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With hideous din; and by each other's hand,
Pierc'd thro' with spears, they sunk, along the land.
Like oaks, uprooted by the whirlwind's sway, 1981
Or mountain pines o'erturn'd in ranks, they lay.-
As shoots a star portentous to mankind,
And falling draws a train of light behind;
So bright, at once, and terrible to view,
The youthful warrior on the giants flew.
The naked falchion lighten'd in his hand;
And wounds promiscuous fell'd the rising band.
Some, half ascended into life he found;

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Some, to the breast yet struggling in the ground; 1990
Some, newly freed stood upright on the soil.
Some, forward rush'd, to claim the martial toil.
As when a land becomes the seat of war,
The farmer marks the foe's approach from far;
And lest the spoilers should possess the grain,
Anticipates the harvest of the plain;
The curving sickle newly-edg'd he bears,
And o'er the furrows fall th' unripen'd ears;
He bears the corn, with fearful haste, away,
Ere yet it's tinge bespeaks the solar ray;
Dire harvest, Jason reap'd that earth-born brood;
And all th' o'erflowing furrows boil'd with blood.
Swell'd by continual rains, as torrents spread,
Despise their banks, and inundate the mead.-
In various postures they resign'd their breath,
And grim and diverse were the forms of death.-
Some bit th' empurpled earth, and prostrate lay;
Some backward fell, and breath'd their souls away;
Some lean'd half-rais'd, and panted to the wind;
Some sidelong writh'd, in agonies reclin'd;
Then, sunk, extended in eternal sleep;
Like mighty whales, that slumber o'er the deep.
Entangled some, fast rooted in the ground,
With head inclining droop'd beneath the wound;

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High as erewhile to Heav'n they rear'd the crest,
So low they sunk, with damps of death opprest;
Thus youthful plants, surcharg'd with storm and rain,
Hang their moist heads, and languish to the plain,
Bent from the roots; the gardener, in despair,
Surveys the prostrate offspring of his care;
And weeps his toils defrauded of their

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scope, The pride of autumn lost, Pomona's ravish'd hope.Such grief and rage the monarch's bosom knew, As o'er th' expiring train he cast his view. He sought the city, with the Colchian throng, Resolving vengeance, as he mov'd along.The second conflict with the day was clos'd. The sun declin'd, and all the train repos'd.

THE END OF THE THIRD BOOK.

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BOOK THE FOURTH

ARGUMENT.

Eetes begins to suspect, that his daughters, particularly Medea, must have had some share, in the unexpected success of Jason.He calls a council of his confidential friends, by night.-Modea is alarmed, and dreads the vengeance of her father.- Her first thoughts, on the occasion, lead her to end her life by poison.Through the influence of Juno, she 'resolves, after a conflict between love and fear, and the sense of duty, to fly from Colchos, with the Argonauts, She leaves the city, by night, and joins Jason and his companions, at the ship.Their meeting described. The fleece of gold.—The dragon that guarded it described. ·Jason is aided by Medea, lalls the latter to rest, and gains possession of the former.Medea sails with the adventurers for Greece. -Metes pursues them.--The Argonauts, having crost the Euxine sea, sail up the Ister.-Absyrtus, the brother of Medea, is murdered, through the contrivance of that princess, and the treachery of Jason. The pollution, induced by this act of cruelty, is expiated by Circe, at whose island the Minya land.Thetis and her nymphs conduct the vessel through the straits of Scylla, and Charybdis.—The Argonauts sail past the islands of the Sirens, from whose enchantments they are preserved by Orpheus.

-At Corcyra, they encounter the Colebians, who pursued them through the Symplegades The Colchians importune Alvinous, king of the island, to deliver up Medea to them, that they may restore her to

her father. The monarch consents to send her back to her father, provided she is yet unmarried; declaring, at the same time, that, if she is already united to Fason, he will not part man and wife: by the contrivance of Arete, wife to Alcinous, the nuptials of Medea and Jason are immediately celebrated; and Alcinous protects the lovers.-The Argonauts again put to sea; and are driven, on the quicksands of Africa; where they are in danger of perishing.They are extricated from the present distress, by the tutelary deities of the country.. -The Minya bear the vessel on their shoulders to the lake Tritonis.The Hesperides, whom they find bewailing the loss of their dragon, slain the preceding day by Hercules, give them some tidings of that hero. Fruitless attempt to overtake him.-Death of Canthus, and of Mopsus.--Triton appears.His figure particularly described. He gives the heroes information and directions respecting the remainder of their voyage.— The Argonauts pass near Crete.-Marvellous adventure and death of Talus.-At Hippuris, the adventurers sacrifice to Phebus, who, standing on the top of a hill, enlightens their way.A clod of earth, which had been given to Euphemus by Triton, is thrown into the sea, and becomes an island, named Calliste.-The Minya anchor at the island of Ægina, where they water, and, loosing from thence, arrive, without further interruption, on the coast of Thessaly.

YET once again I court the muses' aid.-
The toils, the 'counsels, of the Colchian maid
Demand the song.O virgin child of Jove,
Doubt and confusion from my soul remove.—
Decide the theme-what ills from fate she bore→→→→
Her flight immodest from the native shore-

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