his hands, and before
he essayed to bend it, he surveyed it at all parts, to see whether,
by long lying by, it had contracted any stiffness which hindered the
drawing; and as he was busied in the curious surveying of his bow,
some of the suitors mocked him and said, "Past doubt this man is a
right cunning archer, and knows his craft well. See how he turns it
over and over, and looks into it, as if he could see through the
wood." And others said, "We wish some one would tell out gold into our
laps but for so long a time as he shall be in drawing of that string."
But when he had spent some little time in making proof of the bow, and
had found it to be in good plight, like as a harper in tuning of his
harp draws out a string, with such ease or much more did Ulysses draw
to the head the string of his own tough bow, and in letting of it go,
it twanged with such a shrill noise as a swallow makes when it sings
through the air: which so much amazed the suitors, that their colours
came and went, and the skies gave out a noise of thunder, which at
heart cheered Ulysses, for he knew that now his long labours by the
disposal of the fates drew to an end. Then fitted he an arrow to the
bow, and drawing it to the head, he sent it right to the mark which
the prince had set up. Which done, he said to Telemachus, "You have
got no disgrace yet by your guest, for I have struck the mark I shot
at, and gave myself no such trouble in teazing the bow with fat and
fire, as these men did, but have made proof that my strength is not
impaired, nor my age so weak and contemptible as these were pleased to
think it. But come, the day going down calls us to supper, after which
succeed poem and harp, and all delights which use to crown princely
banquetings."

So saying, he beckoned to his son, who straight girt his sword to his
side, and took one of the lances (of which there lay great store from
the armoury) in his hand, and armed at all points, advanced towards
his father.

The upper rags which Ulysses wore fell from his shoulder, and his own
kingly likeness returned, when he rushed to the great hall door with
bow and quiver full of shafts, which down at his feet he poured, and
in bitter words presignified his deadly intent to the suitors. "Thus
far," he said, "this contest has been decided harmless: now for us
there rests another mark, harder to hit, but which my hands shall
essay notwithstanding, if Phoebus god of archers be pleased to give
me t