The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-03-06

The midmost by the beautsous Herse graced.
Her virgin sisters lodged on either side.
Aglauros first the approaching god deserted;
| And as he crossed her chamber asked his name,
And what his business was. and whence he
| came.
Il come" replied. the god from heaven to
| WOO
Your sister. and to make an aunt of you.
am the son end messenger Of Jove,
| My name jig Mercury, my business love-.
She stared him In the face with looks amazed.
| As when she on Minerals secret gazed.
And asks mighty treasure, for her hire,
And till he brings it makes the god retire
| JASON AND THE GOLDEN FLEECE.
| Superbly mounted was the next subject,
one that has become perhaps, more familiar
| to the ordinary reader than most Of tho
| others. In the front of the car the brass
hoofed bulls" from whose nostrils sulphur
ing to the yoke, and under Jason's guidance
drawing the pillow whilst the hero sows ser
pents' teeth over the glebe which brings forth
| a human crop. Gorgeously dressed, Jason is
seen again in combat with the newborn foe
men. "for encounter all completely armed" "
| On q rich throne sits Medea, the object OF
| his quest and behind her the dragon, that
never slept, sitting upon the Golden Fleece
| The story of JASON according TO the older
writer's, varies considerably, but Ovid has
given us pleasing and the true story of his
| crusade.
| The Aryonauts, in quest OF the Golden
| Fleece after long voyage on the .Argo, ar
rived at Colchis. Eta, the king, had boon
warned that n stranger would deprive him of
his crown and his life, and hence he sacrificed
all strangers found in his dominion. His
daughter. Medea, seeing Jason, who came
| with the Argonauts. fell in love with him and
| ing them from the dangers to which they were
| exposed on the condition of his marrying her.
| Having engaged to do So Medea conducted
him by night to the royal palace and gave
! him false key by means OF which he found
the royal treasure and embarked with Medea
| and his companions
| The Golden Fleece, the object Of Jason's de-
! sire, was from the ram sent to Phryxus by
his, step-mother. and was the object OF the
ambition of the leading men of Greece. Who
| ever wished to bear it was obliged to contend
| with bulls and dragons.
The first trial Of Jason was with the bulls,
| which the poet thus describes
Yet Jason marches up without concern
| While on the adventurous youth the monsters
Their glaring eyes. and esger to engage,
| Brandsh their steel tippd horns in threaten
| ing rage.
With brazen hoofs they beat the ground and
| choke
The ambient air with clouds of dust and smoke e.
| Each gazing Greean for his champion shakes,
While bold advances be securely makes
| Through ringing blasts; such wonders magic
Can work when love conspires and plays his
| part.
| Ine passive aHvagsS l1RH statues stand
While hs their dewlaps strokes with soothing
To unknown Jokes their brawny necks they
yield.
And. like tame oxen, plough the wondrous field.
Emboldened now. on fresh attempts he goes.
With eerpents' teeth the fertile burrows sows.
The glebs farmenting with enchanted juice
| Makes the snakes teeth q human crop produce.
For as an infant p r., to the womb
Sem hs sesa =. esp n snee birth
| But o whole troop of lusty youths rush forth. y
Medea seeing the danger of her lover, sings
one Of her enhancing songs. and the host are
| thrown together in civil conflict, and Jason is
| victorious. But one more labor remained for
the conqueror, and that was to anguish the
dragon.
| One labor more remains, and though tho last
In danger far surmmunting all the past,
That enterprise by Fates In store was kept
To make the dragon sleep that never slept,
| Whose crest shoots dreadful lustrs from his
A tr .inii tire Of forked tongues he draws
| With fangs and wings of a prodigious size
Such was the guardian Of the golden, prize.
Yet him, besprinkled with Lethean. dew.
ioThe fair enohantress into slumber threw"
After the tale of Jason's conquests. as re-
| lief came the
| FEAST OF BAGUHUs.
The rosy god, plethoric with the good cheer
| of this world, came next, In a car drawn by
three leopards, and, cup in hand, toasted the
bacchanals in his goodly company. These bae-
1
pets and cymbals attended the god, adorned
| with grapes aad chaplets of vine leaves on
their Giows.
THE vineyards ofoTymole engross his care.
And, with better choir, he fixes there,
When the smooth streams OF clear Paotolus
Then undistinguished for its sands of gold.
The satyrs with the nymphs-his usual throng--
Come to salute their god, and Jovial dance
along c
THE FESTIVAL. OF BAccHus.
with that aged tippler Silenus, then appeared
| in view mounted on his ass, and wreathed in
ivy, enjoying good time with the Phrygian
clowns. Silenus had evidently been indulg-
ing in Bolnger or Roederer, for his flushed
cheeks and unsteady seat betokened frequent
visits to the cup. The Phrygians, statts Of
fennel in hand, were grouped around the male
nurse of Bacchus, bedecked with grapes and
flowers. The fable goes
"senua only miss'd for while he reeled
| f. eble with age and wine about the field,
The hoary drunkard had forgot his way.
And to the Phrygian clowns he became prey
| Who to King Midas drag the captive god,
| While on his lofty pate the wreaths OF ivy nod.
| Midas from Orpheus had been taught his lore
And knew the rites Of Bacchns long before
| He, when he saw his venerable guest,
In honor of the god ordained feast;
Ten days in course, with each cont inued night
Were spent in genial mrth and brisk delight.
THE DAUGHTERS OF mINYAs,
adorned with costly robes and rich attire, fol
| lowed. Around q table OF treClan make Oh
q mosaic floor sit Alcithoe and her sisters, the
impious daughters of Minyas. The fire burns
near them, whilst beneath the shadow of q
Hellenic temple the statue of their father
looks down Alcithoe,, disdaining to attend
the feast ordered by The priest in honor Of
Bacchus. sits at the table, engaged in paint
ing; whilst one of her sisters phys the shuttle
another combs the fleecy wool, and the other
ia engaged with her needle. Their history
tells us
| Yet still Alcithoe perverss remains
| And Bacchus still and MI his rites disdains;
Too rash and madly bold she bids him provo
Himself god. nor owns the son of Jove;
Her sisters, too, unanimous agree,
Faithful associates in mpiety
But Mnyas' daughters, while these rites were
paid
At home impertnently busy stayed:
| Their wicked tasks they ply with various art.
And through the loom the sliding shuttle dart
Or at the fire TO comb the wool they stand
i Nr t,1irl tho snindla with laXteronG hind.