Vain
men! and superstition worse than that which they so lately derided! to
imagine that prospective penitence can excuse a present violation of duty,
and that the pure natures of the heavenly powers will admit of compromise
or dispensation for sin.
But to their feast they fell, dividing the roasted portions of the flesh,
savoury and pleasant meat to them, but a sad sight to the eyes, and a
savour of death in the nostrils, of the waking Ulysses, who just woke in
time to witness, but not soon enough to prevent, their rash and
sacrilegious banquet. He had scarce time to ask what great mischief was
this which they had done unto him; when behold, a prodigy! the ox-hides
which they had stripped began to creep as if they had life; and the
roasted flesh bellowed as the ox used to do when he was living. The hair
of Ulysses stood up on end with affright at these omens; but his
companions, like men whom the gods had infatuated to their destruction,
persisted in their horrible banquet.
The Sun from his burning chariot saw how Ulysses's men had slain his oxen,
and he cried to his father Jove, "Revenge me upon these impious men who
have slain my oxen, which it did me good to look upon when I walked my
heavenly round. In all my daily course I never saw such bright and
beautiful creatures as those my oxen were." The father promised that ample
retribution should be taken of those accursed men: which was fulfilled
shortly after, when they took their leaves of the fatal island.
Pages:
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56