If ever you have experienced such kindness, requite
it now, by granting to me, who am the king of that land, a passport to
that land."
Admiration seized all the court of Alcinous, to behold in their presence
one of the number of those heroes who fought at Troy, whose divine story
had been made known to them by songs and poems, but of the truth they had
little known, or rather they had hitherto accounted those heroic exploits
as fictions and exaggerations of poets; but having seen and made proof of
the real Ulysses, they began to take those supposed inventions to be real
verities, and the tale of Troy to be as true as it was delightful.
Then king Alcinous made answer: "Thrice fortunate ought we to esteem our
lot, in having seen and conversed with a man of whom report hath spoken so
loudly, but, as it seems, nothing beyond the truth. Though we could desire
no felicity greater than to have you always among us, renowned Ulysses,
yet your desire having been expressed so often and so deeply to return
home, we can deny you nothing, though to our own loss. Our kingdom of
Phaeacia, as you know, is chiefly rich in shipping. In all parts of the
world, where there are navigable seas, or ships can pass, our vessels will
be found. You cannot name a coast to which they do not resort. Every rock
and every quicksand is known to them that lurks in the vast deep. They
pass a bird in flight; and with such unerring certainty they make to their
destination that some have said that they have no need of pilot or rudder,
but that they move instinctively, self-directed, and know the minds of
their voyagers.
Pages:
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80