when they arriued on the sea coste of ActiuÌ„ where we in our returne froÌ„ Macedonie were rouinge about when night came they turned into a house not farre distant from their shippe where they lay all night Then we entred in toke away all their substance but verely we were in great daunger for the good Matron perceyuinge vs incontinently by the notes of the gate went into the chamber and called vp euery man by his name and likewise the neighbours that dwelled rounde about in so much y â— by reason of the feare thar euery one was in we hardly escaped away but this most holy womaÌ„ faithfull and true to her husband as the truth must be declared returned to Caesar desiringe his ayde and puisance and demaundinge vengeaunce of the iniurie done to her husbande who graunted all her desire then wente my company to wracke in so muche that euery man was slayne so great was the authoritie and woorde of the Prince How be it when all my bande was loste and taken by searche of the Emperours armie I onely stole away and deliuered my selfe from the violence of the souldiars for I clothed my selfe in a womans attyre and mounted vpon an Asse that carried barley shéefes and passinge thorough the middle of them all I escaped away because euery one déemed that I was a woman by reason I lacked a bearde How be it I lefte not of for all this nor did degenerate from the glory of my father or mine owne vertue but freshly coÌ„ming from the blouddy skirmish and disguised like a woman I inuaded Townes and Castels alone to gette some pray And therwithall he pulled out twoo thousand crownes whiche he had vnder his coate sayinge Holde here the dowrie whiche I present vnto you holde eke my person whiche you shall alwaies finde trusty and faithfull if you will willingly receaue me And I will ensure you that in so doinge within shorte space I will make and turne this stony house of yours into Golde then by and by euery one consented to make him their Capitaine and so they gaue him better garmentes and threwe away his olde When he had chaunged his attyre he embraced them one after an other then placed they him in the highest rome of the table and dranke vnto him in token of good lucke ¶ How the death of the Asse and the Gentel woman was staide Cap. 25. AFter supper they beganne to talke and declared vnto him the goinge away of the gentlewoman and how I bare her vpoÌ„ my backe what death was ordeyned for vs twoo Then he desired to sée her â–ª whereupon the Gentlewoman was brought foorth fast bounde whom assone as he beheld he turned him selfe wringinge his nose blamed them saying I am not so much a beast or so rashe a fellow y â— I would driue you quight from your purpose but my conscience will not suffer me to conceale any thinge that toucheth your profite since as I am carefull for you how be it if my counsell doo displease you you may at your owne libertie procéede in your enterprise I doubte not but all Théeues and suche as haue a good iudgement will preferre their owne lucre gaine aboue all thinges in the worlde aboue their vengeance which purchaseth damage to diuers persons Therefore if you put this Virgin in the Asses belly you shal but execute your indignation against hir without all maner of profite but I woulde aduise you to carie the Virgin to some towne to sel her And such a braue girle as she is may be solde for a great quantitie of money And I my selfe know certaine bawde MarchauÌ„tes amongest whome peraduenture some one will giue-vs great summes of golde for her This is my opinion touchinge this affaire But aduise you what you intende to doo for you may rule me in this case In this maner the good thefe pleaded and defended our cause being a good patron to the séely Virgin and to me poore Asse But they staide hereupon a good space with longe deliberation whiche made my harte God wote and spirit greatly to quale Howebeit in the ende they consented to his opinion and by and by the mayden was vnlosed of hir bondes who seinge the yonge man and hearinge the name of brothels and bawde Marchauntes began to waxe ioyfull and smiled with her selfe Then began I to déeme euill of the generation of women when as I sawe the maiden who was appointed to be maried to a yonge gentleman and who so greatly desired the same was nowe delighted with the talke of a wicked and filthy brothel house and other thinges dishonest In this sort the consent and maners of wemen depeÌ„ded in the iudgement of an Asse ¶ Howe all the Theues weare brought in a sleape by their newe companion Cap. 26. THen the yonge man spake againe saiynge Maisters why go we not about to make our praiers to Mars touching this sellinge of the maiden and to sake for other compaignioÌ„s But as farre as I sée here is no maner of beaste to make sacrifice withall nor wyne sufficient for vs to drinke Let me haue ê™ he tenne more with me and we wil goe to the next castel to prouide for meate and other thinges necessarie So he and tenne more with him went their waie In the meane season the residue made a great fire and an altar with grene tirfes in the honour of Mars By and by after they came againe bringing with them bottels of wyne and a great nomber of beastes amongest whiche there was a bigge Ram goate fatte olde and hearie whiche they killed and offered vnto Mars TheÌ„ supper was prepared sumptuouslie And the new compaignion saide vnto the other You ought to accompte me not onelie your Captaine in robberie and fight but also in your pleasures and iolitie wherupon by and by with pleasauÌ„t there he prepared meate trimming vp the house he set all thinges in order brought the potage dentie dishes to the table But aboue all he plied them well with great pottes iugges of wine Sometimes séeming to fetche somwhat he would goe to the maiden and giue her pieces of meate whiche he priuely tooke awaie and would drinke vnto hir whiche she willingly tooke in good parte Moreouer he kissed her twise or thrise wherof she was well pleased but I not well contented thereat thought in my selfe O wretched maide thou hast forgotten thy mariage doest esteme this straunger and bloudy théefe aboue thy husbande which thy parentes ordeined for thée nowe perceiue I wel thou hast no remorse of coÌ„science but more delight to tarie plaie the harlot here amongst so manie weapons and swoordes what knowest thou not howe the other Theeues if they knew thy demeanure would put thée to death as they had once apointed so worke my destruction likewise well now I perceaue thou haste a pleasure in the damage and hurt of other While I did angerly deuise with my selfe
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
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
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
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
I was greatly sorie in so muche that I thought all the hinder part of my bodie and my stones did ake for woo but I sought about to kil my selfe by some maner of meanes to thende if I should die I would die with vnperished members ¶ Howe the boye that ledde Apuleius to the fieldes was slaine in the woodde Cap. 30. WHile I deuised with my selfe in what maner I might ende my life the roperipe boie on the next morrow led me to the hill againe tied me to a boowe of a great Oke and in the meane season he tooke his hatchet and cut woodde to lode me withall but beholde there crept out of a caue by a meruailous great Beare holdinge out his mighty head whome when I sawe I was sodeÌ„ly strokeÌ„ in feare throwing all the streÌ„gth of my bodie into my hinder héeles lifted vp my streined head and brake the halter wherwith I was tied Then there was no néede to bidde me runne awaie for I scoured not onely on foote but tumbled ouer the stones and rockes with my bodie til I came into the open fieldes to the intent I would escape away from the terrible Beare but especially from the boie y â— was worse then the Beare Then a certaine straunger that passed by y â— waie espiyng me alone as a straie Asse tooke me vp rode vpon my back beating me w t a staffe which he bare in hâ— haÌ„d through a blind an vnknoweÌ„ lane wherat I was nothing displeased but willingly weÌ„t forward to auoide y â— cruel paine of gelding which y â— shepardes had ordeined for me but as for y â— stripes I was nothing moued since I was acustomed to be beateÌ„ so euery day But euell fortune would not suffer me to continue in suche estate longe For the Shepeherdes looking about for a cowe that they had lost after they had sought in diuers places fortuned to come vpon vs vnwares who when they espied and knewe me they woulde haue taken me by the halter but he that rode vpon my backe resisted theÌ„ saiyng Good lord maisters what intende you to doo will you robbe me Then said the shéepeherdes what thinkest thou that we handle thée otherwise then thou deseruest which hast stolen awaie our Asse why doest thou not rather tel vs where thou hast hidden the boie whom thou hast slaine And therewithall they pulled him downe to the grounde beatinge him with their fistes and spurning him with their féere Then he sware vnto theÌ„ saiyng that he saw no maner of boie but onely founde the Asse loose and straiynge abroade whiche he tooke vp to thintent he might haue some rewarde for the finding of him and to restore him againe to his maister And I would to god ê™ he y â— this Asse which verely was neuer séene could speake as a man to geue witnesse of mine innocencie Then would you be ashamed of the iniurie whiche you haue done to me Thus reasoning for him selfe he nothing preuailed for thei tied the halter about my neck and maugre his face pulled me quite awaie led me backe againe through the wooddes of the hill to y â— place where the boie accustomed to resorte And after that they could finde him in no place at length they founde his bodie rent and torne in pieces and his members dispersed in sondrie places which I well knewe was done by the cruel Beare and verely I would haue told it if I might haue spoken but whiche I could onely do I greatly reioysed at his death although it came to late Then they gathered together the pieces of his bodie and buried them By and by they laide all the fault to him that was my newe maister that tooke me vp by the way and bringing him home faste bounde to their houses purposed on the nexte morrow to accuse him of murder and to lead him before the Iustices to haue iudgement of death ¶ How Apuleius was cruelly beaten by the mother of the boye that was slaine Cap 31. IN the meane season while the parentes of the boye did lament and wéepe for the death of their sonne The shéepeherd according to his promise came with his instrumentes and tooles to gelde me then one of them said Tushe we litle estéeme the mischief which he did yesterday but now we are conteÌ„ted that to morow his stones shal not onely be cut of but also his head So was it brought to passe that my death was delaide till the next morowe but what thankes did I giue to that good boie who being so slaine was the cause of my pardon for one shorte day Howbeit I had no time then to rest my self for the mother of the boye wéeping and lamenting for his death attyred in mourninge vesture tare her heare and beate her brest and came presently into the stable sayinge Is it reason that this carelesse beast should doo nothinge all day but holde his head in the manger filling and bolling his guttes with meate without coÌ„passion of my great miserie or remeÌ„braunce of the pitifull death of his slayne maister and contemninge my age and infirmitie thinketh that I am vnable to reuenge his mischiefes moreouer he would perswade me that he were not culpable in déede it is a coÌ„uenient thinge to looke and pleade for safetie when as the conscience doth confesse the offence as théeues and malefactors accustome to doo but O good Lord y â— cursed beast if thou couldest vtter the coÌ„tentes of thine owne minde whome though he were the veriest foole in all the worlde mightest thou perswade that this murder was voide or without thy faulte when as it lay in thy power either to kéepe of the théeues with thy héeles or else to bite and teare them with thy téeth Couldest not thou that so ofteÌ„ in his life time diddest spurne kicke him defende him nowe at the pointe of death by like meane yet at least thou shouldest haue taken him vpoÌ„ thy backe and so brought him from the cruel handes of théeues where contrary thou rannest away alone forsakinge thy good maister thy pastor and conductor Knowest y â— not that such as denie their holesome helpe and ayde to them which lie in daunger of death ought to be punished because they haue offended against good manners and the law naturall but I promise thée thou shalt not longe reioyse at my harmes thou shalt féele y â— smart of thy homicide and offence I wil sée what I can doo and there withall she vnlosed her apron and bouÌ„de all my féete together to the ende I might not helpe my selfe then she toke a great barre whiche accustomed to barre the stable doore and neuer ceased beatinge of me till she was so weary y â— the barre fell out of her haÌ„des whereupon she complayninge of the soone faintnes of her armes ranne to her fire and brought a fier brande and thrust it vnder my taile burninge me continually till such time as hauing but one remedie I