his breast, and spoke mildly a cunning speech -

'If you will fight for the fleece with my Colchians, then
many a man must die. But do you indeed expect to win from me

the fleece in fight? So few you are that if you be worsted I
can load your ship with your corpses. But if you will be

ruled by me, you will find it better far to choose the best
man among you, and let him fulfil the labours which I demand.

Then I will give him the golden fleece for a prize and a
glory to you all.'

So saying, he turned his horses and drove back in silence to
the town. And the Minuai sat silent with sorrow, and longed

for Heracles and his strength; for there was no facing the
thousands of the Colchians and the fearful chance of war.

But Chalciope, Phrixus' widow, went weeping to the town; for
she remembered her Minuan husband, and all the pleasures of

her youth, while she watched the fair faces of his kinsmen,
and their long locks of golden hair. And she whispered to

Medeia her sister, 'Why should all these brave men die? why
does not my father give them up the fleece, that my husband's

spirit may have rest?'
And Medeia's heart pitied the heroes, and Jason most of all;

and she answered, 'Our father is stern and terrible, and who
can win the golden fleece?' But Chalciope said, 'These men

are not like our men; there is nothing which they cannot dare
nor do.'

And Medeia thought of Jason and his brave countenance, and
said, 'If there was one among them who knew no fear, I could

show him how to win the fleece.'
So in the dusk of evening they went down to the river-side,

Chalciope and Medeia the witch-maiden, and Argus, Phrixus'
son. And Argus the boy crept forward, among the beds of

reeds, till he came where the heroes were sleeping, on the
thwarts of the ship, beneath the bank, while Jason kept ward

on shore, and leant upon his lance full of thought. And the
boy came to Jason, and said -

'I am the son of Phrixus, your Cousin; and Chalciope my
mother waits for you, to talk about the golden fleece.'

Then Jason went boldly with the boy, and found the two
princesses standing; and when Chalciope saw him she wept, and

took his hands, and cried - 'O cousin of my beloved, go home
before you die!'

'It would be base to go home now, fair princess, and to have
sailed all these seas in vain.' Then both the princesses

besought him; but Jason said, 'It is too late.'
'But you know not,' said Medeia, 'what he must do who would

win the fleece. He must tame the two brazen-footed bulls,
who breathe devouring flame; and with them he must plough ere

nightfall four acres in the field of Ares; and he must sow
them with serpents' teeth, of which each tooth springs up

into an armed man. Then he must fight with all those
warriors; and little will it profit him to conquer them, for

the fleece is guarded by a serpent, more huge than any
mountain pine; and over his body you must step if you would

reach the golden fleece.'
Then Jason laughed bitterly. 'Unjustly is that fleece kept

here, and by an unjust and lawless king; and unjustly shall I
die in my youth, for I will attempt it ere another sun be

set.'
Then Medeia trembled, and said, 'No mortal man can reach that

fleece unless I guide him through. For round it, beyond the
river, is a wall full nine ells high, with lofty towers and

buttresses, and mighty gates of threefold brass; and over the
gates the wall is arched, with golden battlements above. And

over the gateway sits Brimo, the wild witch-huntress of the
woods, brandishing a pine-torch in her hands, while her mad

hounds howl around. No man dare meet her or look on her, but
only I her priestess, and she watches far and wide lest any

stranger should come near.'
'No wall so high but it may be climbed at last, and no wood

so thick but it may be crawled through; no serpent so wary
but he may be charmed, or witch-queen so fierce but spells

may soothe her; and I may yet win the golden fleece, if a
wise maiden help bold men.'

And he looked at Medeia cunningly, and held her with his
glittering eye, till she blushed and trembled, and said -

'Who can face the fire of the bulls' breath, and fight ten
thousand armed men?'

'He whom you help,' said Jason, flattering her, 'for your
fame is spread over all the earth. Are you not the queen of

all enchantresses, wiser even than your sister Circe, in her
fairy island in the West?'

'Would that I were with my sister Circe in her fairy island
in the West, far away from sore temptation and thoughts which

tear the heart! But if it must be so - for why should you
die? - I have an ointment here; I made it from the magic ice-

flower which sprang from Prometheus' wound, above the clouds
on Caucasus, in the dreary fields of snow. Anoint yourself

with that, and you shall have in you seven men's strength;
and anoint your shield with it, and neither fire nor sword

can harm you. But what you begin you must end before sunset,
for its virtue lasts only one day. And anoint your helmet

with it before you sow the serpents' teeth; and when the sons
of earth spring up, cast your helmet among their ranks, and

the deadly crop of the War-god's field will mow itself, and
perish.'

Then Jason fell on his knees before her, and thanked her and
kissed her hands; and she gave him the vase of ointment, and

fled trembling through the reeds. And Jason told his
comrades what had happened, and showed them the box of

ointment; and all rejoiced but Idas, and he grew mad with
envy.

And at sunrise Jason went and bathed, and anointed himself
from head to foot, and his shield, and his helmet, and his

weapons, and bade his comrades try the spell. So they tried
to bend his lance, but it stood like an iron bar; and Idas in

spite hewed at it with his sword, but the blade flew to
splinters in his face. Then they hurled their lances at his

shield, but the spear-points turned like lead; and Caineus
tried to throw him, but he never stirred a foot; and

Polydeuces struck him with his fist a blow which would have
killed an ox, but Jason only smiled, and the heroes danced

about him with delight; and he leapt, and ran, and shouted in
the joy of that enormous strength, till the sun rose, and it

was time to go and to claim Aietes' promise.
So he sent up Telamon and Aithalides to tell Aietes that he

was ready for the fight; and they went up among the marble
walls, and beneath the roofs of gold, and stood in Aietes'

hall, while he grew pale with rage.
'Fulfil your promise to us, child of the blazing Sun. Give

us the serpents' teeth, and let loose the fiery bulls; for we
have found a champion among us who can win the golden

fleece.'
And Aietes bit his lips, for he fancied that they had fled

away by night: but he could not go back from his promise; so
he gave them the serpents' teeth.

Then he called for his chariot and his horses, and sent
heralds through all the town; and all the people went out

with him to the dreadful War-god's field.
And there Aietes sat upon his throne, with his warriors on

each hand, thousands and tens of thousands, clothed from head
to foot in steel chain-mail. And the people and the women

crowded to every window and bank and wall; while the Minuai
stood together, a mere handful in the midst of that great

host.
And Chalciope was there and Argus, trembling, and Medeia,

wrapped closely in her veil; but Aietes did not know that she
was muttering cunning spells between her lips.

Then Jason cried, 'Fulfil your promise, and let your fiery
bulls come forth.'

Then Aietes bade open the gates, and the magic bulls leapt
out. Their brazen hoofs rang upon the ground, and their

nostrils sent out sheets of flame, as they rushed with
lowered heads upon Jason; but he never flinched a step. The

flame of their breath swept round him, but it singed not a
hair of his head; and the bulls stopped short and trembled

when Medeia began her spell.
Then Jason sprang upon the nearest and seized him by the

horn; and up and down they wrestled, till the bull fell
grovelling on his knees; for the heart of the brute died

within him, and his mighty limbs were loosed, beneath the
steadfast eye of that dark witch-maiden and the magic whisper

of her lips.
So both the bulls were tamed and yoked; and Jason bound them

to the plough, and goaded them onward with his lance till he
had ploughed the sacred field.

And all the Minuai shouted; but Aietes bit his lips with
rage, for the half of Jason's work was over, and the sun was

yet high in heaven.
Then he took the serpents' teeth and sowed them, and waited

what would befall. But Medeia looked at him and at his
helmet, lest he should forget the lesson she had taught.

And every furrow heaved and bubbled, and out of every clod
arose a man. Out of the earth they rose by thousands, each

clad from head to foot in steel, and drew their swords and
rushed on Jason, where he stood in the midst alone.

Then the Minuai grew pale with fear for him; but Aietes
laughed a bitter laugh. 'See! if I had not warriors enough

already round me, I could call them out of the bosom of the
earth.'

But Jason snatched off his helmet, and hurled it into the
thickest of the throng. And blind madness came upon them,

suspicion, hate, and fear; and one cried to his fellow, 'Thou
didst strike me!' and another, 'Thou art Jason; thou shalt

die!' So fury seized those earth-born phantoms, and each
turned his hand against the rest; and they fought and were

never weary, till they all lay dead upon the ground. Then
the magic furrows opened, and the kind earth took them home

into her breast and the grass grew up all green again above
them, and Jason's work was done.

Then the Minuai rose and shouted, till Prometheus heard them
from his crag. And Jason cried, 'Lead me to the fleece this

moment, before the sun goes down.'
But Aietes thought, 'He has conquered the bulls, and sown and

reaped the deadly crop. Who is this who is proof against all
magic? He may kill the serpent yet.' So he delayed, and sat

taking counsel with his princes till the sun went down and
all was dark. Then he bade a herald cry, 'Every man to his

home for to-night. To-morrow we will meet these heroes, and
speak about the golden fleece.'

Then he turned and looked at Medeia. 'This is your doing,
false witch-maid! You have helped these yellow-haired

strangers, and brought shame upon your father and yourself!'
Medeia shrank and trembled, and her face grew pale with fear;

and Aietes knew that she was guilty, and whispered, 'If they
win the fleece, you die!'

But the Minuai marched toward their ship, growling like lions
cheated of their prey; for they saw that Aietes meant to mock

them, and to cheat them out of all their toil. And Oileus
said, 'Let us go to the grove together, and take the fleece

by force.'
And Idas the rash cried, 'Let us draw lots who shall go in

first; for, while the dragon is devouring one, the rest can
slay him and carry off the fleece in peace.' But Jason held

them back, though he praised them; for he hoped for Medeia's
help.

And after awhile Medeia came trembling, and wept a long while
before she spoke. And at last -

'My end is come, and I must die; for my father has found out
that I have helped you. You he would kill if he dared; but

he will not harm you, because you have been his guests. Go
then, go, and remember poor Medeia when you are far away

across the sea.' But all the heroes cried -
'If you die, we die with you; for without you we cannot win

the fleece, and home we will not go without it, but fall here
fighting to the last man.'

'You need not die,' said Jason. 'Flee home with us across
the sea. Show us first how to win the fleece; for you can do

it. Why else are you the priestess of the grove? Show us
but how to win the fleece, and come with us, and you shall be

my queen, and rule over the rich princes of the Minuai, in
Iolcos by the sea.'

And all the heroes pressed round, and vowed to her that she
should be their queen.

Medeia wept, and shuddered, and hid her face in her hands;
for her heart yearned after her sisters and her playfellows,

and the home where she was brought up as a child. But at
last she looked up at Jason, and spoke between her sobs -

'Must I leave my home and my people, to wander with strangers
across the sea? The lot is cast, and I must endure it. I

will show you how to win the golden fleece. Bring up your
ship to the wood-side, and moor her there against the bank;

and let Jason come up at midnight, and one brave comrade with
him, and meet me beneath the wall.'