Ulysses Among the Phaeacians Author:Homer Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: So did Ulysses in that pile of leaves Bury himself, while Pallas o'er his eyes Poured sleep, and closed his lids, that he might take, After his painful ... more »toils, the fitting rest BOOK VI. THUS overcome with toil and weariness, The noble sufferer Ulysses slept, While Pallas hastened to the realm and town Peopled by the Phasacians, who of yore Abode in spacious Hypereia, near s The insolent race of Cyclops, and endured Wrong from their mightier hands. A godlike chief, Nausithoiis, led them to a new abode, And planted them in Scheria, far away From plotting neighbors. With a wall he fenced ro Their city, built them dwellings there, and reared Fanes to the gods, and changed the plain to fields. But he had bowed to death, and had gone down To Hades, and Alcinoiis, whom the gods Endowed with wisdom, governed in his stead. 15 Now to his palace, planning the return Of the magnanimous Ulysses, came The blue-eyed goddess Pallas, entering The gorgeous chamber where a damsel slept, — Nausicaii, daughter of the large-souled king Alcinoiis, beautiful in form and face As one of the immortals. Near her lay, And by the portal, one on either side, Fair as the Graces, two attendant maids. The shining doors were shut. But Pallas came s As comes a breath of air, and stood beside The damsel's head and spake. 'In look she seemed The daughter of the famous mariner Dymas, a maiden whom Nausicaa loved, The playmate of her girlhood. In her shape 30 The blue-eyed goddess stood, and thus she said :— " Nausicaa, has thy mother then brought forth A careless housewife ? Thy magnificent robes Lie still neglected, though thy marriage day Is near, when thou art to array thyself 35 In seemly garments, and bestow the like On those who lead thee to the bridal r...« less