a day she drinks her pits dry, and thrice a day again she belches them all
up; but when she is drinking, come not nigh, for, being once caught, the
force of Neptune cannot redeem you from her swallow. Better trust to
Scylla, for she will but have for her six necks six men: Charybdis in her
insatiate draught will ask all."

Then Ulysses inquired, in case he should escape Charybdis, whether he
might not assail that other monster with his sword; to which she replied
that he must not think that he had an enemy subject to death, or wounds,
to contend with, for Scylla could never die. Therefore, his best safety
was in flight, and to invoke none of the gods but Gratis, who is Scylla's
mother, and might perhaps forbid her daughter to devour them. For his
conduct after he arrived at Trinacria she referred him to the admonitions
which had been given him by Tiresias.

Ulysses having communicated her instructions, as far as related to the
Sirens, to his companions, who had not been present at that interview--but
concealing from them the rest, as he had done the terrible predictions of
Tiresias, that they might not be deterred by fear from pursuing their
voyage--the time for departure being come, they set their sails, and took
a final leave of great Circe; who by her art calmed the heavens, and gave
them smooth seas, and a right forewind (the seaman's friend) to bear them
on their way to Ithaca.

They had not sailed past a hundred leagues before the breeze which Circe
had lent them suddenly stopped. It was stricken dead. All the sea lay in
prostrate slumber. Not a gasp of air could be felt. The ship stood still.
Ulysses guessed that the island of the Sirens was not far off, and that
they had charmed the air so with their devilish singing. Therefore he made
him cakes of wax, as Circe had instructed him, and stopped the ears of his