explanation, sent, as a wedding-gift to her rival, a magnificent robe
of cloth-of-gold. This robe was imbued with a deadly {232} poison which
penetrated to the flesh and bone of the wearer, and burned them as though
with a consuming fire. Pleased with the beauty and costliness of the
garment, the unsuspecting Glauce lost no time in donning it; but no sooner
had she done so than the fell poison began to take effect. In vain she
tried to tear the robe away; it defied all efforts to be removed, and after
horrible and protracted sufferings, she expired.

Maddened at the loss of her husband's love Medea next put to death her
three sons, and when Jason, thirsting for revenge, left the chamber of his
dead bride, and flew to his own house in search of Medea, the ghastly
spectacle of his murdered children met his view. He rushed frantically to
seek the murderess, but nowhere could she be found. At length, hearing a
sound above his head, he looked up, and beheld Medea gliding through the
air in a golden chariot drawn by dragons.

In a fit of despair Jason threw himself on his own sword, and perished on
the threshold of his desolate and deserted home.

PELOPS.

Pelops, the son of the cruel Tantalus, was a pious and virtuous prince.
After his father was banished into Tartarus, a war ensued between Pelops
and the king of Troy, in which the former was vanquished and forced to fly
from his dominions in Phrygia. He emigrated into Greece, where, at the
court of Oenomaus, king of Elis, he beheld Hippodamia, the king's daughter,
whose beauty won his heart. But an oracle having foretold to Oenomaus that
he would die on the day of his daughter's marriage, he threw every obstacle
in the way of her suitors, and declared that he would only give her to him
who succeeded in vanquishing him in a chariot race, but that all
unsuccessful competitors should suffer death at his hands.

The conditions of the contest were as follows:--The race was to be run from
a given point at Pisa to the altar of Poseidon at Corinth; the suitor was
allowed to start {233} on his course whilst Oenomaus performed his
sacrifice to Zeus, and only on its completion did the king mount his
chariot, guided by the skilful Myrtilus, and drawn by his two famous
horses, Phylla and Harpinna, who surpassed in swiftness the winds
themselves. In this manner many a gallant young prince had perished; for
although a considerable start was given to all competitors, still Oenomaus,
wi