they possess the
Essence as distinct from the Phenomenon; they know that their disguise
has torn off all disguise, and attained the real.

4. Proteus will now tell Menelaus the truth devoid of all delusive
shows; ere the latter can leave Egypt and return to Greece he must put
himself into harmony with the Greek Gods, Zeus and the rest. So he has
to go back to Egypt's river and start over again in the right way. Then
he will make the Return to Hellas.

5. Proteus also gives the fate of a number of Returners. Ajax he
specially speaks about--Ajax, son of Oileus (not the greater Ajax), the
blasphemer, who said he would return in spite of the Gods, and at once
perished. The account of the death of Ajax has its meaning for
Menelaus, who thought of getting home with paying due regard to the
Gods. Once more Agamemnon's dire lot is told with some new incidents
added. Thirdly Proteus has seen Ulysses in an ocean isle with the nymph
Calypso who detains him though eager to get away. Thus the son hears
the fact about his father. Finally Proteus prophesies the immortality
of Menelaus, for has not the latter reached beyond Appearance into the
Eternal already, just by catching and holding Proteus? So the Old Man
of the Sea cannot help giving this prophecy, which lives directly in
his own experience.

Though Telemachus is not told that his father is returning, still he
may draw such an inference from the story of Menelaus, who was also
detained on an island longing to get home. If the Gods, being duly
recognized, will give their help in the one case, they will in the
other; they too, will come to the aid of Ulysses, when he has placed
himself in harmony with them. This is what is about to happen.

As already set forth, there are three divisions of this first part of
the Fourth Book: the simple idyllic Present at Sparta, the disrupted
strifeful Past at Troy, the movement out of the latter by way of Egypt.
Taking the three divisions together, we note that they form the total
sweep of one great Return, that of Menelaus, from unity through
separation back to harmony. Thus Menelaus and also Helen are shown to
have solved their problem.

But there remains the harder and deeper problem of Ithaca, which is
that of Ulysses. Here enemies have possession of the man's home, and he
brings back no help, only himself. It is therefore, a natural
transition to introduce at this point the Ithacan condition which is
seen to be more difficult than t