A Story of the Golden Age

n already launched, and was floating close to the shore; and the oarsmen stood upon the beach impatient to begin the voyage. The sea-stores, and the little chest in which the lad's wardrobe

, and took his place in the prow. Then the sailors loosed the moorings, and went on board, and, sitting on the rowers' benches, wielded the long oars; and the little vessel, driven by their well-timed strokes, turned slowly about, and then

, and lifting high the slender mast, they bound it in its place; then they stretched aloft the broad white sail, and the west wind caught and filled it, and drove the little bark cheerily over the waves. And the grateful crew sat down upon the benches, and with Odysseus and Phemius the bard, they joined in offering

to tire of the voyage, Phemius asked Odysseus w

ased than when recounting some wonderful tale, sat down in the midships, where the oarsmen co

light and heat. Every morning when the Dawn with her rosy fingers illumes the eastern sky, good Helios r

on, Bronté

d asphodels from the heavenly gardens. And the Hours come and harness the steeds to the burning sun-car, and put the reins into Helios Hyperion's hands. He mounts to his place, he

rth, the steeds, the car, and the driver sink softly down to the western Ocean's stream, where a golden vessel waits to bear them back again, swiftly and unseen, to the dwelling of the Sun in the east.

there was no one more fair. And the great heart of Helios beat with love f

kinship to the Sun; and men when they looked upon his matchless form and his radiant features believe

he gods; but it is by godlike deeds alone that one can prove his kinship to the immortals. While Helios Hyperion--thy father, as thou wouldst have it--guides his chariot above the clouds, and showers blessings upon the earth, what dost thou do? What, indeed, but dally with thy yellow lo

illed with lofty dreams; and, turning away from the

just finished the course of another day; and with w

hour, when the sons of men find rest in slumber? Is there any good

hose who say that I am not thy son. Give me, I pray t

e rest I have, that so earth's children may have light and life. Yet

n that I ask: Let me sit in thy place to-morrow, an

st not what thou askest. Thou art not like the gods; and there lives no man who can dr

ethon wo

ill drive thy steeds to-morrow, and

man to undertake. But wayward Phaethon would not hear. And when the Dawn peeped forth, and

"Refrain, refrain!" Yet for my

d his face

, and swift as a storm cloud they sped high into the blue vault of heaven. For well di

him, and all his courage failed; and the

'thy words were true. Would that I ha

eopled plains they dashed and soared, dragging the car behind them. The parched earth smoked; the rivers turned to vaporous clouds; the trees shoo

send help to thy children, or they peris

on fell headlong from the car; and the fire-breathing steeds, affrighted but obed

rs; and their tears, falling into the river, were hardened into precious yellow amber. But the daughters of Hesperus, through whose country this river flows, built for the fair hero a marble tomb, close by the sounding

ers, sprang quickly to their places, and hastened to ply their long oars; for now the breeze had begun to slacken, and the sail hung limp and useless upon the ship's mast. Keeping close to the northern shore they rounded capes and headlands, and skirted the mouths of deep inlets, where Phemius said strange monsters ofte

all no ship could be guided with safety along these shores. A narrow strait between high cliffs led into the little haven, which was so sheltered from the winds that vessels could ride there without their hawsers, even though fierce storms might rage upon the sea outside

hastened to make ready the evening meal. Odysseus and his tutor, when they had climbed out of the ship, sauntered along the beach, intent to know what kind of plac

of this bay, in the Od

and filled it with yellow honey. In this cave, too, were long looms on which, from their spindles wrought of stone, the Naiads were thought to weave their purple robes. Close by the looms, a torrent of sweet water gushed from the rock, and flowed in crystal streams down into the bay. Two

around the blazing fire upon the beach, and each told some marvellous st

riendly breezes and our own strong arms hurried us safely away from that wonderful but dangerous station. In that palace of the deep, Poseidon eats and drinks and makes merry with his friends, the dwellers in the sea; and there he feeds and trains his swift horses,--horses with hoofs of bronze and flowing golden manes. And when he harnesses these steeds to his chariot, and wields above them his well-wrought lash of gold, you should see, as I have seen, how he

ays we were buffeted by winds and waves, and driven into unknown seas. After this, we vainly tried to find again our reckonings, but we knew not which way to turn our ves

r surely Proteus, the old man of the sea who keeps Poseidon

The old master of magic tried hard to escape from our clutches, and did not forget his cunning. First he took the form of a long-maned lion, fierce and terrible; but when this did not affright us, he turned into a scaly serpent; then into a leopard, spotted and beautiful; then into a wild boar, with gnashing tusks and foaming mouth. Seeing that by

far we shall go, that we may surely reach t

sea, 'and on the third morning ye shall behold the h

deep; and we betook ourselves to our ship, and sailed away before the wind.

ry seaman had learned in his youth,--the story of Proteus, symbol of the ever-changing forms of matter. Just t

he asked, turnin

ow sit. Before his hut there was a green, grassy spot, where he often sat to dress the fish which he caught. One day he carried a basketful of half-dead fish to that spot, and turned them out upon the ground. Wonderful to behold! Each fish took a blade of gra

into the sea; and there he wanders evermore among the seaweeds and the sand and the pebbles and the sunken rocks; and, although h

ed its strings, and sang a song about old Phorcys,--the son of the Sea and Mother Earth

y sing evermore of empty pleasures and of phantoms of delight and of vain expectations. And woe is the wayfaring man who hearkens to them! for by their bewitching tones they lure him to his death, and never again shall he see his dear wife or his babes, who wa

d this time the bard sang a strange, tumultuous song, concerning other daughters of old Phorcys,--the three Gray Sisters, with shape of swan, who have but one tooth for all, and one common eye, and who sit forever on a barren rock near the farthest s

h were like the tusks of swine, and their hands were talons of brass; and no mortal could ever gaze upon them and breathe again. But there came, one time, a young hero to those regions,--Perseus the godlike; and he sn

nd their minds were carried away in memory to pleasant gardens in a summer land. And Phemius sang of the Hesperides, or the maidens of the West, who also, men say, are the daughters of Phorcys the ancient. The Hesperian land in which they dwell is a country of delight, where the trees

upon the sand and fallen asleep. At a sign from the bard, the seamen lifted him gently into the sh