Not so a youth who deals the goblet round;
Full on his shoulder it inflicts a wound:
Dash'd from his hand the sounding goblet flies,
He shrieks, he reels, he falls, and breathless lies.
Then wild uproar and clamour mounts the sky,
Till mutual thus the peers indignant cry:
O had this stranger sunk to realms beneath,
To the black realms of darkness and of death,
Ere yet he trod these shores! to strife he draws
Peer against peer: and what the weighty cause?
A vagabond! for him the great destroy
In vile ignoble jars, the feast of joy.
To whom the stern Telemachus uprose:
Gods! what wild folly from the goblet flows?
Whence this unguarded openness of soul,
But from the license of the copious bowl?
Or heaven delusion sends. but hence, away!
Force I forbear, and without force obey.
Silent, abash'd they hear the stern rebuke,
Till thus Amphinomus the silence broke.
True are his words, and he whom truth offends,
Not with Telemachus, but truth contends:
Let not the hand of violence invade
The reverend stranger, or the spotless maid;
Retire we hence! but crown with rosy wine
The flowing goblet to the powers divine;
Guard he his guest beneath whose roof he stands:
This justice, this the social right demands.
The peers assent; the goblet Mulius crown'd
With purple juice, and bore in order round:
Each peer successive his libation pours
To the blest gods that fill th' aerial bowers;
Then swill'd with wine, with noise the crowds
obey.
And rushing forth tumultuous, reel away.
THE DISCOVERY OF ULYSSES TO EURYCLEA.
Ulysses and his son remove the weapons out of the armory. Ulysses, in conversation with Penelope, gives a fictitious account of his adventures; then assures her he had formerly entertained her husband in Crete; and describes exactly his person and dress, affirms to have heard of him in Phaacia and Thesprotia, and that his return is certain, and within a month. He then goes to bathe, and is attended by Euryclea, who discovers him to be Ulysses by the scar upon his leg, which he formerly received in hunting the wild boar on Parnassus. The poet inserts a digression, relating that accident with all its particulars.
CONSULTING Secret with the blue-eyed maid, Still in the dome divine Ulysses stay'd: Revenge, mature for act, inflam'd his breast; And thus the son the fervent sire address'd. Instant convey those steely stores of war To disant rooms, dispos'd with secret care: The cause demanded by the suitor train, To sooth their fears a specious feign: Say, since Ulysses left his natal coast, Obscene with smoke, their beamy lustre lost.
His arms deform'd the roof they wont adorn:
From the glad walls inglorious lumber torn.
Suggest, that Jove the peaceful thought inspir'd,
Lest they by sight of swords to fury fir'd,
Dishonest wounds, or violence of soul,
Defame the bridal feast, and friendly bowl.
The prince obedient to the sage command,
To Euryclea thus: The female band
In their apartments keep; secure the doors;
These swarthy arms among the covert stores
Are seemlier hid; my thoughtless youth they
blame,
Imbrown'd with vapour of the smouldering flame.
In happy hour, (pleas'd Euryclea cries)
Tutor'❜d by early woes, grow early wise!
Inspect with sharpen'd sight, and frugal care,
Your patrimonial wealth, a prudent heir.
But who the lighted taper will provide,
(The female train retir'd) your toils to guide?
Without infringing hospitable right,
This guest (he cried) shall bear the guiding light:
I cheer no lazy vagrants with repast;
They share the meal that earn it ere they taste.
He said; from female ken she straight secures
The purpos'd deed, and guards the bolted doors:
Auxiliar to his son, Ulysses bears
The plumy-crested helms and pointed spears,
With shields indented deep in glorious wars.
Minerva viewless on her charge attends,
And with her golden lamp his toil befriends:
Not such the sickly beams, which unsincere,
Gild the gross vapour of this nether sphere!
A present deity the prince confess'd,
And wrapt with ecstacy the sire address'd.
What miracle thus dazzles with surprise!
Distinct in rows the radiant columns rise:
The walls where'er my wondering sight I turn,
And roofs, amidst a blaze of glory burn!
Some visitant of pure etherial race,
With his bright presence deigns the dome to grace.
Be calm, replies the sire; to none impart,
But oft revolve the vision in thy heart:
Celestials, mantled in excess of light,
Can visit unapproach'd by mortal sight.
Seek thou repose; whilst here I sole remain,
T'explore the conduct of the female train:
The pensive queen perchance desires to know
The series of my toils, to soothe her woe.
With tapers flaming day his train attends,
His bright alcove th' obsequious youth ascends:
Soft slumberous shades his drooping eye-lids close,
Till on her eastern throne Aurora glows.
Whilst, forming plans of death, Ulysses staid, In council secret with the martial maid; Attendant nymphs in beauteous order wait The queen, descending from her bower of state. Her cheeks the warmer blush of Venus wear, Chasten'd with coy Diana's pensive air. An ivory seat with silver ringlets grac'd, By fam'd Icmalius wrought, the menials plac'd: With ivory silver'd thick the footstool shone, O'er which the panther's various hide was thrown, The sovereign seat with graceful air she press'd, To different tasks their toil the nymphs address'd, The golden goblets some, and some restor'd From stains of luxury the polish'd board: These to remove th' expiring embers came, While those with unctuous fir foment the flame. 'Twas then Melantho with imperious mien Renew'd th' attack, incontinent of spleen: Avaunt, she cried, offensive to my sight! Deem not in ambush here to lurk by night
Into the woman-state asquint to pry;
A day-devourer, and an evening spy!
Vagrant, begone! before this blazing brand
Shall urge-and wav'd it hissing in her hand.
Th' insulted hero rolls his wrathful eyes,
And, why so turbulent of soul? he cries;
Can these lean shrivel'd limbs unnerv'd with age,
These poor but honest rags, enkindle rage?
In crowds we wear the badge of hungry fate;
And beg, degraded from superior state!
Constrain'd! a rent-charge on the rich I live;
Reduc'd to crave the good I once could give:
A palace, wealth, and slaves I late possess'd,
And all that makes the great be call'd the bless'd:
My gate, an emblem of my open soul,
Embrac'd the poor, and dealt a bounteous dole.
Scorn not the sad reverse, injurious maid!
"Tis Jove's high will, and be his will obey'd!
Nor think thyself exempt: that rosy prime
Must share the general doom of withering time:
To some new channel soon, the changeful tide
Of royal grace th' offended queen may guide;
And her lov'd lord unplume thy towering pride.
Or were he dead, 'tis wisdom to beware;
Sweet blooms the prince beneath Apollo's care;
Your deeds with quick impartial eye surveys;
Potent to punish what he can not praise.
Her keen reproach had reach'd the sovereign's
Loquacious insolent! she cries, forbear:
To thee the purpose of my soul I told;
Venial discourse, unblam'd, with him to hold:
The storied labours of my wandering lord,
To sooth my grief he haply may record:
Yet him, my guest, thy venom'd rage hath stung;
Thy head shall pay the forfeit of thy tongue!
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