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speedily as may be.'

After these words the twain set out to the goodly halls.
Now when they had come to the fair-lying house, they found
Telemachus and the neatherd and the swineherd carving much
flesh, and mixing the dark wine. Meanwhile the Sicilian
handmaid bathed high-hearted Laertes in his house, and
anointed him with olive-oil, and cast a fair mantle about
him. Then Athene drew nigh, and made greater the limbs of
the shepherd of the people, taller she made him than before
and mightier to behold. Then he went forth from the bath,
and his dear son marvelled at him, beholding him like to
the deathless gods in presence. And uttering his voice he
spake to him winged words:

'Father, surely one of the gods that are from everlasting
hath made thee goodlier and greater to behold.'

Then wise Laertes answered him, saying: 'Ah, would to
father Zeus and Athene and Apollo, that such as I was when
I took Nericus, the stablished castle on the foreland of
the continent, being then the prince of the Cephallenians,
would that in such might, and with mail about my shoulders,
I had stood to aid thee yesterday in our house, and to beat
back the wooers; so should I have loosened the knees of
many an one of them in the halls, and thou shouldest have
been gladdened in thine inmost heart!'

So they spake each with the other. But when the others had
ceased from their task and made ready the feast, they sat
down all orderly on chairs and on high seats. Then they
began to put forth their hands on the meat, and the old man
Dolius drew nigh, and the old man's sons withal came tired
from their labour in the fields, for their mother, the aged
Sicilian woman, had gone forth and called them, she that
saw to their living and diligently cared for the old man,
now that old age had laid hold on him. So soon as they
looked on Odysseus and took knowledge of him, they stood
still in the halls in great amazement. But Odysseus
addressed them in gentle words, saying:

'Old man, sit down to meat and do ye forget your
marvelling, for long have we been eager to put forth our
hands on the food, as we abode in the hall alway expecting
your coming.'

So he spake, and Dolius ran straight toward him stretching
forth both his hands, and he grasped the hand of Odysseus
and kissed it on the wrist, and uttering his voice spake to
him winged words:

'Beloved, forasmuch as thou hast come back to us who sore
desired thee, and no longer thought to see thee, and the
gods have led thee home again;--hail to thee and welcome
manifold, and may the gods give thee all good fortune!
Moreover tell me this truly, that I may be assured, whether
wise Penelope yet knows well that thou hast come back
hither, or whether we shall dispatch a messenger.'

Then Odysseus of many counsels answered saying: 'Old man,
already she knows all; what need to busy thyself herewith?'

Thereon the other sat him down again on his polished
settle. And in like wise the sons of Dolius gathered about
the renowned Odysseus, and greeted him well and clasped his
hands, and then sat down all orderly by Dolius their
father.

So they were busy with the meal in the halls. Now Rumour
the messenger went swiftly all about the city, telling the
tale of the dire death and fate of the wooers. And the
people heard it, and all at once gathered together from
every side with sighing and groaning before the house of
Odysseus. And each brought forth his dead from the halls,
and buried them; but those that came out of other cities
they placed on swift ships and sent with fisherfolk, each
to be carried to his own home. As for them they all fared
together to the assembly-place, in sorrow of heart. When
they were all gathered and come together, Eupeithes arose
and spake among them, for a comfortless grief lay heavy on
his heart for his son Antinous, the first man that goodly
Odysseus had slain. Weeping for him he made harangue and
spake among them:

'Friends, a great deed truly hath this man devised against
the Achaeans. Some with his ships he led away, many men,
and noble, and his hollow ships hath he lost, and utterly
lost of his company, and others again, and those far the
best of the Cephallenians he hath slain on his coming home.
Up now, before ever he gets him swiftly either to Pylos or
to fair Elis, where the Epeians bear sway, let us go forth;
else even hereafter shall we have shame of face for ever.
For a scorn this is even for the ears of men unborn to
hear, if we avenge not ourselves on the slayers of our sons
and of our brethren. Life would no more be sweet to me, but
rather would I die straightway and be with the departed.
Up, let us be going, lest these fellows be beforehand with
us and get them over the sea.'

Thus he spake weeping, and pity fell on all the Achaeans.
Then came near to them Medon and the divine minstrel, forth
from the halls of Odysseus, for that sleep had let them go.
They stood in the midst of the gathering, and amazement
seized every man. Then Medon, wise of heart, spake among
them, saying:

'Hearken to me now, ye men of Ithaca, for surely Odysseus
planned not these deeds without the will of the gods. Nay I
myself beheld a god immortal, who stood hard by Odysseus,
in the perfect semblance of Mentor; now as a deathless god
was he manifest in front of Odysseus, cheering him, and yet
again scaring the wooers he stormed through the hall, and
they fell thick one on another.'

Thus he spake, and pale fear gat hold of the limbs of all.
Then the old man, the lord Halitherses, spake among them,
the son of Mastor, for he alone saw before and after. Out
of his good will be made harangue and spake among them,
saying:

'Hearken to me now, ye men of Ithaca, to the word that I
will say. Through your own cowardice, my friends, have
these deeds come to pass. For ye obeyed not me, nor Mentor,
the shepherd of the people, to make your sons cease from
their foolish ways. A great villainy they wrought in their
evil infatuation, wasting the wealth and holding in no
regard the wife of a prince, while they deemed that he
would never more come home. And now let things be on this
wise, and obey my counsel. Let us not go forth against him,