to the appointed place whither when I was brought I firste sawe the preamble of the triumphe dedicated with dauÌ„sers and mery tauntyng iestes and I in the meane season was placed before the gate of the Theatre whereas on the one side I sawe the gréene and freshe grasse growinge before the entrie thereof whereon I greatly desired to féede On the other side I conceaued a great delectation to sée when the Theatre gates were opened how al thinges was finely prepared sette foorth For there I might see yonge children and maydens in the flowre of their youth of excellent beautie and attyred gorgeously daunsing mouing in comely order according to the order of Grecia for sometime they would daunce in length somtime rounde together sometime deuide theÌ„ selues in fower partes somtime lose handes on euery side but when the trumpet gaue warnyng y â— euery maÌ„ should retire to his place Then began the triumphe to appeare First there was a hil of woodde not much vnlike that whiche the Poet Homer called Idea for it was garnished about with all sorte of gréene verduâ—es and liuely trées from the toppe whereof raÌ„ne downe a cléere fresh fouÌ„taine nourishinge the waters below about which woodde were many yoÌ„g tender Goates pluckyng féeding deintily on the budding trées then came a yonge man a shéepeherde representinge Paris richly arraied with vestmentes of Barbarie hauinge a mitre of gold vpoÌ„ his head séeming as though he kept y â— goates After him ensewed an other yong maÌ„ all naked sauing y â— his left shoulder was couered with a rich cloke and his head shininge with glisteringe heares hangyng downe through whiche you might perceaue twoo litle winges wherby you might coÌ„iecture that he was Mercury with his rodde called Caduceus he bare in his right hand an apple of golde and with a séemely gate went towardes him that represented Paris and after that he had deliuered him the apple he made a signe signifiyng that Iupiter had commaunded him so to doo wheÌ„ he had done his message he departed away And by and by behold there approched a fayre comely maiden not much vnlike to Iuno for she had a Diademe of golde vpon her head and in her hande she bare a regall Sceptre then followed an other resemblinge Pallas for she had on her head a shining sallett wheron was bounde a garlande made of Oliue braunches hauinge in one hande a targette or shilde and in the other a speare as though she would fight then came an other which passed the other in beautie represented the goddesse Venus with the colour of Ambrosia wheÌ„ she was a mayden and to the ende she would show her perfect beautie she appeared all naked sauing that her fine and deintie skinne was couered with a thinne smocke whiche the winde blewe hither and thither to testifie the youth and flowre of the age of the Dame her colour was of twoo sortes for her bodie was white as descended from heauen her smocke was blewishe as arriued from the sea After euery one of the virgins whiche séemed Goddesses followed certaine waytinge seruauntes Castor and Pollux went behind Iuno hauinge on their heades helmettes couered with starres This virgin Iuno sowned a feewte whiche she bare in her hand and moued her selfe towardes the shéepeherd Paris showyng by honest signes and tokens and promisinge that he should be Lord of all Asia if he would iudge her the fairest of the thrée to giue her the apple of golde The other mayden whiche séemed by her armour to be Pallas was accompaigned with two yong men armed and brandishinge their naked swoordes in their handes wherof one was named Terror and the other Feare behinde them approched one soundinge his trumpet to prouoke and stirre men to battaile this maiden began to daunce and shake her head throwyng her fierce and terrible eyes vpon Paris and promising that if it pleased him to giue her the victory of beawtie she would make him the most stronge victorious man aliue Then came Venus and presented her selfe in the middle of the Theatre with much fauour of al the people for she was accompaigned with a great number of youth whereby you would haue iudged them to be all Cupidoes eyther to haue flowen from heauen or els froÌ„ the riuer of the sea for they had winges arrowes and the residew of their habite according in eche point they bare in their handes torches lighted as though it had bene a day of mariage then came in a great multitude of fayre maidens On the one side were the most comely Graces on the other side the moste beautifull Howres carriyng garlandes and loose flowres makinge great honour to the Goddesse of pleasure the flewtes and pypes yéelded out the swéete sounde of Lidians whereby they pleased the mindes of the staÌ„ders by excéedingly but the more pleasinge Venus moued forwarde more and more shakinge her head answeared by her motion and gesture to the sounde of the instrumentes For sometimes she woulde winke gentely sometimes threaten and looke asperly and sometime daunce onely with her eies Assone as she was come before the Iudge she made a signe and token to giue him the moste fayrest spouse of all the worlde if he woulde preferre her aboue the residew of the Goddesses then the yonge Phrigian shéepeherde Paris with a willinge minde deliuered the Golden apple to Venus whiche was the Victorie of beawtie Why doo ye meruell ye Orators ye Lawiers Aduocates if many of our Iudges nowe a dayes sell their iudgementes for money when as in the beginninge of the world one onely Grace corrupted the senteÌ„ce betwéene God and men and that one rusticall iudge and shéepeherde appointed by the counsell of the great Iupiter solde his iudgement for a litle pleasure which was the cause afterwarde of the ruine of all his progeny by like maÌ„ner of meane was sentence giuen betwéene the noble Gréekes For the noble and valiaunt personage Palamades was conuicted and atteinted of treason by false perswasion and accusation and Vlisses being but of base condition was preferred in Martiall prowesse aboue great Aiax what iudgement was there likewise emongst the Atheman lawyers sage and expert in all sciences was not Socrates who was preferred by the God Apollo aboue all the wisemen of the worlde by enuie and malice of wicked persons empoysoned with the hearbe Cicuta as one that corrupted the youth of the countrie whome alwaies he kepte vnder by correction For we sée now a daies many excellent Philosophers greatly desire to follow his secte and by perpetuall studie to volue and reuolue his woorkes but tâ— the ende I may not be reproued of indignation by any one that might say what shal we suffer an Asse to play the Philosopher I will returne to my former purpose After the iudgement of Paris was ended Iuno Pallas departed away angerly showynge by their gesture that they would reueÌ„ge them selues on Paris but
in so much that I thought that the stones which I founde were indurate turned from men into that figure and that the birdes whiche I harde chirpinge and the trées without the walles of the Citie and the runninge waters were chaunged from men into suche kinde of likenesses And further I thought that the statues images and walles could goe and the oxen and other brute beastes could speake tel straunge newes and that immediatly I should sée and here some Oracle from the Heauen and from the gléede of the Sunne Thus beinge astonied or rather dismaide vexed with desire knowinge no certaine place whither I entended to goe I wente from streate to streate at length as I curiously gasâ—d on euery thinge I fortuned vnwares to come into the market place where as I espied a certaine woman accompaignted with a great many seruantes towardes whome I drewe nie and vlewed her garmentes â—esette with golde and pretious stone in suche sorte that she séemed to be some noble Matron And there was an olde man whiche followed her who as sone as he had espied me said to him selfe verely this is Lucius and then he came and embrased me and by and by he went vnto his mistres and whispered in her eare came to me againe saiynge How is it Lucius that you will not salute your déere cosin and singuler fréende To whome I answered Sir I dare not be so bolde as to take acquaintance of an vnknowen woman how be it as halfe ashamed I drewe towardes her and she turned her selfe and said Beholde how he resembleth the very same grace as his mother Saluia doth beholde his countenaunce and stature agreyng thereto in eche point beholde his comely state his fine selendernes his vermilion colour his heare yellow by nature his graye and quicke eies like vnto the Egle and his trimme and comely gate which doo sufficiently proue him to be y e naturall childe of Saluia And moreouer she saide O Lucius I haue nourished thée with mine owne proper handes and why not For I am not onely of kinrâ—de vnto thy mother by bloude but also by nourice for we both descended of the ligne of Plutarche lay in one belly sucked the same pappes brought vp together in one house And further there is no other difference betwene vs twoo but that she is married more honorably then I I am the same Byrrhena whome you haue often harde named emongest your freendes at home Wherefore I pray you to take the paines as to come with me to my house and vse it as your owne at whose woordes I was partely abashed and said God forbid cosin that I shoulde forsake mine hoest Mylo without any iuste reasonable cause but verely I will as often as I haue occasion to passe by your house come and sée how you doo And while we went talkinge thus together by litle litle we came to her house and beholde the gate of the same very beautiful set with pillors quadraÌ„glewise on the toppe whereof weare placed carued statues and images but principallie the goddesse of Victorie was so liuely and with such excellencie portraide and set foorth that you would verely haue thought that she had flied and hoâ—ered with her winges hither and thither On the contrary parte y â— image of y â— goddesse Diana was wrought in white marble whiche was a meruelous sight to sée for she séemed as though the winde did blowe vp her garmentes and that she did encounter with them that came into the house on eche side of her were Dogges made of stone that séemed to menace with their firie eies their pricked eares their bended nosethrilles and their grinning téeth in such sorte that you would haue thought they had bayed and barked And moreouer which was a greater meruell to beholde the excellent caruer deuiser of this worke had fashioned y â— dogges to stande vp fiersly with their former féete and their hinder féete on the ground readie to fight Behinde the backe of the Goddesse was carued a stone in manner of a cauerne enuironed with mosse hearbes leaues Sprigges gréene braunches and bowes growingiâ— and aboute the same in so muche that within the stone it glistened and shone meruelously vnder the brimme of the stone hanged appels and grapes carued finely wherein arte enulynge nature showed his great cunninge For they were so liuelie set out that you would haue thought if Sommer had bene come they might haue bene pulled and eaten and while I behelde the runninge water whiche séemed to springe and leape vnder the féete of the Goddesse I marked the grapes whiche hanged in the water whiche were like in euerie point to the grapes of the vine and séemed to moue and stirre by violéce of the streame moreouer emongst the braunches of the stone appeared the image of Acteon And how that Diana whiche was carued within the same stone standinge in the water because he did sée her naked did tourne him into a harte and so he was torne and slayne of his owne houndes And while I was greatly delighted with the view of these thinges Birrhena spake to me and saide Cosin all thinges here be at your commaundement And there withall she willed secretely the residewe to departe who being gone she said My most déere cosin Lucius I sweare by this goddesse Diana that I doo greatly tender your safetie and am as carefull for you as if you were mine owne natural childe beware I say beware of the euill artes wicked allurementes of that Pamphiles that is the wife of Milo whome you call your hoste for she is accompted the moste chiefe and principall Magicien and enchanteresse liuing who by breathinge out certaine woordes and charmes ouer bowes stones and other friuolous things can throwe down all the powers of the Heauens into the déepe bottome of Hell and reduce all the whole worlde againe to the olde Chaos For as soone as she espieth any comely yonge man she is foorthwith stroken with his loue and presently setteth her whole minde and affection on him She soweth her séede of flatterie she inuades his sprite and entangleth him with continuall snares of vnmeasurable loue And then if any accorde not to her filthie desire or if they séeme lothesome in her eye by and by in the moment of an hower she either turneth them into stones shéepe or some other beaste as she her selfe pleaseth and some she presentely sâ—eaeth and murdreth of whome I woulde you should earnestly beware For she burneth continually and you by reason of your tender age and comely beawtie are capable of her fire and loue This with great care Birrhena gaue me in charge but I that alwaies coueted and desired after that I harde talke of suche Sorcerye and Witchecrafte to be experienced in the same litle estéemed to beware of Pamphiles but willingely determined to bestowe my money in learninge of that arte and nowe whollie to become a Witche And so I wared ioyefull and
I fortuned to espie a pleasaunt garden wherein besides many other flowers of delectable hewe weare newe and freshe Roses and beinge very ioyfull and desirous to catche some as I passed by I drewe nerer and nerer and while my lippes watred vpō them I thought of a better aduise more profitable for me least if from an Asse I should become a man I might fal into the hādes of the theeues and either by suspitiō that I weare some Witche or for feare that I would vtter their thefte I should be slaine wherfore I abstained for that time frō eatinge of Roses And enduringe my present aduersitie I eate hay as other Asses did The fourth Booke of Lucius Apuleius of the Golden Asse ¶ How Apuleius thinkinge to goe to eate Roses was cruelly beaten by a Gardener and chased by Dogges Cap. 18. WHen noone was come that the broylinge heate of the Sunne had moste power we turned into a village to certaine of the théeues acquaintāce and fréendes for verely their metinge and embrasinge together did giue me poore Asse cause to déeme y e same And thei toke the trusse from my backe and gaue them parte of the treasure whiche was in it and they séemed to whisper tel them that it was stolen goodes and after that we weare vnladen of our burthens thei lette vs lose into a medow to pasture but mine owne horse Milos Asse would not suffer me to féede there with them but I muste séeke my dinner in some other place Wherefore I leaped into a gardein whiche was behinde the stable and beinge welnie perished with honger although I could finde nothing there but raw gréene sallettes yet I filled my hongry guttes therewithall abundantly and praying vnto all the Goddes I loked about in euery place if I could espie any redde Roses in the gardens by and my solitarie being alone did put me in good hope y ◠if I could finde any remedie I should presently of an Asse be chaunged into Lucius out of euery mans sight and while I considered these thinges I looked about behold I saw a farre of a shadowed valley adioyninge nigh vnto a woodde where emongst diuers other hearbes pleasaunt verdures I thought I sawe many florishinge Roses of bright Damaske colour And I said within my bestiall minde verely y ◠place is the place of Venus the Graces where secretely glittereth the royall hewe of so liuely delectable a flower Then I desiring y ◠helpe of the guide of my good fortune ranne lustely towardes the woodde in so much y ◠I felt my self that I was no more an Asse but a swifte coursinge horse but my agilitie and quicknes could not preuent the crueltie of my fortune For when I came to the place I perceaued that they were no Roses neither tēder nor pleasant neither moisted with the heauenly droppes of dew nor celestiall licour whiche grewe out of the thicket and thornes there Neither did I perceaue y ◠there was any valley at all but onely the banke of the riuer enuironed with great thicke trées which had lōg braūches like vnto Lawrel bearinge a flower without any manner of sente and the common people call them by the name of Lawrell roses whiche be very poyson to all manner of beastes Then was I so entangled with vnhappy fortune that I litle estéemed mine owne daunger went willingly to eate of those Roses though I knewe them to be present poyson And as I drewe nere I sawe a yong man that séemed to be the Gardener come vpon me when he perceaued that I had deuoured vp all his hearbes in the gardein he came swearinge with a great staffe in his hande and laide vpon me in such sorte that I was welnie dead but I spéedely deuised some remedy for my selfe for I lifte vp my legges and kicked him with my hinder héeles that I lefte him liynge at the hill foote welnie slaine and so I ranne away incontinently came out his wife who seinge her husbande halfe dead cried and houled in pitifull sorte and wente towarde her husbande to the intent that by her lowde cries she might purchase to me present destruction thē all the persons of the towne moued and raysed by her noyes came foorth and cried for dogges to teare me downe Out came a great company of bandogges and masties more fitte to pull downe Beares and Lions then me whom when I behelde I thought verely that I should presently die but I turned my selfe aboute ranne as faste as euer I might to the stable frō whense I came Then the men of the towne called in their dogges and toke me and bounde me to the staple of a poste and scourged me with a great knotted whippe till I was welny dead and they would vndoubtedly haue slaine me had it not come to passe that what with the paine of their beatinge and the gréene hearbes that lay in my guttes I caught suche a laske that I all be sprinkled their faces with my liquide donge and enforced them to leaue of ¶ How Apuleius was preuented of his purpose and how the theeues came to their denne Cap 19. NOt longe after the théeues laded vs againe and especially me and brought vs foorth out of the stable and when we had gone a good parte of our iourney what with the longe way my great burthen the beatinge of staues and my worne hoofes I was so weary that I could scantly goe then I sawe a litle before me a riuer runninge with faire water I said to my selfe behold now I haue founde a good occasiō For I will fall downe when I come yender and surely I will not rise againe neither with scourginge nor beatinge for I had rather be slaine there presently then goe any further And the cause why I determined so to doo was this I thought that when the théeues did sée me so féeble and weake that I could not trauell to the intent they would not stay in their iourney they would take of the burthen from my backe and put it vpon my fellowes and so for my further punishment to leaue me as a praye to the Wolues and rauenous beastes but euill fortune preuented so good a consideration For the other Asse beinge of the same purpose that I was of by feigned and coloured werines fell downe first with all his burthen vpon the grounde as though he weare dead and he would not rise neither with beatinge nor prickinge nor stande vpon his féete though they pulled him vp by the taile by his legges and by his eares whiche when the théeues behElde as without al hope they said one to an other what should we stande here so longe about a dead or rather a stony Asse let vs be gonne And so thei toke his burthen and deuided some to me and some to my horse And then they drewe out their swoordes and cutte of his legges and threwe his bodie from the pointe of a hill downe into a great
to accuse one an other of thefte to sette the dishes morsels of meate in order one by an other because they would learne what was takeÌ„ away wherby one of theÌ„ was coÌ„pelled to say thus to his fellow is it reason to breake promise and faith in this sorte by stealinge away the beste meate and to sell it to augment thy good and yet neuerthelesse to haue thy parte of the residew that is lefte if our partnershippe doo mislike thée we wilbe parteners and brothers in other thinges but in this we will breake of for I perceaue that the great losse which I sustaine wil at length be a cause of great discorde betwéene vs TheÌ„ answeared the other verely I prayse thy great constaÌ„cie and subtilnes in that when thou hast secretely takeÌ„ away the meate doest beginne to coÌ„playne first wheras I by longe space of time haue suffred thée because I woulde not séeme to accuse my brother of thefte but I am right gladde in that we are fallen into commnnication of this matter least by our silence like contention might arise betwéene vs as fortuned betwéene Etheâ—â—les and his brother when thei had reasoned together in this sort they swoore both earnestly that neyther of them stale or toke away any iote of the meate wherefore they concluded to searche out the théefe by al kinde of meanes For they coulde not imagine or thinke that the Asse who stoode alone there woulde eate any suche meates neither coulde they thinke that myce or slies were so rauenous as to deuoure whole dishes of meate like the byrdes Harpies which carried away y â— meates of Phineus kinge of Archadia In the meane season while I was fedde with deintie morselles I gathered together my flesh my skinne waxed softe my heare beganne to shine and I was gallant on euery parte but suche fayre and comely shape of my bodie was cause of my dishonour for the Baker and the Cooke merueled to sée me so slike and fine considering I did eate no hay at all Wherefore on a time at their accustomed houre they wente to the baynes locked their chamber doore It fortuned that eare they departed away they espied me thorough a hole how I fel roundly to my victuales Then they merueled greatly and litle estéeminge the losse of their meate laughed excéedingly callinge y â— seruauntes of the house to showe them the gréedy gorge and appetite of the Asse Their laughinge was so immoderate that the maister of the house harde them demauÌ„ded the cause of their laughter and when he vnderstoode all the matter he looked thorough y â— hole likewise wherwith he toke such a delectation that he commauÌ„ded the doore to be opened that he might sée him at his pleasure Then I beholding euery man laugh was nothing abashed but rather more bold whereby I neuer rested eating til such time as the master of y â— house commaunded me to be brought into his parler as a noueltie theere caused al kindes of meates which were neuer touched to be set on the table which although I had eaten sufficiently before yet to winne the further fauour of the maister of the house I did gréedely deuoure made a cleane riddance of the delicate meates And to proue my nature wholy they gaue me suche meate as euery Asse doth greatly abhorre for they put before me biefe and vinegre biâ—des and pepper fishe vergisse in the meane season thei that beheld me at the table did nothing but laugh Then one of the seruauÌ„ts of the house said to his maister I pray you sir giue him some drinke to his supper Mary ê™ he I thinke thou sayest true For so it may be that to his meate he wold drinke likewise a cuppe of wine No boy washe yonder potte and fill it with wine whiche done carrie it to the Asse and say that I haue dronke to him Then all the standers by looked on to sée what woulde come to passe but I assone as I behelde the cuppe stayed not long but gathering my lippes together supped vp all the wine at one draught The maister being right ioyfull hereat caused the Baker and the Cooke which had bought me to come before him to whome he deliuered fower times as much for me as they paide which done he committed me to one of his riche libertines and charged him to looke wel to me and that I should lacke nothinge who obayed his maisters commauÌ„dement in euery pointe And to the ende he would crepe further into his fauour he taught me a thousande qualities First he instructed me to sitte at y â— table vpon my taile and how I should leape daunce holding vp my former féete moreouer he taught me how I should answeare wheÌ„ any body spake vnto me with nodding my head which was a strauÌ„ge meruelous thing if I did lacke drinke I should looke still vpon the potte All whiche thinges I did willingly bring to passe obeyed his doctrine howbeit I could haue done al these things without his teaching but I feared greatly least in showing my selfe conning without a master I shoulde portende some great and straunge wonder therby be throwen out to wilde beastes But my fame was spredde about in euery place and the qualities which I could doo in so much y â— my master was renoumed thorough out all the countrie by reason of me For euery man woulde say Beholde the gentleman that hath an Asse that will eate and drinke with him that will daunce and vnderstaÌ„dinge what is said to him will show his fantasie by signes But first I will tel you which I should haue done before who my maister was and of what couÌ„try his name was Thiasus he was borne at Corinth which is the principal towne of al Achaia he had passed many offices of honour till he had taken vppon him the degrée Quinquenuall accordinge as his birth and dignitie required who to showe his woorthines and to purchase the beneuolence of euery person apoynted publique ioyes and triumphes to endure the space of thrée dayes and to bringe his endeuor to passe he came into Thessalie to bie excelleÌ„t beastes valiant fighters for the purpose ¶ How a certaine Matron fell in loue with Apuleius and howe he had his pleasure with her and what other thinges happened Cap. 46. WHen he had bought such thinges ss was necessary he woulde not returne home into his country in chariottes or waggons neither would he ride vpon Thessalian horses or gennettes of fraunce or spanishe mules which be most excelleÌ„t that can be founde but caused me to be garnished and trimmed with trappers bardes of golde with braue harnesse with purple coueringes with a bridle of siluer with pictured clothes with shrillinge belles in this manner he code vpon me louingly speaking entreating me with gentle woordes but aboue all thinges he did greatly reioyse in that I was his seruant to beare him vpon my backe and his compaignion to féede