the golden fleece(署剪谷)-及1准
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THE GOLDEN FLEECE AND THE HEROES WHO LIVED BEFORE ACHILLES
THE GOLDEN
FLEECE AND THE
HEROES WHO LIVED
BEFORE ACHILLES
BY PADRAIC COLUM
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THE GOLDEN FLEECE AND THE HEROES WHO LIVED BEFORE ACHILLES
Part I。
The Voyage to Colchis
I。 The Youth Jason
A man in the garb of a slave went up the side of that mountain that is
all covered with forest察the Mountain Pelion。 He carried in his arms a little
child。
When it was full noon the slave came into a clearing of the forest so
silent that it seemed empty of all life。 He laid the child down on the soft
moss察and then察trembling with the fear of what might come before him察he
raised a horn to his lips and blew three blasts upon it。
Then he waited。 The blue sky was above him察 the great trees stood
away from him察and the little child lay at his feet。 He waited察and then he
heard the thud´thud of great hooves。 And then from between the trees he
saw coming toward him the strangest of all beings察one who was half man
and half horse察this was Chiron the centaur。
Chiron came toward the trembling slave。 Greater than any horse was
Chiron察 taller than any man。 The hair of his head flowed back into his
horse's mane察his great beard flowed over his horse's chest察in his man's
hand he held a great spear。
Not swiftly he came察but the slave could see that in those great limbs
of his there was speed like to the wind's。 The slave fell upon his knees。
And with eyes that were full of majesty and wisdom and limbs that were
full of strength and speed察the king´centaur stood above him。 ;O my lord察─
the slave said察 I have come before thee sent by Aeson察my master察who
told me where to come and what blasts to blow upon the horn。 And Aeson察
once King of Iolcus察bade me say to thee that if thou dost remember his
ancient friendship with thee thou wilt察perchance察take this child and guard
and foster him察and察as he grows察instruct him with thy wisdom。;
;For Aeson's sake I will rear and foster this child察─ said Chiron the
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THE GOLDEN FLEECE AND THE HEROES WHO LIVED BEFORE ACHILLES
king´centaur in a deep voice。
The child lying on the moss had been looking up at the four´footed and
two´handed centaur。 Now the slave lifted him up and placed him in the
centaur's arms。 He said此
;Aeson bade me tell thee that the child's name is Jason。 He bade me
give thee this ring with the great ruby in it that thou mayst give it to the
child when he is grown。 By this ring with its ruby and the images
engraved on it Aeson may know his son when they meet after many years
and many changes。 And another thing Aeson bade me say to thee察O my
lord Chiron此not presumptuous is he察but he knows that this child has the
regard of the immortal Goddess Hera察the wife of Zeus。;
Chiron held Aeson's son in his arms察and the little child put hands into
his great beard。 Then the centaur said察 Let Aeson know that his son will
be reared and fostered by me察and that察when they meet again察there will
be ways by which they will be known to each other。;
Saying this Chiron the centaur察 holding the child in his arms察 went
swiftly toward the forest arches察then the slave took up the horn and went
down the side of the Mountain Pelion。 He came to where a horse was
hidden察and he mounted and rode察first to a city察and then to a village that
was beyond the city。
All this was before the famous walls of Troy were built察before King
Priam had come to the throne of his father and while he was still known察
not as Priam察but as Podarces。 And the beginning of all these happenings
was in Iolcus察a city in Thessaly。
Cretheus founded the city and had ruled over it in days before King
Priam was born。 He left two sons察Aeson and Pelias。 Aeson succeeded his
father。 And because he was a mild and gentle man察the men of war did not
love Aeson察they wanted a hard king who would lead them to conquests。
Pelias察the brother of Aeson察was ever with the men of war察he knew
what mind they had toward Aeson and he plotted with them to overthrow
his brother。 This they did察 and they brought Pelias to reign as king in
Iolcus。
The people loved Aeson察 and they feared Pelias。 And because the
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THE GOLDEN FLEECE AND THE HEROES WHO LIVED BEFORE ACHILLES
people loved him and would be maddened by his slaying察Pelias and the
men of war left him living。 With his wife察Alcimide察and his infant son察
Aeson went from the city察 and in a village that was at a distance from
Iolcus he found a hidden house and went to dwell in it。
Aeson would have lived content there were it not that he was fearful
for Jason察his infant son。 Jason察he knew察would grow into a strong and a
bold youth察and Pelias察the king察would be made uneasy on his account。
Pelias would slay the son察and perhaps would slay the father for the son's
sake when his memory would come to be less loved by the people。 Aeson
thought of such things in his hidden house察and he pondered on ways to
have his son reared away from Iolcus and the dread and the power of King
Pelias。
He had for a friend one who was the wisest of all creatures Chiron the
centaur察Chiron who was half man and half horse察Chiron who had lived
and was yet to live measureless years。 Chiron had fostered Heracles察and it
might be that he would not refuse to foster Jason察Aeson's child。
Away in the fastnesses of Mount Pelion Chiron dwelt察once Aeson had
been with him and had seen the centaur hunt with his great bow and his
great spears。 And Aeson knew a way that one might come to him察Chiron
himself had told him of the way。
Now there was a slave in his house who had been a huntsman and who
knew all the ways of the Mountain Pelion。 Aeson talked with this slave
one day察and after he had talked with him he sat for a long time over the
cradle of his sleeping infant。 And then he spoke to Alcimide察 his wife察
telling her of a parting that made her weep。 That evening the slave came in
and Aeson took the child from the arms of the mournful´eyed mother and
put him in the slave's arms。 Also he gave him a horn and a ring with a
great ruby in it and mystic images engraved on its gold。 Then when the
ways were dark the slave mounted a horse察and察with the child in his arms察
rode through the city that King Pelias ruled over。 In the morning he came
to that mountain that is all covered with forest察the Mountain Pelion。 And
that evening he came back to the village and to Aeson's hidden house察and
he told his master how he had prospered。
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THE GOLDEN FLEECE AND THE HEROES WHO LIVED BEFORE ACHILLES
Aeson was content thereafter although he was lonely and although his
wife was lonely in their childlessness。 But the time came when they
rejoiced that their child had been sent into an unreachable place。 For
messengers from King Pelias came inquiring about the boy。 They told the
king's messengers that the child had strayed off from his nurse察and that
whether he had been slain by a wild beast or had been drowned in the
swift River Anaurus they did not know。
The years went by and Pelias felt secure upon the throne he had taken
from his brother。 Once he sent to the oracle of the gods to ask of it whether
he should be fearful of anything。 What the oracle answered was this此that
King Pelias had but one thing to dreadthe coming of a halfshod man。
The centaur nourished the child Jason on roots and fruits and honey察
for shelter they had a great cave that Chiron had lived in for numberless
years。 When he had grown big enough to leave the cave Chiron would let
Jason mount on his back察with the child holding on to his great mane he
would trot gently through the ways of the forest。
Jason began to know the creatures of the forest and their haunts。
Sometimes Chiron would bring his great bow with him察then Jason察on his
back察would hold the quiver and would hand him the arrows。 The centaur
would let the boy see him kill with a single arrow t