they fell in with a damsel drawing water, the noble daughter of Laestrygonian Antiphates.  She had come down to the clear-flowing spring Artacia, for thence it was custom to draw water to the town.  So they stood by her and spake unto her, and asked who was king of that land, and who they were he ruled over.  Then at once she showed them the high-roofed hall of her father.  Now when they had entered the renowned house, they found his wife therein:  she was huge of bulk as a mountain peak and was loathly in their sight.  Straightway she called the renowned Antiphates, her lord, from the assembly-place, and he contrived a pitiful destruction for my men.  Forthwith he clutched up one of my company and made ready his midday meal, but the other twain sprang up and came in flight to the ships.  Then he raised the war cry through the town, and the valiant Laestrygons at the sound thereof, flocked together from every side, a host past number, not like men but like the Giants.  They cast at us from the cliffs with great rocks, each of them a man’s burden, and anon there arose from the fleet an evil din of men dying and ships shattered withal.  And like folk spearing fishes they bare home their hideous meal.  While as yet they were slaying my friends within the deep harbour, I drew my sharp sword from my thigh, and with it cut the hawsers of my dark-prowed ship.  Quickly then I called to my company, and bade them dash in with the oars, that we might clean escape this evil plight.  And all with one accord they tossed the sea water with the oar-blade, in dread of death, and to my delight my barque flew forth to the high seas away from the beetling rocks, but those other ships were lost there, one and all.

’Thence we sailed onward stricken at heart, yet glad as men saved from death, albeit we had lost our dear companions.  And we came to the isle Aeaean, where dwelt Circe of the braided tresses, an awful goddess of mortal speech, own sister to the wizard Aeetes.  Both were begotten of Helios, who gives light to all men, and their mother was Perse, daughter of Oceanus.  There on the shore we put in with our ship into the sheltering haven silently, and some god was our guide.  Then we stept ashore, and for two days and two nights lay there, consuming our own hearts for weariness and pain.  But when now the fair-tressed Dawn had brought the full light of the third day, then did I seize my spear and my sharp sword, and quickly departing from the ship I went up unto a place of wide prospect, if haply I might see any sign of the labour of men and hear the sound of their speech.  So I went up a craggy hill, a place of out-look, and I saw the smoke rising from the broad-wayed earth in the halls of Circe, through the thick coppice and the woodland.  Then I mused in my mind and heart whether I should go and make discovery, for that I had seen the smoke and flame.  And as I thought thereon this seemed to me the better counsel, to go first to the swift ship and to the