en she reveals her prophetic power and announces the future
journey to Hades, ere he can return home. Thus she sends him on beyond
herself, and reaches her culmination in this Book.

Of these three stages the last seems inappropriate to Circe's
character, and is always a puzzle to the reader, till he probes to the
thought underlying the tale. Circe, then, is to show herself a seeress,
and foreshadow the world beyond the present. Why just that in her case?
But before the question can be answered, we must unfold the first two
stages.

I. After an introduction which names the new island and its occupant,
as well as gives a bit of her genealogy, the tale takes up Ulysses and
his companions. After a rest of two days and two nights, the hero goes
forth to spy out the land, ascends a hill whence he sees the smoke of
Circe's palace rising "through the bushes and the trees." His last
experience makes him careful, his thirst for knowledge does not now
drive him to go at once into her presence. He returns to his companions
with his information, and on the way back he kills a high-horned stag,
"which had come down from the woods to the stream to slake its thirst."
The result is a good meal for all once more, and a restoration of hope.

1. In such a mood he imparts his discovery: "I have seen with mine eyes
smoke in the center of the island." Terror-striking was the
announcement to his companions, who at once thought of "the cannibals,
Cyclops and Laestrigonians." And they had cause for fear. It may,
however, be said in advance that Circe is not a man-eater, but a
man-transformer; she is a new phase of the great experience, she
bestializes; she is negative, not so much from without as from within,
not consuming the human shape but transmuting it into that of an
animal.

A curious expression here needs some explanation. "We know not where is
east and where is west, not where the Sun goes under the earth, nor
where he rises." Why not? There have been several ways of viewing this
passage. Ulysses did not know the countries where the Sun set or rose,
though he must have seen the direction. A statement from Voss may be
here translated: "The side of night and of day he knew well, for he saw
sunrise and sunset; but he does not know into what region of the world
he has wandered away from home." One other suggestion: it may have been
very foggy or cloudy weather at the time. The internal hint, however,
is clear; he is astray, lost; he kn