as would never stop--they laughed without power of ceasing, their eyes
stood full of tears for violent joys; but fears and horrible misgivings
succeeded; and one among them stood up and prophesied: "Ah, wretches!" he
said, "what madness from heaven has seized you, that you can laugh? see
you not that your meat drops blood? a night, like the night of death,
wraps you about; you shriek without knowing it; your eyes thrust forth
tears; the fixed walls, and the beam that bears the whole house up, fall
blood; ghosts choke up the entry; full is the hall with apparitions of
murdered men; under your feet is hell; the sun falls from heaven, and it
is midnight at noon." But like men whom the gods had infatuated to their
destruction, they mocked at his fears, and Eurymachus said, "This man is
surely mad; conduct him forth into the market-place, set him in the light,
for he dreams that 'tis night within the house."

But Theoclymenus (for that was the prophet's name), whom Minerva had
graced with a prophetic spirit, that he foreseeing might avoid the
destruction which awaited them, answered and said: "Eurymachus, I will not
require a guide of thee, for I have eyes and ears, the use of both my
feet, and a sane mind within me, and with these I will go forth of the
doors, because I know the imminent evils which await all you that stay, by
reason of this poor guest who is a favourite with all the gods." So
saying, he turned his back upon those inhospitable men, and went away
home, and never returned to the palace.

These words which he spoke were not unheard by Telemachus, who kept still
his eye upon his father, expecting fervently when he would give the sign
which was to precede the slaughter of the suitors.

They, dreaming of no such thing, fell sweetly to their dinner, as joying
in the great store of banquet which was heaped in full tables about them;