Then were the suitors vexed and sorrowful, And going from the palace, and without The great wall that enclosed the court, sat down Before the gates, and there Eurymachus, The son of Polybus, harangued the throng:—
“Behold, my friends, Telemachus has done A marvellous thing; this voyage, which we thought He could not make, is made. Now let us launch A ship, the best that we can find, and man With fishermen the benches, sending it To find our friends, and hasten their return.”
Scarce had he spoken when Amphinomus, In turning where he stood, beheld a barque Enter the port’s deep waters, with a crew That furled the sails and held the oars in hand. He laughed, well pleased, and to the suitors said:—
“There needs no message to be sent, for they Are here already. Haply hath some god Given them the knowledge, or perchance they saw, But could not overtake, the prince’s ship.”
He spake; they rose and hastened to the strand, And quickly drew the galley up the beach. The ready servants bore the arms away; Then met they all in council, suffering none Save of the suitor-train to meet with them— None, either young or old. Eupeithes’ son, Antinoüs, standing forth, bespake them thus:—
“How strangely do the gods protect this man From evil! All day long spy after spy Has sat and watched upon the airy heights, And when the sun was set we never slept On land, but ever in our gallant ship Sailed, waiting for the holy morn, and lay In constant ambush for Telemachus, To seize and to destroy him. Yet behold, Some deity has brought him home. And now Frame we a plan to cut off utterly Telemachus, and leave him no escape; For certainly I think that while he lives The end we aim at cannot be attained. Shrewd is the youth in counsel and device, And we no longer have, as once we had, The people’s favor. Let us quickly act,