_‘Come here, thou worthy of a world of praise, That dost so high the Grecian glory raise, Ulysses! stay thy ship, and that song hear That none pass’d ever but it bent his ear, But left him ravish’d, and instructed more By us, than any ever heard before. For we know all things whatsoever were In wide Troy labour’d; whatsoever there The Grecians and the Trojans both sustain’d By those high issues that the Gods ordain’d. And whatsoever all the earth can show T’ inform a knowledge of desert, we know.’_ This they gave accent in the sweetest strain That ever open’d an enamour’d vein. When my constrain’d heart needs would have mine ear Yet more delighted, force way forth, and hear. To which end I commanded with all sign Stern looks could make (for not a joint of mine Had pow’r to stir) my friends to rise, and give My limbs free way. They freely striv’d to drive Their ship still on. When, far from will to loose, Eurylochus and Perimedes rose To wrap me surer, and oppress’d me more With many a halser than had use before. When, rowing on without the reach of sound, My friends unstopp’d their ears, and me unbound, And that isle quite we quitted. But again Fresh fears employ’d us. I beheld a main Of mighty billows, and a smoke ascend, A horrid murmur hearing. Ev’ry friend Astonish’d sat; from ev’ry hand his Oar Fell quite forsaken; with the dismal roar Were all things there made echoes; stone-still stood Our ship itself, because the ghastly flood Took all men’s motions from her in their own. I through the ship went, labouring up and down My friends’ recover’d spirits. One by one I gave good words, and said: That well were known These ills to them before, I told them all, And that these could not prove more capital Than those the Cyclops block’d us up in, yet My virtue, wit, and heav’n-help’d counsels set Their freedoms open. I could not believe But they remember’d it, and wish’d them give My equal care and means now equal trust. The strength they had for stirring up they must Rouse and extend, to try if Jove had laid His pow’rs in theirs up, and would add his aid To ’scape ev’n that death. In particular then, I told our pilot, that past other men He most must bear firm spirits, since he sway’d The continent that all our spirits convey’d, In his whole guide of her. He saw there boil The fiery whirlpools that to all our spoil Inclos’d a rock, without which he must steer, Or all our ruins stood concluded there. All heard me and obey’d, and little knew That, shunning that rock, six of them should rue The wrack another hid. For I conceal’d The heavy wounds, that never would be heal’d, To be by Scylla open’d; for their fear Would then have robb’d all of all care to steer, Or stir an oar, and made them hide beneath, When they and all had died an idle death. But then ev’n I forgot to shun the harm Circe forewarn’d; who will’d I should not arm, Nor show myself to Scylla, lest in vain I ventur’d life. Yet could not I contain,