Page 305 - the-odyssey

row upon him, he bears it as he needs must, and makes the
best of it; for God almighty gives men their daily minds day
by day. I know all about it, for I was a rich man once, and
did much wrong in the stubbornness of my pride, and in
the confidence that my father and my brothers would sup-
port me; therefore let a man fear God in all things always,
and take the good that heaven may see fit to send him with-
out vain glory. Consider the infamy of what these suitors
are doing; see how they are wasting the estate, and doing
dishonour to the wife, of one who is certain to return some
day, and that, too, not long hence. Nay, he will be here soon;
may heaven send you home quietly first that you may not
meet with him in the day of his coming, for once he is here
the suitors and he will not part bloodlessly.’
With these words he made a drink-offering, and when he
had drunk he put the gold cup again into the hands of Am-
phinomus, who walked away serious and bowing his head,
for he foreboded evil. But even so he did not escape de-
struction, for Minerva had doomed him to fall by the hand
of Telemachus. So he took his seat again at the place from
which he had come.
Then Minerva put it into the mind of Penelope to show
herself to the suitors, that she might make them still more
enamoured of her, and win still further honour from her
son and husband. So she feigned a mocking laugh and said,
‘Eurynome, I have changed my mind, and have a fancy to
show myself to the suitors although I detest them. I should
like also to give my son a hint that he had better not have
anything more to do with them. They speak fairly enough

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