Chapter XXII: Book XVII

_Telemachus goes to the town, and is followed by Eumæus
and Ulysses, who is maltreated by the suitors_.

When morning came Telemachus told Eumæus that he would
now go to the town and show himself to his mother, who
would never be comforted till she saw him with her own
eyes. "As for this miserable stranger," he continued,
"take him to the town, that he may beg there and get what
he can; if this does not please him, so much the worse
for him, but I like to say what I mean."

Ulysses said he should be glad to go, for a beggar could 16
do much better in town than country; but he must warm
himself first, and wait till the sun had got some heat in
it; his clothes were very bad, and he should perish with
cold, for the town was some way off.

Telemachus then left, and when he reached the house he 26
set his spear against a strong bearing post, crossed the
stone pavement and went inside. He found Euryclea putting
the sheep skins on to the seats. She and all the other
maids ran up to him as soon as they saw him, and kissed
him on the head and shoulders. Then Penelope came weeping
from her room, embraced him, and told him to tell her all
that he had seen.

Telemachus bade her go back to her room and pray to 45
Minerva that they might be revenged on the suitors. "I
must go," said he, "to the place of assembly, to look
after a guest whom I have brought with me, and whom I
have left with Piræus."

Penelope did as her son had said, while Telemachus went 61
to the place of assembly, and his two dogs with him. The
suitors, who had not yet gone to the house of Ulysses for
the day, gathered round him, and made him fair speeches,
but he knew their falsehood and went to sit with his
old friends Mentor, Antiphus and Halitherses. Presently
Piræus came up, bringing Theoclymenus with him, and said,
"I wish you would send some of your women to my house to
take away the presents that Menelaus gave you."

Telemachus said he did not know what might happen; if 77
the suitors killed him, he had rather Piræus kept the
presents than that the suitors should have them. If, on
the other hand, he killed the suitors he should be much
obliged if Piræus would let him have the presents.

Then he took Theoclymenus to his own house, where they 84
had a bath, and refreshments were set before them.
Penelope sat near them, spinning, while they were at
table, and then said she should go up stairs and lie down
on that couch which she had never ceased to water with
her tears from the day her husband left her. "But you had
not the patience," she added, "to tell me, before the
suitors came, whether you had been able to hear anything
about your father."

Telemachus told her how good Nestor had been to him, 107
and how he had sent him on to Menelaus, who had assured
him that Ulysses was still alive, but was detained by
Calypso, from whom he could not get away for want of a
ship. Penelope was very much agitated, but Theoclymenus
reassured her by telling her about the omen which had
greeted Telemachus on his return to Ithaca.

While they were thus conversing, the suitors were 166
playing at quoits and aiming javelins at a mark on the
level ground in front of Ulysses' house. But when it
was near dinner time and the flocks were coming in from
all the country round with their shepherds as usual [to
be milked], Medon, who was a great favourite with the
suitors, called them to come in and set about getting
their dinner ready. They therefore came in and began to
butcher some sheep, goats, pigs, and a heifer.

Meanwhile Eumæus told Ulysses that it was time to make 182
a start, for the day was well up and if he waited till
afternoon he would find the cold more severe. "At any
rate," said Ulysses, "let me have a staff if you have
one, for the path is rugged." Eumæus gave him one, and
they set out along the steep path leading to the town.
When they were nearly there they came to the fountain
which Ithacus, Neritus, and Polyctor had made, and from
which the people drew their water; here they fell in with
Melantheus[29] son of Dolius, who was bringing goats for
the suitors' dinner, he and his two under shepherds.

Melanthius heaped all kinds of insult on Ulysses and 215
Eumæus, and tried to kick Ulysses off the path, but
could not do so. Ulysses restrained himself, and prayed
to the nymphs, whereon Melanthius said he would put him
on board ship and sell him in some foreign country. He
then hurried on, leaving the swineherd and his master to
follow at their own pace.

When they got near the house they could hear the sound of 260
Phemius's lyre, and his voice as he sang to the suitors.
They could also smell the savour of roast meats.[30]
Eumæus said that he would go in first, but that Ulysses
had better follow him soon, for if he was seen standing
about in the outer court people might throw things at him.

As they were thus talking the old hound Argus who was 290
lying on the dunghill, very full of fleas, caught sight
of Ulysses, recognised him, wagged his tail, and tried to
come to him, but could not do so. Thereon Ulysses wiped
a tear from his eyes, and asked Eumæus whether the dog
was of any use, or whether he was kept only for his good
looks. Eumæus said what a noble hound Argus had been, but
the dog, having seen his master, died just as Eumæus went
inside the house.

Telemachus saw him enter and beckoned him to a seat 328
at his own table. Ulysses followed him shortly, and
sat down on the floor of ash wood inside the door way,
leaning against a bearing-post of well-squared Cyprus
wood. Telemachus noted him and said to Eumæus, "Take the
stranger this handful of bread and meat, tell him also to
go round and beg from the others, for a beggar must not
be shamefaced." Eumæus gave him both the message and the
bread and meat.

Then Ulysses began to go round begging, for he wanted to 360
exploit the suitors. He went from left to right, and some
took compassion on him while others begun asking who
he might be; Melanthius then said that he had come with
the swineherd. Antinous, therefore, asked Eumæus what he
meant by bringing such a man to plague them.

"I did not ask him to come," answered Eumæus. "Who was 350
likely to ask a man of that sort? One would ask a divine,
a physician, a carpenter, or a bard. You are always
hardest of all the suitors on Ulysses' servants, and
especially upon me, but I do not care so long as I have
Penelope and Telemachus on my side."

"Hush," said Telemachus, "Antinous has the bitterest 392
tongue of them all, and he makes the others worse." Then
he turned towards Antinous and said, "Give him something:
I do not grudge it. Never mind my mother or any of the
servants--not you--but you are fonder of eating than of
giving."

Antinous said, "You are a swaggering upstart; if all the 405
suitors will give him as much as I will, he will not come
near the house again this three months."

As he spoke he menaced Ulysses with the footstool 409
from under his table. The other suitors all gave him
something; and he was about to leave, when he determined
to again beg from Antinous and trumped him up a story of
the misfortunes that had befallen him in Egypt.

"Get out," said Antinous, "into the open part of the 445
court,[31] and away from my table, or I will give you
Egypt over again."

Ulysses drew back, and said, "Your looks are better than 453
your understanding. I can see that if you were in your
own house you would not spare a poor man so much as a
pinch of salt."

Antinous scowled at him. "Take that," he cried, "and be 458
off out of the court." As he spoke he threw a footstool
at him which hit him on the right shoulder, but Ulysses
stood firm as a rock, and prayed that if there was a god,
or an avenger of beggars, Antinous might be a corpse
before he was a bridegroom.

"Have a care," replied Antinous, "and hold your peace, or 477
we will flay you alive."

The others reproved Antinous. "You did ill," they said, 481
"to strike the man. Who knows but he may be one of the
gods who go about the world in disguise to redress wrong,
and chastise the insolence of mankind?"

Penelope from her room upstairs heard what had been going 491
on, and spoke with her women bitterly about the suitors.
The housekeeper Eurynome answered that if her prayers
were heard, not a single one of them would live till
morning. "Nurse," replied Penelope, "I hate them all,
but Antinous is the worst." Then she sent for Eumæus and
said, "Tell the stranger that I want to see him; he looks
like a man who has travelled, and he may have seen or
heard something of Ulysses."

"He has been three days and three nights at my hut, 515
Madam," replied Eumæus, "and the most accomplished bard
could not have given me better entertainment. He told me
that Ulysses was among the Thesprotians and would return
shortly, bringing much treasure with him."

"Then call him to me," said Penelope, "and as for the 528
others, let them dine at their own expense for the future
or how they best may, so long as they leave off coming
here."

Telemachus, who was down below, gave a great sneeze as 541
she spoke, which echoed over the whole house. Penelope
explained to Eumæus that this was a most favourable omen,
and added that if she was satisfied of the truth of what
the stranger told her she would give him a shirt and
cloak.

Eumæus gave Penelope's message to Ulysses, but he feared 551
the violence of the suitors, and told him to say that she
must wait till nightfall, when the suitors would be gone.
"Then," he said, "let her set me down in a warm seat by
the fire, and I will tell her about her husband; for my
clothes are in a very bad state; you know they are, for
your's was the first house I came to."

Penelope was displeased at his delay, and asked Eumæus 574
whether his fears were reasonable, or whether it was only
that he was shamefaced. Eumæus explained that he was
quite reasonable, whereon Penelope was satisfied; he then
went back to where the suitors were, and told Telemachus
that he would return to his pigs.

Telemachus said that he had better get something to eat 598
first, and was to come back to the town on the following
morning, bringing the pigs that were to be killed for
dinner. It was now afternoon, and the suitors had turned
to their singing and dancing.