eir　golden　hair；　all　through　the　night　wailed　their　piteous　lament。　And　there　all　would　have　parted　from　life　without　a　name　and　unknown　to　mortal　men；　those　bravest　of　heroes；　with　their　task　unfulfilled；　but　as　they　pined　in　despair；　the　heroine…nymphs；　warders　of　Libya；　had　pity　on　them；　they　who　once　found　Athena；　what　time　she　leapt　in　gleaming　armour　from　her　father's　head；　and　bathed　her　by　Trito's　waters。　　It　was　noon…tide　and　the　fiercest　rays　of　the　sun　were　scorching　Libya；　they　stood　near　Aeson's　son；　and　lightly　drew　the　cloak　from　his　head。　　And　the　hero　cast　down　his　eyes　and　looked　aside；　in　reverence　for　the　goddesses；　and　as　he　lay　bewildered　all　alone　they　addressed　him　openly　with　gentle　words：
  （ll。　1318…1329）　　〃Ill…starred　one；　why　art　thou　so　smitten　with　despair？　　We　know　how　ye　went　in　quest　of　the　golden　fleece；　we　know　each　toil　of　yours；　all　the　mighty　deeds　ye　wrought　in　your　wanderings　over　land　and　sea。　　We　are　the　solitary　ones；　goddesses　of　the　land；　speaking　with　human　voice；　the　heroines；　Libya's　warders　and　daughters。　　Up　then；　be　not　thus　afflicted　in　thy　misery；　and　rouse　thy　comrades。　　And　when　Amphitrite　has　straightway　loosed　Poseidon's　swift…wheeled　car；　then　do　ye　pay　to　your　mother　a　recompense　for　all　her　travail　when　she　bare　you　so　long　in　her　womb；　and　so　ye　may　return　to　the　divine　land　of　Achaea。〃
  （ll。　1330…1332）　　Thus　they　spake；　and　with　the　voice　vanished　at　once；　where　they　stood。　　But　Jason　sat　upon　the　earth　as　he　gazed　around；　and　thus　cried：
  （ll。　1333…1336）　　〃Be　gracious；　noble　goddesses　of　the　desert；　yet　the　saying　about　our　return　I　understand　not　clearly。　　Surely　I　will　gather　together　my　comrades　and　tell　them；　if　haply　we　can　find　some　token　of　our　escape；　for　the　counsel　of　many　is　better。〃
  （ll。　1337…1346）　　He　spake；　and　leapt　to　his　feet；　and　shouted　afar　to　his　comrades；　all　squalid　with　dust；　like　a　lion　when　he　roars　through　the　woodland　seeking　his　mate；　and　far　off　in　the　mountains　the　glens　tremble　at　the　thunder　of　his　voice；　and　the　oxen　of　the　field　and　the　herdsmen　shudder　with　fear；　yet　to　them　Jason's　voice　was　no　whit　terrible　the　voice　of　a　comrade　calling　to　his　friends。　　And　with　looks　downcast　they　gathered　near；　and　hard　by　where　the　ship　lay　he　made　them　sit　down　in　their　grief　and　the　women　with　them；　and　addressed　them　and　told　them　everything：
  （ll。　1347…1362）　　〃Listen；　friends；　as　I　lay　in　my　grief；　three　goddesses　girded　with　goat…skins　from　the　neck　downwards　round　the　back　and　waist；　like　maidens；　stood　over　my　head　nigh　at　hand；　and　they　uncovered　me；　drawing　my　cloak　away　with　light　hand；　and　they　bade　me　rise　up　myself　and　go　and　rouse　you；　and　pay　to　our　mother　a　bounteous　recompense　for　all　her　travail　when　she　bare　us　so　long　in　her　womb；　when　Amphitrite　shall　have　loosed　Poseidon's　swift…wheeled　car。　　But　I　cannot　fully　understand　concerning　this　divine　message。　　They　said　indeed　that　they　were　heroines；　Libya's　warders　and　daughters；　and　all　the　toils　that　we　endured　aforetime　by　land　and　sea；　all　these　they　declared　that　they　knew　full　well。　　Then　I　saw　them　no　more　in　their　place；　but　a　mist　or　cloud　came　between　and　hid　them　from　my　sight。〃
  （ll。　1363…1369）　　Thus　he　spake；　and　all　marvelled　as　they　heard。　Then　was　wrought　for　the　Minyae　the　strangest　of　portents。　　From　the　sea　to　the　land　leapt　forth　a　monstrous　horse；　of　vast　size；　with　golden　mane　tossing　round　his　neck；　and　quickly　from　his　limbs　he　shook　off　abundant　spray　and　started　on　his　course；　with　feet　like　the　wind。　　And　at　once　Peleus　rejoiced　and　spake　among　the　throng　of　his　comrades：
  （ll。　1370…1379）　　〃I　deem　that　Poseidon's　ear　has　even　now　been　loosed　by　the　hands　of　his　dear　wife；　and　I　divine　that　our　mother　is　none　else　than　our　ship　herself；　for　surely　she　bare　us　in　her　womb　and　groans　unceasingly　with　grievous　travailing。　　But　with　unshaken　strength　and　untiring　shoulders　will　we　lift　her　up　and　bear　her　within　this　country　of　sandy　wastes；　where　yon　swift…footed　steed　has　sped　before。　　For　he　will　not　plunge　beneath　the　earth；　and　his　hoof…prints；　I　ween；　will　point　us　to　some　bay　above　the　sea。〃
  （ll。　1380…1392）　　Thus　he　spake；　and　the　fit　counsel　pleased　all。　This　is　the　tale　the　Muses　told；　and　I　sing　obedient　to　the　Pierides；　and　this　report　have　I　heard　most　truly；　that　ye；　O　mightiest　far　of　the　sons　of　kings；　by　your　might　and　your　valour　over　the　desert　sands　of　Libya　raised　high　aloft　on　your　shoulders　the　ship　and　all　that　ye　brought　therein；　and　bare　her　twelve　days　and　nights　alike。　　Yet　who　could　tell　the　pain　and　grief　which　they　endured　in　that　toil？　　Surely　they　were　of　the　blood　of　the　immortals；　such　a　task　did　they　take　on　them；　constrained　by　necessity。　　How　forward　and　how　far　they　bore　her　gladly　to　the　waters　of　the　Tritonian　lake！　　How　they　strode　in　and　set　her　down　from　their　stalwart　shoulders！
  （ll。　1393…1421）　　Then；　like　raging　hounds；　they　rushed　to　search　for　a　spring；　for　besides　their　suffering　and　anguish；　a　parching　thirst　lay　upon　them；　and　not　in　vain　did　they　wander；　but　they　came　to　the　sacred　plain　where　Ladon；　the　serpent　of　the　land；　till　yesterday　kept　watch　over　the　golden　apples　in　the　garden　of　Atlas；　and　all　around　the　nymphs；　the　Hesperides；　were　busied；　chanting　their　lovely　song。　　But　at　that　time；　stricken　by　Heracles；　he　lay　fallen　by　the　trunk　of　the　apple…tree；　only　the　tip　of　his　tail　was　still　writhing；　but　from　his　head　down　his　dark　spine　he　lay　lifeless；　and　where　the　arrows　had　left　in　his　blood　the　bitter　gall　of　the　Lernaean　hydra；　flies　withered　and　died　over　the　festering　wounds。　　And　close　at　hand　the　Hesperides；　their　white　arms　flung　over　their　golden　heads；　lamented　shrilly；　and　the　heroes　drew　near　suddenly；　but　the　maidens；　at　their　quick　approach；　at　once　became　dust　and　earth　where　they　stood。　　Orpheus　marked　the　divine　portent；　and　for　his　comrades　addressed　them　in　prayer：　〃O　divine　ones；　fair　and　kind；　be　gracious；　O　queens；　whether　ye　be　numbered　among　the　heavenly　goddesses；　or　those　beneath　the　earth；　or　be　called　the　Solitary　nymphs；　come；　O　nymphs；　sacred　race　of　Oceanus；　appear　manifest　to　our　longing　eyes　and　show　us　some　spring　of　water　from　the　rock　or　some　sacred　flow　gushing　from　the　earth；　goddesses；　wherewith　we　may　quench　the　thirst　that　burns　us　unceasingly。　　And　if　ever　again　we　return　in　our　voyaging　to　the　Achaean　land；　then　to　you　among　the　first　of　goddesses　with　willing　hearts　will　we　bring　countless　gifts；　libations　and　banquets。〃
  （ll。　1422…1431）　　So　he　spake；　beseeching　them　with　plaintive　voice；　and　they　from　their　station　near　pitied　their　pain；　and　lo！　　First　of　all　they　caused　grass　to　spring　from　the　earth；　and　above　the　grass　rose　up　tall　shoots；　and　then　flourishing　saplings　grew　standing　upright　far　above　the　earth。　　Hespere　became　a　poplar　and　Eretheis　an　elm；　and　Aegle　a　willow's　sacred　trunk。　　And　forth　from　these　trees　their　forms　looked　out；　as　clear　as　they　were　before；　a　marvel　exceeding　great；　and　Aegle　spake　with　gentle　words　answering　their　longing　looks：
  （ll。　1432…1449）　　〃Surely　there　has　come　hither　a　mighty　succour　to　your　toils；　that　most　accursed　man；　who　robbed　our　guardian　serpent　of　life　and　plucked　the　golden　apples　of　the　goddesses　and　is　gone；　and　has　left　bitter　grief　for　us。　　For　yesterday　came　a　man　most　fell　in　wanton　violence；　most　grim　in　form；　and　his　eyes　flashed　beneath　his　scowling　brow；　a　ruthless　wretch；　and　he　was　clad　in　the　skin　of　a　monstrous　lion　of　raw　hide；　untanned；　and　he　bare　a　sturdy　bow　of　olive；　and　a　bow；　wherewith　he　shot　and　killed　this　monster　here。　　So　he　too　came；　as　one　traversing　the　land　on　foot；　parched　with　thirst；　and　he　rushed　wildly　through　this　spot；　searching　for　water；　but　nowhere　was　he　like　to　see　it。　　Now　here　stood　a　rock　near　the　Tritonian　lake；　and　of　his　own　device；　or　by　the　prompting　of　some　god；　he　smote　it　below　with　his　foot；　and　the　water　gushed　out　in　full　flow。　And　he；　leaning　both　his　hands　and　chest　upon　the　ground；　drank　a　huge　draught　from　the　rifted　rock；　until；　stooping　like　a　beast　of　the　field；　he　had　satisfied　his　mighty　maw。〃
  （ll。　1450…1457）　　Thus　she　spake；　and　they　gladly　with　joyful　steps　ran　to　the　spot　where　Aegle　had　pointed　out　to　them　the　spring；　until　they　reached　it。　　And　as　when　earth…burrowing　ants　gather　in　swarms　round　a　narrow　cleft；　or　when　flies　lighting　upon　a　tiny　drop　of　sweet　honey　cluster　round　with　insatiate　eagerness；　so　at　that　time；　huddled　together；　the　Minyae　thronged　about　the　spring　from　the　rock。　　And　thus　with　wet　lips　one　cried　to　another　in　his　delight：
  （ll。　1458…1460）　　〃Strange！　　In　very　truth　Heracles；　though　far　away；　has　saved　his　comrades；　fordone　with　thirst。　　Would　that　we　might　find　him　on　his　way　as　we　pass　through　the　mainland！〃
  （ll。　1461…1484）　　So　they　spake；　and　those　who　were　ready　for　this　work　answered；　and　they　separated　this　way　and　that；　each　starting　to　search。　　For　by　the　night　winds　the　footsteps　had　been　effaced　where　the　sand　was　stirred。　　The　two　sons　of　Boreas　started　up；　trusting　in　their　wings；　and　Euphemus；　relying　on　his　swift　feet；　and　Lynceus　to　cast　far　his　piercing　eyes；　and　with　them　darted　off　Canthus；　the　fifth。　　He　was　urged　on　by　the　doom　of　the　gods　and　his　own　cour