as embarked.
He, as if prophetic of the mischance which followed, kept still
without the harbour, making fast his bark to a rock at the land's
point, which he climbed with purpose to survey the country. He saw a
city with smoke ascending from the roofs, but neither ploughs going,
nor oxen yoked, nor any sign of agricultural works. Making choice of
two men, he sent them to the city to explore what sort of inhabitants
dwelt there. His messengers had not gone far before they met a damsel,
of stature surpassing human, who was coming to draw water from a
spring. They asked her who dwelt in that land. She made no reply, but
led them in silence to her father's palace. He was a monarch and named
Antiphas. He and all his people were giants. When they entered the
palace, a woman, the mother of the damsel, but far taller than she,
rushed abroad and called for Antiphas. He came, and snatching up
one of the two men, made as if he would devour him. The other fled.
Antiphas raised a mighty shout, and instantly, this way and that,
multitudes of gigantic people issued out at the gates, and making for
the harbour, tore up huge pieces of the rocks, and flung them at the
ships which lay there, all which they utterly overwhelmed and sank;
and the unfortunate bodies of men which floated, and which the sea did
not devour, these cannibals thrust through with harpoons, like fishes,
and bore them off to their dire feast. Ulysses with his single bark
that had never entered the harbour escaped; that bark which was now
the only vessel left of all the gallant navy that had set sail with
him from Troy. He pushed off from the shore, cheering the sad remnant
of his men, whom horror at the sight of their countrymen's fate had
almost turned to marble.

CHAPTER II

_The house of Circe.--Men changed into beasts.--The voyage to
hell.--The banquet of the dead._

On went the single ship till it came to the island of AEaea, where Circe
the dreadful daughter of the Sun dwelt. She was deeply skilled in
magic, a haughty beauty, and had hair like the Sun. The Sun was her
parent, and begot her and her brother AEastes (such another as herself)
upon Perse, daughter to Oceanus.

Here a dispute arose among Ulysses's men, which of them should go
ashore and explore the country; for there was a necessity that some
should go to procure water and provisions, their stock of both being
nigh spent: but their hearts failed them when they called to mind the
shock