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120 To urge their bark's career what cause was found?

In chains of adamant what peril bound?

'Twas doom'd that Pelias should expire

By force or fraudulent design,

Who waked the hero's vengeful ire,

Sprung from the brave Æolian line.

To his quick thought returning still

The oracle of Delphi spoke

In sounds of wo that loud and shrill

From earth's well-wooded centre broke;

And bade his jealous mind beware

The man with foot of sandal bare.

When he from Chiron's high retreat

The stranger citizen should come

To famed Iolcos' western seat,

And gain at length a foreign home.

Then brandishing his double spear,

Approach'd the wondrous mortal near.

Wrapp'd are his limbs of beauteous mould

Within a double vesture's fold—

Magnesian, and the foreign pard,

'Gainst pelting rains the surest guard;

While locks in sacrifice unshorn

His ample back with grace adorn.

Straight coming on with quiet tread,

He show'd a mind devoid of dread.

When one among th' assembled crowd

Turn'd to th' unknown, thus spoke aloud:

Tis not Apollo I behold,

Nor Venus' spouse, the god of war,

Who thunders in his iron car.

Long since, as ancient fame has told,

Deceased in fertile Naxos lie

Iphimedeia's progeny,

Otus, and thou, King Ephialtes bold.