s, and greeted him with gracious words.
And thereupon the wondrous son[16] of Helios told him in what place
the knife of Phrixos had stretched the shining fell; yet he trusted
that this labour at least should never be accomplished by him. For it
lay in a thick wood and grasped by a terrible dragon's jaws, and he in
length and thickness was larger than their ship of fifty oars, which
the iron's blows had welded.

Long were it for me to go by the beaten track, for the time is nigh
out, and I know a certain short path, and many others look to me for
skill. The glaring speckled dragon, O Arkesilas, he slew by subtlety,
and by her own aid he stole away Medea, the murderess of Pelias. And
they went down into the deep of Ocean and into the Red Sea, and to the
Lemnian race of husbandslaying wives; there also they had games and
wrestled for a prize of vesture, and lay with the women of the land.

And then it was that in a stranger womb, by night or day, the fateful
seed was sown of the bright fortune of thy race. For there began the
generations of Euphemos, which should be thenceforth without end. And
in time mingling among the homes of Lakedaimonian men they made their
dwelling in the isle that once was Kalliste[17]: and thence the son
of Leto gave thy race the Libyan plain to till it and to do honour
therein to your gods, and to rule the divine city of golden-throned
Kyrene with devising of the counsels of truth.

Now hearken to a wise saying even as the wisdom of Oedipus. If one
with sharp axe lop the boughs of a great oak and mar the glorious
form, even in the perishing of the fruit thereof it yet giveth token
of that it was; whether at the last it come even to the winter fire,
or whether with upright pillars in a master's house it stand, to serve
drear service within alien walls, and the place thereof knoweth it no
more[18].

But thou art a physician most timely, and the god of healing maketh
thy light burn brightly. A gentle hand must thou set to a festering
wound. It is a small thing even for a slight man to shake a city, but
to set it firm again in its place this is hard struggle indeed, unless
with sudden aid God guide the ruler's hand. For thee are prepared the
thanks which these deeds win. Be strong to serve with all thy might
Kyrene's goodly destiny.

And of Homer's words take this to ponder in thy heart: _Of a good
messenger_, he saith, _cometh great honour to every deed._ Even to the
Muse is right messengersh