To this our guest by all means reconcile,
And give him this entirely-metall’d sword,
The handle massy silver, and the board
That gives it cover all of ivory,
New, and in all kinds worth his quality.’
This put he straight into his hand, and said:
‘Frolic, O guest and father; if words fled
Have been offensive, let swift whirlwinds take
And ravish them from thought. May all gods make
Thy wife’s sight good to thee, in quick retreat
To all thy friends, and best-lov’d breeding-seat,
Their long miss quitting with the greater joy;
In whose sweet vanish all thy worst annoy.’
‘And frolic thou to all height, friend,’ said he,
‘Which heav
’
n confirm with wish’d felicity;
Nor ever give again desire to thee
Of this sword’s use, which with affects so free,
In my reclaim, thou hast bestow’d on me.’
This said, athwart his shoulders he put on
The right fair sword; and then did set the sun.
When all the gifts were brought – which back again
(With king Alcinous in all the train)
Were by the honour’d heralds borne to court,
Which his fair sons took, and from the resort
Laid by their reverend mother – each his throne
Of all the peers (which yet were overshone
In king Alcinous’ command) ascended;
Whom he to pass as much in gifts contended,
And to his queen said: ‘Wife! See brought me here
The fairest cabinet I have, and there
Impose a well-cleans’d in and outer weed.
A cauldron heat with water, that with speed
Our guest well bath’d, and all his gifts made sure,
It may a joyful appetite procure
To his succeeding feast, and make him hear
The poet’s hymn with the securer ear.
To all which I will add my bowl of gold,
In all frame curious, to make him hold
My memory always dear, and sacrifice
With it at home to all the deities.’
Then Arete her maids charg’d to set on
A well-sized cauldron quickly. Which was done,
Clear water pour’d in, flame made so entire,
It gilt the brass, and made the water fire.
In mean space, from her chamber brought the queen
A wealthy cabinet, where, pure and clean,
She put the garments, and the gold bestow’d
By that free state, and then the other vow’d
By her Alcinous, and said: ‘Now, guest,
Make close and fast your gifts, lest, when you rest
A-shipboard sweetly, in your way you meet
Some loss, that less may make your next sleep sweet.’
This when Ulysses heard, all sure he made,
Enclosed and bound safe; for the saving trade
The reverend-for-her-wisdom, Circe, had
In foreyears taught him. Then the handmaid bad
His worth to bathing; which rejoic’d his heart,
For since he did with his Calypso part,
He had no hot baths; none had favour’d him,
Nor been so tender of his kingly limb.
But all the time he spent in her abode,
He lived respected as he were a god.
Cleans’d then and balm’d, fair shirt and robe put on,
Fresh come from bath, and to the feasters gone,
Nausicaa, that from the gods’ hands took
The sovereign beauty of her blessed look,
Stood by a well-carv’d column of the room,
And through her eye her heart was overcome
With admiration of the port impress’d
In his aspect, and said: ‘god save you, guest!
Be cheerful, as in all the future state
Your home will show you in your better fate.
But yet, ev
’
n then, let this remember’d be,
Your life’s price I lent, and you owe it me.’
The varied-in-all-counsels gave reply:
‘Nausicaa! Flower of all this empery!
So Juno’s husband, that the strife for noise
Makes in the clouds, bless me with strife of joys,
In the desir’d day that my house shall show,
As I, as to a goddess there shall vow
To thy fair hand that did my being give,
Which I’ll acknowledge every hour I live.’
This said, Alcinous plac’d him by his side.
Then took they feast, and did in parts divide
The several dishes, fill’d out wine, and then
The striv
’
d-for-for-his-worth of worthy men,
And reverenc’d-of-the-state, Demodocus,
Was brought in by the good Pontonous.
In midst of all the guests they gave him place,
Against a lofty pillar, when this grace
The grac’d-with-wisdom did him: from the chine,
That stood before him, of a white-tooth’d swine,
Being far the daintiest joint, mixed through with fat,
He carv’d to him, and sent it where he sat
By his old friend the herald, willing thus:
‘Herald, reach this to grave Demodocus.
Say, I salute him, and his worth embrace.
Poets deserve, past all the human race,
Reverend respect and honour, since the queen
Of knowledge, and the supreme worth in men,
The muse, informs them, and loves all their race.’
This reach’d the herald to him, who the grace
Receiv’d encourag’d; which, when feast was spent,
Ulysses amplified to this ascent:
‘Demodocus! I must prefer you far,
Past all your sort, if or the muse of war,
Jove’s daughter, prompts you, that the Greeks respects,
Or if the Sun, that those of Troy affects.
For I have heard you, since my coming, sing
The fate of Greece to an admired string:
How much our suf
f
’
rance was, how much we wrought,
How much the actions rose to when we fought –
So lively forming, as you had been there,
Or to some free relater lent your ear.
Forth then, and sing the wooden horse’s frame,
Built by Epeus, by the martial dame
Taught the whole fabric; which, by force of sleight,
Ulysses brought into the city’s height,
When he had stuf
f
’
d it with as many men
As levell’d lofty Ilion with the plain.
With all which if you can as well enchant,
As with expression quick and elegant
You sung the rest, I will pronounce you clear
Inspired by god, past all that ever were.’
This said, ev’n stirr’d by god up, he began,
And to his song fell, past the form of man,
Beginning where the Greeks a-shipboard went,
And every chief had set on fire his tent,
When th’ other kings, in great Ulysses’ guide,
In Troy’s vast market place the horse did hide,
From whence the Trojans up to Ilion drew
The dreadful engine. Where sat all arew
Their kings about it, many counsels giv’n
How to dispose it. In three ways were driv’n
Their whole distractions. First, if they should feel
The hollow wood’s heart, search’d with piercing steel;
Or from the battlements drawn higher yet
Deject it headlong; or that counterfeit
So vast and novel set on sacred fire,
Vow’d to appease each anger’d godhead’s ire.
On which opinion, they thereafter saw,
They then should have resolved, th’ unalter’d law
Of fate presaging, that Troy then should end,
When th’ hostile horse she should receive to friend;
For therein should the Grecian kings lie hid,
To bring the fate and death they after did.
He sung, besides, the Greeks’ eruption
From those their hollow crafts, and horse forgone;
And how they made depopulation tread
Beneath her feet so high a city’s head.
In which affair, he sung in other place
That of that ambush some man else did race
The Ilion towers than Laertiades;
But here he sung that he alone did seize,
With Menelaus, the ascended roof
Of prince Deiphobus, and Mars-like proof
Made of his valour, a most dreadful fight
Daring against him; and there vanquish’d quite,
In little time, by great Minerva’s aid,
All Ilion’s remnant, and Troy level laid.
This the divine expressor did so give
Both act and passion, that he made it live,
And to Ulysses’ facts did breathe a fire
So deadly quick’ning, that it did inspire
Old death with life, and render’d life so sweet
And passionate, that all there felt it fleet;
Which made him pity his own cruelty,
And put into that ruth so pure an eye
Of human frailty, that to see a man
Could so revive from death, yet no way can
Defend from death, his own quick pow’rs it made
Feel there death’s horrors, and he felt life fade
In tears his feeling brain swet; for, in things
That move past utt’rance, tears ope all their springs.
Nor are there in the pow’rs that all life bears
More true interpreters of all than tears.
And as a lady mourns her sole-lov’d lord,
That’s fall’n before his city by the sword,
Fighting to rescue from a cruel fate
His town and children, and in dead estate,
Yet panting, seeing him, wraps him in her arms,
Weeps, shrieks, and pours her health into his arms,
Lies on him, striving to become his shield
From foes that still assail him, spears impell’d
Through back and shoulders, by whose points embru
’
d,
They raise and lead him into servitude,
Labour, and languor; for all which the dame
Eats down her cheeks with tears, and feeds life’s flame
With miserable suf
f
’
rance: so this king
Of tear-swet anguish op’d a boundless spring;
Nor yet was seen to any one man there
But king Alcinous, who sat so near
He could not ’scape him, sighs, so choked, so brake
From all his tempers; which the king did take
Both note and grave respect of, and thus spake:
‘Hear me, Phaeacian counsellors and peers,
And cease Demodocus; perhaps all ears
Are not delighted with his song, for, ever
Since the divine Muse sung, our guest hath never
Contain’d from secret mournings. It may fall,
That something sung he hath been griev’d withal,
As touching his particular. Forbear,
That feast may jointly comfort all hearts here,
And we may cheer our guest up; ’tis our best
In all due honour. For our reverend guest
Is all our celebration, gifts, and all,
His love hath added to our festival.
A guest, and suppliant too, we should esteem
Dear as our brother; one that doth but dream
He hath a soul, or touch but at a mind
Deathless and manly, should stand so inclin’d.
Nor cloak you longer with your curious wit,
Lov’d guest, what ever we shall ask of it.
It now stands on your honest state to tell,
And therefore give your name, nor more conceal
What of your parents, and the town that bears
Name of your native, or of foreigners
That near us border, you are call’d in fame.
There’s no man living walks without a name,
Noble nor base, but had one from his birth
Impos’d as fit as to be borne. What earth,
People, and city, own you, give to know.
Tell but our ships all, that your way must show.
For our ships know th’ expressed minds of men,
And will so most intentively retain
Their scopes appointed, that they never err,
And yet use never any man to steer,
Nor any rudders have, as others need.
They know men’s thoughts and whither tends their speed,
And there will set them; for you cannot name
A city to them, nor fat soil, that fame
Hath any notice giv’n, but well they know,
And will fly to them, though they ebb and flow
In blackest clouds and nights; and never bear
Of any wrack or rock the slend’rest fear.
But this I heard my sire Nausithous say
Long since, that Neptune, seeing us convey
So safely passengers of all degrees,
Was angry with us; and upon our seas
A well-built ship we had, near harbour come
From safe deduction of some stranger home,
Made in his flitting billows stick stone still;
And dimm’d our city, like a mighty hill
With shade cast round about it. This report
The old king made; in which miraculous sort,
If god had done such things, or left undone,
At his good pleasure be it. But now, on,
And truth relate us, both from whence you err’d,
And to what clime of men would be transferr’d,
With all their fair towns, be they as they are,
If rude, unjust, and all irregular,
Or hospitable, bearing minds that please
The mighty deity. Which one of these
You would be set at, say, and you are there.
And therefore what afflicts you? Why, to hear
The fate of Greece and Ilion, mourn you so?
The gods have done it; as to all they do
Destine destruction, that from thence may rise
A poem to instruct posterities.
Fell any kinsman before Ilion?
Some worthy sire-in-law, or like-near son,
Whom next our own blood and self-race we love?
Or any friend perhaps, in whom did move
A knowing soul, and no unpleasing thing?
Since such a good one is no underling
To any brother; for, what fits true friends,
True wisdom is, that blood and birth transcends.
The end of the eighth book
Book 9
The Argument
Ulysses here is first made known;
Who tells the stern contention
His powers did ’gainst the Cicons try;
And thence to the Lotophagi
Extends his conquest; and from them
Assays the Cyclop Polypheme,
And, by the crafts his wits apply,
He puts him out his only eye.
Another Argument
Iota
The strangely fed
Lotophagi;
The Cicons fled;
The Cyclop’s eye.