Produced a monarch that his people bless’d,

Father and prince of the Phæacian name;

From him Rhexenor and Alcinous came.

The first by Phœbus’ hurtling arrows fired,

New from his nuptials, hapless youth! expired.

No son survived; Arete heir’d his state,

And her, Alcinous chose his royal mate.

With honours yet to womankind unknown.

This queen he graces, and divides the throne;

In equal tenderness her sons conspire,

And all the children emulate their sire.

When through the streets she gracious deigns to move

(The public wonder and the public love),

The tongues of all with transport sound her praise,

The eyes of all, as on a goddess, gaze.

She feels the triumph of a generous breast;

To heal divisions, to relieve the oppress’d;

In virtue rich; in blessing others, bless’d.

(to then secure, thy humble suit prefer

And owe thy country and thy friends to her.”


With that the goddess deign’d no longer stay,

But o’er the world of waters wing’d her way;

Forsaking Scheria’s ever-pleasing shore,

The winds to Marathon the virgin bore:

Thence, where proud Athens rears her towery head,

With opening streets and shining structures spread,

She pass’d, delighted with the well-known seats;

And to Erectheus’ sacred dome retreats.


Meanwhile Ulysses at the palace waits,

There stops, and anxious with his soul debates,

Fix’d in amaze before the royal gates.

The front appear’d with radiant splendours gay,

Bright as the lamp of night, or orb of day,

The walls were massy brass: the cornice high

Blue metals crown’d in colours of the sky,

Rich plates of gold the folding doors incase;

The pillars silver, on a brazen base;

Silver the lintels deep-projecting o’er,

And gold the ringlets that command the door.

Two rows of stately dogs, on either hand,

In sculptured gold and labour’d silver stood

These Vulcan form’d with art divine, to wait

Immortal guardians at Alcinous’ gate;

Alive each animated frame appears,