An Old Story Retold by C. RANGER-GULL AUTHOR OF “THE HYPOCRITE,” “FROM THE BOOK BEAUTIFUL,” “BACK TO LILAC LAND,” ETC. Illustrated BY W. G. MEIN London GREENING and COMPANY, Ltd. 20 CECIL COURT, CHARING CROSS ROAD 1902 BY THE SAME AUTHOR THE HYPOCRITE. Seventh Edition. 2s. 6d. BACK TO LILAC LAND. Second Edition. 6s. MISS MALEVOLENT. Second Edition. 3s. 6d. THE CIGARETTE SMOKER. Second Edition. 2s. 6d. FROM THE BOOK BEAUTIFUL. Being Old Lights Re-lit. 3s. 6d. ———— IN PREPARATION. THE SERF. A Tale

Seven fair and illustrious cities of the dim, ancient world, Argos, Athenæ, Chios, Colophon, Salamis, Rhodos, Smyrna, fought a war of words over Homer’s birthplace. Each claimed the honour. And if, indeed, such an accident of chance confers an honour upon a town, then the birthplace of the Greatest Poet of all time should be a place of pilgrimage. For, among the weavers of Epos, Drama, and Romance, he who was called Melesegenes is first of all and wears an imperishable crown. For 3000 years his

Ulysses. The hero of Homer’s great poem was known to the Greeks under the name of Odysseus. He was king of the pastoral islands of Ithaca and Dulichium. Most of the petty Greek chieftains became suitors for the hand of the beautiful Helen, and Ulysses was among the number, but withdrew when he realised the smallness of his chances. He then married Penelope, the daughter of Icarius, and at the same time joined with the other unsuccessful lovers of Helen in a sworn league for her future protection

A warm mild wind, laden with sweet scents, blew over the sailors from the island, which now lay far astern. In the weary west the charmed sunset still lingered over Lotus Land. A rosy flush lay on the snow-capped mountains which were yet spectral in the last lights of the day, but looking out over the bows the sky was dark purple changing into black, and where it met the sea there was a white gleam of foam. The companions of Ulysses sat idle from the oars, for the wind filled the belly of the sa

Ulysses slowly mounted the wooded hill. The path which rose towards the summit wound in and out through thick undergrowth, and his feet made no sound upon the green moss of the track. He had his spear ready for any game that he might chance on, but for half a day he saw no living thing save a few mailed lizards that lay open-eyed upon a stone. No birds twittered in the forest on the mountainside, only the wild bees sang in the stillness like jewels with voices. How beautiful the wood was! and ho

The King of Ithaca stood all alone on a gloomy barren shore, spear in hand. The sky lowered black overhead, and from the vast yawning hole in the terrible cliff which rose up before him he seemed to hear strange wailings and faint cries coming, so it seemed, from a great distance. Had he at last broken away from the loving arms of Circe for this horror? Stung once more by the latent manhood in his blood, he had roused his energies and left the enchanted island to set out once more upon the weary

The crew sat round a fire of driftwood. There was shelter where they sat, in a natural alcove of rock, but outside the great winds thundered and the wrack flew before the storm and a mighty unceasing roar filled the air. The faces of all the sailors wore a sullen look. Hunger had begun to suck the colour from their cheeks, their eyes were prominent and strained, their movements without energy or vigour. A rude shelter of sailcloth and various débris that was scattered about seemed to show that f

With the tears blinding his eyes, with shaking hands, speechless with the happy thoughts surging in his brain, Ulysses knelt and kissed the dear, dear shores of his own country. The same rocky coasts, the same great mountain in the centre of the island raising its head into the clouds, everywhere eternally the same, and how beloved! was it not all mist and dreams—the long past? How he heard the Sirens sing, seen the swaying arms of the foul Scylla, and dwelt in love and slumber with Calypso? And

Even Euclid, the inventor of concrete logical processes, is forced to begin with axioms and definitions that are absurd. Once allow them, and everything proceeds to a brilliant triumph of mentality; but in order to build a basis in a vacuum, one has to swallow a dose of nonsense first. It must be confessed that in order to estimate the character-drawing employed by Homer to create Ulysses, we must swallow the supernatural influences which surrounded him. Put them out of the question and the hero