The Odysseys of Homer, together with the shorter poems. Homer

the Æthiops saw, and here confines

       ‭ To this Ulysses’ fate his misery.

       ‭ The great mark, on which all his hopes rely,

       ‭ Lies in Phæacia. But I hope he shall

       ‭ Feel woe at height, ere that dead calm befall.”

       ‭ This said; he, begging, gather’d clouds from land, [4]

       ‭ Frighted the seas up, snatch’d into his hand

       ‭ His horrid trident, and aloft did toss,

       ‭ Of all the winds, all storms he could engross,

       ‭ All earth took into sea with clouds, grim Night

       ‭ Fell tumbling headlong from the cope of light,

       ‭ The East and South winds justled in the air,

       ‭ The violent Zephyr, and North making-fair,

       ‭ Roll’d up the waves before them. And then bent

       ‭ Ulysses’ knees, then all his spirit was spent.

       ‭ In which despair, he thus spake: “Woe is me!

       ‭ What was I born to, man of misery!

       ‭ Fear tells me now, that, all the Goddess said,

       ‭ Truth’s self will author, that Fate would be paid

       ‭ Grief’s whole sum due from me, at sea, before

       ‭ I reach’d the dear touch of my country’s shore.

       ‭ With what clouds Jove heav’n’s heighten’d forehead binds!

       ‭ How tyrannize the wraths of all the winds!

       ‭ How all the tops he bottoms with the deeps,

       ‭ And in the bottoms all the tops he steeps!

       ‭ Thus dreadful is the presence of our death.

       ‭ Thrice four times blest were they that sunk beneath

       ‭ Their fates at Troy, and did to nought contend

       ‭ But to renown Atrides with their end!

       ‭ I would to God, my hour of death and fate

       ‭ That day had held the’ pow’r to terminate,

       ‭ When show’rs of darts my life bore undepress’d

       ‭ About divine Æacides deceas’d!

       ‭ Then had I been allotted to have died,

       ‭ By all the Greeks with fun’rals glorified,

       ‭ (Whence death, encouraging good life, had grown)

       ‭ Where now I die, by no man mourn’d nor known.”

       ‭ This spoke, a huge wave took him by the head,

       ‭ And hurl’d him o’er board; ship and all it laid

       ‭ Inverted quite amidst the waves, but he

       ‭ Far off from her sprawl’d, strow’d about the sea,

       ‭ His stern still holding broken off, his mast

       ‭ Burst in the midst, so horrible a blast

       ‭ Of mix’d winds struck it. Sails and sail-yards fell

       ‭ Amongst the billows; and himself did dwell

       ‭ A long time under water, nor could get

       ‭ In haste his head out, wave with wave so met

       ‭ In his depression; and his garments too,

       ‭ Giv’n by Calypso, gave him much to do,

       ‭ Hind’ring his swimming; yet he left not so

       ‭ His drenchéd vessel, for the overthrow

       ‭ Of her nor him, but gat at length again,

       ‭ Wrastling with Neptune, hold of her; and then

       ‭ Sat in her bulk, insulting over death,

       ‭ Which, with the salt stream prest to stop his breath,

       ‭ He ’scap’d, and gave the sea again to give

       ‭ To other men. His ship so striv’d to live,

       ‭ Floating at random, cuff’d from wave to wave.

       ‭ As you have seen the North wind when he drave

       ‭ In autumn heaps of thorn-fed grasshoppers

       ‭ Hither and thither, one heap this way bears,

       ‭ Another that, and makes them often meet

       ‭ in his confus’d gales; so Ulysses’ fleet

       ‭ The winds hurl’d up and down; now Boreas

       ‭ Toss’d it to Notus, Notus gave it pass

       ‭ To Eurus, Eurus Zephyr made pursue

       ‭ The horrid tennis. This sport call’d the view

       ‭ Of Cadmus’ daughter, with the narrow heel,

       ‭ Ino Leucothea, that first did feel

       ‭ A mortal dame’s desires, and had a tongue,

       ‭ But now had th’ honour to be nam’d among

       ‭ The marine Godheads. She with pity saw

       ‭ Ulysses justled thus from flaw to flaw,

       ‭ And, like a cormorant in form and flight,

       ‭ Rose from a whirl-pool, on the ship did light,

       ‭ And thus bespake him: “Why is Neptune thus

       ‭ In thy pursuit extremely furious,

       ‭ Oppressing thee with such a world of ill,

       ‭ Ev’n to thy death? He must not serve his will,

       ‭ Though ’tis his study. Let me then advise

       ‭ As my thoughts serve; thou shalt not be unwise

       ‭ To leave thy weeds and ship to the commands

       ‭ Of these rude winds, and work out with thy hands

       ‭ Pass to Phæacia, where thy austere Fate

       ‭ Is to pursue thee with no more such hate.

       ‭ Take here this tablet, with this riband strung,

       ‭ And see it still about thy bosom hung;

       ‭ By whose eternal virtue never fear

       ‭ To suffer thus again, nor perish here.

       ‭ But when thou touchest with thy hand the shore,

       ‭ Then take it from thy neck, nor wear it more,

       ‭ But cast it far off from the continent,

       ‭ And then thy person far ashore present.

       ‭ Thus gave she him the tablet; and again,

       ‭ Turn’d to a cormorant, div’d, past sight, the main.

       ‭ Patient Ulysses sigh’d at this, and stuck

       ‭ In the conceit of such fair-spoken luck,

       ‭ And said: “Alas! I must suspect ev’n this,

       ‭ Lest any other of the Deities

       ‭ Add sleight to Neptune’s force, to counsel me

       ‭ To leave my vessel, and so far off see

       ‭ The shore I aim at. Not with thoughts too clear

       ‭ Will I obey her, but to me appear

       ‭ These counsels best: As long as I perceive

       ‭ My ship not quite dissolv’d, I will not leave

       ‭ The help she may afford me, but abide,