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Tanglewood Tales-Part19_NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE(1804-1864)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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wallowing down from his throne in swinish shape, or taking any



other brutal form, Ulysses looked even more manly and king-like

than before. He gave the magic goblet a toss, and sent it



clashing over the marble floor to the farthest end of the

saloon. Then, drawing his sword, he seized the enchantress by



her beautiful ringlets, and made a gesture as if he meant to

strike off her head at one blow.



"Wicked Circe," cried he, in a terrible voice, "this sword

shall put an end to thy enchant meets. Thou shalt die, vile



wretch, and do no more mischief in the world, by tempting human

beings into the vices which make beasts of them."



The tone and countenance of Ulysses were so awful, and his

sword gleamed so brightly, and seemed to have so intolerably



keen an edge, that Circe was almost killed by the mere fright,

without waiting for a blow. The chief butler scrambled out of



the saloon, picking up the golden goblet as he went; and the

enchantress and the four maidens fell on their knees, wringing



their hands, and screaming for mercy.

"Spare me!" cried Circe. "Spare me, royal and wise Ulysses. For



now I know that thou art he of whom Quicksilver forewarned me,

the most prudent of mortals, against whom no enchantments can



prevail. Thou only couldst have conquered Circe. Spare me,

wisest of men. I will show thee true hospitality, and even give



myself to be thy slave, and this magnificent palace to be

henceforth thy home."



The four nymphs, meanwhile, were making a most piteous ado; and

especially the ocean nymph, with the sea-green hair, wept a



great deal of salt water, and the fountain nymph, besides

scattering dewdrops from her fingers' ends, nearly melted away



into tears. But Ulysses would not be pacified until Circe had

taken a solemn oath to change back his companions, and as many



others as he should direct, from their present forms of beast

or bird into their former shapes of men.



"On these conditions," said he, "I consent to spare your life.

Otherwise you must die upon the spot."



With a drawn sword hanging over her, the enchantress would

readily have consented to do as much good as she had hitherto



done mischief, however little she might like such employment.

She therefore led Ulysses out of the back entrance of the



palace, and showed him the swine in their sty. There were about

fifty of these unclean beasts in the whole herd; and though the



greater part were hogs by birth and education, there was

wonderfully little difference to be seen betwixt them and their



new brethren, who had so recently worn the human shape. To

speak critically, indeed, the latter rather carried the thing



to excess, and seemed to make it a point to wallow in the

miriest part of the sty, and otherwise to outdo the original



swine in their own natural vocation. When men once turn to

brutes, the trifle of man's wit that remains in them adds



tenfold to their brutality.

The comrades of Ulysses, however, had not quite lost the



remembrance of having formerly stood erect. When he approached

the sty, two and twenty enormous swine separated themselves



from the herd, and scampered towards him, with such a chorus of

horrible squealing as made him clap both hands to his ears. And



yet they did not seem to know what they wanted, nor whether

they were merely hungry, or miserable from some other cause. It



was curious, in the midst of their distress, to observe them

thrusting their noses into the mire, in quest of something to



eat. The nymph with the bodice of oaken bark (she was the

hamadryad of an oak) threw a handful of acorns among them; and



the two and twenty hogs scrambled and fought for the prize, as

if they had tasted not so much as a noggin of sour milk for a



twelvemonth.

"These must certainly be my comrades," said Ulysses. "I



recognize their dispositions. They are hardly worth the trouble

of changing them into the human form again. Nevertheless, we






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