You first shall find the queen in court, whose name Is Arete, of parents born the same That was the king her spouse; their pedigree[3] I can report. The great Earth-shaker, he Of Peribœa (that her sex out-shone, And youngest daughter was t’ Eurymedon, Who of th’ unmeasur’d-minded giants sway’d Th’ imperial sceptre, and the pride allay’d Of men so impious with cold death, and died Himself soon after) got the magnified In mind, Nausithous; whom the kingdom’s state First held in supreme rule. Nausithous gat Rhexenor, and Alcinous, now king. Rhexenor (whose seed did no male fruit spring, And whom the silver-bow-grac’d Phœbus slew Young in the court) his shed blood did renew In only Arete, who now is spouse To him that rules the kingdom in this house, And is her uncle king Alcinous, Who honours her past equal. She may boast More honour of him than the honour’d most[4] Of any wife in earth can of her lord, How many more soever realms afford, That keep house under husbands. Yet no more Her husband honours her, than her blest store Of gracious children. All the city cast Eyes on her as a Goddess, and give taste Of their affections to her in their pray’rs, Still as she decks the street; for, all affairs Wrapt in contention, she dissolves to men. Whom she affects, she wants no mind to deign Goodness enough. If her heart stand inclin’d To your dispatch, hope all you wish to find, Your friends, your longing family, and all That can within your most affections fall.” This said, away the grey-eyed Goddess flew Along th’ untam’d sea, left the lovely hue Scheria presented, out-flew Marathon, And ample-streeted Athens lighted on; Where to the house, that casts so thick a shade,[5] Of Erechtheüs she ingression made. Ulysses to the lofty-builded court Of king Alcinous made bold resort; Yet in his heart cast many a thought, before The brazen pavement of the rich court bore His enter’d person. Like heav’n’s two main lights The rooms illustrated both days and nights. On ev’ry side stood firm a wall of brass, Ev’n from the threshold to the inmost pass, Which bore a roof up that all-sapphire was. The brazen thresholds both sides did enfold Silver pilasters, hung with gates of gold; Whose portal was of silver; over which A golden cornice did the front enrich. On each side, dogs, of gold and silver fram’d, The house’s guard stood: which the Deity lam’d With knowing inwards had inspir’d, and made That death nor age should their estates invade. Along the wall stood ev’ry way a throne, From th’ entry to the lobby, ev’ry one Cast over with a rich-wrought cloth of state. Beneath which the Phæacian princes sate At wine and food, and feasted all the year. Youths forg’d of gold, at ev’ry table there, Stood holding flaming torches, that, in night, Gave through the house each honour’d guest his light And, to encounter feast with housewif’ry, In one room fifty women did apply Their sev’ral tasks. Some apple-colour’d corn Ground in fair querns, and some did spindles turn,