The Iliad and the Odyssey (Classics of World Literature) (120 page)

He made a sweet and habitable soil.

Where stood a house to him, about which ran,

In turnings thick and labyrinthian,

Poor hovels, where his necessary men

That did those works (of pleasure to him then)

Might sit, and eat, and sleep. In his own house

An old Sicilian dame lived, studious

To serve his sour age with her cheerful pains.

Then said Ulysses to his son and swains:

‘Go you to town, and for your dinner kill

The best swine ye can choose; myself will still

Stay with my father, and assay his eye

If my acknowledg’d truth it can descry,

Or that my long time’s travel doth so change

My sight to him that I appear as strange.’

Thus gave he arms to them, and home they hied.

Ulysses to the fruitful field applied

His present place; nor found he Dolius there,

His sons, or any servant, anywhere

In all that spacious ground; all gone from thence

Were dragging bushes to repair a fence,

Old Dolius leading all. Ulysses found

His father far above in that fair ground,

Employ’d in proining of a plant, his weeds

All torn and tatter’d, fit for homely deeds,

But not for him. Upon his legs he wore

Patch’d boots to guard him from the bramble’s gore;

His hands had thorn-proof hedging mittens on;

His head a goat-skin casque; through all which shone

His heart giv’n over to abjectest moan.

Him when Ulysses saw consum’d with age,

And all the ensigns on him that the rage

Of grief presented, he brake out in tears;

And, taking stand then where a tree of pears

Shot high his forehead over him, his mind

Had much contention, if to yield to kind,

Make straight way to his father, kiss, embrace,

Tell his return, and put on all the face

And fashion of his instant-told return;

Or stay th’ impulsion, and the long day burn

Of his quite loss giv’n in his father’s fear

A little longer, trying first his cheer

With some free dalliance, th’ earnest being so near.

This course his choice preferr’d, and forth he went –

His father then his aged shoulders bent

Beneath what years had stoop’d, about a tree

Busily digging: ‘O, old man,’ said he,

‘You want no skill to dress and deck your ground,

For all your plants doth order’d distance bound.

No apple, pear or olive, fig or vine,

Nor any plot or quarter you confine

To grass or flow’rs stands empty of your care,

Which shows exact in each peculiar;

And yet (which let not move you) you bestow

No care upon yourself, though to this show

Of outward irksomeness to what you are

You labour with an inward froward care,

Which is your age, that should wear all without

More neat and cherishing. I make no doubt

That any sloth you use procures your lord

To let an old man go so much abhorr’d

In all his weeds; nor shines there in your look

A fashion and a goodliness so took

With abject qualities to merit this

Nasty entreaty. Your resemblance is

A very king’s, and shines through this retreat.

You look like one that having wash’d and eat

Should sleep securely, lying sweet and neat.

It is the ground of age, when cares abuse it,

To know life’s end, and, as ’tis sweet, so use it.

But utter truth, and tell what lord is he

That rates your labour and your liberty?

Whose orchard is it that you husband thus?

Or quit me this doubt, for if Ithacus

This kingdom claims for his, the man I found

At first arrival here is hardly sound

Of brain or civil, not enduring stay

To tell nor hear me my inquiry out

Of that my friend, if still he bore about

His life and being, or were div’d to death,

And in the house of him that harboureth

The souls of men. For once he liv’d my guest;

My land and house retaining interest

In his abode there; where there sojourn’d none

As guest from any foreign region

Of more price with me. He deriv’d his race

From Ithaca, and said his father was

Laertes, surnamed Arcesiades.

I had him home, and all the offices

Perform’d to him that fitted any friend,

Whose proof I did to wealthy gifts extend:

Seven talents gold; a bowl all silver, set

With pots of flow’rs; twelve robes that had no pleat;

Twelve cloaks, or mantles, of delicious dye;

Twelve inner weeds; twelve suits of tapestry.

I gave him likewise women skill’d in use

Of loom and needle, freeing him to choose

Four the most fair.’ His father, weeping, said:

‘Stranger! The earth to which you are convey’d

Is Ithaca, by such rude men possess’d,

Unjust and insolent, as first address’d

To your encounter; but the gifts you gave

Were giv’n, alas, to the ungrateful grave.

If with his people, where you now arrive,

Your fate had been to find your friend alive,

You should have found like guest-rites from his hand,

Like gifts, and kind pass to your wished land.

But how long since receiv’d you for your guest

Your friend, my son, who was th’ unhappiest

Of all men breathing, if he were at all?

O born when fates and ill-aspects let fall

A cruel influence for him! Far away

From friends and country destined to allay

The sea-bred appetites, or left ashore,

To be by fowls and upland monsters tore,

His life’s kind authors nor his wealthy wife

Bemoaning, as behov’d, his parted life,

Nor closing, as in honour’s course it lies

To all men dead, in bed his dying eyes.

But give me knowledge of your name and race.

What city bred you? Where the anchoring-place

Your ship now rides at lies that shored you here?

And where your men? Or, if a passenger

In other keels you came, who (giving land

To your adventures here, some other strand

To fetch in further course) have left to us

Your welcome presence?’ His reply was thus:

‘I am of Alybande, where I hold

My name’s chief house, to much renown extoll’d.

My father Aphidantes, fam’d to spring

From Polypemon, the Molossian king.

My name Eperitus. My taking land

On this fair isle was ruled by the command

Of god or fortune, quite against consent

Of my free purpose, that in course was bent

For th’ isle Sicania. My ship is held

Far from the city, near an ample field.

And for Ulysses, since his pass from me

’Tis now five years. Unbless’d by destiny,

That all this time hath had the fate to err –

Though at his parting good birds did augur

His putting off, and on his right hand flew,

Which to his passage my affection drew,

His spirit joyful; and my hope was now

To guest with him and see his hand bestow

Rites of our friendship.’ This a cloud of grief

Cast over all the forces of his life.

With both his hands the burning dust he swept

Up from the earth, which on his head he heap’d,

And fetch’d a sigh, as in it life were broke.

Which griev’d his son, and gave so smart a stroke

Upon his nostrils with the inward stripe,

That up the vein rose there; and weeping ripe

He was to see his sire feel such woe

For his dissembled joy; which now let go,

He sprung from earth, embrac’d and kiss’d his sire,

And said: ‘O father! He of whom y’ enquire

Am I myself, that, from you twenty years,

Is now returned. But do not break in tears,

For now we must not forms of kind maintain,

But haste and guard the substance. I have slain

All my wife’s wooers, so revenging now

Their wrong so long time suffer’d. Take not you

The comfort of my coming then to heart

At this glad instant, but, in proved desert

Of your grave judgment, give moan glad suspense,

And on the sudden put this consequence

In act as absolute, as all time went

To ripening of your resolute assent.’

All this haste made not his staid faith so free

To trust his words; who said: ‘If you are he,

Approve it by some sign.’ ‘This scar then see,’

Replied Ulysses, ‘giv’n me by the boar

Slain in Parnassus, I being sent before,

By your’s and by my honour’d mother’s will,

To see your sire Autolycus fulfil

The gifts he vow’d at giving of my name.

I’ll tell you, too, the trees, in goodly frame

Of this fair orchard, that I ask’d of you

Being yet a child, and follow’d for your show

And name of every tree. You gave me then

Of fig-trees forty, apple-bearers ten,

Pear-trees thirteen, and fifty ranks of vine –

Each one of which a season did confine

For his best eating. Not a grape did grow

That grew not there, and had his heavy brow

When Jove’s fair daughters, the all-ripening Hours,

Gave timely date to it.’ This charg’d the pow’rs

Both of his knees and heart with such impression

Of sudden comfort, that it gave possession

Of all to trance, the signs were all so true,

And did the love that gave them so renew.

He cast his arms about his son and sunk,

The circle slipping to his feet, so shrunk

Were all his age’s forces with the fire

Of his young love rekindled. The old sire

The son took up quite lifeless. But his breath

Again respiring, and his soul from death

His body’s pow’r recov’ring, out he cried,

And said: ‘O Jupiter! I now have tried

That still there live in heav’n remembering gods

Of men that serve them, though the periods

They set on their appearances are long

In best men’s sufferings, yet as sure as strong

They are in comforts, be their strange delays

Extended never so from days to days.

Yet see the short joys or the soon-mix’d fears

Of helps withheld by them so many years!

For if the wooers now have paid the pain

Due to their impious pleasures, now again

Extreme fear takes me, lest we straight shall see

The Ithacensians here in mutiny,

Their messengers dispatch’d to win to friend

The Cephallenian cities.’ ‘Do not spend

Your thoughts on these cares,’ said his suffering son,

‘But be of comfort, and see that course run

That best may shun the worst. Our house is near,

Telemachus and both his herdsmen there

To dress our supper with their utmost haste;

And thither haste we.’ This said, forth they pass’d,

Came home, and found Telemachus at feast

With both his swains; while who had done, all dress’d

With baths and balms and royally array’d

The old king was by his Sicilian maid.

By whose side Pallas stood, his crook’d-age straight’ning,

His flesh more plumping, and his looks enlight’ning.

Who issuing then to view, his son admir’d

The gods’ aspects into his form inspir’d,

And said: ‘O father, certainly some god

By your addression in this state hath stood,

More great, more reverend rend’ring you by far

At all your parts than of yourself you are!’

‘I would to Jove,’ said he, ‘the Sun, and she

That bears Jove’s shield, the state had stood with me

That help’d me take in the well-builded tow’rs

Of strong Nericus (the Cephalian pow’rs

To that fair city leading) two days past,

While with the wooers thy conflict did last,

And I had then been in the wooers’ wreak!

I should have help’d thee so to render weak

Their stubborn knees, that in thy joy’s desert

Thy breast had been too little for thy heart.’

This said, and supper order’d by their men,

They sat to it, old Dolius entering then,

And with him, tried with labour, his sons came,

Call’d by their mother, the Sicilian dame

That brought them up and dress’d their father’s fare;

As whose age grew, with it increas’d her care

To see him serv’d as fitted. When thus set

These men beheld Ulysses there at meat,

They knew him, and astonish’d in the place

Stood at his presence; who, with words of grace,

Call’d to old Dolius, saying: ‘Come, and eat,

And banish all astonishment. Your meat

Hath long been ready, and ourselves made stay,

Expecting ever when your wished way

Would reach amongst us.’ This brought fiercely on

Old Dolius from his stand; who ran upon,

With both his arms abroad, the king, and kiss’d

Of both his rapt up hands the either wrist,

Thus welcoming his presence: ‘O my love,

Your presence here, for which all wishes strove,

No one expected. Ev’n the gods have gone

In guide before you to your mansion.

Welcome, and all joys to your heart contend.

Knows yet Penelope? Or shall we send

Some one to tell her this?’ ‘She knows,’ said he,

‘What need these troubles, father, touch at thee?’

Then came the sons of Dolius, and again

Went over with their father’s entertain,

Welcom’d, shook hands, and then to feast sat down.

About which while they sat, about the town

Fame flew, and shriek’d about the cruel death

And fate the wooers had sustain’d beneath

Ulysses’ roofs. All heard; together all

From hence and thence met in Ulysses’ hall,

Short-breath’d and noiseful, bore out all the dead