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 thinkinge to be turned into a Birde, was turned into an Asse, and howe he was ledde away by theeues.

Cap. 17.

AFter that I had wel rubbed euery parte & mem∣ber of my bodie, I houered with mine armes, & moued my selfe, lokinge still when I should be chaunged into a birde as Pamphile was, and beholde neither feathers nor apparaūce of feathers did burgen out, but verely my heare did turne into ruggednes, & my tender skinne waxed tough and harde, my fingers and toes lesing the nūber of fiue chaunged into hoofes, and out of mine arse grewe a great taile, now my face became monstruous, my nosethrilles wide, my lippes hanginge downe, and mine eares rugged with heare: Neither could I sée any comfort of my transformatiō, for my membres encreased likewise, and so without all helpe (viewyng euery parte of my poore bodie) I percea∣ued that I was no birde, but a plaine Asse. Then I thought to blame Fotis, but beinge depriued aswell of language as humaine shape, I loked vpon her with my hanginge lippes and watrie eies, who (assone as she

espied me in suche sorte) cried out alas poore wretche that I am, I am vtterly caste away. The feare that I was in, & my hast hath beguiled me, but especially the mistaking of the boxe hath deceaued me. But it forceth not much, since as a sooner medicine may be gotten for this, then for any other thyng. For if thou couldest get a Rose and eate it, thou shouldest be deliuered from the shape of an Asse, and become my Lucius againe. And would to God I had gathered some garlādes this eue∣ning past according to my custome, then thou shouldest not continue an Asse one nightes space, but in the mor∣ninge I will séeke some remedie. Thus Fotis lamen∣ted in pitifull sorte, but I that was now a perfect Asse, and for Lucius a bruite beaste, did yet retaine the sense and vnderstandinge of a man. And did deuise a good space with my selfe, whether it were beste for me to teare this mischieuous and wicked harlotte with my mouth, or to kicke and kill her with my héeles. But a better thought reduced me from so rashe a purpose, for I feared least by the death of Fotis I should be depri∣ded of all remedie and helpe. Then shakinge my head and dissimuling mine yre, and takinge mine aduersitie in good parte, I went into y^• stable to mine owne-horse, where I found an other Asse of Miloes, somtime mine hoste, and I did verely thinke that mine owne horse (it there were any natural cōsciēce or knowledge in brute beastes) would take pitie vpō me, & proffer me lodging for that night, but it chaunced farre otherwise: For see my horse & the Asse, as it weare, consented together to worke my harme, & fearing least I should eate vp their prouender, would in no wise suffer me to come nighe the manger, but kicked me with their héeles from their meate, whiche I my selfe gaue them the night before:

Then I, beinge thus handled by them & driuen away, gotte me into a corner of the stable, where (while I re∣membred their vncourtesie, and how on the morrow I should returne to Lucius by the helpe of a Rose, when as I thought to reuēge my selfe of mine owne horse) I fortuned to espie in the middle of a pillor sustainyng y^• rafters of the stable, the Image of the Goddesse Hip∣pone, whiche was garnished and decked rounde about with faire fresh Roses: then in hope of present remedie I leaped vp with my fore féete as highe as I coulde, and stretchinge out my necke, and with my lippes coueted to snatche some Roses. But in an euill howre did I goe aboute that enterpryse, for beholde, the boye to whome I gaue charge of my horse came presently in, and findinge me climinge vpon the pillor, ranne freatinge towardes me, and said: How longe shall we suffer this vile Asse, that dothe not onely eate vp his fellowes meate, but also would spoile the images of the Goddes? why doo I not kill this lame théefe, and weake wretche? & therewithall lokinge about for some kidgel, he espied where lay a faggot of woodde, & choosinge out a crabbed trunchion of the biggest he could finde, did neuer cease beating of me poore wretch, vntil such time as by great noyes and rumbling, he harde the doores of the house burst open, and the neighbours crying in la∣mentable sorte, whiche enforced him (being stroken in feare) to flie his way. And by and by a troope of théeues entred in, and kepte euery parte & corner of the house with weapons. And as men resorted to ayde and helpe thē which weare within the doores, the théeues resisted & kept them backe, for euery man was armed with his swoorde and Targette in his hande, the glympses whereof did yelde out such light as if it had bene daye.

Then they brake opē a great cheste with double lockes and boltes, wherein was laide all the treasure of Milo, and ransakt the same, which when they had done they packed it vp, and gaue euery one a porciō to carry, but when they had more then they could beare away, yet weare they lothe to leaue any behinde, they came into the stable, and toke vs twoo poore Asses, and my horse, and laded vs with greater trusses then we weare able to beare. And when we weare out of the house, they followed vs with great staues, and willed one of their fellowes to tarry behinde, and bringe them tidinges what was done concerninge the robbery, and so they beate vs forwarde ouer great hilles out of y^• high way. But I, what with my heauy burthen, and my longe iourney did nothinge differ from a dead Asse, wherfore I determined with my selfe to séeke some ciuill reme∣die, and by inuocation of the name of the Prince of the countrie, to be deliuered from so many miseries. And on a time as I passed thorough a great faire, I came a∣mongst a multitude of Gréekes, and I thought to call vpon the renoumed name of the Emperour, & to say: O Cesar, and I cried out aloude, O, but Cesar I could in no wise pronounce: the théeues little regardinge my criynge did lay me on, and beate my wretched skinne in such sorte, that after it was neither apte nor méete to make siues or sarces. How be it at laste Iupiter mini∣sterd vnto me an vnhoped remedie. For when we had passed thorough many townes & villages, I fortuned to espie a pleasaunt garden, wherein, besides many other flowers of delectable hewe, weare newe and freshe Roses, and (beinge very ioyfull and desirous to catche some as I passed by) I drewe nerer and nerer, and while my lippes watred vpō them, I thought of a

better aduise more profitable for me: least if from an Asse I should become a man, I might fal into the hādes of the theeues, and either by suspitiō that I weare some Witche, or for feare that I would vtter their thefte, I should be slaine, wherfore I abstained for that time frō eatinge of Roses. And (enduringe my present aduersi∣tie) I eate hay as other Asses did.