THE TENTH BOOK OF HOMER'S ODYSSEYS. THE ARGUMENT.

ULYSSES now relates to us The grace he had with Æolus, Great Guardian of the hollow Winds; Which in a leather bag he binds, And gives Ulysses; all but one, Which Zephyr was, who fill'd alone Ulysses' sails. The bag once seen, While he slept, by Ulysses' men, They thinking it did gold enclose, To find it, all the winds did loose, Who back flew to their Guard again. Forth sail'd he; and did next attain To where the Læstrygonians dwell. Where he eleven ships lost, and fell On the Ææan coast, whose shore He sends Eurylochus t' explore, Dividing with him half his men. Who go, and turn no more again, All, save Eurylochus, to swine By Circe turn'd. Their stays incline Ulysses to their search; who got Of Mercury an antidote, Which moly was, 'gainst Circe's charms, And so avoids his soldiers' harms. A year with Circe all remain, And then their native forms regain. On utter shores a time they dwell, While Ithacus descends to hell.

ANOTHER ARGUMENT.

.... Great Æolus, And Circe, friends Finds Ithacus; And hell descends.

O the Æolian island we attain'd,

That swum about still on the sea, where reign'd The God-lov'd Æolus Hippotades. A wall of steel it had; and in the seas A wave-beat-smooth rock moved about the wall. Twelve children in his house imperial Were born to him; of which six daughters were, And six were sons, that youth's sweet flower did bear. His daughters to his sons he gave as wives; Who spent in feastful comforts all their lives, Close seated by their sire and his grave spouse. Past number were the dishes that the house Made ever savour; and still full the hall As long as day shined; in the night-time, all Slept with their chaste wives, each his fair carved bed Most richly furnish'd; and this life they led. We reach'd the city and fair roofs of these, Where, a whole month's time, all things that might please The king vouchsafed us; of great Troy inquired, The Grecian fleet, and how the Greeks retired. To all which I gave answer as behoved. The fit time come when I dismission moved, He nothing would deny me, but address'd My pass with such a bounty, as might best Teach me contentment; for he did enfold Within an ox-hide, flayed at nine years old, All th' airy blasts that were of stormy kinds. Saturnius made him Steward of his Winds, And gave him power to raise and to assuage. And these he gave me, curb'd thus of their rage, Which in a glittering silver band I bound, And hung up in my ship, enclosed so round That no egression any breath could find; Only he left abroad the Western Wind, To speed our ships, and us with blasts secure. But our securities made all unsure; Nor could he consummate our course alone, When all the rest had got egression; Which thus succeeded: Nine whole days and nights We sail'd in safety; and the tenth, the lights Borne on our country earth we might descry, So near we drew; and yet even then fell I, Being overwatch'd, into a fatal sleep, For I would suffer no man else to keep The foot that ruled my vessel's course, to lead The faster home. My friends then Envy fed About the bag I hung up, and supposed That gold and silver I had there enclosed, As gift from Æolus, and said: 'O heaven! What grace and grave price is by all men given To our commander! Whatsoever coast Or town he comes to, how much he engrost Of fair and precious prey, and brought from Troy! We the same voyage went, and yet enjoy In our return these empty hands for all. This bag, now, Æolus was so liberal To make a guest-gift to him; let us try Of what consists the fair-bound treasury, And how much gold and silver it contains.' Ill counsel present approbation gains. They oped the bag, and out the vapours brake, When instant tempest did our vessel take, That bore us back to sea, to mourn anew Our absent country. Up amazed I flew, And desperate things discoursed; if I should cast Myself to ruin in the seas, or taste Amongst the living more moan, and sustain? Silent, I did so, and lay hid again Beneath the hatches, while an ill wind took My ships back to Æolia, my men strook With woe enough. We pump'd and landed then, Took food, for all this; and of all my men I took a herald to me, and away Went to the court of Æolus, where they Were feasting still; he, wife, and children, set Together close. We would not at their meat Thrust in; but humbly on the threshold sat. He then, amazed, my presence wonder'd at, And call'd to me: 'Ulysses! How thus back Art thou arrived here?