Part 11 (2/2)

I tell thee, Vulcan, that if Mars by flight Shun payment, I will pay, myself, the fine.

To whom the glorious artist of the skies.

Thou must not, canst not, shalt not be refused. 440 So saying, the might of Vulcan loos'd the snare, And they, detain'd by those coercive bands No longer, from the couch upstarting, flew, Mars into Thrace, and to her Paphian home The Queen of smiles, where deep in myrtle groves Her incense-breathing altar stands embow'r'd.

Her there, the Graces laved, and oils diffused O'er all her form, ambrosial, such as add Fresh beauty to the G.o.ds for ever young, And cloath'd her in the loveliest robes of heav'n. 450 Such was the theme of the ill.u.s.trious bard.

Ulysses with delight that song, and all The maritime Phaeacian concourse heard.

Alcinous, then, (for in the dance they pa.s.s'd All others) call'd his sons to dance alone, Halius and Laodamas; they gave The purple ball into their hands, the work Exact of Polybus; one, re-supine, Upcast it high toward the dusky clouds, The other, springing into air, with ease 460 Received it, ere he sank to earth again.

When thus they oft had sported with the ball Thrown upward, next, with nimble interchange They pa.s.s'd it to each other many a time, Footing the plain, while ev'ry youth of all The circus clapp'd his hands, and from beneath The din of stamping feet fill'd all the air.

Then, turning to Alcinous, thus the wise Ulysses spake: Alcinous! mighty King!

Ill.u.s.trious above all Phaeacia's sons! 470 Incomparable are ye in the dance, Ev'n as thou said'st. Amazement-fixt I stand!

So he, whom hearing, the imperial might Exulted of Alcinous, and aloud To his oar-skill'd Phaeacians thus he spake.

Phaeacian Chiefs and Senators, attend!

Wisdom beyond the common stint I mark In this our guest; good cause in my account, For which we should present him with a pledge Of hospitality and love. The Chiefs 480 Are twelve, who, highest in command, controul The people, and the thirteenth Chief am I.

Bring each a golden talent, with a vest Well-bleach'd, and tunic; gratified with these, The stranger to our banquet shall repair Exulting; bring them all without delay; And let Euryalus by word and gift Appease him, for his speech was unadvised.

He ceas'd, whom all applauded, and at once Each sent his herald forth to bring the gifts, 490 When thus Euryalus his Sire address'd.

Alcinous! o'er Phaeacia's sons supreme!

I will appease our guest, as thou command'st.

This sword shall be his own, the blade all steel.

The hilt of silver, and the unsullied sheath Of iv'ry recent from the carver's hand, A gift like this he shall not need despise.

So saying, his silver-studded sword he gave Into his grasp, and, courteous, thus began.

Hail, honour'd stranger! and if word of mine 500 Have harm'd thee, rashly spoken, let the winds Bear all remembrance of it swift away!

May the G.o.ds give thee to behold again Thy wife, and to attain thy native sh.o.r.e, Whence absent long, thou hast so much endured!

To whom Ulysses, ever-wise, replied.

Hail also thou, and may the G.o.ds, my friend, Grant thee felicity, and may never want Of this thy sword touch thee in time to come, By whose kind phrase appeas'd my wrath subsides! 510 He ended, and athwart his shoulders threw The weapon bright emboss'd. Now sank the sun, And those rich gifts arrived, which to the house Of King Alcinous the heralds bore.

Alcinous' sons receiv'd them, and beside Their royal mother placed the precious charge.

The King then led the way, at whose abode Arrived, again they press'd their lofty thrones, And to Areta thus the monarch spake.

Haste, bring a coffer; bring thy best, and store 520 A mantle and a sumptuous vest within; Warm for him, next, a brazen bath, by which Refresh'd, and viewing in fair order placed The n.o.ble gifts by the Phaeacian Lords Conferr'd on him, he may the more enjoy Our banquet, and the bard's harmonious song.

I give him also this my golden cup Splendid, elaborate; that, while he lives What time he pours libation forth to Jove And all the G.o.ds, he may remember me. 530 He ended, at whose words Areta bade Her maidens with dispatch place o'er the fire A tripod ample-womb'd; obedient they Advanced a laver to the glowing hearth, Water infused, and kindled wood beneath The flames encircling bright the bellied vase, Warm'd soon the flood within. Meantime, the Queen Producing from her chamber-stores a chest All-elegant, within it placed the gold, And raiment, gifts of the Phaeacian Chiefs, 540 With her own gifts, the mantle and the vest, And in wing'd accents to Ulysses said.

Now take, thyself, the coffer's lid in charge; Girdle it quickly with a cord, lest loss Befall thee on thy way, while thou perchance Shalt sleep secure on board the sable bark.

Which when Ulysses heard, Hero renown'd, Adjusting close the lid, he cast a cord Around it which with many a mazy knot He tied, by Circe taught him long before. 550 And now, the mistress of the household charge Summon'd him to his bath; glad he beheld The steaming vase, uncustom'd to its use E'er since his voyage from the isle of fair Calypso, although, while a guest with her, Ever familiar with it, as a G.o.d.

Laved by attendant damsels, and with oil Refresh'd, he put his sumptuous tunic on And mantle, and proceeding from the bath To the symposium, join'd the num'rous guests; 560 But, as he pa.s.s'd, the Princess all divine Beside the pillars of the portal, lost In admiration of his graceful form, Stood, and in accents wing'd him thus address'd.

Hail, stranger! at thy native home arrived Remember me, thy first deliv'rer here.

To whom Ulysses, ever-wise, replied.

Nausicaa! daughter of the n.o.ble King Alcinous! So may Jove, high-thund'ring mate Of Juno, grant me to behold again 570 My native land, and my delightful home, As, even there, I will present my vows To thee, adoring thee as I adore The G.o.ds themselves, virgin, by whom I live!

He said, and on his throne beside the King Alcinous sat. And now they portion'd out The feast to all, and charg'd the cups with wine, And introducing by his hand the bard Phaeacia's glory, at the column's side The herald placed Demodocus again. 580 Then, carving forth a portion from the loins Of a huge brawn, of which uneaten still Large part and delicate remain'd, thus spake Ulysses--Herald! bear it to the bard For his regale, whom I will soon embrace In spite of sorrow; for respect is due And veneration to the sacred bard From all mankind, for that the muse inspires Herself his song, and loves the tuneful tribe.

He ended, and the herald bore his charge 590 To the old hero who with joy received That meed of honour at the bearer's hand.

Then, all, at once, a.s.sail'd the ready feast, And hunger now, and thirst both satisfied, Thus to Demodocus Ulysses spake.

Demodocus! I give thee praise above All mortals, for that either thee the muse Jove's daughter teaches, or the King, himself, Apollo; since thou so record'st the fate, With such clear method, of Achaia's host, 600 Their deeds heroic, and their num'rous toils, As thou hadst present been thyself, or learnt From others present there, the glorious tale.

Come, then, proceed; that rare invention sing, The horse of wood, which by Minerva's aid Epeus framed, and which Ulysses erst Convey'd into the citadel of Troy With warriors fill'd, who lay'd all Ilium waste.

These things rehea.r.s.e regular, and myself Will, instant, publish in the ears of all 610 Thy fame, reporting thee a bard to whom Apollo free imparts celestial song.

He ended; then Apollo with full force Rush'd on Demodocus, and he began What time the Greeks, first firing their own camp Steer'd all their galleys from the sh.o.r.e of Troy.

Already, in the horse conceal'd, his band Around Ulysses sat; for Ilium's sons Themselves had drawn it to the citadel.

And there the mischief stood. Then, strife arose 620 Among the Trojans compa.s.sing the horse, And threefold was the doubt; whether to cleave The hollow trunk asunder, or updrawn Aloft, to cast it headlong from the rocks, Or to permit the enormous image, kept Entire, to stand an off'ring to the G.o.ds, Which was their destined course; for Fate had fix'd Their ruin sure, when once they had received Within their walls that engine huge, in which Sat all the bravest Greecians with the fate 630 Of Ilium charged, and slaughter of her sons.

He sang, how, from the horse effused, the Greeks Left their capacious ambush, and the town Made desolate. To others, in his song, He gave the praise of wasting all beside, But told how, fierce as Mars, Ulysses join'd With G.o.dlike Menelaus, to the house Flew of Deiphobus; him there engaged In direst fight he sang, and through the aid Of glorious Pallas, conqu'ror over all. 640 So sang the bard ill.u.s.trious, at whose song Ulysses melted, and tear after tear Fell on his cheeks. As when a woman weeps, Her husband, who hath fallen in defence Of his own city and his babes before The gates; she, sinking, folds him in her arms And, gazing on him as he pants and dies, Shrieks at the sight; meantime, the enemy Smiting her shoulders with the spear to toil Command her and to bondage far away, 650 And her cheek fades with horror at the sound; Ulysses, so, from his moist lids let fall, The frequent tear. Unnoticed by the rest Those drops, but not by King Alcinous, fell Who, seated at his side, his heavy sighs Remark'd, and the Phaeacians thus bespake.

Phaeacian Chiefs and Senators attend!

Now let Demodocus enjoin his harp Silence, for not alike grateful to all His music sounds; during our feast, and since 660 The bard divine began, continual flow The stranger's sorrows, by remembrance caused Of some great woe which wraps his soul around.

Then, let the bard suspend his song, that all (As most befits th' occasion) may rejoice, Both guest and hosts together; since we make This voyage, and these gifts confer, in proof Of hospitality and unfeign'd love, Judging, with all wise men, the stranger-guest And suppliant worthy of a brother's place. 670 And thou conceal not, artfully reserv'd, What I shall ask, far better plain declared Than smother'd close; who art thou? speak thy name, The name by which thy father, mother, friends And fellow-citizens, with all who dwell Around thy native city, in times past Have known thee; for of all things human none Lives altogether nameless, whether good Or whether bad, but ev'ry man receives Ev'n in the moment of his birth, a name. 680 Thy country, people, city, tell; the mark At which my s.h.i.+ps, intelligent, shall aim, That they may bear thee thither; for our s.h.i.+ps No pilot need or helm, as s.h.i.+ps are wont, But know, themselves, our purpose; know beside All cities, and all fruitful regions well Of all the earth, and with dark clouds involv'd Plough rapid the rough Deep, fearless of harm, (Whate'er betide) and of disast'rous wreck.

Yet thus, long since, my father I have heard 690 Nausithous speaking; Neptune, he would say, Is angry with us, for that safe we bear Strangers of ev'ry nation to their home; And he foretold a time when he would smite In vengeance some Phaeacian gallant bark Returning after convoy of her charge, And fix her in the sable flood, transform'd Into a mountain, right before the town.

So spake my h.o.a.ry Sire, which let the G.o.d At his own pleasure do, or leave undone. 700 But tell me truth, and plainly. Where have been Thy wand'rings? in what regions of the earth Hast thou arrived? what nations hast thou seen, What cities? say, how many hast thou found Harsh, savage and unjust? how many, kind To strangers, and disposed to fear the G.o.ds?

Say also, from what secret grief of heart Thy sorrows flow, oft as thou hear'st the fate Of the Achaians, or of Ilium sung?

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