been a soldier and a traveller, but whether he speak the truth or not he
alone can tell. But whatsoever he has been, what he is now is apparent.
Such as he appears, I give him to you; do what you will with him; his
boast at present is that he is at the very best a supplicant."

"Be he what he may," said Telemachus, "I accept him at your hands. But
where I should bestow him I know not, seeing that in the palace his age
would not exempt him from the scorn and contempt which my mother's suitors
in their light minds would be sure to fling upon him: a mercy if he
escaped without blows; for they are a company of evil men, whose
profession is wrongs and violence."

Ulysses answered: "Since it is free for any man to speak in presence of
your greatness, I must say that my heart puts on a wolfish inclination to
tear and to devour, hearing your speech, that these suitors should with
such injustice rage, where you should have the rule solely. What should
the cause be? do you wilfully give way to their ill manners? or has your
government been such as has procured ill-will towards you from your
people? or do you mistrust your kinsfolk and friends in such sort as
without trial to decline their aid? A man's kindred are they that he might
trust to when extremities run high."

Telemachus replied: "The kindred of Ulysses are few. I have no brothers to
assist me in the strife. But the suitors are powerful in kindred and
friends. The house of old Arcesius has had this fate from the heavens,
that from old it still has been supplied with single heirs. To Arcesius,
Laertes only was born, from Laertes descended only Ulysses, from Ulysses I
alone have sprung, whom he left so young that from me never comfort arose
to him. But the end of all rests in the hands of the gods."