[Sidenote: some into howling wolves, and others into Indian tigers.]
¶ þat 3488 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.
[Sidenote: But Mercury, the Arcadian god, rescued Ulysses from the Circean charms. Yet his mariners, having drunk of her infected drinks, were changed to swine, and fed on acorns.]
but al be it so þat þe godhed of mercurie þat is cleped þe bride of arcadie haþ 3492 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] 3496 drynkes þei þat were woxen swyne hadden by þis [[pg 123]] chau{ n}ged hire mete of brede forto ete acorns of ookes.
[Sidenote: All traces of the human form were lost, and they were bereft of speech.]
non of hir lymes ne dwelliþ wiþ he{ m} hoole. but þei han lost þe voys { and} þe body.
[Sidenote: Their souls, unchanged, bewailed their dreadful fate.]
Oonly hir{ e} þou[gh]t 3500 dwelleþ wiþ hem stable þ{ a}t wepiþ { and} bywailiþ þe monstruous chaungynge þat þei suffren.
[Sidenote: O most weak, are Circe's powers compared with the potency of vice, to transform the human shape!]
¶ O ouer ly[gh]t hand. as who seiþ. ¶ O feble { and} ly[gh]t is þe hand of Circes þe enchaunteresse þat chaungeþ þe bodies of folk 3504 in to bestes to regarde { and} to co{ m}parisou{ n} of mutac{ i}ou{ n} þat is makid by vices.
[Sidenote: Circe's herbs may change the body, but cannot touch the mind, the inward strength of man.]
ne þe herbes of circes ne ben nat my[gh]ty. for al be it so þat þei may chau{ n}gen þe lymes of þe body. ¶ algates [gh]it þei may nat chau{ n}ge þe 3508 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}.
[Sidenote: But vice is more potent than Circe's poisonous charms.]
but þilke uenyms of vices to-drawen a man to hem more my[gh]tily þan þe venym of 3512 circes.
[Sidenote: Though it leaves the body whole, it pierces the inner man, and inflicts a deadly wound upon the soul.]
¶ For vices ben so cruel þat þei percen { and} þoru[gh] passen þe corage wiþ i{ n}ne. { and} þou[gh] þei ne anoye nat þe body. [gh]itte vices wooden to distroien men by wounde of þou[gh]t. 3516