Page:The Odyssey of Homer, with the Hymns, Epigrams, and Battle of the Frogs and Mice (Buckley 1853).djvu/292

256 Ulysses: "Stranger, art thou willing to serve, if I would take thee, at the extreme part of the country, (but thou shalt have sufficient pay,) collecting heaps of stones, and planting tall trees? There indeed I would supply thee with food for a whole year, and would put garments on thee, and would give thee sandals for thy feet. But since indeed thou hast learnt evil works, thou wilt not be willing to hasten to work; but thou desirest to beg through the people, until thou hast wherewith to feed thine insatiable belly."

But him much-planning Ulysses addressed in answer: "Eurymachus, if there were to be a contention of work between us in the spring season, when the days are long, in the grass, and I had a well-bent sickle, and thou also hadst such a one, that we might make trial of our work, fasting until dark, and there was grass at hand; or if again there were oxen to drive, which are the best, sleek, large, both well fed with grass, of equal age, bearing equal burdens, whose strength was not weak, and there was a field of four acres, and the glebe yielded to the plough, then thou wouldst see me, if I would cut through continual furrows. If again the son of Saturn should to-day raise up war from any place, but I had a shield and two spears, and a helmet, all brass, fitted upon my temples; then thou shouldst see me mixed amongst the first fore-fighters; nor wouldst thou speak, reproaching my belly. But thou insultest me very much, and thy mind is cruel; and thou thinkest that thou art some great and mighty person, because thou dost associate with few, and those not excellent: but if Ulysses should come and reach his paternal land, soon the gates, although they are very wide, would be narrow for thee when flying out of doors through the portico."

Thus he spoke; but Eurymachus was more wroth at heart, and sternly regarding him, he addressed to him winged words:

"Ah! wretched one, surely I will soon accomplish some evil upon thee, such things dost thou speak boldly amongst men; nor dost thou at all fear in thy mind; wine in truth has laid hold of thine understanding, or thou hast always such a disposition, thou who utterest vain words. [Dost thou exult vainly, because thou hast conquered the wanderer Irus?"]