[Sidenote: [The 3^de Met{ur}.]]
++Evrus þe wynde aryueþ þe sayles of vlixes duc of þe contre of narice.
{and} hys wandryng shippes by þe 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 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. ¶ þat 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. but al be it so þat þe godhed of
mercurie þat is cleped þe bride of arcadie haþ 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] drynkes þei
þat were woxen swyne hadden by þis chau{n}ged hire mete of brede forto
ete acorns of ookes. non of hir lymes ne dwelliþ wiþ he{m} hoole. but
þei han lost þe voys {and} þe body. Oonly hir{e} þouȝt dwelleþ wiþ hem
stable þ{a}t wepiþ {and} bywailiþ þe monstruous chaungynge þat þei
suffren. ¶ O ouer lyȝt hand. as who seiþ. ¶ O feble {and} lyȝt is þe
hand of Circes þe enchaunteresse þat chaungeþ þe bodies of folk in to
bestes to regarde {and} to co{m}parisou{n} of mutac{i}ou{n} þat is makid
by vices. 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 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}. but þilke uenyms of vices to-drawen a man to hem more myȝtily
þan þe venym of circes. ¶ For vices ben so cruel þat þei percen {and}
þoruȝ passen þe corage wiþ i{n}ne. {and} þouȝ þei ne anoye nat þe body.
ȝitte vices wooden to distroien men by wounde of þouȝt.