(By your vouchsaf’d means, and betimes vouchsaf’d) My country-earth; since I have long been left To labours, and to errors, barr’d from end, And far from benefit of any friend,” He said no more, but left them dumb with that, Went to the hearth, and in the ashes sat, Aside the fire. At last their silence brake, And Echinëus, th’ old heroë, spake; A man that all Phæacians pass’d in years, And in persuasive eloquence all the peers, Knew much, and us’d it well; and thus spake he: “Alcinous! It shews not decently, Nor doth your honour what you see admit, That this your guest should thus abjectly sit, His chair the earth, the hearth his cushion, Ashes as if appos’d for food. A throne, Adorn’d with due rites, stands you more in hand To see his person plac’d in, and command That instantly your heralds fill-in wine, That to the God that doth in lightnings shine We may do sacrifice; for he is there, Where these his rev’rend suppliants appear. Let what you have within be brought abroad, To sup the stranger. All these would have show’d This fit respect to him, but that they stay For your precedence, that should grace the way.” When this had added to the well-inclin’d And sacred order of Alcinous’ mind, Then of the great-in-wit the hand he seis’d, And from the ashes his fair person rais’d, Advanc’d him to a well-adornéd throne, And from his seat rais’d his most lovéd son, Laodamas, that next himself was set, To give him place. The handmaid then did get An ewer of gold, with water fill’d, which plac’d Upon a caldron, all with silver grac’d, She pour’d out on their hands. And then was spread A table, which the butler set with bread, As others serv’d with other food the board, In all the choice the present could afford. Ulysses meat and wine took; and then thus The king the herald call’d: “Pontonous! Serve wine through all the house, that all may pay Rites to the Lightner, who is still in way With humble suppliants, and them pursues With all benign and hospitable dues.” Pontonous gave act to all he will’d, And honey-sweetness-giving-minds wine fill’d,[6] Disposing it in cups for all to drink. All having drunk what either’s heart could think Fit for due sacrifice, Alcinous said: “Hear me, ye dukes that the Phæacians lead, And you our counsellors, that I may now Discharge the charge my mind suggests to you, For this our guest: Feast past, and this night’s sleep, Next morn, our senate summon’d, we will keep Justs, sacred to the Gods, and this our guest Receive in solemn court with fitting feast; Then think of his return, that, under hand Of our deduction, his natural land (Without more toil or care, and with delight, And that soon giv’n him, how far-hence dissite Soever it can be) he may ascend; And in the mean time without wrong attend, Or other want, fit means to that ascent.[7] What, after, austere Fates shall make th’ event Of his life’s thread, now spinning, and began When his pain’d mother freed his root of man, He must endure in all kinds. If some God