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 Thrasileon was disguised in a Beares skinne, and how he was handled.

Cap. 20.

WHile the skinne was a driynge, we made me∣ry with the fleashe, and then we deuised with our selues that one of vs, being more vali∣ant then the rest bothe in bodie and courage, (so that he would consent thereto) shoulde put on the skinne, and (feminge that he weare a Beare) should be ledde to Demochares house in the night, by whiche meanes we thought to be receaued and lette in. Many were desirous to play the Beare, but especially one Thrasi∣leon of a couragious minde would take this enterprise in hande. Then we put him into the Beares skinne, whiche fitted him finely in euery pointe, we buckled it fast vnder his belly, & couered the seame with the heare y^• it might not be séene. After this, we made litle holes thorough the Beares head, & thorough his nosethrilles and cies for Thrasileon to sée out and take winde at, in such sorte that he séemed a very liuely & naturall beast: when this was done, we went into a caue whiche we hired for y^• purpose, and he crepte in after like a Beare with a good courage. Thus we began our subtiltie, and then we imagined thus, we feigned letters as though they come frō on Nicanor whiche dwelled in the coun∣trey of Thracia, which was of great acquaintāce with this Demochares, wherein we wrote that he had sent him, being his fréende, the first fruictes of his coursing and huntinge, when night was come (whiche was a méete time for our purpose) we brought Thrasileon, & our forged letters and presented thē to Demochares. When Demochares behelde this mightie Beare, and saw the liberalitie of Nicanor his fréende, he cōmaun∣ded his seruaunt to deliuer vnto vs tenne crownes, as

he had great store in his coffers: Then (as the noueltie of a thing doth accustome to stirre mens mindes to be∣holde the same) many persons came on euery side to sée this Beare, but Thrasileō, (lest they should by curious viewyng and priyng perceaue the truthe) ranne vpon them to put them in feare, that thei durst not come nie. The people said: verely Demochares is right happy, in that, after the death of so many beastes, he hath gotten (maugre fortunes head) so goodly a Beare, then Demo∣chares commaunded that with great care he should be put into the parke by, emongst the other beastes, but I immediatly spake vnto him, and said: Sir I pray you take héede how you put a beaste tyred with the heate of the Sunne, and with longe trauell emongst others, whiche (as I here say) haue diuers maladies & diseases: let him rather lie in some opē place of your house nighe to some water, where he may take ayre and ease him selfe, for doo not you know that suche kinde of beastes doo greatly delight ot couche vnder shadow of trées, & hillockes, nigh vnto pleasant welles & waters. Hereby Demochares admonished, and remembringe how ma∣ny he had before that perished, was contented that we should put the Beare where we would: Moreouer we saide vnto him, that we our selues wre determined to lie all night nigh vnto the Beare, to looke vnto him, & to giue him meate and drinke at his due hower. Then he answeared: Verely maisters you néede not to put your selues to such paines: for I haue men taht serueth for nothinge but for that purpose: so we toke leaue of him and departed, and when we weare come without the gates of the towne, we perceaued before vs a great Sepulchre standinge out of the highe way, in a priuie and secreate place. And thither we wente and opened

the mouth thereof, whereas we founde the sides coue∣red with the corruption of man, and the ashes and dust of his longe buried bodie, wherein we gotte our selues to bringe our purpose to passe, and (hauinge a respect to the darke time of the night accordinge to our custome) when we thought that euery man was a sléepe, we went with our weapōs and besieged the house of De∣mochares round about: Then Thrasileon was reddy at hande, and leaped out of the cauerne, and wente to kill all such as he founde a sléepe, but when he came to the porter he opened the gates and let vs all in: and thē he showed vs a large counter, wherin he sawe put (the night before) a great aboundaunce of treasure, whiche when by violence we had broken open, I bidde euery one of my fellowes take as much Golde and Siluer as they could beare away, and carry it to the Sepulchre, and still as they caried, I stoode at the gate, watchinge diligently when they would retorne. The Beare run∣ned about the house to make such of the familie affeard as fortuned to wake and come out: For who is he that is so puisant and courageous, that at the vgly sight of so great a Monster will not quaile and kéepe his cham∣ber especially in the night, but when we had brought this matter to so good a pointe, there chaunced a pitiful case: For as I looked for my compaignions that should come from the Sepulchre, beholde there was a boye of the house, that fortuned to looke out at a windowe and espied the Beare rūning about, and he went and tolde al the seruaūtes of the house, whereupon incontinent∣ly they came foorth with torches, lanthornes, and other lightes that they might sée all the yarde ouer, thei came with clubbes, speares, naked swoordes, greyhoundes & masties to slea the poore beast: Then I (duringe this broile)

thought to runne away, but because I would sée Thrasileon fightinge with the dogges, I lay behinde y^• gate to beholde him. And although I might perceaue that he was welnie dead, yet remembred he his owne faithfulnes and ours, and valiātly resisted the gaping and rauenous mouthes of the helhoūdes, so toke he in grée the pageant which willingly he toke in hande him selfe, and with much a doo tumbled at length out of the house, but when he was at libertie abroade, yet coulde he not saue him selfe, for all the dogges of the streate ioyned them selues to the greyhoūdes & masties of the house, and came vpon him: Alas what a pitifull sight it was, when our poor Thrasileon was thus enuironed & compassed with so many dogges, that tare & rente him miserably, then I (impatient of so great his miserie) rāne in emongst the prease of the people, & (ayding him with my woordes as much as I might) exhorted them al in this manner. O great & extreame mischaunce, what a pretious and excellent beast haue we loste: but my woordes did nothinge preuaile. For there came out a tale man with a speare in his hande y^t trust him cleane thorough, and afterwardes many that stoode by, drewe out their swoordes & so they killed him. But verely our good Capitaine Thrasileon, the honour of our cōforte receaued his death so patiently, that he would not be∣wray the league betwene vs, either by criynge, how∣linge or any other meanes, but (being torne with dogges, & wounded with weapons) did yelde foorth a dolefull crie, more like vnto a beast then a mā. And ta∣kinge his present fortune in good parte, with courage & glory inough did finish his life, with such a terrour vn∣to the assembly, that no person was so hardy (vntill it was day) as to touch him, though he weare starke dead

but at last there came a Butcher more valiant then the rest, who (openinge the panche of the beast) slitte out a hardy and venturous théefe. In this manner we loste our Capitaine Thrasileon▪ but he lost not his fame and honour: when this was done we packed vp our trea∣sure, which we cōmitted to the Sepulchre to kéepe, and gotte vs out of the boundes of Platea, thinkinge with our selues that there was more fidelitie emongest the dead, then emōgst the liuing, by reason that our praies was so surely kept in the Sepulchre: So (being weried with the weight of our burthens, & welnie tired with long trauel, hauing lost thrée of our souldiours) we are come home with these present cheates: Thus whē they had spoken (in memory of their slaine cōpaignions) thei tooke cuppes of Golde & songe Hympnes vnto the God Mars, & layde them downe to sléepe. Then the old wo∣man gaue vs fresh barley without measure, in so much that my Horse sedde so abundantly that he might well thinke he was at some bankette that day. But I (that was accustomed to eate branne & flowre) thought that but a sower kinde of meate, wherfore espiyng a corner where lay loues of bread for all the house, I gotte me thither, and filled my hungry guttes withall.