'There Ephimedia trod the gloomy plain, Who charm'd the monarch of the boundless main; Hence Ephialtes, hence stern Otus sprung, More fierce than giants, more than giants strong; The earth o'erburden'd groan'd beneath their weight, None but Orion e'er surpass'd their height: Almighty Jove had trembled on his throne. To bristle on the chin, and promise man, His shafts Apollo aim'd; at once they sound, And stretch the giant monsters o'er the ground. There mournful Phædra with sad Procris 6 moves, Both beauteous shades, both hapless in their loves; And near them walk'd, with solemn pace and slow, Sad Ariadne, partner of their woe; The royal Minos Ariadne bred, She Theseus loved; from Crete with Theseus fled; And towards his Athens bears the lovely prize; 'There Clymenè and Mera I behold; And all composing rest my nature craves, He ceased; but left so charming on their ear His voice, that listening still they seem'd to hear. Till rising up, Aretè silence broke, Stretch'd out her snowy hand, and thus she spoke'What wondrous man Heaven sends us in our guest! Through all his woes the hero shines confess'd; He, as my guest, is my peculiar care; You share the pleasure,—then in bounty share; To worth in misery, a reverence pay, And with a generous hand reward his stay; For since kind Heaven with wealth our realm has bless'd, Give it to Heaven, by aiding the distress'd.' Then sage Echeneus, whose grave reverend brow The hand of Time had silver'd o'er with snow, Mature in wisdom rose: Your words (he cries) Demand obedience, for your words are wise. But let our king direct the glorious way To generous acts; our part is to obey.' While life informs these limbs (the king replied) Well to deserve, be all my cares employ'd; But here this night the royal guest detain, Till the sun flames along the' etherial plain: Be it my task to send with ample stores [stay, To whom the prince- This night with joy I O monarch great in virtue as in sway! If thou the circling year my stay control, To raise a bounty noble as thy soul; The circling year I wait, with ampler stores And fitter pomp to hail my native shores: Then by my realms due homage would be paid; For wealthy kings are loyally obey'd!' "O king! for such thou art, and sure thy blood Through veins (he cried) of royal fathers flow'd; Unlike those vagrants who on falsehood live, Skill'd in smooth tales, and artful to deceive; Thy better soul abhors the liar's part, Wise is thy voice, and noble is thy heart. Thy words like music every breast control, Steal through the ear, and win upon the soul; Soft, as some song divine, thy story flows, Nor better could the Muse record thy woes. 'But say, upon the dark and dismal coast Saw'st thou the worthies of the Grecian host; The godlike leaders who, in battle slain, Fell before Troy, and nobly press'd the plain? And lo! a length of night behind remains, The evening stars still mount the' etherial plains. Thy tale with raptures I could hear thee tell, Thy woes on earth, the wondrous scenes in hell, Till in the vault of heaven the stars decay, And the sky reddens with the rising day.' O worthy of the power the gods assign'd, (Ulysses thus replies) a king in mind! Since yet the early hour of night allows Woes I unfold, of woes a dismal train. 6 When lo! advanced the forms of heroes slain • Moved at the sight, I for a space resign'd To soft affliction all my manly mind; At last with tears-“ Oh what relentless doom, Of war and slaughter, and the clash of arms?" The ghost returns- "O chief of humankind For active courage and a patient mind; Nor while the sea, nor while the tempest raves, E'en in my mirth, and at a friendly feast, Thick as the boars, which some luxurious lord Then though pale death froze cold in every vein, |