The Odyssey of Homer Part 33

The guest is of athletic frame, well form'd, 400 And large of limb; he boasts him also sprung From n.o.ble ancestry. Come then--consent-- Give him the bow, that we may see the proof; For thus I say, and thus will I perform; Sure as he bends it, and Apollo gives To him that glory, tunic fair and cloak Shall be his meed from me, a javelin keen To guard him against men and dogs, a sword Of double edge, and sandals for his feet, And I will send him whither most he would. 410 Her answer'd then prudent Telemachus.

Mother--the bow is mine; and, save myself, No Greek hath right to give it, or refuse.

None who in rock-bound Ithaca possess Dominion, none in the steed-pastured isles Of Elis, if I chose to make the bow His own for ever, should that choice controul.

But thou into the house repairing, ply Spindle and loom, thy province, and enjoin Diligence to thy maidens; for the bow 420 Is man's concern alone, and shall be mine Especially, since I am master here.

She heard astonish'd, and the prudent speech Reposing of her son deep in her heart, Withdrew; then mounting with her female train To her superior chamber, there she wept Her lost Ulysses, till Minerva bathed With balmy dews of sleep her weary lids.

And now the n.o.ble swine-herd bore the bow Toward Ulysses, but with one voice all 430 The suitors, clamorous, reproved the deed, Of whom a youth, thus, insolent exclaim'd.

Thou clumsy swine-herd, whither bear'st the bow, Delirious wretch? the hounds that thou hast train'd Shall eat thee at thy solitary home Ere long, let but Apollo prove, at last, Propitious to us, and the Pow'rs of heav'n.

So they, whom hearing he replaced the bow Where erst it stood, terrified at the sound Of such loud menaces; on the other side 440 Telemachus as loud a.s.sail'd his ear.

Friend! forward with the bow; or soon repent That thou obey'dst the many. I will else With huge stones drive thee, younger as I am, Back to the field. My strength surpa.s.ses thine.

I would to heav'n that I in force excell'd As far, and prowess, every suitor here!

So would I soon give rude dismission hence To some, who live but to imagine harm.

He ceased, whose words the suitors laughing heard. 450 And, for their sake, in part their wrath resign'd Against Telemachus; then through the hall Eumaeus bore, and to Ulysses' hand Consign'd the bow; next, summoning abroad The ancient nurse, he gave her thus in charge.

It is the pleasure of Telemachus, Sage Euryclea! that thou key secure The doors; and should you hear, perchance, a groan Or other noise made by the Princes shut Within the hall, let none look, curious, forth, 460 But each in quietness pursue her work.

So he; nor flew his words useless away, But she, incontinent, shut fast the doors.

Then, noiseless, sprang Philtius forth, who closed The portals also of the palace-court.

A s.h.i.+p-rope of aegyptian reed, it chanced, Lay in the vestibule; with that he braced The doors securely, and re-entring fill'd Again his seat, but watchful, eyed his Lord.

He, now, a.s.saying with his hand the bow, 470 Made curious trial of it ev'ry way, And turn'd it on all sides, lest haply worms Had in its master's absence drill'd the horn.

Then thus a suitor to his next remark'd.

He hath an eye, methinks, exactly skill'd In bows, and steals them; or perhaps, at home, Hath such himself, or feels a strong desire To make them; so inquisitive the rogue Adept in mischief, s.h.i.+fts it to and fro!

To whom another, insolent, replied. 480 I wish him like prosperity in all His efforts, as attends his effort made On this same bow, which he shall never bend.

So they; but when the wary Hero wise Had made his hand familiar with the bow Poising it and examining--at once-- As when in harp and song adept, a bard Unlab'ring strains the chord to a new lyre, The twisted entrails of a sheep below With fingers nice inserting, and above, 490 With such facility Ulysses bent His own huge bow, and with his right hand play'd The nerve, which in its quick vibration sang Clear as the swallow's voice. Keen anguish seized The suitors, wan grew ev'ry cheek, and Jove Gave him his rolling thunder for a sign.

That omen, granted to him by the son Of wily Saturn, with delight he heard.

He took a shaft that at the table-side Lay ready drawn; but in his quiver's womb 500 The rest yet slept, by those Achaians proud To be, ere long, experienced. True he lodg'd The arrow on the centre of the bow, And, occupying still his seat, drew home Nerve and notch'd arrow-head; with stedfast sight He aimed and sent it; right through all the rings From first to last the steel-charged weapon flew Issuing beyond, and to his son he spake.

Thou need'st not blush, young Prince, to have received A guest like me; neither my arrow swerved, 510 Nor labour'd I long time to draw the bow; My strength is unimpair'd, not such as these In scorn affirm it. But the waning day Calls us to supper, after which succeeds[102]

Jocund variety, the song, the harp, With all that heightens and adorns the feast.

He said, and with his brows gave him the sign.

At once the son of the ill.u.s.trious Chief Slung his keen faulchion, grasp'd his spear, and stood Arm'd bright for battle at his father's side. 520

FOOTNOTES:

[96] A province of Laconia.

[97] The reader will of course observe, that the whole of this process implies a sort of mechanism very different from that with which we are acquainted.--The translation, I believe, is exact.

[98] This first attempt of Telemachus and the suitors was not an attempt to shoot, but to lodge the bow-string on the opposite horn, the bow having been released at one end, and slackened while it was laid by.

[99] Antinous prescribes to them this manner of rising to the trial for the good omen's sake, the left-hand being held unpropitious.

[100] The des?? seems to have been a strap designed to close the only aperture by which the bolt could be displaced, and the door opened.

[101] When Pirithous, one of the Lapithae, married Hippodamia, daughter of Adrastus, he invited the Centaurs to the wedding. The Centaurs, intoxicated with wine, attempted to ravish the wives of the Lapithae, who in resentment of that insult, slew them.

[102] This is an instance of the Sa?da???? a?a t???? mentioned in Book XX.; such as, perhaps, could not be easily paralleled. I question if there be a pa.s.sage, either in ancient or modern tragedy, so truly terrible as this seeming levity of Ulysses, in the moment when he was going to begin the slaughter.

BOOK XXII

ARGUMENT

Ulysses, with some little a.s.sistance from Telemachus, Eumaeus and Philtius, slays all the suitors, and twelve of the female servants who had allowed themselves an illicit intercourse with them, are hanged.

Melanthius also is punished with miserable mutilation.

Then, girding up his rags, Ulysses sprang With bow and full-charged quiver to the door; Loose on the broad stone at his feet he pour'd His arrows, and the suitors, thus, bespake.

This prize, though difficult, hath been atchieved.

Now for another mark which never man Struck yet, but I will strike it if I may, And if Apollo make that glory mine.

He said, and at Antinous aimed direct A bitter shaft; he, purposing to drink, 10 Both hands advanced toward the golden cup Twin-ear'd, nor aught suspected death so nigh.

For who, at the full banquet, could suspect That any single guest, however brave, Should plan his death, and execute the blow?

Yet him Ulysses with an arrow pierced Full in the throat, and through his neck behind Started the glitt'ring point. Aslant he droop'd; Down fell the goblet, through his nostrils flew The spouted blood, and spurning with his foot 20 The board, he spread his viands in the dust.

Confusion, when they saw Antinous fall'n, Seized all the suitors; from the thrones they sprang, Flew ev'ry way, and on all sides explored The palace-walls, but neither st.u.r.dy lance As erst, nor buckler could they there discern, Then, furious, to Ulysses thus they spake.

Thy arrow, stranger, was ill-aimed; a man Is no just mark. Thou never shalt dispute Prize more. Inevitable death is thine. 30 For thou hast slain a Prince n.o.blest of all In Ithaca, and shalt be vultures' food.

Various their judgments were, but none believed That he had slain him wittingly, nor saw Th' infatuate men fate hov'ring o'er them all.

Then thus Ulysses, louring dark, replied.

O dogs! not fearing aught my safe return From Ilium, ye have shorn my substance close, Lain with my women forcibly, and sought, While yet I lived, to make my consort yours, 40 Heedless of the inhabitants of heav'n Alike, and of the just revenge of man.

But death is on the wing; death for you all.

He said; their cheeks all faded at the sound, And each with sharpen'd eyes search'd ev'ry nook For an escape from his impending doom, Till thus, alone, Eurymachus replied.

If thou indeed art he, the mighty Chief Of Ithaca return'd, thou hast rehears'd With truth the crimes committed by the Greeks 50 Frequent, both in thy house and in thy field.

But he, already, who was cause of all, Lies slain, Antinous; he thy palace fill'd With outrage, not solicitous so much To win the fair Penelope, but thoughts Far diff'rent framing, which Saturnian Jove Hath baffled all; to rule, himself, supreme In n.o.ble Ithaca, when he had kill'd By an insidious stratagem thy son.

But he is slain. Now therefore, spare thy own, 60 Thy people; public reparation due Shall sure be thine, and to appease thy wrath For all the waste that, eating, drinking here We have committed, we will yield thee, each, Full twenty beeves, gold paying thee beside And bra.s.s, till joy shall fill thee at the sight, However just thine anger was before.

To whom Ulysses, frowning stern, replied, Eurymachus, would ye contribute each His whole inheritance, and other sums 70 Still add beside, ye should not, even so, These hands of mine bribe to abstain from blood, Till ev'ry suitor suffer for his wrong.

Ye have your choice. Fight with me, or escape (Whoever may) the terrours of his fate, But ye all perish, if my thought be true.

He ended, they with trembling knees and hearts All heard, whom thus Eurymachus address'd.

To your defence, my friends! for respite none Will he to his victorious hands afford, 80 But, arm'd with bow and quiver, will dispatch Shafts from the door till he have slain us all.

Therefore to arms--draw each his sword--oppose The tables to his shafts, and all at once Rush on him; that, dislodging him at least From portal and from threshold, we may give The city on all sides a loud alarm, So shall this archer soon have shot his last.

Thus saying, he drew his brazen faulchion keen Of double edge, and with a dreadful cry 90 Sprang on him; but Ulysses with a shaft In that same moment through his bosom driv'n Transfix'd his liver, and down dropp'd his sword.

He, staggering around his table, fell Convolv'd in agonies, and overturn'd Both food and wine; his forehead smote the floor; Woe fill'd his heart, and spurning with his heels His vacant seat, he shook it till he died.

Then, with his faulchion drawn, Amphinomus Advanced to drive Ulysses from the door, 100 And fierce was his a.s.sault; but, from behind, Telemachus between his shoulders fix'd A brazen lance, and urged it through his breast.

Full on his front, with hideous sound, he fell.

Leaving the weapon planted in his spine Back flew Telemachus, lest, had he stood Drawing it forth, some enemy, perchance, Should either pierce him with a sudden thrust Oblique, or hew him with a downright edge.

Swift, therefore, to his father's side he ran, 110 Whom reaching, in wing'd accents thus he said.

My father! I will now bring thee a s.h.i.+eld, An helmet, and two spears; I will enclose Myself in armour also, and will give Both to the herdsmen and Eumaeus arms Expedient now, and needful for us all.

To whom Ulysses, ever-wise, replied.

Run; fetch them, while I yet have arrows left, Lest, single, I be justled from the door.

He said, and, at his word, forth went the Prince, 120 Seeking the chamber where he had secured The armour. Thence he took four s.h.i.+elds, eight spears, With four hair-crested helmets, charged with which He hasted to his father's side again, And, arming first himself, furnish'd with arms His two attendants. Then, all clad alike In splendid bra.s.s, beside the dauntless Chief Ulysses, his auxiliars firm they stood.

He, while a single arrow unemploy'd Lay at his foot, right-aiming, ever pierced 130 Some suitor through, and heaps on heaps they fell.

But when his arrows fail'd the royal Chief, His bow reclining at the portal's side Against the palace-wall, he slung, himself, A four-fold buckler on his arm, he fix'd A casque whose crest wav'd awful o'er his brows On his ill.u.s.trious head, and fill'd his gripe With two stout spears, well-headed both, with bra.s.s.

There was a certain postern in the wall[103]

At the gate-side, the customary pa.s.s 140 Into a narrow street, but barr'd secure.

Ulysses bade his faithful swine-herd watch That egress, station'd near it, for it own'd One sole approach; then Agelaus loud Exhorting all the suitors, thus exclaim'd.

Oh friends, will none, ascending to the door Of yonder postern, summon to our aid The populace, and spread a wide alarm?

So shall this archer soon have shot his last.

To whom the keeper of the goats replied 150 Melanthius. Agelaus! Prince renown'd!

That may not be. The postern and the gate[104]

Neighbour too near each other, and to force The narrow egress were a vain attempt; One valiant man might thence repulse us all.

But come--myself will furnish you with arms Fetch'd from above; for there, as I suppose, (And not elsewhere) Ulysses and his son Have hidden them, and there they shall be found.

So spake Melanthius, and, ascending, sought 160 Ulysses' chambers through the winding stairs And gall'ries of the house. Twelve bucklers thence He took, as many spears, and helmets bright As many, s.h.a.gg'd with hair, then swift return'd And gave them to his friends. Trembled the heart Of brave Ulysses, and his knees, at sight Of his opposers putting armour on, And shaking each his spear; arduous indeed Now seem'd his task, and in wing'd accents brief Thus to his son Telemachus he spake. 170 Either some woman of our train contrives Hard battle for us, furnis.h.i.+ng with arms The suitors, or Melanthius arms them all.

Him answer'd then Telemachus discrete.