kincense dissolves, piled on the flames,
and the devoted victim falls, having its horns gilded. But AEson is not
among those congratulating, being now near death, and worn out with the
years of old age; when thus the son of AEson {addresses Medea}: "O wife,
to whom I confess that I owe my safety, although thou hast granted me
everything, and the sum of thy favors exceeds {all} belief; {still}, if
{thy enchantments} can effect this (and what can enchantments not
effect?), take away from my own years, and, when taken, add them to
{those of} my father."

And {thus saying}, he could not check his tears. She was moved with the
affection of the petitioner; and {her father}, AEetes, left behind,
recurred to her mind, unlike {that of Jason}; yet she did not confess
any such feelings. "What a piece of wickedness, husband," said she, "has
escaped thy affectionate lips! Can I, then, seem capable of transferring
to any one a portion of thy life? May Hecate not allow of this; nor dost
thou ask what is reasonable; but, Jason, I will endeavor to grant thee a
favor {still} greater than that which thou art asking. By my arts we
will endeavor to bring back the long years of my father-in-law, and not
by means of thy years; if the Goddess of the triple form[20] do but
assist, and propitiously aid {so} vast an undertaking." Three nights
were {now} wanting that the horns {of the Moon} might meet entirely, and
might form a {perfect} orb. After the Moon shone in her full, and looked
down upon the Earth, with her disk complete, {Medea} went forth from the
house, clothed in garments flowing loose, with bare feet,[21] and having
her unadorned hair hanging over her shoulders, and unattended, directed
her wandering steps through the still silence of midnight. Sound sleep
has {now} relaxed {the nerves of both} men, and birds, and beasts; the
hedges and the motionless foliage are still, without any noise, the dewy
air is still; the stars alone are twinkling; towards which, holding up
her arms, three times she turns herself about, three times she
besprinkles her hair with water taken from the stream; with three yells
she opens her mouth, and, her knee bending upon the hard ground, she
says, "O Night, most faithful to these my mysteries, and ye golden
Stars, who, with the Moon, succeed the fires of the day, and thou,
three-faced Hecate,[22] who comest conscious of my design, and ye charms
and arts of the enchanters, and thou, too, Earth, that dost furni