ed his
steps, and a scrip hung to his back, such as travelling mendicants
use, to hold the scraps which are given to them at rich men's doors.
So from a king he became a beggar, as wise Tiresias had predicted to
him in the shades.

To complete his humiliation, and to prove his obedience by suffering,
she next directed him in this beggarly attire to go and present
himself to his old herdsman Eumaeus, who had the care of his swine and
his cattle, and had been a faithful steward to him all the time of his
absence. Then strictly charging Ulysses that he should reveal himself
to no man, but to his own son, whom she would send to him when she saw
occasion, the goddess went her way.

The transformed Ulysses bent his course to the cottage of the
herdsman, and entering in at the front court, the dogs, of which
Eumaeus kept many fierce ones for the protection of the cattle, flew
with open mouths upon him, as those ignoble animals have oftentimes an
antipathy to the sight of any thing like a beggar, and would have rent
him in pieces with their teeth, if Ulysses had not had the prudence
to let fall his staff, which had chiefly provoked their fury, and sat
himself down in a careless fashion upon the ground: but for all that
some serious hurt had certainly been done to him, so raging the dogs
were, had not the herdsman, whom the barking of the dogs had fetched
out of the house, with shouting and with throwing of stones repressed
them.

He said, when he saw Ulysses, "Old father, how near you were to being
torn in pieces by these rude dogs! I should never have forgiven
myself, if through neglect of mine any hurt had happened to you. But
heaven has given me so many cares to my portion, that I might well be
excused for not attending to every thing: while here I lie grieving
and mourning for the absence of that majesty which once ruled here,
and am forced to fatten his swine and his cattle for food to evil men,
who hate him, and who wish his death; when he perhaps strays up and
down the world, and has not wherewith to appease hunger, if indeed he
yet lives (which is a question) and enjoys the cheerful light of the
sun." This he said, little thinking that he of whom he spoke now stood
before him, and that in that uncouth disguise and beggarly obscurity
was present the hidden majesty of Ulysses.

Then he had his guest into the house, and set meat and drink before
him; and Ulysses said, "May Jove and all the other gods requite you
for