The Death of the Suitors.
ULYSSES begins the slaughter of the suitors by the death of Antinous-He declares himself, and lets fly his arrows at the rest-Telemachus assists, and brings arms for his father, himself, Eumæus, and Philætius-Melanthius does the same for the wooers-Minerva encourages Ulysses in the shape of Mentor-The suitors are all slain, only Medon and Themius are spared-Melanthius and the unfaithful servants are executed The rest acknowledge their master with all demonstrations of joy.
THEN fierce the hero o'er the threshold strode;
Stripp'd of his rags, he blazed out like a god.
Full in their face the lifted bow he bore,
And quiver'd deaths, a formidable store;
Before his feet the rattling shower he threw,
And thus, terrific, to the suitor crew:
"One venturous game this hand has won to-day,
Another, princes, yet remains to play;
Another mark our arrow must attain.
Phœbus, assist! nor be the labour vain."
Swift as the word the parting arrow sings, And bears thy fate, Antinous, on its wings: Wretch that he was, of unprophetic soul! High in his hands he rear'd the golden bowl! Ev'n then to drain it lengthen'd out his breath; Changed to the deep, the bitter draught of death: For fate who fear'd amid a feastful band? And fate to numbers, by a single hand? Full through his throat Ulysses' weapon pass'd, And pierced the neck. He falls, and breathes his last.
The tumbling goblet the wide floor o'erflows,
A stream of gore burst spouting from his nose;
Grim in convulsive agonies he sprawls:
Before him spurn'd the loaded table falls,
And spreads the pavement with a mingled flood
Of floating meats, and wine, and human blood.
Amazed, confounded, as they saw him fall,
Up rose the throng tumultuous round the hall;
O'er all the dome they cast a haggard eye,
Each look'd for arms in vain; no arms were nigh. "Aim'st thou at princes?" all amazed they said; 31 "Thy last of games unhappy hast thou play'd; Thy erring shaft has made our bravest bleed, And death, unlucky guest, attends thy deed: Vultures shall tear thee." Thus incensed they spoke,
35 While each to chance ascribed the wondrous stroke: Blind as they were: for death ev'n now invades His destined prey, and wraps them all in shades. Then, grimly frowning, with a dreadful look, That wither'd all their hearts, Ulysses spoke :
Dogs, ye have had your day! ye fear'd no more
Ulysses vengeful from the Trojan shore;
While, to your lust and spoil a guardless prey,
Our house, our wealth, our helpless handmaids lay :
Not so content, with bolder phrensy fired,
Ev'n to our bed presumptuous you aspired.
Laws or divine or human fail'd to move,
Or shame of men, or dread of gods above;
Heedless alike of infamy or praise,
Or Fame's eternal voice in future days:
The hour of vengeance, wretches, now is come;
Impending fate is yours, and instant doom."
Thus dreadful he. Confused the suitors stood, From their pale cheeks recedes the flying blood: Trembling they sought their guilty heads to hide, 55 Alone the bold Eurymachus replied:
"If, as thy words import," he thus began, Ulysses lives, and thou the mighty man,
Great are thy wrongs, and much hast thou sustain'd
In thy spoil'd palace, and exhausted land;
The cause and author of those guilty deeds,
Lo! at thy feet unjust Antinous bleeds.
Not love, but wild ambition was his guide;
To slay thy son, thy kingdoms to divide ;
These were his aims; but juster Jove denied.
Since cold in death the offender lies, oh spare
Thy suppliant people, and receive their prayer!
Brass, gold, and treasures shall the spoil defray,
Two hundred oxen every prince shall pay :
The waste of years refunded in a day.
Till then thy wrath is just." Ulysses burn'd
With high disdain, and sternly thus return'd:
66 All, all the treasures that enrich'd our throne
Before your rapines, join'd with all your own,
If offer'd, vainly should for mercy call;
'Tis you that offer, and I scorn them all;
Your blood is my demand, your lives the prize,
Till pale as yonder wretch each suitor lies.
Hence with those coward terms; or fight or fly;
This choice is left you, to resist or die :
And die I trust ye shall." He sternly spoke :
With guilty fears the pale assembly shook.
Alone Eurymachus exhorts the train:
"Yon archer, comrades, will not shoot in vain ;
But from the threshold shall his darts be sped,
(Whoe'er he be,) till every prince lie dead!
Be mindful of yourselves, draw forth your swords,
And to his shafts obtend these ample boards:
(So need compels.) Then, all united strive
The bold invader from his post to drive;
The city roused shall to our rescue haste,
And this mad archer soon have shot his last."
Swift as he spoke, he drew his traitor sword,
And like a lion rush'd against his lord;
The wary chief the rushing foe repress'd,
Who met the point and forced it in his breast:
His falling hand deserts the lifted sword,
And prone he falls extended o'er the board!
Before him wide, in mix'd effusion roll
The untasted viands, and the jovial bowl.
Full through his liver pass'd the mortal wound,
With dying rage his forehead beats the ground;
He spurn'd the seat with fury as he fell,
And the fierce soul to darkness dived, and hell.
Next bold Amphinomus his arms extends
To force the pass; the godlike man defends.
Thy spear, Telemachus, prevents the attack,
The brazen weapon driving through his back,
Thence through his breast its bloody passage tore;
Flat falls he thundering on the marble floor,
And his crush'd forehead marks the stone with gore.
He left his javelin in the dead, for fear
The long encumbrance of the weighty spear
To the fierce foe advantage might afford,
To rush between and use the shorten'd sword.
With speedy ardour to his sire he flies,
And, "Arm, great father! arm," in haste he cries.
"Lo hence I run for other arms to wield,
For missile javelins, and for helm and shield;
Fast by our side let either faithful swain
In arms attend us, and their part sustain."
"Haste, and return," Ulysses made reply,
"While yet the auxiliar shafts this hand supply;
Lest thus alone, encounter'd by a host,
Driven from the gate, the important pass be lost."
With speed Telemachus obeys, and flies
Where piled in heaps the royal armour lies:
Four brazen helmets, eight refulgent spears,
And four broad bucklers to his sire he bears:
At once in brazen panoply they shone,
At once each servant braced his armour on; Around their king a faithful guard they stand, While yet each shaft flew deathful from his hand : Chief after chief expired at every wound,
And swell'd the bleeding mountain on the ground.
Soon as his store of flying fates was spent,
Against the wall he set the bow unbent;
And now his shoulders bear the massy shield,
And now his hands two beamy javelins wield:
He frowns beneath his nodding plume that play'd
O'er the high crest, and cast a dreadful shade.
There stood a window near, whence looking down
From o'er the porch appear'd the subject town.
A double strength of valves secured the place,
A high and narrow, but the only pass;
The cautious king, with all-preventing care,
To guard that outlet, placed Eumæus there:
When Agelaus thus: "Has none the sense
To mount yon window, and alarm from thence
The neighbour town? the town shall force the door,
And this bold archer soon shall shoot no more." 151
Melanthius then: "That outlet to the gate
So near adjoins, that one may guard the strait.
But other methods of defence remain;
Myself with arms can furnish all the train;
Stores from the royal magazine I bring,
And their own darts shall pierce the prince and
He said; and mounting up the lofty stairs,
Twelve shields, twelve lances, and twelve helmets
All arm, and sudden round the hall appears
A blaze of bucklers, and a wood of spears.
The hero stands oppress'd with mighty wo,
On every side he sees the labour grow:
"Oh cursed event! and oh unlook'd-for aid!
Melanthius or the women have betray'd-
Oh my dear son!" the father with a sigh,
Then ceased; the filial virtue made reply:
"Falsehood is folly, and 'tis just to own
Thy fault committed: this was mine alone;
My haste neglected yonder door to bar,
And hence the villain has supplied their war.
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