The suitors; issuing forth, on the outside
Of the high wall they sat, before the gate,
When Polybus’ son, Eurymachus, began.
By us impossible, in our despight
Telemachus hath atchieved. Haste! launch we forth
A sable bark, our best, which let us man
With mariners expert, who, rowing forth
Swiftly, shall summon our companions home.
Amphinomus beheld a bark arrived
Just then in port; he saw them furling sail,
And seated with their oars in hand; he laugh’d
Through pleasure at that sight, and thus he spake.
Either some God inform’d them, or they saw,
Themselves, the vessel of Telemachus
Too swiftly passing to be reach’d by theirs.
Alert they drew the sable bark aground,
And by his servant each his arms dispatch’d
To his own home. Then, all, to council those
Assembling, neither elder of the land
Nor youth allow’d to join them, and the rest
Eupithes’ son, Antinoüs, thus bespake.
Perch’d on the airy mountain-top, our spies
Successive watch’d; and, when the sun declined,
We never slept on shore, but all night long
Till sacred dawn arose, plow’d the abyss,
Hoping Telemachus, that we might seize
And slay him, whom some Deity hath led,
In our despight, safe to his home again.
But frame we yet again means to destroy
Telemachus; ah—let not Him escape!
For end of this our task, while he survives,
None shall be found, such prudence he displays
And wisdom, neither are the people now
Unanimous our friends as heretofore.
Come, then—prevent him, ere he call the Greeks
To council; for he will not long delay,
But will be angry, doubtless, and will tell
Amid them all, how we in vain devised
His death, a deed which they will scarce applaud,
But will, perhaps, punish and drive us forth
From our own country to a distant land.—
Prevent him, therefore, quickly; in the field
Slay him, or on the road; so shall his wealth
And his possessions on ourselves devolve
Which we will share equally, but his house
Shall be the Queen’s, and his whom she shall wed.
Yet, if not so inclined, ye rather chuse
That he should live and occupy entire
His patrimony, then, no longer, here
Assembled, let us revel at his cost,
But let us all with spousal gifts produced
From our respective treasures, woo the Queen,
Leaving her in full freedom to espouse
Who proffers most, and whom the fates ordain.
Then rose Amphinomus amid them all,
Offspring renown’d of Nisus, son, himself,
Of King Aretias. He had thither led
The suitor train who from the pleasant isle
Corn- clad of green Dulichium had arrived,
And by his speech pleased far beyond them all
Penelope, for he was just and wise,
And thus, well-counselling the rest, began.
To slay Telemachus! it were a deed
Momentous, terrible, to slay a prince.
First, therefore, let us counsel ask of heav’n,
And if Jove’s oracle that course approve,
I will encourage you, and will myself
Be active in his death; but if the Gods
Forbid it, then, by my advice, forbear.
Arising then, into Ulysses’ house
They went, where each his splendid seat resumed.
Penelope; she purposed to appear
Before her suitors, whose design to slay
Telemachus she had from Medon learn’d,
The herald, for his ear had caught the sound.
Toward the hall with her attendant train
She moved, and when, most graceful of her sex,
Where sat the suitors she arrived, between
The columns standing of the stately dome,
And covering with her white veil’s lucid folds
Her features, to Antinoüs thus she spake.
To mischief prone! the people deem thee wise
Past thy compeers, and in all grace of speech
Pre-eminent, but such wast never thou.
Inhuman! why is it thy dark design
To slay Telemachus? and why with scorn
Rejectest thou the suppliant’s pray’r, which Jove
Himself hath witness’d?
| Previous chapter/page | Back | Home | Email this | Search | Discuss | Bookmark | Next chapter/page |