fleet in at a port of Crete, where for twelve days he was his guest, and
entertained by him with all befitting guest-rites. And he described the
very garments which Ulysses had on, by which Penelope knew he had seen her
lord.

In this manner Ulysses told his wife many tales of himself, at most but
painting, but painting so near to the life that the feeling of that which
she took in at her ears became so strong that the kindly tears ran down
her fair cheeks, while she thought upon her lord, dead as she thought him,
and heavily mourned the loss of him whom she missed, whom she could not
find, though in very deed he stood so near her.

Ulysses was moved to see her weep, but he kept his own eyes dry as iron or
horn in their lids, putting a bridle upon his strong passion, that it
should not issue to sight.

Then told he how he had lately been at the court of Thesprotia, and what
he had learned concerning Ulysses there, in order as he had delivered to
Eumaeus; and Penelope was wont to believe that there might be a
possibility of Ulysses being alive, and she said, "I dreamed a dream this
morning. Methought I had twenty household fowl which did eat wheat steeped
in water from my hand, and there came suddenly from the clouds a crooked-
beaked hawk, who soused on them and killed them all, trussing their necks;
then took his flight back up to the clouds. And in my dream methought that
I wept and made great moan for my fowls, and for the destruction which the
hawk had made; and my maids came about me to comfort me. And in the height
of my griefs the hawk came back, and lighting upon the beam of my chamber,
he said to me in a man's voice, which sounded strangely even in my dream,
to hear a hawk to speak: 'Be of good cheer,' he said, 'O daughter of
Icarius for this is no dream which thou hast seen, but that which shall