-countrymen.

The Argo was consecrated to Poseidon, and was carefully preserved for many
generations till no vestige of it remained, when it was placed in the
heavens as a brilliant constellation.

On his arrival at Iolcus, Jason conducted his beautiful bride to the palace
of his uncle Pelias, taking with him the Golden Fleece, for the sake of
which this perilous expedition had been undertaken. But the old king, who
had never expected that Jason would return alive, basely refused to fulfil
his part of the compact, and declined to abdicate the throne.

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Indignant at the wrongs of her husband, Medea avenged them in a most
shocking manner. She made friends with the daughters of the king, and
feigned great interest in all their concerns. Having gained their
confidence, she informed them, that among her numerous magic arts, she
possessed the power of restoring to the aged all the vigour and strength of
youth, and in order to give them a convincing proof of the truth of her
assertion, she cut up an old ram, which she boiled in a cauldron,
whereupon, after uttering various mystic incantations, there came forth
from the vessel a beautiful young lamb. She then assured them, that in a
similar manner they could restore to their old father his former youthful
frame and vigour. The fond and credulous daughters of Pelias lent an all
too willing ear to the wicked sorceress, and thus the old king perished at
the hands of his innocent children.

DEATH OF JASON.--Medea and Jason now fled to Corinth, where at length they
found, for a time, peace and tranquillity, their happiness being completed
by the birth of three children.

As time passed on, however, and Medea began to lose the beauty which had
won the love of her husband, he grew weary of her, and became attracted by
the youthful charms of Glauce, the beautiful daughter of Creon, king of
Corinth. Jason had obtained her father's consent to their union, and the
wedding-day was already fixed, before he disclosed to Medea the treachery
which he meditated against her. He used all his persuasive powers in order
to induce her to consent to his union with Glauce, assuring her that his
affection had in no way diminished, but that for the sake of the advantages
which would thereby accrue to their children, he had decided on forming
this alliance with the royal house. Though justly enraged at his deceitful
conduct, Medea dissembled her wrath, and, feigning to be satisfied with
this