’Hear me, ye wooers of the renowned queen, that I may say that which my heart within me bids.  And mainly to Eurymachus I make my prayer and to the godlike Antinous, forasmuch as he has spoken even this word aright, namely, that for this present ye cease from your archery and leave the issue to the gods; and in the morning the god will give the victory to whomsoever he will.  Come therefore, give me the polished bow, that in your presence I may prove my hands and strength, whether I have yet any force such as once was in my supple limbs, or whether my wanderings and needy fare have even now destroyed it.’

So spake he and they all were exceeding wroth, for fear lest he should string the polished bow.  And Antinous rebuked him, and spake and hailed him: 

’Wretched stranger, thou hast no wit, nay never so little.  Art thou not content to feast at ease in our high company, and to lack not thy share of the banquet, but to listen to our speech and our discourse, while no guest and beggar beside thee hears our speech?  Wine it is that wounds thee, honey sweet wine, that is the bane of others too, even of all who take great draughts and drink out of measure.  Wine it was that darkened the mind even of the Centaur, renowned Eurytion, in the hall of high-hearted Peirithous, when he went to the Lapithae; and after that his heart was darkened with wine, he wrought foul deeds in his frenzy, in the house of Peirithous.  Then wrath fell on all the heroes, and they leaped up and dragged him forth through the porch, when they had shorn off his ears and nostrils with the pitiless sword, and then with darkened mind he bare about with him the burden of his sin in foolishness of heart.  Thence was the feud begun between the Centaurs and mankind; but first for himself gat he hurt, being heavy with wine.  And even so I declare great mischief unto thee if thou shalt string the bow, for thou shalt find no courtesy at the hand of anyone in our land, and anon we will send thee in a black ship to Echetus, the maimer of all men, and thence thou shalt not be saved alive.  Nay then, drink at thine ease, and strive not still with men that are younger than thou.’

Then wise Penelope answered him:  ’Antinous, truly it is not fair nor just to rob the guests of Telemachus of their due, whosoever he may be that comes to this house.  Dost thou think if yonder stranger strings the great bow of Odysseus, in the pride of his might and of his strength of arm, that he will lead me to his home and make me his wife?  Nay he himself, methinks, has no such hope in his breast; so, as for that, let not any of you fret himself while feasting in this place; that were indeed unmeet.’

Then Eurymachus, son of Polybus, answered her, saying:  ’Daughter of Icarius, wise Penelope, it is not that we deem that he will lead thee to his home,—­far be such a thought from us,—­but we dread the speech of men and women, lest some day one of the baser sort among the Achaeans say:  “Truly men far too mean are wooing the wife of one that is noble, nor can they string the polished bow.  But a stranger and a beggar came in his wanderings, and lightly strung the bow, and shot through the iron.”  Thus will they speak, and this will turn to our reproach.’