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.

The eight Booke of Lucius Apuleius of the Golden Asse.

¶Howe a yonge man came and declared the mi∣serable death of Lepolemus, and his wife Cha∣rites.

Cap. 32.

ABoute midnight came a yonge man whiche séemed to be one of the fami∣ly of the good woman Charites, who sometimes endured so muche misery and calamitie with me emongst the théeues, who after that he had taken a stoole and satte downe by the fire side in the company of the seruauntes, beganne to de∣clare many terrible thinges that had happened vnto the house of Charites, saying: O ye horsekepers, shepe∣herdes, and cowheardes, you shall vnderstand that we haue loste our good mistris Charites, miserably and by euill aduenture, and to the ende you may learne and know all the whole matter, I purpose to tell you the circumstance of euery pointe, wherby such as are more learned then I (to whome fortune hath ministred more copious stile) may painte it out in paper in forme of an Historie: there was a yonge gentleman dwellinge in the nexte Citie, borne of good parentage, valiant in prowesse, and riche in substance, but very much geuen and addict to whore huntyng and continuall reueling. Whereby he fell in company with théeues, and had his hande ready to the effusion of humaine bloudde, his name was Thrasillus.

The matter was this according to the report of eue∣ry man: He demaunded Charites in marriage, who although he were a man more comely then the residue that wooed her, and also had richesse abundantly, yet because he was of euill fame, and a man of wicked ma∣ners and conuersation, he had the repulse and was put of by Charites, and so she married with Lepolemus: howbeit this yonge man secretly loued her, yet moued somwhat at her refusal, he busily serched some meanes to woorke his damnable intent: And (hauinge found oc∣casion and opportunitie to accōplish his purpose, which he had longe time concealed) brought to passe, that the same daye that Charites was deliuered by the subtile meane and valiant audacitie of her husbande, from the puissance of the Théeues, he mingled him self emongst the assembly, feigninge that he was gladde of the new marriage and comminge home againe of the mayden, whereby (by reason that he came of so noble parentes) he was receaued & entertained into the house, as one of their chiefe and principall fréendes: Howbeit vnder cloke of a faithful welwiller, he dissimuled his mischie∣uous minde and intent, in continuāce of time, by much familiaritie, and often conuersation and banketinge together, he fell more and more in fauour, like as we sée it fortuneth to louers, who first doo litle delight thē selues in loue, till as by continuall acquaintaunce they kisse and embrase eche other. Thrasillus perceauinge that it was a harde matter to breake his minde secret∣ly to Charites, whereby he was wholy barred from the accomplishmēt of his luxurious appetite, & on the other side perceauinge that the loue of her and her husbande was so strongly linked together, y^e the bonde betwéene them might in no wise be disseuered, moreouer it was

a thinge impossible to rauishe her, although he had con∣sented therto, yet was he still prouoked forward by ve∣hement lust when as he sawe him selfe vnable to bring his purpose to passe. Howbeit at lēgth the thinge which séemed so hard and difficil, through hope of his fortified loue, did now appeare easie & facill: but marke I pray you diligently to what ende the furious force of his in∣ordinate desire came. On a day Lepolemus went to the chase with Thrasillus to hunte for Goates, for his wife Charites desired him earnestly to medle with no other beastes, which were of more fierce and wilde na∣ture, when they were come within the chase to a great thicket fortressed about with bryers and thornes, they compassed rounde with their dogges, and besette euery place with nettes, by and by warninge was giuen to lette loose: The dogges rushed in with suche a crie that all the forest range againe with the noyes, but be∣holde there leaped out no Goate, nor déere, nor gentle Hinde, but an horrible and daungerous wilde Boare, harde & thicke skinned, bristeled terribly like thornes, fominge at the mouth, grindinge his téeth and lokinge dyrefully with fitie eyes. The dogges that first set vpō him he tare and rent with his tuskes, and thē he ranne quight thorough the nettes and escaped away: when we sawe the furie of this beast, we were greatly strikē with feare, and because we neuer accustomed to chase suche dreadfull Boares, and further because we were vnarmed and without weapons, we gotte and hidde our selues vnder bushes and trées: then Thrasillus ha∣uinge founde oportunitie to woorke his treason, saide to Lepolemus, what stande we here amased? why show we our selues like dastardes? why léese we so woorthy a pray with our feminiue hartes? let vs mounte vpon

our horses and pursue him incontinentlie: Take you a hunting staffe, & I will take a chasing speare, by and by they leaped vpon their horses and folowed the beaste. But he returning against thē with furious force, pried with his eies, on whome he might first assaile with his tuskes: Lepolemus stroke the beast first on the back w^t his hunting staffe. Thrasillus faininge to aide and as∣siste him, came behind, and cut of the hinder legges of Lepulemus horse, in such sorte that he fel downe to the ground with his maister: And sodenly the Boare came vpon Lepolemus, and furiously tare and rēt him with his téeth. Howbeit, Thrasillus was not suffised to sée him thus wounded, but when he desired his friendlie helpe, he thrust Lepolemus through the right thighe with his speare, the more because he thought the woūd of the speare would be takē for a wound of the Boares téeth: Then he killed the beast likewise. And when he was thus miserably slaine, euery one of vs came out of our holes, and went towardes our slaine master. But although that Thrasillus was ioyfull of the death of Lepolemus, whome he did greatly hate, yet he cloked the matter with a sorowfull countenaunce, he feigned a dolorous face, he often embrased the body whiche he him selfe slewe, he plaied all the partes of a mourninge person, sauing there fell no teares from his eies. Thus he resembled vs in eche point, who verely, and not without occasion, had cause to lament for our maister, laiyng all the blame of this homicide vnto the Boare. Incontinently after, the soroweful newes of the death of Lepolemus, came to the eares of all the family, but especially to Charites, who after she had hard suche pi∣tifull tidinges, as a madde and raginge woman, ranne vp and downe the streates, criyng and howling lamē∣tably.

All the citezins gathered together, and suche as they met, bare them companie runninge towardes the chase. When they came to the slaine bodie of Lepole∣mus, Charites threwe her selfe vpon him, weping and lamenting greuouslie for his death, in suche sorte, that she would haue presentlie ended her life, vpon y^• corpse of her slaine husbande, whome she so entierly loued, had it not bene that her parentes and friendes did com∣fort her, and pulled her away. The body was takē vp, and in funerall pompe brought to the citie, and buried. In the meane season, Thrasillus feigned much sorowe for the death of Lepolemus, but in his hart he was well pleased & ioyful. And to coūterfect the matter, he would come to Charites & saie: O what a losse haue I had by y^• death of my friende, my fellowe, my compaignion Le∣polemus: O Charites, cōfort your selfe, pacifie your do∣lor, refraine your wéeping, beat not your brestes: And with such other & like woordes, & diuers exāples he en∣deuored to suppresse her great sorowe, but he spake not this for any other intēt but to win the hart of y^• womā, and to norish his odious loue with filthy delight. How¦beit, Charites after the buriall of her husbāde, sought y^• meanes to folowe him, and (not susteining the sorowes wherin she was wrapped) gotte her secretly into a chā∣ber & purposed to finish her life there with dolour & tri∣bulation: But Thrasillus was very importunate, & at lēgth brought to passe that at the intercessiō of the pa∣rentes & friendes of Charites, she somewhat refreshed her fallen membres with refectiō of meate and bayne. Howbeit, she did it more at y^• cōmaundement of her pa∣rents, then for any thing els: For she could in no wise be mery, nor receiue any comforte, but tormented her selfe daye and night before the image of her husbande,

which she had made like vnto Bacchus, & rendred vnto him diuine honours and seruices. In the meane season Thrasillus not able to refraine any lēger, before Cha∣rites had asswaged her dolours, before her troubled minde had pacified her fury, euē in the middle of all her griefes, while she wéeped for her husbande, while she tare her garments and rent her heare, demaunded her in marriage, and so without shame he detected the se∣cretes & vnspeakeable deceites of his harte. But Cha∣rites detested and abhorred his demaunde & as she had bene stroken with some clappe of thunder, with some storme, or with the lightning of Iupiter, she presently fell downe to the grounde all amased. Howbeit in the ende when her spirites were reuiued & that she retur∣ned to her selfe, perceauing that Thrasillus was so im∣portunate, she demaunded respite to deliberate and to take aduise on the matter, in the meane season y^• shape of Lepolemus that was slaine so miserably appeared to Charites with a pale and blouddy face, sayinge: O my swéete wife (which no other person cā say but I) I pray thée for the loue which is betwéene vs twoo, if there be any memory of me in thy hart, or remembraunce of my pitifull death, marry with any other person, so that y^• marry not with the traytour Thrasillus, haue no con∣ference with him, eate not with him, lie not with him, auoide the blouddy hande of mine enemie, couple not thy selfe with a parricide, for those woundes (the bloud wherof thy teares did wash away) were not y^• woūdes of the téeth of the Boare, but the speare of Thrasillus depriued me from thée. Thus spake Lepolemus vnto his louinge wife, and declared the residew of the dam∣nable fact: then Charites awaking from sléepe beganne to renew her dolor, to teare her garments, and to beate

her armes with her comely hādes, howbeit she reueled the vision whiche she sawe to no manner of person, but dissimulinge that she knew no parte of the mischiefe, deuised with her selfe howe she might be reuenged on the traytor, and finish her owne life to ende and knitte vp all sorrow: Incontinently came Thrasillus the de∣testable demaunder of sodein pleasure, and weried the closed eares of Charites with talke of mariage, but she gentely refusinge his cōmunication, and colouring the matter, with a passing crafte in the middest of his ear∣nest desiers, gan say: Thrasillus, you shall vnderstand that yet the face of your brother and my husband, is al∣waies before mine eies, I smel yet the Cinamome sent of his pretious body, I yet feele Lepolemus aliue in my hart, wherfore you shall doo wel if you graūt to me, mi∣serable woman, necessarie time to bewayle his death, that after the residue of a few moneths, the whole yere may be expired, which thing toucheth aswell my shame as your holsome profite, least peraduēture by our spée∣die and quicke marriage we should iustely raise & pro∣uoke the spirit of my husband to woorke our destructiō. Howbeit Thrasillus was not contented with this pro∣mise, but more and more was earnest vpon her: In so much y^• she was enforced to speake to him in this man∣ner: My fréende Thrasillus, if thou be so contented vn∣till the whole yéere be complete and finished, beholde here is my body, take thy pleasure, but in such sort and so secrete, that no seruaūt of the house may perceaue it. Then Thrasillus trustinge the false promisses of the woman, & preferring his inordinate pleasure aboue all thinges in the worlde, was ioyfull in his harte & looked for night, when as he might haue his purpose. But come y^• about midnight ({quod} Charites) desguised without

company. And doo but hisse at my chamber doore, & my noucce shall attende and let thée in: this counsell plea∣sed Thrasillus meruelously, who (suspecting no harme) did alwaies looke for night, and the houre assigned by Charites: the time was skarse come, whē as (according to her commaundement) he desguised him selfe, & went streight to the chamber, where he foūde the nource at∣tendinge for him, who (by the apointment of her mi∣stris) fedde him with slatteringe talke, and gaue him mingled & doled drinke in a cuppe, excusing the absence of her mistris Charites by reason that she attended on her father being sicke, vntil such time, that with swéete talke and operation of the wine, he fell in a sounde sléepe: now when he lay prostrate on the grounde rea∣die to all aduenture, Charites (beinge called for) came in, and with manly courage and bolde force, stoode ouer this sleepinge murderer, saying: Beholde the faithfull compaignion of my husbande, beholde this valiaunt hunter: behold my déere spouse, this is the hande which shedde my bloudde, this is the harte whiche hath de∣uised so many subtill meanes to worke my destruction, these be the eyes whome I haue ill pleased, behold now they forshowe their owne destinie, sléepe carelesse, dreame that thou arte in the handes of the mercifull, for I will not hurte thée with thy swoorde or with any other weapon, God forbidde that I shoulde slea thée as thou slewest my husband, but thy eies shall fayle thée, and thou shalte sée no more, then that whereof thou dreamest: thou shalte thinke the death of thine enemie more swéete then thy life: thou shalte sée no light, thou shalte lacke the ayde of a leader, thou shalte not haue me as thou hopest, thou shalte haue no delight of my marriage, thou shalte not die, and yet liuinge thou

shalte haue no ioye, but wander betwéene light and darkenesse as an vnsure image: thou shalte séeke for the hande that pricked out thy eies, yet shalte thou not knowe of whome thou shouldest complaine: I will make sacrafice with the bloudde of thine eyes vpon the graue of my husband, but what gainest thou thorough my delay? Perhaps thou dreamest that thou embra∣cest me in thine armes, leaue of the darkenes of sléepe, and awake thou to receaue a penall depriuation of thy sight, lifte vp thy face, regarde thy vengeance and e∣uill fortune, recken thy miserie so pleaseth thine eies to a chaste woman, that thou shalte haue blindnesse to thy compaignion, and an euerlastinge remorse of thy miserable conscience. When she had spoken these woordes, she toke a great nedle from her head and pric∣ked out both his eies: which done, she by and by caught the naked swoorde whiche her husbande Lepolemus accustomed to were, and ranne thorough out all the Citie like a madde woman, towarde the Sepulchre of her husbande: Then all we of the house withall the Ci∣tizins, rāne incontinently after her, to take the swoord out of her handes, but she claspinge aboute the tombe of Lepolemus, kept vs of with her naked weapon, and when she perceaued that euery one of vs wepte and la∣mented, she spake in this sorte: I pray you my fréendes wéepe not, nor lament for me, for I haue reuenged the death of my husbande, I haue punished deseruedly the wicked breaker of our marriage, nowe is it time to séeke out my swéete Lepolemus, and presently with this swoorde to finishe my lyfe. And therewithall after she had made relation of the whole matter, declared the vision which she sawe, and tolde by what meane she deceaued Thrasillus, thrustinge the swoorde vnder her

right brest & wallowinge in her owne bloudde, at lēgth with manly courage yéelded vp the ghost. Then imme∣diatly the fréendes of miserable Charites, did burie her body within the same sepulchre. Thrasillus hearyng al the matter, & knowinge not by what meanes he might ende his life, for he thought his swoorde was not suffi∣cient to reuēge so great a crime, at length went to the same sepulchre and cried with a loude voice, sayinge: O ye dead spirites whom I haue so highly offended re∣ceaue me, beholde I make sacrifice vnto you with my bodie: whiche saide, he closed y^• sepulchre, purposing to famish him selfe, and to finishe his life there in sorrow. These thinges the yonge man with pitifull sighes and teares declared vnto the cowheardes & shéepeherdes, whiche caused them all to wéepe: but they fearinge to become subiect vnto new maisters, prepared thē selues to departe away.

¶How Apuleius was ledde away by the horsekeper, and what daungers he was in.

Cap. 33.

BY and by the Horsekeper, to whome the charge of me was cōmitted, brought foorth all his substance and laded me and other horses withal, & so depar∣ted thense: we bare wemen, children, pullettes, spar∣rowes, kiddes, whelpes, & other thinges whiche were not able to kéepe pace with vs, and that whiche I bare vpon my backe, although it was a mighty burthen, yet séemed it very light, because I was driuen away from him that most terribly had appointed to kill me, when we hed passed ouer a great mountayne full of trées, and were come againe into the open fieldes, beholde we approched nighe to a fayre and riche Castell, where

it was tolde vnto vs that we weare not able to passe in our iourney that night, by reason of the great number of terrible Woolues, whiche weare in the countrey a∣bout, so fierce and cruell, that they put euerie man in feare, in such sort that they would inuade and set vpon such which passed by like theues, and deuoure bothe thē and their beastes.

Moreouer, we weare aduertised that there laie in the waie wheare we should passe, manie dead bodies, eaten and torne with Wolues. Wherefore we weare willed to state theare all night, & on the next morning, to goe close and rounde together, whereby we might passe and escape all perilles and daungers. But (not∣withstandinge this good counsell) our cait••••e driuers weare so couetous to goe forwarde, and so fearfull of pursuit, that they neuer staied till the morninge: But being well nie midnight, they made vs trudge in our waie a pace: Then I fearing the great daunger whiche might happen, ranne amongest the middle of the other horses, to thend I might defend and saue my poore but∣tockes from the Wolues, whereat euery man muche meruailed to sée, that I scoured away swifter then the other horses: But suche was my agilitée not to get me any praise, but rather for feare. At that time I remem∣bred with my selfe, that the valiant horse Pegasus, did ••ie in the aire more to auoide the daunder of dreadfull Chimera, then for any thing els. The shepardes which draue vs before thē, weare well armed like warriours: One had a speare, an other had a shepehooke, some had dartes, some clubbes, some gathered vp great stones, some helde vp their sharpe iauelins, and some feared awaie the Wolues with light firebrandes. Finally we lacked nothing to make vp an armie, but onely drums

and trumpettes, but when we had passed these dau••••∣gers not without small feare, we fortuned to fall into worse, for the Wolues came not vpon vs, eyther be∣cause of the greate multitude of our company, or els because of our firebrandes, or peraduenture they were gone to some other place, for we could sée none, but the inhabitantes of the nexte villages (supposinge that we were Théeues by reason of our great multitude,) for the defence of their owne substance, and for the feare they were in, sette great and mighty masties vpon vs, which they had kept & nourished for the safetie of their houses, who compassing vs rounde about, leaped on e∣uery side, tearing vs with their téeth, in such sorte that they pulled many of vs to the grounde, verely it was a pitifull sight to sée so many dogges, some followinge suche as flied, some inuadinge such as stoode still, some tearinge those which lay prostrate, but generally there were none which escaped cléere: Behol••e vpon this an other daunger ensewed, the inhabitantes of the towne stoode in their garrettes & windowes, throwinge great stones vpon our heades, that we coulde not tell whe∣ther it were best for vs to auoide the gapinge mouthes of the dogges at hād, or the perill of the stones a farre, emongst whome there was one that hurled a greate ••inte vpon a woman, which satte vpon my backe, who cried out piteously, desiringe her husband to helpe her. Then he (cominge to succour and ayde his wife) began to speake in this sorte: Alas maisters what meane you to trouble vs poore laboring mē so cruelly? what meane you to reuenge your selues vppon vs, that doo you no harme? what thinke you to gaine by vs? you dwell not in caues or dennes: you are no people barborous that you should delight in effusion of humaine bloudde.

At these woordes the tempest of stones did cease, & the storme of the dogges vanished away. Then one (stan∣dinge on the toppe of a great Cipresse trée) spake vnto vs, saying: Thinke you not maisters that we doo this, to the intent to rifle or take away any of your goodes, but for the saluegarde of our selues and family, now a Goddes name you may departe away. So we wēt for∣warde some wounded with stones, some bitten with dogges, but generally there was none whiche escaped frée.

¶How the Shepeherdes determined to abide in a certaine woodde to cure their woundes.

Cap. 34.

WHen we had gonne a good part of our way we came to a certayne woodde enuironed with great trées, & compassed about with pleasaunt medowes, wheras the shéepeherdes apointed to conti∣new a certaine space to cure their woundes, and sores, then they satte downe on the grounde to refresh their werie mindes, and afterwardes they sought for medi∣cines to heale their bodies, some washed away their bloud with the water of the runninge riuer: some stop∣ped their woundes with sponges and cloutes, in this māner euery one prouided for his owne safety. In the meane season we perceaued an old man, who séemed to be a shéepeherde by reason of the goates and shéepe that fedde roūd about him: Then one of our cōpany demaū∣ded whether he had any milke, butter, or chéese to sell. To whom he made answeare shaking his head, saying: Doo you looke for any meat or drinke, or any other refe∣ction here? know you not in what place you be? & ther∣withal he toke his shéepe & draue thē away as fast as he might possible. This answere made our shéepeherdes

greatly to feare that they thought of nothinge els butto enquire what countrey they weare in: Howbeit, they sawe no maner of persone of whome they might de∣maunde. At length as they weare thus in doubte, they ••erceiued an other olde man with a staffe in his hand, very werie with trauell, who approching nighe to our companie, began to wéepe and complaine, saiyng: Alas maisters, I praie you succour me miserable caitife, and restore my neiphewe to me againe, that by following a sparrowe that flewe before him, is fallen into a ditche hereby, and verely I thinke he is in daunger of death. As for me, I am not able to helpe him out by reason of my olde age, but you that are so valiāt and lustie, may easelie helpe me herein, and deliuer me my boye, my heire and guide of my life. These woordes made vs all to pitie him: And then the yongest and stoutest of our companie, who alone escaped best the late skyrmishe of dogges and stones, rose vp, demaūding in what ditche the boie was fallen: Mary ({quod} he) yonder, and pointinge with his finger, brought him to a great thicket of bus∣shes and thorne, where they both entred in. In the meane season, after y^• we had well refreshed our selues and cured our woundes, we tooke vp our packes, pur∣posing to depart awaie. And because we would not goe awaie without the yonge man our felowe: The she∣pehardes whistled and called for him, but whē he gaue no answere, they sent one of their companie to séeke him out, who after a while returned againe with a pale face and sorowfull newes, saiyng: that he sawe a terri∣ble Draggon eating and deuouring their compaigniō: and as for the olde man, he coulde sée him in no place. When they hard this (remēbring likewise the woordes of the first olde man that shaketh his head and draue

away his sheepe) they ranne away beatinge vs before them, to flie from this desert and pestilent countrie.

¶How a woman killed her selfe, and her childe, because her husbande haunted harlottes.

Cap. 35.

AFter that we had passed a great part of our iour∣ney we came to a certaine village, where we lay all night, but herken and I will tell you a great mischiefe that happened there. You shal vnderstande y^• there was a seruaunt to whome his maister had com∣mitted the whole gouermēt of his house, and was mai∣ster of the lodginge where we lay: this seruaunt had married a mayden of the same house, how be it he was greatly in loue with a harlotte of the towne, and accu∣stomed to resorte vnto her, wherewith his wife was so highly displeased and became so ielous, that she gathe∣red together all her husbandes substāce, with his tailes and bookes of accompte, & threwe them into a light fire, she was not contented with this, but she toke a corde & bounde her childe which she had by her husband about her middle, & caste her selfe hedlonge into a déepe pitte: The maister takinge in euill parte the death of these twaine, toke his seruaunt whiche was the cause of this murder by his luxury, and first after that he had put of all his apparell, he annointed his body with hony, and then bounde him sure to a figge trée, where, in a rotten stocke a great number of Pismares had builded their nestes, the Pismares after they had felte the swéetnes of the hony came vpon his bodie, and by litle and litle (in continuance of time) deuoured all his fleshe, in such sorte that there remained on the trée nothinge els saue his bace bones: this was declared vnto vs by the inha∣bitantes

of the village there who greatly sorrowed for the death of this seruant: then we auoidinge likewise from this dreadfull lodginge, incontinently departed away.

¶Howe Apuleius was cheapened by diuers persons, and how they loked in his mouth to know his age.

Cap. 36.

AFter this we came to a fayre Citie very popu∣lous, where our shéepeherdes determined to cō∣tinew, by reason y^• it séemed a place where they might liue vnknowē, farre from such as should pursue them, and because it was a countrie very plentifull of corne and other victualles, where when we had remai∣ned the space of thrée daies, & that I poore Asse, and the other horses were fedde & kept in the Stable to the in∣tent we might séeme more saleable, we were brought out at length to the market, and by & by a crier sounded with his horne to notifie y^• we were to be solde, all my compaigniō horses were bought vp by gentlemen, but∣as for me I stoode still forsaken of all men. And when many biers came by and looked in my mouth to knowe mine age, I was so werie with opening my iawes that at length (vnable to endure any lenger) whē one came with a stinking payre of handes, & grated my gommes with his filthy fingers I bitte them cleane of, whiche thing caused the standers by to forsake me, as beinge a fierce and cruell beast: the crier when he had gotten a hoarse voice with crying, and sawe that no man would bie me, began to mocke me, saiyng: To what end stāde we here with this vile Asse, this feble beast, this slowe iade with woorne hoofes, good for nothinge, but to make slues of his skinne, why doo we not giue him to some

body, for he earneth not his hey, in this manner he made all the standers by to laugh excéedingly, but my euill fortune whiche was euer so cruell againste me, whome I by trauell of so many countreis coulde in no wise escape, did more and more enuie me, with inuen∣tion of new meanes to afflict my poore bodie, in geuing me an other maister as spitefull as the rest. There was an olde man, somewhat balde, with longe and grey heare, one of the nomber of those which goe from doore to doore through out al the villages, bearing the image of the Goddesse Siria, and plaiyng with cymballes to gette the almes of good and charitable folkes, this olde man came hastely towardes the crier, and demaunded where I was bredde, marry ({quod} he) in Cappadocia: then he enquired what age I was of, the crier aunsweared as a mathematricien, whiche desposed to me my pla∣netes, that I was fiue yeeres olde, and willed the olde man to looke in my mouth, for I would not willingly ({quod} he) incurre the penaltie of the lawe Cornelia in sel∣ling a frée Citizin for a seruill slaue, by a Goddes name this faire beast to ride home on, and about in the coun∣trie: but this curious bier did neuer stinte to question of my qualities, and at length he demaunded whether I were gentle or no: gentle ({quod} the crier) as gentle as a Lambe, tractable to al vse, he wil neuer bite, he wil ne∣uer kicke, but you would rather thinke y^• vnder y^• shape of the Asse, there were some well aduised man, whiche verely you may easely coniect, for if you would thrust your nose in his tayle you shall perceaue how pacient he is: Thus the crier mocked the olde man, but he per∣ceauing his tauntes and iestes, wared very angry, sai∣yng: Away dotinge crier, I pray the omnipotent and omniparent goddesse Siria, sainct Sabod, Bellona

with her mother Idea, & Venus with Adonis to strike out both thine eies that with tauntinge mockes haste scoffed me in this sorte, doest thou thinke that I will put a Goddesse vppon the backe of any fierce beaste, whereby her diuine image should be throwen downe on the grounde, and so I poore miser should be compel∣led (tearinge my heare) to looke for some Phisicien to helpe her? when I harde him speake this, I thought w^t my selfe sodeinly to leape vpon him like a madde Asse, to the intent he shoulde not bie me, but incontinently there came an other Marchaunt that preuented my thought, and offered seuentene pence for me: then my mayster was gladde and receauing the money, deliue∣red me to my newe maister, who was called Philebus: and he carried his newe seruaunt home, and before he came to his house, he called out his daughters, say∣inge: beholde my daughters what a gentle seruant I haue bought for you, then they weare meruelous glad, and comminge out pratlinge and shoutinge for ioye, thought verely that he had brought home a fitte & con∣uenable seruant for their purpose, but when they per∣ceaued that it was an Asse, they began to reproue him, sayinge: that he had not bought a seruant for his may∣dēs, but rather an Asse for him selfe. Howbeit ({quod} they) kéepe him not wholy for your owne ridinge, but let vs likewise haue him at commaundement, therewithall they ledde me into the stable, & tied me to the maūger, there was a certaine yonge man with a mighty bodie well skilled in playing on instrumētes before the God∣desse to get money, who (assone as he espied me) enter∣tained me very well, for he filled my racke & maunger with meat, & spake merely, saying: O maister Asse you are welcome, now you shall take my office in hande,

you are come to supplie my rowme, and to ease me of my miserable laboure: But I praie God thou maist lōg liue and please my maister well, to thende thou maiest continually deliuer me from so great paine. When I harde his woordes, I did prognosticate my miserie to come. The daie following, I sawe there a great nom∣ber of persons apparelled in diuers colours, hauinge painted faces, mytres on their heades, vestimentes co∣loured like saffron, surplesses of silke, and on their féete yellowe shoes, who attired the Goddesse in a roabe of purple, and put her vpon my backe. Then they went foorth with their armes naked to their shoulders, bea∣ring with them great swoordes and mightie axes, and daunsing like madde persons. After that we had pas∣sed many small villages, we fortuned to come to one Britunis house, where at our first entrie, they began to hurle them selues hither and thither, as though they weare madde. They made a thousand iestes with their féete and their heades: They would bite them selues: Finally, euery one tooke his weapon and wounded his armes in diuers places. Emongest whome there was one more madde then the reste, that fette many déepe sighes from the bottome of his harte, as though he had bene rauished in spirit, or replenished with deuine po∣wer. And after that, he somwhat returning to him self inuented and forged a great lie, saiyng: that he had di∣spleased the deuine maiestie of the Goddesse, by doinge of something whiche was not conuenable to the order of their holie Religion, wherefore he would doo venge∣ance of him selfe: And therewithall he tooke a whippe and scourged his owne body, that the bloud issued out abundantly, which thinge caused me greatly to feare to sée such woūdes and effusion of bloud, least the same

Goddesse desiring so much the bloud of mē should like∣wise delire y^• bloud of an Asse. After they were wery w^t hurling and beating them selues, they sat downe. And beholde, the inhabitantes came in & offred gold, siluer, vessels of wyne, milke, chéese, flower, wheat, and other thinges: Amongst whome there was one that brought barley to the Asse that caried the Goddesse, but the gre∣dy horsons thrust al into their sacke which thei brought for the purpose, and put it vpon my back, to thende I might serue for twoo purposes, y^• is to say: for the barne by reason of my corne, and for the temple, by reason of the goddesse. In this sorte they wet from place to place robbing all the countrey ouer: At length they came to a certaine castell, purposing to make good chere there, where vnder coloure of diuinatiō, thei brought to passe that they obteined a fatte shéepe of a poore husbandman for the Goddesse supper, & to make sacrifice withal. Af∣ter that y^• banket was prepared, they washed their bo∣dies & brought in a tale yong mā of the village to suppe with them, who skaree tasted a fewe potage when they began to discouer their beastly customes & inordi∣nate desier of vnnaturall luxurie. For they compassed him round about sitting at the table, & abused the yong man contrarie to all nature & reason: When I behelde this horrible fact, I could not but attempte to vtter my minde and saie, O maisters, but I could pronounce no more but the first letter O, which I roared out so vali∣antly, that the yong mē of the town, séeking for a stray Asse that they had lost the same night, and hearing my voice, wherby they iudged y^• I had bene theirs, entred into the house vnwares, and founde these persons cō∣mitting their vile abhomination, which whē they saw, they declared to all the inhabitātes by their vnnatural

vilanie mocking and laughing at this the pure & cleane chastitie of their Religion. In the meane season, Phe∣bus & his companie, (by reason of the bruite which was dispersed throughout all y^e Region there of their beast∣ly wickednes) put all their tromperie vpon my backe & departed away about midnight. When we had passed a good part of our iourney before the rising of the Sun, we came into a wide desert, where they cōspired toge∣ther to slea me. For after they had taken the Goddesse from my back and set her gingerly vpon the grounde, they likewise tooke of my harnesse, and boūd me surely to an oke, beating me with their whippe, in suche sorte that all my bodie was mortified. Amōgst whome there was one that threatned to cut of my legges with his hatchet, because by my noyse I diffamed his chastitée, but the other regarding more their own profit then my vtilitie, thought best to spare my life, because I might carie home the Goddesse: So they laded me againe, dri∣uing me before them with their naked swoordes til thei came to a noble citie: where the principal patrō bearing high reuerence vnto the Goddesse, came in great deuo∣tion before vs w^t Tympanie, cimballes, & other instru∣mentes, & receiued her & al our companie with much sa∣crifice & veneration: But there I remember, I thought my selfe in moste daūger, for there was one y^t brought to the maister of the house, a fide of a fat buck for a pre∣sent, whiche being hanged behinde the kytchin doore, not farre from the grounde, was cleane eaten vp by a greyhounde that came in: The Cooke when he sawe y^e venison denoured, lamēted & wept pitifully. And be∣cause supper time approched nigh, whē as he should be reproued of to much negligēce, he tooke a halter to hāge him self, but his wife perceiuing wherabout he went,

canne incontinently to him, and taking the halter in both her handes stopped him of his purpose, saiynge: O husband, are you out of your wittes? what intende you to doo? Sée you not a present remedy before your eyes ministred vnto you by deuine prouidence? I pray you husband follow my coūsell, carrie this straūge Asse out into some secret place and kill him, whiche done cut of one of his sides, and sauce it well like the side of the buck, and sette it before your maister. Then the Cooke hearing the counsell of his wife, was well pleased to slea me, to saue him selfe: And to bringe his purpose to passe, he went to the whetstone to sharpe his tooles ac∣cordingly.

Notes

• The Asse spea∣keth.
• These vices are lightly linked together.
• Good fame is better then riches.
• Here the Lābes made muche of the Wolfe.
• O wicked deede.
• O more mische∣uous facte.
• Worse then Iudas.
• The parte of a good woman.
• Murder is al∣waies reueled.
• The whote fu∣ries of deuelis••. appetites.
• The Goddes suf∣fereth no vice vnpunished.
• O deede woor∣thy of remem∣braunce.
• The Asse spea∣keth.
• A dreadfull place of daūger
• So vsed they in olde time to of∣fer to Images.