The life and death of Jason. A poem

Front matter

The American Publishers of William Morris's Books, desirous of preserving tlie many good things which the critics have said about " The Earthly Paradise," as well as to aid in spreading the fame of the " rising poet," have collected these criticisms, a few of the many " Tributes " of the English and American press.

TRIBUTES '

WILLIAM MORRIS

Book I

Jason having grown up to manhood in the woods, is warned of what his life shall be.

TN Thessaly, beside the tumbling sea,

-*- Once dwelt a folk, men called the Minyse ;

For, coming from Orchomemis the old,

Bearing their wives and children, beasts and gold,

Through many a league of land they took their vvay^

And stopped at last, where in a sunny bay

The green Anaurus cleaves the white sea-sand,

And eastward inland doth Mount Pelion stand,

Where bears and wolves the centaurs' arrows find ;

And southward is a gentle sea and kind,

Nigh landlocked, peopled with all kinds of fish,

And the good land yields all that man can wish.

So there they built lolchos, that each day Grew great, until all these were passed away. With many another, Bnd Cretheus the king Had died, and left his crown and everything To iEson, his own son by fair Tyro ; Whom, in unhappy days and long ago,

B

A Gocl had loved, whose son was Pelias.

And so, within a while, it came to pass This Pelias, being covetous and strong And full of wiles, and deeming nought was wrong 'J'hat wrought him good, thrust ^son from his throne, And over all the Minyse reigned alone ; AVhile ^son, like a poor and feeble lord, Dwelt in Tolchos still, nor was his word Regarded much by any man therein. Nor did men labour much his praise to win.

Now 'mid all this a fair young son he had ; And when his state thus fell from good to bad He thought, Though Pelias leave me now alone. Yet he may wish to make quite sure his throne By slajdng me and mine, some evil day ; Therefore the child will I straight send away, Ere Pelias feels his high seat tottering, And gets to know the terrors of a king, That blood alone can deaden. Therewithal A faithful slave nnto him did he call, And bade him from his nurses take the child And bear him forth unto the forest wild About the foot of Pelion : There should he Blow loudly on a horn of ivory That ^son gave him ; then would come to him A Centaur, grave of face and large of limb, Before whom he should fall upon his knees And, holding forth the child, say words like these :

' my lord Chiron, ^sou sends me here

To say, if ever you have held him dear,

Take now this child, his son, and rear him up

Till we have fully drained the bitter cup

The fates have filled for us ; and if times change

While through the peaceful oakwood here you range,

And the crown comes upon the youngling's head.

Then, though a king right fair apparelled,

Yet unto you shall he be but a slave.

Since now from fear his tender years you save ;'

" And then," quoth j3Eson, " all these words being said,

Hold out this ring, set with a ruby red,

Adorned with dainty little images,

And this same horn, whereon, 'twixt carven trees,

Diana follows up the flying hart ;

They shall be signs of truth upon your part.

Then leave the child with him, and come to me,

Minding what words the Centaur saith to thee ;

Of whom thou needest have no whit of fear ;

And, ere thou goest, bring me the child here."

Then went the man and came again to him With Jason, who was strong and large of limb As for his years, and now upon his feet Went firmly, and began to feel life sweet, And longed for this and that, and on his tongue. Bewildered, half articulate, speech hung.

But ^son, when he saw the sturdy boy. His bright round limbs and face lit up with joy Of very life^ sighed deeply, and he said : " child, I pray the Gods to spare thine head The bprden of a crown ; were it not good

That thou shoiildst live and die witliin this wood That clothes the feet of Pelion, knowing nought Of all the things by foolish men so sought ; For there, no doubt, is everything man needs, — The quiver, with the iron-pointed reeds, The cornel bow, the wood-knife at the side, The garments of the spotted leopard's hide, The bed of bear-skin in the hollow hill. The bath within the pool of some green rill ; There shall the quick- eyed centaurs be thy friends, Unto whose hearts such wisdom great Jove sends They know the past and future, and fear nought That by the fates upon them may be brought. And when the spring brings love, then mayst thou find, In some fair grassy place, the wood-nymphs kind. And choose thy mate, and with her, hand in hand, Go wandering through the blossoming sweet land ; And nought of evil there shall come to thee, But like the golden age shall all things be ; And when upon thee falls the fated day. Fearless and painless shalt thou pass away."

So spoke he foolishly, nor knew indeed How many hearts his son should make to bleed, How many griefs his head, whitened with care Long ere its time, before his death should bear.

Now, since the moonless night and dark was come, Time was it that the child should leave his home ; And saddled in the court the stout horse stood That was to bear them to the Centaur's wood ; And the tried slave stood ready by his lord.

With wallet on his back, and sharpened sword

Girt to his side ; to whom the horn and ring,

Fit for the belt and finger of a king,

Did ^son give, and therewith kissed the boy,

Who with his black beard played, and laughed for joy

To see. the war-horse in the red torch-light.

At last, being mounted, forth into the night

They rode, and thus has Jason left his home.

All night they rode, and at the dawn, being come Unto the outskirts of the forest wild. They left the horse, and the still sleeping child The slave bore in his arms, tmtil they came Unto the place where, living free from blame, Chiron the old roamed through the oaken wood ; There by a flowering thorn-bush the slave stood, And set the little Jason on the ground ; Who, waking from sweet sleep, looked all around And 'gan to prattle; but his guardian drew The horn from off his neck, and thereon blew A point of hunting known to two or three, That sounded through the forest merrily, Then waited listening.

And meantime the sun.

Come from Euboean cliffs, had just begun To light the high tips of the forest grass. And in the thorn the blackbird singing was ; But 'mid his noise the listening man could hear The sound of hoofs, whereat a little fear He felt within his heart, and heeded nought

The struggling of the child, who ever sought To gain the horn all glittering of bright gold, Wrought by the cunning Dgedalus of old.

But louder still the noise he hearkened grew, Until at last in sight the Centaur drew, A mighty grey horse, trotting down the glade, Over whose back the long grey locks were laid, That from his reverend head abroad did flow ; For to the waist was man, but all below A mighty horse, once roan, now well-nigh white With lapse! of j^ears ; with oak-wreaths was he dight Where man joined unto horse, and on his head He wore a gold crown, set with rubies red, And in his hand he bare a mighty bow. No man could bend of those that battle now.

So, when he saw him coming through the trees, The trembling slave sunk down upon his knees And put the child before him : but Chiron, Who knew all things, cried : " Man with iEson's son, Thou needest not to tell me who thou art, Nor will I fail to do to him my part : A vain thing were it, truly, if I strove, Such as I am, against the will of Jove. Lo now, this youngling, set 'twixt thee and me. In days to come a mighty man shall be, A V ell-nigh the mightiest of all those that dwell Between Olympus and Malea ; and well Shall Juno love him till he come to die.

" Now get thee to thy master presently, But leave with me the red ring and the horn.

That folk may know of wliom this boy was born In days to come, when he shall leave this wild : And lay between my arms the noble child."

So the slave joyful, but still half afraid, Within the mighty arms young Jason laid, And gave up both the horn and the red ring Unto the Centaur, who the horn did sling About him ; on his finger, with a smile, Setting the ring ; and in a little while The slave departing, reached the open plain, And straight he mounted on his horse again, And rode on toward lolchos all the day, And as the sunset darkened every way, He reached the gates, and coming to his lord, Bid him rejoice, and told him every word That Chiron said. Eight glad was ^son then That from his loins a great man among men Should thus have sprung ; and so he passed his days Full quietly, remote from fear or praise.

And now was Pelias mindful of the day When from the altar's horns he drew away Sidero's cruel hands, while Neleus smote The golden-hilted sword into her throat. And without fire, or barley-cake, or cup, No pleasing victim, she was offered up In Juno's temple ; so he feared that he. Though sprung from him who rules the restless sea. Should meet an evil fate at Juno's hands : Therefore he sent for men from many lands,

Marble and wood, and gold and brass enow, And day by day, with many a sounding blow. The masons wrought, until at last was reared A temple to the Goddess that he feared ; — A wonder among temples, for the stone That made it, and the gold that therein shone. And in the midst her image Pelias set, Wrought cunningly of purest gold, which yet Had served him better in his treasury. So little store the Goddess set thereby.

Moreover to Dodona, where the doves Amid the oak-trees murmur of their loves, He sent a messenger to know his fate ; Who, up the temple steps, beneath the weight Of precious things went bending ; and being come Back from the north to his Thessalian home, Gave forth this answer to the doutoul king :—

*' Pelias, fearful of so many a thing, Sit merry o'er thy wine, sleep safe and soft. Within thy golden bed ; for surely oft The snows shall fall before the half-shod man Can come upon thee through the water wan."

So at this word the king along the shore Built many a tower, and ever more and more Drew men unto him skilled in spear and bow ; And through the streets full often would he go Beset with guards, and for the rest began To be a terror unto every man.

And yet indeed were all these things but vain.

For at tlie foot of Pelion grew his ban©

In strength and comeliness from day to day,

And swiftly passed liis childish years away :

Unto whom Chiron taught the worthy lore

Of elders who the wide world filled before ;

And how to forge his iron arrow-heads,

And how to find within the marshy steads

The stoutest reeds, and from some slain bird's wing

To feather them, and make a deadly thing ;

And through the woods he took him, nor would spare

To show him how the just-awakened bear

Came hungry from his tree, or show him how

The spotted leopard's lurking-place to know ;

And many a time they brought the hart to bay,

Or smote the boar at hottest of the day.

Now was his dwelling-place a fair-hewn cave, Facing the south : thereto the herdsmen drave Full oft to Chiron woolly sheep, and neat, And brought him wine and garden-honey sweet, And fruits that flourish well in the fat plain, And cloth and linen, and would take again Skins of slain beasts, and little lumps of gold, Washed from the high crags : then would Chiron hold, Upon the sunny lawns, high feast with them, And garland all about the ancient stem Of some great tree, and there do sacrifice Unto the Gods, and with grave words and wise Tell them sweet tales of elders passed away : But for some wished thing every man would pray Or ever in their hands the steel did shine,

And or the sun lit up the bubbling wine ;

Then would they full to meat, nor would they leave

Their joyances, until the dewy eve

Had given good heart unto the nightingale

To tell the sleepy wood-nymphs all his tale.

Moreover, Chiron taught him how to cast His hand across the lyre, until there passed Such sweetness through the woods, that all about The wood-folk gathered, and the merry rout That called on Bacchus, hearkening, stayed awhile, And in the chase the hunter, with a smile. From his raised hand let fall the noisy horn, When to his ears the sweet strange sound was borne.

But in the night-time once did Jason wake. And seem to see the moonlit branches shake With huge, unwonted clamour of the chase ; Then up he sprung, but ere he went one pace Unto the cave's mouth, Chiron raised his arm And drew him back, and said ; " Surely, no charm Thou hast, my son, against Diana's sight, Who over Pelion goes abroad this night ; Now let those go to her that she doth call, Because no fenced town, brazen gate or wall, No coat of mail, or seven-folded shield. Can guard thee from the wound that ne'er is healed, When she is angry. Sleep again, my son. Nor wish to spoil great deeds not yet begun."

Then Jason lay and trembled, while the sound Grew louder through the moonlit woods around, And died off slowly, going toward the sea,

Leaving the fern-owl wailing mournfully.

Thereafter wandering lonely did he meet A maid, with girt-np gown and sandalled feet, Who joyously through flowering grass did go, Holding within her hand an unstrung bow ; And, setting eyes on her, he thought, indeed, This must be she that made Actseon bleed ; For, certes, ere that day he had not seen Within that wild, one made so like a queen.

So, doubtful, he held back, nor dared to love Her rosy feet, or ivory knees above, And, with half-lifted eyes, could scarcely dare To gaze upon her eyes or golden hair. Or hidden bosom : but she called aloud, — " Tell me, fair youth, if thou hast seen a crowd Of such as I go through these woods to-day ?" And when his stammerin g tongue no word coul d say, She smiled upon him, and said, " Who art thou, Yvho seemest fitter from some galley's prow To lead the heroes on the merchant-to^^^l, Than through the wilds to hunt the poor beasts down, Or underneath the canopy to sit. Than by the beech to watch the cushat flit ? Speak out, and fear not."

" 0. my queen ! " said he, " Fair Goddess, as thou seemest well to be, Give me good days and peace, and maiden's love. And let great kings send out their sons to rove ; But as for me, my name is little known, I am but Jason, who dwell here alone

With. Chiron in the hollow momitain-side, "Wishful for happy days, whate'er betide.'*

" Jason," she said, " all folk shall know thy name. For verily the Gods shall give thee fame, Whatever they keep back from thee : behold Eestless thou shalt be, as thou now art bold. And cunning, as thou now art skilled to vp^atch The crafty bear, and in the toils to catch The grey-rnaned yellow lion ; and now see Thou doest my commands, for certainly I am no mortal ; so to Chiron tell No longer is it fitting thou shonldst dwell Here in the wilds, but in a day or two. Clad in Magnesian garments, shalt thou go Unto lolchos, and there claim thine own. And unto thee shall Chiron first make known The story of thy father and thy kin. That thou mayst know what right thoii hast herein. And say to him, I bid him do this thing. By this same token, that the silver ring Upon mine altar, with Sidero's blood Is spotted still, and that the half-charred wood My priests had lighted early on that day, Yet lies thereon, by no flame burnt away." Then Jason fell a- trembling, and to him The tall green stems grew wavering and dim ; And when a fresh gust of the morning breeze Came murmuring along the forest trees, And woke him as from dreaming, all alone He stood, and wdth no farewell she was gone,

Leaving no traces of lier dainty feet.

But througli the leaves ambrosial odours sweet Yet floated as he turned to leave the place, And with slow steps, and thinking on his case, Went back to Chiron, whom at rest he found, Half sleeping on the sunny thyme-strewn ground, To whom he told the things that he had heard, With flushed and eager face, for they had stirred New thoughts within him of the days to come, So that he longed to leave his woodland home.

Then Chiron said : " 0, fair son, thou shalt go, Since now, at last, the Gods will have it so : And know that, till thou comest to the end Of thy loved life, shall Juno be thy friend, Because the lovely huntress thou did see Late in the greenwood certainly was she Who sits in heaven beside Almighty Jove, And noble things they do that have her love.

"Now, son, to-day I rede thee not to go. Nor yet to-morrow, for clouds great and slow Are gathering round the hill-tops, and I think The thirsty fields full many a draught will drink ; Therefore to-day jur cups shall not be diy, But we will sit together, thou and I, And tales of thy forefathers shalt thou hear. And many another, till the heavens clear."

So was it as the Centaur said ; for soon The woods grew dark, as though they knew no noon ; The thunder growled aboui; the high brown hills, And the thin, wasted, shining summer rills

Grew joyful with the coming of the rain,

And doubtfully was shifting every vane

On the town spires, with changing gusts of wind ;

Till came the storm-blast, furious and blind,

'Twixt gorges of the mountains, and drove back

The -light sea breeze ; then waxed the heavens black,

Until the lightning leapt from cloud to cloud,

With clattering thunder, and the piled-up crowd

Began to turn from steely blue to grey,

And toward the sea the thunder drew away,

Leaving the north-wind blowing steadily

The rain clouds from Olympus; while the sea

Seemed mingled with the low clouds and the rain :

And one might think that never now again

The simny grass would make a pleasant bed

For tired limbs, and dreamy, languid head

Of sandalled nymph, forewearied with the chase.

Meantime, within a pleasant lighted place, Stretched upon warm skins, did the Centaur lie, And nigh him Jason, listening eagerly The tales he told him, asking, now and then. Strange questions of the race of vanished men : Nor were the wine-cups idle ; till at last Desire of sleep over their bodies passed, And in their dreamless rest the wind in vain Howled round about, with washing of the rain.

BOOK 11.

Jason claims his own— Pelias tells about the Golden Fleece — Jason vows the quest thereof.

SO there they lay until the second dawn Broke fair and fresh o'er glittering glade and lawn ; Then Jason rose, and did on him a fair Blue woollen tunic, such as folk do wear On the Magnesian cliffs, and at his thigh An iron-hilted sword hung carefully ; And on his head he had a russet hood ; And in his hand two spears of cornel-wood, Well steeled and bound with brazen bands he shook.

Then from the Centaur's hands at last he took The tokens of his birth, the ring and horn, And so stept forth into the sunny morn. And bade farewell to Chiron, and set out With eager heart, that held small care or doubt.

So lightly through the well-known woods he passed, And came out to the open plain at last, '

And went till night came on him, and then slept Within a homestead that a poor man kept ; And rose again at dawn, and slept that night Nigh the Anaurus, and at morrow's light Rose up and went unto the river's brim ; But fearful seemed the passage unto him. For swift and yellow drave the stream adown 'Twixt crumbling banks; and tree-trunks rough and

brown

Whirled in the bubbling eddies here and there ; So .swollen was the stream a maid might dare To cross, in fair days, with nnwetted knee.

Then Jason with his spear-shaft carefully Sounded the depth, nor any bottom found; And wistfully he cast his eyes around To see if help was nigh, and heard a voice Behind him, calling out, " Fair yoiith, rejoice That I am here to help, or certainly Long time a dweller hereby shouldst thou be."

Then Jason turned round quickly, and beheld A woman, bent with burdens and with eld, Grey and broad shouldered ; so he laughed, and said : " mother, wilt thou help me ? by my head, More help than thine I need upon this day."

" son," she said, " needs must thou on thy way ; And is there any of the giants here To bear thee through this water without fear ? Take, then, the help a God has sent to thee, For in mine arms a small thing shalt thou be."

feo Jason laughed no more, because a frown Gathered upon her brow, as she cast down Her burden to the earth and came a-nigh, And raised him in her long arms easily, And stept adown into the water cold.

There with one arm the hero did she hold, And with the other thrust the whiiiing trees Away from them ; and laughing, and with ease Went through the jxllow foaming stream, and came Unto the other bank ; and little shame

Had Jason that a woman carried Jiim, For no man, howsoever strong of limb, Had dared across that swollen stream to go, But if he wished the Stygian stream to know ; Therefore he doubted not, that with some God Or reverend Goddess that rough way he trod.

So when she had clomb up the slippery bank And let him go, well-nigh adown he sank, For he was dizzy with the washing stream. And with that passage mazed as with a dream.

But, turning round about unto the crone, He saw not her, but a most glorious one, A lady clad in blue, all glistering With something more than gold, crowned like the king Of all the world, and holding in her hand A jewelled rod. So when he saw her stand With unsoiled feet scarce touching the wet way, He trembled sore, but therewith heard her say : —

" Jason, such as I have been to thee Upon this day, such ever will I be ; And I am Juno ; therefore doubt thou not A mighty helper henceforth thou hast got Against the swords and bitter tongues of men, For surely mayst thou lean upon me, when The turbulent and little-reasoniug throng Press hard upon thee, or a king with wrong Would fain undo thee, as thou leanedst now Within the yellow stream : so from no blow Hold back thine hand, nor fear to set thine heart On what thou deemest fits thy kingly part.

Now to the king's throne this day draw aneax, Because of old time have I set a fear Within his heart, ere yet thou hadst gained speech, And whilst thou wanderedst beneath oak and beech Unthinking. And, behold ! so have I wrought, That with thy coming shall a sign be brought Unto him ; for the latchet of thy shoe Bushing Anaurus late I bade undo, Which now is carried swiftly to the sea.

So Pelias, this day setting eyes on thee Shall not forget the shameful trickling blood Adown my altar-steps, or in my wood The screaming peacocks scared by other screams, Nor yet to-night shall he dream happy dreams. .

Farewell, then, and be joyful, for I go Unto the people, many a thing to show, And set them longing for forgotten things, Whose rash hands to.ss about the crowns of kings."

Therewith before his eyes a cloud there came. Sweet-smelling, coloured like a rosy flame, That wrapt the Goddess from him; who, indeed, Went to lolchos, and there sowed the seed Of bitter change, that ruins kings of men ; For, like an elder of threescore and ten. Throughout the town she went, and, as such do, Ever she blessed the old, and banned the new; Lamenting for the passed and happy reign Of Cretheus, wishing there were come again One like to him ; till in the market-place About the king was many a doubtful face.

Now Jason, by Anaurus left alone, Found that, indeed, his right-foot shoe was gone, But, as the Goddess bade him, went his way Half shod, and by an hour before mid-day He reached the city gates, and entered there, Whom the folk mocked, beholding his foot bare, And iron-hilted sword, and uncouth weed : But of no man did he take any heed. But came into the market-place, where thronged Much folk about Him who his sire had wronged. But when he stood within that busy stead, Taller he showed than any by a head. Great limbed, broad shouldered, mightier far than all, But soft of speech, though unto him did fail Full many a scorn upon that day to get.

So in a while he came where there was set Pelias, the king, judging the people there ; In scarlet was he clad, and o'er his hair, Sprinkled with grey, he wore a royal crown, And from an ivory thr(jne he looked adown Upon the suitors and the restless folk.

Now, when the yellow head of Jason broke From out the throng, with fearless eyes and grey, A terror took the king, that ere that day For many a peaceful year he had not felt, And his hand fell upon his swordless belt ; But when the hero strode up to the throne, And set his unshod foot upon the stone Of the last step thereof, and as he stood. Drew off the last fold of his russet hood.

And with a clang let fall his brass-bound spear, The king shrunk back, grown pale with deadly fear; Nor then the oak-trees' speech did he forget, Noting the one bare foot, and garments wet. And something half remembered in his face.

And now nigh silent was the crowded place, For through the folk remembrance Juno sent, And soon from man to man a murmur went, And frowning folk were whispering deeds of shame And wrong the king had wrought, and ^son's name. Forgotten long, was bandied all about. And silent mouths seemed ready for a shout.

So, whisn the king raised up a hand, that shook With fear, and turned a wrathful, timorous look On his ^tolian guards, upon his ears There fell the clashing of the peoiDle's spears ; And on the house-tops round about the square Could he behold folk gathered here and there. And see the sunbeams strike on brass and steel. But therewithal, though new fear did he feel. He thought, " Small use of arms in this distress, — Needs is it that I use my wiliness ;" Then spoke aloud : " 0, man, what would t thou here That beardest thus a king with little fear ?"

" Pelias," he said, " I will not call thee king. Because thy crown is but a stolen thing. And with a stolen sceptre dost thou reign, "Which now T bid thee render up again. And on his father's throne my father set, Whom for long years the Gods did well forget,

But now, in lapse of time, remembering,

Have raised me, Jason, np to do this thing,

His son, and son of fair Alcimide ;

Yet now, since Tyro's blood 'twixt thee and me

Still runs, and thou my father's brother art,

In no wise would I hurt thee, for my part,

If thou wilt render to us but our own,

And still shalt thou stand nigh my father's throne."

Then all the people, when aright they knew, That this was ^Eson's son, about them drew. And when he ended gave a mighty shout ; But Pelias cleared his face of fear and doubt, And answered Jason, smiling cunningly : —