the hero straightway soothed their pain,
encouraging them, and bade the thralls take up his weapons for war; and
they in silence with downcast looks took them up. And even as the mother
had thrown her arms about her son, so she clung, weeping without stint,
as a maiden all alone weeps, falling fondly on the neck of her hoary
nurse, a maid who has now no others to care for her, but she drags on a
weary life under a stepmother, who maltreats her continually with ever
fresh insults, and as she weeps, her heart within her is bound fast with
misery, nor can she sob forth all the groans that struggle for
utterance; so without stint wept Alcimede straining her son in her arms,
and in her yearning grief spake as follows:

"Would that on that day when, wretched woman that I am, I heard King
Pelias proclaim his evil behest, I had straightway given up my life and
forgotten my cares, so that thou thyself, my son, with thine own hands,
mightest have buried me; for that was the only wish left me still to be
fulfilled by thee, all the other rewards for thy nurture have I long
enjoyed. Now I, once so admired among Achaean women, shall be left
behind like a bondwoman in my empty halls, pining away, ill-fated one,
for love of thee, thee on whose account I had aforetime so much splendour
and renown, my only son for whom I loosed my virgin zone first and last.
For to me beyond others the goddess Eileithyia grudged abundant
offspring. Alas for my folly! Not once, not even in my dreams did I
forebode this, that the flight of Phrixus would bring me woe."

Thus with moaning she wept, and her handmaidens, standing by, lamented;
but Jason spake gently to her with comforting words:

"Do not, I pray thee, mother, store up bitter sorrows overmuch, for thou
wilt not redeem me from evil by tears, but wilt still add grief to
grief. For unseen are the woes that the gods mete out to mortals; be
strong to endure thy share of them though with grief in thy heart; take
courage from the promises of Athena, and from the answers of the gods
(for very favourable oracles has Phoebus given), and then from the help
of the chieftains. But do thou remain here, quiet among thy handmaids,
and be not a bird of ill omen to the ship; and thither my clansmen and
thralls will follow me."

He spake, and started forth to leave the house. And as Apollo goes forth
from some fragrant shrine to divine Delos or Claros or Pytho or to broad
Lycia near the stream of Xanthus, in s