The. xi. bookes of the Golden asse conteininge the Metamorphosie of Lucius Apuleius, enterlaced with sondrie pleasaunt and delectable tales, with an excellent narration of the mariage of Cupide and Psiches, set out in the. iiii. v. and vj. bookes. Translated out of Latine into Englishe by VVilliam Adlington.

Thus fayre Psyches beinge swéetely couched e∣mongst the softe and tender hearbes, as in a bedde of soote and fragrant flowres, and hauinge quallified the troubles and thoughtes of her restles minde, was now well reposed: And when she had refreshed her selfe suf∣ficiently with sléepe, she rose with a more quiet and pa∣cified minde, and fortuned to espie a pleasaunt woodde enuironned with great and mighty trées: she espied likewise a runninge riuer as cléere as Cristall: In the middest of the woodde, welnie at the fall of the riuer was a Princely edifice, wrought & builded, not by the arte or hande of mā, but by the mighty power of God: and you would iudge at the first entrie therein, that it weare some pleasaunt and woorthy mansion for the powers of heauen. For the embowinges aboue weare of Cytern, and Yuery, propped and vndermined with pillors of Golde, the walles couered and séeled with Siluer, diuers sortes of beastes weare grauē and car∣ued, that séemed to encounter with such as entred in: al thinges weare so curiously and finely wrought, that it séemed either to be the worke of some demigod, or God him selfe, the pauement was al of pretious stone, deuided and cut one from an other, whereon was car∣ued diuers kindes of pictures, in such sorte that blessed and thrise blessed weare they whiche might goe vpon such a pauement: Euery parte and angle of the house was so well adorned, that by reason of the pretious stones and inestimable treasure there, it glittered and shone in such sorte that the chambers, porches, & dores gaue light as it had bene the Sunne. Neyther other∣wise

did the other treasure of y^• house disagrée vnto so great a maiestie, that verely it séemed in euery point a heauēly palaice fabricate & builded for Iupiter him self.

Then Psyches moued with delectation, approched nighe, & takinge a bolde harte entred into the house, & behelde euery thing there, with great affectiō, she sawe storehouses wrought excéeding fine, & replenished with abondance of richesse. Finally there could nothinge be deuised which lacked there, but emōgst such great store of treasure, this was more meruelous, y^• there was no closure, bolte, or locke to kéepe y^• same. And when with great pleasure she viewed al these thinges, she harde a voice without any body, y^• saide: Why doo you maruell madame at so great richesse? behold al that you sée is at your cōmandement: wherfore, goe you into the chāber & repose your selfe vpon the bedde, & desire what bathe you will haue, and we whose voices you here be your seruauntes, and ready to minister vnto you accordinge to your desire: in the meane season, royall meates and deintie dishes shalbe prepared for you.

Then Psyches perceaued the felicitie of diuine pro∣uidence, & according to the aduertisement of the incor∣porall voices, she first reposed her selfe vpō the bedde, & thē refreshed her bodie in y^e baines. This done she saw y^• table garnished with meates, & a chaire to sit downe.

When Psyches was set downe, al sortes of diuine meates and wines weare brought in, not by any body but as it weare with a winde, for she coulde sée no per∣son before her, but onely here voices on euery side. Af∣ter that al the seruices weare brought to the table, one came in and sange inuisibly, an other plaide on the harpe, but she sawe no man: The harmony of the in∣strumentes did so greatly shrill in her eares, y^• (though

there weare no manner of person) yet séemed she in the middest of a multitude of people.

All these pleasures finished: when night approched Psyches went to bedde: & when she was laide, that the swéete sléepe came vpon her, she greatly feared her vir∣ginitie because she was alone: Thē came her vnknowē husbande and lay with her: and after y^• he had made a perfect consummation of the Mariage, he rose in the morninge before day & departed. Sone after came her inuisible seruantes, presenting to her such thinges as were necessary for her defloration, and thus she pas∣sed foorth a great while: and (as it happeneth) y^• nouel∣tie of the thinges by continuall custome did encrease her pleasure, but specially the sounde of the instru∣mentes was a comfort vnto her being alone.

Duringe this time that Psyches was in this place of pleasures, her father & mother did nothinge but wéepe and lament, and her twoo sisters hearinge of her moste miserable fortune came with great dolor and sorrowe to comforte and speake with their parentes.

The night followinge Psyches husbande spake vnto her (for she might féele his eies, his handes & his eares) and saide, O my swéete spouse and dere wife, fortune doth menace vnto thée imminent perill and daunger, whereof I wishe thée greatly to beware: For knowe thou that thy sisters, thinkinge that thou arte dead, be greatly troubled, and are come to the mountaine by thy steppes, whose lamentations if thou fortune to heare, beware that thou doo in no wise either make an∣sweare or looke vp towardes them. For if thou doo thou shalt purchase to me great sorrow, & to thy selfe vtter destruction. Psyches (hearinge her husbande) was con∣tented to doo all thinges as he commaunded.

After that he was departed, & the night passed away, Psyches lamented & cried al y^e day folowyng, thinkyng that now she was past all hope of comfort in that she was closed within the walles of a prison, depriued of humaine conuersation, and commaunded not to ayde or assist her sorowfull sisters, no nor once to sée them: Thus she passed all the day in wepinge, and wente to bedde at night without any refectiō of meate or baine.

Incontinently after, came her husbande, who (when he had embrased her swéetely) gan say: Is it thus that you performe your promise my swéete wife? what doo I finde here? passe you all the day and the night in we∣pinge? & will you not cease in your husbandes armes? Goe too, doo what you wil, purchase your owne destru∣ction, & when you finde it so, then remēber my woordes, and repent, but too late: Then she desired her husbande more and more, assuringe him that she should die, vn∣lesse he woulde graunt that she might sée her sisters, whereby she might speake with them & comfort them, whereat at length he was contented, and moreouer he willed that she should giue them as much Golde and Iuelles as she would, but he gaue her a further charge, saying: beware that ye couet not (beinge moued by the pernicious counsel of your sisters) to sée the shape of my person, least by your curiositie you be depriued of so great and woorthy estate. Psyches beinge gladde here∣with rendred vnto him most entier thankes, and said: Swéete husbande I had rather die then to be seperate from you: for whosoeuer you be, I loue and retaine you within my harte, as if you weare mine owne spi∣rite or Cupide him selfe: but I pray you graunt this likewise, that you would commaunde your seruaunt Zephyrus to bringe my sisters downe into the valley,

as he brought me,* 1.1 wherwithal she kissed him swéetely, and desired him gently to graunt her request, callinge him her spouse, her swéete harte, her ioye, & her solace, whereby she enforced him to agrée to her minde, and when morninge came he departed away.

After longe search made, the sisters of Psyches came vnto the hill where she was set on the rocke, and cried with a lowde voice, in suche sorte that the stones an∣sweared againe: And when they called their sister by her name, that their lamentable cries came vnto her eares, she came foorth, and said: beholde, here is she for whome you wéepe, I pray you torment your selues no more, cease your wéeping: And by & by, she cōmaunded Zephyrus by the appointment of her husband to bring them downe: Neither did he delay, for with gentle blastes he retained them vp, and laide them softely in the valey: I am not able to expresse the often embra∣singe, kissing, and gretyng, which was betwéene them thrée, all sorowes and teares were then laide aparte: Come in ({quod} Psyches) into our house & refresh your af∣flicted mindes with your sister. After this, she showed them the storehouses of treasure, she caused them to heare the voices whiche serued her, the bayne was rea∣dy, the meates were brought in, & when they had eaten and filled them selues with diuine delicates, they con∣ceaued great enuie within their hartes, and one of thē beinge very curious, did demaunde what her husbande was, of what state, & who was the Lorde of so pretious a house, but Psyches, remembringe the promise which she made to her husbande, feigned that he was a yonge man, of comely stature, with a flexen bearde, and had great delight in huntinge in the hilles and dales by: And least by her longe talke she should be founde to

trippe or faile in her woordes, she filled their lappes with Golde, Siluer and Iewels, and commaūded Z••∣phirus to carry them away.

When they were brought vp to the mountaine, they toke their waies: ••omewarde to their owne houses, and murmured with enuy that they bare against Psyches, sayinge: beholde cruell & contrary fortune, behold how we (borne all of one parent) haue diuers destinies, but especially we, y^• are y^e elder twoo, be married to straūge husbandes, made as handemaidons, and as it were ba∣nished from our countrie & fréendes, wheras our yōger sister hath so great abondaunce of treasure and gotten a God to her husbande, who hath no skill how to vse so great plenty of richesse: sawe you not sister what was in the house? what great store of Iewelles, what glit∣teringe robes, what gemmes, what golde we trode on? That if she haue a husbande accordinge, as she af∣firmeth, there is none that liueth this daye more hap∣pie in all the worlde then she. And so it may come to passe that at length for the great affection and loue whiche he may beare vnto her, he may make her a Goddesse, for (by Hercules) suche was her counte∣naunce, so she behaued her selfe, that (as a Goddesse) she had voyces to serue her, and the windes did obay her.* 1.2 But I poore wretche haue firste married a hus∣bande elder then my Father, more balde then a coote, more weake then a childe, and that locketh me vp all day in the house. Then sayde the other sister, and in faith I am married to a husbande that hath the gowte, twyfolde, crooked, not couragious in payinge my debt, I am sayne to rubbe, and mollifie his stonie fingers with diuers sortes of oyles, & to wrappe them in play∣sters and salues, so that I soyle my white and deintie

handes, with the corruption of filthy cloutes, not vsing my selfe like a wife, but more like a seruaunt: and you my sister séeme likewise to be in bondage, and serui∣tude, wherefore I cannot abide to sée our yonger sister in suche great felicitie, sawe you not I pray, howe proudely and arrogantly she handled vs euen now? and how in vauntinge her selfe she vttered her pre∣sumptuous minde, how she caste a litle Golde into our lappes, and (beyng werie of our company) commaun∣ded that we should be borne and blowen away? verely I liue not nor am a woman, but I will depriue her of all her blisse: And if you my sister be so farre bente as I, lette vs consulte together, and not vtter our minde to any person, no nor yet to our parentes, nor tell that euer we sawe her. For it suffiseth that we haue séene her, whome it repenteth to haue séene: neither lette vs declare her good fortune to our Father, nor to any o∣ther, since as they séeme not happy whose richesse are vnknowen: So shall she knowe, that she hath sisters (no abiectes) but more woorthier then she. But now lette vs goe home to our husbandes and poore houses, and when we are better instructed lette vs returne to suppresse her pryde: so this euill counsell pleased these twoo euill women, and they hidde the treasure whiche Psyches gaue them, and fare their heare, renewynge their false and forged teares. When their father and mother behelde them wéepe and lament still, they doubled their sorrowes, and griefes, but full of yre and farced with enuie they toke their voyage home∣warde, deuisinge the slaughter and destruction of their sister.

In the meane season y^• husband of Psiches did warne her againe in the night with these woordes: Séest thou

not ({quod} he) what perill and daunger euill fortune doth threaten vnto thée, whereof if thou take not good héede, it will shortly come vpon thée: for the vnfaithfull har∣lottes doo greatly endeuour to set their snares to catch thée, and their purpose is to make and perswade thée to beholde my face, which if thou once fortune to sée (as I haue often tolde) thou shalt sée no more: wherefore if these naughty hegges, armed with wicked mindes, doo chaunce to come againe (as I thinke no otherwise but that they will) take héede that thou talke not with them, but simply suffer them to speake what they will, howbeit if thou canst not restraine thy selfe, beware that thou haue no communication of thy husbande, nor answeare a woorde if they fortune to question of me, so will we encrease our stocke, and this yonge and tender childe, couched in this yonge and tender belly of thine, (if thou conceale my secreates) shal be made an immor∣tall God, otherwise a mortall creature. Then Psyches was very gladde that she should bringe foorth a diuine babe, and very ioyfull in that she should be honored as a mother:* 1.3 She reckened & nombred carefully the daies and monethes that passed, and being neuer with childe before, did maruell greatly that in so small a time her belly should swell so bigge.

But those pestilent & wicked furies, breathinge out their serpentine poyson, toke shippinge to bringe their enterprise to passe. Then Psyches was warned againe by her husbande in this sorte: beholde the last day, the extreme case, and the enemies of thy bloud, hath armed them selues against vs, pitched their campes, set their hoste in a ray, & are marchinge towardes vs, for now thy twoo sisters haue drawen their swoordes, and are ready to flea thée: O with what force are we assayled

this day, O swéete Psyches I pray thée to take pitie on thy selfe, of me, and deliuer thy husbande, and this in∣sant within thy belly from so great daunger: And sée not, neither heare these cursed women, whiche are not woorthy to be called thy sisters, for their great hatred, and breache of sisterly amitie, for they will come (like Sirens) to the mountaine, and yelde out their piteous and lamentable cries: When Psyches had harde these woordes, she sighed sorowfully, and saide: O déere hus∣bande, this longe time you haue had experience & triall of my faith, and boubt you not but that I will perseuer in the same, wherfore commaunde your winde Zephi∣rus that he may doo, as he hath donne before, to the in∣tent that where you haue charged me, not to beholde your venerable face, yet that I may comfort my selfe with the sight of my sisters. I pray you by these beauti∣full heares, by these rounde chéekes, delicate & tender, by your pleasaunt whote brest,* 1.4 whose shape and face I shall learne at length by the childe in my belly, graunt the fruicte of my desire, refreshe your déere spouse Psy∣ches with ioye, who is bounde and linked vnto you for euer, I litle estéeme to sée your visage and figure, litle doo I regarde the night & darknes thereof, for you are my onely light. Her husbande (beinge as it were en∣chaunted with these woordes, and compelled by violēce of her often embrasinge, wiping away her teares with his heare) did yelde vnto his wife. And when morning came departed as he accustomed to doo.

Now her sisters arriued on lande, and neuer rested till they came to the rocke, without visitinge of their Father and mother, and leaped downe rashly from the hill them selues: Then Zephyrus accordinge to the di∣uine commaundement brought them downe (though it

were against his will) & laide them in the valley with∣out any harme. By and by they went into the pallaice to their sister without leaue, & when they had eftsones embrased their pray, and thanked her (with flatteringe woordes) for the treasure whiche she gaue thē, thei said: O déere sister Psyches, know you that you are now no more a childe but a mother: O what great ioye beare you vnto vs in your belly? what a cōfort wil it be vnto all the house? how happy shall we be that shall sée this infant nourished emongst so great plentie of treasure? that if he be like his parentes, as it is necessarie he shoulde, there is no doubte but a newe Cupide shalbe borne: by this kinde of meanes they wente aboute to winne Psyches by litle and litle, but because they were weary with trauell, they satte them downe in chayres, and after that they had washed their bodies in baynes, they wente into a parler, where all kinde of meates were ready prepared, Psyches commaunded one to play with his Harpe, it was donne: Then, im∣mediatly other sange, other tuned their instrumentes, but no person was séene, by whose swéete harmonie and modulation, the sisters of Psyches were greatly delighted.

Howbeit the wickednes of these cursed wemen was nothing suppressed by the swéete noyes of these instru∣mentes, but they setled thē selues to woorke their trea∣son against Psyches demaūding who was her husbād, and of what parentage: Then she (hauinge forgotten, by too much simplicitie, that, whiche she had spoken be∣fore of her husband) inuented a new answeare, & saide that her husband was of a great prouince, a marchant, and a man of a midle age, hauing his bearde enterspar∣sed with gray heares, which when she had said (because

she would haue no further talke) she filled their lappes full of Golde and Siluer, and bid Zephyrus to beare them away.

In their retorne homeward thei murmured with thē selues sayinge, how say you sister to so apparaunt a lie of Psyches? For first she said that her husbande was a yonge man of florishinge yeares & had a flexen beard, and now she saith that it is halfe graye with age, what is he that in so shorte space can become so olde? you shall finde it no otherwise my sister, but that eyther this cursed queane hath inuented a great lie▪ or els that she neuer sawe the shape of her husbande: And if it be so that she neuer sawe him, then verely she is married to some God,* 1.5 and hath a yonge god in her belly, but if it be a deuine babe and fortune to come to the eares of my mother (as God forbidde it should) then may I goe & hange my selfe, wherefore let vs goe to our parents, and with forged lies let vs colour the matter.

After they were thus inflamed and had visited their parentes, they returned againe to the mountayne, and by the ayde of the winde Zephirus were carried downe into the valey, and after thei had strained their eye liddes to enforce them selues to wéepe, they called vnto Psyches in this sorte: Thou (ignorant of so great euill) thinkest thy selfe sure and happy, and sittest at home nothinge regardinge thy perill, where as we goe aboute thy affayres, and are carefull least any harme should happen vnto thée, for we are credibly informed, neither can we but vtter it vnto thée, that there is a great Serpent full of deadly poyson, with a rauenous and gapinge threate, that lieth with thée euery night, remember the oracle of Apollo, who pro∣nounced that thou shouldest be married to a dyre and

••erte Serpent, and many of the inhabitantes here by, and such as hunte about in the countrey, affirme that they sawe him yesternight returnynge from pasture and swimminge ouer the riuer, whereby they doo vn∣doubtedly say that he will not pamper thée longe with delicate meates, but when the time of deliuerie shall approche, he will deuoure both thée & thy childe, wher∣fore aduise thy selfe, whether thou wilt agrée vnto vs that are carefull for thy safetie, and so auoide the perill of death, and be contented to liue with thy sisters, or whether thou wilt remaine with the serpent, & in the ende to be swallowed into the gowlfe of his bodie. And if it be so, that thy solitary life, thy conuersation with voyces, this seruile and daungerous pleasure, and the loue of the Serpent doo more delight thée: say not but that we haue playde the partes of naturall sisters in warninge thée. Then the poore & simple miser Psyches was moued with the feare of so dreadfull woordes, and (being amased in her minde) did cleane forgette the ad∣monitions of her husbande, & her owne promises made vnto him. And (throwyng her selfe headlonge into ex∣treame misery) with a wane and sallow countenance, scantly vtteringe a thirde woorde, at length gan say in this sorte: O my most déere sisters I hartely thāke you for your great kindenes towardes me, and I am now verely perswaded that they whiche haue enformed you hereof, haue enformed you of nothinge but truth, for I neuer sawe the shape of my husbande, neither know I frō whence he came, onely I here his voyce in y^e night, in so much that I haue an vncertaine husbande, & one that loueth not the light of the day, whiche causeth me to suspect that he is a beast as you affirme, moreouer I doo greatly feare to sée him, for he doth menace and

threaten great euill vnto me, if I should goe about to spie, and beholde his shape, wherfore my louing sisters if you haue any holesome remedy for your sister in daunger, giue it now presently: Then they openinge the gates of their subtill mindes, did put away all pri∣uie gile, & egged her forward in her feareful thoughts, perswadinge her to doo as they would haue her, wher∣upon one of them began and said, because that we litle estéeme any perill or daunger to saue your life, we en∣tende to show you the best way and meane as we may possibly doo: Take a sharpe raser and put it vnder the pillow of your bedde, and sée that you haue ready a pri∣uie burninge lampe with oyle, hidde vnder some parte of the hanginge of the chamber, and (finely dissimuling the matter) when (accordinge to his custome) he cometh to bedde and sléepeth soundly, arise you secreatly, and with your bare féete goe and take your lampe, with the raser in your right hande, and with valiant force cutte of the head of the poysonous Serpent, wherin we will ayde and assist you: and when by the death of him, you shalbe made salue, we will marry you to some comely man. After they had thus inflamed the harte of their sister, (fearing least some daunger might happen vnto them by reason of their euill counsell,) they were car∣ried by the winde Zephyrus to the toppe of the moun∣taine, and so they ranne away, and toke shippinge.

When Psyches was lefte alone (sauing that she sée∣med not to be alone, beinge stirred by so many furies) she was in a tossinge minde, like the waues of the sea, and although her wil was obstinate and resisted to put in execution the counsell of her sisters, yet she was in doubtfull and diuers opinions touching her calamitie, Sometime she would, sometime she would not, some∣time

she is bolde, sometime she feareth, sometime she mistrusteth, sometime she is moued, sometime she ha∣teth the beast, sometime she loueth her husbande, but at length the night came, when as she made preparatiō for her wicked intent.

Sone after, her husbande came, & when he had kissed and embrased her, he fell a sléepe: Then Psyches (some∣what féeble in body and minde, yet moued by crueltie of fate) receaued boldenes & brought forth the lampe, and toke the raser, so by her audacitie she chaunged her kinde, but when she toke the lampe and came to the bedde side, she sawe the most méeke, and swéetest beast of all beastes, euen fayre Cupide couched fayrely, at whose sighte the very lampe encreased his lighte for ioye, and the raser turned his edge. But when Psy∣ches sawe so glorious a bodie, she greatly feared, and (amased in minde, with a pale countenaunce, all trem∣blinge) fell on her knées, and thought to hide the raser, yea verely in her owne harte, whiche she had vndoub∣tedly donne, had it not (through feare of so great an enterprise) fallen out of her hande. And when she sawe and behelde the beautie of his deuine visage, she was well recreated in her minde, she sawe his heares of Golde, that yéelded out a swéete sauour: his necke more white then milke, his purple chéekes, his heare hangynge comely behinde and before, the brightnes whereof did darken the light of the lampe, his tender plume feathers dispersed vpon his shoulders like shi∣ninge flowers, and tremblinge hither and thither, and his other partes of his bodie so smothe and softe that it did not repent Venus to beare suche a childe: at the beddes féete lay his bowe, quiuer, and arrowes, that ••e the weapōs of so great a God, which, when Psyches

did curiously behold, and merueling at the weapons of her husband toke one of the arrowes out of the quiuer, and pricked her selfe withall, wherewith she was so grieuously wounded that the bloudde followed, and thereby of her owne accorde she added loue vpon loue, then more and more broylinge in the loue of Cupide, she embrased him and kissed him a thousand times fea∣ringe the measure of his sléepe: but alas, while she was in this great ioye, whether it were for enuie, or for de∣sire to touche this amiable bodie likewise, there fell out a droppe of burning oyle from the lampe vpō the right shoulder of the God. O rashe & bolde lampe the vile mi∣nistery of loue, how darest thou be so bolde as to burne the God of al fire? when as he inuēted thée, to the intēt that al louers might with more ioye passe the nightes in pleasure. The God being burned in this sorte, & per∣ceauinge that promise and faith was broken he flied a∣way without vtteraunce of any woorde from the eies & hādes of his most vnhappy wife. But Psiches fortuned to catch him (as he was rising) by the right thighe, and helde him fast as he flewe aboue in the ayre, vntill such time, that (constrayned by werines) she lette goe and fell downe vpon the grounde: but Cupide followed her downe, and lighted vpon the toppe of a Cypresse trée, and angerly spake vnto her in this manner: O simple Psiches consider with thy selfe, how I (little regarding the cōmaundement of my mother, who willed me that thou shouldest be married to a man of base & miserable condition) did come my selfe from heauen to loue thée, & wounded mine owne bodie with my proper weapōs to haue thée to my spouse, and did I séeme a beast vnto thée, y^• thou shouldest goe about to cutte of my head w^t a raser, who loued thée so wel? did not I alwaies giue thée

in charge? did not I gentely will thée to beware? but those cursed ayders and counselours of thine, shalbe woorthely rewarded for their paines.* 1.6 As for thée, thou shalt be sufficiently punished by my absence: When he had spoken these woordes, he toke his dight into y^• ayre.

Then Psyches fell ••atte on the grounde, & as longe as she might see her husband, she cast her eies after him into the ayre wepinge and lamentinge piteously, but when he was gonne out of her sight, she threw her self into the nerte running riuer, for the great anguish and dolor that she was in, for the lacke of her husband, how be it the water would not suffer her to be drowned, but toke pitie vpon her, in the honour of Cupide which ac∣customed to broyle and burne the riuer, and so threwe her vpon the banke emongst the hearbes.

Then Pan the rustical God sitting on the riuer side, embrasinge and teachyng the Goddesse Canna to tune her songes and pipes, by whome were féedinge the yonge and tender goates, after that he perceaued Psy∣ches in so sorowfull case, not ignorant (I know not by what meanes) of her miserable estate, endeuored to pa∣cifie her in this sorte: Oh fayre mayde, I am a rustike & rude herdesman, howbeit (by reason of my olde age) ex∣perte in many thinges, for as farre as I can learne by coniecture, whiche (according as wise men doo terme) is called diuination, I perceaue by your vncertaine gate, your pale hewe, your sobbinge sighes, and your watrie eies, that you are greatly in loue. Wherfore harken to me, and goe not about to slea your selfe, nor wéepe not at all, but rather addore and woorshippe the great God Cupide, and winne him vnto you by your gentle pro∣mise of seruice. When the God of shepeherdes had spo∣ken these woordes, she gaue no answeare but made re∣uerence

vnto him as to a God, and so departed.

After that Psyches had gonne a litle way, she fortu∣ned (vnwares) to come to a Citie where the husbande of one of her sisters did dwel, which when Psyches did vnderstande, she caused that her sister had knowledge of her comming. And so they mette together, and after great embrasinge and salutation, the sister of Psyches demaunded the cause of her trauell thither: Marry ({quod} she) doo not you remember the counsell that you gaue me, whereby you would, that I should kill the beast, who vnder colour of my husbande did lie with me eue∣ry night? you shall vnderstande, y^• assone as I brought foorth the lampe to sée & beholde his shape, I perceaued that he was the sonne of Venus, euen Cupide him selfe that lay with me. Then I (beynge strōken with great pleasure, and desirous to embrase him) coulde not tho∣roughly asswage my delight, but alas (by euil channce) the boylinge oyle of the lampe fortuned to fall on his shoulder, whiche caused him to awake, who (seinge me armed with fire and weapon) gan say. How darest thou be so bolde to doo so great a mischiefe? departe frō me, and take such thinges as thou diddest bringe: for I will haue thy sister (and named you) to my wife, & she shalbe placed in thy felicitie, and by and by he cōmaunded Ze∣phyrus to carry me away frō the boundes of his house.

Psyches had scantly finished her tale, but her sister (perced with y^• pricke of carnall desire & wicked enuie) ranne home, & (feigninge to her husbande that she had harde woorde of the death of her parētes) toke shipping and came to the mountaine. And although there blewe a contrary winde, yet beinge brought in a vaine hope she cried, O Cupide take me a more woorthy wife, and thou Zephyrus beare downe thy mistris, & so she caste

her selfe downe hedlonge from the mountaine, but she fell not into the valley neither aliue nor dead, for al the members & partes of her bodie were torne emongst the rockes, whereby she was made a pray vnto the birdes and wilde beastes, as she woorthely deserued.

Neither was the vengeaunce of the other delaide, for Psiches traueling in that coūtrey fortuned to come to an other Citie, where her other sister did dwell, to whome when she had declared all such thinges as she tolde to her firste sister,* 1.7 she ranne likewise vnto the rocke and was slaine in like sorte. Then Psiches traue∣led about in the countrey to séeke her husband Cupide, but he was gotten into his mothers chāber, and there bewayled the sorowfull wounde, whiche he caught by the oyle of the burninge lampe.

Then the white birde the Gull whiche swimmeth on the waues of the water, flewe towardes the Oc∣cean sea, where she founde Venus washinge and ba∣thinge her selfe: to whome she declared that her sonne was burned and in daunger of death, and moreouer that it was a cōmon bruite in y^• mouth of euery person (who spake euill of all the family of Venus) that her sonne doth nothing but haunt harlots in y^• mountaine, and she her selfe, lasciuiously, vse to riotte on the sea, whereby they say y^t they are now become no more gra∣tious, no more pleasaunt, no more gentle, but inciuill, mōstruous & horrible: moreouer the marriages are not for any amitie, or for loue of procreatiō, but ful of enuy, discorde, & debate. This the curious Gull did clatter in the eares of Venus reprehēding her sonne. But Venus began to crie, and said: what hath my sonne gotten any loue? I pray thée (gentle birde y^• doest serue me so faith∣fully) tel me what she is, & what is her name, that hath

troubled my sonne in such sorte, whether she be any of the Nymphes, of the nomber of the Goddesses, of the cōpany of the Muses, or of the mistery of my Graces? To whome the birde answeared. Madame I know not what she is, but this I know, that she is called Psiches. Then Venus with indignatiō cried out: what is it she? the vsurper of my beautie, the viccar of my name? what did he thinke that I was a baude, by whose showe he fell acquainted with the mayde? And immediatly she departed, and went to her chamber, where she founde her sonne wounded as it was tolde vnto her, whome when she behelde she cried out in this sorte.

Is this an honest thinge? is this honorable to thy parentes? is this reason that thou hast violate and bro∣ken the cōmaundement of thy mother and soueraigne mistris? And whereas thou shouldest haue vexed my enemie with lothsome loue, thou haste done contrary: For (beinge but of tender and vnripe yéeres) thou hast with too licentious appetite embrased my moste mor∣tall foe, to whome I shalbe made a mother, and she a daughter: Thou presumest and thinkest (thou triflinge boye, thou verlette, and without all reuerence) that thou arte moste woorthy and excellent, and that I am not able by reason of mine age to haue an other sonne, which if I might haue, thou shouldest well vnderstand that I would beare a more woorthier then thou, but to woorke thée a greater despite, I doo determine to ad∣opte one of my seruantes, & to giue him these winges, this fire, this bowe, and these arrowes, and all other furniture whiche I gaue to thée, not for this purpose, neyther is any thinge giuen thée of thy father for this intent: but firste thou hast béene euill brought vp, and instructed in thy youth: thou haste thy handes ready

and sharpe: Thou hast often offended thy auncientes and especially me that am thy mother, thou hast perced me with thy dartes, thou contemnest me as a widow, neither doest thou regarde thy valiant and inuincible Father, and to anger me more thou arte amorous of wenches and harlottes, but I wil cause that thou shalt shortly repent thée, & that this marriage shalbe déerely bought. To what a pointe am I now driuē? what shall I doo? whither shall I goe? howe shall I represse this ••easre? Shall I aske ayde of mine enemie Sobrietie, whome I haue often offended to engender thée? or shall I séeke for counsell of euery poore and rusticall womā? No, no, yet had I rather die, howbeit I will not cease my vengeance, to her must I haue recourse for helpe, & to none other, (I meane to Sobrietie) who may correct thée sharpely, take away thy quiuer, depriue thée of thy arrowes, vnbende thy bowe, quenche thy fire, & (which is more) subdew thy body with punishment, and when that I haue rased & cut of this thy heare, whiche I haue dressed with mine owne handes, and made to glitter like golde, and when I haue clipped thy winges which I my selfe haue caused to burgen, then shal I thinke to haue sufficiently reuenged my selfe vpon thée, for the iniurie which thou hast done: when she had spokē these woordes she departed in a great rage out of her chāber.

* 1.8 Immediatly, as she was goinge away, came Iuno & Ceres demaūdinge the cause of her anger: then Venus made answeare, verely you are come to comfort my so∣row, but I pray you with all diligence to séeke out one whose name is Psyches, who is a vagabonde, and run∣neth aboute the countries, and as I thinke you are not ignoraunt of the bruite of my sonne Cupide, and of his demeanure, which I am ashamed to declare: Then thei

standing and knowing the whole matter, endeuoured to mitigate the ire of Venus in this sorte.

What is the cause madame, or how hath your sonne so offended that you should so greatly accuse his loue, & blame him by reason that he is amorous? And why should you séeke the death of hir, whom he doth fancy? We most humbly entreate you to pardon his faulte, if he haue accorded to the mynde of any maiden, what doo not you knowe that he is a yonge man? or haue you forgotten of what yéeres he is? doth he séeme alwayes vnto you to be a childe? you are his mother, and a kynd woman, will you continually searche out his daliance? will you blame his luxurie? will you bridle his loue? And will you reprehende your own arte and delightes in him? what God or man is he, that can endure that you should sowe or disperse your séede of loue in euery place, and to make a restraint therof within your own doores, certes you wil be the cause of the suppression of the publique places of yonge dames. In this sorte these Goddesses endeuoured to pacifie hir minde, and tercuse Cupide with all their power (although he weare ab∣sent) for feare of his dartes and shaftes of loue. But Venus would in no wyse asswage hir heate, but (thin∣king that they did rather trifle and taunte at her iniu∣ries) she departed from them, and tooke her viage to∣wardes the sea in all hast.

Notes

• * 1.1

  W••men cā do•• most when they be in bedde.
• * 1.2

  Such taske vse gosseps when they meete to∣gether.
• * 1.3

  So vseth yonge wiues to doo.
• * 1.4

  The childe ta∣keth the shape of the Father.
• * 1.5

  The enuious person pine••h as others felicitie.
• * 1.6

  The absent of louers is grea∣test punishmet.
• * 1.7

  As euery vertue is rewarded, so euery vice is pu∣nisshed.
• * 1.8

  Iuno was daughter of Sa∣turne and Opis sister and wife of Iupiter. Ceres other wife called ••sis wife of Os••ris 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of Egipte▪ she 〈◊〉〈◊〉 supposed to be the Goddesse of Haruest.