preparing; and
he was forging the rivets. Whilst he was toiling at these things with,
skilful mind, meanwhile Thetis, the silver-footed goddess, came to him.
But the beautiful and fair-veiled Charis, whom illustrious Vulcan had
espoused, advancing, beheld her; and hung upon her hand, and addressed
her, and spoke:

"Why, O long-robed Thetis, venerable, beloved, dost thou visit our
abode? Formerly thou wast not in the habit of coming frequently.[590]
But follow farther onwards, that I may set before thee hospitable fare."

Thus having spoken, the divine of goddesses led on. Then indeed she
placed her upon a silver-studded throne, beautiful, variously wrought,
and there was a stool under her feet. But she called Vulcan, the
distinguished artist, and spoke this word:

"Come hither, Vulcan, Thetis now has need of thee."

But her illustrious Vulcan then answered: "Assuredly then an awful and
revered goddess is within, who saved me when distress came upon me,
fallen down far by the contrivance of my shameless mother, who wished to
conceal me, being lame.[591] Then should I have suffered sorrows in my
mind, had not Eurynome and Thetis received me in their bosom; Eurynome,
daughter of the refluent Ocean. With them for nine years wrought I in
brass many ingenious works of art, buckles, twisted bracelets, and
clasp-tubes, in the hollow cave; whilst round us flowed the immense
stream of Ocean, murmuring with foam: nor did any other either of gods
or mortal men know it; but Thetis and Eurynome, who preserved me, knew
it. She now comes to my house; wherefore there is need that I should
repay all the rewards of my safety to fair-haired Thetis. But set now
before her good hospitable fare, whilst I lay aside my bellows and all
my tools."

[Footnote 590: [Greek: thamizein] answers to the Latin "visere,"
"frequentare." Suidas, [Greek: thamizeis' pyknazeis, sychnaseis].
Plato, Rep. i. p. 410, B.: [Greek: Oude thamizeis emin katabainon
eis ton eiraia]. Themist. Or. v. p. 152: [Greek: Mede Thamisei
doryphorousa eis ta basileia]. Philostr. Vit. Soph. i. 7, p. 254:
[Greek: thamizon eis ta stratopeda]. Cf. Alciphron, Ep. i. 4, p.
20, iii. 5, p. 286.]

[Footnote 591: "Hephaestos is the son of Here without a father,
and stands to her in the same relation as Athene to Zeus: her
pride and want of sympathy are manifested by her casting him out
at once, in consequence of his deformity."--Grote, vol. i. p.
7