Page:The Odyssey of Homer, with the Hymns, Epigrams, and Battle of the Frogs and Mice (Buckley 1853).djvu/312

276 tempests took away the daughters of Pandarus, whose parents the gods had destroyed: but they were left orphans in the palace, and divine Venus nurtured them with cheese, and sweet honey, and pleasant wine: and Juno gave them beauty and prudence above all women, and chaste Diana gave them stature, and Minerva taught them to work excellent works. When divine Venus went to high Olympus, to beg for the damsels the accomplishment of flourishing marriage, to thunder-rejoicing Jove; (for he well kens every thing, the happiness and unhappiness of mortal men:) in the mean time the Harpies snatched away the damsels, and gave them to the hateful Furies, to serve them: so may those who possess the Olympian dwellings destroy me, or may fair-haired Diana strike me, that eyeing Ulysses, I may even come under the hateful earth, nor may I at all delight the mind of a worse man. But this evil is even to be borne, when any one weeps during the day, continually sorrowing in his heart, and sleep possesses him during the nights: (for he becomes unmindful of all things, good and evil, when it covers his eyelids around:) but upon me the deity has also made evil dreams rush. For during this night one lay near to me like unto him, such as he was when he went with the army; but my heart rejoiced, since I did not think it was a dream, but now a real vision."

Thus she spoke; and golden-throned Morn immediately came. And divine Ulysses heard the voice of her weeping; then he doubted, for she seemed to him in his mind, now knowing him, to stand near his head. Then taking up the cloak and skins on which he slept, he placed them on a throne in the palace; but taking the bull's hide, he put it out of doors: and holding up his hands he prayed to Jove:

"O father Jove, thou hast brought me willingly over the dry and the moist to mine own land, since thou hast afflicted me very much, let some one of the men who are awake within speak an omen to me: and let some other sign appear from without from Jove."

Thus he spoke praying; and provident Jupiter heard him: and he immediately thundered from shining Olympus, on high from the clouds: and divine Ulysses rejoiced. And a mill-woman near [him] uttered a word of good omen from the house, where were the mills of the shepherd of the people; and twelve women in all were constantly working at them,