Ulysses, the sagacious, answered thus: “Amphinomus, thou seemest most discreet, And such thy father is, of whom I hear A worshipful report, the good and rich Dulichian Nisus. Thou, as I am told, Art son to him, and thou art seemingly A man of pertinent speech. I therefore say To thee, and bid thee hear and mark me well, No being whom earth nourishes to breathe Her air and move upon her face is more The sport of circumstance than man. For while The gods give health, and he is strong of limb, He thinks no evil in the coming days Will overtake him. When the blessed gods Visit him with afflictions, these he bears Impatiently and with a fretful mind. Such is the mood of man, while yet he dwells On earth; it changes as the All-Father gives The sunshine or withholds it. I was once Deemed fortunate among my fellow-men, And many things that were unjust I did; For in my strength and in my father’s power, And valor of my brothers, I had put My trust. Let no man, therefore, dare to be Unjust in aught, but tranquilly enjoy Whatever good the gods vouchsafe to give. Yet are these suitors guilty of foul wrong, Wasting the substance and dishonoring The wife of one who will not, as I deem, Remain long distant from his friends and home, But is already near. O, may some god Remove thee from this danger to thy home! Nor mayst thou meet him when he shall return To his own land. For when he comes once more Beneath this roof, and finds the suitors here, Not without bloodshed will their parting be.”
He spake, and, pouring out a part, he drank The wine, and gave the goblet to the prince, Who crossed the hall, and sorrowfully shook His head, for now already did his heart Forebode the coming evil. Not by this Did he escape his death. Minerva laid A snare for him, that he might fall beneath, The strong arm of Telemachus. He went And took the seat from which he lately rose.
Then blue-eyed Pallas moved Penelope, Sage daughter of Icarius, to appear Before the suitors, that their base intent Might be more fully seen, and she might win More honor from her husband and her son. Wherefore she forced a laugh, and thus began:—