n their hands, to give light all night to the guests. And
round the house sat fifty maid servants, some grinding the meal in the
mill, some turning the spindle, some weaving at the loom, while their
hands twinkled as they passed the shuttle, like quivering aspen leaves.

And outside before the palace a great garden was walled round, filled
full of stately fruit trees, with olives and sweet figs, and
pomegranates, pears, and apples, which bore the whole year round. For
the rich southwest wind fed them, till pear grew ripe on pear, fig on
fig, and grape on grape, all the winter and the spring. And at the
further end gay flower beds bloomed through all seasons of the year; and
two fair fountains rose, and ran, one through the garden grounds, and
one beneath the palace gate, to water all the town. Such noble gifts the
heavens had given to Alcinous the wise.

So they went in, and saw him sitting, like Poseidon, on his throne, with
his golden sceptre by him, in garments stiff with gold, and in his hand
a sculptured goblet, as he pledged the merchant kings; and beside him
stood Arete, his wise and lovely queen, and leaned against a pillar, as
she spun her golden threads.

Then Alcinous rose, and welcomed them, and bade them sit and eat; and
the servants brought them tables, and bread, and meat, and wine.

But Medeia went on trembling toward Arete, the fair queen, and fell at
her knees, and clasped them, and cried weeping as she knelt:

"I am your guest, fair queen, and I entreat you be Zeus from whom
prayers come. Do not send me back to my father, to die some dreadful
death; but let me go my way, and bear my burden. Have I not had enough
of punishment and shame?"

"Who are you, strange maiden? and what is the meaning of your prayer?"

"I am Medeia, daughter of Aietes, and I saw my countrymen here to-day;
and I know that they are come to find me, and take me home to die some
dreadful death."

Then Arete frowned, and said: "Lead this girl in, my maidens; and let
the kings decide, not I."

And Alcinous leapt up from his throne, and cried, "Speak, strangers, who
are you? And who is this maiden?"

"We are the heroes of the Minuai," said Jason; "and this maiden has
spoken truth. We are the men who took the golden fleece, the men whose
fame has run round every shore. We came hither out of the ocean, after
sorrows such as man never saw before. We went out many, and come back
few, for many a noble comrade have we lost. So le