Their royal mother plac'd the precious charge.
The king then led the way, at whose abode
Arriv'd, again they press'd their lofty thrones,
And to Areta thus the monarch spake :
Haste, bring a coffer; bring thy best, and store
A mantle and a sumptuous vest within ;
Warm for him, next, a brazen bath, by which
Refresh'd, and viewing in fair order plac'd
The noble gifts by the Phæacian 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 Gods, he may remember me.
He ended, at whose words Areta bade
Her maidens with dispatch place o'er the fire
An ample tripod; they, at her command,
A tripod o'er the glowing embers plac'd,
Water infus'd, and kindled wood beneath.
The flames, encircling bright the bellied vase, Warm'd soon the flood within. Mean-time, the queen, Producing from her chamber-stores a chest
All-elegant, within it plac'd the gold
And raiment, gifts of the Phæacian chiefs,
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 illustrious Ulysses heard,
Closing the chest, he girded it around,
And with a knot most intricate, erewhile
By Circe taught him, made the cord secure.
And now the mistress of the household charge
Summon'd him to his bath; he glad beheld
The steaming vase, uncustom'd to its use
E'er since he left Ogygia, where he knew
No want of aught, attended like a God.
Now, therefore, once again by female hands
Lav'd and anointed, and with rich attire,
Both vest and mantle, serv'd, he left the bath
With sprightlier steps, and sought the social hall,
To share the feast of wine; but, as he pass'd,
Nausicaa, to whom the Gods had giv'n
Surpassing beauty, saw him, where she stood
Beside the portal, with admiring eyes,
* Portable property was anciently secured by cords, the only practicable mode of guarding it till locks were invented.-C. But it was precarious, and therefore probably gave occasion to the exercise of much ingenuity in the art of knot-making.
And in wing'd accents thus the chief address'd:
Hail, stranger! at thy native home arriv'd,
Remember me, thy first deliv'rer here.
To whom Ulysses, ever-wise, replied:
Nausicaa! daughter of the noble king
Alcinoüs! So may Jove, high-thund'ring mate
Of Juno, grant me to behold again
My native land, and my delightful home,
As, even there, I will present my vows
To thee, adoring thee as I adore
The Gods themselves, virgin, by whom I live!
He said, and on his throne beside the king
Alcinoüs 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,
Phæacia's glory, at the column's side
The herald plac'd Demodocus again.
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
To the old hero, who with joy receiv'd
That meed of honour at the bearer's hand.
Then all at once assail'd the ready feast,
And when nor hunger more nor thirst they felt,
Thus to Demodocus Ulysses spake :
Demodocus! I give thee praise above
All mortal men; since either thee the Muse,
Jove's tuneful daughter, or the son of Jove,
Apollo, prompts; for of Achaia's host,
Their glorious deeds and arduous toils, thou sing'st
As thou hadst present been thyself, or learnt
From others present there the mournful tale*.
Come, then, proceed; that rare invention sing,
* Maximus Tyrius, in his sixteenth Dissertation, not far from the beginning of it, speaks thus-Having fallen on the mention of Homer, and being unqualified myself to praise him worthily, I will entreat him to accommodate me with an expression of his own, that I may not seem to depreciate him by mine
- Έξοχα δή σε βροτῶν, ὦ Όμηρε, σε αἰνίζομαι πάντων.”C. The application however is not very happy, for it totally spoils the verse.
It is evident, Eustathius observes, that the poet here had an eye to himself, who seems indeed to have been inspired. With such scanty materials has he framed so beautiful a story, interweaving them with incidents so various, and with such an air of truth, that knowing he was not present nor had conversed with others who were, we are ready to conclude, that the Muse must have taught him all.-C.
The horse of wood, which by Minerva's aid
Epeus fram'd, and which Ulysses erst
Convey'd into the citadel of Troy
With warriors fill'd, who laid all Ilium waste.
Sing but this theme as sweetly, and thenceforth
I will proclaim thee in all ears a bard
Of pow'rs divine, and by the Gods inspir'd.
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 shore of Troy,
Already, in the horse conceal'd, his band
Around Ulysses sat; for Ilium's sons
Had drawn it to the citadel themselves,
And there the mischief stood. Then strife arose
Among the Trojans compassing 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 Gods,
Which was their destin'd course; for Fate had fix'd
Their ruin sure, when once they had receiv'd
Within their walls that engine huge, in which
Sat all the bravest Greecians with the fate
Of Ilium charg'd, and slaughter of her sons.
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