the golden fleece(金羊毛)-第53节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Do this； O king； and you will be shown a thing to wonder at and to be
hopeful over。〃
So Medea said； and then she turned around and left the king's presence。
Pelias called to his guards and he bade them take the woman into their
charge and treat her considerately。 The guards took Medea away。 Then all
day the king mused on what had been told him and a wild hope kept
beating about his heart。 He had the servants prepare a great vat in the
lower chambers； and he had his shepherd bring him a ram that was the
oldest in the flock。
Only Medea was permitted to come into that chamber with the king；
the ways to it were guarded； and all that took place in it was secret。 Medea
was brought to the closed door by her guard。 She opened it and she saw
the king there and the vat already prepared； she saw a ram tethered near
the vat。
184
… Page 185…
THE GOLDEN FLEECE AND THE HEROES WHO LIVED BEFORE ACHILLES
Medea looked upon the king。 In the light of the torches his face was
white and fierce and his mouth moved gaspingly。 She spoke to him quietly；
and said： 〃There is no need for you to hear me speak。 You will watch a
great miracle； for behold！ the ram which is the oldest and feeblest in the
flock will become young and invigorated when it comes forth from this
vat。〃
She untethered the ram； and with the help of Pelias drew it to the vat。
This was not hard to do； for the beast was very feeble； its feet could hardly
bear it upright； its wool was yellow and stayed only in patches on its
shrunken body。 Easily the beast was forced into the vat。 Then Medea drew
the phial out of her bosom and poured into the water some of the brew she
had made in Creon's garden in Corinth。 The water in the vat took on a
strange bubbling； and the ram sank down。
Then Medea； standing beside the vat； sang an incantation。
〃O Earth；〃 she sang； 〃O Earth who dost provide wise men with potent
herbs； O Earth help me now。 I am she who can drive the clouds； I am she
who can dispel the winds； I am she who can break the jaws of serpents
with my incantations； I am she who can uproot living trees and rocks； who
can make the mountains shake； who can bring the ghosts from their tombs。
O Earth； help me now。〃 At this strange incantation the mixture in the vat
boiled and bubbled more and more。 Then the boiling and bubbling ceased。
Up to the surface came the ram。 Medea helped it to struggle out of the vat；
and then it turned and smote the vat with its head。
Pelias took down a torch and stood before the beast。 Vigorous indeed
was the ram； and its wool was white and grew evenly upon it。 They could
not tether it again； and when the。servants were brought into the chamber it
took two of them to drag away the ram。
The king was most eager to enter the vat and have Medea put in the
brew and speak the incantation over it。 But Medea bade him wait until the
morrow。 All night the king lay awake； thinking of how he might regain his
youth and his strength and be secure and triumphant thereafter。
At the first light he sent for Medea and he told her that he would have
the vat made ready and that he would go into it that night。 Medea looked
185
… Page 186…
THE GOLDEN FLEECE AND THE HEROES WHO LIVED BEFORE ACHILLES
upon him； and the helplessness that he showed made her want to work a
greater evil upon him； or； if not upon him； upon his house。 How soon it
would have reached its end； all her plot for the destruction of this king！
But she would leave in the king's house a misery that would not have an
end so soon。
So she said to the king： 〃I would say the incantation over a beast of the
field； but over a king I could not say it。 Let those of your own blood be
with you when you enter the vat that will bring such change to you。 Have
your daughters there。 I will give them the juice to mix in the vat； and I will
teach them the incantation that has to be said。〃
So she said； and she made Pelias consent to having his daughters and
not Medea in the chamber of the vat。 They were sent for and they came
before Medea； the daughters of King Pelias。
They were women who had been borne down by the tyranny of their
father； they stood before him now； two dim…eyed creatures； very feeble
and fearful。 To them Medea gave the phial that had in it the liquid to mix
in the vat； also she taught them the words of the incantation； but she taught
them to use these words wrongly。
The vat was prepared in the lower chambers； Pelias and his daughters
went there； and the chamber was guarded； and what happened there was in
secret。 Pelias went into the vat； the brew was thrown into it； and the vat
boiled and bubbled as before。 Pelias sank down in it。 Over him then his
daughters said the magic words as Medea had taught them。
Pelias sank down； but he did not rise again。 The hours went past and
the morning came； and the daughters of King Pelias raised frightened
laments。 Over the sides of the vat the mixture boiled and bubbled； and
Pelias was to be seen at the bottom with his limbs stiffened in death。
Then the guards came； and they took King Pelias out of the vat and left
him in his royal chamber。 The word went through
the palace that the king was dead。 There was a hush in the palace then；
but not the hush of grief。 One by one servants and servitors stole away
from the palace that was hated by all。 Then there was clatter in the streets
as the fierce fighting men from the mountains galloped away with what
186
… Page 187…
THE GOLDEN FLEECE AND THE HEROES WHO LIVED BEFORE ACHILLES
plunder they could seize。 And through all this the daughters of King Pelias
sat crouching in fear above the body of their father。
And Medea； still an ancient woman seemingly； went through the
crowds that now came on the streets of the city。 She told those she went
amongst that the son of ；Eson was alive and would soon be in their midst。
Hearing this the men of the city formed a council of elders to rule the
people until Jason's coming。 In such way Medea brought about the end of
King Pelias's reign。
In triumph she went through the city。 But as she was passing the
temple her dress was caught and held； and turning around she faced the
ancient priestess of Artemis； Iphias。 〃Thou art Aeetes's daughter；〃 Iphias
said； 〃who in deceit didst come into Iolcus。 Woe to thee and woe to Jason
for what thou hast done this day！ Not for the slaying of Pelias art thou
blameworthy； but for the misery that thou hast brought upon his daughters
by bringing them into the guilt of the slaying。 Go from the city； daughter
of King ；Eetes； never； never wilt thou come back into it。〃
But little heed did Medea pay to the ancient priestess； Iphias。 Still in
the guise of an old woman she went through the streets of the city； and out
through the gate and along the highway that led from Iolcus。 To that dark
pool she came where she had bathed herself before。 But now she did not
step into the pool nor pour its water over her shrinking flesh； instead she
built up two altars of green sods an altar to Youth and an altar to Hecate；
queen of the witches； she wreathed them with green boughs from the
forest； and she prayed before each。 Then she made herself naked； and she
anointed herself with the brew she had made from the magical herbs and
grasses。 All marks of age and decrepitude left her； and when she stood
over the dark pool and looked down on herself she saw that her body was
white and shapely as before； and that her hair was soft and lovely。
She stayed all night between the tangled wood and the dark pool； and
with the first light the car drawn by the scaly dragons came to her。 She
mounted the car； and she journeyed back to Corinth。
Into Jason's mind a fear of Medea had come since the hour when he
had seen her mount the car drawn by the scaly dragons。 He could not think
187
… Page 188…
THE GOLDEN FLEECE AND THE HEROES WHO LIVED BEFORE ACHILLES
of her any more as the one who had been his companion on the Argo。 He
thought of her as one who could help him and do wonderful things
