snatch'd from Epi=
rus,
her sweet native shore (A grateful prize), and in her bloom bestow'd On good
Alcinous, honor'd as a god; Nurse of Nausicaa from her infant years, And te=
nder
second to a mother's cares.
Now from the sacred thicket where he lay, To t=
own
Ulysses took the winding way. Propitious Pallas, to secure her care, Around=
him
spread a veil of thicken'd air; To shun the encounter of the vulgar crowd, =
Insulting
still, inquisitive and loud. When near the famed Phaeacian walls he drew, T=
he
beauteous city opening to his view, His step a virgin met, and stood before=
: A
polish'd urn the seeming virgin bore, And youthful smiled; but in the low
disguise Lay hid the goddess with the azure eyes.
"Show me, fair daughter (thus the chief
demands), The house of him who rules these happy lands Through many woes and
wanderings, do I come To good Alcinous' hospitable dome. Far from my native
coast, I rove alone, A wretched stranger, and of all unknown!"
The goddess answer'd: "Father, I obey, And
point the wandering traveller his way: Well known to me the palace you inqu=
ire,
For fast beside it dwells my honour'd sire: But silent march, nor greet the
common train With question needless, or inquiry vain; A race of ragged mari=
ners
are these, Unpolish'd men, and boisterous as their seas The native islanders
alone their care, And hateful he who breathes a foreign air. These did the
ruler of the deep ordain To build proud navies, and command the main; On ca=
nvas
wings to cut the watery way; No bird so light, no thought so swift as
they."
Thus having spoke, the unknown celestial leads=
: The
footsteps of the duty he treads, And secret moves along the crowded space, =
Unseen
of all the rude Phaeacian race. (So Pallas order'd, Pallas to their eyes The
mist objected, and condensed the skies.) The chief with wonder sees the
extended streets, The spreading harbours, and the riding fleets; He next th=
eir
princes' lofty domes admires, In separate islands, crown'd with rising spir=
es; And
deep entrenchments, and high walls of stone. That gird the city like a marb=
le
zone. At length the kingly palace-gates he view'd; There stopp'd the goddes=
s,
and her speech renew'd;
"My task is done: the mansion you inquire=
Appears
before you: enter, and admire. High-throned, and feasting, there thou shalt
behold The sceptred rulers. Fear not, but be bold: A decent boldness ever m=
eets
with friends, Succeeds, and even a stranger recommends First to the queen
prefer a suppliant's claim, Alcinous' queen, Arete is her name. The same her
parents, and her power the same. For know, from ocean's god Nausithous spru=
ng, And
Peribaea, beautiful and young (Eurymedon's last hope, who ruled of old The =
race
of giants, impious, proud, and bold: Perish'd the nation in unrighteous war=
, Perish'd
the prince, and left this only heir), Who now, by Neptune's amorous power
compress'd, Produced a monarch that his people bless'd, Father and prince of
the Phaeacian name; From him Rhexenor and Alcinous came. The first by Phoeb=
us'
hurtling arrows fired, New from his nuptials, hapless youth! expired. No son
survived; Arete heir'd his state, And her, Alcinous chose his royal mate. W=
ith
honours yet to womankind unknown. This queen he graces, and divides the thr=
one;
In equal tenderness her sons conspire, And all the children emulate their s=
ire.
When through the streets she gracious deigns to move (The public wonder and=
the
public love), The tongues of all with transport sound her praise, The eyes =
of
all, as on a goddess, gaze. She feels the triumph of a generous breast; To =
heal
divisions, to relieve the oppress'd; In virtue rich; in blessing others, bl=
ess'd.
(to then secure, thy humble suit prefer And owe thy country and thy friends=
to
her."
With that the goddess deign'd no longer stay, =
But
o'er the world of waters wing'd her way; Forsaking Scheria's ever-pleasing
shore, The winds to Marathon the virgin bore: Thence, where proud Athens re=
ars
her towery head, With opening streets and shining structures spread, She
pass'd, delighted with the well-known seats; And to Erectheus' sacred dome
retreats.
Meanwhile Ulysses at the palace waits, There stops, and anxious with his soul debates, Fix'd in amaze before the royal gates. The front appear'd with radiant splendours gay, Bright as the lamp of night, or orb of day, The walls were massy brass: the cornice high Blue met= als crown'd in colours of the sky, Rich plates of gold the folding doors incase= ; The pillars silver, on a brazen base; Silver the lintels deep-projecting o'er, = And gold the ringlets that command the door. Two rows of stately dogs, on either hand, In sculptured gold and labour'd silver stood These Vulcan form'd with= art divine, to wait Immortal guardians at Alcinous' gate; Alive each animated f= rame appears, And still to live beyond the power of years, Fair thrones within f= rom space to space were raised, Where various carpets with embroidery blessed, = The work of matrons: these the princes press'd. Day following day, a long-conti= nued feast, Refulgent pedestals the walls surround, Which boys of gold with illu= ming torches crown'd; The polish'd oar, reflecting every ray, Blazed on the banq= uets with a double day. Full fifty handmaids form the household train; Some turn= the mill, or sift the golden grain; Some ply the loom; their busy fingers move = Like poplar-leaves when Zephyr fans the grove. Not more renown'd the men of Scheria's isle For sailing arts and all the naval toil, Than works of female skill their women's pride, The flying shuttle through the threads to guide:= Pallas to these her double gifts imparts, Incentive genius, and industrious arts.<= o:p>
Close to the gates a spacious garden lies, From
storms defended and inclement skies. Four acres was the allotted space of
ground, Fenced with a green enclosure all around. Tall thriving trees confe=
ss'd
the fruitful mould: The reddening apple ripens here to gold. Here the blue =
fig
with luscious juice o'erflows, With deeper red the full pomegranate glows; =
The
branch here bends beneath the weighty pear, And verdant olives flourish rou=
nd
the year, The balmy spirit of the western gale Eternal breathes on fruits,
unthought to fail: Each dropping pear a following pear supplies, On apples
apples, figs on figs arise: The same mild season gives the blooms to blow, =
The
buds to harden, and the fruits to grow.
Here order'd vines in equal ranks appear, With=
all
the united labours of the year; Some to unload the fertile branches run, So=
me
dry the blackening clusters in the sun, Others to tread the liquid harvest
join: The groaning presses foam with floods of wine Here are the vines in e=
arly
flower descried, Here grapes discolour'd on the sunnyside, And there in
autumn's richest purple dyed,
Beds of all various herbs, for ever green, In
beauteous order terminate the scene.
Two plenteous fountains the whole prospect cro=
wn'd
This through the gardens leads its streams around Visits each plant, and wa=
ters
all the ground; While that in pipes beneath the palace flows, And thence its
current on the town bestows: To various use their various streams they brin=
g, The
people one, and one supplies the king.
Such were the glories which the gods ordain'd,=
To
grace Alcinous, and his happy land. E'en from the chief whom men and nations
knew, The unwonted scene surprise and rapture drew; In pleasing thought he =
ran
the prospect o'er, Then hasty enter'd at the lofty door. Night now approach=
ing,
in the palace stand, With goblets crown'd, the rulers of the land; Prepared=
for
rest, and offering to the god Who bears the virtue of the sleepy rod, Unsee=
n he
glided through the joyous crowd, With darkness circled, and an ambient clou=
d. Direct
to great Alcinous' throne he came, And prostrate fell before the imperial d=
ame.
Then from around him dropp'd the veil of night; Sudden he shines, and manif=
est
to sight. The nobles gaze, with awful fear oppress'd; Silent they gaze, and=
eye
the godlike guest.
"Daughter of great Rhexenor! (thus began,=
Low
at her knees, the much-enduring man) To thee, thy consort, and this royal
train, To all that share the blessings of your reign, A suppliant bends: oh
pity human woe! 'Tis what the happy to the unhappy owe. A wretched exile to=
his
country send, Long worn with griefs, and long without a friend So may the g=
ods
your better days increase, And all your joys descend on all your race; So r=
eign
for ever on your country's breast, Your people blessing, by your people
bless'd!"
Then to the genial hearth he bow'd his face, A=
nd
humbled in the ashes took his place. Silence ensued. The eldest first began, Echeneus s=
age, a
venerable man! Whose well-taught mind the present age surpass'd, And join'd=
to
that the experience of the last. Fit words attended on his weighty sense, A=
nd
mild persuasion flow'd in eloquence.
"Oh sight (he cried) dishonest and unjust=
! A
guest, a stranger, seated in the dust! To raise the lowly suppliant from the
ground Befits a monarch. Lo! the peers around But wait thy word, the gentle
guest to grace, And seat him fair in some distinguish'd place. Let first the
herald due libation pay To Jove, who guides the wanderer on his way: Then s=
et
the genial banquet in his view, And give the stranger-guest a stranger's
due."
His sage advice the listening king obeys, He s=
tretch'd
his hand the prudent chief to raise, And from his seat Laodamas removed (The
monarch's offspring, and his best-beloved); There next his side the godlike
hero sate; With stars of silver shone the bed of state. The golden ewer a
beauteous handmaid brings, Replenish'd from the cool translucent springs, W=
hose
polish'd vase with copious streams supplies A silver layer of capacious siz=
e. The
table next in regal order spread, The glittering canisters are heap'd with
bread: Viands of various kinds invite the taste, Of choicest sort and savou=
r,
rich repast! Thus feasting high, Alcinous gave the sign, And bade the herald
pour the rosy wine; "Let all around the due libation pay To Jove, who
guides the wanderer on his way."
He said. Pontonous heard the king's command; T=
he
circling goblet moves from hand to hand; Each drinks the juice that glads t=
he
heart of man. Alcinous then, with aspect mild, began:
"Princes and peers, attend; while we impa=
rt To
you the thoughts of no inhuman heart. Now pleased and satiate from the soci=
al
rite Repair we to the blessings of the night; But with the rising day,
assembled here, Let all the elders of the land appear, Pious observe our
hospitable laws, And Heaven propitiate in the stranger's cause; Then join'd=
in
council, proper means explore Safe to transport him to the wished-for shore=
(How
distant that, imports us not to know, Nor weigh the labour, but relieve the
woe). Meantime, nor harm nor anguish let him bear This interval, Heaven tru=
sts
him to our care But to his native land our charge resign'd, Heaven's is his
life to come, and all the woes behind. Then must he suffer what the Fates
ordain; For Fate has wove the thread of life with pain? And twins, e'en from
the birth, are Misery and Man! But if, descended from the Olympian bower, G=
racious
approach us some immortal power; If in that form thou comest a guest divine=
: Some
high event the conscious gods design. As yet, unbid they never graced our
feast, The solemn sacrifice call'd down the guest; Then manifest of Heaven =
the
vision stood, And to our eyes familiar was the god. Oft with some favour'd
traveller they stray, And shine before him all the desert way; With social
intercourse, and face to face, The friends and guardians of our pious race.=
So
near approach we their celestial kind, By justice, truth, and probity of mi=
nd; As
our dire neighbours of Cyclopean birth Match in fierce wrong the giant-sons=
of
earth."
"Let no such thought (with modest grace
rejoin'd The prudent Greek) possess the royal mind. Alas! a mortal, like
thyself, am I; No glorious native of yon azure sky: In form, ah how unlike
their heavenly kind! How more inferior in the gifts of mind! Alas, a mortal!
most oppress'd of those Whom Fate has loaded with a weight of woes; By a sad
train of Miseries alone Distinguish'd long, and second now to none! By Heav=
en's
high will compell'd from shore to shore; With Heaven's high will prepared to
suffer more. What histories of toil could I declare! But still long-wearied
nature wants repair; Spent with fatigue, and shrunk with pining fast, My
craving bowels still require repast. Howe'er the noble, suffering mind may
grieve Its load of anguish, and disdain to live, Necessity demands our daily
bread; Hunger is insolent, and will be fed. But finish, oh ye peers! what y=
ou
propose, And let the morrow's dawn conclude my woes. Pleased will I suffer =
all
the gods ordain, To see my soil, my son, my friends again. That view
vouchsafed, let instant death surprise With ever-during shade these happy
eyes!"
The assembled peers with general praise approv=
ed His
pleaded reason, and the suit he moved. Each drinks a full oblivion of his
cares, And to the gifts of balmy sleep repairs, Ulysses in the regal walls
alone Remain'd: beside him, on a splendid throne, Divine Arete and Alcinous
shone. The queen, an nearer view, the guest survey'd, Rob'd in the garments=
her
own hands had made, Not without wonder seen. Then thus began, Her words
addressing to the godlike man:
"Camest thou hither, wondrous stranger I =
say,
From lands remote and o'er a length of sea? Tell, then, whence art thou?
whence, that princely air? And robes like these, so recent and so fair?&quo=
t;
"Hard is the task, O princess! you impose=
(Thus
sighing spoke the man of many woes), The long, the mournful series to relat=
e Of
all my sorrows sent by Heaven and Fate! Yet what you ask, attend. An island lies Beyond these tracts=
, and
under other skies, Ogygia named, in Ocean's watery arms; Where dwells Calyp=
so,
dreadful in her charms! Remote from gods or men she holds her reign, Amid t=
he
terrors of a rolling main. Me, only me, the hand of fortune bore, Unblest! =
to
tread that interdicted shore: When Jove tremendous in the sable deeps Launc=
h'd
his red lightning at our scattered ships; Then, all my fleet and all my
followers lost. Sole on a plank on boiling surges toss'd, Heaven drove my w=
reck
the Ogygian Isle to find, Full nine days floating to the wave and wind. Met=
by
the goddess there with open arms, She bribed my stay with more than human
charms; Nay, promised, vainly promised, to bestow Immortal life, exempt from
age and woe; But all her blandishments successless prove, To banish from my
breast my country's love. I stay reluctant seven continued years, And water=
her
ambrosial couch with tears, The eighth she voluntary moves to part, Or urge=
d by
Jove, or her own changeful heart. A raft was formed to cross the surging se=
a; Herself
supplied the stores and rich array, And gave the gales to waft me on my way=
, In
seventeen days appear'd your pleasing coast, And woody mountains half in
vapours lost. Joy touched my soul; my soul was joy'd in vain, For angry Nep=
tune
roused the raging main; The wild winds whistle, and the billows roar; The
splitting raft the furious tempest tore; And storms vindictive intercept the
shore. Soon as their rage subsides, the seas I brave With naked force, and
shoot along the wave, To reach this isle; but there my hopes were lost, The
surge impell'd me on a craggy coast. I chose the safer sea, and chanced to =
find
A river's mouth impervious to the wind, And clear of rocks. I fainted by the
flood; Then took the shelter of the neighbouring wood. 'Twas night, and,
covered in the foliage deep, Jove plunged my senses in the death of sleep. =
All
night I slept, oblivious of my pain: Aurora dawned and Phoebus shined in va=
in, Nor,
till oblique he sloped his evening ray, Had Somnus dried the balmy dews awa=
y. Then
female voices from the shore I heard: A maid amidst them, goddess-like
appear'd; To her I sued, she pitied my distress; Like thee in beauty, nor in
virtue less. Who from such youth could hope considerate care? In youth and
beauty wisdom is but rare! She gave me life, relieved with just supplies My
wants, and lent these robes that strike your eyes. This is the truth: and o=
h,
ye powers on high! Forbid that want should sink me to a lie."
To this the king: "Our daughter but expre=
ss'd
Her cares imperfect to our godlike guest. Suppliant to her, since first he
chose to pray,
Why not herself did she conduct the way, And w=
ith
her handmaids to our court convey?"
"Hero and king (Ulysses thus replied) Nor
blame her faultless nor suspect of pride: She bade me follow in the attenda=
nt
train; But fear and reverence did my steps detain, Lest rash suspicion might
alarm thy mind: Man's of a jealous and mistaken kind."
"Far from my soul (he cried) the gods eff=
ace All
wrath ill-grounded, and suspicion base! Whate'er is honest, stranger, I
approve, And would to Phoebus, Pallas, and to Jove, Such as thou art, thy
thought and mine were one, Nor thou unwilling to be called my son. In such
alliance couldst thou wish to join, A palace stored with treasures should be
thine. But if reluctant, who shall force thy stay? Jove bids to set the
stranger on his way, And ships shall wait thee with the morning ray. Till t=
hen,
let slumber cross thy careful eyes: The wakeful mariners shall watch the sk=
ies,
And seize the moment when the breezes rise: Then gently waft thee to the
pleasing shore, Where thy soul rests, and labour is no more. Far as Euboea
though thy country lay, Our ships with ease transport thee in a day. Thithe=
r of
old, earth's giant son to view, On wings of wind with Rhadamanth they flew;=
This
land, from whence their morning course begun, Saw them returning with the
setting sun. Your eyes shall witness and confirm my tale, Our youth how
dexterous, and how fleet our sail, When justly timed with equal sweep they =
row,
And ocean whitens in long tracks below."
Thus he. No word the experienced man replies, =
But
thus to heaven (and heavenward lifts his eyes): "O Jove! O father! what
the king accords Do thou make perfect! sacred be his words! Wide o'er the w=
orld
Alcinous' glory shine! Let fame be his, and ah! my country mine!"
Meantime Arete, for the hour of rest, Ordains =
the
fleecy couch, and covering vest; Bids her fair train the purple quilts prep=
are,
And the thick carpets spread with busy care. With torches blazing in their
hands they pass'd, And finish'd all their queen's command with haste: Then =
gave
the signal to the willing guest: He rose with pleasure, and retired to rest=
. There,
soft extended, to the murmuring sound Of the high porch, Ulysses sleeps
profound! Within, released from cares, Alcinous lies; And fast beside were
closed Arete's eyes.
Alcinous calls a council, in which it is resol=
ved
to transport Ulysses into his country. After which splendid entertainments =
are made,
where the celebrated musician and poet, Demodocus, plays and sings to the
guests. They next proceed to the games, the race, the wrestling, discus,
&c., where Ulysses casts a prodigious length, to the admiration of all =
the
spectators. They return again to the banquet and Demodocus sings the loves =
of
Mars and Venus. Ulysses, after a compliment to the poet, desires him to sing
the introduction of the wooden horse into Troy, which subject provoking his
tears, Alcinous inquires of his guest his name, parentage, and fortunes.
Now fair Aurora lifts her golden ray, And all =
the
ruddy orient flames with day: Alcinous, and the chief, with dawning light, =
Rose
instant from the slumbers of the night; Then to the council-seat they bend =
their
way, And fill the shining thrones along the bay.
Meanwhile Minerva, in her guardian care, Shoots
from the starry vault through fields of air; In form, a herald of the king,=
she
flies From peer to peer, and thus incessant cries;
"Nobles and chiefs who rule Phaeacia's
states, The king in council your attendance waits; A prince of grace divine
your aid implores, O'er unknown seas arrived from unknown shores."
She spoke, and sudden with tumultuous sounds Of
thronging multitudes the shore rebounds: At once the seats they fill; and e=
very
eye Glazed, as before some brother of the sky. Pallas with grace divine his
form improves, More high he treads, and more enlarged he moves: She sheds
celestial bloom, regard to draw; And gives a dignity of mien, to awe; With
strength, the future prize of fame to play, And gather all the honours of t=
he
day.
Then from his glittering throne Alcinous rose;=
"Attend
(he cried) while we our will disclose. Your present aid this godlike strang=
er
craves, Toss'd by rude tempest through a war of waves; Perhaps from realms =
that
view the rising day, Or nations subject to the western ray. Then grant, what
here all sons of wine obtain (For here affliction never pleads in vain); Be
chosen youth prepared, expert to try The vast profound and hid the vessel f=
ly; Launch
the tall back, and order every oar; Then in our court indulge the genial ho=
ur. Instant,
you sailors to this task attend; Swift to the palace, all ye peers ascend; =
Let
none to strangers honours due disclaim: Be there Demodocus the bard of fame=
, Taught
by the gods to please, when high he sings The vocal lay, responsive to the
strings."
Thus spoke the prince; the attending peers obe=
y; In
state they move; Alcinous heads the way Swift to Demodocus the herald flies=
, At
once the sailors to their charge arise; They launch the vessel, and unfurl =
the
sails, And stretch the swelling canvas to the gales; Then to the palace mov=
e: a
gathering throng, Youth, and white age, tumultuous pour along. Now all acce=
sses
to the dome are fill'd; Eight boars, the choicest of the herd, are kill'd; =
Two
beeves, twelve fatlings, from the flock they bring To crown the feast; so w=
ills
the bounteous king, The herald now arrives, and guides along The sacred mas=
ter
of celestial song; Dear to the Muse!
who gave his days to flow With mighty blessings, mix'd with mighty w=
oe; With
clouds of darkness quench'd his visual ray, But gave him skill to raise the
lofty lay. High on a radiant throne sublime in state, Encircled by huge
multitudes, he sate; With silver shone the throne; his lyre, well strung To
rapturous sounds, at hand Poutonous hung. Before his seat a polish'd table
shines, And a full goblet foams with generous wines; His food a herald bore;
and now they fed; And now the rage of craving hunger fled.
Then, fired by all the Muse, aloud he sings The
mighty deeds of demigods and kings; From that fierce wrath the noble song
arose, That made Ulysses and Achilles foes; How o'er the feast they doom the
fall of Troy; The stern debate Atrides hears with joy; For Heaven foretold =
the
contest, when he trod The marble threshold of the Delphic god, Curious to l=
earn
the counsels of the sky, Ere yet he loosed the rage of war on Troy.
Touch'd at the song, Ulysses straight resign'd=
To
soft affliction all his manly mind. Before his eyes the purple vest he drew=
, Industrious
to conceal the falling dew; But when the music paused, he ceased to shed The
flowing tear, and raised his drooping head; And, lifting to the gods a gobl=
et
crown'd, He pour'd a pure libation to the ground.
Transported with the song, the listening train=
Again
with loud applause demand the strain; Again Ulysses veil'd his pensive head=
. Again
unmann'd, a shower of sorrows shed; Conceal'd he wept; the king observed al=
one The
silent tear, and heard the secret groan; Then to the bard aloud--"O ce=
ase
to sing, Dumb be thy voice and mute the harmonious string; Enough the feast=
has
pleased, enough the power Of heavenly song has crown'd the genial hour! Inc=
essant
in the games your strength display, Contest, ye brave the honours of the da=
y! That
pleased the admiring stranger may proclaim In distant regions the Phaeacian
fame: None wield the gauntlet with so dire a sway, Or swifter in the race
devour the way; None in the leap spring with so strong a bound, Or firmer, =
in
the wrestling, press the ground."
Thus spoke the king; the attending peers obey;=
In
state they move, Alcinous lends the way; His golden lyre Demodocus unstrung=
, High
on a column in the palace hung; And guided by a herald's guardian cares, Ma=
jestic
to the lists of Fame repairs.
Now swarms the populace: a countless throng, Y=
outh
and boar age; and man drives man along. The games begin; ambitious of the
prize, Acroneus, Thoon, and Eretmeus rise; The prize Ocyalus and Prymneus
claim, Anchialus and Ponteus, chiefs of fame. There Proreus, Nautes, Eratre=
us,
appear And famed Amphialus, Polyneus' heir; Euryalus, like Mars terrific, r=
ose,
When clad in wrath he withers hosts of foes; Naubolides with grace unequall=
'd
shone, Or equall'd by Laodamas alone. With these came forth Ambasineus the
strong: And three brave sons, from great Alcinous sprung.
Ranged in a line the ready racers stand, Start
from the goal, and vanish o'er the strand: Swift as on wings of winds, upbo=
rne
they fly, And drifts of rising dust involve the sky. Before the rest, what
space the hinds allow Between the mule and ox, from plough to plough, Clyto=
nius
sprung: he wing'd the rapid way, And bore the unrivall'd honours of the day=
. With
fierce embrace the brawny wrestlers join; The conquest, great Euryalus, is =
thine.
Amphialus sprung forward with a bound, Superior in the leap, a length of
ground. From Elatreus' strong arm the discus flies, And sings with unmatch'd
force along the skies. And Laodam whirls high, with dreadful sway, The glov=
es
of death, victorious in the fray.
While thus the peerage in the games contends, =
In
act to speak, Laodamas ascends.
"O friends (he cries), the stranger seems
well skill'd To try the illustrious labours of the field: I deem him brave:
then grant the brave man's claim, Invite the hero to his share of fame. What
nervous arms he boasts! how firm his tread! His limbs how turn'd! how broad=
his
shoulders spread! By age unbroke!--but all-consuming care Destroys perhaps =
the
strength that time would spare: Dire is the ocean, dread in all its forms! =
Man
must decay when man contends with storms."
"Well hast thou spoke (Euryalus replies):=
Thine
is the guest, invite him thou to rise." Swift as the word, advancing f=
rom
the crowd, He made obeisance, and thus spoke aloud:
"Vouchsafes the reverend stranger to disp=
lay His
manly worth, and share the glorious day? Father, arise! for thee thy port
proclaims Expert to conquer in the solemn games. To fame arise! for what mo=
re
fame can yield Than the swift race, or conflict of the field? Steal from co=
rroding
care one transient day, To glory give the space thou hast to stay; Short is=
the
time, and lo! e'en now the gales Call thee aboard, and stretch the swelling
sails."
To whom with sighs Ulysses gave reply: "Ah
why the ill-suiting pastime must I try? To gloomy care my thoughts alone are
free; Ill the gay sorts with troubled hearts agree; Sad from my natal hour =
my
days have ran, A much-afflicted, much-enduring man! Who, suppliant to the k=
ing
and peers, implores A speedy voyage to his native shore." "Wise w=
anders,
Laodam, thy erring tongue The sports of glory to the brave belong (Retorts
Euryalus): he bears no claim Among the great, unlike the sons of Fame. A
wandering merchant he frequents the main Some mean seafarer in pursuit of g=
ain;
Studious of freight, in naval trade well skill'd, But dreads the athletic
labours of the field." Incensed, Ulysses with a frown replies: "O
forward to proclaim thy soul unwise! With partial hands the gods their gifts
dispense; Some greatly think, some speak with manly sense; Here Heaven an
elegance of form denies, But wisdom the defect of form supplies; This man w=
ith
energy of thought controls, And steals with modest violence our souls; He
speaks reservedly, but he speaks with force, Nor can one word be changed but
for a worse; In public more than mortal he appears, And as he moves, the
praising crowd reveres; While others, beauteous as the etherial kind, The
nobler portion went, a knowing mind, In outward show Heaven gives thee to
excel. But Heaven denies the praise of thinking well I'll bear the brave a =
rude
ungovern'd tongue, And, youth, my generous soul resents the wrong. Skill'd =
in
heroic exercise, I claim A post of honour with the sons of Fame. Such was my
boast while vigour crown'd my days, Now care surrounds me, and my force dec=
ays;
Inured a melancholy part to bear In scenes of death, by tempest and by war =
Yet
thus by woes impair'd, no more I waive To prove the hero--slander stings the
brave."
Then gliding forward with a furious bound He
wrench'd a rocky fragment from the ground By far more ponderous, and more h=
uge
by far Than what Phaeacia's sons discharged in air. Fierce from his arm the
enormous load he flings; Sonorous through the shaded air it sings; Couch'd =
to
the earth, tempestuous as it flies, The crowd gaze upward while it cleaves =
the
skies. Beyond all marks, with many a giddy round Down-rushing, it up-turns a
hill of ground.
That Instant Pallas, bursting from a cloud, Fi=
x'd
a distinguish'd mark, and cried aloud:
"E'en he who, sightless, wants his visual=
ray
May by his touch alone award the day: Thy signal throw transcends the utmost
bound Of every champion by a length of ground: Securely bid the strongest of
the train Arise to throw; the strongest throws in vain."
She spoke: and momentary mounts the sky: The f=
riendly
voice Ulysses hears with joy. Then thus aloud (elate with decent pride) &qu=
ot;Rise,
ye Phaecians, try your force (he cried): If with this throw the strongest
caster vie, Still, further still, I bid the discus fly. Stand forth, ye
champions, who the gauntlet wield, Or ye, the swiftest racers of the field!=
Stand
forth, ye wrestlers, who these pastimes grace! I wield the gauntlet, and I =
run
the race. In such heroic games I yield to none, Or yield to brave Laodamas
alone: Shall I with brave Laodamas contend? A friend is sacred, and I style=
him
friend. Ungenerous were the man, and base of heart, Who takes the kind, and
pays the ungrateful part: Chiefly the man, in foreign realms confined, Base=
to
his friend, to his own interest blind: All, all your heroes I this day defy=
; Give
me a man that we our might may try. Expert in every art, I boast the skill =
To
give the feather'd arrow wings to kill; Should a whole host at once dischar=
ge
the bow, My well-aim'd shaft with death prevents the foe: Alone superior in=
the
field of Troy, Great Philoctetes taught the shaft to fly. From all the sons=
of
earth unrivall'd praise I justly claim; but yield to better days, To those
famed days when great Alcides rose, And Eurytus, who bade the gods be foes =
(Vain
Eurytus, whose art became his crime, Swept from the earth, he perish'd in h=
is
prime: Sudden the irremeable way he trod, Who boldly durst defy the bowyer
god). In fighting fields as far the spear I throw As flies an arrow from the
well-drawn bow. Sole in the race the contest I decline, Stiff are my weary
joints, and I resign; By storms and hunger worn; age well may fail, When st=
orms
and hunger doth at once assail."
Abash'd, the numbers hear the godlike man, Till
great Alcinous mildly thus began:
"Well hast thou spoke, and well thy gener=
ous
tongue With decent pride refutes a public wrong: Warm are thy words, but wa=
rm
without offence; Fear only fools, secure in men of sense; Thy worth is know=
n.
Then hear our country's claim, And bear to heroes our heroic fame: In dista=
nt
realms our glorious deeds display, Repeat them frequent in the genial day; =
When,
blest with ease, thy woes and wanderings end, Teach them thy consort, bid t=
hy
sons attend; How, loved of Jove, he crown'd our sires with praise, How we t=
heir
offspring dignify our race.
"Let other realms the deathful gauntlet
wield, Or boast the glories of the athletic field: We in the course unrival=
l'd
speed display, Or through cerulean billows plough the way; To dress, to dan=
ce,
to sing, our sole delight, The feast or bath by day, and love by night: Ris=
e,
then, ye skill'd in measures; let him bear Your fame to men that breathe a
distant air; And faithful say, to you the powers belong To race, to sail, to
dance, to chant the song.
"But, herald, to the palace swift repair,=
And
the soft lyre to grace our pastimes bear."
Swift at the word, obedient to the king, The
herald flies the tuneful lyre to bring. Up rose nine seniors, chosen to sur=
vey The
future games, the judges of the day With instant care they mark a spacious
round And level for the dance the allotted ground: The herald bears the lyr=
e:
intent to play, The bard advancing meditates the lay. Skill'd in the dance,
tall youths, a blooming band, Graceful before the heavenly minstrel stand: =
Light
bounding from the earth, at once they rise, Their feet half-viewless quiver=
in
the skies: Ulysses gazed, astonish'd to survey The glancing splendours as t=
heir
sandals play. Meantime the bard, alternate to the strings, The loves of Mars
and Cytherea sings: How the stern god, enamour'd with her charms Clasp'd the
gay panting goddess in his arms, By bribes seduced; and how the sun, whose =
eye Views
the broad heavens, disclosed the lawless joy. Stung to the soul, indignant
through the skies To his black forge vindictive Vulcan flies: Arrived, his =
sinewy
arms incessant place The eternal anvil on the massy base. A wondrous net he
labours, to betray The wanton lovers, as entwined they lay, Indissolubly
strong; Then instant bears To his immortal dome the finish'd snares: Above,
below, around, with art dispread, The sure inclosure folds the genial bed: =
Whose
texture even the search of gods deceives, Thin as the filmy threads the spi=
der
weaves, Then, as withdrawing from the starry bowers, He feigns a journey to=
the
Lemnian shores, His favourite isle: observant Mars descries His wish'd rece=
es,
and to the goddess flies; He glows, he burns, the fair-hair'd queen of love=
Descends,
smooth gliding from the courts of Jove, Gay blooming in full charms: her ha=
nd
he press'd With eager joy, and with a sigh address'd:
"Come, my beloved! and taste the soft
delights: Come, to repose the genial bed invites: Thy absent spouse, neglec=
tful
of thy charms, Prefers his barbarous Sintians to thy arms!"
Then, nothing loth, the enamour'd fair he led,=
And
sunk transported on the conscious bed. Down rush'd the toils, inwrapping as
they lay The careless lovers in their wanton play: In vain they strive; the
entangling snares deny (Inextricably firm) the power to fly. Warn'd by the =
god
who sheds the golden day, Stern Vulcan homeward treads the starry way: Arri=
ved,
he sees, he grieves, with rage he burns: Full horribly he roars, his voice =
all
heaven returns.
"O Jove (he cried) O all ye powers above,=
See
the lewd dalliance of the queen of love! Me, awkward me, she scorns; and yi=
elds
her charms To that fair lecher, the strong god of arms. If I am lame, that
stain my natal hour By fate imposed; such me my parent bore. Why was I born?
See how the wanton lies! Oh sight tormenting to a husband's eyes! But yet, I
trust, this once e'en Mars would fly His fair-one's arms--he thinks her, on=
ce,
too nigh. But there remain, ye guilty, in my power, Till Jove refunds his
shameless daughter's dower. Too dear I prized a fair enchanting face: Beauty
unchaste is beauty in disgrace."
Meanwhile the gods the dome of Vulcan throng; =
Apollo
comes, and Neptune comes along; With these gay Hermes trod the starry plain=
; But
modesty withheld the goddess train. All heaven beholds, imprison'd as they =
lie,
And unextinguish'd laughter shakes the sky. Then mutual, thus they spoke:
"Behold on wrong Swift vengeance waits; and art subdues the strong! Dw=
ells
there a god on all the Olympian brow More swift than Mars, and more than Vu=
lcan
slow? Yet Vulcan conquers, and the god of arms Must pay the penalty for law=
less
charms."
Thus serious they; but he who gilds the skies,=
The
gay Apollo, thus to Hermes cries: "Wouldst thou enchain'd like Mars, O
Hermes, lie And bear the shame like Mars to share the joy?"
"O envied shame! (the smiling youth
rejoin'd;) And thrice the chains, and thrice more firmly bind; Gaze all ye
gods, and every goddess gaze, Yet eager would I bless the sweet disgrace.&q=
uot;
Loud laugh the rest, e'en Neptune laughs aloud=
, Yet
sues importunate to loose the god. "And free, (he cries) O Vulcan! free
from shame Thy captives; I ensure the penal claim."
"Will Neptune (Vulcan then) the faithless
trust? He suffers who gives surety for the unjust: But say, if that lewd
scandal of the sky, To liberty restored, perfidious fly: Say, wilt thou bear
the mulct?" He instant cries, "The mulct I bear, if Mars perfidio=
us
flies."
To whom appeased: "No more I urge delay; =
When
Neptune sues, my part is to obey." Then to the snares his force the god
applies; They burst; and Mars to Thrace indignant flies: To the soft Cyprian
shores the goddess moves, To visit Paphos and her blooming groves, Where to=
the
Power an hundred altars rise, And breathing odours scent the balmy skies; C=
oncealed
she bathes in consecrated bowers, The Graces unguents shed, ambrosial showe=
rs, Unguents
that charm the gods! she last assumes Her wondrous robes; and full the godd=
ess
blooms.
Thus sung the bard: Ulysses hears with joy, And
loud applauses read the vaulted sky.
Then to the sports his sons the king commands,=
Each
blooming youth before the monarch stands, In dance unmatch'd! A wondrous ba=
ll
is brought (The work of Polypus, divinely wrought); This youth with strength
enormous bids it fly, And bending backward whirls it to the sky; His brothe=
r,
springing with an active bound, At distance intercepts it from the ground. =
The
ball dismissed, in dance they skim the strand, Turn and return, and scarce
imprint the sand. The assembly gazes with astonished eyes, And sends in sho=
uts
applauses to the skies.
Then thus Ulysses: "Happy king, whose nam=
e The
brightest shines in all the rolls of fame! In subjects happy with surprise I
gaze; Thy praise was just; their skill transcends thy praise."
Pleas'd with his people's fame, the monarch he=
ars,
And thus benevolent accosts the peers: "Since wisdom's sacred guidance=
he
pursues, Give to the stranger-guest a stranger's dues: Twelve princes in our
realm dominion share, O'er whom supreme, imperial power I bear; Bring gold,=
a
pledge of love: a talent bring, A vest, a robe, and imitate your king. Be s=
wift
to give: that he this night may share The social feast of joy, with joy
sincere. And thou, Euryalus, redeem thy wrong; A generous heart repairs a
slanderous tongue."
The assenting peers, obedient to the king, In
haste their heralds send the gifts to bring. Then thus Euryalus: "O
prince, whose sway Rules this bless'd realm, repentant I obey; Be his this
sword, whose blade of brass displays A ruddy gleam; whose hilt a silver bla=
ze; Whose
ivory sheath, inwrought with curious pride, Adds graceful terror to the
wearer's side."
He said, and to his hand the sword consign'd: =
"And
if (he cried) my words affect thy mind, Far from thy mind those words, ye
whirlwinds, bear, And scatter them, ye storms, in empty air! Crown, O ye
heavens, with joy his peaceful hours, And grant him to his spouse, and nati=
ve
shores."
"And blest be thou, my friend, (Ulysses cries,) Crown him with every joy, ye favouring skies To thy calm hours continued peace afford, And never, never mayst thou want this sword,"<= o:p>
He said, and o'er his shoulder flung the blade=
. Now
o'er the earth ascends the evening shade: The precious gifts the illustrious
heralds bear, And to the court the embodied peers repair. Before the queen
Alcinous' sons unfold The vests, the robes, and heaps of shining gold; Then=
to
the radiant thrones they move in state: Aloft, the king in pomp imperial sa=
te.
Thence to the queen: "O partner of our re=
ign,
O sole beloved! command thy menial train A polish'd chest and stately robes=
to
bear, And healing waters for the bath prepare; That, bathed, our guest may =
bid
his sorrows cease, Hear the sweet song, and taste the feast in peace. A bowl
that flames with gold, of wondrous frame, Ourself we give, memorial of our
name; To raise in offerings to almighty Jove, And every god that treads the
courts above."
Instant the queen, observant of the king, Comm=
ands
her train a spacious vase to bring, The spacious vase with ample streams
suffice, Heap the high wood, and bid the flames arise. The flames climb rou=
nd
it with a fierce embrace, The fuming waters bubble o'er the blaze. Herself =
the
chest prepares; in order roll'd The robes, the vests are ranged, and heaps =
of
gold And adding a rich dress inwrought with art, A gift expressive of her
bounteous heart. Thus spoke to Ithacus: "To guard with bands Insolvable
these gifts, thy care demands; Lest, in thy slumbers on the watery main, The
hand of rapine make our bounty vain."
Then bending with full force around he roll'd A
labyrinth of bands in fold on fold, Closed with Circaean art. A train atten=
ds Around
the bath: the bath the king ascends (Untasted joy, since that disastrous ho=
ur, He
sail'd ill-fated from Calypso's bower); Where, happy as the gods that range=
the
sky, He feasted every sense with every joy. He bathes; the damsels with
officious toil, Shed sweets, shed unguents, in a shower of oil; Then o'er h=
is
limbs a gorgeous robe he spreads, And to the feast magnificently treads. Fu=
ll
where the dome its shining valves expands, Nausicaa blooming as a goddess
stands; With wondering eyes the hero she survey'd, And graceful thus began =
the
royal maid:
"Hail, godlike stranger! and when heaven
restores To thy fond wish thy long-expected shores, This ever grateful in
remembrance bear: To me thou owest, to me, the vital air."
"O royal maid! (Ulysses straight returns)=
Whose
worth the splendours of thy race adorns, So may dread Jove (whose arm in
vengeance forms The writhen bolt, and blackens heaven with storms), Restore=
me
safe, through weary wanderings toss'd, To my dear country's ever-pleasing
coast, As while the spirit in this bosom glows, To thee, my goddess, I addr=
ess
my vows; My life, thy gift I boast!" He said, and sate Fast by Alcinou=
s on
a throne of state.
Now each partakes the feast, the wine prepares=
, Portions
the food, and each his portion shares. The bard a herald guides; the gazing=
throng
Pay low obeisance as he moves along: Beneath a sculptur'd arch he sits
enthroned, The peers encircling form an awful round. Then, from the chine,
Ulysses carves with art Delicious food, an honorary part: "This, let t=
he
master of the lyre receive, A pledge of love! 'tis all a wretch can give. L=
ives
there a man beneath the spacious skies Who sacred honours to the bard denie=
s? The
Muse the bard inspires, exalts his mind; The muse indulgent loves the
harmonious kind."
The herald to his hand the charge conveys, Not
fond of flattery, nor unpleased with praise.
When now the rage of hunger was allay'd, Thus =
to
the lyrist wise Ulysses said: "O more than man! thy soul the muse
inspires, Or Phoebus animates with all his fires; For who, by Phoebus
uninform'd, could know The woe of Greece, and sing so well the woe? Just to=
the
tale, as present at the fray, Or taught the labours of the dreadful day: The
song recalls past horrors to my eyes, And bids proud Ilion from her ashes r=
ise.
Once more harmonious strike the sounding string, The Epaean fabric, framed =
by
Pallas, sing: How stern Ulysses, furious to destroy, With latent heroes sac=
k'd
imperial Troy. If faithful thou record the tale of Fame, The god himself
inspires thy breast with flame And mine shall be the task henceforth to rai=
se In
every land thy monument of praise."
Full of the god he raised his lofty strain: How
the Greeks rush'd tumultuous to the main; How blazing tents illumined half =
the
skies, While from the shores the winged navy flies; How e'en in Ilion's wal=
ls,
in deathful bands, Came the stern Greeks by Troy's assisting hands: All Troy
up-heaved the steed; of differing mind, Various the Trojans counsell'd: part
consign'd The monster to the sword, part sentence gave To plunge it headlon=
g in
the whelming wave; The unwise award to lodge it in the towers, An offering
sacred to the immortal powers: The unwise prevail, they lodge it in the wal=
ls, And
by the gods' decree proud Ilion falls: Destruction enters in the treacherous
wood, And vengeful slaughter, fierce for human blood.
He sung the Greeks stern-issuing from the stee=
d, How
Ilion burns, how all her fathers bleed; How to thy dome, Deiphobus! ascends=
The
Spartan king; how Ithacus attends (Horrid as Mars); and how with dire alarm=
s He
fights--subdues, for Pallas strings his arms
Thus while he sung, Ulysses' griefs renew, Tea=
rs
bathe his cheeks, and tears the ground bedew As some fond matron views in
mortal fight Her husband falling in his country's right; Frantic through
clashing swords she runs, she flies, As ghastly pale he groans, and faints =
and
dies; Close to his breast she grovels on the ground, And bathes with floods=
of
tears the gaping wound; She cries, she shrieks: the fierce insulting foe Re=
lentless
mocks her violence of woe: To chains condemn'd, as wildly she deplores; A
widow, and a slave on foreign shores.
So from the sluices of Ulysses' eyes Fast fell=
the
tears, and sighs succeeded sighs: Conceal'd he grieved: the king observed a=
lone
The silent tear, and heard the secret groan; Then to the bard aloud: "O
cease to sing, Dumb be thy voice, and mute the tuneful string; To every note
his tears responsive flow, And his great heart heaves with tumultuous woe; =
Thy
lay too deeply moves: then cease the lay, And o'er the banquet every heart =
be
gay: This social right demands: for him the sails, Floating in air, invite =
the
impelling gales: His are the gifts of love: the wise and good Receive the
stranger as a brother's blood.
"But, friend, discover faithful what I cr=
ave;
Artful concealment ill becomes the brave: Say what thy birth, and what the =
name
you bore, Imposed by parents in the natal hour? (For from the natal hour
distinctive names, One common right, the great and lowly claims:) Say from =
what
city, from what regions toss'd, And what inhabitants those regions boast? So
shalt thou instant reach the realm assign'd, In wondrous ships, self-moved,
instinct with mind; No helm secures their course, no pilot guides; Like man
intelligent, they plough the tides, Conscious of every coast, and every bay=
, That
lies beneath the sun's all-seeing ray; Though clouds and darkness veil the
encumber'd sky, Fearless through darkness and through clouds they fly; Thou=
gh
tempests rage, though rolls the swelling main, The seas may roll, the tempe=
sts
rage in vain; E'en the stern god that o'er the waves presides, Safe as they
pass, and safe repass the tides, With fury burns; while careless they conve=
y Promiscuous
every guest to every bay, These ears have heard my royal sire disclose A
dreadful story, big with future woes; How Neptune raged, and how, by his
command, Firm rooted in a surge a ship should stand A monument of wrath; how
mound on mound Should bury these proud towers beneath the ground. But this =
the
gods may frustrate or fulfil, As suits the purpose of the Eternal Will. But=
say
through what waste regions hast thou stray'd What customs noted, and what
coasts survey'd; Possess'd by wild barbarians fierce in arms, Or men whose
bosom tender pity warms? Say why the fate of Troy awaked thy cares, Why hea=
ved
thy bosom, and why flowed thy tears? Just are the ways of Heaven: from Heav=
en
proceed The woes of man; Heaven doom'd the Greeks to bleed, A theme of futu=
re
song! Say, then, if slain Some dear-loved brother press'd the Phrygian plai=
n? Or
bled some friend, who bore a brother's part, And claim'd by merit, not by
blood, the heart?"
Ulysses begins the relation of his adventures:
how, after the destruction of Troy, he with his companions made an incursio=
n on
the Cicons, by whom they were repulsed; and, meeting with a storm, were dri=
ven
to the coast of the Lotophagi. From there they sailed to the land of the
Cyclops, whose manners and situation are particularly characterised. The gi=
ant
Polyphemus and his cave described; the usage Ulysses and his companions met
with there; and, lastly, the method and artifice by which he escaped.
Then thus Ulysses: "Thou whom first in sw=
ay, As
first in virtue, these thy realms obey; How sweet the products of a peaceful
reign! The heaven-taught poet and enchanting strain; The well-filled palace,
the perpetual feast, A land rejoicing, and a people bless'd! How goodly see=
ms
it ever to employ Man's social days in union and in joy; The plenteous hoard
high-heap'd with cates divine, And o'er the foaming bowl the laughing wine!=
"Amid these joys, why seels thy mind to k=
now The
unhappy series of a wanderer's woe? Rememberance sad, whose image to review=
, Alas,
I must open all my wounds anew! And oh, what first, what last shall I relat=
e, Of
woes unnumbered sent by Heaven and Fate?
"Know first the man (though now a wretch
distress'd) Who hopes thee, monarch, for his future guest. Behold Ulysses! =
no
ignoble name, Earth sounds my wisdom and high heaven my fame.
"My native soil is Ithaca the fair, Where=
high
Neritus waves his woods in air; Dulichium, Same and Zaccynthus crown'd With
shady mountains spread their isles around. (These to the north and night's =
dark
regions run, Those to Aurora and the rising sun). Low lies our isle, yet
bless'd in fruitful stores; Strong are her sons, though rocky are her shore=
s; And
none, ah none no lovely to my sight, Of all the lands that heaven o'ersprea=
ds
with light. In vain Calypso long constrained my stay, With sweet, reluctant,
amorous delay; With all her charms as vainly Circe strove, And added magic =
to
secure my love. In pomps or joys, the palace or the grot, My country's image
never was forgot; My absent parents rose before my sight, And distant lay
contentment and delight.
"Hear, then, the woes which mighty Jove o=
rdain'd
To wait my passage from the Trojan land. The winds from Ilion to the Cicons'
shore, Beneath cold Ismarus our vessels bore. We boldly landed on the hosti=
le
place, And sack'd the city, and destroy'd the race, Their wives made captiv=
e,
their possessions shared, And every soldier found a like reward I then advi=
sed
to fly; not so the rest, Who stay'd to revel, and prolong the feast: The fa=
tted
sheep and sable bulls they slay, And bowls flow round, and riot wastes the =
day.
Meantime the Cicons, to their holds retired, Call on the Cicons, with new f=
ury
fired; With early morn the gather'd country swarms, And all the continent is
bright with arms; Thick as the budding leaves or rising flowers O'erspread =
the
land, when spring descends in showers: All expert soldiers, skill'd on foot=
to
dare, Or from the bounding courser urge the war. Now fortune changes (so the
Fates ordain); Our hour was come to taste our share of pain. Close at the s=
hips
the bloody fight began, Wounded they wound, and man expires on man. Long as=
the
morning sun increasing bright O'er heaven's pure azure spreads the glowing
light, Promiscuous death the form of war confounds, Each adverse battle gor=
ed
with equal wounds; But when his evening wheels o'erhung the main, Then conq=
uest
crown'd the fierce Ciconian train. Six brave companions from each ship we l=
ost,
The rest escape in haste, and quit the coast, With sails outspread we fly t=
he
unequal strife, Sad for their loss, but joyful of our life. Yet as we fled,=
our
fellows' rites we paid, And thrice we call'd on each unhappy shade,
"Meanwhile the god, whose hand the thunder
forms, Drives clouds on clouds, and blackens heaven with storms: Wide o'er =
the
waste the rage of Boreas sweeps, And night rush'd headlong on the shaded de=
eps.
Now here, now there, the giddy ships are borne, And all the rattling shroud=
s in
fragments torn. We furl'd the sail, we plied the labouring oar, Took down o=
ur
masts, and row'd our ships to shore. Two tedious days and two long nights we
lay, O'erwatch'd and batter'd in the naked bay. But the third morning when
Aurora brings, We rear the masts, we spread the canvas wings; Refresh'd and
careless on the deck reclined, We sit, and trust the pilot and the wind. Th=
en
to my native country had I sail'd: But, the cape doubled, adverse winds
prevail'd. Strong was the tide, which by the northern blast Impell'd, our
vessels on Cythera cast, Nine days our fleet the uncertain tempest bore Far=
in
wide ocean, and from sight of shore: The tenth we touch'd, by various errors
toss'd, The land of Lotus and the flowery coast. We climb'd the beach, and
springs of water found, Then spread our hasty banquet on the ground. Three =
men
were sent, deputed from the crew (A herald one) the dubious coast to view, =
And
learn what habitants possess'd the place. They went, and found a hospitable
race: Not prone to ill, nor strange to foreign guest, They eat, they drink,=
and
nature gives the feast The trees around them all their food produce: Lotus =
the
name: divine, nectareous juice! (Thence call'd Lo'ophagi); which whose tast=
es, Insatiate
riots in the sweet repasts, Nor other home, nor other care intends, But qui=
ts
his house, his country, and his friends. The three we sent, from off the
enchanting ground We dragg'd reluctant, and by force we bound. The rest in
haste forsook the pleasing shore, Or, the charm tasted, had return'd no mor=
e. Now
placed in order on their banks, they sweep The sea's smooth face, and cleave
the hoary deep: With heavy hearts we labour through the tide, To coasts
unknown, and oceans yet untried.
"The land of Cyclops first, a savage kind=
, Nor
tamed by manners, nor by laws confined: Untaught to plant, to turn the gleb=
e,
and sow, They all their products to free nature owe: The soil, untill'd, a
ready harvest yields, With wheat and barley wave the golden fields; Spontan=
eous
wines from weighty clusters pour, And Jove descends in each prolific shower=
, By
these no statues and no rights are known, No council held, no monarch fills=
the
throne; But high on hills, or airy cliffs, they dwell, Or deep in caves who=
se
entrance leads to hell. Each rules his race, his neighbour not his care, He=
edless
of others, to his own severe.
"Opposed to the Cyclopean coast, there la=
y An
isle, whose hill their subject fields survey; Its name Lachaea, crown'd with
many a grove, Where savage goats through pathless thickets rove: No needy
mortals here, with hunger bold, Or wretched hunters through the wintry cold=
Pursue
their flight; but leave them safe to bound From hill to hill, o'er all the
desert ground. Nor knows the soil to feed the fleecy care, Or feels the lab=
ours
of the crooked share; But uninhabited, untill'd, unsown, It lies, and breeds
the bleating goat alone. For there no vessel with vermilion prore, Or bark =
of
traffic, glides from shore to shore; The rugged race of savages, unskill'd =
The
seas to traverse, or the ships to build, Gaze on the coast, nor cultivate t=
he
soil, Unlearn'd in all the industrious art of toil, Yet here all produces a=
nd
all plants abound, Sprung from the fruitful genius of the ground; Fields wa=
ving
high with heavy crops are seen, And vines that flourish in eternal green, R=
efreshing
meads along the murmuring main, And fountains streaming down the fruitful
plain.
"A port there is, inclosed on either side=
, Where
ships may rest, unanchor'd and untied; Till the glad mariners incline to sa=
il, And
the sea whitens with the rising gale, High at the head, from out the cavern=
'd
rock, In living rills a gushing fountain broke: Around it, and above, for e=
ver
green, The busy alders form'd a shady scene; Hither some favouring god, bey=
ond
our thought, Through all surrounding shade our navy brought; For gloomy nig=
ht
descended on the main, Nor glimmer'd Phoebe in the ethereal plain: But all
unseen the clouded island lay, And all unseen the surge and rolling sea, Ti=
ll safe
we anchor'd in the shelter'd bay: Our sails we gather'd, cast our cables o'=
er, And
slept secure along the sandy shore. Soon as again the rosy morning shone, R=
eveal'd
the landscape and the scene unknown, With wonder seized, we view the pleasi=
ng
ground, And walk delighted, and expatiate round. Roused by the woodland nym=
phs
at early dawn, The mountain goats came bounding o'er the lawn: In haste our
fellows to the ships repair, For arms and weapons of the sylvan war; Straig=
ht
in three squadrons all our crew we part, And bend the bow, or wing the miss=
ile
dart; The bounteous gods afford a copious prey, And nine fat goats each ves=
sel
bears away: The royal bark had ten. Our ships complete We thus supplied (for
twelve were all the fleet).
"Here, till the setting sun roll'd down t=
he
light, We sat indulging in the genial rite: Nor wines were wanting; those f=
rom
ample jars We drain'd, the prize of our Ciconian wars. The land of Cyclops =
lay
in prospect near: The voice of goats and bleating flocks we hear, And from =
their
mountains rising smokes appear. Now sunk the sun, and darkness cover'd o'er=
The
face of things: along the sea-beat shore Satiate we slept: but, when the sa=
cred
dawn Arising glitter'd o'er the dewy lawn, I call'd my fellows, and these w=
ords
address'd 'My dear associates, here indulge your rest; While, with my single
ship, adventurous, I Go forth, the manners of you men to try; Whether a race
unjust, of barbarous might, Rude and unconscious of a stranger's right; Or =
such
who harbour pity in their breast, Revere the gods, and succour the distress=
'd,'
"This said, I climb'd my vessel's lofty s=
ide;
My train obey'd me, and the ship untied. In order seated on their banks, th=
ey
sweep Neptune's smooth face, and cleave the yielding deep. When to the near=
est
verge of land we drew, Fast by the sea a lonely cave we view, High, and with
darkening laurels covered o'er; Were sheep and goats lay slumbering round t=
he
shore Near this, a fence of marble from the rock, Brown with o'eraching pine
and spreading oak. A giant shepherd here his flock maintains Far from the r=
est,
and solitary reigns, In shelter thick of horrid shade reclined; And gloomy
mischiefs labour in his mind. A form enormous! far unlike the race Of human
birth, in stature, or in face; As some lone mountain's monstrous growth he
stood, Crown'd with rough thickets, and a nodding wood. I left my vessel at=
the
point of land, And close to guard it, gave our crew command: With only twel=
ve,
the boldest and the best, I seek the adventure, and forsake the rest. Then =
took
a goatskin fill'd with precious wine, The gift of Maron of Evantheus' line =
(The
priest of Phoebus at the Ismarian shrine). In sacred shade his honour'd man=
sion
stood Amidst Apollo's consecrated wood; Him, and his house, Heaven moved my
mind to save, And costly presents in return he gave; Seven golden talents to
perfection wrought, A silver bowl that held a copious draught, And twelve l=
arge
vessels of unmingled wine, Mellifluous, undecaying, and divine! Which now, =
some
ages from his race conceal'd, The hoary sire in gratitude reveal'd. Such was
the wine: to quench whose fervent steam Scarce twenty measures from the liv=
ing
stream To cool one cup sufficed: the goblet crown'd Breathed aromatic
fragrances around. Of this an ample vase we heaved aboard, And brought anot=
her
with provisions stored. My soul foreboded I should find the bower Of some f=
ell
monster, fierce with barbarous power; Some rustic wretch, who lived in Heav=
en's
despite, Contemning laws, and trampling on the right. The cave we found, but
vacant all within (His flock the giant tended on the green): But round the =
grot
we gaze; and all we view, In order ranged our admiration drew: The bending
shelves with loads of cheeses press'd, The folded flocks each separate from=
the
rest (The larger here, and there the lesser lambs, The new-fallen young here
bleating for their dams: The kid distinguish'd from the lambkin lies); The
cavern echoes with responsive cries. Capacious chargers all around were lai=
d. Full
pails, and vessels of the milking trade. With fresh provisions hence our fl=
eet
to store My friends advise me, and to quit the shore. Or drive a flock of s=
heep
and goats away, Consult our safety, and put off to sea. Their wholesome cou=
nsel
rashly I declined, Curious to view the man of monstrous kind, And try what
social rites a savage lends: Dire rites, alas! and fatal to my friends
"Then first a fire we kindle, and prepare=
For
his return with sacrifice and prayer; The loaden shelves afford us full rep=
ast;
We sit expecting. Lo! he comes at last, Near half a forest on his back he b=
ore,
And cast the ponderous burden at the door. It thunder'd as it fell. We trem=
bled
then, And sought the deep recesses of the den. New driven before him through
the arching rock, Came tumbling, heaps on heaps, the unnumber'd flock. Big-=
udder'd
ewes, and goats of female kind (The males were penn'd in outward courts
behind); Then, heaved on high, a rock's enormous weight To the cave's mouth=
he
roll'd, and closed the gate (Scarce twenty four-wheel'd cars, compact and
strong, The massy load could bear, or roll along). He next betakes him to h=
is
evening cares, And, sitting down, to milk his flocks prepares; Of half their
udders eases first the dams, Then to the mother's teat submits the lambs; H=
alf
the white stream to hardening cheese be press'd, And high in wicker-baskets
heap'd: the rest, Reserved in bowls, supplied his nightly feast. His labour
done, he fired the pile, that gave A sudden blaze, and lighted all the cave=
. We
stand discover'd by the rising fires; Askance the giant glares, and thus
inquires:
"'What are ye, guests? on what adventure,
say, Thus far ye wander through the watery way? Pirates perhaps, who seek
through seas unknown The lives of others, and expose your own?'
"His voice like thunder through the cavern
sounds; My bold companions thrilling fear confounds, Appall'd at sight of m=
ore
than mortal man! At length, with heart recover'd, I began:
"'From Troy's famed fields, sad wanderers
o'er the main, Behold the relics of the Grecian train: Through various seas=
, by
various perils toss'd, And forced by storms, unwilling on your coast; Far f=
rom
our destined course and native land, Such was our fate, and such high Jove's
command! Nor what we are befits us to disclaim, Atrides' friends (in arms a
mighty name), Who taught proud Troy and all her sons to bow; Victors of lat=
e,
but humble suppliants now! Low at thy knee thy succour we implore; Respect =
us,
human, and relieve us, poor. At least, some hospitable gift bestow; 'Tis wh=
at
the happy to the unhappy owe; 'Tis what the gods require: those gods revere=
; The
poor and stranger are their constant care; To Jove their cause, and their
revenge belongs, He wanders with them, and he feels their wrongs."
"'Fools that ye are (the savage thus repl=
ies,
His inward fury blazing at his eyes), Or strangers, distant far from our
abodes, To bid me reverence or regard the gods. Know then, we Cyclops are a
race above Those air-bred people, and their goat-nursed Jove; And learn, our
power proceeds with thee and thine, Not as he wills, but as ourselves incli=
ne. But
answer, the good ship that brought ye o'er, Where lies she anchor'd? near or
off the shore?'
"Thus he. His meditated fraud I find (Ver=
sed
in the turns of various human-kind): And, cautious thus: 'Against a dreadful
rock, Fast by your shore the gallant vessel broke. Scarce with these few I
'scaped; of all my train, Whom angry Neptune, whelm'd beneath the main, The
scattered wreck the winds blew back again.'
"He answer'd with his deed: his bloody ha=
nd Snatch'd
two, unhappy! of my martial band; And dash'd like dogs against the stony fl=
oor:
The pavement swims with brains and mingled gore. Torn limb from limb, he
spreads his horrid feast, And fierce devours it like a mountain beast: He s=
ucks
the marrow, and the blood he drains, Nor entrails, flesh, nor solid bone
remains. We see the death from which we cannot move, And humbled groan bene=
ath
the hand of Jove. His ample maw with human carnage fill'd, A milky deluge n=
ext
the giant swill'd; Then stretch'd in length o'er half the cavern'd rock, La=
y senseless,
and supine, amidst the flock. To seize the time, and with a sudden wound To=
fix
the slumbering monster to the ground, My soul impels me! and in act I stand=
To
draw the sword; but wisdom held my hand. A deed so rash had finished all our
fate, No mortal forces from the lofty gate Could roll the rock. In hopeless
grief we lay, And sigh, expecting the return of day. Now did the rosy-finge=
red
morn arise, And shed her sacred light along the skies; He wakes, he lights =
the
fire, he milks the dams, And to the mother's teats submits the lambs. The t=
ask
thus finish'd of his morning hours, Two more he snatches, murders, and devo=
urs.
Then pleased, and whistling, drives his flock before, Removes the rocky
mountain from the door, And shuts again: with equal ease disposed, As a lig=
ht
quiver's lid is oped and closed. His giant voice the echoing region fills: =
His
flocks, obedient, spread o'er all the hills.
"Thus left behind, even in the last despa=
ir I
thought, devised, and Pallas heard my prayer. Revenge, and doubt, and cauti=
on,
work'd my breast; But this of many counsels seem'd the best: The monster's =
club
within the cave I spied, A tree of stateliest growth, and yet undried, Green
from the wood: of height and bulk so vast, The largest ship might claim it =
for
a mast. This shorten'd of its top, I gave my train A fathom's length, to sh=
ape
it and to plane; The narrower end I sharpen'd to a spire, Whose point we
harden'd with the force of fire, And hid it in the dust that strew'd the ca=
ve, Then
to my few companions, bold and brave, Proposed, who first the venturous deed
should try, In the broad orbit of his monstrous eye To plunge the brand and
twirl the pointed wood, When slumber next should tame the man of blood. Jus=
t as
I wished, the lots were cast on four: Myself the fifth. We stand and wait t=
he
hour. He comes with evening: all his fleecy flock Before him march, and pour
into the rock: Not one, or male or female, stayed behind (So fortune chance=
d,
or so some god designed); Then heaving high the stone's unwieldy weight, He
roll'd it on the cave and closed the gate. First down he sits, to milk the
woolly dams, And then permits their udder to the lambs. Next seized two
wretches more, and headlong cast, Brain'd on the rock; his second dire repa=
st. I
then approach'd him reeking with their gore, And held the brimming goblet
foaming o'er; 'Cyclop! since human flesh has been thy feast, Now drain this
goblet, potent to digest; Know hence what treasures in our ship we lost, And
what rich liquors other climates boast. We to thy shore the precious freight
shall bear, If home thou send us and vouchsafe to spare. But oh! thus furio=
us,
thirsting thus for gore, The sons of men shall ne'er approach thy shore, And
never shalt thou taste this nectar more,'
"He heard, he took, and pouring down his
throat, Delighted, swill'd the large luxurious draught, 'More! give me more=
(he
cried): the boon be thine, Whoe'er thou art that bear'st celestial wine! De=
clare
thy name: not mortal is this juice, Such as the unbless'd Cyclopaean climes
produce (Though sure our vine the largest cluster yields, And Jove's scorn'd
thunder serves to drench our fields); But this descended from the bless'd
abodes, A rill of nectar, streaming from the gods.'
"He said, and greedy grasped the heady bo=
wl, Thrice
drained, and poured the deluge on his soul. His sense lay covered with the =
dozy
fume; While thus my fraudful speech I reassume. 'Thy promised boon, O Cyclo=
p!
now I claim, And plead my title; Noman is my name. By that distinguish'd fr=
om
my tender years, 'Tis what my parents call me, and my peers.
"The giant then: 'Our promis'd grace rece=
ive,
The hospitable boon we mean to give: When all thy wretched crew have felt my
power, Noman shall be the last I will devour.'
"He said: then nodding with the fumes of =
wine
Droop'd his huge head, and snoring lay supine. His neck obliquely o'er his
shoulders hung, Press'd with the weight of sleep that tames the strong: The=
re
belch'd the mingled streams of wine and blood, And human flesh, his indiges=
ted
food. Sudden I stir the embers, and inspire With animating breath the seeds=
of
fire: Each drooping spirit with bold words repair, And urged my train the
dreadful deed to dare. The stake now glow'd beneath the burning bed (Green =
as
it was) and sparkled fiery red, Then forth the vengeful instrument I bring;=
With
beating hearts my fellows form a ring. Urged my some present god, they swift
let fall The pointed torment on his visual ball. Myself above them from a
rising ground Guide the sharp stake, and twirl it round and round. As when a
shipwright stands his workmen o'er, Who ply the wimble, some huge beam to b=
ore;
Urged on all hands, it nimbly spins about, The grain deep-piercing till it
scoops it out: In his broad eye he whirls the fiery wood; From the pierced
pupil spouts the boiling blood; Singed are his brows; the scorching lids gr=
ow
black; The jelly bubbles, and the fibres crack. And as when armourers tempe=
r in
the ford The keen-edged pole-axe, or the shining sword, The red-hot metal
hisses in the lake, Thus in his eye-ball hiss'd the plunging stake. He send=
s a
dreadful groan, the rocks around Through all their inmost winding caves
resound. Scared we recoiled. =
Forth
with frantic hand, He tore and dash'd on earth and gory brand; Then calls t=
he
Cyclops, all that round him dwell, With voice like thunder, and a direful y=
ell.
From all their dens the one-eyed race repair, From rifted rocks, and mounta=
ins
bleak in air. All haste assembled, at his well-known roar, Inquire the caus=
e,
and crowd the cavern door.
"'What hurts thee, Polypheme? what strange
affright Thus breaks our slumbers, and disturbs the night? Does any mortal,=
in
the unguarded hour Of sleep, oppress thee, or by fraud or power? Or thieves
insidious thy fair flock surprise?' Thus they; the Cyclop from his den repl=
ies:
"'Friends, Noman kills me; Noman in the h=
our Of
sleep, oppresses me with fraudful power.' 'If no man hurt thee, but the hand
divine Inflict disease, it fits thee to resign: To Jove or to thy father
Neptune pray.' The brethren cried, and instant strode away. "Joy touch=
'd
my secret soul and conscious heart, Pleased with the effect of conduct and =
of
art. Meantime the Cyclop, raging with his wound, Spreads his wide arms, and
searches round and round: At last, the stone removing from the gate, With h=
ands
extended in the midst he sate; And search'd each passing sheep, and fell it
o'er, Secure to seize us ere we reach'd the door (Such as his shallow wit he
deem'd was mine); But secret I revolved the deep design: 'Twas for our live=
s my
labouring bosom wrought; Each scheme I turn'd, and sharpen'd every thought;=
This
way and that I cast to save my friends, Till one resolve my varying counsel
ends.
"Strong were the rams, with native purple
fair, Well fed, and largest of the fleecy care, These, three and three, with
osier bands we tied (The twining bands the Cyclop's bed supplied); The midm=
ost
bore a man, the outward two Secured each side: so bound we all the crew, One
ram remain'd, the leader of the flock: In his deep fleece my grasping hands=
I
lock, And fast beneath, in wooly curls inwove, There cling implicit, and
confide in Jove. When rosy morning glimmer'd o'er the dales, He drove to
pasture all the lusty males: The ewes still folded, with distended thighs U=
nmilk'd
lay bleating in distressful cries. But heedless of those cares, with anguish
stung, He felt their fleeces as they pass'd along (Fool that he was.) and l=
et
them safely go, All unsuspecting of their freight below.
"The master ram at last approach'd the ga=
te, Charged
with his wool, and with Ulysses' fate. Him while he pass'd, the monster bli=
nd
bespoke: 'What makes my ram the lag of all the flock? First thou wert wont =
to
crop the flowery mead, First to the field and river's bank to lead, And fir=
st
with stately step at evening hour Thy fleecy fellows usher to their bower. =
Now
far the last, with pensive pace and slow Thou movest, as conscious of thy
master's woe! Seest thou these lids that now unfold in vain? (The deed of N=
oman
and his wicked train!) Oh! did'st thou feel for thy afflicted lord, And wou=
ld
but Fate the power of speech afford. Soon might'st thou tell me, where in
secret here The dastard lurks, all trembling with his fear: Swung round and
round, and dash'd from rock to rock, His battered brains should on the pave=
ment
smoke No ease, no pleasure my sad heart receives, While such a monster as v=
ile
Noman lives.'
"The giant spoke, and through the hollow =
rock
Dismiss'd the ram, the father of the flock. No sooner freed, and through the
inclosure pass'd, First I release myself, my fellows last: Fat sheep and go=
ats
in throngs we drive before, And reach our vessel on the winding shore. With=
joy
the sailors view their friends return'd, And hail us living whom as dead th=
ey
mourn'd Big tears of transport stand in every eye: I check their fondness, =
and
command to fly. Aboard in haste they heave the wealthy sheep, And snatch th=
eir
oars, and rush into the deep. "Now off at sea, and from the shallows
clear, As far as human voice could reach the ear, With taunts the distant g=
iant
I accost: 'Hear me, O Cyclop! hear, ungracious host! 'Twas on no coward, no
ignoble slave, Thou meditatest thy meal in yonder cave; But one, the vengea=
nce
fated from above Doom'd to inflict; the instrument of Jove. Thy barbarous
breach of hospitable bands, The god, the god revenges by my hands.'
"These words the Cyclop's burning rage
provoke; From the tall hill he rends a pointed rock; High o'er the billows =
flew
the massy load, And near the ship came thundering on the flood. It almost
brush'd the helm, and fell before: The whole sea shook, and refluent beat t=
he
shore, The strong concussion on the heaving tide Roll'd back the vessel to =
the
island's side: Again I shoved her off: our fate to fly, Each nerve we stret=
ch,
and every oar we ply. Just 'scaped impending death, when now again We twice=
as
far had furrow'd back the main, Once more I raise my voice; my friends, afr=
aid,
With mild entreaties my design dissuade: 'What boots the godless giant to
provoke, Whose arm may sink us at a single stroke? Already when the dreadful
rock he threw, Old Ocean shook, and back his surges flew. The sounding voice
directs his aim again; The rock o'erwhelms us, and we 'scaped in vain.'
"But I, of mind elate, and scorning fear,=
Thus
with new taunts insult the monster's ear: 'Cyclop! if any, pitying thy
disgrace. Ask, who disfigured thus that eyeless face? Say 'twas Ulysses: 't=
was
his deed declare, Laertes' son, of Ithaca the fair; Ulysses, far in fighting
fields renown'd, Before whose arm Troy tumbled to the ground.'
"The astonished savage with a roar replie=
s: 'Oh
heavens! oh faith of ancient prophecies! This, Telemus Eurymedes foretold (=
The
mighty seer who on these hills grew old; Skill'd the dark fates of mortals =
to
declare, And learn'd in all wing'd omens of the air); Long since he menaced,
such was Fate's command; And named Ulysses as the destined hand. I deem'd s=
ome
godlike giant to behold, Or lofty hero, haughty, brave, and bold; Not this =
weak
pigmy wretch, of mean design, Who, not by strength subdued me, but by wine.=
But
come, accept our gifts, and join to pray Great Neptune's blessing on the wa=
tery
way; For his I am, and I the lineage own; The immortal father no less boasts
the son. His power can heal me, and relight my eye; And only his, of all the
gods on high.' "'Oh! could this arm (I thus aloud rejoin'd) From that =
vast
bulk dislodge thy bloody mind, And send thee howling to the realms of night=
! As
sure as Neptune cannot give thee sight.' "Thus I; while raging he repe=
ats
his cries, With hands uplifted to the starry skies? 'Hear me, O Neptune; th=
ou
whose arms are hurl'd From shore to shore, and gird the solid world; If thi=
ne I
am, nor thou my birth disown, And if the unhappy Cyclop be thy son, Let not
Ulysses breathe his native air, Laertes' son, of Ithaca the fair. If to rev=
iew
his country be his fate, Be it through toils and sufferings long and late; =
His
lost companions let him first deplore; Some vessel, not his own, transport =
him
o'er; And when at home from foreign sufferings freed, More near and deep,
domestic woes succeed!' With imprecations thus he fill'd the air, And angry
Neptune heard the unrighteous prayer, A larger rock then heaving from the
plain, He whirl'd it round: it sung across the main; It fell, and brush'd t=
he
stern: the billows roar, Shake at the weight, and refluent beat the shore. =
With
all our force we kept aloof to sea, And gain'd the island where our vessels
lay. Our sight the whole collected navy cheer'd. Who, waiting long, by turns
had hoped and fear'd. There disembarking on the green sea side, We land our
cattle, and the spoil divide; Of these due shares to every sailor fall; The
master ram was voted mine by all; And him (the guardian of Ulysses' fate) W=
ith
pious mind to heaven I consecrate. But the great god, whose thunder rends t=
he
skies, Averse, beholds the smoking sacrifice; And sees me wandering still f=
rom
coast to coast, And all my vessels, all my people, lost! While thoughtless =
we
indulge the genial rite, As plenteous cates and flowing bowls invite; Till
evening Phoebus roll'd away the light; Stretch'd on the shore in careless e=
ase
we rest, Till ruddy morning purpled o'er the east; Then from their anchors =
all
our ships unbind, And mount the decks, and call the willing wind. Now, rang=
ed
in order on our banks we sweep. With hasty strokes the hoarse-resounding de=
ep; Blind
to the future, pensive with our fears, Glad for the living, for the dead in
tears."
Ulysses arrives at the island of AEolus, who g=
ives
him prosperous winds, and incloses the adverse ones in a bag, which his com=
panions
untying, they are driven back again and rejected. Then they sail to the
Laestrygons, where they lose eleven ships, and, with only one remaining,
proceed to the island of Circe. Eurylochus is sent first with some companio=
ns,
all which, except Eurylochus, are transformed into swine. Ulysses then
undertakes the adventure, and, by the help of Mercury, who gives him the he=
rb Moly,
overcomes the enchantress, and procures the restoration of his men. After a
year's stay with her, he prepares, at her instigation, for his voyage to the
infernal shades.
"AT length we reach'd AEolias's sea-girt
shore, Where great Hippotades the sceptre bore, A floating isle! high-raise=
d by
toil divine, Strong walls of brass the rocky coast confine. Six blooming
youths, in private grandeur bred, And six fair daughters, graced the royal =
bed;
These sons their sisters wed, and all remain Their parents' pride, and plea=
sure
of their reign. All day they feast, all day the bowls flow round, And joy a=
nd
music through the isle resound; At night each pair on splendid carpets lay,=
And
crown'd with love the pleasures of the day. This happy port affords our
wandering fleet A month's reception, and a safe retreat. Full oft the monar=
ch
urged me to relate The fall of Ilion, and the Grecian fate; Full oft I told=
: at
length for parting moved; The king with mighty gifts my suit approved. The
adverse winds in leathern bags he braced, Compress'd their force, and lock'd
each struggling blast. For him the mighty sire of gods assign'd The tempest=
's
lood, the tyrant of the wind; His word alone the listening storms obey, To
smooth the deep, or swell the foamy sea. These in my hollow ship the monarch
hung, Securely fetter'd by a silver thong: But Zephyrus exempt, with friend=
ly
gales He charged to fill, and guide the swelling sails: Rare gift! but O, w=
hat
gift to fools avails!
"Nine prosperous days we plied the labour=
ing
oar; The tenth presents our welcome native shore: The hills display the
beacon's friendly light, And rising mountains gain upon our sight. Then fir=
st
my eyes, by watchful toils oppress'd, Complied to take the balmy gifts of r=
est:
Then first my hands did from the rudder part (So much the love of home
possess'd my heart): When lo! on board a fond debate arose; What rare device
those vessels might inclose? What sum, what prize from AEolus I brought? Wh=
ilst
to his neighbour each express'd his thought:
"'Say, whence ye gods, contending nations
strive Who most shall please, who most our hero give? Long have his coffers
groan'd with Trojan spoils: Whilst we, the wretched partners of his toils, =
Reproach'd
by want, our fruitless labours mourn, And only rich in barren fame return. =
Now
AEolus, ye see, augments his store: But come, my friends, these mystic gifts
explore,' They said: and (oh cursed fate!) the thongs unbound! The gushing
tempest sweeps the ocean round; Snatch'd in the whirl, the hurried navy fle=
w, The
ocean widen'd and the shores withdrew. Roused from my fatal sleep I long de=
bate
If still to live, or desperate plunge to fate; Thus doubting, prostrate on =
the
deck I lay, Till all the coward thoughts of death gave way.
"Meanwhile our vessels plough the liquid
plain, And soon the known AEolian coast regain; Our groan the rocks remurmu=
r'd
to the main. We leap'd on shore, and with a scanty feast Our thirst and hun=
ger
hastily repress'd; That done, two chosen heralds straight attend Our second
progress to my royal friend; And him amidst his jovial sons we found; The
banquet steaming, and the goblets crown'd; There humbly stoop'd with consci=
ous
shame and awe, Nor nearer than the gate presumed to draw. But soon his sons
their well-known guest descried, And starting from their couches loudly cri=
ed: 'Ulysses
here! what demon could'st thou meet To thwart thy passage, and repel thy fl=
eet?
Wast thou not furnish'd by our choicest care For Greece, for home and all t=
hy
soul held dear?' Thus they, In silence long my fate I mourn'd; At length th=
ese
words with accents low return'd: `Me, lock'd in sleep, my faithless crew be=
reft
Of all the blessing of your godlike gift! But grant, oh grant, our loss we =
may
retrieve; A favour you, and you alone can give.'
"Thus I with art to move their pity tried=
, And
touch'd the youths; but their stern sire replied: 'Vile wretch, begone! this
instant I command Thy fleet accursed to leave our hallow'd land. His baneful
suit pollutes these bless'd abodes, Whose fate proclaims him hateful to the
gods.'
"Thus fierce he said: we sighing went our
way, And with desponding hearts put off to sea. The sailors spent with toils
their folly mourn, But mourn in vain; no prospect of return Six days and ni=
ghts
a doubtful course we steer, The next proud Lamos' stately towers appear, And
Laestrygonia's gates arise distinct in air. The shepherd, quitting here at
night the plain, Calls, to succeed his cares, the watchful swain; But he th=
at
scorns the chains of sleep to wear, And adds the herdsman's to the shepherd=
's
care, So near the pastures, and so short the way, His double toils may clai=
m a
double pay, And join the labours of the night and day.
"Within a long recess a bay there lies, E=
dged
round with cliffs high pointing to the skies; The jutting shores that swell=
on
either side Contract its mouth, and break the rushing tide. Our eager sailo=
rs
seize the fair retreat, And bound within the port their crowded fleet: For =
here
retired the sinking billows sleep, And smiling calmness silver'd o'er the d=
eep.
I only in the bay refused to moor, And fix'd without, my halsers to the sho=
re.
"From thence we climb'd a point, whose ai=
ry
brow Commands the prospect of the plains below; No tracks of beasts, or sig=
ns
of men, we found, But smoky volumes rolling from the ground. Two with our
herald thither we command, With speed to learn what men possess'd the land.=
They
went, and kept the wheel's smooth-beaten road Which to the city drew the
mountain wood; When lo! they met, beside a crystal spring, The daughter of
Antiphates the king; She to Artacia's silver streams came down; (Artacia's
streams alone supply the town); The damsel they approach, and ask'd what ra=
ce The
people were? who monarch of the place? With joy the maid the unwary strange=
rs
heard And show'd them where the royal dome appear'd. They went; but as they
entering saw the queen Of size enormous, and terrific mien (Not yielding to
some bulky mountain's height), A sudden horror struck their aching sight. S=
wift
at her call her husband scour'd away To wreak his hunger on the destined pr=
ey; One
for his food the raging glutton slew, But two rush'd out, and to the navy f=
lew.
"Balk'd of his prey, the yelling monster =
flies,
And fills the city with his hideous cries; A ghastly band of giants hear the
roar, And, pouring down the mountains, crowd the shore. Fragments they rend
from off the craggy brow And dash the ruins on the ships below; The crackli=
ng
vessels burst; hoarse groans arise, And mingled horrors echo to the skies; =
The
men like fish, they struck upon the flood, And cramm'd their filthy throats
with human food. Whilst thus their fury rages at the bay, My sword our cabl=
es
cut, I call'd to weigh; And charged my men, as they from fate would fly, Ea=
ch
nerve to strain, each bending oar to ply. The sailors catch the word, their
oars they seize, And sweep with equal strokes the smoky seas; Clear of the
rocks the impatient vessel flies; Whilst in the port each wretch encumber'd
dies. With earnest haste my frighted sailors press, While kindling transpor=
ts
glow'd at our success; But the sad fate that did our friends destroy, Cool'd
every breast, and damp'd the rising joy.
"Now dropp'd our anchors in the Aeaean ba=
y, Where
Circe dwelt, the daughter of the Day! Her mother Perse, of old Ocean's stra=
in, Thus
from the Lun descended, and the Main (From the same lineage stern Aeaetes c=
ame,
The far-famed brother of the enchantress dame); Goddess, the queen, to whom=
the
powers belong Of dreadful magic and commanding song. Some god directing to =
this
peaceful bay Silent we came, and melancholy lay, Spent and o'erwatch'd. Two
days and nights roll'd on, And now the third succeeding morning shone. I
climb'd a cliff, with spear and sword in hand, Whose ridge o'erlook'd a sha=
dy
length of land; To learn if aught of mortal works appear, Or cheerful voice=
of
mortal strike the ear? From the high point I mark'd, in distant view, A str=
eam
of curling smoke ascending blue, And spiry tops, the tufted trees above, Of
Circe's palace bosom'd in the grove.
"Thither to haste, the region to explore,=
Was
first my thought: but speeding back to shore I deem'd it best to visit firs=
t my
crew, And send our spies the dubious coast to view. As down the hill I soli=
tary
go, Some power divine, who pities human woe, Sent a tall stag, descending f=
rom
the wood, To cool his fervour in the crystal flood; Luxuriant on the wave-w=
orn
bank he lay, Stretch'd forth and panting in the sunny ray. I launch'd my sp=
ear,
and with a sudden wound Transpierced his back, and fix'd him to the ground.=
He
falls, and mourns his fate with human cries: Through the wide wound the vit=
al
spirit flies. I drew, and casting on the river's side The bloody spear, his
gather'd feet I tied With twining osiers which the bank supplied. An ell in
length the pliant wisp I weaved, And the huge body on my shoulders heaved: =
Then
leaning on my spear with both my hands, Upbore my load, and press'd the sin=
king
sands With weighty steps, till at the ship I threw The welcome burden, and
bespoke my crew:
"'Cheer up, my friends! it is not yet our
fate To glide with ghosts through Pluto's gloomy gate. Food in the desert l=
and,
behold! is given! Live, and enjoy the providence of heaven.'
"The joyful crew survey his mighty size, =
And
on the future banquet feast their eyes, As huge in length extended lay the
beast; Then wash their hands, and hasten to the feast. There, till the sett=
ing
sun roll'd down the light, They sate indulging in the genial rite. When eve=
ning
rose, and darkness cover'd o'er The face of things, we slept along the shor=
e. But
when the rosy morning warm'd the east, My men I summon'd, and these words
address'd: "'Followers and friends, attend what I propose: Ye sad
companions of Ulysses' woes! We know not here what land before us lies, Or =
to
what quarter now we turn our eyes, Or where the sun shall set, or where sha=
ll
rise. Here let us think (if thinking be not vain) If any counsel, any hope
remain. Alas! from yonder promontory's brow I view'd the coast, a region fl=
at
and low; An isle encircled with the boundless flood; A length of thickets, =
and
entangled wood. Some smoke I saw amid the forest rise, And all around it on=
ly
seas and skies!'
"With broken hearts my sad companions sto=
od, Mindful
of Cyclops and his human food, And horrid Laestrygons, the men of blood. Pr=
esaging
tears apace began to rain; But tears in mortal miseries are vain. In equal
parts I straight divide my band, And name a chief each party to command; I =
led
the one, and of the other side Appointed brave Eurylochus the guide. Then in
the brazen helm the lots we throw, And fortune casts Eurylochus to go; He
march'd with twice eleven in his train; Pensive they march, and pensive we
remain.
"The palace in a woody vale they found, H=
igh
raised of stone; a shaded space around; Where mountain wolves and brindled
lions roam, (By magic tamed,) familiar to the dome. With gentle blandishment
our men they meet, And wag their tails, and fawning lick their feet. As from
some feast a man returning late, His faithful dogs all meet him at the gate=
, Rejoicing
round, some morsel to receive, (Such as the good man ever used to give,) Do=
mestic
thus the grisly beasts drew near; They gaze with wonder not unmix'd with fe=
ar. Now
on the threshold of the dome they stood, And heard a voice resounding throu=
gh
the wood: Placed at her loom within, the goddess sung; The vaulted roofs and
solid pavement rung. O'er the fair web the rising figures shine, Immortal
labour! worthy hands divine. Polites to the rest the question moved (A gall=
ant
leader, and a man I loved):
"'What voice celestial, chanting to the l=
oom (Or
nymph, or goddess), echoes from the room? Say, shall we seek access?' With =
that
they call; And wide unfold the portals of the hall.
"The goddess, rising, asks her guests to =
stay,
Who blindly follow where she leads the way. Eurylochus alone of all the ban=
d, Suspecting
fraud, more prudently remain'd. On thrones around with downy coverings grac=
ed, With
semblance fair, the unhappy men she placed. Milk newly press'd, the sacred =
flour
of wheat, And honey fresh, and Pramnian wines the treat: But venom'd was the
bread, and mix'd the bowl, With drugs of force to darken all the soul: Soon=
in
the luscious feast themselves they lost, And drank oblivion of their native
coast. Instant her circling wand the goddess waves, To hogs transforms them,
and the sty receives. No more was seen the human form divine; Head, face, a=
nd
members, bristle into swine: Still cursed with sense, their minds remain al=
one,
And their own voice affrights them when they groan. Meanwhile the goddess in
disdain bestows The mast and acorn, brutal food! and strows The fruits and
cornel, as their feast, around; Now prone and grovelling on unsavoury groun=
d.
"Eurylochus, with pensive steps and slow.=
Aghast
returns; the messenger of woe, And bitter fate. To speak he made essay, In =
vain
essay'd, nor would his tongue obey. His swelling heart denied the words the=
ir
way: But speaking tears the want of words supply, And the full soul bursts
copious from his eye. Affrighted, anxious for our fellows' fates, We press =
to
hear what sadly he relates:
"We went, Ulysses! (such was thy command)=
Through
the lone thicket and the desert land. A palace in a woody vale we found Bro=
wn
with dark forests, and with shades around. A voice celestial echoed through=
the
dome, Or nymph or goddess, chanting to the loom. Access we sought, nor was
access denied: Radiant she came: the portals open'd wide: The goddess mild
invites the guests to stay: They blindly follow where she leads the way. I =
only
wait behind of all the train: I waited long, and eyed the doors in vain: The
rest are vanish'd, none repass'd the gate, And not a man appears to tell th=
eir
fate.'
"I heard, and instant o'er my shoulder fl=
ung The
belt in which my weighty falchion hung (A beamy blade): then seized the ben=
ded
bow, And bade him guide the way, resolved to go. He, prostrate falling, with
both hands embraced My knees, and weeping thus his suit address'd:
"'O king, beloved of Jove, thy servant sp=
are,
And ah, thyself the rash attempt forbear! Never, alas! thou never shalt ret=
urn,
Or see the wretched for whose loss we mourn. With what remains from certain
ruin fly, And save the few not fated yet to die.'
"I answer'd stern: 'Inglorious then remai=
n, Here
feast and loiter, and desert thy train. Alone, unfriended, will I tempt my =
way;
The laws of fate compel, and I obey.' This said, and scornful turning from =
the
shore My haughty step, I stalk'd the valley o'er. Till now approaching nigh=
the
magic bower, Where dwelt the enchantress skill'd in herbs of power, A form
divine forth issued from the wood (Immortal Hermes with the golden rod) In
human semblance. On his bloomy face Youth smiled celestial, with each openi=
ng
grace. He seized my hand, and gracious thus began: 'Ah whither roam'st thou,
much-enduring man? O blind to fate! what led thy steps to rove The horrid m=
azes
of this magic grove? Each friend you seek in yon enclosure lies, All lost t=
heir
form, and habitants of sties. Think'st thou by wit to model their escape? S=
ooner
shalt thou, a stranger to thy shape, Fall prone their equal: first thy dang=
er
know, Then take the antidote the gods bestow. The plant I give through all =
the
direful bower Shall guard thee, and avert the evil hour. Now hear her wicked
arts: Before thy eyes The bowl shall sparkle, and the banquet rise; Take th=
is,
nor from the faithless feast abstain, For temper'd drugs and poison shall be
vain. Soon as she strikes her wand, and gives the word, Draw forth and bran=
dish
thy refulgent sword, And menace death: those menaces shall move Her alter'd
mind to blandishment and love. Nor shun the blessing proffer'd to thy arms,=
Ascend
her bed, and taste celestial charms; So shall thy tedious toils a respite f=
ind,
And thy lost friends return to human kind. But swear her first by those dre=
ad
oaths that tie The powers below, the blessed in the sky; Lest to thee naked
secret fraud be meant, Or magic bind thee cold and impotent.
"Thus while he spoke, the sovereign plant=
he
drew Where on the all-bearing earth unmark'd it grew, And show'd its nature=
and
its wondrous power: Black was the root, but milky white the flower; Moly the
name, to mortals hard to find, But all is easy to the ethereal kind. This
Hermes gave, then, gliding off the glade, Shot to Olympus from the woodland
shade. While, full of thought, revolving fates to come, I speed my passage =
to
the enchanted dome. Arrived, before the lofty gates I stay'd; The lofty gat=
es
the goddess wide display'd; She leads before, and to the feast invites; I
follow sadly to the magic rites. Radiant with starry studs, a silver seat R=
eceived
my limbs: a footstool eased my feet, She mix'd the potion, fraudulent of so=
ul; The
poison mantled in the golden bowl. I took, and quaff'd it, confident in hea=
ven.
Then waved the wand, and then the word was given. 'Hence to thy fellows!
(dreadful she began:) Go, be a beast!'--I heard, and yet was man.
"Then, sudden whirling, like a waving fla=
me, My
beamy falchion, I assault the dame. Struck with unusual fear, she trembling
cries, She faints, she falls; she lifts her weeping eyes.
"'What art thou? say! from whence, from w=
hom
you came? O more than human! tell thy race, thy name. Amazing strength, the=
se
poisons to sustain! Not mortal thou, nor mortal is thy brain. Or art thou h=
e,
the man to come (foretold By Hermes, powerful with the wand of gold), The m=
an
from Troy, who wander'd ocean round; The man for wisdom's various arts
renown'd, Ulysses? Oh! thy threatening fury cease; Sheathe thy bright sword,
and join our hands in peace! Let mutual joys our mutual trust combine, And =
love,
and love-born confidence, be thine.'
"'And how, dread Circe! (furious I rejoin=
) Can
love, and love-born confidence, be mine, Beneath thy charms when my compani=
ons
groan, Transform'd to beasts, with accents not their own? O thou of fraudful
heart, shall I be led To share thy feast-rites, or ascend thy bed; That, all
unarm'd, thy vengeance may have vent, And magic bind me, cold and impotent?=
Celestial
as thou art, yet stand denied; Or swear that oath by which the gods are tie=
d, Swear,
in thy soul no latent frauds remain, Swear by the vow which never can be va=
in.'
"The goddess swore: then seized my hand, =
and
led To the sweet transports of the genial bed. Ministrant to the queen, with
busy care Four faithful handmaids the soft rites prepare; Nymphs sprung from
fountains, or from shady woods, Or the fair offspring of the sacred floods.=
One
o'er the couches painted carpets threw, Whose purple lustre glow'd against =
the
view: White linen lay beneath. Another placed The silver stands, with golden
flaskets graced: With dulcet beverage this the beaker crown'd, Fair in the
midst, with gilded cups around: That in the tripod o'er the kindled pile The
water pours; the bubbling waters boil; An ample vase receives the smoking w=
ave;
And, in the bath prepared, my limbs I lave: Reviving sweets repair the mind=
's
decay, And take the painful sense of toil away. A vest and tunic o'er me ne=
xt
she threw, Fresh from the bath, and dropping balmy dew; Then led and placed=
me
on the sovereign seat, With carpets spread; a footstool at my feet. The gol=
den
ewer a nymph obsequious brings, Replenish'd from the cool translucent sprin=
gs; With
copious water the bright vase supplies A silver laver of capacious size. I
wash'd. The table in fair order spread, They heap the glittering canisters =
with
bread: Viands of various kinds allure the taste, Of choicest sort and savou=
r,
rich repast! Circe in vain invites the feast to share; Absent I ponder, and
absorb'd in care; While scenes of woe rose anxious in my breast, The queen
beheld me, and these words address'd:
"'Why sits Ulysses silent and apart, Some
hoard of grief close harbour'd at his heart Untouch'd before thee stand the
cates divine, And unregarded laughs the rosy wine. Can yet a doubt or any d=
read
remain, When sworn that oath which never can be vain?'
"I answered: 'Goddess! human is my breast=
, By
justice sway'd, by tender pity press'd: Ill fits it me, whose friends are s=
unk
to beasts, To quaff thy bowls, or riot in thy feasts. Me would'st thou plea=
se?
for them thy cares employ, And them to me restore, and me to joy.'
"With that she parted: in her potent hand=
She
bore the virtue of the magic wand. Then, hastening to the sties, set wide t=
he
door, Urged forth, and drove the bristly herd before; Unwieldy, out they ru=
sh'd
with general cry, Enormous beasts, dishonest to the eye. Now touch'd by
counter-charms they change again, And stand majestic, and recall'd to men. =
Those
hairs of late that bristled every part, Fall off, miraculous effect of art!=
Till
all the form in full proportion rise, More young, more large, more graceful=
to
my eyes. They saw, they knew me, and with eager pace Clung to their master =
in a
long embrace: Sad, pleasing sight! with tears each eye ran o'er, And sobs of
joy re-echoed through the bower; E'en Circe wept, her adamantine heart Felt
pity enter, and sustain'd her part.
"'Son of Laertes! (then the queen began) =
Oh
much-enduring, much experienced man! Haste to thy vessel on the sea-beat sh=
ore,
Unload thy treasures, and the galley moor; Then bring thy friends, secure f=
rom
future harms, And in our grottoes stow thy spoils and arms,'
"She said. Obedient to her high command I
quit the place, and hasten to the strand, My sad companions on the beach I
found, Their wistful eyes in floods of sorrow drown'd.
"As from fresh pastures and the dewy fiel=
d (When
loaded cribs their evening banquet yield) The lowing herds return; around t=
hem
throng With leaps and bounds their late imprison'd young, Rush to their mot=
hers
with unruly joy, And echoing hills return the tender cry: So round me press=
'd,
exulting at my sight, With cries and agonies of wild delight, The weeping
sailors; nor less fierce their joy Than if return'd to Ithaca from Troy. 'Ah
master! ever honour'd, ever dear! (These tender words on every side I hear)=
What
other joy can equal thy return? Not that loved country for whose sight we
mourn, The soil that nursed us, and that gave us breath: But ah! relate our
lost companions' death.'
"I answer'd cheerful: 'Haste, your galley
moor, And bring our treasures and our arms ashore: Those in yon hollow cave=
rns
let us lay, Then rise, and follow where I lead the way. Your fellows live;
believe your eyes, and come To taste the joys of Circe's sacred dome.'
"With ready speed the joyful crew obey: A=
lone
Eurylochus persuades their stay.
"'Whither (he cried), ah whither will ye =
run?
Seek ye to meet those evils ye should shun? Will you the terrors of the dome
explore, In swine to grovel, or in lions roar, Or wolf-like howl away the
midnight hour In dreadful watch around the magic bower? Remember Cyclops, a=
nd
his bloody deed; The leader's rashness made the soldiers bleed.'
"I heard incensed, and first resolved to
speed My flying falchion at the rebel's head. Dear as he was, by ties of
kindred bound, This hand had stretch'd him breathless on the ground. But al=
l at
once my interposing train For mercy pleaded, nor could plead in vain. 'Leave
here the man who dares his prince desert, Leave to repentance and his own s=
ad
heart, To guard the ship. Seek we the sacred shades Of Circe's palace, where
Ulysses leads.'
"This with one voice declared, the rising
train Left the black vessel by the murmuring main. Shame touch'd Eurylochus'
alter'd breast: He fear'd my threats, and follow'd with the rest.
"Meanwhile the goddess, with indulgent ca=
res And
social joys, the late transform'd repairs; The bath, the feast, their faint=
ing
soul renews: Rich in refulgent robes, and dropping balmy dews: Brightening =
with
joy, their eager eyes behold, Each other's face, and each his story told; T=
hen
gushing tears the narrative confound, And with their sobs the vaulted roof
resound. When hush'd their passion, thus the goddess cries: 'Ulysses, taugh=
t by
labours to be wise, Let this short memory of grief suffice. To me are known=
the
various woes ye bore. In storms by sea, in perils on the shore; Forget what=
ever
was in Fortune's power, And share the pleasures of this genial hour. Such be
your mind as ere ye left your coast, Or learn'd to sorrow for a country los=
t. Exiles
and wanderers now, where'er ye go, Too faithful memory renews your woe: The
cause removed, habitual griefs remain, And the soul saddens by the use of
pain.'
"Her kind entreaty moved the general brea=
st; Tired
with long toil, we willing sunk to rest. We plied the banquet, and the bowl=
we
crown'd, Till the full circle of the year came round. But when the seasons
following in their train, Brought back the months, the days, and hours agai=
n; As
from a lethargy at once they rise, And urge their chief with animating crie=
s:
"'Is this, Ulysses, our inglorious lot? A=
nd
is the name of Ithaca forgot? Shall never the dear land in prospect rise, Or
the loved palace glitter in our eyes? "Melting I heard; yet till the s=
un's
decline Prolong'd the feast, and quaff'd the rosy wine But when the shades =
came
on at evening hour, And all lay slumbering in the dusky bower, I came a
suppliant to fair Circe's bed, The tender moment seized, and thus I said: '=
Be
mindful, goddess! of thy promise made; Must sad Ulysses ever be delay'd? Ar=
ound
their lord my sad companions mourn, Each breast beats homeward, anxious to
return: If but a moment parted from thy eyes, Their tears flow round me, an=
d my
heart complies.'
"'Go then (she cried), ah go! yet think, =
not
I, Not Circe, but the Fates, your wish deny. Ah, hope not yet to breathe thy
native air! Far other journey first demands thy care; To tread the
uncomfortable paths beneath, And view the realms of darkness and of death. =
There
seek the Theban bard, deprived of sight; Within, irradiate with prophetic
light; To whom Persephone, entire and whole, Gave to retain the unseparated
soul: The rest are forms, of empty ether made; Impassive semblance, and a
flitting shade.'
"Struck at the word, my very heart was de=
ad: Pensive
I sate: my tears bedew'd the bed: To hate the light and life my soul begun,=
And
saw that all was grief beneath the sun: Composed at length the gushing tears
suppress'd, And my toss'd limbs now wearied into rest. 'How shall I tread (I
cried), ah, Circe! say, The dark descent, and who shall guide the way? Can
living eyes behold the realms below? What bark to waft me, and what wind to
blow?'
"'Thy fated road (the magic power replied=
), Divine
Ulysses! ask no mortal guide. Rear but the mast, the spacious sail display,=
The
northern winds shall wing thee on thy way. Soon shalt thou reach old Ocean's
utmost ends, Where to the main the shelving shore descends; The barren tree=
s of
Proserpine's black woods, Poplars and willows trembling o'er the floods: Th=
ere
fix thy vessel in the lonely bay, And enter there the kingdoms void of day,=
Where
Phlegethon's loud torrents, rushing down, Hiss in the flaming gulf of Acher=
on; And
where, slow rolling from the Stygian bed, Cocytus' lamentable waters spread=
: Where
the dark rock o'erhangs the infernal lake, And mingling streams eternal mur=
murs
make. First draw thy falchion, and on every side Trench the black earth a c=
ubit
long and wide: To all the shades around libations pour, And o'er the
ingredients strew the hallow'd flour: New wine and milk, with honey temper'd
bring, And living water from the crystal spring. Then the wan shades and fe=
eble
ghosts implore, With promised offerings on thy native shore; A barren cow, =
the
stateliest of the isle, And heap'd with various wealth, a blazing pile: The=
se
to the rest; but to the seer must bleed A sable ram, the pride of all thy b=
reed.
These solemn vows and holy offerings paid To all the phantom nations of the
dead, Be next thy care the sable sheep to place Full o'er the pit, and hell=
ward
turn their face: But from the infernal rite thine eye withdraw, And back to
Ocean glance with reverend awe. Sudden shall skim along the dusky glades Th=
in
airy shoals, and visionary shades. Then give command the sacrifice to haste=
, Let
the flay'd victims in the flame be cast, And sacred vows and mystic song
applied To grisly Pluto and his gloomy bride. Wide o'er the pool thy falchi=
on
waved around Shall drive the spectres from unbidden ground: The sacred drau=
ght
shall all the dead forbear, Till awful from the shades arise the seer. Let =
him,
oraculous, the end, the way, The turns of all thy future fate display, Thy
pilgrimage to come, and remnant of thy day.'
"So speaking, from the ruddy orient shone=
The
morn, conspicuous on her golden throne. The goddess with a radiant tunic
dress'd My limbs, and o'er me cast a silken vest. Long flowing robes, of pu=
rest
white, array The nymph, that added lustre to the day: A tiar wreath'd her h=
ead
with many a fold; Her waist was circled with a zone of gold. Forth issuing
then, from place to place I flew; Rouse man by man, and animate my crew. 'R=
ise,
rise, my mates! 'tis Circe gives command: Our journey calls us; haste, and =
quit
the land.' All rise and follow, yet depart not all, For Fate decreed one
wretched man to fall.
"A youth there was, Elpenor was he named,=
Not
much for sense, nor much for courage famed: The youngest of our band, a vul=
gar
soul, Born but to banquet, and to drain the bowl. He, hot and careless, on a
turret's height With sleep repair'd the long debauch of night: The sudden
tumult stirred him where he lay, And down he hasten'd, but forgot the way; =
Full
headlong from the roof the sleeper fell, And snapp'd the spinal joint, and
waked in hell.
"The rest crowd round me with an eager lo=
ok; I
met them with a sigh, and thus bespoke: 'Already, friends! ye think your to=
ils
are o'er, Your hopes already touch your native shore: Alas! far otherwise t=
he
nymph declares, Far other journey first demands our cares; To tread the
uncomfortable paths beneath, The dreary realms of darkness and of death; To
seek Tiresias' awful shade below, And thence our fortunes and our fates to
know.'
"My sad companions heard in deep despair;=
Frantic
they tore their manly growth of hair; To earth they fell: the tears began to
rain; But tears in mortal miseries are vain, Sadly they fared along the
sea-beat shore; Still heaved their hearts, and still their eyes ran o'er. T=
he
ready victims at our bark we found, The sable ewe and ram together bound. F=
or
swift as thought the goddess had been there, And thence had glided, viewles=
s as
the air: The paths of gods what mortal can survey? Who eyes their motion? w=
ho
shall trace their way?"
Ulysses continues his narration. How he arrive=
d at
the land of the Cimmerians, and what ceremonies he performed to invoke the
dead. The manner of his descent, and the apparition of the shades: his conv=
ersation
with Elpenor, and with Tiresias, who informs him in a prophetic manner of h=
is
fortunes to come. He meets his mother Anticles, from whom he learns the sta=
te
of his family. He sees the shades of the ancient heroines, afterwards of the
heroes, and converses in particular with Agamemnon and Achilles. Ajax keeps=
at a
sullen distance, and disdains to answer him. He then beholds Tityus, Tantal=
us,
Sisyphus, Hercules; till he is deterred from further curiosity by the
apparition of horrid spectres, and the cries of the wicked in torments.
"Now to the shores we bend, a mournful tr=
ain,
Climb the tall bark, and launch into the main; At once the mast we rear, at
once unbind The spacious sheet, and stretch it to the wind; Then pale and
pensive stand, with cares oppress'd, And solemn horror saddens every breast=
. A
freshening breeze the magic power supplied, While the wing'd vessel flew al=
ong
the tide; Our oars we shipp'd; all day the swelling sails Full from the gui=
ding
pilot catch'd the gales.
"Now sunk the sun from his aerial height,=
And
o'er the shaded billows rush'd the night; When lo! we reach'd old Ocean's
utmost bounds, Where rocks control his waves with ever-during mounds.
"There in a lonely land, and gloomy cells=
, The
dusky nation of Cimmeria dwells; The sun ne'er views the uncomfortable seat=
s, When
radiant he advances, or retreats: Unhappy race! whom endless night invades,=
Clouds
the dull air, and wraps them round in shades.
"The ship we moor on these obscure abodes=
; Disbark
the sheep, an offering to the gods; And, hellward bending, o'er the beach
descry The doleful passage to the infernal sky. The victims, vow'd to each
Tartarian power, Eurylochus and Perimedes bore.
"Here open'd hell, all hell I here implor=
ed, And
from the scabbard drew the shining sword: And trenching the black earth on
every side, A cavern form'd, a cubit long and wide. New wine, with
honey-temper'd milk, we bring, Then living waters from the crystal spring: =
O'er
these was strew'd the consecrated flour, And on the surface shone the holy
store.
"Now the wan shades we hail, the infernal
gods, To speed our course, and waft us o'er the floods: So shall a barren
heifer from the stall Beneath the knife upon your altars fall; So in our
palace, at our safe return, Rich with unnumber'd gifts the pile shall burn;=
So
shall a ram, the largest of the breed, Black as these regions, to Tiresias
bleed.
"Thus solemn rites and holy vows we paid =
To
all the phantom-nations of the dead; Then died the sheep: a purple torrent
flow'd, And all the caverns smoked with streaming blood. When lo! appear'd
along the dusky coasts, Thin, airy shoals of visionary ghosts: Fair, pensive
youths, and soft enamour'd maids; And wither'd elders, pale and wrinkled
shades; Ghastly with wounds the forms of warriors slain Stalk'd with majest=
ic
port, a martial train: These and a thousand more swarm'd o'er the ground, A=
nd
all the dire assembly shriek'd around. Astonish'd at the sight, aghast I st=
ood,
And a cold fear ran shivering through my blood; Straight I command the
sacrifice to haste, Straight the flay'd victims to the flames are cast, And
mutter'd vows, and mystic song applied To grisly Pluto, and his gloomy brid=
e.
"Now swift I waved my falchion o'er the
blood; Back started the pale throngs, and trembling stood, Round the black
trench the gore untasted flows, Till awful from the shades Tiresias rose.
"There wandering through the gloom I first
survey'd, New to the realms of death, Elpenor's shade: His cold remains all
naked to the sky On distant shores unwept, unburied lie. Sad at the sight I
stand, deep fix'd in woe, And ere I spoke the tears began to flow.
"'O say what angry power Elpenor led To g=
lide
in shades, and wander with the dead? How could thy soul, by realms and seas
disjoin'd, Outfly the nimble sail, and leave the lagging wind?
"The ghost replied: 'To hell my doom I ow= e, Demons accursed, dire ministers of woe! My feet, through wine unfaithful to their weight, Betray'd me tumbling from a towery height: Staggering I reel'd, and= as I reel'd I fell, Lux'd the neck-joint--my soul descends to hell. But lend me aid, I now conjure thee lend, By the soft tie and sacred name of friend! By= thy fond consort! by thy father's cares! By loved Telemachus' blooming years? F= or well I know that soon the heavenly powers Will give thee back to-day, and Circe's shores: There pious on my cold remains attend, There call to mind t= hy poor departed friend. The tribute of a tear is all I crave, And the possess= ion of a peaceful grave. But if, unheard, in vain compassion plead, Revere the gods. The gods avenge the dead! A tomb along the watery margin raise, The t= omb with manly arms and trophies grace, To show posterity Elpenor was. There hi= gh in air, memorial of my name, Fix the smooth oar, and bid me live to fame.'<= o:p>
"To whom with tears: 'These rites, O mour=
nful
shade, Due to thy ghost, shall to thy ghost be paid.'
"Still as I spoke the phantom seem'd to m=
oan,
Tear follow'd tear, and groan succeeded groan. But, as my waving sword the
blood surrounds, The shade withdrew, and mutter'd empty sounds.
"There as the wondrous visions I survey'd=
, All
pale ascends my royal mother's shade: A queen, to Troy she saw our legions
pass; Now a thin form is all Anticlea was! Struck at the sight I melt with
filial woe, And down my cheek the pious sorrows flow, Yet as I shook my
falchion o'er the blood, Regardless of her son the parent stood.
"When lo! the mighty Theban I behold, To
guide his steps he bore a staff of gold; Awful he trod; majestic was his lo=
ok! And
from his holy lips these accents broke:
"'Why, mortal, wanderest thou from cheerf= ul day, To tread the downward, melancholy way? What angry gods to these dark regions led Thee, yet alive, companion of the deed? But sheathe thy poniard, while my tongue relates Heaven's steadfast purpose, and thy future fates.'<= o:p>
"While yet he spoke, the prophet I obey'd=
, And
in the scabbard plunged the glittering blade: Eager he quaff'd the gore, and
then express'd Dark things to come, the counsels of his breast.
"Weary of light, Ulysses here explores A
prosperous voyage to his native shores; But know--by me unerring Fates disc=
lose
New trains of dangers, and new scenes of woes. I see, I see, thy bark by
Neptune toss'd, For injured Cyclops, and his eyeball lost! Yet to thy woes =
the
gods decree an end, If Heaven thou please: and how to please attend Where on
Trinacrian rocks the ocean roars, Graze numerous herds along the verdant
shores; Though hunger press, yet fly the dangerous prey, The herds are sacr=
ed
to the god of day, Who all surveys with his extensive eye, Above, below, on
earth, and in the sky! Rob not the god; and so propitious gales Attend thy
voyage, and impel thy sails: But, if his herds ye seize, beneath the waves I
see thy friends o'erwhelm'd in liquid graves! The direful wreck Ulysses sca=
rce
survives! Ulysses at his country scarce arrives! Strangers thy guides! nor
there thy labours end; New foes arise; domestic ills attend! There foul
adulterers to thy bride resort, And lordly gluttons riot in thy court. But
vengeance hastes amain! These eyes behold The deathful scene, princes on
princes roll'd! That done, a people far from sea explore, Who ne'er knew sa=
lt,
or heard the billows roar, Or saw gay vessel stem the watery plain, A paint=
ed
wonder flying on the main! Bear on thy back an oar: with strange amaze A
shepherd meeting thee, the oar surveys, And names a van: there fix it on the
plain, To calm the god that holds the watery reign; A threefold offering to=
his
altar bring, A bull, a ram, a boar; and hail the ocean king. But home retur=
n'd,
to each ethereal power Slay the due victim in the genial hour: So peaceful
shalt thou end thy blissful days, And steal thyself from life by slow decay=
s: Unknown
to pain, in age resign thy breath, When late stern Neptune points the shaft
with death: To the dark grave retiring as to rest, Thy people blessing, by =
thy
people bless'd!
"Unerring truths, O man, my lips relate; =
This
is thy life to come, and this is fate.'
"To whom unmoved: 'If this the gods prepa=
re, What
Heaven ordains the wise with courage bear. But say, why yonder on the lonely
strands, Unmindful of her son, Anticlea stands? Why to the ground she bends=
her
downcast eye? Why is she silent, while her son is nigh? The latent cause, O
sacred seer, reveal!'
"'Nor this (replies the seer) will I conc=
eal.
Know, to the spectres that thy beverage taste, The scenes of life recur, and
actions past: They, seal'd with truth, return the sure reply; The rest,
repell'd, a train oblivious fly.'
"The phantom-prophet ceased, and sunk from
sight, To the black palace of eternal night.
"Still in the dark abodes of death I stoo=
d, When
near Anticlea moved, and drank the blood. Straight all the mother in her so=
ul
awakes, And, owning her Ulysses, thus she speaks; 'Comest thou, my son, ali=
ve,
to realms beneath, The dolesome realms of darkness and of death! Comest thou
alive from pure, ethereal day? Dire is the region, dismal is the way! Here
lakes profound, there floods oppose their waves, There the wide sea with all
his billows raves! Or (since to dust proud Troy submits her towers) Comest =
thou
a wanderer from the Phrygian shores? Or say, since honour call'd thee to the
field, Hast thou thy Ithaca, thy bride, beheld?'
"'Source of my life,' I cried, 'from eart=
h I
fly To seek Tiresias in the nether sky, To learn my doom; for, toss'd from =
woe
to woe, In every land Ulysses finds a foe: Nor have these eyes beheld my na=
tive
shores, Since in the dust proud Troy submits her towers.
"'But, when thy soul from her sweet mansi=
on
fled, Say, what distemper gave thee to the dead? Has life's fair lamp decli=
ned
by slow decays, Or swift expired it in a sudden blaze? Say, if my sire, good
old Laertes, lives? If yet Telemachus, my son, survives? Say, by his rule i=
s my
dominion awed, Or crush'd by traitors with an iron rod? Say, if my spouse
maintains her royal trust; Though tempted, chaste, and obstinately just? Or=
if
no more her absent lord she wails, But the false woman o'er the wife prevai=
ls?'
"Thus I, and thus the parent-shade return=
s: 'Thee,
ever thee, thy faithful consort mourns: Whether the night descends or day
prevails, Thee she by night, and thee by day bewails. Thee in Telemachus thy
realm obeys; In sacred groves celestial rites he pays, And shares the banqu=
et
in superior state, Graced with such honours as become the great Thy sire in
solitude foments his care: The court is joyless, for thou art not there! No
costly carpets raise his hoary head, No rich embroidery shines to grace his
bed; Even when keen winter freezes in the skies, Rank'd with his slaves, on
earth the monarch lies: Deep are his sighs, his visage pale, his dress The =
garb
of woe and habit of distress. And when the autumn takes his annual round, T=
he
leafy honours scattering on the ground, Regardless of his years, abroad he
lies, His bed the leaves, his canopy the skies. Thus cares on cares his pai=
nful
days consume, And bow his age with sorrow to the tomb!
"'For thee, my son, I wept my life away; =
For
thee through hell's eternal dungeons stray: Nor came my fate by lingering p=
ains
and slow, Nor bent the silver-shafted queen her bow; No dire disease bereav=
ed
me of my breath; Thou, thou, my son, wert my disease and death; Unkindly wi=
th
my love my son conspired, For thee I lived, for absent thee expired.'
"Thrice in my arms I strove her shade to
bind, Thrice through my arms she slipp'd like empty wind, Or dreams, the va=
in
illusions of the mind. Wild with despair, I shed a copious tide Of flowing
tears, and thus with sighs replied:
"'Fliest thou, loved shade, while I thus
fondly mourn! Turn to my arms, to my embraces turn! Is it, ye powers that s=
mile
at human harms! Too great a bliss to weep within her arms? Or has hell's qu=
een
an empty image sent, That wretched I might e'en my joys lament?'
"'O son of woe,' the pensive shade rejoin=
'd; 'O
most inured to grief of all mankind! "'Tis not the queen of hell who t=
hee
deceives; All, all are such, when life the body leaves: No more the substan=
ce
of the man remains, Nor bounds the blood along the purple veins: These the
funereal flames in atoms bear, To wander with the wind in empty air: While =
the
impassive soul reluctant flies, Like a vain dream, to these infernal skies.=
But
from the dark dominions speed the way, And climb the steep ascent to upper =
day:
To thy chaste bride the wondrous story tell, The woes, the horrors, and the
laws of hell.'
"Thus while she spoke, in swarms hell's
empress brings Daughters and wives of heroes and of kings; Thick and more t=
hick
they gather round the blood, Ghost thronged on ghost (a dire assembly) stoo=
d! Dauntless
my sword I seize: the airy crew, Swift as it flash'd along the gloom, withd=
rew;
Then shade to shade in mutual forms succeeds, Her race recounts, and their
illustrious deeds.
"Tyro began, whom great Salmoneus bred; T=
he
royal partner of famed Cretheus' bed. For fair Enipeus, as from fruitful ur=
ns He
pours his watery store, the virgin burns; Smooth flows the gentle stream wi=
th
wanton pride, And in soft mazes rolls a silver tide. As on his banks the ma=
id
enamour'd roves, The monarch of the deep beholds and loves; In her Enipeus'
form and borrow'd charms The amorous god descends into her arms: Around, a
spacious arch of waves he throws, And high in air the liquid mountain rose;=
Thus
in surrounding floods conceal'd, he proves The pleasing transport, and
completes his loves. Then, softly sighing, he the fair address'd, And as he
spoke her tender hand he press'd. 'Hail, happy nymph! no vulgar births are =
owed
To the prolific raptures of a god: Lo! when nine times the moon renews her
horn, Two brother heroes shall from thee be born; Thy early care the future
worthies claim, To point them to the arduous paths of fame; But in thy brea=
st
the important truth conceal, Nor dare the secret of a god reveal: For know,
thou Neptune view'st! and at my nod Earth trembles, and the waves confess t=
heir
god.'
"He added not, but mounting spurn'd the
plain, Then plunged into the chambers of the main,
"Now in the time's full process forth she
brings Jove's dread vicegerents in two future kings; O'er proud Iolcos Peli=
as
stretch'd his reign, And godlike Neleus ruled the Pylian plain: Then, fruit=
ful,
to her Cretheus' royal bed She gallant Pheres and famed Aeson bred; From the
same fountain Amythaon rose, Pleased with the din of scar; and noble shout =
of
foes.
"There moved Antiope, with haughty charms=
, Who
bless'd the almighty Thunderer in her arms: Hence sprung Amphion, hence bra=
ve
Zethus came, Founders of Thebes, and men of mighty name; Though bold in open
field, they yet surround The town with walls, and mound inject on mound; He=
re
ramparts stood, there towers rose high in air, And here through seven wide
portals rush'd the war.
"There with soft step the fair Alcmena tr=
od, Who
bore Alcides to the thundering god: And Megara, who charm'd the son of Jove=
, And
soften'd his stern soul to tender love.
"Sullen and sour, with discontented mien,=
Jocasta
frown'd, the incestuous Theban queen; With her own son she join'd in nuptial
bands, Though father's blood imbrued his murderous hands The gods and men t=
he
dire offence detest, The gods with all their furies rend his breast; In lof=
ty
Thebes he wore the imperial crown, A pompous wretch! accursed upon a throne=
. The
wife self-murder'd from a beam depends, And her foul soul to blackest hell
descends; Thence to her son the choicest plagues she brings, And the fiends
haunt him with a thousand stings.
"And now the beauteous Chloris I descry, A
lovely shade, Amphion's youngest joy! With gifts unnumber'd Neleus sought h=
er
arms, Nor paid too dearly for unequall'd charms; Great in Orchomenos, in Py=
los
great, He sway'd the sceptre with imperial state. Three gallant sons the jo=
yful
monarch told,
Sage Nestor, Periclimenus the bold, And Chromi=
us
last; but of the softer race, One nymph alone, a myracle of grace. Kings on
their thrones for lovely Pero burn; The sire denies, and kings rejected mou=
rn. To
him alone the beauteous prize he yields, Whose arm should ravish from Phyla=
cian
fields The herds of Iphyclus, detain'd in wrong; Wild, furious herds,
unconquerably strong! This dares a seer, but nought the seer prevails, In
beauty's cause illustriously he fails; Twelve moons the foe the captive you=
th
detains In painful dungeons, and coercive chains; The foe at last from dura=
nce
where he lay, His heart revering, give him back to day; Won by prophetic
knowledge, to fulfil The steadfast purpose of the Almighty will.
"With graceful port advancing now I spied=
, Leda
the fair, the godlike Tyndar's bride: Hence Pollux sprung, who wields the
furious sway The deathful gauntlet, matchless in the fray; And Castor, glor=
ious
on the embattled plain, Curbs the proud steeds, reluctant to the rein: By t=
urns
they visit this ethereal sky, And live alternate, and alternate die: In hell
beneath, on earth, in heaven above, Reign the twin-gods, the favourite sons=
of
Jove.
"There Ephimedia trod the gloomy plain, W=
ho
charm'd the monarch of the boundless main: Hence Ephialtes, hence stern Otus
sprung, More fierce than giants, more than giants strong; The earth
o'erburden'd groan'd beneath their weight, None but Orion e'er surpassed th=
eir
height: The wondrous youths had scarce nine winters told, When high in air,
tremendous to behold, Nine ells aloft they rear'd their towering head, And =
full
nine cubits broad their shoulders spread. Proud of their strength, and more
than mortal size, The gods they challenge, and affect the skies: Heaved on
Olympus tottering Ossa stood; On Ossa, Pelion nods with all his wood. Such =
were
they youths I had they to manhood grown Almighty Jove had trembled on his
throne, But ere the harvest of the beard began To bristle on the chin, and
promise man, His shafts Apollo aim'd; at once they sound, And stretch the g=
iant
monsters o'er the ground.
"There mournful Phaedra with sad Procris
moves, Both beauteous shades, both hapless in their loves; And near them wa=
lk'd
with solemn pace and slow, Sad Adriadne, partner of their woe: The royal Mi=
nos
Ariadne bred, She Theseus loved, from Crete with Theseus fled: Swift to the
Dian isle the hero flies, And towards his Athens bears the lovely prize; Th=
ere
Bacchus with fierce rage Diana fires, The goddess aims her shaft, the nymph
expires.
"There Clymene and Mera I behold, There
Eriphyle weeps, who loosely sold Her lord, her honour, for the lust of gold=
. But
should I all recount, the night would fail, Unequal to the melancholy tale:=
And
all-composing rest my nature craves, Here in the court, or yonder on the wa=
ves;
In you I trust, and in the heavenly powers, To land Ulysses on his native
shores."
He ceased; but left so charming on their ear H=
is
voice, that listening still they seem'd to hear, Till, rising up, Arete sil=
ence
broke, Stretch'd out her snowy hand, and thus she spoke:
"What wondrous man heaven sends us in our
guest; Through all his woes the hero shines confess'd; His comely port, his
ample frame express A manly air, majestic in distress. He, as my guest, is =
my
peculiar care: You share the pleasure, then in bounty share To worth in mis=
ery
a reverence pay, And with a generous hand reward his stay; For since kind
heaven with wealth our realm has bless'd, Give it to heaven by aiding the
distress'd."
Then sage Echeneus, whose grave reverend brow =
The
hand of time had silvered o'er with snow, Mature in wisdom rose: "Your
words (he cries) Demand obedience, for your words are wise. But let our king
direct the glorious way To generous acts; our part is to obey."
"While life informs these limbs (the king
replied), Well to deserve, be all my cares employed: But here this night the
royal guest detain, Till the sun flames along the ethereal plain. Be it my =
task
to send with ample stores The stranger from our hospitable shores: Tread yo=
u my
steps! 'Tis mine to lead the race, The first in glory, as the first in
place."
To whom the prince: "This night with joy I
stay O monarch great in virtue as in sway! If thou the circling year my stay
control, To raise a bounty noble as thy soul; The circling year I wait, with
ampler stores And fitter pomp to hail my native shores: Then by my realms d=
ue
homage would be paid; For wealthy kings are loyally obeyed!"
"O king! for such thou art, and sure thy
blood Through veins (he cried) of royal fathers flow'd: Unlike those vagran=
ts
who on falsehood live, Skill'd in smooth tales, and artful to deceive; Thy
better soul abhors the liar's part, Wise is thy voice, and noble is thy hea=
rt. Thy
words like music every breast control, Steal through the ear, and win upon =
the
soul; soft, as some song divine, thy story flows, Nor better could the Muse
record thy woes.
"But say, upon the dark and dismal coast,=
Saw'st
thou the worthies of the Grecian host? The godlike leaders who, in battle
slain, Fell before Troy, and nobly press'd the plain? And lo! a length of n=
ight
behind remains, The evening stars still mount the ethereal plains. Thy tale
with raptures I could hear thee tell, Thy woes on earth, the wondrous scene=
s in
hell, Till in the vault of heaven the stars decay. And the sky reddens with=
the
rising day."
"O worthy of the power the gods assign'd =
(Ulysses
thus replies), a king in mind: Since yet the early hour of night allows Time
for discourse, and time for soft repose, If scenes of misery can entertain,=
Woes
I unfold, of woes a dismal train. Prepare to heir of murder and of blood; Of
godlike heroes who uninjured stood Amidst a war of spears in foreign lands,=
Yet
bled at home, and bled by female hands.
"Now summon'd Proserpine to hell's black =
hall
The heroine shades: they vanish'd at her call. When lo! advanced the forms =
of
heroes slain By stern AEgysthus, a majestic train: And, high above the rest
Atrides press'd the plain. He quaff'd the gore; and straight his soldier kn=
ew, And
from his eyes pour'd down the tender dew: His arms he stretch'd; his arms t=
he
touch deceive, Nor in the fond embrace, embraces give: His substance vanish=
'd,
and his strength decay'd, Now all Atrides is an empty shade.
"Moved at the sight, I for a apace resign=
'd To
soft affliction all my manly mind; At last with tears: 'O what relentless d=
oom,
Imperial phantom, bow'd thee to the tomb? Say while the sea, and while the
tempest raves, Has Fate oppress'd thee in the roaring waves, Or nobly seized
thee in the dire alarms Of war and slaughter, and the clash of arms?'
"The ghost returns: 'O chief of human kin=
d For
active courage and a patient mind; Nor while the sea, nor while the tempest
raves Has Fate oppress'd me on the roaring waves! Nor nobly seized me in the
dire alarms Of war and slaughter, and the clash of arms Stabb'd by a murder=
ous
hand Atrides died, A foul adulterer, and a faithless bride; E'en in my mirt=
h,
and at the friendly feast, O'er the full bowl, the traitor stabb'd his gues=
t; Thus
by the gory arm of slaughter falls The stately ox, and bleeds within the
stalls. But not with me the direful murder ends, These, these expired! their
crime, they were my friends: Thick as the boars, which some luxurious lord =
Kills
for the feast, to crown the nuptial board. When war has thunder'd with its
loudest storms, Death thou hast seen in all her ghastly forms: In duel met =
her
on the listed ground, When hand to hand they wound return for wound; But ne=
ver
have the eyes astonish'd view'd So vile a deed, so dire a scene of blood. E=
'en
in the flow of joy, when now the bowl Glows in our veins, and opens every s=
oul,
We groan, we faint; with blood the doom is dyed. And o'er the pavement floa=
ts
the dreadful tide-- Her breast all gore, with lamentable cries, The bleeding
innocent Cassandra dies! Then though pale death froze cold in every vein, My
sword I strive to wield, but strive in vain; Nor did my traitress wife these
eyelids close, Or decently in death my limbs compose. O woman, woman, when =
to
ill thy mind Is bent, all hell contains no fouler fiend: And such was mine!=
who
basely plunged her sword Through the fond bosom where she reign'd adored! A=
las!
I hoped the toils of war o'ercome, To meet soft quiet and repose at home; D=
elusive
hope! O wife, thy deeds disgrace The perjured sex, and blacken all the race=
; And
should posterity one virtuous find, Name Clytemnestra, they will curse the
kind.'
"Oh injured shade (I cried) what mighty w=
oes To
thy imperial race from woman rose! By woman here thou tread'st this mournful
strand, And Greece by woman lies a desert land.'
"'Warn'd by my ills beware, (the shade
replies,) Nor trust the sex that is so rarely wise; When earnest to explore=
thy
secret breast, Unfold some trifle, but conceal the rest. But in thy consort
cease to fear a foe, For thee she feels sincerity of woe; When Troy first b=
led
beneath the Grecian arms, She shone unrivall'd with a blaze of charms; Thy
infant son her fragrant bosom press'd, Hung at her knee, or wanton'd at her
breast; But now the years a numerous train have ran; The blooming boy is ri=
pen'd
into man; Thy eyes shall see him burn with noble fire, The sire shall bless=
his
son, the son his sire; But my Orestes never met these eyes, Without one look
the murder'd father dies; Then from a wretched friend this wisdom learn, E'=
en
to thy queen disguised, unknown, return; For since of womankind so few are
just, Think all are false, nor e'en the faithful trust.
"'But, say, resides my son in royal port,=
In
rich Orchomenos, or Sparta's court? Or say in Pyle? for yet he views the li=
ght,
Nor glides a phantom through the realms of night.'
"Then I: 'Thy suit is vain, nor can I say=
If
yet he breathes in realms of cheerful day; Or pale or wan beholds these net=
her
skies; Truth I revere; for wisdom never lies.'
"Thus in a tide of tears our sorrows flow=
, And
add new horror to the realms of woe; Till side by side along the dreary coa=
st Advanced
Achilles' and Patroclus' ghost, A friendly pair! near these the Pylian stra=
y'd,
And towering Ajax, an illustrious shade! War was his joy, and pleased with =
loud
alarms, None but Pelides brighter shone in arms.
"Through the thick gloom his friend Achil=
les
knew, And as he speaks the tears descend in dew.
"'Comest thou alive to view the Stygian bounds, Where the wan spectres walk eternal rounds; Nor fear'st the dark and dismal waste to tread, Throng'd with pale ghosts, familiar with the dead?'<= o:p>
"To whom with sighs: 'I pass these dreadf=
ul
gates To seek the Theban, and consult the Fates; For still, distress'd, I r=
ove
from coast to coast, Lost to my friends, and to my country lost. But sure t=
he
eye of Time beholds no name So bless'd as thine in all the rolls of fame; A=
live
we hail'd thee with our guardian gods, And dead thou rulest a king in these
abodes.'
"'Talk not of ruling in this dolorous glo=
om, Nor
think vain words (he cried) can ease my doom. Rather I'd choose laboriously=
to
bear A weight of woes, and breathe the vital air, A slave to some poor hind
that toils for bread, Than reign the sceptred monarch of the dead. But say,=
if
in my steps my son proceeds, And emulates his godlike father's deeds? If at=
the
clash of arms, and shout of foes, Swells his bold heart, his bosom nobly gl=
ows?
Say if my sire, the reverend Peleus, reigns, Great in his Phthia, and his
throne maintains; Or, weak and old, my youthful arm demands, To fix the sce=
ptre
steadfast in his hands? O might the lamp of life rekindled burn, And death
release me from the silent urn! This arm, that thunder'd o'er the Phrygian
plain, And swell'd the ground with mountains of the slain, Should vindicate=
my
injured father's fame, Crush the proud rebel, and assert his claim.'
"'Illustrious shade (I cried), of Peleus'
fates No circumstance the voice of Fame relates: But hear with pleased
attention the renown, The wars and wisdom of thy gallant son. With me from
Scyros to the field of fame Radiant in arms the blooming hero came. When Gr=
eece
assembled all her hundred states, To ripen counsels, and decide debates, He=
avens!
how he charm'd us with a flow of sense, And won the heart with manly eloque=
nce!
He first was seen of all the peers to rise, The third in wisdom, where they=
all
were wise! But when, to try the fortune of the day, Host moved toward host =
in
terrible array, Before the van, impatient for the fight, With martial port =
he
strode, and stern delight: Heaps strew'd on heaps beneath his falchion groa=
n'd,
And monuments of dead deform'd the ground. The time would fail should I in
order tell What foes were vanquish'd, and what numbers fell: How, lost thro=
ugh
love, Eurypylus was slain, And round him bled his bold Cetaean train. To Tr=
oy
no hero came of nobler line, Or if of nobler, Memnon, it was thine.
"When Ilion in the horse received her doo=
m, And
unseen armies ambush'd in its womb, Greece gave her latent warriors to my c=
are,
'Twas mine on Troy to pour the imprison'd war: Then when the boldest bosom =
beat
with fear, When the stern eyes of heroes dropp'd a tear, Fierce in his look=
his
ardent valour glow'd, Flush'd in his cheek, or sallied in his blood; Indign=
ant
in the dark recess he stands, Pants for the battle, and the war demands: His
voice breathed death, and with a martial air He grasp'd his sword, and shook
his glittering spear. And when the gods our arms with conquest crown'd, When
Troy's proud bulwarks smoked upon the ground, Greece, to reward her soldier=
's
gallant toils, Heap'd high his navy with unnumber'd spoils.
"Thus great in glory, from the din of war=
Safe
he return'd, without one hostile scar; Though spears in iron tempests rain'd
around, Yet innocent they play'd, and guiltless of a wound.'
"While yet I spoke, the shade with transp=
ort
glow'd, Rose in his majesty, and nobler trod; With haughty stalk he sought =
the
distant glades Of warrior kings, and join'd the illustrious shades.
"Now without number ghost by ghost arose,=
All
wailing with unutterable woes. Alone, apart, in discontented mood, A gloomy
shade the sullen Ajax stood; For ever sad, with proud disdain he pined, And=
the
lost arms for ever stung his mind; Though to the contest Thetis gave the la=
ws, And
Pallas, by the Trojans, judged the cause. O why was I victorious in the str=
ife?
O dear bought honour with so brave a life! With him the strength of war, the
soldier's pride, Our second hope to great Achilles, died! Touch'd at the si=
ght
from tears I scarce refrain, And tender sorrow thrills in every vein; Pensi=
ve and
sad I stand, at length accost With accents mild the inexorable ghost: 'Still
burns thy rage? and can brave souls resent E'en after death? Relent, great
shade, relent! Perish those arms which by the gods' decree Accursed our army
with the loss of thee! With thee we fall; Greece wept thy hapless fates, And
shook astonish'd through her hundred states; Not more, when great Achilles
press'd the ground, And breathed his manly spirit through the wound. O deem=
thy
fall not owed to man's decree, Jove hated Greece, and punish'd Greece in th=
ee! Turn
then; oh peaceful turn, thy wrath control, And calm the raging tempest of t=
hy
soul.'
"While yet I speak, the shade disdains to
stay, In silence turns, and sullen stalks away.
"Touch'd at his sour retreat, through dee=
pest
night, Through hell's black bounds I had pursued his flight, And forced the
stubborn spectre to reply; But wondrous visions drew my curious eye. High o=
n a
throne, tremendous to behold, Stern Minos waves a mace of burnish'd gold; A=
round
ten thousand thousand spectres stand Through the wide dome of Dis, a trembl=
ing
band Still as they plead, the fatal lots he rolls, Absolves the just, and d=
ooms
the guilty souls.
"The huge Orion, of portentous size, Swift
through the gloom a giant-hunter flies: A ponderous mace of brass with dire=
ful
sway Aloft he whirls, to crush the savage prey! Stern beasts in trains that=
by
his truncheon fell, Now grisly forms, shoot o'er the lawns of hell.
"There Tityus large and long, in fetters
bound, O'erspreads nine acres of infernal ground; Two ravenous vultures,
furious for their food, Scream o'er the fiend, and riot in his blood, Inces=
sant
gore the liver in his breast, The immortal liver grows, and gives the immor=
tal
feast. For as o'er Panope's enamell'd plains Latona journey'd to the Pythian
fanes, With haughty love the audacious monster strove To force the goddess,=
and
to rival Jove.
"There Tantalus along the Stygian bounds =
Pours
out deep groans (with groans all hell resounds); E'en in the circling floods
refreshment craves, And pines with thirst amidst a sea of waves; When to the
water he his lip applies, Back from his lip the treacherous water flies. Ab=
ove,
beneath, around his hapless head, Trees of all kinds delicious fruitage spr=
ead;
There figs, sky-dyed, a purple hue disclose, Green looks the olive, the
pomegranate glows. There dangling pears exalting scents unfold. And yellow
apples ripen into gold; The fruit he strives to seize; but blasts arise, To=
ss
it on high, and whirl it to the skies.
"I turn'd my eye, and as I turn'd survey'=
d A
mournful vision! the Sisyphian shade; With many a weary step, and many a gr=
oan,
Up the high hill he heaves a huge round stone; The huge round stone, result=
ing
with a bound, Thunders impetuous down, and smokes along the ground. Again t=
he
restless orb his toil renews, Dust mounts in clouds, and sweat descends in
dews.
"Now I the strength of Hercules behold, A
towering spectre of gigantic mould, A shadowy form! for high in heaven's ab=
odes
Himself resides, a god among the gods; There in the bright assemblies of the
skies. He nectar quaffs, and Hebe crowns his joys. Here hovering ghosts, li=
ke
fowl, his shade surround, And clang their pinions with terrific sound; Gloo=
my
as night he stands, in act to throw The aerial arrow from the twanging bow.=
Around
his breast a wondrous zone is roll'd, Where woodland monsters grin in frett=
ed
gold; There sullen lions sternly seem to roar, The bear to growl to foam the
tusky boar; There war and havoc and destruction stood, And vengeful murder =
red
with human blood. Thus terribly adorned the figures shine, Inimitably wroug=
ht
with skill divine. The mighty good advanced with awful look, And, turning h=
is
grim visage, sternly spoke:
"'O exercise in grief! by arts refined; O
taught to bear the wrongs of base mankind! Such, such was I! Still toss'd f=
rom
care to care, While in your world I drew the vital air! E'en I, who from the
Lord of Thunders rose, Bore toils and dangers, and a weight of woes; To a b=
ase
monarch still a slave confined, (The hardest bondage to a generous mind!) D=
own
to these worlds I trod the dismal way, And dragg'd the three-mouth'd dog to
upper day E'en hell I conquer'd, through the friendly aid Of Maia's offspri=
ng,
and the martial maid.
"Thus he, nor deign'd for our reply to st=
ay, But,
turning, stalk'd with giant-strides away.
"Curious to view the kings of ancient day=
s, The
mighty dead that live in endless praise, Resolved I stand; and haply had
survey'd The godlike Theseus, and Pirithous' shade; But swarms of spectres =
rose
from deepest hell, With bloodless visage, and with hideous yell. They screa=
m,
they shriek; and groans and dismal sounds Stun my scared ears, and pierce
hell's utmost bounds. No more my heart the dismal din sustains, And my cold
blood hangs shivering in my veins; Lest Gorgon, rising from the infernal la=
kes,
With horrors arm'd, and curls of hissing snakes, Should fix me stiffen'd at=
the
monstrous sight, A stony image, in eternal night! Straight from the direful
coast to purer air I speed my flight, and to my mates repair. My mates asce=
nd
the ship; they strike their oars; The mountains lessen, and retreat the sho=
res;
Swift o'er the waves we fly; the freshening gales Sing through the shrouds,=
and
stretch the swelling sails."
He relates how, after his return from the shad=
es,
he was sent by Circe on his voyage, by the coast of the Sirens, and by the
strait of Scylla and Charybdis: the manner in which he escaped those danger=
s:
how, being cast on the island Trinacria, his companions destroyed the oxen =
of
the Sun: the vengeance that followed; how all perished by shipwreck except
himself, who, swimming on the mast of the ship, arrived on the island of
Calypso. With which his narration concludes.
"Thus o'er the rolling surge the vessel f=
lies,
Till from the waves the AEaean hills arise. Here the gay Morn resides in
radiant bowers, Here keeps here revels with the dancing Hours; Here Phoebus,
rising in the ethereal way, Through heaven's bright portals pours the beamy
day. At once we fix our halsers on the land. At once descend, and press the
desert sand: There, worn and wasted, lose our cares in sleep, To the hoarse
murmurs of the rolling deep.
"Soon as the morn restored the day, we pa=
id Sepulchral
honours to Elpenor's shade. Now by the axe the rushing forest bends, And the
huge pile along the shore ascends. Around we stand, a melancholy train, And=
a
loud groan re-echoes from the main. Fierce o'er the pyre, by fanning breezes
spread, The hungry flames devour the silent dead. A rising tomb, the silent
dead to grace, Fast by the roarings of the main we place; The rising tomb a
lofty column bore, And high above it rose the tapering oar.
"Meantime the goddess our return survey'd=
From
the pale ghosts and hell's tremendous shade. Swift she descends: a train of
nymphs divine Bear the rich viands and the generous wine: In act to speak t=
he
power of magic stands, And graceful thus accosts the listening bands;
"'O sons of woe? decreed by adverse fates=
Alive
to pass through hell's eternal gates! All, soon or late, are doom'd that pa=
th
to tread; More wretched you! twice number'd with the dead! This day adjourn
your cares, exalt your souls, Indulge the taste, and drain the sparkling bo=
wls;
And when the morn unveils her saffron ray, Spread your broad sails, and plo=
ugh
the liquid way: Lo, I this night, your faithful guide, explain Your woes by
land, your dangers on the main.'
"The goddess spoke. In feasts we waste the
day, Till Phoebus downward plunged his burning ray; Then sable night ascend=
s,
and balmy rest Seals every eye, and calms the troubled breast. Then curious=
she
commands me to relate The dreadful scenes of Pluto's dreary state. She sat =
in
silence while the tale I tell, The wondrous visions and the laws of hell.
"Then thus: 'The lot of man the gods disp=
ose;
These ills are past: now hear thy future woes O prince attend; some favouri=
ng
power be kind, And print the important story on thy mind!
"'Next, where the Sirens dwells, you plou=
gh
the seas; Their song is death, and makes destruction please. Unblest the ma=
n,
whom music wins to stay Nigh the cursed shore and listen to the lay. No more
that wretch shall view the joys of life His blooming offspring, or his
beauteous wife! In verdant meads they sport; and wide around Lie human bones
that whiten all the ground: The ground polluted floats with human gore, And
human carnage taints the dreadful shore Fly swift the dangerous coast: let
every ear Be stopp'd against the song! 'tis death to hear! Firm to the mast
with chains thyself be bound, Nor trust thy virtue to the enchanting sound.=
If,
mad with transport, freedom thou demand, Be every fetter strain'd, and added
band to band.
"'These seas o'erpass'd, be wise! but I
refrain To mark distinct thy voyage o'er the main: New horrors rise! let
prudence be thy guide, And guard thy various passage through the tide.
"'High o'er the main two rocks exalt their
brow,' The boiling billows thundering roll below; Through the vast waves the
dreadful wonders move, Hence named Erratic by the gods above. No bird of ai=
r,
no dove of swiftest wing, That bears ambrosia to the ethereal king, Shuns t=
he
dire rocks: in vain she cuts the skies; The dire rocks meet, and crush her =
as
she flies: Not the fleet bark, when prosperous breezes play, Ploughs o'er t=
hat
roaring surge its desperate way; O'erwhelm'd it sinks: while round a smoke
expires, And the waves flashing seem to burn with fires. Scarce the famed A=
rgo
pass'd these raging floods, The sacred Argo, fill'd with demigods! E'en she=
had
sunk, but Jove's imperial bride Wing'd her fleet sail, and push'd her o'er =
the
tide.
"'High in the air the rock its summit shr=
ouds
In brooding tempests, and in rolling clouds; Loud storms around, and mists
eternal rise, Beat its bleak brow, and intercept the skies. When all the br=
oad
expansion, bright with day, Glows with the autumnal or the summer ray, The
summer and the autumn glow in vain, The sky for ever lowers, for ever clouds
remain. Impervious to the step of man it stands, Though borne by twenty fee=
t,
though arm'd with twenty hands; Smooth as the polish of the mirror rise The
slippery sides, and shoot into the skies. Full in the centre of this rock
display'd, A yawning cavern casts a dreadful shade: Nor the fleet arrow from
the twanging bow, Sent with full force, could reach the depth below. Wide t=
o the
west the horrid gulf extends, And the dire passage down to hell descends. O=
fly
the dreadful sight! expand thy sails, Ply the strong oar, and catch the nim=
ble
gales; Here Scylla bellows from the dire abodes, Tremendous pest, abhorr'd =
by
man and gods! Hideous her voice, and with less terrors roar The whelps of l=
ions
in the midnight hour. Twelve feet, deform'd and foul, the fiend dispreads; =
Six
horrid necks she rears, and six terrific heads; Her jaws grin dreadful with
three rows of teeth; Jaggy they stand, the gaping den of death; Her parts
obscene the raging billows hide; Her bosom terribly o'erlooks the tide. When
stung with hunger she embroils the flood, The sea-dog and the dolphin are h=
er
food; She makes the huge leviathan her prey, And all the monsters of the wa=
tery
way; The swiftest racer of the azure plain Here fills her sails, and spreads
her oars in vain; Fell Scylla rises, in her fury roars, At once six mouths
expands, at once six men devours.
"'Close by, a rock of less enormous heigh=
t Breaks
the wild waves, and forms a dangerous strait; Full on its crown a fig's gre=
en
branches rise, And shoot a leafy forest to the skies; Beneath, Charybdis ho=
lds
her boisterous reign 'Midst roaring whirlpools, and absorbs the main; Thric=
e in
her gulfs the boiling seas subside, Thrice in dire thunders she refunds the
tide. Oh, if thy vessel plough the direful waves, When seas retreating roar
within her caves, Ye perish all! though he who rules the main Lends his str=
ong
aid, his aid he lends in vain. Ah, shun the horrid gulf! by Scylla fly. 'Tis
better six to lose, than all to die.'
"I then: 'O nymph propitious to my prayer=
, Goddess
divine, my guardian power, declare, Is the foul fiend from human vengeance
freed? Or, if I rise in arms, can Scylla bleed?'
"Then she: 'O worn by toils, O broke in
fight, Still are new toils and war thy dire delight? Will martial flames for
ever fire thy mind, And never, never be to Heaven resign'd? How vain thy
efforts to avenge the wrong! Deathless the pest! impenetrably strong! Furio=
us
and fell, tremendous to behold! E'en with a look she withers all the bold! =
She
mocks the weak attempts of human might; Oh, fly her rage! thy conquest is t=
hy
flight. If but to seize thy arms thou make delay, Again thy fury vindicates=
her
prey; Her six mouths yawn, and six are snatch'd away. From her foul wound
Crataeis gave to air This dreadful pest! To her direct thy prayer, To curb =
the
monster in her dire abodes, And guard thee through the tumult of the floods=
. Thence
to Trinacria's shore you bend your way, Where graze thy herds, illustrious
source of day! Seven herds, seven flocks enrich the sacred plains, Each her=
d,
each flock full fifty heads contains; The wondrous kind a length of age sur=
vey,
By breed increase not, nor by death decay. Two sister goddesses possess the
plain, The constant guardian of the woolly train; Lampetie fair, and Phaeth=
usa
young, From Phoebus and the bright Neaea sprung; Here, watchful o'er the
flocks, in shady bowers And flowery meads, they waste the joyous hours. Rob=
not
the gods! and so propitious gales Attend thy voyage, and impel thy sails; B=
ut
if thy impious hands the flocks destroy, The gods, the gods avenge it, and =
ye
die! 'Tis thine alone (thy friends and navy lost) Through tedious toils to =
view
thy native coast.'
She ceased: and now arose the morning ray; Swi=
ft
to her dome the goddess held her way. Then to my mates I measured back the
plain, Climb'd the tall bark, and rush'd into the main; Then, bending to the
stroke, their oars they drew To their broad breasts, and swift the galley f=
lew.
Up sprung a brisker breeze; with freshening gales The friendly goddess
stretch'd the swelling sails; We drop our oars; at ease the pilot guides; T=
he
vessel light along the level glides. When, rising sad and slow, with pensive
look, Thus to the melancholy train I spoke:
"'O friends, oh ever partners of my woes,=
Attend
while I what Heaven foredooms disclose. Hear all! Fate hangs o'er all; on y=
ou
it lies To live or perish! to be safe, be wise!
"'In flowery meads the sportive Sirens pl=
ay, Touch
the soft lyre, and tune the vocal lay; Me, me alone, with fetters firmly bo=
und,
The gods allow to hear the dangerous sound. Hear and obey; if freedom I dem=
and,
Be every fetter strain'd, be added band to band.'
"While yet I speak the winged galley flie=
s, And
lo! the Siren shores like mists arise. Sunk were at once the winds; the air
above, And waves below, at once forgot to move; Some demon calm'd the air a=
nd
smooth'd the deep, Hush'd the loud winds, and charm'd the waves to sleep. N=
ow
every sail we furl, each oar we ply; Lash'd by the stroke, the frothy waters
fly. The ductile wax with busy hands I mould, And cleft in fragments, and t=
he
fragments roll'd; The aerial region now grew warm with day, The wax dissolv=
ed
beneath the burning ray; Then every ear I barr'd against the strain, And fr=
om
access of frenzy lock'd the brain. Now round the masts my mates the fetters
roll'd, And bound me limb by limb with fold on fold. Then bending to the
stroke, the active train Plunge all at once their oars, and cleave the main=
.
"While to the shore the rapid vessel flie=
s, Our
swift approach the Siren choir descries; Celestial music warbles from their
tongue, And thus the sweet deluders tune the song:
"'Oh stay, O pride of Greece! Ulysses, st=
ay! Oh
cease thy course, and listen to our lay! Blest is the man ordain'd our voic=
e to
hear, The song instructs the soul, and charms the ear. Approach! thy soul s=
hall
into raptures rise! Approach! and learn new wisdom from the wise! We know
whate'er the kings of mighty name Achieved at Ilion in the field of fame; W=
hate'er
beneath the sun's bright journey lies. Oh stay, and learn new wisdom from t=
he
wise!'
"Thus the sweet charmers warbled o'er the
main; My soul takes wing to meet the heavenly strain; I give the sign, and
struggle to be free; Swift row my mates, and shoot along the sea; New chains
they add, and rapid urge the way, Till, dying off, the distant sounds decay=
; Then
scudding swiftly from the dangerous ground, The deafen'd ear unlock'd, the
chains unbound.
"Now all at once tremendous scenes unfold=
; Thunder'd
the deeps, the smoky billows roll'd! Tumultuous waves embroil the bellowing
flood, All trembling, deafen'd, and aghast we stood! No more the vessel
plough'd the dreadful wave, Fear seized the mighty, and unnerved the brave;=
Each
dropp'd his oar; but swift from man to man With looks serene I turn'd, and =
thus
began: 'O friends! O often tried in adverse storms! With ills familiar in m=
ore
dreadful forms! Deep in the dire Cyclopean den you lay, Yet safe
return'd--Ulysses led the way. Learn courage hence, and in my care confide;=
Lo!
still the same Ulysses is your guide. Attend my words! your oars incessant =
ply;
Strain every nerve, and bid the vessel fly. If from yon jostling rocks and =
wavy
war Jove safety grants, he grants it to your care. And thou, whose guiding =
hand
directs our way, Pilot, attentive listen and obey! Bear wide thy course, nor
plough those angry waves Where rolls yon smoke, yon tumbling ocean raves; S=
teer
by the higher rock; lest whirl'd around We sink, beneath the circling eddy
drown'd.' While yet I speak, at once their oars they seize, Stretch to the
stroke, and brush the working seas. Cautious the name of Scylla I suppress'=
d; That
dreadful sound had chill'd the boldest breast.
"Meantime, forgetful of the voice divine,=
All
dreadful bright my limbs in armour shine; High on the deck I take my danger=
ous
stand, Two glittering javelins lighten in my hand; Prepared to whirl the
whizzing spear I stay, Till the fell fiend arise to seize her prey. Around =
the
dungeon, studious to behold The hideous pest, my labouring eyes I roll'd; In
vain! the dismal dungeon, dark as night, Veils the dire monster, and confou=
nds
the sight.
"Now through the rocks, appall'd with deep
dismay, We bend our course, and stem the desperate way; Dire Scylla there a
scene of horror forms, And here Charybdis fills the deep with storms. When =
the
tide rushes from her rumbling caves, The rough rock roars, tumultuous boil =
the
waves; They toss, they foam, a wild confusion raise, Like waters bubbling o=
'er
the fiery blaze; Eternal mists obscure the aerial plain, And high above the
rock she spouts the main; When in her gulfs the rushing sea subsides, She
drains the ocean with the refluent tides; The rock re-bellows with a thunde=
ring
sound; Deep, wondrous deep, below appears the ground.
"Struck with despair, with trembling hear=
ts
we view'd The yawning dungeon, and the tumbling flood; When lo! fierce Scyl=
la
stoop'd to seize her prey, Stretch'd her dire jaws, and swept six men away.=
Chiefs
of renown! loud-echoing shrieks arise; I turn, and view them quivering in t=
he
skies; They call, and aid with outstretch'd arms implore; In vain they call!
those arms are stretch'd no more. As from some rock that overhangs the floo=
d The
silent fisher casts the insidious food, With fraudful care he waits the fin=
ny
prize, And sudden lifts it quivering to the skies: So the foul monster lifts
her prey on high, So pant the wretches struggling in the sky; In the wide
dungeon she devours her food, And the flesh trembles while she churns the
blood. Worn as I am with griefs, with care decay'd, Never, I never scene so
dire survey'd! My shivering blood, congeal'd, forgot to flow; Aghast I stoo=
d, a
monument of woe!
"Now from the rocks the rapid vessel flie=
s, And
the hoarse din like distant thunder dies; To Sol's bright isle our voyage we
pursue, And now the glittering mountains rise to view. There, sacred to the
radiant god of day, Graze the fair herds, the flocks promiscuous stray: Then
suddenly was heard along the main To low the ox, to blest the woolly train.=
Straight
to my anxious thoughts the sound convey'd The words of Circe and the Theban
shade; Warn'd by their awful voice these shores to shun, With cautious fears
oppress'd I thus begun:
"'O friends! O ever exorcised in care! He= ar Heaven's commands, and reverence what ye hear! To fly these shores the prescient Theban shade And Circe warn! Oh be their voice obey'd Some mighty= woe relentless Heaven forebodes: Fly these dire regions, and revere the gods!'<= o:p>
"While yet I spoke, a sudden sorrow ran T=
hrough
every breast, and spread from man to man, Till wrathful thus Eurylochus beg=
an:
"'O cruel thou! some Fury sure has steel'=
d That
stubborn soul, by toil untaught to yield! From sleep debarr'd, we sink from
woes to woes: And cruel' enviest thou a short repose? Still must we restless
rove, new seas explore, The sun descending, and so near the shore? And lo! =
the
night begins her groomy reign, And doubles all the terrors of the main: Oft=
in
the dead of night loud winds rise, Lash the wild surge, and bluster in the
skies. Oh, should the fierce south-west his rage display, And toss with ris=
ing
storms the watery way, Though gods descend from heaven's aerial plain To le=
nd
us aid, the gods descend in vain. Then while the night displays her awful
shade, Sweet time of slumber! be the night obey' Haste ye to land! and when=
the
morning ray Sheds her bright beam, pursue the destined way.' A sudden joy in
every bosom rose: So will'd some demon, minister of woes!
"To whom with grief: 'O swift to be undon=
e! Constrain'd
I act what wisdom bids me shun. But yonder herbs and yonder flocks forbear;=
Attest
the heavens, and call the gods to hear: Content, an innocent repast display=
, By
Circe given, and fly the dangerous prey.'
'Thus I: and while to shore the vessel flies, =
With
hands uplifted they attest the skies: Then, where a fountain's gurgling wat=
ers
play, They rush to land, and end in feasts the day: They feed; they quaff; =
and
now (their hunger fled) Sigh for their friends devour'd, and mourn the dead=
; Nor
cease the tears' till each in slumber shares A sweet forgetfulness of human
cares. Now far the night advanced her gloomy reign, And setting stars roll'd
down the azure plain: When at the voice of Jove wild whirlwinds rise, And
clouds and double darkness veil the skies; The moon, the stars, the bright
ethereal host Seem as extinct, and all their splendours lost: The furious
tempest roars with dreadful sound: Air thunders, rolls the ocean, groans the
ground. All night it raged: when morning rose to land We haul'd our bark, a=
nd
moor'd it on the strand, Where in a beauteous grotto's cool recess Dance the
green Nerolds of the neighbouring seas.
"There while the wild winds whistled o'er=
the
main, Thus careful I address'd the listening train:
"'O friends, be wise! nor dare the flocks
destroy Of these fair pastures: if ye touch, ye die. Warn'd by the high com=
mand
of Heaven, be awed: Holy the flocks, and dreadful is the god! That god who
spreads the radiant beams of light, And views wide earth and heaven's
unmeasured height.'
"And now the moon had run her monthly rou=
nd, The
south-east blustering with a dreadful sound: Unhurt the beeves, untouch'd t=
he
woolly train, Low through the grove, or touch the flowery plain: Then fail'd
our food: then fish we make our prey, Or fowl that screaming haunt the wate=
ry
way. Till now from sea or flood no succour found, Famine and meagre want
besieged us round. Pensive and pale from grove to grove I stray'd, From the
loud storms to find a sylvan shade; There o'er my hands the living wave I p=
our;
And Heaven and Heaven's immortal thrones implore, To calm the roarings of t=
he
stormy main, And guide me peaceful to my realms again. Then o'er my eyes the
gods soft slumbers shed, While thus Eurylochus arising said:
"'O friends, a thousand ways frail mortals
lead To the cold tomb, and dreadful all to tread; But dreadful most, when b=
y a
slow decay Pale hunger wastes the manly strength away. Why cease ye then to
implore the powers above, And offer hecatombs to thundering Jove? Why seize=
ye
not yon beeves, and fleecy prey? Arise unanimous; arise and slay! And if the
gods ordain a safe return, To Phoebus shrines shall rise, and altars burn. =
But
should the powers that o'er mankind preside Decree to plunge us in the whel=
ming
tide, Better to rush at once to shades below Than linger life away, and nou=
rish
woe.'
"Thus he: the beeves around securely stra=
y, When
swift to ruin they invade the prey; They seize, they kill!--but for the rite
divine. The barley fail'd, and for libations wine. Swift from the oak they
strip the shady pride; And verdant leaves the flowery cake supplied.
"With prayer they now address the ethereal
train, Slay the selected beeves, and flay the slain; The thighs, with fat
involved, divide with art, Strew'd o'er with morsels cut from every part. W=
ater,
instead of wine, is brought in urns, And pour'd profanely as the victim bur=
ns. The
thighs thus offer'd, and the entrails dress'd, They roast the fragments, and
prepare the feast.
"'Twas then soft slumber fled my troubled
brain; Back to the bark I speed along the main. When lo! an odour from the
feast exhales, Spreads o'er the coast and scents the tainted gales; A chilly
fear congeal'd my vital blood, And thus, obtesting Heaven, I mourn'd aloud;=
"'O sire of men and gods, immortal Jove! O
all ye blissful powers that reign above! Why were my cares beguiled in short
repose? O fatal slumber, paid with lasting woes! A deed so dreadful all the
gods alarms, Vengeance is on the wing, and Heaven in arms!'
"Meantime Lampetie mounts the aerial way,=
And
kindles into rage the god of day;
"'Vengeance, ye powers (he cries), and th=
en
whose hand Aims the red bolt, and hurls the writhen brand! Slain are those
herds which I with pride survey, When through the ports of heaven I pour the
day, Or deep in ocean plunge the burning ray. Vengeance, ye gods! or I the
skies forego, And bear the lamp of heaven to shades below.'
"To whom the thundering Power: 'O source =
of
day Whose radiant lamp adorns the azure way, Still may thy beams through
heaven's bright portal rise, The joy of earth, the glory of the skies: Lo! =
my
red arm I bare, my thunders guide, To dash the offenders in the whelming ti=
de.'
"To fair Calypso, from the bright abodes,=
Hermes
convey'd these counsels of the gods.
"Meantime from man to man my tongue excla=
ims,
My wrath is kindled, and my soul in flames. In vain! I view perform'd the
direful deed, Beeves, slain in heaps, along the ocean bleed.
"Now heaven gave signs of wrath: along the
ground Crept the raw hides, and with a bellowing sound Roar'd the dead limb=
s;
the burning entrails groan'd. Six guilty days my wretched mates employ In
impious feasting, and unhallowed joy; The seventh arose, and now the sire of
gods Rein'd the rough storms; and calm'd the tossing floods: With speed the
bark we climb; the spacious sails. Loosed from the yards invite the impelli=
ng
gales. Past sight of shore, along the surge we bound, And all above is sky,=
and
ocean all around; When lo! a murky cloud the thunderer forms Full o'er our
heads, and blackens heaven with storms. Night dwells o'er all the deep: and=
now
outflies The gloomy west, and whistles in the skies. The mountain-billows r=
oar!
the furious blast Howls o'er the shroud, and rends it from the mast: The ma=
st
gives way, and, crackling as it bends, Tears up the deck; then all at once
descends: The pilot by the tumbling ruin slain, Dash'd from the helm, falls
headlong in the main. Then Jove in anger bids his thunders roll, And forky
lightnings flash from pole to pole: Fierce at our heads his deadly bolt he
aims, Red with uncommon wrath, and wrapp'd in flames: Full on the bark it f=
ell;
now high, now low, Toss'd and retoss'd, it reel'd beneath the blow; At once
into the main the crew it shook: Sulphurous odours rose, and smouldering sm=
oke.
Like fowl that haunt the floods, they sink, they rise, Now lost, now seen, =
with
shrieks and dreadful cries; And strive to gain the bark, but Jove denies. F=
irm
at the helm I stand, when fierce the main Rush'd with dire noise, and dash'd
the sides in twain; Again impetuous drove the furious blast, Snapp'd the st=
rong
helm, and bore to sea the mast. Firm to the mast with cords the helm I bind=
, And
ride aloft, to Providence resign'd, Through tumbling billows and a war of w=
ind.
"Now sunk the west, and now a southern breeze, More dreadful than the
tempest lash'd the seas; For on the rocks it bore where Scylla raves, And d=
ire
Charybdis rolls her thundering waves. All night I drove; and at the dawn of
day, Fast by the rocks beheld the desperate way; Just when the sea within h=
er
gulfs subsides, And in the roaring whirlpools rush the tides, Swift from the
float I vaulted with a bound, The lofty fig-tree seized, and clung around; =
So
to the beam the bat tenacious clings, And pendent round it clasps his leath=
er
wings. High in the air the tree its boughs display'd, And o'er the dungeon =
cast
a dreadful shade; All unsustain'd between the wave and sky, Beneath my feet=
the
whirling billows fly. What time the judge forsakes the noisy bar To take
repast, and stills the wordy war, Charybdis, rumbling from her inmost caves=
, The
mast refunded on her refluent waves. Swift from the tree, the floating mass=
to
gain, Sudden I dropp'd amidst the flashing main; Once more undaunted on the
ruin rode, And oar'd with labouring arms along the flood. Unseen I pass'd by
Scylla's dire abodes. So Jove decreed (dread sire of men and gods). Then ni=
ne
long days I plow'd the calmer seas, Heaved by the surge, and wafted by the
breeze. Weary and wet the Ogygian shores I gain, When the tenth sun descend=
ed
to the main. There, in Calypso's ever-fragrant bowers, Refresh'd I lay, and=
joy
beguiled the hours. "My following fates to thee, O king, are known, And
the bright partner of thy royal throne. Enough: in misery can words avail? =
And
what so tedious as a twice-told tale?"
Ulysses takes his leave of Alcinous and Arete,=
and
embarks in the evening. Next morning the ship arrives at Ithaca; where the =
sailors,
as Ulysses is yet sleeping, lay him on the shore with all his treasures. On
their return, Neptune changes their ship into a rock. In the meantime Ulyss=
es,
awaking, knows not his native Ithaca, by reason of a mist which Pallas had =
cast
around him. He breaks into loud lamentations; till the goddess appearing to=
him
in the form of a shepherd, discovers the country to him, and points out the
particular places. He then tells a feigned story of his adventures, upon wh=
ich
she manifests herself, and they consult together of the measures to be take=
n to
destroy the suitors. To conceal his return, and disguise his person the more
effectually, she changes him into the figure of an old beggar.
He ceased; but left so pleasing on their ear H=
is
voice, that listening still they seem'd to hear. A pause of silence hush'd =
the
shady rooms: The grateful conference then the king resumes:
"Whatever toils the great Ulysses pass'd,=
Beneath
this happy roof they end at last; No longer now from shore to shore to roam=
, Smooth
seas and gentle winds invite him home. But hear me, princes! whom these wal=
ls
inclose, For whom my chanter sings: and goblet flows With wine unmix'd (an
honour due to age, To cheer the grave, and warm the poet's rage); Though
labour'd gold and many a dazzling vest Lie heap'd already for our godlike
guest; Without new treasures let him not remove, Large, and expressive of t=
he
public love: Each peer a tripod, each a vase bestow, A general tribute, whi=
ch
the state shall owe."
This sentence pleased: then all their steps
address'd To separate mansions, and retired to rest.
Now did the rosy-finger'd morn arise, And shed=
her
sacred light along the skies. Down to the haven and the ships in haste They
bore the treasures, and in safety placed. The king himself the vases ranged
with care; Then bade his followers to the feast prepare. A victim ox beneath
the sacred hand Of great Alcinous falls, and stains the sand. To Jove the
Eternal (power above all powers! Who wings the winds, and darkens heaven wi=
th
showers) The flames ascend: till evening they prolong The rites, more sacred
made by heavenly song; For in the midst, with public honours graced, Thy ly=
re
divine, Demodocus! was placed. All, but Ulysses, heard with fix'd delight; =
He
sate, and eyed the sun, and wish'd the night; Slow seem'd the sun to move, =
the
hours to roll, His native home deep-imaged in his soul. As the tired plough=
man,
spent with stubborn toil, Whose oxen long have torn the furrow'd soil, Sees
with delight the sun's declining ray, When home with feeble knees he bends =
his
way To late repast (the day's hard labour done); So to Ulysses welcome set =
the
sun; Then instant to Alcinous and the rest (The Scherian states) he turn'd,=
and
thus address'd:
"O thou, the first in merit and command! =
And
you the peers and princes of the land! May every joy be yours! nor this the
least, When due libation shall have crown'd the feast, Safe to my home to s=
end
your happy guest. Complete are now the bounties you have given, Be all those
bounties but confirm'd by Heaven! So may I find, when all my wanderings cea=
se, My
consort blameless, and my friends in peace. On you be every bliss; and every
day, In home-felt joys, delighted roll away; Yourselves, your wives, your
long-descending race, May every god enrich with every grace! Sure fix'd on
virtue may your nation stand, And public evil never touch the land!"
His words well weigh'd, the general voice appr=
oved
Benign, and instant his dismission moved, The monarch to Pontonus gave the
sign. To fill the goblet high with rosy wine; "Great Jove the Father f=
irst
(he cried) implore;' Then send the stranger to his native shore."
The luscious wine the obedient herald brought;=
Around
the mansion flow'd the purple draught; Each from his seat to each immortal
pours, Whom glory circles in the Olympian bowers Ulysses sole with air maje=
stic
stands, The bowl presenting to Arete's hands; Then thus: "O queen,
farewell! be still possess'd Of dear remembrance, blessing still and bless'=
d! Till
age and death shall gently call thee hence, (Sure fate of every mortal
excellence!) Farewell! and joys successive ever spring To thee, to thine, t=
he
people, and the king!"
Thus he: then parting prints the sandy shore To
the fair port: a herald march'd before, Sent by Alcinous; of Arete's train =
Three
chosen maids attend him to the main; This does a tunic and white vest conve=
y, A
various casket that, of rich inlay, And bread and wine the third. The cheer=
ful
mates Safe in the hollow poop dispose the cates; Upon the deck soft painted
robes they spread With linen cover'd, for the hero's bed. He climbed the lo=
fty
stern; then gently press'd The swelling couch, and lay composed to rest.
Now placed in order, the Phaeacian train Their
cables loose, and launch into the main; At once they bend, and strike their
equal oars, And leave the sinking hills and lessening shores. While on the =
deck
the chief in silence lies, And pleasing slumbers steal upon his eyes. As fi=
ery
coursers in the rapid race Urged by fierce drivers through the dusty space,=
Toss
their high heads, and scour along the plain, So mounts the bounding vessel =
o'er
the main. Back to the stern the parted billows flow, And the black ocean fo=
ams
and roars below.
Thus with spread sails the winged galley flies=
; Less
swift an eagle cuts the liquid skies; Divine Ulysses was her sacred load, A
man, in wisdom equal to a god! Much danger, long and mighty toils he bore, =
In
storms by sea, and combats on the shore; All which soft sleep now banish'd =
from
his breast, Wrapp'd in a pleasing, deep, and death-like rest.
But when the morning-star with early ray Flame=
d in
the front of heaven, and promised day; Like distant clouds the mariner desc=
ries
Fair Ithaca's emerging hills arise. Far from the town a spacious port appea=
rs, Sacred
to Phorcys' power, whose name it bears; Two craggy rocks projecting to the
main, The roaring wind's tempestuous rage restrain; Within the waves in sof=
ter murmurs
glide, And ships secure without their halsers ride. High at the head a
branching olive grows, And crowns the pointed cliffs with shady boughs. Ben=
eath,
a gloomy grotto's cool recess Delights the Nereids of the neighbouring seas=
, Where
bowls and urns were form'd of living stone, And massy beams in native marble
shone, On which the labours of the nymphs were roll'd, Their webs divine of
purple mix'd with gold. Within the cave the clustering bees attend Their wa=
xen
works, or from the roof depend. Perpetual waters o'er the pavement glide; T=
wo
marble doors unfold on either side; Sacred the south, by which the gods
descend; But mortals enter at the northern end. Thither they bent, and haul=
'd
their ship to land (The crooked keel divides the yellow sand). Ulysses slee=
ping
on his couch they bore, And gently placed him on the rocky shore. His treas=
ures
next, Alcinous' gifts, they laid In the wild olive's unfrequented shade, Se=
cure
from theft; then launch'd the bark again, Resumed their oars, and measured =
back
the main, Nor yet forgot old Ocean's dread supreme, The vengeance vow'd for
eyeless Polypheme. Before the throne of mighty Jove lie stood, And sought t=
he
secret counsels of the god.
"Shall then no more, O sire of gods! be m=
ine The
rights and honours of a power divine? Scorn'd e'en by man, and (oh severe
disgrace!) By soft Phaeacians, my degenerate race! Against yon destined hea=
d in
vain I swore, And menaced vengeance, ere he reach'd his shore; To reach his
natal shore was thy decree; Mild I obey'd, for who shall war with thee? Beh=
old
him landed, careless and asleep, From all the eluded dangers of the deep; Lo
where he lies, amidst a shining store Of brass, rich garments, and refulgent
ore; And bears triumphant to his native isle A prize more worth than Ilion's
noble spoil."
To whom the Father of the immortal powers, Who
swells the clouds, and gladdens earth with showers, "Can mighty Neptune
thus of man complain? Neptune, tremendous o'er the boundless main! Revered =
and
awful e'en in heaven's abodes, Ancient and great! a god above the gods! If =
that
low race offend thy power divine (Weak, daring creatures!) is not vengeance
thine? Go, then, the guilty at thy will chastise." He said. The shaker=
of
the earth replies:
"This then, I doom: to fix the gallant sh=
ip, A
mark of vengeance on the sable deep; To warn the thoughtless, self-confiding
train, No more unlicensed thus to brave the main. Full in their port a Shady
hill shall rise, If such thy will."--" We will it (Jove replies).=
E'en
when with transport blackening all the strand, The swarming people hail the=
ir
ship to land, Fix her for ever, a memorial stone: Still let her seem to sai=
l,
and seem alone. The trembling crowds shall see the sudden shade Of whelming
mountains overhang their head!"
With that the god whose earthquakes rock the
ground Fierce to Phaeacia cross'd the vast profound. Swift as a swallow swe=
eps
the liquid way, The winged pinnace shot along the sea. The god arrests her =
with
a sudden stroke, And roots her down an everlasting rock. Aghast the Scheria=
ns
stand in deep surprise; All press to speak, all question with their eyes. W=
hat
hands unseen the rapid bark restrain! And yet it swims, or seems to swim, t=
he
main! Thus they, unconscious of the deed divine; Till great Alcinous, risin=
g,
own'd the sign.
"Behold the long predestined day I (he
cries;) O certain faith of ancient prophecies These ears have heard my royal
sire disclose A dreadful story, big with future woes; How, moved with wrath,
that careless we convey Promiscuous every guest to every bay, Stern Neptune
raged; and how by his command Firm rooted in the surge a ship should stand =
(A
monument of wrath); and mound on mound Should hide our walls, or whelm bene=
ath
the ground.
"The Fates have follow'd as declared the seer. Be humbled, nations! and your monarch hear. No more unlicensed brave = the deeps, no more With every stranger pass from shore to shore; On angry Neptu= ne now for mercy call; To his high name let twelve black oxen fall. So may the= god reverse his purposed will, Nor o'er our city hang the dreadful hill."<= o:p>
The monarch spoke: they trembled and obey'd, F=
orth
on the sands the victim oxen led; The gathered tribes before the altars sta=
nd, And
chiefs and rulers, a majestic band. The king of ocean all the tribes implor=
e; The
blazing altars redden all the shore.
Meanwhile Ulysses in his country lay, Released
from sleep, and round him might survey The solitary shore and rolling sea. =
Yet
had his mind through tedious absence lost The dear resemblance of his native
coast; Besides, Minerva, to secure her care, Diffused around a veil of
thickened air; For so the gods ordain'd to keep unseen His royal person from
his friends and queen; Till the proud suitors for their crimes afford An am=
ple
vengeance to their injured lord.
Now all the land another prospect bore, Another
port appear'd, another shore. And long-continued ways, and winding floods, =
And
unknown mountains, crown'd with unknown woods Pensive and slow, with sudden
grief oppress'd, The king arose, and beat his careful breast, Cast a long l=
ook
o'er all the coast and main, And sought, around, his native realm in vain; =
Then
with erected eyes stood fix'd in woe, And as he spoke, the tears began to f=
low.
"Ye gods (he cried), upon what barren coa=
st, In
what new region, is Ulysses toss'd? Possess'd by wild barbarians, fierce in
arms? Or men whose bosom tender pity warms? Where shall this treasure now in
safely be? And whither, whither its sad owner fly? Ah, why did I Alcinous'
grace implore? Ah, why forsake Phaeacia's happy shore? Some juster prince p=
erhaps
had entertain'd, And safe restored me to my native land. Is this the promis=
ed,
long-expected coast, And this the faith Phaeacia's rulers boast? O righteous
gods! of all the great, how few Are just to Heaven, and to their promise tr=
ue! But
he, the power to whose all-seeing eyes The deeds of men appear without
disguise, 'Tis his alone to avenge the wrongs I bear; For still the oppress=
'd
are his peculiar care. To count these presents, and from thence to prove, T=
heir
faith is mine; the rest belongs to Jove."
Then on the sands he ranged his wealthy store,=
The
gold, the vests, the tripods number'd o'er: All these he found, but still in
error lost, Disconsolate he wanders on the coast, Sighs for his country, and
laments again To the deaf rocks, and hoarse-resounding main. When lo! the
guardian goddess of the wise, Celestial Pallas, stood before his eyes; In s=
how
a youthful swain, of form divine, Who seem'd descended from some princely l=
ine.
A graceful robe her slender body dress'd; Around her shoulders flew the wav=
ing
vest; Her decent hand a shining javelin bore, And painted sandals on her fe=
et
she wore. To whom the king: "Whoe'er of human race Thou art, that
wanderest in this desert place, With joy to thee, as to some god I bend, To
thee my treasures and myself commend. O tell a wretch in exile doom'd to st=
ray,
What air I breathe, what country I survey? The fruitful continent's extreme=
st
bound, Or some fair isle which Neptune's arms surround?
"From what far clime (said she) remote fr=
om
fame Arrivest thou here, a stranger to our name? Thou seest an island, not =
to
those unknown Whose hills are brighten'd by the rising sun, Nor those that
placed beneath his utmost reign Behold him sinking in the western main. The
rugged soil allows no level space For flying chariots, or the rapid race; Y=
et,
not ungrateful to the peasant's pain, Suffices fulness to the swelling grai=
n; The
loaded trees their various fruits produce, And clustering grapes afford a
generous juice; Woods crown our mountains, and in every grove The bounding
goats and frisking heifers rove; Soft rains and kindly dews refresh the fie=
ld, And
rising springs eternal verdure yield. E'en to those shores is Ithaca renown=
'd, Where
Troy's majestic ruins strew the ground."
At this, the chief with transport was possess'=
d; His
panting heart exulted in his breast; Yet, well dissembling his untimely joy=
s, And
veiling truth in plausible disguise, Thus, with an air sincere, in fiction
bold, His ready tale the inventive hero told:
"Oft have I heard in Crete this island's =
name;
For 'twas from Crete, my native soil, I came, Self-banished thence. I sail'd before the wind, And left=
my
children and my friends behind. From fierce Idomeneus' revenge I flew, Whose
son, the swift Orsilochus, I slew (With brutal force he seized my Trojan pr=
ey, Due
to the toils of many a bloody day). Unseen I 'scaped, and favour'd by the
night, In a Phoenician vessel took my flight, For Pyle or Elis bound; but
tempests toss'd And raging billows drove us on your coast. In dead of night=
an
unknown port we gain'd; Spent with fatigue, and slept secure on land. But e=
re
the rosy morn renew'd the day, While in the embrace of pleasing sleep I lay=
, Sudden,
invited by auspicious gales, They land my goods, and hoist their flying sai=
ls. Abandon'd
here, my fortune I deplore A hapless exile on a foreign shore,"
Thus while he spoke, the blue-eyed maid began =
With
pleasing smiles to view the godlike man; Then changed her form: and now,
divinely bright, Jove's heavenly daughter stood confess'd to sight; Like a =
fair
virgin in her beauty's bloom, Skill'd in the illustrious labours of the loo=
m.
"O still the same Ulysses! (she rejoin'd,=
) In
useful craft successfully refined! Artful in speech, in action, and in mind=
! Sufficed
it not, that, thy long labours pass'd, Secure thou seest thy native shore at
last? But this to me? who, like thyself, excel In arts of counsel and
dissembling well; To me? whose wit exceeds the powers divine, No less than
mortals are surpass'd by thine. Know'st thou not me; who made thy life my c=
are,
Through ten years' wandering, and through ten years' war; Who taught thee a=
rts,
Alcinous to persuade, To raise his wonder, and engage his aid; And now appe=
ar,
thy treasures to protect, Conceal thy person, thy designs direct, And tell =
what
more thou must from Fate expect; Domestic woes far heavier to be borne! The
pride of fools, and slaves' insulting scorn? But thou be silent, nor reveal=
thy
state; Yield to the force of unresisted Fate, And bear unmoved the wrongs of
base mankind, The last, and hardest, conquest of the mind."
"Goddess of wisdom! (Ithacus replies,) He=
who
discerns thee must be truly wise, So seldom view'd and ever in disguise! Wh=
en
the bold Argives led their warring powers, Against proud Ilion's well-defen=
ded
towers, Ulysses was thy care, celestial maid! Graced with thy sight, and
favoured with thy aid. But when the Trojan piles in ashes lay, And bound for
Greece we plough'd the watery way; Our fleet dispersed, and driven from coa=
st
to coast, Thy sacred presence from that hour I lost; Till I beheld thy radi=
ant
form once more, And heard thy counsels on Phaeacia's shore. But, by the
almighty author of thy race, Tell me, oh tell, is this my native place? For
much I fear, long tracts of land and sea Divide this coast from distant Ith=
aca;
The sweet delusion kindly you impose, To soothe my hopes, and mitigate my
woes."
Thus he. The blue-eyed goddess thus replies; &=
quot;How
prone to doubt, how cautious are the wise! Who, versed in fortune, fear the
flattering show, And taste not half the bliss the gods bestow. The more sha=
ll
Pallas aid thy just desires, And guard the wisdom which herself inspires. O=
thers
long absent from their native place, Straight seek their home, and fly with
eager pace To their wives' arms, and children's dear embrace. Not thus Ulys=
ses;
he decrees to prove His subjects' faith, and queen's suspected love; Who
mourn'd her lord twice ten revolving years, And wastes the days in grief, t=
he
nights in tears. But Pallas knew (thy friends and navy lost) Once more 'twas
given thee to behold thy coast; Yet how could I with adverse Fate engage, A=
nd
mighty Neptune's unrelenting rage? Now lift thy longing eyes, while I resto=
re The
pleasing prospect of thy native shore. Bebold the port of Phorcys! fenced
around With rocky mountains, and with olives crown'd, Behold the gloomy gro=
t!
whose cool recess Delights the Nereids of the neighbouring seas; Whose
now-neglected altars in thy reign Blush'd with the blood of sheep and oxen
slain, Behold! where Neritus the clouds divides, And shakes the waving fore=
sts
on his sides."
So spake the goddess; and the prospect clear'd=
, The
mists dispersed, and all the coast appeared. The king with joy confess'd his
place of birth, And on his knees salutes his mother earth; Then, with his
suppliant hands upheld in air, Thus to the sea-green sisters sends his pray=
er;
"All hail! ye virgin daughters of the mai=
n! Ye
streams, beyond my hopes, beheld again! To you once more your own Ulysses b=
ows;
Attend his transports, and receive his vows! If Jove prolong my days, and
Pallas crown The growing virtues of my youthful son, To you shall rites div=
ine
be ever paid, And grateful offerings on your altars laid."
Thus then Minerva: "From that anxious bre=
ast Dismiss
those cares, and leave to heaven the rest. Our task be now thy treasured st=
ores
to save, Deep in the close recesses of the cave; Then future means
consult." She spoke, and trod The shady grot, that brighten'd with the
god. The closest caverns of the grot she sought; The gold, the brass, the
robes, Ulysses brought; These in the secret gloom the chief disposed; The
entrance with a rock the goddess closed.
Now, seated in the olive's sacred shade, Confer
the hero and the martial maid. The goddess of the azure eyes began: "S=
on
of Laertes! much-experienced man! The suitor-train thy earliest care demand=
, Of
that luxurious race to rid the land; Three years thy house their lawless ru=
le
has seen, And proud addresses to the matchless queen. But she thy absence
mourns from day to day, And inly bleeds, and silent wastes away; Elusive of=
the
bridal hour, she gives Fond hopes to all, and all with hopes deceives."=
;
To this Ulysses: "O celestial maid! Prais=
ed
be thy counsel, and thy timely aid; Else had I seen my native walls in vain=
, Like
great Atrides, just restored and slain. Vouchsafe the means of vengeance to
debate, And plan with all thy arts the scene of fate. Then, then be present,
and my soul inspire, As when we wrapp'd Troy's heaven-built walls in fire. =
Though
leagued against me hundred heroes stand. Hundreds shall fall, if Pallas aid=
my
hand."
She answer'd: "In the dreadful day of fig=
ht Know,
I am with thee, strong in all my might. If thou but equal to thyself be fou=
nd, What
gasping numbers then shall press the ground! What human victims stain the
feastful floor! How wide the pavements float with guilty gore! It fits thee=
now
to wear a dark disguise, And secret walk unknown to mortal eyes. For this, =
my
hand shall wither every grace, And every elegance of form and face; O'er thy
smooth skin a bark of wrinkles spread, Turn hoar the auburn honours of thy
head; Disfigure every limb with coarse attire, And in thy eyes extinguish a=
ll
the fire; Add all the wants and the decays of life; Estrange thee from thy =
own;
thy son, thy wife; From the loathed object every sight shall turn, And the
blind suitors their destruction scorn.
"Go first the master of thy herds to find=
, True
to his charge, a loyal swain and kind; For thee he sighs; and to the loyal =
heir
And chaste Penelope extends his care. At the Coracian rock he now resides, =
Where
Arethusa's sable water glides; The sable water and the copious mast Swell t=
he
fat herd; luxuriant, large repast! With him rest peaceful in the rural cell=
, And
all you ask his faithful tongue shall tell. Me into other realms my cares
convey, To Sparta, still with female beauty gay; For know, to Sparta thy lo=
ved
offspring came, To learn thy fortunes from the voice of Fame."
At this the father, with a father's care: &quo=
t;Must
he too suffer? he, O goddess! bear Of wanderings and of woes a wretched sha=
re? Through
the wild ocean plough the dangerous way, And leave his fortunes and his hou=
se a
prey? Why would'st not thou, O all-enlighten'd mind! Inform him certain, and
protect him, kind?"
To whom Minerva: "Be thy soul at rest; And
know, whatever heaven ordains is best. To fame I sent him, to acquire renow=
n; To
other regions is his virtue known; Secure he sits, near great Atrides place=
d; With
friendships strengthen'd, and with honours graced, But lo! an ambush waits =
his
passage o'er; Fierce foes insidious intercept the shore; In vain; far sooner
all the murderous brood This injured land shall fatten with their blood.&qu=
ot;
She spake, then touch'd him with her powerful
wand: The skin shrunk up, and wither'd at her hand; A swift old age o'er all
his members spread; A sudden frost was sprinkled on his head; Nor longer in=
the
heavy eye-ball shined The glance divine, forth-beaming from the mind. His r=
obe,
which spots indelible besmear, In rags dishonest flutters with the air: A
stag's torn hide is lapp'd around his reins; A rugged staff his trembling h=
and
sustains; And at his side a wretched scrip was hung, Wide-patch'd, and knot=
ted
to a twisted thong. So looked the chief, so moved: to mortal eyes Object
uncouth! a man of miseries! While Pallas, cleaving the wild fields of air, =
To
Sparta flies, Telemachus her care.
Ulysses arrives in disguise at the house of
Eumaeus, where he is received, entertained, and lodged with the utmost
hospitality. The several discourses of that faithful old servant, with the
feigned story told by Ulysses to conceal himself, and other conversations on
various subjects, take up this entire book.
But he, deep-musing, o'er the mountains stray'=
d Through
mazy thickets of the woodland shade, And cavern'd ways, the shaggy coast al=
ong With
cliffs and nodding forests overhung. Eumaeus at his sylvan lodge he sought,=
A
faithful servant, and without a fault. Ulysses found him busied as he sate =
Before
the threshold of his rustic gate; Around the mansion in a circle shone A ru=
ral
portico of rugged stone (In absence of his lord with honest toil His own
industrious hands had raised the pile). The wall was stone from neighbouring
quarries borne, Encircled with a fence of native thorn, And strong with pal=
es,
by many a weary stroke Of stubborn labour hewn from heart of oak: Frequent =
and
thick. Within the space were rear'd Twelve ample cells, the lodgments of his
herd. Full fifty pregnant females each contain'd; The males without (a smal=
ler
race) remain'd; Doom'd to supply the suitors' wasteful feast, A stock by da=
ily
luxury decreased; Now scarce four hundred left. These to defend, Four savage
dogs, a watchful guard, attend. Here sat Eumaeus, and his cares applied To =
form
strong buskins of well-season'd hide. Of four assistants who his labour sha=
re, Three
now were absent on the rural care; The fourth drove victims to a suitor tra=
in: But
he, of ancient faith, a simple swain, Sigh'd, while he furnish'd the luxuri=
ous
board, And wearied Heaven with wishes for his lord.
Soon as Ulysses near the inclosure drew, With =
open
mouths the furious mastiffs flew: Down sat the sage, and cautious to withst=
and,
Let fall the offensive truncheon from his hand. Sudden, the master runs; al=
oud
he calls; And from his hasty hand the leather falls: With showers of stones=
he
drives then far away: The scattering dogs around at distance bay.
"Unhappy stranger! (thus the faithful swa=
in Began
with accent gracious and humane), What sorrow had been mine, if at my gate =
Thy
reverend age had met a shameful fate! Enough of woes already have I known; =
Enough
my master's sorrows and my own. While here (ungrateful task!) his herds I f=
eed,
Ordain'd for lawless rioters to bleed! Perhaps, supported at another's boar=
d! Far
from his country roams my hapless lord; Or sigh'd in exile forth his latest
breath, Now cover'd with the eternal shade of death!
"But enter this my homely roof, and see O=
ur
woods not void of hospitality. Then tell me whence thou art, and what the s=
hare
Of woes and wanderings thou wert born to bear."
He said, and, seconding the kind request, With
friendly step precedes his unknown guest. A shaggy goat's soft hide beneath=
him
spread, And with fresh rushes heap'd an ample bed; Jove touch'd the hero's
tender soul, to find So just reception from a heart so kind: And "Oh, =
ye
gods! with all your blessings grace (He thus broke forth) this friend of hu=
man
race!"
The swain replied: "It never was our guis=
e To
slight the poor, or aught humane despise: For Jove unfold our hospitable do=
or, 'Tis
Jove that sends the stranger and the poor, Little, alas! is all the good I =
can A
man oppress'd, dependent, yet a man: Accept such treatment as a swain affor=
ds, Slave
to the insolence of youthful lords! Far hence is by unequal gods removed Th=
at
man of bounties, loving and beloved! To whom whate'er his slave enjoys is o=
wed,
And more, had Fate allow'd, had been bestow'd: But Fate condemn'd him to a
foreign shore; Much have I sorrow'd, but my Master more. Now cold he lies, =
to
death's embrace resign'd: Ah, perish Helen! perish all her kind! For whose =
cursed
cause, in Agamemnon's name, He trod so fatally the paths of fame."
His vest succinct then girding round his waist=
, Forth
rush'd the swain with hospitable haste. Straight to the lodgments of his he=
rd
he run, Where the fat porkers slept beneath the sun; Of two, his cutlass
launch'd the spouting blood; These quarter'd, singed, and fix'd on forks of
wood, All hasty on the hissing coals he threw; And smoking, back the tastef=
ul
viands drew. Broachers and all then an the board display'd The ready meal, =
before
Ulysses laid With flour imbrown'd; next mingled wine yet new, And luscious =
as
the bees' nectareous dew: Then sate, companion of the friendly feast, With =
open
look; and thus bespoke his guest: "Take with free welcome what our han=
ds
prepare, Such food as falls to simple servants' share; The best our lords
consume; those thoughtless peers, Rich without bounty, guilty without fears=
; Yet
sure the gods their impious acts detest, And honour justice and the righteo=
us
breast. Pirates and conquerors of harden'd mind, The foes of peace, and
scourges of mankind, To whom offending men are made a prey When Jove in
vengeance gives a land away; E'en these, when of their ill-got spoils
possess'd, Find sure tormentors in the guilty breast: Some voice of God clo=
se
whispering from within, 'Wretch! this is villainy, and this is sin.' But th=
ese,
no doubt, some oracle explore, That tells, the great Ulysses is no more. He=
nce
springs their confidence, and from our sighs Their rapine strengthens, and
their riots rise: Constant as Jove the night and day bestows, Bleeds a whole
hecatomb, a vintage flows. None match'd this hero's wealth, of all who reig=
n O'er
the fair islands of the neighbouring main. Nor all the monarchs whose
far-dreaded sway The wide-extended continents obey: First, on the main land=
, of
Ulysses' breed Twelve herds, twelve flocks, on ocean's margin feed; As many
stalls for shaggy goats are rear'd; As many lodgments for the tusky herd; T=
wo
foreign keepers guard: and here are seen Twelve herds of goats that graze o=
ur
utmost green; To native pastors is their charge assign'd, And mine the care=
to
feed the bristly kind; Each day the fattest bleeds of either herd, All to t=
he
suitors' wasteful board preferr'd." Thus he, benevolent: his unknown g=
uest
With hunger keen devours the savoury feast; While schemes of vengeance ripe=
n in
his breast. Silent and thoughtful while the board he eyed, Eumaeus pours on
high the purple tide; The king with smiling looks his joy express'd, And th=
us
the kind inviting host address'd:
"Say now, what man is he, the man deplore=
d, So
rich, so potent, whom you style your lord? Late with such affluence and
possessions bless'd, And now in honour's glorious bed at rest. Whoever was =
the
warrior, he must be To fame no stranger, nor perhaps to me: Who (so the gods
and so the Fates ordain'd) Have wander'd many a sea, and many a land."=
"Small is the faith the prince and queen
ascribe (Replied Eumaeus) to the wandering tribe. For needy strangers still=
to
flattery fly, And want too oft betrays the tongue to lie. Each vagrant
traveller, that touches here, Deludes with fallacies the royal ear, To dear
remembrance makes his image rise, And calls the springing sorrows from her
eyes. Such thou mayst be. But he whose name you crave Moulders in earth, or
welters on the wave, Or food for fish or dogs his relics lie, Or torn by bi=
rds
are scatter'd through the sky. So perish'd he: and left (for ever lost) Much
woe to all, but sure to me the most. So mild a master never shall I find; L=
ess
dear the parents whom I left behind, Less soft my mother, less my father ki=
nd. Not
with such transport would my eyes run o'er, Again to hail them in their nat=
ive
shore, As loved Ulysses once more to embrace, Restored and breathing in his
natal place. That name for ever dread, yet ever dear, E'en in his absence I
pronounce with fear: In my respect, he bears a prince's part; But lives a v=
ery
brother in my heart."
Thus spoke the faithful swain, and thus rejoin=
'd The
master of his grief, the man of patient mind: "Ulysses, friend! shall =
view
his old abodes (Distrustful as thou art), nor doubt the gods. Nor speak I
rashly, but with faith averr'd, And what I speak attesting Heaven has heard=
. If
so, a cloak and vesture be my meed: Till his return no title shall I plead,=
Though
certain be my news, and great my need. Whom want itself can force untruths =
to
tell, My soul detests him as the gates of hell.
"Thou first be witness, hospitable Jove! =
And
every god inspiring social love! And witness every household power that wai=
ts, Guard
of these fires, and angel of these gates! Ere the next moon increase or this
decay, His ancient realms Ulysses shall survey, In blood and dust each proud
oppressor mourn, And the lost glories of his house return."
"Nor shall that meed be thine, nor ever m=
ore Shall
loved Ulysses hail this happy shore. (Replied Eumaeus): to the present hour=
Now
turn thy thought, and joys within our power. From sad reflection let my soul
repose; The name of him awakes a thousand woes. But guard him, gods! and to
these arms restore! Not his true consort can desire him more; Not old Laert=
es,
broken with despair: Not young Telemachus, his blooming heir. Alas, Telemac=
hus!
my sorrows flow Afresh for thee, my second cause of woe! Like some fair pla=
nt
set by a heavenly hand, He grew, he flourish'd, and he bless'd the land; In=
all
the youth his father's image shined, Bright in his person, brighter in his
mind. What man, or god, deceived his better sense, Far on the swelling seas=
to
wander hence? To distant Pylos hapless is he gone, To seek his father's fat=
e and
find his own! For traitors wait his way, with dire design To end at once the
great Arcesian line. But let us leave him to their wills above; The fates of
men are in the hand of Jove. And now, my venerable guest! declare Your name,
your parents, and your native air: Sincere from whence begun, your course
relate, And to what ship I owe the friendly freight?"
Thus he: and thus (with prompt invention bold)=
The
cautious chief his ready story told.
"On dark reserve what better can prevail,=
Or
from the fluent tongue produce the tale, Than when two friends, alone, in
peaceful place Confer, and wines and cates the table grace; But most, the k=
ind
inviter's cheerful face? Thus might we sit, with social goblets crown'd, Ti=
ll
the whole circle of the year goes round: Not the whole circle of the year w=
ould
close My long narration of a life of woes. But such was Heaven's high will!
Know then, I came From sacred Crete, and from a sire of fame: Castor Hylaci=
des
(that name he bore), Beloved and honour'd in his native shore; Bless'd in h=
is
riches, in his children more. Sprung of a handmaid, from a bought embrace, I
shared his kindness with his lawful race: But when that fate, which all must
undergo, From earth removed him to the shades below, The large domain his
greedy sons divide, And each was portion'd as the lots decide. Little, alas!
was left my wretched share, Except a house, a covert from the air: But what=
by
niggard fortune was denied, A willing widow's copious wealth supplied. My
valour was my plea, a gallant mind, That, true to honour, never lagg'd behi=
nd (The
sex is ever to a soldier kind). Now wasting years my former strength confou=
nd, And
added woes have bow'd me to the ground; Yet by the stubble you may guess the
grain, And mark the ruins of no vulgar man. Me, Pallas gave to lead the mar=
tial
storm, And the fair ranks of battle to deform; Me, Mars inspired to turn the
foe to flight, And tempt the secret ambush of the night. Let ghastly Death =
in
all his forms appear, I saw him not, it was not mine to fear. Before the re=
st I
raised my ready steel, The first I met, he yielded, or he fell. But works of
peace my soul disdain'd to bear, The rural labour, or domestic care. To rai=
se
the mast, the missile dart to wing, And send swift arrows from the bounding
string, Were arts the gods made grateful to my mind; Those gods, who turn (=
to
various ends design'd) The various thoughts and talents of mankind. Before =
the
Grecians touch'd the Trojan plain, Nine times commander or by land or main,=
In
foreign fields I spread my glory far, Great in the praise, rich in the spoi=
ls
of war; Thence charged with riches, as increased in fame, To Crete return'd=
, an
honourable name. But when great Jove that direful war decreed, Which roused=
all
Greece, and made the mighty bleed; Our states myself and Idomen employ To l=
ead
their fleets, and carry death to Troy. Nine years we warr'd; the tenth saw
Ilion fall; Homeward we sail'd, but heaven dispersed us all. One only month=
my
wife enjoy'd my stay; So will'd the god who gives and takes away. Nine ship=
s I
mann'd, equipp'd with ready stores, Intent to voyage to the Aegyptian shore=
s; In
feast and sacrifice my chosen train Six days consum'd; the seventh we ploug=
h'd
the main. Crete's ample fields diminish to our eye; Before the Boreal blast=
the
vessels fly; Safe through the level seas we sweep our way; The steersman
governs, and the ships obey. The fifth fair morn we stem the Aegyptian tide=
, And
tilting o'er the bay the vessels ride: To anchor there my fellows I command=
, And
spies commission to explore the land. But, sway'd by lust of gain, and head=
long
will, The coasts they ravage, and the natives kill. The spreading clamour to
their city flies, And horse and foot in mingled tumult rise. The reddening =
dawn
reveals the circling fields, Horrid with bristly spears, and glancing shiel=
ds. Jove
thunder'd on their side. Our guilty head We turn'd to flight; the gathering
vengeance spread On all parts round, and heaps on heaps lie dead. I then
explored my thought, what course to prove (And sure the thought was dictate=
d by
Jove): Oh, had he left me to that happier doom, And saved a life of miserie=
s to
come! The radiant helmet from my brows unlaced, And low on earth my shield =
and
javelin cast, I meet the monarch with a suppliant's face, Approach his char=
iot,
and his knees embrace, He heard, he saved, he placed me at his side; My sta=
te
he pitied, and my tears he dried, Restrain'd the rage the vengeful foe
express'd, And turn'd the deadly weapons from my breast. Pious! to guard the
hospitable rite, And fearing Jove, whom mercy's works delight.
"In Aegypt thus with peace and plenty
bless'd, I lived (and happy still have lived) a guest. On seven bright years
successive blessings wait; The next changed all the colour of my fate. A fa=
lse
Phoenician, of insiduous mind, Versed in vile arts, and foe to humankind, W=
ith
semblance fair invites me to his home; I seized the proffer (ever fond to
roam): Domestic in his faithless roof I stay'd, Till the swift sun his annu=
al
circle made. To Libya then he mediates the way; With guileful art a strange=
r to
betray, And sell to bondage in a foreign land: Much doubting, yet compell'd=
I
quit the strand, Through the mid seas the nimble pinnace sails, Aloof from
Crete, before the northern gales: But when remote her chalky cliffs we lost=
, And
far from ken of any other coast, When all was wild expanse of sea and air, =
Then
doom'd high Jove due vengeance to prepare. He hung a night of horrors o'er
their head (The shaded ocean blacken'd as it spread): He launch'd the fiery
bolt: from pole to pole Broad burst the lightnings, deep the thunders roll;=
In
giddy rounds the whirling ship is toss'd, An all in clouds of smothering
sulphur lost. As from a hanging rock's tremendous height, The sable crows w=
ith
intercepted flight Drop endlong; scarr'd, and black with sulphurous hue, So
from the deck are hurl'd the ghastly crew. Such end the wicked found! but
Jove's intent Was yet to save the oppress'd and innocent. Placed on the mast
(the last resource of life) With winds and waves I held unequal strife: For
nine long days the billows tilting o'er, The tenth soft wafts me to
Thesprotia's shore. The monarch's son a shipwreck'd wretch relieved, The si=
re
with hospitable rites received, And in his palace like a brother placed, Wi=
th
gifts of price and gorgeous garments graced While here I sojourn'd, oft I h=
eard
the fame How late Ulysses to the country came. How loved, how honour'd in t=
his
court he stay'd, And here his whole collected treasure laid; I saw myself t=
he
vast unnumber'd store Of steel elaborate, and refulgent ore, And brass high
heap'd amidst the regal dome; Immense supplies for ages yet to come! Meanti=
me
he voyaged to explore the will Of Jove, on high Dodona's holy hill, What me=
ans
might best his safe return avail, To come in pomp, or bear a secret sail? F=
ull
oft has Phidon, whilst he pour'd the wine, Attesting solemn all the powers
divine, That soon Ulysses would return, declared The sailors waiting, and t=
he
ships prepared. But first the king dismiss'd me from his shores, For fair
Dulichium crown'd with fruitful stores; To good Acastus' friendly care
consign'd: But other counsels pleased the sailors' mind: New frauds were
plotted by the faithless train, And misery demands me once again. Soon as
remote from shore they plough the wave, With ready hands they rush to seize
their slave; Then with these tatter'd rags they wrapp'd me round (Stripp'd =
of
my own), and to the vessel bound. At eve, at Ithaca's delightful land The s=
hip
arriv'd: forth issuing on the sand, They sought repast; while to the unhappy
kind, The pitying gods themselves my chains unbind. Soft I descended, to the
sea applied My naked breast, and shot along the tide. Soon pass'd beyond th=
eir
sight, I left the flood, And took the spreading shelter of the wood. Their
prize escaped the faithless pirates mourn'd; But deem'd inquiry vain, and to
their ships return'd. Screen'd by protecting gods from hostile eyes, They l=
ed
me to a good man and a wise, To live beneath thy hospitable care, And wait =
the
woes Heaven dooms me yet to bear."
"Unhappy guest! whose sorrows touch my mi=
nd! (Thus
good Eumaeus with a sigh rejoin'd,) For real sufferings since I grieve sinc=
ere,
Check not with fallacies the springing tear: Nor turn the passion into
groundless joy For him whom Heaven has destined to destroy. Oh! had he peri=
sh'd
on some well-fought day, Or in his friend's embraces died away! That gratef=
ul
Greece with streaming eyes might raise Historic marbles to record his prais=
e; His
praise, eternal on the faithful stone, Had with transmissive honours graced=
his
son. Now, snatch'd by harpies to the dreary coast, Sunk is the hero, and his
glory lost! While pensive in this solitary den, Far from gay cities and the
ways of men, I linger life; nor to the court repair, But when my constant q=
ueen
commands my care; Or when, to taste her hospitable board, Some guest arrive=
s,
with rumours of her lord; And these indulge their want, and those their woe=
, And
here the tears and there the goblets flow. By many such have I been warn'd;=
but
chief By one Aetolian robb'd of all belief, Whose hap it was to this our ro=
of
to roam, For murder banish'd from his native home. He swore, Ulysses on the
coast of Crete Stay'd but a season to refit his fleet; A few revolving mont=
hs
should waft him o'er, Fraught with bold warriors, and a boundless store O t=
hou!
whom age has taught to understand, And Heaven has guided with a favouring h=
and!
On god or mortal to obtrude a lie Forbear, and dread to flatter as to die. =
Nor
for such ends my house and heart are free, But dear respect to Jove, and
charity."
"And why, O swain of unbelieving mind! (T=
hus
quick replied the wisest of mankind) Doubt you my oath? yet more my faith to
try, A solemn compact let us ratify, And witness every power that rules the
sky! If here Ulysses from his labours rest, Be then my prize a tunic and a =
vest;
And where my hopes invite me, straight transport In safety to Dulichium's
friendly court. But if he greets not thy desiring eye, Hurl me from yon dre=
ad
precipice on high: The due reward of fraud and perjury."
"Doubtless, O guest! great laud and praise
were mine (Replied the swain, for spotless faith divine), If after social r=
ites
and gifts bestow'd, I stain'd my hospitable hearth with blood. How would the
gods my righteous toils succeed, And bless the hand that made a stranger bl=
eed?
No more--the approaching hours of silent night First claim refection, then =
to
rest invite; Beneath our humble cottage let us haste, And here, unenvied, r=
ural
dainties taste."
Thus communed these; while to their lowly dome=
The
full-fed swine return'd with evening home; Compell'd, reluctant, to their
several sties, With din obstreperous, and ungrateful cries. Then to the sla=
ves:
"Now from the herd the best Select in honour of our foreign guest: With
him let us the genial banquet share, For great and many are the griefs we b=
ear;
While those who from our labours heap their board Blaspheme their feeder, a=
nd
forget their lord."
Thus speaking, with despatchful hand he took A
weighty axe, and cleft the solid oak; This on the earth he piled; a boar fu=
ll
fed, Of five years' age, before the pile was led: The swain, whom acts of p=
iety
delight, Observant of the gods, begins the rite; First shears the forehead =
of
the bristly boar, And suppliant stands, invoking every power To speed Ulyss=
es
to his native shore. A knotty stake then aiming at his head, Down dropped he
groaning, and the spirit fled. The scorching flames climb round on every si=
de; Then
the singed members they with skill divide; On these, in rolls of fat involv=
ed
with art, The choicest morsels lay from every part. Some in the flames
bestrew'd with flour they threw; Some cut in fragments from the forks they
drew: These while on several tables they dispose. A priest himself the
blameless rustic rose; Expert the destined victim to dispart In seven just
portions, pure of hand and heart. One sacred to the nymphs apart they lay: =
Another
to the winged sons of May; The rural tribe in common share the rest, The ki=
ng
the chine, the honour of the feast, Who sate delighted at his servant's boa=
rd; The
faithful servant joy'd his unknown lord. "Oh be thou dear (Ulysses cri=
ed)
to Jove, As well thou claim'st a grateful stranger's love!"
"Be then thy thanks (the bounteous swain
replied) Enjoyment of the good the gods provide. From God's own hand descend
our joys and woes; These he decrees, and he but suffers those: All power is
his, and whatsoe'er he wills, The will itself, omnipotent, fulfils." T=
his
said, the first-fruits to the gods he gave; Then pour'd of offer'd wine the
sable wave: In great Ulysses' hand he placed the bowl, He sate, and sweet
refection cheer'd his soul. The bread from canisters Mesaulius gave (Eumaeu=
s'
proper treasure bought this slave, And led from Taphos, to attend his board=
, A
servant added to his absent lord); His task it was the wheaten loaves to la=
y, And
from the banquet take the bowls away. And now the rage of hunger was repres=
s'd,
And each betakes him to his couch to rest.
Now came the night, and darkness cover'd o'er =
The
face of things; the winds began to roar; The driving storm the watery west-=
wind
pours, And Jove descends in deluges of showers. Studious of rest and warmth,
Ulysses lies, Foreseeing from the first the storm would rise In mere necess=
ity
of coat and cloak, With artful preface to his host he spoke: "Hear me,=
my
friends! who this good banquet grace; 'Tis sweet to play the fool in time a=
nd
place, And wine can of their wits the wise beguile, Make the sage frolic, a=
nd
the serious smile, The grave in merry measures frisk about, And many a
long-repented word bring out. Since to be talkative I now commence, Let wit
cast off the sullen yoke of sense. Once I was strong (would Heaven restore
those days!) And with my betters claim'd a share of praise. Ulysses, Menela=
us,
led forth a band, And join'd me with them ('twas their own command); A deat=
hful
ambush for the foe to lay, Beneath Troy walls by night we took our way: The=
re,
clad in arms, along the marshes spread, We made the osier-fringed bank our =
bed.
Full soon the inclemency of heaven I feel, Nor had these shoulders covering,
but of steel. Sharp blew the north; snow whitening all the fields Froze with
the blast, and gathering glazed our shields. There all but I, well fenced w=
ith
cloak and vest, Lay cover'd by their ample shields at rest. Fool that I was=
! I
left behind my own, The skill of weather and of winds unknown, And trusted =
to
my coat and shield alone! When now was wasted more than half the night, And=
the
stars faded at approaching light, Sudden I jogg'd Ulysses, who was laid Fas=
t by
my side, and shivering thus I said:
"'Here longer in this field I cannot lie;=
The
winter pinches, and with cold I die, And die ashamed (O wisest of mankind),=
The
only fool who left his cloak behind.'
"He thought and answer'd: hardly waking y=
et, Sprung
in his mind a momentary wit (That wit, which or in council or in fight, Sti=
ll
met the emergence, and determined right). 'Hush thee (he cried, soft whispe=
ring
in my ear), Speak not a word, lest any Greek may hear'-- And then (supporti=
ng
on his arm his head), 'Hear me, companions! (thus aloud he said:) Methinks =
too
distant from the fleet we lie: E'en now a vision stood before my eye, And s=
ure
the warning vision was from high: Let from among us some swift courier rise=
, Haste
to the general, and demand supplies.'
"Up started Thoas straight, Andraemon's s=
on, Nimbly
he rose, and cast his garment down! Instant, the racer vanish'd off the gro=
und;
That instant in his cloak I wrapp'd me round: And safe I slept, till
brightly-dawning shone The morn conspicuous on her golden throne.
"Oh were my strength as then, as then my =
age!
Some friend would fence me from the winter's rage. Yet, tatter'd as I look,=
I
challenged then The honours and the offices of men: Some master, or some
servant would allow A cloak and vest--but I am nothing now!"
"Well hast thou spoke (rejoin'd the atten=
tive
swain): Thy lips let fall no idle word or vain! Nor garment shalt thou want,
nor aught beside, Meet for the wandering suppliant to provide. But in the
morning take thy clothes again, For here one vest suffices every swain: No
change of garments to our hinds is known; But when return'd, the good Ulyss=
es'
son With better hand shall grace with fit attires His guest, and send thee
where thy soul desires."
The honest herdsman rose, as this he said, And
drew before the hearth the stranger's bed; The fleecy spoils of sheep, a go=
at's
rough hide He spreads; and adds a mantle thick and wide; With store to heap
above him, and below, And guard each quarter as the tempests blow. There lay
the king, and all the rest supine; All, but the careful master of the swine=
: Forth
hasted he to tend his bristly care; Well arm'd, and fenced against nocturnal
air: His weighty falchion o'er his shoulder tied: His shaggy cloak a mounta=
in
goat supplied: With his broad spear the dread of dogs and men, He seeks his
lodging in the rocky den. There to the tusky herd he bends his way, Where,
screen'd from Boreas, high o'erarch'd they lay.
The goddess Minerva commands Telemachus in a
vision to return to Ithaca. Pisistratus and he take leave of Menelaus, and =
arrive
at Pylos, where they part: and Telemachus sets sail, after having received =
on
board Theoclymenus the soothsayer. The scene then changes to the cottage of
Eumaeus, who entertains Ulysses with a recital of his adventures. In the
meantime Telemachus arrives on the coast, and sending the vessel to the tow=
n,
proceeds by himself to the lodge of Eumaeus.
Now had Minerva reach'd those ample plains, Fa=
med
for the dance, where Menelaus reigns: Anxious she flies to great Ulysses' h=
eir,
His instant voyage challenged all her care. Beneath the royal portico
display'd, With Nestor's son Telemachus was laid: In sleep profound the son=
of
Nestor lies; Not thine, Ulysses! Care unseal'd his eyes: Restless he grieve=
d,
with various fears oppress'd, And all thy fortunes roll'd within his breast=
. When,
"O Telemachus! (the goddess said) Too long in vain, too widely hast th=
ou
stray'd, Thus leaving careless thy paternal right The robbers' prize, the p=
rey
to lawless might. On fond pursuits neglectful while you roam, E'en now the =
hand
of rapine sacks the dome. Hence to Atrides; and his leave implore To launch=
thy
vessel for thy natal shore; Fly, whilst thy mother virtuous yet withstands =
Her
kindred's wishes, and her sire's commands; Through both, Eurymachus pursues=
the
dame, And with the noblest gifts asserts his claim. Hence, therefore, while=
thy
stores thy own remain; Thou know'st the practice of the female train, Lost =
in
the children of the present spouse, They slight the pledges of their former
vows; Their love is always with the lover past; Still the succeeding flame
expels the last. Let o'er thy house some chosen maid preside, Till Heaven
decrees to bless thee in a bride. But now thy more attentive ears incline, =
Observe
the warnings of a power divine; For thee their snares the suitor lords shall
lay In Samos' sands, or straits of Ithaca; To seize thy life shall lurk the
murderous band, Ere yet thy footsteps press thy native land. No!--sooner far
their riot and their lust All-covering earth shall bury deep in dust! Then
distant from the scatter'd islands steer, Nor let the night retard thy full
career; Thy heavenly guardian shall instruct the gales To smooth thy passage
and supply thy sails: And when at Ithaca thy labour ends, Send to the town =
the
vessel with thy friends; But seek thou first the master of the swine (For s=
till
to thee his loyal thoughts incline); There pass the night: while he his cou=
rse
pursues To bring Penelope the wish'd-for news, That thou, safe sailing from=
the
Pylian strand, Art come to bless her in thy native land." Thus spoke t=
he
goddess, and resumed her flight To the pure regions of eternal light, Meanw=
hile
Pisistratus he gently shakes, And with these words the slumbering youth awa=
kes:
"Rise, son of Nestor; for the road prepar=
e, And
join the harness'd coursers to the car."
"What cause (he cried) can justify our fl=
ight
To tempt the dangers of forbidding night? Here wait we rather, till approac=
hing
day Shall prompt our speed, and point the ready way. Nor think of flight be=
fore
the Spartan king Shall bid farewell, and bounteous presents bring; Gifts, w=
hich
to distant ages safely stored, The sacred act of friendship shall record.&q=
uot;
Thus he. But when the dawn bestreak'd the east=
, The
king from Helen rose, and sought his guest. As soon as his approach the her=
o knew,
The splendid mantle round him first he threw, Then o'er his ample shoulders
whirl'd the cloak, Respectful met the monarch, and bespoke:
"Hail, great Atrides, favour'd of high Jo=
ve! Let
not thy friends in vain for licence move. Swift let us measure back the wat=
ery
way, Nor check our speed, impatient of delay."
"If with desire so strong thy bosom glows=
, Ill
(said the king) should I thy wish oppose; For oft in others freely I reprov=
e The
ill-timed efforts of officious love; Who love too much, hate in the like
extreme, And both the golden mean alike condemn. Alike he thwarts the
hospitable end, Who drives the free, or stays the hasty friend: True
friendship's laws are by this rule express'd, Welcome the coming, speed the
parting guest. Yet, stay, my friends, and in your chariot take The noblest
presents that our love can make; Meantime commit we to our women's care Some
choice domestic viands to prepare; The traveller, rising from the banquet g=
ay, Eludes
the labours of the tedious way, Then if a wider course shall rather please,=
Through
spacious Argos and the realms of Greece, Atrides in his chariot shall atten=
d; Himself
thy convoy to each royal friend. No prince will let Ulysses' heir remove Wi=
thout
some pledge, some monument of love: These will the caldron, these the tripod
give; From those the well-pair'd mules we shall receive, Or bowl emboss'd w=
hose
golden figures live."
To whom the youth, for prudence famed, replied=
: "O
monarch, care of heaven! thy people's pride! No friend in Ithaca my place
supplies, No powerful hands are there, no watchful eyes: My stores exposed =
and
fenceless house demand The speediest succour from my guardian hand; Lest, i=
n a
search too anxious and too vain, Of one lost joy, I lose what yet remain.&q=
uot;
His purpose when the generous warrior heard, He
charged the household cates to be prepared. Now with the dawn, from his
adjoining home, Was Boethoedes Eteoneus come; Swift at the word he forms the
rising blaze, And o'er the coals the smoking fragments lays. Meantime the k=
ing,
his son, and Helen went Where the rich wardrobe breathed a costly scent; The
king selected from the glittering rows A bowl; the prince a silver beaker
chose. The beauteous queen revolved with careful eyes Her various textures =
of
unnumber'd dyes, And chose the largest; with no vulgar art Her own fair han=
ds
embroider'd every part; Beneath the rest it lay divinely bright, Like radia=
nt
Hesper o'er the gems of night, Then with each gift they hasten'd to their
guest, And thus the king Ulysses' heir address'd: "Since fix'd are thy
resolves, may thundering Jove With happiest omens thy desires approve! This
silver bowl, whose costly margins shine Enchased with old, this valued gift=
be
thine; To me this present, of Vulcanian frame, From Sidon's hospitable mona=
rch
came; To thee we now consign the precious load, The pride of kings, and lab=
our
of a god."
Then gave the cup, while Megapenthe brought The
silver vase with living sculpture wrought. The beauteous queen, advancing n=
ext,
display'd The shining veil, and thus endearing said:
"Accept, dear youth, this monument of lov=
e, Long
since, in better days, by Helen wove: Safe in thy mother's care the vesture
lay, To deck thy bride and grace thy nuptial day. Meantime may'st thou with
happiest speed regain Thy stately palace, and thy wide domain."
She said, and gave the veil; with grateful loo=
k The
prince the variegated present took. And now, when through the royal dome th=
ey
pass'd, High on a throne the king each stranger placed. A golden ewer the
attendant damsel brings, Replete with water from the crystal springs; With
copious streams the shining vase supplies A silver layer of capacious size.=
They
wash. The tables in fair order spread, The glittering canisters are crown'd
with bread; Viands of various kinds allure the taste, Of choicest sort and
savour; rich repast! Whilst Eteoneus portions out the shares Atrides' son t=
he
purple draught prepares, And now (each sated with the genial feast, And the
short rage of thirst and hunger ceased) Ulysses' son, with his illustrious
friend, The horses join, the polish'd car ascend, Along the court the fiery
steeds rebound, And the wide portal echoes to the sound. The king precedes;=
a
bowl with fragrant wine (Libation destined to the powers divine) His right =
hand
held: before the steed he stands, Then, mix'd with prayers, he utters these
commands:
"Farewell, and prosper, youths! let Nestor
know What grateful thoughts still in this bosom glow, For all the proofs of=
his
paternal care, Through the long dangers of the ten years' war." "=
Ah!
doubt not our report (the prince rejoin'd) Of all the virtues of thy genero=
us
mind. And oh! return'd might we Ulysses meet! To him thy presents show, thy
words repeat: How will each speech his grateful wonder raise! How will each
gift indulge us in thy praise!"
Scarce ended thus the prince, when on the righ= t Advanced the bird of Jove: auspicious sight! A milk-white fowl his clinching talons bore, With care domestic pampered at the floor. Peasants in vain with threatening cries pursue, In solemn speed the bird majestic flew Full dexte= r to the car; the prosperous sight Fill'd every breast with wonder and delight.<= o:p>
But Nestor's son the cheerful silence broke, A=
nd
in these words the Spartan chief bespoke: "Say if to us the gods these
omens send, Or fates peculiar to thyself portend?"
Whilst yet the monarch paused, with doubts
oppress'd The beauteous queen relieved his labouring breast: "Hear me =
(she
cried), to whom the gods have given To read this sign, and mystic sense of
heaven, As thus the plumy sovereign of the air Left on the mountain's brow =
his
callow care, And wander'd through the wide ethereal way To pour his wrath on
yon luxurious prey; So shall thy godlike father, toss'd in vain Through all=
the
dangers of the boundless main, Arrive (or if perchance already come) From
slaughter'd gluttons to release the dome."
"Oh! if this promised bliss by thundering
Jove (The prince replied) stand fix'd in fate above; To thee, as to some go=
d,
I'll temples raise. And crown thy altars with the costly blaze."
He said; and bending o'er his chariot, flung A=
thwart
the fiery steeds the smarting thong; The bounding shafts upon the harness p=
lay,
Till night descending intercepts the way. To Diocles at Pherae they repair,=
Whose
boasted sire was sacred Alpheus' heir; With him all night the youthful stra=
nger
stay'd, Nor found the hospitable rites unpaid, But soon as morning from her
orient bed Had tinged the mountains with her earliest red, They join'd the
steeds, and on the chariot sprung, The brazen portals in their passage rung=
.
To Pylos soon they came; when thus begun To
Nestor's heir Ulysses' godlike son:
"Let not Pisistratus in vain be press'd, =
Nor
unconsenting hear his friend's request; His friend by long hereditary claim=
, In
toils his equal, and in years the same. No farther from our vessel, I implo=
re, The
courses drive; but lash them to the shore. Too long thy father would his fr=
iend
detain; I dread his proffer'd kindness urged in vain."
The hero paused, and ponder'd this request, Wh=
ile
love and duty warr'd within his breast. At length resolved, he turn'd his r=
eady
hand, And lash'd his panting coursers to the strand. There, while within the
poop with care he stored The regal presents of the Spartan lord, "With
speed begone (said he); call every mate, Ere yet to Nestor I the tale relat=
e: 'Tis
true, the fervour of his generous heart Brooks no repulse, nor couldst thou
soon depart: Himself will seek thee here, nor wilt thou find, In words alon=
e,
the Pylian monarch kind. But when, arrived, he thy return shall know How wi=
ll
his breast with honest fury glow!" This said, the sounding strokes his
horses fire, And soon he reached the palace of his sire.
"Now (cried Telemachus) with speedy care =
Hoist
every sail, and every oar prepare." Swift as the word his willing mates
obey, And seize their seats, impatient for the sea.
Meantime the prince with sacrifice adores Mine=
rva,
and her guardian aid implores; When lo! a wretch ran breathless to the shor=
e, New
from his crime; and reeking yet with gore. A seer he was, from great Melamp=
us
sprung, Melampus, who in Pylos flourish'd long, Till, urged by wrongs, a
foreign realm he chose, Far from the hateful cause of all his woes. Neleus =
his
treasures one long year detains, As long he groan'd in Philacus' chains: Me=
antime,
what anguish and what rage combined For lovely Pero rack'd his labouring mi=
nd! Yet
'scaped he death; and vengeful of his wrong To Pylos drove the lowing herds
along: Then (Neleus vanquish'd, and consign'd the fair To Bias' arms) he so
sought a foreign air; Argos the rich for his retreat he chose, There form'd=
his
empire; there his palace rose. From him Antiphates and Mantius came: The fi=
rst
begot Oicleus great in fame, And he Amphiaraus, immortal name! The people's
saviour, and divinely wise, Beloved by Jove, and him who gilds the skies; Y=
et
short his date of life! by female pride he dies. From Mantius Clitus, whom
Aurora's love Snatch'd for his beauty to the thrones above; And Polyphides,=
on
whom Phoebus shone With fullest rays, Amphiaraus now gone; In Hyperesia's
groves he made abode, And taught mankind the counsels of the god. From him
sprung Theoclymenus, who found (The sacred wine yet foaming on the ground) =
Telemachus:
whom, as to Heaven he press'd His ardent vows, the stranger thus address'd:=
"O thou! that dost thy happy course prepa=
re With
pure libations and with solemn prayer: By that dread power to whom thy vows=
are
paid; By all the lives of these; thy own dear head, Declare sincerely to no
foe's demand Thy name, thy lineage, and paternal land."
"Prepare, then (said Telemachus), to know=
A
tale from falsehood free, not free from woe. From Ithaca, of royal birth I
came, And great Ulysses (ever honour'd name!) Once was my sire, though now,=
for
ever lost, In Stygian gloom he glides a pensive ghost! Whose fate inquiring
through the world we rove; The last, the wretched proof of filial love.&quo=
t;
The stranger then: "Nor shall I aught
conceal, But the dire secret of my fate reveal. Of my own tribe an Argive
wretch I slew; Whose powerful friends the luckless deed pursue With unrelen=
ting
rage, and force from home The blood-stain'd exile, ever doom'd to roam. But
bear, oh bear me o'er yon azure flood; Receive the suppliant! spare my dest=
ined
blood!"
"Stranger (replied the prince) securely r=
est Affianced
in our faith; henceforth our guest." Thus affable, Ulysses' godlike he=
ir Takes
from the stranger's hand the glittering spear: He climbs the ship, ascends =
the
stern with haste And by his side the guest accepted placed. The chief his o=
rder
gives: the obedient band, With due observance wait the chief's command: With
speed the mast they rear, with speed unbind The spacious sheet, and stretch=
it
to the wind. Minerva calls; the ready gales obey With rapid speed to whirl =
them
o'er the sea. Crunus they pass'd, next Chalcis roll'd away, With thickening
darkness closed the doubtful day; The silver Phaea's glittering rills they
lost, And skimm'd along by Elis' sacred coast. Then cautious through the ro=
cky
reaches wind, And turning sudden, shun the death design'd.
Meantime, the king, Eumaeus, and the rest, Sat=
e in
the cottage, at their rural feast: The banquet pass'd, and satiate every ma=
n, To
try his host, Ulysses thus began:
"Yet one night more, my friends, indulge =
your
guest; The last I purpose in your walls to rest: To-morrow for myself I must
provide, And only ask your counsel, and a guide; Patient to roam the street=
, by
hunger led, And bless the friendly hand that gives me bread. There in Ulyss=
es'
roof I may relate Ulysses' wanderings to his royal mate; Or, mingling with =
the
suitors' haughty train, Not undeserving some support obtain. Hermes to me h=
is
various gifts imparts. Patron of industry and manual arts: Few can with me =
in
dexterous works contend, The pyre to build, the stubborn oak to rend; To tu=
rn
the tasteful viand o'er the flame; Or foam the goblet with a purple stream.=
Such
are the tasks of men of mean estate, Whom fortune dooms to serve the rich a=
nd
great."
"Alas! (Eumaeus with a sigh rejoin'd). How
sprung a thought so monstrous in thy mind? If on that godless race thou
would'st attend, Fate owes thee sure a miserable end! Their wrongs and
blasphemies ascend the sky, And pull descending vengeance from on high. Not
such, my friend, the servants of their feast: A blooming train in rich
embroidery dress'd, With earth's whole tribute the bright table bends, And
smiling round celestial youth attends. Stay, then: no eye askance beholds t=
hee
here; Sweet is thy converse to each social ear; Well pleased, and pleasing,=
in
our cottage rest, Till good Telemachus accepts his guest With genial gifts,=
and
change of fair attires, And safe conveys thee where thy soul desires."=
To him the man of woes; "O gracious Jove!=
Reward
this stranger's hospitable love! Who knows the son of sorrow to relieve, Ch=
eers
the sad heart, nor lets affliction grieve. Of all the ills unhappy mortals
know, A life of wanderings is the greatest woe; On all their weary ways wait
care and pain, And pine and penury, a meagre train. To such a man since har=
bour
you afford, Relate the farther fortunes of your lord; What cares his mother=
's
tender breast engage, And sire forsaken on the verge of age; Beneath the sun
prolong they yet their breath, Or range the house of darkness and of
death?"
To whom the swain: "Attend what you enqui=
re; Laertes
lives, the miserable sire, Lives, but implores of every power to lay The bu=
rden
down, and wishes for the day. Torn from his offspring in the eve of life, T=
orn
from the embraces of his tender wife, Sole, and all comfortless, he wastes =
away
Old age, untimely posting ere his day. She too, sad mother! for Ulysses los=
t Pined
out her bloom, and vanish'd to a ghost; (So dire a fate, ye righteous gods!
avert From every friendly, every feeling heart!) While yet she was, though
clouded o'er with grief. Her pleasing converse minister'd relief: With Clim=
ene,
her youngest daughter, bred, One roof contain'd us, and one table fed. But =
when
the softly-stealing pace of time Crept on from childhood into youthful prim=
e, To
Samos' isle she sent the wedded fair; Me to the fields; to tend the rural c=
are;
Array'd in garments her own hands had wove, Nor less the darling object of =
her
love. Her hapless death my brighter days o'ercast, Yet Providence deserts me
not at last; My present labours food and drink procure, And more, the pleas=
ure
to relieve the poor. Small is the comfort from the queen to hear Unwelcome
news, or vex the royal ear; Blank and discountenanced the servants stand, N=
or
dare to question where the proud command; No profit springs beneath usurping
powers; Want feeds not there where luxury devours, Nor harbours charity whe=
re
riot reigns: Proud are the lords, and wretched are the swains."
The suffering chief at this began to melt; And,
"O Eumaeus! thou (he cries) hast felt The spite of fortune too! her cr=
uel
hand Snatch'd thee an infant from thy native land! Snatch'd from thy parent=
s'
arms, thy parents' eyes, To early wants! a man of miseries! The whole sad
story, from its first, declare: Sunk the fair city by the rage of war, Where
once thy parents dwelt? or did they keep, In humbler life, the lowing herds=
and
sheep? So left perhaps to tend the fleecy train, Rude pirates seized, and
shipp'd thee o'er the main? Doom'd a fair prize to grace some prince's boar=
d, The
worthy purchase of a foreign lord."
"If then my fortunes can delight my frien=
d, A
story fruitful of events attend: Another's sorrow may thy ears enjoy, And w=
ine
the lengthen'd intervals employ. Long nights the now declining year bestows=
; A
part we consecrate to soft repose, A part in pleasing talk we entertain; For
too much rest itself becomes a pain. Let those, whom sleep invites, the call
obey, Their cares resuming with the dawning day: Here let us feast, and to =
the
feast be join'd Discourse, the sweeter banquet of the mind; Review the seri=
es
of our lives, and taste The melancholy joy of evils pass'd: For he who much=
has
suffer'd, much will know, And pleased remembrance builds delight on woe.
"Above Ortygia lies an isle of fame, Far
hence remote, and Syria is the name (There curious eyes inscribed with wond=
er
trace The sun's diurnal, and his annual race); Not large, but fruitful; sto=
red
with grass to keep The bellowing oxen and the bleating sheep; Her sloping h=
ills
the mantling vines adorn, And her rich valleys wave with golden corn. No wa=
nt,
no famine, the glad natives know, Nor sink by sickness to the shades below;=
But
when a length of years unnerves the strong, Apollo comes, and Cynthia comes
along. They bend the silver bow with tender skill, And, void of pain, the
silent arrows kill. Two equal tribes this fertile land divide, Where two fa=
ir
cities rise with equal pride. But both in constant peace one prince obey, A=
nd
Ctesius there, my father, holds the sway. Freighted, it seems, with toys of
every sort, A ship of Sidon anchor'd in our port; What time it chanced the
palace entertain'd, Skill'd in rich works, a woman of their land: This nymp=
h,
where anchor'd the Phoenician train, To wash her robes descending to the ma=
in, A
smooth tongued sailor won her to his mind (For love deceives the best of
womankind). A sudden trust from sudden liking grew; She told her name, her
race, and all she knew, 'I too (she cried) from glorious Sidon came, My fat=
her
Arybas, of wealthy fame: But, snatch'd by pirates from my native place, The
Taphians sold me to this man's embrace.'
"'Haste then (the false designing youth
replied), Haste to thy country; love shall be thy guide; Haste to thy fathe=
r's
house, thy father's breast, For still he lives, and lives with riches blest=
.'
"'Swear first (she cried), ye sailors! to
restore A wretch in safety to her native shore.' Swift as she ask'd, the re=
ady
sailors swore. She then proceeds: 'Now let our compact made Be nor by signal
nor by word betray'd, Nor near me any of your crew descried, By road
frequented, or by fountain side. Be silence still our guard. The monarch's
spies (For watchful age is ready to surmise) Are still at hand; and this,
revealed, must be Death to yourselves, eternal chains to me. Your vessel
loaded, and your traffic pass'd, Despatch a wary messenger with haste; Then
gold and costly treasures will I bring, And more, the infant offspring of t=
he
king. Him, child-like wandering forth, I'll lead away (A noble prize!) and =
to
your ship convey.'
"Thus spoke the dame, and homeward took t=
he
road. A year they traffic, and their vessel load. Their stores complete, and
ready now to weigh, A spy was sent their summons to convey: An artist to my
father's palace came, With gold and amber chains, elaborate frame: Each fem=
ale
eye the glittering links employ; They turn, review, and cheapen every toy. =
He
took the occasion, as they stood intent, Gave her the sign, and to his vess=
el
went. She straight pursued, and seized my willing arm; I follow'd, smiling,
innocent of harm. Three golden goblets in the porch she found (The guests n=
ot
enter'd, but the table crown'd); Hid in her fraudful bosom these she bore: =
Now
set the sun, and darken'd all the shore. Arriving then, where tilting on the
tides Prepared to launch the freighted vessel rides, Aboard they heave us,
mount their decks, and sweep With level oar along the glassy deep. Six calmy
days and six smooth nights we sail, And constant Jove supplied the gentle g=
ale.
The seventh, the fraudful wretch (no cause descried), Touch'd by Diana's
vengeful arrow, died. Down dropp'd the caitiff-corse, a worthless load, Dow=
n to
the deep; there roll'd, the future food Of fierce sea-wolves, and monsters =
of
the flood. An helpless infant I remain'd behind; Thence borne to Ithaca by =
wave
and wind; Sold to Laertes by divine command, And now adopted to a foreign
land."
To him the king: "Reciting thus thy cares=
, My
secret soul in all thy sorrow shares; But one choice blessing (such is Jove=
's
high will) Has sweeten'd all thy bitter draught of ill: Torn from thy count=
ry
to no hapless end, The gods have, in a master, given a friend. Whatever fru=
gal
nature needs is thine (For she needs little), daily bread and wine. While I=
, so
many wanderings past, and woes, Live but on what thy poverty bestows."=
So passed in pleasing dialogue away The night;
then down to short repose they lay; Till radiant rose the messenger of day.=
While
in the port of Ithaca, the band Of young Telemachus approach'd the land; Th=
eir
sails they loosed, they lash'd the mast aside, And cast their anchors, and =
the
cables tied: Then on the breezy shore, descending, join In grateful banquet
o'er the rosy wine. When thus the prince: "Now each his course pursue;=
I
to the fields, and to the city you. Long absent hence, I dedicate this day =
My
swains to visit, and the works survey. Expect me with the morn, to pay the
skies Our debt of safe return in feast and sacrifice."
Then Theoclymenus: "But who shall lend, M=
eantime,
protection to thy stranger friend? Straight to the queen and palace shall I
fly, Or yet more distant, to some lord apply?"
The prince return'd: "Renown'd in days of
yore Has stood our father's hospitable door; No other roof a stranger should
receive, No other hands than ours the welcome give. But in my absence riot
fills the place, Nor bears the modest queen a stranger's face; From noiseful
revel far remote she flies, But rarely seen, or seen with weeping eyes. No-=
-let
Eurymachus receive my guest, Of nature courteous, and by far the best; He w=
oos
the queen with more respectful flame, And emulates her former husband's fam=
e, With
what success, 'tis Jove's alone to know, And the hoped nuptials turn to joy=
or
woe."
Thus speaking, on the right up-soar'd in air T=
he
hawk, Apollo's swift-wing'd messenger: His dreadful pounces tore a trembling
dove; The clotted feathers, scatter'd from above, Between the hero and the
vessel pour Thick plumage mingled with a sanguine shower.
The observing augur took the prince aside, Sei=
zed
by the hand, and thus prophetic cried: "Yon bird, that dexter cuts the
aerial road, Rose ominous, nor flies without a god: No race but thine shall
Ithaca obey, To thine, for ages, Heaven decrees the sway."
"Succeed the omens, gods! (the youth
rejoin'd:) Soon shall my bounties speak a grateful mind, And soon each envi=
ed
happiness attend The man who calls Telemachus his friend." Then to
Peiraeus: "Thou whom time has proved A faithful servant, by thy prince=
beloved!
Till we returning shall our guest demand, Accept this charge with honour, at
our hand."
To this Peiraeus: "Joyful I obey, Well
pleased the hospitable rites to pay. The presence of thy guest shall best
reward (If long thy stay) the absence of my lord."
With that, their anchors he commands to weigh,=
Mount
the tall bark, and launch into the sea. All with obedient haste forsake the
shores, And, placed in order, spread their equal oars. Then from the deck t=
he
prince his sandals takes; Poised in his hand the pointed javelin shakes. Th=
ey
part; while, lessening from the hero's view Swift to the town the well-row'd
galley flew: The hero trod the margin of the main, And reach'd the mansion =
of
his faithful swain.
Telemachus arriving at the lodge of Eumaeus, s=
ends
him to carry Penelope the news of his return. Minerva appearing to Ulysses,=
commands
him to discover himself to his son. The princes, who had lain in ambush to
intercept Telemachus in his way, their project being defeated, return to
Ithaca.
Soon as the morning blush'd along the plains, =
Ulysses,
and the monarch of the swains, Awake the sleeping fires, their meals prepar=
e, And
forth to pasture send the bristly care. The prince's near approach the dogs
descry, And fawning round his feet confess their joy. Their gentle blandish=
ment
the king survey'd, Heard his resounding step, and instant said:
"Some well-known friend, Eumaeus, bends t=
his
way; His steps I hear; the dogs familiar play."
While yet he spoke, the prince advancing drew =
Nigh
to the lodge, and now appear'd in view. Transported from his seat Eumaeus
sprung, Dropp'd the full bowl, and round his bosom hung; Kissing his cheek,=
his
hand, while from his eye The tears rain'd copious in a shower of joy, As so=
me
fond sire who ten long winters grieves, From foreign climes an only son
receives (Child of his age), with strong paternal joy, Forward he springs, =
and
clasps the favourite boy: So round the youth his arms Eumaeus spread, As if=
the
grave had given him from the dead.
"And is it thou? my ever-dear delight! Oh,
art thou come to bless my longing sight? Never, I never hoped to view this =
day,
When o'er the waves you plough'd the desperate way. Enter, my child! Beyond=
my
hopes restored, Oh give these eyes to feast upon their lord. Enter, oh seld=
om
seen! for lawless powers Too much detain thee from these sylvan bowers,&quo=
t; The
prince replied: "Eumaeus, I obey; To seek thee, friend, I hither took =
my
way. But say, if in the court the queen reside Severely chaste, or if comme=
nced
a bride?"
Thus he; and thus the monarch of the swains: &=
quot;Severely
chaste Penelope remains; But, lost to every joy, she wastes the day In tedi=
ous
cares, and weeps the night away."
He ended, and (receiving as they pass The jave=
lin
pointed with a star of brass), They reach'd the dome; the dome with marble
shined. His seat Ulysses to the prince resign'd. "Not so (exclaims the
prince with decent grace) For me, this house shall find an humbler place: To
usurp the honours due to silver hairs And reverend strangers modest youth
forbears." Instant the swain the spoils of beasts supplies, And bids t=
he
rural throne with osiers rise. There sate the prince: the feast Eumaeus spr=
ead,
And heap'd the shining canisters with bread. Thick o'er the board the plent=
eous
viands lay, The frugal remnants of the former day. Then in a bowl he tempers
generous wines, Around whose verge a mimic ivy twines. And now, the rage of
thirst and hunger fled, Thus young Ulysses to Eumaeus said:
"Whence, father, from what shore this
stranger, say? What vessel bore him o'er the watery way? To human step our =
land
impervious lies, And round the coast circumfluent oceans rise."
The swain returns: "A tale of sorrows hea=
r: In
spacious Crete he drew his natal air; Long doom'd to wander o'er the land a=
nd
main, For Heaven has wove his thread of life with pain. Half breathless
'scaping to the land he flew From Thesprot mariners, a murderous crew. To t=
hee,
my son, the suppliant I resign; I gave him my protection, grant him thine.&=
quot;
"Hard task (he cries) thy virtue gives thy
friend, Willing to aid, unable to defend. Can strangers safely in the court
reside, 'Midst the swell'd insolence of lust and pride? E'en I unsafe: the
queen in doubt to wed, Or pay due honours to the nuptial bed. Perhaps she w=
eds
regardless of her fame, Deaf to the mighty Ulyssean name. However, stranger!
from our grace receive Such honours as befit a prince to give; Sandals, a s=
word
and robes, respect to prove, And safe to sail with ornaments of love. Till
then, thy guest amid the rural train, Far from the court, from danger far,
detain. 'Tis mine with food the hungry to supply, And clothe the naked from=
the
inclement sky. Here dwell in safety from the suitors' wrongs, And the rude
insults of ungovern'd tongues. For should'st thou suffer, powerless to reli=
eve,
I must behold it, and can only grieve. The brave, encompass'd by an hostile
train, O'erpower'd by numbers, is but brave in vain."
To whom, while anger in his bosom glows, With
warmth replies the man of mighty woes: "Since audience mild is deign'd,
permit my tongue At once to pity and resent thy wrong. My heart weeps blood=
to
see a soul so brave Live to base insolence or power a slave, But tell me, d=
ost
thou, prince, dost thou behold, And hear their midnight revels uncontroll'd=
? Say,
do thy subjects in bold faction rise, Or priests in fabled oracles advise? =
Or
are thy brothers, who should aid thy power, Turn'd mean deserters in the
needful hour? Oh that I were from great Ulysses sprung, Or that these withe=
r'd
nerves like thine were strung, Or, heavens! might he return! (and soon appe=
ar He
shall, I trust; a hero scorns despair:) Might he return, I yield my life a =
prey
To my worst foe, if that avenging day Be not their last: but should I lose =
my
life, Oppress'd by numbers in the glorious strife, I chose the nobler part,=
and
yield my breath, Rather than bear dishonor, worse than death; Than see the =
hand
of violence invade The reverend stranger and the spotless maid; Than see the
wealth of kings consumed in waste, The drunkard's revel, and the gluttons'
feast."
Thus he, with anger flashing from his eye; Sin=
cere
the youthful hero made reply: "Nor leagued in factious arms my subjects
rise, Nor priests in fabled oracles advise; Nor are my brothers, who should=
aid
my power, Turn'd mean deserters in the needful hour. Ah me! I boast no brot=
her;
heaven's dread King Gives from our stock an only branch to spring: Alone
Laertes reign'd Arcesius' heir, Alone Ulysses drew the vital air, And I alo=
ne
the bed connubial graced, An unbless'd offspring of a sire unbless'd! Each
neighbouring realm, conducive to our woe, Sends forth her peers, and every =
peer
a foe: The court proud Samos and Dulichium fills, And lofty Zacinth crown'd
with shady hills. E'en Ithaca and all her lords invade The imperial sceptre,
and the regal bed: The queen, averse to love, yet awed by power, Seems half=
to
yield, yet flies the bridal hour: Meantime their licence uncontroll'd I bea=
r; E'en
now they envy me the vital air: But Heaven will sure revenge, and gods there
are.
"But go Eumaeus! to the queen impart Our =
safe
return, and ease a mother's heart. Yet secret go; for numerous are my foes,=
And
here at least I may in peace repose."
To whom the swain: "I hear and I obey: But
old Laertes weeps his life away, And deems thee lost: shall I speed employ =
To
bless his age: a messenger of joy? The mournful hour that tore his son away=
Sent
the sad sire in solitude to stray; Yet busied with his slaves, to ease his =
woe,
He dress'd the vine, and bade the garden blow, Nor food nor wine refused; b=
ut
since the day That you to Pylos plough'd the watery way, Nor wine nor food =
he
tastes; but, sunk in woes, Wild springs the vine, no more the garden blows,=
Shut
from the walks of men, to pleasure lost, Pensive and pale he wanders half a
ghost."
"Wretched old man! (with tears the prince
returns) Yet cease to go--what man so blest but mourns? Were every wish
indulged by favouring skies, This hour should give Ulysses to my eyes. But =
to
the queen with speed dispatchful bear, Our safe return, and back with speed
repair; And let some handmaid of her train resort To good Laertes in his ru=
ral
court."
While yet he spoke, impatient of delay, He bra=
ced
his sandals on, and strode away: Then from the heavens the martial goddess
flies Through the wild fields of air, and cleaves the skies: In form, a vir=
gin
in soft beauty's bloom, Skill'd in the illustrious labours of the loom. Alo=
ne
to Ithaca she stood display'd, But unapparent as a viewless shade Escaped
Telemachus (the powers above, Seen or unseen, o'er earth at pleasure move):=
The
dogs intelligent confess'd the tread Of power divine, and howling, tremblin=
g,
fled. The goddess, beckoning, waves her deathless hands: Dauntless the king
before the goddess stands:
"Then why (she said), O favour'd of the
skies! Why to thy godlike son this long disguise? Stand forth reveal'd; with
him thy cares employ Against thy foes; be valiant and destroy! Lo! I descen=
d in
that avenging hour, To combat by thy side, thy guardian power."
She said, and o'er him waves her wand of gold =
Imperial
robes his manly limbs infold; At once with grace divine his frame improves;=
At
once with majesty enlarged he moves: Youth flush'd his reddening cheek, and
from his brows A length of hair in sable ringlets flows; His blackening chin
receives a deeper shade; Then from his eyes upsprung the warrior-maid.
The hero reascends: the prince o'erawed Scarce
lifts his eyes, and bows as to a god, Then with surprise (surprise chastise=
d by
fears): "How art thou changed! (he cried)--a god appears! Far other ve=
sts
thy limbs majestic grace, Far other glories lighten from thy face! If heave=
n be
thy abode, with pious care, Lo! I the ready sacrifice prepare: Lo! gifts of
labour'd gold adorn thy shrine, To win thy grace: O save us, power
divine!"
"Few are my days (Ulysses made reply), No=
r I,
alas! descendant of the sky. I am thy father. O my son! my son! That father,
for whose sake thy days have run One scene of woe! to endless cares consign=
'd, And
outraged by the wrongs of base mankind."
Then, rushing to his arms, he kiss'd his boy W=
ith
the strong raptures of a parent's joy. Tears bathe his cheek, and tears the
ground bedew: He strain'd him close, as to his breast he grew. "Ah me!
(exclaims the prince with fond desire) Thou art not--no, thou canst not be =
my
sire. Heaven such illusion only can impose, By the false joy to aggravate my
woes. Who but a god can change the general doom, And give to wither'd age a
youthful bloom! Late, worn with years, in weeds obscene you trod; Now, clot=
hed
in majesty, you move a god!"
"Forbear (he cried,) for Heaven reserve t=
hat
name; Give to thy father but a father's claim; Other Ulysses shalt thou nev=
er
see, I am Ulysses, I, my son, am he. Twice ten sad years o'er earth and oce=
an
toss'd, 'Tis given at length to view my native coast. Pallas, unconquer'd m=
aid,
my frame surrounds With grace divine: her power admits no bounds; She o'er =
my
limbs old age and wrinkles shed; Now strong as youth, magnificent I tread. =
The
gods with ease frail man depress or raise, Exalt the lowly, or the proud
debase."
He spoke and sate. The prince with transport f=
lew,
Hung round his neck, while tears his cheek bedew; Nor less the father pour'=
d a
social flood; They wept abundant, and they wept aloud. As the bold eagle wi=
th
fierce sorrow stung, Or parent vulture, mourns her ravish'd young; They cry,
they scream, their unfledged brood a prey To some rude churl, and borne by
stealth away: So they aloud: and tears in tides had run, Their grief unfini=
sh'd
with the setting sun; But checking the full torrent in its flow, The prince
thus interrupts the solemn woe. "What ship transported thee, O father,
say; And what bless'd hands have oar'd thee on the way?"
"All, all (Ulysses instant made reply), I
tell thee all, my child, my only joy! Phaeacians bore me to the port assign=
'd, A
nation ever to the stranger kind; Wrapp'd in the embrace of sleep, the fait=
hful
train O'er seas convey'd me to my native reign: Embroider'd vestures, gold,=
and
brass, are laid Conceal'd in caverns in the sylvan shade. Hither, intent the
rival rout to slay, And plan the scene of death, I bend my way; So Pallas
wills--but thou, my son, explain The names and numbers of the audacious tra=
in; 'Tis
mine to judge if better to employ Assistant force, or singly to destroy.&qu=
ot;
"O'er earth (returns the prince) resounds=
thy
name, Thy well-tried wisdom, and thy martial fame, Yet at thy words I start=
, in
wonder lost; Can we engage, not decades but an host? Can we alone in furious
battle stand, Against that numerous and determined band? Hear then their
numbers; from Dulichium came Twice twenty-six, all peers of mighty name. Six
are their menial train: twice twelve the boast Of Samos; twenty from Zacynt=
hus'
coast: And twelve our country's pride; to these belong Medon and Phemius,
skill'd in heavenly song. Two sewers from day to day the revels wait, Exact=
of
taste, and serve the feast in state. With such a foe the unequal fight to t=
ry, Were
by false courage unrevenged to die. Then what assistant powers you boast
relate, Ere yet we mingle in the stern debate."
"Mark well my voice, (Ulysses straight
replies:) What need of aids, if favour'd by the skies? If shielded to the
dreadful fight we move, By mighty Pallas, and by thundering Jove?"
"Sufficient they (Telemachus rejoin'd) Ag=
ainst
the banded powers of all mankind: They, high enthroned above the rolling
clouds, Wither the strength of man, and awe the gods."
"Such aids expect (he cries,) when strong=
in
might We rise terrific to the task of fight. But thou, when morn salutes the
aerial plain, The court revisit and the lawless train: Me thither in disgui=
se
Eumaeus leads, An aged mendicant in tatter'd weeds. There, if base scorn in=
sult
my reverend age, Bear it, my son! repress thy rising rage. If outraged, cea=
se
that outrage to repel; Bear it, my son! howe'er thy heart rebel. Yet strive=
by
prayer and counsel to restrain Their lawless insults, though thou strive in
vain: For wicked ears are deaf to wisdom's call, And vengeance strikes whom
Heaven has doom'd to fall. Once more attend: when she whose power inspires =
The
thinking mind, my soul to vengeance fires, I give the sign: that instant, f=
rom
beneath, Aloft convey the instruments of death, Armour and arms; and, if
mistrust arise, Thus veil the truth in plausible disguise:
"'These glittering weapons, ere he sail'd=
to
Troy, Ulysses view'd with stern heroic joy: Then, beaming o'er the illumined
wall they shone; Now dust dishonours, all their lustre gone. I bear them he=
nce
(so Jove my soul inspires), From the pollution of the fuming fires; Lest wh=
en
the bowl inflames, in vengeful mood Ye rush to arms, and stain the feast wi=
th
blood: Oft ready swords in luckless hour incite The hand of wrath, and arm =
it
for the fight.'
"Such be the plea, and by the plea deceiv=
e: For
Jove infatuates all, and all believe. Yet leave for each of us a sword to
wield, A pointed javelin, and a fenceful shield. But by my blood that in thy
bosom glows, By that regard a son his father owes; The secret, that thy fat=
her
lives, retain Lock'd in thy bosom from the household train; Hide it from al=
l;
e'en from Eumaeus hide, From my dear father, and my dearer bride. One care
remains, to note the loyal few Whose faith yet lasts among the menial crew;=
And
noting, ere we rise in vengeance, prove Who love his prince; for sure you m=
erit
love."
To whom the youth: "To emulate, I aim, The
brave and wise, and my great father's fame. But reconsider, since the wisest
err, Vengeance resolved, 'tis dangerous to defer. What length of time must =
we
consume in vain, Too curious to explore the menial train! While the proud f=
oes,
industrious to destroy Thy wealth, in riot the delay enjoy. Suffice it in t=
his
exigence alone To mark the damsels that attend the throne: Dispersed the yo=
uth
reside; their faith to prove Jove grants henceforth, if thou hast spoke from
Jove."
While in debate they waste the hours away, The
associates of the prince repass'd the bay: With speed they guide the vessel=
to
the shores; With speed debarking land the naval stores: Then, faithful to t=
heir
charge, to Clytius bear, And trust the presents to his friendly care. Swift=
to
the queen a herald flies to impart Her son's return, and ease a parent's he=
art:
Lest a sad prey to ever-musing cares, Pale grief destroy what time awhile
forbears. The incautious herald with impatience burns, And cries aloud, &qu=
ot;Thy
son, O queen, returns;" Eumaeus sage approach'd the imperial throne, A=
nd
breathed his mandate to her ear alone, Then measured back the way. The suit=
or
band, Stung to the soul, abash'd, confounded, stand; And issuing from the d=
ome,
before the gate, With clouded looks, a pale assembly sate.
At length Eurymachus: "Our hopes are vain=
; Telemachus
in triumph sails the main. Haste, rear the mast, the swelling shroud displa=
y; Haste,
to our ambush'd friends the news convey!"
Scarce had he spake, when, turning to the stra=
nd, Amphinomos
survey'd the associate band; Full to the bay within the winding shores With
gather'd sails they stood, and lifted oars. "O friends!" he cried,
elate with rising joy, "See to the port secure the vessel fly! Some god
has told them, or themselves survey The bark escaped; and measure back their
way."
Swift at the word descending to the shores, Th=
ey
moor the vessel and unlade the stores: Then, moving from the strand, apart =
they
sate, And full and frequent form'd a dire debate.
"Lives then the boy? he lives (Antinous
cries), The care of gods and favourite of the skies. All night we watch'd, =
till
with her orient wheels Aurora flamed above the eastern hills, And from the
lofty brow of rocks by day Took in the ocean with a broad survey Yet safe he
sails; the powers celestial give To shun the hidden snares of death, and li=
ve. But
die he shall, and thus condemn'd to bleed, Be now the scene of instant death
decreed. Hope ye success? undaunted crush the foe. Is he not wise? know thi=
s,
and strike the blow. Wait ye, till he to arms in council draws The Greeks,
averse too justly to our cause? Strike, ere, the states convened, the foe
betray Our murderous ambush on the watery way. Or choose ye vagrant from th=
eir
rage to fly, Outcasts of earth, to breathe an unknown sky? The brave prevent
misfortune; then be brave, And bury future danger in his grave. Returns he?
ambush'd we'll his walk invade, Or where he hides in solitude and shade; And
give the palace to the queen a dower, Or him she blesses in the bridal hour=
. But
if submissive you resign the sway, Slaves to a boy, go, flatter and obey. R=
etire
we instant to our native reign, Nor be the wealth of kings consumed in vain=
; Then
wed whom choice approves: the queen be given To some blest prince, the prin=
ce
decreed by Heaven."
Abash'd, the suitor train his voice attends; T=
ill
from his throne Amphinomus ascends, Who o'er Dulichium stretch'd his spacio=
us
reign, A land of plenty, bless'd with every grain: Chief of the numbers who=
the
queen address'd, And though displeasing, yet displeasing least. Soft were h=
is
words; his actions wisdom sway'd; Graceful awhile he paused, then mildly sa=
id:
"O friends, forbear! and be the thought
withstood: 'Tis horrible to shed imperial blood! Consult we first the
all-seeing powers above, And the sure oracles of righteous Jove. If they
assent, e'en by this hand he dies; If they forbid, I war not with the
skies."
He said: the rival train his voice approved, A=
nd
rising instant to the palace moved. Arrived, with wild tumultuous noise they
sate, Recumbent on the shining thrones of state.
The Medon, conscious of their dire debates, The
murderous counsel to the queen relates. Touch'd at the dreadful story, she
descends: Her hasty steps a damsel train attends. Full where the dome its
shining valves expands, Sudden before the rival powers she stands; And,
veiling, decent, with a modest shade Her cheek, indignant to Antinous said:=
"O void of faith! of all bad men the wors=
t! Renown'd
for wisdom, by the abuse accursed! Mistaking fame proclaims thy generous mi=
nd: Thy
deeds denote thee of the basest kind. Wretch! to destroy a prince that
friendship gives, While in his guest his murderer he receives; Nor dread
superior Jove, to whom belong The cause of suppliants, and revenge of wrong=
. Hast
thou forgot, ungrateful as thou art, Who saved thy father with a friendly p=
art?
Lawless he ravaged with his martial powers The Taphian pirates on Thesproti=
a's
shores; Enraged, his life, his treasures they demand; Ulysses saved him from
the avenger's hand. And would'st thou evil for his good repay? His bed
dishonour, and his house betray? Afflict his queen, and with a murderous ha=
nd Destroy
his heir!--but cease, 'tis I command."
"Far hence those fears (Eurymachus replie=
d,) O
prudent princess! bid thy soul confide. Breathes there a man who dares that
hero slay, While I behold the golden light of day? No: by the righteous pow=
ers
of heaven I swear, His blood in vengeance smokes upon my spear. Ulysses, wh=
en
my infant days I led, With wine sufficed me, and with dainties fed: My gene=
rous
soul abhors the ungrateful part, And my friend's son lives nearest to my he=
art.
Then fear no mortal arm; if Heaven destroy, We must resign: for man is born=
to
die."
Thus smooth he ended, yet his death conspired:=
Then
sorrowing, with sad step the queen retired, With streaming eyes, all
comfortless deplored, Touch'd with the dear remembrance of her lord: Nor ce=
ased
till Pallas bids her sorrows fly, And in soft slumber seal'd her flowing ey=
e.
And now Eumaeus, at the evening hour, Came lat=
e,
returning to his sylvan bower. Ulysses and his son had dress'd with art A
yearling boar, and gave the gods their part. Holy repast! That instant from=
the
skies The martial goddess to Ulysses flies: She waves her golden wand, and
reassumes From every feature every grace that blooms; At once his vestures
change; at once she sheds Age o'er his limbs, that tremble as he treads: Le=
st
to the queen the swain with transport fly, Unable to contain the unruly joy=
; When
near he drew, the prince breaks forth: "Proclaim What tidings, friend?
what speaks the voice of fame? Say, if the suitors measure back the main, Or
still in ambush thirst for blood in vain?"
"Whether (he cries) they measure back the
flood, Or still in ambush thirst in vain for blood, Escaped my care: where
lawless suitors sway, Thy mandate borne my soul disdain'd to stay. But from=
the
Hermaean height I cast a view, Where to the port a bark high-bounding flew;=
Her
freight a shining band: with martial air Each poised his shield, and each
advanced his spear; And, if aright these searching eyes survey, The eluded
suitors stem the watery way."
The prince, well pleased to disappoint their
wiles, Steals on his sire a glance, and secret smiles. And now, a short rep=
ast
prepared, they fed Till the keen rage of craving hunger fled: Then to repose
withdrawn, apart they lay, And in soft sleep forgot the cares of day.
Telemachus returning to the city, relates to
Penelope the sum of his travels. Ulysses is conducted by Eumaeus to the pal=
ace,
where his old dog Argus acknowledges his master, after an absence of twenty
years, and dies with joy. Eumaeus returns into the country, and Ulysses rem=
ains
among the suitors, whose behaviour is described.
Soon as Aurora, daughter of the dawn, Sprinkled
with roseate light the dewy lawn, In haste the prince arose, prepared to pa=
rt; His
hand impatient grasps the pointed dart; Fair on his feet the polish'd sanda=
ls
shine, And thus he greets the master of the swine:
"My friend, adieu! let this short stay
suffice; I haste to meet my mother's longing eyes, And end her tears, her
sorrows and her sighs. But thou, attentive, what we order heed: This hapless
stranger to the city lead: By public bounty let him there be fed, And bless=
the
hand that stretches forth the bread. To wipe the tears from all afflicted e=
yes,
My will may covet, but my power denies. If this raise anger in the stranger=
's
thought, The pain of anger punishes the fault: The very truth I undisguised
declare; For what so easy as to be sincere?"
To this Ulysses: "What the prince require=
s Of
swift removal, seconds my desires. To want like mine the peopled town can y=
ield
More hopes of comfort than the lonely field: Nor fits my age to till the
labour'd lands, Or stoop to tasks a rural lord demands. Adieu! but since th=
is
ragged garb can bear So ill the inclemencies of morning air, A few hours' s=
pace
permit me here to stay: My steps Eumaeus shall to town convey, With riper b=
eams
when Phoebus warms the day."
Thus he: nor aught Telemachus replied, But left
the mansion with a lofty stride: Schemes of revenge his pondering breast el=
ate,
Revolving deep the suitors' sudden fate, Arriving now before the imperial h=
all,
He props his spear against the pillar'd wall; Then like a lion o'er the
threshold bounds; The marble pavement with his steps resounds: His eye first
glanced where Euryclea spreads With furry spoils of beasts the splendid bed=
s: She
saw, she wept, she ran with eager pace, And reach'd her master with a long
embrace. All crowded round, the family appears With wild entrancement, and
ecstatic tears. Swift from above descends the royal fair (Her beauteous che=
eks
the blush of Venus wear, Chasten'd with coy Diana's pensive air); Hangs o'er
her son, in his embraces dies; Rains kisses on his neck, his face, his eyes=
: Few
words she spoke, though much she had to say; And scarce those few, for tear=
s,
could force their way.
"Light of my eyes: he comes! unhoped-for =
joy!
Has Heaven from Pylos brought my lovely boy? So snatch'd from all our
cares!--Tell, hast thou known Thy father's fate, and tell me all thy own.&q=
uot;
"Oh dearest! most revered of womankind! C=
ease
with those tears to melt a manly mind (Replied the prince); nor be our fates
deplored, From death and treason to thy arms restored. Go bathe, and robed =
in
white ascend the towers; With all thy handmaids thank the immortal powers; =
To
every god vow hecatombs to bleed. And call Jove's vengeance on their guilty
deed. While to the assembled council I repair: A stranger sent by Heaven
attends me there; My new accepted guest I haste to find, Now to Peiraeus'
honour'd charge consign'd."
The matron heard, nor was his word in vain. She
bathed; and, robed in white, with all her train, To every god vow'd hecatom=
bs
to bleed, And call'd Jove's vengeance on the guilty deed, Arm'd with his la=
nce,
the prince then pass'd the gate, Two dogs behind, a faithful guard, await; =
Pallas
his form with grace divine improves: The gazing crowd admires him as he mov=
es. Him,
gathering round, the haughty suitors greet With semblance fair, but inward =
deep
deceit, Their false addresses, generous, he denied. Pass'd on, and sate by
faithful Mentor's side; With Antiphus, and Halitherses sage (His father's
counsellors, revered for age). Of his own fortunes, and Ulysses' fame, Much
ask'd the seniors; till Peiraeus came. The stranger-guest pursued him close
behind; Whom when Telemachus beheld, he join'd. He (when Peiraeus ask'd for
slaves to bring The gifts and treasures of the Spartan king) Thus thoughtful
answer'd: "Those we shall not move, Dark and unconscious of the will of
Jove; We know not yet the full event of all: Stabb'd in his palace if your
prince must fall, Us, and our house, if treason must o'erthrow, Better a fr=
iend
possess them than a foe; If death to these, and vengeance Heaven decree, Ri=
ches
are welcome then, not else, to me. Till then retain the gifts."--The h=
ero
said, And in his hand the willing stranger led. Then disarray'd, the shining
bath they sought (With unguents smooth) of polish'd marble wrought: Obedient
handmaids with assistant toil Supply the limpid wave, and fragrant oil: Then
o'er their limbs refulgent robes they threw, And fresh from bathing to their
seats withdrew. The golden ewer a nymph attendant brings, Replenish'd from =
the
pure translucent springs; With copious streams that golden ewer supplies A
silver layer of capacious size. They wash: the table, in fair order spread,=
Is
piled with viands and the strength of bread. Full opposite, before the fold=
ing
gate, The pensive mother sits in humble state; Lowly she sate, and with
dejected view The fleecy threads her ivory fingers drew. The prince and
stranger shared the genial feast, Till now the rage of thirst and hunger
ceased.
When thus the queen: "My son! my only fri=
end!
Say, to my mournful couch shall I ascend? (The couch deserted now a length =
of
years; The couch for ever water'd with my tears;) Say, wilt thou not (ere y=
et
the suitor crew Return, and riot shakes our walls anew), Say, wilt thou not=
the
least account afford? The least glad tidings of my absent lord?"
To her the youth. "We reach'd the Pylian
plains, Where Nestor, shepherd of his people, reigns. All arts of tendernes=
s to
him are known, Kind to Ulysses' race as to his own; No father with a fonder
grasp of joy Strains to his bosom his long-absent boy. But all unknown, if =
yet
Ulysses breathe, Or glide a spectre in the realms beneath; For farther sear=
ch,
his rapid steeds transport My lengthen'd journey to the Spartan court. There
Argive Helen I beheld, whose charms (So Heaven decreed) engaged the great in
arms. My cause of coming told, he thus rejoin'd; And still his words live
perfect in my mind:
"'Heavens! would a soft, inglorious, dast=
ard
train An absent hero's nuptial joys profane So with her young, amid the
woodland shades, A timorous hind the lion's court invades, Leaves in that f=
atal
lair her tender fawns, And climbs the cliffs, or feeds along the lawns; Mea=
ntime
returning, with remorseless sway The monarch savage rends the panting prey:=
With
equal fury, and with equal fame, Shall great Ulysses reassert his claim. O
Jove! supreme! whom men and gods revere; And thou whose lustre gilds the
rolling sphere! With power congenial join'd, propitious aid The chief adopt=
ed
by the martial maid! Such to our wish the warrior soon restore, As when,
contending on the Lesbian shore, His prowess Philomelides confess'd, And lo=
ud
acclaiming Greeks the victor bless'd: Then soon the invaders of his bed, and
throne, Their love presumptuous shall by death atone. Now what you question=
of
my ancient friend, With truth I answer; thou the truth attend. Learn what I
heard the sea-born seer relate, Whose eye can pierce the dark recess of fat=
e Sole
in an isle, imprison'd by the main, The sad survivor of his numerous train,=
Ulysses
lies; detain'd by magic charms, And press'd unwilling in Calypso's arms. No
sailors there, no vessels to convey, No oars to cut the immeasurable way.' =
This
told Atrides, and he told no more. Then safe I voyaged to my native
shore."
He ceased; nor made the pensive queen reply, B=
ut
droop'd her head, and drew a secret sigh. When Theoclymenus the seer began:=
"O
suffering consort of the suffering man! What human knowledge could, those k=
ings
might tell, But I the secrets of high heaven reveal. Before the first of go=
ds
be this declared, Before the board whose blessings we have shared; Witness =
the
genial rites, and witness all This house holds sacred in her ample wall! E'=
en
now, this instant, great Ulysses, laid At rest, or wandering in his country=
's
shade, Their guilty deeds, in hearing, and in view, Secret revolves; and pl=
ans
the vengeance due. Of this sure auguries the gods bestow'd, When first our
vessel anchor'd in your road." "Succeed those omens, Heaven! (the
queen rejoin'd) So shall our bounties speak a grateful mind; And every envi=
ed
happiness attend The man who calls Penelope his friend." Thus communed
they: while in the marble court (Scene of their insolence) the lords resort=
: Athwart
the spacious square each tries his art, To whirl the disk, or aim the missi=
le
dart. Now did the hour of sweet repast arrive, And from the field the victim
flocks they drive: Medon the herald (one who pleased them best, And honour'd
with a portion of their feast), To bid the banquet, interrupts their play: =
Swift
to the hall they haste; aside they lay Their garments, and succinct the vic=
tims
slay. Then sheep, and goats, and bristly porkers bled, And the proud steer =
was
o'er the marble spread. While thus the copious banquet they provide, Along =
the
road, conversing side by side, Proceed Ulysses and the faithful swain; When
thus Eumaeus, generous and humane: "To town, observant of our lord's
behest, Now let us speed; my friend no more my guest! Yet like myself I wish
thee here preferr'd, Guard of the flock, or keeper of the herd, But much to
raise my master's wrath I fear; The wrath of princes ever is severe. Then h=
eed
his will, and be our journey made While the broad beams of Phoebus are
display'd, Or ere brown evening spreads her chilly shade." "Just =
thy
advice (the prudent chief rejoin'd), And such as suits the dictate of my mi=
nd. Lead
on: but help me to some staff to stay My feeble step, since rugged is the
way." Across his shoulders then the scrip he flung, Wide-patch'd, and
fasten'd by a twisted thong. A staff Eumaeus gave. Along the way Cheerly th=
ey
fare: behind, the keepers stay: These with their watchful dogs (a constant
guard) Supply his absence, and attend the herd. And now his city strikes the
monarch's eyes, Alas! how changed! a man of miseries; Propp'd on a staff, a
beggar old and bare In rags dishonest fluttering with the air! Now pass'd t=
he
rugged road, they journey down The cavern'd way descending to the town, Whe=
re,
from the rock, with liquid drops distils A limpid fount; that spread in par=
ting
rills Its current thence to serve the city brings; An useful work, adorn'd =
by
ancient kings. Neritus, Ithacus, Polyctor, there, In sculptured stone
immortalized their care, In marble urns received it from above, And shaded =
with
a green surrounding grove; Where silver alders, in high arches twined, Drink
the cool stream, and tremble to the wind. Beneath, sequester'd to the nymph=
s,
is seen A mossy altar, deep embower'd in green; Where constant vows by
travellers are paid, And holy horrors solemnize the shade.
Here with his goats (not vow'd to sacred fame,=
But
pamper'd luxury) Melanthias came: Two grooms attend him. With an envious lo=
ok He
eyed the stranger, and imperious spoke:
"The good old proverb how this pair fulfi=
l! One
rogue is usher to another still. Heaven with a secret principle endued Mank=
ind,
to seek their own similitude. Where goes the swineherd with that ill-look'd
guest? That giant-glutton, dreadful at a feast! Full many a post have those
broad shoulders worn, From every great man's gate repulsed with scorn: To no
brave prize aspired the worthless swain, 'Twas but for scraps he ask'd, and
ask'd in vain. To beg, than work, he better understands, Or we perhaps might
take him off thy hands. For any office could the slave be good, To cleanse =
the
fold, or help the kids to food. If any labour those big joints could learn,=
Some
whey, to wash his bowels, he might earn. To cringe, to whine, his idle hand=
s to
spread, Is all, by which that graceless maw is fed. Yet hear me! if thy
impudence but dare Approach yon wall, I prophesy thy fare: Dearly, full dea=
rly,
shalt thou buy thy bread With many a footstool thundering at thy head."=
;
He thus: nor insolent of word alone, Spurn'd w=
ith
his rustic heel his king unknown; Spurn'd, but not moved: he like a pillar
stood, Nor stirr'd an inch, contemptuous, from the road: Doubtful, or with =
his
staff to strike him dead, Or greet the pavement with his worthless head. Sh=
ort
was that doubt; to quell his rage inured, The hero stood self-conquer'd, and
endured. But hateful of the wretch, Eumaeus heaved His hands obtesting, and
this prayer conceived: "Daughters of Jove! who from the ethereal bower=
s Descend
to swell the springs, and feed the flowers! Nymphs of this fountain! to who=
se
sacred names Our rural victims mount in blazing flames! To whom Ulysses' pi=
ety
preferr'd The yearly firstlings of his flock and herd; Succeed my wish, your
votary restore: Oh, be some god his convoy to our shore! Due pains shall pu=
nish
then this slave's offence, And humble all his airs of insolence, Who, proud=
ly
stalking, leaves the herds at large, Commences courtier, and neglects his c=
harge."
"What mutters he? (Melanthius sharp rejoi=
ns;)
This crafty miscreant, big with dark designs? The day shall come--nay, 'tis
already near-- When, slave! to sell thee at a price too dear Must be my car=
e;
and hence transport thee o'er, A load and scandal to this happy shore. Oh! =
that
as surely great Apollo's dart, Or some brave suitor's sword, might pierce t=
he
heart Of the proud son; as that we stand this hour In lasting safety from t=
he
father's power!"
So spoke the wretch, but, shunning farther fra=
y, Turn'd
his proud step, and left them on their way. Straight to the feastful palace=
he
repair'd, Familiar enter'd, and the banquet shared; Beneath Eurymachus, his
patron lord, He took his place, and plenty heap'd the board.
Meantime they heard, soft circling in the sky =
Sweet
airs ascend, and heavenly minstrelsy (For Phemius to the lyre attuned the
strain): Ulysses hearken'd, then address'd the swain:
"Well may this palace admiration claim, G=
reat
and respondent to the master's fame! Stage above stage the imperial structu=
re
stands, Holds the chief honours, and the town commands: High walls and
battlements the courts inclose, And the strong gates defy a host of foes. F=
ar
other cares its dwellers now employ; The throng'd assembly and the feast of
joy: I see the smokes of sacrifice aspire, And hear (what graces every feas=
t)
the lyre."
Then thus Eumaeus: "Judge we which were b=
est;
Amidst yon revellers a sudden guest Choose you to mingle, while behind I st=
ay? Or
I first entering introduce the way? Wait for a space without, but wait not
long; This is the house of violence and wrong: Some rude insult thy reverend
age may bear; For like their lawless lords the servants are."
"Just is, O friend! thy caution, and
address'd (Replied the chief, to no unheedful breast:) The wrongs and injur=
ies
of base mankind Fresh to my sense, and always in my mind. The bravely-patie=
nt
to no fortune yields: On rolling oceans, and in fighting fields, Storms hav=
e I
pass'd, and many a stern debate; And now in humbler scene submit to fate. W=
hat
cannot want? The best she will expose, And I am learn'd in all her train of
woes; She fills with navies, hosts, and loud alarms, The sea, the land, and
shakes the world with arms!"
Thus, near the gates conferring as they drew, =
Argus,
the dog, his ancient master knew: He not unconscious of the voice and tread=
, Lifts
to the sound his ear, and rears his head; Bred by Ulysses, nourish'd at his
board, But, ah! not fated long to please his lord; To him, his swiftness and
his strength were vain; The voice of glory call'd him o'er the main. Till t=
hen
in every sylvan chase renown'd, With Argus, Argus, rung the woods around; W=
ith
him the youth pursued the goat or fawn, Or traced the mazy leveret o'er the
lawn. Now left to man's ingratitude he lay, Unhoused, neglected in the publ=
ic
way; And where on heaps the rich manure was spread, Obscene with reptiles, =
took
his sordid bed.
He knew his lord; he knew, and strove to meet;= In vain he strove to crawl and kiss his feet; Yet (all he could) his tail, his tears, his eyes, Salute his master, and confess his joys. Soft pity touch'd= the mighty master's soul; Adown his cheek a tear unbidden stole, Stole unpercei= ved: he turn'd his head and dried The drop humane: then thus impassion'd cried:<= o:p>
"What noble beast in this abandon'd state=
Lies
here all helpless at Ulysses' gate? His bulk and beauty speak no vulgar pra=
ise:
If, as he seems, he was in better days, Some care his age deserves; or was =
he
prized For worthless beauty? therefore now despised; Such dogs and men there
are, mere things of state; And always cherish'd by their friends, the
great."
"Not Argus so, (Eumaeus thus rejoin'd,) B=
ut
served a master of a nobler kind, Who, never, never shall behold him more! =
Long,
long since perish'd on a distant shore! Oh had you seen him, vigorous, bold,
and young, Swift as a stag, and as a lion strong: Him no fell savage on the
plain withstood, None 'scaped him bosom'd in the gloomy wood; His eye how
piercing, and his scent how true, To wind the vapour on the tainted dew! Su=
ch,
when Ulysses left his natal coast: Now years unnerve him, and his lord is l=
ost!
The women keep the generous creature bare, A sleek and idle race is all the=
ir
care: The master gone, the servants what restrains? Or dwells humanity where
riot reigns? Jove fix'd it certain, that whatever day Makes man a slave, ta=
kes
half his worth away."
This said, the honest herdsman strode before; =
The
musing monarch pauses at the door: The dog, whom Fate had granted to behold=
His
lord, when twenty tedious years had roll'd, Takes a last look, and having s=
een
him, dies; So closed for ever faithful Argus' eyes!
And now Telemachus, the first of all, Observed
Eumaeus entering in the hall; Distant he saw, across the shady dome; Then g=
ave
a sign, and beckon'd him to come: There stood an empty seat, where late was
placed, In order due, the steward of the feast, (Who now was busied carving
round the board,) Eumaeus took, and placed it near his lord. Before him ins=
tant
was the banquet spread, And the bright basket piled with loaves of bread.
Next came Ulysses lowly at the door, A figure
despicable, old, and poor. In squalid vests, with many a gaping rent, Propp=
'd
or a staff, and trembling as he went. Then, resting on the threshold of the
gate, Against a cypress pillar lean'd his weight Smooth'd by the workman to=
a
polish'd plane); The thoughtful son beheld, and call'd his swain
"These viands, and this bread, Eumaeus! b=
ear,
And let yon mendicant our plenty share: And let him circle round the suitor=
s'
board, And try the bounty of each gracious lord. Bold let him ask, encourag=
ed
thus by me: How ill, alas! do want and shame agree!"
His lord's command the faithful servant bears:=
The
seeming beggar answers with his prayers: "Bless'd be Telemachus! in ev=
ery
deed Inspire him. Jove! in every wish succeed!" This said, the portion
from his son convey'd With smiles receiving on his scrip he laid. Long has =
the
minstrel swept the sounding wire, He fed, and ceased when silence held the
lyre. Soon as the suitors from the banquet rose, Minerva prompts the man of=
mighty
woes To tempt their bounties with a suppliant's art, And learn the generous
from the ignoble heart (Not but his soul, resentful as humane, Dooms to full
vengeance all the offending train); With speaking eyes, and voice of plaint=
ive
sound, Humble he moves, imploring all around. The proud feel pity, and reli=
ef
bestow, With such an image touch'd of human woe; Inquiring all, their wonder
they confess, And eye the man, majestic in distress.
While thus they gaze and question with their e=
yes,
The bold Melanthius to their thought replies: "My lords! this stranger=
of
gigantic port The good Eumaeus usher'd to your court. Full well I mark'd the
features of his face, Though all unknown his clime, or noble race."
"And is this present, swineherd! of thy b=
and?
Bring'st thou these vagrants to infest the land? (Returns Antinous with
retorted eye) Objects uncouth, to check the genial joy. Enough of these our
court already grace; Of giant stomach, and of famish'd face. Such guests
Eumaeus to his country brings, To share our feast, and lead the life of
kings."
To whom the hospitable swain rejoins: "Thy
passion, prince, belies thy knowing mind. Who calls, from distant nations to
his own, The poor, distinguish'd by their wants alone? Round the wide world=
are
sought those men divine Who public structures raise, or who design; Those to
whose eyes the gods their ways reveal, Or bless with salutary arts to heal;=
But
chief to poets such respect belongs, By rival nations courted for their son=
gs; These
states invite, and mighty kings admire, Wide as the sun displays his vital
fire. It is not so with want! how few that feed A wretch unhappy, merely for
his need! Unjust to me, and all that serve the state, To love Ulysses is to
raise thy hate. For me, suffice the approbation won Of my great mistress, a=
nd
her godlike son."
To him Telemachus: "No more incense The m=
an
by nature prone to insolence: Injurious minds just answers but provoke"=
;-- Then
turning to Antinous, thus he spoke: "Thanks to thy care! whose absolute
command Thus drives the stranger from our court and land. Heaven bless its
owner with a better mind! From envy free, to charity inclined. This both
Penelope and I afford: Then, prince! be bounteous of Ulysses' board. To give
another's is thy hand so slow? So much more sweet to spoil than to
bestow?"
"Whence, great Telemachus! this lofty str=
ain?
(Antinous cries with insolent disdain): Portions like mine if every suitor
gave, Our walls this twelvemonth should not see the slave."
He spoke, and lifting high above the board His=
ponderous
footstool, shook it at his lord. The rest with equal hand conferr'd the bre=
ad: He
fill'd his scrip, and to the threshold sped; But first before Antinous stop=
p'd,
and said: "Bestow, my friend! thou dost not seem the worst Of all the
Greeks, but prince-like and the first; Then, as in dignity, be first in wor=
th, And
I shall praise thee through the boundless earth. Once I enjoy'd in luxury of
state Whate'er gives man the envied name of great; Wealth, servants, friend=
s,
were mine in better days And hospitality was then my praise; In every sorro=
wing
soul I pour'd delight, And poverty stood smiling in my sight. But Jove,
all-governing, whose only will Determines fate, and mingles good with ill, =
Sent
me (to punish my pursuit of gain) With roving pirates o'er the Egyptian mai=
n By
Egypt's silver flood our ships we moor; Our spies commission'd straight the
coast explore; But impotent of mind, the lawless will The country ravage, a=
nd
the natives kill. The spreading clamour to their city flies, And horse and =
foot
in mingled tumults rise: The reddening dawn reveals the hostile fields, Hor=
rid
with bristly spears, and gleaming shields: Jove thunder'd on their side: our
guilty head We turn'd to flight; the gathering vengeance spread On all parts
round, and heaps on heaps lay dead. Some few the foe in servitude detain; D=
eath
ill exchanged for bondage and for pain! Unhappy me a Cyprian took aboard, A=
nd
gave to Dmetor, Cyprus' haughty lord: Hither, to 'scape his chains, my cour=
se I
steer, Still cursed by Fortune, and insulted here!"
To whom Antinous thus his rage express'd: &quo=
t;What
god has plagued us with this gourmand guest? Unless at distance, wretch! th=
ou
keep behind, Another isle, than Cyprus more unkind, Another Egypt shalt thou
quickly find. From all thou begg'st, a bold audacious slave; Nor all can gi=
ve
so much as thou canst crave. Nor wonder I, at such profusion shown; Shamele=
ss
they give, who give what's not their own."
The chief, retiring: "Souls, like that in
thee, Ill suits such forms of grace and dignity. Nor will that hand to utmo=
st
need afford The smallest portion of a wasteful board, Whose luxury whole
patrimonies sweeps, Yet starving want, amidst the riot, weeps."
The haughty suitor with resentment burns, And,
sourly smiling, this reply returns: "Take that, ere yet thou quit this
princely throng; And dumb for ever be thy slanderous tongue!" He said,=
and
high the whirling tripod flung. His shoulder-blade received the ungentle sh=
ock;
He stood, and moved not, like a marble rock; But shook his thoughtful head,=
nor
more complain'd, Sedate of soul, his character sustain'd, And inly form'd
revenge; then back withdrew: Before his feet the well fill'd scrip he threw=
, And
thus with semblance mild address'd the crew:
"May what I speak your princely minds
approve, Ye peers and rivals in this noble love! Not for the hurt I grieve,=
but
for the cause. If, when the sword our country's quarrel draws, Or if, defen=
ding
what is justly dear, From Mars impartial some broad wound we bear, The gene=
rous
motive dignifies the scar. But for mere want, how hard to suffer wrong! Want
brings enough of other ills along! Yet, if injustice never be secure, If fi=
ends
revenge, and gods assert the poor, Death shall lay low the proud aggressor's
head, And make the dust Antinous' bridal bed."
"Peace, wretch! and eat thy bread without
offence (The suitor cried), or force shall drag thee hence, Scourge through=
the
public street, and cast thee there, A mangled carcase for the hounds to
tear."
His furious deed the general anger moved, All,
even the worst, condemn'd; and some reproved. "Was ever chief for wars
like these renown'd? Ill fits the stranger and the poor to wound. Unbless'd=
thy
hand! if in this low disguise Wander, perhaps, some inmate of the skies; Th=
ey
(curious oft of mortal actions) deign In forms like these to round the earth
and main, Just and unjust recording in their mind, And with sure eyes
inspecting all mankind."
Telemachus, absorb'd in thought severe, Nouris=
h'd
deep anguish, though he shed no tear; But the dark brow of silent sorrow sh=
ook:
While thus his mother to her virgins spoke:
"On him and his may the bright god of day=
That
base, inhospitable blow repay!" The nurse replies: "If Jove recei=
ves
my prayer, Not one survives to breathe to-morrow's air."
"All, all are foes, and mischief is their
end; Antinous most to gloomy death a friend (Replies the queen): the strang=
er
begg'd their grace, And melting pity soften'd every face; From every other =
hand
redress he found, But fell Antinous answer'd with a wound." Amidst her
maids thus spoke the prudent queen, Then bade Eumaeus call the pilgrim in. =
"Much
of the experienced man I long to hear, If or his certain eye, or listening =
ear,
Have learn'd the fortunes of my wandering lord?" Thus she, and good
Eumaeus took the word:
"A private audience if thy grace impart, =
The
stranger's words may ease the royal heart. His sacred eloquence in balm
distils, And the soothed heart with secret pleasure fills. Three days have
spent their beams, three nights have run Their silent journey, since his ta=
le
begun, Unfinish'd yet; and yet I thirst to hear! As when some heaven-taught
poet charms the ear (Suspending sorrow with celestial strain Breathed from =
the
gods to soften human pain) Time steals away with unregarded wing, And the s=
oul
hears him, though he cease to sing
"Ulysses late he saw, on Cretan ground (H=
is
fathers guest), for Minos' birth renown'd. He now but waits the wind to waft
him o'er, With boundless treasure, from Thesprotia's shore."
To this the queen: "The wanderer let me h=
ear,
While yon luxurious race indulge their cheer, Devour the grazing ox, and
browsing goat, And turn my generous vintage down their throat. For where's =
an
arm, like thine, Ulysses! strong, To curb wild riot, and to punish wrong?&q=
uot;
She spoke. Telemachus then sneezed aloud; Cons=
train'd,
his nostril echoed through the crowd. The smiling queen the happy omen bles=
s'd:
"So may these impious fall, by Fate
oppress'd!" Then to Eumaeus: "Bring the stranger, fly! And if my
questions meet a true reply, Graced with a decent robe he shall retire, A g=
ift
in season which his wants require."
Thus spoke Penelope. Eumaeus flies In duteous
haste, and to Ulysses cries: "The queen invites thee, venerable guest!=
A
secret instinct moves her troubled breast, Of her long absent lord from the=
e to
gain Some light, and soothe her soul's eternal pain. If true, if faithful t=
hou,
her grateful mind Of decent robes a present has design'd: So finding favour=
in
the royal eye, Thy other wants her subjects shall supply."
"Fair truth alone (the patient man replie=
d) My
words shall dictate, and my lips shall guide. To him, to me, one common lot=
was
given, In equal woes, alas! involved by Heaven. Much of his fates I know; b=
ut
check'd by fear I stand; the hand of violence is here: Here boundless wrongs
the starry skies invade, And injured suppliants seek in vain for aid. Let f=
or a
space the pensive queen attend, Nor claim my story till the sun descend; Th=
en
in such robes as suppliants may require, Composed and cheerful by the genial
fire, When loud uproar and lawless riot cease, Shall her pleased ear receiv=
e my
words in peace."
Swift to the queen returns the gentle swain: &=
quot;And
say (she cries), does fear or shame detain The cautious stranger? With the
begging kind Shame suits but ill." Eumaeus thus rejoin'd:
"He only asks a more propitious hour, And
shuns (who would not?) wicked men in power; At evening mild (meet season to
confer) By turns to question, and by turns to hear."
"Whoe'er this guest (the prudent queen
replies) His every step and every thought is wise. For men like these on ea=
rth
he shall not find In all the miscreant race of human kind." Thus she.
Eumaeus all her words attends, And, parting, to the suitor powers descends;=
There
seeks Telemachus, and thus apart In whispers breathes the fondness of his
heart:
"The time, my lord, invites me to repair =
Hence
to the lodge; my charge demands my care. These sons of murder thirst thy li=
fe
to take; O guard it, guard it, for thy servant's sake!"
"Thanks to my friend (he cries): but now =
the
hour Of night draws on, go seek the rural bower: But first refresh: and at =
the
dawn of day Hither a victim to the gods convey. Our life to Heaven's immort=
al
powers we trust, Safe in their care, for Heaven protects the just."
Observant of his voice, Eumaeus sate And fed
recumbent on a chair of state. Then instant rose, and as he moved along, 'T=
was
riot all amid the suitor throng, They feast, they dance, and raise the mirt=
hful
song Till now, declining towards the close of day, The sun obliquely shot h=
is
dewy ray.
The beggar Irus insults Ulysses; the suitors
promote the quarrel, in which Irus is worsted, and miserably handled. Penel=
ope descends,
and receives the presents of the suitors. The dialogue of Ulysses with
Eurymachus.
While fix'd in thought the pensive hero sate, A
mendicant approach'd the royal gate; A surly vagrant of the giant kind, The
stain of manhood, of a coward mind: From feast to feast, insatiate to devou=
r, He
flew, attendant on the genial hour. Him on his mother's knees, when babe he
lay, She named Arnaeus on his natal day: But Irus his associates call'd the
boy, Practised the common messenger to fly; Irus, a name expressive of the
employ.
From his own roof, with meditated blows, He st=
rove
to drive the man of mighty woes:
"Hence, dotard! hence, and timely speed t=
hy
way, Lest dragg'd in vengeance thou repent thy stay; See how with nods asse=
nt
yon princely train! But honouring age, in mercy I refrain: In peace away! l=
est,
if persuasions fail, This arm with blows more eloquent prevail." To wh=
om,
with stern regard: "O insolence, Indecently to rail without offence! W=
hat
bounty gives without a rival share; I ask, what harms not thee, to breathe =
this
air: Alike on alms we both precarious live: And canst thou envy when the gr=
eat
relieve? Know, from the bounteous heavens all riches flow, And what man giv=
es,
the gods by man bestow; Proud as thou art, henceforth no more be proud, Les=
t I
imprint my vengeance in thy blood; Old as I am, should once my fury burn, H=
ow
would'st thou fly, nor e'en in thought return!"
"Mere woman-glutton! (thus the churl
replied;) A tongue so flippant, with a throat so wide! Why cease I gods! to
dash those teeth away, Like some wild boar's, that, greedy of his prey, Upr=
oots
the bearded corn? Rise, try the fight, Gird well thy loins, approach, and f=
eel
my might: Sure of defeat, before the peers engage: Unequal fight, when youth
contends with age!"
Thus in a wordy war their tongues display More
fierce intents, preluding to the fray; Antinous hears, and in a jovial vein=
, Thus
with loud laughter to the suitor train:
"This happy day in mirth, my friends, emp=
loy,
And lo! the gods conspire to crown our joy; See ready for the fight, and ha=
nd
to hand, Yon surly mendicants contentious stand: Why urge we not to
blows!" Well pleased they spring Swift from their seats, and thickening
form a ring.
To whom Antinous: "Lo! enrich'd with bloo=
d, A
kid's well-fatted entrails (tasteful food) On glowing embers lie; on him be=
stow
The choicest portion who subdues his foe; Grant him unrivall'd in these wal=
ls
to stay, The sole attendant on the genial day."
The lords applaud: Ulysses then with art, And
fears well-feign'd, disguised his dauntless heart.
"Worn as I am with age, decay'd with woe;=
Say,
is it baseness to decline the foe? Hard conflict! when calamity and age With
vigorous youth, unknown to cares, engage! Yet, fearful of disgrace, to try =
the
day Imperious hunger bids, and I obey; But swear, impartial arbiters of rig=
ht, Swear
to stand neutral, while we cope in fight."
The peers assent: when straight his sacred hea=
d Telemachus
upraised, and sternly said: "Stranger, if prompted to chastise the wro=
ng Of
this bold insolent, confide, be strong! The injurious Greek that dares atte=
mpt
a blow, That instant makes Telemachus his foe; And these my friends shall g=
uard
the sacred ties Of hospitality, for they are wise."
Then, girding his strong loins, the king prepa=
res To
close in combat, and his body bares; Broad spread his shoulders, and his
nervous thighs By just degrees, like well-turn'd columns, rise Ample his ch=
est,
his arms are round and long, And each strong joint Minerva knits more stron=
g (Attendant
on her chief): the suitor-crowd With wonder gaze, and gazing speak aloud: &=
quot;Irus!
alas! shall Irus be no more? Black fate impends, and this the avenging hour=
! Gods!
how his nerves a matchless strength proclaim, Swell o'er his well-strong li=
mbs,
and brace his frame!"
Then pale with fears, and sickening at the sig=
ht; They
dragg'd the unwilling Irus to the fight; From his blank visage fled the cow=
ard
blood, And his flesh trembled as aghast he stood.
"O that such baseness should disgrace the
light? O hide it, death, in everlasting night! (Exclaims Antinous;) can a
vigorous foe Meanly decline to combat age and woe? But hear me wretch! if
recreant in the fray That huge bulk yield this ill-contested day, Instant t=
hou
sail'st, to Eschetus resign'd; A tyrant, fiercest of the tyrant kind, Who c=
asts
thy mangled ears and nose a prey To hungry dogs, and lops the man away.&quo=
t;
While with indignant scorn he sternly spoke, In
every joint the trembling Irus shook. Now front to front each frowning cham=
pion
stands, And poises high in air his adverse hands. The chief yet doubts, or =
to
the shades below To fell the giant at one vengeful blow, Or save his life, =
and
soon his life to save The king resolves, for mercy sways the brave That ins=
tant
Irus his huge arm extends, Full on his shoulder the rude weight descends; T=
he
sage Ulysses, fearful to disclose The hero latent in the man of woes, Check=
'd
half his might; yet rising to the stroke, His jawbone dash'd, the crashing
jawbone broke: Down dropp'd he stupid from the stunning wound; His feet
extended quivering, beat the ground; His mouth and nostrils spout a purple
flood; His teeth, all shatter'd, rush inmix'd with blood.
The peers transported, as outstretch'd he lies=
, With
bursts of laughter rend the vaulted skies; Then dragg'd along, all bleeding
from the wound, His length of carcase trailing prints the ground: Raised on=
his
feet, again he reels, he falls, Till propp'd, reclining on the palace walls=
: Then
to his hand a staff the victor gave, And thus with just reproach address'd =
the
slave: "There terrible, affright with dogs, and reign A dreaded tyrant
o'er the bestial train! But mercy to the poor and stranger show, Lest Heave=
n in
vengeance send some mightier woe."
Scornful he spoke, and o'er his shoulder flung=
The
broad-patch'd scrip in tatters hung Ill join'd, and knotted to a twisted th=
ong.
Then, turning short, disdain'd a further stay; But to the palace measured b=
ack
the way. There, as he rested gathering in a ring, The peers with smiles
address'd their unknown king: "Stranger, may Jove and all the aerial
powers With every blessing crown thy happy hours! Our freedom to thy prowes=
s'd
arm we owe From bold intrusion of thy coward foe: Instant the flying sail t=
he
slave shall wing To Eschetus, the monster of a king."
While pleased he hears, Antinous bears the foo=
d, A
kid's well-fatted entrails, rich with blood; The bread from canisters of
shining mould Amphinomus; and wines that laugh in gold: "And oh! (he
mildly cries) may Heaven display A beam of glory o'er thy future day! Alas,=
the
brave too oft is doom'd to bear The gripes of poverty and stings of care.&q=
uot;
To whom with thought mature the king replies: =
"The
tongue speaks wisely, when the soul is wise: Such was thy father! in imperi=
al
state, Great without vice, that oft attends the great; Nor from the sire art
thou, the son, declin'd; Then hear my words, and grace them in thy mind! Of=
all
that breathes, or grovelling creeps on earth, Most man in vain! calamitous =
by
birth: To-day, with power elate, in strength he blooms; The haughty creatur=
e on
that power presumes: Anon from Heaven a sad reverse he feels: Untaught to b=
ear,
'gainst Heaven the wretch rebels. For man is changeful, as his bliss or woe=
! Too
high when prosperous, when distress'd too low. There was a day, when with t=
he
scornful great I swell'd in pomp and arrogance of state; Proud of the power
that to high birth belongs; And used that power to justify my wrongs. Then =
let
not man be proud; but firm of mind, Bear the best humbly; and the worst
resign'd; Be dumb when Heaven afflicts! unlike yon train Of haughty spoiler=
s,
insolently vain; Who make their queen and all her wealth a prey: But vengea=
nce
and Ulysses wing their way. O may'st thou, favour'd by some guardian power,=
Far,
far be distant in that deathful hour! For sure I am, if stern Ulysses breat=
he, These
lawless riots end in blood and death."
Then to the gods the rosy juice he pours, And =
the
drain'd goblet to the chief restores. Stung to the soul, o'ercast with holy
dread, He shook the graceful honours of his head; His boding mind the future
woe forestalls, In vain! by great Telemachus he falls, For Pallas seals his
doom: all sad he turns To join the peers; resumes his throne, and mourns.
Meanwhile Minerva with instinctive fires Thy s=
oul,
Penelope, from Heaven inspires; With flattering hopes the suitors to betray=
, And
seem to meet, yet fly, the bridal day: Thy husband's wonder, and thy son's =
to
raise; And crown the mother and the wife with praise. Then, while the strea=
ming
sorrow dims her eyes, Thus, with a transient smile, the matron cries:
"Eurynome! to go where riot reigns I feel=
an
impulse, though my soul disdains; To my loved son the snares of death to sh=
ow, And
in the traitor friend, unmask the foe; Who, smooth of tongue, in purpose
insincere, Hides fraud in smiles, while death is ambush'd there."
"Go, warn thy son, nor be the warning vai=
n (Replied
the sagest of the royal train); But bathed, anointed, and adorn'd, descend;=
Powerful
of charms, bid every grace attend; The tide of flowing tears awhile suppres=
s; Tears
but indulge the sorrow, not repress. Some joy remains: to thee a son is giv=
en, Such
as, in fondness, parents ask of Heaven."
"Ah me! forbear!" returns the queen,
"forbear, Oh! talk not, talk not of vain beauty's care; No more I bath=
e,
since he no longer sees Those charms, for whom alone I wish to please. The =
day
that bore Ulysses from this coast Blasted the little bloom these cheeks cou=
ld
boast. But instant bid Autonoe descend, Instant Hippodame our steps attend;=
Ill
suits it female virtue, to be seen Alone, indecent, in the walks of men.&qu=
ot;
Then while Eurynome the mandate bears, From he=
aven
Minerva shoots with guardian cares; O'er all her senses, as the couch she
press'd, She pours, a pleasing, deep and death-like rest, With every beauty
every feature arms, Bids her cheeks glow, and lights up all her charms; In =
her
love-darting eyes awakes the fires (Immortal gifts! to kindle soft desires)=
; From
limb to limb an air majestic sheds, And the pure ivory o'er her bosom sprea=
ds. Such
Venus shines, when with a measured bound She smoothly gliding swims the
harmonious round, When with the Graces in the dance she moves, And fires the
gazing gods with ardent loves.
Then to the skies her flight Minerva bends, An=
d to
the queen the damsel train descends; Waked at their steps, her flowing eyes
unclose; The tears she wipes, and thus renews her woes: "Howe'er 'tis =
well
that sleep awhile can free, With soft forgetfulness a wretch like me; Oh! w=
ere
it given to yield this transient breath, Send, O Diana! send the sleep of
death! Why must I waste a tedious life in tears, Nor bury in the silent gra=
ve
my cares? O my Ulysses! ever honour'd name! For thee I mourn till death
dissolves my frame."
Thus wailing, slow and sadly she descends, On
either band a damsel train attends: Full where the dome its shining valves
expands, Radiant before the gazing peers she stands; A veil translucent o'er
her brow display'd, Her beauty seems, and only seems, to shade: Sudden she
lightens in their dazzled eyes, And sudden flames in every bosom rise; They
send their eager souls with every look. Till silence thus the imperial matr=
on
broke:
"O why! my son, why now no more appears T=
hat
warmth of soul that urged thy younger years? Thy riper days no growing worth
impart, A man in stature, still a boy in heart! Thy well-knit frame
unprofitably strong, Speaks thee a hero, from a hero sprung: But the just g=
ods
in vain those gifts bestow, O wise alone in form, and grave in show! Heaven=
s!
could a stranger feel oppression's hand Beneath thy roof, and couldst thou
tamely stand! If thou the stranger's righteous cause decline His is the
sufferance, but the shame is thine."
To whom, with filial awe, the prince returns: =
"That
generous soul with just resentment burns; Yet, taught by time, my heart has
learn'd to glow For others' good, and melt at others' woe; But, impotent th=
ose
riots to repel, I bear their outrage, though my soul rebel; Helpless amid t=
he
snares of death I tread, And numbers leagued in impious union dread; But no=
w no
crime is theirs: this wrong proceeds From Irus, and the guilty Irus bleeds.=
Oh
would to Jove! or her whose arms display The shield of Jove, or him who rul=
es
the day! That yon proud suitors, who licentious tread These courts, within
these courts like Irus bled: Whose loose head tottering, as with wine
oppress'd, Obliquely drops, and nodding knocks his breast; Powerless to mov=
e,
his staggering feet deny The coward wretch the privilege to fly."
Then to the queen Eurymachus replies: "O
justly loved, and not more fair than wise! Should Greece through all her
hundred states survey Thy finish'd charms, all Greece would own thy sway In
rival crowds contest the glorious prize. Dispeopling realms to gaze upon thy
eyes: O woman! loveliest of the lovely kind, In body perfect, and complete =
in
mind."
"Ah me! (returns the queen) when from this
shore Ulysses sail'd, then beauty was no more! The gods decreed these eyes =
no
more should keep Their wonted grace, but only serve to weep. Should he retu=
rn,
whate'er my beauties prove, My virtues last; my brightest charm is love. No=
w,
grief, thou all art mine! the gods o'ercast My soul with woes, that long, ah
long must last! Too faithfully my heart retains the day That sadly tore my
royal lord away: He grasp'd my hand, and, 'O, my spouse! I leave Thy arms (=
he
cried), perhaps to find a grave: Fame speaks the Trojans bold; they boast t=
he
skill To give the feather'd arrow wings to kill, To dart the spear, and gui=
de
the rushing car With dreadful inroad through the walks of war. My sentence =
is
gone forth, and 'tis decreed Perhaps by righteous Heaven that I must bleed!=
My
father, mother, all I trust to three; To them, to them, transfer the love of
me: But, when my son grows man, the royal sway Resign, and happy be thy bri=
dal
day!' Such were his words; and Hymen now prepares To light his torch, and g=
ive
me up to cares; The afflictive hand of wrathful Jove to bear: A wretch the =
most
complete that breathes the air! Fall'n e'en below the rights to woman due! =
Careless
to please, with insolence ye woo! The generous lovers, studious to succeed,=
Bid
their whole herds and flocks in banquets bleed; By precious gifts the vow
sincere display: You, only you, make her ye love your prey."
Well-pleased Ulysses hears his queen deceive T=
he
suitor-train, and raise a thirst to give: False hopes she kindles, but those
hopes betray, And promise, yet elude, the bridal day.
While yet she speaks, the gay Antinous cries: =
"Offspring
of kings, and more than woman wise! 'Tis right; 'tis man's prerogative to g=
ive,
And custom bids thee without shame receive; Yet never, never, from thy dome=
we
move, Till Hymen lights the torch of spousal love."
The peers despatch'd their heralds to convey T=
he
gifts of love; with speed they take the way. A robe Antinous gives of shini=
ng
dyes, The varying hues in gay confusion rise Rich from the artist's hand!
Twelve clasps of gold Close to the lessening waist the vest infold! Down fr=
om
the swelling loins the vest unbound Floats in bright waves redundant o'er t=
he
ground, A bracelet rich with gold, with amber gay, That shot effulgence like
the solar ray, Eurymachus presents: and ear-rings bright, With triple stars,
that casts a trembling light. Pisander bears a necklace wrought with art: A=
nd
every peer, expressive of his heart, A gift bestows: this done, the queen
ascends, And slow behind her damsel train attends.
Then to the dance they form the vocal strain, =
Till
Hesperus leads forth the starry train; And now he raises, as the daylight
fades, His golden circlet in the deepening shades: Three vases heap'd with
copious fires display O'er all the palace a fictitious day; From space to s=
pace
the torch wide-beaming burns, And sprightly damsels trim the rays by turns.=
To whom the king: "Ill suits your sex to =
stay
Alone with men! ye modest maids, away! Go, with the queen; the spindle guid=
e;
or cull (The partners of her cares) the silver wool; Be it my task the torc=
hes
to supply E'en till the morning lamp adorns the sky; E'en till the morning,
with unwearied care, Sleepless I watch; for I have learn'd to bear."
Scornful they heard: Melantho, fair and young,=
(Melantho,
from the loins of Dolius sprung, Who with the queen her years an infant led=
, With
the soft fondness of a daughter bred,) Chiefly derides: regardless of the c=
ares
Her queen endures, polluted joys she shares Nocturnal with Eurymachus: with
eyes That speak disdain, the wanton thus replies: "Oh! whither wanders=
thy
distemper'd brain, Thou bold intruder on a princely train? Hence, to the
vagrants' rendezvous repair; Or shun in some black forge the midnight air. =
Proceeds
this boldness from a turn of soul, Or flows licentious from the copious bow=
l? Is
it that vanquish'd Irus swells thy mind? A foe may meet thee of a braver ki=
nd, Who,
shortening with a storm of blows thy stay, Shall send thee howling all in b=
lood
away!"
To whom with frowns: "O impudent in wrong=
! Thy
lord shall curb that insolence of tongue; Know, to Telemachus I tell the
offence; The scourge, the scourge shall lash thee into sense."
With conscious shame they hear the stern rebuk=
e, Nor
longer durst sustain the sovereign look.
Then to the servile task the monarch turns His
royal hands: each torch refulgent burns With added day: meanwhile in museful
mood, Absorb'd in thought, on vengeance fix'd he stood. And now the martial
maid, by deeper wrongs To rouse Ulysses, points the suitors' tongues: Scorn=
ful
of age, to taunt the virtuous man, Thoughtless and gay, Eurymachus began:
"Hear me (he cries), confederates and
friends! Some god, no doubt, this stranger kindly sends; The shining baldne=
ss
of his head survey, It aids our torchlight, and reflects the ray."
Then to the king that levell'd haughty Troy: &=
quot;Say,
if large hire can tempt thee to employ Those hands in work; to tend the rur=
al
trade, To dress the walk, and form the embowering shade. So food and raiment
constant will I give: But idly thus thy soul prefers to live, And starve by
strolling, not by work to thrive."
To whom incensed: "Should we, O prince,
engage In rival tasks beneath the burning rage Of summer suns; were both
constrain'd to wield Foodless the scythe along the burden'd field; Or shoul=
d we
labour while the ploughshare wounds, With steers of equal strength, the
allotted grounds, Beneath my labours, how thy wondering eyes Might see the
sable field at once arise! Should Jove dire war unloose, with spear and shi=
eld,
And nodding helm, I tread the ensanguined field, Fierce in the van: then
wouldst thou, wouldst thou,--say,-- Misname me glutton, in that glorious da=
y? No,
thy ill-judging thoughts the brave disgrace 'Tis thou injurious art, not I =
am
base. Proud to seem brave among a coward train! But now, thou art not valor=
ous,
but vain. God! should the stern Ulysses rise in might, These gates would se=
em
too narrow for thy flight."
While yet he speaks, Eurymachus replies, With
indignation flashing from his eyes:
"Slave, I with justice might deserve the
wrong, Should I not punish that opprobrious tongue. Irreverent to the great,
and uncontroll'd, Art thou from wine, or innate folly, bold? Perhaps these
outrages from Irus flow, A worthless triumph o'er a worthless foe!"
He said, and with full force a footstool threw=
; Whirl'd
from his arm, with erring rage it flew: Ulysses, cautious of the vengeful f=
oe, Stoops
to the ground, and disappoints the blow. Not so a youth, who deals the gobl=
et
round, Full on his shoulder it inflicts a wound; Dash'd from his hand the
sounding goblet flies, He shrieks, he reels, he falls, and breathless lies.=
Then
wild uproar and clamour mount the sky, Till mutual thus the peers indignant
cry: "Oh had this stranger sunk to realms beneath, To the black realms=
of
darkness and of death, Ere yet he trod these shores! to strife he draws Peer
against peer; and what the weighty cause? A vagabond! for him the great
destroy, In vile ignoble jars, the feast of joy."
To whom the stern Telemachus uprose; "God=
s!
what wild folly from the goblet flows! Whence this unguarded openness of so=
ul, But
from the license of the copious bowl? Or Heaven delusion sends: but hence a=
way!
Force I forbear, and without force obey."
Silent, abash'd, they hear the stern rebuke, T=
ill
thus Amphinomus the silence broke:
"True are his words, and he whom truth
offends, Not with Telemachus, but truth contends; Let not the hand of viole=
nce
invade The reverend stranger, or the spotless maid; Retire we hence, but cr=
own
with rosy wine The flowing goblet to the powers divine! Guard he his guest
beneath whose roof he stands: This justice, this the social rite demands.&q=
uot;
The peers assent: the goblet Mulius crown'd Wi=
th
purple juice, and bore in order round: Each peer successive his libation po=
urs To
the blest gods who fill'd the ethereal bowers: Then swill'd with wine, with
noise the crowds obey, And rushing forth, tumultuous reel away.
Ulysses and his son remove the weapons out of =
the
armoury. Ulysses, in conversation with Penelope, gives a fictitious account=
of
his adventures; then assures her he had formerly entertained her husband in
Crete; and describes exactly his person and dress; affirms to have heard of=
him
in Phaeacia and Thesprotia, and that his return is certain, and within a mo=
nth.
He then goes to bathe, and is attended by Euryclea, who discovers him to be
Ulysses by the scar upon his leg, which he formerly received in hunting the=
wild
boar on Parnassus. The poet inserts a digression relating that accident, wi=
th
all its particulars.
Consulting secret with the blue-eyed maid, Sti=
ll
in the dome divine Ulysses stay'd: Revenge mature for act inflamed his brea=
st; And
thus the son the fervent sire address'd:
"Instant convey those steely stores of wa=
r To
distant rooms, disposed with secret care: The cause demanded by the
suitor-train, To soothe their fears, a specious reason feign: Say, since
Ulysses left his natal coast, Obscene with smoke, their beamy lustre lost, =
His
arms deform the roof they wont adorn: From the glad walls inglorious lumber
torn. Suggest, that Jove the peaceful thought inspired, Lest they, by sight=
of
swords to fury fired, Dishonest wounds, or violence of soul, Defame the bri=
dal
feast and friendly bowl."
The prince, obedient to the sage command, To
Euryclea thus: "The female band In their apartments keep; secure the
doors; These swarthy arms among the covert stores Are seemlier hid; my
thoughtless youth they blame, Imbrown'd with vapour of the smouldering
flame."
"In happier hour (pleased Euryclea cries)=
, Tutour'd
by early woes, grow early wise; Inspect with sharpen'd sight, and frugal ca=
re, Your
patrimonial wealth, a prudent heir. But who the lighted taper will provide =
(The
female train retired) your toils to guide?"
"Without infringing hospitable right, This
guest (he cried) shall bear the guiding light: I cheer no lazy vagrants wit=
h repast;
They share the meal that earn it ere they taste."
He said: from female ken she straight secures =
The
purposed deed, and guards the bolted doors: Auxiliar to his son, Ulysses be=
ars The
plumy-crested helms and pointed spears, With shields indented deep in glori=
ous
wars. Minerva viewless on her charge attends, And with her golden lamp his =
toil
befriends. Not such the sickly beams, which unsincere Gild the gross vapour=
of
this nether sphere! A present deity the prince confess'd, And wrapp'd with
ecstasy the sire address'd:
"What miracle thus dazzles with surprise!=
Distinct
in rows the radiant columns rise; The walls, where'er my wondering sight I
turn, And roofs, amidst a blaze of glory burn! Some visitant of pure ethere=
al
race With his bright presence deigns the dome to grace."
"Be calm (replies the sire); to none impa=
rt, But
oft revolve the vision in thy heart: Celestials, mantled in excess of light=
, Can
visit unapproach'd by mortal sight. Seek thou repose: whilst here I sole
remain, To explore the conduct of the female train: The pensive queen,
perchance, desires to know The series of my toils, to soothe her woe."=
With tapers flaming day his train attends, His
bright alcove the obsequious youth ascends: Soft slumberous shades his droo=
ping
eyelids close, Till on her eastern throne Aurora glows.
Whilst, forming plans of death, Ulysses stay'd=
, In
counsel secret with the martial maid, Attendant nymphs in beauteous order w=
ait The
queen, descending from her bower of state. Her cheeks the warmer blush of V=
enus
wear, Chasten'd with coy Diana's pensive air. An ivory seat with silver
ringlets graced, By famed Icmalius wrought, the menials placed: With ivory
silver'd thick the footstool shone, O'er which the panther's various hide w=
as
thrown. The sovereign seat with graceful air she press'd; To different tasks
their toil the nymphs address'd: The golden goblets some, and some restored=
From
stains of luxury the polish'd board: These to remove the expiring embers ca=
me, While
those with unctuous fir foment the flame.
'Twas then Melantho with imperious mien Renew'd
the attack, incontinent of spleen: "Avaunt (she cried), offensive to my
sight! Deem not in ambush here to lurk by night, Into the woman-state asqui=
nt
to pry; A day-devourer, and an evening spy! Vagrant, begone! before this
blazing brand Shall urge"--and waved it hissing in her hand.
The insulted hero rolls his wrathful eyes And
"Why so turbulent of soul? (he cries;) Can these lean shrivell'd limbs,
unnerved with age, These poor but honest rags, enkindle rage? In crowds, we
wear the badge of hungry fate: And beg, degraded from superior state! Const=
rain'd
a rent-charge on the rich I live; Reduced to crave the good I once could gi=
ve: A
palace, wealth, and slaves, I late possess'd, And all that makes the great =
be
call'd the bless'd: My gate, an emblem of my open soul, Embraced the poor, =
and
dealt a bounteous dole. Scorn not the sad reverse, injurious maid! 'Tis Jov=
e's
high will, and be his will obey'd! Nor think thyself exempt: that rosy prim=
e Must
share the general doom of withering time: To some new channel soon the
changeful tide Of royal grace the offended queen may guide; And her loved l=
ord
unplume thy towering pride. Or, were he dead, 'tis wisdom to beware: Sweet
blooms the prince beneath Apollo's care; Your deeds with quick impartial eye
surveys, Potent to punish what he cannot praise."
Her keen reproach had reach'd the sovereign's =
ear:
"Loquacious insolent! (she cries,) forbear; To thee the purpose of my =
soul
I told; Venial discourse, unblamed, with him to hold; The storied labours o=
f my
wandering lord, To soothe my grief he haply may record: Yet him, my guest, =
thy
venom'd rage hath stung; Thy head shall pay the forfeit of thy tongue! But =
thou
on whom my palace cares depend, Eurynome, regard the stranger-friend: A sea=
t,
soft spread with furry spoils, prepare; Due-distant for us both to speak, a=
nd
hear."
The menial fair obeys with duteous haste: A se=
at
adorn'd with furry spoils she placed: Due-distant for discourse the hero sa=
te; When
thus the sovereign from her chair of state:
"Reveal, obsequious to my first demand, T=
hy
name, thy lineage, and thy natal land."
He thus: "O queen! whose far-resounding f=
ame Is
bounded only by the starry frame, Consummate pattern of imperial sway, Whose
pious rule a warlike race obey! In wavy gold thy summer vales are dress'd; =
Thy
autumns bind with copious fruit oppress'd: With flocks and herds each grassy
plain is stored; And fish of every fin thy seas afford: Their affluent joys=
the
grateful realms confess; And bless the power that still delights to bless, =
Gracious
permit this prayer, imperial dame! Forbear to know my lineage, or my name: =
Urge
not this breast to heave, these eyes to weep; In sweet oblivion let my sorr=
ows
sleep! My woes awaked, will violate your ear, And to this gay censorious tr=
ain
appear A whiny vapour melting in a tear."
"Their gifts the gods resumed (the queen
rejoin'd), Exterior grace, and energy of mind, When the dear partner of my
nuptial joy, Auxiliar troops combined, to conquer Troy. My lord's protecting
hand alone would raise My drooping verdure, and extend my praise! Peers from
the distant Samian shore resort: Here with Dulichians join'd, besiege the
court: Zacynthus, green with ever-shady groves, And Ithaca, presumptuous, b=
oast
their loves: Obtruding on my choice a second lord, They press the Hymenaean
rite abhorr'd. Misrule thus mingling with domestic cares, I live regardless=
of
my state affairs; Receive no stranger-guest, no poor relieve; But ever for =
my
lord in secret grieve!-- This art, instinct by some celestial power, I trie=
d,
elusive of the bridal hour:
"'Ye peers, (I cry,) who press to gain a
heart, Where dead Ulysses claims no future part; Rebate your loves, each ri=
val
suit suspend, Till this funeral web my labours end: Cease, till to good Lae=
rtes
I bequeath A pall of state, the ornament of death. For when to fate he bows,
each Grecian dame With just reproach were licensed to defame, Should he, lo=
ng
honour'd in supreme command, Want the last duties of a daughter's hand.' The
fiction pleased; their loves I long elude; The night still ravell'd what the
day renew'd: Three years successful in my heart conceal'd, My ineffectual f=
raud
the fourth reveal'd: Befriended by my own domestic spies, The woof unwrought
the suitor-train surprise. From nuptial rites they now no more recede, And =
fear
forbids to falsify the brede. My anxious parents urge a speedy choice, And =
to
their suffrage gain the filial voice. For rule mature, Telemachus deplores =
His
dome dishonour'd, and exhausted stores-- But, stranger! as thy days seem fu=
ll
of fate, Divide discourse, in turn thy birth relate: Thy port asserts thee =
of
distinguish'd race; No poor unfather'd product of disgrace."
"Princess! (he cries,) renew'd by your
command, The dear remembrance of my native land Of secret grief unseals the
fruitful source; Fond tears repeat their long-forgotten course! So pays the
wretch whom fate constrains to roam, The dues of nature to his natal home!-=
- But
inward on my soul let sorrow prey, Your sovereign will my duty bids obey.
"Crete awes the circling waves, a fruitful
soil! And ninety cities crown the sea-born isle: Mix'd with her genuine son=
s,
adopted names In various tongues avow their various claims: Cydonians, drea=
dful
with the bended yew, And bold Pelasgi boast a native's due: The Dorians, pl=
umed
amid the files of war, Her foodful glebe with fierce Achaians share; Cnossu=
s,
her capital of high command; Where sceptred Minos with impartial hand Divid=
ed
right: each ninth revolving year, By Jove received in council to confer. His
son Deucalion bore successive sway: His son, who gave me first to view the =
day!
The royal bed an elder issue bless'd, Idomeneus whom Ilion fields attest Of
matchless deeds: untrain'd to martial toil, I lived inglorious in my native
isle. Studious of peace, and Aethon is my name. 'Twas then to Crete the gre=
at
Ulysses came. For elemental war, and wintry Jove, From Malea's gusty cape h=
is
navy drove To bright Lucina's fane; the shelfy coast Where loud Amnisus in =
the
deep is lost. His vessel's moor'd (an incommodious port!) The hero speeded =
to
the Cnossian court: Ardent the partner of his arms to find, In leagues of l=
ong
commutual friendship join'd. Vain hope! ten suns had warm'd the western str=
and Since
my brave brother, with his Cretan band, Had sail'd for Troy: but to the gen=
ial
feast My honour'd roof received the royal guest: Beeves for his train the
Cnossian peers assign, A public treat, with jars of generous wine. Twelve d=
ays
while Boreas vex'd the aerial space, My hospitable dome he deign'd to grace=
: And
when the north had ceased the stormy roar, He wing'd his voyage to the Phry=
gian
shore."
Thus the fam'd hero, perfected in wiles, With =
fair
similitude of truth beguiles The queen's attentive ear: dissolved in woe, F=
rom
her bright eyes the tears unbounded flow, As snows collected on the mountain
freeze; When milder regions breathe a vernal breeze, The fleecy pile obeys =
the
whispering gales, Ends in a stream, and murmurs through the vales: So, melt=
ing
with the pleasing tale he told, Down her fair cheek the copious torrent rol=
l'd:
She to her present lord laments him lost, And views that object which she w=
ants
the most, Withering at heart to see the weeping fair, His eyes look stern, =
and
cast a gloomy stare; Of horn the stiff relentless balls appear, Or globes of
iron fix'd in either sphere; Firm wisdom interdicts the softening tear. A
speechless interval of grief ensues, Till thus the queen the tender theme
renews.
"Stranger! that e'er thy hospitable roof =
Ulysses
graced, confirm by faithful proof; Delineate to my view my warlike lord, His
form, his habit, and his train record."
"'Tis hard (he cries,) to bring to sudden
sight Ideas that have wing'd their distant flight; Rare on the mind those
images are traced, Whose footsteps twenty winters have defaced: But what I =
can,
receive.--In ample mode, A robe of military purple flow'd O'er all his fram=
e:
illustrious on his breast, The double-clasping gold the king confess'd. In =
the
rich woof a hound, mosaic drawn, Bore on full stretch, and seized a dappled
fawn; Deep in the neck his fangs indent their hold; They pant and struggle =
in
the moving gold. Fine as a filmy web beneath it shone A vest, that dazzled =
like
a cloudless sun: The female train who round him throng'd to gaze, In silent
wonder sigh'd unwilling praise. A sabre, when the warrior press'd to part, I
gave, enamell'd with Vulcanian art: A mantle purple-tinged, and radiant ves=
t, Dimension'd
equal to his size, express'd Affection grateful to my honour'd guest. A
favourite herald in his train I knew, His visage solemn, sad of sable hue: =
Short
woolly curls o'erfleeced his bending head, O'er which a promontory shoulder
spread; Eurybates; in whose large soul alone Ulysses view'd an image of his
own."
His speech the tempest of her grief restored; =
In
all he told she recognized her lord: But when the storm was spent in plente=
ous
showers, A pause inspiriting her languish'd powers, "O thou, (she crie=
d,)
whom first inclement Fate Made welcome to my hospitable gate; With all thy
wants the name of poor shall end: Henceforth live honour'd, my domestic fri=
end!
The vest much envied on your native coast, And regal robe with figured gold
emboss'd, In happier hours my artful hand employ'd, When my loved lord this
blissful bower enjoy'd: The fall of Troy erroneous and forlorn Doom'd to su=
rvive,
and never to return!"
Then he, with pity touch'd: "O royal dame=
! Your
ever-anxious mind, and beauteous frame, From the devouring rage of grief
reclaim. I not the fondness of your soul reprove For such a lord! who crown=
'd
your virgin love With the dear blessing of a fair increase; Himself adorn'd
with more than mortal grace: Yet while I speak the mighty woe suspend; Truth
forms my tale; to pleasing truth attend. The royal object of your dearest c=
are Breathes
in no distant clime the vital air: In rich Thesprotia, and the nearer bound=
Of
Thessaly, his name I heard renown'd: Without retinue, to that friendly shor=
e Welcomed
with gifts of price, a sumless store! His sacrilegious train, who dared to =
prey
On herds devoted to the god of day, Were doom'd by Jove, and Phoebus' just
decree, To perish in the rough Trinacrian sea. To better fate the blameless
chief ordain'd, A floating fragment of the wreck regain'd, And rode the sto=
rm;
till, by the billows toss'd, He landed on the fair Phaeacian coast. That ra=
ce
who emulate the life of gods, Receive him joyous to their bless'd abodes; L=
arge
gifts confer, a ready sail command, To speed his voyage to the Grecian stra=
nd. But
your wise lord (in whose capacious soul High schemes of power in just
succession roll) His Ithaca refused from favouring Fate, Till copious wealth
might guard his regal state. Phedon the fact affirm'd, whose sovereign sway=
Thesprotian
tribes, a duteous race, obey; And bade the gods this added truth attest (Wh=
ile
pure libations crown'd the genial feast), That anchor'd in his port the ves=
sels
stand, To waft the hero to his natal land. I for Dulichium urge the watery =
way,
But first the Ulyssean wealth survey: So rich the value of a store so vast =
Demands
the pomp of centuries to waste! The darling object of your royal love Was
journey'd thence to Dodonean Jove; By the sure precept of the sylvan shrine=
, To
form the conduct of his great design; Irresolute of soul, his state to shro=
ud In
dark disguise, or come, a king avow'd! Thus lives your lord; nor longer doo=
m'd
to roam; Soon will he grace this dear paternal dome. By Jove, the source of
good, supreme in power! By the bless'd genius of this friendly bower! I rat=
ify
my speech, before the sun His annual longitude of heaven shall run; When the
pale empress of yon starry train In the next month renews her faded wane, U=
lysses
will assert his rightful reign."
"What thanks! what boon! (replied the que=
en),
are due, When time shall prove the storied blessing true! My lord's return
should fate no more retard, Envy shall sicken at thy vast reward. But my
prophetic fears, alas! presage The wounds of Destiny's relentless rage. I l=
ong
must weep, nor will Ulysses come, With royal gifts to send you honour'd hom=
e!--
Your other task, ye menial train forbear: Now wash the stranger, and the bed
prepare: With splendid palls the downy fleece adorn: Uprising early with the
purple morn. His sinews, shrunk with age, and stiff with toil, In the warm =
bath
foment with fragrant oil. Then with Telemachus the social feast Partaking f=
ree,
my soul invited guest; Whoe'er neglects to pay distinction due, The breach =
of
hospitable right may rue. The vulgar of my sex I most exceed In real fame, =
when
most humane my deed; And vainly to the praise of queen aspire, If, stranger=
! I
permit that mean attire Beneath the feastful bower. A narrow space Confines=
the
circle of our destin'd race; 'Tis ours with good the scanty round to grace.=
Those
who to cruel wrong their state abuse, Dreaded in life the mutter'd curse
pursues; By death disrobed of all their savage powers, Then, licensed rage =
her
hateful prey devours. But he whose inborn worth his acts commend, Of gentle
soul, to human race a friend; The wretched he relieves diffuse his fame, And
distant tongues extol the patron-name."
"Princess? (he cried) in vain your bounti=
es
flow On me, confirm'd and obstinate in woe. When my loved Crete received my
final view, And from my weeping eyes her cliffs withdrew; These tatter'd we=
eds
(my decent robes resign'd) I chose, the livery of a woful mind! Nor will my
heart-corroding care abate With splendid palls, and canopies of state: Low-=
couch'd
on earth, the gift of sleep I scorn, And catch the glances of the waking mo=
rn. The
delicacy of your courtly train To wash a wretched wanderer would disdain; B=
ut
if, in tract of long experience tried, And sad similitude of woes allied, S=
ome
wretch reluctant views aerial light, To her mean hand assign the friendly
rite."
Pleased with his wise reply, the queen rejoin'=
d: "Such
gentle manners, and so sage a mind, In all who graced this hospitable bower=
I
ne'er discerned, before this social hour. Such servant as your humble choice
requires, To light received the lord of my desires, New from the birth; and
with a mother's hand His tender bloom to manly growth sustain'd: Of matchle=
ss
prudence, and a duteous mind; Though now to life's extremest verge declined=
, Of
strength superior to the toil design'd-- Rise, Euryclea! with officious car=
e For
the poor friend the cleansing bath prepare: This debt his correspondent
fortunes claim, Too like Ulysses, and perhaps the same! Thus old with woes =
my
fancy paints him now! For age untimely marks the careful brow."
Instant, obsequious to the mild command, Sad
Euryclea rose: with trembling hand She veils the torrent of her tearful eye=
s; And
thus impassion'd to herself replies:
"Son of my love, and monarch of my cares,=
What
pangs for thee this wretched bosom bears! Are thus by Jove who constant beg=
his
aid With pious deed, and pure devotion, paid? He never dared defraud the sa=
cred
fane Of perfect hecatombs in order slain: There oft implored his tutelary
power, Long to protract the sad sepulchral hour; That, form'd for empire wi=
th
paternal care, His realm might recognize an equal heir. O destined head! The
pious vows are lost; His God forgets him on a foreign coast!-- Perhaps, like
thee, poor guest! in wanton pride The rich insult him, and the young deride=
! Conscious
of worth reviled, thy generous mind The friendly rite of purity declined; My
will concurring with my queen's command, Accept the bath from this obsequio=
us
hand. A strong emotion shakes my anguish'd breast: In thy whole form Ulysses
seems express'd; Of all the wretched harboured on our coast, None imaged e'=
er
like thee my master lost."
Thus half-discover'd through the dark disguise=
, With
cool composure feign'd, the chief replies: "You join your suffrage to =
the
public vote; The same you think have all beholders thought."
He said: replenish'd from the purest springs, =
The
laver straight with busy care she brings: In the deep vase, that shone like=
burnish'd
gold, The boiling fluid temperates the cold. Meantime revolving in his
thoughtful mind The scar, with which his manly knee was sign'd; His face
averting from the crackling blaze, His shoulders intercept the unfriendly r=
ays:
Thus cautious in the obscure he hoped to fly The curious search of Euryclea=
's
eye. Cautious in vain! nor ceased the dame to find This scar with which his
manly knee was sign'd.
This on Parnassus (combating the boar) With
glancing rage the tusky savage tore. Attended by his brave maternal race, H=
is
grandsire sent him to the sylvan chase, Autolycus the bold (a mighty name F=
or
spotless faith and deeds of martial fame: Hermes, his patron god, those gif=
ts
bestow'd, Whose shrine with weanling lambs he wont to load). His course to
Ithaca this hero sped, When the first product of Laertes' bed Was now discl=
osed
to birth: the banquet ends, When Euryclea from the queen descends, And to h=
is
fond embrace the babe commends: "Receive (she cries) your royal daught=
er's
son; And name the blessing that your prayers have won." Then thus the
hoary chief: "My victor arms Have awed the realms around with dire ala=
rms:
A sure memorial of my dreaded fame The boy shall bear; Ulysses be his name!=
And
when with filial love the youth shall come To view his mother's soil, my
Delphic dome With gifts of price shall send him joyous home." Lured wi=
th
the promised boon, when youthful prime Ended in man, his mother's natal cli=
me Ulysses
sought; with fond affection dear Amphitea's arms received the royal heir: H=
er
ancient lord an equal joy possess'd; Instant he bade prepare the genial fea=
st: A
steer to form the sumptuous banquet bled, Whose stately growth five flowery
summers fed: His sons divide, and roast with artful care The limbs; then all
the tasteful viands share. Nor ceased discourse (the banquet of the soul), =
Till
Phoebus wheeling to the western goal Resign'd the skies, and night involved=
the
pole. Their drooping eyes the slumberous shade oppress'd, Sated they rose, =
and
all retired to rest.
Soon as the morn, new-robed in purple light, P=
ierced
with her golden shafts the rear of night, Ulysses, and his brave maternal r=
ace,
The young Autolyci, essay the chase. Parnassus, thick perplex'd with horrid
shades, With deep-mouth'd hounds the hunter-troop invades; What time the su=
n,
from ocean's peaceful stream, Darts o'er the lawn his horizontal beam. The =
pack
impatient snuff the tainted gale; The thorny wilds the woodmen fierce assai=
l: And,
foremost of the train, his cornel spear Ulysses waved, to rouse the savage =
war.
Deep in the rough recesses of the wood, A lofty copse, the growth of ages,
stood; Nor winter's boreal blast, nor thunderous shower, Nor solar ray, cou=
ld
pierce the shady bower. With wither'd foliage strew'd, a heapy store! The w=
arm
pavilion of a dreadful boar. Roused by the hounds' and hunters' mingling cr=
ies,
The savage from his leafy shelter flies; With fiery glare his sanguine
eye-balls shine, And bristles high impale his horrid chine. Young Ithacus
advanced, defies the foe, Poising his lifted lance in act to throw; The sav=
age
renders vain the wound decreed, And springs impetuous with opponent speed! =
His
tusks oblique he aim'd, the knee to gore; Aslope they glanced, the sinewy
fibres tore, And bared the bone; Ulysses undismay'd, Soon with redoubled fo=
rce
the wound repaid; To the right shoulder-joint the spear applied, His further
flank with streaming purple dyed: On earth he rushed with agonizing pain; W=
ith
joy and vast surprise, the applauding train View'd his enormous bulk extend=
ed
on the plain. With bandage firm Ulysses' knee they bound; Then, chanting my=
stic
lays, the closing wound Of sacred melody confess'd the force; The tides of =
life
regain'd their azure course. Then back they led the youth with loud acclaim=
; Autolycus,
enamoured with his fame, Confirm'd the cure; and from the Delphic dome With
added gifts return'd him glorious home. He safe at Ithaca with joy received=
, Relates
the chase, and early praise achieved.
Deep o'er his knee inseam'd remain'd the scar;=
Which
noted token of the woodland war When Euryclea found, the ablution ceased: D=
own
dropp'd the leg, from her slack hand released; The mingled fluids from the =
base
redound; The vase reclining floats the floor around! Smiles dew'd with tears
the pleasing strife express'd Of grief and joy, alternate in her breast. Her
fluttering words in melting murmurs died; At length abrupt--"My son!--=
my
king!"--she cried. His neck with fond embrace infolding fast, Full on =
the
queen her raptured eye she cast Ardent to speak the monarch safe restored: =
But,
studious to conceal her royal lord, Minerva fix'd her mind on views remote,=
And
from the present bliss abstracts her thought. His hand to Euryclea's mouth
applied, "Art thou foredoom'd my pest? (the hero cried:) Thy milky fou=
nts
my infant lips have drain'd; And have the Fates thy babbling age ordain'd To
violate the life thy youth sustain'd? An exile have I told, with weeping ey=
es, Full
twenty annual suns in distant skies; At length return'd, some god inspires =
thy
breast To know thy king, and here I stand confess'd. This heaven-discover'd
truth to thee consign'd, Reserve the treasure of thy inmost mind: Else, if =
the
gods my vengeful arm sustain, And prostrate to my sword the suitor-train; W=
ith
their lewd mates, thy undistinguish'd age Shall bleed a victim to vindictive
rage."
Then thus rejoin'd the dame, devoid of fear: &=
quot;What
words, my son, have passed thy lips severe? Deep in my soul the trust shall
lodge secured; With ribs of steel, and marble heart, immured. When Heaven,
auspicious to thy right avow'd, Shall prostrate to thy sword the suitor-cro=
wd, The
deeds I'll blazon of the menial fair; The lewd to death devote, the virtuous
spare."
"Thy aid avails me not (the chief replied=
); My
own experience shall their doom decide: A witness-judge precludes a long
appeal: Suffice it then thy monarch to conceal."
He said: obsequious, with redoubled pace, She =
to
the fount conveys the exhausted vase: The bath renew'd, she ends the pleasi=
ng
toil With plenteous unction of ambrosial oil. Adjusting to his limbs the
tatter'd vest, His former seat received the stranger guest; Whom thus with
pensive air the queen addressed:
"Though night, dissolving grief in gratef=
ul
ease, Your drooping eyes with soft impression seize; Awhile, reluctant to h=
er
pleasing force, Suspend the restful hour with sweet discourse. The day (ne'=
er
brighten'd with a beam of joy!) My menials, and domestic cares employ; And,
unattended by sincere repose, The night assists my ever-wakeful woes; When
nature's hush'd beneath her brooding shade, My echoing griefs the starry va=
ult
invade. As when the months are clad in flowery green, Sad Philomel, in bowe=
ry
shades unseen, To vernal airs attunes her varied strains; And Itylus sounds
warbling o'er the plains; Young Itylus, his parents' darling joy! Whom chan=
ce
misled the mother to destroy; Now doom'd a wakeful bird to wail the beauteo=
us
boy. So in nocturnal solitude forlorn, A sad variety of woes I mourn! My mi=
nd,
reflective, in a thorny maze Devious from care to care incessant strays. No=
w,
wavering doubt succeeds to long despair; Shall I my virgin nuptial vow reve=
re; And,
joining to my son's my menial train, Partake his counsels, and assist his
reign? Or, since, mature in manhood, he deplores His dome dishonour'd, and
exhausted stores; Shall I, reluctant! to his will accord; And from the peers
select the noblest lord; So by my choice avow'd, at length decide These
wasteful love-debates, a mourning bride! A visionary thought I'll now relat=
e; Illustrate,
if you know, the shadow'd fate:
"A team of twenty geese (a snow-white tra=
in!)
Fed near the limpid lake with golden grain, Amuse my pensive hours. The bir=
d of
Jove Fierce from his mountain-eyrie downward drove; Each favourite fowl he
pounced with deathful sway, And back triumphant wing'd his airy way. My pit=
ying
eyes effused a plenteous stream, To view their death thus imaged in a dream=
; With
tender sympathy to soothe my soul, A troop of matrons, fancy-form'd, condol=
e. But
whilst with grief and rage my bosom burn'd, Sudden the tyrant of the skies
returned; Perch'd on the battlements he thus began (In form an eagle, but in
voice a man): `O queen! no vulgar vision of the sky I come, prophetic of
approaching joy; View in this plumy form thy victor-lord; The geese (a glut=
ton
race) by thee deplored, Portend the suitors fated to my sword.' This said, =
the
pleasing feather'd omen ceased. When from the downy bands of sleep released=
, Fast
by the limpid lake my swan-like train I found, insatiate of the golden
grain."
"The vision self-explain'd (the chief
replies) Sincere reveals the sanction of the skies; Ulysses speaks his own
return decreed; And by his sword the suitors sure to bleed."
"Hard is the task, and rare," (the q=
ueen
rejoin'd,) Impending destinies in dreams to find; Immured within the silent
bower of sleep, Two portals firm the various phantoms keep; Of ivory one;
whence flit, to mock the brain, Of winged lies a light fantastic train; The
gate opposed pellucid valves adorn, And columns fair incased with polish'd
horn; Where images of truth for passage wait, With visions manifest of futu=
re
fate. Not to this troop, I fear, that phantom soar'd, Which spoke Ulysses to
this realm restored; Delusive semblance!-but my remnant life Heaven shall
determine in a gameful strife; With that famed bow Ulysses taught to bend, =
For
me the rival archers shall contend. As on the listed field he used to place=
Six
beams, opposed to six in equal space; Elanced afar by his unerring art, Sure
through six circlets flew the whizzing dart. So, when the sun restores the
purple day, Their strength and skill the suitors shall assay; To him the
spousal honour is decreed, Who through the rings directs the feather'd reed=
. Torn
from these walls (where long the kinder powers With joy and pomp have wing'=
d my
youthful hours!) On this poor breast no dawn of bliss shall beam; The pleas=
ure
past supplies a copious theme For many a dreary thought, and many a doleful
dream!"
"Propose the sportive lot (the chief
replies), Nor dread to name yourself the bowyer's prize; Ulysses will surpr=
ise
the unfinish'd game, Avow'd, and falsify the suitors' claim."
To whom with grace serene the queen rejoin'd: =
"In
all thy speech what pleasing force I find! O'er my suspended woe thy words
prevail; I part reluctant from the pleasing tale, But Heaven, that knows wh=
at
all terrestrials need, Repose to night, and toil to day decreed; Grateful
vicissitudes! yet me withdrawn, Wakeful to weep and watch the tardy dawn Es=
tablish'd
use enjoins; to rest and joy Estranged, since dear Ulysses sail'd to Troy! =
Meantime
instructed is the menial tribe Your couch to fashion as yourself
prescribe."
Thus affable, her bower the queen ascends; The
sovereign step a beauteous train attends; There imaged to her soul Ulysses
rose; Down her pale cheek new-streaming sorrow flows; Till soft oblivious s=
hade
Minerva spread, And o'er her eyes ambrosial slumber shed.
While Ulysses lies in the vestibule of the pal=
ace,
he is witness to the disorders of the women. Minerva comforts him, and casts
him asleep. At his waking he desires a favourable sign from Jupiter, which =
is
granted. The feast of Apollo is celebrated by the people, and the suitors
banquet in the palace. Telemachus exerts his authority amongst them;
notwithstanding which, Ulysses is insulted by Caesippus, and the rest conti=
nue
in their excesses. Strange prodigies are seen by Theoclymenus, the augur, w=
ho
explains them to the destruction of the wooers.
An ample hide devine Ulysses spread. And form'=
d of
fleecy skins his humble bed (The remnants of the spoil the suitor-crowd In
festival devour'd, and victims vow'd). Then o'er the chief, Eurynome the ch=
aste
With duteous care a downy carpet cast: With dire revenge his thoughtful bos=
om
glows, And, ruminating wrath, he scorns repose.
As thus pavilion'd in the porch he lay, Scenes=
of
lewd loves his wakeful eyes survey, Whilst to nocturnal joys impure repair,=
With
wanton glee, the prostituted fair. His heart with rage this new dishonour
stung, Wavering his thoughts in dubious balance hung: Or instant should he
quench the guilty flame With their own blood, and intercept the shame: Or to
their lust indulge a last embrace, And let the peers consummate the disgrac=
e Round
his swoln heart the murmurous fury rolls, As o'er her young the mother-mast=
iff
growls, And bays the stranger groom: so wrath compress'd, Recoiling, mutter=
'd
thunder in his breast. "Poor suffering heart! (he cried,) support the =
pain
Of wounded honour, and thy rage restrain. Not fiercer woes thy fortitude co=
uld
foil, When the brave partners of thy ten years' toil Dire Polypheme devour'=
d; I
then was freed By patient prudence from the death decreed."
Thus anchor'd safe on reason's peaceful coast,=
Tempests
of wrath his soul no longer toss'd; Restless his body rolls, to rage resign=
'd As
one who long with pale-eyed famine pined, The savoury cates on glowing embe=
rs
cast Incessant turns, impatient for repast Ulysses so, from side to
side-devolved, In self-debate the suitor's doom resolved When in the form of
mortal nymph array'd, From heaven descends the Jove-born martial maid; And'=
hovering
o'er his head in view confess'd, The goddess thus her favourite care addres=
s'd:
"O thou, of mortals most inured to woes! =
Why
roll those eyes unfriended of repose? Beneath thy palace-roof forget thy ca=
re; Bless'd
in thy queen! bless'd in thy blooming heir! Whom, to the gods when suppliant
fathers bow They name the standard of their dearest vow."
"Just is thy kind reproach (the chief
rejoin'd), Deeds full of fate distract my various mind, In contemplation
wrapp'd. This hostile crew What single arm hath prowess to subdue? Or if, by
Jove's and thy auxiliar aid, They're doom'd to bleed; O say, celestial maid=
! Where
shall Ulysses shun, or how sustain Nations embattled to revenge the
slain?"
"Oh impotence of faith! (Minerva cries,) =
If
man on frail unknowing man relies, Doubt you the gods? Lo, Pallas' self
descends, Inspires thy counsels, and thy toils attends. In me affianced,
fortify thy breast, Though myriads leagued thy rightful claim contest My su=
re
divinity shall bear the shield, And edge thy sword to reap the glorious fie=
ld. Now,
pay the debt to craving nature due, Her faded powers with balmy rest
renew." She ceased, ambrosial slumbers seal his eyes; Her care dissolv=
es
in visionary joys The goddess, pleased, regains her natal skies.
Not so the queen; the downy bands of sleep By
grief relax'd she waked again to weep: A gloomy pause ensued of dumb despai=
r; Then
thus her fate invoked, with fervent prayer
"Diana! speed thy deathful ebon dart, And
cure the pangs of this convulsive heart. Snatch me, ye whirlwinds! far from
human race, Toss'd through the void illimitable space Or if dismounted from=
the
rapid cloud, Me with his whelming wave let Ocean shroud! So, Pandarus, thy
hopes, three orphan fair; Were doom'd to wander through the devious air; Th=
yself
untimely, and thy consort died, But four celestials both your cares supplie=
d. Venus
in tender delicacy rears With honey, milk, and wine their infant years; Imp=
erial
Juno to their youth assigned A form majestic, and sagacious mind; With shap=
ely
growth Diana graced their bloom; And Pallas taught the texture of the loom.=
But
whilst, to learn their lots in nuptial love, Bright Cytherea sought the bow=
er
of Jove (The God supreme, to whose eternal eye The registers of fate expand=
ed
lie; Wing'd Harpies snatch the unguarded charge away, And to the Furies bor=
e a
grateful prey. Be such my lot! Or thou, Diana, speed Thy shaft, and send me
joyful to the dead; To seek my lord among the warrior train, Ere second vow=
s my
bridal faith profane. When woes the waking sense alone assail, Whilst Night=
extends
her soft oblivious veil, Of other wretches' care the torture ends; No truce=
the
warfare of my heart suspends! The night renews the day distracting theme, A=
nd
airy terrors sable every dream. The last alone a kind illusion wrought, And=
to
my bed my loved Ulysses brought, In manly bloom, and each majestic grace, As
when for Troy he left my fond embrace; Such raptures in my beating bosom ri=
se, I
deem it sure a vision of the skies."
Thus, whilst Aurora mounts her purple throne, =
In
audible laments she breathes her moan; The sounds assault Ulysses' wakeful =
ear;
Misjudging of the cause, a sudden fear Of his arrival known, the chief alar=
ms; He
thinks the queen is rushing to his arms. Upspringing from his couch, with
active haste The fleece and carpet in the dome he placed (The hide, without,
imbibed the morning air); And thus the gods invoked with ardent prayer:
"Jove, and eternal thrones! with heaven to
friend, If the long series of my woes shall end; Of human race now rising f=
rom
repose, Let one a blissful omen here disclose; And, to confirm my faith,
propitious Jove! Vouchsafe the sanction of a sign above."
Whilst lowly thus the chief adoring bows, The
pitying god his guardian aid avows. Loud from a sapphire sky his thunder
sounds; With springing hope the hero's heart rebounds. Soon, with consummate
joy to crown his prayer, An omen'd voice invades his ravish'd ear. Beneath a
pile that close the dome adjoin'd, Twelve female slaves the gift of Ceres
grind; Task'd for the royal board to bolt the bran From the pure flour (the
growth and strength of man) Discharging to the day the labour due, Now earl=
y to
repose the rest withdrew; One maid unequal to the task assign'd, Still turn=
'd
the toilsome mill with anxious mind; And thus in bitterness of soul divined=
:
"Father of gods and men, whose thunders r=
oll O'er
the cerulean vault, and shake the pole: Whoe'er from Heaven has gain'd this
rare ostent (Of granted vows a certain signal sent), In this blest moment of
accepted prayer, Piteous, regard a wretch consumed with care! Instant, O Jo=
ve!
confound the suitor-train, For whom o'ertoil'd I grind the golden grain: Far
from this dome the lewd devourers cast, And be this festival decreed their
last!"
Big with their doom denounced in earth and sky=
, Ulysses'
heart dilates with secret joy. Meantime the menial train with unctious wood=
Heap'd
high the genial hearth, Vulcanian food: When, early dress'd, advanced the r=
oyal
heir; With manly grasp he waved a martial spear; A radiant sabre graced his
purple zone, And on his foot the golden sandal shone. His steps impetuous to
the portal press'd; And Euryclea thus he there address'd:
"Say thou to whom my youth its nurture ow=
es, Was
care for due refection and repose Bestow'd the stranger-guest? Or waits he
grieved, His age not honour'd, nor his wants relieved? Promiscuous grace on=
all
the queen confers (In woes bewilder'd, oft the wisest errs). The wordy vagr=
ant
to the dole aspires, And modest worth with noble scorn retires."
She thus: "O cease that ever-honour'd nam=
e To
blemish now: it ill deserves your blame, A bowl of generous wine sufficed t=
he
guest; In vain the queen the night refection press'd; Nor would he court re=
pose
in downy state, Unbless'd, abandon'd to the rage of Fate! A hide beneath the
portico was spread, And fleecy skins composed an humble bed; A downy carpet
cast with duteous care, Secured him from the keen nocturnal air."
His cornel javelin poised with regal port, To =
the
sage Greeks convened in Themis' court, Forth-issuing from the dome the prin=
ce
repair'd; Two dogs of chase, a lion-hearted guard, Behind him sourly stalke=
d.
Without delay The dame divides the labour of the day; Thus urging to the to=
il
the menial train;
"What marks of luxury the marble stain Its wonted lustre let the floor regain; The seats with purple clothe in order d= ue; And let the abstersive sponge the board renew; Let some refresh the vase's sull= ied mould; Some bid the goblets boast their native gold; Some to the spring, wi= th each a jar, repair, And copious waters pure for bathing bear; Dispatch! for soon the suitors will essay The lunar feast-rites to the god of day."<= o:p>
She said: with duteous haste a bevy fair Of tw=
enty
virgins to the spring repair; With varied toils the rest adorn the dome. Ma=
gnificent,
and blithe, the suitors come. Some wield the sounding axe; the dodder'd oak=
s Divide,
obedient to the forceful strokes. Soon from the fount, with each a brimming=
urn
(Eumaeus in their train), the maids return. Three porkers for the feast, all
brawny-chined, He brought; the choicest of the tusky-kind; In lodgments fir=
st
secure his care he viewed, Then to the king this friendly speech renew'd: &=
quot;Now
say sincere, my guest! the suitor-train Still treat thy worth with lordly d=
ull
disdain; Or speaks their deed a bounteous mind humane?"
"Some pitying god (Ulysses sad replied) W=
ith
vollied vengeance blast their towering pride! No conscious blush, no sense =
of
right, restrains The tides of lust that swell the boiling veins; From vice =
to
vice their appetites are toss'd, All cheaply sated at another's cost!"=
While thus the chief his woes indignant told, =
Melanthius,
master of the bearded fold, The goodliest goats of all the royal herd Spont=
aneous
to the suitors' feast preferr'd; Two grooms assistant bore the victims boun=
d; With
quavering cries the vaulted roofs resound; And to the chief austere aloud b=
egan
The wretch unfriendly to the race of man:
"Here vagrant, still? offensive to my lor=
ds! Blows
have more energy than airy words; These arguments I'll use: nor conscious
shame, Nor threats, thy bold intrusion will reclaim. On this high feast the
meanest vulgar boast A plenteous board! Hence! seek another host!"
Rejoinder to the churl the king disdain'd, But
shook his head, and rising wrath restrain'd.
From Cephanelia 'cross the surgy main Philaeti=
us
late arrived, a faithful swain. A steer ungrateful to the bull's embrace. A=
nd
goats he brought, the pride of all their race; Imported in a shallop not his
own; The dome re-echoed to the mingl'd moan. Straight to the guardian of the
bristly kind He thus began, benevolent of mind:
"What guest is he, of such majestic air? =
His
lineage and paternal clime declare: Dim through the eclipse of fate, the ra=
ys
divine Of sovereign state with faded splendour shine. If monarchs by the go=
ds
are plunged in woe, To what abyss are we foredoom'd to go!" Then affab=
le
he thus the chief address'd, Whilst with pathetic warmth his hand he press'=
d:
"Stranger, may fate a milder aspect show,=
And
spin thy future with a whiter clue! O Jove! for ever death to human cries; =
The
tyrant, not the father of the skies! Unpiteous of the race thy will began! =
The
fool of fate, thy manufacture, man, With penury, contempt, repulse, and car=
e, The
galling load of life is doom'd to bear. Ulysses from his state a wanderer
still, Upbraids thy power, thy wisdom, or thy will! O monarch ever dear!-O =
man
of woe! Fresh flow my tears, and shall for ever flow! Like thee, poor stran=
ger
guest, denied his home, Like thee: in rags obscene decreed to roam! Or, hap=
ly
perish'd on some distant coast, In stygian gloom he glides, a pensive ghost=
! Oh,
grateful for the good his bounty gave, I'll grieve, till sorrow sink me to =
the
grave! His kind protecting hand my youth preferr'd, The regent of his
Cephalenian herd; With vast increase beneath my care it spreads: A stately
breed! and blackens far the meads. Constrain'd, the choicest beeves I thence
import, To cram these cormorants that crowd his court: Who in partition seek
his realm to share; Nor human right nor wrath divine revere, Since here
resolved oppressive these reside, Contending doubts my anxious heart divide=
: Now
to some foreign clime inclined to fly, And with the royal herd protection b=
uy; Then,
happier thoughts return the nodding scale, Light mounts despair, alternate
hopes prevail: In opening prospects of ideal joy, My king returns; the proud
usurpers die."
To whom the chief: "In thy capacious mind=
Since
daring zeal with cool debate is join'd, Attend a deed already ripe in fate:=
Attest,
O Jove! the truth I now relate! This sacred truth attest, each genial power=
, Who
bless the board, and guard this friendly bower! Before thou quit the dome (=
nor
long delay) Thy wish produced in act, with pleased survey, Thy wondering ey=
es
shall view: his rightful reign By arms avow'd Ulysses shall regain, And to =
the
shades devote the suitor-train."
"O Jove supreme! (the raptured swain
replies,) With deeds consummate soon the promised joys! These aged nerves, =
with
new-born vigour strung, In that blest cause should emulate the young."=
Assents
Eumaeus to the prayer address'd; And equal ardours fire his loyal breast.
Meantime the suitors urge the prince's fate, A=
nd
deathful arts employ the dire debate: When in his airy tour, the bird of Jo=
ve Truss'd
with his sinewy pounce a trembling dove; Sinister to their hope! This omen =
eyed
Amphinomus, who thus presaging cried:
"The gods from force and fraud the prince
defend; O peers! the sanguinary scheme suspend: Your future thought let sab=
le
fate employ; And give the present hour to genial joy."
From council straight the assenting peerage
ceased, And in the dome prepared the genial feast. Disrobed, their vests ap=
art
in order lay, Then all with speed succinct the victims slay: With sheep and
shaggy goats the porkers bled, And the proud steer was on the marble spread=
. With
fire prepared, they deal the morsels round, Wine, rosy-bright, the brimming
goblets crown'd, By sage Eumaeus borne; the purple tide Melanthius from an
ample jar supplied: High canisters of bread Philaetius placed; And eager all
devour the rich repast. Disposed apart, Ulysses shares the treat; A trivet
table, and ignobler seat, The prince appoints; but to his sire assigns The
tasteful inwards, and nectareous wines. "Partake, my guest (he cried),
without control The social feast, and drain the cheering bowl: Dread not the
railer's laugh, nor ruffian's rage; No vulgar roof protects thy honour'd ag=
e; This
dome a refuge to thy wrongs shall be, From my great sire too soon devolved =
to
me! Your violence and scorn, ye suitors, cease, Lest arms avenge the violat=
ed
peace."
Awed by the prince, so haughty, brave, and you=
ng, Rage
gnaw'd the lip, amazement chain'd the tongue. "Be patient, peers! (at
length Antinous cries,) The threats of vain imperious youth despise: Would =
Jove
permit the meditated blow, That stream of eloquence should cease to flow.&q=
uot;
Without reply vouchsafed, Antinous ceased: Mea=
nwhile
the pomp of festival increased: By heralds rank'd; in marshall'd order move=
The
city tribes, to pleased Apollo's grove: Beneath the verdure of which awful
shade, The lunar hecatomb they grateful laid; Partook the sacred feast, and
ritual honours paid. But the rich banquet, in the dome prepared (An humble
sideboard set) Ulysses shared. Observant of the prince's high behest, His
menial train attend the stranger-guest; Whom Pallas with unpardoning fury
fired, By lordly pride and keen reproach inspired. A Samian peer, more stud=
ious
than the rest Of vice, who teem'd with many a dead-born jest; And urged, for
title to a consort queen, Unnumber'd acres arable and green (Otesippus name=
d);
this lord Ulysses eyed, And thus burst out the imposthumate with pride:
"The sentence I propose, ye peers, attend=
: Since
due regard must wait the prince's friend, Let each a token of esteem bestow=
: This
gift acquits the dear respect I owe; With which he nobly may discharge his
seat, And pay the menials for a master's treat."
He said: and of the steer before him placed, T=
hat
sinewy fragment at Ulysses cast, Where to the pastern-bone, by nerves combi=
ned,
The well-horn'd foot indissolubly join'd; Which whizzing high, the wall
unseemly sign'd. The chief indignant grins a ghastly smile; Revenge and sco=
rn
within his bosom boil: When thus the prince with pious rage inflamed: "=
;Had
not the inglorious wound thy malice aim'd Fall'n guiltless of the mark, my
certain spear Had made thee buy the brutal triumph dear: Nor should thy sir=
e a
queen his daughter boast; The suitor, now, had vanish'd in a ghost: No more=
, ye
lewd compeers, with lawless power Invade my dome, my herds and flocks devou=
r: For
genuine worth, of age mature to know, My grape shall redden, and my harvest
grow Or, if each other's wrongs ye still support, With rapes and riot to
profane my court; What single arm with numbers can contend? On me let all y=
our
lifted swords descend, And with my life such vile dishonours end."
A long cessation of discourse ensued, By gentl=
er
Agelaus thus renew'd:
"A just reproof, ye peers! your rage rest=
rain
From the protected guest, and menial train: And, prince! to stop the source=
of
future ill, Assent yourself, and gain the royal will. Whilst hope prevail'd=
to see
your sire restored, Of right the queen refused a second lord: But who so va=
in
of faith, so blind to fate, To think he still survives to claim the state? =
Now
press the sovereign dame with warm desire To wed, as wealth or worth her ch=
oice
inspire: The lord selected to the nuptial joys Far hence will lead the
long-contested prize: Whilst in paternal pomp with plenty bless'd, You reig=
n,
of this imperial dome possess'd."
Sage and serene Telemachus replies: "By h=
im
at whose behest the thunder flies, And by the name on earth I most revere, =
By
great Ulysses and his woes I swear! (Who never must review his dear domain;=
Enroll'd,
perhaps, in Pluto's dreary train), Whene'er her choice the royal dame avows=
, My
bridal gifts shall load the future spouse: But from this dome my parent que=
en
to chase! From me, ye gods! avert such dire disgrace."
But Pallas clouds with intellectual gloom The
suitors' souls, insensate of their doom! A mirthful frenzy seized the fated
crowd; The roofs resound with causeless laughter loud; Floating in gore,
portentous to survey! In each discolour'd vase the viands lay; Then down ea=
ch
cheek the tears spontaneous flow And sudden sighs precede approaching woe. =
In
vision wrapp'd, the Hyperesian seer Uprose, and thus divined the vengeance
near:
"O race to death devote! with Stygian sha=
de Each
destin'd peer impending fates invade; With tears your wan distorted cheeks =
are
drown'd; With sanguine drops the walls are rubied round: Thick swarms the
spacious hall with howling ghosts, To people Orcus, and the burning coasts!=
Nor
gives the sun his golden orb to roll, But universal night usurps the
pole!"
Yet warn'd in vain, with laughter loud elate T=
he
peers reproach the sure divine of Fate; And thus Eurymachus: "The dota=
rd's
mind To every sense is lost, to reason blind; Swift from the dome conduct t=
he
slave away; Let him in open air behold the day."
"Tax not (the heaven-illumined seer rejoi=
n'd)
Of rage, or folly, my prophetic mind, No clouds of error dim the ethereal r=
ays,
Her equal power each faithful sense obeys. Unguided hence my trembling step=
s I
bend, Far hence, before yon hovering deaths descend; Lest the ripe harvest =
of
revenge begun, I share the doom ye suitors cannot shun."
This said, to sage Piraeus sped the seer, His
honour'd host, a welcome inmate there. O'er the protracted feast the suitors
sit, And aim to wound the prince with pointless wit: Cries one, with scornf=
ul
leer and mimic voice, "Thy charity we praise, but not thy choice; Why =
such
profusion of indulgence shown To this poor, timorous, toil-detesting drone?=
That
others feeds on planetary schemes, And pays his host with hideous noon-day
dreams. But, prince! for once at least believe a friend; To some Sicilian m=
art
these courtiers send, Where, if they yield their freight across the main, D=
ear
sell the slaves! demand no greater gain."
Thus jovial they; but nought the prince replie=
s; Full
on his sire he roll'd his ardent eyes: Impatient straight to flesh his
virgin-sword; From the wise chief he waits the deathful word. Nigh in her
bright alcove, the pensive queen To see the circle sate, of all unseen. Sat=
ed
at length they rise, and bid prepare An eve-repast, with equal cost and car=
e: But
vengeful Pallas, with preventing speed, A feast proportion'd to their crimes
decreed; A feast of death, the feasters doom'd to bleed!
Penelope, to put an end to the solicitation of=
the
suitors, proposes to marry the person who shall first bend the bow of Ulyss=
es,
and shoot through the ringlets. After their attempts have proved ineffectua=
l,
Ulysses, taking Eumaeus and Philaetius apart, discovers himself to them; th=
en
returning, desires leave to try his strength at the bow, which, though refu=
sed
with indignation by the suitors, Penelope and Telemachus cause it to be
delivered to his hands. He bends it immediately, and shoots through all the=
rings.
Jupiter at the same instant thunders from heaven; Ulysses accepts the omen,=
and
gives a sign to Telemachus, who stands ready armed at his side.
And Pallas now, to raise the rivals' fires, Wi=
th
her own art Penelope inspires Who now can bend Ulysses' bow, and wing The
well-aim'd arrow through the distant ring, Shall end the strife, and win the
imperial dame: But discord and black death await the game!
The prudent queen the lofty stair ascends: At
distance due a virgin-train attends; A brazen key she held, the handle turn=
'd, With
steel and polish'd elephant adorn'd: Swift to the inmost room she bent her =
way,
Where, safe reposed, the royal treasures lay: There shone high heap'd the
labour'd brass and ore, And there the bow which great Ulysses bore; And the=
re
the quiver, where now guiltless slept Those winged deaths that many a matron
wept.
This gift, long since when Sparta's shore he t=
rod,
On young Ulysses Iphitus bestowed: Beneath Orsilochus' roof they met; One l=
oss
was private, one a public debt; Messena's state from Ithaca detains Three
hundred sheep, and all the shepherd swains; And to the youthful prince to u=
rge
the laws, The king and elders trust their common cause. But Iphitus, employ=
ed
on other cares, Search'd the wide country for his wandering mares, And mule=
s,
the strongest of the labouring kind; Hapless to search; more hapless still =
to
find! For journeying on to Hercules, at length That lawless wretch, that ma=
n of
brutal strength, Deaf to Heaven's voice, the social rites transgress'd; And=
for
the beauteous mares destroy'd his guest. He gave the bow; and on Ulysses' p=
art Received
a pointed sword, and missile dart: Of luckless friendship on a foreign shor=
e Their
first, last pledges! for they met no more. The bow, bequeath'd by this unha=
ppy
hand, Ulysses bore not from his native land; Nor in the front of battle tau=
ght
to bend, But kept in dear memorial of his friend.
Now gently winding up the fair ascent, By many=
an
easy step the matron went; Then o'er the pavement glides with grace divine =
(With
polish'd oak the level pavements shine); The folding gates a dazzling light
display'd, With pomp of various architrave o'erlaid. The bolt, obedient to =
the
silken string, Forsakes the staple as she pulls the ring; The wards respond=
ent
to the key turn round; The bars fall back; the flying valves resound; Loud =
as a
bull makes hill and valley ring, So roar'd the lock when it released the
spring. She moves majestic through the wealthy room, Where treasured garmen=
ts
cast a rich perfume; There from the column where aloft it hung, Reach'd in =
its
splendid case, the bow unstrung; Across her knees she laid the well-known b=
ow, And
pensive sate, and tears began to flow. To full satiety of grief she mourns,=
Then
silent to the joyous hall returns, To the proud suitors bears in pensive st=
ate The
unbended bow, and arrows winged with fate.
Behind, her train the polish'd coffer brings, =
Which
held the alternate brass and silver rings. Full in the portal the chaste qu=
een
appears, And with her veil conceals the coming tears: On either side awaits=
a
virgin fair; While thus the matron, with majestic air:
"Say you, when these forbidden walls incl=
ose,
For whom my victims bleed, my vintage flows: If these neglected, faded char=
ms
can move? Or is it but a vain pretence, you love? If I the prize, if me you
seek to wife, Hear the conditions, and commence the strife. Who first Ulyss=
es'
wondrous bow shall bend, And through twelve ringlets the fleet arrow send; =
Him
will I follow, and forsake my home, For him forsake this loved, this wealthy
dome, Long, long the scene of all my past delight, And still to last, the
vision of my night!"
Graceful she said, and bade Eumaeus show The r=
ival
peers the ringlets and the bow. From his full eyes the tears unbidden sprin=
g, Touch'd
at the dear memorials of his king. Philaetius too relents, but secret shed =
The
tender drops. Antinous saw, and said:
"Hence to your fields, ye rustics! hence
away, Nor stain with grief the pleasures of the day; Nor to the royal heart
recall in vain The sad remembrance of a perish'd man. Enough her precious t=
ears
already flow-- Or share the feast with due respect; or go To weep abroad, a=
nd
leave to us the bow, No vulgar task! Ill suits this courtly crew That stubb=
orn
horn which brave Ulysses drew. I well remember (for I gazed him o'er While =
yet
a child), what majesty he bore! And still (all infant as I was) retain The
port, the strength, the grandeur of the man."
He said, but in his soul fond joys arise, And =
his
proud hopes already win the prize. To speed the flying shaft through every
ring, Wretch! is not thine: the arrows of the king Shall end those hopes, a=
nd
fate is on the wing!
Then thus Telemachus: "Some god I find Wi=
th
pleasing frenzy has possess'd my mind; When a loved mother threatens to dep=
art,
Why with this ill-timed gladness leaps my heart? Come then, ye suitors! and
dispute a prize Richer than all the Achaian state supplies, Than all proud
Argos, or Mycaena knows, Than all our isles or continents inclose; A woman
matchless, and almost divine, Fit for the praise of every tongue but mine. =
No
more excuses then, no more delay; Haste to the trial--Lo! I lead the way.
"I too may try, and if this arm can wing =
The
feather'd arrow through the destined ring, Then if no happier night the
conquest boast, I shall not sorrow for a mother lost; But, bless'd in her,
possess those arms alone, Heir of my father's strength, as well as
throne."
He spoke; then rising, his broad sword unbound=
, And
cast his purple garment on the ground. A trench he open'd: in a line he pla=
ced.
The level axes, and the points made fast (His perfect skill the wondering
gazers eyed, The game as yet unseen, as yet untried). Then, with a manly pa=
ce,
he took his stand: And grasp'd the bow, and twang'd it in his hand. Three
times, with beating heart, he made essay: Three times, unequal to the task,
gave way; A modest boldness on his cheek appear'd: And thrice he hoped, and
thrice again he fear'd. The fourth had drawn it. The great sire with joy Be=
held,
but with a sign forbade the boy. His ardour straight the obedient prince
suppress'd, And, artful, thus the suitor-train address'd:
"O lay the cause on youth yet immature! (=
For
heaven forbid such weakness should endure!) How shall this arm, unequal to =
the
bow, Retort an insult, or repel a foe? But you! whom Heaven with better ner=
ves
has bless'd, Accept the trial, and the prize contest."
He cast the bow before him, and apart Against =
the
polish'd quiver propp'd the dart. Resuming then his seat, Eupithes' son, The
bold Antinous, to the rest begun: "From where the goblet first begins =
to
flow, From right to left in order take the bow; And prove your several
strengths." The princes heard And first Leiodes, blameless priest'd,
appear'd: The eldest born of Oenops' noble race, Who next the goblet held h=
is
holy place: He, only he, of all the suitor throng, Their deeds detested, and
abjured the wrong. With tender hands the stubborn horn he strains, The stub=
born
horn resisted all his pains! Already in despair he gives it o'er: "Tak=
e it
who will (he cries), I strive no more, What numerous deaths attend this fat=
al
bow! What souls and spirits shall it send below! Better, indeed, to die, and
fairly give Nature her debt, than disappointed live, With each new sun to s=
ome
new hope a prey, Yet still to-morrow falser than to-day. How long in vain
Penelope we sought! This bow shall ease us of that idle thought, And send us
with some humbler wife to live, Whom gold shall gain, or destiny shall
give."
Thus speaking, on the floor the bow he placed =
(With
rich inlay the various floor was graced): At distance far the feather'd sha=
ft
he throws, And to the seat returns from whence he rose.
To him Antinous thus with fury said: "What
words ill-omen'd from thy lips have fled? Thy coward-function ever is in fe=
ar! Those
arms are dreadful which thou canst not bear, Why should this bow be fatal to
the brave? Because the priest is born a peaceful slave. Mark then what othe=
rs
can." He ended there, And bade Melanthius a vast pile prepare; He give=
s it
instant flame, then fast beside Spreads o'er an ample board a bullock's hid=
e. With
melted lard they soak the weapon o'er, Chafe every knot, and supple every p=
ore.
Vain all their art, and all their strength as vain; The bow inflexible resi=
sts
their pain. The force of great Eurymachus alone And bold Antinous, yet unti=
red,
unknown: Those only now remain'd; but those confess'd Of all the train the
mightiest and the best.
Then from the hall, and from the noisy crew, T=
he
masters of the herd and flock withdrew. The king observes them, he the hall
forsakes, And, past the limits of the court, o'ertakes. Then thus with acce=
nt
mild Ulysses spoke: "Ye faithful guardians of the herd and flock! Shal=
l I
the secret of my breast conceal, Or (as my soul now dictates) shall I tell?=
Say,
should some favouring god restore again The lost Ulysses to his native reig=
n, How
beat your hearts? what aid would you afford To the proud suitors, or your
ancient lord?"
Philaetius thus: "O were thy word not vai=
n! Would
mighty Jove restore that man again! These aged sinews, with new vigour stru=
ng, In
his blest cause should emulate the young." With equal vows Eumaeus too
implored Each power above, with wishes for his lord.
He saw their secret souls, and thus began: &qu=
ot;Those
vows the gods accord; behold the man! Your own Ulysses! twice ten years
detain'd By woes and wanderings from this hapless land: At length he comes;=
but
comes despised, unknown, And finding faithful you, and you alone. All else =
have
cast him from their very thought, E'en in their wishes and their prayers
forgot! Hear then, my friends: If Jove this arm succeed, And give yon impio=
us
revellers to bleed, My care shall be to bless your future lives With large
possessions and with faithful wives; Fast by my palace shall your domes asc=
end,
And each on young Telemachus attend, And each be call'd his brother and my
friend. To give you firmer faith, now trust your eye; Lo! the broad scar
indented on my thigh, When with Autolycus' sons, of yore, On Parnass' top I
chased the tusky boar." His ragged vest then drawn aside disclosed The
sign conspicuous, and the scar exposed: Eager they view'd, with joy they st=
ood
amazed With tearful eyes o'er all their master gazed: Around his neck their
longing arms they cast, His head, his shoulders, and his knees embraced; Te=
ars
followed tears; no word was in their power; In solemn silence fell the kind=
ly
shower. The king too weeps, the king too grasps their hands; And moveless, =
as a
marble fountain, stands.
Thus had their joy wept down the setting sun, =
But
first the wise man ceased, and thus begun: "Enough--on other cares your
thought employ, For danger waits on all untimely joy. Full many foes and
fierce, observe us near; Some may betray, and yonder walls may hear. Re-ent=
er
then, not all at once, but stay Some moments you, and let me lead the way. =
To
me, neglected as I am I know The haughty suitors will deny the bow; But tho=
u,
Eumaeus, as 'tis borne away, Thy master's weapon to his hand convey. At eve=
ry
portal let some matron wait, And each lock fast the well-compacted gate: Cl=
ose
let them keep, whate'er invades their ear; Though arms, or shouts, or dying
groans they hear. To thy strict charge, Philaetius, we consign The court's =
main
gate: to guard that pass be thine."
This said, he first return'd; the faithful swa=
ins At
distance follow, as their king ordains. Before the flame Eurymachus now sta=
nds,
And turns the bow, and chafes it with his hands Still the tough bow unmoved.
The lofty man Sigh'd from his mighty soul, and thus began:
"I mourn the common cause: for, oh, my
friends, On me, on all, what grief, what shame attends! Not the lost nuptia=
ls
can affect me more (For Greece has beauteous dames on every shore), But baf=
fled
thus! confess'd so far below Ulysses' strength, as not to bend his bow! How
shall all ages our attempt deride! Our weakness scorn!" Antinous thus
replied:
"Not so, Eurymachus: that no man draws The
wondrous bow, attend another cause. Sacred to Phoebus is the solemn day, Wh=
ich
thoughtless we in games would waste away: Till the next dawn this ill-timed
strife forego, And here leave fixed the ringlets in a row. Now bid the sewer
approach, and let us join In due libations, and in rites divine, So end our
night: before the day shall spring, The choicest offerings let Melanthius
bring: Let then to Phoebus' name the fatted thighs Feed the rich smokes high
curling to the skies. So shall the patron of these arts bestow (For his the
gift) the skill to bend the bow."
They heard well pleased: the ready heralds bri=
ng The
cleansing waters from the limpid spring: The goblet high with rosy wine they
crown'd, In order circling to the peers around. That rite complete, uprose =
the
thoughtful man, And thus his meditated scheme began:
"If what I ask your noble minds approve, =
Ye
peers and rivals in the royal love! Chief, if it hurt not great Antinous' e=
ar (Whose
sage decision I with wonder hear), And if Eurymachus the motion please: Give
Heaven this day and rest the bow in peace. To-morrow let your arms dispute =
the
prize, And take it he, the favour'd of the skies! But, since till then this
trial you delay, Trust it one moment to my hands to-day: Fain would I prove,
before your judging eyes, What once I was, whom wretched you despise: If yet
this arm its ancient force retain; Or if my woes (a long-continued train) A=
nd
wants and insults, make me less than man."
Rage flash'd in lightning from the suitors' ey=
es, Yet
mixed with terror at the bold emprise. Antinous then: "O miserable gue=
st! Is
common sense quite banish'd from thy breast? Sufficed it not, within the pa=
lace
placed, To sit distinguish'd, with our presence graced, Admitted here with
princes to confer, A man unknown, a needy wanderer? To copious wine this
insolence we owe, And much thy betters wine can overthrow: The great Euryti=
an
when this frenzy stung, Pirithous' roofs with frantic riot rung; Boundless =
the
Centaur raged; till one and all The heroes rose, and dragg'd him from the h=
all;
His nose they shorten'd, and his ears they slit, And sent him sober'd home,
with better wit. Hence with long war the double race was cursed, Fatal to a=
ll,
but to the aggressor first. Such fate I prophesy our guest attends, If here
this interdicted bow he bends: Nor shall these walls such insolence contain=
: The
first fair wind transports him o'er the main, Where Echetus to death the gu=
ilty
brings (The worst of mortals, e'en the worst of kings). Better than that, if
thou approve our cheer; Cease the mad strife and share our bounty here.&quo=
t;
To this the queen her just dislike express'd:<= o:p>
"'Tis impious, prince, to harm the
stranger-guest, Base to insult who bears a suppliant's name, And some respe=
ct
Telemachus may claim. What if the immortals on the man bestow Sufficient
strength to draw the mighty bow? Shall I, a queen, by rival chiefs adored, =
Accept
a wandering stranger for my lord? A hope so idle never touch'd his brain: T=
hen
ease your bosoms of a fear so vain. Far be he banish'd from this stately sc=
ene Who
wrongs his princess with a thought so mean."
"O fair! and wisest of so fair a kind! (R=
espectful
thus Eurymachus rejoin'd,) Moved by no weak surmise, but sense of shame, We
dread the all-arraigning voice of Fame: We dread the censure of the meanest
slave, The weakest woman: all can wrong the brave. 'Behold what wretches to=
the
bed pretend Of that brave chief whose bow they could not bend! In came a be=
ggar
of the strolling crew, And did what all those princes could not do.' Thus w=
ill
the common voice our deed defame, And thus posterity upbraid our name."=
;
To whom the queen: "If fame engage your
views, Forbear those acts which infamy pursues; Wrong and oppression no ren=
own
can raise; Know, friend! that virtue is the path to praise. The stature of =
our
guest, his port, his face, Speak him descended from no vulgar race. To him =
the
bow, as he desires, convey; And to his hand if Phoebus give the day, Hence,=
to
reward his merit, be shall bear A two-edged falchion and a shining spear, E=
mbroider'd
sandals, a rich cloak and vest, A safe conveyance to his port of rest."=
;
"O royal mother! ever-honour'd name! Perm=
it
me (cries Telemachus) to claim A son's just right. No Grecian prince but I =
Has
power this bow to grant or to deny. Of all that Ithaca's rough hills contai=
n, And
all wide Elis' courser-breeding plain, To me alone my father's arms descend=
; And
mine alone they are, to give or lend. Retire, O queen! thy household task
resume, Tend, with thy maids, the labours of thy loom; The bow, the darts, =
and
arms of chivalry, These cares to man belong, and most to me."
Mature beyond his years, the queen admired His
sage reply, and with her train retired; There in her chamber as she sate ap=
art,
Revolved his words, and placed them in her heart. On her Ulysses then she f=
ix'd
her soul; Down her fair cheek the tears abundant roll, Till gentle Pallas,
piteous of her cries, In slumber closed her silver-streaming eyes.
Now through the press the bow Eumaeus bore, And
all was riot, noise, and wild uproar. "Hold! lawless rustic! whither w=
ilt
thou go? To whom, insensate, dost thou bear the bow? Exiled for this to some
sequester'd den, Far from the sweet society of men, To thy own dogs a prey =
thou
shalt be made; If Heaven and Phoebus lend the suitors aid." Thus they.
Aghast he laid the weapon down, But bold Telemachus thus urged him on: &quo=
t;Proceed,
false slave, and slight their empty words: What! hopes the fool to please so
many lords? Young as I am, thy prince's vengeful hand Stretch'd forth in wr=
ath
shall drive thee from the land. Oh! could the vigour of this arm as well The
oppressive suitors from my walls expel! Then what a shoal of lawless men sh=
ould
go To fill with tumult the dark courts below!"
The suitors with a scornful smile survey The
youth, indulging in the genial day. Eumaeus, thus encouraged, hastes to bri=
ng The
strifeful bow and gives it to the king. Old Euryclea calling them aside, &q=
uot;Hear
what Telemachus enjoins (he cried): At every portal let some matron wait, A=
nd
each lock fast the well-compacted gate; And if unusual sounds invade their =
ear,
If arms, or shouts, or dying groans they hear, Let none to call or issue fo=
rth
presume, But close attend the labours of the loom."
Her prompt obedience on his order waits; Close=
d in
an instant were the palace gates. In the same moment forth Philaetius flies=
, Secures
the court, and with a cable ties The utmost gate (the cable strongly wrough=
t Of
Byblos' reed, a ship from Egypt brought); Then unperceived and silent at the
board His seat he takes, his eyes upon his lord.
And now his well-known bow the master bore, Tu=
rn'd
on all sides, and view'd it o'er and o'er; Lest time or worms had done the
weapon wrong, Its owner absent, and untried so long. While some
deriding--"How he turns the bow! Some other like it sure the man must
know, Or else would copy; or in bows he deals; Perhaps he makes them, or
perhaps he steals." "Heaven to this wretch (another cried) be kin=
d! And
bless, in all to which he stands inclined. With such good fortune as he now
shall find."
Heedless he heard them: but disdain'd reply; T= he bow perusing with exactest eye. Then, as some heavenly minstrel, taught to = sing High notes responsive to the trembling string, To some new strain when he adapts the lyre, Or the dumb lute refits with vocal wire, Relaxes, strains,= and draws them to and fro; So the great master drew the mighty bow, And drew wi= th ease. One hand aloft display'd The bending horns, and one the string essay'= d. From his essaying hand the string, let fly, Twang'd short and sharp like the shr= ill swallow's cry. A general horror ran through all the race, Sunk was each hea= rt, and pale was every face, Signs from above ensued: the unfolding sky In lightning burst; Jove thunder'd from on high. Fired at the call of heaven's almighty Lord, He snatch'd the shaft that glitter'd on the board (Fast by, = the rest lay sleeping in the sheath, But soon to fly the messengers of death).<= o:p>
Now sitting as he was, the cord he drew, Throu=
gh
every ringlet levelling his view: Then notch'd the shaft, released, and gav=
e it
wing; The whizzing arrow vanished from the string, Sung on direct, and thre=
aded
every ring. The solid gate its fury scarcely bounds; Pierced through and
through the solid gate resounds, Then to the prince: "Nor have I wroug=
ht
thee shame; Nor err'd this hand unfaithful to its aim; Nor prov'd the toil =
too
hard; nor have I lost That ancient vigour, once my pride and boast. Ill I
deserved these haughty peers' disdain; Now let them comfort their dejected
train, In sweet repast their present hour employ, Nor wait till evening for=
the
genial joy: Then to the lute's soft voice prolong the night; Music, the
banquet's most refined delight."
He said, then gave a nod; and at the word Tele=
machus
girds on his shining sword. Fast by his father's side he takes his stand: T=
he
beamy javelin lightens in his hand.
Ulysses begins the slaughter of the suitors by=
the
death of Antinous. He declares himself, and lets fly his arrows at the rest.
Telemachus assists and brings arms for his father, himself, Eumaeus, and
Philaetius. Melanthius does the same for the wooers. Minerva encourages Uly=
sses
in the shape of Mentor. The suitors are all slain, only Medon and Phemius a=
re
spared. Melanthius and the unfaithful servants are executed. The rest
acknowledge their master with all demonstrations of joy.
Then fierce the hero o'er the threshold strode=
; Stripp'd
of his rags, he blazed out like a god. Full in their face the lifted bow he
bore, And quiver'd deaths, a formidable store; Before his feet the rattling
shower he threw, And thus, terrific, to the suitor-crew:
"One venturous game this hand hath won
to-day, Another, princes! yet remains to play; Another mark our arrow must
attain. Phoebus, assist! nor be the labour vain." Swift as the word the
parting arrow sings, And bears thy fate, Antinous, on its wings: Wretch tha=
t he
was, of unprophetic soul! High in his hands he rear'd the golden bowl! E'en
then to drain it lengthen'd out his breath; Changed to the deep, the bitter
draught of death: For fate who fear'd amidst a feastful band? And fate to
numbers, by a single hand? Full through his throat Ulysses' weapon pass'd, =
And
pierced his neck. He falls, and breathes his last. The tumbling goblet the =
wide
floor o'erflows, A stream of gore burst spouting from his nose; Grim in
convulsive agonies be sprawls: Before him spurn'd the loaded table falls, A=
nd
spreads the pavement with a mingled flood Of floating meats, and wine, and
human blood. Amazed, confounded, as they saw him fall, Up rose he throngs
tumultuous round the hall: O'er all the dome they cast a haggard eye, Each
look'd for arms--in vain; no arms were nigh: "Aim'st thou at princes? =
(all
amazed they said;) Thy last of games unhappy hast thou play'd; Thy erring s=
haft
has made our bravest bleed, And death, unlucky guest, attends thy deed. Vul=
tures
shall tear thee." Thus incensed they spoke, While each to chance ascri=
bed
the wondrous stroke: Blind as they were: for death e'en now invades His
destined prey, and wraps them all in shades. Then, grimly frowning, with a
dreadful look, That wither'd all their hearts, Ulysses spoke:
"Dogs, ye have had your day! ye fear'd no
more Ulysses vengeful from the Trojan shore; While, to your lust and spoil a
guardless prey, Our house, our wealth, our helpless handmaids lay: Not so
content, with bolder frenzy fired, E'en to our bed presumptuous you aspired=
: Laws
or divine or human fail'd to move, Or shame of men, or dread of gods above;=
Heedless
alike of infamy or praise, Or Fame's eternal voice in future days; The hour=
of
vengeance, wretches, now is come; Impending fate is yours, and instant
doom."
Thus dreadful he. Confused the suitors stood, =
From
their pale cheeks recedes the flying blood: Trembling they sought their gui=
lty
heads to hide. Alone the bold Eurymachus replied:
"If, as thy words import (he thus began),=
Ulysses
lives, and thou the mighty man, Great are thy wrongs, and much hast thou
sustain'd In thy spoil'd palace, and exhausted land; The cause and author of
those guilty deeds, Lo! at thy feet unjust Antinous bleeds Not love, but wi=
ld
ambition was his guide; To slay thy son, thy kingdom to divide, These were =
his
aims; but juster Jove denied. Since cold in death the offender lies, oh spa=
re Thy
suppliant people, and receive their prayer! Brass, gold, and treasures, sha=
ll
the spoil defray, Two hundred oxen every prince shall pay: The waste of yea=
rs
refunded in a day. Till then thy wrath is just." Ulysses burn'd With h=
igh
disdain, and sternly thus return'd:
"All, all the treasure that enrich'd our
throne Before your rapines, join'd with all your own, If offer'd, vainly sh=
ould
for mercy call; 'Tis you that offer, and I scorn them all; Your blood is my
demand, your lives the prize, Till pale as yonder wretch each suitor lies. =
Hence
with those coward terms; or fight or fly; This choice is left you, to resis=
t or
die: And die I trust ye shall." He sternly spoke: With guilty fears the
pale assembly shook. Alone Eurymachus exhorts the train: "Yon archer,
comrades, will not shoot in vain; But from the threshold shall his darts be
sped, (Whoe'er he be), till every prince lie dead? Be mindful of yourselves,
draw forth your swords, And to his shafts obtend these ample boards (So need
compels). Then, all united, strive The bold invader from his post to drive:=
The
city roused shall to our rescue haste, And this mad archer soon have shot h=
is
last." Swift as he spoke, he drew his traitor sword, And like a lion
rush'd against his lord: The wary chief the rushing foe repress'd, Who met =
the
point and forced it in his breast: His falling hand deserts the lifted swor=
d, And
prone he falls extended o'er the board! Before him wide, in mix'd effusion =
roll
The untasted viands, and the jovial bowl. Full through his liver pass'd the
mortal wound, With dying rage his forehead beats the ground; He spurn'd the
seat with fury as he fell, And the fierce soul to darkness dived, and hell.=
Next
bold Amphinomus his arm extends To force the pass; the godlike man defends.=
Thy
spear, Telemachus, prevents the attack, The brazen weapon driving through h=
is
back. Thence through his breast its bloody passage tore; Flat falls he
thundering on the marble floor, And his crush'd forehead marks the stone wi=
th
gore. He left his javelin in the dead, for fear The long encumbrance of the
weighty spear To the fierce foe advantage might afford, To rash between and=
use
the shorten'd sword. With speedy ardour to his sire he flies, And, "Ar=
m,
great father! arm (in haste he cries). Lo, hence I run for other arms to wi=
eld,
For missive javelins, and for helm and shield; Fast by our side let either
faithful swain In arms attend us, and their part sustain."
"Haste, and return (Ulysses made reply) W=
hile
yet the auxiliar shafts this hand supply; Lest thus alone, encounter'd by an
host, Driven from the gate, the important past be lost."
With speed Telemachus obeys, and flies Where p=
iled
in heaps the royal armour lies; Four brazen helmets, eight refulgent spears=
, And
four broad bucklers to his sire he bears: At once in brazen panoply they sh=
one.
At once each servant braced his armour on; Around their king a faithful gua=
rd
they stand. While yet each shaft flew deathful from his hand: Chief after c=
hief
expired at every wound, And swell'd the bleeding mountain on the ground. So=
on
as his store of flying fates was spent. Against the wall he set the bow unb=
ent;
And now his shoulders bear the massy shield, And now his hands two beamy
javelins wield: He frowns beneath his nodding plume, that play'd O'er the h=
igh
crest, and cast a dreadful shade.
There stood a window near, whence looking down=
From
o'er the porch appear'd the subject town. A double strength of valves secur=
ed
the place, A high and narrow; but the only pass: The cautious king, with
all-preventing care, To guard that outlet, placed Eumaeus there; When Agela=
us
thus: "Has none the sense To mount yon window, and alarm from thence T=
he
neighbour-town? the town shall force the door, And this bold archer soon sh=
all
shoot no more." Melanthius then: "That outlet to the gate So near
adjoins, that one may guard the strait. But other methods of defence remain=
; Myself
with arms can furnish all the train; Stores from the royal magazine I bring=
, And
their own darts shall pierce the prince and king."
He said; and mounting up the lofty stairs, Twe=
lve
shields, twelve lances, and twelve helmets bears: All arm, and sudden round=
the
hall appears A blaze of bucklers, and a wood of spears.
The hero stands oppress'd with mighty woe, On
every side he sees the labour grow; "Oh cursed event! and oh unlook'd =
for
aid! Melanthius or the women have betray'd-- Oh my dear son!"--The fat=
her
with a sigh Then ceased; the filial virtue made reply;
"Falsehood is folly, and 'tis just to own=
The
fault committed: this was mine alone; My haste neglected yonder door to bar=
, And
hence the villain has supplied their war. Run, good Eumaeus, then, and (what
before I thoughtless err'd in) well secure that door: Learn, if by female f=
raud
this deed were done, Or (as my thought misgives) by Dolius' son."
While yet they spoke, in quest of arms again To
the high chamber stole the faithless swain, Not unobserved. Eumaeus watchful
eyed, And thus address'd Ulysses near his side:
"The miscreant we suspected takes that wa=
y; Him,
if this arm be powerful, shall I slay? Or drive him hither, to receive the =
meed
From thy own hand, of this detested deed?"
"Not so (replied Ulysses); leave him ther=
e, For
us sufficient is another care; Within the structure of this palace wall To =
keep
enclosed his masters till they fall. Go you, and seize the felon; backward =
bind
His arms and legs, and fix a plank behind: On this his body by strong cords
extend, And on a column near the roof suspend: So studied tortures his vile
days shall end."
The ready swains obey'd with joyful haste, Beh=
ind
the felon unperceived they pass'd, As round the room in quest of arms he go=
es (The
half-shut door conceal'd his lurking foes): One hand sustain'd a helm, and =
one
the shield Which old Laertes wont in youth to wield, Cover'd with dust, with
dryness chapp'd and worn, The brass corroded, and the leather torn. Thus la=
den,
o'er the threshold as he stepp'd, Fierce on the villain from each side they
leap'd, Back by the hair the trembling dastard drew, And down reluctant on =
the
pavement threw. Active and pleased the zealous swains fulfil At every point
their master's rigid will; First, fast behind, his hands and feet they boun=
d, Then
straighten'd cords involved his body round; So drawn aloft, athwart the col=
umn
tied, The howling felon swung from side to side.
Eumaeus scoffing then with keen disdain: "=
;There
pass thy pleasing night, O gentle swain! On that soft pillow, from that env=
ied
height, First may'st thou see the springing dawn of light; So timely rise, =
when
morning streaks the east, To drive thy victims to the suitors' feast."=
This said, they, left him, tortured as he lay,=
Secured
the door, and hasty strode away: Each, breathing death, resumed his dangero=
us
post Near great Ulysses; four against an host, When lo! descending to her
hero's aid, Jove's daughter, Pallas, War's triumphant maid: In Mentor's
friendly form she join'd his side: Ulysses saw, and thus with transport cri=
ed:
"Come, ever welcome, and thy succour lend=
; O
every sacred name in one, my friend! Early we loved, and long our loves have
grown; Whate'er through life's whole series I have done, Or good, or gratef=
ul,
now to mind recall, And, aiding this one hour, repay it all."
Thus he; but pleasing hopes his bosom warm Of
Pallas latent in the friendly form. The adverse host the phantom-warrior ey=
ed, And
first, loud-threatening, Agelaus cried:
"Mentor, beware, nor let that tongue pers=
uade
Thy frantic arm to lend Ulysses aid; Our force successful shall our threat =
make
good, And with the sire and son commix thy blood. What hopest thou here? Th=
ee
first the sword shall slay, Then lop thy whole posterity away; Far hence thy
banish'd consort shall we send; With his thy forfeit lands and treasures bl=
end;
Thus, and thus only, shalt thou join thy friend."
His barbarous insult even the goddess fires, W=
ho
thus the warrior to revenge inspires:
"Art thou Ulysses? where then shall we fi=
nd The
patient body and the constant mind? That courage, once the Trojans' daily
dread, Known nine long years, and felt by heroes dead? And where that condu=
ct,
which revenged the lust Of Priam's race, and laid proud Troy in dust? If th=
is,
when Helen was the cause, were done; What for thy country now, thy queen, t=
hy
son? Rise then in combat, at my side attend; Observe what vigour gratitude =
can
lend, And foes how weak, opposed against a friend!"
She spoke; but willing longer to survey The si=
re
and son's great acts withheld the day! By farther toils decreed the brave to
try, And level poised the wings of victory; Then with a change of form elud=
es
their sight, Perch'd like a swallow on a rafter's height, And unperceived
enjoys the rising fight.
Damastor's son, bold Agelaus, leads, The guilty
war, Eurynomus succeeds; With these, Pisander, great Polyctor's son, Sage
Polybus, and stern Amphimedon, With Demoptolemus: these six survive: The be=
st
of all the shafts had left alive. Amidst the carnage, desperate as they sta=
nd, Thus
Agelaus roused the lagging band:
"The hour has come, when yon fierce man no
more With bleeding princes shall bestrew the floor; Lo! Mentor leaves him w=
ith
an empty boast; The four remain, but four against an host. Let each at once
discharge the deadly dart, One sure of six shall reach Ulysses' heart: The =
rest
must perish, their great leader slain: Thus shall one stroke the glory lost
regain."
Then all at once their mingled lances threw, A=
nd
thirsty all of one man's blood they flew; In vain! Minerva turned them with=
her
breath, And scattered short, or wide, the points of death! With deaden'd so=
und
one on the threshold falls, One strikes the gate, one rings against the wal=
ls: The
storm passed innocent. The godlike man Now loftier trod, and dreadful thus
began: "'Tis now (brave friends) our turn, at once to throw, (So speed
them Heaven) our javelins at the foe. That impious race to all their past
misdeeds Would add our blood, injustice still proceeds."
He spoke: at once their fiery lances flew: Gre=
at
Demoptolemus Ulysses slew; Euryades received the prince's dart; The goather=
d's
quiver'd in Pisander's heart; Fierce Elatus by thine, Eumaeus, falls; Their
fall in thunder echoes round the walls. The rest retreat: the victors now
advance, Each from the dead resumes his bloody lance. Again the foe dischar=
ge
the steely shower; Again made frustrate by the virgin-power. Some, turn'd by
Pallas, on the threshold fall, Some wound the gate, some ring against the w=
all;
Some weak, or ponderous with the brazen head, Drop harmless on the pavement,
sounding dead.
Then bold Amphimedon his javelin cast: Thy han=
d,
Telemachus, it lightly razed: And from Ctesippus' arm the spear elanced: On
good Eumaeus' shield and shoulder glanced; Not lessened of their force (so
light the wound) Each sung along and dropped upon the ground. Fate doom'd t=
hee
next, Eurydamus, to bear, Thy death ennobled by Ulysses' spear. By the bold=
son
Amphimedon was slain, And Polybus renown'd, the faithful swain. Pierced thr=
ough
the breast the rude Ctesippus bled, And thus Philaetius gloried o'er the de=
ad:
"There end thy pompous vaunts and high
disdain; O sharp in scandal, voluble and vain! How weak is mortal pride! To
Heaven alone The event of actions and our fates are known: Scoffer, behold =
what
gratitude we bear: The victim's heel is answered with this spear."
Ulysses brandish'd high his vengeful steel, And
Damastorides that instant fell: Fast by Leocritus expiring lay, The prince's
javelin tore its bloody way Through all his bowels: down he tumbled prone, =
His
batter'd front and brains besmear the stone.
Now Pallas shines confess'd; aloft she spreads=
The
arm of vengeance o'er their guilty heads: The dreadful aegis blazes in their
eye: Amazed they see, they tremble, and they fly: Confused, distracted, thr=
ough
he rooms they fling: Like oxen madden'd by the breeze's sting, When sultry
days, and long, succeed the gentle spring, Not half so keen fierce vultures=
of
the chase Stoop from the mountains on the feather'd race, When, the wide fi=
eld
extended snares beset, With conscious dread they shun the quivering net: No
help, no flight; but wounded every way, Headlong they drop; the fowlers sei=
ze
their prey. On all sides thus they double wound on wound, In prostrate heaps
the wretches beat the ground, Unmanly shrieks precede each dying groan, And=
a
red deluge floats the reaking stone.
Leiodes first before the victor falls: The
wretched augur thus for mercy calls: "Oh gracious hear, nor let thy
suppliant bleed; Still undishonoured, or by word or deed, Thy house, for me
remains; by me repress'd Full oft was check'd the injustice of the rest: Av=
erse
they heard me when I counselled well, Their hearts were harden'd, and they
justly fell. O spare an augur's consecrated head, Nor add the blameless to =
the
guilty dead."
"Priest as thou art! for that detested ba=
nd Thy
lying prophecies deceived the land; Against Ulysses have thy vows been made=
, For
them thy daily orisons were paid: Yet more, e'en to our bed thy pride aspir=
es: One
common crime one common fate requires."
Thus speaking, from the ground the sword he to=
ok Which
Agelaus' dying hand forsook: Full through his neck the weighty falchion spe=
d; Along
the pavement roll'd the muttering head.
Phemius alone the hand of vengeance spared, Ph=
emius
the sweet, the heaven-instructed bard. Beside the gate the reverend minstrel
stands; The lyre now silent trembling in his hands; Dubious to supplicate t=
he chief,
or fly To Jove's inviolable altar nigh, Where oft Laertes holy vows had pai=
d, And
oft Ulysses smoking victims laid. His honour'd harp with care he first set
down, Between the laver and the silver throne; Then prostrate stretch'd bef=
ore
the dreadful man, Persuasive thus, with accent soft began:
"O king! to mercy be thy soul inclined, A=
nd
spare the poet's ever-gentle kind. A deed like this thy future fame would
wrong, For dear to gods and men is sacred song. Self-taught I sing; by Heav=
en,
and Heaven alone, The genuine seeds of poesy are sown: And (what the gods
bestow) the lofty lay To gods alone and godlike worth we pay. Save then the
poet, and thyself reward! 'Tis thine to merit, mine is to record. That here=
I
sung, was force, and not desire; This hand reluctant touch'd the warbling w=
ire;
And let thy son attest, nor sordid pay, Nor servile flattery, stain'd the m=
oral
lay."
The moving words Telemachus attends, His sire
approaches, and the bard defends. "O mix not, father, with those impio=
us
dead The man divine! forbear that sacred head; Medon, the herald, too, our =
arms
may spare, Medon, who made my infancy his care; If yet he breathes, permit =
thy
son to give Thus much to gratitude, and bid him live."
Beneath a table, trembling with dismay, Couch'd
close to earth, unhappy Medon lay, Wrapp'd in a new-slain ox's ample hide; =
Swift
at the word he cast his screen aside, Sprung to the prince, embraced his kn=
ee
with tears, And thus with grateful voice address'd his ears
"O prince! O friend! lo, here thy Medon
stands Ah stop the hero's unresisted hands, Incensed too justly by that imp=
ious
brood, Whose guilty glories now are set in blood." To whom Ulysses wit=
h a
pleasing eye:
"Be bold, on friendship and my son rely; =
Live,
an example for the world to read, How much more safe the good than evil dee=
d: Thou,
with the heaven-taught bard, in peace resort From blood and carnage to yon =
open
court: Me other work requires." With timorous awe From the dire scene =
the
exempted two withdraw, Scarce sure of life, look round, and trembling move =
To
the bright altars of Protector Jove.
Meanwhile Ulysses search'd the dome, to find If
yet there live of all the offending kind. Not one! complete the bloody tale=
he
found, All steep'd in blood, all gasping on the ground. So, when by hollow
shores the fisher-train Sweep with their arching nets the roaring main, And
scarce the meshy toils the copious draught contain, All naked of their elem=
ent,
and bare, The fishes pant, and gasp in thinner air; Wide o'er the sands are
spread the stiffening prey, Till the warm sun exhales their soul away.
And now the king commands his son to call Old
Euryclea to the deathful hall: The son observant not a moment stays; The ag=
ed
governess with speed obeys; The sounding portals instant they display; The =
matron
moves, the prince directs the way. On heaps of death the stern Ulysses stoo=
d, All
black with dust, and cover'd thick with blood. So the grim lion from the
slaughter comes, Dreadful lie glares, and terribly he foams, His breast with
marks of carnage painted o'er, His jaws all dropping with the bull's black
gore.
Soon as her eyes the welcome object met, The
guilty fall'n, the mighty deed complete; A scream of joy her feeble voice
essay'd; The hero check'd her, and composedly said.
"Woman, experienced as thou art, control =
Indecent
joy, and feast thy secret soul. To insult the dead is cruel and unjust; Fate
and their crime have sunk them to the dust. Nor heeded these the censure of
mankind, The good and bad were equal in their mind Justly the price of wort=
hlessness
they paid, And each now wails an unlamented shade. But thou sincere! O
Euryclea, say, What maids dishonour us, and what obey?"
Then she: "In these thy kingly walls rema=
in (My
son) full fifty of the handmaid train, Taught by my care to cull the fleece=
or
weave, And servitude with pleasing tasks deceive; Of these, twice six pursue
their wicked way, Nor me, nor chaste Penelope obey; Nor fits it that Telema=
chus
command (Young as he is) his mother's female band. Hence to the upper chamb=
ers
let me fly Where slumbers soft now close the royal eye; There wake her with=
the
news"--the matron cried "Not so (Ulysses, more sedate, replied), =
Bring
first the crew who wrought these guilty deeds." In haste the matron pa=
rts:
the king proceeds; "Now to dispose the dead, the care remains To you, =
my
son, and you, my faithfull swains; The offending females to that task we do=
om, To
wash, to scent, and purify the room; These (every table cleansed, and every
throne, And all the melancholy labour done) Drive to yon court, without the
palace wall, There the revenging sword shall smite them all; So with the
suitors let them mix in dust, Stretch'd in a long oblivion of their lust.&q=
uot;
He said: the lamentable train appear, Each vents a groan, and drops a tender
tear; Each heaved her mournful burden, and beneath The porch deposed the
ghastly heap of death. The chief severe, compelling each to move, Urged the
dire task imperious from above; With thirsty sponge they rub the tables o'e=
r (The
swains unite their toil); the walls, the floor, Wash'd with the effusive wa=
ve,
are purged of gore. Once more the palace set in fair array, To the base cou=
rt
the females take their way; There compass'd close between the dome and wall=
(Their
life's last scene) they trembling wait their fall.
Then thus the prince: "To these shall we
afford A fate so pure as by the martial sword? To these, the nightly
prostitutes to shame, And base revilers of our house and name?"
Thus speaking, on the circling wall he strung A
ship's tough cable from a column hung; Near the high top he strain'd it
strongly round, Whence no contending foot could reach the ground. Their hea=
ds
above connected in a row, They beat the air with quivering feet below: Thus=
on
some tree hung struggling in the snare, The doves or thrushes flap their wi=
ngs
in air. Soon fled the soul impure, and left behind The empty corse to waver
with the wind.
Then forth they led Melanthius, and began Their
bloody work; they lopp'd away the man, Morsel for dogs! then trimm'd with
brazen shears The wretch, and shorten'd of his nose and ears; His hands and
feet last felt the cruel steel: He roar'd, and torments gave his soul to he=
ll. They
wash, and to Ulysses take their way: So ends the bloody business of the day=
.
To Euryclea then address'd the king: ("Br=
ing
hither fire, and hither sulphur bring, To purge the palace: then the queen
attend, And let her with her matron-train descend; The matron-train, with a=
ll
the virgin-band, Assemble here, to learn their lord's command."
Then Euryclea: "Joyful I obey, But cast t=
hose
mean dishonest rags away; Permit me first the royal robes to bring: Ill sui=
ts
this garb the shoulders of a king." "Bring sulphur straight, and
fire" (the monarch cries). She hears, and at the word obedient flies. =
With
fire and sulphur, cure of noxious fumes, He purged the walls, and
blood-polluted rooms. Again the matron springs with eager pace, And spreads=
her
lord's return from place to place. They hear, rush forth, and instant round=
him
stand, A gazing throng, a torch in every hand. They saw, they knew him, and
with fond embrace Each humbly kiss'd his knee, or hand, or face; He knows t=
hem
all, in all such truth appears, E'en he indulges the sweet joy of tears.
Euryclea awakens Penelope with the news of
Ulysses' return, and the death of the suitors. Penelope scarcely credits he=
r;
but supposes some god has punished them, and descends from her department in
doubt. At the first interview of Ulysses and Penelope, she is quite
unsatisfied. Minerva restores him to the beauty of his youth; but the queen
continues incredulous, till by some circumstances she is convinced, and fal=
ls
into all the transports of passion and tenderness. They recount to each oth=
er all
that has passed during their long separation. The next morning Ulysses, arm=
ing himself
and his friends, goes from the city to visit his father.
Then to the queen, as in repose she lay, The n=
urse
with eager rapture speeds her way: The transports of her faithful heart sup=
ply A
sudden youth, and give her wings to fly.
"And sleeps my child? (the reverend matron cries) Ulysses lives! arise, my child, arise! At length appears the long-expected hour! Ulysses comes! the suitors are no more! No more they vi= ew the golden light of day! Arise, and bless thee with the glad survey?"<= o:p>
Touch'd at her words, the mournful queen rejoi=
n'd:
"Ah! whither wanders thy distemper'd mind? The righteous powers, who t=
read
the starry skies, The weak enlighten, and confound the wise, And human thou=
ght,
with unresisted sway, Depress or raise, enlarge or take away: Truth, by the=
ir
high decree, thy voice forsakes, And folly with the tongue of wisdom speaks=
. Unkind,
the fond illusion to impose! Was it to flatter or deride my woes? Never did=
I
sleep so sweet enjoy, Since my dear lord left Ithaca for Troy. Why must I w=
ake
to grieve, and curse thy shore, O Troy?--may never tongue pronounce thee mo=
re! Begone!
another might have felt our rage, But age is sacred, and we spare thy
age."
To whom with warmth: "My soul a lie disda=
ins;
Ulysses lives, thy own Ulysses reigns: That stranger, patient of the suitor=
s'
wrongs, And the rude license of ungovern'd tongues! He, he is thine! Thy son
his latent guest Long knew, but lock'd the secret in his breast: With well
concerted art to end his woes, And burst at once in vengeance on the
foes."
While yet she spoke, the queen in transport sp=
rung
Swift from the couch, and round the matron hung; Fast from her eye descends=
the
rolling tear: "Say, once more say, is my Ulysses here? How could that
numerous and outrageous band By one be slain, though by a hero's hand?"=
;
"I saw it not (she cries), but heard alon=
e, When
death was busy, a loud dying groan; The damsel-train turn'd pale at every
wound, Immured we sate, and catch'd each passing sound; When death had seiz=
ed
her prey, thy son attends, And at his nod the damsel-train descends; There
terrible in arms Ulysses stood, And the dead suitors almost swam in blood: =
Thy
heart had leap'd the hero to survey, Stern as the surly lion o'er his prey,=
Glorious
in gore, now with sulphereous fire The dome he purges, now the flame aspire=
s; Heap'd
lie the dead without the palace walls-- Haste, daughter, haste, thy own Uly=
sses
calls! Thy every wish the bounteous gods bestow; Enjoy the present good, and
former woe. Ulysses lives, his vanquish'd foes to see; He lives to thy
Telemachus and thee!"
"Ah, no! (with sighs Penelope rejoin'd,) =
Excess
of joy disturbs thy wandering mind; How blest this happy hour, should he
appear, Dear to us all, to me supremely dear; Ah, no! some god the suitors
death decreed, Some god descends, and by his hand they bleed; Blind! to con=
temn
the stranger's righteous cause, And violate all hospitable laws! The good t=
hey
hated, and the powers defied! But heaven is just, and by a god they died. F=
or
never must Ulysses view this shore; Never! the loved Ulysses is no more!&qu=
ot;
"What words (the matron cries) have reach=
'd
my ears? Doubt we his presence, when he now appears! Then hear conviction: =
Ere
the fatal day That forced Ulysses o'er the watery way, A boar, fierce rushi=
ng
in the sylvan war, Plough'd half his thigh; I saw, I saw the scar, And wild
with transport had reveal'd the wound; But ere I spoke, he rose, and check'd
the sound. Then, daughter, haste away! and if a lie Flow from this tongue, =
then
let thy servant die!" To whom with dubious joy the queen replies: &quo=
t;Wise
is thy soul, but errors seize the wise; The works of gods what mortal can
survey? Who knows their motives, who shall trace their way? But learn we
instant how the suitors trod The paths of death, by man, or by a god."=
Thus
speaks the queen, and no reply attends, But with alternate joy and fear
descends; At every step debates her lord to prove; Or, rushing to his arms,
confess her love! Then gliding through the marble valves, in state Opposed,
before the shining sire she sate. The monarch, by a column high enthroned, =
His
eye withdrew, and fix'd it on the ground; Curious to hear his queen the sil=
ence
break: Amazed she sate, and impotent to speak; O'er all the man her eyes she
rolls in vain, Now hopes, now fears, now knows, then doubts again. At length
Telemachus: "Oh, who can find A woman like Penelope unkind? Why thus in
silence? why with winning charms Thus slow to fly with rapture to his arms?=
Stubborn
the breast that with no transport glows, When twice ten years are pass'd of
mighty woes; To softness lost, to spousal love unknown, The gods have formed
that rigid heart of stone!" "O my Telemachus! (the queen rejoin'd=
,) Distracting
fears confound my labouring mind; Powerless to speak. I scarce uplift my ey=
es, Nor
dare to question; doubts on doubts arise. Oh deign he, if Ulysses, to remov=
e These
boding thoughts, and what he is, to prove!" Pleased with her virtuous
fears, the king replies: "Indulge, my son, the cautions of the wise; T=
ime
shall the truth to sure remembrance bring: This garb of poverty belies the
king: No more. This day our deepest care requires, Cautious to act what tho=
ught
mature inspires. If one man's blood, though mean, distain our hands, The
homicide retreats to foreign lands; By us, in heaps the illustrious peerage=
falls,
The important deed our whole attention calls."
"Be that thy care (Telemachus replies) The
world conspires to speak Ulysses wise; For wisdom all is thine! lo, I obey,=
And
dauntless follow where you led the way; Nor shalt thou in the day of danger
find Thy coward son degenerate lag behind."
"Then instant to the bath (the monarch
cries), Bid the gay youth and sprightly virgins rise, Thence all descend in
pomp and proud array, And bid the dome resound the mirthful lay; While the
sweet lyrist airs of rapture sings, And forms the dance responsive to the
strings, That hence the eluded passengers may say, 'Lo! the queen weds! we =
hear
the spousal lay!' The suitor's death, unknown, till we remove Far from the
court, and act inspired by Jove."
Thus spoke the king: the observant train obey,=
At
once they bathe, and dress in proud array: The lyrist strikes the string; g=
ay
youths advance, And fair-zoned damsels form the sprightly dance. The voice,
attuned to instrumental sounds, Ascends the roof, the vaulted roof rebounds=
; Not
unobserved: the Greeks eluded say, "Lo! the queen weds, we hear the
spousal lay! Inconstant! to admit the bridal hour." Thus they--but nob=
ly
chaste she weds no more.
Meanwhile the wearied king the bath ascends; W=
ith
faithful cares Eurynome attends, O'er every limb a shower of fragrance shed=
s; Then,
dress'd in pomp, magnificent he treads. The warrior-goddess gives his frame=
to
shine With majesty enlarged, and grace divine. Back from his brows in wavy
ringlets fly His thick large locks of hyacinthine dye. As by some artist to
whom Vulcan gives His heavenly skill, a breathing image lives; By Pallas
taught, he frames the wondrous mould, And the pale silver glows with fusile
gold: So Pallas his heroic form improves With bloom divine, and like a god =
he
moves! More high he treads, and issuing forth in state, Radiant before his
gazing consort sate. "And, O my queen! (he cries) what power above Has
steel'd that heart, averse to spousal love? Canst thou, Penelope, when heav=
en
restores Thy lost Ulysses to his native shores, Canst thou, O cruel!
unconcern'd survey Thy lost Ulysses, on this signal day? Haste, Euryclea, a=
nd
despatchful spread For me, and me alone, the imperial bed, My weary nature
craves the balm of rest. But Heaven with adamant has arm'd her breast."=
;
"Ah no! (she cries) a tender heart I bear=
, A
foe to pride: no adamant is there; And now, e'en now it melts! for sure I s=
ee Once
more Ulysses my beloved in thee! Fix'd in my soul, as when he sailed to Tro=
y, His
image dwells: then haste the bed of joy, Haste, from the bridal bower the b=
ed
translate, Fram'd by his hand, and be it dress'd in state!"
Thus speaks the queen, still dubious, with
disguise Touch'd at her words, the king with warmth replies "Alas for
this! what mortal strength can move The enormous burden, who but Heaven abo=
ve? It
mocks the weak attempts of human hands! But the whole earth must move if He=
aven
commands Then hear sure evidence, while we display Words seal'd with sacred
truth and truth obey: This hand the wonder framed; an olive spread Full in =
the
court its ever verdant head. Vast as some mighty column's bulk, on high The
huge trunk rose, and heaved into the sky; Around the tree I raised a nuptial
bower, And roof'd defensive of the storm and shower; The spacious valve, wi=
th
art inwrought conjoins; And the fair dome with polished marble shines. I lo=
pp'd
the branchy head: aloft in twain Sever'd the bole, and smoothed the shining
grain; Then posts, capacious of the frame, I raise, And bore it, regular, f=
rom
space to space: Athwart the frame, at equal distance lie Thongs of tough hi=
des,
that boast a purple dye; Then polishing the whole, the finished mould With
silver shone, with elephant, and gold. But if o'erturn'd by rude, ungovern'd
hands, Or still inviolate the olive stands, 'Tis thine, O queen, to say, and
now impart, If fears remain, or doubts distract thy heart."
While yet he speaks, her powers of life decay;=
She
sickens, trembles, falls, and faints away. At length recovering, to his arms
she flew, And strain'd him close, as to his breast she grew. The tears pour=
'd
down amain, and "O (she cries) Let not against thy spouse thine anger
rise! O versed in every, turn of human art, Forgive the weakness of a woman=
's
heart! The righteous powers, that mortal lot dispose, Decree us to sustain a
length of woes. And from the flower of life the bliss deny To bloom togethe=
r,
fade away, and die. O let me, let me not thine anger move, That I forbore,
thus, thus to speak my love: Thus in fond kisses, while the transport warms=
Pour
out my soul and die within thine arms! I dreaded fraud! Men, faithless men,
betray Our easy faith, and make our sex their prey: Against the fondness of=
my
heart I strove: 'Twas caution, O my lord! not want of love. Like me had Hel=
en
fear'd, with wanton charms Ere the fair mischief set two worlds in arms; Ere
Greece rose dreadful in the avenging day; Thus had she fear'd, she had not =
gone
astray. But Heaven, averse to Greece, in wrath decreed That she should wand=
er,
and that Greece should bleed: Blind to the ills that from injustice flow, S=
he
colour'd all our wretched lives with woe. But why these sorrows when my lord
arrives? I yield, I yield! my own Ulysses lives! The secrets of the bridal =
bed
are known To thee, to me, to Actoris alone (My father's present in the spou=
sal
hour, The sole attendant on our genial bower). Since what no eye hath seen =
thy
tongue reveal'd, Hard and distrustful as I am, I yield."
Touch'd to the soul, the king with rapture hea=
rs, Hangs
round her neck, and speaks his joy in tears. As to the shipwreck'd mariner,=
the
shores Delightful rise, when angry Neptune roars: Then, when the surge in
thunder mounts the sky, And gulf'd in crowds at once the sailors die; If on=
e,
more happy, while the tempest raves, Outlives the tumult of conflicting wav=
es, All
pale, with ooze deform'd, he views the strand, And plunging forth with
transport grasps the land: The ravish'd queen with equal rapture glows, Cla=
sps
her loved lord, and to his bosom grows. Nor had they ended till the morning
ray, But Pallas backward held the rising day, The wheels of night retarding=
, to
detain The gay Aurora in the wavy main; Whose flaming steeds, emerging thro=
ugh
the night. Beam o'er the eastern hills with streaming light.
At length Ulysses with a sigh replies: "Y=
et
Fate, yet cruel Fate repose denies; A labour long, and hard, remains behind=
; By
heaven above, by hell beneath enjoin'd: For to Tiresias through the eternal
gates Of hell I trode, to learn my future fates. But end we here--the night
demands repose, Be deck'd the couch! and peace awhile, my woes!"
To whom the queen: "Thy word we shall obe=
y, And
deck the couch; far hence be woes away: Since the just gods, who tread the
starry plains, Restore thee safe, since my Ulysses reigns. But what those
perils heaven decrees, impart; Knowledge may grieve, but fear distracts the
heart."
To this the king: "Ah, why must I disclos=
e A
dreadful story of approaching woes? Why in this hour of transport wound thy
ears, When thou must learn what I must speak with tears? Heaven, by the The=
ban
ghost, thy spouse decrees, Torn from thy arms, to sail a length of seas; Fr=
om
realm to realm, a nation to explore Who ne'er knew salt, or heard the billo=
ws
roar, Nor saw gay vessel storm the surgy plain, A painted wonder, flying on=
the
main: An oar my hand must bear; a shepherd eyes The unknown instrument with
strange surprise, And calls a corn-van; this upon the plain I fix, and hail=
the
monarch of the main; Then bathe his altars with the mingled gore Of victims
vow'd, a ram, a bull, a boar; Thence swift re-sailing to my native shores, =
Due
victims slay to all the ethereal powers. Then Heaven decrees, in peace to e=
nd
my days And steal myself from life by slow decays! Unknown to pain, in age
resign my breath, When late stern Neptune points the shaft of death; To the
dark grave retiring as to rest; My people blessing, by my people bless'd. S=
uch
future scenes the all-righteous powers display By their dread seer, and suc=
h my
future day."
To whom thus firm of soul: "If ripe for death, And full of days, thou gently yield thy breath; While Heaven a kind release from ills foreshows, Triumph, thou happy victor of thy woes?"<= o:p>
But Euryclea, with dispatchful care, And sage
Eurynome, the couch prepare; Instant they bid the blazing torch display Aro=
und
the dome and artificial day; Then to repose her steps the matron bends, And=
to
the queen Eurynome descends; A torch she bears, to light with guiding fires=
The
royal pair; she guides them, and retires The instant his fair spouse Ulysses
led To the chaste love-rites of the nuptial bed.
And now the blooming youths and sprightly fair=
Cease
the gay dance, and to their rest repair; But in discourse the king and cons=
ort
lay, While the soft hours stole unperceived away; Intent he hears Penelope
disclose A mournful story of domestic woes, His servants' insults, his inva=
ded
bed, How his whole flocks and herds exhausted bled, His generous wines
dishonour'd shed in vain, And the wild riots of the suitor-train. The king
alternate a dire tale relates, Of wars, of triumphs, and disastrous fates; =
All
he unfolds; his listening spouse turns pale With pleasing horror at the
dreadful tale; Sleepless devours each word; and hears how slain Cicons on
Cicons swell the ensanguined plain; How to the land of Lote unbless'd he sa=
ils;
And images the rills and flowery vales! How dash'd like dogs, his friends t=
he
Cyclops tore (Not unrevenged), and quaff'd the spouting gore; How the loud
storms in prison bound, he sails From friendly Aeolus with prosperous gales=
: Yet
fate withstands! a sudden tempest roars, And whirls him groaning from his
native shores: How on the barbarous Laestrigonian coast, By savage hands his
fleet and friends lie lost; How scarce himself survived: he paints the bowe=
r, The
spells of Circe, and her magic power; His dreadful journey to the realms
beneath, To seek Tiresias in the vales of death; How in the doleful mansions
lie survey'd His royal mother, pale Anticlea's shade; And friends in battle
slain, heroic ghosts! Then how, unharm'd, he pass'd the Syren-coasts, The
justling rocks where fierce Charybdis raves, And howling Scylla whirls her
thunderous waves, The cave of death! How his companions slay The oxen sacre=
d to
the god of day. Till Jove in wrath the rattling tempest guides, And whelms =
the
offenders in the roaring tides: How struggling through the surge lie reach'd
the shores Of fair Ogygia and Calypso's bowers; Where the bay blooming nymph
constrain'd his stay, With sweet, reluctant, amorous delay; And promised,
vainly promised, to bestow Immortal life, exempt from age and woe: How saved
from storms Phaeacia's coast he trod, By great Alcinous honour'd as a god, =
Who
gave him last his country to behold, With change of raiment, brass, and hea=
ps
of gold
He ended, sinking into sleep, and shares A swe=
et
forgetfulness of all his cares.
Soon as soft slumber eased the toils of day, M=
inerva
rushes through the aerial way, And bids Aurora with her golden wheels Flame
from the ocean o'er the eastern hills; Uprose Ulysses from the genial bed, =
And
thus with thought mature the monarch said:
"My queen, my consort! through a length of
years We drank the cup of sorrow mix'd with tears; Thou, for thy lord; whil=
e me
the immortal powers Detain'd reluctant from my native shores. Now, bless'd
again by Heaven, the queen display, And rule our palace with an equal sway.=
Be
it my care, by loans, or martial toils, To throng my empty folds with gifts=
or
spoils. But now I haste to bless Laertes' eyes With sight of his Ulysses er=
e he
dies; The good old man, to wasting woes a prey, Weeps a sad life in solitude
away. But hear, though wise! This morning shall unfold The deathful scene, =
on
heroes heroes roll'd. Thou with thy maids within the palace stay, From all =
the
scene of tumult far away!"
He spoke, and sheathed in arms incessant flies=
To
wake his son, and bid his friends arise. "To arms!" aloud he crie=
s;
his friends obey, With glittering arms their manly limbs array, And pass the
city gate; Ulysses leads the way. Now flames the rosy dawn, but Pallas shro=
uds The
latent warriors in a veil of clouds.
The souls of the suitors are conducted by Merc=
ury
to the infernal shades. Ulysses in the country goes to the retirement of hi=
s father,
Laertes; he finds him busied in his garden all alone; the manner of his
discovery to him is beautifully described. They return together to his lodg=
e,
and the king is acknowledged by Dolius and the servants. The Ithacensians, =
led
by Eupithes, the father of Antinous, rise against Ulysses, who gives them
battle in which Eupithes is killed by Laertes: and the goddess Pallas makes=
a
lasting peace between Ulysses and his subjects, which concludes the Odyssey=
.
Cylenius now to Pluto's dreary reign Conveys t=
he
dead, a lamentable train! The golden wand, that causes sleep to fly, Or in =
soft
slumber seals the wakeful eye, That drives the ghosts to realms of night or
day, Points out the long uncomfortable way. Trembling the spectres glide, a=
nd
plaintive vent Thin, hollow screams, along the deep descent. As in the cave=
rn
of some rifted den, Where flock nocturnal bats, and birds obscene; Cluster'd
they hang, till at some sudden shock They move, and murmurs run through all=
the
rock! So cowering fled the sable heaps of ghosts, And such a scream fill'd =
all
the dismal coasts. And now they reach'd the earth's remotest ends, And now =
the
gates where evening Sol descends, And Leucas' rock, and Ocean's utmost stre=
ams,
And now pervade the dusky land of dreams, And rest at last, where souls
unbodied dwell In ever-flowing meads of asphodel. The empty forms of men
inhabit there, Impassive semblance, images of air! Naught else are all that
shined on earth before: Ajax and great Achilles are no more! Yet still a ma=
ster
ghost, the rest he awed, The rest adored him, towering as he trod; Still at=
his
side is Nestor's son survey'd, And loved Patroclus still attends his shade.=
New as they were to that infernal shore, The
suitors stopp'd, and gazed the hero o'er. When, moving slow, the regal form
they view'd Of great Atrides: him in pomp pursued And solemn sadness through
the gloom of hell, The train of those who by AEgysthus fell:
"O mighty chief! (Pelides thus began) Hon=
our'd
by Jove above the lot of man! King of a hundred kings! to whom resign'd The
strongest, bravest, greatest of mankind Comest thou the first, to view this
dreary state? And was the noblest, the first mark of Fate, Condemn'd to pay=
the
great arrear so soon, The lot, which all lament, and none can shun! Oh! bet=
ter
hadst thou sunk in Trojan ground, With all thy full-blown honours cover'd
round; Then grateful Greece with streaming eyes might raise Historic marble=
s to
record thy praise: Thy praise eternal on the faithful stone Had with
transmissive glories graced thy son. But heavier fates were destined to att=
end:
What man is happy, till he knows his end?"
"O son of Peleus! greater than mankind! (=
Thus
Agamemnon's kingly shade rejoin'd) Thrice happy thou, to press the martial
plain 'Midst heaps of heroes in thy quarrel slain: In clouds of smoke raise=
d by
the noble fray, Great and terrific e'en in death you lay, And deluges of bl=
ood
flow'd round you every way. Nor ceased the strife till Jove himself opposed=
, And
all in Tempests the dire evening closed. Then to the fleet we bore thy hono=
ur'd
load, And decent on the funeral bed bestow'd; Then unguents sweet and tepid
streams we shed; Tears flow'd from every eye, and o'er the dead Each clipp'd
the curling honours of his head. Struck at the news, thy azure mother came,=
The
sea-green sisters waited on the dame: A voice of loud lament through all the
main Was heard; and terror seized the Grecian train: Back to their ships the
frighted host had fled; But Nestor spoke, they listen'd and obey'd (From old
experience Nestor's counsel springs, And long vicissitudes of human things)=
: 'Forbear
your flight: fair Thetis from the main To mourn Achilles leads her azure
train.' Around thee stand the daughters of the deep, Robe thee in heavenly
vests, and round thee weep: Round thee, the Muses, with alternate strain, In
ever-consecrating verse, complain. Each warlike Greek the moving music hear=
s, And
iron-hearted heroes melt in tears. Till seventeen nights and seventeen days
return'd All that was mortal or immortal mourn'd, To flames we gave thee, t=
he
succeeding day, And fatted sheep and sable oxen slay; With oils and honey
blazed the augmented fires, And, like a god adorn'd, thy earthly part expir=
es. Unnumber'd
warriors round the burning pile Urge the fleet coursers or the racer's toil=
; Thick
clouds of dust o'er all the circle rise, And the mix'd clamour thunders in =
the
skies. Soon as absorb'd in all-embracing flame Sunk what was mortal of thy
mighty name, We then collect thy snowy bones, and place With wines and ungu=
ents
in a golden vase (The vase to Thetis Bacchus gave of old, And Vulcan's art
enrich'd the sculptured gold). There, we thy relics, great Achilles! blend =
With
dear Patroclus, thy departed friend: In the same urn a separate space conta=
ins Thy
next beloved, Antilochus' remains. Now all the sons of warlike Greece surro=
und Thy
destined tomb and cast a mighty mound; High on the shore the growing hill we
raise, That wide the extended Hellespont surveys; Where all, from age to ag=
e,
who pass the coast, May point Achilles' tomb, and hail the mighty ghost. Th=
etis
herself to all our peers proclaims Heroic prizes and exequial games; The go=
ds
assented; and around thee lay Rich spoils and gifts that blazed against the
day. Oft have I seen with solemn funeral games Heroes and kings committed to
the flames; But strength of youth, or valour of the brave, With nobler cont=
est
ne'er renown'd a grave. Such were the games by azure Thetis given, And such=
thy
honours, O beloved of Heaven! Dear to mankind thy fame survives, nor fades =
Its
bloom eternal in the Stygian shades. But what to me avail my honours gone, =
Successful
toils, and battles bravely won? Doom'd by stern Jove at home to end my life=
, By
cursed Aegysthus, and a faithless wife!" Thus they: while Hermes o'er =
the
dreary plain Led the sad numbers by Ulysses slain. On each majestic form th=
ey
cast a view, And timorous pass'd, and awfully withdrew. But Agamemnon, thro=
ugh
the gloomy shade, His ancient host Amphimedon survey'd: "Son of
Melanthius! (he began) O say! What cause compell'd so many, and so gay, To
tread the downward, melancholy way? Say, could one city yield a troop so fa=
ir? Were
all these partners of one native air? Or did the rage of stormy Neptune swe=
ep Your
lives at once, and whelm beneath the deep? Did nightly thieves, or pirates'
cruel bands, Drench with your blood your pillaged country's sands? Or
well-defending some beleaguer'd wall, Say,--for the public did ye greatly f=
all?
Inform thy guest: for such I was of yore When our triumphant navies touch'd
your shore; Forced a long month the wintry seas to bear, To move the great
Ulysses to the war."
"O king of men! I faithful shall relate (=
Replied
Amphimedon) our hapless fate. Ulysses absent, our ambitious aim With rival
loves pursued his royal dame; Her coy reserve, and prudence mix'd with prid=
e, Our
common suit nor granted, nor denied; But close with inward hate our deaths
design'd; Versed in all arts of wily womankind. Her hand, laborious, in
delusion spread A spacious loom, and mix'd the various thread. 'Ye peers (s=
he
cried) who press to gain my heart, Where dead Ulysses claims no more a part=
, Yet
a short space your rival suit suspend, Till this funereal web my labours en=
d: Cease,
till to good Laertes I bequeath A task of grief, his ornaments of death: Le=
st
when the Fates his royal ashes claim, The Grecian matrons taint my spotless
fame; Should he, long honour'd with supreme command, Want the last duties o=
f a
daughter's hand.'
"The fiction pleased, our generous train
complies, Nor fraud mistrusts in virtue's fair disguise. The work she plied,
but studious of delay, Each following night reversed the toils of day. Unhe=
ard,
unseen, three years her arts prevail; The fourth, her maid reveal'd the ama=
zing
tale, And show'd as unperceived we took our stand, The backward labours of =
her
faithless hand. Forced she completes it; and before us lay The mingled web,
whose gold and silver ray Display'd the radiance of the night and day.
"Just as she finished her illustrious toi=
l, Ill
fortune led Ulysses to our isle. Far in a lonely nook, beside the sea, At an
old swineherd's rural lodge he lay: Thither his son from sandy Pyle repairs=
, And
speedy lands, and secretly confers. They plan our future ruin, and resort C=
onfederate
to the city and the court. First came the son; the father nest succeeds, Cl=
ad
like a beggar, whom Eumaeus leads; Propp'd on a staff, deform'd with age and
care, And hung with rags that flutter'd in the air. Who could Ulysses in th=
at
form behold? Scorn'd by the young, forgotten by the old, Ill-used by all! to
every wrong resigned, Patient he suffered with a constant mind. But when,
arising in his wrath to obey The will of Jove, he gave the vengeance way: T=
he
scattered arms that hung around the dome Careful he treasured in a private
room; Then to her suitors bade his queen propose The archer's strife, the
source of future woes, And omen of our death! In vain we drew The twanging
string, and tried the stubborn yew: To none it yields but great Ulysses' ha=
nds;
In vain we threat; Telemachus commands: The bow he snatch'd, and in an inst=
ant
bent; Through every ring the victor arrow went. Fierce on the threshold the=
n in
arms he stood; Poured forth the darts that thirsted for our blood, And frow=
n'd
before us, dreadful as a god! First bleeds Antinous: thick the shafts resou=
nd, And
heaps on heaps the wretches strew the ground; This way, and that, we turn, =
we
fly, we fall; Some god assisted, and unmann'd us all; Ignoble cries precede=
the
dying groans; And battered brains and blood besmear the stones.
"Thus, great Atrides, thus Ulysses drove =
The
shades thou seest from yon fair realms above; Our mangled bodies now deform=
ed
with gore, Cold and neglected, spread the marble floor. No friend to bathe =
our
wounds, or tears to shed O'er the pale corse! the honours of the dead."=
;
"Oh bless'd Ulysses! (thus the king expre=
ss'd
His sudden rapture) in thy consort bless'd! Not more thy wisdom than her vi=
rtue
shined; Not more thy patience than her constant mind. Icarius' daughter, gl=
ory
of the past, And model to the future age, shall last: The gods, to honour h=
er
fair fame, shall rise (Their great reward) a poet in her praise. Not such, O
Tyndarus! thy daughter's deed, By whose dire hand her king and husband bled=
; Her
shall the Muse to infamy prolong, Example dread, and theme of tragic song! =
The
general sex shall suffer in her shame, And e'en the best that bears a woman=
's
name."
Thus in the regions of eternal shade Conferr'd=
the
mournful phantoms of the dead; While from the town, Ulysses and his band Pa=
ss'd
to Laertes' cultivated land. The ground himself had purchased with his pain=
, And
labour made the rugged soil a plain, There stood his mansion of the rural s=
ort,
With useful buildings round the lowly court; Where the few servants that di=
vide
his care Took their laborious rest, and homely fare; And one Sicilian matro=
n,
old and sage, With constant duty tends his drooping age.
Here now arriving, to his rustic band And mart=
ial
son, Ulysses gave command: "Enter the house, and of the bristly swine =
Select
the largest to the powers divine. Alone, and unattended, let me try If yet I
share the old man's memory: If those dim eyes can yet Ulysses know (Their l=
ight
and dearest object long ago), Now changed with time, with absence and with
woe." Then to his train he gives his spear and shield; The house they
enter; and he seeks the field, Through rows of shade, with various fruitage
crown'd, And labour'd scenes of richest verdure round. Nor aged Dolius; nor=
his
sons, were there, Nor servants, absent on another care; To search the woods=
for
sets of flowery thorn, Their orchard bounds to strengthen and adorn.
But all alone the hoary king he found; His hab=
it
course, but warmly wrapp'd around; His head, that bow'd with many a pensive
care, Fenced with a double cap of goatskin hair: His buskins old, in former
service torn, But swell repair'd; and gloves against the thorn. In this arr=
ay
the kingly gardener stood, And clear'd a plant, encumber'd with its wood.
Beneath a neighbouring tree, the chief divine =
Gazed
o'er his sire, retracing every line, The ruins of himself, now worn away Wi=
th
age, yet still majestic in decay! Sudden his eyes released their watery sto=
re; The
much-enduring man could bear no more. Doubtful he stood, if instant to embr=
ace His
aged limbs, to kiss his reverend face, With eager transport to disclose the
whole, And pour at once the torrent of his soul.-- Not so: his judgment tak=
es
the winding way Of question distant, and of soft essay; More gentle methods=
on
weak age employs: And moves the sorrows to enhance the joys. Then, to his s=
ire
with beating heart he moves, And with a tender pleasantry reproves; Who dig=
ging
round the plant still hangs his bead, Nor aught remits the work, while thus=
he
said:
"Great is thy skill, O father! great thy
toil, Thy careful hand is stamp'd on all the soil, Thy squadron'd vineyards
well thy art declare, The olive green, blue fig, and pendent pear; And not =
one
empty spot escapes thy care. On every plant and tree thy cares are shown, N=
othing
neglected, but thyself alone. Forgive me, father, if this fault I blame; Ag=
e so
advanced, may some indulgence claim. Not for thy sloth, I deem thy lord unk=
ind:
Nor speaks thy form a mean or servile mind; I read a monarch in that prince=
ly
air, The same thy aspect, if the same thy care; Soft sleep, fair garments, =
and
the joys of wine, These are the rights of age, and should be thine. Who then
thy master, say? and whose the land So dress'd and managed by thy skilful h=
and?
But chief, oh tell me! (what I question most) Is this the far-famed Ithacen=
sian
coast? For so reported the first man I view'd (Some surly islander, of mann=
ers
rude), Nor farther conference vouchsafed to stay; Heedless he whistled, and
pursued his way. But thou whom years have taught to understand, Humanely he=
ar,
and answer my demand: A friend I seek, a wise one and a brave: Say, lives he
yet, or moulders in the grave? Time was (my fortunes then were at the best)=
When
at my house I lodged this foreign guest; He said, from Ithaca's fair isle he
came, And old Laertes was his father's name. To him, whatever to a guest is
owed I paid, and hospitable gifts bestow'd: To him seven talents of pure or=
e I
told, Twelve cloaks, twelve vests, twelve tunics stiff with gold: A bowl, t=
hat
rich with polish'd silver flames, And skill'd in female works, four lovely
dames."
At this the father, with a father's fears (His
venerable eyes bedimm'd with tears): "This is the land; but ah! thy gi=
fts
are lost, For godless men, and rude possess the coast: Sunk is the glory of
this once-famed shore! Thy ancient friend, O stranger, is no more! Full
recompense thy bounty else had borne: For every good man yields a just retu=
rn: So
civil rights demand; and who begins The track of friendship, not pursuing,
sins. But tell me, stranger, be the truth confess'd, What years have circled
since thou saw'st that guest? That hapless guest, alas! for ever gone! Wret=
ch
that he was! and that I am! my son! If ever man to misery was born, 'Twas h=
is
to suffer, and 'tis mine to mourn! Far from his friends, and from his native
reign, He lies a prey to monsters of the main; Or savage beasts his mangled
relics tear, Or screaming vultures scatter through the air: Nor could his
mother funeral unguents shed; Nor wail'd his father o'er the untimely dead:=
Nor
his sad consort, on the mournful bier, Seal'd his cold eyes, or dropp'd a
tender tear!
"But, tell me who thou art? and what thy
race? Thy town, thy parents, and thy native place? Or, if a merchant in pur=
suit
of gain, What port received thy vessel from the main? Or comest thou single=
, or
attend thy train?"
Then thus the son: "From Alybas I came, My
palace there; Eperitus my name Not vulgar born: from Aphidas, the king Of
Polyphemon's royal line, I spring. Some adverse demon from Sicania bore Our
wandering course, and drove us on your shore; Far from the town, an
unfrequented bay Relieved our wearied vessel from the sea. Five years have
circled since these eyes pursued Ulysses parting through the sable flood: P=
rosperous
he sail'd, with dexter auguries, And all the wing'd good omens of the skies=
. Well
hoped we then to meet on this fair shore, Whom Heaven, alas! decreed to mee=
t no
more."
Quick through the father's heart these accents
ran; Grief seized at once, and wrapp'd up all the man: Deep from his soul l=
ie
sigh'd, and sorrowing spread A cloud of ashes on his hoary head. Trembling =
with
agonies of strong delight Stood the great son, heart-wounded with the sight=
: He
ran, he seized him with a strict embrace, With thousand kisses wander'd o'er
his face: "I, I am he; O father, rise! behold Thy son, with twenty win=
ters
now grown old; Thy son, so long desired, so long detain'd, Restored, and
breathing in his native land: These floods of sorrow, O my sire, restrain! =
The
vengeance is complete; the suitor train, Stretch'd in our palace, by these
hands lie slain."
Amazed, Laertes: "Give some certain sign =
(If
such thou art) to manifest thee mine."
"Lo here the wound (he cries) received of
yore, The scar indented by the tusky boar, When, by thyself, and by Anticle=
a sent,
To old Autolycus' realms I went. Yet by another sign thy offspring know; The
several trees you gave me long ago, While yet a child, these fields I loved=
to
trace, And trod thy footsteps with unequal pace; To every plant in order as=
we
came, Well-pleased, you told its nature and its name, Whate'er my childish
fancy ask'd, bestow'd: Twelve pear-trees, bowing with their pendent load, A=
nd
ten, that red with blushing apples glow'd; Full fifty purple figs; and many=
a
row Of various vines that then began to blow, A future vintage! when the Ho=
urs
produce Their latent buds, and Sol exalts the juice."
Smit with the signs which all his doubts expla=
in, His
heart within him melt; his knees sustain Their feeble weight no more: his a=
rms
alone Support him, round the loved Ulysses thrown; He faints, he sinks, with
mighty joys oppress'd: Ulysses clasps him to his eager breast. Soon as
returning life regains its seat, And his breath lengthens, and his pulses b=
eat:
"Yes, I believe (he cries) almighty Jove! Heaven rules us yet, and gods
there are above. 'Tis so--the suitors for their wrongs have paid-- But what
shall guard us, if the town invade? If, while the news through every city
flies, All Ithaca and Cephalenia rise?" To this Ulysses: "As the =
gods
shall please Be all the rest: and set thy soul at ease. Haste to the cottag=
e by
this orchard's side, And take the banquet which our cares provide; There wa=
it
thy faithful band of rural friends, And there the young Telemachus
attends."
Thus, having said, they traced the garden o'er=
And
stooping entered at the lowly door. The swains and young Telemachus they fo=
und.
The victim portion'd and the goblet crown'd. The hoary king, his old Sicili=
an
maid Perfum'd and wash'd, and gorgeously arrayed. Pallas attending gives his
frame to shine With awful port, and majesty divine; His gazing son admires =
the
godlike grace, And air celestial dawning o'er his face. "What god (he
cried) my father's form improves! How high he treads and how enlarged he
moves!"
"Oh! would to all the deathless powers on
high, Pallas and Jove, and him who gilds the sky! (Replied the king elated =
with
his praise) My strength were still, as once in better days: When the bold
Cephalens the leaguer form'd. And proud Nericus trembled as I storm'd. Such
were I now, not absent from your deed When the last sun beheld the suitors
bleed, This arm had aided yours, this hand bestrown Our shores with death, =
and
push'd the slaughter on; Nor had the sire been separate from the son."=
They communed thus; while homeward bent their =
way The
swains, fatigued with labours of the day: Dolius, the first, the venerable =
man;
And next his sons, a long succeeding train. For due refection to the bower =
they
came, Call'd by the careful old Sicilian dame, Who nursed the children, and=
now
tends the sire, They see their lord, they gaze, and they admire. On chairs =
and
beds in order seated round, They share the gladsome board; the roofs resoun=
d, While
thus Ulysses to his ancient friend: "Forbear your wonder, and the feast
attend: The rites have waited long." The chief commands Their love in
vain; old Dolius spreads his hands, Springs to his master with a warm embra=
ce, And
fastens kisses on his hands and face; Then thus broke out: "O long, O
daily mourn'd! Beyond our hopes, and to our wish return'd! Conducted sure by
Heaven! for Heaven alone Could work this wonder: welcome to thy own! And jo=
ys
and happiness attend thy throne! Who knows thy bless'd, thy wish'd return? =
oh
say, To the chaste queen shall we the news convey? Or hears she, and with
blessings loads the day?"
"Dismiss that care, for to the royal brid=
e Already
is it known" (the king replied, And straight resumed his seat); while
round him bows Each faithful youth, and breathes out ardent vows: Then all
beneath their father take their place, Rank'd by their ages, and the banquet
grace.
Now flying Fame the swift report had spread Th=
rough
all the city, of the suitors dead, In throngs they rise, and to the palace
crowd; Their sighs were many and the tumult loud. Weeping they bear the man=
gled
heaps of slain; Inhume the natives in their native plain, The rest in ships=
are
wafted o'er the main. Then sad in council all the seniors sate, Frequent and
full, assembled to debate: Amid the circle first Eupithes rose, Big was his=
eye
with tears, his heart with woes: The bold Antinous was his age's pride, The
first who by Ulysses' arrow died. Down his wan cheek the trickling torrent =
ran,
As mixing words with sighs he thus began:
"Great deeds, O friends! this wondrous man
has wrought, And mighty blessings to his country brought! With ships he par=
ted,
and a numerous train, Those, and their ships, he buried in the main. Now he
returns, and first essays his hand In the best blood of all his native land=
. Haste,
then, and ere to neighbouring Pyle he flies, Or sacred Elis, to procure
supplies; Arise (or ye for ever fall), arise! Shame to this age, and all th=
at
shall succeed! If unrevenged your sons and brothers bleed. Prove that we li=
ve,
by vengeance on his head, Or sink at once forgotten with the dead." He=
re
ceased he, but indignant tears let fall Spoke when he ceased: dumb sorrow
touch'd them all. When from the palace to the wondering throng Sage Medon c=
ame,
and Phemius came along (Restless and early sleep's soft bands they broke); =
And
Medon first the assembled chiefs bespoke;
"Hear me, ye peers and elders of the land=
, Who
deem this act the work of mortal hand; As o'er the heaps of death Ulysses
strode, These eyes, these eyes beheld a present god, Who now before him, now
beside him stood, Fought as he fought, and mark'd his way with blood: In va=
in
old Mentor's form the god belied; 'Twas Heaven that struck, and Heaven was =
on
his side."
A sudden horror all the assembly shook, When
slowly rising, Halitherses spoke (Reverend and wise, whose comprehensive vi=
ew At
once the present and the future knew): "Me too, ye fathers, hear! from=
you
proceed The ills ye mourn; your own the guilty deed. Ye gave your sons, your
lawless sons, the rein (Oft warn'd by Mentor and myself in vain); An absent
hero's bed they sought to soil, An absent hero's wealth they made their spo=
il; Immoderate
riot, and intemperate lust! The offence was great, the punishment was just.=
Weigh
then my counsels in an equal scale, Nor rush to ruin. Justice will
prevail."
His moderate words some better minds persuade:=
They
part, and join him: but the number stay'd. They storm, they shout, with has=
ty
frenzy fired, And second all Eupithes' rage inspired. They case their limbs=
in
brass; to arms they run; The broad effulgence blazes in the sun. Before the
city, and in ample plain, They meet: Eupithes heads the frantic train. Fier=
ce
for his son, he breathes his threats in air; Fate bears them not, and Death
attends him there.
This pass'd on earth, while in the realms abov=
e Minerva
thus to cloud-compelling Jove! "May I presume to search thy secret sou=
l? O
Power Supreme, O Ruler of the whole! Say, hast thou doom'd to this divided
state Or peaceful amity or stern debate? Declare thy purpose, for thy will =
is
fate."
"Is not thy thought my own? (the god repl=
ies Who
rolls the thunder o'er the vaulted skies;) Hath not long since thy knowing =
soul
decreed The chief's return should make the guilty bleed. 'Tis done, and at =
thy
will the Fates succeed. Yet hear the issue: Since Ulysses' hand Has slain t=
he
suitors, Heaven shall bless the land. None now the kindred of the unjust sh=
all
own; Forgot the slaughter'd brother and the son: Each future day increase of
wealth shall bring, And o'er the past Oblivion stretch her wing. Long shall
Ulysses in his empire rest, His people blessing, by his people bless'd. Let=
all
be peace."--He said, and gave the nod That binds the Fates; the sancti=
on
of the god And prompt to execute the eternal will, Descended Pallas from the
Olympian hill.
Now sat Ulysses at the rural feast The rage of
hunger and of thirst repress'd: To watch the foe a trusty spy he sent: A so=
n of
Dolius on the message went, Stood in the way, and at a glance beheld The foe
approach, embattled on the field. With backward step he hastens to the bowe=
r, And
tells the news. They arm with all their power. Four friends alone Ulysses'
cause embrace, And six were all the sons of Dolius' race: Old Dolius too his
rusted arms put on; And, still more old, in arms Laertes shone. Trembling w=
ith
warmth, the hoary heroes stand, And brazen panoply invests the band. The
opening gates at once their war display: Fierce they rush forth: Ulysses le=
ads
the way. That moment joins them with celestial aid, In Mentor's form, the
Jove-descended maid: The suffering hero felt his patient breast Swell with =
new
joy, and thus his son address'd:
"Behold, Telemachus! (nor fear the sight,=
) The
brave embattled, the grim front of fight! The valiant with the valiant must
contend. Shame not the line whence glorious you descend. Wide o'er the world
their martial fame was spread; Regard thyself, the living and the dead.&quo=
t;
"Thy eyes, great father! on this battle c=
ast,
Shall learn from me Penelope was chaste."
So spoke Telemachus: the gallant boy Good old
Laertes heard with panting joy. "And bless'd! thrice bless'd this happy
day! (he cries,) The day that shows me, ere I close my eyes, A son and gran=
dson
of the Arcesian name Strive for fair virtue, and contest for fame!"
Then thus Minerva in Laertes' ear: "Son of
Arcesius, reverend warrior, hear! Jove and Jove's daughter first implore in=
prayer,
Then, whirling high, discharge thy lance in air." She said, infusing
courage with the word. Jove and Jove's daughter then the chief implored, An=
d,
whirling high, dismiss'd the lance in air. Full at Eupithes drove the death=
ful
spear: The brass-cheek'd helmet opens to the wound; He falls, earth thunder=
s,
and his arms resound. Before the father and the conquering son Heaps rush on
heaps, they fight, they drop, they run Now by the sword, and now the javeli=
n,
fall The rebel race, and death had swallow'd all; But from on high the
blue-eyed virgin cried; Her awful voice detain'd the headlong tide: "F=
orbear,
ye nations, your mad hands forbear From mutual slaughter; Peace descends to
spare." Fear shook the nations: at the voice divine They drop their
javelins, and their rage resign. All scatter'd round their glittering weapo=
ns
lie; Some fall to earth, and some confusedly fly. With dreadful shouts Ulys=
ses
pour'd along, Swift as an eagle, as an eagle strong. But Jove's red arm the
burning thunder aims: Before Minerva shot the livid flames; Blazing they fe=
ll,
and at her feet expired; Then stopped the goddess, trembled and retired.
"Descended from the gods! Ulysses, cease;=
Offend
not Jove: obey, and give the peace."
So Pallas spoke: the mandate from above The ki=
ng
obey'd. The virgin-seed of Jove, In Mentor's form, confirm'd the full accor=
d, And
willing nations knew their lawful lord.