The expedition of the Argonauts, and Jason’s carrying off of the Golden Fleece may here be appropriately mentioned; they are referred to by the Emblem writers, as well as the exploit of Phrixus, the brother of Helle, in swimming across the Hellespont on the golden-fleeced ram. The _former_ Whitney introduces when describing the then new and wonderful circumnavigation of the globe by Sir Francis Drake (p. 203),— “Let GRÆCIA then forbeare, to praise her IASON boulde? Who throughe the watchfull dragons pass’d, to win the fleece of goulde. Since by MEDEAS helpe, they weare inchaunted all, And IASON without perrilles, pass’de: the conqueste therfore small? But, hee, of whome I write, this noble minded DRAKE, Did bringe away his goulden fleece, when thousand eies did wake.” Diues indoctus. [Illustration: _Alciat, 1551._] _Tranat aquas reſidẽs precioſo in vellere Phrixus, Et flauam impauidus per mare ſcandit ouem. Ecquid id est? vir ſenſu hebeti, ſed diuite gaza, Coniugis aut ſerui quem regit arbitrium_. The _latter_ forms the subject of one of Alciat’s Emblems, edition Antwerp, 1581, Emb. 189, in which, seated on the precious fleece, Phrixus crosses the waters, and fearless in the midst of the sea mounts the tawny sheep, the type of “the rich man unlearned.” Whitney (p. 214) substitutes _In diuitem, indoctum_,—“To the rich man, unlearned,”—and thus paraphrases the original,— “On goulden fleece, did Phryxus passe the waue, And landed safe, within the wished baie: By which is ment, the fooles that riches haue, Supported are, and borne throughe Lande, and Sea: And those enrich’de by wife, or seruauntes goodds, Are borne by them like Phryxus through the floodds.” In a similar emblem, Beza, edition Geneva, 1580, Emb. 3, alludes to the daring deed of Phrixus,— “_Aurea mendaci vates non vnicvs ore Vellera phrixeæ commemorauit ouis. Nos, te, Christe, agnum canimus. Nam diuite gestas Tu verè veras vellere solus opes._” Thus rendered in the French version,— “_Maint poete discourt de sa bouche menteuse Sur vne toison d’or. Nous, à iuste raison, Te chantons, Christ, agneau, dont la riche toison Est l’vnique thresor qui rend l’Eglise heureuse._” The _Merchant of Venice_ (act. i. sc. 1, l. 161, vol. ii. p. 284) presents Shakespeare’s counterpart to the Emblematists; it is in Bassanio’s laudatory description of Portia, as herself the golden fleece,—