++Evrus þe wynde aryueþ þe sayles of vlixes duc of þe contre of narice. {and} hys wandryng shippes by þe 3480 see in to þe isle þere as Circe þe fayre goddesse douȝter of þe sonne dwelleþ þat medlyþ to hir newe gestes drynkes þat ben touched {and} maked wiþ enchau{n}tmentȝ. {and} after þat hir hande myȝty of þe herbes 3484 had[de] chau{n}ged hir gestes i{n} to dyuerse maneres. þat oon of hem is couered his face wiþ forme of a boor. þat oþer is chau{n}ged in to a lyou{n} of þe contre of marmorike. {and} his nayles {and} his teþe wexen. [Sidenote: some into howling wolves, and others into Indian tigers.] ¶ þat 3488 oþer of hem is newliche chaunged in to a wolf. {and} howeliþ whan he wolde wepe. þat oþer goþ debonairly in þe house as a tigre of Inde. [Sidenote: But Mercury, the Arcadian god, rescued Ulysses from the Circean charms. Yet his mariners, having drunk of her infected drinks, were changed to swine, and fed on acorns.] but al be it so þat þe godhed of mercurie þat is cleped þe bride of arcadie haþ 3492 had mercie of þe duc vlixes byseged wiþ diu{er}se yueles {and} haþ vnbounden hym fro þe pestilence of hys oosteresse algates þe rowers {and} þe maryners hadden by þis ydrawen in to hir mouþes {and} dronken þe wicked[e] 3496 drynkes þei þat were woxen swyne hadden by þis [[pg 123]] chau{n}ged hire mete of brede forto ete acorns of ookes. [Sidenote: All traces of the human form were lost, and they were bereft of speech.] non of hir lymes ne dwelliþ wiþ he{m} hoole. but þei han lost þe voys {and} þe body. [Sidenote: Their souls, unchanged, bewailed their dreadful fate.] Oonly hir{e} þouȝt 3500 dwelleþ wiþ hem stable þ{a}t wepiþ {and} bywailiþ þe monstruous chaungynge þat þei suffren. [Sidenote: O most weak, are Circe’s powers compared with the potency of vice, to transform the human shape!] ¶ O ouer lyȝt hand. as who seiþ. ¶ O feble {and} lyȝt is þe hand of Circes þe enchaunteresse þat chaungeþ þe bodies of folk 3504 in to bestes to regarde {and} to co{m}parisou{n} of mutac{i}ou{n} þat is makid by vices. [Sidenote: Circe’s herbs may change the body, but cannot touch the mind, the inward strength of man.] ne þe herbes of circes ne ben nat myȝty. for al be it so þat þei may chau{n}gen þe lymes of þe body. ¶ algates ȝit þei may nat chau{n}ge þe 3508 hertes. for wiþ inne is yhid þe strengþe {and} þe vigour of me{n} in þe secre toure of hire hertys. þat is to seyn þe strengþe of resou{n}. [Sidenote: But vice is more potent than Circe’s poisonous charms.] but þilke uenyms of vices to-drawen a man to hem more myȝtily þan þe venym of 3512 circes.