him by stealth in Ortygia, and pierce him through
with her arrows. And when rich-haired Ceres gave the reins to her
affections, and took Iasion (well worthy) to her arms, the secret
was not so cunningly kept but Jove had soon notice of it, and the
poor mortal paid for his felicity with death, struck through with
lightnings. And now you envy me the possession of a wretched man, whom
tempests have cast upon my shores, making him lawfully mine; whose
ship Jove rent in pieces with his hot thunderbolts, killing all his
friends. Him I have preserved, loved, nourished, made him mine by
protection, my creature, by every tie of gratitude, mine; have vowed
to make him deathless like myself; him you will take from me. But I
know your power, and that it is vain for me to resist. Tell your king
that I obey his mandates."

With an ill grace Calypso promised to fulfil the commands of Jove;
and, Mercury departing, she went to find Ulysses, where he sat
outside the grotto, not knowing of the heavenly message, drowned in
discontent, not seeing any human probability of his ever returning
home.

She said to him: "Unhappy man, no longer afflict yourself with pining
after your country, but build you a ship, with which you may return
home; since it is the will of the gods: who doubtless as they are
greater in power than I, are greater in skill, and best can tell what
is fittest for man. But I call the gods, and my inward conscience, to
witness, that I had no thought but what stood with thy safety, nor
would have done or counselled any thing against thy good. I persuaded
thee to nothing which I should not have followed myself in thy
extremity: for my mind is innocent and simple. O, if thou knewest what
dreadful sufferings thou must yet endure, before ever thou reachest
thy native land, thou wouldest not esteem so hardly of a goddess's
offer to share her immortality with thee; nor, for a few years
enjoyment of a perishing Penelope, refuse an imperishable and
never-dying life with Calypso."

He replied: "Ever-honoured, great Calypso, let it not displease thee,
that I a mortal man desire to see and converse again with a wife that
is mortal: human objects are best fitted to human infirmities. I well
know how far in wisdom, in feature, in stature, proportion, beauty, in
all the gifts of the mind, thou exceedest my Penelope: she a mortal,
and subject to decay; thou immortal, ever growing, yet never old: yet
in her sight all my desires terminate,