Delivering early to the voice of fame The promise of a great, immortal, name.'
She said: the sandals of celestial mould, Fledg'd with ambrosial plumes, and rich with gold, Surround her feet: with these sublime she sails The' aërial space, and mounts the winged gales : O'er earth and ocean wide prepard 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 realm 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 wav'd awful in her hand. There in the portal plac'd, the heaven-born maid Enormous riot and misrule survey'd. On hides of beeves, before the palace-gate, (Sad spoils of luxury) the suitors sat. With rival art, and 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 prepare, 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 imag'd in his mind, he sees restor'd, In peace and joy, the people's rightful lord;
The proud oppressors fly the vengeful sword.
While his fond soul these fancied triumphs swell'd, The stranger-guest, the royal youth beheld : Griev'd 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 embrac'd. 'Stranger! whoe'er thou art, securely rest, Affianc'd in my faith, a friendly guest : Approach the dome, the social banquet share, And then the purpose of thy soul declare.'
Thus affable and mild, the prince precedes, And to the dome the' unknown celestial leads, The spear receiving from her hand, he plac'd Against a column, fair with sculpture grac'd; Where seemly rang'd in peaceful order stood Ulysses' arms, now long disus'd 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 his father's fate. The golden ewer a maid obsequious brings, Replenish'd from the cool translucent springs; With copious water the bright vase supplies A silver laver, of capacious size : They wash. The tables in fair order spread, They heap the glittering canisters with bread : Viands of various kinds allure the taste, Of choicest sort and savour, rich repast! Delicious wines the' attending herald brought; The gold gave lustre to the purple draught.
Lur'd 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. Luxurious 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 measur'd airs the mazy dance. To Phemius was consign'd the chorded lyre, Whose hand reluctant 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 His 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 treasur'd stores these cormorants consume, Whose bones, defrauded of a regal tomb And common turf, lie naked on the plain, Or doom'd to welter in the whelming main. 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 their cumbrous pride's unwieldy weight. But, ah, I dream!-the' appointed hour is fled, And hope, too long with vain delusion fed, Deaf to the rumour of fallacious fame, Gives to the roll of death his glorious name! With venial freedom let me now demand
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 visit dost thou deign, Or number'd in my father's social train? All who deserv'd his choice he made his own, And curious much to know, he far was known.'
'My birth I boast (the blue-ey'd virgin cries) From great Anchialus, renown'd and wise : Mentes my name; I rule the Taphian race, Whose bounds the deep circumfluent waves emA duteous people, and industrious isle, To naval arts inur'd, and stormy toil. Freighted with iron from my native land, I steer my voyage to the Brutian strand; To gain by commerce, for the labour'd mass, A just proportion of refulgent brass. Far from your capital, my ship resides At Reithrus, and secure at anchor rides ; Where waving groves on airy Neion 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 prefers, Where, sole of all his train, a matron sage Supports with homely food his drooping age; With feeble steps from marshalling his vines Returning sad, when toilsome day declines. With friendly speed, induc'd by erring fame, To hail Ulysses' safe return I came : But still the frown of some celestial pow'r 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. The 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 winged 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 defeat, 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 face, on which I dwelt with joy Ere Greece assembled stemm'd the tides to Troy; But 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 happier he whom fate Hath plac'd 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 dooni'd a father's wretched fate to mourn!' To whom, with aspect mild, the guest divine : O true descendant of a sceptred line! The gods, a glorious fate, from anguish free, To chaste Penelope's increase decree. But say, yon jovial troop so gaily dress'd, Is this a bridal or a friendly feast?
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