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 Apuleius fell in loue with Fotis.

Cap. 9.

WHen I was within the house I foūd my déere and swéete loue Fotis minsing of meate, and makinge potage for her Master and Mistris, the cupborde was all set with wines, and I thought I smelled the sauer of some deintie meates, she had about her middle a white and cleane apron, and she was gir∣ded about her bodie vnder her pappes with a swathell of redde silke, and she stirred the potte and turned the meate with her fayre and white handes, in such sorte that with stirringe and turninge the same, her loines, and hippes did likewise moue and shake, whiche was in my minde a comely sight to sée. These thinges when I sawe, I was halfe amased, and stoode musinge with my selfe, and my courage came then vpon me, whiche before was skant. And I spake vnto Fotis merely, and said: O Futis, how trimly you can stirre the potte, and how finelie (with shakinge your buttockes) you can make potage. O happy and twise happy is he to whom you giue leaue & licence but to touche you there: Then she being likewise merely disposed gan answeare: De∣part

I say miser from me, departe from my fire,* 1.1 for if the ••••ame thereof doo neuer so litle blase foorth, it will burne thée e••tremely: and none can extinguishe the heate therof, but I alone who in stirring the potte, and makinge the bedde can so finely shake my selfe: when she had saied these woordes, she cast her eies vpon me and laughed, but I did not departe from thence vntill such time as I had viewed her in euery point: but what should I speake of others? when as I doo accustome a∣broade to marke and viewe the face and heare of euery dame, and afterwardes delight my selfe therwith pri∣uately at home, and thereby iudge the residew of their shape, because the face is the principall parte of all the bodie, and is firste open to our eies: And whatsoeuer flourishyng and gorgeous apparell doth worke and set foorth in the corporal partes of a woman, the same doth the naturall and comely beautie set out in the face. Moreouer there be diuers, that (to the intent to showe their grace and feature) will cast of their partlettes, collars, habillimentes, frontes, cornettes & krippins, and doo more delight to showe the fairenes of their skinne, then to decke them selues vp in golde and pre∣tious stone. But because it is a crime vnto me to say, so and to giue no example thereof, know ye: that if you spoile and cut of the heare of any womā or depriue her of the colour of her face, though she weare neuer so ex∣cellent in beautie, though she weare throwen downe from heauen, spronge of the seas, nourished of the floudes, though she weare Venus her selfe, though she weare accōpanied with the Graces, though she weare wayted vpon of all the courte of C••pide, though she weare grided with her beautifull skarfe of loue, and though she smelled of perfumes and muskes, yet if she

appered balde: she coulde in no wise please, ••o, not her owne Vulcanus. O how well doth a fayre colour, and a shininge face agrée with glitteringe heare? Beholde it encoūtereth with the beames of the sunne, and plea∣seth the eie meruelously. Sometimes the beautie of the heare resembleth the colour of Golde and honie, some∣times the blewe plume and asured feathers about the neckes of dooues, especially when it is either annoin••∣ted with the gumme of Arabia, or trimlie tufte out with the téeth of a fine combe, whiche if it be tied vp in the pole of the necke, it séemeth to the louer (that behol∣deth the same) as a glasse that yeldeth foorth a more pleasant and gratious comelines then if it shoulde be sparsed abroade on the shoulders of the woman or hāge downe scatteringe behinde. Finally, there is suche a dignitie in the heare, that what so euer she be, though she neuer be so brauely attired with golde, silkes, pre∣tious stones, and other riche & gorgeous ornamentes, yet if her heare be not curiously set foorth, she cannot séeme faire. But in my Fotis, her garmentes vnbraste and vnlaste, did encrease her beautie, her heare hanged aboute her shoulders, and was disparsed abroade vpon her partlette, and in euery parte of her necke, howbeit the greater parte was trussed vp in her pole with a lace: Then I vnable to sustaine the broylinge heate, whiche I was in, ranne vpon her and kissed the place, where she had thus layd her heare, whereat she turned her face, and cast her rollinge eies vpon me, saying: O schollar thou hast tasted now both hony and galle, take héede that thy pleasure doo not turne into repentance: tushe ({quod} I) my swéete harte, I am contented for such an other kisse to be broyled here vpō this fier, wherwithal I embrased & kissed her more often, and she embrased

and kissed me likewise, and moreouer her breath smel∣led like sinnamome, and the licour of her tongue was like vnto swéete Nectar, wherewith when my minde was greatly delighted, I saide: beholde Fotis I am yours, & shall presently die, vnlesse you take pitie vpon me, which when I had said, she eftsoones kissed me and bidde me be of good courage, and I will ({quod} she) satisfie your whole desire, and it shalbe no lenger delaied then vntill night, when as (assure your selfe) I will come and lie with you, wherefore goe your waies & prepare your selfe, for I entende valiantly, and couragiously to encounter with you this night: Thus when we had lo∣uingly talked and reasoned together, we departed for that time.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The like saying hath Terence.