res from hard by, leaving the fountain Hypereis, and out of
Messena Amythaon, and quickly came Admetos and Melampos to welcome
home their cousin. And at a common feast with gracious words Jason
received them and made them friendly cheer, culling for five long
nights and days the sacred flower of joyous life.

But on the sixth day he began grave speech, and set the whole matter
before his kinsmen from the beginning, and they were of one mind with
him.

Then quickly he rose up with them from their couches, and they came to
Pelias' hall, and they made haste and entered and stood within.

And when he heard them the king himself came forth to them, even the
son of Tyro of the lovely hair. Then Jason with gentle voice opened on
him the stream of his soft speech, and laid foundation of wise words:
'Son of Poseidon of the Rock, too ready are the minds of mortal men to
choose a guileful gain rather than righteousness, howbeit they travel
ever to a stern reckoning. But thee and me it behoveth to give law
to our desires, and to devise weal for the time to come. Though
thou knowest it yet will I tell thee, how that the same mother bare
Kretheus and rash Salmoneus, and in the third generation we again were
begotten and look upon the strength of the golden sun. Now if there
be enmity between kin, the Fates stand aloof and would fain hide the
shame. Not with bronze-edged swords nor with javelins doth it beseem
us twain to divide our forefathers' great honour, nor needeth it,
for lo! all sheep and tawny herds of kine I yield, and all the lands
whereon thou feedest them, the spoil of my sires wherewith thou makest
fat thy wealth. That these things furnish forth thy house moveth me
not greatly; but for the kingly sceptre and throne whereon the son of
Kretheus sate of old and dealt justice to his chivalry, these without
wrath between us yield to me, lest some new evil arise up therefrom.'

Thus he spake, and mildly also did Pelias make reply: 'I will be even
as thou wilt, but now the sere of life alone remaineth to me, whereas
the flower of thy youth is but just burgeoning; thou art able to take
away the sin that maketh the powers beneath the earth wroth with us:
for Phrixos biddeth us lay his ghost, and that we go to the house of
Aietes, and bring thence the thick-fleeced hide of the ram, whereby of
old he was delivered from the deep and from the impious weapons of his
stepmother. This message cometh to me in the voice of a strange dr