pheus, and Hercules. He wrate of the creation, of the sun and moon's course, and of the generation of living creatures; but in the end he was slain by Hercules, his scholar, with his own harp.

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Again, in this age those things spoken of Sphinx and Edipus are thought to have been performed. This Sphinx being a great robber by sea and land, was by the Corinthian army, led by Edipus, overcome. But that which was written of her propounding of riddles to those whom she mastered, was meant by the rocky and inaccessible mountain near Thebes which she defended, and by Edipus dissolving her problem, his victory over her. She was painted with wings, because exceeding swift, and with the body of a lion for her cruelty. But that which Palæphatus reports of Sphinx were more probable, did not the time disprove it; for he calls her an Amazonite, and the wife of Cadmus; who when by her help he had cast Draco out of Thebes, (neglecting her,) he married the sister of Draco, which Sphinx taking in despiteful part, with her own troop she held the mountain by Thebes, from whence she continued a sharp war upon the Thebans, till by Edipus overthrown. About this time did Minos thrust his brother out of Crete, and held sharp war with the Megarians and Athenians, because his son Androgeus was slain by them. He possessed himself of Megara by the treason of Scylla, daughter of Nisus the king. He was long master of the sea, and brought the Athenians to the tribute of delivering him every year seven of their sons; which tribute Theseus released, as shall be shewed when I come to the time of the next judge Thola. In the end he was slain at a Camerinus, or Camicus, in Sicilia, by Cocalus the king, while he pursued Dædalus; and was esteemed by some to be the first lawgiver to those islands.

To this time are referred many deeds of Hercules, as the killing of Antæus the giant, who was said to have sixty and odd cubits of length; which though Plutarch doth confirm, reporting that there was such a body found by Sertorius the

Roman in Libya, where Hercules slew Antæus, yet for myself I think it but a loud lie. That Antæus was of great strength, and a cunning wrestler, bEusebius affirmeth; and because he cast so many men to the ground, he was feigned to be the son of the earth. Pliny saith, that he inhabited near the gardens Hesperides in Mauritania. St. Augustine affirms, that this Hercules was not of Greece, but of Libya; and the Hydra also which he overcame Plato expoundeth to be a subtle sophister.

SECT. VI.

Of the expedition of the Argonauts.

ABOUT the eleventh year of Gideon was that famous expedition of the Argonauts, of which many fabulous discourses have been written, the sum of which is this.

Pelias the son of Neptune, brother by the mother's side to Æson, who was Jason's father, reigning in Iolchos, a town of Thessaly, was warned by the oracle of Apollo to take heed of him that ware but one shoe. This Pelias afterwards sacrificing to Neptune, invited Jason to him, who coming hastily, lost one shoe in passing over a brook : whereupon Pelias demanded of him what course he would take (supposing he were able) against one of whom an oracle should advise him to take heed? To which question, when Jason had briefly answered, that he would send him to Colchos, to fetch the golden fleece, Pelias immediately commanded him to undertake that service. Therefore Jason prepared for the voyage, having a ship built by Argus, the son of Phryxus, by the counsel of Pallas, wherein he procured all the bravest men of Greece to sail with him Typhis the master of the ship, Orpheus the famous poet, Castor and Pollux the sons of Tyndarus, Telamon and Peleus, sons of Æacus, and fathers of Ajax and Achilles; Hercules and Theseus; Zetes and Calais, the two winged sons of Boreas; Amphiaraus the great soothsayer, Meleager of Calydon, that slew the great wild boar, Ascalaphus and Ialmenus, or Almenus, the sons of Mars, who were afterwards at Euseb. in Chr. Aug. de Civitate Dei, l. 19. c. 12. Eus. in Chr.

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the last war of Troy; Laërtes the father of Ulysses, Atalanta a warlike virgin, Idas and Lynceus the sons of Aphareus, who afterwards in fight with Castor and Pollux slew Castor and wounded Pollux, but were slain themselves; Lynceus by Pollux, Idas by Jupiter with lightning.

These and many other went with Jason in the ship Argo; in whose prow was a table of the beech of Dodona, which could speak. They arrived first at Lemnos; the women of which island having slain all the males, purposing to lead an Amazonian life, were nevertheless contented to take their pleasure of the Argonauts. Hence they came to the country about Cyzicus, where dwelt a people called Doliones, over whom then reigned one Cyzicus, who entertained them friendly; but it so fell out, that loosing thence by night, they were driven by contrary winds back into his port, neither knowing that it was the same haven, nor being known by the Doliones to be the same men; but rather taken for some of their bordering enemies, by which means they fell to blows, insomuch that the Argonauts slew the most part of the Doliones, together with their king Cyzicus; which when by daylight they perceived, with many tears they solemnized his funeral. Then departed they again, and arrived shortly in Mysia, where they left Hercules, and Polyphemus, the son of Elates, who went to seek Hylas the darling of Hercules, that was ravished by the nymphs.

Polyphemus built a town in Mysia, called Cios, wherein he reigned. Hercules returned to Argos: from Mysia the Argonauts sailed into Bithynia, which then was peopled by the Bebryces, the ancient inhabitants of the country, over whom Amycus, the son of Neptune, was then king. He being a strong man, compelled all strangers to fight with him at whirlbats, in which kind of fight he had slain many, and was now himself slain by Pollux. The Bebryces, in revenge of his death, flew all upon Pollux; but his companions rescued him, with great slaughter of the people. They sailed from hence to Salmydéssus, a town in Thrace, (perhaps of Thracia Adriatica,) wherein Phineus a soothsayer dwelt, who was blind, and vexed with the harpies. The har

pies were said to be a kind of birds, which had the faces of -women, and foul long claws, very filthy creatures, which when the table was furnished for Phineus came flying in, and devouring or carrying away the greater part of the victuals, did so defile the rest, that they could not be endured. When therefore the Argonauts craved his advice and direction for their voyage, You shall do well, quoth he, first of all to deliver me from the harpies, and then afterwards to ask my counsel. Whereupon they caused the table to be covered, and meat set on; which was no sooner set down, than that presently in came the harpies, and played their accustomed pranks; when Zetes and Calais, the winged young men, saw this, they drew their swords, and pursued them through the air; some say, that both the harpies and the young men died of weariness in the flight and pursuit. But Apollonius saith, that the harpies did covenant with the youths to do no more harm to Phineus, and were thereupon dismissed. For this good turn Phineus gave them informations of the way, and advertised them withal of the dangerous rocks, called Symplegades, which by force of winds running together did shut up the passage; wherefore he willed them to put a pigeon before them into the passage, and if that passed safe, then to adventure after her; if not, then by no means to hazard themselves in vain. They did so, and perceiving that the pigeon had only lost a piece of her tail, they observed the next opening of the rocks, and then rowing with all their might passed through safe, only the end of the poop was bruised.

From thenceforward (as the tale goeth) the Symplegades have stood still; for the gods, say they, had decreed, that after the passage of a ship they should be fixed. Thence the Argonauts came to the Mariandyni, a people inhabiting about the mouth of the river Parthenius, where Lycus the king entertained them courteously. Here Idmon, a soothsayer of their company, was slain by a wild boar; also here Typhis died, and Ancæus undertook to steer the ship. So they passed by the river Thermodon and mount Caucasus, and came to the river Phasis, which runs through the land of

Colchos. When they were entered the haven, Jason went to Eetes the king of Colchos, and told him the commandment of Pelias, and cause of his coming; desiring him to deliver the golden fleece, which Eetes, as the fable goeth, promised to do, if he alone would yoke together two brasen-hoofed bulls, and ploughing the ground with them sow dragon's teeth, which Minerva had given to him, being part of those which Cadmus did sow at Thebes. These bulls were great and fierce, and breathed out fire: Vulcan had given them to Eetes.

Whilst Jason was in a great perplexity about this task, Medea, the daughter of Metes, fell into a most vehement love of him, so far forth, that being excellent in magic, she came privily to him, promising her help, if he would assure her of his marriage. To this Jason agreed, and confirmed his promise by oath. Then gave she to him a medicine, wherewith she bade him to anoint both his body and his armour, which would preserve him from their violence; further she told him, that armed men would arise out from the ground, from the teeth which he should sow, and set upon him. To remedy which inconvenience, she bade him throw stones amongst them as soon as they came up thick, whereupon they would fall together to blows, in such wise that he might easily slay them. Jason followed her counsel; whereto when the event had answered, he again demanded the fleece. But Æetes was so far from approving such his desire, that he devised how to destroy the Argonauts, and burn their ship; which Medea perceiving, went to Jason, and brought him by night to the fleece, which hung upon an oak in the grove of Mars, where they say it was kept by a dragon that never slept. This dragon was by the magic of Medea cast into a sleep; so taking away the golden fleece, she went with Jason into the ship Argo, having with her her brother Absyrtus.

Æetes understanding the practices of Medea, provided to pursue the ship; whom when Medea perceived to be at hand, she slew her brother, and cutting him in pieces, she scattered his limbs in divers places; of which Æetes finding