But the swineherd went up to Penelope, and told her all that her dear son had bidden him say.  So, when he had declared all that had been enjoined him, he went on his way to the swine and left the enclosure and the hall.

Now the wooers were troubled and downcast in spirit, and forth they went from the hall past the great wall of the court, and there in front of the gates they held their session.  And Eurymachus son of Polybus first spake among them saying: 

’Verily, friends, a proud deed hath Telemachus accomplished with a high hand, even this journey, and we said that he should never bring it to pass.  But come, launch we a black ship, the best there is, and let us get together oarsmen of the sea, who shall straightway bear word to our friends to return home with speed.’

The word was yet on his lips, when Amphinomus turned in his place and saw the ship within the deep harbour, and the men lowering the sails and with the oars in their hands.  Then sweetly he laughed out and spake among his fellows: 

’Nay, let us now send no message any more, for lo, they are come home.  Either some god has told them all or they themselves have seen the ship of Telemachus go by, and have not been able to catch her.’

Thus he spake, and they arose and went to the sea-banks.  Swiftly the men drew up the black ship on the shore, and squires, haughty of heart, bare away their weapons.  And the wooers all together went to the assembly-place, and suffered none other to sit with them, either of the young men or of the elders.  Then Antinous spake among them, the son of Eupeithes: 

’Lo now, how the gods have delivered this man from his evil case!  All day long did scouts sit along the windy headlands, ever in quick succession, and at the going down of the sun we never rested for a night upon the shore, but sailing with our swift ship on the high seas we awaited the bright Dawn, as we lay in wait for Telemachus, that we might take and slay the man himself; but meanwhile some god has brought him home.  But even here let us devise an evil end for him, even for Telemachus, and let him not escape out of our hands, for methinks that while he lives we shall never achieve this task of ours.  For he himself has understanding in counsel and wisdom, and the people no longer show us favour in all things.  Nay come, before he assembles all the Achaeans to the gathering; for methinks that he will in nowise be slack, but will be exceeding wroth, and will stand up and speak out among them all, and tell how we plotted against him sheer destruction but did not overtake him.  Then will they not approve us, when they hear these evil deeds.  Beware then lest they do us a harm, and drive us forth from our country, and we come to the land of strangers.  Nay, but let us be beforehand and take him in the field far from the city, or by the way; and let us ourselves keep his livelihood and his possessions, making fair division among us, but the house we would give to his mother to keep and to whomsoever marries her.  But if this saying likes you not, but ye chose rather that he should live and keep the heritage of his father, no longer then let us gather here and eat all his store of pleasant substance, but let each one from his own hall woo her with his bridal gifts and seek to win her; so should she wed the man that gives the most and comes as the chosen of fate.’