tree-trunk, and took up his curved bow. And he fared forth through the
fruitful orchard of the palace of Zeus. Then he passed through the gates
of Olympus high in air; hence is a downward path from heaven; and the
twin poles rear aloft steep mountain tops--the highest crests of earth,
where the risen sun grows ruddy with his first beams. And beneath him
there appeared now the life-giving earth and cities of men and sacred
streams of rivers, and now in turn mountain peaks and the ocean all
around, as he swept through the vast expanse of air.

Now the heroes apart in ambush, in a back-water of the river, were met
in council, sitting on the benches of their ship. And Aeson's son
himself was speaking among them; and they were listening silently in
their places sitting row upon row: "My friends, what pleases myself that
will I say out; it is for you to bring about its fulfilment. For in
common is our task, and common to all alike is the right of speech; and
he who in silence withholds his thought and his counsel, let him know
that it is he alone that bereaves this band of its home-return. Do ye
others rest here in the ship quietly with your arms; but I will go to
the palace of Aeetes, taking with me the sons of Phrixus and two
comrades as well. And when I meet him I will first make trial with words
to see if he will be willing to give up the golden fleece for
friendship's sake or not, but trusting to his might will set at nought
our quest. For so, learning his frowardness first from himself, we will
consider whether we shall meet him in battle, or some other plan shall
avail us, if we refrain from the war-cry. And let us not merely by
force, before putting words to the test, deprive him of his own
possession. But first it is better to go to him and win his favour by
speech. Oftentimes, I ween, does speech accomplish at need what prowess
could hardly carry through, smoothing the path in manner befitting. And
he once welcomed noble Phrixus, a fugitive from his stepmother's wiles