The Collected Works of William Morris :: :: University of Virginia Library

Yet therefore Creon nowise bore him hate,
But reverencing the wise decrees of Fate,
Still honoured him the more; and therewith thought,
Would that this man by some means might be brought
To wed my daughter; since when I am dead,
By none but him the people shall be led.
And on this thought he brooded more and more,
And 'gan to hate the Colchian very sore,
And through the place, as lightly he might do,
He spread ill tales of false things and of true,
And unto Jason's self such words did say
As well he thought might turn his heart away
From faith and truth; and as such words will come,
When wise men speak them, to a ready home,
So here they did; though soothly for his part,
He knew it not, nor yet his restless heart.

But on a day it fell that as they sat
In Creon's porch, and talked of this or that,
The king spake: “Yea, no dread thy strong heart bears,
But is it that no whisper yet it hears
Of what the Gods may do for Pelias?”
“Nay,” Jason said, “let what will come to pass!
His day is past and mine is flourishing;
But doubtless is an end to everything,
And soon or late each man shall have his day.”

Then said the king: “Neither did thine hand slay
The man thyself, or bring his death about;
Each man shall bear his own sin without doubt.
Yet do I bid thee watch and take good heed
Of what the Colchian's treacheries may breed.”

Then quickly Jason turned his head around
And said: “What is there dwelling above ground
That loveth me as this one loveth me?
O Creon! I am honoured here as thee;
All do my will as if a God I were;

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Scarce can the young men see me without fear,
The elders without tears of vain regret.
And, certes, had this worshipped head been set
Upon some spike of King Æetes' house,
But for her tender love and piteous;
For me she gave up country, kin and name,
For me she risked tormenting and the flame,
The anger of the Gods and curse of man;
For me she came across the waters wan
Through many woes, and for my sake did go
Alone, unarmed, to my most cruel foe,
Whom there she slew by his own daughters' hands,
Making me king of all my father's lands:
Note all these things, and tell me then to flee
From that which threateneth her who loveth me.”

“Yea,” said the king, “to make and to unmake
Is her delight; and certes for thy sake
She did all this thou sayest, yea, and yet more;
Seeing thee death-doomed on a foreign shore,
With hardy heart, but helpless; a king's son,
But with thy thread of life well-nigh outrun;
Therefore, I say, she did all this for thee,
And ever on the way to Thessaly
She taught thee all things needful, since ye were
As void of helpful knowledge as of fear.
All this she did, and so was more than queen
Of thee and thine: but thou—thine age is green,
Nor wilt thou always dwell in this fair town,
Nor through the wild wood hunt the quarry down:
Bethink thee—of the world thou mayst be king,
Holding the life and death of everything,
Nor will she love thee more, upon that day
When all her part will be but to obey;
Nor will it then be fitting unto thee
To have a rival in thy sovereignty
Laid in thy bed, and sitting at thy board.”

Now somewhat Jason reddened at that word,

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But said: “O Creon, let the thing be so!
She shall be high the while that I am low,
And as the Gods in heaven rule over me,
Since they are greater, in such wise shall she,
Who as they gave me life, has given me life,
And glorious end to seeming hopeless strife.”

Then Creon said: “Yea, somewhat good it were
If thou couldst lead that life, and have no fear.”
Laughing he spoke; but quickly changed his face,
And with knit brows he rose up from his place,
And with his hand on Jason's shoulder, said:
“O careless man, too full of hardihead!
O thou ease-loving, little-thinking man,
Whate'er thou doest, dread the Colchian!
She will unmake thee yet, as she has made,
And in a bloody grave shalt thou be laid.”

Then turning, to his palace went the king,
But Jason, left alone and pondering,
Felt in his heart a vague and gnawing fear
Of unknown troubles slowly drawing near,
And, spite of words, the thing that Creon said
Touched in his heart that still increasing dread,
And he was moved by that grave elder's face,
For love was dying in the ten years' space.