¶Howe Apuleius saued him selfe from the Cooke by breaking his halter and of other thinges that happened.
Cap. 37.
IN this maner the traiterous Cooke, prepared him selfe to slea me: And when he was ready with his kniues to doo his feate, I deuised with my selfe how I might escape the present perill, and I did not long delaie: for incontinentlye I brake the halter wherewith I was tied, and flinging my héeles hither & thither to saue my selfe, at length I ran hastely into a parlour wheare the maister of the house was feastinge with the priestes of the Goddesse Siria, and disquieted all the companie, throwinge downe their meates and drinkes from the table. The maister of the house dis∣maide Page 88 at my great disorder, cōmaunded one of his ser∣uauntes to take me vp, and locke me in some stronge place to the ende I might disturbe them no more. But I litle regarded my imprisonment, consideringe that I was happely deliuered frō the handes of the traiterous Cooke: Howbeit fortune, or the fatall disposition of the diuine prouidence, whiche neither can be auoyded by wise counsell, neither yet by any holesome remedy in∣uented a new torment, for by & by a yonge ladde came running into the parlor, all trembling and declared to the maister of the house, that there was a madde dogge running about in the stréetes, whiche had done muche harme, for he had bitten many greyhoūdes and horses in the Inne by: and he spared neither man nor beast, for there was one Mytilius a mulettour, Ephestio a cooke, Hyppatauius a chamberlaine, and Appolonius a Phisicien, who (thinking to chase away yc madde dogge) were cruelly wounded by him, in so muche that many horses and other beastes infected with the venim of his poisonous téeth became madde likewise, whiche thinge caused them all at the table greatly to feare, and thin∣king that I had bene bitten in like sorte, came out with speares, clubbes, and pitchforkes purposing to slea me, and I had vndoubtedly bene slaine had I not by and by crepte into a chamber, where my maister intended to lodge that night. Then they closed and locked fast the doores about me, and kept the chamber rounde, til such time as they thought that the pestilent rage of madnes had killed me, when I was thus shutte in the chamber alone, I laide me downe vpon the bedde to sléepe, con∣sidering it was long time past, since I lay and toke my reste as a man doth, when morninge was come, & that I was well reposed, I rose vp lustely. In y• meane sea∣son Page [unnumbered] they which watched about the chāber all night rea∣soned with them selues in this sorte, verely ({quod} one) I thinke the Asse be dead, so thinke I ({quod} an other) for the outragious poisō of madnes hath killed him, but being thus in diuers opinions of a poore Asse, they looked tho∣rough a creuis, & espied me standinge still, sober & quiet in the middle of the chāber, then thei opened the dores, and came towardes me to proue whether I were gētle or no. Emongst whome there was one, which in my o∣pinion was sent from heauen to saue my life, that wil∣led the other to set a basen of fayre water before me, & therby thei should know whether I were madde or no, for if I did drinke without feare as I accustomed to doo it was a signe that I was whole & in mine Assy wittes, where contrary if I did fly & abhorre the tast of the wa∣ter, it was an euident proufe of my madnes, whiche thing he said y• he had red in auncient & credible bookes, wherupon they toke a basin of cléere water & presented it before me, but I, as sone as I perceaued the holsome water of my life, ranne incontinently & thrustinge my head into the basin, drāke as though I had bene greatly a thirst, then they stroked me with their handes, and bowed mine eares, & toke me by the halter to proue my paciēce, but I taking eche thing in good part, disproued their madde presumption by my méekenes & gentle be∣hauiour: when I was thus deliuered from this double daūger, the next day I was laded againe with the god∣desse Siria, & other trumpery, and was brought out in∣to the way with trumpets & cymballes, to begge in the villages, which we passed by according to our custome. And after that we had gonne thorough a fewe townes and castels, we fortuned to come to a certaine village, which was builded (as the inhabitātes there affirmed) Page 89 vpon the foundation of a famous & auncient Citie. And after that we had turned into the next Inne, we harde of a pretie iest committed in the towne there, whiche I would that you should know likewise.
