the ambrosial night: and blue-eyed Minerva standing near addressed [him]:
"O Telemachus, no longer to advantage art thou wandering a long time from thine home, leaving both thy possessions, and men so overbearing in thine house: lest they, having made a division, should consume[1] all thy possessions, and thou shouldst have come a vain journey. But as quickly as possible exhort Menelaus, gallant in battle, to send thee, that thou mayest still find thy blameless mother at home; (for now her father and brothers encourage her to marry Eurymachus; for he surpasses all the suitors in gifts, and has increased the bridal presents;) for fear some property should be taken away from thine house against thy will. For thou knowest what is the mind in the breast of a woman; she wishes to increase the house of that man, whoever weds her, but she no longer is mindful of her former children and virgin-wedded[2] husband, who is dead, nor does she inquire for him. But do thou thyself go and commit every thing to [one] of the servants, whoever appears to thee to be the best, until the gods show thee a good wife. But I indeed will tell thee something else; and do thou set it in thy mind. The chiefs of the suitors carefully lie in ambush for thee in the strait of Ithaca and rugged Samos, longing to slay thee, before thou dost reach thy paternal land. But I do not think these things [will happen]; the earth will first hold some one of the suitors, who are consuming thy livelihood. But keep thy well-built ship far away from the island, and sail, nevertheless, in the night; and [one] of the immortals will send thee a prosperous gale from behind, whoever guards and preserves thee. But when thou shalt reach the first shore of Ithaca, hasten thy ship and all thy companions to the city; and do thou first go to the swineherd, who is the guardian of thy swine; but, nevertheless, he has a kind disposition. And sleep there during the night; and urge him [to go] within the city to give a message to prudent Penelope, that thou art safe, and hast arrived from Pylos."
Thus having spoken, she departed to lofty Olympus. But he roused the son of Nestor from sweet sleep [moving him with his heel, and addressed him in words]: "Rise, O Pisis-
