Page:The Odyssey of Homer, with the Hymns, Epigrams, and Battle of the Frogs and Mice (Buckley 1853).djvu/456

420 her hands, placed him in her bosom, but another kindled the fire, and another ran with her tender feet to raise up her mother from the fragrant chamber. And gathering around him, they washed him, tending him yet panting, but his mind was not comforted, for inferior nurses and attendants now possessed him. They indeed, trembling with fear, kept appeasing the renowned goddess throughout the night, but together with the dawn appearing they told truly to Celeus of wide power, how the goddess, fair-crowned Ceres, had commanded. But he, having summoned the numerous people into council, ordered them to erect a rich temple to fair-haired Ceres, and an altar, upon the jutting hill. But they immediately obeyed, and hearkened to him speaking, and they built, as he commanded; but he kept increasing by the will of the deity. But when they had finished, and rested from their toil, they went each one homewards. But yellow-haired Ceres, sitting down here, far apart from all the blessed gods, remained, wasting away with longing for her deep-bosomed daughter. And she rendered that year a most grievous and cruel one for men upon the many-nurturing earth, nor did the earth give forth any seed, for well-crowned Ceres concealed it. And the steers dragged many bent ploughs over the fields to no purpose, and much white barley fell upon the earth in vain. And she indeed would have destroyed the whole race of articulate-voiced men by grievous famine, and would have deprived those possessing the Olympian dwellings of the glorious honour of gifts and sacrifices, had not Jove perceived, and taken counsel in his mind. And he first sent golden-pinioned Iris to call fair-haired Ceres, possessing a most lovely appearance. Thus he spake; but she obeyed dark-clouded Jove, the son of Saturn, and swiftly ran through the mid way with her feet. And she reached the city of incense-fraught Eleusis, and found dark-robed Ceres in the temple, and having addressed her, spoke winged words:

"O Ceres, thy father Jove, knowing imperishable [counsels], calls thee to come to the tribes of the gods who are for ever. But come, nor let my message from Jove be unaccomplished. Thus she spoke; but her mind was not persuaded. Again then [Jove] sent on all the blessed ever-existing gods. And they, coming one after another, called her, and gave