Your home will show you in your better fate. But yet, ev’n then, let this remember’d be, Your life’s price I lent, and you owe it me.” The varied-in-all-counsels gave reply: “Nausicaa! Flow’r of all this empery! So Juno’s husband, that the strife for noise Makes in the clouds, bless me with strife of joys, In the desir’d day that my house shall show, As I, as I to a Goddess there shall vow, To thy fair hand that did my being give, Which I’ll acknowledge ev’ry hour I live.” This said, Alcinous plac’d him by his side. Then took they feast, and did in parts divide The sev’ral dishes, fill’d out wine, and then The striv’d-for-for-his-worth of worthy men,[9] And rev’renc’d-of-the-state, Demodocus Was brought in by the good Pontonous. In midst of all the guests they gave him place, Against a lofty pillar, when this grace The grac’d-with-wisdom did him: From the chine, That stood before him, of a white-tooth’d swine, Being far the daintiest joint, mix’d through with fat, He carv’d to him, and sent it where he sat By his old friend the herald, willing thus: “Herald, reach this to grave Demodocus, Say, I salute him, and his worth embrace. Poets deserve, past all the human race, Rev’rend respect and honour, since the queen Of knowledge, and the supreme worth in men, The Muse, informs them, and loves all their race.” This reach’d the herald to him, who the grace Receiv’d encourag’d; which, when feast was spent, Ulysses amplified to this ascent: “Demodocus! I must prefer you far, Past all your sort, if, or the Muse of war, Jove’s daughter, prompts you, that the Greeks respects, Or if the Sun, that those of Troy affects. For I have heard you, since my coming, sing The fate of Greece to an admiréd string. How much our suff’rance was, how much we wrought, How much the actions rose-to when we fought. So lively forming, as you had been there, Or to some free relater lent your ear. Forth then, and sing the wooden horse’s frame, Built by Epëus, by the martial Dame Taught the whole fabric; which, by force of sleight, Ulysses brought into the city’s height, When he had stuff’d it with as many men As levell’d lofty Ilion with the plain. With all which if you can as well enchant, As with expression quick and elegant You sung the rest, I will pronounce you clear Inspir’d by God, past all that ever were.” This said, ev’n stirr’d by God up, he began, And to his song fell, past the forms of man, Beginning where the Greeks aship-board went, And ev’ry chief had set on fire his tent, When th’ other kings, in great Ulysses’ guide, In Troy’s vast market place the horse did hide, From whence the Trojans up to Ilion drew The dreadful engine. Where sat all arew Their kings about it; many counsels giv’n How to dispose it. In three ways were driv’n Their whole distractions. First, if they should feel The hollow wood’s heart, search’d with piercing steel; Or from the battlements drawn higher yet Deject it headlong; or that counterfeit So vast and novel set on sacred fire,