and son, whom thou didst leave in thy palace. But do thou first go to the swineherd, who is the guardian of thy swine; but however he is kindly disposed towards thee, and loves thy son, and prudent Penelope. Thou wilt find him sitting with the swine: and they are pastured near the rock of Corax, and at the fountain Arethusa, eating strength-giving acorns, and drinking muddy water, which things nourish the flourishing fat in swine. Remain there, and sitting near him, inquire all things of him, while I go to Sparta of fair women, to call Telemachus, thy dear son, O Ulysses, who is gone to Lacedæmon with wide grounds, to Menelaus, to inquire for tidings of thee, if thou still art any where in existence."
But her much-planning Ulysses answering addressed: "Why didst thou not tell him, since thou knowest all things in thy mind? was it that he wandering over the barren sea might suffer griefs? but others consume his livelihood."
But him the blue-eyed goddess Minerva then answered: "Let not him indeed be too much in thy thoughts; I myself conducted him, that going there he might obtain excellent renown: but he has not any labour; but he sits quiet in the house of the son of Atreus, and abundance lies near him. Young men indeed lie in ambush for him with a black ship, desiring to kill him, before he reaches his paternal land. But I do not think these things [will happen], before the earth detains some one [of the suitors, who are consuming thy property]."
Thus having spoken, Minerva touched him with a rod; and withered his beautiful skin on his bent limbs, and destroyed the auburn hairs from his head, and put around all his limbs the skin of an aged old man. And she bleared his eyes, which before were beautiful. And she put around him another evil, a ragged garment, and a cloak, torn, sordid, begrimed with foul smoke. And she put around him a large bare skin of a swift stag; and she gave him a staff and an unseemly satchel, ragged in many places; and there was a twisted thong in it to hold it up.
When they twain had thus consulted, they separated; she indeed then went to divine Lacedæmon for the son of Ulysses.
