thou strike with thy shaft and charm the
daughter of Aeetes with love for Jason; and let there be no loitering.
For then my thanks would be the slighter."
(ll. 145-150) Thus she spake, and welcome were her words to the
listening boy. And he threw down all his toys, and eagerly seizing her
robe on this side and on that, clung to the goddess. And he implored
her to bestow the gift at once; but she, facing him with kindly words,
touched his cheeks, kissed him and drew him to her, and replied with a
smile:
(ll. 151-153) "Be witness now thy dear head and mine, that surely I will
give thee the gift and deceive thee not, if thou wilt strike with thy
shaft Aeetes' daughter."
(ll. 154-166) She spoke, and he gathered up his dice, and having
well counted them all threw them into his mother's gleaming lap. And
straightway with golden baldric he slung round him his quiver from where
it leant against a tree-trunk, and took up his curved bow. And he fared
forth through the fruitful orchard of the palace of Zeus. Then he passed
through the gates of Olympus high in air; hence is a downward path from
heaven; and the twin poles rear aloft steep mountain tops the highest
crests of earth, where the risen sun grows ruddy with his first beams.
And beneath him there appeared now the life-giving earth and cities of
men and sacred streams of rivers, and now in turn mountain peaks and the
ocean all around, as he swept through the vast expanse of air.
(ll. 167-193) Now the heroes apart in ambush, in a back-water of the
river, were met in council, sitting on the benches of their ship. And
Aeson's son himself was speaking among them; and they were listening
silently in their places sitting row upon row: "My friends, what pleases
myself that will I say out; it is for you to bring about its fulfilment.
For in common is our task, and common to all alike is the right of
speech; and he who in silence withholds his thought and his counsel, let
him know that it is he alone that bereaves this band of its home-return.
Do ye others rest here in the ship quietly with your arms; but I will
go to the palace of Aeetes, taking with me the sons of Phrixus and two
comrades as well. And when I meet him I will first make trial with
words to see if he will be willing to give up the golden fleece for
friendship's sake or not, but trusting to his might will set at nought
our quest. For so, learning his frowardness first from himself, we will
consider whether we s
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