BOOK THIRD.

LEAVING the beauteous ocean mere, the Sun arose on high,
And mounting to his fiery car, he scaled the brazen sky,
Light to the blest immortal gods in heaven above to give,
And mortal men who here below on earth's fat corn-lands live.
Then reached they Pylos, well-built town, by Neleus raised of yore,
And found to solemn feast addressed the Pylians on the shore,
With sacrifice of jet-black bulls met the high day to keep
Of the great god of azure hair, shaker of land and deep.
Nine companies, five hundred each, sat by the shore that day—
Nine bulls before each company were drawn up in array.
Now had the vitals tasted been, and in the glowing flame

The thighs were burning to the god, as quick to shore they came.
Their ship's white canvas up they brailed, and moored her to the strand,
Then straightway disembarked themselves, and went upon the land.
Anon Telemachus came forth, the way Athene led,

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But first to him a timely word of counsel thus she sped:

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"Telemachus, no more must thou shamefaced or backward be,— No, not one whit-for to this end thou'st sailed across the sea,

7. With sacrifice, &c.

"Sic fatus, meritos aris mactavit honores,

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Taurum Neptuno, taurum tibi, pulcher Apollo,

Nigram Hiemi pecudem, Zephyris felicibus albam.' -VIRG. Æn., iii. 118.

17. Telemachus, no more must thou, &c.

Ed ella a me: Da tema e da vergogna

Voglio che tu omai ti disviluppe,

Sì che non parli più com' uom che sogna."-DANTE, Purg., xxxiii. 31. "And she to me: Of fear and bashfulness

Henceforward I would have thee strip thyself,

So that thou speak no more as one who dreams.'"

-Longfellow's Translation.

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That of thy missing sire perchance thou mayst some tidings get,-
Beneath what soil he buried lies, and with what fate hath met.
But with bold step, to Nestor's self, the great horse-tamer, go,
And what of counsel in his breast lies hidden, let us know.
Pray him thyself the truth to speak, he will not tell thee lies,
For he of all man is endowed with mind both just and wise."
To whom the prince in answer spake: "Mentor, I pray thee, say
How shall I first approach the chief, how salutation pay,-
In lore of polished speech unskilled my meaning how unfold:
For shame a young man backward makes to question thus the old."
But him again the stern-eyed maid in answer thus addressed:
'Telemachus, some thoughts to thee thine own heart will suggest;
Others, meseems, the god will send without the will of Heaven
Such birth and nurture as thou hast had ne'er to thee been given.”
The goddess onward led the way, e'en as the words she spake;
With quickest speed Telemachus close followed in her wake.
So to the seats and gathered crowd of Pylians did they fare,
And seated 'midst his sons they found horse-taming Nestor there.
Busied about the feast his men moved round the sons and sire,
Some spitting and some roasting meats upon the glowing fire.
These, soon as strangers they beheld, came one and all to greet,
And welcoming with outstretched hand, invited to a seat.
And first of all great Nestor's son, Peisistratus, drew near,

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And grasped their hands, and gave them place hard by the festive cheer.
Each guest to seat on fleeces soft upon the shingle spread,

Nigh to his sire and Thrasymede, his brother dear, he led;

Part of the sacred vitals gave, and wine in cup of gold,

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And thus he pledged the child of Jove, who doth the ægis hold:
"Come, stranger, and the sea's great lord with prayer and vow revere,
For 'tis Poseidon's feast ye've chanced to find us holding here.

47. Come, stranger, and the sea's great lord, &c.

"Interea sacra hæc, quando huc venistis amici,

Annua, quæ differre nefas, celebrate faventes

Nobiscum, et jam nunc sociorum assuescite mensis.”—Ibid., viii. 172.

may share,

But when thou hast libation poured, and prayed the fitting prayer,
Pass to thy friend the hallowed cup, that he the rite
For he, methinks, unto the gods his prayer is wont to pray,
Since mortal man doth need the aid of gods from day to day.
But he is youngest of the twain, his years no more than mine,
Therefore to thee I offer first the golden cup of wine."

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Thus spake he, and the wine-cup placed in great Athene's hand,
Who joyed in one that usage meet so well did understand,
That the first offer of the cup he to herself had made,

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And to the king Poseidon straight an earnest prayer she prayed:

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Earth-shaking god, that o'er the deep the sway supreme dost bear,
Give ear, and grudge not to fulfil that which we ask in prayer.
To Nestor first, and to his sons, give glory of thy grace;
Next, for the noble hecatomb they now before thee place,
Propitious grant requital meet to all the Pylian race.
Speed also home with safe return Telemachus and me,

Our end attained, for which we came in swift ship o'er the sea."
So Pallas prayed, and as she prayed, her own immortal will

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The boon she of Poseidon sought was hasting to fulfil.
Then passed she on the double cup unto the well-loved son
Of great Ulysses, who his prayer prayed e'en as she had done.
The outer parts the rest meanwhile did for their food prepare,
And from the spits drew off anon the fully-roasted fare,
Then portioned it, and no man lacked of glorious feast his share.
But when of hunger and of thirst the craving they had stayed,
The aged knight arose to speak, and thus inquiry made:

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"Now that these strangers at our board of food have had their fill,

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To ask them who and whence they are methinks it were not ill.
Who are ye, strangers, wherefore come across the wat'ry way?
Are ye on business' errand bent, or idle rovers, say?

73. But when of hunger, &c.

"Postquam exemta fames, et amor compressus edendi."-VIRG. Æn., viii. 184.

"When all men had with full satiety

Of meates and drinkes their appetites suffiz'd."-Faerie Queene, v. 3. 4.

77. Who are ye, &c.

'Quid petitis? quæ causa rates, aut cujus egentes

Litus ad Ausonium tot per vada cærula vexit?

Sive errore viæ, seu tempestatibus acti."-Ibid., vii. 197.

Like to those scourers of the wave, the bold sea-robber band,
Risking their own lives to work ill to men of other land."

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Telemachus the aged knight in answer thus addressed,
And boldly spake, for Pallas' self put courage in his breast,
That he might ask the sage for news of his long-absent sire,
And for his portion amidst men good name and fame acquire.
"O Nestor, Neleus' son, that art of Greece the glory great,
Thou askest whence we hither come, and this will I relate.
From Ithaca that lies beneath Mount Neïus, come we,-
For private end, not public weal, we sail across the sea.
I come, if chance some widespread bruit have reached thee, to inquire
Of the stout-hearted godlike chief, Ulysses, my loved sire,
Who fighting by thy side, 'tis said, on Troy brought ruin dire.
For of the others we have heard, who with the Trojans fought,
By what fell stroke of cruel Fate the death of each was wrought:
His end alone great Jove hath willed in mystery to veil,
For none of how and where he died can clearly tell the tale,—
Whether, by foemen overcome, the chief on land was slain,
Or whether Amphitrite's wave o'erwhelmed him on the main.
Therefore it is that I am come thy knees to supplicate,

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And pray thee, if perchance thou wilt, tell me that father's fate,
If thou hast witness been, or heardst some guest the tale relate;
For him to heritage of woe doubtless his mother bare:
And for no reverence for the son do thou my feelings spare ;
Nor from compassion let the tale withheld or softened be,

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But tell me plain how thou didst chance my father's death to see.
I do entreat thee, if of yore Ulysses, in thy need,

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Did e'er the promise of his word make good with valiant deed,
When fighting 'neath the walls of Troy ye Greeks much woe did bear,
Remember this, I pray thee now, and the whole truth declare."
Him Nestor, the Gerenian knight, in answer thus addressed:

“O friend, thou hast the mem'ry waked of pain within my breast,

Which we resistless sons of Greece endured upon that soil,
Or when in ships we wandered o'er the cloudy main for spoil,
Where'er Achilles led the way, or when our battle cry
In fight around the citadel of Priam rose on high.

For there the chosen flower of Greece in fiercest combat slain,
Brave Ajax, and Achilles' self lie dead upon the plain.
Patroclus too, for gods themselves a match in counsel wise;
And there, Antilochus, my son, the brave, the blameless lies--
First in the foot-race, first in fight each gallant deed to dare;
And many another grief besides it was our fate to bear.
Who of the race of mortal men could all the tale relate?
Not e'en if here five years or six it were thy will to wait,
Asking of all we suffered there-long ere the tale was o'er,
Thou wearied out wouldst leave my halls, and seek thy native shore.

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For nine years' space we mischief planned, and Troy's destruction sought,
With varied stratagem, which Jove to slow fulfilment brought.
With him could none throughout that time in counsel sage compare,

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For he in varied subtleties the palm from all did bear,—

I mean that godlike chief, thy sire, if thou canst truly be
His son, and with amazement filled I sit, beholding thee,
For verily thy speech is like to his, nor could I deem.
A younger man could e'er in voice so like an elder seem,-
I and Ulysses, all that while, spoke ever on one side,
When council or assembly met, nor aught did us divide;
But of one heart and mind in all we aye were taking thought
How best unto the arms of Greece the vict'ry might be brought.
But when to slaughter and to fire we Troy's proud town had given,
We sailed away, to be dispersed by the just wrath of Heav'n.
Then for the Grecian armament did mighty Jove devise
A sad return, for 'midst our chiefs not all were just nor wise.
Whence many on their luckless heads drew down an end most dire,
Launched by the wrathful stern-eyed maid, child of a dreaded sire.

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