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 was ledde away by the horsekeper, and what daungers he was in.

Cap. 33.

BY and by the Horsekeper,* 1.1 to whome the charge of me was cōmitted, brought foorth all his substance and laded me and other horses withal, & so depar∣ted thense: we bare wemen, children, pullettes, spar∣rowes, kiddes, whelpes, & other thinges whiche were not able to kéepe pace with vs, and that whiche I bare vpon my backe, although it was a mighty burthen, yet séemed it very light, because I was driuen away from him that most terribly had appointed to kill me, when we hed passed ouer a great mountayne full of trées, and were come againe into the open fieldes, beholde we approched nighe to a fayre and riche Castell, where

it was tolde vnto vs that we weare not able to passe in our iourney that night, by reason of the great number of terrible Woolues, whiche weare in the countrey a∣bout, so fierce and cruell, that they put euerie man in feare, in such sort that they would inuade and set vpon such which passed by like theues, and deuoure bothe thē and their beastes.

Moreouer, we weare aduertised that there laie in the waie wheare we should passe, manie dead bodies, eaten and torne with Wolues. Wherefore we weare willed to state theare all night, & on the next morning, to goe close and rounde together, whereby we might passe and escape all perilles and daungers. But (not∣withstandinge this good counsell) our cait••••e driuers weare so couetous to goe forwarde, and so fearfull of pursuit, that they neuer staied till the morninge: But being well nie midnight, they made vs trudge in our waie a pace: Then I fearing the great daunger whiche might happen, ranne amongest the middle of the other horses, to thend I might defend and saue my poore but∣tockes from the Wolues, whereat euery man muche meruailed to sée, that I scoured away swifter then the other horses: But suche was my agilitée not to get me any praise, but rather for feare. At that time I remem∣bred with my selfe, that the valiant horse Pegasus, did ••ie in the aire more to auoide the daunder of dreadfull Chimera, then for any thing els. The shepardes which draue vs before thē, weare well armed like warriours: One had a speare, an other had a shepehooke, some had dartes, some clubbes, some gathered vp great stones, some helde vp their sharpe iauelins, and some feared awaie the Wolues with light firebrandes. Finally we lacked nothing to make vp an armie, but onely drums

and trumpettes, but when we had passed these dau••••∣gers not without small feare, we fortuned to fall into worse, for the Wolues came not vpon vs, eyther be∣cause of the greate multitude of our company, or els because of our firebrandes, or peraduenture they were gone to some other place, for we could sée none, but the inhabitantes of the nexte villages (supposinge that we were Théeues by reason of our great multitude,) for the defence of their owne substance, and for the feare they were in, sette great and mighty masties vpon vs, which they had kept & nourished for the safetie of their houses, who compassing vs rounde about, leaped on e∣uery side, tearing vs with their téeth, in such sorte that they pulled many of vs to the grounde, verely it was a pitifull sight to sée so many dogges, some followinge suche as flied, some inuadinge such as stoode still, some tearinge those which lay prostrate, but generally there were none which escaped cléere: Behol••e vpon this an other daunger ensewed, the inhabitantes of the towne stoode in their garrettes & windowes, throwinge great stones vpon our heades, that we coulde not tell whe∣ther it were best for vs to auoide the gapinge mouthes of the dogges at hād, or the perill of the stones a farre, emongst whome there was one that hurled a greate ••inte vpon a woman, which satte vpon my backe, who cried out piteously, desiringe her husband to helpe her. Then he (cominge to succour and ayde his wife) began to speake in this sorte: Alas maisters what meane you to trouble vs poore laboring mē so cruelly? what meane you to reuenge your selues vppon vs, that doo you no harme? what thinke you to gaine by vs? you dwell not in caues or dennes: you are no people barborous that you should delight in effusion of humaine bloudde.

At these woordes the tempest of stones did cease, & the storme of the dogges vanished away. Then one (stan∣dinge on the toppe of a great Cipresse trée) spake vnto vs, saying: Thinke you not maisters that we doo this, to the intent to rifle or take away any of your goodes, but for the saluegarde of our selues and family, now a Goddes name you may departe away. So we wēt for∣warde some wounded with stones, some bitten with dogges, but generally there was none whiche escaped frée.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Asse spea∣keth.