And kindred people.-'Mid the gloom of night,
With thirst of vengeance fill'd, and stern despite,
The king convok'd the chieftains of his land,
Within the palace, an afflicted band.
His meditations on the conflicts dwell,
And black suspicions on his daughters fell.
Then, Juno struck the royal maid with fear;
She trembled, like the young and timid deer,
Which opening hounds with loud alarm o'ertake,
In deep recesses of the tangled brake.-
She deems the secret to her father known;
And every shape of misery her own.
Her conscious maidens wake foreboding fears.
Fire fill'd her eyes, and tingling sounds her ears.
Dire were the shrieks of anguish and despair.
She smote her breast, she rent her flowing hair.
In poison had she sought relief from pain,
And render'd the designs of Juno vain.
But pow'r divine her changeful purpose bore,
With Phryxus' offspring to forsake the shore.
A dawning hope her rapid thoughts embrac'd.--
Drawn from the casket, in her breast she plac'd
The magic hoard of drugs.-She kist her bed,
And parting tears with eager passion shed.
Her fond embraces both the door-posts clasp'd;
And all around th' accustom'd walls she grasp'd;-
A token, then, to the maternal fair,

Tore from her beauteous head a tress of hair,
Sad, sad memorial of her virgin hours,
Offering to duty's violated pow'rs.-

She calls her mother's name, with heartfelt sighs. "And oh farewell, my parent dear, (she cries) "Far, when I fly, may health and peace be thine, "This lock alone remain, of what was mine."Farewell, my sister; farewell household train; "Farewell the parent walls, the native plain.

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"Had billows circled o'er that stranger's head, "Ere to these shores in evil hour he sped! "Bane of my virtue!"-Thus, her grief she

told,

While bursting tears in ceaseless torrents roll'd.
When cruel fate bids some fair captive roam,
Reluctant slow she leaves her splendid home;
To grief unbroken, new to pain and toil,
She goes to meet them, on a distant soil;
In soft indulgence nurst, the darling child,
Of pride parental, and affection mild;
Sad change, to prove on some ungenial land,
The task degrading, and the stern command;
Thus, driven by tyrant love, and fortune's hate,
The royal virgin goes to meet her fate.

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The bolts and bars obey the magic song; And ope spontaneous, as she past along. Th' expanded barriers own'd inchanted sway. Thro' narrow paths she took her stealthy way. Her feet are naked; on her gracious brows, And blooming cheek, the veil her left hand throws. The border of her robe the right sustains, With darkling pace the city wall she gains. Thro' the vast city borne in wild affright, No warder from the turrets mark'd her flight. To seek the fane her eager thoughts were bent, By paths frequented oft with dire intent. Where slept the dead within the heaving ground, And noxious herbs, and potent drugs, were found. 70 Here had she sought materials for her charms, And torn the lingering roots replete with harms, As now she wander'd, thro' the confines drear, Her conscious bosom throbb'd, with guilty fear. The Goddess of the silver crescent rose; And look'd complacent on her frantic woes,

An object meet, to justify her love.

"What tho' (she said) to Latmian* caves I rove. "Not unexampled in my wild desire,

"I seek Endymion, with incessant fire.

"Thou too, enchantress, of undaunted breast, "Thou bold intruder on Diana's rest,

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"Whose guilty tongue renew'd th' insidious strain,
"To wake the feelings of my am'rous pain,
"That Cynthia might withdraw her sacred light,
"And free to magic leave the murky night,
"That mutter'd spells might uncontrouled prevail,
"And corses rise beneath the glimpses pale,
"Wretch, thou hast prov'd th' inevitable hour;
“Thy harden'd nature bows to Cupid's power;
"The god, the god, has wing'd his burning dart,
"And Jason's image revels in thy heart.-
"Go-dext'rous, as thou art, in spells and charms,
"Redeem thy soul, from these delicious harms.
"Go-if thou canst the fatal pangs avoid,
"That gods torment, and mortals have destroy'd."
Each nerve in flight, meantime, the virgin strain❜d.
Oh, with what joy the river's bank she gain'd!
Led, by the fires, that, thro' the festive night,
Gleam'd clear, in honour of the prosp'rous fight. 109
As round the flame the gallant train rejoice,
Roll'd thro' the gloom, they hear a plaintive voice.
For, as Medea climb'd the rising ground,

On Phrontis' name she call'd, with shrilly sound,
Of Phryxus youngest born; thro' darkness drear,
The well-known accents vibrate on his ear.-
His brothers knew the voice; and Jason knew;
Then, silent wonder seis'd the youthful crew,

* The caves of mount Latmus, where she was fabled to have met Endymion,

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Thrice call'd the princess.-Urg'd by all the crowd, The son of Phryxus answer'd thrice aloud. Nor yet their halsers on the bank were laid; With eager oars they press to reach the maid. From the high deck the youthful leader darts; With all the fire, that sanguine hope imparts. With Argus, Phrontis, springing to the shore, The kindred mourner thro' the gloom explore. The brothers stood th' afflicted maid beside. She clasp'd their knees; and supplicating cried."Save me, lov'd youths; preserve yourselves and me, "From stern Æetes, and perdition free."All is betray'd.—No hope for us remains, "Save in some vessel, and the watʼry plains."Swift let us fly, ere he ascends his car, "With rapid steeds to chace us from afar."The golden fleece, fruit of my bounty, take. "My philtres shall subdue that watchful snake."But, stranger, raise to Heav'n thy pious hand; "And join the gods to this assembled band."Call them, in witness of thy plighted word."Bid them, thy oaths, thy promises record. "Should I for thee forsake my friends and home, "For thee to distant climes an exile roam. "Swear, thou wilt not such confidence betray; "Thou wilt not leave me, to contempt a prey.— "Swear, that of kindred, home, and friends bereft, "I shall not be a wretched outcast left."

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Plaintive she spoke, while piteous tears distill'd; But secret joy the soul of Jason fill'd.— He gently rais'd her, as his knees she grasp'd; And, soothing mild, in fond embraces clasp'd. 140 "Hear me, my fairest.—In this awful hour, "I call on Jove, and every heav'nly pow'r; "On Juno chief, the spouse of ruling Jove, "The sacred arbitress of wedded love.

"Within my

native home thou shalt preside.

"Queen of my heart, my darling, and my bride."-
Then, for assurance of the mutual breast,

The virgin's hand, with plighted hand, he prest.
Now, were the train admonish'd by the maid,
To ply their oars, and gain the sacred shade;
And thence by nightly stealth the fleece convey,
Ere stern Eetes should their course delay.
The train obey, by hopes and fears impell'd.
Their ship they enter'd, and their oars they held.
They push'd from land, incumbent on their oars.
Their clamours echoed, thro' the winding shores.

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Then, turning towards the plain, th' afflicted fair Stretch'd forth her beauteous hands, in mute despair. --Now, had she rush'd, a watʼry death to find, But Jason sooth'd her agonizing mind; And gentle force her frantic will restrain'd. And now the ship th' appointed station gain'd. What time the wakeful hunters ope their eyes; And call their dogs; and to the chace arise; Whose early sports anticipate the morn; And rouse the covert with the hound and horn; Ere from the dewy ground the solar ray Drinks the light traces, and the scent away; The youthful leader, with his virgin guide,

Debark'd upon

the river's grassy side. There, where the fabled ram with toil opprest, First reach'd the strand, and bending sunk to rest;

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When o'er the sounding waves, from shore to shore, The wandering son of Athamas he bore.

And near, with smoky base, an altar stood,

That Phryxus rear'd, retiring from the flood,

To Jove, the stranger's friend, whose guardian might
Protects the suffering exile, in his flight;

And there, obedient to what Hermes told,
He offer'd up the ram, with fleece of gold.

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