The history of the world

§. VI. Of the expedition of the Argonauts.

ABout the eleuenth yeere of Gideon, was that famous expedition of the Argonauts: of which many fabulous discourses haue beene written, the summe of which is this. [unspec 10]

Pelias the sonne of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, brother by the mothers side to Aeson, who was Iasons father, reigning in Iolcus a towne of Thessalie, was war∣ned by the Oracle of Apollo to take heede of him that ware but one shoe. This 〈◊〉〈◊〉 afterward sacrificing to Neptune, inuited Iason to him, who comming hastily, lost one shoe in passing ouer a brooke: whereupon Pelias demaunded of him what course he would take (supposing he were able) against one of whom an Oracle should ad∣uise him to take heede: to which question when Iason had briefly answered, that he would send him to Colchos, to fetch the golden fleece, Pelias immediatly commaun∣ded him to vndertake that seruice. Therefore Iason prepared for the voyage, hauing a shippe built by Argus, the sonne of Phryxus, by the Counsell of Pallas: wherein [unspec 20] hee procured all the brauest men of Greece to saile with him: as Typhis the Master of the shippe, Orpheus the famous Poet, Castor and Pollux the sonnes of Tyndarus, Tela∣mon and Peleus, sonnes of Aeacus, and fathers of Aiax and Achilles, Hercules, Theseus, Zetes and Calais the two winged sonnes of Boreas, Amphiaraus the great Southsayer, Meleager of Calidon that slew the great wilde boare: Ascalaphus and Ialmenus or Al∣menus the sonnes of Mars, who were afterwards at the last warre of Troy, Laërtes the father of Vlysses, Atalanta a warlike virgine, Idas and Lynceus the sonnes of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, who afterwards in fight with Castor and Pollux slew Castor, and woun∣ded Pollux, but were slaine themselues: Lynceus by Pollux, Idas by Iupiter with lightning. [unspec 30]

These and many other went with Iason in the ship 〈◊〉〈◊〉: in whose prowe was a table of the beech of Dodona, which could speake. They arriued first at Lemnos; the women of which Iland, hauing slaine all the males, purposing to lead an Ama∣zonian life, were neuerthelesse contented to take their pleasure of the Argonauts. Hence they came to the Country about Cyzicus: where dwelt a people called Do∣liones: ouer whom then reigned one Cyzicus: who entertained them friendly: but it so fell out, that loosing thence by night they were 〈◊〉〈◊〉 by contrary winds back into his port, neither knowing that it was the same Hauen, nor being knowne by the Doliones, to be the same men: but rather taken for some of their bordering ene∣mies: by which meanes they fell to blowes, insomuch that the Argonautes slew the [unspec 40] most part of the Doliones together with their King Cyzicus: which when by day light they perceiued, with many teares they solemnized his funerall. Then departed they againe and arriued shortly in Mysia, where they left Hercules and Polyphemus the sonne of Elates, who went to seeke Hylas the darling of Hercules, that was raui∣shed by the Nymphes.

Poliphemus built a towne in Mysia, called Cios, wherein he reigned. Hercules retur∣ned to Argos. From Mysia the Argonautes sailed into Bythinia, which then was peo∣pled by the Bebryces, the auncient inhabitants of the Country, ouer whom Amycus the sonne of Neptune was then King. He beeing a strong man, compelled all stran∣gers to fight with him, at whorlebattes, in which kinde of fight hee had slaine ma∣ny, [unspec 50] and was now himselfe slaine by Pollux. The Bebryces in reuenge of his death flew all vpon Pollux, but his companions rescued him, with great slaughter of the people. They sailed from hence to Salmydessus, a towne in Thrace (somewhat out of their way) wherein Phineus a Soothsayer dwelt, who was blinde 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vexed with

the Harpyes. The Harpyes were said to be a kinde of birds, which had the faces of women and foule long clawes, very filthy creatures, which when the table was fur∣nished for Phineus, came flying in, and deuouring or carrying away the greater part of the victuals, did so defile the rest, that they could not be endured. When there∣fore the Argonautes craued his aduise, and direction for their voyage: you shall doe well (quoth he) first of all to deliuer me from the Harpyes, and then afterwards to aske my Counsaile. Whereupon they caused the table to be couered, and meat set on; which was no sooner set downe, then that presently in came the Harpyes, and played their accustomed prancks: when Zetes and Calais the winged young men saw this, they drew their swords, and pursued them through the ayre; some say [unspec 10] that both the Harpyes and the young men died of wearinesse in the flight, and pur∣suit. But Apollonius saith that the Harpyes did couenant with the youthes, to doe no more harme to Phineus, and were thereupon dismissed. For this good turne Phineus gaue them informations of the way, and aduertised them withal of the daungerous rockes, called Symplegades, which by force of windes running together, did shut vp the passage: wherefore he willed them to put a pigeon before them into the pas∣sage: and if that passed safe, then to aduenture after her: if not, then by no meanes to hazard themselues in vaine. They did so, and perceiuing that the pigeon had on∣ly lost a piece of her taile, they obserued the next opening of the rockes, and then rowing with all their might, passed through safe, onely the end of the poope was [unspec 20] bruised.

From thence forward, (as the tale goeth) the Symplegades haue stood still: for the Gods, say they, had decreed that after the passage of a shippe, they should be fixed. Thence the Argonautes came to the Mariandyni, a people inhabiting about the mouth of the riuer Parthenius, where Lycus the King entertained them courteously. Here Idmon a Soothsayer of their company was slaine by a wild boare; also heere Typhis died: and Ancaeus vndertooke to steare the ship. So they passed by the ri∣uer Thermodon, and mount Caucasus, and came to the riuer Phasis, which tunnes through the land of Colchos. When they were entred the hauen, Iason went to Aee∣tes the King of Colchos, and told him the Commaundement of Pelias, and cause of [unspec 30] his comming, desiring him to deliuer the golden Fleece, which Aeetes, as the Fable goeth, promised to doe, if he alone would yoake together two brazen hoost bulls, and plowing the ground with them, sowe dragons teeth, which Minerua had giuen to him, being part of those which Cadmus did sowe at Thebes. These bulls were great and fierce, and breathed out fire: Vulcan had giuen them to Aeetes.

Whilest Iason was in a great perplexitie about this taske, Medaea the daughter of Aeetes, fell into a most vehement loue of him, so farre foorth, that being excellent in Magique, she came priuily to him, promising her helpe, if he would assure her of his marriage. To this Iason agreed, and confirmed his promise by oath. Then gaue she to him a medicine wherewith she bad him to anoint both his bodie and his ar∣mour, [unspec 40] which would preserue him from their violence: further she told him, that armed men would arise out from the ground, from the teeth which hee should sowe, and set vpon him. To remedie which inconuenience, shee bad him throw stones amongst them as soone as they came vp thicke, whereupon they would fall together to blowes, in such wise that he might easily slay them. Iason follow∣ed her counsaile; whereto when the euent had answered, hee againe demaunded the Fleece. But Aeetes was so farre from approuing such his desire, that hee deuised how to destroy the Argonautes, and burne their ship, which Medaea perceiuing, went to Iason, and brought him by night to the Fleece, which hung vp∣on an Oke in the groue of Mars, where they say it was kept by a Dragon, that ne∣uer [unspec 50] slept. This Dragon was by the Magique of Medaea cast into a sleepe: so taking away the golden Fleece, she went with Iason into the ship Argo; hauing with her, her brother Absyrtus.

Aeetes vnderstanding the practises of Medaea, prouided to pursue the ship, whom

when Medaea perceiued to be at hand, she slew her brother, & cutting him in pieces, she scattered his limbs in diuers places, of which Aeetes finding some, was 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to seeke out the rest, and suffer his daughter to passe: the parts of his sonne hee 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in a place, which thereupon he called Tomi; the Greeke word 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Af∣terwards he sent many of his subiects to seeke the ship Argo, threatning that if they brought not back c Medaea, they should suffer in her stead. In the meane while the Argonauts were driuen about the Seas, and were come to the Riuer Eridanus, which is Po in Italie.

Iupiter, offended with the slaughter of Absyrtus, vexed them with a great tem∣pest, and carried them they knew not whither; when they came to the Ilands Ab∣syrtides, [unspec 10] there the ship Argo (that there might want no incredible thing in this Fable) spake to them, and said, that the anger of Iupiter should not cease, till they came to Ausonia, and were clensed by Circe, from the murther of Absyrtus. Now, they thereupon sayling betweene the coasts of Lybia, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and passing through the sea of Sardinia and along the coast of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, came to the Ile of Aeea, wherein Circe dwelt, who clensed them. Thence they sayled by the coast of the Syrens, who sang to allure them into danger: but Orpheus on the other side sang so well that he stayed them. Only Butes swamme out vnto them, whom 〈◊〉〈◊〉 rauished, and car∣ried to Lylibaeum in Sicilie to dwell.

〈◊〉〈◊〉 past the Syrens, they came betweene Scylla and Charybdis, and the strag∣ling [unspec 20] rocks which seemed to cast out great store of flames and smoke. But Thetis and the Nereides, conucyed them safe through at the appointment of Iuno. So they coasted Sicilie where the beeues of the Sunne were, and touched at 〈◊〉〈◊〉, the Iland of the Phaeaces, where King Alcinous reigned. Meane while, the men of Colchos, that had beene sent by Aeetes in quest of the ship Argo, hearing no newes of it, and fearing his anger, if they fulfilled not his will, betooke themselues to new habitati∣ons: some of them dwelt in the mountaines of Corcyra, others in the Ilands Ab∣syrtides, and some comming to the Phaeaces, there found the ship Argo, and deman∣ded Medaea of Alcinous: whereto Alcinous made answere, that if shee were not Iasons wife, they should haue her, but if shee were alreadie married, he would not take her [unspec 30] from her husband. Arete, the wife of Alcinous, hearing this, married them: where∣fore they of Colthos not daring to returne home, stayed with the Phaeaces; so the Argonautes departed thence, and after a while came to Crete. In this Iland, Minos reigned, who had a man of brasse giuen to him (as some of the Fablers say) by Vul∣can. This man had one veine in his bodie reaching from the necke to the heele, the end whereof was closed vp with a brazen naile, his name was Talus: his custome was to runne thrice a day about the Iland for the defence of it. When hee saw the ship Argo passe by, hee threw stones at it, but Medaea with her Magique destroyed him. Some say that shee slew him by potions, which made him mad; others, that promising to make him immortall, shee drew out the naile that stopt his veine, by [unspec 40] which meanes all his bloud ranne out, and he died; others there are that say he was slaine by Paean, who wounded him with an arrow in the heele. From hence the Argonautes sayled to Aegina, where they were faine to fight for fresh water. And lastly, from Aegina they sailed by Eubaea and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 home to Iolcos, where they arri∣ued, hauing spent foure whole moneths in the expedition.

Some there are that by this iourney of Iason vnderstand the mysterie of the Phi∣losophers stone, called the golden Fleece, to which also, other super-fine Chymists draw the twelue labours of Hercules. Suidas thinkes that by the golden Fleece, was meant a booke of Parchment, which is of sheepe-skin, and therefore called golden, because it was taught therein how other metalls might bee transmuted. Others [unspec 50] would signifie by Iason, wisdome, and moderation, which ouer-commeth all perils: but that which is most probable is the opinion of Dercilus, that the storie of such a passage was true, and that Iason with the rest went indeed to rob Colchos, to which they might arriue by boate. For not farre from 〈◊〉〈◊〉 there are certaine steepe

falling torrents which wash downe many graines of gold, as in many other parts of the world, and the people there inhabiting vse to set many fleeces of wooll in those descents of waters, in which the graines of gold remaine, and the water passeth through, which Strabo witnesseth to be true. The many rocks, straits, sands, and Currents, in the passage betweene Greece and the bottome of Pontus, are Poetically conuerted into those fierie bulls, the armed men rising out of the ground, the Dra∣gon cast asleepe, and the like. The man of brasse, the Syrens, Scylla and Charybdis, were other hazards and aduentures which they fell into in the Mediterran sea, dis∣guised, as the rest, by Orpheus, vnder poeticall moralls: all which Homer afterward vsed (the man of brasse excepted) in the description of Vlysses his trauailes, on the [unspec 10] same Inland-seas.