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The English Works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury; Now First Collected and Edited by Sir William Molesworth, Bart., (London: Bohn, 1839-45). 11 vols. Vol. 10.

Author: Homer
Translator: Thomas Hobbes
Editor: Sir William Molesworth

Part of: The English Works of Thomas Hobbes, 11 vols.

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LIB. VIII.

The next day’s entertainment of Ulysses, where he sees them contend in wrestling and other exercises, and, upon provocation, took up a greater stone than that which they were throwing, and overthrew them all; and how the king asked his name, his country, and his adventure.

Soon as Aurora was again espied,
The king Alcinous rose from his bed.
Up rose Ulysses and came to his side,
And to the public place the king him led,
5To sit in counsel with his princes there;

And being there they sat together nigh.
Pallas the while, that did great favour bear,
T’Ulysses’ welfare always had an eye,
In likeness of Alcinous his squire
10(Who, by his office, did the counsel call)

Their favour for Ulysses to acquire,
Went through the streets, and there unto them all
Said one by one, Make haste. To counsel go.
A stranger, new come to the king, you’ll see,
15That like a God immortal is in show.

This said, unto the counsel house they flee.
And filled was the house, and ev’ry seat;
And of his person all admired the grace;
For Pallas made him had more tall and great,

The next day’s entertainment of Ulysses, &c.

20And laid more majesty upon his face.

To make him welcome to those men she meant,
And to gain him honour at their exercises
When they should put him to experiment.
Alcinous unto them then arises;
25Hear, said he, princes of Phœacia,

This man (who ’tis, or whence, I cannot say)
Cast here ashore, till then I never saw.
Since ’tis our custom, grant him a convoy.
For no man yet unto my house did come,
30By force of weather wandering on the main,

Lamenting and desiring to go home,
That can affirm he sought our help in vain.
Come then, let’s launch a good new ship, and choose
Out two-and-fifty lusty youths to row;
35And let them ready have their oars to use,

And to my house, when that’s done, let them go.
And you the princes thither come with me,
That we may well the stranger entertain.
And let the singer too sent thither be,
40To give us sometimes of his art a strain.

This said, the princes to his house he led.
The squire unto the house the singer sent.
The fifty-two, as they were ordered,
Down to the haven where the ship lay went.
45The ship they launch, and up they set the mast;

And then the yards and sails they hoisted high;
Their oars, where they be placed should, they plac’d.
This done they let her in the water lie.
Then also to the house these men went up.
50The porches, court, and rooms with men were fill’d,

Some old, some young. The king to make them sup,
Two kine, eight swine, and twice six fat sheep kill’d.
These flay’d and dress’d, and to the tables brought,
Came in the singer, whom the muses kind
55Had taught to sing divinely; but, could not

Or would not him preserve from being blind.
Pontonous the squire then led him in,
And set him by a pillar in the hall,
And hung his fiddle o’er him on a pin,
60And how to reach it showed him withal:

Sets him a table and a basket by,
And a great bowl of wine before him plac’d,
To drink as often as he should be dry.
And when their thirst and hunger was displac’d,
65The singer sung the song in most request,

How once Ulysses and Achilles great
In high and bitter language did contest,
When at a sacred feast they sate at meat;
And how king Agamemnon pleased was,
70To see the two best of the Greeks fall out.

For Phœbus told him so ’twould come to pass,
When he at Pythos asked him about
The issue of the fleet design’d for Troy.
This song Demodocus sung to them then;
75Which to Ulysses was of little joy;

But he his tears to hide before those men,
Before his eyes his cloak of purple drew,
And when the singer ceas’d, his eyes he dried,
And from before his face his cloak withdrew,
80And of the wine perform’d the sacrifice.

And when the lords call’d for the song anew,
(For they to hear him took no small delight),
His cloak again before his eyes he drew,
And as before again he sobb’d and sigh’d.
85Alcinous, none else, observed it,

And well enough could hear him sigh and groan;
For he the nearest there did to him sit,
And would not to the princes make it known.
But speaking to them all said only this:
90Since you with feasting are well satisfied,

And music (which to feasts annexed is),
Let now our men’s activity be tried,
That when the stranger is where he doth dwell,
He to his friends and countrymen may tell
95How much we do all other men excel

At wrestling, buffets, leaping, running well.
Then went the king and princes out a door;
The squire then took the singer by the hand,
And hung the fiddle where it hung before,
100And him led out amongst the rest to stand.

Unto the place they went; and follow’d were
By people numberless the sports to see;
And many lusty youths amongst them there,
Stood out to show their great ability.
105Out stood Elatreus and Acroneus,

Eretmeus, Thoon, Nautes, and Prymneus,
Ambasineus and Amphialus,
Proteus, and Ponteus, and Anchialus;
Otyalus, warlike Euryalus,
110And he that of them most their eye did please,

(Except the first son of Alcinous),
For countenance and shape, Naubolides,
And then Alcinous his three sons rise,
Laodamas, Halius, Clitoneus.
115And first they all contended for the prize

Of who at running could his feet best use.
Then start they all at once, and swiftly run
As if they flew. And here the victory
The king’s son noble Clytoneus won,
120And pass’d them all a land’s length very nigh.

Euryalus at wrestling was the best.
Amphialus at leaping victor was.
Elatreus surpassed all the rest
To throw the stone. At cuffs Laodamas.
125When all was done Laodamas up stood.

Come friends, said he, let us the stranger try
If he at any of these games be good;
For in his person no defect I spy.
His thighs, his knees, his arms, his neck, are strong,
130Nor over aged yet he seems to me;

Only he hath endured the sea so long,
As for that cause he may excused be.
For than the sea nothing more potent is
To break a man how strong soe’er he be.
135Go, said Euryalus, ’tis not amiss

T’invite him to it, and his mind to see.
Then to Ulysses said Laodamas,
Come, stranger, father, pray, your virtue show;
’Tis no dishonour for you in this place
140To show your skill at any game you know,

As long as feet and hands continue strong.
Come, try, and cast your careful thoughts away:
Your convoy ready is. ’Twill not be long
Before you shall be set upon your way.
145Laodamas, then said Ulysses, why

To these your games invite you me in scorn,
Upon whose heart so many sorrows lie,
And am to nothing with much hardship worn,
And publicly a suppliant now sit,
150And to the king and people grief profess?

Think you that pastimes for such men are fit,
As from their country wander in distress?
Then spake Euryalus, uncivilly:
No, no, said he, I do not think you are
155Much us’d to pastimes of activity,

But rather one that of a ship takes care,
That merchantmen from place to place conveys,
And mindful of your fraught are, and can tell
Which are to sudden wealth the nearest ways,
160What merchandise will not, and what will sell,

And in such boisterous games has little skill.
Ulysses frowning on him then replied:
My friend, such words are indiscreet and ill.
The Gods the gifts as they think fit divide.
165To one, of beauty they deny the grace,

But give him language steady and discreet,
Whereby he honour’d is i’ th’ public place,
And men gaze on him going in the street.
T’another they have giv’n a fair aspect,
170Like that o’ th’ Gods, but have denied him wit.

So find I in your person no defect;
Only you want the grace to say what’s fit.
Your words have put me into passion.
In these your games you say no skill have I.
175I thought myself interior to none,

Whilst on my youth and hands I could rely.
But tamed now my strength is with much woe,
Wandering at sea, and often hurt in fight.
Yet of your games I’ll make a trial so,
180Weak as I am. So much your words me bite.

This said, he took up a much greater stone
Than that which the Phœacians had flung,
Now hollow as a quoit, his cloak still on.
And when above his head he had it swung,
185Swiftly away the stone flew with a hum,

Which made the brave Phœacian seamen couch,
As o’er their heads they heard it singing come,
And outwent all the other marks by much.
For Pallas in the likeness of a man
190Did set a mark at where the stone did light,

And said the difference be discerned can
By feeling, though a man had lost his sight.
And to Ulysses said he, Do not fear
That any man i’ th’ town shall out-throw this.
195Ulysses very glad was this to hear,

And that amongst them stood one friend of his.
Then of himself began to speak more high.
Come youths, throw first as far as I have done,
And then as far or further throw will I.
200And for the other games come any one,

Since your sharp words provok’d me have thereto,
Buffets, or wrestling, or to run the race,
And see if you at these can me out-do,
Any of you except Laodamas.
205For I to him have come as to a friend

Of whom I hope for succour in my need.
He were a fool that with him would contend,
Without whose help his business cannot speed.
But of the rest not any I refuse;
210And will contend with them for mastery.

For I know all the games the best men use.
To use the bow none abler is than I.
When many of us had a mind to kill
Some noted foe, and all at once did shoot,
215Though every one of us had the same will,

My arrow was the first that found him out.
At Ilium in trials of the bow
None found I better than myself but one;
’Twas Polyctetes. Of those that are now
220I think myself inferior to none.

With those of former time I’ll not compare,
As Hercules, or Eurytus that durst
Challenge Apollo. Apollo took a care
That prize should not be play’d, and kill’d him first.
225As far as other men can shoot an arrow,

So far I able am to dart a spear.
But lodging I have had at sea so narrow,
That I may be out-run by some man here.
So said Ulysses; and all silent sat
230Except the king, who thus unto him said:

Stranger, there’s no man here offended at
The words you say. For open you have laid
Your virtue, when you were thereto constrain’d
By the unjust reproaches of this man.
235For such it is as by none can be stain’d,

But those that nothing say discreetly can.
And hear me farther what I have to say,
That t’other heroes you the same may tell,
Who with you and your wife shall feasting stay,
240In what from other men we bear the bell.

For cuffs and wrestling, not much praise we merit,
But our good ships and fleets are wondrous swift.
And these gifts from our fathers we inherit,
Dance, song, feasts, fiddle, and of garments shift,
245And baths, and beds. Dance you that dance the best

Before the stranger, that his friends among
He may say how much we exceed the rest
Of men, in ships, in running, dance, and song.
Fetch out the fiddle. Then the squire went in
250To fetch the fiddle. And the judges rise,

In number nine, who had elected been
By public vote, of games to hold assize;
And order took for large room in the middle,
And made it to be planed well and even.
255When this was done, then brought out was the fiddle,

And by the squire was to the singer given.
Then came the young men that had learnt to dance,
And of their age were yet but in the flower,
And to the middest of the place advance.
260Their feet play up and down like drops in show’r;

Such sparkling feet Ulysses ne’er had seen.
The singer as he played sung the song
Of Mars and Venus, and what love had been
Held secretly between them all along;
265And how in Vulcan’s house they used to meet;

And what he gave her; how the prying Sun,
As they embrac’d each other, chanc’d to see’t,
And told her husband Vulcan what was done.
How Vulcan to his forge in anger went,
270And on his anvil hammer’d out strong chains,

Which neither could be broken, nor relent;
And when he made an end had of his pains,
Into the chamber went where stood his bed.
His net o’ th’ bed-posts, and the beams he threw,
275Like spider-webs about a chamber spread;

And then to go to Lemnos made a show.
So subtle were the chains and finely wrought,
They could by none, although a God, be seen.
How Mars to watch his going failed not.
280When Vulcan was gone out, then Mars went in.

How Venus entered in, new come from Jove,
And by him sate. Mars took her by the hand,
And to her said, Let’s go to bed, my love.
Vulcan is now at Lemnos gone a land.
285And how they went to bed and made the net

Fall down upon, and hold them as they lay.
And how they knew no way from thence to get,
But must till Vulcan came to free them stay.
How Vulcan from hard by came quickly in;
290For back he came before he was half way:

For by the Sun advertis’d he had been,
And angrily turn’d back without delay;
And roaring to the Gods, he said, D’ye see
What work is here, and how unseemly ’tis?
295And how Jove’s daughter does dishonour me,

Because my limbs are maim’d, and whole are his?
I grant he’s fair, nor doth as I do halt;
Ought she to love him therefore more than me?
For that my parents’ is, and not my fault.
300But come, ye Gods all, and their posture see;

I hate the sight, yet they must not therefore
Hope e’er the sooner for that, to be free.
The net will suffer them to move no more,
How keen soever on their love they be;
305And till her father shall the dow’r repay

Which for the girl, although incontinent,
I paid him down, ’cause fair she was and gay,
There they shall lie. This said, the Gods straight went
To Vulcan’s house. Neptune and Mercury,
310And with them, with his silver bow, Apollo,

And many others. But (for modesty)
No Goddess could persuaded be to follow.
As soon as they perceived had the craft,
Which standing in the door they had survey’d;
315At first aloud they altogether laugh,

And by-and-by to one another said,
I see that evil works do ill succeed.
The slow has gotten of the swift the better;
Vulcan of Mars the God of greatest speed,
320And that by arts which make his ransom greater.

And how Apollo did the question put
To Mercury, if he content would be
In such strong chains with Venus to be shut,
While all the Gods are standing by and see.
325How Hermes said, O Phœbus, that I were

In Mars his place, and did with Venus lie,
And thrice as many chains about us there,
Though all the Gods and Goddesses stood by.
And how the Gods at this laugh’d out again,
330Save Neptune only, who did never cease

T’importune Vulcan and his wrath restrain,
And that he would the God of war release;
And that himself would pay him what was due
If Mars did not. How Vulcan said again,
335If Mars should fly, shall I imprison you?

Unsure the suretyship is of fled men.
And that again Neptune replying said,
Though Mars should run away, yet I will not.
And how that Vulcan at the last obey’d,
240And Mars and Venus out of prison got,

And he to Thrace went, but to Cyprus she;
Where she a temple and an altar had,
And by the Graces that her servants be
Bath’d and anointed was and Godlike clad.
245These of the merry song were the contents.

Ulysses was well pleased with the same;
And of the rest delighted was the sense.
Alcinous then called out by name
Laodamas and Halius to dance.
250None else for either of them was a match.

And they into the midst themselves advance
The one to throw a ball, th’ other to catch.
One threw’t up high, reclining on his hip;
The other of the same the downfall watch’d,
255And taking from the ground a lusty skip,

His feet above ground, in the air it catch’d.
When this was done, they laid aside the ball,
And danc’d with often changes on the ground;
Applauded much by the spectators all,
260Who with their praises made the place resound.

O king, then said Ulysses, what you said
Of how your men pass all the world beside
In noble dance, can never be gainsaid.
I see it to my wonder justified.
265The king well pleased to the princes spake:

A worthy man the stranger seems to me;
Let’s think upon what present him to make.
Twelve princes in Phœacia there be,
And I the thirteenth am. Let’s ev’ry one
270Bestow on him a handsome cloak and coat,

Besides a talent of pure gold. That done,
Let it be altogether to him brought,
That he at supper may sit cheerfully.
And you, Euryalus, go speak him fair,
275For what you said before was injury;

Go therefore with some gift your fault repair.
This said, to fetch the gifts they sent the squire.
Then said Euryalus, O king, since ’tis,
That also I present him, your desire;
280I will for reconcilement give him this

My sword, with scabbard all of ivory,
And silver hilt. The present is not poor.
And giving it: O father, though, said he,
I said amiss, pray think upon’t no more;
285And may the Gods restore you to your land,

Since absent from your friends you live in pain.
Ulysses took the sword into his hand,
And to Euryalus thus said again:
And you, my friend, may you still happy be,
290And of this sword for ever need have none,

Which reconciling you have given me.
And as he speaking was he put it on.
The sun now set, the king no longer tarried,
But with the lords went to his house to sup.
295Along with them the squires the presents carried

Unto the queen Arete to lay up.
Alcinous then said unto the queen,
Let a fair chest be straightway hither brought,
And for the stranger see there be laid in
300A comely and well-wash’d cloak and coat,

And of warm water let a bath stand by,
That washing he may see the presents there,
And sit at supper the more joyfully,
And hearken to the song with better cheer;
305And I will give him this my cup of gold,

That off’ring up unto the Gods the wine,
As often as he doth the cup behold,
He may both for his own health pray and mine.
This said, the maids, commanded by the queen,
310Set up a cauldron with a triple foot,

Then make fire under, and pour water in.
Keen was the fire, and soon the water hot.
Meanwhile the queen came in, and with her brought
A curious chest, and into it laid in
315The gold, and with it every cloak and coat,

That by the princes given him had been.
And then unto Ulysses said, Take care
You bind it fast, lest you be robb’d by one
Or other, whilst aboard you sleeping are,
320Lest anything should missing be and gone.

And when she thus had him admonished,
Ulysses of the chest pull’d down the lid,
And girt it with a cord of various thread,
Thereby to know if any it undid,
325For that trick he by Circe taught had been.

A woman then unto Ulysses said,
There stands your bath, which way you please go in.
Then went he in, and not a little joy’d;
For after he had left Calypso’s house,
330Warm and sweet water he had never seen,

But roll’d by Neptune always was in souse,
But had with her carefully treated been.
When him the maids wash’d and anointed had,
Out from the bath he came amongst the men,
335With a clean cloak and comely garments clad.

To th’ door the bright Nausicaa came then,
And to Ulysses said, Stranger, farewell,
And may you safely at your land arrive;
Remember that into my hand you fell,
340And owe to me that you were kept alive.

O, said Ulysses, daughter of the king,
To you the ransom of my life is due,
And if the Gods me to my country bring,
As to a Goddess I will pray to you.
345This said, he went and sat down by the king.

And now the meat in messes some divided,
Others the lusty wine were tempering,
And by a squire the singer in was guided,
And at a pillar in the midst made sit.
350Ulysses half a chine of pork and fat

Cuts off, and in the squire’s hands putteth it,
And said unto him, Give the singer that;
Singers through all the world have reputation,
And well respected be in ev’ry land;
355The Muses teach them song, and love the nation.

Then went the squire and put it in his hand;
Demodocus receiv’d it and was glad.
Then fell they to the meat before them laid.
When thirst and hunger overcome they had,
360Unto the singer then Ulysses said:

Demodocus, you all men else excel.
The Muses sure did teach you, or it was
Phœbus himself. For you have sung so well
The acts that did ’twixt Greeks and Trojans pass,
365And all related that they did at Troy,

Or suffer’d there, or when they homeward came,
As if yourself beheld had their annoy,
Or had from some spectator heard the same.
Stand forth and sing now of the horse of wood
370Made by Epeius, but by Pallas help’d,

Stuff’d by Ulysses full of warriors good,
Which in Troy town destruction to it whelp’d:
If this you sing in order as ’twas done,
I’ll make the world with your just praises ring.
375Then at the Gods Demodocus begun,

And how the fleet went off the shore did sing;
And how they fir’d their tents; and how the lords
Of Greece i’ th’ council of the Trojans sate,
Inclos’d and hidden in the horse of boards,
380That by the Trojans was fetch’d in in state.

The Trojans sitting round about debate,
And many a foolish speech they uttered,
And on three points they there deliberate,
And voted what the Gods determined.
385The three points which were most insisted on,

Were, whether they should cut the horse in twain,
Or throw it down the rock it stood upon,
Or let it, to appease the Gods, remain.
I’ th’ end they all resolved on the last.
390For by the Fates it was determined

That Ilium should then be layed waste,
When o’er its walls a great horse entered,
And in his belly brought the enemy.
And how the Argives from the horse came out,
395How divers ways they went and cruelly

Killed and burned as they went about.
Ulysses then, like Mars, with Menelaus
Unto Deiphobus together hie,
And for awhile there sharp the battle was,
400But to Ulysses fell the victory.

This sung Demodocus. And then upon
Ulysses’ cheeks the tears ran down apace.
As when in fight a woman looketh on,
And sees her husband fallen on the place,
405That fought had for his town and children dear;

There sprawleth he, she o’er him falls and cries,
But back and shoulders is well basted there,
And carried captive by the enemy.
As wofully as then this woman wept,
410So wofully Ulysses now sheds tears;

But from the king it was not secret kept,
Who sitting next him all his groaning hears.
And speaking to the princes sitting by,
Let us, said he, Demodocus release,
415His song not pleaseth all the company;

It makes the stranger’s sorrow to increase,
And brings some grief or other to his mind.
Then let him hold; that we and he together
May in this meeting equal pleasure find.
420The cause we met here was his coming hither,

That we might give him gifts and send him hence.
A guest is as a brother to be used,
As all men know that but pretend to sense.
And you, my guest, you cannot be excus’d,
425If you not answer truth to all I ask.

Say what’s the name your parents call you by?
You must no longer now keep on your mask,
Children new-born not long unnamed lie;
Tell me your land and city where it is,
430That my good ship may know where you would be,

For in Phœacia no steersman is,
Nor rudder as in other ships you see;
Whither men bid them go they understand,
And pass in clouds concealed o’er the main,
435And where the havens be in every land.

No fear they have of perishing or pain,
And yet my father to me once did say,
That with our convoys Neptune was offended,
And that one day our good ship to destoy
440As it returned homewards he intended,

And from men hide our city with a hill.
But whether that shall be performed now,
I cannot tell. It lies in Neptune’s will,
And not concerneth you at all to know.
445But tell me now what lands you wand’ring saw,

What nations, and what cities you came to;
What kind of people, civil, or without law;
Civil or kind to strangers, godly or no.
When you heard sung the woful fate of Troy,
450Why did you weep? The Gods that built the town

Decreed thereat much people to destroy,
And that their fate should be sung up and down.
Lost you some kinsmen there or near ally,
Which might in time of danger you bestead?
455Or some good friend? A wise friend standing by

Is worth a kinsman in a time of need.

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LIB. VIII. - Homer, The English Works, vol. X (Iliad and Odyssey) [1839]

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LIB. VIII.