Page:The Odyssey of Homer, with the Hymns, Epigrams, and Battle of the Frogs and Mice (Buckley 1853).djvu/169

61—87. to the house, we sat down at the door on the threshold; and they were astonished in their mind, and inquired:

How didst thou come, O Ulysses? what evil deity has pressed upon thee? certainly we sent thee away carefully, that thou mightest come to thy country, and house, and wherever is agreeable to thee.'

"Thus they spoke; but I addressed them, sorrowing in my heart. 'Both evil companions have injured me, and in addition to these, unhappy sleep; but cure me, O friends, for the power is with you.'

"Thus I spoke soothing them with mild words; but they became dumb; and their father answered me in discourse: 'Away with thee quickly from the island, thou vilest of the living! for it is not lawful for me to receive or escort away that man, who indeed is hated by the blessed gods. Away; since thou art come hither, hated by the gods.'

"Thus having spoken, he sent me away from the house mourning heavily. And from thence we sailed onward, sorrowing in our heart. But the mind of the men was wearied by the difficult rowing, through our own folly; since there no longer appeared an escort.

"For six days however we sailed both night and day; but on the seventh we came to the lofty city of Lamos, spacious Læstrigonia, where a shepherd on going in calls a shepherd, but he going out listens. There a man who has no sleep would receive double pay, the one for feeding herds, the other for pasturing white sheep: for the ways of night and of day are near. There when we came to the famous