The Argonauts

12 ARGONAUTAE JASON. Arise, All heroes, circling round the sacred stone In beautiful order and procession grave, While our chief priest, our mightiest in song, The dowered of Phoebus, great Oeager’s heir, Invokes that glory on the sacrifice That kindles all its slumber into life And vivid flame descending on the wheel And chariot of lightning, licking up The water of the loud-resounding sea Lustral, poured seven times upon the earth And in one flash consuming wood and stone And the sweet savour of the sacrifice. ORPHEUS. But when the flame hath darted from the eye Of my divine existence, and hath left Nothing, where was the altar and the earth, The water and the incense and the victim— Nothing of all remains! Then look to it That ye invoke not Wisdom by the Name Of bright Athena! JASON. We are here to call Upon that Wisdom by that mighty Name! ORPHEUS. Who calleth upon Wisdom is not wise. Is it not written in the Sibyl’s book