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.

¶Howe all the Theues weare brought in a sleape by their newe companion.

Cap. 26.

THen the yonge man spake againe, saiynge: Mai∣sters, why go we not about to make our praiers

to Mars touching this sellinge of the maiden,* 1.1 and to sake for other compaigniōs. 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 ({quod} 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 al∣tar 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. Thē supper was prepared sumptuouslie: And the new com∣paignion 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 pleasaūt there he prepared meate, & trimming vp the house, he set all thinges in order, & brought the po∣tage & dentie dishes to the table: But aboue all he plied them well with great pottes, & iugges of wine. Some∣times (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 wil∣lingly 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,* 1.2 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 cōscience, but more delight to tarie & plaie the harlot here amongst so manie wea∣pons 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 all these thinges, I per∣ceaued by certaine signes and tokens (not ignorant to so wise an Asse) that he was not the notable théefe He∣mus, but rather Lepolemus her husbād,* 1.3 for after much communication he began to speake more frankely, not fearinge at all my presence, and saide: be of good chéere my swéete fréende Charites, for thou shalt haue by and by all these thy enemies captiue vnto thée. Then he fil∣led wine to the théeues more, and more, and neuer cea∣sed till as they weare all ouercome with aboundance of meate and drinke, when as he him selfe absteyned and bridled his owne appetite: and truely, I did great∣ly suspect, least he had mingled in their cuppes some deadly poyson, for incontinently they all fell downe a sléepe on the grounde one after an other, and laye as though they had bene dead.

Notes

• * 1.1

  ••••ere Lepolem•••• draweth to his purpose.
• * 1.2

  Apuleius spea∣keth.
• * 1.3

  The iudgement of an Asse.