Telemachus said:  ’Dear nurse, it has been shown to me that I should go by a goddess.  Is not that enough for you and for me?  Now make all ready for me as I have asked you, and swear to me that you will say nothing of it to my mother until twelve days from this, or until she shall miss me herself.’

Having sworn as he asked her, the nurse Eurycleia drew the wine into jars and put the barley-meal into the well-sewn skins.  Telemachus left the vault and went back again into the hall.  He sat with the wooers and listened to the minstrel Phemius sing about the going forth of Odysseus to the wars of Troy.

And while these things were happening the goddess Athene went through the town in the likeness of Telemachus.  She went to this youth and that youth and told them of the voyage and asked them to make ready and go down to the beach where the boat would be.  And then she went to a man called Noemon, and begged him for a swift ship, and Noemon gave it her.

When the sun sank and when the ways were darkened Athene dragged the ship to where it should be launched and brought the tackling to it.  The youths whom Athene had summoned—­they were all of the age of Telemachus—­came, and Athene aroused them with talk of the voyage.  And when the ship was ready she went to the house of Odysseus.  Upon the wooers who were still in the hall she caused sleep to fall.  They laid their heads upon the tables and slumbered beside the wine cups.  But Athene sent a whisper through the hall and Telemachus heard and he rose up and came to where she stood.  Now she had on the likeness of old Mentor, the friend of his father Odysseus.

‘Come,’ said she, ’your friends are already at the oars.  We must not delay them.’

But some of the youths had come with the one whom they thought was old Mentor.  They carried with Telemachus the skins of corn and the casks of wine.  They came to the ship, and Telemachus with a cheer climbed into it.  Then the youths loosed the ropes and sat down at the benches to pull the oars.  And Athene, in the likeness of old Mentor, sat at the helm.

And now they set up the mast of pine and they made it fast with forestays, and they hauled up the sails with ropes of twisted oxhide.  And a wind came and filled out the sails, and the youths pulled at the oars, and the ship dashed away.  All night long Telemachus and his friends sat at the oars and under the sails, and felt the ship bearing them swiftly onward through the dark water.  Phemius, the minstrel, was with them, and, as the night went by, he sang to them of Troy and of the heroes who had waged war against it.

[Illustration]

VI

Troy, the minstrel sang, was the greatest of the Cities of men; it had been built when the demi-gods walked the earth; its walls were so strong and so high that enemies could not break nor scale them; Troy had high towers and great gates; in its citadels there were strong men well armed, and in its treasuries there were stores of gold and silver.  And the King of Troy was Priam.  He was old now, but he had sons that were good Captains.  The chief of them all was Hector.