Ἢ was Argus, which the much-enduring man
Ulysses long before had reared, but left
Untried, when for the hallowed town of Troy
jHe sailed. The young men oft had led him forth x
In eager chase of wild goats, stags, and hares ;
But now, his master far away, he lay
Neglected, just before the stable doors,
Amid the droppings of the mules and beeves,
Heaped high till carried to the spacious fields ὀ τς:
Of which Ulysses was the lord. There lay
Argus, devoured with vermin. As he saw
Ulysses drawing near, he wagged his tail
And dropped his ears, but found that he could come
No nearer to his master. Seeing this, το
Ulysses wiped away a tear unmarked
By the good swineherd, whom he questioned thus: —
“ Eumzus, this I marvel at, — this dog,
That lies upon the dunghill, beautiful
In form, but whether in the chase as fleet ws
As he is fairly shaped I cannot tell.
Worthless, perchance, as house-dogs often are,
Whose masters keep them for the sake of sho’
And thus, Eumzus, thou didst make reply :
“ The dog belongs to one who died afar. =
Had he the power of limb which once he had
For feats of hunting when Ulysses sailed
For Troy and left him, thou wouldst be amazed


102 The Odyssey.
Both at his swiftness and his strength. No beast
In the thick forest depths which once he saw, ὧν
Or even tracked by footprints, could escape.
