Swift sped the ship, and glad at heart were all, And the Strong Man was merry with the rest, And from the elder's lips no word did fall That did not seem to promise all the best; Yet with a certain awe were men oppressed, And felt as if their inmost hearts were bare, And each man's secret babbled through the air. Still oft the old man sat with them and told Tales of past time, as on the outward way; And now would they the face of him behold And deem it changed; the years that on him lay Seemed to grow nought, and no more wan and grey He looked, but ever glorious, wise and strong, As though no lapse of time for him were long. At last, when six days through the kindly sea Their keel had slipped, he said: "Come hearken now, For so it is that things fare wondrously E'en in these days; and I a tale can show That, told by you unto your sons shall grow A marvel of the days that are to come: Take heed and tell it when ye reach your home. "Yet living in the world a man there is Men call the Theban King Amphitryon's son, Although perchance a greater sire was his; But certainly his lips have hung upon Alcmena's breasts: great deeds this man hath won Already, for his name is Hercules, And e'en ye Asian folk have heard of these. "Now ere the moon, this eve in his last wane, Was born, this Hercules, the fated thrall Of King Eurystheus, was straight bid to gain Gifts from a land whereon no foot doth fall Of mortal man, beyond the misty wall Of unknown waters; pensively he went Along the sea on his hard life intent. "And at the dawn he came into a bay Where the sea, ebbed far down, left wastes of sand, Walled from the green earth by great cliffs and grey; Then he looked up, and wondering there did stand, For strange things lay in slumber on the strand; Strange counterparts of what the firm earth hath Lay scattered all about his weary path: "Sea-lions and sea-horses and sea-kine, Sea-boars, sea-men strange-skinned, of wondrous hair; And in their midst a man who seemed divine For changeless eld, and round him women fair, Clad in the sea-webs glassy green and clear With gems on head and girdle, limb and breast, Such as earth knoweth not among her best. "A moment at the fair and wondrous sight He stared, then, since the heart in him was good, He went about with careful steps and light Till o'er the sleeping sea-god now he stood; And if the white-foot maids had stirred his blood As he passed by, now other thoughts had place Within his heart when he beheld that face. "For Nereus now he knew, who knows all things; And to himself he said, 'If I prevail, Better than by some god-wrought eagle-wings Shall I be holpen;' then he cried out: 'Hail, O Nereus! lord of shifting hill and dale! Arise and wrestle; I am Hercules! Not soon now shalt thou meet the ridgy seas.'