f the court
were present at this entertainment; but in the eyes of Jason none could
compare with the king's daughter, the young and lovely Medea.

When the banquet was ended, Jason related to the king his various
adventures, and also the object of his expedition, with the circumstances
which had led to his undertaking it. Aetes listened, in silent indignation,
to this recital, and then burst out into a torrent of invectives against
the Argonauts and his grand-children, declaring that the Fleece was his
rightful property, and that on no consideration would he consent to
relinquish it. Jason, however, with mild and persuasive words, contrived so
far to conciliate him, that he was induced to promise that if the heroes
could succeed in demonstrating their divine origin by the performance of
some task requiring superhuman power, the Fleece should be theirs.

The task proposed by Aetes to Jason was that he should yoke the two
brazen-footed, fire-breathing oxen of the king (which had been made for him
by Hephaestus) to his ponderous iron plough. Having done this he must till
with them the stony field of Ares, and then sow in the furrows the
poisonous teeth of a dragon, from which armed men would arise. These he
must destroy to a man, or he himself would perish at their hands.

When Jason heard what was expected of him, his heart for a moment sank
within him; but he determined, nevertheless, not to flinch from his task,
but to trust to the {224} assistance of the gods, and to his own courage
and energy.

JASON PLOUGHS THE FIELD OF ARES.--Accompanied by his two friends, Telamon
and Augeas, and also by Argus, the son of Chalciope, Jason returned to the
vessel for the purpose of holding a consultation as to the best means of
accomplishing these perilous feats.

Argus explained to Jason all the difficulties of the superhuman task which
lay before him, and pronounced it as his opinion that the only means by
which success was possible was to enlist the assistance of the Princess
Medea, who was a priestess of Hecate, and a great enchantress. His
suggestion meeting with approval, he returned to the palace, and by the aid
of his mother an interview was arranged between Jason and Medea, which took
place, at an early hour next morning, in the temple of Hecate.

A confession of mutual attachment took place, and Medea, trembling for her
lover's safety, presented him with a magic salve, which possessed the
property of rendering any pers