man, if brave, Against us all might hold it. I will bring Arms from the chamber to equip you all; For there within, and nowhere else, I deem, Ulysses and his son laid up their arms.”
Thus having said, the keeper of the goats, Melanthius, climbed the palace stairs, and gained The chamber of Ulysses. Taking thence Twelve shields, as many spears, as many helms Of brass, with each its heavy horsehair plume, He came, and gave them to the suitors’ hands. Then sank the hero’s heart, and his knees shook As he beheld the suitors putting on Their armor, and uplifting their long spears. The mighty task appalled him, and he thus Bespake Telemachus with winged words:—
“Telemachus, some woman here, or else Melanthius, makes the battle hard for us.”
And thus discreet Telemachus replied: “Father, I erred in this. I was the cause, And no one else; I left the solid door Ajar; the spy was shrewder far than I. Now, good Eumaeus, shut the chamber door, And see if any of the palace-maids Have brought these arms, or if I rightly fix The guilt upon Melanthius, Dolius’ son.”
So talked they with each other, while again Melanthius, stealing toward the chamber, thought To bring yet other shining weapons thence. The noble swineherd marked him as he went, And quickly drawing near Ulysses said:—
“Son of Laertes! nobly born and wise! The knave whom we suspect is on his way Up to thy chamber. Tell me now, I pray, And plainly, shall I make an end of him, If I may prove the stronger man, or bring The wretch into thy presence, to endure The vengeance due to all the iniquities Plotted by him against thee in these halls?”
Ulysses, the sagacious, answered thus: “Telemachus and I will keep at bay The suitors in this place, however fierce Their onset, while ye two bind