AND at last they came to Crete， and to Cnossus， beneath the peaks of Ida， and to the palace of Minos the great king， to whom Zeus himself taught laws. So he was the wisest of all mortal kings， and conquered all the AEgean isles； and his ships were as many as the sea-gulls， and his palace like a marble hill. And he sat among the pillars of the hall， upon his throne of beaten gold， and around him stood the speaking statues which Daidalos had made by his skill. For Daidalos was the most cunning of all Athenians， and he first invented the plumb-line， and the auger， and glue， and many a tool with which wood is wrought. And he first set up masts in ships， and yards， and his son made sails for them： but Perdix his nephew excelled him； for he first invented the saw and its teeth， copying it from the back-bone of a fish； and invented， too， the chisel， and the compasses， and the potter's wheel which moulds the clay. Therefore Daidalos envied him， and hurled him headlong from the temple of Athene； but the Goddess pitied him (for she loves the wise)， and changed him into a partridge， which flits for ever about the hills. And Daidalos fled to Crete， to Minos， and worked for him many a year， till he did a shameful deed， at which the sun hid his face on high.
Then he fled from the anger of Minos， he and Icaros his son having made themselves wings of feathers， and fixed the feathers with wax. So they flew over the sea toward Sicily；but Icaros flew too near the sun； and the wax of his wings was melted， and he fell into the Icarian Sea. But Daidalos came safe to Sicily， and there wrought many a wondrous work；for he made for King Cocalos a reservoir， from which a great river watered all the land， and a castle and a treasury on a mountain， which the giants themselves could not have stormed；and in Selinos he took the steam which comes up from the fires of AEtna， and made of it a warm bath of vapour， to cure the pains of mortal men； and he made a honeycomb of gold， in which the bees came and stored their honey， and in Egypt he made the forecourt of the temple of Hephaistos in Memphis， and a statue of himself within it， and many another wondrous work. And for Minos he made statues which spoke and moved， and the temple of Britomartis， and the dancing-hall of Ariadne， which he carved of fair white stone. And in Sardinia he worked for I攍aos， and in many a land beside， wandering up and down for ever with his cunning， unlovely and accursed by men.
But Theseus stood before Minos， and they looked each other in the face. And Minos bade take them to prison， and cast them to the monster one by one， that the death of Androgeos might be avenged. Then Theseus cried -'A boon， O Minos！ Let me be thrown first to the beast. For I came hither for that very purpose， of my own will， and not by lot.'
'Who art thou， then， brave youth？'
'I am the son of him whom of all men thou hatest most， AEgeus the king of Athens， and I am come here to end this matter.'
And Minos pondered awhile， looking steadfastly at him， and he thought， 'The lad means to atone by his own death for his father's sin；' and he answered at last mildly -'Go back in peace， my son. It is a pity that one so brave should die.'
But Theseus said， 'I have sworn that I will not go back till I have seen the monster face to face.'
And at that Minos frowned， and said， 'Then thou shalt see him； take the madman away.'
And they led Theseus away into the prison， with the other youths and maids.
