"I had thought," said he, "that all people knew our land. It is rocky and
barren, to be sure; but well enough: it feeds a goat or an ox well; it is
not wanting either in wine or in wheat; it has good springs of water, some
fair rivers; and wood enough, as you may see: it is called Ithaca."
Ulysses was joyed enough to find himself in his own country; but so
prudently he carried his joy, that, dissembling his true name and quality,
he pretended to the shepherd that he was only some foreigner who by stress
of weather had put into that port; and framed on the sudden a story to
make it plausible, how he had come from Crete in a ship of Phaeacia; when
the young shepherd, laughing, and taking Ulysses's hand in both his, said
to him: "He must be cunning, I find, who thinks to overreach you. What,
cannot you quit your wiles and your subtleties, now that you are in a
state of security? must the first word with which you salute your native
earth be an untruth? and think you that you are unknown?"
Ulysses looked again; and he saw, not a shepherd, but a beautiful woman,
whom he immediately knew to be the goddess Minerva, that in the wars of
Troy had frequently vouchsafed her sight to him; and had been with him
since in perils, saving him unseen.
"Let not my ignorance offend thee, great Minerva," he cried, "or move thy
displeasure, that in that shape I knew thee not; since the skill of
discerning of deities is not attainable by wit or study, but hard to be
hit by the wisest of mortals.
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