e on them, Night that puts to
rest the works of men, and lulled all the earth to sleep; but to the
maid no sleep brought rest, but in her bosom her heart was wrung with
anguish. Even as when a toiling woman turns her spindle through the
night, and round her moan her orphan children, for she is a widow, and
down her cheeks fall the tears, as she bethinks her how dreary a lot
hath seized her; so Medea's cheeks were wet; and her heart within her
was in agony, pierced with sharp pain.

(ll. 1068-1072) Now within the palace in the city, as aforetime, lay
lordly Alcinous and Arete, the revered wife of Alcinous, and on their
couch through the night they were devising plans about the maiden; and
him, as her wedded husband, the wife addressed with loving words:

(ll. 1073-1095) "Yea, my friend, come, save the woe-stricken maid from
the Colchians and show grace to the Minyae. Argos is near our isle
and the men of Haemonia; but Aeetes dwells not near, nor do we know
of Aeetes one whit: we hear but his name; but this maiden of dread
suffering hath broken my heart by her prayers. O king, give her not
up to the Colchians to be borne back to her father's home. She was
distraught when first she gave him the drugs to charm the oxen; and
next, to cure one ill by another, as in our sinning we do often, she
fled from her haughty sire's heavy wrath. But Jason, as I hear, is bound
to her by mighty oaths that he will make her his wedded wife within his
halls. Wherefore, my friend, make not, of thy will, Aeson's son to be
forsworn, nor let the father, if thou canst help, work with angry heart
some intolerable mischief on his child. For fathers are all too jealous
against their children; what wrong did Nycteus devise against Antiope,
fair of face! What woes did Danae endure on the wide sea through her
sire's mad rage! Of late, and not far away, Echetus in wanton cruelty
thrust spikes of bronze in his daughter's eyes; and by a grievous fate
is she wasting away, grinding grains of bronze in a dungeon's gloom."

(ll. 1096-1097) Thus she spake, beseeching; and by his wife's words his
heart was softened, and thus he spake:

(ll. 1098-1109) "Arete, with arms I could drive forth the Colchians,
showing grace to the heroes for the maiden's sake. But I fear to set at
nought the righteous judgment of Zeus. Nor is it well to take no thought
of Aeetes, as thou sayest: for none is more lordly than Aeetes. And,
if he willed, he might bring war upon Hellas,