contend which must end the war, force or stratagem.

This brave contention he expressed so to the life, in the very words which
they both used in the quarrel, as brought tears into the eyes of Ulysses
at the remembrance of past passages of his life, and he held his large
purple weed before his face to conceal it. Then craving a cup of wine, he
poured it out in secret libation to the gods, who had put into the mind of
Demodocus unknowingly to do him so much honour. But when the moving poet
began to tell of other occurrences where Ulysses had been present, the
memory of his brave followers who had been with him in all difficulties,
now swallowed up and lost in the ocean, and of those kings that had fought
with him at Troy, some of whom were dead, some exiles like himself, forced
itself so strongly upon his mind that forgetful where he was he sobbed
outright with passion: which yet he restrained, but not so cunningly but
Alcinous perceived it and without taking notice of it to Ulysses,
privately gave signs that Demodocus should cease from his singing.

Next followed dancing in the Phaeacian fashion, when they would show
respect to their guests; which was succeeded by trials of skill, games of
strength, running, racing, hurling of the quoit, mock fights, hurling of
the javelin, shooting with the bow: in some of which Ulysses modestly
challenging his entertainers, performed such feats of strength and prowess
as gave the admiring Phaeacians fresh reason to imagine that he was either
some god, or hero of the race of the gods.

These solemn shows and pageants in honour of his guest king Alcinous
continued for the space of many days, as if he could never be weary of
showing courtesies to so worthy a stranger. In all this time he never
asked him his name, nor sought to know more of him than he of his own
accord disclosed; till on a day as they were seated feasting, after the