but it is a wise child that knows his own father. Would that I wereson to one who had grown old upon his own estates, for, since youask me, there is no more ill-starred man under heaven than he who theytell me is my father."And Minerva said, "There is no fear of your race dying out yet,while Penelope has such a fine son as you are. But tell me, and tellme true, what is the meaning of all this feasting, and who are thesepeople? What is it all about? Have you some banquet, or is there awedding in the family- for no one seems to be bringing anyprovisions of his own? And the guests- how atrociously they arebehaving; what riot they make over the whole house; it is enough todisgust any respectable person who comes near them.""Sir," said Telemachus, "as regards your question, so long as myfather was here it was well with us and with the house, but the godsin their displeasure have willed it otherwise, and have hidden himaway more closely than mortal man was ever yet hidden. I could haveborne it better even though he were dead, if he had fallen with hismen before Troy, or had died with friends around him when the daysof his fighting were done; for then the Achaeans would have built amound over his ashes, and I should myself have been heir to hisrenown; but now the storm-winds have spirited him away we know notwither; he is gone without leaving so much as a trace behind him,and I inherit nothing but dismay. Nor does the matter end simplywith grief for the loss of my father; heaven has laid sorrows uponme of yet another kind; for the chiefs from all our islands,Dulichium, Same, and the woodland island of Zacynthus, as also all theprincipal men of Ithaca itself, are eating up my house under thepretext of paying their court to my mother, who will neither pointblank say that she will not marry, nor yet bring matters to an end; sothey are making havoc of my estate, and before long will do so alsowith myself.""Is that so?" exclaimed Minerva, "then you do indeed want Ulysseshome again. Give him his helmet, shield, and a couple lances, and ifhe is the man he was when I first knew him in our house, drinkingand making merry, he would soon lay his hands about these rascallysuitors, were he to stand once more upon his own threshold. He wasthen coming from Ephyra, where he had been to beg poison for hisarrows from Ilus, son of Mermerus. Ilus feared the ever-living godsand would not give him any, but my father let him have some, for hewas very fond of him. If Ulysses is the man he then was thesesuitors will have a short shrift and a sorry wedding."But there! It rests with heaven to determine whether he is toreturn, and take his revenge in his own house or no; I would, however,urge you to set about trying to get rid of these suitors at once. Takemy advice, call the Achaean heroes in assembly to-morrow -lay yourcase before them, and call heaven to bear you witness. Bid the suitorstake themselves off, each to his own place, and if your mother'smind is set on marrying again, let her go back to her father, who willfind her a husband and provide her with all the marriage gifts that sodear a daughter may expect. As for yourself, let me prevail upon youto take the best ship you can get, with a crew of twenty men, and goin quest of your father who has so long been missing. Some one maytell you something, or (and people often hear things in this way) someheaven-sent message may direct you. First go to Pylos and askNestor; thence go on to Sparta and visit Menelaus, for he got homelast of all the Achaeans; if you hear that your father is alive and onhis way home, you can put up with the waste these suitors will makefor yet another twelve months. If on the other hand you hear of hisdeath, come home at once, celebrate his funeral rites with all duepomp, build a barrow to his memory, and make your mother marryagain. Then, having done all this, think it well over in your mindhow, by fair means or foul, you may kill these suitors in your ownhouse. You are too old to plead infancy any longer; have you not heardhow people are singing Orestes' praises for having killed his father'smurderer Aegisthus? You are a fine, smart looking fellow; show yourmettle, then, and make yourself a name in story. Now, however, Imust go back to my ship and to my crew, who will be impatient if Ikeep them waiting longer; think the matter over for yourself, andremember what I have said to you.""Sir," answered Telemachus, "it has been very kind of you to talk tome in this way, as though I were your own son, and I will do all youtell me; I know you want to be getting on with your voyage, but stay alittle longer till you have taken a bath and refreshed yourself. Iwill then give you a present, and you shall go on your wayrejoicing; I will give you one of great beauty and value- a keepsakesuch as only dear friends give to one another."Minerva answered, "Do not try to keep me, for I would be on my wayat once. As for any present you may be disposed to make me, keep ittill I come again, and I will take it home with me. You shall giveme a very good one, and I will give you one of no less value inreturn."With these words she flew away like a bird into the air, but she hadgiven Telemachus courage, and had made him think more than everabout his father. He felt the change, wondered at it, and knew thatthe stranger had been a god, so he went straight to where thesuitors were sitting.Phemius was still singing, and his hearers sat rapt in silence as hetold the sad tale of the return from Troy, and the ills Minerva hadlaid upon the Achaeans. Penelope, daughter of Icarius, heard hissong from her room upstairs, and came down by the great staircase, notalone, but attended by two of her handmaids. When she reached thesuitors she stood by one of the bearing posts that supported theroof of the cloisters with a staid maiden on either side of her. Sheheld a veil, moreover, before her face, and was weeping bitterly."Phemius," she cried, "you know many another feat of gods andheroes, such as poets love to celebrate. Sing the suitors some oneof these, and let them drink their wine in silence, but cease this sadtale, for it breaks my sorrowful heart, and reminds me of my losthusband whom I mourn ever without ceasing, and whose name was greatover all Hellas and middle Argos.""Mother," answered Telemachus, "let the bard sing what he has a mindto; bards do not make the ills they sing of; it is Jove, not they, whomakes them, and who sends weal or woe upon mankind according to hisown good pleasure. This fellow means no harm by singing theill-fated return of the Danaans, for people always applaud thelatest songs most warmly. Make up your mind to it and bear it; Ulyssesis not the only man who never came back from Troy, but many anotherwent down as well as he. Go, then, within the house and busyyourself with your daily duties, your loom, your distaff, and theordering of your servants; for speech is man's matter, and mineabove all others- for it is I who am master here."She went wondering back into the house, and laid her son's saying inher heart. Then, going upstairs with her handmaids into her room,she mourned her dear husband till Minerva shed sweet sleep over hereyes. But the suitors were clamorous throughout the covered cloisters,and prayed each one that he might be her bed fellow.Then Telemachus spoke, "Shameless," he cried, "and insolent suitors,let us feast at our pleasure now, and let there be no brawling, for itis a rare thing to hear a man with such a divine voice as Phemius has;but in the morning meet me in full assembly that I may give you formalnotice to depart, and feast at one another's houses, turn and turnabout, at your own cost. If on the other hand you choose to persist inspunging upon one man, heaven help me, but Jove shall reckon withyou in full, and when you fall in my father's house there shall beno man to avenge you."The suitors bit their lips as they heard him, and marvelled at theboldness of his speech. Then, Antinous, son of Eupeithes, said, "Thegods seem to have given you lessons in bluster and tall talking; mayJove never grant you to be chief in Ithaca as your father was beforeyou."Telemachus answered, "Antinous, do not chide with me, but, godwilling, I will be chief too if I can. Is this the worst fate youcan think of for me? It is no bad thing to be a chief, for it bringsboth riches and honour. Still, now that Ulysses is dead there are manygreat men in Ithaca both old and young, and some other may take thelead among them; nevertheless I will be chief in my own house, andwill rule those whom Ulysses has won for me."Then Eurymachus, son of Polybus, answered, "It rests with heavento decide who shall be chief among us, but you shall be master in yourown house and over your own possessions; no one while there is a manin Ithaca shall do you violence nor rob you. And now, my goodfellow, I want to know about this stranger. What country does hecome from? Of what family is he, and where is his estate? Has hebrought you news about the return of your father, or was he onbusiness of his own? He seemed a well-to-do man, but he hurried off sosuddenly that he was gone in a moment before we could get to knowhim.""My father is dead and gone," answered Telemachus, "and even if somerumour reaches me I put no more faith in it now. My mother does indeedsometimes send for a soothsayer and question him, but I give hisprophecyings no heed. As for the stranger, he was Mentes, son ofAnchialus, chief of the Taphians, an old friend of my father's." Butin his heart he knew that it had been the goddess.The suitors then returned to their singing and dancing until theevening; but when night fell upon their pleasuring they went home tobed each in his own abode. Telemachus's room was high up in a towerthat looked on to the outer court; hither, then, he hied, brooding andfull of thought. A good old woman, Euryclea, daughter of Ops, theson of Pisenor, went before him with a couple of blazing torches.Laertes had bought her with his own money when she was quite young; hegave the worth of twenty oxen for her, and shewed as much respect toher in his household as he did to his own wedded wife, but he didnot take her to his bed for he feared his wife's resentment. She itwas who now lighted Telemachus to his room, and she loved him betterthan any of the other women in the house did, for she had nursed himwhen he was a baby. He opened the door of his bed room and sat downupon the bed; as he took off his shirt he gave it to the good oldwoman, who folded it tidily up, and hung it for him over a peg byhis bed side, after which she went out, pulled the door to by a silvercatch, and drew the bolt home by means of the strap. But Telemachus ashe lay covered with a woollen fleece kept thinking all night throughof his intended voyage of the counsel that Minerva had given him.天天读书网（www.book.d78i.com）整理