ing fate of their fellows whom the Laestrygonians had eaten, and
those which the foul Cyclop Polyphemus had crushed between his jaws;
which moved them so tenderly in the recollection that they wept. But
tears never yet supplied any man's wants; this Ulysses knew full well,
and dividing his men (all that were left) into two companies, at
the head of one of which was himself, and at the head of the other
Eurylochus, a man of tried courage, he cast lots which of them should
go up into the country; and the lot fell upon Eurylochus and his
company, two and twenty in number; who took their leave, with tears,
of Ulysses and his men that staid, whose eyes wore the same wet badges
of weak humanity, for they surely thought never to see these their
companions again, but that on every coast where they should come, they
should find nothing but savages and cannibals.

Eurylochus and his party proceeded up the country, till in a dale they
descried the house of Circe, built of bright stone, by the road's
side. Before her gate lay many beasts, as wolves, lions, leopards,
which, by her art, of wild, she had rendered tame. These arose when
they saw strangers, and ramped upon their hinder paws, and fawned upon
Eurylochus and his men, who dreaded the effects of such monstrous
kindness; and staying at the gate they heard the enchantress within,
sitting at her loom, singing such strains as suspended all mortal
faculties, while she wove a web, subtle and glorious, and of texture
inimitable on earth, as all the housewiferies of the deities are.
Strains so ravishingly sweet, provoked even the sagest and prudentest
heads among the party to knock and call at the gate. The shining gate
the enchantress opened, and bad them come in and feast. They unwise
followed, all but Eurylochus, who staid without the gate, suspicious
that some train was laid for them. Being entered, she placed them
in chairs of state, and set before them meal and honey, and Smyrna
wine; but mixed with baneful drugs of powerful enchantment. When they
had eaten of these, and drunk of her cup, she touched them with her
charming-rod, and straight they were transformed into swine, having
the bodies of swine, the bristles, and snout, and grunting noise of
that animal; only they still retained the minds of men, which made
them the more to lament their brutish transformation. Having changed
them, she shut them up in her sty with many more whom her wicked
sorceries had formerly changed,