Part 11 (1/2)

He said; and mantled as he was, a quoit Upstarting, seized, in bulk and weight all those Transcending far, by the Phaeacians used. 230 Swiftly he swung, and from his vig'rous hand Sent it. Loud sang the stone, and as it flew The maritime Phaeacians low inclined Their heads beneath it; over all the marks, And far beyond them, sped the flying rock.

Minerva, in a human form, the cast Prodigious measur'd, and aloud exclaim'd.

Stranger! the blind himself might with his hands Feel out the 'vantage here. Thy quoit disdains Fellows.h.i.+p with a crowd, borne far beyond. 240 Fear not a losing game; Phaeacian none Will reach thy measure, much less overcast.

She ceased; Ulysses, hardy Chief, rejoiced That in the circus he had found a judge So favorable, and with brisker tone, As less in wrath, the mult.i.tude address'd.

Young men, reach this, and I will quickly heave Another such, or yet a heavier quoit.

Then, come the man whose courage prompts him forth To box, to wrestle with me, or to run; 250 For ye have chafed me much, and I decline No strife with any here, but challenge all Phaeacia, save Laodamas alone.

He is mine host. Who combats with his friend?

To call to proof of hardiment the man Who entertains him in a foreign land, Would but evince the challenger a fool, Who, so, would cripple his own interest there.

As for the rest, I none refuse, scorn none, But wish for trial of you, and to match 260 In opposition fair my force with yours.

There is no game athletic in the use Of all mankind, too difficult for me; I handle well the polish'd bow, and first Amid a thousand foes strike whom I mark, Although a throng of warriors at my side Imbattled, speed their shafts at the same time.

Of all Achaia's sons who erst at Troy Drew bow, the sole who bore the prize from me Was Philoctetes; I resign it else 270 To none now nourish'd with the fruits of earth.

Yet mean I no comparison of myself With men of antient times, with Hercules, Or with Oechalian Eurytus, who, both, The G.o.ds themselves in archery defied.

Soon, therefore, died huge Eurytus, ere yet Old age he reach'd; him, angry to be call'd To proof of archers.h.i.+p, Apollo slew.

But if ye name the spear, mine flies a length By no man's arrow reach'd; I fear no foil 280 From the Phaeacians, save in speed alone; For I have suffer'd hards.h.i.+ps, dash'd and drench'd By many a wave, nor had I food on board At all times, therefore I am much unstrung.

He spake; and silent the Phaeacians sat, Of whom alone Alcinous thus replied.

Since, stranger, not ungraceful is thy speech, Who hast but vindicated in our ears Thy question'd prowess, angry that this youth Reproach'd thee in the presence of us all, 290 That no man qualified to give his voice In public, might affront thy courage more; Now mark me, therefore, that in time to come, While feasting with thy children and thy spouse, Thou may'st inform the Heroes of thy land Even of our proficiency in arts By Jove enjoin'd us in our father's days.

We boast not much the boxer's skill, nor yet The wrestler's; but light-footed in the race Are we, and navigators well-inform'd. 300 Our pleasures are the feast, the harp, the dance, Garments for change; the tepid bath; the bed.

Come, ye Phaeacians, beyond others skill'd To tread the circus with harmonious steps, Come, play before us; that our guest, arrived In his own country, may inform his friends How far in seamans.h.i.+p we all excel, In running, in the dance, and in the song.

Haste! bring ye to Demodocus his lyre Clear-toned, left somewhere in our hall at home. 310 So spake the G.o.dlike King, at whose command The herald to the palace quick return'd To seek the charming lyre. Meantime arose Nine arbiters, appointed to intend The whole arrangement of the public games, To smooth the circus floor, and give the ring Its compa.s.s, widening the attentive throng.

Ere long the herald came, bearing the harp, With which Demodocus supplied, advanced Into the middle area, around whom 320 Stood blooming youths, all skilful in the dance.

With footsteps justly timed all smote at once The sacred floor; Ulysses wonder-fixt, The ceaseless play of twinkling[30] feet admired.

Then, tuning his sweet chords, Demodocus A jocund strain began, his theme, the loves Of Mars and Cytherea chaplet-crown'd; How first, clandestine, they embraced beneath The roof of Vulcan, her, by many a gift Seduced, Mars won, and with adult'rous l.u.s.t 330 The bed dishonour'd of the King of fire.

The sun, a witness of their amorous sport, Bore swift the tale to Vulcan; he, apprized Of that foul deed, at once his smithy sought, In secret darkness of his inmost soul Contriving vengeance; to the stock he heav'd His anvil huge, on which he forged a snare Of bands indissoluble, by no art To be untied, durance for ever firm.

The net prepared, he bore it, fiery-wroth, 340 To his own chamber and his nuptial couch, Where, stretching them from post to post, he wrapp'd With those fine meshes all his bed around, And hung them num'rous from the roof, diffused Like spiders' filaments, which not the G.o.ds Themselves could see, so subtle were the toils.

When thus he had encircled all his bed On ev'ry side, he feign'd a journey thence To Lemnos, of all cities that adorn The earth, the city that he favours most. 350 Nor kept the G.o.d of the resplendent reins Mars, drowsy watch, but seeing that the famed Artificer of heav'n had left his home, Flew to the house of Vulcan, hot to enjoy The G.o.ddess with the wreath-encircled brows.

She, newly from her potent Sire return'd The son of Saturn, sat. Mars, ent'ring, seiz'd Her hand, hung on it, and thus urg'd his suit.

To bed, my fair, and let us love! for lo!

Thine husband is from home, to Lemnos gone, 360 And to the Sintians, men of barb'rous speech.

He spake, nor she was loth, but bedward too Like him inclined; so then, to bed they went, And as they lay'd them down, down stream'd the net Around them, labour exquisite of hands By ingenuity divine inform'd.

Small room they found, so prison'd; not a limb Could either lift, or move, but felt at once Entanglement from which was no escape.

And now the glorious artist, ere he yet 370 Had reach'd the Lemnian isle, limping, return'd From his feign'd journey, for his spy the sun Had told him all. With aching heart he sought His home, and, standing in the vestibule, Frantic with indignation roar'd to heav'n, And roar'd again, summoning all the G.o.ds.-- Oh Jove! and all ye Pow'rs for ever blest!

Here; hither look, that ye may view a sight Ludicrous, yet too monstrous to be borne, How Venus always with dishonour loads 380 Her cripple spouse, doating on fiery Mars!

And wherefore? for that he is fair in form And sound of foot, I ricket-boned and weak.

Whose fault is this? Their fault, and theirs alone Who gave me being; ill-employ'd were they Begetting me, one, better far unborn.

See where they couch together on my bed Lascivious! ah, sight hateful to my eyes!

Yet cooler wishes will they feel, I ween, To press my bed hereafter; here to sleep 390 Will little please them, fondly as they love.

But these my toils and tangles will suffice To hold them here, till Jove shall yield me back Complete, the sum of all my nuptial gifts Paid to him for the shameless strumpet's sake His daughter, as incontinent as fair.

He said, and in the brazen-floor'd abode Of Jove the G.o.ds a.s.sembled. Neptune came Earth-circling Pow'r; came Hermes friend of man, And, regent of the far-commanding bow, 400 Apollo also came; but chaste reserve Bashful kept all the G.o.ddesses at home.

The G.o.ds, by whose beneficence all live, Stood in the portal; infinite arose The laugh of heav'n, all looking down intent On that shrewd project of the smith divine, And, turning to each other, thus they said.

Bad works speed ill. The slow o'ertakes the swift.

So Vulcan, tardy as he is, by craft Hath outstript Mars, although the fleetest far 410 Of all who dwell in heav'n, and the light-heel'd Must pay the adult'rer's forfeit to the lame.

So spake the Pow'rs immortal; then the King Of radiant shafts thus question'd Mercury.

Jove's son, heaven's herald, Hermes, bounteous G.o.d!

Would'st _thou_ such stricture close of bands endure For golden Venus lying at thy side?

Whom answer'd thus the messenger of heav'n Archer divine! yea, and with all my heart; And be the bands which wind us round about 420 Thrice these innumerable, and let all The G.o.ds and G.o.ddesses in heav'n look on, So I may clasp Vulcan's fair spouse the while.

He spake; then laugh'd the Immortal Pow'rs again.

But not so Neptune; he with earnest suit The glorious artist urged to the release Of Mars, and thus in accents wing'd he said.

Loose him; accept my promise; he shall pay Full recompense in presence of us all.

Then thus the limping smith far-famed replied. 430 Earth-circler Neptune, spare me that request.

Lame suitor, lame security.[31] What bands Could I devise for thee among the G.o.ds, Should Mars, emanc.i.p.ated once, escape, Leaving both debt and durance, far behind?

Him answer'd then the Shaker of the sh.o.r.es.