Page:The Odyssey of Homer, with the Hymns, Epigrams, and Battle of the Frogs and Mice (Buckley 1853).djvu/89

366—404. sea: for I very much moved her mind, who met me wandering alone, at a distance from my companions; for they, constantly wandering about the island, fished with crooked hooks; for hunger subdued their belly. But she standing near me spoke, and said, 'Thou art exceedingly foolish, O stranger, or remiss in mind, or thou art willingly neglectful, and art delighted at suffering griefs; thus now thou art a long time detained in an island, nor canst thou discover any means of escape, and the heart of thy companions wastes away.'

"Thus she spoke; and I addressed her in answer: 'I will tell thee, indeed, whoever thou art of the goddesses, that I am by no means willingly detained; but I must have sinned against the immortals, who possess the wide heaven; but do thou tell me, for the gods ken all things, who of the immortals hinders me, and has bound me from my journey, and [tell me of] my return, how I shall go over the fishy sea.'

"Thus I spoke; but she, the divine one of goddesses, immediately answered: 'I will tell thee, indeed, O stranger, very correctly. A certain true old man of the sea has his haunts here, immortal Proteus the Egyptian, who is acquainted with the depths of the whole sea, the servant of Neptune; they say that he is my father, and that he begot me. Him if thou couldst by any means insnare and take, he would tell thee the way and the measures of the track, and thy return, how thou mayest go over the fishy sea. And he will tell thee, besides, O noble one, if he chooses, what evil and good has happened in thy palace, whilst thou wast absent on a long and difficult journey.'

"Thus she spoke; but I addressed her in answer: 'Do thou now thyself bethink thee of the snare for the divine old man, lest by any means foreseeing me, or knowing beforehand, he should escape me: for a god is difficult to be subdued by a mortal man.'

"Thus I spoke; but she, divine one of goddesses, straightway answered: 'Therefore, O stranger, will I tell thee very correctly. When the sun has gone round up to the middle of the heaven, then the unerring old man of the sea comes forth from the deep, under the breathing of the west wind, covered with the black foam; and having gone out, he lies down to rest under the hollow caves. But around him sea-calves, the