THE STORY OF THE VENGEANCE OF MEDEA.


Jason, being of right the prince of Iolcos in the land of Thessaly, came
back to his kingdom. But Pelias, who had now for many years taken it for
himself, spake him fair, and persuaded him that he should go on some
adventure, and find glory and renown for himself, and so return; and he
sware that afterwards he would peaceably give up the kingdom. Now in the
land of Colchis, which lieth to the east of the sea which men call the
Hospitable Sea, there was kept a great treasure, even the fleece of a
great ram, which had been sacrificed there in time past. A marvellous
beast was this ram, for it had flown through the air to Colchis from the
land of Greece; and its fleece was of pure gold. So Jason gathered
together many valiant men, sons of gods and heroes, such as were
Hercules the son of Zeus, and Castor and Pollux, the twin brethren, and
Calaïs and Zethus, that were sons to the North Wind, and Orpheus, that
was the sweetest singer of all the dwellers upon earth. And they built
for themselves a ship, and called its name the Argo, and so set sail,
that they might bring back the fleece of gold to the land of Greece, to
which, indeed, it rightfully belonged. Now when Jason and his fellows
were come to Colchis, they asked the fleece of the king of the country.
And he said that he would give it to them; only Jason must first yoke
certain bulls that breathed fire from their nostrils, and slay a great
dragon. But the Princess Medea saw Jason, and loved him, and purposed in
her heart that she would help him. And being a great witch, and knowing
all manner of drugs and enchantments, she gave him an ointment which
kept all that anointed themselves with it so that they took no harm in