VELA NARICII DUCIS. — Metrum 3
"Eurus, the wynd, aryved the sayles of Ulixes, duc of the
cuntre of Narice, and his wandrynge shippes by the see, into the
ile theras
Cerces, the faire goddesse, dowhter of the
sonne, duelleth, that medleth to hir newe gestes drynkes that ben
touchid and makid with enchauntementz. And aftir that hir hand,
myghti over the erbes, hadde chaunged hir gestes into diverse
maneres, that oon of hem is coverid his face with forme of a
boor; the tother is chaungid into a lyoun of the contre of
Marmoryke, and his nayles and his teth waxen; that oother of hem
is newliche chaunged into a wolf, and howleth whan he wolde wepe;
that other goth debonayrely in the hows as a tigre of Inde. But
al be it so that the godhede of Mercurie, that is cleped the
bridde of Arcadye, hath had merci of the duc Ulixes, bysegid with
diverse yveles, and hath unbownden hym fro the pestilence of his
oostesse, algates the rowerys and the maryneres hadden by this
idrawen into hir mouthes and dronken the wikkide drynkes. Thei
that weren woxen swyn hadden by this ichaunged hir mete of breed
for to eten akkornes of ookes. Noon of hir lymes ne duelleth with
hem hool, but thei han lost the voys and the body; oonly hir
thought duelleth with hem stable, that wepeth and bywayleth the
monstruous chaungynge that thei suffren. O overlyght hand!
(As who seith: O feble and light is the
hand of Circes
the enchaunteresse, that chaungith the bodyes of folk into
beestes, to regard and to comparysoun of mutacioun that is makid
by vices!) Ne the herbes of Circes ne ben nat myghty. For
al be it so that thei mai chaungen the lymes of the body, algates
yit thei may nat chaungen the hertes. For withinne is ihidd the
strengthe and the vygour of men, in the secre tour of hir hertes,
(that is to seyn, the strengthe of resoun); but thilke venyms of
vices todrawen a man to hem more myghtely than the venym of
Circes. For vices ben so cruel that they percen and thurw-passen
the corage withinne; and, thoughe thei ne anoye nat the body, yit
vices woden to destroyen men by wounde of thought."
