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
of the God or spirit of Socrates whereof S. Augustine maketh often meÌ„tion in his booke of the definition of Spirites and description of men twoo other bookes of the opinion of Plato wherein is briefly conteined that which before was largely expressed one booke of Cosmographie comprisinge many thinges of Aristoteles Meteors the Dialogue of Trismegistus translated by him out of Gréeke into Latine so fine that it rather séemeth with more eloquence turned into Latine then it was before writen in Greke but principaly these eleuen bookes of the Golden Asse are enriched with such pleasaunt matter with such excellencie and variety of florishinge Tales that nothing may be more swéete and delectable whereby woorthely they may be intituled The bookes of the Golden Asse for the passinge stile matter therein For what can be more acceptable than this Asse of Gold in déede How be it there be many whiche would rather Intitle it Metamorphosis that is to say a transfiguration or transformation by reason of the Argument and matter therein FINIS THE PREFACE OF THE AVTHOVR to his sonne Faustinus and vnto the Readers of this booke THat I to thee some ioyous iestes may show in gentle glose And fraÌ„kly feede thy beÌ„ded eares with passing pleasaÌ„t prose So that thou daine in seemely sorte this waÌ„ton booke to view That is set out and garnisht fine with writen Phrases newe I will declare how one by happe his humaine figure lost And how in brutishe fourmed shape his lothed life he tost And how he was in course of time from such estate vnfold Who eftsoones turnd to pristine shape his lot vnlucky told WHat and who he was attend a while and you shall vnderstand that it was euen I the writer of mine owne Metamorphosie straunge alteration of figure Hymettus Athens Isthmia Ephire Tenaros and Sparta beinge fat fertill soiles as I pray you giue credit to the bookes of more euerlasting fame bée places where mine auncient progenie lignage did sometime flourishe there I say in Athens when I was yonge I went first to schoole Sone after as a stranger I arriued at Rome wheras by great industrie without instruction of any scholemaster I atchieued to the full perfection of the Latine tongue beholde I first craue begge your pardon least I should happen to displease or offend any of you by the rude rustike vtterance of this straunge forrein language And verely this new alteration of speach doth correspond to the enterprised matter whereof I purpose to entreate I wil set foorth vnto you a pleasant Grecian lest Wherunto gentle Reader if thou wilt giue attendaÌ„t eare it wil minister vnto thée such delectable matter as thou shalt be well contented withall FINIS The first booke of Lucius Apuleius of the Golden Asse ¶ How Apuleius ridinge into Thessalie fortuned to fall into companie with twoo straungers that reasoned together of the mighty power of Witches cap. 1. AS I fortuned to take my voiage into Thessalie about certaine affaires whiche I had to doo for there mine auncestrie by my mothers side inhabiteth descended of the ligne of that moste excellent person Plutarche of Sextus the philosopher his Nephew whiche is to vs a great woorshippe and honour And after that by much trauell aud great paine I had passed ouer the high mountaines and slipperie valleis and had ridden thorough the cloggy fallowed fieldes perceiuinge that my horse did waxe somewhat slowe to the intent likewise I might repose and strengthen my selfe beinge wery with ridinge I lighted of my horse and wipinge away the sweate from euery parte of his bodie I vnbridled him and walked him softly in my hande to the ende he might pisse and ease him selfe of his werines and trauell And while he wente grasinge freshly in the fielde castinge his head sometimes aside as a token of reioysing and gladnes I perceiued a litle before me twoo compaignions ridinge so I ouertakinge them made the third And while I listened to heare their communicatioÌ„ the one of them laughed and mocked his fellow saiyng leaue of I pray thée and speake no more for I cannot abide to heare thee tell such absurde incredible lies Which when I heard I desired to heare some newes and said I pray you Maisters make me partaker of your talke that am not so curious as desirous to know all your communication So shall we shorten our iourney and easely passe this high hill before vs by merry and pleasant talke but he that laughed before at his felowe said againe verely this tale is as true as if a man would say that by Sorcerie and inchauntment the floodes might be enforced to run against their course the seas to be immoueable the ayre to lacke the blowinge of windes the Sunne to be restrained from his naturall race the Moone to purge his skumme vpon hearbes and trées to serue for sorceries the Starres to be pulled from heauen the day to be darkened and the darke night to continew still Then I beinge more desirouse to heare his talke then his companions said I pray you that beganne to tell your tale euen now leaue not of so but tell the reside we And turning to the other I saide You perhaps that are of an obstinate minde and grosse eares mocke and contemne those thinges whiche are reported for truth know you not that it is accouÌ„ted vntrew by the praue opinion of men which either is rarely séene seldome heard or that passeth the capacitie of mans reason whiche if it be more narrowly skanned you shalt not onely finde it euident plaine but also very easie to be brought to passe ¶ How Apuleius tolde to the twoo straungers what he sawe a Iuglar doo in Athens Cap. 2. THe other night beinge at supper with a sorte of huÌ„gry fellowes while I did gréedely put a great morsell of meate in my wouth that was fried with the flower of chéese and barley it cleaued so fast in the passage of my throate and stopped my winde in such sort that I was welnie choked And yet at Athens before the porche there called Peale I sawe with these eies a Iugler that swalowed vp a twoohand swoorde with a very keene edge and by by for a litle money that we that looked on gaue him he deuoured a chasing speare with the pointe downward And after that he had coÌ„uaide the whole speare within the closure of his bodie and brought it out againe behinde there appeared on the toppe thereof whiche caused vs all to maruell a fayre boye pleasaunt and nimble windinge and turninge him selfe in such sorte that you would suppose that he had neither bone nor gristle and verely thinke that he were the naturall Serpent crepinge slidinge on the knotted staffe whiche the God of Medicine is feigned to beare But turninge me to him that began his Tale I pray you ê™ I follow your purpose and I alone will giue credite vnto you and for your
yonge mayden that was captiue amongest Théeues Thou shalt be noÌ„bred amongest the auncient myracles we beleue that by like example of truthe Phryxus saued him selfe from drowning vpon a Ram Arion escaped vpon a Dolphin And that Europa was deliuered by a Bull. If Iupiter transformed him selfe into a Bull why may it not be that vnder shape of this Asse is hiddeÌ„ y â— figure of a maÌ„ or some power Deuine Whyle that the Virgin did thus sorowfully vnfold hir desires we fortuned to come to a place wheare thrée wayes did méete and she tooke me by the halter and would haue me turne on the right hand to her fathers house but I knowing that the theues weare gone that waye to fetche the residue of their pillage resisted with my head as much as I might saiynge within my selfe what wilt thou doo vnhappy maideÌ„ why woldest thou go so willingly to hel why wilt y u ruÌ„ne into destructioÌ„ by meane of my féete why doest thou séeke thine owne harme mind likewise And whyle we twoo striued together whether way we might take y â— theues returned loden with their praie perceiued vs a farre of by the light of y â— Moone And after they had knoweÌ„ vs one of them gan say whither go you so hastely be you not aferde of spirites And you you harlot doo you goe to sée your parentes Come on we will beare you company And therwithall they tooke me by the halter and draue me back againe beating me cruelly with a great staffe that they had full of knobbes theÌ„ I returning againe to my ready destruction and remembring the griefe of my hâ—â—fe be ganne to shake my head and to waxe lame but he that ledde me by the halter said what doest thou stomble canst thou not goe these rotten féete of thine can runne well mough but they cannot walke thou couldest minse it finely euen now with the gentlewoman that thou diddest séeme to passe the horse Pegasus in swiftnes In sayinge these woordes they beate me againe that they brake a great staffe vpon me and when we were come almost home we saw the old woman hanginge vpon a bow of a Cypresse trée then one of them cutte downe the bowe whereon she hanged cast her into the bottome of a great ditche after this they bouÌ„d the maiden fell greedely to their victuales which the miserable old womaÌ„ had prouided for them At whiche time thei began to deuise with theÌ„ selues of our death how they might be reuenged diuers was the opinions of this diuers nomber the first saide that he thought best the mayde should be burned aliue the secoÌ„de saide she should be throwen out to wilde beasts the thirde said she should be hanged vpon a gibbot the fourth saide she should be flead aliue thus was y â— death of the poore mayden scaÌ„ned betwéene them fower But one of the Théeues after euery man had declared his iudgement did speake in this manner It is not conuenieÌ„t vnto the othe of our coÌ„pany to suffer you to waxe more cruell theÌ„ the qualitie of the offence doth merite for I would that she should not be hanged nor burned nor throwen to beastes nor die any sodaine death but by my counsell I would haue her punished accordinge to her deserte You know wel what you haue determined already of this dull Asse that eateth more then he is woorth that feigneth lamenesse that was the cause of the fliynge away of the mayde my minde is that he shalbe slaine to morrow and when all the guttes and entrailes of his body is takeÌ„ out let the maide be soweÌ„ into his belly then let vs lay them vpon a great stone againste the broylinge heate of the sonne so they shall both sustaine all the punishmentes which you haue ordeined for first the Asse shalbe slaine as you haue determined and she shall haue her membres torne gnaweÌ„ with wilde beastes when as she is bitten rente with wormes she shal endure the paine of the fire when as the broilyng heate of the sonne shall skorche and parche the belly of the Asse she shall abide the gallowes when the Dogges and vultures shall haue the guttes of her body hanginge in their rauenous mouthes I pray you nomber all the tormentes whiche she shall suffer First she shall dwell within the paunch of the Asse secondly her nosethrilles shall receaue the carraine stinke of the beaste thirdly she shall die for hunger laste of all she shall â—â—nde no meane to ridde her selfe from her paines for her handes shalbe sowed vp within the skinne of the Asse This beyng saide all the Théeues consented to the sentence and when I poore Asse harde vnderstoode all their deuise I did nothinge els saue bewayle and lament my dead carkas whiche should be handled in such sorte on the nexte morrow The seuenth Booke of Lucius Apuleius of the Golden Asse ¶ How he that was left behinde at Hippata to bring newes concerninge the robbery of Milos house came home and declared to his compaignions that all the faulte was layde to one Apuleius charge Cap. 24. ASsone as night was paste and the cléere charriot of the sunne had spred his bright beames on euery coaste came one of the companie of the Théeues for so his their greatinge together did declare who at his first entrie into the caue after he had breathed him selfe was able to speake tolde these tidinges vnto his compaignions in this sorte Sirs as touching the house of Milo of Hippata which we forcibly entred ransakt the last day we may put away all feare doubte nothinge at all for after y â— ye by force armes had spoiled taken away al things in the house and so returned hither vnto our caue I thrustinge in emongst the prease of the people showing my selfe as though I were sadde forowful for the mischaunce coÌ„sulted with them for the boultinge out of the matter deuised what meanes might be wrought for the apprehensioÌ„ of the théeues to the intent I might learne sée all that was done to make relation therof vnto you as you willed me in so much that the whole fact at length by manifest euident proofes as also by the coÌ„mon opinion iudgemeÌ„t of al the people was layde to one Lucius Apuleius charge as manifest author of this coÌ„mitted robbery who a few daies before by false and forged letters coloured honestie fell so farre in fauour with this Milo that he entertained him into his house receyued him as chiefe of his familiar frieÌ„des which Lucius after that he had soiourned there a good space and wonne the hart of Miloes maide by feigned loue did thoroughly learne y â— waies and doores of all the house curiously viewed the cofers chestes â–ª wherin was laide the whole substance of Milo neither was there small cause giueÌ„ to iudge him culpable since as the very same night that this robbery was
Venus that was right pleased and gladde in her harte daunsed about the Theatre with much ioye This done from the toppe of the hill through a priuie spoute rāne a floudde of the colour of Saffran whiche fell vpon the Goates chaūged their white heare into yellow with a soote odour to all thē of the Theatre By by after by certaine engins the ground opened swalowed vp the hill of woodde and then beholde there came a man of armes thorow the middle of y ◠multitude demaunding by the consent of the people the woman who was condēned to the beastes appointed for me to haue to doo withall our bedde was finely brauely prepared couered with silke other thinges necessary but I beside the shame to cōmitte this horrible facte to pollute my body w t this wicked harlot did greatly feare the daūger of death For I thought in my selfe that when she I were together the fauage beast appointed to deuoure the womā was not so instructed taught or would so temper his gréedines as y ◠he would teare her in pieces liyng vnder me and spare me with a regarde of mine innocēcie Wherfore I was more carefull for the saluegarde of my life thē for the shame that I should abide but in the meane season while my maister made reddy the bedde and all the residew did greatly delight to sée the hunting and pleasantnes of the triumphe I began to thinke and deuise for my selfe and when I perceaued that no man had regarde to me that was so tame and gentle an Asse I stole out of the gate that was next me and then I ranne away with all my force and came to Cenchris whiche is the moste famous towne of all the Carthaginiens borderinge vpon the seas called Ageum and Saronicum where is a great mighty hauen frequented with many a sondry nation There because I would auoide the multitude of people I wēt to a secrete place of the sea coste where I lay me down vpon the sande to ease and refreshe my selfe for the day was paste and the Sunne gone downe and I liyng in this sorte on the grounde did fall in a sounde sléepe The eleuenth Booke of Lucius Apuleius of the Golden Asse ¶ How Apuleius by Roses and praier returned to his humaine shape Cap. 47. WHen midnight came that I had slept my first sléepe I awaked with sodein feare and sawe the Moone shininge bright as when she is at the full and séeming as though she leaped out of the Sea Then I thought with my selfe that that was the moste secret time when the Goddesse Ceres had most puisance and force considering that all humaine thinges be gouerned by her prouidence And not onely all beastes priuate and tame but also all wilde aud sauage beastes be vnder her protection And consideringe that all bodies in the heauens the earth and the seas be by her encresinge motions encreased and by her diminishinge motions diminished as wery of all my cruell fortune and calamitie I founde good hope and soueraigne remedie though it were very late to be deliuered from all my misery by inuocation prayer to the excellent beautie of the Goddesse whome I sawe shininge before mine eyes wherfore shaking of mine Assy and drowsie sléepe I arose with a ioyfull face and moued by a great affection to purifie my selfe I plonged my head seuē times into the water of the sea which nomber of senen is cōuenable and agréeable to holy and diuine thinges as the woorthy and sage philosopher Pythagoras hath declared Then with a wéeping contenaūce I made this orayson to the puissant Goddesse saiynge O blessed quéene of heauen whether thou be the Dame Ceres which art the original motherly nource of al fruictful thinges in the yearth who after the findinge of thy daughter Proserpina through the great ioye whiche thou diddest presently conceaue madest the barrein vnfruictful grounde to be plowed and sowen and now thou inhabitest in the land of Eleusie or whether thou be the celestiall Venus who in the beginninge of the world diddest cople together all kinde of thinges w t an engendred loue and by an eternall propagation of humaine kinde art now woorshipped within the Tēples of the ysle Paphos thou whiche art the sister of the god Phebus who nourishest so many people by the generation of beastes art now adored at the sacred places of Ephesis thou which art called horrible Proserpina by reason of the deadly houlinges which y ◠yeldest that hast power to stoppe put away the inuasiō of hegges and ghostes whiche appeare vnto men to kéepe them downe in y ◠closures of the earth thou which arte woorshipped in diuers manners doest luminate al the borders of the yearth by thy feminine shape thou whiche nourishest all the fruictes of the worlde by thy vigor force with what so euer name or fashion it is lawful to call vpon thée I pray thée to ende my great trauell and miserie and deliuer me from the wretched fortune whiche hath so longe time pursued me Graunt peace and rest if it please thée to my aduersities for I haue endured to to much labour and perill Remoue frō me the shape of mine Asse rēder me to my pristine estate and if I haue offended in any point thy diuine Maiestie let me rather die then liue for I am full wery of my life When I had ended this orayson discouered my plaintes to the Goddesse I fortuned to fall sléepe and by and by appeared to me a diuine and venerable face woorshipped euen of the Goddes them selues Then by litle and litle I séemed to sée the whole figure of her bodie mountinge out of the sea and standinge before me wherfore I purpose to describe her diuine semblaūce if y ◠pouertie of my humaine speach will suffer me or her diuine power giue me eloquence therto First she had a great abondance of heare disparsed scattred about her necke on y ◠crowne of her head she bare many garlādes enterlaced with flowres in the middle of her forehead was a cōpasse in fashiō of a glasse or resembling y ◠light of the moone in one of her handes she bare serpentes in the other blades of corne her vestmēt was of fine silke yelding diuers colours sometime white sometime yelow sometime rosie sometime flamy somtime which troubled my spirit sore darke obscure couered with a blacke robe in māner of a shield pleatted in most subtill fashion at the skirtes of her garment y ◠weltes appeared comely where as here there y ◠starres glimpsed in the middle of them was placed y ◠Moone which shone like a flame of fire roūd about y ◠robe was a coron or garlande made with flowers fruictes In her right hande she had a timbrel of brasse which gaue a pleasaūt founde in her left hande she bare a cuppe of golde out of the mouth whereof