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16 - The Odyssey - Homer · Classic Adventure Books Library

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Book sixteen, Ulysses reveals himself to Telemachus. Meanwhile, Ulysses and the swineherd
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had lit a fire in the hut and were getting breakfast ready at daybreak,
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for they had sent the men out with the pigs. When Telemachus came up,
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the dogs did not bark, but fawned upon him. So Ulysses,
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hearing the sound of feet, and noticing that the dogs did not bark,
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said to Eumaeus, Eumaeus, I hear footsteps. I suppose one of your
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men, or some one of your acquaintance is coming here, for the dogs
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are fawning upon him and not barking. The words were hardly out of his
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mouth before his son stood at the door. Eumaeus sprang to his feet,
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and the bulls in which he was mixing wine fell from his hands. As
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he made towards his master, he kissed his head and both his beautiful eyes,
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and wept for joy. A father could not be more delighted at the
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return of an only son, the child of his old age, after ten
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years absence in a foreign country, and after having gone through much hardship.
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He embraced him, kissed him all over as though he had come back from
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the dead, and spoke fondly to him, saying, so you are come,
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Telemachus, light of my eyes, that you are. When I heard
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you had gone to Pylos, I made sure I was never going to see
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you any more. Come in, my dear child, and sit down,
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that I may have a good look at you. Now you are home again.
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It is not very often you come into the country to see us herdsmen.
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You stick pretty close to the town generally. I suppose you think it
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better to keep an eye on what the suitors are doing. So be it,
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old friend, answered Telemachus. But I am come now because I want
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to see you, and to learn whether my mother is still at her old
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home or whether some one else has married her. So that the bed of
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Ulysses is without bedding and covered with cobwebs, she is still at the house,
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replied Eumaeus, grieving and breaking her heart and doing nothing but weep both
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night and day continually. As he spoke, he took Telemachus's spear, whereon
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he crossed the stone threshold and came inside. Ulysses rose from his seat to
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give him place as he entered, but Telemachus checked him. Sit down stranger,
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said he, I can easily find another seat, and there is one
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here who will lay it for me. Ulysses went back to his own place,
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and Eumaeus strewed some green brushwood on the floor and threw a sheepskin on
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top of it for Telemachus to sit upon. Then the swine herd brought them
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platters of cold meat, the remains from what they had eaten the day before,
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and he filled the bread baskets with bread fast as he could. He
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mixed wine alto in bowls of ivy wood, and took his seat facing Ulysses.
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Then they laid their hands on the good things that were before them,
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And as soon as they had had enough to eat and drink, Telemachus said
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to Eumaeus, old friend, where does the stranger come from? How did
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his crew bring him to Ithaca? And who were they? For? Assuredly
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he did not come here by land to this you answered, O swine heard
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Eumaeus, my son, I will tell you the real truth. He says
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he is a Cretan, and that he has been a great traveler. At
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this moment he is running away from a Thesparotian ship and has taken refuge at
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my station, so I will put him into your hands. Do whatever you
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like with him, only remember that he is yours suppliant. I am very
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much distressed, said Telemachua by what you have just told me. How can
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I take this stranger into my house? I am as yet young, and
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am not strong enough to hold my own if any man attacks me. My
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mother cannot make up her mind whether to stay where she is and look after
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the house out of respect for public opinion and the memory of her husband,
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or whether the time is now come for her to take the best man of
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those who are wooing her, and the one who will make her the most
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advantageous offer. Still, as the stranger has come to your station, I
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will find him a cloak and shirt of good wear, with the sword and
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sandals, and will send him wherever he wants to go. Or if you
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like, you can keep him here at the station, and I will send
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him clothes and food that he may be no burden on you and on your
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men. But I will not have him go near the suitors, for they
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are very insolent and are sure to ill treat him in a way that would
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grat grieve me. No matter how valiant a man may be he can do
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nothing against numbers, for they will be too strong for him. Then,
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Ulysses said, sir, it is right that I should say something myself.
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I am much shocked about what you have said about the insolent way in which
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the suitors are behaving in despite of such a man as you are. Tell
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me, do you submit to such treatment tamely? Or has some God set
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your people against you? May you not complain of your brothers, For it
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is to these that a man may look for support, however great his quarrel
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may be. I wish I were as young as you are, and in
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my present mind, if I were son to Ulysses, or indeed Ulysses himself,
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I would rather some one came and cut my head off. But I
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would go to the house and be the bane of every one of these men.
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If they were too many for me, I being single handed, I
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would rather die fighting in my own house than see such disgraceful sights day after
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day, strangers grossly maltreated, and men dragging the women servants about the house
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in an unseemly way, wine drawn recklessly, and bread wasted, all to
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no purpose for an end that shall never be accomplished, and Telemachus answered,
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I will tell you truly everything. There is no enmity between me and my
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people, nor can I complain of brothers to whom a man may look for
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support, however great his quarrel may be. Jove has made us a race
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of only sons. Laertes was the only son of Archisius, and Ulysses only
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son of Laertes. I am myself the only son of Ulysses, who left
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me behind him when he went away, so that I have never been of
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any use to him. Hence it comes that my house is in the hands
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of numberless marauders. For the chiefs from all the neighboring islands dulaquiem samee zacynthus
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as also all the principal men of Ithaca itself are eating at my house under
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the pretext of paying court to my mother, who will neither say point blank
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that she will not marry, nor yet bring matters to an end. So
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they are making havoc of my estate, and before long will do so with
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myself into the bargain. The issue, however, rests with Heaven. But
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do you, old friend Eumaeus, go at once and tell Penelope that I
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am safe and have returned from Pylos. Tell it to herself alone, and
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then come back here without letting any one else know, for there are many
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who are plotting mischief against me. I understand and heed, you, replied,
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Eumaeus, you need instruct me no further. Only I am going that
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way. Say whether I had not better let poor lair Tees know that you
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were returned. He used to superintend the work on his farm in spite of
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his bitter sorrow about Ulysses, and he would eat and drink at will along
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with his servants. But they tell me that from the day on which you
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set out for Pylos, he is neither eaten nor drunk as he ought to
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do. Nor does he look after his farm, but sits weeping and wasting
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the flesh from off his bones. More's the pity, answered Telemachus. I
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am sorry for him, but we must leave him to himself just now.
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If people could have everything their own way, the first thing I should choose
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would be the return of my father. But go and give your message.
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Then make haste back again, and do not turn out of your way to
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tell Laertes. Tell my mother to send one of her women secretly with the
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news at once, and let him hear it from her. Thus did he
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urge this wineherd. Eumaeus therefore took his sandals, bound them to his feet,
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and started for the town. Minerva watched him well off the station,
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and then came up to it in the form of a woman, fair,
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stately and wise. She stood against the side of the entry and revealed herself
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to Ulysses. But Telemachus could not see her and knew not that she was
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there, for the gods do not let themselves be seen by everybody. Ulysses
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saw her, and so did the dogs, for they did not bark,
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but went scared and whining off to the other side of the yards. She
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nodded her head and motioned to Ulysses with her eyebrows, whereon he left the
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hut and stood before her outside the main wall of the yards. Then she
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said to him, Ulysses, noble son of Laertes, it is now time
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for you to tell your son. Do not keep him in the dark any
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longer, but lay your plans for the destruction of the suitors, and then
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make for the town. I will not be long in joining you, for
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I am too eager for the fray. As she spoke, she touched him
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with her golden wand first she threw a fair, clean shirt and cloak about
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his shoulders. Then she made him younger and of more imposing presence. She
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gave him back his color, filled out his cheeks, and let his beard
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become dark again. Then she went away, and Ulysses came back inside the
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hut. His son was astounded when he saw him, and turned his eyes
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away for fear he might be looking upon a god stranger. Said he,
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how suddenly you have changed from what you were a moment or two ago.
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You were dressed differently, and your color is not the same. Are you
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some one or other of the gods that live in heaven? If so,
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be propitious to me till I can make you do sacrifice and offerings of wrought
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gold. Have mercy upon me, And Ulysses said, I am no god,
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Why should you take me for one. I am your father, on
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whose account you grieve and suffer so much at the hands of lawless men.
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As he spoke, he kissed his son, and a tear fell from his
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cheek on to the ground, for he had restrained all tears till now.
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But Telemachus could not yet believe that it was his father, and said,
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you are not my father, but some god is flattering me with vain hopes
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that I may grieve the more hereafter. No mortal man could have himself contrive
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to do as you have been doing and make yourself old and young at a
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moment's notice, unless a god were with him. A second ago you were
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old and all in rags, and now you are like some god come down
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from heaven. Ulysses answered Telemachus, you ought not to be so immeasurably astounded
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at my being really here. There is no other Ulysses who will come hereafter
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such as I am. It is I who, after long wandering and much
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hardship, have got home in the twentieth year, to my own country.
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What you wonder at is the work of the redoubtable goddess Minerva, who does
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with me whatever she will, for she can do what she pleases. At
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one moment she makes me like a beggar, and the next I am a
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young man with good clothes on my back. It is an easy matter for
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the gods who live in heaven to make any man look either rich or poor.
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As he spoke, he sat down, and Telemachus threw his arms about
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his father and wept. They were both so much moved that they cried aloud,
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like eagles or vultures with crooked ellens that have been robbed of their half
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fledged young by peasants. Thus piteously did they weep, and the sun would
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have gone down upon their morning if Telemachus had not suddenly said, in what
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ship, my dear father, did your crew bring you to Ithaca? Of
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what nation did they declare themselves to be? For you cannot have come by
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land. I will tell you the truth, my son replied Ulysses. It
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was the Phaeacians who brought me here. They are great sailors and are in
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the habit of giving escorts to any one who reaches their coasts. They took
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me over the sea while I was fast asleep, and landed me in Ithaca,
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after giving me many presents in bronze, gold and raiment. These things,
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by Heaven's mercy, are lying concealed in a cave. And I am
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now come here on the suggestion of Minerva, that we may consult about killing
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our enemies. First. Therefore, let me give a list of the suitors,
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with their number, that I may learn who and how many they are.
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I can then turn the matter over in my mind and see whether we
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two can fight the whole body of them ourselves, or whether we must find
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others to help us to this. Telemachus answered, father, I have always
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heard of your renown, both in the field and in council. But the
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task you talk of is a very great one. I am awed at the
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mere thought of it. Two men cannot stand against many and brave ones.
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There are not ten suitors only, nor twice ten, but ten many times
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over. You shall learn their number at once. There are fifty two chosen
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youths from Dulichium, and they have six servants from sameh There are twenty four
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twenty young Achaeans from Zacynthus, and twelve from Ithaca itself, all of them
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well born. They have with them the servant Medon a bard, and two
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men who can carve at table. If we face such numbers as this,
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you may have bitter cause to rue your coming and your revenge. See whether
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you cannot think of some one who would be willing to come and help us.
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Listen to me, replied Ulysses, and think whether Minerva and her Father
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Jove may seem sufficient, or whether I am to try and find some one
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else as well. Those whom you have named, answered, Telemachus, are
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a couple of good allies. For though they dwell high up among the clouds,
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they have power over both gods and men. These two, continued ulysses
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will not keep long out of the fray when the suitors and we join the
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fight in my house. Now, therefore, return home early tomorrow morning,
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and go about among the suitors as before laid, or all the swineherd will
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bring me to the city disguised as a miserable old beggar. If you see
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them ill treating me, steal your heart against my sufferings, even though they
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drag me feet foremost out of the house or throw things at me, look
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on and do nothing beyond gently trying to make them behave more reasonably. But
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they will not listen to you, for the day of their reckoning is at
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hand. Furthermore, I say, and lay my saying to your heart.
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When Minerva shall put it in my mind, I will gnad my head to
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you. And on seeing me do this, you must collect all the armor
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that is in the house and hide it in the strong store room. Make
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some excuse when the suitors ask you why you are removing it, Say that
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you have taken it to be out of the way of the smoke, inasmuch
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as it is no longer what it was when Ulysses went away, but has
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become soiled and be grimed with soot. Add to this more particularly that you
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are afraid Jove may set them on to quarrel over their wine, and that
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they may do each other some harm, which may disgrace both Banquet and Wooing
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for the sight of arms sometimes tempts people to use them. But leave a
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sword and a spear apiece for yourself and me, and a couple ox hide
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shields, so that we can snatch them up at any moment. Jove and
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Minerva will then soon quiet these people. There is also another matter. If
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you are indeed my son, and my blood runs in your veins, let
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no one know that Ulysses is within the house, neither Laertes, nor yet
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the swineherd, nor any of the servants, nor even Penelope herself. Let
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you and me exploit the women alone, and let us also make trial of
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some other of the men's servants, to see who is on our side,
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and whose hand is against us. Us father replied Telemachus, you will come
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to know me by and by, and when you do, you will find
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that I can keep your council. I do not think, however, the
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plan you propose will turn it well for either of us. Think it over.
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It will take us a long time to go the round of farms and
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exploit the men, and all the time the suitors will be wasting your estate
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with impunity and without compunction. Prove the women by all means to see who
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are disloyal and who guiltless. But I am not in favor of going round
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and trying the men. We can intend to that later on, if you
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really have some sign from Jove that he will support you. Thus they did
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converse, And meanwhile, the ship which had brought Telemachus and his crew from
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Pylos had reached the town of Ithaca. When they had come inside the harbor,
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they drew the ship on to the land. Their servants came and took
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their armor from them, and they left all the presents at the house of
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Clytius. Then they sent a servant to tell Penelope that Telemachus had gone into
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the country, but had sent the ship to the town to prevent her from
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being alarmed and made unhappy. This servant and Eumaeus happened to meet when they
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were both on the same errand of going to tell Penelope. When they reached
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the house, the servant stood up and said to the queen, in the
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presence of the waiting women, your son, Madam, is now returned from
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Pylos. But Eumaeus went close up to Penelope and said privately all that her
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son had bidden him tell her. When he had given his message, he
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left the house with his out buildings and went back to his pigs again.
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The suitors were surprised and angry at what had happened, so they went outside
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the great wall that ran round the outer court and held a council near the
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main entrance. Eurymachus, son of Polybus, was the first to speak.
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My friends, said he, this voyage of Telemachus's is a very serious matter.
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We had made sure that it would come to nothing. Now, however,
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let us draw a ship into the water and get a crew together to
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send after the others, and tell them to come back as fast as they
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can. He had hardly done speaking when Antphinomus turned in his place and saw
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the ship inside the harbor, with the crew lowering her sails and putting by
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their oars. So he laughed and said to the others, we need not
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send them any message, for they are here. Some God must have told
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them or else. They saw the ship go by and could not overtake her.
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On this they rose and went to the water side. The crew then
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drew the ship on shore. Their servants took their armor from them, and
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they went up in a body to the place of assembly. But they would
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not let any one old or young, sit along with them. And Antonus,
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son of you pe Athos, spoke first. Good heavens, said he
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see how the gods have saved this man from destruction. We kept a succession
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of scouts upon the headlands all day long, and when the sun was down,
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we never went on shore to sleep, but waited in the ship all
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night till morning, in the hope of capturing and killing him. But some
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God has conveyed him home in spite of us. Let us consider how we
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can make an end of him. He must not escape us. Our affair
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is never likely to come off while he is alive, for he is very
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shrewd and public feeling is by no means all on our side. We must
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make haste before he can call the Achaeans in assembly. He will lose no
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time in doing so, for he will be furious with us, and will
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tell all the world how we plotted to kill him but failed to take him.
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The people will not like this when they come to know of it.
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We must see that they do us no hurt, nor drive us from our
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own country into exile. Let us try and lay hold of him, either
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on his farm away from the town, or on the road hither. Then
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we can divide up his property amongst us, and let his mother and the
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man who marries her have the house. If this does not please you,
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and you wish Telemachus to live on and hold his father's property, then we
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must not gather here and eat up his goods in this way, but must
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make our offers to Penelope, each from his own house, and she can
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marry the man who will give the most for her, and whose lot it
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is to win her. They all held their peace until Lamphinimus rose to speak.
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He was the son of Nysus, who was the son to King Ereteus,
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and he was foremost among all the suitors from the wheat growing and well
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grassed island of Duluchium. His conversation, moreover, was more agreeable to Penelope
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than that of any of the other suitors, for he was a man of
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good natural disposition, my friend said, he speaking to them plainly and in
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all honesty. I am not in favor of killing Telemachus. It is a
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heinous thing to kill one who was of noble blood. Let us first take
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counsel of the gods, and if the oracles of Jove advise it, I
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will both help to kill him myself, and will urge every one else to
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do so. But if they dissuade us, I would have you hold your
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hands. Thus did he speak, and his words pleased them well. So
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they rose forthwith and went to the house of Ulysses, where they took their
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accustomed seats. Then Penelope resolved that she would show herself to the suitors.
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She knew of the plot against Telemachus, for the servant Medon had overheard their
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counsels and had told her. She went down therefore to the court, attended
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by her maidens, and when she reached the suitors, she stood by one
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of the bearing posts supporting the roof of the cloister, holding a veil before
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her face, and rebuked Antonus, saying, Antonus insolent and wicked schemer.
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They say you are the best speaker and counselor of any man your own age
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in Ithaca, But you are nothing of the kind madman. Why should you
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try to compass the death of Telemachus and take no heed of suppliants whose witness
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is Jove himself. It is not right for you to plot thus against one
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another. Do you not remember how your father fled to this house and fear
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of the people who were enraged against him for having gone with some Taffian pirates
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and plundered the Thesprotians who were at peace with us. They wanted to tear
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him in pieces and eat up everything he had, but Ulysses stayed their hands,
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although they were infuriated. And now you devour his property without paying for
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it, and break my heart by wooing his wife and trying to kill his
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son. Live off doing so, and stop the others. Also to this,
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Eurymachus, son of Pollybus, answered, take heart, Queen Penelope,
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daughter of Vicarius, and do not trouble yourself about these matters. The man
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is not yet born, nor never will be, who shall lay hands upon
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your son, Telemachus, while I yet live to look upon the face of
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the earth, I say, and it shall surely be that my spear shall
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be reddened with his blood. For many a time his Ulysses taken me on
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his knees, held wine up to my lips to drink, and put pieces
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of meat into my hands. Therefore, Telemachus has much the dearest friend I
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have, and has nothing to fear from the hands of us suitors. Of
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course, if death comes to him from the gods, he cannot escape it.
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He said this to quiet her, but in reality he was plotting against
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Telemachus. Then Penelope went upstairs again and mourned her husband till Minerva shed sleep
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over her eyes. In the evening, Eumaeus got back to Ulysses and his
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son, who had just sacrificed a young pig of a year old, and
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were helping one another to get supper ready. Minerva therefore came up to Ulysses,
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turned him into an old man with a stroke of her wand and clad
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him in his old clothes again, for fear that the swineherd might recognize him,
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and not keep the secret, but go and tell Penelope. Telemachus was
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the first to speak. So you have got back, Eumaeus said he,
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what is the news of the town. Have the suitors returned or are they
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still waiting over yonder to take me on my way home. I did not
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think of asking about that, replied Eumaeus. When I was in the town,
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I thought I would give my message and come back as soon as I
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could. I met a man sent by those who had gone with you to
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Pylos, and he was the first to tell the news to your mother.
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But I can say what I saw with my own eyes. I had just
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got on to the crest of the hill of Mercury, above the town,
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when I saw a ship coming into harbor with a number of men in her.
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They had many shields and spears, and I thought it was the Suitors,
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but I cannot be sure. On hearing this, Telemachus smiled to his
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father, but so that Eumaeus could not see him. Then, when they
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had finished their work and the meal was ready, they ate it, and
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every man had his full share, so that all were satisfied. As soon
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as they had had enough to eat and drink, they laid down to rest
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and enjoyed the boon of sleep. End of Book sixteen.