Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-02-15
Palace and Gardens of AlclnOuS.

| FROM THE SEVENTH BOOK OF HoMER's ODYSSEY.
A version ofthat part ofthe extract which follows
was Pope's first essay In translatnS Homer IL
was published in volume which contained ms
Essay on Criticism,o his Rape of the Lock" and
others Of his earlier poems 1t is probable that It's
careful finish and the elaborate and nicely
versidcation then a novelty in English literature,
found such favor with the public as to encourage
Pope to translate the " Iliad-"l
The blue-eyed Pallas, having spoken thus,
Departed o'er the barren deep. She left
The pleasant isle of Scheria and repaired
To Marathon, and to the spacious streets
or Athens, entering there the massive halls
Where dwelt Erectheus, while Ulysses toward
The gorgeous Palace of Alcinous turned
His steps yet stopped and unused before he crossed
The threshold For on every side beneath
The LOFTY roof Of that magnanimous king
\ glory shone of the sun or moon.
There from the threshold, each side, were walls
Of brass, extending to the inner rooms,
With blue steel cornices. The doors within
The massive building were of geld, and posts
Ofsilyer on the brazen threshold stood,
And silver was the Intel which upbore
An architrave of gold, and on each side
stood gold and silver mastins, the rare work
Ofvulcan's skinful hand, placed there to guard
The house of great AlcinOus, and endowed
with deathless life that knew no touch Of age.
Along the walls within, on either side,
And from the threshold to the inner rooms,
Were firmly planted thrones, on which were spread
Delicate mantels, woven by the hands
OF women. The PhHaciau princes here
Were seated Here they ate and drank and held
Perpetual banquet. slende ! forms of boys,
In gold upon the shapely altars stood
With blazing torches in their hands to light
At eve the palace guests, while ffty maids
Waited within the halls, where some in qUerns
Ground small tlc yellow wheat; some wove the web
or twirlcd the spindle, sitting. with quick,
Ligh, motion, like thl a=rcu's sianciug leaves
A. far as the Ph,eaciau race excel
In guiding their swift galley o'er the deep,
50 far the women iu their woven work
surpass an others. Pallas gives them skill
In handiwork and beautiful design.
Without the palace court and near thc gate
\ spacious garden of four acres lay.
A hedge enclosed it round, and lofty trees
tlouri-heI in generous growth withiu-the pear
And the pome1anate- tnl the apple-tree,
with its fair fruitage. and the luscious ns
Anl olive always green The frult they bear
Fails not mon ever fails in winter time
Nor summer, ba- iS yielded an the year.
The ever blowing west wind causes some
To swell and some % rIpen. Pear succeeds
To pear, to apple apple, grape 90 grape,
Fig ripcn- amer h-. 4 fruitful field
or vines wt- planted near. Ia part 1t lay
open and skiing ia the sun, which dried
The soil. auI here men gathered in the grapcs
And there they trod the wiue-pre=s. Further on
Were grapes uurpcurI yct which just had cast
Ths flower ann others sun which just began
T. reIdel. At the gardens iurthe-t u1unJ
Were beds ormAuy plants that all ihe wear
Bore flower. There -u-ucl two fountains. one ~
them
Ran wandering through the lIedi tHe other flowed
Beneath the thre-ho7d to the palace court,
And al tAe people tLcd their vessels there