OCTOBER 12, 1861.] IF U IN 38


 GREECE,-ITS HUMOUROUS HISTORY.
 BY M'ASSA HOYLE.
 SIllustrated wiith Sketches taken on the Spot.
 CHAPTER THE FOURTH.
 FOLLOWING the bold example of 2EGEUS, we shall take an immense
historical leap, and come at once to the time of the Argonautic
expedition, namely, seventy-nine years or so before the taking of
Troy. This expedition sprang from a complicated series of family
differences. PHRYXUS and HELLE were the children of ATIIENEUS,
king of Thebes; and they were looked upon most unfavourably
by their step-mother, who appeared anxious to go a step farther,
and put an end to them. PHRYXUS and HLLLE consequently
formed the highly original project of running, or rather flying,
away. A golden ram, with wings and the faculty of speech, in the
most obliging manner requested them to jump on. At first they
imagined he was ram-bling, but eventually thought it best to believe in
him, and to be leaving Thebes. The brother and sister, when the ram
rose with them into the air, felt considerably elevated, and remained
on very tight for some time, when poor HELLE, who lost her head
completely by her sudden rise, and was not only very young but
excessively giddy, fell into the sea; while the ram, who really seemed
to like a burden, proceeded like a bird, and held on for Colchis, while
PHRYXUS held on for dear life. With that extreme gratitude peculiar
to the ancients, PHRYXUS, on landing, sacrificed the ram to MARs,
retaining the Golden Fleece, which soon caused IEETES, the king, to
murder him, the auri sacra fames overcoming all family scruples.
JASON, the rightful heir to the crown of IOLCHOS, wishing to have his
own, was promised the kingdom by PELIAs, the usurper, provided he
could obtain the Golden Fleece, and avenge the death of PHRYxus.
JASON, who, like most youths in the heroic age, was always ready for
a row, jumped at the proposition and into a boat, which he named the
Argo, and which he manned with heroes and commanded himself.
Arrived at Colchis, JASON was informed by EETEs that he should have


the Fleece provided he could tame some flame-breathing bulls and
plough with them, sow the ground with teeth which were to produce
armed men, conquer them, and subdue an enormous dragon which
guarded the Golden Fleece. Luckily MEDEA, the king's daughter,
fell in love with JASON ; she assisted him, and lie went through a grand
bull-taming which would have surprised RAREY himself, and have
given the QUEEN OF SPAIN a new "sensation." Ilis appearance was
so handsome, that he not only ploughed the plain, but cut up the
good-looking; when, after sowing the eartlh with the bull's teeth, a
"complete set" was made upon him by the uncharitable grinders,
who, however, having their heads aunoyed and their attention diverted
by a large stone which was thrown among them, "fell out" among
themselves, hacking each other to pieces; they may be said to have
died so many hacksi-dental deaths. With some medicated grub lie
soon made the dragon fly, took the Fleece from iEETES, and walked offl
with his darling and MEDEA. iESON, JASON's father, was so delighted
at his return, that he became literally "a boy again" by the charms
of MEDEA, who was not only a pleasing arrival but acharming wizarder.
PELIAS, the usurper, being also anxious for a return of his youth, was,
through the advice of IMEDEA, very much cut ap by his daughters,
and put in a cauldron of hot water. He was loved by his children, andi
very much he steamed. Oddly enough, however, the effect was not
altogether agreeable to the family, for lie never returned to life at all,
being not only a sacrificed father, but literally par-boiled. 11 DEAo got
herself also into hot water, and fled to Corinth with her husband J AsoN,
where they at first lived very happily, but their home, which had
been a perfect picture, became a very miserable interior after Ten-
years. JASON's heart separated from MIEDEA, and hishcad suppurated
from a beam which fell from a ship, and at once convinced him that
man was, after all, the weaker vessel. The actions of M cIsA have
been celebrated in a tragedy by EURuPIDES, who wrote it, as we hear,
for five talents. This shows how differently dramatic authors were
remunerated in those days to the present, for we now find people
who write tragedies without any talent at all.


 _~5 ----- -~



___~ __a-aD __I~


.. ,, __
I __ /. ..,, -- 


 PIIRYXUS AND HELLE TAKE A FLY TO COLCHIS.

 WHEN the EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH exhibits his child to the RAILWAY RIDDLE.--Why is the guard on tile Chester and Holyhcad
ubic, why does he resemble an old coat ?-Because he shows a very line necessarily very brutal to his wife ?-Because he's continually
 little AP. going to bang her.

 VOL. i.