the golden asse-第30部分

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　use；　he　will　never　bite；　he　will　never　kicke；　hut　you　would　rather　thinke　that　under　the　shape　of　an　Asse　there　were　some　well　advised　man；　which　verely　you　may　easily　conject；　for　if　you　would　thrust　your　nose　in　his　taile　you　shall　perceive　how　patient　he　is　：　Thus　the　cryer　mocked　the　old　man；　but　he　perceiving　his　taunts　and　jests；　waxed　very　angry　saying；　Away　doting　cryer；　I　pray　the　omnipotent　and　omniparent　goddesse　Syria；　Saint　Sabod；　Bellona；　with　her　mother　Idea；　and　Venus；　with　Adonis；　to　strike　out　both　thine　eies；　that　with　taunting　mocks　hast　scoffed　me　in　this　sort　：　Dost　thou　thinke　that　I　will　put　a　goddesse　upon　the　backe　of　any　fierce　beast；　whereby　her　divine　Image　should　be　throwne　downe　on　the　ground；　and　so　I　poore　miser　should　be　compelled　（tearing　my　haire）　to　looke　for　some　Physition　to　helpe　her？　　When　I　heard　him　speake　thus；　I　thought　with　my　selfe　sodainly　to　leap　upon　him　like　a　mad　Asse；　to　the　intent　he　should　not　buy　me；　but　incontinently　there　came　another　Marchant　that　prevented　my　thought；　and　offered　17　Pence　for　me；　then　my　Master　was　glad　and　received　the　money；　and　delivered　me　to　my　new　Master　who　was　called　Phelibus；　and　he　caried　his　new　servant　home；　and　before　he　came　to　his　house；　he　called　out　his　daughters　saying；　Behold　my　daughters；　what　a　gentle　servant　I　have　bought　for　you　：　then　they　were　marvailous　glad；　and　comming　out　pratling　and　shouting　for　joy；　thought　verely　that　he　had　brought　home　a　fit　and　conveniable　servant　for　their　purpose；　but　when　they　perceived　that　it　was　an　Asse；　they　began　to　provoke　him；　saying　that　he　had　not　bought　a　servant　for　his　Maidens；　but　rather　an　Asse　for　himselfe。　　Howbeit　（quoth　they）　keepe　him　not　wholly　for　your　owne　riding；　but　let　us　likewise　have　him　at　commandement。　Therewithall　they　led　me　into　the　stable；　and　tied　me　to　the　manger　：　there　was　a　certaine　yong　man　with　a　mighty　body；　wel　skilled　in　playing　on　instruments　before　the　gods　to　get　money；　who　（as　soone　as　he　had　espied　me）　entertained　me　verie　well；　for　he　filled　my　racke　and　maunger　full　of　meat；　and　spake　merrily　saying；　O　master　Asse；　you　are　very　welcome；　now　you　shall　take　my　office　in　hand；　you　are　come　to　supply　my　roome；　and　to　ease　me　of　my　miserable　labour　：　but　I　pray　God　thou　rnaist　long　live　and　please　my　Master　well；　to　the　end　thou　maist　continually　deliver　me　from　so　great　paine。　　When　I　heard　these　words　I　did　prognosticate　my　miserie　to　come。

　The　day　following　I　saw　there　a　great　number　of　persons　apparelled　in　divers　colours；　having　painted　faces；　mitres　on　their　heads；　vestiments　coloured　like　saffron；　Surplesses　of　silke；　and　on　their　feet　yellow　shooes；　who　attired　the　goddesse　in　a　robe　of　Purple；　and　put　her　upon　my　backe。　Then　they　went　forth　with　their　armes　naked　to　their　shoulders；　bearing　with　them　great　swords　and　mightie　axes；　and　dancing　like　mad　persons。　　After　that　we　had　passed　many　small　villages；　we　fortuned　to　come　to　one　Britunis　house；　where　at　our　first　entrie　they　began　to　hurle　themselves　hither　and　thither；　as　though　they　were　mad。　　They　made　a　thousand　gestures　with　their　feete　and　their　hands；　they　would　bite　themselves；　finally；　every　one　tooke　his　weapon　and　wounded　his　armes　in　divers　places。

　Amongst　whom　there　was　one　more　mad　then　the　rest；　that　let　many　deepe　sighes　from　the　bottome　of　his　heart；　as　though　he　had　beene　ravished　in　spirite；　or　replenished　with　divine　power。　　And　after　that；　he　somewhat　returning　to　himselfe；　invented　and　forged　a　great　lye；　saying；　that　he　had　displeased　the　divine　majesty　of　the　goddesse；　by　doing　of　some　thing　which　was　not　convenable　to　the　order　of　their　holy　religion；　wherefore　he　would　doe　vengeance　of　himselfe　：　and　therewithall　he　tooke　a　whip；　and　scourged　his　owne　body；　that　the　bloud　issued　out　aboundantly；　which　thing　caused　me　greatly　to　feare；　to　see　such　wounds　and　effusion　of　bloud；　least　the　same　goddesse　desiring　so　much　the　bloud　of　men；　should　likewise　desire　the　bloud　of　an　Asse。　　After　they　were　wearie　with　hurling　and　beating　themselves；　they　sate　downe；　and　behold；　the　inhabitants　came　in；　and　offered　gold；　silver；　vessels　of　wine；　milke；　cheese；　flower；　wheate　and　other　things　：　amongst　whom　there　was　one；　that　brought　barly　to　the　Asse　that　carried　the　goddesse；　but　the　greedie　whoresons　thrust　all　into　their　sacke；　which　they　brought　for　the　purpose　and　put　it　upon　my　backe；　to　the　end　I　might　serve　for　two　purposes；　that　is　to　say；　for　the　barne　by　reason　of　my　corne；　and　for　the　Temple　by　reason　of　the　goddesse。　　In　this　sort；　they　went　from　place　to　place；　robbing　all　the　Countrey　over。　At　length　they　came　to　a　certaine　Castle　where　under　colour　of　divination；　they　brought　to　passe　that　they　obtained　a　fat　sheepe　of　a　poore　husbandman　for　the　goddesse　supper　and　to　make　sacrifice　withall。　　After　that　the　banket　was　prepared；　they　washed　their　bodies；　and　brought　in　a　tall　young　man　of　the　village；　to　sup　with　them；　who　had　scarce　tasted　a　few　pottage；　when　hee　began　to　discover　their　beastly　customes　and　inordinate　desire　of　luxury。　　For　they　compassed　him　round　about；　sitting　at　the　table；　and　abused　the　young　man；　contrary　to　all　nature　and　reason。　　When　I　beheld　this　horrible　fact；　I　could　not　but　attempt　to　utter　my　mind　and　say；　O　masters；　but　I　could　pronounce　no　more　but　the　first　letter　O；　which　I　roared　out　so　valiantly；　that　the　young　men　of　the　towne　seeking　for　a　straie　Asse；　that　they　had　lost　the　same　night；　and　hearing　my　voice；　whereby　they　judged　that　I　had　beene　theirs；　entred　into　the　house　unwares；　and　found　these　persons　committing　their　vile　abhomination；　which　when　they　saw；　they　declared　to　all　the　inhabitants　by；　their　unnatural　villany；　mocking　and　laughing　at　this　the　pure　and　cleane　chastity　of　their　religion。　In　the　meane　season；　Phelibus　and　his　company；　（by　reason　of　the　bruit　which　was　dispersed　throughout　all　the　region　there　of　their　beastly　wickednesse）　put　all　their　trumpery　upon　my　backe；　and　departed　away　about　midnight。　When　we　had　passed　a　great　part　of　our　journey；　before　the　rising　of　the　Sun；　we　came　into　a　wild　desart；　where　they　conspired　together　to　slay　me。　For　after　they　had　taken　the　goddesse　from　my　backe　and　set　her　gingerly　upon　the　ground；　they　likewise　tooke　off　my　harnesse；　and　bound　me　surely　to　an　Oake；　beating　me　with　their　whip；　in　such　sort　that　all　my　body　was　mortified。　Amongst　whom　there　was　one　that　threatened　to　cut　off　my　legs　with　his　hatchet；　because　by　my　noyse　I　diffamed　his　chastity；　but　the　other　regarding　more　their　owne　profit　than　my　utility；　thought　best　to　spare　my　life；　because　I　might　carry　home　the　goddesse。　So　they　laded　me　againe；　driving　me　before　them　with　their　naked　swords；　till　they　came　to　a　noble　City：　where　the　principall　Patrone　bearing　high　reverence　unto　the　goddesse；　Came　in　great　devotion　before　us　with　Tympany；　Cymbals；　and　other　instruments；　and　received　her；　and　all　our　company　with　much　sacrifice　and　veneration。　　But　there　I　remember；　I　thought　my　selfe　in　most　danger；　for　there　was　one　that　brought　to　the　Master　of　the　house；　a　side　of　a　fat　Bucke　for　a　present；　which　being　hanged　behind　the　kitchin　doore；　not　far　from　the　ground；　was　cleane　eaten　up　by　a　gray　hound；　that　came　in。　The　Cooke　when　he　saw　the　Venison　devoured；　lamented　and　wept　pitifully。　And　because　supper　time　approached　nigh；　when　as　he　should　be　reproved　of　too　much　negligence；　he　tooke　a　halter　to　hang　himselfe：　but　his　wife　perceiving　whereabout　he　went；　ran　incontinently　to　him；　and　taking　the　halter　in　both　her　hands；　stopped　him　of　his　purpose；　saying；　O　husband；　are　you　out　of　your　writs？　pray　husband　follow　my　counsel；　cary　this　strange　Asse　out　into　some　secret　place　and　kill　him；　which　done；　cut　off　one　of　his　sides；　and　sawce　it　well　like　the　side　of　the　Bucke；　and　set　it　before　your　Master。　　Then　the　Cooke　hearing　the　counsell　of　his　wife；　was　well　pleased　to　slay　me　to　save　himselfe：　and　so　he　went　to　the　whetstone；　to　sharpe　his　tooles　accordingly。




THE　NINTH　BOOKE



　THE　THIRTY…SEVENTH　CHAPTER


How　Apuleius　saved　himselfe　from　the　Cooke；　breaking　his　halter；　and　of　other　things　that　happened。

　In　this　manner　the　traiterous　Cooke　prepared　himselfe　to　slay　me　：　and　when　he　was　ready　with　his　knives　to　doe　his　feat；　I　devised　with　my　selfe　how　I　might　escape　the　present　perill；　and　I　did　not　long　delay　：　for　incontinently　I　brake　the　halter　wherewith　I　was　tied；　and　flinging　my　heeles　hither　and　thither　to　save　my　selfe；　at　length　I　ran　hastily　into　a　Parlour；　where　the　Master　of　the　house　was　feasting　with　the　Priests　of　the　goddesse　Syria；　and　disquieted　all　the　company；　throwing　downe　their　meats　and　drinks　from　the　table。　　The　Master　of　the　house　dismayed　at　my　great　disorder；　commanded　one　of　his　servants　to　take　me　up；　and　locke　me　in　some　strong　place；　to　the　end　I　might　disturb　them　no　more。　　But　I　little　regarded　my　imprisonment；　considering　that　I　was　happily　delivered　from　the　hands　of　the　traiterous　Cooke。　Howbeit　fortune；　or　the　fatall　disposition　of　the　divine　providence；　which　neither　can　be　avoided　by　wise　counsell；　neither　yet　by　any　wholesome　remedie；　invented　a　new　torment；　for　by　and　by　a　young　ladde　came　running　into　the　Parlour　all　trembling；　and　declared　to　the　Master　of　the　house；　that　there　was　a　madde　Dog　running　about　in　the　streetes；　which　had　done　much　harme；　for　he　had　bitten　many　grey　hounds　and　horses　in　the　Inne　by：　And　he　spared　neither　man　nor　beast。　For　there　was　one　Mitilius　a　Mulettour；　Epheseus；　a　Cooke；　Hyppanius　a　chamberlaine；　and　Appolonius　a　Physition；　who　（thinking　to　chase　away　the　madde　Dogge）　were　cruelly　wounded　by　him；　insomuch　that　many　Horses　and　other　beasts　infected　with　the　venyme　of　his　poysonous　teeth　became　madde　likewise。　Which　thing　caused　them　all　at　the　table　greatly　to　feare；　and　thinking　that　I　had　beene　bitten　in　like　sort；　came　out　with　speares；　Clubs；　and　Pitchforks　purposing　to　slay　me；　and　I　had　undoubtedly　beene　slaine；　had　I　not　by　and　by　crept　into　the　Chamber；　where　my　Master　intended　to　lodge　all　night。　　Then　they　closed　and　locked　fast　the　doores　about　me；　and　kept　the　chamber　round；　till　such　time　as　they　thought　that　the　pestilent　rage　of　madnesse　had　killed　me。　When　I　was　thus　shutte　in　the