Page:The Odyssey of Homer, with the Hymns, Epigrams, and Battle of the Frogs and Mice (Buckley 1853).djvu/311

26—65. blood, from side to side, and is anxious that it should be roasted very quickly; so did he roll himself on one side and the other, meditating how he might lay his hands upon the shameless suitors, being alone amongst many; but Minerva came near to him, descending from heaven: and in her person she was like unto a woman, and she stood over his head, and addressed him in words:

"Why dost thou still watch, thou who art ill-fated above all mortals? this is thy house, and this is thy wife in the house, and thy son, such a one as any one desires his son to be."

But her much-planning Ulysses addressed in answer: "Of a truth, O goddess, thou hast rightly spoken all these things. But my mind meditates this in my breast, in what way I, being alone, shall lay my hands upon the shameless suitors; but they are always collected together within. And besides I meditate this also a greater thing in my mind, if I should slay them, by Jove's and thy will, how should I escape out of the way? I entreat thee to consider this."

But him the blue-eyed goddess Minerva in turn addressed: "Wretched one, a person would obey even a worse companion, who is even a mortal, and who kens not so many counsels: but I am a deity, who guard thee throughout in all thy labours; and I will tell thee openly; even if fifty bands of articulately-speaking men should surround us, anxious to slay us in the fight, even so shouldst thou drive away their beeves and rich sheep. But let sleep take hold of thee: even to watch all night awake is a sorrow; but thou wilt soon escape from misfortunes."

Thus she spoke and shed sleep over his eyelids; and the divine one of goddesses herself went back to Olympus, when sleep seized upon him, loosing the cares of his mind, relaxing his limbs: but his wife knowing prudent things was awake: and sitting on her soft couch, she wept; but when she was satiated in her mind with weeping, the divine one of women first of all prayed to Diana:

"O Diana, venerable goddess, daughter of Jove, would that thou, now striking an arrow into my breast, wouldst take away my life immediately: or that a tempest snatching me away would speedily go, and bear me to the dark ways, and cast me in the mouths of the back-flowing ocean. As when the