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15 - The Odyssey - Homer · Classic Adventure Books - Daily

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Speaker 1: Book fifteen. But Minerva went to the fair city of
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Speaker 1: Lacedaemon to tell Ulysses's son that he was to return
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Speaker 1: at once. She found him in Pisistitus, sleeping in the
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Speaker 1: forecourt of Menealeus's house. Pisistitus was fast asleep, but Telemachus
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Speaker 1: could get no rest all night for thinking of his
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Speaker 1: unhappy father. So Minerva went close up to him and said, Telemachus,
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Speaker 1: you should not remain so far away from home any longer,
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Speaker 1: nor leave your property with such dangerous people in your house.
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Speaker 1: They will eat up everything you have among them, and
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Speaker 1: you will have been on a fool's Errand ask Menieus
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Speaker 1: to send you home at once if you wish to
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Speaker 1: find your excellent mother still there. When you get back,
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Speaker 1: her father and brothers are already urging her to marry Euymicus,
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Speaker 1: who was given more than any of the others, and
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Speaker 1: has been greatly increasing his wedding presents. I hope nothing
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Speaker 1: valuable may have been taken from the house in spite
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Speaker 1: of you, But you know what woman are. They always
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Speaker 1: want to do the best they can for the man
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Speaker 1: who marries them, and never give another thought to the
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Speaker 1: children of their first husband. Nor to their father either
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Speaker 1: when he is dead and done with. Go home therefore,
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Speaker 1: and put everything in charge of the most respectable woman
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Speaker 1: servant that you have, until it shall please Heaven to
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Speaker 1: send you a wife of your own. Let me tell
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Speaker 1: you also of another matter which you had better attend to.
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Speaker 1: The chief men among the suitors are lying in wait
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Speaker 1: for you in the strait between Ithaca and Samos, and
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Speaker 1: they mean to kill you before you can reach home.
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Speaker 1: I do not much think they will succeed. It is
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Speaker 1: more likely that some of those who are now eating
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Speaker 1: up your property will find a grave themselves. Sail night
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Speaker 1: and day, and keep your ship well away from the islands.
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Speaker 1: The god who watches over you and protects you, will
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Speaker 1: send you a fair wind as soon as you get
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Speaker 1: to Ithaca. Send your ship and men on to the town.
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Speaker 1: But yourself goes straight to the swineherd who has charged
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Speaker 1: your pigs. He is well disposed towards you. Stay with
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Speaker 1: him therefore or for the night, and then send him
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Speaker 1: to Penelope to tell her that you have got back
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Speaker 1: safe from Pelus. Then she went back to Olympus. But
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Speaker 1: Telemachus stirred Persistitus with his heel to rouse him and said,
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Speaker 1: wake up, Pisistitus, and yoke the horses to the chariot,
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Speaker 1: for we must set off home. But Pasistitus said, no
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Speaker 1: matter what hurry we are in, we cannot drive in
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Speaker 1: the dark. It will be morning soon. Wait till Menelaus
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Speaker 1: has brought his presents and put them in the chariot
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Speaker 1: for us, and let him say good bye to us
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Speaker 1: in the usual way. So long as he lives, I
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Speaker 1: guess should never forget a host who has shown him kindness.
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Speaker 1: As he spoke, day began to break, and Menelaus, who
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Speaker 1: had already risen, leaving Helen in bed, came towards them.
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Speaker 1: When Telemachus saw him, he put on his shirt as
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Speaker 1: fast as he could, threw a great cloak over his shoulders,
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Speaker 1: and went out to meet him. Menilaeus said, he let
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Speaker 1: me go back now to my own country, for I
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Speaker 1: want to get home. And Menelaeus answered Telemachus, if you
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Speaker 1: insist on going, I will not detain you. I do
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Speaker 1: not like to see a host either too fond of
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Speaker 1: his guest or too rude to him. Moderation is best
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Speaker 1: in all things, and not letting a man go when
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Speaker 1: he wants to do so is as bad as telling
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Speaker 1: him to go if he would like to stay. One
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Speaker 1: should treat a guest well as long as he is
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Speaker 1: in the house, and speed him when he wants to
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Speaker 1: leave it. Wait then till I can get your beautiful
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Speaker 1: presents into your chariot, and till you have yourself seen them.
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Speaker 1: I will tell the woman to prepare a sufficient dinner
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Speaker 1: for you, of what there may be in the house.
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Speaker 1: It will be at once more proper and cheaper for
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Speaker 1: you to get your dinner before setting out in such
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Speaker 1: a long journey. If moreover you have a fancy for
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Speaker 1: making a tour of Hellas or in the Peloponnese, I
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Speaker 1: will yoke my horses and will conduct you myself through
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Speaker 1: all our principal cities. No one will send us away
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Speaker 1: empty handed. Everyone will give us something a bronze tripod,
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Speaker 1: a couple of mules, or a gold cup. Menelaus replied,
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Speaker 1: t Lemachus, I want to go home at once, for
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Speaker 1: when I came away, I left my property without protection,
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Speaker 1: and fear that while looking for my father, I shall
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Speaker 1: come to ruin myself or find that something valuable has
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Speaker 1: been stolen during my absence. When Menelaeus heard this, he
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Speaker 1: immediately told his wife and servants to prepare a sufficient
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Speaker 1: dinner from what there might be in the house. At
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Speaker 1: this moment, Etienius joined him, for he lived close by
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Speaker 1: and had just got up, So Menelaeus told him to
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Speaker 1: light the fire and cook some meat, which he at
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Speaker 1: once did. Then Menelaeus went down into his fragrance store room,
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Speaker 1: not alone, but Helen went too with Megapenthes. When he
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Speaker 1: reached a place where the treasures of his house were kept,
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Speaker 1: he selected a double cup and told his son Megapenthes
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Speaker 1: to bring also a silver mixing bowl. Meanwhile, Helen went
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Speaker 1: to the chest where she kept the lovely dresses which
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Speaker 1: she had made with her own hands, and took out
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Speaker 1: one that was the largest and most beautifully enriched with embroidery.
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Speaker 1: It glittered like a star and lay at the very
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Speaker 1: bottom of the chest. Then they all came back through
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Speaker 1: the house again until they got to Telemachus and Meneleeus said, Telemachus,
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Speaker 1: may Jove, the mighty husband of Juno, bring you safely
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Speaker 1: home according to your desire. I will now present you
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Speaker 1: with the finest and most precious piece of plate in
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Speaker 1: all my house. It is a mixing bowl of pure silver,
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Speaker 1: except the rim, which is inlaid with gold. And it
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Speaker 1: is the work of Vulcan. Fadimus, king of the Sidonians,
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Speaker 1: made me a present of it in the course of
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Speaker 1: a visit that I paid him while I was on
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Speaker 1: my return home. I should like to give it to you.
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Speaker 1: With these words, he placed the double cup in the
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Speaker 1: hands of Telemachus, while Megapenthes brought the beautiful mixing bowl
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Speaker 1: and set it before him. Hard By stood lovely Helen,
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Speaker 1: with the robe ready in her hand. I to my son, said,
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Speaker 1: she have something for you as a keepsake from the
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Speaker 1: hand of Helen. It is for your bride to wear
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Speaker 1: upon her wedding day. Till then get your dear mother
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Speaker 1: to keep it for you. Thus may you go back
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Speaker 1: rejoicing to your own country and to your home. So saying,
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Speaker 1: she gave the robe over to him, and he received
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Speaker 1: it gladly. Then Pisistitus put the presents into the chariot
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Speaker 1: and admired them all as he did so. Presently, Menelaeus
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Speaker 1: took Telemachus and Pisisitus into the house, and they both
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Speaker 1: of them sat down to table. A maid servant brought
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Speaker 1: them water in a beautiful golden ewer and poured it
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Speaker 1: into a silver basin for them to wash their hands,
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Speaker 1: and she drew a clean table beside them. An upper
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Speaker 1: servant brought them bread and offered them many good things
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Speaker 1: of what there was in the house. Etionius carved the
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Speaker 1: meat and gave them each their portions, while Megapenthes poured
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Speaker 1: out the wine. Then they laid their hands upon the
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Speaker 1: good things that were before them. But as soon as
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Speaker 1: they had had enough to eat and drink, Telemachus and
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Speaker 1: Posisitus yoked the horses and took their places in the chariot.
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Speaker 1: They drove out through the inner gateway and under the
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Speaker 1: echoing gatehouse of the outer court. A Menilaeus came after
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Speaker 1: them with a golden goblet of wine in his right hand,
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Speaker 1: that they might make a drink offering. Before they set out,
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Speaker 1: he stood in front of the horses and pledged them, saying,
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Speaker 1: farewell to both of you. See that you tell Nestor
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Speaker 1: how I have treated you, For he was kind to
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Speaker 1: me as any father could be. While we Akenes were
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Speaker 1: fighting before Troy. We will be sure, sir, answered Telemachus,
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Speaker 1: to tell him everything as soon as we see him.
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Speaker 1: I wish I were as certain of finding Ulysses returned
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Speaker 1: when I get back to Ithaca, that I might tell
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Speaker 1: him of the very great kindness you have shown me,
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Speaker 1: and of the many beautiful presents I am taking with me.
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Speaker 1: As he was thus speaking, a bird flew on his
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Speaker 1: right hand, an eagle with a great white goose in
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Speaker 1: its talons, which it had carried off from the farm yard,
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Speaker 1: and all the men and women were running after it
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Speaker 1: and shouting. It came quite close up to them and
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Speaker 1: flew away on their right hands, in front of the horses.
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Speaker 1: When they saw it, they were glad, and their hearts
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Speaker 1: took comfort within them. Whereon, Posisitus said, tell me, Menelaeus,
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Speaker 1: has Heaven sent this omen for us or for you?
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Speaker 1: Menilaeus was thinking what would be the most proper answer
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Speaker 1: for him to make, but Helen was too quick for him,
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Speaker 1: and said, I will read this matter as Heaven has
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Speaker 1: put it in my heart, and as I doubt not
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Speaker 1: that it will come to pass. The eagle came from
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Speaker 1: the mountain where it was bred, and has its nest
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Speaker 1: an in like manner. Ulysses, having traveled far and suffered much,
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Speaker 1: will return to take his revenge, if indeed he is
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Speaker 1: not back already and hatching mischief for the suitors. May
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Speaker 1: jove so grant, it, replied Telemachus. If it should prove
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Speaker 1: to be so, I will make vows to you as
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Speaker 1: though you were a god, even when I am at home.
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Speaker 1: As he spoke, he lashed his horses, and they started
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Speaker 1: off at full speed through the town towards the open country.
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Speaker 1: They swayed the yoke upon their necks and traveled the
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Speaker 1: whole day long till the sun set and darkness was
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Speaker 1: over all the land. Then they reached Fury, where Diocles lived,
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Speaker 1: who was son of Artilochus, the son of Alpheus. There
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Speaker 1: they passed the night and were treated hospitably. When the
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Speaker 1: child of morning, rosy fingered dawn appeared, they again yoked
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Speaker 1: their horses and their places in their chariot. They drove
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Speaker 1: out through the inner gateway and under the echoing gatehouse
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Speaker 1: of the outer court. Then Pisistitus lashed his horses on,
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Speaker 1: and they flew towards nothing loathe. Ere long they came
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Speaker 1: to Pilos, and then Telemachus said, Pisistitus, I hope you
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Speaker 1: will promise to do what I am going to ask you.
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Speaker 1: You know, our fathers were old friends before us. Moreover,
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Speaker 1: we are both of an age, and this journey has
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Speaker 1: brought us together still more closely. Do not, therefore take
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Speaker 1: me past my ship, but leave me there, For if
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Speaker 1: I go to your father's house, he will try to
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Speaker 1: keep me in the warmth of his good will towards me,
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Speaker 1: and I must go home at once. Pasisiciitus thought how
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Speaker 1: he should do what he was asked, and in the
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Speaker 1: end he deemed it best to turn his horses towards
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Speaker 1: the ship and put Menelaeus's beautiful presence of gold and
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Speaker 1: raiment in the stern of the vessel. Then he said,
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Speaker 1: go on board at once, and tell your men to
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Speaker 1: do so also, before I can reach home to tell
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Speaker 1: my father. I know how obstinate he is, and am
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Speaker 1: sure he will not let you go. He will come
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Speaker 1: down here to fetch you, and he will not go
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Speaker 1: back without you, but he will be very angry with this.
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Speaker 1: He drove his goodly steeds back to the city of
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Speaker 1: the Pilians, and soon reached his home. Telemachus called the
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Speaker 1: men together and gave his orders. Now my men, said
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Speaker 1: he get everything in order on board the ship, and
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Speaker 1: let us set out home. Thus did he speak, and
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Speaker 1: they went on board even as he had said. But
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Speaker 1: as Telemachus was thus busied praying also and sacrificing to
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Speaker 1: Minerva in the ship's stern, there came to him a
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Speaker 1: man from a distant country, a seer, who was flying
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Speaker 1: from Argos because he had killed a man. He was
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Speaker 1: descended from Melampus, who used to live in Pilas, the
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Speaker 1: land of sheep. He was rich and owned a great house,
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Speaker 1: but he was driven into exile by the great and
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Speaker 1: powerful king Nelius. Nelius seized his goods and held them
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Speaker 1: for a whole year, during which he was a close
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Speaker 1: prisoner in the house of King Philicus, and in much
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Speaker 1: distress of mind, both on account of the daughter of
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Speaker 1: Nelius and because he was haunted by a great sorrow
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Speaker 1: that dread Irinies had laid upon him. In the end, however,
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Speaker 1: he escaped with his life, drove the cattle from Phyllis
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Speaker 1: to Pelus, avenged the wrong that had been done to him,
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Speaker 1: and gave the daughter of Nelius to his brother. Then
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Speaker 1: he left the country and went to Argus, where it
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Speaker 1: was ordained that he should reign over much people. There
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Speaker 1: he married, established himself, and had two famous sons Antipides
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Speaker 1: and Mantius. Antipides became father of Oeclius and Oeclius of Amphioreus,
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Speaker 1: who was dearly loved by both Jove and by Apollo.
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Speaker 1: But he did not live to an old age, for
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Speaker 1: he was killed in Thebes by reasons of a woman's gifts.
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Speaker 1: His sons were Achmion and Amphilicus. Mantius, the other son
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Speaker 1: of Melampus, was father to Polyphides and Cletus. Aurora, throned
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Speaker 1: in gold, carried off Clidus for his beauty's sake, that
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Speaker 1: he might dwell among the immortals. But Apollom made Polyphides
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Speaker 1: the greatest seer in the whole world. Now that Amphioreus
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Speaker 1: was dead, he quarreled with his father and went to
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Speaker 1: live in Hyperasia, where he remained and prophesied for all men.
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Speaker 1: His son, Theoclemenus, it was who now came up to
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Speaker 1: Telemachus as he was making drink offerings and praying in
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Speaker 1: his ship. Friend said he, now that I find you
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Speaker 1: sacrificing in this place, I beseech you, by your sacrifices
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Speaker 1: themselves and by the God to whom you make them,
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Speaker 1: I pray you also by your own head and by
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Speaker 1: those of your followers. Tell me the truth and nothing
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Speaker 1: but the truth. Who and whence are you? Tell me
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Speaker 1: also of your town and parents, Telemachus said, I will
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Speaker 1: answer you quite truly. I am from Ithaca, and my
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Speaker 1: father is Ulysses, as surely as that he ever lived,
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Speaker 1: but he has come to some miserable end. Therefore I
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Speaker 1: have taken this ship and got my crew together to
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Speaker 1: see if I can hear any news of him, for
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Speaker 1: he has been away a long time. I too, answered Theoclemenus,
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Speaker 1: am in exile, for I have killed a man of
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Speaker 1: my own race. He has many brothers and kinsmen in Argus,
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Speaker 1: and they have great power among the Argives. I am
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Speaker 1: flying to escape death at their hands, and am thus
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Speaker 1: doomed to be a wanderer on the face of the earth.
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Speaker 1: I am your suppliant. Take me therefore on board your ship,
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Speaker 1: that they may not kill me, for I know that
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Speaker 1: they are in pursuit. I will not refuse you, replied Telemachus.
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Speaker 1: If you wish to join us, come therefore, and in Ithaca.
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Speaker 1: We will treat you hospitably according to what we have
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Speaker 1: on this He received Theoclemenus's spear and laid it down
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Speaker 1: on the deck of the ship. He went on board
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Speaker 1: and sat in the stern, bidding Theoclemenus sit beside him.
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Speaker 1: Then the men let go the hawsers. Telemachus told them
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Speaker 1: to catch hold of the ropes, and they made all
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Speaker 1: haste to do so. They set the mast in its
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Speaker 1: socket in the cross plank, raised it and made it
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Speaker 1: fast for the forestays, and they hoisted their white sails
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Speaker 1: with sheets of twisted ox hide. Minerva sent them a
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Speaker 1: fair wind that blew fresh and strong, to take the
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Speaker 1: ship on her course as fast as possible. Thus, then
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Speaker 1: they passed by Croney and Chalcis. Presently the sunset and
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Speaker 1: darkness was over all the land. The vessel made a
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Speaker 1: quick passage to Fee and thence on to Elis, where
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Speaker 1: the Apians rule. Telemachus then headed her for the Flying Islands,
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Speaker 1: wandering within himself whether he should escape death or should
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Speaker 1: be taken prisoner. Meanwhile, Ulysses and the swineherd were eating
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Speaker 1: their supper in the hut, and the men supped with them.
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Speaker 1: As soon as they had had to eat and drink.
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Speaker 1: Ulysses began trying to prove the swineherd and to see
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Speaker 1: whether he would continue to treat him kindly, and to
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Speaker 1: ask him to stay on at the station or pack
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Speaker 1: came off to the city. So he said, Eumaeus and
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Speaker 1: all of you, tomorrow, I want to go away and
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Speaker 1: begin begging about the town, so as to be no
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Speaker 1: more trouble to you or to your men. Give me
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Speaker 1: your advice therefore, and let me have a good guide
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Speaker 1: to go with me and show me the way. I
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Speaker 1: will go the round of the city, begging as I
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Speaker 1: needs must to see if any one will give me
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Speaker 1: a drink and a piece of bread. I should like
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Speaker 1: also to go to the house of Ulysses and bring
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Speaker 1: news of her husband to Queen Penelope. I could then
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Speaker 1: go about among the suitors and see if, out of
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Speaker 1: all their abundance, they will give me a dinner. I
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Speaker 1: should soon make them an excellent servant in all sort
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Speaker 1: of ways. Listen and believe when I tell you that,
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Speaker 1: by the blessing of Mercury, who gives grace and good
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Speaker 1: name to the works of all men, there is no
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Speaker 1: one living who would make a more handy servant than
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Speaker 1: I should. To put fresh wood on their fire, chop fuel, carve, cook,
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Speaker 1: pour out wine, and do all those services that poor
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Speaker 1: men have to do for their betters. The swineherd was
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Speaker 1: very much disturbed when he heard this. Heaven help me,
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Speaker 1: he exclaimed, whatever can have put such a notion as
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Speaker 1: that into your head? If you go near the suitors,
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Speaker 1: you will be undone to a certainty, for their pride
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Speaker 1: and insolence reached the very heavens. They would never think
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Speaker 1: of taking a man like you for a servant. Their
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Speaker 1: servants are all young men, well dressed, wearing good cloaks
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Speaker 1: and shirts, with well looking faces, and their hair always tidy.
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Speaker 1: The tables are kept quite clean, and are loaded with bread, meat,
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Speaker 1: and wine. Stay where you are, then you are not
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Speaker 1: in anybody's way. I do not mind your being here,
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Speaker 1: no more do any of the others. And when Telemachus
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Speaker 1: comes home, he will give you a shirt and cloak,
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Speaker 1: and will send you wherever you want to go. Ulysses answered,
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Speaker 1: I hope you may be as dear to the gods
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Speaker 1: as you are to me, for having saved me from
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Speaker 1: going about and getting into trouble. There is nothing worse
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Speaker 1: than being always on the tramp. Still, when men have
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Speaker 1: once got low down in the world, they will go
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Speaker 1: through a great deal on behalf of their miserable bellies. Since, however,
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Speaker 1: you press me to stay here and wait the return
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Speaker 1: of Telemachus. Tell about Ulysses's mother and his father, whom
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Speaker 1: he left on the threshold of old age when he
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Speaker 1: set out for Troy. Are they still living or are
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Speaker 1: they already dead? And in the house of Hades, I
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Speaker 1: will tell you all about them, replied Eumaeus. Laertes is
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Speaker 1: still living, and praise Heaven to let him depart peacefully
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Speaker 1: his own house, for he is terribly distressed about the
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Speaker 1: absence of his son, and also about the death of
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Speaker 1: his wife, which grieved him greatly and aged him more
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Speaker 1: than anything else did. She came to an unhappy end
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Speaker 1: through sorrow for her son. May no friend or neighbor
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Speaker 1: who has dealt kindly by me come to such an
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Speaker 1: end as she did. As long as she was living,
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Speaker 1: though she was always grieving. I used to like seeing
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Speaker 1: her and asking her how she did, for she brought
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Speaker 1: me up along with her daughter, Sintimmony, the youngest of
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Speaker 1: her children. We were boy and girl together, and she
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Speaker 1: made little difference between us. When, however, we both grew up.
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Speaker 1: They sent Sentimody to Sammy and received a splendid diary
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Speaker 1: for her. As for me, my mistress gave me a
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Speaker 1: good shirt and cloak with a pair of sandals from
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Speaker 1: my feet, and send me off to the country. But
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Speaker 1: she was just as fond as me. As ever, this
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Speaker 1: is all over now. Still it has pleased Heaven to
19:32
Speaker 1: prosper my work in the situation which I now hold.
19:35
Speaker 1: I have enough to eat and drink, and can find
19:38
Speaker 1: something for any respectable stranger who comes here. But there
19:42
Speaker 1: is no getting a kind word or deed out of
19:44
Speaker 1: my mistress, for the house has fallen into the hands
19:47
Speaker 1: of wicked people. Servants want sometimes to see their mistress
19:51
Speaker 1: and have a talk with her. They like to have
19:53
Speaker 1: something to eat and drink at the house, and something
19:55
Speaker 1: too to take back with them into the country. This
19:59
Speaker 1: is what will keep so servants in a good humor.
20:03
Speaker 1: Ulysses answered, then you must have been a very little fellow, Eumaeus,
20:07
Speaker 1: when you were taken so far away from your home
20:09
Speaker 1: and parents. Tell me, and tell me true, was the
20:13
Speaker 1: city in which your father and mother lived sacked and pillaged?
20:17
Speaker 1: Or did some enemies carry you off? When you are
20:19
Speaker 1: alone tending sheep or cattle? Ship you off here and
20:22
Speaker 1: sell you for whatever your master gave them. Stranger, replied Eumaeus.
20:28
Speaker 1: As regards your question, sit still, make yourself comfortable, drink
20:32
Speaker 1: your wine, and listen to me. The nights are now
20:35
Speaker 1: at their longest. There is plenty of time for both
20:38
Speaker 1: sleeping and sitting up talking together. You ought not to
20:41
Speaker 1: go to bed till bedtime. Too much sleep is as
20:44
Speaker 1: bad as too little. If any one of the others
20:47
Speaker 1: wishes to go to bed, let him leave us and
20:48
Speaker 1: do so. He can then take my master's pigs out
20:51
Speaker 1: when he has done breakfast. In the morning, we too
20:55
Speaker 1: will sit here, eating and drinking in the hut and
20:57
Speaker 1: telling one another's stories about Arma's fortune. For when a
21:01
Speaker 1: man has suffered much and been buffeted about in the world,
21:04
Speaker 1: he takes pleasure in recalling the memory of sorrows that
21:07
Speaker 1: have long gone by. As regards your question, then my
21:11
Speaker 1: tale is as follows. You may have heard of an
21:15
Speaker 1: island called Syria that lies over above Rotigia, where the
21:19
Speaker 1: land begins to turn round and look in another direction.
21:23
Speaker 1: It is not very thickly peopled, but the soil is good,
21:27
Speaker 1: with much pasture, fit for cattle and sheep, and It
21:30
Speaker 1: abounds with wine and wheat. Earth never comes there, nor
21:35
Speaker 1: are the people plagued by any sickness. But when they
21:38
Speaker 1: grow old, Apollo comes with Diana and kills them with
21:41
Speaker 1: his painless shafts. It contains two communities, and the whole
21:46
Speaker 1: country is divided between these two. My father Setisius, son
21:51
Speaker 1: of Ormenius, a man comparable to the gods, reigned over both.
21:56
Speaker 1: Now to this place, there came some cunning traitors from Phoenicia.
22:00
Speaker 1: For the Phoenicians are great mariners, and a ship which
22:03
Speaker 1: they had freighted with gagas of all kinds. There happened
22:07
Speaker 1: to be a Phoenician woman in my father's house, very
22:10
Speaker 1: tall and comely, and an excellent servant. These scoundrels got
22:15
Speaker 1: hold of her one day when she was washing near
22:17
Speaker 1: their ship, seduced her and cajolder in a way that
22:20
Speaker 1: no woman can resist, no matter how good she may
22:23
Speaker 1: be in nature. The man who seduced her asked her
22:26
Speaker 1: who she was and where she came from, And on
22:29
Speaker 1: this she told him her father's name. I come from Siddon,
22:33
Speaker 1: she said, and am daughter to Erebis, a man rolling
22:36
Speaker 1: in wealth. One day, as I was coming into the town,
22:39
Speaker 1: from the country. Some Taphian pirates seized me and took
22:43
Speaker 1: me here over the sea, where they sold me to
22:45
Speaker 1: the man who owns this house, and he gave them
22:47
Speaker 1: their price for me. The man who had seduced her
22:51
Speaker 1: then said, would you like to come along with us
22:54
Speaker 1: to see the house of your parents? And your parents
22:56
Speaker 1: themselves they are both alive and are said to be
22:58
Speaker 1: well off. I will do so, gladly, answered she, if
23:02
Speaker 1: you men will first swear me a solemn oath that
23:05
Speaker 1: you will do me no harm. By the way, they
23:08
Speaker 1: all swore as she told them, And when they had
23:10
Speaker 1: completed their oath, the woman said, hush, and if any
23:14
Speaker 1: of your men meets me in the streets are at
23:16
Speaker 1: the well, do not let him speak to me, for
23:19
Speaker 1: fear some one should go and tell my master, in
23:21
Speaker 1: which case he would suspect something. He would put me
23:24
Speaker 1: in prison and would have all of you murdered. Keep
23:27
Speaker 1: your counsel. Therefore, buy your merchandise as fast you can,
23:31
Speaker 1: and send me word when you have done loading. I
23:34
Speaker 1: will bring as much gold as I can lay my
23:36
Speaker 1: hands on. And there is something else also that I
23:38
Speaker 1: can do towards paying my fare. I am nursed the
23:42
Speaker 1: son of the good man of the house, a funny
23:44
Speaker 1: little fellow, just able to run about. I will carry
23:47
Speaker 1: him off in your ship, and you will get a
23:49
Speaker 1: great deal of money for him if you take him
23:51
Speaker 1: and sell them in foreign parts. On this she went
23:55
Speaker 1: back to the house. The Phoenicians stayed a whole year
23:58
Speaker 1: till they had loaded their ship with much precious merchandise,
24:01
Speaker 1: and then when they had got freight enough, they sent
24:04
Speaker 1: to tell the woman. Their messenger, a very cunning fellow,
24:08
Speaker 1: came to my father's house bringing a necklace of gold
24:10
Speaker 1: with amber beads strung among it, And while my mother
24:13
Speaker 1: and the servants had it in their hands, admiring it
24:16
Speaker 1: and bargaining about it, he made a sign quietly to
24:18
Speaker 1: the woman, and then went back to the ship, whereon
24:22
Speaker 1: she took me by the hand and led me out
24:23
Speaker 1: of the house. In the fore part of the house,
24:26
Speaker 1: she saw the tables set with the cups of guests
24:29
Speaker 1: who had been feasting with my father as being in
24:31
Speaker 1: attendance on him. These were now all gone to a
24:35
Speaker 1: meeting of the public assembly. So she snatched up three
24:38
Speaker 1: cups and carried them off in the bosom of her dress.
24:41
Speaker 1: While I followed her, for I knew no better. The
24:44
Speaker 1: sun was now set and darkness was over all the land,
24:48
Speaker 1: so we hurried on as fast as we could, till
24:50
Speaker 1: we reached the harbor where the Phoenician's ship was lying.
24:53
Speaker 1: When they had got on board, they sailed their ways
24:56
Speaker 1: over the sea, taking us with them, and Jove sent
24:59
Speaker 1: them a fair wood. Six days did we sail, both
25:02
Speaker 1: night and day. But on the seventh day Diana struck
25:06
Speaker 1: the woman, and she fell heavily down onto the ship's hold,
25:09
Speaker 1: as though she were a seagull alighting on the water.
25:12
Speaker 1: So they threw her overboard to the seals and fishes,
25:15
Speaker 1: and I was left all sorrowful and alone. Presently, the
25:19
Speaker 1: winds and waves took the ship to Ithaca, where Laites
25:22
Speaker 1: gave sundry of his chattels for me. And thus it
25:25
Speaker 1: was that I ever came to set eyes upon this country.
25:30
Speaker 1: Ulysses answered Eumaeus, I have heard the story of your
25:34
Speaker 1: misfortunes with the most lively interest and pity. But Jove
25:38
Speaker 1: has given you good as well as evil, For in
25:41
Speaker 1: spite of everything you have a good master who sees
25:43
Speaker 1: that you always have enough to eat and drink, and
25:46
Speaker 1: you lead a good life, whereas I am still going
25:49
Speaker 1: about begging my way from city to city. Thus did
25:53
Speaker 1: they converse, and they had only a very little time
25:56
Speaker 1: left for sleep, for soon it was daybreak. In the meantime,
26:01
Speaker 1: Telemachus and his crew were nearing land, so they loosed
26:04
Speaker 1: the sails, took down the mast, and rowed the ship
26:07
Speaker 1: into the harbor. They cast out their mooring stones and
26:10
Speaker 1: made fast for the hawsers. They then got out upon
26:14
Speaker 1: the sea shore, mixed their wine, and got dinner ready.
26:18
Speaker 1: As soon as they had had enough to eat and drink,
26:20
Speaker 1: Telemachus said, take the ship on to the town, but
26:24
Speaker 1: leave me here, for I want to look after the
26:26
Speaker 1: herdsmen in one of my farms. In the evening. When
26:30
Speaker 1: I have seen all I want, I will come down
26:32
Speaker 1: to the city, and tomorrow morning, in return for your trouble,
26:35
Speaker 1: I will give you all a good dinner with meat
26:37
Speaker 1: and wine. Then Theoclemenus said, and what my dear young friend,
26:43
Speaker 1: is to become of me? To whose house among all
26:46
Speaker 1: your chief men am I to repair? Or shall I
26:48
Speaker 1: go straight to your house and to your mother? At
26:52
Speaker 1: any other time, replied Telemachus, I should have bidden you
26:55
Speaker 1: to go to my own house, for you would find
26:58
Speaker 1: no want of hospitality. At the present moment, however, you
27:01
Speaker 1: would not be comfortable there, for I shall be away
27:04
Speaker 1: and my mother will not see you. She does not
27:07
Speaker 1: often show herself even to the suitors, but sits at
27:10
Speaker 1: our loom, weaving in an upper chamber, out of their way.
27:13
Speaker 1: But I can tell you a man whose house you
27:15
Speaker 1: can go to. I mean Eurymicus, the son of Polybus,
27:19
Speaker 1: who is held in the highest estimation by every one
27:22
Speaker 1: in Ithaca. He is much the best man and the
27:25
Speaker 1: most persistent wooer of all those who are paying court
27:28
Speaker 1: to my mother and trying to take Ulysses place. Jove, however,
27:32
Speaker 1: in Heaven alone knows whether or no they will come
27:35
Speaker 1: to a bad end before the marriage takes place. As
27:39
Speaker 1: he was speaking, a bird flew by upon his right hand,
27:42
Speaker 1: a hawk, Apollo's messenger. It held a dove in its talons,
27:47
Speaker 1: and the feathers, as it tore them off, fell to
27:49
Speaker 1: the ground midway between Telemachus and the ship. On this
27:53
Speaker 1: Theoclemanius called him apart and caught him by the hand.
27:57
Speaker 1: Telemachus said he that bird did not fly in your
28:00
Speaker 1: right hand without having been sent here by some god.
28:04
Speaker 1: As soon as I saw it, I knew it was
28:05
Speaker 1: an omen. It means that you will remain powerful, and
28:09
Speaker 1: there will be no house in Ithaca more royal than
28:11
Speaker 1: your own. I wish it may prove so, answered Telemachus.
28:16
Speaker 1: If it does, I will show you so much good
28:18
Speaker 1: will and give you so many presents that all who
28:21
Speaker 1: meet you will congratulate you. Then he said to his
28:25
Speaker 1: friend Piius Perius, son of Clytius, you have throughout shown
28:30
Speaker 1: yourself the most willing to serve me of all those
28:33
Speaker 1: who have accompanied me to Pelos. I wish you would
28:37
Speaker 1: take this stranger to your own house and entertain him
28:39
Speaker 1: hospitably till I can come for him. And Piius answered Telemachus,
28:44
Speaker 1: you may stay away as long as you please, but
28:47
Speaker 1: I will look after him for you, and he shall
28:49
Speaker 1: find no lack of hospitality. As he spoke, he went
28:53
Speaker 1: on board and bade the others do so also, and
28:57
Speaker 1: loose the hawcers. So they took their places in the shop.
29:01
Speaker 1: But Telemachus bound on his sandals and took a long
29:04
Speaker 1: and doughty spear with a head of sharpened bronze from
29:07
Speaker 1: the deck of the ship. Then they loosed the hawsers,
29:11
Speaker 1: thrust the ship off from land, and made on towards
29:14
Speaker 1: the city, as they had been told to do, while
29:16
Speaker 1: Telemachus strode on as fast as he could, till he
29:19
Speaker 1: reached the homestead where his countless herds of swine were feeding,
29:23
Speaker 1: and where dwelt the excellent swineherd who was so devoted
29:26
Speaker 1: a servant to his master. End of Book fifteen