Some, for the bath capacious caldrons boil.- Thro' the clear air unseen, relentless love Came, like the fly, that mads the youthful drove. 380 And bends th' unerring bow with cruel hands. pent up fires it rag'd; and from that flanie, As when the toiling matron's frugal hand, And stores the hearth, with lurking seeds of light, 390 400 • 410 The various hue tumultuous passion speaks, And pale and red alternate, seise the cheeks. 420 Now had th' attendants spread the festive board; And lenient baths the weary limbs restor❜d.— When food and wine had chear'd th' expanding breast. The king his grandsons mildly thus addrest.— "Say, gentle offspring of my daughter's love, "To Phryxus, honour'd all my guests above; "What to these walls returns you?-choice? or force? "Say, did misfortune interrupt your course?— "Might counsels built on past experience sway, "Ne'er had your bark essay'd the weary way. "The space immense before your eyes I plac'd; "For, every shore, and distant gulf I trac❜d.— "Borne in the chariot, at my father's* side, "O'er many a clime I past; in circuit wide; "What time from Colchos, to Hesperia's shore, "The God of light my sister Circé bore. "Our wand'rings ended on the Tuscan strand. "There, yet she dwells, far from the Colchian land. "But, why should tales of other times detain?— "'Th' occurrence of the present hour explain. "Why, from the vessel ye are present here? "And who these men, that in your train Before his brothers Argus quick replies, While prudent fears for Jason's ship arise. In language mild he cloath'd his prudent thought, For riper years had more experience taught. 440 "Our ship asunder torn, by wind and wave; "Sole hope of refuge from the wat❜ry grave, "One precious plank, with anxious grasp, we keep; "That isle of Mars receiv'd us from the deep, uppear?" Buoy'd o'er the billows, by celestial care, "When shades of midnight blacken'd our despair. * Phebus 430 450 "—No more we found the birds of Mars; erewhile, "Nor cease their pangs, ere his return to Greece, 66 460 470 Sport of the winds, and scorn of every wave; "But, firm and tall, compact with timbers vast, "To ride the billows, and to dare the blast. "Alike contriv'd, with swelling oars, to fly, “And bending oars, that nervous rowers ply; "She bears collected all the prime and boast, "Of youthful heroes, from the Grecian coast."Far have they wander'd to the Colchian plain, "Thro' many a city, many a stormy main."If generous thoughts the precious fleece may yield"No force they meditate, no listed field."Supreme in all things shall thy pleasure sway; "And ample gifts for the possession pay. 480 "Their timely aid may quell the warlike kind, "Sauromata, that bear a rebel mind. 490 "Wouldst thou be told, from whence his lineage flows? "The race heroic shall my tongue disclose.— "This chief, whose cause convokes the brave and young, “Is son of Æson, and from Cretheus sprung, "The gallant Jason.-If we credit fame; "A common lineage, with the chief we claim. "Gretheus and Athamas the vital fire "Deriv'd from Æolus, a common sire; "Phryxus from Athamas.-His parent bright, "Augeas honours in the source of light; "And Telamon, allied to pow'rs above, "Thro' glorious Eacus, descends from Jove."The hero's followers all, of strain divine, "From deities deduce th' illustrious line.". As Argus ended, indignation fill'd 501 The monarch's soul; and storms of passion thrill'd. Reproach and fury all the band engage; His grandsons chief attract the burst of rage. For them he censur'd, as the guilty cause, That hateful visit from the strangers draws. Beneath his brows, his eye-balls darted fire."Hence, from my sight, ye caitiff brood retire. "Back, with your fables, and your wiles, to Greece; "Nor wait the fruits of Phryxus, and his fleece, "Bitter to you. Not for the fleece ye come.→→→ "My sceptre ye would seise; and regal dome.- 510 "My table ye have touch'd, with genial rite; "Or direful thanks intrusion should requite; "Tear out your tongues, and lop your arms away; "And send you forth a pageant of dismay; "A timely check, to wild attempts and lies; "A just reward of monstrous blasphemies." He spake infuriate-high disdain impell'd The son of Eacus; his bosom swell'd, 520 530 With indignation; and he had repaid "And, as our equals, seek the Colchian coast.- "But, prov'd in trial, I demand to see 540 "The daring man, who vies in force with me.- 550 "Now, to the test; and let experience show, "What tasks of peril I can undergo. "Two bulls upon the plains of Mars I tame, "With brazen hoofs, and mouth exhaling flame, |