that time the
wind died down in the dark night; so they furled the sails and lowered
the tall mast and vigorously plied their polished oars all night and
through the day, and again when the next night came on. And rugged
Carpathus far away welcomed them; and thence they were to cross to
Crete, which rises in the sea above other islands.

(ll. 1638-1653) And Talos, the man of bronze, as he broke off rocks from
the hard cliff, stayed them from fastening hawsers to the shore, when
they came to the roadstead of Dicte's haven. He was of the stock of
bronze, of the men sprung from ash-trees, the last left among the sons
of the gods; and the son of Cronos gave him to Europa to be the warder
of Crete and to stride round the island thrice a day with his feet of
bronze. Now in all the rest of his body and limbs was he fashioned
of bronze and invulnerable; but beneath the sinew by his ankle was a
blood-red vein; and this, with its issues of life and death, was covered
by a thin skin. So the heroes, though outworn with toil, quickly backed
their ship from the land in sore dismay. And now far from Crete would
they have been borne in wretched plight, distressed both by thirst and
pain, had not Medea addressed them as they turned away:

(ll. 1654-1658) "Hearken to me. For I deem that I alone can subdue
for you that man, whoever he be, even though his frame be of bronze
throughout, unless his life too is everlasting. But be ready to keep
your ship here beyond the cast of his stones, till he yield the victory
to me."

(ll. 1659-1672) Thus she spake; and they drew the ship out of range,
resting on their oars, waiting to see what plan unlooked for she would
bring to pass; and she, holding the fold of her purple robe over her
cheeks on each side, mounted on the deck; and Aeson's son took her hand
in his and guided her way along the thwarts. And with songs did she
propitiate and invoke the Death-spirits, devourers of life, the swift
hounds of Hades, who, hovering through all the air, swoop down on the
living. Kneeling in supplication, thrice she called on them with songs,
and thrice with prayers; and, shaping her soul to mischief, with her
hostile glance she bewitched the eyes of Talos, the man of bronze; and
her teeth gnashed bitter wrath against him, and she sent forth baneful
phantoms in the frenzy of her rage.

(ll. 1673-1693) Father Zeus, surely great wonder rises in my mind,
seeing that dire destruction meets us not from disease a