a river that rises in the extreme north, where Night
herself has her habitation. And voyaging up this river they came to the
Stormy Lakes. A mist lay upon the lakes night and day; voyaging through
them the Argonauts at last brought out their ship upon the Sea of
Ausonia.

It was Zetes and Calais, the sons of the North Wind, who brought the
Argo safely along this dangerous course. And to Zetes and Calais Iris,
the messenger of the gods, appeared and revealed to them where Circe's
island lay.

Deep blue water was all around that island, and on its height a marble
house was to be seen. But a strange haze covered everything as with a
veil. As the Argonauts came near they saw what looked to them like
great dragonflies; they came down to the shore, and then the heroes saw
that they were maidens in gleaming dresses.

The maidens waved their hands to the voyagers, calling them to come on
the island. Strange beasts came up to where the maidens were and made
whimpering cries.

The Argonauts would have drawn the ship close and would have sprung
upon the island only that Medea cried out to them. She showed them the
beasts that whimpered around the maidens, and then, as the Argonauts
looked upon them, they saw that these were not beasts of the wild.
There was something strange and fearful about them; the heroes gazed
upon them with troubled eyes. They brought the ship near, but they
stayed upon their benches, holding the oars in their hands.

Medea sprang to the island; she spoke to the maidens so that they
shrank away; then the beasts came and whimpered around her. "Forbear to
land here, O Argonauts," Medea cried, "for this is the island where men
are changed into beasts." She called to Jason to come; only Jason would
she have come upon the island.

They went swiftly toward the marble house, and the beasts followed
them, looking up at Jason and Medea with pitiful human eyes. They went
into the marble house of Circe, and as suppliants they seated
themselves at the hearth.

Circe stood at her loom, weaving her many-colored threads. Swiftly she
turned to the suppliants; she looked for something strange in them, for
just before they came the walls of her house dripped with blood and the
flame ran over and into her pot, burning up all the magic herbs she was
brewing. She went toward where they sat, Medea with her face hidden by
her hands, and Jason, with his head bent,--holding with its point in
the ground the sword with which