an old man's. And Eurymachus, a suitor, taking occasion from some words
which were spoken before, scoffed, and said, "Now I know for a certainty
that some god lurks under the poor and beggarly appearance of this man,
for, as he stands by the lamps, his sleek head throws beams around it,
like as it were a glory." And another said, "He passes his time, too, not
much unlike the gods, lazily living exempt from labour, taking offerings
of men." "I warrant," said Eurymachus again, "he could not raise a fence
or dig a ditch for his livelihood, if a man would hire him to work in a
garden."

"I wish," said Ulysses, "that you who speak this and myself were to be
tried at any taskwork: that I had a good crooked scythe put in my hand,
that was sharp and strong, and you such another, where the grass grew
longest, to be up by daybreak, mowing the meadows till the sun went down,
not tasting of food till we had finished; or that we were set to plough
four acres in one day of good glebe land, to see whose furrows were
evenest and cleanest; or that we might have one wrestling-bout together;
or that in our right hands a good steel-headed lance were placed, to try
whose blows fell heaviest and thickest upon the adversary's head-piece. I
would cause you such work as you should have small reason to reproach me
with being slack at work. But you would do well to spare me this reproach,
and to save your strength till the owner of this house shall return, till
the day when Ulysses shall return, when returning he shall enter upon his
birthright."

This was a galling speech to those suitors, to whom Ulysses's return was
indeed the thing which they most dreaded; and a sudden fear fell upon
their souls, as if they were sensible of the real presence of that man who
did indeed stand amongst them, but not in that form as they might know
him; and Eurymachus, incensed, snatched a massy cup which stood on a table