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ARGONAVTICA, That is, IASONS voyage for the GOLDEN FLEECE.
THere is none almost of the ancients which hath not as it were by the way touched the story of the ARGONAVTES, that is, of IASON, or of the GOLDEN FLEECE: but amongst those which of set purpose haue handled that matter as Cleon, Herodotus, Pisander, Dionysius, Milesius, Varro At∣tacinus, and Epimenides (who, as Laertius recordeth, set out the same at large in 6500. verses) there are only three remaining at this day, that haue come to our handes; namely, Valerius Flaccus, Orpheus and Apollonius Rhodius. In all which three, the iourney foorth-ward of those Argo∣nautes (that is, of Iason and his consorts which sailed with him in the ship named the Argo) is reasonably alike described, but in the returne of them homeward they differ very much one from another in their relations: For Flaccus bringeth them backe from Colchis, by the North shore of the Euxine sea, (Mar maiore) and so vnto the mouth of the riuer Ister or Danubius (Done or Donaw) and there he leaueth them; being preuented by death, as he peraduenture supposed. Apollonius bringeth him vp against the streame of the said riuer, and so out of it by the riuer Sabus (Saw) as Pliny and Trogus do thinke, into the Hadriaticke and Ionian seas: not farre off from Tergeste (Trieste, in Friuli) but as Pliny saith, they were forced out of the way by the riuer E∣ridanus (Po) into Rhodanus (Rhosne) vnto the Stoechades (Isles de hyerres) certaine ilands in the Ligusticke sea (Mar di Leone) ouer-against Narbone in France: out of which sailing through the Midland and Aegean seas, they came safe home to the place from whence they first set out. But Orpheus he telleth the story with a farre greater circumstance, and maketh them to fetch a larger compasse about, namely, by the riuer Tan•••• (Don) and that huge wood (as he calleth it) or endlesse, as Dionysius Afer termeth it: and that not without iust cause: for I deeme it to be the greatest wood of the whole world that yet to vs is descried. (These latter ages call'd by one proper name Orcynium, or Hercynia.) Then by the North sea, called of them Croni∣um (named by Seneca in his tragedie, intituled Medea, Vrsae vetitum mare) and by the Atlanticke sea vnto Hercules pillars (the streights of Gibraltar) compassing round all Europe, came at last home safe againe to their owne houses. This voyage there∣fore we haue in this our Mappe, framed out of those three forenamed authours: which will easily and plainly appeare to him that shall examine the same with the stories set downe by them. Beside those places named by them, we haue added certaine other, out of other authours, neuer touched by them, yet pertaining to this their purpose: as namely, Salmydessus in Thracia, where Apollodorus saith they landed or put into harborough. Item, AEmonia, a towne built by the Argonautes in that place where they laying the Argo, their ship, vpon ingines [their shoulders, as Pindarus and Trogus haue giuen out, and so Pliny saith, the best authours affirme] caried it from the shore 400. furlongs: or, which is all one, 50. miles, euen vnto the coastes of the Thessalians (Italians, Zozomen readeth: differing in word and maner of writing, not in truth of story: for they were Thessalians by birth and parentage, now seated in the land of Italy) as we find recorded in Zosimus and others. There is the city Pola, a worke begun and perfected by the Colchi, who, being sent to pursue Medea, vp to the riuer Done, (Ister) vp as high as the ilands then called Absyrtides, where, being frustrate of their purpose, they staid: and of the riuer Ister, vp which they sailed: they called the country through which it runneth Istria. Phla, or if you please Phila, an iland in the lake Triton, in Africa, where Herodotus writeth that Iason arriued, and the North wind blowing stiffe against him was driuen to Malea, a promontory or foreland of Peloponnesus, and there to haue giuen his tripos, (or treuet) to Triton. Polybius saith, That Iason built a temple at Bosphorus Thracius (Stretto di Constantinopoli, the streights of Constantinople: the Greekes call it Laimon, the Turkes, Bogazin) and that to the honour of Neptune, as Pindarus reporteth: where he also consecrated twelue altars for those seruices and sacrifices. This selfe same Temple Demosthenes nameth the Temple of the Argonautes. In Pau∣sanias and Varro, we read that the same Iason dedicated a Temple to Iuno, in the ile Samos, (Samo.) Item, to Iuno Argiua in agro Picentino, (Principato, or Costa de Ainalfe) as Pliny hath left recorded. And that hee erected altars neere the riuer Ister, (Done or Donaw) where it diuideth it selfe into two streames, emptying his waters partly into Pontus (Mar maiore) and partly into Adria, (the Gulfe of Venice) Aristotle teacheth in his Admiranda. I suppose he meant this of the Caucasian rockes, (Caucasij scopuli.) Fabulous antiquity verily beleeued that the riuer Ister had issue out into the Hadriaticke sea. Perad∣uenture mooued by that which Pliny in the fifteenth chapter of his fourth booke, hath most fabulously written, that certaine fish called Tunies, breed in the Euxine sea, (Pontus Euxinus Mar maiore) do swimme vp the riuer Ister, and from thence do passe, by secret passages vnder the ground into the Hadriaticke sea. And thus farre of this gadding and rouing voiage by sea, which from their first setting forward vntill their returne, as Apollodorus reporteth out of ancient recordes, was performed in the space of foure moneths. Which in my iudgement seemeth not very probable: I beleeue he dreamed when he wrote this storie. For so many moneths would scarce be sufficient for one to saile vp the riuer Ister, against the streame, from his mouth where it falleth into Mar maiore, vnto Tergeste, (Trieste) vpon the Gulfe of Venice, much lesse could they be able in so short a space to go so long and tedious a iourney as this was described to be. More true and likely by farre are those wordes of Hypsipula to Iason, (for she intertained him into her house at the ile Lemnos (now it is named Stalamine.) Tertia messis erat, cùm tu dare vela coactus, Implesti lachrymis talia verba meis: Abstrahor Hypsipule: si dent modò fata recursum: Vir tuus hinc abeo, vir tibi semper ero. Quod tamen è nobis grauida celatur in aluo, Viuat, & eiusdem simus vterquè parens. Thus in English by M. George Tuberuile: When third Autumne came on that thou of force wert faine, To hoise thy sailes, these words thou spakest with gushing teares amaine; Mine owne, I must depart: if fortune say Amen, From hence I passe thy spouse and will thy spouse repasse againe. The imp within thy wombe God grant that it may liue; And we his parents both y feare a decent name may giue. They which desire a larger description of this nauigation, (which Philostephanus saith was made in one long shippe; or with a nauy or saile of diuers shippes, as Pharax reporteth) let him repaire to those three forenamed au∣thours often cited by vs. To these he may adioine Diodorus Siculus in his fourth booke: Ouids seuenth booke of his Metamor∣phosis: Hyginus fables: Pindarus and Callimachus: and if he please, the history of Dares the Phrygian. Appian in his Mithri∣datica writeth, That Cneius Pompeius after that he had pursued Mithridates, euen as farre as Colchis, that he went aland heere,