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.

¶How the Parentes and freendes of Apuleius, harde newes that he was aliue and in health.

Cap. 48.

IN the meane season newes was carried into my countrie (as swifte as the flight of birdes, or as the blaste of windes) of the grace and benefite whiche I receaued of the goddesse, and of my fortune woorthy to be had in memory. Then my parentes, fréendes, & ser∣uauntes of our house, vnderstandinge that I was not dead as thei were falsely enformed, came towardes me with great diligence to sée me, as a man raysed from death to life: And I likewise which did neuer thinke to sée them againe, was as ioyfull as they, acceptinge and takinge in good part, their honest giftes and oblations which they gaue, to the intent I might bie such things as was necessary for my body: After that I had made relation vnto them of all my pristine misery, & present ioyes, I wente againe before the face of the Goddesse, and hired me a house within the cloisture of the tēple, to the ende I might continually be ready to the seruice of the Goddesse, and ordinarily frequent the company

of the priestes, wherby I would wholy become deuout to the Goddesse, and an inseparable woorshipper of her diuine name: It fortuned that the Goddesse appeared to me oftentimes in the night, perswadinge and com∣maundinge me to take the order of her religion, but I although I was endewed with a desirous good wil, yet the reuerende feare of the same withhelde me, conside∣ringe that her obeysaunce was harde and difficill, the chastetie of the Priestes intollerable, and the life fraile & subiect to many incōueniences, beinge thus in doubte I refrained my selfe from all those thinges, as séeming impossible: On a night the great Priest appeared vnto me presenting his lappe full of treasure, and whē I de∣maunded what it signified, he answeared that it was sent me from the countrie of Thessaly, and that a ser∣uaūt of mine named Candidus was arriued like wise: whē I was awaked, I mused in my self what this vi∣stō should portēde, cōsidering I neuer had any seruaūt called by that name: but whatsoeuer it did signifie, this I verely thought that it was a fore show of gaine & pro∣sperous chaunce: while I was thus astonied I went to the Temple, and tarried there till the openinge of the gates, then I wente in, & began to pray before the face of the Goddesse, the Priest prepared and set the diuine thinges on euery Aultour, & pulled out of the foūtaine the holy vessell with solempne supplication. Then they began to singe the mattens of the mornyng, testifiyng thereby the howre of the pryme. By and by beholde ar∣riued my seruauntes whiche I had left in the countrie, whē Fotis by errour made me an Asse, bringyng with thē my horse, recouered by her through certaine signes and tokens which he had vpon his backe. Then I per∣ceaued the enterpretatiō of my dreame, by reason that

beside the promisse of gaine, my white horse was resto∣red to me, which was signified by the argument of my seruaunt Candidus. This done I retired to the seruice of the Goddesse in hope of greater benefites, conside∣ring I had receaued a signe and token, wherby my cou∣rage encreased euery day more & more to take vpon me the orders and Sacramētes of the Temple: In so much that I oftentimes cōmuned with the Priest, desiringe him greatly to giue me the first degree of the Religion, but he which was a mā of grauitie, & well renoumed in y^• order of priesthood, differd my affection frō day to day with comfort of better hope, as parentes cōmonly bri∣dle the desires of their children, when they attempt or endeuor any vnprofitable thing, saying: y^t the day, whē any one should be admitted into their order, is appoin∣ted by the Goddesse, the Priest which shoulde minister the sacrifice, is chosen by her prouidence, and the neces∣sarie charges of the ceremouies, is allotted by her com∣maundement, all which thinges he willed me to attēde with meruelous patience, and that I should beware ei∣ther of to much hastines or to great slacknes, conside∣ringe that there was like daunger, if beynge called I should delay, or not called I should be hastie: moreouer he saide, that there was none of his company eyther of so desperate a minde, or so rashe and hardie as to en∣terprise any thinge without the commaūdement of the Goddesse, wherby he should committe a deadly offēce, considering that it was in her power to dampne & saue all persons, and if any were at the point of death and in the way to damnation, so that he were capable to receaue the secretes of the Goddesse, it was in her power by diuine prouidence to reduce him to the pathe of health, as by a certaine kinde of regeneratiō: Finaly

he saide that I muste attende the celestiall precept, al∣though it was euident and playne that the Goddesse had already vouchsaued to call and appointe me to her ministery, and to will me to refraine from prophane & vnlawful meates, as those priests which were already receaued, to y^e ende I might come more apte & cleane to the knowledge of y^e secretes of the religiō. Then I was obedient vnto these woordes, and attentife with méeke quietnes, & probable taciturnitie, I dayly serued at the temple: in the ende the holesom gentlenes of y^• goddesse did nothinge deceaue me, for in a night she appeared to me in a vision, declaryng y^• the day was come whiche I had wished for so longe, she told me what prouisiō and charges I should be at, and how that she had appointed her principal priest Mithra to be a minister with me in my sacrifices. When I had harde these diuine cōmaun∣dementes I greatly reioysed, and arose before day to speake with the great priest, whom I fortuned to espie cominge out of his chamber: Then I saluted him, and thought with my self to aske and demaunde his coūsell with a bolde courage, but assone as he perceaued me, he began first to say: O Lucius now knowe I well y^t thou are moste happy and blessed, whom the diuine goddesse doth so greatly accept with mercy, why doest y^• delay: Behold the day which thou diddest desire, whē as thou shalt receaue at my handes y^• order of religiō, & know y^• most pure secretes of the goddesse, wherupō the old mā toke me by the hand, & ledde me to the gate of the great temple, where at his first entrie he made a solēpne cele∣bratiō, and after y^t the morning sacrifice was ended, he brought out of the secrete place of the temple certaine bookes, partly writen with vnknowen charecters, and partely peincted with figures of beastes, declarings

briefly euery sentence, with toppes and tayles turned roūde in fashiō of a whéele, which were wholy straūge & impossible to be reade of the prophane people: There he enterpreted to me suche thinges as were necessary to the vse and preparation of mine order. This done, I gaue in charge to certaine of my compaignions to bie liberaly what so euer was néedefull and conuenient, then he brought me to the next baynes, accōpaned with all the religious sorte, and demaundinge perdon of the Goddes, washed me and purified my body according to y^e custome: After this when noone approched he brought me backe againe to the Temple, and presented me be∣fore the face of the Goddesse, giuinge a charge of cer∣taine secrete thinges vnlawfull to be vttered, and cō∣maunding me, and generally all the rest, to fast by the space of tenne continuall dayes, without eating of any beast, or drinking of any wine, which thinges I obser∣ued with a meruelous continencie. Then beholde the day approched, when as the sacrifice should be done, & when night came there arriued on euery coast a great multitude of Priestes, who accordinge to their order offered me many presentes and giftes, then was all the Laitie & prophane people cōmaunded to depart, & when they had putte on my backe a linnē robe, they brought me to the most secrete and sacred place of the Temple. You would perauēture demaūde, you studious reader, what was saide and done there, verely I would tel you if it were lawfull for me to tell, you should know if it were conuenient for you to here, but both thy eares and my tongue shall incurre the like paine of rashe cu∣riositie: Howbeit I wil content thy minde for this pre∣sent time, which peraduenture is somewhat religious and giuen to some deuotion, listen therefore & beleue

it to be true: thou shalt vnderstande that I approched nere vnto Hell, euē to the gates of Proserpina, & after that I was rauished throughout all the Elementes, I returned to my proper place: About midnight I sawe the sonne shine, I saw likewise the Goddes celestiall, and Goddes infernall, before whome I presented my selfe and woorshipped them: beholde now haue I tolde thée, which although thou hast harde, yet it is necessary that you conceale it, for this haue I declared without offence, for the vnderstanding of the prophane. When morninge came and that the solempnities were fini∣shed, I came foorth sanctified with twelue ••toles & in a religious habite, wherof I am not forbiddē to speake, consideringe that many persons sawe me at that time: there I was commaunded to stande vppon a seate of woodde which stoode in the middle of the temple, before the figure and remembraūce of the Goddesse, my vest∣ment was of fine linnen, couered & embrodered with flowres, I had a pretious cope vpon my shoulders han∣ginge downe to the grounde, whereon were beastes wrought of diuers colours, as Indian Dragons, & Hy∣perborian Gryphones, whome in forme of brides the other world doth engender, the Priestes cōmonly call such a habit, a celestiall Stole: in my right hande I car∣ried a light torche, and a garlande of flowres vpon my head, with Palme leaues stroutinge out on euery side: I was adorned like vnto the Sunne, and made in fa∣shion of an Image, in suche sorte that all the people compassed about to beholde me: Then they beganne to solemnise the feast of my natiuitie, and the newe pro∣cession with sumptuous bankets and delicate meates: the thirde day was likewise celebrate with like cere∣monies, with a religious dinner, and with all the con∣summation of the order, when I had continued there

a good space I conceaued a meruelous pleasure and cō∣solation in beholding ordinarily the Image of the god∣desse, who at length admonished me to departe home∣warde, not without rendringe of thankes, whiche al∣though were not sufficient, yet they were according to my power: How be it I could vnneth be perswaded to depart, before I had fallen prostrate before the face of y^• Goddesse, and wiped her steppes with my face, where∣by I beganne so greatly to wéepe and sighe, that my woordes were interrupted, and as deuouring my pray∣er I began to say in this sorte: O holy & blessed Dame, the perpetuall comfort of humaine kinde, who by thy bountie and grace nourishest all the world, and bearest a great affection to the aduersities of the miserable as a louing mother, thou takest no rest, neyther arte thou idle at any time in giuinge thy benefites, and succo∣ringe all men aswell on lande as sea, thou arte she that puttest away all stormes and daungers from mans life by thy right hande, whereby likewise thou restray∣nest the fatall dispositions, appeasest the great tem∣pestes of fortunes, and kéepest backe the course of the starres, the Gods supernall doth honour thée: the Gods infernall hath thée in reuerence: thou enuironest al the worlde, thou giuest light to the Sunne, thou gouer∣nest the world, thou treadest downe the power of Hell: By thy meane the times returne, the Planets reioyse, the Elementes serue: at thy cōmaūdement the windes doo blowe, the cloudes encrease, the séedes prosper, and the fruictes preuayle, the birdes of the ayre, the beastes of the hill, the Serpentes of the denne, and the fishes of the sea, doo tremble at thy maiestie, but my spirite is not able to giue thée sufficient prayse, my patrimonie is vnable to satisfie thy sacrifice, my voyce hath no power to vtter that which I thinke, no if I had a thou∣sande

mouthes and so many tongues: How be it as a good religious personne, and according to my estate, I wil alwaies kéepe thée in remembraunce, and close thee within my brest. When I had ended mine orayson, I wente to embrase the great Prieste Mithra my spiri∣tuall Father and to demaunde his pardon, considering I was vnable to recompence the good whiche he had done me: After great gréetinges & thankes I departed from him to visitte my parents & fréendes. And within a while after by the exhortatiō of the Goddesse, I made vp my packquette and toke shippyng towardes y^e Citie of Rome, where, with a prosperous winde I arriued a∣bout the twelfe day of December. And the greatest de∣sire which I had there was daily to make my praiers to y^• soueraigne Goddesse Isis, who by reason of the place where her temple was builded, was called Cāpensis, & cōtinually adored of the people of Rome: Her minister & woorshipper was I howbeit I was a straunger to her Church, & vnknowen to her religion there: When the yeare was ended, & that the Goddesse warned me again to receaue this newe order & consecration, I merueled greatly what it should signifie, & what should happen, considering that I was a sacred person already. But it fortuned y^t while I partly reasoned with my selfe, and partely examined y^e thing with the Priestes & Bishops, there came a newe & meruelous thought to my minde, that is to say: I was onely religious to y^e goddesse Isis, but not sacred to the religion of great Osiris the soue∣raigne Father of all the Goddes, betwéene whome, although there was a religious vnitie and concorde, yet there was a great difference of order and ceremo∣nie. And because it was necessary that I shoulde like∣wise be a minister vnto Osiris, there was no longe de∣lay: For in the night after appered vnto me one of that

order, couered with linnen robes, holding in his hādes speares wrapped in yu••e, and other thinges not conue∣nient to declare, which he lefte in my chamber, and sit∣tinge in my seate, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to me suche thinges as were necessary for the sumptuons bankette of mine entry. And to the ende I might knowe him againe, he showed me how the ankle of his left foote was somewhat may∣med, whiche caused him a litle to halte. After that I did manifestly knowe the will of the God Osiris, when Mattins was ended, I wente from one to an other to finde him out whiche had the haltinge marke of his foote, accordinge as I learned by my vision, at length I founde it true: for I perceaued one of the company of the Priestes who had not onely the token of his foote, but the stature and habite of his body, resemblyng in euery point as he appeared in the night, he was called Asinius Marcellus, a name not muche disagreynge from my transformation, by and by I wēnte to him, whiche knew well inough all the matter, as beynge monished by like precept in the nighte: for the night before as he dressed the flowres and garlandes about the head of y^t God Osiris, he vnderstoode by the mouth of his Image, which tolde the predestinations of all men, how he had sent a poore man of Madaura, to whom he should mini∣ster his sacramentes, to the ende y^• he should receaue a rewarde by diuine prouidence, and the other glory, for his vertuous studies, when I sawe my selfe thus de∣puted vnto religion, my desire was stopped by reason of pouertie, for I had spente a great parte of my goodes in trauell and peregrination, but most of all in the citie of Rome, whereby my lowe estate withdrewe me a great while: In the ende, being oftentimes stirred for∣warde, not without great trouble of minde, I was cō∣streined to sel my roabe for a litle money: howbeit, suf∣ficient

for all my affaires. Then the Prieste spake vnto me, saiyng: How is it that for a little pleasure thou art not aferde to sell thy vestimentes, and entring into so great ceremonies, dost feare to fall into pouertie▪ pre∣pare thy selfe, and abstaine from all animall meates, as beastes and fishe. In the meane season I did frequent the sacrifices of Serapis, whiche were done in y^• night, which thing gaue me great comfort to my peregrina∣tion, and ministred vnto me more plentifull liuing, cō∣sidering I gained some money in haūting to the court, by reason of my lattin tongue. Immediatly after, I was eftsones called and admonished by the god Osiris, to receiue a thirde order of Religiō. Then I was great∣ly astonied, because I coulde not tell what this newe vision signified, or what the intent of the Celestiall Goddes was, doubting least the former Priestes had giuen me ill councell, and fearinge that they had not faithfully enstructed me, beinge in this maner as it were incensed. The God Osiris, appeared to me the night! folowing, and geuing me admonition, saiynge: There is no occasion why thou shouldest be aferd with so often order of Religion, as though there were som∣what omitted, but that thou shouldest rather reioyse, since as it hath pleased y^e Goddes to cal thée thrée times, when as there was neuer yet any persone that atchie∣ued to the order but once: Wherfore thou maist thinke thy selfe most happy for so great benefites. And knowe thou that the Religion which thou must nowe receiue, is right necessary, if thou meane to perseuer in the woorshipping of the Goddesse and to make solempnitie on the festiual day with thy blessed habite, which thing shalbe a glory and renoume to thée. After this sorte the diuine maiestie perswaded me in my sléepe, where∣upō by and by I went towardes the Priest, and decla∣red

all that which I had séene, then I fasted the space of tenne daies according to the custome, and of mine own proper wil I abstained lenger then I was cōmaunded: And verely I did nothing repent of the paine whiche I had taken, & of the charges which I was at, considering that the diuine prouidence had giuen me such an order that I gayned much money in pleadinge of causes: Fi∣nally after a few dayes the great God Osiris appeared to me in the night, not desguised in any other forme but in his owne essence, cōmaundinge me that I should be an Aduocate in the court, & not feare the sclaunder & enuie of ill persons, whiche bare me stomacke & grudge by reason of my doctrine, whiche I had gotten by much labour: moreouer he woulde not that I shoulde be any lenger of the nomber of his Priestes, but he allotted me to be one of the Decurious & Senatours: and after he appointed me a place within the auncient Pallaice, which was erected in the time of Silla, whereas I exe∣cuted mine office in great ioy with a shauen crowne.

Notes

• Asinius by ta∣king away the letter i. is made Asinus.