He spoke and addressed his beloved son Mercury: "Mercury, for thou art a messenger also in other things, tell[1] our unerring decree to the fair-haired Nymph, the return of the patient Ulysses, that he may go back, neither under the guidance of the gods, nor of mortal men, but let him come on the twentieth day to fertile Scheria[2] on a raft lashed together with many chains, having suffered calamities, to the land of the Phæacians, who are nearly related[3] to the gods; who will honour him in their heart, like as a god, and will send him in a ship to his dear paternal land, giving him abundance of brass and gold, and raiment, so many things as Ulysses would never have taken from Troy, even if he had returned unharmed, having been allotted his share of booty. For so it is fated for him to behold his friends, and return to his lofty-roofed house, and his own paternal land."
Thus he spoke; nor did the messenger, the slayer of Argus, disobey him. Immediately then he bound his beautiful sandals beneath his feet, ambrosial, golden; which carried him both over the moist wave,[4] and over the boundless earth, with the breath of the wind. And he took the rod with which he soothes the eyes of men, whom he wishes, and again rouses those who are asleep. Holding this in his hands, the strong slayer of Argus flew, and going over Pieria, he descended from the air into the sea. Then he rushed over the wave like a bird, a sea-gull, which hunting for fish in the terrible bays of the barren sea, dips frequently its wings in the brine; like unto this Mercury rode over many waves. But when he came to the distant island, then going from the blue sea, he went to the continent; until he came to the great cave in which the fair-haired Nymph dwelt; and he found her within. A large fire was burning on the hearth, and at a distance the smell of well-cleft cedar, and of frankincense,[5]
- ↑ But see Loewe on i. 292.
- ↑ Corcyra, anciently called ἡ Δρεπάνη, now Corfu.
- ↑ Their kings were said to be the third in descent from Neptune. Schol. But Eustathius rather regards this epithet as said in praise of their virtues and hospitality.
- ↑ With this description of Mercury compare the notes of Newton on Milton, Par. Lost, v. 285.
- ↑ Some render θύον "citron," on the authority of Macrob. Sat. ii. 15. See Anthon and others on Virg. Georg. ii. 126. It seems more probable that θύον is frankincense. Cf. Dionys. Perieg. 935, with the notes of
