Goe thou thither and enquire for the hill Tenarus whereas thou shalte finde a hole leadinge to Hell euen to the pallaice of Pluto but take héede that thou goe not with emptie handes to that place of darkenesse but carry twoo soppes sodden in the flower of barley and hony in thy handes twoo halfpens in thy mouth and when thou haste passed a good parte of that way thou shalt sée a lame Asse carriyng of woodde a lame fellowe driuinge him who will desire thée to giue him vp the stickes that fall downe but passe thou on and doo nothinge by and by thou shalt come vnto the riuer of Hell whereas Charon is Ferriman who will first haue his fare paide him before he will carry the soules ouer the riuer in his boate whereby you may sée that auarice raigneth emongst the dead neyther Charon nor Pluto will doo any thinge for nought For if it be a poore man that woulde passe ouer and lacketh money he shalbe compelled to die in his iourney before they will showe him any reliefe wherefore deliuer to carraine Charon one of the halfepens whiche thou bearest for thy passage lette him receaue it out of thy mouth And it shall come to passe as thou sittest in the boate thou shalte sée an olde man swimminge on the toppe of the riuer holdinge vp his deadly handes and desiringe thée to receaue him into the barke but haue no regarde to his piteous crie when thou arte passed ouer the floudde thou shalt espie old women spinninge who will desire thée to helpe them but beware thou doo not consent vnto them in any case for these and like baites and trappes wil Venus sette to make thée lette fall one of thy soppes and thinke not that the kéepinge of thy soppes is a light matter for if thou lese one of them thou shalt be assured neuer to retorne againe to this world Then thou shalt sée a great and meruelous dogge with thrée heades barkinge continually at the soules of such as enter in by reason he can doo them no other harme he lieth day and night before the gate of Proserpina and kéepeth the house of Pluto with great diligence to whome if thou cast one of thy soppes thou maist haue accesse to Proserpina without all daunger she will make thée good chéere and entertaine thée with delicate meate drinke but sitte thou vpon the ground and desire browne bread and then declare thy message vnto her and when thou hast receaued such beautie as she giueth in thy retorne appease the rage of the dogge with thy other soppe giue thy other halfepeny to couetous Charon and come the same way againe into the world as thou wentest but aboue all thinges haue a regarde that thou looke not in the boxe neither be not to curious about the treasure of the diuine beautie In this manner the towre spake vnto Psyches and aduertised her what she should doo and immediatly she tooke twoo halfpence twoo soppes and all thinges necessary and went to the mouÌ„taine Tenarus to goe towardes Hell After that Psiches had passed by the lamâ— Asse paide her halfpenny for passage neglected the old man in the riuer denied to helpe the wemen spinninge and filled the rauenous mouth of y â— dogge with a soppe she came to the chamber of Proserpina There Psyches would not sitte in any royall seate nor eate any delicate meates but kneelinge at the féete of Proserpina onely contented with course bread declared her message and after she had receaued a misticall secrete in the boxe she departed and stopped the mouth of the dogge with the other soppe and paied the boteman the other halfpeÌ„ny When Psyches was returned from hell to the light of y â— worlde she was rauished with great desire saying Am not I a foole that knowinge that I carry here the diuine beautie will not take a little thereof to garnish my face to please my louer withall and by and by she opened the boxe where she coulde perceaue no beautie nor any thinge els saue onely an infernall and deadly sléepe whiche immediatly inuaded all her members assone as the boxe was vncouered in such sort that she fel downe on the gronnde lay there as a sléepinge corps But Cupide beinge now healed of his wounde and maladie not able to endure the absence of Psyches gotte him secretely out at a windowe of the chamber where he was enclosed and receauinge his winges toke his flight towardes his louinge wife whome wheÌ„ he had founde he wiped away the sléepe from her face and put it againe into the boxe and awaked her with the tippe of one of his arrowes sayinge O wretched â—aytife beholde thou wearest welny perished againe with thy ouermuch curiositie well goe thou doo thy message to my mother and in the meane season I will prouide for all thinges accordingly wherewithall he toke his flight into the ayre and Psiches brought her present to Venus Cupide being more and more in loue with Psiches fearing the displeasure of his mother did perce into the heauens arriued before Iupiter to declare his cause then Iupiter after that he had eftsones embrased him gan say in this manner O my welbeloued sonne although thou hast not giuen due reuereÌ„ce honour vnto me as thou oughtest to doo but hast rather soyled wounded this my brest wherby the lawes and order of the elementes planetes be disposed with continuall assaultes of terren luxury against al lawes the discipline Iulia the vtilitie of y â— publique weale in traÌ„sforming my diuine beautie into serpentes fire sauage beastes birdes â–ª into bulles Howbeit remeÌ„bringe my modestie that I haue nourished thee with mine owne proper handes I wil doo accoÌ„plish al thy desire so that thou canst beware of spiteful enuious persons And if there be any excellent mayden of comely beautie in the world remeÌ„ber yet y â— benefite which I shall show vnto thée by recompence of her loue towardes me againe When he had spokeÌ„ these woordes he coÌ„maunded Mercurie to call al the Goddes to counsell and if any of the celestiall powers did fayle of appearance he should be condemned in ten thousande poundes which sentence was such a terrour vnto all the Goddes that the high Theatre was replenished Iupiter began to speake in this sorte O ye Goddes registred in the bookes of the Muses you all know this yonge man Cupide whome I haue nourished with mine owne handes whose raginge flames of his first youth I thought best to bridle and restraine It suffiseth in that he is diffamed in euery place for his adulterous liuinge wherefore all occasion ought to be taken away by meane of marriage he hath chosen a mayden that fancieth him well and hath beriued her of her virginitie lette him haue her still and possesse her according to his owne pleasure then he returned to Venus and said And you my daughter take you no care neither feare
The .xi. Bookes of the Golden Asse Conteininge the Metamorphosie of Lucius Apuleius enterlaced with sondrie pleasaunt and delectable Tales with an excellent Narration of the Mariage of Cupide and Psiches set out in the .iiij. v. and vj. Bookes Translated out of Latine into Englishe by VVilliam Adlington Imprinted at London in Fleetstreate at the signe of the Oliphante by Henry VVykes Anno. 1566. To the right Honorable and Mightie Lorde Thomas Earle of Sussex Viscont Fitzwaltre Lorde of Egremont and of Burnell Knight of the most noble Order of the Garter Iustice of the Forestes and Chases from Trente sowthwarde and Capitaine of the Gentlemen Pentioners of the house of the Queene out Soueraigne Lady AFter that I had taken vpon me right Honorable in manner of that vnlearned and foolish poet Cherillus who rashly and vnaduisedly wrote a bigge volume in verses of the gestes and valiant prowesse of Alexander the great to translate this present booke conteyninge the Metamorphosy of Lucius Apuleius beynge moued therunto by the right pleasant pastime and delectable matter therein I eftsones consulted with my selfe to whome I might best offer so pleasant and woorthy a woorke deuised by the Author it beyng now barbarously and simply framed in our Englishe tongue And after longe deliberatioÌ„ had your Honorable Lordshippe came to my remembrance a man muche more woorthy then to whome so homely and rude a translation should be presented But when I againe remembred the iestinge and sportfull matter of the booke vnfitte to be offred to any man of grauitie and wisedome I was wholly determined to make no Epistle dedicatory at all till as now of late perswaded thereunto by my fréendes I haue boldly enterprised to offer the same to your Lordshippe who as I trust will with no lesse good will accept the same then if it did entreate of some serious loftie matter consideryng that although the matter therein séeme very light and mery yet the effect thereof tendeth to a good and vertuous morall as in the followynge Epistle to the Reader may be cléerly perceaued For so hath all wryters in times paste employed their trauell and labours that their posteritie might receaue some fruictfull profite by the same And therefore the Poetes feigned not their fables in vaine consideringe that children in time of their first studies are muche allured thereby to procéede to more graue and déepe disciplines whereas otherwise their mindes would quickly lothe the wise and prudent woorkes of learned men wherein in suche vnripe yéeres they take no sparke of delectation at all And not onely that profite arriseth to children by suche feigned fables but also the vertues of men are couertly thereby commended and their vices discommended and abhorred For by the fable of Actaeon where it is feigned that when he sawe Diana washinge her selfe in a well he was immediatly turned into a Hart and so was slayne of his owne Dogges may be ment that when a man casteth his eies on the vaine and soone vadynge beautie of the worlde consentinge thereto in his minde he seemeth to be turned into a brute beast and so to be slayne thorough the inordinate desire of his owne affectes By Tantalus that standeth in the middest of the floode Eridan hauynge before him a tree laden with pleasant apples he beyng neuerthelesse alwaies thursty and hungry betokeneth the insatiable desire of couetous persons The Fables of Atreus Thiestes Tereus and Progne signifieth the wicked and abhominable factes wrought and attempted by mortall men The fall of Icarus is an example to proude and arrogant persons that weeneth to clymbe vp to the Heauens By Mydas who obteined of Bacchus that all thinges whiche he touched mought be Golde is carped the foule sinne of auarice By Phaeton that vnskilfully toke in hande to rule the Charriot of the Sunne are represented those persons whiche attempt thinges passinge their power and capacitie By Castor and Pollux turned into a signe in Heauen called Gemini is signified that vertuous and godly persons shalbe rewarded after life with perpetuall blisse And in this fable or feigned ieste of Lucius Apuleius is comprehended a figure of mans life ministringe moste swéete and delectable matter to such as shalbe desirous to Reade the same The whiche if your Honorable Lordshippe shal accept and take in good parte I shall not onely thinke my small trauell and labour well employed but also receaue a farther comforte to attempt some more serious matter whiche may be more acceptable to your Lordshippe desiring the same to excuse my rashe and â—olde enterprise at this time as I nothinge doubte in your Lordshippes goodnesse To whome I beséeche Almighty God to imparte longe lyfe with increase of much Honour From Vniuersitie Colledge in Oxforde the .xviij. of September 1566. Your Honors most bounden William Adlington To the Reader WHen that I had gentle Reader slightly here there runne ouer the pleasaunt and delectable iestes of Lucius Apuleius a man of auncient discent endewed with singuler learninge written in suche a franke flourishing stile as he séemed to haue the Muses alwaies at will to féede and maineteine his penne And when againe I perceiued the matter to minister such excéedinge plentie of myrth as neuer in my iudgement the like hath bene showed by any other I purposed accordinge to my sclender knowledge though it were rudely and farre disagréeyng from the fine and excellent dooinges now a dayes to translate the same into our vulgar tongue to the ende that amongest so many sage and serious woorkes as euery man welny endeuor dayly to encrease there might be some freshe and pleasante matter to recreate the mindes of the Readers withal Howbeit I was eftesoones driuen from my purpose by two causes First perceiuinge that the Authour had written his woorke in so darke and highe a stile in so strange and absurde woordes and in such newe inuented phrases as he séemed rather to set it foorth to show his magnifency of prose then to participate his dooinges to other Secondly fearinge lest the translation of this present booke which séemeth a méere iest and fable and a woorke woorthy to be laughed at by reason of the vanitie of the Authour mighte be contemned despised of all men and so consequently I to be had in derisioÌ„ to occupy my selfe in such friuolous and trifling toyes but on the other side when I had throughly learned the intent of the Author and the purpose why he inuented so sportfull a iest I was verely perswaded that my small trauell should not onely be accepted of many but the matter it selfe allowed praised of all Wherfore I intend God willinge as nighe as I can to vtter and open the meaning thereof to the simple and ignorant whereby they may not take the same as a thing onely to iest and laugh at for the Fables of Esope the feigninge of Poetes weare neuer writen for that purpose but by the pleasauntnes therof be rather induced to the knowledge of their
paine whiche I had taken of the charges which I was at considering that the diuine prouidence had giuen me such an order that I gayned much money in pleadinge of causes Finally after a few dayes the great God Osiris appeared to me in the night not desguised in any other forme but in his owne essence coÌ„maundinge me that I should be an Aduocate in the court not feare the sclaunder enuie of ill persons whiche bare me stomacke grudge by reason of my doctrine whiche I had gotten by much labour moreouer he woulde not that I shoulde be any lenger of the nomber of his Priestes but he allotted me to be one of the Decurious Senatours and after he appointed me a place within the auncient Pallaice which was erected in the time of Silla whereas I executed mine office in great ioy with a shauen crowne FINIS ⧠The Table of the first Booke of Lucius Apuleius of the Golden Asse HOvve Apuleius ridinge into Thessalie fortuned to fall into coÌ„panie vvith tvvo strauÌ„gers that reasoned together of the mightye povver of VVitches Cap. 1. fol. 1. Hovv Apulcius told to the tvvoo strauÌ„gers what he savv a Iuglar doo in AtheÌ„s Cap. 2. fol. 1. Hovv Socrates in his returne froÌ„ Macedonie to Larissa vvas spoiled and robbed and hovv he fell acquainted vvith one Meroe a VVitch Cap. 3. fol. 3. Hovve Meroe the VVitche turned diuers persons into miserable Beastes Cap. 4. Hovv Socrates and Aristomenus slept together in one chaÌ„ber and hovve they vvere haÌ„dled by VVitches Cap. 5. fol. 5. Hovv Apuleius came to a Citie called Hipate and vvas lodged in one Malos house and brought him letters from Demea of Corinth Cap. 6. fol. 9. Hovve Apuleius goeinge to bie Fishe mette vvith his compaignion Pithias Cap. 7. fol. 10. ¶ The seconde Booke ¶ Hovv Apuleius fortuned to meete vvith his cofin Byrrhena Cap. 8. fol. 12. Hovve Apuleius fell into loue vvith Fotis Cap. 9. fol. 14. Hovv Birrhena sent victualles vnto Apuleius and hovv he talked vvith Milo of Diophanes and hovv he laye vvith Fotis Cap. 10. fol. 16. Hovv Apuleius supped vvith Birrhena and vvhat a strauÌ„ge tale Bellephoron tolde at the table Cap. 11. fol. 18. ¶ The thirde Booke ¶ Hovv Apuleius vvas taken and putte in prison for Murder Cap. 12. fol. 24. Hovve Apuleius vvas accused by an olde man and hovv he ansvveared for him selfe Cap. 13. fol. 24. Hovv Apuleius vvas accused by tvvo vvomen and hovv the slaine bodies vvere fouÌ„de blovven bladders Cap. 14. fol. 26. Hovve Fotis tolde to Apuleius vvhat VVitchecrafte her Mistris did vse Cap. 15. fol. 28. Hovv Fotis brought Apuleius to see her Mistris Enchaunt Cap. 16. fol. 31. Hovve Apuleius thinkinge to be turned into a Birde vvas turned in to an Asse and hovve he vvas ledde avvaye by Theeues Cap. 17. fol. 32. ¶ The fourth Booke ¶ Hovv Apuleius thinking to goe to eate Roses vvas cruelly beaten by a Gardener and chased by Dogges ca. 18. fol. 34. Hovv Apuleius vvas preueÌ„ted of his purpose and hovve the Theeues came to their denne Cap. 19. fol. 35. Hovve Thrasileon vvas disguised in a Beares skinne and hovv he vvas handled Cap. 20. fol. 39. Hovve the Theeues stole avvay a Gentelvvoman and brought her to their denne Cap. 21. fol. 41. The moste pleasaunt and delectable tale of the Marriage of Cupide and Psyches Cap. 22. fol. 45. Hovv Apuleius carried avvay the Gentlevvoman and hovv they vvere taken againe by the Theeues and vvhat a kinde of death vvas inuented for theÌ„ Cap. 23. fol. 63. ¶ The seuenth Booke ¶ Hovv he that vvas lefte behinde at Hippata to bringe nevves concerning the robbery of Milos house came home and declared to his compaignioÌ„s that all the faulte was layde to one Apuleius charge Cap. 24. fol. 66. How the death of the Asse and the Gentelvvoman vvas staide Cap. 25. fol. 69. Hovv all the Theeues vveare brought in a sleape by their nevve companion Cap. 26. fol. 70. Hovv the GeÌ„tlevvomaÌ„ vvas carried home by her husbande vvhile the Theeues vvere a sleape and hovve muche Apuleius vvas made of Cap. 27. fol. 71. Hovve Apuleius vvas made a coÌ„mon Asse to fetche home vvoodde and hovv he vvas handled by a boye Cap. 28. fol. 72. Hovv Apuleius vvas accused of lecherie by the Boye Cap. 29. fol. 74. Hovve the Boye that ledde Apuleius to the fieldes vvas slaine in the vvoodde Cap. 30. fol. 75. Hovv Apuleius vvas cruelly beaten by the mother of the boye that vvas slaine Cap. 31. fol. 76. ¶ The eight Booke ¶ Hovv a yonge man came and declared the miserable death of Lepolemus and his vvife Charites Cap. 32. fol. 77. Hovve Apuleius vvas ledde avvay by the horsekeper and vvhat daungers he vvas in Cap. 33. fol. 81. Hovv the Shepeherdes determined to abide in a certayne vvoodde to cure their vvoundes Cap. 34. fol. 83. Hovv a vvoman killed her selfe and her childe because her husbande haunted harlottes Cap. 35. fol. 84. Hovv Apuleius vvas cheapened by diuers persons and hovve they loked in his mouth to knovv his age Cap. 36. fol. 84. ¶ The ninth Booke ¶ Hovve Apuleius saued him selfe from the Cooke by breakinge his halter and of other thinges that happened Cap. 37. fol. 87. Of the deceipte of a vvoman vvhich made her husbaÌ„d Coockolde Cap. 38. fol. 89. Hovv the Priestes of the goddesse Syria vvere taken and put in pryson and hovve Apuleius was solde to a Baker Cap. 39. fol. 90. Hovve Apuleius vvas handled by the Bakers vvife whiche vvas a harlotte Cap. 40. fol. 92. Hovv Barbasus being ielous ouer his vvife coÌ„maunded that she should be kepte close in his house and vvhat happened Cap. 41. fol. 93. Hovv Apuleius after the Baker vvas hanged vvas solde to a Gardiner and vvhat dreadful things happened Ca. 42. fol. 97. Hovve Apuleius vvas founde dy his shadovv Cap. 43. fol. 100. ¶ The tenth Booke ¶ Hovve the Souldiour draue Apuleius awaye and hovve he came to a Capitains house and vvhat happened there Cap. 44. fol. 102. Hovv Apuleius vvas solde to two brethern vvhereof one vvas a Baker and the other a Cooke and hovve finely and deintily he fared Cap. 45. fol. 106. Hovv a certaine Matron fell in loue vvith Apuleius and hovve he had his pleasure vvith her and what other things happened Cap. 46. fol. 109. ¶ The eleuenth Booke ¶ Hovve Apuleius by Roses and prayer returned to his humaine shape Cap. 47. fol. 115. Hovv the Parentes and freendes of Apuleius harde nevves that he vvas aliue and in health Cap. 48. fol. 121. FINIS A countrey where are many Inchanteresses and Witches The vertue of parentes makes the children honored VVitches in old time weare supposed to be of such power that they coulde pull downe the Moone by their inchauntment The God of medicine is called Asculapius Miserie maketh some men forget acquaintance To vse and hauÌ„t women maketh meÌ„ haue meigre and palc â—aces Witches are supposed tobeare whatsoeuer is saide â—are and care 〈◊〉 meÌ„ waâ—â—nge