As when o’er Erymanth Diana roves, Or wide Täygetus’ resounding groves; A sylvan train the huntress queen surrounds, Her rattling quiver from her shoulders sounds: Fierce in the sport, along the mountain’s brow They bay the boar, or chase the bounding roe; High o’er the lawn, with more majestic pace, Above the nymphs she treads with stately grace; Distinguish’d excellence the goddess proves; Exults Latona as the virgin moves. With equal grace Nausicaa trod the plain, And shone transcendent o’er the beauteous train. Meantime (the care and favourite of the skies Wrapp’d in imbowering shade, Ulysses lies, His woes forgot! but Pallas now address’d To break the bands of all-composing rest. Forth from her snowy hand Nausicaa threw The various ball; the ball erroneous flew And swam the stream; loud shrieks the virgin train, And the loud shriek redoubles from the main. Waked by the shrilling sound, Ulysses rose, And, to the deaf woods wailing, breathed his woes: “Ah me! on what inhospitable coast, On what new region is Ulysses toss’d; Possess’d by wild barbarians fierce in arms; Or men, whose bosom tender pity warms? What sounds are these that gather from he shores? The voice of nymphs that haunt the sylvan bowers, The fair-hair’d Dryads of the shady wood; Or azure daughters of the silver flood; Or human voice? but issuing from the shades, Why cease I straight to learn what sound invades?” Then, where the grove with leaves umbrageous bends, With forceful strength a branch the hero rends; Around his loins the verdant cincture spreads A wreathy foliage and concealing shades. As when a lion in the midnight hours, Beat by rude blasts, and wet with wintry showers, Descends terrific from the mountains brow; With living flames his rolling eye balls glow; With conscious strength elate, he bends his way, Majestically fierce, to seize his prey (The steer or stag;) or, with keen hunger bold, Spring o’er the fence and dissipates the fold. No less a terror, from the neighbouring groves (Rough from the tossing surge) Ulysses moves; Urged on by want, and recent from the storms; The brackish ooze his manly grace deforms. Wide o’er the shore with many a piercing cry To rocks, to caves, the frightened virgins fly; All but the nymph; the nymph stood fix’d alone, By Pallas arm’d with boldness not her own. Meantime in dubious thought the king awaits, And, self-considering, as he stands, debates; Distant his mournful story to declare, Or prostrate at her knee address the prayer. But fearful to offend, by wisdom sway’d, At awful distance he accosts the maid: