and lilies, roved herds of beasts, wolves, lions, tigers, oxen, and the like, which
had once been human beings and whom she had transformed by her spells. The companions of Ulysses, feasting
and drinking her drugged wine while guests at her palace, were converted by her incantations into swine, but the
hero himself, forewarned by Mercury and provided by him with a supply of mystic herb called
moly, was proof against her sorcerey. His invulnerability, courage, and manly
beauty captivated the lovely witch, and for a year he remained her guest, when, having induced her,
out of her love for him, to disenchant his companions, he resumed his voyage.
Louis Chalon, the painter, is a native of Paris, and a pupil
of Jules Lefebvre and G. Boulanger.
The Blue Grotto, on the island of Capri, at the entrance to the Bay of Naples,
is one of the natural wonders of the world. It is a cavern which can be entered only from the sea,
whose interior is of magnificent proportions and a wonderful blue color, produced probably by the refraction
by the water of the sunlight outside. Thousands of visitors cross the bay from Naples
annually to visit the grotto, and the island itself is a favorite resort of artists, quite
a colony of whom have formed a permanent settlement there, many of them marrying girls of the country.
Jean Benner visited Capri while studying in Italy, and his
picture represents a country girl bathing in the Blue Grotto, which
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Chapter 9 Text
W. Thorne
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