No great assailants. In the well-built wall
A window was thrust out, at end of all
The house's entry; on whose utter side
There lay a way to town, and in it wide
And two-leaved folds were forged, that
gave fit mean

For flyers-out; and, therefore, at it then
Ulysses placed Eumæus in close guard;
One only pass ope to it, which (prepared
In this sort by Ulysses 'gainst all pass)
By Agelaus' tardy memory was

In question call'd, who bade some one ascend

At such a window, and bring straight to friend

The city with his clamour, that this man Might quickly shoot his last. "This no

one can

Make safe access to," said Melanthius, "For 'tis too near the hall's fair doors, whence thus

The man afflicts ye; for from thence there lies

But one strait passage to it, that denies
Access to all, if any one man stand,
Being one of courage, and will counter-
mand

Our offer to it. But I know a way

To bring you arms, from where the King doth lay

His whole munition; and believe there is No other place to all the armouries

For more fair arms; whom the renowned swain

Eumæus saw, and told Ulysses straight
It was the hateful man that his conceit
Before suspected, who had done that ill;
And, being again there, ask'd if he should
kill,

If his power served, or he should bring the swain

To him, t' inflict on him a several pain For every forfeit he had made his house.

He answer'd: "I and my Telemachus Will here contain these proud ones in despite,

How much soever these stolen arms excite Their guilty courages, while you two take Possession of the chamber; the doors

His vexed life before his death succeed." This charge, soon heard, as soon they put to deed,

Stole on his stealth, and at the further end Of all the chamber saw him busily bend His hands to more arms; when they, still at door,

Watch'd his return. At last he came, and bore

In one hand a fair helm, in th' other held A broad and ancient rusty-rested shield, That old Laertes in his youth had worn, Of which the cheek-bands had with age been torn.

They rush'd upon him, caught him by the hair,

And dragg'd him in again; whom, crying out,

They cast upon the pavement, wrapp'd about

With sure and pinching cords both foot and hand,

And then, in full act of their King's command,

A pliant chain bestow'd on him, and haled His body up the column, till he scaled The highest wind-beam; where made firmly fast,

Eumæus on his just infliction past
This pleasurable cavil: Now you may
All night keep watch here, and the earliest
day

Discern, being hung so high, to rouse from

rest

Your dainty cattle to the wooers' feast. There, as befits a man of means so fair, Soft may you sleep, nought under you but air;

And so long hang you." Thus they left

him there,

Made fast the door, and with Ulysses

were

All arm'd in th' instant. Then they all stood close,

Their minds fire breathed in flames against their foes,

Four in th' entry fighting all alone; When from the hall charged many a mighty

one.

But to them then Jove's seed, Minerva,

came,

Resembling Mentor both in voice and frame

Of manly person. Passing well apaid Ulysses was, and said: "Now, Mentor, aid

'Gainst these odd mischiefs; call to memory now

My often good to thee, and that we two

All thy old bounties." This she spake, but stay'd

Her hand from giving each-way-oftensway'd

Uncertain conquest to his certain use,

But still would try what self-powers would produce

Both in the father and the glorious son. Then on the wind-beam that along did

ron

The smoky roof, transform'd, Minerva sat, Like to a swallow; sometimes cuffing at The swords and lances, rushing from her

seat,

And up and down the troubled house did beat

Her wing at every motion. And as she
Had roused Ulysses; so the enemy
Damastor's son excited, Polybus,
Amphinomus, and Demoptolemus,
Eurynomus, and Polyctorides;

For these were men that of the wooing prease

Were most egregious, and the clearly best In strength of hand of all the desperate

rest

That yet survived, and now fought for their souls;

Which straight swift arrows sent among the fowls.

But first, Damastor's son had more spare breath

To spend on their excitements ere his death,

And said: That now Ulysses would for

bear

His dismal hand, since Mentor's spirit was there,

And blew vain vaunts about Ulysses' ears; In whose trust he would cease his massa

cres,

Rest him, and put his friend's huge boasts in proof;

And so was he beneath the entry's roof
Left with Telemachus and th' other two.
"At whom," said he, "discharge no darts,
but throw

All at Ulysses, rousing his faint rest;
Whom if we slaughter, by our interest
In Jove's assistance, all the rest may yield
Our powers no care, when he strows once
the field."

As he then will'd, they all at random threw

Where they supposed he rested; and then

flew

Minerva after every dart, and made Some strike the threshold, some the walls invade,

Some beat the doors, and all acts render'd

vain

Their grave steel offer'd: which escaped, again

Came on Ulysses, saying: "O that we The wooers' troop with our joint archery Might so assail, that where their spirits dream

On our deaths first, we first may slaughter them."

Thus the much-sufferer said; and all let fly,

When every man strook dead his enemy. Ulysses slaughter'd Demoptolemus; Euryades by young Telemachus

His death encounter'd. Good Eumæus slew

Elatus; and Philotius overthrew
Pisander all which tore the paved floor
Up with their teeth. The rest retired
before

Their second charge to inner rooms; and then

Ulysses follow'd; from the slaughter'd

men

Their darts first drawing. While which work was done,

The wooers threw with huge contention To kill them all; when with her swallowwing

Minerva cuff'd, and made their javelins ring

Against the doors and thresholds, as before. Some yet did graze upon their marks. One

tore

The Prince's wrist, which was Amphimedon,

Th' extreme part of the skin but touch'd

upon.

Ctesippus over good Eumous' shield His shoulder's top did taint; which yet did yield

The lance free pass, and gave his hurt the ground.

Again then charged the wooers, and girt round

Ulysses with their lances; who turn'd head,

And with his' javelin strook Eurydamas dead.

Telemachus dislived Amphimedon; Eumæus, Polybus; Philotius won Ctesippus' bosom with his dart, and said, (In quittance of the jester's part he play'd, The neat's foot hurling at Ulysses :) "Now,

Great son of Polytherses, you that vow Your wit to bitter taunts, and love to wound The heart of any with a jest, so crown'd

Your wit be with a laughter, never yielding To fools in folly, but your glory building On putting down in fooling, spitting forth Puff'd words at all sorts: cease to scoff at worth,

And leave revenge of vile words to the Gods,

Since their wits bear the sharper edge by odds;

And, in the mean time, take the dart I drave,

For that right hospitable foot you gave
Divine Ulysses, begging but his own."
Thus spake the black-ox-herdsman;
and straight down
Ulysses struck another with his dart;
Damastor's son.
Telemachus did part,
Just in the midst, the belly of the fair
Evenor's son; his fierce pile taking air
Out at his back. Flat fell he on his face,
His whole brows knocking, and did mark
the place.

And now, man-slaughtering Pallas took
in hand

Her snake-fringed shield, and on that beam took stand

In her true form, where swallow-like she

So, in their flight, Ulysses with his heir Did stoop and cuff the wooers, that the air

Broke in vast sighs; whose heads they shot and cleft,

The pavement boiling with the souls they reft.

Liodes, running to Ulysses, took

His knees, and thus did on his name invoke:

"Ulysses, let me pray thee to my place Afford the reverence, and to me the grace, That never did or said, to any dame Thy court contain'd, or deed, or word to blame ;

But others so affected I have made Lay down their insolence; and, if the trade

They kept with wickedness have made them still

Despise my speech, and use their wonted ill,

They have their penance by the stroke of death,

Which their desert divinely warranteth. But I am priest amongst them, and shall I That nought have done worth death amongst them die?

From thee this proverb then will men derive :

Good turns do never their mere deeds survive."

He, bending his displeased forehead, said:

“If you be priest amongst them, as you plead,

Yet you would marry, and with my wife too,

And have descent by her. For all that

WOO

Wish to obtain, which they should never do,

Dames' husbands living. You must therefore pray

Of force, and oft in Court here, that the day

Of my return for home might never shine; The death to me wish'd, therefore, shall be thine."

This said, he took a sword up that was cast

From Agelaus, having strook his last, And on the priest's mid neck he laid a stroke

That strook his head off, tumbling as he spoke.

Then did the poet Phemius (whose sur

name

Was call'd Terpiades; who thither came

The prince's knees seized, saying: "O my love,

I am not slain, but here alive and move. Abstain yourself, and do not see your sire Quench with my cold blood the unmeasured fire

That flames in his strength, making spoil of me,

His wrath's right, for the wooers' injury." Ulysses smiled, and said: "Be confident This man hath saved and made thee different,

To let thee know, and say, and others see, Good life is much more safe than villany.

Thine own loved son Telemachus will say, That not to beg here, nor with willing way Was my access to thy high court addrest, To give the wooers my song after feast, But, being many, and so much more strong,

They forced me hither, and compell'd my song."

This did the prince's sacred virtue hear, And to the King, his father, said: "Forbear

To mix the guiltless with the guilty's blood.
And with him likewise let our mercies save
Medon the herald, that did still behave
Himself with care of my good from a child;
If by Eumæus yet he be not kill'd,
Or by Philoetius, nor your fury met,
While all this blood about the house it
swet."

This Medon heard, as lying hid beneath A throne set near, half-dead with fear of death;

A new-flead ox-hide, as but there thrown by,

His serious shroud made, he lying there to fly.

But hearing this he quickly left the throne, His ox-hide cast as quickly, and as soon

within:

This much renowned singer from the sin Of these men likewise quit. Both rest you there,

While I my house purge as it fits me here."

This said, they went and took their seat without

At Jove's high altar, looking round about, Expecting still their slaughter: when the King

Search'd round the hall, to try life's hidden wing

Made from more death. But all laid prostrate there

In blood and gore he saw: whole shoals they were,

And lay as thick as in a hollow creek Without the white sea, when the fishers break

Their many-meshed draught-net up, there

lie