Lots we shook, Put in a casque together, which of us Should lead th’ attempt; and ’twas Eurylochus. He freely went, with two-and-twenty more; All which took leave with tears; and our eyes wore The same wet badge of weak humanity. These in a dale did Circe’s house descry, Of bright stone built, in a conspicuous way. Before her gates hill-wolves, and lions, lay; Which with her virtuous drugs so tame she made, That wolf nor lion would one man invade With any violence, but all arose, Their huge long tails wagg’d, and in fawns would close, As loving dogs, when masters bring them home Relics of feast, in all observance come, And soothe their entries with their fawns and bounds, All guests still bringing some scraps for their hounds; So, on these men, the wolves and lions ramp’d, Their horrid paws set up. Their spirits were damp’d To see such monstrous kindness, stay’d at gate, And heard within the Goddess elevate A voice divine, as at her web she wrought, Subtle, and glorious, and past earthly thought, As all the housewif’ries of Deities are. To hear a voice so ravishingly rare, Polités (one exceeding dear to me, A prince of men, and of no mean degree In knowing virtue, in all acts whose mind[9] Discreet cares all ways us’d to turn, and wind) Was yet surpris’d with it, and said: ‘O friends, Some one abides within here, that commends The place to us, and breathes a voice divine, As she some web wrought, or her spindle’s twine She cherish’d with her song; the pavement rings With imitation of the tunes she sings. Some woman, or some Goddess, ’tis. Assay To see with knocking.’ Thus said he, and they Both knock’d, and call’d; and straight her shining gates She open’d, issuing, bade them in to cates. Led, and unwise, they follow’d; all but one, Which was Eurylochus, who stood alone Without the gates, suspicious of a sleight. They enter’d, she made sit; and her deceit She cloak’d with thrones, and goodly chairs of state; Set herby honey, and the delicate Wine brought from Smynra, to them; meal and cheese; But harmful venoms she commix’d with these, That made their country vanish from their thought. Which eat, she touch’d them with a rod that wrought Their transformation far past human wonts; Swine’s snouts, swine’s bodies, took they, bristles, grunts, But still retain’d the souls they had before, Which made them mourn their bodies’ change the more. She shut them straight in styes, and gave them meat, Oak-mast, and beech, and cornel-fruit, they eat, Grov’lling like swine on earth, in foulest sort. Eurylochus straight hasted the report Of this his fellows’ most remorseful fate, Came to the ships, but so excruciate Was with his woe, he could not speak a word, His eyes stood full of tears, which show’d how stor’d His mind with moan remain’d. We all admir’d, Ask’d what had chanc’d him, earnestly desir’d He would resolve us. At the last, our eyes Enflam’d in him his fellows’ memories,[10] And out his grief burst thus: ‘You will’d; we went