om the winter's rage, though
the air breathed steel and blew as it would burst. Here creeping in,
he heaped up store of leaves all about him, as a man would billets
upon a winter fire, and lay down in the midst. Rich seed of virtue
lying hid in poor leaves! Here Minerva soon gave him sound sleep; and
here all his long toils past seemed to be concluded and shut up within
the little sphere of his refreshed and closed eyelids.

CHAPTER VI

_The princess Nausicaa,--The washing.--The game with the ball.--The
Court of Phaeacia and king Alcinous._

Meantime Minerva designing an interview between the king's daughter of
that country and Ulysses when he should awake, went by night to the
palace of king Alcinous, and stood at the bedside of the princess
Nausicaa in the shape of one of her favourite attendants, and thus
addressed the sleeping princess:

"Nausicaa, why do you lie sleeping here, and never bestow a thought
upon your bridal ornaments, of which you have many and beautiful, laid
up in your wardrobe against the day of your marriage, which cannot be
far distant; when you shall have need of all, not only to deck your
own person, but to give away in presents to the virgins that honouring
you shall attend you to the temple? Your reputation stands much upon
the timely care of these things; these things are they which fill
father and reverend mother with delight. Let us arise betimes to wash
your fair vestments of linen and silks in the river; and request your
sire to lend you mules and a coach, for your wardrobe is heavy, and
the place where we must wash is distant, and besides it fits not a
great princess like you to go so far on foot."

So saying she went away, and Nausicaa awoke, full of pleasing thoughts
of her marriage, which the dream had told her was not far distant; and
as soon as it was dawn, she arose and dressed herself, and went to
find her parents.

The queen her mother was already up, and seated among her maids,
spinning at her wheel, as the fashion was in those primitive times,
when great ladies did not disdain housewifery: and the king her father
was preparing to go abroad at that early hour to council with his
grave senate.

"My father," she said, "will you not order mules and a coach to be got
ready, that I may go and wash, I and my maids, at the cisterns that
stand without the city?"

"What washing does my daughter speak of?" said Alcinous.

"Mine and my brothers' garments," she replied