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my lord there in thy halls with his godlike company, as
thou sayest. Tell me what manner of raiment he was clothed
in about his body, and what manner of man he was himself,
and tell me of his fellows that went with him.'

Then Odysseus of many counsels answered her saying: 'Lady,
it is hard for one so long parted from him to tell thee all
this, for it is now the twentieth year since he went
thither and left my country. Yet even so I will tell thee
as I see him in spirit. Goodly Odysseus wore a thick purple
mantle, twofold, which had a brooch fashioned in gold, with
two sheathes for the pins, and on the face of it was a
curious device: a hound in his forepaws held a dappled fawn
and gazed on it as it writhed. And all men marvelled at the
workmanship, how, wrought as they were in gold, the hound
was gazing on the fawn and strangling it, and the fawn was
writhing with his feet and striving to flee. Moreover, I
marked the shining doublet about his body, like the gleam
over the skin of a dried onion, so smooth it was, and
glistering as the sun; truly many women looked thereon and
wondered. Yet another thing will I tell thee, and do thou
ponder it in thy heart. I know not if Odysseus was thus
clothed upon at home, or if one of his fellows gave him the
raiment as he went on board the swift ship, or even it may
be some stranger, seeing that to many men was Odysseus
dear, for few of the Achaeans were his peers. I, too, gave
him a sword of bronze, and a fair purple mantle with double
fold, and a tasseled doublet, and I sent him away with all
honour on his decked ship. Moreover, a henchman bare him
company, somewhat older than he, and I will tell thee of
him too, what manner of man he was. He was
round-shouldered, black-skinned, and curly-headed, his name
Eurybates; and Odysseus honoured him above all his company,
because in all things he was like-minded with himself.'

So he spake, and in her heart he stirred yet more the
desire of weeping, as she knew the certain tokens that
Odysseus showed her. So when she had taken her fill of
tearful lament, then she answered him, and spake saying:

'Now verily, stranger, thou that even before wert held in
pity, shalt be dear and honourable in my halls, for it was
I who gave him these garments, as judging from thy words,
and folded them myself, and brought them from the chamber,
and added besides the shining brooch to be his jewel. But
him I shall never welcome back, returned home to his own
dear country. Wherefore with an evil fate it was that
Odysseus went hence in the hollow ship to see that evil
Ilios, never to be named.'

And Odysseus of many counsels answered her saying: 'Wife
revered of Odysseus, son of Laertes, destroy not now thy
fair flesh any more, nor waste thy heart with weeping for
thy lord;--not that I count it any blame in thee, for many
a woman weeps that has lost her wedded lord, to whom she
has borne children in her love,--albeit a far other man
than Odysseus, who, they say, is like the gods. Nay, cease
from thy lamenting, and lay up my word in thy heart; for I
will tell thee without fail, and will hide nought, how but
lately I heard tell of the return of Odysseus, that he is
nigh at hand, and yet alive in the fat land of the men of
Thesprotia, and is bringing with him many choice treasures,
as he begs through the land. But he has lost his dear
companions and his hollow ship on the wine-dark sea, on his
way from the isle Thrinacia: for Zeus and Helios had a
grudge against him, because his company had slain the kine
of Helios. They for their part all perished in the wash of
the sea, but the wave cast him on the keel of the ship out
upon the coast, on the land of the Phaeacians that are near
of kin to the gods, and they did him all honour heartily as
unto a god, and gave him many gifts, and themselves would
fain have sent him scathless home. Yea and Odysseus would
have been here long since, but he thought it more
profitable to gather wealth, as he journeyed over wide
lands; so truly is Odysseus skilled in gainful arts above
all men upon earth, nor may any mortal men contend with
him. So Pheidon king of the Thesprotians told me. Moreover
he sware, in mine own presence, as he poured the
drink-offering in his house, that the ship was drawn down
to the sea and his company were ready, who were to convey
him to his own dear country. But me he first sent off, for
it chanced that a ship of the Thesprotians was on her way
to Dulichium, a land rich in grain. And he showed me all
the wealth that Odysseus had gathered, yea it would suffice
for his children after him, even to the tenth generation,
so great were the treasures he had stored in the chambers
of the king. As for him he had gone, he said, to Dodona to
hear the counsel of Zeus, from the high leafy oak tree of
the god, how he should return to his own dear country,
having now been long afar, whether openly or by stealth.

'In this wise, as I tell thee, he is safe and will come
shortly, and very near he is and will not much longer be
far from his friends and his own country; yet withal I will
give thee my oath on it. Zeus be my witness first, of gods
the highest and best, and the hearth of noble Odysseus
whereunto I am come, that all these things shall surely be
accomplished even as I tell thee. In this same year
Odysseus shall come hither, as the old moon wanes and the
new is born.'

Then wise Penelope answered him: 'Ah! stranger, would that
this word may be accomplished. Soon shouldst thou be aware
of kindness and many a gift at my hands, so that whoso met
with thee would call thee blessed. But on this wise my
heart has a boding, and so it shall be. Neither shall
Odysseus come home any more, nor shalt thou gain an escort
hence, since there are not now such masters in the house as
Odysseus was among men,--if ever such an one there was,--
to welcome guests revered and speed them on their way. But
do ye, my handmaids, wash this man's feet and strew a couch
for him, bedding and mantles and shining blankets, that
well and warmly he may come to the time of golden-throned
Dawn. And very early in the morning bathe him and anoint
him, that within the house beside Telemachus he may eat
meat, sitting quietly in the hall. And it shall be the
worse for any hurtful man of the wooers, that vexes the
stranger, yea he shall not henceforth profit himself here,
for all his sore anger. For how shalt thou learn concerning
me, stranger, whether indeed I excel all women in wit and
thrifty device, if all unkempt and evil clad thou sittest