forbid! And that thou mayst be sure of my intent, I name tomorrow for thy voyage home. Sleep in thy bed till then; and they shall row O’er the calm sea thy galley, till thou come To thine own land and home, or wheresoe’er Thou wilt, though further off the coast should be Than far Euboea, most remote of lands— So do the people of our isle declare, Who saw it when they over sea conveyed The fair-haired Rhadamanthus, on his way To visit Tityus, son of Earth. They went Thither, accomplishing with little toil Their voyage in the compass of a day, And brought the hero to our isle again. Now shalt thou learn, and in thy heart confess, How much our galleys and our youths excel With bladed oars to stir the whirling brine.”
So spake the king, and the great sufferer Ulysses heard with gladness, and preferred A prayer, and called on Jupiter and said:—
“Grant, Father Jove, that all the king has said May be fulfilled! so shall his praise go forth Over the foodful earth, and never die, And I shall see my native land again.”
So they conferred. White-armed Aretè spake, And bade her maidens in the portico Place couches, and upon them lay fair rugs Of purple dye, and tapestry on these, And for the outer covering shaggy cloaks. Forth from the hall they issued, torch in hand; And when with speed the ample bed was made, They came and summoned thus the chief to rest:—
“Rise, stranger, go to rest; thy bed is made.” Thus spake the maidens, and the thought of sleep Was welcome to Ulysses. So that night On his deep couch the noble sufferer Slumbered beneath the sounding portico. Alcinoüs laid him down in a recess Within his lofty palace, near to whom The queen his consort graced the marriage-bed.